*Author's Note*

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

Jessa E.'s Grown Bolder

Jessa POV:

I was at the livery office, filing some

paperwork into the filing cabinet that was behind my desk, whenever the door chime went off. I turned around to see who walked in only to come face to face with Tolbert McCoy. What the fuck?! Slamming the file cabinet shut as he made his way further into the office, I asked, "What're you doing here, Tolbert? Shouldn't you be over in Kentucky brewing shine to sell in order to make the money you owe my fiancé?"

"I came ov'r t'see ya, darlin'." Tolbert told me, coming to a stop by my desk. Plopping his ass down to sit on the side of the desk, he lowly chuckled, "I ain't in no rush t'gather up that bastard's money either since sooner or later he's gonna get hanged."

"Oh, so you're here to brag about almost killing Shaw with your lynch mob the other night. How nice of you…" I sarcastically told him, adding in an eyeroll at the end of my sentence.

"Too bad Brenton stopped me, could've had ya back home right now." Tolbert told me with a dead serious tone in his smoothly accented voice.

Holding my chin up high, I honestly told him the hard truth I knew he would have trouble swallowing. "Tolbert, you need to accept that my home is here in Mate Creek with Shaw. We have a family, a home, and a business. We're together for the long haul."

"Horseshit, Jessa!" He hollered at me. Leaning in to get close to me and into my face, Tolbert went on to say in a bitter bite, "What 'bout me, us? We had a home an' a family too."

"It didn't feel like it. You weren't-" I began to tell Tolbert only for him to cut me off with a loud shout of, "I weren't what? Good 'nuff cause that's how it turned out! I did everythin' for ya, but it weren't good 'nuff!"

"If that's how you feel, Tolbert, then why are you trying to get me back for? It's clear I've moved on and according to you didn't appreciate you before I did."

Tolbert let out a heavy sigh, causing his chest to heave up and down shakily, before revealing in a tight tone, "For some reason I love ya; we were common-law an' I don't want'cha gone."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm gone and I'm not getting back with you." Maybe if I didn't have Silas things would've been different between us, but I did have a son with Shaw and to add to the mix I was pregnant with our second child. Shaw was good to me and his children (his siblings too) and that made my feelings for him grow stronger.

"Well, then it seems if ya won't come home I can't g'rantee yer Vance Bastard'll make it t'his trial alive." Tolbert threatened in a low chuckle with a menacing smirk spread across his face as his nose was only inches away from mine.

"Don't threaten or blackmail me, Tolbert. It won't work." I told him, staring him down with a serious and unamused look on my pretty face.

"An' 'ere I thought ya'd do anythin' t'save yer precious baby daddy's life. Reckon I was wrong." Tolbert mocked me, trying to get a rise out of me. Yes, I would do just about anything to save my man. It's how I ended up with Shaw since I made a custody deal with him so he'd stop fighting with Tolbert; it led to us reconnecting tho… Only if Tolbert knew the truth, he'd have a cow.

"Get out, Tolbert." I ordered my ex, pointing to the door behind him.

"I'll leave, but yer gonna be crawlin' back home once that Vance Bastard'she' dead an' buried." Tolbert spat before quickly sliding off of my desk and storming out of the office.

Looks like John B.'s petition's taking too long and Shaw's in danger every second he stays locked up in Kentucky. Now Tolbert's coming to my office to hastle me, dear god everything's so messed up. Damnit…

A few minutes later Todd walked thru the door and asked with a knitted brow, "Why's Tolbert trottin' off from here?"

"He came to taunt me." I honestly told my brother-in-law as he walked further into the room.

"He tried to hang Shaw the other night, ya should've shot him on sight." Todd told me in a level, but hard tone as he took a seat in front of my desk.

"Yea, then I'd be next to Shaw waiting to tried and hanged for murder." I told my brother-in-law with a slight scoff in my tone. "I know Tolbert's a threat to Shaw and our family, but we can't hunt him down. It'd make us no better than him."

