*Author's Note*

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

Blessed Are The Peacemakers

Shaw POV:

I've been up for over 48 hours and it's taking a toll on me. My body felt tired and ragged even tho my mind was on overdrive with high rate of adrenaline was coursin' thru my veins. Jessa too hadn't slept a wink, much like most of us at the main Hatfield house, but she was pushin' herself thru her weariness in order to care for both Ellison and Cotton. Cotton was the only one to get any sleep, but he only did so by zonking out in his chair by his daddy's bedside whenever his eyelids got too heavy to keep open. If he could stay awake, he would since that's how worried he was about his daddy.

Of course, I made sure that Cotton ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner so he wouldn't get sick from not eatin'; starve or something. I wasn't eatin' much and neither was my wife, but I don't think that either of us cared about our own health right now. What we cared about was Cotton.

It was getting close to sunset since the sun was casting an orangey-yellow glow over the rollin' green hills. The clock was also tickin' on how much time Ellison had left on this earth. The man was a grotesque shell of himself as he laid on the bed, barely movin' and dyin'. His eyes were open, but were muddled instead being their usual clear blue, and his skin was beyond pale. In fact, his skin was startin' to turn a deathy light gray as if he was in limbo; in the land between live and death. His wounds were festerin' and smelled something awful. The blade cuts were weepin' blood still, but his large gut shot wound was oozing a mixture of blood and puss. It truly was a horrible site to see, something that I wanted to shield Cotton from, but couldn't since my cousin insisted on stayin' by his daddy since the man always stayed by his bedside when he was hurt or unwell.

"How is he?" Devil Anse asked as he stood in the doorway.

"He's not doin' good, Anse." Jessa answered the tall patriarch, givin' him a long and sympathetic look.

"Anse, he's dy-" I began to say only for my cousin to snap, "No he ain't! He's fightin'; he'll pull thru!", before stormin' out of the doorway and over to the back door.

"He's in denial, Shaw." Jessa sadly sighed as I watched Devil Anse storm out the back door; slamnin' it shut so hard that the china on the shelves nearby shook and rattled loudly from the vibration.

"Yea…" I simply nodded.

A few seconds later a loud bang echoed from outside, causin' my wife to ask, "What the hell was that?"

"I dunno, but I'll check it out." I told her before standing up and going over to the window that had a clear view of the backyard and the barn. "Oh hell…Anse's bitin' Cap's head off; broke the boards he was cuttin' for Ellison too." I sighed as I saw Anse gettin' into Cap's face, pointing his pipe at him and makin' his son back up sheepishly while nervously holdin' his suspender straps. The overturned (and I bet now broken) mostly built coffin law on the ground by the saw horses that Cap and Anse were at.

Right as Anse turned his back to his son and started to make his way back towards the house I turned away from the window, only to witness Ellison take his last gaspin' breath. Cotton's eyes went wide as he patted his dad and asked in broken boyish tone, "Daddy? ..."

Tears were brimmin' Jessa's eyes as she softly placed a hand ontop of Cotton's and told him, "I'm sorry Cotton, honey, but he's crossed over the Jordan."

Cotton's eyes went wide and he yanked his hand back (out of my wife's hold and off his dad's shoulder). Tears filled his eyes as a loud cry of, "Daddy!", tore out of his mouth.

I knew he was about to lose it, so I rushed over to him and tried to comfort him. Cotton didn't want my comfort. Instead, he pushed me away, shot out of his chair, and bolted outside. I just gave my wife a look that silently told her that I was gonna help him before runnin' after my grievin' and slowminded cousin.

As soon as I ran out of the back door, I was met with the site of Cotton kneelin' on the ground cryin' and screamin' uncontrollably while Cap righted the boards onto the saw horse. Devil Anse had a pained look in his eyes as he walked over to the door. He didn't say a word to me, just passed me by on his way to the door.

