Another update! This chapter was well worth the wait for me, I only hope I did it justice. I want to thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I can't tell you how it helps to hear your comments and that I'm going in the right direction.

eternal rose, Eleanor was Rhett's mother in 'Scarlett'. I'm not following 'Scarlett' so in my story, Rhett's mother is Clarice. Hope that helps, lol.

The Journey Home

Chapter Six

Never Say Never

Scarlett cinched the tie of her robe around her waist as she slid from the bed. She had been home three days and this was the day she was going to confront Suellen about her inexcusable decision to marry Jonas Wilkerson. Scarlett still fumed in fury every time she thought about no account Wilkerson having any part of Tara and she had her sister to thank for that.

She had thought of little else since she learned of it, but at Mammy and Careen's urging she hadn't faced her yet. Well, that was going to end today. She wasn't go sit idly by one more minute, she was going get Suellen's share of Tara one way or the other.

A tap the door had Mammy entering her room, her heavy bulk stepping down with a huff. "Mo'ning, Miz Scahlett."

"Morning, Mammy," she recited as she sat down at her bureau.

"I's come up here to see if you's ready fa breakfast. Miz Careen downstairs waitin' fa ya with Mista Noah. He came ova fuhs thing this mo'nin'."

"I'll be down shortly. Oh, and I want you get to tell Simon to have my carriage ready right after breakfast, Mammy. I'm going out."

Mammy's face darkened in suspicion. "Where you's goin'?"

"Out," she replied cryptically.

"Oh, no you ain't," Mammy declared with a firm shake of her head. "You ain't gwine out un-chaperoned and you ain't fixin' to go see Miz Suellen. Not while you gots yo' temper still riled up."

"I can and I will," Scarlett retorted. "I've waited long enough to have my say and I won't wait another day to tell her what I think. She's humiliated this family and I'm ashamed to call her my sister."

"Miz Suellen done made a mistake, but she still yo' sista no matter what."

"I'm not talking about this anymore. Either you tell Simon or I will," Scarlett said stubbornly. "Either way, I am going to take care of this today."

"Mmm, mmh, mmh," Mammy shook her head in exasperation.

"Don't look at me like that, Mammy. You know as well as I do that Suellen has shamed us all, including Ma and Pa."

"Miz Scahlett, I don' like what Miz Suellen done either, but I's jist don' want you to do sumpin' you's gwine regret."

"I won't regret it, I assure you of that," she said stood from the bench. "Help me dress so I can go downstairs. I have a long day ahead of me."

With a defeated scowl, Mammy picked up Scarlett's black gown and did as she asked of her. She had learned a long time ago it didn't pay to argue with Scarlett once she had her mind made up.

Twenty minutes later Scarlett descended the stairs with Mammy and made her way to the kitchen where Careen and Noah were sitting around the table. Dilcey was busy at the stove while Prissy was trying unsuccessfully to help her mother. They had all but abandoned eating in the dining room, finding the kitchen more intimate and cozy. "Morning Careen, morning Noah," she smiled brightly.

"Miss Scarlett," Noah stood from his chair and immediately pulled out her seat for her. "You look lovely this morning."

"Why, thank you, Noah," she grinned as she adjusted her dress. "I must say, you've certainly turned out to be the most charming of the Calvert men, quite handsome, too."

Noah's faced turned slightly red at Scarlett's compliment. Scarlett enjoyed the fact that even now she could do that to a man. She may not be the fresh faced sixteen-year old she was at Twelve Oaks all those years ago, but she knew she was still attractive enough to cause a man to blush when she gave him the slightest bit of attention.

Not that she was interested in Noah Calvert, oh no, he was a handsome young man with thick black hair and the bluest eyes, but he was in love with her sister and anyone could see that. Careen's face lit up like a lightening bug whenever he was around. If anything, Scarlett envied them. They embodied everything she had hoped to have in her own life, but somehow never achieved.

