*Author's Note*

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

Good Hardworking People

Allie POV:

To say I was still shaken up by Shaw's visit and threat was an understatement. Goddamnit, it was about time for Cap to come home for dinner and I was so frazzled it wasn't funny. Never in a million years did I ever dream that Shaw would read Jessa's mail and threaten to make me disappear if I tried to 'meddle' with their relationship again. He was so deranged that he'd take me out, his own cousin-in-law, in order to keep his hold on Jessa.

I was so freaked out that my hands were shaking from shot nerves as I made dinner, which was just bread and a simple meat and vegetable stew. I also could stop from looking over my shoulder to check on Captain W., who was on the floor in the living room playing with some toys, every 2.5 seconds. I couldn't help, but to feel violated after having Shaw just storm into my house uninvited. I know that locks are only common in the big cities in the 1800s, but I definitely want one on the door now.

I was setting the bread platter on the table whenever the door opened. With jumpy movements, I looked up only to see Cap walk inside our house. He gave me an odd look as he shut the door behind him. "Darlin', what's got'cha so jumpy?" My husband asked, taking his hat off and hanging it on the wall hook.

"Shaw read Jessa's mail and came over here. He barged into the house and threatened me." I honestly told my husband in a long sigh as I plopped down to sit at the table. I was so mentally exhausted that it wasn't even funny. Dealing with Shaw earlier has drained me.

"What? He threatened you?" Cap asked in a roar, his face hard and cold. Uh oh, he's pissed.

"Yea." I nodded as he barreled into the kitchen.

"What'd he say?" Cap asked, sitting right next to me.

"That if I didn't stop meddling with his relationship with Jessa then he'd make me disappear; make it look like McCoys did it too."

"That bastard!" Cap exclaimed, bolting up from the table. His mismatched eyes were full of a cold hatred as he declared, "He might be kin, but he's got no right threatening you." Marching over to the door, he told me, "I'm gonna go pay him a visit, let him know that if he so much as looks at you the wrong way he's a dead man."

"Cap, let it go. He's kin, don't cause any waves in the family." I told him since I didn't want him getting into a fight with Shaw over me. Our cousin wasn't right in the head; I didn't want him hurting my husband.

After putting his black Stetson on, Cap shook his head and told me, "I can't let it go, darlin'." Before walking out of the house, he vowed, "Nobody, kin or not, is gonna get away with threatenin' my wife."

Jessa POV:

I knew that hunting took time, so I wasn't concerned when Shaw wasn't home when I was serving dinner. I had no idea when he'd be home, so I decided to just go ahead and eat dinner with the kids. Silas was sitting in his highchair eating the small pieces of food I gave him. He was making a mess, but it was cute.

Mary giggled while pointing out, "He's such a messy eater."

"At least he can feed himself. Cap and Allie's baby always wants spoon-fed." Todd remarked around a mouthful of fried pork.

"Maybe she just cooks a lot of things that requires spoon-feeding him." I suggested before eating some peas.

"Since you and Shaw're gettin' married are ya'll gonna have more babies?" Todd bluntly asked while cutting his pork.

The fact that I might have problems conceiving never crossed my mind, well until now that is. I didn't want to get into it with the brunette boy, so I just nodded and told him a simple answer of, "Most likely."

Before Todd or Mary could respond, the back door opened and in walked Shaw. "I got the turkey hangin' and bleedin' out right outside the door." He told me, walking over to his chair. "You can pluck it in the morning, honey." He informed me, taking his hat off and hanging it on the back off his chair. "Dinner looks good." Shaw added with an approving smile as he took off his jacket and slung it over the back of his chair.

"It tastes good too, Shaw." Todd told his older brother as he went over to the pump sink to wash his hands.

"Seems like you won them over with your cooking." Shaw chuckled, referring to his siblings, as he pumped the sink a few times and quickly washed up.

"We like her cause she's nice too." Mary piped up as Shaw was grabbing a plate and a cup from the cabinet.

