Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and the feedback.

Chapter Forty-Seven

It took three weeks to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Rhett absolutely loved the happy face his mother wore most of the time.

When Rhett was unable to get a cabin for his mother Melanie said, "She doesn't need her own cabin she can share my cabin with me. I will enjoy the company."

Rhett responded, "Thank you, Melly. You are so kind. Her maid, Sally, can share a cabin with Evie. Good. It is all arranged."

While in their cabin one afternoon, Rhett said to Scarlett, "Thank you for inviting my mother. She told me yesterday that she has never been to Europe. My father would not travel anywhere."

"Rhett, how wonderful for your mother that I asked her to go with us."

"Yes, it is wonderful that you asked her."

Scarlett smiled and Rhett smiled.

Scarlett, Elizabeth and Melly were sitting in some deck chairs entertaining Alex. Rhett and the other children were exploring the ship again. Scarlett didn't think Bonnie was that interested in the ship as much as she liked to be in motion and with her Papa. Alex who was almost eighteen months was moving from woman to woman. He was getting a hug then moving on to the next woman. He was loving this game.

Scarlett asked Elizabeth, "Mother, as you know I am very muchly a plain speaker."

Elizabeth smiled in positive acknowledgement of the truth of that statement.

Scarlett continued, "How can you be such good friends with my aunts? You are so much fun and they.."

Melly said, "Aren't"

Elizabeth said, "Yes they are rather stick in the muds aren't they. When we were young, we met at sewing bees and committee meetings. They were proper but they were fun. They lost a lot of their joy when your mother married your father and moved to Georgia. I am going to speak bluntly. They never could understand how your mother could throw away her life on an Irish peasant. Their words not mine. As the years went by, they became more and more bitter about what they saw as your father taking advantage of the situation. Do you know the story?"

"Yes, that my mother at fifteen thought her life was over and married a middle-aged Irish man to escape her father and Savannah society. I believe the prime motivator was to get away from my Grandpere. She never spoke to him again. I believe that Pa was just in the right place at the right time. I don't think he ever knew that she was in love with another man. My Pa loved my mother very much."

"The few times your mother came to visit your aunts she always looked so sad. Your aunts convinced themselves that she was unhappy because she was married to your father. I tried to tell them that wasn't why she was unhappy but they didn't listen. After the scandal they continued to receive me and that went a long way toward ensuring that I didn't lose my place in Charleston society. Unfortunately, as life as gone on, they have become more priggish and I have become less. There are a lot of people who are trying to hold on to the way things were before the war and your aunts are some of those people."

Scarlett looked at Melly and smiled. She said, "We know one or two of those kinds of people."

"My dear Scarlett, you are a wonderful combination of your parents but all your aunts see is your Irish side. As you know dear there are a lot of people who don't think highly of the Irish. I think your aunts are that way. They are bitter because they lost everything in the war. Neither one of them was fortunate to have children. And the worst part is they have to accept charity from a man they abhor and think is beneath them."

Scarlett looked surprised. Elizabeth continued, "Yes, I know exactly what they think of my son although they at least have the good manners to never say anything in front of me. Sometimes I wish they would so I could tell them what I really think of their attitude toward my son. How totally unCharlestonian of me. Rosemary would be so ashamed."

All the ladies laughed and the conversation moved on to other things.

When they docked in Dublin, there was Rhett, Scarlett, Melly, Elizabeth, Wade, Beau, Bonnie, Alex, Evie, Sally, Prissy and Esau. Rhett stood by the cab stand while holding Bonnie with his party and their luggage and thought, 'It was certainly easier to travel by myself but not nearly as much fun.' He looked over and saw Scarlet holding Alex while talking to Melanie and thought, 'Never again.'

Scarlett's Pa had given her all the information needed to get in contact with her relatives. When Rhett had suggested that Gerald go with them, he had said, 'I like my head on my shoulders. Thank you very much, Boyo.' Rhett had laughed.

