Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews. Thank you for all the people following this story.

Chapter Nine

Rhett had started openly courting Scarlett. He acted like a man given a second chance on life. He took her out to eat, he took her for walks in the park with and without the children, he took her to the modiste shop to get a couple of new dresses made that fit better, he bought her a new green hat and made her wear it, after he found out her engagement ring was too big he had it resized, he took her to the book store every week to buy a new book and he stayed home with her at night. He entertained her with amusing stories although she didn't laugh that much, she at least paid attention to the entire story and looked like she was listening. She didn't leave the room and retire to her bedroom either. What he did that probably had the greatest effect on her happiness is that he stopped mocking her and insulting her. He started paying her honest compliments which she at first was wary of. She had learned not to trust his compliments. He started treating her like she was the love of his life. He started treating her with respect.

When he went out to meet business acquaintances, he told her where he was going and when he would be home. He would meet them at a saloon that didn't have a brothel. He did stop in to see Belle on his way home from the bank occasionally but that was just to find out the gossip and share more gossip about The Butlers. He was never there for more than fifteen minutes. He sold his half of The Painted Lady.

He told her every night that he loved her and every time he did, she just stared at him. He decided that an apology would go further in making her believe he loved her than saying 'I love you' over and over again. One night in the dark while he was smoking his cigar he said, "I'm sorry that I blatantly used whores. I'm sorry that I led the Old Guard to believe it was all your fault. I will never do that again. I will never be unfaithful to you again. I'm sorry for enhancing my reputation at the expense of yours.

Scarlett laid there on Rhett's chest and didn't say anything for so long he was afraid she had gone to sleep. He hoped not. It had taken him a long time to muster up the courage to apologize. She finally said, "Thank you for the apology. It doesn't erase all the hurt but it does make me feel better."

Rhett said teasingly, "Don't you want to apologize for kicking me out of your bed."

Scarlett said, "No that was your own fault. If you had told me about the sheath, I never would have kicked you out."

Rhett at first thought she was kidding but he realized that Scarlett never joked these days. She was serious but Rhett laughed anyway.

Christmas had always been Scarlett's favorite time of year. She was decorating the house with the children but it was different than in the past. Before she would spend lots of money on decorations and make sure everything was perfectly coordinated. This year she and the children decorated it and she didn't change any of their choices. She had enjoyed decorating with the children. After they had finished, they all had hot chocolate and some freshly baked cookies. While Scarlett was sitting with her children drinking her hot chocolate, she marveled at the fact she had a really good time with them and she was enjoying being with them. She was actually prouder of the way the house looked this year than she had ever been before.

Rhett engaged her in conversations about books she was reading. Scarlett would respond and they were having some discussions. When Scarlett talked Rhett listen to what she had to say and never ever mocked her or made fun of her ignorance. He was well aware that one sarcastic comment would wipe out all of his hard work. He was trying very hard to give her the respect she deserved. The respect he should have always been giving her.

Rhett took her Christmas shopping in the middle of December and they were having a good time. Rhett continued playing the part of a man who had been given a second chance that he didn't deserve. He continued to act like a lovesick man which really wasn't that much of an act. Rhett had even made Scarlett smile a time or two. Scarlett did look at him strangely every now and then though.

Everyone they met greeted Scarlett warmly and while they spoke to Rhett the ladies were rather cold to him. Rhett was pleased with the way the ladies were treating him. As long as they were still speaking to him, he would still be received. It did make him mad that while he had been a whoremonger he was still received. Scarlett had one questionable indiscretion and these fine ladies were ready to kick her out of society. They were such hypocrites.

Scarlett had thought about Rhett being a liar and as she watched him schmooze with members of Polite Society, she decided that he was a very good liar. She would never know if he was lying to her.

Scarlett said she wanted to look at the modiste for some dresses for Ella and Bonnie. Rhett walked her to the door and said, "I will be right back, my love, I need to pick up my order of cigars from the tobacconist." Scarlett smiled at him. She was having a good day. Rhett was such pleasant company now a days. Polite society being nice to her was refreshing but she was leery of both Rhett and polite society. In the past they both had been nice to her then turned on her and had been very ugly. She had been in the modiste shop looking at fabric for Ella and Bonnie. She had decided to get them matching dresses with Ella's being green and Bonnie's being red. Then the disaster happened.

