Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

From a guest reviewer: NOOOOOO! What a place to end! What gives you the right to not tell us immediately what Scarlett's plan is? :-) Oh. It's your story! Can't wait to see what Scarlett's going to do next.
Surely Rhett doesn't let Kenny go to the park on his own, he's only 5. Where was whoever was supposed to be keeping an eye on him?

Me: Laughter. "No, Kenny can't go to the park by himself. Meet the nursemaid. The poor nursemaid."

Chapter Nine

As Scarlett and her children were walking away from the park, a woman ran over to her and said, "Ma'am, you can't take Kenny with you."

"Yes, I can and I am."

"Ma'am, let me have Kenny."

"No."

"Mr. Butler is going to be so mad if I don't bring Kenny home."

Scarlett smiled a kind smile at the woman because Rhett's anger was difficult to endure, however Kenny was coming home with her.

Scarlett said, "How long have you been employed by Mr. Butler?"

"Almost a month."

"A month? That surprises me. Rhett doesn't keep nursemaids very long. Yes, you are going to get fired for not bringing Kenny home, but you were about to be fired anyway. My advice to you is to not ever go back to Mr. Butler's house."

"He lives in a townhouse. Three blocks that way."

The young woman pointed in the direction of the townhouses Scarlett and the children had looked at yesterday. Another stroke of luck.

Scarlett said, "What is your name?"

"Anna Leonowens."

"Anna, I truly have compassion for you because I have endured Mr. Butler's anger before. Don't go back."

Scarlett took her sons' hands and started to walk away.

The servant was intimidated by the well-dressed lady in front of her. In Anna's defense there were a lot of people who were intimidated by Scarlett.

Anna didn't know what to do. She could never challenge a member of the upper crust. As she was wringing her hands, she said, "Kenny, come with me."

Because Kenny had never had to do what he didn't want to do, he simply told Anna, "No, I want to be with my twin."

"What will I tell Mr. Butler?"

With a malicious smile, Scarlett said, "Tell him that Kenny went home with Mrs. Butler."

"Mrs. Butler?"

"Yes, Kenny's mother."

"You are dead."

Scarlett continued to smile at Anna. She truly did have compassion for the younger woman. Just not enough to leave Kenny, but enough to give her some money.

Scarlett opened her purse and took out a five-dollar coin. It was the smallest coin she had in her bag.

Scarlett said to the woman as she offered the coin to her, "Obviously I'm not dead. I am giving you this as compensation for me causing you to lose your job. Trust me when I say you would have been fired anyway within the next month."

Anna took the coin. The woman was right. Julia and Hazel had already told Anna about how quickly her predecessors had been fired. Mr. Butler would fire her today for not bringing his son home. Anna said, "Thank you."

Anna stood there in a sea of confusion. It was plain to see that the two little boys were twins, and the woman was their mother.

Scarlett smiled kindly again and said, "Let's go back to the hotel, Children."

After the group had taken a few steps, Kenny said, "Are you really my mother?"

Scarlett said to Kenny, "Yes, I am."

Kenny had always wanted to have a mother, so he was even happier to go with the pretty lady. Kenny was thinking, 'I knew she was my mother. She has to be my mother; she is my twin's mother. Also, we have the same green eyes. She looks just like her picture. Best day ever.'

Anna was thinking, 'Worst day ever and it wasn't over with. Maybe I should do what Mrs. Butler suggested just not go back to the townhouse. Unfortunately, all my possessions are at the townhouse.'

Scarlett and the children walked rapidly away from the park toward the hotel. The only person who was distressed by the situation was Anna. There were only nursemaids at the park, and none of them would stop a rich lady from doing whatever she wanted to do. They valued their jobs too much to stick their necks out over a rich lady taking a child. Especially considering it was plain to see that the two boys were twins, and the lady was probably their mother. Furthermore, both boys appeared happy to be going with the woman.

Scarlett felt a twinge of guilt for stealing Rhett's child away from him, but she squished it down. Hadn't he done that to her twice before? No, three times counting Kenny. No, the rat bastard deserved to suffer.

As the family was walking back to the hotel, Ella said to Kenny, "Did you have ice cream yesterday?"

"Yes, with my daddy. He bought it for me because I was disappointed, he couldn't come back with me today to meet my twin."

Scarlett said, "Did he go with you to the park yesterday?"

"Yes, but Gerry wasn't there."

"No, he wasn't. Why couldn't your father come with you today?"

"He had a business meeting." Sourly, Kenny added, "He always has business meetings."

"He has to make money."

"That's what Daddy says."

"How long do your father's business meetings usually last?"

"He will be gone all morning."

Scarlett thought, 'Thank you, sweet baby Jesus. More time to get away.'

Scarlett said to Kenny, "Then you can spend the morning with us."

When Scarlett got back to the hotel, she had the concierge, Josh Franklin, arrange passage for her and her children on the first ship out of Boston. Boston wasn't big enough for her to be able to hide from Rhett, but maybe Europe was.

Scarlett's advice to the nursemaid was sound enough, but the reason Scarlett had given Anna the advice was so the woman would not tell Rhett right away that Kenny had gone home with his mother. She knew Rhett would start looking for Kenny right away. She also knew Rhett had powerful friends. Friends who would be happy to use the city's resources to find her. She was so lucky that Rhett wasn't home right now. Right now, every second counted.

