Chapter Text
Eliza knew that her life would change after she got married, but she signed the marriage license anyway. She knew things would be different—her father had told that a hundred times over—but she married him anyway.
She was laying in bed, the guests long since gone. Her father was still upset, so he didn't let Alexander stay the night. Even on her wedding day, her father seemed to ruin everything.
Eliza sighed and rolled over on her side. She buried her head in the pillow.
She was a wife now. A wife to a wonderful husband, and that's all that mattered to her.
Lafayette woke up with a jolt.
He had came home from the wedding and immediately fell asleep.
On his desk, mid essay.
Again.
Lafayette's nightmare was forgotten quickly and he got up from his chair. He stretched his arms above his head and sighed. His head was aching and his back hurt like he was fifty years older than his true age.
He really needed to stop falling asleep at his desk. At least the ink didn't get on his skin this time.
Lafayette looked over his writing. Most of it was just useless papers he'd give to Washington that would be skimmed over and never truly read, so it didn't really matter if the ink was slightly smudged. He collected the pages and piled them into a neat stack. He opened a drawer and grabbed a small ribbon, then tied the pages together. He shut the drawer and put the papers into his bag.
Lafayette went over to the bathroom and grabbed a towel and a washrag. Then, he completed the tedious task of retrieving enough water to bathe in. He removed his clothes and got into the tub. He didn't wash his hair this time, since he already had a few days ago. He wasn't doing much today anyway. He just had to go deliver those papers and do whatever else Washington decides to assign him, then he can go home.
He honestly dreaded seeing Hamilton. That encounter with the coat yesterday was too embarrassing to forget over night. Lafayette wasn't trying to make the night about himself—he just.. didn't read his mail.
He sighed and began to wash up. He had to be going soon anyway.
Lafayette made his way to Washington's shortly after getting dressed. He thought he'd just be in and out—but no, it couldn't work that way. It never did.
No, instead, when he entered Washington's office, both two aides and a spy were in there with him. Laurens, Hamilton, and Mulligan all sat at the General's desk. Lafayette caught Washington's eye. He gestured for him to come sit.
Lafayette sat down in the chair farthest right to the desk. He didn't bother getting the papers out of his bag. He knew that there was something serious going on.
Washington grabbed a map out of a drawer and laid it flat on the desk. He held the curling edges down with his hands.
He sighed and finally spoke, "You know why I called all of you here today,"
Lafayette stared and pretended he understood, because no, he didn't know what was happening. He wasn't going to ask.
"We've received news from our spies out in Boston," Washington began, "They say that the redcoats are moving west, towards us, here in New York."
He took a breath, and then continued, "I believe that it would be wise to evacuate all of our troops and aides to a safe distance. Perhaps Kentucky County, in Virginia. Or South Carolina. It's simply.. not safe to house our troops here anymore."
All four men were silent until Hamilton suddenly interjected.
"But, sir—I just got married—I cannot just leave!" He begged, his voice cracking with a certain type of desperation.
"Son, I'd rather your wife be upset then for you to be dead," Washington retorted. It shut Hamilton up, and Washington continued, "We move out tomorrow. Be ready—be here by six A.M."
No one moved until Washington snapped, "Dismissed."
Laurens was the first one up. Lafayette and Mulligan were soon to join him, but Hamilton stayed at Washington's desk.
"Jesus, I can't believe this," Laurens muttered once they were out of the room and far enough that Washington wouldn't overhear, "Virginia? South Carolina? In less than twenty four hours, no less? I can't do this."
Lafayette patted him on the back. He didn't say anything back, though. He knew how Laurens was—if he was in a mood, there was no getting him out of it until he fixed the issue himself. Mulligan didn't say a word neither.
They got to the door.
"So," Lafayette started, "I guess.. I'll see you guys here tomorrow at six."
Mulligan nodded, "If I can pack all my shit by then, then yeah. I guess so,"
Laurens sighed beside of them. He opened the door and held it for the two of them.
"Thank you, Laurens," Lafayette said absentmindedly as he passed through. Mulligan followed him.
"I wonder what Alexander is doing," Laurens voiced, "Probably begging for a reason to not go. I'll tell you—that boy is crazy if he thinks Washington's letting him stay."
Lafayette chuckled and nodded, "Yeah. He's not getting out of this one, newly wed or not."
The three of them parted ways. Lafayette walked home.
His mind felt clouded. Numb, almost. It was a weird feeling. He'd spent almost a year in New York, and now he had to leave? Just like that? Just when things were getting better?
It made him upset, but Lafayette sighed and continued walking towards his home.
Home.
No, that's not right. New York won't be his home much longer. He'll be stuck in some wagon with a bunch of sick people this time tomorrow, some coughing, some dying from dysentery, the wretched smell taking over the whole cabin—just like every other time they've had to do this.
Lafayette got to the door in just under fifteen minutes. He went inside and sat down on the couch. He didn't lock the door. It wouldn't bother him if someone were to break in and shoot him right now.
