*Author's Note*

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

Squatters

Cap POV:

When I arrived at work this mornin' I saw Pa, Uncle Jim, and Uncle Ellison talkin'. Of course, Cotton was wit' 'em too given how my slow-minded boyish cousin never leaves his pa's side for too long. I'm not a nosy man; I mind my own til I'm told not to, which I why I just dismounted Badger, hitched him up, and grabbed my Winchester from my saddle without givin' my kin a second glance. I was walkin' towards my guard post whenever my pa's command of, "Cap, come ov'r here!", stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Yea, pa?" I asked while makin' my way over to the group o'men.

Pointing to our large crochety uncle, he ordered, "Go with Uncle Jim, he needs your help boardin' up his room."

What? Why's he boarding up his room for? A puzzled look crossed over my face as I headed over to my uncle. Seein' the confused look on my face, Uncle Jim chuckled, "I'm boardin' Shaw in my room t'sober him up."

"What? Jim, that's crazy." Shot out of my mouth as pa walked off into the direction Lias was in with the large wood saw.

"I told him that already, but he ain't listenin' to a word of it." Uncle Ellison told me 'fore usherin' Cotton down to where a large log pile was at.

"Lockin' Shaw up in a room's the only way I can figure t'get him dried out. He's got t'much whiskey in his system to knock the habit on his own." Jim told me, leading us over to a wagon that was full of boards. "'Sides, that stupid brother of yours keeps givin' 'im bottles at a family discount; won't stop either unless Shaw stops askin' for it."

"So, how'd ya get him to agree to this?"

"I hit him ov'r the head this mornin' wit' a skillet an' stuck him in the room." Uncle Jim told me as we reached the wagon.

"Jesus, Jim…" I sighed, climbing up into the wagon. "That's crazy. Ya can't be doin' that t'your own kin. Drunk or not." I chasisted my uncle as he climbed up into the wagon and grabbed the reigns.

Uncle Jim snapped the reigns, spurring horses to pull the wagon. "Why not? It got 'im to put down his mornin' whiskey, that's for sure."

"Bet it did." I muttered under my breath. I didn't like his idea at all. I didn't like how pa's makin' me apart of Jim's crazy idea either.

"Don't worry, he'll be out of it for a while so he won't be fightin' us boardin' up the room." My uncle assured me as we rode out of the loggin' camp and onto the main road.

"How's he gonna keep from starvin', Jim? Man, although a drunk, has t'et."

"I got a bag of jerky and a jug of water in the room. Shaw'll be fine."

Yea, bet he won't…

Allie POV:

I was setting the table whenever my husband walked thru the door, looking a bit worse for wear. "Cap, what happened?" I asked, figuring that he had a bad day at work and may want to talk about it.

"I got stuck helping Uncle Jim board Shaw up into a room. Then I had to help load boards." Cap explained in a dry tone, removing his hat and jacket only to hang them up the wall rack.

"What? Uncle Jim boarded Shaw in a room?" I asked with a quirked brow while my husband walked into the main room and over to where our son was at.

Scooping up Captain W. from his spot on the floor with his toys, Cap just nodded and sighed, "Yea, to sober him up."

"How long's he going to be locked up for?" I asked, busying myself with preparing a plate of food for my toddler.

Walking into the kitchen, Cap shrugged, "I dunno, few weeks maybe."

"That's-" I began to say only for my husband to cut me off with a remark of "Crazy? I know, but Jim doesn't view it that way. He views it as a last-ditch effort t'help Shaw.", as he placed our son into his high chair.

Shaw being locked up by Uncle Jim for some half-assed kind of rehab could actually be a good thing. Well, with him indisposed, Tolbert has a better chance of winning over Jessa since Shaw wouldn't be coming around. Hell, I'm sure that Tolbert could wiggle his way back into Jessa's good graces before Shaw gets released from Uncle Jim's homemade rehab.

Wanting the best for Jessa and her family (which would be her getting the hell out of the Tug), I decided that tomorrow I was going to pay Tolbert a visit and tell him the news I just got from Cap.

"On another note, dinner looks good, darlin'." Cap told me with a tired smile as he took his seat at the head of the table.

"Good thing I made your favorite, seems like you can use the pick me up tonight." I told my husband as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Oh, don't I ever." He chuckled before making himself up his plate. "Nothin' beats a bad day like a good piece o'fried chicken." Cap smirked, causing me to just smile at him as I finished plating myself some food.

