Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Forty-Six

Suellen had gone to see a lawyer about her situation. She had not told him the truth. In her recounting the story she was the one that had been left. She found out that without any contact she could divorce her husband for abandonment. It would probably take six months to a year. She would have to swear there hadn't been any contact. She was sure that Scarlett would divorce Frank, and probably pay for Will to divorce her. She just wished she could foil Scarlett's plans, but she had to be incredibly careful. She didn't want anyone to find her. She didn't want Will to make her return to Tara and that awful life.

That night as Suellen was sleeping her demon, Matilda, visited her. Matilda's friend Peggy had asked her to plant some thoughts in Suellen's head. Peggy could have done it, but if Matilda did it the message would get through a lot clearer. Matilda's route into Suellen's brain was Suellen's hatred of Scarlett. Matilda per Peggy's instructions told Suellen to send Scarlett a telegram from Frank. Frank would be asking to come back home.

When Suellen woke up, Matilda's message sprang into her head. The perfect part was that she knew her sister believed in God. Scarlett would not be able to swear on a bible she had not heard from Frank.

Suellen laughed when she realized she could keep the hoax going for several years.

Suellen was so excited about her plan that she decided to implement it that very day. She left Edgar in charge of the store. She took the train into Houston. Houston was fifty miles away. She was sure her trail would be covered. It would take all day, but the effort would be worth it to keep Scarlett tied to a dead man.

Rhett had told Scarlett he liked going on a buggy ride with her while the weather was so nice. With Big Sam with them they were sort of chaperoned, therefore Rhett accompanied Scarlett to the sawmill every time she went out there. She knew he was going not just because he enjoyed her company, but also to protect her. She went out to the mills three times a week.

Scarlett went home for dinner every day. She asked Rhett to join her for the meal when they were going out to the sawmills. That way they could just leave from Hamilton House. When she got home that day, the telegram was in the foyer. She had just finished reading the telegram when there was a knock on the door.

Scarlett got to the door before Uncle Peter. She opened the door to Rhett and handed him the telegram. It was plain for him to see that she was upset. After he had read the telegram, he said, "Nobody knows he wants to come back except you. Just don't tell anyone."

"If I have to swear on a bible, I couldn't lie and say I haven't heard from him."

Rhett wanted to tell her to forget all that mythical garbage, but considering he had an angel looking over his shoulder, he guessed it wasn't a bunch of hooey. He read the telegram. It said: Missing you STOP Big mistake STOP Can I come home STOP.

After reading the telegram again, Rhett said, "Something is wrong here."

Scarlett turned her distressed face up to Rhett and said, "What do you mean?"

"First, he is asking if he can come home, but he doesn't give you a way to get in touch with him. Second, it is too close to the deadline. If he was returning, why not just return? Why give you time to think about it or run away? This is a hoax. Probably perpetrated by Frank and Suellen somehow."

Scarlett excitedly said, "Do you really think so?"

"Yes, I do."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"What are we going to do?"

"I am going to Houston."

Scarlett was completely confused by Rhett's statement. She started to get mad that he was going to run off to Houston when she needed him so much. So much for trusting him. She scornfully said, "Really? You have to go to Houston now, when I…."

Rhett smiled. He certainly loved all Scarlett's passion, but he knew he was going to have to deal with that passion in not so pleasant ways the rest of his life also. She certainly was quick to anger. He interrupted her to say, "See this writing at the top of the paper."

Scarlett looked at the paper. There were the letters HSTN TX 5.

Dubiously Scarlett said, "Yes."

"I'm guessing the first word is Houston and the second word Texas."

A no longer angry, but now confused Scarlett said, "Why is that there?"

"It is to identify who the sender is in case there is a question about the contents of the telegram. The operator knows who to question."

Randomly Scarlett said, "Patrick was a telegraph operator."

Rhett ignored her statement. He said, "I have often had questions on telegraphs I have received. I am sure they didn't know that when they tried to cause trouble for you."

"This is Suellen's idea. Frank isn't that smart or that brave."

Rhett smiled at Scarlett's statement, he said, "I am going to Houston. I am going to find Frank and ask him what is going on."

Rhett was a skeptical man and with Clarence's warning he knew this was Scarlett's demon's handiwork.

Scarlett put her arms around Rhett's waist. She whispered, "Don't come back until he is dead."

Rhett smiled. He said, "Let me go to the train station. I need to find out when the next train heading west is leaving. I won't leave without letting you know I am leaving."

"Thank you."

"Go on out to your mills and check on them. There is nothing more you can do here."

"Yes, of course."

As Rhett rode his horse to the train station, he said, "Is this Peggy's handiwork?"

