*Author's Note*

Thank you for all the follows, faves, and reviews.

Olga Becker (boy oh boy you're gonna feel so bad for her…) faceclaim is Emily Browning.

4th Of July Festival, 1879

Shaw POV:

It was hotter than Hades today as I sat at my desk doin' paperwork for a colt I wanted to buy and get shipped in from the Montana territory. Sweat rolled down the back of my neck in beads, soakin' the collar of my shirt. Damn, I missed AC and t-shirts now more then ever. I hated July's heat, it was always overly humid and unbearable even in the damn mountains.

The door to my livery opened and then loudly slammed shut, causing me to lift my head only to see my dad walking in. Great, what does he want? As he made his way over to my desk, he told me, "Son, you need to stop what you're doing and go pick up something I ordered for you at the train station in Charleston."

I gestured to my paperwork with a tilt of my head while sighing, "I'm busy, dad. Besides, can't you just go pick it up?"

"No, you have to go cause it's your new wife you're picking up." That sentence Sully uttered was like a grenade going off, blowing up the place and sending everything in turmoil.

"What the fuck?!" I blurted out, my head snapping up to look at him as my pen fell out of my hand. My honey eyes were wide with both shock and anger as I exclaimed, "Dad, you ordered me a mail order bride! What's wrong with you?!"

Sully nonchalantly took a seat at my desk while telling me, "Nothing's wrong with me, I just felt that you need somebody to be your partner and noticed that you haven't had any luck finding anybody around here."

"I haven't had any luck finding anybody cause I ain't looking for anybody." I informed Sully, giving him a very hard and narrowed look. Of course, he rolled his ocean eyes at me. "You overstepped this time, Sully. Assuming I need help getting a girl's insulting."

A shit eating grin appeared on my dad's face as he told me, in a troll like tone, "But you do need help considering the object of your desire hates you and is Miss McCoy."

I leaned back in my chair, angrily crossing my arms over my chest. My nose twitched, causing my mustache to slightly tilt up at an angle, as I hurled out the explanation of, "Jessa doesn't hate me; she's just been brainwashed by those crazy Kentuckians. Hell, her and Tolbert ain't even legally married."

"Shaw, just shut up and go to Charleston to pick up Olga. She came all the way from New York City to answer the ad I made for you." Sully ordered in his pushy fatherly tone. God, it was the same tone he used when telling me to do my homework or to sack the rival school's quarterback.

Olga? My nose upturned as I let out a disgusted scoff of, "Christ, I can only imagine how she looks since her name's Olga…"

"Her name's Olga Becker; she sounded nice in her letter."

"Well, if you think she's so nice then why don't you go pick her up and get with her?" I rhetorically asked with sarcasm heavy in my tone. My lip snarled up over my teeth slightly as I gave my dad a pointed look.

"She's not here for me, she's here for you." Lucky me, she would be here for me. "Thinks you're very handsome too." Sully winked.

My brows furrowed and I sat forward, placing my elbows on my desk. "How the hell does she know what I look like?"

Sully crossed his leg over his knee and smiled haughtily. "I submitted your senior portrait for your ad."

I hated that damn picture. Like all high school male seniors, I had to wear some loaner black suit jacket paired with a white shirt and black bow tie. God, I looked like such a douche in my senior portrait. I preferred my senior personality picture, that one was of me riding a stallion at the ranch I worked part time at after school.

Rolling my honey eyes and shaking my head at him dismissively, I sighed heavily, "Dear god, you would…"

"Go pick up your new bride." Sully ordered in a firm tone, staring me down with one of his 'I'm the parent so you must listen to me' pointed looks.

"She ain't my new bride, but she can be the new housekeeper." I told him before rising from my desk and going over to the coat rack to grab my hat.

Placing my black Stetson on my head, I heard my dad tell me, "I expect to see ya showin' her a good time at the 4th of July festival tomorrow."

