Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Notes: I know a lot of fanfic writers portray Rhett at the end of the book as a man who was angry and hostile toward Scarlett, but I have always seen him as a broken man. A man that had lost all hope. A man eaten up with guilt for what he let his daughter do. A man that had lived in a war zone for the last five years. A man defeated by the woman he loved's bulldog determination and utter obtuseness.
I also believe that Rhett lied in his farewell speech. We know he lied to Scarlett a lot. I think at that point he still couldn't let her see him as weak.
In the last chapter of Gone With the Wind while Rhett and Scarlett are talking in the dining room. Scarlett thinks 'This was the first time he had ever talked to her in this manner, as one human being to another, talked as other people talked, without flippancy, mockery or riddles.' I think those are the saddest words in the entire book. After twelve years of knowing each other, this was the first time Scarlett understood what Rhett was saying. In this fanfic they will continue to talk to each other openly and honestly. Mostly.
With the realization she didn't love Ashley and that she probably never had, Scarlett had run all the way back to the mansion. As she was running, she had thought, 'It is Rhett I have loved all this time.' When she had found Rhett in the dining room with the decanter still full, she had been so happy. She had thought, 'I will tell him of my love, and everything will be fine.' She had told him of her love, and everything was not fine. Rhett had said that he no longer loved her. He had called her a child for expecting an apology to fix everything. To free them both of all the pain of the last five years. He had been right. There was too much pain between them for 'I'm sorry' and 'I was wrong' to fix it.
Scarlett had listened to everything Rhett had said about why their marriage had failed. She could have provided a rebuttal, but while he had been talking, she had finally seen the broken man in front of her. Bonnie had been the only thing keeping him afloat in this world. Her lack of interest in him and her dismissal of him had ruin this man. This man that had once been that proud, arrogant, defiant blockade runner. This man who had gotten everything he had ever wanted had been thwarted by her. This man, who could have any woman he wanted, except the one he genuinely wanted. His frustration and feelings of helplessness had turned him mean and cruel.
This man that had loved his daughter too much. This man that had loved his daughter at first because she was the only part of Scarlett, he knew in his heart, he would ever have. This man that had humbled himself before the very people he despised for his daughter's future. This man that had given his daughter everything she had wanted because he couldn't stand to lose her too. This man that had allowed his daughter to do something he had known in his heart he shouldn't have. She knew that was what was eating him up inside. She knew he was blaming himself for Bonnie's death. Her calling him a murderer had just confirmed his belief. He was no longer the man she had married. He was a man barely standing. A man whose self-recriminations were eating him up inside. As she truly saw him after twelve years, she knew she wasn't 'in love' with him, but she did love him. She had destroyed him. Just as she had destroyed Ashley by not letting him go to New York.
She couldn't save Ashley, but she had to save Rhett. If he left, he would be dead himself within the year. In that instant she knew she had to keep him here for Wade and Ella's sake. She had been a bad mother and Rhett was the parent they had been able to rely on. At least until Bonnie's death. Wade and Ella needed him not to abandon them at their worst possible moment. His death would hurt them, but his abandonment would destroy them.
Scarlett said, "I am sorry for calling you a murderer. It isn't true and I should never have said it. I know that my saying I'm sorry doesn't fix anything, but I have to say it," She stood up and said, "I will accept our marriage being over. I don't want you to leave but I can't stop you from leaving. For Wade and Ella's sake will you not leave until after Melly's funeral."
Rhett sighed sadly. Why did it hurt so that Scarlett accepted their marriage was over so quickly? He said, "Of course."
"Will you go get them in Marietta tomorrow? I will have to make and pay for the arrangements for Melanie."
"Yes. I will. Do you want me to tell them?"
Scarlett sighed and said, "No. I think I should tell them."
Rhett smiled a sad smile for he was thinking how Scarlett would bungle telling them their Aunt Melly was dead. He said, "I will do it."
"Alright, Rhett. Do you think you can?"
"I can for the children."
"Will you help me with my corset?"
Rhett smiled a sad smile. He had so enjoyed helping Scarlett get out of her clothes. It had been a sexual thing, of course, but it had also been a tactile thing. He had so enjoyed touching her, just touching her. "Of course. Shall we retire?"
As they walked up the stairs, Scarlett clung to him. He thought, 'Another sin I will have to atone for if there is a heaven and a hell.'
After Rhett had loosen her corset, Scarlett looked at him and had said, "Please, sleep with me tonight. I promise I will not force myself on you. I just don't want to be alone anymore. My grief is too much."
"I don't think so."
"You said you feel pity and kindness toward me. Show me a little pity and kindness and sleep with me. I couldn't take having a nightmare tonight."
Rhett had looked at Scarlett's face. There was no guile or cunning. He believed for the first time he was seeing an open and honest expression on her face. He didn't want to sleep in the room he had shared with Bonnie or on the little couch in his changing room. He certainly didn't want to listen to Scarlett scream out in the night. Rhett said, "Yes."
They laid in the bed. They were lying close but not touching. Scarlett moved her foot until she touched Rhett's calf. When he didn't move his leg away, she left her foot there. She didn't do anything else. He moved his hand until his hand was on top of hers. They were touching but not in a sensual way. They were touching just to be sure the other was still there. It was comforting to both of them. It was the first time either person had provided comfort to the other since Bonnie's death. Maybe ever. They laid together as two parents of a dead child who have received another painful blow from life.
