Author's Note: This is my "teaser" chapter. You don't really get much
information, except for what you already knew from the summary. Still, I'm
going to set the scene: For some reason which is yet unknown, Rhett
discovered that he had a daughter but didn't make up with Scarlett. Now,
twelve years later, his daughter Cat is a lady, being raised by Scarlett,
with Rhett only visiting once in a great while (Scarlett lives in the
Atlanta mansion- you discover a lot of things like that in the next couple
of chapters; this is just kind of a sample). But what will happen when Cat
learns that her father now plans to wed another (which she doesn't find out
in this chapter- sorry!)? *dramatic music plays*
Disclamer: I do not own any of the characters in this story (except for the ones that I make up- they are mine! *evil laugh*). The major players, Cat, Scarlett, and Rhett, belong to Margaret Mitchell/Alexandra Ripley.
Note: You can't copyright titles (which is why a lot of songs have the same title) so don't sue me for calling this story The Parent Trap. I'm just trying to be cute :-) Also, while the basic storyline is similar, the details will make it waaaaaaaaaay different from the Disney movie, so don't sue me for plagarisim, either! (Besides, this storyline has been used so many times that Disney can't really say they own it.)
Rated PG for mild language
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Chapter One Scarlett's Woes
"Mother!" sixteen year old Cat O'Hara yelled as she strode through the door, her arms full of parcels. "Mother, where are you? You must see all my purchases!"
Cat set her parcels on the plush carpet of the luxurious mansion where she lived with her mother and their servants. As she removed her bonnet, Cassie, Cat's personal maid and attendant, rushed up to her to collect all the packages.
"Cassie, where is my mother?" Cat inquired in an offhand manner as she smoothed back her dark hair. Cassie didn't have a chance to reply, for from upstairs there was a loud thump and an exclamation of, "Damn it!"
Cassie stated, in a somewhat joking tone of voice, "Oh, I imagine she's upstairs." She carried the boxes into the kitchen as Cat slumped down onto the sofa.
"Has she been up there all day?" Cat asked, depressed.
"Yes, ma'am," Cassie shouted from the kitchen. "Ever since you left to do your shopping."
Cat sighed. "Well, I suppose I'd better see what she's up to." She rose, adjusted her amethyst brooch in the mirror, then slowly ascended up the steps.
Cat made her way to her mother's room, and listened for signs of movement from outside the door. When a full minute elapsed and she had still heard nothing, Cat knocked softly on the door and called, "Mother? Mother, it's me, Cat."
There was no immediate reply. From inside the room there was a shuffling sound, as though a bunch of papers were being moved. Then, a quiet, somewhat croaky voice said, "Come in."
The sight that met Cat's eyes when she opened the door astounded her. There was her proud mother, sitting on the floor and leaning against the bed for support. She was holding onto a bed post with one hand, and the other clutched a bottle of brandy.
Aghast, Cat exclaimed, "Mother, what on earth on you doing in such a state!?" She rushed over to her mother and, despite Scarlett's protests, pried the brandy bottle from her grasp. "You promised me you'd put a stop to your drinking," Cat reminded her. With a very determined look on her face, Cat walked briskly over to the sink and poured all the contents of the bottle down the drain.
When Cat turned to face her mother, she was surprised to see that Scarlett hadn't reacted to Cat's sudden action. In fact, it seemed as though she hadn't moved at all. Cat knelt down beside Scarlett, watching her mother, waiting for her to speak. After what to Cat felt like an eternity, she did.
"I saw your father today," Scarlett began. She made this announcement in a monotone voice, and she refused to meet Cat's eyes. "I just stepped out of my buggy and there he was."
"You- you saw Father?" Cat repeated in disbelief. She herself had only seen her father a handful of times, most recently on her fourteenth birthday.
Scarlett belched loudly in response, which Cat took to mean yes, and then, moaning, she slid down onto the carpet. Apparently, the effects of the brandy were taking their toll. Thinking fast, Cat dumped out the liquid in her mother's water basin and set it by her side, which was a good thing, because seconds later Scarlett vomited into it.
