Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Six

Rhett quickly read the next entry.

April 18th

Where is Rhett? He has been gone for two days. I am so worried about him. He has never been gone this long. If he had left town, he would have told me he was leaving. If he doesn't return by tomorrow, I will have to go to the police. I hope he isn't lying helpless in some ditch somewhere. Nothing can happen to Rhett. He just can't die. I would be lost without him. I am working hard at keeping all my horrible thoughts at bay.

Rhett thought, 'Scarlett had been worried about me. If I had given her time before attacking her maybe she would have expressed her worry and concern. Instead, like a fool when she had asked me where I had been I told her I had been practically living with Belle. What a stupid ass I am sometimes. No, always where Scarlett was concerned. She thinks she would be lost without me. She cares very much for me.'

Rhett quickly read the next entry.

April 19th

I thought April 15th was the worst day of my life, but now I know today is. Rhett has returned and left again. He stopped by to tell me where he had been. He left my bed to go to his old whore's bed. It doesn't matter. He told me in the dining room that he didn't want my body. He can buy a woman cheap. I know now all I was, was an available body. He cared no more for me than the hundreds of whores he has used in his life. I know now why our intimate time was never like the other night. Always before he had been treating me like a lady. I guess he really doesn't think of me as a lady.

Rhett has taken Bonnie and left me. I will probably never see either one of them again.

Rhett stopped reading. He thought about what Scarlett had written. He felt shame. He felt shame for having made Scarlett feel that she was nothing.

Rhett pondered his relationship with Scarlett. He had always been so busy hiding his feelings because he was afraid of what she would do to him if she found out he loved her. His main question now was – What had he been doing to her self-esteem with all his indifference. He had started with his marriage proposal. No, he had started when they first met at that barbecue. Instead of offering her comfort because of Ashley's rejection, he had mocked and laughed at her. He had never shown her any love or tenderness. He was mad because she hadn't fallen in love with him, but why would she? He had never given her a reason to love him. He knew now that he was much more important to her than he had ever thought. He also knew now she had no clue that he had any tender feelings for her much less loved her.

Rhett laughed when he remembered telling Miss Melly that he had tried so hard to make Scarlett love him. He knew now he hadn't tried at all. She was just supposed to fall in love with him like every other woman in the world.

Rhett smiled. He had his work cut out for him to undo all the damage he had done with that conversation in the dining room although he didn't remember much about what was said and the conversation they had in her bedroom after his return from Belle's. He remembered all the cruel comments he had made at that time. He shrugged his shoulders and took out his pocket watch and opened it up. He looked at the picture inside. It was of Scarlett. Scarlett on their honeymoon. If everything worked out, he would get another picture of them taken. Just the two of them.

Rhett looked at the time. It was a little after three. Everyone should be awake from their naps. Although Wade didn't nap but read a book. Nor did Ella. She played quietly in her bed. In truth, Bonnie was the only one who napped.

Rhett went to the nursery. As he entered the nursery, he saw Wade sitting in a chair reading a book. Rhett said, "With everything that happened after my arrival, I haven't gotten a hug from either you, Wade, or you, Ella. Let us fix that. Come hug me."

Both children ran over to hug Rhett. He hugged them back. Maybe because Rhett had been gone for three months, he noticed that Wade was no longer a little boy. He said, "How old are you now, Son?"

"I am ten, Sir."

"That's right. You turned ten on your last birthday. You need to start sleeping on your own. Would you like that?"

"I don't think so. I didn't like sleeping by myself. I did it before Ella was born."

"You are much older now. Maybe you will like it now. Mind you, Wade, eventually you will be sleeping in a room by yourself. You are so much older than your sisters."

"True. I am almost five years older than Ella and seven years older than Bonnie."

"When your mother gets back on her feet, we will get her to help us pick out a room for you."

Wade smiled and said, "Thank you, Sir."

"Where is Bonnie?"

Prissy said, "Still sleeping, Mr. Butler."

"Good. She needs the rest. She went too many days without getting to take a nap."

Bonnie didn't get to take a nap, because Rhett hadn't made time for the little girl to take a nap. The longer they were gone the more and more he had made the time. She was not a nice little girl when she didn't take a nap.

Rhett turned to Wade and said, "Let me make sure your mother is awake?"

"Sure, Uncle Rhett."

Rhett left the nursery and went to their bedroom. It was going to be his bedroom from now on, by God. He didn't bother to knock, but he did slowly open the door. As he looked around the room, he saw Scarlett sitting up in the bed. She was lying on a bunch of pillows while leafing through a magazine. He also noticed that there was no one else in the room. He said, "Where is Miss Melly?"

Scarlett said, "I sent her home. Dr. Meade said I was much better, and I didn't need someone with me all the time." She rang the bell on her end table and then said, "If I need someone, I can just ring my bell."

"That is an improvement. He didn't say anything to me about it."

"Dr. Meade came back after dinner to check on me."

Mammy came into the room and said, "You rang?"

"No, I was just demonstrating the bell for Rhett. Sorry to have disturbed you."

Rhett looked closely at Mammy. She looked like she had aged ten years because of her fear of Scarlett dying. Of course, Scarlett still wasn't completely well. Only time would tell. He said, "Mammy, would you like to spend some time at Tara with Sue Ellen."

