Its the new year. Eliza is still trying to trust Alexander.

Eliza grinned as Alexander poured champagne for them. He had struggled to open the bottle for twenty minutes since it turned midnight.

"We're in a new century", she took a glass.

"Yeah I haven't kissed you since last century", he smiled before kissing her.

Eliza moaned into the kiss. She took a sip of the champagne. Philip and Alex were outside celebrating on the street. James ran downstairs, he was in bed.

"Is it the new year?" He grinned. Alexander wrapped an arm around Eliza.

"It's a new century! Happy new year, my boy. Go outside to Philip and Alex", Alexander gave him champagne for the 3 of them. Eliza smirked.

"It's been too long", she gripped his shirt and kissed him again.

Eliza sat down, looking out the window at the people celebrating.

"Remember when we were that young", she smiled at them. Alexander nodded.

"Ah yes, the days when we could wake up with no pain in our joints, no kidney problems and could stay up all night", he put his glass down and stood behind her. He kissed her neck, moving her hair out of the way.

"Mmm", she moaned.

Alexander groaned when they heard a knock at the front door.

"Maybe they'll go away", he whispered. Eliza laughed. As if.

"Betsey! Happy new year!" They heard the every distinct transatlantic accent that was Angelica.

Eliza stood up, gripping onto Alexander for a moment. He didn't notice. She dragged him into the hallway to meet her sister.

"Ah you look lovely tonight", Eliza boasted about her sister. Angelica grinned, blushing slightly.

"Happy new year", Alexander commented. John smiled and returned the same compliments back.

"Betsey, sit beside me. What are your New Year's resolutions?" Angelica asked as she made her way into the parlour.

William came in crying and holding his blanket.

"Angelica!" William squealed when he saw her. He ran and sat on her lap.

"I have been helping with the women's charity. I plan to do more hours. What about yourself?" Eliza asked her while wrapping William and Angelica up in a blanket. Angelica laughed.

"You're so charitable. I like that about you. I plan to take up writing poetry", Angelica shrugged.

"We best be getting on. Thanks for the drink Alexander", John helped Angelica up.

"We are going to stop by the knoxs too", Angelica told Eliza.

Alexander went outside to make sure the boys weren't getting into trouble. As per Eliza's instructions.

She brought William back to bed and came back downstairs to tidy up.

"Come to bed, my angel", Alexander wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I was waiting on you", she whispered to him and let him lead the way.

Eliza coughed as they made their way up the stairs.

"That doesn't sound good", Alex commented. He steadied her with his hand on her lower back.

"I've had it for a few days. It'll go away eventually", she reassured him. Alexander shook his head.

"Okay". She could see he was still worried. Anytime she got a little sick he freaked out. She cuddled up to him and fell asleep.

"Mom", John woke her up during the night. "I wet the bed", he sniffled. She shivered as soon as she got up to follow him. She changed the sheets and checked on baby Eliza. She fed her.

Eliza yawned as she collapsed into the bed.

"You're freezing", Alexander whispered and put her hands on him to heat her up. Eliza coughed until she sat up. She turned around and fell asleep soon after.

"Eliza...Betsey...please wake up", she heard the pain in his voice. Alexander was gripping her hand, squeezing it and kissing it.

She groaned, pulling her hand away.

"I'm fine. I need to get up", she whispered in a cracked voice.

"Betsey it's 3pm. I was thinking that you weren't going to wake up", he recounted, pulling away slightly.

Eliza sat up as she coughed.

"Sorry. Come here. I love you and you can't get rid of me that easily", she laughed. Alexander nodded. He kissed her hand again. Eliza wrapped him in a big hug.

"I have to leave tomorrow for your fathers house. I'll be there for a few weeks. I don't want to leave you if you're sick", he had a frown on his face. He knew he couldn't stay. Eliza sighed.

"Okay", she smiled at him.

"Good thing I'm not sick", she laughed slightly. Who was she fooling?

"I'm being serious, Betsey", he kissed her hand again. He was really worried. Eliza laid back down.

"I'm going to rest today then and I'll be better by tomorrow", she promised him. Alexander nodded.

"I'll make sure you're not disturbed", he kissed her forehead.

Adalyia knocked on the door.

"I am extremely sorry to interrupt. The baby", she looked distressed. She had baby Eliza in her arms. Eliza had never seen any one of her kids look so limp. She shelf her arms out for her baby.

"Give her to me!" She said in a harsh tone. Adalyia handed her the child. Eliza pressed on her baby's chest.

"Breathe. Please. Just breathe", she cried. Alexander laughed when the baby's scream filled the room. It was the best sound they've ever heard. Eliza sniffled, hugging her baby.

