Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Seventy-Four

It was January twenty-sixth of seventy. Genie and Tory were celebrating their first birthday. Scarlett had managed to scale the party way back from the extravaganza Rhett wanted to give. It was still a pretty elaborate party. Especially considering it was for two one-year-olds. They invited everyone in the neighborhood.

The Greens had to decline because Alice was recovering from a miscarriage. Scarlett knew it wasn't Alice's physical pain that was preventing the Greens from attending, but the emotional pain of seeing other people with babies. Scarlett once again thanked God for Rhett's heroic actions that day in Foyle Park.

Rhett gave his daughters far too many presents and clothing for two little girls that had just been showered with presents at Christmas. This time Scarlett just smiled at the load of presents the girls got. Rhett had gone overboard with Wade and Ella's birthday presents also. Just not as much as with Genie and Tory.

Scarlett's only present to her daughters was a rag doll she had made herself. They loved it. Rhett told the twins' nursemaid, "Put the ragdolls in their cribs with them."

Genie and Tory loved their mother, but their father was their favorite. Rhett was Ella's favorite also. Scarlett would often be extremely grateful she had Wade because she was the boy's favorite. She hoped she would be her other son's favorite also.

During the summer Elijah McCoy and Prissy got married. He had been waiting for one of his inventions to make enough money to support Prissy and himself. One finally did. Prissy was going to continue working though.

Prissy was no longer a nursemaid or a lady's maid, but the housekeeper. Once she could read and write, Scarlett put her young friend in charge of the household. Prissy had not let her down. Prissy had indeed wanted to be something more in her life than a maid.

It was late March of seventy-one. Rhett knew that Scarlett had started her monthly. He was excited about them getting their other child back, but annoyed that he was going to have to be celibate for practically the next month. He said, "Would you like some laudanum?"

"No, it isn't too bad."

"We will have to be celibate until April fifteenth."

"No, we will not be able to have intercourse until April fifteenth. You could never go that long without sexual satisfaction."

"I have before. I did when we were married the first time."

"Are you trying to make me believe you hadn't taken care of the issue yourself when you knew I was not returning to our bedroom any time soon? Just as you did after Genie and Tory were born."

"Maybe once or twice."

"Probably every day."

"It wasn't every day."

"Liar, liar. Pants on fire."

"I'm not wearing any pants."

Scarlett burst out laughing. Rhett joined her. He kissed her with passion. She kissed him back. Although she could not have a really enjoyable time, she made sure Rhett did.

April fifteenth was an amazing night because it had been so long since they could be completely intimate. There was no dark passion in the night, just love.

It was January the fifth of seventy-two and Scarlett was in labor again. Mary, the midwife, and Rhett, the husband, were in attendance. At Christmas dinner, Cathy told Scarlett, "I will come over and help you deliver your baby."

"No, thank you. Rhett and the midwife will help me."

"Your husband?"

"My amazing husband. He wants to be with me the entire time I am bringing our child into the world."

"You have a wonderful husband."

"He is now."

Scarlett had been so sure that their child was going to be a boy like Dr. Meade had said it was that she had let Rhett choose the girl's name.

Scarlett, of course, had her restrictions. The girl's name had to be that of a queen to continue the tradition.

Mary, Maria Theresa, Elizabeth, Catherine the Great, Marie-Antoinette, Anne, Cleopatra, or Eleanor of Aquitaine were Rhett's choices.

Rhett could not make up his mind between Elizabeth Theresa and Cleopatra Eleanor. He wanted to honor his mother, but he liked the exoticness of Cleopatra. Rhett decided on Elizabeth Theresa with Cleopatra Eleanor as a close second.

Scarlett gave birth to twin girls again. Rhett had said, "Elizabeth Theresa and Cleopatra Eleanor."

"No, Elizabeth Theresa and Theresa Elizabeth."

Rhett had smiled and said, "Of course, my love."

The girls had become Lizbet and Resa. Their father would occasionally call them Sweet Potato and Yam. That was to annoy their mother mostly.

The girls had blonde hair and blue eyes at birth.

Although the girls looked a lot alike, Mary didn't think they were true twins. Just siblings born at the same time. Scarlett had tied a yellow ribbon around Elizabeth's ankle and a red one around Theresa's. She said to Rhett, "I am glad I saved all of Tory and Genie's clothes just in case we had twins again."

Rhett knew the reason she had saved the clothes was because she couldn't throw anything away. It was all right, he purged the house when she wasn't around. After pleasuring himself, of course. Scarlett had been right. It was an everyday occurrence when she was incapacitated.

The next day as Scarlett was nursing one of the babies, already knowing the answer, Rhett said, "Are you going to hire another wet nurse?"

"No, I enjoy doing this. It helped me bond with Genie and Tory."

"And I can't take them away from you like I did the first timeline."

By summer neither Lizbet nor Resa still had blue eyes although both still had blonde hair. Lizbet's eyes had turned green and Resa's eyes had turned brown. The girls looked different enough that anyone could tell them apart. Yet, the family continued with the color coding just for the convenience of it. It did make it easier to know which daughter one was dealing with. The color coding had worked well with Genie and Tory. The twins were always fighting over something. It was nice to know for sure whose toy the girls were fighting over.

Once Lizbet and Resa were six months old, Rhett took the family to Europe. He made sure they were done with having children after that. He had spoken to every medical professional; he thought might have the answer. He had quizzed quite of few of his fellow businessmen. The ones with just one or two children. He wanted the most effective pregnancy prevention currently available.

An Englishman had given him the information he had needed. Along with the doctor's name in London who would perform the surgery.

