Hi everyone,

Yes last week was a bit of a cliffhanger wasn't it? Thanks for your patience guys...


Mrs Blythe entered the room silently just in time for Gilbert stirring. She stood frozen to see what would happen.

"Anne?" he whispered weakly.

She looked up reaching for his face "Gil, Gil my love, I'm here." She held his hand with one hand and the other swept his face gently.

Gil took a laboured breath. "I've died." He whispered. "I thought the pain was meant to go." He said confused.

"You aren't dead sweetheart you're alive." She said between her tears.

"I have to be. You didn't come. I'm dead because you're an angel come to greet me."

"No Gil, I'm here, love, you're alive!" she cried.

No tears came to his eyes though he felt as though he was crying, his body so dehydrated there could be none. He shook his head. Closing his eyes. "mamma I'm…hallucinations." He called weakly. His head shook as his eyes were closed he whispered gently "tell Anne..."

"Gil I'm right here can't you feel my touch?" she asked him.

"His fever is so high I'd be surprised if he can feel anything." Mrs Blythe finally spoke Anne's head looked round to the source. Mrs Blythe had watched and there was no doubt., Anne was most definitely in love with her son. She felt a pang of guilt for the way she had spoken to Anne moments earlier at the door. "Anne you're dripping wet, come away for a moment I'll get you a dry nightie I doubt anything else of mine will fit you. But you can come and be with him when you aren't at risk of pneumonia, I can't have two babies sick in the house can I?"

Anne turned back to Gilbert "I can't leave him." Anne whispered looking to Gilbert before he lost consciousness again.

Mrs Blythe gently took Anne round the arms and led her into the spare room giving her a nightgown and towel. "Dry yourself off. I'll send for some of your clothes from green gables in the morning and I'm getting you a nice hot tea."

As quickly as she could she changed. The nightgown was a little big on her but it didn't matter, She went back into Gilbert's room and sat on the bed next to him holding his hand. For a few minutes she sat in silence just holding his hand when he woke again and looked at her.

"I just had the strangest dream." He told her. "You came and visited me. You called me 'love' and 'sweetheart' like you used to."

She smiled a little "That wasn't a dream." She said to him. "You need to save your voice, won't you let me speak a while to comfort you?" She asked him. He looked to her and nodded. "You asked me a question the night of convocation, do you remember? I didn't answer it." He looked and her and nodded. "I have an answer." She whispered gently. She took a breath as the tears spilled from her eyes. "I love you Gil." She told him sweetly. "I always have." She looked into his helpless eyes "I want to be your wife one day… I've always wanted to be your wife. Yes, I will marry you." She took a sigh as tears fell from her eyes again. "See now, you MUST get better, so I can show you what an attentive fiancée I can be." She said flirting intentionally with him for the first time in years. She saw him start to shake his breathing ragged. "Gil, what can I do?" She asked him.

"Is… is it hot in here?" he pulled the best flirting grin he could manage.

She looked at him and giggled for a moment. "Well yes it is sweetheart, but you do have a very high temperature. I can put a cold cloth on you if you like?"

He shook his head. "cold." He told her.

"It's meant to be cold. It'll bring down your temperature love. Make you feel better." She stood up and wrung out the cloth. He was right, it was very cold water. She suspected at one point it had had ice in it. "Let it help my love." To her surprise he nodded gently. She lay the cloth on his forehead she saw the shiver go through him.

Mrs Blythe came to the door and looked in. "He's not let anyone do that to him, not even I could convince him." She said to her. "See if you can convince him to let you cool his whole body. You might be able to convince him."

Anne felt shocked for a moment. Did she mean ALL of him?! "Can you help if I can, I've never…" she said blushing.

Mrs Blythe smiled. "Of course I can."

"Gil? Did you hear your mother?" She asked him.

"cold." He murmured. "don't make me?" he asked her.

"Never, never will I make you do anything love." She sighed. "But it will help. You know the symptoms Gil, you know the body convinces you everything is too cold."

"Alright." He reluctantly agreed after a few moments.

Anne saw his mother jump into "mother mode" coming to his bedside. "We need his clothes off his vest included." She turned to her son, "Gilbert we're going to need to sit you up." Anne helped pull him up and tried not to blush as his night shirt and vest came off in one go and his mother took of his pyjama bottoms leaving him in just his drawers. Anne wasn't sure where to look, she wanted so desperately to look but his mother was right there! He shivered for a moment then tried to flop back. "Keep him up Anne." His mother ordered her. She pulled him forward into her arms he head nuzzled on her shoulder.

"My love." He whispered and moved his weak and what seemed like limp arms around her hugging in. "you're the perfect temperature." He whispered.

"Then focus on it sweetheart." She whispered. "Bring your temperature down to match mine."

"mmm." He agreed contently fading into a half unconsciousness nuzzling more into her.

His mother chuckled. "He was always very affectionate, even as a little boy. He's never had any problems showing how much he loved anyone." She said sponging his back. "But then he was very selective about who he let in."

Anne swallowed. He had let her in and she had broken him, right here was the consequences. He had selected her and what did she do with him? She broke the most lovely most wonderful man she had ever known.

"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you downstairs Anne." She told her. "Your mere presence has made him better. He would never have consented to me to do this." She took a breath. "I don't know how you came to be here tonight Anne, but I'm glad that you are. I've felt no hope I thought he would die tonight, now, I'm not so sure."

