Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

I once again have electrical power. Yeah! Now I get to clean out my refrigerator and freezer.

Chapter Twenty-Two

After Scarlett had her third glass of wine, Rhett figured now was the time to ask her one of the questions he had been wondering about. He said, "How did you get to be a sniper?"

"How do you know I was a sniper? I know I didn't tell you that."

Without any shame Rhett said, "I had you investigated."

"I investigated you too."

"I guess we aren't trusting people."

"No, we aren't."

"Well?"

Scarlett looked at Rhett and wondered how much to tell him. Finally, she said, "The man I thought I loved died in an automobile accident our senior year in high school. When I found out I was pregnant, I couldn't tell anyone. I was afraid Cade's parents would take my child away from me. Cade was their only child. They had a lot of money. My parents did alright, but they weren't wealthy therefore if the Calverts went after my baby I didn't think I would be able to legally stop them. Charlie and I were friends. He was Melly's older brother. Melly has been my best friend since first grade. Charlie offered to marry me, and I accepted full well knowing he was gay. Charlie claimed Wade as his and we were happy for a while." Scarlett paused in her summary of the events of that summer. Finally, she went on, "Charlie wanted to be just like everyone else. He wanted to have a wife and children. He had two more years at the University of Georgia then he would go on to law school. The first year of our marriage he was happy and content. I was too. Wade was born in December, and he died right before he turned six months. Two weeks later while Charlie and I were still grieving the creditors showed up at the mansion and started repossessing everything. I was only able to save my car because the title was in my father's name.

That was when we found out David had been out of work for two years and they had been living on their savings. There wasn't any money for either one of us to go back to college. Melly wouldn't have gotten to go back if the Wilkeses hadn't paid for it. He talked me into joining the Army with him by telling me we could go back to school on the GI bill. After I found out that Charlie had died, I grew cold and hard. I didn't want any friends because I didn't want to love another person. After my mother died of pancreatic cancer, my heart turned to stone, yet I was hurting so badly. I got an emergency leave to be able to tell her goodbye, but by that time she was so doped up on pain killer she didn't know who I was. My father died a year later of a broken heart. After Mom died, according to my sister all he did was sit around the house and talk about our mother."

Scarlett just sat there lost in her past. Rhett watched the emotions play across her face and knew that had been an incredibly tough time for her. If she chose not to finish her story, he would let her get by with it.

Finally, Scarlett looked at Rhett and continued her story, she said, "When I got back from seeing my mother for the last time, I was asked to join a special squad. I almost said no, but the colonel said, 'With your skill with a rifle you will be a great asset.' I knew then I was going to get to kill people and I was quite alright with that. You won't understand this, but I thought hurting other people would make me feel better. It didn't. At first, I was just the spotter. One day Dennis and I went out and we acquired the target. It came time for him to take the shot and he didn't. I looked at him and I knew he had frozen. I jerked the rifle out of his hands, lined up the shot, and completed the mission. All the way back to base I wondered what I was going to tell our CO, but Dennis ended up telling him everything. He never wanted to have to take the shot ever again. He became my spotter, and we lasted the rest of our enlistment."

"Where's Dennis now?"

"In Omaha selling cars. He has a wife and two children. He is living quite the peaceful life."

"That is good."

"By the time my enlistment was over, I wanted to help people. That is why I joined the FBI. I still didn't want to get involved with anyone, which made being an FBI agent perfect. I helped people then they went away."

"Like Mr. and Mrs. Schilling and Mr. Decker."

"Yeah."

The couple was quiet, but it wasn't an uncomfortable quiet. They were just lost in their own thoughts.

Scarlett and Rhett had a lovely evening. When he took her home, he walked her to the door. He kissed her good night, and it made her want to curl her toes. He was a good kisser. He said, "Can I come in?"

"On a first date? No."

"This isn't our first date. We have been dating for the last six months."

"When?"

"From when we met over a woman in a drum, to me spraying a suspect with a fire extinguisher, to us finding a killing field…"

Scarlett interrupted to say, "To you kicking that other expert's ass."

"To playing gin to kill the time until we got the verdict, to us rescuing a little boy from mercenaries."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Come on in but if you aren't any good it is the end of our budding romance and back to colleagues."

Scarlett led Rhett to her bedroom. She was glad she had put clean sheets on the bed. She guessed she had already known where they would end up at the end of the night. She had never wanted anyone as much as she wanted Rhett right then. She helped him take off his coat and his tie. He helped her take off her dress and her shoes.

Rhett was taking it slow because he wanted to remember every moment of this night. He hoped it was the first of many, but he didn't know for sure. These days he was rarely with a woman and when he was, they were usually professionals. He wanted Scarlett to have the best time of her entire life.

Despite Rhett and Scarlett both being mature adults, suddenly the passion flared and there was a desperateness in both of them. He had to be inside her. Now! She had to have him inside her. Now! Fortunately, despite the quickness of their coupling they both had an extremely enjoyable time.

Later after Rhett and Scarlett had caught their breaths, he said, "Are we still dating?"

"Definitely."

"Next time let's take our clothes off."

"We can do that now."

