"Marilla! Marilla! Please, here blow your nose, dear," Rachel tried to placate a sobbing Marilla and handed her a handkerchief.
"I-I just-" here Marilla couldn't continue, as she became incomprehensible.
Rachel just gently rubbed her back until she quieted down.
"I think," Rachel began as she gave her friend a cup of tea, "that Anne shouldn't be asking such questions. She's too inquisitive. You know the saying 'Spare the rod and spoil the child,' she should not be asking questions about you, as you're the adult and she's the child."
Marilla was taken aback by Rachel's matter-of-fact statement.
"Your saying that everytime Anne asks me a question, because she's concerned for me, that I should hit her?"
"She needs to learn her place. She talks too much for her own good."
Marilla disagreed with her friend but wouldn't voice it or Rachel would never stop arguing with her, so she sat in silence. In her heart she knew that she wouldn't do that to Anne. After what the child had been through she could never possibly hit her. She's be just like all of Anne's other care-givers—not that they lived up to that title. No, she vowed to never let Anne come to harm and she'd be damned if she broke that ever again. "Have you told Matthew?"
"Told Matthew what?"
"You know, Marilla, about what really happened, he deserves to know."
"I suppose. His heart is still weak though. I just pray that he'll survive. Anne needs him. I need him," Marilla's voice cracked as she said the last part and she began to cry again.
"Oh, come now, shhh, it's alright, dear." Rachel sighed in sympathy for her friend.
"Why don't you go and see the doctor, Marilla? He may have something to help you."
"I never thought of that. I had Dr. McNeil take a look at Anne but never thought to...hmm." Marilla decided to think about it but she wanted to try it.
"If you want I can be there with you, as support," Rachel offered.
"That would be nice, thank you Rachel."
"Well, I need to go bring the cows in. Thank you Rachel."
"For what?"
"Being there for me."
Rachel was touched, but heartbroken for her friend. She later told Thomas, that night, that Marilla was the last person in the world that deserved the treatment that she got from that Mr. Hammond.
"Marilla, are you-"
"Anne, I've told you, I am fine. Finish your stew," Marilla snapped, making Anne jump.
"Yes, Marilla," Anne said, meekly.
The woman felt bad, she had to stop reacting like that, " I'm sorry, Anne, I-I just have a lot on my mind." "I understand. I'm going to go bring Matthew his dinner," Anne quietly said, slipping off of her chair and fixing up a bowl for Matthew. When she left Marilla put her head in her hands and after collecting herself followed Anne.
She knocked on the door and heard two voices chorus together, "come in!"
"How are you feeling Matthew?"
"Better, just tired," he smiled his quiet smile that Marilla was so used to, it gave her a sense of security.
He continued, "Anne was just telling me about how she won the spelling bee, yesterday at school, beat all of the boys," he beamed at Anne proudly.
Marilla was shocked, Anne never told her that! She swelled with pride at the thought of Anne, the orphan girl that the townsfolk hated, beating all of their stuck up children. She instantly reprimanded herself for thinking such vain and worldly thoughts. Dear Lord, please forgive me for my vanity.
To Anne she praised, "Why, Anne, You never mentioned that to me! Well done!"
Anne flushed with all of the praise and she grinned at her parents.
Marilla wondered how Anne was treated at school after her lengthy absence. She was realising now that Matthew was right—Anne was not like the other children.
They chatted together for a little while until Anne couldn't stifle a yawn anymore.
"I think it's time that someone went to bed," Matthew said, looking pointedly at Anne.
"Come along Anne," Marilla prodded, standing up.
Anne gave Matthew a kiss on the cheek,
"Goodnight, Matthew"
"Goodnight, Brother."
"Goodnight, you two"
When they got upstairs Anne hesitated and then looked at Marilla with pleading eyes, "Can I sleep with you?"
"I-um..." Marilla thought it through, she did feel better when Anne was near her, especially at night, and those big, child-like, blue eyes staring at her, she couldn't possibly say no,
"oh, all right."
Anne hugged Marilla quickly and then ran to her room to get her nightgown on.
Once Marilla blew out the lamp she got a creeping sense of fear; she wrapped her arms around Anne, finding that that helped her a bit.
Anne kept herself from jumping when she felt two arms around her waist but she didn't want to scare Marilla off, one because she quite liked the physical affection and two, if this is what Marilla needed then Anne would do it. She, too, had fearsome nightmares but she always had ever since she could remember. She hoped that maybe staying with Marilla would quell them.
