Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Note: I have tried to add more details to my story. Please tell me what you think.

Chapter One

Scarlett was on her way out to Ashley's mill. Melanie had asked her to go out to the mill and keep Ashley detained until India got there to pick him up. Melly was afraid Ashley would get a ride home with Hugh or someone else and walk in on the last of the preparations. Of course, she would go visit Ashley at the mills especially with his wife's permission. Scarlett had gone back to her house and changed into a pretty new blue dress that flattered her figure. As she was driving to the mill in her personal buggy, she marveled at how much safer the road was now than four years ago. No, she was not going to think about shanty town or Frank's death. She was too happy.

As she got to the mills, she saw Hugh and his crew leaving and she was even more excited. Ashley and she were going to be alone. She parked her buggy and fixed the reins. She walked to the little brown building that was the office. The building was really a shack but they didn't need a fancy building all the way out here. It only held two rooms. One was her and Ashley's office and the other a meeting room to talk to customers. As she walked to the building she looked into the window of her office. Oh no! There was an old man in their office. Who was it? Hopefully a customer and not one of the Old Guard. She could not see him very well because of the way the sun was hitting the window. She continued into the building. She entered the room that was their office. It was a small room with very little furniture in it. It only had one desk, a filing cabinet, and a couple of stools in it. As she entered the room there was only Ashley in the room. He had his back to her as he was putting something in the file cabinet. She looked around for the old man. He could not have left without her seeing him. There was only one way in or out. When Ashley turned around, she suddenly knew where the old man was. When did he get so old? Where was her golden knight? She looked at Ashley probably for the first time since she had convinced him to come to work for her. All she could think was NO! NO! NO! When did his hair turned gray? When did his shoulders become stooped? This was a man who had given up on life. This was not a man who would fight alongside her. This was a man who had no fight in him.

When Ashley saw her, he smiled his lazy smile and said to her, "Scarlett what a beautiful surprise! Why are you not helping Melly with the surprise party?

Scarlett's mind was racing but she fell into southern belle mode and responded, "Who told you?"

Ashley replied, "Every man who had ever had a surprise party thrown for him. The first one was Grandpa Merriweather…

As Ashley continued to talk Scarlett was trying to make sense out of what was going on. Scarlett with a rare moment of insight realized that she had always thought of Ashley the way he was before the war started. She had not been seeing him as he was for many years now. She had continued to think of him as he behaved and looked when he had been courting her. She knew he had been courting her for two years before he announced his engagement to Mellie and he had led her on then. In fact, he had been leading her on all this time. He was not quite such a gentleman as he claimed to be.

Scarlett noticed that Ashley had stopped speaking and she said, "The mean things. You must look totally surprised or Melly will be so disappointed."

Ashley said, "Melly will never know that I am not surprised. Scarlett, I think you get better looking every day. Although you were very beautiful the day of our last barbeque. You had all of the gentlemen at the party vying for your attention."

Scarlett said, "I didn't have yours. You spent the entire day with Melly."

Scarlett noticed the shocked look on Ashley's face. She was not playing her part she thought. I am supposed to fawn over him and say something like … but did I have your attention?

Ashley said, "I did spend the day with Melly but I was keeping an eye on you the entire time."

'What a two timer! That's all he has ever been a low down dirty two timer' Scarlett thought. Then Scarlett said, "I miss all of our friends. Too many people from Clayton County died in the war."

Ashley did what Scarlett knew he was going to do he started talking about the days before the war. Scarlett thought he is stuck in the past. She didn't need to listen to Ashley. It was always the same. How great and wonderful things were before the war. She needed to think. He doesn't love me! He is a leech upon me. He doesn't have the courage to stand on his own so he is leaning on me. He has continued to string me along so I will continue to carry him. He has been using me all this time. She then thought of everything she had given up for him. This made her so mad she started crying. When Ashley saw that he had made her cry he put his arm around her to comfort her but before Scarlett could step away, she heard a gasp. Ashley dropped his arm immediately. They both looked at the doorway and there stood Scarlett's worst nightmare, India, Archie and Mrs. Elsing. Before anyone could say anything, Scarlett walked out of the office. She pushed through India and Mrs. Elsing but Archie would not move. He had a triumphant look on his face. She stepped around him and ran to her carriage.

She climbed into her buggy and headed back to town. She was going to be ruined! India and Archie would tell everyone. Oh no! Not now when I finally know I don't love him. Not now when I know what a weak horrible man he is. Then a worst thought flash threw her head. Archie will tell Rhett! Most men would be too scared to tell Rhett but not Archie. Archie would love to tell Rhett just to hurt her. She had to tell Rhett first. Rhett! Rhett will know what to do. Rhett will be able to fix this. Rhett can fix anything. Rhett will help her, she hoped. She headed to the bank. Please let him be there. She had to tell him before Archie did.

The bank was a red brick building that had been in Atlanta for at least fifty years. It was one story and fairly large. Fortunately, Rhett's desk was near the front of the building. She parked her buggy and walked into the bank. She tried not to hurry. She didn't want anyone to think she was panicking. Scarlett saw him and came over to his desk. She had a smile on her face and said, "Are you ready to go look for a new buggy?"

Rhett knew something was seriously wrong. Scarlett may have had a smile on her face but the rest of her was so tense. Her eyes were pleading with him to come with her. Rhett stood up and said, "Yes I am, my dear."

