"Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly be arriving in Tulsa, where this train terminates." The driver's voice came over the speaker and I began gathering up my stuff and heading towards the door. The train came to a stop and I wrangled the door open and stepped out, feeling a rush of happiness as I put my feet onto my hometown concrete.

"Michelle!" A very familiar voice shouted, gaining my attention. I smiled and ran over to Steve, who swung me up into his arms. I'd only been away at college for three months, but I'd missed the idiot.

"Missed ya sis."

"Missed you too." I smiled into his shoulder. He set me on my feet and picked up my suitcase.

"Jeez, what's in here, a bowling ball?"

"What else am I supposed to swing at attackers?" I asked and he chuckled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and guiding me out of the train station to his truck. "So, what have I missed?" I asked once we were in the truck, driving through Tulsa.

"Uh," Steve drummed on the steering wheel as he thought, "Two-Bit has a job at the Dingo."

I stared at him in shock. "How in the hell did he manage to swing that one?"

"His Mom and Kathy talked him into it. Something about setting an example for his sister."

"Oh, yeah. Older brothers should always set an example for their little sisters." I said with a smirk and Steve shoved my head gently.

"Don't get smart." He said but chuckled all the same. "Darry's manager at the roofing company now, uh, Soda's trying everything he can not to get conscripted."

I nodded. "What about you?" I asked and he crumpled his forehead, so I rolled my eyes. "Conscription Stevie."

"Eve's terrified." He whispered. "Now we're married, and with the baby on the way, she's absolutely terrified."

"I don't blame her. I don't want you to go either."

"Oh, kid."

"Don't call me kid. I'm eighteen for Christ's sake."

Steve grinned as we pulled up at the Curtis house and we got out, heading up the steps. "OK. Kid."

"Bastard!" I shouted as I jumped on him and he laughed as he tried to wrestle me off.

"I think they're here." Evie's voice floated out to us, and I let my brother go.

"After you." He gestured to the door, and I opened it, not caring if it closed behind me or not.

"Chelle you're here!" Sodapop cried delightedly, flying at me and scooping me off my feet, whirling me around.

"Hey Soda." I said into his shoulder. He set me down and I barely had a second to stop my head spinning before Two-Bit was smothering me. "Hey Mr Career."

"Steve told ya?"

"Yeah, Steve told me. What? Did you think we just spent the last twenty minutes in silence?"

"Hey Michelle. How was the journey?" Darry asked as he gave me a brief but no less welcoming hug.

"Long, boring. Some guy farted on the bus from New York, and my window was stuck, and I thought I was going to choke to death." I said, sending Two-Bit howling, and the other guys shaking their heads. Evie, Kathy and Darry's girl Marie all greeted me with hugs and comments over how well I looked, and there was a brief compliment exchange, especially to my sister-in-law, who was so much more obviously pregnant compared to the last time I saw her. I looked over at the youngest of all the boys, still sat on the couch, but looking straight at me. "Ponyboy."

"Michelle." He answered. "How's New York?"

"You tell me." I smiled a little and he grinned. I inhaled through my nose and turned to his eldest brother. "Am I OK to use the bathroom?" I asked and he shook his head.

"You've been coming here since you were little. You don't need to ask, you know where it is." He said, and I grinned my thanks, heading down the hallway and into the bathroom, where I counted to sixty twice. Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and then the familiar knock pattern came.

"They're watching TV." He whispered quickly when I opened the door, and I followed him into his bedroom, where he closed the door behind me before pushing me up against it so he could kiss me. "God I've missed you."

"It's been two days Pony."

"Two days too long." He whispered against my lips before capturing them again. I slipped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "Stop unless you want them to find us." He murmured and I huffed but let him go.

"Pony, we need to tell them."

"And we will. Tonight, during that silly "I'm Thankful For…" game we always play."

I nodded. "OK. It's not a silly game though."

He gave me a wry grin. "I know." He said, pecking me on the nose.

"Oh, my Lord I'm full." I said, plopping myself down on the sofa.

"Well, you didn't have to have the extra fries." Kathy said as she sat down next to me.

I shrugged. "They fell onto my plate what was I supposed to do?" I asked and she shook her head with a fond smile.

"I have missed you sweetheart." She said, wrapping her arms around me, and I let her hug me.

"Time to say what we're thankful for!" Soda sang as he sat down on the floor, Ponyboy taking a seat next to him. Steve and Evie sat on the other couch with Marie while Darry took a seat in his armchair and Two-Bit sat on the other side of Kathy. "Darry first."

