Chapter Title: Everyone Has to Grow Up

Date: October 11, 2004

Before I get to the thanks, I would like to make it known that I know I didn't make the kids act their ages a lot of the time. Pony and Soda were easy since I work/ed with kids that age. (yes I do mean to put the slash in that word) I remember next to nothing about being eleven years old, and from what I do remember, I was an unusual child. If anything I wrote involving Darry was off for people his age, I'm sorry. It's only been seven years, but I've already lost most of those memories. Sorry for the inconvenience, and I'm sorry if it distracted you from the story. Now that I got that out of the way, let's move on to the fun stuff, ja?

Jessie 13 – Here it is, and thank you. This is the last one, so I hope you enjoy it!

starbryte234 – Thanks a bunch. I've gotten a review or two that didn't like it very much. I think it's needed.

soda-staygold16 – How about... NOW!! Thanks. That's what I was going for. I didn't want to leave it sad, so I tried to make the end at least a little... not funny, but less sad... I guess...

Tensleep – Thanks. Yeah, you were right. You get a cybercookie. Enjoy. My younger brother caught it just as I was getting over it... two and a half weeks of chicken pox for my parents... and that was when I still wanted to go to school!! Yeah... I read a fanfic for Fruits Basket, and one of the characters kept getting outsmarted by his younger cousin, and I just wanted my own type of parody of that. Here's the next and last... So I'll miss your reviews... Unless you start reviewing my other fandoms... innocent/pleading grin

Chibi Tatiana – Thanks, I thought so too!

Ale Curtis-Carter – Thanks, and here you go!!

k00lgirl'slilsis – Um... thanks? And I went over your review at least at the top... And what do you mean 'write something else'? If it's another chapter, I was working on it; if it was another fandom, check my bio page. Either way, do you think you could possible word it a little politer (so do NOT care if that's an actual word) in the future? Thanks, and here's the next chapter.

seraphim9 – Yeah... I died. I'm actually a clone of me while the real me is buried under a Starbucks... that'll teach me to look both ways instead of running and trusting to luck! Thanks so much! You're one of the few people who expressed that well enough for me to feel better about OOC-ness. Thanks, and here's this chapter... Duh...

Malara – Thanks so much. Here's another chapter, and, sadly (or not, depending on whether you're the reader or the author minus her muses) the last. Enjoy!

Fate of Destiny – Yeah, even writing it I managed to laugh at some parts... Then I got called to dinner... Parents don't seem to understand how the creative juices and muses work... Ah well, it still turned out. Enjoy.

And a note for ALL: The muses/author music corner has made a brief comeback at the bottom of this fic!

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Once the kids were well another few weeks went by without incident. The older Greasers knew that something would happen soon, but they had no idea what.

"Can they get chicken pox again?"

"Most people don't, and even then not this early after getting it the first time."

"You sounded really smart... Who are you an' what d'ya do with Johnny?"

"Shut up, man. I was just quotin' one of the Health books."

"But you sounded so... what's the word? Intelligent."

"Ooh, look at that, guys, Steve knows a big word!"

"Shut up, Johnnycake!"

"Somehow it takes away from the effect when you've got a kid in yer arms."

"Not my fault Pony fell asleep."

"Actually..."

"Shut up!"

... ... ...

"C'mon guys. Bedtime."

"But I ain't tired!"

"'Ain't' ain't a word, Soda."

"Then how come you used it?"

"'Cause I'm bigger an' I know when I ain't s'posed to use it."

"C'mon, Dal, don't rile him up right before he goes to sleep."

"But it's so fun..."

"Hey, he's outsmarted you four times in the past week. Don't get started."

The next morning, Dally woke up to the smell of bacon, eggs, and...

"Chocolate cake?"

After finishing the last cake that Pony made, no one had made another. Two-Bit and Steve weren't allowed in the kitchen after their little fiasco with Ponyboy after he and Johnny had returned from hiding in Windrixville. Dally made it clear that he had no idea how to cook and was unwilling to learn from the first day he spent with the Curtises after coming back to 'life'. Johnny hadn't yet mastered the art of the chocolate cake, so there was none.

Dally trudged down the stairs, deciding to let the kids sleep in a little longer. If Johnny was trying his hand at a chocolate cake again, it would be best to keep them out of the kitchen for as long as possible. He rounded the corner into the kitchen, rubbing a hand over his eyes as he headed for the fridge. "Mornin' Johnny. You tryin' to make cake again?"

"I'm not trying, and I'm not Johnny."

Dally spun at the voice. It was deep, but not so deep as Johnny's had become after he had been burned and healed. Sure enough, Darry was standing next to the stove, putting cooked pieces of bacon on a plate.

