I do not own The Outsiders. All characters used from the book are borrowed with much respect to S.E. Hinton.

I've been absolutely horrible to the Curtis brothers and their friends for the last however many years, so thank you to everyone for sticking by and humouring me while I developed this exploration of family and the human heart. They're ready for their happily ever after now, and I'm ready to let them have it. I don't know when or if I'll revisit these poor souls, but you never know…

Thank you to you readers for hanging in there. I know a lot of this has been difficult to read, but thank you to everyone for clenching their fists and their teeth, and going forth anyways. Lots of love for all who've sent their encouragement along the way—even those who'd rather remain anonymous. I heard you, and I thank you for the love.

It was stupid really. In three measly weeks we'd all be together again in our new home and living our new lives, but I sat on the steps with my face shoved in my hands trying to hide the fact that I was bawling my eyes out while Two-Bit, Gus, and my brothers drove away. It felt like the times I'd watched Soda leave for war, and even though I knew in my heart that wasn't what was happening, I could still feel the panic squeezing my chest so tight I could barely breathe.

Beth's face was pressed against the side of my head; her arms tightly wrapped around me while I fought the urge to leap to my feet and chase them down so they'd come back to me. I shook my head disgusted at my reaction, wondering when the fuck I'd become so soft.

"It's alright, babe. It's going to be okay." Beth whispered, but I could only nod feebly while trying to control the sobs that racked me.

Ponyboy hadn't really caught onto the fact that Beth and I weren't coming until he took stock of the crammed trunk of Two-Bit's car and realized none of the boxes or bags belonged to the two of us. When he looked up at me in a full-blown panic, it was all I could do not to change my mind and keep him with me despite my arrangement with Sodapop.

"C'mon, kid." Two-Bit jostled my brother by the shoulder. "It's like goin' on vacation with Soda and me."

Ponyboy frantically shook his head despite Two-Bit's effort to calm him down, and the next thing I knew he was clinging to me like a barnacle.

"Easy, little buddy. Take it easy. It's just for a few weeks while I get things cleaned up, okay? You go on and keep an eye on Soda for me, yeah?"

"But you said we're stayin' together!" Pony cried stubbornly. "What if you disappear?"

"Nobody's gonna disappear, baby. I'm followin' right behind after Beth is done at her job and the house is emptied. I ain't gonna disappear." I felt my throat form a lump.

"But you promised before 'n left me! You promised not to do that no more, Darry!"

And I couldn't really blame him. I'd let him down more times in his life than I could count on my fingers. He had no real reason to trust me, and I could only hold him tighter and promise him this time was going to be different.

"I know, little buddy. I know, and I'm so sorry." It was the only comfort I could offer.

"You wanna stay behind with Darry, Pone?" Soda was suddenly there; his hand rubbing the back of our brother's head. "Y'know it's okay if you do. You don't gotta come with me if you wanna stay."

Ponyboy lifted his head from my chest—looking at the both of us with the realization dawning on him.

He was going to have to choose.

The reality of the situation only served to make him break down, and he shook his head sadly as he buried his face in my chest again and wept.

"It's gonna be okay, honey. Time's gonna fly by fast as ya know it 'n we're all gonna be up in Canada fightin' off polar bears and maple leaves." Soda smiled before leaning into his brother and me.

"I don't wanna be apart again. I want us to be together forever." Pony replied with the innocence of a child.

"Hey," I gently settled my hands on his shoulders and moved him a step back so I could see his face.

"We will, baby. I promise you we're gonna be together forever, okay? This is only gonna be a few weeks. Besides, you get to go see Jack and Sandy in Florida. Don't that sound nice?"

Pony nodded hesitantly, and I knew he'd be okay. He looked up at Sodapop, and then threw himself at me for another hug, with Sodapop joining in.

When they left it felt like dying, and I was the one that needed reminding that the separation was only temporary, but it didn't help the ache.

The living room was dim with the only light shining through the room coming from the kitchen. The heat of the summer evening was sweltering, leaving my wife a little worse for wear. While she was in the bathroom taking a cool bath, I looked around the emptiness of the house I grew up in; mixed emotions running through me.

