" what's it like! Teaching the twins when you live with them? Isn't it strange?" Gilbert asked her. Two months had passed and the two friends had started their second year teaching. Gilbert, to his credit had kept his word, had Anne not been participating she never would have known it happened. They were out in one of their weekend walks through the countryside, a favourite pastime of both Anne and Gilbert.

"I thought it would be strange at first but Davy really isn't a naughty child, just very... questioning." Anne smiled. "I was always asking questions and everyone told me to shut up. How terrible would it be if I tried to crush his curiosity?"

Gilbert did a cheerful shrug. "I suppose." He paused and took a breathe, " well I suppose it's how we learn, by asking questions, should lead to an intelligent sort of man."

" can you imagine if WE never asked questions?" Anne smiled. " if Mr Phillips had stayed?!"

They both laughed at this. Gilbert shook his head but didn't say anything.

" what?" Anne questioned him. " something is on the tip of your tongue I can tell."

" it's nothing Anne you really don't want to know." Gilbert tried to shake off her curiosity.

" come on Gil, please? Tell me you're never fully honest with me like you used to be." She pouted.

He sighed. "I was wondering what would happened if it had been Mr Phillips who found out about us and not Miss Stacy?" he looked down at Anne whose face had dropped and she looked to the floor." I knew you wouldn't like it."

Anne sighed. " no Gil, I'm not being fair, we were together three years, we're going to bump into our relationship every once in a while." She started to laugh.

" what's so blessed funny?" Gilbert asked her.

Mr Phillips face!" she mocked gasping deeply mocking Mr Phillips. " he would have sat us at opposite ends of the classroom!"

" or stood us by that blackboard all day." Gilbert smiled. " we ehmm.." Gilbert trailed. No no no! He couldn't say that. Looking down at her.

Anne smiled " we could have given one good show for the class?" Anne sensed. He looked down and sighed. " yes we could have." She smiled, " that would have definitely blown our cover."

" Mr Phillips would have done that anyway." Gilbert thought out loud.

" might as well of had some fun with it." She looked at him.

Gilbert shrugged. " are any of your students...?" he asked her.

"I think Robert has a thing for Millie, but Millie likes James, James is interested in Jen..."

" Jen loves Robert?" Gilbert ended.

Anne nodded.

" ah to be young!" He mocked.

" what are your students like? Any future genius among them?" Anne asked him. After last years 'Louisa' fiasco she was determined to find out more about his separate life at White sands.

"I think I have a fair few who will be ready to send to queens next year, I don't know if there are any future leaders of the country, but definitely those who could make a difference in their communities, make a difference to your community..." Gilbert trailed.

" make a difference to the world," Anne finished. " do you want to come to green gables and do some studying?" Anne asked him changing the subject.

" okay can we drop by my house to get my books?" Gilbert asked her. Anne nodded.

December fell upon them, Marilla watched the two ' friends' studying in the parlour. She didn't understand. They had been together? Then apart but still ' friends' yet she watched them now and it was much like the Anne and Gilbert who spend many an afternoon studying. She recognised it now, she had seen it before they had gone steady but refused to believe her eyes but now it was obvious they were in love.

So why are they apart? She wondered.

Gilbert had grown really tall, broad and very handsome. Very very much like his father. Except that curl in his hair he was John to look at. John had always been the quiet sort something else Gilbert took after him for, except when Gilbert started talking about something he really enjoyed talking about then he talked like Anne, fast and excited, full of life and motion. Yet with all that he hasn't seemed to have inherited the Blythe's lack of patience. John had very little patience and temper to follow, although she understood Gilbert had only pulled on Anne's hair and called her carrots after she refused to acknowledge his existence in class so maybe he had inherited it but fought against it? Could that have been the reason for their estrangement? No that didn't make sense... Gilbert kept coming back, unlike his father...

She wished they could have stayed together. They seemed the perfect couple, she suspected it had been more serious than they had let on to others, often she saw glimpses of them together, she thought even once she saw them kissing?! She wasn't sure because by the time she did the double take they had been at a safe distance from each other. She didn't think it mattered really, despite their break up they seemed to only have eyes for each other.

She made herself known to the pair " would you like to stay for dinner Gilbert?" she asked him. " you two have been working here a while."

