They did stay for Rose's funeral. Wade was withdrawn the entire time and Rhett seeing that Scarlett was losing patience with him, cautioned her one evening against letting her feelings show. "But he is so sullen," she complained.

"He is, I agree. But he has lost his first love and firmly believes that she will be his only. Be patient with him, he'll come around," Rhett assured her.

Scarlett turned her catlike eyes to him. "Did you behave this way when you lost your first love?" she asked in a tone that made him wary.

Sighing, he looked at her with his customary smirk. "I did. I sulked and even cried for weeks."

Scarlett studied his face closely. He was teasing her but she wasn't quite sure what his joke was. "Sounds dreadful," she replied carefully.

"Oh it was. No, I didn't think quickly as you did and turn around and marry someone else. I simply pined after my lost love."

"I…I…" she flustered, suddenly angry.

"Scarlett, we both know Ashley Wilkes was your first love and when he announced his engagement to Miss Melanie, you married her brother in spite."

Scarlett looked at him as if she might argue but then letting out a deep breath, she nodded. "That's true. At least….I thought he was my first love. But it wasn't love, Rhett… it…it was…"

"Infatuation?" he offered.

"Yes," she agreed readily. "And you knew it all along. And I never loved Frank. I was grateful but…I barely even liked him."

"I know, my pet. You were too young to know real love and as the circumstances changed, you were too busy to understand." He watched as sadness clouded her green eyes and regretted the discussion. "But it is different for Wade," he said softly, trying to change the direction. "He did love Rose and he doesn't have to fight to survive as you did. He won't understand your irritation."

Scarlett was fidgeting, her fingers toying with one another as she absorbed his words, her mind replaying those long ago years that felt so wasted now. "Yes, I see…" she said quietly, her tone far away.

Seeing her discomfort, Rhett took her hands in his, lifting first one and then the other to his lips to kiss. "My dear, don't look back; it hurts you too much. You were the belle of the county in those early days, playing the role you had been raised to play. Had the war not come along, no doubt you would have moved past your infatuation with Wilkes and found someone more to your liking, more suited to your temperament."

Scarlett's eyes flashed up at him unexpectedly. "Perhaps, but it wouldn't have been you," she whispered. Then shifting her body, she looked into his eyes with surprise. "All of those things had to happen…I never saw it before. But it did. It had to happen for me to…for us to…to understand."

"Understand what, my dear?"

"That we love one another, that we are meant for each other. Oh don't you see Rhett? IF those things hadn't happened our paths probably would not have ever crossed again. And we wouldn't have become friends…and… oh I was such a fool but now I can see it…understand… I loved you for such a long time but …but those things had to happen for me to understand it. And you loved me too but …"

"Scarlett, before you continue… I loved you and I knew it; I tried to deny it for a long time but I knew it. So it wasn't the same for me. I was enamored with anyone else; there was only you. And once I accepted that I really did love you…so much that it hurt it seemed, once I accepted that, I had to learn patience because it was quite obvious that you didn't feel the same about me. I thought you could, given time but your vision was clouded."

"By Ashley…" she said sadly, not meeting his eyes now.

"Him and... other things, survival for one. Without the war perhaps we might never have met again or maybe we would have found our way sooner. We'll never know. As difficult as it is sometimes, I am happy we did find our way. I was so unsure when I first came back to Atlanta. Those first few visits were agony. I knew you unhappy and I wanted to hold you, to make it all better. But it scared me, so I held back. Just being close to you made me happier and so eventually I began to stay longer. And finally, I saw that you meant all that you said that day Miss Melly died. Finally I began to trust that. As much as I tried to deny it when I left, I did still love you…"

"But you left anyway…" Scarlett said doubtfully.

"I did…because I was tired and didn't have any fight left. And I was a coward. But whether I was far away or in the same room with you, it hurt. So I decided that at least if we were together there was a chance that the hurt might go away."

"And it did?" Scarlett asked, her eyes abruptly fixing on his.

"Yes, my pet. It did. I know…I trust now that you do love me; that we aren't trapped in some grotesque game that neither will win. And I am happy."

Scarlett's eyes began to glisten. "Oh Rhett, I am happy too…so very, very happy. But what about you? What about your first love? DO you still wish…I mean, are you still…"

Chuckling, Rhett gathered her into his arms. "My dear, I was eight and quite infatuated with Laura Miller, the daughter of my father's lawyer. She was seven, had bright golden hair and sparkling blue eyes and no front teeth. And when she made it known that she would have nothing to do with me it broke my heart. It was the worst month of my young life until the circus arrived and my attentions were diverted elsewhere."

"Oh Rhett, I'm so sorry," Scarlett scoffed. "How can I make it up to you?"

"Oh I'm certain you can find a way, my pet," he teased just as her lips connected with his. She spent the next couple hours making him forget all about Laura Miller.

Rhett and Scarlett left Charleston the next week. It saddened Rhett to see the destruction to the beautiful city where he grew up. Scarlett simply was tired of seeing destruction. As they left the city, they also left the destruction of the early years of their marriage behind once and for all.

Wade decided to return to Atlanta, where he stayed with his Uncle Ashley and Cousin Beau and learned to run the mills that his mother had started. Eventually he met another young lady and two years after the Charleston earthquake, Scarlett and Rhett interrupted their travels to attend his wedding.

Once Wade and his new bride, Margaret, left on their honeymoon Scarlett and Rhett returned to their hotel room.

"It was a beautiful wedding," Scarlett said happily. "And Wade looked so happy."

"He did," Rhett agreed. "And very proud; his new bride is quite beautiful."

"She is," Scarlett agreed. "Although, I still can't recall her family. I chatted for quite a long time with her mother and I thought I knew all the families in Clay County but I just don't recall them."

"Maybe they moved in after you had come to Atlanta?"

"Perhaps," Scarlett said absently as she began to remove the hairpins from her hair, in preparation for bed.

Rhett watched her appreciatively. "Does it matter?" he asked, distractedly.

"Not really," she conceded, smiling inwardly at his distraction because she knew the reason. Suddenly feeling playful, she methodically went about her preparations, making certain that Rhett was given a show. By the time she crawled under the covers of their bed, she was warm with anticipation.

Rhett took her into his arms immediately. "That was quite the little display, my dear," he whispered as he nuzzled her ear.

"Mmmm…."

"Dare I hope that you'll favor me tonight?" he teased.

Turning to him, Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh Rhett, you know that after all these years, you still have the ability to send tremors through me like no one ever has."

"Really?" he replied with mock surprise.

"Please Rhett…"

A satisfied smirk widened Rhett Butler's mouth as he very thoroughly began to make her world quake.

And this is my ending. I apologize if it disappoints but my heart just isn't in it. Too much else is happening and too many other stories are writing themselves in my head for me to keep struggling here. There were many wonderful suggestions offered in your comments and if anyone else would like to take up this thread and play with the suggestions, you have my permission. Just please let me know that you are doing that so I can follow and see what you do with it. I'm nosy like that.

I do really, really appreciate all the kind and supportive words from each of you. They have been a boost in some dark days. Thank you!