Transcending Time Chapter 160: Feud Widow Tell-All: Mixed Reactions, a hatfields & mccoys fanfic

*Author's Note*

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Feud Widow Tell-All: Mixed Reactions

Tolbert POV:

We'd reached the cow town in Montana that was our final destination for trade an' I couldn't be happier. I didn't mind campin' out, but bein' able t'sleep in a warm bed at the local saloon or hotel was always nice. Bein' able to take a hot bath in the local bathhouse after a week of dirt an' grime layerin' up my skin was always nice too.

After we rangled the cattle to the stockyard, Zeke gave us our pay an' sent us off t'have our fun while he discussed sales prices wit' the livery man. Us cow hands all went our own ways; how I found myself walkin' the streets of Miles City wit' Jose Luis. I don't even know what we were lookin' for, we were just walkin' t'walk I reckon.

"So, Senor Tolbert, look." My friend pointed to the crowd surroundin' a newsboy on a soapbox. "Seems the paper story 'bout your family's feud's got all the senors and senoritas fightin' for a paper."

"What the hell could be in the New York Globe t'cause that kind'a reaction."

"I dunno, mi amigo, but I'm sure it's something very big about your family. Perhaps somebody else got murdered."

"Goddamnit, I hope not. McCoys don't need anymore dead kin." I told my friend as we walked towards the newpaper boy and the crowd flockin' him.

People were clawin' at the papers an' tossin' coins at the newsie like they were starvin' an' he was sellin' them their first meal in weeks. As we got into ear shot, I now understood why ev'body was goin' stark mad ov'r gettin' a copy of the New York Globe. My blood froze up in my veins as the paperboy waved a copy 'round in the air (that had a photo of Jessa wit' finger bruises all ov'r her neck on the damn front page) while shoutin', "Extra! Extra! Read all 'bout it! Jessa McCoy, Infamous feud widow, tells her tragic tell of woe in uncensored 4-page expose article that damns the demon Hatfields straight to hell!"

"What the fuck did she just do?!" I asked, both angry an' fearful, as I ran over to grab a paper. I pushed my way thru the crowd only t'grab a paper and toss a coin in the pile at the bottom of the soap box.

"You'll read this to me, si?" Jose Luis asked, meetin' up with me as I walked away from the crowded corner storefront.

"Yea, I'll read it t'ya." I told him 'fore gesturin' to the saloon. I was gonna need a few drinks to read Jessa's 4 page article. I had a feelin' it was bad.

*Kenney's Saloon- Roughly 10 Mins Later*

"After spending some time with Jessa, discussing her life, I know without a doubt that my reports are helping the right side in this feud. The McCoys are the innocent victims in the feud; the Hatfields truly are the demon murderers.", I finished readin', closin' the paper as fear tightened 'round my heart and squeezed til I felt like I was gonna collapse an' die. Everything I just read, Jessa's recount of our life together an' apart, was very damnin' for the Hatfields an' it made me fear for her safety. Safety of all the lil ones too cause I knew that Shaw wasn't gonna sit back an' let her go. That Vance bastard tried t'kill her! I don't trust him not to seek her out an' finish the job.

"Your senorita's had a hard life; so have you, Senor Tolbert." Jose Luis said after hearin' my read the paper article.

I grabbed the whiskey bottle an' took a large swig. Slammin' it down, I gruffly grumbled, "I can't believe she was so stupid to do it. Wit' Shaw out there wantin' her dead, doin' that article weren't too bright."

"It wasn't stupid, mi amigo, but brave. Very brave of her to do that." Jose Luis said in admiration. Yes, reckon he had a point. But I didn't like it.

"But she shouldn't 've done it. She got 'way, but now she's gonna be havin' Shaw an' the Hatfields huntin' her down for revenge. Not to mention gettin' 'em chil'ren back."

"Then what are you going to do about it? Continue on with the cattle or go back to your family, Senor Tolbert?"

"It didn't cross my mind what I'd do. Other than kill Shaw for puttin' his hands around my woman's throat." I honestly told my friend.

