Love and Liberty: A Lafayette x Reader Fanfiction

The Escape

      I love you, mon ange.

       The moment played over and over again in both of their minds. It didn't matter that neither of them knew where the other one was. They would be reunited, some way, some how. It was going to take a lot worse than a few British ruffians to keep them apart.

       Lafayette awoke to the clatter of tin on stone. He blinked, squinting at a flash of red retreating from the cellar door. He moved to rub his eyes and realized that his hands we no longer tied. His ankle, however, was chained to the floor.

       He inched over to the tin plate that the redcoat had left for him, gritting his teeth and trying to ignore the bruises and aches that racked his body. He could barely remember what had happened after he left the ball with the redcoats.

       The ball.

       Y/N.

       What would she want me to do right now? He found himself thinking. Well, if he knew anything about her, it was that she was probably on her way to find him. She would be by herself if it was her choice, so he sincerely hoped that one of the others was with her. She wouldn't want him to try and escape, though, no matter how much he wanted to. There was a certain point, though, that he would have to try. He wasn't sure how long he would last sitting idle.

       He began to pick at the cold beans and stale bread that had been left for him, barely realizing how much better this food was than what he'd been served in the army. If they were trying to bribe him for something, this wasn't the way to do it. Though he had to admit that they made a valiant effort.

       I told her I loved her. He sighed to himself. She hadn't told him yet, and he didn't mind being the first to say it, but he couldn't help but wonder how she really felt. She cared for him at least, but he didn't know if it went any deeper than that. What would they say when she found him? Did she believe him? He would tell the whole world if he could, but right now, his world was just a dark cellar in the middle of who-knows-where.

       Well, so what?

       "I am in love with Y/N Mulligan," he whispered. "She is my sun, my moon, and all the stars. I am lost without her."

       He sighed deeply, settling back against the wall. Then he heard a scuffle outside the door.

       Was that...

       "Y/N?"

       He saw her head peep through the window. "Lafayette!" the whisper came. He heard a jingle of keys and the door creaked open.

       She was here. She was really here.

       She stood in the doorway, soaking wet, tears streaming down her face, scratched and bruised. But she was here. She stepped forward and he held out his arms, into which she stumbled.

       The held on to each other, rocking back and forth, shaking.

       "I am so sorry mon ange, I will never forgive myself," Laf mumbled into her hair. "You do not deserve any of this."

       "Laf no," she said, taking his face into her hands. "I don't care. I'm here now, alright? I'm here and I love you and it's going to be okay."

       She stared into his hazel eyes with an intensity that made his heart nearly burst into flames and filled his whole body with a warmth he had never experienced before. He held on to her. "You love me?"

       Her cheeks warmed, but she nodded fervently. "I love you Lafayette. More than anything else in the whole world. And..." the warmth spread across her face. "I heard what you said. Before I came in. And I want you to know that it means the world to me."

       This time Laf was the one to flush. He couldn't help the feeling of immense relief that cascaded over him. They stared at each other for a moment. "How are we going to get out of here?" Lafayette whispered. "How did you even get here in the first place?"

       Y/N shifted on her knees and Lafayette drew her closer. "Alex and Eliza freed me from that hallway and we followed the redcoats here on horseback. We camped out in the woods by the house because the Tories were still out and about. We had to wait till they all went to sleep to sneak in. I think there were a few guards still up. Alex and Eliza are on the lookout right now to make sure we get out safe. Are you..." she looked around and spotted Laf's chained ankle. "Shoot, of course. They must have kept the key to your cuff separate. Well... I should have a hairpin somewhere..."

       She rooted around in a sachel that was looped around her and Lafayette watched her in adoration. He had to admit, she was much cooler under pressure than he.

       Y/N pulled a hairpin out of her bag and began working at the lock. She had almost gotten it open when they heard a CRASH! from above their heads.

       They looked at each other. "What was that?" Laf whispered.

       Y/N swallowed. "Something tells me they were discovered."

                                            ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

        "THERE! DON'T LET THEM INSIDE THE HOUSE!"

       Alexander shielded Eliza as they sprinted for the open door, hearing bullets but not knowing where they were coming from. Closer, closer, closer, come on! His legs were on fire. Thank goodness Y/N was already down there and they were the distraction. His job was to make sure they got out alive, and he wasn't going to do a very good job of that if he got shot.

       They reached the door of the house, leaping inside and slamming the door shut. Alex put his back to the door and hissed to Eliza, whom he could barely see as she was only illuminated by slivers of moonlight. "Grab a weapon," he hissed. Eliza's eyes darted around the room, spotting a wooden chair in the corner. She grabbed it and wielded it like a bat while Alex stared, flabbergasted. He shook his head. "Whatever works."

       Eliza rolled her eyes. "This one isn't my weapon," she said, carrying it over to him and lodging it under the door handle. She went back to the table and grabbed another chair. "This one is."

       Alex snorted, but then moved away from the door and began to work his way through the room. The house's main room seemed to have been converted into some kind of dining area for the soldiers. Eliza looked around to see how they would be able to find their way to the basement. She spotted the kitchen doorway. "In here!" She motioned to Alex and they darted inside.

       Of course, she thought. There were British soldiers, slumped, asleep all over the kitchen, and one stood resting on his rifle in front of an unassuming oak door. That must be the entrance to the basement. But how was she going to get in?

       Her eyes lit up. She set down her chair in front of a counter. Alex glanced at her, confusion written all over her face. She put a finger to her lips and climbed atop the chair, making her way up to the high countertop. Alex's jaw dropped open, and she motioned for him to follow her.

       They began to walk along the counter, balancing carefully and tenderly stepping over the sleeping heads of a few redcoats. They finally stopped at the end of the counter, right in front of the door. Eliza put her lips to Alex's ear. "From what I can see, the door opens to the inside. I'm going to open the door and let the guard fall through. I am then going to jump over him and run to get Y/N and Lafayette. You're going to hold them off."

      Alex paled. "Eliza, wait--"

      She looked into his eyes. "Trust me."

      A pause. He nodded.

      Eliza kissed his cheek and turned, leaping off the counter and grabbing the doorknob. She forced open the door and sprinted down the stairwell and into the blackness.

       Then chaos erupted.