Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

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

Chapter Forty-Six

When Rhett got back to the Four Seasons, he was in high spirits. He told her all about his day, even what he had for lunch. When he asked about her day, she said, "The Butler mansion is now a bed and breakfast. One can spend the night in the nineteenth century with twenty-first century amenities. I made us a reservation for Sunday night. We are getting the honeymoon suite."

"Come on. Let's go downstairs." As Rhett and Scarlett walked to the elevator, he said, "Honeymoon suite?"

"I thought it would be fun."

"There is a restaurant I want to try, but I am too tired to go out tonight. We will go Sunday night."

"What is the name of it?"

"La Grotta Ristorante Italiano."

"Sounds great."

After the couple was seated and their orders placed, Scarlett told Rhett all about her discoveries at the History Museum. She said, "Half of their children died before they did."

"I am sorry for them, but life expectancy was a lot lower in the 19th century than it is now. Lots of people died."

"I want to know what happened to the other girls especially Ella, but I can't do all the research."

"Fortunately, I know someone who will do research for a fee. I will get him to find out what he can about the Gable girls."

Scarlett showed Rhett the copy of the photograph that was in the paper. He said, "That's remarkable how handsome that man is."

Scarlett smiled and said, "And the woman?"

"She is attractive enough if you like that type."

Scarlett gave Rhett a dirty look. Really! This was too much. She had tolerated his obtuseness for years now, but him not seeing that the woman looked just like her was too much. Rhett smiled and continued, "And I definitely like that type. In fact, I love that type. She looks just like you."

"Where you playing with me?"

"Yes, I may be obtuse about a lot of things, but if a woman looks just like the love of my life, I am certainly going to notice. She truly does look just like you and he looks just like me."

Scarlett smiled at him and leaned forward to kiss him.

"I agree, but I know I am not related to them."

"I'm not either. Now put that away. We are not going to spend the rest of our time in Atlanta talking about Vivian and Clark Gable."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Alright."

"What dress did you bring for the supper tomorrow night?"

"Your favorite."

"That is good. You always look super in that dress."

"I know."

Rhett burst out laughing. He said, "I guess you do."

The rest of the evening Rhett and Scarlett talked about happy things. They talked about going out to visit Miguel but knew they never would. They talked about where they would like to travel. They talked about a house with a yard, and both agreed they weren't lawn people. They returned to their hotel room and had an incredibly good time in the hotel bed.

The next day Rhett and Scarlett had their breakfast in the sitting room and talked until he had to go to his conference. As he was leaving, he said, "You need to cancel our reservations."

"Why?"

"Ms. Addy is riding back with us. She probably won't be able to afford to stay another night and it would be inappropriate for me to pay for her room."

Scarlett giggled and said, "Yes, it would. We can fly down for the weekend. Just the two of us."

"Perfect. I will be back early so I will have time to get ready."

"Are you nervous about your speech?"

"Why would I be? Nobody is going to be listening."

"Except me."

Rhett smiled and said, "Except you."

Rhett kissed Scarlett goodbye then he was out the door. She looked at the picture again and thought, 'It is strange we look so much like the Gables.'

Scarlett finished her breakfast. She looked at some case files hoping to find a clue she had missed. After that she spent the rest of the day watching TV. She even had room service deliver her lunch. She didn't want to miss any of her TV time.

The conference room where the last meal was going to be served was full. As Rhett and Scarlett walked to the front of the room, he said, "The vendors were in here until this afternoon. One man had an instrument that… Never mind, Honey. I will talk with Ms. Addy about that on the way back to DC." After she scowled at him, he added, "Or Monday morning."

"Much better choice."

As Rhett and Scarlett walked to the head table, almost everyone spoke to him. He really was a big deal in the Forensic Anthropology field. Scarlett would have been flattered to know that his fellow socially awkward scientists were almost as impressed by his choice of wives as they were his forensic anthropology knowledge.

Finally, Rhett and Scarlett were seated. The meal was served. It was grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and carrots. The meal was fine. The dessert was peach cobbler. In Scarlett's opinion it was pretty good. Good enough to finish Rhett's serving. During the meal, the man on Scarlett's right had been continually talking to her. She had been polite, but she had been annoyed at his constant interruptions. She knew he was trying to flirt with her which was kind of amazing since she was sitting right next to her husband.

At first, Scarlett thought it was great that she and Rhett were seated at the head table because he was the Keynote Speaker. She was so proud of her husband. It was an honor to Rhett – yes, but all these people at the head table were just like Rhett when she had first met him. Too full of themselves. They were all bragging about what they had done lately.

At last, Rhett got up to give his speech. Thirty minutes later, Rhett was still droning on about something. Scarlett had no idea what. She had tried to listen. She really had, but she didn't understand ninety percent of what he was talking about when it came to forensic anthropology. And that was after he dummied it down for her. Scarlett had never been so bored in her entire life, and she had been on lots of stakeouts with some pretty boring partners.

Two things she knew. She couldn't yawn and she couldn't fall asleep.

