Author's Note: I will be out of the country for a week, so don't expect any updates for a while. Hope that you enjoy this one. Again this greatly borrows from the original. It just tells it from Rhett's perspective instead of Scarlett's

He was not happy to be returning to Atlanta so soon. He had not intended on returning for many months more. But Bonnie's eagerness spoke volumes as to the reason for their hasty return. She cuddled the kitten that her grandmother had given her as she chattered on in her baby voice, only a handful of words making any sense. But it was obvious to anyone that the child was excited about something. And Rhett knew that the reason was that she was about to see her mother.

He slouched lower in the seat as the train lurched into the station. The time between was no more. Now it was time to face Scarlett. Now the only time he had left was the time it would take to travel from the station to the Peachtree Street House. And that span of time was not nearly enough for his comfort. The day of reckoning had arrived.

He rose from his seat and collected a satchel, allowing the porter to claim the rest while he gathered Bonnie into his arms. She giggled and tugged at the corners of his mustache, her excitement would have been contagious to anyone other than Rhett at this very moment. His heart was too full of dread at finally facing Scarlett. No one had ever caused him to be the coward before that he currently was. Truthfully until Scarlett he hadn't cared what anyone even thought about him. But now he cared, he cared too much. And now he was going to have to face his shame.

He slowly made his way out of the train until he found a couch he could hire. He hadn't even taken the time to wire ahead so that a coach would be waiting. He hadn't wanted to alert Scarlett any sooner of his imminent return. He tried to focus all of his attention on Bonnie, but even as much as he loved her, she could not distract him from the thoughts that were repeating through his mind. He had used her. He had treated her as if she were less than a whore. He had used her and then cowardly slunk away from her embraces while she slept in the wee hours of the morning. He was not a man. His actions only had proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Finally and yet all too soon the mansion loomed ahead of him, an atrocity of modern architecture that stood out in stark contrast from every other home in Atlanta. Not that it could truly be called a home. It was a monstrosity, crazy with strained glass and turrets, blatantly declaring that it had built with ill-gotten gains. But not only was it an eyesore for Rhett, it was the condition of the home's emotional state that was the true measure of a home. And if that was a measure then this monstrosity was by no means a home to anyone.

And then they were home. Rhett set the luggage down on the front-hall floor with a thump. And immediately Bonnie's voice began crying, "Mother!" As she first rushed for the stairs with the resigned kitten in tow and then began her arduous climb up them on her chubby little legs. Bonnie was nearly half of the way to the top when Scarlett appeared out of breath and in a hurry.

When Bonnie spotted her mother at the top of the stairs, she held the kitten out by the scruff, as she cried excitedly "Gran'ma gave him to me."

Rhett was shocked to watch as Scarlett swept Bonnie up into her arms and kissed her. Scarlett was staring at him over Bonnie's head while he paid the cab driver. He could feel her eyes boring into his back.

He looked up, recognized that he had indeed seen her and then he swept off his hat in a wide gesture, bowing as he did. Her eyes met his dark ones his dark eyes. He struggled against the urge to turn and run. What would she say to him. And how could he have ever been such a coward. He didn't believe his eyes, for a moment it seemed as if she was happy to see him. Maybe she had missed him. Maybe all wasn't lost.

"Where's Mammy?" asked Bonnie, wriggling in her mother's grasp. Rhett observed the interaction between the child and mother as he strode silently up the stairs. Oddly, Scarlett seemed to be reluctant about setting the child down. He tried to keep his apprehension in check as he prepared to face her. He couldn't allow her to see any weakness. So his face was blank and expressionless.

She stood on the landing, leaning against the banisters. He looked her without any other greeting and simply said:

"You are looking pale, Mrs. Butler. Is there a rouge shortage?"

He couldn't let her know that he had missed her. He couldn't let her know that she had any power over him. God knows he couldn't kiss her, because one kiss would bare his soul. He watched as Mammy bobbed a curtsy and led Bonnie down the hall to the nursery. He stood beside her on the landing, his eyes appraising her carelessly. He removed his panama hat and held it carelessly at his hip.

"Can this wanness mean that you've been missing me?" he questioned

and though his lips smiled although the smile did not reach up into his eyes.

There was venom in her eyes, venom that was too unmistakable to be missed, and the smile disappeared from his face. "If I'm pale it's your fault and not because I've missed you, you conceited thing. It's because--" He listened intently ready to hear her reason. He tried to hide the hope that she had missed him, that she wanted him, that after that night, she had finally realized how much they meant to each other "It's because I'm going to have a baby!" She finally blurted out.

The words hit him suddenly, more powerful than any blow he had ever been dealt. He sucked in his breath suddenly and his eyes immediately traced over her figure. He stepped towards her quickly to put a hand on her arm but she twisted violently away from him, seemingly repulsed His face hardened at that moment, as he stared at the anger in her eyes.

"Indeed!" he said coolly, baring the hope that this was indeed his child, although somehow deep inside he knew that Scarlett and Ashely had never truly been together. "Well, who's the happy father? Ashley?" He couldn't resist the taunt. He needed to still make her feel the pain he felt every time he sensed that she was thinking of her precious Ashley.

She clutched at the newel post until her knuckles turned white; he knew that her hand must be hurting, but he refused to acknowledge any of her pain. The insult found its mark, cleanly and precisely. It was in jest, but he could see in the flashing of her eyes that it had wounded her. He could see that she was ready to attack, as a cat provoked. He couldn't hide the light in his eyes though. There was to be another child, another Bonnie to love. And maybe this child would make Scarlett see.

"Damn you!" her voice was shaking with rage as she cried. "You--you

know it's yours. And I don't want it any more than you do. No--no

woman would want the children of a cad like you. I wish-- Oh,

God, I wish it was anybody's baby but yours!"

His face instantly contorted, twitching with anger and hurt. For a moment she seemed to feel triumph that she had wounded him as much as he had wounded her. But then his face once again became impassive as he stroked one side of his mustache.

"Cheer up," he said, turning and resuming his trek up the stairs,

"maybe you'll have a miscarriage."

He felt the air move as lunged at him, but as an accomplished fighter, he sidestepped and threw his arm out to ward her off. She made contact with his arm, and it threw her off balance. He watched with horror stricken eyes as she made a wild clutch for the newel post. But she

missed it. He lunged after her, trying to pull her back. "Scarlett." He screamed her name but it seemed caught in his throat. She was going to die. He knew it. He had killed her. He had killed his won child. He knew it with certainty as he watched as she fell backwards and his hard. Her screams of fear and pain echoed through the mansion. And she continued to roll down the stairs until she landed in a heap at the bottom, a pale heap on the hard floor. Dazed and severely injured. He rushed down the stairs after her as fear clutched at him. He swept her broken body in his arms and began running back up the stairs she had fallen down. "Mammy," he cried hoarsely. "Mammy!" He screamed, he was terrified that she would die in his arms. And he knew that it was all his fault. He clutched her to him, willing that his life would flow into her giving her back the life he had taken. "Scarlett, Scarlett, my love, please don't die."