A/N: I would just like to say, today, August 16, 2014, is the 65 anniversery of the death of Gone With The Wind Author, Margaret Mitchell. R. I. P. Margaret. You were a great author.

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Part One, Chapter Four

Mike's Return

...

As Courtney, Zoey and Nan stood outside, they saw someone walking up the path.

"Oh, another one," Courtney grumbled. "I hope this one isn't hungry."

"He'll be hungry," said Leshawna.

"I'll tell Katie to get an extra plate," said Zoey.

She started to go inside but she stopped and a happy look spread across her face. She began running towards the man who was walking up the path.

"Mike!" she called happily as he started running towards her. "Mike!"

"Darling!" Mike called.

They finally met and they embraced happily.

Courtney saw them and started to run but Leshawna caught her.

"Miss Courtney!" said Nan. "Don't spoil it, Miss Courtney.

"Turn me loose, you fool!" Courtney cried. "Turn me loose, it's Mike!"

"He's her husband, ain't he?" Leshawna pointed out.

Courtney's face fell.

...

Courtney was stirring a pot of soap when Cameron walked up to her.

"Miss Courtney, ma'am," said Cameron.

"High time you got back," said Courtney. "Did you get the horse shod?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Cameron. "He shod all right."

"Fine thing when a horse can get shoes and humans can't said Courtney. "Here, stir this soap."

"Yes, ma'am," said Cameron. "Miss Courtney, ma'am, how much money have you got left, in gold."

"Ten dollars," said Courtney. "Why?"

"That won't be enough," said Cameron.

"What in heaven's name are you talking about?" Courtny asked.

"Well, Miss Courtney, I see'd that old no-count white-trash Wilkerson that used to Mr. Geoff's overseer here," said Cameron. "He's a regular Yankee now, and he was makin' a brag that his carpetbagger friends dun run the taxes way up sky-high on Tara."

"But how much more have we got to pay?" Courtney asked.

"I hear'd the tax man say $300," said Cameron.

"Three hundred!" Courtney gasped. "Might just as well be $3 million. But we gotta raise it, that's all."

"Yes, ma'am said Cameron. "How?"

"I'll go ask Mr. Mike," said Courtney.

"Oh, he ain't got no $300, Miss Courtney," said Cameron.

"Well I can ask him if I want to, can't I?" Courtney asked.

Courtney walked off

"Askin' ain't gettin'." said Cameron to himself.

...

Courtney walked up to Mike, who was splitting rails, though not very well.

"Mike!" she said.

"They say Abe Lincoln got his start splitting rails," said Mike. "Just think what I mat do once I get the knack."

"Mike," said Courtney. "The Yankees want $300 more in taxes. What shall we do? Mike, what's to become of us?"

"What become of people when their civilization breaks up?" said Mike. "Those who have brains and courage come through all right. Those who haven't are winnowed out."

"For heaven's sake," said Courtney, "Daniel, don't stand there talking nonsense at me when it's us who are being winnowed out."

"You're right," said Mike sadly. "Here you are talking tommy-rot about civilization, when your Tara's in danger. You've come to me for help, and I've no help to give you. Oh, Courtney, I, I'm a coward."

"You Mike, a coward?" Courtney asked. "What are you afraid of?"

"Oh, mostly of life becoming too real for me, I suppose," Mike said. "Not that I mind spilling rails, but I do mind very much losing the beauty of that life I loved. If the war hadn't come, I'd have spent my life happily burried at Twelve Oaks. But the war did come. I saw my boyhood friends blown to bits. I saw men crumple up in agony when I shot them. And now I find myself in a world which for me is worse than death. A world in which there's no place for me. I can never make you understand because you don't know the meaning of fear. You never mind facing realities, and you never want to escape from them as I do."

Eugenia perked up.

"Escape?" Courtney asked. "Oh, Mike, you're wrong. I do want to escape too. I'm so very tired of it all. I've struggled for food and money. I've weeded and hoed and picked cotton until I can't stand it another minute. I tell you, Mike, the South is dead. It's dead. The Yankees and the carpetbaggers have got it and there's nothing left for us. Oh, Mike. Let's escape together. We'd go to Mexico. They want officers in the Mexican Army. We could be so happy there. I'd work for you, I'd do anything for you. You know you don'r love Zoey. You told me you loved me that day at Twelve Oaks. And anyway, Zoey can't... Dr. Meade told me she couldn't have anymore children and I could give you-"

"Can't we ever forget that day at Twelve Oaks?" Mike said.

