*Author's Note*
Thank you for all the follows, favs, and reviews.
Flipped
Allie POV:
Things have been tense with my in-laws lately. I get the feeling that they're leery of me. The only ones that weren't a bit cold or offish were Skunk Hair and Vera. Of course, Cotton wasn't different towards me, but that's cause he's too simple minded to understand why everyone was being offish. Hell, even Ellison (the sweetest, gentlest, kindest soul in the Tug River Valley) was being watchful and a bit distant with me. I thought that Cap telling Anse our theory would ease any and all doubts, but evidently it didn't.
School was out and Sully was housesitting and babysitting for Shaw and Jessa while they were on their honeymoon. I thought it was stupid that they were on their honeymoon, taking a steamboat cruise on the Mississippi, while the feud was starting to heat up. Cap agreed with me, said since Shaw was almost killed once he should be lyin' low. Sully and Jim didn't agree, they felt that a trip away by themselves would bring Shaw and Jessa closer; help them mend things. I didn't think so. I felt that their marriage was doomed from the start.
Funny thing is that Anse told me to marry Cap just like he told Jessa to marry Shaw. We both knew that no wasn't an option. Only difference is that I actually liked my husband, but poor Jessa wasn't very fond of hers at the moment. Actually, she wasn't fond of anything at the moment. She wouldn't even see me when I paid her a visit shortly after the midnight ride. She just peeked out the window and told me to get the hell off her porch. Hopefully, in time, my best friend calms down and resumes our afternoon tea visits.
Well, talk about friends, Vera was currently in labor and I was at her side helping her. Doc sadly wasn't around since he was on the other end of the county helping another patient with her birthing process or at least that's what the shopkeeper of the store next to the clinic told Skunk Hair when he went looking for him. So, it was just me and Levicy helping out Vera. Well, Roseanna should be here soon since we sent for her. I'm not sure how much help she could be, but the more the merrier when it came to women and midwives in the birthing room.
"I don't like Doc not bein' here. What if somethin' goes wrong?" Vera whined, slightly panicked, as a contraction hit her
"Nothin'll go wrong, Vera. Don't ya worry none, we'll help ya birth this baby as smoothly as can be." Levicy assured Vera with a gentleness in her syrupy tone as she patted her hand in a supportive gesture.
"Soon Roseanna'll be here; you'll have plenty of help with this birth."
"I still don't like Doc not bein' here." Vera reminded us, wincing and placing a hand on her side.
Suddenly, before me or Levicy could utter another calming word, the bedroom door opened only to reveal Roseanna. "How far 'long is she? Is she close?"
"She's 'bout half-way ready by how her pains are bunched together." Levicy answered Roseanna as the sweet blonde made her way further into the room.
"Do you know anything about child birthing?" I asked, wanting to know what kind of help she'd be since Dr. Rutherford was unavailable.
"I helped Aunt Betty and Doc with my mama a few times so I know some 'bout birthin'." Roseanna told me as she went over to the wash basin to get a wet cloth for Vera's sweaty forehead.
A Few Hours Later…
Vera's screams filled the room as a painful contraction hit her. She was pushing with all of her might while bearing down on my hand. Roseanna was wiping her head off with a cool rag while Levicy was at the bottom of the bed, encouraging Vera to push.
"Baby's almost here." Levicy announced as Vera stopped pushing in order to catch her breath.
"You're doing great, Vera. Just another push." I encouraged my friend.
Vera sat up and started pushing again, determined to meet her second child. She screamed and grunted as she pushed, only to fall back onto the mattress whenever a baby's cry pierced the air. Roseanna looked over to Levicy, who was cutting the cord and cleaning off the baby, and then back at Vera only to tell her, "It's a girl."
"Oh, you've got your Bridget." I smiled at my friend as my mother-in-law wrapped her baby up in a soft blanket.
Pushing herself to sit up, Vera looked at me and asked, "Go tell my Tom he's got a daughter now, will ya, Allie."
"Yea, I'll go tell him." I smiled at Vera.
As soon as I stood up Levicy brought the newborn over to Vera. "I'm gonna go too." Roseanna announced, placing the rag in her hand onto the nightstand while I made my way over to the door.
Roseanna followed me out of the bedroom, but pulled me to a stop before we could make it to the front door. "Why were you trying to push the idea of my brother onto Jessa?" She asked me, her blue eyes burning a hole into my head.
"I didn't." I smoothly lied.
"Jessa told me otherwise." Roseanna told me before going on to say, "Whatever you think, my brother's the wrong fit for Jessa. She's married to whom she's meant for." A lost look filled up her blue eyes as she asked, "I thought we were friends, you me, and Jessa. Why would ya hurt us the way ya did by puttin' ideas into Tolbert's head; causin' him to go after Johnse and Shaw?"
