Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews. Thank you for the encouraging words.

Chapter Eight

Scarlett visited Rhett every morning and they were talking honestly for the first time in their relationship. At least they were trying to be honest. They both were still afraid of revealing too much of themselves.

After a week, a smiling Rhett asked, "During the war do you remember going on that picnic with Wade?" He was smiling because it was a happy memory for him.

Scarlett smiled, "We had so much fun that day and we picked the wildflowers."

"I had given you my handkerchief to wrap them up with."

"Yes" And Scarlett looked away.

Rhett turned her to him and said, "What happened? You are remembering something painful. Tell me. Remember no secrets."

"I kept that handkerchief in my drawer. It smelled like you. I would open my drawer and look at it when you were gone and it would make me feel close to you. It would make me happy."

"And?"

Scarlett sat down in a chair. Rhett picked her up and sat down then sat her in his lap. Rhett looked at Scarlett and she looked so sad. Finally, Rhett said, "Please tell me, baby."

"You had been gone for about a month and I was really missing you."

"Yes." Rhett had a feeling he was not going to like what she said next. He held her closer.

"That whore approached Melly and me after we left the hospital all humble and meek. She begged Melly to take the money. That her money was as good as anyone else's money. Melly took the money." Rhett didn't feel the need to correct Scarlett when she called Belle a whore that was what she was.

"When you got home you found my initials on the handkerchief. I'm so sorry she did that, baby." Before he had gotten this redo, Rhett Butler had never apologized for anything. He had felt it made him look weak. He knew now that it took a lot of strength to admit when one was wrong.

"I felt shame. I thought that was awful and it is awful. You really weren't a gentleman. That you were the kind of man that not only would use a whore but were close enough to said whore to give her your handkerchief."

"I thought she was my friend. She was not. I'm so sorry that what Belle did hurt you."

"I forgive you."

"That does clear up a mystery for me. When I came back you were very frosty to me. I wondered if I had done something but decided that it couldn't have been anything I did because I had been gone. And I was right it was nothing I did."

Scarlett turned and looked at him in amazement. She said incredulously, "Nothing you did?"

"That's right. I hadn't done anything."

"You gave the whore your handkerchief, you used the services of a whore and you spent far too much time at her whorehouse."

"I guess I did do something wrong if you want to look at it like that."

Scarlett stared at Rhett with a stunned look on her face. Rhett started laughing. He said, "You are right I was completely responsible for what happened except …."

"I accept your apology and I agree that you were completely responsible."

Rhett just pulled her back against him and he did hear her chuckle a couple of times. They sat there for the rest of their time together just holding each other and whispering I love yous. Finally, the guard came to take Rhett back to his room. Rhett was glad Scarlett had developed a sense of humor. The last time she would never have thought that was funny.

After that visit they started talking about their time together during the war, her marriage to Frank and their marriage. They tried to talk without pride or anger. Some topics were still too sensitive for them to talk about but they were gently pulling away the layers of misunderstanding of their relationship. They both admitted that they both were guilty of hurtful actions on their part. Scarlett apologized for being so obtuse and stubbornly committed to her fantasy of Ashley. Rhett apologized for never showing her any of his emotions and for hiding behind mockery and cruel words. She apologized for calling him ugly names and he apologized for the same offense. It was slow going. They didn't want to hurt each other but they did want to clear the air. Often one or the other would say, "I can't take any more today. Let's talk about something else."

They spent a lot of time kissing, hugging, touching and making love. While they were together, they were constantly touching each other or holding hands. They never spoke of it but both were afraid of them returning to their unhappy lives. Rhett and Scarlett were as open and honest as they could be about their wants and needs. Scarlett more than Rhett but some things never changed. They shared what they had done in the last five years and why. They knew they loved each other and they were not going to let pride destroy their marriage again. Scarlett was not going to ruin her reputation and Rhett was going to do what he could to not make his reputation worse. They now knew the value of community. Rhett statement 'That with enough money and courage one could do without a reputation' was totally wrong. And they knew it.

After two weeks Scarlett told Rhett, "Mrs. Merriwether came to see me yesterday to try to talk me out of staying married to you. She told me the marriage could be annulled. I didn't tell her it was already too late,"

Rhett smiled a smug smile. He said, "I didn't think Mrs. Merriwether liked you that much to care if you were married to me."

"She tried to talk me out of marrying you last time. I guess she feels it is her duty since my mother is gone and Aunt PittyPat is a maid. I was very polite but I did play the part of the empty-headed belle. She asked, 'Why did you marry that black hearted reprobate?"

I said to her, "Please don't call my husband a black hearted reprobate. I married Rhett because he promised he would take care of me and my family. I need someone to take care of me. My life has been so hard the last year and a half and with my Pa losing his mind I didn't have anyone to take care of me or my family. I don't have any male relatives. Mrs. Merriwether if I don't have someone to support me, I might have to get a job. I could not shame my family that way. Rhett is so rich he can easily support my entire family. Isn't it wonderful?"

