*Author's Note*

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

She Chose Plan B

Jessa POV:

I was sitting at the table, waiting for Tolbert to come home so we could talk. As I sat waiting for him, I was twirling my simple rose gold band around my left ring finger. For nearly two years I've worn Tolbert's ring, but now… With a heavy heart I pulled the ring off, revealing a thin tan line as I held the small ring between my thumb and forefinger. I felt a thing akin to heartache as I placed the small gold ring on the table. Oh god, I was making a hard decision. One I know is best for my son despite how I may feel.

I was broken out of my mental musings whenever I heard the front door creak open. I looked to the doorway only to see Tolbert walk inside. "Where's Silas, he nappin'?" Tolbert asked, taking his hat and coat off and hanging them up on the wall hooks near the door.

"No, he's with his dad." I told Tolbert as he started to make his way over to me in the kitchen.

"What? Ya just gave 'im to that shifty bastard?" Tolbert asked in a floored tone as his stormy eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Good god, just cause he got his other child taken 'way don't mean ya gotta give 'im ours." He let out in a throaty spat, entering the kitchen.

"I didn't give Silas to Shaw." I revealed to Tolbert as he took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Then why the hell's he ov'r there?" Tolbert asked, his face askew in confusion as he stared at me.

Knowing I just needed to spit it out instead of dancing around the answer, I told him, "Cause it's where we're going to be staying indefinitely now."

"What?!" Tolbert shouted so loud I thought my eardrums were going to burst. His nostrils flared like an angrily bull's and his jaw twitched as he let out a smooth, but gruff breath of, "Jessa, ya can't be sayin' what I think yer sayin'."

"I'm sorry, Tolbert, but I have to do what's best for my son and sadly Shaw's what's best for him."

Tolbert shook his head in a disgusted way while scoffing, "Are ya fuckin' crazy? How's the shady Vance Bastard what's best for our boy? Hmm?"

Ignoring his bitter remark, I explained my choice to Tolbert with my own remark of, "He can parent him without any fallbacks, unlike you who seems to struggle with the fact that Silas isn't really yours."

"I'm workin' on that struggle, darlin'." Actually, from my point of view he wasn't. Tolbert rolled his stormy eyes before telling me, "Hell, that ain't a reason t'be runnin' off wit' a man that's done ya more wrong then right."

"He hasn't done me wrong." I told Tolbert, quickly trying to counter his thinking since in my opinion Shaw never did anything harmful or wrong to me. Everything that happened was because of the feud; seemed to be out of his hands and mine too. "Shaw, despite being of Vance blood, is a good father. He wants to take good care of my boy and as a mother I have to let him cause it's in Silas' best interest."

"What? Oh, since he's got money ya want him fatherin' Silas now." The redhead mocked with resentment and jealousy weaved in his words.

"It ain't about money, Tolbert. It's about the fact that Shaw actually cares about him. Unlike you he holds him and plays with him."

"I bet he won't be after yer there for a good week or so." Tolbert sneered with a hard look on his face.

"Tolbert…" I sighed out warningly while narrowing my indigo eyes at him. "I told you that if I felt raising Silas was too much for you, I'd leave."

His face was hard, but his eyes were a bit watery as he asked me, "How can ya throw 'way two years of us cause ya don't think I'm a good 'nough poppy? Don't ya love me?"

"Of course, I love you, Tolbert, but this isn't about me." I wish it was just about me cause that way I wouldn't be sitting here dumping Tolbert, but that's not the way things are. I have to do what's best for Silas, not just myself. I can't be selfish when my son's future's on the line. Looking Tolbert dead in the eye, I firmly told him, "It's about Silas and I can't stay with you cause if I do, I'm risking my son growing up to turn into Shaw. I can't let the sins of the father bleed onto my son."

"So, that's it then? Yer just gonna walk out the door an' act like everythin' wit' us nev'r happened?"

"I'm sorry, Tolbert. Believe me when I tell you that you're the one I first wanted and Shaw was a backup plan. It doesn't matter that I love you, your temper's holding you back from being a good poppy and I can't keep my son in a situation where he's going to be resented more than loved."

"After everythin' I've done for ya I can't believe yer doin' this t'me."

