I Need You - A Shirbert Fanfiction

Chapter six - snowed in

"Anne! Please be sure not to burn down the house. I can't believe I'm letting you be home alone the whole weekend! If you need any kind of help you can ask Rachel Lynde!" Marilla shouted as she packed food in a basket. Her and Matthew were going to Charlettown over the weekend. Marilla had a appointment at the optician and was asked by ms Josefine Berry to stay over the weekend. Matthew, Marilla and Josefine had gotten really close the times she came to visit Anne. She was also invited but already had ever so many plans with Diana and Ruby for their last weekend of the winter break that she couldn't.  "I won't! I mean everything is going to be all right, it's just two nights! Oh how I will miss you both!" Anne said and put her slim arms around her parents. "I'll miss you too" Matthew said comforting. "Well we better leave now if we don't want to miss the train. Goodbye Anne" Marrila said and they left the house. A thick layer of snow decorated the ground, and more of it was falling from the sky. It for sure was a winter wonderland. Anne was thrilled. Ruby and Diana was to come over for dinner that very evening, and then they would stay over the night. Anne was already decorating the table for the evening, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

After lunch, Anne sat down and read the book that Gilbert had given her. It was the most romantical book about a sailer lost on the big sea. He was all alone until one day a beautiful woman saw his boat, not far away from hers. She saved him, because he was out of food and fresh water. Anne was so caught up in her imaginations that she didn't notice how time went by. When she finally looked up it was already time for tea. "Oh no!" She said and rushed to the kitchen. The fire was out and it took a while until she had the tea ready. A knock was heard from the door. Could it be Diana and Ruby? No it was way to early. To her surprise it was Gilbert standing outside in the cold. "Gilbert!" Anne said surprised. "Hey" he said smiling. "Hello. Uh. What.. please come inside." Anne managed to say and let the boy inside. Gilbert brushed the snow off his hair. Anne couldn't help but admire his brown curls. "So, what are you doing here?" She asked him. "I just came to fetch my jacket" he said. "Oh, well then I'll go get it for you." She rushed upstairs to get it, it was hanging over her chair. "Thank you." Gilbert said when Anne got back and handed it over to him. An awkward silence spread around them. "Ehm, would you like to stay for tea?" Anne asked nervously. "I've got the kettle ready" "I suppose I would, thank you" Gilbert said. They entered the kitchen and Gilbert sat down at the table. Whilst drinking their tea they talked happily about things like school, friends, Gilberts adventures and their plans for the future.

The winds got stronger for every minute. "I don't think I'll be able to  walk home..." Gilbert said. "What do you mean?" Anne asked, panicking. If Gilbert wasn't able to walk home, then how would Ruby and Diana be able to get there? "I mean that I'll  probably get lost in the woods" Gilbert said. His voice sounded different than normal. "Well I suppose there is nothing else for you to do than stay here then." Anne said as she realised something. "OH NO!" She shouted "What about Jerry?" Anne's eyes widened "What about him?" Gilbert asked. "He will be stuck in the barn. We need to in some way get him inside or bring food outside! Oh what are we going to do?!" Anne was now totally panicked. "Calm down Anne. We will come up with something." Gilbert said with a calm voice and stood up from his chair. "Do you have any rope?" He asked. Anne got up. Tears were now forming in her eyes. "We have some inside, and more in the barn, what for?" She said as she went to get the rope from the cellar. "We tie the rope to something on the outside of the house and do the same thing on the barn. Then we can follow the rope when we need to get to the barn. And if we find more rope we can tie it to every place where we might have to go during the storm!" He said with a smile. "Oh Gilbert that's a great idea!" Anne said. And so they put on their warmest clothes and  went outside to attach ropes between all the buildings. It was hard due to the cold winds and many times did they fall in the snow. Jerry didn't want to sleep in the guestroom so Anne went inside and got all the blankets she could find, she didn't want him to freeze to death. When they came back inside it had darkened outside and Anne was happy that neither her or Gilbert was lost in the woods at the moment.

"I can't believe that I did all that decoration in vain! If Diana and Ruby would have chosen to come anyways they would have been here right now!" Anne said depressed. "What decoration?" Gilbert asked. Anne nodded towards the dining room which Gilbert curiously entered. He was stunned when he saw how Anne had decorated the table. Branches and cones was placed in mysterious patterns and dried up flowers from the summer was placed in the middle forming a heart-shape. "This is beautiful!" Gilbert shouted. "Well thank you, but I'll remove it now." Anne said and entered the dining room.  "NO! I mean... let it be." Gilbert said. Anne raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why don't we have the dinner you had planned instead, so it won't go to waste." Gilbert said. "Sounds good to me." Anne said and felt the butterflies go crazy in her stomach for reasons she did not know, yet. "I'll just go get washed up then!" She said and rushed up to her room. She washed her face and hands, making sure she was spotless. Her braids were messy after being in the strong winds for so long. She let them out and combed through her thick hair, leaving it hanging in long red curls over her back. Gilbert watched her in awe as she walked down the stairs. His heartbeat sped up, seeming to jump out of his chest. "Uhm... shall we get started?" He managed to say. "Yes. I was thinking that we could do a stew with curry, doesn't that sound good?" "For sure" Curry was Gilberts favourite. They cooked the food whilst talking and giggling. "It smells splendid!" Anne said when Gilbert brought the food in to the dining room, Anne was already seated. "Dig in!" They both said at the same time. During the dinner, the butterflies in Anne's stomach made her ramble on and on about the tiniest things like how the sun kissed the snow that very morning. She always felt a little ashamed when she kept on talking like that, but Gilbert loved every second of it. "I really admire your way with words." He said out of the blue. Oh no, did I really just say that? I DIDNT MEAN TO SAY IT! He thought, but Anne was greatful. If she got a compliment about her looks it made her happy for sure, but when someone complimented her on behalf of her work, it made her truly blessed.  "You think? Oh thank you! I have written ever so many stories and the more I write the more I realise how important the language is, don't you think?" Anne kept on rambling. "Well yes, do you.. Well do you think I could read one of your stories?" Gilbert asked, instantly regretting his words. Anne was a little shocked but simply said "Why of course. I have them all on my room, come here." She said and stood up from where she was seated. Gilbert was also a little shocked but followed her up to her room, which he'd never been to before. He realised that it suited Anne's imagination perfectly. "Please, sit down" Anne said politely and pointed at her bed. Gilbert sat down on the soft madress and watched Anne as she looked for a good story for Gilbert to read. She found one in her dresser and gave it to him. "Cordelia and the Fox" He read aloud. "Is this about you friend the Fox?" He said with a grin. "Shut up" Anne said. Gilbert started to read. He was amazed. Her way with words and her imagination. It was all so... Well he didn't have the words for it. Anne did for sure, but she had fallen asleep with her head on Gilberts shoulder. A wave of feelings flushed throughout his body. In that very moment he realised it all. He realised what all those feelings meant. He loved her.

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