*Author's Note*

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

Thanksgiving, 1880 Pt.1

Jessa POV:

When I blinked my eyes open, I saw that sunlight was streaming thru the blue buffalo plaid curtains and into my bedroom. Quickly, I sat up only to find that I was alone in bed. Shit, I overslept. Why didn't Shaw wake me up? He knows that I've got to start plucking the turkey. I let out a frustrated breath and got out of bed. Quickly, I went over to the dresser and got out my clothes for the day. After dressing, I walked out of my room and into the kitchen. What I saw took me aback. The back door was open and sitting on the stoop was Shaw, who was plucking the turkey he hunted yesterday.

"You don't have to do that." I remarked, going over to the back door.

Looking over his shoulder, Shaw shrugged, "After keeping you up late last night I figured you could sleep in while I plucked the turkey." Tilting his head towards the stove, he told me, "I made some chopped ham and potatoes for breakfast. Coffee too."

I just nodded, glad that he had fed the kids while I was sleeping. Tolbert wouldn't have cooked, not when it was deemed my 'job'. Talk about the kids…"Where are the kids?" I asked since I didn't see Todd and Mary, even tho I did notice that Silas was in his playpen in the other room.

"In the barn feeding the horses." Shaw simply told me as he plucked the turkey with quick, effortless movements. I reckon he must've help Peggy pluck birds growing up since the action seemed second nature to him.

"Okay, well then I'm going to eat some breakfast before I start prepping the sides." I told Shaw before going over to the cabinet to grab a plate. Today was going to be a long day and dinner wouldn't be ready for a while, so I needed to eat so I could keep up my strength and my wits.

Allie POV:

Cap brought us over to his parents' house at the crack of dawn so that I could help his mother cook. Of course, Levicy was grateful for both me arriving so early and for the custard pies that I brought along too. Quickly, we got to work cleaning the turkey. By time we got the heavy thing in the oven Vera had arrived with Skunk Hair. Vera, like myself, had brought over a pie. A brown sugar and molasses one to be exact.

Currently, me, Vera, and Levicy were peeling potatoes while my sisters (well they're Cap's, but mine too by marriage) were shucking corn out back (since it could be a messy job). "Girls, Wall and Jane ain't comin' today. They're visitin' Essie and Sawyer up in Boone for the holiday." Levicy told us as she flawlessly peeled a potato with quick, practiced movements. "Johnse's taking Roseanna over to Shaw's for dinner to visit with Jessa after they're done gatherin' eggs an' milkin' the cow."

Vera's eyes were so wide, they had to at least be the size of half-dollars, as she paused in peeling her potato. "What? Shaw's with Jessa?" She exclaimed with shock heavy in her voice.

Before Levicy could answer, I looked at my friend and sighed heavily, "It happened a few days ago. She just up and let Tolbert." Vera's eyes went wide, causing me to expand on my previous remark with one of, "Cap says she's moved in or at least that's what Shaw said when he was at the lumbermill and invited Jim and Sully to Thanksgiving dinner other day."

"Jim ain't gonna go easy on her." Levicy said knowingly as she grabbed another potato to peel. Starting to peel her potato, my mother-in-law changed the subject with the remark of, "Selkirk and his family should be over soon."

"Well, Louisa'll help us cook then." I smiled, tossing my cleaned potato into the bowl with a few others in it.

Louisa was one of Devil Anse's nieces and Selkirk McCoy's wife. She was nice enough and was the reason why Selkirk defected to the Hatfield side. He worked at the lumber mill and was a nice guy. Hmm, the family ties were tangled and sticky when it came to the Hatfields and the McCoys. Some inter-family relationships were accepted and some weren't. Selkirk and Louisa were accepted while Johnse and Roseanna wasn't. I wished that everyone approved of Johnse and Roseanna since them being together could solve or stop a lot of problems, but sadly both me and Sully were failing in our mission of softening up Devil Anse and Cap to the idea of the young star-crossed lovers.

Jessa POV:

I was in the kitchen, stirring the slow boiling cranberries (for cranberry sauce) so they wouldn't scorch, while Shaw was sitting on his chair in the living room with Silas on his lap. He was trying to teach him how to say paw-paw (a short and easier version of grandpa) while Todd and Mary just sat on the couch while playing a card game (that I hope was age appropriate). I had just tapped my spoon on the edge of the pot whenever a knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get it, honey. Just get started on that berry pie." Shaw told me while getting up and balancing our son on his hip.

"Okay." I simply replied while grabbing a sauce pot from the rack near the stove.

As I walked over to the counter with the pot, I heard the door open mixed with a loud gruffy yap of, "See that woman of yours is cookin' our supper, Shaw."

"Good mornin' to you too, Uncle Jim." Shaw deadpanned before greeting Sully with a simple, "Hey, dad."

"Hello, son. I see everything's calmed down some here." Sully remarked while he and Jim Vance walked into the house as I placed an array of berries into the sauce pot. "Hello, Jessa." My old teacher politely greeted me as I was putting some sugar into the pot of mixed berries.

