༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

" Hey, Wells. "

- Gilbert Blythe

---

THE LIGHT OF THE candle flickered across Matthews face as he lay on the bed.

"He's had an episode of the heart," the doctor said. "He's extremely lucky it wasn't fatal. But it could take a while to fully heal, months at best. No stress or work of any kind."

Charlotte glanced down at Matthew. Besides him, she and Jerry were the only ones who helped out, though Matthew did the main portion of it. The extra work, plus school, she would be utterly exhausted.

Hours later, Charlotte and Anne crept down the stairs to find Marilla at the dining table alone, reading through notes. "You should both be asleep."

"So should you," Charlotte replied.

The two young girls sat on either side of Marilla as she smiled at the two. "Wish I had a head for numbers."

"I'm a dunce at geometry, but I'm good at math now," Anne said. "Charlotte's good. Which part is troublesome?"

"Here and here," Marilla pointed.

"That is the amount Matthew borrowed," Charlotte informed her. "And the rest is rate of interest."

"Gosh, it's very high," Anne sighed. "And the payback schedule is very short."

Anne grabbed a pencil, scribbling down quick notes as Charlotte watched. "Matthew was counting on making the money from his new crops, wasn't he?"

Marilla nodded. "I'll have to go speak with the bank. I need some clarity."

"We're coming with you," Anne spoke, noticing Charlotte's eyes flick towards her. "Even if you won't keep me."

"Not keeping you?" Marilla said in disbelief. "You're a Cuthbert. For better or for first. No getting out of it now. And you both don't need to come."

"We do," Anne wiped her teary eyes away. "I know for a fact that when one is under stress it's hard to hear what is being said. It's as if the person speaking is miles away or underwater."

Marilla nodded. "We'll leave early tomorrow morning."

"You and Anne go, I'll stay and watch Matthew," Charlotte told them. She didn't want to go with them, to intrude. Anne was Marilla's 'daughter,' Charlotte wasn't.

"Very well," Marilla nodded. "Now both of you off to bed."

Charlotte was the first to stand up, and the first to leave the room.

—

Charlotte didn't own anything worthy enough of selling, nothing of value. She accompanied Anne and Jerry on their trip to tow. She rode behind them on the shire they were going to sell.

"It makes Marilla feel better that your tagging along, but we really don't need you to come," Anne told him, shoving stuff into sacks. "We have both traveled alone before."

"You've been lucky," Jerry replied.

"I've been smart," Anne scoffed back.

"So then both," the boy shrugged. "Whatever."

"I'd simply like you to acknowledge the fact that I don't need you to come along,"

"When's the last time you drove a sleigh?" Jerry asked, smirking as Anne didn't have a response. "Auctioned or even ridden a horse? Let's go."

The group turned their heads towards Diana as she came running up to the three. "I brought you something to sell."

Diana pulled out a silver hairbrush.

"Are you sure?" Anne asked.

"Of course I'm sure."

Charlotte rolled her eyes as the two hugged. She felt in an especially grumpy mood that morning. Some days, she woke up happier than others. It was a feeling she couldn't quite explain.

"Morning Diana," Marilla walked forward, passing more items onto the sleigh.

"Morning Miss Cuthbert, I just came to say goodbye," Diana smiled back.

"We ready to go?" Charlotte asked after what had felt like a lifetime. As the sled moved, she rose the shire alongside it. The horse was larger than Whiskey, and more stocky and muscular.

"You know its not so hard to ask for help sometimes," Jerry said to Anne.

"If I needed help I would say so."

"No you wouldn't," Jerry replied.

"Yes I would."

"Wouldn't."

"Would. Times infinity."

A confused look made it's way across Jerry's face as Anne just grinned. "What?"

"Never mind," she sighed. "Let's just not talk."

"Thank the Lord," Charlotte mumbled.

As Jerry started singing, Anne turned to glare at him. "No singing."

Charlotte attempted to hide the smirk stretching across her lips as he continued, ignoring every remark she made and only singing louder.

"I'm serious Jerry, this is an important journey," Anne snapped, to which he continued singing. "I will kill you with my bare hands!"

She let out a groan as Jerry continued, scowling as a snort left Charlotte's throat.

—

"How long does it take to sell a dress?"

Charlotte looked up from the snow towards Jerry. "What?"

"She's been there for like twenty minutes," he replied, moving to look into the window. "It can't take long to say, 'I don't want it, take it back'."

"She's Anne, she's probably admiring all the puff sleeves," Charlotte rolled her eyes.

Jerry moved to peer into the window. "She's crying to the shop person."

"Good Lord," Charlotte sighed, adjusting her hat.

"Okay, she's coming back," Jerry narrated, stepping away from the window, as soon as Anne walked out.

"How much did you get?" Charlotte asked, mounting the shire again.

"Way more than I expected," Anne said, putting the envelope into her pocked. "Matthew must have spent a fortune."

The group rode to drop Anne off at the trade-in store.

"We'll meet you back here after," Jerry told her.

"I hate to say goodbye," Anne looked at the horse sympathetically, stroking it's nose.

