Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Four

After Melly left the room, Rhett sat on the bed. He took Scarlett's hand and said, "How long have you been awake?"

Scarlett looked at their hands with a confused look on her face. It had been so long since Rhett had casually touched her for any reason. Her thoughts were too muddled to think about it right now. She instead looked at Rhett's face and said, "Not long. Dr. Meade woke me up. Where is Bonnie?"

"In the nursery. I will bring her to see you this afternoon if you feel up to it."

"Of course, I will feel up to it. Wade and Ella too."

"I will, but I will bring them one at a time, so they won't be too much for you."

"What happened to me?"

"Nobody has told you?"

"No. They say they don't know. All they know is that we were talking on the stairs. All of the sudden everyone heard you screaming for Pork to get Dr. Meade. They know I fell down the stairs, but they don't know how it happened."

"We were at the top of the stairs talking. You told me about the baby."

"You know about the baby?"

"Yes, I was excited. I still am. You asked me to move back into your bedroom since you were already with child."

Scarlett scrunched up her face and said, "I asked you to move back into my bedroom. That doesn't sound like me. I never ask you for anything."

Rhett smiled and this time the smile was in his eyes also. He really was smiling at Scarlett. He said, "Well, you did." Her expression was still one of disbelief. He added, "Of course, I said yes because I wanted to sleep with you again."

"I thought you said a woman's body was cheap enough to obtain."

"Did I say that when I was drunk in the dining room?" Scarlett nodded. Rhett said, "As true as that may be, your body is not easy to obtain. I would like to sleep with my wife." Scarlett harrumphed and Rhett continued, "I do. I haven't moved my belongings back in here because of everyone tending to you." He whispered, "They would like to keep me out of here, but I will not be relegated to waiting outside this door. I want to know for myself what is going on. Don't tell anyone, but I snuck in here under the cover of darkness and slept with you last night. Just so I could be sure you were safe."

Scarlett smiled at him and Rhett's cold, cynical, distrusting heart did a flip-flop. The bubble of hope in his heart was growing.

Scarlett asked Rhett, "How did I fall?"

"You slipped on the top step. You were falling before I even knew it."

"I find that hard to believe. You have amazing reflexes."

"I do, but I wasn't expecting you to slip. We were happily talking and you turned towards me and slipped."

"You expect me to believe we were happily talking."

"I guess that would be hard to believe. Alright, we were quarreling. You were mad because I had been gone so long. You were yelling at me because I had barely gotten back before you started to show. You were gesturing with your arms and when you threw your arms out you must have been in the exactly wrong place, and you slipped."

Scarlett stared at Rhett. She had been through hell since the afternoon of the incident at the mill. He was being so kind and gentle. He was acting like he really cared about her. Maybe her almost dying had softened his heart to her. Maybe she really was dying and nobody wanted to tell her. That was alright. All her troubles would be gone if she was dead.

Scarlett continued looking at Rhett. Maybe they could be friends again. Maybe things could go back to the way they were when they had gotten married. After all, they would be sleeping together again. Maybe he would be her safe haven in this storm. It was now apparent that Ashley wasn't going to be anyone safe haven. He was barely holding himself above water. Just when she needed him, he once again was letting her down.

Scarlett looked at Rhett. He had a caring expression on his face. An open expression. Maybe, for once, he would take care of her. She was carrying his baby after all.

Scarlett said, "They are probably raking me over the coals once again and.. and…."

"I will be here to protect you. I will make sure everyone knows that I think the baby is mine."

"You think the baby is yours?"

"I know the baby is mine."

"You have never protected me."

"Then it is about time I did."

Scarlett wanted to believe her husband, but he had let her down so many times, it was hard to have faith in him. It didn't matter she had been going alone since he deserted her at Rough and Ready. Even Ashley had not really helped her. No, he had been one more burden on her back. It didn't matter if Rhett let her down again, she would just keep carrying on. The only person she could count on was wonderful Melly. Scarlett didn't want to talk about that topic. It made her sad.

Scarlett didn't respond to Rhett's statement. Instead, she said, "You look like you're dressed to go out. Where are you going?

Rhett let Scarlett change the subject. He certainly hadn't protected her in the past. In fact, he had allowed those dragons to blame her for all his misdeeds. If he had a conscience, it would be bothering him right now. He guessed he did have a conscience for he was feeling guilty for his actions. It was hard not to be protective of her while she looked so weak and defenseless. Yet when she was lashing out at him, it seemed it was easier for him to throw her to the dogs.

Rhett answered her question by saying, "Didn't they tell you I was checking on your sawmills and the store."

There was a confused expression on Scarlett's face, and she said, "No, they didn't."

"While Mammy and Miss Melly were here to see to your needs, I went out to check on your businesses."

Scarlett looked at Rhett sharply and said, "Why? You have never cared about my businesses."

