Hamilton One Shots

Ruined

Requested by: whotellsyourstory

Eliza was not a stranger to losing people she loved. She often wondered if the Lord wished for her to feel sorrow and regret. But she had to remind herself, it was not her, only decisions that took a wrong turn and caused it.

Barely three years ago, in the embrace of her husband, Eliza had walked down the aisle to see her son's grave. There was no words to describe what she felt as she had touched the stone casket and prayed for him.

Somehow by chance, she found herself in that familiar position at the end of the aisle, without anyone to hold onto. She was surrounded by faces, all filled with sympathy. Many feet ahead, she could see the casket, draped in white cloth.

The closer she got to the casket, the more she felt her heart pounding. She couldn't believe this was happening all over again, only this time with the love of her life.

Eliza reached the casket just as a hush fell over he crowd of people watching. Taking deep breaths, she placed her hand on the edge of the casket, tracing the name written on it.

Her eyes clouded over with tears as she could picture the man lying inside the grave. Not able to hold back anymore, she leaned down and began sobbing. She didn't care that there were people watching. All she wanted was her husband back.

Shoulders shaking, she crouched beside her husband's casket. As much as she wanted to speak to him one final time, her mouth wasn't able to form the words.

She blinked back her tears as best as she could manage, leaning closer to the casket. "My love, how terribly I already miss you." Wiping her face, Eliza whispered, "I know you'll be waiting for me."

There was a couple of suffocated cries from behind her. Eliza didn't even need to turn around to know that it was her sister. She had been just as distraught when the death was announced.

Kissing the casket, she took a step back. The thought of not ever seeing her husband again, until they met in a better world, made her heart break apart more. With a shaky sigh, she turned on her heels and walked back down the aisle.

Many gathered around her, telling her how sorry they were for her loss. She pulled each of them close to her, knowing that she was now widowed.

When she thought things couldn't get any more disheartening, her sister approached her, with a look of fear written on her face. She questioned her. Angelica nodded to the casket, murmuring, "Look over there."

Confused, Eliza turned her head looking at the casket. The second she laid eyes on the woman in the black dress, she gasped. How dare she come to the funeral, she thought. Every bone in her body tensed and she found herself starting to head towards the woman.

The woman knew that she wasn't welcome at the funeral. But that didn't stop her from saying goodbye to the man she had also loved.

"What are you doing here?"

Eliza crossed her arms, not wanting to create a scene. That was the last thing she wanted to do, as she knew Alexander would have wanted peace at his funeral. Not being able to stop the furious, saddened look on her face, she watched the woman.

Backing up from the mourning widow, the woman shook her head desperately. "I was just-" She looked down, lost for words. The stare that she was receiving was too much.

"Why would you even come here? After all you've done? You ruined my life, Maria."

At the sound of her name, Maria flinched. She had heard it said in several different ways, whether with lust, satisfaction, or anger. This was certainly a tone she hadn't heard before. It just sounded broken.

"I-I didn't-" She was cut off again by Eliza. As the woman cried out at her, barely speaking in full sentences, she bowed her head. It was wrong of her to show at the funeral. However, she couldn't have avoided it.

Though she would never tell the secrets of her affair the way Alexander had, she did know that he had admired her. It might've been in a different way that he admired his wife, but it was certainly true feelings.

Unable to believe that the woman who had an affair with her husband was standing in front of her, Eliza sobbed loudly. She disliked being reminded that she had been cheated in her marriage.

All she had wanted was to remember her husband on that day for his success, not his mistakes.

But there was a mistake, right in front of her. It must've been a sign of some sort. Maybe the fact that she would never be able to escape the past that she tried to so hard to hide.

Shutting her eyes, Eliza inhaled slowly. She knew that he would have wanted her to stay calm and think of the better. Taking that route, she opened her eyes again, trying to side with Maria as kindly as possible.

"I need you to leave."

Maria nodded. Understanding clearly that she wasn't wanted, she silently touched the corner of the casket. Hoping that Alexander could somehow hear her final words, she let out a long breath.

The moment Maria touched the grave, Eliza snapped back as if affected by the gesture. She could see the regret written all over the woman's face, but that didn't stop her from firmly telling her to leave again.

"I asked you to leave. It has already been  difficult enough on me, you shouldn't make it any worse. I beg you."

Beg. Maria was almost too familiar with that word. All the nights she had found herself tangled up with Alexander, that was the one word that stuck in the back of her mind.

"I'm sorry. It was foolish to come. He meant something to me, even though you'll never understand that." Maria cleared her throat before shyly turning her back on the grave.

She vanished out of the gate to the graveyard, walking slowly back the way she had come from. Dress trailing behind her, she seemed to be a deadly omen that had left just as quickly as arriving.

Relieved that she was gone, Eliza reached over to her husband's grave. As she closed her eyes, she felt someone beside her.

She opened her eyes again and looked over to see her daughter. In every way, she resembled her father. The young girl embraced her mother, shaking and crying. "I can't believe he's gone."

Taken over by emotions, Eliza held her daughter close to her. After losing one child, all she wanted was to keep her others safe. Having to look after her children all by herself would be a struggle, but she knew it would be okay.

"Neither can I," she whispered into her daughter's ear. Taking a deep breath of air, she stared over at her husband's casket. All she wanted was to be able to tightly hold onto him again.

She still had trouble accepting that this was really true. Her husband, the man she had loved with all her life, was dead. Even though she would never understand why he had to duel on that fateful day, nothing could have prevented it.

And as she rocked her daughter back and forth, she could sense someone wrapping their arms around the two of them. When she opened her eyes, it was just the two of them.

But when she shut her eyes again, she knew deep down that it was Alexander, forever standing by her side.

. . . . . . . . . .
A/N: Thank you whotellsyourstory for the request! The idea of Maria showing up at the funeral was really intriguing and I tried to add some emotion to her side as well.