Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the many reviews and the feedback. This is the last chapter. Then there is the epilog.

Chapter Forty-Seven

In June Mammy passed away in her sleep. Scarlett was beside herself with grief. As she was sitting beside Mammy's bed holding her hand, Rhett came and said, "Baby, the undertaker is here. They are going to take her to prepare her for her trip to heaven."

"I had a blue dress made for her trip. She always said she wanted to meet the Lord in a blue dress. Let me get it."

Scarlett got up, got the dress, and handed it to Rhett. After Rhett saw the men from the funeral home out, he found Scarlett where he had left her. She was sitting by Mammy's bed.

"Her name was Ruth."

"Alright."

"Ruth Robillard."

"Alright."

"Do you want me to have her shipped back to Tara?"

"That is probably what she would want but she is going to have to stay here with me. I want her where I can visit her."

"Alright."

"How old do you think she was?"

"She was your mother's Mammy, right?"

"How old was your mother when you were born?"

"Sixteen."

"She was probably at least thirty when you were born. So, she was at least seventy."

"She was in pain a lot. She was always saying her knees were hurting or her back."

"I know. You were always trying to give her some laudanum."

Scarlett smiled and said, "She would never take it."

"What specifically is bothering you? You treated her very well. You were always trying to get her to rest. You were always trying to get her to let the doctor see her."

"I selfishly don't want to let her go."

"That's not selfish that's loving someone"

"Alright."

"Come on. We have to go make all the arrangements."

"No, you make the arrangements without me. I can't go through it again."

Rhett smiled and said, "You will have to do it one more time. One more time for me."

"No, you go down and make all the arrangements for yours and my funerals."

Rhett felt his wife's love in that moment. He knew that she never wanted to think about him leaving her. He said, "I will take care of it. I will tell Wade to take care of everything when I am gone."

"Thank you, Rhett."

Rhett left the room. He knew he was leaving his wife in her lugubriousness, but in a way, it was right and true.

Scarlett telegraphed Suellen and said: Mammy dead STOP Body staying here STOP

Suellen telegraphed back and said: So sad STOP Mammy chose to be with you STOP

It was a simple funeral. The priest performed the ritual. The only mourners were the Butlers and their household staff. Soon it was over. Scarlett was sad and unhappy. That night as they were lying in their bed Rhett said, "You know she is in a better place."

"Yes."

"You will see her again."

"Yes."

"She isn't in pain anymore."

"True. I'm coming to terms with it, but I will never stop missing her."

A week later Scarlett went to clean out Mammy's room and Rhett said, "Let someone else do it, Baby."

"No."

As Scarlett was cleaning out the room, she was struck by how little Mammy had in her room. She had her shoes and her clothes. There were very few personal items. As she looked at Mammy's dresses, she noticed they were all black. As she was sitting there staring at the dresses Paddy saw her and said, "Are you alright, Mother?"

"Yes, dear. Just lost in my memories."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Mammy"

"Tell me."

"I was thinking about how she spanked me for losing my hat again."

"Where you always losing your stuff too?"

She smiled at her son for he could never keep up with his belongings. She said, "No. I intentionally lost my hat because I didn't want to wear it. Then I would lie and say I lost it. Mammy always knew when I was lying."

An hour later as Rhett was walking up the stairs, he heard peals of laughter and went to investigate. There in Mammy's room was his wife and all his children. His wife was telling funny stories from her childhood. It made him incredibly happy. He just leaned against the frame and listened to the stories. When he laughed at one of the stories his wife turned to him and said, "I'm going to be alright."

Rhett said, "I never had any doubts. It is time to get cleaned up for dinner."

"Dear, would you carry this box to the parlor. The girls and I are going to make a memory quilt from Mammy's dresses."

"Certainly, my lady."

For the rest of the winter, Scarlett and the girls sewed on the quilt. Scarlett told the funniest stories about her childhood. All the children told funny stories about Mammy. Even Rhett told a few. There were still some tears but mostly they were happy stories.

In October, Rhett told Scarlett, "You need to go see Dr. Ledger."

"Why?"

"You are pregnant."

"No, I'm not. We haven't had an oops in a long while. We haven't even done it that much since Mammy's death."

"You have missed two monthly flows."

"I will go see Dr. Ledger tomorrow."

Rhett was thinking, 'Another child at my age. Not what I wanted but I'm not letting her go to a butcher.'

Scarlett was thinking, 'Thanks to Mammy, for one last pearl of wisdom, I know what is happening.'

The next day Dr. Ledger confirmed that Scarlett was not pregnant thus more than likely she was going through the change of life. He explained what to expect in the next several months. One thing Dr. Ledger did caution Scarlett about was this was a time of flux. She could still get pregnant until she had gone a year without a cycle.

After Scarlett explained everything to Rhett she said, "Let's just not have relations until August of next year just to be on the safe side."

Rhett laughed and said, "No. I'm too sexually needy for that but we will be even more careful than we were after the miscarriage."

"Rhett! We won't know."

"My love, if by some chance we conceive another child we will do what we always do. We will have the child."

"Rhett, we are too old."

"Obviously, mother nature doesn't think so. Scarlett you aren't even pregnant. We have made it seven years without conceiving another child. We can make it one more year."

"I guess."

"Maybe we can have another girl. We could call her Katie."

Scarlett smiled at him and said, "I love you."

Rhett smiled back and said, "I love you too. Yes, Katie Elizabeth."

Scarlett laughed and said, "Katie Rhett"

"Hell no! Katie Kennesaw."

"Or Kennesaw Katie if it is a boy."

"Alright."

