Yes, I know what you all are thinking... Stop typing. Stop typing. Stop... I know this chapter would've better been updated on the 11th, and that was the initial plan... But, well, I received a visit from my old friend Writer's Block, who decided to stay with me for two weeks... And, when it finally let me be, I fell ill. Yep, just my luck. So, I couldn't even update this on Philip's birthday to compensate it a bit... Oh, well, just hope you like the chapter of this story that's going crazier and crazier as I write.

WARNING: Swearing, black humour (most like jet humour) and me being bad at writing flirting...

DISCLAIMER: The musical belongs to Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Hercules Mulligan didn't like to rise early. He doubted anyone in this world liked it, and if there was someone out there who did, then, he was sure something was wrong with them.

So, it wasn't unusual for him to groan as soon as the strident sound of his boyfriend's alarm reached his ears, taking him away from Morpheus' arms. Lafayette wasn't the early riser type, either, but he always had a better way of dealing with being up before the sun. And he was good with standing his bad morning mood as well, which had always been a plus since the beginning of their relationship.

After a short fight to see who'd pull the sheet with more force – a scene they made all the mornings, even on Sundays, when they didn't have to go to work – Hercules decided to get out of bed, feeling the chill of the winter's morning, barely acknowledging what Lafayette told him before he locked himself up inside the little bathroom connected to their bedroom.

Hercules decided to make his way to the kitchenette and start preparing breakfast while he waited for his partner to get out the shower. A thing that wasn't going to happen at any time soon, he knew that pretty well. He sighed when he saw it was only six in the morning. Today was going to be one of those long showers days, one of those 'I had to turn the hot water off because Aquaman called saying you were about to leave planet Earth with no water left' days.

With the idea already programmed in his mind, Hercules got out of his shared bedroom, shaking slightly for the sudden change of temperature. He found the living room immersed in the natural darkness and he went mechanically to where the switch was, turning on the lights. He jumped scared when the light clearly showed him the figure that occupied the armchair at the right-side of the room.

"My goodness, Laurens!" exclaimed Hercules, a hand over his heart, feeling it beating faster than normal for the sudden startle. At least, he was completely awake now. "You scared the heck out of me, man! What are you doing rising up early? Did the planets lined up or something?" he asked, half-mocking.

Laurens shrugged. "I never went to sleep" he answered, eyes fixated on nothing in particular.

"Never went to…?" repeated Hercules under his breath. "John, did you just arrive now? Today we've got work!" he condemned, with arms in akimbo.

"In my defence I'll say that I actually came back at five…"

"That doesn't make it any… Wait, what?" he stopped mid-sentence. "You've been sitting in the dark for an hour?"

Laurens nodded, and Hercules took a time to look at his roommate and friend. Now that the slumber was gone for good from his eyes, he could see John was wearing the same t-shirt and jeans he had last seen him with last night, before heading out the door.

What last night had been an elegant outfit – thanks to him and Lafayette, honestly – now looked like to have gone through a war field. Wrinkled, a bit teared and with a stain in the middle. His hair was also a mess, as his ponytail seemed everything but. Knowing Laurens as he did, Hercules was starting to sweat at the thought that maybe 'war field' was a close summary of what may had happened to his friend the night prior.

"Laurens, whom did you fight with last night?" he asked, carefully.

"With nobody…"

"John"

"I didn't fight anyone last night, Hercules" repeated John, now upset.

"Your appearance tells me the opposite"

"This wasn't because of a fight, this is the evidence of me being a human disaster!" explained Laurens, bursting into tears by the end of the sentence.

Hercules looked at Laurens, throwing himself from the armchair to the couch to be able to cry his eyes out in a lying position. Mulligan sighed when he saw his friend in such distress and in disarray. He walked until he was in front of Laurens and sat on the coffee table, sure that it wasn't going to fall apart as Alexander had helped him make it instead of Lafayette. He had made the mistake of letting the Frenchman make a furniture for their house once. He still had the scar that loose shelve left him…

"Hey, pal, don't cry" he said, rubbing Laurens' the back, trying to give him some kind of comfort. "You know what will make you feel better?" he asked, gently. "Talking to Laf. He's not the therapist friend for anything"

Hercules pat John's back before getting up and walking directly to one faucet at the corner of the kitchenette. He turned it to the left, and a curse in French was heard from the bathroom, almost inaudible due to John's crying. Hercules managed to ignore them as he opened one cupboard and took out the sliced bread.

"What did I tell you about turning the hot water off while I am in the shower?"

Hercules waited until he had swallowed the bread and then turned around, seeing his boyfriend in his yellow bathrobe and with a frown in his face that disappeared as soon as he heard Laurens' crying.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked, worried.

Hercules shrugged. "He had a tough night/morning"

"Did he just arrive?" asked Lafayette with a cocked eyebrow. "John, you have to go to work today"

"No, I don't wanna go" whined Laurens, with his face buried in one cushion.

"No" said Hercules rapidly and firmly. "If you're old enough to come drunk at five in the morning, you're old enough to take a pill for the hangover and go to work"

"Hercules, s'il te plaît!" hissed Lafayette, kneeling in front of Laurens and rubbing his back. "Don't worry, John, if you are not feeling up to go to work today, you can stay"

"Don't spoil him!" reprehended Hercules.

"Herc, our friend is suffering. Why do we have to do when a friend of ours is suffering?" asked Lafayette, with his free arm in akimbo.

"Ignore them. I've got enough problems inside my head, I don't need to stand other people's"

"No, we give them our support" said Lafayette while giving his boyfriend a hard look. It turned gentler as he turned his attention back to Laurens. "Tell us what's wrong, John"

"Can't we do that on the way to work?" asked Hercules, sighing heavily. "We'll be late for tomorrow if he starts explaining now…"

Lafayette gave him another hard glare. "And who cares? If Washington stays inside his office all day with that chair. He won't know"

Hercules shook his head. "That man is going to end bad…"

"It is taking him longer than I thought, actually…"

Lafayette stopped the rubbing on Laurens' back when the freckled man got up, sitting properly on the couch while sniffing.

"Last night I went on a spree" he admitted.

Lafayette nodded and gave him a tiny smile. "And how did it go, chérie?"

"How do you think it went, man?" asked Hercules, huffing. "Like a fucking shit"

"Herc…" hissed the Frenchman once again.

Laurens nodded, his eyes watering again. "Yes, yes, it was"

"And that's why you punched someone on the way back or what?" asked Hercules.

"I didn't hit anyone, I told you!" complained Laurens.

"Your clothes tell me another story"

Lafayette pinched the bridge of his nose. "Bon sang, Laurens, I hope whomever it was, was too drunk to even remember your face…"

"I didn't fight with anyone, dammit!" complained John, with a blush of anger. "Let me tell you the story of last night!"

"Summarize it, please" said Hercules, filling one glass with milk. "For long story tellers we've already got Alexander"

Laurens took his time for things, especially with the ones that had to do with the heart. He didn't need anyone by his side to go on, but the company always felt nice…

Who was he going to fool? He had always been a romantic, and though he preferred to be alone than in a bad company, the emptiness sometimes was too much to handle.

His friends had been seeing him a bit down and comforted him as well as they could, trying to (forcing him to) go out to meet new people. Though there were nights when he could establish a nice chat, he didn't want to have anything to do with any of them, even for just a one-night stand.

Things started to get better once Alexander had talked to him again and made clear that he, as well as John, didn't want to lose the friendship though they would never work out as a couple. That made some of his cheerfulness to come back, but still didn't want to start anything with anyone.

It wasn't until Alexander and Eliza had their first child, and he found a great, comforting and supportive friend in Betsey, that he decided that, maybe, it would be time for him to start something on his own. That, and the constant little comments Hercules said from time to time, that some days made them argue like crazy, and, others, John just decided to ignore him for the sake of Lafayette's sanity.

Now, he believed that everything happened for a reason, and that was why he tried to convince himself that the true reason why all his dates – even the ones that would have been a one-night thing – went down the drain was because someone better was about to come. A better match.

After the 51st bad date, he started to have suspicions that maybe the Universe was trying to tell him something totally different.

And he was back to refuse to want to know new people. As this time he was in a better mood and the tension between him and Alexander disappeared, none of his roommates said anything about it. But the unfinished business never disappeared, and John was a bit ashamed to admit that he was starting to feel a bit jealous of his friends' successful relationships.

Maybe that was the little push he needed to start going out as well, to try again. Lafayette had talked to him about that new pub a few blocks down their house; Alexander had given him some advices and even offered to be with him at the beginning, but John wanted to do it on his own, and didn't want to keep Alexander away from home one more night that was strictly necessary when work wasn't in the middle of the Hamilton marriage's way. Hercules helped him with the outfit, patting him on the back and reminding him he had to call them if anything (bad or good) happened. Even Aaron sent him a message wishing him good luck.

All those shows of support and affection made his self-esteem went through the roof, and he left the house waving goodbye to his roommates with the clear idea that that night was going to be just fine and the bad run would be over for good.

After the sixth boy rejected him, he was starting to rethink about his philosophy of 'good things will happen if you believe they will happen first'.

The first one didn't even think twice before saying a cutting 'no' right after he had said 'hi'; the second one was even more of a walking monosyllable that Burr himself (a thing he didn't hesitate in typing in the group chat, and which started a chain of jokes and a private message from Burr flipping him off with that adorable emoji with one finger held); the third and fourth ones lost interest as the conversation went by and saw John stuttering more than maybe it was allowed within the first five minutes of an introduction (he would have to ask Lafayette for classes of flirting again); the fifth one ended up having a boyfriend in the loo that the damn boy decided not to mention and who didn't stop throwing daggers at him for the rest of the night.

But the sixth and last one was the worst. Because John Laurens' self-esteem could bear a lot of things, rejection among them, but couldn't bear with being rejected five times in a row, being watched by a pissed off boyfriend and made a fool of himself in the same damn night.

Honestly, John knew it was his fault. He was about to go home. It was almost eleven, and he had work tomorrow. But he just had to stop when his eyes fell on a lonely man on a table, rolling down his mobile screen, in his own personal bubble. Shyness and reserved men were never his type, but maybe he needed something calm, some laughs, something slow. It wouldn't kill him to go and try one more time.

"Hey" he greeted, being instantly watched by two clear eyes.

A shy smile. "Hi"

"Can I take a seat?" asked John, pointing hesitantly to the empty chair across him.

The man nodded. "Yes, of course"

"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked, trying to sit as comfortable as he could so his nerves weren't shown easily.

"Just for some friends, they're about to come" answered the man, waving one arm. "What about you?"

"On my own tonight" he replied, sincerely. "Been trying to find someone friendly to talk to, you know… Settling down?"

"Oh"

John thought to have seen the man's eyes losing a small spark they had been having during the small conversation, but decided to ignore it and kept going with the conversation. He recollected all the advices his friends had given to him regarding dates; from small jokes to witty comments. He decided to start soothing, as the man seemed to be very demure.

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself before" he apologised, laughing slightly.

"It's okay" answered the man, waving one hand while giggling.

"Name's John" said Laurens, hesitating a bit before adding. "But you can call me whenever you want"

He laughed a bit, feeling a bit stupid, but thinking it would be enough for breaking the ice a bit more after the awkward silence they had shared a few minutes prior. Laurens felt his face burning as he blushed for the lack of response from the other man.

He saw him tilting his head to the side, both brows furrowed in clear confusion. John began to panic. If he was bad at telling jokes, he was even worse at explaining them. Without counting with the fact that he hated how imbecile he sounded when he tried to do so. He hoped maybe the man would understand it eventually, but, instead, was frozen in the spot when he heard the words that left the man's mouth.

"But isn't that name longer than John, though?"

"Eh?" said Laurens.

Whatever explanation was about to come from the man was interrupted by his phone buzzing. The man answered his phone with a bright smile, nodding though the caller couldn't see him. Laurens watched in complete silence, trying to process what just happened. He was brought back to the real world when he saw the man standing up, looking apologetically at him. His smile permanent.

"Well, I've gotta go. My friends are waiting from me outside" he explained.

"Oh… Well…" said Laurens, choking with his own words. He felt his face warm, but that was nothing in comparison at how his cheeks were about to burn when the man kept talking.

"You know? You gave me the good vibes, and so I was about to invite you to the party I'm heading to. My friends and I like to go wild some nights and you looked like a fun and outgoing guy… But as you said you were looking for settle down, I think there's nothing I can do, right?" he explained, giggling sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, sorry for misjudging you. I hope you find the someone stable and quiet you were looking for, Whenever-You-Want!"

Laurens sat there in complete silence, hearing the man wishing him luck as he headed to the door, waving goodbye.

So, that was what that lost of shining in his eyes meant before.

Without thinking, Laurens got up from the seat and ran after him, startling and pushing some people in his way, who dedicated him the nastiest look a human is possible capable of doing. He gave them no mind as he opened the door and looked around. He turned his head when he heard a loud music thumping through some car in the distance, along with the cheerful screams of a gang that was having a time way better than his.

"Wait!" he tried to scream, waving his arms in the air, to try to call their attention. "Wait, I'm not introverted at all! I am a crazy party-goer! I am a hornball! Give me some time and three shots and I'll show you!"

The car disappeared from the distance, and Laurens didn't even knowledge the people nearby who were looking at him a bit afraid. Some women whispered with their girl friends a few things, clearly worried, and trotted as far as possible from the pub door the freckled man was standing against.

Laurens waited a couple of minutes by the door, shooing away some clients that didn't want to risk anything by trying to talk to him. He re-entered the pub, hands inside his pockets and made his way to the bar, where a red-haired woman was cleaning the counter with a washcloth.

She smiled politely at him and asked him if he wanted anything, doing her job of pretending kindness to strangers marvellously. John simply asked for beer and she nodded, going and coming back in less than a minute with a glass and a bottle of beer. She filled the glass with the alcoholic drink and passed it to him with a bright smile that disappeared as soon as John took her wrist to stop her from leaving.

"Let the bottle here, Louise, it's been a hard night…" said Laurens, dejected.

The woman raised one eyebrow. "Okay…" she said, putting the bottle down slowly. "But, sir, my name's Julia"

Laurens startled her by hitting the counter with the palm of his free hand. "Dammit, girl, I told you this night was a shit for me, at least let me call you like my former waitress, I need the familiarity!"

"Alright, but don't expect me to come if you call me that…" said the girl, shrugging and turning around to attend other clients.

Laurens remembered drinking the first bottle of beer in record time. He didn't remember the other five that followed, though…

"So, you eventually got into a fight with the owner of the place because you forced the girl to be called another name?" tried to guess Hercules.

"Or maybe that boyfriend kicked your ass because you went to try it out with that guy again?" tried Lafayette.

