CHARLESTON

"I'm sorry Mr. Butler. There's nothing we could do for your son. His lungs aren't developed fully. Maybe if he had been carried to term-" Rhett could barely hear what the doctor was saying, he was so lost in his own thoughts,

'Another child dead!'

"Mr. Butler? Mr. Butler!" The Doctor said loudly trying to get the stricken man's attention.

"Yes Doctor," Rhett replied.

"I know this is hard for you but you must know this, your wife is very weak. Under no circumstances should you and your wife ever try for a baby again. I warned you the last time but neither of you listened. This time listen close. Mrs. Butler is lucky to be alive. Even now I'm not entirely sure if she will make it but if you ever put her through this again I can guarantee she will not be able to handle it," Dr. Roth tried to say this as kindly as he possible could while stressing the importance of his words. He thought back to the last time he was standing in the Butler home telling Rhett Butler his wife had miscarried. He could remember the look of intense grief on his face. To see it again made him feel doubly sorry for the man.

Rhett pulled his thoughts together and let his mask slip back on his face.

"Don't worry Dr. Roth, it wont happen again."

On the surface he seemed more composed but inside Rhett's heart was breaking again. To never be a father again. His worst nightmare come true.

DUBLIN ( 6 weeks later )

"Luke, we've been over this a million times. There is no reason for you to legally adopt Cat. She will never want for anything. I trust you. Besides I have enough money for her. She doesn't need anything from your estate," Scarlett was trying to say this with in a loving way but her temper was simmering. Ever since Luke had decided he wanted to adopt Cat and change her name from Katie Colum O'Hara to Lady Catherine Fenton, she had been having the same argument with him.

"I don't see what your objection is. Cat likes me and I love her. I want to be her Father." Luke said with a dark expression on his face. He was used to always getting his own way and being told 'no' was just not an option.

Hearing this Scarlett felt a sudden ache in her heart.

'Cat already has a father,' she thought to herself silently, 'Maybe it's time to tell Luke the truth.'

Scarlett knew that Luke thought that Cat was the product of some affair, and that's why she's in Ireland claiming to be a widow and thought her child was bastard.

"Scarlett-" Luke tried to begin again before being cut off.

"I need to tell you some thing," Scarlett began, not sure how to continue. She decided to just tell him everything, so she told him how she had met Rhett, her love for Ashley. Her marriages with Charles, Frank and Rhett, none of whom she married for love or for even companionship and her love for Rhett that she realized too late. She also told him the circumstances that had surrounded Cat's conception during the storm, and briefly described her divorce and ex-husband's sudden remarriage.

"So you see darling, if you still want to adopt Cat, we will need to file papers and go through months of legal process, for the adoption to be legal, Rhett needs to surrender his paternal rights. And knowing him as well as I do, he will never give up his child no matter what. Most likely he would want to fight for custody to take her away from us."

Luke fell silent for a while trying to digest what Scarlett had told him. He knew she was wounded in love, he just never knew how badly. "Maybe it's time you told him," he kindly suggested.

"No! I told you. He is mad about babies. He'll try and take her away from me, from us" Scarlett cried.

"Do you think I would let that happen? My darling, he will not come close to Cat if you don't want him to whether he wants to or not. Besides, didn't you say his wife was expecting?"

"Yes. Bart told me three months ago so I'm guessing she'll have the baby soon," Scarlett tried but failed to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Luke gave her a shrewd look, "So that's why you accepted my proposal?" He threw his head back and laughed. "I should've known," Seeing Scarlett's torn look he added quickly, "Oh don't worry my dear, I still want to marry you. I want you for things… besides your heart." He said giving her body a long look up and down before looking back into her eyes and winking.

"Oh Luke! You shouldn't say such things," Scarlett said giving him a mock glare before bursting into laughter.

LATER THAT NIGHT

Scarlett sat in her room watching Cat sleep. Her baby was three now. She was her whole life. It was times like this Scarlett remembered how Rhett acted with Bonnie. She used to wonder why Rhett would just sit and watch Bonnie sleep never understanding the joy he got out of it. Now she knew. Thinking back to three months before when she had heard Rhett's news and then had rashly accepted Luke's proposal. At first she had regretted her decision but after a while she got used to the idea of being a Countess and figured there was no point to growing old alone after Cat was grown and married with a family of her very own.

'A long way from a spoiled Clayton county belle' she thought to herself smiling. Her smile faded as she looked down at Cat.

"What should I do?" she whispered into the darkness.

She was ready to move on with her life even though she loved Rhett more than anything. His remarriage and new baby were enough to show her that there was no going back. It was almost as if she never existed to him, so why should she tell him now? But still she felt the need to see him, talk to him, and tell him about Cat. With that thought still fresh in her mind Scarlett got up abruptly and started to pace around her room.

'Tell him about Cat?' She thought as she remembered Luke's words.

Scarlett knew in her heart the reason she didn't want Luke to adopt Cat was because then Rhett would be lost to Cat forever. Even if he discovered the truth years from now, the notion that someone one else had raised his child would kill Rhett and Scarlett wasn't sure if she could do that to him after all she had done to them during their marriage.

'Oh, I wish I didn't love him so. It would be much easier if I didn't' she thought angrily. 'He deserves that much pain and more' but nothing could convince her. The time had come and she knew it.

There were only six weeks left before her wedding. Luke wanted Cat to be his daughter before the wedding and she knew she couldn't talk him out of it any longer. Scarlett also knew that Cat was safe. Rhett Butler was a powerful man but in England and Ireland, Lord Fenton was near invincible. And maybe she needed this, for both her and Cat. She would know for sure if Rhett wanted to acknowledge Cat once he got word. With his new baby that was on the way, she knew the chances of him wanting Cat had reduced.

'If he doesn't want her then we can just move on as a family, Luke, Cat and I.'

Making up her mind, Scarlett sat down at her table and starts to write a letter…