Looking over my shoulder, I politely smiled and gave him a reply of, "Hello, Sully."

As I was pouring some water into the pot, Jim Vance's gruff voice sounded out with, "Hey, girl, get me some whiskey."

"Jim, don't be rude." Sully chastised his uncle, sounding a bit embarrassed too.

"I'm preparing pie filling. You'll get it once I put the pot on the stove." I told the large and rude mountain man as I put some starch into the sauce pot before stirring the berry mixture. Looking over my shoulder, I gave him a hard stare while adding in, "My name's Jessa; if you call me girl again you won't get shit. You're Shaw's uncle, not mine, and I won't tolerate rude behavior. I dealt with it for a couple of years, never again."

"Well, don't you got some stones on ya." Jim remarked with a chuckle stuck deep in his throat. "I see why you wanted her so bad, Shaw." The gruff man boldly told my fiancé as I took the sauce pot over to the stove.

"I wanted her so bad cause I'm in love with her Jim." Shaw informed his uncle as went over to the cabinet the glasses where kept in.

"Sully, do you want anything to drink too?" I asked my future father-in-law as I grabbed a glass for my future uncle-in-law, who could rival Jeremiah Johnson with his mountain man look.

"Just coffee." Was Sully's answer. "It's too early for me to start drinking, unlike my son and uncle." My former teacher dryly remarked as I grabbed him a mug from the cabinet.

"Dad…" Shaw hissed before telling me, "I don't want any shine right now. Just ignore my dad, baby."

I didn't say a word, just quickly poured Jim's glass of shine and Sully's mug of coffee. As I was giving the men their drinks a knock sounded at the door. Shaw made to get up with our son, but I shook my head at him and said, "Sit down, Shaw. I'm up, I'll get the door."

"Okay, honey." Shaw simply told me before I walked away from the sitting area to answer the door.

"Dada." Silas blurted out as he looked at his daddy.

"Boy's bright. Knows you're his pappy." Jim Vance told Shaw, pride oozing from his gruff drawn out tone.

"I've been tryin' to teach him how to say paw-paw." Shaw revealed, more so to Sully then to Jim Vance, as I reached the front door.

"Hi, Johnse, Roseanna, come on in." I smiled after opening the door and seeing the blonde couple that weren't just my friends, but my family.

"We brought some apples t'make a pie with." Roseanna told me, slightly holding up a basket for me to see.

"And I brought a bottle of shine." Johnse added in, gesturing to the large bottle in his hand.

"Thank you." I told them, taking the bottle from Johnse, before stepping aside and giving them room to enter the house.

"Hi, everybody." Johnse cheerfully greeted everyone in the living room as he made his way into it.

"Hi, Johnse." Mary and Todd told their cousin in unison, never pausing in their card game.

"Hey, Johns, glad that you and Roseanna could make it." Shaw genuinely told Johnse as he took a seat on the couch next to Todd and Mary while I led Roseanna into the kitchen.

"I see ya brought your McCoy bitch, Johnse." Jim sneered with disgust, turning his nose up at Roseanna.

Roseanna's shoulders slumped and her pace next to me faltered. She was embarrassed. "Don't pay him any mind." I whispered to my dear friend before ushering her along to the kitchen table so she could put down the basket of apples.

"Jim…" Sully berated the crochety man in a low hiss.

The berating did nothing to alter Jim's attitude since he just continued his nastiness with a remark of, "Johns, she betrayed her family; she'll betray ours too." How the hell did Roseanna betray the McCoys? By living with the Hatfields? Dear lord, this mountain man's something else.

"No, she won't, Uncle Jim." Johnse protested as Roseanna placed her basket on the table; slumming down at it.

"Jim, calm down. He ain't the only one in this family with somebody from the other side of the Tug." Shaw told the rude and smelly mountain man while I grabbed some parring knives and bowls for me and Roseanna to clean the apples with.

"Apples and oranges, boy. Your woman ain't a McCoy, but was tricked by 'em. His woman's a McCoy by blood; will always sympathize for her family in this feud." Jim Vance bluntly told Shaw before taking a large gulp of his whiskey glass. "Johns, ya can do better than your McCoy bitch. Hell, I think one of my nieces over in Virginia's courtin' age." Jim told Johnse, more or less saying that he wanted to hook him up with a distant cousin, while me and Roseanna started to peel apples.

Roseanna's blue eyes were full of tears ready to fall. Pissed at seeing my friend hurt, I looked up from the apple in my hand only to stare a large hole in Jim's head. "Jim, stop being mean to Roseanna. She's my friend and my guest, she's more then welcomed to be here." Pointing my knife at him, I warned, "If you want me to feed you, you'll shut the fuck up and be nice. If not then ride on over to Devil Anse's, I'm sure his wife'll feed you.

