Note: Ok, so I'm still working on An Overdue Encounter and This Time, I'm so addicted to writing haha, with all these ideas in my head, while working on a GWTW sequel. Four years ago I began this story but never finished it. Originally I called it "Her Seperate Way" but chnaged the title and I did a lot of editing. It will be rather short but I hope you all enjoy it and please review :)

Part 1

"Mommy, daddy watch me! I'm gonna jump!" Bonnie cried in excitement. Her voice carried up to Scarlett and Rhett on the verandah.

Scarlett sat on a cushioned seat, gingerly sipping a cup of tea. This was her first time out of bed since the accident. Color was slowly looming in her cheeks. Rhett had been speaking to her about giving their marriage another chance when Bonnie had interrupted. He looked annoyed that she was no longer listening to him. But Scarlett was relived.

Her feelings were still raw and she was too tired to think about the future. Rhett's solemn gaze made her feel uncomfortable for he was so serious. She hadn't seen his mocking gaze since the day on the stairs. Those looks she knew so well, but not this solemn gaze filled with aloofness and a little courtesy. But she knew he would talk to her again later for he gave her that look that he always did when his dark eyes promised another time.

"You're so pretty precious!" Scarlett called out generously with a smile. Even her own compliment surprised her. But Bonnie did look pretty. Her blue riding frock a contrast to her eyes and her black curls tumbling with a matching blue hat perched prettily on her head. Her daughter made a charming picture.

"That's what daddy says all the time," Bonnie said.

Scarlett spared a side glance at Rhett and saw a reluctant smile come to his face. He was also watching his daughter with pride. Why, she thought, he truly loves her and doesn't mind getting dirty with her and acting like a complete fool. And she thought if he treated her half as nice and showered her with compliments they wouldn't always be quarreling and he would be so much more pleasant. But as it was his courteous but aloof behavior ever since she had lost the baby was maddening!

Bonnie pulled on her reins and Mr. Butler started to trot off. Rhett abruptly stood up and called out in a loud voice,"Trot around once more darling, hold on to the reins tightly then jump!"

Scarlett stood up quickly. "Rhett, don't let her jump it's to high," she pleaded holding onto his shirt without thought. Rhett watched Bonnie fly across the lawn and then back at Scarlett. She was biting her lip and there was a strained look on her face. He knew it was too high and he could never forgive himself if anything ever happened to Bonnie.

"Bonnie your mother says you can't jump. Come back in darling. The bars are too high!"

Bonnie came in reluctantly. "I can so Mr. Butler and I have grown, watch me daddy!" She confidently held the reigns as Mr. Butler started to trot off faster. Scarlett held her breath, watching her determined daughter.

She sat down with a sigh. "Its no use she never listens to me," she thought. "Just like Pa." Then Scarlett gasped," Just like Pa!" She jumped out of her chair and yelled almost hysterically,"Bonnie Blue Butler, you get over here this instant!"

Bonnie stopped Mr. Butler right in front of the jump, she had never heard her mother so angry before. She started to trot back knowing not to disobey her mother albeit with a sullen frown. And a protest that was sure to come.

Meanwhile Rhett grabbed Scarlett's arm."Scarlett, are you all right?" he asked urgently. But she pulled her arm away from him roughly, too angry to notice the concern on his face.

"Come on Scarlett, she's only having fun," he soothed.

Her temper rose and eyes flashed. She glared up at him, all thoughts of being nice and cordial disappearing in an instant. Why, she thought, Rhett would let her go to the moon if she had the notion to.

"Fun? Do you call breaking her neck fun? She's liable to break her neck, Rhett Butler and yet you give into her whims and treat her like an adult. She's only four years old!"

"And why shouldn't I?" he challenged. "I don't want her to grow up being afraid of her own shadow and cold hearted. She's going to have all the love she wants. And I'm not going to have you-"

Bonnie trotted her pony close to the verandah. "Mommy I w ..."

"Bonnie go put your pony away," Scarlett defiantly said, looking up at Rhett and daring him to defy her order. "You aren't jumping for the rest of the day."

Rhett stood by watching mother and daughter in interest. Scarlett hadn't been a good mother but he heard the concern in her voice. Maybe he had been too harsh, he reasoned. He watched in amusement as both daughter and mother glared at each other.