"Don't hold your breath, Sully." I spat before pulling open the door and storming out of my livery.

*A Few Hours Later*

Against my will, I found myself sitting next to some Yankee brunette as I drove down the long endless road from the state capital of Charleston back to Mate Creek. The girl was thin, gaunt even, and her butter yellow dress seemed to be slightly too big for her frame. Her perfume had a strong, but overly cheap smell to it too. Shit, any minute now it was gonna give me a headache and block my sinuses. Yea, Sully would pick her out for me. The scrawny thing wasn't my type at all. Actually, I didn't have a type anymore cause my type was Jessa. God damnit, why couldn't my dad get it in his thick skull that I wanted Jessa back; that I didn't need or want anybody else?

So far, the ride was full of silence, but of course Olga just had to change that by opening up her mouth and remarking in her dulcet tone, "It's so peaceful an' wide open 'ere. Unlike the Five Points which's always loud, crowded, an' hectic."Great…she's from the Five Points. What's next, she's gonna reveal that she ran scams for Amsterdam Vallon and Jenny Everdeen too? "Yer da wrote in the paper's ad that Mate Creek's a quiet farm town."

My honey eyes were glued onto the road as I gave the girl the serious warning of, "Don't let the landscape fool ya, Olga. Where we're going, the Tug River Valley, ain't a place for the weary kind."

Ignoring my warning about Mate Creek's potential for violence, strife, and heartbreak, Olga looked at me with sympathy in her brown doe eyes as her dulcet tone rung out with, "I read yer a livestock broker that needs a wife t'help ya raise yer orphaned siblin's an' remedy yer loneliness."

"Look, Olga, I'm sure you're a nice girl, but I don't want a wife." I bluntly told her with a clenched jaw, snapping the reigns to make the horse pull the wagon faster.

"Oh…but yer da-" Olga began to say in a soft tone before I curtly cut her off with, "I know what my dad said, but he doesn't know shit." Her big brown doe eyes widened as she looked at me, wringing her hands frantically in her skirts. "Look, I'm not gonna kick you out on the street since you came all the way here to answer the ad Sully placed for me, but I'm also not gonna marry you either."

Her eyes went hard, staring a hole into the side of my head, as she snapped, "If I wanted t'be a whore I could o'stayed in the Five Points."

Dear god, I hope she wasn't a whore before answering my dad's ad. Jesus, he always had a way of finding skanks. Hell, all the women he dated on Tinder and Plenty Of Fish always seemed skanky. God, this one bitch he dated for a few months was a gold digger stripper and let's just say I was happier than a pig in shit whenever she broke up with him for somebody with a bigger bank account.

"Olga, I'm not sendin' you out to moonlight as a whore. Good heavens, my mom would haunt me from her grave if I did that." Olga nodded her head, her face falling a bit, as her doe eyes locked onto the hands that were clutching her skirts. "You can help me by being my housekeeper, but don't expect me to love you." Olga's head snapped her, causing her limp brown curls to rustle a bit around her shoulders. Her brown eyes were full of questions and before she could ask one, I bluntly told her, "I lost my heart to a girl last fall, so I can't marry you; love you."

"If ya can't marry me an' give me chil'ren then ya should o'put me back on the train t'New York."

I should've, but then I'd have to listen to Sully bitch and that's something I do not and I repeat I do not want to deal with. I'd rather have skanky Five Points be my housekeeper then listen to one of Sully's lectures.

"As my housekeeper you'll be helpin' me with my siblings. They're 6 and 10 so you'll practically be raisin' them." I told her as a way to get her to understand that she'd be a mother figure.

"Ain't the same as havin' yer own; bein' a ma." Sighed Olga as her thin shoulders quaked, causing the butter yellow dress to sag and wrinkle around the collar.

I'm already having a baby with Jessa, but I don't think it'd be wise for me to tell Olga that. The situation's too complicated for her Five Points ass to comprehend. Hell, as soon as Jessa agrees to take me back Olga's on the next train to Portland, Oregon to become a mail order bride again.

