Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Two

As Scarlett sat there on the bench in Jackson Square, she had thought she could not have gotten anymore scared but when she saw Rhett pale her fear level went up several notches. With panic in her voice, she said, "What is the matter?"

"I don't know how but we have somehow been transported one hundred years into the future."

"Rhett that is impossible."

"Look for yourself."

Scarlett took the newspaper Rhett was handing her. There was the date. She said, "This has to be a practical joke."

"Look around you my dear. We are not in eighteen sixty-eight."

"We have to get back. I'm all Ella has. I'm practically all Wade has. Do they think I am dead? They are already afraid of me dying as it is. No, Rhett, you have to get us back to eighteen sixty-eight."

Several things passed through Rhett's mind as she was on her tirade. Her children had been her first concern which made him happy. She hadn't mentioned Mr. Wilkes at all. She thought he could fix any problem no matter how outlandish it was.

"Not to mention your businesses."

"If time is moving on then Johnny will have robbed me blind, and Hugh and Ashley will have ruin my businesses. Three weeks was the most I could stay gone before there was serious damage. I only wanted to be gone two weeks, but you insisted we be gone three weeks."

Scarlett was getting increasingly upset. So, in order to calm her down Rhett said, "I don't know how but I will get us back to eighteen sixty-eight."

Scarlett was soothed by Rhett's words. She said, "I know you will."

Rhett didn't know about her loving him but that was a lot of faith in another human being. Rhett said words that twenty-four hours before he would never have said, "I will always take care of you. Haven't I always when you have let me?"

Scarlett looked in Rhett's mahogany brown eyes and nodded her head. She said, "It is hard for me to trust anyone but myself."

"The same is true for me. Come along. We need to find some place to stay at least for tonight."

"We are still in New Orleans."

"Yes, I am very familiar with the city so that should help."

"I don't know how much that will help everything has changed so much."

Rhett didn't answer because he didn't have an answer. He was grasping at straws trying to keep not only Scarlett calm but himself also. He stood up and helped her up. He took her hand, and she grasped his. Her faith in him steadied him and he said, "Let's walk this way and look for a hotel."

"Alright."

They strolled down Decatur Street for several blocks. They finally saw a decent hotel and they entered the lobby. Rhett walked up to the desk clerk and said, "We need a room."

"Yes sir. May I see some ID and a major credit card?"

Rhett stared at the man. He said, "A what and a what?"

"Your identification and a credit card like Master Card or Visa."

"I am Rhett Butler. Everyone knows who I am. I am famous."

Scarlett had said, "More like infamous." She had then giggled.

Rhett had looked down at her and smiled. He said, "True, my dear."

Unbeknownst to either Rhett or Scarlett they had been followed.

Jasmine Wilson was a college student who was studying at Tulane. Her major was history. Primarily 19th century history. She knew everything there was to know about the civil war and that time afterwards. She loved studying it. She would love to live in that time.

Jasmine had seen the couple in the square and had been amazed at their costumes. The style was circa late 1860s to early 1870s. She had made herself a dress in that same style that the woman was wearing. They looked brand new.

Jasmine had been following them to find out where they were going. The couple had looked so familiar, but she couldn't place them. She had thought they were in a play but there were no theaters in this part of the city.

Jasmine saw them walk into the hotel and she followed them. When she had heard the man introduce himself Jasmine had known by some sixth sense that the man in front of her was the infamous Rhett Butler. The famous blockade runner, food speculator, the man that had stolen the confederate gold and the man who had made a fortune off of the Republican government. Before charges could be brought against him, he had basically turned state's evidence and escaped all prosecution. The authorities had gotten the governor to grant him a pardon for all crimes he had committed since his last pardon.

Jasmine looked closer at the woman. She was Scarlett Butler. Jasmine had seen pictures of her and had read she was popular with men, but Jasmine had not been able to see anything special about her. As she looked at Mrs. Butler in the flesh, Jasmine could see that she had something special about her that would sexually attract anything with a pulse. Jasmine was attracted to her and Jasmine definitely preferred men.

Jasmine had to talk to them and find out how this had happened. She walked up to the front desk and said, "Mr. Butler, Mrs. Butler, please step this way. Let me explain everything. I'm Jasmine Wilson."

Rhett and Scarlett looked at each other then back at Jasmine. They saw a young woman in front of them. She had curly red hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a shift dress whose hemline was just a little bit above the knee. The material was of a very bold pattern. Rhett said, "Of course. Scarlett, after you."

Jasmine led them to some sofas that were in the lobby. She indicated that they should sit down. She took a deep breath. She said, "I am a historian with my specialty being the civil war and reconstruction. You Mr. Butler are indeed famous or as your wife said infamous. Did you indeed steal the Confederate gold?"

Rhett looked at the young lady. He decided that she was probably in her late twenties. She was a very pretty, young, woman. In another time, in another place Rhett would have enjoyed spending time with this young woman. but he was on his honeymoon.

He heard Scarlett hiss, "Rhett! What is with you and red heads."

