Authors note: Thank you for sticking with me through all of this... It's been a little dry lately, but I'm working hard on keeping it interesting. I really appreciate the reviews!

CHAPTER TWELVE

Anne was waiting for the train with her friends. She loved the way the sun shone on the snow, making it sparkle. It was already starting to melt, meaning that spring was near. Although she enjoys the winter, She couldn't wait to greet the flowers after they came out of hiding, and to feel the sun shine on her face in the mornings like she did before. It was much more romantical than winters when you thought about it.

Suddenly, she felt two arms wrap around her waist from behind. It startled her a little, she didn't know they were allowed to be so intimate in public. She liked the way she felt in his arms, but liked it better when it was in private, and she was not being watched by her fellow peers.

Gilbert bent down a little to lay a kiss on her cheek, "morning, Carrots." He greeted her.

Anne cleared her throat, hoping noyone heard him call her Carrots. It'd probably start a whole discussion about how he came to call her that, and how come she wasn't so offended by it anymore. She really hoped she wouldn't have to explain it all, mainly because she didn't know how.

Anne cleared her throat. "Morning, Gilbert." She said stiffly, "Do you think you could let me go now?"

"Hmmm..." Gilbert hummed, pretending to be considering this. He tightened his grip around her, saying, "Not a chance."

Josie Pye groaned loudly, rolling her eyes and walking away. Tillie followed. Ruby looked at Anne sympathetically. "Don't worry about Josie, Anne. She's been in a bad mood lately, is all." Ruby explained. Anne smiled back at her, relieved that this didn't seem to be bothering her at all.

"Moody!" She called happily, "Excuse me." she said heading that way, Diana followed her.

Anne forced her way out of his grip and turned around to face Gilbert,"Look what you've done!" She complained, "You've gone and scared my friends away!"

"How tragic." Gilbert said, sarcastically.

"Gilbert Blythe!" She said, swatting his arm, "Surely you're not implying that you did this on purpose."

"I would never!" Gilbert exclaimed, still smiling, " In fact, I'm highly offended that you would think so low of me."

Anne crossed her arms, creating a barrier between them, and gave him the most serious look she could manage. Although, Admittedly, it was hard to stay serious when Gilbert was looking at her like that.

"Ok, fine." He relented, "But could you blame me? I don't know when I will see you next. I won't apologize for wanting to spend as much time with you as I can!"

"I suppose that's understandable." She replied, trying her best to contain her smile, and failing hard.

Gilbert took this as permission to wrap his arms around her once more. This time, Anne let herself melt into his arms. She had never felt greater joy than how she felt now. She knew she could fully let her guard down with Gilbert. Even in her wildest imaginations, she could've never imagined she could feel this safe around another man. She'd always thought she'd be destined to be the bride of adventure. But maybe adventures are better taken when it's with another person.

The train finally arrived, And Diana had already let her know it would be ok if she wanted to sit with Gilbert on the ride to Charlotte Town. Anne was climbing up the train when she felt something fall from her trunk.

She bent down quickly to retrieve it, but hesitated when she saw what it was. It was the hair accessory Ka'kwet gave to her long ago. She was ashamed to admit that she had forgotten all about her. So far she has done nothing to help her out of that prison they call a school. How could she have forgotten about her dear Kindred spirit? She was just so distracted with Matthew and Gilbert … But that was hardly an excuse! Her dear friend was trapped and she hadn't even done so much as tell anyone!

"Anne?" she heard Diana say, pulling her out of her train of thought, "Are you all right?"

Anne quickly picked up her strings, and straightened up. "Sorry…" She said, still in a daze.

Anne sat down next to Gilbert, who grabbed her hand and laid it on his knee. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Anne was troubled. But it wasn't that surprising since Gilbert had never been very good at reading her.

Anne decided the time for fairy tales was officially over. No more letting herself get distracted by love or friends or what-not. It was time to get serious. She could not bear to let Ka'kwet stay there for much longer.

Ka'kwet had begun to completely lose hope. She was being watched closely by the school's staff, seeing as she was the closest of all to have escaped that horrid place. But she didn't need to be watched, because she had given up trying. After all of her efforts and all she went through so she could be with her family, just to be ripped away in seconds. She didn't want to go through the pain she felt when she thought she was finally safe, only to finally realize she would never be safe from them. She could not believe she ever wanted to come here.

She had been laying in the cell for almost two days before one of the nuns finally retrieved her to return to classes. She tried hard not to look out the window to where her parents had camped out. It might give her hope, and she just could not afford that anymore, not after what happened to her father. When she stepped into the classroom with the nun close behind, all of the eyes turned towards her, watching her as she walked slowly to her seat. Ka'kwet made no eye contact whatsoever. She felt somewhat ashamed of what happened, She had hoped that none of the others knew about it.

She was sitting at her desk staring at the floor, when someone passed her a note while the nun was busy at the board. She considered immediately ripping it up and stuffing it in her pocket, in fear that the nun would see. Who would be stupid enough to send her a note right in the middle of class? She looked around to see who it might've come from, but every student was staring blankly at the board.

