AN: I don't know why I wrote these. I think something in the first reviews. These are just set during those visits Rhett promised, during a time that Scarlett WAS scheming and plotting at ways to get him back. There are four visits in this and the second will have 3 visits and those will then bring us to the start of the other fic.

These are not required reading for the other fic, these are supplemental for those that wanted a bit more.

Google is to blame for all traditions, mourning, travel things I got wrong (there was soooo much googling). Also there are a lot of descriptions/times that are super hard to find in the book. So it is all a guesstimate. I do not think Margaret Mitchell wrote an outline, if she did I want to see that timeline and description of characters!

Also this has actually been super fun, thank you guys for going on this journey with me!

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Visit One

Atlanta

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Rhett had regretted traveling to Charleston nearly the minute he got on the train, there was no Bonnie climbing all over him, no sweet voice chattering in his ear, no warm body napping along his chest. He regretted not waiting and taking the children once they returned. He had no idea why he had left them with Scarlett, she could certainly not comfort them after the loss of Melly. Would she even remember to have them picked up at the station?

It was Ella, Wade and Beau that brought Rhett back to Atlanta 2 days shy of five weeks after telling his wife that he didn't give a damn.

Scarlett was drunk that much had been certain as he walked into the nursery. She had a bottle of bourbon next to her and without a doubt, the amber liquid in the small teacup in front of her held the stuff as Scarlett sat on the floor in yet another black day dress at a table with Ella who was sitting on a child's sized chair he had purchased on her second birthday along with the tea set.

"Uncle Rhett," Ella, as always, had her eyes light upon seeing him. She was a naturally happy child. "Mother and I were having a tea party."

Ella was a sweet child, excitable for sure, with soft blue eyes and straight sandy gingered hair, her features only vaguely resembled Scarlett, but Rhett had always been grateful that only her hair had resembled Frank and even that was softer and less harsh. Rhett did his best to ignore Scarlett's struggle to stand he greeted the child.

"Where is the governess?" Rhett questioned the whereabouts of the woman, he and Scarlett had selected together during those last empty months.

"Very good question, we've been trying to track down an answer since yesterday," Scarlett held onto a bedpost.

"Scarlett, why don't you go rest while Ella and I continue your tea party."

"Rhett, I-" Scarlett staggered towards him.

Rhett hastened to put down the child before Scarlett crashed to the floor. Instead, she crashed into him as he stepped forward to clasp her to him before she embarrassed herself even further.

Her hand was on his shirt, fingers digging into the fabric, "I've missed you," empty green eyes looked up at him.

"Mother misses you and Aunt Melly a lot," Ella said in a small voice.

Rhett was unsure what to say to the small girl, just barely 7 years old, "Run down to the kitchen and see if you can find us some cookies to go with our tea."

"Okay Uncle Rhett."

"You're so good with her Rhett," Scarlett pulled tighter at his shirt, "with both of them. I thought we were doing good, we seemed like we were doing so good."

Rhett forced his eyes up as he saw the tears in her eyes, "You saw what you wanted to see."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Visit Two

Atlanta

Christmas of 1872

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"I cannot fathom how that child is afraid of every living animal, but her favorite gift is a stuffed cat," Scarlett was actually sitting forward on the settee to study her daughter stroking the orange toy she had received. Scarlett was wearing an emerald green silk and taffeta day dress with a scooped neck that was nearly indecent as she leaned forward. She refused to wear black on Christmas Day and she refused to attend the church service asking him what God had done for them. She told Pork if anyone came to the door that they weren't accepting callers.

"Probably because Uncle Rhett gave it to her," Wade smiled at her with his soft brown eyes, alighting when she smiled back at him and declared him brilliant.

Scarlett caught Rhett's look of surprise, she gave him a side-eye and softly spoke for his ears only, "All males eventually like me Rhett."

"Until they know you," Rhett muttered under his breath, regretting he returned for Christmas.

He had caught Scarlett on Christmas Eve staring at the tree, this year she stood before it in black for their daughter. "Last year had been the best Christmas, it was the first year since the war…" Her eyes closed, "If not for the children I would strike this day from the calendar. It will never be anything again."

