Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Twenty-Two

As Rhett was walking down Little Hunter Street, he saw a sign for a store called Cooper General Store. He crossed the street and entered one more general store.

As soon as Rhett walked into the store, he saw Scarlett behind the counter. He walked to that counter and said, "I didn't think I would ever find you."

"Rhett!"

"I am finally home. I love you, too. You told me you loved me the night Miss Melly died."

"And you said all you felt for me was pity and kindness."

"That was not true. I will always love you. I would have returned sooner, but I didn't think you would forgive me for having stolen Kenny away."

"No! I will never forgive you for that. That was cruel."

Despite being in public Rhett reached his hand behind Scarlett's neck and pulled her across the counter. He kissed her passionately. He said, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too."

Scarlett pulled Rhett across the counter, and they kissed again. Scarlett was beginning to believe that she and Rhett could finally be happy together.

"You surprised me, my love. Yet, I should have known what fierce competitor you would be. Never give an inch."

"Everything I did I learned from you."

Rhett walked behind the counter. He said, "Thank you. It hurt me so much when I found out that Kenny really did have a twin. It hurt that you had never told me about my living son."

Rhett kissed Scarlett passionately again. She kissed him back just as passionately.

After the kiss ended, Scarlett said, "You didn't tell me about my living son either. You have no idea how mad I was that day in the park when I found out my dead son was alive and well. That you had stolen another one of my children away.

"I admit that was cruel. You stealing Kenny away from me without even a clue that you had stolen him was cruel too."

"I must have left a clue, or you wouldn't be here right now."

"I thought he had been kidnapped. I was so worried those twenty-four hours before I found out that you had stolen him."

"I told the nursemaid I had taken him."

"I didn't listen to the nursemaid."

"Then that is on you not on me."

Rhett hugged Scarlett. She hugged him back. He said, "True. I have finally found you. It wasn't easy. You made very few mistakes. You should have changed your first name also, Katie."

"I knew that was a mistake at the time, but I hoped you didn't remember my true first name."

"I don't think I would have remembered your first name if it hadn't been for your father."

"What?"

"The night we played poker together, he kept calling you, his Katie Scarlett. It was annoying. Every time I think of that night, I think of you in and out of that wrapper."

"Damn. Pa and his mouth."

Scarlett pulled Rhett's head down to hers and they kissed again.

"Yes, damn. We will talk about all this later. Let's go to your house. I am anxious to be reunited with my sons. By the way, how did you explain my absence to Kenny?"

Scarlett smiled and said, "That your business deals had delayed you and you were joining us when we got to Sydney."

"And…what is his name?"

"Gerry. Gerald Rhett Butler. You were dead, which is only fair, since you told Kenny I was dead."

Rhett punctuated his words with a kiss before and afterwards when he said, "True. I have joined you."

Scarlett kissed Rhett back as she said, "I don't want you joining us. You are the rat bastard that is always stealing my children and running away from me."

"That I am, but it doesn't matter what you want. I will be living with my sons and my spouse. Besides, I don't think Kenny and Gerry will tolerate not being with their twin or both their parents. I know Kenny wants a mother, a father, and a brother. I suspect so does Gerry."

"Yes, he does. I want to live with my sons and my spouse also."

"I'm glad you want to live with me too."

"You have to swear to me that you will never run away from me ever again no matter what."

"I swear I will never leave you again. Death is the only thing that will ever separate us again."

Rhett kissed Scarlett again. She kissed him back.

Scarlett said, "The boys and Ella are in the back room, but we have to get our story straight before they see you. I told them about Bonnie. I told them because of our pain that we separated because we couldn't get along with each other. We both took a twin. We never thought to see each other again, therefore we agreed to tell them their other parent was dead. That is enough for right now. I wrote it all down."

"I will read it later. I assume they accepted that explanation?"

"Yes. Mostly because they are five years old, therefore we will have to think of something better before they turn sixteen."

"We will."

"We will get Ella's help."

"Ella?"

"It seems she isn't as stupid as she appears. She just has a different way of looking at the world. She has quite the imagination. You should hear the stories she tells the twins to help them get to sleep."

"Maybe we can get some of them published."

"That would be great. A way for her to support herself."

"Support herself? Why isn't she going to get married?"

"I don't trust her husband not to abuse her because of the strange way she has of thinking."

"I will be sure that never happens."

"Thank you."

Scarlett kissed Rhett after she had finished speaking.

"I don't want any more children."

"I can't make a baby anymore."

"Rhett, I'm so sorry that happened to you."

Rhett burst out laughing. When he sobered, he said, "I can achieve an erection. I had a procedure done to make me sterile."

"Why?"

"I didn't want to put my heart at risk any more than it already was. Also, I knew you didn't want any more children, therefore if by some miracle we reconciled I didn't want your fear of getting with child to intrude upon our intimate time." Rhett kissed Scarlett again and continued, "Besides, I am too old to be having any more children. I will be lucky to live long enough to get Kenny and Gerry settled."

"True." Scarlett ignored Rhett's expression of being offended.

"We shall be living together. We shall be sharing a bed. I will never force you. Instead, I will make you want to say yes. I know I can do that."

