Disclaimer: I don't own GWTW. Don't sue. Same characters (for the most part... name changes may occur) as in the sequel to GWTW, Scarlett, and similar sequences for a few opening chapters.

A/N:

For those of you who don't know, after Melly's funeral, she went home to Tara. She does not have Wade or Ella. Different in this plot however her Coleen died from the Typhoid around the same time that her mother. ~

Chapter 1 - Part 1 - Goodbyes

Scarlett arrived at Tara tired and not wanting to deal with Suellen, but she was looking forward in some weird way to seeing her sister. She and Mammy entered into the house to find it terribly silent. Where was everyone? Scarlett remembered this eerie feeling when she arrived at Tara during the war to find her mother and sister were dead…

"Hello" she called into the big empty house.

Lutie came descending the staircase. "Hello miss Scarlett," she said in a near whisper. "Miss Suellen, she's…" she began. Scarlett feared the worst.

Scarlett climbed the stairs and went to the room that Suellen had ever since she could remember.

Opening the door with Mammy and Lutie behind her, she saw her sister, pale faced, barley making a rise under her comforter.

"Suellen!" She quietly exclaimed and ran to the bedside. Suellen's eyes opened, to Scarlett's relief, and she smiled faintly.

Scarlett pulled the chair that was nearby and sat close to her sister and held her hand. Mammy sat across the bed in another chair and silently watched.

All at once, all the years of hatred, irritation, jealousy and envy vanished. For one brief shining moment in their lives, they were happy to be together.

"Sue, I'm sorry for everything. I should have been a better sister." Scarlett sobbed after a long while in silence.

Suellen could only frown a little bit and shake her head. In between coughs, she said quietly, "don't worry anymore. What's done is done. That's the past, and it's gone now." She smiled faintly. Scarlett leaned over her and kissed her gently on the cheek. Looking into her sisters eyes, Suellen said "you are so beautiful. Stay beautiful. Learn to be happy. Let the past go dear. All the ugliness, it's gone now. Time for something new. Tell Rhett how much you love him and start new…"

Scarlett's tears overflowed. If only she could tell Rhett. She felt Suellen's hand go limp in hers as her eyes closed for the last time. She was gone.

Mammy woke up to hear Scarlett crying. She moved across the room to comfort her Scarlett and take her away from the sight in front of her, to her room, where she needed to rest up a bit. Mammy lay her down to sleep and kissed her goodnight.

"Mammy, you aren't well. I should go see to some soup for you." She said barely conscious.

"No child, you's go to sleep now. I can take care's o myself."

"No." Scarlett said in a whisper as she sat down on the bed.

Falling asleep instantly, Mammy gently kissed her and said "goodbye child. I'll be looking on from heaven."

Mammy slowly walked to her old room. She sat at the desk and wrote a short note. The she rose an walked over to her bed, rustled up her red petty coat that she had on under her skirt and lay on the bed and went to sleep with a slight smile on her face.

Scarlett woke late the next day realizing she was still in her clothes from the day before. How tired was she? Mammy hadn't come in yet… why?

She went to the old woman's room, thinking that perhaps she took more sleep since she had made such a long trip, and she has been excessively tired lately. Scarlett saw her Mammy on the bed, and a note on her desk addressed to Scarlett. She opened the note:

Scarlett my lamb,

I loved you your whole life, and I's gonna love you forever. My precious one, I seen you through so much pain an sufferin, and I's so sorry I can't sees you through this. Live your life precious one, and don't lets nothing hold you back from what you want. When you finds Mister Rhett, you tell him that ol Mammy love him and to take care of his lamb cus I can't do it no more.

Scarlett's face paled and the note fell from her hands as she realized what was happening.

She ran to her Mammy to find the chill of death had taken over her. She screamed and fell sobbing to the floor before passing out.

Lutie having heard the scream ran into the room to see Mammy on the bed and Scarlett on the floor next to her. Crying she joined Scarlett at Mammy's side. Tearfully trying to wake up Scarlett she shook from the shock. Scarlett reviving, realizing what was happening, that it was no bad dream, but unbearable reality. She sat hugging Lutie and crying.

All she had known was gone.

Scarlett sat on the train, having left Tara with Lutie. After burring her sister and her dear Mammy, she let the other servants stay in the house since it was their home. But she needed to get away. She watched the trees pass, numbed even more from the loss, as life passed her by.

Determined to leave death behind her, she went to the only one who would be able to give her comfort. She went to go find Rhett.

To Charleston.

~Part 2~

Weeping Willow.

Scarlett got off the train in Charleston and decided to break all rules and just go to Rhett's home unannounced. She was devastated and it was an emergency. She had nowhere to turn.

The whole carriage ride, Scarlett assured herself that this was okay. She simply had to come. She could get Miss Eleanor to help. She had always liked her too. Somehow she reminded Scarlett of her mother, and Miss Eleanor was always very kind to her. She had to find a way to win Rhett back. She felt bad that she hadn't gone for a new wardrobe, but there wasn't time. Besides, Rhett always enjoyed picking her clothes, perhaps that would be something they could do together right away…

They arrived at the Butler Estate. It was more beautiful then she had remembered it.

'Perhaps Rhett has been restoring it…' she thought to herself.

She stepped out of the carriage and went up to the front door with her ladies maid, Lutie behind her.

After knocking an older looking man opened the door. She recognized him as the Butler's butler.

"Miss Scarlett," he said, noticeably surprised to see her.

"Hello." She said simply, nearly to tears.

He showed her into the drawing room and announced her to Miss Eleanor.

"Dear child!" Miss Eleanor said leaping to her feet and walking over in a hasty fashion to her daughter-in-law.

"Miss Eleanor" exclaimed Scarlett and hugged her fiercely as she burst into tears.

Eleanor held her, as she helped her over to a couch and sat down. Scarlett felt all human strength go from her as she found comfort for the first time in so long.

"My dear what has happened?" Eleanor asked.

Scarlett sobbed as she tried to somewhat control her crying, it was highly undignified to cry so.

"Oh Miss Eleanor, what hasn't happened. My sister… Mammy…" She could hardly bring herself to say it… "dead…" she managed in between hysterical sobs, and began crying anew.

"Oh my dear!" Eleanor exclaimed and held her closely.

Hearing the crying Rhett ran downstairs fearing for his mother and was stunned to see Scarlett crumbled in his mothers arms.

"Scarlett! What's happened?" he exclaimed having no previous memory of leaving or anything around him, except for the fact that Scarlett was here and obviously terribly devastated.

Eleanor told him, and simply hearing the words pass through the air caused Scarlett to weep more furiously.

"Scarlett my dear." Rhett said consolingly. He sat down next to her and his mother gently helped place her in his arms. Scarlett curled up in the fold of his arm and wept without restraint as all the sorrow passed through her freely. Rhett held her, never wanting to let her go.