Inseparable

Elizabeth – Beth – March, a young, 12-year-old shy and quiet girl, who played the piano in her family, was doing her winter morning stroll with her two older sisters and one younger sister – Meg, Jo, and Amy. They were age 16, 15, and 13; Jo was a writer, Amy was a painter, and Meg was employed as a governess for the Kings, a wealthy local family.

As they walked, they saw a young girl, about Beth's age - perhaps younger, 11 years old - begging for food from the people passing by, but no one paid attention to her. Many of those who walked by her, kicked snow in her face. Lily soon gave up on begging and, instead, sat against a tree and looked at her hat that had nothing, but a few pennies. Although the March family was very poor, the girl they laid eyes on was much worse than they were. At least they had food on the table, and a bed to sleep in, but this girl had nothing compared to them.

All four girls felt bad for the little one, but Beth felt much worse for her, knowing she had probably been through worse. Lily soon got up and walked away when the owner from the shop nearby grabbed her shirt and screamed at her. From what the girls can see, Lily has probably crossed his property many times and he's had enough.

Beth took a deep breath and went over to the man, tapping his shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, but I ask you politely to please release the girl. She did nothing wrong."

The man looked at Beth long and hard, then spoke gruffly. "You're the quiet March sister, ain't ya?" Beth nodded. "Get lost, then! Ye have no reason to be here." He then turned to Lily, who was white as a ghost. "And, as for ye, I've told ye many a time. Get. Off. My. Property!" He slapped her hard across the face and threw her in the snow before walking off, brushing Beth off as if she was nothing.

Beth dropped her basket and knelt to Lily, who just stared at her, blank from any expression. "It looks like he's done that to you many times before, hadn't he?" Lily nodded as Beth helped her up.

Her sisters rushed over to her. "Wow, Beth. That was amazing!" Cried, Meg.

Beth turned to her sisters as she grabbed her basket and looping her arm through Lily's, looked at Meg with confusion. "What's so amazing with what I did, Meg?" She asked, her voice going quiet like always.

"Well," Jo said, smiling. "You stood up to the man who was hurting the little girl." She pointed to Lily.

"Jo's right," Amy said. "I don't think any of us would've been able to do the same." She looked at the man's door. "He's one of the grouchiest in the whole town."

Once home, their mother, Marmee, came to her daughters, seeing them tend to the young Lily. She smiled, proud that her daughters were helping those who were less fortunate than they were. Amy turned around and smiled. "Hello, Marmee!" She went and hugged her tightly.

Marmee smiled and hugged her daughter back, then looked up at Lily. "Who's this young girl?"

Lily went over to her and smiled. "My name is Lily Waterfall, ma'am."

"It's a pleasure." She smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Marmee and these are my daughters," her daughters stood by her side with the eldest on the right and the youngest on the left. "Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy." She smiled as their housekeeper, Hannah, came in. "And this is our housekeeper, Hannah." She then turned to Lily. "What were you doing out there?"

Lily sat down as the girls sat next to her and Marmee sat on the armchair across from them. "Well, I guess you could say I lived on the streets for a few months."

Marmee and her daughters were silent for a moment, thinking of how blessed they were. Sure, their father and husband were at the war, but this child, no less, has been living on the streets with no family. Perhaps her parents were sent to the war as well, but none dared to cross that line to ask her.

Lily just smiled at their faces. "It's alright to ask. My parents went to war. I do have my Uncle Mattias and Aunt Halima, but they've been both busy, so I've decided to stay on the streets." She smiled.

Marmee then cleared her throat and helped her to the kitchen. "Take anything you'd like." She smiled and let Lily roam around the kitchen and then went to her daughters, taking them to another room. "Girls, I want you to promise me something. All of you."

Her daughters looked at each other, then at her. She didn't need to say a word. Beth then went to her. "She can sleep with me in my bedroom. Since we're close in age, it seems right."

"That's my girl," she kissed her daughter's forehead. "And girls?"

"Yes, mother. We'll take great care of her. We promise."

Their mother just smiled and hugged them tightly. "I'm proud of you. All of you. May God keep us all."

When they went back to check on Lily, who was writing in her book instead of eating, they sat next to her and talked to her, making her feel more comfortable around them.

A few weeks pass by and Lily was sitting on the couch when the doorbell rang. She got up and opened the door to see the mailman, who looked quite distraught and sad. "Are you Miss Lily Waterfall?"

Lily nodded. "Yes, sir. I am."

He nodded and gave her a sealed-up letter in an envelope. "I'm so sorry for your loss, my child." He knelt and kissed her forehead before turning to leave.

Lily raised an eyebrow in confusion and closed the door. The girls and Marmee went to her. "Who was that, Lily?" Jo asked.

"It was the mailman, Miss Jo," she said, looking down at the letter and opening it. Although she was accepted and has lived with the Marches for a few weeks now, she still referred to Jo, Meg, and Marmee as "ma'am" and miss." She then sat down on the couch and read it out loud as the girls sat next to her.

"Dear Miss Lily Waterfall, we regret to inform you that your parents, Emily and Johnson Waterfall, have both been killed on the line of duty. The last thing they wanted to remind you of is this - 'Our sweet and gentle LilyPad. We love you more than anything else in the world and would do anything for you. We should've been with you more, but we hope that you can find the heart to forgive us. We want you to go on and find a new family. Love, Emily and Johnson.'"

Lily's voice tightened at her parent's last words, but she spoke not a word. Instead, she got up and went to her and Beth's room, crossed to the bed they shared, flung herself back on the pillow, and stared at the ceiling, unable to express her emotions and feelings.

Marmee and her daughters looked at each other, loss for words. "W-What...?" Amy's voice was barely above a whisper. "Her parents..."

"Are dead, yes," Meg nodded as she finished her sister's sentence.

Marmee wiped her tears away before they even came and looked to her eldest and youngest daughters. "Jo, Beth, go comfort, Lily." She then turned to her other daughters. "Meg, Amy, get some food and prepare a meal. This is a long grieving process, but we need to be there to comfort her."

"Yes, Marmee." The girls nodded and immediately got to work.

Jo and Beth went to the door and knocked on it gently. "Come in," Lily whispered. Beth looked up at Jo, who nodded; she then opened the door and went inside. Lily sat up and looked at them as if whatever she read didn't affect her. "Hello, Beth. Hello, Miss Jo."

Jo and Beth went to her and just held her tightly. Lily closed her eyes, accepting their embrace as a deep, sincere apology for the loss of her parents. Jo caressed her cheek softly and watched as Lily finally broke down, crying in her chest. "Oh, poor dear. I'm so sorry."

"I-it's..." Lily trailed off, unable to comprehend the horrors of the war they were going through, but rather than saying something about herself, she said, "I just hope your father comes home safe and sound from the war, Beth and Miss Jo."

"Lily, this is about you at the moment, not about us," Jo said.

Lily looked at her and nodded. "I know, but you're going through things worse than me."

Beth and Jo looked at each other. Silent. Even when grieving, Lily thought of others than herself. She and Beth had more in common than anyone thought. They sighed and just held her tightly. There was nothing else to say. They couldn't say anything more. What else was there to say?

Later that night, as Beth slept soundly in bed, Lily collapsed to the ground, having a seizure. Beth rubbed her eyes and looked down. She jumped down and put Lily on her side. "MARMEE, JO, MEG, AMY!" She screamed for her mother and sisters.

Jo was the first one to be in her room. "Beth, what's - MARMEE!" She screamed and ran to Lily, putting her on her lap.

"I'm here!" Marmee and the others came in. "What's going on?" Her eyes dropped and she immediately went to Lily. "Amy, Meg, get water and towels." She looked at Lily, rubbing her back. "You're ok. You're ok, baby girl." She kissed Lily's forehead as Meg and Amy left the room.

"What's going on, Marmee?" Beth asked, her eyes went wide as Lily began shaking harder than before on Jo's lap.

"She's having a seizure," Jo replied. She tried to calm Lily best she could. Just then, Amy and Meg came back. "Bring it here." They gave it to her and Jo put the rag in the bucket and put it on Lily's forehead.

