*Author's Note*

Thanks for reading, faving, following, and reviewing.

Here's the newest installment of this story. Finally, right lol. Anyways, I've been pretty busy playing the new Assassin's Creed game Odysesy in my free time and I'm working on the first chapter to a story for it. I also got a new idea for another H&M story. YIKES! I have 2 stories on indefinite hiatuses that I need to reread and edit, etc too. Boy oh boy, I got a lot to do in my spare time.

Let's Make A Deal

Novella POV:

After we got home, I made us a simple dinner of chicken breast, wild rice, and string beans. After eating we went to the living room where Cap turned on the nightly news while I was on my smart phone ordering last minute tickets for my high school reunion, that was on Saturday might I add. Once I had the tickets bought, from the official reunion website the organizer had made, I was stuck browsing pictures to pick out and send up to the reunion organizer for the large PowerPoint slideshow that'd be playin', most likely in a loop, at the event. Findin' pictures from my college years wasn't that bad, it was after college that was tricky.

"What's got'cha frustrated, babe?" My husband asked, lookin' at me after I let out a small sigh.

"I need to pick out some pictures to send up for a slide show. I got the ones from my college years done, but after's a bitch."

"Why, cause your social life was nonexistent til we hooked up?" He chuckled, poking light fun at my life before he entered it.

"Yea, pretty much." I giggled before serious telling him, "I mean I went to the office Christmas parties and for drinks after work with co-workers, but my real social life kinda took off when we got together."

"Then pick out a bunch of pictures of us. We're married now, so seein' pic after pic of us shouldn't shock too many people."

"Reckon you're right 'bout that."

"Just make sure to upload our weddin' photo. You know, the one that the Logan Banner used in our article." He loved that photo. Hell, we already had an 8x10 of it framed and on the mantle in our living room already. Curtesy of my brother. Moses had got it printed and framed from some company and overnighted for us, the picture came yesterday. Apparently, according to Moses, Betty helped him pick out the frame and the filter used on the photo. Hell, they only just met and are already a pair. Just like peas and carrots.

"Okay." I simply agreed before selecting a picture of us from a baseball game to send up in the batch of photos.

Cap grabbed the remote off the coffee table and lowered the volume on the tv. I continued to browse thru pictures as he tossed the remote back on the table. He took a big sigh before dropping the bombshell of, "Mediation 'tween Roseanna and Johnse for Sarah Elizabeth's custody stuff's in a couple days."

"That soon?" I asked, in a bit of disbelief that the court mediator had made the appointment in such a short amount of time.

As if he could read my mind Cap explained, "The mediator did me a favor." Of course, my husband knows the mediator, they all work in the same building. He ran his fingers thru his shaggy blonde hair while revealing in a deep sigh, "Johnse wants this over with sooner rather then later, 'specially after Perry tried to get him taken out."

"Do you think mediation'll work or will it have to go to court?" I asked, sending up the pictures to the woman heading the reunion before turning off my phone and placing it on the coffee table.

"I'm goin' to do my best to make sure mediation works." Cap told me, reaching forward and grabbin' the remote. Turning the volume back up he advised in his deep rolling timbre, "Just be on the lookout for any nasty calls from either Perry or Roseanna in a couple days."

"Get hold of Bud, tell him ya can get him a deal." Cap told me as I exited the truck.

"Okay." I simply said before slamming the door shut turnin' my back on the black Ram. As I started to walk across the pavement, I heard my husband pulling out of the lot. No doubt he'd be waiting around in his office for me to bring Bud to him for a deal talk. Hmm, looks like as soon as I get in I'm stuck calling Bud. I know it's not what Uncle Perry and Randall want, but getting Bud a deal's the smartest thing. It'll save his life. Getting him to agree tho is gonna be the hard part.

I shook my head, clearing it, as I reached the door to the law firm. I took a deep, calming breath and opened the door. The bell chimed as I walked thru the threshold, causing Betty to snap her head up and give me a very cutting look with her beady blue eyes.

"Good mornin', Betty." I told her in an attempt to cut some of the tension that was in the air surrounding us.

