Hello everyone! Thank you for all the lovely reviews on this one, its fun to write something a little different but I want your opinion on something... I think its obvious because its Anne and Gilbert that they'll end up together my question to you is, should they elope before they go back to the Island and go back husband and wife OR should they remain engaged so that people get to see them get married? I can't make up my mind how that bit should happen...

Oh the Emily reference, I suppose it was a reference to Emily but it wasn't conscious at the time, it was in the back of my mind when I picked the name.


"…And so that is how it ended up that everyone in Summerside brought Pumpkin Preserve to me when I came visiting." She finished her story as Gilbert was laughing in delight. "I STILL to this day can't bear to LOOK at a jar." She said with a giggle in return for his laughter.

"Oh Anne what a pickle!" He laughed "Only you could manage it."

"I was simply being polite! They all had hated me so much I thought it would help…I didn't think…" she stopped at his inability to stop laughing. "Well at least I've given you a good giggle." She laughed with him.

"I don't remember the last time I had such a laugh." He said calming down as the food was presented. "Ah Emmanuel thank you." Gilbert said.

"Ah! Anything for you and my Strawberry, Do you need anything else?" he asked.

"No thank you, everything is perfect." He said looking at Anne.

He was half thankful Anne was looking away in that moment but half wished she did look.

"Well while you were dining with the elite of Summerside…" he said "I was a lowly first year med student."

"Come now, did the Cooper Prize winner not bring some prestige with it?" Anne asked as she started to eat.

Gilbert's bottom lip protruded and he shrugged "When it suited them." As he took a cut out a piece of pizza. "Parties and academic nights I was rolled out, the rest of the time I had to knuckle down to work. The Doctors didn't make it easy for us first years, like a wall was up until you got through the baptism of fire of the second year."

"I hope you didn't work TOO hard Gilbert?" She reprimanded him. He looked up looking guilty. "Gilbert?"

"Alright alright, well I tried to be more balanced with my work after senior year when I went home for those two weeks I WAS worried I'd contracted Typhoid from the hospital for a few days, I was so glad after my respite I felt better, well I started taking care of myself a little better, I went to the gym and made sure I ate a bit more healthier then I had been, I soon got back to my full strength."

Anne could feel her blush rise again 'yes I noticed' she thought to herself. "Good, I was afraid you weren't taking care of yourself final year, I'm glad you got yourself back on track."

He paused in his eating. "You were? You never said?" He said confused.

"We hadn't really talked since…" She paused not wanting to say it. "By the time final year came round it felt like…" She looked down at her knees. She took a sigh, "Thank you, by the way for the flowers at convocation."

Gilbert smiled. "I was so proud when you held them at convocation I was sure you wouldn't, I was positive Gardner would have got you something more expensive and grand."

"So why did you send them?" She asked him.

"I promised you I would." He said. "And I'm nothing if I'm not a man of my word." He paused in thought before continuing "If the flowers meant that much to you, why did you refuse to dance with me that night?" He said as he reached for his drink.

Anne blushed at his question. "Oh." She sounded before she started. "I heard you were proposing the Christine that evening." That seemed too much for Gilbert his drink came spraying out of his mouth as he started to half choke half laugh. "Gilbert Blythe!" She reprimanded him.

"Sorry, sorry, but Christine? Christine Stuart?" clearing what he could of the water.

"Well yes, Christine Stuart, what other Christine hung off your arm continuously for two years? Blushing and laughing and falling in love?" Anne asked him shocked at his reaction.

"I was never going to ask Christine to marry me, her fiancé… well now husband might have had a few select words to say if I did!" he said with a chuckle.

Anne looked in shock. "You mean she was engaged?!"

"Yes of course she was!" He said as if it should have been obvious.

"But I thought…" she trailed confused. "But the campus was alight with the gossip of…"

"I thought you wouldn't heed to such pointless rumours, I thought you knew…" He looked to his lap blushing. Again Anne noticed her reaction to his blush didn't bother her but she found the pinkness of his cheek so endearing.

"I was jealous." She admitted quietly looking down to avoid eye contact.

"Really?" He asked looking at her in amazement.

"I mean I didn't know it at the time I was and I wouldn't have known if you told me, but there's been a lot I figured out in five years since and I figured out… that maybe I was jealous you loved Christine. I mean she was beautiful with dark tresses and starry eyes, everything I ever wanted to be, I couldn't have drawn a girl I was more jealous of, until I drew her next to you." She said shamefully.

Gilbert looked at her in amazement. "I didn't think of that." He said quietly. "I never spent time with her to make you jealous. I didn't think you COULD get jealous truth be told, I thought you were so into Gardner... well nothing else really mattered." He paused "Christine was a nice girl but hardly my type, I never thought on her looks to be the girl you always dreamed up inside your head. Anne I'm so sorry."

Anne looked at him again and smiled. "You don't need to apologise, I should be the one apologising. It must have been horrible for you to see me with Roy, it must have seemed like I was rubbing it in your face."

