ii.

"Eleanor! Eleanor wake up!" Alvin shook his sister awake as she groaned and opened her eyes.

"What do you want?" she grumbled and rubbed her eyes, the smell of smoke almost instantly hitting her nose.

"There's a fire, we need to go help." he stated as he tossed Eleanor's shoes at her.

She quickly got up and grabbed her coat before wrapping it around herself, slipping on her shoes she ran downstairs to see her mother holding a crying Harvey.

"You go to the house, I'll meet you there." Alvin hurried as he grabbed all of the buckets and large bowls the family had before running out of the house.

Eleanor glanced back at her mother, who nodded, she quickly ran to the stables and saddled up her horse, Maple. She hopped on and grabbed the reigns, giving it a hard snap.

"On! On Maple On!" Eleanor yelled, her horse gave a loud neigh before taking off into the night.

Her hair flung wildly behind her as she tried to keep in a rythm of bouncing with the horses gallops. She swung around corners and as she neared the fire, she seen people running back and forth, filling buckets of water and throwing them into the house.

"Eleanor!" Anne cried out as Eleanor jumped off of Maple and tied her around a tree.

Anne threw her arms around the girl and Eleanor quickly hugged her back before hugging Diana. Over the past few days the three had grown close, after Diana apologized for her rude questions about Eleanor's corset. Eleanor glanced up to the burning house and realized it was Ruby's house, she gasped and quickly covered her mouth as her heart hurt for the girl.

"Wait...why are the doors open?" Eleanor asked as she peered into a smokey window.

Anne glanced up to the house and gasped, the two girls glanced at each other and nodded before taking off into the burning house. Diana yelled for the two to stop but they were already making their way in, Eleanor coughed and wheezed as she climbed the stairs.

"You go that way! I'll get this side!" she yelled as she pointed Anne to the right. She nodded and ran off, the sounds of slamming doors was heard through the crackling fire.

Eleanor ran down the hallways and shut the doors and windows, making sure to pull them tightly shut. She hissed in pain as she touched a doorhandle, the fire had reached the room and made the handle hot. But as the pain throbbed in her hand, she made her way over to the next door then to the next and so on.

"Eleanor?" a frantical voice yelled out. Eleanor glanced up and met the worried eyes of Gilbert, he looked confused and worried as she slammed the door shut. Her coughs became hard wheezes as she fell to her knees, she could fill her lungs struggling to get a deep breath.

"The fire's slowing down!" a boy yelled from outside.

Eleanor heard Anne calling out for her, but as her vision faded all she heard was Gilbert's voice once more.

"Stay with me Ellie."

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Eleanor woke up with a gasp and a hard cough as cold ran over her face and neck, her eyes shot open to see Gilbert, Anne, Diana, and Alvin all staring down at her.

She sat up and bumped heads with Gilbert, making them both groan out in pain. Anne tackled Eleanor into a hug that made her head spin, but she held her friend in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't find you! I looked all around the house but had to run out at the last second. Luckily Gilbert saw you before you shut the door, and he did the heroic deed of saving you!" Anne wailed.

"Anne...i-it's alright really. I'm not mad at you." Eleanor smiled as Anne's shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Oh thank heavens! I thought you would hate me forever and I just didn't know what to do-" Anne's voice seemed to fade out of Eleanor's ears as she turned to face Gilbert.

His eyes instantly met hers as she looked to him, he smiled and pulled her into a hug. She tensed up slightly but hugged him back, he had saved her life after all.

"If you ever do something like that again, I'll kill you myself." he whispered as the two pulled away.

"I can't promise anything Gilbert." she grinned as he smiled sheepishly at her.

"Are you mentally insane? Why would you go into a burning house? Can you imagine what mother is going to say! She's going to kill you! And me for letting you go into the house!" Alvin yelled as he pulled her up by the arm.

"Ouch Alvin! Calm down! I'm sure she'll understand!" Eleanor grumbled as she winced at his hold on her.

"Oh I understand all right! A stranger had to come and tell me that my daughter ran into a burning building and risked her life to close some doors!" Laura yelled as she stomped over to Eleanor, Harvey was sitting on the grass beside Minnie May.

Eleanor sunk back behind Alvin, he shrunk down with her as their mother approached.

"She and Anne both stopped the fire! Without her, the house would still be ablaze!" Diana stated.

Laura could've had smoke coming out of her nose as she turned to her daughter, her face seemed to soften slightly as she pulled her into a tight hug. Eleanor sunk into her mothers arms and sniffled slightly, happy that her mother wasn't as angry as she expected.

"Don't you ever try to be a hero again, you hear?" Laura asked as she pointed to her daughter.

"Yes ma'am." Eleanor giggled as she wiped at her eyes.

"And you!" Laura turned to Alvin, the smile immediately being wiped from his face.

Eleanor smiled at the two and held her arms out, Harvey came running over and jumped into her arms. She poked at his stomach, making him laugh as she pulled at one of her curls. A throat clearing from behind her made her turn, she smiled as the Gillis family was behind her.

"Thank you...both of you...so so much. We'll be eternally grateful for your act of bravery." Mrs Gillis wept as she pulled both Eleanor and Anne into a hug.

"Eleanor was the one who had the brilliant idea of shutting the doors." Anne grinned as Eleanor's face flushed red.

"I-It was just simple knowledge." she answered bashfully.

"Still...you both saved what was left of our little home." Mr Gillis smiled and shook both girls hands.

"Don't go abandoning me now that your the town hero." Gilbert smirked as he walked over and playfully bumped Eleanor's arms.

She smiled and glanced over towards Ruby, who was wrapping the blanket she wore tighter around her shoulders as she stared up at Gilbert. Her eyes full of admiration as she tried to flutter her eyelashes at the boy, but she looked more like she was having a seizure.

