Hello, Dear readers:)

So our crazy couple is finally meeting in Atlanta, let's see what happens.

As for Tom, I have big plans for him ;)

But, they are not related to our lovers, rather he will occasionally be a booster in their quarrels, but more often he will shake his head in bewilderment.

Thanks for reading, leaving comments and sharing your thoughts. It's very much appreciated!

The next chapter will definitely be by the end of the week, and before that there's "Half a step to..." ;)

Enjoy reading!:)

I own nothing in regard to GWTW.

Chapter 4.

"Scarlett, Darling, but what will people say? What will they say when they find out you're working with this Butler? Oh... Why isn't our poor Charlie with us? And Mr O'Hara is ill... Oh... Where are my smelling salts? Wade, Honey, give me that vial over there on the table... Ah..." Aunt Pitty continued to wail, and Scarlett ran her hand over her face tiredly and closed her eyes for a moment.

They had arrived with Wade the night before, having surprised and delighted Aunt Pitty by placating her with a sweet corn cake that Mammy had passed on especially for the old lady. And in the morning, at breakfast, Scarlett told Aunt Pitty about her plans, her work, hinting that she would need help with Wade, but that she would in turn help her elderly relative financially.

She had to take her son with her because on the morning of her departure he became silent and would not answer any questions. He wouldn't even look in her direction and Scarlett almost cried in despair. Finally, she suggested him to come with her to Atlanta to his Aunt Pittie's and the little boy only nodded. Hastily packing his things, the three of them (with Prissy) hurried to the station. They were driven by Will, who said good-bye to them affectionately and brotherly.

Already on the train, Wade was chatting cheerfully with Prissy, sitting on the seat, chattering his legs and eating the warm bread, that Mammy had baked just before they left. Scarlett looked at her son and marvelled at how alike they were. The stubbornness that helped them achieve their goals was in their blood. Wade's little strike had not gone in vain and the little boy was very pleased with himself. He didn't want to be separated from his mother, besides, he liked Uncle Rhett and if his mother worked with him, maybe he would see him sometimes too and they could even play. "Uncle Rhett is always fun to play with," he thought, looking out the window at the forests and trees that flew by.

Once in the Peachtree Street house, Scarlett spent the first night wondering how she should behave with Rhett. She was angry with him, as usual. His hurtful remarks, however, had had an effect, her hands had softened, some of her scars were less visible, her freckles had lightened, and Scarlett knew from Mammy's advice how to deal with them in Atlanta. The dresses were a separate problem, they were old, clean and tidy, but they were all too big for her. Mammy had been hastily sewing them all week with Melanie, who sighed and shook her head, saying, "You're so thin, Scarlett. You might get sick."

One way or another, she was ready to meet Rhett. Of course, there was little pleasure in working together, side by side, but something told Scarlett that he wasn't the kind of man who would show up at the sawmill and breathe wood dust so often. "We will probably have little contact, maybe even very little... He was always going somewhere before, though it seemed to be only related to the blockade. Hmmm... And then there's this deal. Good God, when is all this going to happen and how?" she pondered nervously, falling asleep.

Now Scarlett had lost any restful sleep at all. Either the old nightmare, her exhausting dream where she ran, ran hungry and cold and couldn't get there, woke her up in a cold sweat and shivering. If Wade slept in her room, at least she didn't cry out, but just woke up and wandered around the room, wrapped in her mother's old dressing gown.

Either now a dream of a different kind often woke her. Rhett, kissing her, just as he had on the 'Rough and Ready' road, only it was in some room where he was pressing her against the wall so hard that she could hardly breathe, and if she did, her breasts rested against his strong muscles as she inhaled. In the dream she felt some burning marks he left on her neck, felt his hands that seemed to know where and how to run over her and she could swear she could even smell his scent... After such dreams she also woke up all sweaty, with some obvious tension in her lower belly and also wandered around the room for a long time, trying to calm her heartbeat. These dreams also tormented her, she didn't understand them, they frightened her.

In the morning, after Aunt Pittie's complaints, she told her firmly, "Auntie, I am alone, I am a widow, I have a son. My father is ill, I have no brothers, but I have two unmarried sisters. I have elderly aunts in Charleston and I have you! So even if the devil himself offered me a job that paid well, I'd take it. And you'll have to make that known to your friends, Auntie! I don't work for pleasure, we all need something to eat!" she finished her speech and flashed her green eyes resolutely.

Aunt Pitty, who, during her niece's tirade, kept bringing a bottle of smelling salts to her nose and inhaling shortly, nodded timidly at last. Yes, she, too, wanted to eat good food and not care about anything, and since her niece was giving her such an opportunity, she decided not to interfere.

