Away With the Wind
A GH/LnL2 crossover with Gone With the Wind
Elizabeth Webber was not beautiful, but men seldome realized this. Her chin was too pointed and her jaw too square. Her cat like green eyes sparkled with emotions. But now she sat dejectedly on the couch. The boys were already in bed, and now the events of the day. Jason had rejected her. He told her that his life was too violent. She didn't think it was fair. She had waited so long to capture him. And now he would be going to Sam McCall.
There was nothing she could do, so she turned the tv on. The words "There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South. Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow. Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and of Slave. Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered, a Civilization gone with the wind... " rolled across the screen. And Elizabeth sat mesmerized by the amazing movie. But the events of the day were too much and her eyelids slowly descended to rise no more.
Elizabeth O'Hara sat surrounded by two handsome swains – Juan Santiago Tarleton and Ric Lansing Tarleton. They had just been expelled from another university. They were step brothers and they knew that their mother was going to tan their hides. "Do you suppose that mother might forget if we avoid the house long enough?" Juan asked hopefully.
"Naw, Boyd'll have to calm her down a little first. Anyways, we'd have to have left anyway with the war starting," His brother replied.
"War, War, War!" Elizabeth complained. "that's all anyone talks about. Why its ruined nearly every party this spring!"
"Aww, Honey," Juan replied.
"If either of you so much as says that word one more time, then I will go in the house and shut the door, and I will never ever talk to you again!"
"But the war is coming, Elizabeth." Both realizing the error of their speech knew that they must change their topic. The boys fumbled for something to say, finally Ric said, "Well I heard that tomorrow Jason Ashley Wilkes is going to announce his engagement to Emily Hamilton. You know, his cousin from Atlanta."
And with that she stood and rushed not into the house but out into the lawn away from the boys, who decided that they had best leave. Although neither was quite sure what had set her off. Surely it wasn't the news about Jason Ashley. Scarlett was going to marry one of them.
Elizabeth stirred in her sleep. And in so doing the scene skipped from Tara to Twelve Oaks.
Elizabeth was surrounded by a dozen Beaux, all vying for her attention. Poor maid in britches Damien Spinelli was running back and forth bringing her all of the food that she thought she might want. But of course she had no room to eat with the corset laced as tightly as it was. And Mammy Piphany had forced Elizabeth to eat before she had left for the Barbeque. But this defection sent Scarlett's jealous younger sister Maxie-Ellen fuming. Damien was her Beaux. But now all of his attention was focused on her pretty older sister and Maxie-Ellen resented it. Carly Wilkes was glaring with unbridled hatred at Elizabeth for she knew that Elizabeth had her claws set on getting Jason Ashely.
As the day wore on, talk as it inevitably did the spring of 1861 turned to the war. It was at this point that the ladies retired to rest before the dancing began. Elizabeth crept from the bedrooms and hurried down the hall. She slipped into one of the side rooms and pulled Jason Ashley in as he passed by.
"O Jason. I haven't been fair to you." Elizabeth confessed.
"And how is that my darling?" Jason Ashley asked.
"I've never told you that I love you. You can't marry Emily. I love you. We can run off tonight. Tell me that you don't love me." Was her impassioned plea.
"I do love you Elizabeth, but I cannot leave Emily," he responded, as her hand flashed through the air and landed with a loud crack upon his cheek. With that he turned on his heels and left the room.
Elizabeth was furious, so she picked up a vase and hurled it at the fireplace.
At the sound of the shattering porcelain, a man's head appeared on the couch that sat in front of the fire. "The war hasn't started already, has it?" He asked with a chuckle. His bright green eyes were a mirror to her own. Dimples appeared on his cheeks.
"I'm Lucky Butler, at your service," he said as he rose from the place where he had been relaxing.
"You sir are no gentleman. You had no right to listen in on a private conversation." Elizabeth said shrilly.
"And you miss, are no lady." At that Lucky left the room, leaving Elizabeth to fume.
