Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Please forgive me for the cliff hanger. I just had to break the chapter or it would have been too long. And I kind of wanted to do a cliffhanger (TEE HEE). I knew I would post the next day so it wouldn't be that long before the scene was resolved.

Thank you for the reviews. Thank you for following my story. Thank you for the suggestions.

What I describe about New York in this chapter is historically accurate.

Chapter Sixteen

He was a man in his early thirties, with red hair and blue eyes. The man looked at her and said, "Do you know who I am?"

Scarlett said, "It has been ten years since I would have seen my friend Boyd but you look a lot like him. Are you Boyd Tarleton?"

The man said, "I don't know. I woke up in a field hospital. I didn't know my name or anything else. In my blue jacket was a letter address to Stuart Little. That is the name I have been using but it has never seemed correct. The letter was from New York so I came back here to live. I looked up the person at the address but she had died from typhoid fever during the war. I had to start a new life here because I didn't remember anything from before I woke up. At the time I had a southern accent. I don't think I was from New York because nothing is familiar but I didn't know where else to go so I stayed here. I probably had picked up a dead soldier's jacket and put it on because I didn't have one. The rest of my clothes were threadbare. Do you think you know me?"

Scarlett said, "Yes. I do." And she looked at Rhett for help and he said, "Let's get your picture taken and we can show it to your possible family when we get back to Georgia."

Scarlett was thinking 'I hope this is Boyd. It will make Mrs. Tarleton so happy. Boyd was always her favorite.' She said, "Let's get your picture taken right now."

Rhett smiled at Scarlett's enthusiasm and said, "Sir will you accompany us to the portrait studio? By the way I am Rhett Butler and this is my lovely wife Scarlett. She is from Clayton County, Georgia which is where her friend Boyd would have been from and I am from Charleston. We live in Atlanta. We are leaving in three days to return home."

The man said, "Boyd sounds like my name. It has a familiar ring to it."

Rhett said, "We will call you Boyd. You must give us your address so we can contact you once your possible parents have seen the picture and think it is you."

Boyd said, "I don't mind having my picture taken but I don't want to stay here and wait. I have never felt like I belonged in New York. I will go with you back to Georgia. Even if these people are not my family, I think I would rather live in The South. Just talking to you two makes me feel comfortable."

Rhett said, "That is fine with us. And if you are not my wife's friend, I will help you find a job in Atlanta."

Boyd said, "Thank you. Shall we depart for the portrait studio?" The man knew he was from Georgia. The man knew he was Boyd Tarleton. He had no qualms about walking away from his job at the hospital.

They went to the portrait studio and had pictures taken of Boyd. Rhett had some taken of him and Scarlett also since they were there. She just smiled at him. Rhett thought 'I have never seen her look more beautiful than in this moment. She has a serene look about her.' Rhett paid extra to be sure the pictures were done in time.

In addition to her good news she was 95% sure that one of Beatrice's sons was being return to her. That made Scarlett happy. She had always liked Mrs. Tarleton. Rhett informed Boyd which train they were taking back to Atlanta and Boyd had said he would take that train also and meet them at the station three days from then. In the following three days Boyd packed up his clothing, quit his job and said goodbye to the few friends he had. He was not going to miss New York. He really hoped he could pull off having amnesia. He really wanted to go home to his family but he didn't ever want to tell them what he had done. He had been very lonely these last eight years but shame had kept him in New York.

The portrait pictures they had taken that day became Rhett's favorites. He carried a copy of their picture with him in his pocket watch always. It was the day that Scarlett began to truly come out of her melancholy.

The day after their visit to Dr. Dunn Scarlett made Rhett take Wade and go see the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and then go to the American Museum of Natural History. They left Isaac at the hotel to keep Mammy company while she took the girls, Prissy, Elijah and Joseph and went shopping. They went to Lord and Taylor and Macy's. They went to Bloomingdale's which had just opened. Then every other store in that area. Scarlett felt like shopping for the first time in over a year. She did restrain herself from buying out the stores but even so she had to buy another trunk for her purchases. She had bought a few clothing items for Rhett. She bought him a shirt, cravat and a waistcoat something she had never done before. Rhett wasn't thrilled with the purchases because they were more ostentatious than he normally would wear but she looked so hopeful that all he could do was smile and thank her for the clothing.

