Author's Note: Okay so as I said before, technically speaking my story ended with the last chapter. But because of a request from one of my reviewers as well as my own inspiration I decided to write this alternate ending that is much less depressing. This is mostly for fun. You may think of it as an epilogue if you would like. Hope you enjoy it! Please review!

XxXxX

Alternate Ending

What if…

It had been a miserable week in more ways than one. It had taken an entire day for what was left of the Greasers to leave the Curtis house, each one of them skipping work and school. As they did finally leave the house each one seemed to be in a haze. Everyone was going through the motions but none of them were really living.

Darry knew he had to be strong for the rest of the gang, but truth be told he wasn't holding together real well himself. One day at work he had been so distracted he had tripped over a bundle of roofing and came within inches of falling off the roof. Thankfully while Pony and Steve were hit the hardest, Two-Bit managed to step up a bit and help Darry keep them in line.

The weather made the week even more miserable. It rained off an on all week, cutting back the amount of time Darry could work, since roofing in the rain was a near impossible task.

It was a week and one day after they had received the news from the army that their brother had been killed in action. As another rainstorm hit Tulsa Darry was sent home from work early. He entered the house soaking wet, letting the door slam behind him just to have some noise of some sort. The house had been far too quiet over the passed week.

The house was empty as he headed for his room to change into some dry clothes. Pony wasn't due home from school for another hour or so. Two-Bit and Steve wouldn't be far behind him. Those two had basically lived in this house for the passed week, but Darry was actually grateful for that. Having everyone that was left together under one roof made it seem just a little less empty.

Darry was heading to the kitchen to see if they had anything for dinner – he had been a little preoccupied and hadn't thought to go grocery shopping recently – when he heard a car door slam outside. He looked at the clock. That was strange. No one was due back for a while yet. He figured it was just one of the neighbors, but felt compelled to go look outside anyway.

He pulled down the blinds and looked out the front window. Parked in front of the house was a yellow taxi. That was odd. The taxi was directly in front of their house, but there was no reason for anyone in a taxi to be coming to see them. Perhaps they were going to the house across the street. Darry watched, transfixed, as someone dug around in the trunk for a minute, pulling out a pack and slinging it over his shoulder before slamming the trunk shut. As Darry stared he saw that the man was dressed in an army uniform. His stomach turned.

He was reminded that he hadn't heard anything else since the news about his brother had been delivered and he thought that was a bit odd. He knew if he didn't hear anything soon he would have to call them up and ask about his little brother's remains, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to do that yet. At the same time, though, he was anxious to lay his brother to rest beside their parents. Only then would they be able to finally start healing. Maybe he would make that call this afternoon before Pony came home.

Darry was about to turn away from the window, convinced that whoever it was had to be going to a different house, when the man paid the taxi driver and then started up the front walk toward their house. Darry froze, squinting through the rain. What was this about? He moved away from the window and went to the door instead, opening it up and walking out onto the front porch. Surely this man had the wrong house. Maybe if he told him quickly he might be able to get his cab back.

"Can I help you?" Darry called from the porch, hoping to get the man's attention in order to send him away quickly. He really wasn't up for dealing with a lost solider right now.

As the man stopped and looked up at him, Darry stumbled as if he had been sucker punched in the gut and grabbed onto the porch railing for support to keep from falling down. The short hair under the army hat had thrown him off, but he would recognize that face, those eyes, anywhere.

"Good to see you too, Darry," Soda said with a lopsided smile.

Darry couldn't form any coherent thoughts in his head, but somehow he made the decision to run off the porch and into the rain and in an instant he had thrown his arms around Sodapop Curtis and was squeezing him tightly into his chest, something he never thought he'd be able to do again.

"Careful, Darry," Soda murmured, even as he wound his own arms around his big brother to hug him back. "Not so tight, I'm still a little sore."

Darry immediately loosened his grip and held Soda out at arm's length, taking in every detail. He was oblivious to the fact that they were both quickly becoming soaked to the bone. "But… but how…?" he stammered, shock in his voice.

"Can we go inside first?" Soda asked with a light laugh. "It's a little damp out here."

Darry only nodded. His heart was pounding and his thoughts were racing. He kept one hand on Soda as they made their way back toward the house, feeling like if he let go even for a second his brother may disappear, reveling this to be some kind of cruel trick. As they ascended the stairs of the porch Darry noticed how Soda grabbed the porch rail and winced slightly.