I knew that I needed to change the subject, if I didn't I'd be stuck breaking down my situation with Jessa ad I didn't want to do that, so I gave Olga a tight, but friendly smile and told her, "You'll be meeting my cousin Cap's wife, Allie, tomorrow at the 4th Of July Festival and I'm sure she'll befriend you; help you adjust to life here."

"I should've stayed in the Five Points. Least I had'a maid job uptown." Olga muttered under her breath.

"Being a turtle dove isn't what I call an uptown maid job, but if you say so…" Rolled off my tongue in a smart-ass sneer.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she asked shakily, "Ya know what a turtle dove be?"

"Yea, a thief that poses as a maid and robs rich people blind." I deadpanned before giving her a pointed look and saying, "Remind me to lock up the nice silverware with you 'round." I wasn't joking either, I meant it. I didn't need my mom's nice silverware that I inherited upon her death sprouting legs and walking off.

Allie POV:

This year the 4th Of July Festival seemed even bigger than it was last year, if that was even possible. One side of the venue held the Hatfields while the other side held the McCoys. The feuding families didn't dare set up their blankets close to each other. The Hatfields stayed far off to the right while the McCoys stayed far off to the left. The territories were marked by where Tolbert and Johnse's moonshine wagons were set up at. There was roughly 50 or so yards separating the whiskey wagons, space that was a large line drawn in the sand that nobody from either family would dare to cross.

Currently I was walking back to the Hatfields' sitting spot with Cap after buying a slice of watermelon to eat. I had the large triangle of watermelon, not my husband, since I was the only one hungry at the moment. Well, considering I was due next month it's not a big stretch that I'd be craving some nice, cool, watermelon.

As I nibbled on the large slice while walking with Cap, who had a hand gingerly resting on the small of my back, Uncle Jim ran up to us with an amused smirk on his weatherworn face. With a mischievous twinkle in his frosty eyes, he told us in a loud yapping drawl, "Sully got Shaw a mail order Yankee woman yesterday an' that boy's pissed." Pointing straight ahead he added in, "Look, they're pullin' up right now."

"She's skin and bones." Cap blurted out upon noticing the very thin brunette girl, who looked to be our age, sitting next to Shaw as he pulled their wagon to a stop in an open spot near our wagon.

"Reckon he'll be doin' all the cookin' still." Jim loudly chuckled, poking fun at the mail order bride's overly thin appearance.

I didn't say a word, just watched as Shaw helped his siblings out of the wagon while giving his new lady the cold shoulder. He didn't even help her out of the wagon, she had to climb down herself and nearly tripped over her skirt. Yea, Shaw's a total dick… Todd and Mary said something to Shaw, most likely telling him they wanted to go find their friends, causing him to hand them some coins and send them on their way. The brunette girl, who looked like she was swimming in her periwinkle dress, walked up to Shaw as he was looking around, no doubt trying to find where Jessa was at.

"They're headed this way." I warned my husband and uncle, subtly nodding my head at Shaw and his new girl as he pointed us out to her as they walked together away from their wagon.

"Yea, he wants us t'meet her." Cap nodded.

"I don't wanna meet her, she's a Yankee and I don't like nobody from up north." Jim loudly complained, rolling his eyes at the mere thought of having to be in the same breathing space as the new Yankee family member.

"Maybe she's a nice Yankee." I supplied, hoping to soften up my cankerous uncle-in-law up a bit, while Shaw and his new girl were close by.

"No such thing as that." Jim rolled his eyes, turning his head to the side and spitting a large wad of brown tobacco out onto the ground. As soon as Shaw and his scrawny brunette stopped in front of us, Jim's brow arched in disgust as his voice harshly rang out with, "So, Sully done gone lost his mind and got'cha a Yankee. She bought and paid for or can ya return her?"

