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"Always" 


- Charlotte Wells


---


"You two know the plan right?"

Charlotte looked down at Josie from the top of her horse. "Yes, you've told us fifty times."

"Well, we want Anne's birthday to be perfect," Diana beamed as she sat behind Charlotte on Whiskey. "She deserves it."

Charlotte nodded, rubbing her eyes out of tiredness. She had woken up at six just to ride to the Barry's to get Anne's birthday party ready with the girls. And now she was riding back with Diana with the intention of bringing Anne back with them. She was to drop Diana off, and gallop back to finish the final preparations with the others.

"You ever ride a horse before?" Charlotte asked Diana.

"No, no this is my first time."

"You might want to hold on." Charlotte smirked as she immediately drew Whiskey into a canter, snickering at the gasp Diana let out, grabbing onto her friends shoulders in shock. Diana kept a tight grip on Charlotte the entire ride to Green Gables.

"Ready?" Diana breathed out, before a worried look came across her face. "Anne!"

Charlotte trotted Whiskey towards the house, rolling her eyes as Jerry ran up towards the girls. "What's wrong?"

"This doesn't concern you," Diana replied, jumping off Whiskey alongside Charlotte. "Leave me alone. Anne!"

Jerry continued to run beside the two girls. "Did something happen?"

Charlotte spun around to face him. "It's for Anne's birthday, play along. And hold my horse."

Jerry caught the reins as Charlotte flung them at him, sprinting towards Green Gables alongside Diana.

"Diana needs Anne," Jerry yelled, smiling as Anne ran out of the house in front of Marilla. "Her parents are dead!"

Anne glanced at him in shock. "What?"

"Shut up," Charlotte hissed, slapping the back of his head lightly.

"That's not true," Diana huffed. "Minnie May's sick again, and you knew what to do last time. You have to come."

Anne turned to Marilla. "May I go?"

"You must."

Charlotte pretended to act worried. "I'll ride back to let your parents know, Diana."

"Yes, thank you." Diana shot the girl a subtle wink.

"Jerry, my horse," Charlotte called out, beckoning the boy over with her hands. As she swung onto the saddle, she leaned down to whisper in the boy's ear. "Her parents are dead?"

"It was the first thing that came into my head." Jerry shrugged.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, bringing Whiskey to a gallop and riding out of the gates of Green Gables. The trees snagged at her coat as she rode through the wood, the snow melting under Whiskey's feet and dew dripping from the branches of the trees that towered overhead.

Winter was melting.

Charlotte swung of Whiskey, tying him up outside the Barry's and running inside. "They're on their way. And they'll be here soon."

The girls spend ten minutes perfecting everything before Tillie called out that the girls were here. As soon as Anne sprinted inside, she was greeted with the sight of all her friends standing around a table of homemade tarts and cakes.

Minnie May smiled up at the redhead. "I hope you were worried sick about me."



"And then Jerry yells out: 'her parents are dead'," Anne told the girls, stuffing her face with cakes.

"The clown almost ruined the entire thing," Charlotte shook her head as giggles and laughter rose from the other girls at the table.

Ruby smiled towards Charlotte. "Why are boys so maddening?"

"What is the matter with boys?" Tillie said.

"Some of us," Josie began, grabbing another strawberry, "prefer men."

"Some of us, and I mean you, Tillie," Jane grinned, "have a two boy problem."

Tillie smirked, leaning back in her chair. "It's not a problem."

"As a brave girl who speaks with my heart open I'm letting you all know now I plan only to be the bride of adventure," Anne smiled.

"I never know what you're talking about," Ruby laughed.

"I'm an conscientious objector of the status quo."

Ruby nudged Charlotte. "See, it happened again."

Charlotte smiled towards her friend, taking a sip of her teacup, glancing to her left as Anne nudged her. "Yeah?"

"Thank you for giving me the best birthday ever," Anne beamed.

"Of course."

"And thank you for being the best sister one could ever ask for. I've never had one before and I know sometimes I do it wrong, but you're still always there and just thank you."

Charlotte felt her heart twist in her chest, tears threatening to well up in her eyes though she didn't let them. Someone valued her.

Charlotte simply nodded at the redhead. "Always."


---

29/02/2024


No Charbert because I felt this chapter was important on its own I guess. 

But you guys, it's actually become a problem because I will never shut up about my own book. I sound like a total bitch right now, but I'm actually so talented I managed to write this. 

Anyways, Charlotte and Glibert will continue to be the only reason I wake up in the morning.

When I finish writing this, I'm actually going to cry because I've fallen in love with my own work. That's definitely not normal but it's fine. 

Gonna start planning a whole new Gilbert book just to fuel my obsession. (I may or may not have already started)


ALSO THANK YOU FOR 7K READS ILY ALL SO MUCH


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