Hello everyone!

Thank you for the fab feedbacks on all my stories this week! It is very much appreciated. Some of you already know I have just turned 14 weeks pregnant and have had a hard (by comparison to my first pregnancy) first trimester. So your support in this has really pushed me along, I know I haven't updated every story every week (and I don't expect that to change) but now I'm out of my first trimester I feel its a bit safer to share the fact. Thank you all so much really I do appreciate it. My daughter who is five is taking being a big sister very very seriously and since we told her at week nine she's been very understanding of mammy's mixed up tummy and short fuse! Bless her! Hope you enjoy!

As always quotes from the book are in bold

Following the simple, old-fashioned way in vogue then, Anne went down to the parlor on Gilbert's arm. They met at the top of the stairs for the first time since they had left Kingsport, for Gilbert had arrived only that day. Gilbert shook hands courteously.

" hello Anne." He said with a grin.

"a handshake?" Anne almost laughed, " Is this how it must be?" she asked him.

He took her linked in arm as they started to walk down the stairs to eventually get to the isle. " it just me I'm afraid, it's how I might greet Jane or Diana, you don't wish to be different from them do you?" he said lowly secretly wishing she would say yes she did want to be different, she was Anne!

"no I suppose not." She said quietly. Anne looked to him and she noted he looked thin, what was going on with him? His cheeks had a healthy glow to them so it wasn't that he was sick.

Little did she know she was the very reason for the "healthy glow" to his cheeks, her soft, white dress with lilies-of-the-valley in the shining masses of her hair. How could he help but glow. Inwardly he was scolding himself. Anne had a new beau, how could he still admire her so? Roy Gardner was the luckiest man alive in Gilbert's opinion and Gilbert prayed Roy knew what a precious gift he really had.

As they entered the crowded parlor together a little murmur of admiration ran around the room. "What a fine-looking pair they are," whispered the impressible Mrs. Rachel to Marilla. "I still wonder what went wrong, do you know Marilla?"

Marilla didn't know. She wished she had known perhaps she could have fixed it. She had one hoped their relationship would make up for her past follies but it seemed neither Gilbert nor Anne regarded the other the same way they had in years past, though Marilla did note the sadness in both their eyes.

Fred ambled in alone, with a very red face, and then Diana swept in on her father's arm. She did not faint, and nothing untoward occurred to interrupt the ceremony. Feasting and merry-making followed; then, as the evening waned, Fred and Diana drove away through the moonlight to their new home, and Gilbert walked with Anne to Green Gables.

Something of their old comradeship had returned during the informal mirth of the evening. Oh, it was nice to be walking over that well-known road with Gilbert again!

The night was so very still that one should have been able to hear the whisper of roses in blossom—the laughter of daisies—the piping of grasses—many sweet sounds, all tangled up together. The beauty of moonlight on familiar fields irradiated the world.

"Can't we take a ramble up Lovers' Lane before you go in?" asked Gilbert as they crossed the bridge over the Lake of Shining Waters, in which the moon lay like a great, drowned blossom of gold.

Anne assented readily. Lovers' Lane was a veritable path in a fairyland that night—a shimmering, mysterious place, full of wizardry in the white-woven enchantment of moonlight. You could FEEL the romance! If only... She felt it and shook her head. No this had been what she wanted to be friends and only friends. Gilbert had moved on. Anne found herself thinking a good deal about Christine as she chatted lightly to Gilbert. She had met her several times before leaving Kingsport, and had been charmingly sweet to her. Christine had also been charmingly sweet. However Anne had been witness to many an occurrence where Christine's sweet shell once broken only revealed a bitter inside. It worried Anne that Gilbert couldn't see it.

"So did you decide. Are you going to be in Avonlea all summer?" asked Gilbert.

"No. I'm going down east to Valley Road next week. Esther Haythorne wants me to teach for her through July and August. Do you know, I'm beginning to feel a little bit like a stranger in Avonlea now? It makes me sorry—but it's true. It's quite appalling to see the number of children who have shot up into big boys and girls—really young men and women—these past two years. Half of my pupils are grown up. It makes me feel awfully old to see them in the places you and I and our mates used to fill."

