Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the many reviews and the feedback.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Butlers took a taxi to the Wilsons' address. They hoped the Wilsons still lived there. As they got out of the cab Rhett paid the driver and asked him to wait.
When Marshall opened the door he said, "Jas, you are not going to believe what the cat drug home. Hurry!"
With that Rhett waved the cab driver off.
When Jasmine and Scarlett saw each other, they hugged for a long time. They didn't want to stop hugging.
Jasmine said, "I have missed you so much."
"I have missed you too."
"How?"
"We paid your Great, Great, Grandmother to send us permanently into the future. It was the only way we could think to save our children's lives."
"Yeah, I read that you lost three of your four children."
"We were hoping Marshall would go with Rhett to get his money. He set-up a trust fund with JP Morgan and made himself the beneficiary. Now he has to get access to it."
Marshall said, "Sure, we will go to the main branch. Today is your lucky day. I took today off work, so we have all day to deal with this."
"Once I get my money, I need to buy a vehicle for us."
"I'll be right back," Marshall came back with an overnight bag that was stuffed full of something. "What is left over of your winnings from that poker tournament."
"We spent some of it to pay off my student loans but that may be back in there."
"What do you mean?"
"I knew you were coming back. This morning I got a complete set of new memories. I still have the old memories, but they are fading. Did you come back this morning?"
"Yes. What about you, Marshall? Do you have new memories?"
"Yes, but just a few. I think because your actions in eighteen seventy-four didn't affect my past just Jasmine's past."
"I hope we didn't mess anything up with our time leap."
"We will never know."
"That's true."
Marshall said, "Let's go Rhett. I think we are going to have a long day."
"We have to find some place to stay also."
Jasmine said, "Here! You can live here!"
"No, Jasmine, there are too many of us."
"At least for a couple of nights. Besides, you and the children can't go anywhere until Rhett and Marshall get back with a vehicle. We will find a house for you to rent in this subdivision."
"Alright. For a couple of nights."
Scarlett said, "Take Wade and Beau with you."
"Sure, come on boys."
Jasmine said, "Come in we will let the girls watch TV while we talk."
"Sure. Come on girls. This is your Aunt Jasmine."
Once they were settled in the den, Scarlett turned on the TV and said, "This is something wonderful in this new time we are living in. It is called television or TV for short. There are pictures and sounds that come through this box that will entertain you. Don't be scared they can't get out of the box."
Scarlett turned on the TV and Ella and Genie sat down to watch it. Scarlett with Alex in her arms and Jasmine sat on the couch. Scarlett said, "Did you get your PhD?"
"Yes ma'am. I was afraid your ghost would haunt me if I didn't."
"I sure would have tried."
Ella said, "Mama, can I sit in your lap?"
"Alex is sitting there right now but you can sit on the couch between Aunt Jasmine and me. Does the TV scare you?"
Both girls got on the couch. After they were sitting between the two women they turned and looked at their mother and nodded their heads. Scarlett said, "There is nothing to be afraid of but if you feel better sitting with me then by all means sit with me."
"Thank you, Mama."
Scarlett smiled at Ella and Genie. She could not believe how much she loved those little girls. No, she didn't want any more children, but she loved the ones she had so very much.
Jasmine smiled at the scene before her. Scarlett certainly had changed in the last four years. She said, "I am teaching at Loyola University although I won't teach next spring. I am pregnant with the baby due in January."
"What about your student loans?"
"First we used the money y'all left in the room to pay them off. Now my new memory is that I never had any student loans because of a trust fund that was set-up by one Rhett Butler that pays me a thousand dollars a month. Thank you. That money got my family comfortably through the Great Depression. It allowed me to go to Tulane without any student loans."
"You're welcome. It was the least we could do for you and your family."
"I have a lovely memory of my mother throwing a fit when my grandmother told me about the trust. She was griping and complaining about how the trust should have gone to my father first then, when he died go to me. I think my grandmother enjoyed explaining to my mother that the terms of the trust are the money only goes to girls. My mother even went to see an attorney about it all. Nothing legal can be done. It was the terms of the trust."
"Do you have any brothers and sisters?"
