*Author's Note*

Thank you for all the follows, favs, and reviews.

April, 1882-Lydia's 2nd Birthday

Shaw POV:

Time seemed to fly by and before I knew it, it was spring and time for Lydia's 2nd birthday. I still can't believe that my daughter was two, it seemed so surreal. My daughter looked so much like me, just like my eldest son did. That was bitter-sweet since my youngest child would never look like me no matter how much I wished he would. I swore to raise Endor as my own and I was despite the fact that he was a ginger hurt. Eh, nothin' I could do 'bout it tho. Reckon I just wished that Jessa was stronger when it came to bein' lonely durin' the time I was locked up in Uncle Jim's half-assed and fucked up rehab.

Work's been a real headache too, by the way. I swear, Anse was furloughing me more times than naught any more. His reasoning was cause I was nippin' the bottle too much and he didn't need me gettin' hurt on the job. I thought it was bullshit. I think he was giving me all these sudden days off cause me and Cap seemed to snap and each other a lot.

At least my home life wasn't too bad. Sure, me and Jessa were still a bit rocky, but we were doing better then were were back in January. I mean we're bangin' 'gain, so…

"Did you invite Cap and Allie to the party?" Jessa asked me from the kitchen (where she was at frostin' our daughter's birthday cake).

"Yea, but not cause I wanted to." I answered my wife while gently bouncin' Endor on my knee. The boy was 4-months old and looked like he could be 8-or-9-months old. Yea, he was that big. "Devil Anse told me to; said if I didn't invite everyone then I'd be out of a job."

"Do you even need your job at the lumber mill since we've got the livery?"

"Not really, but I like the extra money I bring in from the lumber mill. With what's coming down the pike, we're gonna need all the money we can get."

"Okay, but you know that we're not hurting for money. We haven't been since we got the livery back up and running last year."

"Jessa, trust me, in order to keep us safe I'm gonna need a lot of cash."

Before my wife could utter a word, I heard a gunshot go off outside. What the fuck?! Jessa dropped the frosting knife into the bowl by the cake and rushed over to me. Snatchin' Endor off my lap, she ordered, "Go check out what's going on. The kids are outside."

Upon hearing 'the kids are outside', I bolted up from my chair and ran over to my gun rack by the front door. After grabbing my gun, I rushed outside. I heard the loud sounds of my kids crying echoed in the air mixed with Mary's shrill shriek of, "Stop it you two! Stop!", as a few more gunshots rang out in the air.

Oh my god, what the hell was goin' on in my backyard?

When I ran into my backyard, I saw that my brother was crouched behind the outhouse, my kids next to him, while shootin' at the chicken coop. But I didn't see my sister. Where the hell was she at? I knew she was out here since I heard her. Rushing over to Todd, I asked, "What the hell's goin' on?"

"Billy McCoy showed up, grabbed Mary, and took her in the chicken coop. He won't leave; shot at me so I shot him back."

"Great…so Mary's his hostage and my chickens are in danger."

"She wants us to stop shootin', but we ain't. Bastard shouldn't even be on our land."

"Todd, let me handle the McCoy. Just take me kids inside to their mama 'fore worries herself to death 'bout their safety."

"Okay." Todd nodded. Quickly, he placed his gun in its holster and grabbed my kids. "We're goin' inside." He told them 'fore runnin' off towards the house.

"Billy McCoy, let my sister go and I'll let'cha leave my chicken coop unharmed!" I called out to Billy as a bullet buzzed right by me and the outhouse, cuttin' it close too might I add.

"Like hell ya will, ya lyin' drunk! As soon as she steps out yer gonna kill me!" Billy shouted back at me.

"Billy, let her go! I don't want her gettin' hurt in a crossfire!" I shouted, clutchin' my gun tightly even tho I didn't plan on usin' it cause I didn't want to risk accidently puttin' a bullet into Mary.

A heavy moment of silence hung in the air 'fore the sound of the chicken coop door squeakin' open rang out. As I was crouched behind the outhouse, I saw my sister running out of the coop. She had a worried look on her face as she headed towards me. "Don't hurt him. Todd fired first, he had no choice, but to take me into the coop." Mary had the stones to tell me as soon as she reached my side.

I was hoping that she'd go inside so that I could double cross Billy and shoot him, but clearly that wasn't the case. I scowled at her 'fore callin' out to Billy, "You can leave now, unharmed!"

Billy quickly ran out of the chicken coop and off towards the back of my land. Hmm, reckon that's where the lil shit left his horse. Getting up, I looked at Mary and asked, "Why was he even here, Mary?"

"He doesn't have any friends; he came over to talk t'me."

"Jesus Christ, I thought I told you that bein' his friend's stupid? That you're not to be 'round that fucker at all."

"I know, but he's sad and need a friend."

"He can go find somebody else to be friends with. Somebody that ain't you."

