Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Nineteen

After stopping by Mr. Hancock's office, the couple went to Kennedy's to get the supplies for the plantation. Scarlett stopped walking as soon as she walked into the store. There behind the counter was Ashley 'She's not good enough for our family' Wilkes. Scarlett burst out laughing. When Rhett gave her a questioning look, she managed to say, "I will tell you later."

Scarlett made a point of walking straight towards Ashley so he would have to wait on them. She knew he was humiliated with people seeing him working as a clerk in a general store but especially someone like her who had once had a crush on him.

Scarlett said, in way of greeting, "Ashley, I am surprised to see you here. Melly hasn't said a word about you having gotten a job as a clerk in a general store. How long have you been working here?"

"Just two weeks."

"Ashley, this is just horrible. This job is so far beneath you. Rhett, you could get Ashley a better job, couldn't you?"

Rhett didn't know exactly what was going on, but he knew the role he was supposed to play in this comedy. At least it was going to be a comedy to Scarlett and him. Probably more of a tragedy to Mr. Wilkes. Rhett said, "I guess I could get him a job as a teller at my bank."

"No, thank you, Mr. ….."

Scarlett knew that Ashley knew her husband's name for she knew Melly had told him probably while singing Rhett's praises, but she pretended otherwise. She was quite happy to introduce the men. She said, "I'm sorry. Rhett, this is my former neighbor Ashley Wilkes, Melly's husband."

"The man that was hosting the barbecue that we met at."

"Yes, but actually it was his father that was hosting the barbecue," With the slight tightening of Ashley's lips she knew that correction had bothered him. Scarlett went on, "Ashley, this is my husband, Rhett Butler, the famed blockade runner. He was so vital to the war effort. Not only did he get needed supplies in, but he got ship loads of cotton to England. Then when it just got too dangerous to run the blockade anymore, he went to work for the Confederate government. He was instrumental in getting supplies to the troops. After he risked his life getting Melly and me out of Atlanta, he joined the Confederate army. When he left me at Tara with Pa, he said, 'I know one man is not going to make any difference in this war, but I just wouldn't feel right not doing my part.' Isn't he so wonderful?"

"Yes, of course."

"Isn't it wonderful that the war is over, and we can start living our lives normally again?"

"This is a new normal, I guess."

"Honey," Here Scarlett turned to look at Rhett and gave him such an adoring look that Rhett swelled up with pride that she was looking at him that way. Rhett knew it was for Mr. Wilkes' benefit, but he was going to bask in it anyway. Rhett continued, "Do you want some candy?"

"Yes, just a penny's worth, Ashley."

Ashley got the candy and handed it to Scarlett, he then said, "Let me see if we have all these items in stock."

After Ashley left the couple, Rhett said, "So, you like rubbing salt in the wound."

"He did throw me over for another woman."

"Luckily, he did."

"Indeed, luckily he did."

After a few minutes, Ashley returned and said, "We have everything in stock. Is your wagon out front?"

"Yes."

"While you are loading the wagon, Ashley, Rhett, and I are going to talk to Mr. Kennedy. It would be rude for us not to talk to him. He is Suellen's fiancé. Come along, Dear."

After Ashley left the store, Rhett said, "I would have thought you would want to watch him do physical labor."

"Drat! I didn't think of that. Next time."

"Yes, my dear. Next time."

Rhett supposed he should feel sorry for Mr. Wilkes because his wife was making fun of the man for having fallen on hard times, but Rhett wasn't sorry for the man. Which just might be a character flaw that Rhett possessed, but he wasn't going to worry about it.

That night in their bed Rhett introduced the topic of Scarlett pleasuring him orally. Much to Rhett's surprise and happiness she was not horrified or opposed to the idea. She just didn't know how to do it. With some instructions from her husband Scarlett became an avid student. She liked the idea of having so much obvious control over Rhett.

A week after the couple returned to Tara while Scarlett was off the plantation driving the cotton to the gin, Rhett snuck into the family parlor and searched for the family bible. He found it on the bookshelf. It wasn't that hard to find. There were very few books on the shelf. He opened the bible and found what he was looking for - Scarlett's birthday. He laughed out loud. Yes, she had been born in forty-five, but she had also been born on March twentieth not the seventeenth. He guessed she had decided that she wanted St. Patrick's Day to be her birthday, so she was going to make it happen. That was his spirited, head-strong, determined, Irish bride. It was a good thing all those traits were what had made him love her. He also saw that their marriage had been written in the bible also. It made him happy that it was Scarlett herself that had recorded their marriage into the bible. He recognized her handwriting.