Clarence replied, "I believe so."

"How are you not sure?"

"I do not know what demons have done except what Marvin has done to you. That is because I am assigned to help you. And through the grapevine, of course."

Rhett smiled and thought, 'I guess there are gossips all over the universe.'

After Rhett found out that the next train heading to Houston was leaving in two hours, he knew he didn't have time to tell Scarlett in person when he was leaving. She was out at her mills, and it would take him at least thirty minutes to get out there. He still had to get some money from the bank, pack and check out of the hotel. On his way to the hotel, he bought a bouquet of flowers from a street vendor. He only had a small piece of paper that was actually a receipt on his person. On the back of the receipt, he wrote: I have to go now. Will tell you everything later. XOX Rhett.

Rhett gave the flowers and the note to a runner. He hurried to the hotel. He ordered a box meal for the train. He packed his trunk and carpetbag. He checked out of the hotel. He picked up his meal. He stopped at the bank and got some cash. He wasn't able to get a private car because of the short notice, but he was able to be on the train before it pulled out of the Atlanta train station. That was what was important.

Clarence materialized and said, "This is certainly the start of a grand gesture."

"Hopefully it will end up that way."

At the first train stop, Rhett sent a telegram to his associate that he was supposed to meet that night. They were going to agree on their plan for a business venture. His telegram said: Cannot meet you STOP I will trust your decisions STOP. Rhett knew they had to move fast on the deal, so he went ahead and approved the plan sight unseen. It wasn't that much of a gamble, Larry Ellison, was a very shrewd man. Rhett also knew it had paid off big in the last timeline.

Scarlett read Rhett's note. It was more special than the flowers. It was Rhett opening himself up to her. It was Rhett considering another person's feelings. She knew he would always be a guarded man. She guessed her destiny had been linked with his from the minute they saw each other at Twelve Oaks.

Scarlett thought about Patrick. She missed him. What they had was warm, comfortable, and safe. He had been her friend. She knew now that was all he had been a friend in her hour of need. She had loved him and had been grateful to him for keeping her safe and rescuing her from a life of loneliness. She admitted to herself that the longer they were married the more boring she found the man. She had wanted to open another business, but he had been appalled and insulted at the idea. It was one of the few times she had not gotten her way with Patrick. The other time she had not gotten her way with Patrick was when he had wanted to give Tricia the middle name Alice. She had finally given in because she could tell it was something he really wanted. It was after she agreed to the name that she realized her daughter's name was Patricia Alice Green. To Scarlett it had too creepy of a correlation to Patrick and Alice. That was why Scarlett always called her daughter Tricia and never used her full name.

Scarlett could admit to herself that Patrick was the anti-Rhett. He had been everything Rhett hadn't been. He had been who she had needed right then to allow her to heal from her life after the war. Yes, she had loved him, and she would have been contented with him for the rest of her life if he had lived that long. A thought occurred to her. She had always held Careen in such scorn for being willing to shut herself away behind convent walls. Scarlett now truly understood. She had shut herself away behind the walls of a safe and comfortable marriage because she had not been able to face a world without Rhett alone. Just as Careen had not been able to face a world without Brent. Scarlett decided that Careem thought the other nuns would provide her comfort and sympathy. Careen knew she wasn't going to get any comfort or sympathy from either of her sisters.

Scarlett thought about Melanie and Tricia. She had loved them, and she missed them, but she would not choose that imitation of life which Patrick could give her compared to an exciting life with Rhett. Yes, life with Rhett would always be difficult, but he was her destiny. Furthermore, if she chose Rhett, she would get Bonnie and the other baby back. She guessed. She hoped. She didn't know how this all worked. Would she and Rhett have to get married by April tenth for them to conceive Bonnie? Scarlett smiled. They both certainly knew what night they had conceived their son.

Scarlett thought about Patrick telling her that Alice was his true love. Had she been a substitute for Alice? Probably. He probably didn't want to grow old alone. Not to mention the fact that she was an exciting woman. She had something special, and Patrick had enjoyed that. Before the war started Patrick would not have stood a chance with her, but when they had met, he had been perfect for her. He had been safe. Safe and boring, but she would always be grateful to him for he was exactly what she had needed at that moment.

An idea passed through Scarlett's head. Could she save Patrick's son from dying? If Noah didn't die would that mean that Alice wouldn't die? Could she save Patrick from being hit by lightning? She would work on saving Noah first. The rest were dominos. When had Noah died? When he was three. He had run out in front of a trolley. What day was it? September fifteenth. What year? She couldn't remember. She had to remember. God's nightgown! There was no one to ask. She would just have to remember.