Ahh it's been a couple of weeks since I updated! Sorry guys, life got stupidly busy. We had a covid scare but everyone is alright so no worries! Be safe, stay home if you can. Love you all for reading so faithfully, you'll never know how much it means to me!

Anne had lost track of exactly how long she had been standing just inside the front door, still wearing her coat and scarf with her bag carelessly dropped next to her feet on the wooden floor. She was securely wrapped up in Matthew's arms, as tight as a mother bear would hold her cub, and felt the weight of school and travel and romance all fall from her shoulders as Matthew squeezed her even tighter.

"I've been waiting as patiently as I can, but I believe it's my turn," Marilla interrupted as she stood next to them restlessly tapping her foot.

Anne smiled as Matthew was reluctant to let go, finally releasing her to hug Marilla as both women squealed in delight at seeing each other again after so long. "It is so marvelous to feel this sensation of being back home ! I have never experienced it before and it is utterly glorious!" She let go of Marilla and looked around her home, the one that they had made her a part of so long ago. Not being able to visit because of doubling up her classes had taken more of a toll on her than she had allowed herself to realize before that moment; so when the happy tears began to silently fall, she let the swell of contentment at finally being back at Green Gables wash over her.

"Why don't you go put your things in your room while I put a kettle on and warm your supper on the stove." Marilla smiled as she shooed Matthew into the kitchen with her, lest he snatched Anne up for another hug instead of letting her head up the stairs.

Running her hands along the familiar smooth surface of the railing, Anne felt more tears begin to gather at the corners of her eyes. When the seventh step creaked as it always had before, the noise made her laugh out loud simply because it sounded like music to her ears. "You haven't changed, my dear Green Gables, and for that I am grateful."

When she opened her bedroom door, the sight of her bed was as tempting as seeing a pile of freshly fallen leaves, just begging to be jumped on. Being a lady almost held Anne back and kept her priority on decorum instead of impulse, but luckily Anne was never one for rules. She ran over and leapt as high as her corset would allow her, falling onto the bed with a thud as tiny dust particles floated into the last ray of sun that was peeking through her window before it set over the hills. She rolled over onto her back and felt a lump underneath her. Reaching behind her, she pulled out the pillow Marilla had embroidered for her and ran her fingers over the stitches that spelled out: Anne of Green Gables . With each thread she could feel the love that was poured into it as Marilla made it just for her, causing more happy tears to make a trail down her cheeks.

The smell of meat pies wafted its way up the stairs and into Anne's room, interrupting her reminiscing and causing her to sit up swiftly and wipe the tears away. She quickly unpacked her bag and set her things out on the dresser, smiling as she grazed the beads and feathers that Ka'kwet gave her as she hung them across the mirror where they belonged.

"So, you finally came back just to see me."

Anne turned to see Jerry standing in her doorway and before she even had a chance to respond he scooped her up into a signature Jerry hug, complete with a spin and a laugh about Anne yelping to put her down before she got dizzy and fell over.

After giving him a kiss on the cheek, Anne said, "it's true, I missed you so much I quit school and came back to milk cows with you again."

Jerry gave her a look of concern and replied, "Anne, you didn't! You cannot quit school! It is so important for you to learn, you taught me that-"

"I was just joking, Jerry! I would never quit school." Anne laughed as they began to walk downstairs so Anne could finally eat her dinner.

"Oh, bien !" Jerry said as he looked relieved.

"I heard you were taking an interest in school as well? How have the lessons been going?" Anne sat down at the table as Marilla placed a steaming hot meat pie in front of her, making her mouth immediately begin to water in anticipation.

"It is good! She is very kind and has taught me many things in such a short time. My reading and writing has improved so much that Mrs. Stacy said she was impressed with how my mind conquers language, probably due to speaking two of them." He beamed with pride as he stole a piece of Anne's bread. "I do not like math though."

