*Author's Note*
Thank you for all the follows, favs, and reviews.
Election Day, 1882 Pt.1
Allie POV:
Today was Election Day and the festival was being held in Blackberry Creek, Kentucky. Historically, I knew that today was the day that Uncle Ellison gets shot (resulting in his death a couple of days later) while trying to break up a fight between Uncle Lias and the McCoy boys only to end up in a fist fight turned into a stabbing and shooting. I was hoping that since Tolbert was dead that Ellison's fate was altered.
I was a bit quiet as Cap drove us to the Election Day Festival. Captain W. was excited, blabbering on and on 'bout how he was excited to get some candy and see T.W. Levicy just sat quietly in the back next to her brother, but I knew that if she could talk better then she'd be just as talkative as her brother. Cap, ever the intuitive husband, spared me a glance with his mismatched eyes and asked, "Are ya a'ight, darlin'? Your mind seems t'be somewhere else this mornin'."
"I'm okay, just have a feelin' that somethin' bad's gonna happen at Election Day tho." I admitted to my husband in a sigh with a tight half-smile on my face.
"I understand completely, Allie." Cap nodded his black Stetson covered head, his shaggy blonde hair slightly rustling against his neck. Returning his icy blue eyes to the road, he told me, "Gatherin' Hatfields, McCoys, an' Crazy Shaw in one area's a pressure cooker for disaster." He snapped the reigns, causing the horses to pull the wagon faster, and sighed, "If somethin' happens I'm sure Shaw'll be at the center of it. Our cousin's always stirrin' the pot."
Shaking my head, causing the ribbon on my hat to sway a bit, I sighed, "You know he's corrupted my best friend. God, it's sad to say, but I think Jessa was better off with her ex-husband then she is with Shaw."
"I agree, darlin'. Jessa was a better person 'fore she married Shaw."
Jessa POV:
It was finally the first week of November and today was Election Day. Both me and my husband knew what might happen today. We talked about it last night and decided that just because Tolbert was dead didn't mean that Pharmer and Bud wouldn't fight with Ellison. In fact, Shaw had reminded me that our history book had stated that Pharmer was the first one to stab Ellison and that Tolbert had followed suit after seeing his brother do it; that Pharmer was also the one to gut shoot Ellison too. It was unclear if Bud did more then throw a few punches or not since he ran into the woods with his older brothers (who were guilty as fuck). Me and Shaw both knew that just cause one out of three of the McCoy boys weren't gonna be at the festival didn't mean that Ellison's fate was altered.
"Can I hang 'round with Robert E. and Mariah today or do I gotta be on uncle duty?" Todd asked my husband, breaking the silence in the air as he drove us to Blackberry Creek, Kentucky for Election Day.
"Yea, you can spend the day buddin' it up with Robert E. and his lil girlfriend." Shaw told his brother as his hands loosely gripped the reigns while he kept his honey eyes trained on the road.
"Mariah's just his friend, Shaw." Todd corrected my husband since he didn't fully grasp that Robert E. and Mariah liked each other; were more then friends (well historically they get married so…)
"Sure…" Shaw trailed off before adding in a scoff, "And I haven't been head over heels for Jessa since I was 17-years-old."
My husband's remark took me aback. I knew that he liked me when we were at Will Rodgers High, but never pursued me cause Sully had a no dating rule while Shaw was in high school, but I reckon hearing him say that he was always in love with me just did something to me; took my breath away.
"But they're too young t'be anythin' serious. They're just good friends." My brother-in-law explained why he didn't think Robert E. and Mariah were anything other than friends.
Shaw let out a small, throaty chuckle before stating the fact of, "I had my first girlfriend at 13-or-14, so no, they're not too young."
Raising a brow at my husband, I told him, "I didn't know you had you're first girlfriend at that age."
"Yea, well, I did." Shaw shrugged nonchalantly.
"So, Jessa, how old were ya when you got your first beau?" Todd asked me, breaking the conversation between me and his brother.
Turning my head around and looking over my shoulder, I answered the brunette teen with, "Sixteen; it was your brother."
Todd let out a loud chuckle of, "Of course it was."
