ᴏɴᴇ-ꜱʜᴏᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏғғ ᴄᴜᴛꜱ

[You're on Your own Kid] Theodore 'Laurie' Lawrence

(You may have to play this two or three times to listen to it throughout the whole chapter)

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What if, there was a fifth March sister, and What if, before Beth died among many other things, Amy had done what Jo did, pushed forward her art career, and what if that fifth sister married Laurie, but she had felt alone all her life because of what she wanted to do with her writing and research. Fast forward to things like after Beth dying and the March sisters finding their people and starting families, the fifth sister began spiralling into a pit of depression because she was getting nowhere with her work because she was a woman, luckily though, Laurie manages to get her out of it.

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Catherine Elizabeth March-Lawernce was never a woman to be messed with.

And she knew it.

But she knew she could be knocked down easily.

She'd known it all her life, but she never let that change her as she strove to get her work published and then out into the world for all to read.

Of course, there had been setbacks. Like her family believing in Jo more than her, Beth dying and then the happiest of the setbacks being marrying the boy Catherine had known for years but barely talked to before she'd realised she loved him. Then there came the child the pair of them were now parenting.

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As Catherine walked through to the parlour, Elizabeth, her daughter, in her arms as she searched the house for Laurie, a panic setting in after every minute she couldn't find him. For years Catherine had felt alone and Laurie was the first strong light in her life that helped her get back on her feet after every knock.

Catherine soon left the parlour though, seeing her husband was not in there, wishing he was as she left though.

Quickly after Catherine had left the parlour, she heard a wonderful tune coming from the music room, and knowing that the only other person that would want to play it was sadly gone, it could only have been Laurie, so as she rushed in there, Catherine felt a sense of security return to her as she saw Laurie playing the piano.

"It sounds beautiful." Catherine comments as she takes a step forward, adjusting Elizabeth to a more comfortable as she did so.

Laurie turned before replying "Well I hope so. How are you, darling?" he said as he took Elizabeth out of Catherine's arms and gave her a hug.

"I doing not the best, but not the worst." Catherine said, taking in a breath as she contemplated her answer.

"Anthony told me about the letter. Are you sure?" Laurie asked, insisting on his question as he sat down with his daughter.

"You're listening to your Valet about the letters I receive?" Catherine said following her husband, sitting down opposite him.

"Yes, because I know your history of bottling our emotions up. I'm sorry about what happened. The piece of research you sent away was the best yet. I'm sure, that when properly appreciated, your research will go far in curing any neurological abnormalities that could become fatal." Laurie said as Catherine sighed.

"Yes, but I feel as if all my doors are closing as I try to get my work published. Jo's-" Catherine said but was cut off by Laurie as she started to talk badly about herself.

"Enough about Jo and how you haven't got research published! Jo got a story published, yours could change the whole course of medicine." Laurie said as he took Catherine's Hand "Now tell me, what do you know about fatal brain abnormalities?"

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After hours of talking about Catherine's research and then putting Elizabeth down to sleep as the married couple went to go to bed.

"Do you honestly think that I could go far in medicine?" Catherine questioned as she braided her hair.

Laurie got up from the spot on the bed he was sitting in and took over braiding Catherine's hair for her as he replied.

"Yes, I do," Laurie replied as he tied off the first braid with a bobble, soon starting on the next braid "Why do you ask?"

And that was when the walls broke. The emotions that had been building up throughout the day, all because of that one letter.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Laurie questioned as he saw his wife break down into tears.

"I'm ashamed." Catherine managed to sniffle out.

"Of what?" Laurie questioned again as he tried to hug her while braiding her hair.

"Of myself. I don't deserve to be Elizabeth's mother if I can't teach her anything, or don't have anything to show her." Catherine cried out.

"No, it's not going to be like that. Firstly, you will teach Elizabeth many things as she will know that blood, sweat and tears went into what we have done to raise her." Laurie said as Catherine tried to say something, but he talked over it. "Secondly, you did all you could and practically starved yourself working on your research just so then she could see how great her mother is, but you don't need to.

Catherine was now full-on sobbing as she listened to her husband's kind words of encouragement. Soon enough, Laurie finished the other braid and tied it off and turned Cathering around to face him as he knelt on the ground.

Laurie then Made Catherine look him in the eye as he finished his speech to her about how great she was.

"Now Catherine, you've changed, almost as if a page turned or a bridge had burned. At points, you'd lost everything because of how your sisters treated you, but it was just another step you took to becoming the person I love. So, we made the friendship bracelets as children, and we need to take the moments and taste them before Elizabeth grows up and leaves home, you've got absolutely no reason to be afraid." Laurie rushed out, stroking Catherine's arm as he did so.

Catherine smiled and then hugged her husband before he finished what he was saying.

"You're On Your Own Catherine, and it's perfectly fine to be, so you can face anything, and I think you've been on your own, your whole life, making you the strongest woman I have ever met and one of the best people I want by my side in life." Laurie whispered in her ear as Catherine pulled out of the hug.

"I love you Laurie."

"I love you too Catherine, and never, even if it's something little, keep any bad emotions to yourself, I'll help you through them."

"Thank you." Catherine said as she kissed Laurie and smiled in the kiss knowing Laurie would have her back every day and would catch her at every fall.

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Another Chapter uploaded, yay! Will it probably be a while till the next one, almost certainly, but here is another one at least!

To make this short and simple as it's almost three a.m. my time as I write this, so I need sleep, so two quick things, I loved writing this, and second I hope you all had a merry Christmas.

Bye!

- Rachel

UPDATED; 28/12/2022

WORDS; 1165