Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback. As always it is greatly appreciated.

Chapter Forty-Nine

It seemed these days that the only place and time Rhett and Scarlett could talk privately was when they were in bed for the night. While they were at Tara, they even had to talk in code even then for Ella, Bonnie and Alex were sleeping on their floor. It was just easier. They both knew that sometime in the middle of the night Bonnie was going to get in their bed. They both wanted Ella and Alex close all the time. They would have been happier with Wade sleeping on their floor also but they knew he would never agree to it. Afterall he was a big boy of eleven. In his opinion he was much too old to sleep with his parents and he was. No one ever mentioned him sleeping on the floor of their bedroom while Bonnie was sick.

They were both working hard at not being over protective parents but it was hard for both of them. For two people who had always felt they could control their own destiny it was hard to admit to themselves or each other that they couldn't. With all the failures and tragedies, they had endured one would think they would have accepted they could not shape the world to fit their desires but they still had to try. They knew in their hearts that they couldn't but their nature was to try anyway.

Rhett told Scarlett about his day in Atlanta and the latest gossip. He had talked to Mr. Taylor about his investments. Mr. Taylor had shared that he and Miss Wallace had set a date for their nuptials. It would be next March. Mr. Taylor had groveled to the dowagers. He told them that he had not fought for the Yankees. He told them he had moved to the South because he had always wanted to live in the South. He told them that he thought the South's cause had been just and noble.

Scarlett asked Rhett, "How much of that was lies?"

"All of it."

They both laughed.

Scarlett said, "Pa is going to leave Tara to Careen."

"I'm so sorry, baby."

"Pa wants it to stay intact. He knows you will never live here. He seems to think I am so madly, crazily in love with you that I would choose you over Tara. He would be right."

Rhett could hear the emotion in her voice. She was trying to make light of losing Tara but he knew that she was very unhappy about it. Rhett also felt touched and so very loved. She had chosen him over Tara. It was at moments like this that he was reminded how very much she loved him. How very lucky he was. It always amazed him when he thought about it, that despite all the pain he had inflicted on her she had taken him back. What humbled him was that she thought she was the lucky one that he had taken her back after all the pain she had inflicted on him.

"I love you so much that if you insisted, we live at Tara I would."

"Thank you, darling. We both know that you would be so very miserable that you would make me miserable too."

Rhett laughed and said rather matter of factly, "Yeah. I would. I wouldn't want to but we both know I would."

She smiled sadly in the darkness. He had already done that once. It wouldn't be like before because he wouldn't be doing it deliberately but he would do it.

Rhett said, "Maybe we can buy the MacIntoshes's Place or what once was Twelve Oaks."

She sleepily said, "Maybe but it wouldn't be Tara."

Rhett started telling her a story of the misadventures of his youth and she was soon asleep.

Bonnie laid on the floor of the room her parents used when they were at Tara. She had been asleep and she had the strange dream. It didn't scare her but she often had trouble going back to sleep after she had woken up while dreaming it. Next to her laid her little brother. She wondered if he was asleep. She could no longer tell because she could no longer hear the sounds he made when he slept. He made this funny little sound when he slept and now, she had trouble sleeping because she couldn't hear it. They had slept next to each other their entire lives.

Her sister Ella was on her other side. She wasn't going to think of her as her cousin. She wanted Ella to be her sister and she knew that if she hoped hard enough, she could make it come true. Ella didn't make any noises when she slept so she wouldn't have known if she was asleep even if she could hear.

She wondered why she could no longer hear very much. She could hear that her Grandpa was talking because he talked so very loud but not what he was saying. She could hear when her Papa laughed because it was loud. She liked it when her head was lying on his chest when he laughed. She had always like that. She used to be able to hear his laughter inside and out. She could still hear his laughter on the outside but she only felt his chest moving now. She still liked it.

