A/N: Well it's finally come to this, the final chapter. I will admit too, this is very bittersweet for me, not only because I spent a little over a year and a half writing it, but also because it is my last long story here on fanfiction. I knew it would be a long story, I just didn't know it would take so long and I blame the many transitions I made along the way. From finally graduating from college, to moving to Florida, to driving back to Colorado with a friend, and then moving in a new place that took me forever to get used to. It just took forever. But you know, it was an amazing experience and full of so many memories. I know I lost a lot of readers, many of them good friends, but I gained a few more and I loved hearing from every one of you with your reviews. Even if a few of you only wrote one sentence, I will admit, I am not really a fan of those, mainly because they don't dive in and say what you really liked about the chapter. And I just got five of those in a row in my last chapter. So please say more in the review, it makes me happier.
Truthfully I think the plot worked better with how long it took me; a few later scenes weren't added until much later. I always planned on Marge having a girl instead of a boy, and one time for about a week I toyed with the idea of Jenna becoming pregnant with Homer's child, then her and the baby dying at childbirth. But it just sounded too cruel and I really didn't want to kill anyone off in this story. Homer nearly committing suicide was an idea I came up with about four chapters before that one and of course the car accident thing was last minute. And of course the biggest story here was the idea of Moe's life. I actually had a long conversation with Calculated Chaos (someone I miss very much, and wish for him to return) about what would make a good idea, Moe in a bar in Florida or Moe in a bar in New York but was also in trouble with the mob. After a while we began to realize that the New York story was great, but would make the story too long and would be a totally different story in and of itself and that was what brought about the idea of Key West. A place I still have not visited, but dream of going one day just for the fishing and the Dry Tortugas.
I know I'm rambling, and I apologize, I actually thought an author's note before the story was good, just so you would not have to read my blabbing afterward. But any way, I just want to say thank you to so many wonderful readers and reviewers. First off I want to mention a few who disappeared and stopped reading altogether. CalculatedChaos, Undead Samurai, Bdlywrttn, and Bruelock. You guys were my muses for the longest time. I miss you all so if you are reading this, just so you know I'm not mad, mainly because you helped me out a lot and kept me sane. You all did leave me and that's probably why my updates got really sporadic, but as you can see I carried on. But thank you guys for being around since forever. I will never forget you guys for as long as I live. You guys wanted me to write this, and you guys did read, but life got in the way. It sucks but it happens, so thank you guys, you meant a lot to me.
Then there are the others, you all played an important role too believe me. There were actually so many different faces, especially near the end and it just boggled my mind really, most were just one review wonders meaning I always wonder if they are still reading it. I would thank everyone individually and say how awesome they were but, that would take too long so I will just name you guys. So big thank you to Cartoonfanatic (Keep up the good work too, you've come a long way baby), Gypsy-Rosalie, futureauthor, Son of Whitebeard, Smileysarah, Javagirl1992, Lachal, Honeygoddess57, Symbermine, 8thweasleykid, A writer with mixed interests (Lucy simpson Griffin?), Innocent Fox, newSlove, damonika2009, xlilslayerx, kkman57, treacletoffee, berryfairy, Shoz999, and LittleGreenPen. And most importantly the biggest thank you yet to Chnprod22 from Deviant Art. She was such a big help mainly getting me back to what I should be doing. And of course the lovely drawings she did. I wish her the best when she goes to college and I hope we can remain friends. If I have forgotten anyone, I apologize; please let me know if I did. If I remember I will send you all a private message later to say hi and thank you once more when you all review one more time.
So what's next for me you might ask? Well I do have one more chapter of Hope and Expectations so far that I promised Chnprod that will be here in less than two months depending on what I'm up to. I would say I'm done after that, but I might write a few one shots here and there, so be on the lookout. I will stay around and read your stories and review when I can. But most important, I do have an original story that I hope to one day publish, it will be science fiction, basically involving an alien who investigates major crimes. Kind of like Sherlock Holmes, only crankier and kind of short. The character's name will be Taiyg, so be on the lookout. Maybe he will show up in bookshelves one day.
Any way I guess that's all I really have to say for now, so thank you all so much again and I hope this final chapter will be the perfect ending to the story that I thought would never end. Also apparently you can now see how many people like your stories; I was never actually a fan of that idea. I think it's always nice to keep that a secret. And what is up with the sudden influx of Sideshow Bob stories? Any way let's finish this.
Three years later.
It was Sunday morning and Homer slowly awoke to a new day. For a while he lay there quietly, thinking about his plans for the day. He had promised Lisa he would take her to the park for a picnic and to play, but he also had a much bigger plan in mind. Carefully he rolled over and put his arm around Marge who was also starting to stir. She took his hand and both lay together quietly for a few moments before Marge had to adjust herself.
"Did he move?" Homer asked as he opened his eyes and looked down at Marge's large tummy. She was five months pregnant and really starting to show now.
"Just a little kick," Marge replied as she sat up and kissed Homer on the cheek.
