Author's Note: Okay, this chapter has skipped ahead a few months, and probably seems kinda rushed. I'm sorry about that, but I didn't have a lot of time to write it.
The weeks went by quickly after Two Bit's accident and spring began to fade into summer. By early June, quite a few things had happened: Steve and Grace graduated high school and Steve started working full time at the DX, Two Bit got his car up and running again, Mrs. Matthews and Mr. Donaldson had gotten married, and Alana celebrated her sixteenth birthday.
But on June 8th, the semi happy world that Alana had created around herself sort of came crashing down. She was throwing up over the toilet, Two Bit holding her hair back, when she caught a glimpse of some sanatiers under the sink. It was then that she realized that she hadn't had her period the month before. It had always been a little irregular (caused by stress, according to her mom) but now it was over two weeks late.
Something was wrong and it hit Alana with the force of a train. But no, that couldn't be right…could it? Yes, Alana, realized with a sinking stomach, it could be.
"-Just don't know what's wrong with you." Two Bit was saying. "This is the fifth morning in a row that you've been sick."
"My periods late." She told him.
Two Bit furrowed his brow, then, as he caught on to what his sister was saying, widened his eyes. "Steve?" He asked slowly, even though he knew it was true.
Alana nodded tearfully. "What am I gonna do, Two Bit?"
"I-I don't know." He said. This wasn't something he had a lot of experience in. "Tell him, I guess."
"What if he gets mad? What if he dumps me?"
"Then that'll prove that he's the big jerk everyone thinks he is." Two Bit patted her back. Ohh, when he got a hold of that boy…how dare he do this to his sister! She was sixteen! That was much, much too young to have a…Two Bit couldn't even fathom it…a baby. "Look, Alana, if he runs out, I'll take care of you."
"You will?"
"Of course! What, did you think I'd just leave my baby girl hangin'?"
Alana giggled in spite of herself. "Well, I guess I better call him."
Two Bit held up his hand. "I'll do it."
"No, I really think-."
"I'm just gonna tell him to get his skinny butt over here, you have a problem. Okay?"
Alana sighed. It was no good, trying to argue with her brother. He was so hard headed! "Okay."
She threw up again, while he was gone, but she could still hear him on the phone.
"Pony? Hey, it's Two Bit. Is Steve there? He is? Can I talk to him for a sec? Okay." He paused, then "Steve? Yeah, it's Two Bit. Look, we've got kind of a problem here and Alana needs you. Can you come? Okay, yeah, see you in a few. Bye."
"He's on his way." He told her, coming back into the bathroom. "He said he'll be right over, but Alana, I don't think he's going to break up with you over this." AS much as it pained Two Bit to see his sister growing up, he'd gotten used to seeing her and Steve together. It didn't really bother him too much. He saw how much Steve cared about his sister, more than he'd ever seen him care about any other girl.
"I hope not. I'm gonna go lay down." She said. "When he gets here, just tell him to come back to my room."
"Okay."
"She's in her room." Two Bit told Steve a few minutes later. "She said you can come back. Hi guys." He said to Ponyboy and Sodapop. "Where's Beth?"
"She's at her Grannie's house today." Pony answered apsently. "What's going on?"
Two Bit shook his head. "Sit down and I'll tell you."
"Well," Steve said after Alana told him and after the initial shock wore off. "I guess the first thing we gotta do is get married."
"What?" Alana was shocked. "Get married? You mean, you wanna stay together?"
"Of course I wanna stay together! I, unlike my old man, don't run from my responsibilities." He narrowed his eyes.
"I thought you'd be mad, Steve." She said.
"Mad? Why would I be mad? I mean, I'm not exactly happy, but I'm not mad. Well, not at you. I'm kinda mad at myself for not being more careful." He shrugged. "Ah, well, what's done is done. So, um, how far along do you think you are?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I need to go to the doctor."
And that's how, the very next day, she and Steve were sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Sarrett's Family Medical Clinic. She had broken the news to her mother and step father (Mr. Donaldson, or Erik, as he had instructed them to call him, actually turned out to be pretty cool. He had a pinball machine!). Needless, to say, Mrs. Mathhews hadn't taken it so well. It had take Erik, Two Bit, Alana, and Steve well over an hour to calm her down. Then, she called the Clinic and set up an appointment for Alana. She had wanted to take her, but Steve had insisted that he do it.
"It's my baby too." He said.
Mrs. Matthews didn't like it, but she finally relented after Alana promised her she could help plan the wedding. "We have to start looking for a dress!" She said.
"You can definitely help her with that, ma'am." Steve said. "I hate shopping."
"Me too." Two Bit declared.
"I thought you hated anything to do with strenuous activity." Alana said, which caused Two Bit to throw his shoe at her.
"Alana Matthews." The nurse called and Steve and Alana followed her back.
