Work Text:
The sound of a cell phone rang through the apartment.
Lin groaned.
Who the fuck would be calling them at hell o’clock in the morning.
Nevertheless, he picked up.
“This is Lin Miranda, what can I do for you this morning?”
“Good morning Mr. Miranda. This is James Norman, I’m a children’s social worker. I have great news for you. You have been approved for a placement.”
Lin froze. He had completely forgotten about the application he and Vanessa had sent in last year, their application to become foster parents. It had been before they discovered Vanessa was pregnant, so they knew they could handle one kid. But a kid and a newborn? Probably not.
“We have?”
“Yes! His is in need of a placement. His last placement didn’t work out, and he was removed from the situation last night.”
Removed from the situation.
Jesus.
It made it sound like… like the kid was abused.
Lin shook his head, clearing the thoughts from his brain.
“Yeah, can you give me a second?” he said, “I just need to talk about this with my wife first.”
After hearing confirmation from the other side of the line he walked back towards their room. He found her still in their bed, propped up with her laptop and a cup of coffee.
“Hey V.”
“Good morning Lin,” she said turning towards him, “Who was it that you were calling this early on a Saturday morning?”
“It was a social worker. We were approved for a placement and there's a kid who needs a home.”
Vanessa didn’t even have to say anything, Lin could see it on her face.
He put the phone on speaker.
“So James,” Lin began, setting the phone down between them, “I’m with my wife right now, could we get a little more detail on what we would be diving into?”
“The kid’s name is Alexander Hamilton, he has been in seven homes and been removed from six of those placements due to complaints from adults like teachers, calling in to report child abuse. He’s been in the system for almost a year now. Because of the abuse, we believe he has developed a selective muteness. We believe that his first language is Spanish, so that could be part of the selective muteness.”
Shit, that was heavy.
Vanessa’s eyebrows spoke volumes.
“Give us one second.”
She put the phone on mute.
“Seriously Lin?” she asked, “The kid’s name is Alexander Hamilton? What kind of joke is this?”
Lin knew how ridiculous this seemed, they were beginning rehearsals for Hamilton sometime this month and a kid with the same name as the title character just happens to need a home? Things like this didn’t happen in real life.
“It’s not a joke, I’m serious!” said Lin, “Look I didn’t even know his name until just now, and do you really think I would do something like this?”
Vanessa unmuted him.
“We’re in,” she said, “But I want to know everything about this kid. Could you send us his file?”
Alex was scared.
They were bringing him to a new placement. A new placement meant new people. New people meant new signs he’d have to watch out for. New signs meant that in the beginning, it wouldn’t be easy.
But he could do it, he could get through this.
He always did.
Alexander was sat in the back of Mr. Norman’s car, resting his head on the base of the window refraining from fidgeting like he wanted to.
Mr. Richards hated it when he fidgeted.
Alexander shook the thought from his mind. Maybe he could convince them that he could be good. Maybe he could convince them he could follow orders like he was supposed. Maybe he could convince them he wasn’t some broken kid.
Nobody wants a broken kid.
The car came to stop. Alexander climbed out, grabbing his garbage bag full of his prized possessions: his books. He didn’t have time to grab anything else. He followed Mr. Nelson into the apartment building, following him into the elevator and to the top floor; the penthouse. Alexander followed him towards the door, feeling himself shake as he heard a male voice yell Coming! from the other side of the door. He took a deep breath. It was fine, everything was fine . The front door opened without a creak.
Lin dug through his inbox, looking for the file that the man was going to send him. Finally, among the emails from Tommy and Lac, he found the email from James Norman. Within the email was just a PDF, nothing more.
“I found it V!”
She came over, sitting down beside him.
“Is it bad that I’m nervous?” he asked her, “Like I know what he said on the phone, but I’m sure the PDF will have a picture, and seeing his face, seeing it will make it all too real.”
“That’s normal hun,” she said, “When you put a face to the issues, it makes it more real.”
Lin nodded and then opened the file.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON
BORN: Jan 16, YEAR UNKNOWN
SUFFERS FROM: PTSD, ADHD, SELECTIVE MUTENESS
EXTRA INFORMATION: Alexander was abused in some of his past foster homes and gets nervous around male adults. There are also suspicions of him being raped. His birth year is unknown.
Beside the text was a picture of who was presumably Alexander himself. The photo was dated to almost a year ago. The boy was worryingly skinny, his shoulder blades sticking out aggressively from under his shirt. His cheekbones sticking out predominantly from his face. HIs skin was tan and his eyes were hazel. They were bright, a fire was lit in his eyes. He was smirking in the picture like he knew something they didn’t. His hair was as long as Lin’s, something Lin had done for the show he was performing in.
“So this is him,” said Vanessa, “I can’t believe someone would do all these terrible things to this kid.”
Lin couldn’t shake the image of the kid from his mind. Terrible, unspeakable things had been done to this boy. This boy didn’t deserve this.
“When did the guy say he was coming over?”
“They said he’d be here with the kid in half an hour- twenty minutes ago. Shit. We gotta clean up, this place is a mess.”