The house looked a lot different stripped of its belongings. We weren't taking much with us—a few odds and ends and the clothes on our backs. The rest had been left out on the front lawn to be sold or given away.

Now it was all gone. We were really doing this.

The record player sat on the living room floor along with a few records I wanted to keep. I picked up dad's Otis Redding and sat next to the turntable, looking at the sleeve and remembering the times when my brothers and me would sneak a peek around the corner and watch as our parents would slow dance for what could've been hours. I smiled as I pulled the record out; carefully setting it on the player, and I turned it on.

The house looked a lot larger with it emptied of our life and memories, and I wondered what would happen down the road when new faces would call the same four walls home.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the wall, and listened with appreciation to the music that used to fill the spaces around me when my folks had been alive. It was a time when we were all happy—despite not having much of anything. They were times when our whole lives were ahead of us, and then in one night everything changed.

I opened my eyes and found Beth in one of my t-shirts standing in front of me with her hand stretched out for me to take, and suddenly I was hit with that feeling—I had my whole life ahead of me, and we could do anything because we were together.

I took her hand and eased to my feet—my left hip giving a little pull, but it didn't stop me from leading my wife around the living room the same way my father had done with my mom all those nights they thought my brothers and I were tucked away in bed.

I was brought back to that night I'd danced with Beth at Checkers those years ago, wondering if I'd ever have a hope in hell of a woman like her ever ending up with a dope like me, and here we were moving each other around the empty living room like we'd been dancing with each other forever.

When I looked down to smile at her, her eyes glowed with the same love and warmth that I'm sure was in my own. She was my wife and my life partner. She was my lover and my friend.

We were going to be okay.

The wind rolled in from the open window and brought little relief to me as I felt the sweat run down the middle of my back. The air was hot and dry; the temperature nearing one hundred as I pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned off the ignition. I wasn't sure how to feel as I looked across the road to where dad's old Ford truck had seen its demise. There wasn't a lot I could remember of that night except searing pain along with flashes of light and the voices in my head talking to me and urging me to hang on.

The wreckage had been cleaned up long before I'd made my peace with how careless I was the night I thought Soda'd been killed. The only remnants of the crash were the odd shiver that would run down my neck when I'd let myself think about how drastic my life had changed, and how empty it could have been. The occasional pull I'd get from my leg, and the long scar running from my hip down to the middle of my thigh couldn't hold a candle to that cold feeling of somebody walking over top my grave; reminding me everyday what I could've lost permanently.

I had no idea how I'd made it through, but I knew full well how lucky I was—not just because I'd survived the crash, but I was lucky because we'd all survived, and my brothers and I had found each other again.

I wouldn't visit the crash site again, but I felt the need to acknowledge it before moving on. I stood where dad's truck had been pulled apart along with the majority of myself, and heard that long, lonely horn approach.

It was a sound I was long acquainted with from growing up on the east side; it was a sound I'd identified as part of home. I closed my eyes with my feet planted squarely on the long grass of the ditch as the train pulled on through, and I took that needed breath as I felt the power of it moving the air over and around me, and I felt like I could finally forgive myself.

I opened my eyes and watched as the train disappeared down the tracks, along with that night that could've ended it all.

Saying goodbye hadn't gotten any easier over time. It seemed the last few years of my life had been nothing but saying goodbye and letting go. I knew that Tim, Bradley and Eric would remain apart of my life, even if it was by mail. Some people are just too special to let go of.

And some people we're forced to part ways with, but we keep them close to us; maybe even take their spirit with us as we learn to move on. I didn't say anything as I cleared the debris from Dallas Winston and Johnny Cade's graves. It was such a meagre gesture, but I wasn't the same man anymore. So much had happened, and so much had changed, but I nodded and gave a silent thanks to them for all they'd done for me and my brothers, and then I moved on.

The flowers were still hanging on as I passed my parents. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out my brothers had made a stop here before heading south to Florida, but as I looked over at the gravestone marked with my brother's name, something had caught my eye.

