*Author's Note*

Thanks for reading, faving, following, and reviewing.

I'm so sorry it took so long to update this. I had a bit of writer's block. Sorry. Well, better late the never. Right? I hope ya'll enjoy this new and long awaited chapter.

State's Star, Bud

Nova POV:

The courthouse was packed more than a sardine can whenever I arrived. Moses, not being in the right mindset to be on the defense team, had opted to stay home. When I say home what I mean is locked up in my guest room away from civilization. Betty was with him tho, playing the role of doting and concerned girlfriend. I was worried about my brother and so was Cap, who told me if Moses didn't leave his room by tomorrow morning then he was going to have Uncle Jim deal with him. Yea, that'd be the tough love approach. So much shit was going on that this trial was like the cherry on top of the shit sundae.

As I walked over to the defense table, to take my seat between my Uncle Perry and Tolbert, I felt my heart hammering in my chest along with my stomach doing somersaults. God, today was going to be so stressful since it was Bud's day to act as the star witness for the prosecution. I was going to have to cross examine him and I know he was going to be on edge with guilt for flipping on his brothers.

"Your brother's not here." Tolbert whispered, leaning slightly into me, as soon as I took my seat at the table. I just shook my head quietly since I didn't feel like talking to my client; my ex about my brother. "Is Moses okay?"

"Is he okay? He blames himself for your brother's death as does your entire family, of course he's not okay." I snapped without even giving him a look.

Tolbert went to open his mouth to say something, but clamped it shut whenever the doors to the judge's chambers flung open. Judge Wall walked out, clad in his flowing black robes, and took his place behind the bench.

"All rise for honorable Judge Wall Hatfield." The bailiff announced, causing everyone in the courtroom to stand up in unison.

Judge Wall waved his hand, motioning for the entire courtroom to sit, while remarking, "Ya'll know why we're here so sit down so we can get started." In one swift swoop everyone took their seats and looked at the judge, waiting for him to officially begin the trial. Looking at Cap, he said, "Cap, call up your star witness so we can get this shitshow started."

Cap nodded before standing up and announcing, "The prosecution calls Bud McCoy to testify."

Wall nodded before signaling for the bailiff to fetch Bud. A few moments later Bud was escorted into the room and over to the witness stand. He looked scared shitless as he took his place with his hand on top of the bible, swearing to god to tell the truth and nothing, but the whole truth.

Cap had a stone like look on his face as he approached Bud, who'd just taken his seat. "Your name's Randall 'Bud' McCoy Junior, correct?"

"Yes." Bud nervously nodded.

"Okay, well, Bud can you tell me what happened to Ellison Hatfield?" Cap asked him, sounding neutral in order to get Bud to feel comfortable enough to talk in full about the fight with Ellison.

"I still can't believe ya got my brother a deal t'rat me an' Pharmer out." Tolbert muttered under his breath at me as he leaned in so that nobody, but me, could hear his mutterings.

"He's innocent; I can't let him get convicted for a crime he didn't commit, Tolbert." I hissed at my client while never taking my attention off of the witness stand.

"Ya better try yer darnedest t'get me cleared." The ginger grumbled under his breath.

I didn't say a word, just tuned out my ex and placed all of my focus on Bud's testimony. Bud had just answered my husband's inquiry with the simple statement of 'he got stabbed and died' and I knew that my husband was going to press him further to get a detailed account of the day in question.

"Bud, he didn't just get stabbed and die, now did he? He was attacked by your older brother, Tolbert, wasn't he?" Cap asked, using a tone that one uses when trying to pry the truth out of a young child.

"Yes, Tolbert hit him 'fore the stabbin'." Bud answered causing a bunch of groans and curse words to sound out from the McCoys' side of the courtroom.

"He didn't just hit him, now did he?" Cap asked, looking right at Bud, even tho his remark sounded more like a statement by how firm and unwavering his deep tone was.

"No, he started a fight."

"A fight in which you and your other brother, Pharmer, joined in. Isn't that so?"

"Yes, but we only joined in cause our cousins pushed us to. Said we had'a help our brother."

"How did you help, Bud?"

"I punched Ellison once or twice 'fore gettin' thrown to the ground."

"And what happened when you were on the ground?"

"Pharmer stabbed Ellison, then Tolbert did."

"So, you had nothing to do with the stabbing?" Cap asked, once again making his question seem more like a statement by how unwavering his timbre was.

"No, I didn't." Bud answered, confirming that he didn't play a role in the stabbing.

"And what about the shooting? When did that happen?"

"That happened when I stood up."