"Uncle Jim…" Cap sighed out warningly, shooting the crochety man a narrowed look.

"I wish I could return her to sender, but she's my new housekeeper." Shaw chuckled darkly. God, he's such a dick. Looking at Olga, who had appeared to be hurt by both Jim and Shaw's remarks, Shaw told her, "Olga, that's my Great-Uncle Jim Vance. He's always crass like this so don't let it bother you."

Turning her attention onto me and my husband, the overly thin brunette asked, "Are they Cap and Allie?"

Before Shaw could answer his mail order bride, I nodded and told Olga, "Yes, I'm Allie Hatfield and he's my husband Cap." Tensions were high in the air; it felt very stifling and uncomfortable. I could tell by how cold Shaw was with Olga that he didn't want to be bothered with her. I could also tell by my husband's rigid posture as he stood next to me that he was a bit uncomfortable by how offish Shaw was being with Olga, acting like he was introducing a lowly wrench and not a young woman that traveled a good day's train ride to be his helpmate and companion. I felt bad for Olga, especially since my reception into the Hatfield family was warm and the exact opposite as hers, so I gave her a friendly smile and looped an arm into hers while suggesting, "Olga, let's go sit down and talk. I'll even introduce you to my best friend, Vera Wallace."

"Okay." She nodded, a thin smile of relief on her face.

I didn't wait for the men to utter a word, I just pulled Olga along with me and waddled off. Olga seemed to be taking in her surroundings as we slowly made our way towards the far right of the venue.

"I heard you're from up north. Where exactly up north are you from?" I asked, as a way to strike up conversation, before taking a bite out of my watermelon wedge.

"The Five points in New York."

Oh… I've seen that movie Gangs of New York so I knew that the Five Points neighborhood of New York City was rough during the Civil War; I doubt it got any nicer over the last 16-years. I think that Shaw's new housekeeper (who he's gonna bang cause let's be real here no way in hell is he gonna have a girl in his house and not hookup with her…) is tougher then she looks. Yes, she's thin, borderline gaunt, with limp brunette hair, but she's also from the Five Points and that place is pure hell. Those streets are run by gangs and by corrupted politicians (mainly Boss Tweed which I remember from an episode of jeopardy was a real dude).

"I bet Mate Creek's a big adjustment for you since you're used to the big city, huh?"

"It's beautiful here in the country. I really like the mountains; I've never seen 'em before yes'day." Olga told me, a look of pure childlike wonder beaming on her face. Well, after being crammed into an overpopulated neighborhood I guess she would be amazed by mountains and wide-open spaces. "I only hope that I'd be able t'stay tho."

Okay, now it's time for me to pick her brain and see what's going on with her arrangement with Shaw. I know he says she's the housekeeper, but why is she afraid of being kicked out of town if her job wasn't temporary on in jeopardy. "Why wouldn't you stay?"

"Shaw don't want me 'round. He says I can stay; be his housekeeper, but I think he'll send me 'way once he wins ov'r his lady love."

"Olga, the girl he loves is pregnant and married. He's been brooding over her for a while, but he's not going to win her back." At least I hope he doesn't win Jessa back cause that means he'd have to murder Tolbert in order to do that. The last thing the feud needs is Shaw killing Tolbert over Jessa. The best thing for the family and the feud would be for him to just move on and try to make things work with his mail order bride. "Don't push yourself on him, but just be there for him. In time he'll get tired of being alone and will give you a chance." I assured the girl even tho I wasn't even fully convinced by my words. I just hoped that Olga could take Shaw's mind off of Jessa.

"I had a good man once; he was killed in a gang war." Olga sadly sighed, hurt flickering in her hazel eyes.

"Oh, um, what gang was he in?"

"Dead Rabbits." She flatly told me, causing me to nearly choke on the mouthful of watermelon I was chewing.

Damn. I heard that Gangs of New York was loosely based off of real gangs and stuff, but I never thought that Priest Vallon and Amsterdam's gang the Dead Rabbits was real.

