It was the first time in days that Scarlett could go outside and sit. It was bright outside and midday with all the pleasant features Georgia always beheld. In the Butler's backyard, yellow and red flowers were gleaming and moving with the wind as if a to nature's musical beat. It reminded Scarlett of the old days and parties back then. These memories still pained her but they were so much easier to carry now. The first part of life was girlhood, then came marriage. Scarlett sighed. Most women talked of marriage being just as good as girlhood, and somewhat fun with children. The only child she'd ever had "fun" with was Bonnie. To Scarlett, marriage was so dull, sometimes it seemed right to get a divorce. Even so, Scarlett rarely thought of divorce and it brang horror, unless Ashley was free. But Ashley would never be free. Scarlett didn't think further on the topic, for she knew she would go crazy with love for Ashley, and hate for Melanie.

Wade and Ella were playing as usual out in the yard. However it was rare to see them play together without Beau as they were today. Perhaps they came to an agreement. How would Ella ever come to something like that? She had no idea what the word even meant! Wade had surely done something, maybe he convinced her. Scarlett could only catch a little of what they were playing. Both were running, holding sticks (meant to be swords as Scarlett guessed) and throwing pebbles. Scarlett wanted to shout at them to be careful but couldn't find the will. It would be their own fault if they got hurt. Today the children looked different than usual. It was fresh outside with a gentle breeze. Wade's cheeks were flushed, his eyes excited and delighted. He no longer had a rabbit caught in a trap look. Instead, he looked free and happy, almost like Beau looked normally. Ella also looked different. The simple, quiet look in her eyes, was replaced by cheerfulness, and pride, then again, almost like Bonnie's. Her red hair was combed and tied back for once by a green ribbon, matching the little girl's eyes. Scarlett had never noticed Ella's green eyes before, and they looked shockingly like her's. Ella's dress was laced properly and neatly. It was a pretty white dress with green trimmings. Rhett had bought it for her before Bonnie was born. Wade was wearing normal boy clothing and was barefoot. Scalett looked down at her stomach. It had grown a quite a bit since the last month and it was now three months into the pregnancy. The nausea decreased for the most part, but the pains and aches still hung on.

For some reason, Scarlett longed to see Melanie and Beau. It certainly seemed like a good idea. Perhaps Melanie would come by later with Beau. Scarlett wanted to talk to her, however she did not know what. She could not remember one time in her life that she wanted Melanie even near her! Scarlett also wanted to play with Beau, Wade and Ella. She was tired of sitting down and desperately wanted to do something, even if it was sewing and talking with the old matrons of Atlanta. However, Mammy was strict and refused to let her go anywhere. Scarlett could never understand why pregnant women were always humored like little children. This would be her fourth child and she needed no comforting, or preparation. At least Rhett never humored her when pregnant. She did not think of Rhett or Bonnie for she knew any thought of them would spoil a pleasant day. The brightness, and livliness of the day almost reminded her of days at Tara. Scarlett missed Tara more than anything in her life. She'd visit as soon as the baby was born, whether Rhett was there or not. She needed it badly. To be near the red Earth and cotton fields would be like being near her mother. Scarlett sighed at the thought of her mother. How Ellen would have loved to see Wade all grown and beginning to look like his father! And she would've loved Ella too and have been proud of her red hair and little giggles and smiles! But Scarlett felt that Ellen, like herself, would pick Bonnie as a favorite. There was no doubt in Scarlett's mind that the flying back hair, and prideful blue eyes would dazzle Ellen more than anything. And Gerald too. How proud Gerald would be to see how much little Bonnie was like him! Life was so full of "if onlys". If only Ashley hadn't married Melanie. If only Rhett loved her. If only Wade and Ella were as perfect as Bonnie. If only Suellen wasn't so petty and poor-spirited and Carreen so foolish and dreamy. If only...

Wade did have some trickery from his mother in him. He knew better than anyone that Ella was a dimwitted little mite and had no more sense than a goat. The boy usually wanted nothing to do with Ella or her little frantic plays and stories, but today was different. Mostly ever Friday, Wade went to play with Beau at Melly's. But Beau, Melanie, and Ashley were celebrating that day and Mammy had scolded him for even wanting to go. Wade, who respected anything that meant something good to Melly or Beau decided it was for the best and stayed. Channel, as lazy and useless as the dog was, was sleeping upstairs in Wade's room. Prissy had informed him that the dog was to have a puppy. This fact made Wade's day happier and bright, for he longed for a lively new puppy. Ella was immediately frightened by the fact, as she was scared of all dogs. Wade felt much like playing and knew that only Ella could accompany him. He offered her three dollars if she played and she very gladly took it. Wade did not have three dollars and knew immediately that when she got fairly into the game, she would forget the offer. Of course Ella took the offer and they started to play. Wade selected the game "war" from which he played with Beau. In Wade's childish view, War was the most wonderful game ever played, for it allowed him to scream and yell, and be a soldier while not getting hurt. Nothing was more fun than this. They used sticks as swords and real unloaded pistols, which belonged to Uncle Rhett. They also threw all the fruit they could find and even Ella's dolls for cannons. Ella seemed to love the game just as much as Wade. She playfully created her own barricade, even better than Wade's, and had quite a plan. She only wished that her mother, Bonnie, and Beau would play as well, so there would be more fun.