It was a set of dog tags: one tag belonging to Sodapop and the other belonging to Steve that shared the same chain. I felt my eyes sting and knew it could only be Ponyboy's gesture of thanks for all Steve Randal had done. They'd fought relentlessly over the years for Sodapop's time and attention, and I suppose that had made them brothers in its own way.

Years of teasing and snarking and fighting had eased into a mutual respect for one another however, and I couldn't help but think of the way Steve had taken Pony under his wing after he'd first returned to school, or when he watched over him while Soda was working.

Steve was a product of where he grew up; he was as tough and mean as they came when he had to be, but there was a softer side too. Whether or not that was Soda's influence I'd probably never know, but I felt fortunate enough to have seen it on those rare occasions.

"You're still an asshole," I grinned wholeheartedly. "And I know you didn't do this for me, you did it for Sodapop, but thank you anyways, Steve. Thank you for giving him back to us. You probably won't believe this, but I'm gonna miss you buddy. I'm gonna miss you but if you tell anyone I'll deny it."

I could almost hear him snort back at me as I pictured him rolling his eyes and giving me the finger. We didn't always see eye-to-eye on things, but we'd always had one thing in common: our love for my brother Sodapop, and I genuinely was going to miss Steve Randle.

"Thanks for everything, Steve. You take care now."

I felt a lone tear drag down my cheek as I reached back and found Beth's hand. She brought the back of my hand to her mouth and kissed it softly. As we walked away from my parents and my brother's best friend, I turned my head back once more to look at the grave that was meant for Soda. The grave that Steve would forever remain entombed in. That knowledge would leave an ache that would never really fade, but it helped to know Steve was home where he belonged. It helped knowing my own parents were next to him to offer him a peace his own folks were never equipped to give.

Beth sat quietly holding my hand in hers while I mustered up the courage to let go of the guilt that took ahold of me. Tulsa held so many memories; a lifetime full of them, but that's what they were—memories. It was time to either live in the past, or start a new life for the present and the future. A place where my brothers would have a better chance to find their own peace and their own happiness. I was their big brother, and I promised that I'd always look out for them. I promised that we'd always stay together—we'd always be there for each other, and it was time to move forward with that promise.

I took a deep breath, nodding to myself as I started the car. I nodded again before kissing Beth's hand and pulled the car out of the cemetery grounds, heading North for our new home.

The weather was warm with a cool breeze blowing off from the mountains as I pulled the car over to the side of the road.

The drive had been long and hard on the both of us, especially Beth who'd gotten a case of heat exhaustion from the soaring temperatures of the Tulsa summer lasting the two weeks we'd been there tying up the remaining loose ends of our lives. Beth was a different breed however; part of what drew me to her from the beginning aside from the fact that she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever had the privilege of laying my eyes on. She reminded me a lot of Ponyboy—her capacity to roll with whatever life handed to her and fight through it without complaint. In spite of her sickness, we traded off the task of driving so we could make better time and start our lives anew.

I felt a sudden giddiness that was completely foreign to me. My hands trembled as I gripped the steering wheel and looked over at Beth with a crazy grin that caused her to laugh at me.

"Get out already, you big goof! Go get them!" She laughed as she shoved at my shoulder playfully.

I smiled as I leaned across and into her, stealing a kiss as she continued to giggle and shove at me.

"I love you, doll. I really do. I never woulda been able to get here if you hadn'ta come along. I owe you everything."

Beth looked at me seriously before pressing her lips softly against mine. When she pulled away her hands reached up to hold my face.

"You gave me a family. You gave me a home and a place to belong. You owe me nothing, Darrel."

I grinned at her before sneaking in another kiss. "Darry," I corrected playfully.

"Arrrggghhh!" Beth growled before pushing my face away from her, and we both broke out in laughter.

"Get out, ya jerk! Go! Go and get your boys!" Beth laughed, and I felt the giddy nervousness return.

"Aye aye, boss!" I winked before turning towards the driver side door and pushing it open.

