ALWAYS AND FOREVER (Anne with an E)

Season 4 Episode 14: Beginnings hide themselves in endings

Gilbert had found a little cottage that had come to need repair. It was surrounded by woods and a stone throw away from Avonlea station, Green Gables and Sebastian. It was a small little cottage with a small barn, where a horse could be kept. They would just have to fix it up and build a fence, but he was certain that Anne would love it "I'll take it then Mr Berry" Gilbert nodded, turning to shake the man's hand.

He had a week to get started and had enlisted some help from some of his old school friends. Anne, unfortunately, had one last week at her teaching vocation before she could return to Avonlea and couldn't wait to officially start their life together now that Gilbert Blythe was officially a certified doctor now.

Gilbert got started on the main house, where wood needed replacing and windows refitting. After having to rebuild the school and the Pye house, Gilbert knew a thing or two about building so got started. By the end of the first day, the Livingroom and kitchen was next to complete. It was a small house with an open space on the first floor and two rooms upstairs. Sebastian was coming tomorrow with Elijah to help construct the outhouse. Looking around the room, it suddenly dawned on him what was about to happen and that their lives were officially about to start.

Gilbert sat with a cup of freshly brewed coffee the next morning and welcomed the help of the day in. Today Sebastian and Elijah came joined unexpectedly by Miss Stacy and Mathew "Oh good morning, please come in" Gilbert smiled opening the door wider.

"We brought some more help" Sebastian added looking around at the work that had already been done. "Looks like a nice set up you have here Blythe" he added putting down his box of tools. With the extra help, they quickly made work on the outhouse, the broken steps and the upstairs window. And before long they were sitting down to enjoy a lunch of sandwiches curticy of Mrs. Lacroix.

"You do realise you will need furniture and paint, right?" Elijah pointed out; it had been one of the first things he said today. To which Sebastian let out a hearty laugh.

"He's a doctor, I'm sure he realised that" Bash chucked, bringing Mathew and Miss Stacy into a polite laugh.

"I have ordered some basics which should be arriving on the train, but knowing Anne's particular tastes Ill leave that to her, when I go visit her in Charlottetown" Gilbert pointed out.

"Marilla wanted Anne to have her old vanity and desk from her room" Mathew reminded himself and announced "I'll get Jerry to bring them over tomorrow" he added. And soon after a few more days of hard work, the fence was up, and Gilbert set up the stable to bring in the horse that his father had gifted him. Picking up his small sling bag Gilbert made his way to the train station to go pick up his Anne.

It was finally Friday afternoon and her students of two years were sad to see their teacher go. So Anne left with mixed emotions, happiness to see Gilbert again but sadness that she would most likely never see her kids again. It was funny how quickly she came to care for them and look out for them, just as Miss Stacy had for her. Walking back to Aunt Josephine's house, she realised that she would miss living there with her and Cole and all the exciting new things she was able to see, learn and do. All the things her storybook protagonists had done in their own through the door. She wasn't expecting him so the sound of her husband's voice in the parlour was a surprise. "Gilbert?" she asked walking in and setting her books down.

"Hello, I thought I better come bring you home myself" he smiled kissing her check-in welcome. "And we need to get a few things to" he added mysteriously.

"Oh?" Anne asked confused, Cole and Aunty Josephine had humourous looks about them, so clearly they were in the know. "Okay then. Let me put my things away then" she added impatiently, the faster they left the faster she could find out. Gilbert was not one for disclosing secrets and suppresses. Gilbert followed her up to her room and took her books to lighten her load.