Scarlett sighed as she looked out over the remains of the real Tara. It had
been two months now since Rhett had gone back to America, but the hurt
hadn't lessened in the least. Scarlet missed him more then she could
express. She missed his voice, missed the slightest touch of his hand on
hers, missed how his massive physique could take up an entire room but he
could still be so graceful. Over the years she had always missed him, but
now it was so much worse. It was like she had only gotten a small glimpse
of him before he had gone off again. This ride to Tara had done little to
clear Scarlett's head, as she had hoped it would. She was standing on the
edge of a tall precipice looking out blindly when she heard him.
"It's not worth it, you know." Rhett's voice came from behind. Scarlett got over her initial shock at him being there and decided to feign indifference, as if she had been expecting him right that moment.
"What isn't worth it?" she asked, still with her back to him.
"Throwing yourself over." He said.
"You conceited fool, I suppose you think I would do that just for you?" Scarlett gave a wry laugh. Finally she turned to look at him. "Cat said you would come back."
"She's a smart girl then, isn't she?" Rhett said with a smile.
"How did you know I was here anyway?" Scarlett asked.
"Bribed your stable boy. You really should get better help."
Scarlett couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't stand to converse with him, knowing that soon he would go back home to his wife. Fearing that she was going to start crying, which he surely couldn't see, Scarlett began to walk away.
"Go home to your wife, Rhett" she said over her shoulder when she was about a yard away from him
"That's what I'm trying to do, but you're not helping!" Rhett yelled. Scarlett stopped and turned to look at him. What was he playing at? She walked back to him.
"Are you drunk?" She asked in disbelief.
"Never soberer."
"Then what are you talking about?" Scarlett questioned with a great deal of interest.
"I'm not married to Anne anymore." Rhett said. Scarlett's heart skipped at his words.
"You- you aren't? You divorced her?" she stammered.
"Yes, I did. I was furious with her for hurting Cat. It wasn't meant to be; everybody knew that. I never loved Anne, and I don't think she ever really loved me." Scarlett digested this information slowly.
"Wh- what are you doing here?" she asked as if in a trance.
"I've come to beg your forgiveness for acting like a bastard." Said Rhett.
"My forgiveness?" Scarlett repeated. Rhett took her hand in his and gently kissed her palm.
"I'm sorry, Scarlett. I'm sorry for everything. I didn't know you had left a note saying where you went; Rosemary burnt it. I thought you didn't love me anymore. It killed me to think that you didn't love me anymore. I would have come for you, Scarlett, I would've come." He murmured.
"You would have?" Scarlett said in a shaky voice.
"Darling I'll always come to you, I love you." Rhett said
"But you said that you didn't, not anymore." Scarlett whispered, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.
"I lied. I could never stop loving you, Scarlett, God knows I tried." Rhett crooned, looking concerned at Scarlett's altered breathing. "Are you alright, darling?" he asked gently. Scarlett nodded and threw her arms around Rhett's neck, pulling him into an embrace.
"It's just a bit of a shock, Rhett." Scarlett laughed over his shoulder. Rhett pulled apart from her and held her before him.
"Marry me." He said simply. Scarlett bit her lip and ran a hand through her hair.
"I don't know, Rhett." She said quietly. She looked down at the red dirt, not bearing to look in his eyes. "How do we know that it won't be like last time?"
"Everything's different this time, Scarlett, everything's changed. It won't be like last time, I promise you. We have Cat and- and you do still love me, don't you?"
Scarlett looked up and they locked eyes.
"Oh, Rhett, of course I do." She breathed.
"Then let's get married, there's nothing stopping us." Rhett said softly. "WAIT!" He yelled. "I have a ring!" he continued as he began to frantically paw around his pockets. "I didn't have time to get a box or anything, I was in a bit of a rush to get back to you, my dear. I can't believe I forgot the ring. How can a man propose without a ring?" Aah here it is." Rhett pulled out a thin gold band encircled with glimmering diamonds.
"Rhett! It's magnificent!" Scarlett exclaimed, entranced by the way the diamonds sent little rainbows shooting up and down Rhett's open palm.
