Author's Note: Yes I know, it's yet another Soda gets drafted and goes to Vietnam story. I know I myself have written that scenario a few times, I hope it's not getting old. This is definitely a new twist on the idea inspired by a documentary that I saw last week. For now this is a one shot but if you guys really like it I may do a prequel and/or sequal one shot(s) in the future. Let me know what you think of it!

Author's Note #2 (9/10/13): Update! I just completed the prequel to this story, which is called Define Your Meaning of War. Check it out! I am also in the process of writing a sequel soon so don't forget to check for that.

Days Slide and the Years Go By

Ponyboy slowed his car down in front of the very familiar house. Darry's familiar truck was parked in the driveway. Two-Bit's car was already on the curb and Pony carefully pulled his car up behind it. All this was so familiar that he could do it in his sleep. But there was still a hole in his life that he had felt for the past three years and five months. He knew that when he walked into that house it would feel familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time, just as it had for the past few years. It was his home but something was missing. Someone was missing.

As Pony jumped from the car he ran for the house, afraid that he was running late. He threw open the door to find Darry sitting in his recliner, Two-Bit on the couch and Steve standing against the wall next to the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. They were all looking very intently at the little black and white television.

"Did I miss it?" Pony asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Naw, it's just been some old guy talkin' for the past ten minutes," Two-Bit said without looking away from the TV.

"The plane just landed," Darry said with a tense glance over at Pony.

Pony felt a small bit of relief, letting the door slam behind him as he entered the living room. He sat on the floor in front of the coffee table so that he could get a good look at the little screen. Pony had lost count of how many planes they had watched return from Vietnam over the past few weeks. Each time before this had brought nothing but disappointment.

"Remember, Pony, don't get your hopes up too much," Darry warned him, just like he always did. "You know… he might not be comin' back."

Pony nodded silently, his eyes glued to the television. He knew this very well. As the war had finally ended and it was announced that negotiations to bring prisoners of war home were in progress Pony had been so excited. It had been almost three and a half years since they had received that awful letter that Sodapop was missing in action. He had only been drafted a few months before and the shock had been devastating to all of them.

Pony had tried to keep up hope that somehow Soda would be found, like he had simply gotten lost in the jungle. Then a year had passed with no news. Steve, who had also been drafted though him and Soda had been separated after basic, returned home. Then two years passed with still no news of his brother. They were forced to go on with their lives. Pony graduated high school and got into a local state college that he now commuted to. He was still supported by Darry who was working as much as ever, even though Pony got a pretty good scholarship as well as a part time job at the campus book store to help. Pony long ago suspected that Darry never cut back on his hours even when he could have in order to keep himself busy to distract himself from worrying over his missing brother. Steve now worked full time at the DX. Two-Bit supported himself and helped out his mother by bartending at Buck's now that he had finally finished high school. Another year passed. Time kept on moving. And the more time that passed the less likely it seemed that they would ever see their brother again.

Pony had high hopes when the first of the prisoners of war began returning. Everyone gathered together to watch the footage on the television. Pony's heart would lift every time saw someone who looked vaguely like his brother, but his name never came. Afterwards they found out that the prisoners were being released based on how long they had been held. The first of the prisoners had been held for as long as eight years. If Soda indeed was taken prisoner when he went missing in action he would have been held for about three and a half years years. That amount of time was just so hard for Pony to get his head around though. Had it really been that long since he had heard from his brother?

The worst part of this whole thing was just not knowing. He thought of Soda every single day and simply wondered if he were still alive. About two years after Soda's disappearance there had been a brief discussion of putting up a gravestone next to their parents' gravestones, even though they had no body to bury. The discussion hadn't lasted long though. It was just too difficult to give up hope when they didn't know for sure. But they did reluctantly agree that if the war ended and there was still no news the subject might be worth reconsidering so that they could get some sense of closure.

