xi.

"Eleanor? Are you alright?" Diana asked as she waved her hand infront of the girls face.

"Oh! Yes...sorry I blanked out for a moment there." Eleanor sighed and gently shook her head, her tight ringlet curls smacking against her face.

"What were you thinking about?" Diana asked.

"Probably Gilbert." Anne whispered, making all three of them giggle.

"Nothing important, and no Anne, I was not thinking of Gilbert." Eleanor giggled and swatted at her friend.

The sound of the normal train came bustling through the large train station in Charlotte town. The group of friends were finally going back to their home, but not everyone was excited to go home.

As the large brown train rolled to a stop, with a loud whistle, guest started to load on. Eleanor was quick to pick up her trunk and start towards the train. She glanced back and noticed Cole was standing still, staring at the train with no luggage in his hands.

"Cole? Where's your luggage?" she asked as she handed one of the train workers her trunk for him to stow for her.

"I'm not going back." he stated.

Eleanor stopped dead in her tracks, along with Diana and Anne.

"What? Cole what about your family-" Anne started but Cole simply shook his head.

"Josephine has offered me a room at her house, and I said yes." he sniffled slightly.

"Oh Cole." Eleanor sighed and pulled him in for a tight hug.

"We'll miss you Cole, but we know you're doing the right thing." Diana sniffled slightly as Anne was full on crying now.

"Don't let anyone change you, okay?" Eleanor whispered as the sound of the train starting up was heard.

"I won't, just as long as you don't either." Cole smiled and shoved her gently towards the train.

She turned back and gave him one last smile before hopping onto the train just as a man was shutting the door.

Her eyes watched Cole until they had left the station, then she finally flopped down in an open seat opposite of Anne and Diana.

"I'm going to miss him." Diana sighed.

"He'll always be right there when we need him." Eleanor smiled as she glanced back at the small figure in the distance, the shadow of a friend was waving them goodbye.

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Eleanor spent most of the train ride trying to catch up on sleep, though she had gotten a nice vacation away from home while at Josephines, she knew that her busy schedule would be even worse now that her father is coming home.

She had yet to tell any of her friends that he was coming home, she hoped that he would stay in New York forever and forget about his little family in the little town.

But alas, he was coming home next in a day.

Most girls grow up loving and cherishing every moment with their father, and though Eleanor had some good memories with her father, he was much different than she remembered.

He was always working, even if it meant he wouldn't come home for days at a time. he would send the kids expensive gifts and money, trying to win back their affections. And though that worked a few times, Eleanor craved for some sort of time with her own father.

She had to act different when her father was around, more proper and prissy.

"Eleanor, come along now. Your father will be arriving shortly." Laura stated as she patted her daughter on the rear to make her move faster.

"Yes mother." Eleanor sighed before hurrying up the stairs and into her two story home.

The atmosphere was much different then when she left, it seemed much cleaner but almost in a gloomy sort of way.

Nothing like the beautiful flower home she just left.

"Elle!" Harvey's little voice made Eleanor turn around, just in time for her to catch her baby brother as he leaped into her arms.

"Hello little man, how is my favorite brother doing on this fine day?" Eleanor smiled as Harvey patted her cheeks with his small and sticky fingers.

"Way harsh." Alvin chuckled from the doorway.

Eleanor rolled her eyes but smiled slightly as Alvin walked over and rustled her curls. Laura swatted him away and fixed Eleanor's hair so that it looked "presentable" again.

"Your father will be arriving very soon, I expect you three to be on your best behavior you hear?" Laura griped.

"Yes mother." they all responded.

"Good, now Eleanor go give Harvey a bath. That boy always has sticky fingers." Laura sighed.

"But mother, I'm already in my evening gown-" Eleanor started but was silenced as her mother shot her a glare.

"Yes ma'am." Eleanor grumbled before carrying Harvey up the stairs.

(Time skip: 2 hours)

As Eleanor, her siblings, and her mother was sat neatly in the living room, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

"So...have you been to see Gilbert yet Eleanor?" Alvin whispered, making sure not to let Laura see they were talking.

"Not yet, but Moody seen me at the train station and told me he was at "the Bog" wherever that is." Eleanor whispered back.

"The Bog? Why on Earth would he be there?" Alvin asked.

"My guess is as good as yours, what even is "the Bog" anyways?" she asked.

