Gilbert rode along Orchard Way, the sky turning inky black as his borrowed horse thundered along the path, kicking up clouds of dust.

A storm was burning up the evening sky, thunder promising to shatter through the clouds imminently. The weather of late seemed to match the mood of Gilbert's feelings and the events which seemed to shroud his life. Anne's scarf billowed in the wind as he passed all of the houses Anne had mentioned. He was searching for any visible sign of Anne but he had no luck, until he reached the Mantleyews house. There was a crushed rose bush in the perfectly-preened garden, right by the slightly open window. It was out of place and Gilbert slowed Diana's horse to examine it.

Gilbert could see through the window that there were people moving inside the house and he watched. It was only the Mantleyews family - they were calm and preparing for bed. Anne certainly couldn't be in there but she had definitely been here a while ago.

Gilbert rode on and passed several more houses with no further signs of Anne. He reached the last house on Orchard Way before the red road disappeared into the dark, neglected woodcutter's forest. The last house was perfectly quiet and seemed to be untouched, belonging to the Frailles family. Gilbert sighed, his brow furrowing as he surveyed the area, turning Diana's horse in slow circles around the path. His eyes searched the hedgerows and the surrounding fields for anything... Anne had to be near.

Gilbert looked over the Frailles white fence into their back garden. He scanned the well-kept grass and plants and flowerbeds, struggling to see very well in the dark evening light. He suddenly noticed that the neatly-mown grass was torn up in streaks like somebody had been dragged across it and had dug in their heels... Gilbert followed the marks with his eyes to the back of the garden and saw a piece of torn white fabric caught onto the picket fence. He recognised it from Anne's school apron.

Gilbert's heart dropped.

Anne had gone into the woods behind the Frailles family's house - that or she had been taken... He highly doubted Anne had gone into those woods for any good reason, perhaps she had run in to hide or escape something or somebody. But it looked like there had been a struggle if she had been dragged across the lawn and had torn her skirts on the fence. She hadn't gone of her own free will, he knew it.

Gilbert looked up at the forest, looming dark and full of potential for terrible deeds.

Joseph could have taken Anne deep into the woods and left her, unable to find her way out or to die. Anne was in no state to be left anywhere and if it was Joseph who had done this then Gilbert could be sure he hadn't been gentle... Anne could have torn her stitches open in the struggle, she had come close to doing so many times over the past few days.

Gilbert clenched his jaw, his face paling as he thought of all the terrifying possibilities. He gripped the reins tight and spurred the horse into the woods. The trees grew close together and whipped at Gilbert's face as he rode deeper and deeper, off the beaten track to follow the rough trail which Anne had left. It went on and on and Gilbert couldn't get the image from his head of Anne being dragged through the woods by Joseph.

Losing Anne was more than a possibility now, it seemed to Gilbert a highly-realistic outcome for this entire situation. It shook him how deeply afraid he was to lose her... He couldn't bare it if he lost her and he'd never have told her how he felt. How did he feel? Did he even know? Diana said it was better to give Anne time but what if Joseph and Billy were right and Anne didn't have much time left?

Gilbert resolved to confront whatever confusing and overwhelming feelings he harboured for Anne and confess to the redhead the truth of his heart when he found her.

The trail Anne had left ran further into the depths of the woods and it became too dark to see. Gilbert searched the area for a long hour before finally stumbling upon a clearing. At first he didn't think Anne would be there but then he saw a barn. This was an old woodcutter's barn, Gilbert could tell. He had a sudden vision of Joseph wielding an axe... Gilbert slid off the horse and threw it's reins around a nearby tree branch, all thoughts besides Anne rapidly disappearing from his head.

Gilbert charged across the clearing, Anne's grey scarf almost blowing off as he ran. The cold wind was picking up now and Diana's horse reared up unhappily. The thunder threatened to break up ahead, growling in the darkened sky. Gilbert reached the barn's double doors and yanked at the bolt, cursing when it didn't move an inch. It was rusted beyond repair and he couldn't bust it open no matter how hard he tried. Gilbert swore loudly and kicked the doors, heart thumping hard in his ears.

