Hi Folks!

So I've had some lovely reviews this week some old friends and some new. Thank you so much guys, yes I've been working on this about a year now so it's really a very long project! And those questioning if its coming to an end, have no fear, I'm not even close!

Oh I know people have said there's no need to because I don't write anything about it, but just a little disclaimer they talk about (consensual) sexting in this chapter.

love

Carrots x

Winter 2015

Gilbert walked across the field, the snow slipping into his boots he would feel it except his toes were already numb from walking. They had come home for Christmas after a very broken up term at school Gilbert felt disjointed from his peers, from his school work, his whole life was disjointed and he was alone.

He had his parents to talk to of course, but as much as he loved them what he really needed was someone to talk to about what he was going through. He shook his head feeling selfish again, how could he be thinking about himself when his father was going through so much.

It had been a long time since he really hung out with people his own age. His school work was often done by a bedside in a hospital, he was self taught in many disciplines but he was very nervous of his understanding of some subjects, what if he had misunderstood them?

"Hey Gil!" He heard behind him. His lips upturned for a moment as he saw Charlie and Moody come towards him.

Gilbert took a deep breath fixed his smile and said to them "Hey Boys."

"Where have you been?" Charlie asked Gilbert finally catching up with him.

"I would have thought that obvious." Gilbert told his friend.

Charlie and Moody gave each other the same dark look Gilbert was accustom to now. A knowing look between the two which was utter nonsense to him, because they didn't know, they couldn't know, and as much as they were still his friend he still never found it in himself to really talk to them.

"Hey, You know who I nailed?" Charlie asked Gilbert.

Gilbert took a frustrated sigh which seemed to go over Charlie's head but a grin from Moody meant he noticed.

"Beth." Charlie said with a smile.

"I really somehow doubt Gilbert cares about how many girls you choose to couple with Charlie." Moody said factually to Charlie.

"Naw," Charlie said nudging Gilbert "Old Gilbert here gets his share of the nurses right?"

Gilbert looked to Moody his eyes rolling "sure Charlie, whatever you say."

"Oh, nurses are hot!" Charlie continued quite in his own world.

"You're dad will get better you know Gil." Moody said to Gilbert.

Gilbert swallowed and looked at the ground for a moment "thanks." He said simply but knew the chances were slim at the moment. How do you tell your friends you're pretty sure your father is dying. "We'll catch up later yeah?" Gilbert asked his friends.

"You cutting up Green Gables field?" Charlie asked.

"Short cut home. Mr Cuthbert doesn't mind." Gilbert told them.

"Its Miss Cuthbert you need to worry about." Charlie said rolling his eyes. "See you later."

Gilbert hopped over the fence he turned the corner only to practically run into said Miss Cuthbert. Only literally running into her. Paper shopping bags scattering across the path its contents scattering further.

"Oh Miss Cuthbert, I am so sorry!" Gilbert exclaimed. The older lady sighed heavily where Gilbert interrupted running across to the contents of the bag "No, its my fault," he told her "I wasn't paying attention..." he continued. He came back having finally caught all the items his hands full he looked at the contents sadly realising he had no way of letting the items go as the paper bags had spilt clear in two. "How can I help?" he asked her.

He thought he saw her lips upturn slightly and only for a spilt second but just as quickly the look was gone and replaced by the stern look of an annoyed old lady.

"You can bring them into Green Gables." She told the boy.

"Right away, Miss Cuthbert." He said turned in the spot the dozen items or so carefully balanced across his arms. He could see out of the corner of his eye the older women looking at him her brow knotted.

"You're John Blythe's boy." she said to him, though it wasn't a question, more of a statement.

"Yes Ma'am." He confirmed. "Gilbert Blythe."

"How old are you Gilbert?" She asked him.

"I just turned sixteen ma'am." He confirmed.

"That's awfully young." She said to him.

"S-Sorry Miss Cuthbert?" he asked her.

"It's awfully young to be going through what you are." She said, now more softly.

He swallowed looking at the items in his arms "I'm not really going through it though am I?" he said to her. "Its my dad whose going through it."

Marilla nodded in agreement then said "When someone has cancer, its not just them it effects, it effects everyone who has ever loved them." Gilbert looked to her a little confused before she said "I believe that includes his son."

Gilbert let out a sigh and said "I'm just..." he stopped himself and shook his head refusing to say what he was feeling as they stepped up onto the veranda.

