Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter Thirty-Five

The next morning over breakfast, Scarlett and Ellen decided to leave for Twelve Oaks at nine. Gerald said, "I will have the buggy ready."

Rhett said, "I will be ready to drive you over there."

When Rhett, Scarlett, and Ellen got to Twelve Oaks, it was noticeably quiet. After getting out of the buggy, Scarlett said, "Where is everyone?"

Ellen said, "I don't know."

"Ladies, let's go into the house and see if we can find anyone."

After the trio was in the house, they found Albert, the butler. Rhett asked him, "Where is Mr. Wilkes?"

"The trio saw pain crossover Albert's face until he realized Rhett had been talking about Mr. Ashley. Albert recovered himself and said, "Out in the fields."

Rhett said, "We must speak to him. Can you take me to him?"

"I can take you in the general direction, then we will have to ask where he is."

"Let's go. Scarlett, you and your mother go get Miss Melly ready to go to Tara."

"Alright, Dear."

Rhett followed Albert out of the house. After walking for a few minutes, they found Ashley. Rhett would not have recognized him as the man at the barbecue. The man at the barbecue had a privileged life in front of him and he knew it.

It was obvious that Ashley had been sweating. He had a cotton bag strapped on his back. He was working as hard or harder than any of the slaves. When he saw Rhett, he walked over to him. Ashley said, "What can I do for you, Mr. Butler? You can take any book I have in my library. I won't be reading any of them until all the cotton is picked."

"No, Mr. Wilkes, my wife and mother-in-law are intent on taking Miss Melly back to Tara where they can take care of her. We need your permission."

"Thank heavens. I have been so worried about what I was going to do when she went into labor. Honey is such a pudden-head that she would be no help at all. I can't stay with Melly. As you see I have to work out in the field. We have to get all this cotton picked."

"Thank you. When she goes into labor, I will come get you."

"Wait until the baby is born to come get me."

"Alright."

"Albert, take Mr. Butler back to the house. Melly is going to stay with Scarlett for a little bit."

Ashley went back to the field and went back to picking cotton. Rhett turned to Albert. Albert said, "Shall we go Mr. Butler."

"Of course."

Ellen and Scarlett had hurried up the stairs. They entered Melly's room without knocking. Scarlett said, "You are going to come stay with me until your baby is born."

"No, I have to stay here with Ashley."

"Ashley is worried sick about you. He knows he needs to send you away, so you have women to help you bring your child into the world."

Ellen said, "I have already told you, that you were going to stay with me as soon as you were in your ninth month. Ashley knows that too. Both Scarlett and I feel like it would be best for you to come stay with us now."

"Scarlett, do you really feel that way?"

Scarlett knew Melly was actually asking her if she was having one of those feelings. Scarlett had always felt like the ends justify the means therefore she didn't hesitate for a second, she lied to her best friend as bold as punch, "Yes, Darling, I strongly feel that way."

"Then I will go with you to Tara if you get Ashley's permission."

"We will get Ashley's permission."

Melly got out of the bed and looked at her best friend and her best friend's mother and decided she wouldn't want to be Ashley if he tried to say no to these women. Melly had always thought Scarlett favored her father but in that moment, she was a carbon copy of her mother. Whenever Melly had tried to stand up, she had gotten woozy, therefore Scarlett and her mother had supported her until she sat in the chair. Melly sat in the chair and let the ladies dress her like she was a doll. She could do nothing else.

As Melly was being dressed, she said to Scarlett, "Get my money. It is in my jewelry box with my mother's cameo."

"Of course. I will get your clothes. Where is your trunk?"

"In the attic, I think. All my clothes are in the chest of drawers over there."

"I will get your trunk."

Scarlett knew where the entrance to the attic was because she and Melly had hid up there when they were playing hide and seek with Honey and Suellen. Soon Scarlett was back in Melly's room with her trunk. She opened the trunk and placed the jewelry box inside it. She found all Melly's clothes and put them in the trunk too.

Melly said, "Don't forget the baby clothes I was able to make before my vision got too fuzzy for me to sew."

"Where? Oh, I see them by the window."

Scarlett also grabbed a pillow for the trip to Tara. Ellen helped Melly to the stairwell. When they started their descent Scarlett was also by Melly's side.

When the ladies got to the foyer Albert, Rhett and Honey were there. Honey was trying to flirt with Rhett. As Scarlett observed the scene, she knew that would happen far too often for her comfort. She also knew there was nothing she could do about it. She smiled at her handsome husband. Although he was enjoying the attention Honey was lavishing on him, he was simply being polite to the young lady. A thought passed through Scarlett's brain, 'Did Honey think she could steal her husband away from her?' Incredibly to Scarlett Honey actually did.

Rhett looked up and saw Scarlett, Melly, and Ellen on the stairs. He smiled his special smile at Scarlett. The smile was mostly a smile of love but there was some lust mixed in there also.

Rhett didn't know how lucky he was that he was standing in the foyer when Scarlett, Ellen, and Melly got there. Scarlett would have gladly left him at Twelve Oaks as she kidnapped Melly. Scarlett said crossly, "Where is Ashley?"

