Indecision about his obligations was a trouble which Gilbert had wrestled with for most of his life.

His obligation to confront Anne about the hair was strong but something was holding him back. Another obligation to tell the police and townsfolk where the grave was had taken hold of his conscience but he felt that it was better to leave Joseph's unmarked grave untouched in the woods and keep it's whereabouts unknown so it would be undisturbed by the many bitter Avonlea citizens who might seek it out.

Gilbert covered up the mound, disguising it with several overturned branches and nearby bracken so it would never be discovered. He thought it was best for everybody to put it all behind them, like he was trying to do. Before he did he needed closure on several things.

First of all Gilbert went back for loyal Sandy the horse, who he took back to the Tilderlys farm. The farmer couple were surprised to see Gilbert and full of gratitude at the return of their beloved horse. Sandy was treated to several dinners, a good wash and brush and Mr Tilderly vowed to redo the fences around his land and made his stables more secure. Their thanks to Gilbert for this kindness was great and they told him he was always welcome there, despite their past disagreements.

"We've heard all about poor Anne's troubles since you left... My heart is with you all, she's lucky to have such a brave friend as Diana and she's lucky to have you too." Mrs Tilderly had told Gilbert before he made his leave.

"Well we're lucky to have her." Gilbert nodded.

"Does she know how you feel about her, son?" The kind woman asked. "Lord knows, it's plain to see for all of us."

"Oh... I-- I think she does." Gilbert laughed slightly, scratching the back of his neck shyly. "It's hard to tell with Anne, she's a passionate individual alright."

"That's for sure. Well I wish you both all the best."

Next, Gilbert visited the infamous Guardinia Cottage. It had not yet been held by the police force, as the Bines family's records were not in full procedure yet. The cottage stood ominous and grey, empty like an abandoned old castle haunted by ghosts. Perhaps it was, Gilbert thought with a shiver. He stared up at it and it's foreboding dark windows for a long time before he mustered the courage to enter. The door was unlocked, the last person to inhabit it had left in a hurry - axe throw unceremoniously into a large cutting log in the yard on their way out.

Inside, there was an odd smell - cold and almost unlived in. Gilbert had a terrible feeling being there, seeing the bare furnishings and disused habitat of those detestable criminals. Gilbert couldn't go into Joseph's room, he couldn't face it. But he did enter the parlour, where he found a large chest. Inside it was a haul larger than Gilbert had ever seen - mainly bags of coins and some other valuables. Just several bags of this was enough to set Gilbert up for life. The temptation to take it all was strong, especially for somebody who had lived their entire life on the brink of poverty just scraping by. Eventually Gilbert closed the chest lid, taking with him only one bag. It was a year's earnings and he felt compensation for his trauma which he'd carry with him for life. Perhaps he'd go to college and use this money to carve a decent future out for himself.

Finally, the conflicted boy headed back to Green Gables, his heart feeling torn. Gilbert wished he had somebody to talk to about everything, to listen to his troubles... That used to be his father but then he got ill and passed away. Now Gilbert had nobody, well close to nobody...

Gilbert sat on the hill overlooking the beautiful farm for over an hour, hidden in the grasses and trapped in his quandary. He wasn't sure what to say or how to broach his worries with Anne, who he was confused about. He trusted Anne implicitly but why had he found one of her hairs at the grave? Had she been there? If so then when? Why was she there, what purpose did she fulfill in the woods? The burning questions were turned over and over in Gilbert's mind, to no end.

Gilbert finally reminded himself that Anne loved him and he loved Anne, so what was stopping him? If he had concerns then he should voice them, surely? Eventually he got up and walked down the hill to Green Gables, as the sun was swirling low in the sky. In the distance he heard dogs and men calling out in the woods as the search parties still scoured the forest for the crash site. They'd find it certainly along with Redmond's body and Gilbert would tell everybody the following day about his discovery of Joseph's body. A new day, a new issue to work through. That was life.

