Babette's Story

"I'm gonna kill that fuckin' nance!" Richie roared.

"He's the law, Rich. What good is that gonna do, besides get your ass thrown in jail for the rest of your god damn life? Huh?" Eli tried to make make his brother think clearly.

"I'll gladly serve my time to get rid of that son of bitch!" Richie retorted. "He nearly beat aunt Gillian to death and kidnapped our 7 month old niece! And let's not forget the unspeakable shit he did before that. Consequences in this situation don't mean a thing!" Richie spat through gritted teeth, his voice laced with venom.

Aunt Gillian was still unconscious when she was brought to the hospital. She was in bad shape. Pop and Angie stood with her to keep us up to date on how she was doing. The county police had also been called to investigate. They had asked us the same questions, which none of us had answers to. When we told them that she mention Deputy Rakes name they practically ignored us.

"He's gon' get his alright." It was Howard who spoke this time. "I won't rest until my niece is back where she belongs." His glassy blue eyes showing every ounce of animosity towards the deputy. I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts and zoning in and out of the threats that were being spat, that I didn't notice Jack's constant movement. He was back and forth across the diner carrying things and placing them on a nearby table. I refused to look at Forrest out of fear that I would lose whatever grip I had on my sanity, but I could feel his gaze burning holes into me.

Suddenly, Danny was bursting through the front door with a few men from town. "You boys ready?" Was all that he asked to get my brothers and the Bondurants up out their seats and moving. Forrest' massive figure flew right pass me and up the stairs to our room. I knew what they were going to do. I knew that they were going after him and it awoke something in me. As quickly as Forrest was up those steps, so was I. He was seated in his chair loading his shotgun. He stopped instantly when he heard my hasty steps enter the room. I was slightly winded from dashing up the stairs.

"I'm goin' with you." I rushed out. His scowled at me. "I can't stay back waiting to hear any type of news." He loaded the last shell into his gun, cocking it back and leaning the barrel of the shotgun on his right shoulder- He stood slowly from his seat, eyeing me simultaneously.

"You're staying here, Babette." He said calmly. I started shaking my head in defiance, but he spoke up once more. "You're stayin' here, ya understand me?" He took a step closer.

"No, Forrest. No, I'm not staying here. I'm coming with you to get our daughter." I spoke with my new found confidence. He licked his lips and pressed them together tightly. Clearly trying to keep his anger in check.

"I said you ain't comin', Babette!" His voice growing louder when he said my name. I flinched a little but stood my ground.

"Like hell I ain't! That sick fuck has my lil girl! There's nothing you could say to keep me here." I turned to walk out of our room when his rough hand gripped my arm.

"This ain't no social call. We don't know what we walkin' into. We don't know what we gon' find. You are stayin' here, you hear me." I ripped my arm out of his grasp, whipping around to face him.

"What am I suppose to do here!? Sit and worry? Is that what you want me to do? Our lil girl's fate is resting in the hands of a monster!" My tears started to fall. "I can not stay here and do nothing."

"Do ya see what I'm holding in my hand? Did you see what those men were holding when they came in? The son of a bitch caused too much for this to not end in bloodshed." He tried to reason.

"Including yours?" I stared up into his eyes. He said nothing, but he didn't need to say a thing for me to come to my own conclusion. I scoffed and nodded my head. "As if seeing you with your throat slit open wasn't enough for me." I said more to myself than anything.

"What's that s'pose to mean?" He eyed me skeptically.

I shook my head staring down at my feet. "Nothing. It means nothing Forrest." This was not the time for this discussion.

"What 'chu mean by that? You left before that happened." He looked at me through hooded eyes but I made no attempt to make eye contact with him. "You came back that night?"

"Does it matter Forrest? It happened, you dealt with those men and now its over. There's no reason to bring up old news." I said, my eyes looking everywhere else around the room.

"Were they here when you came back?" He wasn't gonna let this go.

"It doesn't mat-" He cut me off.

"It does." He said almost too calmly.

