A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I wrote Heaven how I would like these characters to see Heaven. And add some lyrics from Parade, because why not. Enjoy.
Just hearing her name made her giddy, like the first time she laid eyes on him. In fact he was wearing the exact outfit, she had first met him in. it was her fondest memory of him. Alexander looked fresh, and did not bear the dark circles under his eyes that he usually did when he was alive.
"Alexander!" she exclaimed. The words felt like air, filling her. The emptiness was now filled.
"Betsey," he said again.
They walked to a small divan that sat in his office. The divan he had slept on when he had worked long nights and where he slept when then she looked down and saw she was wearing the gown from her wedding. Her sisters had both helped her make it and it was the moment she knew she was finally a lady and not just a daughter of a rich man.
Tears didn't fall this time. She was instead a bit angry. She thought she was over being angry with Alexander for dying. But now it flared up.
"What were you thinking, getting yourself shot?" she said angrily.
"I told, you. I never intended on getting shot," Alexander said gently. When he was dying, his last few words were of he had no intention of dying. He gasped out how sorry he was as tears flooded his eyes. Eliza knew he meant it but it was almost as if Burr had shot her, she felt so terrible.
"That may be so, but you didn't need to leave me. I needed you! You had so much life to live. That is exactly what I just told your son," she answered.
"Eliza. You never needed anyone or me. The Schuylers are not weak," Alexander said leaning to look at her.
"Oh Alexander. How I have missed you," Eliza said. Her anger dissipated. Tears now pricked her eyes, not from sadness but from pure happiness. Alexander held her like he did when their son had died.
"Eliza, you never knew how much I longed to be with you and our children," Alexander said. He lifted her up and with his broad thumb brushed her tears away. She looked into his deep brown eyes and noticed his eyes were also wet.
"I wish you were there everyday. Everyday I saw you in our children or on a passerby. I wished to see you or talk to you again just once," Eliza sniffled.
They just sat there for a moment. Eliza could not believe she was holding the man who had written who hundreds of love letters. The man who both infuriated her and loved.
"What are you writing? How could you possibly find anything to write about so fervently as you did with those Federalist Papers?" she asked after a moment drying her eyes.
Everywhere were strewn papers. She saw on one Please consider the following points… and Further more it is unjust and cruel… She noticed the inkbottle was full and noticed the papers would erase themselves slowly and return to the stack of clean paper. This must be paradise for Alexander, never running out of paper, never wasting precious space and always having a quill and ink on hand
"Well, I missed you so much I was writing a pamphlet to God, beseeching him to let me see you or to come alive or come down as a spirit. I was hoping to come down and give you some sign I was all right or how much I missed you. I thought of taking a quill and writing on paper, but I worried it might frighten you."
"I should think it would frighten me or anyone," Eliza laughed, "I may have died from shock."
"Then I could see you sooner!" he joked, "This is my fourth pamphlet and so far God had not responded."
"Only you would be mad enough to write to God," Eliza smiled.
"Come Eliza I have something to show you," he told her. He stood up and held out his hand. She took his hand, with all of its callouses and he led her out. Once they exited the room she saw the door led not into the hall but into a large ballroom.
"This was the ball room at my parent's home!" Eliza exclaimed.
"This is the exact spot where we had our first dance," he smiled.
"Oh, Alexander! Only you would remember," Eliza sighed happily.
Without another word he took her waist and her hand and began to lead her in a waltz. The music came from somewhere and the candles seemed to dim. She barely notice the dancing, she was only paying attention to Alexander. He smelled the same and his hands felt the same that same gentle touch as before. But too soon the music ended. He then led her to a small bench at the sides of the room.
"You saw Philip?" Alexander asked when she sat down.
"Yes. Haven't you seen him?" Eliza asked concerned.
"Yes. Everyday," Alexander said sheepishly.
"You mean to say you have spent the last 50 or so years with him?" Eliza asked shocked.
She was a bit jealous, how she longed to spend just another day with her son. Just a moment even to tell him how proud she was of him. She always wanted more time then those last few years she got.
