Twist of the movie and book: Though I haven’t read the book, I’ve certainly read enough fanfiction to know some of the differences. But please tell me if I’m wrong. Ashley has something to do with the reason why Scarlett does not want more children with Rhett (book?).
So my twist is: Starts when Rhett joins Scarlett in her bedroom (in movie Scarlett tells Rhett she doesn’t want anymore children), and Ashley and Scarlett had their conversation of the past during the day leaving Scarlett confused (nothing about no more children, and no India spreading rumors)
Authors Note: I got this idea when reading a conversation on a GWTW board about Scarlett’s strength, however we all need to lean on somebody sometime. This is only going to be a one parter, because I don’t want it to be a cliché fanfic, I want to keep it more unique and original.
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Hearing from Mammy how Scarlett wished to receive her evening meal in her room, Rhett hoped she wouldn’t mind his company, for he too would rather have a small private dinner apposed to their separate suppers at the formal dinning table. As he climbed the long staircase his spirits soared at the idea of having an hour alone with his wife, time they had not shared since Bonnie was born. He had been busy at the bank and spoiling Bonnie, he did not want to admit to avoiding Scarlett, but if he was honest with himself he did not want his wife to blemish the fun he was having being a new father. Bonnie was everything Scarlett wouldn’t let him be, but Rhett was missing his wife.
“I got your message, I’ll have my supper up her too.” He kisses the side of her neck, and breaths in the deep scent of lemon soap. “No objections to that I hope?” He questions upon seeing her confused gaze in the looking glass.
“No…Yes…I…I’m, I don’t care where you have your supper.” She rose from her vanity and walked towards the window to look out on the town she once loved to visit, but now only saw fresh lumber and paint. “Rhett?”
“Yes?”
“You see…Well… remember how you promised our marriage would be fun?”
“I do.”
“Then take me away. We can go to Mexico or London.” She said not turning away from the window.
Remembering he told her of these places during the war and how she refused to go with him then, he wondered why she changed her mind. He rose from his own seat at the vanity and walked towards his wife. Taking a step forward he heard and felt something breaking under his foot. Where he normal stepped on a deep fur rug, he saw he was stepping on a picture of a young Ashley Wilkes. Assuming this had something to do with Scarlett’s comment he immediately put his guard up. “What about your children? Do you just want to leave them here while we go gallivanting around the world? Leave Bonnie with Mammy, when she isn’t even two months old yet?”
Scarlett turned to Rhett and said with out a doubt in her mind, “No, of course not. They would go with us, get away from Georgia and the past this town holds.”
Seeing the honesty in her eyes, he almost forgot about the picture he stepped on not thirty seconds ago. “What happened today, Scarlett? Why this sudden desire to leave your home?” Rhett asked holding her chin up so she was forced to look him in the eyes.
“I…I finally have enough money so Tara is never taken away from me, but as long as I stay in Atlanta I will never feel…” She was hardly honest with herself let alone with Rhett, and now as Scarlett was trying to convey her true feelings the words would not leave her lips.
Rhett’s nerves were strung tight, he was confused by his wife’s words but he knew that this was a moment in their relationship that could strengthen or break them. So, he waited patiently as Scarlett turned from him to look towards the walls of her bedroom before taking a deep breath and continuing her reasoning behind wanting to leave the first stable home she had since the war.
“I want to leave the past, I think….I know that I’m not the same southern belle anymore, and yet I’m not…I don’t know….I need to…oh that stupid war.” Scarlett said in frustration. She tore her eyes from the wall she had been staring at in hopes it would focus her thoughts for her, but she was more confused than a sparrow during a winter storm. Thinking about her lost childhood, Scarlett started walking around her room, picking up and putting down objects that seemed to be out of place, hoping something would trigger the bottled up feelings she had been thinking about since talking to Ashley early in the day.
“Scarlett what are you trying to say?” Rhett remained seated hoping her moving about the room would help her center her thoughts. It was not her typical reaction to confusion. She usually had everything planned out before the problem was completely revealed. And seeing her like this had him more concerned about what could have happened to break her of her inner strength.
“We need to get away, as a family, we can go anywhere, Mammy will probably fuse but she can come too or she can stay.” She walked towards him as she said this and stopped directly in front of him. “We can go to New Orleans, like on our honeymoon, or you can show the children places in the West, or visit your mother in Charleston.” She turned pleading green eyes upon her husband. “Please, just take me away.”
Seeing how honest her need to get away from Atlanta was, he was ready to send a runner to buy train tickets immediately. However he needed more than her honesty, he needed to know the truth. “Scarlett we can leave tomorrow if you like, but you have to tell me what happened today?”
“I don’t want to talk about.” She said turning away from him again and brushing off the subject like she usually brushes off troublesome situations.
“Then we can’t leave.” Rhett stood to leave, while Scarlett turned and stared at him in fear.
“Why not?” He could tell she was surprised he was refusing her plead, and scarred that he would learn what was truly behind her sudden desire to leave Georgia.
“You’ve been to the lumber offices today, haven’t you?”
“What does that have to do with it?” Scarlett said in such a way Rhett was sure he was dealing with the normal collected Scarlett he was married too.
“Does this have to do with your precious Ashley?” Rhett said looking his wife in the eye, daring her to give him an honest answer. He just didn’t know which one would hurt more.
She did not let her eyes waver from her husbands as she thought of his question and how to word her response. “Yes.” Scarlett said honestly, however seeing Rhett for once showing his anger she knew she had no choice but to quickly continued and tell him what was behind her need to leave her home, family and friends. “Ashley was talking about the past, and I…I don’t want to remember.” She said as a tear went down her cheek. Rhett reached for her elbow in comfort but refrained from doing or saying anything else. She took a deep breath and continued, “I went from being a southern belle to being a penniless widow overnight, I struggled, fought, and cheated to get everything back I thought would set my family right again. I was stronger than both my parents and fought not only through two armies, but with the carpetbaggers. And I should be happy, but I’m not happy, and I so want to be happy again.” Scarlett was crying like she had never cried before. This wasn’t about getting something she wanted, either a reaction or a gift, this was about her finally realizing that her childhood was lost, she survived terrible conditions, and she could finally stop working and thinking constantly to keep everything she worked towards earning, in all respect she could finally relax.
“And you think leaving will make you happy? Why don’t you just go visit Tara?” Rhett had never seen Scarlett cry like this before. Her tears were finally from her heart, and not her conniving mind. However, she had tricked him so many times in the past about needing him, he wanted, no needed, to be sure she finally needed him, not his money, just him.
Scarlett thought about Rhett’s suggestion, “No Tara won’t work, we need to go, get away from this place, get away from the past.”
Rhett took Scarlett in his arms and forced her to be face to face with him. “Scarlett for once in your life be honest with me, why do you want me to take you way from Georgia?” Her story so far seemed valid, but he could tell she was still keeping something from him.
Scarlett did not back down from his blazing challenging eyes, “I need to grow up.”
This shocked Rhett enough that he dropped his arms from her and took a step back.
“I went from being a sixteen year old not caring about anything other than how many beaus would eat around me during the barbeque, to running a ruined plantation. I took over Frank’s store in order to keep Tara afloat and food on the table. I have had three husbands, three children, and yet have had no time to do anything but work.” Seeing Rhett was finally realizing the truth behind her words, Scarlett took the time to make her request again. “Take me away from here, I’m tired of having to be so strong.”
Rhett pulled his wife into his arms and held her has tight as he could. “You don’t have to be strong anymore. I’m here to be strong enough for the both of us.” Scarlett crumbed into his arms, letting him for once be all the strength she needed to stay standing, to stay living.