Hamilton Oneshots

Family (HamLiza)

Trigger Warning: Death and The Unimaginable

Eliza paced her room, she'd fallen into the habit of reading and rereading the letters Alexander had sent her before Maria Reynolds and the ones he'd sent her after. She refused to talk to him, utterly refused, but he slipped a letter underneath her door every night and she'd find one under there every morning, a good night and a good morning. She loved that man, oh she did, her heart begged her to run from the room and into his arms every morning and every time she went to sleep in an empty bed, but she just couldn't.

She grabbed a pair of scissors and walked to her mirror, she'd read somewhere that people cut off their hair when they were letting go of the past so she closed her eyes and grabbed her ponytail, cutting her hair off at the base of it and letting it all pool at the bottom. She opened her eyes and looked at her now short hair, feeling tears well up as she remembered how Alexander loved to play with her hair, put his fingers in her hair, braid her hair, all of it. Quickly she shook the thought and picked up her letter from Alexander, opening it and reading what he'd written today.

My dearest, Elizabeth,
I hope your night was relaxing and you slept well, I myself have not with all of my work piling up once again though you knew that would happen, didn't you? You remember so much about me I often find myself flattered and I hope you are aware of how much I remember of you. I have been made aware that you pace more than you used to and find yourself disoriented, I cannot help but blame myself for be such an inadequate husband to such a woman as yourself, I will always be in my study so that if you at any point in time wish to speak with me you will not have to trouble yourself with looking, I aspire to make your life as fulfilling and easy as possible.
Forever Yours,
Alexander Hamilton

Finally, she broke. Hurriedly she rushed from her room in search of her husband as her eyes filled with all sorts of emotions. It had been years since she'd last held him, years! She has just made it to his door when a scream split the air and made her heart stop. Instantly she picked her dress up and sprinted to the noise she'd identified immediately as her youngest, Angelica.

"Ang-OH MY GOD!" She rushed over and picked the bloodied girl up, she looked around and pieced the scene together instantly. On the floor around them was a shelf that has fallen, a bunch of books, and a bust that has blood over the top of it.

"I heard-oh shit," She looked up as Alexander took a knee and inspected their daughter, "I'm going to-to get a doctor! I'll be right back, I love you." He fled the room as Eliza broke down. She was joined by Philip at some point who brought a warm rag to clean Angelica's forehead and nose which were both bleeding profusely with no sign of stopping.

Her mind and body went numb and she let Philip take her daughter when the doctor arrived. She stayed in her spot, the floor, just staring at the wooden planks and picking out imperfections in it.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton?" The doctor said as he left the room Angelica was inside. Alex helped Eliza up off of the floor and it was then that she registered he stayed with her. The doctor approached them and then in a hushed voice whispered, "I'm afraid she won't survive."

Eliza stopped listening as he went on to try and explain the injury, she just screamed and kept yelling, "No!" Over and over, Alexander had to hold her back though from what he didn't know. Eventually, she calmed to sobbing into his chest as he ran his hand up and down her back soothingly.

"Elizabeth...I know you're upset and I-I am too," Alex said as he struggled to keep his voice from croaking under all of his emotions, "But we-we need to spend her last moment with her. She-She must be so scared, she needs us." His biggest regret was cheating on this woman and now their daughter only knew life as two parents hating each other and neglect, it was all his fault. In fact, if he hadn't cheated she might not even be in that situation because they might all have been having family time, something he'd all but forgotten about.

Eliza let him lead her into the room where she sat by Angelica and held her hand, whispering sweet nothings and telling her about how she was going to grow up to marry a prince who would sweep her off her feet. She, Alexander, and Philip swapped turns talking to the toddler all through the day until she closed her eyes around midnight and passed, a smile still spread across her face.

Eliza dropped her head next to her daughter's now lifeless body and began sobbing again, when Alex tried to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder she pulled away. She stayed right where she was for hours and when she finally looked up she noticed only Alexander and had to ask, "Where did Philip go?"

Alex looked around before admitting he didn't know. Quickly, the two got up and searched for their son only to find he wasn't inside the house. They were about to check the grounds when a knock at the door summoned their attention, they answered the door as a couple for the first time in ages to see a man with a mournful expression.

"Your son has been shot."

Eliza fell to her knees as shaking hands covered her mouth. Alex tried to help her up again but she pushed him off of her. Alexander knew they didn't have much time so he picked her up and hurried to Angelica's house where the boy had been taken.

In one day they lost so much, too much. For months after Alex didn't think his wife would survive it, he was terrified she would die from her broken heart seeing as Peggy and her father had passed earlier that year as well.

As they stood in the garden in silence Eliza mustered up the rest of what she had inside her and interlocked her fingers with Alex's, turning to him months after she'd wanted to forgive him, "It's quiet uptown." She said as tears left Alex's eyes. The two kissed having missed the other terribly and needing each other badly for the past few years, forgiveness hadn't come easy and it hadn't come before at a time in which it was needed most.

Another few months passed and slowly the two of them rebuilt their marriage from the shambles it was in. It still hurt every time Eliza walked past Philip or Angelica's room but she could do it with Alexander. Finally, she had news for him.

She knocked gently on Alexander's door, "Alex...you're still working?" She asked quietly as she entered his office, shutting the door silently behind her so as not to make him jump and cause a mistake on his eloquently written parchment.

"Mhmm," Alex hummed softly, "I have an early meeting out of town." He told her, technically it wasn't a lie though he felt bad for hiding the full truth from her.

"It's still dark outside?" Eliza raised an eyebrow and studied him cautiously, knowing she wasn't getting everything.

"I know," Alex replied as he continued to write in fancy cursive, "I just need to write something down." He said though it didn't convince either of them.

"Why do you write like you're running out of time?" Eliza asked and put her hand over his making him stop writing as he looked up at her, "Alex..." She smiled, "I'm pregnant." She said something she never thought she'd say again.

Alex felt his heart stop, "You truly are the best of wives and best of women."