It was another cloudy day with a chilly wind threatening to freak the outside world solid. Chyna stood before Cap as he blocked her way to the front door. "There ain't no way I'm lettin' the two of yous out in that mess of a freeze," Cap said. Chyna struggled to keep herself from giggling at the long frown on Cap's face.
With his arms folded across his chest, he peered down at her. "But Luella will need me down at the Saloon." Chyna reasoned. "let that new girl handle it." Cap said quickly. "Oh come on Cap, it's not snowing of nothin'. I can go, I'll be fine if you take me to town." Chyna reasoned.
"It ain't snow, now, but it might snow on the way there, or later on the way back." Cap said, he pointed to his face, "I'm pretty good with one eye but I wouldn't test it in the middle of snowfall." He said, "there's still bushwackers all ov'r the gawdang place. The ground might get icy and you could fall." Cap went on.
"I ain't gon' fall, Cap." Chyna giggled, "You don't know that, it could happen." Cap said quickly. "Cap lots of things could happen. The wind could blow so hard it knocks one of them trees outside over, an' it could fall on the cabin. or there could be a rockslide an' it'd take half the cabin down." Chyna tried to reason.
However, she soon regretted it as Cap looked down at her with wide eyes, "I-I think I cleared the trees back far 'nough when I built the place....there is an old Beech, things goes up forever, it could be problem." he murmured, Cap's eyes then when to the back wall of the house, the mountain face. "can't do much about that..." he said.
"Lord Cap I was foolin!" Chyna gasped. "those things could happen though." Cap said. Chyna chuckled and took his face into her hands. "Cap by all rights I could step out that door there to use to loo, and the sky could fall, the ground could open up, a big old bear could rush in an' a stray bullet could zip out of the sky that is falling all at once," Chyna said. Cap was trying his best to listen but found himself lost in her eyes and melting at the warmth of her hands on his face.
Things that would always feel like the first time. " it all could happen, don't mean theys will happen." Chyna said. Cap gave her a sheepish grin, "awright fine," He sighed, "I won't go out and hack down that Beech tree to reinforce the roof." He said, leaning forward he dropped two kisses upon the bridge of her nose.
"But you still ain't goin' to the Saloon in the freezin' cold." He added.
"Cap!" Chyna called, "not going," He said quickly. Cap picked Chyna up and headed towards their bedroom. "Well we gotta go get Cotton from your Ma's anyway," Chyna said. "That's different and we ain't gonna go nowheres. I'ma go." He said.
"....Cap I've gotta pee." Chyna sighed. Cap turned lightly on the ball of his foot and headed back to the door with Chyna in tow. "I can walk!" Chyna said in a roar of giggles, Cap couldn't stop himself from grinning, "yeah but I like this better." He hummed. He gaze on her soft as he lugged her through the cabin. "what happened to tall that talk about slippin' on ice/' she asked. Cap held his head high and Chyna could feel him puff out his chest, "I wouldn't drop you two for the world." he said.
The wind was cold, and the hills were silent, Chyna's playful protests seemed to echo through the frosty air. With Cotton gone to help Levicy with his little cousins, there was no one around for a few miles, just Chyna, Cap, and what few animals they had on the property. Halfway to the outhouse, Cap's foot lost its balance. Chyna's giggles turned into a soft yelp "shit!" Cap cursed.
Holding her tight, he aimed to fall on his back, the snow shot into the air around them. Cap could feel Chyna's body shaking and a tingle shot through his body, "damn it...what did you hurt?" He called, Chyna shook her head and it only rose Cap's alarm. "h-hold on!" he said, sitting her up with him he turned Chyna gently to face him.
"you..." His words were lost as Chyna gasped for air, her silent laughter finally finding sound. "ahahaha!" she howled, "Y-you shoulda seen you're face!" she giggled. Cap gawked at her with his mouth open. "I thought you'd been hurt!" Cap cried out. "I-I'm sorry but..but...haha..." Chyna still couldn't stop herself. Cap glared and he could feel his ears turning bright red.
Chyna tried to calm herself down, she peeked up at Cap, he's knocked his hat off, and a large lump of snow rested on top of his head in its place. Maybe it was lack of air from laughing so hard, but Chyna could have sworn the lump of snow almost looked hat-shaped.
Chyna covered her mouth trying to stop another bout of laughter. "What is it?" Cap asked, his glare no more than a playful leer now as the panic was starting to fade. "You gotta new hat." Chyna giggled. "what?" Cap asked, he reached his hands to the top of his head and felt the snow. "oh for...cryin' out loud..." he muttered, brushing the snow away.
A smile managed to come to his face as he smiled at her, watching her continue to giggle quietly. "oh go on an' to pee before you do it right here. all that laughin'" Cap said with a cheeky grin. "You shouldn't be down here in the snow no ways." He added. Cap carefully got to his feet and helped Chyna up. Her laughter died down and she looked tp him, "are you ok?" she asked. Cap gave her a gentle smile, "I'm jus' fine, I can take a fall. Not the first or last time. jus' don't do that to me again, please." he said.
