So I was drunk last night and texting a guy I probably shouldn't have (way too clingy and a bit of an asshat), he kept trying to get me to sext and all that jazz. How did Drunk Me respond? By going on and on about my undying love for Major John Andre and why his death was unfair. He offered to dress up as Andre, how did Drunk Me respond? By telling him it had to be a historically accurate British military uniform befitting someone of Andre's rank and that his British accent better be on point. He asked me to send nudes, how did Drunk Me respond? By spamming him with John Andre gifs. I would like to thank Drunk Me, for being cool and not letting me do anything stupid.
Warning: Cussing, mentions of divorce, mentions of insecurities, and angst (does that need a warning?)
Summary: Not all happily ever afters are guaranteed
Word Count: 3549
A/N: Instead of working on Part 6 of Among The Pines, I wrote this thing instead *shrugs* I picked October 26 at random, so we’re gonna pretend it falls on a weekend. Also, I may or may not have been watching Turn while writing some of this, which explains some of the name choices. The name of this was taken from lyrics to Old Flames by U.S. Royalty.
Song: U.S. Royalty- Old Flames
Table of Contents
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The days and nights seemed to blend into one another; there was no way for him to know exactly how long he had been sitting at his desk. His office looked like a hurricane rolled through, leaving papers and books scattered everywhere. He swore to himself that he would sit there and continue to write until his body gave out.
“If I can just get these damn words right!” Alexander growled as he balled up yet another sheet of paper, throwing into the growing piles of trash scattered throughout the room. “If I can get the words right, she’ll see I’m the one she needs to be with. I have to make her see that.” He mutters to himself as he begins writing again.
The office door opens and two figures stand in the doorway, but Alexander doesn’t take notice the only thing that exists to him are the paper and pen in front of him.
“How long has he been like this?” The taller figure asked
“I dunno, three days, maybe longer. He hasn’t been to work and I’ve been trying to reach him for a couple days and so when he didn’t answer, I came over to check on him and this is how I found him. I’m not even sure he’s gotten up from the chair at all.” The shorter figure replied.
“Alexander…” The two figures enter the room, slowly walking towards Alexander
“Alexander…” Still no reply or acknowledgement, Alexander keeps his focus on the paper in front of him.
“ALEXANDER!” He’s shaken by the shoulder; he finally looks up to see his friends Lafayette and John standing in front of him.
“Oh, when did you guys get here?”
“Alex, you need to take a break. You’ve been in this room for God knows how long. When was the last time you ate something?” The concern in John’s voice is clear, even to Alexander.
“Break? I can’t take a break! [Y/N] needs to know that I still love her, I need her back. John, I need her back, I have to fix this. I can’t do that if I take a break.”
“Not this shit again.” John mutters to himself as he shook his head.
“You’re not thinking clearly, just stop for awhile. Take a rest, get something to eat and take a shower. It’ll help you think, right John?” Lafayette looks toward John in search of his support.
“Exactly, get some food and take a nap, it’ll clear your head. You can come back to this with fresh eyes. We’ll even help you, but you have to take a break first. Don’t make us call Herc.”
“Fine.” As Alexander grudgingly gets up from his chair, it soon becomes clear he hasn’t gotten up from that spot in some time; his legs are wobbly under him as he stumbles backwards.
“Alright man, come on lets get you some food before you pass out on us.” John and Lafayette each take Alexander by an arm and carefully walk him downstairs. Once in the kitchen, Lafayette sits Alexander at the small dining room table while John rifles through the cabinets, looking for something to quickly prepare before Alex changes his mind.
“Eat. You are not leaving this table until that plate is cleared.” John sets a plate of food before Alexander.
“I’m not a child, stop treating me like one.” Alexander puts a fork full of food in his mouth.
“Maybe if you actually took care of yourself like an adult, Laf and I wouldn’t treat you like a child.” The annoyance was very present in John’s voice.
“You guys don’t understand.” Alexander spoke with a mouth full of food.
“Please don’t speak with food in your mouth, it’s rude. We know and we will help however we can. But we can’t help you if you’re not taking care of yourself.” Lafayette said folding his hands on the table in front of him, watching Alex like a hawk, making sure he actually eats.
“Man, are you sure this is a good idea? You guys haven’t been together for what, like three years?” John asks as he sits down in the chair across from Alexander.
A look of anger flashes across Alexander’s face as he quickly gets up from the table, mumbling incoherently to himself. As he shuffles out of sight, Lafayette and John can hear him rifling through papers in the living room.
“I don’t think we should be encouraging him, Laf. I can’t do this again, I can’t watch him obsess over [Y/N], it’s not healthy. He’s been doing better; he’s been seeing Philomena from work. So what the hell changed? ” As John finishes speaking, he leans forward placing his elbows on the table as he rubs his thumbs against his temples.
“I don’t know, John. Maybe if we help him with whatever project he thinks will win [Y/N] back, maybe it’ll give him closure.” Lafayette shrugs his shoulders as he leans back in his chair.
A few moments of silence passes before Alex shuffles back into the kitchen, tossing a gold envelope to John before he sits down.
“What is this?” John asks as he inspects the envelope. “Alex, this isn’t even addressed to you, how did you get ahold of Angelica’s mail?”
“Stop asking dumb questions, man, just open it.” Alex mumbles as he turns his attention back to the plate in front of him, not really eating the food but just pushing it around the plate.
John opens the envelope, pulling out a blue and gold invitation. “Fuck, man.” John hands the invitation over to Lafayette, who reads the invitation out loud before setting it down on the table.
Together with their families
Benjamin Tallmadge
&
[Your first and last name]
invite you to join them as they celebrate their love and union
October 26, 201[#]
[Address of venue]
“Now do you see why I can’t stop?” Alex looks up at the two men with tears in his eyes, as he fidgets with the silver ring on his right ring finger.
“Mon ami, this is your sign that it is time to move on. [Y/N] has obviously moved on, and now it’s your turn.” Lafayette reaches for Alex’s hand, but Alex quickly snatches it away from the Frenchman.
“I don’t want to move on. Leaving her was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made, I need her to know that before it’s too late.”
“Alex, you know I got your back no matter what, man. But this is proof that it’s too late.” John picks up the invitation. “She’s getting married, you gotta let this go.”
“I fucking knew it.” In a fit of anger and frustration, Alex pushes his plate off the table sending it crashing onto the floor. “I knew you guys wouldn’t understand. This is exactly why I wanted to be left alone.” As Alex continues talking, the tears he had been trying to hold back begin to fall down his cheeks.
