A/N: This is my first fanfic. I've been reading all of the GWTW fanfics, and I really enjoy them, so I decided to try it myself. This is the first time I've written anything creative like this in a long time, so please give me some constructive criticism and let me know if you like it and want me to continue. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own GWTW or Scarlett or any of the characters. This is only for fun and no copyright infringement is intended.

Introduction

This story begins during the novel Scarlett on the day that Scarlett meets Rhett at the Drogheda horse fair. I have made a few changes in the story before this point. The biggest one is that Scarlett brought Wade and Ella with her the first time she went to Ireland, which means she never took the trip back to America to get them when Rhett saw her on the ship in Charleston harbor. That means he hasn't seen her since the boating accident. Scarlett has become closer with her oldest two children over the time they've spent together in Ireland. Wade has become especially close and protective over his mother and his two sisters. He is older and understands much more than everyone thought about what made his mother the way she was, as well as what has caused her to change (more information on that in the story). Alright, so the other things I changed were some of the events surrounding Cat's birth. She was born on November 1st, so no changeling stuff even though Grainne did perform the cesarean. Oh, and just in case anyone is unsure of the ages at this point in the story, I've estimated Wade to be 15, Ella to be 10, and Cat to be 18 months. If I have them wrong, could someone please let me know? Thanks.

Chapter 1

The day was bright and beautiful, one of the warmest days they'd had all year. The sun was shining warmly, and there wasn't even a single cloud to break the smooth blueness of the sky overhead. The birds were singing and the air was scented with the newly blossoming flowers. All of this beauty was not lost on the teenage boy that lounged leisurely under the shade of one of the few trees adorning the lush green fields around the big house of Ballyhara. Wade Hampton Hamilton was enjoying a rare quiet moment away from the giggling enthusiasm of his two younger sisters. His eyes followed the progress of a brightly colored bird as it made its way back to its new small family that happened to be living high in the branches of the very tree under which he was reclining. He smiled. As much as he loved books and studying, he loved nature more. Wade was thankful that his mother had brought them to live in the land of his grandfather. While exploring the green hills of this land, Wade had discovered that love of land that his mother had told him resides within everyone of Irish blood. He loved this land, and he was extremely happy and proud that his mother had bought back the land that had been stolen from his forefathers so many years ago.

When he had been younger, and his Aunt Melly had been telling him stories of his father Charles Hamilton, Wade had thought he would go to university and follow in his father's footsteps. However, now he realized that he could never completely follow his father. Wade knew he resembled his father a great deal, and when he was younger many assumed his quiet nature to be that of his father as well. However, the changes in his family over the past few years, and most particularly the changes in his mother, had allowed him to break out of his shyness. He would never be as... well as passionate as his mother, but he was definitely showing more of her character as he grew older. He knew that a life of study and books could never be enough for him now. He needed to be connected to the land. He had heard people say again and again that his mother got her strength from Tara, that she was able to find healing in its red clay. Wade had never really understood what this meant until they had traveled to Ireland. Wade had always liked Tara, but somehow it wasn't the same as the emerald hills he'd come to love. Perhaps one of the reasons he loved it so was because he, like his mother, had found healing in the land. His mother had allowed him to help the men with the crops, and the work had done him good. His body had grown firm and strong, and his mind and soul too had become less frail. The damage from the years of unrest from nearly constant fighting from his mother and stepfather, had slowly been healed.

Wade shook his head, as though he were trying to chase away a bothersome fly. He didn't like to remember the years they had spent in that gloomy house in Atlanta. Yes, there had been some good times, but there had been far more bad times. His life was much more pleasant now, even if he did have to take on many more responsibilities than other boys his age. He felt it was his duty to be the "man of the house" now, after... well after everything that had happened. He felt responsible for his sisters and for his mother, though she assured him time and again that he needn't worry about her. Wade scowled. Of course he needed to worry about her. She was always trying to be so brave, trying to conceal her hurt and sorrow from the world, but Wade knew better. He wasn't a child after all. He knew much more about the whole affair than anyone suspected he did. He had developed quite a talent for "overhearing" things he knew his mother didn't want him to know. At first he hadn't intended it, but once he had begun to construct a vague understanding of what had happened, he just had to know more.

