■ Helpless ■ Gilbert Blythe ■

The future is an unknown certainty

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"I'll hold that for you." Gilbert offered as he reached out for Victoria's items. Victoria looked down at her school things. "There's no need. I can hold them myself."

Gilbert smiled. "But you don't have to. Please, let me." With a defeated sigh, she handed them to him. "Thank you." She whispered quietly as she refused to look at him. She tried to quicken her pace so that she could be in front of him by a few centimetres, but Gilbert quickly reached her.

"Victoria T. Edwards. What does the 'T' stand for?" Gilbert asked out of curiosity as he opened her book of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

"Theodosia." She replied. "Of course it is." He replied. Victoria stopped in her tracks and turned on her heel to glance at the boy. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"You know, another beautiful name for an equally as beautiful girl." Gilbert replied slyly which caused Victoria to remain speechless for a moment or two.

"I swear on the King of England. You're the biggest tease I have ever met." Gilbert chuckled. "Come on, I know you actually love it."

"Do I though, do I?" Victoria replied sarcastically.

"What is your obsession with William Shakespeare anyways?" Gilbert asked out of curiosity.

"Why wouldn't I love Shakespeare? He's amazing. I learned to read from him, which isn't a good thing really as I was talking in Shakespearean english rather than the normal English. And to be fair, you don't actually speak normal english either." Victoria responded.

Gilbert scoffed. "Yes, I do. You're the one with the accent."

Victoria stared at him and she started to explain. "You do know that you also have an accent. There are people from all over the world and although they think they're the same as everyone else, apart from their people, they actually seem different to outsiders."

"For example. You think that I have an accent while I don't, and I think that you have an accent while you don't. Do you get what I'm saying?" Victoria explained.

Gilbert nodded. "I do actually."

A small silence was heard between the two. "I really am obsessed with Shakespeare, aren't I?" Victoria thought out loud. Gilbert laughed. "That you are."

"I mean, it really is a serious problem. A big one! I was even thinking about naming my child William." Victoria said with slight panic in her voice as she came to a realization.

"William? Good to know." Gilbert said as he took down a mental note. "Woah, hold your horses. What do you mean by that?" She asked out of curiosity.

Gilbert shook his head. "Nothing. So, Victoria Theodosia Edwards, you want to have a child and name him William. Would you mind telling me what else you've got planned for the future?"

Victoria stayed silent for a while, deep in thought. "Well, I want to continue my studies." Gilbert nodded. "Any career that you've taken a fancy to?"

Victoria shook her head. "I'm not sure about that just yet. I want to travel around the world as well."

"Would you go back to London?" Gilbert asked. "To visit yes. But I don't know if I would go live there again. Let's say that I feel connected to Avonlea."

Gilbert hummed. "Anything else?" "I'd like to have more than one child. Maybe two boys and one girl, just like my brothers and I. Elizabeth for the girl and George for the other boy."

"Hold on a second," Gilbert's face scrunched in calculation.  "William, Elizabeth, George. Aren't those all English royalty?"

Victoria refused to meet his gaze. "What? No." Gilbert laughed. "You do know that! You just really want to name your children after kings and queens."

Victoria huffed. "Okay, so maybe that is true. But William was totally coincidental." 

"And I totally believe you." Gilbert said sarcastically.

"So, what you're saying, Victoria Theodosia Edwards, is that you want to travel the world, finish your studies, get married and name your children after royalty." Gilbert recalled with a snicker.

Victoria frowned. "Yeah. Basically."

"There's only one thing you haven't figured out yet." Gilbert added to which Victoria looked at him with a confused look. "I am? What have I forgotten?"

Gilbert grabbed her hand which caused her to halt and gaze up at him. "Someone to do all of that with." He stated as he linked his fingers through hers.

"Why, Gilbert Blythe, are you volunteering?" Victoria asked with a gentle smile as she watched his cheeks turn red. "Maybe."

"Oh, how vague." Victoria added, her smile brightening every second. They stayed silent for a while, and Victoria could sense that things were getting slightly awkward.

"It's cold, isn't it?" Victoria stated as she walked faster. "How's Edward, by the way, is he sick?" Gilbert asked out of worry.

"Not at all. He's just pretending. You see Hamilton is leaving this weekend so that he can continue his doctoral studies in Charlotte Town." Victoria explained.

"That's great news! You must be proud." Gilbert said. Victoria nodded. "We all are, we're going to miss him, but it's all worth it as long as he's happy."

"Beside it's only Charlotte Town. He says that he would visit from time to time and we will do the same. Edward is just pretending because he wants to spend as much time with him as he can."

Both Gilbert and Victoria noticed that they had almost arrived at her home. "I guess this is where we part." Gilbert stated.

Victoria nodded her head. "Yes, it is. Unless you want to join us for dinner? You wouldn't be intruding, I promise. And mother always cooks for like, twenty people."

"I would love to, but I have to decline." Victoria's smile fell from her face and Gilbert instantly felt bad.

"You stay and spend as much time as you can with your brother before he leaves. And my father is expecting me anyways. Sorry." Gilbert added.

Victoria shook her head. "Nothing to apologise for. I get it. See you on Monday?"

"See you on Monday. Have a nice evening, Victoria." Victoria grinned at Gilbert. "Yes, have a nice evening indeed. Cheerio!"

Gilbert smiled at her use of vernacular but he didn't leave, he didn't even move at all. "Is something wrong?" Victoria questioned with confusion.

"No, everything's great. I just-" Gilbert didn't finish his sentence as he had no idea what he wanted to say. Instead, he just leaned in and kissed Victoria on the cheek.

"Cheerio, Victoria." Gilbert said with a grin. He noticed Victoria's fond smile and he turned around without another word.

Victoria watched him go for a few seconds before she snapped back into reality and continued her last few steps home.

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