xxii.

Thank you all for being so patient with me as I took a much needed break.

I highly recommend you listen to this song while reading! It's the song that Eleanor hums to Mary, it'll give you a better idea of the pure raw emotion this chapter demonstrates.

Now, onto the story!

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The sound of paper being pulled up made Eleanor glance up from her book, smiling as she seen Diana hanging up the first ever page of the Avonlea school news report.

Miss Stacey had finally finished fixing the printing press, and the students were quick to jump on the opportunity to use it.

"Eleanor, wouldn't you like to come see it?" Tilly asked as she waved the girl over.

Eleanor nodded and she stood, gently closing her book before walking to the front of the classroom with her peers and printing press.

"It's just like magic." Moody chuckled as his friends laughed along with him.

"Farmers celebrate new...Gilbert." Diana read aloud, her voice whittled out as she read aloud the first line.

"Again Ruby?" Diana sighed.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm preoccupied...why isn't he here?" Ruby whined as the others laughed.

"He went to fetch the Charlottetown doctor, Bash's wife has gotten worse in her illness." Anne stated from beside Eleanor, making her jump slightly as the girl didn't realize she was standing beside her.

Ruby sniffled and wiped her face, a smear of black ink from the printer smudged across her face.

"Oh good lord you don't even know that colored woman!" Josephine scoffed.

"Mary, is a smart lovely woman. But you'd know that if you spoke two words to her." Eleanor hissed.

"Gilbert is so heroic!" Ruby swooned.

"Here Ruby, for your poor eyes." Moody handed the weeping girl a small white hand cloth.

The girls "ooh'd" as Moody's cheeks grew red, he crept back to his spot beside his friend.

"Are you taking notice of this Diana? Cause I certainly am." Josephine smirked as she pointed towards Moody and Ruby.

"It's true...I am beautiful when I cry! Or so I've been told..." Ruby sniffled as she tried to hand the hanker-chief back to Moody.

"You should keep it if you'd like." Moody smiled with a shrug.

Anne and Eleanor glanced at each other, a sly smile on their face as they giggled.

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"I-I don't understand...there has to be something you can do-" Bash's voice faded as Eleanor gently shut the door to Mary and Bash's bedroom.

She gently crept over and sat down on Mary's bed, it squeaked as she let out a small sigh. Her hand snaked over and grabbed Mary's, her thumb caressing the back on her hand.

"Can you explain more on what he said I had? Sepsis?" Mary asked.

"Sepsis...is an infection." Eleanor tried to put on a brave face as she explained.

"Ah...I was worried about that, it's not contagious is it?" Mary asked as she stared at their locked hands.

"No...we'll be fine we can't catch it from you." Eleanor shook her head.

"That eases my nerves a little...so the doctors going to come back in a days time with the cure right? I've got a lot of baking to do and this bed is just not doing it for me anymore." Mary chuckled.

A loud crash came from the kitchen, making both women glance up.

"Bash? Sebastian?" Mary called out.

The sound of footsteps grew closer before Gilbert appeared in the door frame.

"Sorry about that...something fell, Bash is tending to it right now." Gilbert stated.

Mary chuckled to herself, knowing it was probably Bash who knocked something over with his clumsy self.

"So...when are they coming back with the cure?" Mary asked, her voice so full of hope and determination.

Eleanor slipped her hand from Mary's and used it to cover her own mouth, tears now forming in her eyes.

"He's not...coming back Mary." Gilbert sighed.

"What?" Mary's voice broke as she spoke, all of her hope drained by a single sentence.

Bash was now standing against the door frame, his head was tilted down as his fist clenched.

"A-Are you sure?" Mary sniffled.

"There's nothing we can do." Gilbert's voice broke, making Eleanor want to hug him even more but she resigned on the edge of Mary's bed.

"I see." Mary now had tears lingering her cheeks.

Eleanor stood up and grabbed Gilbert hand, leading him from the room as Mary started speaking to Bash.

Gilbert almost instantly broke down against her, she decided in that moment all of their fighting was irrelevant. All that mattered was that one of their closest friends was soon to be only a story in their memories.

"W-What are we going to do without her?" Gilbert croaked.

"I don't know Gilbert...we'll figure this out when the time comes." Eleanor shook, her body couldn't handle all of her weight and his as she led them over to the table.

Gilbert sat down and rested his head in his hands, Eleanor sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap as her eyes were glued to the brick fireplace infront of her.

She glanced down as she felt Gilbert gently grab her hand in his, he was now staring at the fireplace as well. The two sat in a still silence as they heard Bash's soft whispers and Mary's quiet sobs.

"We'll get through this...together." Gilbert exhaled.

