Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Note: A spirit helps Rhett and Scarlett feel each other's pain.
As Rhett laid in his new bed, he was having trouble sleeping. He shouldn't have any trouble as much as he had drunken tonight but he was missing his shrew of a wife. He thought 'She just goes around hurting people without even caring. I wish she could feel the pain she has inflicted on me. I wish she would suffer.'
"That can be arranged." A male voice said.
Suddenly in a puff of smoke there was a man in his room. The man looked to be about thirty-five with black hair, swarthy skin, a mustache, and dark brown eyes. The man looked to be physically fit but Rhett thought 'I could get the better of him.'
The man said, "I do not have a physical body. I am just an image. Something for you to speak to instead of you talking to thin air. You can call me Alex."
Rhett said, "How did you get here? Am I imagining you? Are you a hallucination from the alcohol?"
The man smiled and said, "How I got here is not important and no I am not a hallucination. Do you want your wife to feel your pain?"
Rhett said, "Yes I do."
The man said, "Would you be willing to feel her pain?"
Rhett said, "What pain? She doesn't feel pain. She just goes around handing out pain."
The man said, "Is that a yes."
Rhett said, "Yes. Yes."
Then I will make it happened.
In the next minute Rhett was in a strange house. He was in a bedroom and he was lying next to Charles Hamilton. Charles was leaning over to kiss him. Rhett wanted to jumped out of the bed but he couldn't make his body move. Charlie said, "Oh come on Scarlett, it won't be bad."
Somehow, he was in Scarlett's body. Scarlett said, "Okay"
Charlie was kissing Scarlett and at the same time fumbling around under her nightgown. Charlie kept kissing her for several minutes. Rhett was somehow observing Scarlett's wedding night. He didn't want to see this. Rhett heard Alex speaking, "Remember you were willing to feel her pain so she could feel your pain! Both of you will feel all of each other's pain, physical and emotional." By this time Charlie was laying on top of Scarlett trying to push his member inside her. Rhett was feeling the gut-wrenching pain that she was feeling. He was also feeling the humiliation and fear she was feeling. Fortunately, it was over fast. When he was finished, he rolled over to his side of the bed and went to sleep. Scarlett was still hurting but worse she was still feeling humiliation, fear and despair. She was thinking 'What have I gotten myself into?'
The next minute Rhett was in another room. It looked like a sitting room and he saw Mammy coming in the door. "It is too cold for you to go outside in your condition, Miss Scarlett" Mammy said.
He was still in Scarlett's head and she said, "I just want to go sit on the porch. I'm just so miserable." Rhett felt all the discomfort of her body. She was hurting everywhere. Then he felt the worst pain in his groin. Scarlett grabbed the edge of the door frame to hold herself up. Scarlett said, "Oh Mammy. That hurts so bad."
Mammy said, "Oh my sweet lamb. That's just the beginning. It will get much worse."
Some time later Wade was finally born. Rhett had never felt such extreme pain in his life. The knife wound he had obtained when he was in California had not hurt that bad. It was just waves and waves of unending pain. No wonder Scarlett didn't want to have children.
Scarlett felt like she was awake but she was dreaming. This could not be real. That nice man with the blue eyest in her dream had asked her if she would like Rhett to feel all her past pain. If she was willing to feel his pain, he would be made to feel all of her pain. Scarlett had said, "Rhett doesn't feel pain he hands out pain. So yes."
Now she was in a section of town she had never seen before. She thought it was midmorning judging from the position of the sun. She was standing on the road looking at a townhouse. It was a beautiful townhouse. It was too old fashion for her though. It looked to be over a hundred years old. She tried to turn her head but she couldn't. She felt such hurt and sorrow. She had never felt such despair and futility. Then she heard a voice in her head 'Maybe I should have married the silly twit. Too late now I've been disowned.' She turned to walk away from the house when she heard another voice definitely outside of her head. "Mr. Rhett! Mr. Rhett!" She turned and thought 'Good Rhett is here.' She heard another voice outside her head, "Yes Samuel." Scarlett saw a black man of about fifty years old with gray hair. He had a kind face but his expression was so sorrowful. He extended his hand to give her a carpetbag. When she saw the hand that took the carpetbag, she knew it was Rhett's. She was in Rhett's body somehow. They both were in here. She could hear all of his thoughts. Oh my. She had always wanted to know what Rhett was thinking. Now she was going to find out. Samuel said, "Your mother put some clothes in this bag for you. She put all the money she had in here plus some of her best jewelry." Then Scarlett felt such sorrow and anguish and heard the thought 'I will probably never see my mother again.' She was feeling all of his pain. This was such a vivid dream.
