A/N: Usual disclaimer applies. Also, I can't get enough of lil' Philip and Theodosia. :)

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Chapter 1: Valentine

"Daddy?" Alexander looked up from the newspaper and coffee to see his son tugging at his arm.

"What's up, Phil?"

"What do girls like?" The man almost choked; of all the questions he would expect his six-year-old to ask, this certainly wasn't one of them.

"Well...uh...why're you asking, kiddo?" The boy shrugged.

"We're havin' a party at school for Valentime's Day, and I don't think Theo will like the race car ones I'm givin' all my other friends." Alex found himself nodding. Of course the girl would get something special.

"Some girls really like jewelry, like necklaces and stuff. In fact-" The elder Hamilton threw a glance over his shoulder. "Wanna see what I got your Mom?" Philip nodded enthusiastically, gasping when his father left the room and returned with a gold, heart-shaped locket.

"Wow..."

"Nice, huh? It has her name on the front of it. And check this out." Alexander gently pried open the clasp, and the locket opened to reveal a small picture of him and his wife together.

"Cool!" the boy exclaimed, "I wanna get Theo one of those! It's waaaaay better than a race car!" The man laughed.

"Then start saving your allowance, bud. These things cost quite a bit. But for now, maybe you can make a nice valentine." Philip's eyes lit up.

"Yeah!" One last hug from Dad, and the child dashed off to find his mother. If he was going to make Theodosia a picture necklace as nice as the one he'd seen, he was going to need some supplies.

Philip found Eliza sifting through some old photo albums.

Perfect. "Whatcha doin', Mom?" She sighed happily.

"Oh, I was just looking at pictures. These are from when Daddy and I got married."

"Can I see too?" he asked, and Eliza made room for him on her lap. Page after page was filled with photographs from the Hamilton wedding; everyone looked so happy.

"Your Dad was so handsome," the woman declared. "And you'll be just as handsome someday." Philip continued to flip pages, and recognized one of the photos as the same one inside Alexander's locket. He had a purpose.

"Mama, can we look at more pictures? I wanna see the ones at the beach." She nodded.

"Okay." And still another album contained pictures of the previous summer's trip to the lakeshore. Alexander had invited Aaron Burr and his daughter to join them for the day, and the candid photos of the two families hanging out always made the woman smile. Philip tore through the album until he found exactly what he needed: A photo of himself and Theodosia standing proudly beside a large sandcastle they'd constructed.

"Can I have that one?" he asked, sweetly, using the big puppy-dog eyes that he knew she couldn't resist.

"Sure, but what do you want it for?" Before he could register the action, the boy heard himself blurt out,

"I wanna make Theo a picture necklace like the one Daddy got you." A cough from behind startled the child, and he looked up to see his father leaning against the bedroom doorframe, smirking.

"You heard nothing," the man said to his wife, and Philip knew then what he'd done.

"Oops..."

"C'mere, you little squealer." Alexander scooped his son up into his arms and dove onto the bed, holding the boy down and tickling him mercilessly.

"Daddy...stop..." Philip begged in between gales of laughter. The man shook his head, giggling too.

"No way, pal. This is what you get for spilling the beans." Philip finally managed to wriggle free, and both he and his father were now breathless from all the fun. Alex tousled his son's hair. "Now go make your valentine." The couple watched him scamper away.

"Valentine?" Eliza asked. Her husband shrugged.

"Apparently, little paper lockets make better valentines for first-grade girls than race cars." Eliza nodded.

"I guess I can see that."

Patience wasn't little Philip Hamilton's strong suit. His father said he had 'no chill.' His mother said he was exactly like his father. The boy was relieved, then, when the teacher told the children to go ahead and pass out the valentine cards. The rule was that every student had to get one. He saved Theodosia's for last. She was his best friend, after all.

"Hey, Theo," he greeted. "What kinda valentimes did you give out?" The girl briefly looked up from sorting all the cards she'd been given.

"Disney princesses," came the reply. "I gave you Ariel 'cause it has Sebastian on it, too. And you think Sebastian's cool." Philip vaguely felt a blush creep into his cheeks. Evidently, she'd thought of him, too. "What'd you pass out?"

"Race cars!" Theodosia frowned. She'd reached the bottom of the bag.

"I didn't get a race car." He nodded.

"I know. I got you somethin' else, 'cause you're a girl. And my friend." He handed her the small, yellow heart. One side of it bore her full name, with the s-i-a smushed up against the edge (Philip had started writing it in the middle, thinking he'd have enough room. Oops.) On the back was glued the photo he'd taken from home. Underneath, words: From Philip. A small hole had been made in the top with a piece of yellow yarn threaded through it, making it a proper necklace.

"Wow! Thanks, Phil! It's pretty!" He smiled satisfactorily.

"My Dad gave my Mom one, too," the boy said. "Now you match!"

"Yay!" Theodosia proudly wore her special necklace for the rest of the day, and would continue to wear it long after Valentine's Day had passed.