a dance and a breath away

     Laurie pulled at his collar, looking over all the heads in the crowded room. Sighing, he turned his face towards Emmett, who was standing beside him and engaging in small talk. The men in town were talking about ice skating, and wondering if Emmett had ever took part in the activity in London. He was a little offended that they seemed to think he was otherworldly just because he was born and raised overseas, but he didn't voice as much.

     "I think I'm going to hide somewhere," Laurie whispered. Emmett turned to him with furrowed brows.

     "You're just going to leave me with a room full of strangers? I don't know any of these people."

     Laurie smirked. "Neither do I."

     Emmett gaped at Laurie's retreating back. He started to go after his friend before two women entering blocked his way. The one in the violet dress stepped behind the taller girl, looking as though she were using her skirts to hide something.

     The taller girl cleared her throat. "Good evening," she said. Emmett recognized her as the girl who jumped over the fence earlier in the day, and Emmett did his best not to gape at her in wonder; she had shocked him into a state of awe when he first saw her, and it was a wonder to be suddenly in her presence. She was, however, standing stiffly, like she'd rather run away — or hide, like Laurie.

     "Good evening," he replied, holding his hand out for her. She looked down and blinked at it.

     "You're not trying to kiss my hand, are you?" she asked, looking back up.

     Emmett looked down at his hand. Was it not a custom in America to kiss a lady's hand? "No . . . I'm trying to shake your hand."

     She grinned. "I'm almost never offered a good, gentlemanly handshake." She took his hand and shook it vigorously. "This is capital!" At that, her arm was pinched. "Ow!" she cried, looking to the woman behind her.

     It was then that Emmett was able to lay his eyes on the beauty the violet dress beheld. Earlier, he thought she was the more modest of the girls, but up close she had a kindly face and an infectious smile. She was stunning.

     "Please don't mind my sister, she's used to . . . common tongue to express high spirits." Even her voice was soft and whimsical.

     "I see." He realized he was staring before he caught himself. "I'm Emmett Wright."

     She nodded, holding her hand forward. "Margaret March, but you may call me Meg."

     As he reached for her hand, her sister interrupted with, "You can kiss her hand, if you want. She's more of a lady between the two of us."

     "Jo," Meg scolded beneath her breath. Emmett smiled nervously, but decided to kiss her gently on her knuckles regardless. When he pulled away, Meg's cheeks were slightly pinked as she met his eyes.

    "I'm Jo March, by the way." With the second interruption, he noticed he was still holding Meg's hand. He gently let go.

    "Jo?" he inquired.

     "Yes."

     "Is that short for Josephine?"

      "Yes, but I prefer Jo."

      "I see. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jo March." He turned back to Meg. "Miss Margaret March," Emmett said in a softer voice.

      She glanced down at her feet coyly. Emmett realized then that Meg was still standing behind Jo.

     "May I ask why you're standing behind your sister, Miss Margaret? Do I intimidate you?" Emmett asked in a worried tone. Was he being too strong of a character towards her? Maybe kissing a lady's hand really wasn't a normal greeting in the States.

    Jo chuckled. "No, you see she's trying to hide the burn—" Meg nudged her — "I mean, yes, and I'm her guard."

    When Meg scoffed at this and shook her head at her sister, Emmett knew it was a joke.

     "Really?" he asked, letting a smile grace his lips as he directed his amused expression to Jo.

     "Yes. If you wanna get to her, you'll have to get through me." She stood with her chin confidently raised.

    "Then I can get acquainted with both of you." His smile turned into a small smirk as he decided on what cards to play. "Tell me, Miss Jo March, how do you enjoy the weather this time of year?" Based solely on what he could gather from Jo's nature in their brief interaction, she would not like answering this question. To anyone else, it was a simple conversation starter. But to Jo?

    Jo cringed. "I give up!" Emmett tried not to look triumphant.

    "Jo!" Meg exclaimed.

     "I'm sorry, Meg. I draw the line at small talk." She turned back to Emmett. "If you'll excuse me, Mister Emmett Wright, my skirt is burnt, and I'm going to go hide it against the very inviting wall over there."

