Six months had passed since we last saw the pair. Their rivalry was only outshone by their friendship and they seemed determined to win at everything. Anne and Gilbert had somehow managed to spend 50% of their free time together then 50% with the others.

""Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see:/She has deceived her father, and may thee." Gilbert finished the speech. "I can't imagine what would make Othello believe Brabantio."

"Well he's not sure of himself Gil, yes he's the brave knight like character but him being a 'moor' as Shakespeare so delicately puts it is only going to put doubts in his head about Desdemona because well… he would think 'why would she want to be with me when she can have' because despite him being the brave one and the one Desdemona loves if people constantly tell you 'they are too good for you' you're going to eventually believe it." He looked at him . "well its what I think."

He smiled. "your right that is going to be handy somewhere along the line I'll write it down… oh erm my pencil is blunt and I left my sharper at home, do you have one I can use Anne?"

"Yes over there in my basket." She said absent minded.

She went over and flipped open the cloth he saw the pencil pouch and pulled it out when it did something else slid into view. He looked confused for a moment and pulled it out. "Anne?" he asked. "What is this?"

She jumped up. "Gil give me that." She almost shouted.

"What is it?" He asked looking at the bottle again.

"Gilbert I mean it give it to me." She warned. He reached it out of her way.

"Is this hair dye?" he stammered.

"I don't see how its any of your concern." She said snatching it back.

"It is my concern when my friend tries to do something she'll regret."

"I won't regret it Gil, look it says beautiful raven black. How could I regret having that colour hair."

"Because it won't be your colour hair!" he exclaimed. "Anne you can't be serious about this. When were you going to do this?" he asked.

"When you left, before Marilla came back." She replied. He grabbed the bottle turned his back and threw it away, they heard a small crash as it hit against a tree. "Gilbert Blythe how could you?! You know how much I hate my hair, why would you throw away my one chance to change it." She cried after it.

"I don't want your hair colour any different that's why." He told her

"I just want to blend in and look like all the other girls."

"Then you wouldn't be you Anne! And it's not Diana with her dark tresses or Ruby Gills with her silky blonde hair I want to spend all my time with is it? It's you Anne, you and your beautiful red hair, yes Anne its beautiful and nothing you say to me will convince it its plain. Black and blonde don't glisten in the sunlight, little strands of it don't get lighter quicker than the rest change gradually leaving different shades of the same colour on their head and it's not their colour which burns so brightly I just want to touch it and risk getting burnt! You were not made to blend in Anne, you were made to shine like fire to lead the way." He paused as he realised what he had just said, the shock was plain as day on Anne's face. He strode over to her and wrapped his arms around her "I told you the first time we had a conversation, don't you remember? I told you I thought you were beautiful."

"It was such a long time ago" she said sobbing. "I thought you must have said it to become my friend. I didn't know you meant it." She whispered.

"I've always meant it." He said quietly. "I can't have you any other way but how you are." He said steadily to her.

She breathed in his familiar scent. His soft jumper just called to be snuggled the soft fabric against her face. She relaxed in his arms and recognised again whatever was going on between them was more the mere friendship.

It had to be that moment Marilla turned the corner (she had come home earlier than expected due to having another headache) to view Anne in Gilbert's arms.

The two friends jumped back in shock.

"Gilbert a word?" Marilla said to him. Walking into the kitchen. Anne got the idea to stay out the kitchen, Gilbert obediently followed.

"Miss Cuthbert…" he started.

"Don't you Miss Cuthbert me." She said making sure the sound stung him.

"I can explain…" he started.

"You don't need to, I saw plain as day what was happening." She told him.

"No but…"

"How often does this happen Gilbert is that why you both go running off into the woods together?"

"what? No,It's not like that..."

"Oh I know exactly what it's like." She said too mad with herself for allowing it to happen. "Do you know how young she is Gilbert? Do you know what a boy could do to her?"

"Miss Cuthbert of only you'd let me explain…"

"You're not to come here anymore Gilbert. No more studying, no more reading, nothing. You can't be friends."

"No." Gilbert pleaded. "Miss Cuthbert please, I promised Anne I would always be here for her, please, please punish us some other way please. She's my best friend, please I swear it won't happen again, please?"

He looked into the familiar face. She made John plead for her forgiveness just like this. She had to stop history repeating itself, it had been against her better judgment to allow the boy so much access to Anne but she could see now, Anne had just turned 13 and Gilbert was turning 16 in the October he wasn't a child anymore he was almost a grown man.

"If you care for her you understand Gilbert, she's still very young, she can't go making attachments so young, you could both get hurt, I know she is still too young to understand but I didn't think you were as naive. Imagine if that had been someone else who caught you like that, you'd be the gossip of the town in no time and it would harm her Gilbert. You must know that."

Anne came through the door at that moment. Poor Gilbert's face dropped in despair.

"Should we get back to work now?" She asked Gilbert.

"I better be off actually." He said deadly quiet. His head down quietly not making eye contact with her, his hand playing with his neck

"Oh okay." She said not grasping the mood yet. She followed him out to the porch "Well we can finish off tomorrow…"

"I can't make it then either." He said quietly stuffing his papers into his bag.

"Well when then?" She asked him. It wasn't until he looked up briefly she saw the pale expression on his face.

"I… we can't do this anymore... I'm so terribly sorry Anne." He said brushing against her accidently on his way past almost made him cry out but instead he ran very quickly towards the fields.

"I think its for the best Anne." Marilla said to her. "You were too close to him by far."

"What do you mean? He's coming back isn't he?" Anne asked.

"No he's not." Marilla told her.

The next day at school Anne had half shadowed Gilbert around the yard, waiting for him to wink or smile or offer a book to read with her but he didn't. If their eyes did meet he would shyly look away.

Anne walked past his desk he saw her drop some paper on it. Anne had gone to the front of the class to get something checked over by Miss Stacy. His eyes looked to the folded paper. He picked it up and read the contents

Gil,

Have I done something wrong? Please just look at me, let me know everything is okay. I swear I won't try dying my hair again I promise.

Love Anne

His fingers traced over the last two words. His heart raced, his body felt close to melt down, he started to shake. He might never be able to forgive himself he prayed one day Anne would forgive him, he placed the note in his pocket as Anne came back up the isle pretended to busy himself with his work. He could see out the corner of his eye her grey doleful eyes piercing him. He had to resist looking… Marilla would be cross, he'd never be allowed near Anne again… What seemed like an eternity passed (perhaps a minute in real time) Anne looked away sadly and started to work on her sums.

She followed him for the next week, just waiting for him to snap out of it but he never did. Well fine then! She thought finally sub coming to her anger. Two can play at that game, if you don't want to be friends then fine!