Safe ||| Shilbert

Three

"Good God, what's happened to him?" Ms. Barry asked when Anne and Gilbert stepped into her house. "He was wounded while showing the utmost bravery and saving me from certain doom." Ms. Barry looked at Gilbert a little longer before looking over to Rollings. "Get him cleaned up, Anne come with me." Rollings led Gilbert downstairs, and Ms. Barry took Anne into the living room.

"Anne, what is it with you and bringing beaten up boys into my house? I'm starting to think you're doing it to them." Ms. Barry said with a slight laugh; Anne laughed as well and sat on the couch with her. "So, tell me, what happened?"

"Well, it all started when I asked to visit you, Marilla didn't want me to go because I had no male escort, which I originally thought to be mindless, but I have been proven wrong. Matthew talked Gilbert into coming with me, but he told Gilbert to make it look like a surprise to both of us. I got upset so I ran off the train before i could think twice about it, but when I got off some man grabbed my hand, and I thought it was Gilbert, so I just walked with him. Until I realized it wasn't, and I was walking with some stranger. I tried to fight back but he was a very strong man, I yelled for help, but he told everyone that I was his daughter! Thankfully Gilbert was there, he got the guy away from me, but the guy didn't take fondly to that and hit him. I ran up to him and the man put two and two together realizing we knew each other and ran off." Ms. Barry gasped here and there as Anne told the story. "My my Anne, thank God you are here now, and thank God Gilbert was there."

After a few minutes of chit chat Gilbert ran into the living room and embraced Anne. "Are you alright Gilbert?" Gilbert backed up and nodded looking deep into her eyes, and scanning her face for any signs of any impair. "I'll leave you two alone." Ms. Barry said before getting up and walking out of the room. Gilbert sat where Ms. Barry was. "Anne, I told you not to run off like that, we could've lost you." Anne placed her hand on Gilbert's face and lightly brushed over the bruise that was forming under his eye. "I'm so sorry." Gilbert grabbed her hand. They looked at each other, Gilbert's eyes wandered around Anne's face again, he looked up mesmerized by her fiery, ruby colored hair. "Rubies..." Anne's face contorted into confusion, "Ruby?" Gilbert snapped out of whatever trance he was in and cleared his throat. "Ruby- uh- she likes me, right?" Anne scooted back and took her hand off his face. "Like would be an understatement, she is madly in love with you." Gilbert nodded, "Do you like her?" Anne asked with curiosity dripping from her voice. "No, I mean she's a nice girl, just not for me." Anne nodded, "Do you like anyone?" Gilbert rolled his eyes and chuckled a little bit. "Yes Anne, I like Bash, and Delphine, I like Matthew and Marilla, Tillie, Diana, Moody, Charlie, and the list goes on." Anne groaned in annoyance, "Ughh you're so annoying." Gilbert's lips curled into a smile, while Anne's seeped into a look of disappointment.

"Well, I'm off to bed, Cole will be back in the morning, and I want to be fully rested when we reunite." Anne got up and walked to her room, after a few minutes Gilbert did the same. As he made his way upstairs Gilbert looked around and felt as if he had broken into a stranger's house, he had no idea where anything or anyone was. "Umm, Anne?" Gilbert finished making his way up, as he turned the corner Anne poked her head out of her door. "Hmm?" Gilbert quickly realized she was in her night gown, "I- uh- Where do I sleep?" Anne stuck her hand out of the door and pointed down the hall to a room. "Right, thank you."

He set his bag down on a chair in the corner of the room and took out a shirt and pants. After changing into his night clothes, he looked at himself in the mirror. A swollen right eye that was covered with a bright red patch that was destined to turn into a black and purple bruise, a small cut sat deep right below his bottom lip, a dusting of red also hit the cut but ran further down the side to his chin, a busted lip was the cherry on top. He could only imagine how ugly he would look in the next few weeks. What would Bash say? Would he even ask? Or would he play it off as a joke? Gilbert let go of his thoughts and laid down on the bed, he immediately noticed how comfortable the bed was and within minutes he was fast asleep.