Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

I loved MizCindy's review. Yes, Wade is the true hero of this story. He is supporting his mother all the way. I liked her comment 'Ella is more like Scarlett's conscience.' True.

I loved my guest's review. 'Ella is wonderfully quick and creative.' That is exactly how I am trying to write Ella in this story. Maybe she marches to a different drummer, but Scarlett is finding out that is not all bad. In fact, if Ella is valued, it is kind of wonderful.

Chapter Nineteen

Later that night after the twins were asleep, Wade said, "How are you going to explain Uncle Rhett never joining us?"

"Rhett will someday find us. He will never stop looking for his sons. I can't stop him all I can do is make it difficult for him. All I can do is become so embedded in the boys' hearts that they will force Rhett to live with me."

Wade smiled and said, "Good plan. You will have to be sure Uncle Rhett tells the same story you just told them."

"I hope I remember what I told them."

Ella said, "Do what I do when I want to be sure to remember something. Write it down."

"Great idea. Let me find some paper."

After ten minutes of Scarlett searching through her trunk, she found some envelopes. After she had pulled them out of where they had been stored, she said, "I can use these letters of introduction. I certainly don't need to know the names of people who live in Cambridge."

After Scarlett had finished writing the explanation of what had happened. She handed it to Wade and said, "Read that over and make sure I didn't miss anything."

After reading it, Wade handed it back to Scarlett and said, "That covers it."

"I think the explanation went rather well."

"Yes, it did."

Ella said, "They will question it when they get older. Hopefully, you and Uncle Rhett will be able to answer all their questions."

"Yes, Dear. Hopefully."

The next day Gerry said, "We had a sister who died?"

"Yes, you did, Darling. Her name was Bonnie. She was beautiful. Your daddy and I loved her very much. It nearly destroyed us when she died."

"How did she die?"

"It was in a jumping accident."

Kenny said, "A jumping accident?!"

Scarlett smiled at her sons because she knew what their little five-year-old brains were thinking. They were thinking that Bonnie herself had been jumping up and down and somehow that had killed her. She said, "She was riding her pony and making him jump over a log fence. She had raised the bar. It was too high for the little pony, and he didn't clear the bar."

Scarlett stopped speaking. She couldn't go on. Wade said, "When the pony stopped abruptly" At his brother's confused faces, Wade said, "When he stopped suddenly, Bonnie was thrown over the log fence. She landed badly and broke her neck. She died instantly."

Ella said, "Your father loved her very much and her death almost destroyed him. It was only having you to love Kenny that allowed him to heal."

Scarlett stared at Ella. Scarlett knew that having Kenny had saved Rhett. No, having Kenny's love saved Rhett. Scarlett had a moment of fear. She thought, 'Did I destroy Rhett by taking Kenny away? No, he will be so filled with anger that he will be just fine until he finds me and his sons. If he ever finds me, he will make my life a living hell."

Three weeks after Scarlett arrived in San Francisco, Rhett arrived in the city. While on the train Rhett engaged the conductors in conversation. He would say, "I wish I hadn't agreed to let my family go on to San Francisco without me. I did because I thought it would take me a lot longer to get my business deals concluded. I told Katie to take the children and go on, that way she could start looking for a house for us. She was so excited about moving to San Francisco."

"What happened?"

"My business deals were concluded in days instead of weeks. Everything just came together. Maybe you saw my family."

"What do they look like?"

"My wife has black hair and green eyes." With a smile Rhett said, "I think she is beautiful. My son Wade is almost eighteen, ready to start his own life. My daughter is just beginning to blossom. She is going to be quite striking with her red hair. Then there are the twins. They are going to be a handful."

Finally, one of the conductors said, "I remember your family. Your wife is quite nice."

With a straight face, Rhett said, "Yes, she is. Were you the one that recommended the hotel."

"Yes, that was me."

"Thank you. Katie has been quite happy there."

"I'm glad. It is one of the finest hotels in the city. It is fairly new. It just opened in seventy-five."

"Sounds delightful. I must confess. I threw away the telegram that Katie sent without writing the name of the hotel down. Because I don't know the name of the hotel, I can't telegraph her and ask. I was just going to go to one fine hotel after another until I found her. If you tell me the name of the hotel, I won't have to do that."

"No need for you to go to all that trouble. I will be happy to tell you. The Palace."

"The Palace. Thanks. We men have to stick together."

"Yes, we do. Your younger sons are quite charming. You are right. Your daughter is quite striking."

"Thank you. I'm going to head back to my car now."

"Very good, Mr. Lincoln."

Rhett knew he was so lucky to have found the person who had recommended a hotel to Scarlett. He had hoped she had asked a conductor for a recommendation and not another traveler. If he hadn't gotten the name of the hotel he would have just gone to hotel after hotel until he found her. He had given the ticket master the last name Lincoln also just in case the conductor had remembered the last name Scarlett had used.

Rhett never left his car for the rest of the trip except to visit the privy. He, like Scarlett, had stopped by a delicatessen and loaded up on food.

When Rhett arrived at the Palace Hotel, he received a rude awakening. His wife was no longer residing at the hotel. The front desk clerk, Justin Timberlake, remembered Scarlett and her family because of Gerry's comment. He then told Rhett that she had gone to see the concierge. Rhett finished getting his suite. Once he had the key, he asked the bellhop to put his trunks in his suite. He walked across the lobby and entered the concierge's office. Rhett asked Jeff, "Did you help a Katie Lincoln?"

