A/N when I say present day down in this chapter I mean the present day in the time of the fiction, hopefully it doesn't confused anyone. Hope you enjoy this chapter x

New York, 2 years ago.

The day was cold and the leaves were turned, blowing in the wind like a shower of gold. James Riley felt excited and afraid. He had come from Charlottetown in Canada to New York for the first time on a steamer. The sight of the shining towers and buildings reaching for the cold blue sky took his breath away. He could never have dreamed structures so grand and tall and it was almost impossible to imagine real people building them.

James had work on the docks arranged to begin that week but his first day was free to find a room to rent and get used to the city. He quickly immersed himself in the bustling markets and the churning bubble of the inner city. There was so many sights to see, so many new foods and smells and cultures and rules. He had never been somewhere so big, so complicated and busy.

It was at the end of his first day in New York when he saw her... She was a blissful picture of caramel skin and coal-black curls, her pale blue dress dancing in the wind as she hung off the tailor-shop balcony surveying the market. Her smile was a ray of sunshine on the crisp autumn day. James froze gazing at the girl and time seemed to slow. He'd never seen anyone like her before and nobody so beautiful.

James felt a rush of excitement in his heart. He needed to know her, he felt it was of paramount importance. Her sparkling hazel eyes found his by some miracle and she smiled a dimpled, freckled smile which shone a type of light into his life that he'd never known. The precious moment was torn from him as the crowds swept him up and when he regained control of himself and looked back she had gone inside.

James chanced to meet her the next day after his long and gruelling first day of work. He returned to the same place where he saw her, in the middle of a busy street in front of the tailor's shop. The wonderful girl came out with a sign to place in the window. She stopped when she saw James and recognition danced in her eyes. He said nothing, no words coming to him as she approached.

"You need a new coat to match his new city. I can tell you're from out of town just by looking at you." She said. James grinned. "You're far too handsome to wear such shabby clothes, come in."

That night he went home with a beautiful dark blue coat and he left behind his heart.

Her name was Jasmine Grace Lorella and she was the daughter of a very rich tailor named Mason Lorella. James quickly saw that Jasmine Grace was a joy to everyone who knew her. She was smart, savvy and sweet and she had his heart from the first time they met. James discovered that Jasmine was born out of wedlock and had a black mother so she had experienced hatred and ignorance so she solemnly vowed to treat everyone with kindness.

James met Jasmine every night after they both finished work for two weeks, treasuring nights of laughter and stolen glances by the beautiful docks, watching ships and people and winding through the small markets, with Jasmine teaching James about New York. They learnt a great deal about each other and the more they learnt the more deeper they fell. After only a month they were head over heels in love.

It was after three months when he finally met her family, invited over to dinner. Jasmine's step-mother was disproving and keen to put Jasmine down at every opportunity. Her father Mason was strict and he'd worked hard to reach the top. He knew his only child marrying a poor man would not help raise his station in the slightest. Mr Lorella told Jasmine that she could not marry James as he had no money and no prospects.

Jasmine was furious and stormed out, James running after her. He found her by the water, sitting on the edge of the fishing docks. He settled beside her and took her soft hand.

"I promise you I will save up enough money to be able to marry you." James said softly.

"I don't care about money, it shouldn't be about that." Jasmine sighed.

"I know, but if that's the only way we can be together then I plan to save up every penny."

Jasmine told James she would save up too and they could leave New York and live in Canada. They held that dream of freedom in their hearts every day as they worked, harder than ever and living without all but the necessities as they saved every penny. They still saw each other often, meeting several times a week and spending what little moments of relent they had with each other.

After six months James had to leave New York to travel on to a new port for work and a heartbroken Jasmine gave him a broach with a four-leaf-clover in it for good luck. He swore he would return with all of his money saved up and marry her. James didn't see Jasmine for another seven months. They were horrible, slow months which dragged on with no letters reaching either correspondence due to James' shifting location. Feeling hopeless, James thought Jasmine would surely be married when he finally returned to the city.

As soon as he got back to New York he went to the markets where he first met her and he saw Jasmine sewing on the balcony, her singing wafting down to the crowds below. James' heavy heart was lifted and his hope sung with her. He waved until he caught her attention. She instantly dropped her work, eyes wide and ran downstairs and into the market, throwing herself into his arms. James' heart had never ached with so much love and joy before that time.

They spent the night at an inn together and lay in each other's arms until the sun rose, not wanting to miss a moment with the other.

Jasmine told him she had other suitors while he'd been away but turned them all away waiting for him. There had been a boy named Scott watching her for weeks, throwing roses at her window every morning and following her after work but she didn't want him and made it very clear.

Jasmine told James she had saved up enough for a ticket to Canada and more. Together they had enough money to get land in Canada and build a house and James told her that he intended to prove his worth to her father the next day. James told her they would marry as soon as he showed her father his savings.

The morning dawned and James awoke, laying beside his love with the promise of a hard-earned future together. He kissed her freckled cheek until she woke and they hugged tightly, giddy smiles warming their faces. Love blazed bright in their eyes, both of them feeling so relieved to be together after so long. Jasmine didn't want him to go but James promised he would return to her, he only had to pay a short visit to her father.

