Happy Boxing Day I have so many new comments to write back still...Figured you guys would rather have the chapter posted than wait for me to actually get around to that.

I am glad and grateful for all the comments you guys left on "Kindness." It was the story I wrote originally for Christmas, but it felt too sorrowful and it ended up having a moral, which is odd for my writing.

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Part Eighteen

Christmas 1872

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Scarlett held her Christmas baby. Her birthday boy. He wore a long gown, she suspected she'd be replacing it soon as he seemed eager to start taking steps.

"This is a wonderful Christmas," she told her husband.

"Not the best Christmas?"

"I imagine that will always be the day he joined our family," she gave her baby a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm sorry our efforts to provide him with another sibling haven't been successful."

"Four is more than enough. I'm happy with our children."

"You're still young Scarlett, I'm quite sure we'll be able to raise that number to at least five eventually."

"At least? Why Rhett would you like more children?"

"As I said you're still young Scarlett. I'm still rich. Why not two or three more? Think of us as artists leaving the world with more beauty."

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January 1873

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"This is certainly a new use for the room," Rhett said as he walked into the small ballroom that now had a plush rug laid out in the middle of the room with Melly and Scarlett seated opposite from each other on the rug, a distance of at least 10 feet between them. Bonnie and Nicky on the carpet along with several pull toys and balls, Nicky in his skeleton suit so his walking efforts wouldn't be hindered by a gown.

"Daddy!" Bonnie yelled and abandoned her brother's side to greet her father, hugging his leg. "We're teaching Nicky how to walk."

"Are you now, what a good sister you are? And how is your brother doing with this skill?"

"He's certainly crawling very fast, do grab him before he goes off the carpet," Scarlett laughed as she spoke.

Rhett scooped up his son who was quickly coming to greet him. He was greeted with sloppy kisses, a 6 tooth smiling mouth from which, "Dada," came repeatedly, the 7th and 8th were breaking through as well, resulting in even more drooling and significantly less sleep. He'd awoken this morning with his son on his chest and a giant wet spot.

"Welcome home Captain Butler," Melly said coming with a blanket to save his jacket.

His own wife often seemed amused by the baby slobbering over him.

"Thank you, Miss Melly."

"Oh yes, welcome home Captain Butler," Scarlett smiled at him.

"Now my brilliant girl would you like to show me how you are training your brother to walk?" Rhett said squatting down to his daughter.

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"Suellen had another girl," Scarlett informed her husband over the dinner table.

"She named her Sarah after Aunt Pitty," Ella chimed in.

"She hardly named her after Aunt Pitty, Sarah is a common name," Scarlett snipped.

Ella pouted.

Rhett shot his wife a look with his eyes, which she didn't seem to notice over her wine glass. "It is quite a pretty name though, isn't it. I'm sure your Aunt Pitty will be excited to hear there is another Sarah in the world."

"Oh yes," Ella smiled at him, her mother's unpleasantness forgotten with her father's sparkling eyes and charming smile.

"Shall I assume Mammy will be going to help the family?"

Scarlett's sour face emerged, "Yes, she'll be on the morning train." She took another sip of wine.

"Will you be going as well to help your younger sister?" His eyes sparkled as he kept a serious face.

"Why on earth would I do that. I have four children to her three."

"Oh could we?" Ella's eyes sparkled at the idea of Tara and a new baby.

"No," Scarlett forced her manners to return, "you and your brother have school."

"We could go on a weekend," Rhett offered.

"We?" Scarlett turned to her husband.

"Two nights, we'll take the afternoon train on a Friday," he supplied.

"You'll go to Tara?" The line between her brows emerged as she took in this information.

"Of course, I have a new niece."

"Could I get a new kitty?" Bonnie questioned.

"Depends if they have any," Rhett answered flawlessly.

"I need a white kitty and a black kitty," she informed her father.

"In due time my sweet."

