Room 203, Midmorning, December 13

[kitchen_maid]

Room 203 is, this morning, full of sunshine, greenery, bright ribbons, and general cheerful Christmas chaos.

Amy is sitting in the floor, not far from her chest of drawers (one drawer has a sign on it that reads "Christmas Things -- Do NOT Open And I'll Know If You Do, Caspian!"). She's wrapping something in bright paper and half-heartedly fighting with Mr. Pemberthy for a length of red ribbon.

Christmas is coming, and things here are quite merry and bright.

Comments

[avonlea-girl.livejournal.com]

The door opens and Anne comes in, almost dancing, back from her trip back home (http://www.livejournal.com/users/_kindred_spirit/2553.html#comments), red-cheeked from the cold and beaming like a ray of sunshine.

"Hello, dear," she says, cheerfully, to the bemused Simon Perryvall.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy's eyes widen. This is hardly the mopey Anne she's gotten used to lately, or the solemn Anne who left to go back to Avonlea.

"Hello, Anne," she says. "How are you?"

[avonlea-girl.livejournal.com]

"Delightful," Anne sighs dreamily, and picks up some greenery, ostensibly to help, but only turns it about in her hands distractedly.

Peter Aurelious looks down at her with disdain from his perch by the window, and says "Qwa."

[kitchen_maid]

"Behave, Peter Aurelious," Amy says, a little automatically. She yields the ribbon to Mr. Pemberthy, looks at Anne, and raises an eyebrow.

"Do I get to hear why?" she asks, resting her chin on her hand.

[avonlea-girl.livejournal.com]

"I talked with Gilbert," she answers, readily enough.

Which is true enough. For certain definitions of the word "talked."

[kitchen_maid]

The fact that Anne does not seem upset means that Amy's smile has just gotten very very bright.

"Did you? And it went well?"

It's her do-go-on voice.

[avonlea-girl.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yes," she says, happily. "So much better than I could possibly have hoped for."

She moves to her desk and sits, patting Simon Perryvall on the head when he leaps up onto it and looks at her.

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, Anne dear, that's wonderful. You look so happy."

She gets up to hug Anne.

"Now Phil and I don't have to throw mistletoe at you two."

Or, you know, ask Bernard about locking them in a spare room.

[avonlea-girl.livejournal.com]

Anne looks a little startled, and then laughs.

"Were you going to throw mistletoe at us?"

A beat.

"That was Phil's idea, wasn't it."

[kitchen_maid]

"It had been discussed," Amy says, laughing and declining to assign blame credit.

"You look happier than I've seen you in ages, Anne. I'm so glad you two talked."

[avonlea-girl.livejournal.com]

She nods.

"Oh, I know--I feel ever so much better. It was so miserable when we weren't speaking and now--"

The color comes up in her cheeks, and she turns her attention to the papers on her desk.

Which are upside-down.

"Everything is much better," she says, blushing hotly.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy's smile is far too innocent.

"So, should we throw mistletoe at you anyway?"

[avonlea-girl.livejournal.com]

Anne bites her lip, and her eyes sparkle.

"It might not go amiss," she says, casually.

[kitchen_maid]

"Well, then, we'll just have to plan on that, won't we?" Amy asks, scribbling on the paper on which she's taken notes for the party.

There will be time later for any serious questions or conversation. Right now, it's just good to be happy and silly and giddy with her best friend.

[the_seafarer]

With luck, then, the knock that comes on the door will not come as an unwelcome intrusion, and Caspian waits for the chorused voices to bid him come in before he opens the door, smiling.

"Good day, ladies."

[kitchen_maid]

Caspian could never be an unwelcome intrusion.

Well, probably not.

"Hello, Caspian," says Amy brightly, coming over to hug him. "Welcome to our barely contained Christmas chaos."

[the_seafarer]

"Hullo, Amy," he says, giving her an affectionate hug, and smiles over at Anne, who is, he is glad to see, looking remarkably more cheerful.

"It's lovely," he continues, looking about the room. "And I've come to ask if you girls would like to add to it."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy laughs. "More chaos is always, well, at least interesting. What did you have in mind?"

[the_seafarer]

He winks at her.

"What? Only the most important thing of all. What is Christmas without a tree, after all?"

[avonlea-girl.livejournal.com]

Anne, delighted, clasps her hands together.

"A Christmas tree! Oh, Amy! What a lovely idea, Caspian."

[kitchen_maid]

"Yes, a lovely idea, indeed. But I'll warn you, Anne, this is probably just a clever ploy to get us outside and throw snowballs at us. So make sure you have one of the squirrels, they're handy snowball fight allies, and don't take your eyes off my brother."

[the_seafarer]

"You wound me, lady," Caspian says, placing his hand on his chest and looking hurt.

"I assure you, my intentions were completely innocent."

[kitchen_maid]

"I know you too well, my lord," she says, laughing.

"Coats and cloaks, I think, Anne."

[avonlea-girl.livejournal.com]

Anne nods, and laughs, and goes to gather her coat and scarf from where they'd dropped onto her bed, swinging it around and on.

"Don't worry," she says, "you can't grow up in north-eastern Canada and not know how to have a snowball fight."

[the_seafarer]

"It is entirely unneccesary, I assure you," Caspian says, helping Amy with her cloak, and allowing one of the squirrels to ride up on his shoulder.