I felt giddy as I walked up my brother's sorry excuse for a porch. I knew that what I had to tell Tolbert would change things, make him even more determined to go to Oklahoma with Jessa. I couldn't help, but to break out into a smile, as I knocked on the front door. Captain W. just stood by my side, holding my hand as he stared up into the face that answered the door. The face of none other then my sister-in-law, Nancy 'The Shrew' McCoy. "Come for some tea?"

"No." I shook my head. "I came to tell Tolbert some good news."

"Oh, well, as ya can see my cousin's not here." Nancy told me, moving aside so that I could have a clear view inside of her one room cabin.

"Oh, then, where is he? It's important that I talk to him."

"He's over in Pikeville. Just go the saloon there and talk to the barkeep, I'm sure he'll be more of a help then me 'bout findin' him." What? He's at the saloon that's also a whorehouse? But it's mid-morning…Oh, damnit, looks like I'm headed over there. Motioning towards my son, Nancy suggested, "I'll watch him for ya. A saloon ain't no place for a toddler."

"I can't just leave him here-" I began to protest, feeling a pit deep in my stomach, only to be cut off by Nancy's blunt words of, "I'm married to your brother whether ya like it or not. I ain't gonna bring no harm to his nephew cause he's my nephew too now." Instead of just leaving it at that, she went on to slickly say, "'Sides, you've been schemin' with Tolbert to destroy that Vance Bastard, so you're as much on my side as I am. No reason not to let me watch your boy for a bit."

Damnit, this shrew had a point. But if Cap ever found out I left our son alone with Nancy McCoy…oh he'd shit bricks and have my head on a silver platter. I was in a bit of a sticky situation, one that had no clean way out either. Against my better judgement, I sighed, "Fine, you can watch him while I go to the Pikeville Saloon." Passing my son's over to Nancy, I told her, "His name's Captain W. and he's usually a quiet boy."

"I know, Abel's done gone told me already 'bout him." Nancy told me while taking Captain W.'s hand in hers and bringing him over to her side.

"Oh…" I let out in a stunned sigh. I didn't know that Abel talk to Nancy about me and my son.

"Abel'd do anythin' for ya and your chil'ren, much like me with my brother. Ya remember that, now." Nancy told me while giving me a slightly stern look. It was as if she was trying to tell me that we weren't so different, that we were both doing what we had to do.

I didn't say a word, just nodded my head at the woman before smiling at my son. "Be a good boy for mommy, I'll be back soon." I told him as an anxious feeling took up residence in my soul.

"Okay." Captain W. nodded his head, smiling at me in a way that assured me he'd be as good as gold.

I watched Nancy bring my son inside of her small home before I walked off the porch and went over to my wagon. Seems that I got a saloon to go visit and a redhead to talk to.

The barkeep gave me a strange look as I walked thru the swinging doors of the saloon. The handful of men there playing cards gave me an odd stare too. Yea, I don't know if they were staring because I was a respectful lady or because I was Mrs. Cap Hatfield. Hmm, I'm going with the latter, but I'm not really sure with how this backhills Victorian era society is.

Keeping my head held high I walked deeper into the saloon, only to notice that a couple of my father-in-law's extended kin were gambling at the card table. Great…just great… I ignored the Hatfield kin at the card table and swiftly made my way to the bar.

"Uh, how may I help ya?" The barkeep asked with a nervous smile as he cleaned a shot glass.

"I'm looking for Tolbert McCoy. My sister-in-law, Nancy, said he'd be here." I politely told the man, making she he knew that I was here cause I got sent here; not cause I enjoy hanging out in bars.

Pointing to the large spiral staircase, he told me, "Upstairs in room 2."

"Thank you." I politely told him before leaving the bar and making my way to the staircase.

I walked upstairs with a bad feeling deep in my gut. I don't know why, but I just had a feeling like something was going to go down. Something very bad. I let out a sigh to clear my head. I needed to talk to Tolbert; I couldn't worry too much about the atmosphere of the saloon.

"Ain't ya married t'Cap? Why're ya for?" None other than Squirrel McCoy *Who was leaning on the balcony rail) asked me as I stepped off of the staircase and onto the top floor of the saloon.

"I'm looking for Tolbert. Got some news for him." I honestly told Squirrel, causing him to give me a skeptical look. "I don't mean him no harm, so calm down. I just need to tell him something."

"He's in with Misty, should be 'bout done by now."

"What, he's fucking a whore when he's supposed to be saving money to start over with Jessa with?"