"It doesn't matter. He has given his permission for Miss Melly to come stay at Tara."

"Thank you, Sweetheart."

Scarlett looked at Rhett like he had accomplished a miracle. She looked at him like he had convinced Ashley to give his permission. She said, "Alright. Let's get to the buggy."

Rhett of the loose conscience accepted her adoration.

He stepped forward and said, "May I pick you up, Miss Melly?"

"Yes."

Rhett swept Miss Melly up, but she was a lot heavier than he thought she would be therefore he almost stumbled under the load. Fortunately, pride stepped up to the plate and didn't allow him to.

Pride had lost a lot of power since Rhett had married Scarlett. Not that he wasn't still a power to be reckoned with but now Scarlett's love made Rhett feel so secure that the brain and the heart had a lot more power. Almost equal to the power pride had. Although these days, the brain and the heart were quite happy to gang up on pride.

Albert said, "Let me carry Miss Melly's trunk, Miss Scarlett."

"Of course."

Once Melly was settled in the buggy, Scarlett and Ellen had started fussing over her. Once they were satisfied, she was as comfortable as possible, they returned to Tara. At every bump, Melly moaned. She just couldn't help herself. She was miserable. Rhett had even slowed the horse down to a walk. Although she didn't moan as much, everyone in the buggy knew she was incredibly uncomfortable.

While on the ride over to Tara, Melly said, "Scarlett did you get Charlie's sword?"

"Of course, I did. Do you think I was going to leave it where some Yankee demon could get it."

"No, you wouldn't do that."

When the group got to Tara, Rhett was able to carry Melly up the stairs and to Scarlett's old bedroom. Once he had been prepared for that much weight, he had been able to handle it although not easily. Once again pride had come to Rhett's rescue, Rhett couldn't admit that he couldn't carry Melly up the stairs.

After Melly was settled in Scarlett's old bedroom, Scarlett fussed over her the rest of the afternoon. Finally, Melly said, "I would like to take a nap."

Melly had said it just because it was unnerving for Scarlett to fuss over her because Scarlett didn't fuss over anyone. With Scarlett doing all that fussing, it made Melly realize that she looked a lot worse than she had thought. Maybe she was worse than she thought. If her unobservant sister-in-law was worried about her it would have to be awfully clear that Melly was extremely sick. Melly decided she would take a page out of Scarlett's script. She would think about it tomorrow.

The next day over dinner, Ellen announced that Tom Slattery had sent one of his slaves to ask her to come nurse his daughter, Emmie, who was extremely sick. Ellen said, "I will walk over there this afternoon to see what I can do."

Scarlett knew in an instant this was what she had to prevent her mother from doing. She said, "Mama, if you go nurse Emmie you will die."

"How can I die from nursing someone, Scarlett?"

"You will catch what they have and it will kill you."

"Scarlett…"

Suellen said, "Mama, Scarlett's feelings are never wrong. If that is what she is feeling, we will not let you leave this house."

"Susan Elinor do not speak to me that way. You cannot tell me what to do."

"No, Mother, I can't but Pa can."

Scarlett turned to her father and said, "Pa, you have to stop her. It will kill her and … it will somehow kill you. Do you want to leave Suellen, Careen, and me orphans?"

Before Gerald could speak, Ellen said, "Scarlett, I cannot believe how dramatic you are being over this matter."

Scarlett didn't look at her mother but instead said, "Pa, what you have to ask yourself is what if I am right? We cannot take any chance of losing Mama. She is the glue that holds us all together."

Suellen said, "I still need both my parents so very much. There are so many things because of the war we will have to endure but being orphans shouldn't be one of them."

Scarlett said, "We would lose Tara because my sisters and I certainly couldn't run it."

When Gerald looked at his son-in-law, Rhett said, "No, Sir. I would not accept the responsibility of running a plantation when I was the heir to Middleton Acres. I am certainly not going to accept it now. What's more you would be leaving just Suellen and Careen here to run it because I am getting Scarlett out of the Confederacy as quickly as possible. We are only staying until Miss Melly has her baby."

Gerald looked at all the people at the table. He didn't know what to do. He had never told his wife no, but Scarlett's feelings were always right. As he sat there pondering his decision. Careen said, "I will go nurse Emmie instead."

Ellen said, "You will do no such thing. If it isn't safe for me, it isn't safe for you."

That made Gerald's mind up. He said, "Ellen, you will not be nursing the Slattery girl."

With that he got up and left the dining room. Everyone else finished eating their meal. Nobody spoke.

The next person to leave the table was Ellen. As she had thought about it, Suellen had been right Scarlett's feelings were never wrong. She would be on the safe side. She certainly wasn't ready to leave this earth yet. She still had too much to do. Philipe could just wait a little longer for her to cross over to the other side. She couldn't leave Gerald or the girls to their own devices. They would be helpless without her.

Having saved her mother's life and probably her father's life, Scarlett had relaxed about Melly or the baby dying. She just knew everything was going to be alright.