Chapter Text
Gilbert looked through the window of the car, a small smile forming on his lips. Everything felt the same in this old town. Avonlea had that reminiscence of the 1800´s, it felt welcoming, like entering an old book with an exciting period drama ready for you to wish to be born in another era. One with fancy dresses and gentlemen with good manners waiting for a lady to woo. A lady with fierce red hair falling from her shoulders maybe. Gilbert shake the idea off his mind when Moody didn’t slow down in a bump. He wasn’t the best driver in town but was kind enough to get Gilbert from the airport in Toronto and drive him all the way back to Avonlea.
“Sorry about that man”, he took a look back through the mirror hoping it was just a bump in the road and not an actual living creature, “you seemed lost in thoughts there, what were you thinking about?”
“Nothing in particular”, only the redhead that won’t leave my mind, he thought to himself, “…but you’ve been very quiet about your own plans for coming back to the island”, he said in an accusatory tone, nudging the sides of the man making him twist. Moody giggled and shoot him an attempt of furious glare.
“Oi! I’m driving here, wanna end up in a ditch? And for the record I’m not been secretive or anything like that, you just didn’t ask. Douchebag”
Just like him, Moody had left Prince Edwards Island to the surprise of everyone. After a failed relationship with Ruby Gillis and a broken heart glued back with way too many Sloan’s advices after, he pack his things ready for adventure, and did he get some adventures. That was three years ago. When he was road tripping in Europe, he bumped into Gilbert coming out of a coffee shop, the two old friends chat the whole evening catching up in Gilbert’s tiny French apartment, late in the night Winnie had join them too. With the promise to keep in touch, Moody kept his discovering of the world. He came back to Canada a year ago to work as a music teacher in a primary school located in Toronto, his heart still in pieces for Ruby, so PEI wasn’t an option.
Gilbert learn that day in Paris that Moody Spurgeon was a really good friend, him and Charlie Sloan were his only connection to Canada after he left, most of the gang still resenting him- Jerry and Jane for the most part- after he left PEI four years ago. Mr. Rose had offered to pay all his tuition if he was willing to go study to the Sorbonne with Winnie. A peculiar offer, but Gilbert knew what all was about. The two of them studied together in college, any extra assignment, paper o medical magazine they could get from their professors was welcome. Both wanted to become doctors. Both though of the Sorbonne for the final years of their programs. Only thing pulling Gilbert back from that dream was money, well money and Anne. He didn’t want to leave her, deep down he knew the moment he left the rest of the boys would go after her. And why wouldn’t they? She’s the most amazing girl in the world. It took him years for her to finally talk him back after the disastrous episode involving his head and a very heavy Austen book. Then it only took him few other years for her to be his girlfriend. They build a strong friendship first. They were the definition of high school sweethearts, sadly that had included the tragic break up. Not only was he losing his girlfriend, he lost her best friend too.
Winnie came out to him after Charlie had try to ask her out in numerous occasions. Coming out wasn’t as peaceful and welcoming as she hoped it would be. She told him that only her parents knew, not really a comforting fact, since they had found out after walking in on her and Prissy Andrews. Her father saw red, he refused to sit down and talk to his daughter, in fact the only communication they exchange in the weeks after was when he informed her that she would be studying medicine aboard and should not keep contact with Prissy if she knew what was best for her.
That’s were Gilbert gets involve. Mr. Rose wanted to separate both girls, only problem was that he didn’t have eyes in France, so he offered all that to Gilbert in exchange of him being there for Winnie to not fall again in ‘those paths’. Gilbert did something that still makes him cringe: he pretended to be as mad as Mr. Rose was, and promise him to keep an eye on Winifred. And so, he kept pretending this absurd posture until graduation. Remembering Anne’s face every time she passed by him in the halls after he told her of his new college plans, flushed with rage and sadness at the same time, those memories follow him for the four years he spent in France. But he couldn’t drop his act, no one knew about his friends, which was crucial because of course Winnie and Prissy had their own plans, Prissy would also go to Paris and get her business degree. With that on mind, no debts near, his dream career waiting for him and the hope that Anne would eventually forgive him once he could explain why he did what he did, Gilbert took a plane with Prissy and Winifred, Anne filling his thoughts and dreams every single day.
He rented a small apartment with the girls, go to class, discover new hobbies and tried to get over Anne. The latter a total failure, simply because he refused to let it go like that. Or at least that was until he heard about Anne and this new guy Roy. When he run into Moody the catching up chat broke his heart, his friend told him that his beloved dryad had meet Roy, a fun, intelligent and kind man, and that they were quite serious about their relationship. Moody let this out like it was simple gossip, all Avonlea believed the power couple had broken up because of different ideas about their future where they simply just didn’t see each other together any longer.
And he lived by this act until today, he applied to do his medical residence back in his home town, he was accepted almost immediately after Ruby spoke greatly about him to her father, the chief of surgery in Avonlea Memorial Hospital. He still had to thank Ruby for that, and Moody for being the intermediary.