Lily smiled through her pain best she could. "D-Don't w-worry...you don't need to f-fuss over me." She then turned pale and vomited on Jo's lap. "S-Sorry, Miss J-Jo."

"Don't apologize," Jo whispered. Once the seizure ended, Lily rolled over and groaned in pain. Jo picked her up and helped her in bed. "Are you ok, now?" Lily smiled and nodded. "That was very scary."

Lily looked at her as Marmee checked on her again. "You, dear, are the bravest person I've ever met."

Lily smiled and leaned against the pillow. "Thank you, Ma'am."

The next morning, Amy had returned from school with a cut on her hand. She had gotten in trouble by the teacher for bringing pickled limes to school. A young man, Laurie, popped his head through the window. "Hello, there! I'm Laurie, and who must you be?"

"I'm Amy. I'm gonna be in so much trouble." She showed him her bloody hand.

"Come inside and I can help you." She nodded and went inside.

Soon enough, the rest of the family went to Lawrence's home. A few days ago, Lily and Beth were in the home, playing on the piano and singing, so Mr. Laurence knew them well. "I wish he'd die."

"Amy, we don't wish death on anyone," Meg chastised silently.

Amy crossed her arms and leaned against the couch. "The ones who were singing and playing the piano, they are the quiet ones, are they not?" Asked Mr. Laurence.

"Yes," the whole family stood up in unison like they were in a choir of some sort. "That's our Beth and Lily." They smiled.

"Well, why don't you tell your daughters that they should visit. They love the piano so much, they definitely should stay here and play."

"Well...Lily isn't our si –" Meg punched Amy in the stomach with her elbow before she could continue. "OW! What was that for!?"

"Amy!" She whispered harshly. "Don't say something like that."

Mr. Laurence cleared his throat. "I'm assuming that Lily isn't your daughter, is she?"

Marmee and the girls turned red with embarrassment. "Well, yes and no. We took her in as our own, but we haven't signed any papers yet that makes it official," Jo said, but she didn't know if that was true.

Just then, a loud knock was heard. Laurie went and opened the door. "COME QUICKLY, PLEASE!" Beth grabbed his shirt. "LILY IS HAVING ANOTHER SEIZURE!" She was panicking horribly, so Laurie wasted no time. Jo and Meg overheard and followed after them.

"Beth, did you put her on her side with Hannah next to her?" Meg asked.

"Yes, but now, she's foaming from the mouth and neither Hannah or I know what to do, so she told me to tell you."

They ran home to see Lily shaking so badly, her eyes began to roll in the back of her head. Beth screamed and hid behind Jo, who held her tightly. Marmee ran in. "Lily, sweetie, can you speak?"

Lily looked up at her, her mouth opened, but no words came out. "No, I've tried, but she can't speak," Hannah said, dabbing her forehead with a wet cloth.

"Meg, get the doctor. Hurry!" Meg nodded and ran out to fetch the doctor who lived nearby.

At this point, Lily was white as a ghost, slowly losing consciousness. She smiled weakly, looking up at Beth, who couldn't keep herself together. "I'll be ok, Beth. I promise." She whispered. Soon, she was knocked out cold, with a smile on her face.

At this point, Beth collapsed to the ground, sobbing like the child she was. "This is my fault! All my fault!" She gripped her hair tightly, sitting on her knees. "I promised to protect her, but I didn't!" Marmee and Jo knelt to her, hugging her tightly.

"You did everything you could," Marmee whispered, caressing her cheek and kissing her face.

"Marmee's right, Beth." Jo nodded. "You called us and that's the right thing to do. Now, the doctor just has to check on her and she'll be fine."

Soon, the doctor came in with the girls. "Where is she?" Marmee, Jo, and Beth moved out of the way, revealing a still unconscious Lily, lying on Hannah's lap. He knelt to her; she was cold to the touch. "This girl is strong. A seizure like that should've killed her, but instead, it just knocked her out." Soon enough, he got to work; once he finished, he turned to the sisters and their mother. "She'll be fine. She just needs fluids and rest." They nodded and he left the house.

A few days pass by and Lily and the others were in the living room when Amy threw a pillow at Meg who was knitting. She gasped and looked up. "Who threw that!?" She giggled, grabbing the pillow.

Amy pointed to Lily. "I DID NOT!" She giggled. Meg then threw the pillow at her and soon enough, the girls were on top of each other, laughing and giggling with delight.

Marmee came in and leaned against the door frame, watching as her daughters playing together and enjoying their time together. She then cleared her throat. She had a surprise for Lily and the girls. Lily was going to become her daughter and a sister in the family.

The girls looked up, stopping everything, and stood up. "Hi, Marmee." They giggled breathlessly. "What is that behind your back?"

"Well, sit down, and I'll tell you." They nodded and sat down next to her as she sat in her big chair. "Lily, can you come here, please?"

Lily nodded and went to her, sitting at her feet. "Yes, ma'am."

Marmee smiled and kissed her forehead. "Such a humble child." She then unfolded the paper and handed it to her. "How would you like to be my daughter and their sister?" She gestured to her daughters who looked at her, smiling warmly.

Lily looked up at her, tears blurring her vision. "A-Are you...are you serious? You want me...to be your daughter and sister?"

Marmee nodded and smiled. "Yes, if you'd accept being a part of the family."

Lily nodded and threw herself into Marmee's arms. "Yes, yes!" She kissed her cheek and hugged her again as the girls hugged her tightly.

Marmee smiled and whispered. "Welcome to the family."

Their joy soon began to slowly crumble to the ground when Jo gave the news that she and Meg were invited to a play with Laurie; the bad part was, if there is any, that Beth, Amy, and Lily weren't allowed to go, since the play was of mature theme and they were still too young to watch such a thing. Lily and Beth didn't care much about plays. They preferred the plays that they set up at home.

Amy, on the other hand, was quite devastated when learning that Laurie was going to join them because she was beginning to have a liking to him. When she learned that Jo was the one who was spending time with him, she wanted to get her revenge. And, if that means destroying Jo's hard, life-long work, then so be it.

Once the girls got dressed up and left the house, Amy went into Jo's room, searching for the papers her sister hid in the dresser. Soon, all the manuscripts were nothing but a memory.

When Jo and Meg returned from the play, Lily, Beth, and Amy were sitting on the couch. Beth was knitting, Lily was studying, and Amy was reading a book. After a few minutes of searching and, to no success, she turned to her sisters. "Have any of you taken my book?"

Beth and Lily shook their heads. "No. Beth and I were in our room, studying," Lily said. She looked down at her book and turned the page.

She then turned to Amy, looking at her, long and hard. "Amy, you have it," she immediately said as Amy looked up at her and continued to dawdle. Jo's temper began to boil over

"No, I don't. I don't have it," Amy said, looking at her as if she was an innocent person.

"Yes. You. Do!" Her temper got the best of her and she shoved Amy. Amy stumbled back but stayed planted on her feet.

"I TOLD YOU I WOULD!" She screamed and Jo immediately grabbed her hair. Beth and Lily ran and held Amy back and Meg grabbed Jo's arm, restraining her best she could. "I TOLD YOU I WOULD MAKE YOU PAY!"

That was the last straw for Jo, who pushed Amy to the ground and began beating her sister. "I WORKED MY WHOLE LIFE ON THAT STORY! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?" She punched Amy in the face.

Beth, Meg, and Lily did all they could to pull the girls apart, but it was no use. "MARMEE!" Meg screamed. Suddenly, Amy pulled back and punched Lily in the face with her elbow; Lily fell back and covered her face as her nose began bleeding. "LILY!" Marmee came in and pulled her daughters away from each other. "Lily's bleeding!"

Soon, Lily, Beth, and Meg sat with Jo, doing their best to comfort her. Beth noticed Lily's nose was bleeding again, so she gave her a towel. Lily took it and put it on her nose, wincing in pain. Jo glared at Amy. "I'll never forgive her." She then got up and ran upstairs. "Never!"