"Mommy how come I can't jump?" she whined. Scarlett frowned and placed her hands on her hips, ready for a battle. She was sure she'd have another battle with Bonnie. She was the only one who put Bonnie in her place and she knew that too.

"Not until you're six. If I hear that you are jumping higher than a foot I will take your pony away."

Now it was Bonnie's turn to frown and place her hands on her hips. "That's not fa..."

Scarlett didn't want to yell for she was so tired and all ready felt like she had run a long mile. But Bonnie left her no other choice. Her daughter was stubborn and spoiled. She would see to it from now on that Bonnie had a firm hand. Just let Rhett try to defy her.

"That's enough Bonnie Butler, go up to your room!" But Bonnie merely marched over towards Scarlett, unfazed by her temper. Her jaw squared identical to that of her grandfather's, Gerald O'Hara. Scarlett would have laughed but she knew she had to be firm. She couldn't laugh it off as Rhett so often did.

"Daddy won't let you take my pony and I will jump someday!"

She looked towards Rhett for help. She could have killed him, he was turning red from trying not to laugh. "Oh, he is such a terrible man!" she thought to herself. "How can he laugh at a time like this?" Scarlett faced Bonnie, seeing she wouldn't get help from Rhett.

"Yes, you'll jump, Bonnie once you're six." With that said, Bonnie stomped her foot and ran into the house. Scarlett sighed and sat down closing her eyes. All of a sudden she heard Rhett laugh, her eyes fluttered open.

"And what's so funny, I'd like to know?" she demanded which only made Rhett laugh even more. Now she was ferious. "If you don't tell me this instant you might as well leave me alone!"

Rhett's face became hard just as quick as the amusement had been on his face it was gone."Oh, what a fool I was to actually think she'd forgive me," he thought bitterly. For all of her listening to his speech about another chance at their marriage, she was as stubborn and unyielding as ever.

"Why should you care Scarlett, if she jumps one or two feet?" he asked coolly.

"Why should I care?" She scowled at Rhett. "As it so happens, I love Bonnie, she is my daughter and I am not going to see her break her neck because you don't have enough common sense to tell her no!"

"I could say the same things about your motherly skills, a cats a better mother than you."

"And just what's that suppose to mean?" Scarlett cried. How difficult Rhett was being!

"Don't play stupid Scarlett, you know what I mean. You can drop the act of the caring, loving mother. If it weren't for me she wouldn't even be here. Hell, you made sure the other baby wasn't here!"

Scarlett paled under his words. She stood so suddenly and slapped him across the face with all the strength she had. "Don't you dare ever say I didn't want the baby! You're the one that didn't want it! What did you expect me to do, welcome you with open arms when you were so nasty? You're the one who thought Ashley was the father!"

Scarlett saw pain flicker across Rhett's face. "Great balls of fire, what am I doing? I don't want to fight with Rhett!" she thought. She had a lifetime of fighting and was tired of it all. Scarlett knew she had to confess how she felt and swallow her pride or he'd never know. She quieted her voice and spoke softly to Rhett:

"I wanted the baby, I really did Rhett. I was so happy, I wanted you and Bonnie so badly but you were so cold. When I was sick I hoped that you would come and tell me you were sorry about the baby, I needed you so, and I called for you but not once did you come. Not once!"

Rhett was shocked. Scarlett was confessing she wanted the baby and him. He bowed his head slightly and said sincerely, "I'm sorry Scarlett I didn't think you wanted me."

She looked up at Rhett suspiciously. There was not a hint of malice or mocking in his eyes. Did she dare believe him or was he lying to assuage his guilt? But for the first time she saw sincerity in his eyes. Suddenly she knew how sorry he was and that he blamed himself. How easy it would have been to throw it in his face and scream at him for all the pain she had went through. But she couldn't do that. For once she knew she had to take responsibility for her actions.

"I know you are Rhett, It wasn't your fault it was my own doing. And what's done is done." Scarlett tiredly looked toward Rhett to show him that she didn't blame him.

Their eyes locked. Scarlett's breath stopped. Rhett was looking at her a way he hadn't in a long time. With kindness and something else. "Its as if he loves me," she thought. But she pushed that idea out of her head. Scarlett broke the piercing stare. "I am going to speak to Bonnie."

With that said she went into the house. She didn't want to think about how Rhett had acted, almost as if he had wanted the baby. Oh, she couldn't think about it now. She'd think about it tomorrow.

TBC