"But as long as he's walkin' 'round and Shaw's behind bars in Kentucky he's a safety threat." Todd protested while folding his arms over his chest and slumping in his chair.

"Soon John B.'ll-" I began only for Todd to cut me off with, "John B. ain't doin' shit to help us and he ain't gettin' Shaw's trial date set any time soon. Only way to get that damn judge to set a date is to go over to Kentucky ourselves and demand it."

"You really feel that a trial date won't get set by Judge Wagner unless we waltz into his office demanding one?" I asked with a raised brow since I had no idea that my brother-in-law felt this way. When I think about it, his idea makes sense. Surely a judge would listen to a plea from a distraught wife.

"Yep." Todd popped his tongue.

"Well, then let's do it." I told Todd, taking him by surprise. Standing up from my desk, I expanded on my remark with, "Let's close the livery down for the rest of the day and go see that judge."

"If we run into Tolbert on the road-" Todd began only for me to cut him off with, "I doubt we'll run into him and if we do we won't do him any harm. Got it?"

"Yea…" Todd trailed off with a sigh, nodding his head as he stood up and followed me towards the door.

Well, here goes nothing. We're off to Pikeville to see Judge Wagner. Lord give me strength…

The courthouse in Pikeville looked like any other courthouse in the 1800's Appalachia, it was a wooden building that looked 'bout ready to blow over in a good windstorm. Right next to the courthouse was the building labeled Justice Of The Peace. That building was Judge Wagner's glorified office. I pulled my wagon to a stop in front of said building while telling Todd, "Let me do the talking."

"Do I have to?" Todd asked in a slight long gated whine as we climbed down from the wagon.

"Yes, Todd, you do." I told him as we started to walk away from our wagon. "Let me handle this. I'm a woman that wants justice for her man; I can demand a court date without seeming unhinged." I leveled with my brother-in-law as we made our way over to the judge's office.

"Okay…" Todd pouted as we reached the door that had a gold plaque next to it reading Judge Tobias Wagner.

I didn't say a word, just gave Todd one of those 'behave or else' type of looks before opening the door and walking right inside of the room. "Good morning, Judge Wagner." I greeted the sharp looking man that was sitting at a large desk in front of a wall full of cabinets and shelves as Todd entered the office right behind me.

"Good morning, Ma'am." The judge politely greeted me before going on to ask, "What's your trouble?"

Stopping at his desk and taking a seat at it, I honestly told him, "My trouble's the fact that my man's rotting in the jail across the street cause you haven't set his trial date yet."

"Ah, you're here about Mr. Eldridge." Judge Wagner dryly nodded, sounding like he was dreading to hear what I had to say, while Todd took a seat next to me.

"Yes, I am." I confirmed before going on to tell the judge, "I'm Jessa Eldridge and I want to know why the petitions Mr. Floyd's filed on Shaw's behalf for a speedy trial has been ignored by you."

"I didn't get any petitions." Denied Judge Wagner even tho we both knew he was lying thru his teeth.

"Yea, I bet you didn't…" Sarcastically rolled off my tongue.

"Well, now that it's been brought to my attention that a quick trial is desired, I'll look into setting a date." He told me in a tone that portrayed he was just trying to pacify me so I'd leave.

"I hope you set a date soon and don't delay it as a favor to your friend, Perry Cline. My man was almost killed by a lynch mob the other night; if something like that happens again, I'll be going after you for wrongful death and you won't be a judge anymore."

Judge Tobias' eye popped out of his head and his mouth gapped open like a fish. Clearly, he was shocked that I (a woman that wasn't supposed to know much) had threatened to sue and disbar him if his negligence resulted in Shaw's death by Tolbert and his McCoy lynch mob.

"You gonna set a date or what, Judge?" Todd piped up, causing me to give him a dirty look. Goddamnit, I told him to stay quiet. He's too much like Shaw, does his own thing and ignores instructions.

"Yes, I'll look into setting a date." The judge told us only to quickly add in, "A quick one too."

