Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Thirty-Nine

When Rhett and Clarence were back in the suite Clarence said, "I am attached to you so that if a demon tries to implant ugly thoughts in your head, I will be able to stop him, like what Marvin was trying to do tonight."

"I am glad you were. I think demons have been putting negative thoughts in my head for a while."

Clarence smiled. It was always easier for humans to not take responsibility for their own thoughts and actions. It was always easier for them to think 'The devil made me do it.'

Although as disastrous as Scarlett and Rhett's marriage was Clarence was not going to rule out demonic interference.

Rhett walked around the room, he finally said, "You are with me always no matter what I do."

"Yes, until Scarlett declares her love for you."

"Why did you not want me to know?"

"I didn't want you to act self-consciously."

"So, when I was telling you all about my encounters with Scarlett you already knew all about them."

"I knew what she said and what you said, but I did not know what you thought or what you thought she meant. Although I have read your history, I have no idea what you were thinking at the time like I told you about your honeymoon."

"All right, I accept that. Why did Marvin think that because you are helping me, he had nothing to worry about?"

Odbody looked a little embarrassed and said, "As Marvin said I don't do very well at putting the book knowledge into practice."

"Please tell me this is the second time you have tried to help a human."

"Well, no, but I have observed five other angels help someone straighten up their lives."

Rhett smiled and thought, 'It isn't his fault. I got myself into this mess. That is the story of my life. I am responsible for most of the ills of my life.' He said, "Is someone helping Scarlett?"

"No, my boss didn't think she needed any help. If she goes to Boston and meets Patrick Green, she will have a contented life. She won't be blissfully happy, but she won't be miserable."

"She needs help also."

"No, her soul is not on the line. You need help. You control your own destiny."

"I don't control anything. I could have fix this quick and easy if Marvin had not sent Scarlett back into time also."

"That I know not to be true. Your marriage might have been happier and because of that you might have saved both your daughters, but if Scarlett hadn't recovered from a miscarriage, then Melly wouldn't have tried to have another baby against her doctor's advice. It is only with Melly's death that Ashley showed Scarlett his true feelings. Not as an act of courage, but as his final collapse."

"Dr. Meade said the baby we lost was a boy."

"Arthur was wrong. Not the first time. Although he isn't wrong about Melly. Her uterus was damaged when she had Beau. Not really Scarlett's fault, more Scarlett's ignorance. Get those thoughts about if Marvin had not returned Scarlett, it would have been better for you out of your head right now. Marvin did you a favor by sending her back. The Scarlett you are dealing with right now is an adult and she doesn't have a crush on Ashley. A blind, completely devoted crush on Ashley."

"In other words, the Scarlett I dealt with most of my marriage."

"Yes, I think you are right. There is a possibility I can convince this Scarlett to love me, but not that Scarlett."

"No, not that Scarlett."

Clarence smiled. He said, "You see my point." Rhett nodded his head. The angel continued, "She is pretty embarrassed about all the time she wasted on Ashley."

"How do you know? Have you read her history?"

"No, but anyone can see that she is embarrassed about her devotion to a man she made up in her mind.

"I guess I shouldn't tease her about that."

"Probably not, I told you that if you want to meet her needs you have to find out why she loved Patrick."

"If I figure it out without asking her, will you tell me if I am right."

"Yes."

"She loved Patrick because he provided her with security. When she was with him, she felt loved, cherished, and protected. She felt safe for the first time since that night in August that I got her out of Atlanta."

"That is mostly right. There is another part to it."

Rhett stared at Clarence and said, "Her strong feelings for me are upsetting to her. She feels out of control. It is hard for her to give anyone that much power over her. That much ability to hurt her. With Mr. Green she is," With a smile Rhett said, "once again in charge. We always feel more secure when we are in charge. She doesn't feel safe with me because of her lack of control."

"That's right. How did you figure that out?"

"That is how I feel around her and about her. It was one of the reasons I was angry at her all the time. I was out of control, and I am not a man who likes to be out of control. It was galling that she mattered so much to me, but I didn't matter to her at all."

"You mattered. She just didn't know it. You have to help her realize all this, but not try to force her to see all this."

"I know. I know. That was a mistake I made with regard to her feelings for Wilkes. I kept trying to force her to realize what a loser Wilkes was." Rhett stared at Clarence. He said, "Respect her wishes and her feelings even if I think she is totally wrong."

"Yes."

"That is what I did wrong with Wilkes, I kept trying to force her to see what a loser he was and the worse I talked about him the more she defended him."

"Ashley is not a loser. He is just a man out of his element."

"You are right Buddy. In fact, I said something similar to Scarlett before I walked out on her."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter. You summed it up quite nicely."

"If you love her, set her free. If she returns, she loves you too."

"I don't know if I can do that." With a smile Rhett continued, "I have always been a selfish bastard. Yet for me to redeem my soul, she freely has to say I love you. I guess this is my only course. I need a drink. Let's go downstairs."

"All right."

Marvin had visited Peggy. He said, "Guess who is trying to help my cockroach?"

"Your cockroach?"

"Rhett Butler."

"Oh, Scarlett's one true love."

"Yeah."

"Who?"

"Goof body."

"Who?"

"Odbody. I call him Goof body."

"Odbody is your human's helper angel?"

