Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Note: As always, all reviews and inputs are appreciated.

This chapter is Ashley centric. I give him a backbone.

At the end are R&S.

Chapter Eight

After they signed the papers to sell the mills Ashley knew he had lost Scarlett's affection to Rhett Butler. It infuriated him so much for Scarlett to care for Captain Butler that he became aware that his treatment of Scarlett and Melly was reprehensible. It had been a moment of truth for him. He had not been morally faithful to Melly and he had kept Scarlett pinned to his side for his emotional benefit. The most inexcusable part was he had hurt Scarlett with his behavior. He had hurt her marriage just because he had not wanted her to be happy with Butler. He had continued to let her believe that he loved her because he needed her admiration.

Ashley knew that she had lost all the hero worship she had for him because of his behavior after the scandal. He now believed she despised him and he knew why. Looking back over those first months after the scandal his guilty behavior had made them look so bad that he could understand her despising him. He knew there was nothing between them now and Butler was going to make sure that there never was again. Not even friendship. Ashley would smile to himself when he thought of Butler safeguarding Scarlett. If Scarlett was his wife, Ashley would do just exactly what Butler was doing. Butler would never let him or any other man ever get a toe-hold in with her.

He knew that Mr. Motts would not tolerate his mistakes and allow him to be a slacker that he actually began trying to do a good job. He was working for a Yankee but good jobs were hard to find.

One morning Ashley looked at the prisoners and thought they were no better than slaves. He remembered that his father had never let his slaves be abused. They were given plenty to eat and a warm, dry place to sleep. If they were sick, they would be taken care of. His father had rarely used the whip on his slaves because his father had felt the slaves worked better without the threat of being whipped. They had their fair share of malcontents and they had to whip a few of them but for the most part their slaves had been good workers.

Ashley felt shame when he thought of his father and what his father would think of him and how he was living his life. Ashley was living his life half alive. Ashley knew what his father would have said to him. His father would have said, "Stop being a procrastinator. The world we knew is over. Forget that. Don't dwell on the past. Luke 9 62 Put your hand to the plow and don't look back. Make this world what you want it to be. Stop sitting around whining and make a difference." Ashley smiled to himself and thought, 'Father was not a religious man but he could always remember a bible quote to make his point.' The war was over. They had lost. He needed to follow Scarlett's example and start working with them. She was right – they were the ones with the money.

Ashley was going to draw up some working conditions for the convicts that had to be maintained. He was going to draw up some basic humane requirements, like water breaks every so often. He was not going to let these men be abused any more. He would enforce the more humane conditions. With more strength and courage than he had possessed since before the war Ashley had decided he didn't care what anyone thought or said. He was going to make the prisoners lives better. As long as he made a profit, he was sure Mr. Motts would not care how he did it. He knew that Johnny treated his convicts horrible therefore if he could make a nice profit while treating the convicts kindly, he thought Mr. Motts would be alright with allowing him to enforce the humane conditions at both mills.

After living in a haze of despair for the last years since he had been sent to Rock Island, Ashley felt the desire to live again. He had a mission in life now. He had been treated brutally by the Yankees when he was at Rock Island. He would not allow another man to be treated as he was treated. His mission was to make these convicts lives as comfortable as possible. Hopefully not only would he turn these saw mills into a humane environment but a profitable business.

Ashley was on a calling now. When Ashley wasn't managing the mill, he was selling lumber. He knew he had been a lousy business man and if it hadn't been for Scarlett's hero worship of him, she would have fired him long ago. He was going to make up for that now. It was the scandal and loss of Scarlett's admiration that snapped him out of his melancholy and his desire to return to the past.

Amazingly Ashley became a decent manager of his sawmill. So much so that Mr. Motts promoted him to manage both mills. During the first week he had gone out to Johnny's mill and had seen him abusing the convicts. Ashley had seen Johnny whipping the half-starved, sick convicts for not moving fast enough. Ashley had fired him on the spot. Ashley didn't know he had it in him but he was so mad at the injustice of it all that he had spoken without thinking. Once he had told Johnny he was fired, Ashley wouldn't back down. Johnny threaten to go over his head to Mr. Motts and Ashley had said, "Go ahead." Ashley knew he couldn't back down or he would not have any credibility. Ashley had looked into the eyes of the convicts and knew he couldn't leave them under Johnny's care. That was tantamount to aiding in their murder. Ashley had wanted to throw up when he saw the pigsty, they had been living in. The prisoners had not even had a decent privy. Fortunately for Ashley Mr. Motts had not really wanted to use convict labor but he didn't want to incur the cost of breaking the contract with the state. After Ashley had created a more humane environment and was still making a profit Mr. Motts was very happy with the changes. When Johnny Gallagher had gone to see Mr. Motts about his job Mr. Motts told him that his services were no longer required at the saw mills. He told Ashley to hire someone new.