As I swallowed my mouthful of watermelon, managing not to choke and die from shock, I heard her tell me, "It's one o'the biggest in the Five Points, but lost it's political protection in '77 after Boss Tweed got jailed."

I was right, Olga's a survivor. Maybe she's exactly what Shaw needs. Hmm, seems that Sully knew what he was doing when he picked her out for his son.

Getting closer to our destination, I told the newest member of the family, "Vera and the other Hatfield women are just over there, behind Johnse's whiskey wagon."

Olga just nodded, causing her loose brunette curls to brush over her small shoulders. As we walked by Tolbert's wagon, where he was leaning by the back wheel by his brother Pharmer, the ginger hocked a large spitball at us. Olga's brown eyes went wide and her feet stopped. Before she could say a word, I dragged her away as fast as my aching feet could let me.

"Why'd he spit at us?" She asked as we neared Johnse's wagon.

While speeding up our walk, as much as I could while doing the pregnant waddle-walk, I explained to my new friend, "His name's Tolbert McCoy and he hates anybody that's affiliated with Hatfields. He's the one that's married to Jessa."

"She's the girl Shaw loves." Olga stated, not asked, while giving me a melancholy look as we walked by Johnse's wagon.

"Yes." I confirmed, earning me a silent nod from the brunette next to me.

"Allie, who's she?" Vera asked me, pointing to Olga, as she sat very close in a near cuddle with Skunk Hair, who had his brows furrowed curiously.

"This is Olga, she moved here from New York City for Shaw." I introduced Olga as we sat down on the blanket next to Vera.

"A mail order bride. Oh, I gotta find Shaw and ask him 'bout this." Skunk Hair blurted out, quickly scrambling to his feet and rushing off from the blanket that he had just been sitting on with his wife.

Jessa POV:

I'd been out in the July heat for hours now and I felt like a sticky popsicle melting out in the blazing sun. Being heavily pregnant (due next month) and being stuck outside in very hot, humid conditions did not mix. I mean I felt fat and miserable as I sat on a blanket, looking like a beached whale. God, if I'm to be honest my pregnancy wasn't an easy one. I was very large (not cute round, but miserable round/borderline fat…), my feet and ankles swelled, and my toes looked like tiny sausages. Also, I still had bad boughs of nausea even tho I was in my third trimester. Oh, I also suffered from random migraines too. Yea, basically my pregnancy was rough and the heat didn't help me feel any better.

Tolbert was as supportive as he could be, but in reality, he didn't know how to deal with a pregnant woman that was miserable and felt sick a lot. He'd admitted to me that all of his mother's pregnancies hadn't been fairly easy and weren't plagued with sickness. I was just glad that I didn't have to go thru my pregnancy sick and tired alone, that I had somebody by my side. Tolbert's inexperience with rough pregnancies didn't bother me. He was home every night and didn't complain if lunch was late or if dinner was just leftovers from lunch. He seemed understanding that I got bad migraines, nausea, or heat sensitivity randomly for no reason sometimes.

The heat was getting to me; making me parched, so I left my spot on the large red gingham blanket with my mind set to find a stall selling drinks. I knew that I had to steer clear of lemonade (since the citrus in it made my stomach sour) and milk (dairy and me weren't agreeing in the hot heat these days) so I was on a mission to find either water or tea to buy. I felt a tiny bit overwhelmed by the heat (pregnancy and long cotton dresses don't mix in July) as I walked around looking for a stall selling something I could drink. If only I had a canteen I could've brought from home, then I wouldn't be on a goose chase looking for a beverage.

Suddenly a shadow appeared from behind me, providing me some much-needed shade. A hand gently fell onto my shoulder only to be accompanied by a deep, but concerned, voice asking, "Jessa, honey, are you okay?"

"Shaw, I'm fine." I told my ex, shrugging his hand off of my shoulder. Giving him a tight look, I told him, "Just leave me alone so I can go buy a drink."