"Not that I remember."

"What about a Scarlett Butler?"

"Yes, I remember her."

"I am her husband. Can you tell me where she went?"

"Sydney."

"Sydney?!"

"Sydney, Australia."

"Sydney, Australia?!"

"Have you not heard of it?"

"Of course, I have heard of it. I just can't believe she went halfway around the world." Rhett burst out laughing when he heard his words. He said, "Of course, she went halfway around the world. She is trying….. Never mind what she is trying to do. Book me on the next ship going to Sydney."

"Yes, Sir. Will you be going second-class also?"

"No, I will be going first-class. Did my family go second-class?"

"Yes, Sir. All five of them in that one room."

Rhett said to himself, "She is trying to economize because she knows she will never get another support check after she stole Kenny from me. Yes, my Scarlett is much smarter than she was five years ago."

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to. Just book me on the next ship leaving for Sydney. First-Class."

After Rhett left Jeff's office, he headed for the bookstore. The voyage would take two months. To make things worse, his ship didn't leave for five days. Scarlett would have over a month head start on him, but it couldn't be helped. When he got to Sydney, he would find her in a week if not in a couple of days.

As Rhett was walking back from the bookstore, he thought, 'Yes, indeed, Scarlett is a lot smarter than she was five years ago. I guess she finally grew up. She grew up the night Miss Melly died. If I had not been in so much pain and guilt over Bonnie's death, I would have seen that. I wish I had seen that. I wish Bonnie hadn't died. Scarlett and I wouldn't have lost five, no almost six years of being happy together.'

Rhett stopped at Western Union and sent his New York and London lawyers instructions to sell all his business interest and put the proceeds in his bank account. Once he found Scarlett and they decided where they were going to live, he would have his money transferred to him there.

Later that night over supper which was fish in a butter sauce with spinach and corn, Rhett thought, 'It is so nice to get to eat exactly what one is in the mood for.' After eating several bites, he thought, 'I wonder what Scarlett is doing to keep the boys entertained. I know Kenny has a lot of energy and I suspect his twin does too.'

What Scarlett was doing to keep the twins entertained was to keep them busy. Every morning the family went to breakfast. After breakfast they went for a walk around the ship. All anyone could see was miles and miles of blue water. On one of these walks, Ella said, "The water reminds me of Bonnie."

Scarlett said, "Yes, it does."

"Like she is surrounding us with her love."

"What a nice way to think about it."

As the family continued their walk Scarlett thought, 'No, Ella isn't stupid. She just has an entirely unique way of looking at the world.'

After the family's walk, they went back to the cabin and Wade would teach the boys to read and write. After dinner, the twins laid down for an hour while Ella told them stories. Sometimes they went to sleep. Most times they didn't.

Scarlett never ceased to be amazed at Ella's imagination. When the twins got up from their rest time, Scarlett would teach the boys how to count, add numbers together, and subtract numbers. Before supper, the family took another walk around the ship. After supper, the family sewed. When the twins' quilts were finished, they continued working on the twins' new clothes.

Every morning Wade would take the twins to the privy while Scarlett and Ella got dressed. All of their clothing were dresses they could get in and out of by themselves. When the boys got back Scarlett and Ella went to the privy while the boys got dressed. One morning Kenny put the same shirt on he had worn the day before. Wade said, "Which one are you?"

"Kenny."

"Kenny, you can't wear the same clothes you wore yesterday."

"Why not?"

"Because those clothes are dirty."

"I'm going to wear them anyway."

"Mama is not going to be happy."

When Scarlett returned to the cabin, she saw Kenny was wearing the same clothing he had worn the day before. She knew which twin it was because she knew Gerry wouldn't do that. She said, "Kenny, change your clothes. You wore that yesterday."

"I want to wear it again today."

Wade said, "I told him not to, but he chose to not listen to me."

Scarlett said, "You may not want to, but you are going to do what I tell you to do. A well brought up young man does not wear soiled clothing."

"Daddy lets me."

"Do you see Daddy anywhere?"

"No."

"You are going to do what I want you to do not what you want to do."

Kenny shouted, "No!"

In Scarlett's harshest voice, she said, "Kennesaw Rhett Butler you will never shout at me again. You will always treat me with respect. Now take that shirt off and put another shirt on." Kenny didn't answer Scarlett, but he did take his shirt off. She said, "Kenny, what do you say?"

While giving Scarlett and angry glare that made her think of Rhett, Kenny said, "Yes, ma'am."

"Furthermore, if I am not with you, then Wade is in charge. If Wade is gone also, then Ella is in charge. You have to obey them."

With the same angry glare on his face, Kenny said, "Yes, ma'am."

When Kenny was dressed, Scarlett said to him, "Take my hand and let's go to breakfast."

Kenny did take his mother's hand. Gerry took Scarlett's other hand. Everyone left the cabin. By the time the family had sat down to breakfast, Kenny was his cheerful self again. Scarlett thought, 'Thank goodness Gerry and Kenny don't take after Rhett in regard to holding a grudge.'

The rest of the day was pleasant for everyone.