Note: This follows the movie, not the book. It starts right after "Tomorrow …" speech end credits….
Rated: K+
Scarlett's eyes suddenly sparkled, "Tomorrow is another day…". She pulled herself up and leaned against the staircase. "Tara!" she thought "I must go home to Tara." She swiftly ascended the stairs and went into her bedroom, looking at herself in the mirror. A pale, thin face looked back at her. "God! I look so weak. I look like….like Mellie." She sighed aloud, "Mellie…" . Well, she couldn't think about Mellie now. She'd think about her tomorrow, at Tara. Scarlett felt incredibly weak and sat on the bed. Her head was swimming. But somehow she pulled herself up again and took out two big trunks. She was leaving now, no waiting. She had to get home and if she had to miss the funeral so be it. She couldn't go to the funeral – everyone had their misconceptions about her and Ashley anyhow, and besides, funerals were so dreary. Everyone would be crying and Scarlett knew she would have great difficulty holding herself together. And she could not show weakness in front of the ladies of Atlanta. Let them gossip about her! She didn't care. She was going home and that was that.
She managed to get the trunks full of clothes and valuables outside and then called for a buggy. "Take me to the station" she said. "Why, Mrs Butler, there's a huge fog and you won't be able to get a train tonight…" the coachman began. "Do as I said," Scarlett snapped, "trains aren't going to stop running because of a little fog."
Scarlett was right. The trains hadn't stopped, although there were substantial delays. Scarlett glanced towards the train headed towards Charleston, her eyes looking towards the first class passengers. But she didn't see anyone she recognized. A few hours later, she boarded her train and stared out the window at the darkness. No thoughts ran through her head, she felt numb. And at some point she drifted into a dreamless sleep, only waking when her station was called. Warmth crept over her, "I'm home."
Of course, she wasn't quite home. It was still quite a ride to Tara. The morning light was just breaking and Scarlett looked around to see where she could get a carriage to Tara. She found luck when she met an old husband and wife headed that way. She sat in the carriage and made casual conversation. She was going to Tara to visit some old friends. The couple knew of the O'Haras, and had a great respect for them, saying the parents were gems and that they hoped their daughters were just like them. Scarlett bit her lip, and a wave of guilt passed over her. "Yes," she replied, "Careen, the youngest, is so much like her mother." She felt a wave of jealousy pass over her as soon as she said it. It was true. Careen was just like her mother, calm and beautiful and patient and kind…
The couple let Scarlett off, and the gentleman offered to accompany her up to the door with her trunks, but Scarlett politely refused. As soon as the carriage was out of sight, she stuggled to the front steps with the trunks, "Oh, why did I bring so much? I could have bought new things and saved myself all this hassle!" she opened the door and the rays of sunlight poured into the front hallway. It was so majestic, still so majestic after all this time, but the place was showing its age, particularly in its décor. Scarlett's eyes sparkled and she smiled. A million ideas went through her head – she would make Tara the belle of the south.
Careen greeted her sister with a kiss and a smile, Suellen greeted Scarlett with hardly a handshake. The last person she wanted to see was Scarlett O'Hara, although she was curious as to why her sister was here. She hadn't been back since she had married Rhett Butler.
Scarlett put away her things and filled her sisters in on all the news, leaving out of course the trouble with Rhett. Rhett was away on business, in London once again, she said. And she got so bored she planned a trip to Tara. Then Melanie became ill and Scarlett stayed by her bedside. Melanie had told her to go home to Tara but Scarlett waited until the inevitable, horrible day when Melanie passed on before ever considering to come home. "Oh," Careen cried, "Oh, poor Scarlett!" and gave her sister a comforting hug. Suellen sneered, "Why, how noble of you, Scarlett. Was Ashley able to be by his beloved during that time?" Scarlett felt the blood rush to her face and was about to give her sister a piece of her mind when Careen sweetly said, "Why, of course, Ashley Wilkes was by Melanie's side. What a ridiculous and insulting question." She continued, " Mr. Wilkes is the best gentleman I know. He helped us out so much after the war."