"Thank you, Judge Wagner." I politely told the man with a tight smile on my face as I stood up from my seat. "Come on, Todd. Time to go." I told my brother-in-law while gesturing to the door.

"Can we go see Shaw while we're here?" Todd asked, getting up and following me to the door.

"Sure, I don't see why not." I nodded as we reached the door.

"Oh Jesus, Mary, and Joseph…I gotta get that trial set…" I heard Judge Wagner grumble to himself as I walked out of his office. Hmm, guess he doesn't want to deal with me anymore.

Shaw POV:

I hated being locked up in jail. It was driving me crazy. I wanted to be free so bad. I missed my home in West Virginia. Hell, I also missed being about to have a drink of shine anytime I wanted. At least that problem was solved for the moment since the deputy had given me a large bottle of shine whenever he came in for his shift last night. Unfortunately, I was asleep and didn't get it til I woke up a lil while ago. Goddamnit, seems without am alarm clock I sleep in too late. Another thing to hate about jail.

I took a large swig from my shine bottle before telling the man at the sherriff's desk, "Deputy, thanks for the shine. Haven't had any in a while, missed how good it tastes."

"Well, your cousin gave me a bottle for ya when he delivered mine yesterday." He shrugged in a 'no big deal' kind of way. As I took another sip of my shine, he told me, "Johns says your woman's been doin' good holdin' up that livery business."

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I lightly chuckled, "She better be, I sent her a note with instructions for it."

"Also heard that your woman's taken on your name too." Hearing that made my heart soar. The fact that she was goin' by Eldridge now instead of waiting til we got married this spring proved to me that she loved me, truly loved me and that nothing would break us up. Okay, well me being hanged would, but I was pretty sure that wouldn't happen.

"When's Sherriff Maynard coming in?" I asked, changing the subject off of me and my girl. I didn't like talking too much about my relationship with people that weren't Johnse, my dad, or Uncle Jim.

"Soon. He'll be bringin' ya in somethin' to et too."

"Good thing I got my bottle of shine." I told the deputy right as the door to the jail opened. I expected to see the sherriff walking in, but to my shock Jessa followed by Todd walked in. "What the devil? Why're you here?"

"We came to see you since we were in the neighborhood." Jessa told me with a smile, walking over to my cell.

"She told that judge to set your date or else." Piped up my brother as he followed right behind my fiancé.

Great…just great…Now Jessa and Todd are barging into Judge Wagner's office demanding my trial date instead of just letting John B. deal with the man. Hell, I don't know whether to be proud of them or pissed off at them.

"I didn't say that." Jessa remarked, more so to Todd then to me. I just gave her a look that stated I wanted to know what she did. With an innocent look on her face, she told me, "All I said was that if he was delaying the trial as a favor to Perry Cline and a lynch mob got to you then I'd sue him and get him disbarred."

"Jessa, you should've just let the lawyer handle things with Judge Wagner, but thanks for takin' up for me tho. Means a lot that you want me freed and not hanged." I told my fiancé, not having the heart to berate her for barging into the judge's office with demands about my trial.

"Of course, I want you freed; I love you." Jessa told me with a soft smile, placing her hand on top of the one I had wrapped around my cell bar.

"What's goin' on here?" Asked Sherriff Maynard as he stepped foot inside of the jail.

"Shaw's family's payin' him a visit, Sherriff." Was the deputy's answer as he pointed towards Jessa and Todd, the later who was leaning against the empty cell next to mine while I talked with my fiancé.

"Ah, I see." The sherriff nodded while making his way over to his desk. "You can go, Deputy Carl." Sherriff Maynard told the lanky man while placing a covered dish onto the desk. Goddamnit, he brought in his wife's drier than hell biscuits again. Eh, least I got some shine to wash it down with.

Deputy Carl (so that was his name. Okay, good to know since I was always forgetting it.) just nodded and stood up from the desk. Quietly, he left the office while the sherriff took his seat at his desk.