She opened the note and was surprised to see it was written in Mi'kmaq language. She hadn't seen such writing in so long. It was somewhat foreign to her, which surprised her even more. This was the writing of her childhood, it was all she had known before coming to this school. Now she is constantly being told it was the language of the devil. But she knew better, right?

*Meet us in the storage house at your free time*

Us? Who was us? And what could they want with her? She thought about blowing them off. The storage house was completely off limits for the kids there. She did not want to get trapped in that dungeon again. Besides, the kids there worked from dusk until dawn. They were only granted free time because the nuns got tired of teaching them all day. She did not want to waste it on them.

She used to spend her free time contemplating how she would escape. But now… What was the point? She didn't want to risk ascaping if it was going to lead to her coming back here. What if they killed her father this time? She would never be able to live with herself. So she had nothing else to do during her free time anymore. She might as well see what these people are up to, and what they want with her.

The nun was sitting at the desk in front of the class, looking out to the rest of the class. Every student stared back at her with tired eyes. Ka'kwet found that her heart was beating fast. She had decided to sneak out, but didn't know yet how without getting caught.

The priest walked into the classroom, looking at the class, and pleased that they seemed to be behaving well. "I need to see you for a moment, sister. There are some kids missing in the other class."

The nun glared at the students, trying to scare them into behaving while she was gone, and stood up to join the priest. Ka'kwet let out a breath and ducked down under her desk. She crawled all the way over to the back door, trying hard not to be seen by the other students. She didn't want anyone to feel like they had to lie for her.

She reached the door and opened it slightly, almost blinded by the light from the light coming from the outside. The students (They were hardly students, more like prisoners) were hardly allowed to go outside, only to do chores. Ka'kwet liked to enjoy the outside as much as she could. But she was so afraid of getting caught to fully take in the light. Instead, she spotted the storage house and ran towards it, opening the door quickly and closing it with a loud slam. She prayed no one would hear that, and let out a shaky breath.

She looked around the room for anyone else. All she saw were nets, and balls, and other things to play with. It seemed the nuns sometimes received donations from nearby churches, but never thought to actually share it with them. She sighed, not even surprised anymore.

She almost screamed when a sudden figure approached her from behind, but the boy covered her mouth before she could let anything out.

"Don't scream." He whispered in Mi'kmaq. She nodded slightly and he let his hand fall to his side. She turned quickly to face him.

"What is it that you want?" She responded in english.

"We want out." He replied. It was then she noticed a little boy and girl close to his side, looking a bit afraid. Were they afraid of the darkness or her? Had escaping the school actually given her a reputation of someone to be feared? Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe she could use their fear to her advantage. It could keep her safe. The boy in front of her seemed about her age, and didn't seem to be scared of her. She put on her toughest face and looked at him straight in the eye.

"And who exactly are 'we'?" she asked him.

"Mesge'g" He said, apologizing in Mi'kmaq, "My name is Akkanda." He said. Akkada, meaning, abundance of things. Hearing this almost made her laugh. They had almost nothing now. "these are my siblings, Akkum and Anesakk."

Ka'kwet stayed quiet. Not knowing what she was supposed to say. She had never tried to scare anyone before.

"We need your help." He continued, "We heard you managed to escape this place."

Ka'kwet sighed. She should've known this was what they wanted from her. But she wasn't about to put herself in danger again for some kids she had never met before. "There is no escaping this place." She said on the verge of tears, "We're trapped."

"No we're not!" He said, grabbing her hand.

"What are you doing?!" She yelled back at him snatching her hand away. She had a hard time trusting after everything that had happened. Besides, she had trusted her friend, Anne, And now she was here. Stuck in this hell-hole sneaking off to a cold and dark storage house when she could be with her family, happy, just like she used to be.

The kids next to him stepped back in fear, and the boy immediately brought his hand back up to her face to cover her mouth.

"Don't scream." He repeated harshly. Ka'kwet glared at him and bit him hard, making him step back and grunt in pain.

He looked back up at her, probably wanting to utter some choice words at her, but took a deep breath and shoved his hand back down his pocket.

"I know a way out." He told her, "But we don't know where to go from there."

Ka'kwet saw the kids next to him, holding tightly to his hand, and trembling. It made her sad that they had to go through this. Ka'kwet was older and stronger than them, she could endure everything the nuns yelled at her and could go days with hunger. But these were only kids. They probably could barely remember what it was like to be free, and not stuck in this prison.

Ka'kwet looked sadly at the ground. " I can't help you."

"Yes you can!" Akkanda yelled back at her, suddenly not caring so much about being heard, "You just don't want to." Ka'kwet tried hard to blink back the tears that were forming in her eyes. She was really bad at holding up this so-called reputation she had. She looked away from them. Of course she wanted to help them. But they were so young, and they had no idea what was ahead of them. She couldn't even manage to save herself, she would never be able to get them out. It was hopeless.

