AN: Little itty bitty chapter. Thanks for all the reviews last time! (Um I may currently be obsessed with the thought of doing other fics from spots where I yelled at the book, they're distracting me).

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

Part Nineteen

Late September

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

"Wade," Rhett said seeing his son in the hallway.

"Yes sir?" Wade questioned wondering what he had done.

"You're not in trouble boy, do you mind joining me in my study?"

This quite frankly seemed like a trick, but Wade had no choice, but to follow his stepfather.

"How would you feel about going back to Atlanta with Miss Melly and Beau? Starting the school year at their house?"

"Where would Mother be?"

"Your Aunt Melly has it in her mind that your mother would be happier having the baby here rather than the city."

"So you would all stay?"

"Nothing's set in stone, your mother may in fact want to return back to the house, but I suspect Miss Melly may be right. The school term has already begun and I know your mother wouldn't want you to fall behind."

"I could catch up; people are gone from school all the time."

It was true, Wade did attend a school where several of the families still ran plantations and they stayed away until the fall harvest was completed. "Would you like to stay?" Rhett questioned.

"I think Mother would need me, especially with Ella and Bonnie."

Rhett noticed the continued anxiety that remained with Wade, "Your mother will be fine, just like she was with Ella and Bonnie."

Wade wanted to tell his stepfather that he didn't believe him, he knew that mothers died all the time. He couldn't give voice to that worry, couldn't give it power. "She'll need me. If Mother stays than I stay."

"Wade, your mother will want to return to Atlanta for your schooling, you know how important she thinks your education is."

Wade steeled his jaw at his stepfather, "You leave her, I don't."

"Why-" Rhett was about to rail at his son. However, the boy had a point. Wade had been the one steady male constant in Scarlett's life since his birth. "I suppose I can talk your mother into letting you attend the school in town until we can acquire the appropriate tutor."

Wade nodded, feeling relief start to course through him.

"Are you sure you wouldn't be happier with Beau than your sisters, your mother would want you-"

"I'll stay here with the family Uncle Rhett," Wade nodded again. "May I go out and play now?"

"Of course, sorry to keep you," Rhett released the boy and continued to be amazed by the man he was growing up to be.

o~o~o

Scarlett viewed Rhett as suspiciously as Wade as he brought up the idea of them staying as a family until the baby was born. He had included the plans he had for Wade's schooling, quite frankly he was sure he could easily fill in anywhere the governess or local school lacked the requisite skills.

"This seems as if it is a serial in one of those cheap tawdry magazines that my husband has been replaced by an evil twin."

He laughed, a low laugh because they were in their room and the house was currently full.

"What's the catch?" Scarlett questioned.

"Why would there be a catch?"

"There is always a catch, especially with you," her arms were folded above her stomach as they sat in arm chairs by an unused fireplace in their room. They were both in their robes, hers a deep green he had purchased on his last trip to Atlanta, so her robe once more covered her stomach and his, a pale gray nearly silver from how the silk reflected the light. Hers brought out the vivid green of her eyes and his the silver lining his temples.

"I am your husband; I'm trying to be considerate."

"Do you not think I can handle not going back to Atlanta? Did something happen?"

He let out a brief laugh, "Yes, Scarlett something happened. You're expecting our child."

"Are you sending me out the country to have the baby, I thought only the English did that?"

"We're already in the country my dear, we can return to Atlanta. Miss Melly just thought-"

"Melly doesn't want me in Atlanta?" Scarlett sat up even straighter.

"She just thought you'd like to have the baby here. Something about building a nest."

"Building a- since when did I become a bird?"

"Scarlett, you could just say that you don't want to stay. Our plans are currently still-"

"I hardly said I didn't want to stay, I just wanted to know why you wanted us to stay."

"Because I can handle being in the country for a few more months, so my wife can be comfortable bringing our child into the world."

"No," Scarlett suddenly shook her head, "we'll go back to Atlanta. You have to return to Atlanta to handle business. I wouldn't want something to happen if you weren't around."

There was a part of Rhett that wondered what Scarlett thought he would be able to do if something went wrong. Lord knows he would move heaven and earth if he could, but history told him there was very little anyone could do if things truly went wrong. Mostly though, Rhett wanted to gather her in his arms and thank god she wanted him near. She needed him near. "Nothing is going to happen," he allayed that fear again. "I can conclude my business dealings for the time being, I feel as if I can find someone in Atlanta to keep an eye on the mills and the store."

"Do you promise?" she asked looking over with wide eyes, slightly desperate eyes.

"I will not go to Atlanta after-" he paused, "is there a particular time frame you would like me to remain on the plantation?"

"Starting now?" she offered.

He laughed lightly, oh times had certainly changed, "How about the second week of November? I will endeavor to do my best to only spend one night in Atlanta until then."

"I suppose that's fine," she still didn't seem particularly convinced.

"We could just sell everything, stop investing in new businesses, let the bank handle-"

"Rhett, I said it would be fine. Let's not be foolish." Scarlett shook her head at the absurdity of such thought. "We'll need new cradles, blankets, clothing. I suppose you would have picked most of that out anyway, since you think my taste is atrocious," she gave him a dirty look.

"I will take any small influence on a house I can get; I will be happy to acquire the necessities if you and Mammy could organize a list."

"Melly's trying to fix the clothing I tried to sew. She said she would be happy to sew in the evenings if-"

"We'll send fabric, yarn, whatever she needs."

Scarlett gave him another look, "They weren't that bad."

"I'm hoping our child will be symmetrical."

Scarlett decided to let that battle go, after all it meant she could stop trying to sew, she hadn't recalled being so bad at it before their marriage. Prissy, Mammy, Dilcey and Estelle had already created several pieces as well, she would have tried to claim them as hers if Rhett didn't watch her so carefully. "I'm sure Melly would be delighted for have Wade for a few months and I bet Wade would enjoy a sojourn from the girls. I would appreciate the improvement in Bonnie's behavior a great deal more if Ella's hadn't gotten worse."

"You can hardly fault your daughter for being more outgoing," Rhett gave her a knowing look.

"I can when it takes her twenty minutes to tell a story that should have been told in two," Scarlett looked at him without amusement.

Rhett lifted his brows in subtle judgment.

Scarlett ignored him. "Perhaps puzzles for her birthday. Possibly we'll have one painted and cut, perhaps the house or the last family portrait we took. We should get a photographer out here, Bonnie is practically a different child from the last one we had done, if I blink she grow another 2 inches. Since Wade will be gone, maybe just the girls-"

"Actually Wade and I had a discussion-" he unexpectedly found himself hesitating as her eyes focused in on him. Then smiled slightly, almost glad his wife still scared him slightly.

Thanks for reading!