Rhett got everyone to the hotel. He had taken a class in military logistics while he was still at West Point. He used every bit of that training to get his family to the hotel. The only difference made in their plans was that Melanie and Elizabeth had to share a room and Sally and Evie had to share a room which everyone was happy to do.

They had a good time in Ireland with Scarlett's relatives. Scarlett's cousin, Liam, took them to a field for the children to look for four leaf clovers.

Bonnie found one. Liam squatted down and said to Bonnie, "One leaf is for fame, and one leaf is for wealth, and one is for a faithful lover, and one to bring you glorious health. All of these are in a four-leafed clover."

Bonnie said, "So it is a good thing?"

"A really good thing."

Alex just enjoyed rolling around in the clover. Beau and Wade were unhappy they had not found one. Bonnie was a little smug that she had. Rhett and Scarlett looked at Bonnie then looked at each other and laughed. As Rhett picked Alex up, he said to Scarlett, "We can hardly blame her. She inherited that from both of us."

Scarlett linked her arm in his as they walked to the carriage and said, "Yes, she did."

They went to London. They saw the recently completed clock called Big Ben. They were amazed. Scarlett wanted to know why it was called Big Ben. When Rhett didn't know Scarlett looked at him with so much disappointment on her face, he almost felt ashamed for having let her down. They saw the tower bridge, The Tower of London, and Buckingham Palace. Rhett, Elizabeth and Melanie went to the British Museum and Scarlet, Prissy and Esau took the children to the park. They went to Paris. They bought clothes and paintings. They went to Zurich and bought chocolates. They went to Milan because Rhett wanted to go see an opera at La Scala Opera House.

When they got to Milan it was three days before Bonnie died in the original time line. When Rhett went to the desk clerk to check them into the hotel, the clerk told Rhett they were in the middle of a Yellow Fever outbreak and to be sure to use their mosquito netting. Rhett remembered that Emma Stevens's son had died in Milan when he was four from yellow fever. Rhett cancelled their reservation and took the entire family back to the train station. At the train station he bought them tickets to Florence and telegraph the hotel to make arrangements for them to arrive a week early. The hotel was able to accommodate them for the largest suite which luckily was available. Everyone including Scarlett was confused but she knew Rhett would explain when he could. She just helped get everyone back on the train. Luckily the private car they had just ridden into Milan was still available. They got back in the car and after an hour the train left Milan.

Rhett wasn't able to get food supplies so they had to eat in the dining car. Over dinner Rhett told Scarlett, Elizabeth, and Melly that there was an outbreak of Yellow Fever in Milan and he didn't feel it was safe to stay. All the ladies appeared to accept this explanation of his actions. That night after they were in bed before Scarlett could ask Rhett said, "Emma Stevens's son died in Milan from Yellow Fever when he was four."

Scarlett nodded her head and said, "Good decision to get us out of Milan."

They arrived in Florence and checked into the hotel. Within an hour of being in their suite Scarlett and Rhett knew their little girl was very sick. Bonnie told her Papa, "My head hurts and I can't move my neck."

Scarlett started ordering people around. She said, "Rhett, Go put Bonnie in our bed. Melly, Mother take the boys into your room and play games with them. Mother if Melly begins to look sick, let me know immediately. Don't listen to her when she says she's fine. Prissy and Esau, go to the kitchen and get cold water and rags. And I will get a doctor." With that she left the suite with Prissy and Esau. The hotel desk clerk sent a note to the local doctor.

Within the hour Dr. Ferraro had arrived. His English was not very good and soon Rhett and the doctor were conversing in French. Scarlett was cursing herself for not learning French at the Finishing School. As Scarlett watched Rhett's face, she didn't need a translation. Bonnie was very sick. She heard the word 'meningite' repeated several times she wondered what the English translation was. Scarlett thought, 'Nothing good.'

When Bonnie cried and shut her eyes when the candle was brought closer to her face and heard Dr. Ferraro say, "Oui. Meningite." Scarlett was ready to scream if Rhett didn't tell her something soon. When she looked at Rhett's face, she didn't want to know what he was going to tell her. Scarlett sat on the bed and wrapped her baby up in her arms. She closed her eyes and thought, "No! No! They couldn't lose her. Hadn't they suffered enough?"