Suddenly, a loud knock sounded at the door. Shaw placed his cup and plate on the table while saying, "I'll get it. You guys just eat."

Shaw POV:

As my family ate, I went over to the door to answer it. I wasn't surprised when I opened my door to see a very pissed off Cap standing on my porch. Hmm, looks like Allie told him I paid her a visit. Of course, she did. "My family's eatin', we're not doin' this inside." I told my cousin in a whisper as I stepped out onto the porch.

"Allie told me you threatened her cause you read Jessa's mail." Cap told me, his face hard and stony, as he stared me down with his mismatched eyes.

"I told her to stay out of my affairs or else. If she took that as a threat, then so be it." I told my cousin, trying to smooth over what had happened between me and his wife. "I don't appreciate Allie telling Jessa a pack of lies and giving her money to take our son and leave me with."

"First off, Shaw, ya got no right readin' Jessa's mail, and second, they'd be better off without you considerin' how controllin' ya can be."

"I ain't controllin', Cap. I'm a good man and a helluva good dad." I defended myself. My cousin just rolled his mismatched eyes at me, his stone-cold face never chiseling or breaking. "I'm their best choice in life, but I see that wife of yours has your head so twisted up it ain't even funny."

Cap's brows furrowed and his stony look got colder as he spat in a deep rumblin' tone, "Allie don't got my head twisted up, but you sure as hell got yours twisted up all on your own."

I titled my head at my cousin and gave him a narrowed look. "Cap, don't say stand here and act like I'm crazy when I'm not. You don't know the shit I've been thru to get my family; you won't either." With a dark smirk on my face, I told him in a know-it-all tone, "Now, if you want to start judgin' somebody go judge that brother-in-law of yours cause Abel's holed up with Nancy and that's something dangerous for the family."

"No, you takin' Jessa from Tolbert's dangerous for the family. The hot-headed McCoy's gonna be out for blood." Cap spat with his mismatched eyes narrowed at me. "You stay the fuck away from my wife, her brother, and my son or else, help me god, kin or not I'll have to put ya in your place."

"Cap, don't make me laugh. I could snap your scrawny ass like a chicken neck." I chuckled at my cousin. It was true, I was the bigger out of us and t wouldn't take much for me to kick his ass. Dude was a beanpole compared to me. Crossing my arms over my chest and rolling my honey eyes at him. "I won't bother your wife as long as she leaves my fiancé alone. I don't want her meddlin' in my affairs."

"Don't worry, Allie won't go near your precious Jessa. I'll make sure of it." Cap told me before turning on his heel and storming off my porch.

Good riddance. I went back inside of my house only to see that my family was nearly done eating dinner. "Who was it?" Jessa asked me as I made my way to the kitchen table.

"Cap." I popped my tongue as I reached the head of the table.

"What'd he want?" Jessa asked with a curious look as I took my seat.

Before I could say a word, Todd blurted out, "Prolly invitin' us over to his folks' for dinner tomorrow."

"Wish it was that, but it wasn't." I sighed, grabbing the pitcher off the table and pouring myself a cup of milk.

"Then what was it?" Jessa asked before taking a bite of her porkchop.

"He thinks Tolbert's going to be upset and target the family; he also thinks you need to go back to Kentucky." I lied, since I couldn't tell my fiancé the real reason why my one-eyed cousin was paying me a visit for, as I made myself up my plate of food.

"No, she can't go. We like her, Shaw." Mary protested in a loud whine as she dropped her fork on her plate, causing a clink to echo out in the air.

"Don't worry, Mary. I'm not going anywhere." Jessa assured my sister with a soft, but firm tone.

"We're gettin' married come spring, so she's here to stay." I assured my siblings before eating a piece of my fried porkchop. Pointing my fork at Mary and Todd, I told them, "Now, finish up your dinner."