Her white-haired head snapped up, her eyes beady blue slits in a narrowed glare trained on me. Her raspy voice barked as her lips upturned into a snarl, "After what you pulled on Tolbert over the weekend don't 'good mornin' me, young lady."

Of course, the old hag's mad at me for marryin' Cap. Seems like just 'bout the entire population of Pike County is too. I just shook my head at the old woman before making my way down the hall and to my office.

Once inside the room, I plopped my handbag onto the desk and plopped down in my desk chair. I let out a long dreadful sigh before taking a sip of tea from my travel mug. I set the yeti on my desk with a loud clunk before grabbing my phone from my designer bag. I knew what I was about to do had to be done, even tho it was hard. Biting my lip, I powered on my iPhone, found Bud's name, and called him.

Ring-ring-ring. Ring-ring-ri-"Hello?"

Puttin' on a fake smile, even tho he couldn't see it thru the phone, I answered the sweet McCoy young man with, "Hey, Bud, it's me. Novella, your lawyer."

"Oh, hello. Um, it's really early to be callin'. Is it 'bout the case?" He asked in a semi-nervous ramble. Clearly, he wasn't expecting my call or any call for that matter this morning.

"Yes, Bud, it is." I confirmed before going in for the kill with, "I know you're coverin' for Tolbert and Pharmer. That you didn't kill Ellison, only hit him once or twice."

"Your husband tell you that?" Was the snappy and defensive sounding question that sounded out over the phone and into my ear.

"It's in the witness statements, Bud." I half-lied in an attempt to gain his gullible trust.

"Oh…" He let out in a long-deflated sigh.

"But I can't promise that a jury'll believe it tho. Especially since your brothers are gonna say that all of ya'll did in Ellison."

"But poppy and Perry says you're gonna get the charges dropped."

"Bud, there's only one way I can get your charges dropped. Tolbert and Pharmer, they're at the mercy of the jury, but you don't have to be. I can get ya a deal with Cap."

"A deal? He's willin' to talk to me? Hear me out?" Bud asked, his words running into one another in a scrambled sense of shock.

"Yes."

"You sure 'bout this? Poppy says no deals…" Bud remarked in a a very heavy and uneasy tone.

"Bud, this is the only way I know how to save you and then focus solely on Tolbert and Pharmer's tougher defense."

"Okay, I'll talk to him wit'cha." Bud told me, his voice giving away the fact that he was a bit iffy on the situation, but was trusting me and only going along with it for my sake.

"Pick me up in half an hour, we'll go to his office and see what he has to offer us." I instructed Bud right before ending the call with him.

I felt a bit torn about what I was doing as I rode to Cap's office with Bud in the latter's beat-up Colorado truck. As I looked out the window, looking at all the building of downtown Pikeville as we passed by, I felt a sinking feeling in my gut and a lump form in my throat. I knew what I was doing was in an effort to save Bud, but that the McCoys would hate me for it. They and Uncle Perry wouldn't view it that way. Especially since Bud would be testifying against his brothers, the very same men I was still defending. Oh boy, everythings so complicated and messy. Oh, why couldn't this case be cut and dry? Cut and dry'd be so much easier on me and my emotions.

"He ain't gonna be too mean to me, is he?" Bud asked, causing my thoughts to cease and me to look away from the window, as he pulled into the large parking lot of the justice building.

"No, he won't be too mean." I assured him as he slowly coasted in the lot, looking for a place to park.

While pulling into an open spot between a car and an SUV Bud sighed, "Ya sure? He was awfully mean to Tolbert at that first court date we had."

"That's different, Bud. Cap's mean to Tolbert, riles him up, cause of me." I explained, unbuckling my seat belt as Bud turned off his truck.

"Oh, like two bucks fightin' over a doe?" Bud innocently asked while takin' off his own belt as I pushed open my door with a loud squeakin' sound.

"Yea, like that." I nodded, slamming my door shut as I stood next to it while he emerged from his side of the Chevy Colorado.

"Tolbert loves you, even tho ya married Cap over the weekend." He remarked into the crisp and still fall air as we began to walk away from his truck and up the parking lot towards the large building that housed the office we had an impromptu meetin' in.

"Bud, don't." I warned him in a firm voice, giving him a stern look with my cornflower blues as my heels clicked on the pavement loudly.

