Four Months Later

Steve was keeping me company today, while Johnny was at work, he kept looking at my stomach, "Boy, I hope you don't pop until your husband is here."

"Why aren't you working today, Steve?" I stared at him, he was really making me nervous.

"Today is Wednesday, I don't have to work," He stood up, "You want something to drink?"

"Yeah, but it isn't good for the baby," I laughed as Steve tried to figure out what I was talking about, and then he finally laughed, "Not alcohol, I meant juice, milk, or water."

"Water please," I looked at the time, "Why do I need to stay off my feet."

"That's what the doctor told me," Steve came back, with a beer in one hand, and water in the other. He came with me the last three times for my doctors appointments because I didn't like being alone, and Johnny couldn't get out of work those days.

I reached for the beer, "Thank you."

Steve gave me the water instead, "Why you suddenly want to drink, you never drink, even before you were pregnant."

"I don't, I just want to see your re…" I felt my water burst, "Steve?"

"No, Johnny isn't home," Steve shook his head, knowing what had happened.

"Well obviously the baby wants to come now," I managed to grab Steve by his shirt, and pulled him close to me, "I need to get to the hospital," I stood up slowly still holding on to Steve, "Where's you car?"

"In the driveway," He opened the door, and helped me outside.

Darry had just turned on our street, he stopped in front of my house when he saw me, knowing what was happening, "Steve we'll take my car."

Steve helped me into Darry's truck, "Thank goodness you came Darry…"

"Get in the car and shut the door, Steve!" Darry started towards the hospital as soon as Steve shut his side door.

"Breath, Toni, breath," Steve was really annoying me now.

I stared at Darry, "Can I please push him out of the car?" I felt a pain, "I want my dad, I want Johnny."

"It's alright I'm here, it's alright," Steve was trying to show me how to breath.

I felt another pain, "Darry can I please push him out of the window?"

Darry looked at Steve, "Let her hold your hand, Steve."

"I don't want to touch him," I felt Steve grab my hand just as I felt another pain.

"Argh!" Steve screamed as I squeezed his hand, causing me to smile a little.

Darry pulled in front of the emergency entrance, and helped me into a near wheel chair, "Steve, take her inside so I could park."

Steve quickly hurried me inside the building, "We need a room?"

The nurse who worked the front desk smiled, "Would you like the president's suit, or a shared room?"

Steve looked at me, "Do you want the…."

"Steve, shut up," I looked at the nurse, "My name is Toni Breanne Cade, Dr. Miller is my doctor, and this man is a moron."

"Yeah sorry about that," Steve teased.

The nurse sent for someone to push me to my room.

I realized I was about to be alone, I looked behind me, "Steve!"

Steve hurried to my side.

The nurse was stopped him, "You have to be related."

He looked at me, then at the nurse, "I'm her brother."

"Sorry sir, you could go with her," The nurse went back to her spot.

Steve took my hand when we were in the room, "You want me to get Johnny for you?"

"I can't stand being alone," I felt another pain.

A nurse came in, "We sent for your husband," she looked at me, "I wish I looked as young as you do, you look about fifteen, maybe sixteen."

"I am," I felt like pushing, "I want my doctor!"

"Dr. Miller will be here any second," The nurse said just as the doctor entered.

"You guys rehearse that?" I stared at Steve, who must had been thinking the same thing.

The nurse laughed, knowing what we were talking about, "She's a funny girl Dr. Miller."

Dr. Miller smiled at the nurse, "That she is," he looked at me, teasingly, "So were you in the neighborhood, and just decided to see me?"

I smiled a little, "Yeah, thought you might be able to help with this situation my husband got me in," I saw Johnny standing in the doorway, "Speaking of which," I smiled as Johnny made his way to me.

Steve handed Johnny my hand, "I'll just…"

Johnny stopped Steve, "You're the uncle aren't you?" he grinned at our friend, and looked at me, "You couldn't wait for me baby girl?" he must had heard about Steve telling the nurse he was our brother.

"Great, everyone is here, let's get started," Dr. Miller hid behind the blanket covering my legs, "I need you to push on the count of three…one…two…three…"

"Okay," I pushed as hard as I could.