"Yea." Squirrel nodded before asking in awe, "So, yer the one helpin' him try an' get Jessa back?"

"Yes, I'm the one helping him." I confirmed, earning me a nod from the fur-trimmed guy.

"Nev'r thought It'd be ya helpin' him. He said he was gettin' help from somebody that hated the Vance Bastard as much as we did, but findin' out yer the one's a rightful shock."

"Shaw's a manipulative drunk bastard that colder then ice. He was horrible to Olga, who was my friend, and I can't just sit around and let him control another one of my friends."

"Thought they were broken up tho." Guess good news travels fast around the Tug. Reckon everyone knew by now that Jessa kicked Shaw to the curb.

"They are; that's why I'm tryin' to help Tolbert win her back tho. You know, so that she won't take back that drunk bastard."

Squirrel nodded, seeming to accept my answer, right as the sound of a door echoed out into the air. Squirrel looked over his shoulder only to nudge me and say, "There's Tolbert, whore's right behind him too."

I noticed that the whore following Tolbert down the hallway was my age and had blonde hair. She was pretty even tho she was a whore. Tolbert had that 'I just had a good fuck' look going on and I couldn't help, but roll my eyes at him and snap, "Tolbert, you're supposed to be saving up your money for a new start, not wasting it on two-bit whores."

The whore looked offended (good glad she's offended) as she stormed by, nearly knocking into Tolbert during the process. Tolbert's eyes were wide (no doubt he was shocked to see me standing next to his cousin in a whorehouse) as he quickly made his way over to me. "What'cha doin' 'ere?"

Folding my arms over my chest, I deadpanned, "Came to tell you something that'll help you win Jessa back, but after seeing you with Goldie-Locks I'm not sure if I wanna tell you or not."

"Don't be like that, Allie. That whore don't mean nothin'; I was just takin' care of my needs." Tolbert told me with a pleading look in his stormy eyes.

"Whatever you say." I scoffed before giving him a stern look and telling him, "You got to promise that one you get Jessa back the trips to whorehouses stops. She doesn't deserve to be cheated on, not after all the manipulations she's been thru."

Squirrel's eyes were curiously darting between me and his cousin. He was intrigued by the exchange between me and Tolbert. Hell, it must've been the most entertainment he's had in years considering he's always out hunting squirrels or working as a store clerk part time (some gossip I heard, but I wasn't sure it was true).

Tolbert just gave me a hard look and barked, "Course I ain't gonna see no more whores when I get Jessa back. Hell, nev'r saw one the time we were t'gether either."

Okay, that's good to know. I just nodded before blurting out, "Cap told me that Jim Vance boarded Shaw up in a room to sober him up in. Thinks he'll be locked up, drying up, for a few weeks."

"Jim Vance's crazy." Shot out of Tolbert's mouth as she shook his head. "So, what yer sayin' is Jessa won't be seein' that Vance Bastard no mores an' I got a clear way t'see her?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." I told Tolbert, feeling a bit frustrated that he was asking me things that should be able to figure out on his own.

The redhead nodded before quickly asking me, "But do you think she'd want to see me? Has she said anything nice about me lately?"

Deciding that the last thing Tolbert needed was a sugar-coated answer, I honestly told him, "I tried to get her to talk about it, but she keeps brushing it off. I think you just need to face her and tell her how you really feel."

Before Tolbert could reply, a whore walked by us followed by Parris telling her, "I'll see ya later, Jenny. Ai'ght.", as he veered off from the whore and made his way over to us at the balcony. Eying me up, he asked the men I was with, "What's the matter?"

"Nothin', she's the one helpin' Tolbert get Jessa back." Squirrel answered his brother, slighting motioning between me and his ginger cousin.

"Oh…" Parris trailed off, giving me a leery look. Pointing to the card table, he remarked, "Who're they? Nev'r seen them 'fore."

"Hatfield kin." I simply said, earning me an eyeroll from Squirrel.

"How dare they show their face in here. They know Kentucky's McCoy territory." Parris shook his head in disgust. As if that wasn't bad enough, he had to go on a rant about his cousin. "Hell, Roseanna's been livin' wit' 'em for so long now that she's forgotten all 'bout us. Took up wit' 'em; 'came just 'nother piece o'steady cake."

"She ain't just livin' wit' 'em, she's married t'Johnse." Tolbert spat sourly, sounding like he was sickened by his sister being a Hatfield by marriage. Oh, wait, he probably was sickened by it.

