Chapter Text
Anne struggled with her long skirt on the gangplank, praying she wouldn’t get it snagged on any stray wire or nail. She didn’t want to tell Aunt Jo that she’d ruined her beautiful clothes when the woman had been so gracious in lending them in the first place. Anne felt lucky to have such giving kindred spirits willing to drop everything in her time of need.
As grown up as she might appear on the outside she was a bundle of nervous giddy child-like energy inside. Anne had almost missed the ferry completely because she’d been determined not to leave the parish till she had at least scoured through every record that existed. Matthew’s tenuous hold over his sister’s strong will was paper thin at best, there may be few opportunities left to pursue any information about her parents outside of today.
Fortunately a minor delay on the docks had meant Anne had a moment to compose herself before boarding. All was very well indeed because she’d found them, her parents. Even that small nugget of knowledge was like finding a field smothered in multicoloured wild flowers teeming with fluttering butterflies. She was so excited, it meant everything... but most of all, her parents hadn’t abandoned her and she had been loved.
Finally Anne’s boots touched dry land and she sighed in relief, she almost skipped but thought better of it as she was supposed to be more refined than that.
“Anne…?”
She was alerted to the voice calling her name for she knew that inflection anywhere.
“Gilbert” and she graced him with such a radiant smile in spotting him in the noisy crowd that was pushing towards the ferry in haste. “What on earth are you doing here? You do know i’m quite capable of escorting myself to Aunt Jo’s and then afterwards to the station. I promise I'll give a wide berth to all ditches you needn’t worry” Anne made sure her manner was of a teasing nature, she didn’t want him to be sore with her like last time.
Gilbert was feeling a little discombobulated to be honest and was struggling to look her in the eye. He’d never seen Anne look so sophisticated and so darn pretty. Gilbert struggled for clear and concise thoughts let alone words.
An older lady in a tizzy about her holding up the queue with all her gawking nudged Anne firmly out of the way and the girl in turn lost her balance quite spectacularly as Anne let out an alarmed shriek, arms windmilling.
Gilbert rushed forward and grabbed her elbow and hand to steady her in a thoroughly chivalrous manner, pulling her towards him and away from the passengers. Never once dropping his hands or taking his eyes off hers.
What followed was a series of abandoned half sentences from both as they spoke over the other. This was then replaced by an awkward silence filled with several flustered glances and ended up with the pair of them blushing like ripe tomatoes ready for picking.
Once recovered Gilbert slid his hands reluctantly from Anne and took a much needed step back to clear his mind. He couldn’t quite look her in the eye for any longer than a few seconds at a time.
The draping of the skirt and her matching tailored jacket hugged all her womanly curves that he just didn’t even know she possessed.
Gilbert’s mouth had gone dry just following all those delicate lines and intricate stitching with soft devoted eyes.
It was the hands on the hips that finally penetrated the haze that had entered his brain and the way the material bunched…
“Gilbert, are you quite alright as i’ve been asking you where Bash is and you are looking at me so distraught. Has something happened?”
Gilbert gulped looking her in the eyes and he lied.
“Bash needed to discuss something with the minister but he’d meet us at the station” Gilbert knew he’d not told her the absolute truth or anything like it but that could wait.
She was narrowing her eyes at him and he forced himself to relax and smile reassuringly back at her.
Whatever Anne had seen in his eyes it must have been enough to assure her of his sincerity.
He felt awful for the real reason he met her at the ferry was because he’d had an argument with Bash for putting himself in danger when confronting Elijah and he’d stormed off in a huff leaving his friend in the care of Doctor Ward and Winnie.
“Alright, it's been such a splendid afternoon I don’t have the inclination to argue with you. Gilbert Blythe you may escort me to Aunt Jo’s, I’m sure she’d love to meet you” and began to stride away down the pier as Gilbert struggled to keep up with her.
“You’ve spoken to her about me?” Gilbert smirked.
Anne spun to face him, her skirt flaring at the motion.
“Perhaps…” she laughed turning from him and the perfume she’d been wearing wafted into his senses, enticing and sweet.
The gentle swish of her skirt mesmerized him and he soon forgot his problems with Bash. Well, not exactly forgot more just faded into the background.
Anne chatted enthusiastically to Gilbert but he was truly lost to her loveliness although he did manage to learn that she’d found a record of her parents, that they had died when she was an infant, that she was loved… oh, and that she was Scottish from Glenarch.
Dressed like this with her hair up Gilbert couldn’t help but compare Anne to Winifred Rose and all those confusing emotions. They were very different women yet alike in many ways as well. Both intelligent and had a way with words that captured any man in their web. Both so alluring and beautiful although he suspected Winnie knew of her devastating charms while Anne was still quite oblivious.
