In Sickness And In Health (Jeffmads): a Hamilton fanfiction

Chapter 15

Madison's p.o.v

It must've been almost half an hour before I sat back up, drying my red, puffy eyes. Thomas didn't look much better, as tears were still pooling his eyes as he looked uselessly at me.

"What are we going to do?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper. He shook his head sadly at me, his bottom lip trembling.

"I can't trace it back!" Hamilton yelled suddenly, sounding extremely frustrated and making me jump. "I can't find the damn reporter! Whoever did this did a professional job of it."

Washington regarded us with despair, his fingers flying across the keyboard on his phone like lightening. We snuggled into each other, determined to stay strong for each other.

"I'll have the FBI trace it back. This is serious," the President told us, crouching down to face us. "Do you know anyone who would want to do anything to you?"

We both began to deny it, but then we both froze and turned to each other.

"The woman at the water park," we said in unison. Washington cocked his head, confused, his eyebrows doing the... thing.

"We went to a water park for a first date a week or two ago," Thomas explained. "There was this horribly homophobic woman with her kid who had a go at us."

"She probably recognised us!" I cried. "Found our address, took as many pictures as she could and gave them to the New York Post. Bribed the reporter, perhaps?"

I smiled brokenly, overjoyed that the article was down and we thought we knew the suspect. Hamilton and Washington bid us farewell, vowing to find this woman.

Turning back to my boyfriend, I saw him grinning his head off, his phone held out.

"It's Mama Jefferson."

Jefferson's p.o.v

Gleefully, I answered the phone as Mads sat excitedly next to me, putting her on speakerphone.

"Hello, Mama," I said, laughter already creeping into my voice.

"Tommy!" she exclaimed happily. "Are you doing the Madison boy yet?"

I laughed as James spluttered and choked on the water he had just gulped.

"Ma..." I choked out.

"Don't worry, I saw the article," she replied dismissively. "I'm happy for you two, all this stand down bullshit is ridiculous. Is James there? I wanna talk to him."

"You're on speaker, Mama."

"Hey," James said awkwardly, wiping the water off his chin with his now damp polo. "How are you, Mrs Jefferson?"

"Call me Jane, love," she replied warmly, and I could imagine her smiling. "You're family now."

James' face split into a huge grin and he hugged me tightly. I barely moved for fear of angering my horribly sore leg.

"Thanks," James said gratefully.

"Tom, how's your leg?" she asked abruptly. "Holding up okay?"

"It's fine, Ma," I lied. I didn't want to worry her. "How are you? How's Dad?"

"He's just fine, baby," she answered, suddenly gasping. "Oh, James, Eleanor says to call her when you get a chance! Oo, I'll go and get her!"

"Ma-" I tried to say, but I could hear her rushing outside and to the Madison's next door. I dropped my face into my hands, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"James, honey!" Eleanor Madison's voice suddenly came. She sounded worried. "I read the article, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mum, really," he said, wrapping his hand in mine. "The President is sorting it out, he came over last night with a couple others-"

"YOU HAD A PARTY WITH THE PRESIDENT!?"

Eleanor's voice was high and hysteric, but not in a bad way. I don't think I'd ever heard her so excited, and that's including when James got into Princeton. "JANE, THEY HAD A PARTY WITH THE PRESIDENT!"

"Aw, baby, that's great!" Ma said, back on the phone now. "Look, what I wanted to say was that I'm coming to stay with you in New York next week."

"You are?" I squeaked as Mads' jaw dropped open.

"Yes," she said slowly, as if I were stupid. "You'll need to pick me up from the airport at 3 a week tomorrow, is that okay, baby?"

"It's a bit sudden, Mama..." I protested weakly, but I felt so guilty that I soon folded. "Okay, we'll pick you up then."

"Good boy," she replied. "See you then, baby."

And she was gone! James was giggling softly to himself, his shoulders shaking a little.

"She's a crackpot, your mum," he chuckled, hugging me softly.

"So's yours!" I answered, shifting a little and crying out in pain as my leg gave an angry shout. He looked at me worriedly.

"I'll go get your meds," he said, stroking my hair off my forehead. "That damn floor couldn't have helped."

He pottered around the kitchen, and I couldn't help but give a small smile at the domesticity (A/N: is that even a word?) of the situation. "So how long has your mum been shipping us?" he asked conversationally.

"Pretty much since we were born," I replied, laughing. He was back again now, my meds in his hand. Passing a couple of pills to me, he gently kissed my hand as I swallowed them, sighing with relief as my leg soon became pleasantly numb.

"You know we're gonna have to go out at some point," he said quietly, making me freeze.

"I know," I mumbled, looking at the floor. "Doesn't mean I actually want to."

Kissing me softly, he nodded his head in agreement, resting his forehead on mine. He flexed his muscles jokingly.

"We must be strong, monsieur," he said, and I engulfed him in a hug, holding him as close as I could.