Well, this is a bit of a shorter chapter, but for the sake of getting things moving, I thought, why not do something short, then we can move onto the interesting stuff. So in that spirit, short it is.

Disclaimer: The usual

On with the show!

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Darry's POV

"He actually wears a toga?" I stated more than asked at this point having seen him in it for the last hour

"Yeah. He's been doing it for years. He always says 'if it's good enough for the Greeks…'" Harbor shrugged and took a sip of the beer in her hand "He never finishes that sentence."

"I don't think the Greeks would have thought much of this party," I muttered taking a drink of my beer

I watched as Harbor looked around. There where literally people everywhere, all of them drinking, eating and being merry. In the middle of it all was Tim Harris walking around in his bed sheet. The lanterns where glowing and the sun was pretty well set.

There was music coming from the pool house as well as the odd person to join the party or bearing food. I had seen Ponyboy carrying a tray of sandwiches earlier. I'd reached for one, but he told me quiet clearly that I wouldn't like them. I assumed they where Soda's creations and let it be. Someone had started passing out the beer at that point and I had managed to catch Soda's ear long enough to ask him to make sure Ponyboy didn't get into it. He'd smiled at me and told me he'd do his best before River dragged him off towards a snack table where Harris was raving about some sandwich they had made. Soda was beaming and I had turned my attention back to the party.

At that point I had lost track of Harbor, who seemed to be the hostess for the evening because Harris was too lazy to do the job. She had been mixing, mingling and talking to everyone who seemed to show up for this party. It took her all over the place. I did see Rain trailing after some girl I assumed to be Hillary. She was a pretty brunette and she looked mad. I could only wonder at what as she pushed past me followed by Rain who apologized before following after her. I shook my head and took the beer Verne was practically pushing into my hands. He was getting a conga line going and I thought it best to take the beer and get out of the way. That's when Harbor had appeared at my elbow with a beer of her own and our conversation had begun.

"The Greeks wouldn't know a party if it danced naked in front of them," Harbor declared after surveying the party "Neither would we, though."

I smirked at that. No, we wouldn't know a real party, either. I was going to say as much when Tim Harris himself, dressed in his white sheet with leaves in his hair, stood up on one of the tables and everyone cheered. He took a few bows and waited for the crowed to settle before speaking.

"Welcome to Septemberfest, everyone!" he started and there was loud applause "As you all know, September is this month in which we are in because if it wasn't, we would have to call this little get together Octoberfest."

There was loud cheering and laughter at that. I didn't find it all that funny, but it was Tim's brand of humor.

"But all goofing off aside, there are a few rules at this party. 1. No pissing in the pool unless you fall into it on the way to relieving yourself somewhere else and can't help it. 2. I will be the only one lighting things on fire this year. It was amusing to set the rose garden on fire last year, but my mother didn't see it that way and you can bet I got flack for that one… 3. The house is not a brothel, unless you can prove you are otherwise engaged or married to the chick you want to bang or you donate a good sum to the 'after party fund'-"

"After party fund?" I asked Harbor

"Tim pays off the maids and the butler. They get the weekend off and come back to a big bonus. That way Tim's parents never find out about this party," she explained "It works well."

"-And finally, no hitting each other unless you arrange it first and take it behind the house where there will be betting on who will win. Fighters, make sure you have a manager so you can get what you earned - and if a fight ensues over that, I get all the proceeds."

There was a loud chorus of boos and Tim worked to be heard above them.

"Y'all should let me finish. All the proceeds will come to me if a fight over a fight starts and that cash will be stored away for next year's Septemberfest!"

The crowed cheered and Tim took a gracious bow and smiled widely at everyone.

"So, eat, be merry and have a damn good time!"

There were more cheers as Tim jumped off the table and he music started up again. He started towards us smiling, but looking thoughtful. He glanced my way before turning his curious look on Harbor.

"What did we do with the fighting because of fighting funds from last year?" he asked curiously

"I donated it to your mother's garden," Harbor answered, "I thought it was the least I could do. She wanted to throw you into a ditch somewhere and that money was a good bribe."

"Huh. So you gave my money to my mother, who has never been mad at me for more than a day in my entire life, in order to help me?" He asked and Harbor nodded "I think I would have preferred the money. Drink up, Darry!"

"I'm working on it," I assured him

"Not fast enough. How do you expect to get drunk if you nurse that one cup all night?" He asked pushing a lock of hair out of his eyes

"I don't," I answered trying to remember the last time I had been drunk

"We need to educate this boy, Harbor," Harris pointed out slinging an arm around Harbor's shoulders

Harbor shrugged and took a sip of her own beer before handing the empty cup to Harris who looked at it with satisfaction.

"A girl is out drinking a big guy like you!" Harris smirked "Hey! Are you going to drink Brandy-Jane under the table again this year, Harbor?"

"No, I'm retired. I think Verne mentioned he could have done it faster…" Harbor trailed off as Harris scanned the crowed for Verne

"We'll just have to see about that! Enjoy yourselves!" Harris called over his shoulder as he hurried towards the bar

"He's in the full party spirit," I pointed out needlessly

"He's just getting started," Harbor assured me moving off into the crowed with the empty cup Harris had discarded

I wandered in the direction Harbor had gone. I was counting on her to be the person I hung around with at this party, not really knowing anyone else here that wasn't in a class with me at school, but I didn't want to come off as a clingy follower. I couldn't have said why it was important, but Greaser pride was what I chocked it up to. It was hard to lose something that had been ingrained in you since you where a kid. You had to be tough, cool and mostly aloof. I looked around, thinking I would tone down all of those. I knew there weren't Socs and Greasers here, but most of these kids where dressed like Socs and farmers. I caught sight of Soda, who had his hair greased back for the occasion and smiled. I guess there where at the three of us here and we were going to do the name proud. If only I could have guessed how right I was …

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JC's POV

"…And then the Monkey climbed up into the tree and disappeared to the magical world of Oz where he grew wings and became a witch's assistant."

