*Author's Note*

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

I hope everybody had a good holiday (Happy Easter or Passover depending on what you celebrate).

Anyways, have fun reading.

Happy Birth Err Death Day

Jessa POV:

Since it was his birthday, Shaw's mom gave him the day off of work from the diner. Also, the McCoys let me have a day off from doing house chores in order to spend the day with Shaw. So, that's why I was currently with Shaw strolling down the main street of downtown Mate Creek. Honestly, I felt a bit nervous being in Mate Creek, but it was Shaw's home and he seemed to like the place. Maybe I just felt iffy about Mate Creek cause it's full of Hatfields.

"We've paced this street a few times already." Shaw remarked, his voice a mixed between a scoff and a bored sigh, as his eyes darted around the vast street we were strolling down.

"Yea, but it's not like there's much to do." I pointed out to him as I loosely clutched the collar of my shawl, trying to get some warmth around my chest in the cool breezy winter weather.

Turning his head to the side, he looked down at me and asked, "Do you wanna go sit or something?"

While looking up at him, I nodded with a faint smile, "Yea, we can sit down."

"We'll go sit in front of the diner." He told me, gesturing to the small benches in front of the diner's front windows. I just nodded, letting Shaw lead us across the street and over to the front porch of his mom's diner. Silently, we walked onto the wood plank sidewalk and to the covered porch of Peggy's diner. We took a seat on the bench in front of the main left window of the building. After a few silent moments Shaw spoke up with the observation of, "Seems like it's a quiet day downtown today."

"Yea, it is." I nodded, watchin' one of the shop workers across the street sweep the front porch and sidewalk of the store. Not many people were out and about today, but maybe cause it's a chilly December day and people are choosing not to go out if they don't have to. Smiling at Shaw I told him, "I made you a birthday present. Do you want it now or later?"

"Now's fine, but you didn't have to make me anything, honey." Shaw told me, taking me by surprise that he didn't feel it necessary for me to make him a present. I mean didn't everybody want presents on their birthday?

"Of course, I did, it's your birthday." I told him, opening my small drawstring purse and taking the folded up handstitched handkerchief out of it. "Here's your present." I smiled, handing him the white cotton hankie.

He took the gift in his hand. Unfolding it, he studied the blue embroidery with a neutral look. A grin broke out on his face as he gratefully told me, "I'm glad you made this, it's nice. Thank you very much, honey."

"You're welcome, but it is your birthday." I smiled while watching him fold the hankie back up and stick it into his pocket.

"When's yours?" He curiously asked while stretching an arm to rest behind my shoulders.

"It already came and went. It's October 18th." I answered while slightly leaning back and into him a bit.

"And you're 16 right, or?..." I knew what he was asking. Shaw wanted to know if I aged myself up since I'd arrived in 1878 in the summer after turning 16 back in 2018. He wanted to know what age I was using here and now and I can't say that I blame them.

"I'm 16, you're only 3-years older then me." I assured him, wanting Shaw to know that I didn't age myself up. I just thought it'd be weird to make myself older then I was. So, when I was asked by both Roseanna and Tolbert a while back about my birthday, I just said that on October 18th I'd be 16. I mean I did portal into 1878 in the summer, technically my birthday hadn't happened yet.

"Okay." He nodded, his hand slightly patting my shoulder before going back to rest on the back of the bench.

Suddenly we heard a loud crash come from the diner. Quickly, Shaw bolted up from the bench and made a beeline towards the door. I followed right behind him, a bit worried about the loud crash that we heard. The handful of people in the diner silently looked at us intensely as we walked across the dining room floor and over to the swinging door that led to the kitchen. Shaw stopped suddenly and let out a shaky hitched breath. I accidently bumped into his back, my eyes wide as I saw what made his breath hitch uncontrollably. On the floor, surrounded by broken china and the toppled shelving, was Peggy. She had a bloody nose and seemed unconscious.

Looking at me from over his shoulder, Shaw ordered, "Go get Doc."

I just nodded my head and rushed off to get Doc Rutherford, whose office was right across the street. Oh god, I hope and pray Peggy's alright and recovers from whatever made her collapse.

Shaw POV:

After telling Jessa to fetch Doc, I rushed over to my mom's side. I fell to my knees and checked her for a pulse. I felt sick in my stomach when I couldn't find one. Dear god, no, no, no, my mom can't be dead. Without thinking, I started CPR. I was running on pure adrenaline, trying to get my mom to pop back to life with every breath or compression I did. I only stopped my compressions whenever I heard the door chime out front go off. Yea, I didn't want Doc questioning me about the outlandish method I was doing. Sadly, if my CPR wasn't reviving my mom then I'm afraid she's done for…

"Is she breathin'?" I heard Doc ask as he dropped down next to my mom's side, across from me.