"Ella, honey how about Buttercup. My favorite cat when I was growing up looked just like her."

Ella lit up as well, smiling brightly at her mother, "Hello, do you like the name Buttercup?" Ella lifted the cat up to look into its glass eyes. "Mother she likes it."

"Feline of refined taste," Scarlett smiled.

"Mother do you want to pet her?"

"Of course my sweet, come sit next to Mama and show me how, it's been ever so long since I met a cat."

~o~o~o~o~

New Year's Eve

~o~o~o~o~

"I want to wash this year away," Scarlett's words didn't slur despite the amount of champagne she had consumed. "I want to burn it."

Her gown was low-cut and red, not dissimilar to the one she had worn to Ashley's party. His wife had spent the entire week trying to seduce him, he had taken to locking the door after the first night. He had given in to a few passionate kisses, but he always stopped himself, normally with several words that sent his wife running away or throwing things at him. He had left her after dinner and she had apparently not left the bottle of champagne.

"At least it can't get any worse?" Scarlett lifted her glass up in a cheer. "You're gone, Bonnie, Melly…"

"Ashley," he poured himself a glass, he needed one to face 1873, a year that would never hold Bonnie.

Scarlett flinched as if he hit her. When her eyes opened they were like looking into onyx instead of emeralds, her pupils, seemed to obstruct the entire iris. "Why does it hurt so much that you're gone? You were never really here. You never let me see you." Her eyes closed briefly as she smiled as if both features could not be open at the same time, her smile fell and her eyes opened to slits as she looked at him, "I should be flattered you thought me so clever that I could see past all your games, your nastiness, your disinterest and see that you loved me. Ashley lied with words, you lied through omission and I was the stupid girl who believed you both. You and this year can both go to hell," Scarlett said dropping her glass onto the floor and staggering out of the room.

~o~o~o~o~

New Year's Day

~o~o~o~o~

"Uncle Rhett," Ella said knocking on his door.

He rubbed a hand along his face, that stepdaughter of his had certainly gotten bold. He was about to tell her to come in rather than try to get out of bed when he recalled he had taken to locking his door.

He held the robe in his hand but didn't bother putting it on. He wasn't quite sure he could figure it out in time. "Yes, Ella?"

"We're having sugarplums and eggnog in Mother's room," she was still dressed for bed as well. How early was it?

"Sugarplums?"

"Mother says it's how the French celebrate the new year."

"Of course she does," Rhett's eyes began to close, despite standing.

"Come," she said tugging at his hand.

He couldn't help, but smile at her joy. The past year hadn't dampened her spirits like the rest of them.

He tugged his robe on as he entered the room, he saw Scarlett sitting up in bed in a white dressing gown, yet also covered by the thick blanket up to her waist. Wade was sitting cross-legged with a cup of eggnog in his hand and spoke once Rhett got closer to the bed, "Mother says since we're still in mourning, no one can come visiting, so we can stay in our nightclothes all day and eat sweets."

"Did she now?" Rhett's lips twitched up in a smile, wondering if Scarlett were even capable of getting out of bed today.

"She did," Scarlett smiled for the sake of the children. "That awful year is over, we need something to show us how sweet this year will be."

o~o~o

"Using the children was an inspired touch," Rhett informed his wife as he leaned back in a chair in the parlor that they had moved to after Ella had spilled eggnog on Scarlett's bed. Scarlett had been able to stop herself after a single outburst of Ella's name and had visibly paused for several moments composing herself.

"Melly is gone," Scarlett shrugged. Oddly grateful Wade had talked Ella into playing in the yard with Bernie, the Saint Bernard, Ella had grown significantly better with since the introduction of Buttercup. Ella in fact seemed to have taken an absolute infatuation with the creature ever since he had licked Scarlett's face two days prior. Ella obviously wouldn't touch him and still shrieked when Wade brought him too close, but she enjoyed watching Wade and Bernie play fetch. Spending the entire day with her children was downright exhausting.

"So you are play-acting as a mother?"

"I am their mother," Scarlett glowered at him.

"How many deaths did it take for you to remember that?"

