Considered for Mercy

When Peggy opens her eyes again, she notices she ws no longer outside. It was raining outside, and she breifly gets worried for Aaron, turning to her right.  George was sitting by the fire in a old looking chair, reading a ripped up book. He gently turns the page, humming.

"George...?" Peggy mumbles, and George shuts his book, looking over. 

"Margereta, how are you feeling?" He places his book down and walks over as she tries to pull herself up, feeling even worse when she sits up.

"Like absolute shit, George." She mumbles, coughing. "Wheres Aaron?"

"He's been confined to the kitchen downstairs. Fredrick didn't want anyone else getting sick."

"I just have a-" She feels a shiver up her spine and swallows harshly. "I just have a simple cold!" George sighs, sitting on the bed.

"Margereta, you've been out for three days." He says, feeling her forehead. "You have a high fever, you caught it from your clothes being continuously wet. Not to mention you guys were sleeping in the barn with the cows. All that bacteria wasn't good for you." He pushes her back down, covering her back up. "Get some more rest, please. I don't have any medicine, so.."

"Your doin the best you can, George." Peggy chuckles, wincing as her right side begins to throb in pain. "What did King fuckface say about me passing out?" George shrugs, glancing out the window.

"Aaron said he was pissed, but his son, Augustus, he was the one that sent you up here. I managed to bargin for Aaron, but other than that, we're still complelty cut off from the outside world, Alex, and Thomas." She places a hand on his knee, deeply sighing.

"I'm sure Alex and Thomas are okay. Their big boys, George. I heard a rumor their working for the dogs, and thats litterally the most easiest thing in the world. Alex does love dogs."

"But-"

"Shhh." Peggy yawns. "It'll be fine, okay?" He seems comforted by her words, petting her gently on the cheek. 

"Get some sleep Margereta."

"Jus call me Peggy." She mumbles, before slipping off into a dreamless sleep.

: :

Alex leans against the bed, his eyes watching the fire in the fireplace crackle and flip, adding another log as the fire starts to go out.

"Alexander?" He glances back at the bed, seeing Thomas sitting up staring at him. "What are you doing up this late.." He hears the bed creak as Thomas shuffles over to him, sitting beside him on the cold floor. 

"I couldnt sleep. This happens sometime at home, you should get back to bed." Alex mumbles, poking the fire with a stick. "I'm sorry if I had woken you up." He had woken in tears and quiet sobbing, his hands clamed shut over his mouth as to not wake up William and Thomas.

"Not really, I guess you can say I can't really sleep either." Thomas leans against his arms with a sigh, staring at the ceiling. "A lot has happened in the past four weeks of us being here." Alex nods. It would be a month soon, he couldn't believe that most things had become a routine of sorts. He missed his bed. He missed his friends and George and Martha and Washette with his laughter and Nelly with her giggles and Columbus with his attitude and- Before he knew it he was crying again.

"I miss them." He whispers. "Alot." Thomas nods, seemingly curling up. It looked weird for the taller man to look that small.

"I miss my daughter. Uusally during the summer time, like this, I'd be teaching her how to drive."

Broken bones wern't the only thing Alex had gotten out of that car crash.

"We'd go driving around my mom and- my moms farm." If Alex hadn't been paying attention, he wouldn't have caught the slip up Thomas had had. "She's actually pretty good at it."

"My mom taught me how to drive when I was a kid. She told me I had her genes for driving, and I believed her. I just... Let's just say I'm glad she's not here to see the crash I had."

"Crash- right, that car crash." Thomas looks over at him. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" Alex turns away, and Thomas goes quiet for a couple of seconds before speaking. "If you tell me what happened, I'll tell you why I don't call my- Why I don't call Peter my father." 

"You first." Alex says, and Thomas nods.

"Of course, where do you want me to start?" 

"At the beginning, of course." Thomas giggles along with Alexander for a while before clearing his throat, sitting up.

