A Christmas Wish
Chapter 1: Christmas Eve
A/N: Bonnie is still alive in this story, even though Melanie is dead. Okay since some people want me to explainhow Bonnie is still alive I will. The horse accident hasn't happened yet. I no she was four or so when she died.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
It was a cold December day, the year was 1876. It had been three years since Melanie Wilkes death from complications of her pregnancy, four long good for nothing god forsaken years.
The snow fell down on the city called Atlanta, Georgia, people in Atlanta loved the Christmas holiday, not only did they love the joy of being together but the joy of having one another with them during this time of year. Everyone loved this time of the year, everyone except … Scarlett O'Hara. Scarlett was a beauty of Atlanta every young girl wanted to be her. After all she had everything only some women could only dream about. Her lovely chestnut hair braided around her head setting off her emerald green eyes, her lovely dark green dress with a black design laid at the bottom, the neck and wrist.
Scarlett sat at her desk at the lumber mill going through the many papers that lay on her desk listening to the merriment going on outside in the cold December air. Oh how Scarlett hated Christmas it was the worst celebration of them all. Not only was the merriment wrong, but the thought of being glad to be off work on that holiday. How could people do such a thing? Give money up for just one day off? Scarlett never could understand it; thank goodness she didn't have to deal with such a thing.
Yes she was married to the richest man in Atlanta Rhett Butler and had a daughter by the name of Bonnie Blue Butler. Even though Scarlett had a family she just thought the idea of Christmas, buying gifts, singing, being happy was just a bunch of Fiddle-Dee-Dee.
While she worked on her days duties the door opened to find her sister Carreen standing there in front of her desk.
"What do you want here?" Scarlett asked looking up from a paper.
"I'm here to invite you to our Christmas party Scarlett. Don't you remember the parties we used to have out at Tara?" Carreen asked with hope in her now adult eyes.
"I don't remember such things." Scarlett said giving her sister a mean and cold look.
"Oh but Scarlett you have to remember." Carreen said with a gasp.
Scarlett stood up and stomped her foot. "I don't have any good memories of Christmas. All I remember is that ma died on the eve of Christmas and then pa three years after. That's all Carreen." She said banging her fist on the desk.
"But Christmas---" Carreen started but was cut off by her older sister.
"Christmas is a bunch of Fiddle-Dee-Dee." Scarlett said sitting back down in her chair.
"Scarlett you don't believe that? You can't." Carreen said shaking her head back and forth.
"I do now get out---"Scarlett swung her left hand to the door.
"Excuse me."Came a deep voice.
Scarlett looked over and jumped for there was a man standing there.
"Yes what can I help you with sir?" Scarlett asked raising her eyebrows.
"Um yes every year we have a donation from a…Frank Kennedy." The man said looking at the piece of paper in his gloved hand.
"Mr. Kennedy has been dead for ten years now sir." Scarlett said looking at the man crossly.
"Oh well maybe you would like to make a donation then Mrs. Butler." The man asked holding up the small tin can.
Scarlett looked at it and pushed it away with her hand. "I don't do charity work, the only charity work I know is my own. " Scarlett stated crossing her arms over her chest.
"Scarlett!" Carreen gasped in horror. How could her sister be so heartless?
"Well I don't and you know well that I do not." Scarlett said whipping her head looking at her sister.
"Good day then Mrs. Butler." The man said as he left the mill with the can empty.
"Aren't you going to leave as well? I seem to have no use for you." Scarlett said looking her sister straight in the eye.
"I guess you don't, not anymore anyways. I guess you've always been a self spoiled self centered person Scarlett. I guess I was wrong on who I thought you were." Carreen said slamming the big wooden door behind her.
"Good riddance to them both." Scarlett said under her breath as she went back to her papers. All of a sudden she realized one was missing. "Ashley where are the sales for this month!?" she yelled as she stood up from her desk while the chair made a scratching noise as it rubbed the old, wood floor, the sound rang in the cold air that filled the mill. The whole mill was really falling apart. Scarlett hadn't kept it up like she out to. When Frank died Scarlett did what she darn well pleased with the place.
Ashley came in moments later with an old, grey, holey suit on. Ashley hadn't been the same since Melanie had died all toughs years ago. He had to take care of a nine year old son. He couldn't possibly keep up with all of this. "I'm sorry Scarlett here is the sales from this month. I must have left them in the upper left hand corner of my desk I'm sorry." Ashley said handing the stack of papers to Scarlett while his right hand shook form the cold.