The whole family remained silent and watched as Jo stormed up the stairs, leaving the room silent and cold. Marmee then cleared her throat and checked on Lily's nose. Lily gently uncovered her hands to reveal a swollen nose. "You, my dear, are a tough cookie to crack."

Lily looked up at her and blinked in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

Marmee giggled and wiped Lily's nose gently. "You've been through a lot, from two seizures and a punch to the nose, you haven't cried once." She then checked her nose. "The bleeding is gone."

Lily smiled sadly. "I guess I've been hurt so much in my life that I've become numb to any kind of pain." Marmee nodded and kissed her forehead.

The next morning, breakfast was eaten in silence. Jo and Laurie were going ice skating and Jo wanted nothing to do with Amy. She looked at her sisters, then at Amy, before leaving the room. "She's still mad at me, isn't she?" Beth, Lily, Meg, and Marmee nodded. "I have to make this right." She jumped out of her seat and grabbed her ice skates, then ran out the door, hoping to get to Jo on time.

Lily looked at Marmee. "Should I follow her, just to make sure she's safe?" Marmee nodded and Lily left the room, following Amy and Jo.

Lily soon reached Amy. "Amy," she went to her, walking by her side. "You need to be careful. The ice might crack at any minute." She watched as her sister put on her ice skates. While trying to reach Laurie and Jo, the ice cracked underneath Amy's feet and she fell through the ice, struggling to stay afloat. "AMY, GRAB MY HAND!"

Lily was on her stomach and held out her hand; Amy grabbed her hand and was yanked out of the ice, only for Lily to slip into the water herself. Amy screamed. "HELP! JO, LAURIE! HELP ME, PLEASE!"

As Jo and Laurie were skating, they heard Amy screaming. "Amy..." Jo and Laurie went back and found Lily struggling to stay afloat on the water, but she was slowly losing consciousness. Laurie grabbed her arm and pulled her out. Lily's teeth chattered uncontrollably. "We have to get home as fast as possible, or both of them will freeze."

Amy clung to Jo as they trudged through the snow and Lily threw her arms around Laurie's neck. "You're ok, Lily. You're gonna be ok." He pulled her closer to him to keep her warm and looked at Jo. "This girl is strong. Stronger than anyone I have ever seen," he whispered.

Once home, Lily did her best to convince her family that she was fine and that she'd do anything to protect her sisters. "Y-You've a-adopted me a-anyway, r-right? I-I'm o-only r-returning the f-favor." She took a deep breath and looked up at Laurie who put a hot towel on her head.

"You, kiddo, are strong like a rock." He smiled as he moved her hair out of her eyes. She smiled at the warmth of his lips on her forehead.

"W-Why d-do you say t-that, M-Mr. L-Laurie?" She asked, shivering.

He pursed his lips, deep in thought and turned to Amy, who was in a much better state than Lily was. "Well, you survived two major seizures, a punch to the nose, and," He turned to her, smiling. "You saved Amy's life, even to the point of death." Lily smiled wearily.

Jo came by her side. "You and Beth have so much in common. You girls are more sisters than we are as a family if you know what I mean."

Amy came to Jo and hugged her. "This is all my fault. I'm sorry." She turned to Lily, the color of her face coming back. "If we didn't fight, none of this would've happened. If I didn't get jealous and burned the book and -" Jo put her finger on Amy's lips, stopping her.

"Well, you two girls learned a valuable lesson today," Lily said as she was finally able to talk without shivering. "Don't let the sun go down upon your anger. Forgive each other. Begin again tomorrow." She sat up in bed as Marmee came into the room. "Isn't that right, Marmee?" Marmee smiled and nodded, kissing her forehead.

The next morning, Jo left the house early in the morning and headed to the hair barber. She wanted to raise enough money to pay for her father's recovery. Lily was also awake, writing a letter to her "new father" as a way to get to know her better before they meet in person. Meg soon woke up and went to Lily, who sat at the desk near Beth's piano. "Well, you're up early," Meg said, smiling warmly.

Lily put the pen down and turned to her. "Good morning, Meg." She got up and hugged her tightly. "I'm writing a letter to our father so he can get to know me better before he comes back home soon."

Meg smiled and knelt to her, kissing her cheek. "He'll love it."

"Meg?" Lily looked up at her. She wasn't sure if Mr. March would accept a stranger in his home, a child nonetheless.

Meg caressed her cheek softly and looked at her. "Yes, baby?"

Lily leaned on her heels, looking down, unable to put the words together. After a few minutes, Lily looked up at her and opened her mouth, but her voice was soft. "Do you think...he'll accept me?"

Marmee and the girls overheard her and went to her. Lily looked up and opened her mouth, then closed it, looking down. "You overheard what I said?" She looked down, scared of what they might say or do, especially if it meant she was gonna be slapped across the face again.

Just then, Jo came in and handed $25 to her Marmee, who looked up at her in confusion. Lily, Beth, Meg, and Amy stood next to each other with Hannah by Beth's side and Lily holding her hand. "Where did you get the money?"

Jo smiled. "I only sold what was my own." She took off her hat to reveal her now messy and short hair.

The room grew into complete disarray at the sight of Jo's boyish looks. "Jo, your hair!" Meg cried.

"Your one beauty!" Amy chimed in.

"You look like a boy," muttered Hannah under her breath.

Lily went to her and Jo picked her up, looking at her sisters, giggling as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Well, it doesn't affect the fate of the nation, so don't wail."

She smiled as her mother hugged her tightly. "I'm so proud you're my daughter." Marmee smiled at her as Lily went back to Beth and the others.

"I was just crazy to do something for Father. It'll be good for my vanity anyway."

Lily looked at Jo and the others. It was nearly Christmas, but for her, Christmas is just like another day. She then went to her room and closed the door behind her. "What just happened?" Amy asked.

"She misses her parents," Beth said. She then saw the letter Lily wrote for their father on the table. "What's this? For our father?"

Marmee took the note and read it over. "Yes, this is for your father. She wants him to know her better before they meet." Suddenly, they heard the door open and then close quickly. "Was that Lily just now?"

Beth nodded. "Yes. Today, it's her turn to take care of the baby in the Hummels household." She looked out the window and watched as Lily walked to the small cottage. Soon, she was gone and Beth smiled with delight, glad to help others who were less fortunate.

A few years pass by, during the winter season, Beth and Lily – now aged 18 and 17 – returned home from their trip from the Hummels household once again. "Do you think the baby will be alright?" Lily asked, deep in thought of the baby that was crying uncontrollably in her arms. She did everything she could to help the baby to feel better, but the Scarlett Fever was in its deeper stages, so there was nothing more she could do. But she and Beth would soon contract the disease as well. For now, though, they were fine and healthy.

"Yes, the sickness can't be that serious," Beth thought. "Can it...?"

Lily looked at her. "Well, the baby wouldn't stop crying, so..." she trailed off. "N-Nevermind." She shook her head. "Let's go home."

"THEY'RE COMING!" Amy screamed. They grabbed the heavy quilt blanket and hid the piano best they could. "Sit on it, sit on it!" Amy urged and the girls did just that. They sat on the piano and waited.

Lily and Beth went inside where it was eerily quiet. "Uh, it's just you and -"

"SURPRISE!" A loud burst of yells filled the room and the girls fell to the ground, shocked and lost in a daze.

"Surprise to you too...?" Beth said questioningly as she helped Lily up. Then they saw the blanket, covering the piano. "Is this a pillow fort?"

She and Lily went over to it. Lily traced her fingers over the cloth. "Beth...it's...it's a piano!" She looked at her, smiling. "Mr. Laurence!"

Amy then gave them a letter he wrote to the girls. As Beth opened it, reading it over, she froze in place and gave it to Jo. "Jo, you read it. I can't." She gripped Lily's hand tightly as Jo read the letter out loud.

After Jo finished reading it, Lily and Beth slipped out of the room and went to Mr. Lawrence's house. Suddenly, the mailman tapped her shoulder. She turned around. "Yes, sir?" She smiled.

"Are you Miss Lily Waterfall March?" He asked as he grabbed something from his satchel.

"Yes, sir. I am." She smiled warmly and squeezed Beth's hand.

