Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

This is the last chapter. Thank you for taking this journey with me. This was a fun fanfic to write. Most of the pranks for this fanfic were inspired by The Office. This chapter is longer than my chapters usually are.

Epilog

July 1876

Melly and Ashley did correspond occasionally. At first it was once a week but soon it trickled down to once a month.

Scarlett and Rhett had found out from Melanie that Ashley had moved to New York and was working in a bank as a teller. Being a teacher's assistant had not worked out for him. He had been surprised at how much work was involved in being a teacher's assistant and he had refused to do that much work. VMI had ended up firing Ashley with the full support of Zachary. Zachary had vouched for Ashley. Zachary was embarrassed by his cousin's behavior. There were hard feelings between the cousins now.

Once Ashley had moved to New York in seventy-two his letters to Melly trickled down to once or twice a year. If Ashley wrote Melanie, she would always write back. Melanie's letters were mostly about Beau and what he was doing. In all those letters there was never any discussion of Melly joining Ashley.

In early seventy-three when Rhett told Scarlett that some of the economy experts were predicting a depression in the near future, Scarlett started having a barbecue for everyone in polite society in Atlanta once a month. She also had a barbecue for everyone in Clayton County once a month. They were well attended from the beginning but after the Panic of seventy-three hit they were even better attended. Scarlett never said anything when people got their plates out of their carriages and filled them up with food. When it turned colder, she would have a small bonfire and she served food appropriate for the weather.

Hugh and Melly had guided the businesses through the panic of seventy-three. There were months that all they did was break even, but Scarlett thought that was a remarkable job. They never laid anyone off which Scarlett also thought was remarkable.

Scarlett was enjoying being a wife, mother and gentlewoman. She ran the household and work with children's charities which Rhett always thought was funny considering Scarlett wasn't that fond of other people's children.

Occasionally she would talk about buying a cotton gin and Rhett would take her down to Clayton County to look at the gins for sale. Yet she never bought any. Instead, she loaned the gin owners the money to repair their gins and get back in business. They were no interest loans. Every one of the owners had paid her back in full so far. Scarlett had also loaned the Tarletons money to start a horse farm.

When Rhett had called her a humanitarian she had replied, "No, I just want to help the people of Clayton County."

Rhett had smiled and said, "Good for you."

They talked about buying the land that once was Twelve Oaks and decided against it. It was where they met which was wonderful, but it too strongly reminded them of that rat-bastard Ashley Wilkes. They knew they would never be able to exorcise his ghost.

Scarlett let Rhett take her and the family to Europe the summer after Gerry turned one. She was finally comfortable enough with her managers to feel free to be gone for three months. They had a wonderful time. Rhett had a blast showing everyone the sights of Europe.

Rhett and Scarlett redecorated the mansion, but Scarlett would not let Rhett do anything to the outside. She still thought her mansion was beautiful. She had only agreed to redecorate the inside to get Rhett to stop calling their home 'a house of horrors.' She knew he didn't mean it maliciously anymore, but it always reminded her of those dark days of their marriage.

Elizabeth and Rosemary came to visit often. It was easier on the women for them to come to Atlanta where Rhett was received than have to watch him be snubbed everywhere they went together in Charleston. It was also easier because Elizabeth's townhouse was quickly becoming too small to accommodate Rhett's family for any length of time.

Scarlett and Rhett had a lot of supper parties and invited most of polite society. They rotated their guest list around but Melly, Sebastian, India and Stuart were all was on the guest list.

Sebastian and Melly enjoyed each other's company, but they never did anything inappropriate. Everyone in society knew that they had feelings for each other, but everyone looked the other way because after all Melly was the matron's darling.

India and Scarlett were good friends. They spent a lot of time together because their husbands enjoyed each other's company so much.

Rhett and Scarlett had been completely received back into Atlanta society. They didn't openly provoke or annoy anyone. They followed the rules of society as closely as the matrons did. They frustrated and incensed people secretly. It was their hobby, and they so enjoyed their hobby. When someone annoyed Scarlett, she would think of a prank to play on them. Rhett was always up for the adventure. He would always like aggravating people.

