Falling Through Time: Basking in Firelight: Book 2

Gunpowder Treason and Plot

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I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

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If you need a pick me up, go read Pride Parade in my one shot book. That should heal your heart some.

Then you can come back here and get it ripped apart again.

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Warnings: death. I don't even know how to type these warning. My God, I'm a monster. Sadness. Heartbreak. I can't. I'm crying. The music I'm listening while I'm writing this, gah.

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There was more to the plot than they thought. It wasn't just a homicidal Laurens bent on murdering the presidents, backed by the man Jefferson swore to never forget was connected to the entire Govey rebellion. Things were not so clear in life. When one thinks one knows it all, one turns to find they know nothing at all after all.

But Jefferson had more important things to see to. Hamilton.

That evening, when the doctors kicked Madison and Jefferson out of the hospital, Jefferson went to visit Matthews. Well, he says visit but it was more of an interrogation. They sat in a room, Matthews with all sorts of different bandages around his abdomen, out of everyone, he got off the luckiest.

Everytime Jefferson so much as looked at the guy, his mouth got a terrible taste and every horrid torture memory flashed through his mind. Ending with Hamilton collapsing.

"Why?" Jefferson asked, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against his chair, using every ounce of self-control he had not to strangle the man right there.

"What do you mean why? Isn't it obvious?"

"No."

Matthews laughed, "I never realized it before but now that I look back, it all became clear. You and Hamilton, you two are the real villains of this story. Always have been. Starting revolts? Creating anarchy? Throwing peace out of the window? You literally rigged the system so you two would be the ruling powers. It was always set up so that you'd come out on top, wasn't it? Screw the rest of us as long you and your precious Alexander could remain together forever. Well fuck you, I took that from you, I took your King. I won. Ha! And now there's only one king left in play."

Jefferson stood suddenly, the chair launching back across the room from the sudden momentum. He was about half a second away from launching at him and literally tearing the heart from his chest when the pale, regal hand of Fredericks laid on his shoulder. "Tut tut, Thomas, what have we discussed?"

"Wake up and see the truth Jefferson, you two couldn't last four years of not being in the spotlight. Things didn't go your way? Things get a little boring? Blow something up, that's always been your solution. Face it. Alexander is your King, cry all you want about posterity but you're the one who can't function without him. Look at you, you're pathetic, you haven't washed Burr's and Alexander's blood from your clothes. Your eyes are bloodshot. Your King is gone, you lost. You lost at your own game. How's that feel?"

"Alexander isn't dead!"

"And so he admits it."

"I think this has gone on long enough," Fredericks soothed easily. "Matthews, despite your claim that this was all for me and my cause, and how you know everything of everyone, you are rather blind. Even more so than Thomas here, and that's saying something."

Jefferson growled, "This isn't your place King."

"No, but it was, until you ran off and made amuck of things. I tried to tell you. But did you listen? No. I had to go find someone a little more willing to look past old grudges. At least Adams was smart enough for that."

Jefferson sneered.

"Explain to me how I have disappointed your Magisty," Matthews pleaded. "I was winning your war."

Fredericks shook his head. "It was never my war. This," he gestured around, "Was caused by the other bigoted arseholes who ruled alongside me. My hand is found no where but in the efforts of trying to keep this nation from turning entirely to ash. Homophobic? Me? No. I believe those sparks of individuality is the most important part of a nation. I've been in the background, trying to prevent the chaos befallen to us. The war, unnecessary. The second war, unnecessary. The reform of a nation. Completely necessary. If someone had taken a step past passed occurrences, everything would have been sorted with a lot less blood spilled."

Fredericks turned to Jefferson. "Don't kill him, he has information we need." Then the king swept from the room, a person Jefferson had not expected him to be. Most likely to return home to his husband.

***

Jefferson went home. He went to Alexander who was barely hanging on. When he entered the hospital room, Alexander was barely keeping his eyes open as the doctor started to explain his condition. Jefferson sank down into the chair next to Hamilton and grasped his hand.

"The bullet entered his right side," the doctor address Jefferson since he was there, "right between the ribs. It tore through his esophagus and struck his spine."

"It's a mortal wound, doctor," Hamilton announced. The doctor looked at him sadly. "I can't feel my legs."

Jefferson's grip tightened on Hamilton's hand. After all this time, after all of Jefferson's sacrifices and attempts, the bullet that had always been destined for Hamilton finally caught up to him. It didn't matter that he was wearing Jefferson's specially designed Kevlar. It didn't matter they were always armed. It didn't matter because they never planned for someone who knew all their habits to betray them, for someone who loved them and fought with them to use special armor-piercing bullets just to bring them down. They expected anyone but Laurens. Anyone but him.

"Tell Burr I'm sorry."

"Of course," Jefferson promised. Burr didn't even make it to the hospital. "Of course I'll tell Burr."

"Can you hear it, Thomas?"

"Yes, yes I can hear it."

"The Impossible Duet."

"Our life story."

"Thomas, no matter what happens, you have to-"

"Alexander?"

"Alexander?"

"Alexander goddamnit speak to me!"

"Alexander!"

The Impossible Duet played itself out for the last time.

Angry hot tears rolled down his face as he screamed bloody murder and began smashing hospital equipment. No one dared do anything to stop him. He swiped the tears from his face and stalked out of the room, a man on a mission. Only Madison saw the gleaming silver pistols in his hand when Jefferson passed him in the hallway.

Madison turned a blind eye. Perhaps he would've done something, if not for his own actions.

Jefferson busted through the door, "Well, if it isn't-"

BANG

Matthews slid to the floor and Jefferson closed the door behind him as he left.

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