Laurens looked enraged at both of them. "No! I told you I didn't fight last night!"

"Then what happened to your clothes?" asked Lafayette.

"Ah, this?" he asked, pointing at himself. "This is that, when I left the pub because Louise-Julia insisted in that I had drunk enough for one night, I stumbled a bit down the street, thinking I could get back here by feet, and, in a moment of rage and frustration, I kicked one pebble that hit a loose dog in the head and the owner couldn't stop him in time before he started chasing me down while barking. I tripped over my own feet and fell down a slope…"

"The one that park a few blocks down has?" asked Lafayette.

Laurens nodded. "Yeah. That slope has a lot of rocks and sharp twigs. I think I'm gonna gather signatures to put a warning sign or something…"

"And why did you tell us the whole story of that guy at the pub if you destroyed your clothes right after?" asked Hercules.

"Because it was the important part of the night!" explained Laurens, offended.

Hercules pressed his lips. "Those were new… The last time I give you clothes as a birthday present"

Laurens punched the couch and got up in an instant. "My friends care more about clothes than about me!" he accused.

"Don't talk in plural, I did nothing…" said Lafayette.

"I just lost the opportunity to be part of a huge orgy and all you care about is a fucking shirt!" Laurens took off his shirt and threw it to Hercules with fury. "There! Selfish son of a bitch! With friends like you, why would I need enemies?" His eyes began to water. "I'm gonna go cry in my bedroom for the rest of the day!" he informed, running towards his room and closed the door with a thump.

"And now, with the nonsense, he will just skip work" commented Hercules, looking angrily at the destroyed and dirty shirt. "Fantastic"

"Really, what's wrong with you? The poor man is devastated" reprehended Lafayette.

"He'll be fine in five minutes. Half of an episode from 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' and he'll be laughing as if nothing happened" said Hercules, throwing the shirt to the trash can.

They both jumped when they heard the loud cry Laurens was making from the other side of the closed door. Lafayette sneezed right after and he looked daggers at his boyfriend.

"There, now I got a cold for your nonsense!" he accused, heading back to the bathroom and closing the door.

Hercules shrugged, puzzled. "Everything's always my fault. I'm flipping out with these two…" He looked at the watched and shrugged once again. "I'm leaving. Those are full grown-ups to know how to go to work"

Hamilton wasn't stupid. He used to talk a lot, and so people tended to think of him as the kind of a person who didn't listen or pay enough attention to his surroundings. But that was only a façade he had created to fool people. If someone thought they weren't watched, they would act more naturally than when they suspected the contrary.

His friends didn't know any of this. Lafayette might have had his suspicions, but never said anything (and he was careful with everybody in general, so it never made a difference at how he'd act towards him if the Frenchman had discovered his plan); his workmates were just as clueless, even his boss. And his wife.

Eliza had been acting strange since the beginning of the week. And though her strange behaviour was about letting him sleep on the office or work till ungodly hours without scolding him or making a fuss about it, it still put him on his nerves. Alexander had been watching her actions, her words and her suspicious smile that never left her face in all yesterday and the day prior. He thought about interrogating her or trying to make her spit out a bit of information without her noticing (he was very good at that, actually), but decided against it.

Now, he was regretting it.

He knew he was gonna be screwed as soon as he heard the first sentence his wife said to him when he entered the kitchen, more than ready to drive to work (it was Wednesday, and if he liked to be early in the other five days, he wanted to be extra early on Wednesdays. It was a hard day for everybody in the office).

"Hello, my sweetest and most beloved husband" half-sang Eliza, handing him a thermos full of hot coffee and a toast for him to eat on the way from the door to the car.

Alexander took the two things, eyeing her slowly. "What? Have you been married before and you never told me?" he half-joked.

Eliza laughed loudly. And that made Alexander see red flags in his mind. When someone as Eliza laughed so loudly and exaggeratedly, something was going to go wrong. Especially for him. His wife patted him on the back, still laughing and sweeping off some imaginary tears from her eyes.

"Oh, Lexi, so quick-witted and funny in the morning!"

Lexi? Oh, shit, this is not going to be good… "What is going on, Eliza?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing" she said rapidly, grabbing her ponytail and combing her raven hair with her fingers.

"Eliza, what have you done?" insisted Alexander.

"Nothing" she repeated, now with a high-pitched voice. "Why would you ask something like that, silly?"

"Eliza, you're lying!" he accused.

"How could you tell?" she challenged.

"Because your voice is matching Bubbles' from the PowerPuff Girls!"

"Is that why I'm that powerpuff girl when you compare my sisters and I with them?" she asked, with a frown. "I thought it was because I like blue"

"That's a plus, actually" admitted Alexander. "Now, what's happening?"

"Nothiiiing…" said Eliza, now noticing that high-pitched voice her husband was talking about. She cleared her throat and repeated, in a deeper voice. "Nothing"

"Elizabeth" he said, with a stern tone.

Her full name always struck a nerve in Eliza, and she gave in. "I can't tell you, Angelica would kill me"

"Aha, so, there's something you're hiding" Alexander smiled with superiority.

"I hate you" she said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah? Well, get in line with half of my acquaintances, then… What is it?"

"What"

"What you're hiding from me"

"Nothing"

"Did you break the car again?"

"No"

"Did you spend half of our money in clothes you discovered you didn't like once you got home and forgot to take it back before the deadline?"

"No"

"Did some of my workmates do something with my work and that's why Angelica told you not to tell me?"

"Nah"

"Did you…?" Alexander took a step backwards and eyed her fearfully. "Did you burn someone…?"

Eliza's eyes grew wide. "Jesus, Alexander, of course not! How can you think something like that?!" she asked, horrified.

Alexander's fear disappeared from his face, now as emotionless as before. "It's a matter of time…"

Eliza narrowed her eyes and looked at him with fury.

"What is it, then?"

"Now, I won't tell you!" she said, childishly.

"I'm going to find out, sooner or later" He took a step closer to her, being now face to face. "And, after seven years of marriage, I hope you know I like to know things sooner than later, and thanks to the person I asked information for; not by myself"

Eliza swallowed, terrified. Angelica's wrath or Alexander's? Her sister or her husband? Both were whirlwinds when they were angry… Angelica was her sister, and so, she'd always love her no matter what. Alexander, on the other hand… was a man with a sharp tongue and a killer silence. Just as Angelica, but… Angelica wasn't the one living with her anymore… Would indifference through a phone hurt as much as in person? Eliza doubted so.

She sighed.

"Do you know what day is tomorrow?" she asked.

Alexander cocked one eyebrow. "The birthday of John A. Macdonald" he answered, not thinking it too much.

Eliza wrinkled her nose. "Who is that now?"

"The first Prime Minister of Canada, around 1867"

"Stop watching History Channel, man…"

"You were the one who asked!"

"Because tomorrow's your birthday!"

"Yeah, well, but I haven't done anything for being mentioned in the History Channel… Yet" he added with a sided smile.

Eliza rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You've done something for having a party to honour you becoming a bit older, though"

Alexander's eyes opened with realization. He kicked the floor.

"Eliza, I told you I didn't want a party!"

"And your words went in one of my ears and out the other" retorted Eliza, simply. "Come on, Ange made a great effort to make everything perfect"

"Call your fucking sister and tell her I said no! I'm saying no to this, I'm saying no to this and you won't convince me to say otherwise!" swore Alexander, heading to the front doors by strides. "The last thing I needed, fuck! The year has only started and you all are already getting on my fucking nerves!"

"Alexander, come on!" said Eliza, following him with impassiveness. "Your friends are already invited!"

"Ah, they knew and didn't tell me?!" he exclaimed, turning on his heels to face her. "This is a group backstabbing…" he muttered.

"We all agreed on not telling you. Because you wouldn't have agreed to…"

Alexander cut her off. "Exactly, I wouldn't have! I wouldn't have because why would I want a party to celebrate I have a foot nearer the tomb?"

"You're turning 31, man, chill… You're always acting is if you were running out of time"

Alexander frowned at her words and indifference. "A group of only-god-knows-how-many-people in my house, eating, drinking and making a mess they won't clean afterwards…" explained Alexander. "Don't you remember the Christmas party at the Washington's?"

"Yeah. We got his house dirty, now he can get ours dirty. That's how friendship works" she said.

"Maybe for you"

"For the whole world"

"I don't mind. Use that group chat that seems to exist only so you all can send the vids and audios from private meetings and conversations about work, and text them all saying the party is cancelled"

"Okay, look, first of all: you can't go all dignified saying the group chat is something serious, especially after all the audios and vids I received in which you and your workmates fight over which colour you should paint the walls…"

"Light blue helps the concentration, something anyone in there could use from time to time!" began to argue Alexander.

Eliza raised one hand to silence him. "I don't care, Alex, it's absurd and you know it. And second of all: I won't cancel the party just because you've become obsessed with not letting people come over our house"

"I've become obsessed because a certain someone threw a party that ended up with half of the house, the wall outside and the car destroyed" he accused.

Eliza clenched her fists. "You told me you forgave me for that!"

"And I did" Alexander nodded. "But one thing is to forgive, and another one, to forget. Funny thing: when I was learning English, I used to confuse those two verbs as they sounded so similar" Alexander laughed at the fond memory.

"Come on, that's not fair! If you forgive someone, you should forget the action!" she complained.

"Listen, Eliza, I am the first one who wants to forget certain things more than anyone. But it's really useful: it helps you for not making the same mistakes of the past. In summary: no party"

"It'd be very private! Only family and friends that are considered family!" explained Eliza. "Nothing bad can come from that!"

"Eliza, honey, listen to me" he said, taking her hand and rubbing it with his thumb. "I spend my whole life in meetings: there's always a way for it to end bad"

"You can't compare work meetings to family meetings, Alexander" said Eliza, taking away her hand to cross her arms.

"True: family ones are way worse" he nodded.

"It's only going to be your friends, Theo, Theo Jr. – for the kids, you know? –, my sisters, my parents…"

"Your parents are coming?" he cut her off, blinding perplexed. He frowned, clearly upset. "Now, cancel this immediately"

"… What are you trying to say with that, increasingly old man?" she asked, upset.

Alexander was bothered immediately by the name. "One: I'm as old as you are. Two: I can tolerate your parents on holidays as any other human being that's married, but I refuse to see them out of those obligatory moments"

"Hey, I'm going to put up with yours, it's fair!" argued Eliza.

"What?" asked Alexander, eyes wide.

"I said it's fair!"

"No, what did you mean by 'put up with mine'?" he repeated slowly, feeling a bitter taste in the tip of his tongue. He frowned his lips in disgust. "You didn't dare to try to contact either my brother or James, right?"

"Of course not! What do you think, that I have a dying wish?" retorted Eliza, both arms crossed and eyes half-closed.

"Then, who are you talking about?"

"About the Knox, of course!"

Alexander let out a sigh. "The Knox are not my parents, Eliza…" he reminded her, the volume of his voice clearly lower.

She rolled her eyes. "They took care of you, though…" she commented on the quiet. "Besides, we haven't had the chance to spend time the four together… And you told me Lu wants to…"

Alexander thought about her words for a moment, unwillingly rewinding time in his mind. He remembered the meal he had with Henry and Washington before the Christmas holidays, how Henry didn't stop asking him about how things were going, clearly intrigued to know why he had stopped taking cases; how Henry would name Lucy's name time and time again, promising on his life that she wanted to come as well but had fallen ill. Not that Alexander didn't believe him: Henry and Lucy were one of the truest and most sincere persons he had had the pleasure to meet and spend time with.

He saw the little frown Eliza was dedicating him and his stubbornness. He still didn't like the idea of so many people in his house, especially for celebrating something as trivial as a birthday. He was expecting to spend it either in his office writing essays or in his house reading a good book in silence after a brief and small celebrating with only his children and wife. But, of course, Eliza's outgoing nature had other plans.

Honestly, the woman deserved to see the Knox, they were very supportive once he had told them about their relationship and sudden engagement. Maybe a bit overprotective when their wedding present was their current house, side by side with theirs for the first six years or marriage. Neither Alexander or Eliza ever thought they would feel the emptiness of that house beside theirs that much, but they did.

With a sigh, Alexander gave in.

"Okay, okay… But something intimate"

"That was the plan" said Eliza with a bright smile. She took his hands in hers. "I've already arranged it all: the time, the menu, the seating…"

"What menu?" asked Alexander, carefully.

"I called a cake shop, don't worry…"

"Good"

"But I was thinking…"

"No, don't think" he said rapidly, placing a kiss on her forehead. "For our electrical appliances' sakes"

He took a few steps backwards, opened the door and headed out, glaring at his watch. Alexander groaned under his breath.

"Gosh, I hope I still have time to get my cup of coffee and spend some good minutes psyching myself before the meeting" he said to himself.

He turned around and waved goodbye at his wife before closing the door. Eliza returned the gesture with a kind smile on her face, which didn't abandon her features even when she said through clenched teeth:

"I should've ordered a mint cake, asshole…"

He didn't remember who was the person who invented or said, "in the eye of the hurricane there's quiet for just a moment" but, in George's opinion, that person was a genius. There was no better sentence to summarize Wednesdays mornings in his workplace.

Everything was quieter than usual, everyone was inside their offices, getting out just to take several mugs of coffee or to make themselves a cup of tilleul tea. In fact, George had seen that it was in the middle of the week when they would run out of caffeine and theine. And he couldn't complain or scold his employees about it, because he was also responsible of the speed those things disappeared. He thought about it as he savoured his fifth coffee. He hadn't read the papers he was supposed to read before the meeting started, but that was also very common around here: nobody read or wrote anything at all.

Sincerely, George didn't want to get angry before the meeting began. He had made that mistake the first weeks of working there, and had learned his lesson. Now, he simply let Alexander or Jefferson tell him what problem they'd be discussing, and he would allow his employees to talk (argue) among them, hoping that someday some of them would come with an actual solution and not a witty insult about someone's habits or personal life.

He caressed the armrests of his rocking chair with affection. Well, at least now he had a good friend on his side who always knew how to calm him. The others could criticise him all they wanted, but if they only knew how many times Lucille had prevented him from killing them, they'd think twice before commenting at his backs. He had entered the chair in the meeting room earlier than usual that morning. One thing was evading a headache for a few weeks, and another one was to evade them forever. With those people George couldn't distract himself or let them to their devises.

A knock made him come back to the real world, and he looked over his right shoulder, seeing the figure of Burr standing at the doorframe.

"Sir? Can I come in?" he asked.

"Ah, Burr, of course" said George with a nod. "You're one of my favourite sub-animals, you're always welcome to come in whatever room I am" he explained.

