*Author's Note*
Thank you for all the follows, favs, and reviews.
Better Or Worse, Til Death Do Us Part
Shaw POV:
I was a bit wobbly on my feet (cause of my head poundin' like crazy and making me feel dizzy) as Tolbert led me and Johnse outside. He had Johnse walkin' infront, sandwichin' me between me and Tolbert, since he knew my cousin was a bit docile and wouldn't attempt an escape, unlike me. I had a gun pressed between my shoulder blades, promptin' me to follow Johnse and not run off. I mean if I got a chance to escape I would, but currently with a gun on my back I wasn't dumb 'nough to risk it. I had too much to lose (a pregnant woman and kids).
"Stop, turn 'round." Tolbert ordered, causing us to stop and turn around to look at him. Johnse was shaking like a leaf while I took a deep breath to ground myself. Holding the gun out to me, Tolbert instructed, "I'm gonna give ya this gun an' when the sun come up yer gonna shoot Johnse then yerself outta shame an' remorse for all ya've done."
"Okay." I nodded, knowing that havin' the gun in my hand was my chance at gettin' me and my cousin outta here alive. Johnse's eyes widened at my words. He gave me a worried look, but I ignored him and took the gun from Tolbert. The dumb ginger fuck actually thought I was going to comply that he made the mistake of turning his back on me so he could brag to his brothers, who were standing a few feet away. I took his arrogance as my cue to jump him. He never saw it coming til it was too late. Even tho I was hurt and wobbly on my feet, I managed to wrap an arm around Tolbert's neck in a chokehold and hold the gun to his head.
"Holy hell…" Johnse whistled in disbelief while the McCoy boys were looking at me with panicked wide eyes.
Cockin' the gun, I barked out the order of, "Drop and kick over your guns, now!" The McCoys just looked at me, unsure of what to do, so I shouted, "Do it or I'll blow his fuckin' brains out 'fore ya'll even get a shot off at me!"
"He's bluffin'." Tolbert told his brothers, who were holdin' there guns with shaky hands.
Cocking the gun, I bluntly told my enemies, "I ain't bluffin', I'll shoot the mother fucker! I'll kill him cause I hate is stupid ass and you know it so drop the weapons!"
The McCoy boys put down their guns and kicked them over right as the loud sound of hooves echoin' on the ground filled up the air. "Well, looks like ya can handle yourself, son." Uncle Jim's crochety voice chuckled out into the air as he rode up on his horse flanked by other Hatfields on foot.
Devil Anse and Sully rushed over to me and Johnse. Devil Anse placed a shoulder around Johnse and led him over to the others while Sully stood by me with his arms raised. "Shaw, put the gun down and let Tolbert go. You're safe now."
Pointing his gun at the McCoys, Devil Anse ordered, "Kneel on the ground and pray like your lives depend on it."
Calvin and Pharmer dropped to their knees in fear while Jim stood his ground. I still had a hold on Tolbert, who was tremblin' in fear since I had a cocked pistol against his temple. Sully's eyes had a glimmer of both worry and relief in them as he told me, "Son, let him go. Killin' him won't make you feel better right now." Coming closer to me he said, "Think about Jessa and the kids. They need you to come home, they can't have you killin' Tolbert in a desperate rage cause it'll cause the McCoys to hunt you down like a deer."
Devil Anse went right up to Jim and told him, "I said get kneel and pray, McCoy."
"I kneel for no man an' I only pray to God, not you." Jim McCoy told my cousin while staring down a barrel.
"You're a brave man, Jim McCoy. Your daddy'd be proud, Jim McCoy." Devil Anse scoffed, putting his gun into its holster, before heading over to where Johnse was at with the group.
I let go of Tolbert and pushed him down. "Beg for mercy, ya fucker! Beg!" I screamed at Tolbert as he looked up at me with fear swimming in his wide stormy eyes. "I'm gonna kill ya come dawn!" I screamed at Tolbert, mocking him by screaming the words he'd used on me and Johnse a few hours earlier.
