Johnny and Ponyboy were so overwhlemed with the arival of the rest of the gang that they completely forgot about all the presents under the tree.

"When did you guys get here?" Dally asked.

"LATE last night," Darry answered. "We spent the night, what little was left of it, over at Will's house."

"We were really worried we weren't going to get here in time!" Soda said, still hugging Johnny. Then, looking back at him he grinned and said, "You cut your hair!

Johnny cringed and looked away sheepishly.

"Hey, yeah!" Two-Bit said loudly. "Will you look at that! Why, he looks like he stepped out of a barber shop on the West Side, don't he?"

Steve laughed and grabbed Johnny around the shoulders, messing up his hair. "He sure does," Steve agreed.

"You aught to see all his fancy new clothes!" Dally added.

"Cut it out, y'all!" Johnny said grinning.

The boys all talked and laughed with eachother for a few minutes. Johnny eased his way out of the group for a moment with some difficulty, and headed over to Will again.

"How did you do this?" he asked, distracted for a moment as he fended off an attempted tackle by Two-Bit.

Will just shrugged. "Just bought a few tickets and made a few phone calls."

"No," Johnny said shaking his head and focusing his full attention on Will now. "How? How could you get them all here at the same time? Darry's got work, Soda and Steve have the gas station-"

Darry filled in. "I had some vacation time saved up. Soda and Steve were tricky... I think someone," he glanced knowingly at Will who immediately looked at the ceiling. "may have sent the manager at the DX a nice little Christmas bonus to let both of them have the time off."

"The manager's working over Christmas?" Johnny asked in awe.

"No, he closed the station for Christmas, but he's gonna work the first few days after!" Steve said excitedly. "I'm goin' back a couple days earlier than everybody else, though. The boss agreed to this as long as one of us was back by the evening of the 28th and I figure Soda needs to be the one to stay. But you're gonna owe me big time, buddy!" Steve said as he gave Soda a playful slap on the head.

"And Two-Bit? What about your mom and your sister?" Johnny asked.

Two-Bit made a face. "They're visiting relatives in Kansas. Ones I don't like."

Johnny grinned.

Wendy came up to them then. She put a hand on Johnny's arm. "There's an awful lot of presents under that tree that are not going to open themselves!"

"Wow..."Johnny said, almost weakly. "I actually forgot."

Wendy laughed. "All right everyone, find a place to sit! This could take a while!"

Everyone made themselves comfortable. They sat on the sofas, in the chairs, on the floor. The livingroom was filled to capacity with the seven greasers, Wendy, Will, Tom, Grandma Cade and Coal.

Johnny looked around. He couldn't believe that all his friends were sitting around right next to him. He couldn't remember a time when he'd been happier.

Dally looked over at him and noticed his expression. He grinned and ruffled Johnny's hair.

But as Wendy handed Johnny the first gift, Johnny's face fell.

"What's the matter?" Wendy asked.

Johnny looked up at her. "I... mailed everyone's gifts to Tulsa!"

"Oh, no," Dally said, looking suddenly disappointed. "So did I! All but Pony's."

There was a silence in the room and then Tom started laughing. And then everyone else.

"No you didn't," Tom said.

Johnny and Dally looked at him a little confused at first, and then realization dawned on Dally. "You knew about all this, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"Even Ponyboy?" Johnny asked.

"Well, especially about Ponyboy!" Dally interjected. "I didn't want you mailing his gifts to Tulsa!"

"All the gifts that the two of you gave me to take to the post office went right under the tree," Tom said.

"Right under your noses," Grandma Cade added. "That's the best place to hide something from men."

Dally's jaw dropped in offense and Two-Bit rolled over laughing.

"Hey!" Tom said.

Wendy shook her head. "She's right, Tom. It's the truth."

There was a burst of playful arguing that went on for a minute until Dally let out a loud whistle.

"Look people," he said in his non-challant-Dallas-Winston way. "We could argue about this all morning, but if we don't let Johnnycake open one of these presents, I think he might lose his mind."

Everyone looked over at Johnny and laughed. He had a big, brightly wrapped package in his lap and his hand was poised and ready to rip it open as soon as anyone told him it was ok.

Johnny grinned sheepishly.

"Yes! For heaven's sake, let's start!" Wendy seemed almost as excited as Johnny.

It took hours for the mountain of gifts to be passed out and unwrapped.

Dally couldn't believe he was experiencing this. This is what it feels like, he thought. This is what it feels like to be a Soc... No, he corrected himself. The Cade/Gates family definitely didn't have that kind of money. It wasn't like they were all getting corvettes or anything, but this has to be pretty close.

Just as Dally was thinking that, he heard Steve yell out, "COOL! A Corvette!" as he lifted a model car out of the box on his lap.

Dally shook his head.

There were toys and clothes and games and lots of happy faces. Dally's favorite gift however was the painting that Johnny made for him of the New York City skyline.

