A/N: So I am planning on making this the end of the series. I hope you enjoyed. In this work Alexander is explaining his affair. I am not condoning what Alexander did, but simply writing it how I think he would have felt. Sorry for such a long update! Please ignore any historical inaccuracies and spelling. My usual editor is on break. Enjoy!

"Son, when you were away with your mother and siblings, I did something irreprehensible," his father said slowly. He wasn't sure how he was going to say it. He still saw Philip as the small 9 year old that made up rhymes.

Philip nodded. He knew this much. Who hadn't known?

"Listen son, I was under stress. My career was on the line and was not at my best self. One night I heard a knocking at the door. I opened it and a woman in red was standing there," he continued.

Alexander noticed his son's expression. He knew his son wasn't a fool. He knew what was next but if he did not recount the affair he knew his son would be forever lost. But he knew nothing would be the same.

"Well she told me she was in trouble. That her husband, a Mr. James Reynolds, was mistreating her and that she was in financial and personal trouble. So I gave her the some money, $30 dollars roughly," his father said sadly, "I thought I was done at this point. In fact I had every intention to be done, but…."

As his father continued, his son's face continued to fall. His son, who had always looked to him, was now looking at the floor.

"The first time I made an honest vow to never see Maria again. But words mean little on the lips of one who is intoxicated. And son she was intoxicating. She made me feel young but it came with such guilt. She kept my writing from being written, she became suffocating and I was searching for a way out until her husband cornered me," he said weakly.

That letter had struck him to the core with fear. He had kept trying to stop seeing her but every time he walked past her house he felt compelled to knock. And she often came by for a "chat" only to find her in bed with him.

"Son, I was weak. But you have to understand, I had to get my plan through congress. I couldn't stop. Maria came in a time when I felt I was getting too old for the game. She made me feel confident in what I was doing," he exhaled.

"Ma was there. Why did you never tell her how stressed you were? Did she mean nothing?" Philip quipped. His mother was quite simply the best mother Philip could have ever hoped for.

"Your mother. I should have. But Maria was powerful…"

"Stop! Gods are powerful, she was a human and you are human. You could have done something!" Philip said sharply, "No excuses!"

His father just looked down at the same spot on the floor Philip had been looking at. Philip's words stung more then the press.

"Thank you father."

"Philip, please forgive me. My son, to see your shame for me is too much…"

"I'm not your son!" he shouted and walked out. He had always done what his father wanted and now, this was something Philip could not condone. His father should be held to the same principles he had always been told. How could a man he looked up to his whole life, hurt his mother.

Let him feel shame. He deserves it. Clearly no one else has made it clear how wrong he was.

Philip felt small pangs of guilt for shutting his father out, but in this instance he was not going to give his father, the forgiveness. Forgiveness in this instance could only come from his mother. Philip knew he would never forgive, but his mother might.

Heading down the hall he saw his parents room. He knew what lay behind the door.

Knocking on the door Philip said, "Ma?"

Silence came. Philip knew his mother was inside. If he were a child he would have never entered. His father had a rule about being perfectly polite. God, he was so worried about making me into the perfect man, but now I see. He didn't take a word of those long lessons!

"Ma, I am coming in," he said slowly opening the door.

Inside he saw his mother by the fireplace. She was throwing paper in. There were no tears, but simply anger.

She jumped back from the fireplace as if she hadn't been doing anything.

"Philip!" she exclaimed. She put on a face of delight but he saw the dark circles and the stress.

"Ma," he said coming to her and kissing her on the cheek.

Then her face settled back into despair. She was just looking into the flames.

"Ma? I'm here now," Philip said.

"I'm being foolish. I shouldn't be hauled up in here. I should be out with you, you haven't been home in so long," she said setting down her papers and cupping his face.

"No, no ma. I would have come straight here if I had known. And I don't blame you at all!" Philip said urgently. He didn't want to make his mother feel worse, "I would do the same thing!"

"I'm sorry, " she said beginning to cry. Eliza felt so weak; nothing was how it was supposed to be. Her son shouldn't be comforting her, she should be comforting him. Her Philip wasn't small anymore; she couldn't hide his eyes from the drama. He was not doing what she should be doing.

"What are you doing?" Philip asked.

"It's nothing dear. I'm just clearing some stuff."

Philip noticed the papers were love letters, and then he saw the box. The box his mother kept his father's letters. When he was 13 he had snooped through his parents room. His father had scolded him but now Philip wondered if it was his snooping or if it was because his father wanted to be the only one who could unleash secrets.

