Happy New Year, everyone! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, it always makes me smile! Now, a note of reassurance here: I started this story wanting to do something different- and the arc we're about to go on is the same one I've had planned since day 1.

Chapter-wise, I'm thinking 40 is the magic number- although I've been wrong about that before, haven't I? Since this story was meant to be 'short'. In all my other writing I have to show restraint, however, there is a certain bliss knowing that the FF world is a very forgiving one- and this will join my other stories well over 200k. I irritate my son who is beginning the HSC, and my husband who is studying: they tell me they have essays due that are a staggering 2000 words- and I can't help but smirk. They have a lot of skills that I don't- but coming up with excess words is clearly mine.

Thank you all for following this, for giving this your time, and for taking the time to let me know what you think of it too- you've made me a better writer by questioning me on things, and you've made my whole year by indulging the ridiculous notion that we could have a marriage of convenience trope existing in the AOGG world! I am wickedly glad it has succeeded.

Love to you all, Cate.

Chapter 34

The end of term sped by just as it had done the previous year. In the days between the Blythe's anniversary and Christmas, there was a whirlwind of exams, dances and meetings, and cosy nights spent before their fireplace. Gilbert himself felt as if he had gone through the last weeks of school in a haze. He sat in classes absently, a twisted smile on his face, his mind far more agreeably occupied by the events of the past weeks- events that had nothing at all to do with college.

He had gone to classes alone that day, begrudgingly leaving Anne at home in bed. The rest of the college had finished the day before, however, Professor Daniels had insisted on holding an intensive class for his students before they left for two weeks. Charlie and Moody had departed on the train with the girls that morning- and while they had all regarded Anne, Gilbert and Phil with great pity, the couple themselves were quite sanguine about the delay. He knew that Anne was looking forward to a leisurely day of packing and cleaning, and she had chuckled at his good-natured grumble on his way out of the bedroom that morning- which ended abruptly when Anne pulled him down to her, kissing him in such a way to make him grateful to be anywhere with his beloved wife.

He sat in the classroom with a smattering of other students, all of whom were similarly distracted. Phil was in a desk opposite him, doodling dreamily of a page of her notebook- he smothered a grin to see that she wasn't doing her work, but tracing initials- hers and Jo's. While Professor Daniels explained yet again the calculation for distance to another student, Gilbert allowed his mind to wander to the changes that had come to his marriage since their anniversary- changes that he could scarcely believe, he thought, his eyes glazing over as the professor talked.

When they were first married, he had felt- he had known that he needed to go slowly for Anne's sake. The peculiar sweetness of that time had seared him; seeing her first begin to respond to him as her husband, tentatively opening up to him and learning to see him as more than the boy she had known. There were moments along the way that had knocked him sideways- when she had initiated those first kisses, first touches- her laughter and warmth and companionship in the home that had been so very unwelcoming, to begin with. And little by little, the intimacy that had grown between them- culminating in the turbulent summer that had gifted him with her heart.

He sounded like a sap, he thought with a wry smile- not that it bothered him. He'd been utterly besotted with her years ago; however, this Anne who was now his wife was more intoxicating than he could have dreamed. Over and over she had honoured the promise she had made him in the depths of Hester's garden- that nothing would be allowed to come between them again. She drew him away from his studies when his brain grew overloaded, she gave him her time and her affection and confronted him when he was being bull-headed about something- which usually happened at exam-time. Sitting in the classroom now, he couldn't help but grin at the reminder of his wife pointing that out to him coolly, weeks ago.