"Are you okay?" Darry asked as he led the way into the house, looking at Soda with concern. Something had to have happened. Nothing about this situation made any sense at all.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Soda assured him. "I got shot, but doc stitched me up real good. It's just still a little sore sometimes."

"Where?" Darry asked as he led his brother to the couch. They both sat, neither making any mention about their rain soaked clothing getting the couch wet.

Soda pointed to his side. "It's healing fine though."

"Soda… what the hell happened?" Darry finally asked, still unable to take his eyes off his brother that just minutes ago he was convinced – no, not just convinced, knew for a fact – was dead and was planning his burial. "They… they told us… they told us you were killed in action."

Soda sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know," he said, the smile falling off his face. "I didn't know what to do when I found out about the mix up. I didn't know if you'd believe me if I tried to call you up on the phone. So I decided I'd just… show up."

"They sent us your dog tags," Darry insisted. All his senses were telling him that his brother was sitting right here beside him, but how could it be true?

"It's all a little fuzzy," Soda said slowly. He took off his hat and Darry noticed for the first time the scar just over his temple. "I remember I was trying to help someone who had been shot. Our medic had been killed already. There was a lot of chaos. I was pulling my canteen off over my head and I guess that's when me dog tags fell off. I got shot… honestly I don't really remember that part. I just remembered suddenly laying on the ground and people running around everywhere. I guess my head got stepped on…" his voice trailed off and Darry reached out and put an arm over his shoulders comfortingly. "I woke up in the hospital two weeks later. They said I had a real bad concussion and was healing from surgery to remove the bullet from my side. They said I was a John Doe, but I insisted I was a Sodapop Curtis." He laughed lightly. To Darry it was the most wonderful sound in the world.

He threw his other arm over Soda and pulled him in closer, careful not to squeeze him too tight this time. "Glory, you have no idea how good it is to have you back," he said, his voice shaking with emotion. It was unreal. It was literally like having his brother come back from the dead.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble, Darry," Soda said quietly, hugging his brother back. "If it makes you feel any better, I raised hell in the hospital when I found out what they did."

"None of that matters now," Darry assured him.

They stayed like that for several minutes, never one talking, just reveling in each other's company. Finally Soda pulled away and both were discreetly wiping tears from their eyes.

"How… how is everyone else doing?" Soda said after a hesitation, looking at Darry unsurely.

Darry sighed. "It's been a very hard week," he said. "Pony didn't take the news well… neither did Steve. But even me and Two-Bit… we were all so devastated, Soda." He paused, frowning as he remembered. Then he smiled. "Boy, I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!"

Finally Darry was forced to acknowledge their soaked conditions before they both caught pneumonia. They both went and changed into dry clothes, and Soda looked so much more normal in his old jeans and t-shirt, save for the short hair and the scar on the side of his head.

They were sitting back in the living room when Darry glanced out the window and saw Pony making his way down the street. The rain had stopped and Pony was walking slowly, staring straight down at his shoes, his shoulders hunched and his hands jammed in his pockets. Darry smiled at the thought of Pony's face. They had all been so miserable for the passed week. Finally they had some good news to share. Finally there was a reason to smile.

"Wait here," Darry told Soda, not wanting to startle his youngest brother too much. He walked out to the porch, shutting the door behind him and watched as Pony made his way up the walk. He was already walking up the stairs before he noticed Darry standing there.

"Hey Darry," Pony said flatly.

"How're you holding up, kiddo?" Darry asked, working to keep the pure happiness out of his voice. Pony just shrugged, his eyes hollow as he looked up at Darry. "Well, I got a surprise for you. C'mere." Pony gave him a strange look but walked up the rest of the stairs to stand on the porch next to Darry. "Pony… the army made a mistake."

Pony just stared, not comprehending. "What are you talkin' about?" he asked slowly.

"Someone's waiting inside for you," he said with a smile.

Pony just kept staring. Darry could almost see the thought process going on behind the kid's green eyes. He knew what he wanted to think that Darry meant, but at the same time he didn't want to be disappointed if he was wrong. Darry silently opened the door and led Pony inside. As he entered the house he looked around and then stopped dead, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Soda slowly stood from where he was sitting on the couch, grinning.

"Hey, Ponyboy," he said lightly. "Long time no see."

"S-Soda?" Pony stammered, still frozen in place. "But… b-but how?"

"They made a mistake, Pony," Darry assured him softly, knowing that Pony couldn't believe his eyes in that moment.

