DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the orginal characters of "Little Women" (much as I wish I could say Laurie was mine ;) (Sadly not even Christian Bale can be my lover cause he's married good thing there's still Josh Groban)

Chapter 27

CONSEQUENCES

(Revised from pg. 168)

"It isn't a mere pleasure trip to me, girls," said Amy, chin high. "It will decide my career, for if I have any genius, I shall find it out in Rome and will do something to prove it."

"Suppose you haven't?" said Jo.

"Then I shall come home and teach drawing for my living," replied the determined artist. Little did Amy know she was closer to the truth of her future than she knew.

"No you won't. You hate hard work. You'll marry some rich man and come home to sit in the lap of luxury all your days," said Jo. She knew Amy all too well.

"Your predictions sometimes come to pass but I don't believe that one will. I'm sure I wish it would, for if I can't be an artist myself, I should like to be able to help those who are," said Amy, without the slightest notion of marrying poor.

Jo had to admit that although Amy still had a trace of her arrogant airs, she had grown to be a lovely and graceful young woman. She was still a little sore at Amy's being the one to see the world, but she could never be angry or jealous of her sister, only her sister's good fortune and luck. (Though she knew it was not luck but good grace and elegance of which Jo knew all too well she lacked.)

Jo watched Amy flutter about the room in a hurry to gather her vast amount of things and was brave until the last bit of Amy's lovely silhouette disappeared. Then she quietly went into her room and cried her heart out. She dare not have cried in front of the others for it would have given her great shame to do so. (And she would have died before admitting to her family how much it hurt to see her sister have what she had dreamed of for so long).

Amy was so excited about finally beginning her journey that the reality of being thousands of miles away from all those that cared and loved her did not hit her until she was just about to step onto the steamboat. Immediately upon receiving this revelation she grabbed Laurie in an uncharacteristic bear hug and burst into tears, saying as a little sister to her older brother, "Oh take care of them for me, Laurie! I should die if anything happened to them while I'm gone."

"I will, dear, I will. I promise. Meg and Marmee, Beth and Jo. All alike." Said Laurie.

Amy noticed that Laurie lingered over Jo's name. This made her even more sad to know she would miss everything to come. But as much of a heartache it would give her to leave her friends and family, she knew other adventures called to her and so with a quick kiss to Laurie's cheek, she stepped onto the boat.