Rhett gave Scarlett his arm and when she took his arm, she grasped it so tight. Rhett thought 'She is really scared.' They walked out of the bank and Scarlett said, "Let's just walk over there."

As they started to walk in the direction of the buggy merchant Scarlett said, "I need your help. I'm in trouble." She kept smiling as she was talking but she grasped him tighter.

She saw Archie walking toward them and Scarlett said, "Archie and India saw Ashley with his arm around me. Please let me explain." And she turned pleading eyes up to him.

Rhett felt the anger surge threw him. He saw Archie walking toward him and knew what the man was going to tell him. Nobody else was looking at them. Rhett's face was hard as stone. In the coldest possible voice Rhett said, "Let us go back to the house."

They turned around and walked back to the bank. Rhett took his horse and tied it to the back of the buggy. He helped Scarlett get in and got in behind her. Rhett said, "Keep smiling my pet. Don't look guilty even if you are."

Scarlett plastered a smile on her face. They did not talk the entire trip back to their house but Rhett couldn't help but notice how close Scarlett was sitting to him. When they got back to the house one of the groomsmen came up to get the buggy and Rhett's horse. Rhett asked the young man to have the carriage ready at 8:45. He then grasped Scarlett's elbow painfully and led her into the house into their office. Their office was plain and boring to Scarlett but Rhett had insisted he decorate it himself. It did kind of remind Scarlett of him.

Once they were in his office he let go of her almost with disgust. He poured himself a whiskey and asked her if she wanted one. Scarlett surprised him by saying, "Oh God yes."

Rhett gave Scarlett the drink and she downed it immediately. She handed him back the drink and said, "Can I have another?" With a curious look on his face Rhett poured her another drink.

Rhett said, "Sit down, Scarlett, and tell me all about it. I will decide how much I am going to help you."

Just as Scarlett was about to start speaking, they heard a pounding on the door. Rhett got up to answer the door because they both knew it was their beautiful, dark haired, blue eyed daughter. She threw herself in his arms and said, "Daddy!" Rhett started to pick her up but then Bonnie saw her mother and squealed and threw herself into her mother's arms. Scarlett hugged Bonnie and stood up and handed her to her father. As Rhett was walking out, he told Scarlett he would be right back. Scarlett could hear Rhett talking to Bonnie telling her that he needed to speak to her mother alone.

He came back in about five minutes. He closed and locked the door. He sat down at his desk and coldly said, "Proceed."

Scarlett started speaking, "I was helping Melly with decorating for the party tonight. I was getting ready to leave and she asked me to go out to the mills to delay Ashley from coming home. Of course, I said yes."

Rhett interjected sarcastically, "Of course."

Scarlett continued like he hadn't spoken. She said, "I was walking up to the building and I saw an old man through the window. I wondered which member of the old guard was there but when I got inside there wasn't anyone but Ashley in the room." She looked up at Rhett and he knew what had happened at the mills. She had finally seen Ashley as he really was. He was going to let her tell her entire story though. She continued, "I saw him, Rhett, as he really is. A man that has given up on life. That's when I realized that the person who I had been in love with all these years didn't exist anymore if he ever did. I know that Ashley has been using me all this time because he is too weak to stand on his own. He isn't strong enough to take on the challenges of life so he has encouraged my crush on him so I will continue to take care of him. I recognized all the damage I have done to my life by my devotion to someone who doesn't even exist."

Scarlett took a sip of her whiskey and Rhett said, "How did that lead to him putting his arm around you?" Scarlett didn't fail to notice that Rhett's tone had gotten gentler and warmer. It made her eyes water.

Scarlett looked at him and said, "When I understood how much I had given up for him not the least being my best-friend I started crying. He thought I was crying because he was speaking of the dead of Clayton County and he put his arm around my shoulders to comfort me. I was stepping away from him when they saw us. Please help me Rhett. You have to figure a way out of this."

Luckily for Scarlett Rhett was still madly in love with her but he still was an opportunistic bastard. He looked at her and said, "You know I don't ever do anything without wanting something in return."

Scarlett sighed and said, "What do you want?"

Rhett said, "Two things. I want you to sell the mills." With that she gasped. He continued, "I want you to give me another child." The mills were the thing she cherished most next to Tara. He knew most of it was because they provided emotional security to her but also because they were her source of constant contact with Mr. Wilkes. Although Rhett did want another child, the reason he was making it part of the bargain was to get back in her bed. He was malicious enough to make her do things she really didn't want to do.

Scarlett stared at him for a very long time. What she was thinking was 'Good. I could never work with Ashley again and we will be sharing a room again.' She also wasn't going to give anything away for free. She pouted and gave him the evil eye and at last she said with a sigh, "Okay. If that is what you want."

Then Rhett said, "We will go to the party tonight. I will stick beside you for the next several months until the gossip blows over. We will start on the baby making tonight and you will go see Uncle Henry tomorrow about selling your mills."

Scarlett said, "Okay, Will you help me choose something to wear for tonight? I can't go matronly but I don't want to go too flashy either."

Rhett stood up and offered her his arm and as they walked up the stairs to her room Rhett thought now that Mr. Wilkes is no longer in the picture, she will fall in love with me.