Like when Scarlett was pregnant with Gerry, and she had an orange dress made that look surprisingly similar to Mrs. Merriwether's orange dress. It wasn't an exact copy, but it was close enough that Mrs. Merriwether stopped wearing her dress.

Or when Mrs. Elsing came to the bank to sell Rhett tickets to the fund raiser her monument committee was having. Rhett said, "Of course, I will buy tickets," Rhett got out his checkbook and said, "Did I tell you about meeting General Lee?"

Mrs. Elsing had shaken her head no.

Rhett had spent the next thirty minutes recounting story after story about his time in the confederate army. He would finish a story and dip the pen in the ink well. He would pause his pen from actually writing anything and start another story. Rhett had to quit when he had trouble controlling himself when he wrote Rhett K and dipped his pen in the inkwell and Mrs. Elsing was gripping her hands together tightly. He didn't know how her lips could have gotten pressed together anymore.

Scarlett had Amy run into Mrs. Mead in the park in her dress that matched Scarlett's. When Amy spoke to Mrs. Mead the woman looked at her strangely and said, "Who are you?"

Amy looked at Mrs. Mead strangely and said, "Scarlett Butler."

"You aren't Scarlett Butler."

"Yes, I am Mrs. Mead."

Mrs. Mead continued to stare at Amy and hurried away saying, "No you aren't."

Thirty minutes later Scarlett in her matching dress ran into Mrs. Mead at a general store. Scarlett said, "If I had known you were coming here too, we could have walked together."

Mrs. Mead had looked at Scarlett strangely and had said, "Yes, we could have."

Or the time that Rhett had deliberately splash Mrs. Jackson with his buggy. He had stopped the buggy immediately and they had both gotten out and apologized to Mrs. Jackson so profusely that she could not help but believe them. Rhett had given her his handkerchief as any gentleman would. They made sure they were out of earshot before they started laughing.

They never did the bag trick again. The memory of that trick was too special to repeat the trick on anyone else.

They never had relations out at the mill again after Ashley left Atlanta. Scarlett didn't want Sebastian to think they were perverts. Which made Rhett smile at his wife. She would do what she wanted to do but she really didn't want people thinking badly of her.

On that July night as, Rhett laid in his bed with his wife beside him, he was happy. He knew she was too.

Rhett reached over and started massaging Scarlett's back. It was just about the only body contact that was possible these days. Scarlett was in her last month of pregnancy and she was miserable. It was just too hot to lie in each other's arms although some time in the night they always rolled into each other. They were trying to not have any more children, but accidents did happen. Alexandria had been born in September of seventy-three which made her almost two and a half years younger than Gerry. This one would be three years younger than Alex. Scarlett was alright with having more children now. She didn't want to have anymore but she really didn't want to stop being with Rhett in an intimate way.

As Scarlett shifted trying to get comfortable, she said, "I miss Ashley."

Rhett sadly replied, "I do too, Bunny."

They didn't actually mean they missed the man himself. They missed tormenting him. The couple enjoyed tormenting other people secretly, but nobody gave them greater pleasure to torment than Ashley Wilkes. They knew Ashley wasn't moving back to Atlanta because he was afraid of Rhett telling his secret to everyone and his reputation of being a whoremonger.

Scarlett and Rhett hoped he was unhappy in New York but even if he was unhappy, it wasn't the same as inflicting pain upon him themselves.

The couple would have been gratified to know that Ashley was miserable living in New York. His friend had promised him that the teller job was just an entry job and Ashley would soon be promoted. The friend discovered that Ashley was lazy and only did the minimum of work. Thus, there was no promotion. Ashley lived in a boarding house, and he really didn't have very much of a future.

Ashley would sit in the park and feed the pigeons. As he did, he would think about his pitiable life. He often thought, 'I had everything, but the war took it away from me. I had a nice life, but Butler managed to take that away from me. Now I have nothing. Not even a good wife because Butler took her away from me also. I cannot divorce Melly because I don't have the grounds.'

Ashley knew that if he went back to Atlanta, Butler would not hesitate to let everyone know about his unique desires. Ashley knew that Butler would be firmly implanted in Scarlett's heart by now. He didn't really miss Scarlett herself. He missed her devotion. He still spent a lot of time having sexual dreams about her though. He wasn't able to afford to go to a whore house anymore in New York than he had been able to in Atlanta. He had found out that being tied up and beaten was considered a perk by the madame, and he would have to pay more for that service. He could barely afford to pay the flat rate.

