Dear readers, good evening everyone!

I want to thank you all for your comments and feedback! It is very pleasant and valuable for me. Thank you for warmly welcoming this story, we will try to help our heroes find their way to each other:)

I'm posting the second chapter, it's a bit shorter, but I wanted to tell separately about Rhett's feelings and reactions.

Enjoy reading!:)

I own nothing in regard to GWTW.

Chapter 2.

Rhett sat at Belle's bar at a table in the corner and stared at the glass of golden liquid, or rather through it. His gaze was absent; he was far away from this place. He relived that conversation in the study over and over again and shook his head slightly in despair and helplessness. If he could turn back time, he would never have said all those awful words.

His glass was barely touched. He barely took a sip of whiskey, he needed a clear head to figure out how to act further.

He smelled the intrusive, sweet perfume before he could feel the woman's hands on his shoulders. A moment later, he heard her whisper, "Rhett, Honey, you're back."

He closed his eyes for a second in desperate. He longed to hear those words from another woman.

Sighing heavily, he smiled faintly, then gently removed her hands from his shoulders and said, "Not tonight, Belle. Don't touch me."

Belle flinched at his words, but decided not to back down, walked around him, sat down at the table across from him and looked into his black eyes only to ask, "What's wrong, Rhett?"

He looked at Belle, this no longer young but attractive woman, bright red hair, brown eyes. Always smartly dressed. Today she wore a green dress, which reminded him of her again. Scarlett was wearing green today, too.

He remembered the simple home dress on his wife, she was not wearing a corset, so she wasn't going out on business. He suddenly heard her words, spoken in a soft voice, "I'm expecting a baby..." and he remembered how he'd glanced at her figure, how he'd noticed the barely perceptible belly. No one would have noticed, she had always been thin, but he, who knew every curve of her figure, had already noticed the change.

"Rhett...Rhett..." he heard his name and looked questioningly at Belle.

"What's wrong with you, Rhett? It's like you're not here, not with me," the woman spoke with a concerned look.

Rhett sighed heavily, put his glass on the table and said, "Yes, Belle, I'm sorry, I'm not a good conversationalist today," and then suddenly said quietly, "Scarlett's pregnant."

Belle looked at him with a mixture of surprise and shock and only asked, "From you?"

Rhett glared angrily at her with his eyes and replied quietly but fiercely, "Yes! Yes, by me! It's my baby!"

Belle recoiled slightly, then continued to speak, "Then I congratulate you, Rhett. But, let me ask you, when did you..."

"In April," he replied briefly, not waiting for her to finish her question.

She remembered how he had been sitting in her brothel, in his room for three days, hardly opening the door, just drinking whiskey and not sleeping with anyone. She also knew all the rumours that had been going around town about his wife and Mr Wilkes.

"Rhett," she asked cautiously, "are you sure it's yours?"

Rhett seemed like he was going to jump up and tear the damn place apart. He clenched his hands into fists and repeated, "Belle, I'm telling you with absolute certainty, he's mine! Don't ask me that again!"

Belle looked at him seriously and said, "Then explain what's wrong with you! You've always loved children and wanted them, when she got pregnant the first time I remember you, flying with happiness. What's wrong?"

Rhett looked at Belle with a hard, bitter, guilty look and whispered, "I'm a cad, Belle. The woman I love told me I was going to be a father again, and do you know what I said to her in return?"

Belle looked at him questioningly and expectantly.

And Rhett, not looking at her, but somewhere in the void, briefly recounted the whole conversation. Belle looked at him with pity, and he tried to justify himself, "I missed her so much, but she's so cold, you know? I'm jealous of her like crazy and she doesn't see it. She doesn't see me at all, you know, Belle? She only notices me when I hurt her or humiliate her... And now this baby. She didn't want Bonnie, and now she loves her so much. And now... She said a long time ago that she didn't want any more children, and now..." Rhett covered his eyes with his hand in despair and fell silent.

Belle looked at him once more without judgement, then reached out her hand, ran it affectionately over Rhett's shoulder and said softly but sternly,

"Go home and talk to her, Rhett. You know I don't love her at all, but a woman shouldn't hear those words. And, besides, did it ever occur to you that if she wanted to get rid of the baby, then she would have done it?"

