*Author's Note*

Thank you for the favs, follows, and reviews.

And here is the latest installment of this story. Just took forever, huh? Well, my muses for this got revived after seeing a long-haired Sam Reid play LeStat in AMC's tv series Anne Rice's Interview With A Vampire. So, guess in time Tolbert's going to be growing his hair out, lol.

Leaving's The Best Thing To Do

Shaw POV:

I was sitting on the edge of a wagon's bed while Uncle Jim patched me up. "Damn, what'd ya do to get that Yankee mad at 'cha? You insulted Allie, didn't ya, nephew?"

"I didn't insult her, just called her a meddling bitch." I told Uncle Jim as people milled about, doing their work at the loggin' camp.

"That's an insult, Shaw."

"Hey, that crazy Yankee shot me before I said anything 'bout his niece. He shot me when I told him to fuck off instead of telling him where Anse was when he asked."

"Well, guess ya got me there, son." Uncle Jim chuckled as he finished up with my shoulder. "But you should've shot him on site as soon you'd heard his Yankee accent."

"That something you would've done." I stated, not asked, since I knew we had the same temperament.

"Yes, Sir, it is." Jim nodded. "Come on, better get'cha some water before you get on back to patrolin'." He said, pulling me down from the back of the wagon and leading me over to a table that had food, coffee, and a few spare water canteens on it.

Of course, I had to get back to patrolin'. No gettin' sent home for a shot shoulder. Nope, not when the McCoys were trying to hunt us down like wild animals. Well fuck that. I'm hurt and need a drink, so I'm going to go off deep in the woods somewhere so I can use my ring to transport me to a bar somewhere.

Meanwhile, Somewhere Down The Road…

Sill POV:

"Can we stop by my best friend Jessa's house before we head up North?" Allie asked, causing me to turn my attention off the road and onto her. I gave her a look that showed I was deadest against it, causing her to plead, "Please. I don't want to leave without her knowing I'm okay. Our friendship's been thru a lot."

After thinkin' it over for a few minutes, I gave in with a sigh of, "Fine, you can say goodbye to your friend."

"Thank you, Uncle Sill." My niece gratefully cried an' hugged me.

Lookin' down at Allie, I asked, "Wanna say goodbye to your brother too while we're headed backwards?"

"No." She shook her head. Crossin' her arms ov'r her chest, she bitterly spat, "He's married to a McCoy shrew and it's their fault I'm divorced now."

"It ain't their fault, it's your husband and his daddy's fault. Hell, you married into a bad family, don't blame your brother for that." I snapped at my niece. Damn, her head was all screwed up. Why couldn't she see that the Hatfields weren't good people; that anyone who'd lock her in a barn for days or even condone it ain't nothin' but hateful? Is she that 'in love' with her husband? Cuttin' her a hard look, I bluntly told Allie, "You're gonna visit your brother; I ain't budgin' on it either. You need'a mend what's wrong with you an' you Abel cause god forbide if somethin' happens to him you'll never forgive yourself for bein' so bitter over who he married.

Allie looked like she just swallowed a mouthful of pickle juice as she snapped, "Fine, but don't expect me to be nice to his wife. I don't like her and nothin's gonna change my mind about that."

"I doubt ya know her well 'nough to neither like nor dislike her, Alma." I used her God given name to let her know I wasn't pleased with her attitude. Damn girl's grown and a mama of two, but she's gonna act like a brat. Hell no. "Hell, all you know's what your husband and his say 'bout her. Maybe sayin' goodbye to your brother and his wife might make ya see things in a new light." I explained, snappin' the reigns to make the horse drive the wagon faster.

"She's a shrew, nothin's gonna make me see her in a new light." My blonde niece firmly said. Seems like she was dead set on hatin' her sister-in-law.

"Well, her pap was murdered by your husband's uncle so can't blame her for bein' a shrew." I pointed out, earnin' me an eye roll. "Don't roll 'em eyes at me." I ordered, quickly addin' in. "Don't want ya teachin' my boy bad manners."

"You got a boy?" She asked, a brow arched up curiously.

"Yep." I popped my tongue. "He's home waitin' on me to collect ya, but you'll be lookin' after him once we get to my cabin."

Lookin' into the back at her own chil'ren and then to me, she asked, "How old is he?"

"Nine." I simply answered as our wagon rolled the road on in the rollin' hills.

"Are you a widower or?..."

"Widower." I told her, causin' Allie to look sympathetically at me. 'Fore she could poke and prode 'bout my dead women, I asked her, "So, how far off's your friend's house at?"