"You can't dictate who my friends are, Shaw. Just cause he's got a name ya don't like don't make him a bad person."

"Oh, like hell it don't." I ground out thru gritted teeth. "You listen and listen real good, Mary. The next time I see ya with that boy I'll beat him to death then give you a good beatin' too. Ya understand." I threatened my sister, thinkin' that it'd be the only way to scare her away from being around Billy fuckin' McCoy.

Jessa POV:

When Todd came running thru the backdoor with Silas and Lydia in tow I knew something was wrong. When he told me that Billy showed up, took Mary hostage in the chicken coop, and entered into a shootout with him I felt a sense of fear wash over me. Oh god, this feud was picking up and fast. I also couldn't help, but to think that maybe Mary had done something to provoke Billy showing up here in the first place (like going behind our backs and being his friend).

I couldn't help, but to worry about Shaw being outside. I knew how he'd become after killing Tolbert. He'd gun down anyone without any remorse or regard for who they were or the situation as long as it kept his family safe. I didn't want my husband killing another redheaded McCoy, especially on our daughter's birthday. That'd damage his already blackheart and heavy soul.

I was pacing the kitchen, bouncing Endor on my hip, whenever the back door opened revealing Mary. The girl trudged into the house with a long look on her face while Shaw followed right behind her. Mary didn't say a word, just ran over to the stairs and up to her room. Shaw went over to the table, set his gun down, and took a seat. He looked over at Todd, who was playing with Silas and Lydia, as I rushed over to his side.

"What happened?" I asked, taking a seat next to my husband.

"Billy came over to talk to my sister and ended up in a shootout with my brother after he shoved Mary into the chicken coop, no doubt to get her alone to talk."

"Oh god…" I sighed, shaking my head in disbelief. Looking at my husband, I asked him, "Is Billy alive or are we burying him in the rose garden tonight?"

"He's alive. I let him run off, but only cause Mary begged me too." Shaw informed me, causing me to just nod. Taking Endor from me, Shaw sighed, "If she keeps up her sneaky friendship with that McCoy, I might have to send her off somewhere."

"Like to Granny Delize or boarding school?" I asked as my husband bounced our son on his knee.

"I dunno yet." He told me before gesturing to the half-frosted cake and saying, "Go on and finish that cake. Party guests'll be arriving soon; can't have them seeing a half-assed birthday cake on the stand.

Allie POV:

The atmosphere at the Eldridge house was tense considering they were hosting a birthday party for their 2-year-old daughter, Lydia. God, it was bitter sweet seeing how big Lydia was getting and knowing that Olga was in San Francisco heartbroken and missing her child. I missed my friend; it was a shame what happened to her. At least Jessa was acting a caring and good mother to Lydia.

The house, both inside and out, was crowded with Hatfield kin and friends for the birthday party. I knew from Cap that Devil Anse made Shaw invited everyone by holding his job over his head. Why that shady man worked at the logging camp whenever he had his own livery business was beyond me.

I noticed that the only one Shaw was actually talkin' to was Uncle Jim. Hmm, seems Shaw's up to something. Perhaps planning on killing more McCoys?

Jessa on the other hand was playing the role of party hostess perfectly. She was flittering around, going from person to person, to make small talk with them while bouncing her baby expertly on her hip. I also noticed how Jessa never passed Endor over to anyone other then Shaw, Sully, or Uncle Jim. I found that odd. It was as if she was leery about anybody being around her son for too long.

I was outside on the porch with Vera, watching our kids play with the birthday girl and all of the other kids that were at the party, whenever boot steps echoing against the porch's floorboards sounded out in the air. Both me and Vera looked over our shoulders only to see our husbands walking over to us.

"You know Todd got into a shootout with Billy McCoy earlier today." Cap told us as he stopped next to me.

"What?" I asked, wide-eyed, as Skunk Hair came to a stop by his wife.

"Yea." Cap nodded before going on to explain, "Robert E. told me after Todd told him."

"Robert E. told us just now too." Skunk Hair added in as the kids played and happily giggled a few yards away.

"How did the shootout happen?" I curiously asked.

"Maybe Billy was tryin' to revenge his brother's death." Vera suggested with a shrug.

"Todd said that Billy came over to see Mary. Grabbed her an' held her hostage in the barn when he saw that she was outside with Todd and the chil'ren." Cap said matter-of-factly as he gave us a slanted look, one that people usually used when they were sharing gossip.

"Started shootin' like a crazy man." Skunk Hair added in, expanding on the details of the shootout Robert E. told them about (after learning about it from Todd). "Todd said Shaw had'a come out and handle the situation."

"So, Shaw killed Billy?" I asked since that's the only conclusion I can come up with after hearing that shady prick handled the situation.

"No." Cap shook his head. Leaning in closer to me, he went on to say, "He had Todd take the kids inside and talked the crazy McCoy boy down. Most likely, if Mary wasn't in the coop wit' Billy, he would've shot 'im dead."

