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Tallmadge stood in front of Washington's desk, pointing out specific strategic locations on a map, “All intelligence points to the fact that the officers have taken refuge within this Hamlet here—” Tallmadge put his finger over a point marked “Bound Brook” “--It seems like they’re settling in. having parties and all that.”Washington looked at the point on the map Tallmadge pointed to, fanning himself with a spare piece of parchment to chase away the summer heat, “Do you have eyes on them? Any agents close enough to catch wind?”“Culper and Culper Jr. are trying their best, Sir, but news from this area is limited. It’s like they're trying to be secretive. It’s like they know where we are watching them…”“And do you have a plan, Major?”“Not currently, but I will devote all my time to coming up with one.”“Sir I—” Hamilton swung open the door without knocking, “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize you had a meeting.”Washington sighed, setting down his makeshift fan, “Quite alright, Hamilton, what did you need?”“Just to review some of the outgoing missives with you, Sir. I’ll come back later.”“No, have a seat, we will be done soon enough. No sense in sending you away just to call you right back. Perhaps you may even assist us.”Hamilton stepped fully into the room, shutting the door behind him and taking his usual place at his desk, setting down the day’s missives.Tallmadge cleared his throat, “It will be nearly impossible to get an agent in with them. Everyone in this little hamlet knows everyone else, and it would be highly suspicious of a random man to enter town and try to get close to high up officers.”“That is the issue, isn’t it? If they are catching onto our methods, any agent we sent in would need to be highly skilled in self defense. Any ideas, Hamilton?”Hamilton thought for a moment, “Why don’t you send a woman?”“Excuse me?” The General quirked a brow, “That’s still putting an agent in with the officers, Colonel.”“Yes, but it would be far less suspicious, Sir, if a woman were to attend a party and flirt information out of the officers, they would be more likely to hand it over.”Tallmadge tilted his head, “That…might not be a bad idea.”Washington turned back to Tallmadge, “I don’t like it.”“We have used women as agents before, Sir. The signal of Setauket is a woman.”“If you both think it will work, then what do we have to lose? The only question is who would we send?”Tallmadge frowned, “We could send the wife of one of our officers, Sir?”“No, one of them could be too easily recognized…we need a woman they don’t know.”Hamilton rested his head in his hand, “Where are we going to find a trust-worthy woman that they don’t know? We can’t pluck a camp-follower out of the woods and send her off.”Washington leaned back in his chair, tenting his fingers. His eyes found Hamilton and lit up with inspiration, “I don’t think anyone knows my niece, Catherine.”Tallmadge tilted his head, “I didn’t know you had a niece named Catherine, Sir.”“I don’t.” The General smiled one of his rare smiles at Hamilton, “Hamilton,”Alex perked up, “Yes?” in a quick moment, he realized the plan forming in the General’s eyes, “No. Absolutely not. I am not going to put on a dress and flirt with the enemy!”Tallmadge sighed, “Hamilton—”“No. It’s not going to happen. Even if it’s an order! I would rather take the punishment for insubordination than put myself at the mercy of the enemy. Did you forget what Admiral Howe did to me? I could have died!” Hamilton stood, attempting to leave the room, before Tallmadge grabbed him, halting his progress.“Howe will not be there. He and his ships are still stationed south. Just hear the General out, okay?”Hamilton shoved Tallmadge’s arms off of him, snarling, “Don’t put your hands on me. I’m not going to go. End of discussion.” Hamilton left the office slamming the door behind him. A few moments later, they heard the front door of headquarters slam shut.Washington sighed, “He took that well.”“Not to worry, Sir. we can find another officer to pose as a woman.”“No one else is believable enough. Hamilton would rip my head off if he heard me say this, but he is the most feminine out of any officer in the army.”“Hamilton would do more than rip your head off if he heard you say that, Sir.”Washington chuckled, “He would indeed. He is the only one I would trust with a mission like this. We’ve seen what he can do with his voice, and if he can get Laurens under his spell while not even meaning to, imagine what he could do if it was intentional.”