A/N: I had this dream where Alex and his mom were living with the Laurens family as tenants/servants. I woke up and got inspired to write another Lams fanfic. Enjoy!

"Scrub harder!" the man yelled at Alexander. "I need to see my reflection in it."

Alex bit his lip to keep from retorting, "As if you need to see your reflection in the floor." He continued to furiously rub the marble with the rag, ignoring the pain building up in his knees from crouching down for so long.

"Better," his landlord said, sounding barely satisfied. He then turned and walked away, Alex scowling at his retreating back.

"You're welcome," he muttered under his breath. He was about to add "asshole" when he spotted his mother dusting the furniture across the ballroom from him along with three other maids. Rachel Fawcett, like her son, had straight brown hair that was currently up in a bun. She never married Alex's father, thus why she didn't have Hamilton as her last name. As Alex watched his mother, she pulled a handkerchief out of her maid's uniform and dabbed it at her forehead.

Alex sighed. As much as he hated Henry Laurens, he knew he was in the wealthy man's debt. Rachel had been terribly ill due to yellow fever, and if Mr. Laurens hadn't lent them the money to pay for Rachel's treatment, Alexander would have been more than a bastard. He would've been a bastard orphan. Unfortunately, in exchange for the money, Rachel would have to serve the Laurens family as a maid. How long she would have to serve them was up to Henry.

Rachel agreed to the contract, and she and 11-year-old Alex ended up moving into the Laurens mansion(not the nicer parts of it, obviously).

Rachel and Alexander made eye contact for a moment. She smiled and waved at her son. He waved back.

Are you okay? she mouthed, holding up an okay sign.

Yes, Alex mouthed back. She smiled, and went back to work.

Technically, Alex didn't need to work for the Laurens family. Only his mom did. But Henry was so unpleasant with Alex whenever he caught the boy spending his free time in the library, or just randomly walking around, that Alex eventually got pressured into working as an unappointed servant alongside Rachel.

As soon as Alex turned 18, he could leave on his own. But as tempted as he was to do that, Alex couldn't bear the thought of leaving Rachel behind to fend for herself, if Henry didn't dismiss her from service by then. His father had already left, unable to pay off his debts and handle the pressure of having two illegitimate sons. When Rachel had told Alex's older brother James Jr. that they were leaving for New York, James had stayed behind in Nevis, having become a carpenter's apprentice and therefore able to earn a living for himself. As a result, Alex was all his mother had left, and he wasn't about to leave her alone.

Alex continued scrubbing at the marble floor, until he started feeling someone's eyes on him. He looked up, and saw a boy leaning on the railing of the ballroom's balcony. He had freckles and curly hair tied back into a ponytail. His hazel eyes stared back at Alex's brown ones. Alexander wondered how long he had been standing there. The two had a staring contest for a good two minutes, before Alex broke eye contact and focused on a vase nearby.

He had heard about Henry's four children, but he never actually met them. He saw them from time to time—three boys and one girl—and made sure to keep a safe distance from them. He didn't need a bunch of spoiled brats bossing him around too. He peeked at the boy on the balcony out of the corner of his eye. From where he was, Alex could see that the boy was around his age.

That must be John Laurens, he thought to himself. That maid said this year is his third year in high school. In fact, Alex saw the boy at school every now and then. Henry Laurens had also helped Alexander enroll at the same high school as his son, along with paying for both boys' tuition and uniforms.

"Another reason why you should be thankful, you ungrateful little bastard," Henry had told him. He seemed so reluctant to let Alex go to such a prestigious school like NYC Prep(lol I'm SO creative), Alex still wondered why the man even bothered to enroll him in the first place.

Alex looked up at John again. The freckled boy grinned and waved at him. Alexander blinked. Did he just wave hi to me? He furiously shook his head and looked back down at the floor. Nice try, Mr. Nice Guy. He's no doubt just like his dad. Racist. Homophobic. Xenophobic. A total dick. Eventually he heard shuffling, and John was gone. Good.

"Alexander." Rachel had walked over to him. She smiled gently at Alex. "Why don't you take a break and let me finish polishing this floor?"

Alex shook his head. "I'm not letting you clean this floor by yourself."

"Alex." Rachel placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "I'm fine. Really, you don't have to worry about me all the time. Go do something you enjoy, and relax. You've done enough for today. Besides, I'm not by myself. There are other maids here." Alex couldn't help but smile. His mother truly was the kindest and most beautiful woman in the world.

"Are-are you sure?" he asked hesitantly. She nodded, and kissed his forehead.

"Go have fun. Maybe later, we can practice your French together."

Alexander perked up. "Really?" Even though he was currently learning French in high school, it was still fun practicing with his mother at home, er, the mansion.

"Really. Now shoo!" Rachel playfully shoved Alex. He giggled, and walked out of the ballroom.

Despite remembering the entire mansion's layout, it took Alex a while to navigate through the huge mansion to get to the servants' quarters. The place was that big.

