(i was thinking something similar to this dress for my stella but in a pinky/ peach colour & without the hair thing)

"I know just who I'll dance with!" Meg sighed dreamily, and Stella laughed at Jo's repulsed face.

"How come you never dance, Jo?" Amy asked the second oldest March child, and the middle child only laughed harder.

"I can't dance." Jo scowled at Stella and ruffled her hair, Amy swatting it away.

"Why can't we all go to the party? It's not fair!" Amy huffed, plopping herself down on Stella's lap, and Stella simply stared at her two older sisters, getting ready for the ball.

Stella was also going, but had no idea what the big fuss was about.

"Just wear your regular shoes," Jo began, and Meg spoke at the same time.

"These fit last Winter." Meg exclaimed.

"That's one year apart, Maggie." Amy moved, and Stella got up, taking Beth by the hand and dancing with her.

Amy put on some jewels from the jewellery box, and pouted, squishing her nose.

"My nose will simply not look refined!" Amy whined, and Beth giggled, her sister twirling her.

"I like your nose," Beth said quietly, as she knew no other way to speak, her voice always being timid.

Any reached out to Jo, trying to help her get ready, put Jo simply hit her on the hand and told her not to touch her.

"I don't want to go, but I wish to hear all the music." Beth sighed, and buttoned her sisters dress up, the girl owning the dress turned around, and smiled at her.

"I shall keep it in my head and try to sing it to you when I get home."

As Estella did her hair, the girls bickered about Jo's hairdressing skills, and although Meg screamed, Estella quietly laughed, and Beth and Amy tried to conceal their giggles as they noticed.

"Oh, dear, Meg! Whatever shall we do? We can't go now!" Estella exclaimed dramatically, and Amy and Beth began laughing hysterically, before Meg cracked a smile and grabbed her sister by the hand.

"Now come on, we'll be late!" Meg cried.

"That's my Meg!" Estella cheered, grabbing Jo by the arm and tugging her off in the direction of the party.

"Goodbye! I shall miss you both dearly my darling sisters!" Estella called jokingly, and Amy hiccuped from laughing.

"Goodbye!" They chorused as they ran to the window to wave goodbye.

As Meg listed things not to do at the party to Jo, Estella saw a curtain, and a room behind it. So while her sisters weren't looking, she rushed inside and sat on the seat.

Moments later, a boy entered, a book in hand, and Estella stood quickly.

"I'm awfully sorry, I didn't realise anyone was occupying this room, I'll leave-"

"Nonsense, I was the one who intruded," the boy replied, and Estella furrowed her brows, before remembering.

"You're the Laurence boy, aren't you? Theodore, correct?"

'Theodore' nodded.

"Well, Mr Laurence, I assume you don't enjoy parties" The boy laughed and nodded again.

"Please, Miss March, do call me Laurie."

"Then you shall call me Stella, Laurie." She smiled, and laughed slightly.

"What's so funny?" Laurie asked.

"Your name is Laurie Laurence?" Laurie laughed slightly, before nodding.

"Theodore, actually."

"I'm going to call you Teddy. If that's alright with you."

Music started up, and through a crack in the curtain, she saw her eldest sister begin to dance.

"Oh, there's Meg!" Laurie looked at Estella in confusion, before walking over beside her.

"That's my sister, you see the girl in the violet dress?" Estella grinned as she also saw a man approach Jo, and Jo turned and walked in the direction of the food.

"The girl who just left is also my sister, I'm sure she'd kill me if she knew I was hiding without her." Estella laughed again, before sitting back down.

"What do you do, Teddy?" Estella asked, and Laurie thought for a second, before answering.

"I lived in Europe most of my life, and now I'm a student. Mr Brooke tutors me." Laurie responded.

"Europe? Whereabouts in Europe?" Stella asked with great interest.

"Paris, and Italy. I was born in Italy, you see."

"Che affascinante!" ((How fascinating!)) Estella exclaimed, and Laurie looked up in surprise.

"Do you speak any other languages?" He asked, and Estella nodded.

"French, Italian, Latin, German, enough sign language to get me by, a bit of Spanish, English, of course, a tiny bit of Ancient Greek, I suppose, and that's really about it."

"Incredible. Where did you learn?"