He got a box wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper. "This was an overdue Christmas present your parents were supposed to give you, but it was lost during the war. After the war, though, we were able to find it." He handed it over to her. Inside were a locket and a dagger.

"What's inside of it, sir?" Lily asked as she sat in the snow, ripping the Christmas paper.

He thought for a moment. "It's said to be a dagger and a locket."

"My father's dagger...my mother's locket." She beamed with excitement. Once she opened the box, she held the dagger - in its sheath - and the locket, close to her chest, crying silently.

The mailman knelt beside her, kissing her forehead. "Merry Christmas, Miss Waterfall March." He got up and went back to work.

Beth smiled and hugged her tightly. "Merry Christmas, Lily."

She smiled and leaned against her. "Merry Christmas, Beth."

The girls soon found Mr. Laurence sitting in his garden, a book in hand; they went to him and stood, unsure of how to respond. "S-Sir?"

Mr. Laurence turned around and smiled. "Ah, girls! I see that you've received the Christmas gift?" They nodded and went to him. "Well, then! Go and play on it."

"We came here to thank you." They wrapped their arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much, Mr. Laurence."

He chuckled and pulled them closer to him. "You girls are very welcome." He then pulled them in front of him. "You two remind me so much of my granddaughter. Both with beauty and talent." He turned to Beth, holding her hand. "Your piano playing soothes the soul and makes the room warm once people hear you play." He then turned to Lily and held her hand. "Your voice is like a bird. It's soft and echoes throughout the room." He then held both of them in his hands. "Together, you girls change the world." He smiled warmly.

They looked at each other and then at him, tears streaming down their faces. "T-Thank you so much, Mr. Laurence." They hug him tightly. Then, they leave and head back home, ready to play on their new Christmas gift.

Once home, the girls were told to stand at the door. "Are we in trouble?" Lily asked, looking at Beth. "We just went over to Mr. Laurence and gave him our thanks for the piano."

Marmee smiled and shook her head. "No, my dear. None of you are in trouble." She smiled and went to the door, opening it wide open.

The door swung open and the girls lit up at the sight of their father standing at the door. "FATHER!" They ran and hugged him once he got inside.

He chuckled and held them tightly; he then looked up at Lily, who didn't even move a muscle. "No hug for me? I'm not a stranger, am I?"

"Well..." she cleared her throat, unsure of how to respond. She looked at him and then the others. She looked down, folding her hands behind her back. She kicked back on her heels like she had been scolded at for not doing as she was told.

He smiled and went to her. "You're the one who sent me the letter."

"Yes," Lily replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "That was me."

He chuckled. "Well, then. You're my daughter now. That letter of yours made me beam with joy." He caressed her cheek softly.

Lily smiled and threw herself onto him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you...father." she leaned her head against his chest. Lily then went to the piano and began to sing Christmas songs with the rest of the family joining in. She smiled warmly and continued playing with joy.

The next morning, Beth woke up early and went to the piano, sitting on the chair. Lily, who was awake before anyone else in the house, walked up to Beth. "Good morning, Lily," Beth said softly.

Lily smiled and hugged her sister from behind. "Good morning, Beth." She sat down next to her. "Have you been feeling lightheaded recently? Because I have and I haven't told anyone yet. I don't want to worry about them."

Beth stopped playing her piano and turned to her. "Yes. But I haven't told anyone. I don't want to worry anyone, not even you." She looked down. "Are you mad at me?"

Lily shook her head. "No, I'm not mad at you. I've been feeling under the weather since yesterday. Her eyes went wide with fear. "Do you think we have...?"

Beth nodded. "I was afraid you were going to say that." She then felt her forehead. "That doesn't feel so good." She looked at Lily, who touched her face.

"You're burning up." She felt her face. "I'm burning up, too." She looked at her arms then at her - it was pale. "This isn't good. What do we do?"

Just then, Beth collapsed in her arms. Lily caught her and helped her on the bed. She got a rag with water and put it on her forehead. She dabbed her cheeks with the towel. Beth looked at her, tears in her eyes.

Suddenly, Hannah came into the room and saw the girls. "Good morning, girls." Lily smiled at her before collapsing at Beth's feet, falling sick just like her. Hannah screamed for the others to wake up as she ran to the girls. "MRS. MARCH, GIRLS, GET IN HERE! HURRY!"

Lily sat up, shushing Hannah. "No...no." she winced in pain and sat up. "Don't worry about them. We're –" but it was too late for Mrs. March and her daughters rushed down the stairs and ran over to them. Mr. March had gone to work, so he wouldn't be home until nighttime.

"What happened?" Marmee asked as she checked Beth's head.

Beth took a deep breath. "Remember the Hummels?" She nodded. "Well..." she looked over at Lily, then to her. "We have Scarlett Fever."

After learning of the news, Beth and Lily regretted saying a word. As much as they loved their family, they preferred to be alone, especially in their sickness. Both girls decided to walk outside in the gardens or, at least, to Mr. Laurence, but Marmee stopped them. "Marmee, we're fine," Lily said, smiling softly. She took her hand.

"Lily, Beth...w-why are you like this?" Marmee asked. "You never say anything, you never think of yourselves, even when sick, you think of others. Please, tell me. Let me understand your lives more..."

"Marmee," Beth went to her, holding her hand. She took a deep breath, unable to say anything. Instead, she hugged her tightly. "You taught us well." She smiled and kissed her forehead. "Very well."

Lily smiled. "I was always taught to think of others before myself." She looked down at the belt with the dagger in its sheath around her waist. She took the dagger and looked at the design around it. On closer inspection, however, Lily saw that her parents carved their names into the hilt of the blade; she then took the locket that sat around her neck and opened it. There, inside, were two photos - one on each side - of her mother and father smiling at her. Lily pressed the dagger and locket close to her chest as she fell to her knees, letting the tears speak for her.

"You miss them, don't you?" Whispered Beth quietly. Lily only nodded as she hugged her last Christmas gifts closer to her chest.

"If I go away tonight," Lily whispered, looking at Beth and Marmee. "I get to see them. I get to hug them and kiss them!" Her voice rose with excitement as she spoke about her parents until she coughed harshly, falling to the ground.

Beth helped her up and pulled her close, kissing her cheek. Mr. March then came into the house. Lily got up and turned around; he dropped his things and felt their heads. "You girls are burning up." He picked them up and tucked them in bed, then called for Jo and Meg.

"Yes, Father?" Both girls went to him. They looked over to Beth and Lily who were like ghosts. "Girls...what happened?" They looked at them.

"They have Scarlett Fever." He turned to them. "And I need you to be with them and help them with whatever they need."

"I'm getting married soon, father, but I'll do my best until then." Meg smiled.

"That's my girls." He kissed her forehead and then got a wet rag.

Just then, John Brooke, Meg's fiancé, knocked on the door. Hannah went to the door and opened it. "Is Meg here, ma'am?"

"Yes. Upstairs with a sick Beth and Lily," she said grimly.

"Sick? Is there something I can do?" Suddenly, Lily began having a seizure. He looked at Hannah and ran upstairs. "It's ok, dear." He knelt to her and rolled her on her side. "Is this normal?" He looked at Meg who put a towel over her head.

Lily mumbled something as her head kept hitting hard on Jo's lap. For once in her life, Lily began crying in pain. She looked at Jo and Meg, tears streaming down her face. "I...I don't want to die...please."

Meg pulled her close and caressed her cheek. "You're not gonna die. I promise." She looked at Jo and the others. "You and Beth will live."

Once the seizure ended, Lily rolled over, barely breathing. Jo gently put her on the bed and watched as she fell asleep next to Beth, burying herself in her chest; Beth wrapped her arms around her, snoring softly. Meg sighed sadly and leaned against John's chest. John wrapped his arms around his wife-to-be and kissed her forehead. "They'll make it, my love. I promise."

Amy came running in with Laurie. "Beth, Lily?" Jo and Meg looked up at her. "A-Are they ok? I heard that Lily had another seizure."