"A'ight, so you had no part in the murder of Ellison, just the fist fight?" My husband asked, confirming that his star witness was innocent; that his word could be trusted as truthful.

"Yea." Bud nodded, looking like he just wanted to bolt from the stand. Poor kid was nervous.

"No further questions. I'm done with my witness." Cap told Judge Wall before pivoting on his heel and walking off to his table.

I went to stand up, but Uncle Perry beat me to it while quickly announcing, "I'll be cross-examining this kin traitor witness, Honorable Judge Hatfield."

"Oh no…" I softly sighed, slumping into my chair feeling guilty since I knew that my uncle wouldn't be going easy on Bud.

As my uncle sauntered up to the witness stand, Tolbert snapped his head and hissed at me, "Ella, Perry can't question him. He'll crucify 'im."

With a heavy sigh, I explained, "I can't do anything, Tolbert. He beat me to the punch, Bud's all his."

"Sonuva bitch…" Tolbert muttered, shaking his head incredulously.

Pharmer was watchin' silently, but by the way he was nervously chewing on his bottom lip I could tell that he was anxious, not just for himself and Tolbert, but for Bud too.

Coming to a stop right in front of Bud, my Uncle stared at him and asked, "Bud, is it true that you just made this deal to turn on your brother's for clemency?"

"No, I made it cause I didn't do nothin'." Bud answered honestly.

Uncle Perry shook his head in a 'task 'task' type motion before asking the damning question of, "But, Bud, if you didn't do nothin' then why did you run? Why did ya run alongside your brothers, bloody and battered, thru the woods if then ya didn't do nothin'?"

"I was scared; I panicked." Bud blurted out, breathing so heavily that I thought he was gonna have a panic attack or something.

"Much like you are now, isn't that right?"

"No. I mean, yes, I'm scared, but I ain't panickin'." Bud frantically rambled, looking like he was about to either faint or shit his pants. Poor kid.

"Oh, but on the contrary Bud, you're as panicky as a woman traveling alone in the dead of night." Uncle Perry slyly told Bud, causing him to slightly shake while up on the witness stand. "Bud, is it true the only reason you got this deal was because your other lawyer, Miss Novella, arranged it with ADA Hatfield cause the man's her husband? That he had her push you into the deal in order to have an iron clad case against your brothers with you acting as the star witness?"

Bud narrowed his hazel eyes at my uncle before going on to defend me with his answer of, "No, Nova helped me cause I told her I only threw a few punches and she didn't want to see me on death row for something I'm innocent of. She's like a big sister to me; she was lookin' out for me."

"But her husband's the ADA rallyin' for your brother's blood tho, isn't that right?"

Instead of folding underneath my uncle's rash interrogation, Bud grew bold and bluntly told Uncle Perry, "Nova only married him shotgun style cause she's pregnant. Also cause she can help us bein' Mrs. ADA Hatfield better then she can by bein' Miss Landon."

"Bud right?" Tolbert asked me in a low whispered tone.

"I married Cap cause I love him; so my baby'd have a father." I told Tolbert as gasps and grumbles filled the courtroom.

A smirk crossed over the redhead's face. "He's right."

"By god, I knew ya were really tryin' hard t'help us, Nova." Pharmer told me with a small smile on his face.

"I see then." My uncle nodded his head at Bud dismissively. Looking at Judge Wall, he went on to say, "I'm done with this witness, your honor."

"Bud, you're done. Ya can go now." Judge Wall told Bud, causing the young man to just nodded before scrambling down from the witness stand and rushing out of the door behind it. "Well, Cap, anymore witness you needa call or are ya restin' your case?"

"I'm restin' my case, Uncle Wall." My husband told his uncle in a tone that was hard and edgy as he leaned an elbow on his table.

"Court's adjourned til 'morrow mornin'." The judge announced in a bored tone. I reckon he's just as tired of this trial as I am.

Before Judge Wall could bang his gavel, I stood up with the request of, "I need a recess til the following day, Judge Wall. I need to see Dr. Rutherford to get a pre-natal test done."

"Noted." The judge nodded with understanding heavy in his eyes. He knew what the test was for and how impactful the results could be. "Then I amend my previous remark; court's adjourned til the day after 'morrow." Banging his gavel, he ordered, "Now, everyone get the hell outta my courtroom."

"Ella, can ya come by my house real quick? I needa show ya some legal papers." Tolbert asked me as he stood up from our table.

Grabbing my purse and briefcase off the floor, I asked, "Can't you show me at my uncle's office? I'm sure he has the papers on file."

