Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Nine

At the time Jasmine had received the spell book she had leafed through the book carefully for it indeed was incredibly old, but she hadn't really paid any attention to the spells. She had thought her grandmother was being fanciful. Nobody believed in that kind of stuff nowadays. She had stored it away with her nineteenth century memorabilia. Thank goodness she had not played around with any of the spells in the book.

Now as Jasmine sat there in her bedroom with the book in her hands, she knew it was not fanciful nonsense. Her female ancestors had the second sight. Jasmine was happy that her power had been diluted by her father. She knew she would not want to see people's futures and not be able to help them.

Jasmine knew what had happened. Yet she opened the book and she found what she was looking for. She found the spell to send people a hundred years into the future. She knew how Rhett and Scarlett had been transported one hundred years into the future. She just didn't understand why her great, great grandmother sent the Butlers into the future.

As she was sitting on her bed, Jasmine knew why. Her ancestor had somehow seen Scarlett's future and decided to send them into the future hoping to change their future. She looked through the rest of the book and didn't find a spell to send the couple back to eighteen sixty-eight. Rhett and Scarlett were never going back to their original time. She sighed and went to find her time travelers. She might as well get this over with.

Jasmine found them in the living room. As she stood in the doorway, she watched them. Rhett was teasing Scarlett about something, and Scarlett was looking at him with love in her eyes. Jasmine wondered how such a smart woman could be so obtuse not to see the love between her and Rhett. Of course, Rhett couldn't see how much Scarlett loved him either.

Jasmine walked in the room and sat down with the book on her lap. She said, "Did you get your fortune told while you were on your honeymoon?"

Scarlett said, "I did by a Marie," She turned to Rhett and said, "What was her last name?"

Rhett and Jasmine said at the same time, "Laveau."

"How did you know?"

Jasmine showed them the book. Jasmine said, "My great, great grandmother was Marie Laveau. It seems for some reason she decided to send y'all a hundred years into the future."

The couple could easily tell that Jasmine was embarrassed by her ancestor's actions.

Scarlett laughed and said, "Probably because Rhett mocked and belittle her talents. Jasmine, my husband can infuriate the calmest of people."

"As I recall I said something about the great and fabulous Marie Laveau's talents in a mocking and derisive way."

"Rhett deserved what she did. I don't know why she sent me too."

"You were probably sent by accident, but I am so glad she did."

"I am glad we are together also."

The couple smiled at each other.

Scarlett smiled an incredibly happy smile at Jasmine and said, "Now you can just use a spell from that book to send us back."

Jasmine then said, "There is no spell to reverse the other spell."

With those words all the laughter was sucked out of Scarlett. She knew in that moment that she would never see Wade and Ella again. Scarlett burst into tears. Rhett had realized the implication of Jasmine's words as quickly as Scarlett had. He held her close and let her cry. Jasmine didn't try to stop Scarlett from crying. Jasmine knew that Scarlett had realized in that moment she would never see her children again.

Scarlett sobbed out, "Jasmine, Marie Laveau predicted a horrible future for me. Was my future horrible?"

Jasmine knew there was no point in not telling them the truth as she knew it. She said, "Yes, it was pretty bad."

Rhett said, "Does Scarlett lose all her children?"

"Yes. Rhett, Scarlett I don't want to tell you anymore for it is no longer your future. It will just upset y'all more."

Rhett nodded his head. He stood up and said, "This discussion is not over but you are right. Now is not the time for you to tell us our other future. Excuse us, Jasmine."

Rhett helped Scarlett stand up and they left the living room. Jasmine hadn't failed to notice that Rhett's eyes were red also. She would let them grieve their loss. The loss of their children and their past life.

Scarlett was crying her eyes out and Rhett was holding her close. He kept saying, "There, there."

He knew there was nothing he could say to make her feel better. He knew that once again she had lost everything through no fault of her own. It was his actions that had caused Ms. Laveau to send them into the future. Rhett also knew that Ms. Laveau had not planned to send Scarlett into the future just him. As selfish as it was, he was glad Ms. Laveau had made that mistake. He really would be lost if she wasn't with him.

Finally, Scarlett stopped crying. Rhett hoped she had fallen asleep. Then he heard her say, "That fortune teller said I would lose my husband's love chasing after a false love. Do you love me?"

Rhett wanted to make a mocking comment and deny his love. He wanted to say something cruel so she wouldn't keep questioning him. Yet he couldn't hurt her now in her darkest moment. He looked into her eyes and he said the only thing he could say. He said, "Yes, I have loved you since we danced together at the Hospital Bazaar."

"Since everything else that woman predicted has turned out to be true, I guess my love for Ashley was a false love."

"I think your love for Mr. Wilkes was tied to your life before the war. Your perfect life."

"I did have a perfect life except for Suellen," Rhett smiled. Scarlett went on, "He loves Melly doesn't he?"

"I think so, but I think he needs you to pull him along. I think Mrs. Wilkes knows that he needs you to pull him along."

"Do you think Melly knew about my feelings for Ashley?"

"Yes. I also think she knew that the only thing keeping Mr. Wilkes afloat was you."

"I guess it doesn't matter now. They are a hundred years away."

"That is true."

Rhett held Scarlett tighter. Finally, he heard her say, "I'm so mixed up. I don't know what I feel. All I know is that I have faith you will create a good life for us here in nineteen sixty-eight."

