I can't believe I've written a Gone with the Wind fanfic! Just a warning to everyone…I find it hard to keep everyone in character (^.^')…In fact, this whole story is about how Scarlett changes so she is most definitely not going to be the same canon Scarlett everyone knows and reads about. I hope you all can bear with me!

I hope you all enjoy the story if you choose to keep reading from here (^.^)

…I also don't own the characters…except the ones I made up…and the plot…

o.O.o

The Escape

O.o.o.O.o.o.O

There was a peacefulness that settled over her after Dr. Meade's visit.

She was happy.

It had been too long since she felt the fullness of this kind of peace and happiness. The last time she felt this was when Baby was born, her younger sister. Her Papa had her on his lap and hugged her with a quiet joy.

Mrs. O'Hara had a hard pregnancy with Careen. So many problems had troubled her throughout, that Mrs. O'Hara declared Careen her last. Mr. O'Hara whole-heartedly agreed with his wife. To lose her because of her desire for a boy, an heir for Tara, would be the same as losing his heart. He happily settled for his three daughters, just as Scarlett would settle for this one child with Rhett. This one would be her little secret to keep from her husband.

Rhett had taken Bonnie from her as soon as their daughter was born. Her husband had proved himself to be a scoundrel of the lowest sort when he laid an unfair claim as the dominant recipient of Bonnie's heart. He readily separated mother and child, taking a part of Scarlett's heart in the process.

"Will he take this one away too?" Scarlett paused, a cold fear gripping her heart. Suddenly the thought of losing another child to her husband's selfishness was hard for her to bear. She could be selfish too, she knew she was very selfish, but the thought of Rhett taking this one away too…oh the tears at such a loss!

After her Pa's terrible accident, she locked herself in his study and cried for hours, it was there that she promised herself that she would not put her own heart into a situation that would cause such heartache.

…But she had…

She wanted to call out for her Mammy, but she knew how bullheaded the woman would be and swiftly talk her out of her hastily made up plan. Which was why she needed someone completely separated from her everyday life. Her face darkened with an idea, and it would most likely take every bit of charming she could subtly manage, and even an apology to get this person to comply.

o.O.o

Darkness had fallen so quickly while Scarlett ran her errands. It had taken her a few long minutes to completely pin her hair up in a style that was so out of fashion, people passing her on the streets did not take the time stop to think about who they gave their barest of greetings to as they crossed ways. The dress she chose was so severely out of date, that if not for the thick black crepe veil, she would have been embarrassed to been seen in it. The mourning clothes did their job though, and most people sent pitying looks her way, it was only the braver who greeted the unknown woman in mourning cloths in Atlanta.

She forced herself to wait nearly an hour till the last candle was put out in the home before she moved toward the window she had been watching from her darkened corner behind the shed. She had been mightily lucky that none of the servants had business out back this day.

As Scarlett lightly knocked on the window her confidence suddenly left her.

'What am I doing?' She screamed at herself. 'She would never agree to a plan such as this. She is going to use it as revenge and then Rhett will find out everything!" Before she had a chance to turn away and hide, the window opened and a half scream was stifled before Scarlett hastily threw back her veil and shushed the woman.

"You are the-!" Scarlett shushed her again.

"If you follow me, I promise I will make everything worth your while." She could not say her words were an empty promise, but she would go through with it if it was in her power to do so.

"Why should-" Scarlett shushed her again, but the stubborn woman was becoming agitated. Scarlett looked up at her pleadingly with her watery green eyes, and the woman finally relented.

"At least let me call my maid," the woman finally said in a whisper.

"No," Scarlett refused. "Please, this all counts on discretion. No one can know." The woman paused.

"You are not going to kill me, are you?" She asked seriously. Scarlett gave a wry laugh.

"I promise with my blackened heart that your life is safe from me." The woman gave a stiff nod in acceptance. "Come out," Scarlett offered her hand and the woman reluctantly accepted the help climbing out of her window. Scarlett unclasped her dark cloak and placed it over the woman's shoulders. "I will not allow you to catch a chill now."

"What are we doing?" The woman asked with a little surprise as to Scarlett's and her own reactions.

"Perhaps its providence," Scarlett quietly murmured, "or perhaps you may still be half asleep and I am just tired from everything. We must hurry now; the night is short and we must not be seen." She took the woman's pale hand and quickly pulled her through the back alleys toward her own home.

"I cannot believe I am doing this. I cannot believe I am doing this," the woman kept repeating until Scarlett shushed her and they hid in a darkened alley. Scarlett looked over at her companion and pulled the hood of the cloak over her blond curls just before a patrol guard passed.

Not ten minutes later the two were looking up at Scarlett's bedroom balcony, and her companion was refusing to climb the ladder Scarlett had hidden in the bushes below. Scarlett was becoming impatient and her companion was beginning to show signs of her bitterness and hatred toward Scarlett.