“You guys think I haven’t tried moving on? I’ve tried to, why do you think I was with Philomena. But it’s not the same, I still feel like a piece of me is missing. Did you know that even after years of not being with [Y/N], there are still mornings where for a few moments right after I wake up, where I forget she’s gone and I go to kiss her good morning only to find her side of the bed empty. Then it all comes crashing down on me, that the reason why I’m waking up without her, is because I was stupid and pushed her out of my life and apparently into the arms of Ben Tallmadge. Do you know what that’s like? To be constantly reminded how I fucked everything up? I just need her know that I still love her.” Alex puts his head on the table, cradling his head in his arms as he continues to breakdown.
“It’s okay man, we’re here for you. We’ll get through this together, alright?” John pats Alex’s back trying to comfort him as he watches Lafayette pull out his phone and leave the room.
After a few minutes, Alex begins to calm down as Lafayette returns to the kitchen carrying a broom and dustpan and begins sweeping up the mess of broken ceramic and food. As Lafayette dumps the mess into the trashcan he finally begins to fill in the other men on his idea.
“Alright, this is what’s going to happen. Apparently Hercules has been making [Y/N]’s wedding dress.” Lafayette sees Alex’s head pop up, as if he’s about to interrupt Laf, but Lafayette simply holds up his hand to stop him. “You cannot be angry with Herc for not telling you he’s making her dress, its his job and she’s a paying customer. He says that she’s stopping by the shop later today for a fitting. He says he will text you the time if you promise not to cause a scene. ” Alex quickly nods in agreement as Lafayette pulls out his phone again and quickly types a message to Hercules, after a few brief moments Alexander’s phone chimes as he pulls it out of his pocket.
From Herc:
her appt is today @ 230. dont make me regret doing this
To Herc:
Thanks man.
To Herc:
I promise I won’t
From Herc:
just come in sayin you need a suit or whatever. i think it goes w/o sayin i never told you any of this.
“Do you want us to go with you?” John asks as he watches Alexander get up from the table, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
“No, Herc is gonna be there, one babysitter is more than enough. Thanks though.” He answers as he leaves the two men sitting in the kitchen. The next few hours quickly flyby as Lafayette and John as they begin the task of helping Alex once again look like a functioning adult.
Alex arrives at Hercules’ shop a few minutes early, as he nervously stands in front the door, debating on whether or not to actually go through with this. He gives into the part of himself that tells him to walk away, take a minute to think about this, maybe John and Lafayette were right; he is about to tell a woman who is in the middle of planning her wedding that he was still in love with her. He lets go of the door handle and walks across the street into a café. He finds a table by the window to sit at, giving him a perfect view of Herc’s store. He sits there slowly sipping his coffee, watching people pass by when he finally spots her. He feels his heart skips a beat.
In truth, he spotted Ben first. He saw Ben holding her and kissing her forehead as she wraps her arms around his waist, smiling as she rests her head on his chest as they stand in front of the shop. As Alex continues to watch them as he remembers casually meeting Ben one of George’s charity galas. He remembers the jealousy he felt as he stood by and watched Ben ask for a dance and of course, [Y/N] being polite and saying yes. He recalls seeing Ben’s hand stray a little too low on her back for his liking, and the way she laughed when Ben whispered into her ear. Alex remembers how it took every ounce of self-control not walk up Ben and punch him in the mouth. Instead he played the role of a good husband and waited for her by the bar, attempting to drown his jealousy in a sea of whiskey. He remembers that night because it the beginning of the end. It was the night he laid the first brick in the wall between [Y/N] and himself.
The sound of the café’s door chime snaps Alex back to reality, as he focuses back on the shop he notices that Ben and [Y/N] are no longer standing in front of the shop. He looks down at his phone, 2:42 p.m., he hopes that enough time has passed where it won’t look obvious that he was trying to run into her.
As he makes his way over to Hercules’ shop, he does his best to remain calm but everything inside himself tells him how unprepared for this he is. He should’ve just stuck with the letter idea, but it was too late now as he opens the door and walks inside the shop. She had her back turned towards him as Hercules worked adjusting and pinning the hem of her floor length gown, neither of them seemed to notice Alex walk in. She looked breathtaking in the unfinished dress, it took Alex back to their wedding day as he wiped a tear away before he cleared his throat, causing [Y/N] and Hercules to turn towards him.
“Oh. Hey, man. I didn’t know you were gonna stop by.” Hercules stated as he sat on a small stool between Alex and [Y/N]. She just stood on the dais, staring at him biting her bottom lip; a nervous habit of hers that Alex remembered she did when she felt anxious, as long as she wasn’t cracking her knuckles, a sign an argument was in the horizon.
“Ummm, yea, hey. I need some new suits for work. Jefferson keeps giving me shit about my clothes, and now he somehow got Washington to start hounding me about it.” Even though he had wished for this moment since she left, but now he couldn’t even bring himself to make eye contact with her. He could feel his heartbeat quicken as he felt her eyes on him.
“Herc, can you help me change out of this? I think I need to take a break.” She finally spoke. God, he how missed her voice, especially when she would whisper into his ear and hold him during thunderstorms trying to get him to focus on her and the sound of her voice instead of the storm raging outside.
“Yea, of course.” Hercules offers his hand to [Y/N] as she steps off the dais, as they pass by Alex on they’re way to the changing rooms; Alex can smell her perfume, the one she would spritz on their pillows for him when she had to travel for work, to this day he could still faintly smell it when he’s in bed. He could never bring himself to replace the pillows, no matter how many times Philomena asked him to.
While Alex waited, he walked around the small shop absentmindedly looking at the different clothing Hercules had on display. He was lost in his thoughts when he heard her voice and felt her hand on his shoulder, when he turns around he was reminded that whether she was in a wedding dress or the simple t-shirt and jeans she was currently wearing, in his eyes [Y/N] would always be the most beautiful woman in a room.
“Come on, we’re not doing this here.” She interlaces her fingers with his and for a second Alex can feel the butterflies in his stomach start to flutter again that is until one of his fingers brushes against her engagement ring.
“What do you mean?” Alex asks as she pulls him out of the shop and down the street.
“Alexander Hamilton. Are you seriously going to act like running into me at Hercules’ shop was an accident?” She slows her pace as they approach a small park, once they reach the benches she lets his hand go and motions for him to sit beside her.
