Author's note: The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I just had writer's block. I couldn't decide if I wanted them to make up or if Rhett should leave Scarlett and Bonnie…so you'll just have to read and find out what I decided.

Chapter 33: A Decent Proposal

Mammy entered Scarlett's room the next morning and was not surprised to find Captain Butler missing. She had heard their fight the night before. In fact, the whole house had heard the slamming door and the two yelling at each other. Shaking her head she shuffled over to the bed and collected Bonnie out of her mother's sleeping arms and carried her to the nursery across the hall, muttering to herself about her poor, poor lamb as she went.

Next, she went downstairs and "accidentally" let the door to Mr. O'Hara's office bang against the wall as she opened it. Rhett almost fell of the small couch he had folded himself onto.

"Cap'in Butler!" Mammy exclaimed much too loudly. "I's didn' know you was in here." She practically shouted as she waddled over to draw the curtains open.

Rhett grumbled incoherently and tried to burry his head in the couch. The empty whisky bottle still sat on the table beside him and Mammy shuffled over to it, and then knocked it to the ground in a mock attempt to tidy the office. "Awww….I's sorry Capi'n Butler." Mammy bent over to pick the bottle up off the floor and taking a step closer to it kicked the bottle into the table leg with a loud 'clunk.'

Rhett put his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out Mammy's antics.

"Stupi' li'l boddle – where's you at?" she practically shouted as she heaved herself down onto her hands and knees. Forcing a shoulder into the table she knocked it over with a loud bang.

Bolting upright Rhett glared at Mammy's oversized backend bulging out from under the couch. "Mammy!" he shouted, blistering his own ears. "If you don't get out of this office right now –" he growled.

Unscathed by his shouting, but smart enough to know when to stop, Mammy fumbled to her feet and waddled out the door, slamming it closed behind her for good measure.

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Scarlett rolled over trying to hide her head under her pillow, not shielded enough from the cruel sun she rolled over to hide in Rhett's shadow. Suddenly, as if hit over the head with a hammer Scarlett remembered the night before. Her heart stopped suddenly then began at a rapid pace. She bolted up in bed and her eyes flew to the spot where she had held Bonnie the night before. The bottom fell out of her stomach and she felt instantly sick to find her baby missing. Panicking, she scrambled out of bed and ran on bare feet around her room frantically, half afraid she would find that Bonnie had fallen off the bed in the middle of the night – half afraid that she hadn't. Her heart beat franticly.

Finding no sign of her child, Scarlett scurried out the door and looked down the hall for any sight of Bonnie. Clad only in her cotton nightgown Scarlett clamored through the nursery doorway. She caught the barest of glimpses of a startled Melanie, rocking with Beau in a corner.

Scarlett did not stop in her quest and ran over to Bonnie's crib. There, lying on her brand new blue comforter was her baby. Scarlett felt her entire body relax and her heart hurt after racing so fast. She left out a quivering breath and collected a gurgling Bonnie into her arms. She held her close in an iron grip and the baby started squirming and fussing for being held to tightly.

"Scarlett darling, are you alright?" Melanie asked quietly from across the room.

Scarlett turned around slowly and tried to steady her breathing. She felt suddenly very faint and leaned back against Bonnie's cradle and closed her eyes until the room stopped spinning. "I was just glad Rhett hadn't left with Bonnie yet," she said aloofly.

Melanie stood from the chair and placed Beau in his own bed. "Captain Butler is going on a trip?" she asked, trying to hide her surprise.

"Yes, he's taking Bonnie to Charleston to see her grandmother." She said, now recovered.

"But my dear…aren't you going too?"

Scarlett busied herself with the baby and avoided looking at Melanie. "No, I need to stay here and take care of Tara."

"Scarlett, darling," Melanie said with laughter in her voice, "there's no need for you to stay! We will be fine for a few weeks without you!" she assured.

"No, I couldn't possibly leave all this behind. There is so much to do! Ashley needs my help!"

Melanie put her arm on Scarlett's and spoke to her softly, "My dear, I know how hard you've fought to keep everything together here at Tara, but you need to fight just as hard to keep your marriage together."

"Oh fiddle-de-dee Melanie O'Hara! If a few weeks apart won't hurt Tara then it won't hurt my marriage either." And with that she whisked out of the room, taking Bonnie with her.

She dressed quickly, only laying Bonnie down for a moment before snatching her up again in her arms. She went about her work, pretending as if nothing were different. She was sitting in Ellen's office with Bonnie sleeping peacefully in a basanet beside her when Rhett found her. Freshly shaven and dressed in a perfectly tailored suit he looked no worse for wear after his night on the couch. He casually entered the room and watching him like a hawk.

"If you've come to take Bonnie away I'll kill you before you get here out of this house!" she bit off before he had even closed the door.

Rhett remained silent for a moment as he took a seat in front of the desk. Scarlett prickled at his calm reaction to her.

Finally he spoke, "I've decided not to take Bonnie along with me. I supposed any mother is better than none at all."

Scarlett relaxed visibly, but remained silent, her eyes slanted, she was readying for a fight.

"That is, of course, unless her mother would like to accompany me."

"You know very well I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh yes you are, you're gong with me," he told her with a self-assured smile as he stood from his seat.

"You? You! I won't go with you." She stood up as he began to come toward her.

"Did you ever think of letting the world get along without you? If only for a few months?" he asked her teasingly. He baked her up against a wall and stood only a breath away, but he did not touch her.

"Get along without me? Why I'd probably come home to find the taxes unpaid and the fields unplowed!" she exclaimed, trying to ignore his proximity. Rhett laughed deeply, apparently amused with her. "Oh hush up! You know it's true!" she whispered peevishly, annoyed that he was effecting her.

"Scarlett, darling, I don't think even your wooden headed brother is that incapable." At some point he had put his arm around her waist and she was pressed up against the full length of his body.

"You're a fool Rhett Butler when you know I shall never let you win!" she said a little louder than necessary.

"Stop it! You hear me Scarlett? Stop it. No more of that talk." Rhett leaned down and claimed her mouth with a possessiveness that made her knees instantly buckle and she dug her fingers into his arms. She tried not to kiss him, but he forced his way into her heart as well as her mouth. In only a scarce moment she was wrapping her arms around his neck and enjoying the warmth that spread all along her body. Her heart fluttered, her toes curled and her hair stood on end. Every inch of her was Rhett's for the taking.

"Say you'll go with me. Say 'yes.'" He commanded.

"Yes," Scarlett whimpered, not even opening her eyes, but poised for him to kiss her again.

He smiled broadly and leaned down to kiss her again, but stopped himself, "are you sure you meant it? You don't wan to take it back?"

"No," she said quickly then closed her eyes; her face begging him to kiss her again.

"Good." He said before finally obliging her.