*Author's Note*
Thank you for all the follows, faves, and reviews.
Christmas Eve, 1878
Tolbert POV:
When I woke up at dawn it was to the sight of Jessa curled up in my side. A smile spread 'cross my face at seein' her raven hair splayed 'cross my chest. It took her a while t'fall asleep last nite, but when she finally did, she was out for the count. I didn't wanna stir her or wake her up cause I knew she needed to sleep; badly. Carefully, I placed her sleepin' form on the empty part of the mattress next to me an' then I got out of bed. Quickly, but quietly, I dressed and left the house. Since it was Christmas Eve, I didn't have no work that needed done, 'cept fetchin' Jessa's things an' tellin' my folks 'bout us. I reckon I'd have her few meager things at our house 'fore she wakes up. I also needed t'get us some rings, but I was hopin' that poppy'd let me use my gran'parents' rings since I'd be the first one outta the kids settlin' down.
When I walked into my folks' house mama was makin' biscuit dough at the table while poppy was sittin' down at the head of the table sippin' on his mornin' coffee. My siblin's must've either still been in bed or up doin' barn chores or something.
Lookin' up from the biscuit dough she was kneedin', mama asked in her soft motherly tone, "Tolbert, it ain't breakfast time yet. Why're ya here so early for?"
"Come by t'collect Jessa's things." I answered as I walked towards the staircase that was 'tween the kitchen an' main room.
"Why?" Poppy barked, givin' me a rounded look from over his coffee cup that he had pressed 'gainst his lips.
Stoppin' in the middle of the room midway to the staircase, I looked at poppy and shrugged. "I had her sneak out an' see me last nite so we could talk. I told her how I felt an' we've decided to live as common law."
"What?" Poppy set his coffee cup down wit' a loud thunk. His brows knitted t'gether as he asked in a baffled timbre, "Son, why'd ya wanna do that for?"
"Why not?" I countered, earnin' me a slit like glare from my poppy. I hated his scrutinizin' glare, it made me feel like I was a small invisible piece of shit. Knowin' I had to ignore his hard look so I could do what needed t'be done, I carried on with the words of, "She's single an' I'm single. Hell, she wanted t'be wit' me months 'go 'fore she started courtin' that shady bastard ya gave her permission for, but I turned her 'way cause I was scared." Poppy was lookin' at me like I had sprouted 'nother head on my shoulders. Ignorin' him, or least tryin' to, I finished my reasonin' wit', "I ain't scared no more; wanna be wit' her."
Before poppy could open his mouth t'berate me, mama gave me a warm motherly smile while tellin' me, "We're happy that you and Jessa figured out ya'll love each other, but what your poppy means is why live as common law instead of havin' Reverend Garrett marry ya."
While mama made her biscuits an' poppy nursed his coffee, I explained the reason 'hind the common law decision in a rather flat gruff tone, "Jessa's young an' I don't wanna push or pull her too hard on that matter. Figured we'd live t'gether for a while then when she's more comfortable wit' me an' the idea of bein' legal bound t'me then we'll say vows."
"You've been hangin' 'round yer cousins too much. That's why you've come up wit' this hairbrained idea of yers." Poppy spat, rollin' his eyes at me. Of course he's playin' my cousins. Hell, I didn't know that they had anythin' t'do wit' my home life an' marriage or lack of a legal one per say.
"Well, poppy, whether ya like it or not that's what we're gonna do.'" I roughly told my poppy as he picked his coffee mug up, bringin' it to his lips. Cockin' my head at him, I asked gruffly, "So, can I have gran'pappy an' gran'ma's rings or not?"
"You can have the rings, but only cause ya need them to be viewed as comm law instead of shacked up. Ya hear me, boy?" Poppy's voice rang loudly in the room, bouncin' off the walls, as he stared me down.
"Yea, poppy, I hear ya." I nodded, clenchin' my jaw cause his attitude's got mine on the rise. Hell, why does he think he can judge what kind'a relationship I partake in wit' Jessa? Shit, if it weren't for me takin' her as my common law wife then she'd be gettin' some botched abortion; riskin' her life an' her fertility.
