-Some months later-

Alexander and Eliza looked down at their son and smiled. Little Phillip was Alexander's pride and joy. He was actually 5 days and 7 months now.

"Wait here, Alexander. I will go check downstairs to see if any mail has been delivered." Eliza told her husband

"I wouldn't leave my little Phillip's side even if I'd get all the tea in China."

Alexander picked up his son and held him like the world would end. He was so interested in his little boy that he didn't hear his wife slowly coming up the stairs with a letter and tears coming from her eyes.

"Alexander, there's a letter for you from South Carolina."

"I may not live to see our glory," John began to sing to himself

"Oh, a letter from Laurens! I'll read it later."

"No it's not. It's from his father."

"But I will gladly join the fight."

It was getting harder and harder for her to hold back her sobs. She already read the letter. Eliza doesn't usually read them, but as soon as it said it was from John's father, she tore it open.

Alexander froze and looked at his wife.

"And when our children tell our story," He reached his hand into the sky

"Will you please read it?"

"They'll tell the story of tonight." John's hand fell by his side"

"On Tuesday the 27th, my son was killed in a gunfight against British troops retreating from South Carolina. The war was already over. As you know, John dreamed of emancipating and recruiting 3000 men for the first all-black military regiment

His dream of freedom for these men dies with him"

"Raise a glass to the four of us," John sees his vision start to turn black and he felt his body beginning to numb

"Alexander, are you alright?"

"Tomorrow there'll be more of us."

Alexander sat in front of his son's crib and held his head in his hands. He just couldn't believe Laurens, his best friend, his fellow soldier, was dead

"I have so much work to do."

———meanwhile———

Peggy didn't know how to react. She held two letters in her hand. One from John Laurens, her now-dead spouse, and one from his father.

She sat in the bed they shared for a short period of time. Peggy could no longer stand being in this room, so she went to the balcony and sat down in a chair.

Peggy closed her eyes and breathed in. She reread the letter from her father in law over and over again. She knew this would happen. She told her sisters and they didn't listen. Peggy finally had something, but she knew it wouldn't last forever. Someone finally loved her, someone wanted to be with her forever. Then he died.

She wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold, but she wasn't. She brought a hand to her lips and covered her mouth. Peggy ran back inside and fell immediately onto the floor. She couldn't take it anymore. Peggy started to sob, her sobbing turned into full-tears, then into agony-filled screams. She went into a wardrobe and pulled out one of his coats. It smelled just like him. She inhaled his scent and began to scream louder as she gripped the fabric harder.

"WHY?! Why is it always me?! I can n-never EVER have anything! Anything for my se-self! Why, God? What did I do? What did HE do?!" She screamed to the sky many other sentences of that nature. She didn't know why God decided to punish her like this

"Raise a glass to the four of us," Peggy started to sing

"Tomorrow there'll be more of us." She picked up John's letter and started to read it again.

"My dearest, Margarita,

If you have received this letter, I have died on the battlefield. I want you to know that I was not afraid to die knowing it was to protect you and to free the black men who deserved their rights.

As a reminder, I beg of you to contact Alexander immediately. Tell him that I keep him close to my heart and that you and him must keep writing our essays. He may seem to be a wreck right now, but it will get better and you must finish those essays.

I know what you're thinking, and I know. It's hard without me there. I want to tell you, to live your life. Do not dwell on the past too much. Tell my story, but don't live in a world where you can't overcome this tragedy. Always look forward, never back.

I want to tell you how much I love you. That night at the ball, I knew you were special. I had to make you mine. I did it, and nothing I've done will ever compare to having the privilege of being your husband and the honor of being the father of your child. You were what I thought about when I rose awake, you were what I thought about as I fought, and you are what I think about as I die writing this.

I know the little one is coming soon, so remarry fast. Give them a father. I know it'll hurt knowing that the man in front of them is not their father, but do it for them. In the event they find out, they'll appreciate it later.

I love you more than words express, Peggy. Please remember what I told you.

You'll always be worthy enough for me

Yours now and in death,

J. Laurens"

Peggy stopped screaming, but still cried while clenching John's letter in her hand. Peggy was currently pregnant with John's baby. She didn't know what to do except follow John's advice and remarry fast before her baby bump began to show. She needed to be able to have a husband who would give her the means to live without being suspicious of the baby not being his.

Then again, she could always not remarry and just live with her sister. But that just wasn't an option. Her distant cousin, Stephen Van Rensselaer III has been asking for her hand in marriage for a while now. It seems this is her only option. She picked herself up from the floor and carried herself to her husband's desk and wrote a letter to Stephen

"Dear Stephen,

I have changed my mind about your offer. I've decided that I will marry you. My only condition is that I pick the date of our wedding.

Sincerely,

M. Schuyler"

The reason Peggy had been declining Stephen's offer for so long was because she was married. Not only this, but she knew he was only marrying her to further his political career. In reality, Peggy couldn't care less about being used. She lost her husband, Eliza ( who barely spends any time with her family,) and now she lost her dignity. It felt like she had lost everything, but she didn't care anymore.

Peggy heard footsteps from outside her bedroom door, but she paid no mind to them. When the door opened however, she was surprised to see her two older sisters standing there. Angelica held a bouquet of flowers with a sad smile on her face, and Eliza held a small cake that said "I'm sorry." She looked like a nervous wreck, nothing like the Eliza Peggy knew.

"Hello, Peggy. How are you today?" Angelica asked

"I don't know, how do you think I am today?"

"I know you must be heartbroken, but it will get better, that I promise you."

"Get better? Get better? Angelica in case you haven't noticed, my husband is dead! The only man who will ever love me is dead! I'm also pregnant with his child, and Stephen only wants to use me. You think my life will get better? Don't start, Angelica. Don't. Start." Peggy yelled at Angelica with tears still running down her face

She still clenched the coat and the letters in her hand, but Eliza took notice of them. She grabbed the letter, but not without Peggy putting up a fight

"No that's mine, you're going to rip it, Eliza! Stop!" Peggy was trying to pull the letter from her sister, but Eliza got it. Peggy collapsed on her knees down to the floor. She held her face in her hands as Eliza and Angelica read the letter she didn't want anyone to see

"Peggy, why didn't you want anyone to see this?"

"It was for me. The last letter he ever sent was for me. I didn't want anyone to see it because it was too personal."

"I see. Laurens is right you know," Angelica went to Peggy and helped her up "you have to finish those essays. You can continue his legacy, and write your own legacy in the process." Angelica said

"What's the point? I don't care about a legacy, I care about him." Peggy responded

"I know that. If you care about him, you will finish the essays. Also, you'll get to eat the cake Eliza brought you."

Peggy laughed for the first time in days

" I guess you're right. Eliza, tell your husband I'll be there shortly to finish the essays. I love my husband, I will finish what he could not. His dream will not die with him, for I will keep it alive."

"That's the spirit! Come on, get up Peggy. You look absolutely terrible. We can all sit down, have some cake and tea, and have a good time. Is that alright with you, Pegs?" Eliza asked her

"Yes, that's good enough for me."

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Author's note: welp Laurens is dead. I'm sad now. But still, Peggy now has a new purpose in life! She's going to finish her husband's essays, write his legacy, and raise his child. So the way the chronology of this will work is going to be the baby is born, she had her three kids with Stephen, yada yada. I don't wanna spoil it cuz I've got everything figured out. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Comment, vote, like, etc

Love,

Kennedy Brown❤️