She knew there was something wrong with her because all the adults were always looking at her with sad looks on their faces. She had seen it on her Papa's face a time or two also. She didn't understand why they were sad. Her Papa could fix anything. She had heard her Mama say it lots of times. Her Mama would say 'Rhett, you can fix anything' then she would kiss him on the mouth. Papa would always look so happy when Mama said that. She didn't understand that either. If Mama thought Papa could fix anything why was she so sad.

She wondered if her parents were asleep. If they were, she would get in the bed with them. She always slept better when she was lying next to her Mama. Papa must feel the same way for he never let her sleep in between them. Bonnie thought that would be the best. To sleep in between the two people she loved most in the world. She would settle for sleeping next to just Mama though. It was pretty nice.

Bonnie got up and managed to avoid stepping on her brother and climbed into the bed on Mama's side. She thought, "Yeah!" When she felt Mama's arm go around her. She thought, "Now I can sleep."

Rhett sleepily smiled. He had felt the bed dip when Bonnie had gotten in the bed. He had felt Scarlett turn over to pull the child close. He rolled over so he was pressed up against his wife.

The next morning when he woke up, he didn't think there was any part of that tiny bed that wasn't occupied. He smiled and thought, 'Before I met and fell in love with Scarlett, I was a suave, debonair, handsome, happy bachelor. Now I am a suave, debonair, handsome, very happy family man. If someone had asked me if I would be willing to sleep with three children in my bed, I would have told them hell no. I would have told them children should always sleep in their own beds. In those days I thought a bed was mainly for having relations in. I would not have ever thought I would be willing to forgo my desires to make someone else happy especially not a child. I still don't like it but as long as Scarlett is in bed with me I will. Besides it keeps the children happy and feeling safe. After a lot of pain, I finally realized it was not all about me.'

Scarlett stirred next to him and Rhett decided to get out of the bed before his desire got any stronger. He might be willing to forgo and postpone what he wanted to do but there was only so much temptation he could take. She still made him feel like he was sixteen with no control over his body.

When he got back from the privy, Scarlett had rolled over into his spot and the children had annexed more territory. He smiled and got dressed. He kissed his wife who barely stirred.

When he got downstairs, he joined his father-in-law for breakfast. Gerald was going to Atlanta today to see Mr. Hamilton about his will. They had a lively conversation on the way to Jonesboro which continued all the way to Atlanta. As they got off the train and were about to go their separate ways, Gerald said, "How is Katie Scarlett handling it?"

Rhett smiled, "She knows it is for the best. She knows I would never live at Tara. She isn't happy about it though."

"She always loved the land. It's the Irish in her."

"She will get over it."

Gerald with a sad smile said, "Yes she will. She always has been resilient."

"That she is. I will see you at supper."

The two men walked away both feeling a little sorry for Scarlett. Not that Scarlett would appreciate the sentiment. She didn't want anyone feeling sorry for her. It was too close to pity. She could never tolerate pity.

Rhett brought a book back from Atlanta. It was called Gallaudet's Handbook to Speak to the Deaf. Rhett explained to Scarlett and Melly that they all three needed to learn sign language so they could communicate with Bonnie. Rhett told Scarlett, "You will need to teach Bonnie."

Melly said, "I will help you."

Scarlett said, "Thank you."

The next day they started teaching Bonnie. Ella sat there right beside Bonnie and learned all the signs also. They were just teaching her simple signs for now.

Yes, No, Thank you, Please, Your Welcome, I Love You, Hurt, Hungry, All Done, Water, Milk, Sorry, More, Food, Play, Help, Mama, Papa, Drink, Privy.

Scarlett found that the hard part was making everyone else make her use her signs. She would grunt and point and Rhett would give her what she wanted. Gerald was just as bad. Scarlett would never understand how her husband could be such a hard man with everyone but his children with whom he had no backbone. It had been Rhett's idea to teach her signs in the first place.

