History Has Its Eyes On You ~ A Hamilton Fanfiction (Book 1, Act 1)

Teach Me How To Say Goodbye

(Y/N POV)

"We've come to the conclusion that you are to be sent home."

"I- I'm sorry?" I stuttered.
"You must've expected something along those lines, Sophie, I mean-"
"After everything, I'm being sent home?" I beseeched. "I- I helped you to win a battle!"

"The situation is out of my control, there was n-"
"Out if your control?! You're our commander!" I argued back at him.
"But I must take into account the views of my colleagues! And they decided that you should be sent home!"

I paced back and forth, taking none of what Washington was saying. "Kid, understand that it's for your own safety!" he exclaimed.
"First of all, don't call me that." I grunted, too frustrated to have any respect for him. "And second off, for my own safety? You would never have said that to Charlie Miller, why is Sophie Hamilton any different?!"
"You're a woman in need of defending! Think of your sister!"

"CHARLIE MILLER WAS A HOPELESS YOUNG BOY, SENT TO SOME WAR JUST TO HONOUR HIS FAMILY. HE COULD NEVER HAVE WANTED THIS! HE JUST WANTED TO SERVE, AND HE WAS STARVED DAY AFTER DAY!!" I realised that I'd come face-to-face with Washington, and he was not amused at all. "I'm... I'm sorry, sir-"

"Go home, Sophie. That's an order from your Commander."

I tried reaching my hand out to console him, but he turned his back on me, resuming back to his desk. I lowered my arm, looking down shamefully at the ground. "...Yes, sir..." Despite the fact that there was no need anymore, I saluted General Washington one last time, piveting away to leave the tent. 

Alexander jogged over, taking my arms into his hands. "Well?" he questioned.
I gazed up to him pitifully. "I'm..."

"I'm going home."

~

I saddled this horse one last time, observed this camp one last time, stared at this solemn sky one last time. There was no coming back for me. No more war, no more fights, no more duels. Just me and my family.

But that's what I'd wanted, right?

Or is it that I wanted to suffer my own battle whilst my friends at home suffered theirs?

Charles was withering away from cancer.

Emily was on the verge of defeating a flu.

But Y/N?

Y/N didn't have to suffer.

So she did this.

Therefore the decision of my return or not made it debatable. Nevertheless, it meant I could help my friends at home through their battles, as my friends at war had all fought to help mine.

On that note, I leapt onto the horse, paying no mind to the glares.

"Wait, Sophie!!" John galloped over on a different horse, halting by my side. "Let me come with you!" he insisted.
"No, John. You have to stay here." I uttered.
"Of course I don't! I don't need to be here!"
"I don't belong here!" I barked. "You do!"

"Take a look at yourself, Sophie. You conquered your fear of horses, learnt how to use a gun, freed a bunch of prisoners, beat a man in a shooting competition, helped us to win a battle for fuck sake: you've done so much. Not Charlie Miller, you. This is the last thing that you deserve."
I shook my head at him dismissively, choked in sorrow. "You can't understand, John. It's all overruled by the fact that I'm the woman that's meant to be at home cleaning."

I closed my eyes, tackling the reins as I did so. "Goodbye, John." Carelessly whipping the reins, the horse bolted off at a tremendous speed.
"SOPHIE!!" John reached out to me from afar, but I wasn't turning back. I journeyed on through my tears, the wind lashing my face as to tell me to turn back also.

But I refused.

We rode till the camp was out of sight, my steed and I both panting for breath. I held it back to a trot, surrounding myself into the isolation of the wilderness.

When I thought that no life existed out here other than my own, I distinguished a fox peeking out from a small burrow. Intrigued, I halted my horse. The fox was attentive, scanning the fields cautiously. At its last glance, it emerged back into its home, a bundle of pups hurdling out excitedly. Three pups, energetically pouncing about in a game. I smiled at their youth, remembering to how we'd been like that once. But shortly enough, the vixen caught along with my staring, gathering her pups protectively back into the burrow.

Though these pups weren't human, it traumatised me that they'd come so close to where our battle had commenced. Their land could've potentially been destroyed, along with their lives. I would've never had the ability to experience this, and me and this stallion would be stranded out here to our own petty minds.

But then- "HEY!!" Heedful of the voice, I briskly turned my head. For the deafening silence out here, the sound of a voice deemed outrageous.

But squinting my eyes, I observed a man with a bare chest; red stains across his breeches: the Redcoat. Though he didn't appear threatening and leisurely trotted towards me, I edged my horse back a little. "It's alright, it's alright!" he calmed, holding one hand up in surrender. "What is it that you're doing out here, Miss?"

"Getting back to New York." I told him plainly.
"From here?" he questioned in shock.
"Yes. I've got a map, I can coordinate my way there." I studied him further. "And what is it that you're doing here, may I ask?"
He stroked his hand through his hair, almost in humiliation. "I'm, ah, afraid my camp has moved on..."

I raised my eyebrows. "You mean that you can't find them?" I quizzed.
"Correct, Miss... Must've thought me dead."
Recalling how Alexander had introduced him before, I wanted to check that what I'd heard was entirely correct. "I'm sorry, what was your name once again...?"
"David L/N, Miss. It's an honour to be here by your side today, for I still can't forgive myself for the wrong I've done to you."

"Therefore, could I ask of your name, also?"

"...My name?"

"Yes, if it is not rude of me to ask so."

"Y/--"

"...Sophie. Sophie Hamilton."

~~~~~~~~~~

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