Aaron stood a few steps away from him, with a serious expression. "Yeah…" he said, uneasy. "Um… I just wanted to give you this"

George then realised his employee had been holding a plastic bag all that time, Aaron handed it to him and George took it and looked inside, raising one eyebrow. There were a few squeeze balls of different colours.

"What is this, Burr?" he asked, curious, as he took one of the blue ones out to look at it closely.

"Um… Well, I've been using this kind of balls since younghood… Em…" he scratched the back of his head and frowned his features, as if trying to erase some bad memory. George waited patiently. Aaron cleared his throat and continued: "They are kinda useful, actually… They are called stress balls… The other day I went to buy some new ones and I thought of you, and well…"

George nodded with a tiny smile. "I think this must be the best present someone ever gave me" he said, putting the bag down and keeping the blue ball on his right hand. "How is the coffee machine?"

"Almost empty, sir…"

"Already? We have only been here for ten minutes…"

"Yeah…"

"Do you know what we will be discussing today, Burr?"

"Em… Well…" he swallowed.

"Is it that bad?" asked the CEO, frowning slightly.

"It's just that I just saw something I'd like to discuss with you in private…"

"Go ahead"

"No, I'd prefer to show it to you once the meeting is over and everyone is too busy insulting each other to notice our absence"

George nodded. "Clever man, clever man. Anything else?"

"Well… We also saw another thing, which I'm still trying to comprehend and… Hm… Maria and Adams had an argument and… Well… To summarize: we are going to have an action-packed meeting, sir…"

George inhaled through his nostrils and squeezed the little ball in his hand. He exhaled, feeling his shoulders more relaxed than before.

"Yep, I think this will work…" he commented, looking at the ball with a grin.

"Good…" said Aaron, taking a step backwards, a bit afraid.

"Thank you, Burr"

"My pleasure, sir"

"Keep going on like this and you will climb up in my ranking"

"… Okay?" he half-asked, a bit insecure. "Em… I'll be leaving now…" he explained, heading slowly towards the door.

"Tell the others to come here already. I think we shouldn't be delaying the inevitable"

Aaron nodded, closing the door with a bit too much force than necessary, unable to control his fear when he heard Washington talking to himself, wondering how he would name the little ball he was holding.

Everybody groaned when Aaron told them they had to go to the meeting room already. Aaron dedicated an interrogative look at Angelica when he noticed how quiet Alexander had been. The vice president simply mouthed 'He knows about the party' before showing him her phone, with a message from Eliza telling her she could convince Alex to have the birthday party at their house. Aaron huffed, remembering all of a sudden that tomorrow was going to be another hard day. He was glad he finally decided to buy new stress balls yesterday.

Aaron went to gather the rest of the team. He tried to ignore Adams' grim face; the tension that could be easily felt between Lafayette and Mulligan; Laurens' crest-fallen expression and red puffy eyes; Madison and Maria's dishevelled hairs and shirts buttoned up wrong; Jefferson's annoyed expression as he tried to also overlook how long it took his friend to come from the restroom and Maria to make the last mugs of coffee. Lastly, he knocked on Peggy's door and tried to ignore… Well, that, as he woke her up to inform her that the meeting was about to start.

Aaron walked in the meeting room and took his usual seat, by Alexander's right and Lauren's left. Lafayette and Mulling sat next to Laurens, still not glaring at each other. Angelica made his way to seat at George's left, being in front of Alexander, in the CEO's right-hand side. Jefferson soon filled the chair at Angelica's left, accompanied by Madison, who was now trying to put his shirt right, with a flustered face. For sure, Jefferson had hissed him something about it on their way there.

Adams sat at Madison's left, not looking at anyone and letting one chair empty in between him and the accountant. Aaron felt Alexander looking at him with the corner of his eye and then sighing, burying his nose again in his papers. Aaron started to pray his workmate wasn't going to read or explain anything that might have been written there… For what he could tell off hand, there were more than twenty pages…

Maria walked in the room in quite a hurry, mumbling an apology while she rounded the table to give them all the last cup of coffee or tea they would be able to drink in the whole day. She also brought a few snacks she shared with everybody, except with Adams, who looked nastily at her. The receptionist didn't hesitate in giving him the same expression, even more hateful, if possible.

Peggy was the last one to arrive, yawning while stretching her arms, saying 'good morning' at everybody. A few workmates 'hm' in response, for the sake of good manners. The youngest Schuyler sister looked around and decided to sit in between Madison and Adams, shrugging, and clearly overlooking the tension between the three men. Aaron felt a bit jealous at how easy it was for Peggy to do something like that.

Washington noticed the tension between Maria and Adams; Mulligan and Lafayette; Adams and Jefferson; Jefferson and Madison… Well, he felt the tension between everybody and noticed the quietness at his right. His glare was fixated for a good whole minute on the papers his CFO was reading and re-reading, seemingly to not want to look at any of his workmates. George shared Aaron's prayer that those papers had nothing to do with anything they would discuss that day. Now, he was starting to regret not having read the documents Laurens had redacted that week…

Bah, in for a penny, in for a pound…

He played with the little stress ball in his hand for a moment, gaining a few looks from Angelica and Lafayette, but the CEO simply ignored them and leaned back and forth in his rocking chair, the cracking noise calling the attention of everyone. Even Alexander eyed up for a moment, before resuming his attention back to the papers, his facial expression unreadable.

"Before we get started, I'd like to introduce you to someone" the president began, going back and forth a couple of times more before stopping. He raised the blue stress ball for them all to see. "This fella is my new friend, lil' Gus. He, along with Lucille, will help me to not kill you in our weekly meetings"

Everyone shared a glare of confusion mixed up with fear, and Aaron rubbed his temples, feeling a bit guilty. He could only hope everybody would assume Washington had bought those himself.

"Now that you know our new friend, let's start. Who wants to go first?" said Washington, starting to rock himself in the chair once again.

His glare fell on Alexander and then on Thomas, for pure habit. Angelica seemed to do the same, and both shared a confused look when neither the secretary nor the CFO even made a move to complain about something or condemn the other.

Aaron shrunk in his chair, feeling the tension too much to handle. He looked at Maria, standing by George's left as she used to do when she was in one of the meetings. She had started to come more often as her confidence came back and decided she also had the right to speak her mind and complain about something that made her workplace uncomfortable. Some days, she only listened and recorded vids and audios, as Angelica had taught her to do when she couldn't or in case she would forget; but today, Aaron knew it was going to be Angelica the one recording, because Maria would be very busy arguing.

As if she had read his mind, Maria took a small step forwards, her cold glare still fixated on Adams, and, finally, opened her lips.

"I'd like to say that I am not going to give any desk back" she declared, and squinted her eyes at Adams as the man turned his head rapidly to give her the nastiest look a human could possible manage to get. "Before Christmas break, we agreed that I'd keep Adams' desk until the crèche and the tree were removed. As far as I know, the crèche is still there, on my counter, and so, I don't have the responsibility to give the desk back"

Washington looked at her for a moment before opening his mouth. "Alright…? What…" he tried to ask, but was stopped when he saw a hand raising with his peripherical view. "Yes, Adams?" he said, turning to the lawyer now.

"I would like to say that nobody told me anything about that, neither I was asked for my desk"

"And I would want to say that maybe we would have asked for your permission if you answered through the group chat or the texts we send you once in a while…" retorted Maria. "Or if you bothered to come to work, as we all do" she added, with a sharper tone.

Adams' dark expression sent shivers to some workmates, but Maria stood her ground and folded her arms upon her chest.

"At least, I didn't get this job for pure pity" spat Adams with venom.

Alexander looked up and frowned at Adams at the same time Aaron did so. Adams talked little, but the few times he did it, he was sure to either say some nonsense or leave a scar if you 'pushed him too far'. Aaron was a man of few words as well, but he wasn't one that liked to sit around while seeing some friend being insulted out of the blue. Especially, when he felt partly responsible. He was the one who talked to Washington about Maria's need of a work…

Alexander didn't seem to be going to say anything – his lips were pressed and his fists, clenched – but he did look at Aaron with an inquisitive glare when he felt him leaning on his desk, raising his chin and clearing his throat.

"Adams, if you don't have arguments to defend yourself, it's alright" Aaron began to say, calmly, "but, please, do not attack on a personal level. What you brought up has nothing to do with the problem at hand"

"How am I not surprised you are the one defending her?" snorted Adams, rolling his eyes. "Among us all, she is the one who has nothing to do here"

This time, Aaron did feel Alexander huffing and moving in his seat, and knew the immigrant was about to lose it. To be honest, Aaron was starting to feel the urge to punch the lawyer in the face as well, but keep his cold façade intact. Maria, on her part, had recovered from the verbal attack and was more than prepared to dedicate Adams some of her repertoire of hurtful responses. Which, Aaron had seen, could match Alexander's with no problem. Washington also sat straighter in his seat, squeezing the ball while he tried to maintain his stern look.

Before any of the four could open their mouths, though, Jefferson made their words go down their throats. He was also the other one around there, Aaron could vouch for that, who could match Alexander's witness and sharp remarks. That was why he relaxed a bit after hearing the cutting comment that came out from the secretary's mouth.

"And still, she does more around here that you in your own house*"

Alexander and Maria looked at Jefferson with perplexed eyes, and trembled a bit when they turned their eyes on Adams and saw the killing glare the lawyer was dedicating to the secretary. Though they would never admit it aloud. Washington was frozen in his seat, and decided to be silent for a bit more.

"I suggest you that, if you have something to say, Jefferson, you do it face to face" argued Adams.

Jefferson turned his head slightly to the lawyer, indifference clear in his features. "I've never been shy in that regard. You know I'm very used to stand for what I say, while you only stand for yourself" he retorted.

"I'm sorry if you haven't had the normal mentor a child must have to confront life with no companion by your side, Jefferson, but I'd advise you to keep your personal problems at the front door before coming in to work*"

Everybody at that had dedicated Adams a frown of either anger or confusion. Even Hamilton seemed upset by the statement, a slight flush took over his cheeks, pointing out his anger. Madison dedicated Adams the coldest glare in juxtaposition of the CFO's heated expression, and Peggy leaned back on the chair, not wanting to be involved in anything that had just happened.

"Well, I'd advise you that, if my personal problems bother you that much, you stay out of them. You've already proven me that that isn't difficult for you" said Jefferson, after clearing his throat and taking his pen to toy with it. "And, this time," he added, closing his eyes for a brief moment before returning his hateful glare to Adams. "Try to stay out for real and not to come back when better suits you"

"And I'd advise you to use your wicked tongue with the ones who wrong you" talked back Adams, his tone turning harsher. "At least, if you're going to keep on showing off how little it cost you to be straightforward, that is…*"

"I'm sorry my alleged 'boastful' personality vex you this much, Adams. Maybe one day you'd have something good to boast about and you'll get over that inferiority complex"

"No, Jefferson, I am the one who is sorry; it must be really difficult to be so weak that you, every day, need to pick different victims to fool yourself into thinking you're actually strong"

Aaron felt Adams giving Alexander a sideways glance*, and, for a moment, he thought the CFO would take this as an invitation to intervene. Not that he wanted a headache to appear, nor that Jefferson was a friend or even a close acquaintance, but Madison was a close friend, and it was beyond clear that he was having one hell of a time for the ordeal Adams was making Jefferson – one of the closest friends Madison had – live in front of the whole staff. Which, absolutely, would do no good to the social anxiety Jefferson had. Aaron hadn't stopped looking at the pen Jefferson had taken after the bad taste comment about Jefferson's personal life and loss, and the object was now being shaken with more ferocity than before between the fingers of the secretary's hand.

But Alexander said nothing. And though Aaron could understand Alexander wanted to have a peaceful day today for what was about to happen tomorrow, he still needed to see the scene in front of his eyes to be over, and was aware that he wasn't going to be the one doing it, being his anxiety nothing better than the secretary's. He threw a glare to Washington, hoping for the man to look in his direction and understand what his eyes were trying to tell anybody in the room, but the CEO was listening to the passive-aggressive exchange of nasty comments with brows furrowed.

Jefferson's voice took him back to the real world, made him feel the tension the room possessed.

"Adams, I really appreciate the great effort you're making right now to come up with something to insult me with. It is very difficult to invent lies to talk bad about someone. I know first-hand, because I had to make the same big effort when I had to speak well of you"

Finally, Jefferson noticed the rapid moves his shaking hand was making the pen make. He let the object on the table and cleared his throat once again, now clasping his hands and trying to pretend he had been like that during the whole argument.

"Believe me, Jefferson, the one who can know that first-hand is me. It is way easier to say bad things about you than good ones, for the formers are always plentiful when it comes to you. I freely assume you are becoming more and more aware of this as more lonely days pass you by*"

Aaron was always observant, but he felt he wasn't the only one who noticed Jefferson wincing at that last remark. Not only because the whole room had its eyes on him, but because it seemed to be the last straw that broke Hamilton's silence.

"It may be sad that people stay with you only for your money, but sadder is to endure someone's personality you despise only for their money" spat the CFO, with his eyes still focus on the papers in front of him, missing the surprise expression Jefferson and Washington gave him.

"Hamilton, I'm gonna ask you to stay out of this conversation" said Adams while frowning at the immigrant.

Alexander shrugged, his eyes still glued to the documents. "I'm not getting in between your arguing, I'm only commenting it. If you don't like that, then, I'd advise you to leave personal matters at the door before coming in the meeting room"

It might have been the clear mock in Alexander's voice when he repeated Adams' previous words and tone, because the tension seemed to disappear even though Adams' frown was deeper than before. A few laughed, Washington included, and Aaron could feel Jefferson's shoulders relaxed slightly as he let out a breath the man didn't even seem to know he was holding.

Hamilton finally looked up from his papers, sighing with a tiny smile on his lips.

"Alright, everybody, I think that was enough, let's focus on important matters now…" he said, re-reading the paper in front of him for what felt like the zillionth time.

"Can we decide what will happen with my desk before you make us fall asleep with your new novel?" asked Adams, getting more upset as the minutes went by.

Hamilton looked at him, making the tension to come back for a brief second before speaking. "Adams, how long have we known each other?"

Adams was taken aback at first by the question, but answered nonetheless. "Hm… Two years I guess?"

"Well, after all that time, I'm still trying to figure out what kind of good traits you might have to compensate that ugly personality and attitude of yours" he declared with a calm tone. He looked at his papers once again. "Alright, let's go back to real serious stuff…"

"But…" tried to complain Adams.

"I'm not going to give you the desk, Adams" blurted out Maria.

"Why not?!" complained the lawyer.

"Where would I sit, then?!"

"In your own desk!"

"The crèche is there, I've told you!"

"And what is a crèche doing on a table right in January!"

"If you spent more time coming to work, you wouldn't be that surprised" said Madison, frowning upset at the man. "And still, we all do more in one day than you in the whole year"

"James…" tried to say Jefferson, eyeing his friend carefully.

