Saturday morning's paper sat on the table in front of Lafayette. He stared at it, his eyes wide and mouth open slightly. There, on the front page, was a photograph of Alexander, on the floor of a bar, punching Aaron Burr square in the jaw. The accompanying article, written by Burr, slammed Alexander for his violence. He claimed that he was unfit as a journalist, a partner, and definitely unfit to be a parent. Lafayette shredded the paper and grabbed his phone, quickly calling up Eliza.
"I just read it." She said when she answered. "This can't be right, Alexander never gets that drunk on his own accord, and he isn't violent."
"I believe Burr was behind this. He planned this somehow." Lafayette clenched his fist. "Get your sisters and get into the city, buy as many newspapers as you can. I'll get Hercules as well."
"Lafayette, the story will be online too, there's no way we can stop it from spreading…"
"We can do what we can. Head out to the city, I'll bring Hercules. Get those papers." Lafayette hung up and grabbed his jacket.
Alexander woke up to the pounding in his head, matched by the pounding on the hotel room door. He groaned in pain and slowly got off the floor, walking over to the door. He opened it to find a red faced George Washington, absolutely fuming with anger. He held up the newspaper.
"What the hell is this? What the hell did you do? How did they publish this so fast, Alexander?" George demanded. Alexander took the newspaper and looked at the picture and read through the article.
"Alexander Hamilton, a Caribbean immigrant and writer for The New York Times was spotted drinking at a hotel bar in Washington D.C. When this reporter walked in, due to a complaint that was heard, I witnessed the intoxicated man fall from his seat. As I tried to help Mr. Hamilton, he became extremely violent, lashing out and striking me multiple times. He cried out crude and racist remarks, and I began to fear for his own safety as well as the safety of his husband. Alexander Hamilton is married to one Mr. John Laurens, a man who I have seen try to hide bruises many times. I cannot help but fear that Mr. Hamilton has been beating his husband, and if he beats his husband, who is to say he will not beat the child they are adopting. Is this really a man one would want an infant to go to, a violent drunk? Is this really a man we can trust as a reporter?" The article continued on, claiming that he was a menace and how his family and friends were afraid of him. Alexander was shocked. How could Aaron Burr just lie like that?!
He couldn't remember much from last night, not after Burr had bought him more drinks, just drink after drink, but he knew this could not be true! Just drink after drink. That asshole, he had gotten him drunk to set him up. He was trying to tear down the competition.
"Sir! I was just having one drink when Burr came in! He's the one that ordered more!" Alexander said. "I am innocent of any crime!"
"No you are not, Hamilton. You may not have ordered more, but you drank what Burr ordered. You drank it, you got drunk, you attacked, you are at fault. Unless you can somehow find proof that Mr. Burr had planned this event, you are held accountable for your actions, and your actions reflect on me." Washington looked at the disgruntled man, his hair half in and half out of his ponytail, stubble spreading where his beard was trimmed, his suit disheveled and messy. Washington just shook his head. "I can't have your actions reflect on me right now. This meeting is much too important. I have Mr. Reynolds flying in as we speak." He handed Alexander a plane ticket.
"Sir… No… You can't send me back…" Alexander said, looking up at the taller man. George put the ticket into his hand.
"Go home, Alexander. I don't need you here. We will discuss our next course of action when I return on Monday." Washington took his press badge and left him alone with his thoughts. Alexander closed the door and slid to the floor, tears starting to slip down his cheeks. He knew he had messed up, he had messed up big time, but it wasn't fair! Burr had set him up, Burr had planned this all! Alexander just had no way to prove it, and of course Burr wouldn't admit to it. There was nothing he could do… This story would spread and his reputation as a reliable reporter would go down the drain. His friends would see it, John's family would probably see it, John would see it… Fuck… John… He didn't want John to see that… He didn't want anyone to see that. He didn't want to be seen. Alexander cried on the hotel room floor for a good long while before getting up and opening his suitcase. He desperately needed to shower and brush his teeth before getting dressed and heading to the airport. He wore jeans and a dark gray hoodie. He tucked his hair up in a hat and put sunglasses on. Alexander grabbed his suitcase and headed down to the front desk. Aaron Burr passed him along the way.