"Did you sleep well, Scarlett?" Careen asked in her sweet voice.

"Like a baby," she answered. "It's so good to be home. I had forgotten how soothing Tara can be to me."

"I'm glad. I've been worried about you. You've been through so much."

Scarlett smiled at her sister. "Careen, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I suppose I have too much of Pa in me to ever be truly defeated. It's not a boast mind you, but something I have found out about myself over the years."

"You are most like Pa than any of us," Careen agreed. "You always have been."

"Miss Careen, can I's sees you a minute," Pork's voice suddenly called from the doorway. They all turned in unison toward him.

"What is it, Pork?" she asked.

"I's jist needs to sees you," he repeated, a worried look on his aging, dark face.

"Is something wrong?"

"No'm," he shook his head. "I's jist needs to sees you."

Careen turned back to the table with a puzzled look on her face. Scarlett watched this with keen interest. Pork looked uncomfortable and his eyes kept shifting from the floor to Careen, careful to avoid Scarlett. Her curiosity was in full force now, wondering what he was trying so hard not to let her see. "Pork, I want you to tell me, since it is I you work for, what is so important."

"Nuthin' Miz Scahlett," he dropped his head even lower, causing Scarlett's suspicions to rise. She glanced over at Careen and Noah, who were as perplexed as she was about Pork's sudden strange behavior.

"Careen? Careen, where are you?"

Careen's face paled when Suellen's voice carried to them. "Oh no," she breathed.

"There you are," a smiling Suellen appeared in the doorway clad in a bright, mint green dress. A jaunty hat that matched her gown sat perched on her russet brown curls.

Scarlett gripped the table as she stared at her sister.

"Suellen, what are you doing here?" Careen asked apprehensively, her tone high with tension.

"I came to visit you, silly. Can't a sister come and visit without a reason?"

"Why yes, of course," Careen answered with a swallow. Suellen's attention finally landed on Scarlett, whose face was red with resentment at her sister's audacity.

"Well, well, well," Suellen smirked at her as she came deeper into the kitchen. "Scarlett, what an unpleasant surprise," she said as she removed her gloves. "I certainly wasn't expecting to see you today."

"The feeling is mutual," she replied waspishly. Scarlett then stood to her feet and flung her skirt back as she rounded the table to face Suellen. "How dare you step foot on this property. How do you even have the nerve to show your face after what you've done?"

"Excuse me?" Suellen's voice dripped with scorn. "What do you mean, how dare I? I still own one-third share of Tara so I shall come here any time I please, Scarlett dear."

Scarlett could feel her pulse quicken with anger at Suellen's declaration. She gripped her fists at her side as she neared her. "You are a shameless harpy. You have disgraced this family with your so called marriage to that no account, white trash Wilkerson."

Suellen's laughter rang off the walls as she glared at Scarlett. "You accuse me of shaming the family? ME? What about you, Scarlett? You, who chased after Ashley Wilkes for years not giving one whit that he was already spoken for, YOU who married Charles Hamilton knowing you didn't love him just to spite Ashley, YOU who then married MY fiancée just to get his money and then proceeded to get him killed and then when that wasn't enough you married that Rhett Butler a mere month after putting Frank in the ground and you have the utter gall to stand there and accuse ME of shaming the family?"

"That's right I do," Scarlett replied with barely controlled anger. "I may have done all of those things, but at least the men I chose were men who were honorable and decent. What is Jonas Wilkerson but trash? His whore killed our mother and he as much as killed our father and what did you do? You married him, that's what. I despise you, Suellen."

"Do you think I care?" she hissed venomously. "I hate you and I always have. You always had to have everything your way, well now the table is turned and I'm rich and I live in a fine mansion and I have servants. You're not the only one who has money now."

"I don't give two figs about your money or you, the only thing I want from you is your share of Tara. If you think I'll allow that man to have one piece of this land you have truly lost your mind. I'll die before that happens."