     "Jo!"

     "Have fun, Meg!" Jo called. As she walked away, Emmett was able to see that the bottom of her skirt was, in fact, a little charred. He then felt guilty; Emmett wanted Jo to let her guard down enough to allow him to talk to her sister, not completely drive her away.

     Meg turned back to Emmett. "I'm so sorry about her."

     Emmett shrugged, attempting to appear indifferent. "I'm assuming you're the eldest."

     Meg smiled, nodding. "You'd be correct. Why? Do you have younger siblings as well?"

     Emmett's mind flashed an image of Charlie, and he stood unresponsive. His instinct answer was 'yes', and he wasn't ready to start saying 'not anymore'. Luckily, the music started up within moments. He shook himself out of the trance and asked Meg for a dance instead.

    She flushed. "Oh — I — um. . ." Meg looked down at his open hand. Then she smiled, taking it gently and looking back up into his green eyes. "Yes."

     Emmett returned the smile, leading her to the dance floor. They finished one dance together, and as they started lining up for another dance, Emmett saw Jo trying to urge Meg to leave early. He was delighted when Meg refused and smiled back at him. Emmett was also surprised, for he expected Laurie to be exhibiting the same urgency. During their second dance, it occurred to Emmett that he never saw where Laurie ran off to. Like any thought that spirals, Emmett worried Laurie had secretly left him. It was one thing to hide until it was time to leave, it was another thing to completely walk out with no prior warning.

The dancers applauded when the music ended, and Emmett offered Meg refreshments. He escorted her to a vacant chair before walking away to get drinks for the both of them. Emmett took the opportunity to quickly search the general area Laurie had disappeared to. He managed to find an alcove that was curtained off, and although it was the perfect hiding place, there was no one in sight. Emmett held his tongue before he could let loose a curse in Laurie's name.

He soon retrieved the drinks and made his way back to Meg. When he handed her the glass, she downed half of it and stood up in excitement.

"I love this next song," she said, beaming.

Emmett, enraptured, abandoned his untouched drink to allow himself to be dragged back onto the dance floor. She smiled brightly at him, and when the song picked up, they both joined in with new enthusiasm. Emmett all but melted at the happiness he was sharing with her. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Meg twirled a little too quickly and fell rather than stepped into Emmett's arms.

"Miss March? Are you alright?"

Meg's cheeks were red with embarrassment. "Oh, I — I think I've hurt my ankle, or my foot. Both hurt."

Emmett rushed her to one side. "What can I do?"

Meg swallowed her embarrassment in order to make eye contact with him. "If you could help me find my sister, it's best I return home."

Emmett felt his chest fall in disappointment, but he did his best to hide it. "Of course. I'll go look for Jo."

Meg grabbed his elbow and hopped alongside him. Before he could ask, she said, "She's not inside."

"What?"

Meg sighed. "Call it a sister bond, but I know for a fact she found a way to exit the building." As they awkwardly started shuffling towards the windows, Meg added, "She finds parties far too stuffy for her taste."

Emmett held back a scoff, once again thinking of Laurie — the damned bastard that ditched him. Emmett was still bitter about that.

Just as he was thinking of another curse for his young host, Meg spotted the red of Jo's dress, and she frantically tapped the window closest to her sister.

"I hurt my foot!" she called through the window. Emmett did a double take when he recognized the curly-haired young man accompanying Jo. Internally, Emmett was taking back every bad thing he just said and thought about the Laurence boy.

Jo reunited with them in the foyer, carrying their coats towards her sister. Laurie was right behind her, his coat on one arm and Emmett's on the other. Laurie caught Emmett's eye, his own sparking with mischief as he gestured his head towards the girls, and then to the door. Emmett wanted to shake his head at him; of course he would use Meg's injury as his own excuse to leave the party early.

"How am I supposed to get home?" Meg inquired, sounding defeated.

Jo sighed. "We should hire a carriage."

Meg winced. "Carriages are too expensive."