Suddenly, Lily awoke with drowsiness. "B-Bucket...I need a bucket...please." Jo grabbed the bucket from nearby and Lily bent over, vomiting harshly inside, waking Beth wide awake in the process. Beth rubbed her back as Lily vomited again. She put so much pressure on her muscles that she began vomiting blood. Amy winced and buried herself in Laurie's chest, covering her ears. "S-Sorry, Amy." She gave the bucket to Jo and hit her head on the pillow. "I-I'm sorry...all I do is cause trouble..." Lily whispered, looking up at her family. Marmee and Mr. March held her hand tightly. "I-It would've been better if you never saved me that day on the street all those years ago, Beth." She turned to her head to her. "We wouldn't be here, dealing with me having seizures constantly and vomiting blood."

"Don't say that," Beth said, reaching out for her hand. "When I saved you that day...I knew exactly what I was doing." She smiled and caressed her cheek, pulling her closer. "And I don't regret that moment at all." Lily wheezed softly and smiled at her, best she could.

"Beth's right," Laurie said, walking to her and kissing her forehead. "Without you, Amy would've drowned that day." He looked at his new wife.

Though Jo and Laurie loved each other, Jo knew they weren't going to work together, so she knew she had to give him up. Amy knew that Jo would be happy for her, even if things seemed to be rushed. Amy went to them. "Without you, this house wouldn't be as bright as it is now." She smiled and kissed her forehead.

A few months pass by and Meg and John got married. "Congratulations, Mrs. Brooke," Lily giggled, hugging her sister. Meg smiled and twirled her around. Lily giggled as she spun around.

Beth went to Meg and kissed her cheek. "Mrs. Meg Brooke, is it now?"

"It is." She smiled and hugged her gently. "I'm so glad you came."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." She smiled and hugged her.

During the party, Lily couldn't handle the noise around her and crawled on her hands and knees, hiding under a tree. Jo and Beth went to her. Lily mumbled and shook back and forth, covering her ears. She didn't need to say anything, because they knew that she didn't like loud noises, so they just hugged her tightly until the sound went away. Once the party was over, Lily leaned against Jo's chest, falling asleep as a way to make her calm down. Jo caressed her head and leaned against the tree. Meg went to them. "Is she ok?"

Beth nodded. "I guess she didn't like the loud noises but decided to not say anything. She wanted you to enjoy yourself."

Lily rolled over and rubbed her eyes. "I guess I never told you anyone of you about my condition." She slowly uncovered her ears. "I have sensitive hearing. I've gone to school for only a week, but my parents homeschooled me because of how loud the class became. The students were loud and ignorant of the teacher. I was the only one who did my best to pay attention, but most of the time, I hid under the table and covered my ears. I was always picked on by the other kids and that's when my parents knew that I wouldn't survive to stay in school and my teacher agreed. From then on, I was homeschooled." She smiled. "But I'm glad that I was homeschooled, I got to spend more time with my family. And that's all that matters."

A few weeks pass by and Lily and Beth were taken to the beach once they were strong enough to move around. Lily took a deep breath and smiled, letting the breeze hit her face. She looked down at her locket, holding it close to her chest. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and walked to the water, dipping her feet inside. No-one stopped her and just watched as she enjoyed herself. Beth and Jo smiled and joined hands with her. She smiled and leaned against Jo's chest and Beth leaned against her. "There's something I should've told you a while back, but I didn't. There are two things." She took a deep breath before continuing. "My Uncle Mattias and Aunt Halima both died when I was 6 and 8 years old. Aunt Halima died from cancer and Uncle Mattias died in the war. I lived with them after my parents were deployed, but then I lived on the streets because I couldn't live in the house anymore alone. I was only a child."

"And the other thing?" Jo asked. Lily nodded and, as she spoke, it slowly became a flashback, revealing a 5-year-old Lily in school.

"Alright, class, it's time to start our lessons," the teacher said. The students didn't listen, except for Lily and Jane. He looked over at Lily. "Would you like to sit next to me? So, that the sound doesn't bother you?"

She nodded and got out of her desk when one of the students grabbed her and hit her hard against the desk, laughing while doing so. She then yanked her hair back. "You like loud noises, don't you?" She laughed as another kid popped a balloon behind her head.

"POLLYANNA, LET HER GO AND GET OUT OF MY CLASSROOM! ALL OF YOU, GET OUT OF THE CLASS!" He turned to Jane, Lily's childhood friend. "Except for you, Jane. You stay. Lily will need you."

Jane nodded and went to Lily. "Are you ok, Lily?" Lily looked up at her, her nose bleeding profusely. "MR. OVERLAND! She's bleeding!"

Overland ran to her and pulled her close. "Mr. Overland...I don't feel so good..." she looked up at him before shaking uncontrollably. It was a seizure, he put her on her side. "W-What's g-going o-on, s-sir?"

"You're having a seizure..." he whispered, rubbing her back.

Jane began panicking and pulling her hair. "W-What's going on?"

"Relax, baby." He looked up. "Get the bucket, she'll need it."

She nodded and grabbed the bucket. Lily whimpered in pain and hit her head hard against Overland's lap.

The flashback abruptly ended as Lily gulped and stared at the ocean. Suddenly, a young woman, her age, went to them. "Lily? Is that you?" Lily looked up and saw Jane, smiling at her. "LILY!" She ran to her and hugged her tightly. "YOU...LILY!" She cried out, burying her face in her shoulder.

Lily looked at her as she pulled away from her. "J-Jane?" Jane nodded and smiled. Lily fell to her knees, crying hysterically. "You..." she got up and hugged her tightly. "JANE!" At that moment, it was only her and Jane and Lily didn't want the moment to end.

Beth smiled and squeezed Jo's hand. Jane looked up at them. "Thank you so much for taking care of her." She took their hands in hers. "Ever since what happened when we were kids, I feared that Lily would never be able to live on her own."

"Well...I did live on my own for a while, but," she turned to Beth and squeezed her hand. "She saved my life and they took me in." She looked up at Jo.

Suddenly, Jane's kids ran to her with seashells. "Mama, look what we found!" She picked them up and smiled. "We found seashells!"

"You did?" She looked at them. "They're beautiful." She kissed their cheeks and then turned to Lily. "Kids, this is your Aunt Lily. Lily, this is Lillian and Julia."

"Hi, Aunty." They waved at her, timidly. Lily smiled and kissed their foreheads, making them giggle. "That tickles, Aunty!"

"Did you say…Lillian?" Lily asked, looking at Jane, smiling softly. Jane nodded. "Yes. I named my eldest daughter after you."

Lily smiled and hugged her tightly. "Ah, there you are, Jane," came a gentle voice. Lily looked up as Jane's husband, James, came to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Is this Lily, your friend?"

"Yes." She smiled and turned to Lily. "This is James."

"It's a pleasure." He smiled and kissed Lily's hand.

She curtsied and smiled. "Likewise." Suddenly, Lillian and Julia tackled her, hugging her.

Once back home, the Lillian and Julia sat with Beth as she played on her piano. "Can we try it?"

She smiled. "Of course." She picked them up and sat them on her lap, watching as they played. Beth took a closer to listen and realized that they were playing Beethoven's 5th Symphony. She looked down at them with surprise. "A-Are you?"

"Playing Beethoven's 5th Symphony? Yes, we are." After they finished playing, Beth was left amazed with shock. Her mouth practically reached the floor. "Are you ok, Aunty?" They giggled.

Beth nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." She giggled. "That was amazing."

"Mommy, can we play dress-up with Aunty Beth, Lily, Jo, and their other sisters, please?" They asked, jumping up and down, excitedly.

"I don't see why not." She smiled. The girls giggled as they ran to Jo, who grabbed some costumes from the rack nearby.

While they were dressing up, Laurie snuck in the costume rack, just like Jo had told him to. Lily and Beth joined in with Amy and put a smoke pipe in their mouths. "This makes us feel so much better and stronger than before, Jo. Thank you," Beth said, smiling.

Jo smiled and hugged them. "Anything for my sisters."