Flashback

Wade was squatting outside the low stone wall of the garden behind his great grandmother's house. He was pretending to be a confederate scout on a mission to discover the position of Sherman's troops in preparation for an ambush that would stop them dead in there tracks before they could reach Atlanta. He was just about to peak over the wall to determine the number of soldiers camped beyond so he could inform his commander of their number, when he heard footsteps approaching. He froze. "Yankee patrols!" he thought. He dropped onto his belly and prepared to army crawl away, but stopped when he recognized the voices of his mother and Uncle Colum. They didn't know he was there. Maybe he could give them a good scare. He could jump up and give the rebel yell. He put his hand over his mouth to smother his laughter. "Yes, that would scare them" he thought. His mother had become much more willing to play along with his and Ella's games lately, and he knew she'd find this really funny once she'd gotten over her fright. Before he could finish thinking out his plan, however, he heard a sob, and knew his mother was crying. He was stunned for a moment. His mother never cried. Why the only time he'd ever seen her cry was when they were fleeing Atlanta with Uncle Rhett. She was definitely crying now though, and Wade knew instinctively that she would not like to be discovered now, so he lay as still as he could, trying not to make any sound that might betray his presence. He didn't know how long he lay there, but after what seemed like hours his mothers sobs receded and she spoke in a raspy, tear thickened voice.

"What am I to do?"

Wade flinched. His mother's voice had sounded so loud in the gathering darkness. His stomach clenched, and he hoped against hope that they hadn't heard him move. They must not have because after a short pause he heard Uncle Colum's calm voice say, "We'll go home as we planned, Scarlett darling. There's nothing happened that can't be remedied."

"Divorced!" his mother's slightly hysterical voice cried. Wade didn't know what a divorce was, but it had to be pretty bad to upset his mother like this. Again he thought he'd never heard her like this except for that horrible night long ago filled with fire, and Yankee soldiers, and fear. He shivered. He'd known even then why his mother had been so upset that night, but now...

"What's done can be undone, Scarlett" he heard Colum say soothingly.

"I should have stayed. I'll never forgive myself."

Whist, now. Should-haves solve nothing. It's the next thing to happen needs thinking about", Colum said in his thick Irish brogue.

"He'll never take me back. Not if his heart's so hard that he'd divorce me. I kept waiting for him to come after me, Colum, I was so sure he would. How could I have been such a fool? You don't know the all of it. I'm pregnant, Colum. How can I have a baby when I don't have a husband?"

Pregnant? His mother was going to have a baby? But what did she mean she didn't have a husband? Wasn't Uncle Rhett mother's husband? Wade didn't understand what his mother was talking about.

"There, there", said Colum quietly. "Doesn't that take care of it? You've only got to tell him."

Wade heard his mother laugh hoarsely before she said quickly, "I want to go right now, Colum. There must be a ship sailing earlier. I'll go crazy waiting."

"We're leaving early Friday, Scarlett darling, and the ship sails Saturday. If we go tomorrow there'll still be a day to fill before the sailing. Wouldn't you rather spend it here?"

"Oh, no, I've got to know I'm going. Even if it's only partway, I'll be heading home to Rhett. Everything's going to work out. I'll make it work out. It's going to be alright... isn't it, Colum? Say that it's going to be alright."

Wade's heart fell. They were going home early. He didn't want to leave; his mother had become so much friendlier here. He liked her much better in Ireland than in America. They were going to see Uncle Rhett. Wade wasn't sure how he felt about that. He missed his Uncle Rhett, but... well, it was just that mother had been much nicer without him around. There wasn't fighting all the time. He wasn't sure if the fighting had been Uncle Rhett's fault or mothers, but he liked how things were now, and would really rather not find out. And, he had begun to wonder about Uncle Rhett's absence. Mother wouldn't answer his and Ella's questions about when they would see Uncle Rhett, and the only thing she would tell them about where he was, is that he was on a business trip. At first Wade had accepted this because Uncle Rhett had gone on business trips before, but as the weeks passed, he had begun to wonder. The last time Uncle Rhett had been gone this long was when he had gone with Bonnie. Wade remembered how sad his mother had seemed then. Maybe Uncle Rhett's extended absence had something to do with why his mother was so upset now.

