Good news! I'm taking an ASL class at school so now I'm a little fluent in it, not completely yet. I'm at the point where I can sign everything Alexander and John and Hercules do in this except for a few words so yay!

I also am going to see Hamilton on Broadway in four days and I'm really excited! It's with my school drama class cause I'm a theatre nerd haha but I get to see the play and I get to go to six theatre workshops where I learn to do Professional Theatre Things and the workshops will be taught by the Hamilton cast and crew!

So yeah! Exciting news!

Okay, onto the story, sorry for rambling. :P

Also Big BIG warning for blood and such towards the end of the chapter...

"Hey, boys!" George said as he came down the stairs. Alexander, John and Lafayette were sitting in the living room on different couches, tossing a ball to each other as John and Lafayette spoke.

A chorus of "Hey dad," and "Hey, Mr. Washington," met his ears and he smiled. He noticed John and his son looking expectantly at Alexander and he paused for a moment, wondering what was happening. Then a soft, breathy, but still loud enough to hear voice came from Alexander as he said, "Hey, Mr. Washington.

George grinned so widely as John and Lafayette hugged Alexander, who was also grinning.

"Good job, mon ami!" Lafayette exclaimed. "I knew you could do it."

"I'm proud of you, 'Lex," John said.

George finally made it down the stairs and congratulated Alexander on his progress. Alexander seemed genuinely happy that he'd come so far. "Thank you," he said again in his very soft voice, signing at the same time.

"He says he's going to try and talk for all of today," John said. "Nothing big, but everything he signs he's going to try and say out loud."

Alexander nodded fervently. It had been a while since he'd come here and it was odd, because he felt quite comfortable with this family, unlike any other kind of thing he'd had before. He knew, without a doubt, that these people had a sort of love for him- and he for them. And he liked it. He liked being here with them and he liked being able to talk and to have a full meal every day three times a day.

But mostly, he liked being with them- all of them.

"Well," George said, interrupting his thoughts. "Today is a very important day." He looked towards Lafayette, who was bouncing with excitement. Alexander frowned. Was it Laf's birthday? He hadn't done anything special- not that he knew what to do, because he'd only celebrated his own birthday once that he could remember.

"Today," George continued with mounting excitement, "I have the opportunity to take you all with me to work. It's take-your-kid-to-work day!" He flourished a newspaper which held the headline Take Your Child To Work Day Begins!

Lafayette sprang from his place in excitement. "Yes! This day is most exciting!"

Alexander smiled, albeit confused. What was take your child to work day? Who did that? Children weren't supposed to be in a place of work, that's what Thomas had said. What they all had said, all his foster families.

"This is the day that we get to see Father wandering around the halls of the senate!" Lafayette said. "I love it there, it is so pretty."

"He's right," George said. "He's also just excited because he gets to skip school."

Lafayette blushed, but didn't deny it. "It is fun being there."

"I've invited Hercules along as well," George said. "Alex, John, you can come if you want also."

"Sure!" John said. "Herc says he's on the way."

They only had to wait a few minutes, entertained by Lafayette's tales of his previous adventures in George's office. Hercules arrived shortly and after a few cinnamon rolls baked by Martha they were off.

"You're doing great with the talking thing," Hercules commented to Alex as everyone made their way to the front door where John was now standing waiting for them.

"Thanks," Alex said, smiling. He felt confident, and was glad for the chance of going out so that he could test himself in public situations. Plus, he knew that if he did decide to back out that nobody here would judge him for it. These people were so nice- Alex hoped he could stay with them forever.

Eight fifty-eight AM. George was out in the parking lot now, parking his car and getting out his briefcase. In two minutes he would be inside and in two minutes, Thomas would see his beloved Alexander again after so long.

"Hey," he said, nudging his co-worker Sally Hemings. "I gotta pee. Watch the front desk for me for a few minutes?"

Sally nodded and he took off in the direction of the bathroom, but hid behind a pillar at the last second where he could see people entering but they likely would not see him.

His excitement rose as George walked in with four kids in tow. And there, standing next to the weird French kid, was his Alexander. His beautiful Alexander. Thomas nearly leapt for joy. However, upon taking a closer look, Alexander had improved on his physical state quite a bit. Gone was the thin, raggedy child Thomas had been so careful to not feed too much. In his place stood a healthy looking boy with a sparkle in his beautiful eyes and curly hair washed, neatly combed and tied back into a ponytail. His clothes didn't have any holes in them and what stood out to Thomas the most was that Alex looked confident with these people, not hunched over like he'd been taught.

One of the kids nudged him, saying something. Alex nodded, a small smile on his face. Thomas's eyes narrowed. He was the only one who was allowed to make Alexander laugh, not some kid with a weird limp and admittedly beautiful hair. He watched as Alexander smiled shyly and the other kid rubbed his neck, blushing.

"Thomas?" A voice came from behind him and he whirled around to see another Senator he despised, a man named George King. "What are you doing?"

"Um..." He knew this looked very suspicious. He snuck a glance back towards Alexander and the Washingtons, who were walking away to tour the building, finally. "I just went to the bathroom and zoned out here."

