Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Later that day Scarlett and Rhett visited their brownstone. Scarlett visited it every day and Rhett went along because he liked being with Scarlett. As they were leaving the brownstone, three doors down was Cathy Calvert Hilton. Scarlett waved to her. Cathy with a shocked face waved back.

The women met on the sidewalk. They hugged. They hadn't seen each other since Gerald's funeral. Scarlett said, "Do you live here, or have you just moved here?"

"We have been in Boston for about a year. We left Georgia about six months after your father's funeral."

Rhett stuck out his hand and said, "Rhett Butler, Scarlett's husband."

"Calvin Hilton, Cathy's husband."

The foursome talked for about thirty minutes. The Hiltons had just bought the brownstone they were walking out of.

Scarlett said, "We will be friends again."

"Yes, we will."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Elizabeth moved into her brownstone on October fifteenth. She had spent two weeks changing the décor. When Rhett saw the final product, he liked it. He hoped his and Scarlett's home looked as nice. Elizabeth had the family to supper her first night in the brownstone.

For dessert Elizabeth had served several types of cookies. One of them being oatmeal raisin. Scarlett smiled and said, "She served your favorite, Rhett."

Rhett smiled back. He was almost beaming. He was so pleased that she had known what his favorite cookie was. It was such a trivial thing, but it made him so extremely happy.

On October nineteenth, Elizabeth hosted a second birthday party for her granddaughter. That was what Ella was, her granddaughter. Rhett and Scarlett had invited a few of the people they had met since their arrival in Boston. Among them were Patrick, Alice, and Noah Green. The Butlers had seen the Greens in the neighborhood. Elizabeth's townhouse was on the same row as the Greens which Rhett had known when he bought his mother's townhouse.

Patrick had apologized to Scarlett for being rude to her at the telegraph office. He had thanked Rhett for saving his son's life. Both Rhett and Scarlett responded by saying, "Think nothing of it."

Cathy, Calvin, and Basil Hilton attended also. Basil had just turned one. When Calvin had found out that Cathy was with child, he decided it was time to move out of the South. The South was going to be poor for an extraordinarily long time. He had made some money in the beginning of Reconstruction, but it was getting hard to profit that way. No, Calvin had found easier if not completely legal ways to make money in the North. He always knew someone who knew someone who knew someone who had a big deal brewing.

At the party Calvin had tried to get Rhett to invest in one of his schemes, but Rhett had said no. In truth, it sounded to Rhett like he would have made a lot of money in the deal, but it also sounded completely illegal. That was not for Rhett anymore. He had gotten a second chance at so many things. He was not going to blow it now trying to make money illegally.

The Butlers were invited to Noah's birthday party on the fifth. The more Rhett got to know Patrick, the more he liked the man. Patrick was plain, ordinary, salt of the earth man. Safe and reliable. Just what Scarlett had needed at the time in her life.

Two weeks later, Scarlett and Rhett had still not been given the key to their new townhouse. They hoped it would be finished being built by the time they got back from Georgia. Rhett suspected that construction would go a lot faster without Scarlett changing her mind every other day.

The Butler family including Prissy and Elizabeth boarded the train heading South. Rhett had managed to get them a private car. He had to bribe the station master, but it was worth it for the comfort of riding undisturbed by the masses. Rhett could be a snob at times. Besides, he reasoned he had already spent enough time with the dregs of society.

Although Ella loved everyone, it was plain to see that Rhett was her favorite. He whispered to Scarlett, "I forgot how much she had loved me until now. In my self-centeredness after Bonnie was born, I forgot all about her. And I guess Wade also."

"We have both been given a chance to fix our mistakes."

"Let's hope we don't make any others."

"We will, but at least we aren't making the same mistakes."

"True."

Elizabeth was going to spend two weeks with Rosemary and Derek. Rosemary had written that she was with child. The child was expected in April. Rhett suspected that Rosemary was going to try to persuade her mother to start living with her. Rhett was fairly confident that his mother would stay with him.

When Elizabeth and Rhett had a few minutes alone in the common room on the train, he said to his mother, "I bear you no ill feelings. You have done everything you could do to protect this fool all of his life. The only person to blame for me being disowned is myself. I should have just married Sarah. I ruined her because the only person I was thinking about at the time was myself. In a lot of ways, I ruined you, Rosemary, Robert, and every other Butler in Charleston."

"Rhett, I tried so hard to get you to understand."

"I know. You have always tried to get me to do the smarter thing, but because I was so arrogant, I never listened to anyone."

"I so wish you had realized this twenty years ago."

"I wish I had just told Buddy I was sorry and that I didn't mean all those things I said, but my stubborn pride wouldn't let me. He forgave me without me ever asking for forgiveness. Now, hug me and let us leave the past behind. We are starting a new adventure."

"In my new townhouse."

"A townhouse that is all Elizabeth Butler."

"No, it is all Elizabeth Kennesaw Butler."

"Yes ma'am. We can't forget the Kennesaw side."

"No, we can't."

After the family got to Atlanta, they all took a cab to the Jeter's home. Rhett carried his mother's trunk into the little house. He spoke with Derek and Rosemary for a few minutes. He told Elizabeth, "I will be back to pick you up in two weeks."

Rosemary said, "Unless she decides to stay."

"Unless she decides to stay."

