The Place To Be: A Hamiton Fic

Chapter 16: Cut

Love Never Dies sucks except for this one part at the very end of the song Beautiful where the Phantom goes "he's just ten years old.... TEEEEEENNNNNN YEARSSSSSS OOOOOOOOOOOOOLD" idk I think about Love Never Dies a lot.

Enjoy this I guess. Sorry for the wait.
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Year three

Peggy's POV

"I don't understand." I mumbled, my eyes trained on the ground, my body slumped against the entryway door frame. "Thomas, what the hell? I thought we were okay. You told me we were okay!"

"Come on, Peggy." He wouldn't look at me. "You're a smart girl. You saw what happened with Alex and Eliza."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "What? Tom, what do Alex and Eliza have to do with our breakup? Alex and Eliza were a fine couple. They really only broke up because Alex realized he was.....oh."

"Yeah." Thomas frowned. "Peggy, I'm so..."

"How long have you known?" I asked him sternly, grabbing his chin to make him face me.

"Since seventh grade." Thomas admitted, rubbing his arm. "Peggy, I'm so sorry that I did this to you. You don't understand. I had to use someone to try to change myself, I didn't know what I was thinking-"

I slapped him, my mind absolutely stunned that he would say something like that. "How could you?" I asked hoarsely, my hand stinging. "You used me? You fucking used me? Because you were gay and your daddy didn't like it? Let me tell you something, Thomas Jefferson. My father isn't too fond of boys who use people. Watch your back, you fucking prick." I slammed the door in his face and slumped against it, tears rolling down my face.

I took far too long for me to stop crying and compose myself. Hours, maybe. But I somehow found the strength to pull my self off the floor, march upstairs into the bathroom, and watch as my hands reach for the scissors in slow motion.

Fuck you, Thomas Jefferson. Fuck you for making me feel too much and not at all enough.

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Eliza's POV

I was trying to sneak downstairs, while Peggy was trying to sneak up.

It was very early in the morning, around two or three am. I couldn't sleep and was planning to go on a drive or a walk, but halfway out of my room I remembered the locked basement door and the resonating sounds of Peggy's most depressing mix tape coming out from under it. Of course Jefferson had to go and break my little sister's heart. What a pig.

"Peggy!" I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into my arms. "Holy shit, Peg. I'm so sorry about Thomas."

"I'm fine, Eliza." She grumbled, trying to pull away and scurry up the stairs. I furrowed my brow. Why is she trying to run from me....? It took me a moment, but then I noticed the cut.

"Peggy!" I gasped, my hands grasping at her suddenly very short hair. "It's so short.... it stops at your ears! When did you do this?"

Peggy shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "Early today. I cut it myself. Isn't this what girls are supposed to do after a rough breakup? Cut off all their hair and cry about it? Eat ice cream and watch the entire series of Friends?"

"That's one way to go through it." I admitted, my hands still tugging on her short little curls. "I know a much better way to do it."

She rubbed her eyes. "How?"

I took Peggy's hand and led her back down the stairs with me. "Well for starters, don't do this alone. I'm here for you, Peg. Secondly, I think a nice warm slice of pie might make you feel better than dollar store ice cream."

Peggy sniffles and looked at me through watery eyes. "You think?"

"Oh honey, I know. You aren't the first girl who's boyfriend went gay for his best friend, and you definitely won't be the last. Luckily, you have an expert to help you through it." I smiled at her. "Come on, I know a place."

"I'm lucky to have you, Liza." Peggy mumbled, placing her head on my shoulder.

I shook my head. "No, sweetie. I'm lucky to have you." It's true. If I hadn't run in to Peggy on the stairs, I probably would've gone out on a lonely drive that would end with me driving my car off a bridge somewhere. Life works in mysterious ways.

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Alex's POV

"What do you mean by..... premature dementia?" I asked, my clammy hand gripping John's tightly. He sat slumped and shell-shocked next to me, his head resting on my shoulder. This was the ugliest news imaginable, the big bad wolf we'd whispered about late at night. The worst "what-if" that ever dared to cross our minds. And somehow, it had become a reality.

"What I mean, Alex, is that there is an awfully large tumor growing in your brain that we can't do much about." The doctor explained patiently. "It's far too big for us to surgically remove. It could kill you even quicker being out of your body compared to if we left it in. Which is what we think is best to do."

"I do have the choice though, don't I? Whether or not I want to try and take it out?" I had to get it out. I had to try my best to live. I had to hang on...for John, for John, so it for John....

"Well, yes." The doctor admitted. "The choice is up to you. But Mr. Hamilton, I would strongly recommend trying to fight the tumor naturally."

"No. I want it out." I told her.

"Alex." John kissed my hand softly. "Don't do this to yourself. Listen to the doctor."

"No, John!" I pulled my hand away angrily, disgusted that he would even suggest giving up. "John, I have to stay strong. I have to keep going through treatment."

"Baby, please." John begged me. "I can't do this anymore. Enough with the treatments and the medicines and this immature idea that a surgery might save you. You know it over, baby. Please. Please, let's just....stop."

"Is that what you really want?" I asked, my voice hardened with anger. John nodded in response. My eyes teared up. I couldn't believe this.....how could he just give up? How could he let me die?

"Fine." I spat, standing up. "I'll just let it be. Do I need to go on any medications?"

"Just pain meds." The doctor said, reaching for a piece of paper to fill out my prescription. "We could try and put you on something that would attack the tumor, but it would wear you out very quickly and damage your memory even more. On top of that, it might not even work."

"I'll try that." I said, ignoring the way John was reaching for my hand and sputtering his protests. "In fact, I'll try just about anything you can think of. I will not throw away my shot at beating this tumor. Not this time."