-3rd Person-

"Laurie! Wait-" Jo yelled, but it was too late, he had already jumped into the water. Jo looked over at a sobbing Amy who sat on the snow. They looked at each other and had a shared understanding, their prior quarreling no longer mattered.

Jo looked back into the water in anticipation and fear, she could no longer see Eliza and she could barely make out Laurie's legs as he swam farther and farther down. Bubbles floated to the top of the water as Jo held her hand over her mouth and tears flowed over her cheeks.

She thought about the first time she met Eliza and how excited she was to have another sister, they grew up together hand in hand, acted out plays for Marmee and Father, and how Eliza somehow saw the light in everything even though her life was a difficult one.

Jo thought about how she met Laurie for the first time. He looked at her and Eliza like they were the light of his life, he had a specific gaze when he watched Eliza, and how they always wore smiles on their faces when all three of them were together.

Jo and Eliza had only known Laurie for two months but it felt much longer... What would happen if they didn't come out of the water...

Suddenly, Jo saw Laurie emerge from the darkness, he held a limp Eliza in one arm while the other swam upward. She gasped and yelled to Amy, "He has her! "

Laurie gasped as he and Eliza broke the surface, "She's unconscious! Pull her up! " 

Jo pulled Eliza out of the water by her coat as Laurie pushed her onto the solid ice, he then propped himself up, put on his coat, and ran over to where Jo was holding Eliza in her arms. "Let's move her to the snow! " Laurie lifted her by the shoulders while Jo held her feet as they walked over to where Amy sat in the snow.

Once Eliza was laid down, Jo held Amy while Laurie held his head over Eliza's face, listening for any sounds. "She's not breathing... "

Jo and Amy silently cried in shock as he started chest compressions. Jo shuffled over to Eliza's head, she moved her hair out of her sister's face and whispered with tears streaming down her face. "Don't leave me, Eliza... Please..."

Laurie stopped with the chest compressions, pinched Eliza's nose with his fingers, and breathed air into her mouth...

After another round of chest compressions and breathing, there still wasn't a response. Amy said with a broken voice. "Laurie... She's not waking up- " 

He interrupted the young girl. "I'm not giving up on her. Come on, Eliza! " He shivered as he did the chest compressions harder and faster as Jo and Amy sat there speechless. Laurie grew weak from him having to swim in frozen waters to him now having to repeatedly use all of his strength to push on her chest...

Finally, after a few moments, Eliza began coughing up water. Amy and Jo gasped in relief and Jo helped Laurie turn her on her side. 

"There you go! It's ok, Eliza!" Jo reassured as her sister continued to cough up the water that filled her lungs. Laurie sat back on his legs and sighed in relief.

Eliza looked lethargic and whenever they talked to her she wouldn't respond.

"Jo, you help Amy walk and try to get to your house as fast as you can. I'll carry, Eliza. " He said as he picked her up. Jo helped hold Amy up as they quickly walked to get Marmee.

"Eliza? Can you hear me? " Laurie asked as he weakly walked with her in his arms. her eyes stopped roaming around and landed on his face, seemingly comforted by him. He tried to encourage the girl that he held in his arms. "We'll be home soon ok? Just hang in there, we still have to go to Europe? Remember?" 

Jo and Amy were already walking into their house while Laurie and Eliza were about a yard away. Laurie panted while trying to walk and carry Eliza at the same time, he grew tired from all of the exertions.

Laurie stumbled into the house to see a shocked Marmee and Hannah, "Dear God what happened? Where is all that blood coming from" Hannah yelled. 

"Take her to her room, Laurie. I'll get some supplies. " Marmee said as she ran to the kitchen, Meg and Hannah were helping Amy in her room.

Laurie panted harder as he walked up the stairs and placed her gently on her bed. After Eliza set her down, he looked back at her, she had fallen asleep from exhaustion. He sighed in relief as he leaned down and kissed her cold forehead.

He stood up straight and shook as chills came over him, he didn't care about himself though, he was more worried about Eliza and Amy... Jo ran up the stairs with a blanket and some of Father's clothes. "Laurie. Here, you can change in the coatroom to your left once you walk out of the room. " Jo said as she handed him the pile, he nodded and reluctantly walked out as Jo closed the door behind him

Laurie stumbled into the coatroom, there was a metal pole that ran across one of the walls that had coats and formal dresses, and the other side had shelves that stored bedding and towels. He sat down in an old wooden chair as he changed out of his frozen, bloody, and soaked clothes. He hadn't realized how much blood was on his coat and shirt. It made him nauseated at the thought.