Jasmine caught him at the door and kissed him hard, a tender kiss full of passion and love and adoration. James tore himself away, beaming and blissfully happy. Jasmine called out the window that she loved him and he waved and told her he would see her soon to become her husband. She laughed fondly and watched as he joined the bustle below and disappeared towards the markets.

James left that morning and he never saw her alive again.

The terrible thing which happened to Jasmine was what drove James away from New York for the following year where he met Gilbert aboard the steamer. He had worked hard to return to Canada but it felt empty and painful without her beside him. He tried to move forward and live the life she had dreamed for them but beneath it all he was still reeling. The day Jasmine was taken from him, so were all of his hopes and dreams. Desperately angry and full of almost dehabilitating grief he promised to get her justice.

He would find Joseph Bines and avenge Jasmine.

...

Avonlea, present day

James Riley rode into Avonlea in the early hours of the morning.

He hadn't been to Avonlea town in years and didn't recognise anything especially in the dead of night. He made his way down the main road, hoping to find somebody or something he recognised but he had no luck. After a few hours of riding in the bitter cold, rain and wind he came across what must have been the market in the small town, with many shops and houses laid out together with a rough dirt track running through it. All of the shutters in the buildings were closed and people were still asleep.

James found an inn and sat on the step beneath the shelter outside to wait until it opened. He tied his horse to the post which held up the shelter and leaned against the wall away from the heavy rain. He needed to ask for directions to the Detective's office so he could help his friend. He sat there for a long time, humming softly to his horse while he waited. He felt miserable and cold and tired but he hung on, knowing relief was at the tips of his fingers. For so long he'd lived every day in a daze without his beloved Jasmine and now he could get a form of closure by putting the one responsible behind bars.

It was bitter sweet. He was finally in Canada and had travelled beyond the docks, come so far to a beautiful town where people settled and made families but he was here alone, Jasmine was in New York beneath six feet of earth and the boy responsible for her demise was here somewhere still living and ruining more lives.

James was exhausted and fell into a light, troubled sleep. His dream was more of a memory, painful and full of aching regret. It was buried deep down every day but regularly resurfaced in his dreams like an unwanted shadow made from grief. It was about the day he found Jasmine, being held on the balcony by Joseph Bines - or Scott as he had been known by at the time - who was shouting and shaking her. James had hesitated, he'd frozen in shock and fear and she had paid the ultimate price for his weakness as she was pushed and plunged to the pavement with a terrible scream which haunted James' nightmares until the day he died.

James was stirred from his sleep by the sound of hooves on the pavement. It was around three o'clock in the morning and there was nobody else awake, but he was surprised by a tall blond boy riding through the town on a sand-coloured horse. The boy didn't notice James as he sat concealed in the shadows but James saw him and his heart stopped for a beat.

It was the boy who had taken so much from him and utterly ruined his life. It was Joseph Bines.

James stood suddenly, staring at the boy as he rode past who was oblivious to James in the shadows of the building. It was dark and the moon was peering out from behind the storm clouds which swirled in the sky, trembling with thunder. The rain was battering down on the roofs and splattering the streets like Jasmine's blood as her body broke against the floor. James froze with shock as he was forced to relive the day he saw Joseph for the first time.

James urgently climbed onto his horse and rode after Joseph, not sure what his intentions were but determined to follow Joseph. He knew whatever Joseph was doing couldn't be any good.

...

After finishing their very late dinner, Gilbert and Anne sat watching the fire for a while. Neither of them wanted to go to bed despite the long day and night and the exhaustion which claimed their bodies. They both had a strange feeling they should make the most of the time while there was no drama, only peace.

Anne was thinking about asking Gilbert about his family as she desperately wanted to know more about them but she knew it was a painful subject and she was afraid of upsetting him. She was aware that she had a habit of talking about the wrong things and misreading social situations. She bit her tongue and let the curiosity dwell inside her.

It was Gilbert who decided to breach a touchy topic, which surprised Anne.

"What was it like... in the orphanage?" Gilbert asked quietly.

Anne looked at him. His face was serious and interested. Nobody had ever asked her before, not out of genuine interest and not out of spite like Josie Pye liked to do. Anne hated being at the orphanage, it was a dark time in her life she disliked dwelling on. Her usually sunny and positive disposition which had been struggling to come out lately had very nearly been crushed out of her when she resided in the orphanage.

"Well, I..." Anne stammered.

"You don't have to talk about it, not if you don't want to." Gilbert hastened to say.

"No, it's alright..." Anne fiddled with the sleeve of her dress as she spoke slowly. "It wasn't pleasant, I can assure you... I spent some time in care with different families, although I wouldn't really call it care. I know they all tried their best to be kind to me -- in their own sort of way -- but it's awful hard to be kind to someone when you have a husband who liked drinking and shouting or you live in a tiny hovel with twelve children... Anyway... I uh... I spent most of my childhood in the orphanage... like many other children with no parents, there wasn't a real place for me in the world. Until the Cuthberts adopted me, that is."

