Requested by: todaywewrite

Breathing heavily, on his deathbed, Alexander looked stared up at the ceiling. Though he was losing the nerves to feel, the touch of his wife's hand in his wasn't gone yet. He returned the gesture, squeezing her hand, tear droplets forming in the corners of his eyes.

He blinked them away, suddenly overcome by a sense of tiredness. It's coming, a soft voice murmured, not any of the ones around his bedside. Alexander could barely turn his head to see his wife's face.

He wanted to toughen up and show her how simple it was to leave, so when her time came, she'd know how to face it.

A breath of air left his lungs, almost too unexpectedly, and then everything froze. The children at the foot of his bed disappeared, then all the visitors, being blurred over by a beaming white light.

Alexander watched as his wife, frozen in a terrified expression, became erased from his field of vision. Eliza. He reached a hand out hopelessly, only touching the overpowering light of what seemed to be heaven.

Moving his fingers and legs, it came to his realization that all his wounds were somehow healed. He gasped, running a hand along his cheekbone, half in tears at the idea of being healthy and feeling young once more.

"It's often a confusion to people why they seem to be young again. But that's the works of heaven, one would say."

Startled by the voice, Alexander leapt to his feet. The surroundings were pristine white in every direction, with a calming affect to the way they caged him in. "Pardon?" He stepped forward uneasy at first with his footing.

"You don't need to be afraid, Alexander."

It can sense fear? Still not sure who or what was talking to him, he cleared his throat. "I'm not afraid," he stuttered, regretting the words the second they came out. Hesitant and shaky.

"You think after all these years I, of all people, have forgotten how isolated you become when threatened? I recall the numerous times we-"

"Who are you?" Alexander took a few steps forward again, praying there would some sort of railing to hold onto if worse came first. "How do you know me? Show yourself, please." A little desperate, he looked up at the whiteness above him and then back to his left.

"Ahem, look over here then, Hamilton."

Alexander glanced behind him, instantly recognizing the person. No, it couldn't be. His mouth dropped open, followed by frantic words. "Y-you died an-and I, how did you find me-where are-" Tears that had been held back since that morning, when he was surrounded by family, began falling down his cheeks.

"John," he finally breathed, breaking down and observing the man he once shared such a bond with. "J-John," he cried out, gazing at that young, innocent face of his.

Stumbling over his own feet, Alexander gasped and spluttered for the right thing to say to his deceased, but now alive, friend.

Still dressed as the day he'd reportedly died, Laurens looked like he might as well cry too, after all the years he'd been waiting. He hurried forward, grabbing the other man by the hands and tugging him into his arms.

The embrace made both of them crumble into a massive amount of emotions and tears.

"I-I-you," Alexander stammered, pushing himself back to get a good enough look at his friend. Ghostly, but real, John was exactly how he remembered him. Not that he hadn't ever forgotten. It just had been too long.

"Still young like you remember me?" John coyly shared a smile, patting his friend on the shoulders. "You're much older than the last time we crossed paths."

Self conscious and flustered, Alexander twisted his hands anxiously. "Well, people grow old, John. You would have gotten to experience so much more if you hadn't d-died."

He diverted his gaze behind his friend, unsure of what to say about the event that cause him to die at an age where the opportunities were just starting.

John let out a soft chuckle, sounding like he had when they were both young and risking their lives for a country that was barely formed in any way. It came to Alexander's realization just the amount of things he never got to see.

"But even as an older man, I used my time wisely, or so a part of me hopes. Oh, and you recall Eliza? I mentioned her many times through letters a-and times we talked. We had many children who-"

"Eight, correct?"

Alexander, looking vaguely shocked, nodded his head. "Y-yes, eight. How did you know?"

John shrugged in return. "From up here you can see everything. All the success and suffering. I kept an eye on you and your family, as well as my own."

"If you know of my family, then you must know of the incident that occurred with my first born on my doing. And of course, my daughter suffered a-" He paused. Suddenly, Alexander's face lit up in a surprising way. "Philip. He must be here, isn't he?"

Completely forgetting the rest of his speech, the older man flung himself about, beginning to sob and recall the events that led up to son's death. John trailed behind him, not used to his friend's changed behavior. "Anyone who's passed on and hasn't committed a greater sin is up here, Alexander."

Flooded with the idea of seeing his son again, even his mother, Alexander let out a deep breath of air. "Right, right. I-I will have to see him at some point."

John chuckled for the second time. "You'll have plenty of time to speak with him. He's been proud of his siblings accomplishments, terribly depressed at the sight of his sister, but nothing less than pleased. Talks of you often. You seem to have been an excellent father."

Alexander smiled to himself at the thought of his son exclaiming about his father, just as he had when he was alive.

"But with that aside, I wanted to ask why you got yourself into that mess with Aaron Burr?"

There was the sound and flash of memory of the duel, before Alexander turned to his friend, regret dancing in the whites of his eyes. "I don't have an answer for that, John. You know how much of enemies we were. Nothing could ha-"

"You could have refused the urge to go to that duel," John snapped back. He stopped Alexander, seeing him open his mouth to jump to his own defense. "No, don't speak. I have been watching you for long enough to know how impulsive and arrogant you can be."

Offended, Alexander straightened up. But he didn't dare say a word against Laurens.

"Did you even think for a second? About your wife and children? About the even longer life you could have had? Or-"

"You know as well as I do, it was necessary to duel him. If you were watching me all these years, you would know that-"

"No, it wasn't necessary! All those years ago, do you recall telling me how foolish dueling was and how to avoid it at all costs? Did you forgot the one piece of advice that ever slipped out of your mouth to me?!" John fumed, crossing his arms, and glaring at Hamilton.

"You don't understand!"

Alexander couldn't control the scream that left his lips several seconds after saying that. John looked horrified. He stepped back, shaking his head in a knowing way.

"I will never understand you. We're both dead now, and twenty decades from this point, I still won't understand you. I don't deserve to."

Both men, frustrated in their own ways, glared at one another for a minute or so. Alexander finally gave in and mumbled, "Well, we can live with that one disagreement, right?"

John rolled his eyes teasingly. "I suppose we could manage." He reached over timidly and draped his arm over Alexander's shoulder and began walking him towards the endless heavenly scenery surrounding them.

Despite their age difference, and facial features, the two of them looked just as they did back in the day when it was only the horizon and tents to be seen. The difference now was that they had so much on their minds to discuss. After all, it had been a lot of time apart for two close friends and lieutenants.

And just like the long nights of conversations in their tent, neither of them really cared if they talked to the end of time just catching each other up on what they'd missed. It was the good old days again, except with a whole different perspective.

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A/N: Thank you todaywewrite for requesting this one shot! This was a whirlwind of emotions and ideas to write, hope you loved the way it ended up. And thank you everybody reading, this book just 70k reads, which is insane and amazing! I love you guys, and thanks for reading all these one shots and constantly supporting me. It means so much.