"I never meant any harm, Roseanna. I didn't do anything wrong either." I defended myself, trying to retain my innocence since Cap believed me; made his dad believe me too.
Cap POV:
For hours now, well since I came back from fetchin' Johnse and Roseanna, I've been sittin' on my best friend's porch waitin' on the birth of his new baby. I was rockin' in a rocker with my daughter sleepin' in my arms while Skunk Hair sat a bit nervously in his chair. Our boys were playin' a few feet away in front of the porch. Our boys were just like us, the best friends, and it made me smile.
Johnse was sittin' on the floor, leanin' against a post. He had a heavily look on his usually cheerful face. Looking at me, he asked, "Can we talk 'ways somewhere, Cap?"
"Sure." I nodded, figurin' whatever he had to say he didn't want to voice it in front of Skunk Hair.
Johnse stood up and walked off the porch. I followed after him only to stop a few yards from the house by a tree. Giving me a serious look, Johnse told me, "Brother, our cousin don't trust your wife."
"And he's a manipulative piece of shit." I spat out, disgusted that Johnse was bringing up Shaw and his dislike for Allie.
"He's not that bad. Hell, Cap, if it weren't for Shaw I'd never would've had the courage to marry my Roseanna."
While lightly rubbin' my daughter's back as she rested on my chest, I honestly told my brother, "Maybe ya shouldn't 've. Got too many McCoys linked to us as it is."
"Roseanna ain't like that, but it seems that both Nancy and Allie is."
I narrowed my mismatched eyes at my brother and hissed, "Don't you dare speak ill 'bout my wife."
"Cap, I was there when Calvin was explainin' that I wasn't supposed to die, but had to cause I witnessed them attackin' Shaw; that Shaw had'a die so that Tolbert could claim Jessa's unborn baby." Johnse told me as if I didn't know he was there. Hell, of course I knew he was there. Shit, I had'a pull my ass outta bed an' go rescue his ass 'long wit' Shaw's after all. I just rolled my eyes at Johnse, which caused him to respond with the damning words of, "Allie had've told Tolbert, he was too hot not t've been told somethin'."
"Allie didn't say a word, Johns. Nancy spotted Jessa out shoppin', noticed her condition, an' passed it 'long to Tolbert. End of it, brother." I barked, tellin' him what Allie had told me. What Allie had me believin'. God, how much I wanted her words to be true. They had to be true, just had to.
"Jessa ain't showin' yet so no way in hell Nancy figured it out. Whether you like it or not, both me and Shaw think that your wife had a hand in our near death, brother."
With furrowed brows, I asked incredulously, "What, you're gonna side with Shaw over me, your own goddamn brother?"
"Yes, cause even my own sweet Roseanna feels betrayed by your wife." Johnse snapped at me like a yappin' lil dog.
"Allie's a good person, she'd never betray us."
"Not us directly, but she'd betray Shaw cause she hates him. As our folks always say, we're a family an' what affects one of us affects all of us."
"Why're ya spewin' this bullshit at me for?"
Sympathy appeared in my bro ther's bright blue eyes as he told me, "Cause ya deserve t'know that a handful of our family distrusts Allie; that 'em numbers might grow and you might find yourself bein' daddy's black sheep instead of his favorite."
Before I could respond to Johnse, the sound of the front door opening echoed into the air. We turned around only to see Allie giving Skunk Hair the news on his newborn while Roseanna was making her way down the porch.
"I better get my wife on home. She's due come fall ya know, needs her rest." Johnse told me before walking off, leaving me alone and leaning against a dogwood tree.
I took a deep breath to clam myself with 'fore lookin' at my daughter an' softly sayin', "Let's go see mama; find out if Skunk Hair's got a new son or daughter." I walked away from the tree and over to the house, hiding my irritation at my conversation with Johnse behind a hard face. I forced a smile on my face as walked up the porch. "Is it a girl or a boy?" I asked my wife since by time I got to the house my best friend was inside the house.
"A girl. They named her Bridget." Allie smiled at me.
The door opened and out walked my ma. Lookin' at me, she said, "I expect ya'll ov'r for supper later."
"Sure thing, mama." I told her as she walked right by us.
She didn't say a word, just nodded and made her way over where Captain W. and T.W. were at. She picked up Skunk Hair's boy and turned to make her way back to the house. Well, reckon it's time to take my family home to rest a few hours before we're needed at Sunday dinner.
Jessa POV:
I'd been on my honeymoon riverboat cruise with Shaw for a few days now and it felt a bit refreshing to be away from the feud and the Tug Valley in general. God, I felt like Scarlett O'Hara last night while eating meringue deserts and watching a Can-Can dinner dance show. Shaw just chuckled when I told him that, he also swore that unlike Rhett Butler he wouldn't divorce me for something stupid.