Shaking my head, I let out a long, but heavily flat sigh of, "No…"

"Hmm…" Doc sighed grimly as he checked over my mom. I felt Jessa silently kneel down next to me, placing a supportive and tender hand on my shoulder as Doc told me the heart wrenching news of, "I'm 'fraid she had a massive heart attack. Seems t'be caused by high blood pressure." Pointing to her blood coated nose he explained, "Frequent bloody nose's a sign of high blood pressure." Giving me a long look, he went on to say, "Other symptoms are uncontrollable headaches and dizzy spells." Damnit, she'd been having all of that for weeks on end now. If only she told me instead of brushing it off. "I'm sorry, but even if she would've seen me there's nothin' to be done for high blood pressure other than tryin' to reduce stress in one lifestyle." Doc told me while standing up with his bag clutched in his hand.

But in the future there's meds to lower high blood pressure. Damnit, if she would've told me how she was really feeling I could've talked to dad and we could've gotten her some help. Some real help, not this sawbones doctorin' shit that's done in the 1800s.

"I'll let you be so ya can do what needs t'be done."

I just nodded at Doc and watched him quickly made his way out of the kitchen. As I stood up, letting out a shaky breath, Jessa stood with me. Her hand never fell from its spot on my shoulder. Looking at her, my honey eyes dull and dead, I asked, "Can you flip the side over to closed out front; also stay out there and keep a watch for my siblings too while I put mom upstairs and go buy some lumber to cut boards with?"

"Okay." She simply nodded. A worried look appeared in her indigo eyes as she gave me the soft and concerned warning of, "But be careful buying the boards considering the lumber yard's run by Devil Anse Hatfield."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Hatfields won't bother me, my mom used to run the only diner in Mate Creek…" Actually, they wouldn't bother me since they were secret kin…Yea, she didn't need to know that just yet.

She just nodded her head before leaving my side to go do what I'd asked. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down my shot nerves. When I opened my eyes, I was met with my mom's lifeless form sprawled out on the floor surrounded by white shatters of various china. My heart felt like it'd been torn out of my chest with my mom's sudden and unexpected death.

I pulled my wagon up to Anse's large logging camp. Everybody there was working and didn't really pay my presence any mind. The only ones that seemed to notice me were Anse and Jim Vance, who were talking not that far from the large saw Lias and Ellison were manning. They kept their eyes on me as I got down form my wagon and made my way over to them. Taking his pipe out of his mouth, Anse told me, "Happy birthday, Shaw."

"It's not a very happy one." I sighed, earning me raised brows from both Anse and Jim. "I'm here to buy boards to cut for my mom. Doc says she had a fatal heart attack." I told my kin, dropping the metaphoric bomb on them about the unexpected loss of my mom.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Your mama was always a good woman." Anse told me in a sincere tone while Jim just silently nodded his head in agreement. Pointing between me and a wood pile a few yards away, Anse assured me, "You're family, no charge for the wood. Just take as much as you need."

"Thanks." I gratefully told him in a flat tone. "I'll let ya'll know when the arrangements have been made and what day the service is."

"You wanna break this news to Sully or do ya want me to do it?" Jim asked, his head slightly tilted, as he gave me a gloomy, but inquiring look.

"You can do it, I got enough on my mind as it is." I told Jim before heading over to where a bunch of boards were at.

Honestly, I didn't want to deal with Sully right now. I didn't know how to tell my dad about mom. It's not like he was close to her anymore. Hell, he avoided her at all costs and seemed a bit afraid of her too. I was close enough to Sully, but not so much so that I felt comfortable telling him about my mom's death.

I felt my throat swell up, nearly choking me, as I stared at those boards. Those wooden planks that I needed to load into the back of my wagon would be cut into a pine box for my mom. It all felt so unreal, so painful that those boards would become a coffin for a woman that was entirely too young to die, but did anyways.

Jessa POV:

I was sitting outside, my shawl tightly wrapped around my shoulders as I shuddered slightly, waiting for Shaw to finish cutting boards (making his mom's coffin which is so sad) while keeping an eye out for his siblings whenever they get out of school. Shaw came back a little while ago, he was silent and stoic as he unloaded the back of his wagon and began his task of coffin building. I felt so bad for him, his mom just collapsed and died on his birthday. How sad, now he's most likely going to hate his birthday forever.

