Chapter Twelve:
In For Three, Out For Three, In For Three, Out For Three
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

( tw: panic attacks, sexual assault )

"It is so terribly disappointing that Marilla said no to you joining my family and I." Mabel sighed, a puff of air surrounding her from the cold.  "It would've been so nice to have you meet my family."

Anne nodded in agreement, "I tried my best to convince her.. but it didn't work. She said it was too adventurous."

Mabel frowned wiping a tear from her face. "That's unfortunate.."

Anne nodded in agreement, her eyes drifting to the boat Mabel was about to board.

"I'll miss you, Anne." Mabel smiled tearfully at the redhead, "So very dearly."

Anne sniffled as she pulled her into a tight hug, "Only for a month, though, right?"

Mabel nodded, wiping her eyes, "Ye-Yes.. And then I'll be back before Christmas!"

Mabel left out the part where she'd have something special for Anne.

"And you'll write to me, everyday, right?" Anne's hands slipped from Mabel's shoulders to her mitten covered hands. "And you promise to tell me everything?"

"Right. I promise." Mabel confirmed, smiling softly at her. Her heartbeat increased as Anne smiled down at her and held her hand in her own. "Everything."

"And you're sure you're okay?" Anne asked, squeezing her hand, "After.. you know.. after Moody?"

Mabel cringed, remembering how she ended things with him the day before.

"Mhm. I'm okay, it just.." Mabel trailed off, not sure how to explain it. "Didn't feel right to be with him..."

Anne nodded, "Don't fret too much, I'm sure there's so many men waiting for your hand."

Mabel blushed looking away, though her heart did ache.

She wished she could just say it, scream it: but I want you, Anne.

But she couldn't.. because Anne didn't want her. She couldn't because that would ruin their friendship, and Mabel valued that far too much to do anything to risk it.

"If you say so.." Mabel smiled, "I'll see you in thirty-one days, Anne."

"In thirty-one days." Anne confirmed, planting a kiss on Mabel's cheek, "Until we're reunited."

~~

The travel was rough and Mabel was exhausted. Purely exhausted.

All she wanted to do was to crawl into her bed and sleep for hours. Days, weeks, months, maybe even years.

But she couldn't. No, no, no. She had to greet all of her relatives with a smile on her face as if she hadn't just spent the last two days in a rocky boat and then the next two in a loud train.

"Aunt Betty." Mabel smiled towards an elderly couple, "Uncle Joseph."

Mabel greeted all of her cousins with a smile, answering each of the questions she was roped into.

"No, Aunt Beatrice, I don't have any 'nice young men' in my life." Mabel shook her head, a fake smile on her face. "And I won't.. not any time soon."

"Well, what a shame! You're such a beautiful young lady, I couldn't possibly understand why someone hasn't wanted to make you his yet!"

Mabel laughed nervously, her mind drifting to Anne. "I'm not sure why."

"Are you a good cook?" She continued, taking

"Well, I'd like to say so.." She joked, drumming her fingers against the fabric of her dress.

The conversation continued on and on and on. Mabel wanted to scream. Men already ruled the world as it is, she didn't want to talk anymore about them.

"Excuse me, I'm going to go to the kitchen." Mabel stood, excusing herself.

Mabel began walking down the hall and up the stairs, letting out a breath of relief as she escaped the unending questions of her relatives.

She decided to take a detour into her great grandpa's study, maybe she could write a letter to Anne.

That's what she'd do! Mabel would write a letter to the redheaded beauty. That'd surely make her feel better.

She hummed quietly to herself as she quietly shut the door behind her, knowing that she wasn't supposed to be in there.

"Why, hello there." A voice broke through her thoughts, sending shivers down her spine as she whipped her head over to look at him.

The man smiled at the girl, shutting the book he was reading with a snap and standing. He slowly walked over to her, causing her blood to run cold.

He wasn't supposed to be here.

"Un-Uncle!" She squeaked out, backing up into the door. "I-I'm sorry! I'll be.. leaving now!"

Mabel tried to open the door, but the man pushed the door shut and stared down at her.

"My, my, my.. Haven't you.. matured." The man grinned, taking a piece of her hair in between her fingers.

Mabel cringed, she hated that. She only liked it when Anne, or Diana, did it.

At Mabel's lack of response, due to her beginning to panic, the man gripped her hair in a fist.

"You're very beautiful, you know that?" He complimented, bringing his nose to where her neck connects to her shoulder and inhaling deeply.

"Th-Thank you.." She stammered out, trying her best to escape the man's grasp as memories flooded her mind.

"If only you weren't so young.." He frowned, brushing his thumb agaisnt her cheek.

"St-Stop it." Mabel begged, trying to escape her uncle's grip.

The man's eyes darkened as he squared himself up.

"You know you like it." He muttered, "Don't you?"

He gripped her wrist tighter, causing Mabel to wince and try to pry herself from his grip.

"I've missed you.. have you missed me? Say you've missed me, Mabel." The man whispered huskily, his heard tickling her neck.

Mabel didn't respond, instead she looked around the room, trying to figure out how to escape.

The man continued to whispernin her ear and kiss down her neck. Tears welled up in Mabel's eyes as she began to struggle harsher against him.

He didn't stop. The man was much bigger than her, probably from the hard farm work.

"Stop it!" Mabel tried again, raising her knee and hitting him in the groin.

The man's eyes widened as he grunted and dropped to the ground.

"You bitch!" He hissed, holding his crotch as he curled into a fetal position.

Mabel scrambled out the door, nearly tripping twice on the way out. The girl slammed the door behind her, no longer caring what her family would say about her disrespectfulness.

Mabel felt like she could no longer breathe as she ran down the hall and into the nearest closet.

As she shut the door behind her, darkness flooding her senses, Mabel sunk to the floor.

"In for three.. out for three." Mabel murmered to herself, remembering what Anne had taught her the last time this happened, "in for three... out for three."

And there she sat, trying to breathe and praying that these twenty-three days would pass quickly.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

{ A/n: :( poor baby. brought to you by....... this making me sad. }

{ Edited: Not really }