“Sir, I think he’s afraid…”“Pardon?”“He brought up the Admiral. We all saw what state he was in after we brought him home, he nearly died, Sir. He still hasn’t told us everything that happened to him.”“I didn’t consider that he would be too afraid to go…”“Maybe you should just talk to him, Sir…see if you can talk some courage into him.”The General stood, grabbing his coat. “Where’s the nearest pond?” Washington stepped out of Headquarters, into the hot summer air, thick with the heat and the stench of horses. He nodded to the sentires, beginning his trek into the shade of the trees. If Tallmadge was correct at the location of the nearest pond, it wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to walk there.Washington took a deep breath, enjoying the beautiful day under the shade of the trees of the woods they had set up camp near. The birds sang in the trees, a small animal scurried through the underbrush. The peace of the woods was a stark contrast to the war waging on all around them. The General could almost see the blood of the casualties coating the leaves in the trees. He shook his head a little, clearing the thought before breaking through the trees, spotting the pond in question.It took only a moment of scanning the shore to find Hamilton's coat and boots stashed behind a rock. Washington sighed, scanning the water for any signs of his aide. If his boots were on the shore, that meant he was below the surface…Washington knelt down, grabbed a flat rock, and skipped it across the still surface. He paused for a moment, looking for any other movement.Nothing.He repeated his actions, this rock skipping right into some water plants and—
There.
Movement in the weeds, and a slight ripple of something very large moving.“Hamilton, I can see you over there!” He began to round the pond, heading for the weeds he had seen his boy in. Washington leaned down, swiping away some brush, only to jump back, letting out a rather undignified shriek as a duck flew out of the brush and past his face, only nearly missing him. Washington took a couple deep breaths, his heart racing with the surprise.“Sir?” Hamilton’s voice was suddenly beside him and the General made a slightly more dignified sound, turning to face his aide, who looked at him surprised, “Sorry Sir, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”“No offense taken. I thought you were in the pond is all.”“I haven't gotten in yet, Sir.”“We need to talk, Alexander. Sit with me.” The General walked back to the clearest bank, sitting on the ground next to the water, patting the ground beside him for Hamilton, who sat next to him quickly. “Tallmadge brought up an interesting point about the mission, son.”“I’m not your—What would that be, Sir?”“Are you afraid to go back into the fray, Alexander?”Alex’s eyes grew, and he bit his lip, looking away from the General and out to the water.“Alexander, if there is something bothering you that is preventing your participation in this mission…”Hamilton’s voice shook, “I don’t want you to think less of me. I don’t want you to think that I’m a coward…” Alex brought his knees up to his chest, his shoulders hunching, trying his best to hide his face.In a rare show of physical affection, Washington wrapped an arm around Hamilton’s shoulders. “Son, I won’t think less of you if you are honest with me. It’s okay to be scared.”“You have had men shot for cowardice before…”“Alexander, I wouldn't have you shot for what happened to you, but I can’t understand what is going on with you unless you tell me.”Hamilton sniffled, wiping his nose with his sleeve, “I thought I was going to die, Sir. The way they tortured me…I don’t want to have to go through that again. I got lucky last time, Sir. They could have sawed me in half, just like those men tried to at Valley Forge, or sold me off to be some…some pet for some rich asshole. What if next time, they don’t decide to give me back?”“Son—”“What if next time they decide that all I am is a…a wild animal that needs to be put down. Sir, growing up I was surrounded by the tail trade, my mother always warned me to never reveal myself, but after the Schuylkill…and you found out and I—” Hamilton took a deep breath, “am I a tool to you, Sir?”“What?”“Do you only keep me around because I’m a predator? Because I can kill people like no one else can?”