Forever Doesn't Always Mean Forever
Chapter 1: Gone with the wind
A/N: This takes place right when Rhett is getting to leave and after he has left. Enjoy.
Disclaimer:I don't own anything except for the plot. Everything else belongs to the Creator of Gone with the Wind.
"Frankly my dear I don't give a damn" Rhett said coldly as he faced Scarlett who had tears forming in her green eyes. That was the last thing Rhett said to Scarlett.
"Oh, Rhett, please, please don't go. I don't love Ashley anymore. You are the one I love," Scarlett sobbed as she clung to his arm that was carrying his suitcase. Scarlett just couldn't let him go. She had already lost two other husbands. One to the measles, the other to a shot in the head. Now Scarlett was losing the man that meant the most to her. Rhett had loved her from the start and all she wanted to do was push him away. But now that Rhett truly was leaving Scarlett had finally realized how much she really, truly loved him. In fact he was the love of her life now. Before Rhett it was Ashley Wilkes; oh, how madly in love she was with him. After being married to Rhett, Scarlett had forgotten all about the love and compassion she once had for Ashley.
Rhett broke Scarlett's grasp then turned out into the foggy, cool, crisp night. As the door closed Scarlett fell to the floor and cried her heart out. Her heart was truly breaking into a million tiny, little pieces, crumbling like a wilted rose in the wind. As she cried Scarlett realized that she might be able to catch him. She flung the door open and ran after him. Her heart pounding out of her chest Scarlett ran down the old beaten path as she took in a cold and icee breath.
"Rhett! Rhett! Oh, my love, where are you?" Scarlett yelled as she ran down the street her skirts blowing in the wind. It was a very cold, bleak night. It was as if she was running, running like she was having a nightmare which she often did during the six years Rhett and her were married. Their married life wasn't really what you called a "pleasant" one. They fought often like two young children. Rhett often left to go visit his female confidant. Scarlett knew that this happened often. She knew she shouldn't constantly badger him to tell her what was going on, but every time she did so Rhett would lose his temper and drown himself in a nice hard drink and get so drunk that he would almost forget what and where he had been. Causing Scarlett to never get the answer she had always wanted. Was Rhett cheating on her? That thought often lingered in her mind from time to time. Was he really cheating on her or was it just her mind going crazy? Scarlett would soon find out the truth and it wasn't what she wanted to hear.
Tonight the fight had gotten so terrible that Rhett couldn't take it anymore. He just had to get out it was becoming too much. To him Scarlett was a greedy, self centered person who only wanted what was best for her and only her. She really didn't even care about Bonnie when she was still alive. Tonight Scarlett was angry but had come to realize that Rhett might leave forever and never come back. So there she stood in the darkness of the night calling his name over and over again until she couldn't say his name anymore.
Scarlett stopped when she couldn't see anything in front of her. As she stood there breathless she prayed that Rhett had heard her many cries for him to come back to her. Oh, how she longed to run into his arms and hang on to him never wanting to let go as long as she lived. Her throat sore from yelling Scarlett tired one last time for him to come back.
"Rhett," Scarlett cried one last time in a raspy voice. It was no use Rhett never responded back.
If Rhett had heard the cries he just didn't care. He never returned to calm his love. As she had done moments ago Scarlett sank to the cold, dirty, dusty road and buried her beautiful face into her shaking china hands. She wept and wept not just because the way Rhett had been treating her, but because of the love she had lost from her true love and the death of her lovely daughter Bonnie.
If Bonnie was still alive things would be very different. They would be laughing and getting along like they used to, back...back when the war had began. Even back then they did seem to fight some but that was when Scarlett was a child a young teen. She seemed to have gotten everything and anything her heart desired and of course what she could get her lovely little china hands on. Scarlett didn't know any better after all she was very well known in Atlanta at that time. Scarlett had lost the person that was her other half, and the person who thought like her and of course was a southern man. Just like her Pa had said all those many years ago.
Scarlett could feel her heart breaking by the moment. Scarlett had nothing to live for now she was alone in the world. No mother and Pa who always knew what was right, no caring and loving sisters, no daughter she could dress in girly cloths or the one she longed for the most...the man that she had gave her heart to the moment she meet him, but the problem was Scarlett had no idea that she had given her heart to Rhett until it was far too late.
Now Scarlett was truly alone in the world with no one to turn to. It was as if her nightmare she had night after night had come finally true. As Scarlett continued to cry, she felt warm hands on her shaking cold shoulders.
"Rhett," Scarlett thought with happiness, but her hope was shattered when she looked up to see who it was. It was Mammy. She was always there when Scarlett needed her. She was like a second mother to Scarlett. Ever since her mother and Pa died, Mammy was always very caring and loving towards her and her two younger sisters. Whenever they needed something and their parents weren't there Mammy was. Mammy was always there no matter what the problem was.
"Now Scarlett, there ain't no sense in crying like this," Mammy said with her southern accent as she got Scarlett to her feet. "He will come back. You'll see. Now come child, it's gonna rain shortly." When Mammy said this a few big, round drops fell from the dark grey clouds and onto the dirt road.
"Rhett" was the only word Scarlett could say. It was as if she was in a trance like state. The only person that could make her better was the love of her life...Rhett Butler. "Why Rhett why?" was the only thing Scarlett could utter besides his name. Scarlett didn't care if she lived or died. She would rather have died out in the stormy weather, at least she would be in a much better place rather then this miserable, good for nothing place...she called home.
Scarlett was so upset that she didn't even notice that mammy was taking her back home. She looked back, she needed to know that he was there still but he was no longer there the fog had swallowed him up as if he had never been there. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. It would be years before he would come home, however to Scarlett it would seem an eternity.
