Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Thirty-Four
On the day of their sixth anniversary Rhett had made a decision. He had thought for a long time about what he was going to use one of his wishes for. It was for Scarlett. Not that he wasn't going to benefit from the wish also.
Since they had been married, she had been enthusiastic and loving in their marital bed. She had happily given him pleasure in so many ways. Yet, he had not been able to satisfy her completely very often. The worst part to Rhett was when she orgasmed, she was always ashamed it had happened to her. She had far too often for Rhett's comfort burst into tears. Fortunately, she hadn't done that in a long time for when she did that, he had always felt so helpless. He knew that she had been taught that her being able to experience great pleasure proved she was a wanton woman. She had been conditioned by society and her mother that good girls didn't feel anything in their marital bed and only bad girls felt sexual pleasure. Furthermore, she had been hurt badly by Charles Hamilton and Frank Kennedy, but she could not complain. Spousal abuse was her due as a woman. Not only could she not complain but she had to allow her husband to abuse her again because it was her duty.
He knew she like their intimate time together. She always said she had a fun time. She had never told him no because she liked being intimate with him. She like them being one. She often told him that he made her feel so loved and cherished in those moments. He made her feel like he adored her which was good because he did.
Scarlett had never wanted children, but she had happily given him three. Well maybe not happily but she had never mentioned separate bedrooms. He would give her this. He had accepted that he was not going to be able to take her there as often as he wanted to take her there.
Rhett called for Al-jani. She appeared. She was as beautiful as the first time he had seen her. He guessed she never aged.
Rhett said, "What do you do while you are waiting for me to call you?"
Al-jani said, "I hang out with other genies that are out of the bottle. We go to plays, the opera, the park, traveling lectures. Our favorite is to go to séances because we can see spirits."
"How?"
"Because we are spirits too. Of course, most genies don't get to spend months out of the bottle. I get to spend time with Scarlett. She is such a delightful companion."
"Yes, she is. What is it like when you are in the bottle?"
"I don't live in the bottle that is just the portal to bring me to you. I live in a city with the other genies that are in the bottle. It is much the same as when I am out of the bottle except when I am out of the bottle I have to deal with humans. Although there is not as much entertainment as when I am out of the bottle."
"How do you meet other genies who are out of the bottle?"
"I just know where they are, and we find each other. That makes it hard when one is trying to avoid another genie. There is this one, Jafar, who has a crush on me. He follows me around like a puppy dog."
Rhett laughed. Rhett knew he was procrastinating. He wanted to give this to Scarlett, but he was afraid that he would need both of his wishes to save someone's life or avert a disaster. Scarlett was happy enough with the situation, yet he wanted her to have it all. She deserved to have it all, damn it.
Al-jani smiled and as if reading his mind, she said, "Rhett, if you use both of your wishes and you need another one then give the lamp to Wade and make him the owner then he will get three wishes. Don't give it to Ella. Genie and Gerry would influence her too much. Don't give it to Genie or Gerry either. Neither of them will ever have the level of maturity they need to do what is best for the family. Give it to Alexi."
Rhett smiled and said, "How do you know Gerry won't have the maturity he needs? He is only a year old."
"I just know."
"How do you know Alexi will? She is just two and a half years old."
"I just know. She will have the maturity she needs to use the wishes in the right way. She will be the wisest of your children. She will not only look like you, but she will think like you also. Her schemes and plans will be many steps and many years to fruition."
"She will truly be my daughter."
"Yes."
"How did Scarlett and I produce a blond headed child with green eyes? Not that I would ever doubt Scarlett's faithfulness, but it is comforting that Alexi looks so much like me."
"Isn't your mother a blonde? It just happens. Back to who gets the lamp after Wade. Alexi for now, of course, you may produce a wiser child. We will have to revisit it after all your children are born."
"Do you know how many children we will have?"
"No, I cannot see into the future.
Rhett knew Al-jani was right about Genie. She was just too much like her mother. Although Scarlett had used her wishes wisely. Rhett was not going to think about the fact he had been the one who had spoiled Genie almost to the point of irresponsibility. Although he had gotten a lot better in the last several years. He had been doing better with not spoiling his children ever since that awful day.
Rhett said, "I want Scarlett to receive sexual satisfaction in our marital bed."
"Do you want her to remember every time with you as magnificent?"
"Yes, of course."
"And only you."
"Yes, of course."
"Tomorrow morning it will be so. Rhett, go to London and have the procedure done. It would make Scarlett so extremely happy."