"But you do care. I didn't want you to worry about them. You are supposed to be kept calm. I didn't want you to get anxious about them. Johnny's mill and the store are doing well. Ashley's mill… well, the books are in a terrible mess. I brought them home to get them straightened out."

Scarlett looked over Rhett's shoulder and said, "I haven't been out to Ashley's mill in almost three months."

"Why?"

"I didn't want people talking anymore about me than they already were." While still not meeting Rhett's eyes, Scarlett said, "Melly has been wonderful this entire time. She single handedly saved my reputation."

"I bet that galls you to have to be grateful to the one woman you despise."

"There are lots of women I despise. For example: India, Mrs. Merriwether, and the rest of the matrons. I don't despise her."

"You just don't understand why she is protecting you."

"No, I understand why she is protecting me. It is like you said she can't imagine anyone she loves being dishonorable and for whatever God forsaken reason she loves me. Me and Ashley. We certainly don't deserve her love."

"What a change of heart."

"I suppose it is. She is willing to snub her family and friends just for my sake."

"And Ashley's sake."

"Yes, and Ashley's but it is all my fault."

"Scarlett, listen to me. It is not all your fault."

"What?"

"You are not blameless, but there were two people involved in this fiasco."

"True."

"I am going to speak bluntly. All this could have been avoided if Ashley had not put his arm around you."

Earnestly Scarlett said, "That is all that happened."

"I know. You should have told me first. You should have known Archie was going to tell me because of how much he hated you."

"Yes, I should have. I foolishly thought you wouldn't find out."

"You know I find out everything about you."

"Yes, you always find out everything." The couple was quiet for a moment and Scarlett quietly said, "He made me cry."

"How?"

"By talking about the dead of Clayton County. He is always talking in that morose way."

Rhett interrupted to say bitterly, "That is because he is lost in the past."

Scarlett didn't acknowledge Rhett's statement. She just went on by saying, "It was worse that day because when I got out there, he was behaving like the Ashley from before the war. He was talking about knowing all about the surprise party and some surprise party disasters that other men had told him. They were funny. Then he started talking about the parties and events we had attended before the war." Scarlett looked at Rhett. There was no anger on his face. He was just staring at her. Patiently waiting for her to go on. She continued, "I don't ever look back because it always makes me cry. I started crying and he put his arm around me to comfort me. Nothing more."

"You should have punched Miss Wilkes in the nose. Then at least you would have given all these gossips a true reason to talk about you. I bet instead of talking about you and Ashley they would have been talking about how you broke Miss Wilkes nose, and it will never look the same." With a pause Rhett added, "It would probably make her face look better."

Scarlett giggled. Rhett smiled. She said, "That hurts."

"You laughing is worth the pain."

Mammy bustled in the door with Scarlett's dinner. It was soup. Scarlett scowled at it. Rhett said, "I will go tell the cook to fix you a sandwich. Now let me join the children for dinner."

"Please tell Fran about the sandwich first."

"Who?"

"The cook."

"Of course."

Rhett bent down and kissed Scarlett full on the lips. She kissed him back.

At dinner Rhett watched Bonnie feed herself with her hands. He couldn't wait until Scarlett was back on her feet and could start turning Bonnie into a well-behaved young lady.

After dinner as Rhett walked to the stables, he thought, 'If I get to tell Scarlett about our conversation again, I will have to think of a better story. She is right. She would never have asked me to move back in with her. She would be too afraid of rejection. Especially if I made a disparaging remark about women's bodies not being that important.'

Rhett didn't remember anything about his conversation with Scarlett in the dining room except that they had one. He wondered what she had said to make him decide to force himself on her. He would never know. He was going to go see Belle right now and find out what had happened in the last three months. He couldn't stay too long. He had to let the children visit with Scarlett, especially Wade. Just so they knew she really was alive. He would go see Dr. Harrison tomorrow morning.

Rhett rode his horse to The Painted Lady. He stopped his horse in front of the saloon. He started to tie his horse up and changed his mind. He would not have his horse be seen in front of a whore house while Scarlett was lying in her sick bed. He didn't want anyone to think he was so blatantly cheating on Scarlett after only being home for two days. Rhett called to one of the boys that was always loitering around the saloon. He said, "Casper, put my horse in the barn for me."

"Yes, Mr. Butler."

Rhett looked at the boy. He didn't like being famous at a whore house. He would have to fix that, but not right now. He gave the boy a penny and walked into the saloon.

Rhett walked into the saloon and after a couple of men waved at him, he decided that he had spent far too much time in this type of establishment. He was going straight. He had enough money. If things didn't work out with Scarlett this time, he was going to take Bonnie and move to London. He would not give Scarlett a divorce. She would be tied to him forever even after Miss Melly died. He would arrange with his London attorney to keep Scarlett's monthly payments coming and never tell her that her husband was dead. Once she was dead, Wade and Ella could be informed of his death and a bequeath given to them. He felt better with a plan. He wasn't going to think about that now. It would make him sad. He wanted to be optimistic right then. He was hoping Scarlett would come to love him.