Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

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

Chapter One Hundred and Two

After Rhett brought Scarlett a piece of chocolate cake and an apple, he sat down in the chair in the room. Scarlett started eating her cake first. Rhett said with a teasing smile, "I thought you said you didn't want strangers nursing your babies."

"I don't."

With a bigger smile, Rhett said, "Aren't Meg and Delta strangers?"

"They were, but they aren't anymore. You know I think Delta looks enough like me to be my sister. I think she looks more like me than my actual sisters."

"Really? I had not noticed any resemblance. What is the difference between what you did and what I was going to do?"

"They aren't trashy people like you would have hired."

"I think I resent you saying I would hire trashy people to nurse my children.

"Rhett, you drove up to an encampment and were willing to offer a nursing mother a job without knowing anything about her."

Rhett had thought it would be fun teasing Scarlett about the people she had hired while he was gone, but instead he was beginning to get angry. He tersely said, "What did you know about Meg before you let her into our home? Or Delta? Or John? Anyone of them could have killed everyone in the house and robbed us."

"John couldn't. He only had one arm at the time."

"It only takes one arm to knife you."

"Rhett, don't be silly. John wouldn't do that."

"How do you know?"

"I just know."

"It seems I got back just in time in more ways than one. To protect my family from strangers."

"Benson and Nancy would be more likely to murder us in our sleep, considering we held them in bondage. Now stop talking about it. Nobody is going to murder us. If they were they would have already done it."

Rhett then wondered if that old woman was giving Scarlett poison instead of a way to stop her labor. After all, why would she want to help someone who had subjugated her all her life. No, that wasn't going to happen. She was a friend of Benson. But could he trust Benson? Maybe all these people Benson had brought into the home were going to turn on them in their weakest moment.

Rhett made himself stop thinking that way. Benson and Nancy could have left and gone up North. The old woman had told his mother how to survive Yellow Fever. No. No. No. He would not let himself go down the rabbit hole. The people Scarlett hired were good people. Benson and Nancy were good people. All their servants were good people. That old woman was trying to help them because Benson had asked her to. There was not an evil conspiracy. Then Rhett thought about Scarlett's statement about him hiring trashy women and got angry again. Rhett walked out of the room with a terse statement to Scarlett, "I would not have hired trashy women to nurse my babies. I'm going for a walk. Keep this door locked while I am away."

Scarlett just stared at the closed door. She had no intention of locking the door. It took too much energy to get up out of the bed. She was just going to sit there and eat her cake and her apple. She made herself feel better about eating a piece of cake when she thought, 'Baby Two and Baby Three really did want the cake.'

Scarlett did wonder why Rhett had gotten all mad. After all, she was justified in her thinking. He had never hired anyone in his life except through the employment agency.

A week later Rhett and Harrison went down to Glenn's office and signed their contract and got the paperwork that established their business. On the paperwork it clearly said Rhett owned fifty-one percent of the business and Harrison only forty-nine. After that was taken care of Rhett said, "I understand Charles Mobbs has died."

"Yes, about a year. No, a year and a half ago."

"After I die all my money goes to Scarlett in trust and Mr. Mobbs was the trustee."

"That is an easy fix. Draw up a new will and name someone else as the trustee."

"Or just leave it to her outright."

"If you think she would make wise choices with the money you can do that."

"Fine. Draw up a will leaving everything to Scarlett O'Hara Butler and upon her death everything goes to my children."

"Rhett, you cannot specify what happens to the money after you have given it to Scarlett. It is then her money and she can do what she wants with it."

"I guess she needs a will also."

"Not until you are dead. The state of South Carolina sees your wife as a non-entity."

"What do you mean?"

"Once you and Scarlett got married, in the eyes of the state you two became one unit. You as the male partner get to make all the decisions."

"That is their way of thinking? What can I do?"

"You could leave it in trust for your children with Scarlett as the executor. Scarlett would get to freely use the money during her lifetime, but any money left over would go to your children."

"Do that."

"What are your children's names?"

"Thomas Rhett Butler, Grace Katie Butler, and Jude Percy Butler. I have three more about to be born, but I don't know their genders much less their names."

"We can revise the will once they are born."

A week later Rhett had signed the new will. He wasn't planning on dying any time soon, but one had to be prepared. He went home and wrote down where all his money was stored. Scarlett needed to know in case he couldn't tell her himself.

It was in the early morning of the last day of July. Both Scarlett and Rosemary had gone into labor. Rosemary was a little early, but it was still alright. Scarlett was at least six weeks early and it was not alright. Because of Rhett's schedule she knew the approximate date of conception.

Steven and Mammy were called for. He brought the Chloroform. Ellen and Careen came also. The women knew Scarlett would not be able to help with the delivery of the child.

After Scarlett had been in labor for about an hour she said to Rhett, "They are getting stronger."

