I know I am late this week and honestly this will be the upload which should be on Tuesday... But I do have updates to this Loving you forever and secret delight, so hopefully that will make up for it.

love Carrots x

Gilbert stirred in the early morning hours, staying in his position which he had been laying in all night his arm groggily reaching across in the bed, excepting the smooth flat sheets beside him, instead he found himself still half asleep, unable to wake himself from his dream. In it, under arm and hand lay a girl, her hair lay over her shoulder in a loose ponytail the ends of which he could feel tucked into his hand. Her form was small her delicate features as dreamlike as she was, he let out a contented sigh and held her a little closer in his arms. She lay across him, her tiny frame barely making an imprint on his weight. He found her, tucked into his legs her back to his body she lay soundly asleep there. Her scent was what was confusing him. His dreams didn't include that scent, although in his semi conscious state he wasn't complaining, it was almost as if she was here with him

In his dreamlike state he imagined it for a moment, what it would be like to fully wake with her in his arms and his hips involuntarily popped up squeezing the imaginary object for a moment. He let out a small satisfied puff of air before he wrapped his arms tighter round her.

As he started to become more aware he thought it odd the object which carried a small weight over him wasn't dissipating with the dream. But he knew it was impossible that it was her. She was in Avonlea, wasn't she?

His hips made the movement again and where the feeling was satisfying he was also cursing himself, she firstly wasn't real but if she were real, he would never assume he could do this, she's been abused like this before, he would not become privy to such behaviours. Anne was a lady and deserved to be treated as such, but as he become more aware of his surroundings his mind cast back to the previous day. He smiled at the memory of his birthday, for she had been there.

Yes, definitely had been there and had bought him a jacket he remembered, Hi she'd stayed in the apartment with him, and had jacket the care package from his mother, the cake which they had half eaten between them the night before and in their sugar rush they had a pillow fight.

His eyes shot open, his eyes looked wide to the sleeping object in his arms.

It was Anne.

His memory foggy for a moment it took him a few seconds to realise how she had come to Kingsport the day before she had agreed to sleep in his bed, he remembered getting ready for bed in the bathroom his t-shirt and his boxes. She had readied in the bedroom she had slept in a tank top and pj bottoms her hair had been done in a loose ponytail. He had taken the tip of it his fingers slid through it gently and with a grin called her 'carrots' again, he smiled.

He swallowed hard and took a couple of deep breaths trying to relax his body enough for it to calm down. Failing completely he lay as still as he could pivoting his hips the best he could away from her without waking her again failing. She opened her eyes which were glimmering green he looked at her as she looked up at her, he found despite his current predicament he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Hey." She whispered, turning on the bed reaching to the bedside table as she reached he brought his legs round her separating his pelvis from her.

She looked on her phone and made a decisive 'hphm' sound hugging lying with her back to him "Too early." She complained. Lying still a moment, she quickly turned to face him without opening her eyes she looked annoyed. "Hug." She demanded.

He chuckled turning on his side to face her "You don't want me to do that." He whispered to her.

She cracked open one eye and looked at him "why?" she asked him.

He pulled her a little closer careful of his movements where he whispered in her ear what was wrong turning a shade of pink. He pulled back and looked at her with a worried expression.

Anne smiled softly and whispered "You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"But given your experiences..." he said equally as softly back.

Anne let out a sigh "Oh Gil..." she started "please love, don't let him delay our relationship anymore then he already did." She whispered shuffling closer "You know I realised after I told you, I realised by delaying and denying my feelings for you, yes I was protecting myself but I was also giving him so much control and power in my life." She admitted. "There will be parts of our relationship we will need to play by ear because of it..." she said wrapping her arms around his neck. "But there will be delights..." she said bringing herself closer again "which I want..." she said now pressed against him "to- share- with- you." She finished careful to separate each word carefully.

"We've only just been together for two months." He said to her with a worried expression "and a good part of that we've been apart."

"We should have been dating for at least two years." She said firmly kissing him momentarily where she felt the reason for the conversation. "Oh!" she exclaimed with pink cheeks and fluttering eyelashes "Are you pleased to see me Mr Blythe?" she asked as innocently as she could before she burst into giggles with him. She smiled as they reshuffled themselves on the bed.

"Are you sure you're comfortable with this?" he asked her gently.

She kissed him firmly for a few moments before she broke the kiss to smile with him. "You're not forcing, I voluntarily put myself here." She grinned. "I'll tell you if I'm uncomfortable." She said with a smile to him. She found the bedcovers going over their heads as they cuddled closer. "How does it feel?" she asked him as he looked confused "Being 23, how does it feel being 23?" she asked him.

He grinned, his dimples showing his eyes brightening "I must admit I like it so far." He grinned as she chuckled burying her head in his chest.

"You flirt!" she teased him as she relaxed her front now snuggling into his side, she could feel his strong arms hold her safely. He smiled as she stayed there in his arms,

"How long can you stay for?" he asked her.