"Maybe 10-15 minutes down the road." I nodded, accepting her estimate while snappin' the reigns to make the horses trot faster.

Jessa POV:

I was tidying the house, doing my mid-morning chores, while Cotton was in the living room playing with Silas, Endor, and Lydia. I didn't let him take them outside if I wasn't with them because of how high tensions were during these times. The feud was getting worse instead of better. Being roughly 5-months pregnant, well, my mind was starting to whirl about what to do. Honestly, I knew that sooner rather than later the Hatfields would be hiding up in the deep hills and I was dreading having to go up there. I didn't want to raise my children and Cotton on the run deep in the mountains, far away from civilization.

I was drawn out of my thoughts whenever a knock sounded on my front door. Placing my broom by the counter, I told Cotton, "I'll get it. Just keep playin' with the little ones."

"Okay, Jessa." Cotton cheerfully told me as I made my way out of the kitchen.

Another knock, louder than the first, sounded at the door as I was crossing into the living room. "I'll be there in a minute!" I called out to whoever was at the door. I figured it was either a Hatfield ally or that reporter, Asa M. Merriweather, wanting to do another story to make the Hatfields seem good.

Honestly, if I'm to be frank, nothing can make them seem good. It's a gray area, truth be told. All of the family sins are coming out and I don't blame people for siding with the McCoys or wanting to cash in on the Hatfield bounties. I know that I'm kicking myself in the ass right now for not running off with Tolbert when I had the chance.

Too late now. No use in crying over spilt milk.

Whenever I reached the door and opened it, I wasn't expecting to see Allie standing on my porch next to some guy that looked rough and mean. He looked like he could give Bad Frank Phillips a run for his money. Both of her children were slung on the man's hips too. Before I could even ask what was going on, Alle grabbed me into a tight hug and cried, "Cap divorced me. I'm goin' to Western Pennsylvania with my Uncle Sill."

Uncle Sill? Um…last I knew she didn't have an Uncle Sill. Guess so does. Wonder how Sully managed that one. "This is for the best, Allie." I assured her, pulling back and breakin' our hug.

Allie had a crestfallen look while her uncle dryly announced in a rough timbre, "Told her the exact same thing, ma'am, but she don't wanna hear it."

"You can call me Jessa." I told Sill before offering with a smile, "Do ya'll wanna come in? I can put some coffee on the stove and all the kids can say goodbye." Turning to Allie, I added, "You can even say goodbye to Cotton." I knew she cared about Cotton. I wouldn't stop her from saying goodbye to the sweet boy.

"No, I just came by to say goodbye to you. It'll be to hard saying goodbye to Cotton and your kids are so little that they'll forget me anyways."

"I'd like some coffee before going to my nephew's." Sill told me, ignoring Allie's decline to my offer.

Allie's bright blue eyes were dulled with pain and sadness as she told her uncle (who looked like he could be a midnight train robber), "No, Uncle Sill. I just want to go."

"But-" Sill began only for me to cut him off with, "I think you should take Allie to Abel and Nancy's. She needs to visit them more than me before she goes. They're her family while I'm just a friend."

"If you say so." Sill said, sounding only half-convinced, while Allie just gave me a sad, but thankful smile.

I understood how she felt. I too had ended a marriage that I didn't want to end. My situation with Tolbert was different though. His father never locked me in a barn, and he never struggled to feed me or my son due to being disowned and out of work. Our issue was the fact that I had made a deal with the devil's cousin to keep him alive (or at least from getting beaten badly) and was lying to keep that from him. Also, the fact that he didn't give Silas the name McCoy on the census didn't help our problems. Plus, I was so much younger than Tolbert that I didn't understand why he was acting the way he was. Well, now I think I understand. I just wish that back then I didn't overact and would've just trusted him. Would've talked things out with him; let him tell me how he was feeling instead of just yelling at him and assuming that my way was the right way. Assuming that I knew it all, cause in reality I didn't know it all and lost the love of my life. But I lost him to protect him.

But, anyways, I felt Allie's pain. Her marriage was falling a part and she felt like her world had just stopped. Unlike Allie, I just hid my true feelings in order to give my son his best chance. Hell, I still hide my feelings in order to try and give my children their best chance. Now, well, I think I need to start paying more attention to them.

"I'm going to miss you. I'll write and tell you how I'm doin' up north."

"I'll be sure to write you back; keep you updated on everything here."