Meanwhile, across the Tug River, Johnsey had returned home. He had hoped to find Nancy in better spirits and much to his delight he had. "Welcome back home, you were gone an awfully long time," Nancy said words covered in sugar as she sat Johnsey down at their small table. Johnsey beamed, as he watched Nancy skitter around the table to the cooking pot. She filled him a bowl of hot soup. "Oh..you know was helping out Ma with the new baby," Johnsey said.
The smell of the soup was making his stomach growl, and he didn't want to risk bringing up the fact that he was also helping his father fortify the territory. Nor did he want to remind her that she seems sore at him before he left. Nancy was in a good kind mood and he wasn't going to ruin it.
Nancy gave a hum of a reply, carrying the bowl to the table she sat it before him, handing Johnsey a spoon, "and how's everyone doing?" Nancy asked, Johnsey quickly shoveled a few spoonfuls into his mouth, the soup seemed to warm his whole body in an instant. "oh, you know. Ma's tired. Newborn and all them kids which still needs her." He said between spoonfuls, "everyone else is always busy, Cotton top and Chyna help Ma when she needs it. But that'll change after a while, you know Cap's gonna be a Pa soon...Hear him talking with Ma. Has been running around with extra energy and this annoyin' smile every sense." Johnsey said.
"But I s'pose I'm happy for 'em. Never seen him so happy before." Johnsey added.
Nancy coughed slightly, "a baby?" she asked, it took everything she had not to twist her face into a scowl. She hid her fists under the table as they shook, her nails digging into her skin. "Yeah...ain't that somethin? they gotta be crazy, doing that around here. Then again, they won't be here long. They jus' come from that place in New York. Cap says it real nice. They're friggerin' on moving up there." Johnsey went on.
Nancy calmed herself and looked to Johnsey, she shrugged a bit "well,l what's wrong with down here?" she asked. "well...for one Cap's still sore about what you did." Johnsey said. "I told you Calvin made me do it!" Nancy shouted. "I believe you...dang, don't mean he do. You know how they are, my folks," he said quickly.
Nancy watched as he ate, a silence lingered, but Johnsey seemed not to mind, "when they gonna move?" Nancy asked. "who knows, when things calm down, that's not gonna happen no time soon. Then again, Cap's always worried somethin's gon' happen. So I wouldn't put it past him, leavin early." said Johnsey.
Nancy side glanced, a frown hidden on her. "Hey, Nanc? can I have some more soup?" Johnsey asked her. Nancy got up from her chair and waved him off "yeah, yeah it's in the pot. Get it yourself. I gotta run into town for a bit. we need more....flour." Nancy said, her words distracted as she slipped on her coat.
Johnsey looked towards a small cabinet near the cooking pot, therein was three bags of flour. "But Nancy... you'll freeze out there," Johnsey called. "It's just a little cold, I'm used to the cold Johnsey. stop whinnin' and eat your soup." Nancy called as she stepped out the door. Johnsey watched as it closed behind her, he could hear Nancy out by the horses gearing up to leave.
Looking about the small cabin Johnsey shook his head, alone again. Getting up from his chair he went back to the cooking pot "Least she made you somethin' to fill your gut." He thought, refilling his bowl. Johnsey gazed into the soup, wishing he'd stayed back with his family.
Seating himself back at the table, he looked at the empty chair across from him. In the back of his mind, he imagined Roseanna sitting across the table, He could picture her as clear as day, That smile that dipped down into a curve something like a duckbill and that kitten-like face. He imagined they'd be laughing and talking right about now, she would worry about how the soup tasted and ask him how his day went.
Johnsey heaved a big sigh and looked to the side of the table, there would also be a high chair, one he made. It would have painted it white and had Levicy add flowers to the back of it. Johnsey pushed all of these thoughts out of his head. He had Nancy, it wasn't perfect but he loved her, or...sometimes it felt like he did.
Down in Pikeville Nancy rushed into the Saloon and up the grand stairs, bellow sitting at a table Bray shook his head. That large shinning grin on that woman's face was never a good thing and he knew it, It usually led to the capture of a Hatfield - true enough. However, it also led to Logan scowling for the next couple of days, and Bray could do without another lecture on how the law should work.
Logan who stood leaning against the doorway watched Nancy's flight up the stairs in silence. downing his drink he left a quarter on the counter, "save the short bit for the man named Bray's tab." he muttered, grabbing his coat and leaving.
Kathryn sat down at a table with Jim McCoy in quiet discontent. Jim was to meet with Ransom Bray and Bad Frank here to discuss the hunt for Hatfields. It seemed she didn't get much time with Jim and with the way things were happening Kathryn wanted to be close to him. She knew going in that what was happening to his family was dangerous, but she never expected all of this.
Jim cast Kathryn an apologetic smile and tenderly took her hand, "I'm sorry, I know you don't much like this place." he said, his large eyes looking down at her melted away some of the anger she felt. "But the sooner we end this the sooner this place is just a bad memory, everything that's happened, just a bad memory." He said softly, resting his forehead against hers Jim smiled. "Then we can start our life together..." He murmured.