"Mr. Hamilton!" He greeted loudly, for all the hear. "You gave me quite a bruising last night, but I hope you feel better." To others, his smile looked genuine, but Alexander and Burr both knew there was malice.
"Fuck off, Burr." Alexander growled. "You are a pathetic excuse for a reporter. What are you expecting to happen here? You want me to quit? You want to get me fired? Do you expect that as soon as I'm out of there Washington is going to come running to you and beg you to take my place? You are a bigger idiot than I thought if that's what you think. I used to look up to you. When I first joined this field I wanted nothing more than to be like you, but now I see you for who you really are. You are fucking scum, Mr. Burr." Alexander turned away from him and went to check out of his room. He was fuming with anger, but after that article, he could not let any sign of anger show. He had to remain calm through the drive to the airport, through the flight home, and through the drive back to his apartment.
When Alexander walked in, he found John sitting on the couch, Eliza and Lafayette on either side of him. John's eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks glistened where tears had been running down them. Eliza's own eyes were red, she had been crying as well. On the table sat the newspaper and an open letter. Eliza and Lafayette looked up at him and frowned.
'We're going to go, John. Your husband is here." Eliza said softly.
"Remember, if you need anything, call or text us immediately." Lafayette added. The two grabbed their jackets and didn't look back at Alexander as they left the apartment. Alexander's heart hurt. He went and sat in the armchair near John.
"John… Are you alright?" He asked softly.
"Does it fucking look like I'm alright?" He asked, glaring at Alexander. He held up the newspaper. "What the hell did you do? You got shitfaced and fucking beat Burr up?!"
"I didn't beat him up! I punched him once, I think… I don't remember, but I know I didn't beat that bastard up!" Alexander replied.
"Now people think you beat me! I got calls from the other teachers in my school, I got calls from Mary, I got calls from so many people asking to know if I'm okay, asking if they should call the police! I had to try and convince everyone that my husband doesn't beat me he's just a fucking idiot!" John had started crying again as he shouted. "I thought you were smarter than this, Alexander! I don't give a shit if Burr set you up! Without proof nobody else will believe that!"
"But John, he did set me up! He knew exactly what he was doing!" Alexander insisted.
"I know that! I know it was set up! Lafayette knows that! Eliza knows that! Peggy, Angelica, and Hercules all know that!"
"Then why are you so upset?!"
"Because of this!" John held up the letter. "You ruined it! You ruined everything!" He threw the paper at Alexander. Alexander picked it up and read it to himself slowly.
"Dear Mr. Alexander Hamilton-Laurens and Mr. John Hamilton-Laurens, a recent newspaper article has been brought to our attention concerning the violence of Mr. Alexander Hamilton-Laurens. We can no longer accept the planned adoption and we have revoked your application from our systems. The mother of the child agrees with our decision to remove you and the child will be placed in foster care until a new match is created. We felt the need to send this information as soon as possible, and hope you understand the choices made. We hope you seek recovery help and are able to complete your family in the future. Sincerely, The Spence-Chapin Adoption Services of New York."
Alexander read the letter over and over again. This couldn't be real.. There was no way this was real. This was a joke, a cruel joke. Or was this a dream, a nightmare? It had to be one of those, this couldn't be reality. He couldn't have cost them their child, their baby girl, their Rachel Eleanor Hamilton-Laurens. It couldn't be happening!
Alexander felt the tears running down his cheeks. He dropped the letter and covered his face with his hands, sobbing hard. He had ruined it. He had ruined their family. They weren't going to have a baby, he might lose his job. What were they going to do if that happened? How would they pay their bills with just John's teaching paycheck? Where would they go if they were evicted? There were so many unknowns and Alexander only cried harder.
John didn't look at him. "I'm sleeping on the mattress in the nursery tonight." He stood up and walked to the nursery, slamming the door shut behind him. He looked around at the room, all ready for a little baby, and started sobbing again. He grabbed a baby blanket and held it in his hand as he laid back on the mattress and cried. Tonight, there was no laughter, no jokes, no love, nothing but sorrow and heartbreak and tears in that apartment.
