Hello delightful people! I do apologize for the posting delay...again. But, I am hoping this chapter is a good enough pay off for your waiting. We are finally getting somewhere (though I can't make it too easy for these two!) Enjoy!

~Lizzy

As Anne squared her shoulders towards him, the first thought that rang through Gilbert's mind wasn't relief, as much as he had waited for this moment. Perhaps it was because he had barely seen her over the past few weeks, but in her dark blue coat, with her flushed cheeks and windswept hair, Gilbert could not stifle the thought that it was possible Anne looked more beautiful than ever.

His eyes having never left hers, he simply stared at her for a few long moments, wondering if the shaky feeling in the pit of his stomach was fear or anticipation. Funny how closely the line between those two things could blur. But for that moment that no words passed between them, Gilbert could not help but feel a certain light-hearted giddiness. It was a feeling that, despite the manifold things he had to say, rendered him slightly speechless.

It was Anne who broke the silence. "How did the football match turn out?"

Gilbert, momentarily thrown by the question, looked down at his grass stained shirt and shook his head. "Fine. We won."

"Congratulations," Anne blandly replied.

"Thank you," Gilbert replied, finding he wasn't sure what else to say. Phil's words began to echo in his ear as he realized that whatever was said in these moments could not be undone. Was he equal to it?

"I heard William Zane is having quite the season," Anne said unexpectedly.

"Yes, I suppose he is," Gilbert replied, his hesitation lessening with each one of Anne's pointless inquiries that only sought to delay the inevitable.

"Do you suppose Marvin Vasher will play again next year? I heard that he only meant to play his freshman year to impress a certain lady."

Gilbert stared at Anne in blank confusion. "What?"

Anne, in a shaky voice that only sought to prove she was stalling for time, replied hastily, "Oh well, I mean, that is just what Phll had said and everyone knows that he-"

"Anne," Gilbert interrupted, having quite enough of her needless conversation, "I didn't march across Hell's Half Acre through rain to discuss Marvin Vasher's love life!"

Anne's mouth hung open slightly and she was, for the first time since Gilbert had known her, quite speechless. Gilbert took a cautious step towards, as though expecting her to run away frightened at any moment. She didn't and as he approached her and they stood face to face, she closed her mouth and waited.

Gilbert, being the astute fellow he was (at least in these few moments), saw quickly that whatever he needed to say he would need to tread carefully. "Anne, can we please sit?"

She nodded and on instinct Gilbert took her hand and led her over to the small bench in the pavilion. When they were seated, Anne promptly but gently yanked her hand from his in a gesture that made Gilbert feel cold.

"Anne, we need to talk," he began.

"So you keep telling me," she replied.

"And I think you ought to do most of the talking."

"Whatever for, Gil? You tracked me down, did you not?"

Gilbert tried to remain calm in the face of her evasiveness. "Fine. If that's how you would like to do this."

"How I would like to do what, exactly?" Anne said, her tone suddenly a bit defiant.

Gilbert was not deterred and plunged right in. "How you would like to explain the fact that you have been lying to me for weeks on end."

Anne swallowed hard. "I- I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered.

"Stop it, Anne! You know full well what I am talking about and there is no use trying to hide it anymore. I know Stella isn't taking Philosophy this semester and I know Professor Hartley's research project was cancelled before term even started." He stopped suddenly as Anne's face went white, and a wave of tenderness washed over him. He reached out to grab her hand again. "But what I don't know is why. Why are you lying to me and avoiding me? Have I done something to make you angry?"

"No!" Anne burst out.

"Then what is it?"

Again, though this time with marked hesitation, Anne extracted her hand from Gilbert's and stood up. She walked a few paces to lean forward on the railing of the pavilion as she looked out into the now sunny day. Gilbert prepared himself for whatever she might say by taking a deep breath.

"I am sorry, Gil. I really am! I never meant to hurt you. It's just-" she stopped.

"It's just what?"

