#leegy

It was a quiet evening, and Peggy was feeling almost ready for bed. The birth of her and Charles’ first child was nearing, and her back pained her constantly. However, she was unbelievably excited to finally see her child, and she knew Charles was too. Peggy started thinking about the day when they would finally meet their son or daughter, until she was ripped from her daydreams by a loud noise.

BANG!

Peggy didn’t know what the sound was, but it was loud and sudden and sure to startle Charles. Since being shot in his duel with John Laurens – where he gained the scar on his side that he always tried to conceal from Peggy – Charles had become very easily startled by loud noises, and noises resembling gunshots sent him into a full-on panic attack.

And that was how Peggy found him now – in a heap on the floor, hyperventilating, with tears pouring down his face. She approached her husband cautiously, not wanting to startle him and make everything worse.

She kneeled down next to Charles, waiting for him to calm down a little before she spoke to him. While she was waiting, Peggy tried her best not to cry. In these situations, she had promised herself that she would be strong for Charles, no matter how difficult it was. Though she wasn’t present at the duel, Peggy came close to losing Charles that day, and it terrified her to no end.

It felt like an eternity waiting for Charles to calm down, but Peggy was patient.

“Are you alright, Charlie?” Peggy asked, her voice barely higher than a whisper.

Charles nodded slowly, though he was still shaking quite a lot. He didn’t look into his wife’s eyes, instead fixing his gaze on the floor. “I… I’m sorry…” he mumbled.

“You have nothing to be sorry for…”

“Of course I do!” Charles raised his voice, but a moment later Peggy could tell that he was ashamed for doing so. His next words came out a lot quieter. “You’re stuck with a pathetic coward for a husband. How would I ever be able to protect you like I should? I sob like a child at every loud noise…”

“Charlie…” Peggy said calmly, slowly moving to place her hand on her husband’s cheek. “You’re not a coward, no matter what anyone says. You’re so strong. After the duel, everyone said you wouldn’t recover from your wounds, but you did, and you survived being captured by the British. You’re a brave man, and I’m proud to call you my husband.”

Charles finally looked at her, tears still welling in his dark brown eyes. Peggy always did everything she could to make him feel better. He didn’t know how she put up with him. “And I’m lucky to have you as my wife.”

“And our child will be lucky to call you its father.” Peggy took Charles’ hand and placed it on her stomach. Seeing him smile again filled her with so much joy that she could hardly contain it. "Now, we're both very tired, and we should go to bed."

Charles nodded, slowly standing up from his place on the floor.

"Uh, Charlie, would you be able to help me up?" Peggy looked up at him, pouting, and seeming a little embarrassed that she couldn't stand herself up.