Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Eleven

Jasmine and Marshall watched as Rhett left the living room. Once they heard the door close Jasmine said, "Do you think we did the right thing telling them about their past future?"

"Yes. They needed to know where they went wrong before so they can correct their mistakes."

"I hope it is easier for Scarlett to accept the loss of her children knowing she would have lost them anyway."

"I don't think anything would make it easy to accept the loss of a child."

Rhett and Scarlett laid on the bed without anyone speaking. They were devastated.

Finally, Scarlett said, "Rhett, everything the fortune teller predicted came true. I lost all my children. I lost everything even you."

"We don't really know the why and wherefore of our past future, but I will never leave you."

They didn't speak anymore. They just kept lying on the bed wrapped up in each other's arms. They didn't even get undressed they fell asleep just like that.

The next morning Scarlett said, "I don't want to go back to that kind of future."

"We don't have much choice in the matter. We aren't able to go back."

"I miss Wade and Ella so much. Rhett, I never knew I loved them so much. I miss Melly also. She really is my truest friend."

"What about Mr. Wilkes?"

Scarlett gave him a sad smile and said, "He was the one that got away."

"Come on. Let's get up we have things to do today."

Rhett made Scarlett go with him to a jewelry store. He wanted to find out how much Scarlett's tiara was worth. The jeweler appraised it at three thousand dollars retail. He offered to buy it from them for twenty-seven hundred dollars. Rhett said, "Let me think about it."

If the deal with Linda Tussay fell through, they would come back tomorrow and sell it to the jeweler. Rhett knew that it was probably worth thirty-five hundred dollars, but Rhett and Scarlett needed the cash.

That night Marshall called Linda Tussay. She agreed to meet them in the Winn Dixie grocery store parking lot. Rhett and Marshall had gone to meet the woman. Linda had told them she was driving a brown Ford Station Wagon.

Rhett asked Marshall what type of vehicle it was.

Marshall said, "It has a longer body style than most vehicles. It is a great family car. It can haul anything from boxes to kids."

When Rhett saw Linda's vehicle, he nodded his head. Marshall handled the entire transaction. When he got back in the car Marshall started to hand Rhett the money. Rhett stopped him and said, "I need you to buy me a car. Scarlett and I are going to go to that poker tournament. I am sure that neither Scarlett nor I would be willing to get on an airplane."

"Besides, you would need a vehicle when you got there. I'm sure I can find you a decent vehicle for three thousand dollars."

"No, five hundred of that is for you and Jasmine. You have kindly fed us and housed us for the last three months."

"This is too much."

"We will be returning to your home when we get back from Reno."

"Good. I'm not sure I am comfortable with just you and Scarlett going on a road trip alone."

"Do you want to send Jasmine with us?"

"No, I am not comfortable with Jasmine being gone for over a month. I am not even happy when she spends the weekend at her parents' house."

"Where do they live?"

"Baton Rouge."

"How far away is that?"

"Eighty miles. Jasmine must visit them. Her mother doesn't like me. She will not enter my house."

"Wow! Why does she not like you?"

"A lot of reasons but mainly because I am a cop. Jasmine's mother has problems with authority."

"Is she one of those anti-establishment people?" Marshall smiled and nodded his head. Rhett continued, "The car doesn't have to be fancy just reliable."

"Sure. I will get right on it."

"It has to have air conditioning, also."

"It is hard to do without that, huh?"

"Yes, it is. Especially if we are going to be driving across the desert. Thanks."

While Rhett and Marshall were out of the house, Jasmine said to Scarlett, "I know in your day they had wet nurses. Those don't exist today. I also know that in your day proper women didn't nurse their own children, but I think you should," Before Scarlett could object Jasmine continued, "We have formula which is a substitute for mother's milk if you don't want to nurse the child yourself but the reason, I think you should, is because nursing your child helps prevent pregnancies."

"Really?"

"Yes, it is not one hundred percent like birth control pills, but you should consider it. Nursing your child is also healthy for your child. You are going to have to start going to a doctor because of your pregnancy."

"No, I know how to have a child."

"A doctor can make sure you aren't having any problems."

"No, Jasmine. Nothing is wrong with the child. Please don't say anything to Rhett. He will make me go if you do and I don't want anyone poking and prodding me. I get enough of that from Rhett."

When Jasmine started giggling, Scarlett blushed and said, "I didn't mean that."

Jasmine said, "I will wait until you are six months along, but you will need to be under a doctor's care, so he can help you deliver this child."

"I don't need a doctor to help me deliver this child."

"He can give you pain medication to help with the labor pains."

"Alright. At six months I will start going to the doctor."

Jasmine smiled. Scarlett smiled back and said, "I will nurse my child although I hope by then to be on the birth control pill."

"Another reason to be under a doctor's care. You need him to prescribe the pill."

"Yes. That is what I will do."

Three days later, Marshall and Rhett went to the Chevrolet dealership and bought a brand new Chevelle. It was blue with two doors. Rhett had watched as Marshall had bargained with the salesman. In the end Marshall said, "I only have twenty-five hundred dollars to spend. Either take that or we will go to the Ford dealership just down the road."

Four hours later Rhett was driving his new car off the show room. Rhett couldn't believe how proud he was of the vehicle. He said to Marshall, "I hope Scarlett likes it."

