Okay folks!

Last chapter of AOA here! And I think I am going to just keep going into AOTI adding the chapters as I am here. I'll admit I write ahead and there are already a lot of chapters of AOTI but it is the book now isn't it?!

You know what I love Original McFishie, that you call me on the realism in my fanfics. From Lady Borden to the colours on the paint... I don't even know why I make sure of it, I just do, I suppose because it gives hints of the real world in there, not that it is happening but it could happen... and you're totally right, I am stringing it out...(best Jonathan Crombie impression here) "Sorry!"

CatieGirl as always I love putting these things in. This story of Gilbert's rebellion and his dad getting sick so soon after was in my mind from the beginning and he was always going to tell Anne it, just like this. It sometimes takes a while for it to be said but it does.

I know there are leaps in here. I'm leaving much to the imagination but I hope with kindred's you like it.

love

Carrots x

Gilbert was pretty sure his date to prom was the most beautiful of them all. All the boys went to the Prom in the car together and all the girls did.

One by one the girls got out the limo they had hired.

Of all the changes which had happened senior year, it was perhaps Ruby's which had been the most physical. Her bottle blonde hair had been dyed a more natural chestnut brown she no longer had a deep tan but instead a lighter natural brown to her skin. She had quit the cheer team mid year and had taken interest in politics and chess club, anything to keep her close to Spencer. Her dress was not unlike that of Princess Belle's from Beauty and the Beast which had made sense of Spencer's choice of outfit. His tux was royal blue with gold trimmings his hair in a pompadour comb over. They looked like a very modern up to date beauty and prince Adam. She curtsied as he smiled and slipped a yellow rose corsage to match her dress on her arm.

Next came Josie, she could still have her tantrums but Charlie had been a somewhat calming influence on her. Her style was much the same her dress was the puffiest and the brightest in colour, but Charlie blushed and kissed her hand gently slipping an equally as bright flower corsage onto her arm as he took her by the hand.

Diana was next A sweetheart lined in floral embellishments there were sequins shimmering down to a sheer illusion, a trail of red flowers a full mermaid skirt lined a nude underslip, with a matching shawl. Gilbert watched and saw the word 'wow!' on Fred's lips and he took her by the hand and for her was a corsage of red roses.

Last (and to his relief) came Anne. She had parted from her normal style and was surprised when she told him the colour was a light blue teal colour. He had of course obliged and was glad of his choice when he saw her dress. Again a change in tradition her dress was floor length and sleeveless. The dress was embellished with gold bodice with a long tulle and lace skirt with a floral pattern on the second layer. Her hair was up and back in a low twisted bun, parts were left loose to complete the style. They smiled as they met where looked at her silently for a moment.

"How do I…" she started.

"Beautiful." He said with a smile. "I um, I know its not a flower corsage but…" He slipped it to her and she opened the box. She looked at it and smiled. "My mom had the ribbon and rhinestones…"

"You made this?!" she asked him in shock.

"Yeah, sorry I know its…"

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. There was a silver ribbon on the outside which framed a smaller teal ribbon the middle was covered in rhinestones with a few scattered on it. "Gilbert its gorgeous how did you?" she asked him.

"A glue gun." He said with a smile. "I burnt my hand twice!" he said with a smile, Anne laughed as he slipped it on and they linked arms and walked into the party.

"Anne?" he asked her after graduation had happened.

"Gil!" She exclaimed happily throwing her arms around him. "We did it!" she exclaimed.

He genuinely smiled "Bring on college so say I!" he said.

"So say we!" she replied pulling back.

"Come with me, just for a few minutes, I have something to show you?" he asked of her.

"Sure." She agreed. He smiled and offered his arm which she took with an intrigued smile on her face.

He took her into his locker but before he opened it he started. "when my dad was really sick he told me all the things he would miss about me, about my life, if he didn't get better." He took a breath "He talked about things later like me getting married and having babies with my wife and being a grandpa…" he said with a smile "but he also told me, he's miss me graduating college and high school." He told her.

"Of course he would." Anne agreed.

"I know Marilla would get you something for graduation and its probably something worthy of the occasion…" he said opening his locker "…but with what dad said…" he took a breath pulling out a wrapped gift "…its not a lot but, happy graduation." He said giving her it.

