Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Fourteen

A few minutes later Rhett watched Belle walk through the door. He looked at her and thought, 'How in the hell could I have been stupid enough to be unfaithful to Scarlett with her? How could I have been stupid enough to let everyone know I had done that? I was such a fool. The worst part was that I had not even tried to accommodate Scarlett's wishes. I had just gotten mad, saw red, and committed adultery. With her of all people. What is strange is that the idea just popped into my head. I had been sitting there playing with the children and all of a sudden, I decided to have relations with Belle in order to punish Scarlett.'

Belle said, "Rhett, it is so kind of your majesty to grant me an audience."

"I'm sorry about that Belle. I just wasn't feeling up to seeing or speaking with anyone even beautiful you."

Belle smiled at the compliment, then she said, "I am glad you let me see you for I have news that you are really going to want to know, and I wanted to be the one to tell you,"

Rhett saw the vindictive glint pass through Belle's eyes and knew what she was going to tell him. He would let Belle have her fun then he would run her off. He would have to make up with her for he would need her to provide an alibi for those stupid clan members.

"You seem excited to tell me. It must be good news."

"It is very good news… for some."

"Go ahead. Spit it out."

"Scarlett Hamilton married Frank Kennedy two days ago."

"She married that old man. That is not possible. Why would she marry him? And don't tell me they love each other. Nobody could love Frank Kennedy."

"I don't know. People say she seems happy."

"I don't believe you. No woman could be happy with Frank Kennedy as her husband. When I get out of here, I will have to call on Mrs. Kennedy and get the entire story out of her."

"When do you think that will be?"

"Probably next week."

"Great. I look forward to seeing you back at the poker table. See you, Rhett."

Rhett kept the smile on his face until Belle was out of the room. He was filled with despair. Why had she not come to see him? To ask him for the money. How had she known Frank Kennedy had that kind of money?

As Belle walked out of the Fire House, she had a smile on her face. It had been so much fun to cause Rhett anxiety and unhappiness, especially considering he was stuck inside that jail. When he got out, she would once again play the role of his devoted worshipper, but it had been fun to watch him twist in the wind simply because he was such an insensitive, selfish, self-centered jerk.

Scarlett was happy. Frank had already given her the check to save Tara. Through Frank she would get her Ella back. Her Ella who had been turning into a striking young woman. Ella who was smart and funny. Ella had trouble focusing when she was younger, but she had been so frightened at the time. And why not? Her life had been a living hell? After Scarlett had finally made her feel safe, she had blossomed. Scarlett knew that she had made the child so frightened that the girl couldn't think. She and Rhett had made hers and Wade's like living in a war zone. And probably Bonnie's too. She had done her best to give Wade and Ella the peace and security she had so desperately craved. She was sure now that they had craved it also.

After Rhett had left and Mammy was at Tara Scarlett had made herself spend time with her children in the nursery. Everywhere she looked there were reminders of her baby. After Rhett had filed for divorce, she had Uncle Henry ask his attorney if Rhett wanted anything that had once belonged to Bonnie or anything else from the mansion. Rhett had replied he had already taken everything that belonged to Bonnie that he had ever wanted. He wanted nothing more from that hell hole. With great sadness Scarlett had removed any trace of Bonnie from the house. She had boxed everything up and put it in storage. She hadn't wanted to give anything away just yet, but she couldn't bear to see it every day either. She was going to spend time with her living children. Two people who loved her and wanted to be with her. Scarlett had certainly needed that affirmation. Her conceit at the time had just been one massive bruise.

With Scarlett spending time in the nursery and not yelling at them Wade and Ella had finally become normal children around her. It had been slow going at first for all three of them. Scarlett had to train herself not to yell and scream at her children and her children had to learn to trust that she was going to remain their happy mother. As the years had gone by, they had gotten closer and closer. She had made them feel safe. The move to Boston had made all of them feel safer. Her marriage to Patrick had made them all feel that disaster was not around the corner waiting for them.

Scarlett laid in her bed listening to Frank snore and she wondered if she would start having nightmares again. Probably not. She hadn't had one since the night Melly died, Ashley had shown his true colors and Rhett left her. She guessed she was no longer afraid. After all, that night she had lost it all and she was still standing.

Pretty soon Scarlett was going to kick Frank out of her room. Between the smells he emitted and the snoring she couldn't take it anymore. She paused in her thinking and asked herself, 'Why did you tolerate Frank so much? Because I was trying to be a good wife. Not anymore.'