"My Aunt March travels a lot, and brings me with her occasionally. I have incredible memory, so she pays for tutors to teach me how to speak languages." Theodore looked at Estella with great interest, and she shook her head.

"I apologise, I must have bored you. Would you care to dance?" Stella asked, and Laurie hesitated, before answering.

"Yes, but not here. I know just the place."

________

Laurie held his hand out to Estella and she took it, a very snobby look on her face, making Laurie laugh, before he copied her.

They danced about like maniacs, spinning and jumping, and Estella knew that if Meg had saw them she would get an earful.

They ran past windows, then at the walls, they danced, before Estella ran ahead, and waved for Laurie to follow her.

He stood back, before spinning around and around, falling into Estella. They stood, doubled over laughing, before someone pounded on the window.

"My foot!" Meg exclaimed, and Jo stood beside her, arm around her waist, and she glared at Laurie.

"Well we can't walk!" Jo exclaimed, and Stella apologised to Laurie, him shaking his head as if it was nothing, and walking behind them as Stella helped Meg along.

"Carriages are too expensive and you know that Jo." Meg scolded, before Laurie spoke up.

"Well, let me take you, it's right next door." Meg turned her head to look at Laurie, and shook her head slightly, eyes wide.

"No, thank you, we cannot accept." Meg replied, and Laurie stepped beside Stella.

"You must take mine, please!"

"But it's so early!" Meg retaliated, and Laurie replied quickly.

"I always leave early— I do, really!" Meg looked at her two sisters, and they nodded.

Before they knew it, they were back at the March household. Laurie and Stella helping Meg along, and Jo opening and closing doors behind them, calling for their mother.

"Goodness gracious, what have you done?" Marmee laughed, and let them in.

Amy and Beth ran down the stairs, and Jo took Stella's place in helping Meg to the chair, Beth and Amy running into Stella's arms.

"What's the boy like?" Amy whispered, looking at Laurie, and Stella laughed.

"Was the music wonderful?" Beth asked, and Stella began to gush about the orchestra, her younger sister looking at her in awe.

Stella looked over at Laurie, and stood, taking him by the hand and leading him to the chair where the five girls sat, Hannah giving Meg ice, and Marmee making sure her daughters were okay.

"Oh, hello! Apologies for the chaos: I enjoy baking in the middle of the night. Don't mind the clutter, Mr Laurence, we don't." Marmee smiled at the boy who now sat beside Stella.

"Laurie, please." Laurie responded, and Marmee nodded, smiling.

"Oh, Teddy, you must have one of mothers scones! Mother! May Laurie have a scone."

"Oh no- I don't want to trouble you-" Laurie began, but Stella shoved a scone in his mouth, and Amy all but whispered 'Teddy?".

Laurie laughed, and thanked Marmee for the scones.

"You must be part of the girls' theatricals!" Marmee suggested, and Jo whipped her head around.

"I'm Amy, this is Beth. We're the youngest." Amy said excitedly, and Laurie greeted her.

"They could use an extra player, although you'd have to fight Jo for the male parts." Marmee joked.

"Or you could play a girl, you'd make a very pretty princess!" Stella laughed, and Beth and Amy were sent into fits of giggles.

"Laurie, how are your ankles? Need any ice?" Marmee laughed.

"No thank you, ma'am." Laurie responded politely.

"Oh, just call me Mother, or Marmee, everyone does!" Marmee told Laurie, and he smiled.

The girls joke about, and Stella looks over at Laurie, seeing him with tears eyes.

"You ought to smile more often you know, Teddy. You have a very pretty smile." She claimed.

Laurie blushed.

"I should head home," Laurie explained, and the girls looked over at him, 'aw'ing.

"Well, come visit any time, Laurie!" Marmee called, and Laurie smiled.

As he walked home, he wondered how lucky he was to enter that room at the ball, and he looked behind him, to see Stella sewing as she sang.

He grinned, and continued his walk home.

a/n chapter one complete! tada? i hope you enjoy, this will be set in the past as not to spoil it in the future. i really hope you all like stella and her relationship with 'teddy' so far. not going to lie feel kinda bad for stealing jo's nickname for laurie but oh well. love you jo. also i love beth so much she deserved the world :(

farewell for now