It was the moment of decision. Did Rhett let Scarlett go ahead and birth the babies full well knowing it was far too early or did he get Nancy to make up the brew and trust the old woman? Scarlett said, "Rhett, it is too early. Go get Nancy to make the brew."

"I will be right back."

After Rhett found Nancy in the kitchen, he took a deep breath and said, "Scarlett is in labor. Please, fix her the brew with the spices the wo… the doctor left."

"Of course, Mr. Rhett."

Rhett sat down at the table that the servants ate at. He once again prayed that Scarlett and the babies would survive. Nancy looked at the young man she had known all his life. He had been like most white men from the planters' class, arrogant and proud. He had rarely said please or thank you. He had always acted like anything he wanted he deserved just because he wanted it. She knew he was sitting over there praying. Praying for his wife to survive. Praying for his babies to survive. Nancy was praying that Miss Scarlett and her babies survived also. Soon Nancy brought Rhett a mug with a foul-smelling brew in it. She said, "Make sure she drinks it all. Don't worry, Mr. Rhett, Jezebel is the finest doctor I know of."

"Thank you, Nancy, for those kind words. Let me go and somehow get this down her throat."

Once Scarlett smelled the liquid she refused to drink it. Rhett said, "You have to drink it. It is too soon for the babies to come out."

Sip by sip, Scarlett slowly got it down. She said, "The smell is awful."

"Then hold your nose but get it down."

Finally, the mug was empty. Scarlett said, "Start timing me."

"Alright."

Soon the contractions got weaker and became further apart. Finally, Rhett said, "It has been thirty minutes since the last one. You just rest. Let me find out if Rosemary has had her baby."

"Don't go in her room."

"No, I will find Harrison."

"Ask him if they need to borrow one of the bassinets?"

"I will give them one as a baby gift and go buy us another one."

"Alright."

Rhett did find Harrison in his workshop. The room that had once been the formal parlor. He was glad his mother would never see what had happened to her formal parlor. She would die. He shook those thoughts off. He looked at the entrance that had been built. They had taken out a window and replaced it with a door. The laborers had even cleared a path from the driveway for the customers to use to get to the door. If Rhett hadn't known better, he would never have known the door was not original to the townhouse. He said, "Want company?"

"No. I just know I am on the verge of a breakthrough."

"Tell me about it."

As Harrison was talking the glad light shown in his eyes and he said, "That's it."

Harrison busily started working on the arm in front of him while ignoring Rhett. Rhett just smiled and walked out of the room. He found John and said, "Butcher one of the chickens and get it fixed for Benson to take it to a friend of his. No, a doctor he knows. I will tell him."

Rhett found Benson and Nancy in the kitchen. Nancy and Clara were finishing up supper. Rhett announced to the room, "It worked. Benson, John is fixing up a chicken to take to the doctor. Tell her I said thank you."

Rhett started to leave the room and he turned back. He knew of a much better way to thank the woman. Furthermore, with any luck they could have her in the household before the babies were born. He said to Benson, "I want to buy her and free her. What is her master's name? What is her name?"

"I don't know if she would want me to tell you. I will ask her and let her know."

"If she says yes, she can live with us, but only if she wants to."

Benson smiled and said, "I think she would like that."

Within a couple of hours, Rosemary was a mother. She had a baby boy. She was sad that neither her mother nor Harrison's mother could be there. She guessed she would get Rhett to telegraph their parents.

Soon the baby was cleaned up and placed in his father's arms. Harrison said, "Rosemary?"

Ellen said, "Is just fine. Give us a few minutes and I will come get you."

Rhett said, "He looks like a fine young man."

To Rhett he looked like a wrinkled old man. He guessed all babies did.

Rhett had gone out and sent Robert a telegram about the birth of Percy Harrison Ford. While he was out, he went to his mother-in-law's store to buy another bassinet. She did not have one, but Rhett was able to tell Ellen and Careen all about the new baby.

While Rhett was at the store, Eulalie entered the store. Careen said under her breath, "Your favorite charity just walked in."

Ellen said, "The worst part is that despite me being the one giving them food, they are still acting superior to me."

Rhett said, "I will have to leave. I don't have any patience for the woman."

"I wish I could run off also, but I will once again give them a handout."

"Do they attend the free soup give away?"

"Not yet they are still too proud to accept charity so openly."

Ellen gave Rhett a hug and said, "See you Sunday. Tell Rosemary and Harrison congratulations. And tell Harrison that boy he sent over is working out great."

"What?"

"I will explain later." Ellen turned and walked to her sister. She said, "Eulalie, what a pleasant surprise."

Rhett tipped his hat at Eulalie but didn't slow down as he left the store. He found another bassinet at the next general store he went to. It was even more expensive than the ones he had bought earlier.