"Gil!" she exclaimed. "Oh now this isn't fair." She said looking at him. "I didn't get you anything!" she exclaimed.

"Well it isn't really from me." He said thoughtfully. "I was just a vessel to deliver it." He said.

"Criptic?" she looked at him quizzically.

"No, not really." He grinned.

"Can I open it now?" she asked him.

"Sure if you like." He said quietly.

She smiled widely and ripped at the paper. Inside she saw a photo album which was beautifully presented leather bound with gold writing on the front. And a small leather jewellery box "What is this?" she said before she opened it so quickly Gilbert could say nothing. Her eyes widen at a picture of her mother and her father not unlike herself and Gilbert standing in graduation gowns from high school. She looked at Gilbert and asked "How?!"

He smiled nervously and took a breath "When we were in Bolingbrook and we visited the church, I asked the minister to maybe see if any of your parents friends had any old pictures of your mom and and dad I asked him to e-mail them through to me." He said. He took a deep breath. "He's one awesome minister or your parents friends were because he got back to me saying he had a pile of pictures, one or two video clips… originally I thought I'd just tell you what I did when I got one or two pictures but when it ended up being as many as there were, I took the best, the video cassettes, I put them onto a USB stick for you and that little box has in some love letters which I didn't read and some personal trinkets your parents left behind…" he trailed. "And I remembered what my dad said." He took a breath "I know they aren't here physically, but I guessed they thought they'd be here, seeing you graduate. At least this way, they still get to be part of your graduation day."

Anne looked down at the album again mouth wide looking at the pictures of her mom and dad.

"He was right the minister." Gilbert smiled. "You are the spitting image of your mother!" he said.

"Isn't she pretty?" Anne said with a smile to her mother's picture.

"She's beautiful." Gilbert said quietly, not looking at the picture but at Anne herself.

"Except that hair!" Anne asked. "Oh I wish I'd had blonde hair like that!"

"Don't." Gilbert told her a bit too forcibly it made Anne look up at him, he took a deep breath trying to think of the best way to turn the situation round. "I like it." He said then a teasing smile played on his lips "carrots."

She play shoved him and laughed then hugged into him before she said "So, Marilla is taking me out tonight to celebrate I guess your folks will be doing the same?" she asked him to which he nodded " do you want to come around tomorrow and we can look through the pictures together?" she asked him.

"You don't have to do that." Gilbert said to her shaking his head.

"I want you to." Anne said looking at him for a moment then blushing down. "You went to all this effort," she whispered. "For me." She added.

"It was no effort really." He told her genuinely. "Plus there are some really really cute pictures in there of you as a baby, I got to see them!" he teased her.

Anne's eye closed in embarrassment for a second then she laughed into him. She finally looked up and threw her arms around Gilbert the book between them "Thank you." She whispered in his arms. "Gilbert thank you." She whispered before she pulled back. "Please come tomorrow?" she asked of him.

He smiled down at her then bit his bottom lip "The moment you text." He told her.

"Oh gosh look at you!" Gilbert exclaimed, "no wonder there were so many pictures taken you were a cute baby." He said to her. "I've never seen a baby with so much hair."

"You have no idea what I go through every morning to make this straight." She said flicking her hair.

"I wouldn't bother, I told you before you suit curly hair, would it or loose curls?" he asked her. "Whatever its called you'd suit it.

"Wavy, the term is wavy." She said with a smile to him.

She turned the page to see a cheeky picture of her. Curly red hair tamed somewhat to it becoming flatter but that was not what was so bad. Her head turned over her shoulder she had a cheeky grin on her face her grey eyes sparkling green you could see all the way down her back and legs, ALL the way down. She was completely stark naked. "Oh My Gosh!" she exclaimed her hand flying in front of Gilbert's eyes covering them as he laughed "You can't see that!" she said.

"Anne!" he laughed. "You're forgetting one thing?" he asked her as he took her hands and uncovered his eyes she looked him in the eye. "I put the album together." He said with a laugh to her.

Her face dropped and her face turned a beetroot red " Oh go-" she blushed more.

"I've seen Anne Shirley butt naked, I've seen Anne butt naked!" he teased her.