"Why do you want a desk, anyways? Maria is gonna give it more use; she comes to work every day!"

"Of course you stick up for her now, as she's your little nookie…" commented Adams.

"I stick up for who deserves it, not like you, always keeping in with the right people, with no opinion and crafty… I pity you, Adams, I really pity you"

"Alright, alright!" cut off Washington, rubbing his temples. "Adams, even if you didn't come to work when that deal was made, I am sure they commented it on the group chat, didn't you?" he asked, looking at the rest of his employees, who nodded. "See? I won't meddle in your personal life, you're a grown-up man and nobody better than you know why you miss so much work days, but I am going to ask for you to look at the group chat from time to time. It will do you good in the long run"

"Yes, sir" said Adams, lowering his voice considerably.

"Good. Though that doesn't justify that we're January 10th and the Christmas tree and crèche are still at the entrance. Please, somebody get rid of those and keep them in a box somewhere else. Appearance is a big part of a business"

"Yes, sir…" the rest said, their eyes glued to the floor.

"Good… Now, Alexander, did you have something you'd want to share with us?" asked George, turning to his CFO.

Alex nodded and adjusted his glasses before reading the paper once again. "I was doing the math and I noticed a strange expensive. Please, which one of you used part of the company's money for…" he squinted his eyes and frowned his features slightly. "Personnel's comfort?" he read, raising his glare to look at everybody.

"Yeah, me" said Peggy, raising her hand.

"You?" asked Alexander, a bit surprised. He felt Aaron moving uncomfortably by his side and dedicated the lawyer a suspicious glare before focusing back on his sister-in-law. "Care to explain what did you mean by that?"

Peggy shrugged and rubbed one eye. "What word didn't you understand? 'Personnel' or 'comfort'?" she asked.

Alex frowned. "The two when they're together"

"It means that I spent the money in something that would make us more comfortable"

"Us…?" repeated Aaron under his breath.

"What is that thing, Peggy?" asked Alexander, leaning on his chair.

"A bed"

And the whole room fell silent for almost a minute.

"A what?" said Alexander, clearing his throat when he noticed how small his voice had sounded.

"A B-E-D. Bed" repeated Peggy, as if he was a little child. "You know what a bed is?"

"Yes" spat Alex offended.

"Good. As you barely use them, I was afraid I'd have to explain it to you"

"Jeez, Pegs, why so nasty?" said Angelica, wrinkling her nose.

"Mind your business!" screamed Peggy, now with watery eyes. "I am not nasty. It's just that they're making me stupid questions!" she added, sniffing a bit.

"Girl, if you were me and read something like this, what would you do?" asked Alex, taking off his glasses and trying to contain his harsh tone to a minimum. "I am just trying…"

Peggy interrupted his talking by punching the table with all her might. "And now you insult me by reminding me my office is nothing in comparison with yours!" she accused, getting up from her chair violently and running out of the room, crying.

"I am not… Where are you going?!" he said, following her with the glare.

They all saw with wide eyes how Peggy exited the place without giving an answer or closing the door. Angelica broke their shocked silence by standing up and running after her sister, giggling.

"Hahaha, I need to see it with my own eyes!" she commented, taking out her phone.

Everyone looked at each other, agreeing with the vice president and running out the door, pushing each other to be there before anyone else. Only Aaron and Washington stayed in their seats. Alexander eventually getting up more relaxed than the rest, but also curious. Washington started to squeeze the little ball in his hand, with all his strengths. Aaron looked at him and got up, walking closer to him carefully.

"Sir?" he called. "I don't think they would come back anytime soon…"

"I agree" said George with a harsh tone.

Aaron flinched a bit in his spot and cleared his throat. "Would you come with me to see what I talked to you about?" he asked, wringing his hands with nervousness.

Washington breathed in and out a few times, closing his eyes and trying to ignore the laughs and screams of his employees at the other side of the wall. He got up quite abruptly, startling his employee.

"Sorry" he said quickly. "Show me what you wanted me to see"

Aaron nodded and guided the president upstairs. George gave his workers a brief stare before looking at his blue ball while he went upstairs with Aaron.

"Oh, lil' Gus, you just saved so many lives today"

Aaron tried hard to pretend he hadn't heard that.

Alexander didn't know what to think. In Peggy's little office there was a bed where there used to be a desk. The CFO looked at it for a few moments, hearing Angelica's hysterical laughter and others' giggles and quiet comments, and, then, leave, not wanting to know anything about it. He'd make sure to get those 300 dollars back some day, but these two days he wasn't in the mood to fight over them.

In his way back to his office, he saw John with his peripherical view, strangely with his back against the wall instead of being first in line to see Peggy's new purchase. Raising an eyebrow, Alexander got closer to him, noticing now his tired and taciturn expression.

"John, are you okay?" he asked, putting his hand on his shoulder, now frowning in concern.

Laurens turned his head towards him and, slowly, tears began to flood in the corners of his eyes. Letting out a choked sob, John began to slur words as an explanation.

"Slow down" said Alexander, rubbing his back. "Come on, let's go to the break room and you can explain me there, maybe there's something I can do to help" he suggested, with a tiny smile. "Besides, I saw Washington leaving the meeting room with Aaron; another Wednesday without solving anything…"

Alexander shook his head in disapproval as he walked with his crying friend to the break room. He tried to ignore Peggy's screams, telling their co-workers to let her sleep and live; Angelica's unending laughter; Adams suggesting to use Peggy's desk instead of his; Maria flipping him off and swearing at the man; Jefferson commenting this office was getting out of hand… Alexander then had to pay attention to their screams and Laurens' sobs to get away from the idea that Jefferson was right in his statement…

"When did you see this?"

"This morning. I was going to the washroom and I just saw it"

"True, the damn restroom is in this floor. And that is the second more visited place in this office…"

"What do we do, sir? Do we tell Alexander?"

"No, no, don't tell him. Let's try to solve this on our own"

"But, sir, this seems very expensive to fix. And Alexander is in charge of the money. And if he didn't overlook Peggy's bed, just imagine what could happen if we take so much money without telling the others…"

"We are not going to take any money, Burr… We will just… Cover this a bit…"

"Cover it, sir?"

"Exactly"

"But… But how can you cover something like this?"

Aaron swallowed afraid when he saw Washington squeezing the blue ball in his hand, his knuckles turning white. He followed his boss' eyes, glaring again at the long and ugly crack that adorned the wall down the hallway, right in front of the restrooms doors. Aaron looked at his watch: 8.51. He sharpened his earing, hearing his workmates fighting over the bed. He didn't know if not hearing Alexander's voice was a good or a bad sign, but tried not to pay too much attention right now. It would only take a few minutes for anyone to come upstairs to use the toilet.

"Sir?" he asked timidly once again.

Washington sighed heavily and squeezed the ball even harder than before. "I don't know how, alright?" he admitted, clearly overwhelmed. "Damn King…" he muttered through clenched teeth.

"What?"

"Nothing" he said rapidly. "Aaron, inform the rest that the toilets are out of service. If they don't get this far, they won't see the crack. And it's not like anybody else whose office is in here is gonna come, so…"

"But, where will we do our necessities?"

"Cross the street and go to the pub"

"To the pub?" asked Aaron, perplexed.

Washington shrugged. "What? Half of you spend the day there… I'm sure everybody will be even glad that the toilets are broken"

"But they are not" Aaron reminded him.

"Yes, yes, I know…" George sighed once again. "And my horoscope said 2018 was going to be a good year…"

"Yeah, I also read mine when Laurens sent them all through the group chat on New Year's Eve…"

"A shit is what's gonna be…" complained George, squeezing the ball with all his strengths. The two men jumped afraid when the object simply exploded, broken. Washington looked at the now piece of plastic covering his palm with sadness. "Lil' Gus, you defended your cause marvellously, I will never forget you" he said, serious.

Aaron took a few steps backwards. "I'm gonna tell the others" he informed. "About the toilets being broken, of course" he soon added.

Aaron ran downstairs, only looking back for seeing his boss looking at the broken plastic ball with an unreadable expression.

"Now, tell me what's wrong"

Alexander had searched for some coffee or tea left, but found nothing. Cursing under his breath, he decided to simply serve John a muffin and a glass of water. Laurens sniffed a bit, and Alexander took his hand. Just because their relationship ended abruptly and on a bad page, didn't mean he stopped caring for John. He was one of the best friends he ever made, and it bothered Alexander to see him like that, though his expressionless face sometimes didn't prove it.

"I'm in a spin of disgrace" began to say John, still not meeting his eyes. "I'm in a phase of my life when nothing turns out fine, or half-fine. I'm not asking too much, to be honest, but it's like life had it for me. I'm starting to doubt the karma and all I believe in…"

"Well, you only started to believe in those things last year…" commented Alexander.

John finally lifted up his face, looking him straight in the eye with a frown: "I thought you wanted to listen to me, not to comment as if I were some bad movie"

"Sorry, sorry…" said Alexander, trying not to roll his eyes. He couldn't hold it back when he saw John's expression changed quickly to a sad face.

"Last night I went out to try to meet new people, and I ended up being rejected and making a fool of myself. I ended up drinking like if there were gonna be no tomorrow and Louise had to tell me to leave before I could hurt myself"

Alexander cocked an eyebrow. "I thought Louise was in jail for drug trafficking?"

"Yes, but I needed the familiarity, so…"

"John, we talked about this: you need to stop naming all bartenders you meet after her…"

"Well, let me talk, will ya?" complained John, changing his sad face for an angry one again.

"Yes, keep going…"

"Where was I…?"

"You were saying you were blank drunk last night because nobody wanted to be your friend"

"Jeez, thank you so much for your tact!"

"If you wanted tact, you should've asked for Lafayette to listen to you"

"I can't talk to him right now. He and Hercules had a fight while coming to work"

"I don't want to know what you did this time…"

"My gosh, are you all on commission for undermining my moral or something?"

"John, I don't want to be cruel, but admit that you've been living off them for eight years now… Almost nine"

"And who's fault is that?!"

"Yours" said Alexander, resolute.

Laurens gasped. "Excuse me?!"

"Who between us two found the other in bed with a total stranger?"

Laurens punched the table and got up noisily.

"You just can't give me a break, right?! I am the punching ball of this group!" he complained, running out of the room crying his eyes out.

Alexander shrugged. "What's that? Your new victim quote?" he asked, picking the muffin he had offered his friend and eating it himself.

Alexander looked at the door in time to see Laurens bumping into Aaron, who was coming downstairs. Both men complained under their breath for the sudden crash.

"Jeez, Laurens, where are you running to?" asked Aaron while rubbing his chest.

"I am going to cry to the washroom" informed John.

Alexander rolled his eyes. "Stop being a drama queen"

"Shut up, you've said enough!"

"Laurens, you can't go to the washroom" tried to say Aaron.

"Why not?" asked John, throwing daggers at the lawyer.

"Because you have work to do, as anyone else in here" said Alexander.

Laurens looked over his shoulder before his eyes began to water again. "They don't stop. None of the four ever stop!" he complained, running out of the building, pushing a few workmates who were still at Peggy's office door in his way out.

"I haven't done anything!" said Aaron, confused.

"Ignore him. He likes to make a fuss out of nothing for avoiding responsibility"

"Thank goodness he's your best friend" commented Aaron, with a cocked eyebrow.

"Friendship doesn't erase your flaws"

"If you talk like that about a person you love, I don't want to know what you'd say about me when I turn around"

"You're right, you don't want to know"

Aaron gave him a nasty look while Alexander got up from his seat, swallowing the last bit of the muffin and clapping his hands, walking to the counter to grab the washcloth to clean the table. In the meantime, Washington had gone downstairs, throwing a rapid glare to the group that was still on Peggy's door, now talking among each other, and to Alexander, nodding at the CFO for doing some other thing that wasn't losing time.

Washington walked in the meeting room, exiting the place with the plastic bag in one hand and a red ball in the other. Alexander had already finished cleaning the table and was looking at his boss, exchanging a nervous glare with Aaron. Washington didn't mind their attention at all, as he looked at the new ball.

"I'll name you David" he nodded, in agreement with himself, and then proceeded to lock himself inside his office.

"This is not going to end well" commented Alexander, shaking his head. "First, the chair; now the little balls…"

"Hehe, yes, in what would he be thinking when he bought them, right?" Aaron laughed, nervously.

"Bah, I'm going to lock inside my office as well. Get some job done" said Alexander, shrugging.

"Could you help me take my desk out?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want to spend the whole day here. I know just telling the toilets are broken won't be enough"

"… And then, the crazy one is me…" said Alexander, shaking his head once again. "Come on, I'll help you, but I don't want to know anything about it"

"Better"

"What?"

"I said thank you"

"…"

They had already put Aaron's desk in front of the staircase and the lawyer was taking out his chair to get some job done while making sure nobody discovered his and Washington's secret until the CEO came out with some idea to hide the crack, when Madison walked to the break room, being the first one to get separated from the group. They weren't talking about Peggy's bed anymore – the therapist was already snoring noisily – but they didn't seem to want to move from there.

"What's this?" asked the accountant, pointing at the spot where Aaron was sat at, working as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"The toilets are broken" explained Aaron

"And you decided to work there as a protest or how?"

"Don't try to be logical in this place, Madison" advised Alexander.

"True…"

The accountant's nod was abruptly interrupted by a series of three sneezes. He blew his nose while coughing a bit.

"Are you sick again?" asked Aaron.

"Just a cold" Madison waved one hand nonchalantly.

"You're a bit red, do you need to go home?" said Aaron, now frowning concerned.

"No, no. I was going to take the medicine now" he replied, coughing a few times into the handkerchief.

"Laurens is losing his time in the pub" explained Alexander. "But if you need to leave, you simply have to knock on my door, tell me, and I'll take care of it"

"No, really…"

Their conversation was interrupted when Maria screamed to John Adams, making the rest of conversations to be cut off as well. When they turned their heads, they saw the receptionist as red as her shirt and clenching her teeth at the lawyer, who simply sighed and turned on his heels, storming out while throwing curses under his breath, all of them dedicated to the receptionist.

Maria gave him no mind, simply nodding with pride and heading back to sit on her provisional desk.

Adams stopped in his tracks when he saw Aaron in front of the staircase. His frown deepened, and Madison decided to walk over to Hamilton's side, who stood by Aaron's desk.

"What the fuck is this now?" asked the lawyer.

"The toilets are out of service" explained Aaron, with clear tedium in his voice. He turned to the CFO. "Alex, do you mind writing a memo?"

"Yes, I do"

"Since when do you mind writing at all?" asked Madison, in confusion.

