Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Thirty minutes later Rhett knew the ether was helping. He knew because Scarlett was no longer squeezing his hand every few minutes with a death grip. She was just gently squeezing his hand. Rhett mopped Scarlett's brow and kept saying, "It will soon be over."

After an hour and a half, Dr. Kiley took the mask off Scarlett and said, "I have given her all that I think it is safe to give her."

"Very well. Send me a bill."

"Indeed, Mr. Butler. Congratulations."

Rhett didn't respond. No, congratulations were not in order, yet. They would only be in order if both Scarlett and the baby survived.

Thirty minutes later, Mammy said, "My little lamb, do you feel the urge to push?"

"What?"

"Do you feel the urge to push?"

"I guess so. I'm kind of loopy."

"Grab your thighs, and bear down, Child. You are about to become a mother. Get behind her Mr. Butler. Give her something to push against.

Scarlett bored down and she felt something come out of her.

Mammy said, "The worst is over, Child. Let's get the rest of the baby out of you."

Scarlett said, "Yes."

Rhett was holding Scarlett. He had his arms wrapped around her with his hands on her abdomen. A couple of more pushes and they were parents.

Scarlett heard Rhett say, "What is it?"

"A boy, Mister Rhett. A beautiful boy."

Scarlett was pretty lightheaded because of the ether, but it had certainly taken the edge off the pain. She was so happy Rhett had insisted that she receive it. The pain was absolutely horrible. She could not believe that her mother had tried to insist she go through the entire ordeal without pain reliever.

Mammy had not been impressed with Scarlett's husband, but in the last few hours he had earned her respect. He was willing to defy everyone to get his wife what he thought was best for her. Whether it was what was best for her was a matter of opinion, but Mr. Rhett had done what he had thought was best. Mammy up until now had always agreed with the thought that a woman's labor was God's will, but now she was questioning it.

Rhett had stayed with Scarlett the entire time because he had been afraid if he was not there, they would take the ether away from her.

And Rhett would have been right. In Ellen's opinion what he had done was against the will of God. Him being in Scarlett's bedroom while she was in labor was certainly improper, but what had been scandalous was him getting on the bed with Scarlett while she was pushing the baby out. Ellen couldn't believe Mammy had suggested it.

Beth agreed with Rhett, Scarlett getting relief from that pain was what was important. Sadly, a year ago she would have agreed with Mrs. O'Hara one hundred percent, but for different reasons. She would have agreed because it would have been the proper thing to do. She would have also insisted Rhett leave the room. Him being in the room was pretty improper. She was glad she no longer cared.

Mammy said, "Miss Ellen, would you come get the boy and clean him up while I take care of the aftermath."

"Of course, Mammy."

Beth had gone with Ellen. She just wanted to be near her grandson. He was such a miracle. Ellen cleaned the baby up and placed him in Rhett's arms although she did not make eye contact with her son-in-law. She said, "Let me let the girls know they are aunts."

Beth said, "Let me share the news with Percy and Rosemary."

Mammy said, "I am done down here. I will let the kitchen know that Miss Scarlett needs a meal.

After Mammy had left the room, Rhett turned to Scarlett and said, "I love you."

Scarlett smiled at him and said without thinking about it, "I guess I love you too."

"You guess?"

Scarlett giggled and said, "Well, I'm not exactly thinking clearly because of the ether. Ask me tomorrow."

"I already know you love me."

"I do? Let me see him." Rhett showed her their son. Scarlett said, "Who do you think he looks like?"

"A wrinkled old man."

"Rhett!"

"I don't know, Baby. I am just so happy you and the baby are alive."

"Are you still alright with Thomas Rhett?"

"Indeed I am. What shall we call him?

"A miracle for right now. He is a miracle. If you hadn't survive being knifed in the gut, he wouldn't be here."

"If you hadn't thought I would be unable to complete the act he wouldn't be here."

"True."

Rhett sat with Scarlett as she ate her meal then she laid down to go to sleep. Rhett told her, "I will wake you up in an hour."

Scarlett didn't hear him. She was already asleep.

Rhett walked around the townhouse carrying his son. He showed his father and his sister. He begrudgingly let his mother hold the child. He wrote Robert a note which said: I have a son. Come see him.

Rhett handed the note to Charles and told him, "Take this to Robert."

"Yes, sir."

Percy said, "What is his name?"

"Thomas Rhett."

Rhett was surprised to see tears rush into his father's eyes. Percy said, "Best name ever."

"It honors the man I never knew."

Beth said, "Who?"

"It was my father's real name. He changed his name to escape the law when he became a gentleman of Charleston."

"How nice. How did you know, Rhett?"

"Father told me. He wanted me to name my son, Alexander Thomas for my grandfather, but Scarlett didn't like Alexander, but she did like Thomas therefore, we agreed on Thomas Rhett. It honors both my grandfather and me. Isn't your middle name Thomas, Father?"