"Its known as "The slum" of Charlotte town, most colored folk live and work there."

"That sounds horrid, I hope Bash isn't trying to live there."

"Bash?"

"I'll tell you later."

Their conversation was interrupted with the sound of a door creaking open. The sound of heavy boots clicking and a coat being tossed to the side was heard.

Before he walked in.

"Hello dear." Laura grinned as she walked up to greet her husband.

"Laura." Henry sighed out as he pulled his wife in by the arms.

"Oh how I've missed you." he stated as he placed a kiss on her plump pink lips.

"I've missed you as well Henry, how was New York?" Laura asked as she led him over to the couch to sit down.

Alvina and Eleanor shared a glance before moving to sit on the floor infront of the married couple.

"Worked me to death I'd say, Jeff about killed me trying to shoot a damn cat! Darned old man." Henry sighed as he ran a hand through his dark red hair.

"I'm sorry dear, that sounds awful. Eleanor? Don't you want to thank your father for the lovely gifts he sent you?" Laura asked as she cocked her head to the side and glared.

"Yes mother, thank you father for the beautiful dresses and ribbons you've sent me." Eleanor stated in her most posh accent.

"You're welcome Emma." Henry nodded.

"Eleanor." she said through gritted teeth.

Laura gave her daughter a sympathetic look before hurrying off to the kitchen to get a glass of whiskey for her husband.

"Well father this has been nice, but I really must be going. I have school in the morning-" Eleanor started but was stopped as her father let out a hefty laugh.

"You? School? Since when did you ever care about school work, the last time I seen you, you were only worried about getting hitched." Henry gave a mighty laugh.

"The last time you seen me father, I was fourteen. I'm now sixteen, a young woman who has her priorities straight-" she was once again interrupted from her father laughing.

"Priorities? The only thing you need to worry about is getting married and having children, I think you should be out there finding a rich man to woo instead of learning what's two plus two." he grumbled.

Laura emerged from the kitchen a few moments later, only catching the last bit of the conversation. She placed a hand on Eleanor's shoulder as the young girl sprang up and gritted her teeth at her father.

"I know more than what you think father! I'm the smartest in my classes, I've already been accepted into three different colleges, and I've actually met someone! And guess what you old fart, he's NOT RICH!" she yelled before running towards through the front door, making sure to slam it hard enough to make the house shake slightly.

"And stay you you ungrateful bitch!" Henry's voice made Eleanor scoff and run even faster towards the woods.

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Eleanor

After my little "spat" with father, I decided it would be best if I didn't stay at home that night.

There was only one place I knew that I would be welcome, Gilbert's.

Making my way through the woods, the leaves crunching beneath my feet, it felt like I was being watched.

When a twig snapped behind me, I knew I was being followed.

"Who goes there!" I yelled, trying to make my voice seem as deep as possible.

"Woah sis, you're starting to sound more manly than me." Alvin chuckled as he emerged from behind a tree.

"You asshole! I thought I was about to get murdered!" I yell and push his chest as he walked closer.

"Calm down Elle, I was only following you to make sure you were okay. That was a pretty nasty thing father called you back there." Alvin shrugged.

"I don't care what he calls me, I just know that he's not family to me." I huffed before turning around and continued on my walk.

"Hey wait! Where are you going?" Alvin asked as he jogged up beside me.

"Anywhere but there, or here for that matter." I snap before speeding up my walking, only for Alvin too as well.

"Alvin! I really just wish to be alone right now, I'm not in the mood for talking and I'm certainly not coming back home tonight. So just go home, I'm fine." I exclaim as I try to take a few deep breaths and calm down.

"Alright...alright fine yeah I get it. I'll watch Harvey tonight, you stay safe okay? Here, take this." Alvin gently placed a cold piece of steel into my hand.

I glance down and admired the beautiful shiny steel with a dark wood indent with nicely carved designs in the wood.

It was his pocket knife.

"Alvin, your pocket knife? Are you sure?" I asked, glancing up at him.

"Of course I'm sure, I wouldn't give it to you if I wasn't sure you could take care of it." Alvin chuckled.

I quickly pulled him in for a hug before pulling away and turning to walk the other way.

"Be careful sis, there's some real weirdo's in the woods at night." Alvin nodded.

