Death Opens Doors

By rese

Summary: It's horrible to say that you can benefit from one's death.

Disclaimer: L.M.A owns Little Women. I have nothing but this typy typy computer.

A/N: I thought about writing something like this not so long ago and when I saw literaryfreak's comment:

Fritz and Amy will just have to die natural deaths and then Jo and Laurie can hook up!

I laughed myself silly and decided to write it. I know there's heaps of this plot but…

…

She was too old; too tired to stop him anymore and the point seemed well lost to her weary mind as all things often did now.

"I love you too." She would never have imagined that his smile would be so timeless. It was heartwarming and tragic all at once and Jo felt the wetness run down her cheeks. His colourless hand wiped it away and she felt the lines around her mouth deepen as she too pulled into a smile. "I guess I always have."

He watched her shrug slightly; looking off to the west where another she loved lay and he felt a familiar stab. She would never love Fritz any less and he wouldn't want her to. It only meant that she had enough to share with him for the short time they were likely to remain.

"Thank you." He moved closer, holding her tightly to him. "Thank you so much, Jo." and as he ran his fingers through her greying hair which never diminished in its glory, he felt alive for the first time since Amy passed.

…

The bed was soft and it wasn't theirs. She lay facing Laurie, wondering what thoughts, if any passed through his dark eyes which still shined despite their age. He was staring at her with a heat she'd forgotten but Jo wouldn't look away if her life depended on it.

"This feels right." She blinked back in response, taking his large hand in hers and tugging his fingers. A tingle of warmth permeated her well-matured bones and within an instant she couldn't imagine letting go. It was right.

"So it does."

"I'll bet you wouldn't have said that if I said being old felt right."

Jo grinned back, loving that her dearest friend could still make her smile. "No. But then you've always been older than me, Teddy, so I guess you'd know." She laughed as his grip tightened and he moved closer to squash her in a gentle attack.

"Oh would I? Who is this devil disguised as my Jo?" he wondered aloud, laughing at her stern look for his swearing. "Now, now, dear I'm an old man and can swear at the children who 'run around without their hats all day' as long as I like." Laurie made a grumpy voice much like his grandfather use to use and Jo stifled another giggle as the action made the man on top of her vibrate.

"I'm not a child." Laurie sobered at Jo's tone which reminded him a little too much of his wife.

"No, you're most certainly not." His head lowered and Jo thought he would kiss her. "But it is good to hear you laugh again."

Jo smiled up at him, moving her hands behind his neck. He'd disappeared for so long after Amy had died; the bitter cold which chilled his bones seeming to hound him off to warmer places with faces not so fair and she'd had no dear boy to worry over as sure as he worried for her. When he'd finally returned it was to a less than joyous Jo as all his pointed comments on the Professor's age haunted him as the man had died, too old to live.

Laurie did finally kiss her and Jo couldn't conceive a sweeter thing. She moved with his pressure and suddenly Jo didn't feel so frail and stiff and from the quick work of Laurie's hands behind her, she knew it was the same for him.

"Thank you."

"Oh, thank you." He returned.

"We're going to have to think of other things to say, you know."

"Oh, but, Jo, that comes later," he said wiggling his eyebrows so suggestively that Jo laughed so hard her jaw hurt.

"Careful or your wrinkles'll fall off!"