Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty-Seven

By eight thirty, Scarlett was ready to go to the courthouse. She was so extremely excited. She was marrying the man she loved today. She paused in her thinking and realized she had never told Rhett she loved him. She would have to make up for that this morning.

Scarlett had on her green dress with the white flowers. She put her green hat on. As she was walking out of the door of her bedroom, she said to Prissy, "Pack up all of our clothing. We are returning to Tara tomorrow."

Scarlett saw Prissy's stricken face and smiled. Scarlett said, "Maybe I will let you stay here in India's care. She needs a maid."

Prissy's face brightened and said, "Yes, she does."

As Scarlett walked out of her room, she was thinking two things. One less mouth for her family to have to feed and the slaves were going to be free pretty soon anyway.

Scarlett found Wade in the parlor playing with his toys. When he saw her, he immediately jumped up and ran over to her. She squatted down and hugged the boy. She then stood up with him in her arms. She heard the knock at the front door. She knew Rhett had arrived. She heard Gordon, the butler, letting Rhett into the house, then she heard Rhett's voice.

Rhett said, "I have come for Mrs. Hamilton."

"I am right here, Rhett."

"Are Dr. and Mrs. Harper ready?"

"Let me go check and see. Wade, after today you may call this man Pa."

"No, Scarlett." Rhett smiled at her stricken face and added, "I want to be called Daddy."

Scarlett smiled and turned the boy over to Rhett. Wade didn't want to go but Scarlett had already turned to head up the stairs. Therefore, Wade smiled at the man and said, "Dada."

"Yes, I'm your Daddy."

When Scarlett came back down the stairs, Rhett was sitting on the floor playing with Wade and Wade's toys. She allowed herself to take in the entire picture. She was so happy that Rhett loved her son. So many stepfathers didn't even like their stepchildren. Finally, she said, "Dr. and India will be downstairs in a few minutes."

Rhett turned and stood up. He said, "Wonderful."

Rhett stood and picked Wade up. He then walked over to Scarlett and kissed her. He said, "I am going to enjoy that."

"Me too."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Scarlett and Rhett smiled at each other over Wade's head, but Wade was not going to be ignored. He was reaching for Scarlett, and she took him back. As she did, she heard Yerkes and India coming down the stairs. Scarlett marveled at the change in both people. They both looked happier, and they both looked surprisingly more attractive. India said, "I've already talked to the cook, and she is going to prepare a special meal for tonight to celebrate. Would you like to invite anyone?"

"Maybe the Meades."

Yerkes said, "I will ask them when I get to the hospital. India says you are moving back to Tara."

"Yes, for a little while."

Rhett said, "We are going to get out of the Confederacy."

"Eventually, Rhett. I can't leave until Melly has her baby. It is due in September. We should be fairly safe at Tara until Atlanta falls."

Judging by the expression on Rhett's face, he was not happy with that news, but Scarlett also figured he would let them stay until Melly had her baby or Rhett thought the danger from the Yankees was too great. He said, "Then we will stay in Atlanta until the middle of August. I have a couple of things working that I would like to be here to complete. I was just going to trust my partner but now I don't have to. You will move in with me at the hotel, Scarlett. You and Wade."

"Alright. India, Prissy wants to stay here so after I return to Tara will you take her in. I am fine with her remaining in Atlanta. She just can't live by herself."

"Yes, I will keep Prissy. I have known her all her life."

Rhett said, "Let's get in the buggy. You can talk while we are heading to the courthouse."

After everyone was settled in the buggy and they were heading towards the courthouse, Scarlett turned to India and said, "Prissy is sweet on the Tolberts' stable boy, Archie."

"Really. How wonderful."

"Yes, he sneaks over here every night around nine."

"How do you know?"

"Every night after Rhett would leave, I would go check on Wade. A lot of times she wasn't there. About thirty minutes later, I would hear her sneaking into the Hamilton House. You know the third and eighth steps squeak. So, I knew when she had returned. One night while Rhett was in Europe, I followed her. She went straight to the Tolberts' home and into the barn. I got close to the barn. Although, I couldn't make out the words I could tell that it was a male and female talking. After we moved over here, I thought I was going to have to put a stop to it because the Tolberts' home was just too far for Prissy to be walking to in the middle of the night but instead the man has come over here. I think I heard her call him Archie."

"How delightful. Yerkes, is it alright if we keep her?"

"Yes, of course."

Rhett said, "Here we are. Let me help you down, Baby."

India said, "Look, Scarlett, Mr. Butler, there are the Meades."

At the same time the Meades saw the group. The group joined the Meades and Arthur said, "There is too much unhappiness right now for us to miss a happy event especially not the wedding of my favorite assistant."

"Thank you, Dr. Meade."

The men all shook hands. Yerkes said, "You and Cora must come to supper at my house. We are going to have a celebratory supper."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Rhett and I will return to the hotel to sleep."

Cora said, "Good. Give yourselves some privacy."