As they played, Laurie jumped out from the rack, scaring the life out of all the girls, except for Jo. Lily and Beth screamed, hugging each other tightly and laughing uncontrollably. "HELLO, I AM THE GREAT LAURIE LAURENCE!" Lillian and Julia giggled and clapped their hands. He bowed. "Thank you, thank you!" He went and kissed their hands.

A few weeks pass by and Meg gave birth to twins, a boy, and a girl, named Demi and Daisy. John was overjoyed when he saw the two children open their eyes for the first time. For the first time since Lily and Beth contracted Scarlett Fever, Meg felt relief, felt relaxed.

Yes, she still worried about Beth and Lily, but at this moment, her fears and worries melted away as she watched her children hug each other tightly. She smiled and whispered. "Wait until Aunty Beth and Lily see you. They'll love you and you'll love them." They cooed, sucking their fingers in response as they leaned against her chest.

"Sweethearts," John smiled warmly and kissed their foreheads. He looked to his wife. "You did it, my dear." He kissed her. "I'm proud of you."

She smiled and leaned against the pillow. Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door. One Meg knew too often. "Come in," she said. Beth opened the door with Lily next to her. "Beth, Lily, you came."

The girls smiled and kissed her cheeks. "Of course, we would. We wouldn't miss it for the world."

As they reached out to touch the baby's cheeks, both girls collapsed to the ground, their bodies began to convulse. Meg watched in horror as foam made it's way from their lips to the floor beneath them. Their faces turned red and they struggled to breathe. Their bodies slowly turned into dust and ash as they looked up at Meg, smiling weakly. "We are not afraid. We can be brave like you. But we know we shall be homesick for you, even in Heaven." The ash and dust soon covered their faces and they were gone. A small breeze entered the room and took their remains with it to the place where they said they'd be homesick for her. Heaven. Unafraid and brave.

Meg suddenly shot up in bed. "BETH, LILY!" she looked around frantically for her sisters. When she couldn't find them, began crying.

John rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Meg, my darling. What troubles you?" He caressed her cheek softly and wiped her tears away.

Meg pulled on his nightgown as she cried. "Oh, John! It was horrifying. Beth and Lily came to visit us in the hospital, to congratulate us on Demi and Daisy, but as they reached out to touch them, they fell to the ground and slowly turned to dust, but they began to convulse uncontrollably with foam coming out of their lips like how Lily has her seizures. They looked up at me and said: 'We are not afraid. We can be brave like you. But we know we shall be homesick for you, even in Heaven.' And, oh, John! The way they looked up at me, they were smiling...smiling even as the wind took their remains of dust and ash away and into Heaven." At this point, Meg could hardly catch her breath and she leaned against John, exhausted and trembling with fear.

John sighed and pulled his wife close to his chest. "It was just a bad dream. I promise you that Beth and Lily are fine, dear." What else was there to say when you see your sisters disappear right in front of you? He bit his bottom lip and thought for a moment. "We'll visit them tomorrow." He turned to her. "What do you say?"

Meg looked up at her husband, eyes red from crying, but she nodded and hugged his waist, leaning against his bare chest, feeling the warmth he brought to her. "Yes, I would like that very much." She then got up to check on Demi and Daisy who were sleeping in their crib, hugging each other in their sleep and sucking their fingers. "Aunty Beth and Lily will be so happy to see you both tomorrow." She smiled and kissed their heads before going back to bed and sleeping on John's chest. Tomorrow can't come fast enough, Meg thought.

The next morning, as Beth and Lily knitted for the children that passed by to and from school, a knock was heard. "Come in." They looked up. Meg opened the door and Demi and Daisy, now 3 months old, crawled to them. "Oh, babies!" They smiled as Meg put them in their arms. Demi sat in Lily's arms and Daisy sat in Beth's arms. Demi pulled Lily's finger and giggled and Daisy sucked her finger, looking up at Beth with a smile that could light up the whole room.

"I...I couldn't wait to see you today," Meg whispered, looking down.

Lily and Beth looked up at her. "What do you mean?" Beth asked.

John sighed and squeezed her hand. "She had a nightmare, that's all I can say..." she nodded. "About you both...dying," he said, softly.

"Us...?" Lily muttered. "Oh, Meg." She sat up and held her hands. "Beth and I are not going anywhere." She smiled and hugged her. "You know that we're getting stronger." Meg could only nod and hugged her tightly.

Lily and Beth were allowed to finally walk around town together, even though they felt weak at times, they were much stronger than when the Scarlett Fever first hit them. Roderick, the neighbor who had slapped Lily in the face years ago for "trespassing" on his lawn, saw Lily and Beth again and growled in anger. "Ye're back, but this time, ye're going to pay." he thought as he grabbed a coil of rope, bags, and his pistol.

"You, young one, are a sight to behold!" Said Lily with a deep Russian accent, making Beth laugh. "You can do everything you put your heart into, lad. You just need to believe and it will come true."

Beth giggled. "You and Jo make the best stories, Lily."

Lily smiled. Before she could say anything, Roderick grabbed the girls from behind and threw the bags over their heads. He then pressed the gun to Beth's cheek. "Stay quiet! Understand?" Beth nodded from under the bag and both girls were dragged inside his home and tied behind each other on two chairs. They remained as calm as humanly possible. "Ye two don't talk at all. That's good."

He pulled the bags off their heads. They winced as their eyes finally adjusted to the light. Beth gulped and squeezed Lily's hand. "Lily...your dagger." She whispered. Lily nodded and reached out for her dagger, but the sheath was empty.

"Oh, ye looking for this?" He held Lily's dagger in his hand. She looked at him. "Honestly, I should've killed ye years ago."

Beth looked at him. "You can't be serious. She didn't break into your house or anything. She only walked through the neighborhood."

He chuckled. "You're right, quiet one." He held the dagger against her throat.

Beth gulped and held her breath, looking down at the dagger. "This is a real dagger, isn't it, Lily?" Lily nodded. "Oh, dear." She looked up at Roderick as he laughed, pressing the dagger deeper into her neck, drawing blood.

Roderick then untied Lily, keeping Beth tied up and stood in front of Beth, pressing his pistol deep into Lily's chest. "I'll pull the trigger and you'll be my first guest."

Beth shook her head. "No, sir, please don't do this. Please.." she looked at Lily, who smiled softly. "Lily, please. Fight. Do something."

"Beth, I've lived a good life and we both know that sooner or later we'll be in heaven, so there's no reason for fighting." She looked at the gun.

Just as Roderick was about to pull the trigger, Beth screamed and jolted up in bed in a cold sweat. Lily mumbled and sat up. "Beth, are you alright?" Lily rubbed her eyes and looked up at her.

"Oh, Lily!" She gasped and hugged her tightly. "You're ok!" She sobbed softly in her shoulder. "You were about to die. That cruel man from years ago - who hurt you - tried to kill you. He kidnapped us and tried to kill you."

Lily looked at her and caressed her cheek softly. "I'm fine now and besides, Roderick died in prison a few weeks ago." She pulled her close. "I'm here and nothing will ever happen to you or me."

Beth nodded and leaned against her chest. "I love you, LilyPad."

"I love you too, My Beth." She smiled and kissed her forehead. Soon enough, the nightmare was nothing, but an afterthought, and both girls fell asleep with Lily holding Beth tightly in her sleep.

The next morning, Jo and Meg ran into their room. "What happened last night?" Meg asked as the girls woke up. "We heard screaming."

Beth rubbed her eyes. "I just had a nightmare, that's all." She smiled softly. Lily squeezed her hand. "But I fell asleep again, thanks to Lily." She smiled warmly and sat up. "But I'm fine now. I promise."

Jo caressed her cheek. "Beth, please..." she sat next to her and held her hands. "You and Lily are going through too much already." She teared up and squeezed her hand. "You need to go on, please."

Beth caressed her cheek softly. "We are going on, Jo. We are fighting, but there are just times where we have bad dreams, but we're fine."

Meg pulled her sisters close and caressed their faces. Suddenly, John came in with Demi and Daisy. "They wanted to see you." Daisy waddled to Meg. "And they're beginning to walk too." He smiled.