Gilbert listened patiently, through her stammering and anxious rambling.

"Not that there's no place in the world for you, Gil-- although you aren't really a child-- well, I mean..."

"It's alright, Anne." Gilbert reassured her. "Go on."

Anne paused, worried she had offended him again like she had when his father died. She still felt bad about that. Anne took a breath and continued, thinking about the orphanage and all of the children in it.

"Oh there were so many children there... I'll bet they're still there today and will be until they're old enough to work." Anne's voice was wistful and her eyes were starry with sadness. "This life's not kind to orphans, the staff were strict and often cruel. I was grateful for a roof over my head and food each day but the way of living there made a person - even the most good person, with only love in their hearts - eventually struggle to harbour any gratitude. I found it very hard but then I'm not an entirely good person, despite my hard work to be one. The food was quite terrible and the beds were uncomfortable, dozens of us packed into one room. The children were all sad or angry... I doubt any of them had ever known kindness. That's probably why the older orphans weren't kind to me and hu--"

Anne stopped suddenly and looked at Gilbert with a flush in her cheeks. She never spoke about the bullying and abuse she had received before she came to Green Gables. She had always been too embarrassed or ashamed, or it caused terrible feelings and flashbacks so she never delved into it, opting instead for brushing it aside in favour of imagination.

"Did they hurt you?" Gilbert's eyes widened. He had known Anne's childhood was hard but he didn't know the details.

Anne had the deer-in-a-trap look in her eyes. It was sadly familiar to Gilbert, he had seen it before. Anne was tired of lying to people about her life before, she knew now that Gilbert wouldn't tease her about it. Maybe it would be good to talk about it and let it out, so she could move on?

"Yes..." Anne admitted, her voice a whisper. "Many of the older ones were bullies, they had been there so long and I imagine they'd lost hope of ever getting adopted... They took it out on myself and the others who were younger. I was very strange to them, I loved to read and I'd tell stories which I made up in my head. They didn't understand, so they ridiculed me."

"That's horrible, Anne... I'm so sorry you had to experience that." Gilbert was shocked.

"It wasn't just the younger orphans, it was the animals too... there were mice who lived in the orphanage, in the walls and they ate our scraps. The older girls would catch the poor harmless creatures and they would k-kill them and-- and-- they'd tell me I had to-- I had to eat the mice. They tried to force the mice down my--my throat. If I didn't, they'd ki-- they would kis--"

Anne's stammer was too hard to overcome and she stopped. She realised her heart was beating as fast as a speeding train and her hands were shaking. She felt dizzy and stopped speaking, looking at her small feet, the crackling fire, anywhere but Gilbert. She knew he was kind but all she had ever received for tales of her past were shame and dismissal.

"They tried to kiss you?" Gilbert finished her sentence for her.

Anne didn't meet his eye. She felt his gaze on her face, heavy and hot. She wished she'd never said it aloud, it made it even more real to relive. Gilbert saw how upset she was and he felt awful for asking her about the orphanage. It was clearly painful to talk about. The kind boy slowly got up and went to Anne, squatting down beside her chair and taking her trembling fingers inside his larger hands, looking up at her flushed face.

"They should never have done that. It hope you know, kissing should never be an alternatum or a punishment... it's meant to feel good." Gilbert spoke gently.

"It was so long ago, it-- it doesn't matter Gil--"

"It does matter, you deserve better than that." Gilbert said firmly. "Don't ever let anyone tell you different."

Anne felt a tear in her eye and she wanted to wipe it away before Gilbert saw it but he held onto her hands. She took a shaky breath and blinked, the tear rolling down her cheek. Gilbert reached up and brushed it away. He wanted to make her smile, make her happy.

"Anne, if anybody tries to do that kind of thing again, you need to sock 'em right here--" Gilbert pointed to his eyes. "Or punch 'em here," He pointed down to his stomach. "That'll stop them. Another tip, a fail-safe for irritating people who are far too arrogant is a slate to the head."

Anne laughed lightly. "That one definitely works."

Gilbert smiled. "There's your whole life ahead of you, Anne. There's going to be so many kisses in your life which will make your heart soar, and they'll make your horrible first ones fade away into the shadows."

"Well I hope so," Anne smiled. "I don't know a great deal about it and my experience is certainly lacking so I'll take your word for it. I'm sure it sounds silly, you've probably had so much experience already."

Gilbert shook his head. "No, never."

Anne frowned, struggling to believe him. "Surely, the 'great' Gilbert Blythe has been kissed! Not even in a game?"

Gilbert chuckled. "No."

"Really?"

"Why is that so surprising?" Gilbert laughed.

"Because everybody wants to kiss Gilbert Blythe!" Anne laughed.

She had meant the girls at school but Gilbert saw the chance.

"Everybody? How about Anne Shirley Cuthbert?" Gilbert smirked cheekily.