The next two months were rough. Though they gotten over their rage, their was still so much pain between Alexander and John. They hurt all throughout February, knowing the baby was being born and not coming home with them. They tried to go out for a nice Valentine's date but it only ended in tears. John had started teacher History to the elementary students as well as art, needing to pick up more hours now that Alexander was on a temporary leave by Washington's orders. Mr. James Reynolds had taken his position for now. The couple tried to remain strong, and it did get better as summer came. The weather warmed and so did they. They went out with friends again, Alexander managed to get his job back once he had been made to go to Alcoholic's Anonymous, also by Washington's orders. On one warm day, Lafayette and Hercules decided to take them out to the city to see a matinee and have a nice lunch, feeling that they really needed to have a nice day.
"How did you even get tickets to Into The Woods?" John asked as they drove to Times Square.
"I have a season pass, I get early access to tickets." Lafayette told him.
"Why didn't the girls come along?" Alexander questioned as they parked the car.
"Eliza had to go to the lady doctor today, Angelica and Peggy decided to go with her." Hercules told them. "Come on, let's go get to our seats." They walked up the steps into the theater and searched for their seats.
Farther uptown, the Schuyler sisters were sitting in the examination room, waiting for the doctor to come in. Eliza had nervous butterflies in her stomach as she sat on the table. Angelica was reading a Southern Cooking magazine and Peggy was playing games on her phone. The eldest sister looked at Eliza and set her magazine on her lap.
"You remembered to check and make sure all the paperwork was correct and accepted, right?" Angelica asked. Eliza nodded, she had checked and double checked and triple checked to make sure all the paperwork she filled out had been correct and had gotten approved. "You've been taking care of yourself, right? Taking plenty of vitamins and eating healthy? Your periods are regular? No pains? Eliza confirmed all of this.
"Then you'll be fine, Betsy." Peggy said, looking up from her phone. "There's nothing to worry about."
"But what if they find something wrong? What if this won't work out after all?" Eliza said nervously.
"Then we don't even mention it to the others. There's a reason why we've been lying about this. We don't want anyone getting their hopes up. If it is bad news, we don't say a word. If it's good news, we can tell everyone." Angelica smiled reassuringly at her sister and reached over to give her hand a squeeze. The doctor came in then and smiled at the sisters.
"How are we all doing today?" She asked. "Are you Eliza Schuyler?"
"Yes I am, hello." Eliza shook her hand.
"Alright, Eliza, let me explain what we're going to be doing here. We are going to be doing a regular physical, a vaginal ultrasound,a pap smear, and hysteroscopy. And you are sure you want to do this all today?" The doctor asked. Eliza nodded.
"Yes, I want to get this done as soon as possible." She laughed softly, trying to hide how nervous she was. The doctor gave a comforting smile.
"You'll do fine. I'll explain everything as I'm doing it." She said to her. "Let's start with the physical." The doctor listened to her breathing and checked her balance and spine, making sure everything was alright. Next was the pap smear. Eliza's legs rested on the holster and the doctor got to work with that quickly. The vaginal ultrasound was next, and that made Eliza twitch uncomfortably. A probe was inserted into Eliza's vagina, enabling the technician to look at her uterus for polyps, scar tissue and lining thickness.
"Everything looks good here." The doctor said in approval. Peggy nearly gagged and Angelica just kept staring at her magazine. This looked so terribly uncomfortable, but Eliza wanted desperately to do this. The hysteroscopy was next. A small camera was inserted into the vagina so the doctor could examine the uterus cavity and check for any sort of abnormalities.
"Alright, everything is perfectly normal, Miss Schuyler." the doctor said as she sat back, removing the camera. Eliza sat up and tried to get rid of the uncomfortable expression on her face.
"Really? Everything is fine? I was so worried that you would find something horribly wrong with me!" She confessed to the doctor. Her sisters giggled and the doctor grinned.
"Nothing horribly wrong here, Miss Schuyler. You are in a perfect condition to be a surrogate. When you are ready for the transfer, you just need to call the office and we'll set up an appointment for you and the parents. Then we'll go over all the pills and injections you'll need to ensure the pregnancy goes as smoothly as possible." The doctor smiled sweetly at her and threw away her rubber gloves. "Congratulations, Miss Schuyler."
Once they had finished up in the office, gotten Eliza dressed again, paid their copay and left, they began to cheer. They screamed and hugged each other and bounced in joy and excitement out on the sidewalk in front of the doctor's office. Eliza could do it! Eliza could be a surrogate! She could give Alexander and John their baby! They still had a shot at being parents!