Anne nodded in agreement, "no one does. It's nonsensical to waste time with such things when one could spend days reading about daring pirates searching for hidden treasure on a lost island in the middle of an ocean!" She stated her opinion as though it was a fact. Matthew looked at her over the top of his reading glasses, getting his point across that farm life put a higher priority on math over pirates.

" Exactement !" Apparently Jerry agreed with Anne's facts. "Each time I learn more addition and subtraction she gives me a new book to read as a reward. The current one is about a man named Sherlock Holmes - Anne you should see how he solves the mysteries! He is so smart!" Jerry's excitement over Doyle's writings sent Anne spiraling into a conversation comparing Holmes and Watson and asking Jerry his opinion on the other books he had been able to read, courtesy of Mrs. Stacy.

Matthew interrupted their debate of whether Count Dracula or Frankenstein's monster was the most frightening literary creature as he was headed up to bed. "Anne, I postponed my visit to the Mi'kmaq village by a few days, figured I'd wait until you had arrived in case you wanted to go along with me. With your help I suppose I can make the trip in one day instead of two, if you're interested?"

Anne's eyes went wide as she yelled, "yes! Oh yes, Matthew, that would be splendid!" She got up from her chair and ran over to him to give him one last hug in appreciation. "Thank you for waiting for me, you have no idea how much I have been worrying over Ka'Kwet."

—

The next morning Anne was happily helping Marilla clear the table of the breakfast dishes, mundane chores taking on a more cherished role now that it had been so long since she had done them. The familiar dance of working around Marilla as she washed and Anne dried was calming and helped ease her nerves of leaving to see Ka'kwet in just a few minutes. She felt guilty for leaving Gilbert all day and honestly wanted to spend all of her time wrapped in his arms in the shade of her favorite tree at Green Gables, but the chance to go and see Ka'kwet in person and check on her after such a harrowing experience was too important.

As Anne was checking her bag one last time to make sure that she had everything she needed for the quick journey, a knock at the front door made her jump. Whoever was visiting at this early hour was either in need of help or someone very familiar with the Cuthberts, so Anne quickly ran to the door to see a very excited Diana waiting for her on the front step; perfect hair and clean boots making it look as though she magically appeared at Green Gables instead of walked there in the early morning frost.

"Diana!" Anne shouted as she embraced her bosom buddy and roommate. "It feels like I haven't seen you in decades, so much has happened, yet I know it has only been days!"

Agreeing with a laugh, Diana added, "you have no idea how much has happened! I came with an urgent message that a bonfire has been organized by our old classmates and is to be held this evening," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "after our parents have gone to bed, of course."

Anne looked around and saw no trace of Marilla or Matthew. "That sounds exhilarating! I'll leave once they're asleep. Oh, what an exciting affair! Sneaking out under the stars, old friends reunited, only the blazing fire and each other's tales of school to keep us warm. How romantical!"

The moment those last few words left Anne's mouth, she saw Jerry walking up the steps behind Diana on his way back in from the cow's first milking of the day.

"What is romantical?" Jerry asked as he pushed past both girls, bringing the bucket of milk inside to the kitchen. His shoulder brushed against Diana's ever so slightly, causing a secret thrill to travel down each of their arms. Although neither of them would admit it aloud.

The look of horror on Diana's face was so painful that Anne immediately felt sorry for her. Frozen in the doorway, Diana was unable to move, causing Anne to have to drag her inside so that Marilla wouldn't interrupt the already tense moment by reprimanding them for letting the warm air out. Diana mouthed silently, "What do I do?" Anne could only shrug apologetically. Diana stepped closer to Anne and vehemently whispered, "I completely forgot he would be here! Should I say-"

"Are you guys okay? Is something wrong?" Jerry looked at the two girls as though he was concerned for their wellbeing. In reality, he was trying to put on his best show of indifference, aiming to make sure Diana saw how unaffected he was by her sudden presence. He had thought of her often at first when she had just left him standing at the bridge with a pile of discarded gifts that he had given her; off to college to forget him and live her life of freedom. He had debated often with himself on whether or not to write to her, desperately wanting to end things on a better note, yet also unable to face the pain of her possibly not writing back or criticizing his lack of grammar skills. It took almost two months before he decided to try and put Diana Barry out of his mind for good, convincing himself that he was merely infatuated and that there was no reason to dwell on the past, not to mention the impossible future. The work at Green Gables had given him plenty of tasks to keep his mind off her, and missing his family was much more pressing than missing a girl.

