The Lion And His Lioness

Aspen's Plan

The Lion And His Lioness -- A Hamilton Fanfiction
Chapter 31 - Aspen's Plan

Chris
Sitting at Esperanza's bedside, I watched as she involuntarily flinched at sudden noises that were made in the hallway. So she was alive, just not conscious like we all wanted her to be. "Any updates?" Lin asked, sitting down opposite me on Ren's other side. I sighed, shaking my head.

"Nothing. She flinches every so often because of the loud noises in the hallway, but other than that nothing," I replied, feeling as though I had let my best mate down. "I'm sorry, Lin. I wish I could give you something more - something better - but I can't."

"Hey, it's fine," Lin replied, gently brushing Ren's fringe back slightly. "Rena's a tough cookie, she can fight through this and survive. I mean, look at what she's accomplished already, Chris! Two step-fathers, one abusive the other not, she's survived abuse, she's survived living with a single mom in New York City, she's survived her father's deaths. If she can survive that, I'm pretty sure she can surive this, Chris. Face it," Lin took a sip of his coffee, handing me the other one as he continued speaking. "Esperanza Martha Washidoz is going to survive this, and there's nothing any of us can do to stop her. Not that we want to, that is."

"What's got you in a happy mood, mate?" I asked, raising a single eyebrow at Lin's behaviour. When Lin-Manuel Miranda is speaking in a positive light about these types of events, there has to be something wrong with him. He's been speaking negatively all this time and he's starting to talk positively now? What's gotten into this man?

"Just had a thought process and realized how lucky I was to even get to know Esperanza. Ella could have just turned around and said 'No, I don't want you to know my daughter', but she didn't. She could have just turned around and said 'No, I don't want you to take my daughter with you during In The Heights', but she didn't. She could have turned around and said 'No, I don't want you to take my daughter with you during Hamilton', but she didn't. I'd start counting your blessings now, cuz I don't think Ella would let that slide this time."

"Lin, Ella and Elliot are dead, remember? They died two months ago." I whispered, sadness weighing me down as I realize the funeral was coming up soon. Gods I hope Es wakes up in time for the funeral.

"W-What...? I knew about Elliot, but you're telling me that Ella's dead?!" Lin's face immediately droped, tears filling his eyes. He didn't know? "W-What do you mean? Chris, what do you mean Ella's dead?" I sighed, taking a quick sip of my coffee.

"Ella died with Elliot two months ago. Their funerals are in a month, I'm hoping Es wakes up in time, but I don't think she will," I replied, watching as Anthony entered the room with Daveed and Oak behind him.

"Did you three know that Ella's dead?" Lin quietly asked upon seeing the trio. The trio nodded, confused expressions on their faces. "Did everyone know but me?"

"Well, we were told that Ella had passed when you were zonked out. I thought someone told ya." Oak replied, sitting next to Lin as Daveed sat in his lap for a lack of space to sit as Anthony had taken the chair next to me. "Do you mind, Daveed?"

"Nope!" Daveed said, folding his hands in his lap. Oak sighed, leaning back in his seat. Chuckling at their antics, I swore I saw a silhouette by the window. I think Daveed noticed because he followed my gaze and went to scream when time suddenly froze. Aspen.

Looking around, I saw that Oak and Daveed were looking around in confusion as well. "Aspen?" I called out, standing up with Oak and Daveed. "Aspen! Aspen, what's going on?" I called out once more. The next thing I knew there was a flash and two extra people were with us, Pippa and Anthony.

"Sorry, Chris. I had to get these two before I explained," Aspen apologized, sitting on the end of Es's bed. "I had to tell you that I'm going to send Esperanza back to 2014 instead of 2016 like I had originally planned. She'll be the age of 13 by the time I send her back."

"And when ("Don't forget: why?") is that?" Pippa asked, standing next to Daveed as Oak added the 'why' to the question.

Aspen smiled at the duo's curiosity. "When she's completed her mission and because it's the only way it'll work," Aspen replied.

"Will it? Will it work, Aspen?" I asked, arms folded across my chest as I watched Aspen look at each of us in turn. What was going through her mind? I watched as she ignored my question, standing up as she continued to speak.

"She'll still attend school, but she'll be 13. She'll be older than she is now, she'll-"

"That's not right!" Pippa cut off, disbelief evident on her features as we all turned to her. "Esperanza hasn't aged that far yet! You're going to be ripping her chance at a good, at a normal, childhood away from her! Aspen, I know you don't want to do that. I know you want Rannie to have a proper childhood. Why are you denying her that?"

"It's just the way it has to work," was all Aspen said before she turned away from us, walking towards the door. "I have to go. I want to make sure my sister is alright, and I need to check in with my pack. Don't expect me to turn up again, understood?" We all nodded, watching Aspen slowly fade away before time continued.

Pippa
"What do we do?" Anthony asked. It had been four hours since Aspen froze time and told us of her plan for Rannie. After we spent half an hour with Lin until Vanessa, Sebastian and Francisco came to the hospital, we headed to a coffee shop down the street from the hospital and grabbed a cup of coffee and some lunch since apparently none of us had any lunch that day. "If Aspen is going to pull what she said she was going to pull, then what do we do? By the way Aspen phrased it, we're going to keep our memories of when we went into the past to see Za but that doesn't mean Za's going to keep her memories of us going there."

"Anthony's right," Daveed said, pointing towards where Anthony sat opposite him at our table.

"Daveed-"

"No, Pippa." It was Chris who cut me off. "Anthony's right about this one. I don't think Es's gonna keep her memories of us going to her time. If she is, then that's a bonus for us. If not, then we're screwed."

"Well... What do we do?" I asked after a while of silence, feeling utterly helpless and useless in this situation.

"There's nothing we can do," Oak replied as he checked his phone before sighing, finishing his coffee, standing up and turning back to us. "Sorry guys, but I've gotta run. Talk to you all later." With that Oak left. Slowly but surely Anthony and Daveed left until it was just Chris and I.

"Pippa, you have to understand that we can't-"

"Don't, Chris," I cut him off, shaking my head as I stood up and grabbed my jacket from the back of my chair. "Just don't. It's as clear as day that you don't care if Rannie has a childhood or not. Clearly, you don't want her to have one. I can't believe you, any of you-"

"-She'll remember her childhood from that time-"

"Is that childhood any better than this one?!" I shouted, tears slowly trickling down my cheeks. "I-I'm sorry for shouting at you, but is that childhood any better than this one, Chris? Is it?" I asked before turning on my heal and leaving him to his thoughts.

Why couldn't they understand? Esperanza never had a good childhood, not in this life or that life. She's been surrounded by death since she was a toddler! I just wish they would understand the severity of this situation and what it could mean for Esperanza. I'm not doing this for me, I'm doing it for her. And that's what they didn't understand.