Chapter Text
The walk home was fairly quiet, Angelica sneaking glances at George as they continued their trek. After what seemed like hours, George broke the silence.
“I know you have questions.”
Angelica blinked.
“Well, yeah, you are dead, after all.”
George stopped, halting Angelica with his grip on her arm.
“Before I answer any questions, riddle me this. Did you actually have to leave to get home before your mother?”
“No, Sir.”
“You just wanted to give your father and his mother some time together?”
“Yes, Sir.”
George took a breath.
“Come on, I have something to show you.”
George led her to Aaron Burr’s house, following the trail Alex had left in his head from watching the man examine the terrain through the mirror. He asked her to wait before popping inside.
Angie stood to the side, waiting for whatever it was that she was going to witness.
She was unsure on why she trusted all these spirits so easily, but since he brother had passed, she found her judgement pretty flawed. Not that she’d ever tell them that. If they wanted to include her in their little game to get her Papa back into heaven, who was she to object?
When George phased himself through the door he was surprised to see John and Philip seated in chairs by the door, looking like men on a mission, their eyes narrowed dangerously as they watched the door like a hawk. Upon him entering, their expressions went from hard and cold to soft and confused.
“Mr.Washington?”
“Shit, we’re busted,” Philip whispered.
“Shush,” John hissed.
George looked amused.
“Aaron’s papers on the case. Where are they?”
“Room to the left,” Philip said, watching Washington head in that direction, entering the room and rummaging around before emerging with a series of papers.
“Has Alexander seen these?”
“No.”
“Well, he’s gonna.”
“Sir-”
“No objections.”
John bit his tongue to keep from retorting.
Philip, however, didn’t think before blurting out.
“But Pa is missing!”
George raised a brow and John died inside.
“No, he isn’t.”
“Wait, you know where Pa is?”
“Alexander was out with his daughter.”
“Angelica?” John asked.
George nodded in confirmation.
Philip groaned.
“She’s the reason we know fuck all about his whereabouts.”
“Oh, just a warning, Rachel is here, too.”
“Grandmother?”
The younger Hamilton man looked intrigued and excited.
“Yes, Philip,” Washington confirmed.
“Wait then who is watching us now?”
“No one.”
“But, that means-,” John began.
“We're stuck, yes.”
Philip sighed.
“I blame pa.”
“Same,” John agreed.
Philip looked at John quizzically.
“Didn't you launch yourself through a mirror to be with him?”
“I could ask you the same, boy.”
“Shut up, you're not even that much older than me.”
“Wanna bet?”
John focused and aged his appearance, holding it for a few seconds before laughing at Philip’s face and breaking his concentration.
“How in the hell?”
John grinned.
“Try it.”
“But I don't know how!”
“Focus on being older.”
Philip tried and visibly aged before letting himself go back to his normal appearance, seeming exhausted.
“That was fun, but what the fuck, man?”
George looked intrigued, focusing and making himself younger.
John blinked and saluted.
“General Washington, sir.”
The eldest spirit smiled softly and aged himself back up.
“So, are we ever gonna tell Pa this?”
“Heeeeeell no,” John said, grinning. “Let him be a bitter old man.”
Philip laughed.
George looked like he had forgotten something in the oven.
Philip tilted his head.
“What's up?”
“Your sister is outside.”
“...You want me to go home with her, don't you?”
“Just to keep an eye on her.”
Philip sighed.
“You know you're signing me up for torture of the highest degree, right?”
“Yes, now go.”
“I despise you right now.”
Philip ripped the papers out of Washington's hands, phasing through the door.
Angelica jumped when her brother approached holding something.
“Guess who's on babysitting duty.”
“Man, they better at least be paying me.”
Philip blinked before laughing and tugging his sister to him, tickling her.
“You brat.”
Angelica giggled and slapped his hands, hopping away and fixing her dress.
“Come on, if we hurry, we can beat Ma home.”
Angelica took his hand that wasn't occupied with papers and yanked Philip along behind her, her heels not deterring her movement at all. Philip fumbled trying to keep up.
“Slow down!”
“Speed up, nerd!”
Philip glared and yelped as he was dragged through a tree.
“Hey!”
“Sorry!”
Angelica’s yelling was drawing attention, but they tied it to her dead brother and ignored her. Oh, how right they were.
Once they were at the door, Philip doubled over.
“You brat,” he breathed.
Angelica smiled cheekily and opened the door, grabbing her brother by his shirt collar and dragging him inside, despite his dead(haha) weight. Once inside, she shut the door, brushing herself off and hoisting Philip up over her shoulder, carrying him up the stairs, despite his indignant squawking.
“Angie, what the shit?!”
“Shut up, you're too old to scale the stairs with me. I'm doing you a favor.”
Philip rolled his eyes.
“Smart ass.”
“You love me.”
“I loathe you.”
Angie got to her room and tossed him through the door before opening it and walking in after him, closing it behind her.
A water basin crashed outside her room and there was a scuffling of feet before there was no evidence of who had done it.
But, one thing could be certain, someone else in the house was seeing dead people, that, or going completely mad.
---
“I’m just saying, you could stand to be a bit more reasonable, Mr. Burr.”
“Well, yes, I suppose-”
“You suppose? Aaron, unless you can write me an essay on why you thought it was a good idea to shoot my husband, I, myself, cannot forgive you as easily as I can force a smile and say that everything is fine to the public eye. Privately, I have not forgiven you.”
Aaron sighed.
“I understand, what I did was irreversibly wrong, and I can never undo it...I’ve been meaning to ask...How are your children taking his death?”
Eliza looked pained, rubbing her belly.