He pondered her words. And a bright hopeful thought flashed through his mind, "She wants that baby! Our baby..."

Hope crept timidly into his heart. Hope for their feelings, hope for their family.

Belle saw the soft gleam in his eyes, saw the almost smile on his lips, and thought sadly why that foolish woman could not see and appreciate the love of such a man.

Rhett stood up, took his white hat from the table, kissed Belle's cheek and quietly said to her, "Thank you, Dear," and then headed for the exit. He needed to get home to his wife. To the wife who was carrying his baby, the wife who seemed to even want it. He figured they'd talk about everything. He would be kind and patient with her, because she was really so young. And because he imagined that if any man spoke that way to his beloved Bonnie or tender Ella when they grew up, he would shoot the cad in moment. And now the cad was him, and Scarlett had no one. He understood she had no one, no older man in the family from the war time. She'd always defended herself. Who'd have thought she'd have to defend herself against him, her own husband.

He walked through the dark streets, the July heat had subsided, he was enjoying the coolness of the night and his thoughts.

"I'll apologize to her, for those words.I don't know what came over me, or how I could have said those things to her... Why we're always at war with her...She's my wife, and we've made a lot of mistakes, but we can fix things. We can try. And she gave me Bonnie. And now she'll give me another baby..." he smile happily at the thought.

He thought he would love to be back in her bed. Those nights, after Bonnie was born, had been lonely, cold. He'd gone to brothels and flaunted it, to hurt her more, to humiliate her, because she'd humiliated him so much by kicking him out of her bed.

But he missed her so much, every night, remembering not only how they made love, but how they talked, how she fell asleep against his shoulder, how he listened to her breathing and fell asleep from that monotonous and soft sound. It seemed like he would give anything to have that back.

But today, he decided that he would even be brave enough to hug her, because he wanted it so badly.

Yes, he had to see his wife. Scarlett.

Rhett walked a little faster and ten minutes later he was already at his house.

He noticed the light in her bedroom window. "So she's still awake, that's great. I'll talk to her now..."

Excited, he wanted to knock on the door, but saw that it was unlocked. When he opened it, he immediately noticed an unfamiliar man's hat on a table in the hallway.

Then passing through the hall, he saw that candles were burning in the parlour and on the stairs. Then he noticed a maid with a basin of water from which steam was rising and another maid with gauze rags.

"Is something the matter?" flashed through his mind, and then he saw Mammy, who was carefully coming down the stairs with Miss Melly and saying something quietly to her.

Seeing him, both women looked at each other and Melanie quickly came down and stood in front of him.

"Good evening, Captain Butler," she spoke softly.

Rhett nodded politely, then asked, "Miss Melly, is something the matter? Why are you here at this hour?"

Melanie clasped her hands in front of her, not knowing how to start the conversation, but Mammy came up and he noticed that she was wiping her tears with an apron.

"What's wrong? Is someone sick?" he asked quietly.

And suddenly he realized that he didn't want to hear the answer. That he already knew it. A feeling of trouble crept into his soul, and his stomach even cramped. That sticky, unpleasant feeling of unavoidable disaster.

Melanie was going to answer him, and he didn't want to hear. He wanted to cover his ears and run away. Or better yet, relive the day. To come home with his daughter, to meet his wife, to hug her instead of fight and ridicule. To hear her quiet words, "I'm expecting a baby." To hug her tightly, but gently. To put his hands on her barely visible belly. To whisper that he's happy, happy as can be and loves them very much...loves her very much. And all over again, all over again...

"Captain Butler," Melanie's voice broke the silence. And Rhett looked doomily into her sad eyes.

"You see, Scarlett, she... She felt bad this afternoon. Then... Then Mammy called Dr Meade and me. Scarlett... she...I'm sorry, Captain Butler, but she lost the baby. I'm sorry," Melanie finished her speech sadly and wiped tears from her eyes.

Rhett stood staring in front of him. He didn't seem to get the point.

