OwlLegendary000: Hey, it's fine! I talk to other people on this site all the time about things going on in their life. And I am so, so sorry. I know you miss them with eveything inside of you. You two are in my prayers. And, ahh, "we need to talk to you." Everytime I hear that, I just think of all the bad things that I've ever done. It's okay that we don't want to get into the details of it. I probably wouldn't either. And that little boy. . . Oh, gosh, Christmas is suppose to be such a happy time, but a lot of families have lost people during it. And it's bittersweet for them. I don't blame those families at all, I just wish that the holidau season didn't also have to be so tragic sometimes. You, your pet, and tht little boy are in my prayers.

I was a bit hesitant to post this chapter. Some trigger warnings: periods, blood, an almost kiss. . .

I don't own Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.

YEAR THREE

Age: Eleven

No matter how much she tried, Lisa could not figure out why all the other girls seemed to be overly excited about the boy's school coming to stay with them for a few months. She had met other boys before. One of her friends was a boy. There was nothing to get so excited about.

Masha, however, thought very differently then her friend. She daydreamed about falling in love with one of the boys from that school. One day they would bump into each other in the halls. He would help her to her feet. Just like a true gentleman would. Masha would apologize, stating that she was such a klutz, but the boy that she just met was going to tell he that it was his fault. From there he would introduce himself. Before Masha had to leave, he would ask her for a dance at the ball. She would wear her very best dress. Perhaps her dream suitor was lean in during their dance and. . .

"Wake up, Masha," whispered Lisa, making her return to the classroom they were in.

"Miss Maria, because you seem to think that daydreaming is much better then paying any attention to me, you can stay inside when the boy school arrives and daydream inside this classroom," scolded their teacher, frowning.

"But, Madam-"

"I don't want to hear it. When the boys latter today arrive you will wait inside this classroom with me. Now, let's continue. Miss Sasha, do you know what this means?"

Masha had drowned out her teacher's voice. She wasn't going to ever met her Prince Charming. Just because she had been daydreaming about him. Lisa slid her a note: I'm sorry about your detention. I promise that I'll meet you outside the door once you get out. Masha nodded at her. Too disappointed to write a note back.

Lisa wasn't much happier then her friend. She had to great the boys alone. The girls sang a hymn to welcome them. After a brief speech from the headmistress, they were dismissed. Lisa nearly ran to the room her friend was being help captive in.

She wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Her eyes followed her feet. Usually, Lisa would hold her head high. Without her best friend at her side, just walking down the hall wasn't the same. She closed her eyes for half a second when she felt another body crashing against hers. Lisa let out a cry as her hands made contact with the ground. She looked up to see just who she had knocked into.

It was a boy. He straightened his vest, crocked after taking that fall. Lisa's mind was screaming at her. A boy! Really, Lisa? You could have knocked into any one, but you just had to knock into him! She stared up at him. Something about his appearance made her heart begin to thump. Oh, gosh. He's handsome, too. What was she doing? This was the opposite of herself. Masha was usually the one daydreaming about her prince. Not Lisa. The boy stood up and offered his hand to her. Once Lisa had risen, the two only stood there. Awkwardly.

"Um, I'm Duke Alexsei Ivanovich Fedoror," he introduced, "Who might you be?"

All of her life she had just been called Lisa. Even when she was in trouble, her father continued to scold her by that name. Lisa had seen her friends get in trouble before. They were called by their full names. Lisa never felt the need to have to ask her father that question. Since he had introduced himself by his full name, she felt inclined to do the same. Just she would have to make up her own. At least what she believed to be her own.

"Countess Elizaveta Pierrenva Bezukova. Please, just call me Lisa."

The young duke smiled. "Well, then, Lisa. Call me Alex."

Alex kissed her hand, making Lisa blush. He looked her in such a sweet way when they made eye contact. She had to look away. This was the beginning of a friendship, possibly. Nothing more. Lisa had male friends back home. She had never felt like this before, however.

"Hey! Alex!" yelled another boy that she could only assume that was one of Alex's friends, "Where you been? I thought we were going to. . ." He noticed Lisa. "Oh? I see that you've been practicing your 'charming' skills?"

"Shut up," Alex hissed.

His friend laughed. "Come on! The others are waiting!"

"Wait." Alex faced Lisa. "I hope that we'll see each other again."

"Yes. That would be fun." She would have to introduce Alex to Masha. Masha. . . How long had her friend been waiting? "Please, excuse me. I need to find my friend. And it seems you need to take your leave as well."

"Goodbye, Lisa."

