As the carriage carried Scarlett, Rhett, and the children to the Peachtree house, she began to feel nervous. She was afraid that bad memories would overshadow their new relationship. Rhett grew quieter as they approached the house, letting out a long sigh as the carriage pulled up to the front walk. Scarlett glanced at him, wondering what he was thinking. For his part, Rhett was simply staring at the monstrous house, fighting all the old feelings of hurt that he associated with the building.

Forcing himself into the present, he climbed down and turned to help Scarlett down. She took his hand and stepped surprising lightly onto the walk, considering her advanced stage of pregnancy. She was beyond the point where social calls would be considered proper, to her relief. She wouldn't have to deal with the old cats of Atlanta just yet. As if he were reading her mind, Rhett snorted. "Yes, my dear, you assured peace for awhile longer, no one will bother you."

Startled, Scarlett looked into his merry eyes. Yes, he'd known exactly what she was thinking. Smiling demurely, she bowed her head, and said, just loud enough for him to hear, "There is one who I wish to be bothered by."

Rhett's expression softened as he caught her words. "Dare I hope the one is me?" He leaned down to whisper in her ear. She smiled coquettishly, flashing him a look that sent heat searing through him. He returned her smile with an expression that promised a longer discussion later. The carriage with Mammy, Prissy, and Emma pulled to a stop and they got down. Glancing up at the mansion, they all headed for the door.

The house stood waiting, the staff having cleaned it from top to bottom. Scarlett saw that the children were settled into their rooms and then made her way to her room, tired and ready to lie down for a while. She walked past the closed door of Rhett's room and wondered why he had closed the door. Sighing, she pushed the door open to her room, her heart lifting as she saw him sprawled on her bed wearing a huge grin on his face and nothing else. Quickly closing the door, she sputtered, "Rhett, how could you…you couldn't know if one of the servants would come in. Great balls of fire…what if Ella or Wade had come in?"

"I knew the children were with you and I told the servants that I was tired and did not wish to be disturbed. You usually lie down about this time each day, so I thought my state of…er, undress, would be …appreciated." His smirk was naughty, in Scarlett's view.

"You're a devil, you know that don't you?" she fired at him.

"Ah but you love it, don't you Mrs. Butler? Now come on, be honest…"

His roguish expression was too much and Scarlett melted into a state of surrender. "Oh Rhett, you are a bad man…" she giggled as she joined him on the bed.

Rhett sat up and looked down at her, bemused. "Why Mrs. Butler, you are entirely overdressed for the occasion," he observed. Scarlett flashed an impish look in his direction and then looked down at her dress. "I suppose I am. Whatever should I do about it?" she asked teasingly.

Mischief lit his eyes as he reached for her. She was appalled at how quickly he had her undressed and entirely exposed on their bed. He held himself over her, his dark eyes taking every inch of her in. She saw the change in his demeanor as he became flushed and his eyes heavy with lust. "My god, Scarlett, you are so beautiful," he said huskily.

She reached up, cradling his face in her hand. "And you are the most handsome man I've ever known, Rhett. Please…I…want you so much," she declared shyly.

He took a deep breath, his eyes sweeping her once more before he leaned down to kiss her. The fire ignited immediately between them, their need becoming almost frantic. Somewhere in the midst of their kisses and caresses, she paused and looking into his passionate eyes, she declared, "we'll make new memories for this house, Rhett. We'll replace the old ones…" He didn't let her finish what she was trying to say, however, as his mouth covered hers in a renewed frenzy of kisses.

