Chapter Text
Alexandra Hamilton was convinced that she was going to be the one who freed the colonies from the tight and ruthless grip of King George. Sure, it was the 18th century, and sure, she was a woman, but she was a brilliant woman who had dedicated herself to studying every book on law or anything related to politics that she could get her hands on. It probably didn’t help that she was born out of wedlock, or that her father had left her and her mother high and dry in the West Indies. Not that Alexandra committed much thought to that fact. If he didn’t care, neither should she.
What Alexandra really cared about was the fact that she lost her mother two years later to a sickness they’d both had, and she couldn’t help wondering why the Lord didn’t take her instead. She’d moved in with a cousin of hers, who was unstable and committed suicide. She’d lost everything then that made the Indies worth staying in. But she couldn’t leave at such a young age, so she worked for the landlord until now.
Now, she was nineteen and headed for New York, “the greatest city in the world”, they called it. She would see for herself if that was true. She was excited. Maybe overly excited, but this was just such a bright light at the end of such a dark tunnel. How could she not smile over the waters?
Eventually, she made it to New York City.
Here she was in New York City, searching for a man by the name of Aaron Burr. She supposed a man like that, if she’d overheard his reputation right, would be at a pub. He liked to lay low, they’d said, and a pub would be a perfect place to keep a low profile.
Aaron Burr looked up to see a woman approaching him. Now, what does this woman want? He thought. When she got closer, he noticed that she was a pretty woman, but her eyes weren’t as sparkly as many other females and there was also an uncertainty in them, and her smile seemed more out of courtesy than genuine gladness to meet him.
“Pardon me, are you Aaron Burr, sir?” she asked him.
Burr sighed. “That depends, who’s asking?”
Alexandra smiled wider, mostly amused by the fact that this man was so vague. “Alexandra Hamilton, sir. I’ve been looking for you.”
That was a little unnerving, Aaron thought. “I’m getting nervous.”
Alexandra nodded. “I’m sorry. I heard your name at Princeton. I was there, seeking an accelerated course of study when things kind of got out of hand with whom I believe is a friend of yours. You might say I punched him--don’t laugh, Burr. A woman can hit, too. The man I punched, I believe, handles the financials at Princeton.”
Burr raised an eyebrow, even more unsettled by this woman’s unusual attitude. A type like this, especially a female, could get in big trouble for being so open and reckless. “You punched the bursar?”
Alexandra nodded. “Yes, I did. See, I wanted to graduate in two years like you did, Burr. Then I wanted to join the revolution after I graduate. He looked at me like I was stupid. Trust me, I am not stupid. Might’ve also been because I’m a female. Anyways, how did you graduate so fast?”
“It was my parent’s dying wish before they passed,” Aaron said, debating internally whether or not he should mention that a woman could not serve in the war. The look on Alexandra’s face told him that she’d already been told something like that and refused to just back down because of it.
“You’re an orphan! So am I. I wish there was a war than we could prove that a lack of parents doesn’t mean we’re worthless.”
Burr was startled by Alexandra’s mention of war, afraid someone would hear and it would stir something up that didn’t need to be stirred. “Alexandra, can I buy you a drink?”
“If you insist,” Alexandra said, her expression unreadable.
“While we’re at it, I need to give you some advice,” Burr said, ignoring Alexandra’s “Now, do you?”
“Talk less,” he said.
Alexandra raised an eyebrow at him.
“Smile more,” he continued.
Alexandra refrained from rolling her eyes and gave a small grin.
“Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for,” Burr said.
Alexandra felt like this Aaron Burr character was only repeating what she had been told was a “real lady”. Sit still, look pretty, right? Alexandra Hamilton was having none of that.
“You can’t be serious, Burr,” Alexandra said.
“You wanna get ahead?”
“Yes,” Alexandra cast a glare at Burr.
“Fools who run their mouths off wind up dead.”
Burr said this just as three males at the bar started to get rowdy.
“What time is it?” One of the men called.
“Show time!” The other men responded.
“Like I said,” Burr said with a sigh afterwards.
“I’m John Laurens!” The first man introduced himself loudly. “I’ve had two, yes, two pints of Sam Adams, but I’m having a third one right now. I’ll tell ya, those redcoats don’t want to start anything with me because I will fight until I am free.”
Alexandra turned with a smile to face these men. They sounded like revolutionaries, and that was the kind she was looking for. Burr noticed this and frowned. Had nothing he said gotten through to her?
“Oui, oui, mon ami, je m'appelle Lafayette. Though you can call me the Lancelot of this revolutionary set. I came from afar just to say bonsoir, tell the King casse-toi. Who’s the best? C’est moi!” Alexandra grinned at the quirkiness of this young Frenchman.
“And I,” the third man shouted, “am Hercules Mulligan, up in it, lovin’ it, hey, John, I heard your mother said ‘come again’! Lock up your daughters and horses, of course it’s hard to have intercourse over four sets of corsets.”
Alexandra chuckled at this man’s crude humor. She liked the vibe of this trio.
“No more sex,” John chuckled, “pour me another brew, son, let’s raise a couple more to the revolution!”
As they raised their glasses, the trio noticed Aaron Burr.