"I can stay all weekend, Andrew has given me the day off on Monday," she told him "as long as I leave by 3pm on Monday I'll be fine." She said sighing contently.

"Two more mornings I get to wake with you in my arms?" he asked her before she giggled in his arms "lucky me." He commented. "This is the best birthday ever!"

Two hours later Gilbert walked into the living area with nothing but a towel around his waist his skin still wet his hair in wet curls Anne looked shocked at him as he walked through "Gil!" she exclaimed.

"what?" he asked confused. "Don't you want to see me...?"

"Yes I do!" She exclaimed "but do you want the rest of the world seeing..."

"Anne..." he started shaking his head.

"I mean you have open windows out there!" she said her hand flying in the direction of the window.

"Its a one way window." He said before she looked at him her mouth opening and closing in confusion "We can see out, no one can see in."

She was silent for a few moments before she looked out then looked at Gilbert "No one can see in?" she asked him, to which he chuckled taking the cuddle seat behind her she turned her arms on his knees she looked up at him.

"Did you really suppose I would walk around here like this if people could see in?" he asked.

"You don't have anything to be ashamed of." She said with a grin as she looked up in his eyes.

"Oh?" he asked.

"Shut up!" Anne said playfully slapping on the towel across his knees "You know you're hot!"

He smiled widely before with slightly pink cheeks "You think I'm hot?" he asked her.

Her face fell for a moment before she spoke softly "The hottest!" she said with a giggle.

He blushed further his bottom lip protruded. "How's your book coming?" he asked her.

"Good," she said with a nod to the screen, "Its less of a novel more of a collection of short stories." She said looking at it. "You know I took your advice, and I've written the little stories of Avonlea." She looked up at him "and it's written itself." She admitted. "I keep editing, keep adding and taking away." She said, "but I like it, its mine." She admitted. "I suppose you always brought the best out in me." She said with a smile to him which made him smile even more.

"Just remember," he said practically, "no matter what you do, when you take it to a publisher there will be more and heavy editing."

She sighed in acknowledgement "I know I know," she replied equally practically. "Its just every time I edit I feel as though I'm editing part of my soul!"

He smiled "To refine you, its only when you go deeper in the earth, do you find diamonds rather then coal." He said to her with a kiss on her head. "I better get dressed." He said standing up and walking towards the bedroom.

"Are you sure no one can see in?" she asked.

"Positive." He replied.

"Drop the towel. If you're so sure." She said flirting.

"Don't tempt me." He said as he walked into the bedroom.

She smiled as the door closed behind him before her attention went back to her laptop.

A few hours later there was a knock on the door of Gilbert's apartment. Anne looked to him confused before she said "are you expecting someone?" she asked Gilbert.

"No." He said honestly confused before he went to the door and opened it to find an old friend there "Charlie!" he exclaimed.

"Hey Gil." He said with a half smile to him. "Would you mind if I came in?" he asked.

"Um, sure." Gilbert said with a confused look on his face. "Not that I'm not glad to see you," Gilbert said standing aside letting Charlie in "but what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Josie and I..." he started before he saw Anne sitting on the floor at her laptop "Oh, I didn't know Anne was here." He said surprised.

"Yesterday was my birthday." Gilbert said "Anne came as a surprise."

"Oh." Charlie said in a daze he was obviously still confused.

"Charlie are you okay?" Anne asked him.

He shook his head and burst into tears. Gilbert looked to his friend shocked as Anne jumped up and put an arm around him and gingerly guided him to the sofa to sit down, Gilbert in the meantime went into his kitchen and got him a drink of water. Anne closed her laptop lid and they sat on the cuddle chair together.

Charlie calmed after a minute before he said "Josie broke up with me." He said in a dead quiet voice.

Anne looked to Gilbert in shock where she could see Gilbert swallowed. "How do you mean broke up?" he asked.

"What do you mean, how do I mean?!" He exclaimed. "We're finished!" He said dramatically.

Anne could feel Gilbert taking a deep breath in to calm himself so she spoke "We're trying to understand how it happened Charlie." Anne said softly "you always seemed so happy together. Maybe if you can tell us what happened we might understand more your predicament."

"She claims I cheated on her!" Charlie exclaimed jumping off the sofa to pace the back of the chair "I mean me?!" he exclaimed "there are many things I know are irritating about me, I'm not the easiest person in the world, I know its in built, but I would not cheat!" he exclaimed, he stopped as if waiting for the pair to respond, "you're not annoying Charlie we love you Charlie!" he sarcastically threw at the pair.

Gilbert rolled his eyes before he said "you can't admit to your own personality flaws and expect others to disagree Charles." Gilbert said with a slight growl in his voice. Anne looked to Gilbert amused for a moment before she jumped in with,

"What we do know Charlie, is that despite any character flaws, it would be out of character for you to cheat." Anne admitted.