Homer only smiled and thought about his plans for the day. The little miracle inside of Marge came to a surprise to both of them five months ago. Both of them really did not mind the idea of having another baby, the problem was, Homer had not married Marge yet. They were still boyfriend and girlfriend only because Marge was so worried about the idea of marrying again, even though Homer promised to never break her heart like Artie did. But he hoped to change that at the park, he had a ring and he was ready to propose.
"Are you still up for a picnic with Lisa today?" Homer asked.
"Of course! She won't stop talking about it!" Marge replied.
Homer could not help but smile as he thought about Marge's daughter. She never really knew her real father, only met Artie about three times in her three years of life since the divorce. She never saw him as her real father and instead called Homer her father. Homer felt so proud about it and was not afraid to share it with his best friends. Even Abe was proud of his son for helping Marge in her hour of need and was waiting for Homer to propose so he could call himself a grandfather. If Marge said yes today, things would be perfect, he would finally have what he wanted, even a good job. He was actually able to get one at the Nuclear Power Plant.
"Mommy! Daddy!" The small voice of Lisa called as she ran to her parent's room, still in her pajamas and holding onto a little teddy bear that Homer had bought her when she turned two. Her hair was still the color of her fathers, black but curly and pointy like her mothers. Other than that, she looked like her mother with she soft eyes and the cute little round nose.
"Hey kiddo! How's my little girl doing?" Homer asked as he lifted her up off the floor and set her between him and Marge.
"Is my brother here yet?" Lisa asked with a pouty look on her face while staring down at Marge's large belly. Marge had told her that she would be having a baby brother very soon; of course toddlers never knew the exact concept of time so she was unaware that it would be another three months.
"Not yet," Homer replied.
"When?" Lisa asked.
"Not for a while, he needs some time to prepare, but don't worry he's coming, just give it some time," Marge replied.
"Okay, can he be my Christmas present then?" Lisa asked.
Homer and Marge could not help but laugh at that. "Hopefully he will be here sooner than that," Marge replied. Of course Christmas was not for many months now and Lisa's birthday had already passed so both where not sure how to tell her when the baby was due.
"Will he kick his way out?" Lisa asked as she patted her mother's tummy.
"I surely hope not, that would hurt," Marge said.
"Well then how will he come out?" Lisa asked with a little worry in her voice.
Homer knew he had to intervene and quickly scooped up Lisa. "Why don't we let Mommy rest for a little bit while we prepare for our picnic?"
"Yay!" Lisa cried as she jumped out of the bed and ran to her room to get dressed.
Marge watched them go; she could not help but smile at the two as they worked so well together. And she kept wondering if Homer did ever ask the question would she hesitate or would she gladly say yes? She had been with him for three years now, he moved in with her six months after her divorce with Artie. They talked about marriage when they could, and it took a while for Marge to agree on the idea, she really wanted the love to last, and was afraid Homer would change his mind about her. She finally knew that it would not be the case little less than five months ago when she found out she was pregnant. It took her a few days to tell Homer but when she finally did, Homer could not help but smile for hours on end and was even more excited than she was. He told everyone he knew and began to feel guilty about not being married to marge yet.
Because of this, Marge began to realize that life was good now, Homer was always around and taking care of things, never at all like Artie. Artie did help with child support every month and usually wrote her a letter about what was going on. Apparently his life was not as exciting as hers. She let out a sigh, trying to get her ex-husband out of her mind; luckily the little miracle inside of her helped her with that by letting out a little kick. Marge patted her tummy and decided to get up and get ready. Lisa had been waiting for this day all week, and she did not want to let her daughter down.
It was the perfect day for a picnic, there were barely any clouds in the sky and the family was lucky enough to find a nice little spot under an oak tree right next to a little creek by the playground. While Homer and Marge made a nice little picnic spread, Lisa played in the playground and would occasionally come back to both of them to see how things were going. After a while, she got a little bored of sliding down the slide, so she helped them until everything was in its proper place. Once things were ready, the little family sat down and had some delicious turkey sandwiches, chips, and drinks while listening to the birds chirp and the kids play.
It's the perfect day isn't it Marge," Homer said with a sigh while Marge leaned against him as a more comfortable position.
"It definitely is, I'm glad you suggested it," Marge said as she took a swig of water.
"You know what would make this even better?" Homer asked as he dug through the bag that held the desserts in.
"More chocolate?" Marge asked as she watched Homer rummage through the bag.
"Well that," began Homer before pulling out a small velvet box. "But you know, I think it's time we realized that…well…I mean at least I think. Maybe perhaps we don't need to find anyone else to make us happy." Homer opened the box to reveal a diamond ring that shone when the light hit it just right.
Marge looked down at it in shock, unable to speak while tears began forming in her eyes. "I promise you Marge that I will never leave you for someone else. I will never let you go, and even if I don't have much to offer, I hope my love for you will do." Homer said as he waited for a reply.
Marge stared for a few moments, forgetting that she needed to answer. She knew the proposal was coming soon, but didn't realize it would be that day. She knew she needed to say yes, she needed to stop being nervous and realize that all men were not like Artie. Homer was loyal, honest and simply amazing, she could not say no. Finally she leapt forward, hugging Homer tightly before finally replying. "Yes Homer! Yes!"
