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

Nicholas & Olivia Hurst

(Y/N POV)

"Burr?!"

"M- Miss Hamilton! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" Standing up, he smiled with his eyebrows furrowed. "When did you get here?!"
"Yesterday! Hadn't you heard?!"
"No, I... I don't engage with commotion often."
Cornelius sighed. "Quite so, word has been everywhere."

Burr stared at Cornelius, as though he hadn't encountered him before. "We'd better be leaving," Cornelius concluded, "There is much Miss Hamilton has to attend to-"
"No, could we please stay awhile? Mr Burr and I haven't seen each other for a year, and it would be nice to accompany him."
He rubbed a hand over his face. "Of course."

I sat on the grass, unaware of the dampness from the rainy night before. Burr sat to my left side and Cornelius hovered over on my right, leaning against the barn. He used his foot for stabilisation and out of nowhere lighted his papelate.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.
Burr shrugged. "As I said, Miss: I don't engage with commotion often." he quoted.
"Should that be an excuse?" Cornelius grunted, rather passive-aggressively. I let it slide for now, as did Burr.
"It's nice to watch the sunset from this angle. It makes me feel at peace." Burr continued.

He picked his book back from the ground. "Reading as you used to." I commented.
Knowing I was always curious, he presented it to me. "An Essay On Man, by Alexander Pope."
"Oh, so nothing of my liking, then?"
"A philosophical poem."
"...Interesting..."

Cornelius slumped his head back and waved his index finger about for no reason whatsoever. "I'm astounded you're not reading Shakespeare, like all people typically do." I observed.
"No... In fact there is a motivation that convinces me to read this."
"What is it?"
"There is... a lady, of course." Burr admitted unwillingly. "I have always been one to focus on status, but... This woman captivates me in a sense that no other does."

"Burr, that's fantastic!" I exclaimed.
"I wouldn't want to elaborate, but she is marvellous."
Disturbed by Cornelius' lack of cooperation, I thought I'd drag him into this. "What about you, Cornelius? You've never spoken once of your life back home."

He brought his finger down. "Those are personal boundaries I am reluctant to cross."
Burr shrivelled his face up.
"Do you have family with you?" I asked again.
Cornelius sighed steadily. "All you need know, Miss Hamilton, is that I am capable of defending myself."

He didn't speak again. For the fifteen minutes we sat, he swirled his finger about. Nevertheless, I managed to keep Burr talking. "Discovering that you were the niece of a man I have known for many years now dumbfounded me." he chuckled. "How did you do it?"
"Really? I don't know. Alexander could have easily recognised me... but he didn't."
Cornelius sniffled.

"Where is that girl?!!" Alexander mumbled, unexpectedly cutting around the corner. We jumped to our feet, finding no time to escape. Alexander stared at me, then to Burr, then to Cornelius, then back to me.
"Alexander." Burr greeted, tipping his head.
"Sophie, why are you here?" he ignored. Minding Burr, he frowned at Cornelius distrustfully.
"I just needed to get a break from that crammed little house-"

"That was not the orders you were given, was it?"
"I know you were scared I'd be in trouble, b-"
"It was my doing, Sir." Cornelius stepped forward. "I persuaded her to leave."
"With what intentions?" Alexander growled.
"Al--!"
"None that would cause her harm. She seemed distressed, and I merely wanted to help."

Alexander searched him again. "Yes... You were the man who offered her that tent."
"Yes. And I assure you that my intent was to assist her, not to exploit her."
Furious by his tone, Alexander's face turned red with fury. I ran forward to calm him down, hoping it would do at least something.

"Trust him, Alexander. He's a good man and has never committed anything towards me!" I insisted.
He waited a few moments. "Make this a warning."

Alexander took my shoulder and led me in the direction to which he'd came. "General Washington came looking for you." he declared. "When I found you were gone, searches were sent out." -He faced me- "Don't ever do that here again, alright? These men are savages, God knows what they'll do."
"Cornelius isn't a savage!!"
"How can you be sure?"
"Because I just... I just know!"

We began to walk again. "I suggest this comes to an end. Any more and Washington may reconsider."
"I can handle this, I'm not a child."
He grinned. "I know."

~

Lafayette sat at the desk waiting for me, with Washington on the other side. ((This was not intentional dangit)) "Miss Hamilton, take a seat." Washington offered. Lafayette pulled it out for me. "Rapidly enough, we have arranged the ship to England. She set sails in a week."
"A week?!" I repeated. "That is... tremendously fast."
"When you're rich, anything is possible, mon cher ami." Lafayette joked.

"You two seem like you will be a splendid pair!" Washington complimented. "Now. Your new passports will be readied by time the day arrives, with your new identities."
"Which are?" Lafayette wondered.
Washington pointed to me first. "Olivia Hurst. Daughter of Jeremiah and Portia Hurst. From a wealthy, aristocratic family and arranged into a marriage with you." -He directed over to Lafayette- "Nicholas Hurst. Immigrated from France at the age of 3 to marry into an affluent family."

"Nicholas Hurst?" Lafayette debated.
"Your family moved from Britain to France years before your birth, only to believe it better to move back to their origins."
"And... Olivia Hurst." I stated. "...It has a nice ring to it."
"So we are husband and wife?" Lafayette checked.
"Yes. Devoted to each other."
We both glanced at each other at exactly the same moment, disturbed that this was the way we were going to live for a while.

"Don't worry about it! The British won't suspect a thing!" Washington reassured. "Your only task is to locate what they are hiding from us. Attacks, plots... Anything."
"How do we do that without being uncovered?" I queried.
"That's your decision." He opened a drawer and individually gave us a sheet of paper. "There are specific codes you must use, otherwise you may be spotted."

The page was filled with randomised numbers and letters, correlating to certain words. "Yes, Sir..."
"Lafayette will take care of you, Sophie. He is sworn to it." Washington comforted.
"Sworn? Did I have a choice to 'marry' her?" he taunted. We giggled along with him.

"Now I recommend you two go off and develop upon your... 'Mr and Mrs Hurst', eh?"