He was glad there was a lot of commotion from all over the room and no one but Johnny was paying any attention to him opening it. It made him a bit emotional. He wasn't sure if it was the image of New York or the fact that Johnny had made it for him, but it took some effort not to get all sappy.

"You did this?" Dally asked staring in amazement at the painting.

Johnny nodded shyly.

"You did this?" Dally asked again.

Johnny laughed. "Yeah, I did it. Are you that surprised?" he asked trying to sound offended.

Dally looked at him. "Yes!"

Johnny scowled playfully.

"First of all," Dally said, still shaking his head in disbelief. "let's just pretend that all along I knew you could paint- which I didn't. Just forget about that. What I want to know is when did you have time to do this? And how did you know what it looks like?"

"Is it good? Is that what it looks like?" Johnny asked beaming.

"Yeah," Dally said somewhat wistfully. "That's just what it looks like. Right after the sun's gone down."

"I found a picture of it in a magazine. I started it in school and then I worked on it when..." Johnny looked away from him briefly. "Well, you know how I was spending all that time in my room after..." Johnny trailed off.

Dally nodded.

"It kinda... kept my mind off things," he said, pulling at a loose thread on the arm of the sofa.

"Oh," Dally said simply, deciding not to make any further comments. Deciding not to mention how scared he'd been that Johnny was suicidal during that time. Deciding not to mention that it would have been nice to know that instead of thinking of ways to kill himself, Johnny had actually been painting.

"I got an 'A+' on it!" Johnny added.

"I'll bet you did," Dally just looked at him and shook his head. "You're somethin' else, you know that, kid?"

Johnny grinned proudly as Dally threw the wadded up wrapping paper at him.

"Thanks," Dally said as Two-Bit came bounding across the room to see what Dally was holding.

There was a momentary lapse in present-opening as everyone stopped to marvel over Johnny's work.

Dally grinned as he watched Johnny turn several shades of red. He was not used to being the center of attention.

Just about the time all the gifts were opened, Matt and Linda showed up. with more exciting news. Linda was wearing an engagement ring.

And that was the first time all morning that Wendy stopped fussing over the boys.

Two-Bit frowned. "I thought she was gonna play this game with us!" he almost whined, pointing to a new game that he'd opened up a few minutes earlier. He'd known Wendy for all of four hours and decided he really liked her. All morning long she'd showered them all with mothering and Two-Bit had been hooked. The snacks, the hugging, the attention... he felt like a spoiled kid and he was enjoying every second.

Dally smacked him on the head. "Leave her alone! Let her have some time with them- she'll be back here after a while waiting on you hand and foot again so don't get all worked up!"

Two-Bit scowled at him and went over to stir up trouble with Grandma Cade. He liked how easy it was to involve her in a lively debate about anything.

They all enjoyed the big dinner that Wendy had prepared, but none of them except for Darry could stay in their seats for very long. They all wanted to get back to the livingroom to sift through all their new toys. They didn't even want dessert. At least not right away.

Dally, Will, Ponyboy, Johnny and Two-Bit got out one of the games. and Steve and Soda worked on a model car. Grandma Cade took her coffee into the livingroom to watch them all.

Darry helped clear the table. "I can't thank you enough for this," Darry said to Tom and Wendy.

Wendy shook her head. "You all deserve this." she said taking the plates Darry was holding.

Darry stopped suddenly and gazed into the livingroom, the slightest hint of a sad smile crossed his face as he watched what was going on.

Two-Bit was telling a story and the boys were all laughing their heads off. Johnny and Dally were laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Johnny was sprawled out on the floor holding his stomach.

"What's wrong, Darry?" Wendy asked, coming to stand beside him.

"Nothing," Darry said not taking his eyes off the boys. "I've just... I've never seen them laugh like that before. Neither one of them. I've never seen them... act the way they're acting!" He looked at Wendy with amazement. His arms folded. "Johnny's just so happy. And so is Dally!" he looked back at the boys. "I think Dally's the one I'm more shocked about. He's so... I don't even know what to call it! Look at him!"

By this time, Two-Bit was finished with his story and Dally was helping Ponyboy and Johnny put together a couple of wooden glider planes they had gotten as gifts. He was patiently explaining some directions to them that they had misread. Every once in a while he would playfully balance a piece of the plane on one of their heads or stick a bow on one of their shirts while they were trying to put things together.

Wendy smiled and looked over Darry's shoulder. "He just looks like a normal, well adjusted boy enjoying his Christmas presents to me," she said with a shrug.

"That's just it!" Darry said. "The last words I'd ever use to describe Dallas Winston would be 'normal' and 'well-adjusted'. But look at him! He's playing! He's completely let his guard down! He just doesn't do that. I mean, the rest of them, you can't get them to stop playing around even if they aren't sitting in a pile of toys. I think Two-Bit and Soda will be like this till they're in their 80's. But Dally- " He turned then and looked at Wendy with deep gratitude in his eyes. "I'm not sure you can really understand what you've done...what this means. I don't know how else to say it, but you gave them their lives back!"

