Beautiful people! I'm so sorry for being MIA for so long- but I assure you, I am very much alive! Thank you for all of your encouraging words, and thank you all for understanding that at times Real Life just gets in the way- and it was COMPLETELY in the way this time. We've moved house (and for a laugh for all of you international peoples, I've actually moved into a house where KANGAROOS ACTUALLY JUMP DOWN THE STREET AND POOP ON MY LAWN! Crazy- and my beagles are utterly bewildered at the huge things) It's a quiet and peaceful place, and we're loving it as a family. I've missed you all- but I'm getting a little better at self care, even if the sacrifice is long hours before the computer while the household sleeps.

This story has been a challenging one to wind down, and I've second-guessed myself more than you could believe about it. A very big part of me thinks that I should have finished it when Anne told Gil that she loved him- story-wise it would work better; however I had so much more planned, and didn't want to NOT tell that story. So I hope you indulge me by telling you how this Anne and Gil play out, and it will be yet a few more chapters.

For everyone new who has followed, favourited and messaged, and for everyone who checked in with me at times, thank you. I'd never think that I'd outgrown this community- you all bring me so much joy- It's only that I couldn't keep up. And if one distant day I finally manage to publish something that is all my own, it will be a testament to the first people who read my work- and what I've written on here is a thank you to you all for believing in me.

Especially this chapter… enjoy!

Anne stood outside of the science building one Friday afternoon in March, idly watching a pair of birds arguing in the hedges. In the distance a group of girls was leaving through the gates chattering merrily, and as she waited Anne smiled, thinking of herself, Phil, Priscilla and Stella just three years earlier. The girls, who even now were enduring Mrs Gordon's visit with the seamstress for the approaching wedding.

She turned at the sound of the heavy doors finally opening, and broke into a big smile at the sight of Gilbert striding out, his curly hair disheveled after the latest exam he was required to sit. She moved to be caught in his arms, his tired grin and warm hug welcome.

"You're late," she murmured, despite not looking particularly troubled.

"You try convincing your professor that he's not going to get us both full-time. He just tried to get me on the 'necessity of being well-rounded' argument again."

Anne laughed, her arms tightening around his neck when he kissed her cheek. "The Cooper winner has to be well-rounded, Gil- you told me that yourself."

"Which is why I sat an English exam. And I think yours truly acquitted himself reasonably well," Gilbert said philosophically. "I was told there should be no reason to fail, after being married to you."

Anne snorted, turning to take his arm as they walked to the entrance gates. "For heaven's sake, do they think I could pass one of your mathematics exams because of you?" She ignored his shout of laughter, and scowled. "Sharing a marriage bed hardly imparts academic knowledge." There was no mistaking the warm look in Gilbert's eyes then, and Anne turned away, her cheeks flushing hotly.

Gilbert merely kissed her pink cheek, keeping his smile to himself at the sight of her so flustered, even after so many months together. "Anyway, only two left, sweetheart," he said lightly. "History and chemistry."

Anne's pace slowed as they entered the park. "Until finals begin."

"After this, the finals will be rather anticlimactic." There was a companionable silence for a time, with Gilbert darting surreptitious glances at his wife from time to time, something Anne had not noticed in her enjoyment of the early spring day.

"It really is almost warm, now," she mused, watching the movement of the new leaves on the maples. "There are flowers coming out behind the house- I thought I might see about making a small garden in the soft ground along the fence tomorrow morning. Mrs Whitley told me that she has some plants that she wants to divide."

"Alright. Let me know if you want some help," Gilbert said absently.

Anne turned to him, her eyebrow quirked. "Are you really here with me, Gil?"

"Hmm? Oh- yes. Just thinking."

Anne gave him an indulgent glance, and pulled him along the winding pathways. "It's time for that to stop, beloved- you need to give that enormous brain a rest. Phil wants us to join them in a game tonight-"

"I told her we wouldn't be there."