Finally Pony unfroze. He ran at his brother, vaulting himself over the small coffee table and throwing himself at Soda, who had opened his arms to welcome him in. Darry winced to himself, thinking that he probably should have warned Pony about Soda's injury beforehand. Being tackled by a sixteen year old couldn't be very good for a bullet wound. But Soda didn't even seem to notice as he squeezed his little brother tight.

"I-I thought you were gone," Pony sobbed, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. "They-they told us t-that you were g-gone."

Soda lightly stroked the back of Pony head comfortingly, and rested his cheek in his hair. "Oh, Pony. You really think I'd ever leave you for good?" he said soothingly.

Darry grinned at the sight of his two brothers together again. Pony pulled back just slightly so he could look up at Soda's face, taking in every detail just as Darry had. Then he reached up and touched Soda's cheek, as if to make sure he was really there. He smiled through his tears and Soda smiled back at him, tears glistening in his own eyes as well.

"You're back!" Pony finally exclaimed as if it just finally hit him.

"I'm back," Soda confirmed, hugging Pony to him once more. He looked up over Pony and reached one hand out toward Darry. Darry walked forward and wound his arms around both of his little brothers. "I'm finally home. For good this time."

XxXxX

"Here come Two-Bit and Steve," Darry announced, glancing out the window as he heard the car doors slam. Another hour had passed. The three brothers hadn't left each other's site, Darry and Pony still awestruck at this turn of events and Soda just happy to finally be back home after being away for so long.

Darry decided not to give the two any warning about Soda's sudden return from the dead. It had been such a dismal week; it was time to have a little fun. He settled himself in his recliner and picked up the paper like it was any old day, but couldn't help but smile. Soda and Pony were sitting on the couch, both grinning ear to ear.

The door squeaked open and Two-Bit quietly entered with Steve trudging in behind him, both of them as somber as they had been all week.

"Well, it's about time you bums showed up," Soda said loudly.

Two-Bit came to a halt so quickly that Steve ran right into him. "Two-Bit, what the hell?" Steve demanded. He had obviously been too distracted to realize what was going on yet. Two-Bit was staring at Soda, a look of complete and total shock on his face. Steve made to stomp around him before he finally caught sight of Soda sitting on the couch. He paled as if he had seen a ghost. He looked around from Pony to Darry, looking for some sort of explanation, or perhaps just confirmation that he wasn't going crazy.

"Seems the army had a little mix up," Darry spoke up with a smile, putting his paper back down.

Two-Bit let out a string of curse words as he started forward, a grin spreading across his face. Soda stood and they embraced each other. "You son of a bitch!" Two-Bit exclaimed happily. "Can't even get killed off properly, can you?"

"That would have been way too dull, man," Soda laughed.

"Careful, he does have a bullet hole in his side," Darry spoke up.

They pulled away from each other and Soda looked over at Steve, who still had not moved an inch. "Quick, someone get ready to catch Steve, I think he's about to pass out!" Soda laughed.

Steve finally seemed to snap out of his stupor. He began calling Soda every insulting name under the sun, but as he walked forward his eyes held the first sign of real life anyone had seen in them since Soda had shipped out. "You no good, dirty Greaser, if you weren't all shot up I'd slug you!" Steve declared even as he threw his arms around Soda.

"Aw, Steve, you've gone soft on me!" Soda teased as he hugged his best friend back. "You ain't bawling, are you?"

"No, I ain't bawling, you psycho," Steve said, though his voice held a very slight tremor of emotion. "Bet you think you're real funny, fakin' your own death like that."

"Oh yeah, I'm hilarious," Soda agreed sarcastically with a grin. "Let me tell you, the laughs we had in the army hospital while I lay unconscious…"

As they finally pulled apart Two-Bit clapped Soda on the shoulder. "Glory, it's good to see you still walkin' and talkin', buddy!" he stated, still seemingly shocked. Darry understood that it was difficult to go a week knowing that someone was gone forever and then suddenly they turn up on your doorstep. He was still trying to wrap his head around it himself.

"Well, we have no food in this house," Darry finally said. "How about we go out for dinner?"

Soda's face lit up at the mention of food. "Yeah!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I want a gigantic cheeseburger! And fries! And a milkshake, oh, and a chocolate cake. Not a slice of chocolate cake, an entire chocolate cake! And lasagna. And baked chicken!"

Darry laughed as he went and grabbed his keys. "Anything you want, little buddy." He meant that too. He would drive all over town to get anything that Soda wanted. Tonight was a celebration. Their family was whole once again. Or at least as whole as they could be.

Defying all the odds, Sodapop had come home.