"Merry Christmas!" Stella called, the last person down the stairs on Christmas Day.

"Merry Christmas Stel!" The sisters greeted excitedly, and Stella wasn't surprised to see Charlotte sitting with them as well.

A knock came at the door, and Stella ran to get it.

"Merry Christmas!" She exclaimed, hugging Mr Laurence, and then Teddy.

"Come in, come in." Stella opened the door wider so they could get in.

"Marmee! The Laurence's are here!" Stella called, and the March girls all looked up in excitement.

"Hello," Laurie said to the girls, "And Merry Christmas!" He handed out presents to each of the girls, spare Charlotte, who had already been given her present, and they opened them with car.

Beth looked as if she could cry for joy when she opened the wrapping paper to find a new doll, with purple eyes of course, Amy nearly screamed when she saw the new paints and brushes. Jo grinned at the new writing equipment and Meg gasped at the beautiful dress.

Marmee thanked the men for their kindness for the gift they gave her as Hannah took the gift she was given and placed it under the tree for later.

"Teddy, no. Thank you, but-"Stella handed him the gift back, before she even opened it.

"No, please. Take it. It's Christmas, after all." Stella sighed and gave in.

"Open it." He begged.

She took the wrapping paper off and opened the box to find three things, a new journal to write letters in, another box, and an old book.

"The old journal is the one I wrote in every day this year. I thought you might like it." Teddy blushed, obviously embarrassed.

"Thank you." Stella threw her arms around her friend, "I love it."

"You do? Oh good." Teddy breathed a sigh of relief.

She opened the other box and closed it again immediately.

"No. That is too much." She opened and closed it again.

"It was my mothers." He whispered.

"Teddy-"

"I want you to have it. She would have wanted you to have it. I know it."

"Thank you so much, Theo. Thank you." He put the necklace around her neck for her, and smiled.

"She would love you." Stella smiled sadly.

"And I'm sure I would love her."

She took a perfectly wrapped gift from underneath the tree and gave it to him.

"From me." Stella smiled.

He opened the box to find numerous pieces of paper.

"I stole all of your letters from me last night when you weren't looking. It's my joke gift." Stella laughed, but Laurie shook his head.

"You kept them all."

"Of course I did." Stella shrugged it off, and handed him another present.

"Elle!" Laurie said, his voice barely a whisper.

The watch was the thing that Stella used all of her money from Aunt March on. Every penny went toward that watch, and it meant a lot that he liked it.

The pair hugged again, and then Teddy stood up again, announcing to the family.

"And here's another Christmas present for the March family!"

The door swung open, revealing Mr Brooke. And their father.

Beth began to cry, Jo dropped a dish, throwing her hands in the air and hitting Charlotte in the face accidentally, Meg kissed Mr Brooke (again), Marmee gasped, Amy fell off her seat, and Stella stood and hugged her father tightly, as if he was just a dream she didn't want to wake up from. She wouldn't let him go again.

"My little women, how you've grown, and how proud I am of you. Merry Christmas my dears." Father said as the other sisters joined Stella in the hug.

Marmee and Father had a small, yet happy moment, and Stella and the girls all left them so they could have a while together.

Stella jumped into Teddy's arms.

"Thank you. Thank you for everything." Stella whispered into the crook of his neck.

"No, thank you."

________________

Dinner was the happiest meal of Stella's life.

The family joked and laughed and cried. Meg and Mr Brooke held hands under the table, hoping nobody would see, but Stella noticed after dropping her joke toy from her cracker that she'd been fiddling with and gave Meg a knowing grin when she got up from the ground.

_________________

Stella did slipped her shoes on. It truly was a splendid day. A splendid day for two splendid people to get married.

"I can't believe today is my wedding day!" Meg exclaimed.

"Me neither!" Stella replied happily.

"Me neither." Jo replied glumly.

"What's wrong?" Meg asked.

"Nothing." Stella rolled her eyes at Jo's melodramatics.

"Jo..." Meg started.

Jo knelt down before her older sister.

"We can leave. We can leave right now." Jo whispered.

"What?" Meg and Stella said in unison.

"I can make money. I'll sell stories, I'll do anything— I'll cook, I'll clean, work in a factory, make a life for us!" Jo explained.

"But Jo-"

"And you, you should be an actress. Stella can sing! You can both have a wonderful life on the stage. Let's run away together."

"I want to get married." Meg said carefully.

"Why?" Jo asked, her voice tired.

"I love him." Meg laughed.

"You will be bored of him in two years and we will be interesting forever."

"Just because my dreams aren't the same as yours doesn't mean they're unimportant." Meg smiled.

Jo sat back, heartbroken that her sisters wouldn't run away with her.

"I want a family and a home, and I'm not scared of working and struggling, but I want to do it with John." Meg continued.

"I have Beth, and Amy, and we'll still have Meg. I'll still have you. We've got Charlotte and Laurie, mother and father. You've got Charlotte. She needs you— what would she say if you just left? We can't just leave." Stella said quietly.

"Oh, but we can. I'm sorry, I just hate that you're leaving me." Jo said sadly.

"Oh, Jo, I'm not leaving you. Besides, one day it'll be your turn."

Jo shook her head. "I'd rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe." She began to cry, hugging Meg.

Stella joined the hug, tears prickling her eyes.

"I can't believe childhood is over." Jo cried.

The girls all pulled away from the hug to look at each other. They had grown so much since last year. Lost and gained so much. And they would be forever grateful.

"It was going to end one way or another. And what a happy end"