“No, of course I don’t!”“Well it sure as hell seems like it!”In any other situation, Washington would have told the boy off for sass-mouthing, but opted to stay silent, letting his boy speak.“I’ve done nothing but put my neck on the line for this cause. Have you ever seen another mer on land? No. You haven’t. Because it’s dangerous for us! I could have died, and sometimes I feel like you’re just wanting to be rid of me. Do you think I don’t see the way everyone looks at me when i’ve come back from eating? I know you all think it's disgusting but it’s just my nature and I can’t help it.”“I wasn’t aware of your feelings, son…”“That’s because I’m nothing but a tool for you!”“Don’t talk like that.” Washington’s voice was soft, and he grabbed onto Hamilton’s shoulders, tilting his head up, “You aren’t a tool for us. You’re a part of this Family and we value you. If you don’t want to go on the mission, I won’t push it anymore.”"Sir–""Hamilton. It’s quite alright. You’ve been through a tough trauma, and it won’t be easy to get over it. We will find someone else.”“Why did you pick me, and don’t say it’s because I look feminine because I will mutiny and rip your head off!”“Well, in truth…that may have been a part of it. Not that I think you look like a woman!” Washington quickly tried to cover his ass, “Just that you’re the most…you know…well I actually picked you for your vocal abilities.”“Huh?”“What you did to Laurens that one night…you didn’t even mean to do it and he was head over heels for you! Did anything you told him! If you could get close to just one officer and whisk him away to a bedroom, think of how much we could get from them!”“Sir, I don’t like doing that…it feels wrong. Taking control of someone—”“Taking control of the enemy, Son.”“If I am discovered…It’s not a common ability, Sir.”“What do you mean?”“I mean—why do you think I didn’t use it when Howe had me? Not every mer can do it…it’s better to let humans think it’s fiction than have my tongue ripped out and my teeth smashed in!”“Colonel—”“Sir. I will go if you order me, but I have conditions.”“Which are…?”“I want a command. And before you say no, I have put my neck on the line more times than anyone on your staff, and I have nothing to show for it!”“You’re right.”“I knew you would say that! Sir, I have gone on more missions than—What did you just say?”“I said: You’re right.”“.....I am?”“Yes. If you go on this mission, and bring back sufficient intelligence for us, You will have your command at the next large scale conflict, which may be brought about by the very intelligence you seek to bring us.”Washington watched as Hamilton’s eyes swam with ideas: Command, Glory, Power…“I’ll do it.”“That’s great to hear. Get your boots and your coat!” Washington clapped Hamilton on the shoulder, standing and brushing off some stray forest debris from his pants. Hamilton followed suit, putting his clothes back to rights, and trodding after the General back towards camp. When the pair entered the house that had been requisitioned for headquarters, they were met with the form of Martha Washington, presenting a green silk dress to Tallmadge. The General blinked, his eyes warming at the sight of his beloved wife, “Martha! I didn’t know you were coming!”Lady Washington smiled, embracing the General, going on her tip-toes to try and bridge the one foot difference between their heights, “I was coming to surprise you! Major Tallmadge has filled me in on what's going on,” She moved to stand in front of Hamilton, “Look at you, you haven’t been eating enough! You’re skin and bone!” She pinched his cheek, “You are going to make a lovely woman!”Martha was in the know about Hamilton, as the General didn’t like to keep secrets from her. She was told only months after him, when he could see her in person, as he did not trust such a secret in writing.Something about the little Family he had gathered brought out the mother hen in Martha, as she did nothing but fuss over his boys, worrying about how much they were eating, their safety…perhaps it was out of genuine concern, or perhaps it was to fill the hole the loss of her two children had left. The General and Martha had no children as a couple, and thus the aides were like their surrogate sons, or in this case—their daughter.Hamilton looked none too pleased at the sight of Tallmadge holding a dress, and even less pleased at having his cheeks pinched. Laurens and Lafayette were each holding one of Martha’s bags, standing off to the side.Martha sized up her husband, “When are you planning on sending him out?”