"So lonely you're talking to an old lady?" she asked him.

Gilbert looked at her his mouth "No you're not." He objected "You can't be any older then my dad." He said as a matter of fact.

"I went to school with your father, we were in the same year." Marilla told him.

"See." Gilbert said simply.

"Forty Eight must be old to a sixteen year old boy." Marilla said with a smile as she opened the door for Gilbert. "Just on the table." She instructed him. "And I can't help but notice you didn't say anything about me saying you were lonely." She said as their eyes met. For some reason Gilbert felt a knot in his chest release as he took a breath. He felt something familiar about her but couldn't put his finger on it at the moment.

"I... I... It doesn't matter." He said quietly looking away.

"You do matter Gilbert." Marilla told him. "Just ask your mother if you don't believe me." Gilbert stood silently looking at his feet before Marilla told him "You can go Gilbert, Thank you." She told him, he nodded and before he left the kitchen Marilla said to him "You're like your dad." She told him. Gilbert only nodded the corners of his lips upturning before he bid her farewell and left to go up the field.

Present day

Diana sighed looking out over the field. Anne Cordy was playing in the field not far from her while they were waiting for Fred walking home from work, he worked in the bank in Avonlea, he had only started there in September as the assistant manager, he had worked hard in his apprentice and even harder at the excel programme in the bank which meant he climbed the ladder to management very fast. Diana smiled as she saw Fred bid Anne farewell. Anne and Fred both worked in town, Anne would continue onward to Green Gables and Fred came up the field, they had started walking together in September when Fred had taken up the post, Diana was most grateful for Anne's company to Fred. Anne smiled seeing Diana at the top of the field as Fred opened the gate Anne waved up and Diana waved back to her before Anne walked on out of sight behind the trees.

"Daddy!" Anne Cordy ran down the field towards Fred her arms outstretched towards her father. He swept her up in his arms almost throwing her up on his shoulders as she squealed with delight, Fred smiled as he came up the field and Diana came down off the gate she'd been sitting on and with a short fast walk she was in her husbands arms.

"Both my girls to greet me." He said with a smile and a kiss to Diana's lips. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"Nothing in particular." Diana admitted. "But Anne Cordy missed you and wanted to come and play in the field to wait for you." Diana told Fred. "Its early November now, it might be the last chance we get for a little while." She admitted "the cold weather will set in soon." She said when he looked to her concerned for a moment. "So how many times did Anne mention Gilbert today?" Diana smiled.

Fred chuckled for a moment, every day they had walked home together he had kept tally of his old classmates mention of his ex football captain. "She did well today, only twice." He admitted "well, three really, but that was me so it would seem strange if she didn't respond to it."

"It would indeed." Diana agreed. "For someone who used to be so adamant about not talking about him..."

Fred smiled "well some girls are like that with their crushes... well it turned into love quite quickly." Fred said. "He got top of the class in a few tests recently," Fred commented. "She told me because he got top marks out of everyone..."

"That's fantastic!" Diana exclaimed.

"It would be but he only got 82%..." Fred said.

"Only?!" Diana questioned.

"Well yes but that's just the thing, he's used to acing tests we're talking high eighties into nineties."

"Well what was different about this one?" Diana asked.

"Apparently even the doctors said it was highly unusual for anyone to get above 80%, its just one of those test which are very difficult..."

"But its still higher then the unusual mark." Diana said confused.

"But Gilbert was disappointed." Fred chuckled. "Anne asked me for way to cheer him up."

Diana snorted to which Fred looked at her confused "Well I should think she is better then you at that."

Fred chuckled to his wife "she can't exactly do that from here, he's in Kingsport."

"She's been the Kingsport twice since the beginning of term."

"Which is why she was looking at others ways to cheer him up, she was asking me for a mans point of view." He looked to Diana seriously "Come on Di," he said with a smile "its romantic, she wants to help him, not lull him to a false sense of security through se..."he started

"Shhhh!" Diana interrupted looking up at their daughter on his shoulders.

"You know what I mean." Fred said exasperated. "Its young love." He smiled.

"And ours isn't." She smiled coyly.

"Well, we've been in love for a similar amount of time, but they've only been together for just under a year and a half, expressing love is different from feeling it." He observed. "It can make all the difference."

"I suppose it does." Diana agreed. She smiled up at him for a moment and she whispered "There is another reason we won't be able to greet you for a while." She said to him.