"I'm sorry, Tolbert. Truly, I am." I told him before standing up and walking away from the table.

"Don't fuckin' tell me yer sorry, Jessa. I doubt it, cause if so ya wouldn't be runnin' off t'be wit' that crazy bastard in the first palce." Tolbert hatefully spat at me, his voice so low that it sounded a bit menacingly.

"He's not crazy, but considering you tried to kill him when you were teens maybe you're the crazy one." I told Tolbert, grabbing the carpet bag full of me and Silas' things that was near the bookshelf.

"Goddamnit, he tell ya 'bout that? Hell, he just told ya 'bout me stickin' him, not 'bout how he was fish hookin' my face wit' me in a damn choke hold. Bastard was tryin' t'rip my face 'part, I had no choice, but t'stick 'im." Tolbert ranted and raved as I made my way over to the front door.

"There's always a choice, you just got blinded by rage. A rage that I don't want being accidentally unleashed on my son." I told Tolbert before walking out the door.

Shaw POV:

Whenever I got dressed and went out into the main room of my house, I felt relieved as my honey eyes saw that Silas was in the playpen. I let out a shaky breath I didn't even know I was holding. A part of me was afraid that when I walked out of my room Silas would be gone, but another part of me hoped that wasn't the case. I was thankful that my hopes came true and not my fears.

The kitchen was a wreck. Broken dishes, cups, and shine bottles still littered the floor along with the broken cabinets that I yanked off the wall in my grief induced madness the other day. The stove was still intact with a few pots and pans hanging above it. The silverware was still in its drawer, but the only dishes I managed to salvage were some old blue speckled tin ones. At least there was still a way to cook and eat dinner. Since Silas was fast asleep and I had no idea how long Jessa was gonna be, I decided to cook dinner.

A few hours later dinner was made and set aside. It was just a simple skillet meal of fried pork, potatoes, and cabbage. Todd and Mary were sitting on the living room sofa doing their homework while I was in my armchair with Silas on my lap. We were playing a game of peek-a-boo and his smile was so wide that I couldn't help grinning too. Silas was a happy baby, something that brought me joy. "Peek-a-boo, buddy." I told my son, uncovering my eyes with my hand.

"When can we eat?" Todd asked me as the sound of Silas' giggles filled the air.

"When Jessa gets back." I told my brother, causing him to just nodded and go back to the book he was reading for Sully's class.

Looking up from the little blackboard she was writing her arithmetic answers on, Mary asked me, "Are ya'll gettin' married?"

"I dunno, why?" I told my sister while making funny faces at my son, causing him to giggle and smile.

"You like her." Mary simply said as if her answer was a solid reason to marry Jessa. Eh, on the other hand maybe it was. "And ya'll have a baby too."

"I hope she cooks better than the other one did." Todd snidely remarked; his nose buried in his book.

"Don't worry, she does." I assured my brother even tho I honestly had no idea how good or bad Jessa's cooking was. I hoped Jessa could cook cause if not, well…

Suddenly the door opened and in walked Jessa, a large bag in her hand. A broad smile split my face in half. "Did you make dinner?" She asked, her nose wiggling like a rabbit's as she took in the smell of the skillet meal wafting in the air from the kitchen.

"Yea." I nodded. "You can put your bag in our room and then we can eat." I told her, gesturing to our room with a tilt of my head. She just nodded before doing what I suggested, going to our room and putting her bag down.

I decided that I wasn't going to ask her how things went with Tolbert right now, instead I was going to wait until later on tonight after my siblings were in bed. I didn't want them hearing about what went down with Jessa and Tolbert. I felt that was a private matter best kept between me and my girl.

Tolbert POV:

My heart broke in two as Jessa walked out the door wit' her bag in hand. I loved her so much. Her sayin' she loved me, but needed t'be wit' Shaw cause he was better fit t'be a poppy t'Silas gutted me. How could she pick him when she loved me? I didn't buy her reasonin', not fully. She knew I was doin' the best I could wit' Silas, but left cause of it. Seems like Jessa wanted her boy t'have a poppy wit' money, one that'd buy Silas all kinds o'things instead of one that was bustin' his ass shinin' an' takin' on handwork t'make ends' meet.

