Title: Back for You

Author(ess): Berserker Nightwitch

Summary: Dally and Johnny are dead right? Then how is Dally coming through the front door? And who is this person who looks like Johnny?

Notes: Thoughts

:: Flashbacks :: [1]

"Speaking"

Narration

Posted: March 12, 2004

Chapter Title: Return of the Lost Son

~~

"Ponyboy! C'mon, Kid, it's time to wake up." The teenager rubbed his eyes sleepily as he struggled to wake himself up. Once he had finished getting dressed he wandered into the kitchen. He was the last of his family to the table again. Darry was first up, so there was no contest there, but Sodapop, Two-Bit, and Steve were both there as well.

Ever since the accident four months earlier, that was all that was left of their family. Originally there had been four other members, but Johnny and Dally had died after Johnny accidentally killed Bob. And almost a year before that Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry's parents were killed in a car accident.

Now they were down to the five remaining members of the gang. They had all become overprotective of each other, and Ponyboy in particular. There were times when it felt to Pony that they were suffocating him.

"Sorry. What time is it?"

"Almost eleven."

"Then why'd you wake me up? It's a Saturday."

"Don't you have any idea what day it is?" Darry asked, looking at him strangely.

Ponyboy scratched his head absently while he was thinking. Their parents' anniversary had been a month ago, the anniversary of their death was a few weeks before that. They hadn't even reached the halfway mark to Johnny and Dally's death dates. He looked up at Darry and shrugged helplessly. Darry shook his head and smiled as Two-Bit jumped up, pick up Pony, and proceeded to swing the teen around in circles.

"It's your birthday, Kid. You're fifteen today!" Soda exclaimed, laughing.

"Already?" Pony asked dumbly. Everyone in the room laughed. Just then, the lights were switched out, making the birthday boy realize for the first time that the blinds were closed. When they were done singing and Pony had blown out the candles, they sat around talking and eating.

"Even if it is my birthday, why'd you wake me up so early?"

"I have some things I need to get done today, and I wanted to wish you a happy birthday before the day was over," Darry told him, smiling. Ponyboy grinned back and thanked him. Just then, Steve got up and left, returning moments later with a bunch of boxes.

"We didn't get much, but these are your birthday presents."

"But there's five of them," Ponyboy said, confused.

"Johnny and Dally had both gotten you something before… the accident."

"Yeah, now open 'em! I can't remember what I got you!" Two-Bit yelled, causing the others to laugh.

The youngest Curtis slowly unwrapped the gift from Darry and saw the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. Pony's eyes were shining as he thanked Darry. He had never hoped to get all three. Next came a new sketchpad from Soda and a pack of shading pencils from Steve. He got a Mickey Mouse figurine from Two-Bit. "Thanks you guys," Pony whispered, not believing that he had received so many gifts.

"You still have two to open," Steve reminded him. Ponyboy nodded and reached for the gift from Dally. Inside was a record by Elvis Presley. On the record were four of the songs that Ponyboy liked best of the artist's hits. He also got a book from Dally. "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton. [2] Johnny had given him a book with the best of Robert Frost's poetry.

"Thank you," Ponyboy whispered silently to his two missing friends. He looked up at his remaining family members and cursed softly when his eyes began to blur. "I'm sorry. I'm s'posed to be happy. I didn't mean to start bawlin'."

Soda reached out and hugged him. "It's your birthday, Baby. You can bawl your eyes out all day if that's what you want." Ponyboy leaned into the embrace and sniffled, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"No, I'm gonna be happy today."

~

Three days later, Ponyboy was at school, wondering where Steve and Two-Bit were. He went to the parking lot and found Two-Bit's car missing. Just as he was preparing to head back inside, Randy walked up to him. "Hey Ponyboy."

"Hi Randy."

"Uh… Two-Bit wanted me to tell you that something came up and he had to go home. He also said that Steve got called in to work. They didn't want you to have to wait for them after school if they weren't going to show up."

