Note: Well here is my new story! I started it four years ago but completely forgot about it until I found it on an old disk with dozens of my old fanfics. I find I like writing more about Scarlett and Rhett before they married, so I'm not sure if I will continue that much with this story. It isn't as dramatic as Living Another Day or as in depth as Love In Tara. And I am so busy with school and working on a GWTW sequel too. But please enjoy and please review.

An Overdue Encounter

February 1873

Rhett couldn't believe it. Scarlett O'Hara was down stairs waiting for him. How long had it been since he had last seen her? It had to have been at least ten years. He never forgot her. But then again, how could he? She was so young and naïve. She had the whole world in her grasp. She was the first respectable woman that had ever cared for him completely. But he had destroyed her trust when he had left her.

It had taken him two years to bed her. Longer than any woman he had ever pursued. The next morning he had left her. He should have stayed and made sure she wasn't pregnant; it would have been the gentlemanly thing to do, but then again he wasn't a gentleman. He had never pretended to be, during their brief affair, if one could call it that. Scarlett had known what she was getting herself into. Yet, when he had left her, his conscience had plagued him.

Rhett gazed in the mirror as he expertly tightened his silk cravat and straightened his vest one last time. He confidently strode down the long flight of stairs of the hotel. It was bustling here with people from the fast-paced city. He did enjoy it here and always stayed at this hotel. It was the best New York had to offer and if there was one thing he got, it was always the best.

He couldn't believe Scarlett had found him here. He was in New York on business and no one else had his address besides his mother. But if he knew anything about Scarlett, he knew her charm and determination. Rhett chucked lightly as he descended the last few steps.

He saw her immediately. She stood out from the whole crowd of people. She had the same air of confidence, though he could see a brief flicker of worry in her green eyes. She wasn't the same spoiled southern belle that he had last seen; she was a breathtaking woman. Her hair was pulled away from her beautiful face and she wore a green taffeta dress with a full bustle. The dress outlined her shapely legs and abdomen as it enhanced her eyes. She was no longer a young girl.

Scarlett instantly caught sight of Rhett and gave him a nervous smile as she walked over to him. Rhett followed suit, soon they were standing only inches apart as Rhett grinned down at her. Scarlett nervously laughed.

"Hello, Rhett. You sure are looking dapper. I thought I would never find you. Well… you do stand out of the crowd, I can spot you a mile away."

"As I can spot you," Rhett replied as he offered his arm. Scarlett timidly placed her arm in his as they strolled to the dining room. Scarlett and Rhett took their seats and ordered two cups of tea. After the waiter left, Rhett turned to Scarlett with a questioning look.

"I'm surprised you're here in New York, Scarlett. I thought this was the last place you would ever be."

She nervously toyed with her napkin as she stared at Rhett. She finally smiled again as she set her napkin down and placed her hands on her lap. "Well, I like New York just as much as any city. Besides I'm here visiting Melly."

"Melanie Wilkes?"

"Yes, her and Ashley. They moved over here…oh, about six years ago. Ashley took a job at the bank," Scarlett added, noticing Rhett's confusion.

"Ah, so your lover is here in the same city," he taunted her as he had always done. But Scarlett seemed indifferent to his words.

"How you do run on Rhett… Ashley isn't my lover, or has ever been. Oh, I do admit I fantasized over him a number of times but he and Melly belong together. Ashley is one of my dearest friends, as Melly is. I would never do anything to dishonor them."

Rhett stared at her with a mix of disbelief and shock. But he quickly recovered as he spoke, "Scarlett, I haven't seen you in ten years and now all of a sudden you show up at my hotel. I'm curious as to know why. As I recall the last time we saw each other we weren't on good terms."

Scarlett wryly laughed. "We were never on good terms Rhett, as I recall. That was ages ago and believe it or not, once I heard you were in New York I couldn't wait to come and see you. And to see what you have done in the last ten years."

Rhett chuckled. "Nothing interesting or worth hearing. What about you Scarlett? Has there been new husbands or a passle of children? Are you a millionaire yet?"

Scarlett toyed with her napkin again as she nervously sighed. She finally met Rhett's gaze and smiled. "That's partly what I wanted to speak to you about Rhett, but later. Well I'm almost a millionaire, not quite. I bought a mill after I married Frank…"

"Old whisker faced Kennedy?"

"Yes, old whisker faced Kennedy," Scarlett replied with a look of annoyance. "Frank wasn't a good business man. If I hadn't of went in the mill business we would have starved! But I'm not complaining, I make money and the mills are good."

"The mills? You may be over ambitious but I never would have thought of you as a type of girl to run mills." Rhett paused as the waiter brought the tea. Finally he spoke again, "Are you in debt, my pet?" Though Rhett was teasing Scarlett could still hear concern in his voice.