The nurse, whose name tag read 'Rose' did all the normal nursey things: weight, height, pulse, blood pressure, asking questions. She fired off tons of questions at both Steve and Alana.
"Name?"
"Alana Leigh Matthews."
"Are you the father, young man?"
"Yes."
"And your name…?"
"Steven Joshua Randle."
"Birth date, Miss. Matthews?"
"May 5th, 1952."
"And you, Mr. Randle?"
"September 27th, 1949."
"Okay." She said when she was done. "Dr. Sarrett will be back in a moment." She handed Alana a paper gown. "If you'll just undress and put this on and wait on the examining table." She drew the curtain around the table so Alana could have some privacy.
"How come they make these clothes paper?" She asked Steve as she sat on the examining table.
"I don't know." He answered from behind the curtain. "Because they can, I guess. Are you nervous?"
"You mean, because a man I've never met is going to be elbow deep in my uterus? Yeah, you could say I'm nervous."
Steve laughed a little uneasily. He still hadn't said anything to his dad about this. Not that it mattered. His old man didn't care anyway. He wouldn't even notice that Steve had moved out.
He fidgeted a little when Dr. Sarrett came in. he was older than Steve had expected, in his early sixties probably, tall with short, iron gray hair. He knew that Steve and Alana were unmarried and that they were greaser's, but he didn't treat them any different, which Steve appreciated.
"Well, Miss. Matthews," He said when he finished Alana's examination. She had dressed and sat back down in one of the hard chairs next to Steve. "I'd say that you most defintley are expecting."
Steve took a deep breath. Well, there went that little hope that she might not be.
"You're roughly eight weeks along." Dr. Sarrett smiled. "But you seem to have a fine young man here to take care of you, so I'm not too worried."
Steve tried not to beam with too much pride.
"I want to see you again in three weeks. Talk to Sally Jo out front, she'll fix you up with an appointment."
"Well," Steve said as they left the clinic ten minutes later. "I guess we have a wedding to plan, huh?"
"Yeah." She smiled softly. "I guess we do."
"So, what do think of Adam as a boy's name?"
"It's nice." She nodded, buckling her seatbelt. "But I like Elijah."
"Elijah? Hmm. Interesting. What about Peter?"
"Ugh. I hate that name? Besides, what if it's a girl, huh?"
"Well, that would be okay too." Steve smiled, imagining a little girl with Alana's light brown hair. "We could call her Charlotte."
"Or Sara."
"Sara's too plain." Steve said. "Let's call her Ocean."
"Ocean? I don't think so! How about Susannah?"
"That's kind of cute." Steve agreed. "You know what name I really like?"
"What's that?"
"Kathryn."
"That's pretty." Alana sighed as they turned onto Delaware Street, where the Curtis's lived. "But we have plenty of time to decide."
"I guess you're right."
"We have seven months. That's more than enough time to pick out names." Alana climbed out.
"Yeah, but I just want our kid to have a good name. I don't wanna stick him with a dorky one like my mom and dad did me."
"I like your name." Alana told him, pushing open the front door. "It's cute."
"Thanks. I guess."
"Okay," Two Bit said as soon as they walked in. "What's going on."
Alana nodded. "In seven months, you'll be an uncle."
Two Bit chewed his lip. "Well, in that case, I think you should call him Keith."
"They're not going to call her Keith." Grace told him. "They want a pretty name, like Anastacia."
"Her?" Two Bit rolled his eyes. "How do you know it's a girl?"
"I just do."
"Hey, I have an idea." Darry spoke up. "How's about you let Steve and Alana name their child. Huh?"
"Oh yeah." Two Bit nodded sheepishly. "Sorry. I just got carried away."
"No, really?" Steve asked sarcastically. Alana elbowed him.
"So, about this wedding…?" Beth started.
"You have to be my Maid of Honor." Alana told her. "And I want you in it too, Grace. You're guys are practically my sisters."
"Maid of Honor?" Steve shook his head. "Are we gonna do all that?"
"Yes, and Soda's going to be your best man." Alana told him.
"Wait, I thought I got to pick my guys!"
"Well, isn't he who you were going to pick?"
"Oh. Yeah, he is. And you three." Steve nodded at Two Bit, Pony, and Darry.
"You want me in your wedding?" Pony was surprised. Sure he and Steve were getting along better but they still weren't, like, best buds or anything.
"Yeah." Steve nodded.
"Do I have to wear a suit?" Two Bit asked.
"Yes!" Alana said. "You do. And," She turned to Beth and Grace. "I was thinking pink for the dresses. What do you think?"
"Oh, like pale pink?" Grace asked. Alana nodded.
"That's perfect!" Beth told her and the girls launched into a big discussion about wedding dresses.
This just goes to show you that even the toughest greaser girl can fall to pieces over a wedding.
"Uh, let's get out of here before they have us tryin' on dresses or somethin'." Steve suggested. "Anyone up for a game of football?"
And the girls didn't even notice as they trooped outside.