I promised myself a number of things after I finish my exams and one of them was to write a SoM fanfiction. So here I am! This is the first fanfic I've ever written – SoM or otherwise, so please bear with me! And please please please R&R, I don't mind any criticism – hopefully it will help me to improve my writing style in the future chapters. Anyway enough from me, on with the story!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own the Sound of Music but I do love all its characters to pieces so I suppose it should be okay if I borrow them for a while...

(Just a little bit of background first)

This is an AU story. Maria does go back to the Von Trapp villa after she runs back to the Abbey but she leaves again in the September when the children return to school and the Captain marries Elsa Schraeder…

1.The Morning After The Night Before

Golden sunbeams poured through the curtains of the bridal suite, dancing in the silent morning air before coming to rest on Elsa's sleeping face. Georg glanced at her momentarily before silently slipping out of the bed and pulling his clothes on, his mind a whirl of confusion, blinded by panic and desperation. He didn't know where he was going, just that he had to get away. From that room, from his memories, from Elsa, from the biggest mistake of his life…

He tiptoed to the door in stocking feet, hardly daring to breathe in case he woke her. He put his shoes on outside the door, which earned him a funny look from a passing housemaid. But he didn't care, he didn't really care about anything anymore, all he wanted to do was go back in time, turn the clock back – just a month or so; rewind his life, change his future. But that was impossible, it would never happen. This was what he had chosen; he would have to stick with it.

Somehow his legs found there way down to the hotel foyer, and out into the street. Even the Salzburg air, usually so fresh and mountainous, seemed to reflect his feelings that morning, it felt close and smothering, almost impure. He kept on going; past the shops with their shuttered windows: throughthe park; until he found himself outside the Abbey.

He didn't know what he was doing there. Perhaps he thought he might see her? Just a glimpse, a reassurance that it had been real, he hadn't imagined it; hadn't imagined her and everything that he had felt. He just didn't know – he didn't seem to know anything these days. He stood at the towering wrought iron gates, just stood there - staring into the courtyard. Staring at nothing.

Maria was walking through the courtyard to the drying lines, a basket of washing balanced on her hip. She stared hard at the cracks in the floor, trying, as she did everyday, to clear her mind of all the thoughts, dreams and memories that constantly haunted her.

She didn't know what made her look up at that moment, but she did. There was a man stood at the gate, his face was in a shadow so she couldn't see his eyes, but she was sure that if she could have they would have been locked with hers. For a moment she thought it was… but that was stupid, impossible even. STOP IT! She told herself, it's bad enough as it is without you starting to imagine things. She mentally shook herself and continued on her way to the garden, still trying unsuccessfully to clear her mind.

Georg stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the woman in the courtyard. Her hair was golden, and even from that distance he could see that her eyes were a penetrating blue. For a minute he thought it was her, but then she turned away and disappeared through an archway. Must have been a trick of the light…
Sister Magarettta, passing through the courtyard, saw Georg standing there, looking obviously distressed. She went over to him and asked if he was alright, did he need anything? I need her, he wanted to scream, but instead quickly brushed her of with a hasty excuse and began to make his way back to the hotel. It was going to be a long day…
So that's my first chapter. It's not very good but my first attempt. Sorry it wasn't longer but this is quite nerve racking for me so I'm seeing how you like it before I do too much more.So tell me what you think and hopefullyI'll update soon.

LM xx