“I’ve been waiting for you to show up since I first asked Herc to design my dress. I’m honestly surprised it’s taken you this long. After awhile I stopped thinking you were going to show up, but I was wrong, so I guess this means Ben gets to pick out where we’re going for our honeymoon.” She uncomfortably laughs at her statement.
“Is that why you asked Herc to make your dress? To see me again and rub it in my face?” He finally looks up at her, he’s surprised by the kindness in her eyes. He doesn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t this.
“Of course not. After everything we went through, Alex, I still care about you. I just know how your friends like to gossip, even more than the Schuyler sisters.” She puts her hand on his shoulder. “So, I take it that since you showed up, you want to talk, or am I getting one of your famous letters?”
“Talk, I guess. I tried writing, but nothing seemed like it was good enough for you.” He leans forward, placing his forearms on his thighs. “I guess the letters and I have something in common.” He mumbles. [Y/N] leans forward, softly turning Alex’s head towards her.
“Stop. Just stop, I’m not going to sit here and listen to you whine about how you weren’t good enough. We both know we didn’t divorce because you weren’t good enough for me. Let’s be honest, we divorced because for some reason you decided that you no longer wanted to share your life with me. I mean, for God’s sake Alex, you moved into your office without saying two goddamn words. I go to work one morning sharing a bed with you and come home that night to find you moved all your things into your office. We went from being husband and wife to roommates in one day, without a single explanation. From the moment you chose to no longer share our bed and couldn’t tell me why, that’s when you decided our marriage was over, it just took me longer to realize that the man I planned to spend the rest of my life with no longer loved me.” As she finished speaking, Alex looks at [Y/N] and sees her eyes filled with tears, tempted to wipe away the few that have fallen down her cheek.
“I don’t know why I did that to you, even now I can’t explain why I made those stupid decisions. Maybe it was my own stupid insecurities that little voice that always told me you deserved better. I saw how men like Jefferson and hell even Lafayette looked at you, and all I could think was how they could give you a better life. That no matter how hard I worked, I would always fall short of what you deserve. But I never stopped loving you, even now knowing that you’re getting remarried, I still love you.” He leans against the back of the bench, looking at her, watching her reaction.
“Jesus Christ, Alexander.” She turns to sit facing him, shaking her head. “Jefferson is right about you, you are truly your own worst enemy. You were always enough for me, there wasn’t a second in our marriage that I ever felt like I deserved better, you were all I wanted. If you had come to me 2 ½ years ago and said those things, I would’ve taken you back in a heartbeat.” She softly caressed his cheek, but as she removed her hand Alex can feel the emptiness return.
“But as I recall, instead I got what, I can only assume was a drunken email from you, saying how you were better off without me, not to mention an attached photo of you and some blonde woman. You don’t know how badly that broke me, Alex, reading about how you no longer needed or loved me. I was waiting for you to come back to me, but after that, that’s when I knew the man I loved was gone. Because, my Alex, the one I married, would have never done that to me.”
Alexander couldn’t bring himself to look at her face as he turns his face away; he heard the pain in her voice and could practically feel the tears running down her cheek. He felt the knife in his chest twist knowing that he was the reason she was crying in the middle of a public park and there was nothing he could do to comfort her. He took something some people search their entire lives for, and not only broke it; he took the pieces and ran them through a fucking wood chipper.
“All I can say, [Y/N], is that I am sorry I did that to you. I love you so much and I broke your heart. I’ve been thinking and planning all the things I’ve ever wanted to say to you since you left, but sitting here in front of you, I feel like words aren’t enough. You deserve so much more than my words. God, I just want us to have our happily ever after together, like we always planned.” Alex turns towards her, taking her hand in his, and for a moment he feels complete again.
“Somewhere out there, maybe there’s a version of us that is still together, and maybe they’ll get that happily ever after. I’m sorry, Alex, but it’s too late for us.” As she stands up, she softly kisses his forehead and begins to walk away. Alex watches his chance at a happy ending walk away from him and disappear into the crowded city streets.
Warning: Cussing (of course), probably a lot shooting inaccuracies (I tried, you guys), historical inaccuracies
Word Count: 2159
A/N: I dunno. I feel very...’eh.
Part Three | Part Four | Part Five
Table of Contents | Series Masterlist
Moments later Lafayette enters the tent to see you passed out of the ground, half dressed.
“Merde! What happened? Where did the nurse go?” He yells as he gently slaps your face, “[Y/N] wake up! [Y/N]! Come on, that’s it open your eyes. Wake up!” The soldier guarding the tent hears the yelling and runs in as Lafayette picks you up and places you back on the cot. “What happened to her? Where is her nurse?”
“She left just before you came in, sir. I overheard Miss [Y/N] complain about the tightness of the corset and then the nurse left. I thought she had finished her duties, sir.” When they realize what the issue is, the guard pulls into a sitting position while Lafayette begins to loosen the laces. It takes a few minutes for you to regain your self; but once you do the intense anger inside boils over almost immediately.
“I swear when I find her I’m going to fucking end her.” As you try to get up and attempt to chase after her, Lafayette responds by holds onto you even tighter.
“[Y/N], you are in no shape to go chasing after people and fighting them, especially in your current state of undress. We will find her.” He softly speaks into you ear
“I’ll go find her, sir.” The guard runs out of the tent.
“You don’t understand. She said she knows who I am and when I’m from. I can’t let her get away.”
“Shhhh, it will be okay. We will find her, don’t worry.” Lafayette continues to hold you and whisper into your ear which seems to help calm you, but it almost feels like the two of you know that when he lets go you were probably going to make a run for it.
After calming you down, you explain what happened between you and Mary, her questions, off behavior and the comment she made before you passed out. Benjamin, Alexander and John make their way into the small space.
“What happened? Where is the guard?” Benjamin looks at you since you’re once again wearing nothing but a shift while your corset hanging off your body while Lafayette cradles you in his arms.
“Apparently the nurse threatened [Y/N]. I came in here to find her passed out on the ground. The guard went to find her.”
John looks at you with a concerned look on his face “Well, Washington wanted us to assess your abilities, but if you’re not feeling up we can do it another time.”
“No, I want to, I’ve worked under worse situations. Besides, I need to get out this tent before I go insane. Also, it’ll let me work through some of this aggression. I’m going to need help with this stupid corset though, I can’t lace and tie it by myself.” Lafayette stands up and offers you his hand. As you stand up you put the corset back on.