Scarlett snapped, "He helped us out so much after the war? Why, I…." But she stopped herself. It was no use to argue that she had done everything. No one cared anyhow.
That evening, there was a guest for dinner. Suellen had a beau named Will. He was the most boring man. He could do nothing but talk about the weather and the crops. Scarlett stared at her food. She hadn't eaten in over a day, yet she wasn't hungry. Only when Will started talking about the Old South did Scarlett start paying attention. "Ah, I remember the Wilkes' barbaque. That was a splendid day, wasn't it? I remember you, Mrs. Butler, I remember you as if it was yesterday!" Suellen stared in disbelief, "You remember Scarlett? Why, I was there too, you know!". Will turned beet red, "Oh, why of course, my dear. I remember you too. The prettiest girl there!" Suellen hissed "Liar!" and Scarlett took that as an opportunity to excuse herself and she began to ascend the stairs. She had almost made it to the top step when everything went black.
"Rhett!" she cried, "Rhett!". Scarlett opened her eyes. Careen stood over her with a washcloth. Mammie was in the room, and rushed over to Scarlett. "Miss Scarlett! Why's you're a fool not to eat nothin' for so long…" Careen hushed Mammie. "Scarlett, dear, you fainted at the top of the steps. You were out cold for hours. We called for a doctor but he was unable to come last night. He'll be here soon, though. Mammie is here though and I agree it would be beneficial if you could eat something" The sunlight hurt Scarlett's eyes and she moaned "I'm not hungry". Careen left to get another washcloth and Mammie sat by Scarlett's bedside. "Child, youse better eat this orse you never gonna get strong…youse gotta be strong Miss Scarlett….". Scarlett opened her eyes again and turned towards Mammie. "I have to be strong" she said and sat up taking the tray from Mammie. "Ah, yes, Miss Scarlett, honey, there you go." Scarlett began to eat, "I have to be strong" she said over and over again in her head. Rhett always admired Scarlett when she was strong, vivacious…she ate everything Mammie gave her and then for the first time in ages Scarlett fell into a restful sleep.
The doctor came and could not help but be a bit disappointed to find everyone was quite well. He had come all that way for nothing. He muttered to himself bitterly as he departed.
The next few weeks flew by. Scarlett had plenty to do around Tara to keep her busy and was surprised to find that she was getting along with the other members of the household, including Suellen. Suellen had a similar taste of style and they agreed on many of the decisions of décor. As they opened a package of fine draperies sent from Atlanta, Scarlett and Suellen both drew a deep breath at the same time and joyously exclaimed, "Oh!". Scarlett stared at her sister, "Suellen, why on earth did you leave Tara as it was? You had the money to fix it up and yet you left it as it was, like it was a museum and not a home." Suellen replied, "Well, I felt funny changing it…it'd be like trying the rid the house of Ma and Pa…" They both grew silent for a while and then Suellen added, "Besides, a woman shouldn't order things from Atlanta. Scarlett, you can do it because people know you're a businesswoman, but I'm a lady." Scarlett huffed, "Well, I'm a lady too…and besides, a woman knows more about business than any man. Why, if it wasn't for me, Frank Kennedy…" she paused in horror. Oh, why did she have to open her big mouth? Suellen glared at her sister and without a word quickly ascended the stairs and slammed the door to her bedroom. They didn't talk for the rest of the day.
That evening, Scarlett had a horrible dream and woke up in a cold sweat. Melanie was sobbing uncontrollably. Scarlett sat up and wiped her brow. "Ashley," she muttered, "yes, Mellie, I'll go see Ashley tomorrow…". She lay back down and pulled the covers up by her chin. She dreaded tomorrow.
