A/N: There is light smut towards the end of this chapter, yes, they are reuniting. I both felt too uncomfortable to write full smut, and I feel like it is too early, anyway.
May 1st, 1778, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Gilbert sat at his desk, excitedly bouncing his knee while he wrote letters to officers in the Continental army. Everybody was celebrating, because France had officially joined the alliance, however, for now, Lafayette was stuck inside, working with his quill. "Marquis, a letter has arrived for you", said Hamilton, gently setting the letter on his desk.
"Thank you, my friend, I will read it later", the man hummed, continuing to scribble down some words about their victory.
"You might want to take a moment to read it now, as it is from your wife. Adrienne, right?", the redhead mused. The quill stopped, and Gilbert set it in the inkwell. "Thank you, Hamilton." His heart beat against his chest, anxiously opening it.
"Calm down, now, it would be a shame for you to tear the paper, wouldn't it?", Hamilton laughed, while Gilbert started to read. "No..." he leaned forward, his breath hitching, his other hand that was not clutching the paper, fondled his peruke, seeming to forget his hair was underneath as tears began to roll down his cheeks.
"My friend... are you alright?", Hamilton asked, immediately kneeling down next to his friend. "My Henriette...", Gilbert's voice broke, and he began to sob, his hands moving from his wig down to the side of his chair.
"Henriette? Is she alright?..." The Marquis often spoke of his wife and his daughters, although he had never met his second, the last news he had spoke of was of Henriette's yellow fever from a letter he'd received about a week ago, as the travel of letters was slow, coming from a ship.
"She's dead!", Lafayette cried, and his breathing began to become heavy. "No... I never should have left...", he whispered.
"My friend, you had no idea this would happen...", Hamilton tried to console him. "Perhaps you should write to your wife..."
"Not... not right now... I cannot... think clearly.." He went from a happy Major General, celebrating the alliance between France and the United States, to grief. "In my letters, I told Adrienne to kiss her a thousand times..." as his heart shattered like glass, Gilbert started to sob.
--
Autumn, 1778, Versailles, France
In my nightgown, I walked down the stairs, with my hand on the railing. My father woke me up, telling me of exciting news, however it would be a surprise. I supposed I would only hear it, and get at least another hour of sleep before starting my day. I rubbed some sleep out of my eyes, and made my way all the way down. Mother was already ready, sporting a beautiful red dress. "Adrienne, did I tell you of the prisoner we will taking in for awhile?" My eyebrows quirked up, intrigued by this new information.
"Mother, I thought the prisoners were taken to The Bastille? Or are we quartering them now?", I wondered, or maybe this was a new law that I was just now hearing of? How is this exciting, or a surprise?
My mother smiled, and I hinted a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Oh, the prisoners still go to the Bastille, however you know this one quite well, as he is on house arrest." I tilted my head, and then I saw him, appearing from behind a wall.
His tall stature caused me to recognize him immediately, as I remember seeing him at that angle whenever I would come downstairs for breakfast. I recognized his peruke, it was either the same or similar to the one before. His beautiful greyish blue eyes drew me in, making my heart skip a beat, with his beautiful freckles dotted against his cheeks, and I saw a glimpse of a line of auburn hair under his wig, as he quirked up a smile, showing off his dimples as tears of joy ran down his cheeks. He wore a dark blue military uniform, and I was a little embarrassed that a nightgown was the outfit I was using to greet him.
"Gilbert!", I cried, opening my arms, and rushing towards him, he did the same thing, and when he did, he picked me up and spun me around in pure joy. "Adrienne! Oh how I miss you!" Pleasant tears rolled down my cheeks as he set me down, wiping them away with his gloved thumbs, and my knees began to buckle, growing weak. "You... you came back!"
"Of course I did; I wanted to visit my family, and my beautiful wife!" I wrapped my arms around him, clutching his military coat with trembling fingers. "Why... why are you on house arrest?" He laughed gently, "Oh, only for a week; it was for joining the American cause; even though it was forbidden!" I laughed softly, the first few months of being angry at him were over.
"My sisters will see you after they wake up... how... how long are you staying?", I asked hopefully, and he kissed my blonde head. "I told General Washington that I should visit you again, and he agreed, I will stay for a year or two!" With that news, I started to sob in joy. "Oh, Adrienne, you look tired, shall I take you to bed?" I nodded, with the excitement of being in his arms again.
When we were about to walk upstairs together, we received a glare from my mother. I shook my head a little, "Mother, I have turned nineteen now, I feel I can make decisions for myself, and you know Gilbert, he would never purposefully cause me pain." She thought for a moment, before sighing. "Alright, you two. Go ahead."
"Before we go into our bedroom, there is somebody I would like you to meet." I opened the nursery door, where Anastasie was sleeping. "She is asleep, and I will give you the proper introduction when she is awake. I thought you would want to look at her now", I whispered. The two of us walked over, to the new crib we had gotten after the death of Henriette, occupied by a sleeping infant.