I felt like I was floating as I made my way up the walk. I was about to take the steps up to the door, but something caught my eye from the yard. I walked on a little ways, and I could see the two of them by the garden shed.

The trees were overgrown and hanging over the roof of the shed, creating a shaded area that would be a great refuge from a hot day. There were a few lawn chairs, a barbecue, and a table I noticed that held a couple of glasses of lemonade.

Sodapop looked to be asleep in one of the chairs. His right leg was crossed loosely over his left thigh. His right arm cradled across his stomach while his head leaned back. He looked absolutely peaceful; something I hadn't seen from him since before Ponyboy had been taken away from us. Clad in a pair of worn jeans and a long-sleeved Henley—the left arm neatly pinned up and out of the way, he was blissfully unaware of either of his brothers while he napped barefoot in the shade.

It was no surprise to find Ponyboy not far from his brother. After all this time, it was too late to expect anything else from him, and I never would. There was a certain comfort in the knowledge that my two younger brothers literally worshipped the other; a certain calm knowing that they'd be okay as long as they had each other, and knowing that and seeing it with my own eyes meant that I would be okay as well.

He was sitting about two feet away from Soda, opting for the soft grass as opposed to a chair with a sketch pad in hand, turning the blank canvas that once was in front of him into a portrait of his brother that was worthy of hanging on any wall. As I slowly crept up behind him, I could feel my bottom lip tremble in awe once again at how gifted my brother was.

I couldn't find the words so I slowly dropped to my knees behind him and just let my hand gently rest on Pony's shoulder; wincing when he jumped because I'd scared him, but smiling through tears of joy when he'd whipped around—barreling into me and knocking me on my ass just so he could throw his arms around my neck.

"Darry!" He was bawling, and I knew that I was too.

You never know how much you miss something or someone until they're gone, but we were back together now and I could physically feel our bond and love strengthen as I clutched my baby brother to me.

"I gotcha, baby. I gotcha. I'm here now, I'm here." I whispered.

"Darry!" Ponyboy continued to cry into my shoulder, and I just held him tighter.

"Shhhh…I told ya I'd be back, didn't I?" I choked through the words as I felt Ponyboy nod his head against my neck.

"I know! I know you'll always be there. I'm sorry, Darry! I'm sorry for forgetting!"

"Awe, Ponyboy. You don't gotta be sorry, little buddy. You don't ever gotta be sorry, okay? We're here. It's gonna be okay now. We're okay." I kissed the side of his head and pulled him away slightly.

"Lemme look at you. Soda been good to you? He take good care of you?"

I looked over my brother and could see that Ponyboy looked alive for the first time in years. Like his brother, there was a peacefulness to his face that I hadn't seen since our folks had been alive. His eyes held a sparkle even in spite of the tears that were falling, and a happy quirkiness surrounded him as he nodded his head excitedly.

"He feed you? You look too thin." I frowned as I wrapped a hand around a bony wrist, and looked at my youngest brother's long artist's fingers.

"You always say that!" Pony frowned crookedly before shoving himself into me; sitting on my thigh like a seven year old, and I couldn't do anything but smile.

"I guess I do, don't I?" I sighed, and chuckled quietly as Pony squirmed to look at me while nodding.

"How is everyone? How did it go in Florida?" I asked knowing it was unlikely Ponyboy would answer for his brother if the past had taught me anything, but I was anxious to know the outcome just the same.

Pony didn't answer in words, but a smile and a nod spoke volumes before I heard a car door slam, and a streak of yellow and blue screeched by just about knocking Soda off his chair. Soda flailed as he tried to balance with only one arm and both of his legs, and Ponyboy and I laughed at the startled look on his face before Jack was trying to crawl into his lap.

"Daddy, up!"

"Up?" Soda teased once he got his bearings, and I indulged in watching my younger brother as he pulled his son up onto his lap with one arm and had Jack squealing as he alternated raspberries and kisses up his neck.

"Whatcha got there for me, Sunshine?" Soda nodded at the half-eaten and mostly destroyed cookie that Jack was clutching in his one hand, and our eyes locked as he called his baby the endearment once meant for him.