In the next minute they were in a house and they were holding a young woman's hand. She didn't look good. Rhett asked her, "Are you sure this is normal? All this bleeding." The woman said, "Oh my friend don't worry so." Even Scarlett knew that something was wrong. Rhett said, "I don't think this is normal. I'm going to find a doctor." He left the house and searched for a doctor. He found a couple of doctors but they would not go to see the patient in that part of town. They told him there was nothing they could do for a botched abortion. She felt his anger but she also felt his helplessness and his grief. He hurried back to the house. The woman was still alive but barely. He got back just in time to watch her die. She felt his rage, his extreme grief and his helplessness. He put his head on the body and cried. He thought I have lost my only friend and then she felt his loneliness. His loneliness was so acute. Scarlett was beginning to discover that her husband was a lonely man.
Rhett was then with Scarlett at the bazaar. He was feeling her unhappiness at not being able to dance. He didn't know when it was but Scarlett was sitting on the porch at Aunt PittyPat's and he felt her unhappiness and her loneliness. Then he heard her thought 'I wish Rhett would come back.' They were on the porch at Aunt PittyPat's and he heard himself ask her to be his mistress. First, he felt her happiness when she thought he was asking her to marry him then her agonizing pain when she understood he just wanted her as his mistress. The pain was quickly overshadowed by her anger. He was with her when she was helping to deliver Miss Melly's baby. He felt her fear, her helplessness, her anger at Ashley for getting her into this mess then her joy at both Beau and Melly being alive. He felt her joy when he drove up in that sore excuse of a wagon with the almost dead horse. Her anger at his not wanting to take her home. Her fear the entire time they were escaping Atlanta but he also felt her extreme faith in his ability to get them away from danger. At Rough and Ready he felt her passion in the kiss and faintly her love but much stronger he felt her feelings of abandonment and helplessness when he left them.
Scarlett knew they were in California. He was mining for gold but he didn't like it. He was cold and miserable. It was hard work. He was running a General Store and she felt his loneliness. She felt his pain from the knife wound and his bad reaction to the pain medication, laudanum. He was leaving a brothel and she felt his loneliness. He was in a woman's bed and she felt his loneliness. They were on a ship and she felt his fear but also his exhilaration of the storm. He was in Cuba in bed with a woman and she felt his loneliness even while he was laughing with the woman. They were in the library at Twelve Oaks and she felt his lust and his loneliness but she also felt a trace amount of love. They were on Aunt PittyPat's porch and she said something about Ashley and she felt his heartache, his despair and his loneliness. She felt his anger and heard his cruel comment. She felt his excitement and fear while he was avoiding the union ships. She felt his fear as they were leaving Atlanta but also his courage. At Rough and Ready she felt his extreme shame over not having fought for the south. His pride in the south but also his futility of the cause. She felt his angst at having profited on other people's misery. She felt the pain of his unrequited love for her. She heard those words that he had said to her at Rough and Ready. He loved her!
He was with her when she returned to Tara. He felt her hope when she saw that her home was still standing. He felt her anguish as the horse died just as they got to the house. He then felt the uneasiness as she approached the house. Her increased uneasiness as everyone was acting uncomfortable. He felt her sorrow of learning of the death of her mother that very day. He felt her anger at Melanie and Ashley because of them she didn't get to say goodbye to her mother. He felt her anxiety as she was talking to her Pa and he felt her sudden depth of misery when she knew her father wasn't right in the head anymore. He felt her stress as everyone kept coming to her that first night with questions that she didn't have answers to. He felt her hunger. He felt the pain in her legs as she walked to Twelve Oaks hoping to find food. He felt her sadness and discouragement as she looked for food at Twelve Oaks. He heard her declaration that she and her family would never be hungry again. He felt the change in her. He felt her heart beginning to close.
She felt his pain of leaving her at Rough and Ready. She felt his dejection. She felt his anger at himself for having joined the army. She felt the cold he was having to endure. She felt his extreme hunger. She felt his extreme discomfort. She felt his uncomfortable need for sexual release. She felt his unhappiness at not getting to see his mother. She felt his loneliness and his ache to see her. She felt his anger at having been arrested on his way to Tara.
