Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty-Five

The rest of the way to Twelve Oaks the conversation was lively, and everyone participated. The buggy had barely stopped rolling before Scarlett with Wade in her arms was out of it. She ran into the house. She asked Albert, the butler, "Where is Melly's bedroom?"

"Go to the top of the stairs and turn right. Their bedroom is two doors down on the left."

"Thanks."

By this time Honey was in the foyer but Scarlett did not slow down. She scurried up the stairs. In no time she was in Melly's room. She was shocked at how bad Melly looked but she had suspected that Melly was going to look bad, so Scarlett had tried to school her features and not let her shock show on her face. She knew she failed when Melly said, "I know I look bad. Ashley is so worried about me. Your mother comes over once a week to check on me. Pull up a chair and sit down. Let me hold Wade."

Scarlett did and she sat down. To her happiness, Wade just sat on the bed next to his aunt. He let her hug him as often as she wanted to hug him. Scarlett said, "Oh Melly. What can I do?"

"Nothing. I feel like this is the only child I will ever have. The only child I should ever try to have. I don't think I can go through this again and I know Ashley can't. He is so worried about me." With a self-deprecating smile, Melly added, "I know he really loves me now."

"Melly, did you really doubt his love?"

"Yes, I know I am not that exciting of a woman like you, so I have always been a little insecure of his love."

"Melly, you are worth ten of me."

"No, Scarlett I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

Melly saw that Scarlett's chin was jutted out and she knew what that meant so she changed the subject. She said, "I don't know how he can make sure I never have another child, but he will have to think of a way."

"Oh Melly. How sad. You always wanted a houseful of children."

"Yes, and you never wanted any."

"I still don't want any more."

"What does Captain Butler want?" Scarlett looked away. Melly asked, "Darling, what is the matter?"

"I don't think Rhett wants a wife and children. I don't think he is willing to give up his bachelorhood."

"He will, Dear. Just be patient."

"I've been patient for the last two years."

"What is it?"

Scarlett sighed. She turned away from Melly and said, "We were talking about him taking his adventure stories back to Atlanta with him and he said that he didn't want the romance stories back. I teased him by saying don't you want romance in your life. He replied he had all the romance in his life that he wanted."

"Scarlett, he didn't mean what you are believing he meant. I cannot believe how insecure you are in regard to Captain Butler. I think what he meant was you were all the romance he wanted."

"Really."

"Really. Darling, remember you got that feeling that you and Captain Butler were going to be married?" Scarlett nodded. Melly continued, "Our feelings are never wrong. Not all our feelings, of course, but we always know which feelings are going to come true. Just as we both knew from the first time we met each other, that we would be best friends for life."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Yes, that is true. Thank you, for being the light of reason."

"Of course, we have always been there for each other."

Scarlett got up and hugged her best friend and said, "And always will. Now let us talk about happy things. What are you going to name the baby?"

"If it is a girl, Martha Blanche and if it is a boy, we have settled on Beauregarde Ashley. Col. Smith is no longer Ashley's commander, of course, but we both really like the name Beauregarde, so we are going to use it."

"I like both names. I wish I had named Wade for my father instead of Charlie's commander but what is done is, is done."

The ladies talked for another thirty minutes until Scarlett stood up and said, "I will be back before we go back to Atlanta. I am going to spend some time at Tara."

"Alright, Darling. Give me a hug."

Scarlett did, then she left the room. As always Melly had made her feel better in regard to her relationship to another person. Scarlett always marveled how insightful Melly was.

Yerkes last half hour was not nearly as enjoyable as Scarlett's had been. His father-in-law had interrogated him like he was a twenty-year-old suitor instead of a forty-five-year-old grown man. Although India, Ashley, and Captain Butler were in the room their presence didn't stop Mr. Wilkes questions. After Scarlett had come into the room with Wade, Yerkes decided to do something. He stood up and said, "India, Dear, will you show me your plantation. You are not going to believe this, but this is the first time I have ever been on a plantation."

"Of course, Yerkes. Father we will be back in time for dinner."

"Of course."

"Scarlett are you ready to go to Tara. Mr. Wilkes has agreed to gather up all of the books you lent him except for the romances, of course."

"Come on, Rhett. I can't wait to see my family."

As Rhett, Scarlett, and Wade got in the buggy, Rhett noticed that Scarlett was her normal self. Whatever had been bothering her he guessed Miss Melly had helped her solve the problem. For a moment, Rhett was jealous of Scarlett and Melanie's relationship. Maybe someday he and Scarlett could be that close.

By the time Rhett, Scarlett, and Wade arrived at Tara, Wade had made use of his diaper. When Ellen took Wade away from Scarlett, Ellen said, "I will get Mammy to take care of that. Does he have another one?"

As Scarlett handed her mother a stack of diapers, she said, "Several more."

Soon Wade and Ellen were back downstairs. She said, "Mammy is going to wash the diaper out for you."

"Thank you, Mama."

To Rhett's surprise, Gerald started interrogating him over the dinner table. As the meal progressed, Rhett was beginning to think that Dr. Harper had gotten off easy. At one point Gerald asked, "What are your intentions towards my daughter."