They quietly laid on the bed absorbing the news that they would never see Wade and Ella again.

Scarlett quietly said, "This is a girl."

"Good, I want a girl."

"Good."

They laid there a while longer but lost in a sea of misery. Scarlett said, "Didn't the fortune teller say we lost our daughter in a jumping accident?"

"Yes. We can make sure that doesn't happen."

For the rest of the week Scarlett was lugubrious and depressed. Scarlett was devastated she would never see Wade and Ella ever again. Rhett was sad about it also but not like Scarlett was sad.

That Saturday Jasmine and Marshall urged the couple to get dressed and go to the reenactment with them. Rhett accepted for them. He also thought it was a good idea to get out of the house. A solemn Scarlett allowed Rhett to help her get dressed although she told him to not tie her corset too tight. He encouraged her to put on all her jewelry even her tiara which she did for it made her happy.

As they met in the entryway Scarlett smiled when she saw that Marshall was dressed as a Major in the Confederate army and Jasmine was dressed in a pretty blue dress with gray trim that was in the same style as the dress Scarlett was wearing. The one she was wearing was in green with brown trim. Scarlett smiled and said, "I guess we are going to be twins today."

Jasmine smiled back and said, "I guess so."

The group rode to the event in Jasmine's mustang for Scarlett and Rhett refused to get in the back seat of a police car. The couple thought it was undignified. Marshall had laughed at them, but he had agreed to take the mustang. Rhett rode in the back with Scarlett. He held her hand all the way to the event. Rhett thought he would be happy about not going back to eighteen sixty-eight but every time he looked at Scarlett's sad face he wasn't. Maybe in time she would be happy again.

When they got to the field where the event was going to take place, Rhett and Scarlett were amazed at how many people were at the event. It had a carnival type aspect to it. There were people in tents selling everything from flags to bullets. They were selling Confederate uniforms. There were a couple of rare coin dealers and Rhett sold some more of his money. There was a man selling cameos and small pieces of jewelry supposedly made in the nineteenth century.

The participates re-enacted the battle. Marshall was leading his troops into battle. Jasmine was playing the part of a nurse. Scarlett and Rhett watched them. Scarlett said, "This sadly reminds me of the Wilkes barbecue. All those men there were sure the war would be a grand and glorious event, especially Charlie."

"Yes, they did. They hated me for speaking the truth and they hated me even more for being right."

"Ashley was right that day when he said, 'Most of the misery in the world is caused by war."

"Indeed, Mr. Wilkes was correct."

Finally, the re-enactment was over, and everyone was in high spirits which only made Scarlett sadder. Rhett started making mocking comments about the participants which made Scarlett laugh which made Rhett happy. He didn't want her to get any sadder.

After Marshall and Jasmine joined them, Jasmine made them each buy a sausage on a stick. Scarlett and Rhett enjoyed the food although Rhett didn't like the fact there was no place to sit. He was appalled they he was expected to walk around eating but he did. In fact, he found he was enjoying himself and for a while Scarlett had forgotten her sorrows.

They had walked around for a while eating their sausages and Scarlett said to Rhett, "They are all too fat."

He had replied, "Nobody was that fat who was actually fighting in the war."

"Everyone in the South was skin and bones."

"They would have been wrestling you down to the ground for that sausage in your hand."

"There uniforms are too clean. They should be threadbare."

"Nobody had shoes by that time in the war."

"That is not the Confederate flag. That was the battle flag for Northern Virginia."

Jasmine and Marshall looked at each other and knew they shouldn't have brought their time travelers with them.

"Look, Rhett, doesn't that man look like Frank?"

"I believe so. That woman looks like Mrs. Merriwether."

"She does not. She looks like Aunt PittyPat."

"I guess you're right."

She smiled sadly at Rhett. She said, "I know what you are doing. You are trying to make sure I don't think about Wade and Ella. I will be alright eventually. We just have to make sure that nothing happens to this baby."

"Yes, we will."

"I haven't thought about him at all since we travel through time. I know he would be useless in this time," She took a deep breath and continued, "Just as he is useless in our time. It was a false love."

Rhett didn't ask about her feelings for him. He knew she didn't know. He knew that right then she couldn't analyze anything too deeply. He would wait. Rhett kissed her. He liked being able to kiss his wife in public without censure.

There was a woman who said to Scarlett, "I like your tiara. Would you be willing to sell it?"

Scarlett said, "You can have it for three thousand dollars."

"Wow! Why so much?"

"This is real gold, and the gems are real. It was actually made in eighteen sixty-eight."

"I don't have that much money on me. Can I write you a check?"

Marshall stepped forward and said, "No, checks. If you really want to buy the tiara, we will meet you in a Winn Dixie parking lot. You bring cash and I will bring the tiara."

"Alright."

"Just so you know I am a police officer, and I will be happy to arrest you if you try to swindle me."

"No, of course not."

"What is your name?"

"Linda Tussay."

"Your phone number?"

"555-9117"

"Get your money together and we will meet tomorrow evening. I will call you after six."

"Alright. Thank you. I am not a con artist. I really want the tiara."

"Fine. Wait for my call."

Linda scurried off. They watched her join a man and it was plain that she was telling them about the encounter for the man was staring right at them. Marshall said, "It is time for us to go. I will be surprised if that was a good number, she gave me."