But, like Rhett Butler, Shaw spoiled me with a St. Louis shopping trip before we boarded our cruise ship. Oh my god, we bought so many new outfits that it wasn't even funny. We even got a few things to bring home for the kids too. I had to admit that it was odd to see Shaw dressed as a gentleman (well as gentlemanly as he could while pairing his old black Stetson with a fine suit that he bought from a St. Louis tailor) since I only ever seen him in jeans or old slacks paired with a button down. Hell, my own appearance took me aback as I readied myself in the mirror the past few mornings since I was donning fine dresses and hats with jeweled hairclips and combs instead of my simple dresses, blouses, and skirts paired with ribbons and sashes for my hair.
This afternoon we were taking a stroll on deck. The summer sun was licking at our faces as we made our way to the bow of the ship. "How're ya enjoyin' our honeymoon, babe?" He asked with an inquiring smile.
"I'm enjoying it a lot, honey." I replied with a sincere smile. I let out a sigh before revealing, "Honestly, I never thought we'd do this tho considering our problems and how heavy the feud is."
"Well, I promised you this honeymoon and I always intended to give it to you. I'm just sorry that we weren't able to have a nice wedding with all the guests, white dress, cake, and everything else."
"Don't feel bad about it, Shaw. It's not your fault we were ordered by Devil Anse to have a shotgun wedding."
"Yea…" His words hung out heavily in the air as he nodded his head. Looking at me with honesty in his honey eyes, he admitted, "I want us to smooth out any bumps and repair things between us. Babe, I don't want tension in our marriage cause of things that I did in the past."
"I don't want any tension either considering we're tied together forever. I forgive you for the past, but you've got to promise me that you won't drown your sorrows in the bottom of a bottle anymore."
"I won't, honey. I promise, I won't let my drinkin' get out of control."
With a cutting look, I dryly reminded him, "You shouldn't be drinking at all, Shaw."
"We live in the backhills of West Virginia, not drinkin' as a man's not possible, baby." He told me as a way t justify havin' a drink every now and then. Something I didn't want him to do, by the way, since he had alcoholic tendencies.
"I won't put up with you becoming an alcoholic. If I even think you're drinking too much I'll have Uncle Jim take me and the kids to Granny Delize's." I told him as we stopped at the bow of the ship right by the large guardrails in order to look at the clear water ahead of us along with the lush green trees and grass covering the riverbanks on either side of the large winding river.
Shaw wrapped an arm around my waist and rested his hand on my still flat belly. "We're expectin' our third child, Jessa. I won't give you any reason to leave me." He pressed a kiss to my cheek. "I promise."
I hope he can keep his promise cause I didn't want to end up divorced with 3-kids by time I was 21. God, I would've preferred to get married when I felt confident that things would last, but I didn't have that luxury. Sadly, I had to marry before my time. I swear when it's time for Lydia to court and marry I'm gonna make sure that she knows she doesn't have to marry until she feels ready cause being married too soon is not for the faint of heart.
"How 'bout we check out that dance hall after dinner tonight?" Shaw suggested as we looked at the clear blue water of the Mississippi as our steamboat went upriver.
Quirking a brow, I asked, "You know how to dance?"
"Every good cowboy can two-step and slow dance, babe." He answered with a smirk, taking me aback since I really wasn't expecting him know how to dance.
"Okay, let's check out that dance hall then." I told my husband with a small smile.
"We should come back on another cruise for our 10-year anniversary."
I nodded while stating, "The feud'll be done by then."
"Yes, that's why I suggested it, honey." Shaw told me, bringing me closing into his side. Gazing out at the vast open river before us, he revealed knowingly, "The next decade's gonna be hard on us, Jessa, but we'll make it." Looking at me with a fiery determination and love in his honey eyes, he declared, "We'll survive."
I just nodded and softly said, "I know, Shaw. I know." I truly did believe that my best chance at survival (for not just me, but my children too) was with Shaw and the Hatfields. History declared then the victors in the deadly lose-lose battle filled with bloodshed since their family stayed intact more so then the McCoys did. Everything I did was for my kids, which is why I'm currently on a honeymoon with Shaw. If this trip could repair us (which it seemed to be doing) then good cause we need to be united for the battle up ahead. A battle in which we'll be going into with only a handful of people we could truly trust and rely on by our side.
Brenton POV:
I was shocked to find out from my best friend that his son was now married and on his honeymoon. I knew that Tolbert had some lovesickness for Shaw's wife and figured that knowing Jessa had officially moved on might snap him out if it; cure him of his melancholies. I decided, since me and Perry were going over to the McCoy house for Sunday dinner, that I'd tell the redhead the news over a nice pot roast supper.