Philip didn't say anything, If it had been him, he would not handle it as well as his mother. Philip thought he would destroy his room or punch the wall. He thought he would scream from the rooftops his anger.

"He's a bastard!" Philip angrily muttered.

"Philip," his mother said in a warning tone. She herself was of course very angry but she still would not stand for language.

"Apologies. But how can you be here simply burning his letters? Why aren't you writing your side of the story?" Philip asked, "Or shouting from the roof?"

"Unlike your father I chose not to fan the flames. I cannot very well leave your father so I will instea remain silent so this can be over as soon as possible. I'm erasing myself from the narrative. Your father's ways, as we have seen, are destructive. I will not bring this family more shame by being foolish like your father. The Hamilton's do not need to be further thought of as a blot on a page," his mother said looking into Philip's eyes.

"I wish this was over Ma. I wish we are like we were when I was a child."

"No one more then me wishes the same way. But we are here," she sighed, "I am still here for you children. But your father is on his own."

They both stood by the flames for what seemed hours. The embers eventually began to die and Philip slipped out. His mother was back in her trance again.

NEXT WEEK

Philip was in town speaking to some ladies when one of them brought up George Eacker. He had heard Eacker speaking ill of his father a lot. Some part of Philip flared when he heard his name. He knew his father deserved it but it was still his father. He would be a bad son if he didn't try to defend his father.

"Ladies, I'm lookin for a Mr. George Eacker, made a speech last week, our Fourth of July speaker. He disparaged my father's legacy in front of a crowd

I can't have that."

"I saw him just up Broadway a couple of black, he was going to see a play," one girl chirped.

Philip bid good day to those ladies and went to where they pointed. He found the theater and easily found Eacker's box.

"George!" Philip called loudly. Many a patron turned an irritated eye toward him and Philip blushed.

"Shh! I'm tryin' to watch the show!" Eacker shout whispered back.

Ya' shoulda watched your mouth before you talked about my father though!"

"I didn't say anything that wasn't true, your father's a scoundrel, and so, it seems, are you," Eacker said jovially.

"It's like that?"

"Yeah, I don't fool around. I'm not your little schoolboy friends."

"See you on the dueling ground. That is, unless you wanna step outside and go now!" Philip said loudly.

"I know where to find you, piss off I'm watchin' this show now," Eacker said as everyone shushed them, "Excuse us. Blame him."

Philip marched home. His father's legacy would be tarnished but at least he would have a proud son.

"Pops, if you had only heard the shit he said about you. I doubt you would have let it slide and i was not about to…"

"Slow down," his father, said rubbing his forehead.

"I came to ask you for advice, this is my very first due. They don't exactly cover this subject in boarding school."

"Did your friends attempt to negotiate a peace?"

"He refused to apologize, we had to let the peace talks cease."

"Where is this happening?" his father asked tiredly. He seemed much older now and not as full of bluster as he once had.

"Across the river, in Jersey," Philip said pointing in the general direct.

"Everything is legal in New Jersey!" they both said dryly.

"Alright, so this is what you're gonna do. Stand there like a man until Eacker is in front of you. When the time comes, fire your weapon in the air, this will put an end to the whole affair," his father said moving toward where he kept his gun.

"But what if he decides to shoot? Then I'm a goner," Philip said frantically.

"No, he'll follow suit if he's truly a man of honor. To take someone's life, that is something you can't shake. Philip, your mother can't take another heartbreak. She's been through too much."

"Father!"

"Promise me," his father insisted.

"You don't want this young man's blood on your conscience. When I was in the war killing other young men like myself was one of the hardest things. I was too young to understand life had meaning."

"Okay, I promise," Philip, said letting his father's words sink in.

"Come back home when you're done. Take my guns, be smart, make me proud, son." Philip could feel the weight of the gun. The cold metal sank into his hands and he felt powerful.

"You won't regret this," Philip said behind him.

It was odd. Philip shouldn't feel this loyalty for his father but he was Alexander Hamilton's son. Notorious big mouth and bombast, but he was still his father. Nothing would change that. It was about restoring honor. His father had always been his beacon on how to behave and he knew his father would defend him just the same.

If any slander came about Philip, knew in a heart been his father would be at his side not matter what he did. Philip could have committed murder and his father would still be his ally. Philip knew family stuck up for each other.

As he made his way to New Jersey he stood tall. He was going to bring the family's legacy back.