"That, my dear sister, is something you'll just have to live with. Tara is mine as much as it is yours. I won't sell to you… ever."

"Suellen, Scarlett, please stop this," Careen finally stepped between them. Her face was pale and unshed tears filled her eyes. "I hate seeing you two like this. Please stop fighting."

"I'll never stop until she gives me her share of Tara," Scarlett said defiantly. "She doesn't deserve any part of this land. She's never appreciated what Ma and Pa worked so hard for. She's never done one thing to help keep it."

"Say what you will, Scarlett, but you'll never have my share." Suellen retorted smugly. "As a matter of face, I'm turning it over to my husband and there isn't one thing you can do about it."

"Why you-" Scarlett ground out as she stepped forward.

"That's enough!" Noah's deep voice resonated around them. "That's quite enough."

Everyone turned to Noah who stood from the table and faced them. He took Careen by the hand and pulled her to him. "First, you both are upsetting Careen and I have had enough of that. She has done nothing to deserve this. She loves you both and you're hurting her with this bickering."

Scarlett looked at Careen and saw the truth in Noah's statement. She had never meant to hurt her, but Suellen could drive her to distraction faster than anyone.

"I won't let you do this to her any longer. Suellen, I think it's best that you leave now. I'm sorry your visit couldn't have been a pleasant one but you have no one to blame but yourself for that."

"Well," Suellen huffed with indignation. "You can't tell me what to do, Noah Calvert. I belong here, you don't."

"I'm not going to argue with you. I'm asking you politely to leave. I won't have Careen any more upset than what she is. If you stay, that's likely to be the case."

"What about Scarlett? Are you going to ask her to leave, too?"

"Why would he do that? I'm not the one causing trouble," Scarlett bit out before she could stop herself.

Suellen opened her mouth to respond but Noah cut her off. "My main concern is Careen. I believe you two have had more than your share of words and now it's time to end it. Now please, for the last time, I'm asking you to leave."

Suellen lifted herself, throwing her head back. "Fine, I've had enough of Scarlett for one day. But, mark my words… you'll never have my share of Tara, not as long as I have breath in my body." And with that, she whirled on her heel and stomped out of the kitchen.

"Oh, that wench," Scarlett breathed angrily.

"Scarlett, I meant what I said," Noah turned to her. "I have the highest respect for you and I'm grateful that you've agreed to let me live here and work the land, but I won't have Careen hurt anymore. This war between you and Suellen is between you and you alone. Anything you two have to say to each other will be out Careen's presence and that's my final word on it."

Scarlett looked at Noah and saw his proud stance and his protective arm around Careen. She suddenly felt foolish and petty for letting Suellen goad her so. She stiffened slightly as she faced them.

"I'm sorry," she apologized begrudgingly. "I didn't mean to upset you, Careen but Suellen had it coming. She's always been spiteful and that was never more clear than right now."

Careen sighed sorrowfully as she looked at Scarlett. "I know how Suellen is and I know how you are, but your both my sisters and I love you both. I wish there was some way to work this out so everyone could be happy,"

"I don't see how that can ever be. As long as she's married to Jonas Wilkerson, I will never be content to sit by and accept it. I love you, Careen but I meant what I said. I will die before that man claims one piece of this land for his own. This is one battle I will not lose, no matter what I have to do."

"But Scarlett, what can you do? You heard what Suellen said, she'll never sell her share to you."

"There is only one man who can help me now and that's Rhett. He'll help me keep Tara. He knows what this land to means to me and even if he hates me, he'll help me because he never could stomach Jonas Wilkerson and his ways. He'll come here and together we'll win."

"Are you sure, Scarlett?"

"I'll send him a telegram right away. I'm sure he'll come as soon as he hears about this." Scarlett's anger gave way to happiness at the thought of Rhett coming to Tara. He would come to her and help her… she just knew in her heart he would.