*Author's Note*

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

I totally forgot that I had Little Levicy's birthday be in like the first week of May (lol silly me) so instead Bridie Wallace's first birthday is featured in this chapter. Well, it's not really the focus, but it serves as a back drop. Some other stuff is in the chapter too, of course. Anyways, have fun reading.

We've Gotten This Far, Haven't We?

Allie POV:

Today was Bridie's birthday so I was hosting her birthday party at my house since me and Cap were best friends with her parents (Vera and Skunk Hair). A couple of months back Anse and Levicy hosted Lydia's party for me and my husband, so I reckon I just wanted to plan a little girl's first birthday and that's why I decided to host the party for my goddaughter. Skunk Hair and Vera were more than happy to let me plan and hold the party. They even agreed to host Captain W's third birthday next month.

I had just finished making the sweet buttercream icing whenever Vera stepped into my house while cheerfully tellin' me, "Allie, the banner and streamers are lovely." Yea, I made a birthday banner with paints and a long burlap sheet. I also made some colorful paperchains to hand up as streamers for party décor too.

"I'm glad you think so, Vera." I kindly told my friend as I set the bowl of frosting on the counter before headin' off to grab a flat knife from the knife block nearby.

"Once 'gain I wanna thank ya for hostin' Bridie's party. Me an' Tom really appreciate it." Vera told me, entering the kitchen and taking a seat at the table while I started to frost the yellow birthday cake at the counter.

"You're welcome." I smiled. Slathering some buttercream onto the top of the first cake layer so I could stack the second layer ontop of it, I assured her, "I'm more then happy to do it."

"I promise, next month Captain W's gonna have the best party. I'll make sure there's lots of food dishes and sweets 'long with their bein' a big cake."

Cap POV:

Skunk Hair took a seat on the rocker next to mine while his wife went inside to help mine with party stuff. As we rocked on my front porch, we smoked and shared a flask as we watched our chil'ren play. They seemed to be great friends, maybe even best friends even tho they were all so very lil. I couldn't help, but crack a smile as I watched 'em play a game of tag.

"When's ev'body comin' over?" Skunk Hair asked, passin' me the flask as soon as he finished takin' a sip from it.

"Soon I reckon." I replied, takin' the flask he offered an' knockin' it back.

"Are Shaw an' Jessa invited?" My best friend as me, takin' the flask back as I offered it up.

Takin' a drag off my cigar, I shook my head, "No." Tippin' some ashes onto the porch floorboards, I explained, "After the 4th of July, both me, my wife, an' my folks think that some distance needs t'be put 'tween the family an' Shaw for a while. Least til gossip an' the shame that befell us dies down in the community."

"Ah…" He nodded, handin' me back the flask while takin' a long drag from his cigar. As I tipped the flask back, Skunk Hair told me, "Reckon that'll take clean up to election day wit' how tongues waggle in the Tug River Valley."

"Yea, reckon so." I nodded, handin' the flask back to my friend. As he took it and tipped it back, I revealed with a smirk, "Can't say not bein' 'round that bastard that long's gonna disappoint me, cause it won't." Takin' a drag off my cigar, I added in, "In fact, not havin' to deal wit' him for a few months since nice."

Roseanna POV:

A few horses and wagons were at Cap an' Allie's for the party they were throwin' for Bridie Wallace's year birthday whenever Johnse pulled our wagon up to the house, but one wagon I didn't see was Shaw an' Jessa's. Even tho Shaw gone done killed my brother, Tolbert, I missed my close friendship wit' Jessa. She was always takin' her husband's side, even tho he killed the father of her child, an' that created a rift 'tween us. Johnse, upon learnin' the truth 'bout what Shaw did, felt betrayed an' kept his distance too. Instead, we'd grown closer to Cap and Allie.

Even tho I'm not close to the Eldridges no more, I hope that they come to Bridie's party since, after all, they're family. I'd hate for the Hatfield family to become as fractured as my own, the McCoys.

"Reckon I'll just park us here." Johnse told me with a slight shrug as he stopped our wagon 'hind the pack of countless others that were crowded on the front yard of Cap an' Allie's. "Looks every Hatfield in the county's at this 'ere party."

"Not every Hatfield's here, Johns." I told my husband, referrin' to the absence of Shaw an' Jessa's wagon in the yard that doubled as a tightly packed parkin' lot.

"I know, my sweet darlin', but perhaps they'll come by later." Johnse remarked as he got down from the wagon.