Anne glared at him before she burst into laughter with him "Don't you dare tell anyone!" she exclaimed before they started laughing again.

"I won't." he finally agreed.

She looked down at the page at her hand went over the page at one of the pictures It was one of her and her mother, Anne snuggled into her mother's small bosom. Her mother wore a white tank top Anne was wearing white sleeping suit her red hair frizzed behind her, but the picture was of them both fast asleep. "Wow." She said softly.

"That one was my favourite." He said with a grin to Anne, "The person who sent it said your dad took it and proudly had it in a picture frame in the house and had dozen of little copies he gave to everyone saying 'this is my wife and daughter', they said he was so proud."

Anne smiled widely at the photo. "Gil this is amazing!" she exclaimed. She turned to the back where she found the USB sticks in the back "did you watch these too?" she asked him.

"I had to, to record them properly, you know they were on the old VHS cassettes? All the pictures the minister sent are on there."

Anne smiled. "Is it good?" she asked him.

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed as she took it out and put it in her laptop, sitting back beside Gilbert on her bed.

"Anne!" she heard her father call. "Hey Anne!" he tried again.

"Daddy." Anne said quietly her eyes went closer to the screen as if she could suddenly see the person filming.

The little girl turned towards the camera looking up at it "Dada." She said sweetly, holding a teddy in her hand.

"Hey Anne, who's that?" He asked her.

The Anne beside Gilbert looked at the bear. "blue." She said quietly.

"Who is it Anne?" her dad asked her again.

"lue!" the baby exclaimed then voices could be heard laughing.

"Blue?" her father asked.

"Ya, Lue!" she said again.

"But its not blue, its grey." Her dad said.

"Lue!" the baby Anne insisted "Lue Lue!"

"Blue okay." Her dad said. "Anne, what colour is this?" he asked her holding out a blue t-shirt

"Lue." The baby said.

"That's right." Her dad had said.

"and this?" he asked holding up a blue cloth.

"Lue." Anne said.

"That's right." Her said confirmed. "And this?" he said holding out something gray.

"eI" she said.

"That's right grey. So how come your teddy is called blue but he's grey."

"Its his name." Anne said quietly "not his colour its his name."

"Why did you call him Blue?" Gilbert asked.

"I like the word. Blue, blue." She said with a smile to him "Say it Gil, really say it!"

"Blue." He said slowly his eyes closed. "Blue." He said his lips turning up into a smile as he opened his eyes.

"See?" she asked him.

"Lue!" the baby Anne said before the adults in the video laughed again.

It cut for a moment before she heard her mother's voice first "Watch this its amazing." She heard her mother say, this time Anne was a little older, two years old. "Anne?" her mother said.

"Ya Mama." The little Anne replied.

"Say exuberant." Her mother told her.

"e-u-bant" the little Anne said.

"Clever girl!" her mother told her. "What does it mean Anne?" she asked her.

"appy!" the smaller Anne exclaimed.

"that's right Anne, happy." Her mother agreed.

"I e-u-bant!" The little Anne said.

"You're exuberant?" her mother asked with a chuckle.
"Yeah I e-u-bant." She said her body swaying back and forth.

An unknown voice came in the background of the tape "You should get her tested Bertha, I'm telling you she's a genius, no two-year-old should know the word exuberant."

Bertha looked up and smiled "She has big ideas; how are you supposed to communicate big ideas without using big words?" Bertha said her eyes lighting the same way Anne's did.

The video cut again to another quiet moment between mother and daughter Bertha rocking her child to sleep Anne's mouth dropped as she heard the words of 'the' song being sang by her mother. The chorus rang through her she gasped at the way she was feeling. There was a pause and her mother whispered to her but was clearly heard by the camera "I love you forever Anne." Anne looked amazed at the laptop as her mother placed her in the cot and started to quietly leave the room. "Walter!" She exclaimed to the camera" turn it off," she reprimanded him.

"I want it for Anne's 18th to give to her." He said the camera switching orientation and the two could be seen. "Luckiest man alive!" he exclaimed kissing Bertha on the cheek. "I want her to know what we were like." He smiled at his wife then looked at the camera "Your mother is the sweetest kindest loveliest mother in the world, but then you know that already don't you?" he said to the camera.