Without any hesitation, Rhett lied through his teeth and said, "My intentions towards Scarlett are strictly honorable. I would never do anything to disrespect her."

After Rhett said that the conversation turned to more neutral subjects nonetheless, as soon as the meal was over, he took a page out of Dr. Harper's script and said, "Scarlett, would you show me the plantation? It has been so long since I have been on a plantation except that barbecue at the Wilkes and that day I was more interested in a black-haired beauty with green eyes."

Scarlett smiled and wiped her mouth. She stood up and said, "Of course, Rhett. We will start in the orchard."

Both Yerkes and Rhett found that when they finally came back to the main house the father had decided to stop asking them a lot of questions. After that Rhett, Scarlett, Ellen, Gerald, Careen, and Suellen sat in the parlor and talked. Wade was playing on the floor. Scarlett said to Careen, "Are there any adventure stories left at Tara?"

With a quick glance at Rhett which he thought was strange, Careen replied, "No, I took them all to Ashley."

"Alright. It is just that Rhett wants to read them again, so I am trying to gather them up."

"You will have to talk to Ashley."

"Rhett already has. Ashley is collecting them while we are over here."

"That's good."

The conversation turned to the war and the shortages. The problems they had finding food. More slaves had run away so at least they had less people to feed.

Gerald said, "I don't know what we are going to do once the war is over and we no longer have a work force."

Ellen said, "We will think of something."

All too soon for Scarlett it was time to return to Atlanta while for Rhett it was far too long of a stay. They returned to Twelve Oaks. Scarlett with Wade returned to Melly's room to say goodbye. She gave her sister-in-law a hug and let Melly hug Wade. Scarlett said, "Mama and Mammy are going to take care of you. Don't worry."

"Maybe you should tell Ashley that. I think he is worrying twice as much as me. Goodbye."

Ashley had found most of the books Scarlett had lent him and Ashley had lent Rhett several of the books from the library. Scarlett wondered who was happier to be back on the road to Atlanta, Rhett or Dr. Harper. She just smiled. It had been a good day, but it had made her realize how much she missed Melly. Wherever she ended up, it would have to be some place close to Melly. Scarlett sighed. That might be a real problem if she ended up married to Rhett. She knew he would never live in the country. Of course, like Pa said without a work force Pa would never be able to run a plantation.

John took India aside and said, "He is a fine man. He will be a good husband to you. I wish you had let me meet him first, but you did good, my daughter. You have always been wise beyond your years. You need someone older and wiser than most of the young men that you grew up with. Well done."

"Thank you, Father."

"Now run along. Your husband is in a hurry to get out of the house. He is afraid I will start asking him questions again."

On the way back to Atlanta, India said, "Honey told me that she never knew running a plantation was so hard. I told her, 'It is and just think I had twice the slaves you have to manage."

Scarlett said, "What did Honey say to that?"

"She said I don't know how you did it. It is all I can do to keep up with the slaves we have."

"I am glad Honey is finding out how hard you had to work all those years after your mother died."

Not much more was said on the way back to Atlanta. Yerkes, India, and Rhett talked about a book they had all read. It wasn't one that Scarlett had read so she didn't feel the urge to contribute to the conversation. She spent the time travelling entertaining Wade.

A week later as Rhett and Scarlett were sitting on the porch, Scarlett said, "Sherman and Johnson must have engaged in another battle because we got a fresh batch of wounded today."

"That is probably going to become a daily thing with the fighting getting to be more intense."

"I know. Everything is so awful, Rhett. When are the generals going to finally surrender?"

"I don't know. Baby, I can get you and Wade out of the Confederacy. We would just have to take my buggy and go to New Orleans. Once we were there, we could take a ship anywhere we wanted to go."

"What are you saying Rhett?"

"Come run away with me."

"Are you asking me to marry you?"

Rhett looked into Scarlett's beautiful green eyes. The eyes he had dreamed about since he had first met her. The eyes that he wanted to stare into for the rest of his life. His stubborn pride said, "Tell her no. Tell her that you were asking her to be your mistress. What if you ask her to marry you and she says no? Our conceit could never handle that. The relationship would be ruined. You could never face her again."

Rhett's brain said, "If you ask her to be your mistress, she would never forgive you for insulting her in that way, thus you will ruin the relationship. At least by asking her to marry you there is a big chance she will say yes."

Rhett's heart said, "You know she loves you. Furthermore, if you ask her to be your mistress, she would be so hurt she would never be able to forgive you and instead of her having fond memories of you, she would probably cry every time she thought of you. You would just be a bitter memory."

When Rhett's heart and his brain saw that his pride was going to speak again. They teamed up against pride and stuffed a sock into pride's mouth. The brain and the heart took control of the situation and made Rhett's mouth say, "Yes. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?"

Scarlett jumped up and ran across the porch. When Rhett saw her running across the porch he stood up. She threw her arms around him and said, "Yes, yes, yes." Rhett bent down and kissed Scarlett. He didn't care who could see him. He was so absolutely happy. He was happier than he had ever been. He was so proud of himself that he hadn't let his pride get in the way of his future happiness. He just knew this was the right thing for him to have done. This was going to lead to a bright future and an exciting life although he knew being married to Scarlett would not be easy, but it would be worth it.