part 1

Anne was sitting on the steps of Green Gables' front porch. She was lost in thought, Gilbert had made a full recovery and he came by Green Gables quite often. Anne felt that she had her old friend back but she no longer wanted to be just friends. She now realized that she was deeply in love with Gilbert and that she always had been. The only problem was that Gil no longer seemed to care for her as anything but a friend. Anne knew quite well that he wasn't engaged to Christine. She had married soon after Convocation, though it was still a matter to be decided if he had loved her. Just then Gilbert came around the bend in the Green Gables road.

"Hi Anne, how are you this evening?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm quite well thank you" she replied.

"I just heard from Charlie that Roy Gardner is engaged, are congratulations in order?"

"Roy's engaged! To who? And he was going on about me being the only woman he could ever love! The nerve of him, it hasn't even been two months since he proposed!" Anne exclaimed. Now I'm grateful I refused, that arrogant git!"

"Wait a minute! Roy already asked you to marry him?"

"Yes"

"And you refused?"

"Yes, and I felt horrible at the time, but I had only just realized that I didn't love him. And then you were sick and I was so grateful that I had refused him because I couldn't have lived with him knowing that I really loved you... Oh my goodness, did I just say that!" and with that Anne promptly got up an ran into the house leaving a very stunned and very happy Gilbert behind her.

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part 2

Gilbert just sat there utterly stunned. Anne had just said that she loved him, happiness was completely over ruling him. " Anne! Wait!" Gilbert called after her a moment later realizing that Anne was embarrassed, "Anne, please wait!"

Gilbert followed her into the Green Gables kitchen. Anne stopped on the bottom stair with her back facing him, "Anne, please, look at me" he asked pleadingly.

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(Anne's pov)

Anne turned to Gilbert and felt her face go horribly red. "Oh, Gil, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to" she said close to tears. "If I hurt you I'm sorry, I know you love Christine and it must have been horrible for you, to see her marry another man, I didn't mean for you to have to deal with my emotions too, I'm so sorry" she said as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

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(Gilbert's pov)

If this hadn't been such a serious situation Gilbert would have laughed at Anne's statement, instead he said "Anne, I don't love Christine, I never did."

"You didn't?" Anne asked dumbfounded.

"No, Anne, you are the only woman I could ever love. I've loved you ever since that day you broke your slate over my head in school (quote from Anne of the Island), and I cried for the first time since I was five the day you told me you could never love me. Christine's brother was my friend, he asked me to look after her while she was at Redmond, that's all."

"Really Gil, you still love me?"

"Anne, I couldn't stop loving you if I tried in fact, I did try to stop loving you, the day you told me you could never love me."

"Really? Oh Gil, I'm so sorry. I should've realized that it was you I loved, everybody but me realized it. Can you ever forgive me?" Anne asked him taking a step forward, while tears continued to spill from her eyes.

Gilbert closed the distance between them and pulled Anne into his arms. "There's nothing to forgive, Anne I love you, and you love me that's all that matters. Anne, I asked you a question in the orchard at Patty's Place over two years ago, If I ask the same question again, please, tell me that you'll give me a different answer."

"Yes Gil, my answer is yes." Anne said so softly that Gilbert barely heard her. Then Gilbert tilted his head forward and met Anne's lips with his.

~*~

(Marilla's pov)

Marilla turned away from the kitchen door with a smile on her face, she had been headed in to shell the peas for dinner and had caught Anne and Gilbert's kiss. Never had she been so happy, Anne had finally revealed her feelings for Gilbert. "Seems like Rachel will have some thing new to talk about for a while" Marilla said quietly to her self.