Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Eighty-One

After Rhett got back from Charleston, they had a small memorial service in their back yard. Scarlett had allowed any member of the staff to attend if they wished. All the staff had attended. Elizabeth had been a kind person to all of them. As Rhett was looking at his family, he took stock of them.

Wade was a fine young man. He had a lot of the Hamilton traits in him but he also had a fair amount of O'Hara traits. Rhett smiled and thought, 'He may even have a few Butler traits.' He was sweet, kind and bookish. He was strong willed and determined. He was ruthless when it came to getting his way. Rhett knew that because he had played some games with Wade. Wade wanted to win any way he could. Rhett liked that aspect of his son.

Beau was a lot like Wade but he was gentler than Wade. Beau had his mother's gentle, genteel manners and his mother's backbone. He had his father's looks which he guessed some women would find attractive. He would do fine in this world they were living in.

Ella had blossomed in the years she had been living with them. Rhett could not believe the transformation in Ella. Every year she looked more and more like Scarlett. Her confidence and excitement in life showed through her eyes and her smile. She was like Scarlett. She really wasn't pretty but a man rarely noticed it once he had been caught up in her charms. She was one of the kindest people on this earth.

Bonnie had such drive and determination. She was learning everything she could at her school. She was beautiful, proud, charismatic, charming and very clever like her mother. Thanks to her desire to be like her big sister she was kind and considerate also.

Alex was his son. Cocky, arrogant, charming, charismatic, proud but somehow, he was also kind and considerate. He believed in helping people and being honest. That must be Melanie Wilkes's influence. It certainly wasn't his and Scarlett's influence. Although since Alex's birth Rhett had been completely honest in his business dealings. Alex was smart but so were both of his parents. Once he was done at MIT he would take over Rhett's business empire.

Melanie was happy. She had such pride in her work at the school. She would never have been able to achieve that if Ashley had lived or if they were still living in the South. Rhett knew she had a steel core. She wanted to please them but she never let Scarlett badger her into doing anything she really didn't want to do.

Scarlett. He just looked at Scarlett. She was thirty-five physically and she was still beautiful. No. Not beautiful. She was still striking. She had grown up and was the mature woman he had always wanted her to be. He had grown up too. He could admit to himself he had not always behaved as a mature adult during their first lifetime together. Thank goodness they had gotten this redo.

He had given everyone in the family a chance to speak. He had teared up when he heard Scarlett talk about how dear her mother-in-law had been. Elizabeth never acted like a mother-in-law but as a mother to her, Rhett and Melly. They all three had needed her in that capacity.

Rhett had smiled when everyone had finished speaking. He told everyone to go back to work. He would not speak about his mother. He knew he would break down crying if he tried.

During the last week of August, the Butlers had gone to Cambridge to find a boarding house for Wade. Melanie, Beau and Henry remained in Hartford. There were several that were recommended by the college. They found one that was close enough to the campus that Wade could walk. The proprietor of the establishment was a woman in her fifties. She had been running the house since her husband had been killed in the war. Her name was Bertha Jackson. Scarlett could tell she never had been a pretty woman and she did have a no-nonsense air about her. Mrs. Jackson told Rhett to guarantee that Wade had a room for the following year they would have to continue paying the fees even when he wasn't in residence. Rhett assured her they would do that.

After three days they had everything arranged for Wade. They all got back on the train to Hartford. It was only a three-hour trip so they would be home that night. Scarlett and Rhett kept a smile on their faces the entire trip home. They replied enthusiastically when Wade talked about his new life at Harvard. Their younger children were energetic on the trip back to Hartford which was a welcome distraction.

When they got in the bed that night Scarlett asked Rhett to tell her the story of the handsome knight named Rhett that had attended a barbeque. It was always strangely comforting to both of them.

On September first Wade went to Harvard, the Butlers went to Northampton and the Wilkes stayed in Hartford. The school year of eighty to eighty-one was a repeat of the previous two years.

One night in late September Rhett had been playing with a necklace all night long. It had been a hard day for Rhett. It had been his mother's birthday. They were sitting in the parlor after the children were asleep.

Rhett said, "Do you know what this is?"

"No, honey. What?"

"It is a necklace I gave to my mother for her birthday after the war had started. When I gave it to her, I said, 'If times get hard you can sell it.' I found it in her jewelry box. Even though it got very hard for them to buy food or other items, she didn't sell it."

"I guess it had great sentimental value to her."

"Either that are she couldn't find someone to buy it. Nobody had any money. Of course, she wouldn't do business with a Yankee even after the war ended."

Scarlett didn't answer. They both knew why she hadn't sold it. That was Rhett. When he was vulnerable was when he pretended to be hard and cold. She just let him play with the necklace and stay lost in his thoughts. She went back to reading her book.

After an hour Rhett said, "Let's retire."

"Let me finish this paragraph."

She did, marked her place and put her book on the coffee table. She arose and they walked up the stairs together. Scarlett knew that was all Rhett was going to say on the matter. She started talking about what she was going to do the next day.

As they laid there in their bed in the dark. Rhett told her stories from his childhood. All his stories were about his mother. Scarlett just smiled in the darkness. She was soon asleep and so was Rhett.

Christmas was very hard on Rhett. He had gotten use to his mother being with him every Christmas since Bonnie had been born. Rhett was cheerful all throughout the day. He gave everyone lots of presents, he enjoyed his Christmas dinner immensely, they sang songs, Henry played the piano, they played games and generally had a good day. Scarlett even gave Rhett a Christmas surprise. She went to sleep listening to his stories.