"I am glad to have thought of a second plan then," Scarlett tried not to sound too harsh toward the woman. They moved to the side and she opened a window in the study. Earlier she managed to find some cooking oil without asking any servants for it, and oiled the frame so it would open easily and quietly if needed.

"We must be careful," Scarlett's whisper was very soft, her companion almost missed it while Scarlett was busy removing her shoes. "Mammy sleeps very light."

"What do you think you are doing?" India practically yelled as soon as Scarlett's bedroom was locked. Scarlett hurriedly shushed her again while looking at the door frantically. The two heard quiet footsteps pause at the door. After a few moments of tense silence, they retraced their steps. Not a few seconds later, she ushered India Wilkes into her dressing room and sat her at the vanity table's bench.

She was just so tired, that she began pulling dresses off their racks and buried herself into them after making a comfortable nest.

"Are you finally losing your mind?" India asked. Scarlett looked up at her and laughed. She found one of her night robes and offered it to the woman in lieu of the heavy cloak.

"I have a proposition," Scarlett finally said after a few moments. "I can either make you a rich guardian over my son and daughter's inheritance, or I can take you on an adventure with us."

"What makes you think I want anything to do with your children or your blood money?" India asked scathingly. Scarlett tried not to retort as she usually would. "I can hardly think of a reason why you pulled me out of bed, you have been a black plague in my family-"

"I married Charles because he was an ideal," Scarlett interrupted. "I courted images of fair-haired children forever up to that point-"

"And you still do because you are in love with my brother," India snarled.

"I hate your brother!" Scarlett retorted, and quickly covered her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes from her realization. "I thought he was everything a gentleman should be, but every time I see him he just proves how weak he is to Society's whims. I have more admiration for you because you stand up to people on your own opinions.

"You start rumors, albeit about me mostly, you slay rumors before they even start. You are as willfully strong as Melanie, you refuse to bow down to anyone as your brother can only do. Not once in our entire friendship has he put his foot down on any matter, and me, stupid Katie Scarlett, was too blinded by the ideal gentleman," she paused in her rant to take in everything.

"How dare you speak of Ashley this way!" India looked as though she was physically ready to attack Scarlett, but held back because the she-devil actually admired her. Her!

"We all heard the rumors, India," Scarlett spoke quietly. India paled after she realized what Scarlett was going on about. "We were all each other had back then in Clayton County. We stuck together like family," she said fiercely. "When I heard…oh it was horrible! The liberties those Yankees took with us." She looked up at the faint woman. "I killed one you know," she whispered. "Not a day after the rumor spread. Those horrible grey eyes still haunt me sometimes," she continued on explaining every detail about that man until India cried out.

"Stop!" She cried weakly. "I never told anyone about him after my attack! How did you know? How?" She demanded. Scarlett looked up at her with her sharp green eyes.

"Ashley is still a dear childhood friend," she said harshly. "We still played together as children, me and you. I just wanted to hurt the Yankee before he hurt me, and I knew I would most likely be taking revenge for a friend who I never valued and never valued me in return. We were all so close then, we took, we traded from each other...we gave," Scarlett looked tired as she said this.

"Why are you bringing this up now?" India asked. "You know you can use this to ruin me."

"Why?" Scarlett asked. "What good would that have done? I am where I am supposed to be. I am a selfishly vain creature. You know it as does everyone else."

"Then why?" India asked again.

"I want to give you something I have not even been able to give myself until now," Scarlett said.

"And what is that?" The stunned woman asked.

"I want to either give you an allowance for being a guardian for Wade and Ella's inheritance, any money you gain could help you finally find happiness in a marriage, or as I said, I can take you on an adventure and hopefully along the way you will still find happiness," Scarlett explained.

"I have not a head for business," India said with a downturn of her lips.

"I can leave a note for Rhett to hire a good bookkeeper," Scarlett suggested.

"Your husband is not going with you?" India asked with slight interest.

"That is where the adventure comes into play," Scarlett said with sudden tears. "I cannot lose another baby to him," she whispered. "He stole Wade away from me a few years ago, it hurt so much to have my baby boy ripped away from my side so suddenly. Then he comes back smiling and laughing as if my feelings toward my son are nothing! And then Bonnie, my precious Bonnie," she breathed back her tears. "I rarely had a chance to hold her after her birth. He stole away her heart and left nothing for me.

"I am in the family way," she said to the silent woman. "I have to leave in a few hours to be on the train before dawn. If Rhett finds out about this child, he will not leave my side until he is born and then he will take my baby away just like he did with Bonnie," she started crying again. "I have to leave and he can never find out!"

"You want us to run away together?" India breathed out in astonishment. "Why me?"