A week after the surgery, Rhett told Scarlett, "I don't think I could handle six little girls."

Scarlett had laughed and said, "Me either. With Ella we have five and that is more than enough."

"I don't know how it happened, but I am glad it did."

"What, Sweetheart?"

"That two black haired people produced two blond haired little girls."

After Scarlett went perfectly still, Rhett smiled his charmingest smile. He said, "Maybe last timeline I might have thought that, but not this timeline. In this time or the last time, you would never have been physically unfaithful to me."

"Maybe. I was pretty besotted by him."

"No, never that far, my love."

Scarlett whispered, "Rhett, I know it is early to make this statement, but Lizbet and Resa act just like Melanie and Tricia from the first timeline."

"God preforms miracles every day. I'm certainly not going to question you getting all your children back."

"I didn't get the baby back."

"Yes, you did. Now that they have developed personalities Tory is our Bonnie from the first timeline although a lot better behaved thanks to your influence and Genie is her own unique self."

"But Dr. Meade said…"

"He was wrong. Scarlett, we had several miracles happen in our lives. We returned in time and made our lives better. We saved Noah Green's life, ensuring that Mr. and Mrs. Green had a happy enough life. I got my two children back and you got your four children back. Wait, you got your six children back. We are blissfully happy. Rosemary is married and is happy. Careen and Will married and are happy. Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes are happy."

"And she is still alive."

"Happily living in genteel poverty."

"With all their morals, honor, and their proper breeding still intact. Be happy. We both know it could be a lot worse."

"Yes, we do.

"It is sad about Suellen dying in Galveston. Frank dying was the same as the first time."

"True."

Scarlett had watched for a tell from Rhett. She smiled. He was one cool cucumber. She knew Suellen wasn't dead. It had been too perfect. Maybe Suellen O'Hara was dead, but Scarlett hoped Sue somebody was living a better life than she had the first timeline.

It was September of seventy-three. Both Scarlett and Rhett had sighed a sigh of relief when the summer passed and both Genie and Tory were alive and well. Yet here in the beginning of fall, Scarlett spent a lot of time thinking about Melanie Wilkes. Finally, as she and Rhett got in the bed, she said, "Why would someone do that?"

At this point in time, Rhett usually could read Scarlett's mind, but not this time. He said, "Who? What?"

"Why would someone allow themselves to get with child when they knew that having a child could kill them? Rhett, the highest rate of mortality in women is while either carrying a child or delivering a child. Melanie was told she was going to die if she got with child."

"The simplest answer is that she didn't believe the doctors. The complex answer which is what you are trying to discern is why would someone get with child full well knowing it was a death sentence."

"I wouldn't put it so bluntly, but yes."

"I am going to offend you, but I have never let that stop me from saying what I want to say."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Go on."

"Despite evidence to the contrary, and I mean a lot of evidence, you continued to believe that Mr. Wilkes was good, noble, and a perfect gentleman."

"He was. The problem is we, and I mean society, doesn't need perfect gentleman anymore."

"Your dream was to return to the way things were before the war."

"Yes, what was your dream?"

"Occasionally it was to return to the way things were before I was disowned. Then it was to be able to forget all the evil I learned about the first year I was disowned, but I certainly don't want to talk about that." Scarlett smiled like Rhett had made a joke, although he hadn't. Rhett continued, "Then my dream was to have a home, a loving wife, and a house full of children. I managed to accomplish that while only getting you with child twice. Not bad if I do say so myself."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Go on."

"Miss Melly's dream was to live at Twelve Oaks, have a loving husband, a house full of children, and probably be a great lady of the county. She didn't get any of it."

"You don't think Ashley is a loving husband."

"I think Mr. Wilkes loves his wife, but I would not qualify him as a loving husband. They are more like best friends."

"I don't understand."

"If they acted like a loving couple, you would not have retained your crush on Mr. Wilkes as long as you did. You would have seen by his actions that he loved Miss Melly."

"What has all of this got to do with Melly purposefully getting with child last time?"

"Miss Melly decided to pursue her personal goal of having more children. Admittedly, she was betting her life, but if she won, she would be so happy. If she lost, she had you to take care of her husband and child."

"Those are some pretty high stakes."

"Yes, but you would be amazed at what some people will bet to have a chance to obtain their goal."

Scarlett felt Rhett was telling her more than he had intended, but because she had no context, she didn't know what he meant. She just knew that at one time Rhett had risked everything for a goal. She guessed he had obtained that goal. She hoped so.

Scarlett said in a bright voice, "I agree with your logic. It still doesn't make sense to me."

"That is because you have everything you want."

Scarlett stared at Rhett and finally said, "True. I have you and my children. What else could anybody ask for?"

"My checkbook."

"That's true."

Rhett laughed. Scarlett giggled. She then leaned forward and said, "Why don't you show me another sexual position?"

"I think I have shown you all that I like."

"Mmm. How about…" Scarlett moved to Rhett's ear and whispered, "…you spread eagle?"

Rhett always wondered why Scarlett whispered in his ear when they were the only two people in the room, but he never questioned her about it. He said, "Where you tie me up with scarfs?" She nodded. He said, "Go get your scarfs."

Rhett didn't know why, but she loved tying him up. Maybe because he was completely under her control. Or maybe because it spoke of his trust in her. The opposite was not true. The most he had gotten her to allow him to do was tie up one leg and one arm and that wasn't very often or very long.

It didn't matter to Rhett. Any type of sexual activity with Scarlett was wonderful. In her, he had utter faith. Maybe because he loved her so very much.