Brothers

Author's note: This idea came to me after hearing Devil Anse's line about wether or not things would have been different if he would have let Johnse marry Roseanna. This is just my version of what might have changed.

"I can't believe this is really happening," Roseanna McCoy whisphered to her finace, Johnse Hatfield, as they approached his Uncle Wall's office.

"Well, believe it darling cause you and I are fixin to be man and wife," Johnse smiled putting his arm around her and kissing the top of her head.

The two young lovers procceded into the building where Wall, Devil Anse, Levicy and Cap Hatfield awaited their arrival.

"Are you sure this is what you two want?" Wall asked the young couple.

"Absolutely," Johnse answered for both of them without hesistation.

Wall sighed and gave a sideways glance to Devil Anse who simply nodded his approval.

As his uncle began the vows Johnse searched the faces of his family. His Ma had a slight smile on her face, his Pa was stonefaced as he leaned against the bars of the jail cells smoking his pipe and his younger brother simply stared at the floor. Johnse knew that none of them truly approved of this but he was happy nonetheless that they were standing there with them unlike Roseanna's family. Roseanna's father had disowned her when he'd found out about their relationship and the rest of her family had followed suit.

"And by the power vested in me by the state of West Virginia, I now pronounce you man and wife," Wall finished.

As they embraced, Johnse leaned down and kissed his new wife. He couldn't imagine a better day, he had never thought himself the marrying kind but all that had changed when Roseanna had come along.

"Well son, I hope you two are prepared for what's to come cause life is gonna be a whole lot harder for you now," Anse said placing a hand on his eldest son's shoulder.

"Why is that, Mr. Hatfield?" Roseanna frowned.

"Because your Pa and the rest of your family ain't gonna like the fact that the two of you are married now."

"He won't care. Pappy don't want nothing to do with me no more," Roseanna replied hanging her head sadly.

"We'll be okay, Pa. We got each other now and together we can meet any obstacle thrown at us," Johnse said turning Roseanna to face him.

Roseanna lifted her head and smiled brightly at her new husband. She knew in her heart that Johnse was right. She did miss her family, her Pappy, her Mama, and all of her siblings. But she had Johnse and now that they were married she was gonna have to let go of her past and think about the future.

"What if that obstacle's a gun?" Cap said looking up.

"It won't happen, Cap. McCoy's won't cross over the Tug, they'd be outnumbered here," Johnse said trying to convince everyone including himself that there was no danger.

"Are you crazy, big brother? McCoy's ain't just gonna sit idly by while you two play happy couple," Cap answered moving closer to his brother, "And they won't be outnumbered if they show up at your house when none of us is there."

Johnse let go of Roseanna's hand and moved to confront Cap, "I can handle myself, Cap. I can protect myself and my wife from any danger that may come"

"Mark my words, someday soon her family is gonna show up to take her back and the fact that you two are married now won't matter one bit. There is gonna be hell to pay and the rest of us are gonna be caught in the crossfire."

"Alright, that's enough, boys," Levicy said stepping between her two sons, "This is a happy day and I don't want any talk of what's to come spoiling it. So let's just head on home and celebrate as a family."

Cap stood there a moment glaring at his older brother before finally adhering to his mother's request. He stomped out the door, mounted his horse and rode away.

"Don't you pay no mind to my brother, sweet darling," Johnse said returning to Roseanna's side and once again taking her hand, "He's wrong nothing is gonna happen. I believe our union will help settle things tween our two families. Hell, if it wasn't possible my Pa would have never agreed to it to begin with but you gotta believe it too. You just watch in no time at all everything is gonna be fine and no one will get hurt. I promise you. And I ain't broke a promise to you yet now have I?"

"No you haven't," Roseanna smiled and kissed him once again.

Months passed quickly and as Johnse had promised there was no sign of trouble from the McCoy family. Johnse and Roseanna had been blissfully living the life of a married couple and soon word came that Roseanna was expecting. Roseanna desperately wanted to tell her folks about the baby but Johnse wasn't so sure that it was a good idea.

"Darling, I know that you want to tell them in person but I just wanna make sure that you and our baby are safe and I just don't think that you going back there alone is a good idea. What if they don't let ya come back?"

"I know they will, Johnse. No matter how mad about us my Pappy is he won't hurt me," Roseanna answered attemping to reassure her husband that all would be alright.

"Then let me go with you, we can tell them together. We are married and the news of a baby should be delivered together anyways. That will assure them that I'm a good husband to you and that will assure me that you and the baby are safe."

"I said that they wouldn't hurt me but I can't guarantee that they won't hurt you. Remember last time when my brothers saw us kissing, they shot you. I don't wanna see that happen again."

"Ok, how about your cousin Nancy? She's comin by to visit tomorrow ain't she? You can tell her about the baby then and ask her to tell your folks. That way you'll know their feelings about it and no one will be at risk of gettin hurt."

Roseanna thought a moment, she knew that Johnse was never gonna let her go by herself and in all honestly she couldn't really blame him for it. She didn't really wanna continue to argue with him either. At least he was trying to come up with a solution that would be best for both them and hadn't demanded that someone else go with her like his brother Cap. Cap had been a little more ampicable lately than he had been on the day of their wedding but she also knew that despite losing his eye at the young age of fourteen he was still the best shot in the family. She also knew that if he did go all it would take was one insult from her brothers about his family or his eye for the shooting to start. So sighing she agreed to the compromise that Johnse had suggested.

"Thank you darling. I know that when we got married I promised that things were gonna be different but I'm not sure that they are right now but hopefully by tomorrow they will be." Johnse said wrapping his arms around her.

The next day, Roseanna told Nancy who in turn feigned happiness and promised to go directly to her aunt and uncle and tell them.

"I'll come back after I've told them, Roseanna, I promise," she smiled as she climbed into her cart.

Nancy had no intention of keeping that promise however. She knew that if delivered in the right way that this news would send her uncle and cousin's over the edge with their hatred for the Hatfield's. But she needed some help and she knew exactly who she could get to help her so she went straight into Pikeville to see Perry Cline.