Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback. Again, some of the words are Ms. Mitchell's and some are mine in the first several paragraphs.

Chapter Fourteen

Rhett kissed Scarlett again then he backed away from her. As she sat facing Rhett on the sofa, she slipped her hand into his hand. Rhett wrapped his hand around her fingers. She said to Rhett, "Since we will be sleeping together, I must tell you about the nightmare."

"The nightmare?"

"I have a reoccurring nightmare. I am back at Tara right after Mother died, right after the Yankees went through. Rhett, you can't imagine how awful it was. I can see how everything is destroyed and there is nothing to eat. I'm hungry and everybody else is starving, also. They keep saying over and over, 'We're hungry' like I could do something about it. I'm so empty it hurts, and I am so frightened. My mind keeps saying, 'If I ever get out of this, I'll never, never be hungry again,' and then the dream goes off into a grey mist. I'm running, running in the mist, running so hard my heart's about to burst. Furthermore, something is chasing me, at least I think something is chasing me. I can't breathe but I keep thinking that if I can just get there, I'll be safe. But I don't know where I'm trying to get to. Then I wake up. I'm so cold. I'm frightened and so afraid that I'll be hungry again. Often, I must get up and go check to make sure there is food in the house. I am so afraid that I won't have enough food."

"Hush," he said, disentangling his hand from her grip and pulling a clean handkerchief from his pocket. He blotted her cheeks with his handkerchief. As he did relief flowed over her.

He looked so capable and calm. She realized that she could shift her burdens on to Rhett's broad shoulders and he would carry them for her. Why had she never realized this before? Rhett had never said so, but he had always wanted to take care of her. He wanted her to trust him enough that she trusted him to take care of her. Well, he had in the beginning of their marriage.

She hadn't the first time because she didn't trust anyone but herself and because Rhett hadn't offered. Would she if he had offered? No, at that time she was still too fearful. She had the ability to trust him now partly because despite the fact that she had backed out of their deal he had continued to pay all the bills. He had continued to let her spend his money on anything she wanted.

She looked at him and said, "It would have been so much easier if you had been with me. You would have shouldered the responsibility."

Rhett said, "Yes, I would have. Even though I would have been trying to get you to run off to Mexico with me the entire time."

That made Scarlett laugh, then she covered her mouth with her hand.

Rhett leaned forward and said, "Scarlett, once we are married, I will do everything in my power to make you feel secure. To make you feel that you will never have to worry about anything ever again."

At that moment Scarlett truly realized that was why she had married Rhett before, because he would always keep her safe. He would do whatever he needed to do to survive. She had so desperately needed to know someone was going to keep her safe. She smiled at him and thought, 'Rhett would have if our relationship had not gone sideways. If Rhett hadn't had a secret agenda and secret expectations. He is such a nincompoop sometimes.'

"I have no plans to lose my fortune and I don't take chances with it, but I promise you that you will never need to worry about where your next meal is coming from."

"I am so fond of you."

"Fond of me?"

"Well," she said fretfully, "if I said I was madly in love with you, I'd be lying and what's more, you'd know it."

"Sometimes I think you carry your truth-telling too far, my pet. Don't you think, even if it was a lie, that it would be appropriate for you to say, 'I love you, Rhett,' even if you didn't mean it?"

"Not if you call me 'my pet' like I was a dog. That is a deal breaker, Rhett. I will not tolerate being called 'my pet."

"I promise I will never call you 'my pet' again."

"Then come kiss me again and I will tell you that I love you."

Rhett did kiss her again and she whispered, "I love you, Rhett."

When Rhett didn't reply in kind she said, "Don't you think, even if it was a lie, that it would be appropriate for you to say, 'I love you, Scarlett,' even if you didn't mean it?"

Rhett gave her that cat looking at the mouse-hole look again but he did say, "I love you, Scarlett. Name the day, my dear," He laughed and kissed her again. "Tell me what I shall bring you from England. A ring? What kind would you like?"

"You shall bring me nothing. I will pick out my own ring. We will be married on April fifteenth. The anniversary of the day we met."

"A year from tomorrow."

"No, Rhett, you have misunderstood. I meant tomorrow. How quickly do you have to be in London?"

"Within the month but first I must go to New Orleans and take care of some business."

"Can we go to New Orleans and then sail out of there to Europe?"

"Yes, we can."

"You don't mind bringing Mammy and the children on our honeymoon, do you?"

Rhett smiled and the excitement was back on his face. He said, "No, I do not. What about your reputation?"

"My reputation is already on thin ice with everyone blaming me for Tommy and Frank's deaths even though I never ask them to avenge my honor. It will be in shambles the minute I marry you. So why wait? I don't want to wait a year for the sake of other people. If you ever decide you want to redeem your reputation, I will redeem mine too."

Rhett stood up and said, "That will be a cold day in hell that I redeem my reputation. We will be married tomorrow and leave Atlanta for New Orleans by Saturday. Is that enough time for you to be ready?"