Gilbert trailed his scratched fingers in the tall grasses, tugging at the seeds which reminded him of Anne and the awful exchange earlier that afternoon and worst of all the look which had plastered across her face - fear.

Guilt clenched in Gilbert's chest but he ignored it and climbed over the fence. At that moment in time he didn't feel like talking to the Cuthberts, only Anne so he scaled the blossom tree outside her window easily and perched in the branches, peering into her room. Anne was sat on her bed furiously scribbling on a piece of parchment, screwed up balls of paper littering her sheets and the hardwood floor. The late sun trickled in through the curtains delicately, bathing her in gold and orange. Gilbert's breath caught and he hesitated as he imagined the upcoming conversation.

What Gilbert didn't know was that Anne had spent the past few hours trying to pen a letter to Gilbert telling him all of her troubles and feelings about him but nothing expressed it well enough leading Anne to feel utterly hopeless and frustrated. After their exchange in the meadow she'd worried about him all day, a feeling which she had not missed at all. More than that she was annoyed at herself for not being somebody he felt he could trust with the problem which had caused him so much stress.

Outside in the branches of fresh blossom shoots Gilbert waited, chewing on his lip. Minutes passed. Come on, it's only Anne - she can handle it, Gilbert reminded himself.

Gilbert slowly leant forward and rapted lightly on the glass. Anne looked up, startled. Her wide grey eyes softened at the sight of him and she dropped her things hastily, hurrying across the room to the window to click the latch and slide the pane up. Anne was pink in the cheeks and Gilbert could see worry evident in her pretty eyes. He bit his lip again, as the storm which was Anne's temper was released in full force.

"Gilbert Blythe! Never has a boy vexed me so often and so greatly as you! Get inside, you vile human - you have explaining to do. How could you worry me like that?" Anne seethed, clutching his braces and yanking him harshly onto the window sill.

Gilbert clutched the frame and clambered in, failing grace as he was offset by Anne's anger and abrupt pull. "I'm sorry, Anne - really I am. I wanted to tell you but I didn't want you to worry--"

"Oh that's your attempt at an excuse?" Anne snapped. "There's absolutely no excuse on this earth for such careless actions - leaving me with no answers, only dreadful ideas sweeping through my head of all the things that could have happened to you... What did you mean by telling me all these dreadful things about Joseph being alive in the woods before deserting me to my house arrest and hyper-active imagination?!"

Anne half looked like she wanted to push Gilbert straight out the window again and she took a step towards him, to do what Gilbert didn't know but he held up his hands in submission and spoke quickly.

"You have every right to be mad at me, I understand. I do," Gilbert said urgently. "I shouldn't have ran. It was wicked unthoughtful of me to leave you worrying. I wasn't thinking in the slightest, you have to believe me. But Anne, I found it... Joseph's grave. Somebody buried him."

Anne's face fell and intrigue and shock replaced the disgruntled and stubborn anger. Her voice dropped.

"What? So he's truly gone?"

Gil nodded and paced the room, scratching the back of his neck out of habit. Anne's gaze followed him as she hung onto his every word.

"Yes, somebody must have gone to him after James -- well they buried him and now there's a grave in the woods... It's unmarked but quite unmistakable. I found the crashed wagon too, Redmond Bines is dead and his body was there - I intend to tell everybody about Joseph's body tomorrow morning." Gilbert rushed. "But I won't tell them the grave's whereabouts - it is not right for any man lade rest to be disturbed as such an awful man's grave would certainly be."

Anne was barely listening anymore, she was in a daze.

"That's it then..." Anne was quiet. "He really is gone."

She sat down on her bed and gazed at the floor, lost in thoughts. Her eyes were awash with memories. Gilbert watched her, wondering if she was still angry with him.

