Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Thirteen

Scarlett walked to the top of the steps and stood there regally in her threadbare cloak.

Scarlett said, "Good morning, Mr. Wilkerson, Emmey. What brings you out to Tara?"

Jonas said, "I hear you have had some problems with your taxes."

"Of course, you heard about our tax problems since you caused them."

That made Jonas pause. He had not thought the residents of Tara would have figured that out so quickly. He wondered who told Miss High and Mighty over there. She certainly wouldn't have figured it out by herself. Probably Mr. Wilkes. Jonas said, "Emmey said she had always wanted to live on a fine plantation."

"I imagine she would. Although the beauty of Tara would be lost on her." By this time, the Wilkersons were about to take a step on to the stairs. Scarlett continued, "Most all ceilings look the same and that is all Emmey will ever see. She will be flat on her back looking up at the ceiling for the rest of her life."

It took a minute for Scarlett's meaning to sink in. Then Emmey blushed and Jonas' expression turned angry. Scarlett leaned forward and said, "If you get tired of giving it away, I know a madame who would give you a job."

With those words, Emmey broke away from Jonas and ran back to the buggy. Jonas said, "How dare you speak to my wife that way."

"Wife?! You married her?! I guess that is only right since you have been plowing her for years. Emmey, who delivered your last bastard since you killed my mother after she from the kindness of her heart went and nursed you."

"I didn't kill her."

"You almost killed my sisters also, but they thwarted your plans and survived."

"Listen here, Miss High and Mighty…"

"Miss High and Mighty – I like that. Speak!" When Jonas didn't speak, Scarlett said, "Speak! You came all the way out here for a reason. What is it?"

"I was going to make you a decent offer for this plantation but forget that. I will just buy it at the sheriff's auction."

Scarlett called Jonas by his first name which was a sure sign of disrespect. She said, "Jonas, you may buy Tara at the sheriff's auction, but you and your slut will never be anything but white trash. Be forewarned I will burn every building to the ground before I let a bastard like you and a trollop like Emmey enter this house."

"Your father isn't anything more than a mick that got lucky."

"Several times as a matter of fact. He won a plantation in a poker game, he married a Robillard, and he was accepted by the gentry in Clayton County. You will never be accepted by the gentry in Clayton County or anywhere else. I have never asked, why did you move to the South? Did you abandon a wife and children back in the North? If you did that would make your marriage to the harlot null and void. How rude of me. She isn't a harlot since she doesn't take money for giving someone access to her nether regions. Or does she?"

"You are nothing, but a God damn viper."

"Why thank you, Jonas, now go before I decide to fill you and your strumpet with lead."

"You wouldn't do that. The Yankees would arrest you."

"You are trespassing on my property. Besides, it doesn't matter what the Yankees would or wouldn't do, you wouldn't be here." Scarlett paused for a long moment then said, "You would be dead, pushing up daisies, worm food, gone to meet your maker, bought the farm - that one is actually funny considering you want to buy Tara, and my all-time favorite … breathless."

By this time Jonas was running back to the buggy. Scarlett had kept speaking louder and louder to make sure both Jonas and Emmey could hear her.

Scarlett laughed as she watched the buggy sway back and forth because it was going so fast down the lane. When she saw a buggy wheel get caught in a rut and the buggy almost turn over, she laughed even harder. After she could no longer see the buggy anymore, she walked into the house.

Mammy came up to Scarlett and said, "Miss Scarlett, you are a lady….."

"Don't scold me Mammy. That was too much fun to feel bad about. Besides, we have to make me a new dress."

"With what?"

"The drapes in the front parlor."

"I ain't letting you tear down Miss Ellen's drapes."

"They are my drapes now."

"No, I won't let you touch them."

"Mammy, I need three hundred dollars to pay the taxes. I am going into Atlanta to find someone to borrow the money from. I need to look like I am a promising investment. There are two things you can do. Hurt me or help me. Before you decide what you are going to do, remember if I don't save Tara, you, and everyone else in this house will be out on the street. Furthermore, we have no guarantees that the graves in the graveyard will go undisturbed. I need your help, Mammy."

"You take the drapes down while I go up to the attic and get our pattern box."

"Thank you, Mammy."

Scarlett and Mammy made the curtains into a beautiful new dress. She, Mammy, and Wade boarded the train to Atlanta a day later. She was not leaving her son behind. He would not interfere with her plans to get Frank to the altar. She had waited the extra day because she was in no hurry to get into Atlanta. She was not going to ask Rhett for a loan after all she knew he couldn't give her the money even if he wanted to.

