Almost done with this story! There will be one more chapter after this one. Thank you for reading!

(Ponyboy's POV)

After that night on the porch Steve and I talked, he seemed lighter– like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. I knew Soda stayed outside with him most of the night afterwards, also talking with him, so I was sure that had something to do with Steve feeling better. I made sure to keep an eye on him, and I knew the rest of the gang was too.

Since that night, Soda decided to move back into my bedroom and give his old room to Steve. Steve wasn't sure about the change, and Darry was hesitant too– I heard him and Soda talking about nightmares, Soda's injuries, and everything else that could be problematic, but Soda assured both Darry and Steve everything would be fine and moving rooms would benefit everyone.

Darry got to sleep in his own bed every night, but there were several times that I caught him sitting in my desk chair or lying on the floor next to the bed I shared with Soda. Sometimes Darry would be sleeping, but other times, he was awake and was pretending to sleep. I knew he was just looking out for us, so I let him think I never noticed.

A couple weeks passed, and one Saturday morning, Soda and Steve were up before everyone else and they were making breakfast. They had all sorts of food out, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"Are we feeding all the greasers on this side of town?" I asked as I poured myself some chocolate milk. "How long have you two been up?"

"We ain't used to sleepin' in kid," Steve said with a smirk. He grabbed his cane and made his way to the chair across from me and sat down with a groan. "Golly, I feel like an old man."

He had reluctantly started using his cane when he still couldn't walk more than a few steps without assistance or before being in a world of pain. I noticed that since that night on the porch, he wasn't trying to hide his pain as much from us, and it was bittersweet; it meant he didn't feel the need to hide anything from us, but it also meant he was still in pain, and probably would be for a long time… maybe even the rest of his life. At least he could use a cane instead of his crutches.

"You're almost twenty… you are old," I quipped.

Soda laughed at that. "Don't tell Darry twenty is old, because then he's ancient."

"I heard that," Darry said as he walked into the room. He gave Soda a glare, but there was no heat behind it. "When did you two get up?"

Steve checked the clock. "About an hour ago, maybe two."

While Steve and Darry chatted, I noticed Soda couldn't stand still. He was bouncing all over the place. "Are you okay, Soda?" I asked. "How much coffee have you had?"

"None, why?" Soda asked, the fire dancing in his eyes. Those flames had increased since returning home, and it was comforting to think that the Soda I knew before he was shipped off was still in there. Maybe things can go back to normal, or at least close to it.

"Because you keep moving," Darry said, putting his hands on Soda's shoulders, getting him to stop moving. "What's gotten into you today?"

"He's just excited to come with me to work," Two-Bit said, suddenly appearing for free food. "But first, we eat."

While we ate, I kept seeing Soda look at Steve and Two-Bit with a weird expression on his face. It was like he wanted to say something, but someone had taped his mouth shut, preventing any words from escaping. Once Darry and I started grabbing all the plates, I also noticed that Two-Bit wasn't looking me in the eye, and Steve didn't give me a hard time about anything the entire time we ate breakfast.

I was about to ask what was wrong with all of them, but then Two-Bit shot up from his seat. "Alright, I gotta get goin'. Unlike some of you people, I have a job I gotta get to." He dodged a shove from Darry as he walked to the front door. Then Soda and Steve followed Two-Bit out of the house.

"See ya later!" Soda shouted.

Once everyone else was gone, Darry and I shared a look.

"That was strange," Darry said suspiciously.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, something's goin' on. They're up to something."

I was reading in the living room while Darry took a shower. He had just returned from the gym, and he just about stunk up the entire house when he walked through the front door. I finished a chapter in my book when the roaring of a car's engine caught my attention.

Nobody on our side of town could afford to buy new cars, which meant the same vehicles drove up and down the streets every day since I was a kid, so I was familiar with all the vehicle noises in our neighborhood. I could recognize who was nearby just by the sound of the engine or the tires of their car, but the vehicle I heard on that Saturday was different.

Who's driving around here? Are they lost?

I looked out the window and saw Two-Bit's car, followed by a red Thunderbird. The fact that a car like that was in our neighborhood was already strange, but things got weirder when the Thunderbird parked in front of our house.

"What the hell?" Darry suddenly asked from behind me, apparently done with his shower.

"Who do you think it is?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the tuff car.

"Don't know," Darry said. "But I'm going to find out." He walked out the front door, and I followed him.

Two-Bit jumped out of his car and practically ran towards me with a big smile on his face. "What do ya think Ponyboy?" Two-Bit asked as he gestured towards the Thunderbird.

"That's a real tuff car," I replied. "Who'd you steal it from?"

Two-Bit howled with laughter. "Shoot kid, don't you know red ain't my color?" I laughed, and I couldn't help but think of his black leather jacket and his old black-handled switchblade. Red ain't Two-Bit's color, black is.

I still didn't understand why the Thunderbird was at our house, and I became even more confused when I recognized the people exiting the car. With the help of his cane, Steve got out from the driver's seat of the Thunderbird, and Soda stepped out of the passenger side.

"Soda, what did you do?" Darry asked. His tone was a mix of warning and shock.

As Soda and Steve approached Darry and me, Steve tossed me the keys. I caught them, but I looked at Steve in confusion. "What am I supposed to do with these? Hide the car? Throw the keys in the river?" I was being sarcastic, but I could practically feel Darry glaring at me for my suggestions.

