A/N. It's been forever and a half since I updated. I just really didn't know where I wanted this story to go and well I don't know if I do even now but here it is. Tell me what you think. If you guys don't like it I'll delete it and make a new one. Or if anything is out of place or you have suggestions. I'll edit it. I hope you like it and thank you all for being so patience. Excuse my grammar, I have no patience for it... I do my best but to me it's not really that important as long as it doesn't disturb the quality of the piece. But anything major you guys notice I'll be sure to change. Enjoy... hopefully :)
The next several weeks consisted of Scarlett sitting on the porch watching Rhett play with her children. He had been gone the last week but Melanie came over more often. Everyday, since she had been put on bed rest, the old cats would come over for tea with Melanie and marvel at how beautiful Riordan was. Rhett would throw on the old charm and have them eating out of the palm of his hand by the time they left. Rhett was getting ready to put Bonnie to bed. Ella and Wade had easily gone to bed after their day long ride with Rhett. Bonnie however like her mother, at that age, was a fountain of energy. Rhett was busy chasing her around the house. She was sitting on the stairs ignoring Rhett's order to go to sleep. Watching him play with their daughter was much more enjoyable. Rhett swooped his daughter up under his arm as she giggled and laughed.
"Dance, dance!" she exclaimed.
"Dance?" asked Rhett moving her so she wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Please, daddy!"
"I think someone stayed up at Aunt Pitty's after they were supposed to go to sleep." He tickled her. "Didn't they?" Aunt Pitty had thrown a party and the couples had danced until midnight. Scarlett had to sit on a settee in the corner and just watch, but she had danced with him at the last dance of the night. They both had spotted their darling daughters peering eyes from the balcony. "All right," he said. "But you darlin' will have to hum the music."
She smiled and began to hum. Scarlett watched them dance and longed to be dancing. She heard Riordan cry and hurried off to feed him. She had gained her strength back and was tired of bed rest. She had been eating like a horse under mammy's instructions and Rhett's insistence. She sat in her green silk robe feeding her young son.
"Sleep my little prince," she said kissing his forehead. She walked him carefully back to his crib and put him down.
Rhett watched with lungful eyes as his wife talked to their son so lovingly. A part of him always wondered if she would have loved the children more if they were Ashley's.
Scarlett turned and smiled lovingly at Rhett. She was still so swept up in the tender moment with her son that she had yet to restore her emotional barriers. It was in this moment that Rhett put his fears aside and realized that even if Scarlett didn't know it or didn't want to admit it, she loved him more than she loved Ashley. He walked slowly towards her and wrapped his arms around her now growing waist. She rested her head against his chest as he rested his chin on top her head.
"I thought I told you to sleep," he said bending down and kissing her cheek.
"He was crying and mammy was- busy," she lied. He chuckled softly at her incompetence at lying.
"You never were very good at lying, my dear," he whispered in her ear. His breath tickled her and she smiled slightly.
"It's so hard for me to leave him," she said gently caressing her son's cheek with her finger. They boy sat in silence for a moment watching their son in awe. Their silence was broken when Scarlett yawned.
"I know it's so hard, but- you should be in bed."
"But-," she began but she knew it was true. Her hand rested on her now rounding stomach and remembered that her unborn child's needs came before her pleasures. There would be plenty of time to look at him later after Riordan's little brother was born.
"No buts, to bed."
She glared at him contemptuously. "I'm going but not because you told me to."
He watched her walk away her head held erect in a defiant tone. You'll never change Scarlett and damn anyone who tries to. He gently picked up his son and placed a kiss on his head. Slowly he carried him to Scarlett and his bedroom. He saw Scarlett brushing her hair on the bed. She placed the silver brush down and braided her hair gently. Son and father watched as Scarlett slipped under the covers humming the Virginia Reel to herself which was occasionally interrupted by a ladylike yawn. Rhett watched her put her arms behind her head and watched as her feet danced slightly under the covers. He quietly walked over and put Riordan down next to Scarlett. She smiled gratefully as she looked at her sleeping baby.
"Thank you," she said. Riordan woke up and grabbed a loose tendril of Scarlett's hair and played with it smiling gleefully.
"You're welcome."