"When I have to write stupid things, I do. For that, we've got Jefferson"

James frowned. "Stop insulting him…"

"Well, tell Jefferson to write it then…" said Aaron.

"I don't wanna talk to him"

"Thought you were his lawyer now?"

"So?"

"What kind of lawyer doesn't want to talk with his client?"

"One that accepted to do a shitty job for free"

"You accepted under the condition of not being paid" said James, upset.

"Madison, son, go take your medicine" spat Alexander.

"Hello?" said Adams, red in the face. "I am still here"

"True, you've been at work for almost three hours in a row. Congratulations" commented Alexander with a sarcastic smile.

Adams dedicated him the ugliest look he could managed. "Creole, the day you die, I'm gonna throw such a party that it's gonna be recorded in the book of Guinness World Records as the biggest party ever made"

Alexander moved his tongue inside his mouth, annoyed. "Well, the day you die, Monstro, I'm gonna gather as many signs as I can to make that day a national holiday"

"Settle down, you two…" said Aaron.

"Could some of you tell me how on Earth I'm gonna go upstairs now?" asked Adams, both arms in akimbo.

"We have to go the pub" explained Aaron.

"To the pub?" asked Madison. "But those are public restrooms"

"Don't say…" commented Alexander, mockingly.

"I mean that I don't like to go to public restrooms, they are a sea of infections"

"If nothing has happened to you after making out with Betty Boop, nothing will come out for peeing on a public toilet" said Adams.

"Don't insult my friend with benefits" said Madison, frowning annoyed. "Besides, she's the cleanest and purest around here. I don't give myself to anyone, that's why I'm single"

Jefferson, who was making his way to his office, heard his friend and rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure it's because of that and not because you're annoying as hell" he said, opening his door.

"I defend him, and he insults me. That's the price of being a decent human being these days…" commented James out loud, heading straight to the break room.

"Jefferson, you have to write a memo about the toilets being broken" ordered Hamilton, arms crossed and without looking at him.

The secretary frowned at him. "What are we? Toddlers?"

"Jefferson, if you've been working here for almost three years and still wonder that, you're not doing a very good job" said Alexander, as if it was nothing. "And if you could ask for my removal when I was doing my job fine, imagine what I could do with someone who does his job wrong and refuses to do it" he added, with a sided smile.

Jefferson groaned under his breath, cursed Hamilton's name and then entered his office, closing the door at his backs with a thump.

"This one won't bother me until tomorrow. One less" said Alexander under his breath.

"Jesus, Alex…" said Aaron, feeling bad.

"Now, Adams, go to the pub and try not to get lost on your way back"

Adams frowned. "I don't need to go. I just want to go to my goddamn office" he complained.

"You can play on your phone in the break room" Alexander kept talking calmly. "It has better Wi-Fi connection"

"I don't play with my phone" said Adams. "And I don't know the Wi-Fi password…"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Alexander, please…" begged Aaron.

Adams huffed and headed to the break room, punting on the floor, complaining under his breath, saying something like "Fucking assholes, all of you!" before disappearing from their sights. Aaron and Alexander looked at the break room door, having a perfect spot to see both Madison and Adams. The accountant was taking the medicine and getting ready to go back to work, while Adams opened and closed the cupboards noisily, grumbling.

Finally, the lawyer exploded and screamed, silencing the rest of the staff at the other side of the hallway for the second time.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS MY MUFFIN, FOR JESUS H. CHRIST! I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ONE DAMN DAY!"

The whole team looked at each other with one cocked eyebrow, while Alexander began to smile slowly. He clicked his tongue, calling Aaron's attention.

"I wish I had known while eating it" he said. "I'd have enjoyed it a lot more"

Aaron simply shook his head and tried to work and forget about the crack for the rest of the day.

Laurens had decided to go to do some grocery shopping that afternoon. Usually, it was either Lafayette or Hercules, but that day Lafayette had asked him to go, and, not wanting to embitter the environment of the house just when things had started to be calmed again, he obliged. The grocery list wasn't that long anyways, just a few spices Hercules needed to make dinner that night.

It only took him half an hour: five minutes to grab the necessary things and give a little walk throughout the supermarket to see if he saw something for himself; six minutes to pay – it could have been one, if it hadn't been for that shameless old man who cut into the line, alleging he only had one item and, once he was in front of the poor cashier, spent five minutes asking for return some thing he had bought that morning, which ticket went mysteriously missing – and the rest was just to find a good parking stop.

So, it was needless to say that Laurens was in a foul mood by the time he was driving back home. He had patience for a lot of things, but going to the supermarket wasn't one of them. Back when he still lived with Alexander, the man used to joke saying that God should have mercy of whomever dare to bump into him in his way back home after a few minutes at any supermarket.

Laurens never laughed as his other two friends, but he silently agreed.

Especially when, at a red light, the driver behind him hit the rear bumper of the car, with enough force to push him forwards and almost drop the bags on the co-pilot seat, if Laurens hadn't been fast enough to grab them.

Laurens growled under his breath and took the seatbelt off, forgetting about the traffic light and all his surroundings as he trotted to see the state of the back of the car. Hercules' car, to be more exact. The back of Hercules' car with a dent.

Fucking. Perfect.

"I go to the supermarket without complaining and this is the way the Universe has to compensate me" complained Laurens under his breath, clenching his fists.

"Excuse me, sir, are you alright?" a male voice asked, nervously.

"No, I'm not alright!" screamed Laurens, feeling his face burning with rage. "Look at the fucking bumper! This isn't even my goddamned car, it's a friend's! In what driving school for idiots were you given the shitty driver's license?! For the love of Christ, that's enough, I think all this shit is already enough! The damned street light is red, can't you see?! If you can't drive, stay in your fucking house, you imbecile! You asshole! Y-"

Laurens whipped around, more insults and swore words burning in the tip of his tongue, both fists clenched and his cheeks now burning for all the fury he was feeling. Everything cooled down once he looked at the man that was standing in front of him. Intelligent eyes in a hefty frame. Suddenly, all his rage evaporated but the burning feelings in his cheeks stayed. Though this time not due to anger.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry, sir!" apologised the man, scrutinizing the bumper while hesitating in getting any closer to the vehicle. "I just got distracted for one second, I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?" he asked, now walking closer to him, with a frown of concern.

"Eh?" asked Laurens. He blinked a couple of times while shaking his head. "Eh, yes, yes. Don't worry. It was just a silly little hit, and the car was already old" he said, giggling and stroking one lock behind his ear.

"But didn't you just tell me it was a friend's?" asked the man, confused.

"Eh? Yes, yes, but… But we're not that close. Screw him" he laughed a bit.

The man smiled sheepishly. "Let me give you the documentation of my car, so your friend and I can have an Agreed Statement of Facts" he said, entering his car for a moment.

"I could give you a ride" suggested Laurens. "I mean, I was heading home right now…"

"But do you two live together?" asked the man, reading some papers he had taken out from the glove box.

"Three. He has a boyfriend"

"Ah, and you live the three together?" asked the man, documentation in one hand and an eyebrow raised. "I thought you said you weren't close?"

"Well, I wasn't close with my father either and I lived with him until I turned eighteen" he joked.

"I know what that feels like" commented the man.

"Is that right?"

"Yep. My father and I never understood each other. But I was lucky enough to have good friends who stood by my side"

"Likewise. I mean, though this friend and I are going through a tough patch lately, I'm close with the boyfriend. Both were my friends back in college" explained Laurens. "They were the ones who offered me to stay with them for a few days after my boyfriend broke up with me"

"Such good friends" the man said, nodding. "Sorry if I'm too straightforward, but what happened with your boyfriend?"

"Oh, well… he and I… We didn't work out as good as a couple as we do as friends. He was also one of my closest friends back in college" answered John without wanting to get into detail. "Which is good, because he's one of the cleverest and best friends I ever had"

"Well, he doesn't seem that clever if he let you go" commented the man with a tiny smile while he handed him the papers.

Laurens grabbed them while giggling. "Yeah, well, nobody's perfect"

"I've got some proof in front of me right now that prevents me to think so"

John looked around. "Where?"

The man was taken aback at first. "I was referring to you"

"Ah… Ah! Ah…" exclaimed Laurens, feeling his cheeks burning.

"Sorry, I'm not good in these flirting thing…" apologised the man.

"Oh, no, uf" said Laurens, laughing while waving one hand. "If you only knew what happened to me the other night… You're an expert beside me"

"I'd love to hear that story"

The man laughed slightly, and Laurens bit his bottom lip, thinking for a moment before blurting out:

"I could tell you right now" He gave him the papers back. "I know a pub just around the corner"

"And what about those supermarket bags?" he asked, pointing at the inside of the car.

"I don't have any frozen food in there" he said, shrugging.

The man smiled at the same time he did. Just like that, Laurens began to recover faith in karma.

"Where the hell is this man?"

And, meanwhile, Hercules was losing patience as worry took over his chest. He dialled John's number for what seemed to be the millionth time and groaned under his breath when the voicemail sounded at the other side again.

"It's been more than an hour" he commented out loud, looking at the clock. "Jeez, I hope he didn't get into a wreck or something worse…" he said, worried. Then, his tone changed for one of pure rage. "That idiot. I'm sure he's fine, making me worry over him as some kind of revenge for what happened this morning…"

Hercules groaned under his breath and trotted to his shared bedroom, muttering in all his way there.

"Stupid immature, it's actually my fault for letting him go alone to the supermarket… He gets distracted by a fucking fly! It wouldn't surprise me if I find him in the entrance of the supermarket watching a butterfly flying!"

Hercules was about to swing open his bedroom door, keep badmouthing Laurens and complaining about how much he was always worrying over him with no need, but had to stop abruptly when he was able to hear Lafayette's voice from the other side, talking to someone in whispers.

Now, Lafayette was discreet with his life and conversations, and Hercules was used to it. But he had never locked himself in their room and talk to the other person in whispers, as if afraid of being heard.

Raising one eyebrow, and trying to ignore the guilt, Hercules pressed one ear against the wooden door, catching his boyfriend's part of the conversation.

"What do you want me to do about it? You know I wasn't sure, but you keep insisting, and insisting… Oh, yes, now it's a pain. What do you think, that this was going to be easy? […]. No! We can't tell them just yet! Angelica and Alexander would kill me if they knew I let their sister do this. […] Yes, I know Eliza would calm them down, but the poor woman has enough. Alex's party is tomorrow, and I don't want to overwhelm her more, or to spoil Alex's birthday. […]"

A faint scream was heard, and Hercules tried to catch some word, but it was useless as Lafayette calm the other person – Peggy – down rapidly.

"Don't scream at me! I told you what this was about, you weren't left on your own devices… Look, I'll help you through it, I promised you, but you don't tell anyone just yet. I've got a lot on my plate. […] Alright, yes, go to sleep and try to rest as much as you can… Bye, chérie, bonne nuit"

Hercules heard Lafayette's steps getting close to the door and he got separated from it before it was swung open, with the Frenchman looking worriedly at the phone in his hand. He looked up.

"Herc, something's wrong?" he asked.

"Eh? No" he answered quickly. Then, he corrected himself. "Well, actually, yes, it is. Laurens hasn't come back yet, I was about to go for him"

"Ah, give it no mind. I'm sure it's fine" said Lafayette, waving one hand nonchalantly and heading straight to the living room.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked, following him.

Lafayette sat on the couch, turning on the TV. "It was just Peggy. She needed some help with something"

"What something?"

"She… is going to French classes"

Hercules narrowed his eyes when he saw Lafayette touching his earlobe. "French classes, huh?" he repeated.

"Yeah, she… wants to wish Alex a happy birthday in his mother tongue"

"Yeah… You're very thoughtful" said Hercules, suspicious. "I'm gonna look for Laurens" he declared, feeling upset.

"Leave him alone…"

"He's been gone for more than an hour. The supermarket is not that far away"

Lafayette rolled his eyes and muttered something unintelligible in French, while he put on his coat and was prepared to open the front door. This opened by itself at the other side, revealing a smiling Laurens talking animatedly with some man. The chat stopped as soon as John bumped into his friend.

"Oh, Herc, hi! Where were you going?"

"Where was I going…?" repeated Hercules, blinking dumbfounded. "I was going to look for you!"

"Why?"

"Wh…? Because you were gone for more than an hour!"

"Ah, well, yes, it's just that I met Alf on my way back" explained Laurens.

"Alf…?" repeated Hercules, while Lafayette walked to the door.

"Nice to meet you, Alf" said Lafayette, nodding.

"Same" said the man. "Excuse me, are you the owner of the car?"

"It's mine" said Hercules.

"Then, I should give you this" said the man, handing him some papers. "I hit the back of the car"

"Excuse me…?"

"Oh, are you two alright?" asked Lafayette, frowning slightly.

"I've never been better in my whole life" said Laurens, with a dreamy glare. "Come, let me show you my room. Herc, you have the bags in the car"

"What?" asked Hercules, eyeing them both walking down the hall.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?" asked Lafayette.

"No, thank you" answered Alf.

"We've got some of both at the pub" added Laurens, opening the door of his bedroom.

"Good to see you found someone" said Lafayette quickly, before the door was heard closed.

"Fucking hell!" Hercules' screamed was heard right after from outside the house.

Laf sighed. "This man always at the verge of an anxiety attack…" he complained.

Lafayette exited the house and saw his boyfriend looking at the back of the car with a frown of pure fury.

"Look, look at this!" he said, pointing at the bumper. "That's why I prefer to go to the supermarket myself! This is going to cost an eye, a leg and even some organ!"

"Don't overreact, it's barely seen" said Lafayette, squinting his eyes. "See? You have to narrow your eyes to actually see some damage"

"Buy yourself glasses! Your friend deformed my car!" complained Hercules, passing a hand through his short hair.

Lafayette wrinkled his lips. "Oh, nice, so when he messes up he's my friend, but when he does something fine, he's your friend?"

"I don't know; when he actually does something fine, I'll tell you"

Lafayette rolled his eyes as his boyfriend began to pace, one hand buried in his hair and the other squeezing the documents he was given. He looked at the bumper and, yes, maybe it looked bad, but it wasn't such a big deal. Or he wanted to think that.

"Think positive" he finally said, making Hercules stop. "John finally found someone to spend the night with"

"Yes, that's the other thing, he doesn't only destroy my car, but he also brings his fling… Well, not today" he said, heading straight to the inside of the house.

"Herc, what are you gonna do?" asked Lafayette, running after him.

"No shagging in my house! There will be no shagging in my house and that's final!" he declared, raising one fist as a sign of an oath.