Every time things were going better, something had to happen. Something had to go wrong.
What was he going to tell Peggy? Better yet—what was Hamilton going to tell Eliza? 'Yeah, I know we just got married, but I have to go,'?
Lafayette sighed again. He seemed to be doing an excessive amount of sighing lately.
He got off his ass and grabbed a piece of paper off of his desk. He grabbed a quill, dipped it in some ink, and began to scribble down a letter.
"My dearest, Margarita,
I regret to inform you that our relations must be cut short. Our time together, however short, has been lovely, and I do not wish that you believe yourself to be the reason why we must cease communication
You see, British troops have invaded Boston. This is not the news to be worried about, however. British officers and troops are headed this way, to New York. General George Washington has made the decision to evacuate all American troops from New York. I cannot disclose the area we're going to, in case this letter was to be intercepted, but know that when you receive this letter, we have already made our way to our location.
I wish you the best in the following years. Please, make good and protect both yourself and others. I hope that one day, we may meet again. Stay alive.
With love,
M.D.L."
Lafayette finished the letter. He looked down at his writing and laid the paper down on the desk to dry. He grabbed an envelope. He carefully wrote "Margarita Schuyler" onto the back, and then wrote her address under it. Lafayette did not put his return address. He wouldn't be in this house much longer, anyway.
There wasn't much else to do except pack. Lafayette stood and went into his closet. He took out all of his coats and laid them on the bed. All of them were coming with him. He took about three pairs of breeches and two waist coats. He took all of his undergarments, including his undershirts and others.
He meticulously folded each and every one of his garments into a small enough mass to fit in a simple tote bag. Lafayette put all of his cash into the bag, underneath everything. He put a few snacks in there too, for the ride. A small thing of crackers, a few water flasks, and a tiny portion of ham in a zip lock bag.
Everything else he had was to be thrown away or kept in the house to rot.
Lafayette turned to his desk again. He put the letter into the envelope and sealed it. He opened up the drawer and got the few letters Peggy had sent him out. He put them into the tote bag. He decided to take his envelopes, too, but not the ink because it would spill and get all over the bag and his clothes.
Lafayette put on a coat and his shoes. He grabbed the sealed envelope and headed out the door. The walk to the postal office took only a few minutes.
Once he arrived at the post office, he deposited the letter into one of the boxes, and left without a word to the clerk.
He walked back home. He opened the door. He sat down on his bed.
Tears were in his eyes. When did those get there? Lafayette didn't know, but they were ready to fall without another warning sign.
A couple salty tears cascaded down his cheeks. Lafayette let out a disgustingly pitiful sob. He laid down, turned on his side, and pushed his face into the pillows. Lafayette choked on his own breaths. He felt like he was dying
But then again, he had signed up for this. If he were to die during this war, it would be his, and only his, fault. Lafayette signed up for this pain. Washington told him to not get attached, but he didn't listen.
Washington told him that it wouldn't last. Lafayette didn't believe him. Now, he's paying the price of becoming attached to what he knew was temporary.
Lafayette rubbed the tears off of his face. More fell, but he didn't pay them any mind.
He exhaled shortly and nuzzled his face further into the pillow. He grabbed the quilt that sat at the edge of the bed and tossed it over himself.
It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.
Lafayette woke up at three A.M. He slept a full twelve hours, which he'd say was preparation for the long trip ahead of him, but in reality, he just wanted to sleep.
Lafayette took another bath. He knew that he didn't necessarily have to—but soon he won't be able to bathe at all. Not until they reach Virginia. He washed his hair this time, too. The water was freezing cold because of the snowy and icy weather, so he tried to hurry.
He completed his bath in a time of around thirty minutes. It was 3:34 A.M now. Lafayette dried himself with a towel and got dressed.
At 4:15 A.M, Lafayette began to cry again while eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He wouldn't be eating this good for a long time. It wasn't a full breakdown like the night before, but just a few tears shed over something useless. He finished his sandwich and wiped his eyes off.
5:00 A.M rolled by. Lafayette put on his coat and grabbed his bag. He put his sword in the holster, along with his musket in the other holder. He slipped on his boots and tied them. He took one last look over his house. One last time to look over everything he's known for the last year.
He turned and went out the door.
He didn't look back at his home. He walked the short distance to Washington's place without turning around once.
It only took a few minutes to get there. Lots of soldiers were already there. Many were laughing or speaking happily among friends. Lafayette pushed through the crowd until he found someone he knew.
Burr was, unfortunately, the first face that caught his eye. He didn't like the man much, but he was good enough to stand beside in times like these.
Burr gave Lafayette a glance, but did not say a word. Lafayette just nodded towards him in greeting. Both looked away after an awkward second of silence.
After a while of waiting, Laurens eventually found the two. He said hello to Burr and went to stand beside of Lafayette.
"Hi," said Laurens. He had a small bag with him.