“You’re right, my bad. Moody, what are your plans for coming back to island?”, his curls falling to his face when he attempted to do a reverence in the tight space of his seat.
“Asshole. But now that you’re asking, I’ll tell you, actually I’ve wanted to chat the whole trip but you’re jetlagged, sure you don’t want to keep sleeping?”
“Nah, I’m fine. Go on, details please, what made you quite your job and move back to PEI?”
“Ruby”, he simply said with a huge grin, “We’ve been talking since I came back- yeah for a while now”, he answered before Gilbert could stop the surprise showing on his face, “She went to visit Toronto a few times, we talk all we had to talk, and we were on large distance all this time… until now, I’m not just moving to be the new music teacher in Avonlea High, I’m moving in with her.”
“You didn’t say any of this in our calls, Mods”, the smug in his voice noticeable.
“If you want things to success, better keep them quiet”, he said with a smile without tearing his eyes off the road.
“Who said that?”
“Anne-”
It was instant. The mere mention of Anne’s name felt like an ice-cold bucket of water being dumped on top of him, or maybe like he was being drowned by said bucket. He’s not a liar, he can not lie and pretend that for four long years this woman- the love of his life- had never leave his mind. Even when the news of her wedding came to his ears. Ask Winnie. There were days when both girls had to do immense work to just get him out of bed, Gilbert barely put himself back to his routine when his grades started to be mediocre for a student of his level. He went to through the day in robot mode, study, meals when his stomach loudly asked for them, go out just to not worry Winnie. From the first day, he had just landed in Paris, he had tried to contact Anne, Winnie and Prissy were safe from the Roses, no judgment following them, he was now able to explain himself… but Anne never gave him a chance, she blocked him from all social medias. The little updates he got from his friends through the years never mention her, it was an unspoken agreement between the group of friends, Anne would contact Gilbert or allow him to know about her whenever she felt ready. Only that moment never came.
Anne had married Royal Gardner. She was Anne Shirley-Cuthbert Gardner. Moody had told him in one of their skype calls against Ruby’s suggestion. From that day they didn’t mention her again and Gilbert didn’t dare to ask. Not that he had magically gotten over her, if being honest, he hardly believe that would ever be possible. He went on dates, got some girls to call his girlfriends, never a really serious lasting relationship, they lasted from weeks to months. Some nights he dreamed about a fox in the snow, a red he particularly knew in the core of his heart, other nights the dammed fox would lead him to a part of the forest where a dryad in a white pure dress was resting, waiting. He used to wake up in the middle of the night with that dream, it was a wedding dress.
The only girl that had chance against Anne memory was Lili, a parisian social worker that Prissy introduce to him, but she got tired of Gilbert. ‘ Je veux gagner ton cœur , mais il est à des kilomètres d'ici ’ , she had told him when she broke up with him.
“Sorry…”, Moody gave him an apologetic look and continued to drive in silence.
“It’s okay man, I can’t keep pretending like she doesn’t exist-”, he said trying to sound honest, “-and I assume this moving out thing includes a welcome party, right? I have to meet the husband at some point.”
“Uhh… okay, you’ll see…”, the tall man started to move uncomfortable in his seat, looking at his friend trying to decide the correct words for what he had to say, it was a visible hard decision,
“Mods, what’s going on? You look nervous all of the sudden”, Gilbert raised his brows in concern.
“So, you know this unspoken thing where none of us mentions Anne to you?”, he started without looking at him.
“Yeah? Didn’t really notice it”, he said with a laugh, “Come on Moody, I know this, Anne never returned my calls or let me talk to her. It was the best for the both of us I suppose. I mean, it would have been weird to keep in touch with me telling I love her every time I could while she started to date again. But she got over, she married a great guy, I’m happy for her, he’s got Diana’s approval”, he said, convincing himself more with every word, maybe he could still hope for wining back his friendship with Anne.
“That’s great! I mean it’s great that you get the chance to get over her too, just a tiny little detail to add”, he sighed heavily before continuing, they had entered Avonlea’s rural roads now, “Anne’s not married anymore”
“What- ?!”, Gilbert yelled at the same time a red fox run in front of their car. Moody hit the brakes abruptly and both boys inclined brusquely forward in their seats, “- what do mean she’s not married anymore?! She got divorce?”
Moody didn’t pay him attention right away, checking up if the fox was alright or not, he only heard what he was yelling after Gilbert punched him in the arm. “Hey! That hurts, you bastard-”, his friend shoot him a warning look, “- I know what I just said is shocking information for you, but remember, you’re not supposed to know what is up in Anne’s life-”
“I got a chance with her! And you didn’t tell me?! Nice friend you are. What did this guy do to let Anne down- “, Gilbert kept ranting, missing the sad look on Moody’s face.
“Gilbert-”, he said loud enough to get his attention, “He did nothing wrong. Roy died a year ago. Anne is a widow now.”