Scarlett stood up and linked her arm in Rhett's arm. She said, "Yes, all I will need to do is pack and sign a power of attorney for Uncle Henry to sell the sawmills and the store once it is legally mine."

"You are going to sell the sawmills?"

"Of course, I am going to be a lady of leisure. You promised to keep me safe."

"What about Mr. Wilkes?"

"I do not know why you would want to talk about Ashley at this moment, but I plan to get him another job," Scarlett whispered, "He is not a good manager of a sawmill."

Rhett smiled and said, "No, he isn't. I meant what about your feelings for Mr. Wilkes."

"I do think it is inappropriate for you to be asking me about my feelings for another man when I just accepted your proposal but since I want to start our marriage with a clean slate, I will answer you. The night of the raid I didn't feel the distress that a woman should feel when the love of her life almost died. In fact, I thought Ashley and the rest of the gentlemen were idiots for doing what they had done. They risked their lives and put everything I had worked so hard for at risk for honor. Honor! No, that is when I realized that Ashley was just a habit.

I am willingly marrying you for no other reason than I want to marry you. You are my future as I am your future. What's more you will always keep me safe no matter what you must do."

"Yes, I will and yes, you are my future," Rhett kissed her again. He said, "Let me make all the arrangements. I will be back tomorrow to pick you and the children up to go to the courthouse at nine."

"And Mammy and Melanie.'

"I may have to borrow a coach."

"It would be better to hire one," The mention of the coach made Scarlett think of Belle. Scarlett walked Rhett to the door and said, "There is something you should know. Belle is not your friend. She wants you for herself and she will try to sow discourse between us. She has been trying to since shortly after we danced together at the Hospital Bazaar. She gave Melly and me a handkerchief with gold in it to help buy supplies for the hospital. The handkerchief the money was wrapped up in was yours."

"I'm glad the inquiry where she has to give testimony is already over. Maybe we should keep our marriage a secret until we return."

"It would be too hard to keep our marriage a secret. As soon as people see me out in public tomorrow they will start talking. When someone sees me going into your suite at the National it will be all over town."

"I guess you are right."

"Go now!"

In a state of shock, Rhett had left the Hamilton House. He walked along and thought about Belle and her actions. The handkerchief incident explained what had happened that fall. Why Scarlett had turned cold on him. It also made him look at all of Belle's actions and words regarding Scarlett since he had first mentioned Scarlett to Belle. He had known Belle believed herself in love with him, but he had paid it no mind. He had thought she had wanted what was best for him. With a sad smile, he thought, 'Maybe she doesn't think Scarlett is what is best for me.'

Rhett dismissed Belle and Belle's feelings as he always had the entire time he had known her. He was going to watch what he said around her now, but he was too happy to let her actions and feelings bring him down. Scarlett had said yes. She had said she loved him even if it was just to make him happy. He was optimistic about his future for the first time in almost eighteen years. He was optimistic that Scarlett would one day love him. He was optimistic that he would be part of a family once again. It would be several months later before he remembered that Scarlett didn't do anything just to make someone else happy.

Scarlett with her new gift of perception had replayed the incident with Belle in her mind. If she hadn't been an obtuse, vain, naïve, and proper seventeen-year-old she would have seen the incident for what it was. It was Belle trying to get her to shut Rhett out of her life. Unfortunately for Belle, she could never shut Rhett out of her life no matter how cruel and mean he was or how big an ass he was. If she could, she wouldn't be marrying him again knowing everything she knew about him.

Scarlett walked over to Melanie's house to get her children. When she walked through the door, she took Ella out of Melly's arms and hugged the girl like she hadn't seen her in several months. She had been surprised at how much she had missed Ella these last weeks. Scarlett squatted down and hugged Wade with her other arm. She knew now she loved her children with a ferocity of a mama bear.

Scarlett knew that Melanie had explained to Wade about Frank's death. Melanie had explained it in very simplistic terms because after all Wade was only five years old. Scarlett said, "Wade, did Aunt Melly explain to you about Uncle Frank?"

"Yes, she said that Uncle Frank had gone to heaven."

"That's right and he wouldn't be back."

"Aunt Melly said that too."

"I have something to tell you. I hope you think it is good news. Now that I am no longer married to Uncle Frank because he is in heaven, I am going to marry your Uncle Rhett. We are going to get married tomorrow. We will be a family then."

Scarlett heard the sudden intake of breath from Mammy and Melanie. Scarlett continued looking at Wade. The boy said, "I like Uncle Rhett."

"But?"

"Do you think he will make me eat everything on my plate including the yams like Uncle Frank?"

Scarlett hid her smile and said, "No, I don't. Furthermore, we will no longer be living with Aunt PittyPat therefore your mother will be deciding the menu for our meals," In a stage whisper Scarlett added, "I will never serve yams."

Wade smiled. He said, "Then I approve."

Scarlett smiled and with a bit of spite in her voice said, "Then it is a done deal. You are the only person's opinion who matters."