July 1881

Wade had decided to go to the University of Georgia the year before. When his Uncle Henry had told Wade, "All the Hamilton men go to Harvard."

Wade had replied, "It is time for a new tradition. I am going to the University of Georgia."

When Melly told Beau, "I can't afford to send you to VMI."

He had replied, "I'm going to the University of Georgia. Uncle Rhett has arranged everything."

Melanie thought, 'How kind of Captain Butler."

When Mrs. Merriwether died Rhett found that he was actually missing the old battle axe. When he told Scarlett she just laughed and laughed. He was actually glad he had given Mrs. Merriwether the loan to keep her fledgling bakery afloat. That was what she had needed to get around the curve. That and his business advice. The bakery was now a thriving business with pecan pies and croissants still being their best-selling items.

When Ashley passed away his friend in New York found Melanie's address amongst Ashley's personal possessions. He wrote her informing her that she was now a widow. She wrote back thanking him. Even though it was highly improper for Melly to not wear black or not stay home she didn't. Ashley had stopped being her husband in anything but name the day of India's wedding. Melly boldly told Sebastian that they could get married in a year, but she wasn't quitting her job. Sebastian had smiled and said, "Why would you? You are an excellent manager."

May 1882

Melanie and Sebastian were married in a simple ceremony ten months later. Melanie wanted to get married while it was still reasonably cool. It reminded Melanie of how quickly Scarlett and Rhett had gotten married after Mr. Kennedy's death. It was not as scandalous because Melly and Ashley had been separated for over ten years. At least it was supposed to be a simple ceremony. Everyone in polite society had wanted to attend the ceremony. Scarlett had invited them all. Rhett had laughed when he found out even the governor was attending.

Sebastian had asked Beau to be his best man. Beau had been so touched and honored. Beau barely remembered his real father. Sebastian had been his father for the last ten years in everything but biology. Just like Wade and Rhett.

Scarlett had stood with Melly. As Melly had said when she asked Scarlett, "You are my only choice. You have been standing by my side for the last twenty years. It is only right that you stand by me now. I wouldn't have survived without you."

Scarlett had hugged her and said, "We have been standing by each other's side for the last twenty years. I would not have survived without you either."

The two women had long since forgotten any acts of disloyalty. Scarlett could hardly remember the foolish girl she had been up until she found out the awful truth. Melly could hardly remember the obtuse woman she had been up until she found out the awful truth. Yet they both could remember how the other woman had helped them in their time of need.

As Rhett walked around speaking to people and being spoken to, Scarlett came up to him and linked her arm in his arm. He looked down at his wife who was still as slim as the day he met her despite the fact she had given birth to seven children. Rhett claimed them all Wade, Ella, Bonnie, Gerry, Alex, Kenny and Elizabeth. Rhett who normally was not a religious man thanked God for the miracle of him and Scarlett. The miracle of his seven children. The miracle that Scarlett still wanted to sleep with him in spite of the possibility that she could get pregnant again. Although she didn't seem to be as opposed to having more children as she was after she had given birth to Bonnie. He thanked God that Scarlett had learned the truth before it was too late for them.

On their wedding night Melanie and Sebastian had gotten a suite at the National Hotel. They were going to sleep in separate bedrooms. Sebastian said, "I love you, but I will never give you a child. I will never take that chance that I could lose you."

Melanie who was thirty-six by this time said, "Thank you for understanding," And channeling all her inner Scarlett said, "I will go through the change of life in five to ten years and then we can be together."

"We are together in heart, mind and soul. That is enough. I married you because I wanted to live with you and have breakfast with you."

"I feel the same way," Melly blushed but she made herself say, "If you feel the need to go to a bordello…."

Sebastian put his hand over her mouth and said, "I would never shame you that way. I can control my needs. My needs don't control me."

That statement made Melly so happy that tears sprang into her eyes. Her husband hugged her and walked her to her bedroom door. He kissed her tenderly and sweetly and then opened the door and pushed her in her room. He quickly closed the door behind her. Melly laid down on her bed and thought, 'I can hardly wait to go through the change of life.'

