Stay Gold (The Outsiders FanFiction)

Chapter 12: Present Day 2016

(50 year skip)

"Ponyboy, get in here!"

"I'm coming!" Ponyboy waddles into the room, his cane caused him to almost trip.

"Look how big Charlie is getting." I say as I look into our grandson's beautiful brown eyes.

"Time really does fly, doesn't it, Munch?"

"I suppose so, Pony." Ponyboy and I kiss lightly.

Our daughter Anna walks into the room we are in and takes Charlie from me.

"We better start heading to Aunt Kal's funeral." She says.

"I can't believe she's really gone, Pony." I say as I look into his eyes.

~

We arrived at the funeral home. Darry was standing out front with his hands shoved in his front pockets.

"Darry, how is it going?" I say.

"Fine, I guess. How about you guys, I haven't seen you since last Christmas?"

"We're doing fine. Charlie has learned how to play the piano." Ponyboy said, he always likes to brag about each and every one of our grandchildren (8 in all).

"He's only six!" Darry said sounding surprised.

"I know." Ponyboy looked down. "How are you holding up?" He looked up and stared intensely into Darry's eyes.

"I'm fine, I just can't believe after all Kal has been through, this is how she goes. She's been shot, our car accident a few years back, and that one time when she almost drowned in the Gulf." Darry's hands tried to fit deeper into his pockets.

"She was seventy-four." I stated.

"Don't remind me, I'm older than her!" Darry chuckled and sighed.

"Should we head in, Ponyboy?"

"Yeah, Munch. Come on, Darry."

~

After the funeral and burial, we stood and chatted about the latest things happening.

"Those kids and their MePhones, er whatever." Darry said while he stared at our grandkids.

"Uncle Darry, they're called iPhones." Nikki chuckled; she was sixteen years old.

"Whatever."

"Ponyboy, I'm not feeling so good."

Tipping backwards, like the day I was in the waiting room, when I returned from Windrixville, I remember there isn't a chair behind me like that day. Ponyboy caught me.

"Call the Ambulance!" Ponyboy yelled.

Three digits later, I was in an ambulance being taken away. Ponyboy's hand gripped mine. In no time, we were at the hospital.

"Ponyboy, what's going on?"

"Just stay with me, Munch."

"It's all right, Pony, I'm not going anywhere."

~

Days later, we meet with an oncologist at the hospital.

"You're saying my cancer is terminal? You can't do anything?"

"Mrs. Curtis, all we can do is make you as comfortable as possible. It's too late, I'm sorry."

My face buried into Ponyboy's shoulder. The scent of his Irish Spring body soap lingered in the air.

For weeks upon weeks, I laid in a hospital bed, hooked to many machines that constantly beeped.

"Ponyboy, do you have my will written?"

"Let's not talk about that, Munch."

"Pony, I'm dying, we have to take care of this now."

"No we don't, Munch!"

"Fine, but can you get me some water?"

"Yeah."

He disappeared and then returned again with my mug filled with water.

"I love you, Ponyboy."

"I love you too, Munch."

We lightly kissed and then my whole world went black and the beeping machines sped up really quickly, then faded away. Again whiteness filled my vision, and I was back at that very same park, with the very same clothing, and even the same young age. I knew now exactly where I was.

Standing up, like I did before, I could see Dally, Randy, and Kal seated on the bench.

"Hey, Dal, Kal, and Randy!"

"Hey, Munch!" They all say in unison.

"I'm back in heaven right?"

"You're where ever you want to be, Munch." Dally said.

"Never mind that, Dally, can I ask you a question?" I hesitated before asking.

"Go for it."

With a sharp gulp I asked, "Who's my real father, you or Randy?"

"You see, Munch, Kal is Randy's daughter and you're mine. Yet, you and Kal have the same mother."

Before I could stop myself, my arms wrapped around him. The glow of his skin almost blinded me.

"I should go." I said as we released from our hug.

"You can't." Dally grabbed my arm before I could turn away.

"I have to get back down there for Pony, right? Isn't that what you said?"

"I said that before-"

"Before what," I said interrupting him, "him and I made this perfect life."

"It's too late, Munch. Ponyboy is on his way here."

"No, he can't be. We have grandchildren, and nieces and nephews, daughters and sons. He has to be there for them." Tears stung my cheeks.

"It's too late, he's almost here."

"No, make him go back, he can't come!" I screamed.

"Calm down, Munch!" This time Randy was holding me as well as Dally.

"Daphne!" I heard a soft voice say.

Turning around, I see that it's Ponyboy.

"Ponyboy! What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't stand to not see your golden brown eyes, and soft lips anymore. You weren't the same looking after they tried to revive you. You weren't the same when you were dead."

"I'm dead?" The shock hit me.

There was no going back now.

"Yeah, Munch, and I am too." Ponyboy said.

We kissed and I filled Ponyboy in on my real dad being Dally. Everything couldn't have been more perfect.