Jo had come to the conclusion that she really didn't like college parties.

She wasn't much of a drinker herself, and drinking seemed to be all that happened at these things. Well, that and sex and drugs. She wasn't into those either.

Her preference was a night at the opera, like the one she had a few weeks ago. Her skin tingled just at the thought.

College parties were the opposite of sophisticated. So far she'd walked in on two couple in compromising positions and on a girl vomiting.

Lovely.

"Hey, Jo," giggled a girl from her writing class. Her name was Emily or Emma or something like that. "Have a drink! Let loose, girl!" Emma/Emily pushed a red solo cup full of too sweet smelling alcohol into Jo's hand.

Jo just smiled and held the cup until the girl walked away. She decided to just set it down and leave it for some other college drunk to find.

Just then some large group of guys rushed past singing a fight song at the tops of their lungs. Everyone seemed to find that very amusing.

"This is ridiculous, isn't it?" A voice said from behind her.

Jo knew that voice.

She whirled around, "Teddy?" She nearly choked on air, "Teddy, what the hell are you doing here?"

Teddy gave a booming laugh, "Nice to see you too, best friend."

He was different. He looked tired and his skin looked oddly colored. His dark hair was longer and shaggier and he obviously hadn't shaved in a while.

Not the Teddy she was used to.

Jo smiled, leaning into hug him, "I didn't mean it like that. Why are you in New York?"

He shrugged and Jo noted the nearly empty bottle of beer in his hands, "My buddy, Fred Vaughn, invited me. Plus, Amy and I just had a fight so I thought it would be good to get out of the house."

Jo lowered her eyebrows, "Get out of the house four hours away from Concord?"

He paid the comment no mind, "Aren't you happy to see me? Loosen up a bit! Where's my crazy Jo?" Teddy laced his arm in her's and walked her off through the house. "Isn't this party awesome?"

"No," Jo spat. "It's not. Are you okay, Teddy?"

"I love when you call me that," He said in that tone she knew he used for flirting. Suddenly, he moved in a bit closer. "You're the only one who does."

"You've had too much to drink," She said, plucking the beer from his grasp. "And why are you and Amy fighting anyway?"

Teddy scowled, taking a seat on the kitchen counter, "She says I'm not being responsible enough. That I'm still acting like a kid."

Jo nodded, tossing his drink into the garbage. She crossed her arms, studying him. "An argument can be made."

"Okay, maybe I am. She just expects so much of me! I'm not a knight in shining armor. I'm not some rich, dashing, gentlemanly prince." Teddy was moving his jaw around, a nervous habit of his. "I can't be what she wants me to be."

"Then be what she needs you to be," Jo suggested, sitting next to him on the counter. "Just be you. Amy is demanding and ambitious. It's just because she's a Slytherin."

Teddy chuckled, his somber expression breaking a bit, "Indeed, she is very much a Slytherin, isn't she?"

"But so are you," Jo nudged him.

He fake gasped, "I take offense at that, Josephine March! I am a Gryffindor, thank you very much."

Jo rolled her eyes, "Whatever. But I'm right. I've already sorted everyone in the family."

"Tell me then," he nudged her back.

Jo laid her hands out on her lap, "I'm a Gryffindor, obviously. Meg is a Ravenclaw, Amy is a Slytherin, Beth's Hufflepuff, Marmee is Ravenclaw, you're Slytherin, John's a Hufflepuff, and dad is Gryffindor."

"What's your professor then?" Teddy said in a tone so cold it could freeze hell.

Jo straightened up. "Ravenclaw," she said plainly.

Teddy leaned his head against the cabinet, "Are you two together, then?"

Jo edged away from him, hoping off of the counter, "You should be getting home, Teddy."

His gaze met her's. His blue eyes looked so sad. As sad as the day when she broke his heart. The day she felt like the worst villain to ever live.

She didn't want to feel like that ever again. She hated it.

"Tell me, Jo." He pressed.

"I don't know," Jo said truthfully. "We're friends. Anyway, I need to get going. My ride's almost here."

Teddy got off of the counter and rubbed his unshaven face, "Is he your ride?"

"Yes," Jo made her way across the crowded room of people. "And you should get back home and apologize to Amy."

"I did nothing wrong!" He protested, following her out into the crisp winter air.

