Gilbert drove Anne home that night and thought about her the whole drive back to his farm. He loved her, but she was not there yet. They were doing so well and then Billy had to show up and ruin everything. Anne was shaken; she didn't want to talk about what transpired between the two of them while Gilbert was unconscious. He had just unhitched his horses from his carriage when he heard horses approaching. He locked up the barn and met the riders.
"Hey, Gilbert!" It was Mr. Andrews and a few other men. "Billy had said he was coming over here hours ago, but he hasn't been back home. Oh!" The older gentleman must have noticed that the bruises on the young man's face. "What happened to you, son?"
Gilbert made to touch his face then grimaced, "Well, sir, to be perfectly honest, your son attacked me." Mr. Andrews gasped in horror.
"Why the Hell would he do that? Did you have a disagreement?" Gilbert scoffed at the question.
"Well, sir, I don't think he quite has gotten over Miss Anne and overreacted when he saw her helping me learn how to cook. He attacked me and called Anne some awful names. She was devastated. I just dropped her back off at Green Gables just now." Gilbert explained.
"Well, do you know where he ran off to?" Mr. Andrews asked. Gilbert explained that he was unconscious and when he awoke Anne was curled up in a bedroom shaking and sobbing, refusing to talk about Billy and what happened while he was knocked out. Mr. Andrews looks simply aghast.
"All she said was that he apologized for his behavior and then ran out of the house." Gilbert offered to help search for him, but Mr. Andrews declined. Knowing that his son would be in a fragile, emotional state due to their fight, it was not the best of ideas.
The next morning, Mrs. Rachel Lynde, the town gossip ran over to tell Marilla about the missing Andrews boy. "They've been searching all night. They say the last one to see him was your Anne!" Marilla pursed her lips together. Anne had been upset last night, but hadn't wanted to talk about it. She'd gone straight to bed and not woken yet.
Marilla excused herself, "I am going to check on her. She doesn't normally sleep this late and wasn't quite well last night. I'll catch up with you later, Rachel, dear." Marilla showed her friend out then climbed the stairs to Anne's bedroom. She knocked lightly, "Anne? Are you well?"
Anne opened her door a crack and Marilla blanched at the sight of her. "Oh, Anne, what's wrong?" Anne began to sob then threw herself back into her bed.
"Marilla, he attacked me. I was so scared. He saw me at Gil's and assumed the most horrible things. He called me such horrid names! He knocked Gil out and then followed me into a bedroom. He almost, oh God, but he didn't. He looked horrified at what he almost had done and ran off." Anne sobbed some more as Marilla tried to console and soothed her. Eventually the poor girl fell back to sleep.
Matthew Cuthbert was a quiet and gentle man, but when his sister told him about the Andrews boy trying to force himself on his child, the quiet that followed was defeaning. He walked calmly to the barn, asked Jerry to keep an eye out on Marilla and Anne, then mounted his horse and rode off.
He thought a lot. He thought about the young girl he was helping raise as his own. He thought about the way she'd grown up too fast. Thought of how in love she had been with the Andrews boy. He thought about the love he saw in the Blythe kid when he watched him with his daughter. Then Matthew thought of the smiling girl who's smile didn't quite reach her eyes anymore these days.
She'd been through so much in her short fifteen years. Anne had to grow up too soon through her life in foster care. She'd seen too much. And now, when she should be safe, Matthew couldn't even provide that half the time. He rode to the cliffs. The place he used to run to when upset about his older brother Michael's death in the war, the place he ran to when his mother died, and the place he ran to when all hope was lost. That's where he found Billy Andrews.
Anne woke and the sun was already setting. She washed up and changed her nightdress. Her stomach was empty and gurgling, so she put on her housecoat and slippers then walked down the stairs. Marilla was sitting at the kitchen table waiting and watching Jerry eat a bowl of chowder. "Anne, have a seat dear. I'll get you a bowl and some biscuits. You must be famished."
Anne sat next to Jerry and he gave her a small smile. "Hallo, Miss Anne. Are you feeling any better?" Jerry asked in his French accent. His English had improved greatly over the years. "'Ave you seen Miss Diana lately? I've noticed she no longer visits you since you've been 'elping Blythe." Anne smiled sadly.
"Feeling okay, and no, Diana and I are not speaking at the moment. She betrayed my trust, or at least, I thought she did. Turns out, she was right the whole time." Anne thanked Marilla for her dinner and tucked in. She felt as if she hadn't eaten for days. "Has anyone been by? Where's Matthew?" She suddenly realized that the man of the house was not there.
"He joined the search for Billy Andrews. Nobody has seen him since yesterday." Anne looked up in horror. Jerry took her hand gently.
"Don't worry Miss Anne. Please don't be upset." Jerry said as he patted her softly.
"I-I'm not upset. Do they think something bad happened to him? Do they," a soft whimper escaped her mouth and Marilla took her in her arms. "Do they know what he did to me?" Marilla shushed her and Jerry rubbed her back. Anne was probably his best friend, like a sister, and it really made him angry to know that anybody would try to hurt her in any way.
"Yes, I believe they do know. Don't you worry though. Everyone in town, well, almost everyone is searching for him." Marilla said gently as Anne calmed down.
She looked up and asked, "What do you mean, 'almost everyone' Marilla?" Marilla smiled and wiped the tears from Anne's face with her hanky.
"Gilbert Blythe offered but was refused. Mr. Lynde said he didn't seem too put out about it. Says the poor lad's face was all bruised up from Billy's attack on him." Anne gasped.
"Oh, my sweet, dear Gilbert! Has anyone seen him since then? I do hope he is alright. What if he doesn't ice it properly? I should bring him a bruising paste? Well, not me. It is quite late. Oh, Jerry? could you drop by Blythe Farm for me and check on Gil?" Jerry nodded and stood from his chair.