God, I still couldn't believe she left me. Left me for that shady Vance Bastard. Goddamnit, he was always a lyin' lil thief.

Not knowin' what t'do, I found myself goin' t'my childhood home. Reckon I needed a good meal an' somebody to talk too 'bout my wife just up an' leavin' me wit'out no warnin' signs. When I walked inside the cabin, my ma was finishin' up dinner while Alifair was settin' the table. Upon seein' my heartbroken face, ma told my sister, "Alifair, go gather the lil ones. Dinner's just 'bout ready."

"Yes, mama." Alifair nodded 'fore walkin' out the backdoor t'go find all my siblin's. A feat that'd be a hard task since they were scattered all ov'r the property playin' an' whatnot.

"So, she left ya." Mama stated, not asked, as I took my seat at the table.

"Yea." I nodded 'fore explainin' in a hurt an' hard bitin' tone, "She took Silas an' ran off to that shifty bastard Shaw."

"I'm sorry that happened t'ya, Tolbert, but maybe it's for the best." Ma told me in a soft, but motherly tone, as she grabbed the meat platter from the cabinet she kept it in.

"What? Ma, how can ya say that?" I asked, feelin' dumbfounded, as I watched start to place fried chicken onto the platter.

"Cause Shaw's not right in the head, like his uncle Jim Vance, an' he'd end up killin' ya t'get his family back. Jessa takin' that boy an' leavin' on her own'll keep ya livin' an' breathin'." Ma told me as she finished pilin' fried chicken onto the large meat platter set on the counter by the stove.

"Mama, yer talkin' crazy talk."

"I ain't, I'm speakin' the truth." Ma firmly told me, bringin' a platter o'fried chicken ov'r to the table. "Tolbert, son, I know this might sound harsh, but ya need'a let her go an' forget the love ya got for her." She told me, settin' the platter on the table 'fore smoothin' back my hair. "One day you'll meet a nice suitable girl. You'll get married, have chil'ren, an' won't even feel nothin' for Jessa no more."

Shakin' my head, I let out a heavy sigh of,"No, ma. It's too late." As she went back to the counter t'grab some side dishes, I admitted, "I love her too much an' want my family wit' her. I want Jessa an' Silas, not some nice girl that ain't even out there."

"Tolbert, she made her choice an' ya gotta accept it. I don't want'cha runnin' after her when she don't want'cha no mores." Mama told me while bringin' over a bowl of mashed taters an' a boat o'gravy to the table.

"She wants me, mama. She's just afraid I can't be a good poppy cause that Vance Bastard told her lies 'bout me." I told my ma, tryin' to make her understand that it was Shaw's fault everythin' wit' Jessa went t'shit, as she went to grab the bread platter from the counter.

"Don't fight him for her, Tolbert. He won't think twice 'bout shootin' ya down like it were nothin'." Ma firmly advised me while placin' the large platter of bread down in the middle o'the table wit' a loud thud.

Tired of my ma's negative remarks, I stood up from the table an' told her, "I'll be at my still. Just send somebody wit' a plate for me." Not lettin' her get a word in, I stormed out the back door an' headed in the direction my still was at.

I was gonna get drunk t'nite. It's the only thing I could do t'make myself feel better.

Jessa POV:

Silas along with Todd and Mary were asleep in their rooms (Silas' room used to be Lydia's, but considering what happened Shaw said that our son could use the room and he'd fix it up with boy stuff) while I was in my room putting away my clothes. Shaw was perched on the edge of the bed next to my bag, watching me. "Did he give ya any problems when you left?"

"Not really, but he was upset tho." I told Shaw, hanging a dress up in the closet.

"Course he was." He scoffed while I walked out of the closet. "He lost his prize; bet he's just itching to put a bullet in me now." Shaw told me, his tone a bit ominous, as I made my way over to my bag and in extension him.

"I'm not a prize to be won, Shaw." I shook my head, stopping right in front of him. "I made my choice; he'll just have to respect it." I told Shaw while grabbing a dress out of my bag.

"I know that, babe, but Tolbert doesn't. Hell, I doubt he'll respect me as your choice either." Shaw remarked as I went over to the closest, hanging up another dress in it.