Go on and shoot 'im, son." Uncle Jim told me, approval thick in his gruff crochety voice, as he sat on top of his horse in the middle of the posse.
"Cap, Skunk Hair, torch it." Devil Anse instructed, pointing to the old cabin, while Uncle Jim handed them some torches.
Skunk Hair and Cap went over to the cabin and light it up, set it ablaze, while my dad rushed over to my side and disarmed me while saying, "Shaw Hector, it's over. You're safe and able to go home to your family. Let him go lick his wounds."
I nodded at my dad in defeat. Lookin' at Tolbert, I told him, "You stay away from Jessa. If you come even an inch near her, I'll kill you and nobody'll be able to stop me either."
"Ya know, we should've burnt down this shithole years ago." Uncle Jim chuckled as Sully led me to my horse, which was hitched up near the burning cabin since the McCoys took it with them durin' the kidnapping. Asshole horse thieves.
Pharmer and Calvin crawled over to Tolbert to check on him while Jim just stood stock still, watching his dead uncle's cabin burn to the ground while us Hatfields mounted our horses and rode off into the direction of West Virginia.
Jessa POV:
The bright morning sun was shining thru the sheer drapes into the house as I helped Levicy make breakfast. Roseanna was a nervous wreck, so much so that Levicy told her to take a seat at the table and sip on some tea to calm down with. Of course, me and Levicy were a bit upset, but we weren't letting it consume us. We couldn't, the kids needed something hot to eat for breakfast; the men too whenever they got back.
I was stirring a large pot of sausage gravy whenever I heard the sound of hooves outside. Levicy peeked out of the kitchen window and announced with joy in her syrupy voice, "They're back."
"Thank god. I was so scared." Roseanna let out in a relieved sigh.
Before anything else could be said, the door opened and Devil Anse walked inside. Jim Vance was hot on his heels with Johnse and Cap right behind him. The next one to walk thru the door was Shaw. His appearance took me aback. Oh my god, his face was beaten to a bloody pulp. I mean he looked like his face was run thru a meat grinder, that's how beat up he was.
Without even thinking, I ran over to Shaw and started to fawn all over him. "Oh my god. Shaw, are you okay?" I asked while gently placing a hand on his cheek.
"I'm okay, just can't see outta one eye tho." He assured me, placing a hand on top of mine, while Sully walked into the house, closing the door behind him.
Stopping right by me and Shaw, Sully patted his son's shoulder and told me, "Seems that our Shaw here had an escape plan in motion when we arrived. He was determined to make it back home to you alive."
Before I could say anything to Sully, Cap loudly yelling at Johnse snagged my attention. I looked over to where the noise was coming from only to see Cap shoving Johnse while yelling, "How could you be so stupid? Ridin' into McCoy territory with Shaw's a death sentence!"
"Back off, Cap!" Johnse barked back as he shoved Cap away from him. Cap just stared daggers at Johnse as the older brother explained, "I was doin' him a favor. We were ridin' out to see Floyd 'bout some piglets, Cap."
"Tolbert would've never rounded up his brothers and jumped us if it wasn't for your lyin' piece of traitor trash wife." Shaw venomously spat at Cap, making me look at him with confusion in my indigo eyes. Allie was responsible for the kidnapping? But how, what did she do?
Snapping his head to look at Shaw, Cap ordered lowly, "Don't ya dare talk bad 'bout my wife!"
"Your wife's a traitor, Cap. Tolbert McCoy told me that she told him that Jessa's pregnant; that he needed to get me out of the way to claim her an' my baby." Shaw firmly told Cap, making everyone's brows raise in shock. Oh my god, Allie's the one feeding Tolbert crazy ideas. I thought that she was my friend, but I guess I was wrong.
Pulling his pipe out of his mouth, Devil Anse exclaimed in disbelief, "What? She said what?"
