Have you ever had that dream where you're walking and suddenly you trip? The fall seems to take forever. It's a nice suspension, sort of like flying.

You know you'll hit the ground eventually. You also know that it's going to hurt when you do.

You wake up before you feel any pain but you cringe a little, swearing you feel a sting.

That was how Jo felt. Only it wasn't as though she simply tripped, it was as though she'd fallen off the Empire State Building.

"Oh," she said, her voice sounding unlike her own. "That's great, really. Congratulations."

Professor Bhaer half smiled, "Thank you, Jo. But I've been meaning to-"

"You know," Jo backed up, "I left the TV on. I need to go turn that off." Turning on heel, she rushed down the hall to the living room. Something was wrong with her vision. It was blurry and weird. Was she crying? She couldn't be crying.

Jo looked around the room, trying to find the remote desperately. It just felt really important to turn off this TV. It felt really important to get away from the Professor.

"Looking for this?" Professor Bhaer was standing inside the living room, remote in hand.

Jo sighed, "Yeah. That's it." She reached to grab it from him, trying not to touch his hand.

Obviously, she'd just been in some delusion. He didn't love her. He never did. She'd just been fooling herself. Being stupid and fanciful, like she always was.

"Jane Eyre?" He gestured to the screen. Jo nodded. "I didn't know you liked romances."

She clicked off the television and sat on the couch, "I do. I always wrote silly little romances too. Funny, I like writing about it, but it kind of scares me."

He laughed, "I know. I read your book." Professor Bhaer sat down next to her, a little closer than she thought he should. "It's magnificent, Jo. It's really wonderful."

"When are you going to Denver?" Jo said abruptly.

He hesitated, "Well, I haven't officially accepted. Yet."

Jo took a deep breath, hoping what she was going to say wasn't going to sound outrageously stupid.

"Don't accept it."

Professor Bhaer looked confused, "What?"

Okay, so it did sound stupid.

"I...I just...that's so far away," Great Jo, just keep digging yourself deeper.

"I know," he said quietly, glancing over to the left. "Oh, is this you and your sisters?" He asked, picking up the picture frame on the side table.

It was a Christmas card from a few years ago. The photographer hadn't told them that he was taking a photo and caught them just being natural. Jo was center, hands on her hips not looking very focused on something. Meg was off left, playing with her hair and laughing. Amy and Beth were talking, Amy looking very unamused about something.

"Yeah," Jo smiled, remembering that day. "There's Meg, that's Amy, and that's Beth." Lightly, she touched the picture of Beth.

He set down the picture again, "You really have a lovely home."

"It doesn't feel like home," Jo grumbled, crossing her legs underneath her. "Not without Beth."

Professor Bhaer, "You really love her." He said simply.

Jo tried a smile, "Yes. She was my everything. I could talk to her about anything at all. Concord doesn't feel like home without her. I think home is more in people than in a house. New York is my home now."

"Because you like the people?" He prompted, looking at her expectantly.

Jo shifted, "Not all the people. Mostly just y..."

"Yes?" Professor Bhaer leaned closer.

Jo countered back, "It's nothing. It's selfish. Talking about me, I mean. We should talk about your new job or-"

"No," He replied intensely. Suddenly, he softened. "Jo, you think you're selfish, but you are not at all. Don't worry about me or your family or anyone else. Just for a moment. Tell me what you want."

"I don't want you to go so far away," Jo met his eyes. His strange, clear, wise eyes. "Please, don't."

Professor Bhaer peeled a smile, as If he'd been waiting for her to say that the whole time.

They were close. Really, very close to each other.

"I won't," He said happily. Jo just then noticed that he was holding he hand. How long had he been doing that?

Something pulled her in towards him. Something she hadn't felt so strongly before. She knew he was going to kiss her, but she wasn't scared at all.

"JO! JO, WHERE DID YOU OUT MY NECKLACE?"

In an instant, Jo and Professor Bhaer backed away from each other.

She could've sworn that he muttered 'Christopher Columbus' under his breath.

Amy, her hair up in a towel and clad in a bathrobe, rushed into the room and stopped cold.

"Oh," her eyes widened. Like a gentleman, the Professor looked away from her. "Didn't know you had, uh, company. I'll just go then."

"Yes, do that," Jo glared at her as her youngest sister ran out of the room. "You were saying, Professor?"

Professor Bhaer ruffled his hair, "Call me Fritz."

"Fritz, then," Jo said with a smirk. "Well, Fritz, you aren't going to take the job then?"

"I'm not," Fritz said, moving closer to her again. "I also have some more news for you."

"Good news now?" Jo asked teasingly.

He didn't seem to see any humor. "Maybe..."

"What do you mean?"

Fritz looked horribly pale, "I meant to tell you a while ago... It's nothing huge... Okay, it is huge..."

"Fritz, tell me," Jo looked concerned. "Are you sick? Are you okay? Fritz?"