Quickly, I went over to Cotton and knelt by his side. I wrapped my arms around him, bringin' his head to rest on my shoulder as he cried uncontrollably, and whispered soothingly in her ear, "I got you, Cotton. I got you, just let it out." Cotton just cried and clutched at my shirt as I rubbed circles into his back.

I knew what'd happen tomorrow. A funeral and a firin' squad. This evenin' tho, well, I had a greivin' boy to comfort. A boy who's only hope at stayin' safe was bein' raised by me and Jessa.

Allie POV:

Anse came over to my house last night to announce that Ellison had died; that the funeral would be this mornin' at the local cementary in Mate Creek. Sully had taken his cousin's death hard. He didn't say a word after hearin' that Ellison still suffered the same deadly fate that he did before we all came back in time and started to meddle in things. Since Sully was either shell shocked, guilt stricken, or both, that left me, Vera, and Roseanna with the tasks of telling all the children about Ellison's passin' and cookin' a few dishes for the get together that'd take place after the funeral.

This mornin' our husbands came to pick us up and take us to the funeral. Cap was colder than usual and it scared me. We were almost at the cemetery when I broke the silence between us by asking, "What's wrong Cap? And don't tell me it's Ellison's death cause I know you; it's more than that."

Cap didn't take his eyes off the road, instead his jaw tightened as he revealed in a tight, but grindin' tone, "Days 'fore Uncle Ellison died he asked Shaw an' Jessa to look after Cotton for him."

"What? But why?" I asked, my sapphire eyes wide with shock. I just couldn't believe it. Shakin' my head in disbelief, I let out a high-pitched protest of, "Shaw's a horrible person; he's not capable of lookin' after Cotton."

Turnin' his head to look at me, Cap let out a heavy sigh of, "I dunno why he asked 'em to look after him, but he did." He turned his attention back on the road while bitterly addin' in, "He did and Shaw's gonna destroy 'im like he does with every he claims to care for."

Cap was upset about the subject of Cotton's care. Well, honestly, I was upset about it too. It baffled me how Ellison could pick Shaw and Jessa over me and Cap to take in Cotton. It just didn't make any sense. Maybe the excruciating pain messed with Ellison's common sense and he wasn't aware of the impact of his actions.

I felt like I had to do something to right the wrong that Uncle Ellison had made. I placed a gentle hand on my husband's arm and told him, "Maybe if I talk to Jessa she'll see that it'll be too hard her to take care of some many kids and will let us take Cotton for a while."

"Ya can talk to her, but I doubt she'll listen to ya. 'Specially with how she always backs up Shaw no matter what."

"So, you don't want me to talk to her." I stated not asked, as my husband followed behind Sully's horse at a steady pace.

Giving me a quick look over the side of his shoulder, Cao told me, "No, just let it be for now." Turning his attention back onto the road, he advised, "Talk to her about it in a couple of weeks once the shock and grief of Uncle Ellison's murder's passed."

"Okay." I sighed a bit tightly before occupying myself with staring at the orange and red leaf covered trees lined up along the road on this depressing fall day.

Johnse POV:

I was drivin' my wagon right behind my brother's and Skunk Hair was followin' me. Sully was ridin' a horse so he was actually leadin' our family's caravan to my uncle's graveside funeral service. I felt numb as I drove down the road. I knew what'd be happenin' after the funeral an' honestly it made me sick. I know, I know, Bobby Belcher, Pharmer, and Bud McCoy killed my uncle and it's only fittin' to revenge his death by killin' 'em, but I didn't wanna kill 'em boys. Pharmer and Bud's my brothers-in-law and Roseanna grew up 'round Bobby since he was a neighbor. Killin' the lives of my wife's brothers and childhood neighbor wouldn't bring back my uncle; it'd prolly only make the fightin' 'tween our families worse. I was dreadin' havin' to execute 'em later on today.

It just didn't sit well wit' me. Didn't sit well at all.