Looking over his shoulder, Shaw loudly barked, "Shut up, Todd, unless ya wanna walk the rest of the way to Kentucky."
"Daddy, you're grumpy today." Silas pointed out from his spot sitting next to Todd in the back of the wagon.
"No, buddy, I'm not grumpy." My husband assured our son by flashing him a quick smile from over his shoulder. "Daddy's just keepin' your Uncle Todd in line." He added in before turning around and placing his attention back onto the road.
Abel POV:
When I pulled up to the Election Day Festival it was already underway. My cousin-in-law Billy was manning his shine cart (which used to belong to his late brother) with the help of his brothers Pharmer and Bud along with another young man that I vaguely recognized as a McCoy ally by the surname of Belcher. I couldn't remember his first name tho. Johnse Hatfield was manning his cart with the help of his brother Robert E. and his step-cousin Todd. I noticed that Skunk Hair was buying a bottle from Johnse as I pulled the parking brake and got down from the wagon.
"Jefferson, come on down." Sarah Wolford begged Jefferson, who was drunkenly standin' and dancing in the wagon, after she climbed down.
"Hell, Jefferson, I'm embarrassed to call ya my brother. Ya drunken fool." Nancy snapped, holding our daughter in one arm and flinging the other at Jefferson in an attempt to swat him, after climbing out of the wagon.
Mariah, Sarah's sister, jumped down from the wagon and scurried off. Poor girl was embarrassed by my brother-in-law. I get why she feels that way, but I guess I was just used to Jefferson's drunken ways and that's why I'm not embarrassed by him.
"Jeff, please, get down." Sarah pleaded and begged Jefferson, who continued to drunkenly dance.
"Give me that." Nancy commanded, snatching the half-drunken whiskey bottle from her brother's hand. Giving it to me, she ordered, "Let's go. My brother can embarrass himself and his pregnant wife, but not us."
"Okay." I nodded, wrapping an arm around my wife's shoulder and leading her away from our family's wagon.
Suddenly, Johnse ran up to us. What the hell?... "Howdy, Abel, Nancy. How'd ya do?" He politely greeted us with a tip of his golden blonde head as he fell into step with us.
"Well hello, Johnse Hatfield." Nancy greeted in a sweet sing-song type voice, nodding at our cousin-in-law.
"We're doin' well, Johnse, how 'bout you?" I told him as we walked into the festival and farther away from the wagon.
"I'm well, so is Roseanna and the baby." Johnse answered me with a smile. Looking at my wife, he went on to say, "Nancy I was wonderin' if you'd like to see Roseanna and the baby some time. She could use the friendship since she ain't too close with Jessa no more."
"I'll see what I can do considerin' I'm busy tendin' house an' my own baby." Nancy smiled at Johnse before draggin' me off towards the voting area; leavin' the golden blonde man standin' by himself.
Shaw POV:
The line at the voting tent was pretty long. God, it was so long that it was inching forward at a snail's pace. Hell, I think Moses marched out of the desert faster then the voting tent line was moving. When it was finally my turn, I felt a mixed sense of annoyance and relief. Quickly, I scribbled down my votes for various offices and turned it in to the men running the ballots.
"You swear these are your official votes, Mr. Eldridge?" The man sitting in the middle of the table asked me as he poured a shot of whiskey.
God, I loved how in the 1800s they gave out 'I voted' shots. Sure does beat the modern day 'I voted' stickers.
"I swear." I answered, holding my hand up in the air as was the custom to do during this time period.
The men nodded, giving me my cue to down my shot. Quickly, I grabbed the shot and knocked it back. Hmm, they were givin' out Kentucky Bourbon today. Tasted like Old Tub (known in modern times as Jim Beam)to be exact. After slamming the glass onto the table, I pivoted on my heel and left the tent.
I pulled my flask, that needed filled up soon, out of my pocket and took a sip of it as I walked around the festival, looking for my wife. I didn't find Jessa near the craft booths so I decided to make a quick stop at Johnse's shine wagon to refill my flask before continuing my search for my wife.
"Where's Johns at?" I asked Todd and Robert E. (who was sitting on a barrel making goo-goo eyes at Mariah) as I came up to the whiskey wagon.