Scarlett heard Rhett calling her name. She opened her eyes and looked into his and saw all her pain reflected there. He took Bonnie from her and laid the child down in their bed. He pulled her up and they walked away from the bed.

Rhett quietly said, "She has Meningitis. She has swelling in her neck and in her brain. She will run a fever for the next several days. There is a good chance she will survive."

"What else?"

"She may not be as smart as she was before she got sick or she might go deaf or there might be no damage to her."

"No!"

Rhett wrapped her up in his arms. They were both crying. Rhett finally got a hold of his emotions enough to say, "We have to cool her down. We have to break the fever."

Scarlett still couldn't speak. She just nodded her head.

They stood there for a few minutes more and finally Rhett said, "I will start cooling her down while you tell everyone what is going on."

"Yes."

Rhett sat in the chair next to Bonnie's bed and rubbed her down with cool water. Scarlett went to the room where everyone was. She spoke in a cold, hard voice but everyone could tell how serious it was by the look of despair on Scarlett's face. She said, "Bonnie has Meningitis. As soon as her fever breaks, she will be alright. Melanie and Mother, you will need to keep the other children entertained. You can take them to the park or any other activity outside the hotel. Make everyone go with you."

Prissy said with all her proud bearing, "No, I will stay and help you."

Scarlett smiled sadly and said, "Thank you, Priss. But everyone else has to go especially you Melanie Wilkes. I can't have you getting sick on me also. My hands are already full."

Melanie was not offended. She knew Scarlett was protecting her as usual.

Melanie and Elizabeth did take the boys to the park for the rest of the day. They had supper in the hotel dining room. After everyone was asleep Scarlett convinced Rhett to lay down and get some sleep. She would wake him up around two and he could take over at that time. One of them had to be awake and with her at all times to keep cooling her down. As she was sitting there rubbing her daughter with cold water, she heard her door open. There was her oldest son with his pillow and his blanket. Scarlett nodded. Wade laid down on the floor and went back to sleep.

At two she woke Rhett and he got up. When he saw Wade Scarlett said, "If it gives him comfort to sleep with us then I am not going to refuse him."

Rhett nodded his head and helped her to her feet. He kissed her and whispered, "Go to sleep."

Rhett and Scarlett spent all their time with Bonnie. They had no idea what was happening outside their door. Trays of food would be brought into them and sometimes the food was eaten. The next four days would always be nothing but a hazy memory. The only way they knew it was nighttime was because Wade would come to their room and sleep on the floor. They were nervous wrecks and emotional cripples but they clung to each other the entire time. There was very little conversation beyond the necessary words needed to tend to Bonnie. Occasionally one would say, "She is going to be fine." The other would respond, "Yes, she will."

Scarlett and Rhett knew Bonnie was going to survive. They were not allowing any other possibility to enter their minds. They only slept in snatches but they slept. After three days Rhett looked at Scarlett as she was dozing in a chair and thought, "We are finally parents. Two people working together for the good of the child. If Bonnie doesn't make it, we will survive as a couple because we will turn to each other to heal the pain. Not inflict more pain upon each other."

After four days Bonnie's fever finally broke and her parents were so relieved and grateful. They called Dr. Ferrero back to the hotel.

When he examined Bonnie, she was not responding to him. It was soon apparent there was something seriously wrong with Bonnie. Unfortunately, the meningitis had caused her to lose all her hearing in one ear and some of her hearing in the other ear. Dr. Ferrero told Rhett, "I don't know how much she lost but it is probably about half." Rhett and Scarlett grieved that their little girl was no longer perfect but rejoiced that she was still alive.

After the doctor left Scarlett said, "I'm so glad she found that four leaf clover. It gave her the needed good health to survive."

Rhett who had never believed in that sort of thing before thought, "Maybe." He held his wife close to him. He did know that he was never going to play poker again. He had used up all his luck for this lifetime.