Both of them reached Aunt Jo’s door at the same time as they fell in sync with the other while entering the property. Rollings answered the door and was immediately swept aside by Cole who hugged Anne firmly after noticing her grin.
“Oh, just one look at your face and I know you discovered something good.”
She squeezed Cole tightly with an abundance of happiness “Yes, you know me so well I'm hopeless at containing my elation. I’m one step closer in knowing my parents…” and she proceeded to go into detail all that had happened that long day. Gilbert quietly stepped into the house behind the animated friends, he’d been forgotten instantly. Cole emerges and once more his presence becomes inconsequential.
“Gilbert…” Cole crooks an eyebrow at the boy, noticing how dejected he appears.
Gilbert puts on a false bravado, coming forward to shake the boys hand. “Cole, good to see you again. How have you been?”
“I’m well. What brings you here?” there was a fair bit of amusement in Cole's demeanor that Gilbert had to admit riled him no end.
Anne saved him the bother of replying “Gilbert is chaperoning me because I'm such a clumsy buffoon that would no sooner fall on my face and ruin all these exquisite pieces of clothing if he weren’t there to catch me.”
Cole gave him such a wicked grin.
“Oh... do tell Anne. Why Gilbert is your knight and you his princess”
Anne went beet red. “Stop that…” and she flashed a look at Gilbert but he was frowning and wasn’t paying her any attention. Instead she threw Cole a stern look, one he just shrugged off with a laugh.
“It's a shame you can’t stay the night?” Cole uttered, stealing a look at the dark headed boy. Gilbert threw him such a scandalous look in turn, Cole turned back around to cover his mirth and followed one Anne Shirley- Cuthbert up the stairs.
Gilbert trudged reluctantly behind them wishing he’d stayed with Doctor Ward instead. This was humiliating as he was abysmally aware that Cole knew of his admiration for Anne and was teasing him mercilessly knowing he had not a hope in hell of ever winning her over.
Gilbert went to follow the two friends into the bedroom not thinking about where he was going, just feeling sorry for himself.
He enters to see Anne take the pins out of her hat and hand it reverently to Cole. “A fine hat indeed” she muses, sighing wistfully before noticing Gilbert hovering by the door.
“Gilbert Blythe you scoundrel you can’t be in here” and she dives behind a screen to escape his prying eyes.
Gilbert back peddles out the door so fast he ends up colliding with the opposite wall in the hall in shock. Cole exits moments after, amusement playing about his lips especially when he sees the disoriented look on Gilberts face. He closes the bedroom door and steps closer but stops at the pain he sees reflected there. Cole has so much pity for the boy and all the drama Anne will put him through. It will continue until she is able to recognise those same emotions in her own heart that are so plainly visible all over Gilbert’s miserable face.
Cole ushers Gilbert down the stairs into the parlour where he proceeds to make Gilbert a cup of tea and the boy slumps into a chair utterly dejected.
“You know don’t you” not really a question more a statement of fact. As Gilbert's eyes settle on Cole from across the vast room.
“Yes, I know” Cole states, stirring the tea languidly. “Sugar?”
Gilbert shakes his head, taking in the opulence of the room. He’d caught a brief glimpse of Anne’s hair all piled on top of her head, curling delectably around the nape of her long elegant neck, it was all etched in his brain forever. He was a cad because all he wanted to do was run his fingers through those incandescent waves and press his lips to the back of Anne’s neck... he positively craved it.
Gilbert breathed hard, clutching at the arms of the chair till they groaned in protest.
A hand holding a cup of tea and a biscuit entered his vision and he slowly pried his fingers from the wood and took a deep breath.
“Thank you”
Cole nodded and sat opposite him, quietly watching Gilbert rein in his emotions.
“Are you alright?”
Gilbert practically vibrates with anger. He’s not playing this game.
Cole can’t help but chuckle, even if he is impressed with how quickly Gilbert flitted from one state to another.
“Anne, I love her dearly but she’s not exactly mindful of other people's feelings without being direct with her…”
Gilbert gets up and paces across the room, placing his cup as gently as he can muster down on the tray from whence it came.
“What would be the point?”
Cole comes closer, adding his own cup to the tray. “Whatever do you mean?” he’s confused and then he’s not.
“Oh, you mean myself. As in Anne and I together” and Cole laughs loudly at that because he realises Gilbert doesn’t know. That the pretty boy is entirely clueless and suddenly laughing in this instance feels very wrong.
Gilbert is affronted at Cole’s behaviour. “How can you laugh, you have a glorious person like Anne by your side and she obviously has deep feelings for you in return”
Can he trust Gilbert with the truth, he thinks he can. Anne with all her denial does speak of Gilbert an awful lot, so much that Cole feels he knows him. That telling this boy the truth won’t harm him or place Jo in danger. He doesn’t do this lightly, he knows the consequences of the wrong person knowing the truth.