There was an urgency in their love-making, a need to replace old memories with new ones. She reveled in the feel of him all over her, his hands seeking her most sensitive places, fueling her inner fire until she felt she could stand no more. So involved in the sensations that Rhett was creating within her, Scarlett failed to see what the frenzy was doing to him. Had she been able to see through her fog of passion, she would have seen the look of absolute awe on his face and his great need for her in his eyes. And need her, he did. Using his hands and his lips he endeavored to consume her, tasting and touching every part of her, his senses wild from the onslaught of everything that was Scarlett, her taste and smell, the feel of her skin, the sound of her breathing and moans, and the beauty of her, even her belly that was heavy with his child. The thought that it was his child inside of her…where he longed to be…was overwhelming and he hardened with the realization. "Oh my god, Scarlett…"

The sound of his voice and his hot breath on her almost sent her over the edge and he hadn't even entered her! She wanted to giggle with glee but was aflame with fire and passion at the same time. So many emotions were rampaging through her, too much to endure. "Oh Rhett, please…" she cried out from her depths of need.

He was in her almost instantly, his hot member burning her with his desire. She welcomed him and his heat and immediately responded, her inner muscles clamping down on his rod, making him gasp as he fought to control himself. It was she who began the motion, lifting herself towards him, encompassing more of his manhood and massaging it with her tight wetness. Rhett had never thought of a woman as being hard before, but the ferocity with which she tightened around him was surprising and exhilarating. As she undulated beneath him, he knew this madness would be short lived, his cock already about to explode. "Scarlett…please," he moaned, "slow down or I'll…"

He felt her explosion, the uncontrollable spasms of her passion pulsating over him, releasing fountains of her nectar that flowed over his shaft. He was fighting to maintain some semblance of control, fearing that if he gave into his own frenzied passion, the baby might be hurt. Somehow, he flipped her over so that she was on top, where she rode him hard, still in the throws of her mania. The sight of her breasts bouncing above him as she rode was too much and as he reached for the voluptuous mounds, he felt his own powerful release.

Scarlett reveled in his eruption, milking him until the last drop of his seed was sucked from him. The release had been so intense, his senses so heightened that as she milked him, his cock became extremely sensitive, her actions becoming too much and he was reduced to giggles as she continued to taunt him. "Please stop, Scarlett," he managed between sensations. She smiled wickedly, triumphant in her power over him and laughed. "When I'm ready," she smirked. "I do so enjoy the last vestiges of your fire, though," she teased. Caught in the sensations of her still soaking heat and what it was doing to him, he somehow managed to roll them over onto their sides, his manhood slowly slipping out, utterly deflated. He laughed as he saw the look of disappointment that covered her face. "Now, now, my dear," he smirked. "There will be more for you later, but right now…you need to rest." Her deep sigh, full of satisfaction and disappointment at the same time, only made him laugh louder.

Down the hall, Emma looked at Mammy, who smiled. "They be doing data lots, I spect," she grinned. Emma nodded. "Its good fer him ta be caught up in her…den he don' think so much 'bout hisself…"

She woke to the gentle caress of Rhett's fingers on her stomach, tracing the roundness of her baby bulge. She glanced at his face and warmed at his expression. Rhett was captivated by the shape of her. "Mmmm, it's a boy, you know," she purred. He looked up, surprised and a little guilty for having wakened her. Then a smirk appeared as his eyes danced with mischief. "A boy? And pray, how do you know that Mrs. Butler? Have you become a soothsayer?"

Scarlett looked confused for a moment and then smiled. He was teasing her again. "No…I just know. It has to be…because I want it."

Rhett let out an uproarious laugh. "Because you want it?" he managed to ask between his laughter.

"Yes," Scarlett declared defiantly. "I want to give you a son…every man wants a son and so do you, despite what you say…"

Suddenly he quieted. "My dear, I mean it when I say that I will be happy with whatever we have…"

She reached for his face, her fingers stroking his cheek. "I know…but you should have a son and I want to give you one. It'll be the one thing I have given you that no other woman has."

Rhett turned away from her, his face darkening as he moved. Scarlett shuffled to scoot around, needing to see his face. "Rhett?" He looked at her, guilt etched in his features. "Rhett, what is it? Please tell me…"

He sighed deeply, his body signifying defeat. "What you said…about giving me…what no other woman has given me…"

"Yes…"

"Well, you gave me a daughter…and that was a first for me. But, …I already have a son," he said dejectedly.