Back at Scarlett's house
"Leave me alone!" Scarlett yelled as she buried her face in a pillow. There was no point for her to come out or to answer the door. The only way to get her out of her room was if it was Rhett at the door. Scarlett felt like she was in a fairy tale, waiting up in a high tower for her prince charming to come and rescue her from her awful, disappearing life. That prince charming was Rhett...how Scarlett wished she could tell him how much she truly loved and cared for him. Oh, how she just wanted to run into his strong and loving arms and stay that way for the rest of her life. Knowing that there was someone that truly really cared for her without wanting anything in return.
It had been two weeks since Rhett had left her. Scarlett didn't know how much longer she could take this. If Rhett didn't come back soon she would do something she would regret.
"Scarlett ya'll gotta at least eat breakfast," Mammy said on the other side of her door. Mammy had been trying for the last two weeks to get Scarlett out of her room. Scarlett hadn't eaten anything in days. Scarlett had gone and locked herself in her room.
"No! I'd rather starve than eat breakfast or anything for that matter. Now leave me alone. I just want to sit here and think about what I've done to deserve this," Scarlett said, lifting her head up from her pillow which was soaked with tears. Her lovely green eyes were red, swollen and wet from the many tears that had fallen.
"Scarlett O'Hara, don't make me get someone over here to make you come to your senses. Don't yaw think I won't do it either, because I will" Mammy said with a huff. Scarlett better not try her patients, if she did she wouldn't like what she saw.
"I don't care what you do. Just leave me alone forever," Scarlett cried as she looked at her closed door as if she could see Mammy from behind it. "I don't want anyone or Ashley Wilkes. All I want is Rhett." She didn't know how much longer she could take this. As she laid there a thought struck her. She was going to grow old and die without Rhett! "I'M GROWING TO GROW OLD AND...DIE WITH OUT RHETT!" as she cried into her pillow once again.
Scarlett saw Mammy's shadow leave and heard her footsteps down the hall. She went back to crying her eyes out. There was only so much crying Scarlett could do, but the tears just wouldn't stop no matter how hard she tried. They would only stop on one condition...
"Rhett!...WH…where….ar….are you? I need you now more than ever," Scarlett sobbed as she cried herself into more depression. "Rhett, I need you." she cried out into the big room. Nothing answered her back just emptiness and sadness.
"My poor, poor Scarlett" Mammy said as she walked down the stairs and had a letter wrote to Suellen and Ashley. Carreen was in the convent so she wasn't sure if she could be bothered.
Later that day a letter arrived for Ashley.
I need you to come over right away. It's Scarlett she's so upset that she won't do anything except stay in her room and cry her eyes out and feel sorry for herself. I've tried everything but nothing seems to work. If yaw could possibly come over it would make a world of difference. Maybe yaw can bring her out of this state.
Mammy
Within a few hours later Suellen and Ashley would be arriving to the Butler home. Even though Mammy had tried so many times before it didn't hurt to give it another try. With a deep breath Mammy tired once again.
"Scarlett, won't yaw please open up all I want to is help yaw" Mammy said knocking on the door, but all she got back was the sound of someone crying. "Suellen and Ashley shell be over hear soon…"
"You did what!" Scarlett yelled as she sat up straight. "How could you? AW!" Scarlett screamed as she kicked and screamed like a small child.
"I'm sorry Scarlett, but if this is the only way then so be it" Mammy said with her accent.
A knock came to the front door. Going down Mammy opened it to reveal Ashley and Suellen.
"So what do you want us to do?" Ashley asked, taking his hat off as he got inside."I want ya'll to get through to Scarlett. Ever since Rhett has left her, she's locked herself in her room and refuses to come out" Mammy said as she approached Scarlett's room. Mammy knocked and Scarlett answered this time.
"What do you want now?" Scarlett asked with anger. What did Mammy not get? She wanted to be left alone. How hard was that to understand?
"Scarlett, Suellen and Ashley are here to see ya'll," Mammy said looking at the door as if she was looking at Scarlett herself.
"I don't want to see anyone!" Scarlett yelled as a little sob got stuck in her throat.
"Katie Scarlett, you are going to talk to them weather yaw like it or not. Yaw understand?" anger filled Mammy's voice as she began to get fed up with the way Scarlett was acting.
Scarlett didn't answer to any of these threats she was getting. Scarlett just shrugged it all off and went back to her own little world.
"Scarlett, let us in." Suellen demanded.
"I already told you to leave me alone. How many times do I have to say it," Scarlett said with more anger this time. She slowly made her way over to her window seat and sat there looking out the window. It was as if she was waiting for her prince charming to come get her and take her way and to his castle where they would live happily ever after. "Besides why would I let you in anyway?"
"Let me try" Ashley said in a whisper to Mammy and Suellen "Scarlett its Ashley Wilkes. I know that you're upset and I'm sorry for what Rhett did to you. But I'm going through the same thing you are. Since Melanie died I haven't been able to think of anyone else or do anything. All I wanted to do was die. I was so upset. So I know what you are going through" Ashley said. "Melanie wouldn't want you to do this. She would want you to brush this aside, and what about your parents? They are probably very disappointed in you right now for letting your grief get to you and for you giving up so easily"
Scarlett didn't say anything. She just sat in her window seat and looked at a picture of Rhett and her parents. Ashley was right. Her parents wouldn't want her to act like this.
"Damn it Scarlett, open up or I'm kicking this door down!" Ashley screamed. Scarlett still didn't answer so he kicked the door down and there they saw Scarlett sitting in her window seat looking out the window.
