"Scarlett I'm leaving again." Rhett told her.
"When will you be back?" she asked.
Ever since she had a nightmare, Rhett and Scarlett were civil towards each other. It had been two weeks since Rhett had returned and he had been avoiding Belle's place. He would go do other business, coming in late at night, it caused an argument between Rhett and Scarlett.
"You always come in here so late at night. You come to keep the rumors at bay yet you're always off doing something late at night, I know you're at Belle's." Scarlett had said venomously.
"My coming's and goings are of no concern to you Mrs. Butler and I pray you remember that." he said cooly.
Truthfully he was building her a new house, smaller than the one she had, more like Tara. He had the idea when she returned from Tara. Even though she couldn't go back to Tara, for all it's grander, it was small for two families, he could bring Tara to her. This act was his way of apologizing to her for the things he had done to hurt her.
"They are my concern when they make me the laughing stock of Atlanta!" she didn't bother to keep her voice down, the children were visiting Ashley.
"I assure you my pet, my actions aren't making you the laughing stock of Atlanta, you already secured that spot on your own." he told her and turned on his heel to walk out.
She grabbed the nearest thing she could find, an ornate vase, and threw it at him narrowly missing his head.
"I see you still have quiet an arm on you Scarlett." he told her then walked out the parlor door. She heard the front door slam.
Scarlett was angry at him for a long time after that. Even when she had a nightmare and had awoken to see him standing over her, she yelled at him and sent him from her room. He had turned cool towards her, but still civil.
"When will you come back?" she repeated when he didn't answer her.
"I heard you my pet, I was just calculating the days. I'll be returning to Georgia in a month's time." he started, "And to Atlanta in two months."
"So long?"
"It's less than half a year, did you miss me last time my pet?" his voice was teasing and Scarlett's eyes narrowed.
"No, I didn't miss you. You are a cad and I hope you never return."
He could only laugh, "You are still as spirited as ever darling. I will return, in two months time."
"When are you leaving?" she asked.
"Now are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Be civil!" she snapped.
"I'll be leaving tomorrow morning." he said shaking his head.
The front door slammed and the adult's raised their heads waiting to hear the pitter patter of tiny feet running down the hall.
"Mother, Uncle Rhett, Aunt Scarlett!" came the voices of three children.
"In the dining room Wade, Ella, Beau." Scarlett called out.
Her own children ran to Rhett and Beau ran to Scarlett. She smiled and hugged her nephew, "How's your father Beau?" she asked him, as she always did.
"He's trying to catch up with us." Wade said proudly. "We raced here from the house, I won, the Beau, then Ella, and Uncle Ashley is in the back."
"Oh you beat your Uncle? He used to be the fastest runner in the county." Scarlett laughed, it was true, he was the fastest male runner in the county, no one could beat Scarlett.
There was a knock on the door and Pork went to answer it, "Miz Scarlett, Cap'n Butler, Mist. Ashley is here." Pork announced, standing in the dining room doorway.
"Come in Ashley." Scarlett called out.
Ashley Wilkes was a pathetic man, in Rhett's opinion. He had no backbone. It was true that he had fought in the war, but Melly had fought a war of her own, and she fought it while still maintaining an air of dignity. While Ashley was gallivanting off with the foolish soldiers, Melly had fought to give birth to a child, survive the road to Tara, and survived the Yankees trying to burn them out of Tara. Melly fought a harder war, as did the women that had been left behind.
"Good afternoon Scarlett, Captain Butler." Ashley nodded to them both.
"What can I do for you Ashley?" Scarlett asked, noting Rhett's reaction.
Rhett stood calmly calculating his wife. If she did in deed fall out of love with Ashley, he would be able to see it, since he could read his wife like an open book. He watched her eyes fill with nothing. The old look of wanting was gone, leaving an empty sea of green. She didn't lean towards him unconsciously as she used to, she didn't try to touch him.
Ashley was also watching Scarlett, he was starting to notice her again. Now that Melly was gone, he couldn't help but notice that his brotherly ties to Scarlett were severed. Her husband hand been dead for 12 years and his wife was dead for six months. In six more it would be socially acceptable to be seen in public with her again. If only she wasn't married to Rhett. He sighed, and noticed Rhett's eyes dart to him. Rhett searched his face for something and when he found it, a look of pity crossed his own face.
Rhett did pity Ashley, finally the mad was realizing his attraction to Scarlett, and to think, he was so close to having her six months ago! Rhett would have kicked himself if the honorable Ashley Wilkes would have forgotten what is socially acceptable and had made advances towards Scarlett. Advances that Rhett himself was certain she would reciprocate, if only to be sure that her love for him was indeed non existent. Of course, by then the gossip mill would be churning out news that would have reached him had be been in China!