“As soon as we can.”“Great. I’ll start getting him ready.”She grabbed Hamilton by the arm, taking him to the stairs, motioning Lafayette and Laurens to follow. Laurens beat them to the stairs, giving a theatrical bow, “Right this way, Ladies.”Hamilton nearly growled, “I am not above punching you out in front of Martha.”Lady Washington clicked her tongue, “Hush, both of you!”The quartet retreated up the stairs, into the General’s bedchamber, Martha directing Laurens and Lafayette to set the bags on the bed. She opened them, tossing a chemise at Hamilton, “Put this on,” She tossed him some white stockings, “And these,” She tossed some ribbon garters as well, “Oh, and these, then come back and we’ll get you into some stays.”Hamilton blanched, glaring at his snickering friends, “Is it too late to back out?”There was a resounding yes from around the room.Hamilton sighed, crossing the hall into the aides bedchamber to change, folding his uniform and putting it away with his pack. Once he slipped it over his head, he found that the chemise was loose in the chest and the hips. He sighed, slipping the stockings over his bare legs, tying them above the knee with the garters. At least this part wasn’t too dissimilar to his everyday wear. He sighed, returning across the hall.Lafayette and Laurens took one look at him, before bursting into loud laughter, nearly doubling over. Hamilton crossed his arms, and Lady Washington messed with the chemise, “Is…that’s your natural waist?”“Yes…?”Hamilton could have sworn he heard Martha mumble, “oh you bitch.” under her breath.Taking a step back, she threw a white linen petticoat over his head, spinning him around, adjusting it in the back, before turning him back around, already there with stays in her hand.“Do I really need to wear those?”“Yes, you do really need them. It’s an essential part of the dress. We can't exactly pin it to your skin!”“Dresses get pinned on?”“Oh you poor lad, you really need to get out of this stuffy headquarters and have some fun.” She put his arms through the holes, spinning him around and beginning to lace it up as he was mocked by his two closest friends, their bickering going back and forth, Hamilton snapped, “Well if I was really a woman I wouldn’t marry either of you!”This seemed to strike a nerve, as Laurens and Lafayette both gave an offended, “What?!” simultaneously.“Neither of you are my type!”“We are absolutely! If you were a woman you would be head over heels for both of us!” Lafayette crossed his arms“I like them a bit more—” He was cut off by Martha yanking the stays tight, “Is it supposed to be so tight? I feel like I can hardly breathe!”“That's because you aren’t used to them, dear.” She turned him back around, this time with a small bit of wood in her hands. Her gaze fell to Hamilton’s chest, before she shrugged, tossing it back into her bag.“What was that?”“You don’t need it. There's nothing to lift and separate.”Hamilton's face flushed, Laurens and Lafayette erupted into another round of laughter, having to hold onto each other for support. Martha tied the pockets around Hamilton’s waist, followed quickly by the panniers, “So you wear all this, every single day?”“Yes.”“I feel like I can’t move!”“I can move just fine, just like every other woman in the country, dear. It’s a matter of being used to it. This is just the underlayer. You still have a ways to go. I can’t imagine you’d be unfamiliar with the way a woman’s dress works.” She gave him a wink, smirking as she threw another petticoat over his head, tying it. “Lafayette, Dear, give me the stomacher please…no not that, the rectangle looking thing, yes that’s it!” She took it from him, pressing it to Hamilton’s stomach, “Hold this here.” she began to pin it to the stays.“Please don’t poke me!”“Oh come on, these stays are much too thick for these pins to stick you!”“Ow!”“Oops!” Martha pinned it quickly, moving to take the overskirt from Lafayette, putting it over his head and tying it at the waist, “Almost done!” She retrieved the rest of the gown from Laurens, “It’s just like a coat that gets pinned to your body.” Lady Washington helped him get his arms in the sleeves, pinning the sides of the gown to the stomacher. After that task was finished, she knelt, tying the gown skirt and overskirt together using ribbons.