Murder, the Sign of a Dear Friend

"Dearest Juliet,
Your mother told me you were staying at your sister's. I do hope all is well there. I am writing this to you now because being that you are my friend, I feel you need to share in my happiness. I am engaged."

"Lucille… Lucy… She's engaged?" Juliet asked incredulously, reading the words a second time just to be sure.

"That's what it says, dear sister," Tori joked, smiling at the thought of her sister's ill-mannered and short tempered friend actually finding a man that would ask for her hand in marriage.

"Keep reading," Lena urged, green eyes scanning the page as she stood next to Juliet in her kitchen, waiting for the afternoon tea to be ready.

"He's handsome, tall, tan. Sounds like a common Kansas man," Juliet said, a small smile as she reminisced of Kendall.

"Still... To think of her engaged? It's a hard thing to picture... Like chocolate is to come by these days," Tori said, mouth beginning to water at the thought of even just a small square of the sweet she had been denied for so long now.

"... I agree, but... I guess she deserves to be happy. And if she's happy, then so am I."

"I'd be happier if James were here, not off fighting when he knows he should be here with me," Lena added bitterly.

"It's like Kendall said...he is positive they will come back. I don't doubt that at all." Tori said, trying to be positive.

"It's how they'll come back is what I'm worried about." Juliet murmured under her breath. Tori argued, "Well I do. It's like I was telling James and Kendall...one bullet. One little piece of metal could tear them away from us forever."

"Oh, please...get over that! It's not like they don't have field medics and others to make sure if someone is wounded they can get treated right away. Given their medicine and limited supplies to do a decent hospital worthy job may be crippled by the battle setting, it's better then having a bullet lodged somewhere with no way to remove it, it slowly disintegrating within your body and corroding your life away as you bleed to death among your enemies' bodies."

"Wonderful time to be so positive, Julie."

"The problem is, Tori, Lena, you can't save the dead or the damned." Juliet bowed her head, a silent prayer sent up for the boys, their comrades and everyone fighting in the war, they'd need it.

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Hannah Rothschild sat on her front porch, sighing, staring at the fields as she worked on her sewing.

"Ma'am!" Hannah looked up at the men riding towards her.

"Yes?"

"Are you Hannah Rothschild?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"Good. We've been looking for you. And Alexandria Trixston, if you could so kindly point us toward her residence, we'd be thankful." One of the Confederate soldiers said, dismounting from the horse.

"I beg your pardon, but...why exactly are you looking for us? The army should have no concern about citizens of the Confederate States of America that comply with each and every rule set by Jefferson Davis," Hannah said, not realizing this was one of those times when she would have been wise to hold her tongue.

"It is a matter pertaining to the Constitution of the Confederate States, ma'am." The solider replied. Worriedly Hannah glanced back inside, watching Lexi's shadow cross the back door to the kitchen.

"Miss Trixston is here, she often comes for tea and to chat by the fireside, seeing as our suitors are away fighting." Hannah informed the soldiers, who, stepping right past her into her house, began to call for Lexi.

"By and by I come!" Lexi hollered, annoyed at hearing her name so many times without knowing why it was being said.

"Oh, hello gentlemen...may I help you?" Lexi asked sweetly, all traces of annoyance gone as her eyes surveyed the young men in uniform in front of her.

"Thank you ma'am for you help. The traitor will be dealt with, and you will be rewarded." One of the soldiers, said.

Hannah turned to Lexi, confused.

"Lexi? Traitor? What is this all about? I've done nothing wrong!" she protested, growing worried at the smirk settling on Lexi's face.

"Oh but dear Hannah, you have. You took the one boy I loved from me...stole his heart, never giving me a chance to see if I could win it. Revenge certainly is bittersweet, like the chocolate he gave you sometime ago for your birthday. But it's also a dish best served cold, the way your tea is going to be after you and I leave, you to go to jail, me to Richmond to explain how important keeping our Southern roots alive, including slavery is." Lexi lied.

This plan was elaborate, and she wasn't entirely sure it would worked. She'd lied to the soldiers that Hannah had been helping the slaves escape as part of the underground railroad, hoping she'd get thrown in a jail cell and rot so that when Logan came back Lexi could have him all to herself.

"This girl isn't going to jail, miss, she is to be executed." The soldier said, grabbing Hannah by the arm, dragging her out of the home, throwing her against the wall.

"Any last words... Traitor." The soldier spat, holding up his musket, his companion doing the same.

"WAIT! I do not mean for her to die... would you... Could you just put her in jail? She is after all...she is a friend."

"Sorry, miss, that's not the penalty for letting slaves escape. You have twenty seconds." The soldier said, the pair readjusting their rifles so they were facing Hannah.