Eliza forced herself out of the bed in the morning to make Alexander breakfast and see him off.

"Mom, you're sick. You should be in bed", Angelica pointed out. Eliza smiled at her.

"Nothing would get done if I stayed in bed".

She got William and John up, washed, fed and dressed.

"Can I come with you Papa?" John asked him. Alexander smiled.

"No, not on this trip", Alexander ruffled his hair. Eliza stepped into the kitchen as she went into a coughing fit.

"Mom, just tell Papa and he won't leave. You're not well", she was on the verge of tears. Eliza sighed.

"His work is very important. I don't want you saying a thing. You can wait in your room if you think you can't keep quiet", Eliza pleaded with her. Angelica pushed past her and past Alexander. She heard Alexander calling after Angelica.

"Leave her. I'll deal with her. Have a great trip. Wish my parents my best", Eliza lead them outside.

Alexander kissed Eliza before getting in the carriage.

"I'll miss you", she smiled at him and handed him a letter.

"Read it when you're alone", she winked at him. He smirked, kissing her again.

"I love you". He waved before riding off.

Eliza coughed again as she made her way back to bed. Her lungs felt like they were on fire.

Angelica sat beside her telling her a story about the fairytales she heard from her friends.

"In Ireland, there is an underworld called the land of the Fae. Which is where the fairies live. Some of them like to steal little boys so the mother's dress their children up like girls until they are 5 so they can't tell the difference. And when a child is taken, a changeling is placed in its place", she was wide eyed and fascinated by these stories.

"What's changeling?" Eliza asked her, half asleep. She turned around, only noticing that James was sitting on the chair listening to the story too.

"It's a fairy that looks exactly like your child but it acts completely different. It acts more like an old man", she explained.

"That's scary", James commented.

"Don't worry, my boy. It's only stories", Eliza reassured him before falling back asleep.

Eliza woke up to Angelica and Alex sitting on her bed. John was cuddled into her, asleep. His cheeks were puffy and red.

"We need to make sure she doesn't stop breathing", Alex told Angelica. Eliza looked up to Angelica holding baby Eliza. She could see the relief on Angelica when she saw that Eliza was awake.

"She's hungry", Angelica explained.

"Why did you say you had to make sure she didn't stop breathing?" Eliza took the baby from her.

"Alex, take John to his room. I need privacy", Eliza instructed her son. Alex nodded, eager to leave.

"We...we weren't talking about the baby. Mom it's been 3 weeks and all you do is sleep. Why won't you tell Papa?" Angelica wiped tears from her cheeks.

"He has enough to worry about", Eliza shrugged. Has it really been 3 weeks?

She fed the baby.

"If you don't tell Papa, I'll tell Angelica", Angelica threatened to tell Eliza's older sister. Eliza laughed, shaking her head.

"You have a letter from Papa. It's over there", she pointed to the dresser. She got up and handed it to her mother.

Eliza quickly read the letter. Her father was much better. Peggy dined with them and was feeling much better too. He was wondering how baby Eliza was.

"I'm sorry that I'm putting you through this", Eliza kissed her daughter's forehead. Angelica nodded, even through her worry she understood that a man's needs came before her own.

Eliza kissed her baby infant. The baby's cough was gone and she was fully recovered. Eliza slowly got out of bed to write back to Alexander.

"Angelica, go tell Adalyia to run me a bath. I feel like it would do me good", Eliza instructed her daughter. "Yes, momma".

Eliza wrote to Alexander telling him about the kids good health and how the baby has recovered.

She made her way downstairs after her bath. John arrived soaking head to toe with Alex and James running behind him. Eliza bent down to strip him.

"What happened?" She asked him, grabbing a towel from the cupboard. She always had them handy.

"I fell", John sniffled. Alex ran into the kitchen.

"He fell into a stream. It wasn't as bad as it looks. We were looking for frog spawn", he explained. Eliza looked down at his dirty boots and her lovely clean floor and the trail of footprints.

"Take your shoes off outside. Clean this floor", she instructed him as she took John upstairs to get dressed in warm clothes.

She left him to draw while she soaked his dirty clothes.

"What are you doing?" Eliza put her hand through her hair. Alex has wiped all the footprints up with the white towel.

"Next time use a mop", she grabbed the towel for him, soaking that too.

"When Papa home?" William asked her. Eliza picked him up.

"In a few weeks, my sweet sweet boy. Do you want to help me make cherry tarts?" She asked him. William giggled and nodded. He cheered, jumping down into her arms. Eliza caught him. She went into a coughing fit. William ran to get her water. Eliza smiled at him, taking a sip.

"Thank you".

