We'll Write Our Way Out

Pardon Me

1776

Alessia took in a deep breath as she stepped off of the ship that had landed just a few moments earlier in the harbor of New York. Finally.

It's been so long and now they've finally made it. She was glad that this journey was finally over, she greatly despised to travel by ship. This had been the first — and hopefully the last — time and she swore to herself she'd never set foot on a ship again. It just wasn't her preference.

Shouldering her bag, Alessia walked further into the streets of New York, now on the search for her brother who had run off as soon as he had set foot on land. Alexander, always so excited and energetic. Someday he'd be the death of Alessia, she just knew it. But she couldn't watch over him forever.

Alessia managed to make her way through the crowded streets without many problems. The only problem was to find her brother, as he wasn't the tallest person around. But what could she say, she wasn't that much taller.

She huffed slightly, annoyed of her brothers antics and annoyed of herself for having lost him.

"I heard your name at Princeton, I was seeking an accelerated course of study," a voice perked Alessias interest and boy was she delighted when she found out that that voice belonged to none other than her brother.

"I sort of got out of sorts with a buddy of yours. I may have punched him, it's a blur, sir, he handles the financials?", Alessia finally pushed her way through the crowd to where she thought her brother was and there he stood, talking with another man who was slightly taller than Alex. Well, of course he was. It was hard to be shorter than him.

"You punched the bursar?", the man asked Alexander with a slight frown, but also a look that said 'You've got to be kidding me'.

"Yes! I wanted to do what you did, graduate in two then join the revolution. He looked at me like I was stupid, I'm not stupid! So how'd you do it? How'd you graduate so fast?"

"It was my parents dying wish before they passed," the man said and Alessia noticed how he became a little distant in that moment. She couldn't blame him.

"You're an orphan! Of course! I'm an orphan!" At Alex' enthusiasm Alessia would've loved to do nothing more than slap him. That's not how one should properly behave around someone who's lost their parents. She, as a fact, hated it when people rubbed it into her face that she and her brother were orphans with nothing to lose.

"God, I wish there was a war, then we could prove that we're worth more than anyone bargained for!" Now that's it.

"Alexander, that's enough," Alessia softly spoke up, laying a hand on her brother's shoulder and giving him a warning glance, before looking at the other man and replacing said glance with an apologizing one "I'm sorry about him, he's a little too enthusiastic about coming here. I think the travel here got a little to his head." Alessia flashed a smile.

"Don't worry, ma'am, it's not a problem at all," the man said and sent her a smile back "The name is Aaron Burr, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Aaron took her free hand and kissed it gently, as she said "Alessia Hamilton. The pleasure's all mine." She curtsied shortly, before turning to Alexander "We should get going on a search for a roof over our heads, at least for tonight."

She could see how Alexanders brain was working at full speed, trying to figure out what to do now — go with his sister or the new friend he probably just found.

Alexanders eyes went from Aaron to Alessia, before he said "We can take care of that later, I think it rude to leave Mr Burr standing here now after I've found him." Of course he'd choose him, Alessia should've known.

"Well, can I buy you a drink?", Aaron then asked, pulling the attention of the Hamilton siblings back to him. Alexanders eyes lit up and he said "That would be nice!" He glanced at Alessia with a look that begged her to just go with it, so she let out a low sigh and nodded.

Aaron held out his hand towards Alessia, motioning for her to hand over her bag for him to carry. That took her by surprise, but she did her best to not let it show. She simply wasn't used to such kindness. But nevertheless did she do as he silently requested, handing over her bag to him with a soft and slightly thankful smile. Aaron smiled back and offered her his arm, which she then took. So much kindness was unusual for her to receive.

Alexander followed right behind as Aaron led them to a bar. He continued his conversation with Aaron, while Alessia zoned out a little and looked around, taking in the sights of the city.

She still could barely believe the fact that they actually made it to New York. After so much hard work they finally managed to walk through these busy streets and become a part of them.

Aaron led them inside a bar and towards a table, the two Hamiltons sitting down, while Aaron then went to get them something to drink.

"Alex, please keep in mind that we need a place to sleep tonight. I get that searching for an apartment won't be doable today but at least let us start tomorrow with that. You know that we can't afford a hotel room for long," Alessia said, pushing a strand of her brown locks behind her ear while eyeing Alexander worriedly. She was worried that they might not be able to survive long in the state they were in.

"Don't worry Al, we will get through this without any problems. We'll stay in a hotel for tonight and maybe tomorrow and the night after that we'll have a home of our own. We'll survive," Alexander smiled and took his sisters hand, squeezing it slightly.

Alessia sighed but nevertheless bright herself to a smile. Just then, Aaron arrived with their drinks.

"So, you wanna get ahead?", Aaron asked Alexander, watching him with a raised brow, who then quickly nodded and said "Yes."

Aaron took a sip of his beverage before he continued "Fools who run their mouths off wind up dead." Alessia glanced at her brother with a slight raised eyebrow, wondering what the two of them had conversed about earlier when Alessia had tuned out. Just in that moment the door to the bar slammed open.

"Hey yo, yo, yo, yo, what time is it?" A man with freckles all over his face and curly hair practically yelled, a wide grin on his face, his friends following with a "Showtime!"

A dreadful look creeped onto Aaron's face as he muttered "Like I said." Alessia couldn't help but chuckle at that sudden change.

"Yo! I'm John Laurens in the place to be, got two pints o' Sam Adams but I'm working on three!", the freckled man sang, heading towards a table, his friends totally into this song or whatever it was that was going on. "Those redcoats don't want it with me cuz' imma pop chick-a-pop these cops till I'm free!"

"Oui, oui, mon ami, je m'appelle Lafayette!", the next one continued, a quite tall man with his curly hair in a ponytail, just like the guy named Laurens. "The Lancelot of the revolutionary set. I came from afar just to say 'Bonsoir!' Tell the king 'Casse toi!' Who is the best? C'est moi." If someone couldn't have guessed by now, this guy is definitely french. Alessia couldn't deny the fact that she adored his accent.

"Brrah! Brrah! I am Hercules Mulligan, up in it, lovin' it, yes I heard your mother say 'Come again!'", the third one yelled, a rather bulky guy with a bandana. Just from these phrases he seemed unpleasant to Alessia. "Lock up your daughters and horses, of course it's hard to have intercourse over four sets of corsets."

Alessia now took a swig of her drink, because if she would have to deal with this guy for much longer, she had a big feeling that told her she'd definitely need some more alcohol.

"Well if it ain't the prodigy of Princeton College!" "Aaron Burr."
"Give us a verse, drop some knowledge."

Alessia had hoped Aaron wouldn't let himself get into this, and she was glad when her feelings didn't betray her. "Good luck with that you're taking a stand, you spit, imma sit, we'll see where we land," was Aaron's response.

"Burr the revolution's imminent, what do you stall for?" Laurens asked as he approached the table a little, crossing his arms. He shot Alessia a short glance — which was longer than he probably intended to because damn — before focusing his gaze on Burr, a little disappointed that he hadn't joined them.

"If you stand for nothing Burr, what do you fall for?" Alexander now chimed in and under her breath Alessia just muttered "I swear to God, Alex."