Wendy's eyes welled up with tears and she hugged Darry. "I only wish I could have done it sooner."

Darry smiled at her. "But then we wouldn't have had the time that we had with them. It's gonna be tough to let them go, but it'll be a lot easier seeing how happy they are."

Later that evening, the family and some of the boys were outside playing around with Tom's new telescope. Dally and Darry had stayed inside, hoping to straighten up the livingroom that the gang had completely trashed earlier.

Dally was wandering quietly through the room, looking at the mess of papers and the two youngest boys sleeping amoungst the remnants of Christmas morning. Ponyboy and Johnny were sprawled out on the floor next to the fireplace like two lazy cats. The TV was still on, playing some Christmas movie that they had been trying to watch. Ponyboy's face was half covered with a piece of wrapping paper. Dally smiled in amusement as he pulled a piece of tinsel out of Johnny's hair.

A song played softly from the television as Dally pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and one off the chair.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on our toubles will be out of sight.

Carefully, Dally draped one blanket over Ponyboy and the other one over Johnny.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yuletide gay
From now on our troubles will be miles away.

He walked back out to the kitchen. Darry was standing in the doorway, surveying the mess in the livingroom and shaking his head. The two of them stood there quietly for a moment. Beyond the livingroom where Johnny and Ponyboy lay sleeping, they could see through the picture window to the Carriage House where the rest of the gang was outside helping Will knock icicles off the edge of the roof. Tom and Wendy were looking at the moon through the telescope. Matt and Linda were standing nearby, oblivious to the rest of the world.

Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Darry chuckled. "Those two are wiped out!" he said looking at Ponyboy and Johnny.

"Yeah."

"That deal you made with Ponyboy really got him back on track- telling him you'd buy him a train ticket if he got his grades back up? That really worked, man. That kid studied every night."

"Yeah, well, I knew he really wanted to see Johnny. And Johnny really missed him."

"Johnny... Man, I just can't get over it," Darry said still looking out into the livingroom and shaking his head.

"He's a different kid," Dally agreed, knowing full well what Darry was talking about.

"I've never seen him so happy. He's... he's so full of life!" Darry said. Then he turned and faced Dally. "And you-"

"What about me?" Dally said, trying to sound threatening, but just sounding tired instead.

Darry grinned. "You're different, too."

"Am not."

Darry shook his head and grinned a little, his eyes twinkling, but looking just a little sad at the same time. "You're not coming home, are you?"

Dally looked at him like he was nuts. "Yeah, I'm coming home! What makes you say a stupid thing like that?"

Now it was Darry's turn to give the 'are you crazy' look. "Why, Dallas? Why would you come back?"

"Well- I... Because!" Suddenly he found it a little easier to muster up some anger. "What am I supposed to do, just get up tomorrow morning and say, 'huh, I kind of like it here, I think I'll just make this my new home! Hope you guys don't mind!'?"

"You don't think they'd let you stay?"

"I don't need charity! I only bought Ponyboy a one way ticket. I'm driving him home and we'll be back on New Year's Eve, just like I said."

"What does Johnny think?"

Dally looked at the floor. "I don't know."

"What! You haven't told him? Dally, what are you planning to do? Just get up on Friday and say 'see ya later'?"

"No! He know's I ain't stayin' here! I just haven't said when I'm leaving. I'm gonna tell him! Just not now... not today. He's not gonna care anyway. Look around Darry! He's got it made here! He's gonna be fine."

"Dallas. You know just as well as I do that he's going to be devastated that you're leaving! I can't believe you didn't tell him!"

"Well, I didn't! And he's just going to have to deal with it, because I don't belong here." Dally growled. He put down the wrapping paper that he'd picked up and stormed outside.

Darry sighed, shaking his head. He leaned up against the doorway and looked back into the livingroom. To his dismay, he noticed that Johnny was wide awake. And looking rather unhappy.

Darry went in and sat down on the couch. "Come here, buddy," Darry said patting the empty couch cushion next to him.

"I didn't know he was leaving. And I do care." Johnny said sadly, sitting down beside Darry. "Why does he think he doesn't belong here?"

"Oh, because he's an idiot." Darry said, with more than a little bit of annoyance seeping into his voice. He put his arm around Johnny reassuringly.

"I think I'm the idiot. I should have known. He'd been here so long, I really thought he was just going to stay!"

"There's no good reason for him not to stay. Maybe he'll take a walk, cool off and realize that."

"But he's so stubborn..."

"Yeah, well, don't you worry. It's Christmas. Remember the Grinch movie? You watched that, right? Last weekend?"

Johnny nodded.

"Who did that remind you of?"

Johnny tried to stiffle a laugh.

"Uh huh... That's right, and even the Grinch turned around on Christmas. Don't worry, Johnny." Darry tried to sound convincing.