Akkanda reached for her hand, then pulled back. "Wela'luet, Ka'kwet." He pleaded.

Ka'kwet looked at him dead in the eye, with angry tears forming in her eyes. "I said I can't help you." She repeated, "And my name is Sarah."

With that, she stormed out of the storage house, but lingered a while outside to make sure the coast was clear. She could hear his little brother tell him in mi'kmaq, "We can't do it without her." She ran off before she could hear anything else.

Jerry had already settled into Anne's room, which he would be sharing with his brothers. It was much bigger than any room he's slept in , with an exception of Miss Josephine Berry's room. They didn't have beds, so they planned on just sleeping on the floor as they did before. Marilla was very surprised when she heard they were used to sleeping on the floor, and promised them enough beds for at least two to share each.

Jerry was very grateful to be there, but was feeling really crowded. Although he was usually used to the crowded feeling, the kids were all running around the house, since they now have the room to do so, making the house chaotic. He left the house to work a while at the barn.

He was shoveling hay when he saw a man walking past the house. He thought maybe he was here to see someone, and went to the gate to greet him.

"Alo!" He said to the tall, blonde man. He then realized he recognized him. He was at the fair, playing one of the games. He remembered how he threw a fit when he failed to hit the bell. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Is Anne here?" The man asked him. "I just… wanted to speak to her."

"She's already left for Queens," Jerry replied in his best english, "Is it urgent?"

"No, I guess not." The man chuckled, "Truth is we're not that close. I just… Well she seems to always know what to say, And truth be told, I could use that right about now."

Jerry felt sympathy for the man. Judging by his clothing, he could tell he was a man of high rank, but he seemed sorrowful. It seemed like actual sorrow, not just rich boy problems. "I'm Jerry." He said, holding out his hand for him to shake.

"Billy." He responded, taking his hand. "You work here?"

"I live here now." Jerry answered, "Me and my family."

Billy looked back at him, shocked, "Did Marilla move?"

"No, no," Jerry replied, "She still lives here. She took us in to help around the farm."

Billy was taken aback, surprised. "That's a strange little arrangement you have."

"I suppose so,"Jerry shrugged, "But I think it works. Marilla could use some company right about now. Besides, farm needs work."

Billy nodded, in understanding, "You know," He started, looking around at said farm, "My parents have always wanted to get their hands on this farm. It has so much potential."

"Well, I-i don't think I am in a position to negotiate." Jerry replied, nervously. "You'll have to take that up with Miss. Cuthbert, though I don't think she'll be interested in selling."

"Oh no, I know that. We've been troubling her about her land for years, she just doesn't budge." Billy chuckled, leaning one arm on the fence, "Besides, I'm kind of over the whole family business thing, it's just way too much pressure."

"You know Business?" Jerry said in awe, "That's so cool! I've been considering trying that out."

Billy looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Business? You?"

Jerry looked down at the ground in sudden shame. He realized that it was an impossible dream, But he was willing to do what it takes to make it possible. "Well, maybe." He shrugged, "I mostly want to do something that will make me rich, like you!"

Billy nodded once again, looking back towards the land "Being rich is not all it's cracked up to be." He responded, "So many expectations, it's too easy to lose yourself in it all. It changes you. It can make you think you're better than everyone else just because you have more money."

Jerry didn't really understand, but nodded nevertheless, trying to figure just what it was Billy was staring at.

Billy suddenly turned to him in excitement, "Wait," He started, "You have access to all this land then?"

"I guess so." Jerry shrugged. "Why?"

"You want to go into business, right?" Billy asked, " You have all this land to help you get started! And I can teach you everything I know! Admittedly, I struggle a bit in the math part, but I'll get better with practice, no sweat!"

"Well Miss Cuthbert still owns the land." Jerry explained, "I just work here."

"Eh, you'll work out all the minor details later." Billy said, dismissing it, "For now, I could teach you all I know about business, like how I would manage this land, teach you all the ins and outs. Maybe you could help me out with land stuff, like working on the farm and stuff."

Jerry looked at him confused, "I thought you didn't want to work in business anymore?" Jerry asked him, "What's in it for you?"

"This is different. This is a fresh start. A clean slate if you will." Billy said, laughing a bit. Jerry just looked back at him in confusion. "I want out of my family's business, and I think going out on my own will be good for me."

Jerry wasn't sure. He had just met this man, and had once witnessed his temper. And he was speaking about going on his own, He knew this wasn't HIS land, right? How did he know if he could trust him?

"Just think about it, bud." Billy said, "And let me know, I live just 15 minutes west from here on horse."

Jerry smiled and nodded, not saying anything else in fear that he'll take it as a yes to his proposition.

"It was really good to meet you by the way," Billy told him, "probably the highlight of my week."

"Must've been a pretty cruddy week." Jerry laughed.

"Eh, it wasn't all bad…" Billy said looking at the ground with a somewhat sad smile on his face, "I'll see you around bud."

"See you!" Jerry waved back, heading back to the barn.

Thank you for reading, pls let me know what you think!