"No… Not now anyway. But during the war I was. I didn't know how our next meal was coming or who would come next. Those were terrible days. But now I have enough money, that the… no one could take Tara away from me."

"Yes I can see that," Rhett replied taking in her flashy appearance. No one could hold a candle to her. "So Scarlett, tell me how you had come to marry old whiskered faced Kennedy."

"Don't be rude. I don't ask of your private affairs and you shouldn't ask about mine. Anyhow that's not why I'm here." Scarlett took a sip of tea, the same look of worry appeared in her eyes as she rubbed her temples.

"Yes?" Rhett prompted. Scarlett only looked at him with increasing annoyance.

"Can we go some place private?"

"My room?" Rhett asked with a smirk.

"Don't be crude, Rhett. Lets go for a walk and then I'll talk to you. And please refrain from all of your jokes; they're making me nervous." She rose from her seat and threw her napkin on the table as Rhett paid the waiter. He retrieved Scarlett's coat and his hat.

The night chill was already setting in as the sky darkened. Scarlett instinctively moved closer to Rhett's body for warmth as the made their way down the dark street to a park. They soon found a small bench and sat down as they stared at the night sky. Finally Rhett turned to Scarlett.

"You have me at your disposal my pet. What was so important that you wanted to speak to me about?"

Scarlett only ignored his question as she gazed out into the night sky. Finally she asked, "Are you happy, Rhett?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked.

"I was only asking. I have thought often of you and… and I was just curious is all. Are you still the same dashing, unmarried blockade runner, you once were during the war?"

"Well, my pet, I don't know about dashing. I suppose some can say I'm handsome in a healthy sort of way. The blockade runs are over for me. And to answer your unladylike question, no, I'm still not a marrying man." Rhett chuckled lightly as he carelessly leaned back on the bench, into a more comfortable position.

"How about you, Scarlett? How many children do you have and how many husbands? You couldn't have stayed single all this time."

"Oh! I couldn't could I?" she challenged.

"It remains to be unseen. Can you honestly tell me that you kissed a man only yesterday, Scarlett? I won't believe it."

"Believe what ever you like."

"No you didn't." Rhett said. Ignoring her earlier comment he continued, "If you kissed a man recently, you would be blushing as red as the red earth your huge monastery sits on. But of course, I might be too over presumptuous."

"You are!" She felt her cheeks glowing hot with anger and indignation, nevertheless she continued, "I can see you're just as rude as ever! I don't even know why I came to see you! You'll always be a black-hearted varmint, Rhett Butler! I won't sit here and be insulted!"

She rose to leave but as she noticed Rhett's dancing black eyes, she knew that he had only wanted a rise out of her and he had just what he had wanted. She hadn't realized how much she had enjoyed their constant bickering and his company.

In spite of herself, she fell back on the bench as she broke out in laughter. Rhett followed suit as Scarlett leaned on him, laughing uncontrollably. As their laughter ceased, she leaned back on the bench again with a sigh. Rhett only watched her with raised brows and a smirk on his face.

"Well, my pet. I see you haven't lost your temper. But it seems you have grown up a bit, since our last meeting."

"Well, you need to grow up when left with nothing but three small children, a house full of people and hardly not enough food to keep body and soul together." Scarlett retorted, hoping Rhett wouldn't ask her other questions she wished not to answer.

"Three children?" Rhett asked with a laugh.

Scarlett's mind raced. He's not supposed to know, not yet. She made herself calm down as she calmly replied, "Melanie's son Beau, Wade and that Prissy is just like a child." Thank heaven's Melanie had a son, Scarlett thankfully thought as she waited for Rhett's reaction.

"Melanie Wilkes?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course. She had him the night Sherman came… Soon after that we left for Tara. He lives in Atlanta at Tara with us. Ashley and Melly wanted him to be close to his family and of course he comes to New York part of the year."

"Who is us?"

"Will, Sue, their children and my children." Scarlett blinked back tears. Thank heavens it was dark, Rhett would only laugh and torment her if he were to notice… She couldn't tell him that her parents were gone. Hopefully he wouldn't notice that they weren't in the list.

But Rhett had a very quick, observant mind. He had noticed her parents weren't mentioned and had heard the torment in her voice.

"What about your parents?" He asked.

"They are dead," She simply answered. Not wanting him to advance future on the subject. It would be too much for her to bear. It would be yet another endless conversation. She remembered the pain of telling each person in Atlanta and every time they had asked it made it truer.

"I'm sorry, Scarlett. How did it happen?" Rhett inquired.

"Mother died of typhoid and pa… he- he fell off his horse," Scarlett answered wishing they didn't have to dwell on the subject. Rhett obviously noticed her discomfort as he inquired about Frank.