Pony was staring intently at the television set even though he really didn't take in a word of what the man who was speaking was saying. Finally at long last the camera panned to an airplane with an open door and stairs leading down to the ground. Pony felt his heart jump into his throat as the first prisoner appeared in the doorway. He leaned in closer, frustrated by the poor quality of the picture on the screen. The man walking down the stairs could be anyone.

"Lt. Harrison Michael Daniels," an unseen announcer stated as the man crossed to shake hands with a general of some sort.

Name after name was read off as men descended down to American soil after being held for years in captivity in who knows what kind of conditions. Most of them looked pretty ragged and some had visible scars, a few could hardly walk. Did Pony really want Soda to be one of these men? Did he really want his brother to have been a prisoner in a foreign country for over three years?

They watched five men come out of the airplane. And then ten. And then twenty. With each name that was called the mood in the room dropped significantly.

Steve suddenly pushed away from the wall as he tore his eyes away from the television. "He probably ain't comin' back, you know," he said flatly.

Pony glanced back at him but didn't make a comment. Steve had been different when he had come back from Vietnam. He was always tense, never seeming to really relax anymore, and quick to anger. Everyone felt like they had to be careful around him these days because there was no telling what would send him off. He hadn't found out about Soda being missing in action until he returned to Tulsa, about six months after they had received the letter. None of them had the heart to tell him beforehand, figuring that it would only distract him while he should be worrying about his own safety over there. He had taken the news hard to say the least. Since then Steve had been very stoic and often had a vacant look in his eyes like he was somewhere else entirely. It was clear that it bothered him that he had come back and Soda hadn't.

Pony bit his lip as he watched the television. They had to be getting close to the end. The planes usually only held around forty prisoners. He knew this because a few times he had actually counted in order to distract himself from the disappointment of not hearing his brother's name called. Pony could feel his hope failing. If the prisoners were being released in reverse order in which they were captured they had to be getting to the end of the window of opportunity for prisoners held for three or four years. Though it was hard to tell since there was so much conflicting information about how many prisoners there really were coming home. According to reporters though the rumor was that even though there were around 1,350 soliders missing in action only around 500 were actually found to be prisoners of war. So few were coming home…

"I'm goin' for a smoke," Steve mumbled, starting toward the door. He never usually lasted through the entire plane of released prisoners. He usually got frustrated and went outside a little over halfway through.

Suddenly Pony's eyes opened wide and he quickly leaned even closer to the television, his heart pounding. "Wait!" he said quickly. "Wait… is… is that him?"

Everyone looked at him wearily. The first few times they had watched prisoners disembarking in America, Pony had asked over and over if that was him. He wanted his brother back so bad that he saw a little of him in every man that descended those stairs. Since then he had made an effort to not voice his every suspicion aloud. This time was different though. This time he really thought he saw something in the man that had just appeared in the doorway of the airplane.

"Like you can tell shit in that little picture," Steve said. But he paused all the same.

Pony just shook his head as he intently watched the man on the screen slowly walk down the stairs, hanging onto the handrail tightly to keep himself steady. Something about him seemed so familiar, even though he looked basically the same as every other man who had come before him. Pony held his breath as he waited for the name to be announced.

"Private Sodapop Patrick Curtis."

There was a beat of absolute silence when all anyone could do was stare. There was no mistaking the name that had been spoken. The man on the screen – Soda – approached the general with a serious look on his face and shook his hand. A moment later Two-Bit let out a loud whoop of joy. Then Darry was suddenly kneeling on the floor beside Pony with an arm around him as he grinned widely at the screen. Pony was frozen in shock, but he could slowly feel a grin spreading across his face. Then suddenly the picture switched to the next prisoner being released.

Finally Pony tore his eyes away from the TV and looked at Darry. "What was him!" he exclaimed, feeling excitement filling up his chest.

"Yeah, it was!" Darry agreed, grinning at him.

Pony turned to look at Steve. He had retreated back to the couch and had sat down next to Two-Bit who had a hand on his shoulder for support, looking just as shocked as Pony felt.

