A/N: I DO NOT own Inglourious Basterds. Well here it is. The grand finale. I'm really sorry it took so long. I was having problems with my computer. I'll start reworking on the first story shortly though. Enjoy! It really has been a great journey and I love you all. I'll likely be doing another Inglourious Basterds fanfic soon.

ELI ROTH! I'M FOLLOWING YOU ON TWITTER. IN THE EVENT THAT YOU ARE READING THIS I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU SAY YOU WERE PLEASED! I AM TOO EXCITED NOW!

Anis

"It took meh awhile to find her when we got back."

I sat on the porch across from Aldo, listening to him as if he wasn't really there. I still couldn't get over the fact that she was dead. Annabelle. The most...well alive person I knew. When I had last seen her she was certainly kicking. She didn't look sick. She didn't look anything other than lively and soaked in blood, having just killed Germans.

So how exactly was she dead?

"I finally did. Caught up with her in New York. She was up in her old house. Dad an' sister moved out but she had found 'em. It didn't take me much to convince her to marry me, even though I knew she still cared abou' yeh."

"When exactly did the dying part come in?" I asked, ever so slighlty insensitive. If she had been with me, this probably never would have happened. Maybe. At least I wanted to think that.

"We wen' to bed one night an' she wouldn' wake up. I took her to the hospital an' they said she had a pretty nasty infection in her leg. Wasn't much to do but get rid of the leg itself."

"Fuck." I swore. So first she had lost an eye and now a leg. Damn. She had fought harder than any of us.

"Operation wen' fine. Everything was fine. At least that's what we thought. Didn' even make it outta tha hospital before she started throwin' up somethin' fierce. Got her back inside, but she jus' kept getting' worse an' worse. Doctors couldn' find out what was wrong with her."

I sat there, completely unable to say anything. Annabelle had always been such a fighter. The only time I had ever seen her defeated was when I found her in that cellar, bloodied and taken over by infection.

"Doctors told meh she ain't have much time left. Coupla weeks at the most. I was gonna have her flown cross-country but she stopped me. Said it was just her time. Got hitched right there in the hospital an' I sat there for two weeks an' watched her die. After she was gone they figured out what was wrong with her."

"What was it?" I asked.

"Another infection she picked up in tha hospital. Guess they ain't as clean as people would think. She went in tha middle of tha day."

He stopped talking, looking out into the street before us. A couple of kids were playing nearby, running around and screaming happily. I felt the overwhelming urge to go over there and tell them to shut the fuck up and go home, but I didn't.

She was dead. She was really dead. Not in a coma. Not depressed. No she was just dead. As in I'd never see her, talk to her, do anything again.

Aldo reached down into his bag at his feet and pulled out a small wooden box, engraved and decorated beautifully. Hand-carved no doubt.

"She wanted me to give this to yeh." he said, handing it to me.

I took the box, flipping the clasp then opening the lid and looking inside.

The first thing I saw was a picture of her. In that background was what I could only assume was Coney Island. Her hair blew in front of her face and she smiled happily, that insanely gorgeous smile I had see so many times. The most beautiful thing in the picture had to have been her eyes though, completely alive. They seemed to shine through the grainy picture, dancing happily before me.

I moved it aside, looking at what else was in the box.

There were two silver spoons, intricate pattens in the heads. I remembered back to that night when she first introduced me to absinthe, and we had both fallen into the bed, completely out of our minds.

Next there was a piece of red fabric, cut from something. I put it to my nose, inhaling deeply. Her scent was still on it, clinging to the fibers. For a moment I thought I could still feel its warmth. Thinking back to it I realized that it was probably a piece from that red dress she had worn the first time I had seen her. The tight fabric that clung to her curves, and she had been sexier than anything I had ever seen.

There were a few other things. A wilted flower, that I had remembered her picking during our day in Paris. A small flask, filled with something I would soon find out. Then...

A ring. Attached to a note.

I pulled it out of the box, setting it down before unfolding it and reading, my hands shaking.

Donny-

The obvious fact is that I love you. I will always love you. No matter what. I never stopped loving you. You were my first love. You were my everything.

I'm dying Donny. It's that simple. I'm dying. It's strange that I could really tell. Aldo doesn't know yet but by the time you get this I'll probably already have passed. I just wanted to thank you so much. Admist all of the things we went through on the other side, you kept me strong. I will never forget the night that you saved me. You loved me. I had never felt that before.

I got as many things as I could. Memories that only you and I shared. So that I can be with you forever. This ring is a promise. You will see me again one day, hopefully not for years and years to come, but nevertheless I hope it is a daily reminder of just how much I love you. I'll always be with you.

Don't stop living because of me. Get married. Have kids. Be happy. You will make a girl so happy one day. Just as happy as you made me. I love you. I love you so much Donny.

Ann

My hands shook wildly, and I shook my head as I felt tears come to my eyes. I took the ring off, looking at it before closing my fist over it and looking up at Aldo, who's face was streaked with tears.

He stood up, stepping forward and putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm leavin' Donowitz." he said quietly.

"Where are you going?" I asked, wiping my eyes and not caring about the snot running down my face. The way he said he was leaving didn't simply sound like he was leaving my porch. No like he was leaving leaving.

"One war may be over but that don't mean they all are. I'm going back in to fight."

He turned, grabbing his bag before making his way down the steps of my front porch. I sat there, my mind running together all at once. I stood up. Fuck getting married. Fuck being happy. What would truly make her happiest of all...would be me killing.

"Donny!" I called out.

He stopped, turning around.

"Where we headed?" I asked.

He gave a weak smile and came back up the porch.

Those would be the rest of my days.