"If I were you, I'd go back to my senorita and bambinos, but again I am not you."

"Zeke said I was needed on the cattle drive an' drive's over now. I'm goin' back for my family." Nothin' was stoppin' me from protectin' my family now. They needed me more then the cattle on a South Texas ranch did. Hell, the cattle could wait but my wife an' chil'ren couldn't. If I don't go to them only god knows what might happen t'em.

"Good." Joses Luise nodded. "I'll join you, my friend." Of course, he'd join me. He made the trip back once wit' me before so I wouldn't expect him not to.

Grabbin' our bottle of likker an' standin' up, I simply said, "Let's go tell Zeke an' head out." Sooner we left, sooner we'd get back to Kentucky. Get back to my family. I couldn't waste time; time was precious right now when at any moment my woman could find herself hunted down and brought back to her jailer. That fake husband of hers, that bastard Shaw. At least one good thing came out of Jessa's article, which was findin' out that we're still married.

Nancy POV:

My husband took us to Aunt Betty's so we could visit her and our cousin, Jessa. I was overjoyed that she managed to get away from that blackheart Shaw and the lot of 'em Demon Hatfields. To be honest, I was taken aback when I saw her an' all her youngin's at Jefferson's funeral alongside Aunt Betty, but I was glad that they were there. They escaped those demon Hatfields; that's what them bein' at my brother's funeral meant. Jessa revealed at the after gatherin' that she was stayin' with our dear old Aunt Betty and that she was gonna do a tell all newspaper article with T.C. Crawford, per Perry Cline and Brenton Landon's urgin', in order for all the folks in the United States to see our side of things. To know how evil those Hatfields could.

I personally approved of her giving a tell all article for that fancy New York paper. Me and Abel's done articles before, so I didn't see nothin' wrong with it. I thought it was a great idea. Abel agreed with me; felt that her insight into both families and how they treat people would be good readin' for everyone.

So, that's why I'm standin' on Aunt Betty's porch with Harmony slung on my hip while Abel knocks on the door. The door swung open, revealin' our old aunt. "Perry had the article sent to us. It's in the sittin' room; if ya needa read it then you can." She told us while steppin' aside to let us in.

"The article's out already? But it hasn't been too long since Jessa's interview, has it?" I asked, taken aback that the newspaper man got everyone printed so fast, as I entered my aunt's house.

"Reckon T.C. pushed for a quick release since it's an exclusive expose." Abel concluded as he followed behind me.

Aunt Betty closed the door as I led the way to the sittin' room, where I figured Jessa'd be. When I reached the room, I was right 'bout Jessa bein' there. She was sittin' on the sofa while her chil'ren were scattered all over the floor, playin' wit' some old toys Aunt Betty had rummaged outta storage for 'em.

Settin' Harmony down wit' her cousins to play, I greeted my cousin with the honied words of, "Jessa, I just heard from Aunt Betty that ya'll got a copy right here of your article. Have ya read it yet?"

"Good morning, Nancy." She smiled at me before acknowledgin' my husband wit' a simple, "Abel."

"Oh, no, sugar, we haven't read it yet." Aunt Betty revealed as she walked by me and my husband, only to take a seat in her favorite chair.

"Abel, read us that article. We have to know if T.C. Crawford kept his word and wrote down all of her words uncensored." I ordered the tall brunette, who's long hair was tied back in a large messy bun, as I strode over to the sofa to join the McCoy that was goin' to be a big push 'hind ours gettin' the justice and revenge on the Hatfields that we're owed.

"Reckon I'll just take this and get comfy then." Abel said while stoppin' at the coffee table and picking up the thick New York paper to read. He made his way over to an empty sittin' chair and sat down in it. Unfoldin' the paper, he held it up close enough to see the small print and then began to read to us.

*Roughly 10 minutes later*

Turnin' to look at Jessa, I took her hands in mine and told her in a sure as hell tone, "Those demons are gonna pay for everythin' they done to you, cousin. To you, Tolbert, my other cousins, my pap, my brother, an' me cause of your truths in that article."