I was so busy just staring into space that I didn't notice that Shaw had taken a seat next to me, or at least not until he broke the heavy silence in the air with the deep sigh of, "Mom's in her pine box now."

"Oh…" Awkwardly flowed out of my mouth since I didn't really know what else to say. The situation was a heavy one; one I never had to deal with before either.

"I gotta go talk to Reverend Garrett, just stay here and-" Shaw began to tell me, only for me to nod and interrupt him with, "Keep watch for your siblings. I know, Shaw, I know."

He let out a long sigh before giving me a kiss goodbye and standing up. His shoulders slumped as he walked away from the bench and towards the alley. My heart broke for Shaw as I watched him turn down the side alleyway to get his horse from the back hitch post. I could tell by his heavy bootsteps and his solemn demeanor that he was hurting, but trying to remain strong cause he had to be the one to carry the burden of burying his mother and raising his siblings. Sadly, I think he felt that he didn't have the luxury of crying and grieving properly or at least that's the hint I'm getting from his body language.

So, I once again found myself sitting alone just waiting on something to happen. That something being either watching Shaw's siblings after school or spending time with him whenever he gets back from Reverend Garrett's. I just let out a heavy, hollow sigh and stared into space while waiting.

Unmeasured Amount Of Time Later…

"Hi, Toddy, Mary." I waved at Shaw's siblings as they approached the diner as I sat on the bench in front of it. "Shaw wants you guys to stay out here with me til he gets back."

"Okay, but where is he?" Todd asked, since he was the oldest out of the two siblings, as he and Mary stepped foot onto the wooden sidewalk right by the porch of the diner.

"He's out meeting with Reverend Garrett." I honestly told them while watching other kids walking down the street, heading home to their mothers.

"Why?" Mary asked, her voice sounding like an innocent squeak, as she looked at me with curious honey eyes.

"Um, that's something he'll have to tell you when he gets back." Was the quick answer I gave the little girl.

"Okay." Mary nodded, seeming to accept what I told her.

"Can't we just go upstairs or go see our mom?" Todd asked me in a slight huff. I could tell by the way he tilted his head at me that he didn't want to sit with me outside. Also, since he was still standing his sister was too. Seems that Mary followed Todd's led.

I quicklu shook my head before telling the boy, "Um, no. Shaw wants you to stay out here."

"Something happened to mom, that's why Shaw's with the preacher ain't it?" Todd bluntly asked, his chestnut brown eyes boring holes into me.

"Why'd you say that for, Todd?" I asked, my voice a bit shaky, since I was taken aback by his blunt question.

"Cause the only time mom ever really talked to Reverend Garrett was when daddy died 3 or 4 years ago." Was Todd's answer as his eyes continued to stare at me.

Oh no, this boy's smarter then he looks. Too smart for his age too might I add. Before I could say anything back to Todd, Shaw rounded the corner and asked his siblings in a firm tone, "Were ya'll good for Jessa?"

"We just got here." Mary told her brother, looking up at him with her big honey hued eyes.

"She told us you saw Reverend Garrett, but wouldn't tell us why you won't let us go see mom. Is something wrong?" Todd bluntly blurted out, his chestnut eyes slightly darting between me and his older brother.

A lump formed in Shaw's throat, a large one that he had to swallow down. Shaw went right up to his siblings and knelt in front of them while bluntly, but sadly telling them the hard and harsh truth of, "Mom died this morning in the diner's kitchen. Doc says it was a heart attack cause of high blood pressure."

Todd solemnly nodded his head, quietly accepting the news he'd gotten from his older brother, while Mary started to cry, "Mommy's gone t'heaven…But I want mommy…"

"I know, Mary, I know, but she's gone." Shaw told his sister while pulling her into his chest, hugging her tight and trying to calm her down.

The sight of Shaw holding his heartbroken little sister was heart breaking and tore me up emotionally. It was just a sad thing to witness. Another sad thing was the fact that Todd, the middle Eldridge child, just stood solemnly not crying or ranting or breaking down in any sign or form of grief. My oh my, that was unsettling.

After calming down his sister, Shaw brought me home to the McCoy house. His siblings went in the wagon with us to take me home; they were silent the entire trip. After saying goodbye to Shaw and his siblings I got out of the wagon and made my way up to the front porch. After crossing the porch, I opened the front door and walked inside of the house. It was dinner time so the McCoys (Tolbert included which was a rarity anymore) were crowded around the tables eating as I shuffled half heartedly over to them. I knew from the arched and worried looks they were all giving me that they knew something was wrong or at least thought something had happened between me and Shaw (like a breakup or something).