Carson City, Nevada

Olga POV:

We just boarded the train after a half hour layover, which we used t'get somethin' to et at a diner near the depot. Asa was kind 'nough t'give the conductor our tickets for punchin' 'fore leadin' us to our seats. He was a very nice man, a friendly one too. He let me sit down first 'fore he took his seat 'cross from me. Leanin' back in his bench, he told me, "We should be in San Francisco by morning."

"In time for Thanksgivin'." I told Asa as the train began to roll out o'the depot.

"Will your family be working or having a large holiday dinner?" He asked as the depot disappeared from our window's view.

"Most likely they'll be workin', but makin' sure that whoever comes into their establishment ets a holiday meal."

"They sound like good people." Asa remarked, making me smile. Jenny and Amsterdam were good people. I'm glad he could sense that from just the small things I've told him. Shaw, the damn blackheart, never liked me talkin' 'bout 'em.

"Yes, they're very good people. Hardworkin' too." I told Asa, as memories of livin' in the Five Points with Amsterdam and Jenny after my ma died flooded my mind.

"My entire family's back in Maryland, except for my father. He's a senator so he only comes home on the weekends."

"Oh, so you're from a well-off family." I stated, not asked, 'fore lookin' out the window. The sun was startin' to set so a violet-orange glow was in the desert sky.

"Yes." Asa answered 'fore addin' in, "But I wasn't raised in the city and my mother never let money go to me or my sisters' heads." Hmm, how strange. A million-dollar man that wasn't raised up as so. Nev'r heard o'that. "And I take it you were raised lesser-off." He said matter-o-factly, not asked. His tone was just knowin', no malice in it at all.

Turnin' my attention off the window an' puttin' it on him, I answered his stement wit', "We struggled, but we weren't as poor as most. Amsterdam worked hard, Jenny too, to take care of us an' anyone else considered friend."

"Tell me 'bout growing up in New York and I'll tell you 'bout growing up in Maryland." Asa told me with a charmin' smile.

"Well, when I was five my ma passed 'way from cholera an' I was taken in by her friend, Jenny. I knew Jenny an' her man, Amsterdam, but not well an' I was so scared." I told Asa, beginnin' the tale o'my childhood. He had an inquisitive look on his face as he listened t'me. He seemed curious 'bout me, unlike Shaw who'd nev'r cared a lick t'get t'know nothin' 'bout me. "When Jenny an' Amsterdam brought me t'Satan's Circus, their saloon where they lived, I was awed by all the people fillin' up the place."

"So, you were raised in a bar?" Asa asked, interrupting me for a split second.

"Yes, but our rooms were upstairs on the third floor." I informed Asa as Imogene began t'stir in my arms, wakin' from her slumber.

"Well, I was raised in a large farmhouse that my mother inherited." Asa told me 'fore a smile spread 'cross his face. "I have two younger sisters, Amelia and Arrah. They're both married and have children." He said wit' pride in his voice as he watched me rock Imogene in my arms.

For the rest o'the evenin', til we dozed off, we shared stories 'bout our childhoods. Childhoods that were as different as can be.

Jessa POV:

Ever since Cap came over to tell Shaw that he disapproved of us my fiancé's been on edge. He wasn't snappy or anything with us (me, Silas, and his siblings), but he was brooding. I knew that his cousin's disapproval bothered him. I think that since Cap's married to Allie (my ex-best friend) Shaw thought that he'd be accepting of us or would be happy that his wife's former friend was in the same family as her. Turns out that the history books were right about Cap, he's cold. Eh, he's really a cold-blooded killer, but since the killing hasn't gotten to its peak yet I'll just settle for calling that one-eyed man cold for now.

"You can't brood forever, Shaw." I told my fiancé as he walked downstairs and into the living room after tucking in Mary and reading her a bedtime story.