"He's comin' home!" Pony exclaimed happily, feeling absolutely giddy. It was the first time he could remember feeling truly happy since Soda had been drafted. Every big event in his life just seemed less important over the past four years. Everything was jaded by the fact that Soda wasn't there to witness any of it. Graduating high school, getting into college… it was hard to celebrate when someone so important was missing and they had to wonder whether or not he was still even alive.

It was so hard to believe that after all this time of not knowing whether he was alive Soda would finally be coming home. Everyone just sat around in shock for a while but every once and a while they would catch each other's eyes and grin. There was even a small spark behind Steve's eyes. It felt like a miracle. Sodapop was coming home.

Finally they were forced to move from their spots. It was getting late and everyone was getting hungry. Darry cooked dinner with Pony's help and all four of them gathered at the kitchen table to eat like a family. This had become routine over the past couple years. It felt good to have what was left of the gang together. It made them feel a little more whole. And soon they would be five again instead of four. Somehow they had come out of this whole ordeal with everyone they loved still intact. When Steve and Soda had both been drafted years before this outcome had seemed unlikely even though they hoped to see them come home.

They made some strained attempts at conversation, mostly it was Darry asking about how Pony's classes had gone that day, but it was hard to focus on anything other than Soda's impending homecoming. They were almost finished with dinner when the phone rang. Ponyboy was out of his seat so fast that he hardly noticed that he knocked over his chair. His heart was pounding so hard that his hands were shaking as he picked up the receiver. They all knew who they hoped was calling.

"Hello?" he said eagerly, feeling slightly short of breath.

There was a short pause and for a moment Pony's hopes fell, thinking that maybe it was just a wrong number. Then came the very familiar voice. "Ponyboy?"

Pony's knees gave out at the sound and he fell into Darry's recliner. It took everything he had to not start bawling right then and there. "Soda!" he gasped.

"Hey, Ponyboy," Soda said, his voice shaking with barely suppressed emotion. "How you been?"

"I've been fine," Pony said, letting out a small, nervous laugh at how trivial that seemed right now. "How are you? Are you okay? We saw you on the TV today when you were gettin' off the plane. Gosh, it was so good to see you!" He felt like he was rambling a bit but he just couldn't help it. He hadn't spoken with his brother in almost four years. It was so good to hear his voice again.

Soda let out a light laugh. "Yeah, I'm fine, Pony," he assured him. He spoke slowly, sounding awfully tired. "I'll be seein' you real soon."

"Oh Soda, I've missed you so much," Pony said, biting back the tears that were threatening to overflow.

"I've missed you too," Soda said, a hint of a smile behind his voice. "Listen, I don't got a lot of time, there's a line for the phone. Can I talk to Darry for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure," Pony said, nodding vigorously even though Soda couldn't see him. "I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you too kiddo," Soda said.

Pony looked up to see that Darry, Steve and Two-Bit had all followed him out into the living room, watching him intently. Pony held out the receiver toward Darry and Darry immediately took it, gripping it hard.

"Soda?" Darry said, almost desperately. Obvious emotion was rare to see in Darry's features but there was no denying the relief that washed over it upon hearing his younger brother's voice. "Glory Soda, it's so good to hear from you."

Darry spoke with Soda for several minutes, obviously getting his travel plans. At one point Soda obviously asked if Steve had made it back from Vietnam and Darry quickly assured him that he had made it back just fine and was standing right there in the living room with them. Finally, very reluctantly and after telling him once again how happy they all were to hear from him, Darry hung up the phone.

"Well?" Steve asked impatiently.

"He had to go, but he wanted me to tell you guys that he said hi and missed both of you," Darry said, looking from Steve to Two-Bit.

"When's he comin' home?" Pony asked, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. He suddenly felt like a little kid again, just so excited to finally see his brother again.

"He'll be home Sunday at ten in the morning," Darry said. "We'll go pick him up from the bus station downtown."

Pony's heart sank slightly. It was only Wednesday. "Why is it gonna take him so long?" he asked.