"Oh?" He asked as they approached the house.

Diana looked up at Anne Cordy and said "do you want to go to the playroom before dinner?" Diana asked her daughter.

"Play play!" Anne Cordy exclaimed clambering down her father. When he put her down on the ground she ran to the door when her mother got to the door she opened it and the child ran inside and away to the playroom out of view.

Fred looked at his wife curiously and said to her "Are you going to enlighten me?" he asked her.

"Well," she said with a blush "its really a bad idea to go wandering outside in the snow and ice, with a small child in hand when..." she trailed and blushed away shyly before she looked back and said "...when your carrying another baby." She smiled at him. He looked at her amazed with wide eyes "By the time the weather sets in I'll be four, five months." She smiled "I'm not sure exactly how far along I am but..."

When upon her husband ceased her lifting her in his arms. "Oh my god!" he exclaimed happily before he burst into laughter placing her gently on the floor and whispered "Our baby." He confirmed.

"Our baby." She smiled.

"A little brother, or sister for Anne Cordy." He smiled. "Oh Diana!" he exclaimed. Then started to sing badly "Thrills I get when you hold me close, Oh, my darling, You're the most, I love you but do you love me, Oh Diana can't you see, I love you with all my heart, And I hope we will never part, Oh please, stay with me, Diana."

She laughed with him as he spun her around the kitchen.

"Hey Beautiful." He said to her settling down with his dinner beside him.

"Pick a colour, red, yellow, blue or green." She said with a smiled holding something in her hands.

"What?" he asked. "What have you got there?" he asked her.

"Its a paper fortune teller." She said holding it up. "come on play." She smiled.

He rolled his eyes a little and said "alright fine." He said with a smile "red, always red." He said with a grin to her.

She smiled for a second "Thank you." She said. "R-E-D" she said shifting her fingers in the origami fortune teller.

"9,8,5 or 4?" she asked him.

"Um, 5, for your birthday." He smiled.

"1-2-3-4-5," she counted then looked at the numbers again "7,6,3 or 2?" she said with a smile.

He smiled looking at her for a moment before he said "Um, two for the two of us." He smiled.

"Oh very good!" she smiled. "1-2." She counted. "same again 7,6,3 or 2?" she asked him.

"Um, two again?" he questioned.

"Okay..." she smiled opening it up "Anything is possible!" she exclaimed. She looked up smiling at him "You see!?" she exclaimed "You have to believe this its a fortune teller." She said as if it was fact.

He chuckled "Anne, come on there's no evidence..." he started.

"The power of positivity, of belief!" she exclaimed "There's plenty of evidence!" she exclaimed "What about the placebo effect, huh? People believe what they are taking will help them when it doesn't but they get better?"

"So that is a placebo?" he asked her.

"No, because if you believe it your half way there, come on! Trust me!" she smiled "again!?"

He looked at her and chuckled before he took a bite of his food. "Hey, any chance you could make a x-rated version of that?" he asked her. She giggled and held up another one coloured in pinks and reds, hearts and crosses. He grinned at her "That's my girl!"

"Its not exactly... wellll... you'll see." She managed to giggle out "Okay scarlet, fuchsia, ruby red or soft pink..."

Gilbert lay on his bed one hand flapped behind his head and he smiled at the ceiling. He really did have an amazing girlfriend. Even back in High School he never imagined it could be this good. At the beginning of the week he had been feeling particularly down. He aimed at excellence, his competitive nature needed to be top of the class, not just top of the class but exceeding all expectations.

82%, was a perfectly respectable mark, in fact 82% of his class would kill for an 82% mark on a normal test, never mind the one dubbed the hardest test in medical school.

But for him, it was 18% he didn't get right, that's almost a fifth wrong, and it was hard to see, and he had no Anne to comfort him.

But, there she was.

250 miles away and she was still, right there for him.

He smiled more at the romantic version of the paper fortune teller. She had whispered hot promises, promises he lived off at the moment, but best off all (even better then the number which he had worked on quite early on meant she had to take clothes off so he kept on choosing it again and again) she had looked at him so lovingly, like he was adored by her and that beautiful look, it meant more to him then anything.

He felt his phone buzz and he opened the screen.

Anne-Girl: So can a girl fulfil a promise on a text?

He looked at the phone intrigued for a moment his heart rate raising.