Ashley went to talk to several men that he knew from the Democratic party meetings. He found one that would be able to manage the saw mill. When Ashley wasn't managing the businesses, he was selling lumber. He knew he had been a lousy business man and he had a chance to turn his life around. He just needed to stop living in the past and accept his life as it was, not how he wanted it to be.

After visiting with several men, he found one that needed a job and was willing to run the saw mill. Elton Boyett was from Macon. Mr. Boyett was missing the lower half of his right leg. He had moved to Atlanta to get away from his painful memories. They had talked about the war and their time in a Yankee prison camp. Ashley wanted someone who had compassion for the convicts. They talked about their disappointments in life. Ashley offered him a salary that was less than what they had been paying Johnny but Ashley decided that if Mr. Boyett did well in the next ninety days, he would raise the man's salary.

Ashley was finally at peace with his life. He had lost so much in the war but some had lost everything even their lives and he owed it to them to stop living in the past and make the most of every day. Ashley was going to tell Melly once and for all that they would never have another child. He would tell her that her life was too important for him to ever take a chance with it.

O#O

Over the next two months Rhett and Scarlett actually had fun redecorating the mansion. Rhett brought home several decorating magazines and several books for them to read. Scarlett ordered catalogs from manufacturers. The couple discussed their ideas for hours. It was probably the first time in their relationship that there was an even flow of ideas. Rhett had been fun to be with during their discussions around the redecorating. When she would show him something in a magazine that he didn't like he would say something funny and teasing. She had even made a few jokes at his expense and he had just laughed with her. By the time Christmas had arrived the mansion had an entirely new look to it that both people were happy with.

One evening they were sitting on their favorite piece of furniture in the parlor, that ugly divan, which neither person had wanted to give up. Rhett said, "The house is still too dark."

Scarlett replied, "I wonder why." She knew it was the porches all over the second floor of the house.

"I think it is the porches. After the first of the year I am going to get an architect over here to see if some of them can be removed."

"If you insist although I do like the porches."

"You will like it better without all those porches blocking the sunlight from entering the house."

"I don't know."

"If I am wrong, we can have them put back."

"Alright. I am too tired to argue."

"Would you like me to rub your lower back?"

"Thank you, Rhett. That would be wonderful." Scarlett was a happy lady. She was going to get rid of all those ugly porches and Rhett thought he had won in their little competition. That meant he would buy her something very nice in the near future. Once she had started truly paying attention to her husband, he wasn't that hard to read. Once she became a lot subtler in her manipulations Rhett was as easy as any other man for her to manipulate. She moaned as his talented fingers massaged her lower back.

Rhett and Scarlett celebrated the new year with just themselves and the children. Rhett had gotten the children some sparklers and much to Rhett and Scarlett's happiness Wade patiently showed both of his younger sisters how to hold them so they didn't get burned. Although the blow up in the dining room had worked out well for them Rhett and Scarlett had worked at not showing Bonnie such marked preference. Wade and Ella knew that Uncle Rhett would love Bonnie and the new baby more than them but now their mother was spending time with all of them. She wasn't fun like Uncle Rhett, she wasn't loving like Aunt Melly, but when she gave them her attention, they felt like a million dollars.

The first week in January Scarlett said, "We have to settle on names before our son is born."

Rhett said, "I don't care. You choose."

"If it is a boy, I would like to name him after my father."

"I'm alright with Gerald. What about a middle name?"

"Do you want him to have your name?"

"No, my dear, Rhett Butler is too infamous a name to lay on our son."

"Then what about your middle name?"

"That would be nice. My middle name is my mother's maiden name. Kennesaw. But what about your maiden name."

"No if we have another son, we can give him O'Hara as a middle name. I like Kennesaw. Gerald Kennesaw Butler."

"It has a nice ring to it. If it is a girl what about Elizabeth Katie."

"I like that. Elizabeth is your mother's name isn't it?"

"Yes. Then it is settled."

"After the baby is born maybe your mother and sister might want to come for a visit."

"They would love to come for a visit."

"Then it is decided."

"Let's retire. You look totally worn out."

As they were walking up the stairs Scarlett slipped but Rhett was right there to grab her. Rhett said, "That could have been a disaster. Let's tear this staircase out and put one in that has more landings."

"It is impressive but with small children it would be too easy for someone to get hurt on it."

"I will talk to the architect when I talk to him about the porches."

"Alright, whatever you think is best. I'm too tired to argue with you." And with that Rhett swept his wife up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way up the stairs. They just smiled at each other. They were both remembering the last time he had carried her up these stairs.