fic: The Men of Harlan
Totally un-beta'ed. Or even proof-read. I probably should proof read it. Maybe eventually. Maybe later. Had an idea, was in a coffee shop with a laptop with time to kill and decided so I decided to run with it. I hate writing dialogue, but it seemed unavoidable in this case so that bit is probably not fantastic. Also of the characters on Justified, Winona is probably my least favorite for a variety of reasons, so writing her was super weird. Because I don't get her. Well I kind of do. And I don't sympathize. And I'm trying to write from her perspective in a fair sort of way. So I don't know how that turned out. I also don't know if I'm continuing. I think I may. Mostly because I think in knowing Raylan she kind of gets Boyd and it's an interesting perspective to have.
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She sat in Arlo’s kitchen. Uncomfortable seemed like too small a word to encompass what she was feeling. Raylan had told her to stay put, and as he had taken the car, there really wasn’t much she could do.
She could see Ava and the man she was with from where she was sitting. And she could hear Arlo. Barely though. Him and the man were speaking in hushed tones, and Ava seemed to be listening intently. It didn’t escape her notice that her grip seemed to tighten on the man’s hand as the conversation continued.
She wondered what kind of man this was, what kind of man Ava had found to take away the sting of having once loved and lost Raylan Givens. She wondered if he was like Gary. She studied his profile. No, she decided. He was nothing like Gary. Gary, at his prime, was hopeful and light and innocent. This man clearly knew nothing of innocence.
Was it a Harlan thing? To lose innocence? Arlo, Raylan and this man, they seemed world weary in a way she didn’t understand. They seemed hard in a way that she couldn’t comprehend. She recognized it. The hardness. It oozed out of Raylan. But she had thought it was a uniquely Raylan thing. Now she wasn’t so sure. Even Ava seemed to have some of it.
The conversation seemed to have concluded. She heard Arlo stand and he began to walk up the stairs. He glanced over at her and she gave him a small smile. He didn’t respond and continued up the stairs. The man whispered something to Ava who nodded her head somberly. He leaned in and gave her a kiss, and whispered something else. She gave a small laugh. She could see why Raylan and this man had fell for her. She had a beautiful smile. Ava gave the man another quick kiss, and followed Arlo up the stairs.
Winona felt a pang of jealousy. She knew Arlo wasn’t a good father. He hadn’t been a good husband either, based on what Raylan had and hadn’t told her. Yet she still regretted that she wasn’t the one to feel comfortable enough to try an comfort this man. She felt jealous on behalf of Raylan, who probably wouldn’t have felt it, that this man was able to comfort Arlo in a way that Raylan wouldn’t be able to. But she knew Raylan. He didn’t give a damn whether or not his father was comforted. And it wasn’t Ava or this other man that was comforting Raylan. It was her.
She looked at the man again, who was now staring at his phone. The contents of his phone clearly didn’t interest him. He had a look in his eye that she found familiar though she couldn’t quite place it. She wondered if Raylan knew this man. She was pretty sure he did. They looked about the same age, and there was nothing to suggest he wasn’t from around Harlan.
He came into the kitchen and smiled at her. She looked up a little startled. She had been off in her own head. Didn’t notice him approaching.
“I’m afraid we haven’t been introduced.” He held out his hand. “My name is Boyd Crowder”. She looked at him, confusion evident in her face. The name Crowder was familiar for a multitude of reasons. She was fairly certain that Ava was a Crowder and that Ava had shot a Crowder. She was pretty sure that Ava had been targeted by another one of those Crowders. And she was pretty sure that Raylan had at least killed one.
“Winona Hawkins.” She smiled and extended her hand to meet his. “Are you a friend of Raylan’s?”
Boyd let out a laugh. “Well Miss Hawkins, I’d say we were, but I think you’ll find that Raylan isn’t inclined to agree.” She looked at him a little quizzically. “We have had some altercations in the past in which bullets were involved.”
He was smilling but his eyes were looking at her in a way that made her want to either laugh or flinch. She wasn’t sure which. She knew the look like she knew the back of her hand. It was the look Raylan would have on his face whenever he was sizing someone up. The look that was all politeness and charm, while behind the facade, his brain was running a million miles a minute, forming a picture. A picture that he studied. A picture that he could then manipulate.
She knew the words he picked, the hint of his and Raylan’s past wasn’t a casual mention. It had been a calculated statement designed to try an gauge a reaction. She didn’t know quite how to react. She felt like she was dealing with an alternate , dangerous, version of something she was very familiar with.
“Tell me something Mr. Crowder” she began but he quickly interrupted asking her to call him Boyd. “Boyd. You know I’ve been married to Raylan right?” He nodded. “Have you ever been married Boyd?” He shook his head. “Well, usually, you marry a person and you get to know them in a way that makes you almost hate them. And Raylan, he’d do this thing sometimes, where he would say something, just to try an size me up. To figure out what sort of mood I was in. And other times he’d just practice on me. Keep his skills sharp for his suspects and what not.”
He looked at her, still smiling, eyes conveying nothing but amusement. “I didn’t spend all that time with him without being able to pick up on when people are trying to get a read on me. So I know what your doing. I just don’t know what your trying to get out of it.”
She supposed this was a difference between Boyd and Raylan. She had been with Raylan long enough to know his tells. Boyd was a mask. A smiling mask with eyes that said they knew everything you did and probably more.
“I can see why Raylan married you.” he said with his smile still in place.