Across town Rhett and Scarlett were having a discussion. They were discussing having another child. It would be the first child they had actually tried to conceive. They had been discussing it for over a year now. Scarlett wanted them to have another child and Rhett refused. As Scarlett had grown up and matured, she had found she liked being a mother. Not the baby and toddler stages but when she could talk to them and interact with them. They were leaving the nest now and moving on with their lives. She didn't like it at all.

Rhett said, "Elizabeth is three. We can finally travel extensively."

"I want to have another one before I go through the change of life and can't have any more."

"No, I gain an inch in my waist every time you have a child."

"I like you being a little chunky."

Rhett wanted to be offended by that statement, but he had gotten chunky in the last ten years. Ever since he had quit drinking and smoking. He knew he ate too many sweets and didn't get enough exercise. Also, it seemed all he had to do was look at food and he gained weight.

Then Scarlett twisted the knife by saying, "It makes you less attractive to other women."

Rhett looked down at his wife to see if she was teasing him and she was. Nonetheless it wasn't funny. He changed the subject by saying, "Didn't you once tell me that three was enough children? Now we have more than twice that many. Seven is definitely enough. I'm already too old to have any more children. No, we are not having any more."

"Didn't you once say one or twenty you didn't care? We actually only have six children with Wade already away at school. He is no longer a child. Mr. Bradley is going to ask for Ella's hand in marriage any day, so we really only have five children."

"I'm not sure I am going to let her go. Maybe when she is eighteen. She is too young."

Scarlett giggled at Rhett's overprotectiveness. She slid her hand down to his nether regions and said, "It seems your manhood doesn't think you are too old. In fact, I think it thinks it is a great idea."

Rhett laughed and kissed his wife. He said, "Alright but this has to be the last one."

Even after all these years she still took his breath away. Suddenly he was that man of thirty-three at that barbecue at Twelve Oaks. He loved her so very much. He would be more than happy to still give her anything she wanted from an ugly mansion to a child. He never could tell her no.

July 1892

There were three middle aged women sitting on the back porch of the tastefully decorated mansion.

India said, "Stuart is so proud. The governor has enrolled his son in Townsend Academy."

Melanie said, "How wonderful."

Scarlett said, "Why did Stuart change the name?"

"He thought it sounded more prestigious."

"I agree."

They gossiped about some of the other ladies in society. They tsked tsked over some of the young ladies' improper behavior.

Melly started laughing and said, "Do y'all realize that we are the matrons of Atlanta?"

Scarlett said, "My seventeen-year-old self would be happy. She always wanted to be a great lady."

India said, "Your twenty-four-year-old self would have been shocked. You weren't even received after you invited Bullock to your crush."

"That was Rhett."

The other two ladies laughed for they now knew it had been Scarlett who had invited the Republican governor into her home.

India said, "At that time I certainly wouldn't have thought we would share a grandchild."

"Of course not. You have to have a child to have a grandchild."

India stuck out her tongue at Scarlett but there was no malice in the act.

"Who would believe Wade would fall in love with your Martha?"

"After he saw Martha all grown-up, he didn't have eyes for anyone else. He didn't even want to go back to Athens to finish law school because he was afraid someone else would win her heart while he was away."

"I know. If Stuart hadn't assured Wade that he wasn't going to let Martha marry until she was eighteen, he probably wouldn't have finished law school. I don't think Wade needed to worry. I don't think Martha has ever had eyes for anyone but Wade. Even as a small child she idolized him."

"They sure are happy."

Melly said, "I'm going to be a grandmother again."

"Another? Isn't that going to be their fourth."

"My daughter-in-law is just like me. She loves babies. Luckily for Laura and Beau she has no problems giving birth to children."

"Is Elizabeth going to finishing school in September?"

"Yes, Rhett is beside himself that his last child is so grown-up."

"I think Elizabeth's mother isn't happy about her baby growing up either."

Scarlett gave the other ladies a chagrin smile and said, "No, she isn't."

The ladies all laughed. They gossiped some more. They talked about their shared past. They laughed and laughed. They didn't talk about anything sad or unhappy. There had already been enough unhappiness in their lives.