Lafayette frowned and trotted until he was in front of him, both arms in akimbo. "May I remind you this is also my house?" he said, a bit annoyed. "What I say matters, as well, and I say let John be. It will be a one night-stand"

"One can never be sure with John. Or with the people! That man can be even playing with him to avoid bigger problems"

"What bigger problems, for God's sake? The car isn't that bad"

"I know these kinds of persons, Laf. You just live in your ideological Euro Disney land, but I live in the real world, full of assholes who…"

"Hercules, I hired Alf" blurted out Lafayette, fed up with his boyfriend's paranoia.

"Hired him?" repeated Hercules, frowning in confusion. "What the heck are you talking…?"

Hercules stopped mid-sentence, frozen in his spot for a few moments. He blinked a couple of times, processing what he had just heard and praying in his mind that he was getting it wrong.

"Did you hire a rent boy?" he asked in a whisper.

"Male prostitute, I think it's the right term" said Lafayette, with normality.

"Oh, my God, you did…" said Hercules, covering his mouth in bewilderment. "In what the fuck were you thinking?!"

"You were the one who wouldn't stop complaining about Laurens being a nuisance. Now, things will flow more easily"

"This… This is not happening" Hercules shook his head in disapproval. His face turned red and he clenched his fists, wrinkling the papers in his right hand. "Now, I'm gonna kick him out!" he declared, trying to run to Laurens' room.

Lafayette stopped him by grabbing his arm. "No, you are not" he contradicted. "It cost me a whole heap of money"

"Ah, you paid for this craziness?!"

"No, 'hiring' now means asking someone for a free favour" said Lafayette sarcastically.

"Are you nuts?! With what money did you pay him!?"

"With the money I've got hidden in my secret account, of course… With which money do you think I'm gonna pay him?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"With ours!? But I didn't hear the notification on my phone!"

"That's because I silenced your phone"

"What!?"

Hercules patted his pockets and started to scrutinize the whole room.

"Where is it?! WHERE THE HELL IS IT?!" he asked, feeling his heartrate increasing.

"I hid it" said Lafayette naturally.

"Why!?"

"Just in case you were going to read something before going to bed"

"This… This is… I don't know what this is…" said Hercules, sitting on the couch, totally defeated. "My car gets destroyed, my defaulting roommate is having sex with a prostitute my boyfriend paid with our common money without telling me…" He shook his head. "Gosh, I was in such an ease in my parents' tailor shop… Why did I have to give up that normal life for going to college? My mother warned me, I still remember how she used to tell me not to have big dreams and ambitions. I should've listened to her"

"Jesus, Hercules, you're overreacting" said Lafayette, taking a seat beside him. "Listen to me, it will only be one time. Then, Laurens' self-esteem will be high enough for him to go out"

"Hope you're right" said Hercules, bitterly. He threw the documentation, not giving it any mind as he got up and went straight to the bedroom. "I'm gonna sleep"

"And dinner?" asked Lafayette.

"I'm not hungry!"

Hercules slammed the door shut, as a way to let some anger out. Laurens shushed them from the other side of his door, and Hercules opened his bedroom to look at his roommate's door with fury.

"He even shushes me in my own house. This is fucking fantastic…" he looked daggers at his boyfriend. "You sleep on the couch!" he declared, before closing the door, unwillingly quietly.

Lafayette sighed. "The price of being a good friend is so high…"

Alexander awoke earlier than usual, having to take the kids to the nursery school that day. He woke the children up, returned their hugs with a smile as the little ones wished them a happy birthday, prepared them some breakfast and the lunch for that day along with John's bottle, and some coffee for him, and the four of them had their first meal while chatting.

Eliza made her way in the kitchen with a soft smile by the time they were finished. The kids said good morning and she kissed their heads with affection and then proceeded to hug her husband with all her might.

"Happy birthday, hun!" she said, peeking him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Betsey" said Alex, patting her and returning the kiss on one of her cheeks.

"Guess what a wonderful surprise I have for you today!" half-sang Eliza.

"The whole party thing was a joke?" he asked, hopeful.

Eliza pressed her lips, trying not to erase her smile. "No" she spat, and ignored her husband's complaints. "Today you can stay at work until late"

"So I can have an excuse for missing the party?" asked Alex, again hopeful. "Eli, I love you so much"

"No, man. I mean that we need time to prepare all the things" explained Eliza, her smile now gone. "Around eight sounds alright?" she asked.

"What about around eight of tomorrow evening?"

"Alexander…"

"Alright… Yes, it sounds perfect…" he said, shrugging and preparing his paperwork with less enthusiasm than usual.

Eliza's hugged him once again. "You're gonna love this! I'll make it the best birthday party you ever had!" she promised.

"You don't have a lot of competition, anyways" commented Alexander, shrugging in her embrace.

"What a man… Cheer up! It's your birthday! Joy, joy!" she said, jumping in excitement as a little child. "Now, come on, have a nice and long day at work. Especially, long"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" said Alexander, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, kids…"

Lafayette was starting to rethink his understanding of friendship when he was unable to reach the cabinets without feeling a horrible pain in his back. Hercules' grumpy face didn't help, neither did his silence while he ate breakfast by his side or the fact that he decided not to shower that morning for not making things worse.

What did help was seeing Laurens humming happily in his way to the bathroom and hearing him singing even more happily while showering. Lafayette didn't even mind that he was going to have to stand a scolding from Hercules about the hot water anyways as Laurens seemed to want to imitate his habit that morning.

"See?" he said, in a whisper. "Happy as a clam"

Hercules rolled his eyes and kept eating his cereal, not wanting to admit he was right. For Lafayette it was enough to know it himself. Alf got out from Laurens' bedroom, dressing up in quite a hurry, and went directly to him, nodding at Hercules. His boyfriend returned the gesture for the sake of good manners.

"I'm leaving already" he whispered, handing the Frenchman a payment terminal.

"Yes, thank you so much" said Lafayette,

He took out his credit card and swiped it in the gadget. Hercules leaned to see the numbers on it, and his eyes grew wide. He almost choked on his milk with cereal as Lafayette passed the object back to Alf, nodding with a polite smile.

"Ninety dollars?!" he screamed once he had coughed and cleared his throat.

"Sssh! John could hear you!" said Lafayette immediately.

"But what the hell? I hope whatever you did to him yesterday in bed lasts him for the rest of his days!" he told Alf, frowning.

"Actually, we didn't do much" admitted Alf, adjusting the neck of his shirt. "He just wanted to cuddle and talk a bit"

"What?" asked Hercules, astonished.

"Poor Johnny, he feels so alone" said Lafayette, concerned. "Thank you for your service, I'm sure he will have a lot more of self-esteem now"

"He better will…"

"Shut up, walking agony…"

"Honestly, I also want him to be happy. He seems like a very nice guy" commented Alf.

"Do nice guys not have a discount?"

"Hercules!"

"What? He charges you ninety bucks and now he wants to act all cool" Hercules hit the table and got up from his seat in one leap. "Come on, get the hell outta here already!" he said, pushing Alf to the front door.

"Don't take it as something personal!" apologised Lafayette, following them. "He has bad morning moods"

"Alright, alright!" said Alf, opening the front door. "I'll go. Don't worry… Laf, say 'hi' to Adrienne on my part"

Hercules looked at his boyfriend with one cocked eyebrow. "What does he mean by that?"

"He's a common friend of Adrienne. She knows him from the time she spent in America. She was the one who suggested him to me when I told her John's problem"

"Ah, so he's your ex's friend and he still makes you pay?"

"Business is business. Pepita needs to eat as well" said Alf, as a matter-of-factly.

"Pepita?"

"His cat" explained Lafayette. "I've got some photos. She's such a cutie!" said Lafayette, going to collect his phone.

Hercules was red in the face by then. "I don't mind how cute she is!"

"What's all this noise?"

They turned their heads to the bathroom door, from which Laurens emerged, already with his hair done and with his shirt half-buttoned up. Laf went to greet him first.

"Johnny, good morning!" he said, hugging him. "We were saying goodbye to your friend"

"Oh, you're leaving so soon?" asked John, a bit sad.

"Yes, I… I've got a call from the hospital"

"Oh, my doctor, always saving lives" said Laurens, blushing slightly. "But you're still coming this afternoon, right?"

"What do you mean this afternoon?" asked Hercules, interrupting Alf, who nodded at his back.

"To Alexander's party" explained John, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, em… Johnny, do you think it will be a good idea?" said Lafayette, while Hercules passed a hand through his face. "I mean, he's your ex…"

"Alex is not the jealous type of guy, he won't mind"

"But maybe Alf does" tried Lafayette one more time, looking at Alf pleadingly.

The man simply shook his head. "Not at all"

"Of course you don't" muttered Hercules.

Lafayette forced a smile. "All settle then"

"Of course! We are very open, were called the Revolutionary Set back in college for something!" said Laurens. He then waved goodbye at Alf. "See you there, we'll drive you there!" he promised.

Alf said goodbye and closed the door, while Hercules threw daggers with the glare at him, and then at the door.

"Isn't he wonderful?" commented Laurens. "We just clicked"

"Yes, nice, Johnny…" said Lafayette, trying to match his enthusiasm.

"And how is he in bed?" asked Hercules, straightforward.

"There he goes, all romanticism as always" complained John. "I'm talking about love, man"

"Well, love… You knew him yesterday" Lafayette quickly said.

"Because he hit my car" added Hercules.

Laurens made a face at his friend. "Really, Hercules, I'll never understand how you got a boyfriend before me, being so materialistic and dull"

"Look, Johnny, don't make me talk, don't make me talk because I could ruin your mood" threatened Hercules.

"Hercules" said Lafayette, serious.

"And jealous as well" said Laurens. "You're gonna end up alone with that attitude" he told him before going to his bedroom, humming happily once again.

"Quelle pagaille, quelle pagaille…" muttered Lafayette, overwhelmed. "He fell head over the heels…!"

Hercules laughed with sarcasm. "It will be a one-night thing, Hercules" he said, trying to imitate his boyfriend's accent. "When am I not right, Hercules?"

"Alright, alright, there's no need to be mocking and cruel!"

"There is, Laf, there is! THERE. FUCKING. IS!"

"Well, let's sort this out" said Lafayette, running to him to be able to whisper and not to be heard. "We'll tell Alf to tell Laurens this afternoon that he cannot be with him because Laurens's too much for someone like him"

"But who is gonna believe that shit? Who is gonna break up with somebody because they admire them too much? It's a nonsense in itself!"

"I'm trying to find a proper way for Alf to break up with John without breaking his heart! He's starting to get back on his feet"

"There's no way to break up with someone in a painless way. A break-up is someone telling you that they don't want to be with you anymore"

"No, not always. Alf saw he was so special that he understands that Laurens has to keep looking until he finds someone who can match his awesomeness"

Hercules looked at him for a moment. "Lafayette, your European fairy-tale gene is showing, and I don't like it one bit! Rent boys can't love!"

"The rent boy will do whatever I tell him, because I hired him for something" retorted Lafayette.

"Yes, because you're fucking crazy!" screamed Hercules, grabbing the keys of the car and opening the front door.

"Where are you going?!"

"I'm going to work!" he informed, putting on a scarf.

"You're still on your pyjamas, Hercules!"

"I don't mind! Nobody is serious in that goddamned office anyways!" he said, closing the door with a thump.

"What a man!" he complained. "Now, to share bus with Aurora*…"

"Are you sure I never told you this story before? How comes? Well, whatever, yes, it did happen: my uncle once beat the hell outa me when I was fourteen, and I ran away from home for two days straight until a forest ranger found me because I accidentally burnt my tent with one of the few candles I ran away with. My uncle again beat the shit out of me once the officers were gone, but it was worth it. He and I know who won that day"

Alexander looked at Aaron, sat at his right drinking his mug of milk with cocoa, while he had his own mug half-way to his mouth, now opened in shock and his brows furrowed. Aaron, as if he had told him nothing at all, kept reading the papers in front of him while taking sips from his drink. Alexander finally managed to remember how to talk correctly.

"But, Aaron, how can you tell me something like that and then act so peacefully? Man, I just sat down!"

Burr frowned. "Jeez, for one day I try to start a conversation. Screw you, last time I try to be talkative with an asshole like you" he said, turning around to give him his back as well as he could, acting offended.

"No, I mean…"

"Here" interrupted Aaron, throwing some paper in front of him. "Read and help me with this. The sooner you do it, the sooner I can ignore you completely"

Alexander took the paper and skimmed it. "When did you have to go meet Prevost again?" he asked.

"Around the final of February, I think. The twenty something, so don't worry" he added with a sympathetic smile towards his workmate.

"Good" nodded Alexander, now with his glasses on and reading the paper more carefully. "Once you know the exact date, tell me"

"Of course. Thank you again"

"Not needed… At the beginning of the month I also have to meet with Jefferson's sister; their lease will be up around that time" he commented.

"Ah"

"Wish yours will come first, honestly" he added, on the quiet.

Aaron threw him another sympathetic smile. "It will turn out fine. Do you want me to go with you?" he offered.

"That will have to be talked with Jefferson. And the less I talk to him, the better"

"But you're his attorney"

"His free attorney" clarified Alexander. "There's a legal vacuum there. I'll talk to him only when it's strictly necessary. And telling him why I need a co-counsel for something as simple as the renovation of a lease, it's not part of one of those moments"

"I think talking about what you're gonna do with his sister and the lease fits into the 'strictly necessary moments', though"

"True" Alexander sighed.

"Hey, didn't you have to work until late today? You could go to his house and talk it out"

"Really, Aaron? You are invited to that party; do you really want to stand me right after I had to endure that man for the whole afternoon?"

Burr shrugged. "Suit yourself… The sooner the better"

"Alright, I promise you that if I see either Jefferson or Madison today, I'll ask them if I can come over"

"Good" said Aaron, with a satisfied smile. "Hey, Alex"

"Yes?"

"Do you know what I just did? I just had a conversation with you. You know, in which you told me one thing and though it had nothing to do with me I still listened respectfully without questioning why you were telling me? Now, that is how you talk to people" he blurted out, turning his back again to him.

"You resentful asshole" said Alexander, frowning and burying his face in the paper he was given.

"Well, is this January the month when you two can't stand each other?"

Alexander looked up, eyes half-closed. Of course, it had to be Madison. He looked over at Aaron, and saw that the man wasn't going to let the chance slide. If he didn't ask Madison right there, Burr would do it for him.

The accountant made his way while coughing to the cupboard. He blew his nose and took a deep breath.

"How does this go?" he asked, taking one pack of pills from the cupboard. "The uneven months you hate each other, and the even months you are best of friends?"

"Better be that way, Alex and I need to do something together on February" joked Aaron.

"What a bright man you are, Dobby…" commented Alexander with sarcasm.

"I'm only asking to orient myself"

"Are you feeling any better?" asked Aaron, now with a hint of concern in his voice.