"Well Scarlett, I came by to see if you can come to the mills tomorrow morning. I need your assistance with the books." he told her.
Scarlett frowned, she had fixed the books only a week before, what was his real purpose? Ashley annoyed her to no end. His stupid wooden headedness made her wonder why she found him desirable in the first place. He was nothing like Rhett. Rhett was strong, he knew how to run a business. Yes, he had his faults, but the way he took care of those that were important to him made up for those faults. Of course, Scarlett didn't dare herself the luxury of fantasizing that Rhett cared about her. He knew that the children were the most important thing to him. Especially Wade.
"Scarlett darling, I believe we had an engagement tomorrow." Rhett's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Did we?" Scarlett asked shocked, "I thought you were leaving tomorrow morning?"
"Tomorrow afternoon then." Ashley said quickly.
"The business I have can wait a bit Scarlett." he told her, "Perhaps Mr. Wilkes can bring the books to you later today and we can take them back to him before our engagement."
"Yes...Ashley could you do that?" Scarlett asked him, hardly daring to believe that Rhett was staying for another few weeks.
"I suppose I could."
"Good then, now if you excuse us, I would like some time alone with my wife and the children, a few weeks doesn't quite make up for being absent for six months does it?" Rhett said smoothly.
After Ashley and Beau left, and the children were sent outside, Scarlett turned to Rhett, "How long?" she asked.
"As long as it takes my pet."
"For what?" she furrowed her brow in confusion.
"For Ashley Wilkes to realize that you are a married lady, a bad reputation does not give you permission to be unfaithful."
"What are you talking about Rhett?" Scarlett asked, her voice mirroring her expression.
"I'm talking about the way he was looking at you! As if you were a...a...as if you were one of Belle's girls!"
Scarlett's eyes went wide, "are you jealous of Ashley?" she asked.
"No Scarlett, I'm just protecting what's mine."
"So I am yours?" she asked batting her eyelashes.
"Yes, as long as you have that ring on your finger and you refuse to sign the papers, you are still my wife and he will remember that."
Scarlett felt the sting of his words, he didn't want her. Not really. She was only his wife because she refused to even think about a divorce.
"Well then you must remember that you are my husband!" she shot back, "I don't want you gallivanting off to be with Belle or any other whore!" she shouted.
Rhett was in front of her in a second. His hands gripped her shoulders, bruising her.
"Turn me loose!" she said jerking away from him.
He looked down at her, his eyes burning with something she perceived as anger. It frightened her, even though she was wrong.
"Scarlett look at me." his voice was dangerous.
She forced her eyes to look at him defiantly, refusing to show the fear.
"Have I been with Belle since I've been here?" he asked her.
"I don't know Rhett, I don't monitor your comings and goings."
"Oh but you do my pet. I know you sleep with your door ajar, I know that you listen when I move about my room at night. I know you walk passed my door to listen if I'm still inside."
"I do not!"
"You do Scarlett, you know I hate it when you lie to me."
She didn't deny it anymore.
"You know I haven't been outside of this house except during the day when I'm doing business." he told her.
Scarlett waited, his grip didn't loosen, he seemed to be thinking of something.
"Rhett?" she asked, her arms were going numb.
"Do you know the other engagement that we have Scarlett?" he asked her.
"No, what is it?"
"Tomorrow would have been her birthday."
Scarlett knew who he was talking about. She felt a cold pain stab through her heart. Her little Bonnie would have been another year older. She closed her eyes and ignored the sound that was coming out of her mouth, like a dying cat. Tears ran down her cheeks and the grip on Rhett's arms released, only to be replaced by his arms around her waist. She felt warm wet streaks falling down her back and realized that Rhett had placed his head against her shoulder. The wetness was his tears. Rhett...who never let her see him cry since Bonnie's death, was crying at that moment. They never mourned together. Scarlett was angry at Rhett, and Rhett was blaming himself.
The next day, Rhett roused Scarlett up early, they were going to go spend a few hours with Bonnie before going to get the children. In all they would spend her birthday at the cemetery. Scarlett wasn't fond of the idea, she hated graveyards because she felt as if the angel statues were convicting her of not going to church, or even praying. During her life as an adult, she found nothing to pray for. Her religion didn't give her comfort, it didn't bring back her girlhood, her parents, or her daughter.
At the cemetery, the couple knelt at their daughter's grave, "Happy birthday sweetie." Scarlett whispered then blew a kiss at the stone.