"He ain't as bad as everyone thinks. Just got a quick temper." Bud tried to reason with me as we walked up the front steps of the Pike County Justice Center.

"Bud, drop it." I ordered, my flowin' voice low and a bit clipped, as we walked up to the large glass double doors of the legal building.

Bud just nodded before hanging his head down a bit. He reminded me of a scolded puppy. Yea, Cap was right, this young man wasn't cut out for jail. Better that we cut a deal and get him to flip then have him get convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Sad to say it'd take only a couple days for Bud to become someone's prison bitch. Pharmer was fat and had a mouth on him, he could take care of himself. Tolbert, hell he's the type that'd prolyl end up joining up with a gang in jail due to his bad temper and history of fighting. Those two wouldn't become someone's prison bitch, but Bud's too nice and meek and would.

Silently we walked over to the elevator and took it up to Cap's floor. Poor Bud was shaking during our elevator ride. His nerves were shot, and he was a mess. Reckon the reality that he was going to be in a room with Cap was scary to him. Can't say that I blame him, my husband doesn't have the nicest reputation. McCoys seem to paint him out to be something he's not, a cold-hearted monster.

Once we exited the elevator I led Bud over to Cap's office. Not like it'd be hard to miss since he has a golden plaque on the door with his name on it. Standing in front of my husband's door, hand on the door knob, I looked over my shoulder at Bud and told him with a thin line of a smile, "It's going to be okay. I promise, we'll get you a deal and you'll be free."

"Okay." Bud whispered, his lips slightly trembling as he eyed up the plaque on the door.

I opened the door, causing a slight creak to sound out in the air. Cap looked up from whatever he was doing on the computer in order to turn his attention to the door. A smirk crossed his face as he saw me. "Come in, take a seat, Mrs. Hatfield."

"ADA Hatfield, this is my client Randall 'Bud' McCoy Junior." I professionally introduced the younger man, even tho my husband knew who he was, as we made our way over to the empty chairs in front of Cap's desk. Bud was slightly shaking as we took our seats. Sitting up straight and tall I informed Cap of our presence with, "We're here to hear out your offer of a deal." Once again, I didn't need to do it, but I did cause it's the proper thing to do as a lawyer.

"Of course." Cap nodded, his shaggy blonde hair falling around his face. Looking at Bud he chuckled, "Calm down, kid. I'm not gonna bite your head off."

Bud let out a huge breath he didn't even know he was holding while I just patted him on the back supportively. Looking at Cap I asked, "So, what's this deal entail of ADA Hatfield?"

"Well, Mrs. Hatfield, your client Bud here would be granted full clemency, but that comes with certain terms and conditions." My husband told me before looking at my client and smirking, "Bud'll have to testify to the court for the state that he indeed did not stab Ellison Hatfield, but instead watched his brothers do it."

Bud's eyes grew wide and his face drained of all color. "What? You want me to turncoat?"

"Is there another way we can come to a deal?" I asked, even tho I knew that answer was no. Guess I was just asking so that it wouldn't look like me and Cap planned this entire deal last night. Perhaps I wanted Bud to like me, to trust me, instead of thinking bad of me by thinking I had betrayed him and his trust. Shit, being a lawyer in the Tug Fork area's a bitch.

"No, 'fraid not."

"If I don't do it what'll happen?" Bud asked in a shaky voice, his eyes darting between me and Cap.

"You'll go to jail with the death penalty and get preyed on by big lifer guys with names like Bubba and Stevie." Nice going Cap, scare the shit out of poor Bud.

"What?!" Bud exclaimed, his eyes the size of silver dollars.

"Yea, you look like the type the Bubba's and Stevie's like. Young and cowardly."

"I'm not cowardly."

"Sad to say, but you are. You do everything your big brothers, mainly Tolbert, tells ya to do instead of doing your own thing. That's cowardly. Thing is, Bud, are you going to remain a coward and fear the backlash of this lifesaving offer or are you going to be brave and snatch it up? Take this offer and you're free to live your life however ya see fit, don't and you'll be locked up in a cage with others dictating that said life."

