Requested by: ersantana

Eliza hadn't know what it felt like to be completely empty, until she listened to the sound of her husband's last breath, and the sudden halt in his heartbeat.

And she certainly hadn't know what terror the next part of her life would bring as a widow.

She forced herself to present herself to the children with a composed demeanor, not allowing the emotions to control how she would go about completing her day's routine.

Only that promise lasted not terribly long. She shattered at the sight of her husband's body being placed inside the casket, which was further dug into the ground. Her heart burst when they finalized the burial process, and she gave him one final kiss from a distance.

She remained for hours by her husband's grave, hands clutching the fresh marble, and her eyes gazing out at her son's grave only a few feet away. Eliza wept at the thought of her boy and his father reuniting, in a better world, where there wasn't any dueling.

The sound of her daughter playing the piano solemnly rang in her ears every night she lay down to sleep, for the girl refused to stop her fingers from gliding over the keys in that melodic, beautiful way.

Often times, Eliza heard the soft click of keys followed by a shudder for her father, and then a series of sobs.

Not only her daughter, but the other children were falling apart just as much without the comfort of having a father. Two year old Philip stumbled over to his mother one afternoon, clutching her skirts, and asking where his father was. Eliza could barely form a response.

Of all the tragedies in her life, this one seemed to be a reminder of the others, and it consumed her heart and emotions greatly. Alexander had been her everything.

But of course, his mind got the better side of his instincts and made him duel that wretch.

Normally she wouldn't think of any person that way, but this was a whole other circumstance to be considered.

Her husband had been killed.

Still thinking of all these possibilities and heartbreaking memories, Eliza pushed forward on the road of life. She urged herself to go out in public, to face the world, and continue on. It was what Alexander would have wanted.

For the first time in weeks, almost a month, she went down to the towns square. She brought her oldest child, as well as her twelve year old son. They were for both moral support and to show that life was moving on slowly.

Up ahead, the people seemed to be looking right at the family. Whispers were exchanged and sympathetic smiles, but no words to the three of them. Eliza inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the memories of familiar places she had gone with her husband, and move efficiently.

Suddenly, in the distance, she heard the sound of a voice that rasped and shone through the others saying, "You know, my friend, whom I shot. Remember it well, now don't I?"

That could only be one person, and that person was the one human being who she didn't want to associate with. Eliza felt her heart quicken its pace as she continued to hear his filthy talk about the murder he committed.

How dare he.

She straightened her back, sizing up his figure from afar. Just as she recalled him, but with something a little more to his personality. He certainly wasn't backing down with his talk, which drove her even more over the edge.

"Mother?" Holding her arm, John looked up at his mother's perplexed expression. "Are you-"

Eliza never left her children in the dust, for any reason at all, but something had to be done about that man. She'd already lost enough, so her reputation didn't matter anymore.

Whatever the public thought of her after this, it was theirs to manipulate as their own.

"You've gone far enough with your words, Aaron. Don't you dare say such things avoid him! You have no right to even talk about him as though he was close to you," Eliza began, tugging her arm from John's grip, and swiftly heading over to a startled Burr.

She had no reason to even start a conversation with out of all people, her husband's killer.

"Mrs. Hamilton, I-"

"Aaron, I don't need your sympathy. All I need is for you to quit the comments. You've ruined enough already," she insisted, choosing to not listen to his nonsense.

"Mrs. Hamilton," he began, reaching out to touch her arm. Eliza flinched back, giving him a frightened look. He wasn't coming anywhere near her after all he did. "You must think-"

"What I think of you has changed over time, Aaron. But all that matters is the present, and I'm not going to try and go back. You killed my husband and destroyed yourself in the process of doing so. M-my children are distraught..."

Eliza told herself not to cry. She warned herself that if she were to shed any tears, not only would it make the tension between them rise, but the confidence in her heart decrease.

But the tears came quicker than expected.

Shuddering, covering her face in shame, Eliza leaned forward and muffled the sounds of her sobs. She felt exposed, and that every eye in the square was on her. All she wished was for Burr to stop talking of her beloved husband in that way and open his eyes, for once in his life.

"I take the blame for all your misery, Mrs. Hamilton. Every bit," Aaron stammered, fidgeting with his hands. He glanced behind her trembling figure to see the two children who accompanied their mother on the trip.

"As a gentleman in his right mind would," she murmured, wiping her eyes. Eliza tried to make her tears subside, but she found her body still trembling, even after stopping the flow of tears. "Alexander would have."

She lowered her gaze, stifling another sob of agony. Aaron went to say something, but decided rather not. He had already crossed the line, so he didn't know what would make it better or worse.

"Mother, we shouldn't be much longer. The others will question what kept us," the eldest daughter inquired, resting a hand on her mother's shoulder. Angelica surprised the man across from her, by giving a nod.

Aaron remembered the girl clearly. For the few times he associated himself with Alexander, it often had to deal with their daughters. By some means, the two became close, since they were only a year apart in ages.

"Please tell your daughter that I say hello," she stated, only to be distracted by her twelve year old brother again. Eliza forced a smile.

"I hope what we've discussed will be enforced?" Eliza crossed her arms at Aaron, feeling the tears still streaming down her cheeks and making marks along her skin. "Please, it's for my husband. You may have not had a heart when you killed him, but if you call yourself his friend, then act like one."

With the protesting cry of her son, she gave him a stern nod, before turning on her heel, and taking her children hand in hand.

Yet another display of all you've ruined, Aaron told himself, scowling under his breath. His mind kept spinning at the image of his lifelong opponent falling to the ground. He winced at the photographic memory.

If leaving that city was what it took to make things better for the majority of the people, then Aaron would do it without looking back, or question from himself and others.

No one needed the reminder of a murderer, and certainly not the people who had already been driven to desolation by his own doing.

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A/N: Thank you ersantana for the request! I thought this was really interesting to write, considering the fact that at some point these two could have crossed paths again in real life history. Also, thank you all so much for 82k reads! I love you guys and thank you for all the constant support and feedback!