Home, home I'm going home. The word sang in Scarlett's mind and allowed her to keep her head in several close calls along the road to Tara. At the moment they were hiding under a bridge in the pouring rains while men marched above them. If they lost the horse...Scarlett refused to think of it. They would make it home and she would place her head in her mother's lap and this war would fall away and everything would be all right again. She stared out in the rain at Rhett, holding the horse steady, and felt a fluttering in her stomach. On the road when he stopped Scarlett had resisted the urge to grab the whip and drive the horse herself so badly did she wish to be home.

The nag was on his last legs when they crossed by Twelve Oaks. Melanie's cries at seeing the grand old plantation burned to the ground were echoed by Scarlett. They had left the slave quarters but the house and stables had not been spared. The grand staircase where she had flirted with her beaus was all that remained. A sudden sound startled her and Rhett drew his gun, hammer cocked and ready to fire. It was no soldier, just a cow that was desperately in need of milking. Scarlett breathed out, a nervous giggle threatening to turn into full blown laughter but she checked herself remembering that there could be Yankees here still.

"Prissy, tie up that cow. We don't know what we will find at home."

Rhett looked around, remembering the first and only time he had visited Twelve Oaks. That afternoon he had tried to warn them and no one would listen. Now almost all the men at the barbeque were dead and buried in unmarked graves throughout the north. Except him. Rhett shook his head and turned back to the wagon. Prissy had the cow tied up and Scarlett was impatiently waiting for him to remount.

'Hurry, Rhett, we'll be home before sun-up. I'll get to see Mother and once we're home everything will be all right."

If Rhett had the strength he would have told her that it was more likely Tara had been burned down and her family relocated further south. But the only thing keeping her going was the thought of home and despite his liking on pushing her he would not take away her hope for her mother and her home.

The moon was setting by the time they made it up the lane towards Tara. Scarlett looked ready to run up the drive, her whole body tense to spring. Little Wade whimpered in the back of the wagon , loud enough to cover Melanie's moans and weak cries. Rhett wondered idly what Scarlett would do if she died. He wanted to crush her thin body to his, kiss her until she was breathless and begging for more. If Melanie died and Ashley came home...well, he'd killed before. Scarlett belonged to him, even if she didn't realize it yet.

Scarlett jumped from the wagon as the nag fell in the harness in front of an impossibly still standing house. She rushed to the front door as it fell open at her approach and her Pa stepped out to look at her.

"Pa, it's me, your Katie Scarlett. I've come home."

Gerald didn't seem to hear her, he looked off into the night his eyes wild and unfocused. Scarlett felt fear creep up her throat. Why didn't he notice her?

"Pa?"

Finally Gerald turned his face towards her his eyes struggling to focus on her face.

"Katie Scarlett? You're home?"

Scarlett hugged him close whispering over and over in his ear I'm home, I'm home. Rhett helped Prissy and Wade out of the wagon while Pork and Dilcey came out of the house exclaiming over Scarlett. He handed Melanie's baby to Prissy with instructions not to drop him and picked Miss Melanie up to carry her inside. He nodded his head at Pork and Gerald, heading towards the parlor when Gerald's words reached his ears just before Scarlett's screams.

"You're mother is dead."