Chapter Twenty-Two-Gone With the Wind

Chapter Twenty-Two

Gone With the Wind

India's case had been put on hold in order to deal with Damien, who was, again, murdering to get to Melanie.

At least, they assumed it was Damien.

Melanie spent most of her time at the theatre, and Charlie and Phillip kept a close eye on her there. Charlie hadn't spoken to her lately unless it was of utter importance or a grim morning greeting. This upset his younger sister, but he kept his distance for a reason. If only she knew what he'd done....

 Mother came home from a social late one evening and was cornered by her younger daughter and son. Melanie stood in the corner looking at her solemn brother across the room.

"...she get to wear the dress?! I wanna wear Melanie's green dress!"

"I don't like you're tone, Victoria. You're pink dress is lovely," Dresella said, allowing Mammy to take her coat. She walked up to her oldest child and took her face in her hands. "Are you quite alright, child? You look pale."

"I'm fine, Mother, really," Melanie said, prying her mother's hand off her face and leaving.

Victoria frowned,"I didn't wanna wear your tacky old green dress anyway-"

"Oh, hush up!" Melanie yelled as she yanked on one of her sister's curls.

"Oh, and Melanie, don't wear your green dress to the ball at the Carlin's tomorrow. Wear your red ballgown," Dresella yelled at her daughter was retreating into the great room.

     Garcia had set up her computer there-it was where she got the best signal. A few of the team members were in the living room as Melanie sat down next to her brother, without looking at him and without a word.

"Is that you're pianoforte, Melanie?" Reid asked her. Her eyes shot up to the instrument, the main piece in the room.

"...Yes," she mumbled. Her head turned when there was a knock at the door, and Xylen let in Phillip. Melanie stood to embrace her fiance.

"It's so late," Melanie said in his ear.

"I missed you," he whispered. Spencer read his lips, and saw the goosebumps forming on Melanie's neck.

"I love you," they whispered at the same time.

"That's quite a long embrace," Victoria sneered from the corner. Melanie released her fiance and stuck her tongue out at her sister, who mimicked her.

"Enough! You want your momma to see you like that?" Mammy said, even though Dresella had retreated up stairs for the night.

     Melanie sat between Charlie and Phillip. Her head on the latter's shoulder, she sighed.

"I. am. bored." Derek said after a few minutes.

"You have the patience of a four year old, Derek Morgan."

"Why don't you play something on the piano, Melly?" Spencer asked. Melanie stared uncomfortably at the instrument.

"I haven't played in such a long time....I haven't played since..." Melanie stared, her mouth releasing a whimper.

"Say it, Melanie," Charlie sneered. "Say,"the night he died". Go ahead."

"Don't you ever say that again!" Melanie whimpered, jumping up out of her seat.

"Melanie! He did! You walk around here with that smile and do you know why? Because father put that on your face. Who makes you happy here? No one even wants you here!"

"Masta Charlie..." Mammy warned.

"It's like he's still around with you, isn't it? You expect him to walk through the door and pick you up again? Guess what, Melly, he won't. Because he's buried six feet under the ground and if he did come back, it would be in a body so mangled-"

"Shut up!" Melanie was sobbing.

"Charlie, stop it," Phillip snarled.

"His casket was nailed shut. Remember that? Of course you wouldn't. You wouldn't stop crying. For weeks. For months. The only thing that ever loved you died that day. There is nothing here for you Melanie."

"You never loved Father! I'll love him and I'll love him till I die!" Melanie ran to the locked office, but found the key around her neck and quickly locked herself in.

"What was that?!" Phillip screamed, quickly attacking Charlie. Charlie shoved him off.

"Get out of my house. Now."

"Not while she's here. Not while there's a breath in my body-"

"That can be arranged," Charlie sneered. He'd never liked Phillip. He was a threat. He could hurt Melanie. The only way Melanie really got hurt: emotionally. Sometimes though, she needed to hurt, to protect herself. If only she knew what he was trying to do....

"Stop it!" Mammy said. "Miss Melly loves ya both and if eitha of ya hurt one another, it would break her heart," she looked at Charlie,"if it ain't broke already." Charlie stared back at the woman who had put diapers on him. Who had held him when he was hurt. He was hurting her Melanie. She was another soul that needed Melanie here, but he couldn't let her know that. He had to protect Melanie. He had promised. Even if that meant scarring her, hurting her. She had to live. Because, even time can heal, and if she lived, she smiled.

***

Melanie came out of the office late that next morning. Phillip had slept on the couch, ready to accept his fiance with open arms. Now he was merely snoring. She smiled weakly at that. She stalked into the quite dinning room, only to come face to face with her brother.

"Melanie," he nodded.