He felt her exhaustion. He felt her hunger. He felt her misery over her son not getting enough to eat. He felt her frustration at not being able to get anyone to work. He felt her discouragement of having the cotton burned that she had worked so hard to harvest. He felt her fear at standing up to the sergeant over Wade's sword. He felt her panic at the fire in the kitchen and her desperation to put the fire out. He felt her fear at the Yankee deserter. He felt her admiration for Melly for coming with Charles's sword. He felt her anger at Melly for giving away her food. He felt her worry about Melly not getting well. He felt her disgust at Frank Kennedy and his old maid ways. He felt her misery over the condition of her hands. He felt her extreme hunger and her worry for her son. He felt her anger for Ashley's return and his display of love for Melanie. He felt her frustrations at Ashley's lack of ability to help. He felt her vulnerability at the Yankees randomly raising the taxes. He felt her disgust at Ashley when he was talking about a Gotterdammerung when she needed a practical solution. He felt her shame at Ashley having rejected her for honor. He felt her vulnerability and feelings of isolation. He felt her unhappiness and loneliness of having to carry the load alone.
They both were at the Fire House in Atlanta. He felt her desperation and her shame for selling her body. He felt her total humiliation as she was leaving the Fire House. He felt her pain that was so great it was all she could do to walk out of the Fire House. He felt her heart close. She felt his happiness of thinking she loved him and his plummet of emotions as he discovered she was playing him for a fool and she didn't love him. The pain was so great it almost brought him to his knees. She felt his heart closing.
He felt her misery of self-esteem as she seduced Frank into marriage. Her tiny amount of guilt about Suellen. He felt her great need for money so she would never be humbled like this again. He felt her shame for not being a better mother. He felt her shame at her business practices. He felt her shame at the loss of her reputation. He felt her anger at everyone wanting something from her but nobody helping her. He felt her pain and humiliations every time she had relations with Frank. He felt her murderous rage at finding out she was pregnant. He felt her sense of powerlessness at being pregnant. He felt her anger at Frank for getting her pregnant. He felt her anger at everyone who criticized her. He felt her happiness at seeing him then her anger at his teasing her on the rides home from the mills. He felt how extremely uncomfortable she was during her pregnancy with Ella. He felt her desperation that her mills keep running while she was in her confinement. He felt her unhappiness with how bad a business man Ashley was and how much money he was costing her. He went through the entire labor of Ella. That labor was just as bad if not worse than Wade's. He thought that is a lot of suffering for something one doesn't want. He felt her fears at the men attacking her at Shantytown. He felt her guilt at Frank and Tommy Welburn's deaths.
She felt his loneliness the entire time she was married to Frank. She felt his anger at her saying she would always love Ashley Wilkes when he was proposing to her. She felt his anger at her for dreaming about Ashley when she was in his arms. She felt his loneliness during their marriage. She felt his anger and pain when she told him she wanted to get rid of his child. She felt his pain of her rejection of him from her bedroom.
He felt her fear and unhappiness from that night in New Orleans. He felt her withdraw from him. He felt her loneliness during their marriage. He felt her feelings of abandonment when he withdrew from her after moving into the house. He felt her hurt when he made jokes about how hideous the house was. He felt her anger at being pregnant because she was finally having fun and she felt it was a cruel joke on her. He felt her entire labor with Bonnie. That never got any easier. That just hurt. He felt her jealousy of his open affection for their daughter.
Rhett returned to his bed. He got up and tried Scarlett's door. The spirits quickly unlocked the door. He walked over and got in bed with her. He pulled her to him and she looked at him. Then she leaned toward him and kissed him and laid her head on his chest. Rhett thought they would start talking in the morning and went to sleep.
When Scarlett woke up, she saw Rhett in the bed. She was happy that he was there. She didn't want him to sleep elsewhere but she didn't want to have anymore children. Rhett looked at her and said, "We don't have to sleep in separate bedrooms to not have children. There are ways to prevent pregnancies that your, not a gentleman, husband knows about."
Scarlett said, "Oh Rhett. I want you to sleep with me. I just don't want more babies."
Rhett said, "I cannot give you a 100% guarantee but I can give you 95%. Is that satisfactory?"
Scarlett said, "Oh Rhett. Yes."
Rhett said, "My beautiful wife, let's go out for dinner and dancing tonight. We can resume our relations tonight."
