EmilyNeil9 this chapter is dedicated to Emily for all her support and voting on my stories.  Thanks :)

Keith starts to cry as I push him around in his stroller I go around and pick him up cradling his head. "It's ok baby, shhhh it's ok." I bounce a little and rub his back trying to calm him down. I had been out for at least 30 minutes trying to calm myself down enough to go back and see Two-Bit but I just couldn't seem to get rid of my anger. I knew it wasn't his fault exactly but still all of this was so frustrating and upsetting. "Kate?" I heard Sodapop call out from behind me, I spun around and sure enough there he was walking towards us. I knew he would only be here to make me go back to Two-Bit so I turned back around and continued to shh Keith. "Kate?" he was right beside me now but I just put my chin gently on top of Keith's head still bouncing him because that normally made him happier. "You ignoring me?" "I just don't want to be lectured right now on how I should return to my ignorant, uncaring husband." I turn to face him, his lips pulled into a straight line and his normally happy, shining eyes now glassy and full of grief. I immediately regret what I say Sodapop breaks your heart when he's upset because he is rarely ever upset.

"Soda I'm sorry..." I went to continue but didn't know what to say. "No it's fine it's just I have an idea of what you're going through...I'm losing my best friend to Vietnam. That and I still miss Sandy and I guess it's all just built up and I have been trying to forget about it but...I think it's just finally caught up with me ya know?" I nod silently and realise that I have been so caught up in my life I had forgotten about the hardships everybody else had been going through. "Here." I say and hand Sodapop Keith who immediately stops crying as soon as he is in his uncle's arms. "He always stops crying when he's with you...Sodapop I'm sorry I haven't been there for you recently. I don't really have a good excuse for it. I forgot that I'm not just losing a husband but you're also losing a best friend." My voice trails off towards the end leaving quietness around us. "No I understand...I don't know how you aren't going insane...I would be if it was Pony or Sandy..." "I'm not completely sure I'm not going insane." I chuckle lightly and fold my arms in front of my chest. "Two-Bit is real sorry, he was real upset when he came to our house. He knew he was wrong but he is just so stressed about it all he hates leaving you and Keith, it's killing him. He never wanted to do to Keith what his father did to him." The last sentence hit me right in the gut, Two-Bit's father had ran out on him when he was young leaving him and his mother and his kid sister to fend for themselves. "Oh my god! I totally forgot I have been so en wrapped in myself I forgot about how he is dealing with it. It's not about us yet Sodapop...it's about them...until they leave it's all about them. Then after...after they leave that's when you and me can break down together." I joke faintly but was extremely serious.

"You're right Kate and deal as soon as they leave I'm coming over." We chuckle slightly but we both know how serious we are. "Well I had better get back to my husband and your two best friends." I say and go to take Keith from Sodapop "No it's ok I will carry him...I barely spend much time with him anyway." I smile sadly because it's true I had been hogging him all to myself.

We walk through the door into what was my second home my eyes immediately dart to Two-Bit. I walk up and hug him as tightly as I could, "I'm sorry...I forgot how hard this was on you. I love you Two-Bit." He hugged me back tighter "I'm sorry to and I love you back." I was going to argue that he shouldn't be sorry but I was sick of arguing with him. "Ugh can you to stop being so lovey dovey?" Pony complained so I turned around to face him and with a wicked grin on my face said "But that's how Keith was made Pony." His face contorted into one of pure disgust "Oh god no! Don't ever, ever say that again I am now mentally scarred for life! I'm going to my room." The rest of the gang including me cracked up laughing at Ponyboy's reaction and didn't stop for a good five minutes. "So what should we all do now?" Steve asks standing up from his spot in front of the TV. "We should go to the Dingo." Dally suggests walking into the living room from the kitchen with a piece of chocolate cake in his hands. "I'd love to guys but I can't really take Keith jnr to a drive in yet he'd cry too much and besides I don't think it's safe for him to be at the Dingo of all places but you guys go." Dally frowns at my explanation "Oh go on Kate I will look after all he is my god son." Darry beams as he gets up from his arm chair and walks over to Sodapop grabbing Keith from his arms. "Alright then, all his things are in his pram and we shouldn't be too long." I say still a little hesitant. "Ok so can we go now?" Sodapop whines and walks towards the door, I walk over to Darry and Keith and kiss my baby on his head "I love you Keith." I say before following Sodapop out the door we waited by the gate as Two-Bit finally emerged from the house with a few beers. "Is that what took you so long?" I ask raising an eyebrow. "No, I also had to say good bye to our son." He replies also raising an eyebrow and handing me a beer.

"Kate...Kate time to wake up babe." I crack my eyes open slowly as my head pounds and the sunlight burns my eyes. I quickly closed them again trying to let them adjust to the light by opening them very slowly "Kate?" "Yeah I'm awake but that sun is too bright!" I groan and roll over onto my stomach feeling something brush against my face. I put my head up to see what it is and realise I am lying on the front lawn of the Curtis house. "Two-Bit why are we on the front lawn?" I ask looking around to see him next to with his head in his hands "I don't remember." He says and then looks at me. I look around to see Dally asleep on the porch and Darry walking out of the house "Hey Darry!" I say in a normal tone but sound twice as loud and hurts my head. Darry chuckled and waved "good morning, oh by the way your kids inside." I nodded and mouthed thanks before slowly getting up and then helping Two-Bit up as well. We walked past Dally who was still snoring away in the porch and into the living room where Sodapop was playing with one very unhappy baby...which I'm guessing was our child. "Oh good you're finally awake...I think he's hungry." I groan a lite but then take Keith and walk into Darry's room which I knew would be empty and private.
20 minutes late I walked out to the living room with a happier baby but I felt horrible. "I'm going to go home now" I grumble and walk out with Keith and Two-Bit behind me. "I wonder what Happened to Steve last night" Two-Bit yawns and stretches his arms out wide. "Damn it!" I cuss and stop in my tracks "what is it babe?" "I forgot his stroller I'll be back....here take him home." I hand over Keith to Two-Bit amd turn around to see Steve sleeping on the roof clad in only his boxers. "TWO-BIT!!" I yell back to him and before I even see him I hear his laugh. "I guess we know where Steve is now." He jokes and I nod in agreement laughing to much to say anything.