Unlawfully Wed

Alex tightened his grip on the phone as John's words bounced around his skull. "What do you mean, her son is there to see me?"

"Exactly what I said." Alex could hear John moving around his office, the shuffling of papers nearly as loud as John's breathing. "I'm look at him right now. He's sitting on the floor next to your office with his phone. I told him that I doubted you'd come in today, but he said he was willing to wait."

Alex put his hand on the doorframe and leaned forward, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against his wrist. His legs felt weak. "Did he say what he needs?"

"He wouldn't tell me. I was helping Mark interview one of the new clients, and Margaret was late coming in, so I have no idea when he got here--when I asked what he needed, he said he needed to talk to you. After he told me his name I told him that I'm on George's case with you, but he wouldn't budge. He doesn't want to talk to anyone but you."

Alex adjusted his stance against the wall so that his fingertips were digging into his eye sockets. He reveled in the pain, letting it distract him from the panic that was making his throat clench. "Maybe he will give up and leave."

John was quiet for several seconds before saying, "Alex, just come down and talk to him. Maybe whatever he has to say will really make a difference in whether or not we can get George off scott-free."

Alex knew that John was right, but he *really* wasn't sure if he could handle listening to JP's accusations about his step father. It was hard enough just reading all the news stories, nonetheless listening to someone on a more *personal* letter. He sighed. "All right. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Okay. See you soon."

"See you." Alex hung up the phone and dropped his hand to his side. He let his forehead fall into the wood, the hard ache from the collision sharpening his senses.

He stood leaning against the wood for several minutes before he pushed himself away and started to head towards the car. Before he got all the way outside, however, he turned back around and called up the stairs. "I'm going out, Phillip! I'll be back later!"

"Bye, Dad!"

Alex opened the front door and made his way down to his car, ignoring every one of his instincts that told him to stay home and hide under his covers, to block out the world and pretend that all of this was just a bad dream.

He climbed into the car and started the engine, turning up the radio as loudly as he could to block out the blood rushing in his ears. He pulled out of his driveway and went down the street, making a left at the stop sign instead of a right, taking the long way to the office rather than the only that only took a few minutes.

Unfortunately, the drive went by too quickly for Alex to have time to gather his thoughts. He pulled into his normal parking spot and shut the engine off, unbuckling his seatbelt and wiggling his hips, sinking down into the cushion and hunching his shoulders, trying to make himself disappear.

Alex was trying so hard, in fact, that he didn't notice John leaving the office and walking over to the car until he started knocking on the window, pulling Alex from his trance. Alex began to flush, and he sat up straight, reaching over and hitting the button to roll the windows down. John rested his forearms against the top of the door and leaned his head into the car, smirking at Alex. "Hiding?"

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Shut up."

John chuckled and stood up, turning slightly to the side and moving his arm so that it rested along the top of the car. He was wearing a pair of dark-gray trousers and a lilac-colored shirt, his hair in a low ponytail that was tied at the nape of his neck. Alex had to admit, he looked pretty hot. It was comforting, in a way, and made him feel more like he was back in the life that he was used to. He clenched his teeth and waved his hand in John's general direction before rolling the car window up.

Alex waited for John to move to the side before he opened the door and got out. "Is he still here?"

"No shit, Sherlock. I told you that he said he wasn't leaving until you two talked."

"Well has he given any hints about what he wants to talk about?"

"Don't you think I would have texted you if he had?" John opened the office door before holding his arm out and ushering Alex in. "I told him he could wait in your office."

Alex nodded stiffly and gave John a tight smile before clapping him on the shoulder and making his way past his secretary and interns, towards his office. The door was open, so Alex could see the back of JP's head. He had the same dark-red hair as his mother did, but his skin seemed to be quite a bit more ran than her peaches-and-cream complexion. His hair was cropped short, but the curls were tight and grouped in miniature ringlets.

Alex took a deep breath before stepping through the threshold and clearing his throat. JP turned around with wide eyes, his hands gripping the arms of the chair so tightly that his knuckles were white. He had denim-blue eyes, and there was a small scar above his mouth that must have been from a cleft palate as a child.

"Hi, you must be Mr. Curtis," Alex said, clenching his leg muscles and his toes in his shoes as he struggled to keep his voice from shaking. "I'm Alexander Hamilton, your step-father's lawyer." He walked around his desk and held his hand out for JP to shake. JP stared at Alex's hand for a second before scurrying to his feet and taking Alex's hand.

