Hamilton One Shots

Her Escape (3)

Requested by: hp123_

Frantically running up the steps of her house, Eliza threw the door open, practically sobbing her children's names. It had been completely foolish to leave them, and she could already feel the motherly absence in her heart.

"Ph-Philip," she stuttered, seeing her son enter the main hallway. His mouth opened and then shut. She breathlessly opened her arms, waiting for him to come running or something of that nature.

Only he stayed put.

"You left us."

The words came out raspy and quietly, as if he was too afraid to make her leave again. Philip leaned forward on the heel of his feet, eyes never leaving his mother's. There were tears in the corners of his, threatening to tumble out any moment. But the boy held them back.

"I did, but there were reasons as to why. I only was-" Eliza stopped, upon seeing her son step back just as the sound of her voice. A mother's worst nightmare was coming alive.

She reached out, seeing him physically flinch again. Pieces of her heart cracked even more as she shoved an answer out of her throat.

"Darling, is your father here? May I-"

"Father's been in his study since you left. He's distraught and upset about your decision. I don't think he's put down his quill all day." The young boy stared at the study door, where a series of muffled sobs were heard from.

Alexander, her heart sang in a helpless, but broken way, like it always did.

Eliza sighed deeply. "I must speak with him then, and let him know of my arrival." She noticed her son's frozen look of fear and being the mother she was, all she said was, "It'll be alright. We'll talk about it."

Philip only looked down and shook his head, voice quivering as he spoke. "Will it?" He didn't give her a chance to reply, for the boy hurried back down the hall, and into another room.

Still shocked by his peculiar behavior, and the emptiness in the house, Eliza rushed over to the study door. She hesitated, before turning the doorknob, and letting a beam of light enter the room. Squinting, all she could see was piles of papers and books.

"Alexander, love?"

After a long inhale and exhale, she heard the sound of her husband shifting at his desk, which made her figure out where he was among the mess. There finally came the strained question of, "Why are you here?"

"I felt foolish. And I know how much the children need me, as well as yourself. Look at you, haven't even shaven or-"

He snapped back, "I can handle myself." Hands rubbing the corners of his eyes, Alexander let out another stifled sob. It came to her realization just how heartbroken he was. If she hadn't left, he wouldn't have gone into this terrible of a state of loneliness.

"I didn't think you would care," Eliza started, heading across the study to his desk, where his figure was crouched over an array of unfinished work. Cowering at her shadow, her husband tried to make himself look occupied.

She placed her hands on both hips, slightly growing irritated and upset. "Alexander, I'm here now. Hush, don't cry." Eliza perched on the top of his desk, pulling him into an embrace that was forced on both their sides.

He immediately broke down again. A few seconds passed, until he stammered, "I-I wouldn't have been able to take care of the children. Or provide for their education. I would have said goodbye to all the work that I've done. The children could have starved and I would have been a pathetic father."

Eliza soothed him, whispering his name three times, before speaking in return. "You wouldn't have turned your back on the children. You're a man who doesn't stop until he gets what's most important. Giving up isn't anything you strive to do, hm?" She lifted his chin up, trying to ignore the glassy, wet look in his eyes.

"Without you, it is."

Alexander forced his face away, mouth opening in a silent cry. A tear trickled down his cheek and he went to wipe it away, only to have his wife brush it off at the last second.

"I don't know what's gotten into me. The moment you left, it felt like my life crashed down. All that's been worked for, created, just destroyed because of me. I've been placing the blame for this on me and it's what I should have been doing long before." He inhaled a shaky breath of air.

"No, no, you shouldn't say such things." Her thumb rubbed across his cheek again, trapping another tear in her skin. "You have every right to be this emotional, dear. I was in the wrong for once, not you."

Alexander refused to believe that. "I'm the one who started this feud. If I hadn't slept with that wretch then we-"

"Wretch? She may have slept with you and ruined our lives, but no woman will be called a wretch in front of me. Nor by the children." Eliza gave him a knowing look, clearly meaning what she said. It surprised her husband greatly.

She paused momentarily, intertwining her hand with his. "You did all you could, in a time of desperation. The children handled life well, as it seems. I'm not leaving again, and that's a definite prom-"

"What if they hadn't? Maybe they would have needed to rely on me for help, oh, I'm too selfish and-" Alexander didn't get to finish, as he felt his wife's lips press against his.

Time had passed since they'd been able to kiss without one of them doing it out of sympathy for the other. This one felt true. Alexander knew the two of them had gone wrong down the road, but if it had been leading up to this moment, he considered it to be worth it.

Alexander loved the way her lips connected with his, the way their bodies bumped together like puzzle pieces, and how words didn't need to be said to forgive each other.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, and pulling her even closer, Alexander promised himself one thing right on the spot. He would never let her out of his sight again. If this separation was clear enough, it seemed that without Eliza, he would crumble into pieces.

Whatever the case was, he knew neither one of them would be leaving again anytime soon.

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A/N: Thank you hp123_ for the request! Love writing more of this plot. And I'll have a few requested one shots up and posted soon, thank you all for being patient and everything, since I'm beginning to be busy with school.