"That's a lie, Allie ain't no kin traitor!" Cap shouted at Shaw, giving him a look that was beyond deadly.
Looking at Cap, Jim Vance told him, "Her brother's married to a McCoy. Cap, I like Allie, I really do, but if Abel and the McCoys corrupted her then maybe she can't be trusted much anymore."
"Tolbert told me that he's friendly with Allie, talks to her regularly." Shaw revealed, causing the already high tension in the room to rise.
With an arched brow, Anse asked Cap, "Did you know 'bout this?"
"It ain't true. None of it's true. Just a bunch of bullshit Shaw's makin' up." Cap retorted, trying his best to convince both himself and the rest of us that Allie was innocent of what Shaw was accusing her of.
Devil Anse shook his head at Cap, dismissing him, before coming up to me, Shaw, and Sully. Looking at me, the imposing man asked, "Did you tell Allie you're pregnant?"
"No, she must've figured it out whenever I had a bough of morning sickness while visiting her." I honestly answered the man.
Before Devil Anse could ask me anything else, Shaw spoke up with, "It's mine. We were together right before Jim locked me up in his house."
"I see." Devil Anse nodded. Pointing his pipe between me and Shaw, he told Sully, "Sully, take these two down to Wall's office and get 'em married." Oh god, I had a feeling last night that I'd get stuck marrying Shaw. I just knew it. "Maybe if they're man and wife that McCoy'll back off." Anse remarked before going over to his favorite son. His icy eyes went dead and cold as he stared at Cap and told him, "Cap, you better straighten out your wife cause if I do it, well, ya might not have a wife anymore."
"Yes, Sir." Cap nodded, like a soldier might after receiving orders.
Pointing to Roseanna, Devil Anse told Johnse, "Go take your wife home, Johns."
"Yes, daddy." Johnse nodded before walking over to the table where Roseanna was sitting at with her cup of tea.
"Anse, I'm gonna go to Wall's with Sully an' 'em, witness Shaw and Jessa's weddin'." Uncle Jim told Devil Anse before walking over to us.
We were heading over to the door, only to be stopped by Anse's voice ringing out in the room with, "Shaw, have your brother run the livery cause startin' tomorrow you're on full time at the sawmill."
"Okay." Shaw nodded before walking out of the house with me right by his side.
Oh my god, looks like things have changed in a snap. I'm gonna be married soon and Shaw's going to be a full-time logger. Dear lord…Allie just had to meddle, didn't she? As of right now I don't count her as one of my friends let alone my best friend.
The ride to downtown Mate Creek was full of silence, not that I minded. I found solace in the silence. I was able to come to terms with my fate. Was I ready to become Mrs. Eldridge? No, but I knew it's what I had to do for my survival; for my kids' survival. I still couldn't believe how Allie had done me wrong, had gone behind my back and schemed with Tolbert about my life. Hell, not just my life, but my children's lives too. I just didn't know if I could fully trust her anymore. I'd never do anything to her that'd damage her life, but it seems that she didn't have the same curtesy when it came to me. I told her I didn't really want Shaw or Tolbert right now, only for her to cause a situation (that she thought would end with me running off to Okla-fucking-homa with Tolbert) that results in me marrying Shaw for my ultimate survival.
I know I'm strng enough to hold my own, but I can't turn my back on Shaw cause I can't afford to be label a Hatfield traitor. Maybe if it was just me, I wouldn't care, but I had children to think about. That's why I was going to marry Shaw, for my kids. So that they would have a strong family backing and foundation. Even the child I was carrying would be protected and loved by the Hatfields, especially since they thought it was their kin. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, who knows since there was a couple weeks window between my encounter with Shaw and my encounter with Tolbert. I'm pretty sure it's Tolbert's, but that's something that's just going to stay locked up tight deep in my heart. Shaw's proven himself to be a good father, so I know he'll do right by this new baby. It's just how he acts as a partner's what I'm iffy to deal with.