"You know, since my uncle's taking me in a wagon you can always come with us and leave Shaw. Maybe take Cotton and the kids to Oklahoma one day if you can afford it."

"Allie, we both know that I can't do that. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." I told her, causing my best friend to just chew on her bottom lip while tears welled up in her eyes.

"Well, if she ain't goin' and if we're not gonna have coffee I think it's time for us to go, Alma." Sill told my best friend, letting her know that he wasn't going to let her stand on my porch and cry.

"We'll both be fine, Allie." I assured my best friend. Taking her hand in mind, I honestly told her, "We started on different sides of this feud, and I think we're meant to end on them too." She just sniffed and nodded. Letting her hand go, I told her, "Just promise me you'll move on and won't let your failed marriage eat ya up."

"I'll try." Allie sadly said, giving me one more hug before walking down the porch with her uncle and children.

Nancy POV:

"Hell, there goes Harmony's nap." I grumbled as my daughter woke up and started to cry from the loud knockin' on my door.

"I'll get her, just get the door, Nance." My husband said in a soothin' tone 'fore risin' from the table and goin' over to Harmony's crib.

"It's prolly just Jefferson. Him and the mailman's been gettin' into it lately." I told Abel, risin' from my seat and makin' my way over to the door while he picked up our daughter and cooed to her; swayin' back and forth to calm her down.

"Him and Sarah need to get their own place or either him or Fred's gonna wind up dead. They fight too much; ain't healthy." Abel told me as I reached the door.

Whenever I opened my door, I was shocked to find Allie with some middle-aged man (who was holdin' her babies on his hips) instead of my brother. "Oh, dear sister, what brings you and-" I broke off my question to look at the man, only to quickly ask him, "Who're you to her, Sir?"

"I'm her Uncle Sill Payne. Reckon I'm your uncle too since you're married to Abel." Was the man's gruff answer.

"Uncle Sill? Sam's Hill, I haven't seen you since I was really little. What're you doin' here?" Abel asked, comin' up from behind me while rubbin' soothin' circles on our toddler's back as she clung to his shoulder. At least she stopped cryin', thank goodness.

"Here to say goodbye and visit 'fore I take 'em up North." My newest family member, Uncle Sill, answered.

"So, you finally left that no good Hatfield husband of yours then, Allie?" I asked, a sweet smile on my face.

"He divorced you, I hope." Abel added in. Oh yes, my husband sure did know how to get right to the point. She needed a divorce. She couldn't stay married to Cap; he was a murderous Hatfield.

"That's why I came down 'ere for. To make sure he divorced her." Uncle Sill remarked before Allie even had the chance to open her mouth. Reckon he read that news paper article we did. Good, seems it made him make Allie get her much needed divorce. She's better off with our uncle then with her Hatfield husband and his demon family.

"Oh, why don't we talk inside over some coffee. I'd love to visit with both of you before you have t'get goin' on your way." I suggested, grabbin' Allie's wrist and draggin' her inside. "Sister, please have a seat while I put on the coffee." I ordered Allie in a sugary tone while shovin' her towards the kitchen table.

"That woman of yours sure is pushy; sassy too." Uncle Sill chuckled as he entered the house, pausin' to set my niece and nephew down.

"I don't mind. I was in the Army; guess I'm used to bein' ordered around." Abel shut the door, only to put Harmony down to join her cousins.

"Ya'll play nice now, or I'll get'cha wit' my spoon." I threatened the chil'ren as I grabbed some stall cookies (I don't remember when I baked 'em) from the counter cookie jar and tossed them on a plate.

"The place is awfully small. What're ya'll gonna do when more children come. This house is a shack; it's not suitable for a family." Allie told Abel, guess me too, as I brought the cookie plate over to the table.

"Ain't gonna have no more chil'ren. One's enough." And I meant it. I wasn't goin' thru all that pain 'gain just for more babies. Worst pain in my life. That's why I use pennyroyal root tea to ensure I get my flow every month.

"Guess ya ain't gonna like my cabin, Alma, since it's just a room bigger then this 'ere shack." Uncle sill, the dark-haired rogue of a man, chuckled as he stood by the table. He was keepin' the other seat open for me. My husband was sittin' on our bed, what he usually did when visitors (my brother and long ago Tolbert) came by.

"What?! You got a 9-year-old son living in a shack!" My sister-in-law exclaimed as I set the cookies on the table 'fore goin' to get the coffee.

"I see livin' with them blood thirsty Hatfields got'cha spoilt. Bein' in a large fancy cabin an' all too long." I sneered, grabbin' the coffee pot and some cups.

