After the morning snowball fight, Dally saw very little of Johnny and Ponyboy for the rest of the day. He felt a little pang of what he could only describe as mild jealousy, but he understood that Ponyboy and Johnny were best friends and they hadn't seen eachother in months. So he made himself content helping Tom and Will put the finishing touches on the barn.

Johnny and Ponyboy had gone riding. Johnny showed Ponyboy around the property. He even took him into the woods and showed him the cemetery. He told Ponyboy everything. Every last little detail of what had happened to him over the past few months. Everything- he talked about the day that he found Coal, meeting Caroline, Dally's first visit, finding the cemetery, his bad dreams about ghosts. He told him all about that horrible day when his parents came back and about the barn burning down and how they were sure that Robert had started the fire. He talked about rescuing the kittens and how he had almost drown and Dally had been shot. He told him how scared everyone had been. How he had cried.. how Dally had cried.

Ponyboy didn't believe him at that point.

"Dally? No way. Dally ain't scared of anything. Nothing could make him cry!"

"He ain't like that, Ponyboy.," Johnny said shaking his head. "He ain't as cold and mean as he'd like you to think he is."

"I don't know..."

Johnny shrugged. "I know what I saw. And don't go telling him I told you all this. He'd probably kill me."

Ponyboy shook his head. "Only after he killed me."

The next couple days Ponyboy and Johnny spent riding, playing around outside with all the animals and watching movies in the evenings in front of the fireplace.

On Christmas Eve they all got ready to go to the evening church service. Ponyboy felt bad that he hadn't brought any nice clothes, but Wendy just smiled at him.

"You look just fine, Ponyboy. You don't need to worry about what you're wearing."

"If you want, you can borrow a shirt and tie... We wear about the same size," Johnny offered.

Ponyboy brightened. Johnny took him upstairs and gave him the clothes. When they walked out of Johnny's room they nearly bumped into Dally, who was dressed head to toe like any one of the richest socs back in Tulsa. Ponyboy and Johnny just stared.

"What?" Dally growled at them.

"You... you're going? To... church?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah! What's it to you?" Dally asked, daring Johnny to make a comment.

Johnny just shook his head, still staring wide eyed. "N..nothing." he smiled a little... not a humorous smile, but one that clearly showed he was really happy that Dally was coming along.

"I'm... going for Wendy," Dally said.

Wendy was singing in the choir that night and she'd been very excited.

But Johnny wasn't sure if Dally really was going just for Wendy or not.

As the boys made their way down the stairs one by one, Wendy turned to see if they were ready to go. She gasped when she saw Dally and her eyes shone. But she said nothing, knowing that Dally would not appreciate attention being drawn to him.

Dally and Grandma Cade exchanged a brief glance, one whose meaning eluded Johnny, but he knew it meant something. It looked almost like an expression of acceptance on Dally's face, as though Grandma Cade had won some kind of argument with Dally or something.

There was not an empty seat to be had inside the quaint old country church. The choir sang, filling the room with beautiful sound. At the end of the concert, all the lights were turned off and everyone was given a candle to hold. Wendy stepped out of the choir and lead the group in "Silent Night" and Dally was sure that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. He was surprised by the fact that he was so moved, but he couldn't deny that since coming here, something in him had changed. He was constantly drawn back to the memory of lying in the sidewalk in the rain... how lost, alone and hopeless he had felt and how he had just completely given up. And how different he felt now. Something was different.

"Your aunt sure can sing," he whispered to Johnny.

Ponyboy nodded in agreement.

Johnny was watching the singers leave the stage, his eyes wide with amazement. "Yeah, she sure can!"

None of the boys noticed that Will had disappeared. And it was Christmas Eve. They had other things on their minds.

When they got home, Wendy suggested that everyone go to bed, but Dally knew that trying to get Johnny and Ponyboy to fall asleep on Christmas Eve was like asking the sun not to come up in the morning. But he had to admit, he had never been excited about Christmas until today. The feeling was incredible! He didn't know if he could sleep! But he did, knowing that his sleep would be short lived.

Christmas morning 5:23 a.m.

