It had been a couple days since J.J had been shot, and he wasn't doing well. I had checked on him many times only to be shoved and yelled at to stay out. He was pale, his usually tan skin was an off-color, almost green. That's how pale he was. I couldn't do much about it either, along with that, someone had tried to bring down Roy along with Bucky, the two escaping easily. Yet, even when I went to check on J.J, I had a different purpose behind it. I was going to ask him if he had really tried to shoot Cap, but I knew it was the truth. The look on Levicy's face told all.
I had been called down to the Hatfield home by Levicy, and had taken my new horse, Duke, with me. He was much like Baron, although faster and sturdier than my old friend, he wasn't quite the same. His black as night hair proved that, but his soft brown eyes were the same as Baron's. Amongst the foals that Baron had bred with female horses, was Duke and also Reginald, along with Lilac and Berry. But Reginald was Roy's horse, the other two were kept in the stables and were used for breeding newer horses or they were going to be sold. Regardless of that, as I arrived and tied Duke to the post, I noticed some dirt settling from the air to the ground beneath Johnse and Cap's horses; they'd just gotten in.
I furrowed my eyebrows and walked up the steps, pausing for a moment as I pressed my ear to the door.
"You choosing a ham supper over a comely McCoy bride?" Jim Vance taunted, his voice edgy. I shifted slowly, hearing Johnse speak quickly, his answer meaning to silence but only caused more voicing.
"Well, she ain't a McCoy no more, is she? She's Hatfield. Mrs. Johnse Hatfield." He told them, the sound of utensils against plates told me they were, in fact, dining. I perked up at the sound of Cap.
"Hatfield ain't just a name on a piece of paper." Cap stated, and I felt a gentle but warm feeling flutter in my stomach.
"Don't expect to bring her around like the last one." Anse said, and I walked quickly to the back of the house, pushing open the back door to get closer, after all, Levicy did call me down here. "Things get spoke here that ain't for McCoy ears." Anse reminded.
"I didn't bring here here, did I?"
"Don't sass your father." Levicy warned, smacking his head as her eyes met mine and she waved her hand back, telling me to stay put... Stay out of it. "Your philandering helped make this mess." Levicy added.
"Please, you know what? I get enough grief at home." Johnse paused then as Levicy passed me to get into the kitchen. "Truth be told..." Pause. "I needed to get away for a little bit. Ain't her, Nancy treats me fine. It's just -" He sighed. "Her goddang brother is turning my honeymoon into misery."
This caught the whole cabin's attention, every beating heart paid attention.
"Jefferson McCoy?" Cap clarified, waching Johnse. "I heard he killed a mailman."
"Got a goddang reward up, too." Johnse said honestly, his mind innocent to the thoughts Cap was having, and the ones Jim Vance seemed to share.
"You're harboring a McCoy," Anse paused to speak as I watched, Levicy passing me once more. "With a price on his head?"
"Nancy says it's just for a while, 'cause its her duty to protect him." Johnse struggled to find the words, shrugging slightly.
"Well, loyal sis, how much is the reward?" JIm questioned.
Johnse sighed, chewing the food in his mouth before speaking. "I don't know. A hundred dollars maybe?" Cap and Jim looked between each other.
"Well, we just want you to be happy, son." Levicy told him, rubbing Johnse's arm as I stood by. She told me to grab bottle of liquid, which I could only assume was whiskey, and I refilled Jim's jar and Johnse's. Cap seemed a bit surprised to see me there, but also not shocked. I'd been around there a lot lately. "Why don't you take a little time away from home? Huh? Wouldn't hurt none." Levicy urged. "Go hunting with your pa."
Wall Hatfield then made a face, almost as if the sentence was code for something. I didn't like the sound of it, but it didn't sound bad, either. Johnse needed to get the weight of two McCoys nagging him, off his shoulders.
"It's true, I haven't been hunting for a spell." Anse stated, his body turned mostly away. "You up to goin' with me, Johnse?"
"I don't know." Johnse said, something he seemed to have practiced. The words fell from his lips easily, he'd repeated them many times amongst circumstances like these. "Yeah, I might as well." He gave in, sipping his whiskey. "Shit, better than watching my lay-about brother-in-law drink up all my whiskey profits, right?"
"Amen to that!" Jim nearly shouted, laughing along with his words. After supper wrapped up, I stayed behind to help Levicy with some laundry. She also wanted to check on me since my little ill-falling from previous days. As Jim and Cap headed out, just as I feared, I stopped Cap and pulled him aside.
"Where you goin'?"
"You know where." Cap muttered, watching my eyes as they flickered over his blue ones, foggy and clear alike.
"Watch yourself, Hatfield." I told him, gently moving my hands to rest against his chest. He stared at me as if to say he already does. I leaned up and captured his lips in a quick kiss, his mustache and scruff tickling my upper lip and chin. His chapped lips forming a smile slightly against my lips as he returned the kiss before I parted from him. "I don't like what you're doin', but somebody has ta." I sighed softly, watching him nod.
He knew I was right, but I didn't want to be. I watched him walk out to his horse, Jim Vance following in suit. I turned to see Levicy smiling slightly at me, and I naturally smiled back. She waved me over with one hand, and began clearing plates as Johnse left and Anse soon went somewhere else. I helped her clear the table, and she began talking.
"You ain't too affectionate." Levicy said, not looking at me as I picked up a quarter of bread still left on the table.
