Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

This story is dedicated to Klenk Eniko. It was her suggestion.

Chapter One

April 1883

Nine and a half years after Melanie's death.

In a New York home, Rhett Butler was thinking back over his life. He had just found out today that he was going to die soon. He had both cancer of the lungs and cirrhosis of the liver. He had known he was sick, extremely sick. He had not gone to the doctor before yesterday because he had not wanted to hear the awful words spoken out loud. The words that would clearly mark his life a travesty, a waste of time and resources. He had not accomplished anything but make a lot of money. He had almost two million in stocks and bonds in the house. He probably had over a half of a million dollars in jewelry and loose stones. Then he had piles of cash in his trunk. He would have to tell what's her name about all that. The woman that lived with him. Some people might refer to her as his mistress, but companion was a more accurate statement.

Rhett was thinking about his life and all the mistakes he had made. Drinking too much alcohol and smoking too many cigars had to be near the top of the list. There were so many items on the list. Getting kicked out of West Point. That stupid buggy incident and his defiant refusal to marry Sarah. His father disowning him. Having relations with another man's wife and getting knifed in the gut because of it. His entire relationship with Scarlett especially how cruel he was to her repeatedly. His worst mistake was letting his four-year-old daughter talk him into letting her do something he knew was wrong. He had done it because he couldn't stand for her to be mad at him. Her not talking to him had made him cave. Rhett couldn't stand Bonnie withdrawing her love from him. Of course, because of his foolish decision her love had been withdrawn from him permanently.

Rhett smiled at the irony of the fact that when Scarlett had stopped talking to him, he had run off to New Orleans with her son. That was another mistake. Since Bonnie's death, he often wondered if he had known that Scarlett loved him would he have caved and apologized over calling her a mule? Would he have called her a mule in the first place. He would never know. He had only done that to hurt her because she didn't even know he was alive except as a checkbook or an escort to the Scallawag and Republican parties. The parties that as soon as they had arrived, she had abandoned him. He had made a lot of money at those parties. Lots of big business deals were conducted at those events. Yet, he would have happily thrown all that money away if Scarlett had wanted to stay by his side.

He looked at the painting that was hung over the mantel piece. It was of his former wife and his baby. The artist had used one of the last pictures that had ever been taken of his baby. It was taken on her fourth birthday. Her last birthday. He had the photographer take a picture of just Scarlett and Bonnie. He still carried the picture in his watch. He always would.

As Rhett continued to stare at the picture, he remembered his trip to Georgia in the spring of seventy-five. A year after the divorce papers had been signed, he had traveled to Atlanta to see how she was doing. To check up on Wade and Ella. To see if there was any way she would take him back once again.

As Rhett had gotten off the train at the Atlanta train depot, he looked around. He again wondered how he had gotten Scarlett, Miss Melly, the children, and Prissy past the depot before the munitions had blown up. Sheer luck. She had been so grateful in that moment. She had been looking at him like he was a hero. Of course, he had blown it later when he had left her at Rough and Ready for some misguided sense of southern honor.

Rhett had decided to walk to the mansion. All he had with him was his carpet bag. He again had trimmed his wardrobe down. He didn't need that much these days. When he approached the mansion, he noticed it was different. At first, Rhett couldn't figure out what was different then he knew Scarlett had taken the porches off. He liked it better. Probably brought in more light. The mansion had always been as dark as a tomb.

Rhett walked up the steps and knocked on the front door. A man he didn't recognize answered the door. It had surprised Rhett that Pork had not answered the door, yet he had carried on. he said, "I'm here to see Mrs. Butler."

"There is nobody who lives here by that name."

"Is there anyone who lives here named Scarlett?"

"No, Sir."

"How long have the current owners lived here?"

"Since September."

Rhett knew their divorce was finalized in July. Scarlett had probably sold everything she owned in Atlanta after that. She had probably moved back to Tara to escape the prying eyes of the matrons. Rhett said, "Thank you. Good day."

As Rhett walked down the street, he thought about riding down to Tara. No, he would go to The Painted Lady. Belle would know where she was. Rhett walked to the National and got a suite. Probably a waste of money but he liked having two rooms and he did have plenty of money even after he had written the settlement check for Scarlett. After putting his bag in his room, he walked to Belle's.

When Belle saw him walk in, she smiled at him. She smiled because she had been a paid actress for many years now. Ever since she had made her husband believe he was the greatest lover of all time. Her customers had not been any harder to fool than her husband had been, not even Rhett Butler. She knew Rhett didn't think of her as anything more than an illiterate, stupid whore. She didn't care what he thought of her. She thought he was a complete idiot for destroying his relationship with the woman he desperately loved because of his insane jealousy and pride. In Belle's opinion, he had done the wrong thing every time. She had always been supportive of his position, because that was the role he had wanted her to play. She would continue to play that role. It had always been financially beneficial to her. Not that listening to him go on and on about Scarlett hadn't been annoying most of the time.

