Hi Folks,

So, here is the follow up to my story 'Best Friends Forever', this as that was is the same Alternative Universe (AU) just so you know you will need to read that one first, otherwise this one will make no sense at all! Which can be found here s/12027936/1/Best-Friends-Forever

This story is both the beginning of their relationship and it in 7 years. It jumps from one timezone to another so I have Italicized all the story which takes place immediately after BFF. Normal text is when Gilbert has finished medical school.

Hopefully this won't be as heart wrenching as the last one!

thanks to you all

love

Carrots x

"Joyce! Walter!" Anne called to her small children. "come, remember my lovelies today is Daddy's day we need to behave like…"

"we are refined." Gilbert said in his best full on English voice as he grabbed Anne around her waist and kissed her gently on her cheek with a grin on his face. "Like this was the plan all along."

The two children giggled at their father's behaviour acting as he often did, a big child. Their mother chuckling gently. "Oh So refined!" She laughed.

"Joy, Walter, I told you give your ma and pa just two minutes alone together." Bertha said after them catching up. "Sorry." She said to them. "I thought I told them…!" She said picking up Walter in her arms and taking Joyce by the hand.

"Papa, does this mean you're a real doctor now?" Joyce asked her father. The little girl eyes were wide grey/green and expressive as her mothers and her hair was a bouncing curl brown like her fathers.

"It sure does baby girl, seven years are paying off." He said brightly.

She ran to him leaping into one of his arms "I'm so proud of you daddy you look so handsome in your doctor robes." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you baby girl." He said gently to her.

"I'm not a baby!" she laughed. "I'm four!"

"Four!" he exclaimed, "no no that can't be right! Wait let me see? You're mama graduated then you…"

He looked to Anne who nodded.

"I'm four and a half papa!" Joyce giggled.

"You're right." He said with a smile. "How could I doubt you!" he said giving his daughter a kiss passing her to Anne.

"Picture?" A man offered coming across the family.

"Two please?" Gilbert said. "One with us all, one with just me and my wife?" he asked. He beckoned over Walter who landed happily in his father's arms. "Bertha come over." Gilbert called.

"Oh, no, I…" She started.

"Don't even!" he objected, "we could never have done this without you." He said putting his free arm out to her. She smiled gently and came to her son in laws arm he smiled and kissed her in her hair. "Thank you Bertha."

"I know Gilbert dear."

Gilbert had taken the window route to her bedroom. Knowing if he went in the backdoor Roy would be full of questions as to if he had found Anne, why was Anne not with him and why was he looking so flushed.

He knew Anne's clothes were packed and waiting at the bottom of her bed. Having been put there for leaving the next day. She had given him specific instructions as to where to find what clothes. He found her suitcase emptying the contents which had been so carefully and perfectly packed. He replaced most the clothes with pretty clothes Anne had directed him to. He was part way through the packing when a dress was placed on the bed beside him by at first an unknown hand. He looked to the owner and saw Bertha finishing placing it on the bed.

"My wedding dress." She whispered.

He turned and looked at her amazed "How could you…?" he started.

"And my mamma's and papa's wedding rings, along with their engagement ring." She told him. "I was waiting to give them to Anne but it wasn't enough for the Gardner's, tell me where to go if you like but…"

"no, Bertha." He interrupted. "Really its very generous." He told her "but… how could you know?!" he asked her.

Bertha smiled with a pretty blush coming to her face. "Because once you found her, there was never going to be another resolution." She told him taking him by the hand.

Gilbert let out a sighed laugh "The real Anne, my Nan, she was in there, she thought… she thought because I hadn't told her that I loved her that I didn't." Bertha's smile widened listening to him. "But I did and yesterday I practically told her so because if the real Anne was still in there, it was my last chance you know to get to her… to get her to listen and I thought she didn't, but she remembered our first kiss…"

"You've kissed Anne!" Bertha exclaimed. "When?!"

Gilbert froze for a second before looking to her nervously, "You remember the night I brought her home drunk and I took her to her bedroom? She kissed me." He explained.

She squealed quietly in excitement.

" I told her and she… actually she said it first. She loves me!" he gasped as a tear escaped his eye.

Bertha laughed sweetly. "Of course she does!" she said in a low tone as they hugged.

"I love her." He told Bertha. "I should have asked you if I could ask her to marry me." He said to her pulled back.

"Don't be silly." Bertha told him. "I've always wanted her to marry you!" she continued "Walter wanted it too, consider it his approval too!" Bertha told him.

"That's good, I always wanted his permission." He told her. "Thank you for the dress and the rings." Gilbert said quietly. "Anne will love them."

"Yes." Bertha agreed. "She will won't she?"

"I wish…" he started with a small sigh. "I wish you could come with us." He told her.

Bertha shook her head "You really missed the point in eloping!" She laughed. "But," she sighed. "Someone has to deal with the Gardners!" She almost grunted.

"Oh Bertha, I'm so sorry." He said. "How is that going?"

"Up until ten minutes ago Roy was panicking. I think I've managed to convince him to go Spain and be with his mother which, by the way he's deferred his third-year entry to Redmond, apparently because he would still be in Spain."

"No!" Gilbert gasped. "That little liar!" Gilbert exclaimed. "It's up to Anne!" he quoted "he never had any intention of letting her go back to college!"

"Apparently not." Bertha agreed. "Aline is accusing Anne of being everything bad under the sun and poor Dorothy is suck in the middle."

"The only good penny in the pack." Gilbert sighed.

Bertha sighed, "Come now Gil, you know Roy is just…" she started but unable to finish the sentence. She smiled. "It doesn't matter, what matters is that you are going to be my son in law!"

"I love her!" He told her.

"I know." Bertha smiled.

"Tell my parents?" he asked her.

"Of course." She said. "your things?" she asked him.

"I dropped them at the train station this morning before…" he trailed. "I really just wanted to get out of here." He chuckled. "I better go, Anne will be waiting." He said quietly. "Will you be okay with the Gardner's?" He asked her. Bertha smiled and raised her eyebrow playfully and Gilbert chuckled. "Message received."

He went towards the window and put one leg out "Hey Gil." She called to him. He looked back at her. "one last time." She smiled at the window.

"Yeah." Gilbert smiled. "I guess I was wrong earlier in the summer." He shrugged. He left through the window. Bertha smiled and closed the window behind him. She smiled as she watched Gilbert run down the lane having a funny feeling she knew exactly where Anne was hiding. She whispered gently "You did it Walter, thank God you did it!"

"Come to Nanny Bertha." Bertha called to her. Joyce ran to her grandmother and took her by the hand and looked to her younger brother Walter, his curly atop red hair and big frank hazel eyes like his father although neither Joyce nor Walter looked exactly like either one of their parents they were both the perfect mix of them and looked nothing alike at the same time.

"Are we going back to Avonlea tonight?" Joyce asked her grandmother.

"Yes." Bertha said with a smile.

"To stay?" Joyce asked her.

"I… I don't know yet, we'll see."

"Is that why papa and mama are staying longer?" she asked her grandmother, "for papa to find a job."

Bertha smiled inwardly. No, that was not the reason. But Bertha smiled. "No not exactly" she said as she lead her grandchildren away. "But we will get to see Granny and Granpappy Blythe too!"

"Smile…" The camera man said to Anne and Gilbert before he took the snap and went to Gilbert for his details.

"Congratulations," Anne said with a smile to him. "Doctor Blythe."