Just wanted to say thank you to those who have reviewed! And to those who read my stories, please review, I place lots of value on what you guys think of my stories! ^^ Also I am not going with the dates in the miniseries, but the dates used in YumKiwiDelicious's story, since my character's age directly corrolates with hers. Thank you everyone! ^^
Kentucky
Election Day 1883
Just as I had predicted, Bill Staton had been shot by Sam and Parris McCoy. And I knew, with a heavy heart, that the poor fool had brought it upon himself, not that anyone would ever hear me say it out loud as long as I lived. Sarah Staton left not a month after her brother's death. Good riddance by my standards. I had never liked the woman much, not even when she had given me the beautiful Bible that now sat on the mantelpiece of the cabin I now shared with my husband and children. My conscience pointed out that I had felt a bit warmer toward her on my sixteenth birthday, but my loyalty and love for Abi and Cotton won the internal argument every time, and I still was angered over how she had treated her step-children.
Speaking of children, the subject had been the center of my aunt Jenny's world since my aunt Lavicy had just had her youngest, Joseph, a very recent six months earlier. A soft gasp at my side jerked me out of my thoughts. I turned to Jenny, whose eyes had grown wide in shock, then narrowed as she scowled at something beyond my shoulder.
I turned to follow her gaze and felt my blood run cold. Tolbert McCoy was making a show of taunting my poor cousin Cotton-top, and right in front of my uncle! I watched as my uncle Ellison marched over to Tolbert, seizing the loud-mouth by the collar of his shirt and dragging him in front of Cotton-top in fury. The conversation was quieter now, and I could not make out what was said.
"Damn McCoys." Jenny hissed under her breath, her hands clenched into fists. "They never taught their boys to keep their traps shut."
I grunted as someone short hurtled themselves into my legs. I clutched my youngest tighter in my arms, unCaping to drop him. I glared down. Little Wall beamed up at me, oblivious to my anger.
"Valentine Anderson Wallace you know better'n to crash inta me like that!" I scolded. "How would ya feel if you made me drop yer baby brother, now?"
My oldest instantly sobered up, his lower lip quivering as his bright brown eyes widened in guilt.
"I'm sowwy mama." He said softly, bowing his little head and clasping his hands behind his back. I looked up to the heavens and sighed. Smiling gently I knelt down and looked Wall in the eyes.
"'S alright now baby, I ain't mad. But be more careful 'round yer brother ya hear?"
My oldest nodded eagerly and leaned forward to peer into his baby brother's face. Ellison had just turned ten months old, and was the exact opposite of his older brother when he was a babe. Baby Elli gurgled, burped, giggled, babbled and made every baby noise imaginable under the sun, at any time of the day or night. While Wall had my reddish-orange hair, Ellison was the picture of Tom, dark brown hair and big, soulful eyes.
"Honey! Honey help!" I scooped Wall up protectively, my eyes wide. I relaxed however, when I saw why Robert E. was calling for me. Violet and Victoria, my two little girls, had wrapped themselves around his shin, one poorly behaved child per leg, making it hard for the young man to shuffle his way over. I laughed and shook my head, transferring Wall's weight to my hip to watch the show. Robert E. did not appreciate it, and scowled at me as he slowly made his way over to Jenny and I. My aunt was having a hard time containing herself, and shook with poorly-concealed laughter.
"Can I help you, Rob?" I asked innocently, depositing Wall into the back of the wagon behind me. He sat on the edge of the lowered gate, swinging his small legs. I noted with gratitude that Jenny steadied the toddler with one hand before kissing his cheek. I fixed my twins with a stern glare.
"Alright girls, ya had yer fun. Now let go o' yer poor cousin 'fore you cut off th' circulation in his legs!" I had the feeling that my daughters did not know what that meant but they hopped off just the same, scrambling over to me and clinging to my skirts in apology. I smiled down at them and smoothed my free hand over their heads. I looked up to Robert E., who was rubbing his lower legs, a faint grimace on his face.
"Thanks fer watchin' 'em, Rob." I said, smiling at my cousin, earning a grin to replace the frown that was on his face moments earlier.
"No prob, Honey-bee." He replied, touching a knuckle to his forehead in salute before running off toward his pa's whiskey wagon, where Will, now known as Cap now sat, watching Abi return from comforting Cotton-top after the run-in with Tolbert. Johnse had just left his spot next to the wagon, not noticing Abi wave at him as he passed her, too intent on something or someone in the distance. I turned to look and groaned inwardly. Roseanna McCoy, that pale, slight thing was making eyes at my cousin as he made his way toward her. I glanced back to Johnse, his path would take him right past us, I planned to intervene.
