In a modest house, the gaslamp still burns well after midnight on a warm evening. Ashley Wilkes sits in his bed, trying to concentrate on his latest novel, waiting for his wife to join him. He would have been asleep by now, but he refused to go to bed with this unfinished business between them. The house is quiet, their son spending the night at his Aunt Pitty's house because of his father's birthday party. The lowered voices of Melanie and DIlcey are the background of pots and dishes as they are cleared away, from his party. Ashley closes the book, and rests his eyes for a moment the gentle throb of a headache between his eyes. His fingers rub it gently, looking for relief, the solitude deafening his nerves, as the door gently opens, and then closes, the latch clicks. He looks up, and Melanie is standing with her back to the door, "Dearest, are you well?"

Ashley eyes divert her warm, dark stare, "Melly, I was waiting for you."

"For me?"

"Yes, you see, we need to talk. You wouldn't talk to me when I got home."

Melly smiled, "No, I didn't." She turned and went behind the screen, her ritual to wash her face, and change into her nightdress. A knock on the door, and a quick answer, allowed Dilcey in to help her undress.

As Dilcey left with a quick, "Good Night Mr. Wilkes."

Ashley looked at his tranquil, beautiful wife standing in front of her mirror, twisting her hair into a long braid, and he smiled, "Melly, I love you."

Meanie didn't answer, but continued her ritual, ignoring his pleas at conversation. Ashley knew there had been words between his sister and his wife, and he had hoped to come home, and talk with Melanie, but then there was the party, and Melanie had ignored him, only smiling and directing pleasantries toward him as a polite stranger at the party. It bothered Ashley that Melanie had not touched his sleeve, or even looked him in the eye when she spoke to him. The most words he got was when Scarlett came to the party, alone in that dress, her cleavage showing him more of Scarlett than he had ever seen, wearing her crime for all to see. The pleasant warm, weight of Melanie in the bed next to him, gave familiarity to the end of this terrible night.

"Melly, I-I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for, Ashley?"

"I'm sorry for being your cause of discomfort."

Melly sighed, "My discomfort? Why would I have any reason to be upset?"

"Melly, I know ARchie and India told you that they saw Scarlett and me, but it was not inappropriate."

"Oh, I know it wasn't. If it was, you would have come to me as you did at Tara."

"Then, why, why are you so quiet?"

"Ashley, I'm thinking."

"Thinking, tell me what you are thinking, Melly."

Melly sat up in the bed, and turned to her husband looking down into his face, tortured with disappointment, fear and emabarrasment, and stroked his cheek with her small gentle hands, running her finger over his bottom lip, her eyes penetrated his soul, and stirred a deep warm stirring that penetrated his chest, his arms and his stomach, she was stunning beautiful, and his heart rested easily into her hands, and she was his safety, his harbor, his comfort from his thoughts, fears and outside world. He tilted his head up, and met hers in a kiss. Her kiss was soft and gentle, as always, and her tiny hand encircled his shoulder, pulling her body closer to his, and her kiss deepened with passion, and a fierceness he had not seen. Taking a breath and raising his head, he said, "Melly, no."

Melly rested her head on his chest and fingered the buttons on his dressing gown, "Yes, Ashley. It is my request, yes."

Ashley stroked her head breathing in the sweet smell of soap, "If we do, and you, you could die."

"I would rather die, than make you unhappy."

"I'm happy, darling."

"No, I know you are not, that's why-it's why you- you go to her."

"There is nothing, we haven't-"
Melly raised her head, and placed her finger across AShley's lips, "Don't lie, there's something."

"Melly-"

"Hush, and listen to me. There is something, just as there was at Tara, and it's not Scarlett throwing herself at you, and it's not you in love with Scarlett, it's you not having, a wife."

"Melly, I told you-"

Melly's eyes filled with tears, "You told me what a proper gentleman would, that my condition was not a problem, but it is a problem, it's a problem, because you are a man, and you need a wife."

Ashley wiped the tears from her cheeks, "Your heart, your love is so much more than, physical. You are my life, my breath, and today was not like at- Tara."

"No? You touched her, you kissed-"

No, no. I comforted her, she was crying about the old days."

"And she comforted you without even knowing it."

"No, she did-"

"Don't lie to yourself, because you then lie to me."

Ashley pulled Melly close, and kissed her forehead, "I love you."

"But I can't love you- not the way a man needs. The life we share is the same you could share with AUnt Pitty or India. We live here as brother and sister, when you see her, you know she can love you like a woman, and you want her."

"Melly, no, don't say that!"

"Why? It's your thoughts, that day at Tara, you told me, you almost took her."

"But, I didn't I told you."

"Ashley, just because you didn't do it, doesn't make it any better. You still think-"

"It wasn't my thoughts, it was fatigue, fear of the unknown, and weakness."

"You need a wife, a real wife that can- can give you-"

"You should have let me take you to New York."

"Ashley, I did not want to leave my family, and live amongst Yankees. And you, you would have failed there, and if it was her, and it would be a Yankee version of her."

"No, it wouldn't have, we could have started fresh."

"You can't runaway, Ashley."

"I'm in hell."

"I'm in hell too, I want to have children, and be your wife, but I can't because some doctor, a man says I could die. What if I say, I know I won't, or if I do, then you could find a wife to make you happy."

Ashley took Melly in his arms and kissed her hard, as tears ran down his face, and he broke out in sobs, Melly pulled him to her shoulder and stroked his hair, "Darling, don't cry."

"Melly, don't-don't talk about dying, I would never survive that."

Melly smiled, "You would, and I will. Now, come to me, hold me, and let me be your wife."

Her tiny arms, encircled his neck, and her soft gentle lips, still tasted of the buttercream icing from his cake, the sweetness and quiet beauty overwhelmed Ashley's body that was tired and weak, and eager for this physical touch, and surge of emotions, he was lost in the dimly lit room as the gas light went low, and there was only the soft glow that the shadows made on Melanie tiny body with her subtle curves, as they went deeper into a void where only the two of them existed and the rhythmic movements of their bodies, that caused Ashley to moan her name into her shoulder, as they collapsed, exhausted and satisfied in each other's arms.

The only sound was Melanie's quiet whistle of a snore, and the low chirping of crickets, Ashley lay awake, staring into the darkness of the room making it feel like a cave. His body was tired, relaxed and tingled as he thought to the fleeting moments of their union, and how he had been so eager and hungry for it, but Melanie lay quietly, allowing him to take his primal right as a man, as she patiently endured it, satisfaction on her face in hopes of a child would result of their union. Ashley stared at her wisps of dark hair stuck to her face, as he brushed them away, she turned her head on his chest and kissed his hand, "Are you happy, Ashley?"

Ashley kissed her forehead, "Always, darling."

"Me, too."

Ashley tried to burn this moment in his memory, not wanting the future to move forward, he feared what would come, and he prayed it wasn't the one both doctors had painted for them, as a tear fell from his cheek wetting Melanie's face, she drowsily whispered, "Don't worry, everything will be fine, I love you so much."

Ashley's dry throat could only murmur, "I know."