"Perhaps." I nodded, watchin' my husband 'round the wagon.

"I know what my cousin did to your brother hurt ya." Johnse told me, stoppin' by me an' holdin his hand out in a helpful gesture. As I put my hand in his, balancin' lil Sarah Elizabeth against my hip wit' a tight hold, an' let him help me down from the wagon he told me, "It hurt me too, but maybe we needa forgive him so we can get our friendship back wit' both him an' Jessa."

Jessa was like a sister to me. Even tho I had forged a friendship an' sisterly bond wit' Allie, I truly did miss my closeness with Jessa. So much so that I nodded, "I'd think so too, Johnse." As we walked thru the sea of parked wagons on our way to the house, I told Johnse, "I'd like to visit wit' her first an' set up a tome for us all to talk; mend thing ov'r a nice meal."

Meanwhile A few Miles Down The Road…

Jessa POV:

It was a nice summer afternoon. It was actually pleasant for July considering it wasn't scorching hot out. Yes, it was hot, but not to the point where it felt like your skin was melting. Todd was working down town in the livery today while Mary was doing some extra chores. Lately she's been a bit snotty towards Shaw, so he's been loading her with chores in an attempt to teach her respect. Currently, she was mucking out the stalls in the stable while me and my husband were rocking on the front porch, watching our kids play happily in the warm summer weather.

Looking between the kids and Shaw, I asked him, "Does it bother you that we weren't invited to the party Allie and Cap's throwin' for Vera and Skunk Hair's daughter today?"

"Sorta." He answered, taking a quick sip from his flask. God, I hated Shaw's drinking, but it seemed that he wasn't going to quit anytime soon. He wasn't getting sloshed and stumbling around the house drunk every day, but still he did drink too much for my liking. He always waved me off, claiming the drinking was the norm in the time we're living in. Whatever… Resting his arm on his armrest, his hand loosely clutching his flask, my husband sighed in a deep, but tight tone, "I mean I don't care 'bout a lot of the people at the party, but it sucks that we're not invited cause Cap don't like me and neither does his devil daddy or dumbass friend."

I took a sip of my sweet tea before asking, "Do you wanna do what Uncle Jim suggested the other day and just show up at the party anyways?"

"No." My husband shook his head. "I'm not goin' were I'm not wanted." He firmly told me, taking another pull off his flask of whiskey. Resting his flask back onto the rocker's armrest with a soft clink, Shaw went on to say, "Reckon I'm used to stayin' away from places where I'm not wanted considerin' I've been doin' it since I was a kid." Shaking his head, a sardonic lined smile appeared on his face as he scoffed, "At least Peter had the balls to tell me to my face he couldn't stand me; beat me too when I got on his nerves. Everyone else just acts like they like me or that they consider me family til I do something they don't like; then it's time to shun me and act like I don't exist."

"Uncle Jim doesn't do that." I pointed out in an attempt to remind him that he did have one family member in his corner (other then my that is, but I don't think I count since I'm his wife.).

"No, he doesn't." Shaw agreed with me, nodding before bringing his flask up to his lips for a quick drink. A reminiscing smile appeared on his face as he told me, "Jim was always lookin' out for me growin' up. Hell, one time he got into a bar brawl with my father after seein' me walk 'round town wit' my face busted up so bad I could barely see let 'lone blink."

Sippin' on my tea, I asked, "Do you think he's the one that told Sully to take you away from here?"

"Yes, I do since my dad's not a very parental person." Shaw told me with a slight edge to his voice as the mere mention of his dad's lack of fatherly affection. Pointing his flask at me, he smirked, "Jim tho…well even tho he's an old hateful sonuva bitch, he's got some parental bones in his body."

"I agree, even tho Jim's rough around the edges he does have a good heart when it comes to you. Well, you and our kids."

My husband took a qick sip from his flask before telling me, "He's got a soft spot for you too. You know, you remind him a bit of his late wife."

"Oh…" I trailed off in a lingering sigh as I rocked in my rocker, watching my kids play without a care in the world.

"Yep." Shaw popped his tongue. Looking at me, he went on to say, "He's said it once or twice to me that we remind him of them. From how they got together and all."

"Of course, he'd tell you that." I lightly said, shaking my head as a small ghost of a smile crossed my lips.

"They never had it easy, babe. Just like we don't." He told me with such conviction in his deep timbre as he grabbed my free hand with his.

I didn't say a word, just nodded. Shaw nodded right back, a light smirk on his lips before he took another sip of his flask. I gently squeezed his hand before telling him, "I'm sure we'll weather any storm that comes our way. We've gotten this far, haven't we?"

