GILBERT, SEBASTIAN AND BELLA were standing in front of the man, that wouldn't let them on the train.

"I'm saying there's no place on this train for your.. guest. Am I right Isaac?" He said and turned towards his assistant.

"I'm gonna show him-.." Amybella whispered angrily and was grabbed by the arm by Bash.

"Calm down. That doesn't help us." he said in a calm voice. Bella wondered where he had the nerves to stay calm in this situation.

"On this train, we let the colored people work." The man continued.

"Well, but this gentleman is here to sit and ride on this train, like everyone else." Bella said and gained a dismissive look from the man.

"I might find space enough in the back.. with the cargo." said this Isaac.

"I am a passenger. I'm not going to any back." Bash looked at the man confidently. They continued arguing with him, until Mrs. Cuthbert came to their aid.

"Gilbert. Sebastian. Amybella. There you are. I wondered where you've got to. I have seats saved for you." Amybella was incredibly happy to see the woman.
They got in and sat down next to Rachel and Marilla.

"Heavens, Sebastian. What ails you?" Marilla asked anxiously.

"Poor manners and a sore tooth." He said and Bella giggled.

"We'll take him to the doctor," she then said.

"Thank you Mrs. Marilla." Bash thanked her.

"These people disgust me." Amybella wrinkled her nose as if it stank.

"Sebastian, I must speak. " Rachel now took the floor.

„I insulted you, when we first met! Assuming you were the help." she spoke up.

„Avonlea has never been home to uh-.." she stopped herself.

„Uh-.. you are the first-.. well!" she stuttered.

„All that to say, you must come to tea someday soon." she then said. And Bash took her best tried apology and smiled at her.

"I accept your apology. And the invitation." Bash smiled.

"Disgusting." A man stood up and walked past them.

"You're disgusting." whispered Amybella, catching a nasty look from him. The train started towards Charlottetown.

"I haven't been on a train since my father and I traveled west." Told Gilbert. Amybella looked up from the book she was reading when he mentioned John.
How she missed the man.

"Was it difficult? Traveling with John in such poor health?" Asked Marilla.

"He loved every minute of it," Gilbert said with a smile.

"I don't know if Anne told you. I'm looking to pursue a career in medicine." Gilbert said.

"My, won't that be wonderful! Finally a doctor in Avonlea at last. Your father would be very proud of you." Smiled Marilla.

"Anyway, he'd be glad I'm home. Me?" Bella looked at the boy from the side.

"I'm not so sure," he said, and it hit the girl harder than she wanted to admit. She lowered her gaze back to her book and bit her lip.

"Returning to a one-room schoolhouse with an apathetic teacher, might not have been my smartest move." he looked out of the window scowling. 
Amybella didn't listen to the rest of the conversation.

They got off the train and walked down the streets. Bash caught a lot of stares from people and Amybella wondered if those norms would ever change.

"Ignore them." she whispered, hooking Bash's arm. When they arrived at the doctor's, Gilbert knocked.

"Gilbert Blythe. It's been awhile." It was more of a statement than a question from the doctor.

"It has." replied Gilbert, extending his hand.

"I'm very sorry to hear about your father. Who do you have with you?" His eyes met Amybella's and Bash's.

"This is my friend Sebastian. And uhm.. Amybella." Gilbert pointed at her. He seemed to have considered what he should have referred to the girl as.
Amybella raised an eyebrow. The way he was behaving towards her didn't suit her at all.

"It's an emergency." Gilbert said.

"Yes, I can see that." The doctor pointed to the stretcher.

"It's Blythe that needs help. Cure him of thinking he knows what's good for everyone else." Spoke Bash.

"That's a sentiment I've heard many times in this office before." He looked at Amybella, who gave him a smile. She sat down on one of the chairs and brooded to herself.
She hadn't spoken a word since the train ride and didn't intend to. She wondered if Gilbert really regretted being with her again, hadn't he missed her.
Amybella was brought out of her thoughts when Gilbert suddenly fell over.

"Blythe." Bash said in alarm and Amybella ran up to the boy. She knelt down beside him.

"He's unconscious." She looked at the syringe in the doctor's hand and giggled. Bash was treated first, then Dr. Walt knelt beside Amybella and held something under Gilbert's nose. He woke up and looked around in irritation.

