AN: Sooo, this is a new story that I just kinda got an idea for. I'm absolutely going to be continuing my other story, but I just wanted to take a little break and plan it out a bit more. Hope you enjoy this one though!

This story starts the day after the party, Maria never had her conversation with the Baroness and, therefore, she never left.

Maria woke up to a room streaked with golden sunlight. It was as if the weather was displaying the emotions that she had been feeling lately. She thought back to the previous night. Had she really danced with the Captain? Surely it was all a dream. Maria noticed the dress she had worn the night before strewn over a chair in the corner of her room. No, it was most definitely real. Feeling a surge of happiness she didn't quite understand, Maria leapt out of bed and swiftly moved toward her ensuite. After taking a brisk shower, she got dressed. Thinking back to the dance, she remembered the way the Captain's eyes had burned into hers, and the way they had made her feel. How did they make me feel? Suddenly, her mind drifted to the Baroness. "He's thinking very seriously of marrying the woman before the summer's over." Frau Schmidt had told her. Maria's heart sank. Why do I feel this way? I knew what was going to happen the day I arrived here. As if on cue, a large cloud shielded the sun, burying the room in a thick layer of gray. Shaking her head, Maria marched off to wake the children.

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At breakfast, Georg was having an exceptionally difficult time keeping his eyes away from his children's governess. What is happening to me!? It was one dance! One! Their solitary dance had plagued his mind for the entire night, causing him to get little more than an hour of sleep. He prayed the bags under his eyes weren't as noticeable to the others as they were to himself. Georg, she's a damn nun and you're practically engaged. He rolled his eyes at his idiocy.

"What is it, Father? Do you not like picnics?" Brigitta's orotund voice ripped him from his thoughts.

"Excuse me?" The Captain hadn't been paying attention.

"Fraulein Maria offered to take us on a picnic and you rolled your eyes."

He chuckled inwardly, recalling the conversation he had had with the governess after her unfortunate tumble into the lake. "She notices everything." Maria had said about his daughter. Clearly, Georg thought.

"Oh, no darling, I was just thinking about something."

"Thinking about what?" Brigitta inquired.

The Captain hesitated. He couldn't exactly tell his children he had been daydreaming about their governess, now could he?

"Um-something your Uncle Max has done." He said finally, preparing himself, sure the girl would continue her interrogation.

To Georg's relief, she ceased her questioning, chatting away with Louisa instead.

They quieted down when a timid Franz stepped into the room.

The Captain's brow furrowed. Bit of a change from his usual pretentious nature, he noted.

"Uh...Fraulein Maria?" The Butler looked questioningly towards the young woman at the end of the table.

"Yes?" She looked surprised that she had been addressed.

"You-uh-have a visitor."

Now it was Maria's turn to furrow her brow. "Are you sure it's for me, Sir?"

Georg thought it was rather amusing that she'd referred to his butler as "Sir", but then remembered she'd also mistaken Franz for himself at one point and was much less surprised.

"Quite sure."

Tentatively, Maria rose from her chair and headed for the door.

"Captain von Trapp, Sir, you might want to see who it is as well." Franz turned to Georg, looking at him with an odd expression.

The Captain nodded as he stood and went to greet Maria's uninvited guest.

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I have a visitor?

Maria was sure Franz had been mistaken. Surely none of the nuns would need to visit her, would they? And she didn't have anyone else who would ever want to visit her...unless- Maria's confusion was replaced with pure dread as she reached the foyer. Standing in the middle of the room, with his back turned was a man. His clothes were dirty and his hair disheveled and he absolutely reeked of alcohol. Although he was probably only in his fifties, anyone who didn't know any better would assume he was at least seventy years old.

No. No. No. No! It can't be! How is he here? How did he find me? I did everything I could to-

Suddenly, the man turned around, confirming Maria's greatest fear.

"Maria…" He smiled, showing off a yellow, gap-toothed grin. The man opened his arms.

Is he expecting a hug? Maria thought. Does he think I'm going to hug him after all he-

Walking into the entrance hall, Georg knew exactly why Franz had advised him to see Maria's visitor. He was a pig of a man, and he emitted an extremely putrid odor.

"Fraulein? Who is that?" The Captain stepped from the shadows, eyeing the man who'd just entered his home with a disgusted look.

Shaking, Maria struggled to speak, "I-he's-um, he's my-"

"Only the man who raised her…" the rotten man leered.

Maria gasped and Georg watched on with clenched teeth as the horrible man pulled her into a suffocating embrace.

Georg noticed how stiff Maria was. He knew she was not behaving the way one would behave if they truly cared for a person. It took all of his willpower not to tear the creature away from her.

"How are you-how did you find me?" Her voice was croaky and she was still shaking relentlessly.

At this point, the Captain knew something was awfully wrong. The fear in her eyes was undeniable.

"Well, dear, I inquired at the abbey, but they told me you were no longer there," the man wagged his finger at her, "and then, I spoke to a -I believe her name was Mrs. Schneider- who told me that I might be able to find you here."

Maria felt the tears welling in her eyes and she blinked furiously in an attempt to keep them from falling. I will not let him see me cry. Not again.

She said the only words she could manage, "I see."

"Maria, I would quite like to spend a bit of time here with you," he turned to the Captain, "if you don't mind, of course."

Maria nearly cried out when she felt the unmistakable feeling of a hand wrapped tightly around her arm; her Uncle was digging his nails deep into her skin. She knew what he wanted her to do.

"Captain, Sir, would it be alright if my Uncle stayed for a few days?" His grip on her arm tightened. "Please!"

Her Uncle. So that's who he is, Georg thought.

Although Maria was furiously begging him to let her Uncle stay at the villa, Georg couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. In fact, he absolutely knew something was wrong. However, Maria's pleading eyes made his heart break.

"Alright...I suppose. Only for a day or two though, Fraulein."

Maria's Uncle gave him a thankful smile, though it was clearly not genuine.

I need to get this man out of my house as soon as possible.