(For purposes of the story, I'm placing Schuyler Mansion somewhere near King's College (Columbia U), even though it was in Albany which is like 150 miles up north from NYC. Enjoy!)

Three months passed without much incident, and when I stirred in my bed to rattling shutters and a draft, I realized it was windy and cold. It was January.

"Katherine?" Eliza called from behind the door. There was a pause as I tried to open my eyes to a new day out of my own time.

"Alexander said he was coming here today?" She prompted. The wind whistled around my room, but I could distinctly make out the hope and relief in her voice.

"What? Oh, yes. Yes, I'll be downstairs in a moment..." I rubbed my bleary eyes and, very slowly, tried to sit up. I had been up for hours last night trying to make sense of Crime and Punishment again.

Another pause. Then, Eliza surprised me with a "Oh, he's here!" Her footsteps receded downstairs to receive him. I promptly fell off my bed onto the ground in surprise. He's quick.

Twenty minutes later, I found Alexander in the parlor, which was decorated for Christmas. As usual, he was chatting with Eliza about... seemingly nothing, for once.

The two didn't stop staring into each others' eyes until I cleared my throat rather loudly. They looked at me.

"When will either of you two really start dating?" I asked, frowning at them a little impatiently.

"'Dating'?" Alexander asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Er... seeing each other?"

"Aren't we doing that presently?"

"Fine, courting. I meant courting each other."

Both Eliza and Alexander blushed and quickly glanced at each other. Mission accomplished!

"My father says the proper way to get married is to marry a person of wealthy status..." Eliza whispered under her breath.

"I've seen the way you look at him—don't deny it!" I laughed.

"Well, that's because... because—"

"That is only because today is my birthday," Alexander replied, smiling back at Eliza.

My eyes widened. Merde!

"Is it such a big deal?"

"Why, it's one year closer to your death, of course—" I said, and Alexander forced a laugh. "—But it's a time to celebrate! Come on, I'll call a carriage, we'll go to the heart of the city..."

"What for?" He asked, startled. He and Eliza stood up simultaneously.

"To buy you presents," Eliza said softly. "I can't come; I have to go to drawing."

I ran upstairs to grab a coat, my wallet, and my conversion chart for currency here. Alexander took this time to tuck a strand of hair out of Eliza's eyesight and kissed her hand, smiling flirtatiously.

Eliza quickly took note of the little details since they had last met: He was thinner, a little more lean, and there was a glimmer of pride in his eyes. He carried himself more upright, and he looked like he was in a place he belonged for once.

In other words, he looked more handsome to Eliza than he did when they first met.

Alexander and I soon walked out into the cold, frigid air, and my fingers turned blue quickly. I rubbed them hard; the coat didn't have any pockets.

"Where are we going?" Alexander asked. I smiled at him.

"We're going to town."

"Why?"

"To buy you some things! Surely you should know about a birthday? You must have had lots of good ones in your childhood—"

He stopped dead, suddenly fidgeting with his hands and looking anywhere but me.

"Alexander? Are you all right?"

"What is it like where you live?" He asked quietly. The pride in his eyes was gone, replaced with something much worse... Guilt? Horror?

"At this time?" At Alexander's affirmation, I said, "Er... we don't celebrate Christmas for this long. Usually people get into the spirit during late November."

"That's—That's certainly very odd." He swayed on his feet. "Are there... lots of festivities?"

At this I actually gasped. "Yes! When I drive—er, walk... down my college campus, there are lights everywhere, strung up in the trees; and when you walk into a shop there's music playing in the background, and there are items for the holidays that come at a discount; and when you go into the streets and look up at the sky, there's just so many colors; and the sounds–the sounds—!"

I had gone ahead of Alexander, and at my last word, I turned around with a flourish—and bumped smack into someone. "Sorry!"

"Burr! Is that you?" Alexander walked over, shaking out of his trance.

Aaron Burr picked up the few books he had. "Alexander?"

I stood to the side, watching the interaction with fascination. There was a sense of purpose and urgency in Mr. Burr's voice. This was odd, since Alexander's long rants about him made me see the man as a calm and collected person.

"He was rich... he was brilliant. He also shot and killed Hamilton in a duel... They were  friends when Hamilton met him at Columbia." Professor Rollins had said, to hushed whispers throughout the lecture hall.

"It's odd how we keep meeting."

"Certainly. Anyway, I came to tell you something." Burr glanced at me, and, sensing the importance of this discussion, I walked off into the town bakery.

Alexander nodded briefly. "What do you want, Burr, sir?"

"Why do you keep calling me sir?"

"You are a very distinguished man, sir."

"My thanks. And speaking of titles..."

Burr pulled out a letter. "George Washington—"

"His Excellency?"

"...Yes. He heard about your position of Captain of the artillery company...?"

Alexander sucked in a breath quietly. "And what of—"

"Your service in Princeton? Yes, he heard about that as well." Burr handed Alexander the letter, who took it gingerly. The empty look in Alexander's eyes from earlier was soon replaced by excitement.

"He asks if you would like to join his side for the revolution. Help him out with strategy for our independence."

"So we are outplanned?" Alexander asked, a flash of sheer determination crossing his face.

"Very. He's asking you to be his right hand man."