Part 19

It was a cold winter day when Pony was heading home from his date with Gracie. They had known about Steve's fate for three months now and they were finally starting to heal. Pony had almost had it worse. He remembered what he'd said to Steve a couple of days before he and Soda left for Vietnam. Pony had been sick and Darry had put Steve on keeping the kid inside the house while the others were working or in school. Steve had volunteered since nothing Pony would say to him would face him… or that's what both of them thought. Pony had lost it when Darry was almost home and had yelled to Steve that he often wished that Steve would go out their door and never come back. Pony gulped when he thought about it because Steve had looked really hurt and when Darry came home Steve had walked out the door and saying: "That might just happen."

Pony was feeling so bad and he couldn't tell anyone about it. Soda would kick his ass and he didn't want to know what the others would do. Suddenly he saw a red Mustang coming towards him and it stopped and out came five socs. Randy Adderson was one of them.

"Hey ain't ya that kid that killed Bob", one of the socs said.

"It was self-defense", Pony mumbled.

"Yeah right!"

"Aren't ya dating that girl… what's her name Gracie Valance", another soc said. "We don't like it."

"Too bad", Pony said hotly.

"So we'll teach ya to stay away from her", Randy said and threw the first punch. Pony couldn't defend himself and he was hurting so bad.

"Hey get the hell away from him", a voice yelled and Pony guessed it was a greaser. He heard punches being thrown and then how a car took off. Pony was terrified but suddenly a hand touched his shoulder gently.

"Are ya okay Ponyboy?" Pony looked up at the guy that'd saved him.

He was walking towards his house with a smile on his face and his duffle bag swung over his shoulders. These past days he'd been mad as hell. First of all the state had told his family he was dead, killed in battle. Ha as if that would ever stop him from going home again! But he understood how it could have happened. Steve and a guy name Harry Smith had mixed up their dog tags. Or more accurate Jimmy Lawrence had done that. The guy had taken them from Steve and Harry to relieve the tension and had handed back wrong to them. He had to prove he was Steve Randle for days and nobody wanted him to call his family, it would be too hard for them to meet with a fraud. Now he was finally walking down the streets of his hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Suddenly he heard the sound of someone being pounded and when he rounded a corner he saw five socs among them Randy Adderson, beating up on Soda's kid brother.

"Hey", Steve yelled and ran over to them. "Get the hell away from him!"

They all looked at him and paled. Steve let his duffle bag drop to the ground and curled his hands into fists.

"I said get the hell away from him", Steve growled and the boys stared at him Randy got to his senses first.

"Why would we?"

"Do it or I'll beat ya up so bad your own mother won't recognize you."

Randy lunged at him, but Steve had gotten some training in the marine and was not going to let them get out of the fight as winners. Steve wiped their asses quickly and the five socs left.

"This ain't over yet greaser", Randy yelled when they drove off. Steve just shook his head and hurried over to Ponyboy's side.

"Are ya okay Ponyboy", he asked and crouched down beside him. Ponyboy looked up at him and grunted:

"Can't ya give me any peace?"

"What", Steve asked.

"Listen I know what I told Steve was wrong and I regret it… so why does my conscience have to come to me looking like him all the time?"

Steve just stared at the kid and Pony "Steve" over. It was the same old Steve, except from the shorter, less greasy hair and a scar from the right corner of his right eye to his jaw line. Pony realized that Steve hadn't had it the last time he saw him and that "Steve" looked thinner, but more muscular at the same time and he actually had quite a good tan. Then he saw something he never thought he would. "Steve Randle" was looking worried and Pony knew he was the cause of that worry.

"Kid listen to me", "Steve" said. "It's really me Ponyboy. Would your conscience know what I and Soda called our boss or that my mom taught me Italian or that Tim Sheppard is my cousin? These are things only Soda and I know and now you do too."

Suddenly it hit Pony, this was the real Steve Randle, Dallas and Two-Bit had told them about their talk with the Sheppards. But the real Steve couldn't have known that.

"Steve", Pony breathed and raised a hand and ran it down Steve's face to really see if he was there for real. Steve just smiled mildly. "STEVE!" Pony threw himself at the older boy with such force that Steve fell backwards and had Ponyboy on top of him… hugging the daylights out of him.

"It's you it's really you", Pony sobbed. "I'm sorry Steve I'm so sorry!"

"Sh it's okay kiddo", Steve soothed and rubbed Pony's neck. "Can ya stand?"