Anne laughed and sighed

"'So wags the world away,'" quoted Gilbert practically, and a trifle absently. Anne wondered if he were thinking of Christine.

The sad thing was Gilbert wanted to say so much more, he wanted to be sentimental to show how much he loved her, pull her under a spell and kiss her till morning! But it was too late, she had Roy after all.

Dear Gilbert,

I'm glad of the few correspondences we have exchanged over this summer, it's made the weeks fly by when I know to expect a letter from my very best of friends.

Know Gil, this letter it's much as the others in content, it's strange it feels like because I know these people you should automatically know them! But then I realise you don't know them and depend on my description and my judgement of them to form your own.

***Several paragraphs omitted***

You remember Sam I may have written about in my first letter, he came to call that first day, the only other time I've ever met him was on the roads while I've been walking, he did the most ridiculous thing Gilbert! Well you know of ask the other times so there's no reason you shouldn't know about this! He proposed! (I might add even Charlie Sloane's attempt of a marriage proposal was more romantic then this! Nay, I will go so far as to say Billy's was!)

Will yeh hev me?

Yes Gilbert THAT is how he did it! You'll be happy to know I didn't accept neither did I cry over it, I simply had to laugh! Any ideas of a romantic proposal are now well and truly extinguished! Serves me right I was always too romantic!

Well I may have been disillusioned all together if it weren't for the happy outcome of Janet and John! Well I say happy...

He had promised his mother not to propose to her while she was still living 19 years ago! It wasn't she didn't like Janet... oh no no no! It was that she didn't want another women living in the house with them! See she was sick then 1o years ago and the doctors had only given her 6 months to live, then the stubborn women only lived 19 years more! When she died John came and proposed to Janet! How blissful for them Gilbert!

Christmas had come and the snow was falling, another perfect white Christmas at green gables. Presents had been opened and Marilla was on making the dinner. There was a knock at the door. Anne was the one to open it to find Gilbert standing on the other side.

"Gil!" She said in surprise. "Come in you must be freezing!" She said to him.

"No really, Anne... I didn't... I mean I thought..." luckily the cold winter air was hiding his blush his cheeks already stained pink from his walk, he fake coughed to let his mind catch up with his mouth. "I didn't think you would answer the door, I was just going to drop off this." He did holding out a small wrapped gift.

Anne looked to the gift then to him. "Gil..." She whispered. "Please come in, it would be rude to send you back without warming you through first." She stopped at the double meaning that could have taken. "I mean without..." She trailed. "Please come in." she blushed.

Gilbert was amused, she hadn't meant the double meaning and finding her blushing the funniest thing he'd seen in a while he decided to take her up on her offer and entered.

"We'll hang all this by the fire that way you'll be nice and dry and warm on your way home." She said taking his coat scarf gloves and hat through.

Marilla smiled as they came through the kitchen "I'll get some cocoa on." She said to Anne.

They entered the parlour where Gilbert was surprised was empty "Where is Mrs Lynde and the twins?" he asked.

" Davy and Dora went up to play with their new toys and Mrs Lynde is in her sowing room." Anne said hanging his coat and accessories by the fire. "I didn't think you were coming home for Christmas? Didn't you say the paper wanted you again?" she asked him.

Since the end of the summer Anne and Gilbert had became friendly acquaintances again. Their relationship somewhat repaired they had started this new type of friendly dialogue between them.

"Yes they did, they do, I mean I am working at the paper but I wanted to come home for Christmas I only got in on the last ferry last night and I'm leaving the day after tomorrow to get back to work." He admitted.

"Gil you're working constantly and hard are you sure you're alright? You don't want to get sick. We haven't seen you much at social events." Anne was concerned in all reality, he hadn't been the social man he should be all semester she only recalled seeing him 4 times and each time it was with Christine.

" Oh I'm fine, hard work never killed anyone," he said brushing it aside. "I'm going for the Cooper prize you know it'll take hard work, well the social events were only ones Christine particularly wanted to attend and she bent my arm over it." He said with a sigh.

Anne took a breath to hide her own blush "Christine yes." She did quietly.

