Fearless // Lafayette x Reader

10. She's a Spy and a Soldier

The next day the announcement that they all anticipated came.

They were riding back into war.

But after so long, the band was finally splitting. Herc was going back to New York to finish his apprenticeship as a tailor.

"You'll write?" She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. Of course, they'd see each other again - she had to tell herself this on a daily basis.

No use thinking otherwise.

"Every day," he responded, squeezing her in a bone-crunching hug.

When the train of horses plodded off to Monmouth, (Y/N) yawned, just now realizing how tired she was. She almost leaned back onto Laf's chest before she caught herself.

Laf wasn't going with them either. At least, not directly - he was to meet them at Monmouth when he finished sending calls for aid to the French. She was sharing Alex's horse for the time being.

"So where's your family from?" His voice came from behind her.

Careful, (Y/N), she told herself. "It's actually funny, my parents live in a very loyalist city. I used to, as well. When I got a little older and started figuring out what I believed in...well, our viewpoints collided."

It was partly true. She had been raised in a loyalist city.

London was very loyalist.

"Huh." She could hear Alex scratching his chin. "So why'd you come looking for a job with the revolution?"

If I told you, you'd never speak to me again, she thought. Instead, she answered, "My parents told me that a revolutionist girl couldn't do anything in life. I wanted to prove them wrong."

They were silent for a moment. (Y/N) wondered if he'd ever felt that way. Had his folks told him he could never be good enough? Or had he written his way into the revolution by accident?

"How'd you wind up here?" She asked.

Silence.

Then, he sighed. "I was born in the Caribbean. My dad left when I was ten, my mother died two years later. As a kid I always wanted to do something that would make a lasting difference in the world. Where I come from...you don't really get that option, you know?"

She said nothing, thinking. She'd never asked any of them about their backstories before. She'd never even imagined that Alex's background could be so tragic.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, deep in thought about each other's statements.

~~~

"He did WHAT?"

John was standing up, outraged. Alex paced the ground inside the tent, scowling. (Y/N) crossed her arms and glared down at the dirt, disgusted.

Didn't General Washington know what he was doing? How could he have made Lee second in command?

Faintly, outside, they heard: "I'm a General - wheeeee!"

Alex shook his head in disdain. "Yeah, he's not the choice I would have gone with either."

"He'll do anything to get his way!" John growled, looking at the other two as if waiting for contradiction. "And that means he'll have command over you too, (Y/N). I worry about that."

"Yeah, I'm more worried about us than about him," she said, stretching back in her chair. "Being a general will have no problem coexisting with his fat head. It's those on the receiving end like us that need prayers."