Requested by: Quirkygirl775

Alone again, with only his quill and parchment, to comfort him, Alexander sat in his study late one evening. The ink on the page in front of him had barely dried before he continued to the next line. This caused the words to blur and smudge together.

After several lines, he gave up and rested his head in his hands. He knew he should rest, but that would be even worse. The second he laid down, images of death and terror would flash in his eyes. He would picture his son and keep putting the blame on himself once again.

Alexander took a deep breath before deciding to read some letters he had received. There was a stack of them now, for he had neglected reading them. He opened the first one and read the paper throughly.

When he had read the entire thing, he looked up at the ceiling. The letter caught him off guard and he didn't know how to respond.

In his time away from work, Alexander had forgotten about the upcoming election. There were many candidates, but it had come down to Jefferson and Burr. To think he had to choose between the characters was quite a lot of pressure.

Snickering, Alexander remembered the cabinet sessions where Jefferson tried to tear him to pieces. They spent hours on end throwing insults back and forth, not caring what Washington thought. It was always an act to see who was better.

However, he wouldn't deny that the man was smart, very intelligent for that matter. His opinions weren't what Alexander looked up to, but he tried to respect them.

The other candidate was Burr. Through their different opinions and arguments, Alexander had grown apart from his old friend. Were they even considered friends anymore? The man had talent in the political field, that was a fact.

As he thought about the situation, Alexander made his decision almost immediately. The people needed a tie breaker and he was about to hand it to them. Without wasting anytime, he replied back formally, casting his vote. Even though that vote might change lots, he hoped it would be for the better.

"Burr. He chose Burr."

In his study the next afternoon, Thomas ran a hand through his hair furiously. He had just received word that his opponent had defeated him. He trusted Alexander to vote for him.

Breathing heavily, he stormed out of his office and rushed down the hall. There was nothing able to stop him now. With the intensity of his anger and frustration, no one dared cross paths with Jefferson.

People in the streets celebrated and cheered, but their smiles faded when Thomas walked past. In his wake he left silence and shivers throughout the town.

When he reached the household he had been looking for, he knocked three times. The door opened almost immediately and Eliza answered it. Her eyes widened and she stuttered, "T-Thomas, I-"

Pathetic, he thought. He pushed past her without even saying hello. Eliza tripped backward, cowering in fear. She knew exactly why he was in such rage. And she could already hear the footsteps of her husband nearing.

Barely a second had passed before Alexander entered the main hall. His eyes laid on Eliza, who was almost in tears. But he didn't expect to see Jefferson standing there as well.

"Don't you ever touch my wife again."

If there was anything more that scared him, it was seeing his wife cry. Eliza rarely cried, only when Philip passed. Yet here she was, looking frightened. He took a shaky breath.

Crossing his arms, giving both adults a snarky glare, Thomas chuckled. "Well, you should have voted for me." There was silence at his mocking tone.

The floorboards groaned underneath their feet as each of them shifted. "If you think for one second that you would have actually received a vote from me, you're out of your mind. And you very well know that you and I have never gotten along. Doesn't that say enough?"

Thomas rolled his eyes. "And what happened to the time you agreed with me? Or the time you told me that I had brains compared to that moron?"

From the corner of the hall, Eliza watched quietly. Her husband often complained of Jefferson, but she never expected him to compliment the man. One of them must have been lying.

"Ah, so you're twisting my words now, are you?" Alexander clapped his hands together hastily. "Get out of my house. This discussion is over." He went to turn but Jefferson wasn't done talking.

"You always manage to walk away from your fears. Remember Maria? How you stripped her from her clothes and just fu-"

Alexander snapped, "Get out, now!" When he wasn't answered, he said louder, "Leave!"

With a smirk on his lips, Thomas took a few steps forward. "Of course. I will leave, with one request of you." He licked his lips before whispering, "Weehawken. We can finish what we started." And then he left just like that.

From her spot, Eliza rushed to her husband's side. "Alexander, please-" He shushed her by wrapping her in his arms. Their bodies pressed together as he began to sob on her shoulder.

Running his fingers through her hair, he tried to stop crying. However, he was so overcome with emotions that he couldn't say anything to her. If he was to die the next day, he wouldn't see Eliza for very long. So he clung onto her for hours, not wanting to let go.

Morning arrived quickly. Alexander was awake before the sunrise, staring out the window. He remained silent, just watching the horizon starting to glow different colors. Wearing his black suit and glasses, the man was prepared to duel, even if it was the very last one.

Sobbing from the staircase, watching her husband, Eliza knew time was running out. She was aware of the fact that her dearly beloved was more scared than he cared to reveal.

As if sending her gaze, he turned and made eye contact with her. He nodded her over to his side. Eliza reached him and gasped before tightly holding him. "You don't have to do this. He'll only make you a fool the longer you-"

Alexander kissed her. She kissed back, at first softly. Her mind reminded her that her husband might be gone in only a few hours time. At that, she began to kiss him more passionately and feverishly.

They could have kissed for longer than that, but the clock chimed. Alexander pulled away and looked at his wife. "Take care of the children. And please don't lose sight of the fact that you're mine. I will always love you."

He grabbed her shoulder. "I love you." He began sobbing again, shoulders shaking. She went to embrace him again, but he shook that off. "I should be going."

Rushing past her, not looking back, Alexander quickly ran to the river. A boat was waiting at the dock, supplied with his gun. He picked it up, gulping deeply, as they began the journey.

The grass covered land of the dueling grounds seemed all too fake. The closer he stepped towards his opponent, Alexander felt his heart rate slowing. He could almost predict what would happen without even firing a shot.

Jefferson swayed back and forth on his feet, shouting, "Why are you so scared? Come forward. You asked for this." His words lingered in the air for a few moments after.

I did ask for this, Alexander thought to himself. He had voted for Burr, and he shouldn't have expected anything less than this. He had planned his own death without even realizing it.

Tapping the trigger, he stepped directly across from the other man. As he raised his gun, he could feel himself shaking.

"You want to go right ahead and fire some shots, huh? Suit yourself." Thomas tossed his gun up before catching it. He gave Alexander a sinister smile when he caught it one handed.

Facing each other, the men waited for someone to shoot first. Breathing heavily, Alexander watched Jefferson take a step forward.

And then a gunshot was heard, breaking the silence with a deafening scream.

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A/N: Thank you Quirkygirl775 for requesting this! I had a great time writing this and turning the tables. The ending is kind of reflective of the actual historical duel; cause it's unknown who really shot first.