"I'm sure she will. It will be easy for her to get the baby in and out of the car."

Rhett smiled. He smiled every time he thought of his daughter. Scarlett wanted to use the same name they had used last time, Eugenia Victoria. She had said, "We will call her Genie. I still don't understand how she acquired the nick name Bonnie. It doesn't make sense."

Rhett had replied, "I think it's bad luck also."

He wondered if he would ever be able to talk her into having another one. He decided it all depended on how good the pain medication she was given during labor and delivery was. He pushed those thoughts from his mind. He was just going to enjoy where they were now.

When they got to the house, Rhett parked his car on the street. Scarlett and Jasmine came out. Scarlett said, "I didn't think you were ever coming back. Is this our car?"

"Yes, do you like it?"

"It is bland and boring, but I like the light blue color. Did they not have it in black?"

Rhett smiled at Scarlett because he knew she was teasing him about his tendency to buy everything in neutral colors. He said, "Yes, they had it in black, but Marshall told me that black cars get ridiculously hot in the summertime in Louisiana. Now let me tell you about the car."

"Does it have air conditioning?"

"Yes, and an FM radio."

"A what?"

"A radio. We can listen to music in the car."

"What else?"

Rhett showed her everything about the car even while knowing she was not interested. Yet, she stood there the entire time he was talking and smiled at the appropriate times.

Finally, they walked into the house. Rhett said, "The poker tournament is the first weekend in September. How long do you think we will want to stay in Atlanta?"

"Maybe two days."

"Let's plan on two days. We can always leave early if we want to."

"Alright. What are we going to do there?"

"Look at the mansion, see what happened to Tara, look at Wade, Ella and the Wilkes' graves."

"No, Rhett, let's not go to Atlanta."

"If you don't want to go, we won't. Why don't you want to go?"

"The pain is still too raw about Wade and….." Nobody said anything. They gave Scarlett time to compose herself. She went on, "The only way I can bear it is to not think about it. If I never see their graves, then I can pretend that things turned out differently because we weren't in that time. Jasmine, what happened to Tara?"

"Your sister Suellen's family lived there until the nineteen forties. They sold it to a real estate developer. It was close enough to Atlanta that people could easily commute," Jasmine smiled and said, "Drive into Atlanta every day for work."

"Now I know I really don't want to see all that. Not after everything I sacrifice to keep it in the family."

"Jasmine, do you know what happened to my mother and sister?"

"Yes, your mother died the year after you did from a heart attack. Your sister lived until she was in her seventies. What I just told y'all was from the first timeline. Let me research it while y'all are gone to see if there was any change because y'all disappeared."

"If you can find out where my fortune went also."

"I will try."

"Scarlett, if you don't want to go to Atlanta, we will drive straight to Reno then. Marshall, how long will it take to drive there?"

"Probably four days. You should stop at the Grand Canyon since you are going to be driving by it. So, you will need to add another day for that."

"Yes, we will do that. I have seen it, Scarlett, you should see it."

Jasmine said, "Let me get the calendar," In a few minutes she returned with the kitchen calendar. She said, "The tournament starts on September 3rd? With Rhett's nod she continued, "Then you need to leave on Sunday the 29th."

"Alright."

Jasmine said, "I will get you two road maps and mark them for you. One to get you there and one to get you back."

Scarlett and Rhett both took umbrage with her acting like they were ignorant fools, but neither said anything, because in this place and time that was what they were. Besides, they knew they needed the Wilsons too much to allow themselves to be offended by petty things.

Jasmine said, "Tomorrow we will buy y'all suitcases and some new clothes. You will need a suit for the tournament play. We will have to buy Scarlett maternity clothes for sure."

Marshall said, "They don't need to buy suitcases. They can just use ours."

Scarlett frowned at Jasmine's comment about maternity clothes, but she knew it was true. She could barely get her dresses zipped up.

Rhett said, "I will sell some more of my money and more of Scarlett's jewelry."

Marshall said, "Let me give you some names of legitimate gem dealers."

"Thanks."

This time Scarlett didn't object. She knew it was the logical thing to do. The couples talked about what sights there were to see along the way. Jasmine said, "You should go to Las Vegas. It is on the way. It is another gambling mecca."

Scarlett said, "On the way back. We will get three maps. One to Reno, one from Reno to Las Vegas, and one back here."

That night while they were getting ready for bed, Rhett said, "I'm going to need to sell your engagement ring."

"No!"

"I need it for the stake in the poker tournament."

"No, sell my other jewelry."

"I am probably going to have to sell that also, but I need the diamond. It is worth at least thirty thousand dollars in this time."

"No, Rhett what if you lose it all."

"Scarlett, please, have a little more faith in me."

"What if you lose it all then we will have nothing."

"We will have the rest of your jewelry. Scarlett, my dear, there are two things in this world that I am particularly good at one of them is playing poker."

"What is the other one?"

Rhett whispered in her ear, "Making you happy."

Scarlett blushed. She took her ring off her left hand. She said, "I never thought I would willingly take it off," That made Rhett pause and look at her. He knew he was more important to her than he had thought. Scarlett continued, "Good luck."

He said, "I promise you I will buy it back for you or one even bigger."

Scarlett had smiled. She said, "Maybe one smaller and more tasteful. I'm not trying to make the matrons pea-green with envy now."

Rhett smiled back.