"The Long Road"

AUTHOR: Melly (otherwise know as, RHETTLOVER!)

RATING: PG.I think! There is a mild kissing scene, but otherwise it is fine and dandy!

EMAIL: melismelli_101_@hotmail.com

DISCLAIMER: I don't own GWTW, (unfortunately!) (

TIMELINE: After Scarlett has arrived at Tara during the War.

SYNOPSIS: I won't give you one! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (aren't I mean!)

DISTRIBUTION: scarlettonline.com, fanfiction.net, network54.com.etc.

NOTE: Please be gentle, This was my very first GWTW fanfic I ever wrote..

CHAPTER: 2.Slave

That night Scarlett had the hardest time get Wade to sleep. Rhett had

himself propped up on the couch retelling his tale of the war. Scarlett stared out the

window, obviously not interested in how Rhett barely made it to Tara. Rhett blabbed on

how he was shot and, to avoid being taken prisoner, he laid low for a while and traveled

to Tara when Lee surrendered. Scarlett couldn't help but think about what Ashley could

be doing right now. Whether he was making his way home or.Scarlett shook her head

and tried to put her attention on Rhett to avoid thinking about the unthinkable.

When everyone began to linger out of the parlor, Scarlett decided to do the

same. As she rose from the settee, someone behind her cleared their throat. Scarlett

impatiently turned around to see Rhett's smiling face staring at her.

"Did you need something, Rhett?" Scarlett answered trying to keep her

temper under control.

"Why yes, now that you ask. I hope that you wouldn't mind helping me to

my room. That is, if I have one, or might I have to share a bed?" Rhett questioned with a

smirk. Scarlett curled her toes and glared at him viscously before she replied, "I'll show

you your room but if you think you'll get to lean on my shoulder the whole way, you

were wrong." Scarlett quickly turned around and started upstairs. She could hear Rhett's

laughter behind her.

"Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton, you'll always crush the dreams of a man. Are

you always so heartless to every man you meet?" Scarlett stopped when Rhett said this.

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed when she decided she didn't want to bicker

yet again with Rhett about Ashley Wilkes.

* * *

Scarlett opened her eyes that next morning to a ringing sound that

resounded in her ears repeatedly. She quickly got up to see who could be

making such a sound when the answer was right across the hall from her bedroom. She

lightly knocked on Rhett's door as she rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Come in," Rhett said as the ringing noise stopped. Scarlett threw open the

door and placed her hand on her hips as she stifled her second yawn.

"What on God's green earth are you doing? Are you trying to wake up

Melly? Just when she can get a good night's rest you have to start playing games and

wake up the whole household!" Scarlett retorted.

"I am not doing any of what you just accused me of doing." replied Rhett

coolly. From under the quilt he pulled out a handheld bell. "Wade gave this to me last

night. He said that if I need anything, all I had to do was ring this little bell and you, my

personal servant, would come and tend to me." Rhett gave it a little jingle and watched

Scarlett's utterly surprised face turn into an evil glare as her she furrowed her eyebrows

and narrowed her green eyes.

"I suppose." Scarlett began, "that you will expect me to come running

every time you ring that stupid thing." Rhett waited a while as so to carefully choose his

next words.

"Yes, I expect you to come when I ring this because I will need re-

bandaging once a day at least, and since my wound has so amply prevented me from

getting out of bed for a week, I will need some one to fetch me meals and so forth."

Rhett pulled out a cigar from his cigar box and smelled it just like Pa used to. Scarlett's

thoughts drifted to the days when Pa was his sane self, and when there were parties and

barbeques, and when Mother.Scarlett turned her thoughts back to Rhett's previous

response and quietly said, "Well then, you obviously needed something when you rang

that bell, so what is it that you want now?"

"Well, when I first rang, I really didn't need anything at all. I was just

trying to see how long it would take you to get here." When Rhett finished this statement,

Scarlett clenched her fists at her side and swiftly turned around to walk out the door.

"But." Rhett said slowly. Scarlett stopped and listened. "since you are

here now, I wouldn't mind some breakfast since I am up."

Scarlett turned around again to face him and stomped her foot. "Mother of

God, Rhett!, do you realize how long it takes FIND food, nonetheless PREPARE it!"

Scarlett paused as she tried to control her temper, but it was hard to defeat herself when it

came to Rhett. "If you can wait half an hour, I'll see what I can find. Ever since the

Yankees came to Tara, there hasn't been that much to go around." Scarlett cast her eyes

toward the floor where she took much interest in her hands as she waited for Rhett to say

something.

"Yankees, at Tara?" Rhett questioned silently.

"Yes, and they used it as their headquarters and took everything.the

horse, the chickens, the cotton." Scarlett's eyes brimmed with tears as she remembered

the day she came back.Pa, Mother, Tara..it was all too much for Scarlett to bare. She

turned towards the door, called behind her back to Rhett, and whispered, "I'll find us

some breakfast." Scarlett slowly shut the door and traveled down the stairs not knowing

what the day would bring.

SORRY THAT THIS HAS BEEN TAKING FOREVER! LIKE I SAID.I HAVE BEEN AT CAMP, BUT FROM NOW ON YOU SHOULD EXPECT THE NEW INSTALLMENTS ONCE A DAY! THANKS!