"Cookie, daddy!" Jack held up his mangled treat, and my heart gave an uncontrollable squeeze as Soda's smile shone so bright, his nose wrinkled up, and he let out a playful growl before taking a bite from the cookie.

He locked eyes with mine once more, and he gave me a wink.

"You see who's here, Jack? Who's that, baby?" Soda nodded my way, and Jack slipped off his daddy's lap—forgetting all about the cookie as he came loping over to me and Ponyboy.

"Pony!" Jack threw himself against Ponyboy with as much energy as Pony had done to me not long before, and I smiled as they gave one another Eskimo kisses with their noses before Jack seemed to notice I was there.

"That's uncle Darry, remember?" Ponyboy whispered in Jack's ear before kissing it, and my face hurt from smiling so hard as Jack opened his arms up for me to take him.

I hauled Jack over Ponyboy's shoulder and wrapped my arms around him, bringing him into me. It was like looking at a miniature version of both Soda and Ponyboy when he smiled and shoved his face into mine, and I couldn't help but breathe him in as I wrapped my arms around him tighter.

"Hey there, little buddy." I gave him a squeeze and my heart gave a thud when he started giggling.

I watched Sodapop as he slid off of the chair and knee-walked over to us with a smile bright enough to blind, and I took a deep breath and knew we'd made the right choice. He shoved his way to my left side and wrapped his arm around my shoulder while he watched on as Jack was relaying his four-year-old adventures at the local grocer with his mom and uncle Two-Butt.

"Two-Butt?" I cocked an eyebrow and looked over at Sodapop who was red in the face. Ponyboy snorted and rolled off my thigh with Jack jumping on top of him, and they started wrestling in the grass.

"He couldn't say "bit"," Soda explained wearing a crazy grin. "It's uncle Two-Butt."

I threw my head back in a full-on belly laugh that Soda joined in on, and I felt his arm tighten around me. My own arm sought him out, and I was finally able give my brother the hello he deserved.

"Hey, little buddy. How ya doin'?" I choked out into his neck as Sodapop opted for a welcome a lot like Ponyboy had, and he was half-sitting on my thigh with his arm squeezed around my neck just about to cut my air off.

"Good," he sniffed quickly and pulled away to wipe hastily at the tears clumping his eyelashes. "Real good, Darry thanks to you."

"Thanks to me? You miss me that much, little brother?" I teased, but Soda just shook his head at me.

"Of course I did. We both missed the shit outta you. Maybe we shouldn't do this again, huh?"

"I missed the shit outta you two, too. Let's not do this again." I agreed while grinning, and Soda leaned in to rest his head against my shoulder while we watched Jack beat the hell out of his uncle Pony.

"Oh, Jackie boy!"

My head turned to watch as Two-Bit was making his way towards us with a platter of something, along with what looked to be tongs.

Jack suddenly broke away from Ponyboy to go running to his other uncle, grabbing around his leg halting Two-Bit's journey towards us and the shed. A familiar cackle filled the air as Two-Bit handed the tongs to Jack, and led him over to the barbecue.

"What's that, Two-Butt?" Jack inquired, and I snorted loud enough that Two-Bit looked over at me and grinned.

"Hot dogs, Jackie boy! You gonna help me feed your daddy 'n your uncles?"

"Hog dogs!" Jack squealed, and my face pulled into another smile.

"C'mon, buddy. You sit there 'n help me get lunch goin' and I'll tell you a story about your uncle Steve."

My eyes shot to Sodapop at the mention of his best friend, and although his eyes were watery, he still wore that bright smile that had the capacity to light up the world. I reached over and let my hand clench around his shoulder, and he lifted his hand to hold it to him.

"Together forever, right?" I promised while Ponyboy sat up to curl around his brother and join our huddle.

"Forever." Soda nodded.

Epilogue

It didn't take long to find work. Two-Bit hadn't lied, in fact about ten days in, I'd landed a job at the local hardware store. I didn't know if it's what I really wanted, but the pay was good and the hours didn't kill me like they had back in Tulsa. I figured I had time to figure out what I really wanted to do with myself, and right then my main concern was that my family was happy.