"They weren't always pleasant. For a little bit there Philip was quite angry with me for not stopping him or for letting you down, Eliza, my love," Alexander said ashamed.
"As well he should be," Eliza said.
"But to be fair when I got here," Alexander said pointing to this spot, "I punched that George Ecker in his smug little face!"
George Ecker had died in January and Alexander followed in July. When Alexander got to meet his people again Ecker was the last one he met and promptly beat the living daylights out of him. Alexander had not been sure this heaven would allow such violence but apparently it did, maybe even encouraged it because Alexander always had a choice of weapons lying about. But Alexander preferred to just punch him. He let out all of his anger at his shortcomings. All the anger for losing his son and all the anger for losing his wife. Whenever Alexander was having a bad day or was just anxious for his wife he would take it out on Ecker. Ecker much to Alexander's annoyance never had a drop of blood or bruise on him. The guy seemed to be bored and just let Alexander get on with it.
Philip was finally the one to make it stop. Philip did not blame Ecker for shooting him, but rather that Alexander had not stopped him. Then Alexander reconciled the fact it was he who had allowed Philip's death. He finally learned that always taking the offense was damaging to him and was to his family.
"You always had a temper," Eliza smiled.
"I was foolish," Alexander agreed.
"If you don't mind my asking who did you see when you first got here?" Eliza asked suddenly curious.
"I don't mind. Let's see…" Alexander said pausing, "Well I saw my mother again, Washington, Philip, Ecker and John Laurens."
"It must have been lovely to see your mother," she said.
"The best. But she wasn't entirely happy at me. She went on and on, how I was so foolish as to throw away my shot. How I should have just backed down," Alexander said.
"Oh," Eliza said.
"Eliza you were always right. We didn't need a legacy," he said looking her in the eye.
"We may not have need a legacy but you do have a legacy. I worked so hard after you died to make sure America knew your name. I worked to complete your work," Eliza said remembering. She went though his trunks and desks, each filled with mountains of writing. She worked to organize it and ensure that the best stuff would be seen. The other stuff, she held onto. She worked to abolish slavery as Alexander had. She wanted to ensure Alexander and everyone he knew would be remembered for their bravery.
"I will never understand what I did to deserve you. I will never understand if I live a thousand lifetimes why you did the things you did for me. Just look at you, how could I not be in love with you. What kind of fool could have taken you for granted for so long? You were more then I ever deserved. More then I could imagine in St. Croix and more then I ever hoped for," Alexander said so sweetly.
"Oh Alexander, you flatter me," she blushed.
"I am being most sincere. All the wasted time, all the million hours pushing you away and I never knew anything at all," Alexander continued.
"I will never understand how I kept from going crazy just waiting there till you came home to me," she said. She had missed him on those long nights when he was working and now after so long here she was.
"I just don't want to leave this moment," Eliza said.
"Me neither, but when we leave here we rejoin with everyone!" Alexander said, "You could meet my mother. We could spend hours with your sister or play with our children."
Eliza thought about this. She liked of being with her family. She was eager for the time with her children.
She took his hand, which he had stretched out.
"Let's go," she said smiling.
He grasped her hand and he led her through the door.
"I hope I look alright," she worried again.
"Eliza, you are the most beautiful woman I know," he said simply.
Once they passed the threshold of the door she saw nothing but white. Alexander seemed to know what to do and walked forward into the whiteness. Eliza, unsure of what to do simply followed him. She then hooked her arms around Alexander's arms. She was a bit frightened.
He held her tighter, which assured her that Alexander would never leave her. Ahead she heard voices from her life.
Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf ... I'm just saying if you really loved me you would share him! Daddy said not to go down town…
"I hear voices," she whispered. She didn't know if she should talk or whisper, in such a space.
"I do to," Alexander said.
Then suddenly the whiteness stopped. They reached a door.
"Ready?" Eliza said.
"Ready," Alexander murmured.
Epilogue?