What do you mean?

He waited for the text back not sure if she meant what he thought she did.

Anne-Girl: ;-)

He looked amazed at the phone before she sent the text.

Anne-Girl: What about sexting?

His heart raced as he looked at the phone, for a full minute he looked amazed unable to answer. Where he received another text from her.

Anne-Girl: Have I grossed you out?

This time he was quick to respond.

No Anne-Girl.

Anne-Girl: Because, you know lets forget about it.

No, please DON'T Anne.

There was a full minutes waiting time before she typed again.

Anne-Girl: Are you sure?

Lets just say I was looking at my screen amazed, I can't tell you the amount of times I fantasized about sexting with you.

Anne-Girl: Really?

Oh Yeah!

Anne-Girl: Like when?

Oh you know, once or twice a week from when I figured out I fancied you.

Anne-Girl: :-)

Anne Girl: So, Um, Did you know when we hung up the phone, I didn't put any clothes back on, in fact I took clothes off... I'm just in my bed... completely naked.

Gilbert felt two things go upwards at that moment, one of them was his lips turning up into a smile.

"...and then Davy actually took it!" Anne exclaimed as they entered the house to Fred who was merrily laughing with her.

"No!" Fred exclaimed laughing he looked to Diana and kissed her on the cheek. "Good Evening beautiful." He smiled.

"Just what I like to see, my two favourite people bonding as they come home to me." She smiled.

"Come now Diana, Anne and I have always got along." He said. "Even if she wasn't sure of me at first." He said with a wicked grin to Anne.

"You told him?!" Anne exclaimed her cheeks burning.

"You swore you'd never tell!" Diana exclaimed. She then turned to Anne, "although I think he would have worked it out from your reaction to us getting engaged Anne."

Anne blushed away silently where Fred spoke up "Come now Diana, don't embarrass our guest of honor." He said with a smile to Anne "its just she was unsure of how all the dynamics would change in all of our relationships." He said practically "and lets be honest there was some adjustments that needed to be made, you felt that surely sweetheart?"

"Well, yes I did." Diana admitted.

"I have for a long time worked out that I wasn't loosing you, that marriage, is a positive thing, that Fred loves you and wants us all to be happy. Myself included." Anne offered with a sorry look.

"There's no need to be sorry, all was forgiven a long time ago." Fred said with a smile "and we walk home now like old buddies don't we?" he offered Anne.

"Yes, yes we do." She said with a smile. "You're very kind Fred Wright, you're like Gilbert like that."

"And I believe that's the best sort of compliment you could give." He said with a grin. He turned to his wife and said "see just like Gilbert." He said which made Diana giggle. "What we having?" he asked her.

"Meat Pie and some Timbits for dessert." Diana said.

"Ohhh." Anne said with a smile "I'm being spoilt tonight!" she said with a smile.

"You are indeed." Fred agreed. "I'm going to go and see my daughter." He said with a smile to both girls he left.

"How was Gil this morning?" Diana asked Anne.

"Oh." She said with a blush with the memory of last evenings and this morning flirtings. "I think he was feeling better."

Diana looked at her friend suspiciously "I'm sure." She said to Anne then in a look Diana whispered "Do you miss him?" Diana asked.

"Yes." She admitted Anne thought for a moment "flirting isn't the same as being with someone..." she started slowly "and maybe a little last night we..." Anne almost whispered "Sexted."

"What!?" Diana exclaimed in surprise loudly, before Anne shushed her and they both looked towards the door to see if Fred was coming to see what had happened. With no sign of him Anne sighed in relief. "Sorry, just, I wasn't expecting that!" she said in a whisper.

"Well how else are we meant to get any intimacy now?" Anne asked Diana. "He's away and I can't go running to Kingsport every weekend, Andrew is really awesome, and Friday's I'm always off early but even when I drive there on Friday night I stay Saturday and most of Sunday, we can't just have sex the entire time I'm there he has work to do, I have work to do if I ever want to get published." Anne tried to justify.

"I'm not judging Anne, and I suppose Fred and I never had to come across that obstacle." She admitted. "I just didn't think you two would be into that." She admitted. "Just how adventurous are you two?" she whispered to Anne.

Anne looked to her confused "I don't understand?" she questioned.

"Well..." Diana started "have you two had sex outside?" Diana asked her, to which she received a telling blush "In a tent doesn't count." Diana continued.

