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Ponyboy woke up with a start. He heard a faint creepy laugh, and got up. He peeked out of Darry's door, and saw the light still on in the living room. He quickly ran down the hall and into the living room where Darry, Soda, Steve, Mike, and Tyler were laughing. Darry saw Ponyboy first, as he rounded the corner, and ran to Darry.

"What are you doing up kid?" Darry asked putting an arm around Ponyboy. The others were still laughing, and Ponyboy shrugged.

"I just woke up" Ponyboy said in a small voice. Darry rubbed his back and smiled.

"Alright ya'll, I better get goin'" Tyler said with a smile on his face. "Ya'll come down for a game sometimes. It's almost free to get in. Ya'll will enjoy it." Darry got up, leaving Ponyboy standing by himself. Soda noticed him and went over to Ponyboy. Ponyboy snuggled into his stomach, and Soda held him.

Darry quickly shut the door and locked it. He then turned back to the others still waiting in the living room.

"Come on Ponyboy. Let's get you back to bed" Darry said. He tried to pull Ponyboy away from Soda, but Ponyboy tightened his grip.

"Soda, will you sleep with me tonight?" Ponyboy asked, and Soda laughed.

"I sleep with you every night little man" Soda said and ruffled his head.

"No Soda, I mean with Darry and I" Ponyboy said in a quiet voice. Soda looked up at Darry for a moment, but then looked back at Ponyboy who was still looking up at him with pleading eyes.

"Sure baby boy" Soda said and rubbed his hair. "I'll meet ya'll in there" Soda said then he and Steve went down the hall to the other room. Darry turned of the light and soon all three Curtis brothers were laying in bed.

Ponyboy snuggled between his two brothers, and watched the ceiling with a frown. He sighed deeply, and tears came to his eyes.

"I miss momma and dad." Ponyboy's voice was small and quiet. If Darry didn't know better, he would think Ponyboy was 3 years younger than he was because his voice sounded so small, and pitiful. As soon as Ponyboy said that both his brothers were comforting him.

Darry had opened his arms and Ponyboy snuggled into the warmth, he then felt Soda's hand rubbing his back softly.

"I know you do baby" Darry said gently in Ponyboy's ear. "We do too sweetheart."

"Will it get easier?" Ponyboy asked and Darry sighed. Should he tell Ponyboy the honest answer, or an answer to make him feel better? Soda answered before Darry could decide.

"It'll take a long time honey, and the sadness will never fully go away, but as time passes it gets easier to deal with" Soda said still rubbing Ponyboy's back. Ponyboy turned to him and saw the soft tears on his older brothers cheeks. Ponyboy hugged his brother hard, and he started to cry into the comfortable shoulder of Soda. Ponyboy felt Darry hug them close to him.

"Thanksgiving without mom and dad" Soda muttered quietly and Ponyboy cried harder.

"How can we even have Thanksgiving without them? It's not right!" Ponyboy cried and Darry spoke quietly in his ear to calm him down.

"Baby, mom and dad wouldn't want us being sad. They would want us to be happy. I know it won't be the same, but they wouldn't want us to go on being gloomy all day long. They would want us to put on a smile and enjoy Thanksgiving with those we love" Darry said. Ponyboy swore it was the smartest things he'd ever heard.

He calmed down slightly.
"You're right Darry" Ponyboy said with a yawn. Darry smiled at him from his position beside him.

"I think it's time for one little boy to go back to bed" Darry said, and Ponyboy shook his head. Soda laughed, and started talking softly to Ponyboy. Darry watched as Soda talked gently to Ponyboy until he was about to fall asleep then and there.

"I love you guys" Ponyboy said quietly, then he drifted off to sleep. Darry smiled and cuddled his little brother closer. The three Curtis Brothers fell asleep contently.

The next morning came quickly for Darry. He naturally woke up with the sun because his body was trained to do so with work. He looked at both of his brothers, and they were still fast asleep. Sometime during the night Ponyboy had shifted to where he was lying his head on Soda's chest. Soda had his arm around him protectively.

Darry got up quietly, put on clothes and went to the kitchen to make coffee. As it was brewing he leaned against the clean, light wood counter and put his tired head in his hands. He stretched, and then turned his head, and surprisingly found Mike. Mike had running clothes on, and Darry smiled.

"Hey Mike! How was your first night in The house of Curtis?" Darry smiled as Mike leaned back against the counters on the other side of the kitchen.