Demi soon followed after and both of them tumble in their mother's open arms. "Yay!" Beth and Lily applauded them as they giggled and clapped their hands, joining in with the excitement.

Beth giggled. "Your kids are so adorable." They crawled to her and grabbed onto the bedsheets. Lily and Beth bent over and picked them up. They giggled and hugged their faces while making noises.

"W-Wiwy!" Demi giggled. "W-Wiwy!" Lily's eyes went wide.

"B-Beth!" Daisy giggled. "B-Beth!" Beth's eyes went wide, too.

Meg nodded. "We've been teaching them how to say your names." She then noticed that Lily was about to have another seizure. "John, get the kids out of here." He nodded and picked them up just as Lily began shaking uncontrollably, hitting the bed and making Beth grip the sides tightly to keep herself from falling off.

Jo held Beth's hand tightly as Meg put Lily on the ground to her side. "HANNAH!" Lily looked up at her, unable to breathe. "It's ok, you're ok." She rubbed her back as Hannah came in with a towel and bucket.

The seizure lasted more than it had ever before and Jo grew concerned, but just as her concern began to grow, Lily turned over, vomiting in the bucket. She let go of Beth's hand and knelt to Lily as Meg put the wet cloth on her head. Beth sat up and looked down at her.

Lily gritted her teeth in pain and leaned against the bed. "One of these days, the seizure might kill me." Soon, Lily got up and went to the bathroom she and Beth shared. She was about to wash her face but soon collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. Lily was heard screaming at the top of her lungs; Jo ran to her and held her close. Lily cried out and buried her face in her chest. Hannah, Beth, Meg, and Jo didn't say a word as Marmee came in.

The next morning, Marmee, Jo, and Meg went to the girls. "We're going to change your pillowcases, ok?" They nodded as Jo and Marmee helped them up and Meg changed the pillowcases.

Lily whimpered and squeezed Jo's hand. "Another seizure?"

She shook her head and leaned against her chest. "J-Just c-cold."

Jo hugged her tightly, rubbing her body best she could. Soon, Meg fixed their pillows. "Ok, you girls can rest now." She smiled softly. Marmee and Jo helped Lily and Beth back on the pillows. Soon enough, both girls fell asleep, sleeping against each other.

Hannah came in silently. "Amy sent a letter; she wanted to know about how Beth and Lily are doing."

"Bring it here, please," Jo whispered. She nodded, crossed the room, and gave it to her. "These are a series of letters. She's in Europe and I forgot." Her temper slowly began to boil. "And she left her sisters who have Scarlett Fever?" She pressed hard onto the last two words, her anger getting the better of her, causing Lily and Beth to moan and look. She didn't realize what her anger was making her do; she was blind by Amy's decision to leave to Europe with Laurie while her sisters were here at home, dying on their deathbed.

"It's nothing girls, go back to sleep," Meg whispered, hoping they'd fall asleep again, but it didn't, instead they sat up, rubbing their eyes.

"But what about Amy? Did she come back yet?" Beth asked softly.

"No, she didn't, Beth!" Jo jumped up. Lily immediately screamed and hid behind Beth in fear. "And I don't think that she will ever come, because she believes that her artistry is more important!"

"But...we told -" suddenly, Jo jumped on her and grabbed her throat. "J-JO! S-STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Beth screamed in fear, struggling to breathe from the sudden restriction to her neck.

"We told her what, Beth!?" Jo began screaming, pulling her sister closer to her face and tightening her grip around her throat to prove a point, causing Beth to wheeze and her face to go pale. "TO RUN AWAY!? AND BE A FAMOUS PAINTER AND MARRY LAURIE WHILE YOU AND LILY DIE HERE!?"

"JO, LET HER GO!" Meg jumped on the bed and pulled her off of Beth, who cornered herself in the bed with Lily, who held her dagger tightly in her hand, shaking with fear, unable and unwilling to hurt her.

"S-Stay away from us Jo," Lily warned. "Don't hurt your sister."

Jo looked at her, then at the dagger. "I'm only trying to protect you."

Beth's eyes went wide with confusion and gentle anger. "You tried to kill me just now." She rubbed her neck and held Lily's hand tightly.

Jo took a deep breath and stormed off out of the room, unable to speak about her evil act. She closed her eyes, hoping it was a dream.

Jo paced back and forth in the attic, the memories of what she had done flood her mind as she gripped her hair tightly. Her eyes dart frantically from wall to wall as another memory sits in the forefront of her mind; this time, it was Beth's eyes, the way they grew with fear, and the way her face went a shade lighter. At that point, she would've collapsed to the ground, fainting from fear. Her eyes then traced down to her hands that were gripping hers tightly, in a failed attempt to pull herself away from her. Jo collapsed to the ground with a thud, tears streamed down her face as she looked up around her, the tears blurring her vision. At that moment, she was not a sister, she was a monster. Jo closed her eyes tight, hoping it to all just end already.

Jo's eyes fluttered open and she immediately got up out of her seat and rushed to Beth's room. She stopped at the door, her eyes scanning the room. Everything was in perfect order. The piano had sheet music sitting on the enclosed space, but on closer inspection, Jo saw Amy's note. She rushed to the piano, grabbed the note, and then hurried down the stairs to the breakfast table with her breath laboring with every step she took. Beth and the others heard the loud pounding of footsteps but ignored it until they heard Jo's voice, calling out to Beth. "BETH, BETH!" She looked around as Beth turned to her, completely unaware of what on earth was happening. "BETHY!" Jo ran to her and hugged her tightly, falling to her knees, her voice already dry from screaming. "Oh, Beth. Forgive me, forgive me!" She gripped her sister's nightgown as her face slowly turned red.

Beth looked at her and gently took her hands. "Jo...I forgive you, but I don't think you did anything to –"

Jo cried out, nodding ferociously. "Yes, Yes, I did Beth! I nearly killed you and Lily held out her dagger to protect you and -" Jo collapsed to the ground as she explained her nightmare and how Amy's letter enraged her, causing her temper to flare up instantly without precaution, and how she was blind to almost everything around her.

The room was dead silent as Jo's cries of anguish echoed throughout the small breakfast table; Beth rubbed her sister's back, still confused as to what kind of nightmare took over her. Lily then cleared her throat, wanting to understand more about the reason why she used her dagger. Jo finally calmed down and sat in a chair between her sisters, holding their hands with her cold and sweat-drenched, shaking ones. "When I grabbed Beth, I grabbed her throat, and yanked her close to my face, screaming that Amy had left you two for dead. The only time I hurt anyone...was, well, Amy. I never thought I'd ever hurt Beth or anyone else for that matter, but something snapped in me...I couldn't control it. The worse part was..." she looked at Beth. "You didn't even put up a fight." She rubbed her eyes as they were now bloodshot from the tears that overtook her. "You looked up at me, had your hand on my arm."

Silence soon followed as Jo stared into her sister's gentle eyes; she could still see the fear that filled her eyes when attacked by Jo. "You were afraid. Scared for your life. You screamed for me to let you go as I tightened my grip around your throat. Lily then grabbed her dagger and held it in front of her to protect you." She took a deep breath, unable to go on as Lily and Beth held her hands tightly.

"Well, from what we know, our Jo would never hurt anyone," Beth smiled, pulling her close.

"And besides," Lily said softly. "We were here all morning, so that was nothing, but a dream." She smiled and kissed Jo's cheek.

Months past by when Amy and Laurie return from Europe, but this was also a time when Beth and Lily were suffering from the complications of Scarlett Fever. There were many days where both girls just felt weak, complaining that the needle and thread felt heavy to hold and that turning a page in a book was more difficult than it should be.

Jo and the others thought it would be best if they went out to the beach again; they might not be as strong anymore, but it would be something to lift their spirits. Beth and Lily agreed, believing that it was time to tell Jo something they thought would never happen.

While the other March sisters enjoyed their time on the beach, Lily and Beth spent their time listening to Jo, reading them a story she wrote. Once she finished reading, Beth remarked, saying, "That's not something that you usually write, is it? It's all about us." she nodded to Lily before turning back to Jo, leaning on her lap.