"Let us take you; we're right next door," Laurie offered.

Emmett perked up. "Yes, you must allow us to help!"

Meg shook her head, looking over her shoulder. "No, we couldn't. It's so early, surely you can't mean to leave so early?"

"Oh, I always mean to leave early," Laurie said matter-of-factly.

Emmett shot him a look before turning back to Meg. "If we can be helpful, we don't mind."

"See, they don't mind," Jo said. "And what choice do you have?"

    Meg fixed Jo with a look, but eventually gave in. When their carriage made the roundabout, Emmett opened the door and insisted that Jo and Laurie went in first. Once they had moved to the other end, Emmett turned to Meg.

    "Put your hands on my shoulders," Emmett said, lowering himself a little so that she had better purchase. Meg's head reeled back and her face reddened.

    "I-I —"

     "It's alright, Miss March, just trust me."

     Meg hesitated once more, then placed her hands upon his shoulders. The moment they were firmly in place, Emmett gently took her waist in his hands and lifted her into the carriage. A gasp of surprise left her lips, Jo had a hand over her mouth, and Laurie was smirking. When Emmett was inside the carriage, Laurie nudged him and gave him a wink of pride. Emmett was thankful the collar he was wearing hid the blush creeping up his neck.

    Emmett usually wasn't very forward with women, but he had a feeling if he didn't rush after Meg, she'd easily slip away. Meg was non confrontational, she didn't seem the type to actively pursue someone. Emmett didn't mind; if he had to, he'd make all the first moves.

Laurie and Jo were the only ones talking. They were chattering away about who knows what, Meg was looking down at her lap smoothing out her skirt constantly, and Emmett alternated between watching the houses they passed and looking after Meg. It wasn't long before they reached the March house, and Emmett helped Meg out first. He managed to get her some distance towards the door before Jo ran forward and draped Meg's free arm over her shoulders.

"Ready, soldier?" Jo asked, patting Meg's back.

"What's mother going to say?" Meg asked in a worrisome tone.

Jo looked at Emmett, then Laurie who was behind them. "Well," Jo turned back to her sister, "she won't say much to us if there are new people."

Meg smiled, scoffing and shaking her head, and Emmett smiled, too. They reached the door, and Jo leaned forward to rap her knuckles against the wood. Within moments, it swung open to a fair-haired, older woman. A smile broke across her face, and warmth oozed out of her general aura.

"Goodness gracious — what have you done?" she laughed, stepping aside to let them in. Jo slipped out of her sister's arm, leading the way.

"I hurt my ankle," Meg said, trying to get over the threshold.

"Here, allow me," Emmett said, bending down and swooping Meg into his arms like a bride. "Where do I set her down?" Emmett asked, following Jo into the house. Fast footsteps tumbled down the staircase, followed by squeals of excitement.

Jo looked over her shoulder to see Emmett carrying a fiercely red in the face Meg. "My word! You're like a knight in a story!" Emmett felt a blush along his neck again. "Hey, that rhymes! Sir Emmett Wright, the shining knight, saving princess Meg before midnight."

"Jo," Meg groaned in annoyance.

"Right!" Jo disappeared from sight almost immediately. "Out of the way! Make room, Meg is a wounded soldier," he heard Jo's voice call. He followed the direction of it, and entered a sitting area with a chair Jo was clearing.

Behind Emmett, the older woman yelled, "Help your sister, and then it's back to bed for both of you!" At that, two younger girls rushed past Emmett and Meg. Another woman — older than the one that had opened the door — appeared from the kitchen after their mother called for ice. Emmett felt like his head was spinning with all the new faces. He felt Laurie's hand on his back, gently pushing him forward.

"Sorry about the mess," Meg whispered, at the same time as her mother said, "Apologies for the chaos. And don't mind the clutter, we don't!"

Her mother walked ahead of Emmett, patting the chair Jo had cleared. As he set her gently down into it, her mother started speaking again; "I enjoy baking at night, hence all this." She gestured towards something that might have been a mess, but Emmett didn't really mind it, like she had requested. He backed away towards where Laurie was standing. The girls' mother bent down to assist with Meg's ankle.

