Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW. I am not making any money on this writing.

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

Chapter Ten

Scarlett was happy to drop Careen off at the convent the next morning. Scarlett thought, 'Good riddance. One less person I am responsible for.'

Nonetheless, for the next several months Scarlett dropped by to see Careen at least once a week to make sure her sister was happy with her decision. Careen had been. Scarlett could not understand how someone could shut themselves off from the world. Mystic Rhett told her, "She doesn't have your joy of living. You could never accept that poor substitute for life. She has the same calm serenity Mother did."

A few days later Scarlett thought, 'I wonder if I will ever be able to master the calm serenity Mother had. Maybe when I don't have so many cares on my shoulders.'

Mystic Rhett didn't tell her she would never master it because she was just too full of life which was one of the things he loved about her.

On one of these visits at the convent, Careen said, "Has Wade been baptized?"

"Yes! Remember Mother did it when he was six weeks old."

"Who are his Godparents?"

"I hadn't named anyone because at the time we didn't know who would make it through the war."

"You should ask his aunt."

Melly was not going to be Wade's Godmother. That was just one more link between Wade and Melly. Scarlett said, "I will ask Suellen and Will." At seeing the look of surprise on Careen's face, Scarlett added, "Suellen and Will are good together. They won't fill his head up with any of that nonsense people read in books."

Careen smiled and said, "No, they won't."

In December, while Rhett was visiting, Melly said, "Rhett, are you going to Charleston for the holidays?"

"No, ma'am. Despite the fact I am paying all my mother's living expenses, she would not be happy with me at her dining room table."

There was an awkward silence after Rhett stopped speaking.

Melly said, "Then you must come and join us for Christmas dinner. We can't have you eating alone."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be an imposition."

Scarlett said, "Rhett, you would be no imposition."

Melly said, "I said this to you before and I mean it as much as I did then. I won't take no for an answer."

Rhett looked around the room. PittyPat clearly wanted him to refuse, Henry had a resigned expression on his face, Melly had an adamant look on her face, Scarlett had a pleased expression on her face, and Ashley had an annoyed expression on his face. Of all the expressions on the people's faces, Ashley's annoyed expression perversely made Rhett determined to accept.

Mystic Rhett was pleased. Scarlett totally wanted Rhett to come to Christmas dinner. She didn't want him to be alone. He didn't know how significant it was that she wasn't concerned about what Ashley might think but was more concerned about Rhett not being alone on the special day.

Rhett said, "If you won't take no for an answer then I have to say yes."

Melanie and Scarlett looked pleased. PittyPat and Ashley looked annoyed. Henry's expression didn't change. He continued to look resigned.

Later as Scarlett was walking Rhett out, she said, "Don't buy us any presents. We can't reciprocate. Of course, if you wish to buy Wade and Beau presents, they would enjoy them."

"I will buy Wade and Beau presents and maybe something for you. After all, I am your gentleman caller."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Indeed, you are."

Rhett bent down and kissed her lips. She kissed him back. Soon he was out the door. For the rest of the evening, she was having happy thoughts about Rhett.

Rhett did come to Christmas dinner. He gave Beau some building blocks. He gave Wade a bat, ball, and glove. He gave Scarlett some fabric for a new dress. The meal was not as elaborate as it had been in years past, but at least there was plenty to eat. Nothing would get wasted though. Whatever was left over everyone would have for dinner the next day, even the yams. Careen was unable to join them because she was still just a novice.

After the meal was over Rhett and Wade went out in the backyard for the man to show the boy how to use the equipment.

When Mystic Rhett heard Scarlett thinking badly about Rhett behaving unmanly, he said, "Who else is going to show Wade how to use the equipment? It is not like Ashley is going to get out in the backyard and throw the ball around with Wade."

Scarlett replied, 'That is true. Ashley wouldn't even throw the ball around with Beau. Nobody else knows anything about baseball.'

"You should learn to throw the ball also so you and Wade can play catch."

'That is unfeminine.'

"Maybe, but you are all Wade has to throw the ball with unless Melly decides to play catch with him."

That did it. Scarlett was out in the back yard learning how to throw the ball. Before long Wade was sent upstairs for the boy to play quietly with his toys while Beau took a nap. Rhett stayed for a while longer then took his leave. Scarlett always walked him to the door, and he always kissed her goodbye.

Mystic Rhett didn't understand what had happened, but his connection with Scarlett was very strong now. When he spoke, she usually immediately responded. Either one way or the other. The only time she didn't immediately respond was when he said something about Ashley. In truth, she never responded to those comments. He wondered if she even heard those comments.

At Tara, Will and Suellen were sitting down to their Christmas dinner. She was no longer suffering from morning sickness. She was feeling good most of the time. She was pleased they had made a nice profit on the cotton. Her smart husband had found a way to keep all the former slaves working all winter long. There would be a lot of vegetables for them to can that spring. Ironically to Suellen the former slaves were living in the same cabins they had lived in when they were slaves and doing the same work they did when they had been slaves. Will had once said, "The freed people have found out the hard way that they can't eat freedom." Suellen thought that had been so profound.

