The four girls are walking, bundled against the cold. The streets are more bustling, the atmosphere cozier. It is how childhood always is in memory - - brighter and better. They are back to the daily task of making a living. Meg was the first to speak " It's so hard to go back to work after such good times." Beth felt sad " I wish it was Christmas every day." Amy piped in " or New Year's, wouldn't that be exciting?" Jo scoffed " We're a bunch of ungrateful minxes!" Meg looked at Jo " Don't use such dreadful expressions!" Jo looked back at Meg " I like good strong words that mean something." Amy just looked at the older girls " Well I have to go to school and I don't have any limes." Jo looked at Amy questionably "Limes?" Amy looked at Jo " the other girls are all trading pickled limes. I'm in debt. I owe ever so many limes." Meg hands Amy a quarter " will that do?" Jo looks disapprovingly at Meg " what did you do that for?" Meg looked to Jo " I know what it is to want little things and feel less than other girls." Amy smiles at her sisters "Between this and the drawings I should wipe out my debt." Jo looked at Amy questionably "What drawings?" Amy turned to Jo all defensive" Nothing!" Beth shudders " I'm just glad that mother doesn't make me go to that school with all those girls....." Jo turns to Beth " Beth, after your shopping, I need you to work your way through the new sums and spelling and I'll check it all when I get home." Meg looks at the sun, and speeds up. " Hurry! I'll be late!" They break apart from each other at the fork in the road Beth and Meg going one direction and Amy and Jo in another.

Jo hopes over a fence and runs toward Aunt March's house. As Aunt March dozes, poodle in her lap, while Jo stands by the bookcase and surreptitiously reads her own book. She turns the page, trying to be as quiet as possible, but Aunt March wakes up. "JOSYPHINE!" Jo tries to hide the book " yes!" Aunt March glares slightly at her " Is there a reason you stopped reading Belsham?" Jo quickly " I'm sorry, I'll continue l." Aunt March examined her " you mind yourself, dearie, one day you'll need me and you'll wish you had behaved better." Jo carefully answered her Aunt " Thank you, Aunt March, for you employment and many kindnesses, but I intend to make my own way in the world." Aunt March scoffs " No one makes their own way, not really, least of all a woman. You'll need to marry well." Jo looked up at her Aunt " you are not married, Aunt March." Aunt March snapped back at her " because I was rich and made sure to keep my money." Aunt March looks at Jo softly " I know you don't care much about marriage now. I can't say I blame you, but I intend to go to Europe one more time, and i need a companion. How would you like to the person I take?" Jo was surprised " I'd like that more than anything!" Aunt March smirks at her " Then read and don't sneak around. I don't like sneaks."

During a break, one of the school girls whispers to Amy " President Lincoln." Amy turns to her "No! Father is fighting for him." Another girl turns to her " My father says the war is a waste, we should just let them keep their labour." Amy turned shocked " It is immoral!" The same girls continued on " Everyone benefitted from the system, including you Marches - why should only the south be punished?" Amy looked at all of them " Perhaps we should all be punished." The first girl turns to the other girl " The Marches love a cause." Another girl pokes her head in " Fine, Just do Mr. Davis." Amy had a worried expression on her face " I don't know if I should." The first girl turns to Amy " I'll wipe out your debt and give you five more limes besides."

Amy is seduced, and instantly starts drawing the caricature. The girls giggle. Amy gets carried away, drawing a conversation bubble with words " My eye is upon you, young ladies." More laughter. Suddenly, a shadow falls over them, and all the girls look up, scared, and move away. Amy however, is too wrapped up in her drawing to notice. When she does, Mr Davis looks down sternly at her.

Laurie tries very hard to study with his sister and tutor, Mr. Brooke, but it is hopeless, Laurie keeps jumping up and distracting both himself and Lottie with something in the room. His most recent position is standing like a statute, perched on a Chair with Lottie beside him on another. Mr Brooke is getting frustrated with the pair " Sit down. Sit down, Laurie, Lottie . Latin is a privilege. Please, you have to learn this. I can't afford to lose this position. Just return to Cicero." But Laurie is looking out the window and Lottie is on her tippy toes trying to see what he is looking at. Laurie looks at Mr Brooke " There's a girl out there." Mr Brooke refuses to believe him " No, there is not." But Laurie is persistent "YES! Mr Brooke, there is a girl!" Laurie throws open the window and pulls Lottie with him. He looks at her as if to tell her to talk " Hello there! Are you hurt?" Amy March looks up at the window sniffling " I'm Amy." Lottie smiles at her " Hello Amy, I'm Lottie and this is my older brother Laurie!" Amy sniffles again " I know. You brought my sister back from the dance - I would have never sprained my ankle, I have lovely small feet. Best in my family. But I can never go home again, I'm in such trouble. Look." Amy holds up her hand, which is red and bleeding a little. "Mr Davis hit me." This upset Lottie who could possibly think to hurt such a lovely young girl.