"Hey Darry... how'd you sleep?"

"Fine... but why'd you call me Johnny? That's strange... Oh, and speaking of weird stuff, would you have any idea of why I was wearing only a muscle shirt when I woke up this morning?" (A/N: yeah, had to get something like that in there... )

"Um... you don't remember the past few months?"

"Of course I do. You and Johnny came back, we bought this house, I got a better job, you got a legal job, and last night Soda cooked some really nasty crap."

"I, uh, hate to break it to you, but your 'last night' was almost two months ago."

"How much did you drink last night?" Darry asked, turning to face Dally with an eyebrow raised unhappily. "If you have a hangover, just take the painkillers and get it over with. I'm really not in the mood for it this morning. Do you have any idea why three fourths of a cake would disappear over night?"

"It took that cake three days to go." Another raised eyebrow. "Ask one of the others! But not Soda or Pony, 'cause they prob'ly won't remember anything either."

At that minute, Steve stumbled down the stairs. "Please tell me Johnny ain't tryin' to make another cake..."

"Not you, too... Did you take him drinking with you?" Dally shook his head in the negative.

"Hey! Superman's back to normal! You're big again Darry!"

"And when was I small? Eleven years ago?"

"Well yeah... and last night when we pull y'all to bed." Before Darry could question that remark, Ponyboy and Sodapop stumbled into the room. "Pony and Soda are big again, too!"

"Did you hit your head last night, Steve?" Soda asked with a smirk. Pony yawned.

"Told you we should've got pictures," Two-Bit announced, punching Steve in the arm.

"Okay, you win. And where did you come from?"

"I just walked in... Oh! Chocolate cake! I never thought I could make it a month and a half!"

"And you made it that long without beer, too!" Johnny laughed as he walked into the kitchen. He looked at the three Greasers and smiled. "It's good to see that you three are finally back to normal! I thought we'd have to put all three of you through college on Steve and Dally's salaries!"

Johnny's comment got laughs from the former babysitter, and blank looks from the three brothers.

"Maybe one of you could explain?" Ponyboy suggested lightly.

"Sure." Dally's gentle voice when he spoke to Pony surprised the brothers. They got even more of a shock when Dally continued with what happened, with 'help' telling it from the other three.

"I... got scared of the bathtub?"

"Yep! Then you ran around the house naked for a good... what was it? Five minutes?"

"Ten at least. Remember? We had to find a way to catch him after he ran by us!"

"Do you have any proof that everything you just told us is true?" Darry asked.

Two-Bit smirked. "I can tell you the exact place and shape of your birthmark, Darry. And I've never seen that area on you except when I was helpin' you out when you had the chicken pox. That was the one time Johnny was busy all day with other things." The other greasers laughed when they saw Darry flush bright red.

After another week went by, Steve and Two-Bit moved back into their own houses. Not long after that school started again. The former babysitters groaned at the thought of missing their entire vacation, and the Curtis brothers were annoyed that they couldn't remember anything about theirs. Except... Darry could remember being calmed from anger and told he was loved, Soda could vaguely recall a gentle hand on his face when his body ached from the pain of chicken pox, and Ponyboy could still hear a deep voice telling a soothing story about kings, queens, princes, and a valiant knight.

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A/N: Okay, that's all folks! It's not really long, but it turned out okay in my opinion. Please review and let me know what you thought. And please don't ask for a sequel. If I even tried it would take at least a year and a half to so much as get it started. It would probably be another four years before I finished. Sorry. But I hope you enjoyed this and the original Fanfic that started it. Please let me know!

Dally: Yeah!

BN: What are you doing here?

Dally: I'm one of your muses. It's my job to be here.

BN: Fine... but I'm not paying you!

Pony: Why not?

BN: You all abandoned me and left these fine reviewers without chapters! I can't write without inspiration!

Darry: But we did come back in the end...

BN: True... Forgiven!

Johnny: One more song for old times' sake?

All: What do you do with a drunken sailor? What do you do with a drunken sailor? What do you do with a drunken sailor early in the mornin'?

Steve: The song's called "Drunken Sailor" and it's by The Corsairs, a Texan band Berserker Nightwitch met over the summer. Please review... it'll make them stop.

BN: You ain't seen the captain's daughter. You ain't seen the captain's daughter. You ain't seen the captain's daughter early in the morning.

Soda: She looks like an orangutan! She looks like an orangutan! She looks like an orangutan early in the morning!

All: What do you do with a drunken sailor? What do you do with a drunken sailor? What do you do with a drunken sailor early in the mornin'? song trails off