When Adeline found herself in the world of the Little Women, she is concerned with three questions; how did she get here, how is this happening, and...
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can she change the story?
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oc x laurie
"I'm just a silly girl in my stupid dumb old world, and he was perfect. He was supposed to be. I made him perfect, 'cause I wanted him to be." Silly Girl by Chloe Moriondo
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Jo has been tirelessly tending to Beth as Addy swaps out with her when she is needed by someone else. Addy and Jo were currently placing cold clothes on her head as she lay in bed, awake for the first time in a while.
"You will get better. Father will get better. And we will all be together soon," Jo assures, almost speaking to herself.
"You cannot stop God's will," Beth reminded her, breathing in deeply. Adeline could not bare to look at Beth, still believing that it was mostly her fault that her sister was in this situation.
"God hasn't met my will yet. What Jo wills shall be done," Jo chuckled lightly, sticking her nose in the air as she so often does.
Meanwhile, Amy was in Aunt March's house, standing by a window and painting what she saw outside, enjoying her space but missing her family.
"Amy? Come here," Aunt March called the young girl, who put down her paintbrush and politely walked to where her Aunt was sitting.
"If you are very good, one day this ring will belong to you," Aunt March pointed at the stunning jewelry on her hand as Amy sat beside her.
"Really?"
"You just keep being a proper young lady and see if it doesn't. You are your family's hope now. Beth is sick, Jo is a lost cause, and I hear Meg has had her head turned by a penniless tutor. Not to mention Adeline, who is not even a March. It'll be up to you to support them all, and your indigent parents in their old age. So you must marry well and save your family," Aunt March instructed as Amy frowned.
"Aunt March, Addy is just as much a part of our family-"
"Nothing more. That is all I wanted to say. You may go back to your... little painting," Aunt March scoffed, rushing the girl out of the room with a wave of her hand. Amy slowly walked back to her painting, not liking the feeling in her chest at this new responsibility.
During this time, Beth had taken a turn for the worse. Hannah, Meg, and Jo all surrounded the bed where Beth lay unconscious, mumbling among themselves as Addy slept on a nearby chair.
"What do we do?" Jo asked with fear in her voice.
"We should send for your Mother," Hannah nodded solemnly.
Not long after the girls sent for their Mother, she arrived back home leaving her sick husband only to find a sick daughter. The winter had come quickly as Christmas was nearing, and Laurie accompanied Marmee to the March house as he was now on winter break from school.
"Marmee!" Jo called, running to the woman and holding her tight before letting go to allow her to get to Beth. After she gave her a quick check, she turned to the rest of her daughters, minus Amy.
"You were right to call for me, my dears, but you have been very good nurses indeed," Marmee grabbed onto Meg's arm. Laurie stayed back, allowing the family to have their moment.
"It was mostly Jo and Addy. They barely slept," Meg sighed. The mention of the girl he adored caused Laurie to perk up. He searched around the room and eventually his eyes landed on Adeline who sat in the corner, looking exhausted and frail.
"I didn't know what else to do," Jo sighed. Laurie was about to rush to Addy's side, but Jo wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He hugged the girl back, his eyes never leaving Addy, who stared right back at him.
"Hannah, go make a clear broth. Jo, go get some ice from outside. We need to cool her down," Marmee instructed, beginning to tend to Beth.
"Who is with Father?" Meg asked, hoping that the answer was John.
"John is staying with him," Marmee answered, and Meg liked the idea of her Mother calling him John and her Father being tended to by him.
"We need to change the linens," Marmee instructed as Meg, Hannah, and Addy jumped into action. Marmee placed a hand on Adeline's shoulder, pushing her back.
"My sweet girl, you have been working so tirelessly. You need to rest so that you do not fall ill as well," Marmee insisted.
"No, Marmee, I need to help-"
"Adeline. Go rest," Meg insisted.
"Laurie, would you make sure my daughter rests, please?" Marmee asked as Meg lifted Beth up and Hannah began stripping the sheets. Jo entered the room just as Laurie placed a hand behind Addy and led her out of the room.
When they were on their own, Laurie sighed while leading her to a couch downstairs.
"I missed you," he mumbled shyly, unsure if the girl missed him as well.
"Oh, Teddy. I missed you too," Adeline looked up at the boy, giving him a sweet hug. He revelled in the action, his eyes fluttering closed as he felt at home.
"Now, time to rest," Laurie nodded, setting up the couch to be comfortable. Adeline took a seat, settled down and got comfortable. She stared up at Laurie, hoping that he would stay but also not wanting to take him away from what he could do to help.
"Do you want me to stay?" He offered, sensing the girl's fear. She nodded slowly as he placed a blanket over her, sitting beside the couch and holding onto her hand, rubbing small circles onto the back of it.
Addy was thrown off by the intimate act. She thought he would just stay in the room, but now he was so close and holding onto her so tenderly. She knew it was wrong and she should stop it. In fact, she knew she needed to stop it.
"Laurie, could you actually go check on Jo? I'm worried about her too," Addy took her hand out of his, snuggling back into the couch to gain some extra inches of space from the boy. Laurie looked back at her with hurt in his eyes, but she knew it was best.
"I would rather stay with you, Addy," he insisted, trying to grab her hand again but Addy ripped it away from him. He flinched, his heart breaking.
"Laurie-"
"No, I understand. Jo is my friend too. In fact, I should care more about Jo, right? That's what you think? Well, perhaps you are right. Perhaps I should stop wasting my time with someone who could never be a respectable wife to me," Laurie stood up quickly, rushing upstairs and leaving Adeline to sit alone with her thoughts.
Her head was spinning and her heart was racing. Did Laurie think of her as a possible future? She knew he may have had a small number of feelings for her, but never enough to consider marrying her. Besides, she did not belong in this world. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized what she had been doing this entire time. She somehow was tossing Laurie's heart around by accepting these intimate moments and enjoying the affection he gave her while still pushing him into the arms of Jo. No wonder he was confused.
Her sorrow then turned to hurt as she realized what he had said. Respectable wife? Does her status as a technical orphan truly turn him away from her? He had never cared about that before. But he was right. He was a rich young man, how could he ever marry someone who had nothing to their name?
Adeline closed her eyes in confusion and anxiety.
Marriage? Was she thinking about marriage!? She is not supposed to be a part of this world, and marriage would solidify that this was her reality now. She had just turned 19! People in her world would rarely think about marriage at this age.
She couldn't bare to think about this odd situation that she had been thrown into and she passed out in anguish and heartbreak.
AN: Shit is getting real and Laurie is calling the hell out of Addy lol
