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

This is the final chapter then there is the epilogue.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rhett and Scarlett would talk about Bonnie. They would talk about Jade. They would talk about Wade and Ella. They talked about the early years of their marriage but not very often for it brought up too much pain. Rhett never told Scarlett that Belle was dead. He always wanted her to believe he had chosen her over Belle mainly because he had.

In September, Scarlett gave birth to a third daughter, and Rhett had insisted they name her Penelope Rosemary for the heroine of The Odyssey and for his sister. The child had look like Scarlett but not as completely as Bonnie had. She had a lot of Rhett's features in her face. She had those cobalt blue eyes like Bonnie had.

When Scarlett saw the baby she said to Rhett, "Why did you not tell me that your mother had blue eyes like Bonnie?"

"Because you were so proud that she looked like you and your father. I didn't want anything to mar that pride. I wanted you to love my child more than your other children."

"I did."

Several months later when the baby's eyes started turning dark, she acquired a nickname also. Scarlett said, "Penelope's eyes are starting to turn brown like yours, my love."

Rhett had smiled. It had made him happy. When he thought of Bonnie it was without pain, but he had not wanted to look into those dark blue eyes again. It was hard enough to meet his mother's eyes at times.

Scarlett had continued while looking at her husband, "Hopefully they will be the same chocolate brown as yours."

Jade had said, "Mama, Daddy's eyes don't look like chocolate. They look like cocoa."

Scarlett had said, "Cocoa. We have to do it. We gave Bonnie and Jade a nickname based on the color of their eyes."

Rhett had smiled indulgently at Scarlett and his wife had smiled back. He said, "Cocoa it is."

Every time Rhett smiled at her that way, it thrilled Scarlett. It was a confirmation of his love for her.

From that day forward, Penelope was known as Cocoa which got shortened to Coco.

After Scarlett was out of her confinement, she and Rhett went to the cemetery. When they got there Rhett said, "I'm going to need you to hold me together after I do what I have to do."

"Alright, Baby."

Rhett walked up to his father's tombstone and said, "When I first moved back to Charleston, I made a comment about your disowning me. Mother said, 'I have tried for over twenty-five years to figure out a way we could have kept our place in society without disowning you and without you marrying Sarah. If you know of a way, please, share it with me.' That was over two years ago, and I still have not figured out a way.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I shamed you and forced you into a no-win position. I'm sorry I didn't just marry Sarah. I was too proud, too vain, too self-centered, and too juvenile not to listen when you try to tell me what I should do. I threw everything of value away in that moment. You, Mother, my family, my reputation, my honor, and my good name. I am a millionaire several times over, but you are the more successful of us. You are the more successful than both me and Grandfather," Rhett turned around and said, "Let's go."

Rhett and Scarlett walked to the carriage and got in. Once they were in the carriage, Rhett laid his head in her lap. Although he had his head turned away from her, she knew he was crying. She didn't say anything. She just stroked his head.

They went back the next day. Rhett walked up to his father's tombstone and said, "The day before you gave me the ultimatum when you took Robert and me sailing. I had such a good time. I thought you were going to stand behind me in my decision not to marry Sarah. That day was one of the most perfect days in my life. For too long it has been a bitter memory but now I know what you were trying to do. Give yourself one last happy memory. I tried to do that after Bonnie died." He smiled at Scarlett and took her hand. He continued, "All my memories of my first-born child are bittersweet. I'm sure yours were too."

The couple went back to the cemetery every day for the next two weeks. Before long they were sitting beside the tombstone and Rhett was telling Scarlett stories from his childhood. There were a lot that involved his father. They were happy stories. They were funny stories.

Soon Rhett was telling his father stories about Bonnie, Jade, Coco, Wade and Ella. Rhett would never think of them as his stepchildren again.

On what would have been Bonnie's tenth birthday, Scarlett had asked Rhett to bring Bonnie's body home. Bonnie deserved to be buried in the Butler family plot. Afterall, she was a Butler.

At great expense, Rhett finally brought Bonnie back to her mother. Scarlett wanted to open the coffin and put Bonnie's memory quilt in her coffin, but Rhett would not allow her. He said, "Baby, I can never allow you to see her that way. I have a picture of her in her coffin if you want to see it, I will show it to you. Besides, I find Bonnie's quilt comforting to have around and I know you do too."

Scarlett smiled sadly at her husband. She said, "I do find it comforting to hold it. That is why I made a quilt out of Bonnie's clothes after Jade grew out of them, of course."

"Will you ever stop pinching pennies?"

Scarlett smiled and said, "Probably not."

Careen had arranged for a priest to come, and he said some words over the body. A large amount of the gentry had attended the service although Rhett and Scarlett had not mentioned it to any of them. They had only invited Rhett's immediate family, Careen, and Suellen. Not only did a large amount of the gentry show up, but all Rhett's extended family attended the service. Rhett's aunts, uncles, and cousins were there. People who had not spoken to Rhett in years. The entire family was not surprised that Scarlett was crying but they were surprised that Rhett was silently crying, and he wasn't bothering to hide his tears. He didn't care who saw him crying. He was burying his first-born child again. A person would have to be made of stone not to cry at that event.