Anne stopped, her eyebrows raised. "I beg your pardon?"

"Anne, we had this conversation," he said, bewildered. "I said that I had to talk to you tonight, and that it would be best to stay at home."

The stern schoolmarm-look was in her grey eyes then, and he halted foolishly. "I assure you, we did not have that conversation, Gilbert. I made a cake to take there tonight."

"I'll eat every piece of it myself," he averred. "Anne, we were in the lunchroom today, and I said-"

"I didn't take lunch there today, Gil," she said patiently. "I had a late class with Professor Tabbot. Is there another red-headed wife that you told this to, perhaps?" He laughed sheepishly, while Anne crossed her arms. "You didn't say anything to me."

He began to laugh, capturing one of her hands again in silent apology. "I'm sorry. Maybe I just thought about telling you, and assumed that I'd done it."

"Suppose you tell the real me, then."

Gilbert rubbed his tired face, and smiled. "Anne, would you mind if we skipped Patty's Place tonight?"

"No- although I do expect an explanation, especially since I told Stella that we would be coming," she chided gently.

"But Phil knows that we aren't, love. I'm sure they'll compare notes at some point."

"Just like we did?"

"Like we are." Gilbert's thumb found the smooth pearl ring under Anne's gloves as they walked, and he sighed. "You know that I spent some time with Professor Elston this week." He didn't miss the way that Anne stiffened, and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. "He's the current head of the medical program."

"I know."

"Professor Daniels suggested that I go and see him- after the rather lengthy conversation I had with him last week."

They had been walking along the pathway together, and she stopped suddenly to face him, the look of hurt in her grey eyes making his heart clench. "You didn't tell me about this, either."

"For a good reason," he said firmly, although his face was gentle. "I've been talking about a change in direction for months- and you still don't seem confident that I want this. I know that it seemed sudden to you in December, but it wasn't. And so I've just come from spending the past two days with the medical students."

Anne pulled her hand away, shaking. She moved to sit on a faded park bench, and he sat beside her, working to draw her arm close to his chest. A light breeze ruffled his hair, and he studied her face as he waited.

"You didn't tell me a thing, Gilbert," she whispered, and he sighed.

"I know. But whenever it came to this subject, I've been trying to tell you, love. You didn't seem to believe me. And I didn't know if that was because you wanted me to continue on this path, or if you had just decided that I must still want medical school after all-" he said, with an attempt at lightness. Anne refused to look at him then, and he stopped to tip her pointed chin up to meet his gaze, his thumb sliding over her cheek. "It's alright, you know. I didn't expect this to be easy."

"Why not?"

Gilbert wryly laughed. "Well, it's us, isn't it? We had our plans. And that day in the tent shot them all to pieces. And you know that I'm not even a little sorry." She smiled then, drawing her hand away from him only to lean her glossy red head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, searching for the words. "We fought to keep our plans on track through everything," he continued, slowly. "You've fought even harder than I have, for my sake- and I know exactly what you sacrificed for me, Carrots."

Anne tipped her head up, her look stubborn. "I'm not sorry, either."

"I know that." Gilbert swallowed, feeling oddly vulnerable in the face of her determination. "You asked me to be sure, for me. This was me making sure. I didn't want you to be anxiously waiting at home to see how it went- and I needed to stop second guessing myself. So I chose to do two days with the medical faculty."

Anne gave her head a slight shake, her look bewildered. "What about your classwork?"

"I'm leagues ahead in everything," he said, in an indifferent tone that made her choke in surprise. "Daniels suggested that I do it."

Professor Daniels had suggested more than that of course- Gilbert had known exactly what to expect when he spoke with his mentor.

"After everything we had to do to keep you here at college-," Daniels had stormed in the privacy of his office. "The reputations you had to rebuild, the work and time you've put in- you cannot just throw this away!"

Gilbert bit back the retort he longed to make, keeping his voice steady. "I'm throwing nothing away, sir. Plans have simply altered."