When Rhett woke up the next morning, he thought, 'I slept through the night. It is the first time I have slept through the night since I was kicked out of this room.'
Rhett sat up and looked at Scarlett. He thought, 'She looks so young. How old had she said she was last night? Twenty-eight. There were so many things I should have done in our marriage to make it a good marriage, but I didn't do any of them. If I am honest, it wasn't all her fault, but I can't think about that right now.'
He got up and left the room. He got dressed and got the train to Marietta. He found Wade, Ella and Prissy at the hotel. All three people were relieved to see him. Wade said, "Is Mother alright?"
Rhett sat down on the sofa and said, "Yes, your mother is alright. Come here."
The children came to sit beside their Uncle Rhett. It was the first time they had seen him sober since Bonnie's funeral. Rhett said, "I have awfully bad news. Your Aunt Melly passed away."
Wade said, "No! Not Aunt Melly also."
Ella had already started crying. Rhett put his arms around the children. He gave comfort and he took comfort. He knew for them he would try to stay but if Scarlett started chasing him, he would leave. He knew he would not be able to stand that. It would be too painful. To get what he had wanted for so long after he no longer wanted it. If she started fawning over Mr. Wilkes, he would leave. He had endured that far too long.
Wade was crying and he sobbed out, "Why? How?"
Rhett said, "She got sick and died."
"She wasn't sick when we left Atlanta."
"No, it came on her all of a sudden. That is how some illnesses are."
"How is Beau?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen him. We can ask your mother when we get home. She is over at the Wilkes house helping make arrangements for the funeral."
Rhett looked up to tell Prissy to get the children's clothes packed and he saw the young maid crying also. He would give her some time to get over the initial shock. Rhett thought, 'That will be the reaction of everyone who ever knew the good woman.'
Rhett let everyone cry for about five minutes then he said, "Prissy would you get the clothing together."
"Yes, Mr. Rhett."
Rhett took out his handkerchief and dried Ella's eyes and had her blow her nose. He handed the handkerchief to Wade but he didn't say anything. Rhett would let the boy keep what dignity he could.
When Prissy said, "I'm finished Mr. Rhett."
Rhett stood up and said, "Let's get back home. Everyone will feel better when we get back home."
Rhett got the group to the train station and on board the train. Neither Ella nor Wade wanted to let go of him which he was fine with. When they got on the train, Rhett said Ella on his lap and Wade sat very close to him. Probably closer than the boy had in a long time. The truth was he didn't know how long it had been since Wade had sat next to him. It was always Bonnie and Ella that had sat next to him. He smiled when he thought, 'No Bonnie had never wanted to sit anywhere but in my lap,' The pain hit him hard when his next thought was, 'Never again.' He could not cry now that would upset the children too much.
The four people somehow made it back to Atlanta and back to the mansion. Rhett told Prissy, "Unpack their clothes and Mrs. Butler's then you can lay down until dinner."
"Thank you."
Rhett moved the group into the family parlor, and they just sat there hugging each other.
When Scarlett woke up, she had much the same thoughts as Rhett had. She thought, 'I slept through the night. It is the first time I have slept through the night since Rhett left this room. I don't believe I was solely responsible for destroying our marriage, but I certainly didn't do anything to make it a happy marriage. I can't think about that right now.'
Scarlett got out of the bed and called for a maid, she got dressed and forced herself to eat though the food tasted like sawdust. The stable boy had gotten her buggy ready as he did every morning. She got in her buggy and went to the Wilkes.
Scarlett arrived at the Wilkes and found Aunt PittyPat and India just sitting in the front parlor. The house showed signs of it having been prepared for mourning which Scarlett was happy about. Scarlett walked into the parlor and said, "India have you notified anyone?"
When India shook her head no, Scarlett said, "Then get a list together. We will send Uncle Peter to Western Union to send the telegrams. Aunt PittyPat you stay here and receive guest. Where is Ashley?"
"In his room."
"Beau?"
"In his room."
"Send him with Uncle Peter. He doesn't need to see all these people crying. I'm going to go get Ashley. We have to get the funeral planned."
"You can't enter Ashley's room."
"Yes, I can. You can spread it all over town if you wish."
India's cheeks got red, and she said, "I will get the list together."
Scarlett knocked and entered Ashley's room. She looked around the room. It looked just like Ashley, boring. She thought, 'I was such a fool.' She looked at Ashley. He was standing by the window and he said, "I should have said, 'No."
"Yes, you should have but Melly could be a forceful woman when she wanted to be. Now come out to the parlor before someone catches us together in your bedroom."
Ashley followed Scarlett out of the room. They made most of the decisions before dinner. As Scarlett stood up, she said, "Go to Jeter's Funeral Home and pick out a coffin. Have them send me the bill."
"Scarlett I can't accept your charity."
"You have been accepting my charity for the last seven years. I will find someone for you to sell the mills to before they are completely worthless."
"Scarlett!"
"Ashley you of all people should know that I don't understand anything unless it is in plain, simple words. This," Scarlett moved her hand between them, "Would never have gone on as long as it did if you had told me the truth in the library that day. That you were marrying Melanie because you loved her."
"You are right, my dear. I should have told you the truth a long time ago but if you…."
"No, I don't have the time or the inclination to go over our relationship. Go down to Jeter's and just accept my charity one last time. I want Melly to have a nice coffin. Go. I am going home. My living children need me."