"Alex, how many times have you had to apologize? Your pancakes have gotten way better!" John exclaims before shoving more food into his mouth.

I stifle my laugh as I shake my head. "I have to talk to people to need to apologize to them, John. Besides, pancakes are a quick and easy meal that I can make for myself when I stay up working."

John nods slowly. "So...You're still a workaholic?" He asks, seeming a bit disappointed.

I frown and avoid looking at John and my desk filled with my laptop and papers. "Um...That depends on your definition of workaholic." I say before taking another bite.

I hear John sigh. "Alex, you're going to work yourself to death." He says, matter-of-factly. "What are you even doing that you need to work so much?"

I look up at him and chuckle nervously. "Uh..Washington helped get me a job at the New York Times and I am now the editor in chief there."

He smiles. "I mean, that's amazing! But, I'm sure that the people whose essays you're editing work on them a lot less than you do."

"Well yeah, because none of them know how to write. I spend time fixing stupid people's essays." I say, furrowing my eyebrows gently.

"What I'm saying, Alex, is that you do too much to fix those essays. Why?"

I roll my eyes. "So I don't lose my job, John. I screw up one essay and I'm done."

"Geez, does your boss not like you or something?" He chuckles lightly.

"Yeah, he kinda hates me. You remember Thomas, right?"

"Thomas...Jefferson?"

"Ah, so you're familiar." I say sarcastically before finishing my plate of pancakes.

"Why don't you quit, then? Working for Thomas must be hell." He says as I grab his empty plate and head to the sink.

I begin to wash the syrup off of the two plates and look over at John. "Well, I have nowhere else to work. Not anywhere else that I want, anyway. Besides, I get to argue with Thomas often, which is a bonus."

I see John roll his eyes. "I see old habits die hard." He mumbles.

"Yeah, well what about you?" I ask. "I know you work for your dad or whatever now, but what exactly do you do?"

John frowns. "I really don't like talking about it, I hate my job. I hate my fiance. I hate everything about my life, Alex."

I set the dishes down and focus on John. "Well, then leave."

He half chuckles. "Right, cause I have a choice." He looks down at the table.

"Well, why don't you? What do you have to lose, John? Break up with Carrie, tell off your dad, quit your job-"

"And what about Martha? What am I supposed to do, just leave her?"

"Well, how old is she now?" I ask.

"She's nineteen...Not old enough to get on her feet." John sighs.

"In school?" I continue asking.

He shakes his head. "No, our father said she doesn't need education and is planning on forcing her to marry some doctor he knows."

I nod and then grab my phone. "Alright, give me a second, then."

Timeskip brought to you by Western Pennsylvania (everybody put your guns down)

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" John exclaims as he hugs me tightly.

I awkwardly hug him back, as I haven't been properly hugged in quite a while.

"John, it's no problem at all." I say softly, smiling in the embrace.

I had called Washington and explained the situation, and he's agreed to get Martha a full ride scholarship to King's College, including a dorm so she can get away from her father once and for all. We called Martha and she was so happy she burst into tears over the phone. She was called by her father and the call was quickly ended, but she was nonetheless happy to start schooling in a few days. How Washington could pull that off, no clue but hey, I'm not complaining.

I pull away from the embrace and see that John was blushing quite a bit. "Alright, now we need to go see that plastic- I mean, Carrie." I say, smiling almost too much.

He laughs and nods. "Yeah, let's go. Just promise me you won't punch her..?"

I shrug. "I make no promises."

Another timeskip because I'm lazy brought to you by there being no way you can replace Renée Lamb

"You're WHAT?!" Carrie shrieks.

I stifle a laugh as John holds Carrie's hands. "Carrie, please, don't make this a bigger deal than it has to be. There's just no connection, and you know it."

Carrie looks furious, and honestly it's so hilarious. She then glares at me and I become less amused and more afraid. "It's you, isn't it! You're trying to make my fiance break up with me, aren't you!" She yells.

John furrows his eyebrows. "Woah, do not place the blame on Alex. This is all me, he's just helping make it possible."

Carrie snaps her head back towards John. "You can't end this, I'm flying back to South Carolina tomorrow, and your father will-"

"I'm coming, too, Carrie." I look up at John in confusion. This was not a part of the plan I had remembered. "I'm going to South Carolina tomorrow to tell my dad myself, Carrie. It's over."

He lets go of her hands and then takes off his ring before throwing it on the ground and walking away. I quickly run to catch up with him and see he has the biggest smile ever on his face.

"Um, why are you going to South Carolina tomorrow?" I ask. "Because that doesn't sound like the best plan going by yourself."

He blushes. "Well, I was kind of hoping you would come with me.."

I stop walking and just stare at him. He chuckles nervously and I shake my head. "John, this plan is too risky, what if-"

"Please, Alex. I don't think I'll be able to stand up to my dad without you there." He says, grabbing my hands and looking me in the eyes. He then realizes what he's doing and quickly let's go of my hands. "Uh, sorry..."

I blush lightly, but I just nod. "Alright...I'll go. Let me just call Jeffershi- son. Jefferson."

John bursts out laughing and we continue to walk, a comfortable silence between us.

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