"Cut the crap," she said, staring at him. "I did a lot of thinking last night."

Charlie sipped his coffee tiredly. "Did you now?" Garcia and Reid stared from their spot 10 feet at the other foot of the table.

"And I realized, you didn't mean a word of what you said last night." She stared at her brother whose expression never changed. "Last night I said to you,'I love father and I'll love him till I die'. The same goes for you. I love you and I will always love you. And I know you love me. I'll love you forever, because you're my brother. You said what you said last night for a reason, and it was because you love me. So just come out and say it."

"You're too damn proud to listen."

"Try me," she whispered. He didn't respond. "What I don't understand," she continued,"is that you made a promise. To father. To keep me happy."

"That's just it, isn't it!" he yelled, slamming his fist on the table. "He wrote you this long heart felt letter in his will and I got a note that says,"Look after Melanie. Keep her safe and happy." When you left, Melly, I didn't know what to do. How did I know you were happy? And I realize, I'd always been focused on your emotions and never your safety. I've learned, from just those few days at the BAU, that you don't need to be happy, you need to live. If you went to heaven, and father saw you, what chance to I have of him ever being proud of me?" he growled.

"Oh, Charlie, he was always proud of you? Didn't you see that-"

"It's because I tried so hard. Melanie, when we were young, I found out the only way to get father's attention was to be the best brother to you. You will always be his favorite...always..."

"I'm sorry..." she whispered. "What are you trying to get me to do?" she asked him.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stay. I'm going to stay and protect."

"Protect what?" he asked drunkenly.

"Anything I can."

***

Melanie smoothed the huge scarlet skirt down, but it puffed back up.

"Is your dress big enough, Miss Wilkes?" Phillip asked. "God, I can't even dance with you," he grumbled, tripping again.

"I'll go to the bathroom after this dance and remove a petticoat," she smiled.

"Shocking, Miss Wilkes!" he cried. 

"Fine. Then I'll go dance with Bunny over there. He looks like he could dance with me-"

"Melly!" he cried, pulling her back in his arms. She laid her head on his chest, smiling.

"You sang like an angel, tonight," he mumbled. They were at the Carlin estate for the ball. She had sung...Golly, she couldn't remember. Phillip had this power to make Melanie weak in the knees and forget her name. The dance ended and Melanie sighed.

"I'll go-"

"Oh, look, Charlotte!" Melanie cried as Phillip tried to lead Melanie away.

"Melanie Wilkes, what a lovely dress!" Charlotte cried.

"And look at you, darling," Melanie crooned,"How lovely."

"How long is Melanie staying again, Phillip?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh, we'll try to keep her for as long as we can, won't we Charlotte darling?"

"Oh, yes, we'll make the biggest fuss," Charlotte sighed.

"Oh, Charlotte," Melanie sighed,"what a dear you are. You're so full of life...I wish I could be more like you."

"Oh, Melanie, you mustn't say things you don't mean."

"I don't think anyone could call Melanie insincere,"Phillip said, looking at his fiance.

"Oh, no, I'd never. Of course, now Phillip. Don't listen to him he doesn't mean a thing he says to any girl-Why, Charles Wilkes!" Charlotte smiled as the oldest Wilkes boy bowed in front of her. "Now, Melanie, you think it fair to bring your brother down here to break my poor country girl's heart? I'm afraid I have to go now, and I must say, Charles you must dance with me and not any of the other girls 'cause I'll be mighty jealous."

"I will try, Miss Greywald."

Charlotte began up the path toward the house when she ran into another man.

"Why, Frank Kennedy!" she cried. "Look at you with those new set of whiskers! How handsome you look!" He couldn't reply before Victoria Wilkes came and stole her beau away from the flirt. Frank was easily twice Victoria's age, but to her it didn't matter.

***

"I'm afraid they've raised the taxes on Ramblings again," Phillip sighed to Melanie. "My assets are frozen for another year and mother and Charlotte don't know how they are going to pay it."

"Oh, the poor darlings! Could I-"

"They won't take your help. They're too stubborn too."

"Oh..." Melanie sighed, hating being so helpless. "I guess I'll go take a nap. I hate napping," she sighed.

"Dream of me?" he asked.

"Always," she sighed.

***

"Where is Miss Melly!" Mammy bellowed.

"Wasn't she staying the night at Ramblings?" Victoria yawned.

"No. I done said goodnight to the Greywalds myself. She ain't still at the pawty, is she?"

Morgan and Reid exchanged nervous looks.

"Call a search party," Morgan yelled,"now."

The team would look for hours and hours. But Melanie wouldn't be found.

Spencer groaned when the last search party came around again, empty handed.

Melanie Wilkes was gone with the wind.