So I forgot to mention, this is the last chapter! Yay! I know the beginning is slow, trust me, it's so slow it took me three hours to through it to type it(plus I am 100% positive I have ADHD). But no worries, the ending isn't. I actually am very impressed with the ending. I have no idea where it came from it just popped up in my head.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or the poem referred to in this chapter.

In Hot Water

Chapter Fourteen: "Something Gold Will Stay"

Monday June 6th, 1966

Two-Bit reluctantly walked up the front steps the next morning. He was debating if he should go in or turn back. Darry was already at work, and Soda would be leaving any minute. Steve told him everything was fine, but Two-Bit wasn't so sure. It may have been fine with Steve and Steve only, after all Steve wasn't suppose to be keeping an eye on Ponyboy when he disappeared.

Steve wasn't responsible and Two-Bit was.

Two-Bit sighed, turning around and started running down the few steps, but was stopped by the time he made it to the front path. He turned around and looked at Soda after his name was called. Soda was standing on one leg on the porch and in his hand was a shoe he was trying to put on.

"Hey Soda." Two-Bit forced one of his award winning ear to ear grins, while he shoved his hands into this pockets, pretending that nothing was wrong and bothering him and that he wasn't leaving even though he only arrived seconds earlier.

"Where you headed? I haven't seen you in a while. You wanna come in?"

"You're headed to work, you don't have the time to chat."

Soda walked down the stairs. "I don't," he said and at the exact moment, Steve pulled up in front of the house in his car. "But Ponyboy does. See ya Two-Bit!"

Soda jogged off, jumping in Steve's car and Steve gave Two-Bit a look through the window. Steve knew how Two-Bit felt, Sodapop didn't. The greaser gave Two-Bit an encouraging smile before he and Soda drove off, leaving Two-Bit by himself alone again and he let out another sigh. Soda didn't seem mad at him, so why would Pony?

Two-Bit walked back up the stairs and hesitantly opened the front door. The house was silent and Two-Bit found Ponyboy lying on his back on the couch with a book he held over his head. Pony looked up and lightly smiled at him.

"Hey Two-Bit," he welcomely said and turned his gaze back to his book.

"Hello," Two-Bit awkwardly said, taking a seat in Darry's recliner. He felt awkward. It was awkward. Another couple minutes went by but that didn't change anything. Pony's eyes were still glued onto that book and Two-Bit still didn't know how to break the ice.

Two-Bit sighed, there was really only one way to do it and that was just to say it.

"Pony?" Ponyboy took his gaze off the story and turned it onto this friend. "I'm-I'm sorry. For everything. It was my fault I should have never-"

"It's not your fault Two-Bit." Pony dogeared his book before shutting it. "It's not mine either. It's Shane's. Don't blame it on yourself, okay?"

Two-Bit lightly smiled. "Okay." He put the foot rest up, leaning back into the chair. "So Horseboy, what do you want to do today?"

"Two-Bit, you ask that question everyday."

Two-Bit shrugged, putting his hands behind his head. "I do. Now make a decision. I'm a very busy man, and I haven't got all day."

Ponyboy grinned. "That's a lie." Pony set his closed book on the coffee table. "C'mon Two-Bit, let's go play a game of soccer."

oOoOo

Days passed and went on like normal. The police found John Hodgins and he confessed to everything. Everything was alright. Soda and Steve's relationship was better than ever and Two-Bit wasn't afraid to show his face around the Curtis Brothers anymore. It was back to normal.

It was a week later when the three siblings stood together, staring down at the two rocks-not just any rocks, but headstones. None of them said anything. They just stood in a bitter silence the entire time. It was the first time all three of them visited their parents together ever since they all found out the truth. Since they found out who the mystery man was who killed Shane, they thought they should visit.

Pony looked up, noticing the sun slowly dipping behind the horizon-the sunset. It finally dawned on him that he hasn't seen one in a couple of weeks. A crispy, golden color laid across the horizon, rising up into a pink which faded into a purple. The clouds in it looked dark as they blended into the colors. He'd seen prettier sunsets, but this was one of his favorites for reasons that completely eluded him.

"Ponyboy, you coming?" Darry said, calling Ponyboy back to reality. The fourteen, almost fifteen year old looked back to see his brothers, a few steps away from him. He didn't even realize they were leaving.

"Yeah." Pony looked back at the sunset. The sun had already sank behind the horizon. It was gone and the colors were beginning to fade away into a gray. That's when it came to him. It reminded him of Johnny. It wasn't the same sunset he watched from the back of the church sure, but for some reason Johnnycake's face came to Pony's mind.

Pony hadn't watched or even thought about watching a sunset in the past couple of weeks, but he also realized he hadn't really thought of his best friend in a couple weeks either. Ponyboy took one last glance at the horizon where the dark blue night sky was taking over where the beautiful colors used to be and he gently smiled to himself. Like the sunset, the worst events in Pony's life was over, but unlike the sunset, they were never coming back. The sunsets vanish. They always end, but they do come back. Sometimes they come back dull other times they come back more amazing and beautiful than they ever were before.

Ponyboy went to hell and back during the past year and a half ever since his parents died. But now he was back, and he knew he wasn't going to be dull. So dawn goes down to day, something gold will stay.

The End.

If you could tell the beginning was a little awkward for me to write, endings are the hardest parts for me...So that was it... It's done! It's bittersweet ya know? I'm so psyched it's finally over but at the same time I'm like "oh God, it's finally over. What am I going to do with my life?" Well to answer that question, I posted a new story yesterday for the Outsiders, if you want you can check it out, but I'm not forcing you or anything. It's called "So This Is It," so feel free to view it. I'm not sure if I want to continue it or not.

Special thanks and shout outs to faithfreedom, SaiyanPrincess, and last but not least Phoenixx Rising. These three were the people I always counted on when I got reviews because they all reviewed almost every chapter to this story, and I think all of them reviewed a lot to the first story "On Thin Ice" too. I don't think anyone reviewed every chapter, but these three were pretty close. So thanks for keeping up with the story you guys and supporting me! It means a lot to me! Also thanks to everyone who reviewed, favored, followed or will happen to that that in the future. It means so much to me so thank you. So thank you all my lovely readers! You guys are the best!

Thank you everyone for reading but most importantly, STAY GOLD ALL YOU PONYBOYS(always remember guys, it's gold, NOT golden. It really irritates me when people can't get it right.)!

-Michelle Loves Chocolate 99

P.S hey I actually updated when I said I would for the first time in like forever!- another Disney reference, ha ha, did not mean that to happen.

P.S.S there was a Disney reference in this chapter, towards the beginning, can you name it? HINT-lyrics to a very popular movie's song, the evil villain sings the song. EVEN BIGGER HINT- I replaced the word woman with man... (: