Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Eight

About thirty minutes after dinner was over Scarlett received a note from Mr. Powe. Rhett was at the Yankee headquarters at 1902 Crawford Street. Scarlett knew that address. She had attended several social events at that house. It had been owned by the Davenports. She wondered if Harry and Jane were still alive. She shook off those thoughts and finished reading the note. She could go see Rhett this very afternoon. She just needed to tell them she was his wife.

Scarlett got Prissy to help her get ready. Mammy and Wade were napping. Before long, Scarlett was downstairs. She said to the doorman, "Will you get me a cab?"

"Certainly, Mrs. Butler. Just give me a minute."

Before getting in the cab, Scarlett told the driver, "Take me to 1902 Crawford Street."

As the doorman was helping her in the cab, he said, "Mrs. Butler that is not a safe area to be in right now."

"Mr. Darnell, the Yankees have falsely arrested Mr. Butler. I have to go see him."

"Very well," The doorman turned to the driver and said, "Will you wait for Mrs. Butler to take care of her business. I'm sure she will compensate you for your time."

"Yes, I will."

The driver said, "Very well, Mrs. Butler."

When they got to the address, the driver got down and helped Scarlett out of the cab. He said, "Don't worry, Mrs. Butler. I will be here when you get out."

"Thank you."

Scarlett hurried up the steps to the house. When she saw the inside, she gasped. There was so much damage to the fine house. She couldn't think about that now. She saw a private at a little desk and hurried to him. She said, "I'm Scarlett Butler. I'm here to see my husband."

"Yes ma'am. Let me get Captain Jaffrey."

In less than five minutes, Captain Jaffrey had come to greet Scarlett. He said, "Mrs. Butler?"

"Yes."

"I'm Tom Jaffrey. Let me take you to your husband."

When Tom saw Mrs. Butler he thought, 'I guess Butler is one of those rare men who is lucky in love and in cards. Mrs. Butler is quite striking.'

Jaffrey walked Scarlett to the Fire House. He led her to the cell Rhett was being held in. When Scarlett started to run across the room, Jaffrey stopped her and said, "No, physical contact."

Rhett said, "Tom, my wife doesn't have anything on her person to help me break out of here. Besides, I'm not running away. I haven't done anything wrong. And you know it."

Tom sighed and said, "I'll be back in fifteen minutes." With that Jaffrey left them alone.

Scarlett was running her hands over Rhett's arms and face. He smiled at her. Now he knew that she loved him too. She had such a worried expression on her face. She said, "I was so worried about you. I'm still worried about you."

"Don't worry. My lawyers are working on getting the charges against me dropped."

"Why did they arrest you?"

"For shooting a freedman."

Scarlett whispered, "Did you?"

"No! Why would I shoot a freedman?"

"I don't know. Maybe for trying to rob you."

"No, I haven't done anything wrong," Scarlett looked at Rhett doubtfully. Rhett smiled and said, "I haven't done anything illegal."

"That's more likely. Did you say lawyers? As in more than one?"

"Yes, more than one. They want me to tell them who my Yankee contacts were, and I won't."

"Are your Yankee contacts, the ones that will get the charges dropped?"

"Yes."

"We should have stayed at Tara."

"Maybe but we didn't. This will be all over in less than a month."

"Promise?"

"I can't promise that."

"Promise me you won't die."

"I promise you that I won't die," Scarlett smiled. That made her feel better until Rhett added, "but if I do you will be a wealthy widow."

"Don't talk like that. I don't want to be a wealthy widow."

"That makes me feel good. Now kiss me before Jaffrey gets back."

Scarlett did kiss Rhett until Jaffrey returned. As Scarlett was leaving the room she said to Jaffrey, "Can I come back tomorrow?"

"Sure, tomorrow afternoon."

As Scarlett walked out of the Yankee headquarters, she was happy when she saw her cab waiting for her. As the driver helped her into the cab, she said, "What is your name?"

"Eddie Anderson."

"Mr. Anderson, can I arrange with you to take me here every afternoon to visit my husband?"

"Of course, Mrs. Butler What time would you like for me to pick you up tomorrow?"

"One."

"Alright. I will pick you up at the hotel at one tomorrow."

"And everyday there after until Mr. Butler is released."

"Yes, ma'am."

When they got to the hotel Eddie told Scarlett, "The fare was ten cents."

Scarlett gave him fifteen cents and Eddie was certainly pleased. Not just with the tip but with the fact he would have a regular fare for hopefully a couple of weeks.

As Scarlett walked into the hotel, she appreciated that Rhett had a lot of money. People were certainly more willing to help her if they knew they would be financially rewarded.

Rhett laid on his cot and hoped that his contacts had enough power to get the charges dropped against him. If not, he would be more than happy to give the Yankees their names. He wasn't about to die to protect some illegal businessmen. His life was finally almost perfect.

As soon as Scarlett got in her suite, she wrote a note to Suellen telling her that their supper plans would have to be cancelled for Rhett had been falsely arrested by the Yankees.

When Suellen told Frank about Rhett being falsely arrested Frank said, "The charges are probably legitimate, but Butler will somehow escape prosecution. The man has the devil's own luck."

For the next two weeks Rhett and Scarlett's life fell into a routine. Scarlett would play with Wade in the morning or make social calls. She would eat dinner with Wade. After he went down for his nap, she would meet Mr. Anderson outside the hotel. He would drive her over to the Fire House. Jaffrey would escort her to Rhett's cell. They would visit. Whenever Scarlett would ask Rhett if there was any news. He would say, "Not yet."