"Let me get a horse saddled up and I can go before heading home. Miss Cuthbert, it is okay?" Jerry looked to the older woman for her instructions. Marilla agreed it would be best. Anne and Marilla put together a First Aid package and sent Jerry on his way.
"Now, I'll clean up in here and make tea. You can sit in the parlor and read or knit. Off you go. No arguments." She smiled at Anne and watched her walk into the parlor. She worried for her girl, but knew Anne was strong enough to overcome anything.
"Billy? What in the world are you doing with yourself boy?" The wind off the ocean drowned out the sound of Matthew's horse approaching, so imagine Billy's surprise when Mr. Cuthbert's voice rang in his ear
"Mr. Cuthbert! You startled me!" Billy had his hand on his chest in surprise. "How'd you find me?" Matthew looked at the young man. He wanted to throttle him, he really did, but his gentle nature always won out.
"Everyone is searching for you. Your father especially. What were you thinking?" Matthew chastised him.
"I wasn't...thinking, that is. It's just..." Billy closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to find the words. "I'm in love with your daughter. When we were separated from each other, I began to die a little inside each day. Then, my sister had told me she was at Blythe's house. I couldn't help myself. I went over, telling my father that I'd wanted to check up on Blythe since his father passed away, but really I only wanted to see Anne. And when I looked in the window, I saw her in his arms about to be kissed by another man's lips and I lost control!"
Billy started to breathe raggedly, "I called her names, I beat the crap out of Blythe, I wanted to hurt them both, and then," Billy dropped his head in his hands and cried. Matthew knew what came next, but it still shocked him to hear it. "I almost did it. I wanted to. I forced her legs open. I ripped her tights off, I almost made her take all of me, but I couldn't. The fear in her eyes! Oh, damn it all to Hell! I'm a monster! I wanted to die! I wanted to throw myself off these cliffs. But I am a coward and couldn't even do that!" He continued to sob openly and Matthew hugged him tightly.
"You're NOT a coward, son. Only a coward would do that. Only a coward would take his own life. I know this because I have almost thrown myself from these same cliffs numerous times before." His confession caused Billy to look up in shock. Matthew nodded. "It's true, but I always remembered that I would be leaving too much behind. And so will you. You made mistakes, you'll make more, but you must face it head on. Come now. Your family's worried sick."
The men stood up and began walking Matthew's horse back towards town. By the time they made it to the Andrews Farm, Billy felt ready to face the consequences of his actions.
Two weeks later, they received word that Billy was being sent to a relatives house in Nova Scotia to finish his last year of school. Anne took the news hard. She still loved the boy after everything he'd done. She didn't want to love him, but it wasn't the love it once was. Gil tried to calm her down. "Anne, lovely, beautiful, intelligent, Anne. I know it hurts, but this is what is best for everyone. Billy needs the distance. Jane says he will be seeing a therapist as well. This is going to help him. Don't be sad. Come here." He walked her over to the loveseat.
"Let me help you." Gilbert kissed her neck, the spot that drove her mad. Anne hadn't allowed much besides a peck on the cheek lately, but she needed to feel Gilbert's affection. "Anne, I love you so much. Let me show you." His words instantly warmed her.
"Oh, Gil, I want, I need you. I think I may be falling for you " Anne admitted. How could she not be falling in love with him? He was gentle and loving, patient and kind. She moaned as he worked his way down her body and kissed every inch of her. "Gil, please, I want more." He stopped his ministrations and looked up in her face.
"Are you, are you sure?" They'd done a lot together, but never intercourse. Anne stood from the sofa and held her hand out to him. Gilbert let her lead him into his bedroom. As the door closed, he stood and watched Anne begin to undress. He took it as his cue to disrobe as well. Within minutes, they faced each other in their underclothes.
Anne got under the blanket and removed the rest of her clothing. "Gil, please," she pleaded with need. He removed his boxers and watched Anne blushing as he climbed into the bed beside her. He could feel the heat coming off of her body. He took her breast into his mouth and licked and sucked at her nipple. Anne felt her face flushing as she arched her back off the bed, the want for more overcoming her. Gilbert looked up and watched her for a moment.
"Anne, oh, Anne!" He groaned as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Now, Gil, please!" She felt herself tingling with need. He told her, "This may hurt," and then slowly eased himself inside of her wetness. She felt tight and he could feel her squeezing him as he entered her.
Anne gasped, "It feels like a knife. Are you sure that's how it should be?" Gilbert chuckled to himself. Her naivety was adorable at times.
"Just give it a minute, Anne." She nodded as she waited for the pain to subside. "Okay?" He looked into her eyes and she nodded. "I'm going to start moving now." He rocked his hips and worked himself in and out of her until finally reaching a nice rhythm. She started to moan louder so he knew it felt as good for her. He felt himself reaching his peak, not quite as different than when it was by his own hand. "Anne, I'm going to cum soon." He groaned into her shoulder.
"Okay, okay, okay, ohhhh God!" Anne felt as if she was going to explode. "Oh God! Oh Gil! What are you doing to me?" He felt her shaking and knew she'd orgasmed. It was way better than reading about it. He quickly unsheathed himself from her as he came on the bedsheet. He collapsed next to her and pulled her closer, placing kisses on her shoulder. "That was..." she trailed off.
"Yeah," Gilbert whispered. They lay there holding each other for a few minutes. Anne turned to face Gilbert. She reached up and kissed him sweetly. "You're so beautiful." He stroked her face gently. "I love you, Anne. I truly do." She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes.
"I love you too, Gil. I can't believe we did that." Anne giggled and kissed him again. Gilbert couldn't believe it either. He finally got the girl and there was no way he was ever letting her go.