"Oh, Dear Heart, she looks exactly like you, she is so beautiful", He whispered, as he peered into the crib, being careful not to wake her. I leaned into his side, and I felt his shoulders go down. "I... often wish I never left..." That caught my attention, and I looked at my husband, tilting my head up in search for his eyes. "I often feel like it is my fault-" I knew what he was referring to, and I clenched his arm. "Gilbert, no, it is not your fault...", I whispered. "What you did, did not cause her to get sick. It was simply bad luck, possibly spread from another unfortunate being..."
He leaned his forehead against mine, "I luckily had my friends to cheer me up.. oh, Adrienne... I am sorry I could not be there for you... when she... passed..."
"Gilbert, I am sorry I was not there for you, either... I had my sisters, parents, and my friends... I am better than I was a few months ago", I promised, and his eyes stared into mine. "I am better, too, however, I sense that you missed me, would you like me to hold you?"
I nodded, "Please."
After he got changed into his nightgown, he got under the covers with me. I blushed at the feeling of his bare skin touching me again, as he wrapped his arms around me and I lay my head against his chest. "I am so lucky to have you as my wife, Adrienne..."
That is when I remembered the conversation between Louise and I at Marie Antoinette's masquerade ball. "What about Aglae?"
He tilted his head, and leaned his forehead against mine, again. "Oh, I was young and dumb, Aglae and I are over now. I would never do anything to hurt you, Adrienne. Nobody would be able to place my beautiful wife." I sighed in relief, that is what I wanted to hear. "I know, Gilbert. Nobody can replace you, either." I kissed him softly, and he kissed back, tangling his fingers into my hair. "My love...", he whispered, hovering over me, and I pulled away, "My parents are awake, dear. Anyone could come into my room at any point" I grinned. He sighed in annoyance, rolling on his back, bringing me close to his chest, and I looked up at him.
"I wish we had a place of our own..", he mumbled.
"I know, but you know our marriage agreement."
"After the war?"
"After the war", I agreed, and he kissed me again, this time softer. "My parents cannot control us forever", I mumbled through the kiss.
--
Shortly after my sisters were reunited with him, our darling daughter woke up. Sitting down on the couch, I put her in my husbands arms. Of course, never meeting him before, she looked shy, confused, and a little scared. I tilted my head, smiling. "No need to be scared, Anastasie, this is your papa!", I told her, while Gilbert's heart seemed to melt in joy. "Hello, dear", He whispered. "I am back for awhile, from my silly adventure in America", he cooed, which made me laugh softly, amused by his choice of words. "It's all the way across the ocean!", he told her, although, she has never seen it, nor have I, and she has no idea what an 'ocean' is.
"Pa...Pa...?", she asked, her voice filled with curiosity. I gasped in joy, and my sisters clapped their hands excitedly. "Oh, yes! Good job!", I praised. "Oh, do you already know my name?", he asked in baby talk, tickling her stomach, causing her to laugh and squeal. "We taught her that", Paule grinned, and I laughed.
"Can we go outside?", Rosalie asked eagerly, taking my husbands hand. He smiled gently, and stopped tickling Anastasie. "Oh, dear, unfortunately I cannot, I am on house arrest for a week. I wouldn't want to go to The Bastille." After Rosalie let go of his hand, he wrapped his arm around me, and I cuddled into him.
"What is America like?", Louise asked, taking some tea that Henri had set on the coffee table as Paule munched on the biscuits. "Oh, it is beautiful, however I could not see much of it, fighting in war. York City is splendid, though. Philadelphia, as well."
"Weren't you scared?", asked Paule, licking some of the biscuit off of her fingers greedily, I did not even have a chance to try one. "Oh yes, of course I was at least a little bit. Especially after I got shot in the calf, I limped for awhile after that." After he grabbed a teacup, I gasped a little. "Oh, tell them the story about Charles Lee! The one you wrote to me!" He barked out a laugh, and sipped some of the tea.
"Oh, he was quite a sour man, quite fond of his dogs, though, possibly more than people, and it was clear he did not like me. It was The Battle of Monmouth when he got the true karma he deserved, however. I told him we should launch an attack, or we will lose the redcoats. Washington was three miles behind, when he decided to order a retreat, a full retreat!"
"So what happened?", Louise asked. Gilbert grinned. "When we were going back, we ran into General Washington, and the man swore at Lee to the high heavens that day, and ordered him to the rear! He was disgraced in front of our men, a fair punishment, in fact. The Battle is another story for another time."
"Wow", Clotilde whispered, while the rest of my younger sisters laughed, as Louise let out a chuckle. I grinned, "I knew you would enjoy that story."
--
December, 1778
After his week of house arrest, Gilbert was invited everywhere imaginable. I was happy to go with him, especially because after being separated for more than a year, I spent the entire week inside with him. But even with the gatherings he felt like he had to go to, we still found time to spend together, and this morning, he wanted to visit our daughter's grave.
We brought Anastasie along with us, as well, and she held my gloved hand while we walked, and in my other hand, I held chrysanthemums, which bloomed in the winter and I had wrapped in some paper. "I wish I was here with her more", he whispered, while I gave the flowers to him and he placed them next to her grave. "I would give anything to spend at least one more day with her." I placed my hand on his shoulder, "I wish that, too."