“Please let me.” He moves so that he is standing behind you. He speaks in a soft, soothing tone in your ear, “let me know it becomes too tight. I do not want to hurt you.” His accented voice in your ear sends shivers down your spine and leaves you breathless for a second. Every fiber of your being was starting to wishes he were taking it off instead of putting it on you. He makes surprisingly quick, but gentle work of fixing your laces and tying them.
“Are you alright, [Y/N]? You look…flustered.” Alexander says, looking at you with a raising his eyebrows. Benjamin elbows Alexander in his side.
“I..I…I’m fine. I’m just not used to wearing a corset.” Thinking quickly, you continue. “I’m just not used to having my ribs and organs smashed together. All of you have seen what undergarments look like in my time. Although in hindsight, had I known I would’ve been standing in front a tent full of attractive men in my underwear or that I would be meeting George Washington I would’ve worn something a little nicer than the plain set I had on.”
“While I can only speak for myself, I must say that the plain set, as you describe it, made quite the impression, it was truly a sight that I am glad I was able to enjoy in person.”
“Well, Mr. Hamilton, you should consider yourself very lucky, I usually make men take me out to dinner before I would even consider letting them see me undressed.”
“Very well then, Ms. [Y/N], I believe I owe you dinner.” He steps toward you, taking your hand in his, softly kissing your knuckles. You would be lying to yourself if you said Alexander’s shameless attempts at flirting weren’t beginning to have an effect on you.
“That’s enough of that. If we’re going to do this today, she needs to finish getting dressed, Alex. You can finish trying to woo her later.” John pulls Alex away from you.
They advise you on the order in which your petticoats, skirts and other garments are suppose to go on. Christ, why did women have to wear so many layers? The whole time as you dress you try again to make a case for wearing your own clothes, but they still refuse. They won’t even entertain the idea of you wearing actual men’s clothing, even when you explain how you’ll blend in better.
“Washington does not want to hear your arguments, this is what he wants.” You could tell Benjamin was getting tired of having this conversation.
“Oh come on, I could bind my chest or something, maybe cut my hair short. Disguising myself as a man it can’t be that hard. The soldiers in the woods couldn’t tell I was a woman…”
Alexander interrupts you, “Yes, from a far and until they got a closer look at you. No amount of binding is going to hide the fact you are woman. You have a very...womanly figure.”
“Oh, Mr. Hamilton do you like what you see?” You wink at him. “Okay, what am I suppose to do with this?” You ask while holding up a piece of cloth that resembles a scarf.
“That’s a kerchief, you drape it around your neck and tuck the ends into your corset.” John explains.
“Do I have to wear it? Because I don’t think I’ve ever worn this many layers of clothing in my entire life.”
“It’s for modesty, so I suppose its up to you.”
“I’m already wearing what feels like fifty layers of clothing. I don’t think I can be anymore modest than this without wearing a nun’s habit. I mean if anyone is distracted by a little glimpse of my cleavage, that’s their problem, not mine. I believe I’m all done. Do I look like a proper lady now?” You ask as you sarcastically curtsy.
The mood suddenly changes when the guard returns to the tent, but you immediately notice he doesn’t have Mary with him. “Sir, I was unable to find the nurse. The doctor says he didn’t send a nurse named Mary nor does he know one that matches her description.”
“Well, this just got interesting.”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to move you. Maybe put you into one of our tents? That way you’re not alone.” Benjamin suggests, looking to the other men for confirmation.
“I’m not a damsel in distress, I can handle myself. Plus you have a guard on my tent.”
“You are so stubborn!” Benjamin snaps at you. “We’re trying to keep you safe, woman! I swear, the way to continue to argue with us, you’re basically Hamilton in a dress.” You hear Lafayette and John quietly chuckle.
“I’m not stubborn, I can’t help it when you’re wrong and refuse to listen to reason.” An annoyed Alexander replies.
This is the moment where you would normally read them the riot act, going on about how just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you’re weak and helpless. You’re a trained killer for Christ’s sake. Instead, you take a few deep breaths and compose yourself. Pick your battles. Be diplomatic.
“Okay, first of all, I hope I look better in this dress than Alexander would. Second, I know I’m not at my best right now, but I can handle myself…but with that being said, if it will make all of you more comfortable, I’ll go wherever you decide to put me. Just remember that I’m not made of glass.”
Benjamin, sensing a truce replied, “Thank you, I’ll have your things moved into my tent.” As he steps out of the tent, you see him talking to the guard posted outside.
“Now lets get out of this tent, because I would just love to spend some time outside with you lovely gentlemen.”
As they lead you out of the tent, you finally feel the warm afternoon sun on your face for the first time in days. As you take in the sights and sounds of the camp, you notice the faces of the passing soldiers and know that Mary wasn’t lying; you were the talk of the camp. You just keep looking forward, ignoring them and their whispers. “Just enjoy the sun,” you thought. As the group reaches a group of horses that are packed and ready to go, you stop in your tracks unsure of how this situation is going to work.
“Umm, guys. A tiny issue, I’ve never been on a horse before. How do I get on it with this whole situation?” You gesture towards your clothing. “I knew I should’ve worn pants” you mumble under your breath.
“How have you never been on a horse? How do you travel where you’re from?” Alexander taunts.
“We have faster modes of transportation, Hamilton.”
“Do not let him get to you, [Y/N]. You may ride with me, if you’d like.” Lafayette kindly offers
“Here, give me your foot.” John gets down on one knee putting out his hands waiting for you, as you do he lifts as Lafayette hold your arm while guiding you in front of him.
“Do not worry, I have you. I promise I will not let you fall. Tell us how you travel in your time.” As the horse starts moving, feeling nervous, you feel his arms wrap around you as he takes the reins. You start talking about ways to travel as the group makes their way to whatever location they’re taking you.
“Depends on where you’re going. Usually you can drive in what’s called a car, it’s like a horseless, mechanical carriage. Or if you’re traveling long distances, like cross-country or to another country, you can fly.”
“FLY?!” You hear them shriek
“Like a bird? In the air?” John excitedly asks.
You laugh, “Yes, like a bird. There are these giant machines, which work in a way that I can’t properly explain. But they travel through the air at great speeds, which means you can travel to Europe in a matter of hours.” You notice the men have grown quiet.
“Imagine the possibilities. I could travel to France in a matter of hours and not weeks? Amazing.” You smile at the sound of wonder in Lafayette’s voice.
After traveling for a while, you finally arrive at a large empty field. “Now, our scouts have said there isn’t anyone around for miles. Will this work for you?” Benjamin asks as he gets off his horse and walks over to help you off the horse.
“Yea, this’ll work. We need to set up some targets at different distances. I also need something to set my rifle on.”