Scarlett stared at him in disbelief. Her mind was whirling, a mass of confusion clouding her ability to think. She furrowed her brow as she struggled to process his statement and then let out a small cry as she fell back onto the bed. "You…you already have a son," she whimpered.

Rhett hung his head, hurting because he knew what he was telling her was hurting her. "Yes," he said plainly. "He…he's grown now…on his own…in New Orleans."

Scarlett could do nothing but stare. Her mind simply wouldn't focus. Finally, she gathered herself enough to speak. "Who…who is…the mother?"

Rhett gasped at the heartbreak he heard in her voice. "Scarlett…I'm sorry. It happened before I even knew you…and well, I just never saw a reason to tell you. I sent money for his care and visited occasionally, but the boy never really had a place in my life. Wade feels like more of a son to me than he does."

"Who…is…the mother?" she insisted.

He let out his breath like a deflating balloon. "Belle," he said meekly.

Scarlett's back arched and her face went red as she glared at him. "That...that Watling woman is the mother of your child?"

"Please Scarlett, understand. "It was a long time ago. You were still a girl when it happened. And it has meant very little to me. This child, the one you are carrying now, it is so much more…such a wondrous thing to me…"

"What's his name?" Scarlett asked, refusing to let it go.

"It doesn't matter…he is nothing to you and barely anything to me. I'm not even sure he realizes I am his father."

Scarlett fell into her pillow. "I don't understand. How could you …how can you ignore your own flesh and blood?"

"Habit," he said flatly. "I ignored my father for years and it never once crossed my mind to do otherwise. I'm a selfish man, Scarlett. You know that better than anyone does. And the boy didn't fit into my life, so I ignored him."

She cradled her swollen tummy in her arms. "And what if one day you decide this child doesn't fit into your life…what then? Will you just abandon it like you did your son?"

Rhett looked stricken. "No. It could never be…this one is…it is your child, Scarlett…my child with you. That gives it so much more meaning…like a…like a dream that I had given up on and now it is coming true."

As Scarlett listened to him, panic began to creep into her mind. "You must make things right with your son, Rhett. You have to because if you don't, it might jinx our baby. Your neglect of your son might cause a curse on any children we have…"

"Scarlett, don't be ridiculous. One had nothing to do with the other…"

No, Rhett… you must. Look what happened to Bonnie…I won't have a curse hanging over this child, I won't…"

Rhett was shocked. He knew Scarlett could be superstitious at times, but this seemed extreme. She was getting more upset as the seconds ticked by and his brain scrambled for a solution. "Well, I can't leave and go to New Orleans now…I won't leave you alone for such a long time, especially with your time nearing."

"Then send for him…bring him here."

"But Scarlett, Belle doesn't want him to know what she does. If he comes here, then he will surely discover her secret."

"I don't care…I won't have this baby cursed," she shrieked.

"All right, my love," he sighed worriedly. "I'll see what I can do."

She settled back into the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. He moved to console her but she shrugged him off. "Please, leave me alone for awhile," she cried. "I need to…to be alone."

Rhett looked at her sadly. Inside, he was crumbling, fear that he had lost her running rampant through him. "I'll let you rest," he croaked. "I'll come back later…"

"Yes, …later," she sniffled.

Tears stinging his eyes, he rose and crossed the room, pulling on clothes as he went. He stopped at the door and took one last glance back at her, his heart breaking. She looked so lost, so broken…and he had done it…again.

gwtwgwtwgwtwgwtwgwtw

So, here's that bump in the road so many of you have predicted. Please keep your tomatoes to yourselves. This isn't the end, you know…

As always, your reviews and comments are much appreciated. Next chapter is in the works. You can make it happen faster ;-)