Fic has been revised with the help of you guys and Pansy O'Hara's blogspot.

Revised to this (please yell if you find spots that I missed):

Starting Date July 1871

Married 3+ years

Bonnie (February) less than 2.5 years old

Ella (November) 4.5 years old

Wade (Late January) less than 9.5 years old

Baby due at Christmas 1871

Original AN: Hi, I know this has been done to death, but well, why not. Everyone has to do one 'what if' fic because they had been at the cusp of so much and ended up with nothing.

Things to know: Each part is SHORT. Assume each new part is a new day (could be day, week, month).

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ means at least a new day since the last scene.

o~o~o means same day as last scene

Where we are interrupting Margaret Mitchell's story on the staircase that fated day, "Nothing but the sight of blood upon his dark face would ease this pain in her heart."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

As Darkness Eases the Pain

July 1871

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

She lunged at him, desperate to hurt him as he hurt her. His hand connected with her arm this time as it had tried earlier, but the intent now more purposeful. Pulling her to him, slammed flush into his body.

There was a reaction again on his face. It did not leave. The darkness returned.

The darkness consumed everything around them. Leaving only them.

No baby, no betrayal, no abandonment.

His mouth was over hers. Her exhaustion forgotten; her arms went around his neck.

At some point, she realized she was being swept up in his arms and they were moving through the house. She could hear the children in the background and Mammy, god bless Mammy, shuffling them back into the nursery.

She regretted the size of their house for his mouth often left hers. She wasn't drunk, but she often felt as if she was every time his lips left hers.

As he set her to her feet, her hands went to his waist to keep her steady. He was lithe and strong as she pushed past his jacket, pulling at his shirt to reach the warmth of his skin. He was nothing like the sedate men of Atlanta, so far removed from the farms and the fields that they looked like they would expire climbing a set of stairs. She heard ripping in the background; it seemed so far removed from them, but heightened the experience. Their clothing was a cruel wall between them, she wanted nothing more to be pulled to him, skin against skin.

Time passed just as it had the last time, bullying and breaking, pushing and giving. Eventually though, they both started to slow and the last time, when she was sure they were both too exhausted to go on, she felt it begin again slowly, their bodies flush and barely moving, kisses pressed along necks and chests.

When it was done, her hand went to her stomach, to the subtle hardening swell of their child. She had no doubt how he came into existence, there had simply been so much between them and he was the result.

Rhett's hand covered hers, "Seems oddly tender for something you don't want."

"Don't," she was afraid she would cry before him. Cry before the stranger she was married to. She had thought the baby would make him happy that he would be pleased, he loved Bonnie so, how could he be so cruel to this baby. She could have been angry earlier, she could have torn him apart, but now…Now she was tired, now she had given all of herself to him, she was laid bare before him once more and it was happening again.

"I suppose you were justified keeping me out of your bed to keep your figure. One mistake in two years and-" Rhett's hand moved tenderly over her own, his fingers seeking out her stomach and their child as well.

"So you believe he's yours?" Scarlett did her best to speak in a huff and not a choking question.

"Oh he's mine," Rhett's hand spread and covered all of her stomach before long he wouldn't be able to do that. "Be glad you can only get pregnant once at a time or tonight he would have gotten a twin."

Scarlett chuckled softly, this felt more like she expected when she told Rhett, perhaps in time she could erase that first memory and only be left with this. "Last time was hardly once, we made up for lost time. He isn't a mistake, it wasn't a mistake," her words were soft.

"Then what was it?" Rhett questioned, forcing the hesitation to hide in the timbre of his voice.

"I think I met my husband for the first time."

"And the baby?"

"I think it's happiness, I think I'm happy. It'd been so long, I'd almost forgotten the feeling."

"So you want him," Rhett's hand was still spread across her stomach as Scarlett laid still, her head resting above his heart, which remained hers, having stolen it a decade prior and tossed it around without care, it was a wonder it still beat, "despite what he will do to your waist?"

She didn't look up at him, she had barely looked up at him since they started talking, "I'm scared I want him more than I ever wanted Tara."

o~o~o

They had stopped talking after Scarlett's confession and eventually drifted off; the day had been long for them both. Scarlett stirred as Rhett tried to extricate himself from the bed.

He spoke before she could, Scarlett had made more progress in one night than she had in three years of marriage, he refused to allow her to undo it all and bring them back to who they were on that staircase, "I need to check on Bonnie." Scarlett's room was so large, Atlanta could be invaded and he could miss hearing it.

