HURTS
"I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think, vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done."
-John Brown
December 2nd, 1859
CharlesTown Virginia
The air was thick with tension. No, it reeked of it. A tall, golden haired man paced outside of the county jail, thinking deeply about what was about to be witnessed. Journalists and people willing to get a look at the 'traitor' or 'hero' (depending on one's views) had come in droves. About two thousand soldiers were there standing guard in case someone tried anything 'funny'. Yet, there was nothing funny about the death of a man. He was a man who was a humanist, a new man, for the new age, for the New World; for Alfred F. Jones.
"I just, I cannot believe this verdict." A middle-aged man rubbed his eyes. Hiram Griswald looked to the blonde sadly. "I just cannot believe this."
"I can understand, but, John knew what he was doing." Alfred forced a small smile to reassure the haggard lawyer. He sighed to himself at this predicament. His breath was left hanging in the winter air.
On the other side of the small field, which was really the gallows, another blond head was bobbing as she walked. Gentlemen, soldiers, even women turned their heads to watch her grace and air as she passed. The young woman only stopped when she was before the lawyer, Andrew Hunter, a small smile on her plush lips.
"It shan't be long now." That thick South Carolinian accent rolled off of her tongue and stained the air with sweet; sickeningly sweet for the day. But the two shared a look, knowing the shifting tides, knowing and feeling the ground beneath their feet was starting to turn, to twist.
"Miss Amelia, are you sure you ought to be here?" Hunter spoke quietly.
"I 'hafta be here, else what would my dear brother think?" A thin brow arched at the mention of her charismatic but younger, brother. Alfred F. Jones. The golden boy who had led his people to their freedom but a hundred years ago and now they were at a pinnacle point. She could feel it. She was smart, cunning, she had to be. It was who she was. To survive, she had to be anything less than fierce.
"Of course." Hunter nodded and a silence went through the crowd far away from viewing easily what was to come. Blue eyes slid to the county jail's doors opening and out walked the traitor. Blonde curls bounced as she raised her chin higher. There would be no tolerance for such things in her states.
Alfred was stone silent. There was nothing worse than watching a good man walk to his death. He too could sense the changing tides. It made him uneasy.
John Brown walked in silence to the gallows, looking straight ahead, never looking down. Amelia looked the man in the eyes as he past and also to the man behind him in the crowd. She nodded to him; Thomas Jackson, a good soldier and a good friend.
Brown was led up the steps to the gallows, silent still, and no fear on his face. This is where the siblings caught each other's eyes. Sapphire burned sapphire. Neither would back down from the other. Alfred felt his jaw tense under her always critical gaze. She hid her nerves well and broke the stare back to the traitor who was now having a rope placed around his neck.
It happened quickly. At eleven fifteen am, John Brown was hung for his crimes. People gasped, women looked away, men made noises, but two sets of blues didn't even flinch. It took a hand on Alfred's shoulder to bring him back to present.
"Yes, we should be going. Buchanan is expecting me back tomorrow." He was all too happy to leave. The ground he stood on burned his feet. The very ground on which America, he, was founded. Where green eyes had been warm and a comfort, the start of everything Alfred knew. It was also the place where it had all come to just as an abrupt end. Where Alfred and his people won everything they had now.
Amelia watched her brother leave with a level stare. That was when she was taken aback. A young man was left standing where Alfred had been. Her head tilted as her eyes searched, curious. He was tall, yet shorter than Alfred by hair, she could tell. Copper skin. Half Native perhaps? Reddish-brown hair that fell into crimson eyes, which is what made her own narrow in confusion. She had never seen his color eyes before – blood crimson.
This stranger offered a seductive half smile, did he mean to be? Her heart fluttered and she swallowed hard to keep her composure. He could have been the devil himself with the way his eyes seemed to draw her in.
All too soon; he tipped his head to her and turned on his heel, a different gait than the rest of the men she knew of the time. He walked away. She too retired to her carriage waiting for her. Once settled in the protection of walls and curtains, all she could see was those devil eyes. Her hand went to her locket to play with. It would have been best they never meet again…but history has a way in forcing the hands of fate.
Hey guys! I have come off of some serious writers block. WARNING: This is loosely based off of history (though I will try to corroborate as best as I can). This IS an odd ship...Just look at it as the 2ps being siblings in sets of four in the same universe for the sake of this fic. Please forgive me as I know a lot of people enjoy them in the alternate universes but Al x Amelia is one of my favorite ships! I will also be taking my own personal liberty on Al's "real" name - it's just my head cannon name for him - don't be offended. The title isHURTS,, and yes it is for the band. The titles of the chapters with major plot points will be the titles of the songs from the album: Exile. This is a Civil War fic and is again (surprise) my own head cannon for how I see it going down with Al being present in the same universe as Alfred. You may or may not agree, but just enjoy it for what it is anyway in the real sense: fiction Nations. I do intend to re-look at Melody Within, I just had to get this penned down.
I may also be bringing someone else in on the project for some parts, but the POV will shift. I have an Al muse so it will be mostly his side and inner struggles. Hence, why I may bring someone on for Amelia because she's not boring by any means! So if the writing changes tone - you have been warned as too why! :3 (Rp partner where this all came to life!) Hope you enjoy!Historical Notes:
The death of John Brown, Abolitionist in 1859 for his "crimes" in raiding Harper's Ferry.
Andrew Hunter was the Prosecuting Lawyer.
Hiram Griswald was Brown's Lawyer (he actually had several but this one was the most prominent at the end).
John Buchanan was the President at the time before Lincoln.
Thomas Jackson is the future "Stonewall" Jackson - Confederate General.