"Nobody wants to kiss me, Gil I'm--"

"No, I meant, do you want to kiss the great Gilbert Blythe?" He said.

"I-- I-- well, you-- Gilbert--" Anne suddenly laughed, covering her mouth bashfully.

"Anne Shirley! Answer the question." Gilbert grinned, leaning in.

Anne's red hair fell forward as she giggled shyly, covering her face with her hands. She had suddenly forgotten everything bad in her life and all that remained was her and Gilbert there in front of the warm, flickering fire as the lamps died down and the storm howled outside. She felt giddy and happy and safe.

"Cuthbert. Anne Shirley Cuthbert." Anne's voice was muffled behind her hands.

"I can't hear you, you're gonna have to come out." Gilbert laughed, digging his fingers gently inbetween Anne's and tugging at her hands. "I want to see your face."

"You're ridiculous, Gilbert Blythe." Anne said, with mirth hanging into her words.

"You're beautiful, Anne Shirley Cuthbert." Gilbert said. It felt strange to say it so openly and not have to hold it in.

"Stop teasing me. You're a pest."

"I'm not teasing. It's the truth." Gilbert bit his lip as he beamed at Anne.

"You're still so arrogant, second thoughts the slate didn't work--"

"Yet you like me." Gilbert's didn't mean it to but his words came out as a question.

Anne slowly drew her hands from her face and peered at him from between her fingers. Contrary to the other girl's opinions Anne thought Gilbert looked especially handsome when he smiled and was happy, more so than when he was sad. It made her heart soar, just like he had said earlier. She reached and took his hands again. He exhaled sharply.

"I do," Anne said.

Gilbert looked up at her and met her eyes, shining gold in the firelight. His heart was skipping to match hers. She traced his palm with her finger slowly, feeling the scars and rough palm compared to his soft wrist and fingers. He had matured so much since he left on the steamer. He seemed more of a man than a boy now, with his broad shoulders and solemn eyes. Anne's breath was shaky. Gilbert took in all the details of her face, her long curling eyelashes and the constellation of freckles upon her face, the upturn of her nose and the rose blush of her lips.

"I really like you." Anne whispered.

Gilbert felt a pleasant ache in his chest, where his heart was.

"You're everything to me," He murmured. "You deserve everything. I know you're not ready yet for any of this, but I'll wait for you. One day when you're ready I'll be there, and I'd give you all of the-- the marble floors and... sunbursts in the world, Anne. Just like in the novels you love so much."

"I don't want marble floors and sunbursts," Anne's voice caught. "I just want you."

Gilbert blinked. Anne reached down and brushed her hand over his cheek, snaking to the nape of his neck where her fingers tangled into his curly hair and sent a shiver down his spine. Before he could speak, Anne had pulled him up and pressed her soft lips against his. In that moment reality fell away. All that existed outside of their lips lost its meaning. Their hearts stopped a beat before soaring higher than ever. Anne felt a tingle run from her lips throughout her veins like electricity. Gilbert's body worked instinctively through the shock and he found himself cupping Anne's face in his hands as he savoured the moment. Anne lit a fire inside him, as red hot as her temper and as blazing as his loyalty to her. He had never felt this way about anyone and he never would again. Anne held onto his hair, her fingers woven into the curling dark locks. His hand slipped to her jaw with his thumb on her cheek as he deepened the kiss.

Anne had started the kiss and she broke it off after what felt like an age, beginning to cease the ability to breathe. She gasped, a deep breath drawing into her lungs as she blinked her eyes open and looked at the stunned boy she had just kissed. That had been his first kiss and Anne thought of it since as her real first. Gilbert's fingers still cradled her face, his thumbs slowly traced circles over her cheeks as he blinked at her with his eyes heavy in an unreadable expression. Whatever it was, it made Anne shiver. His hands slipped down to her shoulders and she heard his breath come out shaky. He leant his forehead against hers and they sat in silence for a long while, the tension growing thicker and thicker.

After a long time, Anne's hand slid from his neck and she leant back, Gilbert's hands falling down into his lap. She swallowed hard, feeling suddenly shy. Finally the exhaustion had set in and Anne felt painfully tired. Gilbert's brow furrowed. He felt like his heart had been pulled out, shaken up and shoved back in upside down with half of it missing. He had a strange sensation of being pushed off a very high cliff but not falling, just floating in the air with no gravity.

Anne looked at him and thought about how soft his hair had been. She wanted to touch it again. His lips had been soft too, and warm. His breath had been sweet like the apples they'd eaten and she could still feel the ghost of his hands on her face. She shivered slightly and looked down.

"Anne, you are an absolute mystery to me." Gilbert said.

"I'm quite a mystery to myself, I assure you." Anne mumbled, and stood up.

"What was that?" Gil whispered.

"It was your first kiss." She said softly, looking down at him fondly. She knew it was a very special thing and she had shared it with him.

"It was more than that..." Gilbert's gaze was heavy and she could barely tear herself away.

Anne stood looking at Gilbert, struggling to understand the whirlwind of unrecognisable and inexplicable feelings which raged through her heart and body. Gilbert made all of her sense and logic disappear and whenever he was near her heart just couldn't relax.

