Coming Full Circle: An Outsiders Epilogue

Future

A/n: Here's the second part of Coming Full Circle :) It starts off right where the previous chapter ended. Hope you like! Read on!

She shut the door quietly behind us, and ushered her children to a long table with food on it. After doing so, she relieved us of our baggage (the food) and told us to wait there.

Two-Bit and I obliged, looking around at the simplistic, yet elegant decorations, until she returned with a rather excited group of men and women. I recognized Darry and Soda immediately; the others took a few seconds though. Steve had cut his hair was now wearing it in much shorter curls. Tessa looked almost the same with her angel pendent at her throat, then I realized it was actually curled for once! Randy was as lanky as ever, but he had grown out a wispy beard and had a short haircut that almost looked like Elvis Presley's. Marcia had grown out her hair to her waist and had it in several pretty pins with a complicated braid going down her back. Carol had the long, straight red hair that I remembered, but it was twisted onto the top of her head, she was holding hands with a gleeful Soda, looking amused by his rapidly changing facial expressions. I recognized Audrey with her flaming red hair and piercing blue-green eyes that always knew when something was up, she had cut her hair for occasion, to the middle of her back; her elbow was linked with Darry's as he grinned at me, a sparkle in his eyes.

It took a few seconds for most of them to recognize us and once they had, they rushed at us; taking us in a large group embrace that could top any from the movies. We clamored over each other's words, eager for an update of how each of us is doing. My heart swelled so much, I thought it might burst; I couldn't remember why I had started traveling in the first place! I had missed them all SO dearly, and they had missed me right back.

We laughed and joked and hugged and ruffled each other's hair all throughout the night, not even bothered by the odd looks we were getting from our curious peers. The end of night came quickly though, too quickly, none of us were ready for it to end. The double trouble twins set off some fireworks, and even Darry couldn't tell them off for making the night even MORE memorable. When it was time to go, when the kids were beginning to fall asleep, I saw her. It was a stunning girl with long red hair and, oh so beautiful, kaleidoscope eyes. Two-Bit caught me looking at her, and chuckled.

"What?!" I said, defensively, wondering what he could possibly be laughing about.

He answered me, "what is it with you Curtis men and your love of red-haired women, anyway?" Was he serious? Then I realized that he was right, this girl had red hair, so did Carol, Audrey, for God's sake, even my mom was a redhead! I had seriously never thought about before even when I had thought I loved Cherry.

The girl turned, and I turned every shade of the hair color every Curtis boy seemed to love. She smiled at my embarrassment and gestured for me to come over to her. I must have looked terrified and surprised all at once, because I saw her giggle. That's when I realized, there is a thing called "love at first sight"!

I was shoved from behind by Two-Bit, and I stumbled over to the girl as Two-Bit turned, in search of his new girlfriend, Diane, another blonde, though she could keep under control at most times. I blushed as I approached the beautiful girl, and I asked her what her name was.

"My name is Scarlet," she answered me. All time seemed to stop, that was the name of my best friend in preschool-grade school.

"Is your last name, by any chance, Anderson?" I asked her, hoping it was, because the reason we had stopped being friends was not only that we went to different high schools, but also because I had feelings for her, but she started dating someone else.

"Yes," She answered, "Why?" Then she realized, "Ponyboy?" she breathed.

"Yes," I answered.

She squealed and jumped into my waiting arms, squeezing the life out of me.

"Easy, Star," I said automatically, I used to call her that, saying jokingly that she was as bright as a star in my world, though it was really true to me.

She told me that her old boyfriend from high school had broken up with her several years ago and she was still nursing a broken heart. I told her that I could help her get over, if she wanted. A huge smile grew across her face as she accepted and flung her arms around me, again, she seemed to like doing that.

A few days later, I asked her out. A few weeks later, we kissed. A few months later, she walked down the aisle... of the movie theater, having finally gotten over her fear of them. A few years after THAT, she walked down the wedding aisle, with an adoring fiance waiting at the end of it. A few weeks later she announced that she was having a baby, Evan. Soon after, she had another, Ellie. And then, finally, she had twins, Luke and Lily. Ellie and Lily both had electric blue eyes paired with flaming red hair. The boys took after me, with light-brown hair and greenish-grey eyes.

Years past, and finally, with our hearts beating as one, Scarlet and I took our last breaths here on earth, together.

A/n: Hope you enjoyed the "dramatic" ending, thank you for reading both parts of Coming Full Circle