Damn, my husband made a good point. His words were blunt, but true. They were affecting Bud, I knew it by the quizzical scrunched up look on the young man's face. The cogs were turning, he was thinking over his best option and mulling over what was just said.

Bud hesitantly nodded, his eyes drifting to look at my husband's mismatched ones as he sat leisurely in his oversized leather office chair. The plea deal document was neatly resting on the desk, complete with Cap's scrolling signature on it and everything. Cap's eye shifted between me, Bud, and the paper on his desk. I looked over to my client, silently urging him with my eyes to voice up his answer.

"I'll do it. I take the deal." Bud said a bit shakily, causing Cap to turn up the corner of his mouth in a sly victorious hint of a smirk.

"That's a good choice, Bud." Cap praised my husband, whether mockingly or genuinely I couldn't really tell. He slid the deal paper across the desk to Bud while telling him, "Just sign on the dotted line and you'll be free to go." Bud snatched the pen off Cap's desk, quickly writing down his name in a messy scrawl. Once he was finished he looked at my husband while saying, "So I can go now?"

"Yes, but remember you'll be my star witness. When I call, you come over to go through witness prep."

Before Bud could utter a word, I told my husband, "Just let me know, ADA Hatfield, when you want to start prepping and I'll make sure to bring him over."

"No, you're on the defense Mrs. Hatfield, so I'll just deal with Bud here by myself." I narrowed my eyes at Cap, not happy with his remark. That was never brought up last night between us and I just assumed he'd let me be present with Bud since I was one of his lawyers. Cap flicked his wrist, gesturing to the door beyond his view. "Now that our deal's done it's time for ya'll to leave." Bud nodded, rising quickly from his chair while I just rolled my eyes at my husband and stood up. As I turned to head towards the door I heard Cap say, no doubt a shit eating grin plastered on his rugged face, "Oh, Nova, baby, how 'bout we go to the Applebee's tonight to celebrate this deal we arranged?"

I just shook my head, stormed by Bud and out the door.

Cap POV:

I felt happier then a pig in shit. My wife was able to coax Bud into speaking with me and accepting the deal. The deal for his freedom meant that he'd be helping me put his murderous brothers behind bars to sit and rot while awaiting the lethal injection. Shortly after Nova left my office one of the paralegals gave me a file on Tolbert's ex-wife, Mary. The woman was remarried with a baby, living in Owsley. Hmm, she didn't go that far. So, in an effort to dig up Tolbert's past and to paint his character in a bad light, I decided to pay Mary, now Mrs. Douglas Whitt, a visit.

The address in the file turned out to be a nice split-level house on a piece of cleared land that overlooked some rolling hills. The yard was neatly cared for and a welcome banner was staked in the flower bed, wavin' in the slight wind. A few outdoor baby toys such were strewn about small patio, provin' that a baby did indeed reside with Mary and her husband. All in all, it looks like she's done well for herself since her divorce from Tolbert. But the million-dollar question is what led up to said divorce and why she let him have sole custody and all rights to their daughter.

I parked my truck on the curb and quickly got out of it, eager to learn the answers I was seeking. Quickly I made my way up the gravel driveway, passing a Dodge Caravan on my way over to the house. The front door of the was painted a cheerful shade of yellow and had wreath of sunflowers hanging on it, a slight contrast to the grey the house was painted. I curled my hand into a fist and knocked on the door, only to hear a yelled reply of, "Coming!" Good, the ex-Mrs. Tolbert McCoy's home. It only took a minute or so before the door was swung open, revealing a very tall woman with high cheek bones and inky curls with a baby perched on her hip. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, as a matter-of-fact, Mrs. Whitt you can. See, I'm Cap Hatfield the ADA for Pike County and I'm here to talk about your ex-husband one Tolbert McCoy since I'm prosecuting him and his brother for murder." I answered the woman, causin' her face to pale and fall slightly.

"Oh, my goodness, Tolbert's goin' up for murder…" Trailed out of her mouth as she balanced the baby on her hip. Slightly shakin' her head, Mary sighed, "Can't say I'm too surprised, he always had a bad temper."

"Yes, and that's what I wanted to talk to you about. His temperament before and in the marriage along with what led up to the divorce."

She quirked a brow at me. "And all this is for your case?"