He turned to look at Scarlett and she was mad. She was jealous. It was the first time he had ever known her to be jealous of him for sure. With his activities with Belle, he had never known for sure if she was jealous or disgusted. He smiled at her his most charming smile and Jasmine sucked her breath in. He had more animal magnetism than should be allow by law.

"You know I prefer women with black hair."

Scarlett didn't look appeased. Rhett smiled.

The couple both looked at Jasmine. The woman was scowling, and the man was gloating. Rhett Butler smiled his charming smile and said, "No, I didn't steal the Confederate gold. Only scum would do that when the Confederacy was on its knees.

Scarlett snorted.

Rhett smiled his sensuous smile.

Scarlett frowned.

Rhett took her hand and kissed it.

Jasmine wondered how they didn't spontaneously combust from the amount of heat coming off of them.

Jasmine said, "How did you travel into the future?"

"We don't know."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since this morning."

"Miss Wilson, we have to get back to eighteen sixty-eight. My children are alone."

"Your children? You don't have any children."

"Yes, I do. Wade and Ella from my first marriages."

"Yes, I meant with Mr. Butler."

"Of course, Rhett and I don't have any children yet. We are on our honeymoon."

"Yes, yes."

The young woman would not make eye contact and Scarlett felt a cold hand enclose her heart. Jasmine's actions were making Scarlett think about the words of the fortune teller. What did this woman know that she wasn't telling them?

Jasmine said, "Let's go to Sears and buy some modern clothes. Then return to my house. This afternoon I will give you a crash course on all the changes in the last one hundred years then over dinner we will figure out a plan for your future," At Scarlett's panicked face she added, "We will find a way to return you to eighteen sixty-eight."

Scarlett didn't know what a 'crash course' was, but she had understood that Miss Wilson was going to educate her and Rhett on the changes that had occurred. Scarlett said, "Can we eat dinner first?" I'm starving."

Rhett smiled at his wife. The woman was always hungry.

Jasmine said, "Yes, the vernacular has changed in the last one hundred years. Lunch is now the noontime meal. Dinner is now the evening meal."

"What is supper?"

"It can mean the evening meal also."

"What does vernacular mean?"

Rhett smiled and said, "Everyday language."

"I don't understand why people can't just say that."

With that Scarlett got up and huffed off. Rhett stood up and smiled at Jasmine. With his hand he indicated that she should proceed him. Rhett was smiling. In a crisis his wife wasn't the least bit concerned about Mr. Wilkes. He was going to have to think about that long and hard.

Jasmine walked the couple to her car which was parked in between where they were and Jackson Square. Scarlett asked, "I have seen a lot of women wearing pants. Aren't they afraid of unsexing themselves?"

"A woman wearing pants is not as socially unacceptable as it was in your day. It is still frowned upon in fine restaurants, schools and in the workplace."

"Do a lot of women work?

"Almost all single women work and about one third of the married women do. After I get my degree, I will work for a while. My husband and I have decided to wait to start our family."

There was so much in the statement that stunned Scarlett, but she wanted to know how anyone could wait to start a family. She said, "How can you avoid getting with child?"

Jasmine looked at Scarlett and smiled. She knew in the 19th century there was no reliable way for a woman to prevent getting pregnant. She knew there were ways for a man to prevent a woman from getting pregnant but even those where not one hundred percent. She said, "You and I will talk about that later. Alone."

Rhett said, "I don't think so, Miss Wilson. Anything you have to say to Scarlett on that subject I will be a party to."

"Of course. We are very muchly less formal now. Let us dispense with the Miss Wilson and the Mr. and Mrs. Butler. You will call me Jasmine and I will call you Rhett and Scarlett. Here is my car. Get in."

The car was a sixty-five red mustang. Jasmine walked around to the driver's side of the car and looked back at the couple. She smiled. They had no idea how to get in. She walked back around and opened the passenger door. She said, "Scarlett, you will need to crawl into the back seat for I am sure there is not enough room back there for Rhett."

"I will not crawl anywhere."

Jasmine smiled again. While she pulled the front seat forward, she said, "I didn't mean actually crawl. I meant get yourself back there."

Scarlett did get herself into the back seat with Rhett's help then Jasmine pushed the seat back and Rhett got in. Jasmine shut the door. As she walked around the car, she thought, 'I am glad that I got an extension on completing my dissertation. My two charges are going to need constant supervision for a while.'

Jasmine started the car. Rhett said, "That sounds like an engine."

As Jasmine pulled out into traffic she said, "It is."

"What does it run on? You cannot have a steam engine small enough to fit in that forward compartment."

"The hood. It runs on gasoline. Now, Rhett, you are going to have to save the rest of your questions until Marshall gets home for that is all I know."

"Marshall?"

"My husband."

As they traveled in the car, Rhett and Scarlett were in awe. Scarlett scooted forward on the seat. She reached over the seat and put her hand on Rhett's shoulder. He immediately put his hand over hers. They had never traveled in anything going so fast. It was a little scary.