A/N This chapter is Rated M, proceed with caution. It's not smut for the sake of smut, it's supposed to be a tender love scene, and I hope I got the tone right.

This is my first foray into writing this sort of thing so please be as kind as you always are. Sorry it's taken so long. I have no excuse.

Rhett laid her gently down on the large bed and pulled the half turned down covers back a little further. Scarlett slid her feet between the sheets and snuggled down as he moved to lie next to her.

"Nervous?" He asked as he put his arm across her waist and edged a little closer. She nodded in response, her eyes cast downward. "If it makes you feel any better, so am I." And he was.

"Really?" Her eyes met and held his for a moment, finding evidence there of truth in his words, before she smiled softly and ran her hand along his arm. "I promise to be gentle."

"Said the spider to the fly," he snorted with mirth.

"Shhh, you'll wake the baby."

"Sorry," Rhett whispered, shifting nearer and bending his head to kiss her tenderly.

He slid his hand, warm and firm, up her thigh and under her nightgown until it came to rest on her belly. He could feel the raised ridge that was the scar beneath his palm and he winced inwardly at the thought of what she had endured.

As if she could read his thoughts, Scarlett's small hand came to rest atop his in a gesture of comfort. For him the mark was an unwelcome reminder of what she'd been forced to bear alone, for her it was a badge of honour, a testament to her triumph over almost insurmountable odds.

"May I see it?" he asked quietly.

When she nodded, Rhett edged the hem of her nightgown upwards over her hips until it rested in her waist, exposing her abdomen to his eyes. He drew in a breath when he saw the wound, it's true character diminished somewhat by the soft glow of the firelight. Knowing it was there, that she had endured such a horror was one thing. Seeing evidence thereof was quite another.

Scarlett was barely breathing as she watched his movements, his hand coming to rest lightly on her still slightly rounded belly. She'd shed most of the weight she'd gained during her pregnancy but her body still hadn't had a chance to get back to normal yet. Her breasts were different, fuller, the nipples larger and darker. And the fact that she had carried another child was evidenced not only by the roundness of her belly and the scar that marked it, but by the small red stretch marks that had started to appear on her hips in the last weeks before Cat's birth. She had always prided herself on having been able to escape them in previous pregnancies. She knew Rhett wouldn't care, any more than she would care if his body were different, and yet she couldn't help but feel awkward under his appraisal.

Her cheeks started to burn as she felt his eyes on her and she turned her head away.

"Scarlett?" He was looking up at her face. Of course he always noticed everything. He lifted his hand to her cheek and turned her to look at him. "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"I've changed since the last time we were together," she said quietly.

"They'll fade." He looked down once more and ran his fingers lightly over her satin skin. "You'll always be beautiful to me, Scarlett, no matter what. And the fact that this body has created another new life, our child, makes it all the more special to me. I love you even more for that." Rhett could see the belief in her eyes, mingled still with a degree of uncertainty, but when he made to pull her nightdress back down over her hips, she put her hand on his to stop him.

"It's alright." she said quietly. It was a show of trust, he knew, an indication of her unwillingness to have any barriers between them, and yet he knew she wasn't truly comfortable. He cast serious eyes back to her face. "You are beautiful, Scarlett, don't ever doubt that. Maybe you just need a little reassuring."

"So reassure me," she whispered.

He reached up and slid his hand behind her neck, bringing her face to his.

The kiss was gentle at first, a simple touching of lips, but it quickly built in intensity as his tongue teased hers and his hand found its way to her breast. Scarlett wrapped her arms tightly around him and pulled him closer. When they broke away from one another, flushed and breathless, the love she saw in his eyes for her brought a lump to her throat.

He made her believed with all her heart that what he saw was beautiful to him.

"Can you take this off?" she asked, fingering his nightshirt. She wanted to see him too, to feel his skin beneath her hands.

Rhett grabbed the back of the garment and pulled it off over his head, quickly disposing of it onto the floor before lying back down beside her. "Better?"

She smiled at his eagerness and tentatively ran her fingers over the hard planes of his chest, the well-defined muscles of his arms, then down over the scar on his abdomen.

It was longer than Scarlett's but had faded to white years ago and now blended with the rest of his skin. It hadn't gone anywhere near as deep as hers. She'd never really bothered to explore his body before, any more then she had wanted him to look at hers. Now she relished the opportunity of getting to know this man.