"Together." Eleanor repeated.

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Eleanor stood in Mary's room as she hummed to the tune of the woman favorite song, Mary hummed along as they awaited for the Cuthburt's to arrive.

"I see them, I'll be right back." Eleanor stated as she quickly left the room and down the stairs.

Anne and Gilbert hopped off the back of the wagon, Eleanor ran up to bring Anne into a hug as the girl fought off more tears.

"I'll go help Marilla bring Delphine in." Anne whispered as she pulled away and wiped a stray tear off of Eleanor's cheek.

Eleanor nodded and gently stepped out of her way, she watched as her friend hurried up the stairs with Marilla and Matthew infront of her.

The air was brisk and cold as it whipper through the sad and bare trees of winter, the leaves on the ground crunched as Eleanor walked over to Gilbert.

"I can't be a doctor Eleanor." Gilbert sighed.

"What? Well why not?" she asked.

"I-I can't tell people their dying...I just had to give the worst news to a friend...I can't do it." Gilbert's eyes filled with tears again.

"Gilbert...I hope you never have to do something like that again but I don't think you'll be able to avoid it. People will come to you Gilbert, and their children to a doctor who cares just as much as they do. You will be a wonderful doctor and caring deeply will always be the right thing." Eleanor smiled gently as she tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear.

He gave her a soft smile before turning back towards the house, he stopped quickly and stared at the barren windows and crunched leaves blowing.

Eleanor knew what he was thinking in that moment, and all it took was for her to reach out and pull him in for yet another hug. He took a moment to hug her back but when he finally wrapped his arms around her he swore to himself he wasn't going to let her go this time.

(Recommended to start the song above now!)

"I'm so sorry Eleanor...for everything." he exclaimed as a few tears left his eye.

"Oh Gilbert...I know." Eleanor sniffled as she pulled away and placed her gloved hand onto his face.

"I only went to tea with her because I thought you wouldn't mind, but I now know I was foolish. Please forgive me Eleanor...you're the only girl I will ever love in a million lifetimes." Gilbert sputtered out.

Eleanor waited for him to continue as he took another breath, the cold air spiking his lungs.

"Please understand that everything I do, is because of you. The little moments we share together are the moments I never wish to forget, I've memorized your favorite recipes and songs...all of your favorite poems. You are the only person who has understood me and cared for me in a way no other has or ever will. I love you Eleanor and I plan on marrying you some day, and even if you won't have me back and you leave me for good...I'll sit and whisk away the hours till we meet again in another lifetime."

Eleanor's eyes were now bursting with tears as she stared up to Gilbert, he was pouring out every little drop of his heart onto her in that moment. He had never been so vulnerable and raw to her, she couldn't wait to spend her life with the one man she loved, Gilbert Blythe.

"Gilbert...I love you too. I'm sorry for everything I said or did, I was truly angered with you for so many reasons but this has proved that life is short. And if I stay cross with you for half my lifetime, then I'll be waisting it instead of spending my time loving you."

Gilbert smiled as he gently chuckled, his tears were now pouring from his eyes as he grabbed Eleanor's face and brought her in for a kiss.

Oh how she had missed these moments.

These raw and full of love moments the two shared, the love they had for each other was ethereal.

"I love you Eleanor, I love you so damn much." Gilbert stated between kisses.

He kissed away every tear that leaked from Eleanor's eyes, making her laugh. He picked her up and spun her around, happy to see her gorgeous smile back onto her face.

Meanwhile...

Mary had been watching the whole scenario go down, as was Anne.

The two had a smile on their face like no other, they were witnessing the raw love of two individuals who were destined to meet.

"Life is short...why not spend it with the ones you love?" Mary smiled as she dotted away a tear from her face, Delphine giggled up at her.

"I couldn't agree more Mary." Bash smiled a sad sort of smile from behind her.

Anne watched with a sweet smile at the couples, she couldn't wait till she found her soulmate to create a happily ever after with.

With a sigh, Mary grabbed Bash's and Anne's hand as Delphine sat neatly in her lap.

"I love you all...you've made my life such a dream. I couldn't ask for better people to surround myself with." Mary smiled as she watched Gilbert and Eleanor walk back inside holding hands.

"I was hoping you two would make amends before I pass...I would've killed you both myself if you didn't." Mary chuckled, the others laughed along with her.

The room grew silent, but not an uncomfortable silence...a silence that could heal a thousand loss souls.

The kind of quiet that you read about in books when the protagonist has finally won.

The kind of silence that says a thousand words without a whisper.

They had found their peace, and it was time to allow it to be known.

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words:1,753

sorry for the short chapter! It'll be longer tomorrow!!