"Still yes, and in the tent too." Anne blushed.

"Oh!" Diana exclaimed with a wicked smile on her face "In water?" Diana asked, again no words left Anne's mouth but a grin did start to appear on her lips "A barn?" Diana continued to pry. "In a pick up truck?" Diana smiled. "In a kitchen? Oh by a window?"

"A one way window..." Anne trailed with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Good heavens women do you two ever stop!?" Diana exclaimed.

"Yes, for the first six years of our acquaintance." Anne justified.

"So, sexting..." she trailed "how far did you go?" Diana asked.

"There wasn't any porn if that's what you mean, we tastefully covered up our parts for the pictures..." Anne blushed "although I'll admit he looked better then I ever could..." she added "but we flirted, we suggested things we wanted to do to each other the next time we met..." she trailed and her eyes rolled a little "frustratingly it made me want him more." Anne shook her head and looked to Diana pink in face, Anne sighed "When I think about all the time we could have been together..." Anne trailed.

Diana's head nodded in understanding, she took a sigh and asked "did it cheer him up at least?" she asked Anne, to which Anne smiled softly. "He really has nothing to worry about." Diana said shaking her head.

"Its a worry to him." Anne said thoughtfully. "Whether or not we think it is."

"Maybe its the perspective of it." Diana said with a sigh.

"Well when you always get 90 odd percent a 'drop' to low 80s is quite the shock." Anne said with a shrug.

Diana took a sigh and said "how's work?"

"Its good." Anne said with a smile. "We're looking at getting an author to come into the bookstore."

"Really?!" Diana asked. "Is that how you'll get Avonlea on the map?"

"Well, one of the ways!" Anne said with a chuckle.

"What are you doing up at the school every Thursday afternoon?" Diana asked her. Anne looked to her for a moment before she continued "Davy said you're there every Thursday, that you've been in classes sometimes?" she questioned.

"Just something Miss Stacy suggested." Anne shrugged.

"Help me with these?" Diana asked of her, which she happily obliged carry some food into the dining room.

Dinner was shared, and Anne Cordy was put to bed, the three friends sat in the living room.

"So, actually," Diana started "we invited you over to tell you something?" Diana explained.

"Oh?" Anne asked.

"Are you ready to be an Aunt again?" Diana asked her friend.

Anne looked at Diana with wide eyes and then to Fred who smiled then back to Diana "You're pregnant!?" Anne exclaimed. "Oh Diana!" she jumped up as Diana got up calmly and threw her arms around Diana. "Oh congratulations!" she exclaimed before she brought Fred into the hug. "Oh you guys!" she exclaimed. "Oh I can't believe it!" Anne continued pulling back for a moment "its about time there was another Wright in the world!" she smiled.

Diana smiled and looked up at Fred.

"So when will you start?" Fred said with a cheeky grin.

"Fred!" Diana said with a playful slap to his chest. They all sat back down as Fred nursed his pride. "Though honestly Anne, don't you think about it?" Diana enquired.

"We're only 23, there's plenty of time for that." Anne said with a smile to her friends.

"Gilbert's just turned 24." Diana observed.

"Gilbert isn't the one with a biological clock!" Anne retorted. She smiled and shrugged "One day, yes, but we've only just been together for just a little over a year."

"Oh but your kids will be beautiful!" Diana exclaimed.

Anne laughed and shook her head. "We're not there yet." She said.

"We've talked about kids Anne you shouldn't be surprised other people are curious." Gilbert said with a shrug that night as she recounted the evening for him.

"I know that." She said finally sitting on her bed "it would just be silly having a baby now, I mean you still have medical school I'm not exactly in a career yet." She said. "Fred went straight from school into an apprenticeship. Thanks to his hard work they are happy and able to have a family."

Gilbert swallowed and looked at Anne "Money isn't everything, we could have babies before I finish medical school." He said logically.

She smiled at the screen at his hopeful face "I'm not saying no to the idea, but do you really want to be a daddy in nine months time?" she asked him.

He chuckled and flirted "Damn you Shirley, propositioning a boy like that."

Which got him a good chuckle from Anne, "well its too bad if you did I already took my pill today." She said with a shrug.

He smiled and said "Nothing wrong with practicing though is there?" he asked her.

"Well," she said in a thoughtful flirt "they do say practice makes perfect." She smiled. "Next time love, next time."