Okay this is the last chapter. I have to say that I'm going to miss writing it. Anyway this will sum up the problems that Ponyboy is facing.- Kat.

Change-

The funeral had been a few days ago, Williams and I had said goodbye and he gave me his address if we ever wanted to get in touch. 605 Westbrook Rd. Dothan Alabama, 36303. That what was on the small piece of paper that was folded up in my pocket.

My severance pay came, $7,000. That was all that I got for being pent up somewhere in Vietnam. I didn't tell Darry or Soda that the check came. It was my savings.

We were all sitting on the couch in the living room. When I say all of us I really mean all of us, Me, Darry, Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit. I can't remember the last time that we all were together, but this time instead of being happy we just sat in silence as the TV played some new TV show.

"So why are we all silent any way and why are we watching this crap?" Steve asked as he got up to change the channel.

"I don't know, hey look Mickey Mouse!" Two-Bit shouted with glee.

Most of the attention focused on the TV. Something funny must have happened because everyone was falling over laughing. I turned my head away from the window towards the TV and saw Mickey returning home in an army uniform, I guess I missed what was funny.

"Come on Pone that was funny." Two-Bit said as he looked over to see me sitting with a blank expression on my face. The laughter died down as everyone looked over at me.

"I guess I just didn't see the joke." I said in a flat tone.

Seeing as Steve was already drunk he decided that now was the best time to test me. "Pony we were in the war too. The three of us know what it was like and so you just assume that because you were that over there that you should get the most sympathy."

I stood up looking down at Steve. "Really, you understand? Wow! I am so impressed that you were a prisoner of war for two years and yet unlike me the small pathetic one you came back care free with not a scratch on you!" I yelled at him.

He stood up to meet me. "No I wasn't a prisoner for two years Pony but I came back with problems. I broke my fucking back and yet look at me walking and talking. Unlike you, you messed up your knee and your wrist and sure a few bruised there and a few cuts there. We get that we have the same problems. We get it so stop moping around here!"

"Really we have the same injuries. You guys got hit with shrapnel I got tortured! I got tortured for a year and then they left us to die slowly. Do you know why we survived? They made our rations smaller and smaller everyday so eventually when they gave us a crumb of food we would fall over dead from malnutrition! So did not go through the same things!" I said as I got closer and closer to Steve.

"Steve, back down man." Soda begged.

"It's okay Soda, I think I'm about to break him and then he'll snap out of this fucking trance that he is in." Steve said as he turned his towards Soda I hit him square in the jaw with my good arm. "What the fuck!" He said as blood came out of his mouth.

"Stand up and fight me. If you want to fix me then why don't you fight me. I'm sure that will knock some sense into me."

"Pony, stop." Darry said as he walked a little closer to me.

"Stop! Get up." Everyone was looking at me like I had gone insane; maybe I had finally reached my breaking point.

Steve stood up and walked a little closer to me. "Pony none of want to fight you, but maybe you're right and that is what you need."

"Alright, fight me." Steve stood a little shocked before regaining his composure. He tried to punch me but I side stepped. Being Steve he did what he knew best, dive. He dove on me thinking that it would hurt me, only my knee but I showed no pain. Every punch that he tried to make contact with either I stopped or it didn't phase me. One punch from me Steve was unconscious.

Everyone stood in shock. Darry and Soda looked at me and for the first time realized that I had officially grown up. I walked past both of them not caring that the crutches didn't take me fast enough or the fact that my knee was killing me. I grabbed the keys to the truck from the hook and walked out the front door with keys, paper, and money. It would have to do for now.

I got in the drivers seat and started it up. As I looked through the window to the living room I saw my old gang, shocked and broken up. War could tare families apart, just like the Walkers. War tore us apart. It changed me, maybe for the better, maybe for the worst but it still changed me.

My brothers who had always been there looked hurt, they always took care of me but now that job was over. I put the truck in drive and pulled out of the drive with only one destination in mind.

Like I said, war changes people, I never thought that I would be the kind of person to drive away leaving behind family and friends just so I could live. I lived for everyone else and now I was living for me. War changes the people you never thought would change.

Okay this is the end. I do have some bonus stuff I will be uploading after this. Timelines for my three main characters. Thank you for reading and those who have reviewed I appreciate it, I wish everyone would but life isn't perfect.-Kat