Cat patted her mother on the back, trying to ignore the foul stench that was coming from the basin. Trying unsuccessfully to conceal her curiosity, Cat inquired, "And how did he look? I mean, did he seem to be doing well?"
Scarlett let out a hollow laugh. "Oh, well, you know your father," Scarlett said, straightening back up.
"No, I really don't," Cat said to herself, though she didn't dare say those words out loud. Instead, Cat persisted with, "You know what I mean. Was he well?"
"Ask his lady friend," Scarlett stated bluntly. "She'll tell you. Oh, yes, she'll tell you anything. Quite the chatterbox, this Miss Huntington is," Scarlett continued to rant. "Wouldn't shut up, the vain little peacock. How she strutted down the main street, flaunting her youth and the little beauty she has." Scarlett paused, breathing heavily from talking so quickly and at such length. In a much different tone, Scarlett went on with, "And your father . . . Rhett . . . he looked right through me. He didn't even know I was there, or at least he didn't acknowledge me, which is worse." She let out a huge sob, and Cat, who had been listening silently, handed her mother a clean handkerchief.
"Oh, Mother, I'm so sorry," Cat interjected. "Perhaps Father simply didn't recognize you. You've grown so much-" Cat stopped abruptly, for she was about to say "older," but caught herself in time. "You've grown so much more distinguished looking since he last saw you," Cat said instead, pretending she didn't notice how stupid she sounded. "Otherwise I'm sure Father would have given you his warmest greetings."
Scarlett guffawed at this remark, but she grinned at her daughter and put a hand lovingly on her cheek. "Thank you for trying to cheer me, Cat. But I'm afraid-" she sighed deeply- "I'm afraid I suffered a big blow today. It might take me some time to recover."
"I understand, Mother," Cat assured her. "You loved him very much."
"Yes, I did," Scarlett agreed. Then, in a whisper so soft Cat had to strain to hear her, Scarlett said, "And I still do."
Cat smiled, but it was a bittersweet sort of smile. "Just promise me one thing, Mother."
"What?"
"Don't try to drown your sorrows with brandy."
Scarlett chuckled. "A fine day it is when I'm lectured by my own teenage daughter," Scarlett remarked, more to herself than to Cat. "Very well, then, I promise."
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Author's Post Script: So, what do you think? Review, even flame, any feedback will be appreciated. (There must have been sinks by this time period, right? I wrote that part and I wasn't sure if there were sinks in terms of what we today think of as sinks, but whatever :-)
Disclamer: I do not own any of the characters in this story (except for the ones that I make up- they are mine! *evil laugh*). The major players, Cat, Scarlett, and Rhett, belong to Margaret Mitchell/Alexandra Ripley.
Note: You can't copyright titles (which is why a lot of songs have the same title) so don't sue me for calling this story The Parent Trap. I'm just trying to be cute :-) Also, while the basic storyline is similar, the details will make it waaaaaaaaaay different from the Disney movie, so don't sue me for plagarisim, either! (Besides, this storyline has been used so many times that Disney can't really say they own it.)
Rated PG for mild language
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
Chapter One Scarlett's Woes
"Mother!" sixteen year old Cat O'Hara yelled as she strode through the door, her arms full of parcels. "Mother, where are you? You must see all my purchases!"
Cat set her parcels on the plush carpet of the luxurious mansion where she lived with her mother and their servants. As she removed her bonnet, Cassie, Cat's personal maid and attendant, rushed up to her to collect all the packages.
"Cassie, where is my mother?" Cat inquired in an offhand manner as she smoothed back her dark hair. Cassie didn't have a chance to reply, for from upstairs there was a loud thump and an exclamation of, "Damn it!"
Cassie stated, in a somewhat joking tone of voice, "Oh, I imagine she's upstairs." She carried the boxes into the kitchen as Cat slumped down onto the sofa.
"Has she been up there all day?" Cat asked, depressed.
"Yes, ma'am," Cassie shouted from the kitchen. "Ever since you left to do your shopping."
Cat sighed. "Well, I suppose I'd better see what she's up to." She rose, adjusted her amethyst brooch in the mirror, then slowly ascended up the steps.