Brenton POV:

"What's got you so giddy, Perry? Did you bamboozle the local schoolchildren into whitewashin' the picket fence around your mansion?" I asked my brother-in-law, who I tolerated for decades cause without him and his money I'd be destitute; my daughter wouldn't have her luxurious life either, as I entered the office to see him grinnin' like a loon that'd just been admitted to the looney bin.

Perry rolled his eyes at me as I went over to my desk. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm not Tom Sawyer, Brenton." Holding up a newspaper, he beamed, "Miss Jessa's uncensored article with T.C. Crawford is out and I must say that it's a lovely article. One that'll be making everyone in the country support our just cause."

"So, I take it you read it already?" I asked while sittin' at my desk.

"Yes, of course I read it. Why wouldn't?" Perry huffed right as the doorbell loudly rang out. I turned my attention to the door, only to see Randall walkin' into the office. A slick smirk spread over my brother-in-law's face as he told the McCoy patriarch, "Randall, I've got great news. Your daughter-in-law, Jessa, did a tell all article with our journalist friend, T.C. Crawford, and the article's very damning to the Hatfields."

"Yea, it's uncensored so all the dirty laundry's been aired out for the whole country to see."

Randall shuffled over to the leather sofa, all the while grumpin' that, "She ain't no daughter-in-law of mine. Not since she left my Tolbert for the man that killed him."

"Randall, my old friend and cousin, she was blackmailed into doin' that in order to protect your son. She was trying to keep Tolbert alive."

"I don't care 'bout the lies Jessa's spinnin'. It might sell newspapers an' buy up yer mind's loyalty, but I can't be easily bought. I don't care what she said to some paperman, I ain't ever believin' it an' she ain't no McCoy t'me."

"Well, Randall, since you're refusing to place nice and read the article that's got Perry in such a giddy mood, then I'll take it and read it." I told the dramatic idiot slumped in the sofa, pullin' out his flask for a liquid breakfast, as I rose from my desk.

"Are you sure you don't want to read it, Randall?" Perry asked, giving Randall another chance to look at the paper, as I made my way over to grab the paper from his desk.

"No." Randall firmly barked before tippin' back his flask. "Nothin' but damned lies. She's nothin' but some liar that twisted up my son; got him killed."

I rolled my eyes at Randall while making my way back to my desk. Once I sat down, I began to read the article that was, more or less, Perry's bright idea. I was curious about the extent of her story. I also wanted to read the article before passin' it along to Sully. My friend needed to know what kind of man his son is; what kind of people his kin are too since he seemed to be blinded by some blood loyalty to their true natures.

Roseanna POV:

We needed a few things from the market, such as meat and a few vegetables, so after cleanin' up from breakfast I took Sarah Elizabeth out to do some shoppin'. I liked the market area of Portland. It was very large; had stores of every kind. The butcher shop was large, with multiple butchers workin' in it, and always had a long line. The meat was good and fresh; the people workin' the shop were kind too. Much kinder than those back home in the Tug Valley.

It always surprised me how welcomed we felt when we arrived in Portland. How friendly the townspeople seemed to be too. Portland was so large, that runnin' into a familiar face along with a new one while out always happened. It never failed. In fact, as I was waitin' in line at the butcher shop, one of my neighbors came up to me.

"Roseanna, hi. How're you doing?" Polly, the neighbor on the left of my house, greeted me.

"I'm well, Polly." I told my neighbor. Tilting my head towards my daughter, I added in, "So is little Sarah Elizabeth." With a smile, I asked, "How're you, Polly?"

"I'm fine." She assured me as the line in the shop slowly moved. "Nearly got run over by a mob on the corner wantin' to buy some newspaper the local newsie's selling about the feud out east."

"The feud out east? You mean the Hatfield and McCoy feud, from Kentucky and West Virginia?"

"Why yes, that's the one." She nodded in recognition. "Do you know about it?" Polly asked, even tho I'm sure she knew my last name was Hatfield.

"Yes, I know about it." I sadly nodded. We moved up in line while I explained, "My husband's of the Hatfield family and I'm a McCoy; we moved here to get away from it."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I won't bring it up again." Polly told me, seeming embarrassed that she bought up a sad topic about the rift between my family and my in-laws.