"I thought you would like it." Rhett said, smiling widely. "It fits your style much more then the first one I got you, that disgrace to jewelry. So, what's the answer?"
"Hmm? The answer?" Scarlett said absentmindedly.
"Yes, I seem to remember asking you a little question. It was nothing, really, just something about our marital status." Rhett jibed.
"Oh that. " Scarlett said, a grin stealing across her face. "I suppose I could give marriage another chance. Fourth times the charm, right?"
"It damn well better be!" Rhett said with a smile, though there was an underlying tone of sincerity.
"Oh Rhett it will be, I just know it." Scarlett proclaimed. "And you know how I know that?" She asked coquettishly as she snaked her arms around Rhett's neck.
"How's that, my pet?" Rhett asked, reveling in Scarlett's touch.
"Because God help me, Rhett Butler, I love you." Rhett brought his lips down upon Scarlett's for a kiss that was matched in its passion only by it's tenderness. It was a kiss so full of love that Scarlett felt the void that had remained inside of her for the past four years slowly melt away to a feeling of total completeness. When they broke the kiss, after a substantial amount of time had passed, Rhett slid the diamond ring onto Scarlett's hand. Scarlett leaned her cheek against Rhett's broad chest and he held her close to him.
"Rhett, I have a few demands. Seeing as I have forgiven you and taken you back so quickly, I would advise you agree to them, my love." Scarlett said jestingly.
"Demands, really? I don't know, my dear, I'll have to know what they are first."
"Well there are three actually."
"Three? Do proceed."
"Well, you have to promise me that you won't run. When we fight- and we will fight, Rhett- don't run off. I know that that's your solution to things a lot of times, but it's gotten us into some trouble. So do you think that once in a while we can sit down and talk to each other like rational people?"
"Scarlett I promise you I won't run away. It's a bad habit of mine I know. But let's just hope there's no reason I would ever want to run away. What's your second demand?" Scarlett shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to bring her next "demand" up but knowing that she had to.
"If- and when- we fight, don't bring up my previous childish obsession with Ashley. I don't love him now if I ever did. Actually, can you just try to never bring that up? If we're going to turn a new leaf, if we're going to start over, then we need to forget about past things." She said awkwardly. Rhett remained silent for a few long moments, frightening Scarlett.
"I'll try not to, my pet. It might be a little hard at first though. But I promise I'll try." He said finally.
"Well my third demand should be easier, Rhett." Scarlett said, relieved that he wasn't upset. "Take me home. I miss Georgia so much. I miss Tara and my kids. Heck I even miss Suellen! And I can't wait to show Cat her real home, because even though she's never been there it should be her home. I feel like I've been such a bad friend to Melly. I promised her that I would look after Beau and- and Ashley too, and I haven't even seen Beau for four years. We can redecorate that horrid house and we can live there; you, me, Cat, Wade and Ella." Scarlett said with mounting enthusiasm.
"Of course we can go home. I was planning on it anyway. I'm excited to show Cat our home, too." Rhett said.
"Oh Rhett we can be a real family, just like we were always supposed to be!" Scarlett said joyfully as she looked up at Rhett with a wide smile across her face.
"You bet we can, my love, you and me and Cat and Wade and Ella. And there could be more children too, don't you think?" Rhett observed Scarlett's face falling at his last comments. "Well that's all in the future, my dear, we don't have to think about that now." He said quickly, misinterpreting her look to mean that she didn't desire more children.
"No, we do. I would love more children, I really would. But I can't give you more children, Rhett; I wish I could so much. But when I had Cat it was really rough. They thought I was going to die, actually. Thank God everything turned out okay, but I can't have more children. I'm sorry, Rhett, I'm so sorry." Scarlett said regretfully, wanting nothing more then to give Rhett more children.
"Darling, I don't care if you can't have more children. I'm more worried about you. You're okay now, aren't you? I mean you- you're alright?" Rhett said, guilt and worry written across his face. Scarlett reached up and laid her hand on his cheek.
"I'm fine, Rhett. I'm perfectly fine. I just have to take care of myself, that's all." She said reassuringly.
"Damn it." Rhett spat. "I should have been here, Scarlett. I'll never forgive myself for that. I should have been here."