Lin and Vanessa spent the next ten minutes cleaning fervently, making sure that their first impression with this kid was a good one, if they were the family that could make Alex better, then they would do their best to do so. Then, exactly on time, there was a knock at the door.
“Coming!”
Lin rushed to the door and opening it in a hurry.
Standing in their doorway were two people. One was who he could only assume was Alexander. He was skinnier than in the photo, his skin littered with tiny scars covering every inch of skin. There were bruises all over him, it made Lin hurt to see the kid in pain. Alexander was looking at the floor, seemingly refusing to look at anything else. Lin looked to his side, seeing that Vanessa had appeared beside him, Sebastian in her arms.
“Say, Hello Alexander,” said James Nelson, shoving the kid forward, “Don’t be rude.”
Alexander looked up, mumbling something incoherent.
James Nelson rolled his eyes, driving Lin insane. It was clear that this kid was uncomfortable- and didn’t it say he was selectively mute? Then why the hell did James expect him to give the greeting?
“Anyway, this is Mr. Miranda, Mrs. Nadal and their son, Sebastian.”
“Just call us Lin and Vanessa,” he supplied, “None of that Miss and Mister stuff.”
“Welcome to our home Alexander,” said Vanessa quietly, “We have a room for you down the hall. I’m sure that Lin can give you the grand tour once you’ve unpacked.”
At Vanessa’s words, Alex seemed to freeze up, going stiff as a board. Lin’s mind went back to the file.
‘-gets nervous around male adults. There are also suspicions of him being raped.’
Crap.
“Or we could both do it! Right V?”
“Of course!” she said, catching on, “Yeah, together.”
Alex gave no response. Lin would question if he was a statue if it weren’t for the constant bounce of Alexander’s left leg.
“Well!” said James, clapping his hands together as he did, “I’ll be off. You have my number if he becomes… a handful.”
James left the apartment in a rush, leaving everyone in the room feeling unsettled.
“Do you need help bringing you stuff to your room?”
Alexander didn't say anything, eyes still trained in his shoes.
That’s when it hit him.
The file said that Spanish was his first language.
“ Do you want us to show you your new room? ”
Finally, Alexander gave him a reaction. He looked up at him, puzzled almost.
“ Pardon? ”
Alexander wasn’t expecting that .
Why was this Lin guy speaking to him in Spanish? The new language was enough to startle him into speaking.
“ Pardon? ”
“ Lin-Manuel was just wondering if you would like us to show you to your room. ”
Alex just nodded silently, falling back into his mute state. He followed them towards the hallway near the back of the apartment.
“ Just here, ” Vanessa said quietly, “ You can leave your stuff in there. ”
The room was too much. It was far too nice for them to be giving it to a bastard like him. He didn’t deserve something this nice. It was big too. More than twice the size of all the rooms he’d ever been given.
Alexander shuffled into the room quietly, dropping his garbage bag into the far corner.
“ We’re going to order in, ” Lin said quietly, “ Do you have any preferences? ”
Alexander shook his head. This was a trick, and he didn't want to see what happened if he gave a wrong answer. They might seem nice now, but everyone was hiding something .
“ I guess we’ll order Chinese, ” the woman said quietly, “ Just let us know if there’s anything in particular you want. Okay, hun? ”
Alexander just nodded quickly.
The two adults left the room, shutting the door behind them.
Finally .
He was alone.
Alexander looked around at his new room. With vaulted ceilings and a queen size bed, it was more than anything he would ever ask for. There was a small desk under a window facing the streets below.
That was where he belonged.
The streets.
Not some fancy apartment buildings. Not here. Not with these people he didn't even know. Alexander pulled out his notebook. He needed to write.
Lin closed the door behind them softly.
“He’s so… scared” Vanessa whispered to him, “I don’t know how to help him and- and it hurts me that this is the way he is.”
Lin pulled her into a hug.
“We can help him,” he whispered quietly, “That’s what we’re here to do.”
“I’ll go put Sebastian down,” she said quietly, “He needs a nap. Can you order the Chinese?”
Lin nodded and pulled out his phone.
“You want the General Tso’s right?”
“Yeah!”
Lin started ordering, just getting some standard Cantonese noodles for Alex, the kid looked like he could use some carbs in him.
When he hung up the phone he walked over to Alexander’s room knocking on the door tentatively.
“Alexander?” he asked, “ Dinner will be here soon. Are you ready to come out yet? ”
The door opened slowly, in all honesty, surprising him.
The small teenager shuffling out of the room, looking up at Lin.
“ Do you want to come into the living room with me? ” he told him quietly, “ The TV is on. We’re just watching some Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It’s a show about detectives. ”
“ Will your wife be there? ” Alexander asked tentatively, almost silent.
Lin nodded. For now, they would keep Vanessa in the room with Alex when Lin was there, they didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable.
Alex nodded, then began following Lin into their living room. Alexander sat down in the chair as far away from Lin and Vanessa as possible, who was sitting on the couch. Lin’s eyes strayed from the screen, and instead, towards Alexander. Alexander seemed entranced by the show, eyes not leaving the screen. Lin was glad he was though, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was a good show and if there was something that could bring Alexander joy then Lin was willing to give it to him. The kid was interesting and Lin was willing to figure him out and help him along the way.