"The Long Road"

AUTHOR: Melly (otherwise know as, RHETTLOVER!)

RATING: PG

EMAIL: GWTWindyChick3@juno.com

DISCLAIMER: I do not own GWTW, (unfortunately!) :(

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

SYNOPSIS: Forgot…read my other posts. DUH!

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

NOTE: I have one more post after this. Yipeee! NOT!

CHAPTER: 10…Lost and Found

Rhett absently listened to the rattle of the train and looked out the window

remembering the last time he was on a train. Then, he was running away from Scarlett.

Now, he is chasing after her again. When would it end?

He had been replaying the words written on the telegram repeatedly in his

mind. Scarlett ill….Calling for you…What the hell did that mean? Did Scarlett have

some sort of regret for literally shutting him out or did she have a last minute request.

'Make sure Ashley and Melanie are taken care of…' Rhett laid his head against the

window as he pondered this deep situation. The constant rattle of the train wheels made

him close his eyes. His mind slowly shut down as he dozed off, his head falling to his

shoulder.

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Rhett slowly opened his eyes and adjusted to the light. He was in a

carriage of some sort and was sitting near the window with his head resting on it. Where

was he? As he became more aware of his surroundings, he called to the driver, "Where

am I?" The man turned around and said with confusion, "We've just left Jonesboro, like

ye told me to." The man obviously had a thick Irish accent and his red hair showed that

he was definitely Irish. When did he get a carriage? He must have been so tired he did not

even remember getting of the train. "Oh, yes sir. Thank You," Rhett replied placing his

head back down. He hoped that he would get to Tara soon. Rhett was worried sick about

Scarlett and did not want any delays.

When Rhett finally saw the tall , vine-covered pillars of Tara, he

immediately became nervous. What if Scarlett were…Rhett shook the idea from his mind

and told the driver, "Here is fine, sir." The carriage slowed to a stop in front of Tara as

paid the man. As soon as he drove off, Rhett ran up the steps and knocked swiftly. He

waited a while until he heard quick footsteps coming near the door. A pale- faced Melanie

quickly opened it. She clapped her hands together and cried, "Oh, Rhett. We were so

worried you would not make it. Please come in right away." She pulled him and took his

suitcase from him. "Where's Scarlett's room?" he asked briskly. He need not ask, for he

turned straight up the stairs remembering his surrounding. Rhett reached the top step and

turned down the hall. Melanie's pale face worried him. He hoped he was not too late. He

reached her door and slowly turned the doorknob.

The room was dark and lit only by a single candle. The light cast shadow

across the room and Scarlett's fragile face shone a pale white. Her eyes were closed and

her hands lay on the bed. He ran to her side and picked up her hand. It was devoid of all

warmth. His four fingers lay in the spot where a pulse would be. Rhett waited…self-

consciously counting the seconds that he felt nothing. He waited…4….5….6….7….He

dropped her hand. He was too late. She had gone and he wasn't there.

He slowly backed away trying to accept all that was happening. "Oh

God," he said out loud, though if anyone were there, no one would be able to hear it.

Scarlett's dead..it ran through his mind a million times over until the repercussions came.

He ran back to the bed, lifted her up into his arms, and began sobbing into her hair. It

smelled so soft and sweet. Like a meadow full of lavender. He felt nothing right then,

nothing but pain. He was crying so hard, he didn't even hear Melanie come in.

Immediately she ran to him and placed her arm around Rhett. "Oh, Rhett. I had no idea.

Her condition was worsening every day, that's why I wrote to you. She kept calling for

you and I wasn't sure if she was in delirium or not. Pt juts last night I heard her sobbing

and quickly came in." Melanie paused a moment as if to gather her thoughts. "I came in

and she asked me to do her a favor. Naturally, I said yes and asked her what it was.

Scarlett said that if you were to come and she was…well- you know..gone, that she

wanted you to know that she loved you." Rhett looked down at Melanie. He stopped

crying and replayed her words. How on earth could Scarlett have ever loved him?

However, when he thought about it, it somewhat made sense.