"No. According to my mother I was a miracle baby. She had thought she couldn't get pregnant."
"You certainly are a miracle."
They heard a baby crying and Jasmine got up and left the room. Soon she returned with a two-year-old little girl with blond hair and very blue eyes. Jasmine said, "Meet my daughter, Sophia."
"Oh, let me hold her. She is beautiful. She looks just like Marshall."
When it was lunch time, Jasmine made everyone grilled cheese sandwiches. Scarlett helped by buttering the bread. When they sat down to eat, Scarlett said, "Now I feel like we are really here.
For the next four hours the ladies talked. Ella, Bonnie, Alex, and Sophia played happily with Sophia's toys until after lunch when the two-year-olds took a nap. Ella and Genie gave TV another try although Genie was now in Scarlett's lap and Ella was sitting awfully close to her mother. Scarlett wasn't worried. It was a lot for two little girls to take in. She would not have made it if Rhett hadn't been with her, and she knew Rhett would not have made it if she hadn't been with him. That was when they became partners.
Rhett had known JP Morgan would remain solvent all through the years, which is why he had set the financial center to administer his trust fund. He didn't know exactly how much money was going to be in the account, but he knew he would never have to worry about money again. The trust fund was to be turned over to Rhett Butler when he presented proper identification and answered some simple questions. Simple questions that he had provided the answers.
When they got to JP Morgan's head office on Prytania St. Rhett told the receptionist, "I am the beneficiary of a trust, and I would like to start collecting my money."
"Certainly, sir. What is your name?"
"Rhett Butler."
The receptionist said, "The real Rhett Butler."
Rhett had smiled and said, "The real Rhett Butler."
The receptionist hurriedly walked to one of the Vice-Presidents' office. The man jumped up and walked over to where the men were standing. He extended his hand and said, "Jim Bean"
"Rhett Butler and my friend Lt Marshall Wilson. He is a police officer. These are my sons, Beau and Wade.
"We have all been so excited about finally meeting you."
"Why?"
"Your trust is a mystery to us. It was set-up by a Rhett Butler and a Rhett Butler is the beneficiary. Your ancestor must have been a Nostradamus in the flesh."
"You could say that. Do you have my money ready?"
"Yes. Let's go to my office where we can all sit down. You do have ID, don't you?"
"Yes."
The group followed the man to his office.
Ten minutes later Mr. Bean believed that the man in front of him was Rhett Butler. He had proper ID and he knew all the answers to the questions, but Mr. Bean could not just turn more than a million dollars over to a man who had just walked off the street.
Mr. Bean said, "Mr. Butler, I need to get Mr. Walker, the president of the investment center, to sign off on this transfer. It is just procedure. You understand, don't you?"
"No, Mr. Bean, I believe you are giving me the run around.
"No. No. Let me go get him."
Marshall and Rhett sat there for less than three minutes before a big man hurried through the door.
He extended his hand and said, "Johnny Walker. I never thought I would meet you. You are quite the mystery man."
"That's what I hear."
"Such brilliant moves with your money. Getting out of the stock market the month before it crashed amazing."
Mr. Walker could not have been more polite and solicitous. He wanted Mr. Butler to leave his money in JP Morgan's control. He said, "I am sorry for this inconvenience, but we have to be sure it is really you. Let me see your ID, please."
Rhett handed the man his ID and said, "Certainly. I would not want my money handed over to an imposter."
Mr. Walker smiled broadly and said, "Let me ask you the questions again."
"Mr. Bean just did that not ten minutes ago."
"Humor me."
"Go ahead."
"What is your grandfather's name?"
"Alex Butler"
"Your mother's name?"
"Elizabeth."
"Your wife's name?"
"Scarlett."
"And the last question your children's names?"
"Wade, Beau, Ella, Genie, and Alex. He was named for my grandfather."
"Welcome to JP Morgan, Mr. Butler. We have the ten thousand dollars available to you as requested. The rest is still in your investments. Let us set-up an appointment to go over your entire portfolio.
"Let me have the ten thousand dollars. I need to buy a car and rent a house. My wife and I can come back in a week. Give me a date and time."