Scarlett needed her husband intimately probably as much as he needed her. During these seven years they had been together in this timeline she had gotten used to receiving sexual satisfaction all the time and she was not liking being celibate. She was loving her time at Tara and she thought it was a good place for Bonnie to get used to her disability. Her disability was why they were letting her and the other children sleep on their floor. It was what was best for the children but damn it she needed Rhett in an intimate way. She knew he wanted her that way also. It was more than the fact that his what had he called it one time his pecker was always slightly aroused. It was the way he looked at her. It made her flush and blush all at the same time. It also made her want to hurry him upstairs. Tonight, she was going to be a happy woman.

That night after dinner Scarlett and Rhett went for a walk after they had put the children to bed. Evie sat with them to make sure they went to sleep. Mammy sat with the other children. Scarlett knew all the places on Tara for privacy. She had walked enough gentleman callers to these places hoping they would steal a kiss. That ass Ashley Wilkes never had. All the others had but never Ashley. She knew now she had wanted him so much because he didn't want her. At the time she could not accept that every man didn't love her. She had matured that awful night and the years that followed and now she only cared if Rhett loved her.

As she walked Rhett into the apple orchard she stopped at the place where Ashley had kissed her. She wanted Rhett to kiss her here. She wanted Rhett to destroy the memory and he did. Rhett was as passionate as Scarlett. He wanted her so badly. They laid on the ground and had relations. Scarlett wished it had lasted longer but she was satisfied and so was Rhett.

Rhett wished he could have lasted longer but he had no control where she was concerned. He had at least lasted long enough for her to get her satisfaction first. They visited all the secluded spots on the plantation in the next several weeks.

Will was getting ready to start harvesting the cotton. Will would always confer with Gerald about what he was going to do but it was plain to Scarlett who was running the plantation. Just like her mother he gave Gerald task to take care of to keep him involved and busy but everyone knew who the real boss of Tara was.

Careen and Will had a fourth birthday party for Gerry and Suellen and Frank came down for the party. Suellen wanted to take George back with them but Frank decided to let him and Ella stay because they seemed to be having so much fun. After Frank and Suellen had left to go back to Atlanta, Gerald said to Scarlett, "There may not be any Irish in Suellen but there is a lot in the little lassie."

Scarlett said, "Yes, there is." Her Ella had always loved being at Tara also. Scarlett decided that this was her Ella despite the fact that Suellen had given birth to her. There was none of Suellen in her. There was Frank and there was her. Why not? It is as probable as her and Rhett returning in time.

There were a lot of the people from the county who came to Gerry's birthday party. A lot more than would normally come to the birthday party of a four-year-old but times were still hard for a lot of people. They had heard Scarlett was spending a month at Tara for her daughter to recuperate. (Wasn't that horrible what happened to the little girl?) Even though it was Careen giving the party they were sure that Scarlett would pay to put out a nice spread. They knew her husband Rhett Butler had made his money in questionable ways, they knew he was not received in Charleston, and they knew all about the questionable issue of the Confederate gold but they weren't as proud as the fine people of Atlanta. Scarlett had put out a nice spread with lots of meaty sandwiches and sweet finger foods. The things the county people had not had since the last time the O'Haras had a party. Coincidently all the party goers had brought plates and napkins just in case the O'Haras needed them to take some of the food back home and the O'Haras did. All of the county folks had the good manners to talk to Rhett.

Melanie always enjoyed these get togethers because the county people liked talking about Ashley. They all shared fond memories of Ashley Wilkes. They all remembered him as he was before the war. None of them wanted to think of the man he was after the war was over. Melly was always in high spirits after these get togethers.

Beatrice Tarleton loved these parties also. She never encouraged Gerald O'Hara but if the man wanted to flirt outrageously with her then she would allow it. He made her laugh. He made the fifty something woman feel like a girl of sixteen again. As awful as it was, he made Jim jealous. Jim so rarely allowed his finer emotions to show and he rarely talked about them so these flashes of jealousy did her heart good. She knew Jim loved her but every once and a while she would like him to show it.

Author's Notes: Thomas Gallaudet was an American educator who did a lot of work in the arena of educating the deaf. He was instrumental along with Laurent Clerc in creating American Sign Language (ASL.)

The name of the book Rhett brings back from Atlanta was made up by me.