Scarlett left incredibly early that morning for Atlanta. She hadn't been back in over a month and she was surprised how much she missed the hussle and bussle of the city. She made her way to Ashley's, and her spirits began to rise. A part of her was dreading the meeting, but another part of her still held out to that fairytale dream.
That dream died over the course of the afternoon. Ashley greeted her awkwardly and then sat in the parlor with her and offered her some tea. After an uncomfortable silence, Scarlett began telling him about Tara and the people she met on the train to Atlanta. He smiled at her, "Scarlett, you don't need to try to cheer me up. There's really no use in it."
He was so pale and thin; it was obvious he was still in deep mourning for Mellie. He then began to talk about his late wife but that conversation soon drifted into his memories of the Old South. Scarlett tried to pay attention, but as the afternoon hours shifted into early evening, Scarlett's mind wandered. "Why, what's the matter with me? After all these years of heartache, after all these years of pining for him…now I could have him, and I don't want him. No, I don't want anything to do with him."
She glanced up at Ashley, who was still droning on about Twelve Oaks. "What a pathetic figure he is!" she thought, "Why, what a bore! What a waste of time of a perfectly good afternoon! Why, I don't care if I ever see him again!" Suddenly it hit her. She didn't care if she ever saw Ashley again. "Oh!" she cried, spilling her tea. Ashley stopped his monologue, "Oh, Scarlett, my dear, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't talk about the good old days. I know how much it upsets you. Please forgive me, my dear." He clumsily offered her a cloth handkerchief to clean up the spill. "Oh," Scarlett said, "thank you…" She sprang up from her chair, "but, Ashley, I must be going." He got up to protest. "No, no, Ashley. Don't worry, I had the most wonderful afternoon, but evening is quickly arriving and I have some business to do here in Atlanta." She quickly exited the house and as soon as she felt the fresh air, a wave of relief spread over her, "Oh, thank God I'm out of there."
She headed towards the house in Atlanta. She had planned to spend the night there, and as soon as she saw the house, she knew it was going to be a hard night. Painful memories of Rhett flooded over her, and she felt more guilty than ever about her obsession with Ashley Wilkes over all those years. "I was such a fool!" she cried.
She was shocked to find the door unlocked and when she opened it, she was stunned to see someone had been living there. The sound of steps came towards her from the left and then stopped. She turned to see Rhett looking agape at her. All of the sudden he turned very calm and smiled, "Ah, Scarlett, what a pleasant surprise." She couldn't answer, her jaw was still dropped to the floor. He continued, "I'm glad you're here. I thought for sure I was going to have to go find you." She felt a wonderful warmth over her and her heart was pounding. "Oh, Rhett!" she cried, "Oh, Rhett!" He turned, walked over to the desk for some papers, and then came up towards her. "Oh," Scarlett stared into his eyes, "Rhett, I…" He interrupted, "Here. Sign these."
She stared blankly at him, "Sign what?" she asked as she took the papers from his hand. He didn't have to answer, Scarlett saw right away what they were. "Why, how dare you!" she hissed and then the anger built up so much she felt like she was going to explode. "How dare you! How dare you do this to me!" she screamed, "You can't do this! You can't do this to me…you can't do this to my family!" He looked at her calmly, "Scarlett, I'm not doing anything wrong. You're the one that brought this upon yourself and your family." Scarlett lunged towards him, he stepped casually out of the way. "Why, you! I'll show you!" She grabbed the pen and signed it Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy…there was no more room on the line for the name Butler. "Here! Have your damn divorce papers. Take them. Take everything! I don't care! I hate you! I hate you!" His lips curved into an amused grin. "Scarlett, I thank you. I knew I could count on you to be a lady." He put the papers in his coat pocket, put on his hat and tipped it towards her, "Feel free to stay here tonight. I won't be spending the night here." and he exited, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"Oh!" she shouted, and grabbed the closest vase towards her, hurling it at the wall. She found little satisfaction in that. She fell into a chair and sobbed uncontrollably. The scoundrel, the wretched scoundrel. She glanced at the ring on her finger, forced it off, and threw it towards the fireplace.
