AN:

Yep. I deleted the chapter thinking I posted 22 twice…Nope…Did not save any changes that I made either…Bad life choice at midnight. Gonna edit this again later, so if you read this with a note that's what's going on.

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Part Twenty-three

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Melly held Nicholas in her arms as they took their evening meal. She normally so did enjoy holding him, but the baby hadn't done anything, but fuss for the last two days, constantly crying out for his mother.

Wade and Ella took their brother from her constantly as if she couldn't be trusted to soothe the baby.

They were just as miserable as their brother, both constantly asking after their mother. Wade was concerned that she would be alright and Ella was concerned that her mother hated her and couldn't figure out what she had done to make her mother so angry. The poor little thing had bruises on her wrist from how Scarlett had dragged her away so she wouldn't be a witness to the terror.

Melly and Wade had both tried explaining it to her, but she was convinced her mother hated her.

It would have been kinder if this happened two years ago. The children had little attachment to their sister, but their mother. Their mother was a different story. Their mother had changed since their brother, since giving up her businesses. The mother who had once had no time for them had spent two years showering them with attention.

As supper was interrupted by Mammy at their back door and Melly had to hush the children asking questions of their mother. She led the beloved servant to the parlor to talk, learning that Rhett's mother was due to arrive.

"Miss Scarlett wants Mister Rhett to bury Miss Bonnie at Tara, wants Miss Ellen to-" the old woman bit back a sob, "to hold her baby in heaven."

Melly lifted a hand to her lips and bit back her own cry.

"Miss Scarlett wants you to go with Mister Rhett and his mother to bury her."

"Of course, when?" Rhett had refused any formal viewings, agreeing only to finally bring Bonnie downstairs after his mother arrived. The funeral invitations had been printed for tomorrow.

"Tomorrow, Captain Butler wants to be on the road by noon."

"Noon, but the funeral-" The invitation had stated for mourners to arrive at 11am, she had planned for dinner after Bonnie's burial at 4pm.

"Mister Rhett sent word to Miss Pitty and Mr. Henry to host the mourners."

"But the funeral carriage."

"Pork's arranged for a covered wagon. You and Mrs. Butler will take the family's carriage. Spend the night with the family."

"Where will Captain Butler be?"

"He plans to ride back, he doesn't want to leave Miss Scarlett overnight."

"He loves her so," Melly's hand lifted to her chest, touched by the love she had always seen in Captain Butler for his wife.

Mammy nodded.

"I was planning on coming back after supper. Have all the flowers been delivered and the-" her voice paused, "casket."

Mammy nodded, "More are coming tomorrow morning."

"I'll come with you now, start to set things up, help lay Bonnie out."

"Mister Rhett wants her to have one more night in her bed."

"Of course, I'll come by early tomorrow then. Unless Scarlett needs me now."

The old woman shook her head, "Stay with the children."

"They miss her dreadfully.

"Better that they stay here."

o-o-o

The children were all standing in the kitchen waiting to go when the two women finished their discussion.

"We're returning home," Wade informed them, "we promised Mother we won't look, we won't look. Nicky needs Mother, he's just a baby."

o-o-o

Rhett left Prissy with Scarlett while he went to greet his mother downstairs later that evening after another day where they didn't leave the bed. Mammy had promised him that they wouldn't leave Bonnie alone, so he'd been able to stay with Scarlett. He nearly fell upon the wall as he recalled heading down the stairs the morning before with Nicky in his arms. Desperate to have a few minutes of peace before Bonnie descended on him with her demands for a higher jump.

He had never even thought, could never imagine. 40 inches. The pony had been 40 inches tall, even with the height of the jump it was just barely four feet.

It still didn't make any sense, how such a miniscule drop could take her from him.

o-o-o

Ella didn't think she'd ever been given so many rules as she had been given during the ride home. She wasn't to yell or run, she wasn't to go anywhere aside from her bedroom or the bathroom unless someone took her. She was not to pester Mother, which she never did. She was to remember to say sorry to Father and Mother about Bonnie.

Her aunt Melly kept telling her over and over that she was to be quiet, she could certainly be quiet that would be an easy rule to follow. She hoped Nicky would get to sleep in her bed tonight. Aunt Melly had kept him in her room last night that had seemed awfully unfair. She never dropped her doll to the floor; she could certainly keep Nicky in bed with her.

o-o-o

Ella sat happily in the kitchen eating the dessert she had been given, food at their house was so much better than anywhere else. And she had NEVER eaten in the kitchen before. She watched everything with rapt attention. They always moved her through the room so quickly and often with a lot of yelling.