"I know," Jo laughed, "but Amy is always right. Just say you're sorry."

"Alright," Teddy looked out over the lawn at the dark night sky. "Goodbye then. I'll see you soon. Are you coming to Amy's birthday party?"

"She'd shoot me if I didn't," Jo said with a hint of a smile. "Goodbye, Theodore Laurence the third."

The two friends gave a quick hug and Jo headed off to the small silver car waiting on the curb.

"Thanks for picking me up," Jo said as she got into the Professor's car. She wasn't sure if she would be drinking that night and thought it would be best to have someone else drive her.

He locked the car, "No problem. Who was that boy you were hugging?"

"Oh, Teddy. He was in the city visiting a friend," Jo said, sort of telling the truth.

Professor Bhaer nodded, but still looked a bit puzzled. "How was the party?"

"I've never seen so many drunk people in my live," She said causing him to chuckled a bit. "Seriously, it was disgusting. I only had one drink but I made it myself so I wouldn't get some weird concoction of vodka and ketchup or something. And I really wouldn't be surprised if someone was drinking that."

He just smiled a bit, trying to focus on the dimly lit roads that led to their apartment building. There were hardly any cars out this way, for no one took that road save the residents.

"Anything else happen?" He asked, making a turn into the apartment complex.

Jo thought, "Uh, some guys tried to fill the bathtub with beer. It didn't work out because they forgot to put the plug, but they tried really hard. And I think Teddy tried to hit on me at one point, but he was pretty drunk."

"Oh," he said quietly, parking the car. Jo realized that she probably shouldn't have said that. Maybe she was more like her Aunt March than she thought. She too didn't have much of a filter between what she thought and what she said.

They were both pretty quite on their way to their rooms, either hardly saying a word.

"How was your night?" Jo offered as they reached their hallway.

"Graded papers," He answered.

She smirked, "You always grade papers."

"I'm a teacher, it's what I do."

"You need to party more, Professor?"

"Me? At a party? A sorry sight it would be. Have you seen me try to dance?"

Jo giggled. Giggled? Who was she? Meg? Wait, were they just flirting? What constitutes as flirting? Doesn't flirting incline some sort of eyelash batting? Jo was certain none of that happened.

Professor Bhaer shifted a bit on his feet as they both stood outside of their doors. Neither of them wanted to stay in the hall, but neither really wanted to leave each other's company either.

"Well, I guess goodnight then," Jo reached into her purse for her keys.

"I...uh...I just bought the movie you said was so good. Brave? The Pixar One?" Professor Bhaer swallowed. "I mean, I know it's late but would you want to come over and watch it? I understand if you don't want to or if you-"

"Are you kidding?" Jo filled with energy again. "I love that movie!"

He beamed, unlocking his door and flicking on a light switch. Jo followed in after him, falling down onto his worn leather couch.

"It's great, you'll love it." Jo told him as he turned on the television. "And they have Scottish accents, which is always awesome. Plus it's Pixar and Pixar is God."

He put in the DVD. "Have you been writing much lately?"

"Too much school work."

"That never stopped you before."

Jo crossed her arms, "I can't think of anything to write. Not since Beth...I don't want to talk about it now. Let's just watch the movie, dude."

"Did you seriously just call me dude?" Professor Bhaer shook his head at her.

Fritz wasn't quite sure how close to sit to her so he kept a safe distance. Jo could be so weird about space sometimes.

When he sat down though, it was Jo who inched a little closer to him. In fact, he hardly payed attention to most of the film because she kept moving in a little closer to him. Whether she meant to or not, he didn't know. Honestly, he didn't care.

By the end, she very quiet in her spot.

She'd fallen asleep.

He grinned a bit looking at her. Her mouth was slightly opened, her normally severe expression softened. Her dark hair was a wild mess leaning against the back of the couch.

He realized it was probably creepy to watch her sleep so he tried to wake her up.

"Jo?" He said, nudging her lightly. "Jo?"

She didn't budge at all. Not even a twitch.

Perhaps she'd wake herself up later and move over into her room. There was really no harm in her sleeping on the couch.

Fritz grabbed a blanket from out of his closer and laid it over top of her.

"Goodnight, Jo," he said, flicking out the lights for her.

The only response was a light snore.