Santa's Comin' To Tulsa

SharpShooter-Pony

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"No, don't leave!"

"Please, Darry, we need you to stay!"

"C'mon, we don't have to go to bed for a whole 'nother fifteen minutes!"

Darry smiled down at the three, his buddies kid sisters and brother. They were a persistent bunch, always clinging to his arms and legs when he tried to leave. It didn't seem to matter how sly he tried to be, there'd always be one of them to alert the others he was heading for the door.

Paul came sauntering to the door, shooing the kids away with irritation. He didn't have as much patience with them as Darry, but then, he did have to deal with them 24/7.

" I don't know what it is about you, they hide from everyone else," Paul was saying as we walked to the bus stop," Anyways, your folks won't be upset over you staying out this late?"

"Naw, I'll be just in time for decorating the cookies."

The bus pulled up to the stop, and the two waved to each other as Darry got in. He had to fish around in his pocket to find some change for the fee, and the driver was sending him aggravated looks. If Darry had to work on Christmas Eve though, he guessed he'd probably be a little steamed too.

He stared down at his ragged, mud stained shoes as the bus drove along, more people getting off then on. By the time the bus had gotten to his stop, it was only him, the bus driver, and some guy sitting in the very back talking to himself. He tried flashing the driver a sympathetic smile as he was getting off, but the door was slammed shut in his face before he could.

Jogging through the dark, Darry made sure to keep to the center of the street, moving to the side only for a passing car. The North side of Tulsa looked shabby compared to Paul's neighborhood on the South side. There almost every house was bright with lights for the season; here you could see only a couple of Christmas trees shining through the windows.

Now, not saying he wasn't grateful to live in the house his parents provided, in the neighborhood that just happened to be on the wrong side of town, but maybe if the people living here had a bit more pride in what their houses looked like…

Slowing to a walk when he came to the front yard of his house, a grin spread across his face at the two faces peering out the front window. His two brothers had probably been like that for hours, waiting for him to get home so they could start the Curtis Family Christmas Events.

"Finally, you're home!" Sodapop bounced up to Darry's side the moment he stepped into the warmly lit house, an impatient tone to his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, calm down kid," Darry put a hand on Soda's head, shaking it playfully as he finished shedding his coat and shoes," Where's the other one so we can get started?"

Sodapop distracted himself with a toy soldier he'd just discovered on the closet floor, and it took him a moment to bring his focus back to his older brother," Hunh? Oh, yeah, he went to get Momma and Stink-Head."

"Stink-Head?" how Sodapop got away with calling their father names like that, Darry'd never figure out.

Soda didn't have a chance to explain the title. Ponyboy came to usher the two of them into the dining room, where their mother had set freshly baked cookies on the table with multi-colored frostings.

"Ooh! I call the green and purple frostings first! And the airplane cookie-"

"But I thought you said I could have the airplane cookie?!"

"Oh, well, I guess I did, but I changed my mind-"

"Bug Brains, are we causing trouble?"

Sodapop giggled at the name, and went to play tackle his dad, declaring that "No one calls me Bug Brains and gets away with it!".

Darry sat himself across from his youngest brother, ignoring the fight going on behind him. Ponyboy had already started on the airplane, grabbing it while Sodapop was busy. Darry figured he'd probably start on a cookie too, so he could be finished before his brother and father started hogging the icing.

"Darry?" He looked up, surprised at the serious expression Ponyboy suddenly dawned.

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear anything while you were outside?"

Darry slapped a bit more blue frosting on the teddy bear cookie he'd picked out, a smile tugging at his lips," Why?"

"Well, ya' know, maybe, since its dark and all, Santa might have started bringing presents…" Ponyboy had been informed recently by Sodapop that Santa Clause didn't exist, and he had been slowly prodding Darry and his parents to see if Soda was right.

"Ya' know, now that you mention it-"

"Mention what?" Sodapop was at Darry's side now, panting from the play fight as he started slapping green and purple on a candy cane cookie.

Ponyboy frowned at him," None of your biz-e-ness."

Sodapop stuck a tongue out at him and went back to his cookie, acting like he didn't care anyways. Darry could tell he was still trying to learn what they were talking about though, especially when he started using just one color at once, applying it slowly.

He leaned forward across the table, Ponyboy doing the same so that Darry could whisper something in his ear. Sodapop 'accidentally' elbowed his older brother in the side as he reached for a different color, but was still ignored.

"Ok!" Ponyboy was grinning ear to ear, but suddenly remembered Sodapop," Whadda 'bout him?"

Darry turned to look at Soda suspiciously," You wanna come out and watch for Santa Clause with us? I know your too old for it an all, but I think Pony here would like it if ya' did."

Sodapop shrugged, trying not to show his excitement at the idea," I guess, if Pony really wants me too…"

"C'mon then!" Ponyboy jumped up from the table, followed by his two brothers through the kitchen and out the back door.

They stood on the back patio, searching the sky for any signs of a sled and reindeer. Darry felt ten years old again, looking into the darkness like he would see Rudolph's red nose any second.

"I don't see 'em," Sodapop was squinting, shifting on his bare feet.

"Wait," Darry looked at his two brothers, letting out a small gasp," Ya' hear that?"

"Hear what?!" The two jumped to attention, trying to hear what their older brother was," I don't hear anything!"

"Wait for it…"

There was a few moments of silence, before jingling bells could be heard coming from the distance. Darry knew what would be coming next, his father's disguised voice laughing as if it were far off in the sky. Sodapop's eyes glistened, not believing his ears.

"See, I told ya'! You didn't believe in him, but I did! And I told ya'!" Ponyboy was jumping up and down with joy," I told ya'!"

Sodapop playfully nudged Pony," Yeah, yeah, you don't hafta rub it in."

"Boys, you going to finish these cookies?"

"Yeah Ma, on second," Darry called over his shoulder, herding his two brothers back inside.

Hours later, even as they were getting into bed, the littlest two still couldn't stop talking about Santa Clause, though their story had changed when they retold it to their parents. Suddenly, they had even seen Santa flying by, and he had said hello to them. Darry and Dad had shared knowing looks, while Ma listened to the animated story with interest, even if Sodapop was getting purple frosting everywhere.

A/N: Well, it's not very good, but I like it. It was inspried by something, but that something escapes my mind...

Happy Holidays ya'll!

- Sharp