Almost | Jeffmads ✓

·-21-· Beware, It Goeth Before The Fall! ·-21-·

"I said I'm fine!!" Madison barked bitterly at me as he tried to pick himself off the floor. Madison had recently been tackled to the ground by a heart knight, his arm taking a hit from a metal sword hilt. Laurens managed to get the knight off of him, the poor guy soon ending up knocked out by a bush.

Though I tried to help Madison up, he kept rejecting my sympathy by barking at me or smacking my hand away. He finally got himself off of the floor, holding his arm in pain.

"Hatter, you okay?" Mariah asked him carefully, seeing how he responded to me a few seconds earlier.

"I'm fine," Hatter answered, though a bit more gentle towards the red twin. That sent a pang of jealousy throughout me, something that I managed to turn off sooner or later.

"Let's just keep going," Hatter insisted.

"We'll make camp soon," Hamilton assured, urging Phillip to continue trudging through the forest. We had completely lost the small army that tried to chase us down, with the exception of the Heart Knight of course. The relief that washed over me as the hellish noises of stomping and horses whinnying died down behind us will always be a memory I would go back to. If I remember any of this after this dream is over. Let's just hope I do, because this is certainly an adventure.

But as Hamilton promised, we did make camp, almost. Basically, it was just a small- a very small- clearing in the forest where all there was, was grass, a couple medium sized rocks, and a dead tree that has fallen over.

We debated over who should collect more firewood for tonight and who should start the fire and who should look for a water source or water. It ended up with the twins starting the fire (probably not worth good idea), Lafayette, and Laurens collecting firewood, Hamilton and Phillip looking for any food, and of course, I get stuck with Madison looking for a water supply.

We didn't talk much. Hell, we didn't talk at all. After the heartfelt encouragement he gave me last night, I at least expected a "Hey, how are you?" But of course, you can't really expect anything too much from Hatter. I mean, Madison. He's so unpredictable at times but at the same time, he's not. I'm starting to get why he's called the Mad Hatter.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Madison asked me, looking around the forest.

"No," I rolled my eyes. "All I hear is your overbearing ignorance."

Madison ignored my snappy remark, shaking his head to walk towards a bush. He pushed a tall bush aside, walking through it.

"Hey, wait up!" I called after him. I pushed through the bush, soon finding a steep slope which I fell down from, landing in a small shallow river.

"Shit!" I sputtered, spitting out water. I saw Hatter stare at me before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"It's not funny!" I stood up, walking out from the river with wet socks. The water was dressing, considering how it was already a little warm outside.

"To you, maybe not," he placed a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle some laugh. "But for me it is."

I noticed how his eyes glimmered with amusement. And how his shoulder shook from laughing. Or how every time he stopped to take a breath, he would continue of laughing, as if he was replaying the moment of seeing a grown man tumble down a small but steep slope and into a river. Thinking about that now, it did seem kind of funny.

"Let's just do our actual jobs and get the water!" I grumbled.

"Right, of course," Madison mused, handing me a jug. Seeing Madison genuinely happy like this, kind of made my heart flutter. It was a breath of fresh air from the usually snappy and sarcastic Hatter. And for once, he seemed more like a Madison to me instead of Hatter. As I finished filling the jug with water, I handed it to Madison, the suddenly heavy jug almost toppling from his grasp.

"Maybe I should carry it."

"After seeing what you did now?" Madison smiled. "No way!"

"I get it, it's funny to see people fall. It's not a big deal," I rolled my eyes.

"It's not why you fell down. It's how you fell down!" Madison chuckled, before walking away. "Come on then, if you're so eager to go back to camp." I followed him through the forest, stopping when I heard mumbling and hushed voices. I peeked around one of the trees, seeing Hamilton.

What I didn't expect was Burr, standing in front of him with clenched fists. I listened in on their conversation as it seemed to get a little heated. 

"Shut the fuck up, your smile sucks ass," Burr scoffed bitterly at some remark Hamilton made. "And I'm not fucking helping you." 

"What?!" Hamilton asked as if the statement punched him in the face. "Please Burr, we're going to die in this forest without your help."

"Like I care," Burr rolled his eyes. "It's like you helped when I tried to look for my daughter."

"Open your fucking eyes, Burr!" Hamilton barked. "Theodosia is dead!"

"Bullshit, you and I know that's not true!" Burr remarked. "I thought you and I were friends but after that little stunt you pulled, I realized how you were never there for me. And when my daughter disappeared, I expected you to at least do something!"

"You must be out of your goddamn mind if you think I didn't do anything! If you thought I just sat around, drank wine or whatever bullshit you're thinking of, you're wrong. Do you know how hard it is to protect a whole Kingdom? If I did send troops after your daughter, numerous children would've died. Your wife even knew that before she died as well!" 

Burr lunged forward, punching Hamilton square in the jaw. "Don't fucking involve my wife," Burr growled through gritted teeth, tears flowing down his cheeks. 

"Thomas," I heard Madison say behind me. "You heard nothing alright?" 

I nodded, following Madison back to camp. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

HOLY Heck- 

I am so late with this update I'm sorry! I've been busy for the past week because report cards are coming out this week :D Yay~

Anyway sorry again, I'll try to update earlier on Wednesday >.>

~Ly <3