"Yes daddy." Anne whispered at it.

"And your daddy is crazy!" Bertha exclaimed (which made Anne laugh).

Walter looked right at the camera and shrugged "I guess it bye for now baby girl." He said before a flash of their feet were shown and the camera switched off.

Anne paused it her heart racing.

"I wasn't sure about the song or.." he started before her arms wrapped around him. "O-K…" he whispered gently.

"You gave me my parents back." She whispered to him. "You gave them to me."

"You like it?" he asked her pulling back from the hug.

"I …. I… words can't describe what I'm feeling right now!" She exclaimed. "Gilbert, thank you."

He smiled "There are more." He admitted. "I just thought you'd like these ones most. You can add to the album there's room and there's room on the USB stick too for some other videos there are more."

"No, Gilbert, its perfect!" she exclaimed. She opened the leather jewerely box and found in there two wedding bands an engagement ring and signet ring with 'A.S' engraved in it.

"Your initials?" he asked her.

"Yes they are." Anne said looking at it for a moment "a coincidence?" she asked.

"I don't know." He admitted.

She pulled out another chain which made her smile and she put the four rings on the chain and put it round her neck. "This way…" she told Gilbert "I can keep them close to me." She said with a smile.

Gilbert smiled back. "That's sweet."

It was the last week in August, Gilbert and Anne both attending Redmond university in September the pair had barely time to think about it with the upcoming wedding of their now friends Lavender and Stephen.

"I must get used to calling you it, no doubt it'll come in time." Anne said as she was putting up Miss Lewis' hair "though I suppose you won't be Miss Lewis for much longer and I must revert to calling you it."

"I will be confused by being called Mrs Irving, all I can think of is his mother when I hear it." She smiled. "Though I never believed that such happiness could be bestowed on me. I'm truly the happiest women there is." She said with a smile. "And you Anne?" she asked her.

"Me Miss.. Lavender?"

"Yes you Anne Shirley, you seem to have the constant and sought after companionship of a certain young man." She said with a smile.

"Gilbert is my friend." Anne said firmly.

"Stephen is mine." Lavender said to her.

"You know what I mean, its just not like that." Anne said with a little blush.

"Your blush gives you away Anne." Lavender said. "Have you dreamed up what love must be and not recognising it when it hits you right in the face?" she asked her.

"No." Anne insisted.

"Don't throw away what you and Gilbert have Anne." She implored. "Know it study it, realise what it is you have with him. It's so special…" she tried. "So precious, I promise you, you won't find it anywhere else."

Anne was mute for the rest of the time they got ready. The wedding was beautiful and the day as clear. Paul ran to Anne proclaiming although it would have been nice for Anne to be his mother he was glad for the one he had.

"I'll always be here for you Paul if you need me." She told him sweetly.

When the time came for the dance Anne and Gilbert took their place as best man and maid of honour dancing together. Gilbert noticed how quiet she was.

"What are you thinking of, Anne?" asked he.

"Of Stephen and Lavendar" answered Anne dreamily looking over at them. "Isn't it beautiful to think how everything has turned out . . . how they have come together again after all the years of separation and misunderstanding?"

"Yes, it's beautiful," said Gilbert, looking steadily down into Anne's uplifted face, "but wouldn't it have been more beautiful still, Anne, if there had been NO separation or misunderstanding . . . if they had come hand in hand all the way through life, with no memories behind them but those which belonged to each other?"

For a moment Anne's heart fluttered in her chest, her eyes faltered under Gilbert's gaze and a rosy flush stained the paleness of her face he took his lips to her forehead and kissed her there gently, she smiled softly and hid her face next to his heart. She realised this feeling had happened more and more frequently with Gilbert over the past year. Something very strange was happening between her and Gilbert Blythe, although what it was she didn't know.

Anne and Gilbert arrived back at Green Gables just before eleven and to their surprise was met by Diana and Fred sitting together.

"Oh we've been waiting for hours but we just had to tell you first!" Diana exclaimed. "well after our parents!" Diana continued "and I'm just so excited!"

"Diana slow down." Anne said patiently. "Tell us what?" she asked.

"We're getting married!" Diana exclaimed.

"What?!" Anne exclaimed her eyes wide.