"Anne, I'm coming." Gilbert whispered.

He knew Anne was inside, he could feel it - there was no doubt in his mind.

Gilbert desperately searched the clearing for something to prise the door open with and eventually found a blessing... There was a semi-blunt axe discarded on the floor under several rotten logs in a broken shelter. Gilbert grabbed it and ran back to the doors, taking a breath before swinging the blade into the wood. The axe bounced off with a frustrating thud. It was too blunt to cut in. Gilbert persevered, desperation overriding his reason. Gilbert swung the axe again and again and eventually the old wood splintered away upon impact.

Gilbert worked away at the door, cutting deeper into the wood near the lock until the boards crumbled apart and half of the rusted bolt lock fell onto the forest floor. Gilbert dropped the axe and siezed the broken door, pulling it open despite the splintering boards scratching his fingers. The doors were forced apart and he staggered into the dark barn. Gilbert's eyes took a few minutes to adjust and the moonlight shining down through a broken off board in the roof was the only illumination.

"Anne!" Gilbert exclaimed, horrified to see her slumped figure on a pile of hay in the corner.

Gilbert ran to her, touching her shoulder and rolling her limp body over. She was shaking, murmuring illegible things with her eyes squeezed tight shut. Her red hair had come loose from her plaits, sticking to her forehead and her skin burned to touch. There was blood leaking through her dirty dress at her side and her white apron was torn all along the front from the picket fence. Her skirts had ridden up and Gilbert saw deep scratches all across her legs, likely from the crushed rose bush.

"Oh, Anne. What's happened to you?" Gilbert pulled Anne's trembling body onto his lap, searching her face for any signs of consciousness.

The girl was feverish and her wound needed cleaning and likely stitching back together. Gilbert was little prepared with experience - he had delivered babies and bandaged cuts before but never stitched somebody back together. Gilbert always carried bandages, clean rags, needle and thread and a purifying remedy in his pack ever since that awful night when he found Anne bleeding out on the road. He never wanted to feel so helpless again.

His hands were shaking as he felt Anne's hot blood on his fingers.

"Anne, I've got you." He whispered. Anne let out a small whimper of pain, her eyes shut tight in a feverish nightmare.

Gilbert knew in that moment that he had to do something, no matter how little experience he had. He had the knowledge gained from the countless sleepless nights reading every medical book he could get his hands on and he had the determination to save her.

Gilbert lay Anne down on the hay bales and shrugged off his pack. He pushed up his sleeves and unbuttoned his waistcoat quickly, tossing it aside and bringing out the remedy. He ran it over his hands to sterilise them, as he knew was important. He thanked the stars he'd read so much about the importance of sterilisation to kill germs. He had also recently studied the sections about sewing up wounds, after waking up from troubled dreams of finding people bleeding out and not being able to help them. Nightmares mirroring Anne's last forest incident were commonplace in Gilbert's sleep lately. He rarely slept soundly, ever since he almost lost her.

"Begging your pardon," Gilbert turned Anne onto her side gently and undid the back of her dress.

He tugged the garment off of her arms until it hung around her waist, then he pulled it off from her legs and threw it down along with his waistcoat. It restricted her waist in the area he needed to clean, it had to be gone. Anne's underdress had buttons down the front so he pushed up her skirt instead to reach her waist. Gilbert surveyed the wound and it was clear the stitches had broken and been pulled apart at the top. The wound had been healing but had reopened towards the end of the gash. There was a lot of blood leaking out and it was red and swollen sore.

Gilbert pulled a clean rag from his bag and soaked it in the purifying liquid before sponging away the blood. Anne moaned in pain but didn't surface from her fever. Gilbert worked on, cleaning her injury until he could see what he was working with. By the end he had begun to sweat. It wasn't a hot night but the stress had gotten to him and he felt dreadfully worried, the concern was like a weight in his stomach pulling him down.

