(Laurens POV)
The world is flashing in and out of color. Is there even color this dark at night? But the lights from the stars and from searching lanterns dance, and that is enough. The trees sing with the wind. The ground is cold beneath my back. I want to reach up, perhaps I could touch the stars.
I know i am dying. There's a million things I want to do that I can't do. I want to kiss Angelica one last time. I want to have kids. I want to tell Alexander that I loved him. I want to win the war, every war.
But I can't. Nobody even knows I'm here but my aid-de-camp, and he ran off. I want to see Ange, but it's dangerous back here.
You don't even know when the bullets will come.
Tears flow down my face and intermingle with the blood running from my mouth. It's warm and metallic-- terrible taste, like well water.
Like water was before I had met Angelica. When I met her, my world spun. It took me a minute to realize she was the one. More then Alexander was. I love Alex, i fear i always will, and i fear i will always wish he could've been mine. But he wasn't.
Angelica doesn't care what the world thinks, as long as who she cares about are healthy. I hope she lives her life after I die. I hope Alexander does too. I hope Eliza, the sweet girl who may have harbored a little crush on me (to come to think of it) has all the time she needs.
Footsteps! I look up to see Angelica, my light and love. Her eyes are glittering with tears. The stars reflect in them. She bends down, i touch her eye. I can touch the stars now.
"Laurie... John... My John Laurens," she slurs. She grabs me and puts me in her hands, almost awkwardly. I poke her in the eye on accident in the process. Her eyes grow even redder, but she doesn't care. i've never seen her sob before.
"Hello, my dearest, Angelica," I greet, smiling. My voice sounds so southern. i'm in so much pain.
"Don't go," Angelica begs.
"I can't stop it," my stomach is bleeding out from the bullet wound.
"Please... Please try," Angelica said, but then she sighs. "I know you are."
I look up. "Any final words to your loving husband?" I giggle hysterically.
"You mean my soulmate," Angelica corrects. And then slowly she adds. "And the father of my child."
I grin, but it hurts. "We're going to have a kid?"
She nods.
I can't stop crying. I get my own little kid who'll be just like Angelica, hopefully. Brave and smart and beautiful and witty and love the color pink.
"Can you name her after Alexander?" I ask. "We both loved him. Tell him that." I know I sound crazy, but my mind won't function.
Angelica nods. "You loved me more right?" She corrects herself. "Forget i said that."
I reach up and kiss her. I can barely do it, and I worry I'm getting blood in her mouth. She kisses back, gentley as to not hurt me.
It's all going black when I hear the soldier say "The war's won, mister Laurens."