"Did you get that girl pregnant? Is that what is motivating this change?"

Gilbert straightened up, his eyes blazing. "Professor, remember that 'that girl' is my wife," he enunciated carefully. "By courtesy of the university. Had we chosen to begin a family when we married fifteen months ago, we would have been well within any moral or ethical framework that Professor Hallett or you could conjure. We didn't do it, though, did we? Perhaps you want to know how we managed that?"

"Blythe, that's- that's not necessary," he growled, falling heavily into his chair.

"No, it's not," Gilbert retorted, eyeballing his professor. "Sir, Anne and I have have prioritized our education every step of the way. You know that. You did everything you could to keep us here, and for that, we're grateful. But we told you then that the college would not dictate our life together."

"Blythe, the Cooper-"

"I'm still trying for it. I just won't be using it for medical school," Gilbert said, with finality.

Daniels choked, and threw his hands in the air. "You could have been great. You could have chosen to lead the research into infectious diseases- I've kept up with the work you've been doing with Wiseman."

"The work isn't just being done by doctors, but by scientists, too," Gilbert argued. "Wiseman doesn't have a medical degree."

"No. He does have the highest degree that this university offers, though."

"Then tell me why can't I use the Cooper for that?"

Daniels stopped in his tracks, bewildered, and Gilbert gave a sigh of exasperation. "Look, I never planned to give up on the Cooper- assuming that I can actually win it. Medical school is just no longer my goal. I'm planning to teach."

"Teach what?"

"Well, I thought I'd like what you do," Gilbert answered mildly, and the professor blinked. The tension in the room went up a notch, and Professor Daniels eyed Gilbert calculatingly.

"Mathematics?"

"Among the sciences, yes. Chemistry would be my first choice," he said coolly. "Although most high schools have a generalized science program-"

"High School teaching?"

"Well, I can hardly go for your job yet, sir."

The older man snorted then, finally relaxing. "Bold, Blythe, very bold."

"Look, you've had me tutoring dozens of students since I've been here. I was a teacher back home for two years before that. I know my way around a classroom- and I know that it's possible that more students would aim for university if they were correctly taught in their earlier years. I want to do that. If it wasn't for good teachers, Anne and I might never have gone higher than our schoolhouse in Avonlea."

"Would have been a waste," the professor muttered.

"Quite," Gilbert replied cheerfully. He hesitated then, and fiddled with the cuffs of his shirtsleeves. "Sir, I don't want to give up the chance to use the Cooper. I've been looking into the other post-graduate programs Redmond offers."

"If you planned on studying, why not just stick with medicine?"

Gilbert deliberated for a moment, and shrugged. "It's not the same thing. You know what medical school entails. I'd be gone from morning till night in classes, and at the hospital. I couldn't work, as well. And what would Anne do in the meantime? Keep house for a poor college student, or try to convince someone that a married woman is still eligible to teach school?"

"No decent school will bother to hire a married, female teacher," Daniels said flatly. "Not if there is every chance she wouldn't finish the year out. And you don't want her in the kind of school that is desperate enough to take the chance."

Gilbert rolled his eyes at this comment. "Sir, I wouldn't tell Anne what she can and can't do. That isn't how we work. She would do this for my sake- if I wanted it. But I don't. Not enough to put us through another three long years of college when I would be absent most of the time, and she would have the pressure of making ends meet on her shoulders."

"Well, when you put it like that," Professor Daniels grumbled, scowling. "You know that none of this would have happened if you both hadn't been so idiotic."

Gilbert's smile was real then. "It's too late to change anything now- not that I would."

Daniels huffed for a moment, and then gave the best student Redmond had seen in a decade an appraising look. "What will you do, then?"

"I'll start applying for schools in April."

"Back on the island?"

"Actually, I'd prefer Kingsport," Gilbert stated, much to the professor's surprise. "If we stay- I want to continue to work with Wiseman on our research in my spare time."