Rhett wore the clothing she had bought their last night in New York. After he put the shirt, cravat, and waistcoat on he decided that they looked rather good on him. After seeing the beaming smile, she gave him when she saw him, he knew it was worth it to see her that happy. He would continue to wear the clothing she had bought him even when they got back to Atlanta. He wasn't changing his entire style though. Rhett took Scarlett to see the opera "Il trovatore" at the Grand Opera House. Rhett had spent some money to obtain the tickets. He had taken her to dinner first at an Italian restaurant which Scarlett had enjoyed. The opera was in Italian so he thought it was apropos. Of course, the subtleties of the moment escaped Scarlett. He just smiled at her but it was a loving smile not a mocking smile. She had her appetite back and ate more than she had in a long time. She said she really like the food especially the garlic bread. They had a couple of glasses of wine. The conversation over dinner was pleasant. Rhett told her all about the plot to the opera. They got to their seats and the performance began. Rhett was enthralled by the opera. It had been a long time since he had attended a well-done opera performance. Halfway through the performance when he looked at his wife to see how she was enjoying the performance he found her sound asleep. Rhett smiled and wrapped his arm around her. He let her sleep. He was happy somethings never changed.

That night as they were getting in bed Scarlett said, "I thought it was cute when you took me to an Italian restaurant before we went to an opera sung in Italian."

Rhett smiled at her and thought, 'She is unquestionably more observant than she was before.'

The rest of the trip Scarlett was in a good mood. She was an older, wiser, sadder version of the woman she had once been although. She knew she would be dealing with her grief for the rest of her life. She knew she probably would be dealing with panic attacks for the rest of her life also but she knew how to handle them now.

She was eating now and would soon gain her weight back. Mammy was even worse now about nagging her to eat which made her smile. She was still enjoying being around her children but at times they got a bit boisterous for her. She would take them being boisterous over them being scared of her any day.

She accepted that Rhett loved her although she sometimes wondered how he could love her because she had been an awful person to him. He had been an awful person to her too. Not that him being mean to her made it alright for her to be mean to him. She didn't know if what she felt for him was love but she knew she never wanted to live without him. She also knew she never wanted to sleep without him beside her ever again.

She knew she would never have a pristine reputation because of all the things she had done in her past. She would be accepted into society because of all of Rhett's efforts to restore her reputation and because of Melly's steadfast loyalty. Melly and Cora May were her true friends so she didn't worry about the rest of the ladies of society. She would try to always be polite and friendly to all the ladies for her children's sake. Nonetheless there would always be people who wanted to believe the worst about her.

They met Boyd at the train station and Rhett gave him his train ticket. Boyd was embarrassed but relieved. He had enough money for the train ticket but it would have taken most of his savings. He now would not show up at his parents' doorstep penniless. On the trip to Atlanta Rhett had escorted Scarlett to the passenger car that Boyd was riding in. Scarlett told Boyd all about the Tarletons. She told him about the deaths of his three brothers at Gettysburg. Rhett saw tears in Boyd's eyes and thought that was strange for a man to cry over strangers. She told him about his sisters and his parents. What they had done to survive. The man looked very sad like he was responsible for their suffering. Rhett did believe the man was Boyd Tarleton but he was beginning to doubt his story of having amnesia. Rhett asked some questions about why he was in a field hospital and Boyd said, "I had a ball in my forearm and they had to amputate." Every question Rhett asked Boyd replied, "Completely and without hesitation." Rhett asked how he got to New York and Boyd said, "The army took me there and left me.". As they were getting ready to leave Scarlett hugged the man and said, "I'm so glad I found you Boyd Tarleton."

As he hugged her back, Boyd said, "I'm so glad you found me too, Scarlett O'Hara."

Rhett knew the amnesia was a fake. Neither Scarlett nor he had ever mentioned her maiden name. Rhett was going to keep a close eye on this situation and he was going to lie by omission to Scarlett that this man was faking his amnesia.

After they got to Atlanta Rhett took him to the National Hotel to get a room. The hotel clerk checked him in and told him the price. When Boyd questioned how cheap the price was the hotel clerk said the price was correct. Boyd thought Mr. Butler was again helping him but he was not going to question the man about it. He was just going to be grateful. He didn't have enough money to be prideful.