"Yes."

"Then I guess it honors you also."

Percy said, "I am pleased. It is good."

Benson came to the family parlor door and said, "There is a Faith Ford here, Mr. Rhett. She said you sent for her."

"I did indeed. She is my son's wet nurse. Let me show her to her room."

Beth said, "Where is that?"

"It is Rosemary's old room. For now, she will have to sleep in the same room as Tommy to be right there to feed him."

"Of course."

Rhett took his son back and walked out of the room. It became a very familiar site. Rhett walking around with his son. It also began Rhett's extreme involvement with his son. Scarlett was not as involved with the boy. To her he didn't do anything, but sleep, eat and poop.

Later that afternoon, Ellen asked Beth, "May I use the carriage? I would like to send my husband a telegram telling him that we have a grandson."

"Of course. Let me go tell Benson to have Jimmy get the carriage ready. It will be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"I will get my bonnet and wait in the foyer."

"Good idea."

Ellen's telegraph to Gerry said: We have a grandson. STOP Scarlett and baby are doing well. STOP They are calling him Thomas Rhett. STOP

Mabel felt little to nothing for the new arrival. She was glad the baby and Scarlett were doing well, but it wasn't proper to be going on and on about the child like Rhett and even Beth were doing. Of course, Rhett and even Beth were barely proper. Mabel hoped nobody found out about Rhett's behavior. That would be too much to bear if people knew how badly her grandson had behaved.

Robert and Daphne had come over to see the baby the day after his birth. They marveled at the little boy and said all the right things. Robert, Daphne, and Percy were going to the plantation the next day. Beth and Rosemary wanted to stay with Tommy.

Mabel couldn't go to the plantation if Beth didn't go so, she stayed in Charleston. She didn't want to go anyway. There was nothing to do in the country. There was nothing to do in Charleston, but at least she could attend her committee meetings. At the meetings women spoke kindly to her. Yet, Mabel knew they cared no more about her than anyone else because she had never let anyone see the real her. She had never reached out to any women and developed a deeper connection. Mabel smiled a wry smile Beth had stopped being what she was expected to be, and women liked her more than they had before.

Mammy was in the nursery from morning until she went to bed. She was constantly telling Faith how she was doing things wrong. When Rhett heard Mammy criticizing Faith, he would say to Scarlett, "We should fire her and hire someone new."

"No, wet nurses are hard to find. We can fire her after a year when we wean Tommy from the breast."

"I will tolerate her for that reason, but I will not hesitate to tell her when I think she has done something wrong."

In the next two weeks, Scarlett was rarely in the nursery. She only interacted with her son when Rhett brought him to her. If while she was holding him, somebody else wanted to hold him she gladly gave him away except Suellen or Careen. That was not because of her dislike of Suellen but because she was afraid one of them would drop him or hurt him somehow. Scarlett had suffered too much to bring him into the world to let anything happen to him now. Scarlett was even a little tense while Rosemary was holding Tommy, but Beth was usually right beside her daughter. Beth never took the child away from Rosemary, but the older woman was on high alert in case Rosemary did something wrong.

Scarlett was pleased that her mother was in the townhouse. She guessed she could have asked her mother-in-law her questions, but it was so much less embarrassing to ask her own mother. Questions like: Why do my breasts hurt? Why do I feel like crying? How long will I be passing blood? Why am I still fat?

For her part Ellen answered all of Scarlett's questions and even some that Scarlett had not asked. Ellen was enjoying being with her daughter and her grandson, but she knew it was time to return to Tara.

When Tommy was two weeks old at the supper table, Ellen announced, "It is time we returned to Tara."

Scarlett said, "So soon."

"We are in harvest and your father needs me. We will leave the day after tomorrow."

Scarlett knew that was true. Her mother was the one truly running Tara. Scarlett said, "Maybe you all can return for Christmas."

"We will see."

Scarlett looked pleading eyes at her husband. He sighed and said, "We would love for the entire O'Hara family to return for Christmas. It will be the perfect time. Both your harvest and our harvest will be over."

Beth said, "Tommy will be so much more interactive by then.

The last two weeks had been tense between Rhett and Ellen. Neither person thought they had done anything wrong. In fact, both people felt they were completely right.

Ellen said, "I will discuss it with Gerry."

"Very well, Mother."

Percy, who had returned from the plantation just the day before had engaged the girls in conversation. Beth had helped with talking with the girls, but she had ignored her mother. Percy had asked his mother-in-law some questions. He would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to realize there was still antagonism between Beth and her mother, but he was not going to interfere. Mabel and John created the monster that had been Elizabeth while behaving badly at the same time. They were the ones that had never let her be a child because of their outrageous expectations for their daughter. Who had just been a child. In fact, Percy had little sympathy for Mabel. He was just glad that something had broken in Elizabeth that December night. Something that had needed to be broken. Something that he would make sure never got put back together again.