"Oh look at our little boy." I said as I fixed Aaron's collar as Philip stood behind me with his hands on my waist.
"God he looks like you Theo." Philip said kissing my cheek as Aaron started to drift back asleep in his cradle. "Come on Theo. Let's let him rest." Philip said as he took my hand and lead me out.
"It's hard to believe he is already a month old, after four weeks of non-stop crying and of waking up in the middle of the night. We finally have a routine in place." I said as Philip nodded.
"Our son is perfect. Just like you." Philip said gushing as we sat in the kitchen, I started to make Philip and I a cup of tea as Philip took a deep breath. I started to steep the tea bag in the small silver tea pot as Philip cleared his throat. "Theo. Can I tell you something?" Philip asked nervous as I nodded.
"What is it Philip?" I asked as I looked at him concerned.
"I challenged Eacker to a duel." Philip said as my eyes widen.
"What!" I said shocked as I put my tea pot down with my hands shaking as he grabbed my hand.
"I am tired of him talking all this shit about you and my Pops. He said the Aaron wasn't even my son. That he got to you before I did." Philip said as I took a ragged breath.
"You understand Philip, that you are the only man I have ever been with. Why didn't you just leave it be and forget about Eacker?" I asked upset as Philip shook his head and I pulled away from him and grabbed two tea cups. I poured me a cup as I sipped some of my tea.
"I'm sorry Theo. I just went into a blind rage when he talked about you and Aaron in the matter he did." Philip said as I shook my head and put my cup down. I looked him straight in the eye.
"What are we going to do?" I asked as Philip shook his head confused.
"What do you mean we?" He asked as I folded my hands together.
"Believe it or not. I know how to shot. I'm signing on as your second." I said as Philip shook his head.
"No, I am not putting you in any danger." Philip said as I looked him dead in the eye.
"I'm going to talk him to settle a peace." I said as Philip got up.
"No, you are not going. What about Aaron? Who will take care of him." Philip said as I looked at him.
"I will leave him my father. He has been begging me to let him spend a day with his grandson." I said as I stood up to face him. "Philip, I am going with you to Weehawken." I said as he pulled me close to him.
"Theo, please do not do this. I am going to fire into the air and then this is over." Philip said as I shook my head.
"Philip I am going." I said as he put his head down.
"I'm not talking you out of this, aren't I." Philip said as I shook my head. "I am going with you to Weehawken." I said as lifted chin up with my finger.
"Philip. I promise you that we are going to be okay." I said as He bit his lip.
"I love you Theodosia." Philip said as he kissed me tenderly. I pulled away from him and smiled at him as I heard Aaron starting to cry upstairs in his nursery.
"Let's go get Aaron." I said as Philip nodded and let me go as I hurried up the stairs and I walked into Aaron light yellow painted nursery as I stood over his cradle. "Hello little lamb." I said as he looked up at me and giggled as I picked him and held him close to me. "Do you want to go see Papa?" I asked as Philip stood in the doorway as he smiled at us. I handed him off to Philip as I turned away and grabbed Aaron's blanket and a small knitted bear as I heard Philip talking to his little boy as I smiled at them. I kissed Aaron's forehead and then looked up at Philip as he nodded and started to walk down the stairs and out the door as Philip started to talk to Aaron.
"Little man you are so freaking cute. People are going to say that your brains are not only where your resemblance stops." Philip said as I smiled as we walked into town.
"I'll take him to my father's and then you will get the guns?" I asked as he nodded and handed me back little Aaron.
"I will." Philip said as I nodded and kissed him.
"Let's do this." I said as he nodded, pecked Aaron on the forehead and I hurried away holding Aaron close to me as I walked up to my childhood home and knocked on the front door. Mandy opened the door and smiled.
"Miss. Theodosia! Along with Master Aaron. What a lovely surprise." She said letting us in.
"Hello Mandy. How is everything?" I asked as we walked into the parlor.
"Well, your father keeps telling me I should be helping you with Master Aaron but after you told him no and that you would raise him yourself, He has been busy working as the Senator." She said as I looked down at my sleeping little boy.
"Is my father in?" I asked as Mandy nodded.
"Yes ma'am. I will go tell him you are here." She said as she got up and hurried out. I sat in silence as I looked down at Aaron and kissed his sleeping face as Papa walked.
"Theo and my little grandson. What a surprise." Papa said kissing my check.
"Hi." I said as he sat down next to me. "Philip and I wanted to spend the day together without Aaron for once, and you have been saying that you have been wanting to spend time with him." I said as Papa nodded.
"You wish for me to take him off your hands?" Papa asked as I nodded.
"Yes." I said as he took Aaron from my arms.
"Where is Philip?" Papa asked as I looked out the window. "He is meeting me here. He had something come up." I said as I heard the door.
"That should be him. Thank you so much Papa, I love you so much." I said kissing his cheek as he looked at me with his old eyes.
"You are acting like you are never going to see me again." He said teasingly as I shook my head and I kissed Aaron on his sleeping forehead and hurried to the door and opened it to reveal Philip. I took a deep breath and walked out as I closed the door behind me.
