Author's Note: Well, here's Chapter 4. After this there's just the epilogue left. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Once again, the idea belongs to me, the words are romance-lover19's, and the characters are L.M. Montgomery's

Chapter 4 – An Apology

"Anne!" Gilbert exclaimed as he opened the door. Taking in the tears streaming down her face, he closed the door behind him and took her in his arms.

"Oh, my Anne-girl, what's the matter?" he asked, concern filling his voice.

"Oh, Gil!" Anne exclaimed, nuzzling her neck into Gilbert's shoulder. "I heard what you said to Aunt Mary Maria...what you did for me. You've shown me once again just how much you love me. And I said some just horrible things about you and your clannishness to Miss Cornelia just the other day. Oh, I'm so ashamed!"

Gilbert took Anne's arms in his hands and held her away from him so that he could look in her eyes while he spoke to her.

"Anne, please don't talk that way. I was so foolish. I let my clannishness, as you call it, distract me from my real loyalties to you and the children. It wasn't fair to you or to them. I didn't even realize it was Aunt Mary Maria making you so depressed until Miss Cornelia told me."

Anne turned red and bristled. "What did Miss Cornelia tell you? What did she say?"

"Anne, don't be angry with Miss Cornelia. She just pointed out what I was too blind to see. In fact, I wish she'd told me sooner so that you wouldn't have had to hurt as much. I will never let my clannishness get in the way of your happiness again."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, please Gil. I know how much your family means to you. And I know how difficult it was for you to confront Aunt Mary Maria just now."

"It was hard," Gilbert admitted. "But not as hard as it was to see you hurting. I promise you that I will never let anything like this happen again."

"And I promise you that I'll be honest with you from now on, instead of suffering in silence."

Anne smiled up at Gilbert and for the first time in weeks, the smile reached her eyes and made them sparkle once again. Gilbert smiled back down at her. He bent and captured her lips with his own. The kiss was full of apology and love. They broke apart and embraced each other and that night, for the first time in a long time, the Blythe family went to sleep happy.

A/N: And there was Chapter 4. Hope you enjoyed it. Please read and review. We can't wait to hear what you think.