Pony nodded and stood, but he didn't stay upright for long. He'd gotten some really bad blows so Steve had to carry him. It took some struggling 'cause he couldn't leave his duffle bag out there. But soon he was on his way to the house.

Pony woke up when a hand gently shook him. He opened his eyes and looked into the worried eyes of Soda and Darry.

"Kid what happened to you", Darry asked softly.

"Mm socs", Pony mumbled drowsily.

"How did ya get home?" Soda asked.

"Steve saved me…"

The room went deadly quiet and Pony opened his eyes more and saw that Soda was suddenly white as a sheet. Darry on the other hand looked angry.

"Pony what are ya talking about", he asked.

"Steve saved me… He didn't die Soda! He's fine!"

"Ponyboy", Darry yelled angrily. "I don't know who saved ya but it can't have been Steve! He's dead Ponyboy!"

"No", Pony yelled back. "He isn't he"

"SODA! DARRY! PONYBOY!" someone yelled outside and suddenly the door slammed open and Alicia Randle entered. She was read in her face and out of breath.

"Alicia", Soda asked shakily. "What's going on?"

"He… we…" Alicia said between gasp. "Look…" she pointed towards the door and Soda looked out and his eyes went huge.

"Soda", Darry asked and by the mention of his name the young mechanic bolted through the door. "Soda!" Darry ran to the door and stopped dead. He saw Soda hugging someone, a soldier judging by the clothes. Both of them were crying and Darry noticed a smaller form moving towards him.

"I told you so", Pony said softly.

"I'm sorry Ponyboy."

"'s okay."

"Darry", Soda called and ran up to them smiling like his old self. "It's a miracle man!"

"Hi Darry", Steve said softly.

"Steve", Darry said and hugged the younger man as hard as he could. "Man ya got us worried. What happened?"

"Later Darry", Steve said softly. "Now can ya tell me where my girlfriend is?"

Marcia and the other socsgirls were at the Dingo trying to enjoy a coke but Randy Adderson was bugging all of them about their boyfriends.

"A hood Sophia", he said. "Damn girl I knew you were bad but I never thought you would associate so low."

"I associated with you didn't eye", Sophia shot back.

"Aw now you hurt my feelings…"

"Fuck off."

"Even your language is bad", Randy sat down beside Marcia and put his arm around her. "So babe wanna go out?"

"No."

"Aw come on, now when your boyfriend is dead and rotting why not?"

Marcia almost started to cry.

"How dare you", Cherry yelled.

"I dare more than ya think."

"Like jumping younger boys and little kids", BD said angrily.

"That's one thing." Randy pulled Marcia closer. "How about a kiss baby?"

"I'll give ya a kiss", an angry voice said and Randy turned to find a fist in his line of sight. When the fist connected with his face Randy tumbled to the floor. "Wasn't the wiping ya got before enough?"

Marcia's mouth hang open at practically everyone at the Dingo was staring at them… or rather the very, very angry marine in front of her. Randy rose cast a glance at Steve before leaving.

"Pussy", Steve muttered.

"Steve", Marcia choked out and Steve turned to her. "Is it really you?"

Steve just smiled and nodded. "Hi baby."

"Steve!" Marcia shrieked and threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "You came back… you came back!"

"I told ya that didn't I?"

"Y-yeah… I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"For thinking that you were dead."

"Hey baby", Steve lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "It was not your fault."

"Okay Romeo", Darry said and walked over. "Let's get out of here so you can tell us why the hell we got word that you were dead."

"Well look what the cat dragged in", Dallas said and rose from his place at on the sofa with Johnny and Two-Bit. "I couldn't believe it when I got the call from the Dingo. Steve Randle is back from the great beyond!"

Steve chuckled. "Something like that."

"Gimmie a hug!" Two-Bit yelled and caught Steve in a backbreaking hug. Johnny joined in.

"Aw what the hell", Dallas said and joined in too. "Now tell us the fucking story? Do ya have any idea how bad we've been feeling?"

"I think I can imagine", Steve said and ruffled Johnny's hair as the younger boy let go of him. "But honestly it wasn't my fault."

"Then who's was it?"

Steve told them the whole story and when he was done Marcia hugged him.

"I'm sorry for that other boy getting killed", she said. "But I'm so damn happy that you're back."

"Me too", Steve said. "Even though I'm just a conscience." He winked at Pony that turned bright red.

TBC Author's note: See I'm not too cruel... but it's not over yet hehe.