A slightly different reaction to his wife made him shift in his seat uncomfortably, and Gilbert exhaled, trying to cool his heating face. He remembered too her curling into his side that night in the pretty nightgown that he loved, her grey eyes shining at him so tenderly. His own drifted to the arched windows, willing the snow outside to cool his response. Not so very long ago, he had reassured Anne that when it was time, they would discover the depth of the passion between them together- and to now be taking those first steps together almost took his breath away. She was incredible, he thought, a hard swallow of longing constricting his throat. The way her slim hands had insisted on exploring every inch of him she could reach, making him laugh in sheer happiness at her curiosity; and the way she placed his hands on her when she saw him hesitate, worried that it was pushing her too far. He'd done his best to hide the way she affected him, even knowing now that she was well aware- he'd been so afraid of frightening her.

And Anne had confronted that as only Anne could, reminding him gently that this was no tawdry affair, but the beginning of their journey together as man and wife. He'd met her suddenly shy glance, and his own eyes had darkened- he'd allowed himself to remove her blouse and corset then, adorning her dappled, ivory skin with greedy kisses, his hair standing on end at the low moans she gave as she held him to her breast. And when it all grew too much- when the two of them were breathing heavily, and he tried to draw away- she asked him to not leave, not to go for the run he had always taken refuge in. He had looked into the starry depths of her eyes and had his world shaken anew as he felt how very much she wanted him- a passion that met his own, frankly and wholeheartedly. For the very first time, he had stayed, making precious memories in the little house that was his whole world.

"Gilbert!" a voice suddenly hissed, startling him as he day-dreamed. He looked up to see Phil smirking at him, gesturing to the front where Professor Daniels stood waiting for the answer to a question he was sure he hadn't heard.

"Are you listening, Mr Blythe?" the teacher asked mildly.

Gilbert sighed, defeated. "Er- truthfully, no, sir."

Daniels threw down the chalk in his hand, looking around at the other students slumped into their desks, their eyes glassy and vacant. He rubbed his face, and then straightened up tiredly. "Focus, ladies and gentlemen. One more exercise, and then we'll be done."

While Gilbert was trying to stay present in his lecture, at the Mushroom Anne stood before an open suitcase, and a well-loved book open in one hand. In her other was a petticoat that had been dangling for several minutes, as she lost herself yet again in the lines of The Rosebud Garden. There had been a dreamy smile on her face when she picked it up that morning, remembering the infamous visit Mrs Charlotte E. Morgan had made to Green Gables, so long ago. Gilbert had often teased her about knowing the famous author personally- he had naturally been ambushed by the tale that summer, as Anne almost floated along the pathway to his house.

Her work for the semester was done, and her own story lay on the desk, fresh from the eighth time she had re-written it, with the changes that Professor Winston had suggested. She had come home in a furious temper only the week before- one which she now realised was perhaps as much to do with the time of the month as it was the criticism she had received from her teacher- and somehow managed to cut a week's supply of kindling in her ire. Gilbert had, of course, tried not to laugh at the way she had attacked the wood, and later held her when she shed some tears of disappointment in herself. He had been the one to reason with her when she calmed, reminding her that she was too close to her story to always see it clearly. This, she understood.

With some reluctance, Anne placed the book down on her bedside table, and began to fold the neglected petticoat, her eyes wandering to her desk. She had planned to give the story to Gilbert to read this Christmas. There was a curious shyness in doing this, exposing this piece of her heart- and of course, Gilbert would know how intensely personal this story was. It was safe with him, though, and there was a slight flutter in her abdomen, as she wondered what he would make of it.

Anne moved around the house as a light snowfall pattered down around the eaves, enjoying the peace and quiet of the day as she packed and cleaned. This would be a very different Christmas to the last, and she smiled now in remembrance of the innocent terror she and Gilbert had felt in telling their families about their impromptu marriage. One year had indeed changed everything.

By the time Gilbert arrived home that afternoon the house was immaculate, dinner was warming on the stove, and Rusty was curled up on Anne's lap as she read on the sofa, looking up with a brilliant smile as he dropped his heavy satchel on the floor.

"Ah, this is what bliss looks like," he mumbled, falling onto the sofa beside her, and he chuckled as she crawled into his lap to kiss him, her grey eyes studying him carefully.