Giggling. Giggling and snickering and whispering. That was what Dally woke up to on Christmas morning. It was still dark outside, but there was a lamp on in the corner of the room and when he opened his eyes, he saw Johnny kneeling on the foot of his bed with a pillow raised high over his head, poised to strike. He caught sight of Ponyboy out of the corner of his eye, standing a safe distance away, not used to this other side of Johnny and probably afraid for his life. Dally sprang up, blocking Johnny's pillow, flipping him over and pinning him to the mattress. Johnny laughed and kicked at him uselessly.

"C'mon, Pony, help!"

Ponyboy just stood nervously off to the side of the bed. "No way, man. You got yourself into this."

"What do you want?" Dally demanded in convincing mock anger, pretending to have no idea why they were in his room at 5:30 in the morning, when in actuality, he had expected this. He had spent the night at the Curtis house on Christmas Eve once, back when Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had been around. Mrs. Curtis had warned him that the boys got up early, but she hadn't said how early.

Dally was surprised that today he'd actually gotten to sleep in. The Curtis boys had a habit of rising by about 4:30 on Christmas morning. He figured that Johnny and Pony had probably been up since then, if they'd even slept at all.

Coal barked and nipped at the edge of the bed.

"It's Christmas!" Johnny yelled through the pillow that Dally was smothering him with.

"It's what? I can't hear you."

"It's Christmas!" Johnny screamed again.

"WHAT?"

Dally felt Johnny suck in a big breath of air, what little he could through the pillow, preparing to make sure Dally heard him this time. Just as he started to repeat himeself, Dally removed the pillow.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Johnny sreamed at the top of his lungs, only this time, there was no pillow blocking his voice.

Dally grinned as Johnny covered his mouth.

"Oh," Dally said, as though suddenly realizing the obvious. "Is that what this is all about? For crying out loud, Johnny! You'd think it was Christmas or something. I'm going back to bed." Dally climbed off of him and layed down.

Dally ignored him as Johnny whacked him with a pillow. "No! C'mon, Dal! Get up! Pony, c'mon! Why aren't you helping!" Johnny looked over at Ponyboy who was almost cowering near the doorway.

Johnny shook his head in mild annoyance, realizing that getting Dally downstairs was going to be a one man job. He ripped the covers off the bed and grabbed Dally's ankles.

Ponyboy watched in awe-stricken horror. The older greaser would surely break Johnny's neck for this. Was this really quiet, frightened Johnny?

But then Pony started to wonder... was this also the same Dallas Winston from back home, who at this very moment was being dragged out of his bed by his ankles by someone much smaller and younger as he clung helplessly to the fitted sheet? And he was laughing! He was trying to pretend he wasn't, but he was!

"Don't just stand there like some sissy, help me!" Johnny said so demandingly that Pony finally picked his jaw up off the floor and grabbed an ankle. It didn't appear that Johnny was in any danger of being killed, so maybe he would be all right too.

Together, they pulled Dally off the bed and he fell to the floor with a thud and a loud "OW!"

Oh, help us, God. We're dead, Pony thought. But Dally made no indication that he was bothered at all by what had just happened.

"Now, are you getting up?" Johnny asked, his arms folded.

Pony's heart was ready to pound out of his chest. They may just as well have gone out to the woods, found a cave and pulled out a hibernating bear by it's ears.

"Well?" Johnny asked more loudly.

Coal barked and lunged at Dally.

Dally grabbed the blanket off the floor, covered himself up and made a loud snoring sound through muffled laughter.

Johnny grinned and tried to sound mad, but he was laughing too. "All right, I guess we'll have to do this the hard way."

Coal snarled and grabbed at the blankets as Johnny picked up Dally's leg and looked expectantly at Ponyboy. Pony just looked at him with genuine worry.

"Come on! We're gonna miss Christmas!" Johnny said franticly.

It was getting late. It was almost quarter to 6! Ponyboy cautiously picked up Dally's other leg.

The two boys dragged him out of the room and into the hallway. All the way, Coal followed them nipping and biting at Dally's head. It had been fairly easy dragging the older greaser along the hardwood floors until they reached the carpet runner in the hall. Then the dragging got a little more difficult.

