A/N: Hello everyone.
It has been a long, LONG time. A lot of things have happened since then. I imagine this is a bit of a surprise too, isn't it? But I wanted to start with an important announcement.
This story has reached 100,000 views as of January 15, 2021! I truly thank each and every one of you for the journey that this story has brought me, has brought us, really. I also wanted to thank all of you who have reviewed this story; with your help, Early Fire has remained in the top 3 pages of most reviewed Outsiders fanfiction ever since its completion. I couldn't be prouder of all of us.
This is an epilogue. A lot has gone on in the past years which has kept me from writing an official sequel. I have gone through depression, I have gone through trauma, I have gotten sick. I have also discovered more fandoms, which truly have helped me conquer many of those unpleasant times. However, I've been rereading this story in its entirety recently, and deep down in my heart, I felt like I couldn't leave it. It meant too much to teenage me, and adult me wanted to officially tie it down.
This does mean that this will be my last ever Outsiders fanfic. I won't work on my other discontinued Outsiders fanfics, either. Still, I appreciate everybody's patience, if y'all haven't given up on me by this stage. ^^"
Now, in this epilogue, I intend to cover everything that I would have covered in a 30-chapter span, without going into all the little moments and most minute details. However, I also didn't want to make it too descriptive, in the "this is what happens next" sense, and still make it part of the story. I hope you will enjoy it.
Finally, I wanted to apologize. When rereading this story, I realized that there was a passage in Chapter 27 in which Johnny gets sexually assaulted in jail. Although it isn't graphic in any way, I honestly can't tell you what I was thinking, but rape is no joke and it is not to be taken lightly. I deeply regret adding this plot point to my story. To those of you who have been sexually assaulted before, I am sorry. I sincerely hope that this epilogue can make up for my mistake, or that you can forgive me. And, I sincerely hope that you know how loved and important you are in this world and know that you truly can make it. I wish you all the health and happiness you deserve.
Without further ado…here is the epilogue.
XxX
It's been 6 months.
I've felt okay, really. I think.
Things haven't really felt…normal, in the last six months. The guys are trying to make it as normal as possible, but it's like there's this ghost hanging over all of us, pressing down on us. There's this unspoken tension now in the gang after everything that's happened.
Steve is still good ol' Steve. He still thinks I'm a tag-along brat, and I still think he's a jerk. I guess some things stay the same. That's probably the most natural thing, the one thing that hasn't changed much. I know he doesn't say it—he'd rather make up with his old man than admit it—but I know he gives that extra effort to watch me in school. I don't really need it, 'cause the Socs have mostly left us alone, but I just pretend like I don't know what Steve's doing and keep going on with my day. It's better this way.
Two-Bit's probably been the weirdest part of this whole situation. He started drinking even more, if that's possible, unsure about how to handle everything, but he sobered up real quick afterward. We're not sure why, he likes to keep his secrets after all, but he even got himself a job. Who'd have thought, huh? He's been bartending at Buck's; it ain't the best, but he loves it, so it's cool with us. He's been to school more often, too. I think he's finally gotten serious about finally graduating. He's still got a year to go after this, but he's been doing okay. Maybe he's been trying to distract himself, but whatever the reason, we support him. He still has our backs and we've still got his.
Johnny's had it real bad. None of us can talk about the…incident without him turning into a sobbing mess. It's even worse than that time he was jumped in the lot by Bob. The thought of it still makes me sick, but not at Johnny—never at Johnny. Still, we all wish he'd catch a break.
His folks haven't made it any better; soon as he got out, they called him every name under the sun and spent every waking hour beating on him, so much that he almost made true to the words he'd spoken to me at the lot, on that faithful night. He grabbed Dally's gun and tried to shoot himself dead. He probably would have succeeded, too, if the gun had been loaded. Luckily for us, Dally kept it as a bluff, or so he said. I never asked Dally questions. It ended up saving Johnny, so I didn't care.
Johnny's been staying with Dally ever since, at Buck's. He hasn't really crashed on our sofa or hung around with me. I know part of it is 'cause he feels guilty about what happened to me, but it's been hard trying to explain to him that none of it was his fault. For once in our lives, it was like he didn't understand me. I figured it was okay, though, he's been messed up real bad, and he still needs time. He knows where to find me if he really needs me. It still stings a bit to have lost my best friend, though. I reckon he'll never be the same.
Surprisingly—but at the same time, not so much—Dally's been helping him the most. I can probably count on one hand the number of times he's been in real trouble since he took Johnny in. Word around the hood is that he was there when Johnny got…and it shook him real bad. Neither of them has confirmed that and my brothers won't let me hear the whole story, but I'm just glad Dal's still around. I think the two of them are doing better, all things considered.
