Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Protos Heis For most of the novel Scarlett hated Melanie because she was Ashley's wife. At the end of the novel, while Melly is dying Scarlett realizes that she loves Melly and Melly is her best friend. Who knows how Scarlett feels about Melanie basically ten years later.

TLWtlw Rhett lied about not knowing how he and Scarlett were returned in time.

Chapter Fifty-Two

As Scarlett watched Rhett walk away, she wondered why he had lied to her. She had not called him on it because she had made a leap of logic that he had done something to bring this about and truly had no proof. Yet she knew what she knew. She knew that if she was going to live happily with Rhett, she would have to let him have his secrets. Maybe someday he would let her know. She wasn't going to lose sleep over it. Now, she was incredibly happy he had done whatever he had done.

On Friday, Scarlett went to the store in the morning. She was proud of having brought the store back from the brink of disaster. She would freely admit that she wouldn't have been able to do it without Rhett's loan, but it took a lot of determination on her part to succeed. The truth of the matter was that Frank was barely making a success of the store. She had often wondered how Frank could have amassed as much money as he had in one short year. She knew she would never know for sure, but she believed that Frank had been cooking the books.

Scarlett went home for dinner and Rhett joined her. After dinner Rhett, Big Sam, and her went out to the sawmills. They were meeting James Marshall out there. Rhett had arranged the meeting. At the same time, they were leaving to go to the sawmills, PittyPat went down to the train station to pick up the Wilkeses.

Rhett had found out that Mr. Marshall was interested in buying at least one sawmill, but two would be better. Rhett had met him over the poker table.

As Rhett, Scarlett, and Big Sam were driving through Shantytown. She said, "Right around this bend is where it happened."

"How can you remember that? It has been so long ago."

"It was a very traumatic moment for me not to mention all the repercussions that arose from that afternoon."

"True."

When the trio got to the sawmill, they saw there was another buggy there already. As Rhett helped her down, he said, "This is your deal. I will not say anything unless you want my help."

"Thank you, Rhett."

Thirty minutes later, Scarlett and James had come to an agreement. She said, "I will get my attorney to get the paperwork drawn up. As soon as it is ready, I will let you know. Where are you staying?"

"My wife and I have a house on Foxtrot. 2413 Foxtrot."

"I will send a note around. My attorney is Joseph Powe. His office is at 353 5th Street."

"Very good, Mrs. Butler."

Scarlett smiled at Rhett and said, "Today it is Mrs. Kennedy, but by Wednesday of next week it will be Mrs. Butler. I hope to get this sale concluded before we go on our honeymoon."

James smiled and said, "I hope so too."

Soon Scarlett, Rhett, and Big Sam were heading back to Atlanta. As they approached the place where Scarlett was attacked, Rhett said, "It is a perfect spot. You can't see what is ahead of you."

"True. Hopefully, we won't have to come out here again."

"Hopefully."

"Big Sam, take us back to the house. Let's get the meeting with you and Ashley over with."

"All right, but it will probably be very anticlimactic without the underlying jealousy."

Scarlett laughed.

Contrary to Rhett's belief the meeting between Rhett and Ashley was not anticlimactic in the least. It seemed that in spite of all Scarlett's declarations that she no longer cared about Ashley; Rhett was not one hundred percent convinced. Scarlett knew in the previous timeline; Rhett would never have truly believed she no longer loved Ashley, especially with her having to take care of him. Thus, the rude, mocking comments would have continued.

After Melly introduced the two men and they shook hands, Scarlett could tell that Ashley was annoyed that Rhett was in the room.

Scarlett sat next to Rhett the entire time with her arm linked in his. She could feel the tension leaving Rhett's body the longer they sat there. She was unaware of how much her tension was increasing. Everything Melly and Ashley had cost her was flashing through her head, not the least being a happy relationship with Rhett. Then there was India, still giving her hateful looks after all these years.

When there was a pause in Ashley's long monologue about how wonderful New York was, Scarlett said while looking at India, "What year did Stuart stop calling on you and start calling on me? It was the summer of sixty, wasn't it?"

"It was. I got sick that summer and could not receive guest thus giving you an opportunity to steal him away."

"As I have often said one can't steal a willing heart. It was so long ago. This summer it will be eight years. Let it go, India."

"I will never forgive you."

"I don't want your forgiveness. I want you to stop giving me the stink eye. Stuart calling on me instead of you is no longer relevant. He is dead. If he had loved you, I couldn't have stolen him away. Now take your hateful looks and go away."

Melly said, "Scarlett!"

"Melly, I am glad you and Ashley are in Atlanta. Rhett and I are going to get married next Wednesday. We are going to have a celebratory dinner here at Hamilton House. You two will have to attend the dinner."

Melly said, "Are you two going to be living here?"

"No, we will be living at the National after we return from our honeymoon."

"I will be happy to watch your children for you while you are gone."

"No, thank you. Mammy will be watching them with Prissy, Careen, and Will's help."

"Oh. That is disappointing. Careen? I thought you had said she went into a convent."

Scarlett realized she had never written Melly about Careen. She knew why. She didn't want to have to explain why her sister no longer wanted to be a nun. Scarlett said, "She found out that being a nun was not for her."

"Oh, what is she doing now."

"Running Tara with Will's help."

"Will is still at Tara?"

