𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 -𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚎 '𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚎' 𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎

Chapter 30

EXT. MARCH HOUSE. GARDEN. DAY. 1869.

      Meg and John are talking to each other outside in the same yard they got married in. Jo and Mary are watching their interaction, through the window while Beth is sleeping.
     Beth hasn't been getting better. She lacks the energy to get up and always looks ghostly pale. Beth was happy to see Mary. She's glad she can see her before she passes. Not that Mary knew it.
     "I'll come home to help with the children, I'm sorry, I'm just so worried for Beth," Meg tells John.
      "Stay. I asked for leave. I'll take care of the children." John declares.
        Meg embraces him, "John."
       "And there's another thing - you should send your fabric to the dressmaker as soon as possible." John orders.
        Meg shakes her head, "But I can't."
        "No, don't say another word, I won't hear it. It's all settled. I want you to have that dress. My old coat will be fine for the winter." John addresses.
       "But John-"
        "It's all settled." He repeats.
       "No, John, I really can't. I sold the fabric to Sallie." Meg explains.
      "You did?"
      "Yes."Meg answers.
        John sighs, "I don't want you to be unhappy."
       "I couldn't be, John Brooke is my husband and I am his wife." Meg smiles at him.
      Meg kisses him, spontaneously, just like years earlier. They pull apart and hug each other. Neither of them wanting to let go.
     From the window, Jo and Mary watch the loving couple. Mary is very happy her sister found someone that will love her that much. She looks over at Jo, who is still staring.
      "Did that make you feel lonely?" Mary questions.
        "I-" Jo sighs, "Years ago, I thought Laurie liked me and I pushed him on you. I thought I would be happy being alone forever. But if Laurie asked me..."
         She pauses and Mary looks down, "If Laurie asked you to marry him, you would say yes now?"
        "Well, seeing as you guys are still friends and he loved me,I- I figure we could do it." Jo tells Mary.
       "Do you love him?"
       Mary would never take a man from her sisters. She would never want to fight with her sisters for a man. She could survive without a man but her sisters? She would never even think it.
       "I don't know." Jo answers.
      Suddenly, a crash - the soup bowl clatters to the floor. Beth's fever is high and she knocked everything off her beside. Jo flies to her side, feeling her forehead, calling for Marmee.
     Mary gets a wet rag and hands it to Jo. They take her sheets off of her. Mary uses her nursing abilities to try and make comfortable.
      They are trying their hardest to help Beth, but nothing is working and now, it is painfully clear.
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        "So where is Amy?" Meg asks.
         "She's still in Paris," Laurie responds.
They are all sitting in the parlour, where Beth's piano is. Hannah, Father, Jo, Marmee, Meg, John, Laurie, and Mary are sitting down. Marmee and Meg are sitting with their husbands.
Hannah is sitting next to Laurie. Mary made sure she and Laurie didn't sit next to each other, which Laurie was upset about. He's annoyed that they have to be apart. Jo sat on the other side of him, playing around with him like they used to always do.
Mary eyes them as she talks to Marmee. Father looks over at Meg at the mention of Amy's name. Mary and Marmee follow.
"Well, who is she with while in Paris?" Marmee questions.
Laurie and Mary stare at each other, trying to come up with a similar answer.
"She's with James and John. They're watching over her." Mary, quickly, answers.
"Two men?" Meg says, shocked.
Hannah assumes the worst, "Oh, no, she ran off with one of them, didn't she?"
Father jumps into the conversation, "We can't have a fallen woman in the family."
"What are we going to do? No ones gonna want to marry Jo or you if you have fallen sister." Hannah worries.
Mary shakes her head, "No, no, no. James is too old for her and I knocked sense into John. She is fine and well taken care of."
Laurie nods along, "She wanted to stay."
Jo sighs, "Of course she did."
That causes Laurie to put his arm around Jo. Jo smiles, almost awkwardly. Mary looks away and only Meg notices her sisters reaction.
"Well, since I'm back." Mary stands up, "I was thinking of throwing a party."
"I'm not sure that is such a good idea, Mari," Meg confesses.
Mary puts her hair behind her ear, "Well, I was just thinking that Beth never got to attend a party and this might be her only-"
Just the thought turns everyone grim. Mother and Father reach for each other's hands. Laurie looks at his secret fiance, worried. When he notices her not looking at him, he turns attention to Jo, who is staring angrily at Mary.
"Don't say that, Mary." Jo says while crossing her arms.
Mary lets a tear slip, "Why Jo?"
Everyone stares at Mary. She was never one to talk back to Jo. Growing up, it was almost as if Mary idolized her rebellious sister and Jo loved it. Jo would speak for her, but now, it seems that Mary is grown up and has had enough of people putting words into her mouth.
When Jo doesn't answer, Mary continues, "I have been studying to be a nurse for years now. You know what I learned?"
Again, no one responds. Laurie is looking at Mary, but can't get up to hug her for two reasons. Her dad is watching and Jo is laying on his shoulder, sad. He doesn't mind Jo. It's like returning to a friendship that could last forever, even if you haven't talked in a while.
Mary explains," You can slow down death, but you can't stop it. It's an ugly truth, but one that we have to face. I love Beth and I dread the day that she is going to leave, but as her big sister, I want her to live as much as she can until she can't anymore."
Marmee grabs Mary's hand, "I think a ball is a wonderful idea."
Mary nods, "Good. It will be at Aunt March's. It will be friends and family. The food will be all of Beth's favourites. I expect you all to dress up. Don't worry about the cost. I will cover it."
John looks down, "You can't possibly pay for me."
"Nonsense, Johnathan." She waves her hand, "You're family and I don't mind. Why have riches if I can't share them?"
Jo and Meg look at each other. They both burst out laughing while everyone looks at them, confused.
"What?" Mary questions.
Jo looks at Meg, who is still giggling, "You sound like Aunt March! Well, with more humility."
That causes everyone to crack up. Mary looks at everyone and shakes her head.
"That is pish-posh. I don't sound like-" Mary pauses, "Did I just say Pish-Posh?"
That makes everyone laugh, even harder. Mary grabs pillows and chucks them at Jo and Meg. It hits Meg in the face. Jo gets off of Laurie and pulls Mary to the ground. Soon, Meg is dragged in. It is like year's earlier when all the sisters were fighting on the ground.
Mary saddens at the fact that the pile is missing two. She can only hope that Amy comes home soon enough for all the sisters to be together.
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I'm just gonna start gradually posting and then stop lmao. But for real, I'm gonna have bad wifi from this Wednesday to Sunday. I will try to post, but I might not be able to get all the chapters out. This book WILL BE DONE by February. If I'm still posting on this story in February, I want y'all to just roast the shit out of me. Just comment shit and don't worry about my feelings. I deserve it for prolonging it.