"I brought ya some biscuits to et, Shaw." Sherriff Maynard told me, gesturing to the covered dish.

"Great, another mornin' of chokin' on dry ass biscuits." I scoffed, shaking my head at the thought of eating those nasty things.

"Shaw, don't bite the hand that feeds you. Be grateful he's even giving you those biscuits cause he could just let you starve." Jessa told me in a berating tone, one that a mother usually uses.

"Listen to your woman, Shaw. She's got a point." Sherriff Maynard told me as he pushed himself out of his chair and went over to the stove to grab some coffee.

"Yea, yea, yea…" I rolled my eyes. Holding my shine bottle up, I shrugged, "At least I got some of Johnse's shine so…"

"How'd you get that?" Jessa asked me, pointing to the bottle in my hand.

"Johnse gave it to the deputy for me." I honestly told her. Suddenly she reached her hand thru the cell bars and snatched the shine bottle right out of my hand. "Hey! What'd ya do that for, babe?"

"You're not going to be getting drunk while in jail. I'm not going to have it." Jessa sternly told me with a narrowed look in her indigo eyes. "I'm taking this with me. You can drink coffee like the sherriff."

Great, there goes my shine. Damnit, looks like I'm gonna be as sober as a judge til I get my charges dropped and released from jail. Well, at least I might be getting a trial soon cause of Jessa's anticts.

Jessa POV:

After leaving the jail I tossed the shine bottle in the back of the wagon and drove me and Todd back home to Mate Creek. Once I dropped him off at the house, I went over to Allie's to pick up my kids. Seeing me so early took her aback, causing her to ask what I was doing at her house. After hearing my answer, she just blinked at me and asked in an awed voice, "You actually threatened to get Judge Wagner disbarred? Wow, never thought you'd do something like that."

"Why not?" I asked my friend, walking thru her door as she stepped to the side and let me in.

"Um cause we're in 1861 not 2019, that's why not. Women, we're not supposed to be so outspoken here." Was Allie's answer as she led me over to the sofa so that we could sit and talk for a bit.

"Am I really hearing this from you? The loudmouth out of us, might I add." I remarked incredulously as we both sat down on the sofa.

"I used to be a loudmouth, but after a few years of being here I learned that it's better to hold your tongue sometimes and to blend in. Especially since I'm married to Cap Hatfield."

"And what does that mean, Allie?" I asked with a quirked brow. I was getting the impression that she tamed down cause of Cap, to be a 'perfect' housewife for him, but I guess I just wanted to hear her explain things.

"It means that being Mrs. Hatfield puts me on display for scrutiny from both sides of the Tug and I can't afford to do anything that'd bring shame or harm to my husband's name and family." Allie told me, confirming that she did indeed calm down slightly in order to be Cap's housewife.

"Well, if your man's life was in danger, I think you'd be singing a different tune." I knowingly told Allie since I doubt she'd just sit back and let something bad happen to her husband.

She tilted her head at me, making her blonde braid shift a bit over her shoulder, and let out a sigh before telling me, "I'd be talking to a lawyer and my father-in-law, not barging into a judge's office and making demands."

"Reckon these last few years have changed us, huh?" I asked, alluding to the fact that she's calmed down a bit while I've seemed to have grown bolder.

"Yes, but maybe you shouldn't have changed so much. Maybe you should've stayed quiet and reserved considering the time we're living in."

"And maybe if I'd done that I'd still be with Tolbert, a man that proved that he couldn't love and accept my son cause he wasn't his biology." I spat out bitterly. Clearly, I was still a bit rattled from his visit at the livery this morning.

"Were things really that bad with Tolbert? I mean it did take you a while to leave him." My best friend asked as our kids played nearby on the floor together.

"I almost left him when Silas was roughly a month old, so yea things weren't so great. I just tried to make it work cause I loved him in a way, thought I owed him some kind of loyalty for always taking me in when I needed help." I admitted my secret to Allie, knowing that she wouldn't look down at me for it. It was no secret that she didn't like Tolbert so…

"What stopped you from leaving him?" She curiously asked, sounding genuinely interested to hear why I stayed with Tolbert.