"I don't know if medicine is right for you, Blythe." Bash said, visibly amused.

"What happened?" Gilbert asked, confused.

"You fainted. You want to be a doctor, eh?" Asked Dr. Walt.

"You sure? It's never pretty." Said the doctor worriedly.

"Yes, he has a knack for it. Most of the time." said Bash.

"Well this is exciting news!" said the doctor. 

"He's been sticking his nose in books lately." said Bella.

"Dr. Walt?" Gilbert now asked.

"Do you need am apprentice? Maybe I could give you a hand occasionally and in return you could help me develop my study plan. I promise I'm  not going to faint again." Gilbert said excitedly and Bash laughed in amusement.

"It would be my privilege to mentor you. I've been thinking of sharing my practice one day." Bash laughed as if he were tipsy. Gilbert gave the man an irritated look.

"He's fine, just a little laudanum."
Mr. Walt said with amusement. Yes

"What do I owe you doctor?" Bash rummaged in his pocket.

"No charge. If Gilbert cleans up around here. I've got some time. We could discuss the most important things," Dr. Walt said to Gilbert.

"Could we meet back here in an hour?" asked Gilbert

"You can come and fetch me. If you can find me. I'm gonna blend in." said Bash and giggled.

"I'll look after him." Amybella said and led Bash out.

—
"Are you sure you want to go to this place?" The girl asked him uncertainly. It was dark in the slum and it stank.
Amybella stepped closer to Bash when he stared at her strangely. Bash put his arm around her.

"I'll protecting you your highness." He giggled and Amybella wasn't sure if it was from the treatment or his usual humor.

"My noble knight." She made a dramatic hand gesture as they laughed together.

"Hello." he greeted a woman.

"Hello." Bella raised her hand. She nodded with a smile and looked after Bash. Then she nudged him slightly.

"If it isn't the man from the train." Bella and Bash had just smiled at each other, only now it disappeared when Bella saw the man Isaac, who had suggested to put Sebastian in the back, standing in front of them.

"And his friend with the cheeky mouth." he eyed the blonde girl.

"Girls like you shouldn't be here," he said and Bella didn't know how to answer him, but before she could, he turned back to Bash.

"So, your guest ditched you?" Bash didn't answer. Amybella could feel him tense up.

"Where are you from?" Isaak asked.

"Trinidad. I worked a steamership to get here." Bash replied.

"I meant where do you live? When you're not slumming down here with us.. In the muck." Isaak continued.

"Avonlea." Bash replied, still calm.
Amybella wished she had his nerves.

"Farming community. Hear it's pretty up there. Must be nice." Amybella wanted to pull Bash with her to keep walking, but the guy wouldn't let her. He blocked their way.

"I was rounding off a 72-hour shift when you got all uppity. Boss rode me till the end like a mule." He hissed.

"Sounds like you had it bad before I stepped foot on that train. Pushing me to the back wasn't bound to help you." Bash replied.

"Boy.. It's alright for you to be those people's pet." he pointed in Bella's direction with a small but obvious movement.

"But you don't know your place. And that's dangerous." His voice deepened.

"Place? He's our friend. Why don't you understand that?" Amybella finally spoke up, after she couldn't keep quiet anymore.

„Sir. I think you as him deserve to be treated with dignity. What he did on the train wasn't an-.." Bella stepped in front of Bash. Before she could finish her sentence, Isaac started laughing.

"No one has ever spoken to me so formally." He stepped close to the girl.

"You can waffle that so easily, white girl. You have no idea about the world." His eyes sparkled dangerously and Bella looked at him in shock.
Bash pulled her back and stood in front of the girl protectively.

„What I can't understand, boy. Is someone who was born free but still likes the taste of the boss man's boot enough to lick it! When he doesn't have to." The guy punched him in the stomach and Bash fell to the ground.

"Bash!" Bella knelt down to him.

„A steamer's just a floating train! You licked your share of boots to survive!" the man yelled and Bella felt her blood freeze. She didn't like it at all when a man raised his voice in connection to violence.

„Are you okay bash?" she asked Sebastian who was now staring at Isaac.

"What did you do to make a white girl care about a colored?" Isaac shook his head and Bella stood up.

„I treat him that way because I believe that I am not worth more than him, neither is he less worth than me because of something as simple as one's skin color!" she spoke up.