"Uhm, hi. You can just call me JP."

"All right." JP's hand was cold and clammy, so Alex wasted no time before pulling his hand back and adjusting his slacks as he sat down in his chair. JP sat back down, too, his eyes still wide. Alex grabbed a notepad off the corner of the desk and his pen. "My associate told me that you had some information about your mother's mother that might be pertinent to my case." He took the cap off the pen and began to tap the nub against the paper. "What would you like to tell me?"

JP didn't say anything at first. Instead, his eyes darted around maniacally before he stood up and went to the door, shutting it (well, slamming it, really) before coming back around and sitting down in the chair again. "I need you to come with me somewhere."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?"

JP began to twiddle his fingers, looking anywhere but at Alex. It was beginning to make him feel anxious about the whole situation. He put the pen down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "JP, I need you to be completely honest with me. If you know something that will help your step-father--"

"He's innocent," JP interrupted, meeting Alex's eyes for less than a second before looking away again. "He didn't do anything to my mother. He needs to be released immediately." He started to pick at the skin around his right thumbnail. "George did nothing wrong."

Alex picked the pen back up. "JP I'm not saying I don't believe you, I do, it's just . . . you were away at school when your parents house was ransacked, as well as when George was found. Are you sure that your information is factual?"

JP met Alex's eyes again. "I was there when it happened. I know everything."

"Who killed your mother, then?"

"I can't tell you that."

Alex, who had poised his pen against the paper, pressed harder before staring at JP through his lashes. "Why not?"

"It's not my place to say."

Alex let out a breath through his nose and dropped the pen. He leaned back in his chair and interlaced his fingers on top of his notepad. "With all due respect, Mr. Curtis, if you hadn't just told me George is innocent, the way you are acting would lead me to believe that feel he's guilty. You need to be honest with me, here."

JP looked conflicted. "I *am* being honest. He really did not hurt her, and I really cannot tell you who killed her." His eyes softened, and the corners of his mouth turned down. "I know you don't know me, Mr. Hamilton, but please just trust me. George is the closest thing to a real father I've ever had, and I just want him free again."

"If that is the case, then why wouldn't you speak with my associate? John Laurens has been more proactive on this case than I have been lately. You could have disclosed any of this information to him at any time."

JP shook his head. "I don't know Mr. Laurens."

"You don't know me, either."

"No, but George does. Mom and he talked about you so much that I feel like I know you. I feel like I can trust you, and I *need* someone who I know I can trust to help me prove George's innocence. Please, Mr. Hamilton. Please."

Alex studied the boy, his stomach feeling heavy as he considered his options. He knew *nothing* about JP, and the way that he was pushing was making Alex feel mighty uncomfortable. Something about the way that he was hiding the true killed caused Alex to question if perhaps *JP* was the one to have committed the crime. If he went with him, would he meet the same fate as Martha Washington?

On the other hand, however, if JP really was telling the truth, there was the possibility of George being set free, and with all of the things Alex had learned about George's feelings . . . no matter how hard he tried not to, he frequently found himself wondering what a relationship would be like with the man now that they were older.

Alex used his heels to twist himself side to side in his desk chair, flipping his pen back and forth against the desk. "If I were to go with you," he said slowly, "how far away would we be driving? I have my kids to think of, you see."

"Two hours, maybe less. We would be back in the city in six hours, maybe seven, tops."

Alex continued to tap his pen for several tense, silent minutes before nodding. He rolled his feet from his heels to his toes and sat up. "All right. I'll go with you. Just give me a moment to get things settled with John, all right? I will meet you in the parking lot."

JP's face lit up. "Thank you, Mr. Hamilton. Thank you." He shot up and turned, nearly sprinting as he went through the door and down the hallway, towards the parking lot. John, who was sitting on the secretary's desk and sipping on a coffee, watched him with an amused smirk. When JP had exited the firm, John pushed himself off the desk and walked over to Alex's office. He leaned against the door frame, his look of amusement changing to one of confusion when he saw Alex packing up his things. "Where are you going?" he asked, collapsing down into the chair JP had just vacated.

"Apparently, I'm going on a little road trip," Alex responded, pulling his phone out of his pocket and texting Eliza, Phillip, and Angelica to alert them of his plans. He also grabbed the smallest key on his key ring and squatted down to unlock his bottom drawer, where he kept a small pistol for emergencies. He pulled it out of the drawer and stood up, tucking it into the waistband of his pants before pulling his shirt back over it.