"Are we not going to talk about it? I thought you loved talking." Gilbert wished she would tell him where he stood with her. He just wanted to be hers.

"I can't talk about it, all of this is new... it's a lot to take in. I need to go to sleep." Anne said gently.

"You're tired?" Gilbert felt dazed. He didn't think he could ever sleep again after that.

Anne nodded.

"Well it's best that you get some rest," Gilbert murmured. "You can have my bed, it's more comfortable..."

His room felt more secure, being far away from the front door and having a bolt to lock. Gilbert decided to retire in his father's old room, not that he'd be able to sleep. The room was close to the door in case anything happened. Anne thanked him for the food and made her way up to his room.

Gilbert felt strange sleeping in his father's room but he wanted Anne to be safe. He undressed and pulled on some loose trousers and a light top to sleep in before laying on top of the sheets and gazing up at the ceiling.

Upstairs the wind was groaning against the walls and Anne heard tree branches scraping the roof. She tried to settle in Gilbert's bed but despite the warm sheets and the comforting, familiar smell she couldn't relax. She thought about the eventful day she'd had and the uncertainty of her future. She thought about Gilbert and all of the things he'd said, how he felt about her and how she felt about him. She thought about the wind and the storm and imagined being back out in the cold. She thought about her friends and wondered what they thought of all the rumours circulating town about her. She wondered how much longer it would be before everything that had been going on finally lead up to the moment where either Joseph or herself were inevitably taken away.

Most of all she thought about the kiss... What had possessed her to do it, she didn't know. What she did know was it was the best moment of her life and infinitely better than any of the kisses she'd read about in stories.

Below and several rooms over lay Gilbert, mind equally busy and body equally restless. His insomnia was especially bad after such a hectic and emotional day. The room was peaceful and quiet, the wind sounded far off and the storm was hidden behind shutters and curtains. The lamp burnt low and yet still he lay awake, thinking and thinking. His mind whirred and ticked like a clock or a machine, never stopping. The kiss had set his mind alight and he didn't want to think of anything else. Anne's words kept a blissful smile on his face.

I really like you...

After a long time Gilbert heard the creak of light feet on the stairs. He sat up and Anne's small figure came through the door, her pale face a white smudge in the dark room. The lamp light flickered on her grey eyes and she looked down to see if he was asleep.

"Anne," He said gently. He wondered if she'd had a bad dream.

"Can you sleep?" She whispered.

Gilbert shook his head, his unruly dark curls falling into his eyes. He ran his fingers through them, pushing his messy hair back from his face. It never did what he wanted, it always wound up in his eyes again sooner or later. Anne watched him, thinking absently how much she enjoyed looking at him.

"Me neither," Anne sighed. "The wind..."

She trailed off, taking a step into the room. She had only her borrowed underdress on, with a blanket from his bed draped around her shoulders. Gilbert watched her, pondering again why she had come down. He thought about the day Joseph had attacked him and they'd laid in this very same bed. Gilbert wondered if Anne thought about it too. He thought about it often.

"If it's too loud... you could stay down here." Gilbert suggested slowly.

Anne brightened slightly. "Would you-? I mean, do you not mind?"

"Of course not, I can sleep upstairs if you--"

Gilbert went to get up but Anne moved forward and touched his shoulder. He looked up through his curls. "Stay." Anne said. Gilbert stopped and hesitated, not wanting to overstep.

"Are you sure?"

Anne nodded. She walked around to the other side of the bed and pulled back the sheets. Anne lay down causing her dress to ride up slightly and Gilbert saw how scratched and bruised her legs were. Anne pushed her skirt down and pulled the covers over her, getting cosy. Anne looked at the boy with a curious expression. She seemed calm for the first time in a while and he wasn't sure what had caused it. There didn't seem much to be calm about. Perhaps she had suddenly become good at hiding her emotions.

"You're going to get cold, come under." Anne told him.

"I don't really sleep-- I don't need..." Gilbert tried to explain but Anne's puzzled expression made him cease and give in.

Gilbert got under the sheets, gently pulling them up. He felt warm and safe, with Anne beside him and the storm blowing wild outside. Anne had been on her back but rolled onto her side so they were inches apart, her freckled face staring at his pale one as they lay in the dark shadowy room. The lamp light was dancing on their faces, casting long, spidery shadows of their eyelashes upon their cheeks.

Gilbert could barely breathe. Anne's gaze felt hot upon his face. He thought about how beautiful she was, especially in that moment when they'd been so open with each other and been through so much together. They lay in semi-silence listening only to the rain stampeding on the roof floors above before Anne finally spoke.

"I wonder, what will your friend James will say to the detective. What does he know? Do you think it'll make a difference?" Anne questioned quietly.

There was no reason to whisper but a thick, calm hush had fallen over the pair as they lay there. Gilbert was glad of her speaking, although it wasn't what he wanted to talk about. He didn't think he could bare the silence any longer.