"Tomorrow, Scarlett and Wade will move into the hotel with me." With a smile Rhett said, "It is a good thing Dr. Harper and India are married or she would have to find some other place to live."

Yerkes said, "It is a good thing we are married for so many reasons."

"Scarlett, shall we go talk to the judge and make this official?"

"Yes, lets."

Within thirty minutes, Rhett Butler was a married man again, and he couldn't be happier. He was so happy he couldn't quit smiling. India had held Wade through the entire ceremony. When Rhett took Wade into his arms, Wade called him Dada. Rhett was beaming ear to ear.

When Scarlett had gotten ready that morning, she with a trace of sadness removed Charlie's ring from her finger. She was not sad to remove the ring, but it did mark the end of that period of her life. After this morning she would never be Scarlett Hamilton again. She had quickly shaken it off.

When it had come time for Rhett to slip the ring on Scarlett's finger, he didn't have one. The judge had said, "You can take care of that later. Ring or no ring you are legally married. Congratulations."

Scarlett would smile every time Rhett called her Mrs. Butler. Scarlett smiled as she thought about how calm Rhett was during the entire ceremony especially when he was saying his vows. Scarlett smiled when she thought about how pleased he had looked when she was saying her vows.

As the group was walking out of the courthouse, Arthur said, "Yerkes, India, we will give you a ride to the hospital. Scarlett will you be coming back to the hospital tomorrow."

Scarlett looked at Rhett and said, "Am I?"

"Not tomorrow. The day after. You might as well continue working until we leave. Dr. Meade, I think we will be leaving the first or second week in August depending on when my deals get concluded."

"I will be grateful for whatever time Scarlett can spare me. She is the best assistant I have ever had next to Cora, of course."

"Thank you, Dr. Meade."

"Now come along, Scarlett we need to finish packing yours and Wade's clothing."

Cora said, "Wait! I will have my cook bring over two eggs to Yerkes' cook. I am assuming you can find sugar and flour."

"Yes, I can."

After Rhett, Scarlett, and Wade were driving off in the buggy. Scarlett said, "I will tell Prissy to pack her clothing also. I will let her know that she is going with us so she can let her friend know."

"Don't let her go out at night. She can start doing that again after she moves back in with the Harpers. It is not safe for her or even him to be out late at night anymore. I am afraid someone would shoot him just because he is a slave in the part of town the hotel is in."

"Is it really that unsafe?"

"For women and slaves – yes." Scarlett gasped. Rhett continued, "I will protect you and Wade."

"I know you will."

After the trio got back to the Harper residence, they got out of the buggy. As they walked into the house, Rhett said, "We will wait to get our wedding picture taken when we get to New Orleans."

"Alright."

"Then we will get a family picture taken."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Alright. Rhett, do you want children?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"I don't know why you are surprised by that. I love children. I just never thought to have any of my own you know with the not wanting to get married again thing. I want all girls."

"Rhett, this is not like selecting a buggy. You get what you get. If we get all boys, you better love them to pieces."

Rhett put his arms around her and said, "I like that."

"What? Putting your arms around me?"

"I do like being able to do that but what I was talking about was you telling me how the cow ate the cabbage."

"You like that?!"

"I want a woman with fire in her veins. If I had wanted a sweet, polite, demure ninny for a wife or a woman who all she can say is yes, no, or whatever you want. I would have remarried a long time ago.

"Are you saying that I am not sweet, polite, or demure?"

"You know you aren't. You are sweet to me. You have always been polite to me. By no stretch of the imagination could anyone seriously call you demure. You are bold. You have opinions and you don't mind expressing them. I don't want someone to go along with whatever I say. I want someone like you who will tell me when she thinks I am doing something wrong."

"When you put it like that, I guess I have no reason to be offended."

"There is only one thing I would like for you to change."

Scarlett frowned and looked at her husband crossly when she said, "What?"

"I would like for you to become a reader. You have such a quick and nimble brain, but I think if you became a reader, you could become so much more learned."

"I will not become anything as unfeminine as a blue stocking."

"How can you say that being a well-read woman is unfeminine? Your best friend is a reader, and she is extremely feminine. Let me choose a book for you to read. If after you have finished the book, you didn't enjoy it then I will never make you read another book. I am going to warn you though, I do like to read therefore, there are going to be a lot of evenings when you have no one to talk to. Besides, I conduct a lot of my business deals at night in saloons so there will be a few nights where I won't even be there for you to talk to. You will have to find a way to entertain yourself because I will not allow you to leave the house at night unescorted."

"Fine! Just pick one out for me."

"Now, let's go pack your clothes. You need to talk to Prissy."

Scarlett smiled and said, "I guess it isn't improper for you to be in my bedroom."

"Our bedroom."

Scarlett smiled again and walked up the stairs with Rhett following a few stairs behind her. In that position he could watch her beautiful behind sway back and forth. There was a big smile on Scarlett's face. She would not have to hide her secret from Rhett. Best of all it was all his idea.