Will, Suellen, and Dr. Gilbert watched as Rhett walked away. Then the doctor turned to the couple and made his excuses, following Rhett across the field towards the house. He wanted to talk with Scarlett and Rhett before he left, reassure them that the baby seemed fine and then give the patient some instructions.

Standing alone with his wife in the field, Will bent down and picked up the ship. Quietly he studied it for a moment before turning his attention to his wife. "You hit Scarlett?" He finally asked.

Suellen stood firmly in her spot, the O'Hara blood in her refusing to give ground. "It was nothing, Will…I slapped her."

"Why? Why would you do that?" He asked incredulously.

"I...she made me angry."

"What about?" He stared at her with disgust. "What could she say that would make you that angry? She's your sister…"

Throwing her chin up in defiance, Suellen huffed. "Well, if you really must know, we were talking about Frank. She stole him from me, Will…and I've never forgiven her for that."

"Frank couldn't been stole if he didn't wanna be. And you got me now…and the girls. And that's still eating at you, after all these years?"

"Well…yes."

Will drew in a deep breath. "Well, if ya want Frank Kennedy so much, maybe you should be with him," he said menacingly. His attention turned back to the whip and he began to play with it, twirling the end and then snapping it for effect. Suellen's eyes grew huge as she watched her husband and began to panic. " Be still Sue…I ain't gonna whip you… this time. But you need to git it in your head that you're with me now…that's right, you're my wife. And you need to let go of any notions about Frank…or anybody else for that matter."

Suellen opened her mouth to protest but the expression on Will's face kept her quiet. "Jes' so you remember, Sue, a husband's got the right to beat sense into his wife, if he has a mind to…and if you don't treat Scarlett right, I'll have a mind. She's your sister, for God's sake…what would yer Ma and yer Pa think of the way yer acting?"

An image of Ellen O'Hara flashed through her mind and Suellen began to feel regret, not that she'd hurt Scarlett, but that she had done something which would have upset her mother. Will could see the resignation in her eyes and knew the point had been made. "Now, git yourself on back to tha house and help with the supper. And stay away from Scarlett…"

Rhett and Dr. Gilbert climbed the steps to Scarlett's room. The doctor checked Scarlett once more, sensing that her emotions were beginning to unravel. As he finished, he motioned for Rhett to sit next to Scarlett. "Mrs. Butler, as far as I can tell, your only injury is that nasty bump on your head. You need to rest for a few days to let it heal. And you need to be calm and relaxed for that baby." Then looking at Rhett, he continued. "And you, sir, need to relax also. I understand that Mrs. Butler lost a baby before but that was a very different circumstance than this one. You aren't quite healed yourself and the last thing your wife needs is to have to get out of the bed to tend to you."

Rhett nodded his understanding as he reached for Scarlett's hand. "Things will be peaceful, Doctor. I won't do anything stupid…" Dr, Gilbert nodded, convinced that Rhett understood. "Well then, I'll be off. I'll check back in a few days."

"Thank you," Rhett said as he rose to walk the man out.

Several days passed with Suellen staying away form the Butlers. Scarlett remained in bed until she could no longer stand it, her mind screaming with boredom, she woke that morning declaring her intention to get up that day. When Rhett protested she complained, "but Rhett, this will drive me to madness…I am supposed to be calm and relaxed. How can I do that if I'm fretting all the time?"

Finally, he acquiesced. "All right, but only if you promise to stay out of the kitchen and you will not do anything too strenuous."

They were downstairs in the parlor, going over the plans for the store. "Honestly Rhett, there is so much to do. We need someone to help…someone trustworthy."

Rhett nodded in agreement. Who do you suppose that someone is? Not the ubiquitous Mr. Wilkes, I presume?"

"Ashley?" she said surprised. "Oh heavens no, he'd be terrible at this." Rhett began to chuckle, the first genuine mirth he'd felt in days. "What did I say that is so funny?" Scarlett asked quizzically, tilting her head and flashing her emerald eyes in his direction.

"I suppose it isn't what you said as much as how you said it," he replied. "Besides, it gives me great pleasure to see your new attitude about him. For many years, he was so perfect…he could do nothing wrong."

Scarlett looked into her husband's merry eyes and began to giggle. "I was such a ninny, wasn't I?" His gentle gaze held her and she began to feel the familiar yearning inside. He watched in fascination, as her expression grew more heated. "Rhett, do you suppose…I mean, is it…proper…for a wife to… well, I mean in my …condition, for me to…"

"Want your husband?" He finished for her. He felt a spark in his loin and knew his expression was changing also. "I think that it is …the way it should be between happy couples."

"Well, I know I said I wanted to get up…be out of the bed, but…" Rhett chuckled as he watched a flush creep up her face. After all they had been through and especially these last few months, she was still shy about marital matters. "Pray tell, Mrs. Butler, I do think that rest is required. You have been up for awhile now and after your recent mishap, you shouldn't overdo."

"Yes, I am feeling a little weak," she answered conspiratorially. "And you should rest, as well. You are still recovering also, as the doctor pointed out."

They passed Mammy in the hallway. "Mammy, Scarlett and I are going to take a nap. We do not wish to be disturbed," Rhett instructed.

Yes suh, Mista Rhett…a nap is jes' what ya need," she replied with a smile. As she moved along the hall, she began to hum with happiness.

Rhett closed the bedroom door behind them and was surprised by Scarlett's onslaught as soon as he turned the key in the lock. Her kiss was passionate and demanding, which he happily returned. His hands automatically went to her waist before travelling to her back, pulling her closer to him so that their bodies met. He felt his throbbing response to her and as she moaned and rubbed against him, he knew she felt it too.

"Rhett," she panted…"It's been days…to long…"

A mischievous grin crawled across his face as he held his face just above hers, his eyes swimming in her green pools. "Are you ready for this? I don't want to hurt you…or the baby…"

"Rhett Butler, if you don't…if we …well, I'll just die from the anxiety of it," she answered in her best belle tone, exaggerating the most outlandish postures of her youth. Her flirtation elicited a bawdy chuckle from Rhett as it reminded him of their early days, before all the darkness. "Well, my pet, we can't have you dying from anxiety…or for any other reason, for that matter." And employing his best gentleman's bow, " I suppose I must comply with the lady's wishes and escort her to my bed." He offered his arm as if they were about to enter the dance floor.

Scarlett batted her eyes at him and smiled demurely. "Well, sir…actually it is my bed. But I would be most happy to share it with you." Rhett stopped at the edge of the bed and turned to gaze at her face again. "Madam, I am forced to admit my admiration for you. Your charms have captured my heart entirely." And then his tone growing more serious, "in fact, my love, I would be devastated if anything were to happen to you. I love you too much, I fear."

His earnest expression and the conviction in his words gripped Scarlett, constricting her heart. "Oh, fiddle-dee-dee Rhett, you just can't love me too much. There's no such thing as loving one too much. Why I just love you until I think there's no more room in my heart for you and then …"

"And then?" he queried, matching her lighter tone.

"And then…you go and do something that makes me love you even more. Oh Rhett, I wish…I just …I don't seem to be able to show you how much you mean to me…"

He gently traced her jaw with his finger as he collected his feelings and put them into words. "My dear, you gave me life… I was a condemned man after that fire. You came, brought hope back into my life, and resurrected my decomposing body…and soul. I should think that would be a sufficient expression of your feelings. Without you, I would be resting in the family plot, eternally damned to keep my father company."

Tears sat in her eyes. "I had too, Rhett. I had to take care of you…I couldn't lose you."

Tentatively, he covered her stomach with his hand. "And now we have even more to share. I hope she is like you, my dear."

"But Rhett, he will be like his father."

Mindful of her condition, Rhett was tender and careful with her as they made love. He took his time with her body, caressing and worshipping her, showing her love with each touch. And when he entered her, the ecstasy was so intense, so heavenly that he struggled not to shout his joy. He fought to keep his joy contained, afraid of hurting her and in doing so made the experience even more potent for both. When her felt her nails graze his back and then clinch him in her pleasure, he exploded, filling her with himself until he was dry. Then collapsing next to her, he gathered her in his arms, not ever wanting to let go. No words were spoken as they lay there, none were needed. The connection between them was complete, their oneness whole.

After a few minutes, she whispered to him, "Rhett, I want you to teach me…"

"Teach you what, my love," he responded as he feathered kisses in her hair.

"I want…to know how...to be… at night, when we are alone, I want to be your whore, Rhett."

He pulled away and glared at her, confused. "What? Why would you want that, my love…You don't want that… you are no one's whore, not even mine…how can you even …"

"I don't want you to ever go back to one of those places, Rhett. And the only way is if I learn…what they know." Surprised by her whole line of reasoning, he tensed as he saw the broken expression on her face.

"Despite what I might have implied, my pet," he tried to soothe, " I didn't go there for…that, at least not early in our marriage. It was only after Bonnie was born and you…"

"Told you I didn't want anymore babies…put you out of my bed…"

He bent his head, the memory heavy in his mind, the hurt from that night still there. "After that…I was so angry…and…lonely. I …I shouldn't have. It drove us farther apart, but…at the time it seemed the only release, the only way I could cope."

"But if you were to teach me…what it is men want from those women, I could…you wouldn't feel a need to…"

He covered her lips with his finger, quieting her. He could see how distressed she was at the thought of him returning to his old habits. "But don't you understand, my pet," he said gently. "You are everything I want…the way we are together now is all I need. I don't want you to have the knowledge that those women have. When they are with a man…it…it's just business to them. Oh, some are friendly and try to make you feel that they care about you, but all they really care about is your money." He kissed her forehead tenderly, lingering close to her face. "Having this with you makes anything they have to offer seen like watered down whiskey. No, my love, you are my wife…and while I enjoy our physical relationship immensely, I want so much more from you. Our…lovemaking is just that. Now that we are truly together, whores hold no charm for me. Do not worry, my love, that I will return to one of those places for anything more than a card game occasionally. I am finding our new life together much more satisfying than anything from my past adventures."

"Oh Rhett," she cooed. "Really? You don't want any of that? It's been you habit for so many years…"

"Only because I had nothing else of any real value. Now I have so much…to much waste time in those pursuits."

He saw her expression soften and then she curled back into him. He felt her body relax into his, melding to him as she drifted to sleep. Content, he held her, listening to her every breath, thankful they had finally found peace with one another.

GWTWGWTWGWTWGWTW

Sorry it took me so long to get this one out. Plot bunnies were working in my mind on another fic in another fandom and messed with my head. And RL kept me away from the keyboard. Hopefully, I'll have more in a couple of days. That's the plan, anyway.