"That it is, Scarlett darling. You should eat now, at least a cup of milk. With a drop in it, perhaps." Colum said, which reminded Wade that it was indeed supper time, and someone was probably looking for him. He'd have to come up with some story to explain his late arrival. "You need sleep, too. You have to keep up your strength, for the good of the baby."

"Oh yes! I will. I'll take wonderful care of myself. But first I've got to see about my frock and Ella's, and our trunks need repacking. And, Colum, how will we find a carriage to get to the train?" Her voice was rising again. Then Wade heard Uncle Colum get up and pull her to her feet.

"I'll take care of it, with the help of the girls for the trunks. But only if you'll eat something while you see to the frocks."

"Yes! Yes, that's what we'll do." Her voice sounded a bit calmer now, and Wade relaxed just a bit. He'd wait for their footsteps to die away and then make his way back to Uncle Daniel's house. Hopefully in the confusion of preparing for their early departure nobody would notice his tardiness.

End of Flashback

Even now, more than two years later, Wade could remember that day. It had been that conversation that had given him the first inkling of what was truly happening. He could remember looking into his mother's eyes and seeing fear, hope, apprehension, and impatience flickering so quickly from one to the other that it made his head spin. And then, Uncle Colum had told everyone that Uncle Rhett was very sick and that was why they had to return to America so quickly. Wade knew this wasn't true, and though he didn't know why his mother and Uncle Colum were telling everyone this lie, he did know enough not to let on what he knew. He remembered the trip to Gallway, and how silent his mother had been, more silent than he could remember her being since Aunt Melly's death. Wade had been worried about her then, but whenever he would ask if she were alright, his mother would give a strained smile and say she was just anxious to be home.

However, when they had all gone down to the docks to make sure of the arrangements for the ship, and mother had received that letter and fainted, all pretence of her being fine was stripped away. Wade had been so afraid for her. She never fainted, and he couldn't imagine what could have been in that letter that could have caused her so much distress. Uncle Colum had been afraid too. Wade could remember how pale his face looked, almost as pail as mother's. Once they had gotten to the hotel a doctor had come and said that mother would be fine, but later that evening Wade had heard his mother crying again.

The next day his mother had seemed more composed, and had written several letters before going to see Uncle Colum. Wade had thought it rather unusual for her to be writing letters, especially after he had caught a glimpse of one of the addresses. "Why would mother be writing letters to people back home when we are going home tomorrow?" he had thought. He had suspected that it may have all been connected to the letter she had received the previous evening and that word that had upset her so much at great grandmother's, "divorce". He had been worried about her, but he knew that she would never tell him what was truly troubling her, so when she had gone to see Uncle Colum later that morning he had followed her.

Flashback

Wade wanted to know what was upsetting his mother so desperately, and he was curious enough to follow her to Uncle Colum's room. He knew that his mother would not be happy if she knew, and he knew that it was wrong to listen to other people's conversations, but he also knew that he would never find out any other way. Thus, he found himself sneaking along just far enough away that his mother wouldn't hear his footsteps. He also made sure to stay hidden as much as possible lest she look around and discover him.

"Will your collar protect your reputation if I come in?" Wade heard his mother say after Uncle Colum had opened to her knock. "I have things to talk about that are private."

"A thousand welcomes. It's good to see you smiling, Scarlett darling." Uncle Colum said as his mother walked into his room. Uncle Colum shut the door behind them, and Wade knew this would make it much harder for him to hear. He made his way quietly to the door and sat down with an ear pressed to the key hole. In this position he would at least be able to hear snatches of the conversation.

He heard their voices saying something he couldn't understand. He strained his ears trying to catch something, anything to let him know what was going on. Then he heard his mother say, "I'll tell you about these in a minute. First I have to tell you that the children and I are not going with you and Bridie. We're going to stay in Ireland. No, don't say anything. I've thought it through. There's nothing for us in America anymore."