But that was all a complete and utter lie.

A lie that came crashing down around him the moment he spotted her dark curls at the front door as he left the barn only moments ago. He had stopped abruptly and almost spilled the entire bucket of milk, sloshing it onto his boots and causing a French curse to escape his mouth. He immediately regretted the fact that the instant this poised and perfect girl was within one hundred feet of him he was already making a mess and using foul language, neither of which would appease her elegant nature. Taking a moment to compose himself, he decided to face his problem head-on instead of going around to the back door. It was likely he would have to see Diana many times moving forward since she was still Anne's best friend, so there was no use in delaying the inevitable.

Now, though, she stared at him with her big brown eyes, as innocent and anxious as a doe about to be captured by the hunter. She was more beautiful than he remembered, if that was possible, considering he remembered her more often than he would readily admit. She somehow seemed even more complex and mature than she did to him during the summer, which drove him over the edge of mere attraction and into the depths of infatuation as instantly as it had the first time he saw her and accidentally let it slip that she was très jolie . He had to literally bite his tongue to keep those same words from escaping his mouth again and fleeing to her ears that most likely would not welcome them.

"We are fine, Jerry. Sorry to get in your way! We were just discussing secret plans of a scandalous nature for a bonfire tonight after the adults are all asleep." Anne's smile indicated that an idea she assumed was marvelous had popped into her head. "You should come! It will be a fun way to start the holiday season!"

Diana's grip on her arm tightened so vigorously that Anne immediately knew the error in her statement. Once again, she had spoken without thinking and possibly caused a terribly awkward situation to transpire.

" Désolé , I will be going to my family's house for the next few days. My sisters would never forgive me for not being there to open presents on Christmas morning, and my mother would never forgive me for not being there for Christmas mass."

Diana almost sighed out loud in relief, but caught herself. Anne was telling Jerry she would miss him as Matthew came through the front door, announcing he was ready to leave. "We should get going so that we can make it back in time to open one present before Christmas Eve is over. Wouldn't want to break tradition."

Anne agreed and looked at Diana with as much regret as she could convey silently. "Thank you for telling me about your plans , Diana. I have a very long day ahead of me but will make sure to reserve some energy for any and all festivities ." She winked as she started towards the door, saying goodbye to Jerry and leaving them alone for the first time since Diana had thrown Frankenstein at his feet.

The tension in the room was as heavy as Diana's heart, aching to make things right with Jerry and possibly ease the embarrassment she felt when she thought of him. Which was often.

"So... comment ça va ? Are you enjoying school?" Jerry asked politely.

"I am well, thank you," Diana replied, her etiquette training taking over. "School is wonderful, actually; I am enjoying the classes and feel like it is preparing me well for the future." Wincing at the word future , Diana quickly added, "Anne said that Mrs. Stacy has been giving you lessons after school? How has that been?"

Jerry stood up straighter, "very good! She has already taught me so much math that I will never need." Diana laughed and the melodic sound bolstered his self-esteem even more. "I have read over twenty books since we started. She said I have a natural talent with words and that I should focus on that, although I still must learn math. Unfortunately."

The weight began to lift, slowly easing the tension between them just enough to make Diana's eyes light up as she smiled at him. "That is wonderful, Jerry! Mrs. Stacy is such an amazing teacher, I'm glad you have the opportunity to work with her. Even your English sounds better!"

