Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Nineteen

After Scarlett had dismissed Beau from her mind, she rolled over and said to Rhett, "How did you get to be such a good parent since you have never had children?" A look passed over Scarlett's face of horror as she remembered Rhett's ward. Was it Rhett's child? She made herself ask the question she had always wondered about. She said, "Is your ward your son?"

Rhett kindly smiled at Scarlett. A week ago, he would have made a joke that didn't tell her anything about what she really wanted to know but now he couldn't do that. She wasn't the spoiled brat that he had met at the barbecue. He didn't know what had transformed her, but she was the woman he had always hoped she would become. She was a woman who was very much involved with him. A woman who cared very muchly about his wants and wishes. Therefore, he told her the truth in clear, easy to understand sentences.

"No, he is not. He is the son of a woman who trusted the wrong man. Emma was a young girl who had been seduced by an older man. He promised to marry her and kept stringing her along until she got with child. The man ran away. Her family abandoned her, and she earned a living the only way she could. She worked in one of the brothels that I had frequented in my youth. Because of her son she had a small room over the stables that she slept in. Emma took me in after my father disowned me. She convinced the madame to let me sleep in the room also. If it hadn't been for Emma, I would have starved. We became just friends at that point. The last thing Emma wanted to do was have relations after a night of servicing other men. We slept in the same room, but we didn't even sleep in the same bed together.

I started playing poker and found I had a real talent for the game. I always seem to be able to tell who is bluffing and who isn't. Whenever I was in Charleston, I would look her up to make sure she was doing alright."

Rhett was quiet for a long time. So long that Scarlett finally said, "Go on, Honey."

Rhett turned to her with a sad smile and said, "One of the hazards of her profession is the possibility of getting with child. When she found herself pregnant once again, this time she knew there was a way to get rid of the child. Unfortunately, her life was forfeited too. I went to check on her and I found out about her death. The madame turned David over to me and I became his guardian. He was eight when I found him. The madame knew that a brothel was no place for a child to be raised but she couldn't abandon the boy either. She was quite happy to turn the boy over to me," With a smile Rhett said, "He is such a little hellion. I moved him to New Orleans. I found a family to take him in. A school to teach him everything a gentleman should know. He has been my ward for the last ten years.

They were quiet for a while. Scarlett was relieved his ward wasn't his child. She felt something strange to her – compassion. She said, "Where is he now?"

"He is going to a preparatory school and next year will go to Tulane. He will have a good life in our new south. He is an attractive, charming, young man. I suppose much like his father was. Hopefully, he will make better choices in his life than his father did."

Scarlett knew that Rhett would not want her to say it, but she had to, nonetheless. She said, "You did right by him."

In a moment of honesty, Rhett said, "I hope so."

Scarlett held Rhett and let him be lost in the past. Finally, Rhett shook off those thoughts and said, "In answer to your original question, I don't know how good a parent I will be. I for the most part like children because they are always so honest. One never has to wonder how they feel about you. I have always liked Wade, he is a good, friendly boy. We will at some point have to discuss how we want to parent our child."

"I already know I am probably too strict."

"Good then I will get to be the fun parent." Scarlett smiled at Rhett. He leaned forward and kissed his wife. Soon he wasn't thinking about anything but Scarlett. Afterwards, Rhett got up and turned the gas lights down. Rhett never turned them off until he was ready to go to sleep.

The family had a wonderful time in New Orleans. They went places as a family during the day but at night it was just Rhett and Scarlett that went out. Scarlett made sure they went to Jackson Square for the curio shop she had bought the lamp in was around the square. Scarlett got Rhett to buy her the lamp again and she hugged him in the shop which made him smile. It scandalized the shop owner and Mammy. It made Wade smile. Ella at six months was very unaware of the significance of her mother hugging her father in public.

Rhett would ask Mammy's advice about the proper way to raise the children. While the older woman would politely answer all his questions there was no warmth in her voice.

Rhett would just sigh. It would be quite a while before the older woman softened towards him. But he was up to the challenge. No woman could resist him forever. After all he had gotten Scarlett to say yes, despite all the awful things he had done to her.

Rhett had gone out alone a couple of days. All he had said when he left was that he had to take care of business. Rhett and Scarlett went to a couple of social events then Rhett had disappeared. This was the Rhett of the first timeline. He didn't feel he needed to account for his actions or his movements to anyone. Scarlett smiled when she thought about his attitude. He acted like it was none of her business where he went and what he did. She hoped he would start to share more and more with her in this timeline.

Scarlett knew he was conducting highly furtive deals. She let him have his secrets for she knew he just couldn't tell her everything. He just couldn't trust another human being that much. Maybe with time he would grow to trust her.

While The Butlers were in New Orleans several noteworthy things were happening in Atlanta. Everyone was talking about Rhett and Scarlett's quick marriage.

Aunt PittyPat was mortified. She was so embarrassed she had stopped attending most of her committee meetings. At the ones she did attend the only topic of conversation was Rhett and Scarlett's quick marriage, Scarlett's unfeminine actions, and the ill-fated raid.

Melanie was calmly riding the storm. She had cheerfully gone and got the pictures. She had never had a picture of herself before. Not even on her wedding day. She smiled sadly. Now things were looking up for Ashley maybe someday they could get a family picture taken.

