Jenna pulls herself desperately along the ground, feeling the scraping of branches against her wounds, her dislocated shoulders protesting sharply and her wrists aching. She pushed with her feet against the ground, trying to flop forward. The machine gun fire is so close, she can taste the metal in her mouth, feel the reverberations in her head.

She borders on the edge of the forest. Just a few more feet, she tells herself come on, just a few more feet before you can stop.

Clumsily, she reaches into the back of her pants. Her fingers brush against the folder tucked there. As her fingers curl around the white fabric tucked in her back pocket, her shoulder aches again. She pulls the fabric out, then crawls forward. She's only a few feet from the US soldier shooting the machine gun... she can make it.

The soldier feels a soft touch on his ankle. He whips around, knife ready, and sees the bruised and battered woman at his feet, holding the white flag to her chest.

"Peace," she croaks, "I need peace."

The soldier kneels beside her. Jenna laughs a little, tears tracking down her cheeks, and then passes out.

A few days after Christmas, just as the sun is setting, the ground sludgy and gross, a shiny, black car pulls up in front of the Kelly's house. Johnny, on the porch tossing a tennis ball up and down, watches it curiously. It idles for a few seconds, then a man gets out, dressed in an army uniform. He turns back into the car and helps someone get out.

Johnny's face breaks into a smile and he shouts, "Guys! Get out here!"

He leaps down from the porch, tossing the ball to the side, and runs toward the car. Jenna is slowly straightening her body, bandages everywhere, crutches beneath her arms, wrists in braces. Her hair is chopped at her neck, small curls across her ears and forehead.

Jonah emerges from the house, looking slightly annoyed at Johnny's yelling. But he sees Jenna and breaks into a sprint, looking happier then he ever has before.

"Jenna!" he shouts joyfully as he embraces her. Noah is out the door next, holding a muffin he immediately drops.

Soda looks out the window of the Curtis house for the source of the yelling.

"Holy shit."

"Sodapop, watch your language." Steve cracks jokingly from the couch.

"Guys, Jenna! Jenna's back!"

Darry's in the kitchen doing dishes. He promptly drops the plate he's washing and sprints out the house.

Jenna's encircled by all the boys, yelling and hooting and hugging her. Johnny runs inside to call Dally and Alexis, and Jonah helps his sister up to the porch to sit down as Darry emerges from the house. He stops dead in his tracks when he sees her. She turns slightly and sees him, and her face breaks into a more brilliant smile. He grins in response and runs up and hugs her. She buries her face in his chest to hide her tears.

"I missed you." he says softy to the top of her head. She nods into his chest, arms pulling him closer.

"Darry, you have no idea..." she laughs suddenly and looks around, at the boys, at him, tears sparkling in her eyes.

Noah's behind her, frantically mouthing something to Darry. Darry stares at him quizzically, confused.

Jonah, next to Noah, rolls his eyes and says, "Oh for god's sake, kiss!"

Jenna laughs, and looks up at Darry. He cups her face in his hands and gently presses a kiss to her lips. Jenna grins into the kiss and curls her fingers into his hair.

They break apart and the boys whoop and holler. They coral themselves into the Kelly house. Music pounds through the house late into the night, shouting echoing throughout the neighborhood. The neighbors glare out their windows, beers in their hands and wallowing-in-sorrow ceremonies disrupted.

The morning finds Darry and Jenna curled up in bed, hands laced and noses pressed against each other, softly breathing together.