Gilbert is open to change, he won’t be disgusted or violent with Cole, he accepts people for who they are on the inside.
“Gilbert… I don’t like girls in that kind of way.” Cole can clearly see that Gilbert doesn’t understand.
“But Anne she’s…”
“Any girl Gilbert”
But he’s still not clearly understanding. Cole rushes into Gilbert's personal space and swiftly kisses Gilbert on the cheek before seating himself back in the chair.
Gilbert squeaked for a moment not knowing what to make of Cole's actions, flustered wringing his hands nervously.
“Oh…” Gilbert breathed.
Cole smiled at him.
“Are we okay, Gilbert” his chin raised, ready for a fight if need be. It had been a rash decision to kiss the boy but he felt it was the quickest way to get to the point.
Gilbert didn’t even hesitate “Of course. Yes” then he looked stricken. “Does Anne know?”
“Yes of course. She was the first one I confided in, shes the rock I was anchored too when I felt at my lowest. When the likes of Billy or Mr. Phillips taunts had me seriously reevaluating my self worth, she was there to bring me back from the edge. I will forever be grateful for her acceptance and love, shes an exceptional person who deserves only the best this world has to offer.”
Gilbert felt like a heel for thinking the worst, that Cole was using Anne. He saw the truth now, which meant…
Cole watched the second that light came back into Gilbert's eyes and knew those gears were turning once more.
Anne herself chose that moment to enter the parlour. She witnessed the two boys smiling at each other and felt that something momentous had just happened and she’d missed it.
“Everything okay in here?”
Both boys grinned back, if one not a little shyly.
“Gilbert, i’m sorry for yelling at you, it was unfair, you know how quickly I jump to conclusions and succumb to my dreadful temper”
Gilbert nodded, eyes raking over her attire “Not necessary, I should have known better”
She had transformed back to the Anne he knew, with the ordinary brown dress lovingly stitched by Marilla and her two signature braids flowing down her back. But it was as if he had new eyes, he could see the possibilities now, he had a chance, he wouldn’t blow it.
Aunt Jo came back from an errand and Anne introduced Gilbert to her officially. He felt a little sheepish standing in front of this grand lady, he could feel her scrutinizing his every move.
Josephine was impressed with this Gilbert Blythe and took a shine to him immediately. He was nervous in her presence and she liked that very much. He was humble when Anne practically gushed and obviously intelligent and could hold his own when it came to her favourite redhead. He was unfailingly polite no matter how she teased him. Yes she believed that this Gilbert would be a fine match for Anne. She wouldn’t part with the blessed girl for anyone not worthy.
She could admit that the boy was a heartbreaker with his pretty face and curly hair. Anne would have her work cut out for her at Redmond college next year keeping him to herself. Time would tell if he was the keeper she believed him to be.
“Aunt Jo I’m sorry we really must go, we can’t miss the train back to Bright River as Bash is waiting for Gilbert. And If I miss the train Marilla will never let me leave Green Gables ever again. Thank you all so much for allowing me to take advantage of your hospitality and those beautiful clothes that you lent me. You are both too good to me and I hope I'm deserving of all your sacrifices.”
“Oh goodness Anne-girl you make me out to be some saint which we all know I'm not”
They kissed and hugged furiously, like parting was the sweetest sorrow of all.
Gilbert and Anne wandered to Charlottetown railway station in relative silence, comfortable silence just enjoying the dipping of the afternoon sun as it caused long shadows and dappled light to flit through the blossoms, branches like outstretched hands reaching for them. Between them they had an abundance of imagination that had both observing the same things, seeing the extraordinary in the mundane.
Anne was the first to notice Bash seated by himself at the station. She took in the black swollen eye and the stitches and bandages and just his general air of despair that permeated their surroundings. She cried out and flew to his side taking his damaged hands gingerly, loathe to hurt him more.
Bash accepted Anne’s sympathy, making sure she didn’t make too much of a fuss in light that strangers were watching her display. They were whispering their disapproval.
Gilbert stood in front of his friend. Bash looked contrite “I know, you were right I should have left well enough alone but you didn’t hear the things he said. About his own mother, Mary had loved him unconditionally. I just couldn’t stand to see her dismissed like that...”
Anne turned on Gilbert in a heartbeat so very angry with him because she realized he knew that Bash was suffering and he had left him alone.
“How could you lie to me, I’m so disappointed and I’m furious with you. Bash needed you. I don’t think we can speak for awhile, you were selfish and your never selfish”
The train arrived and she helped Bash get to his feet, he winced at the pain shooting up his leg. Ignoring Gilbert and anyone else who dared look at her sideways she took a hold of Bash’s arm and helped him to a window seat.
‘Oh goodie, I’m on the outs with Anne Shirley-Cuthbert again, does this horror show ever end’. Mind you, he deserved her indignation, he had been selfish, he deserved it all.
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