Scarlett said, "Yes." and she leaned forward and kissed him.
Rhett kissed her then pushed her back and said, "We cannot afford to get that fire burning. I don't have the things we need. I will not get you pregnant unless you want to have another child." And he quickly left the bed. Scarlett giggled like she hadn't since she was sixteen.
Scarlett got out of bed also and didn't give Ashley a thought.
Rhett now knew that Scarlett had feelings of love for him from what he had learned last night.
He discovered by feeling her pain that it really hurt her when people didn't think she was a lady. Ashley made her feel like a lady whereas Rhett had tried to encourage her to not want to be a lady. He wanted her to accept she wasn't a lady and kept pointing out her less than ladylike actions. He knew she was going to do unladylike things because of her temperament but she wanted to delude herself into thinking she was a lady. Rhett was going to help her delude herself. He knew she would never be a great lady because of her spirited nature. She would always do what she wanted to do then justify it to herself. As far as his relationship with her it didn't matter if she acted like a lady or not. What mattered was that he told her he thought she was a lady and treated her like a lady.
The next thing he discovered last night was that her mills were security to her against the whims of people. She knew Rhett would take care of her financially but the mills were her creation and her safe keeping against the ever-changing world. Her attachment to the mills was not because Ashley worked there. That was just a bonus. He would have to get Ashley to change jobs.
He was going to work with her to show her love to her children more. He now knew why she had problems emotionally attaching to her children. None of them had been planned. She had definitely not wanted any of them. Wade was a one-time shot and he knew she had found out she was a widow before she knew she was pregnant with him. She probably thought her pregnancy was a cruel joke on her by God and nature. Frank had wanted her to get pregnant because he mistakenly thought she would quit working and suddenly want to stay home with the baby. He knew her attitude was the opposite. Ella was just one more burden on her shoulders. Her pregnancy was something forced upon her by Frank. He was no better than Frank. He knew she would not quit working but he had thought that a shared child would create positive feelings for the father of the child. He knew he was a sick bastard but it made him happy that she was jealous of the attention he gave their child. He wondered if she had felt his pain from the last eight years.
What Scarlett had learned about her husband was that he loved her, totally, deeply and completely. His love made Ashley's pale in comparison. Rhett had actively been part of her life. He had wanted to be with her so much that he broke his own rule about marriage. She had seen all the times she had hurt him. Most of these times she had not known she had hurt him because she hadn't known he cared enough about her to be hurt by what she said. The few times she thought she had hurt him he had strenuously denied it. In fact, sometimes he had cruelly denied it. She also learned that for as much as he hid it her husband was a very lonely man. She didn't think he liked very many people which made the people he like that much more important to him. She also learned that he would have a hard time trusting anyone because of what happened in Charleston all those years ago. An act of defiance and he had lost everything, family, friends, money, social standing, and acceptance. She knew what he was doing he was rejecting people before they rejected him. She would have to tread gently where he was concerned. He was like a wild stallion difficult to tame but the fact he wanted to be tamed would make it possible.
Scarlett had asked Rhett to change in another room because she wanted him to just see the finished product. He had told her of course. She had gone through at least twenty dresses trying to find the one she wanted to wear tonight. She was fortunate that the one she chose had enough material in the seams to be let out. She was probably going to lose a few more pounds of baby fat but she knew she would never be as small as she once was. She needed to grow up and recognized that she was never going to have a sixteen-inch waist again. Then she looked at herself in the mirror and decided that she was beautiful at the size she was at. She would settle for a twenty- inch waist but no more. Bonnie was so adorable maybe she was worth her waist being an inch larger. Scarlett was wearing a burgundy dress with a modest neckline, a simple waist band and a modest bustle. For all its simplicity she looked very striking in it. It had ¾ length sleeves but she needed to grab a wrap. It was still chilly for late March. Rhett knocked and asked if she was ready to leave. She told him to come in. Rhett was bowled over by how beautiful she looked. Rhett said, "My dear, you look absolutely gorgeous. Your figure is so amazing it is hard for me to believe you gave birth to our daughter only six weeks ago."
Scarlett smiled and preened, "How you do go on?"
Rhett held out his arm and said, "Shall we leave?"
Scarlett gladly accepted his arm and they went down the stairs and out the door.
