✔️| Becoming Lady Washington

Chapter Twenty: Flashbacks (of a sort)

Washington's POV

I awoke early the day after the battle, still ecstatic from our victory. Ali, on the other hand, was still sleeping rather "peacefully" (yes, I can be sarcastic) when I got up, so I decided to sit with her for a bit. I brought up a chair and my pile of letters I had been in the process of writing to the Continental Congress, and settled down, starting to work.

Every so often I glanced over at her, impatiently waiting for her to awaken. While I waited, my thoughts strayed to one individual: Charles Lee.

Just the thought of him made my blood boil.

He had almost lost us our most recent battle! Not to mention, he insulted me and my soulmate on numerous occasions, and some even claim that he's a spy for the Redcoats!

I myself kind of agree with them, considering his recent actions at Monmouth. That man deserved a verbal takedown of epic proportions. But that is Ali's range of expertise, not mine. I'm more suited for physical takedowns, preferably happening on the battlefield. And speaking of Alice...

Ali stirred, letting out a tiny groan. She flinched in her sleep, and I instinctively jumped. Hey! Don't judge! It startled me!

"No, don't!" I heard her murmur quietly, still locked in whatever horrendous dream she was having. "Stay away! He's coming to rescue me. I know he will."

"Alice?" I whispered cautiously, setting down my letters onto the floor. "Alice? It's me, George."

"What did I tell you, Simcoe?" She muttered, her eyes still closed. "He didn't forget me after all."

"Alice, wake up. This is just a dream. Wake up, and it will be over." I soothed, prodding her gently in the arm.

Slowly, her eyes blinked open, and widened when they saw me.

"Umm... George? How long have you been there?" She awkwardly asked, subconsciously running a hand through her tangled "morning hair" in an attempt to tame it. Chuckling, I gave my response.

"Not very long. Do you want to talk about your dream? You might stop having it if you do."

She nodded, a determined look in her eyes.

"He was torturing me, during the time I was captured. He was the one taunting me, insulting me, and harming me. He tried to turn my love of you into love for him. Stockholm syndrome, you know? Where the person falls in love with their captor?"

I nodded, angry beyond words. Those bastards had tried to mess with my soulmate! Heads were going to roll if I had any say about it!

"Anyways, the only thing that kept me grounded and not insane was you. I knew you would come rescue me, and that is the only reason I stayed alive through the pain. You, Mandy, Ben, Alex, Lin... I knew you would come. When you did come, I felt the happiest I had ever felt in my whole life. Those few days spent with Arnold, Cornwallis, Simcoe, and André were hell. Forgive my language, love, but there is no other word to describe my time there."

Alice stopped, and I could hear the pain in her voice. Taking a deep breath, I enveloped her in a hug, and she gasped slightly, but returned it.

"I understand, love. Thank you for sharing this with me. You're with me now, and I will make sure nothing like that ever happens again. Hell, I will even have Lafayette and Alex follow you, just to make sure you are not torn from my grasp again."

Alice smiled into my chest. "That would be enough, love."

We didn't break the hug for about a minute or so, at which time Benjamin ran into the tent, an urgent look on his face.

"GENERAL! We have an urgent problem."

"And what is that?" I curiously asked, coming to stand in front of Ben. Alice followed, standing a few paces behind me.

"Lee has been corrupted. He is currently a General in His Majesty's army. And Cornwallis has welcomed him with opened arms." Ben told me, and I groaned. Why is it always us?

"I need a drink." I mumbled, sitting down in the chair I had been in earlier, putting my head in my hands.

Mandy's POV

Earlier that day, me and Ben had been in the forest, taking a walk and talking crap about Charles Lee.

Now that is what I like to call fun.

F IS FOR FRIENDS WHO DO STUFF TOGETHER

U IS FOR YOU AND-

No! nO! NO! BAD MANDY! STOP IT WITH THE SPONGEBOB REFERENCES!

It had all started out so simp-LEE.

Ben: Hang on, where's Lee?

Me: *giggling* oh, he might've gotten captured by the Redcoats at Monmouth.

Ben: I admit he may have deserved that.

The following hour and a half was spent bashing Charles Lee, and it was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. If only Mr. Campbell could've heard us... (He hates Lee; always bashes him during the Revolutionary war unit.) But the , Alex came by with news: Lee had been made an officer in the British army.

Crap.

Well, there goes my perfect day.