Anne gave a pained smile. "I'm so sorry Mrs Blythe, for everything I've put him through."

"I'm sorry I've hated you for so long." Mrs Blythe told her. There was silence for a moment before she continued "Gilbert." She breathed "the last thing he asked me to do when he was lucid was to take care of you as if you had been his wife." She said, "I was so angry still downstairs I'm sorry I broke that promise. But I do love you Anne, like you are my daughter." She took a sigh not allowing for Anne to reply. She leaned Gilbert back into her arms. "You do his chest." She instructed Anne. Anne blushed for a moment hardly believing what she was about to do, in front of his mother! She took the cloth dipping it in the water and wringing it out she gently started gently rubbing the cloth into him.

"hmmm." He sighed contentedly " Aaaaannnnnne." He murmured.

Anne blushed some more hearing him say her name like that with such sensuality to it! It set her completely on fire!

"He knows your touch." Mrs Blythe commented trying to ease Anne.

Anne smiled tentatively. Under the cloth she could FEEL, the muscle Gilbert had lost, his chest was always so broad and strong now seemed shallow and weak she had seen the warning signs... since... since she had refused him. Especially since Diana's wedding. He had been breaking the whole time!

She brought the cloth to his stomach she felt what was left of the muscles contract beneath her palm. His breathing became ragged. "pllleeeassee Annnnnne! Oh Please!" he murmured.

Anne blushed hotly and moved away fast, putting the cloth back in the water.

"No! No, please Anne no!" he croaked.

Mrs Blythe heard Anne sob quietly and could feel Anne's tension. Gilbert could hardly be blamed for the sounds his delusions were bringing on but it must be difficult for a girl to hear. "Here Anne, take my place I'll do his legs."

Anne willingly took her place she stroked his curls and forehead his body relaxed as she did so, like he recognised her again close to him. He winced at the cold on his legs but didn't complain only moved slightly hugging into Anne again. His mother on finishing put the cloth back in the water and took out a clean set of clothes for Gilbert.

Anne blushed more "I should wait outside." She said quietly. She leaned over him. "Gil I'm just going out the door so your mother can change your… underwear. Sweetheart I'm still here I'm not leaving." She kissed his forehead and gently untangled herself and moved quickly out the room. She stood still outside his room trying to analyse her feelings over the last 3 hours.

She had returned from Echo Lodge in relatively high spirits feeling better then she had in a long while when Davy had bounded in

"I've growed a whole inch since you left," said Davy proudly. "I'm as tall as Milty Boulter now. Ain't I glad. He'll have to stop crowing about being bigger. Say, Anne, did you know that Gilbert Blythe is dying?" Anne stood quite silent and motionless, looking at Davy. Her face had gone so white that Marilla thought she was going to faint.

"Davy, hold your tongue," said Mrs. Rachel angrily. "Anne, don't look like that—DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT! We didn't mean to tell you so suddenly."

"Is—it—true?" asked Anne in a voice that was not hers.

"Gilbert is very ill," said Mrs. Lynde gravely. "He took down with typhoid fever just after you left for Echo Lodge. Did you never hear of it?"

"No," said that unknown voice.

"It was a very bad case from the start. The doctor said he'd been terribly run down. They've a trained nurse and everything's been done. DON'T look like that, Anne. While there's life there's hope."

"Mr. Harrison was here this evening and he said they had no hope of him," reiterated Davy.

Marilla, looking old and worn and tired, got up and marched Davy grimly out of the kitchen.

"Oh, DON'T look so, dear," said Mrs. Rachel, putting her kind old arms about the pallid girl. "I haven't given up hope, indeed I haven't. He's got the Blythe constitution in his favor, that's what."

Anne gently put Mrs. Lynde's arms away from her, walked blindly across the kitchen and came to the door.

"Anne." Marilla said to her gently before she opened the door. "You can't go out there Anne, you'll catch your death."

Anne looked to Marilla with a heart breaking hollowness in her eyes. "I have to, I have to.." she pleaded with Marilla. "I… I…"

"You love him and you always have, I know. But Anne it would break his heart to know you risked your life."

"But if I don't go and he dies, he'll leave this world without knowing.. without me making it up to him for all these lost years. You can't stop me Marilla I need to, I must…" she said.

Marilla looked to Anne and she looked as though she might object she pulled out a thick shawl and wrapped it securely round Anne. "Take the high road in the woods, you'll be more covered from the rain and less likely to fall." She whispered.

Anne hugged Marilla before opening the door and running into the darkness. It was very dark. The rain was beating down over the shivering fields. The Haunted Woods was full of the groans of mighty trees wrung in the tempest, and the air throbbed with the thunderous crash of billows on the distant shore. And Gilbert was dying! If nature could reflect feelings right now it was and Anne was in her own personal tempest.

She didn't know how to analyse all these emotions, how ironic she needed Gilbert! But she knew right now her own feelings were unimportant they were irrelevant. She must stay strong for Gilbert and not be selfish. He needed her, she wouldn't abandon him.

His mother came out the bedroom and whispered to Anne. "You go and be with him Anne, he needs you."

She went back into the room and sat on the chair which was in the room and took hold of his hand. "I'm here Gil, I won't leave." Her body shook, her voice followed as she sobbed out "I love you."