"And why not it is his home. We would be lost without Will."

"Will and Careen are ….."

"No, my aunts are living there also."

"As long as they are properly chaperoned."

"Yes, that is what is important that they be properly chaperoned."

Nobody else could tell if Scarlett was being sarcastic except Rhett. He knew she was. There was a long silence.

Ashley said, "What about Mr. Kennedy?"

"What about Frank?"

"Aren't you still married to him. Don't tell me that you did an improper thing and got a divorce."

Flippantly Scarlett said, "No, He's dead. We just found out last week. Someone sent us a telegram trying to extort money out of us. My amazing Rhett tracked the man down to Houston and found the man. He turned the man over to the police. While he was there, he started asking questions trying to locate Frank or Suellen. He found out that they were both dead. They had died in a yellow fever epidemic last summer. Frank and Suellen have been dead that long and nobody knew anything about it. It is so sad."

Melanie said after looking at PittyPat, "Dear, it isn't proper for you to be getting married this quickly after you just found out that Mr. Kennedy has passed away."

Scarlett turned to Rhett and said, "There is that word again. Proper." She turned back to Melly and said, "Proper or not we are getting married on April tenth."

"Dear…"

Ashley gave Rhett a nasty look, then he said, "Scarlett, he is the famous Rhett Butler."

"Yes, he is."

"He stole…."

"Don't bore me by repeating the stories of Rhett and the Confederate gold. The gold that was probably stolen by one of the Confederate politicians."

It was plain that had offended Ashley, Melanie, and PittyPat. He said sternly, "You shouldn't do this. It isn't proper. Not just because of Mr. Kennedy's death, but because Mr. Butler is not received."

Rhett said, "You need not worry about that. Scarlett and I will move to Boston within the next year. We still have some matters to tie up here, but then we will hopefully escape the narrow-minded hypocrisy of the South."

PittyPat looked desperately at Melanie then back at Scarlett. She cried, "You cannot take Wade away to live in Boston. He is the last male Hamilton."

Scarlett said, "He is the last Hamilton period, but more importantly he is my son. He will go where I go. I will make all the decisions concerning his life."

Melanie said, "Dear, you have to do what is best for Wade."

This was just too much for Scarlett. The resentment and anger that she had felt because she was always being condemned for her actions despite the reasons she was behaving that way, was about to burst loose. For these people, who had been parasites to her most of her life, to condemn her was just too much. She snapped out, "Like you thought about what was best for Beau when, despite every doctor telling you that having another child would kill you, you got yourself with child because of your insane desire to have another child. Even though, you can't afford the one you have on Ashley's salary. Then you had the gall to ask me to take care of that man-child on your death bed when all I could do was grant your last request." Scarlett turned to Ashley and said, "Do you not have a backbone at all? You got your wife with child full well knowing it would kill her?"

Melanie stood up and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about, but for your information Ashley is supporting Beau and me just fine. I would never get myself with child, it could kill me."

Scarlett realized she had said far too much. So, she remained quiet. Rhett could not think of anything to say to mitigate Scarlett's words. Not that he really wanted to. In truth, he wanted the Wilkeses, all of them, out of Scarlett's life.

Ashley said, "I would never do something like that." His face was red with anger or was it embarrassment? Knowing Ashley, it was more likely embarrassment. He said, "I can support my family just fine, Scarlett. No thanks to you. You would rather give Hugh Elsing or Johnny Galagher a job than help your own family."

"At least they can get the job done. You wouldn't be able to sell ice at the equator." Scarlett had stood up to make her point. She didn't know where the equator was, but she remembered it was one of the insults Rhett had thrown out about Ashley. She had a lot of pent-up hostility at Ashley and Melanie Wilkes that she had been unaware that she was carrying around with her until that very moment when they had dared to criticize her. After she had carried them for so long and ruined her reputation doing it.

Scarlett would freely admit that she was responsible for most of the sorrow in her earlier life, but Ashley could have saved her from so much heartache if he hadn't been so cowardly and selfish. Melanie too. If she had not ignored all the signs that her husband and her sister-in-law were having a non-physical affair. Then worst of all Melanie had saddled her with that incompetent child over there after everything she had done for her upon Melly's death.

Melanie stood up and said, "Aunt PittyPat, are Ashley and I staying in my old room? I assume Beau will stay in the nursery. Scarlett, I let my nursemaid go before we returned from New York. Can I use yours until I can hire one?"

Before Scarlett could speak, Rhett stood up and took her hand, he said, "That will not be possible, Miss Melly. I am so tired of everyone telling us what is proper and what isn't proper. Scarlett and I will be married this afternoon at the courthouse."

"Yes, Rhett. I will leave Prissy here to pack up our bags. Let me get Wade and Ella."

Melly quietly said, "You can't take Wade away without me getting to see him."

"If you want to see him, then you better hurry up those stairs because in about ten minutes my children and I will be leaving this house. Ashley, I hope you plan to pay me back the money I loaned you now that you have returned to Atlanta. Aunt PittyPat, Rhett will be back in about an hour to pick up Prissy and my trunk. Please, let Uncle Peter know. Good day. Come along, Rhett."

"Yes, Dear."

As Rhett walked along, he couldn't be happier. Scarlett had just burned her bridges with the last of the Atlanta gentry who would receive her.