John tosses a bag on the ground and starts pulling out rotting cabbages, “will these work for targets?”
“Those will be perfect. I can use the other bags to set up on.” All of you start the task of setting up the cabbages in different areas of the field. Once everything is set up, Lafayette hands you the bag that contains your rifle. You kneel on the ground beside the other bags unloaded from the horses as muscle memory takes over as you put the rifle together, loaded it, and fixed your sight. You stack several of the bags to up to rest your gun on; you recheck the sight once more and make final adjustments. After you’re done, you glanced up at the men who were mesmerized by the situation.
“Which target?” You asked as you put your eye to the sight of your weapon.
“What about the third one from us.”
BANG. They watch as the cabbage explodes. They take turns yelling out cabbages.
“Alright, what about the two cabbages from that.”
BANG. Another cabbage disappears off its spike.
“Okay, okay. I say you can’t hit the one at the very end of the field.”
BANG. The last cabbage disappears.
“Satisfied?” You look up at them and you could almost see the wheels spinning in their heads, thinking of the possibilities of what can be accomplished with such a weapon.
Warnings: Cussing (probably), the usual historical inaccuracies
A/N: You can always replace the song/lyrics I put in, they just happen to be whatever I was listening to at the time. Also, Doctor Who mention, can you spot it?
Song mentioned: Annabelle by Communique
Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
Table of Contents | Series Masterlist
You press your thumbprint onto the home button, unlocking the phone. You pause for a few moments, wondering what would get the biggest reaction to prove you’re not from this time? Maybe a video? No, the only one you have that is even remotely appropriate to show is from the last time you and your drunken friends performed karaoke; and that is something no one should ever see, especially not George Washington.
Ease them into it, you thought. “Alright, so these are photographs. They’re like paintings, but true to life.” You start scrolling through some boring but safe photos. They gather around you as you show them some photos from your last non-work related visit to New York, and other places you’ve traveled. “Here look.” You open the camera and take a quick photo of the men surrounding you. “See?” You hand the phone to them. “It’s like having a portrait painted, but a lot faster and like I said before true to life.” They pass your phone around and they each make comments on everything from their appearance to how they never want to sit for another portrait after seeing the photo. They finally return your phone to you. While they quietly talk amongst themselves about the events of the day and what to do with you, you decide to play a song to try help you relax and try not to think of the worse case scenario.
I’m keeping secrets for you now.
Oh Annabelle,
Wasn’t I the wayward one?
Where all the bony, taloned fingers pointed
When the time had come to play the blame game.
Well you’re never gonna win that game again.
And you’d do well to
Turn your ashamed face away Annabelle
You close your eyes and quietly sing along with the music and let it remind you of home.
As the music begins to fade out you open your eyes to see Washington and the others watching you. “That Miss [Y/N] was marvelous.” A slight smirk appears on his face. “I have the feeling you will be very useful to our cause.” He stands up and bows to you, and for the first time all day you actually feel a sense of relief. “Gentlemen, I feel it is time we take our leave of Miss [Y/N]. She has had a long day and is need of rest and we have much to discuss.”
For the time being, you are safe. “You are safe and you’re gonna be okay” you keep repeating to yourself. Exhaustion begins to set in, you try to make yourself as comfortable as possible on the tiny cot as let yourself drift off to sleep.
—-
When you finally awake, you see Alexander sitting on the ground next to you surrounded by sheets of parchment. As you try getting up from your cot, he turns and faces you.
“Oh, you’re finally awake.” He begins to attempt to organize the mess of parchment.
“Finally? How long was I asleep?” You’re finally able to move without too much pain as you swing your legs off the cot.
“Two and a half days, although you did wake up for a few moments yesterday. Ben said you muttered something about how time wasn’t a linear progression of cause and affect and then you fell back asleep before he could ask you about it.”
“It’s not important, don’t worry about it.” You laughed, which caused a small pain to shoot through your side.
“A nurse should be stopping by to change your bandages, and to also help you dress. John said he was able to find some more appropriate clothing that should fit.”
As you try standing up, your legs are shaky under your weight; Alexander offers his arm to help hold you up. Once you’re finally standing, he wraps his arm around you, steadying you. The two of you are almost the same height; you are able to look directly into each other’s eyes. Suddenly remembering you’re not wearing any clothes, you pull away from him, forgetting that he was holding you up. As you stumble backwards, he catches you and for a moment holds you even closer than before. You can feel your cheeks start to blush as he continues to hold you tightly against him, before either one of you can say anything your interrupted.
“Oh, good! She’s up and awake. My name is Mary, I’ve been sent to tend to your wound.” A woman enters carrying a bundle of bandages. “Miss, I think it’s best if you lay down while I change your bandages. Now, I need some clean water. Do you have any?” She asks surveying the tent, setting her supplies down on a small table.
Alexander helps you back onto the cot, you feel his hands lingering maybe a little longer than necessary, not that you minded. “I believe someone filled the pitcher last night.”
“Let’s get started, shall we?” She makes quick work of cleaning the wound and changing your bandages. Thankfully, there are still no signs of infection and you seem to be healing fine. “I was told I would also be helping you dress, where are your clothes?”
“Umm, I’m not sure. I was told someone was bringing something. I’ve been told the clothes I have are not appropriate.” You shoot a playful annoyed look at Alexander.
“It was not my decision, Washington says it’s best if you dress like a woman and not in the clothing that you have in your bag. I’ll go see if I can find Laurens.” He takes his leave, leaving you alone with the nurse.
“I must say a lot of the men are talking about you. The strange woman found in the woods dressed as a man. You should hear the rumors; I’ve heard everything from you being a British spy to you being a witch sent here to curse Washington and the entire Continental army. There’s even more scandalous rumors going around about you, but I can’t bring myself to repeat them. ”
“I can assure you I am neither of those things, no matter what people say. I am simply a woman who became lost in the woods.” You say, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
“Well, you must be special if Washington and his most trusted men have taken notice of you.”
“I highly doubt it, I think they are just being gentlemen. I believe they feel guilty about what happened to me. I’m sure when I’m well enough to travel they’ll send me on my way.” You reply, fully aware that she’s digging for information and not just simple gossip.
“Oh, come now Miss. There’s a guard at your tent, and Major Tallmadge and the others have all spent the last few days going in and out of here. There’s even talk that at least one of them always sleeps in here with you. You must know that means there is more than them just being upstanding gentlemen.” She raises an eyebrow as she stares at you.