I assured Polly that I wasn't upset that she brought up the feud; that she had no true way of knowing it was personal for me. We chatted about little things and promised to invite each other over for dinner sometime as we waited for our turn to order meat. When my turn came, I ordered a couple of simple cuts of beef and chicken. After the butcher handed me my order, I paid him and left the shop.

I went to a local produce cart that was set up a few streets away from the butcher's and bought the things that I needed. Instead of going home after buying my vegetables I went to the corner that the paper boy was stadnin' on, sellin' papers. Polly wasn't lyin' when she said everyone was crowdin' the corner for a paper.

"Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Jess McCoy, feud widow tells all! Damn the Hatfields as murderous demons! Read all about it! Extra! Extra!" The boy selling the papers loudly chanted, causin' me to panic inside.

What did Jessa say to that New York reporter, T.C. Crawford? Why would she say things to hurt the Hatfields when she lives among them? I just had to know. I was plannin' on buyin' a paper before I heard what the feud story was 'bout, but knowin' that Jessa said somethin' to cause people to rush like mad to buy a paper confirmed that I needed to buy the paper. I needed to read the story.

Hopefully whatever my once sister-in-law, who I love and consider one of my closest friends, didn't say anything that's put the Hatfields in too much danger. They're Johnse's family and my husband would be so hurt if something bad happened to them cause of somethin' in the papers. Truthfully, I'd be upset too. Not all of the Hatfields are bad, just like not all of the McCoys are bad either. There's just a handful of bad apples that run the rest of the bunch.

Shaw POV:

It'd been nearly a week since my wife took my kids and ran off to that old hag Granny' Delize's. When Todd told Devil Anse his theory, which I agreed with, my cousin didn't feel a need to write our granny to check up on my wife. He did give me a lecture 'bout how if I was home more instead of spendin' all my time on patrol or drinkin' (How dare he talk to me 'bout my drinkin' when his own favorite son Cap's turned to the bottle to soothe the sting of his divorce from that bitch Allie?) then Jessa would've felt safer and might not've left. Whatever, his lecture's bullshit. He needs to worry 'bout his own son; not me. I've been worryin' 'bout myself and my siblin's my own life; I know what I'm doin'. Now the Hatfield family don't know what they're doin' when it comes to handlin' grief and sudden losses.

Uncle Jim straight up told me that my wife was a tough broad and that he doubts she ran off to Granny Delize. He told me he felt that she took off with the kids and Cotton cause of my drinkin'l that she wanted to shield her kids from it and didn't want Cotton gettin' mixed up in the blood feud more then he was by his daddy's death. That Jessa was a fierce mama bear and that she took off to protect her cubs; that she's prolly somewhere safe that nobody can bother her in. I thought he was full of shit; told him so too.

Tonight, I was at the main Hatfield house for dinner, like I was most nights. Not havin' my wife and kids with me sucked. Made me feel like a failure. I worked so hard to get my family; losing them was unacceptable. Made me feel about as smart as my jackass one-eyed cousin, Cap. Ugg, how I hated that cold smug fuckhead.

Everyone was gathered around the large tables, eatin' dinner, whenever my dad (who was late) burst thru the door with a newspaper tightly clutched in his hand. Oh hell, what now?

"Sully, what's got you so worked up?" Devil Anse asked from his spot at the head of the table, cuttin' his ham with his fork and knife.

"Brenton Landon stopped by the schoolhouse today to drop off a very damning article written by T.C. Crawford! A tell-all by Jessa, my daughter-in-law, that twists all kinds of her life events in favor of the McCoys!" My dad louadly ramped and raved while marchin' over to Devil Anse. "Brenton says that he has to side with the McCoys cause of this article, cause our family's done too much harm to Miss Jessa and others according to her recount in the damn paper." Sully seethed while tossin'the paper on Devil Anse's dinner plate.

"What the blazes?..." Devil Anse let out in a stunned sighed while picking up the paper.

