Gilbert's heart strings had been pulling at him for the past couple of weeks. He really shouldn't have talked to Anne like that. Truth was he missed her terribly. He missed her smile, he missed her laughter, he missed her soft red hair in his fingers, he missed their conversations. He missed HIS kindred spirit, but none of it had been the same since she had rejected him last spring. His heart was well and truly broken.

He had TRIED to enjoy Christine's company but something was wrong, he had other females friends at home but none of them behaved like this. She was chattering about… something… when he paused in their walk seeing a beautiful vision in front of him. His heart raced "Anne." He whispered.

He recognised the skirt she had on as the first long skirt Anne had worn all those years ago, the shirt although similar wasn't the same one. Her hair in a loose bun behind her. She had on a green coat which hugged her figure close. Gilbert could see unmelted snow in her fiery hair, she looked like an angel.

Christine smiled seeing Roy waiting for her. "I heard they are simply mad for each other." Gilbert finally saw Roy as Anne approached him their arms tangled in the others. The streak of jealously stung him. "You need someone to take your mind off her." She said her mouth unnaturally close to his ear. He looked confused at her at her closeness to him as she did she took his hand. He quickly let go and looked to his previous source of pensiveness, to see her looking. Pain hit him hard as he knew by her blush she had seen Christine's closeness to him, Anne looked away quickly in her blush. He went to move towards her when Christine's detaining hand held him back. "There's no point Gilbert, don't you see she loves him."

As Anne blushed away she held at Roy a little more.

"Are you alright?" He asked her gently.

"Yes, of course, just feel a little…" she trailed.

"if you're sure, we don't need to go to the theatre if you don't want to." He assured her.

"And miss the play?" Anne asked confused.

"well if you aren't well?" he questioned.

"No I'm fine." She reassured him.

"I saw him." He said quietly. "What are you feeling?" he asked her.

"a little betrayed." She told him honestly. "He seems so mad at me, he's never kept angry so long with me and she's… beautiful."

"He'll come round Anne, as for Christine I don't see anything about her which outshines you." He said romantically.

"Roy…" She blushed more.

"I'm sorry." He apologised. "A fellow can't help it with you Anne." He sighed. "Still nothing?" she shook her head sadly. "Maybe its time to consider why you feel as betrayed as you do Anne." He said to her.

"He was my best friend, I've lost him." She said.

He could tell she thought she was being honest. "why don't you be the one to try and mend the void Anne, from what I understand it was always him coming after you why don't you try to mend it?"

What Roy had said, made a lot of sense. Make the effort and SHOW him that she was sorry. He HAD been the one always running round apologising to her when in actual fact most which had been at fault had been down to her. She tried over the next couple of months to catch him, but unusually for Gilbert he wasn't at many social events anymore and when he was Christine was in his arm. Anne wasn't entirely sure but she could swear Christine's glances towards Anne were either filled with contempt or else seemed to be bragging of 'owners rights' over Gilbert. Anne noticed of course the way Christine flirted with him. Her hand stroking down his arm the intense gazes she would give to him. When within earshot Anne heard the way Christine talked to Gilbert she couldn't quite believe it herself... She could be very... condescending to him. Was she really a beau? What was Gil putting up with to find love? Or a really pale imitation of it. Every time, EVERY time she said his name " GilBERT" such emphasis on the Bert... she talked to him as if he was five and bragged about HIS plans to be a doctor... well at least she knew there would be no attempts at a romantic attachment this time... maybe finally they could just be friends. Luck struck at the end of term ball when Christine was dancing Gilbert was free he looked fed up and had slipped out the back door. Anne also free moved swiftly in that direction walking out into the gardens. She finally found him a bench not visible from the main walkway it surrounded by high bushes with the exception of the entrance which was created by an arch in the bush.

"Gil." She whispered breaking his pensive silence. He looked at her slightly amazed. "I'm sorry I don't mean to interrupt." She said to him. "but we... I really must talk to you." She continued nervously.

" Anne." He said with a slight croak in his voice. He cleared his throat. " if you must." He said shuffling along the bench he was sitting on. She sat next to him and silence prevailed between them for a couple of seconds.

"the way I rejected you Gil, it wasn't fair of me." She said quietly. She took a breath "and then to expect you to stay after I rejected you was just despicable, I broke your heart that day I should never have expected you to stay because I needed you. It was quite frankly selfish of me considering the circumstances. I need you to know, I said no to stop you getting hurt and when rejecting you caused you such pain..." she trailed... the tears this time in her own eyes. Gilbert looked to her wide eyed he own eyes glazed threatening to dampen his cheeks any moment. "I know things can't ever be like they were before it happened, but I miss you so deeply Gilbert, deeper than anything else or anyone else I miss you and I am so so sorry." She ended getting up from the bench. She suddenly found his hand detaining her wrist.