"Go get her things, I'll have the rings ready for ya by time yer done."
I just nodded my head at poppy and walked over to the stairs. Right as I was 'bout to walk up 'em, mama told me, "Tolbert, she doesn't have much. Just use one of the carpet bags to carry it in."
"Okay, mama." I gave her a lined smile 'fore trudgin' upstairs to Jessa's room, which'll be goin' back to a storage room I reckon.
Jessa POV:
I blinked my eyes open as the harsh sunlight poured into the room, waking me up. As I came to my senses I noticed that I was alone in bed; Tolbert was no longer by my side. How late did I sleep in? As I sat up in bed, I noticed that resting on top of the dresser was a bag, a bag that wasn't there last night either. Hmm, so Tolbert got my things when I was asleep then? Well, that's nice of him. Quickly, I got out off bed and went over to the dresser. I opened the bag to find that all of my clothes along with my shoes and my sewing bag was inside of the large carpet bag. A smile crept over my face as I took a dress, my shoes, some stockings, and a clean shift out of the bag to change into. Tolbert was proving that he did indeed love me by going out of his way this morning to get me my things.
After getting dressed I left the bedroom and went out into the kitchen, where I noticed that a pot of coffee was on the stove. A pan with a few strips of bacon was also on the stove. I also noticed that the basket of a few leftover biscuits from yesterday was on the counter too. Hmm, so Tolbert let me sleep and made himself breakfast. How sweet of him.
Talk about Tolbert, he was sitting in his sitting chair playing a game of solitaire. He had the cards all laid out on the side table next to him. "I thought ya needed yer rest considerin' the baby an' all." He told me, never taking his eyes off of his cards, as he heard me walking in the kitchen to grab the tea kettle.
"Thank you." I gratefully told him since, as it turns out, my body really needed the rest.
"I told poppy an' mama 'bout us when I fetched yer things." I heard Tolbert tell me as I went over to the pump sink with the tea kettle.
"Oh…" I trailed off as I pumped the sink, filling the kettle up with water. I hope they approve of me for their son. If not…well…I don't want to think about that.
"I got my gran'parents' rings from poppy for us t'wear." Tolbert informed me as I went over to the stove and place the kettle on it.
"Are they gold?" I asked, opening up the stove door and grabbing some of the small wood pieced piled on the side of the stove.
"No, they're tin." Tolbert sarcastically told me as I tossed some of the wood into the stove, feeding the flames. As I closed the stove's heavy cast iron door, Tolbert's gruff voice rung out in the air with, "Of course they're gold."
"Don't make fun of me, Tolbert. I was just asking." I told him, a slightly irritated tone in my voice, as I walked over to the kitchen counter that the cannister of teabags was at (right next to the bag of Folgers might I add).
"If you'd come ov'r here ya can have yer ring." He announced, looking at me from over his shoulder as his hand loosely rested on his pile of cards.
"Did you already put yours on?" I asked, placing the lid back on the cannister after grabbing the teabags out of it.
"Yea, why wouldn't I?" Tolbert asked me, his velvet timbre sounding more sarcastic then serious, as he grabbed a card from his deck.
"I dunno." I shrugged, leaning against the counter as I waited for the kettle to boil.
"So, you wanna come ov'r here an' get yer ring?"
I didn't say a word, just nodded my head before pushing myself away from the counter and walking into the main room where Tolbert was at. Stopping in from of him, I sweetly said, "I'd like my ring."
Silently, he took the ring out of his shirt pocket and handed it over to me. I took it carefully, since it was small and I didn't want to drop it. The ring was more of a rose gold then a yellow gold and the band was thin. All in all it was simple, but pretty none the less.
Tolbert's stormy eyes flittered between me and the ring before he bluntly asked, "Ain't ya gonna wear it?"
