" are you ready for queens Anne?" Gilbert asked her one evening while they were out for a stroll. Now they were courting Marilla meant to have them stop the practice but thought it would look odd for them all sudden to stop, they had been walking together and often for 4 years. They never seemed to cross any lines although you never could tell when they were away from the house but Avonlea was small, if they were too close someone would see.

" so much sowing and preparing for Marilla and Matthew are really being too kind I don't deserve everything they have done, pretty fabrics and nice dresses, oh you should see this pretty green fabric Marilla has got for me she said we could make a beautiful evening dress with as many frills and puffs as I like!" Anne said excitedly.

Gilbert smiled, " they are getting you these things because they are proud of you. And so they should be, I'm proud of you."

" are you getting new school clothes too?" she asked him.

"a few more formal attiring items, cravats and ties. Less jumpers and more jackets, I'll look like a young man." He laughed.

" more girls to chase you." Anne said with a shiver.

He laughed "I don't give a jolt about any other girls." He told her putting his arm around her. "I care about my Anne."

" but they'll be more interesting people at queens." She almost muttered.

" where has had this came from?" he asked her. " you've never got jealous before, not even over Josie."

" because Josie isn't your type. But now they'll be other girls who are clever and will be able to hold long conversations about well anything... what if you prefer one of them to me?"

" why would I prefer it with someone else when I can get it out of you?" he asked.

" well because..." She trailed. " they'll be more pretty then me."

White noise filled his ears. " what?" he paused for a minute, " Anne? How can you even think that?" he didn't care where they were or what propriety demanded he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. " you know, I've told you since I was a child asking for your forgiveness, I think you beautiful." He paused " are you telling me you think there will be a red haired green/grey hypnotizing eyed girl who can match and beat me at every step every time, who is as kind and sweet who looks and thinks and acts as you do?" Anne made no reply. " you are unique and exactly everything I have ever dreamed of. And I love you, in every possibility in every eventuality, if there is a Gilbert Blythe he will only ever love Anne Shirley."

She smiled shyly. " Gilbert..." She trailed. " that's so ... you're making me swoon!" she told him leaning back in his arms to look at him.

" it's true and I know it and you know it too." He told her. They carried on their walk together his arm around her. " what about you?" he asked. " should I be on the look out for tall inscrutable melancholy strangers?"

She laughed. " Oh Gil! No, don't be silly."

"I don't know some rich handsome melancholic stranger could steal you away from me with promises of diamond starbursts and marble hallways, and he could give them all to you, I can't. What if he makes you swoon?"

" don't be utterly ridiculous!" she exclaimed laughing " you know that was a cover up... a diversion to cover my true feelings, so no one would guess."

He smiled. Yes he knew it, it was nice to be reassured. He pulled her into the trees kissing her passionately, his body pressed her against the tree as he found himself getting warmer and warmer, he realised her hands were in his hair her body arching into his. He felt himself melt holding her closer to him. He felt his body wanted to be closer. 'Anne!" He said as he melted into her a bit more, he pulled back to stop, " I just, need to... stop a minute." He said to her.

" why?!" she exclaimed not letting him go.

He pulled all the way back and looked at her. "Anne, you must know, you must..." he looked her in the eyes " KNOW what you do to me?" he said.

She looked confused as he put a bit of distance between them, he knew Miss Stacy must have given the girls equivalent of " the talk" and his father had explained what was happening to him just as his throat began to break at aged 12. But then Anne at the same age... they were already friends by that stage in her life.

" Anne, I... Find myself... wanting you... closer, then I can have you." He told her.

"oh!" she said realising. "oh." She repeated. "oh!"

He chuckled sitting on nearby tree trunk. "I guess this is a draw back to wanting to be together so young."

" and having such big dreams." Anne finished. He slid off the tree trunk and rested his back on it his arms went around her as she sat next to him " we could marry you know, live in a little cottage, plant lots of flowers and lavender."

" grow our own food, I could get my teachers licence, I could be a good teacher. I think I could like it well enough."