The day after they returned to Atlanta Scarlett took the pictures and went to see Beatrice and Jim Tarleton. She was going to take Wade and Ella with her just because they loved going to Tara even if it was just overnight. She would do the books while she was there also. Rhett insisted that he accompany them. He told her, "Tara is the place you love more than any other place on the face of the earth. As a good husband I should go with you there." The entire family ended up going to Tara. Rhett realized that he was going to be spending a lot more time at Tara because Bonnie instantly loved it too. Rhett was okay with spending time with his family at Tara simply because it made Scarlett happy to be there. That was what real love was about. Doing things to make the other person happy. Scarlett still was not leaving her daughters in the nursery so she slept in her childhood bedroom with her daughters and Rhett slept in the guest bedroom with Wade. He was going to buy the MacIntoshes place. He was not sleeping without his wife if he didn't have to.

When Scarlett showed the pictures to the Tarletons she could tell they wanted it to be Boyd but they were afraid to hope. Beatrice said, "My son has a birthmark on his shoulder."

When Rhett and Scarlett found out that Boyd had a birth mark on his shoulder, they knew it was going to be an easy mystery to solve.

Beatrice and Jim went back to Atlanta with the Butlers. After they met in the lobby of the National Hotel Beatrice asked him about the birthmark. Yes, he did have a birthmark on his shoulder. There was a lot of crying. Boyd said he would go to his room and get his belongings. Rhett said, "I'll go with you."

When they got to the room Rhett said, "I was in the Confederate army for eight months at the end of the war. I have never felt such desperation and despair before in my life. I can understand how a man could be disillusioned after two years of war and just have to leave. Let's just say that man had a weak moment and made a choice that changed the course of his life. He left and went north where nobody knew him. If that same man was an honorable gentleman the shame would eat him alive. The shame might be so great that he could never face his family or friends again. That man needs to let that shame go and accept that he had a weak moment. As young men of the south we were taught honor above all else. We were taught that without context. My honor was not worth me marrying a ninny. Have I ever regretted not marrying her? Yes. But I made my choice and I learned to live with it. You made a choice that day and now you have to live with it. My wife spotting you in the hospital is your chance to finally change the course of your life back to what you want it to be. Nobody is going to look too closely at your story because they will be so happy you are finally safely home. Put what you did behind you and embrace your future. Your parents at this point in time don't really care. They are just happy to have you back."

Boyd said, "After two years of war I was pretty despondent. It was after Gettysburg and I knew we were going to lose the war. We had already lost what we were fighting for. I had wanted to be a lawyer but that dream was gone. I had just found out all three of my brothers were dead. What I told you was correct. I had picked up a Yankee's jacket and pants because mine were threadbare. I had already found the letter. My regiment had been involved in a little squirmish. I had a ball in my arm and my friend had just been killed. A couple of Yankees came upon me and were about to kill me. In that second, I took the coward's way out. In my best New York voice, I said I was from New York and I lived on Broadway. I told them I needed a doctor. They took me to the field hospital and I lost the lower half of my left arm. While I was recovering, they sent me to New York. At first, I told myself I did it so my parents wouldn't lose all their sons but I knew my parents would have been ashamed of my actions. After the war was over, I told myself I would just go home and pretend I had been in a Yankee prison camp. I just couldn't face them alone. When Scarlett recognized me, I just decided I would pretend to have amnesia. How did you figure it out?"

"When Scarlett told you that your brothers were dead you teared up. Also, you didn't ask enough questions about your family or your plantation. And you called my wife by her maiden name on the train. Choosing to live over dying for honor is nothing to be ashamed of. They have had six years of living without you. At this point I don't think they would choose honor over your life either. Don't worry I am not going to say anything. If you ask questions about me you will find out honor has never been one of my strong points."

"I remember you now. You're that man from Charleston who would not marry the girl in the buggy incident."

"That is me. That's how I know one moment can alter one's life forever. You need to leave the guilt and shame right here. Make the most of your second chance. I don't know what the hell happened to you during the war for you to make that decision at that point in time but you did. You chose to live. Now make the most of that choice. You are getting the break of a lifetime. It is not going to come around again. Don't mess it up."

"I won't" Boyd promised.

"Let's go. We have been up here too long already."

Before long all the Tarletons were on the train back to Jonesboro. Scarlett was so very happy for the Tarletons. Rhett hoped Boyd pulled it off and he hoped Boyd would not succumb to his guilt and shame. That he would put it behind a closed door and never think about it again.

Author's Notes: Beatrice Tarleton is one of my favorite characters and I wanted her to get one of her sons back.

I rewrote most of this chapter because of sarah shilo's review. I thought her suggestion was so much better than what I had written.

I have plans for Boyd and a certain young woman. (Yes, that is a teaser.)