"This rug is making it harder!" Pony laughed a little, getting into the game.

"Yeah, but it'll hurt less when we drag him down the stairs!" Johnny quipped.

At the comment, Dally suddenly twisted out of their grasp and got up.

"Run!" Johnny yelled to Pony.

Pony's entire body turned to ice as a wave of panic swept through him. He knew this was a bad idea! He followed down the stairs close at Johnny's heels. He knew Dally was right behind him and he knew that this was going to be his last Christmas. What had he done?

At the bottom step, Johnny tripped and fell and went skidding across the floor on his side. Dally grabbed at Pony and both of then tumbled the rest of the way down the stairs, landing just a few feet from Johnny.

And there was Wendy in her robe, putting out coffee and Tom lighting the fire as though nothing was going on.

"Oh! I thought I heard you boys getting up! It's about time." Wendy said.

Pony just stared. And for a second, something in him hurt. And it wasn't from the fall down the stairs. At that moment, Wendy reminded him so much of his own mother.

He was startled out of his memory by Johnny asking, "Can we start? Can we start now?"

Wendy went over to him and hugged him. "No! Not yet! We have to wait for Will. He's bringing over more presents!"

"More presents?" Dally asked in disbelief. Presents were already spilling out from all around the tree, stacked up on all sides and piled up in front. Dally had a sneaking suspicion that there were even presents hidden all over the livingroom. This was just overwhelming.

Suddenly the front door opened and Will came bounding in. "You didn't start without me, did you?"

"Almost!" Johnny said eagerly. Then he looked at Wendy. "Where's Matt? Do we have to wait for him too?"

Wendy laughed. "No, Johnny. He's not coming over until later. He's bringing Linda. They're at her parents house right now."

Will grabbed him in a choke hold and messed up his hair. "You're pretty excited, squirt! Too bad all you're getting is a big ol' lump of coal!" He picked Coal up off the floor and handed him to Johnny. Coal squirmed and growled playfully.

"All right, settle down." Wendy finally stepped in.

"Hey," Johnny looked at Will in mock annoyance. "I thought you were bringing more presents!"

Will grinned mischeviously and glanced at Wendy.

"Did you bring presents, Will?"

"Yes. Did you open the door?" he asked looking at Johnny.

Johnny looked quizzically at him. "Huh?"

"The door! On the calendar!"

Realization dawned on Johnny. "Oh, yeah! Today we get to open the door! Ponyboy, you wanna do it?"

Ponyboy grinned as the two boys headed over to the advent calendar. "We can do it together!"

Ponyboy had been enjoying the calendar as much as Johnny had. Will watched with building excitement as the boys knelt down in front of the house.

Dally glanced at Will. There was something from him in there. Something pretty exciting from the looks of it.

"Ok, ready?" Johnny asked reaching for the door.

Just then the phone rang.

"Oh, wait, boys! Let me get that and then you can open it." She dashed off to the kitchen. After a moment, she called, "Ponyboy, it's your brothers! They want to wish you a Merry Christmas."

Dally laughed as both boys went tearing off to the kitchen, eager to say hello to the gang.

"Hey Pony!" Soda said.

"Hey!"

"We miss you, kid. Are you having fun?" Soda sounded so sad. Ponyboy felt terrible.

"Uh... yeah, but I really miss you too."

"C'mon, Darry, I ain't done talkin' to him-"

"Ponyboy?"

"Hey Darry," Pony laughed.

"We really miss you. But we want you to have a good time all right?"

"Yeah, I know."

They talked for a minute and then Johnny got on the phone for a little while, then Dally and then Ponyboy again.

When they finally hung up, Ponyboy looked a little teary.

Johnny threw his arm across Pony's shoulders. "C'mon, let's go open up some presents. Then we'll call them back and talk some more!" Johnny said.

"Can we?"

"Of course!" Wendy said, overhearing. "Ponyboy, you can talk to your family anytime you need to all right?" she put her hands on his shoulders.

Ponyboy nodded and followed Johnny back into the living room.

The two of them knelt down in front of the advent calendar again. Johnny pulled the little door open and Ponyboy reached inside.