"Am I being allowed to sleep over?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

After the couple was naked, he wrapped her up in his arms. She finally felt safe. Something she hadn't felt since Wade died. They were quickly asleep.

Sometime in the night Rhett and Scarlett came together again. Neither was sure who had started things. Maybe they both had. It was awfully wonderful also.

The next morning around five-thirty, Scarlett woke Rhett up and said, "You have to go if you are going to get to work on time."

"No, I don't. I have to kiss you one more time."

Scarlett giggled and kissed Rhett back.

When Rhett walked into the Jeffersonian, he was an hour late and he didn't care. Emily took a quick peak at her watch.

Rhett said, "Yes, Ms. Addy, I am over an hour late, but I can assure you I had a good reason."

"What is it?"

With a smile Rhett said, "I'm not going to share it. Just rest assured it is a good reason."

Emily couldn't help but smile back. Dr. Butler just looked so happy. She had never seen him so happy. The truth was she had never seen him happy at all. That was good enough for her.

Around four o'clock, Scarlett texted Rhett and said, "I have had a rough day. Meet me at Rosie's at six."

Rhett texted back, "Yes."

Over dinner which Rosie had let Rhett and Scarlett choose for themselves, he said, "Tell me the story of Ashley."

"You really are curious about him, but I will tell you."

"He doesn't strike me as your type. You and him are an anomaly and I hate anomalies."

"Yes, you do. Let me tell you the story. Melly and Ashley moved up here two years ago for Ashley to work for the Innocence Project. He was recruited by someone name Amy Morton." Scarlett stopped speaking. It came to her in a bolt of lightning. Ashley had been having an affair with Amy Morton, but Melly had never said anything because every time he left, she thought he was meeting Scarlett, so she didn't say anything. Scarlett shook her head. She would think about that tomorrow. She smiled at Rhett and said, "Melly and I were so happy that we once again were living in the same town. I'm glad I was already living here because at first Melly didn't know anyone but me. She has since met her neighbors and some other mothers. Back to my story Melly and Ashley had been here about a month, and I mentioned to Melly that I was going through a dry spell as far as physical affection was concerned. Melly said, 'Have I got a deal for you?' It seems Melly suffered from a condition where sex was very painful to her. You have to promise never to tell Melly I told you."

Scarlett stared at Rhett until he said, "I promise. What she is suffering from is Dyspareunia. Nobody knows the cause of it. It can occur before, during, or after intercourse. It can be a symptom of menopause, but since Melly is your age that is not true in her case. It can also be because of low estrogen. I assume she was tested for that." Scarlett nodded her head. Rhett continued, "It could all be psychological."

"I didn't think you believed in psychology."

"I believe that our thoughts and feelings can cause us problems. I just shy away from calling it a science because it can't be quantified. It is a lot of guess work. Like for example, when you said that people who committed crimes feel guilt when they see their victim's face. That is probably true. But if a person doesn't feel guilt that doesn't mean he didn't do it. Or if a person does feel guilt, it doesn't mean he actually killed the person. He may just feel responsible for the person's death."

"In other words, it isn't a clean science. In clean sciences A + B = C, but in psychology C can sometimes equal D + E."

"Or even X + Y + Z squared."

Scarlett laughed and said, "Anyway, Melly suggested that Ashley and I have a physical relationship. She knew I didn't like Ashley that way so him having sex with me was safe. So, for the last two years we've been having sex when the urge would become uncontrollable for him."

"When the urge got uncontrollable for me, I would fly to Nevada where prostitution is legal. It is not legal in Reno or Las Vegas. One must go to a state licensed brothel. Did you know there are only twenty-one of them?"

"How would I know that?"

Rhett grinned and said, "I guess you wouldn't. It was mostly just sex, but we would also talk. I was allowed to take one of the girls out to eat for a fee, of course."

"This is not some hooker you picked up off the street, is it?"

"No, it was a very exclusive and expensive house."

"House?"

"House of ill-repute."

"How did you find out about the place?"

"Through the concierge, of course."

"I guess they really do see to all your needs."

"Anyway, you don't need to know any more about that."

"Yes, I do. How much did this cost?"

"With the hotel and the airline tickets, probably five thousand dollars."

"Wow!"

"Most of that was for the hotel and plane tickets. When I travel, I go first class. I might as well I have the money."

"Why did you go to Nevada?"

"Because prostitution is legal in Nevada. Not in the big cities but in some of the outlying counties. I couldn't get caught doing that."

"I guess not. How did you keep yourself clean?"

"I used a condom, of course. The woman might be beautiful and look great, but she still could be a disease carrier. And some of those diseases there isn't a cure for."

"How did you know I was disease free?"

"Because you wouldn't just sleep with anyone. It had to be part of a relationship."

"Except with Ashley. It was just a booty call."

"The relationship wasn't with Ashley, but with Melly. You were doing it because she asked you to."

Scarlett smiled and said, "It wasn't completely self-sacrificing on my part."

Rhett laughed. He said, "Let's go. You can tell me the rest of the story later."

"Alright."

"Let me show you my condo."

"Sounds like fun."