"I'm thankful that we were all able to come together this year. I know we thought it was going to be difficult with Ponyboy and Michelle at college, but I'm thankful we were all able to be together."

"Michelle, what are you thankful for?" Evie asked and I faltered slightly, leaving a dead silence.

"Ponyboy." I blurted suddenly and they all looked at me in surprise. "Um, I'm thankful for Ponyboy. Being in New York would have been hell the last few months if you hadn't been there, so thank you." I said, and his eyelid flicked in the barest hint of a wink. We carried on around the circle, Kathy being thankful for Two-Bit's manager taking him on, Two-Bit being grateful that Kathy stuck by him, Marie being thankful for Darry and his encouragement regarding her work at the hospital, Steve being grateful for Evie and their baby, Evie being thankful for their baby and Steve proving himself, Soda was thankful that everyone still wanted to spend time together.

"Ponyboy, you're last little buddy." Darry said, looking down at him. "What are you thankful for?"

I knew he was slightly embarrassed by everyone's attention being on him, by the fact that the tips of his ears were a little red, and I knew that he knew I'd noticed because he grinned slightly at my smile. "I'm thankful for Michelle Elizabeth Randle." He answered, "because I don't think she really realises what a goddamn angel she is and how honoured I am that she chose me."

Before I could even stop myself, I mouthed, "I love you" and Ponyboy's grin widened into a smile, both of us forgetting everyone else who were looking from me to Ponyboy then to each other.

"Holy shit!" Soda giggled, breaking the silence. "Nice one Pone!" He said, clapping his little brother on the back, exchanging a grin with Darry. Everyone else jumped in, congratulating us.

I looked across at my brother who had gone so pale he might have been a statue in a museum. "Steve, say something." I begged.

"H-how long?" He finally managed to get out.

"A couple of months." Ponyboy said, walking over to sit on the arm of the couch next to me, and realisation suddenly dawned on my brother's face.

"That boy that you gushed down the phone to Evie about, the boy who showed you Times Square and took you for your first New York pizza, that was Ponyboy?" He asked and I nodded, blushing slightly. Steve huffed a sigh of annoyance. "He irritated me when we were kids and then he was OK but now he's irritating me all over again!" He burst and I couldn't stop myself from laughing. I got up and walked over to him, putting my hands on his shoulders.

"Steve, we both know that anyone who's my boyfriend is going to irritate you, regardless of whether or not it's specifically Ponyboy."

"Hey!"

"Shh, I'm having a moment with my brother." I said over my shoulder, before turning back to my brother. "Am I right?"

"You're just growing up so fast."

"So are you." I said, and he looked at me. "Married with a kid on the way? Super-fast. Come on, you managed to scare away all the boys I liked when I was younger except for that one. Surely that counts for something?"

He sighed in defeat. "Yeah. I s'pose." He answered and I straightened up. "Hey kid." He called and Ponyboy looked at him. "You break her heart and I'll break you."

"Sweet Jesus." I sighed, closing my eyes.

"Yessir." Ponyboy answered from next to me and I opened my eyes. "Hello."

"Hi." I said softly.

He jerked his head to the front door. "Coming for a smoke?"

"Yeah, sure." I answered and allowed him to lead me outside by the hand. The screen door closed behind us and both of us sighed in relief. "He took it well." I said, taking the offered cigarette and lighting it.

"Better than I thought. Every time I imagined it in my head, he swung for me for defiling his little sister." He lit his cigarette and I looked at him.

"Defiling his little sister? If that was the case, Darry and Soda should come after me for defiling their little brother." I grinned and he chuckled, walking over and kissing me. We sat down on the porch seat. "If there's anything I miss about being here, it's that." I said, pointing upwards.

"I know. It's so difficult to see the stars in the city." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Here you can breathe fresh air."

"Oh yeah, it's really fresh." I said, looking pointedly at the cigarettes between our fingers, and he chuckled as we both took drags on our cigarettes. "We shouldn't be too intense in front of them. New York is one thing, and our friends always egg us on, but here,"

"It would be too much too soon." He finished and I nodded. "I wanted to kiss you the second you came through the door, but I knew I had to wait, but dear God did I want to kiss you."

I smiled. "Took all my willpower to stay next to my brother instead of jumping you, but we'd planned it Pone. We knew what we were going to do when I got here. I'm just glad they know now so we aren't sneaking around."

Ponyboy turned and kissed my hair. "Happy Thanksgiving." He whispered and I smiled.

"Happy Thanksgiving."