King nodded. "Okay then. I'll walk you back to the desk, if you'd like. I need to talk to Sally anyway."

Thomas nodded. "Sure."

Fortunately it was a short walk so they didn't have to make too much small talk; Thomas talked about France and then King walked off with Sally.

Unfortunately, it took a long time for Thomas's break to come- which came at noon if there was someone else to take over the visitor's desk. Sally still wasn't back and she didn't appear until about one in the afternoon- blushing madly and her clothes and hair disheveled. She smelled of sweat and apologized to Thomas for being gone so long.

"Then you can take three hours off my shift after my break," he said, annoyed. An hour long break and three hours after that would be enough time to get Alexander alone and home, hopefully. Well, who was he kidding? It would be more than enough time.

She didn't protest and Thomas wandered off, following Alexander and the other children around, although not looking suspicious.

Finally, about an hour into following them, Alexander was alone. The other three had all dispersed around the gift shop, wondering what to make Washington buy for them after he got off work. Alex stood in the corner of the shop, looking at the selection of mugs the place had stocked.

This would be unbelievably easy.

Alexander came to consciousness slowly. What had happened? Where was he, and where was John and Lafayette and Hercules?

He opened his eyes and met a sky-blue wall in front of him. His brain instantly supplied memories of his old room.

"Chloroform," a voice said and Alexander whirled around to see none other than the man who was supposed to take care of him, Thomas Jefferson.

"No," Alex said, eyes widening in horror. "No, no, please, not here..."

Thomas's eyes narrowed. "Learning to talk, I see," he said. "What have I told you about that?"

"I... I-" Alexander tried to push himself through the walls, he was pressing against them so hard. "Please..."

"You should know that begging won't get you anywhere," Thomas said menacingly. "Living with those good-for-nothing Washingtons really reset your brain, huh?"

Alex wisely said nothing.

"Anyway," Thomas continued, lounging back in his chair, casually waving a knife in the air, "You're here to stay this time. I've been so busy getting everything ready for you to come back home!"

"Th-this isn't my home," Alex said, voice stronger than ever somehow. Thomas glared at him.

"I suppose you're right," he said after a while. "It was your home, and it has to be your home again, since you've been gone so long."

That had not been anywhere close to what Alex was getting at, but Thomas moved on anyway. "You'll be staying in here forever," he said. "I've already taken the liberty of buying handcuffs for you, but I was gonna wait until you wake up to put them on you." He grinned. "I missed having you here. I love you, Alex, you know that, right?"

Alexander had one habit, and that was being able to fall into old habits very easily. He nodded yes shakily, even though he was pretty sure love wasn't supposed to be like this.

Thomas laughed gleefully. "You do! Oh I know you knew. And I knew you loved me too! That's why you came back!"

Alex nodded again. Thomas was getting into one of his weird moods again, where he'd be insanely happy but could turn into dark and angry and depressed in an instant, especially if Alexander didn't do what he wanted.

"We're so good together," Thomas said. "You're so precious to me, 'Lex, you have no idea."

Alex had a pretty good idea of how 'precious' he was to Thomas.

"Now," he said. "You're going to be good for me, aren't you, 'Lex?"

He only nodded again. Speaking was against the rules in this house.

"But you've already been bad," Thomas continued, and Alexander felt fear in his heart. "Talking when you know you shouldn't."

Alexander gritted his teeth, willing himself to be prepared for whatever Thomas was planning. Probably something to do with the knife he was still waving in the air.

"Which means that I have to teach you all over again," the other man said. "But just because I love you, I'll start off easy."

He got up and grabbed one of Alexander's hands, attached one end of the handcuffs around his wrist, and the other end to the bedpost. He did the same with the other hand and positioned him until he was lying on the bed.

Thomas lifted his shirt and place the knife to his ribs. "I won't kill you," he said. "Don't worry."

Alex fought with himself to keep his screams in as Thomas dragged the knife deep into his skin, following the line of bone his ribs made.

"First one done," Thomas said. "You're already being such a good boy. I can tell you're sorry for talking, aren't you?"

Alexander found it in himself somewhere to nod. Thomas moved over to the other side of his ribcage.

"Well then, only two more after this, just for you," he said. "You're a good boy, Alex." He sliced open the skin again and Alexander struggled, but that made Thomas unhappy. He dug in the knife more until Alexander finally stopped moving.

Tears ran down his face but he managed to keep his pain inside.

"I don't know how you do it," Thomas said, going back to the beginning side and sawing through his skin on a different rib. "If I was you I don't think I could keep quiet." He twisted the knife and Alexander screamed unexpectedly.

"Tsk, tsk," Thomas shook his head. "'Lex..."

Alexander let himself cry freely as he wished that the Washingtons, Hercules, even John were here to save him.

"Nobody will even notice you're gone," Thomas said, as if he was reading Alexander's mind. "You're so small. Insignificant. Nobody will notice you're not around."

They'll come for me, Alexander thought. They will.

Thomas ran out of ribs and decided to cut him open on his collarbones, praising him all the while for being good.

Alexander looked up at the ceiling, his entire torso on fire. But when?

THIS STORY WILL NOT DIE, I PROMISE