They had a lovely evening together. They had dinner at a new restaurant and were both pleased with their entrees. The restaurant had a small dance floor and they enjoyed dancing together. They got home and went upstairs without either even thinking about a nightcap. Once they were changed and settled in the bed Rhett showed Scarlett the prophylactic and explained to her how it worked. She asked him, "Where do you buy them?"
Rhett said, "Not at the local drugstore." He laughed and Scarlett smiled. Then he told her at a bordello. Scarlett's eyes got large and Rhett said, "Are you fine with using these?"
Scarlett said, "Oh yes. I just think they should be sold where women can access them."
Rhett laughed and said, "Maybe someday they will be sold at the drug store."
Scarlett laughed and said, "Don't be silly." And she reached up and pulled her husband's head down to meet her lips.
They did not become the perfect couple overnight but they both were finally on the same page. They both used the knowledge of the other's past pain to build a better relationship. It was another two years before they told each other of their love but they treated each other with kindness and caring. They still fought at least once a week but they were just spats and they had made up before they went to bed. Scarlett encouraged Rhett to invite his family over to stay. Rhett showed Scarlett his financial holdings to make her feel more secure. Scarlett didn't get alarmed when Rhett went to do business or play cards in the evening because most of the time, he was home before she even went to bed. With a donation Rhett encouraged the Head Master of a boy's school to offer Ashley a job. Ashley accepted the job and offered to sell Scarlett his share of the mills. She decided that she would sell her share also and they made a sizable amount. When Rhett asked her why she decided to sell her shares of the mill Scarlett said, "Ladies do not work in trade." A year ago, Rhett would have made a hurtful comment about her not being a lady. Instead he said, "That is true."
After Bonnie turned one Rhett comprehended that for their children to be accepted into southern society, they would have to restore their reputations. Scarlett promoted Hugh Elsing to manager at the store and she no longer had a daily involvement with the store. They both dropped the Republicans and the Scallawags to the point of snubbing them in the street. Rhett joined the Democratic Party and Scarlett a couple of sewing bees and two charities. She joined the ones Melanie was a member of so they could not deny her access. Scarlett was back in good standing with the Old Guard within two months thanks to Melly's campaigning for her. Rhett allowed the dowagers to believe he had led Scarlett astray which he guess he did. Then he shamelessly used his daughter and his money to melt the dowagers' cold hearts. As the year went on Ella and Wade began receiving invitations to parties. What help speed The Butlers back into society was the fact that everyone knew they were a happily married couple.
The Butlers gave a party to celebrate Bonnie's second birthday. It was well attended by polite society. About two hours into the party Bonnie began to have a temper tantrum. Her mother picked her up and told everyone that the birthday girl had to go take a nap. Rhett spoiled Bonnie but he didn't spend all his time with her. He enjoyed spending time with Scarlett more. When Bonnie was two Scarlett found out she was pregnant. Rhett was afraid she was going to get angry. She didn't. She said to Rhett, "You said it was only 95% effective so I guess this is that 5%. We did almost everything we could to prevent having another child and I really don't want to sleep without you. So, I will take my chances."
That was when Rhett finally told her that he loved her and she responded in kind. She also said, "I would have to love you to have another child."
Rhett told her, "I know that is the absolute truth."
Rhett insisted that she use Dr. Harrison because he gave the mother's chloroform during labor. Their son was born in September. He was named Alexander Gerald Butler. Alexander because Scarlett liked the reference to Alexander the Great and it was Rhett's grandfather's name and Gerald for her Pa.
The next day Rhett said, "Did the chloroform move the pain level from excruciatingly painful down to just extremely painful?" Scarlett looked at Rhett with a questioning look. He said, "Do you remember that night we felt each other's pain?" Scarlett nodded her head. Rhett said, "I went through all three labors with you. And your relations with Charlie and Frank." Scarlett laughed, "I guess we could say you felt my pain." Rhett said, "I never knew how much pain you had gone through in your life until that night. It made me appreciate you so much more." Scarlett said, "I never knew how much my careless words hurt you and how lonely you were around me. I also would never had known how much you loved me if we hadn't gone through that experience." Rhett said, "I also learned that you loved me too." Scarlett said, "I wonder how we were able to do it?" Rhett said, "I have no idea."
Alex and his friend Gerald were sitting on a cloud listening and wanted to tell them that it was because they were special to them and because their good friend Melanie Wilkes had prayed so hard for them that the spirit world allowed them that chance to save their marriage. Afterall Melanie Wilkes was such a good person the spirits always try to answer her prayers.