“Again, I think they just feel guilty about what happened in the woods. I’m sure that it wouldn’t look good for the army if people heard that their soldiers are wandering through the woods shooting innocent people. In regards to them sleeping in here, I’m sure it was just to guarantee my safety, as an unaccompanied woman you can never be too safe in a camp like this.” You had to admit that she was better at this dance than Tallmadge and the others.
Before Mary can continue her line of questioning, Alexander and John walk into the tent carrying a large bundle of cream colored clothing.
“We were assured we had everything you would need.” John says placing his bundle onto the cot, Alexander follows suit. “We’ll step outside to give you some privacy.” Just like that you’re alone with Mary again.
While you took off your bra and underwear and washed yourself off, you could feel her eyes practically burning holes onto your exposed body. Soon the two of you began the task of making you look like you belonged in this time period. You start putting on the undergarments; the shift, stockings and garters. Then you see Mary hold up the dreaded corset.
“I really don’t think it’s a good idea for me to wear that, I mean my side is still tender.”
“Nonsense, I just won’t lace it so tight. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re comfortable.” You could almost taste the venom in her voice.
“Oh, I’m sure you will.”
She helps you into the corset, and then she begins to tighten it with one strong pull of the laces. You feel like all the air has been squeezed out of your lungs and crushes your ribs in the process.
“That’s too tight, I can’t breathe!” You try pulling at the laces behind you, trying in vain to loosen them, but she still has a firm grip on them. You try to grab the nearby table to steady yourself as you begin to feel dizzy and lightheaded.
Still standing behind you, she pulls the laces even tighter, forcing you to stand up straight. She whispers into your ear “Oh, you just have to get used to it. I know a woman such as yourself isn’t used to wearing such old fashion garments and would rather wear something a little more…modern.” You try to turn and look at her, “I know who you are. You’re not supposed to be here.” She pulls the laces even tighter and ties them.
Before you can say or do anything the room starts to spin as everything around you becomes blurry as you fall to the ground. You open your eyes just long enough to catch a glimpse of her walking out of the tent as if nothing happened.
A/N: I don’t know if they had functioning pockets on the Continental uniform coats, I just wanted to mention Benjamin being done up in blue & gold ;) Not really important or anything, but for some reason the Lafayette in my mind is a mix between Daveed’s version and Brian Wiles’s version (Turn: Washington’s Spies) to make like the ultimate adorable and sexy fighting Frenchman that is too good for this or any world. Also, you may want to glance over Part 1 as a refresher, I added and changed some things. I feel like this has become a living project. But its all probably terrible garbage.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three |
Table of Contents | Series Masterlist
As you’re being carried back into camp, you see all the suspicious glances from the passing soldiers and see them whisper amongst themselves as you pass. Unable to take their stares, you bury your face into Lafayette’s chest. “It will be alright, mademoiselle. Do not worry, you will be safe.” He says glancing down at you.
Back inside the tent Hamilton, the quiet man and an older man are already waiting for the three of you.
“What happened? We returned with the doctor and everyone was gone.” The quiet man asks looking confusingly at you in your current state of undress.
Lafayette sets you down onto the cot. You pull the cloak around you even tighter.
“She tried to runaway, but we were able to catch up to her. We should let the doctor take a look at her. Do you want us to leave?” Benjamin asks you, looking genuinely concerned.
“No, it’s okay. Stay.”
The older man steps toward you. “Well, let’s take another look at your wound. Shall we?” You unwrap the cloak and lie back on the cot. You can feel the looks from the rest of the men on your skin as the doctor makes his examination.
“Other than some of the stitches being ripped out, the wound looks fine. No signs of infection. Now, I won’t lie to you, this is going to hurt, Miss. I have to clean the wound and replace the stitches.” As he starts working on the wound; cleaning the blood that was covering your side and starts re-stitching the wound, as the others look on uncomfortably as you try your best not to start screaming again. Hamilton steps forward and crouches beside you and takes your hand in his. He is surprisingly comforting.
“Tell me about the drawings on your body. I’ve never seen such lovely artwork like this on someone’s body before.” He asks, trying his best to distract you from the doctor’s work.
“They’re…MOTHERFUCKER…they’re called tattoos.” Getting stitches without a numbing agent is not any fun.
“What do they mean?”
You try focusing on piecing together an answer “JESUS FUCKING CHRIST…They mean different things…” Before you could finish your answer, the doctor interrupts your train of thought, Hamilton lets go of your hand as the doctor starts talking.
“All finished. Now, miss, please take care of this wound. Rest. No more running from these gentlemen, at least for now.” He smiles at you. He turns to the other men, “I am leaving her in your care, I trust I am not wrong in doing so. I shall send a nurse by to help change her bandages and see if we can find another shift for her to wear.” After packing up his supplies, he leaves the tent.
“[Y/N], we need to continue our conversation from before. Are you able to answer some more questions?” Benjamin asks in a calming and gentle voice. You nod in agreement.
“Laurens, the bag please.” Benjamin reaches toward the quiet man who hands him your backpack. He reaches inside the bag and takes out the one item you were dreading them finding even more than the cell phone. Fuck. It’s the pieces of your sniper rifle. The feeling of defeat washes over you, explaining a smartphone would be so simple right now, at least that wouldn’t get you executed.
“Fuck. I swear, it’s not what it looks like." Is this what the end of the line feels like? They never trained you how to explain yourself to people from the past. You decide to tell the truth and pray for the best.
“It looks like the pieces of a strange looking, large gun. Why are you in possession of such a weapon?”
“I’ll explain everything. I just ask that all of you let me finish before you ask any other questions. Please keep an open mind.” The men look at each other and nod in agreement.
“The gun is mine, it belongs to me and I use it in my line of work.” You sigh heavily, knowing that the next few words out of your mouth could very well sign your death warrant. “I’m not technically a spy. I kill people…professionally, or as my colleagues and I like to say, perform extrajudicial executions. ” You can see the confusion, panic, and anger start to boil within the men surrounding you. “I am not here to kill anyone, I have not been hired the British or anyone else. I am just simply in the wrong time and place.” You wish how much more you could stress that last sentence.
“You mean to tell me that you, a woman, is an assassin?” Hamilton says with a large dose of disbelief in his voice. “I have a hard time believing that we would be able to catch a supposed trained killer twice, so easily. First, two soldiers happen to come across you in the woods, and then Tallmadge and Lafayette are able bring you back to camp. Without a fight, I might add. You must not be very good at your job.”
