The horizon and the balcony

Chapter thirty-one

"Good mornin!"Alex said strutting into the kitchen. Hercules and Lafayette sat at the table as John served them. He was pretty damn proud of himself, he had made a full home style breakfast.

"Alexander sit down, we need to have a talk"Hercules said looking up from his phone.

Alexander sighed and ran a hand through his hair trying to finger comb through the knots.

"Guys if this is about yesterday then I'm f-"

"Sit. Down."Lafayette hissed banging their cup of coffee on the table. Despite being exhausted they slept restlessly the night prior. There was just something about watching your partner almost jump out of a window that did things to you.

Alexander quickly took a seat at the table and put his head down in submission. He felt ashamed. He was used to getting chewed out by John for his self destructive habits, hell for a good portion of his life that's all he heard. Hearing it come from Lafayette was a different kind of pain, one he hadn't become numb to.

"Now I want you to explain everything that happened yesterday from the moment you got home to when...you know"They said. Alex nodded and quietly requested a cup of coffee.

"Sir yes sir"John said sarcastically dusting his hands off on his apron.

"I had a really bad commute to work...I got stuck in a heavy downpour. I went to Dunkin to try and make myself feel better with a coffee but I-I spilled it on myself..."he started. He busied his shaky hands pulling at the fabric of the seat pillow. He felt like a failure, he couldn't do anything right.

"Washington made me skip the meeting because I was wet and shaking...not even in the good way"he sighed. John stifled a giggle and placed his coffee in front of him. Hazelnut coffee, two tea spoons of sugar and a generous amount of cream.

"Thank you, anyways he had me sit next to the furnace down the hall by the cubicles. It was torture, I could hear everything going on but but I wasn't a part of it. I just wanted to be in the room where it happens"he said. Hercules nodded thoughtfully.

"After all that went down I had to talk to Burr about a plan of action for the company. You all know how much I despise that man"he said. They nodded collectively, John manned the stove.

"Eggs?"John asked. Alex quickly shook his head and took another sip of his coffee. John narrowed his eyes and Alex mouthed later. In John's eyes that was a definite promise.

"Basically he talked a lot of shit which I'm used to but he brought up my mother which pissed me off"he said digging his nails into the seat pillow.

Lafayette's soft eyes hardened and they crossed their arms over their chest.

"What did he say Alexander?"They said cooly. It was phrased like a question but the severity behind it implied it was a demand.

Alex remained quiet and clenched his fist, he shouldn't have said anything. He should have just sucked it up and took it out on himself later. Now Lafayette was mad and it was all his fault, everything was his fault. The hurricane, he left his brother god he missed his mother buried in Nevis why did he leave her-

"Alexander"Lafayette said snapping a hand in front of his eyes. He blinked a few times and ran a hand through his hair.

"What did he say."Lafayette asked bluntly. There was no beat to it, not even the melodic crooning that swept Alexander off of his feet. It was cold and hollow, this wasn't his Lafayette speaking.

"He um...he said he thought my mother would have taught me better. I said he doesn't know jack shit about my mother and he...he said at least he got to say goodbye to his mother"he breathed out.

Hercules reached over and placed a gentle hand on top of his. He expected to conversation to end there but he kept talking.

"My mother's name was Rachel, Rachel Faucette Buck and she was an Angel. I was born in Charlestown of Nevis-"he started.

"Alexander you know you don't have to-"Lafayette started but Alexander raised a hand silencing them.

"I was born in Charlestown of Nevis out of wedlock. My father wasn't around, I was a bastard. It was just me,my brother and my mother. She did what she could for us but we were so poor...so fucking poor"He sniffled gripping onto the seat of the chair.

"I didn't even realize how dirt poor we were because she made sure we were taken care of. She loved James and I so fiercely that I felt like we were royalty, money meant nothing to me at the time..."he said. John slid into the seat next to him and rubbed his back.

"We all got sick with yellow fever, we were sick and she was holding me...she was singing to me. I made her promise me that she wouldn't die...that she would get better and take me to the seaside, we would have a picnic and watch the waves crash against the shore"he said.

"I made her promise that once she got better she would take me to the big church in the middle of town and play the piano...I loved the piano..."he continued.

Lafayette felt their heart sink to the bottom of their chest. Alexander spoke with so much admiration,so much hope and they both knew how this story ended.

"She died. I moved in with my cousin, he committed suicide...left me with nothing. The village found out eventually that I was living alone and they found the money to send me here. Pitiful Alexander Hamilton they would say, bastard orphan and son of a whore"He spat bitterly. He took a deep breath and laid his head on the table.

"Thank you for telling us Alexander, I will deal with Burr accordingly"Lafayette said briskly and stood up from the table.

"Babe don't you mean we-"

"Am I speaking my native tongue right now? No? Didn't think so. I said what I said"Lafayette said and stormed off to the bedroom.

"Babe we need to talk about this!"John exclaimed. There was silence for a few moments and he sighed in aggravation. The bedroom door swung open and Lafayette emerged fully dressed their purse slung over their shoulder.

"I am dealing with burr and that is final!"They shouted and walked out the front door slamming it. They were in such a hurry they left their keys in the key dish.

Burr was going to pay and it would be in blood.