"Damn, ain't ya a bold one." Jim slightly chuckled at me. Pointing his half empty shine glass at me, he declared, "I like you. You don't put up with any bullshit."

Shaw winked at me, letting me know that me telling off his mean uncle had earned me his respect. Great, at least the scariest member of the Hatfield clan liked me now.

Abel POV:

"Ya goin' to the Hatfields' for dinner?" Nancy asked me, one of her thin dark brows arched up, as she buttoned up the bodice jacket of her deep blue bustle dress.

"I have to, they're my sister's family." Was the answer I gave my girlfriend as I sat on our bed, pulling on my calf-high boots.

"What 'bout my family, Abel?" Nancy asked, her brows furrowed, as she button up her last button. Sitting next to me, she half-sighed, "You need'a meet 'em since we're serious. Shit, ya gotta know more of my family then just my brother."

"I know, Nance, but if I don't go to the Hatfields' for dinner then my sister'll think something's wrong and I don't need her worrying 'bout me."

"Fine, go et dinner with those devils, but I'm expectin' ya t'be at Uncle Randall's for dessert." My beautiful black-haired girlfriend told me with a hard look on her face. She was relenting to me having dinner with the Hatfields, but she wasn't happy about it. I knew she wanted me to be with her at the McCoys, but I couldn't do that. Or at least not all day.

"Okay, I can do that." I told Nancy since her request was reasonable. Splitting my holiday wouldn't be too hard. I'd just act like I had a migraine in order to leave the Hatfields' in order to go to the McCoys' for pie. God, I hope the McCoy women can bake. The Hatfields always have a good variety of pie and if I get stuck eating only one kind or something bland, I'm not gonna be a happy camper.

"Good, I'll see ya there." Nancy gave me a sugary sweet smile before kissing me on the cheek. Standing up, she told me, "I gotta go since Aunt Sally needs my help now in the kitchen more then ever since Roseanna took up wit' Johnse."

"Yea, I better get going too." I nodded, standing up from our bed.

Quietly, we walked out of the house and went over to our rides. I mounted my horse and took off to the main Hatfield house while she climbed into her wagon and took off to her uncle's house. Hmm, juggling holiday dinners with feuding families ought to be a headache for me. If I didn't love Nancy I wouldn't be in this mess, but I loved her and I was in the mess. Like they say, all's fair in love and war. I can only hope I can stay sane around both the Hatefilleds and the McCrazies today.

Tolbert POV:

In the days since Jessa took Silas an' run off t'be wit' Shaw I've been holed up at my still. I spent most o'my time layin' on my cot drinkin' 'way my sorrows. When I wasn't on my cot, I was makin' mash t'make more shine wit'. Since I was heartbroken, I've stopped makin' my deliveries. What's the point, I didn't have no more family t'support since my love left me an' took the baby wit' her.

Crunchin' leaves echoed in the air causin' me t'slightly sit up t'see who was gracin' me wit' their presence. Low an' behold, it was my fav'rite brother Pharmer. "What brings ya out 'ere?" I asked, sittin' up an' takin' a sip o'shine.

"Its Thanksgivin' an' mama wants ya at the house." My brother told me in a simple tone.

"I ain't goin'. Tell ma I ain't feelin' too thankful this year." I remarked 'tween guzzlin' down my shine.

"Tolbert, ya can't keep drinkin' ov'r what happened wit' Jessa." Pharmer sighed, takin' a seat next t'me on my cot. 'Fore I could protest, he told me, "Ya needa et some food, be 'round the family some too."

"Fine, I'll go." I relented, standin' up from the cot.

"Ma ain't gonna like ya nippin' on a bottle all day." Pharmer told me, his eyes fallin' on the half-drunk bottle in my hand.

"I don't care, she ain't the one nursin' a broken heart." I snapped 'fore stormin' by my brother. "She's lucky I'm even comin' t'dinner." I snapped as Pharmer ran t'catch up t'me.

"Um, is there a reason why she left an' broke yer heart?" My fatass brother asked as he reached my side, slightly huffin' from runnin' t'catch up t'me.

"I ain't rich like that Vance bastard that's always sniffin' 'round. He can give her an' the baby anythin' cause he's got money, but I can't." I honestly, but bitterly, spat as I stormed 'cross the property towards my folks' cabin.

"Oh…" Pharmer let out in a lingerin' sigh as his head bobbed up an' down in a slow nod.

The rest o'the walk t'my folks' cabin was full of heavy silence. When I saw a bunch o'horses an' wagons parked all 'round the main cabin I knew the silence wouldn't last. Once I stepped into the house I'd be bombarded wit' questions 'bout Jessa. Questions I'd rather ignore then answer since talkin' 'bout it broke my heart even more then what it already was.

AN:

So, how did you guys like Jessa's interaction with Jim Vance? Oh boy, Nancy sure does wear the pants in her relationship with Abel doesn't she? Poor Tolbert's just drinking himself to death over the breakup with Jessa.

Next up is some more thanksgiving stuff.