The accountant simply shrugged. "So, so" he answered, trying to sound as honest as possible.

Aaron waited until he saw Madison swallowing the pill with some water to clear his throat. Alexander frowned at him, while Burr pointed at Madison with the glare, pressuring him. The CFO finally sighed, putting the papers down.

"Madison" Alex called, making him stop in front of the door.

"What?"

"Is Jefferson busy this afternoon?"

"That depends on your definition of 'busy'"

Alex half-closed his eyes. "Don't start with your habit of twisting words. Is he or not?"

"Alexander has to stay working till late, so Eliza and her sisters can prepare his birthday party" explained Aaron, in a gentler tone.

"Write him a whole diary of my day" retorted Alexander.

"You're hassling the poor man. He's sick" defended Aaron.

"What a novelty"

"I think it won't be a problem" Madison cut them off. "But just let me ask him"

And he left after a wave of hand to Aaron, who returned the gesture with a shy smile.

"Why do you have to be so disagreeable with him?" he asked.

"Take it as a life lesson, Aaron: if you doubt my word, we're through" explained Alexander, not raising his glare from the papers.

Words died down Aaron's throat as Hercules made his way into the break room, like a loose bull in a glass store.

"Please, tell me we still have some tilleul tea" he said, looking in every cupboard.

"Sorry, Herc" said Alexander, looking at him with wide eyes of confusion. "Maria hasn't gone to the supermarket yet"

Hercules closed the cupboards noisily and then opened the ones where the medication was, mumbling to himself.

"In that case, I'll take some of Madison's pills. I need to evade myself"

"But what's wrong?" asked Aaron. "And what are you doing on your pyjamas…?" he added, looking at the man up and down, perplexed.

"You don't wanna know" muttered Hercules, between clenched teeth.

Laurens made his way into the room, with the brightest smile he was ever seen with in a long time. "Oh, Alex, here you are! I was looking for you" he said.

"Really? The office is not that big… And everybody is in the first floor" commented Aaron.

"Maybe it has something to do with that goddamned desk that's in front of the staircase…" said Hercules, bitterly.

"Hey, Alex, happy birthday!" said Laurens, hugging his friend and giving him a kiss in each cheek. "Hope you have a wonderful day!"

"I hope that too" said Alexander, laughing a bit when he saw his friend's happiness. "What with that large smile, Jackie?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about" began to say Laurens, scratching the back of his neck, his face blushing. "You see, I met this awesome boy yesterday and I was thinking… if he could come to your party?"

Aaron turned his glare to Hercules when he saw him with eyes closed and both hands clasped in a praying manner, muttering things along the lines of 'please, tell him no, tell him no'. Burr raised one eyebrow. This group has always been so strange, he thought to himself.

"John, I'm so glad for you!" said Alexander, getting up and giving his friend another hug. "Of course you can bring him. I'd love to meet him"

Hercules groaned while Laurens returned the hug with more strength, while squeaking with happiness.

"Thank you so much, Alex!" he said. "See you there, then!" he promised, heading to the door. "I'll be in the pub if someone needs me!" he informed, jumping out of the room with joy.

"It's been so long since I saw him smiling like that!" commented Alexander, with a sincere smile on his face. Aaron returned the gesture.

Hercules did not, his frown deeper than before. "Don't get used to it. It's not gonna last"

"Sweet Lord, Mulligan, be happy for your friend" said Aaron. "Even if they just met, you shouldn't be that negative. Laurens's been down for months, going from failure to failure and as bitter as a lemon"

"You just woke up talkative today, didn't ya?" asked Alexander, taking a seat beside him again.

Aaron looked at him with a frown. "Man, if I talk because I talk! If I don't talk, because I don't talk! I always do the wrong thing according to you!" he complained, getting up and heading to the door.

"Yes, pretend to be upset so you can leave me alone with all the paperwork! It wasn't that obvious, Aaron, don't worry!" shouted Alexander.

Hercules, leaned on the counter and with both arms crossed, rolled his eyes. "Jeez, is this one of the months when you can't stand each other?"

Alexander threw daggers at him. "You too?"

Aaron made his way down the hallway, which shouldn't have been such a long walk as his office was wall to wall with the break room, but he needed some fresh air. Alexander wasn't to blame, in all honesty, but the pressure and the anxiety of the situation was starting to be too much. He couldn't fail Theodosia again, and he couldn't let it all to Alexander after what happened to him that day, it would be very unfair. For not saying, selfish on his part.

He just needed some fresh air, that was all, he'd be as good as new right after.

He ignored the muffled argument that he heard behind Jefferson's door, though it made him trot even faster to the front door, where he found Maria – still using Adams' desk – at the entrance. The receptionist was once again with a few papers scattered all over the desk, though some of them were already filled with some sentences. He said hello to her and Maria returned the greeting with a smile.

Count to ten. Breathe in. Count to ten again. Breathe out. Remember what Theodosia taught you. He told himself, taking in a few breaths. He shivered a little as the temperature that winter was slowly getting lower as the days passed by, and he damned himself for forgetting his coat back in his office. Well, it would only take him a couple of minutes.

"Oh, Burr, here you are!"

Well, maybe even less than that…

Aaron opened his eyes, finding, in front of him, George Washington standing with a large plastic bag that felt very heavy, as the man was holding it with his two hands.

"Good morning, sir" he greeted respectfully.

"Good morning. Were you going to the pub?"

"No, no, I just needed a breather" he immediately explained.

"Ah, it's true, you're one of the only few who truly work in here" George smiled proudly at him. "Are you finished yet?"

"I… Sir, what's that?" he asked, shaking his head with an inquisitive look.

"This is something I bought for you to use today" he explained. "I know how to solve our problem"

"Oh, really?" asked Aaron.

Both men entered the building, saying good mornings to Maria. The girl looked at the bag with a cocked eyebrow, but quickly enough shrugged it off and resumed her writing. Washington seemed pleased for his employees' indifference for once. Aaron offered himself to take his desk out of the way of the staircase, but Washington simply stepped on it and jumped to the other side. Aaron did the same, after a moment of shock. He could feel Hercules and Alexander's glares of confusion in the back of his neck, but tried to ignore them.

A hit was heard from inside Jefferson's closed office, along with the secretary's voice lowering his volume in time, so the rest of the office could not hear what he was saying. Washington simply looked at the wall with an unreadable and unsettling expression.

"We're still energic on a Thursday, huh?" he commented to himself. "I think I should bring the deadline for some paperwork forwards"

Aaron nodded to evade a discussion and followed his boss up the stairs. They walked to the end of the hallway, turning right to face the wall with the crack. Aaron didn't want to look at it too much, in any case it would get worse as the time passed. Washington put the bag on the floor and took a few paint buckets out.

"Mr. President, what is that for?" asked Aaron, with a frown.

"I want you to paint something to cover this" explained Washington, taking a brush out and passing it to his employee.

Aaron took it hesitantly. "What…? But, sir…"

"You made a great job painting that wall downstairs" he complimented, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I hope you do the same here. The sanity of the company and, especially myself, depend on you"

"But, what should I paint?"

"Anything you'd like" Washington shrugged. He patted him on the arm and made his way back. "I'm going to the pub, maybe even ask to Maria where she bought that bracelet she brought to the party back in December, and buy one myself for today" he explained.

Aaron simply looked at him go. He looked at the brush in his hand and then at the buckets. Eventually, he shrugged. Well, painting was one of his favourite things to do and he needed a distraction, anyways…

"But how could you accept without asking me first?"

Thomas rubbed his temples, finally stopping reading the papers of some cases he had to finish for tomorrow after two hours with his eyes glued to the printed words. He had been feeling the beginning of a migraine an hour ago, and the sensation had only got worse as he refused to stop working for five minutes. Now, he really wished he had done a little break of one minute, at least, because the conversation that was about to come was going to be everything but relaxing.

"I didn't accept, I said I was going to ask you" clarified James, blowing his nose for what seemed like the millionth time.

"By saying that, you're implying a probable 'yes'"

"So?"

"So, if now you go and tell him he can't come, he'd ask why not"

"I don't think so, he doesn't seem very thrilled with the idea either"

"He'd ask, anyways"

"And why can't he come? In a few weeks the lease is up, and Lucy has showed no signs of being alive since Hamilton made her give you money"

"Yes, I know. Do you think I've been having headaches for three weeks straight because I love them?" Thomas spat out, resting his forehead against his hand.

"And do you think I fell ill for the sake of it?" talked back Madison, folding his arms. "Your headache was optional; my endless cold is not"

"None of my headaches are ever optional, James. I wish they were!" complained Thomas, returning his glare to the documents.

A bad decision, as a sharp pain ran throughout his forehead, making him to close his eyes while groaning under his breath while he dropped the papers on the desk to use his hand to cover the thumping part.

"You okay?" asked James, frowning concerned.

"Yes" he lied.

"Do you want to go home?" his friend asked once again, clearly not buying his answer but not condemning it either.

Thomas shook his head. "Cold would make it worse… I guess. I don't even know anymore"

"We can't keep going on like this" commented James, his tone now turning a bit harsher. "This is something more than just delayed money, or a broken step. This is our health. You just can't keep enduring headaches, migraines or whatever the hell that is anymore, and I just can't afford falling ill more times than I already do by myself"

"I know, James" said Thomas, resting his elbow on the desk, and, therefore, his aching head, which was getting worse as James kept talking.

"It is a miracle the girls are fine. They sure take after you. I don't know how you are not sneezing and coughing a lung out by now. It is too cold. The house is too cold"

"Yes, I'm the epitome of health, can't you see me?" commented Thomas sarcastically under his breath.

James frowned. "Because you want it to be like that. How many times have I told you to call your sister already? What are you waiting for? For stalactites and stalagmites to appear?"

Thomas huffed. "Gosh, what a big nightmare…" he complained, burying his face into his hands.

"Don't start with the nightmare thing, man. When are you going to call?" demanded James, now a bit offended for his friend's comment.

"I am not"

"You are not?"

"No"

"… And you're going to say it like that?"

"How do you want me to say it? With a dance performance?"

James' felt his cheeks burning for something else than fever. "If you don't want to call her, then, go and tell Hamilton to do it himself"

"No" said Thomas, more dryly than before.

"Why not?" inquired James, with one arm in akimbo.

"Because I say so"

"Oooh, right, the lord and master has spoken, and now the rest will have to fucking put up with it"

"No…"

"I swear to God, your pride will be the end of us all… Thank goodness I am little and slim, because, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to be here, as your pride takes so much space to exist, now I understand why you always lived in big houses, though you were living alone"

"… James, don't go that way" warned Thomas, raising his glare a bit while he massaged his forehead.

"Your pride has even its own ID card and social security number. My gosh… Look, if you don't tell Hamilton, I'll do it"

"No, you won't"

"Try to stop me. Let him call her if you don't want to do so. You let Jay made the fucking phone calls when his ineptitude was part of our lives. You are ashamed of Hamilton, who at least has enough vocabulary to talk and think, but you weren't of that joke of an attorney?"

"It's not that"

"Yes, it's just that as Jay was useless he wasn't a threat"

"Now, you're comparing oranges to apples…"

"Look, I refuse to live in a house with no heater in the middle of January"

Thomas felt his blood boiling inside and he hit the desk with his two hands. "The last thing I needed to hear! If you want to demand things, you pay part of the rent! A person who lives for free in another person's house is nobody to demand things!"

James took a couple of steps closer, fists clenched. "Yes, they are! They are when it's 20 fucking degrees and their house has no heater and their health is frail!"

"I know it's fucking 20 degrees, James, I know it's gonna get even lower with this fucking cold snap that didn't have any better time to come than now! I'm sick of you repeating me the temperature as some kind of parrot who spends his days in front of the Weather Channel!"

"I keep repeating myself because I expect you to finally do something about it! I'm gonna have bronchitis or something worse, man! And you know I don't have them as the rest of the world, it can get me bedridden and with half foot at the other side!"

"Let's see if that's true and you finally leave me at peace for once and for all!" snapped Thomas, unable to control his voice volume.

James gasped and put a hand over his mouth. "What an ugly thing you just said to me… What an ugly thing!" he sniffed, feeling the beginning of tears in the corners of his eyes. "And you just have to tell me that in the morning, so now the rest of my day is disrupted!"

"Sweet Lord! You can't be told anything! I've been standing your stunts for two fucking weeks, your fucking complaints and comments for two weeks straight with my mouth shut, praying that you would take the hint that I don't want to start a fight or even discuss it, but, nothing, you never stop!"

"I've been doing that so you could take the fucking hint and do something already! February is around the corner and you are procrastinating, and it will affect us all! You, me, your daughters! Don't you fucking care!?"

"Of course I fucking care, that's why my damned head's been killing me for almost a month! Goddamn it!"

Thomas had hit the table once again with his two hands and gotten up from his seat in a hurry, causing his vision to be blurrier than a moment before and to fall back on the swivel chair. He hissed in pain as he pressed his hand against his forehead once again and he closed his eyes, trying to even his breath and ignore the nausea that had taken over him. It wasn't long after he felt James' hand rubbing his back. His friend sighed.

"Really, go home. I'll go with you, I'm not at my best here" said James, with a sympathetic look.

Thomas shook his head. "No, I'm fine" he managed to say, clearing his throat in a useless attempt to erase the lump that had decided to block his larynx. "I just need to wet my face, that usually helps" he added, when he felt a bit dizzy.

James nodded and helped him get on his feet. Thank goodness, he was able to stand by himself that time, and could reach the door and stepped out his office without making a fool of himself. He almost bumped into Peggy, who didn't have the best of faces either.

"Gee, Peggy, are you feeling alright?" asked Madison, with a hesitant raised hand a few inches away from her shoulder.

The youngest Schuyler sister shrugged. "Nauseous. I think I'm gonna be sick" she admitted, walking slowly to the staircase.

"That makes two…" commented Madison, looking at Thomas.

"I'm not" said Thomas, stubbornly. "I just need to wet my face"

"Sure…"

Both men looked at their lefts when they heard Peggy whining. When they saw the cause of her complaint, Thomas rolled his eyes in annoyance while Madison simply sighed, resigned.

"What is this doing still here?" asked the secretary, walking directly to the desk in front of the staircase.

"The restrooms are broken" James reminded him.

"You wrote the memo yesterday" commented Hamilton from the breakroom, watching the scene along with Hercules.

Jefferson frowned at the CFO. "You forgot to tell me that Burr was going to set his desk here, so nobody could get upstairs"

"That was not my doing" Alexander defended himself. "Besides, nobody ever goes upstairs. Now everybody wants to or what?"

"I need to go to the restroom"

"Me too" nodded Peggy, taking a seat on the desk.