"No, Ella, these papers he don't got on file cause I didn't draw 'em up wit' him. They're tucked 'way safe in a strongbox in my closet. They're mighty important; I needa show 'em t'ya."

"Fine. I'll meet you at your house, but only to go over these important papers."

"Nova, what the hell was that in there? Hmm?" My husband's deep voice rolled with a steeled anger from over my shoulder as he slammed my truck door shut right as I just unlocked and opened it. Turning me around to look at me, Cap hissed, "Bud's claimin' you married me to use me to win your fuckin' case."

The look in his mismatched eyes unnerved me. I've never seen him so angry before. Hell, it was like he was Odin ready to fight the Ice Giants or something, that's how cold and angry his icy eye and its milky dead twin looked. I kept my voice as level as I could as I told my husband, "He must've heard it in passing by one of his brothers. Don't let it bother you cause it's not true. I married you cause I love you."

"You better not be lyin' to me, Nova, or else it won't end well for ya." Cap seethed before storming off across the parking lot towards where his truck was parked in a sea of various makes and models of Fords, Chevys, and Dodges.

Oh my god, did my husband just threaten me? Wow, I think he did... Great, just great, now Bud's stupid remark has my husband mad at me; suspicious of me too. Damnit, Bud… Taking a deep breath to calm myself down with, I opened my door and climbed up into the truck. Quickly, I closed the door, turned on the engine, and backed out of my parking space. I turned on the radio, hoping that some music would help clear my head, and drove pulled out of the courthouse parking lot.

I got onto the main road and took it right out of Pikeville til I reached the fork in the road that'd take me to Blackberry Creek. I made a left turn, making my way to Blackberry Creek even tho I knew my husband wouldn't want me to go. I knew that Cap would want me to meet Tolbert at my uncle's office; have him bring his paperwork there, but something deep inside of me told me that I needed to honor Tolbert's request and meet him at his house. That something very important was going on, something that he couldn't have prying ears overhear.

When I pulled up to Tolbert's house his truck was already parked out front in the driveway. I'm not surprised that he made it before I did, considering he was always a fast driver that never paid much attention to road rules. I parked my truck behind Tolbert's, turned it off, grabbed my purse, and flung my door open. Quickly, I exited my truck and made my way to Tolbert's porch and then over to his front door. I knocked twice on the door and waited for him to open it.

"Come in." Tolbert greeted me as soon as he opened the door. "Ya want any mint tea or ginger ale for yer stomach?" He offered as I walked by him and into the house.

"No, I'm fine." I politely declined as he shut the front door.

"Ya sure? Ya look a lil green 'round the gills, Ella." Tolbert remarked while coming up to my side as I awkwardly stood in the main room of his house.

Looking up at him, I assured the ginger, "I'm not sick, just a bit flustered."

"Ah, ya an' that fog-eyed bastard husband o'yers get into it in the parkin' lot then." Tolbert concluded with a slight nod as he led me into his kitchen.

"We didn't get into it, Bud's remark about our marriage just hurt him's all." I explained, since what happened in the parking lot between me and Cap wasn't 'getting into it', but was more or less Cap expressing hurt and anger by snapping at me. Getting into it would imply that we both got snarky, which never happened.

"If it stuck a chord then he must think it's true deep down." Tolbert responded matter-of-factly as we sat down at his kitchen table.

"Tolbert, what do you need to show me?" I asked, getting right down to business since I didn't want to drag out being around with tea or whatever he'd try to politely push on me since he felt I was feeling bad.

"This." He told me, grabbing a folder off of his table and handing it to me.

I took the folder and opened it up to find legal papers inside. After removing the papers from the folder, I quickly read them only to be shocked with the revelation that they were custody papers. Papers that gave me custody of Sally Elle if Tolbert were to die, become incapacitated, or to be incarcerated. Looking between him and the papers in my hand, I could only ask, "Why?"

"Sally Elle's the most impor'nt thing in my life an' I know I can trust ya t'raise her up right if somethin' should happen t'me. I know that she'll be taken care of an' loved by ya cause ya know how it feels not t'have parents 'round." Tolbert told me in a long and detailed answer, instead of a simple 'I trust you' or something else I was half expecting him to say.

"But Cap-" I began to protest, looking between me and the papers in my hand, only to be cut off by Tolbert firmly telling me, "Cap has no say so in this, sweetheart. This document's legal, it binds ya t'my daughter if I can't care for her."

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure that we don't need to use these papers." I assured Tolbert, putting the legal papers back into the folder I pulled them from.

