Running Out of Time

Chapter 25 - There Goes The General (And Any Idea Of A Good Dream)

Hamilton opened his eyes and looked around. He was sitting on a hill in the middle of somewhere he didn't recognize. There were no signs anywhere to be seen. The grass was just starting to peak through, it was early spring and the air was still chilled. He could see an old dirt road at the bottom of the hill, it was starting to become overgrown and fall apart.

He wasn't precisely sure what was going on but he wasn't convinced he cared. Hamilton stood up as footsteps came down the road toward him.

"There's an old bridge," a voice said before anyone was in sight, "it's looks good to cross." Hamilton certainly hadn't expected to see Jefferson come into view. "Do you want to check it out?"

"If you think it's promising," Hamilton spoke without thinking. He knew that it was his body standing there but he didn't think he was in control. "You know," he said as he walked down the hill, "I never thought we would end up here."

"What? Getting along or alive," Jefferson raised an eyebrow.

"A little bit of both," Hamilton shrugged and made his way down the road.

It didn't take long for the two to approach the bridge. It was fairly old, some the rope was frayed but the wood looked secure. Hamilton decided he would be the first to cross Despite some protest, he went anyway. Both of them had crossed without any trouble, it was a good sign. Hamilton still had no idea what was going on but he figured he was doing a decent job of rolling with it. Together, they continued along the path. There wasn't much to see, mostly trees. Hamilton was still surprised at how little they had argued.

Finally, they came upon a house. The driveway was long but through the trees they could see the structure. They exchanged a look before walking closer to investigate. It wasn't anything they hadn't seen before, another empty house with nothing to spare.

"Damn it," Hamilton sighed and plunked himself on the front steps.

"We'll find something," Jefferson paced around the lawn.

"Where," Hamilton was tired, he could feel it. "There's nothing here, we're all just..."

"Too late?"

"I didn't say that."

"You thought it."

"You don't know that."

"You do."

"Listen," Hamilton stood up and made his way directly up to Jefferson, they were closer than he would've liked but there was no turning back now, "we're not too late. We're not anything. We just have to think like they do for a while. We have to," Hamilton stammered a little as he thought, "we have to have hope or whatever." That was when he realized something that they had seen before but payed no attention to.

"Hope? Hope is going to fix this?"

"Hope..." Hamilton turned quickly and began to run down the road, Jefferson chased after him.

"Where are you going? Hamilton!" Hamilton wasn't listening, he was on to something. He ran across the bridge with no regard for safety. There was a dirt and dust covered plague on a stand next to the bridge. He worked with some strength to wipe it off enough to read. "Alexander!" Jefferson hadn't crossed the bridge yet.

"Son of a bitch," Hamilton whispered to himself before shouting it louder. Hamilton ran back across the bridge and did some careful math in his head. "I we hurry we should make it just as it gets dark," he began to make his way back down the path.

"Hamilton," Jefferson followed after him, "wait, where are we going?"

"A little place called Hope," Hamilton quicker his pace slightly, "clever son of gun, glad I married it."

--

Hamilton sat upright in the bed. It had just been a dream. He wasn't sure what had rightfully happened but he didn't want to think about it. It was just a dream, that was it. He looked over as Laurens came running through the door.

"Alexander, there's news!"

"What kind of news," Hamilton rubbing his eyes and stretched.

"That depends on who you ask," Laurens let out an excited little shrug before he settled down.

"What is it," he began to stand up.

"It's Washington."

"Did you find him?" Hamilton had been waiting some time to see him, he had a few things wanted to go over.

"Umm," Laurens thought for a moment, "not in the way you would like."

"Laurens."

"He's dead."

"That's not possible."

--

"Is it broken," Peggy looked at Laurens and Hamilton from across the table.

Laurens nodded, "I think so."

She began to laugh. It was enough for Eliza to join them in the room, "what are we laughing at?"

"Laurens thinks it's over," she quickly settled down, "it's over."

Eliza looked over at Hamilton and Laurens as they all heard Jefferson walk inside. "Angelica!" It appeared as if the news had spread.

Peggy looked up, "I guess... this is it. There's no order. We don't know who's going to die or when. We're like... normal people."

"We are," Laurens smiled a little. He was somewhat relieved that he wasn't going to die first. He could live a little without so much worry. Things were finally coming around for them all. Laurens figured this would be good for Eliza as well, she wouldn't have to lose everybody this way.

Things could finally be normal for all of them. It might even turn out to be nice.

--

"I have a feeling," Hamilton was leaning against the counter next to Peggy. Everyone else was in the other room celebrating their freedom.

"So do I," she nodded slightly without looking at him.

"I don't know if it's good or not," he turned to face her more, "it doesn't feel like either of those."

"Somewhere in between," she stepped forward and turned to face him. "Have you had any, I don't know, weird dreams lately?"

"At least two, why," he raised an eyebrow. It seemed as if she was trying to be on to something even though she wasn't sure as to what that something was.

"We've all been having some. I think it might have to do wrong the cycle being over or whatever, it makes the most sense right now," she sipped her drink.

"So, what you're getting at is that they might mean something?" Hamilton was fairly certain that he was following whatever vague trail she was trying to blaze.

"Something," Peggy nodded, "I just don't know what."

"I guess we'll just have to figure it out," he half smiled.

"I guess we will."

--

"Alex," Laurens slumped an arm over his shoulders, "this is just fantastic."

Hamilton knew Laurens had a little more champagne than he probably should have had. "It is pretty nice."

"Now we can do all the things we never got to."

"Like what," Hamilton looked over at him. Laurens was basically in his lap so it wasn't hard.

"Climb a mountain, eat some pie, get married, get a kid, all those things."

"A kid," Hamilton repeated.

"In like twenty years or something, who knows? We have full lives ahead of us now," Laurens patted his cheek. "We can do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?"

"Yep," Laurens nodded.

"I want you to go to bed."