Daniels frowned. "Why? By then you'll have the pressure of a family to support."

Gilbert rubbed his hands over his tired face, weary of the same arguments that had played in his mind for the past year. "Sir, Anne lost her parents to scarlet fever when she was three months old. My father lost three years of his life to tuberculosis- not to mention that I lost three years of schooling to go to Alberta with him. We were both directly affected by some of the diseases that Wiseman and his team are working on," he said stubbornly. "It isn't just doctors fighting illness, it's scientists too. And if I can enable other students to enter the fight as well- isn't that just as good a purpose for my life?"

There was a pause then, as Daniels assessed him curiously. "Perhaps."

In the present, Gilbert glanced at his wife, who had slim hands clasped over her knee, rosy lips pressed together as she studied him. "Where did you go?" she teased softly.

Gilbert exhaled, his fingers playing with the loose curl under her hat. "Not far, I promise."

Anne gave him an indulgent look, and asked- "How was it?"

Gilbert paused deliberately, crossing one ankle over his knee. "Medical school? It was- good. I learned how to splint various breaks- how to recognize atypical heart rhythms- and I even accompanied the class down to the dissection room today."

Anne couldn't help but chuckle, wrinkling her pretty nose. "Which explains the scent of carbolic acid on your clothing. I assumed it was from the chemistry lab."

"It's not really so different a field, you know," he said absently. "Not with the ways that the faculties are working together now."

Anne had her second wind by now, and she turned to nestle closer to his heart. "I'm sorry." At his confused look, her eyes fell. "For not truly hearing you. I was afraid that you were doing it for me- and that you might resent me for it, one day." He met her eyes, shaking his head. She hesitated, her eyes falling to the hand he held in his own. "And what was your conclusion?"

"That I made the right decision. Well, right for this version of me, anyhow."

"As if there was any other!"

Gilbert grinned. "I've enough imagination to picture a 'me' who was still raring to go." He hesitated, the faintest resignation in his manner. "It was fascinating. I spoke with some of the students from each year, heard their horror stories- patients who accused them of not knowing what they were doing, hospital staff working them to the death after a nightmarish day of classes- even corpses that won't behave themselves."

"I beg your pardon?" Anne inquired, her voice slightly higher than usual.

"Something about residual nerves, I think." Gilbert exhaled and turned back to her, his lean face sober. "In another life, I would have loved it. But I don't believe it's for me, now."

"How can you be sure?"

He pulled her close to him and kissed her soundly, pausing to draw back to study her eyes. "I told you- I've got another vision of the future- and I want it more. One where we start to make a difference in lives right now- me as a teacher- and you as whatever you want to be, sweetheart. As a teacher, as a mentor to children who don't have parents to guide them- or as a writer."

Anne's lashes were low, and she felt her cheeks heat as she moved close to him. "Or as a mother."

At that, Gilbert's handsome face flushed, and he scooped his wife up to place her on his lap, ignoring the ominous creak of the old park bench under them. "Or that," he mumbled against her temple, a smile twisting on his face. "You don't know how I want that for us, Anne-girl."

She pulled away to gaze at him candidly. "You truly think I don't know, Gil?"

He shook with laughter then, burying his face in her collar with some embarrassment. "I suppose you might have some clue."

Anne lifted his dear face in her hands, her eyes burning with tenderness. "With the way you hold me close at night," she whispered. "The way you speak to me- the way your body feels against mine- and the way your face lights up whenever I come to you."

Gilbert swallowed, forcing a laugh from his suddenly tight throat. "All true," he said lightly. "I- I can't wait. But I will- and it's not so far."

Anne's face was pensive. "You've honestly decided against medical school."

Gilbert pulled back with a frown. "I already said that. We're not talking about the same thing."

"Oh, I rather think we are," she said calmly, shifting on his lap to study him better. "You're planning to teach."