„What a foolish belief!" the man responded and laughed at her.
They stared into each other's eyes, as Isaac turned his eyes away to Bash and raised his hand to him. He helped him up.

"Now I could hit you in the mouth. Laundry's a few streets that way." he turned to Bella again.

"It is easy to talk about one being equal, when your life is privileged. The only thing your mouth will bring you is problems. Be happy who you are." he said, eyeing her.

"These things can be changed." Bella said her final words and then pulled Bash along by the hand. They had to go to the laundry.

—
"Bash can you tell me something? Gilbert. Did he actually miss me?" Bash looked at Bella confused.

"I don't know. Why?" The girl turned her eyes to the ground.

"Just because-.." Bash suddenly stopped. Bella turned to him in surprise and saw the man grinning exaggeratedly.

"You like him." he grinned even wider, if that was possible.

"W-wha-..." the girl's cheeks started to glow. Bash laughed.

"Oh, I knew it!" He was happy as a toddler.

"He didn't come back for me, did he? He doesn't care about me." Now Bash's smile disappeared.

"Oh no listen, miss. Do you see how he stares at you?" he grinned.

"No. He's only staring into his books all the time. He treats me like I'm nobody. At least he used to annoy me before, but now.."

„No, no when I tell you, he talked about you all the time when we were on the ship! He does care about you, he's just distracted." Bash said. Amybella nodded.

„Distracted, yes." she murmured, when they arrived at the laundry. Bash opened the door and stuck his head in.

"Afternoon, ladies. I have to be honest-..." he was interrupted.

"I hope so. The last man who tried to rob us left here with less than he came in with." Laughter rang out behind the woman who had spoken.

"Well she's got the brains." Bella said, surprised by the energy she felt.

"My situation might be a bit of a challenge." Bash said.

"Well, bring your challenge inside and close the door." exclaimed the sympathetic lady.

"Come on!" Bella urged Bash and we went in.

"Hot in here. Just like a perfect Carnival Monday." Bash said and the women were already holding their noses.

„If I didn't have to smell him, I could listen to him talk all day." one of the lady said.

"What he's actually saying, is that he's fallen into the dirt and now he needs a cleanse. You can wash his brains right along with it." Bella said and laughter rang out, which made the girl smile proudly.

Women with the right sense of humor. What could be better?

"I like the little one. Little girl, what's your name?" asked the woman in the far corner.
The blonde girl couldn't answer because Bash took the floor.

"I hope you don't mind me saying, miss. You are very pretty. Like a Julie mango shining in the sun." Bash said, pointing at the woman who had spoken first. Bella raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"I do mind. Why is it that men think women are waiting around to be complimented? I'm working." Said the one addressed.

"Well, I like her." Bella whispered. She looked at the girl.

"Well, let's have your things." She changed the subject again.

"Come on now. You don't have anything Jocelyn hasn't seen before." The women continued to joke around.

„I don't mind seeing it again." said Jocelyn.

„Hush Jo! We have a child here!" said the other woman and pointed towards Bella.
Bash stripped down to his underwear and they had a great time.
Bella giggled, then turned to the door, which opened and Gilbert entered.

"I've been looking all over for you." He said and put his arm around Bella, who stepped aside, crossing her arms. He looked at her irritated for a moment before Bash caught his attention.

"What happened? Why are you standing half naked in a room full of women?" he asked, now totally confused.

"Fortune finally smiled on me. Ladies, this is my friend and business partner Gilbert Blythe!" They looked at him.

"Forgive me, Pardon me." Gilbert apologized.

"And you are?" she asked, turning to us.

"Name is Sebastian. And this is Amybella." He pointed at the girl.

"Turns out there's no train until tomorrow. So we'll need to find a hotel. Can you recommend one?" Gilbert asked. The unfamiliar, sympathetic woman and Bash stared at each other, then she averted her eyes.

"I know someone.. who has a room. She.. lets it out to people in need." She handed Bash a pair of pants.

"And what is this someone's name?" asked Bash as he pulled on his pants.

"Mary." she finally introduced herself. They stayed for a while and Bella talked to the women. Most of the time they got upset about men.

"It hurts the way you're pulling all over us." Bash said and nudged her in the side. Bella grinned.

„Well, I felt really comfortable."

Author's note:
Mary my love. My heart belongs only to you!

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