"You're tired, dearest. Did you really have to do tutoring today?"

He didn't open his eyes, and she smiled at the grimace on his face. "Yes. Roy was in a mood today."

Anne tried not to smile, her eyes nonetheless twinkling. "What did he do this time?"

There was a frustrated sigh then, one that tickled her cheek. "Well, after Daniels finished with us, I was treated to a lecture on the evils of sub-standard teaching in non-private schools. If it wasn't bad enough that he's insisting on using a proper classroom for his tutoring every week, now he's grumbling about the college intake process, and questioning the ability for anyone under eighteen years old to either teach school or come to college."

Anne snorted disparagingly. "Well, I disagree with him, there."

"As do I."

"You could always come home and suggest that he finds another room to tutor his students in," Anne suggested, her pink lips quirked teasingly.

He grinned reluctantly. "Oh, I can't complain; it all works well enough, for now. Professor Hallett keeps adding students that I don't have time for to the session- and Gardner's got Rylan turning in essays that are acceptable, at least."

Anne's look at him was tender, touching the dark smudges beneath his eyes. "And what of your work?"

Gilbert's hand cupped her cheek, and he sighed. "One exam down. Twelve more to go."

Anne nodded, resting her head against his chest as his arms came around her. "On top of what you need to do already."

There was a slight pause, then. "It's going to be worth it, sweetheart."

Anne suddenly sat up, her look guarded as she studied him. "Gil, why do I sometimes feel as if you are trying to convince yourself of that, rather than me?"

He gave her a startled glance. "I'm not doing that."

He relaxed when slender arms wrapped around his neck, and he had begun to think that she had dropped the subject when she spoke again. "Is that what concerns you? Whether or not you will win the Cooper?"

There was a silence then, and he hesitated. "No. I'm not worried about that."

"Then what is it? I can tell that something has been bothering you, lately."

Gilbert's face was still as he watched the movement of the flames in the grate, and when he spoke it was oddly deliberate. "I'm as prepared as anyone has ever been, or so I've been told. As long as I keep working at the same rate, I should pass the exams easily." He seemed distant, and she watched him carefully. "I'm more concerned with what happens after I win it, to be honest." He gave her a slight smile, his eyes softening. "I was planning on talking to you about the Cooper tonight."

"You don't want to right now?"

He chuckled. "My mother says that no conversation is worth ruining a meal for it. It can wait. Besides, don't we still need to pack for tomorrow?"

"So it isn't anything urgent?"

"Nope," he said lightly. "We've got plenty of time."

Three hours later, the supper table had been cleared away, and a custard pie was cooling on the counter- to use up the last of the eggs and milk, Anne had commented with a laugh, before shooing Gilbert to the bedroom to pack his bag. The holiday ahead promised to be a wonderful one- ten glorious days without classes in the bosom of their families. They had heard from Amelia the previous week, telling them that the families had decided in advance where the couple would be staying. While the pair were initially taken aback by the prospect of a pre-arranged holiday without any input from them, Gilbertrem shrugged, reminding her that at least they would have a bedroom to themselves, wherever they went.

Anne was putting the finishing touches on the kitchen when Gilbert came behind to sweep her off her feet, carrying her into the cosy lounge room. He tucked her up beside him, putting a be-frilled cushion behind her back as she liked.

"I only had a few more things to do, Gil," Anne said indulgently.

"I'll do them for you later. For now, I want you to lend me your ears."

She couldn't help but tease him, now, concern swirling in her belly. "You look fearfully solemn, Gilbert. I haven't done anything naughty today- that I know of."

He grinned then, his hazel eyes twinkling. "I trust I would have been invited, if you had, Anne-girl." To his delight, she blushed, and he chuckled. He turned to her then, his arm stretched along the back of the sofa, stroking gentle fingers through her red curls. "I wanted to talk to you about the Cooper tonight- you can probably guess that I've been thinking about next year."