After church services ended, I followed Perry over to Ole Rand'l and Sally's house. I spent some time on the front porch, sittin' and talkin' with Perry and Rand'l. Tolbert wasn't joinin' us on the porch, instead he was too busy sulkin' an' bullin' in the barn.
"That boy drinkin' in there, ain't he, Randall?" Perry asked, subtly pointin' over to the barn a few feet away.
"Course he is. All he does anymore since bein' thwarted by Hatfields an' gettin' my late brother's ol' place burnt down.
"If he was smart, he would've taken over Harmon's house, fixed it up, and made a homestead for himself since his was destroyed." Perry remarked in a tone that more or less hinted that Tolbert was an idiot. Well, in my opinion he was an idiot. One with a bad temper.
"Tolbert ain't one for thinkin'. He's more of an act rashly kind'a man." Rand'l told us as he rocked in his chair.
Turnin' my attention to the McCoy patriarch, I asked, "He livin' here or over at Nancy and Abel's still?"
"He got kicked outta their house, reckon a week 'ago now, so he's stayin' 'ere."
"Well, I suppose Sally's relieved t'have him back him." Perry remarked, trying to keep his cousin from going on a tirade. Ole Rand'l was good for those; anythin' could set him off too anymore.
"Yes, she is." Rand'l nodded. "Sally worried 'bout him; he is her fav'rite, tho I don't see why." I had to agree with Rand'l on that, I didn't see how Sally could choose Tolbert as her favorite child either. Boy's a pain in the ass.
The door opened followed by the sound of Alifair's voice announcin' loud an' clear, "Mom says dinner's ready!", so that even Tolbert, who was out in the nearby barn, could hear her announcement.
"Tell your mother we'll be right in." Rand'l told his daughter, causin' the young lady to just nod and go back inside.
Without a word, Randall rose from his chair and made his way over to the door. Silently, me and Perry followed it. Within a matter of minutes everyone, expect for Tolbert, was seated at their table. We were stuck waitin' on Tolbert, who decided to grace us with his presence a few minutes after everyone was settled and ready to start dinner. He wasn't holdin' a likker bottle, but I had a feelin' he was drinkin' from one in the barn earlier tho.
"Now that Tolbert's here, Randall, would you like to say the blessin' so we can et this fine meal Aunt Sally made?" Perry remarked from his spot at the end of the table, his eyes going between the mouthwatering pot roast in the middle of the table and his cousin that was sternly sitting at the head of the table.
Rand'l nodded before bowing his head. Quickly, everyone else grabbed hands and followed suit. Clearing his throat and claspin' his hands, he went on to deliver a blessin' of, "Lord baby Jesus, we thank you for the food we're 'bout t'fortake. We also thank ya for the good speed our crops be growin' at. Also, we thank ya for keepin' Tolbert safe in these perilous times." Raisin' his head, he ended the prayer with a simple, "Amen."
Liftin' their heads and droppin' hands, everyone echoed, "Amen."
Ole Rand'l grabbed his slice of pot roast, officially startin' dinner, while askin', "What's new in town?"
I took this as my cue to announce the news about Jessa and Shaw. So, before Perry could open his mouth, I told everyone at the adults' table, "Heard tell that Shaw Eldridge married Jessa George and took her west for a riverboat honeymoon last week."
"What?!" Tolbert bellowed, snortin' and huffin' like an angry bull. "Noooo!... NO!" Tolbert angrily shouted. "NOOO!" He roared, suddenly flippin' over the table in a rage; sendin' everythin' on it flyin' a few feet in the air before loudly crashin' onto the floor. Everyone scrambled to stand so they wouldn't get crushed by the flipped table either.
Damnit, there goes the pot roast.
Everyone was speechless as Tolbert stormed off, nearly breakin' the backdoor off its hinges as he slammed it open and rushed out into the summer evenin' to brood. A few seconds passed before Sally gave me a deadly stare and went off to go find her moody brat.
"Well, I suppose we'll be goin'." Perry told Rand'l before givin' me a look that implied we needed to go before Rand'l started one of his rants.
"That sweet whore in disguise destroyed my son. He's a wreck cause o'her an' that Shaw bastard." Randa'l ranted before we could even move an inch. Well, looks like we're stuck listenin' to Ole Rand'l rant while his chil'ren clean up the floor and stand the table back up.
Hey, in hindsight I prolly shouldn't 've brought up the Eldridge marriage. Hell, how was I to know that Tolbert would flip ov'r the table and storm out. Hell, the young man had a temper worse than a toddler's. Oh, I'm so glad that my daughter married the senator and not him.
AN:
This is a filler, but it's got some plot building foundations in it. Yikes, Tolbert flipped a table upon hearing that Jessa married Shaw. He's pretty pissed now…
A tiny time jump to the 4th of July Festival is in the next chapter. Oh boy...