It was strange to wake up that morning knowing that Rhett had not been at her side. She tried to ignore the absence and buried her head back into her pillow. But sleep would not return, and so she lay there tossing and turning until she finally gave up and rose from the bed. She crept from the room, with her wrapper tightly clutched around herself. She peered into the nursery, where Rhett sat in a rocking chair, his shirt open several buttons that allowed his thick mat of chest hair to escape. Bonnie was contentedly cooing at her father. Scarlett, not wanting for Rhett to see her, escaped back to her room on silent feet. She rang for one of the maids, who appeared almost immediately as if by magic at her side.

She pulled a dress from the closet, grimacing at the small pricks on the material where the seams had been eased out to allow for her expanded waistline. "Dresses never were the same after they had been let out," she mentally grumbled. She fussed for a moment with her hair, wholly unsatisfied with the results of the maids efforts. Nothing was going quite right today. Finally she pulled out a clump of fake curls that had escaped Rhett's notice when he had burned the others in New Orleans during the honeymoon. But as despondent as she was about larger waist line, she needed something to make her feel pretty and attractive now that she was freed from the confines of the house and the hideous transformations to her body caused by pregnancy.

Finally pleased with the arrangement of her hair and her dress, she ventured from the room. She hurried quickly down the stairs, ready to eat something. But she was surprised when she found that the entire family was already gathered around the ornate table that took up most of the space in the large dining room. Three pairs of eyes stared up at her, showing surprise to see her up and ready for the day so early. "Sleep well, Mrs. Butler?" Rhett asked as his eyes took note of the bags under her eyes?

"Yes. It was very peaceful." She returned demurely.

"Uncle Rhett said that we were going to go the circus!" Wade exclaimed, too excited to control himself.

"Going to the circus!" Ella chirped.

"Wade! Ella!"Scarlett reprimanded. "Where are your manners? I have raised you better than this?" She added crossly.

Wade ducked his head, and Ella's lower lips jutted out as tears began to form on her eyes. "Good Morning, Mother." Wade finally said with a pout, yet still trying to do as he had been asked.

"That's better, Wade." She replied. "Good morning to you , as well." She said firmly as she took her seat.

She could feel Rhett's eyes boring into her, perhaps he had noticed the curls. "Good!" she thought. "I hope that he hates them." she thought bitterly. Something inside of her wanted him to fight, fight for her. She wanted him to desire her enough to not allow a flimsy excuse to stop him. She wished that she had never made the request in the first place. But she had, and there was no use in going back. It was like crying over spilled milk. And there was certainly no use in that.

"So what is this about a circus?" Scarlett asked trying to pierce the silence that had seemed to descend over the table after her appearance.

Rhett nodded as he finished chewing a bit of food. "There appears to be a circus in town, and I thought that Wade and Ella and Bonnie would enjoy seeing the animals and the acrobats and the clowns."

"Bonnie's just a baby. She doesn't care." Scarlett said in annoyance.

"Well it doesn't mean that she wouldn't like it. I've already procured the tickets." He spoke with a finality that ended the discussion. Turning to Wade he asked, "Did you tell me that you had learned to turn a cart wheel?"

Wade nodded triumphantly. "Beau and I were trying them at Auntie's house. I can do them really well."

"Well then after breakfast we can go out in the back yard and you can show us. Bonnie would like to see," he said crooning down at the infant in his arms. "Wouldn't you sweet heart?"

Scarlett sat fuming silently. How odd it was that it seemed that in a day's time that Rhett's interest in her had waned so fully. His eyes did not look at her with the same intensity. The smile that he wore only for her was gone. And she knew that her decision was at fault. And yet her pride wouldn't allow her to voice a change. She would live with her decision, no matter how miserable it made her.

Finally the meal ended, and Scarlett reluctantly followed Rhett and the children into the backyard where Wade turned nearly perfect cartwheels and smooth summer saults. Ella followed Wade trying to be like her older brother. She stood her ground and then flopped onto her belly. "See. I did it." She crowed, bits of grass clinging to her perfectly pressed dress and gingery curls.

Wade giggled, but as a young gentleman he did not correct her. But Mammy's instructions had not been fully absorbed by Ella, who cried out indignantly, "He's not doing them right!" At this she once again flopped to the ground.

Rhett who was sitting on a bench holding Bonnie couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Wade is doing them his way, and you are doing them your way."

She seemed mollified by his response and continued her gymnastics on the green lawn. Scarlett was annoyed by Rhett's lack of attention, and so she turned in a huff. "I'm going to the store and then the mills. I'll be home later." No one even seemed to acknowledge her as she left.

Later that evening, Scarlett sat on the hard wooden bleachers that had been constructed under the bright red and white tent that covered the central ring where the performers would appear with their menagerie of strange and exotic animals.

"Look!" Wade yelled. "There is an elephant! Look Ella, like the one in the picture book that Uncle Rhett gave us!" He pointed at the great gray lumbering beast that slowly made its way into the ring with a small box that clung precariously to its back. "There's someone riding on it! Look, mother! Uncle Rhett! Do you see it?"

Scarlett smiled thinly at her son, while Rhett seemed to glow and bask in the childish glee. This day could not be over soon enough. Ella slyly climbed up onto the bench so that she might see over the adults in front of her. But her balance was shaking on the bench, and she started to fall. She clutched wildly, ending up with a handful of her mother's hair. Scarlett's clump of fake curls escaped in its pins and fell away as Rhett loosed a free arm and caught Ella. For a moment he was only concerned with Ella's well being. But a minute later she felt his gaze burning into her skin.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"I see you still had some of those awful fake curls. They didn't fare too well with children around..." He chuckled.

"I'm not going to fight with you about this." She retorted.

He laughed at her expression. "You'll never change, Scarlett. You'll never change.

Written for Scarlett Jaimie. Here's her list:

Things I want in the fic:

1. Scarlett's fake curls
2. Rhett's thick mat of chest hair
3. Some form of `gymnastics' (smutty or otherwise ;-))

Things I rather not see:

1. Residents of Belle's house of `fun'
2. Scarlett's fake modesty
3. An altercation

Time Period:

The day following the one when Scarlett kicks Rhett out of her
bedroom

Author's Note: Jaime, I would guess that this isn't what you intended with your list, but I have since been informed that 'gymnastics' in fanfic terms means marital relations or relations.... I am obviously quite naive since I didn't catch on. But I did work gymnastics in the story without really catching the meaning. :)