"Oh. Thanks, Randy."

"No problem. Hey, I could give you a ride back home if you want."

"Why?"

"It's the least I could do. You were willing to forget about the whole Soc/Greaser thing and just accept people for people."

"Wouldn't it be a lot of trouble for you to drive me all the way over there and then have to drive all the way back?"

"No. Besides, I wanted to talk to Darry about something anyway."

"Oh… um, where should I meet you after school?"

"Right here?"

"Okay. See you then!" Ponyboy smiled and waved as he ran back into the school. He had heard the bell ring and wanted to get to class before he would be counted late.

When school ended, Randy was true to his word and gave Ponyboy a ride home. He stayed awhile to wait for Darry and got to know the rest of the gang better. Darry finally came home at about nine. The first thing the gang noticed was that he was grinning broadly.

"Hey Superman! What's got you in such a good mood?"

"I got a raise. And better hours."

"So when will you be working?" Steve asked.

"Monday through Wednesday from eight in the morning until seven in the evening. This way I'll be able to actually see you guys at the end of the day."

"And you'll be starting later," Soda reminded him. Darry nodded.

"I also had an interview for another job."

"A third one?"

"No, this one pays really well, so I'd be quitting the second one. There would also be benefits."

"Like what?"

"Medical insurance, dental insurance. The kind of thing that most people look for."

"That's great!"

"I thought so. Now that that's out, would someone mind telling me why there's a Soc in our living room?"

"It's Randy!"

"I recognize him, Ponyboy, I want to know why he's here."

"I wanted to talk to you."

"So talk."

~

A few days later, it was Monday again. Darry had gotten the better job and quit the previous one, so he was able to drive Ponyboy to school and pick him up after Track practice. When they got home they found Soda in the kitchen cooking dinner.

"What's on the menu tonight, Pepsi-Cola?" Darry asked. He had been in a much better mood ever since his raise, and with his new job, his mood was improving by the day. He worked one job from Monday to Wednesday, and only worked the other on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday evenings.

"Steak, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and chocolate cake!" Soda announced happily as he poured red food dye into one of the items.

After everyone had had their fill of steak, blue mashed potatoes, and red biscuits, they gathered in the living room. Steve had moved in with them after the accident, and Two-Bit slept over so often that he may as well have lived there.

"Hey Pony, read one of your poems!" Steve demanded.

"Why?" Ponyboy asked suspiciously.

"I want to hear one. A short one, please."

"Okay. The one I'm on right now is called 'A Patch of Old Snow'. It goes:

There's a patch of old snow in a corner
That I should have guessed
Was a blow-away paper the rain
Had brought to rest.

It is speckled with grime as if
Small print overspread it,
The news of a day I've forgotten--
If I ever read it." [3]

"That's a nice poem," Two-Bit mumbled. "HEY! Give that back!" Ponyboy laughed silently and bent his head back to the table.

Ponyboy was doing his homework, Darry was falling asleep, and everyone else was fighting over the program they would watch on TV when they heard steps coming up to the door. The pace sounded familiar, but none of them could place it. The door was pushed open from the outside – they still didn't bother to lock doors – and a tall, familiar young man stepped into the room.

The entire room went silent when he walked in. Finally, Ponyboy managed to find his voice. He choked on his words as they came out, but it was still impossible to miss what he said.

"Dally?"

~~

A/N: Well, this is my first real attempt at a cliffhanger, so I guess we'll find out what you guys think shortly, huh? The next chapter will go much quicker (not length-wise, pace-wise) and I WILL explain how Dally managed to stay alive, I promise. Please review and let me know what you think.

[1] – This applies for later chapters, too. This way I don't have to write them on every chapter I write!

[2] – I've never read it, but it was published in 1920, so I figured he might have read it.

[3] – Yes, that IS a Robert Frost poem. I spent twenty minutes trying to find a short one.