Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, or "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King.

CHAPTER THIRTY
Friday, June 23rd, 1967

When the night has come, and the land is dark,
And the moon is the only light we'll see.

For the third time in the last hour, Steve was glad he'd dragged Anna along with him. Awkwardly patting Millie's back for the fourth time, he hoped she didn't start crying for the sixth time. Other than Anna, she was the only girl he'd have to say goodbye to, and he didn't think he'd be able to stand it if Anna got this weepy.

He glanced at Anna, scowling at her smirk. She hadn't wanted to come to Millie's with him, and he could hardly blame her. He knew Millie wouldn't take it well - she was a lot more emotional since having Bradley - and making Anna come with him had been his best idea. He'd thought he wouldn't have to deal with this alone, but Millie was determined to get as many hugs out of him as she could.

She pulled back and grabbed Bradley out of Anna's arms. "Here. Just one more picture," she said.

She shoved Bradley in Steve's arms, picked up her camera, and told them both to smile. Frowning, Steve looked at his brother, surprised to see him actually smiling for the camera. He smirked, pulling his head away as the kid tried to shove his dribble-covered fist in his mouth.

"Oh, Bradley loves having his picture taken," Millie said. She'd already mentioned this more than once, but Steve figured it was a habit she'd gotten herself into. She sure liked to talk about Bradley.

Anna was outright grinning at him now. Taking one last look at his brother - who wasn't even six months old, thought his own fingers were the most interesting thing he'd seen, and who barely even knew who Steve was - he handed Bradley back to Millie.

"We really oughtta get goin'," he said.

Millie nodded. "You make sure you write, okay?"

"Sure."

She leaned forward as though to hug him again, but seemed to think better of it. Instead she turned to Anna and hugged her. Steve waited as Millie spoke quickly and quietly into Anna's ear, Bradley waving his fist between them. Swallowing hard, Anna nodded and pulled back. She looked at Steve, and he knew she was as ready to go as he was.

"I'll see ya," he said. "When I get back."

Giving them both a watery smile, Millie waved Bradley's fist in goodbye. Steve closed the door behind him, letting out a heavy sigh. If that was what saying goodbye to Millie was like, he couldn't even imagine saying goodbye to Anna and the guys.

Slipping his hand into Anna's, he led them down the stairs, not speaking until they reached his car.

"If I don't come back, that kid won't even remember me."

Anna looked as though he'd slapped her, and he mentally kicked himself. He'd come out with bullshit like that too many times in the last month, and it was always Anna who heard it. She didn't need to know he thought things like that. He let her hand go and ran his own through his hair.

"Let's get out of here."

XXXXX

Standing next to kitchen table, Anna frowned. Since school ended a few weeks ago, her time had been divided between working fulltime at the bakery, and spending as much time with Steve as she possibly could. With the arrival of his letter, she was regretting the months they'd spent apart. It had been for the best, but she really wished nothing had broken them up to begin with.

And when she wasn't working or with Steve, she was either baking or sulking. The sulking was pathetic, and she tried her best to snap out of it, but the baking was … well, it was her, and at least it was practical. It kept her mind busy and the kitchen full of incredibly unhealthy food that Danny and Tim were constantly working their way through.

Pies, cakes, slices, desserts, cookies. Apple pie, blueberry pie, lemon meringue pie; chocolate cake, banana cake, carrot cake; chocolate slice, caramel slice, cocoanut slice; crumbles, trifles, cobbler; chocolate chip, shortbread, afghans …

Even she knew she'd gone overboard at times.

Throwing herself into a chair, she sighed. Covering the table was too much baking, and it wasn't keeping her sane anymore. Steve was leaving the next day, and nothing was keeping her sane. Her boss had given her the last few days off, knowing that Steve was leaving, but it wasn't helping much. Though Steve had finished at the DX and they got to spend more time together, it also gave her more time with nothing to do.

More time to bake and more time to sulk. Now that she'd covered the table in cupcakes, shortbread, and two different cheesecakes, Anna needed something to keep her busy, something to keep her from sulking again.

"Hey, kid," Danny said, coming into the kitchen with perfect timing.

"Hey."

"You doin' okay?"

"Sure."

He sat opposite her and grabbed a piece of shortbread. "You about ready to go?"

Two-Bit was having a party that night, and Anna had agreed to meet Steve there. Two-Bit said his party was for his birthday, which had been a couple of days ago, but Steve didn't entirely believe him. Both he and Soda thought it was more for Steve's benefit than Two-Bit's, but Anna disagreed. Partying was a favourite pastime of Two-Bit's, and it made sense he'd want to do it the night before his buddy left town. Not necessarily to get drunk, but maybe just to take his mind off things.