Jerry's shoulders dropped as the comment hit him and deflated the self-esteem that had only just risen. "Thank you…" was all he could respond with. He knew she was right, that Mrs. Stacy had not only helped him read better but had also helped him speak even more fluently. Hearing her intended compliment only reminded him, though, that he was still not enough . "I had better attend to the horses, they will be requiring their breakfast soon." He tried to use as many large words as he could think of on the spot, hoping to make Diana's compliment sting her as much as it did him.

As he began to walk towards the front door, Diana grabbed his hand unexpectedly, to Jerry and herself. "Jerry, please...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for, well...everything." She held onto his hand even tighter, trying to ignore the thrill she felt as the harsh calluses on his hands scraped against her delicate fingers. Even his hands were wild and earthy, so vastly different from her own existence that it called out to her, rousing the familiar feeling she had in the summer of being entranced by how he felt more like home than the house she slept in every night. That being near him felt like warm stew cooked over a fire, like being tucked into freshly washed sheets, like reading by candlelight into the wee hours of the morning. "I'm sorry for how immature I was in how I ended things with us. I'm sorry for how I treated you and lied to everyone. But mostly...I'm sorry that I hurt you. You are an incredibly bright and thoughtful person that deserved better than me."

Jerry let go of her hand and smiled sadly at her, "I didn't want better than you, I just wanted you." With that, he left her standing in Green Gables as alone as she had made him feel all those months ago.

—

Anne wasn't sure what to expect as Matthew guided Belle through the trees, finally pulling the wagon into the clearing where the Mi'kmaq had made their new settlement since evading the residential school's raid. The recognizable scent of caribou being slowly cooked over an open fire made Anne smile that their hunt must have gone well and given Ka'kwet's mother plenty to provide for all the families. Anne suddenly had the urge to write what she saw; the mid-afternoon sun cutting through the trees and catching the smoke that rose from each family's fire causing a beautiful scene that she wanted to remember on a page forever. She took out her small notebook and pencil and let the words flow, noting how although these people had been through so much terror they seemed happy to see Matthew. That a little kindness and compassion had gone a long way in repairing the relationship. As he tied Belle to a tree and gave her an apple, Anne climbed out of the wagon and tucked her notebook into her pocket in case she wanted to write more of what she saw.

Aluk came up to greet Matthew, not yet noticing Anne on the other side of the wagon. "Matthew, it is good to see you, my friend!" The men clasped each other's hands in mutual respect and began to unload the wagon together.

"Anne?"

The voice was more quiet and timid than the last time she heard it, but as Anne quickly turned around she knew it would be Ka'kwet's face she would see. She had told herself she should be calm and try not to startle Ka'kwet too much, but she couldn't help the enormous smile that appeared on her face as she tried not to let the tears that might overwhelm Ka'kwet fall from her eyes. The girls embraced each other without a word spoken; only the presence of a silent bond between kindred spirits that had been cut off from each other for too long start to finally weave together again.

Ka'kwet felt her body stiffen at another person's touch. She had to purposefully fight down the urge to run, letting the lightning in her veins subside before she eventually calmed. Then, a shudder ran over her as a small cry escaped her lips. She hadn't expected to see Anne and she had expected such a response to come over her so quickly. The waves of emotion only grew higher, and Anne only held on tighter. "Thank you for helping save me," barely squeaked out between sobs as Anne pulled away and held her by the shoulders.

"You saved yourself, Ka'kwet." The tears danced around Anne's freckles as she stared into her friend's dark eyes that were full of pain. "You are strong and brave and I am so glad to see you here with your family where you belong." Anne pulled her back in for one more hug as she whispered, "I just wish I could have helped you sooner."

Graciously, everyone had kept their distance to be respectful of the girls' reunion; now, however, Ka'kwet's mother Oqwatnuk began to make her way towards them with two cups of a delicious steaming drink in her hands. "Come," she said gently, "it is time that we sit and speak together."