Amy, sat on the couch as Lottie took her hand in hers and bandaged it up for her, Amy couldn't take her eyes off of the youngest Laurence " Your very good at that." Lottie just smiles at her " Thank you I have had practice with Laurie as an older brother! Your all done." Lottie patted her hand gently. Amy sat looking at an art book, pretending to be a very fine lady and putting on a voice " Tell the servants that I want this painting purchased for me! IMMEDIATELY!" Lottie laughs at this confident girl looking at her brother. Amy likes making her laugh. Mr Brooke shakes his head, frustrated. A servant enters, followed by Jo and Meg. The servant points at Amy " She's in here...." Meg goes instantly to Amy, while Jo gets distracted by all the books. Laurie stands when Jo enters making Leigh laugh at his reaction " Jo!" Jo turns to Laurie " What richness! Theodore Laurence you ought to be the happiest boy in the world!" Laurie just looks at her smiling " A fellow can't live on books alone." Jo just stares at him " I could." Meg is tending to Amy, and Mr Brooke can't help but stare at Meg, completely flummoxed by her beauty and goodness: Meg looks at Amy " what happened little lamb?" Jo looked suspiciously at Any " What did you do?" Amy plays innocent " Just a drawing and then.... Mr Davis hit me." Amy starts to cry again and Lottie makes her way over to her but stops when she realises she has Meg. Amy holds up her hand again as Meg takes off her gloves and put them on a side table while she examines her sister's outstretched hand. Mr Brooke eyes the gloves, he's drawn to the items so recently worn by Meg. Jo, who has been roaming the room, stops in front of a portrait of Mr. Laurence. Laurie follows her gaze. " Christopher Columbus, look at that." Lottie laughs at her use of words making a tearful Amy smile slightly. Laurie walks up to Jo " That's my grandfather. Are you scared of him?" Jo didn't take her eyes off of the painting " I'm not scared of anyone! He looks stern, but my grandfather was much more handsome." Unfortunately, during this speech, Me Laurence has entered with Mrs March, unseen by Jo " Jo! We do not compare grandfathers!" Jo spins around and sees Mr.Laurence and her mother " You think he's mores handsome,hey?" Jo looks at him surprised " Oh, no. You are very handsome. I didn't mean..." Mr Laurence cracks Jo half a smile " I knew your mother's father. You've got his spirit." Jo smiles at Amy " thank you, sir." Marmee tends to Amy. " you are not to attend that school any more." Jo walks over to them " Good, that man has always been an idiot." Marmee looks at Jo then to Amy " Jo will teach you." Jo was shocked "Me?! I already teach Beth!" Meg looked at Jo " You're a good teacher." Mr Brooke was trying to start a conversation with Meg " Yes, women being taught at home is much more proper, take Lottie for example." Meg turns to him " Only because the schools for women are so poor." Mr Brooke agrees with her " indeed, quite right." Amy turned to her mother " I wish all the girls would leave his horrible school and that he would die." Marmee looks at her youngest daughter " You did wrong, Amy and there will be consequences." Marmee turns to Lottie and Laurie " Thank you so much for taking care of Amy. My girls do have a way of getting into mischief." Lottie smiles at her " So do we!" Marmee smiles at her " Then you should run over and we'll take care of you." Lottie smiles again " And please come here whenever you'd like. And tell Beth to come too." Jo looked at her " YES! Beth would adore the piano!" Mr Laurence looks at her " Is she the quiet one?" Meg smiles " That's our Beth." "Tell the little girl to use our piano." Laurie turned to Jo " And Jo, borrow any book you'd like!" Lottie looks at Amy as Amy looks at her " And may I come look at the paintings?" Lottie smiles nodding her head at her causing Amy to smile to. Mr Brooke looks at Meg " There is also a lovely greenhouse...." Marmee looked at her daughters "we must be going. Girls?" Jo turned to the Laurence family " Thank you." Amy looked at Lottie hopefully " Please come over." Meg looks at them all " Many thanks, Our apologies." The women leave and Mr. Brooke notices Meg has left her glove behind. " Oh, Miss Meg! You forgot your glove!" The men and Lottie are left standing in the silence of their absence. Mr Laurence breaks the spell " Well, back to work, back to work."

Ok another update.

I am going to go see it again today can't wait.

Word Count 1825