"Okay, Honey," she replied peacefully and set her smelling salts on the table next to her, "since Melly is supporting you, I will be and explain everything to Dolly. She's obviously going to bombard me with questions... Oh... Okay, Honey and I'll help with Wade, of course. He's such a lovely boy and so much like our Charlie," she finished and put the handkerchief to her eyes.

"Now, let's have some tea, Scarlett. I think there were a couple of slices of that wonderful sweet corn cake left in the kitchen..."

Scarlett only nodded, but she needed to get some fresh air, she was going for a walk with Wade and decided to look out and see what the weather was like outside. The sun was shining brightly, but the wind was often icy and she wouldn't want her son to catch a cold.

Scarlett picked up her black shawl, adjusted her beige dress in front of the mirror, and stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind her. And as soon as she looked up, she met the so familiar gaze of black eyes. Rhett was standing beside the buggy, impeccably dressed in black a suit. He took off his hat and waved his hand lightly, as Scarlett thought there was something unsure, even timid, in his gesture.

She walked towards him, nervously adjusting her shawl, after all, there was no point in delaying their meeting.

"How long have you been waiting here, Rhett?" she began the conversation, looking at him warily, not smiling.

He saw at once that she looked at him carefully, as if expecting him to insult her. Nevertheless, she approached him and stood boldly, with her back straight, waiting for his reply. He read her, her gestures spoke louder than words. He could see her constantly clutching the ends of her shawl, she was nervous.

Rhett cleared his throat and stepped closer to her, "Hello Scarlett, I've been waiting here long enough..."

"Why don't you come inside?" she interrupted him, taking a slight step back from him. His big, large figure always made her knees tremble, and she didn't need to show him her weakness and fear. "Well, my Dear, I decided not to interrupt your conversation with your aunt," he began to explain to her, smiling playfully.

Scarlett looked up at him and asked in surprise, "How did you...?"

"Guessed? Well, Scarlett, I knew you arrived last night, late, and it's unlikely you'd be talking to Aunt Pitty in the dead of night. And today, after breakfast, you had to explain the reasons for your visit. By the way, I know you brought Wade with you...?" he said with a questioning tone, and his eyes warmed.

Scarlett, who had been thinking over his speech and trying to figure out how he knew she was coming, only nodded absent-mindedly and said, "Yes... Mmm... Wade wanted to come with me. My son turned out to be a little more cunning and persistent than I imagined," she finished with a chuckle.

Rhett smiled wider and said under his breath, "Like mother, like son..." and added louder, "That's great, I love playing with Wade!"

Scarlett stared at him in incomprehension, was he really going to come to their house, to talk to her like before, after all the things they'd said to each other? After their bloody deal that hung in the air between them, preventing them to see each other clearly.

Rhett sensed her tension and reached out a hand to her shoulder, he ran it along, barely touching her woolen shawl, and she turned her head and followed his hand with her eyes.

"Scarlett," he told her quietly, "we need to make up with you, you know? We're going to work together and no matter what... Hmm... What arrangements between us... Here and now, I'm just the Rhett Butler you know, the varmint and the rascal," he finished with a smile.

She watched him intently as he spoke and chuckled at the end, saying, "Have you come to tell me things I already know, Rhett?"

He smiled at her joke and replied, "Actually, I came to talk and then show you the sawmill if you're free today, now? But first, Scarlett, we didn't finish our conversation with you..."

Scarlett nodded and told him, "Okay, Rhett, let's not fight. I think that way we can be more useful to each other if we don't quarrel all the time."

Rhett smiled and reached out to take her hand, but she only jerked her palm away, unconsciously, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Then he stepped closer to her, looked into her eyes, and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Scarlett," and before she could say anything in response, he took her hand again, leaned over, and touched his lips to it lightly.

She was breathless with excitement, but managing herself, Scarlett gently released her hand and said, "Then I'll warn Aunt Pitty and Wade, Rhett, give me a minute..."

Rhett smiled, nodded, and put on his hat.

After giving Wade a quick kiss and shocking Aunt Pitty by leaving so soon, nodding to frowning Uncle Peter, Scarlett smoothed her hair in front of the mirror and glancing at herself, noting a few more freckles on her cheekbones that hadn't quite gone away, she wrinkled her nose and walked out onto the sun-drenched porch.

Rhett admired her from afar and at the same time was worried at how thin she had become, "Just like Miss Melly," he thought to himself.

Scarlett came over and he helped her to sit into the buggy, touching her waist lightly. The touch was quick, but enough for her to feel it and her cheeks turned slightly pink, also from the memories of her troubled dreams.