Having enjoyed the previous subject, Gilbert sighed, resigned to following his wife's train of thought now. "Yes, Anne-girl. I can certainly find a position as a soon-to-be BA."

"I don't doubt that," Anne commented, her cheeks beginning to flush. "I am- just curious about your idea of timing," she said delicately.

"I'll find a job that starts the autumn after we graduate," he said, somewhat impatiently. "We've talked about this."

"Yes, however I was still talking about us making love."

Understanding was like a clap of lightning as Gilbert realised what she was getting at, and he gaped at her. "You- you- mean- you want to know when?"

There was a rustle in the trees then, and the two of them jumped back from each other in consternation, only now recognising that anyone could walk by. Anne carefully slipped back into her place on the seat, smoothing her skirts as an older couple emerged from the trees, looking in askance at the guilty-looking couple. Neither lifted their eyes from the hands they both clutched as they walked by, while Gilbert tried to control his frantic heart. When the path was silent again, he turned to face her on the seat, his look piercing. "Are you asking us to choose when we will- we-"

Anne's face was brightly pink, and she steadied her breath. "Not exactly," she murmured. "I was just wondering- if you have really decided- then just what we were waiting for?"

Gilbert caught his breath, and slipped down on his knees before her, looking up into the grey eyes that were trying to evade his own. "For- I- I don't know," he said, confused. "Didn't we- did we say graduation?"

Anne sobered, her face peeping up from under her hat. "Why did we say that we would start properly, back then?" she asked pensievely. "Either our mathematics was wildly wrong-"

"Or deep down we both thought that medical school may not happen," he finished. "Maybe we both knew that."

Anne squeezed his hand in her own, her voice teasing. "I really wasn't ready for us to begin properly then."

"We weren't ready." He smoothed her skirts over her knees, a short sigh leaving him. "I suppose graduation makes sense." He gave her a tired grin, straightening up to kiss her lips. "So it's only a wait of a few months," he murmured, his lips against her temple. "Not years like I imagined."

Anne pulled away, blinking. "You- you mean, you don't think- not right now?"

"No, not now, Anne," he said, frowning, albeit a twinkle in his eye. "There's still you to consider in all of this."

"Me? Oh, I'm fine," she mumbled, and he chuckled, shivering at the buzz of the words against his neck. "I was just going to ask for a few minutes to find my nightgown."

He choked with delighted laughter at her candor. "You make it sound so simple."

To his surprise Anne moved until she knelt on the soft ground before him, her shaking hands reaching for his. "Isn't it?"

Gilbert sat back on his heels, searching her face. "You're serious."

She wouldn't meet his eyes for a moment, until his fingers tipped her pointed chin up. "Yes," she murmured. "I know you in every way in the world, Gil- all but one. And I long to make my knowledge complete."

He clutched her hand like he was drowning, his hazel eyes blazing. "But- your schooling-"

"Is nearly done, just like yours."

"Your ambitions- the orphanage-"

"None of that limits us," Anne said stubbornly. "I know what you are saying- that the risk is that I become pregnant right away. That isn't a risk- it's a fulfillment."

He searched her face carefully. "You could become ill," he stated.

Anne huffed. "Gilbert, women run households while they are pregnant, I'm sure that I could still study."

He turned to her, his look fierce. "No, Anne, I mean really sick. The kind where you could be completely incapacitated. My uncle deals with that all the time in his practice. Do you honestly think I would risk you not finishing this degree now?"

There was a pause, and Anne sighed. "No, I suppose you wouldn't," she said slowly. "I have no reason to suspect that it would be like that for us, though. And there is no way of knowing if we would even fall pregnant immediately. For some people, it takes time."

Gilbert's face was chagrined. "Anne, how long were your parents married before there was you?"

To this, she bit her lip, her cheeks coloring. "Oh. Well, they were married just after they turned nineteen." He sat himself down on the grass, his hazel eyes twinkling. "And?"