Tolbert let out a chuckle and shook his head. "Then ya better butter up that husband o'yers wit' a lotta blowjobs cause I don't think he's gonna make a deal wit' me just cause I'm a poppy that got in a bad fight; stabbed a man in a blind rage."

After placing the folder on the table, I turned to Tolbert and asked him a bit softly, perharps softer then I intended, "You didn't mean to murder Ellison tho, did you?"

"God, no. Course not, Ella." Quickly shot out of his mouth as soon as I finished my question. His stormy slate eyes locked onto my cornflower blues as he told me in a soft smooth timbre, "I ain't a monster even tho 'em Hatfields seem to think of us McCoys as such."

"Day after tomorrow you'll be called on the stand. I'll make sure to emphasize that the fight got out of hand, resulting in a heat of the moment stabbing, but that you had no intention or plan to kill him with my questions."

"Ya think that'll get me cleared?" He asked with a curious desperation in his velvety accented tone.

"Yes." I nodded before expanding my answer with, "And if not then it'd put you in the spectrum of manslaughter not first-degree murder, saving you from death row."

"I'd still have to do time for manslaughter tho." Tolbert knowing sighed, slumping his shoulders before resting his elbows on the table.

"Only about 5 out of the 15 years cause of parole, but yea you'd do some time." I explained with a solemn look on my face.

"I don't wanna do any time tho." Tolbert honestly admitted, giving me what I could only convey as a desperate look.

"I know and I'm gonna try my damnedest to make sure you don't." I told Tolbert with a lightly lined smile while placing a comforting hand on his.

"Okay. Thank ya."

"You're welcome."

A few silent moments passed between us before Tolbert broke it with the curious question of, "Ella, what kinda test ya havin' done by Doc t'morrow?"

"Um, just a blood test to scan the baby for the gender." I lied thru my teeth, not wanting to go into the details of what the test was really for. How could I, he'd never understand.

"It's more than that, ain't it?" He asked knowingly, locking his eyes onto mine.

"What? Why'd ya say that?" I deflected instead of saying yes.

Running a hand thru his ginger curls, he let out a nervous sigh before going on to tell me, "I don't know if ya know this, but my uh, my parents are cousins an' my ex-wife had Doc do a blood scan t'make sure that I wasn't carryin' or passin' on no mutated genes t'Sally Elle."

"Oh…" I didn't know or maybe I did, but forgot that Randall and Sally were cousins. Damn, now that explains a lot about why Tolbert has some anger issues, you know being a child of cousins and what not. I'd never us that as his defense tho. I wasn't going to out his parents as backhills kissing cousins to win a case. No, I don't roll like my uncle does.

Placing a hand on my shoulder, he softly asked, "So, what's Doc scannin' for?"

"Autism…" I answered in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

Tolbert's eyes grew wide and shock ran across his face. "Oh…oh my god…Ella, I didn't even think there'd be a chance yer baby'd be…oh my god…"

"All of Johnse's wives got scanned, it's just something that Dr. Rutherford wants to do as a precaution." I told him as a way to wave off the severity of the scan I'm getting done.

"Y'know there's a chance the baby's mine." He pointed out, gently rubbing my shoulder.

"It doesn't matter, Tolbert. I'm married to Cap so legally he's the father."

"I hope givin' him a baby that might be mine'll soften his hard-cold dead heart 'nough t'make a deal or screw up the case where I'm let off." Tolbert spat, removing his hand from my shoulder only to fold his arms over his chest.

"Tolbert…" I scolded him in a warning sigh.

"God, I really hope ya know what yer doin'." Tolbert scoffed under his breath, shaking his head incredulously as he leaned back in his kitchen chair.

The ride home to Mate Creek seemed long and endless. I had the radio on, but the country music playing over the speakers did nothing to calm my nerves or ease my thoughts. I had to talk to Cap when I got home about the custody papers Tolbert had drawn up, the ones that named me Sally Elle's legal guardian. I had no idea what I was going to say, but I did know that I needed to ask him for a deal. One in particular where Tolbert would be able to plead down his charges and get on house arrest or something. God, I knew that Cap wouldn't want to raise Sally Elle if Tolbert went to jail. He didn't want me around the girl, he'd never be kosher with her and treat her like his own. No, not when he hated her father as much as a dog hates a cat.

When I pulled into my driveway, I saw that Cap was home. A part of me was hoping that he was still at his office, going over the case, so I'd have some more time to think about what I was going to tell him. I let out a sigh, turned off my tuck, grabbed my things, and got out. I felt numb as I closed my truck door and made my way across the driveway and over to the porch. I walked up the porch steps and made my way over to the front door while tightly clutching the legal folder in my hand.

