Corset in Congress (A Hamilton Genderbend)

Chapter Twenty-Three: Non-Stop

Burr's POV

After the war, I went back to New York. Unfortunately, so did Alexandra.

The Alexandra in my head yells, "After the war, I went back to New York!"

I roll my eyes. I finished up my studies and I practiced law, I think, focusing my thoughts to shut her out. Sadly, it doesn't work.

"I practiced law. Burr worked next door," she teases, and I contemplate smashing my head against a rock repeatedly.

Even though we started at the very same time, Alexandra Hamilton began to climb. How to account for her rise to the top? Man, the ma'am is non-stop!

Flash forward

We're at our first trial, and Alexandra won't shut up. What else is new? I mean, all her points are valid, but they're not all necessary. 

"Gentlemen of the jury, I'm curious." she says, pacing back and forth in front of the stands. "Are you aware we're making history? This is the first murder trial of our brand-new nation. The liberty behind deliberation."

There are nods of assent, and I sigh in relief. "I intend to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, with my assistant counsel--"

I cut in, jumping to my feet. This I won't tolerate. "CO-counsel! Hamilton, sit down. Our client Levi Weeks is innocent, call your first witness." I address the jury, then turn to her, exasperated. "That's all you had to say."

She looks at me a moment, then, "Okay." She adopts a tone one would use with a small child. Grinding my teeth, I watch as she leaps up once more. "One more thing..."

Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? The more times I think it, the angrier I get, so, naturally, I keep repeating it. Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room. Soon that attitude may be your doom.

Watching her dance around the room with fervent hand gestures only feeds my rage, and I continue my tirade. Why do you write like you're running out of time? Write day and night like you're running out of time? Everyday you fight like you're running out of time. Keep on fighting. In the meantime...

I snap out of it in time to hear Alexandra bashing people, as per usual. "Corruption's such an old song that we can sing along in harmony, and nowhere is it stronger than in Albany." Pointing an accusatory finger, she forges on. "This colony's economy is increasingly stalling, and honestly, that's why public service seems to be calling me!"

She's just non-stop. Regular people would take a break to get a drink of water or something, but nope!

"I practiced the law, I practically perfected it." I roll my eyes. Arrogant, self-centered, too smart for her own good... "I've seen injustice in the world, and I've corrected it. Now for a strong central democracy, if not then I'll be Socrates, throwing verbal rocks at these mediocrities!"

Hamilton at the Constitutional Convention

I remember she came to me first. I was the first one to see the glow in her eyes and the breathless excitement in her voice when she said, "I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention!"

She's there as a New York junior delegate.

I get nightmares about what happened next.

"Now what I'm gonna say may sound indelicate," she warned them, but she only said that so she could talk smack about everyone and no one could stop her. Then she goes and proposes a new form of government! Her own plan for a new form of government, which isn't actually that bad, but don't worry. It gets worse.