"You can't keep saying that! You weren't here; we can't change that. I've done all right on my own. The only thing that matters is here and now. And right now we're together and that's all I care about. All that matters is that we're in love."
"You're right, Scarlett." Rhett said before he kissed her again, feeling like he couldn't go another moment without her lips upon his.
"It's not worth it, you know." Rhett's voice came from behind. Scarlett got over her initial shock at him being there and decided to feign indifference, as if she had been expecting him right that moment.
"What isn't worth it?" she asked, still with her back to him.
"Throwing yourself over." He said.
"You conceited fool, I suppose you think I would do that just for you?" Scarlett gave a wry laugh. Finally she turned to look at him. "Cat said you would come back."
"She's a smart girl then, isn't she?" Rhett said with a smile.
"How did you know I was here anyway?" Scarlett asked.
"Bribed your stable boy. You really should get better help."
Scarlett couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't stand to converse with him, knowing that soon he would go back home to his wife. Fearing that she was going to start crying, which he surely couldn't see, Scarlett began to walk away.
"Go home to your wife, Rhett" she said over her shoulder when she was about a yard away from him
"That's what I'm trying to do, but you're not helping!" Rhett yelled. Scarlett stopped and turned to look at him. What was he playing at? She walked back to him.
"Are you drunk?" She asked in disbelief.
"Never soberer."
"Then what are you talking about?" Scarlett questioned with a great deal of interest.
"I'm not married to Anne anymore." Rhett said. Scarlett's heart skipped at his words.
"You- you aren't? You divorced her?" she stammered.
"Yes, I did. I was furious with her for hurting Cat. It wasn't meant to be; everybody knew that. I never loved Anne, and I don't think she ever really loved me." Scarlett digested this information slowly.
"Wh- what are you doing here?" she asked as if in a trance.
"I've come to beg your forgiveness for acting like a bastard." Said Rhett.
"My forgiveness?" Scarlett repeated. Rhett took her hand in his and gently kissed her palm.
"I'm sorry, Scarlett. I'm sorry for everything. I didn't know you had left a note saying where you went; Rosemary burnt it. I thought you didn't love me anymore. It killed me to think that you didn't love me anymore. I would have come for you, Scarlett, I would've come." He murmured.
"You would have?" Scarlett said in a shaky voice.
"Darling I'll always come to you, I love you." Rhett said
"But you said that you didn't, not anymore." Scarlett whispered, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.
"I lied. I could never stop loving you, Scarlett, God knows I tried." Rhett crooned, looking concerned at Scarlett's altered breathing. "Are you alright, darling?" he asked gently. Scarlett nodded and threw her arms around Rhett's neck, pulling him into an embrace.
"It's just a bit of a shock, Rhett." Scarlett laughed over his shoulder. Rhett pulled apart from her and held her before him.
"Marry me." He said simply. Scarlett bit her lip and ran a hand through her hair.
"I don't know, Rhett." She said quietly. She looked down at the red dirt, not bearing to look in his eyes. "How do we know that it won't be like last time?"
"Everything's different this time, Scarlett, everything's changed. It won't be like last time, I promise you. We have Cat and- and you do still love me, don't you?"
Scarlett looked up and they locked eyes.
"Oh, Rhett, of course I do." She breathed.
"Then let's get married, there's nothing stopping us." Rhett said softly. "WAIT!" He yelled. "I have a ring!" he continued as he began to frantically paw around his pockets. "I didn't have time to get a box or anything, I was in a bit of a rush to get back to you, my dear. I can't believe I forgot the ring. How can a man propose without a ring?" Aah here it is." Rhett pulled out a thin gold band encircled with glimmering diamonds.
"Rhett! It's magnificent!" Scarlett exclaimed, entranced by the way the diamonds sent little rainbows shooting up and down Rhett's open palm.
"I thought you would like it." Rhett said, smiling widely. "It fits your style much more then the first one I got you, that disgrace to jewelry. So, what's the answer?"
"Hmm? The answer?" Scarlett said absentmindedly.
"Yes, I seem to remember asking you a little question. It was nothing, really, just something about our marital status." Rhett jibed.