This had the effect of sobering her up, and Anne's grey eyes were hesitant. They had avoided discussing this since September- despite the constant rain and the hard grind of studies, the past two months had been the most wonderful of her life. Evenings spent with Gilbert, no longer holding back, no longer treading waters of uncertainty with each other- he was in her heart, and she was most securely in his.

"I suppose that we had to discuss it properly sooner or later," she admitted softly, and Gilbert nodded. He watched her chin come up, and she turned to face him bravely. "I have told you repeatedly that we can do this, Gil. Mrs Whitley will have us for as long as we wish- she was telling me so last week."

"Anne-"

"And I can start applying for schools," she said brightly. "Many of them won't take me because we are already married, however surely there is a mission school somewhere nearby that needs a teacher. It will work. If you go somewhere in the summertime, I will go with you- and you know that some of the little sketches I have been sending out are beginning to earn some money too. And Professor Winston has been telling me that I need to send my story to one of the magazines, soon. He thinks that it may be ready."

"Anne, honey-"

"And we've just had our first anniversary!" she added, coaxingly. "We've done this together for a year now, how much longer would three years really be?"

"Three years longer, darling," Gilbert finally interjected. "Look, I don't doubt that we can do it."

"Good. I-"

"No, my turn now," he said, exasperated, hauling her onto his lap and effectively stopping her mid-thought.

Anne could only laugh, then. "You're such an only child, Gil. You must learn to take turns."

He chuckled when she snuggled under his chin. "You're the one who keeps interrupting, Anne- and you're just as much of an only child as I am." He saw her begin to protest and rolled his eyes. "I know, I know- but Davy and Dora are my siblings too, now, so we're even. Now shush." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and continued. "What if I didn't use the Cooper?"

Anne moved away from him in trepidation. "What do you mean?"

His voice was gentle. "I think you know what I mean, sweetheart."

"You- you wouldn't go to Medical school?" She moved to face him, her eyes huge. "Gilbert, this is your chance-"

"I'd like to think I have more than one, actually."

"You're thinking about giving it up?"

"Yes."

Her green eyes snapped in the firelight, and he watched her hands ball into fists as she rose. "Gil, it's why we got married all those months ago- it's why we stayed in college. So that you could do this."

"No, it wasn't," he said quietly. "I told you in the beginning- medical school was never a certainty. We stayed here because we both needed to finish our Arts degree- and we needed to do that together. And I'd like to think that our marriage is more than that now."

Anne knelt down before him, her eyes pleading as she placed her hands on his thighs. "Of course it is, dearest. I love you more each day. But you told me yourself- I wouldn't have stayed; not for myself alone. You know how I felt back then. I stayed for you- I wanted you to have everything you deserved, everything your heart desired. Including all of your ambitions."

He smiled at her fondly. "And what about your ambitions?"

She half smiled, before she shook her head. "Being a doctor means something to you, Gil."

He paused, trying to find the words. "You're right. But it doesn't mean what it used to," he said gently, prepared for her anger- which erupted promptly.

"You cannot let go of this because of me- because of us," she said furiously. "This is exactly what Professor Daniels warned me about a year ago. I told you I would wait- we can wait. We'd be together while you study, and that is all that matters."

He waited with raised eyebrows until she became silent, before he continued. "I've been thinking about this for months," he admitted. "I wanted the Cooper because I wanted Medical school. And then I wanted the Cooper because I wanted to shove it down Professor Hallett's throat," he said indelicately, making her laugh, despite the solemnity of the situation. "I still do. I wanted to provide well for you and our family- and I wanted to do it in a job I would love."

Her look was gentle as she raised her hand to stroke his cheek. "That's not too much to ask, Gil."

