(Y/N POV)

An hour had passed, the hour it had taken to calm Emily. Philip had knocked at the door earlier to check that we were alright, having heard the screams. I reassured him and, just as I had with Frances and Angelica, sent him downstairs to Alexander and Eliza.

Additionally within that hour came the arrival of Marquis de Lafayette. I did not entirely wish to greet him for I didn't know how to act. He was a friend that I had initially forgotten about, a man that I only knew from a musical. I couldn't consider him a friend now. He was quite simply the friend of Alexander, nothing more than that. It pained me.

Emily didn't like books, so I could not provide her with one to read. I didn't have to ask and already knew from her nature that she would not come down to meet him, thus giving her her phone. We found surprisingly that we still had them stored in our school blazers and that they had not been removed in the events of undressing us into more comfortable clothing back in London. I wanted to thank thank, but of course, he would not understand.

The phones didn't work all too well. Obviously, there was no signal, let alone Wi-Fi, so all we had were games that we'd downloaded before coming here. We'd kept the brightness of our screens on the lowest setting to ensure that the battery would not deteriorate as quickly. Besides, we had no way to charge them, so as soon as they were dead, they could never turn back on. This seemed like a dire moment, however, and I wanted to give Emily some form of simple entertainment, even if it was an awful Tetris game I downloaded just to try it out.

Just as I was about to make a turn downstairs, I recognised Junior sat with his arms folded at the very stop of the staircase.

'What's wrong?' I came and sat beside him.

'Why is there a Frenchman here?' he asked innocently. 'I thought we were going to go and see the fireworks.'

I smiled. 'We're still going to see the fireworks, it's just that he may be coming with us.'

'But why? I don't want him there.'

'You're not scared of him, are you?'

'No!' he exclaimed at my remark.

I laughed and wrapped my arms around him. For once, he put his hands upon mine.

'They were talking about you,' he admitted. 'I think he wants to see you.'

'Does he now?' I grumbled. Fantastic, he probably knew. 'I suppose I'll go and see him, then.'

I planted a kiss on his head and strolled halfway down the stairs before noticing that he hadn't budged. 'Aren't you coming?' 

He shook his head. 'I'll wait for James to wake up.'

As much as Junior expressed utter hatred for his little brother, there was no doubting that he loved him. I continued in and took a deep breath outside of the closed door to the sitting room. I didn't know what he would say, but I didn't expect it to comfort me in any way. I turned the handle and made my entrance.

'Y/N, my dear!' Alexander proclaimed. He stood to his feet, along with the man himself. 'May I present to you Monsieur Lafayette,' he said in a sing-song voice.

Eliza was the only other person present, giving me the assumption that Philip, Frances and Angelica were in the playroom. Betsey and Bonnie were, most likely, locked outside in the garden. I came up to Lafayette who could not stop staring. His eyes conveyed a mixture of shock and fascination.

'Madmoiselle.' Lafayette bowed at last and a smirk arose. 'It has been a while.'

'...Has it?' I murmured.

Alexander and Lafayette chuckled, meanwhile I stood there awkwardly, having thought of no better response.

Eliza tapped the couch. 'Come have a seat, Y/N.'

As I took my place beside her, Alexander began to speak. 'You need not to fear, Y/N. He is more than trustworthy to know.'

That only made me more fearful.

'We were once comrades in war, Madmoiselle,' Lafayette stated. 'You were Captain Charlie Miller, the greatest soldier there was.'

I gulped, unsure what to say with my lack of memory. '...Ah...'

'You do remember your service, yes?'

'Uh... Vaguely...'

Trying to prompt me to engage, Alexander intruded. 'Such as?'

I'd almost scowled at him but held it back. 'I- uh- I cross-dressed to enter the war, I- you know- shot... people. Did war things...'

Lafayette nodded respectfully whilst Alexander faced down baring a look of pure confusion.

'None to worry.' - Lafayette leaned forwards and smiled - 'We shan't worry about that, not today. Though I suppose that I will have to become accustomed to Miss Y/N L/N instead of Miss Sophie Hamilton. Mind you, you played it off quite well, and for what, fourteen or so years?'

'Thirteen and ten months, to be exact,' corrected Alexander.

'There there, Hamilton, no need to brag,' Lafayette chortled.

Eliza stood up. 'I should really wake James.'

'Ah, yes, I am yet to meet him. Going like a rabbit, are we, Hamilton?'

He was immediately shushed by Eliza. 'There are child ears!'

'Come now, if I once knew S- Y/N then I know that the lady is more than capable of taking a harmless joke!' He glanced at me. 'Isn't that so?'

A grin creeped around the corner of my mouth. 'I suppose it is.'

~

°~9:26p.m.~°

All of the children - except for James - sat to the side on a bench. Philip played I Spy with Angelica, who was almost asleep on his shoulder. I had taught them the game for if they ever became bored as it was one that Mum always played with us as kids. Frances kicked her legs on the air as they dangled off of the bench And Junior sat with his arms crossed, giving a loud sigh every ten seconds or so for attention.

Emily was attached to my arm for there were hardly any other children here besides ourselves. It was a risky task for the both of us to be out in a public event with the Hamiltons, yes, but tonight was one for celebration and they would not hesitate to let us join in. Eliza had even said that we were 'like daughters' to her, and I will confess that I blushed at the comment.

'Maybe you could be productive,' I suggested, 'a game that'll get you moving?'

'I don't want to!' argued Junior. 'I'm tired and I want to go home!'

'We're playing a game, Y/N,' Philip informed me. He turned to Junior. 'You know you can join in, you just have to ask.'

'I'm alright, Phil, I'm having fun,' Frances chirped, still swinging her legs.

'I don't want to!!' Junior repeated. 'I want to see the fireworks and then I want to sleep!'

Philip scoffed.

'They'll be on soon, Junior,' comforted Emily.

From behind us, Alexander and Eliza marched over. James toddled by his mother's side with his hand in hers. A short distance away, I could see Lafayette standing with his own wife and children. Something about his older daughter and son struck a memory.

'The display is beginning,' Alexander enlightened.

Frances sprang to her feet and Philip helped the half-asleep Angelica up. Meanwhile, Junior could barely move, both exhausted and now refusing to co-operate. Alexander took him and lifted the boy over his shoulders, ensuring a better view.

'Ready?'

'Yep!' Frances sang.

A dozen seconds later, shots of fireworks blasted off into the sky. I gazed in awe, just as everyone else around us was. At first, James hid behind Eliza's leg, but after she consoled him, like us, he gazed. Colours of red, white and blue blended neatly together, firing a total of thirteen shots.

Alexander stood proud in a salute, one that Junior mimicked in glee. Emily wrapped her hand around mine and grinned. Had I not been mistaken, a tear slipped down her frozen cheek. And in that moment, everything was good.

...It had to be the last good moment for a long while.