"It doesn't. Me and Ang came back and found you in a pool of your own blood. Dyin' Forrest. We dropped you off at the hospital, but they were too scared to stick around so we left you there alone. Guess that puts a damper on your god damn legend." I spat out sarcastically.

"Who's they?" My eyebrows furrowed and I realized my mistake. I started to try to explain myself but he spoke again. "You said 'They' were too scared. So who else was there?" I stared at him, my eyes welling up with fresh tears. "Maggie came back?"

I knew he wasn't going to leave it be. "She never left Forrest." I whispered. "Or at least she never got the chance to leave." His eyes flashed with fury needing no further explanation to know what had happened. He started moving double time around the room. Placing his revolver in the back of his pants, and putting extra rounds into his sweater pockets. I began to follow him out of our room, when he stopped abruptly at the bottom of the steps. He blocked me from going any further.

"Hey Eli, ya mind staying back? Keep your sister from doing something stupid?" My eyes grew wide. He was treating me like a child.

"Trust me Eli you don't need to do that. I'm goin' out with you boys to get my daughter back." Eli was about to protest but Richie beat him too.

"No the fuck you ain't! You got no business being out there, Baps." He was leaning on the wall by the screen door.

"I have every right to be there!" I said my voice growing thick from unshed tears and frustration. I tried to push pass Forrest' massive frame but he wouldn't budge. In a split second I was up and over Forrest' shoulder, being carried right back to our room. I pounded on his back and yelled at him to put me down- which fell upon deaf ears. He tossed me on to the bed and in a matter of seconds I was up and beating on his chest in anger.

"I'm not staying back! I'm going to get my baby girl!" I shouted as I kept swinging at his chest. He just stood there. Never raising a hand. Never pushing me away or grabbing my hands to stop the abuse. He just took it. I could feel myself getting tired and weak from screaming and from hitting Forrest. My knees started to buckle when suddenly I was pulled into his chest tightly. I lost it. The little bit of composure that I had in this situation was gone. I sobbed inconsolably into Forrest' chest. One of his hands tangled in my hair while his other arm was wrapped around my lower back supporting me.

"I'm gon' get her back... I promise." There was something different in the tone of his voice. It didn't hold that sense of authority that he usually held. It was broken. He was trying to be strong for me, but he could barely keep it together either. His body shuddered.

"I-I-I-I d-don't think I-I can go on without her Forrest." I cried out. "Not my baby Forrest. Not my Baby. Not my..." My voice was caught in my throat. No sound came out. My head just swayed back and forth trying to catch my breath. My knees gave out and Forrest was just as quick to place me slowly on our bed. A couple of sobs escaped my mouth and then it was silent. My body grew still. I stared off into nothing. I was in shock. Forrest was on his knee in front of me. I could feel his intense worried eyes on me.

I was in a trance. "She's my heart Forrest." I whispered hoarsely. "How can I go on without my heart." I finally stared him in his eyes. They were glassy. His eyes held all the pain that I just showed. I reached for his cheek, stroking it gently with my thumb. He grabbed my hand kissing my palm before he rose to his feet.

"We got enough on our plate to have to worry 'bout ya too" He sighed heavily. "Stay put... for me." He pleaded. I bit my bottom lip trying to keep the new tears from spilling and just gave him a swift nod. He grabbed the back of my head and placed a long kiss on my forehead that spoke volumes. It said everything that neither one of us could put into words at the moment. I shut my eyes and then his kiss was gone.

"Forrest?" I called as I opened my eyes. He stopped at the threshold of our room, but never turned around. "Kill'em" I said through gritted teeth. He said nothing about what I said and continued down to his family, who were waiting to go on a man hunt for Deputy Rakes.

Forrest stopped at the top of the porch steps where Eli stood. They stood shoulder to shoulder. Eli spoke first. "She okay?" He asked worriedly.

"She's calm now." Was all Forrest could think of to say. Forrest then looked behind his shoulder seeing a scared Maggie by the bar. "Keep an eye on them both of'em." He gave a nod to the diner behind him. Eli assured Forrest that he would. With that Forrest loaded into the truck with his brothers. He offered no words to the men but instead said a silent prayer for the safety of his little girl.