John's eyes widened when he saw the gun. In all of the years that Alex and he had worked together, Alex had never felt the need to take his gun anywhere with him. "You're going somewhere with JP?"

Alex nodded and began to head towards the parking lot. John stood up and walked with him. "He says that he has information about Martha's murder."

"And he couldn't have just submitted a claim like the rest of the world? Is it really necessary for you to go somewhere with him?"

"He says that it is."

John made a noise that was a cross between a growl and a whimper. "I'll come along, too. I just have a bad feeling about this, Alex."

Alex did, too, but he wasn't going to admit *that* out loud. "Seriously, John, I'll be fine. I'll text you later and tell you everything, okay? Here, I'll even turn on my GPS tracker so you can find me if I don't come back or contact you." He clicked the buttons on his phone before tilting it towards John. "There, see? Location secured, safe and sound." He glanced over at the interns before leaning forward and giving John a quick kiss on the cheek, directly above a love bite that Ryker clearly had enthusiastically bestowed upon him.

John didn't look convinced, but he didn't argue. "Fine."

Alex gave him a final wry smile before walking the rest of the pathway to the parking lot. JP was leaning on the hood of his car, his arms crossed and a cigarette dangling out in-between his middle and index fingers of his left hand. He lifted it up and took a drag as he looked at Alex before tossing it to the ground and stomping on it.

Alex eyed JP's beat-up, rusty car warily before waving his hand towards his own vehicle. "Uh, mind if I drive?"

JP shook his head and shoved his own keys back in his pocket before following Alex's hand. He lit up another cigarette as he walked, stopping next to the passenger door and smoking while he waited for Alex to get in and get the engine started. Once he had, JP flicked the butt onto the ground before stomping that one out, as well. He climbed into the car and sat down, kicking his feet out and disregarding his seatbelt as Alex began to drive.

Alex was regretting this already.

***

Nearly an hour and a half later, Alex was *really* beginning to regret agreeing to JP's request. They had gone from driving the city streets to suburbs to country backroads. JP was telling Alex every ten minutes that they were "nearly there," but Alex found himself repeatedly wondering if JP really had a destination in mind, or whether they were just driving in circles, especially with every minute that passed by without seeing a single home or building. They had moved from the country roads into some kind of forest, and every instinct in Alex's body was telling him to run.

He persevered through the feeling, however, and focused on not hitting any fallen tree or wild animal. "Seriously, JP, how much longer is this going to take?" he asked in exasperation as his tires got stuck in yet another mud hole.

"It's right up there," JP assured him, pointing through the throng of trees. "See that yellow bit right up there? That's where we're going."

Alex narrowed his eyes, squinting at the leaves. He could see the yellow that JP was talking about, but he wasn't quite sure that it was a house. Besides, even if it was, the road was getting narrowed, and it seemed to be stopping no more than twenty feet ahead.

JP, apparently, had anticipated this. He waved his hand at a small patch of flattened grass near the end of the road. "Park there and we will walk the last quarter mile to the house. That's how we've always done it."

Alex did as he was asked and pulled onto the patch, shutting the car off and getting out, tapping his gun as nonchalantly as he could to make sure it was still there before turning to face JP. "All right, what now?"

JP didn't respond. He stepped past Alex and began to walk through the brush, ducking under branches and gesturing to Alex so he knew what snake holes and tree roots to avoid. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key, which he moved to his palm and squeezed as he took the last few steps through the brush and into the clearing.

Alex followed close behind, his gun feeling hot on his back as his heart beat began to increase. Going into a cabin in the woods was never a good thing in movies, and he would be damned if he let himself get killed by George Washington's step son.

Once Alex could see the house, however, his fears quickly began to ebb away. The foundation was nicely maintained, and both the shingles and the roof looked like they had recently been redone. There was a small garden in front of the house, and the wrap-around porch was perfectly painted a lovely eggshell color. There wasn't any trash or debris on the land, and Alex couldn't see any sign of the building behind abandoned.

The best part of the building, however, was the beautiful lady who was sitting on the front steps with a book in her hand and a bowl of chocolate candies at her feet. She looked up when she saw Alex, but it was impossible to say who was more surprised to see the other.

It appeared that Martha Washington was very much alive.