"Come back here." He pulled her onto his lap again, his arms around her waist tightly. "Anne, this isn't sudden, for me. I've been tutoring the other students for a few months now- and even though we've appreciated the miniscule income, it's some of the most fulfilling work I've ever done," he added slowly. "It's actually helping them. I'm watching them change before my very eyes. Gardner's not wrong, in some ways- the quality of a teacher can make or break a student. You know what Miss Stacey did for us- and you know that if Mr Phillips had stayed, you and I would have found it harder to get where we are now. And- while I've been trying to sort all of this out in my mind- I- might have accidentally taught a class at Redmond yesterday."

Anne looked at him, bewildered. "What on earth do you mean?"

He gave her a wry grin. "I mean, that I was pulled up to teach introductory Chemistry to a freshman class." Understandably, Anne seemed to be having trouble processing this, and Gilbert smoothed his hands over her waist, his voice droll. "My supervisor- Professor Walker- is known for having a rather delicate constitution across the science faculty. Someone from the biology department walked through the classroom with a pair of old sheep lungs-"

"Good grief!" Anne said, aghast, and then began to laugh. "Oh dear. Did anyone leave?"

He grinned. "Just Walker. He turned green, and the next thing I knew, he was thrusting his notes at me for a class that I was supposed to be observing, before he rushed out of the room. He didn't come back, and they were all looking at me- so I just started in on the notes. It's nothing I haven't done a hundred times before, the work was very basic- he came back a few minutes before the class was due to end, and just waved at me to continue, while he collapsed at his desk."

Anne's eyebrows were almost at her hairline. "Gilbert, that is completely unprofessional!"

He chuckled. "He's an old man, sweetheart. He's been at the college for decades, and anyone can tell that he's tired. I suspect that's why he asked for me to intern with him- I've done all kinds of things that I probably shouldn't be doing, as you well know- marking, attending meetings. It's irregular, but Daniels just shrugs and tells me that it's all good experience. And it is. Somehow, yesterday, it just felt right to be up there."

There was a hurt look in Anne's grey eyes then, one that Gilbert had no trouble interpreting. "If it was so important to you, why didn't you want to tell me about it then?"

"Come on, it's not like that, Anne-girl," he said gently. "We both had late classes yesterday, not to mention that you were exhausted and in bed by nine o'clock last night. I figured it wasn't time for the discussion yet. I just thought I'd wait till we finished for the semester- which we now are."

Anne was silent then, her look brooding. Gilbert held back a smile at her expression, seeing for a brief moment the schoolgirl she had once been toward him, however, he kept this thought to himself.

"I've known that there was something troubling you," she mumbled eventually. "Gil, why am I only hearing about this now?"

"Because I didn't want to say anything until I was sure. We still had so much time to go, last year- it seemed foolish to try and decide things before I even knew what was possible. I needed to sort it out in my own mind first. Surely you can understand that, love."

"Is that supposed to be a comment on the first nine months of our relationship?"

He grinned at her then, the smile that could almost disarm anything, Anne thought. "No. But there are similarities. And it does involve the same people."

He yelped at the sharp elbow that met his ribs and laughed, pulling her close again. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his hazel eyes falling before hers as a deeper silence fell. "Anne, I wasn't sure what you would think of all this. I was afraid that- you might somehow feel cheated."

She scowled at him then, jabbing him with a slender finger. "That is completely idiotic. I didn't marry a profession, I married you. You know that."

"Yes, however, I will need a profession."

Anne looked at him carefully. "And I assume that you have an alternative plan."

Gilbert hesitated and then nodded. "I wouldn't decide anything without talking to you. We started this together, and it will stay that way. But lately, I've been thinking about teaching. It's still a fight- I told you years ago that man was born to fight something. I'd be fighting for education- and those who would say that no child should rise above their parents. Giving my students the knowledge they need to better themselves, to better their families. It's what I'm trained for. I know that we could wait- and I know that being a doctor was my only path, for a long time. It's just that in my mind now there is another path- and I'm beginning to think I'd like it just as well."

Anne looked at him, bewildered. "Gil, you didn't like teaching the way that I did."