Mammy bustled in. "I almost had 'em call out the dogs. I've been looking for that babe everywhere. I thought yous was sleeping and yous was Miss Bonnie." Mammy took Riordan away from the couple. She saw how tired and pale Scarlett was despite the smile on her face. "Ain't natural for a woman to have two baby's so close to each other," she said placing Riordan in his crib. "You let's this babe get some sleep. Ya hear?"
"We'll all go to sleep, mammy," said Scarlett yawning.
Rhett looked over his wife and noticed how frail she now looked, the lack of light in the nursery had hid her worn features. She had been doing too much lately. She was giving life to two others besides herself and was barely slowly down.
"Perhaps my dear we should hire a wet nurse."
Scarlett shook her head. "No, I don't want some stranger taking care of my baby."
"Well if you keep going on the path you're going, a stranger will be taking care of all your children."
"You just said you wouldn't divorce me! And they're my children," she said her eyes ablaze.
Rhett laughed.
"Why are you laughing?" asked Scarlett blushing.
"Because my pet, some of them are mine too, don't forget, but that wasn't what I was implying before. I will not take your children away unless you give me good reason to. I was implying that you might not be here. Scarlett you're as frail as a new born lamb."
Scarlett flipped over. "You're the one who got me into this situation."
"You didn't tell me that you had just given birth to my child or any child! If I had known-."
"Rhett, you were so drunk that night you would have taken me even if you had known." Scarlett bit her lip as soon as she spoke. She didn't want to see Rhett's reaction. Why did she let her temper get the best of her.
He grabbed her arm and flipped her over to face him. "How dare you say that? Do you really think that I'm that much of a cad that'd I'd endanger your life for some sexual pleasure my dear I have abstained from sleeping with you for sometime I could have managed another few weeks. Your bed isn't the only one that can supply such pleasures."
Scarlett reached up and slapped him. "You cad! You don't care about any of us do you? It's only what we can bring you. We all amuse you, but as soon as we're not useful you leave."
"You know that's not true. Now good night." Rhett went to turn off the light when he saw a drawing of Scarlett taking a jump dated only a few months ago when Scarlett was still pregnant. Ella had drawn it and it had the caption of 'Mommy taking jump, Aunt Melly very upset.' Of course when Bonnie had said that her mommy was so brave and Melanie had protested Scarlett jumping it was because she was pregnant. "It seems Scarlett you have a habit of not only endangering yourself when it pleases you, but your children as well?" Scarlett looked at him confused. "When Bonnie said you were so brave she meant really that you were so stupid. How could you be riding never mind jumping when you were what seven months pregnant."
Scarlett didn't know what to say. "I wasn't taking any risk Rhett. Debonair is an easy ride, and he can jump anything."
"He's a moody stallion, Scarlett! He could have decided that he didn't want to jump and bucked you off killing you and my child."
Scarlett mouth formed an O at this comment. "How was I supposed to know? You weren't here! I took the horses as I found them. You're never here."
"That doesn't even make sense. Why would you get on a horse you didn't know?"
"Because, Bonnie wanted to go riding and there was no one to take her, since YOU weren't here."
"What about Wade?" countered Rhett.
"Wade was off with Beau and, since you've spoiled our daughter so much, she wouldn't listen to the word no. I was afraid she'd go get herself killed. It was either risking my neck on a horse I believed fit or seeing my daughter kill herself by trying to prove she was invincible." Scarlett grabbed her stomach. "Oh."
Rhett looked at her concerned. "Scarlett what's wrong?"
"It was nothing just a pain."
Rhett stroked her hair back. "Do you want me to get a doctor?"
"No, I'll be fine. Rhett, I'm too tired to argue. Can we take this up some other time? I'm just so tired all of a sudden. I feel like I could sleep for a week."
Rhett's concern grew. "I really don't think you have the strength to take care of Riordan my dear."
"I'll be fine I just need some sleep. I haven't slept well this week. Nightmares," she whispered taking Rhett's arm and putting it around her. "You- here- now," she said falling asleep.
Rhett stroked her hair and smiled. It made him happy that she needed him and missing him, but it also concerned him that his absent had endangered her and his child. Business would have to wait for a while. It would only be a few more months before Scarlett gave birth to their child, and then he could get his affairs back in order. He pulled her closer and fell asleep.