My brothers have been a real help to me. The whole court thing is still foggy to me. I know they almost lost me; that had been a fear of ours, but nothing had been done on the legal side until I'd gained my memory. Once that happened, it was a whole shitshow. I had to get a psychiatrist assessment, which apparently was the main concern, but I passed that with flying colors. I think.
The whole issue came with Bob's murder and the events that followed. Johnny had killed him; the two of us had run away. Dally had helped us and had lied to my brothers about my whereabouts. I reckon that didn't sit well with the social worker. It was a long battle, one where the outcome wasn't certain for at least three months.
In those three months, I had to worry about if I could ever run again. I finally managed to get rid of all my casts and that damned wheelchair, but I still have a long way to go before I can compete in track meets again. I've had to sit this year out, and I don't know if I'll be able to make it next year, either. I can tell that bums Darry out; I could've gotten a scholarship with that, but he thankfully hasn't been on my case about it.
He hasn't been on my case about much, really. Those three months were real tough on him, along with that time I couldn't remember anyone or anything, but he's been real patient with me, and I'm thankful for that. I think he's just happy he's won custody of me again, even after everything that's happened.
We were surprised, but what surprised us the most was Johnny's verdict; innocent. It was self-defense. The Socs who were present that night testified, and they all agreed on that. Darry's still peeved that they weren't charged with anything, but the last thing we want is another court case, so he's let it go.
Things have been tight ever since, with all my hospital bills and all the court stuff, but we're mostly making out okay now. I know Darry hates it, but he's taken help where he's gotten it. Mostly, it's been Two-Bit's mum; she keeps saying she cooks too much food for just her, Two-Bit, and Karen, but I wouldn't doubt if, like my oldest brother, she's cut down on meals and portions herself just to help out. I know Steve's been helping out, even if it's supposed to be a secret. I think Darry suspects it, but he hasn't said anything about it. Soda knew, of course. Soda knows everything.
Soda and I have gotten even closer. I appreciate everything he did to help me out while I couldn't even remember him, and everything he's done after that. He's kept us all sane in those three months. He had a bit of a breakdown himself; he'd lost Sandy, and I hadn't even remembered her. Plus, with everything Johnny went through, it was hard for him to take. Soda's always taken things a bit hard. I reckon we're the same on that end.
Still, he kept on going. That's Soda for you. He helped me walk on my bum leg, helped me get strength back in my arm, and helped me with my mood when I felt low. He helped me catch up to school, too. Not that he was any good at it, so he says, but he made sure I studied and knew my material, picking up where Darry couldn't with his busy schedule. I'm real grateful.
There isn't much to say, otherwise. I can't explain how I got my memory back; I can still see this picture of my mom out in Windrixville like in my dream, burned in my mind as if it were on a film that couldn't stop playing. I don't understand what she has to do with it, but I'm glad I remember, now, even if it hurts. It did hurt, for a while, but all of us had to push forward.
Cherry Valance tried to talk to me all of two times before she gave up. I just wasn't interested. I'd lost interest in pretty much everything by that point, finding it hard at times to even get out of bed and face the day, and I reckon she didn't care enough to deal with that. Still, she stuck around for a bit, making sure her friends left me alone too, before bidding me farewell. Last I heard, she's dating this other guy, and he ain't any better than Bob used to be, but it ain't my place to say anything. I just sort of stare in her direction whenever I see her from a distance and hope that she hasn't forgotten about sunsets.
"Hey, Ponyboy!"
I snapped out of it, wheeling around to where Darry was leaning against the doorframe, a slight smirk on his face despite the evident exasperation in his voice. He'd clearly just gotten back from work, too, still wearing his sweat and dirt-stained clothes. "I've been callin' your name for the past five minutes."
"Sorry," I mumbled, not really sorry.
He invited himself into my room, sitting down next to me on my bed. "Something on your mind, little brother?" he asked, facing the point I'd unintentionally been staring at while I was daydreaming.
I forced myself to remain serious. "Oh yeah, y'know, girls and drugs and booze." The expression on his face was priceless.
"Ya little smartass," he spat, nudging my shoulders softly—in Darry's terms, that is. Still, I kept myself from rubbing it. "You hang 'round Soda too much."
"That ain't all Soda and you know it", I retorted, mirroring Darry's smile.
He sighed. "Yep, I know that much." He got up again, patting my shoulder before making his way back out the door. "I'm gonna go shower. You up for a football game with the boys afterward?"
I perked up. "Yeah, that'd be swell!"
"All right then, don't wander too far while I'm gone", he teased, disappearing down the hall before I could retort. I stuck my tongue out at him, even though he couldn't see it.
I smiled to myself. While some things had been different and hard to get used to, we'd found a new routine, one we were all familiar with now. I knew things would be okay again.