Uncle Henry was glad the couple was out of Atlanta and hoped they never returned even if it meant never seeing Wade again. He had managed to sell the sawmills rather quickly because Scarlett had been right Bruce Youngblood had wanted to buy Scarlett's part.

Ashley was hurt by Scarlett's betrayal as he saw it. Although Ashley did like her idea of working as a law clerk especially after he found out the salary. He guessed Scarlett was still going to take care of him. He was actually going to be making more as a law clerk than as a manager of a sawmill. Most of his salary at the mill was based on how much profit they made. Since he didn't make very much profit his salary wasn't very high.

Mr. Youngblood and Ashley came to an agreement on how much his share of the profits would be. It was less than he had been making but that money was just going to be extra money so all was good. Maybe they could afford new clothes soon. They were finally going to have enough money for food.

Ashley had been able to be out of the bed increasingly each day. He would start his new job on the next Monday. It would be so wonderful not to have to try and sell lumber. He had not been particularly good at it despite his best efforts. He guessed it was because his heart just wasn't into selling. It took too much socializing with the customers to get them to buy his lumber. There were very few people he was comfortable with talking with for awfully long. He smiled. That was why he had visited with Scarlett those two years before the war started. She was just so easy for him to talk to. Her openly admiring him had been wonderful for his conceit.

The matrons were scandalized by Scarlett's behavior. Not only did she marry Rhett Butler, that unreceived, traitorous, opportunistic, whoremonger, but she had done it in less than a week after Mr. Kennedy's death. Mrs. Elsing whispered to Mrs. Merriwether, "Hugh heard that Captain Butler killed Frank Kennedy to get him out of the way."

"I would not be the least bit surprised. Captain Butler has killed before for less provocation. Didn't he kill that man for looking at a woman wrong?"

"Do you think Scarlett knew what he was going to do?"

"Probably. Scarlett has always been a cold-hearted woman. Remember how quickly she threw off her widow's weeds for Charles Hamilton."

"She only wore black to the funeral for Mr. Kennedy."

"I am grateful for Captain Butler for thinking of an alibi for the gentlemen, but, of course, he made sure it was as sordid as possible."

"Did you get Grandpa to tell you what the bordello looked like inside?"

"Yes, lots of mirrors and lots of red."

Dolly went on to tell her friend all about Belle's establishment.

The Butlers left New Orleans after one week on their way to London. As they were boarding the ship Rhett said, "I'm sorry our time in New Orleans was so short, but I promise we will come back, just the two of us."

"Thank you, Rhett. I would like it to be just the two of us."

When Scarlett blushed, Rhett knew what Scarlett was thinking and it pleased him. He said, "I would like that, too.

The cabin that was assigned to the family was small. It was the best Rhett could get on short notice. It did have two bedrooms but there wasn't a lot of extra space.

On the second day at sea, Rhett offered to take everyone on a tour of the ship. Joyce accepted immediately. She was extremely excited about getting to travel to London, England. She had thought she would never leave Georgia. Now she was on a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. It was also a little scary, but she had quickly accepted Miss Scarlett's offer to travel. She had nothing in Atlanta, Georgia.

Joyce had been a slave and her child had been a result of the master of the plantation forcing himself on her. She had tried to love the child, but she just couldn't. Every time she had looked at the little girl, she had thought of her conception. She also didn't want to get emotionally involved with the child for the master could sell her child at any time. When she had known she was free, and no one could take her child away from her Joyce still hadn't been able to get close to the child. At that point she was just another human being she was responsible for.

After the war, she had survived by trading her body for food and shelter. Joyce had been living in Shantytown when her baby had died. Joyce had felt some sorrow over her child's death, but she had also felt relief that she would not have to be responsible for the child anymore.

Joyce knew that she had been lucky that Mrs. Kennedy as she was known then had hired her to be her daughter's wet nurse. She had been at one of Mrs. Kennedy's sawmills begging for food when the woman had drove up in her buggy. Mrs. Kennedy had not let the man strike her with a whip. Mrs. Kennedy said, "Did you live on a plantation?"

"Yes, ma'am before the war."

"What did you do?"

"I worked in the fields."

"I certainly don't need a field hand," Joyce didn't know why but Mrs. Kennedy had asked, "Can you be a wet nurse?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Get in. You will live with me until my baby is born. I can't pay you very much, but I can provide you with a clean place to sleep, clean clothes, and food."

"Yes ma'am."

"Do you need to get your child?"

"No ma'am. She died two days ago."

"Very well. Get in the buggy. You will have to keep your milk flowing."

"Of course, ma'am."

"My name is Mrs. Kennedy."

"My name is Joyce. I haven't decided on a last name yet."

Later Joyce realized that Mrs. Kennedy had seen the leakage stains on the front of her dress. She knew that her stained, dirty dress had been her salvation. That and Miss Scarlett.

Everyone went on the tour of the ship even Mammy. Nobody but Rhett had ever been on a ship before.

Scarlett could tell how excited Rhett was to be showing them the ship and telling them all about it. She had never seen him so openly excited. In that moment, Scarlett knew what an act of love it was for Rhett to have lived in landlocked Atlanta. Scarlett smiled at Rhett and thought, 'Another thing that I not only didn't appreciate but wasn't even aware that he was doing for me.'