I’ve never read anything like this before, and I probably never will again. It was perfect. Tim, all grown up, just trying to keep his boys from becoming him, reuniting with his sister, awkwardly trying to remember names... heartbreaking and funny and serious all at once! Poor sodapop, though. My favorite part was probably when they went to see Curly. The graveyard scene was so powerful (and it had Dally!). I love love love this so much!

oh my god ;-; I saw someone suggest this fic on Tumblr and I read it all in one sitting. I really loved it, holy shit.

I love this story, because when you move away from someplace it really is just a ghost town.

I just read this in one sitting and let me tell you...I freaking loved it! I love seeing Tim as an adult and I loved how much Curlys death had effected. I can never get enough Shepard stories and this was one of the best I have read. Love love love!

Loved it

This is so sad. But also so amazing! You should totally become a writer. I loved how the young people represent the older ones. Most fanfics don't show Tim as an responsible grown up. I love how this is a total new spin on the Outsiders. And I said it once and I'll say it again this is absolutely amazing.

I really loved readind this one...full of real feelings, weel described the sorrow for the loss...loss of life, loss of friends, loss of childhood...
wish we could have more of your stories...
read you later!

Wow ! Amazing end . It was really so moving . I liked the fact that Tim remember Dallas and tell him about their friendship . All this passage in the cimetery was so moving,the moment when Tim drove his sons near Curly's headstone . It's great he can at last remember him like if he allow himself to do that,and tell about their uncle to his sons . I liked when he think that Jay and Jesse are close like him and Curly when they were kids,and when he show them the photo . Then when he wrapped an arm around each of his sons in front of Curly's name and say he love both of three .
The end ring full of peace,just because Tim is in peace with his memories .
You know there is something John Wayne say in the movie The Cow Boys : " What matter isn't the tombstone,this is what we remember you",and it's completely what mean the before last line . Tim is right to think that,because the memories of the ones we loved are the most precious thing there is .
Now,maybe I am the only to say that,but I hope there could have a sequel to this story . It rang a little bit like that,when Tony talked to come to visit Tim and the boys . At any case,a kind of sequel would be great . I really enjoyed to read this story . Thank you so much for that .

Great, hopeful, note to end this on—with Tim finally being able to move on a little from focusing solely on the pain of losing Curly to being able to find some comfort in sharing some of his memories with his sons. Also love how the little details of him observing his sons together remind Tim of himself and Curly and how much he misses that bond.

I've really enjoyed reading this look into Tim's future, thank you for sharing this story.

Omg I love Curly! Great view point of Tim

Love that bond you show between Curly and Tim.

'The only people who went out of town were going to jail, or running out on their family, or soc's.'
I hope Tim has changed his opinion from when he was a kid like Tony, because of course he wasn't running out on his family, he left FOR his boys, and I love that he now offers Tony some hope too.
Although - and I see what you did with this story and I love it - Tim actually had to come home again to move on. Nice.

Tim's thoughts on Curly's funeral were moving. (Why is 'buried in the mud' so much more sad than 'in the ground/earth'?) And tying in Dallas too. All the 'lost chances' - that, and the way he misses the brotherly bond he sees between his own kids. All really good at tugging on our hearts, but also helping to focus Tim. I do feel that he's moved on, significantly. Although thinking of telling Curly he 'looked after these ones' hits me right in the feels, I love that you let him finish on good memories, that he can talk about the fun times too now.

This has been a great read. Thanks.

"See Curly, he could have said, I looked after these ones."

AUUGGHHH the feels. I love the quiet moments with Tim and his thoughts, where he actually lets the feelings in for awhile.

I love how you ended this ... there is hope for this version of the Shepard family, unlike the one Tim had when he was younger. Somehow, despite everything, it seems like his sons are going to be okay, and maybe that's all he can ask for.

Great story!

Phew! Excellent update after that cliffie... :)
I think it's very effective that Tim finds out that Darren's death holds so little meaning now. And I like the things he learns/recognizes in his sons, with reference to both Curly and himself: Jesse, young in a way they never were, Jay's poker face. This trip has been useful in ways he never expected.
Love that he can't resist making Tony shape up a little. You've woven in so many echoes of Tim, Curly and the life they led.

I would never have said it's been that long since you updated - I had to double check the date of my last review for last chapter, I guess the story is so strong in my mind. :)

Nice contrast between how Tim and Darren's relationships with their kids worked out, and then the idea that the Shepard gang would have behaved just like Darren's boys.
I liked the line about "You made your own prison..."
And, although I'm writing this after I've read on, at the time this was posted the cliffhanger was !