Hold Me

Chapter 17 - Helpless

The week dragged on. Hamilton and Laurens had been closer than they ever had been before. Hamilton was showing no sign that he had even considered speaking with Jefferson. In fact, Hamilton seemed to be happier ever which only made Laurens happier. 

Lafayette was prematurely heart-broken over what was coming but he was doing his best to hide it. He hated Jefferson just as much as Hamilton did. Lafayette had his own opinions about what they should have done but he kept them to himself. Lafayette was determined to make sure Jefferson didn't win this. He cared about his friends too much to let that happen. However, Lafayette was also fairly patient. He would wait for the right time. 

Lafayette had been sitting on his bed taking off the old nail polish. He looked up when he saw Hamilton and Laurens walking towards the building hand in hand. They were the cutest couple, next to Lafayette and Hercules of course. Hamilton stopped and took Laurens other hand in his. The two stood there for a few minutes, it looked like they were talking. Hamilton put his head down and Lafayette saw Laurens shake his head. Lafayette shifted to try and get a better look. Hamilton said something to Laurens. Laurens pulled his hands away and walked in the building. 

"Hercules, call the girls," Lafayette said, still looking outside. 

"Are you sure?"

Hamilton stayed standing in the snow by himself. Looking around Lafayette saw Jefferson walking back inside from his balcony. "I'm sure."

This, unfortunately, had been what they knew was coming.  

It took Peggy less than two minutes to be in Lafayette and Hercules' dorm room. 

"Who's going in there first?" Lafayette asked while already looking at Peggy. She nodded and made her way to Laurens.

--

"Laurens," she stuck her head in the door. "You in here?" She walked in after getting no response. Peggy stood in the middle of the room, "Laurens, I'm here." She watched as he walked out of the bedroom.

His face was red from crying. "He..." Laurens sniffled and tried to compose himself. He was very upset. "He said that he couldn't do it anymore. He said it hurt too much to love me." Tears began to fall again. "What does that even mean?"

Peggy hugged Laurens. "It'll be okay, I promise."

Laurens shook his head. His heart was broken, he felt shattered. He couldn't grasp why Hamilton would do that to him. If Hamilton had felt that something was wrong he would have said something. Nothing had been wrong until right now. In this moment, everything felt wrong. He wouldn't leave like that.

Laurens was trying to think back. He was trying to see if there had been an hints that this was coming. He kept coming up empty handed. This only made him hurt more. 

--

Hamilton had no where to go. He couldn't go to Laurens. There was nowhere. Now, he felt more alone than he ever had. Hamilton had no idea what he was going to do. He was helpless.

"Alexander," he looked up and saw Eliza and Angelica walking outside. They couldn't have been going anywhere, they didn't have their coats on. They began to pull him inside.

"Girls, I'd really rather-"

"You're coming with us," Angelica told him. Her tone told him not to object even though he desperately wanted to.

Once they heard what he did then they would hate him. He hated him right now. Laurens would never forgive him. Hamilton wasn't sure he could even forgive himself. He had allowed Jefferson to get his way, now there was no turning back. At least he could pretend that things might return to normal someday.

--

It had been about an hour but they had Laurens feeling better. He was drunk but he was feeling better. Lafayette and Hercules were making sure Laurens was well distracted while Peggy gathered some of Hamilton's things. He was too stay with the sister's for a few days while everything settled. No one knew exactly how things were going to go.

Eliza and Angelica had a similar idea about cheering up Alexander. He was also drunk but he had also filled up half of one of Eliza's notebooks. The girls knew it was best to let him do his thing, it seemed to make him feel better.

--

Maria knew that she would have to take a different route. There was no way she could directly go to Jefferson and have things play out smoothly. She would have to work her way there. There was one thing that would help her pull this off. Jefferson had no idea that she was friends with Alexander. 

 Although Maria didn't like it, she would have to get in their crew. She had already discussed it with the Schuyler sisters, they had agreed. Maria had been waiting in the stairwell for an hour for her opportunity to arise.

"Aaron Burr, just the man I was looking for."