"Bye, Alex."

As Lisa turned around, she could hear Alex's friend say, "Oh, already on a first name basis?" She flushed. When there weren't any teachers around, she began to run. Masha was waiting outside the classroom. When Masha saw her, her eyes lit up.

"I was about to leave, thinking that you had forgotten about me," Masha began.

It was hard for Lisa to listen to her friend. Her mind kept wondering back to Alex. How had she looked when she introduced herself? Last time she looked in a mirror which was right before the ceremony, her hair had been a bit messy. Lisa had dismissed it. Now she wished with all her heart that she had took the time to smooth her hair down at least a little bit. Masha noticed.

"Lisa? Lisa? Wake up, sleepin' beauty." She snapped her finger. "You look like. . . You look just like my mother after she saw your father again." Masha narrowed her eyes. "You meet a boy, didn't you?"

"No!" Lisa was quick to dismiss.

Masha only smiled. "Oh, yes you did. Don't hid it from me. What's his name?"

"Alex. . ."

"Already on a first name basis?"

Lisa blushed again. "Shut it, Masha." Before her friend opened her mouth again, she was quick to ask, "Our parents looked at each other in such a way. . . Do you think that they're in love?"

She regretted her words. Of course, their parents couldn't be in love. Masha's mother was wearing a ring. Yet again, Masha had never mentioned her father. Still, he must not be a big part of her life. He wasn't even there during Christmas.

Masha was thinking the same thing. Lisa must have a mother. No girl didn't. Pierre also wore a ring. So she shook her head.

"But that doesn't mean that you aren't in love!"

A ball. A grand, beautiful ball was going to take place the following week. Once the headmistress announced it, Lisa thought immediately of Alex. The two had seen each other a few times since their run in. First at the library, where he invited her to meet his friends. Masha had been with her at that time, so those two met then. The entire time Masha was suggesting things to Lisa about Alex. Just to embarrass her. Still, Lisa could not hate her friend.

Alex was probably not going to invite to it. He was a year older then her. Twelve. That seemed such a mature age in her mind. Only people twelve and up could attend, but if they asked someone younger then them, both could go. Their teachers called it a practice courting session. Lisa's heart was begging for it. Her mind told her it was a terrible idea.

They were going to meet in the library. Lisa found her second best dress. Saving her very nicest for an even better occasion. Masha was coming along, as well. She had begged her way into this. The two girls made their way down to the library.

A group of twelve-year-old boys were gathered around a table. They didn't seem to pay attention to the only rule of the library: be quiet. Masha looked ready to scold them. Lisa liked their rebellious attitude. Alex waved them over.

"Gentleman, I would like you to meet Countess Elizaveta Pierrenva Bezukhova and her very dear friend, Countess Maria Anatolenva Rostova," said Alex to his friends, "Ladies, my closest friends, Vladik, Gregory, Tomas, Maxim, and Feodor."

"Oh, are you not going to introduce us with our full names, Alex?" teased Vladik, "Please, allow me: Vladik Lukovna Volsky."

Alex rolled his eyes. "I was simply being polite. Not to overwhelm them with fifteen different names."

Vladik smirked. He took Masha's hand and laid a kiss on it. When Lisa looked over at her friend, she was blushing like never before. Her first physical touch with a boy. And she had been lucky enough to get a kiss.

"Miss Rostova, correct?" he asked.

Masha nodded. "You may call me Masha." She looked around at the group. "All of you, please. Just call me Masha."

"I just go by Lisa," her friend interjected.

The rest of the boys greeted them. After a brief conversation, Alex asked Lisa to talk to hm alone. Her heart began to pound. Masha looked a bit nervous to be left alone with a group of members of the opposite sex, but she would manage. Lisa yearned to know what Alex needed to talk to her about.

"You know the ball that's coming up?" Alex started, "Have you. . . Have you been asked, yet?"

"No. I'm not allowed to go with someone my age, remember. I'm eleven, still. . ." Lisa sounded so childish. She wasn't allowed to go to a party just because she wasn't old enough. If only her mother had given birth two weeks early. Lisa had been two weeks late.

"Well, I was wondering. . . Been wondering for a while, now actually. I had this idea and I kind of just went along with it, not even have spoken to you first. . ." He paused. "I'm rambling, aren't I?" Alex took a deep breath. "Lisa, will you to go the ball with me?"

Her heart just melted. Or it was about to jump out of her chest and scream. Lisa had just been asked to a dance with Alex. The boy, no, the man of her dreams. She nodded. Then nodded faster.

