Chapter 13

Gilbert couldn't help but smile thinking of what today was, it was Anne's birthday. He knew better than to hope for her to accept any sort of present to mark the occasion with from him. But he had convinced Henry to let him contribute to a present Henry and Tommy were giving her. Anne wouldn't know it, but when she wore the beaded braclet her brothers gave her, she would also be wearing something Gilbert had given her as well. The beads had been carefully selected and strung and then wrapped with care. Spying it upon her wrist as they walked to school, he couldn't help but think of how someday, after Anne finally forgave him that she would hopefully be wearing a different type of jewlery and this one wouldn't circle her slim wrist, but rather her finger.

Gilbert couldn't help but comment on her new bracelet and or hide his smirk when Anne declared that it had come from the dearest boys in the world, looking affectionaly at Henry and Tommy.

March quickly gave way to April though and Anne was determined to make Tommy's birthday memorable. So determined was she, that for the sake of Tommy she was willing to seek Gilbert's help. Tommy had been enthralled by the idea of a bow and arrow set ever since Anne first regaled him with tales of Robin Hood. When she found out there was one boy in Avonlea that had experience making and using such a device, she didn't care that he mocked and argued with her. She could make Tommy's tenth birthdays special if she would just appeal to Gilbert Blythe to show her how to make a useable bow. Swallowing her pride Anne approached him. She had been tempted to pass the task off to Henry, but this gift was her idea and she would do anything for Tommy.

"Mr. Blythe," Anne said her tone hesitant yet determined, willing herself not to let the quiesiness in her stomache get the better of her. "May I trouble you for a favor?"

"Anne!" Gilbert greeted her happily. "Sure," he said grinning, not caring what the favor was, just glad that Anne wanted his help with something and had voluntarily approached him.

"I have heard you are skilled in making a bow and arrow," she said shifting uncomfortably.

Gilbert watched her closely, keenly aware of her discomfort and wishing she would be at ease by him. "That I am. May I assume you have need of one?" he asked smiling at her with what he hoped was a charming smile.

"Yes," Anne said after a moment, then in a rush she added, "Tommy has wanted one for years and it will be his birthday soon and if you were to instruct me how to make one, I'm sure I could come up with a way to pay you-"

"I'll help you," Gilbert said interrupting her nervouse ramble. "But your not paying me."

"I'll return the favor someday," Anne said jerkily, with a nod, uneasy with the idea of somehow being in this boy's debt.

"No Anne, that would still count as payment," Gilbert said, a smile pulling at his mouth. A certain rougish part of him wished to tell Anne that he'd help her in exchange for a kiss, but as much as he wanted to kiss Anne, he wanted her to want to kiss him. "Tell you what, you can accompany me to gather the supplies and go over our history course work with me while I show you how to make it, deal?" he asked, sticking his hand out to shake.

Eyeing his hand warily, Anne none the less gingerly grapsed it and agreed, "Deal."

Gilbert unable to help himself grasped her hand a little longer and tighter than necessary, savoring the feel of her hand in his and the familiar spark he felt whenever he touched her. He was proud of himself for not taking to much advantage of her offer of a return favor, other than her company and school related conversation while he showed her how to make a bow and arrow set. An unnamed favor from Anne was a tantalizing prospect. It could have been used to insist she stop treating him with icy formality, and finally start calling him Gil. That she give him a lock of her hair. And the most tempting of all, a kiss. Instead he had simply secured her company to talk history while making a bow set. He could imagine that otherwise she might not say a word to him during the entire time.

….

Close to the appointed time Gilbert tried to not appear to eager as he went to go meet Anne. He had noticed that when he was over eager Anne tended to withdraw quickly and he was looking forward to having her to himself while he helped her. Or at least he hoped it would be to himself. He was hoping Anne wouldn't bring Diana or Henry along. He suspected as much as he wanted to be alone with Anne, she would much rather have someone there as a buffer between them. When he reached the appointed meeting stop he stared in wonder. Anne had come alone, which was cause enough for delight, but her hair was down, out of any sort of braid and he itched to touch it. He might have been content to stand their staring, but Anne all of a sudden whirled around and spotting him eyes flashing she quickly began to rebraid it.

"Daydreaming Anne?" Gilbert said attempting again a charming smile. Then unable to help himself he added teasingly, "Is that why my marks are so much better in arithmetic than yours?"

"Your not better than me, Mr. Blythe," Anne retorted. "Remember I've seen your history marks."

"I'm surprised yours are so good, that you haven't imagined out new bits to replace the boring bits and remembered them instead," he prodded smiling.

"I know the importance of recalling the facts of real life, Mr. Blythe. History is not something anyone can change by imagination, it doesn't work that way. Now shall we begin?"

"So there isn't anything you would rather imagine happening differently then it does in textbooks?"

"I can perfectly easily imagine what is happening on the page without altering any of the facts to please myself. I don't make the same mistake twice," Anne said gravely as she remembered the first time in the orphanage she had imagined an alternative history and presented it during lessons. Henry had claimed the blame for what was said to be blasphemous and unpatriotic. He received enough wacks to his knuckles for them to be raw and bleeding. Anne had bandaged him up afterward and tearfully apologized for reimagining the history lesson, promising never to use her imagination in history again. Henry had hugged her and told her that she shouldn't do that, but rather use her imagination to picture history happening and maybe place herself in it, without changing any major events or people whether she liked their names or not.

"Anne," Gilbert called gently to get her attention seeing that she wasn't daydreaming but appeared moreso to be lost in an unpleasant memory.

"Where do we begin, Mr. Blythe?" Anne said attempting to shake off the memeory.

We need to gather supplies," Gilbert said watching her carefully. Having seen the sadness in her eyes and knowing she wouldn't let him comfort her, he all of a sudden wished she had brought along Diana or Henry. Either of them she would accept a gesture of comfort from if they offered it. "Anne, are you okay?" he asked tentatively.

"Never better," Anne said tossing her head and glaring at him, angry he had somehow perceived her brief moment of weakness when she remembered why she didn't imagine different history. She quickly became angry that this boy, this boy who had everything, dare accuse her of reimaging history, like it was some joke. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she said turning to leave but was stopped by Gilbert grasping her wrist.

Anne gave a frightened tug and he isntantly let go. She eyed him warily, craddling her wrist to her.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked in alarm, horrified that he may have inadvertently done so.

"Noooo," Anne said drawing the word out slowly as she lowered her wrist to her side, still eyeing him warily.

"Tommy's birthday present," Gilbert said desperately, not wanting her to leave.

"For Tommy," Anne mumbled to herself and then to Gilbert she said, "You mentioned we would need to gather supplies."

"First we need to find just the right piece of wood to start with."

Gilbert knowing Anne couldn't resist nature and communing with the trees, informed Anne that not only did the wood have to be of a certain size, it needed to speak to them, calling out it was the right one. Anne quickly lost her reserve and delightedly touched amd carressed every branch and stick until, eyes shining she informed Gilbert that, this, as she held one up, was the one for Tommy's bow. Gilbert couldn't have stopped the answering smile that appeared on his face if he wanted to. When she beamed at him like that, he didn't even care that she kept calling him Mr. Blythe and walked with distance between them, moving away if she perceived him as coming within three feet of her.