Pre Note: Happy December everyone. No, I haven't forgotten this. Don't worry. Enjoy.

Chapter Six

Rhett paced back and forth across her room. Scarlett bathed in the small room attached to her bedroom. Baby B played happily on the floor, surrounded by toys. Some, he noticed with not as much sadness as he would have expected, had been Bonnie's when she was the same age. The maid could have, and most definitely should have, been the one to help Scarlett unlace her dress, and remove all the pins from her hair. Instead, Rhett felt himself offer without a second thought, and found himself almost knocked over with shock when she said yes.

He found some irony that he'd spent so long away from his wife, and now he was somehow back to living in the same house, and offering to help her ready for her bath. As soon as she was safely braced against the edge of the tub, and her dress was loose enough for her to slip out of on her own, he'd left her to her bathing. He'd almost left the room, and he'd paused. What if she needed help? What about the small boy? Bonnie had never been out of an adult's sight at this age except to sleep, and even then, rarely.

He hadn't held the child yet. He paused his steps and stared down at the boy. He looked startlingly like Bonnie. The boy had wisps of dark hair, although not much of it, and sparkling blue eyes that followed Rhett when he moved. He wondered if the child's resemblance had encouraged Scarlett to adopt the boy. Although, he still couldn't figure out why she would do so. She hadn't wanted any of her children. Why would she take in someone else's? Better yet, how did it come to pass in the first place? Where were the child's parents?

Downstairs he heard Ella's laughter, followed quickly by Beau's, and a smaller, quiet laugh from Wade. Rhett had noticed over the past days that Beau spent more time at Scarlett's home, for that was how he thought of it now, than at his own. He wondered if there was a deeper reason that he didn't understand, but shook it off. Ella and Wade would frequently go to the Wilkes' home to visit Beau, but they all shortly returned to the home, with Beau in tow. He'd stay all day or most of the afternoon before returning home. He also noticed that not only did Scarlett not mention Ashley, but none of the children mentioned him except in passing, as well.

Baby B chose that precise moment to let out a loud squeal, causing Rhett to turn quickly in alarm. He found the child not injured, but simply bored, and demanding attention. He reached his chubby arms up towards Rhett, clenching and releasing his little hands. Another way he seemed almost exactly like Bonnie. Rhett sighed and walked over to him, his lip quirking up in a half smile. "Well, come on then, let's see what's happening downstairs."

Rhett leaned down and picked up the child from the floor, settling him in one arm. The baby reached his hand out and tugged on Rhett's mustache, his eyes staring intently as if trying to figure out what he was holding. Rhett walked out of the room and downstairs, all the while gently removing the boy's hands from the hair on his face. The baby certainly had a healthy grip, Rhett mused to himself.

Rhett wandered outside to the sound of the children playing. The days were quickly turning to Summer, and the air was hot on his face as he left the house. The boys were running away from Ella who was trying hard to catch them. He didn't remember them playing like this when Bonnie was alive. They all played in their rooms upstairs, quiet like Scarlett thought they should be. Bonnie has been outside more simply because he'd been the one to take her. He felt a small surge of guilt, he'd loved Wade and Ella, but he hadn't tended to them nearly as much as he had Bonnie.

Baby B turned in his arms, trying to see where the noise was coming from. They stayed like this for several minutes, before Rhett turned and headed back into the house. He'd just rounded to head up the stair case and came to a screeching halt at the bottom as Scarlett's frantic shout came from the top.

"Rhett! What are you doing? Bring him to me right now!" Scarlett stood wrapped in her dressing gown, balanced precariously on one foot. She reached out for the baby as he walked up the stairs.

When Rhett reached her, she reached out her hands, but he didn't give the baby to her. "Scarlett, you can't-"

"Don't tell me I can't have my child, Rhett…"

"Scarlett." His voice was stern this time, deep, and it snapped her attention to him. "You can't have him until you are seated. You know you shouldn't be up on your foot, let alone holding a baby while you're at it. Stay right here." He walked past her and into her room, depositing the baby on the floor once again before joining her.

He looked at her up and down and sighed before bending neatly and gently moving her up into his arms. Carrying her around was quickly becoming a habit, and he didn't want to spend too much time thinking about the feelings it was stirring within him. He carried her into her room, and placed her on the bed. Before she said anything else, he grabbed the baby up once again, and handed him to Scarlett, who immediately snuggled him up against her chest.

"You could have hurt yourself Scarlett." His voice came out angrier than he'd intended, but she had always been able to infuriate him like no other. What if she'd fallen again? She'd been standing at the top of the stairs. Had she intended to come down on one foot?

Scarlett's head snapped up, and her eyes cooled as she looked at him. "Whatever made you think you could just take the Baby and not even tell me where you went?" Her voice raised every few words until when she said the last few she was almost shouting. "I need to know where he is. I thought you'd taken-I-I- he's-."

Baby B startled, looking at Scarlett with wide eyes and then burst into tears. Scarlett tried to calm him down, but he continued to cry. "Oh, it's no use. When he's like this he wants to be walked around, but..."

Rhett sighed. "Let me, Scarlett. I think I remember how to calm a baby down." He'd certainly done it enough with Bonnie. Scarlett didn't like when her children cried.

Reluctantly Scarlett nodded and moved to lift the baby to where Rhett stood. He took the child from her, giving the baby a small smile before he looked down at Scarlett. He froze where he was, and Scarlett looked at him. He was staring down at her shirt with wide eyes. She looked down as well immediately seeing what had drawn his attention. Much to her horror, two large wet spots had formed at the front of her pale green gown, and they were growing larger and larger as Baby B continued to cry.

"Scarlett…" Rhett began, and she knew everything was about to change.

Post Note: Well, what are you thinking? Let me know! I have a few more gifts to wrap, and then I start on the next chapter, so you MIGHT get another one before the day is done, but no promises.