As Rhett climbed into the cab, he said, "What a tiny house. Mother will return with us to Boston if for no other reason than to have some space." Scarlett laughed and Ella reached for Rhett. He said, "Come here, Precious."

The Butlers went to the National Hotel and Rhett got them a three-bedroom suite. As they were getting settled, Prissy said, "When are we going down to Tara?"

"We will go down tomorrow for the day. You can stay with your Mama and Pork if you want."

"Yes, thank you. I miss them so much, but I have already met two men who are interested in spending time with me."

"Wonderful."

Rhett rented a carriage for the day with a driver. He said, "By the time I buy everyone's train tickets, the cost will be the same. In addition, to that we can leave when we get ready."

"I can get us anywhere in Clayton County."

"I imagine you can get us anywhere in Georgia."

"Probably."

Rhett smiled. He was smiling a lot. He was incredibly happy. Scarlett smiled back. She was smiling a lot too. She was incredibly happy also. Wade was smiling because he was going to Tara. Prissy was smiling because she was going to get to see her mother. Ella was smiling because she just liked to smile.

Will and Careen took Rhett and Scarlett on a tour of the fields. Will and Careen were talking over each other to tell Scarlett and Rhett all about their plans for the future. Will said, "A lot of freed people have come back wanting a place to live and food. We made a bargain. They will work for us, and we will house them and feed them."

Scarlett said, "It sounds like the same arrangement we had before the war with them."

"It is except for a couple of key points. They can leave anytime they want, and we can run them off anytime we want."

Careen said, "We feed them and house them even in the winter."

"How can you afford to do that?"

"We grow a lot of vegetables and raise a lot of livestock. The freed people help with that."

"Sounds like you two are making this plantation work."

"We are trying."

"Thanks for letting us keep all the profits."

Scarlett said, "If you need some money for one-time expenses, let me know."

Will said, "Sure. Let's go have dinner."

Dinner was fried chicken, mashed potatoes, greens, gravy, rolls, and the smallest bowl of yams Rhett had ever seen. Scarlett said, "That's all for you. Although my aunts might want some."

Eulalie primly said, "No, thank you."

After everyone was seated, Pauline said, "How is your mother, Mr. Butler? We haven't heard from Elizabeth since your sister married a Yankee."

Rhett smiled and said, "Rosemary is incredibly happy with her Yankee husband. One might say they were in love." Scarlett smiled at Rhett's comment. He continued, "Mother has moved to Boston with us. She has her own townhouse. I think she is very happy. She has made a lot of friends, also."

Eulalie sniffed and said, "I guess that is the only place she can live now that two of her three children have disgraced her."

Rhett said, "That is the best part about living in the North, the northerners don't believe in all that bull…."

"Rhett! Wade and Ella are at the table."

Rhett smiled at Scarlett and said, "Yes, Dear." He looked at the Robillard sisters and said, "The Northerners don't have the same standards Southerners do. They see nothing wrong with marrying a Yankee or not marrying a girl because of a broken buggy wheel."

Pauline said, "That is why they will always be beneath us."

Rhett said, "Funny how that works, Aunt Pauline. They think they are above us."

Pauline swelled up like a toad because Rhett addressed her as Aunt Pauline. It was perfectly acceptable even in the South because Pauline was his aunt by marriage.

The aunts didn't speak the rest of the meal. At the end of the meal, Dilcey brought a cake out that she had made. It had one candle on it. Everyone started singing "He's a jolly good fellow," even Rhett until Scarlett leaned over and said, "You are the jolly good fellow. Happy Birthday, Baby."

"Thank you."

"The card I gave you, the yams, and the cake are your only presents."

"In time, I hope you will finally feel safe enough to give me another present."

"I hope so, too, Baby."

Soon the cake was cut and served. It was a yellow cake with chocolate icing. Rhett loved it. He hadn't had a birthday party in so many years. Not since that first year with Scarlett. After the separate bedrooms, she never even acknowledged that it was his birthday. After he hadn't acknowledged it was her birthday several days after he had moved into another bedroom either. So that was fair. This was better though. Much better.

The wedding was the next Saturday. Careen assured Scarlett she had everything arranged and she didn't need any money.

The Butlers returned to Atlanta without Prissy.

The family had supper with the Wilkeses and Hamiltons. When Melly, PittyPat, and Henry saw Scarlett's extended abdomen, they all three frowned. Scarlett shook her head in annoyance. Rhett smiled at her. He whispered, "The same old judgmental attitude."

"Yes."

Ashley looked better than Scarlett or Rhett had seen him look since the barbecue. He was the Ashley from Scarlett's youth. He was talkative and animated. In that moment, Scarlett knew he was better than that man from her youth. He was doing something he really wanted to do. She knew that he had never wanted to be the master of Twelve Oaks. He had just accepted the responsibility that had been thrust upon him because of his birth. He really would have freed his slaves if the war hadn't happened.

At one point, Scarlett turned and looked at Rhett. All he said was, "Yes, he is."

Scarlett turned back to look at Ashley. He turned to Melly, and she said, "Much Ado About Nothing."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, my dear."

Rhett said, "It is all about being able to read someone's mind."

Scarlett smiled. She said, "Something you are good at."

Rhett smiled and said, "Especially yours, but I am going to confirm not assume."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Good idea."

"You surprise me often enough for it to be worth the effort."

The meal was good, but sparse. Rhett would get them some more to eat at the hotel.