Ripped at the seams

Summary: Ponyboy is only three when his parents die. Darry and Soda try their hardest to take good care of him, but is their hardest good enough?

Disclaimer: I Don't own the Outsiders!

Chapter 4:

Darry POV:

"Honey can you pick Michaela up from school?" Janine asked me, as I left for work.

"Sure." I said as I left. Michaela was now ten and Jack was seven. Dally and Silvia were into their fourth year of marriage, Two-Bit and Fran were into their ninth year, Steve and Evie's son, Matt, was now two and Johnny had married a girl named Jessica.

Later that day:

Janine POV:

I was in the middle of cleaning the kitchen when there was a knock at the door. I walked to the door and opened it.

"Hi, how may I help you?" I asked the young man standing in front of me. it was amazing how much he looked like Darry and Soda.

"I'm looking for Darrel Shayne Curtis or Sodapop Patrick Curtis." He said.

"I'm sorry but they're not here at the moment, I can let them know you stopped by." I said and he nodded. "What's your name?" I asked, grabbing a notepad.

"Michael, Michael Hopkins." He said.

"Alright. Listen why don't you stop by here at around seven tonight. They'll both be here then." I told him smiling. He nodded and left. I wondered if he'd be ok talking to them in front of the whole gang. They were all coming for dinner.

Ponyboy POV:

I was driving around town now. I had just gone to the place I had been for the first three years of my life. Apparently I had been adopted. Imagine my surprise when my parents told me on my birthday.

Flashback:

"Honey there's something your father and I have to tell you. We always said we'd tell you when you turned eighteen." Mom had said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You're adopted. Your brothers are Darrel Shayne Curtis and Sodapop Patrick Curtis. Your real name is Ponyboy Michael Curtis."

"You were taken away because you were too young. Your parents had just died a few months before that and the state didn't believe that your brothers were in any condition to take care of such a young boy." My dad explained.

End of Flashback

Darry POV:

The gang was over for dinner and Janine had just told me that some Michael Hopkins had come looking for me and Soda during the day.

"I'll get it!" Jack yelled as he ran to the door.

"Uncle Darry it's for you!" he yelled and I went to the door. It was pretty quiet in the house but that was only because everyone was in the backyard.

"Hi how can I…" I started to ask but stopped when I arrived at the door.

"Darrel Curtis?" He asked. I just nodded. I couldn't believe he was standing in front of me. He was eighteen now and looked like a perfect match between me and Soda and my father and my mother. " I'm guessing by your expression that you know who I am." He said.

"So they finally decided to tell you." I simply stated.

"Yeah."

"Michael Hopkins." Janine said from behind me.

"Hi." Ponyboy said to Janine.

"Uhhh, Pony this is my wife Janine. Janine this is my brother Ponyboy." I said. Janine's mouth dropped to the floor and Pony looked nervous.

"It'll take a while for me to get used to that name." He smiled. I smiled too, he had a great grin.

"Come on, why don't you come with me. you can meet the gang and your other brother." I said as I took him in. we walked through the house and the whole time I was trying to get it into my head that this was the same three year old that had been taken away from me fifteen years ago. We reached the backyard and as soon as everyone set eyes on Ponyboy the party died, so to speak.

"Everyone, Ponyboy is back!" I said and everyone started cheering while Soda just looked like he was about to cry. He came up to me and Pony.

"You look nothing like you did the last time I saw you." He joked.

"Look at him! he's like the perfect cross between Dar and Soda, and their mom and dad!" Steve said.

"I imagine you've had more than a few problems keeping the ladies away." I said. We were all sitting at the tables at this point. Fran, Jessica, Janine, Michaela, Jack and Matt were all confused.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." He laughed. He seemed pretty relaxed for someone who was meeting the people he would have grown up with had it not been for the stupid state.

"Yeah? You got a girlfriend?" Sandy asked.

"Uhhh… not at the moment, no. But I'm definitely working on it." He smiled.

"Ok stop. Now before this goes any further, would someone please explain?" Janine demanded.

"Ponyboy is our brother. He was two and a half when our parents died and on his third birthday the state decided to take him away." I explained.

"So you're Ponyboy!" Mimi stated.

"Apparently."

"How come you never told me this?" Janine asked me.

"I don't know. I guess it was just a really hard subject." I said.

We spent the rest of the night hearing about Pony's life and telling him as much as we could. then when 12:00 rolled in Soda talked him into sleeping over.

Hey, hope you liked it, this is my last chapter. Sorry if I've disappointed anyone but this wasn't intended to be a long story. Please R&R:)