Opening his eyes, his eyelashes tangled into her own, and Kathryn couldn't help but smile. she gave his chest a pat, "don't worry about me. I just don't like that woman." Kathryn sighed. "To be honest..." Jim sighed pulling away from her, "I don't care too much for cousin Nancy either. She scares me." Jim chuckled.
Kathryn's eyes wandered to a new face among the ladies of the Saloon, a blonde with golden hair. Kathryn didn't like the air around her, it felt like a cat before it chases a wounded bird, a hunger for an opportunity. Turning to Jim Kathryn lightly shook him with a gloved hand, "Jim... who is that?" She asked.
Jim scanned the Saloon with his eyes, "who is who, Kathryn?" he asked. "her over the-"
Kathryn fell silent as the woman seemed to have vanished. "where did she go?" Kathryn asked.
Up the stairs, Susanne wandered the halls looking for a familiar voice, "This sow seems to be having more luck than I've been havin'" she thought, wandering from door to door listening in. "The big bounties is mine an' I won't let 'er have them," she muttered.
A wolfish smile came to Susanne's face as she could hear Bad Frank's voice on the other side of the last door down the hall. Carefully she pressed her ear to the door, listening.
"Johnsey's got a big, wide, and winded mouth!" Nancy cheered, holding up a bottle of wine, Bad frank watched her form his place on the bed a lusty grin creeping onto his face as he had just finished watching Nancy undress. "You've got a location for a McCoy then?" He asked her.
"well...no, but I got a way for you to lure one in." Nancy sang, heading towards the bed in an awkward dance, swinging her hips from side to side as far as they would go. "and I think you're gonna like it." she whispered. Bad Frank arched a brow and watched as the brunette crawled up his body. "oh yeah? I know what I'd like more..." He murmured.
Nancy giggled, "You ain't even heard it yet." she said, leaning to his ear she whispered with hot breath, "You can lure one William Anderson Hatfield Jr. and get rid of an old pain in the ass."
Bad Frank looked to Nancy with wide eyes, a dark smirk creeping across his face, "yeah? how?" He asked. "She's carrying a bastard mulatto, and Cap Hatfield is over the moon. Catch her, and he'll mess himself trying to get to her. You can kill 'em both if you like." Nancy said giggling. Bad Frank's smirk grew, "You're a devil woman." he murmured drawing her closer to him and into a rough kiss.
Susanne grinned, backing away from the door, she looked down the hall "this is too easy." she thought to herself, happily prancing up the hall. "Time to wrangle some idiots to make it easier." she sighed, pleased with the outcome of the afternoon.
"Are you mad." Calvin hissed in a whisper, he hung out of the front door to the family home, his dark eyes glaring at Susanne. "Ma doesn't like you around here, just go home - I ain't helpin you no more!" Calvin barked. "Don't you want this war to end? No more death an' your dear only remaining older brother can start his life with that odd wife of his." Susanne sang. Calvin shook his head vigorously "no, no I don't want it like this. Jesus, Susanne....using a man's unborn child. It ain't right - you'll fry in hell." Calvin breathed.
"Yeah and I'm sure I'll see ya there, ain't that right cousin? You've done things just as bad." Susanne taunted. Calvin looked like he would be sick as he stepped out side of the door, closing it lightly behind him. He glanced back at it, his mother was resting but he didn't want her to hear. "I repented for what I've done, I've made it right...mostly." Calvin whispered.
Susanne let out a loud cackle, "You're so damn stupid, Calvin ol'boy." She mused. Susanne rested both hands on her hips and smirked, "Them folk done killed three of your brothers, you ol' Uncle Harmon, Your Cousin Paris and ran poor silly Sam alls the way outta Virginia," she hooted leaning forward with amusement "Knocked up oh so perfect little Roseanna, left her to get fat and swollen. then let her pop out a sickly child that made her sickly herself!" Susanne pointed a finger at him and chuckled "and to top if all off they stole your pig. tsk tsk. and here's you, all yella and green sick at the thought of getting some well-deserved justice." she hummed.
Calvin looked Susanne square in the eyes and scowled, "I'm glad the pain of our family amuses you." he growled, Leaning forward he looked down at her with a glare, "But the thing you're talking about ain't justice. It's sickness, it was in my brothers, it's in the Hatfields, its in the dirt, water, roots, and air. It's this place." He said, sadness flashing through his eyes. "I don't care, what they've done. That's a thing in Chyna that ain't never did nothin' to no one. It don't know the world is ugly and It don't know how to be ugly. I ain't gonna help you." He snapped,
Opening the door behind him with one hand, Calvin stepped back into the house and slammed the door in Susanne's face.
Susanne scowled and crossed her arms, stomping her foot in frustration, "well shoot...oh well." Susanne sighed, "Plan B it is, there's always more than one way to skin a coon." she hummed, with a skip in her step she headed for her horse, she'd have to wander her way down to the darker parts of Pikeville, where disloyalty might warrant some less than savory behavior, that and old rivalries.