“The eldest ones are hurt, rightfully so, and the younger ones are just wondering where their father went. It hurts to talk about this, Aaron,” Eliza trailed off, holding her tummy, rubbing it and carressing the bump carefully, as if protecting the baby with all she had left.
“This one is going to be named after Philip…In memory of my fallen son. I shall make sure no one is ever to duel for honor, or for stupid pride,” She looked at Burr as she spoke, “Ever again. I’m through wasting time on tears for something I couldn’t control.”
Aaron felt the sting of the words, pausing his trek with Ms. Hamilton.
“Ms.Hamilton..”
“Eliza, please.”
Aaron blinked.
“Eliza, then. Please, know I mean no harm… I made a mistake,”
She looked at him pointedly as they began walking again, Eliza waddling, arm in arm with Burr to keep her balance.
“A mistake?”
“I, um, I wasn’t finished, Eliza.”
“Very well, continue.”
Aaron took a breath.
“I made a mistake that cost your family, and myself, dearly. I’m sure you’ve heard I’ve lost my job?”
“Yes, I have. The post was not kind in describing why senator Burr had so much free time to dally in his house.”
Aaron winced.
“It’s not like I’m alone.”
They paused their walking and Eliza tilted her head.
“You’re not?”
Shit.
Aaron held his breath for a short moment, trying to think of what to say.
“No, Theodosia, my daughter, visits quite often.”
“Oh. How is she?”
“She is well.”
“That must be nice. She has a child, correct?”
Aaron beamed.
“Yes, named after myself.”
“You’re a grandfather?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t be a grandmother.. Is it nice?”
“Children are a blessing.”
Eliza smiled softly.
“Indeed, they are.”
Aaron smiled sadly, sighing heavily as a weight settled on his shoulders, burdensome, and unrelenting.
Something wasn't right.
He felt a hand ghost over his neck and flinched, but Eliza was too distracted by life to notice the sudden change in Aaron's demeanor.
Aaron looked behind him, but found no one, which unnerved the normally stoic man further.
“Aaron? Are you alright?”
The man turned back to face Eliza, faking a smile.
“It's just late. I'm not as young as I once was, and the night grows hot, wearying me.”
Eliza frowned, but nodded in understanding.
“Would you like to retire for the night?”
“Please.”
“We can continue at another time. I must head back as well.”
“Til we meet again, Eliza.”
Aaron accompanied Ms. Hamilton the rest of the way to her house before heading in his way.
When he arrived home, he found only silence, and that irked him.
“Alexander?” He called out.
Nothing.
Where was he?
---
“Ma-”
“Quiet, Alexander.”
Alex shut his mouth, teeth making a small clicking sound.
“Just where do you get off trying to control the time of death of someone who used to be your dearest friend?”
The younger spirit swallowed, as if trying to wet his dry throat.
“Ma, he said-”
“I thought you were smarter than that, my boy.”
Alexander stared at his feet, body flickering in and out of focus, as if he was trying to hide from his mother. She grabbed his ear and he solidified.
“Ow!- Hey, HEY!”
“Don't try running from me, you brought this on yourself.”
“Ma, please!”
“I'm not letting you go.”
Alex swatted at her hand and Rachel pinched his finger.
“Fuck-!”
“Yeah, it hurts, doesn't it?”
“Ma, come on, you know I hate that…”
“Just listen, child of mine.”
Alex quieted down.
Rachel took it as a sign to continue.
“Have you thought of relenting your torment concerning your old friend?”
“Yes, ma.. You're not the only one pushing the subject. But can you blame me for being upset? I'm dead, ma.”
“You lived longer than me.”
Alex frowned, turning and taking a hold of his mother's arm.
“Hey, don't say that. You couldn't have controlled when you'd die… Sickness isn't something you can combat, unlike dying in a duel. You got the shit end of the stick.”
Rachel laughed bitterly.
“I never even got to say goodbye.”
“Now you don't have to.”
The woman looked at her son, beginning to tear up.
Alex blinked, mouth falling agape as he leaned up to wipe his mother's eyes.
“Ma, please don't cry. I'm here,” he tried soothing her.
“I never meant to leave you so soon, my son, especially after your father-”
“Oi, there's no need to bring up that bastard, ma. He doesn't deserve recognition for being a coward.”
Rachel cried harder.
Alexander hugged her.
“Truly, you did your best, and that’s the greatest thing you could have done, given your situation. There’s no need to bring up your deplorable husbands, or lack thereof, mother.”
She sniffed, rubbing her eyes.
“You’re too wise to have made such a stupid decision.”
Alexander sighed.
“Burr shot first.”
“Technically, you did.”
Alex blinked, tilting his head.
“How did you-?”
“I've been watching you for a long time, my boy. I know you aimed a little past his head and shot.”
“T-that was a mistake.”
“And, like a frightened animal, he retaliated.”
Alexander grew quiet, flickering in and out of existence again as he thought, puzzled.
“How come you never came to me before?”
“Oh, but I did. Just after I had passed.”
Alexander looked shocked.
“But I couldn't see you.”
“I wasn't haunting you.”
“Wait, wait- Haunting? Is that why Burr can only see me? Because I'm malevolent?”
“Yes.”
“Well, shit..”
“Meaning he'd never see the others unless they wished him harm?”
“...What are you planning, Alexander.”
Alex solidified again.
“Nothing, mother.”
“You're lying.”
“I swear, I'm not.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes, but Alex stood strong.
“Ma, was my bastard father with you? Or is he burning in hell, where he belongs?”
“I'm not even sure he's dead.”
“Eugh. Wait- does that mea-”
“You cannot haunt your father.”
“Dammit.”