Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Thirteen

On the morning of December tenth, Scarlett woke Rhett up and said, "Go get Mammy then send for the doctor. Send for Alice Taylor."

"Who?"

"The wet nurse."

Four hours later Ellen Robillard was born. Rhett was ecstatic. Scarlett was thrilled the baby was out of her.

Despite the doctor being in the room when Scarlett had delivered her daughter, she was comforted by Mammy being in the room also. Scarlett didn't know what she would do if she ever lost Mammy.

The chloroform had certainly taken the edge off of the pain. She was never having another baby without the miracle gas. She would just have to have all her children in London. Rhett would just have to arrange that.

Rhett had been so happy when Ellen had been born. Such a baby crazy man. Such a proud father. At first Scarlett had thought he was overly proud, but she hadn't said anything because Rhett had so little joy in his life for far too long. In the end she had been glad he was so extremely happy. It had made all the discomfort of those last seven months almost worthwhile.

Rhett and Scarlett returned to the South when Ellen was three months old. They had sailed into Charleston. Rhett had wanted to show his mother his new baby.

Rhett wore his yellow suit to their first supper at his mother's townhouse. It made Scarlett smile when she saw the ladies' tight little smiles when they saw Rhett was wearing that suit again.

Rosemary was out of deep mourning for her father and could now wear gray or maroon. She was wearing a hideous maroon dress in Scarlett's opinion. Elizabeth was still wearing black for she was still in deep mourning.

Scarlett was not amused when Elizabeth and Rosemary were apathetic about Ellen. She was once again angry at her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Neither woman acted like Ellen was a big deal. Neither woman had wanted to hold the child. She was mad that Rhett had been hurt by his relatives. Scarlett knew that his relatives being so indifferent about his child hurt Rhett's feelings, but he spent the entire meal talking about Wade and Ellen anyway. If Rhett ran out of steam, Scarlett would say, "Tell them about when Ellen/Wade did…." Rhett would start back up again. Nobody said anything when Rhett would repeat his stories.

When Elizabeth realized that Rhett was going to hold his daughter all throughout the meal, she said, "Put the baby down."

"No."

"You can't eat and hold the baby also."

"Yes, I can."

"You can't even cut up your food."

"Mrs. Butler, if Rhett needs both hands, I can hold Ellen. Where would you have Rhett lay her down? On the floor? Where we have just walked all over."

"No, of course not. I can get the maid to get a blanket."

"No, Mother. I will not be laying her down. As Scarlett said if I need both hands, she will be happy to hold her daughter for me. I know Mother that you felt like children were something to pass off to the Mammy, but Scarlett and I will not be raising our children that way. We have agreed that we will be on hands parents."

Scarlett thought, 'Rhett a lot more than me but that witch doesn't need to know that.'

Rhett had lost his perpetual cheerfulness. After a lengthy awkward silence, Scarlett said, "I think Ellen's eyes are going to remain blue. They are the same color as my father's eyes."

Rhett smiled at Scarlett and once again started talking about how wonderful Ellen and Wade were.

Elizabeth did not say another word the entire meal nor did Rosemary. As Rhett and his family were leaving, he said, "Can you serve She-crab soup tomorrow night?"

"Of course, Rhett."

The next morning, Rhett, Scarlett, Wade, and Ellen went to see Scarlett's aunts. Rhett wore his yellow suit again at Scarlett's insistence. After they were seated on the settee, it was plain to see that Scarlett's aunts did not appreciate Rhett's suit any more than Rhett's mother did.

The visit was not pleasant. The old women had claimed that Ellen was the spitting image of their sister Ellen when it was plain to see that the baby looked just like Scarlett. Scarlett had always looked more like her father than her mother. The aunts had wanted Wade to give them a hug and he had said no. When Scarlett started to make Wade hug the old women, Rhett said, "If the boy doesn't want to hug someone, he doesn't have to. I had to hug far too many people who smelled bad that I will not force my son to hug anyone. Not that I am saying you smell bad, ladies."

Which everyone in the room knew that was exactly what Rhett was saying. When they rose to make their departure, neither of the women tried to stop them. As they were leaving Scarlett said, "We won't be in Charleston much longer, so we won't call again on this visit."

"That is fine, Dear."

"Just fine."

When Rhett and Scarlett were in the cab, they burst out laughing. Wade didn't know why they were laughing but he was smiling anyway. When Scarlett finally said, "I don't know how I kept a straight face when you said, 'Not that I am saying you smell, ladies.'

"Me neither."

"Thank you, Daddy, for not making me hug them."

"You are welcome, son."

That evening at supper the She-crab soup was quite good. Scarlett and Rhett passed Ellen back and forth, but nobody said a word about putting her down. If Scarlett had liked Elizabeth, she would have complimented her on the soup, but she decided that her mother-in-law hadn't made the soup, so she didn't deserve the compliment.

Rhett and Scarlett talked about going sailing and Scarlett talked Rhett out of it by saying, "Ellen is too young. If something happened, we wouldn't be able to save her.'

Rhett didn't know what Scarlett thought might happen, but he would not take any chances with Ellen's life. He replied, "Next time."

"Yes, next time."

Within three days the family was on the train to Atlanta in their private car. As Scarlett entered the car, she said to Rhett, "Thank you for always getting us a private car. It makes traveling so much more comfortable."

"You're welcome, my dear. I agree it does make it more comfortable to travel.

After the family had arrived in Atlanta, they checked into the National Hotel. Scarlett said, "Rhett, you must see if you can buy the mansion back."

"Scarlett, I would not pay five cents for the monstrosity much less what Jasper would want me to pay for it."

"Rhett, do you really think it is ugly?"

"As sin."

Scarlett gasped. She said, "I never!"

"Yes, you do all the time."

"Rhett, don't talk like that out in public."

"Public? We are in our hotel room."

"We are in the common room where Wade or Mammy or Alice could hear you."

"Neither of our servants would say anything and Wade would not understand."

"Mammy would."

"Not to me. We will buy or build another house and I will be involved every step of the way."

Scarlett pouted the rest of the evening. When they retired for the night, Rhett said, "I don't know why you are pouting, and it is not doing any good. I let you build the mansion any way you wanted. I would have continued to live in it without complaint if we hadn't had to move to London, but I will not willingly live in an eye sore ever again. Although I might add that Suellen's house is equally ugly. I guess you two do have something in common – bad taste."

"You… You… You…"

"Don't say what you are thinking. A lady wouldn't say what you are thinking, and you are always claiming to be a lady."

"You… You…"

"Yes, me. Come to bed. I'm feeling romantic."

"No!"

"You can stay mad at me. I will make you feel good, I promise."

"No!"

"Then just come to bed. I am too tired for these hysterics. I don't know why you are so upset. I let you build the house of your dreams. I would have lived in it until I was old and gray if I had not been able to get you with child. Did you not like our home in London? Baby, I am beginning to realize that marriage is about compromise. I didn't really like our home in London, but it was as much towards my taste as I was going to get you to accept."

"I've never had to compromise before. My beaus always gave me everything I wanted."

"Ah but I am not one of your beaus but your husband."

"Yes, you are my husband. Loosen my corset so I can come to bed."

When Scarlett got in the bed, she said, "Were we married when you told Mammy we were?"

"As far as I was concerned."

"I meant legally."

"I don't know. I guess not but nobody was ever going to ask to see proof we were married."

"Why did you say it?"

"Truth?" With Scarlett's nod Rhett said, "Two reasons. One - when Mammy looked at me all my breeding rose to the surface. Two - I guess I knew even then that I was going to stick with you through that horrific nightmare and I wanted all the benefits I could get. I couldn't abandon you."

"You almost did at Rough and Ready."

"Yes, but at Rough and Ready I thought that once you got to Tara your parents would take care of everything. They would get you through it all. Then you made me that incredible offer."

"I'm so glad you took me all the way to Tara. I'm so glad you stayed with me. I wouldn't have made it without you."

"Yes, you would. You are one tough cookie."

Scarlett knew that no matter what Rhett said she knew she wouldn't have made it without him. After a minute, Rhett said, "How were you planning on backing out of the deal we made at Rough and Ready?"

Scarlett burst out laughing. She finally said, "How did you know?"

"I know you."

"I was just going to refuse to do it."

Rhett smiled. "What made you change your mind?"

"I knew I had to make you stay. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it if I didn't have help. In that moment I had no one but you. I knew you were a man who knew how to survive against great odds. And you had already told Mammy that we were married so we were as good as married."

"You having relations with me was the way to make me stay."

Scarlett said, "Tell me a story."

"Of course."

Scarlett and Rhett started looking for a house to buy the next day. Their house hunting had to be scheduled around Ellen's nap and feeding schedule. Rhett was such a silly man as far as the children were concerned.

Scarlett had decided to not build another house for it would not be fun with Rhett's censorship of her ideas. She smiled at Rhett that had been fun just buying and ordering anything she wanted. She guessed Rhett was right. Marriage was about compromise.

After a week of looking, it was clear that it was going to be difficult to find an architectural style they both liked. Scarlett said, "Let's compromise. You can select the exterior design of our home and I will decorate the inside of the home."

"I will agree to you decorating any part of the house that our guest will see but I will decorate the family parlor, my office, the library, and our bedroom."

"I will agree if we decorate the family parlor and our bedroom together."

"Done."

The next day when Rhett told Scarlett that he had made an offer on the house they had looked at on Pine Street, she almost groaned. It was a very plain house in the Georgian Style. She reminded herself that she would have a free hand in the décor of the inside. That made her happy.