While Scarlett was on the train she thought about her plan. She would marry Frank, borrow the money from Rhett to run her sawmill, get her Ella back, be a good wife to Frank, be a proper lady except for owning and running a sawmill, and not let Frank go on that clan raid, and wait until seventy-four so she could go to Boston and meet Patrick. As she thought about it, Frank getting killed while on a clan raid was alright as long as it wasn't in any way her fault.

The most important part of her plan was that she would not socialize with Rhett Butler. Her association with Rhett had done more damage to her reputation than anything else. The matrons could get their minds around her behaving mannishly to support her family, but they would never understand or accept her freely associating with a reprobate like Rhett Butler.

Scarlett planned to hire Big Sam to drive her around. Now she knew he was at Shantytown. She would make Frank go with her to find him.

No matter what Scarlett would not marry Rhett. She would like to get Bonnie and the other baby back, but she couldn't go through that hell again. Hers and Rhett's love was a toxic love. They would never make each other happy.

Scarlett paused for a moment and wondered if Rhett knew she didn't love Ashley would he not be so cruel and mean. She understood that a lot of his actions were prompted by his frustration and jealousy that she loved Ashley instead of him. It didn't matter. She just knew that Rhett would be angry and frustrated simply because she didn't love him. No, she had to stay far away from him.

Scarlett made herself feel better by telling herself that she could either have Bonnie and the baby or Melanie and Tricia. She couldn't have both. Therefore, she had to choose which husband would make her a better husband. Patrick would, of course. Although her life would financially be much harder, money wasn't everything.

Scarlett laughed out loud at that thought. At this moment during her last timeline money had been everything. She probably would have chosen money over even Ashley if she had to choose. No, she hadn't. She had continued to make excuses for Ashley and forgive him when he was barely covering costs. She had been such a fool.

As Scarlett looked out at the countryside, she quickly brushed the tears away. How can thinking of Bonnie and the lost baby still make her so sad after all these years. She pulled Wade on her lap and started telling him about the landscape.

Scarlett went to see Frank at his store the day she arrived in Atlanta. She had told Mammy she needed a few odds and ends from the store, and it would give her a chance to call on Frank.

Frank was happy to see her. Scarlett smiled a sad smile and greeted him. Frank asked, "How is Miss Suellen?"

"Mr. Kennedy, I have come to Atlanta on other business, and I felt it was my duty to tell you what Suellen has done."

"What is it? What has she done?"

Looking at Frank's anxious face, Scarlett almost felt guilty, but she carried on anyway. Scarlett took a deep breath and she said, "She has run off and married Tony Fontaine."

Rhett wanted to know where Scarlett was. In his past life she had come to the Fire House the day before. It was after dinner, and she had still not shown up to ask him for a loan. Why? What had happened to change the events from the first time? The worst part was he could not get any answers until he got out of this jail. His lawyers kept saying any day, but he knew exactly what day he was released. February second. That day was a momentous day twice in his life. It was the day he finally got out of the Fire House, and it was the day his baby had been born. February second was two days too late to help Scarlett pay the taxes on Tara. He could hope he got out soon. Obviously, the events from the first timeline were flexible. That was going to make it a lot harder to fix the things he had done wrong.

Two and a half weeks later Rhett knew that Scarlett was not coming to see him for a loan, and he really wondered why. Who had she asked for a loan? Last time he knew she had gotten the money by marrying Frank Kennedy. Rhett knew the only reason she had come to Atlanta was to see him. After he turned her down to punish her for trying to trick him, he had planned on saving Tara for her after he had let her worry about it for three weeks. As he thought about it in retrospect, he decided that was a cruel thing to do to the woman he loved. It was also a stupid thing to do. She had not known he was punishing her any more than she had known he had punished her time after time during their marriage because he had never bothered to tell her she was being punished for loving Wilkes instead of him. He had known even then that she would never figure out why he was doing what he was doing. No, to her he had just been behaving badly and yes, he could admit it, cruelly.

Rhett should have known even then that Scarlett would find the money somehow someway. Damn it! Where was she?

Rhett was beside himself with worry and frustration. He had even smoked a couple of cigars and had several glasses of whiskey to ease his tension, but it didn't help so he stopped all that.

The private that was manning the entryway came to see Rhett. He said, "There is a Mrs. Watling here to see you. I know you have turned her down before, but she told me to tell you that you are going to want to hear what she has to say."

In the first timeline, Belle had come by to see Rhett several times, but he had always refused to see her even after his encounter with Scarlett. Belle had come by last time about this same time. He knew what she had come to tell him then and now. With cold dread Rhett said, "Send her back."