"Well, here we are." Jim Vance's crochety timbre rang out in the air as we rode up to Judge Wall's office.
"I know this isn't the wedding you two wanted, but at least you'll be married." Sully told me and Shaw as we stopped at the hitch-post and dismounted.
Shaw just shrugged while I nodded as we hitched up the horses. Without a word, everybody walked up to the door of Wall's office. We knew how life changing the next few minutes were going to be; maybe that's why everyone was being so quiet.
"What the hell happened to your face, boy?" Judge Wall asked Shaw as soon as he followed me inside of the office.
"McCoy boys got the jump on 'im and Johnse, held 'em captive for hours, but we got 'em back." Uncle Jim told the judge as he walked into the room right behind Sully.
"Oh…" Judge Wall nodded his head. The look on his face showed that he wasn't shocked by the news.
"Wall, we need ya to marry us." Shaw told the older man as he led us over to his desk.
"Of course, you do." Judge Wall deadpanned.
"Anse's pushing for it, so marry them, Wall." Sully told the judge in a flat tone. I couldn't see him since he was standing behind me, but I'm pretty sure that Sully was giving Wall a pointed look.
Sitting up straight, the judge gave us a serious look and asked, "Ya sure this is what ya'll want?"
"Yes, Wall." Shaw answered the judge while I just nodded and smiled. Honestly, I wasn't ready to get married, but I knew that I had to since I was backed into a corner.
"Okay, then, let's get'cha married." Judge Wall nodded before grabbing his officiant book and standing up. "Now, this ain't gonna be no fancy ceremony." He told us, opening up his book.
We just nodded while Uncle Jim chortled, "Nothin' fancy 'bout these two. Just marry 'em already."
"Jim, hush up. Even tho it's half-assed, it's my son's weddin' day." Sully snapped at the crochety mountain man.
"Well, we're gathered here to witness the union 'tween Jessa George and Shaw Eldridge." Judge Wall announced, officially starting the shotgun wedding. Looking at me he said, "Jessa repeat after me. I take this man as my lawfully wedded husband."
"I take this man as my lawfully wedded husband." I repeated.
"In sickness and health, richer or poorer, better or worse til death do us part."
"In sickness and health, richer or poorer, better or worse til death do us part."
"I promise to honor, love, and obey you."
"I promise to honor, love, and obey you." I smiled, ending my part of the vows.
Looking at Shaw, Judge Wall told him, "Now, Shaw, repeat after me. I take this woman as my lawfully wedded wife."
"I take this woman as my lawfully wedded wife." Shaw repeated.
"In sickness and health, richer or poorer, better or worse til death do us part."
"In sickness and health, richer or poorer, better or worse til death do us part."
"I promise to honor, love, and cherish you."
"I promise to honor, love, and cherish you." Shaw finished, ending his vows.
"Now, if ya got rings this is the time to get 'em out." Shaw nodded and quickly dug a pair of golden bands out of his pocket. Looking at us, Wall instructed, "Exchange rings while saying with this ring I thee wed."
Shaw handed me the ring I needed to put on him and then we slid the rings on each other's left ring fingers while simply saying, "With this ring I thee wed."
"With the power vested in me by the state of West Virginia and God, I pronounce ya man and wife." Wall announced while snapping his book shut. "You may kiss the bride." He put in as an afterthought before going over to his desk to fill out the marriage certificate.
Shaw pressed a light peck to my lips, sealing our vows. Well, looks like I'm married now. Lucky me…
Allie POV:
I was washing me and Captain W's breakfast plates whenever Cap came barging thru the front door. He slung the door open so hard that it bounced off the wall, causing Captain W. to let out a tiny scream from his spot in the corner with his toybox. Levicy's shrill baby cry filled up the air right as my husband slammed the door shut. "Jesus, Cap, did you have to burst in here so loud? We've got small children, remember?" I sarcastically spat at him as he took off his hat, jacket, and gun belt, before I rushed off to our room to pick up our daughter out of her basinet in order to soothe her.