Scarlett had everything of value with her. Her money, her jewelry, and her savings bonds. She had long ago sold Rhett's jewelry and the bearer bonds she had found in his desk. She now knew why he had been in such a hurry to leave Atlanta. Once he found out what she had done he would cut off her support check. It didn't matter if he cut off her support check or not. She could never tell anyone where she was in order to receive the check.

Scarlett was lucky. Mr. Powe had given her the July and August support checks early because of her traveling. She had known she was settling in Cambridge, but because she didn't want the lawyer to tell Rhett where she was going to be living yet, she told him she didn't know where she was going to be moving. She told him she would be visiting several different cities. She had not told him anymore. He had not asked any questions. Joe truly did believe in the philosophy- Don't ask, don't tell.

After Scarlett had told Joe she was leaving Atlanta, he had considered telling Mr. Butler, but had decided to wait until he knew where she was settling. That way he could give the man all the information at once. Furthermore, Joe was not even sure Mr. Butler cared where Mrs. Butler was settling. The man never asked about his wife.

The concierge had only been able to get them a second-class cabin. As Josh had been telling Scarlett this fact she had thought, 'Just as well. I am going to have to start economizing since I will never get another penny out of Rhett.'

Scarlett said, "That is fine. Book our passage."

"The other thing, Mrs. Butler, is that the ship leaves in less than three hours. You will have to pick up and pay for the tickets yourself. You need to leave quickly. You are sailing on the White Star Cruise Line. They will only hold the tickets for an hour."

"Then I better get packed. Will you have the front desk get my bill together?"

"Of course, Ma'am."

Fortunately, Scarlett and her children had not unpacked most of their clothing. They knew they would only be in the hotel until Scarlett could purchase them a home. They had gotten their laundry back from the hotel washer woman the day before. Scarlett thought, 'So many blessings to aid in my escape from Rhett. Thank you again, sweet baby Jesus.'

Within thirty minutes the group were in a cab on their way to the dock. It was at the last minute, Scarlett asked the concierge, "Where are we going?"

"The ship is heading to Dublin."

"How nice. I have always wanted to see Ireland." Scarlett pressed a five-coin piece into Josh's hand and said, "Thank you."

The words Josh had replied were probably words he said to all the guests to make them feel important, but they sent a cold shiver of fear down Scarlett's back. Josh said, "I will never forget you."

Scarlett had considered telling the concierge not to tell anyone, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. Rhett would just give Josh a lot more money.

Before the family had left the hotel Scarlett had Wade take Kenny and Gerry to the privy. Once they were out of the room, Scarlett said to Ella, "We are running away from Rhett."

"Why?"

"Because if he finds out about Gerry, he will take him away from me."

"Alrighty."

After the family was settled into the cab and they were heading towards the harbor, Scarlett knew that they could not board the ship. There were too many people who would be happy to tell Rhett where she had gone simply because he was her husband. She called up to the driver, "There has been a change of plans will you drop us off at the Franklin Park Menagerie."

"Very well, Mrs. Butler."

Scarlett knew of the menagerie because she had taken Gerry and Ella to it a few times. She knew that Rhett would fling money around until someone told him where the Butler family had gone. She had to be sure nobody knew their names. She was going to start going by the last name Lincoln.

With all of Wade's mother's urgency about leaving the hotel, he had not gotten the story out of his mother, but he had known that was not the time to ask questions. Finally, as the family was riding to the park, in an incredulous voice Wade said, "Are they twins?"

The boys were holding hands and they replied, "Yes."

Ella looked at the twins and said, "I can see the similarity now."

Scarlett had smiled at her daughter. That's all she could do. She had accepted Ella was not very bright. There was nothing Scarlett could do about it now. All she could do was love the child. She might as well. The child was going to be with her the rest of her life. Scarlett was afraid to let Ella get married unless she was one hundred percent sure the man would treat Ella right. It would be too easy for an unscrupulous man to take advantage of Ella and treat her badly.

Scarlett sighed again. She would get Wade to take care of Ella after Scarlett died.

Gerry said, "Wade, I've been telling you about my twin all week. Weren't you listening to me?"

Wade ignored Gerry and said to his mother, "How? He was de.."

"I don't know how. All I have thought about is getting away."

"Mama, do you know what you are doing? He will never stop looking for him."

"We will talk about it later."

"Yes ma'am."

"I know, but I can't leave him behind."

"No, you can't."

"I will figure everything out once I have time to think."

"Yes ma'am."

After the family was out of the cab, Scarlett said, "Wade, take Ella and the boys to look at the animals for about ten minutes. I need to think."

Out of Wade's pocket he took the watch that had been his father's and checked the time. He said, "Yes."

During those ten minutes, Scarlett was able to calm down and think. She wondered if she had done the right thing by stealing Kenny away. She decided that it didn't matter. She couldn't take him back. Rhett would never forgive her for having stolen Kenny away even if it was for that short amount of time. Right or wrong, she couldn't have left Kenny behind. Furthermore, when Rhett found out about Gerry, he was going to be really mad she had never told him that he had a living child in Atlanta. Probably even madder than she was right now. Scarlett knew she had to put as much distance between Rhett and herself. She couldn't let Rhett find her. If he found her, he would steal Gerry away also, then he would just disappear. She didn't have the money to find him or the authority to get her children back. She had to get far, far away from Rhett. That was on the west coast which was where they were going.