"Rhett if you have such a problem with how I am taking care of the children after you abandoned us, then come home and take care of them yourself."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Visit Three

Easter of 1873

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"Uncle Rhett," Ella leapt up from the kitchen table she, Wade and Beau were working at, the Thursday before Good Friday.

"Oh Ella," Scarlett said trying to right the knocked over jar of paste, "I do wish you could try to be careful."

"It's alright Mother," Wade said with a hand over hers, "I'll take care of it. "

"You are such a good child, Wade. Now where is Prissy?" Scarlett shook her head.

"Gettin' you's a rag," the maid handed Scarlett a wet cloth to remove the paste from her hands.

"Ella, your kite is destroyed," Scarlett sighed.

"Welcome home Uncle Rhett," Wade said as he began to clean up after his sister.

"Welcome home Captain Butler," Beau said moving his kite away from Ella's mess.

"Oh yes, welcome home Rhett," Scarlett barely looked up, "we cannot start this over. Well these two will just have to be enough tomorrow."

"What is tomorrow?" Rhett inquired.

"We're going to fly kites to heaven like Jesus and Bonnie," Ella answered him.

"Prissy heard about it, I thought it-" Scarlett waved a hand. She had put so much effort into this, only to have it fall apart.

"Well if we're going to fly a kite to Heaven like Bonnie, I think we should go get the nicest kite in the store."

"Can we?" Ella smiled.

"We can, shops will close soon. Go get ready. You too boys," Rhett gave a look at Prissy indicating she should take over cleaning.

"Scarlett, you might want to clean up a bit."

"I can't Rhett, I've been with the children for hours, I can't be seen in public like this."

"Mrs. Butler, you at your worst is significantly better than most woman at their best."

She smiled, "You are secretly a snake oil salesman, admit it, you were never in California." She sighed looking down at her failed project, "I thought this would be nice. I don't know why I even-"

"It sounds wonderful Scarlett, Bonnie would have loved it as well."

"She would not have made a kite," Scarlett said going to move Wade's to a safer location, "the entire kitchen would have been in shambles."

"Which is exactly why we are going to go buy a kite," Rhett placed a hand on her elbow to guide her out of the room.

"The most expensive kite there is," Scarlett added.

"Of course," Rhett forced a smile on his face.

"And Ella will lose it when she is distracted by a bird," Scarlett sighed.

Rhett smiled for real.

~o~o~o~o~

The Night Before Easter

~o~o~o~o~

"Wade has been trying to explain to me, The Checkered Game of Life," Scarlett said as she moved a pawn on the chessboard. She was in a low cut green evening gown.

"I recall you not having an interest in that game," Rhett said having a difficult time seeing the chessboard without seeing his wife, thankfully she was often atrocious at chess, always looking at the wrong pieces, never seeing what move was actually occurring in the background.

"The idea that your life could be determined by the roll of the dice. A good roll, you're rich, a bad roll, you're poor."

"Certainly sounds like life," Rhett said taking a sip of the sazerac Scarlett had the staff prepare. His wife with her keen eye had watched the bartender in New Orleans during their honeymoon and had easily charmed enough details out of him to have the staff be able to recreate it at home.

"Teaching a child to go along calmly with whatever unpleasantness the world hands out and he's hardly going to be rich by that same act," the shake of Scarlett's head, shook her entire body. She made her next move.

"The Checkered Life of Scarlett O'Hara, owe taxes, invent false fiancé for sister, steal her beau. Remind me my dear, what did you do to get him killed?" Rhett moved his piece.

"Maybe I didn't do anything, maybe it was you and you knew I would think it was my fault because of his involvement with those wretched clan people." Scarlett leaned forward, "The Secret Life of Rhett Butler, fall in love, help, tease, abandon, marry, sleep with whores, be cruel, only declare love once it's depleted, walk out."

Rhett's jaw tensed, he took another sip, "There is a train in the morning."

"You started the game Rhett," Scarlett stayed leaning over the board, lips lifting in a smile.

He moved a piece, barely looking at the board.

Scarlett smiled and leaned back as she made her move, he looked down at what she had done…Captured his queen. "Now Rhett, don't you know, never take your eyes off your queen."