"Yes, to establish characterization of him." I confirmed, hoping that she'd let me in so I good get some answers.

"Come in, we can sit in the living room and talk." She told me as she turned and walked into the house.

"Thank you, Mrs. Whitt." I politely thanked her while following her thru the door, shuttin' it behind me.

"You can call me Mary." The dark-haired woman told me as she led me up the grey and dark-wood staircase to were her living room was most likely at.

"Fair enough."

"Would you like some coffee? It's still morning." She offered while placin' her baby into the pack 'n' play that was in the middle of the livin' room.

"Coffee's fine. Black." I simply replied while taking a seat on the sofa that was against the wall. The wall which was the same grey the staircase was painted along with the exterior of the house. This woman has a thing for grey.

"So, what do you want to ask first?" Mary asked, walkin' into the adjoining kitchen.

"How was Tolbert when ya'll dated? Did he ever fight with you?" I bluntly asked, assusimin' as I did so she was fixin' me my cup of Joe.

"Hell, when didn't he fight with me?" She rhetorically asked as she emerged out of the kitchen with my coffee. Settin' the coffee down on the long coffee table in front of me and takin' a seat on the couch next to me she sighed, "Yes, any little thing could set him off. He was, well I know this now, a verbal abuser. His words cut straight to the bone, tear into the heart."

Grabbin' my coffee I just looked at her with curious mismatched eyes. "Did he ever get physical, hit you?" I asked, takin' a sip of the coffee. Eh, it was a bit bitter. Cleary she either didn't know how to brew it or used the cheap generic shit. Tastes worse then the crap the interns and newbies make at the office.

"Towards the end once or twice he slapped me across the face while we were in a screaming match." I just nodded, silently pressing her to go on and tell me what else she needed too since I knew she had more to say cause of the way her eyes were starin' emptily at my coffee cup in a somewhat haunted way. She let out a long shaky sigh before confessing, "I called the law on him a few times too, but his cousin-in-law and his partner were always the detectives that showed up to take the call. They always played it off and made it go away, he never got charged, booked, or ever written up." Yea, I suspected as much, I mean it's the whole reason why I decided to come here to talk in the first place.

"Well, I can understand why you left him then, but what I can't understand is why you let him have Sally Elle. You seem like a good mother, why give up all custody and rights to Tolbert?" I honestly asked her since I couldn't, with every fiber in my bein', fathom how a mother could part with her child. I mean I know that my own mama'd rather be killed then separated from her kids. Hell, Nova was already protective of our baby and she was just a couple months pregnant with it. I had to know why Mary gave up her kid to Tolbert, a cruel and hateful man.

"His lawyer, Perry Cline, paid me a hefty sum of money to." What? She was bribed to sign away all rights and custody, by that shyster snake Perry Cline too? Oh boy… The puzzled look on my face made her facial features go rigid. Mary quickly defended her long ago actions with a quick tongued rant of, "The money was too much to refuse, it was more then enough to buy my parents a house in one of the nicer and new beach communities in Central Florida. With that money my daddy was able to retire from the mines instead of workin' in them til he's in his late 60's. It might sound bad, but that money helped my family."

So she justified tradin' money for her kid by bringin' up that the money went to give her parents a better life. Well, it's not a bed reason to take Perry's deal, but it also ain't a good one. One thought came to my mind on why she'd be comfortable signin' over the baby and takin' the money. "Tolbert must've been good with Sally Elle for you to take up Perry Cline's offer."

"Yes, my ex-husband doted on that baby." Mary confirmed, noddin' her head, 'fore quickly addin' in. "Hell, bet he still does." A slightly sad look shone in her eyes as she admitted in a long sigh, "She was his world, I never was. Only woman he claims he'll ever love is Perry Cline's niece."

"Yea, well, she's off the market." I chuckled, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Oh, she's married?" Mary asked, lookin' slightly over her shoulder to check on her baby in the pack 'n' play 'fore returnin' her attention back on me.

"Yep." Popped off my tongue. With a proud smirk I flashed my left hand while addin', "To me as a matter-of-fact. We're even expectin' our first child too."

"Oh, that must piss off Tolbert."