“Well, if it ain’t the prodigy of Princeton college,” John said.
“Aaron Burr,” Hercules added.
“Well, come on, now, give us some knowledge,” John smirked, and he seemed to be mocking Burr.
“No, men, you’re taking a risky stand here. You keep talking, I’ll just sit here, and we’ll see where we end up, how about that?” Burr said, some sort of cockiness in his tone.
“Burr, this is a revolution we can’t avoid, what do you stall for?” John asked.
“If you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll you fall for?” Alexandra said before she could stop herself.
The four men turned to her.
This girl was the most beautiful woman John Laurens had ever laid eyes on, and what was even better was that she was standing up for what she believed in. “Who are you?” he asked.
“Who are you?” Hercules asked also.
“Who are you? Who is this girl, what’s she gonna do?” Lafayette asked.
Burr sighed and got up from his seat. “Alexandra,” he said, “take my advice into consideration, yeah?” With that, he left.
“So, I take it you’re a revolutionary, miss?” John asked, looking at the woman who seemed somewhat offended by Burr’s last remarks.
“Indeed. Something needs to change,” she said, “and I’m going to make that happen. I’ve got a brain that would outdo most, and a passion for my country, and I’m not letting that go to waste.”
“Aren’t you a woman?” Hercules asked. “What can you do?”
“The question is, ‘what can’t I do’, Mr. Mulligan,” Alexandra retorted.
“You remind me of a Queen, mademoiselle,” Lafayette said.
“Thank you, Mr. Lafayette.”
“I believe I heard Mr. Burr address you as Alexandra,” John said, “did I hear that correctly?”
“Yes, Mr. Laurens.”
“Please, call me John,” John said, holding out a hand for Alexandra to shake.
Alexandra took it and shook, and John noticed that her hand was soft yet she had a firm grip. “Alexandra Hamilton.”
“You’re a revolutionary, oui? So much so that you’d be willing to lay down your life for the cause?” Lafayette asked Alexandra, whose smiling face went serious.
“Of course. Why stand for something if you’re not willing to risk your life for it?” Alexandra said, the passion in her voice intriguing the three men, especially Laurens.
“Yes, ma’am, but I don’t believe we will be truly free until the slaves are free, as well,” he said.
“None of that will happen, though, if nothing is done about it,” Alexandra said.
“You sure they won’t mind that you’re a woman?” Hercules asked. John was considering hitting him with a chair if he mentioned that again.
“As I’ve said before, Hercules, even a sister has to rise up,” John pointed out.
Hercules nodded. “Let’s see what you can do, Miss Hamilton.”
“Hear ye, hear ye, my name is Samuel Seabury,” a man said from atop a table in the pub.
“Are you serious?” Alexandra commented. “He’s on the table.”
“And I present Free Thoughts on the Proceedings of the Continental Congress. ‘Heed not the rabble who scream Revolution! They have not your interests at heart.’”
“Oh, my god, tear this dude apart,” Hercules commented.
Alexandra had half a mind to.
Seabury went on, “Chaos and bloodshed are not a solution. Don’t let them led you astray.”
Burr had come back to the table and was standing beside Alexandra, and he noticed the intense and decisive expression on her face. She was going to get herself in trouble.
“‘This Congress does not speak for me’!”
“Let him be,” Burr said, putting a hand on Alexandra’s shoulder as she was trying to stand up. She shrugged his hand off and stood up straighter.
“They’re playing a dangerous game! I pray the King shows you his mercy,” Seabury said as Alexandra joined him on the table, “for shame!”
Seabury repeated his free thoughts while Alexandra voiced her own over him.
“He’d have you all unravel at the sound of screams, but the revolution is coming. The have-nots are gonna win this! It’s hard to listen to you with a straight face. Chaos and bloodshed already haunt us, honestly, you shouldn’t even talk! And what about Boston? Look at the cost and all that we’ve lost and here you talk about Congress!”
She let him finish, then went on to say, “Mr. Seabury, with all due respect which, by your loyalty to a corrupt king, isn’t that much respect, I’d advise you to step off this table with me and never let such trash as that slip out of your mouth again! At least not in public! For shame!”
Hercules and Lafayette helped her down from the table.
“I must say, that was great,” Hercules said.
“You are the kind of woman our country needs,” Lafayette said.
“You sure about that?’ Burr asked, stepping in. “Alexandra, what were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that you should stop interfering and discouraging what I’m trying to do here,” Alexandra glared at him.
Burr, exasperated, left the pub.
“I thought that was amazing, Alexandra,” John said. “Lafayette is right. We do need someone like you.”
Alexandra smiled. She’d been accepted by three men as someone who could change their country. And, hey, John Laurens wasn’t so bad-looking.
Some time later, the message from the King had just been delivered, and Alexandra and her three men were leaving the pub, Alexandra fuming.
“We’ll be back, huh? Not if I have anything to say about it!” she growled. “And you can bet I do!”
“How are you going to fight in a war?” Lafayette asked.
“Who said I had to spill blood to have an influence in this revolution, Lafayette? The pure sound of my voice is like a gunshot to my enemies, or so I’ve heard.”
“Hopefully none of us catch those bullets,” John said.