In the spring of eighty-six they celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They had another big celebration. After everyone had gone home Scarlett and Rhett were sitting at one of the little tables on the back lawn. They were having a glass of champagne.

Rhett said, "You once said 'Your life was one disaster after another.' Admittedly you were extremely sad because we had just lost the baby, but do you still feel that way?"

"No, Rhett. You have always kept me safe when you could. There are things even you can't control but what you have been able to control you have."

"Do you still feel responsible for Miss Melly's death?"

"No. I couldn't stop her. In truth nobody could. She probably just kept badgering Ashley until he said 'yes' just to shut her up."

"Have you been happy in Sydney?"

"Yes, I really have. I think happier than I ever could have been in the South. Those old biddies would never let a person forget their past sins."

"I think Wade is happier here too."

"Wade is happy because he doesn't have to live up to an idolized father. He just has to live up to you and that is a pretty low bar."

Rhett laughed. "He will reform once he meets the right woman."

"I know. Enough talking. Let's go do what we did twenty-five years ago."

"In the library or in our bed."

"Let's do it in the library," Then Scarlett paused and said, "No, in our bed so you can do what you have to do."

Rhett laughed. He took her hand and they hurried into the house.

In May, Rhett said, "When I die and you make my memory quilt, I want you to use all my cravats. Then I want you to sleep wrapped up in it every night."

"I wasn't planning on making a memory quilt for you."

Rhett laughed, "I want you to use every last one of those red cravats you keep giving me as a Valentine's Day gift. You know I don't wear red."

"You don't wear red? This is news to me."

Rhett laughed and said, "I also know that you have continued to give them to me for the last seventeen years to annoy me."

"Why have you kept them if you weren't planning on ever wearing them?"

Rhett smiled and said, "Because you gave them to me."

"Alright I will make you a memory quilt out of your cravats. Assuming you die first."

Rhett laughed and said, "I'm pretty sure that is a safe assumption."

"You never know."

When Scarlett got somber, Rhett knew she was thinking of Melanie Wilkes.

Rhett said, "Come on let's go for a ride. Just the two of us."

Scarlett laughed and said, "That is never going to happen. I think the boys have some sort of psychic power where they always know when we are going riding but let's try. Help me find my riding habit."

"How do you not know where it is?"

"I have too much clothing. When I die, I have enough clothing that every one of the children could have a memory quilt."

Rhett laughed and followed her into her changing room to help her look for her riding habit. Rhett and Scarlett didn't go riding that afternoon. They decided to stay in their room and exercise another way.

In August of eighty-six they knew they were never going to have another child. For the last year they had been especially careful. Despite Rhett saying he was very sexually needy they did not have intercourse that much during that year. Scarlett was just too afraid. Rhett never complained because although Rhett didn't say anything to Scarlett, he was too afraid also. He really was too old to be having any more children. He wanted Scarlett and him to play like they had in New Orleans. That was the only time they had ever gone anywhere without the children. He was ready to take Scarlett away on overnight trips so they could play.

Scarlett apologized to Rhett more times in that year than she had to anyone else in her entire life. She rarely snapped or yelled at the children but there were many of occasions that she had to walk out of the room. Unfortunately, Rhett did get the brunt of her bad disposition. Despite Scarlett's mood swings and hot flashes Rhett remain kind, loving and pampering although he walked out of the room several times that year also.

Scarlett had visited Mammy's grave a lot also. She had ranted about Rhett to Mammy then she would sit quietly and recall Mammy's words and teachings. It always gave her great peace.

The night of Gabriel's birthday as they laid in their bed Scarlett said, "Our baby is eight."

"Yes, I guess we aren't going to have another little girl."

"It might have been another boy."

"I wanted another daughter."

"I know. I thought I would be happy that I couldn't have any more children but I'm not."

"I thought I would be happy that I no longer had to practice coitus interruptus but I'm not. I think once we get used to the idea, we will be happy."

Scarlett rolled over on Rhett and said, "Let's start making up for lost time."

They went to supper and dancing the next night. As they were sitting at the table the next evening resting, for they could no longer dance every dance, Rhett looked at his wife. He could still recall exactly how she looked walking up that staircase at Twelve Oaks. She was walking like a queen. He remembered everything about that day. He no longer felt shame at his actions that day for he knew he was no longer that immature, amoral man. Yet he never let himself forget that a miracle had taken place all those years ago. That was the only way to describe it. A miracle. For it was a miracle that Scarlett had fallen in love with him after all the harm he had done her. Just as he had felt the day, she had declared her love he knew he was one lucky sonofabitch. He hadn't taken it for granted and he never would take it for granted.

Scarlett looked at her husband and she remembered that day so long ago that they had met. She remembered the first time she had seen him. She smiled when she thought, 'He was looking at me lustfully then also.' She thought about what a silly, vain, naïve girl she had been that day. She had changed after the events of that day, and she believed she had become a better person. She was lucky that he loved her. She was lucky that he had changed his ways. She was lucky he had been a good father and a good husband. She had been lucky that there had been a spark of humanity left in him when she had married him. More than anything she had been lucky that Wade and Ella's love had carried Rhett through the hard years before she had grown to love him. Rhett being loved by his children had made him a better person thus he could be a good husband to her. He could be someone she could love. She would never take for granted that miracle.

Their eyes met and both thought, 'I am such a lucky person.'

Rhett said, "Shall we dance again, Mrs. Butler."

"No, Mr. Butler. I am ready to go home and make up for lost time."

And make-up for lost time they did. They did it in their library and to both of them it was just as thrilling as the first time they had done it in a library.