"Yeah, like you." I smiled before turning back around and walking through the dark woods.

My feet crunched on the leaves and grass as I made my way through the woods, summer was arriving soon and it was obvious at the warmth of the night.

"Who are you? Why are you on Gilbert's land?" a thick voice came from behind me.

I quickly spun around and popped the knife open, it was bright and shone in the moonlight as I pointed it at the man.

His skin was dark and shiny, he seemed to be slightly alarmed at the fact that I had a knife.

"How do you know Gilbert, who are you?" I asked.

"Name's Sebastian Lacroix, I like with Gilbert Blythe. I'm from Trinidad, I'm 25 years old and I don't mean any harm." the mans voice was strong and held a very thick accent.

"Oh I'm not going to hurt you...I didn't know that you live with Gilbert." I gasped softly while putting the knife back into place and sliding it into my pocket.

Sebastian seemed to let out a breath as I put my knife away, I didn't mean to scare him in any way.

"You said you live with Gilbert? Is your name Bash?" I asked.

"I do go by Bash yes, but my name is Sebastian." he nodded, slightly confused.

"Gilbert's told me about you before in his letters, though he never mentioned you were staying with him." I shrug.

"Wait...are you Eleanor?" Bash asked.

"That would be me yes, does Gilbert talk about me a lot?" I ask.

"Yes, every moment he gets he speaks of you. It can be quite annoying actually." Bash chuckled.

I laugh along with him before a weird but comfortable silence falls over the two of us.

"Why are you out here anyways? Gilbert told me you live almost two miles away." Bash wondered aloud.

"Fight with my family, I was coming to stay the night with Gilbert...but I can go if you'd like me to-" before the sentence even left my mouth Bash chuckled and shook his head.

"Gilbert almost drove me crazy speaking of you, if he doesn't see you within a few hours I think he might die." he chuckled.

"Well then we wouldn't want that to happen now would we?" I smile.

"Definitely not, I would be out of a home."

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Narrator

Eleanor and Bash made their way back to the Blythe residents, they spoke about their likes and dislikes on the way.

Bash agreed to make her a Trinidad chicken recipe if she'll make him a blueberry cobbler, one of her speciality recipes.

"Bash? Is everything alright?" a very tired Gilbert asked as he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

He glanced up sleepily and almost instantly his eyes widened before he broke into a wide grin.

"Elle!" he almost squealed as he instantly attacked her with a hug.

She stepped back a few times from his forwardness but quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. His warmth and smell made her almost instantly forget whatever she was mad about with her family.

All she needed was him to feel at home.

"I'll just be going to bed then, don't be too loud." Bash yawned and walked inside before slipping his shoes off and heading in the direction of the guest bedroom.

Eleanor and Gilbert both laughed as they watched Bash disappear into his room, once the door clicked shut they turned back towards each other and instantly locked lips.

Eleanor's hands quickly found the way to Gilber't hair, wrapping and tugging slightly at his brown curls. His heads rested respectfully on one of her hips and the other cupping her cheek, he smiled into the kiss before pulling away.

"Oh how I've missed you." Gilbert sighed.

"I've been gone for two days Gilbert." Eleanor giggled and pushed a curl out of her face

"Two days too many." he grinned as she giggled.

He quickly pulled her inside, Gilbert waited patiently as Eleanor quickly took her shoes off and placed them at the door. He then pulled her down the hallway into his room and their lips locked once again.

Eleanor let out a string of laughs as Gilbert kissed her neck and up and down her face, his hands finding their way up and down her body.

After twenty minutes of laughing, breathless kissing, and probably too much physical touch for two sixteen year olds, they flattened themselves onto Gilbert's bed.

"I never asked why you decided to come to my house, at night." Gilbert chuckled.

"I got into an argument with my dad, so I decided to come to the person's house I trusted most." she smiled.

"Well I'm glad you trust me the most out of all your friends, but are you really sure it was such a smart idea to run away from home?" Gilbert asked as he propped himself up on his elbows.

Eleanor sat up and glanced back at Gilbert, who had his eyes shut and his head laid back as he rested on his elbows.

"I don't know...I was really mad so I just kind of ran off. Alvin gave me his pocket knife to be safe, and I might have accidentally threatened Bash with it but we'll talk about that another time." Eleanor sighed and flopped back onto the bed.

"You what?!"

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