"Again,…one…two…three…"

I pushed again.

"Last time, the heads out," Dr. Miller's voice sounded mumbled up with the hospital mask, "One…two…three…"

I gave one last push, and then heard a baby's cry.

"What is it?" Johnny tried to look to see.

"It's a baby," Steve was just staring, as he pointed out the obvious without meaning to, he smiled at me, "You had a baby?"

"Well we knew it was bound to happen," I smiled at my friend.

Johnny leaned down and kissed me, "I love you."

"Mr. and Mrs. Cade, here is your son," The nurse handed my son to me, "What are you going to name him?"

"Brent Jonathon Cade," I looked at my husband, "What do you think?"

"I think he has a name," He smiled as he took the baby out of my arms, "I have a son."

Steve laughed, "I thought it was both of yours son," he smiled.

The nurse looked at Steve, and then Johnny, then me, and Steve, "You're not really related are you?"

Dr. Miller smiled at Steve, "Nurse Sarah, she has five other brothers," he winked at me. All the greasers had came with me to the appointments because Johnny knew I didn't like being alone, so he had asked our friends on different occasions, but Steve's been with me more then the others.

"Steve go tell Darry it's a boy," I looked at my friend.

"Okay," Steve looked at the baby, as if he still couldn't believe it, and then hurried to tell Darry.

That night in the hospital, I had Johnny write a letter for to my father:

Dear Dad,

Today at 6:00pm this evening, baby girl, gave birth to our son Brent Taylor Cade. He weighed nine pounds, and measured eleven inches. All our friends were there at the hospital waiting to meet the newest member of the group. Steve was there for her during the whole labor process, and was in the room when I finally got to her right before she went into labor. The nurses were on there toes most of the night trying to escape Two-Bit's, and Dally's charms. That is until a security guard had to escort them two out of the building. Baby girl, says that Brent looks just like me, but I keep assisting he looks more like her. Then there's Steve who says he looks like a pile of chewed bubble gum because how pink he looks. I smacked Steve for that comment. They took a picture of Brent, and we'll send you one as soon as we get the chance. You'll love your grandson, just as much as we had loved him from the start.

Love,

Johnny, Toni and Brent Cade

Three Months Later

"What kind of game is Steve, and Jen playing anyways?" I held Brent in my arms, as I sat down on the couch, beside my husband.

"I think they only hook up until either one of them find a new boyfriend," Johnny looked at our son.

"He sure is getting big, isn't he?" I looked at my husband.

"Are we going to Pony's tonight?"

I looked at the clock, "Yeah, even if I don't go, you could go without me."

My husband smiled at me, "I don't want to go there without you."

I made a silly face at my son, causing him, and his dad to laugh, "He looks just like you."

"Hello Cade family," Steve walked right into our house, and sat on the other side of me on the sofa.

Johnny rolled his eyes, "We should really start locking the door."

"I am here to offer you to a baby free day tomorrow," Steve looked at Johnny, "How does that sound?"

"How?" I stared hard at my friend.

"By letting me watch this little boy," Steve smiled at Brent.

I looked at my husband, "He is the only guy besides you, that Brent will let hold him."

Johnny kissed my forehead, "Alright, you could watch my son."

Steve smiled at me, then back at my son, "Alright, I'll see you guys tonight, and this pile of…" he stood and hurried out of the house before Johnny had a chance to smack him.

I laughed as Steve hurried, "I think he's taking what we said about him being our brother to his head, now he thinks it's his responsibility to help us with him."

"Just because he offered to baby sit?" Johnny stood, and took his son out of my arms, "Let's sit on the porch while mommy makes daddy, and her lunch," he kissed my cheek before taking our son outside.

I watched them through the screen door, and then went into the kitchen, "Johnny, what do you want on your sandwich!"

"Ham, cheese, mayonnaise, and mustard!" He answered from outside.

"Thinking of names for your next kid?" Pony teased as I made my way outside to my husband. He looked at Johnny, "I think Mustard travels down more blocks," he cupped his hands around his mouth, "What, Mustard!"

