p class="MsoNormal"t was with great reluctancy that living in Monticello became a new normal for Lafayette and his family. The children adjusted readily enough, and soon the threat of Robespierre became a thing of last month. They were young, after all, and had very short memories./p
p class="MsoNormal"For Gilbert, however, the pain of the loss of his best friend, Louis, refused to fade. He had nightmares almost every night and awoke in a panic, typically on the other side of the room./p
p class="MsoNormal"Adrienne, the poor darling, was juggling her children, Gilbert, learning English, and accustoming herself to the new country and culture. They hadn't really left the estate, but it was odd, nevertheless./p
p class="MsoNormal"Thomas tried to help, really he did, but he had to be away at the capital so often, it was almost as if the family had the house to themselves./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gilbert couldn't help but feel rather resentful towards Alexander. After all, Hamilton knew Adrienne, knew their children, and while he found out about what had been going on with the Reynold's affair, it was no excuse to turn the five of them away, into the night. Sure, it had worked out fine, thanks to Jefferson, but Gilbert had thought that Alex would respond better./p
p class="MsoNormal"Or in any positive way at all./p
p class="MsoNormal"The longer they stayed in America, the more Adrienne missed her old life in Paris. She'd always loved a party, and until the American revolution, had dragged Gilbert to all the most extravagant balls in the city. As he was the Marquis de Lafayette, being his bride gave her many connections, and there was never a dull moment./p
p class="MsoNormal"America, however, couldn't afford to be so extravagant a country, what with the recent revolution, and the very banks still being figured out. Still, when Gilbert brought the issue up with Jefferson, a crafty gleam came into his eyes. "I think we could figure something out." He hummed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Really?" Gilbert wasn't sure whether to be excited or terrified. Parties were Adrienne's thing. He'd much rather be out exploring the woods with Georges./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, for sure!" Thomas was not to be deterred. "Monticello could do with a bit of frivolities."/p
p class="MsoNormal""But the cost…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Have you met me?" Jefferson scoffed. "Since when does cost matter?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"So it was settled. When Gilbert told his wife the news, though, he decided the elated grin on her face was, by far, worth it./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"When the party was actually in full-swing, though, he completely regretted it. Jefferson had invited the whole cabinet, and Gilbert was being dragged around to talk to all of them. Fortunately, Hamilton either hadn't arrived, or simply hadn't shown his face, yet./p
p class="MsoNormal"It was very boring./p
p class="MsoNormal"It wasn't, at least, until he and Jefferson and Madison were having a deep, intellectual discussion about the current goings-on of the American cabinet, that is. "We're fighting for sending aid to France, at the moment." Madison explained. "It's a real battle, up there."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You are going to send them over, though, right?" Gilbert asked, half-teasing./p
p class="MsoNormal"The awkward silence that followed was rather disconcerting./p
p class="MsoNormal""…Right?" Gilbert pressed, a little panicked on behalf of his whole nation./p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't think so." Madison shook his head. "Hamilton's awfully persuasive."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hamilton?" He echoed, his voice laced with disbelief. Please have them be joking. Alexander was his friend, right? He couldn't be the one actively advocating to abandon him and his people./p
p class="MsoNormal"But they were nodding. They were saying it was true./p
p class="MsoNormal"How could Alex? He'd trusted him./p
p class="MsoNormal""…Excuse me." He blurted out, and with that, he fled the scene./p
p class="MsoNormal"Odd, how he needed to be around someone, but so many people in the same place was too much. There was a delicate balance, there./p
p class="MsoNormal"He needed to find Alex./p
p class="MsoNormal"There had to be some mistake./p
p class="MsoNormal"It was a joke, right?/p
p class="MsoNormal"But, no, there was Alexander, who didn't appear to be speaking to anyone, anyway, so there wasn't anything keeping the two from speaking. "Monsieur Hamilton!" Gilbert sprinted through the far-too-many people./p
p class="MsoNormal"The man looked up, and was apparently overjoyed to see him. That was a good sign; people who had something to hide typically didn't get excited to be near the one they were hiding from. "Monsieur Lafayette! I haven't seen you in ages! How's your family doing?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gilbert began to wonder if, perhaps, he shouldn't bring it up. Even if it was true (it wasn't, it couldn't be), Hamilton had to have a good reason. (what reason could there be for letting Louis die?) It wasn't too late to turn back, now./p
p class="MsoNormal"Yes./p
p class="MsoNormal"Yes, it was. He had to know the truth./p
p class="MsoNormal""Alex," He didn't even greet the secretary, he was too desperate. "whatever happened to 'we'll be with you when you do'?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh." Alexander's face fell into grim frustration. "You've been talking to Jefferson, haven't you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You kidding?" The Marquis scoffed. "I live in his house!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, you could've come to me."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gilbert's jaw dropped. "We did." He managed, after a moment of dumbfounded shock. "And you threatened to shoot my wife."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Alex fumbled for a few moments, then shrugged. "Okay. Fair enough."/p
p class="MsoNormal"No "I didn't know that was Adrienne"? Gilbert was getting more and more frustrated. Alex had known, the whole time./p
p class="MsoNormal""So, yes, I've been talking to Jefferson." Gilbert confirmed. "What of it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Alex shifted uncomfortably. "Well, you've got to understand. America's too fragile to start another fight."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Monsieur Hamilton." Gilbert lay a hand on his shoulder. "Didn't you sign a treaty?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""With the king." Hamilton nodded, pretending to be peaceable. "Whose head is now in a basket."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Do you know who else's head is now a basket?" Gilbert shrieked. The music stopped, and he was acutely aware of everyone looking at the two of them, but he was too mad to stop now. "emMy brother's!/em Because you didn't come, and you made sure America, didn't, either."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Laf, we can't make major political decisions based on your brother…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""He's not the only one!" Lafyette seethed. "emHundreds/em of people are dying, simply because France doesn't have the support it needs. We're resorting to massacre, because we don't have the confidence you could give us, but aren't."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Good, so you're rioting." Alex shrugged. "Tell me what else is new. Look, we're friends. I don't want to fight."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Adrienne materialized from somewhere, and had taken his elbow, tugging gently. "Gilbert…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""We're not friends." Gilbert seethed, as he allowed Adrienne to gently tow him away. "I don't know you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongemuThus it is Told./u/em/strong/p