Critical (Jamilton)

12. Things Were Getting Too Chummy

Hamilton

Alexander sat at the dinner table with Philip, making play-dough men with mixed colors. Somehow, they were mixed but they weren't at all dried out which didn't make sense to Alex because if they were mixed, they were played with by a toddler and toddlers leave things out so the real question of the universe is how those play-doughs weren't dried out. 

"Uncle Tommy!" Philip called into the kitchen. "Come look'it my snowman!" 

Thomas came in with a phone pressed to his ear and took a quick glance at the snowman, making a noise of acknowledgment and went back into the kitchen. Philip looked disappointed and smashed the multi-colored snowman before he started building up again. Alex patted Pip on the back and told him to keep building while he went to see what the phone call was about.

He didn't have to say anything for Thomas to put his hand on the speaker so whoever it was on the other end wouldn't hear. 

"Burr's finding out what the doctors think about his wife today," Jefferson whispered. "The guy's talking my ear off."

"So he worries about her, what's so wrong with that?"

"Sure he's worried about her but he's also having an affair." Thomas moved his hand for a second. "You've said that three times, Aaron."

"How do you know?" Hamilton mouthed. 

"Walked in," Thomas mouthed back. He put his hand back on the speaker. "Apparently, after his wife's first hospital visit, his side piece visited him at work."

"Did he kiss her?"

"That's the kicker, it was--" Thomas moved his hand again. "Yeah, we'll be over in a bit." 

Jefferson hung up the phone and set it on the counter. 

"Aaron needs me to babysit while he goes and gets the final word and I'm not going alone," he said to Hamilton, then he yelled into the other room, "Pip! Get your stuff on, we're going to Theo's!" 

Philip cheered and shoved all the play-dough back into containers without paying much attention to which ones went where based on majority color, which answered Alex's question of how it was mixed but not dried out. 

"Wait! Who was it?" Ham called, following Thomas to the door. 

Thomas just waved it off like it wasn't going to drive Alex insane all day. 

By the time they got to the car, Aaron had called Thomas again to tell him that someone else was already there and willing to do it so they could just stay home. The couple went anyway because when you have an excited six-year-old waiting to play with one of his best friends, you can't expect anyone to tell him no. What kind of good gay dads would do that?

They got to the house after Burr had already left, but he told them to just let themselves in so they did. Apparently, the babysitter didn't get the memo and for the second time since he was back, Alex found himself on the receiving end of the "calling the cops" threat.

Only this time, after realizing who it was, the attacker didn't lower the weapon. 

"How the fuck are you here?!" he screeched. 

Philip, who was still standing with Thomas and Alex, looked up at them, shocked. 

"He said fuck!" 

Alex had to put his hand on Thomas's shoulder and hide behind him because he was laughing so hard while Jefferson glared at the babysitter as he explained to Philip that sometimes big people say fuck.

After getting Pip to go play with his friend and letting Ham catch his breath, the three adults sat down in the kitchen to talk. 

"So, Alex, you remember Charles?" Jefferson said, almost sarcastically.

"Regrettably," Alex responded.

"Yeah, we know each other," Lee muttered. "How is he here, though? You're supposed to be dead." 

"Surprise! Not dead." Hamilton shrugged. "Dying inside, however, totally new ballgame."

"So then what about Sam?" Charles asked harshly. "Where's he?"

Alexander shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "He's not. . . He didn't make it out."

"What happened to him?"

"I just said he didn't make it out."

"I want to know what happened to him."

"Lee, leave it alone," Thomas warned. 

"No, you get you're closure, I want mine. What happened to Sam, Alexander?"

"I would really prefer if we could leave that alone--"

"We aren't leaving it alone!" Charles shouted. 

"I get that you want to know what happened but I can't--"

"Yes, you fucking can! Somehow, you got out, and he didn't, so tell me what happened to Samuel!" 

"I-- I tried to get him out with me--" 

"I don't care what you tried to do! What the hell happened to him?!" Lee stood up and slammed his fists on the table.

That sent Alexander over the edge. He shook his head vigorously and covered his ears, trying to ignore the yelling. Thomas was telling Charles that he needed to go do something while he did something else. Hamilton really didn't catch much of it, but he almost punched Jefferson in the face when he moved Alex's hands from his ears. 

"Hey, its okay, you're okay, I'm right here," Thomas started soothingly. "Do you want to go home? I can take you home and leave Pip here--"

"No," Ham said slowly. "No, I just-- I don't want to think about that. I really tried to get him out but I couldn't--"

"That's fine, you needed to get yourself out, right?" Alex nodded. "You did that, you did what you needed to do. We can think about everything else later, but what's important is that you stayed live, alright? You understand?"

Again, Hamilton nodded and wiped his eyes with his shaking hand. Thomas sighed and pulled Alex into a hug. 

"I am so glad you're alive," he whispered. 

Alex didn't respond, he just hugged back and let himself melt into Thomas's warmth. 

"Whats wrong with Uncle Alex?" 

The couple pulled away as Philip walked in. 

"He just gets upset sometimes, that's all, Pun'kin," Thomas said quickly. He went over and shooed Philip out of the room so he could keep control of the situation. 

"Oh! Mama draws me pictures when I get upset! I'm not good at that, so I'mma go make you a poem! Stay right there, Uncle Alex, you'll feel better in some minutes!"

Hamilton had to laugh as he left the room, despite still being beyond spooked by the interaction with Lee, who was now sitting upstairs somewhere. Alex figured that hed have to explain what happened to Charles eventually, but that could still wait a little longer.