Scarlett wasn't sleeping, Not truely when the door downstairs was opened,and suddenly she was up,her motherly instincts flaring as she got out of her bed in her robe and went towards the childrens room to make sure they were ok.Her mind was racing,what would she do,how could she protect herself-then there it was,in the corner there was Charles Sword,the one Melanie had given her on her deathbed.Scarlett gave a small smile,thanking god for small favors,and with that Scarlett decended down the stairs with heavy feet and the burden of a Sword in hand.

"I'm only in for the night,no need to alert Mrs. Bulter."

"Where will you be sleeping for the night?"

"I suppose on the Couch in here-why,there's a fire,has Mrs. Bulter been entertaining?"

"Yessir' she's been havin' mista' Ashley over."

Rhett laughed a little,

"Very well,I'll be fine,your dismissed."

Scarlett thought to go get Rhett and speak to him,but instead she went back to her room,after all he didn't want her woke,he didn't want to see her on his one night home.She didn't want to think of that-but,what if that was the case? what if she couldn't make him understand her love for him? Scarlett set Charles sword on the railing too tierd to pick it up and carry it back to the hall.

"Mother?"

"Oh Wade-you Frightened me,why are you awake?"

Wade looked down embarassed

"I heard uncle Rhett..."

"Ohhh.Well,Yes-he is here,but only for the night,he's mighty tierd, maybe if you wake up early you could talk to Uncle Rhett before he leaves"Scarlett tried to sound sweet the way her mother would if she were in Scarletts place

"Mother?"

"Yes?"

Wade knew his mother hadn't been getting much sleep,and on most nights he would go into her room and sit on the chair with the candles burning and they would talk until Mother found rest.Of course he had to make mother think it was because he wasn't tierd,or he was afriad,not the other way around,some nights in her sleep She would cry out and Wade would grab her hand trying to comfort his poor mother sometimes she would wispear about Melanie or Bonnie,even her Pa and Mother,but the most heartbreaking cries,were the ones she made for Rhett.Wade sighed,he wondered if Uncle Rhett would ever come home,and care for his mother.Wade wondered what he would do for her,she seemed to be fading,her once bright spirit was lost,once she looked as if she could do it all alone,now he or Ashley had to acompany her everywhere.

"mother..may I come to your room tonight?"

"Yes dear, but only for a hour tonight,you must conquer your fears,I do't know whats been bothering you so"

Wade was silent,not letting on,as he smiled

Scarlett knew she'd done the right thing,she was becoming the perfect mother,she would be the perfect mother the her babies.As she walked down the hall Scarlett stopped and looked into the mirror,and for the first time-she saw something that resembled her mother she squared her shoulders and walked into her room behind Wade.

Rhett sat by the fire,wondering what he was to do-He had not been expecting Belle to ask him this,not at all,why she had asked him was quiet obvious,but there were things he had to do at home,he couldn't play this game for too long,and did he really want to?

share a bed and home with Belle so soon after Scarlett,it seemed like a betrayal.but it wasn't Rhett bitterly thought,the divorce papers were by his side,burning a hole in the table beside him-that was his last job in atlanta deliver them to Scarlett,but he was sure that she would find then there,when she came down the next afternoon.Rhett looked at the fire,who had built it, Ashley,or Scarlett, he wondered at the picture he was forming,what would they talk about,the late Mrs.Wilkes or about the future,or maybe more then likely the past,he wondered if Scarlett was suffocating here all alone,and for a breife second,he was glad.Rhett layed down on the Couch and closed his eyes.trying to block out his thoughts trying not to think so badly of Scarlett.

There was a knock at the door.

"Yes?"

"Uncle Rhett? It's me,Wade"

"Come in my boy"

"Hello"

Wade walked past Rhett,giving off the slight smell of Scarlett that made Rhetts eyebrow rise questioningly.

"I asked mother if I could stay in her room for an hour or two tonight" Wade supplied.

"Wade,I'm not sure thats proper..."

"Well,I sit on her beside couch,and we talk business,till she goes to sleep then I leave..you see well that is-uhm"

"What?"

"Well,Mother can't sleep when shes alone."

"Ah,so you help her,without her ever knowing,it's a thankless job you've taken up son"

"Mothers so different,she's thankful, I know it."

"Well,good for you,"Rhett said slightly unconvinced "I do have something to ask you Wade"

"Oh what?"

"A favor really,you see,how would you like to become master of this house?"

"Well,I suppose i wouldn't mind,though i always had my eye on Tara"

"Tara?"

"Oh yes Uncle Rhett..Tara..."

"You sound like your mother."

Wade Beamed "I want to be more like her."

"You don't have to be."

"My mothers so strong,and she's so kind now,these past few weeks. She is so much nicer then she used to be.I want to be like her"

Rhetts eyes became dark and serious."Why do you think that is?"

Wade paused in thought

"I think that she's trying to make it up to Aunt Melanie..and..." the last words were wispeared out like he wasn't sure he could say them "Bonnie."

Rhetts Face Crumbled,suddenly he was drained,Bonnie deserved to be Cherished and loved and alive,his poor little bonnie...

"I'm sorry Uncle Rhett.I'm Sorry"

"no,No,no,It's...ok"Rhett struggled.

Wade looked up at the celling

"Are you leaving in the morning?"

"I won't be in the house"

"Mother said you were leaving,I was just wondering,are you ever coming back Rhett?"

Rhett Saw apprehension in Wades eyes."Cause Mother will need me to take care of her,you haven't seen her since you left,somethings different,and I don't think she'll get along like she used to,I suspect she'll need to be Married off to someone if you-that is-pardon my speaking out of line sir"

Rhett only nodded.seeing where Wade was going ,he was so smart,so perceptive,he was becoming a gentleman,and Rhett was pleased,though he wonder who caused this if Scarlett had begun teaching Wade edicate.wishful thinking,rhett thought and banished the thought.It was silent a long time,Wade sat quietly watching Rhett.Rhett was consuming what Wade had told him,a warning he realized wade was not going to leave Scarlett for him to come back and claim in few years.She would be Married off if there was a divorce,to who he wondered...

but even that warning,was not enough to keep Rhett from leaving divorce papers in that library room as he left.

Train

Rhett looked out the window silently going over what he and Belle would do.First they would make the apearance of being a couple,sharing a room and he would play the gentlman,next they would pick up Rome from his all boys school, and convince the headmaster that he was going to capable hands,then with any hope Rhett would be sending them alone to new york where there was more freedom for a single woman.he wondered how long this would take..months? hopefully not.once again he cursed the way that women were veiwed,as if Belle couldn't take care of her boy without a man. but this was not the time to battle that,he would do his part and then he would go...go where? Home,where ever that is.Maybe a year or two on the sea would do him good.somewhere far away.

Wade did not pause once he had something in his head,and now he had something to do.He was not blind to Uncle Ashleys advances and for all he saw it seemed like a decent idea,his mother and Ashley,of course Ashley wasn't Rhett, but Uncle Rhett wasn't coming home,and the papers he saw long after Rhett had left that morning had proved it-

LEGAL DIVORCE