"I thought some space would be good for both of us and I knew you'd never agree to it otherwise so I made up a reason… or two."

Gilbert was stunned. Though he had known she had been lying, it still surprised him to hear her admit it out loud.

"Anne, I don't understand. Why would you think we needed space from one another?"

"Because," she burst out, "with all the gossip all the time!"

"What? Anne, that's absurd! Gossip has never bothered you before!"

"Well it does now!" she replied with more heat in her eyes than Gilbert was prepared to see.

"Why?" he asked

"Because we are not a couple, Gil! We are not a couple and we never will be and I am tired of hearing about it around every corner of Kingsport!"

Gilbert stood and closed the distance between them. "So your solution was to cut me out of your life completely? Over harmless gossip?"

"Maybe it's harmless to you, but not to me."

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't!" Anne spat back.

"Then why don't you help me," he responded through gritted teeth, willing himself not to get angry.

"We are not children anymore, Gilbert. The harmless gossip might have been fine in Avonlea and when we were freshmen but don't you think it's time for the world to move on?"

"The world can go hang for all I care, Anne! I do not care what anyone on this campus thinks of you and me, except you and me!" Gilbert was exasperated, and now he was on the verge of getting angry all over again. "And I don't care if the entire world spread the most vicious lies about us, there is nothing that would ever induce me to give up our friendship!"

"Gil, that's not what I was doing!," Anne retorted hotly.

"Well, it sure feels that way! I've been sitting around racking my brain for weeks trying to figure out what under heaven I had done wrong to make you avoid me!"

At this, Anne saw fit to let out a rather mirthless laugh. "Oh, yes, I am sure you've just been tucked away so nicely in your boarding house brooding over it for weeks! I am sure you've just been crying your eyes out over it, not been cavorting around with the newest, prettiest little thing on campus -" Anne stopped abruptly, as if she realized she had now said too much. Her eyes looked very much like they would like to undo those last few seconds.

But the words were out and Gilbert pounced on them. "So, this about Christine?"

"No!" Anne retorted abruptly.

"Then why bring her up?"

Anne was quick on her feet. "Merely to demonstrate that I am sure you are filling your new found free time just fine without me. In fact, my plan has worked rather nicely as I've heard a bevy of rumors about you and your new friend."

Now somewhere between frustrated and incensed, Gilbert turned around, brought his hands to his hair and pulled hard in an effort to calm himself before turning back around to Anne and saying, "And I'll tell you what I just told your friends, Anne. If any of you had taken any time to get to know Christine at all, you'd know that any rumors about a supposed romance between us are just that, rumors!"

"Come on, Gil, don't be so dense! The girl is practically hanging all over you everywhere you go!" Anne replied, her voice rising.

Gilbert countered with a raised voice of his own. "And if you weren't so dense and listened to every little bit of gossip you hear, you would know that Christine Stuart is engaged to be married to someone who is most assuredly not me!"

Anne stood motionless for a moment before taking a step back. "She- she's engaged?"

Gilbert rolled his eyes, wondering why in the world he was once again talking about Christine Stuart. "Yes, to a fellow back in Halifax. I am doing Ronald a favor by looking out for her."

"Oh."

"That's it? That's all you are going to say?" Gilbert replied, noting much of the fight had gone out of Anne at this revelation as a strange smile now played across her face.

"I- I am not sure exactly what to say," Anne replied, still a bit dazed.

However, Gilbert was still a bit irritated and out of patience with this entire exchange and he had some suggestions. "Oh, I don't know, how about 'I'm sorry for lying to you,' or 'I'm sorry for avoiding you!' Anything along those lines would suffice!" But then in the next moment, he pushed too far when he continued, "How about 'I'm sorry for making your life hell for the past several weeks!'"

It was that sentence that finally set Anne off and at last they were getting somewhere!