Belle was annoyed at the man for putting his half of The Painted Lady on the market without giving her a chance to buy it first. Luckily, she had heard about it before it sold, and she was able to buy his half of her business before anyone else. On top of that he had left town without saying a word to her but that was typical Rhett Butler. He only cared about himself. He had always been a selfish, self-centered ass.

Belle said, "Where have you been?"

"Charleston, Europe, New York"

"Just the little traveler."

"Yes. I spent about six months with my family in Charleston. I was healing from the loss of Bonnie. It was good to be in a loving environment until I was ready to deal with the world again. My mother and sister were extremely helpful."

"Are you living in Atlanta again?"

"No, I came for a visit. I wanted to see Wade and Ella."

Belle's face acquired a puzzled expression. She said, "They don't live here anymore."

"Do you know where they are living?"

Just then Belle knew that Rhett had no idea where Scarlett and her children were. She like everyone else knew the Butlers were divorced. Although not very professional Henry Hamilton had made sure everyone knew that Scarlett had finally broken ties with Rhett Butler. Although too little too late the matrons of Atlanta had finally once again seen the real Rhett Butler. Belle said, "I have no idea. Scarlett and her children left town almost a year ago. I know she and the children came for a visit last August. They stayed with Miss Hamilton. Nobody has heard anything from her since. I know she isn't living at her family plantation. That Cracker that is her brother-in-law won't say much but what he does say is that Scarlett isn't living at Tara."

"I know she sold the mansion."

"Yeah. The Garretts spent the entire month of August cleaning out the mansion. It seems Scarlett just walked away from it."

"Kyle Garett?"

"Yes, do you know him."

"Yeah, we were in some business deals together. His wife was a frequent visitor at the mansion. I noticed he took the porches off. I like it better."

"I do too."

Belle actually didn't like it better, but she always agreed with Rhett. No matter how harebrained his thinking was and most of the time it had been extremely harebrained. He was her benefactor after all.

Rhett asked, "What happened to her store?"

"I heard she gave it to Mr. Elsing."

"That is hard for me to believe. Scarlett never does anything out of the kindness of her heart. She has no kindness in her heart."

Belle didn't tell Rhett of all the kind things Scarlett had done since Miss Melly's death before she had left town in April of last year. He wanted to believe the worst of Scarlett. He always had, which Belle could not understand. He claimed to love her but how can one love someone when they think so badly of her. The entire time Belle knew that Rhett had been infatuated with Mrs. Butler, he had never given her the benefit of the doubt.

Belle said, "I'm just telling you what I heard."

"I am sure it isn't true. How is Mr. Wilkes?"

"Good. I guess. He is making enough of a profit to stay in business and support his family."

"I guess that is good for his loved ones."

"Yes, it is. Another whiskey?"

"Sure."

Rhett swallowed down his whiskey and Belle refilled it. He then walked to one of the poker tables. He sat down and won some money which was amazing because the man was intoxicated. Not that anyone would notice. Rhett could hide his inebriated state amazingly well.

Belle thought, 'Rhett proves that adage – Unlucky at love; lucky at cards.'

At the end of the night Rhett considered going upstairs but lately his member hadn't been rising to the occasion, therefore he had decided to save his money and walk back to the hotel. Rhett refused to acknowledge to himself that his member had not worked since before Bonnie's death. Deep in his mind he knew his member hadn't worked since he had forced himself on Scarlett. He often wondered if it had even worked that night. It must have worked at least once. After all he had gotten her with child.

By the next day, Rhett was on the train back to New York. He was telling himself, 'I don't care where Scarlett is. I was just concerned about the children. To hell with Scarlett. She isn't the only fish in the sea. I will find someone new in New York. Someone better. Someone smart, well-read, and sophisticated.

For the next two years Rhett had tried to make that statement come true. He had called on a lot of women. At first, he had only called on women who were blue eyed blondes. He would not call on anyone with green eyes. That was not that hard. Green was the rarest eye color with only two percent of the population having that honor. Then he moved on to calling on women with brown hair but not black. Eventually he started calling on women with green eyes and black hair. In the end they were the only women he would call on. None of these relationships were of any importance to Rhett.

After three years, Rhett gave into his desires. It was right after the first companion had left. He hired the Pickerton Agency to track Scarlett down. They had quickly found her. She had been living in Boston. He could hardly believe that his Scarlett was living in the North. He supposed she couldn't live in the South anymore after he had divorced her. Add that to his list of mistakes.

The Pickerton Agency had told him that she had remarried. She had married a Patrick Green. They had also told him that Mr. Green was thirty-five, which Rhett knew was much closer to Scarlett's age.

Rhett wondered, 'Did that matter?' He was quite sure it did.