Alex's POV

I sigh before ringing the doorbell to my old house. I left right after I turned eighteen, but I had a place to stay then. Now I'm working all the time and having to help Eliza pay for future child and what not, so living on my own is not an option.

Luckily, Washington was willing to let me stay for the summer, until we're allowed to live in our dorm rooms again.

The door flings open and the young girl who opened it immediately throws herself to hug me.

I chuckle and pat her back. "Hi, Patsy." I say.

She smiles up at me. "I knew you'd be back!" She giggles before grabbing my stuff. "I'm bringing these to your room so you can't run right away." She says before running into the house.

I roll my eyes playfully and enter the house, sighing. Martha comes around the corner and smiles brightly at me. "Alexander, you're here!" She says, walking over.

"Hi, Martha." I say, smiling at her.

She pulls me into a hug and I hug her back, knowing she wouldn't let go until I did. She pulls away and looks at me. "Oh, you look scrappy and hungry...Let me go make you some food."

Before I could object, she was walking towards the kitchen. I look around and see George walking through the hallway. He was reading something on his phone, looking not so happy.

"Martha, can you believe this?" He shouts to her.

"Not now, George. I'm making food!" She calls back.

He looks confused. "Right now? Dinner's not for another hour.." He looks up and smiles at me. "Ah, that makes more sense."

I smile a small smile and wave at him. He pats my shoulder. "How are you, son?" He asks.

I cringe. "Still not your son, George." He sighs. "But I'm doing alright...A little bummed John went away." I admit.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you guys are going to be talking to each other nonstop." He says.

"I know..It's just not the same." I say, looking at the ground.

There was a moment of silence before George pats my back. "Come on, why don't you get settled in your room?"

I nod and we walk down the oh so familiar hallway to my old bedroom. I shared with Lafayette when I lived here originally, and John and Patsy got their own rooms. There was room for us to each have our own rooms, but George didn't trust me to be in a room by myself.

We we enter the room and I see it has drastically changed. The walls went from the obnoxious green to a dark blue color. The bunk bed that sat in the corner was gone and replaced with a new King size bed.

The desk was still in the same spot, it was just a newer version of the old desk and had less papers and books filling it.

I turn back to George and smile slightly at him. "Um...Thank you, by the way. For letting me stay here for the summer.."

He smiles at me. "You are always welcome here, s-" He stops himself. "Alex."

I nod and then feel the familiar writing feeling on my arm and smile down at it. "I'll leave you to get settled." He said before patting my back and walking out of my room, closing the door.

I sit down on the bed and grab my green pen, reading my arm.

'Hey, just landed in Texas, headed to the base now. I miss you already! :('

I smile and start writing back to him.

'I miss you too..Just got to Washington's house for the summer and have to go to work soon. We'll talk later, okay?'

Timeskip to beginning of September brought to you by Jefferson's key endorsement

"Alex, John is calling you!" I hear George call from the livingroom.

"Answer it, I'll be there in a second!" I call back before rushing to put away all of my papers. Dealing with both online classes and work was kicking my ass, but I was at least making enough money to help Eliza and Philip.

I walk into the living room and smile. I see George and Martha sitting on the couch, talking to John through FaceTime. Martha was holding Philip in her arms. Not going to lie, he's only like a month old and I have no clue what I'm doing, so I'm glad I'm with Martha and George.

I sit down next to George and Martha hands Philip to me. "Hi, John." I smile at him.

"Aw, I didn't realize how much Philip looks like you!" He exclaims through the camera. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing pretty good. A little stressed, but happy to get to talk to you." I tell him, smiling brightly.

"A little? John, tell this man to take a break, will you? He's been in his room working for hours. I think this is the first interaction with his kid he's had all day." Martha scolds.

I sigh and look over at her. "Martha, you know everything I'm doing is for him."

She shakes her head at me and John chuckles gently. "Mrs. Washington, I don't think I could tear this man away from his work even if I was physically there."

George nods. "Ain't that the truth.."

"Anyway, it's rare you get to call. Must've been a special day, huh?" I ask, rocking Philip gently.

He bites his lip. I hate when he does this, because it means he's nervous. Which makes me nervous. "Actually, I was hoping I'd get to talk to you alone? There's something I have to tell you.."

I frown but nod. "Yeah, let me just bring my phone to my room real quick, okay?" I say, holding Philip in one arm as I slip my phone into my pocket.

I nod at Martha and George before heading to my room, locking the door behind me. I set my phone up on the desk and sit down with Philip in my arms, still rocking him. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

He hesitates. "Um...I don't know how to say this really, so I'll just be blunt about it." He takes a deep breath. "Alex, I'm being sent out to war. I'm going to the middle east tomorrow, and I don't know when I'm coming back."

I feel my heart drop. This wasn't supposed to happen. I mean, I know he's in the military, but I never thought he'd actually get sent out to the war.

"But..What happened to you coming back in a year? There were only 7 months left..." I mumble.

John smiles gently at me. "And for all we know, I may be coming home sooner. If I get injured or something-"

"No, stop. You can't be injured, it would worry me too much..." I say, closing my eyes and trying to calm myself down. This would be a lot easier if he were physically here.

"Alex, look at me." He says. I open my eyes, which are now starting to tear up, and frown at him. "Look around, Alexander. I'm going to be with you everyday. I'm not afraid, and you shouldn't be either."

I bite my lip in an attempt to stop tears from falling. "I...I don't want to live without you, John..."

He smiles at me. "And you won't have to. I may not be able to write to you everyday, and there's no way I'll get to call and text maybe ever, but I'll contact you still. I'm going to come back home, okay?"

I nod as tears escape my eyes. I look down at Philip to see him staring in awe at me. He had never seen me cry before, mainly because Eliza usually has him. She's at work right now, and said she's going to a party tonight so he's staying with me overnight for the first time.

I look back up at John, smiling through the tears at him. "I love you, John..."

He smiles at me. "I love you too, Alex. I'll see you on the other side of the war, alright?"

"Go kick some ass." I tell him.

He chuckles and blows a kiss through the screen before hanging up.

Timeskip brought to you by Elphaba asking forgiveness

"George, George, George...What the hell is this?" I ask, panicking slightly as I stared at my arms.

They were all bruised and bloody. I had no idea my arms would show all of that. There were scars all over and they felt very, very weak.

George examines my arms and sighs. "Try writing to him, I'm sure he'll be able to explain, okay?" He says calmly.

"Should I be worried? I'm definitely worried. What if he was hurt? Why aren't you worried? George help me out here I don't know how I should feel." My breath starts to quicken as I stare at my arms longer. "He hasn't replied to me all day, what if something happened to him? I need to help him-"

"Alex, calm down." He says, putting his hand on my shoulder. "You know he's at war, this stuff is bound to happen. I'm sure he's fine, just a little roughed up, okay?"

I nod slowly. "R-right... You're right of course." I sigh shakily and reach for my green pen. "What do I write?"

"Just ask if he's alright. He'll respond soon, I'm sure." He says.

I nod and write, 'Hey, you okay? You're arms look kind of rough right now.'

And then I sit on the couch for hours, staring at my arm. No response.

I continue sitting there, still getting no response.

I sit there for the remainder of the night, into the next day. Still no response.

1639 Words

Disclaimer: I know Philip's birthday is in January but in this fanfic it's somewhere in August, mmkay? Ok.

Also sorry for angst lol. Don't worry, next chapter's supposed to be John's POV so