"What procedure?"
"Rhett, don't you know that I can read your mind?"
With that Al-jani disappeared.
The next morning when Rhett awoke, he looked at Scarlett. She was still so beautiful to him. As he was looking at her, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. She said, "Good morning, my love. Are you going to just lay there and stare at me or are you going to make me happy?"
"Oh, my sweet baby, I will always choose to make love to you."
"As I you."
Rhett was able to bring her to satisfaction many times.
Afterwards, Scarlett said, "When you proposed and said it would be fun, I didn't know how you could accomplish that feat for it certainly hadn't been fun with my other husbands. Yet, you did."
"Being with you has been the most fun I have ever had."
In May Scarlett and Rhett made their decision. They were moving to New York. They sold all their holdings in Atlanta except for their home. Scarlett knew she was being silly, but she just couldn't sell it yet. She knew they would never stay in Atlanta long enough to ever need a house again but still it had been such a happy home. It was special to her because their first house had been so unhappy. This home had been where Alexi and Gerry had been born, where Genie had been saved, and where she and Rhett had many, many wonderful sexual experiences.
After her lots were sold, Scarlett had the profits put in the trust fund that was now for all her children. She knew she was being silly because Rhett would never let anything happen to his fortune, but she was sure Pa never thought he would lose his fortune either.
Rhett had assured her that as soon as they got to New York, he would arrange for his New York lawyer to start sending her aunts a check. That night in their bed in the dark, Scarlett said, "I wish I could be cruel enough to not send them any money because of the way they treated my mother and for the way they treated you."
"What did they do to your mother?"
Scarlett told Rhett the entire story about Ellen Robillard. When she was finished, he said, "We will continue to send them a check because all their actions brought us together."
"What do you mean?"
"It is like you said – the timeline we are living in, is because of the choices we made. If I hadn't been disowned, we probably would never have met. If your mother had not been a heart-broken fifteen-year-old she would never have married a middle-aged Irish immigrant and you would not have been conceived. If I hadn't been bored that day in April, I would never have attended that barbecue that I met you at. If I hadn't overheard, you declaring your love to Mr. Wilkes you would never have spoken to me because I was not received.
"You are right, Rhett."
Rhett and Scarlett were in the library discussing which books were worth taking and which ones they would buy again if they ever wanted to read it again. Scarlett said, "The Odyssey, of course. That was a fairly good book once I understood the background."
"You are quite the expert now on Mythology."
"Yes, both Greek and Roman."
"David is getting married."
Scarlett knew that her husband often changed the subject without warning and now she was able to keep up with these changes. She knew that Rhett was talking about his ward. She said, "How can he afford a wife?"
"He is marrying his boss's daughter."
"He is a very charming man."
"He is working at DuBois Shipping Company. His boss, Eleuthere DuBois, is one of my business contacts. In fact, I got David the job after he graduated from Tulane. DuBois survived the war fairly successfully. Probably because the North captured New Orleans fairly quickly in the war. He only has one grown child, Juliet. So, if David keeps his nose clean, he should do quite well for himself in the coming years."
"Emma would have been grateful to you and proud of her son."
"Thank you, Dear. I did all I could do."
"Of course, you did."
"Do you want to take Pride and Prejudice?"
"No, but I do want to take all of Jules Verne's books."
After six years of perception, Scarlett knew when Rhett was finished with a subject. In fact, he probably would never mention David again. David reminded Rhett too much of those dark days after he had been disowned. Rhett had done right by the boy, but she knew Rhett was finished with the boy now.
On June thirtieth, the Butlers had one last supper at the Hamilton House. Aunt PittyPat and Melly were close to tears all night. Scarlett was a little misty eyed herself. Uncle Henry was glad the Butlers were leaving town again and he hoped they never came back. They had already ruined Wade. Ashley was fine with Scarlett leaving town. He still could not believe that she preferred Captain Butler to him. Wade was not sad. He was ready to get to New York where people lived in the present not the past. Ella was sad. Of all Scarlett's children Ella had the tenderest heart. Genie was not sad. She was a very upbeat child who was always looking ahead like her mother. Alexi and Gerry were not old enough to really understand what was going on. For Rhett it was sheer torture, and the evening couldn't be over soon enough. He was hoping to coax Scarlett into the maze one last time. That thought made his body react. He thought, 'Damn! I'm almost forty-five years old and she still makes my body behave like I was sixteen which isn't all bad. At least, I have never had a problem with not being able to perform.'