“I can see why Raylan may not be inclined to call you his friend. “ At last she saw a reaction. He looked a little startled but seemed to shake it off almost instantaneously. She knew it was ridiculous but she felt self satisfied. She smiled, perhaps a little victoriously, and asked in a polite tone. “And diid you know each other before the bullets?”
“Raylan and I dug coal together Ms. Hawkins.”
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She sat in Arlo’s kitchen. Uncomfortable seemed like too small a word to encompass what she was feeling. Raylan had told her to stay put, and as he had taken the car, there really wasn’t much she could do.
She could see Ava and the man she was with from where she was sitting. And she could hear Arlo. Barely though. Him and the man were speaking in hushed tones, and Ava seemed to be listening intently. It didn’t escape her notice that her grip seemed to tighten on the man’s hand as the conversation continued.
She wondered what kind of man this was, what kind of man Ava had found to take away the sting of having once loved and lost Raylan Givens. She wondered if he was like Gary. She studied his profile. No, she decided. He was nothing like Gary. Gary, at his prime, was hopeful and light and innocent. This man clearly knew nothing of innocence.
Was it a Harlan thing? To lose innocence? Arlo, Raylan and this man, they seemed world weary in a way she didn’t understand. They seemed hard in a way that she couldn’t comprehend. She recognized it. The hardness. It oozed out of Raylan. But she had thought it was a uniquely Raylan thing. Now she wasn’t so sure. Even Ava seemed to have some of it.
The conversation seemed to have concluded. She heard Arlo stand and he began to walk up the stairs. He glanced over at her and she gave him a small smile. He didn’t respond and continued up the stairs. The man whispered something to Ava who nodded her head somberly. He leaned in and gave her a kiss, and whispered something else. She gave a small laugh. She could see why Raylan and this man had fell for her. She had a beautiful smile. Ava gave the man another quick kiss, and followed Arlo up the stairs.
Winona felt a pang of jealousy. She knew Arlo wasn’t a good father. He hadn’t been a good husband either, based on what Raylan had and hadn’t told her. Yet she still regretted that she wasn’t the one to feel comfortable enough to try an comfort this man. She felt jealous on behalf of Raylan, who probably wouldn’t have felt it, that this man was able to comfort Arlo in a way that Raylan wouldn’t be able to. But she knew Raylan. He didn’t give a damn whether or not his father was comforted. And it wasn’t Ava or this other man that was comforting Raylan. It was her.
She looked at the man again, who was now staring at his phone. The contents of his phone clearly didn’t interest him. He had a look in his eye that she found familiar though she couldn’t quite place it. She wondered if Raylan knew this man. She was pretty sure he did. They looked about the same age, and there was nothing to suggest he wasn’t from around Harlan.
He came into the kitchen and smiled at her. She looked up a little startled. She had been off in her own head. Didn’t notice him approaching.
“I’m afraid we haven’t been introduced.” He held out his hand. “My name is Boyd Crowder”. She looked at him, confusion evident in her face. The name Crowder was familiar for a multitude of reasons. She was fairly certain that Ava was a Crowder and that Ava had shot a Crowder. She was pretty sure that Ava had been targeted by another one of those Crowders. And she was pretty sure that Raylan had at least killed one.
“Winona Hawkins.” She smiled and extended her hand to meet his. “Are you a friend of Raylan’s?”
Boyd let out a laugh. “Well Miss Hawkins, I’d say we were, but I think you’ll find that Raylan isn’t inclined to agree.” She looked at him a little quizzically. “We have had some altercations in the past in which bullets were involved.”
He was smilling but his eyes were looking at her in a way that made her want to either laugh or flinch. She wasn’t sure which. She knew the look like she knew the back of her hand. It was the look Raylan would have on his face whenever he was sizing someone up. The look that was all politeness and charm, while behind the facade, his brain was running a million miles a minute, forming a picture. A picture that he studied. A picture that he could then manipulate.
She knew the words he picked, the hint of his and Raylan’s past wasn’t a casual mention. It had been a calculated statement designed to try an gauge a reaction. She didn’t know quite how to react. She felt like she was dealing with an alternate , dangerous, version of something she was very familiar with.
“Tell me something Mr. Crowder” she began but he quickly interrupted asking her to call him Boyd. “Boyd. You know I’ve been married to Raylan right?” He nodded. “Have you ever been married Boyd?” He shook his head. “Well, usually, you marry a person and you get to know them in a way that makes you almost hate them. And Raylan, he’d do this thing sometimes, where he would say something, just to try an size me up. To figure out what sort of mood I was in. And other times he’d just practice on me. Keep his skills sharp for his suspects and what not.”
He looked at her, still smiling, eyes conveying nothing but amusement. “I didn’t spend all that time with him without being able to pick up on when people are trying to get a read on me. So I know what your doing. I just don’t know what your trying to get out of it.”
She supposed this was a difference between Boyd and Raylan. She had been with Raylan long enough to know his tells. Boyd was a mask. A smiling mask with eyes that said they knew everything you did and probably more.
“I can see why Raylan married you.” he said with his smile still in place.
“I can see why Raylan may not be inclined to call you his friend. “ At last she saw a reaction. He looked a little startled but seemed to shake it off almost instantaneously. She knew it was ridiculous but she felt self satisfied. She smiled, perhaps a little victoriously, and asked in a polite tone. “And diid you know each other before the bullets?”
“Raylan and I dug coal together Ms. Hawkins.”