*Author's Note*

I know this story has been on hiatus for years, but now when I need a break or to clear my head from my SOA story I'm doing I'll be tinkering with this. Since I watched the Hatfields & McCoys movie last night (yea I own it lol) I decided to do a chapter on this story and to breath a fresh air of life into it. I'm not sure how often it'll get updated. Hopefully a couple times a month.

Anyways in 19th century Appalachia women courted and married extremely young. Think between 13-18 young. Usually 18 was pushing it and anything above that, for first time courting and marriage, was uncommon. If you weren't married by time you hit 20 you were label an old maid and was doomed to being alone. Crazy, but that's how it rolled. Wanted to mention that fact since it plays a key part in this chapter.

Oh Novella Landon is portrayed by Rose Leslie (she played Ygritte on Game of Thrones)

Tolbert McCoy is Sam Reid (That's who the History Channel casted)

Perry Cline and everyone else that was in the tv miniseries are portrayed as their actors from the miniseries.

Just Turned 16, Happy Courting

After arriving at Uncle Perry's law office both me and Tolbert gave him the notes the teacher gave us. Perry got mine since he was my guardian and he got Tolbert's since Ol' Rand'l wasn't good at reading, actually he wasn't a reader at all. Once Uncle Perry read the notes, he dropped us off at the McCoy house and took Ol' Rand'l to meet with the school teacher.

After that both me and Tolbert were unenrolled from the Tug River School. Tolbert, being 13, was old enough to work the McCoy farmland. Since I wasn't even 8 yet my Uncle Perry had a governess sent for me from Louieville. Once I hit 13 though she was let go and my uncle began to train me to assist him in his law office.

Three years had passed since I began training to be a legal assistant and I've just turned 16. In fact, my birthday's today and what am I doing? Nothing special, just sitting in my uncle's office typing up a case on the new typewriter he got me as a present. Uncle Perry was at his desk going over something. Something I'd have to type up too, no doubt.

I'm not sure how long I was typing away for, but I was nearly finished whenever the bell on the office door chimed, indicating that a client had just walked in. Without taking my blue eyes off of what I was typing I politely told the client, who's boots I heard shuffling towards my desk near the foyer, "I'll be with you in a moment. I'm almost finished."

I heard a deep chuckling followed by a velvety voice say, "Damn, didn't know I counted as a cust-e-meer. Thought I was yer kin."

Tolbert was here to see me!? Quickly I snapped my eyes up to meet his and stopped my typing. "What're you doing in town? It ain't time for you to sell the corn likker yet, you just built that still last week."

Smirking, he walked right up to my desk and told me, "Nah. I'm here for you."

"Me?" Really, not that was a surprise. Me and Tolbert didn't talk much or go out of our way to talk. I mean of course we talked when Uncle Perry brought us to Aunt Sally's for Sunday dinner, but that was just at dinner. Ussually when visiting the McCoy house I spent my time helping Sally and Roseanna, or just talking and visiting with Roseanna.

"It's yer birthday, ain't it, darlin'."

"Yea, but coming all the way out here to wish me a happy birthday seems a bit foolish. It's a long ride from the farm." I pointed out to him, letting him know that I knew something was up.

"Ain't just here for wishes. I got you something." He told me with a smile, taking me back.

The McCoy family were farmers and didn't have the luxuries of money to waste on silly trinkets and bobbles. Him getting me a gift was shocking, to say the least. "You did? Oh, you shouldn't have."

"Here." He pulled a small pouch from his coat pocket and stretched his arm out to me.

I took the pouch from his hand and smiled at him before quickly pulling apart the strings and opening it. I gasped as I pulled out silver locket, engraved with flowers surround by celtic knots. "It's beautiful, Tolbert, but you shouldn't 've. You really shouldn't 've."

With a grin on his face he pointed to my locket while telling me, "You can put a photograph for yer sweetheart in there."

Rolling my eyes at my cousin I scoffed, "I don't got a sweetheart, Tolbert. You know that."

"Yea, cause yer too busy working in the law office for a man to getcha."

"Don't tease me 'bout being single. I get enough of that from the towns folk. You know goin' on bout how if I continue being Uncle Perry's assistant I'm gonna be an old maid."

All laughter and teasing left his face. With a serious expression he told me, "Nah, ya ain't gonna be an old maid. I'll make sure of that."

"I doubt that-" I was about to say until the words died on my tongue as a realization suddenly hit me. Tolbert wants to court me. That's the only way he'd make sure I never became an old maid. With my eyes wide I blurted out in a little above a whisper, "You sure bout courtin' me, Tolbert? We're kin."

Serious Tolbert didn't last for long. He rolled his eyes at me and scoffed, "Shit, Ella, we're 2nd or 3rd cousins. That ain't close kin, 'sides my mama and poppy are cousins and they get on just fine." He leaned over my desk and placed a hand on each side, gripping it. Leaning down to get close to my face he remarked, "I wanna court you, real bad too."

"And why's that? You could always go with RuthAnne or Mary, them girls like you an awful lot." I retorted as I backed my chair up an inch so that I could have some breathing space.

"Them girls ain't you." He told me before going on to say, "'Sides we've known each other for 5 years now. You even got us kicked out of school."

