Just to clear up some confusion:

Alexander is born in 1751, as opposed to 1755, making him four years older than in canon.

James is born in 1757, as opposed to ~1753, so he's the age Alexander likely pretended to be, as we're not 100% sure Alex was born in '55.

Word Count: 1,111

passage on a ship (that was New York bound)

Alexander is twenty when Hurricane San Agustin hits the rundown hut his little brother James and he himself had been living in for the past few years.

Luckily, neither of them had been there at that time, because there isn't much left of it once the hurricane has passed. Only no, it hadn't been luck, but Ned Stevens's offer for them to stay with him that even gave them a chance to survive.

Because that hut? There aren't many traces of it left. Granted, there had never been all that much and Alexander had enlisted James's help to ensure the safety of the few thing they wanted to keep.

The small number of books they owned, some clothes, the few things that their mother had owned and Lavine hadn't taken from them, and, eh, that's about all, actually.

The rest of the things could be replaced with a lot of hard work—in other words an average day for Alexander—and a few days of hunger—also not that far from average for Alexander, slightly less so for James.

It will be hard, but they can do it. They will do it.

They have to do it, if they want to live another day.

And so, Alexander continues working for the trading charter, only know James is working right at his side, learning any and every advice Alexander has to offer.

Alexander isn't sure how he ends up writing a letter to James's father—he's well aware that James Hamilton is not his, he remembers when his mother had introduced him to the man—but he does.

And somehow—he's as good as certain it was either James or Ned—that letter gets published in the local newspaper, the Royal Danish American Gazette and, for the first time in his life, the people of not only of Christianed but all of St. Croix and even a few of neighbouring isles are actually paying attention to the way James and—less importantly—Alexander are suffering.

Suddenly they care, suddenly they are willing to spend money.

If his two decades on these islands have taught him anything, then it's to accept the help with a fake smile and curse them when the word wouldn't get to them.

The people of the island intend to send him to the mainland so he can be properly educated—he knows they are hoping for a doctor—but Alexander has one condition.

"I will not be leaving without James," he declares whenever someone asks him. "That's just not happening. The kid's barely even fifteen!"

Alexander has lost more than enough siblings already. It doesn't matter that he never got to know them in the first place, they still died.

"Plus," James adds, "Alexander needs someone to remind him to eat. It'd be pretty pointless to send him up there just for him to starve himself."

And, eventually, the people of St. Croix give in.

Both James and Alexander can travel to New York, but they can't offer to send them enough money to pay for both of their education and the other things they would need, so the two would have to find lodgings as well as an additional income on their own.

"We're Hamiltons." James says when Alexander informs him of this. "Or, more accurately, both of us have the blood of Rachel Faucette. We will manage."

Alexander pulls his brother closer and ruffles his hair. "You're right, Jamie. There's so much the two of us are gonna do," he begins.

"They'll just have to wait," James finishes, a wide smile on his face.

The brothers' journey to the British American Colonies is downright amazing for a while.

They can still barely believe that they are actually leaving St. Croix and everything that hurt them on the isle behind.

It's an incredible feeling, just standing there and watching their former home grow smaller and smaller.

"It's almost as if we're finally letting go of the chains holding us back," James states, looking at Alexander.

"You're absolutely right," the older brother confirms, thus causing the younger one's smile to widen even more.

Then, pretty much in the middle of their week-long journey, their ship catches fire, because of course it does. It isn't like the brothers have suffered more than enough already or anything, no.

There is no one on the ship who doesn't panic at all, understandably so, Alexander would say.

But the passengers and crew manage to extinguish the fire before it damages the ship or anyone on it. A bit of the cargo suffers, yes, but that's not Alexander's problem.

What counts is that his brother is still alive and that they don't have to swim the rest of the way to the mainland.

It's no wonder that James agrees with that assessment, even if he adds Alexander's survival as another important factor.

"If you say so," Alexander replies, shaking his head. His life clearly isn't as important as the one of his little brother.

"Yes, I do, actually," James insists, before sobering up and continuing quietly. "You're all I have left in this world."

At these word, Alexander pulls his brother towards him. Neither of them speaks a word, but both of them know what the other is feeling. They never want to experience losing one another, or at the very least not for decades and decades.

They form a silent vow to stay alive for the other in that moment.

The sun is rising when their ship arrives in New York City and Alexander is sure that this is a symbol of some kind. A sign that their arrival will bring change to this world.

"You may be exaggerating a bit there," James argues. "I mean, yeah, there's a lot we have yet to do, but we're not gonna change the world."

"No." Alexander shakes his head. "This is the dawn of a new age. I can feel it. And I am not going to stand to the sidelines. That much I can promise."

"Then I won't be far from the action either," James proclaims.

Alexander looks as his little brother. "Jamie, no-"

"What?" The fifteen-year-old raises an eyebrow. "You think you can keep me from joining you?"

"I can and I will," Alexander declares.

"You can certainly try," James acknowledges, "but in the end I will follow you wherever you go. That is my promise."

Alexander sighs. They both know that, if one of them gets an idea in their head, it will happen and that James has the advantage of being able to pull a face Alexander simply cannot say no to. It's impossible.

"Then I suppose I will take you along so that I can at least keep an eye on you."