She woke up with a horrible pain running from her neck to the tip of her spine. She moaned and raised herself out of the chair. She didn't remember falling asleep; the last thing she remembered was cursing Rhett as darkness crept in over the house. She tidied herself up and began packing items from the house into cases. She soon realized there was very little that was sentimental to her there. It all seemed rather worthless. She wondered who would get to keep the house. Probably Rhett. She sighed, "Oh, I should have read those papers before signing. For all I know I signed myself to the devil!"
She hired a carriage to take her to the station, but asked the driver to drive her through the center of town first. She wanted to see the newest fashions in the dress shops. But, as soon as they approached the main street, Scarlett saw something far more interesting. On the front of Kennedy and Wilkes was a sign that read "For Sale".
Scarlett barged into Ashley's house, her fury too much to hide. India and Ashley sat in the parlor, drinking tea and as soon as Scarlett entered India stood up to protest. But, India's speed of tongue was no match for Scarlett who said, "Ashley, why on earth are you selling my store? What in the world is the matter with you? How could you not tell me?". India snapped, "Your store? Scarlett, Ashley purchased it from you fair and square!" Ashley raised his hand to stop her.
He calmly turned towards Scarlett. "Scarlett, a few days ago I wrote a letter and sent to Tara. When you surprised me here yesterday, I planned to tell you then, but you left in such a hurry…I've gotten some good offers, Scarlett, and let's face it, I've never been interested in the lumber business and frankly, I'm not very good at it either…"
Scarlett didn't seem to hear him, "Why are you selling my store?" she asked again.
Ashley sighed, "Scarlett, I planned to split the profits with you…" India gasped at this news but Ashley hushed her. Scarlett protested, "I don't want the store sold, Ashley." Ashley smiled, "Well, I don't want the store period. And as I said, I've gotten good offers." Scarlett replied, "I can offer you more. I'll buy it from you." Ashley laughed softly, "Scarlett, I doubt Mr. Butler is interested in the lumber business…"
The name of Butler made Scarlett's eyes turn into daggers, "Mr. Butler has nothing to do with it. I'll buy the store and I'll run it. Don't look at me like that, Ashley, you know I ran that store and you and Mr. Kennedy were nothing more than names on the storefront!" Ashley paused, "Yes…well, then you can have it, dear Scarlett. You did so much for me and Mellie…" his voice drifted, "you always were so strong, Scarlett…God knows why you want the store, but I'll gladly give it to you…" Scarlett was offended, "I can pay for it, you know." Ashley smiled, "Yes, I know, but it would make me feel wrong doing that Scarlett. This way is better." Scarlett forced a smile; she knew she wasn't going to change his mind.
She left the house with the store in her possession and India foaming at the mouth at her brother's foolishness. Scarlett calmly called to the driver, "We're going back to the home in Atlanta." She sat back in the carriage, "Well," she thought, "For once in my life I agree with India Wilkes. She's got a fool for a brother! By agreeing to give me the store back, he just lost out on a great deal of money." Scarlett fell asleep much easier the second night in Atlanta. Perhaps it was the pleasant thought of making her own money that allowed her to have such peaceful dreams.
The first few nights, Scarlett both was hopeful and fearful that Rhett would come back to the house. But, he never did. No one in town ever asked her about him either, which annoyed her. "Why, either they could care less about me or they talk behind my back like a bunch of chickens," she thought. No one even seemed to notice she did not wear a wedding ring; that is, no one that she wanted to notice seemed to care. Plenty of men coming in the store took notice of the single woman at the counter, and would strike up casual conversations with her. Scarlett did not have much interest in any of them; she was quick to see their flaws. However, this didn't prevent her from flirting. She soon found out that it didn't hurt business, either. Within a few month's time, Scarlett's store was flourishing and a plan was made for an expansion.