Anne looked up abruptly and shot daggers in response, too incensed to respond. Poor Gilbert Blythe had been through hell for several weeks! Gee, how did the poor lad pull himself out of bed everyday! How did he manage to even show his face around campus! Three paltry weeks while Anne had been through two plus years of unrequited feelings, culminating in this ridiculous moment! Making his life hell. Ha, she'd show him hell!

"Gilbert," she began crisply, "I do owe you an apology for lying. And I make one sincerely. I hope you can forgive me."

Gilbert relaxed his shoulders. "Anne, of course I forgive you."

"Good. Now, if it is all the same to you, I ought to be going now," and with that, she made to turn and walk away. She was a fool to think he'd let her get very far as she instantly felt the pressure of his hands on her arm, sending an involuntary shudder through her that threatened to melt her righteous anger.

"Anne, wait!" His voice was incredulous, bordering on desperation. "Where are you going?"

She turned again to face him. "Home," was all she replied.

He shook his head, "No, no, no, we are not finished talking!"

"I think we are."

He took a step closer to her and slid his hand down the length of her arm until he held her hand again and pulled her in even closer. "No, Anne, we are not."

Anne swallowed hard as every part of her body came alive. Attempting to keep the facade from cracking, she said, "We don't have anything else to discuss, Gil."

"Oh, I think we do." And then he led Anne back to the bench where he sat both of them down and said, "You still haven't told me why?"

"Gilbert, I told you. I wanted to stop the gossip." Anne tried to sound convincing, impressed with her herself for coming up with the cover in the first place. But if Gilbert had seen fit to believe her at first, it appeared he was rethinking his position now.

"Yes, I know what you said. But, the thing is, I don't know that I quite believe you."

Anne flinched, "And why is that?"

"Because I am having a hard time understanding why you would go through such trouble instead of just talking to me. Unless," and there he stopped as a thought shot through his mind.

"Unless what?" Anne asked, now petrified that he saw right through her.

Gilbert swallowed and let go of her hand and stood up. "Unless there is someone who you don't want thinking we are a couple." Then he looked in the direction that Roy Gardner and long walked off into and turned back to Anne, his eyes wide. "Is that it? You and Roy Gardner?"

Anne stood up. "No! I don't even know Roy. We just met today. He merely offered his umbrella and some polite conversation."

If Anne didn't know any better, she would have sworn the look on Gilbert's face at that statement was relief. He removed all doubt in the next moment when he said, "Good! Roy Gardner would never suit you!"

An unreasonable anger shot through Anne at that statement. How dare he! How dare he not want her but have the audacity to think he had a say in who she might find suitable! Anne could and had weathered a good deal at the hands of Gilbert Blythe, but she would not stand for his blatant condescension! Hurt and anger boiling inside, she stood abruptly and said before she thought it through, "How dare you tell me who would suit me, Gilbert Blythe!"

The outburst was so strong and unexpected that it fairly knocked Gilbert back on his haunches. Before he could get his bearings and make a reply or an apology, Anne stepped closer to him, her eyes wide. "Don't ever presume to know who I would or would not suit with. It is not for you to decide and it certainly is not your business!"

Anne tried to look away before an unbidden tear rolled down her face. She abruptly wiped it away but not before Gilbert saw it and his face contorted from outright shock to confused compassion.

"Anne, I am sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He stepped closer to her and reached out to trace a line on her face where her tear had been. "Please don't cry." His tone was so sincere and so caring, and his touch so gentle that Anne couldn't stand it anymore. The dam had broken with that one single tear and try as she might, there was nothing she could do to stem the tide of tears that now flowed freely as she practically melted into Gilbert's arms. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her as she soaked his mud stained jersey with her salty tears.

She heard his soft voice, a little shaky with confusion, finally say, "Shh, Anne, whatever it is, it is going to be alright. I promise. I am sorry for being a presumptuous jerk but that's hardly anything new, is it?"