" thank you Miss Cuthbert if it's not too much trouble. Ma and Pa have gone away for the weekend to Charlottetown, it'll save me a lot of hassle." He admitted.

" so you're alone for Sunday dinner too?" Marilla asked. " why don't you come here?"

" Oh, Miss Cuthbert that's really kind but I don't want to inconvenience you."

" stuff and nonsense! You'll be doing us a favour, young Davy needs a man's influence and he hardly finds it here." She smiled.

Gilbert looked shyly to Anne, she looked at him encouragingly, a small smile came to his lips

" thank you." Gilbert accepted. Marilla left the room. " you don't mind?" he asked her.

" of course I don't." Anne admitted.

Four months ago after the one year anniversary of their parting and that dream, Anne had decided no more! Silly little girl, that's what she was. True Love? What a ridiculous notion! There was no such thing! Gilbert was just a silly crush not the love of her life! Love of her life? That wasn't even real. Yes, she convinced herself, Gilbert was meant to be her chum. Yes he was swoon worthy, but SHE wouldn't be swooning anymore! Yes she'd had quite enough, and Gilbert would one day see sense if he hadn't already, that afternoon had been... intense (!) ... But the dream had convinced her never to love him again. She hadn't slept again that night she had came up with that resolve not to love him not ever, ever again. Yes that would do it. Cut off all those feelings. Yes, now she could look back on their relationship with an eye of childish fondness, yes she had grown from it, she was now an adult (alright almost one she was turning 18 in March) she didn't have time for silly schoolgirl fantasies anymore and that was it. So of course her chum Gilbert could stay. She enjoyed his company.

" Say Gilbert, why don't you have a girlfriend?" was Davy's first question as he sat down at the table.

"Davy!" Marilla gasped in horror. " you don't ask such things!" she told him.

"I just want to know why not?" Davy continued.

" Davy can you pass the carrots please?" Anne asked him.

It seemed for a second to work but then he reiterated " just if Gilbert can't get a girl there's not much hope for anyone else..."

" the kind of girl I'm interested in, isn't available to love." Gilbert said quietly his face a little pink looking sadly at Anne for a moment.

Unnoticed to Davy who was piling mashed potato on his plate who mindlessly said " could you learn to love Anne? You two would make a swell couple, you're always here anyway..."

Gilbert involuntarily held his breath trying to look anywhere but Anne and failing miserably and Anne blushed hotly despite her resolve not to care anymore.

" That's it Davy!" Marilla shouted at him " up to bed!"

"awww what did I do now?" he asked as Marilla ushered him through the house. " tell me won't you, I'm sorry for it even though I don't know what it is I'm sorry. Can I eat at least? Anne would make a good wife don't you think? She wouldn't send her babies to bed without any food on a growing boys tummy?!"

"bed!" Marilla said firmly.

Anne could feel a giggle rise as she heard Davy's pleas to Marilla. Gilbert looked to Anne who could see the giggle rising in her felt the same laughter within him. It was very strange, it should have left an awkward atmosphere but instead when Marilla return she found the two friends in fits of laughter.

" what is the matter with you two?" Marilla said exasperated.

After dinner while Marilla had gone to get firewood Gilbert followed Anne into the pantry as she collected a few snacks collecting them together.

" what are these for?" he asked her.

" Davy." She whispered. Gilbert laughed. "I can't see him go hungry." She said. " come on." She said leading Gilbert to Davy's room. Anne knocked before entering. Gilbert started by the door.

"aww gee Anne I knew you would come!" he exclaimed.

"shhh!" Anne warned him " don't let Marilla hear." Handing him the plate she sat on his bed as he sat up and ate.

"aww Anne you always choose the best snacks!" he said with full mouth.

" don't eat with your mouth full dear." Anne reminded him.

Davy swallowed. " sorry, I forget." He said then continued " but can't you tell me why not you and Gil?" he questioned looking at Gilbert in the door frame.

" sometimes Davy things can be perfect, sometimes you would do anything for a person including leaving them, sometimes the pain of being apart is the lesser evil, sometimes its love. Sometimes..." She trailed. "you can't justify it." She sighed. "things are more complicated then to love or not to love. Sometimes you have to be somewhere in between..." she brought her best smile "and you know Gilbert isn't the worse friend in the world. In fact he's my very best of friends."

Davy in his usual style shrugged off the answer Anne had given, it sounded far too complicated for his liking.