~o~o~o~o~

Easter Day

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Rhett took the children to Easter service, he had expected Scarlett would go with them once he said he was going, but her anger at God appeared to greater than her desire to lure him back. Scarlett may not care about what was thought about their family in society, but he had no desire to see them suffer. He sat in church thinking of how he would get settled in a house in Charleston, once he had a house and staff settled, he would take the children.

He smiled to himself at his plan and looked over at the children, discretely he removed a fleck of white glaze from Ella's cheek. She must have stolen another bite of a hot cross bun after she had been inspected by Scarlett and the nanny.

Scarlett did have a well-run household, they never missed even the smallest of details when it came to a holiday. The basket of chocolates that was filled while the children slept. The eggs were hidden around the house. A small trinket for each child that she would gift once all the eggs were found. The only thing the children had lacked for since their marriage was attention from their mother.

o~o~o

"Ella, you have a special surprise this year," Scarlett smiled at her daughter, "Prissy," she called out.

Scarlett's maid walked into the room with a small white and brown curly-haired dog.

"He's mine?" Ella leapt up.

"Patience, Ella. She is still a baby, you don't want to scare her," Scarlett took the dog from Prissy. "You must be soft and gentle with her. Watch her carefully so she doesn't get lost. Now come sit next to me Ella and let's think about names."

o~o~o

"You couldn't let the children name the dog?" Rhett questioned as the children went to let Wade's Saint Bernard meet Ella's Toy Trawler Spaniel.

"Wade named his dog Bernie. I will not listen to Ella yell out, Trawl for the next decade."

"You may have actually done something right with Tippet," Rhett acknowledged.

"Try not to sound so surprised."

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Visit Four

Anniversary of Bonnie's death

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It bothered Scarlett that her children hadn't been particularly affected by their sister's death. Ella hadn't fully understood it, Melly told her later on it had taken several tries and days to get across the fact that Bonnie wouldn't be returning.

Bonnie had been gone for so long with Rhett and even after they returned most of her time had been spent with him, even at his worst moments Bonnie had slept in her father's large bed and not in the nursery with Wade and Ella.

Bonnie simply hadn't been a full sibling to her siblings, not like Wade and Ella were to each other, not like they were with Beau, who had accompanied them to the church.

Scarlett was grateful Mammy had come to Atlanta for this day since Rhett had not. They took the children to the cemetery and they each laid flowers for the little girl who left the world entirely too soon.

Scarlett had already cried into Mammy's bosom, twice. The night before and in the morning, when she had refused to get out of bed and had to be coaxed and chastened to leave it. She cried, she asked every question, but she did not yell this year. Scarlett just felt empty.

She had told the children that they would fly Bonnie's kite upon their return home, she would not let them forget her.

She saw him as the children rushed out to the yard. Sitting where Bonnie's jumps had once stood. He'd obviously not slept in some time and she saw the silver of his flask, go up to his mouth. Pork standing behind him, keeping watch.

Ella was too fast for the boys to stop before she ran towards Rhett, flinging herself into his arms, which automatically dropped the flask to catch her.

Scarlett had run just like the boys to the scene.

"We saw Bonnie today, we brought her flowers," Ella informed her stepfather.

Scarlett raised a hand to her mouth and bit back a cry. "Children," she stumbled getting out the words, "Mammy wants you to eat something before you play. Uncle Rhett and I need a moment."

The boys were quick to pull Ella with them towards the house, her confusion loudly heard.

Scarlett dismissed Pork with a nod.

"Such a consummate actress, I would have believed you were their mother."

"Please no cruelty today Rhett. I was cruel enough last year."

He began to cry, much like she heard him cry to Melly last year. Only now Scarlett did not hear it in disgust and anger like when she had been so filled with rage and self-loathing from losing her Bonnie. It oddly made her feel better that she was not alone in her crippling pain and she went to him. She cried as Rhett cried on her lap with her fingers in his hair. She stayed that way while he slept. Watching the spot, replaying it over and over in her head.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave any constructive criticisms (as in stuff I got wrong) so I can change it for future readers. Drop me a line as well if you liked it.