"Yea, but wouldn't you rather put it on my finger instead?"
"We're common law, darlin'. No need for a ceremony til we decide to take legal vows."
"It's not a ceremony, Tolbert." I countered, earning me a small eye roll from him. "Plenty of guys put the ring on their girls' finger." Yea, like when they go down on one knee and get engaged. Hell, who taught him relationship and ring etiquette, a pack of wolves?
Outstretching his hand, he gruffly ordered, "Give me it." Silently, I obeyed him and handed him over the thin rose gold band. Tolbert took the ring from me before grabbing my left hand. Quickly, he slid the band on my ring finger. Dropping my hand, letting it dangle by my side, he told me, "There, now go back to fixin' yer tea. Water ought'a be ready soon." As if on cue, the kettle whistled loudly. "We'll be going to Christmas Eve service at church t'nite." Tolbert informed me, his attention back onto his card game, as I rushed over to the stove and grabbed the tea kettle.
Allie POV:
The Hatfields were CEOS (Christmas and Easter only) when it came to church. Reason why I was I was currently spending the latter half of Christmas Eve at a candle light service in the Tug Fork Church Of Christ. Hell, of course Reverend Garrett would name his small back hills church such a long name. It was hilarious (at least to me anyways) how the Hatfields took up the frontcouple of rows even tho they weren't religious. It was like the family's telling the big man upstairs 'Hey we're here today so don't send us to hell if we die; get murdered by the crazy McCoys'. Everyone seemed to give my family slightly arched or narrowed looks as they saw us sitting up front. One of the last members of the family to arrive was Sully along with Shaw and his siblings (Mary and Todd, who were now viewed as a part of the Hatfield fold thanks to their big brother). Of course, they decided to sit next to me and Cap. Damnit, Vera and Skunk Hair would be staying home with an ailing Granny Rue. I didn't mind Sully, but I did mind Shaw. Ever since his breakup with Jessa he's been a dick; it's annoying and uncalled for.
"I don't see the McCoys yet. Think they're coming?" Sully asked, sitting back properly in the pew after turning around and scoping out the entire one-room church.
"Shut up, dad." Shaw rudely snarled at Sully, snapping his head round to look at the teacher. His voice was bitter and deep as he declared, "Last thing I want is to talk about those people."
"Stop being a dick." Abel ordered my cousin-in-law, lungin' over me slightly to give Shaw a pointed look.
"Just tell the McCoys to go to hell and talk to Jessa." I advised, my voice on the verge of a sigh, since I was so sick and tired of Shaw's brooding and piss-poor attitude.
Sully pointed at me and my brother, his face dead serious as he chastised us with, "Don't curse in church. Can get ya struck down by lighting."
Shaking his head, Cap smacked Sully's arm down. "That's an old wives' tale, Sully."
Suddenly, the sound of the church's large double doors opening echoed throughout the room. Of course, all of us Hatfields subtly turned our heads to see if the McCoys had come. Of course, they did, but the odd thing was that Tolbert and Jessa weren't with them. That seemed odd to me since Tolbert was a McCoy and Jessa was so adamant about being about of the McCoy family. So much so that she dumped Shaw (but he did kinda lie to her so, I can't really say that I blame her…I think they should've talked privately and not on the side of the cemetery's road either, but oh well…). As the McCoys went over to the seats in the back rows every turned their heads back around. The McCoys weren't even sitting down good yet whenever the loud bang of the doors opening echoed in the room once again. All of our heads snapped round to see who had entered. Low and behold it was Jessa and Tolbert. He had a hand gingerly on the small of her back as they walked in, but that wasn't that shocker of them entering together. No, the shocker was the matching gold bands on their left ring fingers that were glinting in the light.
Oh shit, did Jessa marry Tolbert?! Oh, I hope not.
"Shaw, no! Shaw!" Sully snapped at his son, attempting to grab his shoulder to anchor him, as he shot up and out of the pew faster then a bolt of lighting.