"James has a way of him, he'll know just what to say - and I'm sure it will make a difference, there's things he knows that would put Joseph in jail." Gilbert said, frowning.

There was a pause.

"Does your throat still hurt?" Anne asked, poorly-disguised concern flickering in her eyes.

"Only every time I speak." Gilbert joked.

Anne laughed lightly. "After everything, you're still making jokes."

"You've got to have some consistency in your life," Gilbert laughed. "I'm glad I can be of service."

Anne smiled. They shifted, getting more comfortable. The dark had deepened and the only light was the flashing of lightning through the shutters. They could barely see each other but they could just about make out each other's faces because they were so close.

"I'm still cold." Anne said absently.

Gilbert's brow furrowed and he clenched his jaw slightly. "Come here." He said gently.

Anne hesitated before she shifted closer. Gilbert's hand found her shoulder and he pulled her closer, wrapping his right arm around her. Anne settled her shoulder into the nook beneath his armpit and rested her head on his chest. Gilbert's body was warm and firm and she felt better already. There was a slow beat of his heart beneath his chest and she listened, letting her own heart join the calm rhythm. Her long wavy hair was tickling Gilbert's face and he slowly brushed it back with his fingers, pushing it down slowly behind her ear.

The two teenagers fell asleep within ten minutes, into the best sleep they'd had in a long time. Their breathing synced up and their soft snores were drowned out by the storm battering the house. The sleep would be the last good sleep they'd both get in a long time. Something inevitable was heading towards them, shortly to arrive with consequences that would shift the course of their lives. The relief of finally being able to be vulnerable and real together came as the well-deserved calm before the storm.

...

Joseph Bines had been watching Billy Andrews from afar ever since he'd followed Anne along Orchard Way.

Joseph had seen the naive boy take Anne into the woods and lock her in the barn. He'd watched as Billy ran away to report all he had seen to the detective and he'd seen them hound into the woods searching for Anne. This was it, Joseph knew. Anne would finally be arrested and sentenced as guilty of his crimes and it was finally his chance to escape... The cart was packed long ago, all of Joseph's stolen jewels and valuables were ready in their chests and he could leave Avonlea.

Joseph had been receiving lots of threats from Redmond Bines who had of late watched Joseph even more raptly than usual. The tension and mistrust between them had grown into hatred and Joseph couldn't wait to be free of the man. Joseph still wished his plan had gone smoother, and he could do without the detective on his tail as well but they'd likely be too distracted with arresting Anne and it would prove the best time to slip away.

Joseph reached Guardinia Cottage and went to his room to pack his clothes. He didn't own much but he couldn't have packed any earlier without drawing attention to himself and Mr Bines guessing his intention to leave.

Outside in the windy night, James Riley crept up to the window to watch but he discovered the curtains were drawn so instead he listened. James heard a man enter the room and slam the door. The man and Joseph spoke loudly so James could hear, luckily.

"You're finally back!" Said Mr Bines angrily. "I waited up for you, I thought you'd gotten arrested. You're even more ignorant than I thought - don't even try to lie to me anymore. I know all about the interviews and I know the detective is onto you."

Joseph groaned. "I haven't done anything, they're not gonna arrest me. Whatever you've heard is bull."

"You're a terrible liar, Scotty. This whole Barry robbery fiasco has gone too far, there's a rumour you're responsible for all of this - including those petty thefts up along Orchard Way."

"It's Anne Shirley Cuthbert who's responsible. That's the rumour you wanna listen to." Joseph snapped.

"That's it. We are leaving town. You've got two days." Mr Bines said firmly.

"What? Why?" Joseph blanched.

"Because you've drawn too much attention, people have been digging into our pasts and they're not gonna like what they find. Remember New York? How normal do you think it is for an eighteen-year-old boy to have killed people? You think they want someone like you living here when they know what you're really like?"

Joseph swallowed hard, frustration smouldering inside him. "Fine. Two days."

"Pack up, say your goodbyes. Not that you have anybody who'd miss you. We are going on a vacation to visit family in a nearby town if anyone asks." Mr Bines gave Joseph one last hard stare before leaving the room.

Joseph's heart was beating fast as he stood there in his small, barely-furnished room. He passionately hated Mr Bines and everything the man had ever done to influence him growing up. Joseph knew it wasn't normal to have killed, he knew it was a result of his upbringing. He didn't harbour any regret for his doings he only wished his life was easier. He felt he deserved a better life after all of the awful things he'd had to endure as an orphan on the streets of New York.

Joseph quickly began to pack, furiously shoving his clothes into a bag. He intended to leave at first light before Mr Bines rose.

James Riley, waiting outside Joseph's window had heard everything. His time was running out, the Bines were leaving town in only two days and James just knew they weren't going to come back. He had to get to the Blythe farm to tell Gilbert that Joseph was leaving and he had to see the detective as soon as possible. James leapt onto his horse and rode off in search of somebody to relay directions.

...

The Detective and his group of officers arrived back at Green Gables in the early hours of the morning.