"You didn't nearly die from this, did you," she said looking critically at the mark. It wasn't a question.

"Are you implying, madam, that I may have embellished my story somewhat?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"I am," she challenged.

"Well you'd be right. I nearly passed out at the sight of all the blood, but it wasn't exactly life threatening." He cast his eyes back to the long vertical slash that marked her body.

"I'll say this for Grainne," he said, peering more closely at her belly, "she's certainly an excellent needlewoman. This craftsmanship is exquisite." Scarlett smiled down at him, pleased that he was able to find some lightness in what, for a time, had been such a dire situation.

His fingers whispered over her skin, a feather light caress over the red welt, before he bent his dark head and pressed his lips to it ever so gently.

Scarlett's cheeks were hot and her heart beat wildly at the intimacy of his action, a heavy throb settling between her thighs as she watched him. His hands were warm on her hips as his tongue traced the length of the scar, briefly dipping into her navel and causing her breath to hitch. And when he shifted further down the bed, as his lips moved lower and his intentions became clear to her, her eyes rolled back in her head, all rational thought or ideas that she should protest his actions gone. She didn't care.

Never had she willingly allowed him this freedom. It was not something she had ever felt comfortable with before and she'd been ashamed had he attempted to pleasure her in this way. But now, now-

He was expressing his love for her in the most intimate way and she cherished it rather than feeling disgusted or embarrassed. She knew he was enjoying himself as much as she and the more she responded vocally, the more her body writhed and arched under his attentions, the more he increased his efforts.

Rhett knew enough to know that while she was feeding her baby she would require extra stimulation in order to receive him comfortably and he set about his task with a gentle fervour.

He touched and caressed her body, using his mouth and hands on her, until every nerve ending was afire and hungry for more. Testing her readiness he felt a surging response in his groin as her walls clamped hungrily around his fingers. Scarlett's own hands found her breasts, her palms rubbing over her nipples as a silent hope that she didn't start leaking flitted vaguely across her passion-dulled mind.

"Rhett, please," came a strangled plea as the intensity of feeling threatened to overwhelm her, "I want you with me."

He moved up and over her, and positioned himself between her legs.

"If I'm hurting you at all, tell me and I'll stop." She nodded and he lowered his head and kissed her tenderly. She could taste herself on his lips and the eroticism of it drove her arousal to even greater heights. He pulled back and looked down into her flushed face.

The gaze she met was serious, dark with desire for her. Any notion that it might be awkward or uncomfortable to look him in the eyes quickly vanished as she found herself mesmerised, held captive by the love for her she saw in his face. It erased any lingering fears she may have felt. She was no longer nervous, Rhett made her feel safe, and she trusted him with her heart and her body in a way she had never done with anyone before.

He pushed into her slowly, gently forcing his way past the resistance as her muscles fluttered around his sweet invasion, Scarlett's breath coming in short pants. His eyes never left her face as he watched her closely for any signs of distress. God she was so tight. They'd been together only twice in the last six years and he could feel she was unaccustomed to the sensation. He held still for a few moments letting her body get used to his presence, while regaining some control over his own need, then pulled back and pushed in a little further. When her face grimaced in discomfort he stopped dead.

"Are you alright?" his dark eyes were full of concern.

"Yes," she gasped, tilting her hips slightly and trying to force her body to relax. "Keep going."

She was more than ready for him, she was wet, so why was this uncomfortable? It wasn't the operation, it was- what? Perhaps it was because she hadn't been with a man for so long, or maybe carrying a baby for nine months strengthened those muscles and when Cat hadn't passed through the birth canal they'd remained that way. Scarlett didn't know.

He withdrew slightly and slowly pushed forward once more, then repeated the action going a little deeper each time, rocking gently until her was fully within her. Her breathing was shallow. Somehow it felt like the first time again, like he was the one taking her virginity. And in a way he was, perhaps not physically, but emotionally. They truly were making love to one another for the first time. Hot tears sprang to her eyes at the thought, but she blinked them away.

"Are you alright, Scarlett?" He repeated the question.

She nodded, seeing the uneasiness in his face, and brought her hand up to his cheek. "You don't need to be so careful of me, Rhett, I'm not going to break."