"Stay." He whispered. "I miss you too." He admitted. She sat back down he quickly let go of her arm. "the truth is Anne, I owe you and apology too. That first night I saw you with Roy and you met Christine, I was too harsh to you that night, I was rude and spoke to you as if our relationship had been an unfaithful one and it wasn't. I didn't really think you had someone like Roy in mind while we were courting, I said it to hurt you like you hurt me." He took a sigh.

"I was already hurting." She told him.

"I know, I was doing to punish you more and I knew how to, so I pressed those buttons, it was below me to behave like that. Forgive me?"

Anne smiled slightly "I think all those times you forgave a hot head red head ALL her follies growing up I owe it to you to forgive you... but know I'm choosing to forgive you I'm not doing it because you obliged me to all those years ago."

He chuckled. "that's a comfort. Thank you." He said with a grin then a sigh. "question is, where do we take it from here. I'll admit it if you don't, we haven't really been just friends since I was sixteen years old! And even then... our friendship it was very..." he thought back about how forward they had been.

"touchy." She said for him. "always very huggy and hand holding, arm linking..."

"I can't go back to that." He said with a crack to his voice.

"I know." Anne admitted. "but let's face it its all our relationship... our friendship knows."

He sighed standing up. "it's not fair, all I want to do is come and hug you and tell you everything is fine, that it will be okay, we can sort through this, but if I do I know my heart is likely to break..." he said honestly.

Anne smiled sadly. "yes a hug would be nice." She acknowledged, "but you're right risk hugging risk falling back into old ways which would..." she trailed standing up. They stood their distance each other and looked each other in the eyes for a moment before their bodies collided in a close hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." She said again.

"me too." He admitted again. "so..." he said separating them a little his hands in her upper arms "start over huh?" he asked her. She smiled and nodded.

"are you coming back to Avonlea for the summer?" she asked him.

"no." He admitted letting go of her arms sitting again smiling slightly as she sat beside him a friendly distance away. "the paper wants me back. I'm interning there in the summer."

"Oh." She said a little disappointed. "well I mean its good for you but a frightful bore for me." She admitted.

"Oh?" he questioned.

She shook her head "last summer was dreadful." She said with a sigh. "so bad I was thinking of taking a position for some teaching in valley road for part of the summer... so I suppose... I should take it... so I'm hardly one to talk." She sighed.

"Oh, well I will be back for Diana's wedding," he said with a grin. "Fred has asked me to be best man." He said with a smile. "I'm supposing here you'll be bridesmaid?" he questioned, she smiled and nodded. "well at least we have those few days together, lets enjoy them." He as casually.

" you.. i... we should... can I write to you in the summer?" she questioned.

He smiled, "As long as I can write back?" he asked her.

"I look forward to it." She said finding herself blushing under his gaze.

The slight wind went through her hair a few strands came loose. "Oh." He said automatically bringing his fingers through the loose strands putting them back, they gazed for a moment his hand still in her hair.

"GilBERT!" a voice shrilled which made him jump and flinch. "GilBERT!" Christine's voice demanded.

Gilbert gave a little sigh "I better..." He trailed

" right." Anne said uncertain of why Christine was saying jump and he was. He stood up took a few steps then looked behind him.

" I'm glad we could make things right Anne." He said with a weaken smile from what he had moments ago.

" me too." She agreed.

He walked out of the little hiding place meeting Christine a few steps out. Anne listened carefully to the interaction.

" what were you doing hiding in there?" she asked him.

" I just needed some fresh air." He told her.

" what kind of date are you, stranding a girl like that, your ex obviously didn't have you trained." She told him as Anne's mouth dropped. ' trained!?' Anne thought horrified, 'trained he doesn't need training! He's...'

" don't talk about Anne like that." He said in a low voice.

" you're always defending her." Christine said with a tut. Anne smiled, yes that was very Gilbert, even when mad he would defend her. " well, I'll be sure to train you, you could make a good husband yet."

Anne blushed a little as their voices went out of earshot. How could anyone talk to Gilbert like that?

She heard a familiar call a softer one a few minutes later. "Anne?" Roy called. She finally got up and walked to him. "There you are, you had me worried." He noticed the smile on her face "Which apparently wasn't needed."

She hugged into Roy. "we've made up Roy, we're finally friends again." She released herself from him as they started to walk slowly back towards the building.

"Ah, so it was him you went after, I wondered when I saw Christine go running out looking annoyed."

"There's something strange about their relationship Roy, the way she talks to him, it doesn't seem right."

He grinned at her. "We can't make that judgment call from the outside Anne, you never know what's really happening in a relationship."

"No I suppose your right. Thank you Roy, for convincing me it was the right thing to do." She said to him.

"Of course." He said. He hoped this would mean Anne could finally let go of her past and look to the future. Could it be that it held him in it?