"And I might have been born before they turned twenty."

Gilbert chuckled, his eyes warm. "They were so young," he said softly. "It's odd to think of us being so much older."

"Speak for yourself," Anne muttered, breaking into a laugh as he grabbed her to tackle her to the grass, his solid weight pinning her easily. When their laughter subsided, she looked up at him, the weight of her words very serious now. "I don't know if my mother was ill with me. I don't know what made them decide to marry so young- but they had each other- and for a short time, they had me." She ran her hand through his tousled curls, watching the sunlight flicker on his face yearningly. "We don't know what is ahead for us anymore than they did," she said, her voice quiet. "I don't want to wait any longer. I- I wanted to wait for your sake- I didn't want to limit you."

"Anne, listen to me- there are no limits anymore," he said fiercely.

His wife's look was tender, and she bit her lip as she waited for him to comprehend his own words. The response was almost immediate, his hazel eyes flaming.

"N-now? Are you telling me now?" he asked, his voice almost failing him.

"If- if you wanted-"

His laugh was joyous as he gathered her to him, uncaring of who could be around them. "Want! You haven't been paying attention if you think I don't want this, my girl. I've wanted this- wanted you-"

He broke off as Anne rose to her feet and held out her hand to him. "Then you have me."

He was on his feet in a second, so overcome with joy that all he could do was crush her to him, laughing. "You couldn't have told me this a little closer to our bedroom?"

"You started this out here," Anne said lightly as he released her, poising herself for flight. Gilbert's eyebrows narrowed at this.

"Are you planning to make me chase you, Mrs Blythe?" he asked, his voice the hoarse one that made her shiver.

Anne felt her stomach thud at the promise in his tone, and bit her lip, her eyes glittering greenly. "Isn't that what you do?" she threw over her shoulder archly, however before she could move he swooped and caught her up in strong arms.

Her heart was beating as hard as if she had actually run a race, and his face was close to her own. For just a moment their eyes met, serious. "Yes. And I always win." He tried to catch his breath as she placed a slender hand to his cheek, pressing her lips against the other. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly.

"With everything in me."

Those that met them on the way home later swore that the Blythes never saw them- several sophomores were insulted, thinking the head of the football team dreadfully rude. A teacher only shook his head, chuckling about the self-centredness of youth. Charlie Sloane found himself roundly ignored, and gaped at the quick way the pair whisked down the ivy path by the boardinghouse, kissing most indecorously by daylight, where anyone could see! The slam of the cottage door across the yard behind the shameless pair made him twitch his curtains shut viciously.

Inside the Mushroom, as Gilbert's hand fumbled at the lock, Anne's were in his hair, their hats lying neglected on the carefully-swept floor. He began to laugh when her feverish attempts at removing his tie were met with little success- and he leaned back against the door, pulling her with him. "I don't think you understand how ties are supposed to work, darling."

She stopped and curled into his arms, chuckling, her breath uneven. "I'm sorry. I got a little carried away."

Gilbert frowned, a slight concern on his face. "Anne, are- are you sure? Is this happening too fast?"

Anne shook her head at him, her face shining with anticipation. "You once told me that you didn't want this to be rushed. Neither do I." She stepped away, her smile at once mischievous. "If you can give me a few minutes, I will attempt to ready myself at a more leisurely pace."

Gilbert sank back against the door and began to laugh, his eyes sliding shut in relief. His heart had risen and sunk mountains in the past minute, something he was quite sure his wife had done on purpose. The cosy, little house was growing dim, and he looked around with a feeling of unreality, loosening his lie properly. He watched the closed door with hunger in his eyes, the weight of the years spent wanting and loving Anne bearing down on him.

I'm not ready for this, Gil. I'm not ready to be married-

How crushed he had been, that night. Aching in body, aching in heart- treading his way to a lonely boardinghouse, expecting that he would lose her.