"Do you think I could ever forget it?" Courtney asked. "Have you forgotten it? Can you honestly say you don't love me."

"No," said Mike. "I don't love you."

"It's a lie!" Courtney snapped.

"Even if it is, do you think I'd leave Zoey and the baby, break Zoey's heart?" Mike asked. "You can't leave your father and the girls."

"I could leave them," Courtney snapped. "I'm sick of them. I'm tired of them."

"Yes, you're sick and tired," said Mike. "That's why you're talking this way. You've carried the load for all of us, but from now on I'm going to be more help to you, I promise."

"There's only one way you can help me," cried Courtney. "Take me away. There's nothing to keep us here."

"Nothing," said Mike. "Nothing except honor.

Courtney began sobbing quietly.

"Oh, please, Courtney," said Mike as he pulled Courtney in for an embrace."You mustn't. Please, my brave dear, you mustn't pleade."

They pulled apart, but they were still very close in proximity. They looked each other in the eye and slowly leaned in for a kiss, but they were in a passionate kiss and embrace a moment later.

"You do love me, you do love me," said Courtney happily. "Say it, say it."

"Don't, don't," said Mike.

"You love me, you love me," Courtney repeated.

"We won't do this, I tell you," said Mike. "It won't happen again. I'm going to take May and the baby, and go."

"Say it, you love me," said Courtney.

"All right, I'll say it," said Mike. "I love your courafe and your stubbornness.I love them so much that I could have forgotten the best wife a man ever had. But, Courtney, I'm not going to forget her."

There was a long pause and as Mike looked away, Courtney looked around with a lost look on her face.

"Then there's nothing left for me," said Courtney. "Nothing to fight for. Nothing to live for."

"Yes, there is something," said Mike. "Something you love better than me, thought you may not know it."

Mike bent down and picked up some of the red dirt of Tara and handed it to Courtney, who was not looking at him.

"Tara!" Daniel said.

"Yes, I," Courtney began, "I still have this."

Courtney started walking away, but then she turned around.

"You needn't go," said Courtney. "I won't have you all starve simply because I threw myself at your head. It won't happen again."

She began walking away again, but this time, she didn't turn back.

She went towards the house and saw her father on the steps on the side of the house and she noticed a buggy ride by. She went to the front and saw Brick Wilkerson with him. She was dressed in red.

"Why, it's Jo Slattery," said Courtney in shock.

"Yes, ma'am it's me," said the girl, Jo Slattery.

They started walking up the steps of Tara and stopped when Courtney yelled, "Stop!"

"You haven't forgotten your old overseer, have you?" Brick asked pleasantly as he laughed. "Well, Jo's Mrs. Wilkerson now."

"Get off those steps, you trashy wench!" Courtney snapped at Sarah. "Get off this land!"

"You can't speak that way to my wife," Brick defended as Sarah moved closer to him."

"Wife!" Courtney laughed a little at that. "High time you made her your wife. Who baptized your other brats after you killed my mother?"

"We came out here to pay a call," said Brick, "pay a friendly call and talk a little business with old friends.

"Friends!" Courtney almost laughed again. "When were we ever friends with the likes of you?"

Jo went back into the buggy.

"Still high and mighty, ain't you?" Brick scowled. "Well I know all about you. I know your father's turned idiot. You can't pay your I come here to offer to buy the place from you, to make you a right good offer. Jo's got a hankerin' to live here."

"Get off this place, you dirty Yankee," snapped Courtney.

"You high-flyin' Irish will find out who's runnin' things around here when you get sold out for taxes," said Brick. "I'll buy this place lock, stock and barrel and I'll live in it. But I'll wait for the sheriff's sale."

Courtney looked at the dirt that Mike had put in her had. She threw it at William and it hit him in the face.

"That's all of Tara you'll ever get!" Courtney snarled.

"You'll be sorry for that," said Brick.

He went backt to his buggy and started driving away.