"I would like to say a few words", he told me and I nodded, picking Anastasie up because it looked like she was tired of standing. "Henriette was a bundle of joy from the moment she was born. Everyday, she made us smile, and it pains my heart to see that she is gone. I just know that if she were alive today, she would still make her papa proud, and I know that she is making God proud in heaven right now." What he said brought a tear to my eye, and I had to wipe it away before he could see it. "Papa misses you, Henriette. Your life was too short, and I love you so much. I will visit you again in heaven, someday."
"I miss you too, Henriette", I said. "You would have been nearly two years old, today, and I hope I gave you the happiest life.
"I'm sure you did", Gilbert told me. I smiled at him, and after we stayed there for awhile, we headed back home.
--
I put Anastasie down for bed that night, remembering what my husband said that day. I shut our bedroom door behind me after I walked down the hallway from the nursery. "Gilbert", I whispered. I was only standing in my nightgown, and he was changing for bed, as well. "Yes, my love?" he was not looking up from his nightshirt, and I walked over to him, placing my hand on his chest, with my doe eyes looking up at him. "What you said at Henriette's grave... brought joy to my heart." He smiled at me, kissing me on the lips. "Thank you, dear. I wish I could have spent more time with you and her."
"You do not have to feel guilt or shame, darling", I whispered in his ear. He stopped buttoning his shirt, wrapping his arms around my waist, kissing me. Against his lips, I said, "All my love goes out to Anastasie and you..."
"I know, my love", he said affectionately. "I have spent so long without you...", he whispered, "and I cannot wait to make up for it."
Oh. Oh.
I grinned, attempting to play coy, fiddling with the buttons on the shirt, and he chuckled, bringing another kiss to my lips. "I missed you, Adrienne." Last week, all year, I had forgotten how much I wanted him.
"I missed you too, Gilbert", I whispered, as he began to reach his hands to untie my nightgown, he paused. "Do you want this?", he asked me, his voice laced with concern and care, "Because I do not want to catch you at a time you are emotional." I nodded, "I do want this, Gilbert. I am happy, rather than emotional. It has been so long." His smile grew wider, his eyes sparkling with love, "very well." He began to untie my nightgown, and sure enough, when it had dropped to the floor, his gaze lingered downwards.
"As beautiful as I remember", I heard him whisper, and my cheeks began to grow warm, as he picked me up, laying me down on the bed that we share, giving me kisses.
As he kissed down my body, I realized how much I missed this. When the thought entered my head while he was at war, I dismissed it, as I had other things to think about. But now, all the eagerness and excitement came rushing back. When he was below my chest, at my belly, he paused again. "Are you sure you want this, Adrienne?"
"Yes, Gilbert, I am sure. You do not have to worry about me", I reassured. He nodded, and he went back up to me, laying his head against my bosom, and I opened my legs a bit, him sliding a finger in. I remembered the feeling, the excitement. I gasped, running his fingers through my hair.
"Are you alright with two?", I felt him mumble against my skin. I nodded, and I felt him slide a second one in, and I began to relax. "Tell me if you want me to stop", he whispered in my ear.
I nodded, I didn't want him to stop, ever.
When he was done with that, he kissed me again, "Gilbert, I want you, please", I whispered. "I know, in a minute, I just love you so much", he continued to kiss me, and I laughed against his lips, "I appreciate your admiration." I felt him grin, and he left my lips.
When he was inside me, I helplessly dug my nails into his back, I haven't felt this feeling for more than a year, but I loved it. "I love you, Gilbert", I whispered, stifling a moan, as he looked into my eyes, lovingly, "I love you too, Adrienne. Are you close?"
"I am", I groaned, being careful not to wake anyone up, the sad part about living with your other family members, and I bit my lip. He smiled, leaning down to kiss my neck, and I finished against him, feeling a rush of excitement while he released inside me.
I leaned my head against his chest, and he kissed my head. "You did so well, Adrienne", he praised, causing my cheeks to grow warm again, as if they weren't red, alright. He leaned to the side, blowing out the weak candle, causing it go dark, wrapping his arms around me. "Thank you, Gilbert", I whispered, as he pulled the blankets over ourselves.
"I hope you're pregnant", he said bluntly, with mischievousness in his voice.
"Marie Joseph-Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier!", I scolded lightly, refraining from laughter, gently hitting him in the chest. He laughed that I used his full name, not including his title, and in spite of myself, I laughed along with him. "You know my mother would kill you!"
"You're nineteen, now", he pointed out, kissing my head, "Not to mention the fact we are married, and already have a daughter"
"Yes, and we are still under her roof!", I couldn't help but smile while he gave me an affectionate kiss on the lips. "I love you, Adrienne. We should get some sleep."
"I love you too, Gilbert, but I swear to god, you will be the death of me", I smiled while I snuggled into his chest, closing my eyes, happy that he is finally home for awhile.