Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Thirty-Two

The work was hard at the hospital but worse than that it was emotionally draining. Scarlett was happy she had Rhett and Wade to come home to. Wade's smile always made her happy and Rhett could always make her laugh and forget about how horrible the work was at the hospital.

As soon as Wade went to bed Rhett and Scarlett went to bed also. They made love and talked. As soon as Scarlett was asleep, Rhett got back up. He got dressed and went out to meet other shady businessmen. He was always home before midnight.

Rhett was always the first one awake and he no longer had any hesitation about waking Scarlett up in the morning. She was going to have to get up any way. When he woke her up, she always smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Although Rhett had lied about never getting another woman dressed he had not lied about never sleeping with another woman. He had always got up and left after he was finished even with Lucille, the duchess who had taught him all there was to know about pleasing a woman, as soon as she had fallen asleep, he had got up and had gotten into his own bed. To Rhett there was something too intimate about sleeping together. He had always felt too vulnerable. He at times felt vulnerable around Scarlett but he pushed himself through it. He wanted that ultimate closeness with Scarlett not just physically but emotionally also.

The next month sped by for the couple and Wade. They would occasionally have supper at the Harpers which was mainly for Rhett's and Yerkes' sake. The two did love to have conversations about the war and the books they had read. Rhett had ended up borrowing all of Yerkes books. He had gotten all of the adventure stories he had given to Scarlett back except a few. Those Scarlett just couldn't find. That was because they were in Scarlett's trunk. She had kept the books she had not read yet. Of course, she didn't know when, she was going to get to read them. If she was awake, Rhett seemed to be with her all the time except when she was at the hospital. Of course, Rhett drove her to the hospital and picked her up every day. She wasn't even alone when Rhett went out to make business deals per se. She was already asleep before he went out. She knew he was going out, of course, because he was telling her everything he did.

Elizabeth Butler had written Scarlett a letter welcoming her to the family. She was sure she would love her new daughter-in-law. She hoped that they could meet soon but it would probably not be until the war was over. It was a lovely letter and Scarlett felt touched to get it. She had written her mother-in-law back and told her all about the wedding and what they had been doing since the wedding.

Elizabeth had also written her son. Included in the envelope was a letter from Marshall. All the letter said was – It is about time you settled down, but you made another excellent match. After Rhett read the letter from his father, he thought, 'I certainly did make an excellent match and it has nothing to do with her social status.'

Elizabeth's letter congratulated him on his marriage and then filled him in on everything that was going on at Middleton Acres and in South Carolina.

India had shared with Scarlett that she might be with child. She had missed two monthlies.

Scarlett had laughed and said, "That is what happened to me. I got with child on my honeymoon."

As Scarlett walked away from India, she was hoping the older woman was with child. If it was true India would have everything she ever wanted. She also thought about her and Rhett having a child. She knew she was not with child. She smiled as she thought, 'Actually, all I know was I wasn't with child two weeks ago.'

That made Scarlett think about how sweet Rhett had been during that time. Anything she wanted he was happy to get it for her. He had continue to hold her all throughout the night which she had known was difficult for him because his erection had been pressing in to her.

Scarlett was so happy during hers and Rhett's first month of marriage that even Mrs. Merriwether had started talking to her again. She happily flirted with all the soldiers but especially the ones that she knew were dying. She wanted their last days to be happy days. The dying soldiers often talked about their life before the war. She knew that was all they had because they had no future.

During that same month Rhett was beginning to relax in regard to Scarlett's love for him. She truly loved him. She loved him as much as he loved her.

The only shadow that had fallen over the couple's lives during that time was that John Wilkes had been killed. The older men and the young boys had gone out to defend the city. They had managed to repulse the Yankees but at what cost. When Scarlett heard what was happening, she got a sick pain in her stomach. She knew Mr. Wilkes was going to die. She had tried to talk him out of going out to fight but he had smiled and said, "You and Melly and your feelings. She tried to talk me out of going to fight also. I'm not going to die. And even if I do, I have lived a good life."

Rhett had explained what Mr. Wilkes had meant. Mr. Wilkes didn't want to live in the world they would inherit after the war was over. He knew it was going to be very hard times for everyone.

Scarlett had also known Phil Meade was going to die. There she was more successful. She had pleaded with Dr. Meade to not let Phil go out to fight. Phil was too young. Phil was all he and Mrs. Meade had left in the world except each other.