“There! The makings of a fine lady!”Hamilton made eye contact with his friends, finding their faces red with the strain of holding their composure. He glared, following Martha’s motions to sit. He went behind him, swiftly undoing his queue, spreading his hair about his shoulders, “Okay…I can work with this. We’re going for something simple and elegant. All hands on deck, boys!”Lafayette and Laurens were at her side in an instant, holding various hair supplies.Hamilton’s hair was brushed and styled, Martha doing what must have been witchcraft to turn his lion’s mane into the hair of a lady…next came the shoes, buckled swiftly. The next thing he knew, Martha was again in front of him, powdering his face, rouging his lips and cheeks, and pressing a beauty mark onto his cheek.The whirlwind that was Lady Washington finally came to a halt as she slipped gloves over his hands, putting a fan around his wrist, and approaching him with a necklace. She paused when she spotted the Amulet, on its frayed leather cord still around his neck. It was a stark contrast to the image they had created. The simple stamped metal screamed impoverished. “Tuck that in.”Hamilton followed her orders, frowning at her frown as she saw the way the cord was still peaking around the neckline, “Is that cord a part of the magic?”“No, Just the metal, part ma'am.”“Great. We can put it on something else for the time being and switch it back later.” she brought over a delicate silver chain, quickly switching the amulet over before Hamilton’s tail even had the chance to reappear.” He tucked it into the dress, finding the feeling of the familiar metal circle against his skin comforting. Martha added another jeweled necklace to distract from the amulet, “You wouldn’t happen to have your ears pierced would you?”“If I answer honestly, does everyone promise not to ask questions?” after a round of nods, Hamilton sighed, “Yes, I do…but I think they’re closed now…”Martha gave another hum, pushing the earrings through the old holes, and securing them. She took a step back, smiling as she admired her fine work. “You look amazing, Dear!”Laurens made a dramatic show of offering his hand to help Alexander stand, “Lady Hamilton, what an honor it is!”Alexander glared, accepting his offer.He looked the picture of a beautiful young society woman. The green silk was soft against his skin, his hair piled high atop his head with the assistance of some woolen pads. His face was made more delicate by the makeup. If one didn’t scrutinize him so closely, the masculine features he did possess melted away into the facade.He was led downstairs, Martha coaching him on how to walk, “Stop tromping around like a soldier, You’re a lady now!”Laurens led him down the stairs, where to Hamilton's horror, Meade and Tilghman had joined Tallmadge to laugh at him. As he came fully into view he heard a wolf whistle. It was Meade, who instantly regretted it when he saw Martha. He definitely would be getting a tongue-lashing later for his disrespect to women.Washington put his hand on Hamilton’s shoulder, “Thank you again, Son, this mission is very important to us.” Alexander didn’t miss the emphasis on the word son. Clearly he was not safe from ridicule from anywhere he looked.Tallmadge dramatically opened the door, “Your carriage awaits, Miss Catherine Smithe.”“Smithe? Why Smithe?”“It’s the first name that came to mind!”Hamilton was ushered into the night air, and placed in a carriage, Tallmadge giving him a proper briefing, “And don’t forget to talk like a woman!”The carriage set off. Hamilton’s travel lasted what felt like hours, before he rumbled to a stop in front of a manor party. He could hear the music and laughter from inside, and he took a deep breath as he stepped down from the carriage approaching the door. A servant opened it when he knocked, looking him up and down, “Where is your chaperone?”Hamilton cleared his throat, his vocal magic working to make his voice more feminine, “Running terribly late. He shall be along shortly!”“I can’t let you in without a chaperone.”“Excuse me? He will be along shortly. Are you really going to prevent me from the revelry by making me wait out in the cold?”“I’m sorry ma’am, but I—”“It’s quite alright, I shall be her escort for the time being.” There was a deep voice from behind Hamilton, and for a moment he thought it sounded like Admiral Howe. He turned, finding a redcoat General standing behind him, “Not to worry, Miss. Your evening shall not be ruined by the tardiness of an irresponsible chaperone!” He took ‘her’ arm, ushering ‘her’ inside without giving Hamilton a chance to even get a word in.