Jerry smirked at her. "I won't be so long."

"To the horse, Jerry."

Charlotte jumped off it, taking all the equipment off it, switching the bridle out for a lead rein.

Anne continued to sigh at him. "Why are you so annoying?"

Charlotte's jaw clenched, remembering all the times she had said that sentence to Gilbert.

"Make sure he goes to a good home," Anne told Charlotte as the brunette began to walk away with him.

"I will."

Charlotte trudged through the snow as Jerry made conversation with several people about the horse.

"Thank you, sir," Jerry thanked, taking the money as Charlotte handed the stranger the rope to the horse.

"How much did we get?" Charlotte asked as the two walked away, towards the alley which lead them back to Anne.

"Quite a bit," Jerry replied, shoving the money into his pocket. "If this didn't belong to the Cuthbert's, I would have no idea what to spend it on."

"Neither," Charlotte replied. "I've never had that much money in my pocket before."

Charlotte nodded as the two stepped into the alley. It was empty, other than two older men leaning on the houses with cigarettes in their mouths.

Her eyes widened as one of them jumped forward, shoving Jerry harshly into the ground.

Charlotte attempted to grab one of the crates nearby to use as a weapon, before she was grabbed and jammed into the wall. A groan left her throat as one of the men harshly punched her in the ribs, the air leaving her lungs, before he punched her in the jaw, his rings catching on her skin leaving a line of red. As Charlotte fell to her knees holding her stomach, she looked over to where Jerry was being repeatedly punched, the man taking the money they earned out of his pocket.

Charlotte clenched her jaw, anger evident on her face. She heaved in one final breath, gripping onto the man's ankle and yanking him to the floor. She stood up, throwing her first into his nose and her food between his legs.

"Get her," he growled to his friend.

Charlotte cocked her head, before sprinting out of the alleyway. "Jerry I'll come back I swear!"

Her breath heaved as she dashed through the crowd, the man running not to far behind her.

—

Gilbert stood outside the trade in store, frowning as he saw a familiar redhead through the window. The thought of what she was doing here by herself ran through his head, better yet, what was she doing here alone?

He stepped towards the door as Anne walked out.

"Gilbert," she addressed him, her breath fogging due to the coldness in the air.

"Hello," he replied.

"How are you?" Anne asked. "Is it hard working on the docks? Do you like it?"

"It's fine, I hope I get hired as a streamer soon."

"May I ask, what about your farm?" Anne asked him.

"I want to see some of the world first," Gilbert replied. He enjoyed traveling. It was one of the things he and his father had in common. "If I come back to Avonlea, I want it to be my choice. It's what my dad would have wanted."

"I never did get the chance to apologize for hitting you with my slate," Anne said. "I'm sorry for that."

"Water under the bridge," Gilbert smiled at her, nodding his head. "Are you here alone?"

"No, I came with Jerry and Charlotte, though they're off selling our shire."

Gilbert nodded. "Well, I've forgotten about the slate incident. Truce?"

Anne shook his hand. "Truce."

Gilbert smiled at her, turning to walk away before he was shoved back.

"Get away from her," Jerry spat, harshly shoving him again.

"Jerry, stop I know him," Anne said before her face changed to concern. "What happened to you? Are you alright?"

Half of his face was bruised, gashes along his cheekbone. "I'm fine."

Jerry limped as he sat down on the bench next to Anne. "What happened?"

"I'm so sorry, they took it. Bad guys took the money," Jerry quickly responded.

"Wait, where's Charlotte," Anne asked him, worry seeping into her.

"I don't know, she ran off after punching one of them," Jerry replied before he stopped, hearing several yells from further down the lane, followed by objects crashing. "Never mind, found her."

The three turned around to see Charlotte sprinting towards them, her hair having come out of her ponytail, now whipping in the wind behind her. She stopped in font of them, leaning over to rest her palms on her knees and heave deep breaths in and out.

"What did you do?" Anne asked her.

"How do you... know I did something?" She panted. "They could have."

"I know it was you because you're you," Anne replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Hey Wells," Gilbert nodded down at her, raising an eyebrows at the fact this was the messiest he had ever seen her. The black eye she had was fading slightly, close by it was a gash on her face. Her hair was wild from the wind, snow stuck in it as well as all over her clothes. 

"Blythe," she responded before turning back to Anne. "I knocked one out a while back, so if we go now we can make it out before they find us."

"You did what?" Anne widened her eyes.

"Bashed him over the head with a leg of a broken chair," she replied like it was nothing. "He fell onto it, broke it, then I hit him with it. The leg, not the whole chair."

Anne didn't even bother asking anymore questions, saying goodbye to Gilbert and stepping back to the carriage.

"Nice seeing you," Charlotte nodded at the boy, before her and Jerry followed Anne onto the carriage.

As it began moving, she snuck a glance behind her towards Gilbert, turning away quickly as she saw him already looking at her. He continued watching, even if it meant he had to stare at the back of her head. 

---

13/12/2023

they've actually got me kicking and blushing.