Giving me a soulful look with his honey eyes, my husband told me in an unmoving tone, "I swear, baby, we're gonna make it out of this feud on top.", as he ran his thumb over my knuckles.

Tolbert POV:

I'd just walked outta the barn after givin' the horses fresh hay whenever Mindy (dressed in what could be considered a real dress if it weren't so tight in the bodice, but reckon once a whore always a whore) came up t'me. "Tolbert would ya mind takin' me to the station to fetch Eden. He's arrivin' here for his 2-weeks summer furlough."

"Yes, I mind. I've got work t'do."

"There's plenty of hands to cover your slack. Plus, helpin' me to the station's considered a job in its own right." Since when's takin' the rancher's daughter to pick up her boy at the station a job? Sounds more like a favor then a job t'me. Poutin', she pleaded, "Please, won't ya help me? I don't wanna ride to the station alone and you do owe me for getting you this job, cowboy."

Oh hell… "Fine, I'll drive ya to the station."

"Good. Now, ready a wagon and I'll go find somebody to take up your slack." Mindy told me 'fore takin' off, leavin' me 'lone to hitch the wagon.

A Short While Later…

The large an' busy town of El Paso was straight 'head. I could see it clearly in the short distance, only a mile or so 'way. The Texas heat was scorchin' as I drove Mindy to town. Even the air was dry an' felt sufftocatin'. Hell, that's one thing I haven't gotten used t'yet. The desert climate. Hell, I remember readin' 'bout the Alamo in school, but wit' how hot an' dray as hell Texas is I wouldn't 've defended that mission turned fort til the death. I would've let th Mexicans have it.

"Heat's botherin' you, cowboy?" Mindy asked, tho it sounded more like a fact, as she looked at me wit' studious eyes.

"Why'd ya say that for?" I deflected since I didn't wanna admit that the Texas heat was indeed hell for me.

"Cause your face's beat red. Also, you're sweatin' like a pig." The ex-whore told me in a dry, but blunt tone, as we inched closer an' closer to town. "Guess the Kentucky mountains don't get as swelterin' as Texas, huh?" She asked, most likely as a way to confirm that I weren't so used t'sweatin' my balls off.

"No. It's humid, but not hades hot." I answered, confirmin' that Appalachia got hot, but nothin' compared to Texas.

"In time you'll get used to it, cowboy." Mindy assured me as we rode up to th edge of town.

"I hope." I muttered under my breath.

"You know, Oklahoma's humid too. Not as scorchin' as Texas, but it gets hot in the summer months none the less." The blonde explained as we rolled thru the large border town of El Paso.

"Good t'know." I simply told her as I drove us towards the train station. Honestly, I didn't care how hot or humid Oklahoma was. I was gonna get a piece o'ranchin' land their an' strike up my own cattle ranch in order t'win back Jessa. Havin' my own place in Oklahoma, where she was s'posed to go wit' her folks 'fore bein' orphaned in that wagon train accident, will fix things wit' us. Make it easier for her t'leave that Vance Bastard an' run 'way wit' me too.

"Station's up 'head, Tolbert." Mindy told me, pointin' at a large buildin' marked El Paso Train Depot, an' shakin' me from my thoughts.

"That yer boy there?" I asked, pointin' out a boy roughly 'round my brother Billy's age who was perched on a large trunk. It had t'be her boy since he looked like he was waitin' on somebody t'pick 'im up.

"Yes, that's my Eden." She nodded, a bright an' wide smile takin' ov'r her face. "Gosh, he's grown so much in the last couple of years since I'd seen him that I barely recognize him." She told me as I rode up to the station an' her boy.

"He's a teenager, boys tend t'grow an' change lots durin' these years." I reminded her so she wouldn't fall into one of those tearful blubberin' mama acts ov'r her boy growin' up. Hell, I weren't in the mood t'deal wit' that t'day.

"Mama, you got yourself a beau?" Eden, who was lanky with brown hair, asked his mother as soon as I pulled the wagon to a stop in front o'him. Sweet Jesus…he would think I was wit' his whore mother…

"No, he's just the newest ranch hand Zeke took on." Mindy explained, climbin' down from the wagon an' closin' the gap 'tween her an' the boy who was an inch taller than her.

"Oh…" He sighed, watchin' me climb down from the wagon an' 'round it.