Despite herself, she couldn't help but chuckle at his jest. Anne finally was able to take a deep breath and look up at him, his eyes shining with a mix of mirth and concern. It was a dangerous place to look, made even more so by a fleeting moment of certainty when Anne was sure if he moved his head even a fraction closer, he would kiss her. But he didn't. Instead, he moved one hand to take one of her hands in his and stroked her fingers gently. "Anne, please, I know I was a jerk, but all these tears can't be about Roy Gardner. I know there is something you're not telling me and I'm begging you to let me in."

"Gil," Anne replied in an anguished tone, wanting to pull away but not daring to, "I can't!"

"Why not, Anne? Haven't we always been honest with one another. Always the closest of friends? Please don't push me away now. I can't bear it. I want to help you. Please!"

Anne wasn't sure what part of his plea broke her resistance. It might have been his plea for honesty. It might have been his certainly that he couldn't bear otherwise. But in her heart she might have known it was his words on their friendship that brought her to the point of no return. For there would be no coming back from this. Their friendship would never be the same. But this Anne, tortured for too long by feelings she could not conquer, saw no other way in that moment.

She opened her mouth to speak. To finally tell Gilbert Blythe that she was madly in love with him and had been for a long time. She got as far as, "Gil, I-" but then she stopped. His hazel eyes were burning into her with such intensity and the pressure of his hand on hers sent maddening shivers up and down her body. She was so completely lost to this man that she did the only thing a woman deeply in love could do in that situation. She reached her free hand up and wrapped it around Gilbert's neck and, with one quick movement, Anne closed the meager distance between them and kissed Gilbert Blythe on the lips. At first, Gilbert seemed too shocked to respond, which suited Anne fine as she savored every second, but Gilbert's shock must have given way to something else altogether for a moment later, his arms were around her as the kiss deepened and Anne was lost completely. It was like everything she had ever dreamed of. His lips were soft and gentle, his hands roamed around her back and then up to the side of her face as he took over and began kissing her as she had never thought possible. Between kisses, she heard him raggedly whisper her name once or twice as though trying to make sense of what was happening. And what started as a tentative kiss quickly became a hungry exploration of explosive joy!

Only it was a joy she knew couldn't last. But, Lord help her she could not pull away! She tried, but it seemed whenever she felt like she could find the strength, he would hold her tighter. His lips would not leave hers, except for a brief moment when he pulled away to look into her eyes, only to pull her back into the kiss a second later. Anne could not tell how long the kiss lasted, only that she did not want it to end.

Finally, with all the will in the world, Anne managed to push herself away and break the kiss, leaving both of them both staring at one another as ragged breaths escaped their lips.

Gilbert looked… stunned. Too stunned to speak. Too stunned to move. Too stunned to ask Anne what in blazes she thought she was doing! And in that moment, it was perfect. Anne looked into the eyes of the man she loved and took a blissful second to relish in what might have been.

But when Gilbert caught his breath and opened his mouth to say, "Anne," there was no force on earth strong enough to keep her standing there. She knew she was a coward, she knew she was only delaying the inevitable, but also knew could not right then bear the weight of rejection. Yes, he had kissed her back, but he was likely taken by such surprise. So, with no other choice, Anne turned on her heel to make a hasty retreat. But Gilbert was too quick for her and arrested her progress immediately. "Anne, where do you think you're going!"

She would not look at him, "Please, Gil, let me go!"

"Anne, are you crazy? After that, you expect me to just let you walk away? I don't think so!" Gilbert was incredulous.

But Anne had had enough. With tears in her eyes once again, she looked him in the eyes one last time and pleaded, "Gil, please! You know now and if you care about me at all you will just let this be. Please! If I have ever meant anything to you, you will forget this ever happened. But maybe now you will understand why I pushed you away."

Taking momentary advantage of Gilbert's inability to form a reply, Anne slipped away from him and dashed off the pavilion and across the open field. Had she looked back at him, she would have seen a stupefied Gilbert standing there, looking oddly like he had all those years ago when a certain slate came crashing down on his head! It was an odd mix of irrepressible shock and disbelieving joy.