Scarlett snapped, "No, she does not. Stop talking foolishly, Rhett. Mammy is just fine right here. She is happy with me."

Rhett stared at Scarlett with a bemused smile on his face. She was a typical slave owner. She didn't see her slaves or in this case her former slaves as people with wants and desires of their very own. They were just people put on the earth to serve her.

In all truth, when Rhett had been a spoil son of a rich planter, he had not thought of the slaves any differently than Scarlett did. These last twenty years after his disownment he had been exposed to so many diverse types of people. Most those people lived in the North, so he learned a totally different perception of slavery. Well, of life all together.

Mammy smiled at Scarlett and then said to Rhett, "No, Mr. Rhett. I am quite happy here with you and Miss Scarlett. You have good food and lots of it. This home is extremely comfortable. Miss Scarlett even bought me a brand-new mattress to sleep on. You guys treat me fine. Just fine indeed.

"Very well, but if you change your mind just let me know."

Scarlett said, "Hush up, Rhett. She isn't going to change her mind. She is happy here. Who would choose to live with Suellen?"

"Will Benteen."

"That was just to get to stay at Tara. Although, that is an awfully high price to pay to stay at Tara."

"As I said I am happy living with Miss Scarlett and you, Mr. Rhett."

When Rhett opened his mouth to speak, Scarlett said, "Don't say another word, Rhett."

"Yes, my pet."

Mammy was contented living with Miss Scarlett. The living conditions were good, the food was good, and they had a water closet. That privy sure did get ripe in the summertime.

If Mammy had shared those thoughts with Rhett, he would have laughed, but he also would certainly agree completely. Privies did get ripe in the summertime. The expense for the water closet was a bill he had not minded paying in the least little bit.

Mammy said to Rhett, "Dr. Meade said he wouldn't be back for a week unless we needed him. He still needs to take the stitches out of Miss Scarlett's arm. He said she was doing fine and that all she needed to do now was heal." With a knowing look at Scarlett, she added, "And not let her over do."

Rhett said while smiling at Scarlett, "That will be the hard part, not allowing her to overdo."

Scarlett scowled at Rhett. She said, "I can hardly breathe. I'm not going to be doing very much. He did say I was to get out of the bed and try to walk at least around the room."

Rhett smiled and said, "I will be here when you start trying to walk so you don't fall and hurt yourself worse."

"I don't need anyone watching over me like a mother hen."

"I don't think I have ever been accused of being a mother hen before. Are you ready for Wade to come visit you?"

"No, since you are here, Mammy, take me to the WC first. I am not going in a bed pan anymore."

"Yes, Miss Scarlett. Can you get up by yourself?"

"Of course, I can."

Scarlett swung her legs over the side of the bed. She said, "Somebody help me! I think I am going to faint."

Rhett took two steps and was beside Scarlett, he said, "Of course, my pet."

Scarlett scowled at Rhett. He simply picked her up. He said, "Mammy, can you open the door?"

"Yes, Mr. Rhett."

Scarlett squawked, "My wrapper."

"Nobody is going to see you."

With those words, Rhett started walking to the water closet.

As Rhett walked along Scarlett said, "You aren't coming in there with me."

"Of course not."

Rhett put Scarlett down on the floor and she clung to him. She quietly said, "Help me walk in there."

Once the couple was by the toilet, Scarlett said, "Go. I will call for you."

Rhett hid a smile and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

Scarlett frowned at Rhett, but she didn't say anything. Rhett was in such a good mood. She wondered why. She didn't care. She couldn't think straight right now.

Scarlett sat down on the toilet and did her business. She had not realized how badly she had needed to use the facilities. At last, she stood up and flushed the toilet. She then called for Rhett. He came into the water closet and swept her up in his arms. He carried her back to her room. As he did, he said, "You can practice walking in our bedroom where there is enough furniture for you to hold onto if you want to. I will even let you do that alone, but once you are walking in the hallways either Mammy or I will be with you. We can't afford for you to hurt yourself again."

"Our bedroom?"

"Our bedroom. After all, there is no point of having separate bedrooms if you are already with child."

Scarlett ignored Rhett's comment about separate bedrooms. Instead, she said, "The only reason I am dizzy is because I haven't been out of the bed in three days."

"No, it is because you fell down the stairs and your head isn't functioning right."

"Are you saying you think I am crazy?"

As Rhett laid Scarlett back on the bed and helped her get comfortable, he said, "No, I am saying that you injured your brain when you fell down the stairs."

"Injured my brain?!"

Rhett sat down on the bed and said, "Yes, remember you hit your head three times on your way down. That caused damage even to someone as hardheaded as you."

In a panic, Scarlett said, "Three times! How much was my brain damaged? I'm not going to be stupid am I."

"I don't think you will be any stupider than you were before you fell down the stairs." Scarlett glared at Rhett. He said, "I am going to go talk to another doctor about it tomorrow morning."

"How did I fall down the stairs?"

"I will tell you later. Right now, there is a little boy who loves you very much who wants to make sure you are still alive."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Bring Wade in."

"Let me go get him."