Next Gilbert focused on sterilising and threading the needle. Needles in syringes made him feel dizzy but sewing needles were easier to deal with. Despite this his hands were shaking so much that he could barely manage to thread it. The eye of the needle seemed to get smaller every minute. He swore under his breath in frustration. It was almost too dark to see, with only slithers of moonlight streaming down from the gap in the roof.

Anne was slipping. Gilbert glanced at her pale face, his brow upturned in stress. He wiped his damp forehead on his sleeve and took a few deep, slow breaths, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes. He needed to calm down, he wouldn't get anything done in this state. With anyone else, he'd be calm as a summer's day but this was Anne. She was so much more important to him than just anyone.

When he had taken some more deep breaths Gilbert's shaking eased and he tried the needle again. After a few painstakingly close calls, he finally threaded it. His shining face washed with relief and he pulled it through and knotted it quickly. He leant over Anne's wound and began.

Stitching her up was a terrible thing which Gilbert would never forget. It was scary to have to sew up a human being but it was even more scary to know that somebody who you cared so deeply for had their life resting in your hands. Anne was helpless as she lay drowning in a fever. She felt every bit of it, as the needle pierced her sensitive skin she cried out. Every cry was like a knife stabbing Gilbert's heart. He wanted to stop, to throw away the needle and end the pain he was causing her but he knew it had to be done. He had to sew around the old stitches which Mrs Tilderly had done, which was difficult. He luckily had practice sewing up his clothes as a child when his family couldn't afford new ones and his mother had died so she couldn't mend for him.

Finally after all the pain and stress and fear he finished, pulled the thread tight and knotted it. He leant down and broke off the spare thread with his teeth.

Gilbert retrieved a clean rag from his pack and doused Anne's stitching in the steriliser before wiping away all traces of blood. He pulled bandages out and wrapped them around her waist tight, keeping the stitches safe and clean. Gilbert knotted them up and pulled her dress down over the wound. Shaking and drenched in sweat he sat back, breathing hard. A cold breeze blew into the barn through the broken door and he allowed himself a moment to calm.

Anne was still feverish but the worst was over. Her pale face was troubled but she had stopped whimpering in pain which was a good sign. Gilbert looked around the barn and saw a wheelbarrow full of water. He went to it, legs feeling slightly weak. Gilbert dipped his hand in, testing the temperature. It was cold. Gilbert soaked the last clean rag in the water and went back to Anne, sitting on the hay and pulling her into his arms. He cradled Anne and sponged her freckled forehead with the cold cloth.

"It's over now, Anne." Gilbert closed his eyes and felt overwhelming relief wash over him.

He felt decidedly more positive than on his ride to the barn. Anne was alive, she was going to be okay. Joseph hadn't won this time, Gilbert had saved her. Anne would wake up soon and he could bring her home and the next day James Riley would report to Detective Ellwyn of all the terrible things Joseph had done and he would be taken away. There was hope.

Anne's fever slowly subsided after a while and Anne began to stir. She moaned in pain, face screwed up as she came into consciousness. Gilbert moved the cold cloth from her brow as her eyes blinked open. The weakened girl frowned, groggy and half-focused before noticing Gilbert and an indescribable expression fell upon her face.

"Anne-- you're okay. I've got you." Gilbert said in his rough voice, pleased to see her awake.

"G-Gilbert..." Anne's words slurred as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and blinked slowly.

Gilbert's dark eyes were a mixture of anxiety and relief. He was uncertain of her reaction to him being there and helping her and he didn't know what she'd been through before he had found her. Anne didn't have a very good history of gratitude on the saving her life front, not that Gilbert sought it out. He was afraid he would upset her with his actions somehow. He didn't understand why but Anne was unpredictable and passionate and he knew she got angry easily.