"Johnse!" I hissed, leaning toward him as he approached. He did not hear me. As he came within reach I kicked him hard in the shin.
That got his attention.
"Jeez Honey-bee! What was that for?" He demanded, rubbing his shin while trying to look impressive for Roseanna. I scowled at my cousin's stupidity.
"What was that for?" I mimicked him. "It was to get yer attention away from that McCoy girl! What d'you think yer doin'? Ya got no business makin' eyes at her like you just done!"
Johnse rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at Roseanna as he spoke.
"I wasn't makin' eyes at no one, Honey-bee." He lied. I pinched his brawny arm.
"If you got as much brains as ya do brawn, then you'll do what's best and leave 'er be!" I hissed sharply, feeling my face flush in anger. But Johnse had resumed his love-struck eyes at Roseanna and waved me off, rushing off toward the McCoy girl. I aimed to kick him again as he left but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.
"There's nothin' to be done, Honey-bee." Tom's low voice told me. I looked up at my husband, then back after my by-far stupidest cousin.
"Unless o'course we thrash his crown 'gainst a wagon wheel. Maybe it'll knock some sense into 'im." My aunt Jenny put in cheerfully, scooping Violet and Victoria up off of the ground. I blinked in surprise at the remark. Since when had my great aunt Jenny had such violent thoughts? Tom saw the look on my face and laughed, tickling Wall in one arm.
"Don't go turnin' violent, Jenny." He remarked. "Yer scarin' Honey."
I shook myself out of it.
"She was not, Skunk-hair Tom Wallace!" I retorted, giving my husband a lofty look. "If anything I'd say it was you who was scared!"
Tom chuckled, waving a finger at baby Ellison in my arms and winking at me. I shook my head at my husband's cheerful disposition. I took Wall from his arms and nudged Jenny.
"What say you we move our little operation someplace else, Jen?" I asked. "Away from nincompoops like my husband!" I added this last bit with a pointed look at Tom, who merely rolled his eyes and tugged on a lock of hair that had come loose from my bun.
"Like you could leave me if ya tried, woman." He retorted playfully. I smirked.
"I already did once, for a four-year-old. Remember?"
Tom roared with laughter then, doubling over with mirth.
"Ya got me there, Honey-bee." He admitted as he stopped for air. "I'll see ya later." Tom gave all four of our young'uns a kiss before meandering off toward my great uncle Elias.
I smiled at my husband's retreating figure. Thought we did not always remain side-by-side in public, we somehow found our way back to each other after a short while. I could imagine the two of us carrying on our habit of affectionate bickering and picking at each other well into our senior years. I grinned at the thought as Jenny and I made our way over to the apple-bobbing barrels, coming to stop beside my sister Victoria.
I set Wall down but restrained him as he made to join the tickle-war that Cap and Abi were waging on Elias. Jenny nudged my shoulder and we shared a knowing look. I smirked as I adjusted baby Ellison in my right arm and hoisted Violet onto my hip. Cap stated that he would go get Cotton and he and Abi let up on Elias. Abi plopped herself down, dragging Elias into her lap.
"You know, if I did not know you two from a leaf on a tree I might say you and Cap were married and that boy was your son." My aunt Jenny said to Abi in her airy voice, passing my daughter to my sister Victoria, who snuggled up under her namesakes chin and went to sleep.
Abi turned away to stroke our cousin's hair, but not before a telltale blush graced her pretty face.
"Oh Jenny, but you are silly. You've been tryin' to convince me to marry Capiam for years." Abi grunted out the last part as she lifted Elias.
Aunt Jenny smiled.
"Maybe one day you'll pay me some heed."
I grinned and bounced Wall on my hip.
"Uncle Jim and I made a bet a few years back 'bout when you two're finally gonna end the suspense, Abigail." I teased. Victoria, my sister that is, turned to me in surprise, rocking my daughter in her arms.
"Ya never told me that, Honey." She commented, raising an eyebrow at me. I made a face at my sister teasingly.
"I don't tell ya everythin' Victoria."
My sister shook her head and grinned as Cap came back, Cotton in tow. I blinked in surprise, taken aback at the fearful look on Cap's face. When Abi asked if there had been any trouble and Cap denied it, I shot him a questioning look, which he pointedly ignored.
