Eliza was lying on her bed looking at the ceiling. Ever since she'd gotten home, she didn't know what to do with herself, at camp there had always been something to do but here… here, nobody expected anything of her, and she didn't know how to cope with that. She knew her sisters were worried about her too, they thought they were being subtle but Eliza noticed the looks on Peggy and Angelica's faces whenever they looked at her, and the concerned glances they shared when they thought Eliza wasn't looking.

Eliza was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of somebody knocking at the front door,

"Can somebody get that please?" Mrs Hurst shouted up the stairs.

Eliza got to her feet and walked out of her room. She reached the top of the stairs just as Angelica reached the front door and answered it.

"Who are you?" Angelica asked the person on the doorstep. Eliza turned to go back upstairs but the person's response stopped her,

"My name is Alexander Hamilton,"

Angelica drew herself up to her full height, "You got my sister shot,"

Eliza could hear Angelica's eyes narrow,

"I know. I'm sorry," Alex stuttered, "I didn't mean or want that to happen. I just want to see how she is and apologise to her,"

Eliza made her way down the stairs and walked over to the door, deciding to take pity on Alex, and rescue him from Angelica.

"Alex," she said, stepping out in front of Angelica. Alex's eyes softened as soon as he saw her,

"Eliza," he breathed.

Angelica looked between the two of them with a raised eyebrow, "I'll leave you two to it," she said before heading back inside.

The two of them gazed at each other in silence until they'd heard Angelica go off upstairs,

"How are you?" Alex asked, the moment the two of them were alone,

"I'm fine,"

"Really?"

"Really. I'm fine, there's going to be a scar but that's it. Doctor Hall is very good at his job,"

Alex reached out and gently brushed his fingers over Eliza's hip, where the scar would be under her dress,

"You're really Ok?"

"Yes,"

"I'm still sorry. You got hurt because of me and I don't think I can ever forgive myself for that,"

Eliza quietly reached out and took hold of Alex's hand, "Do you want to go for a walk?"

Alex glanced around, as if only now realising that they were still standing on the doorstep of the Schuyler house,

"OK. That would be nice,"

"Let me just get my coat."

-x-

The two of them walked arm in arm down the street in comfortable silence. A few people glanced over at them, and Eliza was sure the two of them would be the gossip of the town within a few days. Eliza used to listen to the town gossip with great interest but now she couldn't help but think of it all as incredibly petty.

"You look very nice," Alex said as they turned into the entrance to a park,

"Thank you,"

"I've never seen you in a dress before. Before now I've only ever seen you in uniform. It suits you, not that the uniform doesn't of course, but this is…different. No! I mean-"

"I know," Eliza smiled at him as she led him over to a duck pond, "How are the others?" she asked, "Hall told me nobody else got injured in the fight but neither he nor Washington would tell me anything else,"

"They're fine. They've been a bit subdued recently,"

"Because of me?"

Alex sighed and looked down at his feet,

Eliza squeezed Alex's hand, "It's Ok," she said, "You don't have to pretend they're not angry at me,"

Alex smiled slightly, "If it makes you feel any better, they're also mad at me,"

"Why are they mad at you‽" Eliza cried indignantly, "You didn't do anything wrong,"

Alex shrugged, "They're angry I didn't tell them about you, they get why, but they still feel betrayed by it,"

"I'm sorry, I never meant for you to lose your friends. I didn't mean for any of this to happen,"

"I know. And I haven't lost them. They'll get over it, and they'll forgive you too, they just need a bit of time,"

"And what about Washington? Is he angry too?"

Alex shook his head, "No, he gets why you did it. He's been remarkably calm about the entire thing. He wasn't even angry when I burst into HQ saying you should be allowed to stay,"

Eliza's eyes widened in shock, "You did what‽" she cried,

"I told Washington that you'd saved my life, that you were an asset to the army, and that he would be a fool to let you go,"

Eliza raised her eyebrow at Alex, "You called General George Washington a fool?" She said incredulously,

"I think he agreed with me, at least on some level, but I think he couldn't risk anyone else finding out. Although, Laf, Herc and John can keep a secret and I'm sure Hall could be persuaded to, and I have already proved that I can, so, I don't know what his problem was really,"

Eliza stopped walking and turned to pull Alex into a hug, "Thank you," she said, "Thank you for trying, it means so much to me." The two of them parted and they stared at each other for a second. Looking into Alex's eyes, it was like the rest of the world seemed to fade away, and for a split second it was as if it was only the two of them in the park.

Eliza signed and shook her head, "We need to talk about this,"

"Do we?" Alex said, not even bothering to try and pretend he didn't know what Eliza was talking about.

Eliza smiled sadly at Alex and led him over to a nearby bench,

"We-"

"I know," Alex looked down at his feet, "We can't do this,"

"We couldn't do it before, but everything has changed now,"

Alex gently took Eliza's hands in his, "And yet, everything is still the same," he said sadly, "I get it. You're Elizabeth Schuyler, daughter of Philip Schuyler, and I'm a bastard orphan secretary,"

"You're a Lieutenant Colonel in the continental army and besides, if you are just a secretary then that's all I was too,"

Alex sighed, "Please don't argue with me Eliza, we can't do this. You know we can't do this,"

"No, I don't!"

"Eliza, you took a bullet for me, I can never repay you for that. I can't live with the knowledge that you would do that for me and that's all I think about when I see you,"

"And that means we can't do this?"

Alex nodded firmly, "It does. Maybe in another lifetime," he said as he stood up. He leant forward and gently kissed Eliza's cheek, "Goodbye Eliza Schuyler,"

Eliza felt a tear start to roll down her cheek as Alex started to walk away, "Alex!"

He turned and smiled sadly at her, "I hope we meet again one day," With that Alex walked off leaving Eliza alone in the park.