"I think you need more then just a drink, honey. You need a doctor; you don't look too good."

Of course, I don't look good, I'm fat and miserable. It's all his fault too. I'm not telling him that tho cause if I did, he'd want to talk about things. Instead, I just put on a tight smile and told him, "I'm fine, now leave me alone."

His face to flared with frustration as he pointed out, "You're pregnant, sweating like a pig, and look bout ready to pass out. You need a doctor, and when I say doctor, I mean a real one not Doc."

"I saw Allie with some girl earlier, why don't you ask her to introduce you instead of bothering me?"

"I already know Allie's new friend. She's Olga, my housekeeper that arrived yesterday." Shaw flatly told me.

"Oh, well, since you know her go bother her." I told him, wanting him to leave me alone so that I could go buy something to drink to soothe my Sahara Desert level dry mouth.

"Jessa…" Shaw sighed, his deep tone dripping with an unspoken warning. He placed his hands on my shoulders before pleading in a long ramble, "Please, let's go talk to my dad and have him poof us to a modern hospital to get you checked out. Please, you don't look good and I'm worried."

"No, Shaw, you and your dad aren't taking me to see a doctor." I firmly told him, backing up slightly out of his hold. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to that stall over there." I told him, brushing by him, in order to walk over to the stall that I noticed was selling sweet tea.

"Jessa! Jessa!" Shaw called after me as I made a beeline to the sweet tea stall.

Ignoring his cries, I reached the stall. His cries died out and he took off, maybe to talk to his new housekeeper, as I bought a large glass of tea. Taking a large sip of my tea, I left the stall and decided to go look at the craft booths to see if I could find anything that might be nice to decorate the nursey with.

The rows of booths in the craft section were filled with ribbons, swatches of cloth, wooden carved toys, beads, quilts, and other hand made items. As I slowly strolled thru the aisle of stalls I browsed the various items, looking to see if anything caught my eye. Suddenly, I saw a small quilt folded up that intrigued me. It was made of patches that were various shades of green and blue; the stitching looked impeccable too. As I picked up the quilt to study it, I realized that it was the perfect size for a baby's crib.

"If you wanna buy that it's $5." A voice from behind the stall told me, startling me a tiny bit while also sending my heart sinking to the pit of my stomach.

I couldn't spend $5 on a quilt; it was too expensive. I know $5 isn't a lot of money in 2018, but sadly it is in 1879. Tolbert worked hard farming to feed us and shining to make money, I couldn't ask him for $5 to buy a quilt. Even tho I loved the green and blue quilt; I knew that my baby's crib would just have to make due without it. I walked away from the craft booths, deciding that it wasn't fair to tempt myself looking at things I couldn't afford. As I headed back to the blankets on the McCoys' side of the lot I decided that the blue knitted blanket I made would be good enough for my baby; that I could always buy some cheap material from Adams' General Store and sew a blanket once I had the baby and felt more like a functioning human.

Shaw POV:

After Jessa left me to buy some tea, I should've gone to go find somebody like Abel, Cap, or Skunk Hair, to talk to, but I didn't. Instead, I decided to keep an eye on Jessa and tail her from a safe distance. Honestly, I was worried about her. She just didn't look good to me and after what happened with my mom, well let's just say that I just wanted to keep an eye on her incase she needed some help or something. I mean I'd never be able to live with myself if something happened to Jessa or our baby and I wasn't around to help.

A small, but warm, smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I watched Jessa look at a baby sized quilt. Her face lit up as she ran her fingers over the blue and green patches, testing out the softness of the material. My face fell whenever I saw Jessa put the quilt back and walk away from the crat booths. What the hell was she doing? She loved that quilt; I could see from the way her indigo eyes brightly lit up that she wanted it for the baby. Why'd she leave without buying it?