"Oh that. " Scarlett said, a grin stealing across her face. "I suppose I could give marriage another chance. Fourth times the charm, right?"
"It damn well better be!" Rhett said with a smile, though there was an underlying tone of sincerity.
"Oh Rhett it will be, I just know it." Scarlett proclaimed. "And you know how I know that?" She asked coquettishly as she snaked her arms around Rhett's neck.
"How's that, my pet?" Rhett asked, reveling in Scarlett's touch.
"Because God help me, Rhett Butler, I love you." Rhett brought his lips down upon Scarlett's for a kiss that was matched in its passion only by it's tenderness. It was a kiss so full of love that Scarlett felt the void that had remained inside of her for the past four years slowly melt away to a feeling of total completeness. When they broke the kiss, after a substantial amount of time had passed, Rhett slid the diamond ring onto Scarlett's hand. Scarlett leaned her cheek against Rhett's broad chest and he held her close to him.
"Rhett, I have a few demands. Seeing as I have forgiven you and taken you back so quickly, I would advise you agree to them, my love." Scarlett said jestingly.
"Demands, really? I don't know, my dear, I'll have to know what they are first."
"Well there are three actually."
"Three? Do proceed."
"Well, you have to promise me that you won't run. When we fight- and we will fight, Rhett- don't run off. I know that that's your solution to things a lot of times, but it's gotten us into some trouble. So do you think that once in a while we can sit down and talk to each other like rational people?"
"Scarlett I promise you I won't run away. It's a bad habit of mine I know. But let's just hope there's no reason I would ever want to run away. What's your second demand?" Scarlett shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to bring her next "demand" up but knowing that she had to.
"If- and when- we fight, don't bring up my previous childish obsession with Ashley. I don't love him now if I ever did. Actually, can you just try to never bring that up? If we're going to turn a new leaf, if we're going to start over, then we need to forget about past things." She said awkwardly. Rhett remained silent for a few long moments, frightening Scarlett.
"I'll try not to, my pet. It might be a little hard at first though. But I promise I'll try." He said finally.
"Well my third demand should be easier, Rhett." Scarlett said, relieved that he wasn't upset. "Take me home. I miss Georgia so much. I miss Tara and my kids. Heck I even miss Suellen! And I can't wait to show Cat her real home, because even though she's never been there it should be her home. I feel like I've been such a bad friend to Melly. I promised her that I would look after Beau and- and Ashley too, and I haven't even seen Beau for four years. We can redecorate that horrid house and we can live there; you, me, Cat, Wade and Ella." Scarlett said with mounting enthusiasm.
"Of course we can go home. I was planning on it anyway. I'm excited to show Cat our home, too." Rhett said.
"Oh Rhett we can be a real family, just like we were always supposed to be!" Scarlett said joyfully as she looked up at Rhett with a wide smile across her face.
"You bet we can, my love, you and me and Cat and Wade and Ella. And there could be more children too, don't you think?" Rhett observed Scarlett's face falling at his last comments. "Well that's all in the future, my dear, we don't have to think about that now." He said quickly, misinterpreting her look to mean that she didn't desire more children.
"No, we do. I would love more children, I really would. But I can't give you more children, Rhett; I wish I could so much. But when I had Cat it was really rough. They thought I was going to die, actually. Thank God everything turned out okay, but I can't have more children. I'm sorry, Rhett, I'm so sorry." Scarlett said regretfully, wanting nothing more then to give Rhett more children.
"Darling, I don't care if you can't have more children. I'm more worried about you. You're okay now, aren't you? I mean you- you're alright?" Rhett said, guilt and worry written across his face. Scarlett reached up and laid her hand on his cheek.
"I'm fine, Rhett. I'm perfectly fine. I just have to take care of myself, that's all." She said reassuringly.
"Damn it." Rhett spat. "I should have been here, Scarlett. I'll never forgive myself for that. I should have been here."
"You can't keep saying that! You weren't here; we can't change that. I've done all right on my own. The only thing that matters is here and now. And right now we're together and that's all I care about. All that matters is that we're in love."
"You're right, Scarlett." Rhett said before he kissed her again, feeling like he couldn't go another moment without her lips upon his.