The summer had turned into fall, and Two-Bit and I decided to put a fence up around the yard so that Jack and Gus would have free reign of the yard without the risk of wandering off. It'd taken about a week to put up between the two of us working and getting the materials needed, and I smiled proudly when I finally hammered in the last nail.

"Soda!"

Ponyboy's voice caught my attention, and I rolled my eyes and huffed a laugh noticing Soda'd lost all interest in painting the fence with his brother, and instead started painting Pony's jeans.

"Wha?" Soda pretended to look hurt. "I'm an artist, Pony! Stay still, you're my canvas."

"Artist? Gimme a break!" Pony snorted, which of course led them into a full-on wrestling match.

"You're both nuts, you know that right?" I commented as I walked over and stood above their bodies as they rolled around in the grass.

The car pulled up to the side of the road, and I grinned as my wife edged out of the car and flashed me a warm smile.

"Alright you two, make sure you hose off before traipsing any of that shit in the house. No need givin' Beth a heart attack."

I didn't even know if they heard me; all I got was a hack and a bunch of giggling in return but it didn't matter. My attention was focused on the beautiful redhead that was making her way towards me and making my knees feel like jello.

"You're done!" Beth looked at the completed fence, and I nodded as I accepted her kiss across the other side of the gate.

She took a look at my brothers who were still rolling around in the paint and the grass, and barked out a laugh.

"How old are they anyways?" Her mouth curled into a grin.

"Five!" I spat out, but it only served to get my brothers even more worked up.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head while I opened and held the gate wide for Beth as she stepped into the yard.

"So how'd it go? Everything alright? What did Greg say?" I asked as I wrapped my arm around Beth's waist and walked her up the sidewalk towards the door.

Beth had never really recovered from the heat exhaustion she'd suffered with from Tulsa, so I managed to talk her into seeing Greg to make sure everything was alright. She'd rolled her eyes at me, telling me she'd know if anything was wrong, and that's when I learned that nurses made the worst patients.

"Well," she stalled, and my stomach did a flip with the idea that something serious could be wrong.

"What is it? Is it serious?" I turned her around an alarmed.

"Life altering, but it should go away in about seven months—the throwing up anyways." Beth grinned, but I just stood there worrying.

"I KNEW IT!" Sodapop screeched and the next thing I knew he was swinging my wife around the yard while I stood there with my mouth agape, wondering what was going on.

"Congratulations Mama!" Sodapop beamed at Beth before turning towards me.

"Darry?" He grinned crazily. "We need a bigger house, Daddy!" He laughed and I turned to Beth when it finally dawned on me.

"You're…?" I felt my stomach flip in excitement as my wife grabbed for my hand and put it on her lower abdomen with a teary smile.

"What's goin' on?" I heard Ponyboy ask, but right then I couldn't tear my eyes away from Beth.

"Darry's gonna be a daddy!" Soda whooped and threw his arm around Ponyboy.

"For real?" I whispered to Beth, and grinned crazily when she nodded.

I wrapped my arms around my wife and held her tight as I tried to grasp the fact that we were about to add one more to our crazy family—this time it was one we'd made together. I thought about the long road we'd all walked to get to this place, and words Soda had spoken weeks ago had rung true: Home was me. Home was Soda and Ponyboy. Home was Greg, Two-Bit, Sandy and Jack. Home was my wife and now the baby we'd made that was growing inside of her.

"I'm gonna be an uncle again?" Ponyboy's voice broke into my thoughts, and I smiled so hard my face started to hurt as I let reality sink in once again.

"Sure are, kiddo!" Soda beamed.

"Well it's about time!"

Fin

Thank you once again for following. Just for shits and giggles, I'll let you know that Beth and Darry welcomed a baby boy into the family. Steven Nathaniel Curtis. Mom and dad have asked me to go away—they're fine without my interference. In fact they've all told me to take a hike.

Take care & be well everyone!