She didn't know what Steve wanted to do, but she'd quit pretending to herself that she wasn't selfish when it came to his last night in town. She wanted to spend it alone with him. No one else. Whenever someone mentioned Two-Bit's party, Steve would look at her in a way that made her think he felt the same, but he never said anything and neither did she. It was his last night in town; she might be selfish enough to want to have him to herself, but she understood she wasn't the only one who wanted to be with him.

"Yeah," she told Danny. "I just gotta fix my hair."

Danny was silent a moment, before asking in a soft voice, "What time does Randle leave tomorrow?"

For what had to be the three-hundredth time that month, she swallowed back the lump in her throat that indicated tears. "Not until three."

"You need a ride there?"

She looked at Danny in surprise. His offer wasn't surprising - he'd been doing everything he could to give her time with Steve lately - but she hadn't even thought about how she'd get to and from the bus station the following day. She was so used to going everywhere with Steve, in his car, but he wouldn't be taking it with him. In fact, he was locking it up in the garage at the DX until he got back.

As much as she teased him about giving it to her, she liked the idea of him locking it up. She might have been looking into it too much, but his locking it up so no one could drive it until he got back promised a return.

She wasn't sure a ride from Danny was a good idea, though. He'd accepted her relationship with Steve months ago, and he'd been really good about her staying at Steve's or Steve staying in her room this last month, but she was pretty sure Danny still didn't like him much. Or, maybe it wasn't so much that he didn't like him, but that he hadn't forgiven him. She could fault Danny plenty - annoying, messy, still treated her like a kid at times - but he sure was a good brother.

"You don't have to do that," she said.

"You think I trust Mathews, or any of those Curtis guys, to look after you once Randle's gone?"

"Two-Bit and Soda'll both look after me." She paused, realising what Danny was getting at. "But it would be good to have you there."

Danny was silent as he ate his cookie, and Anna didn't say anything else. She didn't have anything else to say. For someone who'd been accused many times - usually by Steve - of not being able to shut up, she'd found herself without much to say the last few weeks. Because, really, when her boyfriend was about to be shipped off to Vietnam, what was there to say?

Once again, she pushed back tears. She hadn't cried since blubbering all over Danny's T-Shirt the night Steve got his letter. After realising how worried Steve was about her, she'd decided against crying in front of him which had quickly turned into not crying at all. She could be as pitiful, and cry as much, as she wanted once Steve was gone.

"Anna?"

She looked at Danny. "Yeah?"

"Remember when I kicked his ass for cheating on you?" He'd never outright admitted to doing it before now, but she'd always known. She nodded. "If I could do it again - if I could kick someone's ass for doing this to you - I would."

Screw good; he was the best damn brother in the world.

A few tears fell and she quickly wiped them away, but not before he saw them. He reached over and squeezed her hand.

"C'mon, Miss B. Go do your hair and we'll go to the party. I'm sure Randle's already there waitin' for ya."

Smiling at him, she stood and went to do exactly that. Having showered, dressed for the party, and done her make-up in between putting things in and taking things out of the oven, she was almost ready. Wearing a pencil skirt she knew Steve would like, and a navy blouse, she loosely braided half her hair back and was ready to go.

Danny was waiting by the door for her, and ushered her out. They whole less-that-two-minute ride to Two-Bit's was filled with Danny talking a whole lot of nothing, but Anna appreciated it. Too much silence and she'd start thinking again, and if there was one thing both she and Danny were good at, it was filling silence.

He'd been right, though; Steve was waiting for her. The party was in full swing, and as soon as they were out of the car, Danny threw an arm around her shoulders and led her up the path and through the gate. Steve was leaning against the side of the house with Soda and Anita, gaze set on her and Danny while Soda and Anita talked.

Danny gave her shoulder a squeeze. "See ya later, kid."

She nodded, barely noticing him as she made her way toward Steve.

He kissed her right away, not bothering to say hello, and not caring about the people around them - Soda, Anita, and Danny included. Fisting his T-Shirt in her hands, she kissed him back and once again wished she had him to herself. She didn't want to spend the night with him at a party. He seemed to have the same idea.

"I don't wanna stay more than a few hours," he said, pulling away.

Nodding, she leaned against him when his arm went around her shoulders and pulled her close.

XXXXX

She was sick of the loud music, she was sick of the smoke-filled air, and she was sick of all the damn people. Pushing her way out of the house, Anna just wanted to go home. She wanted to be selfish for once, and drag Steve away from the party, and just go home. All this pretending was giving her a headache.

Pretending she was okay around Steve was one thing; pretending around everyone else was crap. The house, and the front and back yards were filled with people, and out of everyone there, only two people had made her feel as though she didn't have to pretend. Danny and, strangely enough, Evie.