"I think together we can find happiness outside of Atlanta," Scarlett whispered.

"What is your plan?" The blonde asked.

"You will be a war widow," Scarlett said. "Wade is your nephew and you are his guardian. Our sister died soon after learning of our Brother-in-law's death after the war. With your blonde hair and my green eyes, Wade can pass us off as sisters. Our family is in mourning after learning of my husband's death off of the West India coast."

"Where are you planning to go?" India enquired.

"I will not say," Scarlett said. "I can easily change my story if you choose not to come." The dressing room was quiet nearly five minutes before India spoke again.

"You really want to offer me this?" She asked almost timidly.

"Yes," Scarlett. "For another selfish reason," she admitted.

"What is the reason this time?" India asked warily.

"When I start acting like my usual strong-headed, pushy, vain self, you can easily admonish me, and help me to act different," Scarlett said.

"That sounds like a fun adventure," India smirked.

The two companions found a sliver of peace with each other that had never been there. It was the beginning of a tentative friendship that would grow to be unbreakable by any outside forces. Even the chaotic force of Rhett Butler.

It took most of the night for the two women to gather most of Scarlett's jewelry and sewed into the hems of several of Scarlett's old mourning dresses with some currency wrapped around each piece. They dawned two dresses before stealing away from the still sleeping house, and a sleeping Mammy who slept away the night when the children were woken up to dress also.

"What are we doing Mama?" Ella asked with wide eyes. Scarlett tried not to be discouraged at the fear in them.

"We are playing a game," Scarlett put on a playful smile. "We are going to leave without waking anyone up. If you wake up Mammy, then you lose!" She whispered. Only Wade seemed suspicious of the game, but allowed his Aunt India to help him into his black clothes. Any ideas escaped him on why she was there because she and his mom never got along in anything.

"Are there rules?" Wade silently challenged his Mother in a pique of bravery. Scarlett was slightly taken back, but she turned to Ella and smiled.

"We must pretend that we do not know anyone if we are caught!" She whispered enthusiastically and she placed the crepe veil over her daughter's head. "There! Now you are dressed just like me," Scarlett smiled charmingly at her daughter and Ella could only smile back.

The small family was able to manage a quiet exit from the house. Scarlett could not help but look back and almost cared not if she turned into a pillar of salt. She nearly cried at the loss of her second Tara. The walk to the train station was wearying for all, and nearly halfway Ella had started falling asleep on her feet. Scarlett held her little girl on her hip and lay her head on her shoulder as they walked.

"Where are we going, Scarlett?" India whispered.

"West," Scarlett replied.

The train had just pulled in when they entered the station. The conductor greeted the small group with a small polite bow as he exited a little way down the platform and helped down two passengers. Ella opened her eyes and gasped, causing Scarlett to slightly turn. She paled at the passenger who took time to notice the small family.

"Mama-" Ella started, but Scarlett quietly shushed her, and India swiftly covered Wade's mouth to stop him from calling out to his step-father. India had enough presence of mind to usher the group onto the train before the quick-minded man could see through their disguises.

Rhett Butler was bone tired. His little angel had cried every day for her Mother. Traveling home tired him more because he traveled all night to be home by morning so his little beauty could wake up to the parent she had cried out for all three months of their 'vacation'.

The sound of his daughter's voice turned his head as they stepped onto the platform and he turned to find his little Ella, but found a family in mourning instead. The silhouette of one of the women looked familiar. The light creeping into the darkness as the morning grew was hardly enough to help him see through the fabric of her veil, and the bonnet and veil covering the child kept him from seeing the face of the girl.

"Mama," his little Bonnie whimpered, stealing away his attention from the small family. He sighed and looked up to find them already boarded onto the train, and steeled himself for a long walk home with the lightweight in his arms that grew heavier every few paces.

"Bonnie," Scarlett cried when the door to their private cabin had been firmly shut by the conductor.

"Mother," Wade whispered in alarm.

"Sh-she was right there," Scarlett said with unseeing eyes and she lingered on the image of her baby girl sleeping on her father's shoulder. "I could have-"

"There was nothing you could have done," India said firmly. "Your husband is swift and strong, and we would definitely not be sitting here if you had tried to pluck her from his arms."

"But she was right there!" Scarlett's voice hitched on a slight wail. She started shaking slightly with unshed tears. "My baby, oh my baby," she said with her eyes hidden in her daughter's dark bonnet. Even now her baby girl was heading home, and here she was stealing away from it.

It seemed her mourning clothes reflected her heart's suffering perfectly.

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So…I'm not sure what colour Wade's eyes are supposed to be…I think blue like his father's? ...but for the sake of this fic they're going to be green like Scarlett's…

Nearly forgot!...This story is finished...there's 9 chapters altogether...Cheers!