Ka'kwet had been able to heal a little more since she wrote to Anne, but she still had not spoken of her time at the school to anyone. Her parents knew what they themselves had seen, and she had answered some questions the first day she had arrived home, but the details were still hidden inside her. Now that Anne was there, suddenly those secrets were bubbling at the brim and threatening to overflow and make the mess she was sure would follow once they were out.

They sat down on the benches that her father had made for them since moving so they would be able to gather around their fire more often as a family - truthfully, just trying to lure Ka'kwet out of the wigwam more than just for meals. As they sat, Anne smiled at her again while she took a sip of her drink. Looking at her mother, Ka'kwet could tell she was hoping to hear some of the words that she sensed were about to finally leave her daughter's mouth.

"How have you been?" Anne asked between sips. "I was so happy to hear from you before, thank you for writing back."

Ka'kwet smiled and wiped her face, the former tears having turned to ice on her cheeks. "I am okay now. I have been very lucky to have such a wonderful family. The fact that they were able to find me and help me...others...they were not so lucky."

Anne felt the notebook in her pocket yearning to be used. "Ka'kwet, I had an idea to maybe write down some of my experience with the school and send it to the newspaper for everyone to read. I want the world to know what happened there and possibly do something to stop other children from getting hurt...would you be willing to let me tell some of your story too? I would only write what you allow me to, and if you don't feel comfortable then I don't have to do it at all-"

"Yes!" Ka'kwet said too loudly, surprising herself both by her volume and her answer. "Yes. I want you to tell everyone what a terrible place that is. Tell them of the evil people that lied to us and hurt us. Tell them what they are doing is more wicked than they say the Indians are."

Anne was surprised at her fervent response, assuming she would be turned down before she even asked. "Okay, great. Thank you, Ka'kwet, this is very brave of you and you don't owe it to anyone to do this. But I appreciate it nonetheless and think it will make my story reach even further."

As Oqwatnuk and Anne solemnly listened, Ka'kwet relayed what happened when she first arrived at the school. The words flowed effortlessly as she told them of how they lined all the girls up and made them strip down to nothing so they could check for savage diseases . While they were cold and naked, she could still hear the cries as each girl got her hair cut in a more civilized style with rough scissors that pulled her hair so much it made her scalp hurt for days. She rubbed her arm, remembering how it felt as she told them that they were scrubbed with soap that burned their skin, then given a uniform that was clean, yet still smelled wrong somehow. They all slept together on the floor the first night instead of the beds that they were assigned because she had suggested it to everyone, trying to comfort the younger girls. In the morning one of the nuns found them huddled on the ground together.

That was the first time they received thrashes, but not the last.

Anne wrote as quickly as her hand would go, trying to not miss a single detail while still letting the horror of the words she was hearing wash over her. Ka'kwet was in a sort of trance now, the pain finally not stifling her words for the first time. Instead, Anne's concern and attention only seemed to fuel the flame of her need to find absolution from these memories. Each word opened another portion of her heart, piece by piece, until she was finally telling Anne of how her parents had waited for her, making camp as close as they could. The nun had lied and said they would need to wait two weeks for the priest to arrive, when in actuality he was there the entire time. As Aluk and Oqwatnuk moved off the property to avoid the priest's threats, they waded through their despair with no hope of not drowning in it. Every day Aluk would visit, knock on the door of the school, and demand to see his daughter. No amount of threats would shake the priest or his henchmen. Aluk knew that dishonorable men like that could never be afraid of any consequences since they believed they were not subject to them. Suddenly, he had the thought that although he could never speak the language of their violence, he could speak the only other language they were capable of comprehending.

Money.

He saw the way they had looked at the coins he held out when he begged them the first time. They were tempted. The next morning he told Oqwatnuk to stay at the camp near Ka'kwet in case anything happened while he found their tribe.

"After trading everything of value that we owned, plus whatever all the other families could part with, he finally had enough money to tempt one of the priest's men to sneak me out in the middle of the night." Ka'kwet finished her story with a heavy sigh. "The tribe had already moved so far away that they should never be able to find us, but I still live in fear that one day...one day the trees will part and Father George will step through."