I was gently rocking Levicy, cooing soothing sounds to her, as I walked back into the kitchen. To my surprise Cap as standing in the kitchen, waiting for me. "Well, after the shit I've been thru, I'm entitled t'be pissed, Alma." My husband dryly told me, his eyes cutting into me in a way that made fear travel up and down my spine. Cap never called me Alma just like I never called him William, so I was very concerned and nervous about his sudden change in demeanor. Before I could even ask what happened, he coldly informed me, "When we got to Harmon McCoy's old cabin t'save Johnse and Shaw, it turns out that Shaw had things under control. His face was beaten bloody, but he managed to get hold of a gun; had Tolbert hostage and was hagglin' for him and my brother's freedom."
"Oh…" Well, I never would've thought that Shaw would be able to disarm and take Tolbert hostage. Reckon he played off his injuries to get the drop on him or maybe had Johnse help him. I dunno. "Well, I'm relived to hear that they were unharmed when you got there."
"Yes, but no thanks to you." Cap scoffed, taking me off guard.
Furrowing my brows, I asked, "What?"
"Shaw told us that Tolbert told him that ya schemed with him; put the insane idea that since Jessa's pregnant he needed to kill my cousin and whisk her away somewhere." My husband told me in a tone that was dead serious. The way his mismatched eyes narrowed into cold accusing slits sent chills down my spine. Oh my god, how could Tolbert be so stupid? He actually ratted me out to Shaw, the dumb prick. I get it, he thought that he was gonna kill Shaw, but that didn't give him the right to out me as his co-conspirator.
Shaking my head, I quickly told my husband in the sweetest and most believable tone I could muster, "He's lying, Cap. I'd never go behind your back to scheme and consort with McCoys. You know that."
"I know, or at least I thought I knew, but Shaw's declarin' you're a traitor; Uncle Jim, and pa's sidin' with him too."
"But you know I'd never do that. Hell, I broke Tolbert's nose back in '78, so I'm sure he still holds a grudge about that." I told my husband, trying to get it into his head that I was innocent of what Shaw was accusing me of even tho I was far from it.
"I know, but Shaw casted doubt 'bout ya in our family." Cap sighed, shaking his head in frusteration. "Goddamnit, Allie, I hope myfaith in ya ain't misplaced and blinded by love."
"It ain't, Cap. You know me, I hate McCoys as much as you and the entire family." I pleaded my case to my husband while bouncing our daughter in my arms.
Cap nodded before dropping the bomb of, "Jessa claims you figured out she was pregnant when ya'll were havin' a visit. Even she thinks you went to Tolbert, especially since Abel's married to Nancy."
"The only time I saw my brother was when you sent him over a few weeks back to see me and Levicy. You know that." Once again, Cap nodded. Suddenly, an idea that would save my ass popped into my head. "Nancy lives on our side of the river and shops at our stores, maybe she saw Jessa out and about in town, figured out that she's expecting, and ran home to tell Tolbert."
Cap shrugged before telling me, "I suppose that makes sense. As far as I know Abel and Nancy's still housin' the redhead." Looking at me with desperation, he revealed, "Pa told me to straighten this out cause if he had to, well I wouldn't be havin' a wife no mores." Oh my god, my father-in-law threatened my life to my husband, his son? Oh my god, now I see why he's called the devil. "I'll tell him our theory t'morrow mornin' at work."
AN:
Well, Allie just got by on the skin of her teeth. Yikes! So, Jessa and Shaw's married now. Hmm, that ought to be one crazy rollercoaster ride…Even tho she had options, she felt that she didn't. Especially since Devil Anse ordered the marriage (you know how scary and imposing he can be).
Anyways, more aftermath of the kidnapping and rescue will be in the next chapter.