Scarlett left town when the expansion was being done and took some time to relax at Tara. She was pleased to see Suellen was as jealous as ever. Yet, despite her success and despite the secret admiration of many, Scarlett was not satisfied. Inside she knew she would never be satisfied without Rhett. She was still mad at him, of course. He had disgraced her and her family with the divorce, although no one dared talk about her situation. Scarlett intimidated everyone, which made her both proud and sick to her stomach at the same time. She liked being the absolute head of the house, but she also secretly, desperately wanted to be taken care of, she wanted someone to teach her about life, she wanted someone who let her not be so tough…
Back in Atlanta, Scarlett was able to suppress these thoughts from her head by concentrating on work. The more she felt badly about life, the more she concentrated on work and the more she made money. Needless to say, she made an awful lot of money.
She became a member of the most prosperous social circle of Atlanta. It soon became clear to all Atlanta residents that a social event would not be a success without her. Scarlett went to all these functions and parties gladly. After all this time, she still enjoyed them and adored flirting and dancing with as many men as she could. Yet, after each event, she came home to an empty house and felt a sad weariness creep over her. She would drink some brandy but even that no longer made her feel warm nor comfortable.
Scarlett stopped into her store on a Saturday, a day she usually took off. There at the counter was a gentleman she vaguely recognized. She smiled at him, "Why, Mr. Ringwald, what a beautiful day it is, don't you agree?" He smiled warmly, "Why, yes, Ms. Scarlett, and how kind of you to remember me." Scarlett batted her eyes, "Ah, I wouldn't forget one of the best dancers in the city. You waltzed me straight into your heart!" He looked sheepish and frantically looked for something to buy. Scarlett suppressed a smile; it was too easy to get business.
Walter, the young man working at the counter, seemed to read her mind. "Ms. Scarlett, maybe you should try talking to that gentleman over there. He's been here nearly an hour and hasn't purchased a thing!" Scarlett started to sashay over towards the man, but stopped dead in her tracks. He turned and smiled at her, "Why, madam, what a lovely store!" She didn't know whether to hug him or smack him. She felt euphoria and fury all at once. Her face became contorted and he burst out laughing. That set her off, "Oh, Rhett, stop laughing! You're making a fool out of yourself." He leaned towards her and said softly, "I'm making a fool of myself? Well, my dear, I think you better look in the mirror to see who's the fool. Imagine! A married woman flirting with Mr. Ringwald! You know, you're lucky you have me as a husband. Some husbands would consider flirting as justifiable grounds for a divorce."
"Why you cad!" Scarlett yelled, not caring who heard, "How dare you make fun of something as serious as divorce! You rotten, good for nothing, worthless, idiotic…" He interrupted her, and pulled her aside towards the back room of the store "Now those aren't nice things to say about your husband, my pet." Scarlett wanted to kill him. Her eyes darted back and forth, her mouth was partly open, trying to find the right words to express her feelings. Finally she sputtered, "Oh, I'll kill you! I'll kill you, surely I will!" He grinned, "But, Scarlett, you hate wearing black and you know, when your husband dies…" She flew off the handle at this, "Why do you keep calling yourself my husband?" He suddenly turned serious, and pulled out of his coat pocket the papers she had signed a year ago. "What….what…" she stammered. He gently looked at her, "I never did anything with them, Scarlett. Never did anything but look at them, at your handwriting…." He paused, "Besides," he smiled, "you never wrote the name Butler, so I figured they couldn't be any good anyhow!"
Scarlett knew she should be angry; he left her on her own for a whole damn year! And, what had he been up to in the past twelve months? He probably had a relationship or two, and she had none. She should banish him forever, sign the papers the way they were meant to be signed. Instead she wrapped her arms around him with tears streaming down her face, and his strong arms wrapped her up in a most comforting embrace. "Oh, Rhett, I could stay like this forever," she whispered. "Ah, yes. But, then you'd miss this" and he cupped his hands to her cheeks and kissed her. And this time, she kissed him back.