One afternoon, it was just Eliza, Hamilton and Laurens in HQ. The three of them were silently getting on with their work when Lafayette burst in, "You'll never guess what I've just heard!" he exclaimed,

"What?" Laurens asked, not sounding anywhere near as excited as Lafayette.

Lafayette smiled at Laurens and walked over to perch on the edge of Laurens' desk, "There is a ball going on in town tonight. We should go, get a drink, meet some ladies…" Lafayette wiggled his eyebrows at Laurens who just rolled his eyes. Lafayette huffed and turned to Eliza, "What do you say Schuyler? Want to come and have some fun?"

"Oh, erm, well, I'm not sure-"

"Come on!" Lafayette exclaimed. He jumped off Laurens' desk and slung his arm around Eliza's shoulder, "What's there not to enjoy? A party? A night off?" Lafayette turned to look at Laurens and Hamilton, "You two are coming right?"

Laurens sighed dramatically, "I suppose," he said with a grin,

"Alex?"

To Eliza's surprise, Hamilton grinned at Lafayette and said, "Wouldn't miss it for the world,"

"See Schuyler, you have to come, John is coming, Alex is coming, Herc is coming,"

"OK, I'll come,"

Lafayette slapped Eliza on the shoulder, "Excellent!" He cried, "I will see you tonight."

-x-

That night, the five of them made their way into town to the ball. It seemed just like every other ball Eliza had been to; girls standing in pretty dresses hoping to be asked to dance and boys trying to pluck up the courage to ask them. It was only then that Eliza realised that she would probably have to ask somebody to dance before the night was up.

The moment they walked into the ballroom Lafayette and Mulligan approached the nearest group of girls and started chatting.

"Let's go get a drink," Hamilton suggested,

"Agreed," Laurens said.

Eliza nodded and followed the two of them over to the bar, however, before they could grab a drink Lafayette and Mulligan came running back over to them, dragging a poor girl with them,

"Elijah!" Mulligan shouted, "Look who we ran into!" he pushed the girl with them forward,

"Peggy!" Eliza cried,

"Hi,"

Eliza pulled her sister into a tight hug, not caring that the boys were watching them,

"We were introducing ourselves and she said her name was Peggy Schuyler and-"

"-and we asked if she was Elijah's sister-"

"-and she demanded to see you!"

"Thank you!" Eliza cried, as she broke the hug between herself and Peggy. She looked at her friends, all eagerly looking at her and Peggy, "Me and Peggy are going to go and catch up outside, I'll catch up with you guys later," Eliza grabbed Peggy's hand and lead her out of the back of the hall.

The moment they were outside, Peggy threw her arms around Eliza again, "Eliza!" she cried, "I've missed you so much! I know you write all the time, but letters just aren't the same,"

Eliza smiled at Peggy, she hadn't realised quite how much she'd missed her sister until she was physically in front of her, "I've missed you too,"

Eliza led Peggy over to a fallen tree and the two of them sat down,

"How's…how's everything?"

Peggy laughed weakly, "Oh everything's just great. I finally told Angelica where you are,"

"How did that go?"

"She's scared for you,"

"I just did what I thought she'd do,"

"I think you went above and beyond what Angelica would do,"

Eliza looked down at her hands in her lap, "What about Dad?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Peggy smiled, she could obviously tell what Eliza was trying to do, but she let it slide, "I don't think he's angry you left any more. I think he was just scared, although I still have to remind him on a regular basic that you will get arrested if you get found out. It's the only thing stopping him from marching down here and bringing you home,"

Eliza nodded, "And how…how is he?"

"He's been taking his medication. I think it's helping with the pain, but you know how he is, he doesn't talk about that stuff with me. I'm not going to lie Eliza, he's not great but he's no worse than when you left,"

Eliza rested her head on Peggy's shoulder, "I've missed you so much," she said, "Some days the thought of you, Daddy and Angelica are the only things that keep me going,"

Peggy took hold of Eliza's hand, "Look at me telling you how we all are when the much more important question is how are you?"

"I'm fine Peggy, I really am. General Washington had made me one of his aide-de-camps, along with Laurens and Hamilton, the two men I was standing with,"

"And what about the other two men, the ones that found me, Laf and Herc was it?"

"Yeah, Lafayette and Mulligan. They're not aides but they are my friends. Mulligan was my instructor during training,"

"They tried to hit on me,"

"Yeah, that sounds about right. Did you turn them down?"

"Well, I think they forgot about it when they found out who I was," Peggy smiled at Eliza, "I'm glad you have friends. It's good to know somebody out there has your back. They do have your back, right?"

"I believe so, yes,"

"And none of them have any idea…?"

Eliza frowned, "Any idea about what?"

Peggy stared at Eliza, "That you're a girl Eliza, that your name isn't Elijah and that you disguised yourself as a boy to get into the army!"

"You did what‽"

Eliza and Peggy spun around to see Alexander Hamilton standing there in shock in the leaves behind them,

"You did what?" Alex said again, this time much more quietly.

Eliza jumped up off the log they'd been sitting on, "Peggy, go back inside, I need to talk to Alexander,"

Peggy searched her sister's eyes for a moment before nodding and running back into the ballroom.

Eliza stepped over the log so that she was standing directly in front of Hamilton; she hoped that her fear was not written plainly across her face,

"You're a girl" Hamilton stated,

"Please don't tell anyone,"

"You're not even going to try and deny it!" Hamilton exclaimed, "You lied to us! We were your friends Eli- Schuyler! And you've just been lying to our faces the entire time!"

"I had to lie!" Eliza snapped back, "They would never have let a woman join the army. They would rather have my father, who can barely walk, than have me. So yes, I lied to everyone, so I could keep my family safe!"

"But why did you lie to us?" Alex asked, "We were friends,"

"Oh yes, in the middle of dinner I was meant to just turn to the four of you and say, 'by the way, I'm actually a girl and Elijah isn't my real name, it's actually Eliza!' That would never have worked,"

Alex looked down at his feet, "You could have told us," he said, softly,

"No, I couldn't. I will get arrested and thrown in prison if I get found out,"

Hamilton stared at Eliza for a second, "I won't turn you in,"

Eliza's eyes widened in shock before she broke out into a grin, "Thank you!" she cried as she threw her arms around Alex's neck, "Oh, thank you so much,"

Alex gently pushed Eliza off him, "But you should tell the other three,"

Eliza's face fell, "No! I can't,"

"They won't turn you in either,"

Eliza shook her head, "No, I can't risk it, I just can't,"

Alex looked at her sadly,

"Please don't tell them," Eliza pleaded,

Hamilton was silent for a second before he let out a large sigh, "OK," he said, "I won't tell them,"

"Do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise,"

Eliza let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

Alex took a step back and smiled at her, "Well, Miss Schuyler, it's a pleasure to meet you," he held out his hand and Eliza shook it,

"Eliza. Eliza Schuyler,"

"Alexander Hamilton."