Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Forty

June twentieth was another beautiful sunny day. The sky was so blue. Scarlett wondered if the day was always going to be as beautiful as that awful day. It didn't matter. The day would always be a horrible day. Fortunately, she now had Rhett to face it with her. She had not visited him in several weeks because she knew if she went back, it would be forever.

As Scarlett got ready to go to the cemetery, she thought about what she had realized yesterday morning at the store. She had been ordering some supplies. She looked at the calendar to find out the date. It was June nineteenth. It brought Scarlett up short. How could she have not realized that the anniversary of Bonnie's death was so close, but she hadn't.

Scarlett decided that was the way of life. At first the pain and grief is so raw that one can hardly function but time eases the pain and allows one to function again. That was probably true of the pain she and Rhett had suffered at each other's hand. She also realized that she could not quit Rhett. She would always take him back. She would always forgive him sooner or later.

When Scarlett got home, she had Uncle Peter take Rhett a note. It told him to meet her tomorrow morning and they would ride to visit Bonnie's grave together. He had replied in the affirmative.

Rhett was wearing a gray suit which matched Scarlett's gray dress. Although she was wearing color again, she thought gray was a better choice than something bright and colorful. The couple had greeted each other warmly and Scarlett had kissed Rhett's cheek. They had stopped at a florist on their way to the cemetery. Rhett had bought some blue Forget Me Nots and Scarlett had just gotten an ordinary flower arrangement. They had chatted on the way to the grave like the old friends they were.

After Rhett and Scarlett were at the grave, she said, "I don't know if I would have seen the truth the night Melly died if I hadn't been in so much pain from Bonnie's death."

"No, if she hadn't died, we would have just gone on hurting each other. I would never have left, and you would never have filed for divorce."

"No, I wouldn't. I would have been too afraid of losing custody of her."

"I can't say that I am glad she died but I had turned her into a selfish, self-centered, little brat with no concern for anyone but herself."

"Just like her parents."

"Except she didn't even try to hide it."

"She was so very charming."

"Like her mother."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Like her father."

Rhett took Scarlett's hand. They stood there for a while longer. Finally, Rhett said, "Let's go. Will you bring the children later today?"

"If they want to go but I don't think they will. They have not wanted to go see their fathers the last couple of times I suggested it."

"I have gotten lax about visiting Bonnie's grave also."

"I can't remember the last time I visited Melly. I guess time really does heal all wounds."

"I hope so."

Scarlett knew that Rhett was referring to the wound he had created in her, but she didn't verbally reply to his comment. She said, "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes."

On the way back to Hamilton House, Rhett wanted to ask Scarlett about her visiting him again, but he just couldn't make himself do so. For a man who had not been afraid of anything he was certainly afraid of a lot of things now. He was most afraid of her saying she was never returning.

That night Scarlett went to see Rhett after the children were asleep. She told Prissy she was leaving but she never said a word to PittyPat. The older woman could not keep a secret.

Scarlett let herself into Rhett's house by the back door. Nobody was around. All the servants retired at seven in the evening. Right after they had cleaned up the supper dishes. They knew not to lock the back door. Mr. Butler would lock it when he retired for the night. Nobody asked any questions. They wondered and speculated but nobody would ever ask.

Scarlett found Rhett in the parlor. When she walked into the room, Rhett smiled so big.

The only thing Rhett's brain was thinking was, 'She's back! She's back.'

Scarlett said, "Let's talk."

Rhett's hopes plummeted. He forced a smile and said, "Shall we sit on the sofa?"

Scarlett smiled a coy smile and said, "I don't know. The last time we sat there together, we got distracted."

"Maybe we will again."

Scarlett giggled and Rhett's hopes soared. She said, "Let's sit down."

The couple sat on the sofa together. Scarlett turned to him and said, "I love you. I know I have for a long time."

"I love you, too."

"I still don't want any more children."

"Neither do I."

"I still don't want to get married."

"I would marry you in a heartbeat, but I will respect your desire to not marry. I will not badger you or force you to marry me. I will keep all your secrets."

"Thank you, Rhett."

Rhett sat there quietly. He was letting Scarlett set the pace of this conversation. He already had more than he had honestly thought possible a year ago.

Scarlett said, "I will let you start courting me and taking me to Yankee social events."

"Alright. What about your reputation?"

"Atlanta gentry are fair weather friends. Any minute I could do something and fall out of favor with them again. They are not the most discerning people. They fell for your act, and they should have known better based on your behavior during the war and afterwards. All of the sudden you are a changed man. Not highly likely. Once I am seen socially with my former husband, I will fall out of favor again."

Hopefully, Rhett said, "And?"

"I will continue visiting you after the children have gone to bed."

"Alright."

"I don't want to, but I can't help myself. If I could let you go I would, but I can't."

"I know that feeling."

"I will not marry you again."

"As you have said. Why did you repeat yourself?"

"To make sure you understand."

"I understand. If you change your mind, I will be more than happy to marry you."

"No, Rhett, I would lose too much by marrying you."

"I wish there was some way to convince you that the good would outweigh the bad but based on our first attempt at marriage the bad certainly outweighed the good. I am happy for whatever you will give me."

"Rhett, where is that proud, arrogant man that I met at Twelve Oaks?"