…

Eliza fixed James' hair before church. She made sure they all looked nice.

The sermon was calming and the children all behaved.

"Mom look! Papa is home!" James pointed to the carriage in the driveway.

The children ran the rest of the way.

"It might not be him", she called out to them. She didn't want them getting their hopes up. She wasn't expecting him home this early. He was to get back on Wednesday. Angelica and Philip stayed beside her.

Eliza couldn't help but smile when she saw Alexander come out of the house. He had William in one arm and John in the other.

"I wanted to surprise you", he put the kids down and kissed his wife. Eliza grinned.

"It's a fantastic surprise. It would be even better if you spend the day with us", she grabbed his hands, putting them around her as she cuddled into his chest. She missed him more than usual. She needed him more than usual.

"How does a stroll in the forest sound?" He asked the children. John and William cheered for the idea. The other kids agreed too. Eliza made them change out of their good clothes first.

Alexander showed the boys the mushrooms that are edible and let them try them.

"Look frog spawn!" James pointed to it. They had spent ages looking for it. He told Alexander about how John had fallen in. Eliza shivered slightly. It was still cold this time of year. Philip took off his jacket and handed it to her. She smiled at him.

"Thank you".

Alexander helped them gather some of the frog spawn to take home. Eliza turned away from them.

"Mom are you okay? You look really pale", Philip pointed out. Eliza glanced back at Alexander. He caught her eye.

"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy that's all", she said through a smile. Philip let her hold onto him as they kept walking.

"Tell me how's college going?" She changed the subject. Philip told her about his friends and what he is studying.

Eliza took baby Eliza into their room to feed her once they got home. She picked up her book to read.

"Oh", she smiled, putting down the book when Alexander came in. He changed his clothes then sat on the bed watching her.

"I think you made the right decision waiting till I got home to decide on the house. We can go up there tomorrow and have a look at it", he picked up her book to read the first page of what she was reading.

"Put that down. I don't want you reading it and spoiling it for me", she laughed. Alexander shrugged, surrendering.

She placed the baby down in the cot.

"I'll see how I feel tomorrow", she took off her dress and turned her back to Alexander.

"Help me out of this", she smirked at the look on his face.

"Wow", his hands ran up her legs. He undid the first knot before sitting back down.

"The stays are tightened quite tight. Have you lost weight?" He asked her. Eliza turned around to him. She hesitated. She hadn't realised.

"Yeah I guess so", she put on a nightdress and gown before going downstairs.

"Elizabeth, talk to me. Did something happen?" Alexander chased after her. Philip and Angelica watched them fighting.

"Don't bring my full name into this. I'm not your child", Eliza pulled away from him.

"Even your wrists feel smaller", he pointed out. "Talk to me".

"I'm sick, okay! Is that what you wanted to hear. I've been sick since you left", she admitted to him.

He stopped dead in his tracks. He had been enjoying the last 2 months, dining and drinking with friends while his wife and been suffering at home.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her. "She didn't want to worry you", Philip responded. Eliza groaned, now he knows the kids kept it from him.

"Eliza I don't appreciate you lying to me", he helped her sit down. "I didn't lie". She muttered back to him. She tensed up, hugging herself.

"Betsey you're shaking", Alexander kneeled down in front of her. He held her hands. She couldn't look at him though.

"What was it then?" Alexander asked her. If it wasn't lying?

"I never mentioned my health", she felt sick. Why couldn't he see that she did it for him? She was putting him first. Alexander thought about it, realising that in all her letters she only mentioned that the children were well.

"I'm not sorry. I'd do it again. We can't afford for you to sit at my bedside anytime I get sick", she knew that statement would hurt him. Anything to do with their financial situation did. He pulled away, standing up.

"In sickness and in health. I'm supposed to be there for you. How can I do that when you won't let me?" He left her sitting in the kitchen. Angelica helped her upstairs and into bed. Philip went to talk to Alexander.

Eliza coughed as she lay on her side.

"Thank you, Angelica. You should go to bed", she fell asleep straight away. Eliza smiled when she woke up to Alexander watching her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He ran his fingers along her side. Eliza moaned.

"I was afraid", she took his hand and kissed it. Alexander frowned.

"Then is that not more reason to want me there with you?" He questioned her. Eliza shook her head.

"I was afraid you wouldn't come", tears fell from her eyes. Alexander hugged her close.

"No matter what my angel. If you write telling me you need me home. I will come home. When did I make you doubt me?" He kissed her repeatedly. Eliza laughed. She couldn't help it.

"What did you do? You a fucking affair. You ruined my life. I'm still trying to trust you", she cried into his chest.

thanks for reading