"I suppose everything is looking up then, what with my compensation and Joseph being gone for good... Diana is having a party you know, she rushed over to see me just an hour ago with the first invitation." Anne sighed. "The world is moving on, everything is carrying forward so quickly and I should follow, move on and let myself be caught up in the joys of every-day life... and yet I feel stuck as though I'm caught on the rocks and the fierce water is rushing everybody downstream without me... Old Anne would have been desperately excited to attend a party... I miss old Anne and her joys. I don't know this new me very well and I don't quite know if I like her. Do you think I'll ever be the same as I was?"

Gilbert swallowed hard. He wanted to hug Anne and tell her it was all going to be okay. He didn't know that though, not ever really.

"Change is never easy, Anne... it comes slowly sometimes and you barely notice but often it is painful and comes in the blink of an eye. It's always hard at first but every day it gets easier to bear until you don't even notice it anymore. Everything happens for a reason, even the things which tear your heart open..." Gilbert paused and Anne thought of how he lost his family. "You may not see the reason at the time but when you do -- you will realise things couldn't have turned out any different if you'd written it yourself. You may be different now but so am I... Life has this habit of snatching who we were and moulding us into something altogether new. I don't posses a lot of certainty about the future but I know that you could never change so much from the girl you were that I'll stop loving you."

Anne couldn't help the smile which pulled at her lips.

"Despite everything that's happening now I feel foolish to enjoy any hope I feel for things getting better..." Anne sighed slightly.

"There's nothing foolish about hope, Anne." Gilbert said softly.

Anne looked up and her eyes were starry, as the birds sang outside the open window and the sun shone through Gilbert as though he were a cut quarts of crystal, shining and glowing. She felt it, fluttering in her chest in the cage of her ribs like a dove towards freedom - it was hope, she knew it then. Things were getting better. Gilbert saw her spark lighting and he didn't have the heart to tell her about the crimson hair which had damned her connection to Joseph's death forever in his mind. He would ask her about it, soon. He just couldn't wipe away her smile again, not for the time being at least.

...

The invitations to Diana's birthday party were handed out at school the next day.

Excitement for the social event was only interrupted by the discovery of Redmond Bines' body and the crashed wagon loot being recovered by Gilbert Blythe from the main road. Everybody was so relieved to have their gold and valuables returned to them that Gilbert was receiving an overwhelming tide of thank-you notes and food baskets as shows of gratitude. The townsfolk of Avonlea was generous to Anne too, giving her all number of small gifts and apology notes after her return - things such as flowers and baked goods and stitched handkerchiefs and ribbons and all sorts of nice things... People were trying to welcome Anne home.

Marilla had no time for all that sentimental, materialistic 'nonsense' and would have thrown it all away if it had not been for Matthew's proud smiles every time a well-wisher visited. He was so glad to have Anne back and was enjoying every minute of bedrest now he knew she was safe at home and the hours flew by with her reading to him and showing him her collected natural finds on the small walks she was allowed to go on. It was therapeutic for both of them to be together as they always made each other happy and had time for each other.

It was a golden time, Anne felt happy and safe there in Green Gables as she rested and spent her days whiling away cheerfully with the Cuthberts and with welcome visits from her bosom friend Diana Barry who was very excited for her party. There was to be a picnic, a gift-giving before finally finishing with a wonderful ball in the spacious, elegant entrance hall of Barry Manor which had been neglected for many years.

Meanwhile Mr Barry was busy... Ever since the gold had been found he'd taken it upon himself to sort it through and return every bit of it to its owners. The town was still shaken and wary from the past events but Anne's rousing speech at the town hall had breathed a fresh new optimism into their hearts for the warm months ahead and life beyond that. They tended to accept what Gilbert said of the body being found and disposed of. People were seeming to really put it all behind them, just as Gilbert had hoped.

It was harder for some than others to put everything behind them...

James Riley was still struggling, although Gilbert had gone to see him to told his old friend that Joseph was truly dead. James didn't seem comforted and continued talking about a girl in the woods with red hair. It frightened Gilbert - only cementing the thought that Anne had been there by the grave before he arrived...