"Thanks." He said to Anne, before he picked up a puck from the tableside something which Gilbert almost jumped up at only Anne's hand on his knee kept him there, it was Gilbert's signed puck from Bernie Geoffrion, Gilbert's face dropped further as Charlie started throwing it in the air and catching it as he walked. "I went out last night with some friends as you do you understand it was a friends stag do." He said looking at Anne and Gilbert, Anne looked apprehensive of his story while Gilbert looked on edge "there's no need to look like that Gilbert, no doubt if you ever marry you'll have one," he said to Gilbert to which Gilbert didn't look away but his eyes were steadily on the puck. "So anyway, we only went to a strip club for a while..."

"Oh Charlie!" Anne exclaimed.

"I didn't watch!" He defended "I went out for a convenient dart."

"but you don't smoke?" Anne questioned.

"I was saying it to get out of it!" Charlie exclaimed his throwing becoming more and more erratic, Gilbert's face concentrated solely on the puck. "I did it so I wouldn't be seen to be cheating on her!" he exclaimed "and what do I get as a reward? The punishment as if I had cheated!"

Gilbert stood then and walked across to Charlie "where is Josie's evidence?" Gilbert asked taking the puck from him mid-air and holding it in his hands, which made Anne smile.

"She said if I was there I was cheating, she doesn't need the evidence."

"And how does she know you were there?" Anne asked as Gilbert quietly slid the puck back on the table.

Charlie swallowed before he said quietly "I may have been tagged on Facebook." Gilbert rolled his eyes before he sat down next to Anne. "I swear I didn't even see a dance."

Anne sighed and asked "Could you not have told her where you were going? She might have felt you were trying to hide what you were doing?"

"Since when are you the relationship expert?!" he snapped at Anne.

"Hey back off!" Gilbert said springing to his feet once again. "You don't talk to her like that." He stated looking his friend in the eye before Charlie snapped out of it.

"Quite right." He said quietly. "Sorry Anne." He said looking at her apologetically.

Anne sighed for a moment as Charlie and Gilbert sat down she looked to Charlie and said to him "I could go and see her if you like, I could talk to her and see if I can get her to see..."

"You could try." Charlie tried with a heavy swallow.

"Don't try to change my mind Anne!" Josie squealed at a high pitch. "My mind is made up." She said crossing her arms. "Charlie Sloane is a cheater!" she exclaimed.

Anne tried to adjust her hearing to Josie's voice in its current state. "I'm not taking Charlie's side Josie." Anne stated, "I just want to know it from your point of view." She tried.

"He has been cheating for weeks! This isn't the first occasion!" she exclaimed.

Anne looked to her shocked, "what you mean you have proof of it?" Anne asked.

"Enough." Josie huffed. "I see him text other girls and he meets with other girls and now this!"

"That's your proof?" Anne asked, "Josie this isn't the 19th century he can have female friends..." Anne started.

"How would you feel if it was Gil!" Josie exclaimed. Anne sighed and stopped for a moment before Josie said to her "I'm sorry Anne that was uncalled for." She said quietly.

Anne didn't speak for a few moment then she said quietly "I know what it is to be cheated on Josie." She admitted to her.

Josie looked up her mouth hung opened "Roy?!" she exclaimed in shock. "He cheated on you?!"

"Several times that I'm aware of," Anne said quietly. "And I had more evidence then a text or a call or an e-mail." Anne said quietly. "People knew, I knew they 'collected' the evidence in the hope it would be enough to get me out." Anne told her before she looked up "truth was I was so broken at the time, it didn't matter anymore." She told her. "as for the strip club and Charlie..." Anne continued turning the conversation back on itself "It wasn't his smartest move in the world, and of course its your relationship to define the boundaries within it." Anne said carefully. "I'm here to clarify what happened if anything." She said looking to Josie. "You've been together a long time." She acknowledged.

"Yeah we have." Josie said. "I don't know what I'm going to do." Josie told her honestly. "I just need time to think." Josie told her.

Anne smiled at Josie "then that is what you'll get."

"I can't believe you're asking this of me!" Gilbert whined to her.

"Would you see Charlie without anywhere to live?" Anne asked him.

"No but..." he started.

"Your best friend for years!" Anne emphasised.

"Yes but..." Gilbert tried again.

"It wouldn't be forever." Anne continued.

"Anne, he is Charlie." Gilbert pleaded, "you don't understand he would take over."

Anne sighed and looked at him wide eyed "just for a little while, until student housing can find him somewhere or they make up, whichever comes first."

Gilbert took a heavy sign then after a few seconds said "I'm not going to win this one am I?" he asked.

"You know its the right thing to do." Anne said with a little smile playing at her lips "so in a way haven't you already won?"

He took a deeper sigh "I hate it when you're right."

Anne grinned fully and retorted "No love, you love it when I'm right."

He chuckled and brought her into his arms holding her again to him "I do, its true, I can't help it."