"Let's go." I said as he took my hand and we hurried to the end of town and got into a waiting boat that was sailing to Weehawken as Philip held onto my hand and gave me my pistol. I fiddled with the trigger and I held onto Philip's hand. "Philip no matter what happens next. Understand that I love you with all of my heart." I said looking at him as he looked back at me.
"I love you so much Theodosia." Philip said as he kissed my knuckles and the boat stopped. I looked at him as I got out of the boat and looked at the crowd of people who were waiting to see the duel. I saw Eacker talking to his second.
"You brought your wife? Wow look at Hamilton trying to ruin others life." Eacker sneered at us as I rolled my shoulders backs and looked him in the eye.
"I'm his second, I volunteered to be." I said as Eacker looked me shocked.
"Mister. Eacker, how was your show?" Philip asked as I raised my eyebrow confused.
"I'd rather skip the pleasantries, let's go." Eacker said as I looked at him.
"Grab your pistol. Confer with your men." Philip said as I looked at him.
"Why don't we talk a peace first." I said as Eacker crossed his arms with his pistol in his hands.
"Alright, you leave Hamilton and your son, and marry me." Eacker said as I throw him a look of disgust.
"That will never happen. I would rather shoot myself first." I said bitterly as Eacker looked past me to Philip.
"The duel will commence after we count to ten." Eacker said as I turned to face him as fear grew in my stomach. I felt a stone grow inside. I stood behind Philip and gave him a worried look.
"Please don't do this." I said as he shook his head.
"I'm shooting in the air, don't worry. We will be back with Aaron before you know it." Philip said as I nodded as Philip faced me and started to walk the ten paces.
"One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six… Seven… Eight." I said to myself as I heard two shots and fell to the ground as I saw Philip laying on the ground. "No…" I said as my head fell to the ground and I felt Philip's hand on mine. I felt people pick me up and carry me as I barely opened my eyes to see people carrying us to the boat. I felt burning pain in my chest as I struggled to breath.
"Theo…" Philip said as I barely moved my head.
"I'm so sorry." Philip said as I saw tears running down his face.
"I love… you… Philip Hamilton… Ever since we were ten years old." I said struggling to talk as he squeezed my hand.
"I love you too Theodosia Hamilton. I will never stop loving you. You are going to be okay. I promise." Philip said as I felt darkness starting to enclose me.
"Tell Aaron I love him and I'll see him when I wake…" I said as my head started to lull to the side.
"Theo! Stay with me!" Philip screamed as I looked at Philip one last time and gave him a small smile.
"I love you and will see you on the other side my love… Take your time my love…" I said before closing my eyes and finally lulled my head to the side and felt my heart stop.
"No! No! THEO!" Philip yelled over and over again as the others people in the boat covered his now dead wife with a black blanket as he looked at his Theo and closed his eyes from the radiating pain from his hip. He tried to think about the earlier when his Theo wore her favorite yellow dress and held onto their son. God what will become of their Aaron. His mother was now gone and his father is going to die as we docked and people shuffled out and carried Theo's body and then helped carry him to the doctor. They carried in Theo's body in with the sheet over it as they laid him onto a table and the doctor started to try to patch him up. The doc walked out leaving me alone as his father started yelling.
"Where's my son?" Hamilton yelled starting to grow worried more and more as the doctor explained that Philip had lost a lot of blood. "Philip?" Hamilton asked shocked to see his son laying in pain.
"Pa! I did exactly as you said Pa. I held my head up high." Philip said starting to stutter as his father held his son hand.
"I know shh, I know shh. You did everything just right." Hamilton said trying to have his son stay his strength.
"I was aiming for the sky. He shot before we got to ten Pa. He killed Theo. I tried to do everything just right." Philip said as his breathing picked up.
"I know, I know shh. Stay your strength and stay alive." Hamilton said as Eliza ran into the room.
"Is he breathing, is he going to survive this? Who did this, Alexander, did you know?!" Eliza yelled as she fell in front of her son.
"Mom, I'm so sorry for forgetting what you taught me." Philip said as his mother cupped her son's cheek.
"My son." She said as her tears fell down her cheek.
"We played piano. You would put your hand on mine." Philip said as he took a struggling breath. "You changed the melody every time." She said brushing her son's curl back as he laughed quietly.
"I would always change the line." He said as his mother nodded.
"Shh, I know, I know." She said as Philip shook his head.
"I would always change the line." He said as he gasped for air.
"I know, I know. Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf." Eliza said trying to calm her son down. He repeated the numbers and it felt like he was back when he was nine years old learning these numbers. "Good." Eliza said as she repeated the numbers.
"Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept." Philip said as his head lulled to the side. He heard his mother scream and cries filled the air as she saw Burr run past her to see his daughter, his Theo, lying dead on the table in the back. "No… No!" Burr yelled as he collapsed, crying as he clutched his daughter's cold hand. Philip saw his Theo waiting for him on the other side.
"I told you I would see you on the other side my love." She said with her signature grin as Philip took her hand and kissed her knuckles as he smiled at her, they walked together into the light and all just seem right given what was happening with their families.
Authors Note
Hello my readers! I want to extend my greatest love for you guys. I love reading the reviews and all the positive reviews that you are giving. I love waking up and checking to see if anything is new and to read you guys love this story. I want to tell you that this chapter is not the end! There will be more. I promise. Just keep reading and stay awesome!