Jo nodded. "It is." She then looked at her. "You don't like it?"

"No, it's my favorite by far," Lily quickly jumped in.

"Yes, and you should write more," Beth insisted.

Jo laughed. "Yes, ma'am, I will!" She then turned to Lily. "For you, too." Lily giggled and clapped her hands with joy and excitement.

"Even when we're not here," Lily and Beth said in unison, suddenly.

Silence suddenly entered into the air as Jo's breath hitched into her throat. She shook her head, unwilling to believe that this was happening. Lily looked at her and held her hand. "Jo, we both knew that this was going to happen one day or another." She looked to Beth, who nodded. "And we have had enough time to think about it, too."

Beth nodded, turning to her sister. "Lily's right. Nothing lasts forever and everything is in God's hands, not ours. It's like the tide going out, Jo. It goes out slowly, but it can't be stopped." She then recited the Bible verse from Roman's 8:28 that says - 'And we know that God works together with all things for good to those loving God, to those being called according to His purpose.'

Silence again soon followed as the waves were heard crashing against the shore. Jo took a deep breath and looked at her sisters that sat on either side of her. "I'll stop it. I've stopped it before and I can do it again." She took another deep breath before leaning against Beth's chest; Lily leaned against her and both she and Beth cradled the now brokenhearted and confused Jo.

This world, they began to realize, isn't something to look forward to. People are born and then die. That was just a way of life. And, if they liked it or not, a better place was coming soon for them, but for others, they had to wait until God called His people to come home.

The next few weeks were filled silence and dread. The hours dragged by slowly and the pain was being felt throughout the house. It wasn't only physical pain that was being felt, but it was emotional and heartbreaking pain as Jo, Meg, and Amy prepared to live life without their sisters. Although Beth nor Lily asked much during this time, they had only one request – that everything they loved and held dear to their hearts is put in their room. The sisters didn't hesitate and with the help of Laurie, they moved Beth's piano across the bed and laid Lily's dagger and locket next to her nightstand.

Laurie and his grandfather visited the March family often, not just because he and Amy were married, but because they would be heartbroken if they received news of the girls passing without notice. It was also during this time that Beth and Lily's features were unrecognizable. Their eyes were sunken deep into their skin, cheeks no longer had their chubby feel, and their bodies were deadly shaped like an hourglass. They barely ate any food or drank water as much as they could and that showed with the translucency of their skin. If one were to do a closer inspection, they would be horrified by how skinny they were. They were only skin and bone, nothing else.

Lily's seizures, of course, didn't fare any better. She was much weaker than Beth was; with her constantly vomiting and putting unnecessary – but uncontrollable – pressure on her body, Lily was getting worse by the second.

One night, after Jo read the poems she wrote for her sisters, the girls were in deep sleep. Jo checked on them, but their time had come. The next morning, Jo awoke to see that the bed was empty; she headed downstairs to see her mother and sisters in complete and utter sadness. Meg and Amy did their best to comfort Marmee, but it was Jo who Marmee seemed to cling to the most. Jo pulled her mother close to her chest, being the parent now. Even though she and her sisters had it rough, Marmee and Mr. March – who crossed from the living room to embrace his wife, best he could – were the ones in utter chaos. They hadn't lost just one, but two - two! - beautiful girls. They didn't care that they adopted Lily, she was still part of the family no matter what.

Just then, Meg's children went to them. "Aunties, we saw them go up to the sky." Meg sighed and picked them up; soon, the whole family followed and entered the room to see it shrouded in bright, white light.

"Now we are the ones going ahead. We are not afraid. We can be brave like you," Beth and Lily's voices echoed throughout the small room. When the family looked up, they saw their spirits standing side by side with a glowing figure in the middle. "We know we shall be homesick for you even in heaven." And just like that, disappeared to Heaven.

The next day, everyone stood at the gravestone that the family requested to be only one. Both Lily and Beth's names were carved into the one gravestone. As the rest of the family left, Jo and Jane stayed behind while the kids stayed with their father. Jo looked at the grave, unwilling to believe that her sisters were gone; Jane was devastated as she had lost her best friend, a friend with no contact until adulthood. To her, it seemed that it was her fault for not ever writing letters to her, to see how she was doing. "This is my fault," she whispered.

Jo held her hand. "No, it's not. None of this is." She looked at the gravestone that read 'Lily and Beth March – 22 and 21 – sisters, daughters, and the glue that held the family together'. "Things just happen." She looked at Lily's dagger that was placed next to her name and a doll that was placed on Beth's name. "And those things are not in our hands. They are not in pain anymore." She squeezed Jane's hand tightly. "No longer in pain."

A few months pass by and the March family's residence became a school, open for both boys and girls. Every room in the house was changed to accommodate for an actual school; Beth and Lily's room was the only untouched room, though it was not off-limits, the students passed the room; they always found it interesting, but they never dared to enter inside.

One day, a young girl of 5-year-old – one of Jo's students – went to Jo. "Miss Jo, can I go to the room over there?" She pointed to the room that read, 'Lily and Beth March'.

"Alright," she smiled and followed her. "What's your name again?"

"My name is Elizabeth Warren, Miss Jo!" The little girl smiled.

Jo gulped as she listened to that name; tears filled her eyes. "E-Elizabeth...?" The little girl nodded. "M-My sister's name was Elizabeth." She took a deep breath. "So, what did you want to do?"

"I want to practice my piano lessons, but I don't have one at home, so I thought you'd have one here."

"U-um, ok. Come with me then." She picked her up, took a deep breath, and pushed the door to the room she hadn't touched for 6 months. "I have missed you girls so much." She leaned her forehead against the door and kissed their names gently.

"Are you ok, Miss Jo?" Elizabeth asked, hugging her face.

Jo teared up and pulled her close to her chest. "N-No. Not really..." she sat her down on the rocking chair that Beth used to sit in while knitting and hid her face in her hands, tears streaming down her face.

Elizabeth jumped from the chair and sat in Jo's lap and hugged her tightly. "Don't be sad, Miss Jo," Elizabeth whispered. "They're in a better place now." She pointed to the cross that sat a few feet above the piano. "They're in Heaven now." She smiled at the cross.

"Thank you, Be –" Jo smiled. She then stopped and looked down.

Elizabeth giggled and hugged her neck. "No, it's ok! My parents always called me Beth for short." She smiled. "I like that nickname." She then went to the piano and began playing softly. As the music played, Jo listened to her student's beautiful talent, all the time thinking of Beth and Lily, remembering how they filled the house with joy. "They were the glue that held this family together," Jo thought.

A few days pass by and it was time to celebrate their Marmee's birthday, but it felt much different without Beth and Lily around. While they were getting things together, Amy began crying and sat down. "What's wrong, Amy?" Meg asked, holding her hand and wiping her tears away.

"I miss Beth and Lily..." she leaned against her chest. Meg kissed her forehead and rubbed her back. "This birthday will be different without them here." Amy sighed. "I should've never yelled at her that day when you left, but my temper took the better of me and I snapped."

Meg thought for a moment and looked at her. "But I know that our Beth and Lily would always forgive us, no matter what we did."

"Yeah, they would." Amy smiled and hugged her. "Thank you." Meg smiled softly and hugged her sister tightly

While looking up at the sky, she saw two figures smiling down at her - Beth and Lily. "Today's the big day, girls. It's Marmee's birthday."

During the party, Lily and Beth's spirits sat on the chairs across their Marmee while the others sat around her, kissing her cheek and hugging her. They set the cake in front of her and Marmee smiled with delight. The girls then looked up to see Laurie with his baby girl in his arms. They smiled and reached out to touch their mother – even if she couldn't see them – and whispered happy birthday. "Oh, my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you greater happiness than this!" Marmee cried with delight, feeling Beth and Lily's presence.

After the party, Jo left and watched as her book, "Little Women" was made. The brush took off the extra gold from the title and revealed one of the best books Josephine March had ever accomplished. She was then given the book. Beth and Lily stood by her as she held her life's long work close to her chest. "This story is about my sisters."

Kristina Haddad

8/22/2020