Matthew had barely slept and had risen with the first rays of sun, as the dew dripped down the roof and the birds began to sing. It was his favourite part of day and it reminded him of Anne, as she loved the beautiful spring mornings too. The flowers poked their heads out of the ground and opened their petals cautiously, the rabbits and squirrels scurrying along hedgerows and the sun scattering golden light across the shimmering dew-laden grass. The storm had finally relented and the air felt fresh and calm. Matthew could hear a woodpecker in the forest echoing across the field in the crisp air. He heard the horses galloping up the red grit road long before they reached Green Gables.

"Where is Anne?" Detective Ellwyn demanded before even greeting Matthew at the gate.

"Well now, she was out all night. She stayed at a friend's house." Matthew said, his face showing no emotion.

"Which friend? Why was she there?" The Detective didn't believe it. He had many reasons not to.

"The boy, Gilbert Blythe. Anne went to do homework and fell asleep."

"Really?" Detective Ellwyn raised his eyebrows in a disbelieving manner.

"That's the truth of it." Matthew said firmly. He was losing his temper. "Call me a liar as well if you must. Why not label our whole family?"

He was a painfully shy man but if anyone meddled with his family he found a strange courage which was drawn from righteous anger at being wronged. Anne was a treasure to him, joy in his later years he had never dreamt of being blessed with. He knew this whole ordeal had caused her a great deal of pain and he never doubted her honesty in this matter.

"Well I doubt I'll see you again for a long while, Mr Cuthbert. It's a courtesy to tell you as her guardians that Anne has been found guilty and I am taking her away for reformation." The detective turned on his horse and he was gone.

Matthew's heart stopped for a moment. His breath clouded in the air before ceasing to flow in his lungs. He watched the men gallop away, kicking up clouds of red dust from the long winding road to the Blythe farm. A bird sung out and it sounded mellow and mournful. Everything felt slow and quiet. Matthew heard Marilla calling from the porch but he had no words to reply. He couldn't breathe.

Marilla watched Matthew collapse onto the ground.

...

Anne and Gilbert were woken by a bird pecking on the window.

It was an urgent drumming sound and it drew them from their deep sleep with a shock. Gilbert sat up suddenly, frowning around the shadowy room. Sun snuck in through the shutters and curtains, making him aware of the morning's arrival. He felt warm and for the first time in weeks well-rested. Gilbert was suddenly aware of a presence in his bed. He looked down at the figure, curled up in blankets with a disgruntled face as she was roused from sleep. She had been asleep on his chest, her arms falling down each side of his body as his hand rested on the small of her back but now she had been disturbed.

Anne sat up, groggy. "Gilbert?" She murmured, yawning and pushing her messy red hair from her eyes.

"Goodmorning." He smiled.

She was so beautiful.

For a moment, the world outside was on pause and they sat in the warm bed, sheets tangled around their bodies as they gazed at each other with giddy smiles tugging at their lips. The terrible storm and the events of the night before didn't seem real in comparison to the beautiful morning they awoke to.

It would be remembered afterwards as one of the worst mornings of Gilbert's life. Not for the part of morning he was experiencing at that moment but for what came abruptly after.

There was a loud banging on the door and a deep, muffled voice was calling. Anne froze, an image of Joseph at the door making her grab Gilbert's arm as he went to get up. He looked at her face, saw her fear and hesitated. Anne felt an imposing aggression to the repeated, hard knocks on the door. It was no friend.

"It could be him." She said.

"I was thinking it was time for a rematch anyway." Gilbert said lightly.

"Gil, don't." Anne was breathless. "Please."

"Anne, it's alright. It's probably just James. He said he'd come this morning." He got up and Anne let go of his arm.

She watched as Gilbert crossed the room and opened the front door. There was a rush of cold wind which blew through the house and sent shivers down Anne's back. She had a sudden terrible feeling of ominous meaning. This was an important moment, she could sense it. It seemed somehow final.

"I need to see Anne Shirley." Said a barking voice from the door.

Anne couldn't see who it was but she recognised the voice. It was Detective Ellwyn. Her heart sank like a stone in a lake.

"Why do you want to see her?" Gilbert frowned.

"I have proof that she has broken into many houses and stolen items of much value. Billy Andrews has stated he took her to a barn last night after witnessing her breaking in, then we found this at the barn which was taken from the Frailles family's house."

Anne peered to see a hand holding up the cloth which Billy had snatched up as a gag. She groaned internally. That wretched boy! She'd left it in the barn after she left, she'd forgot after everything that had happened.

"Also this."

There was then held up a brown ribbon which had fallen out of Anne's hair when she fell off the rope. Marilla had complained a few months ago that Anne was always losing her ribbons so she had stitched her name on them to avoid other girls mistaking them as their own. Anne fell even deeper into the depths of despair.

"She was here all night," Gilbert said with resilience, his manner stoic. "She didn't break into any houses."

"Yet there is evidence proving otherwise." Detective Ellwyn sighed. "You could also be held for harbouring a criminal and disrupting the course of justice, so I suggest you let me do my job. Give me the girl or I will come in there and take her. She needs to be taken away for reformation in a correctional facility."