With a simple smile, her cousin had made her feel better than her best friend had. She'd hardly seen Kathy in the last few weeks, and it had nothing to do with the amount of time she was spending with Steve. As outwardly unselfish as she was about Steve hanging out with his friends, she was just as sure to make sure she spent time with Kathy. Only Kathy hadn't been 'available' much lately.

It was frustrating and upsetting, but was hardly Anna's biggest problem.

Making her way around the side of the house, she sighed in relief at the lone figure sitting on the grass. There had only been two people she hadn't felt the need to pretend in front of, but she knew there was another around somewhere, and there he was. She made her way toward him, avoiding empty beer bottles and the occasional bottle of something stronger.

"Hey, kid," Two-Bit said, patting the ground next to him.

"What are you doin' out here all by your lonesome?" She sat next to him, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Ain't this your party?"

"S'pose it is. Can't say I feel much like celebrating, though."

"I'm not sure any of us do."

Two-Bit looked at her. "Where's Stevie?"

Trying not to let her disappointment show, she jerked a thumb toward the house. "Inside. I can understand him wanting to hang out with Soda, but he ain't close with many others in there, and everyone wants to talk to him. Ain't his fault, but I sure wish he'd be his usual moody self and tell them all to piss off."

Two-Bit laughed. "Guess I should've thought about that before plannin' a party."

"Ain't your fault. You seem to want everyone gone just as much as I do."

Even that would make her happy. Hanging out with Steve and the friends who actually cared about him would be almost as good as if it were just the two of them. Well, it would be a whole lot better than this party, anyway.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Two-Bit said. "Even I can see how badly he wants to get outta here and be with you."

Despite how much she wanted that to be true, Anna felt a twinge of guilt. Steve hadn't said much, but he had mentioned that Two-Bit seemed to be taking the whole thing worse than he'd expected. She supposed that when everyone expected him to be cheerful and optimistic, it wasn't hard to fall short of someone's expectation.

"Maybe. But he also wants to hang out with you."

Two-Bit wouldn't meet her gaze. "You know, I know I ain't like Soda to him, but Steve's always been the closest thing to a best friend I've had."

"Soda and Steve have been best friends since grade school," she said. "Nothin's gonna come between that, but I think you come in at a close second."

"Yeah? Sometimes I think you might be right. He sure loves you, though."

Anna grinned. She knew, but knowing Two-Bit knew sure was something. "Yeah? Sometimes I think you might be right."

They were silent for a few minutes, and Anna was glad she'd gone outside. As much as she wanted to be with Steve, being inside was stifling and being with Two-Bit was a comfort. They'd almost always been friends. With her break up with Steve, and Two-Bit's constant messes with Kathy, they'd only ever truly fought once.

"I s'pose you know about me and Kathy?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"I know you guys are - uh … spending time together."

He chuckled, but it sounded bitter. "That's one way of putting it."

"You ain't happy about it?"

"I'm happy with however much Kathy I can get. I'd just like more."

She nodded. "You wanna get back together."

"I dunno. Maybe." He shrugged. "Stupid, huh?"

Anna found she couldn't answer honestly. Having hardly spoken to Kathy in weeks, she didn't know Kathy's feelings on the situation. She had known them a month ago, but with how up and down Kathy's relationship with Two-Bit was, she couldn't be sure she knew them now.

Head against the house, he turned to look at her. "Hey, you know Steve leavin' changes nothin', right? I mean, he's goin', and me and Kathy ain't together, but you and me? We'll still be buddies?"

"I sure hope so." She glanced around the ground they were sitting on before looking back at Two-Bit. "You're bein' awful chatty tonight. How much you had to drink?"

"Uh, not much, actually." She could have sworn Two-Bit turned slightly pink at that.

Smiling, she rested her head on his shoulder. Screw the party; she'd much rather hang out with Two-Bit until Steve was ready to go.

"We'll always be friends, Two-Bit."

XXXXX

Steve was surprised to see Anna and Two-Bit sitting so close together. If it was anyone else sitting with her, then he might have said something. Instead, he held out a hand to help her to her feet. Once she was standing, he slid his arms around her waist and didn't plan on letting go any time soon.

Two-Bit stood and rested a hand against the fence in front of him. "'Bout time you got out here."

Steve scowled. "You ain't kiddin'. Hanging out with Soda was cool, but he went to dance with Anita, and Bobby Miller decided tonight was the perfect fucking time to tell me about his oil leak."

"Yeah, the guy's an idiot. You happen to see a pretty blonde arrive while you were in there, Stevie?"