"Hello Jenny. Honey. Victoria." Cap greeted, looking at me blankly where I stared him in the eye. Jenny offered to watch after Elias after Cap announced that he, Abi and Cotton-top would be leaving. Cap thanked us, and we bid my cousins farewell. After they had left Jenny and I looked at each other a moment before our grins betrayed our thoughts.
"Lord almighty but Abi is NEVER gonna give in!" Jenny exclaimed, gently knuckling Elias's head. I smiled, shaking my head slightly. Wall laid his little head on my shoulder and I smiled, kissing his forehead.
"What was that about a bet with Jim, Honey?" Victoria spoke up, looping her arm through mine, little Victoria perched on her other hip. Jenny did the same on my other side, Violet staring at me sleepily. Had we been at home I would have put my daughters down for a nap right about now. I chuckled and ducked my head, shifting Wall on my hip, watching Elias out of the corner of my eye as he held onto Jenny's skirt with one hand.
"The day that we was all in court over that infernal pig, Jim and I were watchin' Abi and Cap, and he asked me how long I thought it'd be 'fore Cap asked for Abi's hand."
Victoria gasped lightly, the corners of her gaping mouth turned up slightly. I chuckled inwardly, my sister was still as gossipy as she was when she came of age.
"And what did you say?" She asked. I shrugged.
"I told uncle Jim that they were not of age."
Victoria rolled her eyes, nudging my shoulder. I grinned sidelong at my sister out of the corner of my eyes.
"I told him that I thought it'd be two years." I replied. "Although now it seems that I was wrong."
Jenny halted in her pace.
"Well I bet it'll be pretty darn soon." She said softly, frowning at nothing in particular in thought. I cocked an eyebrow.
"What d'you mean Jenny?" Victoria asked, leaning around me. Jenny resumed our pace.
"Well, accordin' to yer uncle Anse, who got it from Johnse, Cap has been pinin' over Abi somethin' awful durin' the past few months."
I frowned.
"So? Haven't they seen each other of late?" I asked.
Jenny shook her head.
"Not in about a month, a long time considerin' how close their pa's are."
I raised my eyebrows. I had to agree with Jenny there. By this time we had arrived at mine and my husband's wagon. Jenny and Victoria laid my daughters down in the back and I gently draped an old blanket around the two of them before taking baby Ellison in my arms again. When on earth was Abi gonna come to her senses?
"Have Johnse and Roseanna come back yet?" Victoria asked, seating herself beside me in the back of my wagon. I cast a glance off toward the woods, pulling a face as I did so.
"Nope." I replied huffily, adjusting baby Ellison's blanket around him in my lap. The crunch of leaves underfoot warned us of someone approaching and I looked up to see my husband come to stand next to me.
"We'd better get along home now, Honey-bee." He told me gently, helping me down, then my sister, looking up at the rapidly darkening sky as he did so. "It's gonna be gettin' dark soon and I don't want you and the kiddies here any longer'n necessary."
I smiled and nodded gratefully, giving my sister a kiss on the cheek before I climbed up into my husband's and mine wagon as we departed for home.
Later that night I was woken by the rustle of clothes and feet on the floor. I sat bolt upright in bed, seizing the large stick that I always kept on my side of the bed.
"Whoa, Honey-bee! It's jus' me darlin'."
My mouth dropped open and I squinted one eye at my husband.
"Tom?" I asked, drawing my shawl around my shoulders and heaved myself out of our bed.
"What on earth are you doin'?" I hissed quietly in the dark. Tom ran a hand through his brown and white hair before grabbing the rifle that always rested in one corner of our room.
At that moment, Cap came in, Violet on one hip. He shot me a sheepish grin.
"She woke up." He explained, handing me my daughter, his own rifle in his other hand.
I looked back and forth between my cousin and my husband.
"What on God's green earth is goin' on?" I demanded, drawing my shawl tighter around myself and my daughter, soothing her sleepy whimpers and kissing her little face.
Cap and my husband looked at each other before my cousin spoke up.
"Abi and Johnse are missin'." He told me, his voice tight, hand fisted so tightly around his rifle that his knuckles shone white.
"Missin'?" I gulped, clutching Violet tighter, my eyes wide. Cap shook his head and continued.
I stood rooted to my spot as Tom came over and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
"They're gonna be alright, Honey-bee." He told me gently but firmly. I could only nod as my cousin and husband left the room. I followed them out to the porch and watched as they rode out into the dark, cold night. I looked down at my sleeping daughter in my arms, then back into my house where my other three little ones slept.
"Lord, please let Abi and Johnse be alright." I prayed. Whatever hopes I had of the feud ending between my family and the McCoy's was gone. Everything was just beginning.