"I'm not like you Anne, I can't pass with high honours and still be a social butterfly... some of us have to work." He said with a teasing smile. "I suppose Roy has been taking you to EVERY event?" he said with a grin without malice. Inside in realty his heart was breaking at every beat but he couldn't show his jealousy, it would ruin everything again.

"Yes he has." Anne said quietly, mulling over her own feelings in her mind. Roy had started showering her with gifts and flowers and chocolates whenever she protested he told her just to have them, not to worry. She thought there was a possibility he was trying to woo her. She could think of worse people she could end up with, since she was sure Gilbert had his eye on Christine she had to start laying down to the possibility that she should marry... Roy was not a bad person and very sweet, so she was allowing herself to be wooed, maybe she could fall in love with him?

"Here you go." Marilla said coming in the room with the cocoa. Handing them both a mug. "Merry Christmas Gilbert." She said.

"Merry Christmas Miss Cuthbert." He said with a smile.

Marilla looked at him for the first time in a long time. "Gilbert you're looking thin are you looking after yourself?"

"I'm fine." He said half defensively.

"I'll get you some Christmas cake too." Marilla said as she was leaving the room.

"No please Miss Cuthbert..." He trailed.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you." Anne said with a laugh.

"You all sound like my mother!" He said with a laugh.

"Then it's because we all lov..." She trailed and blushed a little. "I mean we like you, we want you to be healthy and well."

They talked a little for about an hour about little things of little consequence to anyone but them. Anne thought it was strange there was no interruptions but couldn't say she wasn't glad of it.

He realised he still had her present in his hand. " Oh... erm... merry Christmas." He said standing up by the fireplace she stood to and took the small box from him.

"You'll forgive me won't you, I want expecting a gift from you so I didn't get you anything." She said trying to find a way into the gift.

"No that's alright." He said with a smile. "I didn't expect anything in return." He said as she unwrapped it and opened the small box. She gasped as she saw the little pink heart on a fine golden chain. It wasn't big or fancy like any of the presents she received off Roy, but this was incredibly personal and sentimental.

"I saw it and I thought of you." He said with a chuckle "For some reason." He said mockingly rubbing his head where the slate had hit his head all those years ago.

She laughed a little and looked up at him. "Gil! This is so sweet!" She said with a smile. She went for a hug which he willing embraced "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you so much!" She looked just above his head and blushed awkwardly.

"What?" he asked. "What is it?" he asked then looked above him.

His cheeks burnt. He looked down at his female companion still in his arms. "Mistletoe." He whispered.

"Yes," Anne confirmed.

He looked into her eyes which had turned a beautiful colour of green, was the light different in here? He knew he should pull away ignore the tradition but truth was the ONLY women he wanted under the mistletoe was Anne.

Anne blood seemed to be pumping through her veins at an unusually fast rate. Was she sick? On Christmas day of all days? But she looked into his hazel eyes and all she saw was how beautiful he was.

Gilbert leaned down at first not daring to go where he had always been, her lips, so pink and perfect he kissed her lightly on her cheek he pulled back a little and found his hand on her cheek the other holding her waist their lips brushed together lightly but didn't make it to a kiss status as Gilbert pulled back. "I better go." He whispered manoeuvring round her getting his coat and accessories, his heart beating wildly his cheeks burnt red, he had to get out of there and fast. "Ma and pa will be wondering what's taking me so long and dinner will be in an hour."

Anne steadied herself again the fireplace she felt herself trembling. "Of course yes." She said without looking at him in case he saw her blush. "Say hello to your mama for me, I miss her company." Anne said politely.

"Of course." Gilbert said now fully ready to go, still not daring to look at Anne. She walked him to the door. "Thank you for the cake and cocoa Miss Cuthbert, merry Christmas." He said quietly now there was both Marilla and Mrs Lynde in the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas Gilbert." Marilla said as he left. Anne stood by the door and watched as Gilbert crossed the field.

"Which idiot put the mistletoe there?!" Anne said burning red she ran out the kitchen and up to her room.

Marilla and Rachel looked at each other quietly. Rachel was the one who spoke "Did Anne not put the mistletoe out this year?" Rachel asked quietly.

Marilla couldn't speak, it had gone awry again, so she simply nodded.