Ella, of course, was always misjudged. Although, being silly and absent-minded, as Scarlett predicted, she had real thoughts and dreams and might be considered as a mixture of the gentle, dreamy Carreen, and the petty, annoying Suellen, with a bit of her own mother. She did not forget about the money Wade had offered, but found the game so fun, she let it go. She had chosen the scene they would play. It was not from the Civil War, as Wade eventually learned, but from Les Miserables which Melanie had told them of. Melly had never read the book to them, nor offered, but Ella secretly hoped that her own mother would read. Ella, like Wade, loved her mother very much, and feared her. She did not fear her as much as Wade did, or as little as Bonnie did. Ella, in her own little four year-old mind, only wished that Scarlett would read to her once in a while. Ella knew that in her own little world, she would be five soon, and Bonnie three. She also loved Bonnie very much as a sister. The two, besides their differences, like Scarlett and Melanie, as Ella could record, were bonded together. They always had plans to gain Scarlett's attention and laughed and giggled. Ella never envied Bonnie, even for all of Bonnie's beauty, pride, and attention, but cherished her own. Ella was no beauty, as we have learned, but she knew how to act charming, even at her own little age. Ella dreamed of her mother's attention over her Aunt Melly's. She dreamed that one day, her mother would laugh, swing her around, kiss her, and hug her as Melanie did to Beau. She also wanted to be cared for, to be loved, read to, cherished. And she believed her dream would come true. Another of dreams was being a beautiful southern belle. She wanted to be beautiful, charming, flirty, graceful, and dazzling. She wanted men to swarm around her, admire her, fight with each other to dance with her. She wanted everything a child wanted. In some way, she dreamed of Beau. She had a strange liking for him that she concealed nearly all the time. She secretly Beau "liked" her too. And maybe one day, he would kiss her. He would kiss her like Uncle Rhett used to kiss her mother, or Uncle Ashley kissed Aunt Melly. She happily tossed one of her pretty dolls at Wade which hit him in the forehead, knocking him over. He burst into laughed and rolled over in the dirt.

"I'll get you" he shouted picking up an orange and tossing it with all his might towards Ella.

Ella screamed and dove behind the barricade. Scarlett finally gave up. She couldn't conceal her desperation any longer. She ran down to the tiny barricade where Ella hid behind. Ella looked up at her in surprise followed by Wade. The three stared at each other. Wade's lip quivered and his entire body shook with fear. Suppose she would scold him for almost hurting Ella? Or anything else! Ella felt shy and awkward at once and fell silent. Scarlett looked at the two with sadness. In her heart, she only wanted to play with them.

"What are you playing" she asked firmly.

Wade and Ella looked at each other in quivering silence and shrugged.

"You've got to be playing something!" Scarlett insisted sharply, touching Ella's barricade with a slight brush of her hand.

She then turned her eyes to Ella and smiled. It was a sickly smile, but it made Ella release her fear.

"We're playin' war!" she announced softly.

"War? Which war" Scarlett bent down close to Ella who seemed to grab onto her fear again. This time Wade spoke up.

"It's a battle Ella chose" he piped us shrilly.

"Really?" Scarlett cast her eyes back on Ella.

"From a book" she answered so softly that she could not be heard.

Scarlett had no intention to pry further into the subject and stood up.

"I think I'll go along, for a change. It seems as though you've made quite a... work of art Ella" she tried her hardest to sound kind and warm, but instead served her words cold and frigid.

Wade and Ella nodded and continued with their game. Scarlett felt like an outsider in the happy world of children, but grabbed up a stick and hit Ella's. Excitement flowed into the little girl's eyes and she struck back, careful not to hit Scarlett, fearing of upsetting her. They continued to fight, while Wade threw "cannons" at them. Like Ella, he was careful to not hit Scarlett but tried to enjoy himself. It is no happy thing for a child who is so afraid of their mother to have to play with them. Poor Wade felt so shy and afraid, he could've died of it right on the spot. Scarlett ducked behind the barricade and laughed. It was something she would've definetley enjoyed hanging off as a child. Ella jumped onto it, and when Wade's fruit cannon hit, she fell backwards and played dead. Scarlett laughed merrily and watched as Wade climbed onto a tree and lifted his musket in such a fine, man-like way. Scarlett touched Ella's arm and the little head popped up and a smile crossed it. Scarlett then looked pointedly at a nearby doll. As if secretly communicating with her mother, Ella picked up the doll, and flung it at Wade. Wade lost his balance and fell onto the floor. Luckily for him, he had climbed down a notch and was wearing well-proctective boy clothes. Ella cried in victory and threw another doll and then turned to Scarlett.

"Are you on my army, or Wade's" she asked cheerfully and then changed the subject "How do wars form?"

Scarlett grew annoyed at this statement, and knowing Ella too well, she picked up a doll and whisked it at Wade. It hit him and he cried out and fell onto the floor.

"I suppose this means victory for general Kennedy and I" Scarlett called out.

Wade got up and sheepishly nodded. Ella suddenly realized how close she was to her mother. She wanted to grasp her mother's hand but instead, backed away. Scarlett tried to pay no attention to this, but it still hurt her, in a way. She looked down at Ella with a authoritic face.

"What's that book you got this battle from?"

"The one Auntie reads all da time" Ella whispered.

Scarlett immediately knew the exact book and nodded. She then headed towards the house, the glow of playing with her children almost gone. Never in her life, did she picture having so much fun with Wade or Ella. But it was clearly there and Scarlett knew it. She did not love her children any better. But she now understood some of their childish games and fun, and it made her happy.