"He's off somewhere with Roseanna an' their baby." Todd answered me 'fore quickly addin' in, "Hand me over your flask and I'll fill it up free of charge."
"Are you allowed to do that?" I asked, a skeptic look on my face, as I handed my flask over to my brother.
While Todd filled up my flask, Robert E. told me, "Johns gave Skunk Hair a free bottle in exchange for a pouch of chaw." While Todd turned off the faucet and handed me over my flask, Robert E. added in, "He called it the family discount so we gan give ya free refills if we want."
"Oh…okay…" I nodded, knockin' back my flask and lettin' the smooth burn of moonshine slide down my throat. "You've seen Jessa and the kids anywhere?" I asked, holdin' the flask close to my lips.
"Yea." Todd nodded while at the same time Robert E. pointed a few yards off and said, "They're over at a game booth."
I just nodded and headed in the direction Robert E. pointed out to me. It didn't take long for me to stubble across my wife and kids at a bottle toss game. I went up to Jessa's side and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Have they won anything?" I asked her as she turned her head 'round, looking at me with her indigo eyes.
"They just started playing, so no." Jessa told me as she adjusted Endor on her hip. Her eyes locked onto the flask that I had just brought up to my lips as she dryly scoffed, "I see you're on the second flask of the day."
"Babe, don't make my drinkin' out to be somethin' it's not. We're at a festival and I'm just supportin' our cousin by buyin' his product."
"Mhm…" She sighed, her eyes portraying that she didn't fully believe me.
"Daddy, I won a bear!" Silas exclaimed excitedly while running over to me, his little sister in tow. She didn't have a prize so I take it she just tagged along, but didn't play since she's too little.
"I see, buddy." I told him in between sipping on my flask.
"There's gran'pa. Can we go see him?" Silas asked, pointing out Sully, who was strolling around nearby.
"Yea, you can go see him." I told him with a nod.
"Hold your sister's hand, it's crowded and I don't want her getting lost." Jessa told Silas right before he could run off towards Sully. Silas obeyed and took his sister's hand before running off to see Sully.
"Well, seems like it's just you, me, and the baby." I smirked, wrapping an arm around my wife's shoulders.
"Seems so, but your flask is the fourth wheel." Jessa dryly retorted as I led her away from the game booths and into the thick of the festival.
"Babe, please, don't start." I pleaded, giving my wife some puppy-dog eyes. God, I hated how she wanted to bring up my drinkin' at all the wrong times.
"Then put the damn flask away and I won't 'start'." She countered me with a wiry look on her beautiful face.
"Fine…" I sighed, screwing the cap back onto my flask and placing it back into my pocket.
"Hell, Parris, look at how he's walkin' 'round wit' a stolen family." Squirrel lowly spat from where he stood nearby with his useless drunk brother.
"Yea, brother, it's clear that he done gone murdered our cousin t'snatch up his woman an' baby." Parris responded to his brother with disgust thick in his tone.
"Mhm, Endor Eldridge is the spittin' image of our murdered cousin. Don't take no genius t'figure out his poppy's Tolbert an' not Shaw." Squirrel told his brother, makin' my blood boil.
"Shaw, let it go." Jessa gritted thru her teeth under her breath as my body shook angrily while he passed by Parris and Squirrel McCoy.
"Wonder if he'll use the boy as bait, try an' drag Uncle Rand'l out into a trap wit' 'im since he looks like Tolbert." Squirrel remarked lowly to his older brother.
That was it. Any self-control I had just went flying out of the window. Without even thinking, I marched right up to Squirrel and grabbed him by the neck. "Don't you dare say a fuckin' word 'bout my son."
"But he ain't yers. He's Tolbert's, McCoy kin by blood." The avid hunter had enough stones to say. His lips curled up into a biting smirk as his eyes stared at me definitely.
I didn't think twice, just balled my hand into a fist and punched Squirrel in the face. Of course, Squirrel hit me back and before long we were brawling in the middle of the festival.
"Stop it! Shaw, stop fighting!" My wife screamed at me from her spot on the sidelines watchin' the fight.
"Get him! Get him Squirrel!" Parris shouted at his brother as I dodged a punch from him.