"And what happened to Rabbit, Daddy?" Summer asked pulling on my sleeve

"Well, he went back down the rabbit hole and…lived happily ever after with his wife, Bunny." I shrugged

"What happens to him when he's p'upposed to get a divorce?" she asked and I blinked at her

"What makes you think he'll get a divorce?" I asked sitting down on the bed beside her

"You an' Corrine did," she answered looking at me with big blue eyes

"Well, I and your mom just didn't work out," I answered

"But you an' BJ's mommy didn't either," she pointed out and I wondered how he had got so clever "And River and Rain don't got a mommy here."

"No, we didn't. I told you River and Rain's mommy died. And Brand's mommy lives in a correctional facility, but yes, that was after we got divorced," I said before she could ask "Listen, sunshine, not every mommy and daddy get divorced. It just didn't work out with Brand's mommy and me or your mommy or Holly…or Gloria or Gina or Pam or Nicole…but that's not the point. I think I only really loved a couple girls in there and I had your brothers and sisters with them."

"Din't you love my mommy?" she asked yawning

"I thought so once," I answered "But even if I didn't, she gave me you and I love you."

"So Rabbit and the wife Bunny don' get divorced?" she asked not able to keep her eyes open any longer

"No, they live happily ever after together," I assured her "Night, babe."

I flicked off the light in the room and made my way back downstairs, thinking on what I had told my five year old tonight. I'd been married a dozen times, in love only a few and I was alone with all four of my children and my brother's three. What thirty eight-year-old man saw his life turning out this way? I suppose life could have been worse.

I walked over to the record player in the front room and put a record on the player. It was one of the ones Michaela had bought right before River was born. Frank Sinatra sang what was another nameless croon as I poured myself a drink from the bottle Caroline had rudely opened and sat down on the couch with a photo album. I flicked to where the only picture I owned of Darrel was. He was standing outside his first house with a pregnant Eleanor beside him. He was 22, he was married, his first kid was on he way and he had it made. He was Dad's favorite, the apple of Mom's eye and he could do no wrong.

I turned the page to where I was standing beside my first drill, smiling or the camera and anything but happy inside. That was the day Darrel and I had our last face-to-face fight, but it had been the worst one we'd ever had. I was just past my 18th birthday, headstrong and I wanted to see the world and do things Darrel had never dreamed off. So I'd taken odd jobs, been gone for days as a kid and worried my folks silly. Then I, what was it Darrel had said? Oh yes. I got 'a damn fool idea in my head that I wanted to go lose everything I had in the oil business'. He'd said that if I ever came back looking for a hand out, I was on my own. If I walked out on Dad's family business, if I made I so it would just be 'Curtis and Son', I was disowned.

And so it was. I had taken up with the Harts, been on the move with them and finally bought them out when I was 20 and they where done. My mother had never met her grandchildren, any of my wives or seen the life I'd created for myself. My Dad had never seen how well I'd done once I got out of Tulsa, even if I was guilty about doing it. He'd never said 'Good job, Junior' like he had when I was a kid and brought home an A. Now it was too late for all of that.

I could have blamed Darrel and been happy with the knowledge that he was the one who had forced me out, who had made it so hard to come home. But I didn't. I'd made my own choices, I was the one who had never tried to patch things up with him and I was the one who had made it big on my own and done something important with my life. I never had to go home for that hand out and I never embarrassed Darrel by offering him one when I looked into his situation a few years ago. He was proud and I'd respected that. He kept the business going after Dad died until after Mom joined him and then he got a regular factory job where he made enough to feed his family. These where accomplishments in Darrel's life and it would have insulted him to have invited him to join me, to be a partner to get something for nothing.

I sighed taking a drink of the burning liquid, remembering the phone call Darrel and I had had when I had called home to tell him I had bought out my partners and wasn't quitting and going home, like they were. He'd said I didn't know the meaning of hard work, how I hadn't been able to get anywhere on my own and how I was too bull headed to know when it was time to cash in what I had and go home. I was going to fail and he felt sorry for me. Well, he was wrong, but we'd argued for at least half an hour. I'd accused him of being blind to anything he wasn't familiar with. He accused me of selling out on everything we were raised in. I told him even after Dad died; he was still trying to be the perfect son. He'd told me that he was at least a son. It had ended badly and that was the last time we'd spoken. I'd always kept up with their lives, making sure they would never need me and I would never need them. Then one afternoon I had gotten a call from Darry and everything I had done didn't matter anymore.

I closed the book. It was another time and another place. I had the impulse to throw the photo album on a blazing fire along with Frank Sinatra and his 'Strangers in the Night', but I'd regret it at some point. Instead I set it down between the couch and the lamp table before getting up to turn off the music.

As if by magic, the phone rang to fill the quiet the music had left behind in its wake. I frowned before finally moving to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Daddy…"

"River Anne Curtis, get explaining and get explaining fast."

To Be Continued...

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Well, like I said, short. But I hope everyone enjoyed. Thank you to all my lovely reviewers and if I could, I would address you all personally. Just know every review gets read, every message is thought about and suggestions are considered. I appreciate the support. I love you guys!

Any comments at all are welcome and flames are accepted.

See ya in the funny papers!

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