Gilbert scoffed a little "You've really gained some perspective and insight Anne" he said with a smile. "What's made you so wise so fast?"

"Ah the life of an old maid!" she said with a smile.

"Rubbish you aren't old." He told her. "You look the same as you always have. Just as…" he trailed a little then looked to her "…beautiful."

Anne could feel her heart rate increase and the blush on her cheeks. "Thank you." She whispered. They gazed at each other for a few minutes, eating their food quietly before Gilbert felt he must break the silence "So tell me more about the misadventures of Anne Shirley the School Ma'am Principle?"


"Where are you boarding?" He asked her as they left Emmanuel's.

"Oh I'm back at Patty's place. They even gave me my old room."

"Well that's splendid!" Gilbert smiled. "At least I know where I'm walking you back to."

"Oh Gil, you don't need to." She told him.

"No , I probably don't but can I all the same?" he asked her. "It must be getting late its…" he said bringing out his pocket watch "only 9pm." He shook his head. "My body clock has completely gone." He said with a chuckle, "I don't know whether its night or day anymore."

"What would you have done? I mean what were you planning on doing? Where would you have eaten? What would you have eaten?"

"I probably would have gone down to the cafeteria at the hospital grabbed a sandwich then went home to bed." He sighed.

"Do you always do such long shifts at the hospital?" She asked him, "72 hours that's three days none stop."

"Well it started Monday evening, I was over in the emergency room being the surgeon down there, right at the end of my shift a women came in in labour I was the doctor, it was wrong to leave her, but it ended up being until about midday and I was due in surgery at one for a member of the boards wife who needed surgery, there were some, complications I was there until 8 which takes us to Tuesday night where on there was three other surgeries I attended to because somehow there were no other surgeons on site, then I was actually on call I tried to catch some sleep but when I lay my head down all I got was 'Doctor Blythe!' all night long then I had another surgery from 10am to midday yesterday then at midday until 6 I was down in the clinic."

"It sounds a lot of work for someone who just left medical school two years ago?" Anne questioned.

"It is I suppose." He said.

"Is what Emily said true? Are you going to make consultant surgeon next year?" She asked him.

"well I have to pass a few tests to get there. But hopefully…" he looked down blushing.

"Gil," She smiled grabbing hold of his hand. "You must be working so hard doesn't it normally take years to get there?" she questioned him.

He looked down at their hands, 'ANNE is holding my hand! What world have I fallen into! She's holding my hand!' he was thinking but he knew he had to answer her. "Well I entered as a junior Doctor last year the head surgeon really took a shine to me while I was at medical school and put me on the fast track to the top. I've certainly put in the hours." He said with a chuckle.

"Is there anything you could wish for?" Anne asked him again impressed with the work Gilbert had put in, how he had obviously caught the eyes of hospital.

"Maybe a couple of things." He admitted quietly.

"Oh?" She questioned. "Come on then tell me what they are."

"Well one is that I wasn't so tired, I might just enjoy it a bit more." He said with a sigh.

Anne looked at him sadly for a minute. 'Poor Gil' she thought to herself. 'He must be exhausted.' She did wonder. "Anything else?" she asked him.

He pulled his hand from her shoving it in his pocket and looked to the floor shyly. He didn't answer straight away; it was very close to his heart. The one thing he had given up on, the one thing he thought would never be possible because she had married someone else, and let's face it there was never going to be anyone else but her. He'd slipped into the bachelor life quite easily he was living very comfortably on his wages, he had plenty of savings because he had very few overheads and didn't really have time for any hobby's, in fact his hobby was sleeping. He was successful in his work life and alright he hadn't been back to the island it's not as if he would never go back. He would eventually take a holiday and go and see his parents, he did miss them. But this one wish, this impossible dream wasn't quite as impossible as it was only three hours ago. "Someone to share it with." He said in a low tone as his heart raced.

Anne's stomach did a flutter her pulse increase involuntarily then a pang of regret hit her, which she knew all too well. It could have been her. All those years ago, she could have been Mrs Dr Gilbert Blythe by now, she could be the one celebrating with him as he fulfilled his dreams. It hadn't been the first time in the past seven years the thought had entered her mind. Even though she hadn't heard from Gilbert she counted the moments. She had so wished to have danced with him after convocation it had seemed everything else after was about him. She started teaching at Summerside and had thought 'Gil would have started medical school by now.' And every landmark thereafter 'Gil would be starting his second year third year…. Half way through his school term, I bet he's got his half year mark now, I wonder what they were? Gil would be a doctor by now'. She had prayed that he was happy, that he was doing well, that he might feel fulfilled in whatever it was he was doing now. She had never prayed he would marry or find someone else, truth was although she was convinced it would happen because it WAS GILBERT, her soul hadn't wanted it to be so, how could she pray he found someone ELSE? When she…. "There's still time." She told him being quite bold and putting her arm through his. (Well of she couldn't have his hand what else was she supposed to do?)

