I do not own The Outsiders.

Darry had left work earlier this day. His boss, Mr Berckley gave a party for the end of the year but he didn't feel in a mood to drink with his colleagues. To be polite,he had taken a glass of champagne before making off discreetly. He knew Mr. Berckley would understand. He was perfectly aware of what his brothers and he had gone through all this year and was sympathetic to the fact that the young man didn't have the mind at parties.

As he drove the pick-up truck through the bustling downtown on this December 22nd,he remembered that there was an object which he was particularly anxious to recover without ever having the time. Since the opportunity appeared,he decided to go to the little jewelery shop where he a few weeks ago. The litle spherical bell of the door tinted when he opened it while the view of the sparkling garlands and the decoration carefully installed made him feel a very painful pinch in the heart. He remembered so well how much his mother loved the Christmas time and all which related to it, how much his father was delighted to take his brothers and him in search of the most beautiful christmas tree and pull with them Steve and Two Bits,and even Dallas, as he always ensured to choose one for Johnny without the young boy feeling embarrassed that his parents are a thousand to think by themselves.

Darry felt an icy chill run through him. This year would be the first one where all this wouldn't happen. This year would be the first when he wouldn't see his mother's bright eyes when she saw her boys opening their gifts, the first when he wouldn't hear his father's warm laughter when he fights with him and his brothers by decorating the Christmas tree . All this was so unjust. His parents were the best people the earth had ever worn, they didn't deserve to know such a tragic fate. He still needed them so much, Soda and Pony still needed them so much. He wasn't sure how to play the role of parent as his knew to do. It seemed so easy for them, while the events of the last months had proved the opposite. He bitterly swallowed this thought. How he regretted. Things were going better with Pony now,but Darry couldn't help blaming himself for everything that had happened. He felt so guilty. Of course he didn't know how to go about it and was trying to reconcile his new role with his terrible fear of social services taking his little brothers away from him, but his regrettable gesture that had pushed Pony to escape from the house indirectly led to the death of Johnny and Dallas, and today as they were preparing to spend their first Christmas without their parents, the painful loss of their friends was added to the sorrow his brothers and him had to endure, Two Bits and Steve too. And although Soda tried to make him listen to reason, this feeling never ceased to gnaw him inwardly.

"What can I do for you ?" A pretty voice drew him to his darks thoughts, making him almost jump. He turned to the counter where a red-haired young woman smiled at him.

"Oh, Darrel!she looked surprised. If I expected to see you here !"

"Hi, Jane,Darry said with a half smile. You look good."

"Yes, the young woman answered by putting a hand on her very round belly, so to speak, eh." Her good mood succeeded to force a real smile on Darry's face. "I got married to Dan Weaver last year. You know what it's like, a first date for the end of the year's dance and ..." Darry remembered Jane. She had been his girlfriend in eleventh year, wacky and funny, a greaser girl simple and cute. Their story didn't last long, but Darry had a good memory of it. Seeing her again made him think back to the time when everything seemed simple to him in life, the time when his parents were with them, when their gang was complete, and it bled to his heart. He was happy for her, she seemed happy with Dan Weaver, a good guy with whom he had played football .

"I came looking for an object that I dropped," Darry explained. "It is..."

"Don't move," Jane smiled, "I know what you're talking about." She disappeared into the back room and came back shortly thereafter, a small box in her hands. "Mr Johnson had put it aside, I saw it was in Curtis's name but I hadn't done the link with you ."

"Yes," Darry replied, inspecting the box. "It belonged to my father."

"Oh, Darrel," she sighed, "I learned for your parents, I'm ... I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, Darry said briefly. Thank you. How much I owe to you? "

"Oh, nothing, Jane smiled softly, it's for me."

"No, I have enough to pay ..."

"Don't insist, Darrel. Let's say it's my Christmas present, okay?" Darry smiled and nodded.

"I have to go," he said, stepping back toward the exit. "You'll salute Dan from me."

"I'll be glad to see you again, Darrel."

"Me too ...Oh, and Jane, congratulations!" he said, pointing nodding to the young woman's belly, which she touched with a smile.

"Thank you. Merry Christmas,Darrel."