Wade couldn't believe it. They were staying, but like when he had heard they were going home, he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Yes, he liked it in Ireland, but to stay here permanently? To never see Beau or Uncle Ashley again? To never see Uncle Rhett again? He was a little upset with Uncle Rhett at the moment, but not so much that he never wanted to see him again. Wade was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed Colum's next words.

"Ah, no, Scarlett darling, you're being too hasty. Didn't I tell you there's nothing done that can't be undone? You're husband got a divorce once, he'll do it again when you go back and tell him about the baby."

"You're wrong, Colum. Rhett will never divorce Anne. She's his kind, from his people, from Charleston", he heard his mother say. Wade didn't understand. Why would Uncle Rhett need to get another divorce? And who was this Anne? His mother was still talking, but it was so low that Wade couldn't make it out.

"You've got your Tara now, Katie Scarlett, and you've such dreams for it. Won't that comfort you until your heart's healed? You can build the world you want for your children, a grand plantation made by their grandfather and their mother."

"You're not thinking anything I haven't already thought. Thank you, but you can't find an answer if I couldn't, Colum, believe me. The main thing is this baby. I can't go back to Tara to have this baby, I can't take this baby to Tara after it's born. People would never believe it was made in wedlock. They've always thought-in the County and in Atlanta-that I was no better than I should be. And I left Charleston the day after-after the baby was started. No one would ever believe it was Rhett's baby. We slept in separate rooms for years. They'd call me a whore and my baby a bastard, and they'd smack their lips with the pleasure in the calling."

Wade had heard these sorts of words before. He'd heard them quite often in fact when his mother and Uncle Rhett had been fighting. He wasn't completely sure what they meant, but he knew they were horrible names to call someone, and he couldn't believe that anyone would call his mother and his new baby brother or sister such terrible names.

"Not so, Scarlett, not so. Your husband knows the truth. He'll acknowledge the baby."

"Oh, he'd acknowledge it all right, and he'd take it from me. Colum, you can't imagine how Rhett is about babies, his babies. He's like a madman with love. And he's got to own the child, be the best loved, be the all. He'd take the baby soon as it had the first breath in its little body. Don't think he couldn't do it, either. He got the divorce when it couldn't be gotten. He'd change any law or make a new one. There's nothing he can't do." His mother was whispering these words, but her voice was so hoarse that it carried to Wades' ears. She sounded afraid, afraid Uncle Rhett would take the baby. "Well", thought Wade, "he did take Bonnie away for a very long time." It sounded like his mother and Uncle Rhett weren't ever going to be together again if she was afraid he'd take the baby away and she'd never see it again.

Wade didn't hear any more of the conversation. He had made up his mind to find out what was going on, and he had a feeling that the answer could be found in that letter his mother received last night.

He made his way quickly and quietly back to his mother's room. Ella was out with Bridie, so he didn't have to worry about her seeing what he was doing. He stood in the doorway for a moment, considering. Where would his mother have put that letter? His eyes landed on the small desk in the corner where she had sat earlier while writing letters. Perhaps it was in one of the drawers. He walked over to the desk and began searching through the drawers. Pens, paper, envelopes, but he didn't find what he was searching for. Perhaps the nightstand. He quickly glanced over the papers lying on top of it before opening the first drawer.

There it was. Wade picked it up and glanced around. He knew there was nobody in the room, but he couldn't help feeling self-conscious. He should not be doing this, but he had to know. Slowly, careful not to rip anything, he pulled the pages from the envelope. There were several pages in what he recognized as his Aunt Pauline's cramped handwriting. He had just begun to read the first page of this letter, when a newspaper clipping fell from between the pages of the letter. He bent and retrieved it from under the edge of the bed where it had landed and glanced at it. His mouth fell open. How? Why? So many questions were running through his head that he couldn't complete one before a new one began. Then as realization gradually took hold, a hot burning anger began to well up inside him. So this was what had made his mother so upset. Uncle Rhett had married another woman! That must have been why he'd gotten a divorce. It must be something that let's you marry someone else. How could Uncle Rhett do this to his mother? Wade couldn't believe it. It was Uncle Rhett! Everything! The reason his mother was so upset the other night, the reason she fainted last night, the reason she thought everyone would call her and the baby all those horrible names if they went back to America! It was all his fault!