But then I was forced to imagine my life without you.

That moment on the doorstep when he had seen something flicker into life in her eyes- something he now knew he had seen correctly. And soon- soon they would be man and wife, in every sense of the word.

Shaking hands began to undo the buttons of his waistcoat as he heard drawers close in the bedroom, and the quick pattering of feet before the annexe door closed. He caught his bbreath, the headiness of what they were about to experience together almost making him dizzy.

She was in there, preparing for him.

Anne flew around the little bedroom as if on wings, achingly conscious that Gilbert was waiting outside as she straightened the bed, and sprinkled a little rosewater on their pillows. Curtains were pulled, and and hairpins were discarded, all while her pulse thudded almost painfully in exquisite expectation. As shaking hands lit the little lamp and turned it down low, she gazed around at the room they had shared for almost sixteen months- sometimes in laughter, sometimes in tears; but always together, just as they had promised. She moved toward the bureau and caught sight of herself in the crooked mirror above it. Red curls tumbling down, her blouse askew and her cheeks so flushed- and she wondered breathlessly, what would he think of her? Would he be pleased? She opened the lower drawer, the very drawer Gilbert had been teasing her to see for months. At the bottom was the carefully wrapped package that had waited like a seed in the earth for the coming of spring.

Anne carefully shook out the folds of the delicate nightgown, marveling all over again at what she now knew to be real Valenciennes lace on the loose neckline, and the long, filmy sleeves that were like something from her childish daydreams. She got to her stockinged feet, half tempted to simply toss the nightgown and not worry about that trifling detail- and the nightgown was rather trifling, she thought with a quiet chuckle- it scarcely weighed a thing.

As she moved to the little annexe on light feet, she drew in a steadying breath. The man who had waited so patiently for her deserved the wedding night of his dreams; and as she bent down to remove her stockings, she knew that it had arrived. It was time.

It was only a few minutes, however Gilbert swore he had lived a lifetime until the bedroom door finally opened, a soft glow coming from the room behind Anne. Fingers that had halted at the fourth or fifth button on his waistcoat remained frozen as she came toward him, soft red curls falling down her back. There was a twisted smile on her lips, and she reached for his hands. After a minute of silence, Anne chuckled, her cheeks pink.

"Breathe, dearest."

Hearing his own words from her mouth made him laugh, and new gown or not he snatched her to him, burying his face in the curve of her neck. "Sorry. You're the one thing that has the power to stop me from breathing, sweetheart."

Anne pulled away from his face with a pout that made him chuckle. "Oh. That does rather put a dampener on our wedding night."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll rally." He drew in a shaking breath, noting the slight tremble in her lips. "Are you nervous?" he asked softly.

She chuckled and drew his hands down to where the her robe was tied, stretching up to press her mouth to his. "I think I might burst into flames if you don't touch me soon."

Laughter shook him again, until an unexpected wave of emotion at her faith in him flooded him. He dropped to his knees before her in the dim room, his head pillowed against her soft belly for long minutes in the silence.

Anne's hands were tender as they stroked his curly head, marveling at the way this knight bared his heart to her, time and time again. This was right. There were some butterflies inside- however they were borne of excitement, not fear. When he raised his head, she smiled and undid the knot at her waist, letting the satiny robe fall to the floor behind them.

Adoration blazed in Gilbert's eyes as he clutched her waist; the pretty, white muslin doing nothing to hide the light and shade of her figure from his sight. She was exquisite, from the top of her glossy head to her slim shoulders, the gentle curve of her breasts and the dip in her tiny waist. He rose to his feet, running reverent fingers down her curves, and tugged her to him to kiss her, leaving her in no doubt as to the state of his own desire. Her arms went around his neck tightly, and he lifted her from the ground against him, a satisfied smile twisting as Anne shook her long curls out of her face. She pulled away to smile at him cheekily, her face alight with happiness.

"Take me to bed, Gil."