"Better read that out loud, cousin, cause it ain't good. It ain't good and everyone gathered around needs to hear her twisted damnin' words." My dad told our cousin, who'se eyes bulged out of his head. Dad pointed a finger at me, only to berate me with, "You son of a bitch, Shaw Hector. You laid hands on your wife and tried to strangle her the other night; this article and the backlash from it's all on you."

"What? I didn't do nothin'!" I defended myself. As far as I know I never hurt my wife, didn't strangle her either.

"No wonder she left and joined up with the McCoys, cousin. You tried to kill her."
Cap sneered at me from his spot at the end of the table as he took his flask out of his pocket.

"I'm surprised she didn't bash your head in with a cast iron skillet for stranglin' her, nephew." Uncle Jim yapped while eatin' his supper.

"I didn't do nothin' to her. She's lyin' and only God knows why." I yelped, feeling personally attacked for a crime I never committed. Hell, Jessa was always a bit off in the head with her crush on that crazy dead McCoy. Guess I should've seen her betrayin' us, but I didn't.

"So, reckon she ain't with Granny Delize." My jackass brother Todd chuckled around a mouthful of ham. Fuckin' little asshole. Givin' him a look that silently ordered him to shut up, I kicked him in the shine under the table as a warnin'. Todd took my warnin' to heart and continued his meal without utterin' another goddamn word.

Devil Anse shook his head, after silently reading the front page of the New York Globe, and gave me a hard look. His cold blue ices looked on me as if the look could kill me. Holding the paper up for all of us to see, he barked, "The front-page photograph of Miss Jessa sure does look like you tried to strangle her, Shaw." Everyone's eyes darted between me and Devil Anse as he added in, "Seems like you lose control when you're shitfaced drunk, Shaw."

I didn't know what to say to that. I was as shocked as everyone else. I can't believe that I did that to her. And when drunk too. Fuck…am I no better then my step-dad Peter? Did I become just like him? Fuck…

Levicy, who was eating by her husband's side, piped up with, "Anderson, please read that out loud. Sully's right, we need to know how bad it is for us."

Devil Anse solemnly nodded, only to clear his throat and dive into reading the tell-all my wife had done for the enemy.

*Roughly 10 minutes later*

Cap POV:

I was disgusted at Shaw right now. If it wasn't for him being so heartless with his wife then Jessa wouldn't have ran to the McCoys for refuge. Wouldn't have told a pack of lies to the New York paper either. Damn, Shaw just couldn't be normal. He had to be compulsive, obsessive, and selfish. The way he treated Jessa's fucked us all over.

Tossin' the paper on the table, Pa told everyone, "We need to go, now. It's only matter of time before the bounty hunters come for us; they'll be comin' soon too cause of the paper."

Scratchin' my chin thoughtfully, I pondered, "If the paper article Jessa did could light a fire up the asses of the bounty hunters then couldn't a counter article put it out?"

"What're you thinkin', son?" Pa asked as everyone's attention went to me. Wonderin' the exact same thing my pa was.

"I was thinkin' that we could take that San Fransico journalist and photographer with us high up in the mountains. He'd be able to write counter articles for us as soon anytime we wanted."

"That's a good idea, son." Pa nodded, seeming impressed with my idea. "Go fetch him while the rest of us pack up to go to the settlement." My pa ordered me while risin' to his feet.

"Don't wait for me, just go to the settlement. I'll get there when I get there." I told Pa before goin' to grab my gun, hat, and coat.

I had a plan that I couldn't tell Pa 'bout. Not if I wanted it to work that is. I needed to take that journalist, Asa M. Merriweather, to his first assignment sanctioned by us Hatfields, but Pa'd never allow it. He'd shoot down my idea for the first counter article; I couldn't have that. Not when my idea for the very first article would make people sympathize with the shit I've been thru with my family.

AN:

Hope you guys enjoyed reading the different reactions to the article. Any guesses on what Cap's idea for Asa's first Hatfield counter article is? Next up will be Cap's idea in action along with an insight to how the backlash from Jessa's article affects Mary Eldridge and Billy McCoy.