"Darling, what is that?" Alex murmured into my neck, his warm breath tickling me awake. I took a deep breath, my eyes opening to darkness emanating from the bedroom window. Why is he up so late?
"What's wha-" I started, but a loud knock echoing from the front door interrupted me. I quickly sat up, throwing the blankets off us and darting to the bedroom door.
Alex stumbled after me, and we quietly snuck down the hall to Herc and Eliza's room. I gently rapped on the door, relieved to hear them getting up. We need to be ready for anything.
"Guys? What's wrong?" Hercules opened the door, tiredly leaning on the doorframe, Eliza shuffling over beside him.
"Someone is at the door. And they're not being discrete about it." Alex yawned, shaking his head to wake himself up more.
Herc's eyes widened, and he gestured for Eliza to stay in the room, which she understood immediately. He stepped into the hall, and she shut the door. The three of us, all still clad in our pajamas, lined up against the wall and stealthily slid along it until coming to the staircase.
Alex gestured for him to go first, and me to follow, while Hercules would go down the opposite side of the stairs and hide beside the front door. We executed our moves, with Herc ending up next to the door and Alex and I crouched on the other side. We all froze as we heard a deep sigh, and three more heavy-handed knocks were laid against the wooden barrier.
"I heard you all moving, you idiots." Angelicas voice stated, her agitated tone making us laugh.
Herc straightened up and quickly swung the door open to reveal a very relieved, and very pissed Schuyler sister.
"Miss me?" She quirked an eyebrow as we watched her confidently step into the house.
I spoke first, voicing everyone's thoughts. "Of course, Ange, but… Why are you here? I mean, I know you're here because Eliza told us you both came to find us, but why? We're soldiers, Ange, we can take care of ourselves."
She humphed at that, but before she could answer, another voice rung out. "Angelica! I told you I'd be fine coming on my own, you should've stayed in the inn."
Eliza stood with a playful glare and crossed arms, and Ange copied her stance before the two broke into giggles.
"Honestly, love, I knew you'd be fine but I needed to see the boys." She turned away from her sister to sigh at Hercules. "And talk to Hercules."
Eliza tilted her head at that, but said nothing. Hercules, however, looked like a deer caught in a forest fire. His deep chocolate eyes went wide, but he didn't protest when Angelica waved him into the other room. While they went to speak alone, Eliza stood with Alex and me in the kitchen.
"What's that about?" I questioned her, as we all sat at the small round table.
She shrugged, worriedly glancing towards the doorway. "I'm not sure, but that was her serious voice. She only uses that when she has a super strong opinion about how something should go."
"She's probably just worried about what Herc is getting you into, 'Liza, it's her job as a big sister." Alex piped in, resting his elbows on the table surface.
"Maybe so, but she'd usually just scold him in front of you guys." She wrinkled her nose in confusion. "I wonder what they're talking about."
"Eliza." Hercules had come back, and stood in the door frame with a somber look.
"Dear? What's wrong?" She rose from her seat, going to take his hands in hers. He squeezed her hands in reassurance before taking a deep breath and replying.
"I'm taking you home." Eliza's eyes widened at his words. "And I'm going to stay with you. I'm done, love, I'm not staying here."
"Wha—Are you sure? It's your brother, Hercules, I completely understand if—"
"No, you're more important than my dead brother. You're still alive, I can still protect you and love you." Herc quietly said to her. "We're going home, Eliza."
"I'm going to take you home on a ship run by an old friend of dad, I'll be heading back to London as soon as you two settle in." Ange added, turning from the group to head to the front door.
"So that's it? You just show up and take him?" Alex uttered, his righteousness getting the best of him. He gritted his teeth as he stood from his chair, watching Ange's back.
Angelica spun on him, her anger flaring up at his unprompted outburst. She took two long steps to him, stopping a few inches from his face. "I'm taking them, no arguments, because this is a stupidly dangerous situation and I won't let my sister lose another man she loves."
Alex's breath hitched, and he lowered his head. He slowly nodded at her and she raised her chin in victory. Eliza and Herc had been watching from beside the kitchen's doorway, and they each threw little waves to us.
"We'll write, and be sure to come home to us safely, okay?" Eliza softly asked of us. Alex and I quietly agreed with a nod of our heads.
Ange went to the door and opened it, looking into the black of the night before waving Hercules and Eliza over.
The two lovers looked at us with small smiles, smiles full of hope that we'd come home alive, and they followed the eldest Schuyler sister through the door.
It shut with a soft click and it was then that the situation hit Alex and me. We're alone, just the two of us, in a strange town. With a barrel full of skin. With a murderer out there.
And with that thought, we too had small smiles full of hope that we'd get home alive.
/
After the trio had left and we realized it was still the middle of the night, Alex and I went back to bed. It took a bit to fall asleep, what after the whole 'Ange is taking our strongest helper and his girl back to New York', but we eventually passed out in each other's arms.
Waking up the morning after that whole debacle was strange; not hearing Herc and Eliza laughing with each other, or cooking together. It gave a sense of loneliness, even though Alex and I still had each other.
"What're we going to do now that he's gone? Herc knew most of Hugh's friends, and this town. He was like our person to ask about stuff." Alex started, grabbing two apples from one of the kitchen cabinets. "Where do we even go from here?"
"I'm not sure, Alex, I guess we find someone else to help us." I suggested, filling a glass with water.
"Why don't we head into town today, then?" He sat at the table, and I took a spot across from him. "Scope the people out, see if there's anyone reliable enough and sketchy enough to help two strangers with a murder scene in their basement."
"Okay, joking about the basement situation isn't helping." I lightly chuckled, reaching over and holding his free hand. He passed me one of the apples and then grabbed his own off the table. He brought his apple up to his mouth, taking a huge bite before speaking.
"I jush think we should find shomeone shoon." He said through a mouthful. I amusedly nodded, considering how we could find someone willing to discretely deal with our… predicament.
"Then it's decided." I declared, raising my apple to Alex. "We head into town this afternoon to find a new revolutionary to help."
And with that, we ate.
A/N: Holy hell, hey, guys. Crazy last few months, uh, completely couldn't write due to a lot of factors but hey! I'm back! I'm working full-force on this story now, and hopefully gonna update some of my other chapter stories this summer. Thanks for being so patient, and thank you for all the reviews! They definitely helped me a lot. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review!:D