     Emmett nodded along dumbly as he took in the number of people — no, women — buzzing around Meg, then looked away when he realized Jo was undressing in another corner of the room. As she was doing so, she asked, "Can I call you Teddy?" in Laurie's direction. Laurie said she could and respectfully cast his eyes back down.

     "I'm Amy." Emmett looked up enough to see who must've been the youngest daughter, smiling up at Laurie. She was the one with short hair cut above her eyes.

     "Hello," Laurie responded, a soft smile on his features.

     "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Amy," Emmett said, offering his hand. Amy blinked at him in surprise, taking his hand. Emmett stopped himself before asking, "Do you prefer a kiss, or a handshake?"

    Amy scoffed. "What lady takes a handshake over a kiss?"

Emmett restrained himself from laughing. He smiled and placed a gentle peck on her knuckles. Amy smiled and recited; "The pleasure is all mine."

     Their mother disappeared into the kitchen and returned to the two young men. "Here, have a scone each of you," she said, whilst shoving the pastry into their chests as they took them. Then she spun back around, asking, "Gentlemen, how are your ankles? Do you need ice?"

     "No, thank you, ma'am," Laurie said in a soft mumble.

     Emmett nodded, looking up from the scone he made sure not to drop. "I'm alright as well, Mrs. March," he said, offering a smile.

"Just call me Mother — or Marmee — everyone does," Marmee laughed.

Emmett's heart clenched when she had said that, and he knew why; he missed being able to call his own mother 'mother'. Something told him he would never fully get over it. He decided then and there that he'd only ever address her as Marmee, for whenever he'd see her again.

At this point, all the women in the room were around Meg, and the men were awkwardly standing by a wall. Meg smiled as she turned her gaze away from Emmett to face Jo.

    "He's a very handsome fellow, isn't he?" Meg whispered to her sister.

"Who?" Jo asked, her attention still on unraveling bandages for Marmee to use as a wrap.

"Emmett Wright."

Jo looked up at the young Englishman, who was cautiously wrapping the scone he was given into a handkerchief, fixing her sharp blue eyes upon him as she gave him a good once over.

"Yes," Jo said, turning back to her sister. "Too handsome."

Amy looked up at her elder sisters when she heard that. "There's no such thing as 'too handsome'!" she argued.

As Meg shushed her and Jo mocked her, Beth looked up from her place on the floor and sighed, "Please stop bickering."

"Of course, Beth," Jo obliged.

Amy rolled her eyes at Jo's soft nature towards their timid sister. Meg stole a few more glances at Emmett — one of which he caught — and answered all of Marmee's inquiries on where it hurt and how it hurt. Emmett looked to his friend, nudging him.

Laurie simply nodded before turning back to the March women and Hannah. "We'll take our leave now," he announced.

"Thank you for the pastry and we hope Miss Margaret feels better soon," Emmett added.

"And thank you for letting us into your home," Laurie said quickly before making his way to the door.

"Happy New Years to you both!" Marmee called, with a chorus of the same wishes from everyone else.

The young men finally made their way outside, and when they reached the fence of the property, they both stopped to look one more time. Emmett was smiling wistfully, before glancing at Laurie. He followed his friend's gaze to see Jo in the attic window, flipping through parchment that probably had something inked into them.

Emmett turned back to Laurie with a smirk. "Why'd you stop to look?"

Laurie's smile dropped when he made eye contact with Emmett. "I didn't." He then turned on his heel, stomping through the snow towards the Laurence manor.

"Laurie, can I call you Teddy?" Emmett asked, catching up to his friend.

"No, you cannot."

Emmett chuckled and followed Laurie to the house, already anticipating when he'd see his new neighbors again.

* * *

Quick A/N: WOW, this was long! Also, noticed on March 12, 2020, this book is number 11 under the tag #saoirseronan and number 12 under #littlewomen !!! Thanks guys! I know it's small, but it still makes me happy! Comment all reactions, I hope y'all keep enjoying!