"Oh, believe me, it does." I whistled while hidin' the cocky smirk that was tryin' to break out over my face.

"Will I have to testify in court about what I said to you?" Mary asked, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand which was the case 'gainst Tolbert and his brother's.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" I hope it wasn't, I needed Mary and Misty's testimonies to form Tolbert's character profile. I also needed to call on my own wife, even tho she won't know til the day of when she gets a subpoena, since she's Tolbert's ex and has a past with him that exposes his character flaws as well as the other women.

"No. After the hell he put me thru I want to see him raked over the hot coals and get what's comin' to him." Mary told me in a form tone, makin' me smile like the Cheshire cat. Tolbert was goin' down and his exes were goin' to help me do it with their memories and testimonies.

Novella POV:

After getting back to the office the rest of my morning was pretty mundane. I didn't do much, but stew over the McCoy boys' files and try to figure out defense plans for them. Actually, more so for Tolbert then his brother since Pharmer's was a bit cut and dry, a brother helping out his big brother that always told him what to do. Tolbert's case seemed hopeless. So much so that my mind wandered and failed to find a solid defense plan way into the afternoon.

I was getting ready to leave my office and take a quick walk to the nearby downtown diner whenever my door banged open, revealin' nonother than Tolbert holding a very droopy Sally Elle against his hip and chest. My thinly arched brow and confused look prompted Tolbert to explain in his velvet-rough tone, "She's sick and I got deliveries to make. Can ya watch her?"

"Tolbert…" I sighed, feeling town between what to do. Looking pathetically at the ginger man I whined a protest of, "I haven't even gone to lunch yet."

"But, Ella, she's sick and I can't bring her home just yet. School nurse called me up an' had me get her cause she's got the fever. Please, can't ya watch her?"

"Why can't your sister, Roseanna, watch her?" I curiously wonder, lightly biting my lower lip as I prayed my friend would be able to look after her niece instead of the job bein' piled on me.

"She's been feelin' poorly, loss of energy lately." Tolbert told me, causing me to just nod my head and to make a silent oh with my mouth. Lookin' between me and his daughter with sad puppy dog eyes, he pleaded, "Please, do me a favor an' watch Sally Elle til I get back."

With a sigh I leaned back in my chair and relented. "Fine, but ya better be back before my quitting time at 5-sharp."

"Thanks, darlin', an' I'll be back 'fore then." Tolbert assured me as he walked over to an empty chair. He placed his daughter into the chair, then pushed some hair off her forehead. "Poppy'll be back after work gets done. You'll be looked after by Ella." The ginger man softly told his daughter, earnin' a tired little nod from her. He kissed the feverish girl on the head before tellin' her, "Be good, nap an' rest so ya can get better." Standing up straight and looking at me he pulled an orange bottle out of his pocket. Setting the bottle, which was labeled Children's Motrin, on my desk smoothly told me, "I already gave her some in the truck when I picked her up, but she'll need 'nother dose in 'bout 4 or so hours. It's a new bottle, since she's so lil just do the first line on the bottle cap."

"Okay. Will do." I told Tolbert, assurin' him that Sally Elle would get her medicine so that he'd leave to go do his shine runs.

Unfortunately, he didn't go like I thought he would. Instead he looked at me, his storm-filled slate eyes softening. "Can we talk sometime? I know yer married t'Cap now, but I think we need'a get somethin's off our chests."

"If you're not busy come in tomorrow sometime, there's some shit goin' on with your case we need to discuss. That's all we're discussin' tho."

"Ella…" Tolbert trailed off in a heavy sigh. Tilting his head at me in a berating way he remarked in a smooth toned half-sigh, "Ya know that's not all that needs discussin', but yer su'gestion'll make do for now." I just rolled my eyes at him before silently pointing to the door behind him, gesturin' that he needed to leave. Tolbert didn't say a word, just shot me what could be taken as a hint of a smile. "I'll be back soon." He assured me right before walking out the door, leaving me to babysit his sick kid in my office.

AN:

Yikes, so Bud flipped for a deal after all. How do ya'll feel about that? Oh and Tolbert, what do you guys think he's up to with his wanting to talk to Nova thing? And the mediation, how do ya'll think that'll go?