Melanie looked sadly at Mammy and continued, "The children are at my house, I took them away so they wouldn't be scared..."

"How is she?" interrupted Rhett hoarsely, and then said louder, excitedly, "How is my wife, Mrs Wilkes? I want to see her!" he was about to run up the stairs, but Melanie stopped him with a hand.

"Captain Butler, you can't go in there now. Dr Meade is with her, he said she'll be fine, but we're waiting for..." then Melanie swallowed and continued quietly, "we're waiting for the bleeding to stop and the fever to go down. So please stay here, Captain Butler."

"God..." Rhett sank to the steps, not caring about his suit, sat down and covered his eyes with his palms, "What have I done, what have I done," he repeated quietly.

Melanie sank down beside him and stroked his shoulder affectionately, but Mammy only shook her head.

"Captain Butler, it's not your fault. These things happen. It's very bitter, but it happens..." consoled Melanie and then said quietly to Mammy, "Will you please tell the doctor that Captain Butler is here." The old maid nodded and started upstairs again.

Rhett sat on the steps and he felt like he was in one of those nightmares his wife and young daughter suffered.

"You don't understand, you don't understand," he only repeated, without raising his eyes, "She won't forgive me, she won't forgive me... God... What have I said..."

Melanie continued to sit beside him on the stairs, quietly stroking his shoulder, "Captain Butler, it's going to be okay! You're just very upset right now, but your wife needs you, do you hear me? Scarlett needs you now, and she'll need you when she's well. And she's going get better, she's going get better. And you'll have more children, for she wanted this baby so much..."

"No," he interrupted her sharply, "she won't want any more children... Not by me...That baby was... Was a miracle. She doesn't love me..." he said bitterly and looked at her.

Melanie saw such despair and pain in his black eyes. And such love. Of course Scarlett loved her husband, yes they were both so temperamental, but that was why they were so suited to each other. And Melanie had seen how her sister-in-law waited for her husband and daughter, how pensively she looked out the window when they met, how she froze if she heard the sound of a carriage pulling up.

So she looked affectionately into Rhett's eyes and began to speak softly to him, as if she were comforting not him but her little son, "Of course she loves you, of course she loves! She's been looking forward to you and Bonnie, I've seen how much she missed you, with what a twinkle in her eye she talked about you!" Then Melanie, seeing the disbelief in his eyes, said more seriously, "Please, Captain Butler, you need to calm down and be strong now, for her sake. She needs your support right now."

"Would she want to see me?" muttered Rhett quietly and uncertainly.

Melanie looked at him sternly and said, "What are you talking about, Captain Butler? She has a fever and is delirious. Are you going to wait for her to call you officially?!"

Rhett looked at her and saw that she was angry. Melanie continued already softer, "Your wife needs you now, she'll feel better with your support, trust me. Will you go?" she asked excitedly.

Rhett looked carefully into those serious but kind brown eyes and only nodded.

They both stood up and began to walk silently up the stairs.

Rhett waited outside her bedroom, drilling his gaze on the closed door where Melanie had entered earlier. Where the doctor had been. Where she was.

He waited and was prepared to wait as long as he wanted, he wasn't going to sleep.

The door opened quietly and an elderly Dr Meade stepped out, wiping his hands with a white towel, behind him was Melanie, with his valise of instruments and medicines.

"Captain Butler," the doctor said quietly and added, "we've been waiting for you for a long time."

"How is she, doctor?" was his reply.

"No threat to life. The bleeding has stopped, the fever should go down by morning. She lost the baby," at these words Rhett shuddered and the doctor continued, "It happens, Captain Butler, I'm sorry."

"Is she going to be okay, Doctor?" asked Rhett quietly and added, "can I see her?"

Dr Meade nodded and replied, "You can come in, she's under the effects of the anaesthetic, it's like a light sleep. There is a long recovery process ahead but she will recover. Now, if you'll excuse me Captain Butler, I'm exhausted, I've got to go. I'll come and see you in the morning. Good night," he said quickly, and Rhett had barely time to say 'thank you' before he was gone, and Melanie went to see him off.

Rhett was left alone, hesitantly looking at the large wooden door, he reached for the knob.