Parris just rolled his eyes. Clearly, he didn't accept his cousin's marriage to my brother-in-law. Hell, I doubt many of the McCoys did. Wait a minute, why don't they accept Roseanna and Johnse, but do accept Nancy and Abel? Is it because Abel's not of the Hatfield blood or something?

"Bet it makes old man Hatfield happier than a banty rooster in a hen house knowin' that our family's shamed by his." Squirrel scoffed, making me feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Um, mixed company..." I spoke up, causing the men to look at me and realize that they shouldn't be ranting about Hatfields around me. They all shrugged and gave me sheepish looks, as if to say that they forgot I was married to Cap. Mhm…

Right then the doors to the saloon loudly swung open and in walked Bad Frank Phillips. I knew it was that beady eyed man since I'd seen his picture in my old history book. Oh my god, don't tell me that today's the day he gets shot in the ass and gets his limp. Oh, of all days to come to the saloon looking for Tolbert I would pick today.

Squirrel just motion for us to watch Bad Frank, so that's what we did. Silently, our eyes followed the bounty hunter as he went over to the barkeep and asked him something. Whatever he said scared the man shitless cause he ended up pointing a shaky finger at the card table the Hatfield kin were sitting at. Bad Frank just tipped his hat before pushing himself away from the bar. With heavy bootsteps, Bad Frank made his way over to the table that the barkeep had pointed out to him. Coming to a stop, he looked at the bald man playing cards and announced, "Hal Levinger, you've got no papers filed on where you're livin'."

Holy shit, is this an eviction that turns into a gun fight or something? Oh god, why am I here right now? Why?

Hal lifted his bald head to look at Bad Frank only for the beady eyed man to tell him, "You're a squatter, payin' no taxes; been warned twice by mail and once by federal officer." Bad Frank reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a piece of paper while telling Hal, "I'm here to take ya in."

Holy shit, it's an arrest warrant. Wait a minute, Bad Frank was a lawman before moving to Pikeville? Hell, I must've skimmed over that part in my history book. All of us hanging over the balcony shared a look that portrayed we were all thinking the same thing, 'What the fuck's going on?'.

Slapping the paper on the green velvet of the card table, Bad Frank simply said, "Here's the warrant."

"Ain't legal." Hal piped up, causing me to want to do a facepalm at how stupid he sounded. If there was a squatter's warrant out for him cause he didn't register his land and pay the taxes on it then, yea, I'm pretty sure it's legal. Oh my god, how could my husband's kin be so stupid? And to make matters worse, baldly told his arresting officer, "That land's Hatfield. Levigner's the cousins to the Hatfields." Looking down at his cards (while Bad Frank spit some tobacco juice out on the floor in a show that he didn't care for Hal's rambling), he went on to say, "My Great-Uncle Devil Anse, he got papers on file at the land state office."

Another man at the table looked between Hal and Bad Frank with wide eyes. He looked a bit worried about a fight breaking out, as if he knew that Hal would provoke one.

I could feel the eyes of the McCoy men I was with on me, prompting me to look and them and whisper-hiss, "I don't know what land my father-in-law owns and doesn't own. Hell, I don't socialize much with extended kin either so don't give me odd looks."

The men just nodded, seeming to accept my answer. As our eyes fell back onto the scene below us Bad Frank blurted out, "Bullshit." Hal's attention went back to his cards, but Bad Frank wasn't done with him yet. With a pointed look, the lawman told badly, "It's federal property, but you people think just cause you're on the land ya own it."

Hal looked at Bad Frank and set his hand down. "I'm sayin' that ain't right."

Parris started patting all of us on the hands and arms, gaining our attention only to subtly gesture to where a man (that I didn't even notice walk by us cause I was so caught up in watching Bad Frank and Hal) armed with a pistol was walking down the stairs.

"You can tell your story in court." Bad Frank assured Hal right as the armed man reached the third step from the ground floor of the saloon.

"I ain't goin' nowheres. My lil brother Ed's standin' behind ya an' he got a regular Navy pistol." Hal told Bad Frank right as Ed held the gun up. The gun was aimed in a straight-line right at Bad Frank's head too.

Oh my god, I'm gonna witness a gunfight in a saloon. Just my luck…

Bad Frank looked over his shoulder, seeing the gun being pointed at him, and then turned his attention back to Hal. "You still think I'm going somewheres?" Hal mocked as the entire saloon watched him with baited breath.