"Don't forget those bastards locked her in a barn!" Abel barked. "Fuck!" My husband shouted, runnin' a frustrated hand thru his long chestnut hair. "They locked you in a barn and you stayed with those people. What's wrong with you, sis?" Abel asked his sister as I placed the pot of coffee on the table along with some cups.

As I served the coffee, my sister-in-law dumbly answered her brother with, "Nothing's wrong with me, Abel. Cap got me and out that barn and I love him; that's why I stayed."

"He didn't love ya that much or he wouldn't have signed that divorce paper when his daddy told 'im too." Uncle Sill pointed out.

Patting Allie's hand, I told her, "Well, I know you don't see it now, dear sister, but bein' divorced from Cap Hatfield's a blessin'. You won't have no more heartbreak; bein' up North with Uncle Sill will help ya move on to live a better live." Picking up my coffee, I sighed, "If only we could get Jessa to take Tolbert's boy, Endor, and leave Shaw. I'm so scared to think what that vile Vance bastard'll do to them. He hated Tolbert; as the boy grows…well…he looks just like my late cousin and…well…I'd hate any harm to befall them."

"I told her to come with us, but she refused." Allie told me as our uncle grabbed a cookie and took a bite out of it.

"I'll go talk to her when ya'll leave. Try to reason with her on leavin' Shaw." I assured Allie, since we both wanted Jessa away from Shaw, as Uncle Sill made a funny face and tossed his cookie back onto the plate.

"Damn, Abel, I see you didn't marry her for the cookin'. Must be for her looks." I rolled my eyes at the bastard's remark.

"Nancy cooks just fine. The cookie's a few days old; she hasn't had time to bake anymore. If she'd known we'd be having company I'm sure she would've baked some fresh ones." My husband defended me. He's a wonderful husband, truly. He'd prolly shoot somebody if they dishonored my name. Hell, I'm pretty sure at this point he'd shoot the Hatfields if given the chance cause of everything they've done to our family (McCoys and Freeland).

"I cook an' keep my family well fed. You worry 'bout your own belly stayin' full, Uncle Sill." I snapped, giving my new uncle a cold look. He was starting to outdo his welcome. I was tired of him. Bastard's lucky I even served 'em cookies. I didn't have to do that.

Allie POV:

Uncle Sill leaned into me and whispered, "You're right, she's a shrew." Sitting up straight, he announced, "As nice as this family reunion is, we gotta get on our way if we wanna get back to Pennsylvania before dark."

Yay! He wants to leave. I do too. Hell, I never want to step foot inside of this tiny, dirty, shack ever again in my life. I hope my brother remodels it, or else his family's going to be living in squalor.

"I know ya'll ain't gonna be visitin', but please write if you can." Abel told me Uncle Sill stood up.

Standing up, I weakly told my brother, "Don't worry, I'll write."

Nancy POV:

Uncle Sill went to collect Allie's babies while I followed him to snatch up my own child. As we scooped up the chil'ren, I told the man, "This is your great-niece, Harmony. We named her Harmony Martha after both my pap an' mama."

"She's a black-eyed beauty, just like her mama." He complimented both me and my daughter.

"Come on, I'll show ya'll out since I need'a hitch up my wagon and pay Jessa a visit." I told my in-laws, only to lead them over to the front door.

Silently, I walked out of the door and down the porch. Allie and Uncle Sill, with a baby on each hip, followed right behind me as Abel shuffled to the door. As I went over to our stable, I saw Abel takin' our kin to their wagon and sayin' last goodbyes.

Jessa POV:

The sun was shining down brightly, and the birds were chirping as I hung up my laundry. Cotton and my kids were playing under the shade of a tree. In fact, they were happily playing a game of tag. I smiled to myself as I grabbed a sheet out of my laundry basket. No matter what, the joyful sounds of my children laughing and having fun always brought a smile to my face. While tossing the sheet onto the line, my ears picked up on the sound of a wagon pulling up nearby. Quickly, I pinned the sheet down before telling Cotton, "Watch the little ones. I think someone might be here."

"Okie dokie, Jessa." Cotton nodded, only to continue playing with my kids.

I hurried away from the clothesline and saw that my once cousin-in-law, Nancy, was climbing down from her cart. "Nancy, hi!" I called out, waving to the woman as she picked up her daughter.

"Jessa, dear cousin, I hope you're faring well!" She called back to me, propping her daughter on her hip as I rushed over to her.

