Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Reader x John Laurens)

Chapter Eight

A/N: Okay, but I'm going to apologize now rather than at the end of the chapter. This chapter may or may not contain more flash back/seeing the future. Hopefully it won't be as sad as it was in the last chapter 👀. Also, if I get dates wrong in this chapter, please don't come at me. (I'm also probably not going to mention him being with Martha at all 👀)

December 1776, Albany, New York

Y/N's POV

~Flashback~

A teenager, probably around the age of sixteen, was sitting beside a bed. I moved a bit, so I could see who was on the bed.

There laid a woman. She seemed in pain, but I could tell by her ragged breathing and her slowing heartbeat that she would be in eternal peace soon.

I looked closer at the teenager and realized it was John.

'I'm in his memories now?' I thought slowly, walking towards him before standing beside him.

The bed creaked, and I looked over to see the woman look over at John. She smiled weakly at John.

"J-John....." the woman whispered, struggling to lift her hand so it was above the sheets. John scooted closer to her, wrapping his hand around hers.

"Yes, mama?" John asked quietly, his eyes filled with worry as he looked at his deathly pale mother.

Her heartbeat began to slow.

"W-watch your siblings f-for me...." she said with a small smile before closing her eyes.

Her heartbeat slowed down more.

"Mama...., please don't leave.....mama?" John asked, gently shaking her hand gently.

Only John's heartbeat could be heard.

I placed my ghostly hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. He didn't notice.

He cried to himself as he kept rubbing his mother's hand with his thumb.

Silence

I opened my eyes to find myself in a new place. Everything was new. It reminded me of the place I grew up in.

John and another boy, who I assumed was his brother since he had the same curly hair as him, were walking away from a school.

John was older, probably not even twenty yet. His curly hair was put up in a low ponytail.

"When do you think father is going to let us go back?" His brother asked, looking at John expectantly.

John shrugged, "I don't know, Henry. I can't wait to return to South Carolina though." He told his brother.

They walked in silence before Henry asked another question.

"How are your law practices going?"

"Pretty good I guess. I just wish father would've let me pursue my interests in science and medicine." John said with a sigh.

Pitch black

I was now on a boat. I looked around the deck before spotting John. He held a sketchbook in his hand, and a quill in the other.

I watched as he sketched out a turtle. I smiled at him softly. He was such an amazing artist. He had shown me a few of his drawings before, and I remember this one as one of them that he showed me.