Regret filed his mind. If only he got here sooner he could have told

Scarlett everything. How he loved her so much, how he always had. She would have

confessed too, maybe, and she might have gotten better. Rhett shook his head. That never

would have happened though. Scarlett had gone for a purpose…to torture Rhett's soul

forever. Rhett laid her body back down and stood up. "Miss Melly, I hope you don't

mind that I stay here tonight," Rhett whispered, holding back tears. He never would have

wanted Melanie to walk in on him, a man, crying. "Yes, Rhett," Melanie began, also

rising from the bed. "You can stay in Scarlett's room if you like." Rhett cleared his

throat. "Yes, that would be fine," Rhett said as he opened the door for him. He glanced

out the door to see Ashley and Mammy down below talking in whispers as Careen and

Suellen were holding each other. What do they know about pain? Rhett thought as he

shut the door behind Melanie. He walked back over to the bed and laid down next to

Scarlett letting his tears flow free. Rhett soon fell asleep, overought with the pain he felt

in his chest, right near his heart.

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Rhett awoke with a jolt as he slowly opened his eyes. Where was he? He

looked around and saw that he was on a train that was now stopped. He reached inside his

jacket. Rhett pulled out his pocketwatch and saw that it was exactly 11:00 a.m. and about

2hours ago, he left from Atlanta to Jonesboro. What a fool? He had fallen asleep and had

grabbed his suitcase and walked down the train steps. He filled his lungs with the sweet

morning air and was ready to go capture Scarlett O'Hara's heart.

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Scarlett barely opened her eyes and scanned the room. The candle on the

table next to her was growing small and wax spilled down the edges of the nightstand.

Scarlett felt that way too. Like her life was spilling down a cliff towards the point where

there would be nothing left of her. She wished that someone would just "blow her out"

and stop her suffering. The pains in her stomach were growing but not as fast as the ones

in her heart. Scarlett realized that she brought this sickness on herself, with the deep

depression she quickly spiraled into.

As Scarlett was thinking about this, the last person she wanted to see came

in. Ashley. He carefully closed the door behind trying not to wake Scarlett even though

she was already awake. She quickly closed her eyes; hoping she didn't have a

conversation with him. Scarlett could hear him walk next to the bed. She heard a long

pause, then heard him walk back to the door, open it, and leave.

A wave of relief flew over Scarlett as she opened her eyes again. She

could feel her tempter growing ever minute and wished someone would come in and

relieve her with a cold washcloth on the head. She waited impatiently, hoping that

anyone, even Melanie, would come back in. To Scarlett's relief, she soon heard voices

outside the door. She strained her ears, trying desperately to hear who was outside her

door. She thought she recognized Melanie's voice, but who else was speaking. After

hearing about a minute of their conversation, she heard that Southern drawl that she had

heard so many times before.

Her eyes were truly opened now as she thought about what this meant.

Rhett was back! But why? Her spirits dropped as she thought about their last encounter.

He didn't love me, and he surely doesn't now. She heard the voices stop and quickly

closed her eyes as someone came inside. She could tell by his footsteps that it was Rhett,

and he was alone. She kept a straight face and tried to discern what he was doing. His

footsteps stopped and Scarlett could hear the screeching of a moving chair. The moving

stopped and Scarlett guessed that he was sitting in the chair that he moved next to the

bed. Scarlett heard him sigh and was slightly startled when he grabbed her hand.

Rhett's soft, but callused hands massaged her fingertips while he began to

speak. "Scarlett, what have you done?" His voice was soft but it seemed like it was

almost rueful. Like he regretted leaving. Rhett continued on, "I never should have left,

not like that. " He paused for a long time and then dropped her hand. "If anything

happens to you, I'll end up blaming myself. I am not sure why, but.." Rhett's slow drawl

paused as if he was thinking about something. "It doesn't matter though, I am sure make

it though this. You've always been so strong Scarlett," Rhett said as he picked her hand

back up. Scarlett was appalled that Rhett was opening himself up. She almost felt sinful,

listening to him when he thought she was sleeping.

Scarlett heard a rustling noise as Rhett rose from the chair and started

towards the door. She heard him place his hand on the handle as he said softly, "Sweet

Dreams, my love." Scarlett listened as Rhett opened the door. What had he said. He

referred to her as "my love." Could it be that…no. But what if Rhett did love her? She

lightly gasped and regretted it as soon as the sound left her mouth. She heard him walk

back in again shutting the door behind him. Scarlett opened her eyes to see him standing

in front of the door, meeting her surprised gaze with his piercing eyes.