Alex and his mom's room was located in the back of the house on the first floor, as all the other servants' rooms were. Most of the maids and butlers, along with the cooks, didn't live here in the mansion, but there were a few exceptions, like Alex and Rachel. On his way there, he bumped into an elderly maid struggling with some heavy-looking books in her arms.

"Here ma'm, let me help you." Alex carefully took three of the books from the maid, who smiled at him gratefully.

"Thank you, dear." Alex then followed her to the nearest library, which was, to Alex's delight when he discovered it as a kid, also located on the first floor.

The library, in Alex's opinion, was the best thing in the mansion. There were five of them, two on the first floor and three on the second. They all had tall, mahogany shelves filled with books both old and new. Fiction, nonfiction, you name it! A plus bonus was that these libraries also had wooden desks that were complete with matching wooden chairs and lamps. In addition, the first floor libraries each had a little corner with beanbags for younger readers to sit in. The second floor libraries were the ones with computers in them.

The maid pointed at a bookshelf near the back. "Put those books on that shelf all the way at the back, dear. Oh, and make sure they're on the top shelf," she said. "I'm supposed to return these books"—she gestured to the remaining two in her hands—"there." She nodded at a shelf near the front of the room.

"Alright," Alex said.

The maid smiled. "Once again, thank you." She put the books back into their shelf, then left.

Alex walked over to the shelf the maid had pointed to earlier. He knew Henry wanted his books to be meticulously in alphabetical order, so he read the titles on the books' spines before determining where to put them. He stood on his tiptoes in order to reach the top shelf, which was barely an arm's length above his head.

Alex managed to put two of the books back before he recognized the last book's title. It was a law book that he had been wanting to read for some time, but never had the chance to. He looked around the library to make sure no one was watching, then walked over and sat down in one of the beanbags in the beanbag corner. He opened the book and delved into it. Alex was so immersed in the book, he didn't notice the figure walking towards him in the library.

"That's a nice book you got there." Alex jumped at the person's voice, and looked up. His eyes widened when he saw John Laurens standing over him. John chuckled at the horrified expression on Alex's face.

Alex scrambled to his feet and bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, I'll put this book back where it belongs," he said, but John stopped him.

"If you want, you can take it with you." He yawned. "Law has never really been my thing, anyway. Just make sure you return it when you're done."

Alex continued staring, unsure how to respond. Etiquette and respect! Alex could practically hear Henry yelling those words in his head now that he was face-to-face with one of his sons. Attempting to be polite, he bowed again and said, "Thank you, sir."

John laughed, making Alex's face go red with embarrassment. Was that not the right thing to do? "Dude, you don't need to be so formal with me," he said. "Just call me John."

Alex opened his mouth, then closed it. Finally, he gave a response. "Okay, sir—I mean, John."

John grinned, then turned to walk away. Before he did, he looked over his shoulder and waved. "Guess I'll see you around…" He gave Alex a questioning look. "Um, what's your name?"

Alex hesitated, before answering, "It's Alexander, but just call me Alex."

John nodded. "Alright, bye Alex!" And he was gone again.

Alexander stared down at the book in his hands. He had snuck other books from the library into his room before, but this was the first time someone had actually granted permission for him to borrow a book. It was also the first time Alex had interacted with one of the Laurens kids.

Alex tucked the book under his arm, and headed to his room.

"Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf," Rachel sang. She was currently on break, so she was taking the time to practice French with Alexander in their small bedroom. The two of them were sitting on the edge of Alex's bed.

Rachel's method of teaching, as you can see, was through singing.

"Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf," Alexander imitated.

"Sept-huit-neuf," Rachel sang.

"Sept-huit-neuf."

"Sept-huit-neuf."

"Sept-huit-neuf."

Rachel smiled. "Good." She thought of what words to test Alex on, before singing, "Coin?"

Alex didn't take long to translate it. "Corner," he answered.

"Magasin?"

"Store," he replied with ease.

"Ampoule?"

Alex took a moment to think before he sang, "Lightbulb."

Rachel smiled at him teasingly. "You sure?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "I'm sure."

"Chaleur?"

"Heat."

"Hier soir?"

"Last night."

"Douleur?"

"Pain," Alex answered quietly, seeing some flash through his mother's eyes.

"That's… right," she said solemnly. Her cheerful mood picked up again. "Appelle-moi?"

"Call me."

"Bleu?"

"Blue."

"Aime-moi?" She looked at Alex expectantly.

Alex smiled. "Love me."

Rachel kissed the top of his head. "Of course I do."

Little did they know, someone was listening through their closed door.

Alexander hated rich people. They thought they were the only ones in the world and looked down on everyone else as though they were nothing but cockroaches. As a result, he tended to stay in his room when Henry Laurens had guests over. Which was exactly where Alex was heading to when it happened.

He was arranging the decorations in one of the parlors on the second floor(Henry was that desperate to keep Alex busy with chores), when Henry and his guests walked in. Alex stuck to the walls and stayed hidden in the shadows to avoid being noticed by the group of boisterously laughing men drinking tea with his landlord. He almost made it to the door when he saw his mother among the several maids serving the men their tea.