The next two months Rhett and Scarlett went into Atlanta once a month to get supplies. It was always a wonderful day for both of them. They had a bath, ate good food, made love, and Scarlett got to make fun of Ashley Wilkes. Rhett never did anything overt to make fun of the man, but he always played his part to perfection. The entire time the couple was with Mr. Wilkes, Scarlett would not stop talking about how wonderful Rhett was. The best part to Rhett was she really did feel that way, but she would never say anything because she just wasn't a person who handed out praise. Rhett loved their trips to Kennedy's General Store.

During the months of September, October, and November Scarlett drove the cotton to the gin, Gerald did the books and complained about it the entire time, Careen took over that chore, and everyone picked cotton. A lot of former slaves had returned to the plantation. They were willing to work for food. At the end of October Scarlett showed Careen how to drive the wagon and where the gin was. Scarlett let Careen take the cotton to the gin the rest of the month. One night in the middle of November over supper, Gerald said while looking at Scarlett, "The cotton has been picked. I have a work force of sorts. It is alright for you and Rhett to move to Atlanta."

Scarlett looked at Rhett and said, "We will move to Atlanta by the first of December. We, of course, will come down for Christmas day. Suellen, you should invite Mr. Kennedy. He can take the same train we do since you will already be picking us up."

"Great idea, Scarlett."

Rhett said, "We will go get the supplies tomorrow. We will take all our clothing with us and leave it at the hotel. We will come home then the day after tomorrow take the train to Atlanta and start our new life."

Gerald said, "Sounds good."

That night in their bed, Scarlett said, "Can we go to New Orleans right away or do you want to wait until January?"

"Let's wait until January. Let's get settled in Atlanta first. And put our weight back on before we order new clothes."

"It will be so good to see Melly."

"Will you miss getting to make fun of Mr. Wilkes monthly?"

"Yes, he is still a pompous snob even though he has nothing to be snobby about.

"He is lucky he survived the prisoner of war camp. A lot of men didn't. They either died of disease or starvation."

"I know, like sweet, kind Milton."

With a sour tone of voice, Rhett said, "What about Mr. Bradley?"

In an incredibly sad voice, Scarlett said, "Milton didn't survive the war. He was captured, put in a prisoner of war camp, then died. I don't know if it was from disease or starvation."

Rhett, who had not felt shame in an awfully long time, felt shame in that moment. He had begrudged the man a smile and amusing conversation from a pretty woman because of his possessiveness. He said in the dark, "You didn't care about any of the soldiers that were in the hospital. You were just trying to make their last days happy days."

Scarlett couldn't see Rhett's features in the semi-darkness, so she pushed herself up on her elbow in order to see his face better. She looked at him and said, "Where you jealous of Milton?"

"Hell yes."

"Was that why you were so hateful that evening at supper."

"Yes. One thing you should know about me – I get mocking and cruel when I am frustrated."

"So, if you get mocking and cruel, I should make you tell me why you are frustrated."

"I won't tell you. I will just get more mocking and crueler if you try to make me tell you. Try to figure out why I am being that way."

"Rhett! I will never figure it out."

"Maybe, just maybe, I will work on telling you when I am frustrated with you."

"I would certainly appreciate it. I know I am going to frustrate you. You are going to frustrate me. We have to tell each other. Not speak poisonous darts."

"I agree and I will try. Now let's go to sleep."

The next morning the couple had placed all their clothing in Rhett's trunk. It was a tight fit. As they were driving into Atlanta, Rhett said, "Where is your trunk? I know you had one for you went back and forth between here and Atlanta."

"The Yankees destroyed all our trunks. They destroyed everything."

"I will get you a trunk tomorrow after we get settled at the hotel, then we will visit a modiste and a tailor."

"I thought you said we were going to wait to buy new clothes once we put our weight back on." in New Orleans."

"I will buy you more clothes in New Orleans, but we need clothes right now. Ours are in unbelievably bad shape."

"Rhett, despite me always wearing gloves out in the fields, my hands are never going to look like the hands of a lady."

"The only way ladies can have the hands of a lady is by never doing any work. Your hands are the hands of a survivor. Don't be ashamed of the scars. Each one is a badge of honor. A testament to your desire to survive. I'll bet Suellen doesn't have as many scars on her hands as you do on yours because she didn't work as hard as you did."

"No, she didn't," Scarlett laughed and said, "It was a daily thing Pa taking a switch to her to get her to work."

Rhett laughed and said, "And Dilcey taking a switch to Prissy. What amazed me was both those women acted like that day they weren't going to have to pick cotton because they didn't want to pick cotton."

"That was kind of amazing."

Rhett and Scarlett went to the National Hotel and got a suite. They had their bath and were intimate. After they were finished, Scarlett was lying there thinking, 'What a difference it makes when the man knows what he is doing. It was not unpleasant with Charlie, but it certainly wasn't as exciting as it is with Rhett. I am surprised that I haven't gotten with child. Maybe now that I am going to be eating full meals every day, I will finally get with child.'