"Mama! Mama!" A redheaded girl of around five or six ran up the porch and into Marilla arms, all giggles and starry eyes. The child kissed the woman's cheeks profusely.
"I love you, Mama," The child snuggled down into Marilla arms.
"I love you too, Anne," Marilla relished the youthful love that the girl gave her so freely.
A gunshot rang out and the innocent little life in Marilla's went limp...
"ANNE!"
Marilla whipped up in her bed and panted, she was covered in persipitation.
Her eyes darted around the room frantically until her breath evened pace. She glanced down at the sleeping Anne, who was fast asleep and gathered the child up in her arms, quietly sobbing. This was not how the Christmas season was supposed to go.
Holding Anne close to her heart she calmed down and then laid her back down, Anne murmured in her sleep, "Shh, it's alright."
Sleep came soon and Marilla's whole body relaxed, her hand resting on Anne's back.
The doctor looked with sympathy as Marilla told her tale, Rachel squeezing her shoulder in support when she got to the more personal details.
"Is there anything you can prescribe to help Marilla's anxiousness?" Rachel asked the doctor, once Marilla was done sharing her ordeal.
"There's no medication I can give you. But I hear that certain foods and plants can help one to relax. Fish, dairy, chamomile, and lavender come off the top of my head at the moment. And for now, if it makes you feel better to have your child near you then keep her close by. She too is experiencing a form of this as well, understandably."
"Well um, thank you, Doctor, I'll walk you out."
After Marilla paid the doctor she quietly spoke to him about Anne.
"Doctor, I asked Anne if she'd ever been molested and she said no but that the man would leave his hand on her leg or arm."
"It saddens me to hear this but unfortunately, for most orphans this is very common. I will keep you and your family in my prayers. Good day," Dr. McNeil said in a sad voice.
After Rachel left Marilla set her jaw and with a determined huff went into Matthews room.
"Matthew? We need to talk."
Matthew was reading the newspaper but upon hearing the seriousness in his sister's tone he put the paper away and looked attentively at her.
Marilla sat down next to him and then started:
"I'm afraid that you don't know everything that happened when we were on the mainland. While you were unconscious Nathan Hammond-" here Marilla wiped tears from her eyes, and Matthew reached out and squeezed her hand in support, she swallowed and then continued, "he, um, got a hold of my wrists and threatened Anne, using me as leverage. When Anne refused he began to...to t-touch me inappropriately," Marilla stopped here to gauge Matthews reaction.
His eyes darkened and he spoke in a low shaking voice, "damn that man to hell. I'm-I'm so sorry, can you forgive me?"
"F-forgive you for what?"
"Not being able to protect you or Anne. You two deserve better," Matthew sighed in sadness.
"Matthew, there was nothing you could do. And you kept him from harming Anne or I further. You have to remember that Anne loves you, and that I love you," Marilla smiled a sad smile.
"Did he-did he go further?" Matthew asked meaningfully.
"Thankfully no, Anne intervened, but he was going to," Marilla said with a catch in her throat.
Matthew let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in, "I'm so relieved. Anne is worried about you, she said that you have been acting strange. Is this why?"
"Mm yes, and a bit more. I worry more about Anne, that I used to, even right now as she's with Diana. my heart races until she's safe within sight of my eyes. I wish things were the way they used to be."
"It will take time, Sister, this past month has been a big mess, full of panic and worry. In time things will go back to normal."
"I do hope you're right, Brother, I do hope you're right."
"My Anne! How horrid!" Diana gasped, as Anne told her where she had been for the past month. They had seen each other since Anne got back but had stuck with lighter topics.
"I'm just glad to be back. I need to head home. Marilla will get worried," Anne said, standing up off of the floor.
"Anne?"
"Hm?"
"I'm so glad to have a friend like you."
Anne smiled, "I feel the same way, Diana. See you on Monday!"
She ran home to an anxious Marilla, thinking, "so much I could ask for, but there's one thing I really need all I really want for Christmas is a family."* And then she realized something, she got her lifelong Christmas wish, she had a family.
Now she could run home to her Green Gables, her Matthew, her Marilla.
She finally belonged.
*All I Really Want for Christmas
A/N: Is there anuthing that you'd like to see? I feel like this is getting bland. It will only be this wat a little bit longer, i have some exciting things coming up in future chapters. Stay safe, everyone!