Darry sighed. "He mentioned somethin' about debriefing," he said. "He'll be in Washington until Friday but he managed to get an overnight bus that'll get him here as soon as possible."

Pony nodded. He had waited almost four years to see his brother again. He supposed that waiting a few more days wouldn't be so bad. The important thing was that Soda is finally coming home.

XxXxX

At long last it was Sunday morning and Pony stood with Darry, Two-Bit and Steve in the crowded bus station looking anxiously for a familiar face. Steve was never comfortable in loud, crowded places since returning from Vietnam so they did their best to stick to the entrance of the station where Steve could stand with his back to a wall, putting him slightly more at ease.

"It's after ten," Pony said, glancing down at his watch before scanning the crowd once more.

"I'm sure he's here somewhere, just give him a minute," Darry said, though he was scanning the crowd just as anxiously. He glanced over at Pony. "Remember, we have no idea what he's been through, so don't rush at him. Take it slow."

Pony nodded, biting his lip. He felt nervous. The last time he had seen Soda he had been fifteen, going on sixteen. Soda had been just eighteen when he was drafted and Darry had been twenty-two. Now Pony was almost twenty and Darry had just turned twenty-six. Soda was twenty-two by now and for the past three of his birthdays they had quietly observed the day, unsure if there was still a birthday to celebrate. Everything was so different compared to when Soda had left. Was it possible to just pick right back up where they left off almost four years ago? Would they even be able to recognize each other? This last question concerned Pony most of all.

"I'm sure he's not gonna like this crowd," Steve pointed out as he too looked around. His was a voice of experience. "He's probably gonna make his way in this direction pretty quickly."

Pony accepted this logic as making sense and did his best to steady his nerves, trying to be patient. It had been years and now they just had to wait a few more minutes. The time was dragging on awfully slowly though.

Just then Darry reached out and gently touched his arm. Pony turned to look at him and saw that he was staring intensely off to his left. Pony followed his gaze and felt his heart jump up into his throat. There was a man making his way in their direction, a small duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He looked tense as he seemed to take extra care not to bump into anyone. His features had definitely aged, more than just four years it seemed, but with his hair grown out he still had that familiar look to him. It was Soda.

Pony grabbed Darry's arm in a vice grip to keep himself from sprinting toward his brother. He knew that Darry had a really good point about not rushing at Soda after everything he had been through, but it was still really difficult to do.

Soda didn't appear to notice them at first but soon his eyes lifted up from the ground and landed on the small group. His steps faltered slightly but he quickly regained his footing as he moved toward them. His eyes were steely – much like Darry's usually were – and he features were serious. But as he got closer Pony could see the shimmering signs of tears along the edges of his eyes. Pony took a few cautious steps forward, watching Soda carefully. Something sparked behind Soda's eyes and suddenly he dropped his duffle bag and opened his arms. Pony needed no more indication than that. He hurried forward and threw his arms around his older brother who he had not heard from in three and a half years.

"Pony," Soda mumbled, his voice shaking. "Oh, Ponyboy…"

Pony could feel Soda squeezing him, but it was painfully obvious that he didn't have the strength that he had when he left. He could feel Soda gripping the fabric of the back of Pony's shirt and leaning on him heavily. Pony buried his head in Soda's shoulder as he held his brother up. He had no words, he simply held his brother and reveled in the miracle of his return.

Pony was aware of Darry carefully approaching. He reached out and placed a hand on Soda's shoulder. Soda flinched away, but as he looked at him he quickly reached out a hand and a moment later both Pony and Soda were pulled into Darry's embrace. He could hear Soda choking on sobs. But at long last their family was whole once again.

Pony wasn't exactly sure how long they stayed like that. Eventually Soda pulled back, though he kept a hand on each of his brothers. He still had tears in his eyes.

"You got taller, Pony," he said with a weak smile.

Pony laughed lightly. "It's so good to have you home," he said.