“Forgive me for my forwardness, Miss. Only I would not want a fine young woman such as yourself to miss out on this glorious occasion!”“Thank you, kind Sir.”“I never caught your name, miss…”Hamilton barely hesitated, “Catherine Faucette.” His mother’s maiden name had a much better sound than ‘Smithe’.The General gave a polite bow, grabbing Alexander’s hand, placing a soft kiss there, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m sure you know who I am.”“I’m afraid I have misplaced your name, Sir…I am a bit flustered by my embarrassment at the door…”“General William Howe, at your service, miss.”Hamilton felt his face blanch, not able to recover in time to keep it from being noticed,“Are you quite alright, Miss Faucette? You are looking quite pale,” Howe got closer to him, brushing a stray hair from Hamilton’s forehead.Remembering himself, Hamilton cast his eyes demurely to the floor, giving a quick curtsey, “Thank you for your concern, Sir. I am just…overwhelmed to be in the presence of such a hero for our lands.”God, he was going to vomit. Having to say this shit was worse than eating week old firecakes.“Then allow me to ease your mind, may I have this dance?”Without waiting for an answer, Hamilton was whisked onto the dance floor, his waist grabbed as the music began. Alexander was a fine dancer, but he was usually doing the leading, not the part of the woman. He softly whispered apologies everytime he stepped on the feet of the General. He kept his eyes downcast as the dance ended, and he found himself whisked away to a small group of Army officers, recognizing only one of them, Major Andre, from the west point incident. Upon meeting the Major's eyes, Hamilton tried his best to give a polite smile. The Major had never seen him, so it shouldn’t prove to be an issue…unless Arnold is here…fuck. They didn’t even think about Arnold! If that traitor was here, he would ruin everything!‘Miss Catherine Faucette’ was introduced to the officers, and a couple of their wives, who eyed him suspiciously. Hamilton did his best to come off as sweet and innocent. A drink was pressed into his hand, and he downed it faster than he should have. One of the Officers, a Captain, whistled a little, “What a woman…” he was promptly elbowed by the man to his right. Alexander felt his cheeks flush, before he was whisked away by someone else, and dragged onto the dance floor. Another dance was started up, as he was passed around to various officers, spotting a gaggle of society women glaring daggers at him, clearly jealous that he was getting so much attention.If only they knew.He found himself back in the arms of William Howe, one of the General's hands squeezing his waist sensually, “Do you like to read, Miss?”“Oh, yes, Sir. I love to read.”“This house has a rather fine library. Would you allow me the honor of showing you? Normally I would share such a fine collection with my wife, but alas she has had to return overseas for the time being.”Hamilton's waist and wrist were gripped in a way that made the message clear: he had no choice in where the General was taking him. He was led out of the ballroom, and up the stairs, straight into a bedroom. The General all but shoved him in, shutting and locking the door, before turning to face him“Don’t think I don’t know what you are.”Hamilton blanched, “Y-you know?”“Of course. It’s so obvious in the way you carry yourself, Miss Faucette!”“I can explain, please don’t—”William held up a hand, stopping Hamilton, “No need to explain. A lady of low society sneaking into a high society party such as this is not unheard of!”“Excuse me?”“By the way you walk and talk I can tell you come from no standing. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Has your little taste of high society been everything you dreamed?”Hamilton gave a sickeningly sweet smile, thankful that his true secret was still safe, “Oh yes, General! This little taste of the world above mine has been very satisfactory!”In a flash, Hamilton found his back pressed to the bed, Howe’s lips inches from his own, “Why don’t I give you a taste of something else tonight, Hm? I doubt a woman of your standing has any qualms about being so free.” Howe leaned in, humming along to the music as he began to kiss on Hamilton’s neck. Alexander's hands grabbed onto Howe’s arms, gasping at the kiss.No one had ever touched him like this.