"Thank you Ashley that will be all." Scarlett said looking back down at her papers. There were so many papers she had to look over before six. While doing this she looked up a few times to see Ashley trying to warm his rough, dried out hands on what they had left of a fire.
"Ashley what are you doing?" Scarlett's mean and shrill voice came.
Her voice rang in Ashley's ears for a few moments before he answered her question. "It's cold in her Scarlett. Haven't you thought of buying some wood for the fire to heat the place?" he asked looking at Scarlett over his shoulder.
"Come here." Scarlett said in a cold chilly voice pointing her finger in front of her desk.
Ashley walked over to her desk slowly wondering what she wanted.
"Don't dawdle!" Scarlett yelled tapping her foot under her dress. She hated it when people took their sweet little time. Money doesn't grow on tree's you no. Scarlett thought after saying this to Ashley.
Ashley walked faster until he reached her desk again. "Yes" Ashley said looking Scarlett in the eyes.
"I don't pay you three dollars a week for you to just stand in front of that fire. You have other things you have to do." Scarlett glared at him with hatred forming in her eyes. "Getting wood for the fire cost money and keeping it up cost money. Do I look like a person who would spend money on such a lechery?" Scarlett asked putting her hands on the many papers in front of her.
"You do own a lumber mill you could at least take some of that lumber and put some in here. You do have quite a lot of money." Ashley said looking at Scarlett without a single care in his eyes.
Scarlett wanted to yell at him, fire him. Oh how much she wanted to fire him. Ever since he told her that he was going to marry Melanie her life was a living black hole from then on out. Scarlett opened her mouth to speak but the chimes of six stopped her. She looked at the lock and indeed it did say six. "You're lucky it's six. Get your coat and get out of here." Scarlett said stacking up the papers.
Ashley went and got his old coat, while Scarlett put on her lovely fur coat. They made their way over to the door.
"Scarlett tomorrow is Christmas and I was wondering if I could have the day off to spend with Beau?" Ashley asked looking down at Scarlett.
"Fine if you must but if you come in late and you're done at the mill. Is that understood?" Scarlett asked.
"Yes I do understand and don't worry I won't come in late." Ashley said with a smile as he left Scarlett's side.
Scarlett made her way down the icy wet road. She had to walk a few inches to get to her hours and buggy. "Drive me home now" Scarlett said as she sat in her buggy. How she loved being rich.
When she got home her daughter Bonnie waited for her just like any little girl would for their mother.
"Mother, mother!" Bonnie said with excitement as she jumped up and down at the sight of her mother.
"What do you want?" Scarlett asked in a mean voice looking down at her lovely daughter of eight.
"I wanted to give you a hug and to say I'm happy that you're home." Bonnie said with disappointment in her young voice.
"Go tell someone else, like your father he has to be around here somewhere. I'm busy right now." Scarlett said not even giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek as she made her way inside the big house.
Bonnie just stood there saddened by how her mother acted. Her mother never really loved her it was always her daddy who did everything. Whenever she fell and scraped her knee or someone to just play with it was always her daddy who did all those things for her. One thing Bonnie wanted more than anything this Christmas…was a mother who really truly cared for her.
"Scarlett you have got to take some time out for us and Bonnie." Rhett said as he sat in the parlor with Scarlett who at the time was reading a book. She was trying to get away from what he was saying.
"Rhett you know I'm busy why ask me this every year?" Scarlett asked looking away from the flames of the fire.
"You're not busy now. Why don't you take Bonnie out and go ice skating or take her to get a Christmas dress. "Rhett said taking Scarlett's warm china hand in his.
"Rhett---you know I can't stand Christmas. You're lucky I agreed letting you putting up that Christmas tree." Scarlett said pointing at the six foot tree sitting over by the fireplace.
"Bonnie wanted to. She wanted her mother there to help her decorate the tree, you know what? I had to do it because you're not around anymore Scarlett" Rhett said looking at his wife. "This is why Bonnie likes me better."
"She does not." Scarlett said with a gasp how could he say such a horrid thing?
"Yes she does I saw what happened when you came home. You practically ignored our daughter. What if she wasn't there wanting to give you a hug? You would have just walked passed her. All you did was pushed her away. "Rhett said with anger in his voice. "Every night she asks me when is mother going to read me a story or when is mother going to take me out to play or you're going to love this one Scarlett…when is mother going to pay attention
to me? I can't answer all of those but the last one I wish I could Scarlett. I wish I could say tomorrow mother's just busy. Tomorrow mother will play dolls with your or tomorrow mother will read you a story tomorrow mother will love you. But I can't because I don't know what you're going to be like the next day. Will you be in a good mood, or a bad mood? I don't know so I can't tell her." While he walked back and forth with this drink in his left hand.
