Critical (Jamilton)

31. That Makes So Much Sense

Hamilton

Alexander didn't even bother yelling for help this time around. With any luck, Thomas was still asleep or assumed he went to Peggy's or something. With any luck, Thomas was still home. Alex couldn't tell how much luck he had left though since he was back in a cell. 

Alex continued convincing himself that Jefferson was still asleep until someone started unlocking the creaking metal door. Andre stepped in. 

"Good, you're awake," he said. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like a baby," Alexander muttered sarcastically. "Though, I do have some complaints."

Andre rolled his eyes and sat down in front of Hamilton. He didn't look like the situation was bothering him in the slightest. If anything, he looked like it was a part of everyday life. To keep himself from getting killed, Alex just thought of how much Thomas was going to enjoy beating the shit out of him. 

"What do you want?" he asked with virtually no emotion. 

"Awe, don't be like that! Wheres that Hamilton fire that you used to care so much about, huh?"

Alexander didn't respond. He let his head hang back like it was before Andre came in and hoped that he'd just go away. He didn't. Instead, he roughly tapped Alex's chin, forcing him to look back up. 

"Don't feel bad," he hummed. "It's not your fault you didn't know what I was doing! I'm just that great an actor!" 

"I should have just let Thomas beat the shit out of you." 

"Yeah, you really should have, but it's too late for that now!" 

"No, it's not. He's going to find me this time. He knows you had something to do with this and he won't give up this time." 

Alexander smirked at Andre as his face went from cocky to fearful. His smirk faded with the fearfulness was replaced by his own cockiness. 

"See, now that's where you went wrong. You put way too much faith in him." Andre rolled his eyes and did his best impression of Alex, which was scarily good. "Thomas wouldn't let that happen! Thomas wouldn't let me get hurt! He can keep me safe! Blah blah, Thomas this, Thomas that. Yeah, no he's really not as great as you think he is. He's already here." 

Alexander furrowed his brows and waited for the other man to continue. Andre rolled his eyes again and groaned. 

"Honestly, Ham, you're supposed to be some sort of genius. I called Thomas on my cellular device, okay? You still with me? I told him that you were in trouble, let me know if I'm going too fast. He didn't stop to think about the many inconsistencies-- whoops, sorry, that's a pretty big word. I wasn't sticking to the same story. So he just barged in without telling anyone where he went and without any sort of weapon to save his beloved Alexander Hamilton." 

"You're lying," Hamilton accused, though he was trying to convince himself of that more than he was accusing Andre. "He isn't that stupid. He wouldn't come in without a plan." 

"You really aren't as smart as I remember you being and it's only been a couple of months." Andre stood up and walked to leave the cell. "I think it's time you got another neighbor. One that you have way too much faith in!" He laughed as he locked the door again, leaving Alexander alone in the cell. He was going to yell for him to come back, but he realized what Andre had said. 

Another neighbor. Either he was referencing Samuel or. . . 

"Hey," Alex whispered, hopefully, loud enough for someone next door to hear. "Is anyone there?" 

After a second of silence, the same woman from the phone said, "Yes." 

Then Ham recognized the voice. "Maria? Is that you?" 

She didn't answer his question. "I am so sorry you're back here, Alex, but he was going to kill Philip, I couldn't just let him do that." 

"I would much rather him kill me than Pip," he laughed bitterly. 

"Pip," Maria hummed. "That's. . . It's cute. Did he pick that up from somewhere or is it given?" 

"I think his mom gave it to him," Ham said. "Why?" 

"It was a closed adoption, I couldn't keep track of him. He's so mature. You know, when I picked them up, the girl was almost in tears, so was the other boy, and he just. . . He took over and comforted them. He's only six and he's doing a better job than anyone I know. He got that from his dad, I can guarantee it."

"Maria, what are you talking about?" Alexander asked, having some idea where the conversation was going. Then he remembered when King-- no when Andre stabbed him. Maria ran in and she was. . .  "You're his biological mother." 

"I didn't want to give him up but King wouldn't take no for an answer. He would have just killed me and done it anyway." 

Alexander couldn't honestly care why she put him in the system. He was glad he was being raised away from everything. What he did care about was who his biological father was. So he asked. 

". . . John," Maria answered, barely loud enough to get through the walls. "John Laurens. I had to, uhm, convince him to help kidnap you and he stayed the night and we just. . . Look, Alex, I don't know if you still hate him, but he didn't want to help with that. He didn't want to hurt you or Thomas, that was my fault. You shouldn't hate him. I had to lie and twist his feelings and--" 

As Maria went on, Hamilton noticed a huge difference between her and Andre. She was trying to make herself seem worse. Andre was more worried about making himself like just as much of a victim when he was fishing for forgiveness. Maria didn't even sound like she cared about that, she just wanted John to have the right opinions formed about him. 

Alex had to admit, he definitely had suspicions of who Pip's father could have been. It was hard not to suspect anything, especially with how similar they looked.

"Hamilton, really I am sorry," she concluded. "John didn't deserve that and Philip deserves to have Eliza Schuyler as his mom and you deserve to be out. You and Thomas, you were planning a vacation to France, right? I'm going to get you out so you two can do that. You deserve that much."

Maria sounded like she had more to say, but the door on the other side of Hamilton's opened and slammed closed. Andre called for them to have fun while he walked away laughing. 

"Please tell me that's not Thomas," Alexander muttered.

"Hey, Darlin', fancy meeting you here," Thomas laughed nervously. 

"Well this is just great," Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Anyone have an escape plan that involves beating the shit out of Andre?" 

Thomas clarified that he definitely wanted in on beating Andre down. 

"Actually," Maria said proudly. "I have a plan that accommodates both of those things." 

She went on to explain what it was and, to Hamilton, it seemed like a longshot, but it also sounded like the best shot they had. So they started to set it in motion.