You shoot a death stare towards Alexander; you cover your mouth and whisper to yourself “I swear to Satan himself, if I wasn’t injured right now I would punch you in your sexist mouth.”
“She did outwit us earlier with the bought of how you say. Hysteria.” Lafayette directs his comment towards Hamilton.
“Also, she did manage to get in some proper hits to us both, if she wasn’t injured I’m not sure we would have caught her.” Benjamin states while he runs his hands through his hair.
“I agree with Alexander. Are we really going to believe this? Do we just take her word for it? She could just be saying these things; she might be suffering from sort of madness.” With Laurens taking Alexander’s side, the men are split on believing you. “We have to get Washington involved. If anything she is saying is true, he needs to know about this. He can decide if he believes her and what to do with her.”
Benjamin seems to have taken on the task of defending you. “You’re right, John. He does need to know, but maybe not right now. She’s injured and poses no threat. We have her weapons; we can keep her under watch until she is healed, we can continue to question her. Hopefully it’ll give us time to figure out how she can prove her claims. Think of the intelligence and possibilities we can gain from her if she’s telling the truth. Then we take her to Washington.” He steps toward Alexander and John.
“You and your damn intelligence. If Washington finds out we’re hiding this from him, we’ll be lucky to keep our positions.” Alexander begins to pace in the small area of the tent.
Lafayette turns to Benjamin, putting a hand on his shoulder, “I want to believe her as much as you do. But John and Alex are right; he needs to know about this, sooner rather than later. Maybe you can get him to see the value of questioning her further.”
“Fine. One of you fetch him, I don’t think she’s in any shape to make it over to his tent.” Benjamin pulls a chair closer to your cot and sits down as Lafayette leaves. “[Y/N], I will try to help you in anyway I can, but know that it is no longer up to me.” You nod in agreement. There were bigger issues to worry about right now, like the fact you are probably moments away from meeting the future first president of the United States and you’re in your underwear. Your mother would be horrified.
“I swear to you, I am telling the truth. I’ll do whatever I can to prove myself…” As your about continue speaking, the man himself enters the tent. The paintings you grew up seeing in history books do not this man justice. The men stand aside as Washington, who seems almost seems too large to be this tiny tent, walks in.
“Sir. This is the woman we were speaking about. May I introduce to you Mademoiselle [Y/N].” You sit up as best you can, clutching a thin blanket close to your chest trying your best not to flash the future president.
“Miss [Y/N], I am George Washington. You seem to be the talk of the camp.” He would be charming if it weren’t for the fact that he held your life in his hands. “Now I am being told of your rather unconventional profession.”
You’re a mix of star struck, nervous and the only thing between you and George is a thin blanket. You feel your cheeks start to blush.
“Pleasure to meet you, Sir.” Oh, Lord, this can’t be real life.
“Can you now explain to us what you were doing in the woods before our soldiers came across you?” Benjamin takes the lead in questioning you again, as Washington takes the seat closest to you.
“As I said before, I was out in the woods alone because I find it calming. But I was also planning on testing out my new rifle, since I knew there wasn’t going to be anyone around.” You look in the direction of the gun. You continue to tell them the story of how you came to be here in this very moment, you include every detail you can remember; the unknown person chasing you, the blackout, the sense of falling, waking up and hearing the voices of the soldiers who shot you, and the attempted escape. You even manage to slip in the fact that you’re not from this time. There was total silence as you finished telling your story; it felt like an eternity before anyone made any attempt to speak. For once in your life, you were unable to read the faces of the men who stood in front of you.
“I can prove some of my story. I just need that item you were asking about earlier.” Benjamin reaches into the pocket of his blue and gold coat and hands you the cell phone.
Summary: Reader mysteriously wakes up in the 18th century and tries to use her skills & knowledge to navigate and survive the Revolution and hopefully beyond.
Warnings: Light cusing (Reader’s inner voice is sarcastic likes to curse), panic attack type situation, and blood.
Word count: About 1900
Note: This might become a series, I’m not totally sure yet. This is my first attempt at writing a fan fiction. Any input is appreciated.
Part Two |
Table of Contents | Series Masterlist
This is where you felt like you actually belonged. All the camping trips you had taken with your family growing up made you feel at home surrounded by the forest. Living in the city left you feeling claustrophobic. But here, this is where you felt at peace and calm.
Until now.
You felt like someone was watching you, following behind you always just out of sight. You grabbed your phone from your pocket, acting as if you were stopping to take a photo, all while praying for cell service. No Service. Fuck. You could still feel their eyes on you the entire time. Trying not panic you started walking faster to keep a distance between you and this unknown person. Suddenly their footsteps started to get faster and closer. You picked up the pace. Faster. Closer. Finally you were in an all out sprint through your once sacred space.
How can they sound so close but you still aren’t able to see them? You don’t understand. You could practically feel their breath on the back of your neck, but still there wasn’t anyone or anything there, just the urge to keep running. As you’re looking back, everything goes black and you feel like you’re falling backwards.
You couldn’t say how long you were unconscious, but you felt like you had been pushed out of a moving train. For a moment no one is around you when you pick yourself off the ground. The feeling of being chased is gone. Now confusion has taken its place. What happened? Why did you black out? Other than being sore, you couldn’t find any injuries.
All of a sudden you start to hear voices. Your instincts take over and now you’re running in the opposite direction of the voices. They’re getting louder and now they’re directed at you.
“Stop there!”
“What if it’s the British?!”
BANG.
All you felt was a searing hot pain in your side. You try to keep running, but the pain over takes you and you collapse on the ground a few moments later. As you try to keep your eyes open you see the two men standing in front of you
“He doesn’t look like a British soldier.”
One of the men bends down to look you in the face; suddenly coming to the realization you weren’t a man. All you could utter was a simple request, “help me. Please.”
“We should’ve left her out there. She could be a spy.”
“You shot a woman and she needs help. We’ll let Tallmadge and the others decide what she is.”
“She isn’t dressed as a woman, you can’t blame me for thinking she was a man.”
Every movement was pure agony. The two oddly dressed men carried you from the woods into their camp. “This is all wrong,” you kept thinking, this camp wasn’t here earlier. The pain was intense; you have never felt anything like it. The world kept fading in and out. You were slightly aware of receiving some sort of medical care. But you had the sense you weren’t in a proper hospital; you could hear other sick and injured people around you. Finally darkness overtook you.
When you finally woke up you took in your surroundings. You were in a tent for some reason, lying on an uncomfortably small cot. A man dressed in what appeared to be some sort of fancy uniform was sitting nearby. You tried sitting up, but the pain kept you from it.
