Running Out of Time

Chapter 1 - Me? I Saw Him

Peggy looked around the room. She wasn't looking for anyone particular but since she had been dragged here practically against her will she thought it wouldn't hurt. Maybe she could have a little more fun if there was anyone she knew. She had only been living with her sisters for a few months and, up until this point, they always let her stay home. It wasn't something she was about to question, there were other times when they would make her go out every chance there was.

So far in this time, she had only been able to find her sisters but apparently Angelica had met with Mulligan who knew about Laurens and Lafayette. Peggy didn't know too much but she knew that this party was supposed to bring everyone together again. Getting together was somewhat of a tradition for the group. Whenever they would wake up in a new life they would always try to find each other. Sometimes it was a long process but other times it happened pretty quickly. They would always be able to recognize each other, so that made the process easier. Usually Alexander would find Laurens and the guys before he found the Schuyler sisters. This time that didn't happen, this time things were different.

Still, Peggy would have much rathered being home but her sisters were always persistent. It was a decent party but parties had just never been her thing. It was basically just a bunch of people standing around in little groups drinking and having unimportant conversations, nothing she had't seen before. Despite the fact that she didn't really think she would actually see anyone she knew, a familiar puff of hair caught her eye. Peggy smiled as Lafayette walked over to her. She could see Mulligan standing off to the side with her sisters but there was no sign of Laurens.

"Ahh, Peggy, just as beautiful as ever," Lafayette kissed her hand.

"You haven't changed at all," she smiled. Lafayette had always been a sweetheart and did little things like kiss hands, it was one of the things Peggy liked about him.

"Neither have you ma chérie," Lafayette glanced around the room as if he was looking for someone, "have you heard about Alexandre?"

"No," Peggy shook her head. She didn't hear about a lot of things but it never bothered her too much.

"No one has found him." This was strange. Alexander typically showed his face first.

"Maybe he doesn't want to be found," Peggy attempted to come up with something. Lafayette seemed to be a little worried.

"Perhaps," he glanced around again as if he was looking for someone, "it is not him that I am worried about though."

"Who is it?"

"PegGY," Laurens wrapped an arm around her, "man, am I glad you're here." It was still pretty early but that didn't stop Laurens from being drunk. The look on Lafayette's face was enough to tell her that Laurens was the concern. Peggy had a suspicion that the current state of the man on her shoulder and Alexander's missing status were connected.

She couldn't be certain but she remembered Laurens being set on telling Alexander something important before he very suddenly died. That was one of the few consistencies that followed them from life to life, Laurens was always the first to go. Peggy was soon after him, she wasn't sure of the order after that or the order they came back in. She wasn't even certain that Alexander was the first one to come back, she just knew he was the first one to try to seek out their friends.

No one really talked about the way things seemed to work for them, it was something they all just accepted. Not once did anyone really sit down and think about why things were like this. From what Peggy understood, it didn't happen with everyone else, it was only them. She wasn't ready to question it. She had always been one to just go with things. She couldn't shake the feeling that questions might start to arise, she was very much aware that no one had answers.

"Laurens, it's good to see you too," the big, goofy smile on his face was just as infectious as always. He was her best friend and, even in this state, he could make her stop worrying about anything.

--

Peggy groaned into the couch. She ended up taking Laurens home before he got too out of hand and decided to stay the night. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn't mind her company, usually he would ask her to stay. It was somewhat of a best friend tradition they had, staying with each other.

She wasn't certain about what time it was but it had to be relatively late. She could hear Laurens dragging himself around the house. Someone was talking to him but she couldn't yet make out who it was.

"I'm telling you, something's seriously weird here. Laurens. Laurens! I'm right here, I'm trying to have a problem. Laurens!"

Peggy rubbed her eyes to wake them up as she heard the two coming down the hall. It seemed like whoever the other person wasn't having a super fun time.

"Laurens! This is serious! Listen, I just got here from Eliza's, she can't see me either. Not even Angelica can see me. Laurens, please, I'm kind of freaking out here."

She sat up as the two entered the room. Peggy wasn't sure if she was really awake. Standing next to Laurens was a very frazzled Hamilton. Clearly, he was trying his hardest to get Laurens' attention.

"John Laurens, why are you doing this? Did I do something? Are you just ignoring me? If you are then I get it, I learned my lesson, you can stop," Hamilton skipped ahead and stood in front of Laurens, "please know I'm here."

Peggy wasn't sure how to react. Something was going on, she had never heard Hamilton so heartbroken. It certainly wasn't like Laurens to be acting like this. She watched as Hamilton stopped walking but, defying  her expectation, Laurens kept walking. It was almost as if he wasn't really there at all. Peggy felt a chill go down her spine as she watched Laurens walk through Hamilton as if he were nothing more than a breeze.

"You too," Hamilton's head dropped.

Laurens finally stopped and looked over at Peggy, "you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Peggy finally managed to rip her eyes away from Hamilton, "something like that." She couldn't come up with an explanation. She had absolutely no idea what was going on. Clearly, she could see and hear Hamilton when seemingly no one else could.

"Laurens," Hamilton ran up beside him still sounding desperate, "you have to help me. Someone has to be able to hear me. I'm not dead. Come on, Laurens. I can't be alone here. I don't have Eliza, Angelica, Lafayette or Mulligan, hell, I don't even have Burr. I can't not have you."

Peggy couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Hamilton. He hadn't mentioned her. Laurens was oblivious, he went to the kitchen to make some coffee. Subtly, she faked a cough in an attempt to make Hamilton realize she was there.

"Who haven't I tried," Hamilton looked at his hands to count the people he knew, "there's Jefferson but I'm not sure I want that,  oh, there's Washington, he's a good option but no one knows where he is." He turned his head only to glance at Peggy, "I doubt it. So, I have two, maybe three options and... wait," he looked at her again. Peggy smiled at him as his eyes widened. "Holy shit, do you... do you know I'm..."She nodded. Peggy did her best to contain herself while Hamilton's excitement took over. "I can't believe it. Oh my god, Peggy this is great!"

Laurens sat on the couch next to Peggy and handed her a cup of coffee. It was then that she realized it would probably be a long day. She still wasn't sure if this was all really happening and Hamilton didn't appear to have any interest in shutting up long enough to let her think.