Even in the face of death she welcomed it like an old friend with open arms.

"I'm sorry someone was petty enough to lie about such a horrible crime I did not commit. I know God will see the truth in my heart. Lexi, you were my dearest friend... And now," She looked at the two men ready to shot her. "I pray the angels envelop me in their arms and bring my home. I believe that was twenty seconds gentlemen."

Two shots rang clearly, and with those two shots, Hannah Rothschild was gone from this earth, taken home to her Father.

Lexi couldn't hide the tears that were gathering at the corner of her eyes. As she watched one of the men pick up Hannah's body, the other walked toward her.

"Do not cry, miss. This is what comes to helping your country. True loyalty is shown when you must protect your beliefs, thank you for bringing this traitor to justice."

Lexi swallowed hard. That wasn't what she believed. She knew slavery was wrong, and her lie had just caused one of her friends to be killed. Over a boy. Looking at the soldier, she bite back a surrender that would surely cause her death. But how long could she live knowing that she had killed her best friend?

"Thank you miss." One confederate solider said to Lexi as his friend adjusted the way he held Hannah's body. As they went to leave, Lexi suddenly felt... Alone. And if the soldiers had time to drop by to kill Hannah, surely they would have the time to tarry and enjoy a cup of tea before they needed to head back.

"Wait! If you gentlemen have the time, if you'd like to stay for tea, it's just ready now. The least you can do as part of my reward is to allow me to get to know you." Lexi almost begged, an innocence creeping into her tone, as though she were a lost child looking for her mother, not a young woman who had just watched her friend die in front of her.

At this request, the younger looking of the two, a boy with shaggy brown hair beneath the military hat, and seemingly gentle green eyes, nodded.

"I can honor that, just as you had honored your duty to turn in the traitor. My name is Aaron Gilmore."

Lexi smiled, walking into Hannah's kitchen to grab tea cups and to check the stove. As she went to pour, she accidentally slipped and the hot water splashed out and she burned herself.

Yelping, she jumped back from the stove just as the soldiers came into the room.

"Are you okay miss?" Aaron asked, momentary concern flashing across his face.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just burned myself, that is all..." she said, flexing her fingers. They were already starting to turn red.

At once, Aaron, being both a soldier and a gentleman, grabbed her hand and turned on the sink, running Lexi's hand under the cool water. The sudden motion of a boy holding her hand, even if it was just for her benefit, made Lexi blush.

"Th-thanks..." she stuttered as he let go of her hand, going to sit down at the table where his friend already was.

"It's no problem. Hot water burns are nothing compared to the injuries out on the battlefield."

"What kind of injuries do you see on the battlefield?" Lexi asked, purely out of morbid curiosity.

Aaron turned to look at her as she set the tea down.

"I'd much rather not spoil your mind with images of death that I have seen," he said simply, taking the teacup and raising it to his lips.

"It's been a good while since I've had hot tea. Bryan, weren't you telling me of a new battle Lee has devised before we came here?" Aaron asked his friend, who nodded before glaring at Lexi.

"Yes, but... I will not discuss it here. Her friend was a traitor. How do we know that she is not one as well?" he pointed out.

"Because," Lexi started, beginning to truly fear she'd opened a door to death she couldn't close, "I would never lie when it came to protecting my beliefs."

"But just earlier you said to your friend this was all because of some boy... Jealously has overtaken your heart, corrupted your soul. Perhaps you are not as innocent as you lead us to believe?"

"What is it that you're insinuating, Aaron?"

"That you lied about your friend in order to get this boy."

Lexi bit her lip; these Confederates were not people to be joked with. The only thing scarier than their weapons was there eerie ability to see through people.

"I am still innocent, I have just had to watch my best friend die, and I will admit it's for something she did not do. Hannah Rothschild was telling the truth, it was I that lied. The boy we were talking about? He left for work sometime after I developed feelings for him. And now that Hannah's gone, I just…I just feel so lonely. If only-"

Lexi was cut off, and her eyes widened in surprise as Aaron's lips met hers. She closed her eyes and instinct took over, her arms reaching up to rest behind his neck. As they kissed, she heard the cocking of a gun, and pulled back, startled.

"Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry… but my friend is right. How do I know? And with what you just admitted, I believe you're guilty of treason now, even if the initial cause, the spark to the fire, was admiration for boy you knew you could never have. I'm truly sorry… but in my case, protecting my country from those that threaten its very ideals and beliefs by allowing them to live is something I cannot do." Aaron said stoically, looking Lexi in the eyes.

She wanted to cry. From what he just said, it was obvious her own death was imminent.

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