Reminder guys. Scarlett and Rhett are still as messed up as they were when Scarlett was launching at him to hurt him (but instead sent herself down a staircase). There was no close call. No lost babies, no possibly dying Scarlett, no dead Bonnie. There is Rhett who fled from Scarlett's bed for fear she would laugh at him for loving him, there is Scarlett, who had in fact reveled in the fact that she COULD use his love as a means of power over him before being convinced that he had used her. So these are two people still desperately trying to hold onto their power, their dominance.

Truthfully, Scarlett has the better shot of growing because she had a LOT of harsh realities and new thoughts thrown at her the night of Ashley's party and she was the one who was left behind at the end of it and Rhett is a man with his pride.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Part Three

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

In the middle of the night Scarlett found herself laying in the double bed that had been moved into the nursery only hours before holding Ella as Bonnie vividly and loudly recounted her night terror to such a degree that Scarlett suspected she would have wretched dreams and she was a grown woman, not a four year old child.

Rhett looked away from Bonnie for a moment when he thought he heard Scarlett murmur, "Mama will kill anyone that tries to hurt you."

Ella was still in Scarlett's arms as Bonnie flared in his. Rhett did his best to put that out of his mind as he continued to attempt to quiet his daughter. By the time he settled Bonnie back down to sleep, he realized both Ella and Scarlett were as well. Ella held in Scarlett's arms there was no way he could free Scarlett without waking Ella up.

He settled back down in the rocking chair watching them, lit by the lone candle. He debated spending the night just watching them, he couldn't think of a better way to spend the night outside of Scarlett's embrace. In the end though with his lips up in a smile, he left the three of them in bed and went to Scarlett's large room alone, imagining his wife's disdain when she walked in the next morning after sharing a small bed with 2 girls.

o~o~o

"It's so wonderful Captain Butler's back," Melly said looking as pleased as punch.

"Isn't it," Scarlett demurred as they sat in the parlor, Scarlett having returned home from town earlier than Rhett.

"Did he come home as soon as you wrote him about the baby?" Melly did her best not to let her eyes stray to Scarlett's stomach and the baby she wished grew in hers.

"Mrs. Butler decided to keep that news to herself and surprise me," Rhett said from the door.

"Oh Captain Butler," Melly grinned, "welcome back. Isn't it just the most wonderful news?"

"I assure you, I couldn't be more delighted."

The swarthy grin on his face as Melly swooned over him made Scarlett want to throw a teacup at his head.

o~o~o

"Will you walk with us Mother?" Ella sweetly asked Scarlett as Mammy fussed over her at the door as they prepared for their afternoon walk with Rhett.

"I don't think so Ella," Scarlett had no interest in redeeming herself in the eyes of the old guards. Scarlett cared about surviving, thriving, they would have all buried themselves for their precious old ways.

"Please Mother?" Bonnie added looking sweet as could be with her dark hair held back by a blue ribbon perfectly matched to her eyes.

"I believe the children have spoken Mrs. Butler," Rhett said opening her shawl.

Scarlett sighed and stepped in to let Rhett wrap it around her.

o~o~o

Scarlett was ready to cry by the third person Rhett insisted they stop and talk to. She at least took comfort in the fact that Ella and Bonnie had so far managed to behave themselves. She also had to admit they made quite the attractive pair: Bonnie's dark curls and sparkling blue eyes and Ella's straight strawberry blonde hair and soft green eyes. Scarlett was often filled with relief that homely creature she had carried and delivered had not remained looking like the offspring of Frank Kennedy for long. She was a Robillard, her features dainty and delicate, only her hair betrayed the fact that Frank had an influence on their daughter's looks.

"Are you alright my dear? You look tired," the stout old Merriwether questioned Scarlett.

Scarlett debated telling the woman to look in a mirror before commenting on any else's appearance.

"Mother slept, she stayed with us last night," Ella impulsively told the older woman.

Scarlett really needed to examine what she was paying that governess for aside keeping Ella out of her hair during the day.

"I had bad dreams," Bonnie added.

"So Mother slept with us," Ella finished.

Not to be outdone by her older sister, Bonnie looked up with a smile, "No more bad dreams."

Scarlett's lips lifted up softly and she ran a hand down Bonnie's hair, "No you didn't and neither did Ella."

By the time they said their goodbyes, Mrs. Merriwether was practically running down the street ready to share the news of Scarlett finally taking an interest in her children.

"Out of the mouth of babes," Rhett spoke softly next to Scarlett as they walked behind the children.

Scarlett glanced up at him.

"I believe your impulsive little Ella just undid years of your poor behavior with a few simple words."

Scarlett did not look amused, "It is bad enough you encourage Bonnie's poor behavior, please do not start with Ella as well."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Mrs. Butler has been attempting to get our youngest over her night terrors," Rhett said with a smile for the second time that day, his third in total since encountering Mrs. Merriwether two days prior. There had been a sudden influx of wives accompanying their husbands to the bank for investment advice.

