Heart Attack • Shirbert

• 27 • challenges, connections, and courage

'If I could find a way to see this straight, I'd run away

To some fortune that I, I should have found by now'

--

Miss Stacy had always been an attentive listener. Teachers have to take the energy to understand their students. Otherwise, they wouldn't be adaptable to student needs. They learn from their students just as much as students learn from them.

But as Anne told her story, Miss Stacy's mind wandered. She wanted to propose a solution. It was in her nature to give a best practice or suggest what next steps Anne should take. Unfortunately, her want to help was diminished. Miss Stacy was too realistic to ignore what would happen to Anne if she spoke up.

Anne would be ridiculed by Avonlea. She would be blamed for everything done to her. People would say she 'asked for it.' People in this town treated her badly enough without any scandal. Anne would never truly get the justice she deserved.

"I wish I had a solution." Miss Stacy commented.

"There isn't anything to solve," Anne felt defeated, "no matter what I try, it'll only get thrown back on me."

"There has to be something." Gilbert still felt angry. The pain in his side was only making him angrier, "It was his fault. Surely everyone would understand that."

Miss Stacy and Anne looked at each other. Gilbert meant well, but he wouldn't understand. Billy was a boy with power and wealth. Anne could be the Queen of England and she would still be blamed. Women didn't get the luxury of people believing the truth.

"They won't." Anne stated bitterly.

Gilbert was frustrated, "This isn't you, Anne."

"Excuse me?"

This wasn't the time for Gilbert to challenge Anne, and he was very aware of that. But he knew she was capable of amazing things, and not encouraging that was stopping her from reaching her potential.

"I mean it's not like you to just accept how things are and move on." Gilbert looked into her eyes and saw them change from looking defeated to empowered.

He grabbed her hands, "You never back down from a challenge and it's one of the things I love most about you. Maybe you can't get the full justice you deserve, but I know Anne with an E can do more than accept what life chooses to hand her."

Anne froze.

It's like he went deep into her soul and pulled out information she didn't want to admit to herself. Anne realized that, for the first time in her life, someone really knew her. His words rang in her head,

'It's one of the things I love most about you.'

"You're right." Anne didn't look away from him. "But I don't know how."

Miss Stacy watched in awe. She always believed Gilbert and Anne made each other better, even before they really made peace with each other, but she always thought it was as a challenge. She didn't imagine this kind of encouragement.

Miss Stacy was lost in her thoughts until it hit her, "I've got it!"

Anne and Gilbert jumped. They were caught in their own little bubble and had forgotten Miss Stacy was with them.

"There's a new newspaper in Toronto, the Toronto Star. My friend Elizabeth was doing work with them and she always talked about how they were trying to be more modern."

"But how can they help me?"

Miss Stacy looked at her intensely, "Write to them. Share your story. You're an editorial writer, Anne. Use your words to make change."

Anne felt her heart beat faster. She was turning her tragedy into an opportunity, "Do you think anything will come of it?"

"I don't know," Miss Stacy said honestly, "But Gilbert is right. You have to try and do something."

Anne jumped up, "I need to go now."

Miss Stacy and Gilbert looked at each other and back up to Anne who was already grabbing her coat, "To do what?" Miss Stacy looked at her in admiration.

"Inspiration is fleeting, Miss Stacy. Now is the time."

"Wait, wait," Gilbert jumped up, "I'm coming with you."

"Then let's go!" Anne instinctively reached for his hand, which he clasped in hers and blushed.

She started rushing towards the door before pausing, "And thank you, Miss Stacy. You're truly a kindred spirit.

Miss Stacy beamed. Anne always made her feel like she was actually a good teacher and not an unfulfilling lecturer.

"Glad to help."

--

Hand-in-hand, Gilbert and Anne walked towards Green Gables in comfortable silence. A lot had happened in just the past few hours and they both needed time to process.

Anne finally broke the silence, "How are you feeling?" She glanced at the bruise on his cheek and his left hand that was holding his side in pain.

"I've certainly been better." Gilbert smiled. Despite the horrid events, it felt like things were changing for good, "And you?"

"I feel empowered." Anne held her head high, "I know I was scared of him at first, but I overcame that today. He was trying to intimidate me while we were dancing, but I didn't really let him. I don't know how I went from shaking just because I saw him to intentionally angering him."

She looked over at Gilbert, "I used to think that my tragedies and past defined me, but I was wrong. What I went through shaped me, but it isn't me. I'm not that scared orphan anymore."

"You're Anne with an E." He glanced down at her.

"I'm Anne with an E."

--

A/N

Little bit of a filler but all fillers are leading to greater things <3