I went over to the quilt booth, my mind still trying to wrap itself around the fact that Jessa walked away from something she wanted for the baby. Hell, seems like that's a trend with her these days, walking away from something she really wants. Something her baby needs too. I picked up the green and blue patchwork quilt, examining it and coming up with no reason why Jessa would reject it. The material was soft and it had plenty of batting in it for warmth, the quilt was stitched up good too. Why'd she put it back, it's perfect for our kid.

"I'm gonna tell you what I told the last lady, that's $5 if you're buyin'." The woman selling the quilts bluntly told me.

Ah, that's why she put it back. Jessa can't afford it. Well, she could if Tolbert wasn't a cheap, hot headed, drunk. She knew that if she asked him for the money to buy the quilt, he'd have her head. He didn't spend money, hell he barely even made any from the word 'round the Tug. Once you got him talking you could get either a half-priced bottle from him or a free one. Tolbert McCoy was able to make good shine, but he wasn't a good businessman. Didn't have a head for business.

"I'll buy it." I told the middle-aged woman, causing her to just nod, as I pulled my wallet out of the pocket of my Levi's. I took a $5 bill out of my wallet and handed it over to the seller, who snatched it up greedily in her hand. I put my wallet back into my pocket and walked off, holding the quilt tightly in my hand.

As I made my way to my wagon to put the quilt up, I decided that once I heard word that Jessa had our baby, I was going to visit her and bring her the quilt as a gift. Perhaps giving her the patchwork quilt that she wanted so badly for our kid'll make her see the light and take me back.

"Damnit, did you buy that for a kid you'll never see?" Asked Abel's nail grating voice from right behind me as I placed the quilt in the back on my wagon, right under my seat.

Turning around to look at Cap's brother-in-law, I told him, "You worry about your fucked-up man whore PTSD ass and keep your nose out of my business."

"Okay, dude. It's your money to waste…" Abel sing-songed before scurrying off, no doubt to find some booze since whore's weren't hanging around the festival.

Allie POV:

The sun had just gone down and the silvery moon had just risen in the now navy sky, which was full of twinkling stars. Everyone sat huddled on blankets or perched on wagons, their necks craned up towards the sky watching and waiting for the fireworks to start. Just like last year, Cotton was sitting next to me while Ellison was by his side. Of course, on my other side was Cap. My husband was lucky enough to have Shaw brooding next to him. Olga, who seemed a bit downhearted, was next to Shaw while Todd and Mary sat right in in front of them. I felt so bad for Olga; every time she tried to strike up a conversation with Shaw, he just gave her a curt reply or blew her off to take quick sips from his flask. Me, Cap, and Ellison would share looks of sympathy with each other every time a silent incident happened between Shaw and Olga.

"Allie, will the baby be able t'watch fireworks next year?" Cotton asked, his eyes darting between me and the dark sky that was going to be lit up by bright lights any minute.

"No, the baby'll be too little and might get scared by the loud noise." I explained to Cotton in a soft tone, one that a mother would use with a small child.

"Oh…" Cotton deflated, his shoulders slumping a bit.

Placing my hand onto his back and rubbing it gently,I assured Cotton with a smile, "But he'll be able to see them the year after next cause he'll be a toddler then."

"Really?" The light-haired boy asked with an enthusiastic look on his face.

"Yea, Cotton. Captain W'll be able to see 'em then." Cap nodded with a warm assuring smile.

"You're naming your kid Captain W?" Shaw blurted out, his nose scrunching up and pulling his mustache up in a comical hilt on his upper lip.

"That's gonna be his nickname, we're really namin' him William Anderson Hatfield III." Cap explained with pride oozing in his deep timbre.

"Oh, okay, got'cha." Shaw nodded, seeming to accept the explanation my husband gave him.

"What if it comes a girl? Don't ya got a name picked out for that case?" Olga innocently asked from her spot next to Shaw.

Shaw rolled his honey eyes at the girl next to him before telling her, "Olga, all the firstborn babies in the family have always been boys."