Finally, it was over. Rhett and Scarlett were leaving the dining room. Unfortunately for her, every person wanted to talk to him about his speech. A subject that she was soon discovering was near and dear to his heart. After thirty minutes of trying to get to the door, she gave up and yawned. He smiled and said, "We are putting my wife to sleep. I need to get her back to the hotel room. Good night."

Finally, Rhett and Scarlett were in the cab. He said, "Next week you can have an extra half hour of TV time every day."

Scarlett smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Honey. You are the best."

"No, you are the best."

By eight the next day, Rhett, Scarlett, and Emily were on their way back to DC. About an hour later, Emily brought up something from the convention. Rhett started to answer her but stopped. Scarlett said, "Go ahead. I am going to read some more of the diary."

By six o'clock Rhett was dropping Emily off at her apartment. While pulling her suitcase from the back of the car, she said, "See you tomorrow."

After Rhett got back in the car, he said, "Did you finish the diary?"

"She didn't add a lot after the birth of Alexi. She mentioned when her children were born. She wrote about when JoJo and Buck died. Rhett's mother didn't come for their funerals. When JoJo died there was an epidemic in Atlanta, and she was dead before Buck passed away. When Buck died Rhett didn't fall apart. She wrote that they now expected something bad to happen to their children."

"That is so sad."

"She wrote about what was going on with Olivia and Leslie. She really was quite fond of her sister-in-law despite the reason why she married Charlie. In real life Olivia lived until she was in her forties. She got to see her son get married and a couple of her grandchildren. When Vivian was mad at Clark, she would rant about it in the diary." Rhett smiled. Scarlett smiled back, she said, "How much she loved him comes through on every page. She loved him enough to keep sleeping with him despite the fact she hated being pregnant and she was losing her tiny waist."

"That is love."

"They were happy. She never wrote anything about not being received by Atlanta society."

"She was received by the new Atlanta society."

"New Atlanta Society?"

"People who had money. All those other people were dirt poor after the Civil War, and I suspect they still are. We are home. Let me get the bags."

"Let me get all our snacks. I can't believe you stopped at a Hardy's to have lunch."

"I know I am going to regret it, but I didn't want to waste time in a restaurant. Hardy's is the best of the lot."

"I agree judging by the line."

"I only stop there because I was in a hurry to get home."

"Why?"

"To be home. Come on. You can watch TV while I write down my impressions of the convention."

"I am going to see if I can find National Treasure Part Two."

"Alright."

A week later, an investigator from the Pinkerton Agency showed up at Rhett and Scarlett's condo. His name was Philip Marlowe. She gave him the names and birthdays of the Gable children. She said, "I think they all lived in the Atlanta area except Wade Hamilton he lived in the Boston area."

Mr. Marlowe asked, "Are you in a hurry for this information?"

"No. Everyone has been dead for a long time."

"Do you want to know where their children are?"

"If the information is easy to get but otherwise no."

"Thank you, Ma'am. I will be in touch."

After Mr. Marlowe had left, Scarlett said, "Thank you for doing this, Rhett."

"I would like to know what happened to the Gable daughters also, but I'm not going to spend a lot of money."

"I know, thank you any way."

Rhett and Scarlett talked about getting a dog, but they couldn't agree on a breed. They had the same problem with a cat. Scarlett was afraid of birds so those were out. In Rhett's opinion fish were boring, so those were out too.

Emily finished her dissertation and defended it. She was awarded her PhD. Rhett helped her get a prestigious position in LA. It hadn't taken much work on Rhett's part. Because Emily had been his assistant, she was a rising star in the forensic anthropology world.

At Emily's going away party, Scarlett said, "I am going to miss you. You are one of the few well-adjusted people who work at the Jeffersonian. I have to ask how?"

Emily smiled. She said, "My parents are like you and Dr. Butler."

"You have your PhD. You can call him Rhett."

"No, I can't. He will always be Dr. Butler to me. My mother was a socialite and my father an academic. My mom was great. She would always say, 'You might be the smartest child in the class, but you are going to have good manners.' So, she socialized me. She sent me to play groups and little league and play practice and tons of stuff where I had to interact with other children/people. Just like what you are doing with Dr. Butler."

Scarlett smiled, "Then I let him come home and retreat into his books until he gets his sense of balance back. I did the same thing for Melly. We have been best friends since first grade. I would let her get her sense of balance back, but I wouldn't let her hide in her room."

"Neither would my mother. If you and Dr. Butler ever have children, you would make a great mom."

Scarlett smiled a bright smile and said, "Thank you. Let me make Rhett join the party."

Emily knew she had misspoken. Yes, she had been socialized, but she still made mistakes. Even though the Butlers would be great parents, they would never take the chance because of Dr. Butler's experience. She should have known that.

When Emily moved out to LA. Scarlett gave her Miguel's phone number. When she did, Scarlett had said, "I think he likes you. He is a genuinely nice man underneath all that bravado."

"Even if he did like me, he is too much of a womanizer for me."

"Maybe he is just waiting on the right one."