A new story. I think it will only be a short one though. And it's completely AU. There are no children, and it's the first world war. For the purposes of this, Georg is 24 and Maria is 22. My other story is officially on hiatus, I'm not sure for how long. Please do read and review, it makes a huge difference to how I write the chapters to know that people are enjoying what I write and want to read more. Finally, I do not own The Sound of Music or the characters. I wish I did.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor

The town had an unhealthy aroma - mist hung low and the stars failed to shine - and the sound of drunkards leaving taverns, their grunts and groans as they stumbled uncontrollably to the ground, filled the air. A young sailor, of about twenty four years, with dark brown hair and a toned face stepped out from the local tavern, leaving a tonne of shouting and singing behind him. He exhaled deeply, his eyes setting on the ocean ahead and he marvelled at the ease it could bring to his aching soul. Everything about the seas radiated adventure to this sailor - exploring the unknown; forgetting a past riddled with torment and grief and finding a purpose once more. To steer a ship, find a map from the stars and fight for his country was an honour. He smiled slightly, and the sailor stepped forward, closer to the docks' edge as his eyes - a deep shade of blue - remained fixed on the dark ocean and how the lack of wind left the surface calm and unmoved.

Coming to the edge, he lowered himself to the ground. He sat with his legs hanging over the side, content for now with just looking out at the waters and the many ships anchored and awaiting voyage once more. He had been given an eight week leave - two months to rest, regain his strength and the return to fight for his country. This sailor spent most of his time in submarines, however after an attack just last week he, and the rest of the crew, had been given this leave as protocol.

The sailor clenched his fist, because he hated the land. The land reminded him of the past - and here he had no option but to face his demons. He spent most of his life running from emotions. Sailors had been taught to keep their emotions under a leash; never to let them overrule their mind. The sea was the balm to his wounds, and now he felt them opening once more and the pain was almost overwhelming. This sailor had no family to turn to, unlike most of his comrades. His mother had died when he was young, and his father had followed soon after - the people in the town where he used to live called it a broken heart, and no one had ever any reason to believe otherwise.

"Georg," a voice called from behind him. He recognised the voice instantly to be his friend, Charlie. He felt the familiar hand rest on his shoulder, too. "Come on, let's go and drink this pub dry."

Georg shook his head. "I'm fine here."

"We might even be able to fix you up with a pretty lady. Trust me, there are -"

"I just want to be back out there," growled Georg.

Charlie, at this, sat down beside him. He sighed. "We know you do. But there's no use sitting here and longing for it." He stopped for a moment and studied his friend's facial expression. "You were wounded - you almost lost your leg!" Georg shuddered at his words. "And you discharged yourself early. They want you to recover before you go back. The same for all of us."

"But what use are we here?"

"As much use as we are out there with fresh battle scars."

Georg remained silent, absorbing the words and aiming to make sense of them somehow. He did not necessarily agree with them, however he decided not to fight back. He was exhausted: physically, emotionally and in any other form that happened to be possible. Distancing himself from his life-long friend was not on the agenda tonight, or ever if he could help it. So he decided to do what he had done his entire life. He feigned a smile - a convincing smile, he had gotten good at it over the years - and he stood with his friend. He felt Charlie slap his back in a friendly manner, and they both strode back across to the tavern, leaving the tranquil silence of the waters and entering chaos.

The loud sounds immediately hit Georg as Charlie pushed open the door. Tobacco smoke hung in the air, and the ale and whisky had begun taking their toll and the small room was full of life. Some men brawled, some men craned over their drinks in deep discussion with their partner, and other men sang. He was steered through the crowds of men, and to a table where a group of his friends were sat, huddled together. Both men were greeted by their friends, and more drinks were ordered and pushed in front of Georg to drink. He took a huge gulp of the ale, before placing the glass back down on the round, wooden table. His eyes were permanently fixed on the froth which floated upon the top of the drink, however an arm reached across his chest and restricted his vision. He noticed the arm was distinctly feminine, and as his eyes followed the line of her arm and rested upon her hands, he noticed how soft and tender they looked, unlike other women he had seen in the town thus far.

"Sorry, sir," the voice called. "If I could just…"

Georg looked up, and his eyes immediately met hers. They were blue, just like his, and the sailor immediately knew he could lose himself within them. Their depth was apparent, and they glittered as though they held an abundance of kindness - the kind which was wasted upon one individual, and could be shared between thousands. He smiled at her, and moved to take hold of the glass she was struggling to reach.