He pulled out a small brown paper bag.

"What's in it?" Johnny asked excitedly.

Ponyboy laughed a little, looking somewhat uncertain at the contents of the bag. He handed it to Johnny.

Dally watched with interest. He glanced at Will again who looked ready to burst with excitement. An idea dawned on him, but it couldn't be... could it?

Johnny looked in the bag and Dally knew from his face. He looked like he was going to cry. Then he looked Will in disbelief, shaking his head. "There's NO way..." he said. And Dally could see he was shaking.

"Johnny, what the matter?" Ponyboy asked nervously.

Then he looked over at Dally.

Dally raised his eyebrows at him in silent question.

Johnny nodded. "It's... it's train tickets-" Johnny could barely get the words out. "Used ones. F..four or them."

Ponyboy was still confused, but everything was made perfectly clear when the front door opened.

"Merry Christmas," said Will.

For a moment, no one spoke. There was not a sound in the room, except the radio playing Elvis's Blue Christmas in the background.

And then Ponyboy let out a muffled cry, got up and threw his arms around Soda and Darry who had just come running across the yard from Will's house.

Johnny sat there stunned. Too stunned to move or speak. He just stared in complete disbelief, tears running down his face. Darry, Soda, Two-bit and Steve were standing in the foyer, looking at him almost nervous. kind of the same way Dally had looked at him the day he had come to visit. Like they weren't sure if it was their old Johnny they were looking at. Like they weren't sure if he'd be glad to see them or not.

It was Two-bit who spoke first. "Hey, Johnnycake," he said softly. "We missed you , kid."

As Two-Bit stepped forward, Johnny suddenly found the strenght to be able to move his legs. He ran towards Two-Bit and hugged him.

Soda touched Johnny's arm and he let Two-Bit go and hugged Soda.

Two-Bit was bawling too by this time.

"I...I can't believe.. you're here.." Johnny whispered through smothered sobs on Soda's shoulder. "I miss you guys so much.. I can't believe you're here!"

"We miss you too, baby. We miss you too." Soda said tearfully, squeezing him tightly.

Darry pulled them both into a bear hug at the same time.

Dally was grinning and shaking his head. "How..What are you guys doing here?" he asked shaking Steve's hand and slapping him on the back.

"You can blame Will for this one," Darry said.

But only Johnny heard him over all the commotion.

Will was standing off to the side of the room just watching the whole scene, looking slightly nervous, hoping his gift had gone over well.

Johnny turned to him and walked over to were he was standing.

Will shifted uncomfortably, wanting nothing more in the world than to make that kid happy. Right now he couldn't read the look on Johnny's face. His eyes were tear stained and he just looked overwhelmed.

Johnny just looked at him for a minute and said nothing.

"I... I just thought.. you would want to be with your family... for Christmas." Will said quietly.

Johnny tried to smile through tears. His brown eyes shone with a deep gratitude... and a little bit of guilt. He thought sure Will was going to buy him some big expensive gift to try to make up for everything that had happened. Johnny had decided that there was nothing he could really do to make up for it and that was that. But now... Will had darn near pulled off a miricle. He done this not just for Johnny, but Dally and Ponyboy too. There was only one thing Johnny could say to him now. "Thanks, Dad."

Will drew in his breath and looked at Johnny. Johnny ran to him and hugged him.

Will felt like his heart would burst. His eyes filled up with tears as he put his arms around his son. He closed his eyes and soaked in the moment.

"Johnny!" someone called out from across the room. And Will had to let go as Johnny bounded across the livingroom, his dog following at his heels, back into his circle of friends.

Will sank into a chair, watching Johnny with awe. "He called me... Dad..." Will whispered.

"Will Cade," Wendy said coming over to her brother. "You make me believe there really is a Santa Claus."

"Naa. Not this time. This is bigger than Santa Claus," Will said shaking his head. " This is the Grace of God."

(A/N- chapter inspired by Remember When it Rained by Josh Groban and This Christmas Time by Lonestar- I don't dare print lyrics anymore with the new rules, sorry! About two more chapters left!)