"Name's Tolbert McCoy." I introduced myself to Eden. 'Fore he could utter a word, I grabbed his trunk an' told 'im, "Ya can catch up wit' yer mama in the wagon. I got ranch work t'get back to.", 'fore loadin' the cedar trunk into the back of the wagon.

"Don't mind cowboy, here. He's short tempered with everyone." Mindy told her son trunk an' went to take my seat on the buckboard. Usherin' him to the wagon, she ordered in a sweet an' motherly tone, "Now, tell me everything 'bout your schoolin'."

Great, now I get t'listen to this boy yap 'bout military school. Hell, I oughtta have a migraine by time we reach the ranch.

Mary POV:

It was late and I was exhausted from all the chores I did today. Well, I wasn't just tired from doin' chores, but from doin' my schoolwork on top of my chores. I had so many chores anymore that I felt like Cinderella. Shaw kept givin' me more an' more tasks to do, which meant that him and Jessa had less an' less to do. Reckon in time I'll be cookin' a full course meal too.

I didn't mind doin' a few chores, but what Shaw was doin' to me was ridiculous. I swear, all he did anymore was sit 'round drainin' a flask and rockin' on the porch while I mucked stalls, fed barn animals, milked cows, fed chickens, collected eggs, churned butter, helped with cookin' meals, and did homeschoolin'. Even Jessa's chores were lessened; she only tended to the chil'ren, moped, swept, cooked, and did laundry.

It wasn't fair that I had all of these chores to do every single day. It just wasn't fair.

I was layin' in bed, tryin', but failin' to go to sleep even tho I was tired. I rolled onto my side an' fluffed my pillow whenever I heard the sound of somethin' hittin' my window. When I heard the sound 'gain, I sat up and looked towards my window. It didn't look windy outside, so I don't think anything was bein' blown an' stired 'round to hit my window. Upon hearin' somethin' hit my window a third time, I stood up and went over to my window. I nearly fainted as I felt my breath leave me as I saw Billy standin' below my window, tossin' pebbles at it.

Quickly, I opened my window and leaned out of it. "What're ya doin' here, Billy? Do ya want my brother t'hurt ya?" I hissed at my friend, who just smirked at seein' me hangin' out of my bedroom window.

"I ain't scared of Shaw's dumb drunken ass." Billy smugly told me, rollin' his blue eyes to further prove his words.

"Ya should be." I hissed, cuttin' my honey eyes at my friend.

"It's late, so he's either sleep or fuckin' his wife. Hell, why'd ya think I snuck ov'r here so late for."

I shook my head at my friend's crude words. "Why're ya here for, Billy?" I curiously asked, my voice just above a whisper in the night.

"Was worried 'bout ya. Wanted t'make sure yer not hurt too badly." Billy honestly told me, his blue eyes shinin' sincerely in the moonlight.

"I'm fine, Billy. Don't worry none, just get on home 'fore ya get caught; get shot like a dog by Shaw or worse, Todd since he's slowly turnin' out like the other one."

"D'ya know where my brother's old place is or where his still's at?" He asked, lookin' up at me wit' friendliness in his eyes.

"It's one the edge of your daddy's land, ain't it?" I asked, wantin' to make sure I had the right directions in mind for the places he was talkin' 'bout.

"Yes, it is." He nodded, the moonlight makin' his auburn hair reflect a deep rich cranberry color. "It's mine now so if ya ev'r needa talk or get 'way I'll be there at nite."

"Okay." I nodded. "Now go 'fore ya get caught." I shooed him off wit' a wave of my hand.

"If I don't hear from ya in a few weeks I'll check on ya." Billy told me 'fore runnin' off towards the far-off edge of my brothers land where I knew he'd left his horse tied to a fence post.

As I closed my window an' went over to my bed, I realized that Billy was truly my friend. He was worried 'bout me and wanted to make sure I was okay since he saw me get slapped really hard by Shaw. He even offered me a way to see him; talk to him if things get to bad. As I climbed back into bed, I felt grateful for havin' a friend that seemed determined to keep our friendship strong.

I just hope an' pray that our friendship doesn't get discovered by my brothers cause that'd be dangerous or deadly.

AN:

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Next up will be Roseanna and Jessa's tea time talk. Also, do you guys want to read more snippets of Tolbert's hideout ranch life or do you guys just want to read him popping back up in the Tug River Valley once the feud really gets going? Oh, Billy and Mary's friendship's the innocent building blocks for something in the future. Do you guys think she's going to get caught sneaking around with Billy? If so, what do you think'll happen?