Chapter 1

Nassau, Bahamas
Scarlett's mind drifted back to earlier that week. The weather had been beautiful the past few days. The ocean had been flat, the sky blue and the air had an almost cool breeze to it. She and Rhett had sat on the porch many evenings after dinner watching the sun set from their little cottage and rocked on the porch swing. Wade asleep for the night as soon as his head hit his pillow after a long day of running, swimming and digging in the sand. Rhett would sit on the porch with her and have an evening cigar while entertaining Scarlett with stories of his reckless youth. The three of them had been living in the cottage for the past several months and this is where they planned to bring their baby into the world. No servants, and no cook, but people in and out during the day to make sure all their needs were attended to. There was a doctor and midwife that had come highly recommended in Nassau that would come to them when it was time. Rhett insisted on only the best for her and Scarlett had insisted she not be confined to a hotel room, so they had both happily agreed on the cottage. They loved every minute of being there, and had the entire small island to themselves. Each day was an adventure. Scarlett had never seen water so blue and Rhett had even taught timid Wade to swim. As she would sit on the porch in one of Rhett's buttoned down dress shirts, her feet propped up on the coffee table, she could see them splashing and playing. Rhett's golden bronze skin glistened in the sun and young Wade was even developing a tan and tried to copy everything his stepfather did.
Their plans had changed yesterday when Rhett got word of an approaching Tropical Storm, or even possibly, a Hurricane! Worried about the safely of the small cottage and high winds Rhett had thought it best to move a very pregnant Scarlett, himself, and Wade onto his ship that had brought them to the Bahamas where they would ride the storm out along with his crew. They took what few belongings they had, ordered the ship to be stocked with food, and water, and met it at the dock on the main island of Nassau across from where their cottage was.
As Scarlett lay in bed the ship rocked against the dock and the wind whipped outside. Her pains had started earlier that morning, but she wasn't yet ready to tell him. She could hear Rhett in the adjacent room talking to his men and making plans for securing the boat in the coming storm.
The cramps were still dull and far apart, but she couldn't ignore them. She knew this baby was coming and it couldn't have been at a worse time. She thought she'd had at least 2-3 more weeks, but babies seldom come at a convenient time Scarlett thought to herself. She wasn't ready to do this. She knew that much, and emotionally she still hadn't healed. She closed her eyes and covered her stomach with her hands and thought of Melly. It hadn't even been a year since that horrible night, that horrible week, when Scarlett's life came crashing down around her and Rhett was the only one to pick her up.

11 months before
Atlanta, Georgia
When she saw Big Sam and the boys marching though the streets of Atlanta, Scarlett never imagined the news he'd deliver. Scarlett's mother and sisters had taken sick with the typhoid and died within days of each other. Her father, Gerald had taken the news so hard that with a bottle of whiskey in hand he had joined the Home Guard and headed off to war with Mr. Wilkes and the other men from the county. Never expecting to return to the land he loved, and in Mr. O'Hara's case hoping not to return he didn't even bother to write his favorite daughter and bid her goodbye. After hearing this news Scarlett returned to Aunt Pitty's house and collapsed in Melanie's arms. She was devastated. How many times had Mother asked her to come to Tara with Wade and how many times had Scarlett thought of an excuse not to go? What she would give for just one more week at Tara with Ellen. Just one more week! "All of this time wasted pining for Ashley", thought Scarlett to herself. Ashley, whose boring letters to Melanie she so faithfully read. Ashley, who complained about the politics of war, but did what was expected of him because he was a gentleman. Ashley, who could have had her if he'd truly wanted her. Ashley, who really did love Melanie and not her. Ashley, who Scarlett realized was a character she'd invented in her mind to ease her feelings of rejection and not the man she'd really made him out to be. It was with this realization that Scarlett came to see the friend she really had in Melly. She didn't remain in Atlanta in Pitty Pat's stuffy old house in hopes of word from Ashley. What kept her there was that for the first time in Scarlett's short life she had a real friend in another woman. While maybe she couldn't tell Melanie everything, she knew that Melanie wouldn't judge her and was the closest relative Wade had after his mother- especially now. If there was someone she could tell everything to it was Rhett Butler. As infuriating as the man was he could read her like a book and Wade adored him. During the beginning of the war Rhett's visits were frequent and Scarlett came to enjoy his company, but after the loss of her family she found a kindness and warmth in him he'd rarely shown her. He'd come to visit her daily that horrible week when she couldn't pull herself out of bed in the morning and Melanie was about to deliver. As she'd stumble down the stairs in a daze in the mornings she would find him reading to Wade on the porch or pushing him on the swing out back. He gave her time to grieve, and gave Melanie a break from babysitting to rest which was what both women needed.

Melanie at this point was so heavy with child that she wasn't much help and as Pitty and Uncle Peter fled to Macon that week it was Scarlett who stayed behind to help bring Ashley's child into the world. Scarlett was confident with Prissy and Dr. Meade's help they would be fine. Although she was nervous, she had been through childbirth before, Prissy claimed to be a midwife and Dr. Meade was right down the street. Scarlett and Melly decided to stay behind and would flee to Macon with Dr. Meade after she delivered and Dr. Meade was relieved of his duties at the hospital. There he would meet Mrs. Meade in Macon and Scarlett would leave Melanie with her Burr cousins. Where Scarlett would go after that she couldn't quite process yet. Rhett roared it was crazy and they should leave now with the Yankees so close to Atlanta, but Scarlett as stubborn as ever, couldn't be persuaded and Rhett didn't want to push.