A/N-

I have had this written for a long time and was always going to be the end of this Fic. I have loved writing this story and this was originally going to be chapter 23 and that would have been the end but I have lost a lot of the time I used to write in and I have also lost the inspiration on this particular Fic.

I wanted this to see the light of day and to cap off this story with this fun chapter!

Thank you so much to all of you have stuck with me through the almost 7 years of writing this with lots of hiatuses of course! Y'all have made this an amazing experience and I am so grateful for all of your time and kind reviews!

Disclaimer- I own nothing I just like to play in the sandbox.

Five Years Later - Thanksgiving 1940

Maggie was laying in bed waiting for Forrest to come and join her and she was beginning to wonder what was taking him so long. When she heard Jack call out to her, she shot up out of bed, put her robe on and hurried down the stairs. She rounded the corner and saw her husband standing there next to Jack, soaked to the bone and shivering so much his teeth were chattering loudly.

"Forrest! What the hell happened?" She cried as she ran to him placing her hands on his cheeks and then his forehead.

He was freezing. Maggie knew that if she didn't get him out of his wet, frozen clothes fast he could die from pneumonia.

"Mmmmm... f..fff..ffine woman. Jjjusttt neeeddd taaa lie ddddowwnnn gettt soooommme resstt"

"Damn it! Forrest Bondurant you get upstairs and out of them clothes this second!"

She gave him a stare that he knew, after years of living with the woman, meant that she was deathly serious. He grunted and mumbled something that sounded like, "God damn steps!" Maggie smirked and then turned to Jack.

"I need as many extra blankets as you have as quick as possible."

Jack turned to leave but Maggie stopped him, "Could you or Bertha check on Fran please? She hasn't been sleeping well since... nightmares and such, but I need to focus on Forrest right now." Jack nodded and gave her a quick hug before they were both off to their respective destinations.

When Maggie got to their room she found Forrest fumbling to get his button down shirt off. She marched over to him and began quickly ridding him of all his clothing. Once he was naked she peeled off her robe and nightgown and walked him swiftly to the bed, forcing him under the covers. She then climbed into bed with him and hugged him close so that her body heat would help to bring his body temperature back up to normal. She rubbed his chest using the friction to create heat. There was a knock at the door, and Forrest groaned but Maggie ignored him and called out telling Jack to come in.

"Jack can you lay the blankets over him?" Maggie spoke swiftly and clinically and saw Jack nod.

He followed her instructions and left to check on his niece. Maggie hummed softly trying to get Forrest to relax. He grunted and then spoke softly,

"We best get our clothes back on, Franie will be in here any minute."

Maggie smiled and shook her head as she continued to rub Forrest chest.

"Jack's checkin on her. He and Bertha are gonna take care of her tonight, we got other things to take care of tonight."

Forrest grumbled but realized it was useless to argue with her now.

"Rub your chest please, I need to get your feet and toes warm before they get frostbitten."

Forrest nodded and grunted affirmatively. Maggie wiggled down the bed and grabbed Forrest feet sticking them swiftly in her hands rubbing quickly.

"Forrest, what happened?" She asked gently while massaging his feet back to semi-warmth.

"Took a walk, needed some damn air and then sorta danced inta the lake. Ice was too thin I reckon..." He spoke quietly.

"Forrest!" Maggie said exasperatedly.

"We talked about this when we decided to have Frances. You can't just be doin stupid things that are jus gonna get ya killed. What the hell made ya wanna dance anyway?" Maggie felt bad for nagging at him but she couldn't bear the thought of having to raise their daughter without him.

"Jack 'n Howard were naggin' at me 'gain" he paused "I don' know Maggie just felt like it. Weren't really thinkin much."

Maggie sighed and gave him a quick kiss.

"Alright Forrest. Are you feelin warmer?"

Forrest mumbled a "yes" and Maggie came back fully to the top of the bed.

"Put your feet between my legs and your hands between us. Lets try ta sleep now."

Forrest grunted sleepily and Maggie could tell he was exhausted. She stayed with him for a few hours untill she hear a soft knock on the door and saw Bertha peek her head in.