On February second Scarlett was at the store going over the books. She was trying not to think about her lost daughter, but it was hard because it was her birthday. That wonderful joyous day that Bonnie had been born but Scarlett in her shallowness had been more concerned about getting her figure back, returning to taking care of her businesses, and seeing Ashley.

Although looking at the books for the store were certainly a distraction. They were in horrible shape. Half the gentry owed Frank money. What amazed Scarlett the most was that Frank had made so much profit while still giving people credit. This time she was not going to hound people for money. This time if her aunts wanted her charity they could move to Tara. She would even pay for their train tickets. She was no longer going to support their Charleston lifestyle especially considering that her aunts looked down upon her and were very judgmental of the way she made her money.

It was the day that Rhett had gotten out of the Fire House. She knew he would come to call on her. She hoped she could get him to loan her five hundred dollars again.

Rhett remembered in the first timeline he had gotten out of the Fire House, and he had gone to the National Hotel. He had taken a bath and put on clean clothes. He had also worn that top hat because he had thought he looked very dapper in it. He had since decided that he looked ridiculous in it. He had been planning on asking Scarlett to marry him. He had gone by the bank to get three hundred dollars to loan Scarlett so she could pay the taxes on Tara. At the time he had gotten an extra two hundred in order to be able to invest in a business deal if it came his way.

Scarlett had not needed the money to pay the taxes, but she had needed money to buy the sawmill. Rhett loaning her the money was the way he had managed to stay in her life. After his behavior at the Fire House and Rough and Ready, she would have gladly cut him dead. Rhett still wondered why she had not come to the Fire House to ask him for a loan. Maybe he would find out when he talked to her.

Rhett would give her the money this time if Scarlett asked him for a loan. Only because she was grateful for the loan, did she allow him to be received at Hamilton House. It amazed him now that he had not appreciated that she was defying the good people of Atlanta by receiving him. He knew that she had continued to receive him because he was fun and entertaining.

As Rhett walked out of the hotel, once again it popped into his head that it was Bonnie's birthday. He shook off those thoughts. He refused to let any thoughts of his child enter his head. He had gotten good at that in the last ten years. He couldn't be thinking of his child when he had to charm his child's mother into having relations with him again. He couldn't conceive his child if her mother wouldn't let him within ten feet of her.

Rhett had to get to the bank then on to Hamilton House. Then to the store which is where he knew she was, but he had to pretend he didn't know where she was. He, of course, was not going to get himself all cleaned up because he was not going to ask her to marry him. He had taken a bath because he stank to high heaven. He had not had a bath the entire time he was in the Fire House. He had put on clean clothes, of course, but he had not put on anything special.

Finally, Rhett arrived at the store. Scarlett did not smile at him, but she did notice that he wasn't all dressed up. She wondered why? It didn't matter. For now, she was going to show her anger at him having abandoned her at Rough and Ready. She knew he didn't feel guilty about it, but maybe she could get him to lend her the money for the sawmill in order to get back in her good graces. She would pretend to let him back into her life but not really.

Scarlett was sitting next to the potbelly stove going over the ledger. She moved the ledger over so she could stand up. She remembered wanting to make a point and not being able to stand up. She said, "How much money did you make after you abandoned me at Rough and Ready?"

Rhett sat down in the chair next to hers, he said, "I didn't make any money. I actually went and fought in the Confederate army."

"You expect me to believe that. You are the man that never does anything unless there is something in it for him."

"Although I did make lots of money off the war.."

"Including stealing the Confederate gold."

"Stealing is such a harsh word. I did take the money planning on buying supplies and running them through the blockade but by the time I got to England it was already too late. Therefore, I put the money in my savings account for safe keeping."

"I'll bet. It doesn't matter. I have no desire to talk with you. I could have been killed when you left me in that war zone."

"I had faith that you would make it to Tara."

"What kind of man abandons a young girl, a sick woman, an idiot, and two small children in the middle of a war zone."

"You got to Tara that is all that mattered."

"No thanks to you and your lack of manliness.

"I have plenty of manliness. I did go fight in a war."

"A war that was already lost. Go away. I have no desire to talk to you. I have more important things to worry about than spending my time talking to an effeminate man. A man... no, not a man - a person that would abandon helpless people in the middle of a war zone."

"You got to Tara. That is all that matters."

Even to Rhett it sounded flimsy and pathetic and if he was honest effeminate.