Dreamers-Shirbert One Shots

A Walk Together

         Takes place around the beginning of S3, ep1

ANNE loved all seasons, that much was obvious. Wether it was the bright colorful leaves that came with autumn, the quiet that shielded the world when the snow fell, the first bits of grass and flowers that brought spring, or the long, hot days that happened in summer, Anne could find at least twenty things she loved about each season.

That's what she was doing on her walk home from school this day. Though, it wasn't exactly a season, the time right between winter and spring was one of her favorites. The time when you could just barley see the first blooms coming out of the hard ground and one day it could be warm, and the next back to cold with maybe even a bit of snow.

"Number fifteen; when you can see grass beginning to turn green again." Anne said to herself as she hopped up on a log beside the path. She wanted to think of around ten more reasons before she got home.

She was definitely stalling to spend more time outside before going home and have Marilla tell her to do her chores. She was about to think of Number Sixteen, but then-

"Anne!" A familiar voice called out from behind her.

Anne turned and hopped of the log to see none other than Gilbert Blythe jogging up the path towards her. He still had his school things with him as well, showing he hadn't been home yet either.

"Hi, Gilbert!" Anne called, greeting her friend.

Gilbert caught up to up to her, and there was a slight moment of silence and as they made eye contact, and Anne felt butterflies in her stomach tumble a bit, almost like they were about to take flight, but she quickly pressed them down. Gilbert was her friend, nothing more.

"Hey, um, I wanted to ask you something. Well, more like two things actually, but that's not the point." Gilbert stuttered out his words.

Anne had never seen Gilbert nervous before, he wasn't the type to get nervous unlike her, who was constantly anxious about at least one thing, even if it just was about the new story she was writing. She wondered what would make Gilbert so nervous.

"Okay." Anne said.

"Well first, are you okay about what happened in school today? I mean the part where you had to tell everyone about you not knowing anything about your parents and you being an orphan-not like we didn't already know, and I'm making it worse...sorry."

Anne laughed slightly. Gilbert really was flustered.

"It's really fine, I've had to go most of my life telling people I'm an orphan, and like you said, you all already knew so it's not like a was breaking some massive secret. Also, I've not known anything about my parents for so long it feels almost normal not to know anything." Anne said continuing to walk, at a slow pace though so she could still talk to Gilbert.

"Though, recently I have felt that something in me was missing, I mean I look at Matthew and Marilla and they are so clearly a family. And I see everyone around me knowing who they came from and where they're from, while I just... don't know. It must be nice to have such certainty in life." Anne paused and turned towards Gilbert, who was walking along beside her.

"Sorry, I'm rambling. You said you had something else to ask me and I don't want to take up too much of your time if you have to get home." She said.

Unknown to her, Gilbert didn't care that she was rambling, he was just glad that he was talking to him so freely, and he was glad to learn more about her and hear her eloquently talk about anything, really. Anne might have been denying her butterflies, but in those moments Gilbert certainly wasn't.

There was a pause. Anne looked at Gilbert and felt those cursed butterflies beginning to flutter again, but she reminded herself quickly that Gilbert was her friend nothing more.

"Oh no it's fine, I'm sure Bash can handle it for a little while longer. Anyway, I was also going to ask you something else." Gilbert said walking a little quicker. They were almost at Green Gables now.

"Isn't it your birthday on Saturday?" He asked.

Anne smiled brightly. "Yes! Sixteen! Finally after so many years imagining being sixteen, I thought the day would never come!"

Gilbert smiled at her as they approached the gate at Green Gables. "Well, happy early birthday! And Anne, I hope you can figure out something more about your family." He said turning and beginning his walk home.

Anne smiled and went up the path the house. She felt the butterflies rouse again, and she sighed.

Maybe it was a little tragical that Gilbert was just her friend.