"I have all of his things in here, and his dietary schedule-'
"Jefferson, we will be fine, now leave, before Maddison drives off without you."
Pressing a quick kiss to Alex's head, Jefferson handed the boy off to Laurens before ducking out the door, pretending to catch a sloppy kiss the toddler blew at him. Chuckling at the uncharacteristic antics of the politician, John closed the door, and wiped away Alex's drool as he lead him into the living room, where Lafayette and Hercules had finished arranging a play area.
"It's looking good; you guys did an awesome job!"
Grinning at Alex, Hercules murmured a thank-you as he swooped in and lifted the boy up into the air, making him 'fly' to Lafayette, Alex gasping in delight as he was placed on the tall-man's shoulders, nestling into the voluminous and soft hair.
"Now that we've got that sorted for tomorrow, how about we spend the rest of the day at the park?"
Looking up at John from where he was curled over Lafayette's head, Alex looked up hopefully, eyes glistening in excitement as he started bouncing silently, his arms flailing. Catching them and pulling him down, Hercules laughed at the toddler's excitement, holding him steading as John caught kicking feet and strapped his shoes on,
"But there are rules;"
Stopping short, Alex cocked his head, nervously looking up at the 3 men in hesitant curiosity.
"You've gotta promise us you won't go out of sight, and when we call, you need to come straight back to where we've set up the picnic,"
"Picn'c?!"
Rolling his eyes as Alex perked up again, Lafayette tickled the child until he promised to listen to the rules, his pledge interrupted intermittently with giggles.
Alexander laughed openly at Lafayette's and Hercules' antics as they swapped the sandwich plate with the cake plate repeatedly, their playful debate just loud enough to be heard from the playground, where he was hiding, coyly looking back at John who grinned widely and gave him a questioning thumbs up, Alex flashed a quick thumb up in return, before getting dragged back into which game the children were playing.
"John! Tell Hercules the cheese in the sandwiches will go sweaty if we leave it in the sun—
"Well tell Laf that the icing will melt if the cupcakes go there instead—
"Softened icing is nice you Meathead!"
Laughing at the petty insults, John watched the argument volley between the 2 men, the language getting increasing more embellished until finally lunch had been set up, a compromise having been reached.
"Do you wanna go get Alex, John?"
Slowly getting up from the blanket, John nodded, a sinking feeling making its way into his chest as he walked closer to the playground, not one hiding spot yielding the toddler he was seeking. Walking up to the group of children, he crouched down to speak to a little girl,
"Hi sweetie, I was looking for my little boy; He was playing with you guys?"
Pointing a drool-covered fist in the direction of some heavy tree cover, the girl gestured shyly,
"He went w'th the man"
A sharp whip of panic struck John as he carefully asked more,
"What man sweetie?"
"Tha man who was his mum's fr'nd"
Throwing a thanks over his shoulder as the girl resumed playing, John sprinted back to Lafayette and Hercules as they sat up from where they sprawled;
"He's been taken by a man who said he was friends with his mum and we should have told him not to go off with strangers and of course he'd want to go back to his mother and if I had –
"JOHN, calm down mon ami, we will find him, I am messaging Georgie now, he will be found soon."
"S-sir, I want 'Lafay"
The grip around his wrist tightened further as Alex pulled weakly against it. When the man had approached him he had been so sure that he would see Mama again, because he loved Thoma, and Maddi, and Herculé and Jean and Lafay, and the ladies with their big billowing skirts and soft hair, but no one had told him where mama was and for her to be home for lunch was such a treat that when the man had offered, of course Alex had followed!
He was starting to regret it now, his wrist aching and shins stinging from where he'd been dragged a little after losing his footing, but sure that the man hadn't heard him the first time, he opened his mouth to shriek;
"SIR, I WANT LAFAY."
"shut up you brat!"
Breathe hitching at the harsh response, Alex shut his mouth, anger slowly mounting, his tiny body tensing as his anger peaked, because he just wanted to see Lafay again.
The man holding his hand bellowed loudly and released his grip in shock as Alex buried his teeth into the large hand that was a vice around his own. Staring at the adult as he hunched over in pain with wide eyes, Alex shook himself and promptly turned and sprinted through undergrowth, twigs whipping into his face as he ducked through bushes, the pounding of his pursuers footsteps melting into the thump of his heart in his head, keeping him running until his tiny body lost all breathe and he curled up into a ball within the dead leaves that piled around him.
"JOHN!"
The 3 anxious men turned around to see Washington, Jefferson and Maddison stride to the playground, some Whitehouse security guards following up behind them.
"He was taken into the forest, roughly from there,"
Laurens gestured towards where the girl had indicted, his finger pointing directly at a hooded-man as he emerged from the forest, shaking out his hand.
John gaped at the man for a second before gesticulating wildly at the figure,
"I saw – He was… Alexander!"
George glared darkly at the man, nodding at his security and following them at a sedate pace as they strode up and seized him.
"The boy, where is he?"
Looked confused, the man pulled at arms restricting him in a futile effort, looking more panicked as the men flocked him.
"I don't know—"
Jefferson scanned the man as he spoke, interrupting his protests as he pulled yanked open the stranger's fist, bearing small teeth marks. Pulling it higher to show to the surrounding men, Jefferson levelled a glare at the man, conveying all possible threats in a deadly glance.
"I really don't! He ran!"
Indicating that his men give the offender to the police gathering at the edge of the park, Washington turned around to confer with his men;
"We partner up. Thomas & James, Hercules & John, Gilbert you're with me. We'll each cover a third of its width, text immediately if you find him."
Bearing forward into the tree cover, the search began.
It was George who heard the noise first, straightening an arm in front of Lafayette to stop the man.
"Do you here that?"
The ruffling of leaves filled the silence, and as the breeze faded, the quietest sniff broke through the silence. Both men raced over to the bush, Lafayette being the first to hesitantly call out;
"Alexandré, mon petite lion, you are safe to come out, we are here now."
Suddenly a warm weight was curled into Lafayette's jacket as he stumbled back into George, instinctively cradling the boy against him.
"Shhh, shh, you're okay now, we've got you."
Looking up from his phone, George smiled gently at his tiny Treasury Secretary,
"C'mon Alexander, I hear there's a picnic just waiting for you,"
"If the cheese hasn't gone soggy"
Lafayette's murmured remark coaxed a small giggle from the toddler in his arms, who looked up intently at the Frenchman.
"What is it, Alex?"
The boy stared a little longer before reaching up to entwine his fingers in the mane of Lafayette's ponytail.
"I J'st, missed you a l't Lafay'."
