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
"There will be mountains you won't move. Still, I'll always be there for you." Godspeed by James Blake
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Laurie sat on the blanket on the grass lazily, posing for Amy who was caught up in capturing the boy in front of her. She was glad to be on good terms again and their friendship continued for around a month or so. Amy still wondered what Laurie felt for her sister and dreamt of the day they could sort out this drama. She thought about how long it had been since Laurie had been home.
"Laurie, when are you going back to your grandfather?" She asked, seemingly innocently.
"Very soon," he replied, images of Addy's eyes flashing in his mind.
"You've said that a dozen times in the last month," Amy rolled her eyes, continuing to draw the boy in front of her.
"Short answers save trouble," he smiled secretly, his heart hurting at the thought of returning home so close to the girl who broke his heart.
"He expects you, so why don't you do it?" Amy asked, secretly referring to Addy in her mind as if Laurie could read between her words.
"How do you know he expects me?" Laurie asks, somehow catching on slightly.
"Because, he's been waiting all this time, and he cannot do much without you," Amy would not make eye contact, zeroing in on her art.
"I think he's very capable," Laurie hummed, getting up. He grabbed a grape from where Amy was sitting and walked around.
"Just because he is capable does not mean he doesn't need you," Amy also stood up, following after Laurie. Their interaction began to blur as they lost track of what was real and what was an analogy.
"Well, he should have decided that before he allowed me to come all this way and create a wonderful existence here," Laurie argued, his eyes darkening slightly and his heart rate increasing.
"Allowed you? You didn't give her the chance to-" Amy's words fell flat as she broke their facade. Laurie froze at the mention of "her," as if he could feel her presence.
"Laurie, please. The world has felt so wrong ever since you two had a falling out," Amy sighed, walking slightly closer to the boy in front of her who somehow looked more like a man with years of emotional torment on his back.
"Well, there isn't much I can do about it. She does not love me. It is as simple as that," Laurie's voice broke as he spoke the sentence and his eyes shut in hopes of stopping the tears before they started.
"How do you know if you never asked?" Amy whispered, placing a hand on Laurie's shoulder. He sighed loudly, knowing she was right but terrified at the thought of having to face Adeline once again.
"I... I know you're right... I will... I need to see her," Laurie decided, scared of what that could look like but secretly excited at the thought that perhaps his Addy did love him.
Two weeks passed and Addy kept close to Beth, watching as the life was slowly slipping out of her beloved sister. She had been in a state of almost crying for days, knowing that it cannot be long until Beth is gone.
Just as Jo entered with a bowl of soup, Addy's eyes turned to the window where she saw John standing in the garden alone, looking up at the girls. Meg was sitting with her head in her hands, eyes closed in exhaustion.
"Meg," Addy quietly spoke up, causing the girl to snap out of her trance. Adeline gently nudged her head towards the window, where Meg stood to see her husband. She nodded, silently going downstairs.
Adeline watched as her sister tentatively approached her husband, eyes refusing to look at him as they spoke softly. Meg's eyes suddenly snapped to him, wonder and tears beginning to form. She lunged to hug John, both of them smiling. Addy watched in adoration as true love and sacrifice unfolded below, Jo moving to stand beside her. Both girls snapped their heads toward the sound of the bowl of soup crashing, noticing that Beth's fever had risen once again and she was writing in pain.
"Hannah! Marmee!" Addy cried, moving things out of the way.
Once the commotion had settled and Beth was as comfortable as she could be, it was Adeline's turn to stay with her while Jo got some sleep in the spare bed in the room.
"Please, Bethy. Please fight. I don't know what I will do without you. You're all the hope I have left," Adeline quietly whispered, holding tightly onto Beth's hand as she drifted into sleep sitting beside the sick girl.
It was then that Beth's tired life left her body, giving herself over to the light knowing that whatever would happen, her sisters would be okay, even if they didn't think so.
When Addy awoke, her eyes adjusted to an empty room with no Jo sleeping in the corner, but more importantly no Beth on the bed beside her. She stood quickly, rushing down the stairs and freezing at the bottom as she took in the scene before her. Marmee sat, crying and crumpled in the arms of Jo as she hushed her mother. Hannah stood to the side, tears flowing down her face as she looked at Adeline, a pained look on her face.
"No..." Addy mumbled, feeling her body go numb and her vision blurs slightly.
"Adeline-"
"No!" She screamed louder than she thought she ever could, her heart breaking. She could have saved Beth and changed the story, but instead, she was selfish and got caught up in making her own world. This was all her fault.
"Adeline, please," Jo's voice cracked, and Addy could not stand to be there another second. She spun around, running out of the front door in her bare feet, sobbing. She was only stopped by running into a tall, thin figure that had just gotten out of a carriage.
"Del,"
Addy breathed in a short puff of air, staring up at the man she had fallen in love with, standing before her after years of not being this close to him.
"Teddy," her voice broke as she stumbled into his arms, not caring what their history held or how they felt about each other. Her sobs were muffled by his shirt as he gently scooped her into his arms, not knowing what was happening.
"What happened?" He asked, running a hand through her hair gently as she hiccupped.
"Beth," Addy could not muster another word as she gripped tightly onto Laurie, never wanting to let go of his comfort.
"Oh, my sweet girl," he spoke softly, his heart breaking as he realized the young March sister he had grown fond of was no longer with them. He slowly brought Addy back inside, bringing her to Marmee who stood to hug her daughter, both of them still crying. Laurie went to hug Jo, also setting aside his awkward feelings to comfort one of his best friends.
"My little women... " The March Father began to comfort each woman in the house, placing a hand on his wife's back and letting one tear fall with her. Laurie had found his way back to Addy, where he belonged, holding onto her lightly as she sniffled and sighed.
The world would never be the same without Beth March, and no one would ever feel more at fault than Adeline March.
AN: Welcome back folks, I forgot about this lol but here I am