"Did Allie and her Uncle Sill stop by to say goodbye? I told them they need to see ya'll; say goodbye." I asked while meeting Nancy a few yards away from her wagon.

"Yes." She nodded. "They came by to say goodbye; we talked a bit over cookies and coffee."

"Sounds nice. If you want, we can talk while I finish hangin' up the wash." I sweetly suggested since I wanted to know what Nancy and Allie talked about.

"I'd like that. There's so much we need to catch up on, Jessa dear."

"Yes, there's so much we need to catch up on." I parroted with a sweet smile on my face. I knew that now was my chance to get myself back in the good graces of the McCoys if I ever wanted to run away from the Hatfields and be accepted with open arms. I knew the family gossip/shrew was who I needed to confess my sins to and confide in for the McCoys to know the truth about why I did what I did; why I picked Shaw over Tolbert even tho I wanted the redhead and loved him. "Oh, let me see her. She's gotten so big." I gestured to Harmony, being friendly since I needed Nancy on my side. If anyone could turn the McCoy family into my allies again it'd be her.

"I don't believe you've ever truly seen her right." Nancy passed her daughter over to me. A daughter that looked just like her. "But I suppose it'd be hard to with that vile man you're married too." The county shrew tossed in snidely as we made our way to the clothesline.

And that was my opening, my way in to tell Nancy my woes. "He's a blackheart and I'm not married to him cause I want to be. I was forced to marry him after that botched 'kidnapping' Tolbert and his brothers did on him."

Her black eyes widen. "Oh, I didn't know you were forced to marry him."

"Yes, I was." I nodded. "And shortly after that Allie was locked away in that barn." I added in so she'd know how backed into a corner I really was when it came to being forced to marry Shaw. Allie being imprisoned in that barn shortly after I was stuck becoming Mrs. Shaw Eldridge just proves that if I didn't toe the line then it could've been me locked inside of that barn, or worse.

"I see." Nancy said as I passed Harmony back to her as we reached the clothesline and the wicker basket with a few items left in it.

"I was also blackmailed into leaving Tolbert by Shaw. I never wanted to leave him, but I had to in order to keep him alive." I revealed while grabbing a shirt from my laundry basket hanging up on the line.

"What good that did. He got shot by that Vance bastard husband of yours anyhow." Nancy scoffed as she placed Harmony on the ground and pushed her in the direction of the large yard tree. "Ya'll be nice to your cousin or else." She barked at Cotton and the kids as her little girl toddled over to them.

"Don't worry, we'll be nice, Miss Nancy." Cotton assured my once cousin-in-law as he went over to Harmony and brought her over to the other kids. I'd have to bake him an extra special treat and make him promise not to tell Shaw and Todd about Miss Nancy's daughter Harmony playing with them this afternoon.

I smiled at the sight before grabbing another shirt out of my wicker basket. Pinning it to the line, I heavily sighed, "I know and that was my fault. He confronted me 'bout Endor John bein' Tolbert's and I told him the truth." I grabbed a dress from the basket and hung it up while the dark-haired woman next to me watched with much interest, waiting for my next words. "We fought and when he asked if I loved him, I said no. I told him that I never wanted to marry him; that Tolbert was who I wanted. That Tolbert would always be my first choice and that I got stuck with him."

"And then he done gone murdered my cousin in a jealous rage cause he knew you'd find your way back t'him." Nancy supplied, figuring out why Shaw 'killed' Tolbert as I hung up the killer's long john shirt.

"Yea." I nodded. "For the longest time I blamed myself for what happened to Tolbert. I carried that guilt for so long." I revealed while grabbing a pillowcase and hanging it up.

"I hope you let that guilt go. Ain't your fault Vance's are evil, hateful, devils of people."

"It took me a while, but I did let it go." I admitted to her as I stared down at my now empty basket.

"That's good to hear, cousin." She sweetly told me. "Now, I know it's none of my concern, but how is it that you found yourself carryin' a Vance bastard in your belly while married to my cousin all them years ago." Nancy asked as I picked up my basket and headed towards the backdoor to drop it off.

I knew she was going to ask that. It was the million-dollar question that the entire McCoy family wanted answered. "I went to have Thanksgiving pie with that Vance bastard's family because I overheard Perry making a remark about Tolbert not being serious in his pursuit of me cause he was seein' whores, unlike Shaw, and I got stuck staying the night cause it was raining cat and dogs." I set my basket on the ground as we reached the back door, only to take a seat on the back stoop. "My husband snuck into my bed at midnight, kissed me, and then 'fore I knew what was goin' on lifted my shift up and had his way with me."