"They're yours," Steve said. It didn't make any sense. They weren't my keys. "Think of it as a late sixteenth birthday present."

He's joking. He has to be joking, right?

"What?" Darry asked, completely shocked.

"Steve is giving Ponyboy a car," Two-Bit replied slowly, annunciating every syllable. Darry smacked him in the back of the head, but not too hard. Two-Bit just laughed and rubbed his head where Darry hit him. "What? You seemed a little confused."

I looked at Two-Bit. "You're kidding, right?" He shook his head, so I looked at Steve. "Are you serious?"

Steve nodded. "I've been workin' on it for weeks, but it's finally ready for you."

I stood there, frozen. I couldn't believe any of it. Steve Randle is giving me a car?

I was aware that Soda was explaining to Darry how Steve started working on the car, how much he'd been working on it, and all the logistical things about me driving a car, but I couldn't focus on anything except the keys in my hand and the red car in front of me.

"What do ya say Ponyboy, you gonna let good ol' Two-Bit take it for a spin?" Two-Bit asked as he slapped a hand on my shoulder.

"Not a chance," I said with a smirk. Two-Bit pretended to be offended, but his laughter gave him away.

"Already practicing good judgement," Steve said, which earned him a punch in the arm from Two-Bit. "Go ahead Ponyboy, go drive it. It's yours."

I looked at my brothers. Darry looked flustered, but not necessarily angry. I figured he was just surprised and trying to take everything in like I was. Soda looked thrilled about the situation.

"Go! Have fun!" Soda shouted.

Once Darry gave me a nod of approval, I looked back at Steve. "Wanna ride shotgun?"

I drove around the neighborhood for a few minutes while Steve was explaining everything; how to change gears, when to change gears, what to do in certain situations, and everything else he felt like I needed to know.

"So this is what you've been doing when you kept going to the DX?" I asked.

I saw Steve nod out of the corner of my eye. "Yeah, our boss had a car that needed work, I needed to work on a car, and you needed a car. It all worked out." I gave him a look that made him grin and explain further. "He said I had to prove I was capable of doing the work before he'd have me back. Since I finished this project, he said I can start workin' again in about a week. Soda too."

I couldn't suppress my huge smile. "That's great! I'm happy for you two."

"Thanks kid. Plus, now you got a ride… the girls are gonna love it," he said.

We both laughed as I continued to drive around. I wasn't really thinking about where I was leading us, but suddenly, we ended up at the cemetery where my parents, Johnny, and Dally are buried. When I realized where we were, I put the car in park, and I looked at the tombstones.

We were both silent for a while, but Steve eventually spoke up. "You know, I still miss them. All of them… Dal, Johnny, your parents… I miss them."

I nodded. "So do I. Some days, it hurts so much… like it just happened yesterday."

There was a long silence before Steve stunned me with what he said next. "I thought I was gonna end up in here." I tried not to show my shock, and I looked at him and stayed quiet to encourage him to keep talking. "When I went with Soda to Nam, I expected to end up here… or maybe just on the ground over there in the jungle."

It was a horrible thought, but I had also considered it more than once. When we were told Soda and Steve were gone, I pictured their tombstones next to other familiar names. I shuddered as the image flashed through my mind.

"I'm glad you're not there, both you and Soda… I'm glad you made it back," I said, trying to keep my composure.

He nodded and continued to look at the tombstones. "Me too kid." When I glanced at him, there was a tear falling down his cheek. He didn't wipe it away, and I didn't say anything.

We sat there in silence for a while before I felt the urge to speak again. "Thanks for everything Steve." Then, trying to lighten the mood, I added, "including this car. Does it come with a lifetime of free gas at the DX?"

He grinned. "No, but maybe Two-Bit can swipe some for you from the Soc side of town." I laughed, and after a moment, Steve put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "And you're welcome. Why don't we head back? We don't want your brothers gettin' worried."

I nodded. "Yeah, good idea."

We got back to the house a short while later. When we stepped out of the Thunderbird, Steve surprised me again; still while using his cane to walk, he slung an arm across my shoulders as we walked up to the porch, where Darry, Soda, and Two-Bit were waiting for us.

"Kid's a good driver, Darry. You ain't gotta worry about him," Steve said.

"I always worry," Darry said with a small smile. He was only half joking.

"What took so long?" Soda asked. He was always impatient. "Where did you guys go?"

I bite my lip. "Well, we kinda ended up at the cemetery." The guys looked at me with varying levels of confusion and concern, but I didn't want them to feel that way. I had to reassure them that I was fine. "I was just drivin' and ended up there without thinking." I'm not sure that reassured them.

Soda stepped towards me and ruffled my hair. "Mom and Dad would be so proud of you, Pone. I'm sure they're lookin' down and smilin'."

I beamed, not trusting my voice enough to try to speak.

"Johnny and Dally too," Darry added.

We stood in silence, and I was sure everyone was thinking about those who we've lost. Of course, Two-Bit had to say something to break up all the emotions.

"Well, I'm exhausted from this exciting day. Got any cake? Or beer?" He was already walking towards the front door.

The rest of us followed Two-Bit into the house. Soda grinned and playfully punched Steve in the arm, and Steve gently shoved him back before focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. Darry took Steve's place as he put an arm across my shoulders and gave them a squeeze. I looked at him, and I couldn't help but mirror the grin I saw on his face.