"Yes!"

"You are so lucky. Odbody will do all the work for you. He is so incompetent."

"Yeah. I know."

"Great. That means I don't have to give Scarlett anymore grief than life is handing her."

"True."

"Thanks for the news. I owe you."

"Would you like to do some bobbing on my sword as a thank you?"

"Marvin, you are disgusting. No! Go away."

Marvin shrugged his shoulders and said, "Let me find someone who does. Goodbye."

Peggy was thinking, 'I don't want to see the demon that would willingly be intimate with that boy. She would have to be one hideous demon to willingly be with him. That demon boy is disgusting. I can't wait for him to fall on his face. I hope I am there to see it. I wonder if I can help bring it about.'

Suellen O'Hara Benteen who now went by Suellen Carter was lying in bed. She was in a room over a store in Galveston, Texas. It was a little apartment. She had a kitchen, a parlor, and two other rooms, one of which she had turned into a bedroom.

It had been six months since she had run away with Frank. At first, it had been exciting. They had taken the train to Galveston. As soon as they had gotten to the island, Frank had gone out and bought himself a store from Ethel Jacobs. He had been so excited because the store had an apartment above it. They moved in the next day.

The next day after that Frank had been downstairs meeting his one employee, Edgar, and started operating the store. He had come upstairs around ten and had told her to go find them some food. She had said, "I don't know where they sell food."

"Go out and ask some people."

Suellen had done just that. She had been directed to a marketplace. She had bought a ham and some vegetables. When she had returned to the store, Frank had said, "I like to eat around noon. Hopefully, the food will be ready by then."

It was then that Suellen realized that she wasn't going to have a life on easy street. She was going to have to cook and clean just like she had at Tara. She knew she would never have the life of a lady ever again even if Frank was a gentleman. No, Frank was no longer a gentleman, he was a shopkeeper.

That evening over supper, Suellen had said, "If we hire a cook, she can cook our meals and I can work in the store."

Frank said, "That is a great idea."

Three weeks after they had arrived in Galveston, Suellen knew she had made a bad decision. Frank was a boring man. How could the exciting man she met every week at Rough and Ready be this boring humdrum man? What had Scarlett called him an old maid in britches? Scarlett had been right there. Suellen knew that a small part of the reason she had run off with Frank was because he had come back to her. He had chosen her over Scarlett. Once again Scarlett was the winner because now, she was rid of the loser, Frank Kennedy.

Suellen didn't know it, but Frank had also regretted his decision to run off to Texas with her by the time they had reached Galveston.

Suellen complained about everything. She had even complained when he had told her that their new last name would be Ford. She had insisted their new last name be Carter instead.

Frank had wanted to move to Mexico, but Suellen had nixed that idea because she didn't speak Spanish. No, they were going to Texas. Suellen had said, "After all, that is where Tony moved to." Suellen's words had made Frank wonder if there had been some truth in Scarlett's words about Suellen and Tony.

Frank knew he could never trust Suellen. She had cheated on her husband with him after all. What would stop her from cheating on him? They weren't even married. Suellen was just a loose woman.

By the time Frank had bought the store and he and Suellen were settled in Galveston, he knew that Suellen was not a sweet, demur, stupid young lady. In fact, she was as much of a bully as Scarlett, but not as sexually exciting.

Within a month Frank had contracted yellow fever. He had not cared about living anymore. He was living with a shrew and missing his baby girl. He had died within two weeks. Suellen had not had time to nurse Frank because she had been running the store. With Frank's death she had to make a decision. Stay in Galveston or return to Tara.

It was a no brainer for Suellen. She had decided that her course had been set when she had run away with Frank. She could not face the censure from everyone for her actions regarding running off with Frank. She doubted if the county folk had even forgiven her for trying to get unionist money. Furthermore, she was not going to return to that Cracker, her aunts, and all the work that was involved in running a plantation. The other plus to remaining in Galveston was that she could run the store as a respectable widow and still be included in proper society. The people of Galveston didn't know her past, and she would make sure they never did.

Suellen would never marry again. After Frank and she had gotten to Galveston, having relations with him was as bad as having them with Will. She didn't want any children. When she thought that thought she would think about Susie, but she did not spare the child much thought. The child was the daughter of a Cracker after all.

The first month after Frank had died had been rough for Suellen. Not because she was missing Frank, but because she had to learn how to run a store. Fortunately, her loyal clerk, Edgar, had stuck with her through it all. He had known where to order stock, how to order stock, and even how to keep the books. It seemed Mr. Jacob, the previous owner, had been training him to take over the store. When Mr. Jacob had suddenly died, Edgar had not wanted to buy the store. He just wanted to be a clerk and go home, take care of his ailing wife, and read his books.

After two months, Suellen had let the cook go. She could prepare her own simple meals. She didn't care if she ate the same thing every night.

Suellen had met women through the store and occasionally she would attend an evening event. She enjoyed socializing with the other women. She enjoyed not coming up short compared to Scarlett. She was attractive enough in her own right, but not when Scarlett was standing next to her. This was much better.

Author's Note: There was a yellow fever epidemic in Galveston in the summer of sixty-seven. Over eighteen hundred people died, and the population was only seven thousand people. A lot of people fled the epidemic and moved inward. Unknowingly taking the disease with them.