He listened to the woman's advice and graciously acquiesced her opinion that a child just had to cry it out. He admitted that Scarlett had done the same with Wade, but he continued to loathe the idea of doing that to Bonnie. Rhett did not particularly enjoy the fact that Scarlett was currently coming off as the better parent in their eyes.

He thought back to last night when Scarlett, now wiser, sat in a chair holding Ella's hand, calming and soothing their oldest daughter as he soothed their youngest. Oh, she fell asleep again, slumped over in the chair, but he had only hesitated for a moment before lifting her into his arms. She nuzzled in just like Honey as he carried her to their room.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

On the third night, while Scarlett was tucking Ella back in after being awoken by her sister screaming yet again did Rhett realize that Bonnie hadn't been terrorized in her sleep, she had awoken to not find him and that had been the cause of her outburst.

Scarlett clad in only her wrapper as it was the fastest thing to throw on, gave him a look and brushed Ella's hair back before dropping a kiss onto her forehead then turned and left the room.

Sometime later after having a talk with his daughter about how she wasn't alone and her sister was right next to her and she wasn't to call him again unless she actually needed him, Rhett walked back down the dark hallway, lit only by his candle.

He saw the dressing gown dropped in the middle of the floor between the door and the bed.

Scarlett laying in the bed with her head on the pillow, her eyes slowly opening to watch him as he approached.

"Not a word," Rhett ordered his wife.

"I didn't make a peep," she pointed out.

Rhett blew the candle out as he stood next to the bed, "I can hear the wheels in your head turning," he flung back the covers and climbed into bed. Tugging the naked Scarlett to him.

"Get away from me you brute, I'm tired."

Oh she was tired alright, they hadn't managed to stay out of their bed much longer than they tucked the children into it theirs. As she had said upon his return that were making up for lost time.

"Go to sleep," he ordered her now that he had her pressed alongside him. Her head resting on him, her fingers woven into his chest hair, her leg wrapped around his.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

In the morning he watched Scarlett stand and look in confusion for where her dressing gown normally lay, not allowing her to quickly cover herself as she normally did. Rhett chuckled and walked to retrieve the lost article from the middle of their room.

"I believe Mammy was right and you have indeed popped," Rhett said as he took in the figure that seemed slightly fully, more rounded since his return only days ago.

"Lout," she frowned at him and snatched the gown from his hand.

He did his best to walk away looking unaffected, but he couldn't help smiling as he saw her lay a tender hand on her stomach.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Our Edgar was the same way," Mrs. Daniels spoke as her husband looked as if he would rather be anywhere than the bank, possibly even with the undertaker. Actually now that Rhett looked at him more, definitely the undertaker.

She continued to drone on and Rhett was only taking in bits and piecing of her words. He snapped to attention when she mentioned Scarlett looking tired.

"You saw Mrs. Butler this morning?" Rhett questioned before she could rattle on anymore.

"Yes, at Kennedy's poor thing looked like she was about to fall asleep standing up."

Rhett did his best to wrap up the woman's meandering conversation.

He found himself leaving his desk not five minutes after the couple departed. Found himself standing outside of Kennedy's, found himself watching Scarlett as she moved items on a shelf, likely forming a list of wrongs to criticize the clerk with as soon as the shop was without customers.

He noted the slight purple smudges beneath her eyes. Truthfully, he had noted them this morning with pleasure since a considerable amount of their extended time in bed was not spent sleeping. Now though with Mrs. Daniels words in his mind he recalled that she was not merely his wife, that unstoppable force. She was his expectant wife.

This baby had already impacted her more emotionally in three short months than he suspected the previous three children had in over a decade, it would make sense that the baby was impacting her more physically than her pregnancy with Bonnie. So he entered the store as was his right as her husband. He engaged her in some meandering banter, noting that she seemed to fluster and pause before retorts more often than usual.

And then she did it, she tripped while walking around the store as he followed. Oh he caught her, not that he needed to because it was only a slight stumble, but he didn't hesitate to catch her. Although he suspected their relationship would have fared much better if he had let Scarlett fall flat on her face every once in awhile. However, the curse of love kept him nearby.

"Oh," Scarlett looked down at the offending lip of wood that had caused her to trip. She couldn't find one. The floor remained just as smooth as it had since its last repair several months prior when she had berated the handyman over his previous work.

"And you are calling it a day Mrs. Butler," Rhett informed his wife.

"Nonsense, I have a dozen things still to do," she shook her head at him.

"You have one thing and it is rest," Rhett repeated his demand.

"I will rest in the afternoon," she informed him.

"You will do it now," he ordered her.

"Rhett, you are making a scene." He wasn't, not outside of the normal people watching people did when he and Scarlett were nearby.

"Mrs. Butler and I will be leaving for the day. The store is in your capable hands," he smiled at the clerk and dared Scarlett to countermand him and created that scene she warned about.

Rhett was quick to note how quickly Scarlett had stopped fighting him. There had been a few quick lines once he got her out of the store, but not enough to make him second guess his decision.

o~o~o

There was a playroom full of the myriad of gifts that Rhett had purchased for the children over the years. Scarlett had put a stop to them being in the nursery long before Bonnie had joined her siblings. She had been convinced that Wade wouldn't be able to sleep with such a multitude of temptation so close by.