Will gave Suellen six carved buttons. Sue gave Will a jacket. They were happy with their gifts. They were happy with their lives.

In January Scarlett hosted a little party for Wade's fifth birthday. It was actually just supper with a cake. She had gotten him some new clothes, Melly and Ashley gave him a ball and jacks, Henry and PittyPat gave him a yoyo, and Rhett gave him a harmonica. The atmosphere at the supper table was pleasant. Rhett lingered in the parlor after Wade had gone to bed.

That month Scarlett paid off her loan to Rhett. She was happy. He was not. He had hoped she would default on her loan, but not only did she not default, but she paid it off in record time. It had surprised him how business savvy she was. He would often say to her, "What made you think to do that?"

"I don't know it just came to me like a little voice in my head."

"Keep listening to that little voice it is giving you good advice."

"It hasn't steered me wrong yet."

Rhett would have been amused if he was to learn that the reason Scarlett had done so well with her sawmills was because he in essence was giving her really good advice.

Mystic Rhett had laughed when his other self had told Scarlett to keep listening to the little voice in her head. The other Rhett validating the wisdom of the little voice might be what saves their romance.

Mystic Rhett didn't want Scarlett to have to sleep with him, he wanted her to want to sleep with him. He was still working on getting her to not marry him. More accurately his other self before his other self ended up in this hell. He was so confused. If Rhett and Scarlett married, but she didn't sigh while being in bed with him would he be free of this hellhole or did his life get a restart by that old woman. The worst possibility was that there would be two of them in this hell hole.

For now, he was going to work on her not to marry him at all until she knew she didn't love Wilkes. If that failed, then he would work on getting her not to sigh while she was in bed with him. If he failed, would he remain trapped in Scarlett's mind, but restart the entire saga again.

Rhett couldn't go through that hell again. Although he did know some things he would do differently if he got another chance, not the least taking his gun and shooting himself with it at Rough and Ready. If he did that, would he be free or in Scarlett's brain permanently. He didn't even know if he could be freed from the hell he found himself in. He just didn't know anything really. He was exhausted. He wished he could forget all about it, but he couldn't. He was trapped in Scarlett's brain! He knew he had to do his best to help Scarlett make her life the best it could be. Whether her future was better with him or without him in her life he didn't know. What he did know was that Ashley being in her life was not what was best for Scarlett.

February arrived and Scarlett was in a snit. Ashley had given Melly a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day. Scarlett's first thought was, 'Was he growing to love Melly?"

Mystic Rhett screamed, "Yes, he loves her. He doesn't love you. He lied to you that day in the orchard. All he feels for you is lust."

As normal Scarlett didn't respond to Mystic Rhett's statement about Ashley's love and lust. Although she did think, 'The box of chocolates Rhett got me is bigger than Melly's box.'

In April, Scarlett was attacked while coming back from her sawmill. She had almost been assaulted, but Big Sam saved her. Big Sam got her back to Hamilton House. She wanted to hire him as her bodyguard, but he wanted to return to Tara. After collecting herself, she gave him some money for a train ticket. She had Peter take Big Sam to the train station. After Peter had gotten Big Sam on the train, he sent a telegram to Will telling him to pick up their former slave at the train station that afternoon.

That evening when Scarlett found out about Ashley having to attend an emergency political meeting at the store, she thought her first unkind thought about Ashley. She thought, 'Ashley is more concerned about politics than what almost happened to me.'

Although Mystic Rhett knew the truth, he said, "True."

Later as Scarlett, PittyPat, and Melly were sitting in the parlor, Rhett came bursting in the front door. After he was standing in the parlor, he said, "I need to know where they have gone. It is a trap. The Yankees knew they would try something tonight to avenge Scarlett's honor."

Scarlett said, "My what?"

"Your honor."

"Who?"

"The good, fine gentleman. Miss Melly?"

PittyPat and Scarlett stared at Melly. Finally, she said, "Out on Buckingham Road. Just past the old church. Hurry. They were going to attack when it got dark."

Rhett hurried out of the parlor and out of the house. PittyPat said, "We really need to start locking our front door. Anyone can just walk right in."

For whatever reason, both Scarlett and Melly found that amusing. They burst out laughing. Melly picked up the book she was reading and said, "Let me read to you while you do your mending."

Mystic Rhett was wondering what his other self was going to find. Would he save Ashley's life again? Probably. Neither one of them wanted Scarlett turning the man into a martyr.

Mystic Rhett almost laughed when Scarlett thought, 'Why does nobody ever tell me what is going on. I didn't know Ashley was in the Klan. How stupid can one man be? It is more of that honor malarkey. Then again, he can be honorable, he has nothing to lose. He doesn't own anything. He told Melly, but he didn't tell me. Does he not trust me to keep his secrets?"

Mystic Rhett was beginning to realize that as much as Scarlett admired Ashley for being honorable, it was also like a splinter in her finger she couldn't get out. He couldn't marry her because he was so honorable. He was in the Klan because he was so honorable. He wouldn't come to work for her because he was so honorable. His being so honorable was just a damn inconvenience to her.