Jo changed Eliza out of her soaked clothes and changed her wet sheets. Eliza shivered as Marmee ran into the room with hot water bottles and more blankets. Marmee asked Jo what had happened. "Laurie did something where he was pushing on her chest because she wasn't breathing. She was under the water for a while while we tried to get Amy out then Laurie dove in the water after her. " 

Marmee nodded while trying to remain calm and said, "This kind of accident kills people, Jo... We have to be much more cautious from now on... You are to keep a close eye on her." She placed the hot water bottles under the sheets and tucked her in. Jo simply nodded and watched her mother warm up her other half.

Dr. Bangs arrived at the house an hour later and checked Amy and Eliza. "Margret, you are very fortunate. Amy shouldn't get sick because of how quickly she was brought home and warmed up... However, Eliza has hypothermia so she needs to stay warm. I suggest she'd be on bed rest for two days and under blankets for a week. I stitched her cuts and they should heal nicely."

Marmee thanked him and walked him to the door...

(Eliza's POV)

I vaguely remember being placed in my bed and a kiss on my forehead... I wonder who kissed me?

My eyes fluttered open to see Jo at my bedside. It was dark outside, Jo had bandages over her hands, and I had bandages over both of my arms... 

"Hey... How do you feel? " Jo gently asked as she moved my hair out of my face. 

"Tingley... What happened? " I asked while trying to recall what I remembered. 

"What was the last thing you remember? " She asked. 

"I was deep underwater and Laurie was about to grab my hand, but I must have passed out. "

Jo spoke about how she cut her hand while trying to get a branch. She then explained when Laurie jumped into the freezing water and saved my life.

"Are they ok? " I asked.

She held my hand, "Amy is perfectly fine and Laurie is too, he left an hour ago after he found out that you were going to be ok... Oh, and Amy and I made up emends. " I smiled gently and fell back asleep...

The next morning, I woke up to Beth walking into the room with a tray in her hand. Meg, Jo, and Amy walked in behind her. 

"Good morning! " Meg said as she sat at the end of my bed.

I smiled as I sat up, "This seems familiar..." 

They giggled. "We decided to bring you breakfast in bed, we didn't want to risk you falling down the stairs. " Jo said as Meg swatted her arm. 

"Jo! That's so morbid! " Meg said in shock while we all laughed and Beth sat the tray in my lap. There were pancakes, eggs, and a small bowl of sliced strawberries on the side. 

"You're all too kind to me..." I said tiredly, Beth sat down on her and Jo's shared bed while Jo pulled up a chair and Amy sat next to Meg.

I ate as they talked about yesterday's chaos and how Hannah lectured Jo and Amy about skating on that 'unpredictable' pond.

"How did you get those cuts on your arms, Eliza? " Beth curiously asked. 

"Well, Amy was struggling in the water and I thought about how heavy the skates were. So I tried to take them off. Amy didn't know what I was doing and tried to tread water, so the skates cut me a little." I answered.

 Amy wore a guilty look on her face.  She nodded and said, "I never got to thank you... I was so bitter towards you about the fact that I couldn't go to the theater and I broke your knitting needles. You almost died while trying to save me, why did you choose me over you? " Amy had tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry..." She added as I held my hand out to her, she scooted next to me and took my hand. 

"Our quarreling didn't matter to me and I already forgave you... The hole was so small that both of us couldn't be above water, so I chose to help you first... I love you. " Amy smiled as she leaned her head on my shoulder...

After a few moments, Meg piped up and said with a smirk, "You know, Laurie didn't leave until the doctor said that you would be ok. No one could convince him before that... " 

I blushed, Jo rolled her eyes as Beth and Amy giggled. "I'm very grateful that he saved me... We must promise to not give him a hard time! " I said as I finished eating my strawberries. 

"I think he's taken an interest in you, Eliza. Do you have an eye for him too?" Beth asked while I looked down and blushed, everyone but Jo laughed

Amy grinned. "Eliza March! You do have feelings for him! " 

I giggled as my cheeks flushed. "I will neither confirm nor deny. " Jo groaned as we continued to laugh.

After breakfast, the girls left me to change into a comfortable dress so I could sit on the sofa as long as I had blankets wrapped around me... I thought about Laurie. He jumped into the cold water while risking his own life so he could save mine... I couldn't put it into words how grateful I was... I didn't even realize I was blushing until I saw my reflection in the mirror!

I sighed as I finished getting dressed, Laurie is having an effect on me... Is this what Mother meant when she said that I would be interested in boys?