“Don’t move too much, you’ll rip your stitches.”
“Where am I?”
“You’re in the camp of the Continental Army. You were shot by one of our soldiers who mistook you for a British soldier. Can you tell me your name? And why you were in the woods?
Only tell them what they need to know. You know the drill; you’ve trained for situations like this. “ My name is [Y/N]. This can’t be real. I don’t understand what’s going on. I was in the woods walking when all of a sudden someone was chasing me. Why am I not in a hospital? More importantly, what am I wearing and where are my clothes?”
“I am Benjamin Tallmadge. Our camp doctor had tended to your wound. He has said with rest and time, you’ll be fine. The clothes you were wearing were covered in blood, so one of the nurses changed you into a clean shift. Why were you walking in the woods? It is not safe for a woman to walk alone out here.”
Before you could answer him, three men walked into the tent. You suddenly felt very exposed, like you were on display. You took in the appearance of the men standing before you. There was something about the shortest man of the group that looked eerily familiar. Where had you seen his face before? He looked like a slightly younger version of someone, but who?
“He wants to know if she’s said anything.”
“We were just getting started, Hamilton. She just woke up, I was trying to ease into it.” You could hear the annoyance in Benjamin’s voice.
Hamilton. Fucking Hamilton. The man on the $10 bill.
“Oh, shit.” You covered your mouth as soon as the words left your mouth. The shock on your face might as well have been written in all caps across your forehead, all four of the men stared at you.
“So, she does speak. Alexander Hamilton, at your service.” He smirked and bows slightly to you. “Carry on, Tallmadge. Don’t mind us.” Alexander and the other two men settled in to listen to your interview. Or was this about to become an interrogation?
“We were talking about why you were in the woods by yourself.” Benjamin turned his attention back to you.
“Umm. I enjoy being in the woods it usually relaxes me. Well, until today. Obviously.”
“But Mademoiselle, were you not afraid? There are many dangers out there. Even for men. Why were you alone?” The beautiful French accent on the tallest of the men could melt butter.
You tried to avoid all eye contact. All of this just felt wrong. You didn’t belong here. “I cannot explain it to you all. This is all wrong. I should go. Where are my things?” You once again tried to get up from the cot, with a little bit more success than last time.
“Please, [Y/N]. Sit. You’ll only cause yourself more pain. We have your belongings, they are safe and you are safe. We just have some questions.” Benjamin gently helped you back onto the cot.
The last man of the group steps forward holding on to your backpack. “It had some… interesting items in it, more men’s clothing and some items which no one can identify.”
Well, shit. How in the seven hells are you supposed to explain to people from the 18th century what a cell phone is? As if right on cue the man hands Benjamin your cell phone. You hope they didn’t find the even more damning items in your backpack.
“Can you tell us what this is? “ He held up your cell phone, looking it over taking in the details of the Doctor Who phone case.
“First of all it’s not men’s clothing, its my clothing. If its really as dangerous out there as everyone claims it to be, would you want to travel dressed in women’s clothing? As for that, I can’t tell you what it is. Not right now.”
“Stop dancing around the issue, Tallmadge. Just come right out and ask the question. This is taking too long and I have more important work to do.” Alexander shifted impatiently in his chair.
“Let me do my job, Hamilton. No one is keeping you here.” He glared at Hamilton for a moment. “I’ll be honest with you, [Y/N]. There are people in camp that think you are a British spy.” He crouches down so that the two of you at eye level. “I am of the opinion that there is something else going on. I can only help you if you tell me the truth.”
The truth. Your inner voice was having a field day; “Hello, men from the 18th century! I’m from the 21st century! Guess what I’m allowed to vote and run for President! Fight and die in wars. Oh yea, and that device you’re holding? It holds more information that you could possibly ever dream of.” Yes, the truth that wouldn’t make you look like a lunatic, not at all.
So you decide on an answer that will hopefully satisfy him for a moment. “I am not a spy, I swear to you. I can’t explain the items in my bag, but I swear I am not a spy, or a soldier in any form. I have nothing to do with the British army. I don’t even know where I am right now.” Inside you begin to breakdown. All you want is to get out of this place, but how? You can feel the tears fall down your cheeks and your breath begins to quicken.
The men start to look uncomfortable; “use this to your advantage!” your inner voice screams. You give the panic you’ve been holding back control. The adrenaline starts to course its way through your veins, the pain subsides. You pop up from the cot, and so your performance begins.
“Oh, God! You’re going to kill me, that’s why all of you are here!”
“That’s not why we’re all here, Miss [Y/N] .We just need to know…” Before Hamilton can finish his thought you start screaming as loud as humanly possible.
“HELP ME! They’re going to kill me!” You start throwing whatever you can get your hands on at the men standing before you. “HELP ME! Get away from me!” As they try to get closer to you start hitting and kicking at them. You look down to see your wound has started to bleed.
“Miss, you need to calm yourself! You’re bleeding!”
“For the love of God, will someone go and fetch the doctor!” Someone yells as Hamilton and the quiet man run out of the tent. Two down, two to go. You feel the blood starting to seep through your shift and drip down your side.
You start tearing at the shift you’re wearing. Now you’re standing before these two men in nothing but the last pieces of your 21st century clothing, your bra and underwear, forgetting about the tattoos that decorate your various parts of your body.
“Mademoiselle, please stop…” The Frenchman and Benjamin move in close enough to attempt to pick you up. You use every ounce of training you’ve received in this moment, one of your kicks lands on Benjamin’s chin. As he drops you, you turn around and knee the Frenchman in the groin. Now’s your chance. Take it. Run.
You quickly grab your phone, backpack and a cloak that was lying beside the cot. You make a run for it, back toward the woods. Benjamin and the Frenchman not far behind you. You finally make it back to the nearby woods. Running barefoot and in nothing but your underwear with a bullet wound in your side wasn’t your brightest idea. You started to slow down as the pain started to over take you again.
“Lafayette! Grab her!” Lafayette tackles you and both of you fall to the ground. You try fighting to get out from underneath him, but he uses his full weight to pin you down on the ground.
“STOP! We’re not going to hurt you. You’re already hurt, please don’t make it worse.” Benjamin hands Lafayette the cloak you dropped and wraps you in it. Knowing there wasn’t a way out of this you stop fighting, he picks you bridal style and the three of you head back to camp.
You resigned to whatever the universe had in store, knowing that now it was truly out of your hands.