In the middle of the night, Scarlett woke to Rhett screaming, "No! It's not fair. I didn't do anything wrong. It was an accident."

She held him close and murmured soft words and kept saying, "I'm here, baby. I'm here."

Rhett finally calmed down and settled back down to peaceful sleep. Scarlett knew he had been dreaming about the day his father disowned him. She knew that day had scarred him deeply.

Rhett woke Scarlett up with sweet kisses and they had a very good time. They would never speak of what had happened the night before.

For their anniversary Scarlett and Rhett went to dinner at the Northampton Inn. Joseph greeted Scarlett and complimented her on her outlandish dress. Scarlett giggled just like that sixteen-year-old girl she was at that barbeque. Rhett smiled. He was glad that some small part of the girl was still alive. Tonight, she did something that she normally didn't do. She linked her arm in Rhett's and said to Joseph, "This way." So instead of Rhett trailing after her, he was walking beside her. He liked it very much. From then on Scarlett always made Rhett walk beside her when they were escorted to their table.

They smiled, they laughed, they talked, Rhett teased, Scarlett pretended to pout, and they drank champagne. Neither one could believe they had been together for fifteen years.

They went out for Valentine's Day. They went to dinner at Rhett's favorite restaurant in Northampton. Scarlett had worn an outrageously bright red dress that when Rhett had seen it had thought, 'I don't know if I will be able to sit across the table from her in that dress.' As usual, after Scarlett had put the dress on it looked perfect. He didn't think he would ever figure out how she did that. She looked exquisitely put together. Her jewelry matched perfectly. He told her how beautiful she looked and she preened. She was kind enough to tell him how handsome he looked. He preened too.

The maître d at Sansborn's, of course, complimented Scarlett on her dress and told her how beautiful she looked. Scarlett left a lasting impression on all the maître d's where ever she went. She linked her arm with Rhett's and led them to a table. They had a lovely time. Scarlett offered to share her dessert with him which was probably the most loving act she could perform considering how much she loved her desserts. He declined the offer. He was not idiotic enough to think she really wanted to share.

Over dessert Rhett proved that even after fifteen years together he could still behave as foolish Rhett. They had been talking about Wade being alone in Cambridge and Scarlett had said, "I hope he isn't lonely."

Rhett had quipped, "If he is lonely, he can go buy some female companionship." As soon as the words were out of his mouth Rhett knew he had said the wrong thing.

That statement had reminded her of his use of whores in their first timeline. She had looked so hurt and sad like his using whores had only taken place the day before. He had said, "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sure Wade will never visit a bordello."

She had placed her napkin on the table and in a quiet voice said, "I'm not feeling very well. Can we go home?"

Rhett had said, "Of course, let me go take care of the check."

When he had returned, he could see that she was crying. She wasn't even trying to hide it. She had wiped the tears away and then stood up. She had linked her arm in his and they had walked to the carriage. She had sat on the same side with him and allowed him to put his arm around her. She had even leaned into him. He had again said, "I'm really sorry I said that about Wade."

She had replied in a flat voice, "I know you are, baby."

After they got to their house, he helped her down from the coach. They walked up the stairs together and he helped her get undressed. He started to help her put her nightgown on and she had said in that same flat voice, "Why bother." She had then walked across the room stark naked and got into the bed.

Rhett had gotten undressed and got in the bed and pulled her close. He just started telling her stories. Soon they were both asleep.

The next day he had bought her a lovely sapphire and diamond bracelet as an apology gift. She had accepted it and thanked him sweetly and lovingly. When he had initiated relations that night, she was accommodating but not enthusiastic. She was behaving the way she had when they were married during the first timeline. He would no longer accept her just accommodating him. He stopped and just kissed her and held her.

He said, "I'm really sorry baby."

She had replied, "I know. It just hurts to think of you being with other women even after all these years."

"I know. I spoke without thinking."

They had laid there for a while not speaking. She said, "You quipped about my baby using whores like it was just a big joke and not like it wasn't one of the most painful experiences of my life."

Rhett wasn't going to argue. He was just going to continue groveling. He really didn't know how much it had hurt her. "I'm really sorry. I should have known better. Please forgive me."

"I will."

He had continued lying there grateful that she was still lying in his arms. He had thought about all the times she had been emotionally unfaithful to him and wondered if it even came close to the pain she had felt when he had used whores after they were married. He didn't think so because not only was she hurt because of his unfaithfulness he had shamed her in front of all Atlanta. He had been the only person besides Mr. Wilkes to know of her emotional unfaithfulness.

The worst part was that she had never yelled or shouted. She had just looked at him with very sad eyes.

Within a few days she had smiled at him again with her normal smile. Within a week she had initiated relations and everything was back to normal. He had learned his lesson. He would never mention whores again. Ever. He knew he would never know how much his use of whores had hurt her their first lifetime. Rhett just marveled at the fact she had given him another chance after all that pain. He wasn't sure he would have if she had been physically unfaithful to him.

At the end of that school year Bonnie told her father in a clear voice, "I can speak clearly now. I can read lips. I have gotten some of the hearing back in my right ear. I am not going back. I am ready to return full-time to Hartford. All my friends are in Hartford. If you want me to have more education I will go back to the Asylum."

Rhett had agreed. He asked both her and Ella if they might want to attend Smith College despite the hateful looks his wife was giving him. Both girls gave him an emphatic no. Thanks to them answering in the negative Rhett Butler got to live another day. The Butlers moved back to Hartford full-time. Rhett sold the house in Northampton for a profit.