"So, my cousin married ya to protect your honor." Nancy concluded while taking a seat next to me.

"No, he married me to keep me from getting an abortion." I confessed as we watched Cotton playing tag with our kids underneath the shade of that large tree a few yards away. "When I realized I was knocked up I ran to Tolbert's cabin in the pouring rain in the middle of the night. I was scared and ran to him for help. The help he offered was a marriage cause he said he loved me and wanted to keep me from either endin' up barren or dead from a botched abortion."

"Tolbert loved you; if he felt that he'd be keepin' you safe by posin' as the baby's pap instead of sendin' ya off to Doc for a back-alley abortion then he'd do it." Nancy admitted in a sincere tone. "So, I take it when that Vance bastard husband of yours realized the baby was his he blackmailed ya into leavin' Tolbert by swearin' he'd let him be."

"More or less." I nodded. I was picking at a loose string on my apron while telling Nancy, "But in the beginnin' it was blackmailing me to bring Silas by to visit in exchange for him to leave Tolbert alone. Then it turned into me having to leave Tolbert and purging myself on the stand for Shaw." I stilled my hands, curling them around the edge of my blue striped apron, as I sighed, "I did it all to keep Tolbert unharmed and my son safe."

"In a way I think Tolbert knew this. He always said that Vance bastard was twistin' your head up with lies; that you'd be with him if you could."

In this moment, talking and baring my soul to Nancy, I felt like I had a friend. That I had somebody to truly talk to. I hadn't had that in a long time. Even though I was friends with Jessa, we weren't true friends for a long time. Perhaps we never really were after that night at a barn dance when I chose Tolbert over her friendship.

My son laughed as he chased around Harmony, the sun shining down on him made his light red hair take on an orange glow. He looked so much like Tolbert that it made my heart hurt and swell up with joy at the same time. "I told Tolbert the truth about how Shaw blackmailed me when he was locked up in Jim Vance's house gettin' sober. That's when me and Tolbert made up; when we conceived our son."

"You know that you need to leave that husband of yours. He's no good and Tolbert's dead an' gone now. Ya got nothin' holding you to him anymore."

"Oh, Nancy, I do plan on leavin' him. I just gotta bide my time cause real soon Devil Anse will be orderin' all the Hatfields into hiding."

Her eyes lit up and a smirk appeared on her face. "And it'd be the perfect time to get 'way since the Devil won't let anyone come out of hidin' like a rat, even to look for you."

"Correct." I smiled.

"Well, dear cousin, I must say that I'm impressed by your train of thought. I must ask tho, where do you plan on going?"

"Kentucky." Like where else would I go? There was only one place that was pro-McCoy and would help me. Hell…"I thought I'd go to Lawyer Brooksdale and ask for his help to obtain a divorce." I added in, wanting Nancy to know that I wasn't just leaving Shaw, but would be ending the marriage. I never wanted the marriage in the first place. Once I was divorced, I'd be able to take off with Tolbert the next time he came riding into the Tug for me. He promised he'd be back, and I was going to hold him to that promise.

"I think that's a splendid idea. In fact, I'll make sure that our family in Kentucky knows the atrocities that happened to you and what you sacrificed to keep Tolbert safe." Oh, I was hoping she'd say that.

"Nancy, keep a close eye on your brother. I have a feelin' that the Hatfields will go after him next. They still haven't gotten over the bitter sting of Abel pickin' you and the McCoys over them." I warned her since I knew that the time Cap and Jim (Maybe even Shaw now) go after Jefferson and kill him was getting close. I wasn't sure how close, but I remember that it happened sometime after Parris was killed. That happened recently, so Jefferson's fate is currently hanging in the balance. I'd hate for her to lose her brother, especially since he was just a useless drunk that was all bark and no bite.

"Thank you for the warning. I'll be sure to look out for Jefferson. You just make sure you leave and get into Kentucky as soon as the opportunity comes." Nancy told me as she rose from the stoop.

"I will Nancy." I promised her before she walked off to collect her daughter and leave.

AN:

And there it is, Jessa plans on leaving Shaw. She's still in love with Tolbert and hates Shaw. Only used him as a means of survival. So, did anyone see that coming? So, Allie finally had a family get together with Abel, Nancy, and Harmony. Just took Uncle Sill coming to town and making Cap divorce her to do it. And of course, Shaw was to sneak off to go time travel to a bar. *Rolls eyes*