Chapter Text
Washington continued urging his horse to go faster and faster all the while clinging to the precious bundle he held wrapped in his arms. How the hell could this happen? “Faster Tobias, come on!” He commanded. He had to get back to camp, he wasn’t about to risk harm befalling on the small child he held who was positively swamped in the General’s blue coat. How old could he be? Four? Five?
“Come on boy! Nearly there!”
And sure enough not ten seconds later the familiar walls guarding their camp came into view behind the oranging tree leaves. The centuries on duty didn’t stop him from entering and immediately opened the gates to allow their General through with no further questions.
“Washington sir! You’re back so soon?” Laurens called as him and a few other men came out side into the chilly Autumn breeze to greet him. “Where’s Alexander?” Laurens asked looking behind Washington expecting to see the fiery red head he’d come to love (perhaps more then two men should). Lafayette seemed to notice Washington’s forlorn expression, as he then looked down to the floor, gut wrenching sorrow making its way onto the young man’s usually bright, cheerful face. “Has our little lion been taken from us?”
Laurens let out a pained gasp, tears instantly making their way into his eyes as he fell back into Ben Tallmadge’s arms. It seemed his sentiments were shared with the rest of the group of men that had surrounded the man many of them looked up to as a father, as they all bowed their heads in respect and grief for the young Lieutenant Colonel. “Sir, tell me it’s not true?” That snapped Washington out of the dazed shock he was still in after the day’s events as he was quick to reassure them. “What! No, no. Alexander is not dead.” He yelled, having to spit the last word out as he imagined his poor boy dying on a mission that should’ve been no more then a simple letter exchange. They weren’t expecting to be ambushed.
Relieved sighs made there way through everyone as they were told there Armies ferocious lion was still very much alive. “Then— where is he?” Laurens asked. How in the hell am I going to explain this? “Well…” he began “he’s… right here?” Washington answered unsure as he tilted his arms to show everyone exactly what- or more accurately who- he was holding. Everyone was silent for a moment looking at the sleeping child held in their General’s arms. Well shit.
Soon enough the men started laughing at the preposterous notion but at the look on the General’s face it soon died down to a few nervous chuckles. “Uhhh,” Made its way out of a few of the men’s mouths as they scratched their heads completely baffled. “I’m not sure how this happened.” He said when he saw Burr open his mouth to most likely ask that very question. “We were ambushed a couple miles back and we were just about to get away when Alexander was shot by an arrow that I assume was coated with the thing that caused this as next thing I knew… Well.” He finished gesturing to the young boy who still hadn’t stirred. “So you’re saying this… is Hamilton?” A soldier by the name of Benson asked.
“Yes.”
“Alexander Hamilton.” Burr added.
“Yes.”
“My Alexander.” Laurens said unable to believe that this little boy was his boyfr- best friend.
“Yes!” Washington stressed.
“Mon petit lion?”
“YES!” He yelled in annoyance. He knew they were confused, he couldn’t believe it either. But they seriously didn’t have time for this. His right hand man is a child. Alexander-- is a child. Alex… He had a child for an Aid… He had a child in the middle of an artillery camp where they are under constant threat of attack. Fuck.
“W-what should we do sir? Sir?”
“For now let’s just get him somewhere safe. We’ll figure all this out when he’s woken and we can see if his memories are still intact.”
“Where will he go Sir?” Lafayette asked concerned for his best friend who was in a vulnerable spot right now. Alexander hated vulnerability. He didn’t like to open up much about his past and so far all he’d gotten about his upbringing from Alex were a few drunken confessions or a clueing statement here and there.
“Ain’t got no family to like” “No ones ever wanted to be friends with me before, s’nice” “I don’t like storms… bad memories” “my father didn’t like me all too much” “I use to have a brother” “No one likes a bastard”
Even Hercules, who’d taken Alex in when he moved to New York, knew next to nothing about his life before coming here. Well except something behind the whole storm thing but he always said it wasn’t his business to share.
Washington took a moment to consider what the best course of action would be. He didn’t like the idea of this little boy staying in a cold tent, where he couldn’t watch over him, even if Laurens was there. His room was the only one with a fire place so it seemed the most sensible place to keep a young boy who was gullible to falling ill in the cold weather. After all, grown up Alexander didn’t have the best immunity and seemed to have a constant shiver when the temperature was anything less then warm. “Where I’m from your summer weather is the same as our winters.” Alexander had said one day after receiving some strange looks at how close to the fire he was sitting.
“He‘ll be staying with me.” Washington said with a note of finality in his tone as he climbed of the horse mindful not to drop the boy. “Can one of you please find some clothes and a blanket to give him and deliver it to my tent. Thank you.” He said over his shoulder as he made his way across camp.
