Chapter One

I do not own anything regarding Gone With The Wind.

(A/N This is a story that popped into my head and wouldn't leave. It takes place after Rhett returned Bonnie, in this story he left again right away. Scarlett and Rhett will have changed and therefore not be in characters)

As soon as the train halted Scarlett's eyes searched every compartment door for well known, and deeply missed faces. Her face frowned from impatience, it was impossible to locate which door would open, and gift her with what her heart desired most. It had been the longest week. Her face gave away her emotions, Scarlett had never mastered to hide her feelings well, and for the last year it had gotten even harder for her, not that she wanted to anymore. Perhaps that was the reason why, her close ones never questioned her feelings for them anymore.

A pair of dark eyes were locked upon Scarlett's face, they followed every move she made and every emotion crossing her arresting face. The dark eyes were fully aware like a hawk when hunting, locked on its prey to find the best moment to attack, at the time the prey was most vulnerable. And like the hawk, the owner of the dark eyes was hiding for its prey.

"What the hell is she doing here?" he asked himself. Not willing to admit,

he was even more curious to see who she was waiting for, her face told of longing and love. He was hiding behind a post, from this spot he would watch her all he wanted without being spotted himself. Something he was not willing to or ready for, yet.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the doors to each compartment started to open slowly, again, Scarlett's face frowned;

"God's night grown! What's taking them so long? For Heaven's sake it's only doors!"

Focusing her eyes on a door in the middle of the train, she was rewarded with a glint of a familiar face, her heart skipped a beat and deep happiness was evident in her eyes. Now, she could calm down, they were here, she didn't have to fear that they had been delayed for unknown reasons.

Scarlett's reaction was not lost on the man behind the post, for a brief moment deep hurt cut through his heart like a knife, but as fast, he shook the feeling off, he was done with the woman before him, and never again would he feel the pain she had caused him in the past. He would just wait a little longer to see whom she was meeting, it was just normal curiosity, he assured himself. Still, he was not willing to examine his reasons for hiding behind a post, some would find it odd, that he hide for a woman he was done with.

The doors opened and Scarlett's leg started running towards the compartment, before she had gotten close to it, a little girl throw herself into her waiting arms.

"Mother! I've missed you! So very much!"

Tears were running down Scarlett's face as she took in her beautiful daughter before her, the little girl's blue orbs of eyes were sparkling with happiness and mildly resent. The raven black hair was held by a blue bow matching the girl's eyes and frock. She was truly an arresting girl. No one, looking at the two embracing, would doubt this was mother and daughter, so much did they look alike. It was only the eyes that were different, one pair was deeply azure blue and the other pair was pale green.

"I'm sorry precious! I've miss you so very much" Scarlett answered while she spread soft kisses all over the little girl's face.

The bliss was interrupted when two other child approached them. Scarlett gently placed her daughter on the ground and welcomed another little girl into her loving arms. This girl looked slightly older than the first little girl, her hair was ginger red and her eyes a fascinating shade of hazel, she was not as arresting as the raven haired girl, and not a smaller sample of the woman embracing her. But if one looked closer at the girl, her gentle prettiness would show and the kinship with the woman would be disclosed. She was a pretty girl, she just didn't have the spirited air around her the woman and the little girl had, but a more gentle air.

"Sweetheart I've missed you so much!" Scarlett cried.

"Mother please don't go away again. I missed you awful" the little girl returned.

"I won't sweetheart, not if I can be helped. Now please let me welcome your brother Ella"

Reluctantly Ella realised her mother, who turned to a slender boy and took him into her arms.

"Wade! It's so good to see you honey" Scarlett held the boy tightly for a brief moment, knowing he felt too big to be hugged in public and respecting his feelings.

"Mother it's good to see you! I did miss you very much" Wade said and kissed his mother affectionately on her cheek.

Wade was a handsome, slender boy of twelve, he had a kind face and kind deep brown eyes, they, as well as his deep brown hair, were inherited from his late father. The kinship between him and his mother was harder to tell, it was like he hadn't inherited anything but his white skin from her. A fact, that had made it difficult for Scarlett to bond with her son, a son who was so alike his father, her first husband, whom she had disliked so much and held no respect for. But fortunately it wasn't true, Wade had inherited something from the mother he adored; her sharp brain and love for numbers. Now, Wade hardly reminded Scarlett of his father anymore and she loved the boy.

For passing by people the scene must look confusing, there would be no doubt, that it was a family reuniting, but the children didn't look like siblings, the only thing, they had in common was the magnolia-white skin. It awaken people's curiosities about the father to these children, what would he look like?.

The man had moved to a post closer to the family, now his eyes were locked on the little blue-eyed girl and pain was clear in his face, he needed to hear her little voice again and which words were exchanged between the four of them. He almost couldn't breath; it was nine months since he had seen this little girl and he missed her beyond words. But it had been a necessary sacrifice to leave her. He was bewildered of the children's behaviours towards Scarlett and her honest expressed love for them. This was not the woman he knew. It took his every will power not to rush to his little daughter and scoop her into his arms, but he controlled himself and listen to the words exchanged before him.

Soon Bonnie claimed her mother's attention, she carved to be the centre of her mother's attention, she had missed her terrible and had in her absent been reminded of another frightening time, when she had been parted from her mother. And her mother had promised never to leave her.