"I'm so sorry Maggie but Frances is begging for Forrest."

Maggie nodded her head. Her daughter was most definatly a daddies girl.

"Ok Bertha, give me a second and I'll be down."

Bertha smiled and shut the door. Maggie gently untangled herself from her husband and tucked the blankets tight around him. She placed a gentle kiss on his head and heard him moan her name softly. She smiled and grabed her nightgown off the floor and put her robe on over it. When she came out of the room she made her way over to the stairs and down to the kitchen where she could see a light on. As she steped into the kitchen she saw her 4 and a half year old daughter sitting at the table shaking and crying softly.

"Frances sweetie, whats wrong? Did you have a nightmare again?" Maggie spoke softly to her daughter as she lifted her up out of the chair she was sitting in.

"Momma where's Papa? I want Papa!" Frances cried into her mothers shoulder.

"I know honey but Papa is sick and he can't come right now. But he told me to tell you he loves you and that those men are never gonna hurt you baby. Your Papa will always be there to take care of you, ok." Maggie was gently rocking her daughter, while rubbing small circles on her back.

"Me come and help you take care'a Papa?" The child asked as she brought her eyes up to look at her mother begging softly.

"I'm sorry sweetie, you can't see Papa right now and Momma needs to go help him, so can you be a big girl and go with Aunt Bertha and Uncle Jack? I promise they can keep you safe. And remember, Uncle Howard is just down the hall, so he can protect you too. Nobody is gonna get to you with your Papa and your uncles that close. And I bet if you ask real nice Aunt Bertha and Uncle Jack will let you sleep in their room." Maggie spoke calmly trying to get the little girl to calm down so that she could get back to Forrest. Frances turned her head to look at the young couple.

"Uncie Jack I come swleep wit you pwease?" Jack chuckled and nodded to the little Bondurant.

"Come on Franie, lets go get in bed and then in the morning I bet we can convince your cousins to make a snowman!"

Frances' eyes lit up at that idea and practicly leaped into her uncles waiting arms. Maggie mouthed a thank you to her brother and sister-in-law and quickly made her way back to Forrest. As she opened the door she was surprised to find that the light was on and her husband was sitting up in bed twiddling his thumbs ever so softly.

"What are you doing up?" Maggie spoke softly as she stripped down again and climbed into bed with him.

"I woke up an' you wern't here. I was about to get up and come lookin... where'd ya go anyway?"

Maggie sighed she knew if Forrest thought that his baby girl was scared and crying for him, she would have a hell of a time keeping in bed. On the other hand she wouldn't lie to him. They hadn't lied to each other since the day she told him about what happened the night his throat was slit, all those years ago, and she wasn't going to start now.

"Fran was being difficult, cryin' out for her Papa so Bertha came ta get me." As she said this she felt Forrest begin to try to get up. "Oh no you don' Forrest shes fine now, Jack got her to go with them promising to help her get all the kids to build a snowman tomorrow."

Forrest looked at her and sighed he knew his woman wsn't going to back down on this it was one of those things he both loved and hated about her. She was always resolute when she had made up her mind.

"Alright... Mmmm... 'm I gonna be allowed to get outta this bed anytime soon?" He grunted out the question as he lay back down in the bed.

Maggie laid right on top of his chest as they did every night. Maggie kissed his chest, right above his heart.

"Yes dear, in the morning I fully expect you to help our daughter with her snowman seeing as we all know non of the other Bondurant men have any skill at it." Forrest chuckled soflty.

"Good. I'm sorry 'bout all this. I know I scared ya." Forrest spoke into her long curly hair as he brushed his fingers through it. She shook her head against his chest.

"I love you Forrest. I'll always be here when you need me."

"I love you woman. Now go ta sleep, I hear we got us a date with some crazy red-headed 4 year old in the morning."

A/N-

Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed this last chapter!

Thank you to edavis1007, bitterpillpack, girlwithawikedmind, and magicalrapulent for favoriting this story!

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Alright thanks again everyone!

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