"I wish you had decided that after Bonnie was born."

"Ah, but I was an idiot at the time. A jealous idiot."

Scarlett giggled. A sound that Rhett wanted to hear a lot more often. She said, "Never have to be with child again. It is like a dream come true." She kissed him passionately and finally said, "Thank you. Was it painful?"

"Horribly painful. I couldn't walk for months."

Scarlett slapped his chest. She said, "No, really?"

"It wasn't pleasant. It hurt for the first couple of days then for the next month that area was tender. I'm sure it was nothing compared to labor and delivery."

"I am too." Rhett laughed. Scarlett continued, "This is a showstopper. You must tell your sons no. It has taken me this entire time to get that entitled, little brat to be a mannered, young man. I was only able to do it because Kenny wanted to be just like Gerry."

"Gerry didn't want to be just like Kenny."

"No, it was plain to Gerry which person his mother wanted him to be. Kenny too for that matter. I don't know where Kenny heard this, but he wants to be a 'well-behaved young man.'

"Probably one of the hundred nursemaids I went through." That made Scarlett giggle. Rhett kissed her once again. He said, "I won't overrule you, but you need to talk to me before you make a decision concerning the boys. They will belong to both of us."

"You need to talk to me, also."

"Alright. I just knew that you would buy a general store to run."

"It is a lot easier than a sawmill."

"True. I have spent the last five months searching for you. I have been in Sydney for the last two months. I just knew you were here."

"And you were right.

Ella came out of the back room where she and the twins stayed while Mama was at the store. The back room had some snacks, water, board games, and cards. There were also books. Some for Kenny and Gerry to read and some for Ella to read to the twins, although Ella liked making up her own stories. Mama had said when she turned fourteen Ella could start working as a clerk. Ella wasn't sure she wanted to do that. She liked taking care of Kenny and Gerry.

Ella saw a man that looked like her Uncle Rhett, but she wasn't sure. It had been almost six years since she had seen him. When she saw the man kiss her mother, she knew he was her Uncle Rhett. She ran across the room and hugged him. He hugged her back. He said to Scarlett, "At least one person is glad to see me."

Scarlett smiled and said, "I'm glad to see you too. I just can't let you know and have the advantage."

"We need to stop trying to have the advantage."

"My love, we will always be looking for the advantage. That is just the way we are."

"True."

"Let's go to my house and I can introduce you to my staff. Where are you staying?

"The Lord Nelson."

"We can get your trunks later, but first." Scarlett smiled and called out, "Kenny, Gerry, come here. Look who is here? Daddy has finally joined us. Just in time for Christmas."

Two little boys came out of the back room. Both the boys were wearing red shirts, although they weren't matching. When Rhett saw the color of the shirts. He smiled a really big smile.

When Kenny saw his father, he ran to where Rhett was standing and flung his arms around his father's legs. Gerry who was not going to be outdone, flung his arms around this man also. It didn't matter that Gerry had never met his father before. If Kenny was hugging the man, Gerry would also.

Rhett squatted down and hugged both of his sons. He squished them together, but they didn't seem to mind.

Kenny said, "Daddy, you work too hard. It took you too long to join us."

Rhett said, "Yes, Kenny, it has taken me far too long to find my way home."

Gerry said, "Are you my daddy?"

"Indeed, I am. You look like me."

"Except for my green eyes."

"Except for your green eyes." While looking at Scarlett, Rhett added, "Your beautiful green eyes. The most beautiful eyes I have ever seen."

Scarlett blushed. After Rhett stood back up, Scarlett slipped her arm into Rhett's arm. She said, "Come on Papa Bear. Let's get you settled at the house. We will finally become a couple even if it kills us.

"Are we going to your home, Mrs. Butler?"

"Our home, Mr. Butler. Let me tell Sid we are closing early for the day."

"You are putting me before your business."

"Before anyone and anything else for the rest of our lives."

"Me too, Darling."

When the family left the store, Kenny said, "Can Gerry and I hold your hands, Daddy?"

"I only have one hand available to be held because I will be holding your mother's hand with my other hand."

The twins looked at each other but didn't speak. Ella said, "Gerry, you hold Uncle Rhett's hand and Kenny, you hold Mama's hand."

While looking at Ella, Rhett said, "Call me Dad or Daddy."

"Alrighty."

Rhett smiled. He said, "You still do that?"

"Do what?"

"Instead of saying alright, you say alrighty.

"I guess so."

"Let's do what Ella suggested."

Once everybody was holding hands, Rhett said, "Ella, choose a twin's hand to hold."

Ella took Kenny's hand and away the family went. Soon the boys were tired of holding their parent's hand and they let go. The boys started running ahead. Every now and then Scarlett would shout out, "Too far." The twins would return like the good boys they were.

Rhett smiled and said, "My love, I am impressed you managed to turn that spoilt brat that I was raising into a well-behaved young man."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Was that a compliment on my mothering skills of all things?"

"Indeed, it was. Get used to hearing compliments, because I will be saying them a lot more than I ever have before."

"I don't think you have ever given me a compliment before."

"I haven't."

Scarlett laughed and Rhett laughed too.