"Gilbert I--" Anne looked up at him and her eyes focused on his, gazing into them with an intensity that made Gilbert's heart skip. "I'm so glad... that... you're here..."

Gilbert was not expecting that at all.

"You are?" He whispered.

Anne nodded slightly, wincing at the movement and clutching her head. Her eyes closed and she moaned quietly in pain. Anne's face was scrunched in discomfort and Gilbert scolded the small part of him that appreciated how adorable her expression was, despite the horrible reason for it. Anne looked down to find the biggest cause of her pain. Anne saw that she was wearing only an underdress and her torn stockings.

"I'm practically naked." She said slowly, cheeks flushing.

"You'd pulled your stitches open, I had to-- I had to sew you up." Gilbert's words were hoarse and barely audible. He felt nervous.

Anne looked at her fresh bandage and her chest lifted with a slow, deep breath. Anne slowly traced her hand over the clean fabric and breathed out. Her tangled red hair fell over her shoulder and Gilbert fought the instinct to push it back behind her ear. He waited with baited breath for her dreaded reaction.

"You did that?" Anne asked quietly.

Gilbert nodded.

"Well... I suppose I'd better call you... Doctor Blythe now." Anne finally looked up and met his eyes.

Gilbert slowly realised that she wasn't angry at him, or upset with him. She was grateful and even... impressed. A completely relieved and giddy smile took over Gilbert's face and Anne smiled slightly too. It was a small smile, shy and tired but Gilbert treasured it. It was beautiful. They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, it was a warm and tender exchange of mutual comfort in each other's presence and wellbeing.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Anne." Gilbert breathed quietly. That special look that only came out for Anne was present on his face.

"I wish you'd been here before..." Anne bit her lip, remembering how afraid she was and all of the pain.

"I wish I had too..." Gilbert told her. "I'm sorry that I wasn't, Anne. I dearly regret it."

Anne realised that Gilbert was truly upset at the idea that he hadn't been there to look after and protect her. For the first time since he'd told her he cared about her, it didn't annoy Anne that he felt that he needed to. She'd always thought that it was patronising and infuriating but she finally understood because she felt a rush of relief as soon as she saw him that he was alright and that he was there with her. It wasn't patronising, it was just a human caring for another human and Anne understood that and she felt the same way about him.

Anne reached up and wrapped her small arms around Gilbert's neck. She hugged him tightly, closing her eyes to hide her fear that he wouldn't return the embrace or that he didn't want her to touch him like most people she knew. She could hear his heart beating hard in his throat and feel his damp shirt and how hard his chest was against her. Anne could feel his messy curls tickling her face and she could smell his scent - of his orchard apples and grass fresh after the rain and trees and newly pressed books. There was also another smell, that was warm and human and so inexplicably Gilbert.

There was a beat, where Gilbert was frozen in surprise.

Then Gilbert's arms wrapped around Anne tightly and she breathed the heaviest sigh of relief she'd ever felt in her life. Gilbert felt strong and warm and Anne felt safer than she had in a long time. She felt like everything was going to be alright, no matter what happened in the future no matter any of it, she had Gilbert.

Gilbert couldn't believe Anne had actually hugged him. He held her firmly, not wanting to let go. He savoured this moment which he'd longed for so deeply yet never quite realised he needed. Anne felt soft and strong but had a slightly fragile sense as she had gone through so much and lost some weight. She was small, her head came up to his mouth, his face was buried in her red hair. Gilbert thought she smelt lovely even after all the events of the night.

The bitter wind growled around the dark barn like a ravenous animal, the roof creaked and an owl hooted close by. The storm was picking up in the night sky and Gilbert saw the silver stars fading behind curling black clouds as he gazed up through the missing boards. He cradled Anne closer and closed his eyes, keeping her safe in that moment at least.

"Gil, I'm sorry." Anne's voice was muffled against his shirt.

