As Meg called for Jo, the two youngest sisters discussed the garlands and how exciting Christmas was. Stella sat with her head buried in a book on Italian culture and language, scribbling notes down.

"Merry Christmas!" Jo exclaimed, and they all excitedly looked up at their sister.

"Jo, we've been up for hours!" Meg stated, and Jo laughed.

"What have you been writing?" Beth asked, as Jo stomped downstairs.

Jo explained what she'd been up all night doing, and Amy grimaced.

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," Jo said glumly.

"It's so dreadful to be poor." Meg sighed.

Amy slumped in her seat and declared, "I don't think it's fair for some girls to have lots of pretty things and other girls have nothing at all."

"At least we have father and mother and each other," Beth said, and Stella smiled into her notes, before looking up when Jo spoke up again.

"We haven't got father. And we won't have him as long as this war drags on."

Meg put down her sewing and began to speak of how she wished her life would be easier, and Jo told her to simply be an actress. Meg would never tell, but she enjoyed the praise.

"Well I think perhaps we should be more grateful. Other people are worse off than us, and we have no right to be complaining when we should be so very gracious we even have parents, or even any money at all." The sisters looked up at Stella and thought for a second. She spoke up again, however when she turned to Meg and stated her wish.

"I wish to make people happy through my singing and my languages. I believe it's a wonderful thing to make people 'trés bon vivante'."Beth gasped at her sister and Stella walked over to her, teaching her how to say the phrase and what it meant.

"I have lots of wishes, but my favourite one is to be an artist and go to Paris and do fine pictures and be the best painter in the world." Amy sighed dreamily.

"That's what you want too, isn't it Jo? To be a famous writer?" Beth asked, snuggling into Stella's side.

"Yes, but it sounds so crass when she says it." Jo grumbled.

"Why be ashamed of what you want?" Amy asked, and Jo protested.

"My wish is to have us all to be together with father and mother in this house. That's what I want." Stella smiled down at Beth who had just spoken very timidly.

"That's a lovely wish, Bethy." Stella whispered into her sisters hair.

"What about your music, Queen Bess?" Jo asked, and Beth blushed.

"I only do that for us, I don't need anyone else to hear it." Beth replied, flustered.

"You must not limit yourself." Amy declared, trying to shape her nose differently.

"Mother proposed us not having presents this Christmas because our men are suffering in the army. We can't do much, but we should make our little sacrifices." Meg declared, going back to her sewing, "And we should do it gladly."

At that moment, Jo threw a pillow at Meg and hit her squarely in the face, making Stella burst into laughter.

"Don't Jo, it's so boyish!" Amy groaned, and Jo immediately snapped back.

"That's why I do it."

"I detest rude, un-ladylike girls." Amy stuck her chin up.

"I hate affected little chits!" Jo replied, raising her voice.

Jo tackled Amy, Beth pulling Meg in, and Stella chanting to fight, giggling.

"I know you don't care what I think, but you don't want your mother to find you like this, do you?" Hannah asked, appearing out of nowhere.

Stella was the first to run to the kind woman. They loved her dearly. Stella kissed her cheek and said, "We do appreciate what you think gentile femme!" Hannah simply chuckled.

"Of course we care what you think, Hannah." Meg kissed Hannah on the cheek second, the rest of the girls copying her actions, Jo throwing an arm around Estella's shoulders after commenting on how Hannah was more like family than Aunt March, making Beth scold her.

"Where is Marmee?" Amy asked Hannah, and Beth nodded.

"Goodness only knows. Some poor creature came a-beggin', and yourma went straight off to see what was needed." Hannah replied, and Stella smiled sadly.

"Oh, I do wish she had fetched me. It would be so much easier if there was a pair of extra hands." Stella frowned.

"And I wish she could help other people at a time convenient to us." Jo graoned hungrily.

"Joanna and I are hungry," Beth clutched the doll close to her chest, and Amy sighed.

"Dolls don't get hungry, Beth." Amy tutted, and Stella gave her youngest sister a look, pulling Beth in for a hug, telling her not to listen.

The sisters begin to talk about the play Jo has written.

"I still believe it should be a musical, Beth and I can write at least one beautiful song." Stella piped up, and Jo quickly told her she was the only one who could sing.

A voice came from behind, and the girls all turned to see their mother.

"Marmee!" They shrieked, running to her and embracing her.

"I'm glad to see you so happy!" Marmee exclaimed, laughing at her contented daughters.

"Oh, mother, you're freezing, come, have some tea!" Jo demanded.

"Hannah and I made some cakes." Beth told her mother, and Meg and Amy spoke at the same time, not allowing Stella to be able to make it out.

As the girls discussed how hungry they were, Stella asked their mother how the woman was who came asking for help.

Marmee quietened.

"What is it?" Stella whispered.

"Not far from here lives a poor young woman, Mrs. Hummel. Her five children are in one bed to keepfrom freezing, and there is nothing to eat. My girls, will you give them your breakfast as a Christmaspresent?"

The girls stayed quiet for a moment, before Beth asked if it would make their father proud. Marmee nodded.

In the freezing cold, Jo hit Amy with a snowball and Stella sang for joy, Meg and Beth dancing along beside her.

Finally, once they reached a shack in the woods, Marmee stopped, and Stella frowned.

"How awful." She whispered.

The mother approaches the girls, a child in her arms. Marmee showed no hesitation, taking the infant and holding it close.

The girls set food out on the table, the children gathering round to see what was happening.

Stella sat and talked to the mother and the eldest child in German, telling them about her adventures in Germany, and how she could teach them all English to make them stronger in the country.

Once the food was ready, Marmee soon said it was time to go. Stella hesitated, asking if she could stay to help tidy up. Marmee agreed, before bringing her other four children home.

"Oh, there's nothing better than home!" Stella exclaimed upon entering, the family getting up to help her in.

"Stella, come see!" Amy tugged on Stella's sleeve.

Stella looked in awe at the food.

"It was 'Teddy'" Jo mocked, and Stella opened and closed her mouth like a small fish.

"Jo, you're just jealous because Stel has a lover and you don't." Amy laughed.

"He's not my lover. I've only spoken to him once." Stella declared, sitting down and saying a quick prayer before eating. Her sisters soon returning to their half eaten cakes.

"I'm not responsible for the feast," Marmee began after they had cleared the plates away. "But I do have a surprise!" She pulled out a letter, and the girls all cried out excitedly.

Once they had all sat down, Amy laughed at Jo for sitting in the back where they couldn't see her cry. She was quickly shut up by Jo hitting her round the back of the head.

Stella only paid attention to the letter that Marmee read.

"Give them all my dear love and a kiss. Tell them I think of them by day, pray for them by night and find my best comfort in their affection at all times. A year seems a very long time to wait before I see them but remind them that while we wait we may all work, so that these hard days need not be wasted. I know they will be loving children to you, do their duty faithfully, fight their enemies bravely that when I come back to them I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women."

a/n sorry there's no laurie really this chapter, but i felt it necessary to keep in.

lots of love