This final chapter was co-written by sohhkb and PrincessAlica.

"You love me," he breathed when he let her go.

"No," said Scarlett vehemently. "I love someone else, you know I do." But there was a hollowness in her voice for the words she had spoken were not true. She did not love anyone else. She had never known such love as the love she had for Rhett.

She stood awkwardly, momentarily unbalanced as she pushed against his body. And she stumbled away from him, trying without success to bring her breathing back to normal.

"You love me," repeated Rhett more firmly as he reached to grasp her wrist. He gripped her arm so tightly it turned blue.

"I don't," countered Scarlett. Her cheeks burned from anger and desire. Her green eyes met his black ones, challenging. She would not give up. She would make him pay for humiliating her and humbling her- and in front of a whore, no less!

"Damn your pride," said Rhett, letting her go. He almost smiled. She stepped back when he raised his hand, but he only loosened his cravat. For a moment he seemed to relax in the chair, but Scarlett steeled herself for battle.

She fumed in silence as he sat, saying nothing. She could not read his mulled expression. Finally he sighed, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

"Well, I suppose then, that it is done, Scarlett. We'll get a divorce. I'm tired of fighting you. Go ahead and try to take your honorable Ashley. It won't be quite as quick or as easy as you imagine it to be. You do still have his wife to consider in the matter."

She stared at him, aghast, as he sat quietly and comfortably in the chair. She had never known Rhett to give up with so little fight. Rhett never gave up! Rhett never got less than what he wanted- wasn't their marriage proof of that? Finding no words to counter, she stared at him, so calm, so collected while her mind reeled.

Rhett slowly rose from the chair. He smoothed the imaginary wrinkles from his clothes and took a step towards the door.

"Wait!" she cried, before she could stop herself. Startled by her own outburst, she bit her lip so that a crimson line appeared. He turned to her, a faint glimmer of something she could not recognize in his eyes.

"Yes, Scarlett?" Rhett questioned. "Did you need something?"

Her eyes grew wide as she stared at him. Tears began to form. This wasn't what she had intended. How suddenly the tables had turned! At the very least she had expected him to apologize. No, Scarlett decided, he would not get away that easily.

"Why did you bring her here?" she cried, her words coming out more shrilly than she had intended. He did not answer- he only looked at her. His eyes bore no shame, only cold. "Why did you bring that- that creature into our home where our children live?"

"Are those tears in your eyes, my pet? Surely not, that must be a trick of the light." She screamed wordlessly at him in frustration, swiping at her eyes with the back of her palms. He took a step towards her, sensing her true distress.

"Scarlett," he said, not unkindly. "You must have understood that when I said I'd find comfort elsewhere, I meant it."

Anger flared in her eyes. "But you brought that woman into our home!"

"I many have brought Belle home with me, but you brought Ashley Wilkes into our bed. You are not some innocent victim." And then, more to himself than to Scarlett, he said, "Belle told me I was wrong, but I was right. You only love your precious Ashley." He spat the words out, as if they tasted vile.

For a moment Scarlett was confused, her tears forgotten. She had never even dreamt of bringing Ashley into her bedroom. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, my dear, that every time you were in my arms, you were imagining that it was he who was holding you close. Don't try to deny it. A man knows when the woman he loves is wishing for passion with someone else." His words were cold and harsh.

"But I wasn't thinking of Ashley." she cried without thinking. The truth hung in the air for a long moment as they stared at each other. Finally, he spoke.

"Then, who, pray tell, were you thinking of?" His words were quiet but his eyes were loud-- angry, hurt, scared-- she saw every emotion pass through his eyes in a single second. They seemed to cry out to her, One last chance, Scarlett.

She took it. Giving in was as good as winning, she decided—no, it was better. In the end, it got her Rhett.

"You," she whispered. And before she could think about his reaction, he was next to her and scooping her up into his arms. He kissed her cheeks, her nose, her forehead, her lips, and she was crying and saying, "You, always you," and he was repeating over and over, "My darling, I'm sorry, so sorry." And between kisses he murmured, "I love you," into her hair, and she found herself saying it back. He gave out a hoarse whoop and she laughed and he swung her around the room.

When he finally set her down and they stopped to catch their breath, he said to her, "I suppose you'd like to take your bath now."

"Why Rhett Butler," she cried in mock outrage, "You mean to tell me that you won't finish what you started?" He laughed at her and she grinned impishly.

Rhett's lips met Scarlett's, and time stood still.

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