Scarlett and Dr. Meade had been removing the lower part of a young man's leg at the time. The young man had passed out from the pain. Dr. Meade looked at the boy. The boy who looked no older than his son, Phil. He turned to Scarlett and said, "I will keep Phil home if I have to tie him up and lock him in the basement."

Phil was not happy with not being allowed to go and fight. Arthur hadn't actually tied the boy up and Phil had tried to sneak out of the house a couple of times. Cora had stayed home with the boy for two days. She was needed at the hospital because of all the injured.

Scarlett sent Rhett a note to come to the hospital. When he got there, Scarlett asked him to go make sure Phil Meade didn't escape and go fight with the Home Guard. Rhett had agreed because he had liked the boy. That was what Phil was a boy. Rhett didn't think he was even over fourteen. Every day after that for the next week, Rhett went and picked Phil up and took him to the hotel after he had dropped Scarlett off at the hospital. If Rhett had ever considered things, he would do to make his wife happy, being a nursemaid to another couples' son was definitely not one of them.

When people tried to make Phil feel bad about not fighting with the Home Guard, he told everyone that his father wouldn't let him. If someone said anything to Arthur about it, he would say, "I already gave one son to the cause, and I will not give the cause my other son."

After India found out about her father, she asked Yerkes to go with her to telegraph her family. Yerkes said, "No, I will take you home then go send the telegram."

Scarlett said, "Dr. Harper, I will take care of it. I already know all the information."

When Rhett picked Scarlett up that day, he took her to the telegraph office. With great sadness, she sent them the bad news. She was even more glad that Ashley had not gone back to his troops. He needed to be there to take care of everyone at Twelve Oaks.

Yerkes did take India home, yet he was back to work at the hospital the next day. India returned the day after that. When Scarlett saw India, she said, "What are you doing here? You should be home grieving.

"All I have to do at home is think about my loss. I would rather be busy helping people."

"If that is how you feel, I am glad to have the help. We are severely understaffed."

As India watched Scarlett walk away, she thought, 'That is my friend, always practical.'

In the middle of August, a week after John Wilkes died, Scarlett felt the urge to go to Tara. She had to see her mother. She didn't understand it, but she felt she had to save her mother and therefore her father. It made no sense to Scarlett whatsoever, but she just knew that she had to go to Tara within the next couple of days.

That night after Wade had gone to bed, Scarlett said, "Rhett, I know you are going to think I am crazy but all my life I have gotten feelings. My feelings have never been wrong. I knew Mr. Wilkes was going to die. I knew Phil was going to die. When I met Melly, I knew she would be my best friend for life. When I met Charlie, I knew he was going to be my husband one day. When I came back from finishing school and Ashley started paying a lot of attention to me, I knew that he was the wrong man for me. I just knew in my heart that he would never be a good husband to me. I would never have married him because I could never hurt Melly that way but also because we were just wrong for each other. I have known for a long time that you and I were always meant to be together. That we love each other more than any other couple has ever loved each other."

Rhett stared at Scarlett with his mouth open. Hadn't he thought those very same thoughts the day they had gotten married. Hadn't he known in his heart that they would always be together even when his stubborn pride was denying it. Hadn't he been good while he was in Atlanta for her sake? Because he had known that if Scarlett found out about him using whores it would have damaged their relationship.

Scarlett continued, "Rhett, I feel I need to be at Tara. I need to be there to stop my mother from doing something that will end up killing her. I don't know why but I feel that if my mother dies, I will lose my father also. I have to go to Tara now. Tomorrow!"

"Scarlett, I love you. If you feel you need to be at Tara, we will go to Tara. My business deals are done. I have just been procrastinating because I don't want to live in the country. We will get in my buggy and go down there tomorrow."

'Thank you, Rhett. Thank you, for believing in me. I love you, too."

"Come along, my dear. I am going to introduce you to another sexual act. I'm going to love it."

Rhett did introduce Scarlett to giving oral pleasure and as expected she was horrified. Rhett knew because she loved him was the only reason, she gave it a try at all. It wasn't very long but it was the first baby step. She had put his member in her mouth. He would coax her into doing it longer and all the ways to make it more exciting for him. He knew he couldn't have let her do it any longer any way. It was so terribly exciting for him to have Scarlett doing that to him that he almost ejaculated with her just taking him into her mouth.

Rhett pulled his wife close and had a passing thought about his cigars that were still in the common room. He knew why he was always leaving them behind. Simply because when he thought he was about to be intimate with Scarlett all other thoughts left his brain.