He rolled his eyes. "That was when I had to look after infants. Sorting out irrational arguments between six-year-olds- 'he touched my slate,' and 'she's looking at me, Mr Blythe'-" Here, Anne's lips quirked at his tone. "I want to teach in a high school- fix problems before they get to university- and I want to teach my fields. Science and mathematics."

Anne drew in a deep breath. "Like my mother." Gilbert blinked at her in confusion, and Anne smiled, her grey eyes warm. "They were both teachers at the high school in Bolingbroke," she said softly. "Father taught History- and apparently Mother was a mathematics teacher before they married."

He stared at her in surprise. "I just assumed-"

"-that she would have been an English student like me?" she said lightly. "Oh, I know- but no. Her letters were wonderful- but Mrs Thomas told me that she taught mathematics, much to her horror- she said that no woman had a right to do so. I should love to have proved her wrong about that- however you know my ineptitude with geometry."

Gilbert was silent for some time, before brushing the hair back from her eyes. "Anne, I know that we planned something different- but could you settle for me being a teacher? Doctors are supposed to be a better catch."

Her grey eyes twinkled at him. "I've already caught you. Although I was supposed to marry a poet," she added thoughtfully. "How are you doing with that, by the way?"

He laughed then, before leaning down to whisper in her ear- "Oh, Annest of Annes, your eyebrows are brown-"

"A sonnet to my eyebrows, Gil? Really?"

"I don't like it when they frown-"

"Gilbert!"

"And then maybe something suggestive with the word gown-"

Anne laughed, swatting his arm. "Gilbert Blythe! Is that any way to speak to your wife?"

He only raised one of his own eyebrows and grinned. "You know that you love it."

Anne was silent for a few minutes then, and Gilbert watched her patiently. "You were the one who told me that we didn't have it in us to settle, weren't you?" She looked at him then, and he tensed as her face fell. "Gil, I'm just afraid that you're doing this for the wrong reasons."

He pulled her even closer, his hazel eyes earnest. "Two pathways, Anne. Not one greater, not one lesser- two distinct roads that we can take. I don't want the old one as I did once- and I think that I want this."

To this, Anne frowned and turned on his lap to face him, her skirts fanning out on both sides. She cupped his face in her hands and studied him with intelligent eyes.

"What does this future look like, then?"

Gilbert's hands were on her waist, and he tried to remain still and focus with her sitting the way she was on him. He gave his head a slight shake and spoke quietly. "I- I find somewhere to teach. If I couldn't find a school in Kingsport, I suppose we would need to move- maybe back to the Island. If we weren't close to home, I thought that we could still spend our summers in Avonlea- you know the families would love to have us- although I haven't ruled out the idea of one day buying a house there for us to holiday in," he admitted, with a smile. "We'd be close to our families every summer, and still have our own space. Professionally, I'd work my way up. I did have a thought- that I'd like to keep up my studies, while I work, somehow. I don't want to waste this opportunity. And assuming that I win the Cooper, that would more than pay for a Masters program. Eventually, I'd want to end up teaching at a university. I've been working on some chemistry research with Professor Walker for the past few months- he's been hinting that he wants to continue it next year if I'm around. I was thinking that if we stayed in Kingsport, perhaps I could keep my ties with Redmond."

Anne couldn't speak, watching him closely. "And you would be happy doing that?" she asked softly.

"I am happy," he corrected her, his hands warm against her torso. "I'm happy as we are right now- and I believe that I would be if I chose to not go to medical school." Needing to be completely honest with her, he sighed. "That's a lot of the reason. But I also know how difficult it would be to wait and work and to put our family off for another three years like this- and I don't want the pressure falling on you to help make ends meet, while I'm studying." He gave a wry smile. "I'm no saint, you know that- I'd resent the fact that you had to do it, instead of me. Old fashioned or not, I want that role to be mine. And I'll admit that while I'm over the moon that we have the understanding that we do, I suppose it does make me a little more impatient for things that have needed to wait."