Scarlett gave Bonnie a look, but then quickly shook it off. It was the middle of winter, there would hopefully not be any kittens. Of course, that meant that they were going to Tara. "It's hardly fair to impose, she just had a baby."

"Not this weekend, we'll go the next and bring Mammy home with us. We'll bring hampers of food."

She opened her mouth and then closed it as she looked at the table with the children.

He smirked at her from across the table.

What was that no good husband of hers up to?

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"Why on earth would I want to spend a weekend with Suellen and her new baby?" Scarlett confronted her husband in their room as he was changing or undressing rather.

"Aside from she's your sister?"

She shot her husband a look.

He confirmed what he suspected at the table that Scarlett was rather tipsy. She tended not to drink a lot anymore and she had certainly picked up her wine glass more than she picked up her fork.

"Why do you want to go to Tara?" Scarlett questioned again.

"Because you want a baby."

"Are we stealing Suellen's child? That is certainly not what I meant."

"Because if you are not pregnant already, I certainly imagine seeing your sister with another child will kick your rivalry deviously high and we will no doubt leave Tara expecting."

"I'm hardly that bad Rhett and I have no interest going to Tara to fawn over a baby and take care of two more children."

"We can take Mrs. Wilkes, I imagine she'd enjoy that."

"Well I suppose that doesn't sound awful," her head tilted and she acknowledged the idea held some merit. "Where are you taking Bonnie?" She questioned just as her husband stripped down to only his drawers.

"Bonnie will spend what remains of the afternoon in the playroom with her siblings. You and I will spend the remaining afternoon and possibly evening in bed. I promised you another child Mrs. Butler, as much as I like Will Benteen, I will hardly be outdone by some farmer," he said gathering his wife in close to him.

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February

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"I think I'm with child," Scarlett spoke in the darkness of her room. Her husband still laying on top of her and inside of her.

"That good?" He questioned.

"I'm nearly 3 weeks past due."

"3 weeks?" He had gone out of town for business a month ago, he had just assumed she'd had her courses while he was away. He quickly took his weight off his wife. "Have you seen Dr. Meade?"

"Maybe after next week."

Next week, if she missed it again.

"Scarlett, Dr. Meade should see you."

"Why Rhett, I'm perfectly healthy."

He was struck silent for a moment as he hovered above his wife, his weight still on his forearms and thighs, so their skin was still grazing. Looking perfectly into those emerald eyes.

This is how it should have always been.

Not words of anger and threats of abortions.

Not cold and hurtful words on a staircase.

Not over the breakfast table, veiled words, to hide the truth from the children.

A husband and wife, together.

He smiled, "Should we try again, just to make sure?"

She laughed.

This is how it always should have been.

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"What brings you to my home Rhett?" Dr. Meade questioned not bothering to sit after his wife had left them.

"Scarlett believes she is pregnant."

"Wonderful news, I'll stop by on my rounds."

"She doesn't wish to see you," Rhett informed the man.

That damn Doctor Gregson, all the women were flocking to him because he was young and with a full head of blonde hair. "Dr. Gregson is a wonderful-"

Rhett shook his head, "No, she doesn't want to see any doctor."

"What exactly does she want to do?" Dr. Meade questioned.

"Ignore it until she is further along."

"How far?" Dr. Meade questioned.

"She says a few more weeks, but-"

"How far along is she?"

"She says she is three weeks late."

"Rhett she was nearly halfway gone with Bonnie before I saw her."

"Yes, but she just lost a baby."

"She lost the pregnancy early and recovered with no problems. There's no reason to imagine any complications from this one, certainly not any I could prevent."

"I would feel better if you saw her."

"Your wife would not and she's the patient. I'll stop round this week and talk to Mammy. I suggest you don't tell your wife you were here."

"Dr. Meade-"

"Go take care of actual business Rhett and congratulations. You've certainly come a long way since that scoundrel that bought the Widow Hamilton for the first dance."

"Mrs. Butler is significantly more expensive than the Window Hamilton. Certainly more trouble."

Dr. Meade laughed.

Thanks for reading!