"My dad... Peter.. You gotta understand, Alex, he wasnt exactly the nicest person. I had... Seven siblings...-"

"Had..?" Thomas looks away.

"They died. I only have four siblings still alive. Jane, who has a wife, Mary, whose married and living in france, Elizabeth, who stays with my mother, and Randolph, who live with my mom as well. Dont pity me. I didn't know the other three that well, they died when I was younger- But... Like I said, my dad wasnt the best person.  We had to learn how to be respectful, and quiet as kids, since my dad didn't like loud noises. We stayed in our rooms when he got drunk, and if it got too bad, we ran to James' house, and stayed there."

"Yeah, Thomas used to come to my house alot when we were kids. I didn't understand why, my mom never told me, and neither has Thomas, but that's how we became friends." Madison smiles at Alex as they sit on the couch in Alex's house, drinking to celebrate him getting the job in the White House. "You'll grow to like him- or well, tolerate him, you big meanie!" Alex laughs as Madison tackles him, and they fake fight for a while before their movie comes back on.

"When my dad got angry, he threw things. Mom said it was because his dad used to do that, but..." Thomas huffs, staring at the fire. "He broke Elizabeth, Alexander. She's mentally handicapped because that asshole decided to get physical with us. I took the brunt of the beating's, I mean, I was the older brother, but I couldn't hold out that long." 

"Thomas-" Thomas takes a shuddering breath before continuing, and Alex realises he's telling him because Thomas trust Alex. That makes his heart burn with joy, and anger at Peter Jefferson.

"We went to France the next year. I told James I'd be okay, it was only a year, but the beating's just got worse. That's when my mom..."

"When your mom.. what..?" Alex leans closer to Thomas, who looks over at him.

"That's when my mom killed him." Alex's eyes widden, he did NOT see that coming. He thought Thomas's mother was going to call the police, or run away, but to kill her husband? Damn. "She strangled him with a rope from the servants closet and strung him up. She had me forge a note and the police believed it and his death was ruled a scuicide. We left a couple of days after his funeral. My mom had him creamated and threw the ashes into the Potamac."

"She was..." Alex sees Thomas look over at him in fear, and he grins. "He got what he deserved." Thomas's face splits into a smile, and he nods. 

"He did, I agree." He chuckles, looking at the fire again. "Now, about the crash.." Alex nods, knowing the question was going to come soon after Thomas finished his story.

"The police ruled in my favour, I had the right away the whole time but.." Alex looks away. "The family never forgave me. I had- was driving home from a party at Laf's apartment. I wasn't drunk, Hercules wouldn't have let me leave if I was. I had only taken a couple of sips when I first got there, but after that I didn't drink any more."

"The family blamed you because of that?" Alex nods.

"I was heading home. The song on the radio was one that I hadn't heard since I had stepped foot in america, and I was singing along to it. The light was green, and I drove through but-"

Alex doesnt exactly remember when he was hit, only that when he woke up, he had blood in his mouth.

"I was knocked out when they hit me. When I woke up, I was upside down. I couldnt.. It was like my tounge had swelled up in my mouth, I couldn't make a sound."

He couldn't speak, or scream, or even cry. He just... sat there.

"I felt so powerless. After a while, I heard sirens, and I managed to get out of my seatbelt and crawl out of the car. I felt so scared, Thomas. I couldn't feel my hands, my head was ringing, I felt like I was going to black out."

He crawls a little bit more out of his wrecked car and collapses, his eyes barely staying open. Everything was still muffled, the car alarm was still going off. Everything hurt.

"From what the doctors told me when I woke up again, I should NOT have been alive, but I am."

"And I'm glad you are." Alex's face turns a small shade of red as Thomas looks over at him. "Who else could I have fun arguments with?" Alex gasps like he's offended, looking at him.

"How dare you??" They giggle like school boys before Alex leans against Thomas, watching the fire with him. "You know, Thomas.." He looks down at Alex, who smiles at him. "I'm glad your here with me." He smiles back.

"Yeah Alex. Same here."