Not needing to ask who he was talking about, Steve nodded. With a grin, Two-Bit sauntered off and Steve couldn't tell if he was drunk or not. He looked at Anna, loosening his hold slightly as she leaned back against the house.

"You been out here long?" he asked.

"A while."

He stepped closer. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"It's just … by the time Soda went to dance with Anita, you'd been gone a while …"

She smiled. "Really. It's okay. I'd love to have spent the last few hours alone with you, but I understand."

Leaning down, he kissed her, and kissed her hard. Hoping, really and truly hoping that she knew what she meant to him, how much he cared about her, how badly he would miss her. Pulling back slightly, he rested his forehead against hers, breathing deeply.

"Steve?"

Opening his eyes, he looked down at her. "Yeah?"

"Can I tell you somethin'?"

"Anything."

She averted her gaze, but he was pretty sure her eyes were wet. "I don't want you to go."

Letting out a heavy breath, he lowered his head and rested his cheek against hers. "I know," he whispered in her ear.

Anna just sniffed in reply, and he held her even tighter. He really didn't want to leave her.

"Can I tell you somethin'?" he asked.

"Anything."

Swallowing back the sick feeling in his throat, and fisting his shaking hands into her blouse, he told her the one thing he didn't want anyone to know. The one thing he could barely admit to himself. The one thing he could only tell her.

"I'm scared."

Her arms wrapped securely around him and she pressed her face into his neck. "I know."

"You're the one person I especially didn't want to know because I hate that you worry, but you're the only person I can admit it to."

"Oh, Steve."

He pulled back so he could look at her. "I don't know what to do, Anna. I mean, I know what I have to do, because I don't have a fucking choice, but I'm scared. I'm really fucking scared of what I might have to do over there, of not making it home to you, of dying -"

"Stop." She set her hand over his mouth, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. "Just … stop."

He stopped. He was pissed at himself for having gone so far - too far. He knew his words alone would hurt her, but once he'd started he hadn't been able to stop. She really was the only one he could say that stuff to, even though she was the one person he didn't want knowing how scared he was. Knowing that wouldn't help her any. But now, with Anna's hand pressing gently to his lips, he waited.

She opened her eyes, looking at him calmly. Pulling her hand away, she placed them both at the back of her neck, talking quietly.

"I know you probably think this is dumb and stupid, but I want you to take this." She held out her necklace.

"Anna -"

"I know, okay? It's completely sappy, but I don't care. It was my grandpa's, and after you and Danny, it means everything to me," she said, looking at him pleadingly. "It was my grandpa's, and I want you to take it with you."

He lowered his head for her to do it up behind his neck.

It wasn't dumb or stupid. It probably was the sappiest thing he'd ever been a part of, but he didn't care either. Anna thought of that necklace as her grandpa's - which meant everything that she wanted to give it to him - but Steve had always thought of it as Anna's. He knew it used to belong to her grandpa, but he'd only ever known it as hers, and taking something of hers with him - something that meant so much to her - sure sounded nice.

"I won't take it off," he promised. "Not until I'm back and can give it back."

"Good." She frowned. "You'll write all the time, right?"

"Yeah."

"Don't hold anything back, okay? I - I know I stopped you just now, but hearing you say it is different. I want you to be able to write and tell me anything … and it probably won't be so bad reading it in a letter, you know?"

He stared at her, not wanting to agree to that but not sure he could say no to her. "I don't want you to worry about me."

"C'mon, Stevie, I'm gonna do that anyway - no matter how fake your letters are."

"I don't know much, but I know it ain't good over there."

"I know. But, please? I love you and you shouldn't have to pretend."

Tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear, he nodded. "I love you, too. And I'll be back in no time."

"You keep sayin' that."

"Because I mean it," he said. She avoided his gaze again, and touched her cheek to get her to look at him. "I need you to do me a favour."

"Yeah?"

"You can't come tomorrow." He knew it was pointless even as he said it.

"Steve -"

"Anna … you come and I won't get on that bus."

Tears filled her eyes. "Good."

"I mean it. If you're there, I won't be able to leave."

"I don't want you to leave. And I don't care what you say; I'm coming."

He sighed. "That's what I figured." Lifting a hand, he wiped tears off her cheeks. "Come inside and dance with me. Then we can go."

"You wanna dance?" she asked with a small smile.

"Yeah, I do." He remembered his first dance with Anna at his seventeenth birthday party - what she was wearing, the song they danced to, how good it felt to touch her - and silently hoped this wouldn't be his last. Because, really, all he wanted to do was hold her close and keep her close.

"One dance?"

"One dance. Then we're getting outta here."

No I won't be afraid, oh, I won't be afraid,
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

A/N: Thanks to RileyMomma for beta-reading. Reviews would be lovely. The next chapter is the last :)