Hamilton One-Shots: Book 1

Chapter One ~ To Say Goodbye ~ Lams ~ Historical

Rain crashed against the windows of the Hamilton house. Thunder and lightning numbed the senses of what was to come. The darkness of this stormy night was the soon to be ambiance of the Hamilton family. Through the storm though, the family was in a good mood. Eliza was watching over her newborn son, Philip, and Alexander was upstairs, in his office.

Alexander was writing a document for who knows what when his eyes caught a revolutionary troop walking up to the front door. His heart skipped a beat and the man handed the letter to Eliza. His mind raced as he locked the door and ran to a shelf with a box behind it. He pulled it out and the box practically burst with romantic letters from John Laurens, his secret lover.

It was wrong in people's minds for many reasons. Alexander and John, for one, were married. Secondly, it was wrong to be gay. A man belonged to a woman, end of story. But ever since the meant there was a spark. A flame. They didn't quite know but they knew they were, soulmates in a way. He sped through the most recent letter, getting quite flustered at the flattery, as he heard Eliza coming up the steps. She was a bit slower than usual but that didn't cross his mind. He sat the box away and ran to his desk, pulling out more professional papers as Eliza knocked.

"Alexander...." her voice called, more melancholy than it's perky tone. "I need to see you."

Alexander was surely confused as he brought himself to stand. His wife was normally happy and light-hearted. Never had he heard such a sudden sadness in her voice. Not even when there was a loss of a battle or when rumors had spread he had died. Something was surely wrong.

Eliza, who stood on the other side of the door, looked at a letter. Henry Laurens, a name she knew all too well. The letter, in her mind, was as heavy as her heart. She had a sinking feeling that with little outbreaks all over the states, that... No, she couldn't think about that, for Alexander's sake.

Alexander took a golden key from her waistcoat pocket and unlocked the door, swiftly going back to his desk. "What is it Betsey, my love?" He said dipping his quill in ink.

"Alexander..." she said, taking a long, deep breathe, "you have a letter, a letter from South Carolina. Now before you-"

"It's from John Laurens." He said his heartbeat racing, He had longed to hear from John. It was the most he could so seeing that he would not see John until his battalion was finished. He was always so optimistic and Alexander loved him for it. "I'll read it later, set it down on the end table. Thank you, Betsey."

"No, it's not Alexander." She said sterner than she normally was. She had to be blunt. There was no beating around this bush. "It's from his father, Henry."

Henry. No that couldn't be right. Alexander knew Henry had found out about John being gay but, he had never written to Alexander personally. Henry had promised to keep quiet, but never liked the fact his son loved men and not women.

Alexander gulped and it seemed as the world he had just turned upside down was crashed down into the black hole of eternal darkness. He hoped it wouldn't be that bad, but he braced himself for the worst.

"Will you read it?" Alexander asked, standing up but setting his strength on his desk so his trembling knees would not collapse underneath him. His eyes met Eliza's until hers met the paper.

"On Tuesday, the twenty-seventh, my son, Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens was killed in a gunfight against British troops in South Carolina." Eliza could barely bring herself to read these words. she knew John well and he was such a kind and giving soul. He didn't deserve this. Alexander's mind went blank. His body went numb. He fell back to his chair.

"These troops had not yet received word from Yorktown that the war was over. He's buried here until his family can send for his remains." Alexander's hand hit his forehead. John. His lover. His best friend. His soulmate. Gone, like a candle in the wind.

"As you may know, Lieutenant Colonel Laurens was engaged in recruiting three thousand men for the first all-black military regiment. The surviving members of this regiment have been returned to their masters." Eliza couldn't do this. She placed the letter on the end table by the door, tears forming in her eyes. She turned and wiped her eyes. She looked over her shoulder at her husband. He had not said a word. A single tear fell down his cheek.

Alexander stood frozen for a second. Eliza stood waiting she had no idea why Alex just looked up, but he had a reason. As if in spirit form, he saw his life with John. What would've been? What could've been? Then at the very end, he saw John himself, bullet wound and all. John leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Alexander's lips. He then formed a glass in his hand, raised it and almost as if he was singing, spoke to Alexander and only Alexander.

"Tomorrow there'll be more of us!" His spirt almost sang out before disappearing. Alexander has the urge to go and hug the spirit. To hang onto this last piece of John he had left, but he couldn't. Not with Eliza there, all innocent. He stood up, brushing the single tear away, knowing he would grieve personally later.

Eliza gathered the courage to talk to her husband, knowing this heavy silence would just add to the dread she knew was building inside of her husband. Taking a deep breath, she spoke in a coma, soothing voice, "Alexander, are you alright?"

"I have so much work to do."