"Words mean more, I reckon." I muttered softly, staring at the bread in my hands. Levicy sighed and took the bread, using a knife to cut it in two before buttering each half and giving me a slice. I bit into it, chewing and swallowing the delicious baked good before speaking again. "'Sides, Cap ain't exactly the affectionate kind."
"He gon' marry you, that boy." Levicy informed, watching me as she flicked her nails across the edge of the bread, causing a small piece to flake into crumbs as she picked at it.
My eyes were widened then, not so much from shock but from excitement. "Ya think?"
She snorted a laugh, this I had never heard from her. "I know, sweet girl." Levicy smiled at me, shaking her head slightly at the question. "He's been partial towards you for a lon' time... E'er since you were young."
I blushed a light shade of red, I could feel my cheeks warming. I tilted my head downwards, hiding my face with my brown locks. Levicy leaned forward and put her free hand beneath my chin, moving her fingers to gently tilt my head upwards. She set her bread on the table and used her, now free, hand to push back my hair. She tucked a good amount behind my ear, seeing as how I wasn't too partial towards having it up like hers or my mother's.
"Yer such a pretty girl, Anna Rose." Levicy complimented, watching me bite my lip slightly. I stopped and curled my lips inward before releasing them, nodding and thanking her. "He's lucky to have ya."
"Perhaps it's the other way 'round, Mrs. Hatfield." I said, blushing a bit more. She shook her head and removed her hand from my chin, using her pointer finger to quickly tap my nose.
"He is a good boy, jus' he doesn't always have 'is head on straight."
I giggled softly at this and nodded. "Suppose I help straighten it?" I asked, watching her nod.
"That ya do, sweet girl." Levicy grinned. "That ya do."
xXx
Two days had passed, and I woke up to J.J coughing. We had gotten warning that there would be someone out looking for us, probably. We all weren't quite sure. Mama said we'd have to move J,J, but we couldn't, not properly. I slowly went to J.J's room, walking with my underclothes swaying with me. He had a rag pressed to his mouth as I opened the door, Florence, and Alice were behind me, and Bucky and Roy were staring at him, considering they shared a room. Sam and David came through the door, as well. We all watched as J.J waved us off, coughing heavily into the torn rag. He pulled it away, looking at it before his jaw tightened, motioning for us all to get out.
Just as Bucky went to leave, J.J grabbed his arm. "Fetch Pa." He said quickly, before coughing again and bringing the rag up to catch it. Bucky nodded and passed me after J.J released him.
"I said leave, Anna Rose."
"Did you shoot at Cap?" I asked, the question came out quickly.
"Did I what?"
"Shoot at Cap."
"Now why in the hell would I go 'n do that?"
"Dunno." I shrugged slightly, watching him. "Why would ya?"
"Don't be -" He began coughing again, just as I heard our father's boots falling into heavy steps on the stairs. "Don't be ridiculous. Now get!" He shouted just as our father came through the door. I felt my hands clench beside me, fists being made as I left the room. I stayed by the door a moment.
"What's wrong, son?"
"I'm hackin' up blood, Pap." J.J said in a hushed tone. I held my gasp in, suspecting as much. I ran back to my room, dressing quickly before walking down the stairs.
"I need to ride out to see Cap, maybe Mr. Hatfield, Mama."
I said quickly, she glanced at me. "They ain't at their cabin."
"Where they at, then?" I knew the answer, exactly where.
"S'mewhere you shouldn't be, Anna Rose." I watched her slowly, cautiously. I turned on my heel, moving to do my chores as Bucky and Roy where sent out to fetch the Doc. They came, but just as they did, Alice went somewhere. Many hours passed, J.J was coughing up a storm through the hours of the night, then suddenly, he wasn't. It was heavy, wet sounding and then it was silent. Alice still wasn't back from wherever she went, and our mama told us she'd be back. She knew her way, mama told us. She had sent out the boys at first, but when they got back they hadn't found her.
I sat up, my covers coming up around me as Florence sat up beside me. We'd been sharing a bed since we could remember, but at that moment that J.J stopped coughing we turned to look at each other. There were quiet footsteps, and then suddenly a sob. We both knew just then what had happen. Our beloved brother had passed away.
"May God take him into his arms and lead him passed the golden gates of heaven." Florence said quietly, her hands clamped together. I sighed, carefully slipping from the bed. My steps were quiet, the wooden floorboards absorbing whatever sound there was to make. I slowly walked to J.J's room to see my father standing on the outside, his hand pressed to his chest with a small amount of blood on his hands.
"Is he...?" I trailed off, watching my father nod, his expression absent emotion, possibly for fear he might break down. I gently pushed open the door, seeing my mother leaning over my brother, her arms tightly woven around his limp body. I stared at her for a moment, never really seeing her cry before made my heart swell. My eyes moved from her to my eldest brother, his eyes were wide open and I nearly gasped. There was blood sitting at the corner of his mouth, and his right hand was above his wound. I swallowed sharply, slowly backing from the room. I made it back to my room quickly, sliding back into my bed.
I didn't realize I was shaking, not until Florence gently touched my arm.
"Did ya see 'im?" She asked, her wide eyes hard to make out in the dark. I nodded slowly.
"Wish I hadn't." I muttered. I shook my head before slowly curling back up. I was worried, and not just about my family, but the family that wasn't related by blood. The Hatfields. I was living in fear that they'd somehow end up dead, but I knew better. Most Hatfields make it out alive. They always have, and always will.