Darry didn't delay returning hom that he found empty and terribly silencious. At this time, Pony was still at school and Soda at the DX. He decided to take a moment to gather his thoughts and sat down in the lounge chair. Machinally he pulled the small box out of his jeans pocket and opened it to look again at the object it contained, and touch it with his fingertip by sighing. His eyes then traveled to the table near the sofa on which some pictures were laid. He stood up to catch the one on which he had put his eyes first. That taken for this Christmas day a few years ago. His breath full of sobs, he contemplated one by one the five smiling and happy faces posing there and stopped on that of his mother.

Her mother so much loved Christmas,she embodied the whole Christmas spirit, and suddenly it seemed to him to hear her clear voice as it was when she gently reprimanded him: "What's going on here,Darrel Shayne Curtis Jr. We're on December 22nd, and I don't see any signs of Christmas here . Come on,sweetheart, just because we're not here,your dad and I, doesn't mean you have to forget this day . Remember this holiday means remembering how much we love it and all the wonderful moments which we shared at this time of the year. Dad and I are always with you three honey,you must remember it and make your brothers understand it. We all love you so much, you know, even from where we are, never forget that. " Three blows rang at the small clock on the wall and Darry awoke with a start in the sofa. Disoriented, he looked for his mother with eyes realizing that it was only a dream. Yet she had seemed so present. As if she had actually come to visit him in his dream. Was it really what she wanted, that his brothers and him celebrate Christmas, even if it was in a different way than before?

Darry looked again at the photography he was holding in his right hand, then swept the room with a desolate look. Nothing indeed reflected anything which have something to do with Christmas. His brothers and he hadn't thought of it. Or not wanted to think about it. Straightaway,they had thought that it would be too painful, or too unfair, to celebrate Christmas without their parents. Yet when he thought about it, he knew it wasn't what their parents would have wished. On the contrary . And in their memory, he had to do something. But what ? How could he propose to Pony and Soda to decorate a fir tree as if nothing had happened? Himself didn't feel like it. In a sigh of dismay he made the little jewelery box play between his little fingers . And an idea came to him suddenly.

He didn't know if that was the right thing to do. Maybe not, but he had to. He grabbed the phone, feeling his heart beat louder when he dialed the number and then a strange quiet when, after a few rings, a somewhat rocky voice answered the other end of the wire leaving him a little intimidated.

"Hello?"

A cold wind had risen when Darry left the house to cross the street to the Matthews house. As he approached, he heard a childlike voice hummed Away in a Manger and saw Alice,Two Bits's little sister installing branches of holly on the balustrade of the veranda. The ten-year-old little girl jumped on seeing him.

"Oh, hello, Darry!"

"Hi, Alice!" He climbed the stairs and leaned against the beam of the balustrade. "So,are you decorating for Christmas?" The little girl nodded happily smiling.

"Yes, Keith and I have a surprise for Mom, he brought back a fir tree and ..." She looked down suddenly.

"Hey," Darry said softly, stooping to find at her height. "Alice,it's okay, you know. I find great that your brother and you are preparing for Christmas."

"Yes ?the little girl looked at him surprised." It was just that I remembered that it was usually your dad who was bringing the Christmas tree and ..." Darry saw the little girl's eyes fill with tears and felt his heart clenched at the thought of how much his parents mattered to anyone who knew them.

"I understand," he whispered, rubbing her arm gently."But you know, I'm sure my parents are seeing you prepare this surprise for your mommy and it make them smile."

His words were enough to give to the little girl a pretty smile. "Do you think so?"

"Yeah, Darry assured, I think so." He remembered then that there was a very small thing, but very important for the little girl, which his father never failed to do.

"So, what did you ask Santa this year?"he asked, forcing his moved voice to take a cheerful tone. I bet ... A doll ? "Alice nodded with a little embarrassed pout.

"Don't you think I'm too old for that? It's what Keith said me too,when I asked him, but I wasn't sure.

The idea that Two Bits could be so attentive to his little sister, without even thinking about teasing her, made Darry smile. "Well you see,I agree with him. I just wanted to see him, is he here?"

"Yes, inside," the little girl answered, raising the holly branches she held in her arms. Darry patted her head and walked toward the front door, letting her continue to install her decorations by singing Silent Night this time.

As he passed through the door, the smell of the pine needles mixed with the wax seized his nostrils. Visibly Two Bits and Alice had decided to make the house impeccable, and among other things to polish the furniture, but none of them seemed to inform about the dosage to use.