Wades hands were shaking as he pushed the papers roughly back into the envelope, threw it into the drawer, and slammed it. He was breathing hard, and he knew if his mother came back and found him like this she'd know something was wrong. He ran from the room and toward the little hotel garden. He needed to think.

End of Flashback

And he had thought, Wade remembered. He had thought long and hard, and he had come to the conclusion that he hated Rhett Butler for what he had done to his mother. Later that day his mother had told him and Ella that they weren't going back to America. She had tried to make Rhett sound as innocent as possible in the whole thing, only saying that they just couldn't be together anymore. Wade hadn't asked any questions, for he already knew the answers, but he remembered that Ella hadn't understood. He could still remember the pain in his mother's eyes as Ella had asked question after question. When would they see Uncle Rhett again? Why couldn't they go home? Wade had tried his best to quiet her, but he'd had little success. Uncle Colum had tried to help mother answer all of Ella's questions, but Wade knew even with his help, it had been very difficult for her. Then she had told them that she was going to tell everyone she was a widow so that nobody would ask any questions. Wade hadn't understood completely then, but now he knew she had done that for them and for his sister she had been carrying, so they would be able to hold their head up in society. Those horrible words came back to him "whore", "bastard". He clenched his teeth. If he ever heard anyone say those things, he would make sure they could never say that, or anything else again.

His musings were cut off by a high pitched cry "Wade!"

He looked up and saw his baby sister, Cat, running toward him as fast as her short legs would carry her. Ella and his mother were walking leisurely behind her. Wade smiled and got to his knees in preparation for Cat's greeting.

"Wade!" she cried again as she threw herself into his open arms. Wade held her in one arm and began tickling her little tummy, causing her to emit screams of laughter.

"I was thinking we might all take a trip out to the fair", his mother said smiling down at him. "How does that sound?"

"That sounds fine, mother. Will Uncle Colum be coming with us?"

"Yes, we'll need to hire several more men to help with the planting, and we'll need another six plow horses, so Colum has offered to take us and show me around." She said this with a mischievous smile on her face and a glint in her eye. Wade, however, didn't see this because his eyes had been focused on the small giggling face of his youngest sister.

He looked up to her, a bit disappointed, "Is that all we're getting today?"

"Why? Was there something else you were hoping for Wade?"

Now he had a feeling his mother was joking. She knew full well that he had been hoping for a new horse all winter. He felt he was more than ready for a large hunter now, and he had made his feelings on the matter clear to his mother on more than one occasion since Uncle Colum had described a fox hunt to him.

"Mother", piped in Ella, "Wade wants a horse too. He wants to hunt socks."

At this Wade looked irritated at Ella and Scarlett burst into laughter.

"Foxes," said Wade with a sigh. "I want to hunt foxes."

"Oh," Ella said, casting her eyes down.

"Oh, Ella," Scarlett said through her laughter, "don't worry. That was one of the funniest mistakes I've heard in a long time. I'll have to tell Colum that I need to buy Wade a horse for his "socks" hunting."

She collapsed into giggles again and this time Ella joined her. Wade even smiled a bit, but he was in too much of a hurry to get to the fair to let them have too long.

"Well, if you two are quite finished, should we find Uncle Colum and go?"

"Oh Wade," his mother admonished, "have a sense of humor. But, yes, we should get going if we're adding another horse to the list of things to take care of today."

She turned to walk away, and it was only then that Wade noticed what his mother and Ella were wearing. They both had on peasant costumes of brightly colored skirts and blouses.

"Mother," he said in a mock disapproving voice, "no one will think you can even afford a horse in those clothes."

Ella laughed and Scarlett turned and gave him a brilliant smile.