"Really?" Alex looked at her with such hope.

"Of course!"

Once they got back to the rest of the group, Masha was beaming. She explained that Vladik had just asked her to the ball. The two girls squealed. Their entire walk back, the two discussed their upcoming night. Lisa decided that she could never tell her father about this. Pierre had already freaked out once she had made a male friend. Masha, on the other hand, had already mentally writing her letter to her mother.

Masha got a letter within three days. Natasha was staying with Marya again. Even though, Natasha wrote that she was excited for her daughter, Masha still got the impression that her mother was scared for her. She wondered why. The question ate at her during lessons. During their meals. Before falling asleep. Masha dismissed it, soon enough. It was probably just because she was practicing courting and that her baby was grown up now. Yes, that was it.

The night before the ball, the headmistress allowed the girls to stay with their families the night before. Masha invited her friend over for a sleepover. Lisa was beyond excited for the weekend. The girls had a sleepover every night, but this was different. They would stay up all night whispering secrets in each other's ears and scaring the other with ghost stories.

Natasha arrived in her carriage. The girls were waiting outside with their overnight bags. They ran into the coach.

After dinner, the girls got right down to it. They discussed the boys that they were going with. Masha admitted that she walked in her sleep. Lisa told her about the time that she woke up, yelling. Masha named her future children: Natalya, Sophia, and Vladimir. Lisa daydreamed about her wedding to Alex. They dared each other to eat strange foods such as meat jelly with red caviar sandwiches. Masha nearly threw up after that one. Lisa was dared to jump on Marya's bed. Once she had, both girls got quite the scolding. They decided that it would be a good time to get some sleep.

Lisa woke up before her friend. Her stomach felt as if someone had punched it hundreds of times. She couldn't think of the dance through the pain. What if she was dying? Lisa stood up from the bed she had rested in. Something felt off. When she bent down to make it, Lisa noticed a trail of blood. There was no doubt about that. Now she was certain she was going to die. She hadn't even been able to go to the ball. Hands shaking, she covered the blood up. Her father had told her about diseases that started out like this. Lisa wondered the halls before finding Natasha. The older woman seemed confused to see her without Masha.

"Everything alright, Lisa?" she asked, gently.

"Um, Madam Rostova. . ." Her lip quivered. "I, uh, I think I'm dying. . ."

Natasha smiled to herself. This child was so gentle and innocent about her words. "How so?"

Lisa took her hand and led her into the bedroom. Quietly, to not wake Masha. Even though, she was a heavy sleeper, Lisa didn't want to take any chances. She reveled the stain on her bed. Natasha knew what it was right away. It had been a little over fifteen when she had her first. Laughing gently, Natasha took Lisa's hand.

"Lisa, you're going to be fine, trust me," Natasha explained, "You just got your first period."

"My first-what?! Periods are what's at the end of a sentence. . ."

"Did your father never explain it to you? That sounds like Pierre. Let me begin. . ."

As Natasha spoke, Lisa noticed the blood on her nightgown. Her stomach was aching for her to give it something. Apparently it didn't like this feeling either. Natasha explained everything to her. Lisa paled more and more. Soon it became her back that was also bothering her.

"Wait! This is going to happen every month?!" Lisa figured that they might as well kill her. "I'm going to die! This is how I die!"

"I thought the same thing, but every woman has to go through it," she replied, "If you ever need anything, just write to me. I'll get it for you. Let's start with some tea to help your belly."

"Thank you, Madam Rostova."

According to her, Lisa's period wasn't going to impact her going to the dance. She was given tea to sip at and Natasha gave the suitable things to hide the blood. Masha didn't wake until after her sheets had been changed. Lisa told her that she had begun her menstruation, Masha replied that she already knew all about it since she was ten. She was still free.

Natasha whispered a few more tips into Lisa's ear on the drive back to the school. There, they slipped into their dresses and arrived at the ball. The two girls spent most of the time together. With their suitors and their other friends. Lisa forgot all about her cramps and laughed along with the others. Alex asked her to step onto the balcony with him.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Lisa," he told her.

"Me, too."

Alex's gaze fell to her lips. Lisa began to lean in, just as he was doing. Their lips were just about to touch when Masha came into the scene.

"Lisa! Alex! They're about to do the Minuet!"

The couple was swept onto the dancefloor. Lisa laughed her anger off and took Alex's hand. They waltzed the night away.

Lisa decided it was the most romantic night of her life.

Aww! My little Lisa's growing up and falling in love!

Thanks for reading! Please review!