Laurie stood in front of her much more suddenly than she was aware.

"Hello." He bowed his head, and she curtseyed, her eyes never leaving his, her eyes filled with tears.

"It's good to see you again." Stella whispered. Laurie could take it no more. He hugged her tightly and whispered the sweetest things that Stella had been hearing as she slept the past few weeks.

"I promise you we will find a way. We always find a way." Stella whispered into his chest, where she could hear the pounding of his heart, and could finally know that they were beating together.

"I know. I know." They pulled away to make it seem as if they were nothing more than old friends. But they were so much more than that.

So much more.

___________

After the party, Stella snuck Laurie into her room, Dennis going to Amy's.

"I've missed you so much." Stella cried, hugging him close and tight.

"I've missed you more." Stella shook her head.

"Stella," Teddy began, holding her at arms length and taking in every feature of her face. Nothing had changed. "I love you so goddamn much. You know that, right?"

Stella nodded vigorously, "And I you."

"Good. Just making sure."

The couple grinned as they brought their faces closer and closer together, before a knock came at the door.

"Hide." Stella whispered, Teddy laughed as she pushed him under the bed.

"Shush!" She whisper yelled, giggling, before running to the door and opening it.

"Ah! Delores! Hello."

Delores was Aunt March's maid, and her most loyal one. She always told on Stella if she did the slightest thing wrong, and Stella knew she was doing something very wrong. But oh so right.

"I need to change your bed, Miss." Stella nodded at Delores.

"Of course!" Stella sat on the chair opposite the bed, and her and Teddy made panicked faces across at each other.

Delores dropped a pillow, and Laurie dropped flat behind a box. The box in which her veil used to be.

Stella's eyes widened, and she concealed a laugh as Laurie held his breath.

"Silly me!" Delores exclaimed, before grabbing it without even looking underneath the bed.

"Thank God!" Stella exclaimed, and Delores looked at her funnily.

"That the pillow didn't get dirty! You've just got it washed!" Stella covered her mistake and Delores smiled at her.

"Oh you are a delightful girl! I shall see you tomorrow at the final dress fitting."

Stella's face dropped, and Delores left.

"Okay, you can come out now." Stella whispered to Laurie after checking nobody was in the hallway.

"Where were we?" Teddy put a hand behind her neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

The door knocked again.

"Jesus Christ!" Stella exclaimed quietly, stomping her foot.

"It's only me and Dennis!" A voice came.

"Oh, Amy, Dennis! Do come in."

Teddy his just in case, but quickly got back up as soon as he realised it was just Amy and Dennis.

They had to be very careful when planning this. No detail could be left out, and no person could be forgotten.

Amy suggested her plan first, but there were too many holes. Dennis then suggested his plan, but they didn't have any fake blood and certainly didn't have any swords.

Then came Stella's idea, and although it was nearly perfect, they would have to wait for weeks for the supplies to arrive, and they all found it hard to picture the priest pretending to die.

"What if we just push Aunt March down the stairs." Stella groaned as she flopped onto Laurie's lap dramatically. They looked into each other's eyes and grinned.

"I mean, she isn't wrong." Dennis waved his hand in the general direction of Stella.

"I've got it." Laurie exclaimed, and Stella sat up quickly.

"Go for it." Dennis looked on at Laurie intensely.

"It's a bit of a stretch, but-"

"Go!" Stella and Amy yelled.

Laurie explained his plan with great care and precision, and Stella grabbed a page and some ink, scribbling it down frantically.

"It's perfect." Stella shook her head in disbelief. They could pull this off.

"It's perfect." Amy and Dennis repeated.

"You wonderful, wonderful man!" Stella practically jumped on him, kissing his cheek and knocking him to the ground. They all laughed as the pair lay on the floor, shaking with laughter.

The first step. One of the sister would pretend to be sick. Stella's friendship with all of her sisters was so strong not even the meanest of monsters would disturb her sadness to make her marry someone she didn't love.

"Well I'm useless at acting, so I can't do it." Amy said quietly, ashamed of the fact she was not good at something the others were good at.

"It's okay." Dennis reassured her.

"Beth can't do it because she's been sick before and it would worry Marmee even more." Stella added.

"Meg can't do it as she's pregnant and that would be incredibly serious." Teddy added.

"So it has to be Jo." Dennis concluded.

The group paraded to Jo's room, knocking the door thrice.

"Who is it?" Jo's sleepy voice called.

"Stella." Stella whispered.

"I'm guessing you've brought the other three as well then." Jo laughed tiredly.

"Just let us in." Amy scolded.

"Fine!" Jo got up and went to the door, agonisingly slow.

"Thank you." Stella walked in first, then Teddy, then Dennis, then Amy.

"What do you need me to do?" Jo asked, and a small groan came from the bed when the gas light was turned on.

"Charlotte?" Dennis questioned.

"Already done that." Jo cackled. Stella burst out laughing, making everyone else join in, a part from Dennis, who was staring in shock at his cousin, and Charlie, who was looking terrified under the gaze of Dennis. Dennis cracked a smile and nodded, and Charlie smiled back.

"As heartwarming as this is, we need your help Jo." Amy began.

Jo grinned. "I always like to hear that."

So they told Jo the plan, and Jo immediately agreed.

"We shall begin in fifteen minutes! Places everyone!" Jo said after forming a little script in the minds of everyone else. It would be fuelled on improv.

"Come on!" Stella whispered, Jo clambering into bed and kissing Charlotte on the cheek. The rest of the group ran out of the room, Dennis blowing the gas lamp off as he left.

As soon as they got to their rooms, Stella scrambled out of her ballgown to make it more believable, slipping into her nightdress.

"Show time." She mumbled, as she heard a scream from Charlotte.

"Charlie?" She called back, bundling up her nightdress and running towards Jo's room, meeting with the others on the way.

"Charlie is everything-"

"It's Jo! I came in here because I heard a thud and she was just lying here, and she can't be sleeping because she hasn't woken up yet!" Charlie cried. Stella would have been impressed by her acting if she wasn't focusing on her own.

"Jo!" Meg rushed over to her sister, and in her panic, slapped her right across the face. Stella brought her hand to her lips to quiet the giggles.

"Meg!" Marmee exclaimed, and Jo woke up.

"We have to get her to the hospital wing!" Stella had no idea why there was a hospital wing, but there was, and Madam Hasbrath was a terrifyingly nice woman.

"Make it stop!" Jo cried, and Stella motioned to level it up a bit.

"Make it stop!" Jo cried, with a bit more emotion the second time. Stella gave a thumbs up and led everyone straight to Madam Hasbrath, and sat with Jo the entire night. At least there nobody would be paying attention to her and Laurie holding hands and giving each other loving looks.

And Charlie lay in Jo's arms the entire night.

All was calm. For the people who were in on the scheme.