Rhett knew he would never not feel some guilt regarding Bonnie's death. He had been a bad husband and a bad father and Bonnie had paid the price. By some miracle he had been given a second chance at a happy ever after.

Scarlett had invited Suellen and Will to the event. When Suellen had asked for some money to make the trip, Scarlett had sent the money. Scarlett had not invited Suellen to the event because of any desire to see her sister again nor had she sent the money because of any charitable feelings towards her sister. No, Scarlett had invited her sister and sent the money because she wanted Suellen to see how good Scarlett's life was now. Suellen had accepted because she and her family never went anywhere because they didn't have the money to travel.

Suellen and her family spent a week in Charleston. They stayed at Scarlett's townhouse. Through the entire week Suellen saw how good her older sister's life was. Scarlett was living life in the lap of luxury while Suellen was eking out a living on what once was their family plantation but was now just a farm.

On the train ride back to Jonesboro Suellen wondered how Scarlett could be so happy with her husband. How could vain Scarlett be happy with that pudgy, balding, old man. Suellen was quick to notice that while Rhett was not as pudgy as he had been when he came to Tara, he had lost more of his hair. Yet, nonetheless, there had been something very appealing about the man. She also had to admit Rhett was a very charming man.

As Suellen sat on the train, she looked at Will. He had a good body and had all his hair. He was also at least fifteen years younger than Rhett. She guessed he wasn't a bad husband; it was just that all he would ever be was a farmer eking out a living. He was a plain man who while kind and thoughtful would never be as charming as Rhett.

Suellen thought, 'Life just isn't fair. Why does Scarlett always come out of situation smelling like a rose?'

After Suellen and her family left Charleston, Rhett went to his mother's and retrieved the crate he had sent all those years ago. Neither he nor Scarlett would share anything that personal with Suellen. The next day, with several handkerchiefs by their sides the couple went through the objects in the crate. They talked about each and every object in the crate.

Scarlett picked up the picture of her and Rhett in New Orleans. She said, "You showed me everything that day, but I didn't see it."

"I had decided to tell you that we never got the picture if you ever asked about it."

"But being the self-centered person, I was then I was more concerned about building my mansion and spending your money."

"I was pretty self-centered also."

Rhett picked up the picture of Bonnie on her pony and he said, "She was so proud of her ability to ride that pony. She always enjoyed jumping higher and higher."

When Rhett turned pensive, Scarlett said, "It was an error in judgement. It was an accident. If you thought, she would get seriously hurt you would not have allowed her to do it."

"The worst I thought would happen was she would get some bumps and bruises. It never even occurred to me that it might kill her. If only you had been there to stop her from making that jump."

"Don't torture yourself. That's my job," Rhett laughed. Scarlett continued, "I am going to get these two pictures framed."

As Scarlett picked up the picture of Bonnie in her coffin, she said, "She looks like she is sleeping."

"Like she is Sleeping Beauty."

"Just waiting for that special kiss."

They both sadly smiled at each other. Rhett picked up the clothing and said, "You can make another memory quilt."

"It won't be very big."

"Then buy some fabric and cut it up."

"I will use the dresses that Coco has outgrown."

Rhett just shook his head. No, Scarlett would never stop pinching pennies. Not that she was going to deny herself anything but if she could save money she would.

Jade was seven by then, therefore, Scarlett and Rhett took the opportunity to tell Jade all about her older sister. Rhett told Scarlett, "We will keep it simple. We will never tell her of the awful things I said that day. I would absolutely die of shame, if she ever learned what I called her and her mother."

"Of course, Rhett. I would not want anyone to ever know about that and especially not our child. I too would die of shame if Jade or anyone else ever learned what you said that day."

Rhett and Scarlett told Jade that when they were first married, they had not been happy. They had always been fighting. They had a big fight and Rhett had left Scarlett in Atlanta. They had decided to live separate lives. They had decided that Rhett would raise Bonnie and Scarlett would raise the new baby. Jade accepted that story. The couple never told Jade anymore about her parents' separation. The only other person who knew the truth was Elizabeth and even she didn't know what Rhett had said to Scarlett that day.

At first the couple visited Bonnie's grave often. They talked to Bonnie. They talked to each other about Bonnie. They talked about their mistakes not just in their marriage but in their entire relationship. One time Rhett said, "I am glad you asked me to bring her home. This is where she needs to be."

"I just couldn't bear the thought of our little girl all alone in a foreign country."

"Will you let me take you to Europe?"

"Yes, but not to Paris."

"No, not to Paris."

That night as Rhett laid next to his wife, he thought about the Odyssey and his ending was as perfect as Odysseus's was. His wife had been faithful to him for many years without any hope and he finally had a reconciliation with his father. He was finally happy after twenty-five years of wandering.