Homer could not help but cry a little as Marge hugged him tightly. He could not believe it, she actually said yes. They were going to be a real family now, a real married couple with two children and a wonderful future in store for them.
At least that was what Homer believed any way, and he was right. If they could both look into the future at that exact moment, they would discover that their lives would work out perfectly. They would marry shortly after the birth of Marge's second child and Homer's first. A boy named Bartholomew J. Simpson. He would grow to be just as wild and crazy as his father, causing mischief wherever he went and driving his parents bonkers. But they still loved him just the same, and both were very proud of their special little guy. When Lisa turned eleven, another surprise would come to both Homer and Marge in the form of little Maggie Simpson. And even though she was a surprise, they still loved her just the same and cherished her day in and day out.
If they looked into the future, they would see Lisa growing up to be one of the smartest little girls they ever met. She would need glasses by the time she turned ten thanks her father's genes. She would be the spitting image of her mother, save for the dark hair, and she would love her step father to death. She would one day meet her half-sister Silvia during a spelling bee contest. Silvia was just as smart as she was and both would compete to see who was smarter than the other thanks to getting their smartness from their father Artie. Both would end up in a tie, but the rivalry would remain, neither one liking the other one.
Artie would remain a bachelor for the rest of his life, but would still be hounded by Olivia, he paid child support for her and was often asked by Olivia if he had any interest in marrying her. Artie would always say no, he simply did not want another commitment, especially with Olivia who he really did not love. He would be married to his work instead; he would soon move up the ladder of his job and become quite successful at what he did. Marge did not feel jealous of him, if that's what he wanted, then so be it, she had Homer to love now.
If they looked into the future, they would find that Clancy Bouvier would live longer than the doctors told him. Another twelve years to be exact! He passed away shortly after Lisa turned fifteen when the emphysema finally caught up with him. Everyone knew it was to be expected, but it was still a heavy blow, especially for Jacqueline who spent months trying to cope before finally accepting his departure from the world.
Abe Simpson would see his wife again in a few years, Mona would return one day after deciding that she had enough of running from the law and was ready to go into retirement. Abe was so happy to see her again and both lived a nice happy retirement in Abe's old house and would often baby sit for Homer and Marge when they wanted to have a special night together.
Finally if they looked one more time into the future, they would discover that Jenna would have a happy ending for her too. She would graduate from business school and become a successful business lady. In her new job she would meet the man of her life, Henry and they would marry a few years later and have two boys Connor and Timothy. She would meet up with Homer again one day, by pure accident. She would go to Capitol City for a conference and surprisingly enough, Homer would be there for his job. Both were so happy to see each other and both would exchange phone numbers and stay in contact for many years. Even Mick was lucky enough to continue on his journey all over the world singing his heart out, but never actually meeting the right girl. But he was okay with that, he loved his music the most and he was a happy traveler.
But at the moment, neither of them really cared what lay in store for them. Of course they knew they had to plan the wedding and prepare for Bart's birth, but other than that, they were just happy and content with their current situation. Homer had proved to Marge that he loved her more than any man would ever love a woman. He never stopped thinking about her even after they disappeared out of each other's lives, and when he finally saw her again, he would not let her go. Why it took Marge a while to see that, she was not sure. But now she was more than willing to let him be the man for her. To have children together, to take care of each other for as long as they would live, and to grow old together.
"Daddy!" Lisa called to Homer as she stood by the creek bed staring at something in the water.
Homer let go of Marge and made his way over to Lisa who was wading in a small part of the water where no current was, and all around her were tiny fish, biting her tiny toes.
"It tickles Daddy," Lisa said with a giggle.
Homer put his feet in the water and he too was nibbled on by the tiny fish. "They like us; did I ever tell you about how I used to catch big giant fish?"
"No! Were they bigger than these little fishes?" Lisa asked.
"Way bigger, some were as big as that rock over there," Homer replied as he pointed a boulder that was bigger than his head.
"How were you able to catch them, they're too fast," Lisa said as she tried to grab one, but it and all the other fish disappeared into the stream.
"We used a very strong fishing pole with yummy looking food on the end. Wanna know how I almost caught the most ferocious fish during a huge storm?" Homer asked.
"Did it try to eat you?" Lisa asked with fascination in her eyes.
"No but it did fight back and it was a tough battle too. And it all started when Uncle Moe decided to play a game with one of his biggest rivals during a very big hurricane…" Homer began as he grabbed a stick that looked like a fishing pole. He started to tell his story through action and words while Lisa sat on a nearby rock with her feet in the water, listening intently to her future step father's words and never taking her eyes off him.
From where they were having a picnic, not too far off, Marge was watching as Homer told the story to Lisa. A smile crept over her face as she felt proud for such a great interaction between Homer and Lisa. She was happy that Lisa adored him and that Homer felt the same about Lisa. She and Homer had made the right choice, they would be together through thick and thin, for as long as both shall live. It was a match made in heaven that wasn't seen until years after they had met. She knew she should have given him a chance in the beginning but she was young and naïve and went for the man who claimed to be a gentleman. She learned from her mistake and knew that what was going to happen now was not a mistake.
It was the way it should be.
The End