"I know, Jessa." Shaw sighed, walking by me and into the kitchen. "I never thought that Allie would turn Cap, my own kin, against me cause I told her the hard truth 'bout Abel and Nancy." Shaw remarked incredulously while taking a bottle of shine (hey I've been around the stuff long enough to know what it looks like, plus Tolbert's a shiner) out of a cabinet and taking a seat at the table. Great, Cap's got him all worked up. "She's got him convinced that we're gonna bring down the family too." He sighed, popping the cork on his bottle as I got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen. "Cap and me used to hang out a lot, but over the last few months he's kinda just dropped me. Allie doesn't hide her dislike for me either." Shaw revealed as I took a seat at the table next to him.

"Well, at least we've got Johnse and Roseanna as friends; they're supportive of us too." I pointed out as he took a swig off his shine bottle.

"Yea, but they're supportive cause they're in a similar boat."

"Shaw, I don't want to sound mean, but from everything I've read about Cap I wouldn't worry about his opinion. He's coldblooded, the complete opposite of you." I told Shaw as he drank his shine, trying to chase away the melancholy feelings his cousin's visit brought on.

Shaw didn't say a word, just silently placed his bottle on the table. He took a deep breath before telling me, "You know when I was huntin' this afternoon I had a lot of time to think and something dawned on me."

"What?" I asked, feeling my breath hitch as wondered what his sudden realization was. I hope it wasn't anything too drastic. I can't handle anymore drama or heartbreak right now.

"I was thinking about my daughter, Lydia, and then I remembered how Olga got a letter once from San Fransico."

"Do you think that's where they're at?" I asked since that's the feelings I was getting from Shaw's realization.

"I think so." Shaw nodded. Leaning his elbows on the table, he went on to say, "Since I got a business to run and a family to care for, I can't just hop a train and go to California to look for them tho. I need to hire a Pinkerton."

"When do you plan on doing that?" I asked, hoping it'd be soon since being separated from his daughter was painful for Shaw.

"I dunno, I could always ride up to Louisville on Friday to do it."

I arched a brow at him. "Louisville, aren't there any detectives in Charleston?"

"Yes," Shaw nodded before adding in, "but Bad Frank works out of the Louisville Pinkerton office."

"Him, you're hiring him?" I asked, shocked that Shaw would want to do business with a man who'd hunt down his family in a few years.

"Yes. If anybody can find Lydia that outlaw turned Pinkerton can." I knew he was right. From what I read about Bad Frank Phillips he was the only one qualified to track down Olga and Lydia, get Lydia back too, in a timely manner. "I promise, I'll be careful while in Kentucky." Shaw vowed, taking my hand in his and kissing it.

I just nodded and gave him a faint smile. "At least there's a good chance that you can get Lydia back."

"We're getting her back, baby." Shaw corrected me, running his thumb over my knuckles.

"I won't treat her any different than I do Silas. I promise, Shaw." I vowed, wanting my fiancé to know that what happened to him (being hated by his step-parent) wouldn't happen to Lydia. That little girl needed a mother, one that'd love and care for her, and I was going to be that for her.

"I know, baby." Shaw softly smiled. Letting go of my hand and corking his shine bottle, he told me, "Well, tomorrow's gonna be a long day so we better go to bed."

"Should I be worried about meeting Jim Vance?" I asked as we both stood up from the table. From the things I read about that man he seemed mean, hateful, and dangerous. Not somebody you wanted to tangle with.

"Not really." Shaw told me, walking over to the cabinet with his shine bottle in his hand. "Just be nice and make sure his glass if full of shine." He advised while putting his bottle back into the cabinet. "Don't worry, my dad'll reel him in if he gets too loud." Shaw assured me, coming over to my side. Pressing a kiss against my temple, he suggested, "Let's go to bed."

"Okay." I nodded, letting him usher me towards the nearby door.

God, I hope he's right and that everything's fine tomorrow. I don't want to deal with any family drama.

AN:

I know, this was a filler to set a few things up for future chapters. Next up is the Thanksgiving stuff. Oh boy, Jessa meets Uncle Jim Vance in the next chapter.