Silence filled the room as Bad Frank picked the warrant up from the card table and put it back into his breast pocket. Suddenly, he shot Ed (who was behind him) by firing his holstered gun (that was covered with a jacket). Squirrel and Parris crouched down while Tolbert shoved me down next to him as soon as the bullet rang out. Yea like balcony railing was gonna shield us from flying bullets. Hell, these backwoods men aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. Well, as we crouched behind the balcony, we watched Bad Frank quickly remove his holstered gun and shoot Hal right between the eyes before the bald man even had the chance to aim his own pistol. The other men at the card table jumped away to avoid being shot as another gunshot pierced the air. Ed, who was just wounded, lifted his arm and shot Bad Frank twice in the back. Bad Frank, after falling onto the card table, managed to twist his body around and shoot Ed dead.

"Holy shit…" Fell out of my mouth in a long whisper as I watched Bad Frank slide onto the floor with blood oozing from his lower back.

"I better get'cha outta 'ere." Tolbert told me as the saloon started to buzz with the aftermath of the shooting with whores runnin' around trying to help while the barkeep barked for somebody to go fetch a doctor.

"So, Jessa's watchin' yer boy while ya do errends." Tolbert stated, not asked, as we were close to crossing the Tug.

Shaking my head, I told him, "No, actually Nancy's watching him."

Tolbert's head snapped in my direction as he blurted out, "What? Thought ya didn't like her, why'd ya let her 'lone wit' yer boy?"

"Even tho I don't like her she's married to my brother and she did assure me that no harm would come to my son. Besides, she was the one that told me where to find you and knew that I couldn't bring a boy in there." I answered the man next to me as our wagon crossed the river, sending water splashing up into the air.

"Considerin' a gun fight broke out, reckon it was good she offered t'watch 'im for ya."

"Yea, reckon it was." I chirped, nodding in agreement.

A few silent moments passed between us before Tolbert spoke up with the simple question of, "How's she doin'?"

My brows knitted as I asked, "Who? Jessa?"

Rolling his eyes at me, he snapped. "Yea, who else I'd be askin' 'bout."

God, his temper was horrible. Not as bad as Shaw's, but bad enough. How Jessa dealt with it is beyond me cause I couldn't handle snarkiness all the damn time. Eh, if I didn't want Jessa to get away from the Tug I wouldn't be dealing with Tolbert's moodiness, but I needed his help to get her away to Oklahoma so…

"She's doin' as good as she can be." I told him before adding in with a sincere look, "Being alone's hard on her, that much I know."

"Hmm…" Tolbert nodded.

"You need to see her; she needs to know that you're sorry before it's too late."

Giving me a side look, he asked a bit defensively, "What's that s'posed t'mean?"

"It means that I can't make her want you, Tolbert. You need to do that yourself and the only way to do that is by having honest heartfelt conversations with her. She needs to know that you're not the bad guy here, that you made a few mistakes, but are willingly to do right by her now."

"And come to think I used t'hate ya." He lightly chuckled, shaking his head.

"Prolly cause I broke your nose at that festival." I pointed out, reminding him of the time I threw a ball right smack into his nose and ruined his entire day. Eh, at least his nose didn't heal up crooked or at an odd angle.

"That an' ya got wit' a Hatfield." Tolbert told me, turning my wagon (that his horse was hitched to the back of) onto the back trail that would bring us to my brother's cabin. "Only thing we got in common's Jessa."

"You have to get her away from the Tug, Tolbert. We both know that she's not cut out for this feud or for dealing with Shaw's bullshit." I firmly told him in a tone that sent off a 'I'm dead serious' type of vibe.

"I'll get her 'way, don't worryin' none." Tolbert assured me, his own velvet timbre holding a firm tone full of resolve in it.

"Then stop spending your money on whores. You need to save as much money as you can for the trip to Oklahoma, a whore's an expense you can't afford right now."

Tolbert didn't say a word, just clenched his jaw and curtly nodded. Eh, I guess I struck a nerve. Oh well, he needed to stop wasting his money if he was serious about running off with Jessa. 1800s road trips ain't cheap, if he doesn't have enough money he'll never make it to his destination.

He needed to get my best friend out of the Tug, many lives depended on it.

AN:

Hope you guys like the little twists I put in this chapter. Jim Vance's going to the extremes to get Shaw sober huh? Allie's playing with fire, isn't she? Yikes.

Tolbert's going to pay Jessa a visit in the next chapter. Hmm…

Happy New Year!