Chapter 2

The next week Scarlett spent getting ready. She was going to leave for a while and go to New Orleans…by herself. She knew it was not very highly looked upon to travel alone, but her reputation was just about the least of her worries. Scarlett had thought of bringing the children with her, but she knew she needed some time to herself. She felt she just needed to get away. Once she announced her intentions of leaving for a little while, Mammy began to protest.

"It ain fit fo' you to travel alone miz Scarlett."

"Oh mammy dear, I promise you, nothing will happen to me. You have no idea how much I need this. It will help to clear my head. Lately I've just felt so…alone."

"I understan', but I tell ya, it just ain' safe!"

"Mammy, I am going whether you like it or not. I am leaving tomorrow afternoon. Please look after the children; I'm worried that they are just as sad as I am sometimes…"

Mammy was still a little apprehensive, but she saw that no matter what she said, Scarlett was going to go.

"Chile, you know they in good hands. Now if yer insistin' on goin', Mammy gonna be the one packin' yer bags, cuz I know you destined to fo'get to pack somethin' if I ain' help ya."

A faint smile appeared on Scarlett's face. It was suddenly wiped away, however, when she saw the childrens' reaction to her leaving.

"Oh mother! Please don't leave! I'll miss you so much!"

Ella exclaimed as she ran and hugged her mother's legs.

Wade tried to hide his disappointment, as he put his hand on his mother's shoulder and said, "I hope when you get back you'll feel better. Just make sure you do come back…"

Scarlett was stunned. Wade didn't show that Rhett's leaving had bothered him, but obviously it had quite an affect on him.

"Oh darling, I would never leave you two like that. I love you both so much. Now if you ever need me, I am going to leave the address to the hotel I am staying in. Feel free to send a telegram, no matter what."

With that, Scarlett hugged both of her children very tight, and then went up to tuck them into bed. When everyone was securely in bed and sound asleep, Scarlett settled into her own bed. Thoughts of Rhett came into her head, but she pushed them away. She wasn't going to let him bother her tonight; she had a full trip ahead of her to look forward to! Suddenly before she knew it, she was sound asleep…

Rhett knew that the two weeks at his house had finally passed. It was now time to face his fears. What was to become of this trip back to the house? He knew that no matter what happened, he would have to do what he had never done before…fully open up to Scarlett. This made him scared, because then she knew for sure that she had his heart, and she could play games and hurt him even more than she hurt him already.

After saying goodbye to his mother and sister, Rhett got in the carriage and demanded the driver take him the train station. Once he boarded the train he started to tense up.

What am I doing? Why am I putting myself in this position?

He knew the answer was because he loved her, and the only thing that kept him from running off that train was the idea of Scarlett and him having a happy life together. Thinking about this slowly lulled him to sleep. Before he knew it, the train jolted to a stop. Rhett knew now was the time. Before he went to Scarlett, however, he decided there was one more thing he had to do.

Rhett decided to walk instead of take a carriage. He needed time to sort out his thoughts. He walked past Pittypat's house, thinking of all the times he went there, calling on Scarlett.

"Those were the happy times…," Rhett unconsciously said out loud.

Before he knew it, Rhett was on the front porch of the Wilkes' house. He apprehensively knocked on the door. Time went by, and he was about to walk away until suddenly the door opened.

"Good Afternoon, Captain Butler," said Ashley, sounding quite confused.

"Hello, Ashley. I know this is odd, considering you and I never quite got along, but I have some questions that I decided are worth asking, and you seem to be the only person that truly knows the answer," Rhett said, sounding somewhat vain in his explanation.

"Fair enough, please come in."

The house seemed very quiet. Rhett looked for other people in the house, and then came to the conclusion that everyone else was out for the afternoon.

"Now what is it that you are questioning, Mr. Butler?"

"Well, as you know, Scarlett and I have had our, oh lets say troubles. And you know just as well as I that you, unintentionally or not, had to do with quite a few of them. Now I have a question that will require going back to the day of Miss Melanie. Scarlett had said she talked to you after she died, and that was when she realized she was not in love with you. Is that correct?"

"Yes," replied Ashley, not liking where this conversation was going.

"Right. Well after she realized you were not the center of her world, what did she say?"

"She had realized that I loved Melanie and said I only wanted her as you wanted Belle Watling."

Rhett winced at the words. He thought of Scarlett's face the time he said he had come home from Belle's, the day after he had shown Scarlett his feelings for her. She had looked so devastated. He never really thought about how much it had hurt her…he just thought that since she didn't want to share her bed, then that was the way it was going to be.

"She really took it that seriously, my seeing Belle Watling like that. Then I suppose maybe she must've cared, at least a little…" Rhett thought, careful not to say his thoughts out loud.

"Thank you Ashley, I know our talk was short, but you have cleared up a lot for me."

With that, Rhett shook Ashley's hand and raced towards the door. Ashley couldn't help but notice the troubled look on Rhett's face. He knew that something was happening, and it was now only a matter of time…