"Of course, Mr. Butler. It will take a few minutes to get that much money together. Is next Wednesday at ten convenient for us to go over your portfolio?"
"Yes."
"The appointment will be here. I will handle your money personally."
"Thank you. Please hurry with the money. We must go buy a car.
"Of course, of course. I will go take care of it right now."
Within ten minutes, Mr. Walker had returned with ten thousand dollars and the balance of the rest of the trust. Rhett looked at the balance and smiled
The males returned to the Wilson's home. Rhett came in the house and excitedly said, "Come see our new van, everyone."
Scarlett said, "Van? What is a van?"
"Just come look at it."
Rhett had bought a Volkswagen van. Scarlett said, "Why did you buy something so big?"
"It will take something this big to transport the entire family around."
"It's white."
"Better than black."
"Yes, black cars get ridiculously hot in the summertime.
The ladies had left the children with the men and had gone to buy clothes. Just a few things to get them through the next couple of days. Of course, everyone needed pajamas and underwear.
Scarlett said, "I will have to bring the boys back and let them pick their own clothes. I guess the girls too."
"Will you let Rhett pick his own clothes?"
"Why bother? Black, white, and gray shirts and black pants. I am buying my Capri pants right now. I loved those."
"What about a mini skirt?"
Scarlett laughed and said, "There's no point. Rhett would rip it to shreds."
Two hundred dollars later there were clothes for everyone. And toothbrushes, toothpaste, and hairbrushes and combs and a couple of suitcases.
As Scarlett sat on the bed in their old bedroom brushing her hair, she watched Rhett tend to the children. Ella, Genie and Alex were sleeping on their floor. Wade and Beau were sleeping in the living room. Rhett was wearing his underwear to bed because of the children.
As he climbed in the bed, he said, "We need to get our own place."
"We are not having relations until I am on the birth control pill."
"Go tomorrow then."
"I will get Jasmine to get me an appointment with her doctor."
"Tomorrow."
Rhett handed the piece of paper with the amount on it to Scarlett and said, "That is how much money we have in our investment account."
Scarlett looked at the paper and the starting total was 1,125,899. She smiled.
Rhett handed a bag to Scarlett. She slid the book out of the bag until she could see the title. She blushed while giving Rhett a sensuous smile. The title of the book was 'The Joy of Sex.' Rhett had a feeling he was going to genuinely enjoy Scarlett reading that book.
Scarlett said, "Thank you, Rhett." She was thinking, 'Oh yeah! This is going to be fun.'
The next week they found a house to rent in the same subdivision. Bought furniture, clothes, and appliances. And last but certainly not least they hired a housekeeper/cook. Neither Scarlett nor Rhett had any desire to cook or clean toilets. They really had no desire to wash and fold clothes. After a month Ethel the housekeeper asked them to hire someone to do the laundry three days a week which they were glad to do. Seven people create a lot of laundry.
They went to their appointment with the financial advisor at Chase. When they left an hour later, they had set-up a checking account and arranged to have a thousand dollars a month put in the account. They could change the amount at any time if they wanted.
Scarlett went to her appointment with a gynecologist. Luckily, Jasmine had explained everything to her. The thought of a stranger seeing her private parts was horrifying to her, but she wanted to get a prescription for the pill, so she made herself do it. She didn't say anything to Rhett about that. He would not be happy with any other man seeing his wife's private parts.
They had rented a house in the same subdivision as the Wilsons, so the families could be close to each other. Not only did Jasmine and Scarlett get along well, Marshall and Rhett were good friends also. It had been a long time since Rhett had a real male friend and a long time since Marshall had a friend that wasn't a cop.
Jasmine had once again full filled the role of guide to the Butlers. They had enrolled all the children into the local public schools. Rhett thought it was best so the children could acclimatize to the new century they lived in.
Somehow Rhett got all the children the needed vaccinations they needed to start school. He also got himself and Scarlett vaccinated also.
When Scarlett asked, "How did you manage to get us all vaccinated?"
"With a lot of money."
"Thank you, Rhett. Those diseases kill."
"I know, Baby. I know."
Author's Notes: I have simplified Rhett getting access to his money quite a bit. Please allow me this inaccuracy with real life.