"Stella! Beth! Come down!" Stella and Beth groaned.

"Five more minutes?" Stella pleaded, but her mother was adamant. They were sat in the attic, Jo having left to get another quill as she ran out.

"Coming!" Stella called. Beth ran down the stairs, Stella following her.

"I'm starving!" Beth exclaimed, grabbing a piece of bread. Stella noticed the visitor.

"Beth, you might want to-"

"I'm so hungry, Stels, you have no idea." Beth had really started to become more comfortable and confident in herself since she got better.

"Beth, you have a guest!" Stella whisper yelled.

"I don't know anyone."

"You know this one." Stella laughed, walking off to Laurie, who handed her the baby.

"I'm so sorry to intrude." The man said, and Stella laughed.

"Don't be!" She giggled as Beth bolted upright.

"It's you!" Beth burst out into a fit of giggles, blushing madly.

"I hope it's alright. I got your address from Mrs Brown-" Friedrich was interrupted by Teddy.

"Who are you?" He turned to his wife, "Who is he?" She hushed him, excited to see this man.

"I'm so sorry to intrude, I was close by and I thought I'd... but I'll be going." Friedrich turned.

"Nonsense! You aren't a burden, stay for tea! We have more than enough room." Stella smiled kindly.

"Will someone tell me who he is?" Laurie asked again.

"Theodore Laurence I swear to fu-." Stella was interrupted by her mother's glare "fudge. I was going to say fudge Marmee, I swear!" Marmee looked away, chuckling. "Jesus Christ that was close-" everyone looked at her. "shit! Fu- Teddy help me darling."

"I don't want to be a burden." Friedrich repeated, drawing the attention away from Estella.

"It's no burden at all." Meg reassured him.

"Yes, please, stay!" Amy begged, back from her trip in France, Dennis on her arm.

"I'm Laurie, and you are?" Stella gave up, her daughters entire hand wrapped around Laurie's finger, who was doting on her even as he talked.

"I'm Friedrich Bhaer."

"They were at the same school, Teddy." Stella explained. "May I take your coat? I trust you'll be staying for a while."

"Oh Beth! He's very handsome!" Hannah burst out.

Jo snorted and Charlotte slapped her knee, kneeling over her 'close friend' for support. By close friend of course it is meant; wife. Secret wife. Secret lesbian wife no one can know about.

"What's that smell?" Dennis asked, scrunching his nose up. Others began to notice too, and Stella realised where the smell was coming from.

"Your turn." Stella handed the baby to her husband.

_______________

"So, Friedrich, do you intend to stay in New York?" Father asked.

"No, I've been offered a professorship in California- and as I have nothing keeping me here, I thought I might go West. It is new there, and they are less particular about immigrants."

Beth tensed, and nobody but Meg and Stella noticed, the most observant and romantic of the siblings- Amy being romantic but not very observant, and Jo being observant but, well, being Jo.

"Perhaps I should go West." Father muttered.

"You aren't an immigrant, so perhaps you should stay home." Marmee said as Laurie moved his arm across Stella's shoulders, his other arm going to his daughters head.

"And Teddy and I just got a house, father, we aren't finding another one in California." Stella pointed her finger at her father, grinning.

Everyone began laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"I'm going!" Father insisted jokingly.

Meg noticed Friedrich looked at the piano, others quickly noticing also.

"Oh, how rude!" Meg whispered to herself, "Do you play?" She asked Friedrich.

"Ah, Beth is the real talent. I'm more suited to violin." Everyone looked at Stella, who was already half way out of the room.

She handed him a violin which was last played on before her and Dennis nearly got married.

"Here!" She thrust it at Friedrich.

"Thank you."

Stella sat back down, smoothing her dress out.

She rested her head on her husbands chest, his arm returning to around her shoulder, Bess reaching up at her mother's hair.

"I could get used to this." She whispered to Laurie.

"So could I."

_____________

"Beth, if you ever come to California, I would love to see you." Friedrich smiled.

"I'm not sure that I will, but I'll remember that. Thank you, Friedrich."

The look on Friedrich's face nearly killed Stella. She knew the look of heartbreak better than anyone. Laurie and her shared a look, almost communicating through eyesight alone.

"Well yes, but... goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Beth turned to find everyone looking at her. She blushed under the intense spotlight.

"I name my daughter after you and you do this?" Stella gasped.

"What a wonderful man, I hope he visits sometime soon!" Father said.

"Oh, Father. He wasn't here for you!" Amy exclaimed.

"No?"

"Beth, you love him!" Charlotte insisted.

"I don't!" Beth fanned herself to cool down.

"I can see it, plain and clear. You love him. I have never seen you happier." Amy cried.

"Doesn't she love him, Mr Laurence?" Stella looked at her... grandfather in law? The man nodded.

"Teddy, darling, prepare the horses. We can catch him before the train leaves." Stella handed Elizabeth to Mr Laurence.

"I'm coming too!" The remaining sisters called.

"I'm not going!" Beth declared.

"I never thought I'd prepare a horse to bring Elizabeth March after a man, but I like it!" Laurie laughed.

"Well go do it then!" Stella laughed at him, kissing his cheek as she rushed to get ready.

"He's moving to California!"

"That was a fiction! He was begging for a reason to stay!" Amy cried.

"But it's raining!" Beth continued.

"And you're Elizabeth March!" Stella yelled, and everyone cheered.

"Put on a better dress! Follow me!" Amy screeched, pulling Beth up the stairs. Stella followed, briefly stopping to look at Laurie, who was staring at her in awe, not quite sure if it was due to her beauty and wonderful character, or the fact that he still wasn't quite used to being in the house with all the March's at once.

"Don't just stand there, go get the horses!" Stella laughed at Amy's screech at her sister and her brother in law.

"Yes, Amy." Laurie jumped into action.

"How come you never do what I say?" Stella yelled after him.

"Because you aren't nearly as scary, my love." Laurie said, kissing her, then running away. Beth reappeared, staring.

"That could be you right now with Mr Dreamy- violin- playing- accent- man but you won't hurry up!" Stella shouted the last part to the rest of her sisters, the adrenaline building as the seconds passed.

______________

"Go! Find him!" Amy screeched.

Stella, Meg, Jo, and Amy sat in the carriage, crushed against each other. Stella was practically sat on top of Jo, and Jo was squeezing Stella with such excitement Stella thought that she might explode.

"Oh good God! Look!" Stella screamed, Meg holding her right hand in both of her own, and Amy doing the same on her other side. Amy squealed, Meg cried out with joy, and Jo hollered a few very unladylike words.

Beth had just kissed a boy!!

___________

Stella sat with Laurie, Bess in her arms, Teddy's head on her shoulder.

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

She remembered the beginning.

"I've loved you ever since I've known you, Elle. I can't help it! And you've been so good to me, I've tried so hard to show you but you're so oblivious and you can't see it! Now I'm going to make you hear it and you're going to give me an answer because I can't go on like this any longer!"

The second beginning.

And all the in betweens. Stella loved every second of it. Because in every moment, she had her family by her side.

Stella felt complete. No-

Estella Laurence was complete.