He looked down at their two arms now entangled in each other. It had been his strong will which had pulled his hand away from hers but now, now she had done this, he had no will, only the desire to be as close to Anne as possible. He took a silent sigh, these emotions he had were ridiculous! Anne Shirley no more loved him then he loved Josie Pye. "You're being kind, I can tell." He said with a sad smile to her.

"No I'm not." She whispered. "You're Gilbert Blythe, you should put yourself out there more, every women we encountered in that hospital would have given her right hand to go on a date with you." She said trying to reassure him and make him realise…

"Not the kind of girl I'm after, she's completely unobtainable to me." He said without looking at Anne.

"You should still try." Anne tried to encourage him to look at her, was it still that he loved her? After all this time? Was she still in for a chance to be his wife?

"I did." He said trying to make the conversation come to an end. "I tried to and she rejected me. She is unavailable to me." He said with shallow breathing and racing heart.

"She might not be as unobtainable as you think." Anne murmured. Gil had clearly given up all hope, of course he had, up until 3 hours ago he had thought she was at least engaged if not married, what hope had she ever given him? She should have tried to stay in touch but at first it had hurt too much, then there had been such a long time since they had contacted each other she thought it might have seemed strange for a letter to appear from her to him, he would probably recognise the handwriting and simply thrown it away without reading it. But, if it was her, if he still had some feelings for her, she could give him that hope now. Couldn't she?

They arrived at Patty's Place. Gilbert finally looked up as she turned into him to be face to face. "Now that cast. Don't get it wet, if you need your hair washing you will need someone else to do it for you. You'll need to come back to the hospital in six weeks I'll take it off and see how the bone is doing and we'll make an assessment from there. I'll keep hold of your file and I'll send out an appointment letter make sure its me that takes care of you. NO heavily lifting, No carrying big boxes down stairs." He said with a gentle chuckle.

"Yes Doctor Blythe." She said with a grin taking the reprimand.

"I've really enjoyed tonight Anne, I can't remember the last time I had this much fun." He told her.

"Me neither." She admitted.

He momentarily felt braver then he had felt since Anne rejected him seven years ago and gathered her in his arms and hugged her closely. With the exception of Anne's broken arm she returned the hug limb for limb. "Goodnight Anne." He whispered before letting go.

She looked at him, her whole body was shaking in delight! That hug had been so intimate. Why? Why had he pulled away? Maybe he really didn't want her anymore? "Night Gil." She looked down disappointed. She walked up the garden path of Patty's place.

It was sad really, was she really pining after him after all this time and just expecting him to accept it? Just because she was ready for it? Making it to the veranda before she heard his voice call from behind

"Are you busy on Friday night? Maybe we can grab some coffee?" he called.

She turned her heart racing and looked at him with a full feeling. "Really?" she asked him.

"Or you know, maybe I'll switch back to tea, with the one second milk for you?" he said with a teasing grin.

She giggled and bit her lip. "I'd like that." She said as her lips turned to a full on smile.

"I should be finished at five at the hospital, I mean I can't promise bang on five, but you could meet me there or I could pick you up here if you prefer?" he said half not believing she had accepted.

"The hospital will be fine." She said beaming.

"Its not too fancy but I know this great little restaurant the doctors always go to, if you like we could get something to eat too?"

"Yes please." She said with a smile.

"Really?" he asked her to make sure.

Anne laughed sweetly. "Yes, really." Then she saw something which topped her night he smiled with that Gilbert twinkle in his eye. She hadn't seen it for so long, she thought maybe he had out grown it really, men don't keep their boyish twinkles do they? But there it was right there in his eyes. "Good night Gil." She said sweetly.

"Night Anne." He said still in full beam. She walked across the veranda opened the door and looked behind to him, she smiled again and waved. He waved back with a mischievous grin on his face which sent her heart to frenzy! She shut the door behind her to avoid him seeing her with such the flush she was feeling coming on.


He opened the door to his apartment and locked the door behind him. He couldn't bear to do anything but go to bed he was well and truly worn out! He slipped his clothes off and put them in the washing pile which lay next to his bedroom door; he slipped his nightshirt on and pulled up his pajama bottoms. For the first time in years he was glad he hadn't come home and just slept, he never slept well anyway but today! Anne wasn't married! Anne wasn't even engaged and had never been so! She hadn't even loved Gardner! And SHE was absolutely stunning! She really was, he had heard red hair was supposed to fade with age, maybe they weren't old enough yet for it to fade although he very much doubted Anne was ever going to age she was as beautiful as the first day he met her so maybe her hair would remain the same shade of red forever? He hoped so. He'd forgotten what a sheer pleasure it was just to talk to her. Then SHE had made the physical contacts SHE had held his hand and had put her arm through his. He had felt WANTED. It had scared him a little but then when he had gathered her in his arms he felt loved. Watching her walk away was unbearable. Calling after her was a risk he was terrified to be rejected again but she hasn't, she didn't reject him... could her words have been more then kindness? Heart racing again his chest he hoped so. He felt more alive today then he had felt in a long long lay back in the darkness of his bedroom a gentle grin on his face as he fell into the soundest slumber he had slept in over seven years.