Scarlett sat in the chair motionless her body gone cold. What Rhett said was it true? Oh poor little Bonnie.
"Speechless are you? Well it's the truth and unless you change it quickly Bonnie won't want anything to do with you." Rhett said as he left the room. Rhett went to Bonnie's room to tell her goodnight.
Scarlett still sat there frozen in her place. After a while Scarlett got up and went to Bonnie's room before retiring for bed. Before she entered she heard Rhett's loving voice.
"Bonnie what do you want this year for Christmas?" Rhett asked his daughter who sat on his lap.
"For mother to play with me...and to love me." Bonnie's little voice came.
Rhett didn't know what to say.
Scarlett was so shocked by what Bonnie had said. Did she really miss her all that much?
Rhett placed little Bonnie into bed and kissed her forehead and left the room.
After Rhett was gone Scarlett entered Bonnie's room. There on the big four poster bed laid her daughter dreaming peacefully. Scarlett went over to her daughter and began rubbing her hand up and down her small cheek. "Oh Bonnie you know I love you so." Scarlett said in a whisper still stroking her daughter's cheek.
Bonnie rolled over to the other side with a sigh. Scarlett left a few minutes later to go to her own bed. She dressed for bed after Mammy unlaced her corset. "Thank you Mammy that should be all." Scarlett said sitting in her bed.
Scarlett snuggled down in her warm covers and fell into a light sleep. It wouldn't be long before she would be woken by the sound a cry in the night.
"Scarlett" said a creepy eerie voice.
Scarlett sat up in bed with a chill going down her spin. "Who is it? Who's there?" she asked in a scared voice. "Rhett if it's you it's not the least bit funny." While her covers covered her small mouth.
"Scarlett "the voice came again. This time the voice sounded in some way like Scarlett knew it. Moments later a green fog came through the door.
"Pa!" Scarlett said with shock. What and how was her father here? He was dead, dead now for eleven years.
"Yes it is me my lovely daughter Scarlett." Gerald said holding up a candle to revile Scarlett who had backed up against her bed as far as she could go.
"What do you want Pa?" Scarlett asked with fear in her face and voice.
"I'm here to tell you this. Tics three people will come to you in the dead of night, while you have no idea." Gerald said looking at his daughter with a set face.
"What, what are you talking about Pa? Three people will visit me? Pa its night no one will visit me now." Scarlett said with cockiness in her voice.
"Be warned my daughter for these three ghost will come upon you." Gerald said pointing at his daughter.
"Ghost, Pa you're out of your mind. Things like that don't exist.
"I'm here aren't I?" Gerald said
"Why yes but—"Scarlett couldn't finish her sentence. It was either the thought of what her father might say…or do.
"You have been a very cold hearted person Scarlett. You don't really care about the ones around you, not even your husband Rhett or lovely daughter Bonnie. Bonnie longs for you to play with her and be the mother she wants." Gerald said looking down at his daughter.
Scarlett looked up at her Pa with fear in her eyes. "Oh yes I do know about that my daughter." Gerald said. "I and your mother have been watching for quite sometime now, so we know what goes on in your life."
Scarlett was quit for a little while. Her parents knew what was going on down here! Oh her mother must dislike her so.
"Three will come one at midnight, two and four this evening." Gerald said with the wave of his hand a hole appeared where the door was. "Good night my daughter and let these spirits change you for you need it." Then he was gone never to be heard from again.
Scarlett sat there scared out of her skin. Her Pa was just in her room, alive and kicking oh it was so good to see him. Of course she wouldn't have known it with how scared she was. Then she thought three spirits? Fiddle-Dee-Dee ghost didn't exist. Scarlett lay back down and fell into a light sleep.
A/N:Hi everyone, what do you think so far of this story? I hope you like it. Tell me what you think? I need to know if you want me to continue with it. Oh and I got my book done Forever Doesn't Always Mean Forever. I got to the 50,00 words well it was more like 51,4... some odd words. I won I was one of the few that made it to that point:) I will post another chapter soon I just want to see how a GWTW Christmas story goes over. Don't worry I haven't for gotten about Taken! A Walk Into The Sunset and Lost With In A Fairy Tale. I will update them soon. I've started another chapter for Taken! If you would be so kind as to review, thank you very much:)