He placed the boy on his bed and stepped back to get a proper look at him. The boy’s mouth was in an o shape as he slumbered, the way it was whenever Washington- on those rare occasions- would find him asleep at his desk, and he looked most peaceful. His red hair, that was usually scraped back into a queue, was a mess of curls tumbling down to his shoulder and hanging over his forehead and freckled face. He was just how Washington imagined him to be and was frankly quite adorable. He’s just so tiny. Washington thought as he smiled down at the boy he loved as a son. Stop thinking like that you know he doesn’t want you. He slowly unwrapped his coat from the boy’s body with great care and he couldn’t help himself as he stroked a strand of the boy’s hair out of his face and gave a quick kiss to his forehead. That caused the boy to stir a bit in his sleep and a faint smile to take over his cherubic face that Washington wasn’t sure if he was imagining or not.
He was taken out of his revery as he heard a knock on the post of his tent. “Come in.” He said not peeling his eyes away from the boy whom had taken over his heart in an impossibly quick time. “We have some clothes here that should fit him a bit better and the cot from his tent.” One of the men said as they carried in a cot that had a thin blanket and some folded clothes on top of it. “Thank you.” He said and watched as they placed the small cot by the wall and nodded their heads in respect before taking their leave. Washington walked over to the objects and picked up the blanket spreading it over the cot. He wished he had something more to give the boy other then a thin fraying blanket and some old clothes that would most certainly still be too big on the boys tiny frame. But they were already in desperate need of supplies, they had nothing to spare and they didn’t exactly keep children’s clothes. Perhaps I could write to Martha and ask her to sew a warmer blanket and some gloves for him. Martha was always more then happy to make gloves and socks for the soldiers to keep warm but it was going to take quite some explaining as to why he needed such small clothes.
Never the less he moved to take off Alex’s shirt that he was now wearing as a dress but he wasn’t anticipating the pained whimper to come from the child’s mouth when he placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. Nor was he expecting the boy’s eyes to burst open and for him to slam himself against the wall of tent trying to put as much distance between himself and this imposing man looming over him as possible. “Wh-what? What’s happening? Where am I?” Washington felt a bit of his heart break at the fear in the child’s otherwise beautiful, big eyes. No wonder he’s scared I must seem terribly threatening. “Shhh, it’s okay son.” He said reaching out to place a hand on the boy’s trembling shoulder only to take it back at the violent flinch.
“Who are you!?” He shrieked fully pressed against the wall now despite the slashes on his back stinging at the contact.
“My name is George and I’m going to be taking care of you for a while.” He said fighting the urge to reach out and wipe away the tears streaming down the child’s face, not wanting to scare him again.
“What why where’s Mama?” Had father sent him away? He said he would if I kept being a nuisance. No Mama wouldn’t let that happen… But what if he convinced her it’s for the best? Mama left her last child with her husband. She could leave me too! No that’s different her husband wasn’t very nice. But neither is father…
“She‘s gone away for a little while and left you with me until she comes back.”
“W-what about Jamie?”
“Jamie?” Who the hell is Jamie?
“Yeah Jamie... You’re lying to me! Father sent me away didn’t he!? Is this because I spilt drink over my bed last week? I said sorry. I promise I’ll be good! Please tell him I’ll be good!” Washington just listened to the boy’s panicked rambling in shock. He thought his own father sent him away? Over something as insignificant as a spilt drink?
“Whoa son, calm down. You didn’t get sent away because you didn’t do anything wrong. Okay?” And he was sure of it because what the hell could this sweet, scared little boy in front of him do to warrant that? Or what could any child this young do for that matter? Alexander did not seemed convinced however as he was still pressed against the wall breathing heavily. “Do you mind telling me how old you are son?”
“Don’t call me son.” The boy snapped before going back to looking scared “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. That was rude of me please, please don’t tell father.”
“It’s okay s- Alexander,” but he just couldn’t equate such a long, strong name to the small, scared boy in front of him. “You can tell me when something is bothering you and you don’t have to worry about me telling anyone if you don’t want me too.”
Alexander seemed to consider this for a moment as he studied the large man in front of him for sincerity with those dark blue- purpley eyes that the boy didn’t even know held so much power over him.
“I’m four.” Alex muttered holding four grubby fingers up to show the General with a sheepish smile that made the esteemed, stone faced General’s heart melt. Bloody hell get a hold of your self, what happened to you? But he couldn’t bring himself to even regret it as he looked at the shy baby sat on his bed, a far cry from the man he’d grow to be. “Well aren’t you a big boy.” He smiled and let out a light chuckle at how Alex eagerly nodded his head. “Uh huh! I’m four and a half!” He said proudly as if it was the most extraordinary thing ever. Damn him and his adorable lisp and gappy teethed smile.