Gilbert was still worried about upsetting Anne when she was happy if he confronted her about it. He didn't want to see her in case it all slipped out... He had gone to lengths to avoid her, but everywhere he went she seemed to crop up - even in town when he was buying some paper for Diana's gift he saw Anne in a shop with Marilla - if she was finally allowed to venture further than the meadow meant that she was recovering well. Gilbert found it harder every passing day to ignore her. Especially after observing the attentions Anne had been receiving... those from one boy in particular seemed to highly vex Gilbert.

His name was Edward Haswick and he was tall with wavy, chestnut hair and a sweet smile. He had finished school last year so he was a year and a half older than Anne. He was a decent fellow, fairly smart and good-natured. He'd never shown much interest in Anne, only the minimal polite interactions at school while they attended at the same time and rarely outside of school. He'd worked in a store as a clerk since he left school so he had a very mature composure. Ever since Anne's speech in the town hall he'd been speaking to her each time he saw her. He turned out to be very conversational and witty. Anne enjoyed his company and Edward even gave Anne a flower on a walk home one day. Gilbert had noticed Edward's advances and it gave him a terrible feeling in his heart which he didn't like.

It was becoming impossible to avoid Anne. Gilbert had put it off for a while but he knew the conversation was inevitable and approaching soon, as he would be unable to avoid her at Diana's birthday party the following day.

...

Anne was anxious to attend Diana's party.

This was mostly because she knew there would be a lot of attention on her as this was her first proper social appearance since returning from Wolfsden Prison. Anne was particularly dreading seeing old school pests like Josie Pye as the girl would surely torment her with snide remarks and ruin her experience of the party... Diana wasn't friends with the Pye girl but her mother had insisted all the students be invited as was polite.

Even Billie Andrews was coming, which made Anne very nervous... The last time she'd seen him was at the town hall meeting where she'd avoided his gaze and watched him saunter out afterwards. He appeared to hold no shame for his actions. Anne wondered how he'd act at the party and if he'd talk about it. Anne remembered when he'd dragged her into the woods and locked her in the barn. She shuddered.

Anne was disturbed from her thoughts by Marilla calling up the stairs.

"Anne Shirley Cuthbert! If you're going to this blasted party you'd better get down here in five minutes or you'll miss your ride - Matthew has better things to do that wait around all evening while you decide what dress to wear."

Marilla had not been happy about Anne going to the party and had forbade it at first, only giving in after Matthew's gentle insistence. He wanted Anne to have fun, after all the dreadful things she'd endured of late. Marilla had said that Anne was in poor health and should rest more rather than engaging in 'raucous exertion.' Eventually however, it was decided Anne could go if she swore to be careful and take it easy and on no account do anything reckless. Marilla also had some private words with Mrs Barry and Diana about keeping Anne safe and Mrs Barry suggested Anne stay the night to avoid travelling home so late in the dark, an offer gratefully accepted. Marilla had not quite forgiven Mr Barry for his part in Anne's arrest but Mrs Barry had apologised profusely and confessed she'd never agreed to the whole fiasco in the first place so Marilla was on better terms with her.

When Anne still didn't come down after five minutes Marilla made her way up to Anne's gable room in a huff, knocking thrice before opening the door. She found Anne sitting on her chair gazing into the mirror absently, a lost expression on her face. Her light spring-green dress was half on, pulled up to her waist but the sleeves and laces were hanging loose. Anne's hair was down and swept down her back in messy red waves.

Marilla hesitated when she opened her mouth to scold the girl on her tardiness when she saw the look on her face. Marilla frowned.

"Anne? Is everything alright, child?"