"It was great! Thanks for letting me stay with you guys until I get on my feet" Mike said smiling at Darry.

"man, no sweat. It's great having someone else my age here. I have a key for you too. Sorry I forgot about it yesterday" Darry stood up straight, and stretched. Then he went to the other counter and handed Mike the small golden key. He then took a coffee cup out of the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee. "You want one?" Darry asked and Mike nodded from the counter where he was leaning against, trying to get the key on his key ring.
Darry poured Mike a cup and handed it to him quickly. Mike took a drink, and they stood in silence, enjoying the peace and quiet of a fall morning. Darry finally broke the silence and smiled toward Mike.
"You still doing that running thing?" Mike laughed as Darry looked at his sports jacket, and Mike shook his head.

"You mean staying healthy? You better believe it! Running is great! I'm actually about to have a spin around the block a few time." Mike said, and continued to drink his coffee. Darry was going to reply, but he stopped talking when he heard footsteps from down the hall. Which brother woke up first?

Ponyboy walked into the kitchen quietly. He looked at Darry and Mike and shyly smiled. Darry and Mike were standing on opposites sides of the kitchen and they were holding coffee mugs. Ponyboy went to the side Darry was on and stood beside him quietly.

"Good morning honey. What are you doing up? It's not even 7 yet baby boy" Darry asked and Ponyboy stretched.

"I just woke up" Ponyboy said, and looked at Mike in awe. He had a sports jacket on and sweatpants, just like the ones the high school track team wore. Darry said when Ponyboy got into the high school should try out for the track team. Darry watched in humor as Ponyboy looked at his best friend.

"Ponyboy likes to run too, don't you honey?" Darry asked and Ponyboy just nodded. Mike smiled, and thought of a way to warm up to the youngest Curtis brother.

"You want to go running with me this morning?" Mike asked and Ponyboy looked at Darry.

"You can go, but only if you stay with him. I don't want you by yourself. So stay with Mike, and you can go" Darry said and watched as Ponyboy nodded.

"I will Dar! I promise" Ponyboy said, then he ran off to his room to change. He quickly got dressed in some warm sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt. He put on his shoes and went back into the kitchen where Mike and Darry were still waiting.

Mike patted Ponyboy on the back as he entered the room, and soon they were out running around the neighborhood. Darry continued to sip on his coffee, but he sat down at the dining room table and read yesterday's paper as he was doing so.

After about an hour Ponyboy and Mike can stumbling back into the house. Soda was still asleep, and Darry was watching the early morning news on TV. Mike was huffing and puffing, and if Darry didn't know better, he would have thought he was very out of shape.

Mike stopped in front of him and smiled.

"That boy should join track. Gosh! He's fast!" Mike said, and Ponyboy smiled as he sat down on the couch. Mike went into the other room and changed, he then came back and sat on the other end of the couch as well. All three of them sat and watched the news until Darry heard movement from down the hall.

Soda came running into the living room, followed by a still tired looking Steve. Soda smiled, and held something secretly behind his back.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Soda all but yelled. He was too cheerful for this time in the morning, but Darry let him have his fun, besides, he was making Ponyboy smile.

"Whatcha got Soda?" Ponyboy asked sitting on the edge of the couch. Soda smiled, and turned to Ponyboy.

"I think it's time to continue a Thanksgiving Curtis tradition" Soda began as he pulled out a home made Indian hat that Ponyboy had made with his mother last year. They had made all three of the boys one. Soda threw one to Ponyboy and he smiled as he put it on. Throughout their childhood Mary Curtis made Thanksgiving a fun game for her three boys. Each year they would each pick if they wanted to be Pilgrims or Indians, and every few years they would make new hats. Every years the boys would be Indians, and that left the adults to be the Pilgrims. In the past few years, as Ponyboy grew older, it turned into a football game as well.

"Pilgrims vs Indians! Can we still have the football game afterwards?" Ponyboy asked, mainly Darry, and Darry smiled seeing his little brother happy.

"Sure can baby boy" He said and watched carefully as Soda came to him.

"What are you gonna be this year Darry?" Soad asked cheerfully, ready to hand him an Indian hat, but Darry thought long and hard about this one. Ponyboy smiled, and tried to answer for him, but Darry shook his head.

"I think I'm gonna be a Pilgrim this year boys" Darry started to say. Ponyboy gasped, and looked at Darry with a look of betrayal.

"You traitor!"

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