Soda glanced around and finally spotted Two-Bit and Steve who were standing a couple steps away. Two-Bit had gone to grab Soda's bag that he had dropped. Soda moved over toward them.

"Hey Soda," Two-Bit said with a grin. He stepped forward and they hugged warmly.

"Hey, Two-Bit," Soda murmured. "It's good to see you."

A minute later he looked over at Steve. Steve was still standing back by the wall with a serious look on his face. But as Pony studied him he could see the shimmering signs of tears in his eyes as well.

"Hey Steve," Soda said softly.

"Soda," Steve said a bit gruffly.

Steve stepped forward carefully and Soda moved over to him and hugged each other tightly.

"I'm glad that you made it home," Soda mumbled.

"If I had known you were still over there I wouldn't have," Steve said. "I woulda come lookin' for you myself."

Soda made a noise close to a laugh. As he pulled away Pony saw with concern that Soda was trembling. He realized that all this must be a lot for him to take in. Pony glanced over at Darry, who seemed to have realized the same thing. He stepped forward and carefully took Soda's arm.

"C'mon, Pepsi-Cola," Darry said gently. "How about we get you home?"

Soda gave him a strained smile. "Sounds good to me," he said.

Soda leaned on Darry as they made their way back out into the parking lot, Two-Bit still carrying Soda's bag for him. As they approached the truck Soda paused, putting out a hand and laying it the car door. Everyone just kind of looked at him, unsure what he was doing.

"Same old truck," Soda said with a small smile.

Darry helped Soda climb up into the truck. He immediately slid over to the middle seat and Pony climbed up behind him. Steve and Two-Bit jumped into the bed of the truck as Darry walked around to the drivers seat. As Darry started up the truck Soda jumped slightly and his eyes clouded over for a minute. Pony frowned slightly to see how tense his brother was. They had no idea what kind of pain he had faced over the past three and a half years.

"You okay, Soda?" Pony asked carefully.

Soda looked at him briefly and then his eyes fell to the floor as if not used to making eye contact anymore. Then he reached out and carefully took Pony's hand. As he took his hand his sleeve came up slightly and Pony could glimpse scars on his wrists as if they had been held by restraints. The sight turned Pony's stomach but he chose not to say anything about it. There would be time to talk about things later.

"I'm glad to finally be home," Soda said. "There were days where… I thought I'd never see you guys again."

Pony's heart twisted at this statement and Darry looked over at him in concern. Then Darry reached an arm over Soda's shoulders and gave him a light squeeze. "It's okay now," Darry said gently. "It's over. You're home."

Soda leaned into him while still keeping a hold on Pony's hand. As Darry started driving, taking it slower than he normally would, Soda slowly dozed off. He was obviously exhausted from everything that had happened to him. Even as he slept his grip on Pony's hand remained firm. As they drove Pony couldn't take his eyes off of Soda and Darry kept on glancing over at him as well. It was so hard to believe that after all this time and after wondering for so long if he was even still alive that here Soda was right next to them.

Three years, eleven months, two week and three days ago they had said goodbye to their brother as he shipped out to fight in the Vietnam War. Three years, five months, three week and four days ago they had received a letter saying that Soda was missing in action. After all this time it had seemed impossible that Soda would ever make it home again. And yet here he was. No matter what, that was what was most important. Against all odds they were finally a family again.

HISTORICAL FACTS: After the Vietnam War ended and following the Paris Peace Accords of January 1973, U.S. prisoners of war were returned during Operation Homecoming during February through April 1973. During this, 591 POWs were released to U.S. authorities. At that time, the U.S. listed about 1,350 Americans as prisoners of war or missing in action and sought the return of roughly 1,200 Americans reported killed in action and body not recovered. From February 12 to April 4, there were 54 C-141 missions flying out of Hanoi, bringing the former POWs home. Each plane brought back 40 POWs. During the early part of Operation Homecoming, groups of POWs released were selected on the basis of longest length of time in prison. The first group had spent 6-8 years as prisoners of war.