"Mammy's with her," in Scarlett's eyes there was no one better than Mammy for such a task.

"It's almost her bedtime," Rhett said as a means of explanation.

"Rhett," Scarlett pushed herself up into a seated position, "She's nearly three. She cannot still be sharing a room with you."

"She knows she's sharing a room with Ella," Rhett said nearing the last stages of his dressing.

"Bonnie knowing something and doing something are two very different things," Scarlett said standing as well.

Rhett paused and smiled, seeing Scarlett and their child unhidden by anything.

Scarlett caught sight of Rhett, she supposed now she didn't need to ask if he found the sight of her with child unappealing; he had always been a most different man. Her hand covered her stomach, "Mammy says I'm about to pop. My body is so used to carrying babies at this point," she shook her head and closed her dressing gown.

"You look beautiful Scarlett. More beautiful as a woman than you were as a girl."

"Rhett, you will not distract me from the fact that our two-year-old is likely throwing a fit because Mammy is trying to put her to bed in the nursery."

"I will handle this Scarlett; you have several months before you have reason to evict me from your bed again."

"You handling it is the problem. You give that child everything," Scarlett's hand was on the doorknob of her room, which had suddenly become theirs.

Any words that Rhett had been likely to retort were replaced by sounds of misery coming from the nursery.

Scarlett shot Rhett a look of self-righteous contempt as they both took off towards the room.

o~o~o

Scarlett sat on Ella's bed, being clutched by the child who had finally stopped with her hysterical tears.

Bonnie was held by her father looking haughtily out at all those who would quickly be put in their places.

Wade looking nervously on, holding the kitten his mother had demanded he remove from Bonnie. It was only Uncle Rhett who had saved the cat's neck as Bonnie had refused to let it go.

Mammy looked at Scarlett judging the girl she raised for the situation they were now in.

On the surface it was all simple enough, Ella was afraid of all creatures, especially the kind covered in fur with sharp teeth. Bonnie was afraid of sleeping without Rhett. Wade looked like he was afraid of never sleeping again.

"Wade is now in charge of all animals in this house. Now that Bonnie is home, Ella won't be afraid to sleep alone. Wade can have his own room."

"Can-" Wade looked almost stunned by his bravery as he went to speak to his mother.

"Yes, Wade, your dog can finally sleep in your room, provided it does not eat the cat." Although Scarlett wasn't sure that wasn't a kinder end than life with Bonnie.

"Ella will you please share a bed with your sister, so she won't be scared either?" Scarlett turned on her full charm.

"Yes Mother."

"I don't want to share a bed with her, I sleep with Daddy!" Bonnie screamed at such a level even Rhett flinched.

Scarlett tried to channel her mother, "Sisters are much more fun than daddies. Sisters tell you stories and braid your hair, they don't snore."

"Your mother is right; it's time you started sharing a room with your sister."

Bonnie was about to lose her mind again; they could all see it.

"For tonight you will sleep with me and your father," Scarlett informed her youngest, "and the cat," she informed her oldest daughter. "Tomorrow we will rearrange the rooms and get laudanum if need be. Goodnight children."

They were quick to return the goodnight, well aware the conversation was over.

Scarlett placed a kiss on the top of Ella's head, she wavered as she stood, her eyes closed and she held onto the bedpost. Mammy was quick to her side. "What would I do without you?"

"Not somethin' you need worryin' 'bout today," Mammy said aiding Scarlett out of the room.

Rhett retrieved the kitten from Wade, but as he left the room to follow after them with Bonnie still in his arms he heard Scarlett ask her beloved old mammy, "Did I do that right?"

"Yes, chil' you did that good. Now le's put you and that babe to bed before you drop."

Mammy tucked Scarlett into bed like a child, still wearing only her dressing gown, her eyes struggling to stay open. Scarlett had opened her arms for Bonnie and the young girl was quick to drop the kitten and run to her mother. Mammy had left the room, but not before giving Rhett an accusing look.

"You must be kinder to your sister," Scarlett said with closed eyes brushing a hand along her daughter's hair, the mirror image of her own, "Ella is sweet, we shouldn't take that away before the world does."

Rhett watched as Scarlett stroked Bonnie's hair and back until they both fell asleep.

He pushed away the fear for how badly this could all go and went to retrieve his luggage from the other room.