Emerging from the closest, I let out a half sigh of, "Tolbert's hurt, but he knows I'm just doing what's best for Silas."

"You're doing what's best for you too, babe." Shaw assured me as I walked over to the bed. I went to reach into my bag, that was next to Shaw, to grab my last dress, but he stopped me by grabbing my hand. "Jessa, honey, I love you and Silas." He told me, his voice soft, but firm, as his honey eyes locked onto my indigo ones.

I just nodded and gave him a thin smile. "I know." God, I just pulled a Han Solo on him.

I knew that he loved me and Silas, that wasn't what was worrying me. What was worrying me was the fact that I had to fall in love with Shaw while living with him and raising Silas together since, at the moment, I wasn't in love with him, but loved Tolbert (since I was with him for a couple of years it's a no brainer that I love the moody, temperamental man that's not the best fit to be my son's father). Things would've been so much easier if I didn't get knocked up at 16. Don't get me wrong, I care for Shaw, but I'm not in love with him yet. I'm sure in time tho it'll happen or at least I hope it does since Shaw's the best father for our son; the man I'm spending my life with in order to raise Silas with.

"Just let me deal with the fallout pickin' me brings. I don't want you to be stressed out." Shaw told me before standing up and giving me a kiss. "Why don't we call it a night and go to bed." He suggested with a lopsided grin appearing on his face.

"I got one more dress to hang up." I informed him, pulling my hand out of his and snatching my dress out of my bag.

"Okay." I heard Shaw say as I walked over to the closest. Silence filled the air as I hung up my last dress. Whenever I walked out of the closest, I was met with a shirtless Shaw sitting on the edge of the bed, yanking his boots and socks off. As I took off my blouse, he stood up and unbuttoned his jeans. "You know, before you came home Mary asked me if we were gonna get married." He told me, pulling off his jeans while I shimmed out of my skirt.

Married? Oh my god, that thought never once crossed my mind. Oh, of course his little sister would ask about that. "What'd you tell her?" I asked, taking off my boots and stockings while Shaw went over to his side of the bed.

"I dunno." Shaw answered while getting into bed.

"Oh…" Trailed out of my mouth as I walked over to my side of the bed.

As I got into bed and settle next to him, he told me, "Jessa, I said that cause it's true. I dunno if we're gonna get married cause it's not entirely up to me." Looking me right in the eyes, he added in, "You have to agree to it and right now with everything going on, I doubt you will."

"You mean you want to get married?"

"Yea, it'd be nice." Shaw smiled before asking me, "Would you want to?"

Hmm, would I want to get married? Not really, but marrying Shaw would mean that both me and my son would share his last name, wouldn't have any stigmas over our heads. Being legally married would cement this choice I made, make it where I could never turn back from it.

I found myself nodding, "Yea, someday."

"Well, since that's your answer I got something for ya." He told me before opening up the drawer of his bedside table and taking something out of it. Flashing me a smile, he grabbed my left hand and placed a small diamond ring on it. Oh my god… "This was my grandma's so it's a family heirloom." He explained to me before quickly adding in, "We can plan a nice wedding, this is just an engagement."

Holy shit, that's definitely not a normal proposal. Wow… "Okay." I told him, agreeing to the engagement and wedding planning because I felt it was the right thing to do for Silas. Silas would have a good daddy and the same name as him. He wouldn't be looked down on for being a bastard or whispered about behind his back.

On the other hand, me and my son were now going to be apart of the Hatfield family since they were Shaw and Sully's cousins. Now that was something I was iffy about, having to deal with the Hatfields. At least I'd be able to see Roseanna tho since she was with Johnse. Maybe me and Shaw working things out will make Johnse want to stay with Roseanna since he won't be the only one in the family with a McCoy.

Well, it's official, I chose plan B for my life. I just hope and pray that it works out cause plan A was going nowhere.

AN:

So, Jessa chose Shaw. Well, who saw that coming? Her choice is more about what she thinks is best for her son, not herself. Poor Tolbert, he never saw it coming. This is just more feud fuel. Yep… Also, how long do you think it's going to be before Jessa discovers that Shaw's got a nightly shine bottle habit along with a pissy attitude if he doesn't get his way?