Ghost Guardian

Chapter 1

743 words

I watch as Pip and Eliza play the piano. It's Pips' 9th birthday today, and Alex should be coming down soon. 

"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf," they sing together. 

"Good," Eliza says. She's a good mother. 

"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf"

"Sept, huit, neuf." Eliza corrects. Pip tries again. I smile. I go check on Alex.

He's in his office. No surprise there. He's reading a letter. I look at the envelope and see that's it's from Angelica. I always thought the two were closer than they should be, but who am I to judge. Alex and I were to close to be legal. At least they can openly flirt around others without getting arrested. I sigh. 

"Take a break!" Eliza calls up. 

"I am on my way!" He calls back. 

"There's a little surprise before supper and it cannot wait!" She's getting impatient. 

"Go, Alex, before you regret it." I know it's useless, he can't hear me. But it's worth a shot. 

"I'll be there in just a minute, save my plate!"

"Alexander!" Eliza and I say at the same time. 

"Okay! Okay!" He surrenders. I sigh again. 

"Your son is nine years old today. He has something he'd like to say. He's been practicing all day!" Yeah, good thing at that, too. Earlier, he was saying "my name is poet. I am a Phillip." I was trying so hard not laugh. "Phillip, take it away!" I smile encouragingly at him and send him two thumbs up. 

"Daddy, daddy, look! My name is Phillip! I am a poet! I wrote this poem just to show it! And I just turned nine! You can write rhymes but you can write mine!" 

"Whaaaaa!" His father and I say at the same time. 

Phillip gains more confidence. "I practice French and piano with my mother!"

"Uh hu!"

"I have a sister but I want a little brother!" Eliza and Alex share a look.

"Okay!" Alex says. Eliza rolls her eyes. 

"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq!" 

"Bravo!" Pip runs away, probably to go tell the stuffed animals he denies having still about his success. 

"Take a break!" Eliza tries to convince him again.

"Hey, our kid is pretty great." 

"Alex! Stop avoiding the request!" I say.

"Run away with us for the summer! Let's go upstate!" Eliza persists.

"Eliza, I have so much on my plate."

"We can all go stay with my father!"

"There's a lake I know."

"I know."

"And a nearby park!"

"I'd love to go." 

Then why won't you?

"You and I can go when the night gets dark!"

"I will try to get away." 

Liar. 

"Alexander, come downstairs, Angelica's arriving today!"

The sisters laugh and hug. I smile, wishing I was still alive so I could hug my sister again. God, I miss her. 

"Angelica!"

"Eliza!"

"The Schuyler sisters."

"Alexander!"

"Hi." 

Why does he sound like a teenage boy with a crush?

"It's good to see your face."

"Angelica, tell this man John Adams spends the summer with his family," Eliza says, pulling Angelica to see her clearly. 

"Angelica," Alex says, pulling her attention away from her sister. "Tell my wife John Adams doesn't have a real job anyway."

"Your not joining us? Wait."

"I'm afraid I cannot join you upstate."

"Alexander she came all this way!"

"All this way!"

"Take a break!"

"You know I have to get my plan through Congress."

"Run away with us for the summer, lets go upstate!"

"I'll lose my job if we don't get this plan through Congress."

"We'll all go stay with our father!"

"There's a lake I know!"

"I know I'll miss your face."

"And a nearby park!"

"Screw your courage to the sticking place."

"You and I can go!"

"Eliza's right!"

"Take a break and get away!"

"Run away with us for the summer! Let's go upstate! Where we can stay!"

"We can all go stay with our father!"

"If you take your time, you will make your mark!"

"Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now!"

"Close you eyes and dream when the night gets dark! Take a break!"

"I have to get my plan through Congress." 

No, Alex! Take a break! You always work too hard! You can't do this to yourself and your family! Stop!

"I can't stop 'til I get this plan through Congress."

Angelica and Eliza walk away to go get Pip. I go with them after saying to Alex "Don't f*ck up. You tend to do that when you're stressed."

"Hey, Bluie! Are you coming with us?"

"Yes, I am. But I will come back occasionally just to make sure that your father's doing alright, okay?" He nods. 

"Let's go!"

A/N

So that one was pretty boring, because it was mainlyTake A Break. While I was writing Pips' poem, I kept wanting to write my name is Phillip. I am a poet. I can't believe daddy took our name and broke it. And I just turned 19, you can save lives but you can't save mine. I practice French while I'm dying with my mother. I see my sisters and I see my little brothers. And I died defending my daddy's own bank. Un deux trois. And now I'm trying not to cry. And then of course there's the you can save lives but you can't save mine. Also, don't judge the nickname. Pip doesn't know Johns' name so he gave him a nickname. I've seen fics with Johns' nickname being "fluffy" or something of the sort, but I wanted to have the historical appearances, and it was Alex's hair that was fluffy, not Johns'. So, yeah. Anyway, love y'all! 

-Asher