Rhett had purchased a hundred blue flowers and he placed them on the marker. They stood and their arms found each other. In silence they held each other and Scarlett felt the tears threatening to fall again. She wanted to go home, to find comfort in her bed, and in Rhett's arms. Being held in public was embarrassing, especially because mourners were coming to see Melly's grave, even if it wasn't her anniversary of her six months, they still trickled to leave her flowers. A few stopped by Bonnie to leave her a blue flower or two, which was returned by a nod by her parents.
Mrs. Mead recalled to Mrs. Elsing that Scarlett looked as if she was about to faint, standing there by the child's grave. Mrs. Merryweather told of how the children arrived later and they too put flowers on Bonnie's grave. Wade had told a story about how he remembered not liking Bonnie at first, and how now he missed her. It caused Scarlett to faint and she had to be carried home by Rhett.
Scarlett woke up in her room. Rhett was sitting next to her, holding her hand. He saw when she woke up.
"Drink." he told her offering her a glass.
The liquor burned it's way down her throat and she coughed violently, but she felt better.
"Rhett, you know I don't drink anymore." she told him after her coughing spell.
"You need it after today." he told her, "You should have told me that you were feeling poorly, I would have brought you home earlier."
"It's her birthday Rhett, I wanted to spend it with my daughter, as I do with every child." she snapped.
He smiled, she was back to her old self.
"Can you walk?" he asked and helped her out of bed.
She wobbled so he lifted her up.
"Where are we going?" she asked him curiously.
He didn't answer, instead he carried her to a room that no one ventured in. Opening the door, they were hit with the smell of a room that had been locked up for a very long time. Scarlett started shaking, not wanting to go further, but wanting it at the same time. She hadn't been there since the funeral. She had tried to pack up her things, but it didn't happen. Rhett had come in and forced her out, locking the door so she couldn't get in.
He set her down gently and walked into the still room. A fine layer of dust covered everything, and a few cobwebs were in the corners, but other than that it was just as it was left. The bed was made perfectly, she wasn't sleeping in that room when she died. The toys were still out, as if waiting for their mistress to return to play with them, or put them away. The last thought was ridiculous, Bonnie wasn't known for putting her toys away. A dress was hanging on a chair, she was going to wear it that day. It was blue, like everything else she wore. Her hair was still in the comb, dry and brittle, it broke to dust as soon as Rhett touched it.
Scarlett couldn't stand seeing the tears that pooled in his dark eyes. He loved Bonnie the most. She was his only daughter. Yes, she was Scarlett's favorite, but she still had Ella and Wade to call her own, Rhett had just lost another child, then he lost his wife. It was a wonder that he wasn't colder towards her. All at once Scarlett came to realize the pain he was in when she died. His wife was unfaithful to him in her heart, he felt as if she would never love him. His daughter, the one that he could spoil like he wanted to spoil Scarlett was dead. With her, Scarlett was dead, the Scarlett that he fell in love with. The Scarlett that was untainted by war and hard times. The girl that believed that everything would be perfect, because her father made it so.
Scarlett walked over to him, he was hunched over the blue dress. His shoulders were shaking and she reached out to put a shaky hand on his shoulder, to comfort him. Her whipped around suddenly, the frightening look back in his eyes. Scarlett drew back and he caught her wrist. She expected to be hurt, or bruised at least, but with a gentleness that she hadn't seen from him in a long time, he pulled her hand towards his lips. He kissed her palm, her fingers, her wrist. Up her arm then her lips.
Surprise and desire rushed through her. Her arms went around his neck and she gave herself into that kiss. She pressed herself against him, willing him to lift her up and take her in her bedroom. Willing...willing...
He broke away. Her breathing was coming in ragged breaths and he was gulping for air.
"Forgive me." he whispered.
"No." she shook her head, "There's nothing I need to forgive you for."
"But there is." he took her hands in his and led her out of Bonnie's room to her own, "Scarlett, forgive me for causing your miscarriage, for raising Bonnie's bar, for teaching her to jump! Forgive me for leaving you on the road to Tara, for forcing you into an unhappy marriage, for making you unhappy!" he was on his knees now, as he knew he would be eventually. "Forgive me for leaving my darling."
She shook her head, "I told you, there is nothing that I need to forgive you for." she emphasized the words.
"Scarlett...you can't have forgiven me for doing so much to you already can you?"
"I forgave you when I saw you just now, crying over her dress. Rhett, I'm sorry for thinking I was in love with Ashley."
She knew that was the big one. The one thing that stopped them from being truly happy. Before she could say anything else, his mouth was on hers again. They undressed each other and fell onto her bed in passion. On their daughter's birthday, they unknowingly gave their little angel the greatest gift of all, her parent's put their past behind them.
A/N: Kinda fluffy I know...it gets complicated later, don't worry. XD