"Johnse, your poppy's gonna kill my brothers an' their friend ain't he?" Roseanna asked in a soft, but barely there tone, as she looked ov'r at me wit' sadness wellin' up in her beautiful blue eyes.

Her question shook me. I didn't wanna answer it, didn't wanna say say cause I knew it'd hurt her an' that was the last thing I ever wanted to do. "Why'd ya say that for, Roseanna?" I replied, evadin' her question.

"Cause they done murder. Your poppy ain't ever lettin' 'em go…he'll want their blood as payment." Roseanna truthfully told me, her eyes fallin' onto our daughter's blonde-haired head as she sat in her lap. "Blood touches blood." She whispered sadly, in a way that made it seem that she was only half here.

Lookin' at my wife, my emotions began to take over me as I swore t'her, "I promise, Roseanna, I ain't gonna kill 'em. I'll point my rifle, but miss on purpose." My beautiful sweet darlin' didn't say a word, just nodded.

I wasn't sure what t'do, so I kept quiet as I drove us the rest of the way to the funeral service.

Jessa POV:

The cemetery was packed with family and friends for Ellison's funeral. Even Granny Delize and Mary made it down for the heartbreakin' occasion. Well, the only reason why that made it was cause Devil Anse sent Uncle Jim to fetch 'em, but still it was nice that they were here.

Cotton stood in front, a few yards away from his daddy's grave, while Shaw stood right net to him with a supportive and fatherly arm wrapped around his shoulder. With Endor slung on my hip, I stood on the other side of Cotton, sandwiching him in between me and my husband. Todd stood next to me with Lydia and Silas each holding his hands. Devil Anse and Levicy were on Shaw's other side while everyone else seemed to line up behind us in endless rows.

Reverend Garrett stood by Ellison's grave, which was in fact right next to my late mother-in-law Peggy's, with his bible in his hand. He had a righteous look in his eyes as he began the sermon with, "Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God. Today, we gather here to put to rest one suh child of God. Ellison Hatfield. A good man, one possessing a calm and peaceful spirit although he was like a giant in stature."

Cotton's bottom lip quivered and a tear rolled down his eye. Shaw pulled him closer into his side, rubbed his arm soothingly, and softly told him, "I know, Buddy. I know, it's hard and ya miss him, but it's okay to miss him; to cry." Cotton didn't say a word, just nodded his head and wiped away at a tear that was rolling down his cheek. I wasn't paying attention to the sermon, instead I was watching my husband as he pulled out his hankie (the one I made him for his 19th birthday) and offered it to Cotton.

"Thank you, Shaw." Cotton muttered under his breath, takin' the hankie and dryin' his eyes with it.

"For all his good deeds and efforts of makin' peace, of puttin' water on fires others set, and bein' a good man, Ellison is welcomed with open arms into paradise with our lord and savior Jesus Christ." Reverend Garrett boomed out, lifting his hands up into the air and busting out some quick spirit fingers, as a way to wrap up the sermon. He knew, just like everyone else gathered around, that a long sermon wasn't necessary today. Especially with what the Hatfield men still had to do after the funeral.

Reverend Garrett looked at Anse, silently signaling that it was time to toss the dirt into Ellison's grave as a final show of love and respect. Anse nudged my husband's arm, lettin' him know that he needed to take Cotton over to the grave for the dirt ceremony. Shaw gave Anse a quick nod before turning to Cotton and telling him, "We need to put some dirt into the hole to show our respects, Buddy."

"Okay." Cotton nodded, chewing on his lip as Shaw helped him bend down to gather a handful of dirt.

Once they had their dirt, they rose to their feet and went over to the grave that Ellison's coffin was sitting in the bottom of. Cotton threw in his handful of dirt and then Shaw. Silently, they made their way back to their open spot only for the rest of us to start our processions over to toss of handful of dirt into the grave of Ellison Hatfield, a man that'd life was tragically taken too soon.

AN:

So…that happened… :( Next up is some final goodbyes and the firing squad.