The following years flashed before her eyes. She married Zander Smith Hamilton, Emily's brother, who died within two months of their wedding. She had married him only to make Jason Ashley jealous. And then there was Atlanta where she ran into the dashing blockade runner, Lucky Butler again. They caused quite the scandal when he bought a dance with the young widow at the Bazaar. But Elizabeth's heart still beat for Jason-Ashley. And then Jason came home to see Emily. Elizabeth tried to throw herself at Jason-Ashley, but she was allowed no opportunity. And then he left again to the war. The entire town disapproved of her but Emily. Emily's soft sweet nature always believed the best from Elizabeth. And then the scene changed again. Emily had almost died having a baby- Jason's baby. And Lucky was here to rescue them. They had to pass the burning warehouses of the Confederacy. And Elizabeth was terrified, but somehow, she always knew that she was safe with Lucky at her side.
Once they were out of town, Lucky pulled her from dilapidated wagon. He told her he was leaving to fight with the South. And then his lips roughly presses against hers. His kiss was like nothing she had ever felt before, but then he was gone. And she was left between two armies on her way back to Tara.
The scenes flew past her eyes, as the devastation of the Southland and the hard times at the plantation. Her dear mother Audrey was dead. And Steve had gone crazy at the loss of her. And then Elizabeth had crawled through the slave gardens and eaten raw vegetables until she was sick and proclaimed. "I'll never be hungry again!" And then her father was thrown from his horse and killed.
Elizabeth woke up and turned off the TV. "Well that was an odd dream." And then she hurried up the stairs to her bedroom. Obviously she needed her sleep.
The taxes were due on Tara, and the only person with any money was Lucky Butler. Emily and Jason were both living at Tara, but Jason-Ashley wouldn't do anything about it. Elizabeth had flung herself at him. She had begged him to run away. And they had kissed, but he still was too honorable to leave Emily. And so Elizabeth set off for Atlanta to get the tax money from Lucky in a dress made of her mother's curtains.
When she arrived in town she learned that Lucky was in jail. And so with haste she made her way to where he was being held. But Lucky understood Elizabeth like no one else had ever been able to. He saw through her pretty games and sent her away. He was unable to help at the moment, even though he wanted to.
And in town Elizabeth ran across Spinelli, who graciously offered her a ride in his wagon. It was then that Elizabeth discovered that Spinelli had the money to save Tara. And so she set her cap and in mere days, they were married.
Theirs was not a happy marriage. And then on a routine trip through the park, Elizabeth was attacked. Spinelli and Jason Ashley set about to avenger her honor. But Spinelli was killed. And so on the day of her second husband's funeral, Lucky Butler proposed.
They married and went on a honeymoon to New Orleans. And then Elizabeth gave birth to a son. Cameron was his name. And Lucky doted over his son like no one else ever had doted over a child. But then Elizabeth ran into Jason in the park. They spoke of times gone by, which caused Elizabeth to cry. Yet somehow she realized that he did not stir in her the feelings that he had once stirred. An old friend was holding her, not the love of her life. Jason held her and comforted her, but then they were discovered by Carly.
It was a horrible mess, and sadly, Lucky must have believed the rumors. And then he got terribly drunk. He carried her up the stairs and made passionate love to her. But then he left taking Cameron with him. And in the three months he was gone, Elizabeth learned that was going to have another child.
When Lucky returned, he taunted her saying that the child was not his. And she lunged at him, but he sidestepped. The force of her attack was directed into a headlong fall down the stairs.
She lost the baby. She called for Lucky, but he did not appear. And then she was well enough to sit up. She and Lucky were sitting on the veranda watching Cameron ride his pony. At the last moment, images from her father's death flashed before her. "No! Lucky, stop him." But it was too late, and Elizabeth knew that Cameron was dead.
And then Emily died. Now Jason was free. But in that instant Elizabeth realized that she didn't love Jason-Ashley. She only loved the image of his that she had built up in her mind. And so she ran through the fog back to Lucky. But Lucky was leaving. Elizabeth told him that she loved him. But he left anyway. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
Elizabeth woke up in a cold sweat. She leapt from the bed and ran into Cameron's room. She watched the peaceful rising of his chest. And then she slipped into Jake's room. He too was perfectly fine.
And then she remembered the rest of the dream. Jason was her Ashley. She had pined over him for years, but it was Lucky who was the love of her life. It was Lucky who made her pulse race. Jason was nothing but the love of an image. Elizabeth's hand trembled as she picked up the phone and dialed. "Lucky…"