By the time church rolled around on Sunday, Anne was feeling just awful. She was still tore up over the stupid argument with Gilbert on Friday. She had not seen nor heard from him and she wasn't sure where they stood. They had argued often over the years and always made up... eventually. She wondered how long they would hold their grudges this time. She was ready to make up but she had no idea how he felt. He had seemed so mad when he stormed out.

Her newfound love made the separation that much more painful. She had finally realized why she felt warm when he was around and then she up and ruined it with her silly temper. She cursed her red hair for the millionth time for making her homely, unable to wear pink and prone to tempers.

As she dressed for church, she picked out a simple grey dress that matched her miserable mood. She just wasn't ready for bright yellow or a pretty blue when she was feeling so heartsick. She had not been sleeping well and there were dark circles under her eyes. She pinched her cheeks for a bit of color and decided it was as good as it was going to get and headed out the door.

It was a hot and humid day with bright sunshine peeking through clouds. She rounded the last corner and the church loomed above her. She took a deep breath. She guessed she would be sitting alone this morning. A light tap to her shoulder stopped her and she turned. A guilty looking Gilbert stood behind her, handsomely dressed in a dark blue suit. At the sight of him her heart ached a little bit. They both started talking at once.

"Gil I'm sorry—"

"I was a cad—"

They both stopped talking and Anne offered a shy smile.

"For what it's worth, I said no to him immediately." Gilbert's eyes widened as he realized his misunderstanding and then he looked down, ashamed. "And I'm not mad at you. I know you were trying to look out for me even if you did it annoyingly. I just wish you would have heard me out before losing your temper."

He looked up at her now, a smirk breaking through.

"What can I say; You've always had a knack for bringing out my very worst temper," he replied in a teasing tone. She rolled her eyes even though she knew it was the truth. They had grown quite good at making up after arguments over the years as they were exceedingly common.

"I am sorry though. I should have heard you out. And I shouldn't have said those things- you were right, I shouldn't even consider trying to control the unstoppable Anne Shirley." The remorse was evident in his voice, accompanied by a small sad smile.

"And I'm sorry for what I said... it wasn't true, I was just mad and lashing out," she responded. He smiled and looked around.

"We should probably get in there or we will he late." She realized they were the last ones outside the church. They hurried up the stairs and into the church before settling in a back pew as to not draw attention to themselves.

Anne tried to pay close attention in church. She failed. She could almost hear Marilla scolding her for daydreaming. She just couldn't focus when Gilbert was right beside her, the warmth of his body pressed close to hers in the small pew. She could smell his earthy scent mixed with the lemony hint from his pomade. Her hand brushed his when they held the hymnal and she swore she felt sparks all the way up her arm. She dared a few glances over at him throughout the service and one time her eyes met his, he smirked and winked at her and she turned away, blushing furiously and amazed, but not surprised, at his cheekiness while in church. He had always had a mischievous streak.

She was continually surprised at how different things felt now that she recognized how she truly felt about him. Every look, every touch and every word had more meaning. She couldn't help but analyze each interaction for clues of his feelings. She felt slightly crazy. She had never felt this way ever before; this was something new and different and utterly confusing to her.

When the service ended, Anne followed Gilbert outside into the sunshine. He smiled at her.

"Great sermon," he said, looking at her with a smirk.

"Oh yes," she replied absently. He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I thought you hated when the pastor preaches about fire and brimstone." His tone was teasing but she realized in slight horror that he had caught on to her. He knew she had been daydreaming all through the service. She just hoped he was clueless as to the content of her daydreams.

"You caught me, I wasn't paying attention. I didn't sleep well last night." She replied with a little shrug of her shoulders. He looked at her in mock consternation. While talking, they had slowly been walking towards her home as was their habit. Gilbert often walked her home from church.

"My my Anne Shirley, what would Marilla say?" He teased lightly.

"Marilla would just shake her head because daydreaming in church is nothing new for me. However, Mrs. Lynde would blame the big, bad city for corrupting me." At that he laughed right out loud, eyes sparkling with mirth.

"I guess we're both corrupted because I didn't pay very close attention either," he admitted. She turned to him, with as much sternness as she could muster through her good mood.

"Gilbert Blythe you are a hypocrite! Teasing me for something you too are guilty of." He smirked, seeing right through her to know she was joking.

"Well I can't pass up a good opportunity to tease my favorite girl. I have a reputation to uphold." She rolled her eyes.

"Reputation? For being a nuisance?" He clutched his chest with his hand in dramatic fashion.

"You wound me Anne Shirley."

"I'm quite sure you will survive." Her words were light but she couldn't help but dwell on the fact that he called her his favorite girl. Was that an indication of his feelings? Or was it just a further token of their strong friendship and nothing more? She could not puzzle on it further as they had reached her home. Gilbert looked up at the sunny sky and back to her.

"I think it's too beautiful of a day to waste. Do you want to take a ramble down to the shore?" He asked, a warm look in his eyes.

"Let's pack some sandwiches and make it a picnic."

"It's a date," he replied with a huskier tone in his voice. She turned to unlock the door, cheeks a bit warm after his comment. She tried to calm her nerves. It was just a picnic as friends. Something they had done a hundred times. Right?

Notes: Just a quick chapter. The next one will be a big one! Let me know your thoughts! *I did research and late 19th century pomade was often scented with lemon oil. **I am stuck between two plot lines for this story. If you have an idea of where you think this is headed/where you want this story to go, please let me know! It might help me decide which plot I decide to follow! Thanks!