"The fuck's this shit?!" Shaw bellowed as he quickly stormed over to Tolbert and Jessa, the latter looking like she was gonna have a panic attack or something.
Jessa POV:
One second, I was walking into church with Tolbert and the next Shaw was barreling towards us while asking in a loud shout, "The fuck's this shit?!"
Tolbert turned his nose up at Shaw as he sneered warningly, "Watch your filthy mouth, Hatfield. We're in the house of the lord."
"I ain't talkin' to ya, Tolbert." Shaw snapped, his nostrils flaring angrily. He gestured to me with a nod and a lazy hand movement, "My business is with her, not you."
"Ya ain't got no business with her no mores, Hatfield."
Shaw's head spun around so fast that I thought it was gonna do an exorsist and pop off. His honey eyes locked onto my indigo ones as he asked in a curious, but exasperated timbre, "What's goin' on, Jessa? Hmm?"
Before I could give Shaw an answer, Tolbert ordered in his velvety gruff timbre, "Ignore him, let's go."
"Don't boss her around, dickbag." Shaw seethed at the redhead before looking at me and asking, "Come outside and tell me what's goin' on, please? You owe me that at least."
"Okay." I nodded, my voice barely above a whisper. Looking at Tolbert, I softly told him, "I have to talk to him. Give him closure."
"Go 'head even tho I don't approve." Tolbert waved a hand dismissively towards the door before storming off to a pew.
I stood a few feet in front of the church, my arms crossed as I watched Shaw light up a cigarette while waiting for him ask me whatever he needed to ask for his closure. He let a lungful of smoke billow out of his mouth before grabbing my left hand and asking in a deep and coarse tone, "When the fuck did you marry him? Hmm?"
"I didn't marry him, Shaw. We decided last night to become common law." I honestly answered him while quickly yanking my hand out of his.
He took another drag off of his smoke and looked up at the North Star. He blew out a large ring of smoke before setting his honey eyes on my indigo ones; asking the one word of, "Why?"
"Why what?" I countered, shifting my gaze off of his eyes and onto the wagons barked in the church's lot.
He tipped some ashes onto the ground while bluntly asking me in a deep grating drawl, "Why're ya lowering yourself by being his glorified whore? Hmm, is it to please his family cause they need their titched in the head son to get a woman?" Whoa, Shaw's harsh reaction to me by surprise.
I blinked at him, a bit stunned, before I found my voice. "No, I'm with him as his common law wife cause he loves me." Oh, and cause I'm knocked up by your dumbass…Yea, I can't tell him that. Hell, he'd probably freak out or claim I was lying anyways since I've been around Tolbert.
A smirk crossed over his scruff covered face. "Ah, but you're not in love with him tho."
"I never said that, Shaw." I protested the words he had put in my mouth while watching him take a drag off his cigarette.
Letting a smoke waft out of both his mouth and nose, Shaw told me a bit haughtily, "No, but if you were in love with the moody ginger you would've told me. Ya know as the metaphoric slap in the face." His hard mask shattered and a lost painful look took over his honey eyes. Whether it was real or fake I didn't know. "I miss ya so bad; I've become a real dick too since you left me." Grabbing my hand, he pleaded with a sorrowful look, "We haven't been broken up too long, let's just get back together and work everything out." His lower lip slightly trembled. "Please, honey, let's just wipe the slate clean and start over."
Shaking my head, I lowered my gazed and sighed, "I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
"Why not, too afraid to lose the McCoys' family support?" Shaw sneered in a low hiss, his lips curling over his teeth, as he tossed his cigarette into the dirt with the quick flick of his wrist. Bastard, he knew how I felt about the McCoys and he just had to taunt me about it. I just shook my head, giving him a bone cutting look with my indigo eyes to convey my disgust at his remark. "I'm glad that you can just wish away your feelings for me, but I can't do that in a snap for you." Shaw deeply crooned, waving his hand in the air in the beginning of his sentence and snapping his fingers at the end.