"Hey, Alice, a helping hand would be welcome!" He heard from the corridor as Two Bits footsteps approached.

"So,I found the balls but I couldn't find the old fairy lights, I think they are ..." He broke off abruptly, stopped in the doorway, just as he saw Darry in the middle of the living room.

"Darry?" He was so surprised that the two boxes he carried almost falling from his arms. "But what ... I mean ... why ...?" He stammered visibly confused while juggling with the boxes to balance them.

"You were asking for a helping hand, weren't you?" Darry simply replied by unloading it. He asked as he made his way to the fir-tree. "It's a beautiful tree! Where did you get it?"

"At the tree nursery, old Jack was kind enough to give me credit," Two Bits replied absent-mindedly without noticing the admiring and almost proud look Darry gave him. "Listen, Darry, um ... for the Christmas stuff and all that ... it's for Alice ..."

Darry sighed and smiled softly. "Two Bits, I just said the same thing to your little sister,it's okay, I assure you." He pressed his shoulder and could feel how tense he was. "You wouldn' t have a beer?"he asked to relax the atmosphere, "I'd like to talk to you about something important."

"That's all !" Two Bits breathed after listening Darry display his idea to him." When you said "something important," I thought it was serious. "

"I saw that, Darry laughed softly. No, it's just that ... I know the period won't be easy for any of us this year. And I wouldn't leave you alone,Steve and you. "

"Yeah, sure, Two Bits sighed as he rubbed his neck. But it'll be even worse for you three,guys . So,take Pony and Soda, and don't worry about us. Anyway Steve certainly planned to spend Christmas with Evie, and I was instructed by Santa Claus to find a home for Barbie and Ken. " He noticed Darry's bewildered look and explained laughing: "That's what Alice asked Santa Claus, my mom asked me to take care of it, she ... she wanted to invite the three of you for the 25th. Because it worried her, you know, to know you alone."

Darry nodded,smiling softly. He acknowledged Mrs. Matthews's kindness and suspected that she wanted to give back to the children of her friends what Darrel and Emma Curtis had given to her family when she found herself alone and unhappy after her husband's departure.

"Anyway, you're right to do that, Dar," Two Bits resumed before took a last sip of his beer. "We have a lot of great memories of that period,eh. When we were kids... Do you remember when your dad let me drive on the forest path? "

"Yeah, of course," Darry replied, feeling the emotion won him again. "I thought Dallas wasn't going to recover from the trip."

"Ah, he was right, I was driving like a foot."

"Normal, for a first lesson."

"Yeah, that's ... it was the best Christmas present I've ever had, you know. Your dad was so cool to trust me."

"He knew he could, Darry smiled as he felt his throat squeeze. He was awesome as a father."

"Yeah. I remember, that's what I said to Dally."

"What do you mean ?"

"Yeah, my old man had just get out of here and ... Well, we were lucky he took care of us ..." Two Bits paused before his voice broke for good and suddenly got up, pretending to take the empty beers to the kitchen.

Darry watched him go away and sighed sadly. He wasn't unaware that for kids like Two Bits, Dallas or Johnny who had cruelly missed the real presence of a father, his had amply fulfilled that role. He knew that for his father, who had had a difficult childhood, given these children a father figure on which he could count, represented a great deal. Just like the importance his mother attached to take care of Johnny or Steve or trying to keep Dallas in the right path. Darry was very proud of it, but he realized that perhaps he hadn't measured how much their death had been a loss equally painful for all these kids.

"Wow! You decided it would be the only room where you wouldn't do the housework?" He launched by joining Two Bits a few minutes later, his eyes sweeping with an amused look at the piece stewed flour and the table covered with milk, eggshells and chocolate.

"It's Alice," Two Bits replied absent-mindedly, filling the sink with tepid water. "She absolutely wanted to make Christmas cakes like ... "he paused again.

"As Mom did," Darry thought for himself, feeling his heart squeeze for the umpteenth time of the day. He noticed that Two Bits' shoulders and back trembled irregularly while he stood leaning his palms against the edge of the sink, his head down and his breathing oppressed.

"Two Bits,are you okay, buddy?" He worried and put a hand on his shoulder. Two Bits jumped and suddenly turned to him plunging the head against his shoulder, letting out the sobs that prevented him from breathing.