"Ya can set your clock by it." Ellison added in with a nod, backing up Shaw's remark.

Suddenly, a loud pop echoed out into the still humid air accompanied by bright red and blue lights filling up the sky. The fireworks had started.

Jessa POV:

Fireworks were going off, filling the sky with an array of bright colors, as I sat next to Tolbert in his whiskey wagon. He had an arm loosely wrapped around me as I rested my head against his chest. A part of me felt content, but another part of me felt down. I know it's stupid, but I really liked that baby quilt and was still a bit blue about not being able to buy it. Deciding that I needed to get my gloomy feeling off of my chest, I looked up at Tolbert and told him, "I saw this baby quilt earlier I liked, but it was $5 so I didn't buy it."

"Darlin', good thing ya didn't or I'd have took the thing back an' demanded a refund. Can't waste large 'mounts of money on somethin' that ain't even gonna be used that long." Tolbert told me, confirming that my decision not to buy the quilt was the right one. "I'm sure it looked nice, but ya already knitted a blanket for the baby." In an attempt to make me feel better, my husband told me, "Ma's got plenty baby quilts ya can borrow for the newborn when it comes."

"Silas." Softly fell from my lips.

"What?" Tolbert gruffly asked, giving me a weird look.

"If it's a boy I want to name him Silas, Silas Elliot." I told my husband, a small, but warm, smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

"Silas Elliot? Sam's Hill, Jessa, what kind of name's that?" Tolbert barked, poking fun at the name I picked.

"Silas is both a biblical and literary name. Silas traveled with Paul in the bible and Silas was the main character in George Eliot's book Silas Marner." I explained to Tolbert, trying to give him a reason not to reject the name. I did like the book Silas Marner, but it wasn't the reason why I decided to name by boy Silas Elliot. Actually, I didn't even know why I picked out the name, other then I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. It was like I felt I had to name him Silas Elliot, that he was meant to have that name.

"Great...Yer namin' the baby after an apostle and a poet…" Tolbert lightly scoffed, his velvet gruff timbre lingering in the air. "So, what if it comes a girl?"

"Margaery Elmira." I simply supplied.

"Margaery Elmira? Good lord, ya sure do have a knack for pickin' out odd names." Tolbert scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Margaery Elmira's not odd." I snapped defensively at my redheaded husband's insult. Margaery Elmira was an elegant name, much better than some of the shit I've heard since arriving in the 19th century too.

"Well, my gran'ma's name was Margaret, but she went by Margie so reckon Margaery can just go by that. Margie."

"You told me to pick out what I wanted when I asked you a few weeks back so don't bitch and moan that you don't like the names I do."

"Name it whatever ya want, darlin', but the next baby I'm namin' after myself." Tolbert barked, his jaw twitching with brewing irritation.

"Tolbert-" I began a bit softly, wanting to talk to him about how he was acting a bit standoffish, only to be abruptly cut off by his smooth gruff snap of, "Just watch the fireworks, Jessa. Lord knows we won't be able to next year."

Not wanting to cause a fight, since I sensed that Tolbert was about to blow; that his moodiness and bipolar like attitude wanted to break free, I just quietly nodded. Biting my lip, I looked up to watch the colorful fireworks. As I silently watched the colorful bursting and showering lights against the navy velvet sky, I couldn't help, but to feel as if watching the fireworks with Tolbert was always going to be a tense event year after year. Last year we got into a spat and this year we almost did. Hopefully the next time we watch fireworks together, which won't be for a couple of years, Tolbert won't be so pissy. Especially since we'll have Silas (I know sonograms aren't invented yet, but I just have a gut feeling my baby's a boy).

AN:

So, Sully's stirring the pot by getting Shaw a mail order bride huh? Do you guys think Shaw will open up to Olga and give her a chance or stay closed off and just use her instead?

Anyways, Jessa's baby will be born in the next chapter. Yay!