How the hell can he say that to me? He acts like our breakup was easy for me, but in reality, it was anything, but that. Before I could think better of it, I spat out in a slight tremble, "You bastard.", as tears tickled my eyes.
"Why the fuck are you settling for a rebound when I'm right here wanting another shot?" The gold-brown haired man in the black Stetson asked me, his voice deep, frantic, and demanding, as he grabbed my hands in his.
I snatched my hands out of his, but not before the pads of his thumbs swept over my knuckles. "Cause he's a good man. He loves me and his family's good to me." Once again, I left out the part that Tolbert helped me realize that I didn't need to get a back-alley abortion like a whore, but could have my baby; have help raising it. Hell, Shaw's only 19-years old so I doubt he'll even want to help me with a baby. He's younger than Tolbert and unlike my common law husband, he's not ready to fully settle down yet. Hell, he only graduated high school last May, no way in hell is he ready to become a husband, father, and provider.
"And I don't love you?" Shaw spat out both sarcastically and rhetorically, his voice soundin' like coarse and raw. I didn't say a word, just turned around to leave since I felt this conversation was over. Actually, it had to be over. Plus, Tolbert would be worrying about me too. Suddenly, I felt his hand grip my upper arm, near the crook of my elbow, causing me to stop. Looking over my shoulder with a raised brow I saw that he had a hard-determined look etched on his angular face. "I'm not my dad, Jessa. I ain't givin' up on you; I'll always fight to try and get you back. Fight til there ain't no more fight left in me." He declared in the firmest, but also softest, tone I've ever heard flow off his tongue.
"Don't, Shaw, it's best that we both just move on with our lives." I told him, jerking my arm out of his grasp.
"I can't do that, honey. I'm a Vance man and we only fall in love once." Shaw revealed, his voice hoarse and chalk full of emotion, as he stared me down with his honey eyes.
I wanted to believe him, but I couldn't. He lied to me once, what's to say that he won't lie again. I left Shaw standing in front of the church as I scurried up the steps and rushed into the building. I could feel eyes on me as I started to walk to the pew Tolbert was sitting in. Before I could reach it tho, Sally's arm stretched out and snatched by hand as I went to pass her. I stopped and looked down at her, giving her a curious look that silently portrayed my mental question of what?
"Turn 'round and ya go with that boy out there." She demanded in a low hushed tone while giving me a glassy glazed over look. What the hell? Why's she telling me to run after Shaw for? I'm with her son, Tolbert. "Please, listen to me, girl, and go after the boy." She told me in a frenzy, her head gesturing towards the door. "Please, if ya don't he'll kill my son. He'll kill Tolbert." She pleaded, her whisper close to a minute cry, as she held onto my arm with a clad iron grip.
What the?... Okay, it's official, Sally's off her rocker. She's a kook. Why would she tell me something so crazy for? Oh god, I know she gets sent to a mental hospital in 1888 or 1889, but don't tell me she's going to start babbling and not making any sense a decade too early. Freaked out by Sally, I pulled my arm out of her tight claw like hold and quickly rushed over to Tolbert's side.
Tolbert just scooted over slightly, letting me sit down next to him. Handing me the hymn book, he asked in a velvety low whisper, "What'd he do, yell and scream at ya cause yer wit' me?"
"Yea." I nodded instead of telling Tolbert the truth about what Shaw was really saying to me outside. The truth would've gotten him fired up, made his temper flare and caused a fist fight. Yep, what Tolbert doesn't know won't hurt him.
"I figured as much." My redhead shrugged.
I never heard the door open up again so I figured that Shaw had decided not to come back inside, but to brood outside while smoking his fresh hand rolled cigarettes.
AN:
Yea, I just had to toss some angst in there. I couldn't resist. And OMG Sally had a seer's vision, OH SNAP! Oh Shaw, that boy ain't giving up now is he? He wants his girl back… Tolbert, yea he's coping with his new relationship status and is his grumpy self.
Next up is some Christmas Day and New Year's Eve stuff.