Darry hadn't often seen his friend break up that way, except once, when he came to tell him he was responsible for Pony's condition when he had his concussion after their great fight against the Socs . Two Bits was so often used to making the clown that it was easy to forget that it could sometimes be a facade he used to not let his emotions appear.

"Hey,Darry said softly putting the arms around him. Hey, buddy. Well then,eh. What the hell is going on?"

"Damn shit,man! It's too unfair all that !"

Darry struggled hard to repress his own tears and gently slapped his back. "Yeah,he answered simply. Yeah,I know." It seemed to him that Two Bits was shedding the flood of tears he had been holding for months, and he knew by experience how much it relieved to allow finally this stream to flow. Little by little, the sobs faded and his breathing became more calm. "It's better ?" Darry asked by gently pulling him away and smiled as he nodded in embarrassment.

"I really have to look stupid eh," Two Bits said wiping his eyes furiously.

"You laugh or what, Darry reassured him. It's nothing at all, and you know, it feels good to break up a little blow once in a while, you can believe me."

"If you say so ."

"Don't you feel better now?" Darry asked with a half-smile as Two Bits nodded slowly .

"You see, and I'll tell you something else too."

"What?"

"I think my father would have been very proud of you."

"Why ?" Two Bits asked frankly surprised.

"Well, for all that," Darry replied, pretending to sweep the whole house with a big gesture of his hand, "To have managed to find a tree, to take care of Alice's Christmas...He would have been very proud of you. " Two Bits seemed to think about these words, and Darry could see that he couldn't find a better Christmas present, especially this year.

"Thank you,Dar,"Two Bits said feeling the tears rise to his eyes again.

"You're welcome," said Darry, pressing his shoulder warmly. "And you know, your mom and mine were like sisters, so you're like my little cousins, Alice and you . " Two Bits snorted a smile.

"And what's your excuse to take care of Steve?"

"None, except I've known him since Soda entered in kindergarten."

"Keith!" The voice of Alice resounded from the drawing-room.

"Shit, Two Bits jumped up. Do you see I...?" he asked, pointing to his reddened eyes.

"No, Darry lied as Two Bits ran water over his face. "Don't worry,she won't see anything."

"Darry !" the little girl said as she walked into the room. "Don't leave. I made some biscuits, I'd like to give you ... Keith? What do you have ? You cried ?"

"No,Two Bits answered quickly. Not at all, it's huh...an allergy because of the flour there is everywhere. Eh,Dar ?"

"Yeah yeah!" Darry followed him, scratching the back of the skull, and noticed the suspicious look of the little girl. "And those biscuits, Alice?"

"Oh,yeah," the little girl stopped watching her brother and ran to the oven to pull out the cakes she had put cooking .

"You want a helping hand, kiddo?" Two Bits asked, seeing her take hold of the tray with difficulty, the pitchers far too large for her hands.

"No no, it's good." She carried the tray to the table and picked three little men-shapped cookies which she placed gently on a plate before covering them with cellophane.

"Here !" She smiled as she handed the plate to Darry, who immediately noticed a peculiar sign on one of the cookie-boys.

"Thank you,Miss. And the one with the heart ? Is it for Sodapop,right ?"

"No, for Ponyboy!" she proudly declared. Darry smiled thinking that Pony had finally dethroned his big brother in the heart of the little girl.

"I'll tell him it's from you," he laughed at the sight of the disconcerted face of Two Bits.

A huge smile stretched Alice's pink cheeks and she turned again to her brother. "Are you sure you didn't cry, Keith?" she asked anxiously frowning at her brother's not very convincing way to deny,and looked up at Darry who smiled by seeing her instinctively approaching Two Bits and wrap her arms around his waist.

"Hey,he said,defeated,feeling the tears prick his eyes again and put his arms around his little sister. Is that why,kiddo?"

"Just like that," the little girl answered in a muffled voice her face pressed against her big brother.

Darry remained watching,moved. His father wouldn't have been the only one to be proud of Two Bits,he was also . He finally took leave leaving Two Bits and Alice finish the surprise for their mom and asked them to wish her a Merry Christmas. It was getting late and he still had to go see Steve before talking about his idea to Pony and Soda.

Thank everyone for the read . The next chapter will come soon .