"Go to the pub" said Hercules. "We were told yesterday. Lafayette went there and he's been there all morning… Along with Laurens"

"And Angelica" added Alexander.

Jefferson wrinkled his nose. "I am not going to get my face wet in a public restroom as some kind of vagabond"

Alexander half-closed his eyes. "As charming as always…"

Jefferson looked at the desk for a moment and then shrugged. He simply leapt on it and then jumped to the other side, mumbling complaints and swearing under his breath. Peggy was left behind, looking at him with a frown.

"I can't do that…"

"What's wrong, Pegs?" asked Alexander, now concerned.

"She wants to vomit" answered Madison, looking at the therapist with empathy.

Alexander didn't lose time in getting up and trotted to his sister-in-law's side, taking one of her hands and rubbing her back.

"Do it in the sink, honey, I'll take care of it" he told her in a soothing tone. Peggy nodded and he guided her into the breakroom. "Was it something you ate? Did you eat at all?" he asked.

Peggy simply shook her head. When they were a few steps away from the sink, she simply put a hand over her mouth and Hercules ran to her side to help her trot to the sink, where she could let it go. Alexander bit his bottom lip and let Hercules help his sister-in-law. He never did good with people throwing up since that day he and his mother fell sick, and though it made him feel useless, he knew it was better if he let Mulligan take care of the situation right now.

Madison made his way to his side, looking at the therapist with understanding eyes. He called the CFO's attention by tapping his arm. Alexander would never admit it aloud, but, right then, he thanked the distraction.

"Hamilton, do you mind if Jefferson and I leave early today?" he asked, a bit uneasy.

Alexander shrugged. "Everybody else simply left, at least you ask for permission…" he commented.

He threw a last glare to Peggy, who was coughing a bit now, and decided to head to the door. He made a gesture with his head to tell Madison to follow him out of the room. The shorter man obliged.

Thomas didn't know if he was glad or not that James didn't follow him upstairs. On one hand, he didn't have to stand his worry. Though it would've been comforting to others, to Thomas, feeling pity, even coming from a friend, always made him feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, if James had decided to let him go to the restroom all by himself after the shameful scene he made at not being able to stand on his own, it meant that he must be telling Hamilton they were leaving.

Yes, undoubtedly the second option was the worst one.

He tried to focus on trying to convince himself he didn't need to go home when his stomach twisted, making him stop at the end of the upstairs. He took a few breaths in and out and could manage to calm his nausea a little bit. He just prayed he wasn't actually sick to his stomach. That would be an excuse for not coming in tomorrow as well, and, right now, Thomas needed the distraction, even if that distraction was a day care disguised as a law office.

He made his way to the men's restroom at the end of the hallway while trying to calm the turmoil that was his mind – and, honestly, failing spectacularly. At least, he had improved in concealing how much he wanted and needed to gasp to get some air to his lungs…

Thomas stopped with his back facing the closed red door, an eyebrow raised as he saw the scene in front of him.

"Burr, what are you doing?"

The aforementioned jumped, a bit startled, not having hearing anyone coming. Yes, he had gotten a lot better in hiding his discomfort since he was a teenager. Burr turned around, his sleeves up till his elbow, his jacket on the floor by some bucket's side and his face a bit painted by small dots it would have been unnoticed by anyone but Thomas, who had the habit of noticing even the littlest details around him.

His eyes focus then on what was on the wall. The recent drawing of a tree was adorning the wall at Burr's back. Oh, yes, this was a day care disguised as a law office, now Thomas had no more doubts.

"Ah, good morning, Jefferson" said Aaron, dropping his right arm to the side. He took a few steps away from the wall and looked at his work. "Do you like it? I've been working on it all morning" he admitted.

Jefferson took a moment to answer. "I… Why? Why did you spend all morning doing this?"

"Washington told me so"

"But why?" insisted Thomas, feeling his headache getting worse when he tried to comprehend what was happening.

Aaron moved a bit uncomfortable at his side. "He wanted to… adorn the office a bit?" he ended the sentence as if it was a question more than a proper answer.

Thomas was too tired – both mentally and physically – to even care anymore. "Whatever… Going home doesn't sound that bad anymore"

And with that, he closed the door with a thump at his back, not sure if wetting his face was going to take his headache away now.

"What is it?" Alexander asked as he opened the door and made way to Madison to walk in first.

"What?" asked James, entering the room and standing right beside the chair that was across from Hamilton's desk.

"Are you feeling worse? You look more feverish than yesterday" Hamilton pointed out.

"I… Well, yes" James gave in, not finding any valuable reasons to deny it.

Hamilton took a seat behind his desk. He opened one drawer and took out a stack of papers. He skimmed them for a moment until he finally found what he was looking for. He put on his glasses and took a pen, starting to write something down.

"Alright. And Jefferson has another headache, right? I felt him a bit dazed" he commented.

"Yes" Madison nodded.

"Okay…" Hamilton sighed, not stopping his writing for one second. "In the end, can I come over your house or not?"

"Yes" Madison nodded once again, now frowning.

"If you feel worse as the day goes by, just call me and I won't go" he commented, glaring up for a brief moment.

"No. And if Jefferson sends you a text telling you not to come, ignore him. You will come" said Madison, as stubborn as ever.

Hamilton raised one eyebrow. "Though ignoring Jefferson is tempting, I won't go if you're not feeling up to it"

"But if you don't come, then we will feel worse"

"What does that mean?" asked Hamilton, putting his pen down slowly.

"Lucy hasn't called or come since you knew her"

"And that is bad? I thought you barely stand her"

"And we do. But she hasn't showed signs of being alive. In all the senses"

"I'm not following you" admitted Hamilton.

"The only thing she has done, among the all you told her to do, is not coming to the house"

Slowly, Hamilton's brow furrowed as much as the man's across him. He dropped his pen and leaned back on his seat, rubbing his temples.

"So, not listening to me is a tradition in this family or…?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"Stubbornness is" spat Madison, looking sideways.

"Has Jefferson tried to call or contact her somehow?"

"No"

Hamilton nodded sarcastically. "Fantastic… Why not?" he asked, feeling his cheeks burning. He wouldn't be surprised if they had started to match Madison's.

"Were you told by him? Neither was I. I tried to convince him to call her, but he refuses. He says he's going to call somebody to fix it, but even the repairer evades our calls, as he's an acquaintance of Lucy"

"Yes, in summary, miss Lucy is the founder and the president of the Club of the Avoiders" Hamilton sighed, deeper and more tired than before. "Do you know who is not part of that club? Me. You should have called me. Or talked to me. You know, between taunt and insult, you could let the issue drop" he began to reprimand.

"I know, I know" Madison stopped him, annoyed by being told off. "I have been trying to make Thomas talk to you, but he doesn't want to"

"He doesn't want to?" echoed Alexander, incredulously. "I am his attorney, Madison. Well, yours"

"Mine as well?" asked Madison, blinking dumbfounded.

"Yes, you two are placed under the same umbrella"

"Ah…"

"Look, if your friend is having trouble talking to me for something else than insulting and disrespecting me, this is not going to end well" said Hamilton, straightforward.

James shook his head to get rid of the initial shock. "I know, but…"

"Tell him" Hamilton interrupted, not concealing how little he cared about what he was about to say. "that he better starts changing the chip. That, or he will have to look for another lawyer. The solution to this problem is easy. Very easy"

"Yes…" Madison lowered his glare. "I don't know what the problem is" he admitted. "With Jay he…"

"Jay?" repeated Alexander. "As John Jay?"

"Yes"

Hamilton inhaled through his nostrils. "Of course… Who else would demand his clients not to bother him after eight pm or before twelve pm?" he commented, shaking his head in disapproval. "Really, if he works better with those pettifoggers, which I totally understand, seeing his shady nature and family, then he is free to go to someone else. I don't have enough time to be losing it with stupid things"

"Hamilton, don't be that extremist" complained James. "Give him time. You two have been at each other's throats since Thomas came back from France. Now you can't demand him to trust you right away"

"No, I'm not asking for either of you to tell me your childhood traumas, or to cry and open up to me, be careful" explained Alexander, leaning on his desk while shaking his index finger. "What I'm asking for you is to act as anybody else does with their respective lawyers. That is calling them when something is wrong. And when I tell a toff to do certain things, because those things are her legal responsibility, and that toff doesn't do them, you should've called me right away, not even a minute after, and tell me 'Alex'… Well, no, that's for friends or closed ones, I don't want either of you to be that to me… You pick up the phone, call me and say 'Hamilton, chihuahua, gremlin', whatever the fuck you want, 'Lucy is leaving us to freeze'. Do you know at what temperature we are?"

"20 degrees" answered Madison, more annoyed with the situation than his deadpanned expression could tell.

"And it's gonna get worse. We're in a cold wave. No wonder why you look like an extra from 'The Walking Dead'"

Madison was startled by how fast and sudden Hamilton had gotten up from his chair and walked towards him, putting a hand on his forehead.

"You're not burning up, but you're warmer than you should be, having taken the medicine an hour ago" Hamilton made his way back to his desk. "How are the girls?"

"They're good. Really" Madison hurried to say. "Just like Jefferson. You know I've always had a frail health, it's not a big of a deal"

"It is not a big of a deal to live in a house with no heater during nights that reach 14 degrees at much?" asked Alexander. "Because for me it is"

"Yes, for me as well but…"

"And you don't even have the immersion heater to be able to take a hot shower, right?" interrupted Alexander for the zillionth time.

"No…"

"So, Jack Frost goes to that house and dies for hypothermia"

"It's not that much…"

"Yes, it is!" Alexander ended up screaming. "It is! A normal person would've called me! Again: if such an easy thing to do seems the world to Jefferson or you, look for another attorney. I am not going to be held responsible for your complexes. If having an orphan bastard immigrant as a lawyer bothers you that much, then look for an American one. Look for another American who went to college with their own money instead of a scholarship, who doesn't allow you to call them after eight fucking pm or before noon!"

"That's not the problem…" James rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure? What is it, then? I was too cruel filling the cupboards and the fridge with food bought with my money? I was too selfish for not asking you for that money back? I was too insensitive when I listened to all the girls had to tell me? I was too mean for offering you a 24/7 service? Tell me what I did so wrong that you didn't want to call me, or to knock on my office door or to stop me in the hallway and tell me 'Hamilton, this is happening'"

James changed his weight from one foot to another repeatedly. Alexander held his glare directly at his eyes for a whole minute in which Madison didn't know how to respond. Finally, Hamilton sighed for the third time since he had come in, and took his eyes away from him. And James allowed himself to sigh, feeling relieved.

"Whatever. It's your life. If you don't care enough to be responsible, I am not going to be it for you" decided Hamilton, moving the papers in front of him as a way to keep his hands and mind busy with something else than the man across him.

James frowned slightly. "It's not that" he said, taking a small step forwards. "It's true we could've talked to you, but we do care"

"Show me, then" spat Alexander, glaring up again. "What day do you have to meet with Lucy?"

"We think some day within the first week of February"

"You think…?" said Hamilton, moving his tongue inside his mouth, clearly annoyed. "Nice, now I'd only have to guess which one of the seven days it would be!" he added, faking a cheerful tone.

"… The first ones who are annoyed by Lucy's behaviour are us" blurted out James.

"It doesn't seem so" said Alexander, with the same venom in his voice.

"Excuse me?" asked James, folding his arms over his chest, offended.

"For what I'm seeing, she could beat you up and you'd still do everything she tells you to do, like two lapdogs. Where are the annoying and stubborn men that made my summer a living hell back in 2015?"

"You resentful gremlin" hissed James, clenching his fists. "It's not the same case!"

"No, it's not, I agree" nodded Hamilton. "I was only workmate with an idea you didn't like; that woman is just trying to take his daughters away from him and asking you for way more money than you owe her. How am I going to compare?"

"The woman is also her sister, her landlady!"

"And I am his lawyer, for your own petition! And I'm the last fucking person who knows what the hell is going own in this story! Do you think that has any sense at all?"

"If you don't know the full story, then, don't judge!"

"I am not judging, I am asking you to tell me the basic so I can do my work!"

"Your work is to be quiet and do as we say, not taking the mickey out of us at each chance you get!" exploded James. "No wonder why you had to quit, I'm sure nobody wanted your services with that arrogant attitude!" he added, heading straight to the door.

"But look who's talking about arrogant attitude! Look at your reflection from time to time, Madison, I swear you would stop criticising people!" shouted back Alexander, getting up from his seat.

James swung the door open and looked back one last time. "You should be grateful to us; you've been rotting in here writing document after document!"

Hamilton felt his cheeks burning right then. "I should be grateful? You fucking, self-centred assholes! You're made for each other!"

James' response had never a chance to be spoken as Hamilton took the pen holder and threw it at him, making a few pens and pencils to fly and fall in the way. James closed the door almost on time, feeling the bump the pen holder did as it hit the door. Madison coughed a bit, feeling a sore throat for the screaming and the beginning of a headache.

"You made him angry already?"

James turned around, seeing Thomas, a few less pale than before, but still with a tired expression on his face, standing right in front of his office door.

"It was your fault" spat James.

Thomas rolled his eyes, ignoring the pain that action made him feel. "As everything else, according to you"

"Take our things and let's go home" said James, resting his back against the wall.

Thomas sighed and obliged, feeling slightly concerned that he wasn't hearing Hamilton swearing at the other side of his office wall.

Some notes because writing nasty remarks right is difficult in English...

"And still, she does more around here that you on your own house*": Jefferson is hinting that is Abigail the one wearing the pants in the Adams' house, and so underrating Adams.

"I'm sorry if you haven't had the normal mentor a child must have to confront life with no companion by your side, Jefferson, but I'd advise you to keep your personal problems at the front door before coming in to work*": Adams is teasing Jefferson about the bad relationship he had with his mother, and how Martha Jefferson was a substitue of Jane (Thomas' mother) instead of a wife, calling him emotional dependant, thus weak.

"At least, if you're going to keep on showing off how little it cost you to be straightforward, that is…*": Adams is complaining about how Jefferson boasts about traits he doesn't have.

"No, Jefferson, I am the one who is sorry; it must be really difficult to be so weak that you, every day, need to pick different victims to fool yourself into thinking you're actually strong" Aaron felt Adams giving Alexander a sideways glance*: Adams was hinting that the only reason Jefferson argues with Alexander so much is because he feels inferior, as Alexander is Washington's right-hand man and has a higher position in the company.

"I freely assume you are becoming more and more aware of this as more lonely days pass you by": Adams is throwing salt into an open wound, bringing up the fact that Jefferson's friends didn't help him or didn't want to know anything about his situation once he was deep in debt (with the exception of Lafayette and Madison).

"Now to share bus with Aurora": The Sleeping Beauty, aka, the princess who falls in love easily and daydream.