“Shy?”“A little, General…”The General's hand found his chest, freeing the amulet from where he had tucked it away, “What’s this?”“A family heirloom, Sir. I know it is not befitting of a lady to wear something so simple, but it reminds me of my poor father, lost at sea.”“Poor girl. No father around to keep you in line? I suppose I could step in and fill the role!” The General was pushing Hamilton's legs apart rather forcefully.“General! This would be a sin!”“Just focus on the music, it will make it more bearable.” Howe began to sing under his breath, off time with the folk tune carrying from outside the bedroom, “Soldier, oh soldier, A-coming from the plain He courted a lady for honor and for fame Her beauty shone so bright That it never could be told She always loved the soldier Because he was so bold.” His voice was soft and lilting, in stark contrast to the jaunty tune playing from inside.Hamilton smiled as he took his chance, singing the next verse, letting his magic curl over Howe’s ears, “Soldier, oh soldier, It's I would be your bride, But I fear of my father Some danger might betide. Then he pulled out sword and pistol And hung them by his side Swore he would be married, No matter what betide.”Hamilton smiled as he watched the green film come over Howe’s eyes, knowing he had him in his grasp now. Alexander switched their positions, leaving Howe under him. He pulled out the notepad he had stuffed in his pocket and licked the tip of the pencil, “What is your armies, next move, General?”Howe’s hands found his sides, running up them, squeezing, “What a beautiful creature I have found in this bed with me…the question is who shall give and who shall receive?”“I didn’t ask about your sexual preferences. What is the next plan of attack?”“I shall tell you if you give me a glance under those skirts!”“Do as I command. Tell me your next plans.”“The army is moving to Virginia, to a planned extraction point at Yorktown.“Good boy.”The praise had an obvious effect Hamilton could feel through his skirts. Alexander frowned, taking notes of the plans, “and tell me about this Yorktown. Why have you picked this spot?”“It will be easy for our navy to sail in and extract us. Then we will be free to move and land our entire force at Washington’s door, and he will be none the wiser, you beautiful minx…let me get a look under that dress!”Hamilton batted his hands away, “Put your hands above your head and keep them there!” he watched as the General obeyed his orders.“Yes, miss, I like a girl who takes control in bed.”The questioning continued for a while, Hamilton keeping an eye on the time. Several people had noticed them taking their leave and would quickly become suspicious if they were gone for too long. Hamilton wrote down everything he could, smiling down at the General, spitting his brother's words back at him, “You were very helpful, General. Thank you.”Hamilton got off of the bed, tucking away the notepad into his pocket. Making quick work of it, he mussed the General’s clothes, exposing him for anyone who would come knocking. “Close your eyes and sleep…sleep for an hour.”Hamilton smiled as the General's eyes slid shut. Alexander grimaced, leaning down and giving the General a quick kiss on the lips, ending his control. Alexander walked over to the door, and upon hearing voices on the other side found his only means of escape blocked. He looked around the room, his eyes settling on the windows.He went over to a window, sliding it open, struggling to climb out in his dress. Hamilton managed to land the drop into the garden, struggling to get out of the rose bush. He felt the thorns tear small holes in the silk as he climbed from the bush, straightening himself out and trying his best to walk casually around the side of the house, to where he knew the carriage would be waiting to pick him up on the other side of the street.He took a few deep breaths, looking behind him to make sure he wasn’t being followed. As a result, he ran right into another officer, nearly falling to the ground. It was by pure luck he managed to get his footing and look into the face of the man he had run into.Right into the face of Benedict Arnold.Arnold looked no worse for wear, distracted by brushing some face powder from his coat, his cane clicking on the pavers, “You should watch where you’re going miss! It’s awfully rude of you to—”Hamilton tried to walk past him, only to have his arm grabbed and yanked, “Excuse me, I wasn’t quite finished! Don’t put your back to me, wench! Allow me to see the face of the harlot who has nearly run me down in the night!”Hamilton pulled his arm from Arnolds grasp, only to be grabbed again and spun around, “See? That wasn’t so hard, you—Colonel Hamilton?!?”