Anne sat frozen on the bench next to Ka'kwet; not because of the temperature of the air around her, not because her warm drink had gone cold long ago. She was frozen in shock, in disgust...in outrage. Her anger normally caused her to leap into action, loudly and boldly. This injustice, though, was beyond any of the horrors she herself had even seen. "Ka'kwet, thank you for sharing that with us." Oqwatnuk slowly got up from her seat and came over to wrap her arm around her daughter and whisper something in Mi'kmaq that Anne couldn't understand. Feeling like she needed to meet Ka'kwet in her brave fragility, Anne added, "I have never had the chance to tell you much of my story. I was an orphan, my parents died when I was only three months old." Oqwatnuk looked up with tenderness in her eyes, her mother's heart hurting for Anne. "I lived at an orphanage where terribly painful things happened to me. I was treated not only as not enough, but lesser than . I understand how it feels to not understand why these people were treating me like they did, why I was so deplorable that they felt the need to crush me so thoroughly." Anne couldn't further speak until she felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder, recognizing Matthew's touch and feeling his love. She looked up at him through the tears freezing on her lashes, "and then someone saved me. My family." Looking back at Ka'kwet she stated, "I know what it feels like to not belong. But you decide who is your family, and they could never have taken that from you."

The girls embraced again, each one letting their tears run free. They were tears of sorrow and joy, tears of pain and healing. Tears that washed away the past, not that it would be forgotten, but that it would be scrubbed of its hold on their hearts.

Anne pulled away first, asking, "can you show me your favorite place here at your new home? I'd like to see something that makes you happy, if you would be willing to share that."

Ka'kwet looked at her and laughed, wiping her face as she nodded and stood up. "Come on, I have a boulder that you will love. The sun drops through the trees onto it almost all day long, so it is always very warm and pleasant to sit on to quietly watch the birds find their supper."

"That sounds perfectly resplendent!" Anne linked her arm into Ka'kwet's and they headed off to find the sun-warmed boulder.

This was another chapter I cried while writing. I also wrote this chapter basically one sentence at a time over the past few weeks because of being so busy sooo I hope it is cohesive and makes sense lol...yay for Derry shippers getting some airtime, and yay for Ka'kwet showing signs of healing! Thanks for reading :)

LizzieOktambe: glad you liked Bash! I feel like he needed more attention, but his time will come...and yeah maybe in 1899 it wouldn't have happened this quickly, but I think you, I, and Netflix all agreed to move things faster haha these lovebirds will show their freaking love! hahaha...oh boy, I have ideas for marriage but I am still working on courting, you crack me up! Thank you for reading and for always being an encouragement!

.com: I enact the scene while writing haha! So I'm glad it works the other way around too! Thank you so much!

ishiptoast: honestly, fantastic name and I also ship toast with my belly, great pair. But I'm glad you're getting closure too! Ugh I needed it so bad after season 3 and that's why I'm doing this lol...you are too kind, but your beautiful compliments are cherished :) I'm glad I am doing the characters justice!

afan: sorry to keep you waiting, but glad it's good enough to make you want more! Thanks for reading!

ladykay7: ugh I have done that so many times, it's totally worth it though lol..."why are you acting weird? are you sick?" umm yes I have the fanfic fatigue...But for real, thank you for reading and I'm happy you are enjoying it enough to give up sleep!

Puhinkam: I am so happy to get to know you better and I am so happy to work with you! :) You are the best!

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert Blythe: well that was just exciting typing that name out! haha..so glad you are enjoying the story!

Guest: I promise more Anne/Gilbert is coming, as well as Bash/Muriel! :)

Anouk1989: I'm so glad you like Bash! And I learned so much researching for Ka'kwet's story. It is a story that deserved to be honored! Thank you for your kind words.

InfinityAnneFan: here you go! :) thanks for reading, glad you're liking it so far!