She tightened herself around him and he started to move. He was gentle with her, his pace slow and measured as he avoided placing all his weight on her. His eyes never left hers as he watched her face intently for any indication that he should stop.

But any feelings of discomfort had quickly given way to pleasure and she pulled him down to her, needing to feel his weight pressing her into the mattress. He was hard muscles and masculinity beneath her fingers, as she ran her hands over the smooth skin of his back and up into his hair before pulling his mouth down onto hers.

And, just as all that was Rhett consumed Scarlett, he too became overwhelmed by the scent of her, the feel of her soft flesh beneath his hands and the wet heat of her body engulfing him.

Soft sighs and moans filled the air, as they made gentle love to one another. There would be plenty of time for unrestrained passion later. This was not purely about physical pleasure so much as a reaffirming and strengthening of the emotional bond between them. They were getting reacquainted with one another, re-establishing a tie that had been broken by abuse and time.

All to soon her hands on his buttocks were pulling him deeper, holding him in place as her body jerked beneath his, her muscles squeezing him over and over in a vice-like grip. Scarlett muffled a cry against his neck as she came, and Rhett held fast, riding out the storm as her body climaxed beneath him. It would have been so easy to lose control and follow her into oblivion, but he wanted this for her, needed to know she was alright before seeking his own release.

Emotions welled within her and threatened to spilled over as she struggled to contain what she felt in that moment. This was how it was supposed to be.

She was Scarlett now, in a way she never had been before, and she felt loved and cherished and beautiful for it. She no longer wrestled her own nature or pretended to be someone she was not, something he had tried to get her to accomplish for years with little success. For probably the first time in her life she felt comfortable with who she was. Rhett loved her not in spite of what others deemed her flaws, but because of them. Because the were alike.

They had fought each other, as well as themselves, for years before they were finally able to reach this point, this common ground of mutual understanding. The enormity of this moment was lost on neither of them.

The intensity of devotion and love Rhett felt for her was plain to see. It caused a lump to rise in her throat and as he kissed her face with a tenderness and reverence that was overwhelming to her, hot tears prickled, then escaped the corners of her eyes.

As her small body started to tremble beneath him, no longer with the clench, release of passion, Rhett realised with horror that she was crying. But as he made to shift his weight off her, her arms and legs immediately snaked around him, preventing him from moving, holding him firmly in place.

"Don't go."

He pushed himself up on his hands and looked down into her flushed face to see slow tears seeping down her temples and into her hair. "Scarlett, are you alright?" he asked trying to keep the alarm from sounding in his voice. Maybe she hadn't been well enough after all.

"I'm perfect." She smiled up at him, her green eyes blazing.

"You're crying," he brushed a tear away with his thumb. "I thought maybe I'd hurt you."

"What? Rhett, no! These are happy tears!" She wriggled beneath him. "I feel all warm and tingly and wonderful." He dropped back down to rest on his elbows, sliding his forearms beneath her shoulders and his hands into her tangled hair, then bent to kiss away the wetness from her cheeks.

"You are wonderful, my darling." She flushed with pleasure and smiled shyly up at him. "I'm a lucky man."

"You are indeed," she agreed.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "Thank you for accepting me back into your life and giving us another chance. I don't know if I deserve it, but-"

"Shhh, Rhett. Let's leave the mistakes in the past where they belong." She put her fingers to his lips to silence him, then pulled his head down to hers and kissed him again deeply.

"I love you, Scarlett," he murmured against her lips, "with all my heart."

"I know," she whispered back as her voice threatened to fail her and tears began to sting her eyes once more. He pressed his mouth to hers once more and she threaded her fingers in his soft black hair and held him to her. When he pulled back a wide grin split his face. She couldn't help but beam in return.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" He couldn't resist.

"Well, you've been so concerned about making me feel good, that you haven't-" She could still feel him hard inside her.

Rhett raised an eyebrow in anticipation of the end of the sentence.

"-finished," she concluded with an embarrassed smile. She wanted to touch him, caress his body, feel the warmth of his desire filling her as he trembled above her.

"Are you ready for more?" he asked.

Scarlett clenched her muscles around him in answer and to her satisfaction was rewarded with a deep groan.

"When have you ever known me to turn down a second helping?"

TBC.

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Thanks for reading. J.