She told me, 'Dear Captain Butler has done some questionable things?'

I said, 'Rhett wouldn't do anything that was wrong. He's too good to do that.'

She said to me, 'Dear I know for a fact he stole the Confederate gold.'

I said in a cold voice, 'Mrs. Merriwether, Rhett would not steal anything. He would never do anything illegal. What's more he promised me that if I married him, he would redeem his reputation. Isn't that sweet? He is going to restore his reputation for me.' And I put a worshipping look on my face.

She said, 'My dear, I hope he keeps all his promises.'

I said, 'He will.'

Mrs. Merriwether's expression was very doubtful but I ignored it. Then she said, 'Maybe you do need someone to take care of you,' she then patted my hand and left." Scarlett laughed.

Rhett laughed and said, "Did you defend me to Mrs. Merriwether last time?"

"Yes. Oh, I never told you. I wasn't very polite last time. I told her I would marry you even if you had fought for the Yankees among other things."

Rhett got a strange look on his face like he had missed an important point and hugged Scarlett like he was never going to let her go. Scarlett hugged him back. She liked this Rhett very much. He was still teasing and annoying but he was never mean or hurtful. He was so loving and kind. He was treating her the way she had always wanted him to treat her.

After three weeks Scarlett said, "I'm going to Tara tomorrow to pack everything up. Rhett, should I just let Tara go? It was never the same after the war was over. It ended up just being a farm."

"I never understood your need to hold on to that piece of land. It must be the Irish in you that clings to a particular piece of dirt. Or maybe it was everything it represented to you; home, family, your idyllic life before the war, and Ashley." She smiled at that. "It stopped being important to you when you became aware of everything you gave up to keep it."

"When I moved there in seventy-five, I knew it wasn't mine any more. Suellen was the mistress of Tara. Yet I got stronger the year I live there before I married Nick. It was nice because there were no memories of you or Bonnie."

"I will never live there. I will visit with you. I don't know why I never went before but from now on I will go when you go. When we get it back, we can let Will manage it and just stop in to visit. I think you get a lot of strength from that red dirt so let us buy it. We can keep it until your father passes away, at least."

"Alright. That sounds like a plan. I still have to go pack up everything we own. Alex Fontaine has agreed to let us store our furniture in his barn."

"Are you nervous about seeing Ashley again?"

"Yes. I'm nervous that he will want something more from me than I will give. And I'm nervous that he will be relieved that I no longer love him."

"I think you will find a combination of both. He wants your love and admiration but he also doesn't want it because of his feelings for Miss Melly. I have decided that was his problem. He wouldn't give you up but he wouldn't be unfaithful either. He needs your admiration to feel good about himself. Then he hates himself for feeling that way about you."

"What do I do?"

"Tell him that y'all have to end this relationship now, once and forever. This relationship has no future. You have married me and you are going to commit to that relationship as he should commit to his relationship with Miss Melly."

"I hope he talks bad about you then I will be angry at him and it will be easier to be mean to him."

Rhett laughed.

"Scarlett you know we haven't been using protection these last two weeks. So, you might be ….."

"Protection? You know of a way to prevent me from getting pregnant?

There in front of her Rhett did something she never thought he would do. He blushed. Scarlett knew he blushed because of shame not because he was embarrassed. Scarlett laughed. "I know what protection is. Nick used it. I hope I am pregnant. I was pregnant with Ella by this time last time. Besides my husband doesn't care if I have one child or twenty so all is good. It is almost time for me to have to leave but we will talk about you not sharing that piece of information with me when I get back from Tara. It could have made such a difference."

"I know. I will answer your question now. I don't know. I was so insanely jealous of Mr. Wilkes that I jumped to the wrong conclusion. I said things during the argument that I wouldn't back down from. I truly thought the only reason you didn't want to have relations with me was so you could be true to Mr. Wilkes. During the last five years when I replayed every conversation between us, I recognized that it was simply what you said. You didn't want to have any more children. I don't doubt that Mr. Wilkes encouraged your decision but you didn't want children and you hated being pregnant."

"I didn't want children for so many reasons not the least being they made me fat. Yes, Ashley said some things that encouraged me to not want to be intimate with you. I said things in that fight that I wouldn't back down from either. But you, silly man, all you would have had to do was kiss me. I could never resist your kisses. Not even when you forced them on me." And it was Scarlett's turn to blush.

"I'm sorry I did that."

"I'm not. I'm just sorry you ran away."

Rhett pulled her into his arms and kissed her like he had when he asked her to marry him in the other time line. She pulled back and said with a smile, "Stop. I'm going to faint."

Rhett smiled back and said, "Alright."

They spent the rest of their time just holding each other and occasionally exchanging kisses but too soon the private was there to take him back to his cell.

Scarlett smiled on her way home. That had been a crucial conversation.