He handed it to her, and she smiled back, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Thank you, sir."

Her hair was short, and Georg immediately assumed that she did not care for the latest trends or fashion, and that the style was just practical. The colour also captivated him, it was blonde and it shone even in the dim light of the tavern. The shaping of her face seemed almost perfect, and her lips were neither too small nor too large. Georg found the most overwhelming urge to one day kiss them.

Once the maid had gathered all of the empty glasses, she made to leave their table. However, Johannes, one of the more handsome of the group and the so-called ladies' man, took her by the waist and pulled her down onto his lap. His drunk mumbling was anything but coherent, however he understood a prompt slap to the face, and Georg could not help but smile triumphantly for the girl. "I will get your drinks sir," spoke the girl, getting to her feet and picking up the tray of empty glasses. "But nothing more." At that she walked away, and the entire table exploded into fits of laughter. Many pairs of eyes followed the bar maid, however it was Georg's that lingered for the longest.

"Rejected eh, Johannes? I guess there is a first for everything," laughed Christian, another member of their group. He had light brown hair, and his eyes were a darker brown. He had a girl back home waiting for him, which he was always keen to express, and he would be returning to her in a few days to spend the rest of his leave. He also had a family in Vienna, and for that Georg envied him. Johannes was to stay here in the shipping town for his leave - all of his family were either dead or at war - and as a sailor he knew that staying here, he would be provided for. Charlie was to stay here too, bar a week where he planned to visit his mother and grandmother.

Georg and his eyes felt unable to move, still, from the attractive and intriguing bar maid. Charlie noticed his constant, lingering eyes and smiled knowingly. "Go on, see if you have better luck than Romeo here." Georg turned and raised his eyebrow, as if to say he did not know what his friend was talking about. But Charlie was not to be fooled, and he cocked his head in the direction of the bar where the maid was handing the empty glasses to her colleague. "Go on, you sod."

Needing no more incentive, his intrigue getting the better of him, Georg stood and walked across to the bar. He stood beside the woman for a few moments before she turned and gave him a shy smile.

"What was it you wanted? You sailors are all the same…"

Georg could not understand her tone, whether she meant it angrily or as a mockery.

"I wanted to speak to you."

"I noticed," sighed the maid, resuming with her work and beginning to clean the bar tops with a rather blackened cloth that would add more dirt than shine.

"What's your name?" Georg asked, hoping to break through the layers.

"What's yours?" She retaliated, with no intention of giving her name to this stranger.

"Georg."

"It's very nice to meet you, Georg," continued the maid, scrubbing the top ferociously and with some vehemence. She did not turn or offer her hand to him, the usual ways of greeting, and Georg could not help but smile at her reluctance and evident persistent nature.

A few moments passed, and it became clear she was not going to give her name. Georg looked at her, and then turned to another of the bar maids who was in the process of pouring drinks. She smiled at him, the dark brown locks of her hair falling around her face. She must have sensed an air of desperation or longing in his expression, for she mouthed one word: Maria.

Georg smiled, and turned to the scrubbing maid. "It's very nice to meet you too, Maria."

She turned, shocked. And then she turned to the maid behind the bar, and gave her a look that would almost definitely kill. "Just because you know my name now does not mean I'll do anything with you."

Georg held his hands up defensively. "All I wanted to do was speak to you."

Maria looked at him sceptically. "So speak."

Georg then began to conduct a conversation - well, a conversation where Maria contributed with the occasional murmur or mumble - and eventually began to trail off. He knew this woman would be a challenge, however there was something intriguing about her character that he felt compelled to learn more about. She seemed younger than him, by a few years only he suspected. "So, can I walk you home?"

Maria glanced up at him, still focused on cleaning the wooden bar top. "We don't close for another two hours."

"If I wait another two hours, can I walk you home?"

Maria left no room for thought. "No."

"Why?"

"Because I know exactly what will happen when we get home."

"I'll leave you and find another woman to harass?" He smiled cheekily, and his smile rose even further when he saw her smirking a little. "So, is that a yes?"

"No. It's still a no."

"Well, it was worth a try," Georg sighed, and threw his arms in the air a little dramatically, but not enough to gain any unwanted attention. "I'll try again tomorrow night."

Maria began to move away, focused on clearing another table of its empty glasses. She looked behind her only for a moment, and called.

"Goodbye, Georg."

"So long, Maria."

Please let me know what you think. Whether it be positive or negative, I really do appreciate your comments.