He figured she could take care of herself, and that she would be fine without him. As he was about to leave the room, however, he saw one of the men reach out and brush his hand against Rachel's backside. She flinched, but didn't fight it otherwise, and continued pouring his tea. The man laughed with delight, making Alex's insides flare up with rage. The other men howled with the first man, who then proceeded to reach under Rachel's skirt.

Alex was already walking halfway across the room, and decided to run the rest of the way. When he reached the table, he punched the pervert square in the face. The man's head reeled back in surprise.

"Leave my mother alone!" Alex roared as he surveyed the damage he had done.

The man's nose was bleeding. His face filled with shock, then anger. He stood up and grabbed Alex by the collar.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he snarled into Alex's face, and Alex knew he had gone too far.

"I wouldn't have ruined your pretty face if you hadn't touched my mom," he spat back.

"I'm going to be the one ruining your pretty face," the man threatened. "Why don't you run back to your whore mother now?"

Alex's vision turned red as he kicked the man right in the crotch. "Don't you dare call her that!" he screamed.

"Alexander." It was Rachel. "Please stop." Her voice was so quiet, so meek.

Alex turned to her. "No, Mom. You don't deserve to be treated like this. No one does!" He pointed to the man, who was struggling to get up with the help of his companions. "He deserves it!"

"Alexander Hamilton." Uh oh. Alex knew that voice. Just then, strong arms grabbed him from behind and held him in place. It was a butler someone had summoned. Alex saw Henry Laurens striding up to him. The man was practically steaming, yet he walked elegantly without looking like a giant about to devour its next victim. The man looked down his beak-like nose at Alex.

Alexander had never seen Henry so up close before, and despite the fact that Henry was probably going to kill him now, Alex couldn't help but compare him to John. They shared some similar features, like the hazel eyes and the freckles on their faces. But Henry's hair was a darker brown that was starting to gray, and it was straight, not curly. Alex didn't know John very well, but he noticed John's eyes carried this sort of laughter in them, while Henry's were stern, devoid of any warmth.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Williams," Henry apologized to the injured man. "Please excuse us." Henry walked out of the parlor, the butler dragging Alex behind him. Rachel hesitantly stayed where she was, though she kept trading worried glances with her son. They stopped in the hallway, far enough away from the parlor to be out of earshot.

"Alexander Hamilton," Henry started, as if he was about to berate Alexander like he's never been berated before, which he did. "For five years, I have been nothing but generous with you and your mother. Your mother is a whore, not to mention an immigrant. Yet I still paid for her treatment when she desperately needed it, and thus, I saved her life. If having a harlot for a maid isn't going to stain my reputation, having her illegitimate child also under my roof will.

He glared at Alexander. "But in the end, I was the one who provided shelter for you. I was the one who gave your mother an actual job. I was the one who enrolled you at one of the best schools in New York City. I was the one who made sure you had something to eat so that you didn't starve!" He was breathing heavily now, his temper no longer contained. "But how do you repay me? By walking around my house like you even have a right to be here and by punching one of my clients!" He rubbed his forehead. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Alexander knew there was no other solution. He bowed his head in feigned shame, and launched into an automatic apology. "I'm sorry, sir. I was the wrongdoer here, and I am therefore guilty."

"No, you're not to apologize to me. You're to apologize to Mr. Williams."

Alex hung his head. "Yes, sir." He was marched back to the parlor. Alex stood in front of Mr. Williams, and bowed before the man. "I apologize for my actions, sir. I am in the wrong here, so please forgive me. Once again, I am truly sorry, sir."

"I want him punished!" Mr. Williams yelled. His friends nodded their heads in agreement.

Rachel paled. "Wait, please don't punish him!" she cried. "It was my fault! Punish me instead!"

"Quiet, Rachel," Henry snapped. She shrunk back, looking helplessly at Alex. Henry regarded Alex with cold eyes. "Yes, he will be punished. For this and his ungrateful attitude."

The small crowd cheered. "Give him a beating!" Mr. Williams shouted. A maid was now tending to his wounds. "Eighty strikes to the back, fifty to his arms!"

Even though his anger was still there, Alex gulped. Rachel's eyes widened in horror. Right when Alex thought it couldn't get any worse, a young man stepped forward. It was John. Great, now he wants in on the action, Alex thought grumpily.

John whispered something into his father's ear, and a malicious smile appeared on the older man's face. "Why, what a splendid idea, John!" he said. John was smiling, too, but it was more in a calm way, like he was negotiating peace between two sides. Now Alex was actually nervous. What could possibly be worse than a beating?

"Alexander Hamilton," Henry stated. "You will receive a beating like your victim demanded." Mr. Williams smiled triumphantly. "But in addition to that, from here on out, you will be John's personal servant."

A/N: Yes, this is an AU where Alex's mom is alive, yay! Bonus points if you caught the In The Heights reference(even though I've never seen the musical lol). And if any of the French translations are wrong, you can blame Google Translate for that.

This is also sort of a modern "slavery" AU where servants and masters are legal. I just wanted Alex to be John's servant but then the whole servant thing happened with other characters(u will see in future chapters)so now keeping servants is a thing in this AU.