"Morning, Laurens," Lafayette responded. He smiled at him. He did not receive a smile in return, so it left as quickly as it came.
"So," he continued, "Have you heard anything about Hamilton?"
Laurens nodded.
"Yeah. He's here, somewhere. So is Hercules," Laurens answered, "Well, that's what Washington said, at least."
"Oh," Lafayette hummed absentmindedly, "Perhaps we should go find them, no? I wouldn't want to get on a separate wagon and be without them for all that time."
"Alexander's pretty tore up right now," Laurens stated, "Washington said that Eliza is here, too. They're both crying upstairs."
Lafayette didn't say anything after that. He felt like staying silent was the better option here.
At around 5:45 A.M, Hamilton finally came downstairs. Eliza was clinging to his arm. She was saying something, but Lafayette was too far away to hear it. Eliza turned and went out the door. She was still sobbing her eyes out.
Hamilton came to the small group. Laurens met him halfway and hugged him. Hamilton broke down right then. He clutched the back of the coat Laurens was wearing and smothered his face into the other's shoulder.
Lafayette found himself tearing up at the sight. He forced his gaze away. He got a look at Burr's face. He just looked uncomfortable.
Washington came around to make sure everyone was prepared. He looked over the soldiers and inspected their gear. When he came around their group, he gave Hamilton a pat on the back.
"Are we okay over here?" he asked, "We board the wagons in ten minutes."
Hamilton pulled away from Laurens. Hercules, who had shown up behind the group a couple minutes ago, nodded. Laurens nodded, too. Hamilton muttered a weak "Yes, sir," and Lafayette did not respond at all.
Burr, ever the suck up, said, "Yes, sir. We are leaving at six, yes?"
"Yes, Burr," Washington responded, but his gaze was fixed on Hamilton. It was obvious that he felt terrible about having to do this, but he wasn't going to give in on the account of one aide.
Washington turned around to face most of the soldiers.
"Alright!" He yelled. The room quickly fell silent, "Everyone, outside! Most of you will be on horseback today, it is important to remember to not fall asleep whilst riding!"
Lafayette was happy that he was considered important enough to be in the handful of people who got to travel via wagon.
"You will pay attention and you will follow the wagon ahead of you at every moment!" Washington continued, "Do I make myself clear?"
A chorus of "Yes!" 's and "Yes sir!" 's erupted from the small crowd of people. Everyone flooded outside. The low ranking soldiers climbed onto their horses, while everyone ranking an aide and higher got to ride on the wagon. The wagon even had a fabric top. It was practically luxury.
It was freezing cold outside. It couldn't have been more than 10°(F).
Washington was the first to board the wagon. He helped Hamilton onboard and walked him to the corner seat. He was speaking to him, but Lafayette was once again too far away to hear it. Lafayette climbed onto the wagon and took a seat in the opposite corner to Hamilton.
Laurens sat beside of him. Mulligan sat on the floor so he could lay down. Burr sat down close to Hamilton, but not directly beside him. Washington disappeared into the front of the wagon.
There were a few low ranking soldiers on board, too. Those who were fortunate enough to have connections or money to pay their way on. More and more kept coming onto the wagon until everyone was practically shoulder to shoulder.
Someone began to cough. They hadn't even left yet and someone was already sick.
After the wagon was packed, it began to slowly start moving. It took a few seconds, but Lafayette felt that specific turn that indicated they were out of Washington's yard now.
They were on their way.
One full day didn't go by without casualties. A man was drinking water when he began violently coughing. The wagon pulled to a stop.
They had to do what was necessary to prevent sickness from traveling. Two men that Lafayette didn't recognize dragged the coughing man off of the wagon. Lafayette couldn't see it thankfully, but he did hear the pop of the bullet and the dull thud the man made when he hit the ground.
Lafayette gulped quietly and turned his head away from the back flaps of the wagon. The two executioners got back aboard. The wagon began to move again.
Despite their best efforts, sickness still spread among the men.
Many fell ill with dysentery from infected food. Lafayette was one of the few that didn't catch it, as he had brought his own snacks.
Men died on the wagon. They would throw out their rotting, dead bodies. Vomit covered some of the floor. Much of it was Laurens' and Hamilton's. They weren't ill, but they were disgusted with the smell and the sight of the dead.
The trip had so far stretched onward of four days. Six men had died and over ten had fallen ill.
They weren't even in West Virginia yet, but still in the outskirts of Pennsylvania.
Over half of the men on the horses had been shot down and killed whilst crossing through the British-ruled colony. Those redcoats had seen a glimpse of blue and immediately began shooting. Washington forbade them to engage in contact. So, most of the people who were shot at were killed.
At times, stray bullets would fly into the wagon, straight through the fabric. No one inside had been harmed yet, but it was becoming a very real possibility.
Lafayette shut his eyes, prayed to God that he'd make it another night, and fell asleep whilst leaning on Hercules' shoulder.