Scarlett and Wade would have supper in the dining room of the hotel. She was a little bit nervous of leaving the hotel at night. Mammy had been right. There were too many Yankees. She didn't feel safe because Rhett wasn't with her. She felt safe when Rhett was beside her ever since he had stayed with her at Tara. No, that wasn't right. She had always felt safe when Rhett was beside her.

Finally, at the end of the month all the charges were dropped against Rhett, and he was released. Scarlett and Rhett were ecstatic as Mr. Anderson drove them back to the hotel. Eddie was not as happy. There went his steady income. Although Eddie was happy when Mr. Butler gave him a dollar for taking care of Mrs. Butler these last weeks.

Everyone was happy to see Rhett at the hotel suite even Mammy although she worked hard to not let Rhett see her joy at him being free. Rhett just smiled. It was fine. Neither Scarlett nor Wade were pretending to be anything but overjoyed that he was with them.

That night in the bed, Scarlett let Rhett know how much she had missed him. She did the thing that Rhett had been trying to coax her into doing for the last three months. She didn't do it awfully long, but she did it. Rhett did all the things that Scarlett loved but that was not abnormal. He usually did them all every time they were intimate.

The next night when Rhett went to The Painted Lady, Belle said to Rhett, "I heard you were in jail. I didn't come visit because I was pretty sure Miss High and Mighty would not like that."

"Don't call Scarlett that and no she definitely would not like you visiting me. For some reason she doesn't like you."

"That's alright. I don't like her either."

Rhett smiled his ultra-confident smile and said, "I wonder why you two don't like each other. Give me a whiskey."

As Belle watched Rhett walk away, she wondered what had changed in his and Scarlett's relationship. He almost seemed happy.

After a month Careen knew she could run Tara. She had discovered another side of her personality. When she was in doubt of what to do, she would think, 'What would Mother do?' Then she did it. She had a purpose in her life now. With her goal of making Tara profitable again she didn't miss Brent as much.

Careen had never seen what Scarlett thought was so special about Ashley Wilkes and Careen thought even less of him now. While Melanie was kind, she and her husband were just dead weight on Tara. After a month she knew she had to get all the dead weight off the plantation. Admittedly, Pa was dead weight, but she could never send her father away especially not from Tara.

Over supper Careen said to Ashley, "You have to leave. Go into Atlanta and get a job."

"I don't have the money for train fare to Atlanta."

"Lucky for you, we need supplies. Will and I will take you into Atlanta in the wagon."

Will had not known what Careen was going to do but he was glad she had done it. The Wilkeses were not needed at Tara. They had Mr. O'Hara to chaperon them. After The Wilkeses left there would be three less mouths to feed.

The next day The Wilkeses were in the back of the wagon going to Atlanta. Ashley wondered how much further his descent would go until he reached rocked bottom. How much more humiliating could it get? He had been Ashley Wilkes heir to Twelve Oaks one of the biggest plantations in the state. Now he had been evicted from Tara and was riding in the back of a rickety wagon like a bag of corn meal. At least, he still had Melanie's love and for a while Scarlett's devotion.

When Scarlett heard the Wilkeses were in Atlanta, she was so happy. She called on Melanie while hoping Ashley would be there. He was not. Scarlett invited the Wilkeses to supper at the hotel. Although neither Rhett nor Melly showed how displeased they were with Scarlett and Ashley's behavior they were. The next day, Rhett announced they were going to New Orleans for a honeymoon.

Within the week, Scarlett and Rhett were in a New Orleans hotel room. They had taken Wade and Mammy with them. Rhett would not leave Wade behind. Wade still got nervous when he was separated from his parents. They had left Prissy at Hamilton House to help Melly with Beau.

Scarlett had just gotten through making love with her husband. She was wrapped up in his arms. She thought Rhett was wonderful. He had bought her wonderful food. He had shown her the most exciting entertainment. He had taken her to the most stimulating parties. Rhett who had told her she could build her own home in Atlanta. Rhett who had said it could be in the Swiss Chalet design even though she knew he hated that design.

Then Scarlett had a traitorous thought. She thought, 'Everything would be perfect if it was Ashley that was beside me instead of Rhett.' She slammed the door on that thought.

Scarlett then thought, 'No everything was perfect because Rhett had made it perfect. Wonderful Rhett who had stuck with her through those horrible days after the war. Rhett who had let her call the shots unless he thought she was making a big mistake. Rhett who had always thought of a way around all the boulders fate had put in her way. Rhett who could have ridden off to never return in July. Rhett who had insisted that they get legally married. Rhett who Wade called Daddy. Wonderful Rhett that had gotten the Yankees to reduce the taxes by lying but he had gotten the taxes reduced. Ashley had no idea how to pay the taxes. Not even to go into Jonesboro and talk to the authorities. Ashley certainly wouldn't have lied, and she would have lost Tara because of his damn honor. Wonderful Rhett. Rhett who loved her. For she knew that only a man who loved her would have stayed and endured hell with her. Why was she still carrying a torch for Ashley? Ashley who was no help at Tara. Ashley who was always talking in a way she didn't understand. He married another woman over her. She needed to remember that. It doesn't matter why, he did. He probably did because he was a coward. I'm so happy Rhett explained what Ashley had meant by calling himself a coward.'

Scarlett turned over and snuggled into Rhett. She smelled his smell and another smell that she guessed was her. Perfect. Just the way it should be. Everything was just the way it should be.

Rhett pulled her close and smiled down at her. He said, "Do you like New Orleans?"

"I guess. I like your friends."

"They aren't my friends. They are business acquaintances."

"Then let's make some friends."

"Not yet. We have to return to Atlanta so I can make an obscene amount of money on reconstruction."

"How long?"

"At most ten years."

"I want to try living in London after we leave Atlanta."

"Whatever you want."

Scarlett smiled. Rhett really meant it. He would let her have whatever she wanted.