As soon as I went thru the door and into the entryway, I heard the sound of a talk show program lightly drifting from the living room. Ah, so Cap was in there watching tv. Steeling myself, I walked into the living room determined to get a deal for Tolbert so that I wouldn't have to use the custody papers he had given me. Cap was sitting on the couch in lounge clothes, hunched over his laptop with paperwork and files scattered all over the coffee table. He looked up at me, most likely cause he heard the sound of my heels clinking against the floor, and concluded, "See you're home, babe."

Standing in front of him with a hand on my hip, I told him, "I want a deal for Tolbert. Try Pharmer all you want, but I need a deal for Tolbert."

"No can do, Nova." He shook his shaggy blonde head. Letting out a sigh, he leaned against the back of the couch and folded his arms over his chest. "You know that; it's full speed ahead for both of those murderous McCoys."

"Tolbert swears he didn't mean to kill Ellison. The fist fight escalated and he stabbed your uncle to get him off of him. Hell, if anything that's manslaughter and you know it." My husband just shook his head and let out a deep throaty scoff. Giving Cap some puppy dog eyes, I asked, "Can't you plead him down for a testimony on Pharmer, the one who both shot and stabbed Ellison?"

"No." My husband coldly answered.

"Cap, Tolbert needs a deal where he can do some time under house arrest. He can't afford to go to jail."

Placing his laptop onto the coffee table, he told me, "I'm not making that ruthless killer a deal where he gets to wear an ankle monitor for assault with a deadly weapon or some other bullshit. That bastard's gonna fry."

"But, Cap, he's a single father." I pleaded, hoping to soften his heart a bit.

"So was my uncle." Cap coldly snapped back.

Holding the folder out to my husband, I told him, "Tolbert gave me these after court today. Read them and you'll see why I can't let him go to jail."

Cap sat up straight and took the folder from me. He opened it and removed the legal papers. As he scanned them his face got hard. "I'm not takin' care of his daughter." He told me, placing the papers back into the folder and handing it back to me.

"Then make a deal with him." I pressed, taking the folder from my husband.

"No. You need to make him revise those custody papers; give the girl over to his sister or something." Cap commanded in a cold, hard, deep tone as he went back to looking over his papers and files that littered the coffee table.

"I can't do that, Cap." I shook my head, refusing to convince Tolbert to change the legal papers. He truly felt that I was the only one capable of raising his daughter if he couldn't. Given how he was raised and how I was raised by my uncle, I don't blame him.

"You better or else we're gonna have some problems."

My brows furrowed as I asked, "Are you telling me that our marriage is on the line if I accept custody of Sally Elle?"

"You said it, babe, not me." Cap remarked, picking up a paper off of the coffee table.

"You cold hearted bastard."

Looking up from the paper in his hand, he told me in an icy, but deep, tone, "I'm cold hearted? No, Nova, I'm human. I can't raise the kid of my uncle's murderer; I just can't do it."

"But you're more than willing to raise my baby." I pointed out to him, trying to make him realize how hypocritical he was being.

"Cause it's mine, that's why." Cap answered in a way that was unmovable and solid. He truly believed that he was the father; nothing was changing that especially since we're married.

"If you don't want us to have marriage problems then make a deal with Tolbert."

"No, I'm gonna send that ginger prick to death row for what he'd done to my uncle; to my family." Cap declared in an edgy, but confident tone as he tossed the paper he was holding onto the coffee table.

"But if you do that then I'll be raisin' Sally Elle, something that'll destroy us." I reminded Cap, raising the folder I was holding in the air to accent my point.

Burning a hole into the folder, he sighed, "I already told you, make him revise those papers."

Shaking my head, I told him, "I'm not going to do that, Cap."

Cap just shrugged and grabbed a paper off of the coffee table. "Then I dunno what to tell ya."

"You're such a heartless prick. You talk about how it's tragic that Cotton's an orphan, but you're going to willingly make a little girl an orphan cause you hate her daddy." I snapped at Cap before telling him, "I'm going to stay somewhere else for a few days. I'll see meet you at Doc's for the appointment tomorrow."

"If that's what you want, babe." Cap shrugged, causing me to just let out a frustrated huff before storming off to grab a few things.

AN:

I hope you guys liked this chapter. I'm not sure when I'll be updating again since this will get worked on around Transcending Time (which is what my muse is fueling right now). I do have a general idea of where I'm going plot wise with this, but I just don't know when I'll get there. LOL.