"Me, how in the blazes was that my fault? You were the one fightin' the Skunk Hair fool." I reminded him of the real reason why we got sent home with nasty notes, causing us to never return to the old school house. The house was boarded up now, the school moved to town a few years back. I was far too old to reenroll then, that's when I started my legal assistant training,

"Cause I was defending yer honor." Tolbert stated like he was recieting a fact, as if he was saying the sky's blue and that grass is green. "So, how bout we go courtin'?"

"I'll talk to my Uncle Perry about it." I answered as a way to delay giving him a real answer.

"No need, I heard everything ya'll said. You have my permission to court, if you'd like." My uncle spoke up from his seat at his desk further back in the room behind me.

Damn, now I guess I got no choice, but to accept Tolbert's courtship offer. Did I want to though? I mean Tolbert had a temper and could fly off the rails at any second, especially when drunk. But if I refused his courtship I may not get another suitor and I really don't want to end up all alone and dried up, like Aunt Betty Blakemanship.

I painted a small, but hopefully not too fake looking, smile on my face and looked directly at Tolbert. "Yes, I'll court with you."

"Good. That's the answer I wanted." He grinned as he removed his hands my desk and stood up straight to his full length, his brown hat making him even taller than he already was.

"Tolbert, you may take Novella out for the rest of the day to celebrate her birthday and your courtship. I'll be by your house for dinner, so just have her there by dark." Uncle Perry said in a jovial tone, clearly thinking that he was doing me a favor. He was a good man, he took great care of me and made sure that I grew up not wanting for nothing, and I knew that he was just looking out for my future. Wanted to make sure that I wouldn't end up like Betty, especially since I was labeled abnormal since I worked under him in the law office.

"Yes, Sir." Tolbert simply looked at my uncle, nodding his head to show that he understood and accepted the terms laid out for him.

"Thank you, Uncle Perry." I told me uncle, even thought my gut was twisting and my chest felt like a heavy brick was weighing it down. Right now I felt anything, but thankful.

Good golly, I wasn't even too excited about my new courtship with Tolbert. I was just doing it cause he was the only feller to ask on me.

I was walking down main street with Tolbert by my side, his height dwarfing me. I noticed that some of the townsfolk were staring at us, others were gossiping. It made me uneasy, I never liked to be the topic of gossip. Being Perry Cline's niece and his law assistant, I was one of the main sources of gossip.

"You want to play checkers?" Tolbert asked as he pointed to one of the open checkboard tables on the front porch of the general store across the street.

"I'm not too good at checkers." I answered him with dread since I hated the game.

"I can teach ya." Tolbert offered as he brought our walking to a awfully slow, early existent, pace.

I wasn't getting out of this. I was going to have to play checkers, a game I always lost. "Okay." I smiled at my suitor, nodding my head.

Tolbert took my hand in his and led me over to the large whitewashed building with the sign over the porch awning boldly printed Adam's General Store. Once we got to the empty checkboard table we both took a seat at it. According to where we sat I'd be playing the dark pieces and he'd be playing the light.

After we both made a few moves he broke the silence between us by asking, "Why don't you play checkers? Most do."

"Uncle Perry pushed reading and piano lessons over playing board games." I honestly answered while pondering my next move since I didn't want Tolbert to take my piece, again.

"You like that? Reading and piano, I mean." He asked trying to make small talk since there wasn't much for us to talk about.

As I finally made my move I answered his question with, "Reading, yes, but no to the piano."

"Well, ain't you a lil proper lady." He smirked as he jumped his piece over mine. Dang! There goes another.

"I ain't that proper. I do work in a law office, assisting my uncle." I gritted out as I slide my dark pice on an open spot nowhere near any of his light pieces.

"Yea, but that stops once we're married."

"Married?! Tolbert, it's only our first day of courtin'." I seethed with wide eyes, taken back by him uttering the m word. I never imagined him when daydreaming about a future husband.

"Sam's Hill, what'd you think comes outta courtin'?" He asked me rather sarcastically with barred teeth. "I needa wife, you needa husband, and we know one 'nother so we don't need to court long."

Dear lord, I was most likely going to be married by this time next year. Oh and to Tolbert to boot. Not that there's anything wrong with the towering redhead with sinewy muscles, but he had a temper and he wasn't the most handsome man around. He wasn't hideous, but he wasn't any star gazer either. Guess he'd have to do.

"I understand." I conceded, knowing full well that as a woman my sole purpose was to marry and produce children, not tom mention run the household. If I protested I'd make myself an old maid, be a laughing stock, and bring dishonor onto Uncle Perry Cline and the entire McCoy family since they're my kin.

Before Tolbert could utter a word we saw a wagon roll by and park in front of the doctor's office across the street. In the back of the wagon was none other than Devil Anse Hatfield. He was holding his son, who had his hand covering his eyes as a splintered piece of bloody wood poked its way from between his fingers.

"Happy Birthday, Hatfield's a injured." Tolbert smiled wickedly before going back to the game and moving his piece.

I know we were mortal enemies with the Hatfields and vise verse, but I didn't wish any ill will on them. "Oh, this is a birthday I'll never forget." I said sarcastically, even though I don't think Tolbert picked up on it, as I scooted my dark piece across the board.

For some reason I had a sick feeling, but I didn't know why.

AN:

So yep the courtship is on. Don't worry, Novella will fall madly in love with Tolbert, but it's just going to take some time. Let's be real here, no way do you look at bad tempered Tolbert and say I want that one lol. Even though Tolbert's crushing on Novella, it's gonna take some time and courting for her to like him like him lol.