Considering Rhett himself had woken up in the middle of the night at numerous points over the last three months to find Bonnie playing with one of the many toys he had purchased for her on their trip. It seemed his wife had been correct in her argument. He had certainly not argued when the servants unpacked all of her new toys into the playroom and not the nursery.

Rhett had been enjoying spending time with the children again. He had let Scarlett spoil his house for too long. Embarrassed to admit how often he fled it so he wouldn't have to sit by and watch her be disinterested in their family.

Now though he was watching it with new eyes as he realized he was watching Scarlett watch Bonnie with Wade as he had been trying to teach her how to care for the kitten her grandmother had given her.

Wade brought Scarlett small moments of pleasure, of pride. He was clever and he was kind, oh he was not a particularly outgoing boy, but he was good with his sisters. He was already the type of man who took care of his family, Rhett knew Scarlett respected that even if she couldn't understand his soft manner.

There was a subtle sort of pride realizing that your child was simply good, nothing else tied to it, he was simply a good person.

As he watched Scarlett's hand fly to her stomach, Rhett experienced a moment of blinding fear that something was wrong with the baby. Then as Scarlett cried out, "Bonnie no!" Rhett turned to see his stepson rescue that small little tabby from Bonnie's hands a split second before she was going to throw it.

Wade ran behind his mother's chair with the kitten and away from Bonnie's rage.

"That is a living creature," Scarlett flew out of her chair and had two hands on Bonnie's arms, bent down to their daughter's eye level.

Rhett had to stop himself from tearing Scarlett off of their daughter.

"It scratched me," Bonnie defended herself.

"It is a kitten, it scratches, that is what kittens do."

"Daddy," Bonnie looked up at him.

"Your mother is right. You could have killed Honey," still though Rhett scanned his daughter for any sign of injury.

"The kitten is Wade's now. You've had too many chances with it, I won't risk your temper being its destruction," Scarlett told their daughter as Rhett willed himself to not tear her away from Scarlett and into a hug.

o~o~o

He later found Scarlett in their room, a glass of brandy in hand, he suspected it wasn't her first as she hadn't joined him and the children for dinner.

"I thought the baby doesn't like brandy?" Rhett questioned forcing his demeanor calm.

"He needs it," Scarlett said placing a hand on her stomach and taking another sip.

"Bonnie," Rhett felt the need to defend his daughter, just as he had explained away the actions of his wife for years.

"I can tell you right now, a baby's nails are far worse than a cat's."

Rhett braced himself, "Bonnie would never hurt the baby."

"What exactly is the basis of that argument Captain Butler? It certainly isn't history because I have seen that child hurt nearly every living creature she has encountered that has displeased her."

"I know my daughter, she wouldn't hurt her sibling."

"She threw a block at Ella yesterday," Scarlett dared him to call Ella anything but her sibling.

"You throw things at me and I'm your husband," Rhett pointed out and poured himself a drink.

"You are a grown man. Have you ever seen me throw anything at the children because I promise you they frustrate me just as much as you do."

Rhett took another sip.

"I know you think I'm horrible Rhett, but this is after 26 years of Mammy trying to get me to behave like a decent person. 26 years and I am all the progress that she has made. Oh I give the illusion of a decent person, but you know what is simmering deep down... I was spoiled rotten, showered with attention, I couldn't even share beaux with my sisters. All those shortcomings you accuse me of, you're fostering them in our daughter. I'm watching that awful story repeat. That darkness Bonnie fears, its my life. She sees what's ahead for her and you're right it isn't happiness. It is always happiness being just a little out of reach."

"We'll talk about this when you're sober," Rhett informed his wife and left the room.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Scarlett did not go to Kennedy's the next day.

Scarlett did not leave her bed the next day.

His wife had spent the majority of the night being ill and Mammy's look of disgust when he himself had returned home drunk, possibly drunker than the night of Ashley's birthday had shamed him into his old room.

As he took his mid-day meal with all three children, inquiring what they had been up to since it was a Saturday. Realizing he should do something with the children, regardless of the fact that he would like to spend it all in bed like his wife. He opened the topic up for discussion and it had been going well, until Ella and Bonnie began to disagree.

As the words, "He's not your daddy, he's mine," passed from Bonnie's lips as a means of stopping Ella's argument for her activity choice.

"Bonnie!" Rhett the timbre of his voice had all three grow silent with large eyes. "Ella and Wade are my children just as much as you are." It was a lie and he knew it and in that moment he hated himself for it. "In fact, they have been my children for longer than you have, you will not treat your siblings with such disrespect ever again." He took a breath, "Ella, we will play your game."

As Bonnie's simper turned into a full wail, Ella turned to console her sister, "It's okay Bonnie, we can play your game."

Rhett wondered if he had ever despised Scarlett as much as he did in that moment when he realized she was right.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!