"Shaw knocked up Olga." Was my blunt answer. It was true, her getting pregnant's what stopped me from leaving.

"Oh…" Fell out of her mouth. "So, you planned to run off with Shaw a while back then." Allie stated in an understanding type of voice.

"Yes, and when I turned him away cause of his thing with Olga the last part of me that held hope in happily ever after and first love broke and shattered."

Allie POV:

Upon hearing my best friend's answer, I couldn't help, but to think about how Cap had told me a few weeks ago about how he saw Jessa and Shaw holding each other for dear life after the sue case against Tolbert was over. I couldn't help, but to remember how my husband told me he felt that for some odd reason Jessa loved Shaw and perhaps vice versa. It was chilling to realize that my best friend was in love with a manipulative monster, a man that had mistreated his daughter's mother (including ripping said daughter from the mother's arms via a hired Pinkerton).

"But you still saw him behind Tolbert's back; ended up with Shaw after all." I told Jessa, pointing out that she ended up with her 'first love' in the end even tho he's just as bad or maybe even worse than the redhead McCoy.

"I wasn't having an affair with him, that was strictly so that Shaw could spend time with Silas." Mhm, I wasn't buying it, but if she said so I'd humor her and take the answer without questioning it.

I just nodded before assuring her, "No matter what happens with Shaw's legal case, I'm here for you as a friend. Best friends forever, right?"

"Right." She nodded with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Best friends forever."

"So, we're still on for dinner this Saturday?" I asked since she was supposed to be hosting dinner at her house.

"Yes." Jessa confirmed our Saturday plans before quickly adding in, "I also invited Johnse and Roseanna, I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind, but Cap's another story." I honestly told her since my husband still didn't like our McCoy born sister-in-law.

"I thought he was doing better with accepting Roseanna."

"He's kosher with her, but doesn't want to spend time with her. He's still upset about her marrying his brother."

"Oh, I see. Well, he better behave himself or I'll kick him out of my house and he can go to his mama's to eat." By the tone of her voice I could tell that she was dead serious. Oh my god, what has this era mixed with Shaw done to my meek best friend. Jessa's now this bold girl who doesn't care about manners and propriety.

"Don't worry, Cap won't show his ass." Not like Shaw when he's around people he doesn't like I was tempted to add, but didn't since I couldn't afford any conflicts with Jessa. I just got her back as my best friend; I didn't want to lose her so quickly.

Glancing at the wall clock, Jessa stood up from the sofa and said, "I better get going. Todd'll be wondering about me since I was just supposed to pick up the babies."

"I think Todd's more likely to bitch and moan then wonder." I told Jessa while standing up too.

"Todd's not that bad. He's a nice boy, just a bit rough around the edges." Jessa defended her soon to be brother-in-law as she went over to where Silas and Lydia where at with Captain W. While picking up Lydia and taking Silas by the hand (cause him to stand up) she went on to say, "He's a lot like Shaw in some ways."

Of course, Todd's like Shaw, the cold bastard's been raising him for years. I didn't want to get into it tho so I just nodded and simply said, "Yea, he is."

"I'll be by in the morning to drop them off. Thanks for everything, Allie." She told me as I walked her to the door.

As we reached the door, I told her, "See you then." Opening the door, I added, "I'll have some tea ready for whenever you come by tomorrow."

Jessa nodded before telling me goodbye and walking out of my house with her kids. I shut the door and shook my head. Looks like Jessa's in deep with Shaw and she's really going to need me once he hangs. Oh, and he'll most likely hang too considering his case is in Kentucky with their court system. No way will a Kentucky jury find him not guilty. At least my best friend'll have me to lean on. Even Cap agreed to help her out once she's all alone.

AN:

Who's ready to rumble?! Haha, I just had to do that. The trial's up next along with a tiny time jump. You know the trial's going to be a shit show.