Babette's Story

My body felt loose limbed as I woke the next morning. Tangled with Forrest' massive body, surrounded by his heat. The bright sunlight from outside instantly turning everything it touches into a golden haze. Forrest' chest rumbled with a satisfied moan at the barely there touch of my fingertips across his chest.

"If you had more sense in ya, you would take advantage of the extra time to sleep." Forrest' deep voice mumbled.

I snickered. "I think I'm to use to having her here to enjoy a few more hours of sleep." I rolled onto my back. Forrest' and my left hand resting intertwined just above my left shoulder. Staring up at the ceiling, I couldn't help but envision the chubby rosy cheeks of my daughter when she smiled. "Think we should pick her up now?" I turned my head up to get a look at his face. He stared back at me expressionless. His free hand gently started to caress my cheek. I shut my eyes reveling in his touch. Forrest' lips latched onto mine with a slow sensual kiss. It was his way of saying, "In just a minute" answering my question without really answering it. He certainly took my mind off going to pick up our daughter in a hurry.

We were up and ready to head out by noon. Forrest kept the diner closed for the day, mainly due to the fact that certain people were unaccounted for. Well, all those except for Howard and Angie who could be heard downstairs in the wee hours of the morning causing a commotion. Forrest and I knew exactly where they were.

"I'll wait for you out front, Forrest!" I call out to him as I open the screen door. He was in his office sorting through some stuff before we headed out.

It was a beautiful day out. A perfect spring day. The warmth of the sun and the slight breeze against my skin felt wonderful. My wavy hair whipping pass my face. Taking a quick glance at my surroundings I instantly do a double take towards the shed. My eyes nearly popping out of my head at the sight of Bertha Minnix and the youngest Bondurant bashfully heading towards my direction. Clearly they didn't plan on seeing any of us. As they got closer I desperately tried to keep my growing smirk hidden from the two obviously embarrassed people.

"Afternoon you two!" I say offering a huge grin. Bertha's cheeks redden while Jack just offers up his boyish smile. Just then Forrest steps out immediately halting and staring wide-eyed at the two before clearing his throat and giving them a nod. It remained quiet for a few seconds too long.

"Umm... we're gon go get Arrilyn from her aunt's." Forrest drawled. Jack nodded using that as his cue to rush Bertha inside to save her from this awkward encounter. Walking towards the car I couldn't hold in my fit of giggles. Forrest' lips twitched as he shook his head. The pastor's daughter with a Bondurant... Her daddy is going to Love that.

We took our time driving over to aunt Gillian's. It really was nice to have some alone time with Forrest, but I couldn't wait to smother her with kisses. Driving up to aunt Gill's I noticed that neither of the cars were parked out front. Walking up to the house I noticed that the front door was slightly ajar.

My instant reaction was to rush through the door, but immediately I was halted by Forrest' hand pushing me back as he placed his body in front of me. Blocking my view as he opened the door the rest of the way. The sight I was welcomed too was pure chaos. Aunt Gillian's house was completely ransacked. Everything destroyed. My hands rose up to cover my mouth from letting out a whimper. Adrenaline kicking in not even a second later and I was running for the stairs up to aunt Gillian's room. I heard Forrest calling my name but I didn't pay mind to him.

"Aunt Gillian!" I yelled my voice cracking and hoarse. Upstairs was just as bad as downstairs. My tears starting to flow freely because I was expecting to find the worst. I quickly rushed back downstairs to search thoroughly for any sign of my aunt or daughter or father. Forrest was on the phone, no doubt giving his brothers and Danny orders. He slammed the phone down. Our gazes locking. His jaw clenched tightly and I knew he was preparing for the worst as well. Before I lost the little composure that I had I ran for my brothers and pop's room. No one was there and I could feel the heaviness of my heart becoming unbearable.

"Babette!" Forrest yelled for me and I immediately went running to him. He was in the kitchen. I stopped in place at the sight of a woman's feet sticking out from the pantry. My chest starting to heave.

"I-is s-s-she alive?" I stuttered. Forrest went further inside the pantry. I took very small steps toward my aunts feet. I could hear myself whimpering at the sight of the bloody handprints and shredded clothes my aunt wore.

"She's still breathing Baps." As soon as those words left his mouth I was by his side propping my aunts head on my lap.

"Where's our lil girl, Forrest?" I was crying inconsolably. I sniffed. "Where is she!? I searched the whole god damn h-house. I-I want- I want my baby girl!!" I was becoming more and more frantic by the second. Just then, a parade of stomping could be heard by the front door.

"Jesus Christ! What the hell happened?" Richie's deep voice could be heard, as well as many others. Meaning that the rest of the Bondurants were here as well.

"F-Forrest w-we need to get her to a hospital." I stared blankly at my aunt's beaten face. I could hear my cousins scared voice. Instantly my eyes shoot up widely to Forrest' cold hard stormy eyes. "Don't let her see her mother this way." He makes his way through the mess. Once he's completely out of sight I break down. Silently crying hysterically, rocking back and forth at the thought of my daughter missing, or possibly worse. I didn't want to imagine that. Hadn't I suffered enough loss in my life.

"Please let her be okay... please let her be okay." I whispered a silent prayer. Horrible heaves taking control of my body, when I felt my unconscious aunt stir. I looked down at her tears still flowing freely, but I said her name hoping to get some sort of response. Her eyes were still shut but her lips were moving. I placed my ear closer to her mouth hoping to hear what she was trying to say. She was mumbling.

"I.... t-tried.... to fight....." She trailed off. I shook her gently trying to keep her up long enough to find out who did this.

"Aunt Gilli, aunt Gilli I need you to stay with me, okay?" I sniffed. "Where's Arrilyn?" I waited a few seconds praying that she would say something. When she didn't I pressed on. "Who did this aunt Gilli?" Her lips started moving again and u wasted no time placing my ear to her lips once again.

"R-R-Rakes....." Was all that she said. it was all that she needed to say for my heart to skip a few beats. My body went cold. He has my lil girl... oh my god! That son of bitch has my lil girl.

"Forrest!! Forrest!!" I scream. Forrest was there in seconds with an almost scared expression on his face. He was followed by his brothers and mine as well. I stare up at him blankly, "He took her." I said almost inaudibly. His eyebrows furrow.

"Who took her?" He asked deathly calm.

Staring back down at my aunt's face I answer him. "Rakes. She woke up, and she started mumbling something. I-I asked her w-who did this and she said his name." I sobbed. "He's using her to get to us, Forrest."

Angie's panicked voice fills the eery silence that followed my revelation. She ran to my side taking my place propping her mother's head on her own lap. I slowly rise to my feet and walk by everyone in a daze. I walk out onto the front porch in a trance- walking right pass my pop without a word.

I feel nothing anymore. I'm numb. Knowing what this monster is capable of I can already feel myself losing hope in being reunited with my daughter. I can hear commotion coming from inside but I block out the noise. Their yelling, making threats, making plans to get Arrilyn back. Each one coming up with ideas on how to torture Deputy Rakes and make him beg to put him out of his misery. But I never heard Forrest voice anything. Mostly because unbeknownst to me he was standing at the threshold of the front door right behind me.

We moved outta New York City to escape the pain of loss, but we moved right into a county where pain just followed without invitation.