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The following evening Darryl and Linda were both in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner was over when the doorbell rang. Drying off his hands, Darryl walked over to the door and to his surprise upon opening it, Sarah Cade was waiting on the other end.

"Oh, Ms. Cade." He greeted. "How nice to see you."

"May I come in?" She asked.

"Of course."

He opened the door further to let her in and Linda stepped out of the kitchen to greet their guest.

"Sarah, long time no see. How have you been?"

"Fine. Just fine."

"We've been meaning to talk with you. Would you like to have a seat?"

She nodded before heading over to the sofa in the living room. Darryl and Linda both sat down across from her.

"I'm sure you know that I'm moving on Friday." She began. "But Johnny...he wants to stay."

"We know." Darryl answered.

"Johnny told me that you'd be willing to let him stay with you."

Both Linda and Darryl looked at each other.

"Well...only if it was okay with you. Johnny could stay here and finish his last year as school. And then when you were ready to come back to Tulsa-"

"I was never planning to come back." Sarah interrupted.

"Oh."

She nodded wordlessly before exhailing softly and continuing.

"I'm fine with Johnny staying here with you. I know that he'll be in good hands."

Both Curtis' smiled as Sarah wondered how to ask them what she had really came here to ask. She really didn't know the two of them that well and what she wanted to ask was a huge thing to consider.

"I was only nineteen when I got pregnant with Johnny." She began. "I wasn't ready to be a parent."

Linda stared at the other woman after she said that. She figured as much, while she herself and Darryl were in their mid forties, Sarah looked to be in her early thirties.

Sarah then continued.

"Francis and I weren't in love. He told me to get rid of the baby, but...it just felt wrong. So I had the baby, and I shouldn't have because we were horrible parents. Over the years, I tried to ignore Johnny...pretend he didn't exist. But I can't do it anymore. I want him to be with a good family."

As tears began to fall from her eyes, Darryl shifted in his seat, starting to feel uncomfortable. He looked over at his wife, wondering were the other woman was going with this. Sarah then brushed away the tears and took a deep breath.

"I wanted to ask you...if he is going to stay with you, would you consider...adopting him?"

"Come again?" Darryl asked.

Linda too was shocked by the question as she stared at Sarah.

"I know it's a huge thing to ask, but I want Johnny to have a real family." Sarah continued. "If I could give him one thing, it'd be that."

"Sarah." Linda began, slowly. "We'd be happy to take Johnny in. But as far as adopting him goes...we're going to have to think about that."

She nodded.

"Thank you, thank you both."

The two of them watched as Sarah turned in left the house. Linda and Darryl looked at each other, neither one knowing what to say.

For the next hour, Darryl and Linda sat in the backyard on their wooden swing, quietly going in their minds what Ms. Cade had asked them.

"I would have liked to have another child." Linda finally began.

"Yeah." Darryl smiled. "I would have liked a girl."

Linda smiled back as the swing kept rocking lightly back and forth. After Ponyboy was born, the two of them agreed that was going to be it for them. And it was for a simple reason, they didn't have enough room in the house and wouldn't be able to properly provide for any more kids.

"Every time I see that boy I just want to give him a hug." Linda spoke.

Darryl nodded.

"You think that his father use to hit him?"

"Probably."

Linda then shook her head, wondering what kind of a person could do that to their own child.

"Should we do this?" Darryl then asked, finally getting to the question.

"Well...Darry's in college now. And Sodapop and Ponyboy are going to be seniors in the fall, Johnny too. It's not like we'd be taking in a toddler."

"We both have better jobs." Darryl continued. "We make more money then we use to."

"Yes."

"So let me get this straight. If we do this, Johnny is going to get a new family, Darry, Soda, and Pony are going to have a new brother, and we're both going to get a new son."

Linda smiled.

"That's what's on the table."

Smiling back, Darryl answered;

"I'm in."

Just as the two made a decision, Sodapop had entered the house with Ponyboy and Johnny. He had hung out with them tonight at the Nightly Double, even though movies really weren't his thing he needed a normal night out just to forget about everything.

It was over, what happened with Dominick back at his grandparents house, for anyway. He was told there would be a trial, and he would have to testify as would Sandy.

He wondered if Dominick would bring up how Soda had shot him and ran away. But how would he prove it? But to him, it really didn't matter. What he did was accident, what Dominick did was no accident.

"Soda? Hey Soda?" Pony said as he waved his hand in front of his face.

"Oh? What?"

"I was asking if you wanted a drink."

"No...I'm good."

He then kicked off his shoes as he sat down on the couch. Just as Pony walked into the kitchen, Darryl and Linda came in from the backyard.

"Oh, I'm glad you two are here." Linda said when she saw Ponyboy and Johnny. "We need to talk to you both about something."

They all walked into the living room and joined Soda on the couches. Darryl looked at his wife for a moment before speaking.

"Well, Johnny. Your mother stopped by here not long ago and said she's fine with you staying with us."

Ponyboy and Johnny both smiled at each other as Linda took over for her husband and looked straight at Johnny.

"Not only that...she asked us if we'd take you permanently. She asked us if we'd consider...adopting you."

There was now silence in the living room as the three boys took the information in, Johnny continued staring at Mrs. Curtis.

"What...she doesn't want me anymore?"

"It's not that, Johnny." Darryl answered. "She told us she wanted you to be with a real family. But we won't do it unless you want us to."

Ponyboy then smiled as he realized what they were saying.

"So wait...Johnny would be part of our family. I mean, for real?"

"Yes." Linda responded. "You guys have always been like brothers...now it would just be official."

Taking a quick look at Pony before looking back at Linda and Darryl, Johnny spoke again.

"You guys would be my parents?"

"We don't know how long the adoption process takes." Darryl answered. "But, yes."

Soda then let out a yell of joy as he almost jumped on Johnny and began messing up his hair.

"I get a new little brother."

"Me too." Pony said.

"I'm a few months older than you, Pony." Johnny responded.

"Yes." Linda smiled. "You'd still be the baby."

"Is this okay with you, Johnny?" Darryl asked.

He still was in disbelief over this. Johnny really didn't know how to react. The Curtis parents had always made him, Two-Bit, Steve, and Dally feel like they were part of the family, but if they took him in he would officially part of their family. He was happy and, in a strange way, scared at the same time.

"Yes." He finally answered.

"Johnny Curtis." Soda grinned. "Does have a nice ring to it, you can even keep the 'C'."

"We'll have to call Darry up, tell him the news." Darryl said as he got up.

Ponyboy then grabbed a hold of Johnny's head and gave him a noogie.

"Hey, stop!" Johnny laughed. Laughing as well, Pony let go.

Johnny then looked around at his surroundings and knew right then that he wasn't going to miss home, because he was already there.