She saw him immediately as he came to the doorway as her eyes had been darting around the room. She scrambled out of the bench and ran towards him, hearing her name several times, not noticing how two servants nearly avoided colliding with her and another barely saved a plate of pastries meant for the meal tomorrow.

"Father," she greeted, he picked her up automatically as she flung herself towards him, "I'm supposed to tell you, I'm sorry about Bonnie. Will she be gone long? I still don't understand where she went. I thought you were outside on the pony. Is Mother very mad at me, I know I was supposed to stay on the blanket with Nicky, but she yelled and I don't think she should be so very mad, it wasn't that far-"

"Breathe dear child," the old woman, dressed in black, next to her father spoke, laying a hand on Ella's back.

"I don't know you."

"Ella this is my mother."

"You're our grandmother from Charleston, Father said you would visit this year. We've been looking forward to it. I thought you were coming for Christmas, Christmas is in December and it is only June."

"Yes, Christmas is in December. I am here early because of Bonnie."

"Oh did Bonnie go to Charleston?"

"Ella," Wade said, finally working up the courage to stop his sister, who had taken off before he'd even realized. "you're supposed to be quiet."

"Oh," her face fell and her lips closed, "right." She looked up with apologetic eyes, "Sorry."

"It's quite alright my dear sweet Ella," Rhett said kindly.

"I'm sorry Uncle Rhett, I thought she understood about Bonnie. Aunt Melly probably used too many big words."

"She-" Ella was about to fight her brother.

He shushed her. "We're very sorry about Bonnie, Uncle Rhett."

"Thank you, Wade," he nodded. "Wade, Ella, I'd like you to meet my mother."

"Grandmother," Ella supplied with a smile, "we've never really had one of those before. Mammy talks about our mother's mother all the time. I'm named after her."

"It's a lovely name. It reminds me a little of my own name, Elizabeth."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you. It's very nice to meet you, Wade. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances."

"I'm very sorry for your loss Mrs-" He paused and suddenly looked very confused, realizing he wasn't sure what he was supposed to call his stepfather's mother. He recalled his mother being happy when she told him he could call Captain Butler, Uncle Rhett that he would be his stepfather and that they were going to live in a grand hotel together and build a big house.

"I certainly wouldn't mind if you called me, Grandmother like your-" she paused, "Grandmother, please call me Grandmother."

"I'm sorry for your loss Grandmother-"

"What did she lose?" Ella interrupted again.

"Bonnie, I'll explain upstairs," he tried to silence his sister.

"I'll accompany your brother and help," Rhett's mother added.

"Is Nicky with Mother?" Wade questioned.

"He is, in a half hour, I will come collect you and your sister to say goodnight to your mother. Will you be okay staying in the nursery with your sister and brother tonight?"

"Nicky's going to stay in my room?" Ella's eyes alit.

"Yes and Sally as well."

"I'll watch over them sir," Wade informed his stepfather.

o-o-o

Ella was ever so grateful to have a grandmother. She explained things so much better than her aunt. She was sure she would have realized she had a father before she was nearly six if Grandmother had been in Atlanta. Bonnie had gone like her daddy and her mother hadn't been mad, she just hadn't wanted Ella to watch Bonnie going to Heaven. Adults did funny things, but at least her mother wasn't mad at her.

She glared at her brother as they walked into their mother's room. He was holding onto her dress so tightly that she'd tear it if she moved away from him. "Mother, we're sorry about Bonnie," she announced before her brother could.

"Very sorry," Wade added.

"Thank you," she nodded, "Your aunt tells me you were both a big help caring for your brother. Thank you."

"Are you okay?" Wade asked, "I mean with the baby?"

"Why wouldn't the baby be okay?" Ella shot her brother a look, no one had said a single thing about the baby.

"The baby's fine," Scarlett informed the children.

Ella gave her mother a disbelieving look, she did not trust adults after the last two days.

"Come feel," Scarlett said knowing that would be the only way to calm Ella's fears about her already beloved new baby.

She wrenched her dress free from her brother's grasp, he had the good sense to let go. She walked to her mother's bedside and let her mother place her hands. She smiled up at her mother as she felt the movement. "I missed you. I'm sorry I was bad. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to look."

Scarlett froze and her eyes once more filled with tears, "I missed you too. You weren't bad. I just-"

"Okay Ella," Melly said with a smile, "I think it's time to get ready for bed. Children kiss your mother goodnight."

"Night Mother," Ella kissed her mother's cheek.

"Goodnight Ella."

"Goodnight Mother," Wade said walking up.

"Goodnight Wade," she said offering her cheek again.

"Please be okay," he whispered as he kissed it.

She nodded and blinked back more tears.

Thanks for reading!