Give me the burden, give me the blame...I'll shoulder the load, and I'll swallow the shame.
Give me the burden, give me the blame.
How many, how many Hail Mary's is it gonna take?

- The Devil's Backbone

"Oh Lord, what have I done?" I whispered as I walked out of church. I had made the mistake of laughing at something the preacher said, causing my mother to send me outside. I looked around and saw a few Hatfields arguing with some McCoys. I slowly walked over to them and saw they were at the courthouse. I soon found Cap in the small crowd and nudged him to look at me. "What's happenin'?" I asked him, furrowing my brows. "Shouldn't you be with God?" Cap asked me, watching a few McCoys. I shrugged.

"I laughed at something the preacher said, my mama sent me outsi'e..." I replied. Cap raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "McCoys are gonna hang for killin' Bill Stanton." Cap laughed, a smile playing at his lips. "They killed Bill?" I gasped, covering my mouth slightly. "Who done it? Which McCoys?"

"Paris and Squirrel..." Cap said, shaking his head. "They're the ones n'ere." Cap told me, glancing down at me. I sighed softly and crossed my arms, shaking my head slightly. "Miss Anna!" I heard and turned around to see Cotton Top, I smiled at him and hugged him gently as Paris and Squirrel came out of the building. There was a bit of commotion before people began to clear out, moving back to their horses and wagons. I held Cotton close to me as Tolbert McCoy passed us. He glanced at me and gave me a sick smile as I was stood between Cap and Cotton. I've never been exactly close with the McCoys, they are like distant cousins whom I never visit but sometimes still check up on once in a while.

"Mitchell, might wanna be careful hanging' 'round them Hatfields... 'Specially the bastard half-wit and foggy eye." Tolbert told me, laughing as he stumbled. He was obviously drunk. I glanced to Cotton and he was looking down and then I glanced to Cap who had his jaw clenched. I let go of Cotton and moved forward before Cap stopped my by extending his arm out and over my chest to hold me back. I swatted him off and walked to Tolbert.

"Call my friends 'foggy eye' and 'bastard half-wit' one m're time'n I'll skin ya like the pig you are, McCoy." I sneered. Tolbert laughed.

"Bett'r watch your mouth, Mitchell... I might have to shut it mysel' sometime!" Tolbert told me, gesturing down to his crotch before looking straight into my eyes. "I'll kill you before ya get the chance." I shot back.

"Promise?" He laughed, tilting his head. I squared my shoulders and held my head up. "On your grave." I told him, I heard Cap huff slightly.

"I'm not dead." Tolbert told me thoughtfully. I only laughed as I backed up and turned around before glancing over my shoulder to him. "Yet." I heard him walk away after that as I looked at Cotton.

"Cotton, sweetie, look at me."

"You didn't hav'ta do that, Miss Anna..." He told me as he looked up at me slowly. I smiled gently at him, slowly cupping one of his cheeks and moving the other hand to his neck.

"Yes I did, Cotton. You ain't no bastard half-wit. A bastard has no family that loves 'im, is that you?" I asked him, he shook his head. "A whole lot'ta people love you, Cotton. Now, as go for the half-wit, you ain't no half-wit. God gave you such a big heart, he couldn't have given you a whole lot o' brains, now could he?" I questioned. Cotton shook his head as I smiled a little wider.

"Now, take these here coins and go get yourself some gum." I told him as I handed him a few coins, kissing the top of his head. He nodded a little faster, thanking me as he blushed and ran off to get some gum. I turned to Cap and crossed my arms as I saw him smiling at me.

"You're really good with Cotton, y'know that?"

"Yes, I do." I smiled confidently, as he only smiled back before his smile flattered a bit. "Do I really have a foggy eye?" He asked me, pouting slightly. "If you're trying to get a kiss from me too, you gotta work harder than that." I told him, laughing as he shook his head. I sighed as I glanced to the church, service was almost over and we began to walk through the town as Jim Vance glanced at us every so often.

"You honestly didn't have'ta threaten that bag of sh- manure." He told me, changing his wording so I didn't get offended. I rolled my eyes as we stood by the small book store. I glanced to see Florence in there. "Yes, I did." I replied. We walked around the building to stand in the back where no one could see us, where we could talk a little louder. I stood in front of him, touching my hands to his chest as he watched me. I moved my left hand up his neck and sighed quietly.

"No matter what anyone says 'bout your eye... Whether it be milky, foggy or dead, it don't matter none. No matter what they say 'bout your family, nor me; you or anyone, if they say they're bad, or I'm bad, or you're bad, it ain't true... William Anderson Hatfield, you are a good man - Right here." I told him, using my right hand to move his jacket out of the way so I could rest my palm over his heart. "That's all that matters."

He smiled at me, resting his hands on my waist gently as he massaged them gently. "Thanks for all that, but -"

"No, no 'but'. Its true, all of it." I said, cutting him off. Cap leaned down slightly as he looked into my eyes, both his blue and capped over eye seeming to flick down to my lips and back up to my eyes. He backed my against the wall of the book store, pressing me against him only further. I stood up a bit more. Cap leaned down, and he muttered something against my neck as he nipped and kissed it quickly. "Anna?" I heard. The voice was far away and I couldn't help but not reply as Cap held my hips to the wall and masaged them gently.

Cap let go of me and sighed, the chance of getting a kiss gone. Cap watched me begin to walk out from behind the building before Cap stopped me, grabbing my arm carefully as to not hurt me. He kissed my head softly and let me go as he walked out beside me.

"Anna Rose, where in God's - There you are!" I saw Bucky and Roy rushing towards me as they glanced to Cap. "Uh, mama said to come find ya, we're going back home now..." Roy explained. I nodded as I smiled to Cap.

"What were you two doing?" Bucky asked. "We were on a walk is all." I told them as Bucky and Roy squinted. "Let's go, mama doesn't want us around McCoys right now with how'ey actin'." Roy said as he took my arm and Bucky took the other, beckoning Florence over to us as we all gathered ourselves and got into the wagon.

I waved to Cap as we left, Jim Vance walking over to him as Cap backed away from him a bit, a large smirk on his face as Jim watched him grabbed his gun and get on his horse.