Fuck.
Alexander panicked, giving Arnold a swift kick between the legs, sending him to the ground doubled over in pain. Hamilton grabbed his skirts, turning and running from the house, across the street, practically diving into the carriage, shouting, “DRIVE!” in his natural voice.The driver snapped the reins, sending the carriage flying down the street towards safety. Hamilton took a few deep breaths, swiping some hair from his eyes. When the carriage rumbled back into camp hours later, Hamilton was fuming. He had the whole ride to stew over what had happened, and how close he had come to being assaulted by General Howe. The carriage pulled to a stop outside of headquarters, and Hamilton opened the door to find the Family and Martha waiting on the steps. Hamilton stepped out of the carriage, looking a mess.Martha gaped, “What happened?”“I had to climb out of a second story window and fell into a rose bush.” He pulled out his notes, pushing them into the General’s chest, “Don’t ever ask me to do anything like this again! Also it won’t work because Arnold saw me and I had to kick him in the balls!” Right now, Alexander didn’t care about any possible punishment he could get from speaking to the General in such a fashion. He pushed his way inside, past the General and his friends without so much as a ‘Hello’. The group followed after him, all clamoring for details.Hamilton began to recount the story, “Oh and I was on top of General Howe. and I could feel it. It felt small. That is twice now I’ve been in a terrible situation with a man named Howe and that is twice too many.” His hands flew to his hair, pulling out the pins holding the style in place, opting to stick them into Lafayette's wig. “Then there were people on the other side of the door, so I had to practically jump out of the window and I think I’m in the clear, right? So I make my way around the side of the house and literally run into Arnold, and the man has zero respect for women, and he recognized me so I panicked and kicked him and ran away, so this plan is never, ever going to work again.” He handed the jewelry, fan, and gloves back to Martha, “Oh and on top of it all, I think every single woman in that whole building wants my head!”Laurens made a face, “What on earth makes you say that?”“Because everyone was fawning over me! I don’t think I’ve been forced to dance that much, and yes I mean forced, they have an awful habit of just grabbing girls and bringing them onto the dance floor!”They all listened to Hamilton’s angry tirade as he stripped himself down to just the chemise, “I am going to go change, and if anyone needs me I will be in the pond outside camp. Don’t need me, I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon!”He turned, going up the stairs and disappearing into the aides bedroom to change. He reappeared, trodding down the stairs, handing the chain he had borrowed for his amulet back to Lady Washington, and left without another word.The Family stood in silence, as Tallmadge pried the reports from Washington’s hand, scanning them, “Sir…this contradicts everything we know…Yorktown is where they will be in the coming months. Information like this could end the war in our favor.”Washington nodded, “Hamilton did good work. Perhaps it is time to reward him with what he’s been after.” The General turned to Laurens, “Go out to the pond in the morning and fetch him. It’s better to leave him for now. Now if you gentlemen would excuse me, I would like to have some alone time with my wife. It would be beneficial if you all found somewhere else to be.” He began to climb the stairs with Martha quick on his heels, not bothering to dismiss anyone, knowing they were perfectly capable of leaving on their own.He smiled as he collapsed into the bed with his wife, laughing with each other like they were still newlyweds.Lady Hamilton would get ‘her’ reward, and hopefully it would make the entire ordeal worth it.Washington smiled into Martha's kiss, grateful for some time alone with her. They heard the front door of headquarters close, and the General pulled the blanket up over them, giving himself over to his lovely wife.