"Are you serious? She doesn't need correction, this is all a misunderstanding!" Gilbert was outraged. "This is all his plan, Joseph Bines set everything up to fall on her--"

"Alright, I'll come and take her then." The detective pushed Gilbert roughly aside and stalked into the hallway, looking around.

Gilbert moved hastily to pull the detective back but several policemen entered the hallway and pushed him against the wall as he shouted. Anne felt a wave of panic rush over her. This was it. She was being taken away. This was the fear she had always held, since the start. It was coming true. Joseph and Billy were right, her time was up.

"Don't you dare!" Gilbert yelled. "Don't you touch her--"

Detective Ellwyn burst into the room and saw Anne. He grabbed her by the arms, pulling her off of the bed and dragging her across the floor as she struggled. She was trying to speak but he didn't listen.

"No! Stop, it wasn't me--" Anne stammered. "Please, don't take me-- this is a mistake!"

"Somebody grab her clothes and shoes." The detective snapped at one of the officers.

"You can't do this - she's innocent!" Gilbert yelled furiously, pushing against the men who held him back. "Get off of me!"

"Boy, you have to calm down." An officer said.

"Calm down?!" Gilbert exclaimed, rage making his voice hoarse. "You're taking Anne away and she's done nothing wrong!"

"Gilbert! Gilbert, please don't let them--" Anne cried, trembling as the detective dragged her to the front door. "Gil--"

She reached out for him, desperation leaping in her eyes. Gilbert pushed urgently against the officers, stretching out his arm to her. Their fingers brushed and they clutched on but moments later Anne was pulled out of the front door and along the yard, kicking and fighting all the way to the police's carriages. A carriage door was yanked open and Anne was turfed inside and locked in before banging against the door repeatedly.

"Let go of me!" Gilbert cried. "Anne!"

Gilbert shoved the men off and ran to the door, looking out at Anne's pale face through the carriage window as she hammered on the door. She looked so afraid.

"Gilbert!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Before Gilbert could move, the carriage door was slammed and it was moving away at a hurtling speed, dust churned up in clouds as the wheels crunched on the gritty path and the horses reared onwards. Anne hit her fists against the window and Gilbert thoughtlessly ran out of his house and down the path barefoot as the remaining policemen on horses set off behind him and rode past him in droves of entourage.

"Anne!" Gilbert screamed after her.

But it was too late, they were fast and disappearing over the hill already, galloping away down the road. Gilbert's heart was thundering in his chest, his mind swimming in panic as he gazed after them in the clouds of dust. He felt sick. There was a painful ache in his heart. He heard horse hooves behind him and turned, dazed and shaken.

It was James, riding up on his horse. He had finally found somebody to direct him to the Blythe farm and had been riding all morning. He was breathless and his wide eyes showed urgency. James rode up to Gilbert, who stood in the cold on the road with his heart torn in two. James didn't notice at first, the desperation to convey his message coming out hurried.

"Gilbert! Joseph Bines is leaving town in just two days. If we want to convince the detective he really is responsible for all of those terrible things we have to hurry. I know Anne doesn't have much time."

"You're too late," Gilbert's voice cracked. "Anne's gone..."

"What? What do you mean?" James frowned down at his friend.

"They took her."

...

Anne tired herself out screaming after an hour.

Her voice was almost as hoarse as Gilbert's and her fists were bruised from banging against the tough windows in the carriage. The motion of riding so fast had made her feel sick at first but then she was lulled into a strange, calm state of emotional numbness... She had no idea where she was going, her hope was slipping away like her home, family, her friends and Gilbert. They were all left far, far away behind her.

It was a special type of carriage which had shutters on the outside of the windows to prevent any of its transportees recognising their whereabouts in the event of being taken to prison or such thing. Anne imagined a great deal while she was being taken away, it was her only comfort. She wondered all the people who had come before her in the carriage and where they had been taken. She feared her destination and she felt a deep aching loss in her heart for her family and friends. She thought she'd never see them again.

Finally after many hours the carriage stopped and Anne sat up from her stupour, alert. There were footsteps outside and low talking. A short while passed and the door was unlocked. The late afternoon sun fell into the carriage and Anne blinked, her eyes adjusting slowly to the brightness. She struggled to see, two figures swimming blurry in front of her. Anne rubbed her eyes and the people sharpened and became clear.

"Anne Shirley?" Came a curt voice.

Anne saw a tall man with a black beard and a woman with a tight grey bun and a face which looked withered and pale. Neither of them looked pleased to see her and Anne tried not to think about the fact anyone who'd be pleased to see her probably wouldn't see her ever again. She looked behind them and saw a large, grey building surrounded by metal railings. It was a prison.

"You have been sentenced to serve five days in gaol before you follow with three years in a reformatory." Said the man.

Anne felt sick. "Three years?" Her voice wasn't audible.

She felt an overwhelming rush of nausea, coupled with fear, panic and motion sickness. Then Anne saw black and fell unconscious in her seat.