"Like making love?" she asked quietly and smiled as his hands involuntarily clutched her waist.

"Yes. But that doesn't mean we'd do anything right away in any case- you might still want to wait, before we started a family. I don't want to stand in the way of your dreams, either."

Anne smoothed her hand over his cheek, loving the feel of his rough jaw against her palm. "My dreams were never as concrete as a career, Gil. And they certainly include our babies." He gave her a smile that was delirious with happiness at the tender way she spoke. "The things that I want to do- the things that stir me- I believe that I can do those at any time."

He nudged her then, his eyes intent on her. "What are they?"

She chuckled, leaning her forehead against his. "I'm- I suppose that I'm still thinking that through."

He nodded, his eyes yearning. "Tell me whenever you're ready, sweetheart."

"I will." She rose to put her arms around his neck. "Darling, I want you to think about this for a little longer."

Gilbert gave her a resigned look. "I've been thinking about this since that day in the tent."

This was a temporary shock, and after a moment she swallowed and nodded. "Alright. I accept that. But I don't want to take that step until you are quite sure- it isn't like you could change your mind afterwards."

"By that point, I wouldn't want to, love. Look, I wanted to talk to Uncle Dave about it before I decided anything- he and Aunt Melinda will be in Avonlea when we go home."

"What do you expect him to say?"

He chuckled slightly, then. "I don't know. I've been talking his ear off about medical school for years. I know that I don't owe him anything- I just want to see what he thinks."

Anne's look was gentle, and she carded her fingers through his brown hair. "It's a good idea, Gil. We'll be fine, whatever you choose to do. We've been doing this life rather well though, don't you think?"

He smiled, settling back on the sofa, and bringing her down with him. "We have. But we both know that this has only been temporary- we've got one foot in our college days, and the other in our happily ever after."

Anne's eyes were clear as she regarded him, resting her cheek on his broad shoulder. "That doesn't sound so terrible, does it?"

She smiled when his chest moved with his laughter. "No, it's the best of both worlds. However, it won't be the same for us next year- Di and Fred are about to become parents, the girls will be gone from Kingsport, and Phil will be a minister's wife- as hilarious an idea as that is."

Anne scowled at him, then. "And she will make a wonderful one."

"I'm not denying that. But you won't have college to ground you. If you were at college for the next three years with me, it would be a different story," he said slowly. "We'd both be in the same place, and at the same stage. I know you, Anne-girl, and I have no doubt that you would want to work for us, and that the Cooper would pay for my tuition- but the strain it would place on our relationship, being at different stages of life would still be there. I would be gone from morning till well after night each day, not including what I would have to do at the hospital."

Anne was silent, thinking through all he had shared, a slight crease on her brow. "That isn't to say that we couldn't do it."

"No. However, the fact that I don't want to says rather a lot."

Anne lay back on the sofa beside him, her hand covering her eyes. He rolled over to face her, smoothing his hand across her belly with a dreamy look on his face. The weeks since their anniversary had been some of the most wonderful of his life- and as Anne slipped her hands into the collar of his shirt, he lay his head on her rounded breast with a smile. There was silence for a time, and then she placed her hand on his cheek, to make him look at her.

"You really mean this?"

He pulled her close then, his lips nuzzling her chin softly. "I do."

Anne was fighting to not be distracted by the heat in his eyes, or the warm hands that now moved to cup her hips, and she gripped the front of his shirt with a determined look. "Gilbert, if you do change your mind- if you decide over the next six months that you want medical school after all- it will be alright. You need to do it if you do."

He shook his head, wonderingly. "You're a miracle, sweetheart. Here I am telling you that our future may be even more uncertain than it was before- and you're not bothered by that."

Anne's clear laughter made him shudder with longing as he shifted her on top of his long form, his hands shifting further southward. "You and I are not made for calm waters, Gil. Where would be the adventure?"