"And what about, Frank?"

Scarlett felt her pulse quicken as she nervously laughed. "Well, what about him?"

"Shouldn't he be here with you?" Rhett smugly asked. Scarlett only glared at him.

"No. He's dead. He died of typhoid shortly after our daughter was born."

Rhett seemed genuinely sorry, yet there was mocking laughter in his dark eyes. "Well, it must be awful for you then to be widowed twice. Third time is the charm. You need to marry a man, Scarlett. Not some boy or a man old enough to be your father… Try a husband the right age and you'll be surprised that you'll benefit immensely. Unless that is you married a third time?"

"No! Rhett, if you are going to be rude, I don't see much point to this conversation!"

"All right then, since you are so touchy about that subject let's talk about your wonderful children."

That gathered Scarlett's attention completely. She became tense and less cheerful. Rhett noticed the change in her demeanor but didn't say anything; he only waited for her to speak.

"Well, there is Wade of course. He is twelve now and almost taller then me. There is also Ella and Katie."

"Three children? I never knew you were such a motherly figure, Scarlett." Rhett taunted her.

"I wasn't! But now I am!"

"I'm sorry, Scarlett. I didn't mean it as an insult. You can't blame me can you? When I was in Atlanta you didn't give your son a time in the day."

"I know. I wish I could change all that, but I guess it doesn't matter now…" She had to tell him. Scarlett nervously toyed with her sleeve before finding enough courage to look up. Rhett's dark eyes didn't ever show any expression of pain or anger, very rarely anger. They were always so mocking. She briefly wondered if Rhett had ever cried. Had he ever lost anything that pained him to think about? She didn't think so. But Rhett wasn't apart of her life now; it shouldn't matter to her but it did.

"Rhett…" she trailed off, not sure how to begin.

"Yes?"

"Well, you see, Katie isn't Frank's child." She finally blurted out. Scarlett looked up to Rhett's unreadable eyes and found the courage to begin. "she's yours."

Scarlett quickly looked down at her lap, finding herself not able to look into Rhett's eyes or face him. In an instant she felt Rhett's steel like grip on her forearms as she was roughly turned to face him.

"What did you say?" He savagely asked. Anger flickered in his eyes as if they were two dark pools. Scarlett quickly looked away not wanting to see the anger and hostility in his eyes.

"I had your child nine years ago," Scarlett bluntly answered, barley breathing as she waited for Rhett's reaction.

Rhett's grip only tightened. Scarlett cried out in pain as he roughly pulled her off of the bench until she was only a mere inch away from his face. She felt Rhett's warm breath fanning her face; she closed her eyes quickly as tears welled up in her eyes. She wouldn't let him see her cry. But Rhett only shook her until she opened her eyes.

"Damn you! What do you want now? Money? What game are you trying to play, Scarlett? Did you think I was as stupid as one of your country beaus, to play father to a child that isn't even mine? You play hard," He concluded with a bitter chuckle, causing shivers to run up Scarlett's spine.

She roughly pulled away from his grip and slapped him across the face with all of her force. The slap seemed to echo through out the whole park as if she had hit him with a whip.

"She is your child! But you are too yellow to admit it! Perhaps you don't remember that May evening on Aunt Pitty's porch! Well, I certainly do!" Scarlett's chest heaved with anger as she glared at him with contempt.

Rhett's mind wandered back to all those years ago, during the war. Yes, he certainly remembered. He would never forget that warm May evening in 63'. That was the first time he had bedded Scarlett O'Hara and his only time. Like a coward he had run. He couldn't have faced her; his guilt was too great.

"And now you decide to tell me ten years later? How chivalrous of you my dear." Scarlett visibly flinched.

"And if you had a decent bone in your body, Rhett Butler, you would have at least stayed or had enough courage to ask me if I were with your child!"

"Touché, my dear. And now what do you expect me to do? Go running back to Atlanta so we can be a happy family?" Rhett asked with a bitter chuckle.

"I don't expect you to do a thing, Rhett Butler! Not for my family or for me but for our daughter. She will be nine years old in a week and has a right to know her father. It's your decision Rhett, if you choose to come or not." Swiftly Scarlett grabbed a pen from her purse and quickly jotted down the Wilkes's address.

She quickly handed it to him, making sure their fingers didn't come in contact with one another. "I'm staying at Melly's. She and I are leaving on the twelve o'clock train tomorrow. You can meet us at the depot if you decide to come or you can meet me at Melly's and we can leave together."

Scarlett stared at Rhett briefly a moment before grabbing her purse quickly. "Goodbye, Rhett," she finally said as she turned to leave.

Rhett watched Scarlett until her small figure became only a faint shadowy outline in the night. His thoughts plagued him until he reached the hotel where he fell into a restless sleep…

TBC