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Hollster09: OMG! AWESOME CHAPTER SODAPOPXPONYBOYLOVER! And thanks for all the awesome reviews we got! You guys are so encouraging! *smile* And as always, thanks to our A-W-E-S-O-M-E beta, EternalBookworm!

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I stayed with Ponyboy for a while after the nurse left. I just kept thinking that he would snap out of it, and start talking to me. Not letting my eyes stray from him, I decided to test whether or not he was really awake, and said, "Pony? Can you hear me? Blink twice if you can."

To my ecstatic surprise, he blinked twice. I could have jumped out of my chair, I was so happy. "Pony, what happened to you?" I asked, not expecting an answer, but hoping for one of course.

"What happened to your leg? W-what happened to... my brother?"

I was practically in tears thinking about this. Pony was real bad off. I desperately wanted to know everything; how he'd cut up his leg, how he'd gotten himself stuck in a coma. Obviously, though, he couldn't answer me; could only stare at me.

Normally, I had a chance of being able to read his eyes, but there was no possiblity of that this time.

They were blank, unhappy, uncaring.

They weren't the eyes of my little brother.

XXX

After about two miles of walking to the DX, I was ready to seriously hurt Sodapop Curtis, for taking my darn car. When I finally got to work and realized he had taken the day off - to stay with Pony no less - I could have killed the kid. Tim, Curly, and Angela Shepard's parents had left a car here which pretty much needed a whole new engine - the perfect job for me and Soda; now a job all for me.

Great, I thought.

X

About lunch time, I slid out from under Shepards' car, finding Evie standing above me.

"Hey," I said, standing up. I wiped some grease off my hands, and gave my girl a tight hug. "How you doin', babe?"

"Good," she answered. Everything had been slightly awkward between us ever since she told me she was pregnant, and I desperately wished things would change soon.

"Hey," I called back into the station. "Lunch break!"

"Okay!" my boss yelled back, and that was the only reply I got.

My hand fell down to Evie's, and I led her out of the garage, into the parking lot. I found an old Ford truck parked there, and leaned my back against it. I put my arms out, and Evie stood with her back to my stomach; my arms wrapped around her. "Baby?" I started.

"Yeah?"

"I told Sodapop," I said. She didn't exactly give me permission to tell everyone, but hey, it was my kid too. Evie let out a low laugh.

"I figured you would. What did he say?"

My mind raced back to the night before. Sodapop had been really off that night, but I agreed with what he said after thinking about it for a while.

"He says we should get married," I said.

Silence.

Evie stared down, speechless.

"Honey," I said, turning her around to face me. Her big, pretty eyes stared up at me, almost desperate. For what? I don't know. "I love you, baby, I do. I'm gonna stick with you. I'm not gonna leave like your dad did." By this time, a few tears had run down Evie's cheeks.

"And, I know I'm not perfect, but I'm sure as heck gonna try to be with our baby."

She wrapped her arms tightly around my waist, and rested her head on my chest. "Thank you," she whispered. I pushed her away from me, and examined her stomach. It still looked the same. I placed a hand on her stomach, and she smiled at me.

"Steve... do you want this?" she asked.

I was quite shocked by this question, but I quickly answered, "Yes. Baby, I don't want anything but you and our child," I said. I cupped her cheeks in my hands, and kissed her softly. Pulling away, I saw a big grin across her lips.

"I love you, Steve," she said softly.

"I love you too."

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Thanks for readind everyone! This was mostly just a filler chapter.. Thanks for all the awesome reviews so far!:)