"Um Gilbert, you've met Ruby correct? Why don't you two chat while I go talk to...Moody!" Eleanor smiled and she shoved Gilbert towards the blushing girl.

"Uh..right yeah sure." Gilbert shrugged and turned back to Ruby. The girl shot Eleanor a smile and a mouthed "thank you" before turning back to the curly haired boy.

Eleanor grinned and wrapped Harvey tighter to her side as she walked over to Anne, not Moody like she had told Gilbert.

"What a night huh?" she asked as she set Harvey down, he instantly ran over to Laura.

"Agreed." Anne and Diana said in unison, making all three of them laugh.

Eleanor glanced back to Ruby and Gilbert, he was laughing at something she said while she was in pure ecstasy. She smiled at the sight, though her heart felt weird, almost like she was...jealous?

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"This was a great idea Anne, I'm sure that the boys will love a snack while they work!" Diana smiled as she gently placed some scones into a basket.

Eleanor glanced down at her handmade pastries, she had taken the recipe from her mother and she was quite proud of how they looked. Anne recommenced that they bake pastries for the boys that are hard at work helping rebuild the Gillis family home. Laura was more than happy to lend her kitchen for the girls to cook with, Harvey was running around covered from head to toe in flour.

"Thank you Diana, I'm sure the boys will find these scones scrumptious!" Anne beamed as she held up her basket.

Eleanor gently placed a cloth over the scones to keep them warm as she slipped on her coat and shoes, ready to deliver them to the workers. Almost every man in town was there to help, including Gilbert and Alvin. She was excited to see them since she hadn't seen them for a while, they were always busy helping with building.

"Eleanor, did I ever tell you that I love your pants?" Anne sighed happily as she stared at the girls pants.

"Yes Anne, three times already." Eleanor giggled as she dramatically did a turn.

"I still don't see why you wear the, are they more comfortable than dresses?" Ruby asked as they walked out the door.

"Oh yes, much more comfortable. My thighs don't rub together and make me have a rash while I'm wearing pants. I'm sure that if you asked, my mother would be happy to sew you a pair."

"Oh no thank you, I feel like pants are for men. I don't want to look like a man, n-not that you look like one! You're a very pretty man! Wait! I-I didn't-" Ruby cursed herself as she slapped her forehead. The four girls laughed as they walked up the trail to the Gillis home.

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"Look boys, we have another man in town!" Billy snickered as Eleanor walked up the trail, the other girls following.

His friends laughed and high five him as Eleanor rolled her eyes and walked over to the table of water and refreshments.

"Hello Matthew, we've brought by some scones for you all." Eleanor smiled as she and Anne both placed down the baskets of the treats onto the table.

"These smell delicious, thank you girls." Matthew nodded before turning to go back to work.

Eleanor was busy staring at Gilbert to notice him staring at Ruby, when she glanced over Ruby was laying flat on her back with the boys laughing.

"Stop laughing at her you prune!" Eleanor yelled at the boys as she and Anne both walked over to help the blushing girl up.

"Oh look, the boy decided to talk!" Billy snickered.

"If wearing pants makes me a boy, then so be it! At least I know I look better than you." Eleanor grinned as Billy shot her a look.

"I think they look great." Gilbert smiled as he walked towards her, he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Thank you Gilbert, but I'm pretty sure what you just did is unsanitary." she giggled.

"Oh yeah?" he smirked and held his hands out towards her.

"You wouldn't dare." she narrowed her eyes on him as his smirk grew wider. She squealed as he tried to press his hands onto her shoulder, she turned and took off running towards Alvin.

"Woah cowgirl, slow down partner." he chuckled as Eleanor peeked over his shoulders. Gilbert was hunched over laughing about a food away, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"You two are so mature." Alvin said with an eye roll.

"Hey! You're only a year older than me!" Eleanor yelled as Alvin pretended not to listen.

"That was hilarious, did you see your face?" Gilbert chuckled as he wiped his eye, his eyes watery with tears from laughing.

"Oh shove off Blythe." Eleanor grumbled with an eye roll.

"Oh come on Ellie, you know I was only messing with you." he pouted slightly.

"Well I didn't find it funny." Eleanor said as she poked her nose into the air, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh yeah? Well...do you find this funny?!" he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground, spinning her around.

"G-Gilbert! Put me down this second!" she said through laughs.

Almost the whole place was watching the pair joking and laughing, a smile working its way across all of their lips. All except Ruby, who was watching with a lost puppy look on her face and watery eyes.

"I hate you!" Eleanor giggled as Gilbert finally put her down, she spun around and playfully smack his chest.

"Oh please, you know you're in love with me Parks." he grinned and pushed a curl behind her ear.

"In your dreams Blythe." she grumbled with an eye roll, a smirk toying at her lips.

"Oh trust me, it is." he whispered in her ear.

She blushed and rolled her eyes, turning away from the boy and walking back over to her friends. Diana was rubbing Ruby's back as she sniffled.

"What happened here?" Eleanor asked as she stopped to look at them.

"Y-You were flirting with Gilbert! H-He's mine!" Ruby wailed and dug her face in Dian's shoulder, the girl awkwardly petted her back while giving Eleanor a shrug.

"Ruby look, I was flirting with Gilbert as much as you flirt with Moody. It's unheard of! It's just friendly bander, really." Eleanor promised, a small part of her wishing it was a lie.

"R-Really?" Ruby sniffled.

"Of course Ruby, do you really think I would do that to you?"

"Well...no...but still! It looked like flirting to me! Right Anne?"

"Don't bring me into this!"

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Sorry for the shorter chapter, I have school in the morning :p

Happy Reading!

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