A woman came in the shop with her new born son. Everyone in the shop was going on about how cute the baby was. Scarlett had been totally unprepared for the pain. The pain was sharp and acute just like Cora May said it would be. Scarlett made it outside and was trying to calm herself by taking deep breaths when Rhett found her. He knew by looking at her that things were not alright. She was extremely pale and had perspiration on her brow He hurried her to the buggy and didn't ask any questions. When she could speak all she said was, "Take me home." Rhett drove the buggy towards home until they were far enough away from the shops for them to not be seen by anyone and he stopped. Rhett pulled over and held her until she got her breathing under control. Scarlett said, "A woman came into the shop with her new born son."

Rhett didn't say anything he just drove them home. Scarlett stayed pressed up against him the rest of the way. He knew it wasn't proper for them to have that much body contact but Rhett was not going to push her away or say anything. He got them home and Scarlett to the parlor and sat her on the divan. She burst into tears and cried for a long time. Rhett handed her a handkerchief and then he held her the entire time she was crying. Once she got herself under control she said, "I would be eight months along if the baby had lived. I was so happy to be pregnant. I thought a new child would fix our relationship. I was so excited when you and Bonnie got home but you were so hateful when you greeted me that all the misery of being pregnant came to mind. I reacted badly and said untrue things to you." She then started sobbing some more.

Rhett held her tighter and said, "I was so happy to see you also but because I didn't want you to know how happy I was to see you I acted hateful. I made an ugly comment about your looks. You reacted the way I knew you would. You got hurt. You said ugly things and I said hurtful things. Your continual love for Wilkes drove me crazy. I said and did things I should never have said and done."

She said, "It hurt so bad to lose the baby. I wanted you with me but nobody would go get you."

He said, "I should have been right by your side. I shouldn't have let them push me into the other room but I was a coward and didn't want to face you."

She stared at him in amazement and said, "You a coward?"

He gave her a self-deprecating smile and said, "I'm a coward where you are concerned. I have been more times than not."

This amazed Scarlett. She couldn't process the thought that Rhett could be a coward. So, she dismissed it. She started crying again and said, "I wanted that baby."

Rhett said, "I wanted that baby too."

After she stopped crying, she asked him to get her some tea. He knew she wanted him to leave so she could compose herself. When he came back with the tea. She was calm. He said, "Come drink your tea while it is hot."

Scarlett drank the tea which Rhett had laced with some brandy and just sat on the divan with Rhett's arms around her and felt safe. She didn't understand why God took her baby and left her barren. She didn't understand why so many people she had known had been killed in the war. She didn't understand why so many men where different after coming back from the war. She didn't understand why her mother had died and her pa had gone crazy. She didn't understand why Rhett had been so mean and hurtful before her accident and now claimed to love her. She wondered if she would ever get answers to any of these questions or as Cora May had said they were questions she would never get answers to. She did know that Rhett holding her made her feel safe and loved which she didn't understand either.

That night as they were laying in the bed, Rhett said, "I'm sorry. I have been an ass. I have been a cruel, mean ass to you. I should never have treated you the way I have treated you for the last four years. If you stay with me, I will spend the next fifty years making it up to you.

Scarlett did something she hadn't done in a long time. She made a joke. She said, "I accept your apology and I will stay with you but I think you are being overly optimistic thinking you are going to live another fifty years."

Rhett laughed and Scarlett smiled. Rhett felt better than he had since …. He couldn't remember when. His last thought before he fell asleep was, 'Maybe.'

Author's Notes: As much as I would like to have Scarlett bitch-slap Rhett for his being blatantly unfaithful she really doesn't have any other choice but to forgive him and agree to stay with him. The moralities of late nineteenth century America were very strict on the woman but very forgiving of the man. It definitely was a man's world.