"Sorry? What for?" Gilbert frowned.

He didn't want to break the long-awaited hug but he loosened his hold slightly and looked down at her face. Anne stayed with her pale face buried in his chest, eyes closed. She was holding him tight, her fingers gripping his shoulders, clinging onto the fabric of his top.

"How I've treated you..." Anne murmured. "I've been a monster. You deserve better, you've shown me nothing but kindness. I do appreciate it, Gilbert. Honest, I do. Although I don't show it."

"You don't have to apologise, Anne please--"

"Gilbert, I mean it," Anne looked up at him, her brows upturned. "Everything that's happened is no excuse. You're always so -- you're a good person, I need to forget all the problems that have come between our friendship. I need to put it behind me, I need to stop pushing you away--"

"Friendship?" Gilbert muttered, looking at her with a strange expression on his face.

"You don't want to be friends?" Anne frowned, thinking she has misjudged. "I thought that's what this has all been about since the first day I met you, you always said you wanted to be friends..."

Anne moved back and Gilbert's hands fell into his lap, fiddling with his sleeve which had come down from where he'd pushed it back. He felt anxious again. Anne's expression was unreadable as she sat feet away, looking at him with searching grey eyes. They were bright in the dark and he felt her gaze burning his skin. His breath came short and quick and he scratched the back of his neck shyly.

"I--I... Anne, you have to know..." He began. The words stuck in his throat like glue. He couldn't breathe. Why did she do this to him?

"Know what?" Anne leant forward, her heart racing.

She felt hot and cold at the same time. What was Gilbert going to say? What did she want him to say? She didn't know. After all this time, she thought she knew what she wanted from Gilbert but he was still a mystery to her. She didn't want to be friends but she couldn't bare to not see him. If he died she would never recover but he drove her crazy sometimes. He made her feel safe and made her feel special but at the same time she didn't know if she wanted to be anything more with him. From the day she met him he had been a pain to her, she never thought of him romantically - they were just rivals, they'd always been that way. Until recently, she couldn't get him off her mind. He made everything better and made her feel happy.

"I know you don't feel this way but I can't-- I can't keep pretending..."

Gilbert was stammering. Anne had never seen him like this before... He was so nervous, he was blinking rapidly and his hand was picking at his sleeve and twisting it. Anne's heart was beating so hard. She looked at him, the handsome boy with the dark curls who had caused a chaos of unfathomable feelings in her heart for so long. Gilbert made her realise she didn't know nearly as much as she thought she did, especially concerning matters of the heart.

"I like you Anne, more than just as a-- a friend... I think I always have." Gilbert finally said.

There was a pause, before his words spilled out abruptly. They burst from him like the sea being poured out a bottle - surging, finally free after being trapped so long. Anne sat in silence, not missing a single word. His voice was sore and raw with emotion and strain, his face expressive and full of nervousness.

"Anne, I've liked you since I first saw you. I thought you were awfully pretty and fierce and smart and interesting. Then I thought after I teased you and you hit me that I'd never have a chance but I kept trying... You made it quite clear you didn't like me so I guess I gave up but while I was away I could barely think of anything else. I couldn't think of anyone else... I just-- I just wanted to come home, I wanted see you. I don't care that we fight and argue, I don't care what people say about you or me and I don't care what the world will throw at us... Oh Anne, I'm sorry -- I know this is gonna be hard now and you need more time to figure things out, I know you've been through so much -- I just needed to tell you the truth, it's been burning inside me trying to get out. I think everybody else knows, they kept going at me about it. I told everybody it wasn't true, I think I've even denied it to myself but I just can't any more. I care about you so much, it hurts to lie about it."

Gilbert hesitated. His eyes were shining full of emotion, so intensely that Anne felt quite breathless. The moon smiled down at them before disappearing behind a stormy cloud. There was silence for a moment, before he spoke.

"I can't lose you, Anne," He breathed. "You're all I care about."