Darry peaked his head out the screen door, then came and joined us, he looked at his brother, "Why are you being so damn loud, calling Mustard so the whole block could hear you?"

Pony laughed, "I was helping them pick the next baby name, and mustard was the best Johnny came up with."

Johnny rolled his eye, "I was telling baby girl what I wanted on my sandwich, and then Pony came over and started talking crazy like."

I set the plate down beside my husband when I noticed our son asleep in his arms, "I'll put him in his crib," I gathered my son in my arms, causing him to open his eyes, "Just mommy Brent," then he closed his eyes. I took him to his room, and laid him in the crib.

"You got a cancer stick Johnny," Pony asked as I joined them on the porch.

Johnny shook his head, "Nope, I need to go buy some."

I glared at him, "You just bought a whole car…"

My husband covered my mouth, "I didn't by a new car," he grinned, "Pony knows I just bought a carton, he was with me, and was being sarcastic baby girl," he handed Pony a cigarette from his pocket, then wrapped his arm around my waist.

"So how is Brent doing?" Darry never really held the baby for more the five seconds, because like I mentioned to my husband he only like Steve, Johnny, and of course me, "He's doing good, already grown out of his three month clothes."

Johnny nodded, "Yeah, having a kid isn't cheap," he looked at me, "We should buy him some new clothes tomorrow, and we also need to go grocery shopping."

I nodded, "We could get that stuff done while Steve's watching Brent."

"There they go again, talking all married like again," Pony was finishing Johnny's sandwich.

"Hey I was going to eat that," My husband looked at Darry, "He eats all the food in your house, then he comes to ours, is that how it works?" he teased.

Darry smacked his brother playfully, "Ponyboy Curtis, I have a good mind to have you pay for there groceries if you don't stop eating all they got."

I saw Two-Bit coming out of the Curtis's house, looking for everyone I suppose, "Maybe if we're real quiet, and sit still without moving he wont spot us," I teased.

Darry laughed, then got quiet, "Lets all see how long it takes for him to realize we're across the street."

Steve came up to us, "You guys alright," he stared at each of us, then whispered to me as he sat down, "What are we doing?"

"Seeing how long it takes for Two-Bit to realize we're over here," Pony wipered.

Brent cried causing the five of us to gasp.

Two-Bit came over when he heard the baby, "Hey there you are."

Steve stood up with me, and followed me into the house, "Two-Bit is as dumb as a door…"

"Shhh," I walked quietly to my sons room, "I think he went back to sleep," I looked down in the crib, "Steve turn the radio on, he is like me, he needs noise when he is asleep. He was doing fine because we were talking outside, and he heard us."

Steve turned on the radio, then stared at my son, "He sure is getting big."

I pushed Steve lightly out of the room, "He'll sleep for a little longer."

Steve wrapped an arm around my neck, "He's going to be a great kid, you know that?"

"I hope so," I pulled out of his grasp, and sat on the couch, "I am feeling tired all of a sudden."

Steve sat in the arm chair, "I'm sure you are," he grabbed one of my husbands auto magazines, and started looking through it, "You sure lost all that baby fat, didn't you?"

"I know there was a complement some where in there," I closed my eyes as Steve went on, and on about different cars.

"I'm going to get myself s black mustang, mustangs are tuff," Steve kept repeating, "Well I suppose I need to be getting to work, can't let soda have all the fun, besides Jen we'll be by today."

I heard the door slam.

"Watch it, there's a baby sleeping in the house," Johnny was heard from outside.

Pony's voice was heard, "Looks like the baby isn't the only one asleep, Johnny."

"I guess you guys should be get going, see you all tonight."

"Bye Johnny," Darry and Pony were heard in unison.

I heard the door softly shut, then felt like I was being watched, "You know I don't like you staring at me," I opened my eyes to stare at my husband.

He was grinning, "I can't help it, you look so pretty asleep."

I glared teasingly at him, "And I don't when I am awake?"

He rolled his eyes, "You look pretty all the time," he kissed my cheek, "How about we both take a nap?" he crawled on the couch, and wrapped me in his arms.

We both fell asleep.