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I do not own the Outsiders.
I do not own the song "My Heaven" by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
This is a companion piece to "Between Here and Gone". I wrote this story based on the song "My Heaven". Listen to it if you can find a copy. It's beautiful and it always makes me think of Johnny. There will be at least one more chapter to this story, and that will probably be it! I will include the song lyrics in the next chapter at the end. Hope you enjoy!

"My Heaven"

Though his eyes were closed, Johnny knew it was daytime. He could feel a warmth on his face and arms, and the light was so bright he could practically see it through his eyelids. He turned on his side and stretched. He breathed in cool, fresh air. He felt grass tickling the sides of his face. And then his eyes shot open.
He was not in the hospital anymore. For a second he started to panic. He was afraid to even think what had just happened. But he knew. He knew what had happened. He had died.
He closed his eyes and opened them again, slowly. He was afraid to move. I'm really dead, he though. This is it, I'm really dead. His breathing grew rapid and he looked around, frightened. He was in the middle of a field of tall grasses and flowers. There were mountains and trees in the distance and he could hear running water, as though there might be a stream nearby.
I'm dead, he thought again. But... I'm really... not. As he took in his surroundings, his panic began to subside. OK, he thought trying to calm himself. I can do this. I'm ok. Everything's fine. And slowly, a peaceful calm began to wash over him. He began to notice that he didn't hurt any more. Not at all. In fact, he could move! This sudden realization blocked out any previous fear that he'd had as he jumped to his feet took a few steps, just to make sure. "I can walk..." he said out loud. He grinned and took a few more steps. "I'm ok! I can really walk!"
He jumped when he heard a soft laugh coming from behind him.
"Of course you can, silly. Why you could fly, if you wanted to!"
Johnny froze. He knew that voice. He slowly turned around, afraid to believe that it was who he thought it was. But it could be, he thought. If I am where I think I am, then it really could be...
When he saw her, his eyes filled up with tears. "Mrs. Curtis?" he could barely get the words out.
"Hi sweetie!" She said opening her arms and smiling that beautiful smile that he missed so much. She ran up to give him a hug. Then she held him at arms length and looked at him, her eyes shining just the way he remembered her. "We've been waiting for you," she said softly.
He looked at her, an expression of uncertainty crossing his face.
She hugged him again. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Johnny. You're going to really like it here. Wait until you see it! Come on!" And with that she started off down a grassy path out of the field.
Johnny followed her. He couldn't believe it. He was no longer on earth. He had died. But he felt strangely ok about it, like it was just his time. It was the way things were supposed to be. And then a thought struck him. "Hey, did you really mean that?"
"What?" Mrs. Curtis asked innocently, though she was sure she knew exactly what Johnny was referring to.
"That... that I could... fly?" Johnny reddened and looked at his feet. It sounded completely ridiculous.
But Mrs. Curtis just smiled at him and took his hand. And they began to float, higher and higher.
"Whoa!" Johnny said with a gasp and he suddenly fell to the ground.
"Careful, Johnny," Mrs. Curtis said. "You have to believe! It's all about faith up here. Try again."
Johnny looked at her. Then he closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was ten feet off the ground. His eyes widened and he smiled, but he started to sink again.
"You can do it, come on, that's it!" Mrs. Curtis clapped as Johnny started floating again.
"This is so weird..." he laughed.
"You'll get used to it. It'll take a while. Why don't we just walk?"
Johnny looked at her in astonishment. "Are you kidding? No way!"
She laughed and soared a couple feet higher, heading towards the trees. Johnny followed. "You'll just love it here, I promise!"
"Where's Mr. Curtis? Is he here too?"
"Of course! He's back in the gardens, painting the flowers."
"I didn't know he painted!"
"You can do anything you want here, Johnny. We just play all day! Oh, and it's not exactly the kind of painting you're probably thinking of..."
As they came around to the other side of the forest, they flew over a huge garden. There in the middle of it was Mr. Curtis. And he was painting the flowers. Not pictures of flowers, he was actually painting the flowers. At the moment, he was painting a rose a brilliant blue color and he had already painted it's stem a bright reddish purple. The whole garden was an almost ridiculous looking array of color. It was like nothing Johnny had ever seen before. But then again, this was the man who had named his sons Ponyboy and Sodapop.
"Hi, Johnny!" he waved. "It's great to see you!"
Johnny laughed and waved back.
"Careful, Johnny! Look where you're-" Mrs. Curtis' warning came too late. Johnny flew right under a rain cloud. It surprised him so much, he forgot what he was doing and he fell right out of the sky and landed in a puddle. Several children had been playing there and they jumped up and down and shrieked with delight at the splash Johnny made.
Mrs. Curtis landed gracefully beside him. "We get to chose the weather too... Mr. Curtis makes it rain in some spots of his garden if he's tired of the colors. And the kids just love it! They've been playing in the puddles all day!"
Johnny reached out and grasped a hand that was offered to him. He brushed himself off a bit and turned to thank whoever had helped him up. His eyes widened and his insides turned to ice as he looked into the face of Bob Sheldon.
"Hi, Johnny."
Johnny studied him carefully. He gave no indication of being threatening in any way. "H-hi" Johnny said quietly.
They just looked at eachother in silence for a moment. It was Bob who spoke first. "Johnny, I uh.. I'm really sorry... about everything."
Johnny just stared at him, suddenly consumed with guilt and sorrow for what had happened.
"I was a real jerk," Bob continued. Johnny could feel his sincerity. "Can you forgive me?"
Johnny's blinked in surprise. "Uh, yeah, I... look, I never meant- "
Bob raised his hand and stopped Johnny from saying anything else. "I know. I know. Hey," Bob held out his hand. Hesitantly, Johnny shook it. Bob slapped Johnny's shoulder good naturedly and smiled at him.
Johnny managed a weak smile back, his eyes still round as saucers. He couldn't believe this was happening.
But then Bob's face got serious and he turned to Mrs. Curtis. "I came to tell you..." he said. "It's Dallas."
Johnny's ears perked up at the mention of his friend's name.
But Mrs. Curtis' shoulders sagged. "Oh, no," she said and bent down to the ground. She pulled up a handful of grass and looked down into the small hole she had made. Johnny couldn't quite see, but from what he could gather, she was looking down at the earth!
"Oh no!" She sounded more angry than anything else. "Dallas! Uuhh!" She threw the grass down and started to walk back the way they had come.
"What's wrong?" Johnny asked.
"I think our friend is about to do something very foolish."
"Dallas? Yeah, so what else is new? Do we have to go try to stop him?" Johnny asked eagerly. Maybe they got to be like guardian angels, he thought hopefully. Dally could sure use one.
Mrs. Curtis turned to Johnny. This time there was saddness in her eyes. "Johnny, do you know if Dally... had the faith? Did he believe?"
Johnny looked at her for a moment. He knew what she was asking. But he wasn't sure..."I don't know... we never really discussed religion. He didn't ever come to church or anything. Why?"
She just looked at him worriedly.
"What's happening to Dally?" Johnny asked quietly, afraid to hear the answer.
She put her hand on Johnny's shoulder. "Dally is about to make a very bad choice. There's nothing we can do to stop him."
Johnny looked at her horrified. "Is... is Dally going to die? But, he'll just come here, though, right?"

She didn't answer.

"Won't he?" >