"He was left bloodied and wounded by his poor choices."

"Oh Rhett."

"Come upstairs with me. I will make you feel good."

Scarlett said, "As long as I don't have to do all the work."

"I'll do all the work."

And Rhett did. They had a lovely time. Rhett wanted to tell Scarlett he loved her in the throes of passion, he did not. He didn't want anything to remind her of that night.

Rhett's and Scarlett's relationship wasn't what he wanted but he would take the crumbs she was willing to give him for the rest of his life. It was more than he had truly hoped for a year ago.

Starting that Saturday, Rhett and Scarlett started attending all the Yankees social events together. It had truly not surprised anyone. Everyone knew that Rhett was still in love with Scarlett and most people figured the reason Steven had started calling on another woman was because he figured out, he was a third wheel in Rhett and Scarlett's relationship.

Now that Rhett and Scarlett weren't the proud and arrogant people they had been before Bonnie's death, people liked them. Now that Rhett was not going out of his way to aggravate and annoy people, he could be a pretty decent guest. His mocking comments were funny to almost everyone because there was no bite or malice to them. Now that Scarlett knew she wasn't the cutest thing in shoe leather, women could like her. Now that she wasn't intent on having every man's attention in the room, she could actually have a conversation with women and men.

India and Steven were attending these same events. Although Steven and Rhett were courteous to one another they would never be close friends. Rhett didn't like Steven because the man had been courting his wife. Steven didn't like Rhett because for whatever reason Scarlett had chosen him over Steven. India and Scarlett would visit at the events usually for ten to fifteen minutes. That was all the men could stand to be in each other's company.

Scarlett and Rhett would visit with Arritta and Edwin at these events also for five to ten minutes but Scarlett and Arritta did most of their visiting when the Yankee ladies had socials in their homes in the afternoon.

Arritta didn't say anything to her friend about taking her former husband back. She had said her piece after Christmas dinner. Scarlett more than her knew the hell she had been through and if she wanted to forgive the man that was her choice. Arritta smiled. Maybe it wasn't Scarlett's choice but Scarlett's destiny. Maybe they were bound together for time and eternity. Maybe they could no more stop loving each other than the sun could rise in the West.

The only thing that Scarlett did that was not polite was smirk at Rena Smith and Marie Jones as they stood around talking to other women. Although Rena and Marie had tried to darken Scarlett's name most of the other women in attendance would just laugh. Ruby Morris told Rena, "Honey, it was clear to anyone that Rhett Butler had eyes for only one woman. His eyes never left her anytime they were in the same room together."

Scarlett and her children went down to Tara in the middle of July for two weeks once again. Butch the children's pony was still alive despite his age. The Benteen girls rode him occasionally.

Rhett came down to visit on Wednesday, Sunday, Wednesday, and on the last Sunday, he had Pork drive him down in the carriage.

Wade could not believe that his mother was letting Uncle Rhett call on her. Hadn't they already been through enough pain? At one point while at Tara, Wade said, "Mother, I would like to talk with you."

Scarlett suspected she knew what Wade wanted to talk to her about. She was going to let him speak his piece. He had been through the awfulness brought on by Rhett also. She smiled, "Let us walk to the bend in the road. It is my favorite place to view Tara. Even more so now because from there I cannot see the shabbiness of the plantation."

When mother and son got to the bend in the road, Scarlett said, "Is this about Rhett?"

"Yes, Mother how can you be in a relationship with him again."

"Don't you find Uncle Rhett charming and amusing?"

"Yes, I do but what about all the ugly things he said to you."

"He truly regrets having said all that."

"What about him leaving us?"

"He regrets that also."

"Mother things between you and Uncle Rhett were so bad you divorced him."

"Yes, they were, and I did, and I don't regret that."

"Mother how can you forgive him?"

"I believe he has changed. I have changed. Wade, you are old enough to understand what I am saying. Before Bonnie's death I was a selfish, self-centered woman who didn't care about anyone but myself. I know I am not the same person I was in May of seventy-three. Rhett isn't either. My rock bottom was Rhett leaving me. Rhett's rock bottom was me divorcing him."

"I will agree that you have certainly changed."

"Give Rhett a little faith."

"I will give him a chance but if he hurts you…."

"I will kill him, and we will hide the body where nobody will ever find him."

For a moment Wade was totally stunned then he said, "If we shoot him, I will be the one."

"That would be quite ironic considering he was the one to teach you to shoot."

Wade and Scarlett laughed. She started to put her arm around her son's shoulder and realized he was as tall as she was. She said, "You are going to be as tall as Charlie. Let's go back to the house."

Mother and son turned back towards the house. Wade said, "Everyone says I look just like my father."

"No, you have too much of my personality to look just like Charlie. Your determination to not go to Harvard comes from me. I can be pretty stubborn."

"Don't I know that."

Wade and Scarlett laughed.

Later that day as Wade reflected on his conversation with his mother, he was not completely satisfied with his mother's answer but there wasn't anything else he could say or do. He had to admit to himself that his mother was happier than he had ever seen her. His Uncle Rhett also. He would just have to pray his mother didn't do anything stupid. What Uncle Rhett and Mama had was good enough. They didn't need to get married.