" we could have babies of our own." Anne smiled. " and they would be loved Gil wouldn't they? We'd take care of them."

" haven't you had enough of child rearing? Two sets of twins and another boy wasn't it before you were eleven?" he asked.

" three sets of twins actually." She smiled. " none of them wanted or loved, me even more so. I suppose that's why I would love babies of my own, to share love, oh but you might not want children..." Anne trailed.

" no, I do." He blurted.

" really?" Anne asked him.

"I must do." He said a bit taken aback with his own statement. "I never really thought about it before to be honest. I'm seventeen, should really have by now. I always thought I had so much schooling left before I settled, I guess it never occurred to me." He said " though some of the others already have plans."

" really?" Anne smiled against him.

"hmmm, Fred will have three children at least one boy he can name after himself. Charlie will have himself a good little wife with 4 boys, as if you can custom order which gender can come. Moody doesn't mind in the number as long as he has one boy, then after that he's done." He laughed at the idea.

" did they not ask you what you wanted?" she asked.

"I told them the truth that I hadn't made up my mind on the matter. But that I wouldn't be as presumptuous as to try and order make my family. I think any child should be loved which is why I guess in part I find pre gables Anne so sad. You should have been loved, I bet your parents would have loved you it's sad you missed out on it."

" not sad now." She admitted. " I'm loved. Matthew and Marilla, Diana and my dearest you." She sighed. " yes any child would be loved. And ours would be so loved." She smiled. " it's nice to pretend isn't it? That we could just give up and have each other?"

Gilbert smiled " yes it is. But queens is less than a week away. No point in giving up on it now. We'll see what life gives us and I won't make a child bride out of you. We can work together to fulfil our dreams, yes?"

" yes we'll be forever there for each other." Anne smiled and looked at him reaching for a kiss, they gently embraced each other.

" such a lovely thought though." He whispered.

" yes,I wonder if that is what my mamma and papa wanted." Anne pondered. " is it possible to miss someone you don't remember or know?"

"I think so, I missed you before I knew you." He admitted. "I didn't know it but I did."

"I think I miss them." She dreamed.

He held her a little tighter " of course you do." He paused. " what a lovely dream, maybe it can be ours too, once we finish queens." He said.

" something to look forward to then." She said.

Eight days later

Eight days later Anne in her homesickness was sitting on the end of her bed crying.

There was a knock on the door where upon she wrote her tears and managed to say " come in." Where the door opened in came Gilbert, upon seeing her in distress wrapped his arms around Anne sitting next to her on the bed.

" Oh Gil, I'm so glad it's you!" she said bursting into tears again hugging into his shoulder.

" it's alright my love, tell me what's weighing on your mind so much it's made you cry?" he asked sweetly.

" its sundown and Matthew will be coming in off the fields,... Marilla will be waiting for him on the horizon... and they'll be that smell of lilies of the valley and I'm, I'm..." She trailed crying again.

" homesick." He finished. Letting her cry more into him as she nodded into him. " come on Anne we have each other, it'll be okay." He soothed her.

" you don't think me silly for crying so?" she asked him.

" no of course I don't, well I came here because I needed a bit of home, I thought maybe my bit of home might like to come to the park with me and listen to a live band play? word of them is all over campus. Thought some culture might help us feel more at home with the place."

Anne smiled and brought her hand to his chest. " that sounds lovely." She admitted. " Marilla sent some cake, shall we take some with us for some Avonlea flavour?" She asked him.

Gilbert grinned and silently agreed.

Anne laughed a moment. " Oh it's been a long time since you were here for me because I had need of you. We've been together so long it's as if we have just been lovers and not friends." She told him. " that promise is still in place isn't it?" Anne asked him.

" always, I'll always be there for you when you need me. Always, no matter what. I'll always be your friend and I'll always be on your side." He assured her.

"I hope it was unspoken, if you need me, I'll be there for you too." Anne told him.

He smiled. " yes I know it." He paused. " come on wash that face we can go and watch that band together." He said cheerfully.