Anne blinked and glanced up. "Huh? Oh... yes. Help me, will you? It's a struggle to lace the back with my wound, it stings when I reach around. Oh I do so adore this colour on me, I can't tell you how grateful I am to have a new frock and in such a beautiful fabric which compliments my pale skin and problematic features. I do love that splash of indulgence which had entered your heart on the subject of dresses and colours. I could never have worn a grey dress to a party. I only wish my Matthew dress was clean and dry in time as it has ever so many flounces and those wonderous puff sleeves..."

Anne sighed dreamily. Marilla had indeed indulged Anne on the last dress made for her and picked out the emerald material after hearing Anne reading a delightful poem about spring flowers and grass and new blooms, leading Marilla to a lovely thought of Anne being at home for the summer, safe to enjoy the flowers and good weather. Marilla had made the dress as a surprise, in her usual practical style - perhaps with slightly lighter sleeves than usual - and with a delightful offcut of lacy pink ribbon around the waist retrieved ftom Rachel but it was the colour which was best; it indeed complimented Anne's fair skin and bright grey-eyes and her red hair was fine against the dress.

Marilla thought this request of help was a half-hearted excuse and she was sure her wound wasn't the entirety of Anne's woes. Nevertheless Marilla went to her adopted child and laced up the back of dress carefully, ensuring it not too tight to put pressure on her side. Anne didn't move when it was finished, making no motion to tie back her hair. Marilla sighed slightly then pulled Anne's hair back over her shoulders and began plaiting. Anne sat looking into the mirror, a glazed look in her eyes. The girl was deep in thought. Marilla worked on her hair for some time before deciding to ask Anne about her troubles.

"What is bothering you? You look like you've seen a ghost." Marilla said.

She felt frustrated with Anne being so sad and she wasn't used to this type of sadness from her - emotions were always easily identified with Anne and they could be handled with firmness or some gentle comfort but this was different... Marilla hated to feel helpless especially when it came to helping Anne. Marilla didn't truly mind helping her, even if it was just with her dress and hair although she sometimes complained about it.

"I'm just nervous," Anne began. "I feel that everybody in Avonlea is watching my every move now and I can barely breathe for somebody showering me in attention. It's so strange, just a few days ago everybody hated me..."

"Well, not everybody." Marilla reminded Anne.

Anne looked up then, meeting Marilla's gaze. She was so grateful for Marilla's unwavering support and protective nature. Anne took a deep breath and mulled over her guardian's words. Marilla was right, as usual.

The older woman finished Anne hair, an elaborate plait woven around her head finishing it a beautiful and elegant bun. Marilla was always very good with her hands, possessing nimble and careful fingers proving useful with sewing. Marilla reached up into her own hair and pulled out a hairpin, before fastening Anne's hair with it. Anne reached into a drawer and pulled out a dried pink rose bud, which she placed into the bun, sliding the stem into the hair securely. Marilla smiled gently at her beautiful daughter in the mirror. She looked so grown up.

"It doesn't matter who thinks what of you, all that you should take into account are the opinions of yourself and those few who you know deep down can be trusted. Anyone who's changed their mind so quickly or never believed you were innocent until given proof is not worth a thought of yours." Marilla said firmly. "I think you are old enough and smart enough to figure out your true friends and allies."

Anne looked down into the mirror and saw herself, ready. She was shocked for a moment because she didn't see a traumatised schoolgirl anymore - she saw a brave, strong young woman. Anne had never worn her hair up before, it was considered a sign of growing up and reaching womanhood. Anne felt a small smile on her lips.

"Are you sure of this hair, Marilla?" Anne whispered.

Marilla barely disguised her smile. "Of course I'm sure. You aren't a little girl anymore, Anne."

She held Anne's shoulders and gave them a light squeeze, Anne's fingers going to Marilla's hands and they smiled at each other in the mirror.

"Are you ready to go now?"

"Yes," Anne nodded. "I'm ready."

A/N I wrote a chapter that was like 10k words so I split it in half and here's half and I'll finish editing the other half and post that too very soon. Next chapter all the drama kicks off ;)

PREPARE FOR THE FINALE