Knowing I had to tell them about Mrs. Eldridge, as soon as I took my seat next to Tolbert, I let out a heavy sigh of, "Peggy Eldridge had a heart attack this morning." While shakily grabbing a mug and pouring myself a cup of coffee, I finished my hard news with the sad truth of, "She died; the service is tomorrow at noon."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Randall's voice sounded out, breaking the heavy silence that was left in the air by the news I had shared. "I assume the service is in West Virginia?" He asked, cutting up a piece of his meatloaf.

"Yes, Randall, it is." I nodded, staring at the coffee cup I had just set down while Tolbert grabbed an empty plate from the middle of the table with edgy movements; setting it in front of me. "At the cemetery along the road on the northwest edge of Mate Creek." I elaborated, watching Tolbert grab a platter of meatloaf for me.

Randall sat stock still in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully between his thumb and forefinger. He dropped his hand and let out a deep sigh of, "Even tho it's in Hatfield territory, we'll go to pay our respects."

"But poppy, why should we?" Tolbert asked, loudly placing the meatloaf platter on the table after having put a slice or so of meat onto my plate. Narrowing his stormy blues at his father, the moody redhead grabbed a bowl of peas while scoffing, "Jessa's the one takin' up wit' Shaw, not the rest of us."

"Tolbert, don't be rude." Sally chastised her second oldest son as he plopped a scoop of peas onto my plate.

"Yer mother was friends wit' Peggy as a girl. She was a good woman also, so it's only fittin' t'pay our respects." Randall told Tolbert as he placed the peas back onto the table and grabbed the serving bowl of mashed potatoes.

Tolbert just shook his head and rolled his eyes while, for reasons I wasn't sure of, making me up my plate as I just sat a bit shell shocked next to him. Everything I was witnessing just felt so surreal for some reason, one I couldn't explain. Maybe I was still a bit shaken up about that happened earlier at the diner (like seeing a dead woman).

Sally gave me a soft look while telling me, "I have some old black dresses upstairs; ya can borrow one for tomorra."

"Thank you, Sally." I gratefully replied while Tolbert huffily tossed a biscuit on my plate.

Looking between her oldest daughters, Sally told them in her soft motherly tone, "Roseanna, Alifair, after dinner ya'll are gonna help me make corn puddin' to bring Shaw for the after service gatherin'."

The girls just nodded their heads, silently letting their mother know that they were fine with helping her make something for Shaw and his siblings.

"Does he really need our food? Reckon he can cook since his mama did run a diner." Tolbert grumbled before picking up his biscuit and taking a jerky bite out of it.

Sally gave Tolbert a hard look while ordering him, "Tolbert, don't you be disrespectful of the Eldridge's hard time." Adverting her eyes from her son and placing them onto her plate she let out a small remark of, "It's only right to bring a grievin' family food."

"But it ain't like we got much t'give." Tolbert shot back, lightly waving his biscuit in the air as he rested his elbow on the table next to me. "Hell, like I said he can manage t'cook meals on his own; don't need our help." Damn, Tolbert seemed dead set against bringing Shaw and his siblings a covered dish tomorrow. I knew it was customary to bring a covered dish to a mourning family, so that they didn't need to worry about food and could just grieve and mourn as they needed to, so Tolbert wanting to forgo that tradition was odd. Hmm, I think Tolbert was just acting this was cause he didn't like Shaw since he was with me.

"Tolbert, don't back talk yer mother." Randall reprimanded his son, cutting him a disapproving look. "Now, I won't have no more of yer disrespect at this 'ere table t'night." Pointing his fork at his moody son he added in the veiled warning of, "Ya hear me, boy?"

Nodding, Tolbert sighed, "I hear ya, poppy." Without a word, Tolbert went back to eating his biscuit.

I more or less picked at my food for the duration of dinner, earning me a few cutting side glances from Tolbert. He most likely thought I should just shrug off what I dealt with today and eat, but it was easier said then done. Seeing somebody (young and not odd might I add) drop dead in the middle of their kitchen's a bit unnerving. I'm glad Tolbert seemed so calloused and hard about what I witnessed, but I'm softer then him; need some time to process things.

AN:

Oh, how the tides have turned. Peggy's death is going to change up things when it comes to Shaw/Jessa and Tolbert/Jessa. Let's just say where Shaw's loyalties really lie will be uncovered soon. Yikes…