Disclaimer: I don't own any of the GWTW or SCARLETT characters.
Rhett sat holding Scarlett's pale hand, which seemed to be lost within his own large tan one. Rhett held her hand as if it were a fragile leaf at the end of fall, which would crumble with the slightest blowing of the breeze. He looked up at her placid face as she lay on the feather pillow with her hair tumbling down her shoulders. She looked a mire skeleton of the woman that he knew and had loved. Something was missing, although he couldn't quite put his figure on it yet.
He gently laid her hand beside her side as he excused himself from the room. He stopped before he reached the door and looked at her once more before walking out. He walked to Ella's room. He opened it slowly and entered the lightly lit room with anticipation. He saw a small little girl lying motionless in the bed.
Dilcey was sitting over in the small corner, sewing what seemed to be a little girls day dress.
"Sir?" Dilcey asked as she looked up toward Rhett.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to see miss Ella." Rhett whispered.
"Oh, yes sir, but yous don' have ta whisper. She can't hear ya. She's been unconscious fa sometime now." Dilcey said as she got up from her chair.
"Thank you." Rhett said, still in a whisper as Dilcey left.
"We know better than that don't we, Ella. I know you can hear me, princess, no matter what she says." Rhett smiled as he pulled a chair close to Ella's bed.
"So, sweetie, how have you been?" Rhett sighed. Now was as good a time as any to talk to Ella, Rhett thought.
"I bet you were wondering where I've been. Well I guess I have too. You wouldn't understand why I left two years ago, I'm not sure if I do either darling, but…"Rhett trailed off. He didn't want to think about this now, so he decided to change the subject.
"How has Tara been? I bet your stealing all these country boy's little hearts." He smiled brushing Ella's hair away from her face with his hand. Thinking about little Ella growing up and breaking hearts just about broke his to think about. She was practically his daughter too; he had been there for her whole life and her stepfather for most of it. He felt protective over her just as he would Bonnie.
He looked at her hair, which was a ginger color with strawberry highlights to it. It was taken down and the stick straight hair stretched all the way to what would be the mid of her back. Her skin was a sickly pale color now, but Rhett imagined it was a delicate white color as Scarlett's was. She still had the patch off freckles on both cheekbones, Rhett noticed.
"God, please let her get better." Rhett sighed, hanging his head. He didn't know what he would do if she didn't get well. He couldn't lose another daughter.
Rhett decide he should leave and he would check back in on her in a little while. He got up and shut the door be hide him softly.
Rhett realized he hadn't seen anyone else in the house. Not Suellen, her husband, Will, or their children. He still didn't see or hear anyone, so he walked down the stairs toward the kitchen. He found Dilcey there seated working on the same dress as she had been before.
"Where is everyone?" Rhett asked.
"Ms. Suellen and Mr. Will and deir youngans are stayin' at the Fontaine's plantation, jus' down dee road." Dilcey answered, rethreading her needle.
"Oh." Rhett replied.
"Yes, sir, dey left jus' de the other day. Yes after miss Ella got worse off Ms. Scarlett tol' dem ta go stay deir so dey wouldn't get sick too." She added.
"Got worse?" Rhett questioned about Ella.
"Sit down, I's tell ya whats been goin' on ever since Ms. Scarlett gots here.
Rhett sat and braced himself.
Please Review! I ran out of time to finish this part, but I'll update soon.