Rhett quickly sat down next to her and they drove through the busy streets of the city, towards the suburbs.

They drove in silence at first, Scarlett only looking around, occasionally nodding and smiling slightly at the surprised acquaintances.

"Let them all go to hell," she thought as she realized that not today - tomorrow, all the matrons would gather in their parlour and attack her with questions. All she could think about was her home, Tara, who would have to be her old self and her father...

They were already driving out of town toward the woods, and Rhett stopped for a moment, and said, "Can you hold the reins, Scarlett?"

She only nodded, and reached for the reins, but instead of the cold leather, she felt the touch of his warm hands. Hiding a shiver, she blushed slightly again, but looking in front of her, she remained silent.

Rhett noticed everything, the slightest sign of her excitement, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. The blush on her cheeks or the slight trembling of her hands, he saw it all. He realized that they needed to find a way to communicate like before, but he didn't know how to do it yet. It wasn't just this deal that hung between them, but the night of the siege when he'd left her on that road and the meeting in jail when she'd tried to trick him.

Rhett decided to slowly start talking about distracted themes, and there he counted on them to find a way not to bring up difficult issues for now and hoped they wouldn't create new ones.

"Tell me about the house, Scarlett," he asked, taking the reins from her hands. They drove down the road among the trees, and Scarlett spoke briefly about Tara, about how the house had survived the war and Yankee raids.

"Why wasn't it burned?" asked Rhett quietly.

"The Yankees used it for a hospital. I suppose it didn't matter to my father then, for my mother and sisters were very ill," she explained without looking at him.

"And your father, Scarlett?"

"He's sick," she answered briefly, "but, he'll get better, I know. He just loved my mother so much," she concluded and turned away towards the trees, afraid he would notice the tears in the corners of her eyes. She didn't want him laughing at her and teasing her about being a "crybaby".

"Tell me more about the job, Rhett," she said, changing the subject.

And he told her that the sawmill was up and running, that the orders were plentiful, that he had hired a manager, Tom, who would be the one to contact the customers, and all she had to do was work the bills.

"But Scarlett, I have a few terms and the most important among them, listen to me carefully," he began seriously, stopped the buggy and looked her in the eye. They were near the sawmill already and the clatter of axes, tools and workers talking could be heard, the smell of wood was in the air.

"I'm listening, Rhett," she replied, meeting his serious gaze.

"Under no circumstances will you go here alone without me or accompanying. These places are dangerous for a single woman, and I don't want anything to happen to you. I'm saying this once and I want you to hear me," he told her sternly and she nodded.

"Okay, Rhett."

He smiled, then drove closer, and they got out and looked around.

Scarlett liked Tom at first sight, he was friendly and reminded her of Boyd Tarleton. He was the same small stature and his smile reminded her of the twins.

Tom in turn realized everything from the moment Rhett walked in and introduced Scarlett to him.

"Well, well...'Just hobby', Captain Butler," he thought to himself and grinned.

Rhett showed Scarlett her workplace, the desk was in the same office as Tom's, near the window, and the adjoining room was his office. Truth be told, he didn't know what to do with himself at the sawmill, but he wanted to be near her, give her rides, talk to her, and watch her from afar. "And no Ashley Wilkes," he thought smiling wryly.

In their first working week together, Rhett and Scarlett had argued seemingly every hour of the day. A little mistake or a joke he'd made about her abilities, his eyebrow creeping up, another sarcastic joke and her equally sarcastic response. Tom, who'd been watching them between client meetings, was shocked at the behaviour of both of them, especially Rhett, who was no better than a schoolboy. He just shook his head as he heard them arguing again and tried to concentrate on his work rather than on the words coming from the next room, "Mrs Hamilton, I think your maths skills are a bit exaggerated..."

"Shut up Rhett Butler, I just didn't see that number, you covered it up with your finger!"

One day, at the end of the second week, when Rhett stopped by the sawmill alone to pick up some books and bills. He was going to bring them to Scarlett personally since Wade had a cold after all and she decided to stay home for a couple of days to help Aunt Pitty and Prissy take care of her son.

Rhett was looking for some papers on her desk when he heard Tom's voice.

"If you care about this girl and if you need her, it's time to start showing her that, Rhett," Tom said, keeping his head down and making notes with his pencil.

Rhett looked up at him and asked sternly, "What are you talking about, Tom?"

"You know what about," he replied calmly, raising his brown eyes to him and then added, "I need to go check the wood supplies for tomorrow's orders, see you Rhett."

And he left the office, leaving Rhett alone.