"Damn, is Shaw winnin'?" I heard somebody ask as I punched Squirrel, causin' him to wobble on his feet.
"Squirrel, honey, stop it!" A woman, no doubt the McCoy's woman, shouted. "It's almost time for the shootin' contest, you'll miss it by fightin'!" Squirrel's girlfriend screamed, causin' him to freeze up and go still. The thought of missing out on showcasing his (well lack of) shooting skills seemed to be a metaphoric bucket of cold water being poured over his head.
Shoving me off of him, Squirrel pointed a finger at me and swore, "This ain't over, Vance Bastard. Not by a long shot."
"Don't worry, Squirrel. I'll be ready for ya whenever you're able to fight." I smugly told the jackass as his woman, some twit dressed up in a calico dress and straw sunhat, looped her arm thru his.
"Come on, Squirrel. Ya can't be late for the shootin' contest." The woman, who in my opinion looked a bit homely, told Squirrel before dragging him off.
Parris turned his nose up at me and spit at my feet before running off after his brother; into the direction the shootin' contest was bein' held in.
"I swear, I can't take you anywhere." Jessa grumbled under her breath as she grabbed my hand and drug me away from the crowd that had formed to watch the fight.
Reckon she was right, she can't take me anywhere cause it seems like I'm either unwanted or let my temper get the best of me and end up fighting for my family's honor. Oh well…it could be worse. Not lettin' my wife's moodiness get to me, I pulled my flask out of my shirt pocked and took a much needed swig of it.
Ah, nothin' like some good shine after a fight.
Abel POV:
I was standin' with Jefferson and some of the other McCoys at the location of the shooting contest whenever Squirrel, his girlfriend, and Parris arrived. Squirrel looked a little roughed up, but before I even got the chance to ask what happened the judge of the shooting contest (a stout man) announced, "It's time for the shootin' contest." Lookin' at his paper, he went on to say, "First up is Mr. Belcher."
The lanky dark-haired guy that I saw helpin' Billy sell shone earlier stepped up with an older modeled rifle slung over his shoulder. "I might as well not even shoot since Squirrel's here, but I'll take my turn anyways for the prize money." The man said while loading his gun and takin' arm. With his toe at the line (which was a crooked stick) he made his shot. It barely it the bottom of the target, but it did stay in the round colored circle. Eh, at least it didn't hit the white part of the wood.
"Good shot, but not good 'nough t'beat Squirrel." Calvin McCoy told Belcher as he hitched a thumb towards his cousin, one of the best shots (other than Cap Hatfield) in the deep hills of the Tug River Valley.
"Next up is Mr. Combs." The judge announced, causing a middle-aged man to step up and take his shot. After the man was done, the judge said, "Mr. Shoshine, it's your turn."
An older man stepped up with his rifle and took his shot. It was better then then the last couple of shots, but no where near the nail in the middle of the round painted target. "Good shot, Mr. Shoshine." Squirrel told the elderly man, patting him on the shoulder.
Clasping his brother on the back, Parris told him, "You're up, Squirrel."
"You'll do great, Squirrel." His girlfriend told him with a quick kiss on the cheek for good luck.
"You go, Squirrel." Calvin encouraged his cousin, raisin' his glass to him, as he took his spot at the shootin' line.
"Come on, Sammy." Jefferson drunkenly slurred from his spot next to me.
Squirrel took his shot and managed to hit the painted circle a few inches away from the nail in the middle. He was so excited that he pointed to his shot and cried out, "Aha! Beat that, boys!"
All of the McCoy kin and friends were happily cheering; celebrating Squirrel as the winner of the contest. I just smiled and clapped my hands even tho I knew how this contest was gonna end. Any second now Cap Hatfield and Jim Vance were gonna show up and take over the shootin' contest with a one in a million shot.
"This contest still open?" I heard Cap's deep timbre sound out in the air as he parted the seas, walking right in-between bystanders and up to where the judge and Squirrel were standing at. Oh shit...Shit's about to get real now...
AN:
I hope you guys liked the first part of Election Day. Next up will be Cap's part in the shooting contest along with Ellison's fate. And of course the McCoys are already stirred up and rattled cause of Squirrels fight with Shaw…Uh-Oh…