Cat made her way to her mother's room, and listened for signs of movement from outside the door. When a full minute elapsed and she had still heard nothing, Cat knocked softly on the door and called, "Mother? Mother, it's me, Cat."
There was no immediate reply. From inside the room there was a shuffling sound, as though a bunch of papers were being moved. Then, a quiet, somewhat croaky voice said, "Come in."
The sight that met Cat's eyes when she opened the door astounded her. There was her proud mother, sitting on the floor and leaning against the bed for support. She was holding onto a bed post with one hand, and the other clutched a bottle of brandy.
Aghast, Cat exclaimed, "Mother, what on earth on you doing in such a state!?" She rushed over to her mother and, despite Scarlett's protests, pried the brandy bottle from her grasp. "You promised me you'd put a stop to your drinking," Cat reminded her. With a very determined look on her face, Cat walked briskly over to the sink and poured all the contents of the bottle down the drain.
When Cat turned to face her mother, she was surprised to see that Scarlett hadn't reacted to Cat's sudden action. In fact, it seemed as though she hadn't moved at all. Cat knelt down beside Scarlett, watching her mother, waiting for her to speak. After what to Cat felt like an eternity, she did.
"I saw your father today," Scarlett began. She made this announcement in a monotone voice, and she refused to meet Cat's eyes. "I just stepped out of my buggy and there he was."
"You- you saw Father?" Cat repeated in disbelief. She herself had only seen her father a handful of times, most recently on her fourteenth birthday.
Scarlett belched loudly in response, which Cat took to mean yes, and then, moaning, she slid down onto the carpet. Apparently, the effects of the brandy were taking their toll. Thinking fast, Cat dumped out the liquid in her mother's water basin and set it by her side, which was a good thing, because seconds later Scarlett vomited into it.
Cat patted her mother on the back, trying to ignore the foul stench that was coming from the basin. Trying unsuccessfully to conceal her curiosity, Cat inquired, "And how did he look? I mean, did he seem to be doing well?"
Scarlett let out a hollow laugh. "Oh, well, you know your father," Scarlett said, straightening back up.
"No, I really don't," Cat said to herself, though she didn't dare say those words out loud. Instead, Cat persisted with, "You know what I mean. Was he well?"
"Ask his lady friend," Scarlett stated bluntly. "She'll tell you. Oh, yes, she'll tell you anything. Quite the chatterbox, this Miss Huntington is," Scarlett continued to rant. "Wouldn't shut up, the vain little peacock. How she strutted down the main street, flaunting her youth and the little beauty she has." Scarlett paused, breathing heavily from talking so quickly and at such length. In a much different tone, Scarlett went on with, "And your father . . . Rhett . . . he looked right through me. He didn't even know I was there, or at least he didn't acknowledge me, which is worse." She let out a huge sob, and Cat, who had been listening silently, handed her mother a clean handkerchief.
"Oh, Mother, I'm so sorry," Cat interjected. "Perhaps Father simply didn't recognize you. You've grown so much-" Cat stopped abruptly, for she was about to say "older," but caught herself in time. "You've grown so much more distinguished looking since he last saw you," Cat said instead, pretending she didn't notice how stupid she sounded. "Otherwise I'm sure Father would have given you his warmest greetings."
Scarlett guffawed at this remark, but she grinned at her daughter and put a hand lovingly on her cheek. "Thank you for trying to cheer me, Cat. But I'm afraid-" she sighed deeply- "I'm afraid I suffered a big blow today. It might take me some time to recover."
"I understand, Mother," Cat assured her. "You loved him very much."
"Yes, I did," Scarlett agreed. Then, in a whisper so soft Cat had to strain to hear her, Scarlett said, "And I still do."
Cat smiled, but it was a bittersweet sort of smile. "Just promise me one thing, Mother."
"What?"
"Don't try to drown your sorrows with brandy."
Scarlett chuckled. "A fine day it is when I'm lectured by my own teenage daughter," Scarlett remarked, more to herself than to Cat. "Very well, then, I promise."
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Author's Post Script: So, what do you think? Review, even flame, any feedback will be appreciated. (There must have been sinks by this time period, right? I wrote that part and I wasn't sure if there were sinks in terms of what we today think of as sinks, but whatever :-)
