Hamilton One Shots

Her Escape (2)

Requested by: melodiousoblivion & wishwishwishes

"Father, please! Open the door!"

Somewhere around two in the morning, there came a rapid knocking at the mansion. Philip hadn't been expecting company, and if he had, it wouldn't have arrived at such an hour. He rose from his bed and grumbled, wrapping a yellow patterned robe around his body.

"I'm coming," he hollered, skipping a few steps as he ran down the staircase. The voice sounded familiar, but he didn't know if it truly was who he believed it to be. He got his answer when he opened the front door.

"Eliza," the older man whispered. His daughter, with a distraught look on her face, collapsed into his open arms. Only a second later did tears of relief began falling down her cheeks. She whimpered his name over and over, clearly thankful to see him.

Philip heaved her through the doorway, shutting the door behind them. "My dear, don't cry. Tell me what has happened." Eliza shoved her face in the crook of his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. Hands shaking, she couldn't form the words to explain her situation.

Being the understanding father he was, Philip ushered her upstairs, with gentle gestures, telling her they'd speak in the morning. The one thing that bothered him was that his daughter's husband was nowhere in sight.

He'd heard and read of the scandal, but hadn't expected for his daughter to be this distressed about it. Or for her husband to possibly force her to leave. Whatever the case was, Philip wanted to make sure she was rested before explaining anything.

It would surely be resolved in the morning.

And so when that time arrived, Eliza found herself still shocked by what happened the night before. Her father catered to breakfast, soothing her, and politely pushing answers out of her mouth. She eventually put her hand in front of her mouth, refusing the food he was serving her.

"I couldn't stand looking into his eyes any longer, father. How could I live with him knowing those eyes looked at another woman with such affection? How?" Weeping into her handkerchief, Eliza broke down again.

Philip sighed. He'd known this day would come. The moment he had met Alexander, something seemed off about his character. He was charming, there was no denying that, but it seemed to be covering up a bigger secret.

"So it was you who made the decision? What did you tell my lovely grandchildren?" Philip sipped from an elegant glass. He presented a more laid back attitude about the situation than his daughter had expected.

"You know what he's done to ruin me. I tried to stay with him, I tried to hold his hand in front of the children, but there's only so much I can physically take. Yes, the decision was made by me, but don't let that skew your view of what has really happened. As for the children..."

Eliza clutched her stomach, suddenly distracted by something out of the corner of her eye. "I'm sure their father will inform them of the reasons for my absence."

Her eyes flooded with visions of her little ones confused when they woke up, the oldest ones truly knowing why she was gone, and the heartbreaking sounds of their sobbing. But with a blink, the images faded away.

"Do you want them to know their mother as the woman who ran from her husband because she couldn't handle the pain? Set them an example that's worth telling, Eliza." Giving his daughter an encouraging nod, Philip continued to munch away his morning meal.

Disgusted by his words, Eliza rose from the table. "Are you saying that you could have handled this situation better? Why don't you try and see what it feels like to have your heart torn out of your chest and the one person you have ever loved become a liar!"

For a second, Philip swore he'd seen flames flash across his daughter's eyes. He never imagined that the day would come when one of his children terrified him. Leaning back in his chair, Philip took a deep breath. "You don't sound like yourself, darling, I-"

"Well, I'm not a little girl anymore," she snapped back. "I'm grown up, but it's still my voice you're hearing." Biting the edge of her lip, Eliza reached forward and set down her handkerchief. Words continued to twist around her and threaten to spill.

How desperately she wanted to let her father know how she truly felt about everything.

"You need to go home to your husband and children. You're heartbroken, but the only cure to the pain is to head home. Please, for the both of us, and the sake of your children's future, go home." Philip rose from his chair, walking over to his daughter.

He had heard enough. Of all the things he ever thought his daughter would do, the idea of her running home because of the threat of her husband's affair wasn't one. As she'd said herself, the little girl he raised was all grown.

Eliza dryly replied, "How am I supposed to look him in the eyes? Father, he's desperate for my sympathy and it's-"

"Give him forgiveness. Not sympathy, there's a difference. But do something, dear. You're can't live with the burden that you weren't able to forgive your husband." Philip patted her shoulder gently.

"Tell me how."

And right then and there, he noticed the faintly little girl look in her eyes. The pleading one, begging for some sort of reply. Lost and running to her father for approval. Philip sighed deeply to himself, thinking of the right words to say to his short tempered child.

"You love him, Eliza. That's why you asked for my blessing, talked to your sisters about him, and even blushed when he kissed your cheek in front of me. Young and in love you were then and now. Remind yourself of that. Don't you want that back in your life?"

Eliza hesitated before whispering, "But how can I trust him? I'm afraid to let him close again and let him have control of certain things between us. I do want it, father. More than anything." A certain realization swept her off her feet. "Yes, I need that back in my life."

It had been so long since she'd been able to look at Alexander in that lustful way she used to, with the same respect behind it. And it had been awfully too long since she had wrapped herself in his arms and fell asleep that way.

She truly missed the feeling of love. That would only change if she forgave her husband. Eliza bit her lip, listening to her father for further instruction.

"Go home, dear. Tell your lovely children how much their mother loves them, as well as their father. You need to. It's the only way to fix this terrible pain you've put yourself through."

Being the respectful daughter and woman she was, Eliza went for her coat. She met her father at the door in the main hallway, with a more delightful attitude. There was silence, only seconds before she said, "Thank you."

Looking back, she realized how foolish it had been to run off, much less to her father in particular. She had the time to sort out her emotions and thoughts, but now the only thing that mattered was getting home in time to sort out what she left hanging by a thread.

The sooner she returned home, the sooner she'd be able to apologize and save her family, specifically her husband, from falling apart.

. . . . . . . . . .
A/N: Thank you melodiousoblivion & wishwishwishes for the request! I enjoyed writing another part for this, and including a segment of Eliza consulting her father. Hope you liked it!