"Well, that explains why he's been 'round Jim all day." Vera voiced up the exact same thing I was thinkin'.

Before anything else could be said, the front door opened accompanied by Jessa walking right out onto the porch. She didn't have Endor attached to her hip so she must've handed him off to the handful of people she's been letting hold him today. My friend didn't acknowledge us, just looked straight ahead at the herd of kids playing and shouted, "Come on in! It's time for cake!" Before going back into the house, she gave us a lined smile that seemed inquisitive. It was as if she knew we were gossiping about the event that transpired between her family and the McCoy boy earlier.

Tolbert POV:

The last couple o'months 've been gruelin' on me. I had no idea how t'wrangle cattle an' nobody in the outfit was much help. I was just told t'keep pushin' 'em forward by ridin' 'hind 'em. Well, it's easier said then done. Also, movin' a herd o'cattle is very time consumin' I swear, if we covered a few miles a day we were lucky. An' since I was the newest to Zeke's outfit, I was stuck wit' the nite watch duty. Yea, like who was really gonna sneak into a cattle camp in the middle o'nowheres t'steal a bunch of cow? Yea, nobody.

The cook was a stout Mexican man who always stayed up late, cleanin' his pots while I acted as the lookout. He didn't say much an' what he said was hard t'understand since he had a thick Spanish accent. I only spoke English so… Yea, I more or less didn't have nobody to talk to while on nite watch.

T'nite wasn't any diff'rent. I was sittin' at the fire, stokin' it, while keepin' an eye on the nearby heard o'cattle while everyone slept on bedrolls, wrapped up in blankets, under the nite stars. God, how I wish I could be asleep right now.

"You thinkin's s'hard I can hear ya ov'r by the chuckwagon." The cook, Jose Luis, told me in his thick Spanish accented voice as he took a seat next t'me. "What botherin' y'my friend?" He asked me, soundin' as if he was concerned for me. I doubt it since he's only known me a couple o'months.

"Nothin', just bored." I shrugged, keepin' my true thoughts to myself.

"No, I think y've got your mind on somethin'." He countered, watchin' the flames crackle in the fire in front of us. "It's a pretty senorita, is it not?" He asked me wit' a knowin' look in his dark eyes.

"Senorita's Spanish for lady, ain't it?" I asked, makin' sure I understood the man correctly since I didn't speak a lick of his mother tongue. I just picked up on things here an' there, but if I had t'have a full out conversation in Spanish I'd be screwed.

"Yes, si, it is." Jose Luis nodded his head.

"Then yea, I've been thinkin' 'bout a pretty lady I left back east."

"Well, don't think too hard 'bout her. 'S likely you'll nev'r see her 'gain." He told me in a simple, but blunt tone.

"What?" Shot out of my mouth since I wasn't expectin' the cook to just tell me I'd never see the love of my life again. Damn, does he got some stones on him.

"Y'heard me, senor. Either you'll die on the plains or just stay out 'ere, growin' ol' an' getting' hardened as a cowboy." Well, wasn't Jose Luis optimistic…

I let out a scoff 'fore tellin' the cook, "I ain't gonna die on the plains. Hell, I beat death at the hands of a crazy Vance Bastard, no stupid snake bite or heat stroke's gonna do me in."

"Yea, Zeke says you ran off from trouble." The cook deadpanned in his thick Spanish accented tone. Raisin' a brow at me, Jose Luis stated, "Pretty senorita cause of your troubles with es Vance Bastard."

"Yep." I popped my tongue. Givin' him a hard look, I said, "I ain't gettin' into it, but our families are in a feud an' she got in the middle of us by accident. I did somethin' stupid urged by my temper an' she was made t'marry the Vance Bastard."

"Ah, I see." Jose Luis nodded in understandin'. "S'ya here bein' a cowboy, lickin' your wounded pride; tryin' t'mend a broken heart." He stated as I stoked the fire wit' a long stick.

I just shrugged since I didn't feel like talkin' no mores. I think he got the hint since he just took a sip of the coffee cup he was holdin' (which I didn't even notice til now) 'fore standin' up. Wit'out a word, he shoved the stale cup o'coffee into my hand an' walked off into the direction the chuck wagon was at.

Hell, only a few more days an' I'll be in Ogallala. In a town wit' a real bed t'sleep in an' real food t'et. Hmm, wonder if Zeke'll letus stay for Easter service on Sunday or not. I mean I'm sure Ogallala's got a church in town, but I don't know if the ranchin' outfit I'm signed up wit' are church goers or not.

AN:

I imagine the cowboy cook Jose Luis as Jorge Martinez de Hoyos (he played Po Campo in Lonesome Dove), but you guys can imagine him as whoever you want.

Anyways, this was some filler chapter huh? Next up is Easter.