A.N.: Here's my take on what happened after the infamous Gazebo scene we all love. This'll be a one-shot for now, I might continue in the future, depending on your opinions. Please review, whether it is to applaud or to throw tomatoes – reviews make my day:)
I'd like to thank my friends at the Facebook group page and the forum for your support, advice, and the daily dose of fun, encouragement, discussions and above all, all the CP/TSOM goodness. And of course, I'd also like to thank all the reviewers of my first TSOM fan fiction piece (Guardian Angel).
I hope you like My Way To You! Enjoy!
"Maria?"
"Hmm?"
"Is there anyone.. I should go to, to.. ask permission to marry you?"
"Well, why don't we ask – "
"The children?"
Georg chuckled, and pulled Maria closer to him. Enveloping her in his arms, he pressed her tighter to him. Not that he was hurting her, and she didn't protest in any way. He just wanted to revel in this wonderful sensation that came over him, though, by all means, this feeling wasn't new to him. For the first time in all those years since Agathe passed away, he felt whole again, and perfectly at ease with his surroundings and feelings. For years he had tried to push away the memories, the happiness, and all the other things that reminded him of his deceased wife.
Sighing, he combed his fingers through Maria's soft, strawberry blonde hair. Yes, he had made the right decision, he was certain of it now. He thanked God that Maria somehow had found her way back to his house, his family, and to him.
Maria, oblivious to his present peace of mind, lifted her head to look at him. Holding on to his broad shoulders, she gazed up at him, momentarily lost in his blue eyes, which didn't seem as distant anymore as they once were. In fact, she had noticed his gaze softening when he looked at her, from time to time.. But she used to think that was because he was thankful, for showing and teaching him about his children, for bringing new life into his relationship with them.
"Captain, are you.." Maria's voice trailed off in confusion. She didn't know how to continue. She didn't even know what to say.. What if he wasn't sure, what if he thought this was all one big mistake? Just as she was thinking this, she realized she was being absurd. True, she was inexperienced, and in fact: she knew very little, if not nothing, of men. But she knew that, no matter what, Georg would be patient, and would tell her all that there is to know, about becoming a member of the Austrian nobility, and so many other things, that she dared not think about already. Only the distant thought about it made her cheeks burn.
"It's Georg, darling. No need to call me Captain anymore," he chuckled, once again, good-humoredly. "Although, I must confess, as much as I like saying your Christian name, there's something very much appealing about calling you Fräulein.."
Maria gasped, and playfully smacked his chest, immediately regretting it. Georg smiled down at her once more, and let his thumb trace her left cheekbone. "Now you're blushing.. I love it when you do that..", and with that, he leaned down, letting his lips take the place of his thumb, and while he let his hands roam about her upper back, he trailed feather light kisses on her cheeks, her chin, her forehead, before halting for only a few seconds, his lips hovering above hers, hesitating, as if waiting for her to give him permission to continue. As if on cue, she lifted her head, and he let his lips settle warmly on hers.
"Promise me, never to regret being yourself with me, like you just did. Never change, my dear. Your outspokenness, lively spirit, rebellion and desire for adventure were some of your many qualities I fell in love with, you know?"
"I can't believe," she said, softly. "Are you telling me, Captain von Trapp, that you value these faults of mine? Surely you would have had me keelhauled because of said imperfections, had I been on one of your ships.."
"There's no way I can deny that, Maria, I concur, it would have been the case.. Had it not been for the fact that keelhauling is quite an uneasy task to perform while being inside a submarine.. Still, people do change.. I guess I'm tired of living a peaceful, boring life.. and I know it's beyond all common sense.. With me, being a retired Naval officer, one would think I would crave the silence and the peacefulness. There's no denying, Maria, that you made me realize there's more to life than that. I want to start living that life, I know that now."
Slightly taken aback by his truthfulness and playful tone, she embraced him, and reveled in the feeling of being safe, and loved. She never felt so complete before, so blissfully happy as she was now.
"I think it's about time we went inside.. I have absolutely no idea what time it is, I only hope Frau Schmidt hasn't locked those doors yet..", and with that, Georg stepped away from their embrace, and held out his hand to her. Smiling, she took his hand in hers, and together they walked towards the terrace.
"It's as I feared.. The doors are locked." Slightly annoyed, Georg let go of the door handle. Stepping back, he looked up at the windows, and sighed. "It seems it's even later than I thought.. Looks like the entire household has retired for the night."
Pulling her with him, he led her around the house, until they stood beneath Maria's windows. "Thank God you left those windows open, my love," he teased, while reaching out to the ivy that grew alongside the brick wall. "Let's see if your charges' old father is as athletic as their governess.."
Maria, immediately aware of his intentions, reached out and placed a hand on his arm, but let him go as soon as she felt the thick muscles beneath his jacket and shirt. "You don't mean to.."
"As a matter of fact dear, I do!" His eyes shone with humor as he looked down at her. "What? Do you think I'm too old and rusty to climb up those walls?" Maria's eyes spoke for her, and with a low chuckle, he reached for the ivy once again. "Georg, wait, what about – "
"Don't worry, I'll help you up. Just give me a few minutes," he replied, before he turned once more to the brick wall, and pulled himself up. Within a few minutes, he made it to her window. Though she knew he must have been athletic in his days as a marine officer, she hadn't thought he'd kept up with his exercise after all those years. She was impressed, to say the least, with how he climbed up those walls with such easy grace.
"Come on, Maria. I'll help you up," his voice called out to her from inside her room. He tried as best as he could to keep his voice low, careful not to catch anyone's attention or to wake the household. She was unable to see him for a few moments, until the light in her bedroom switched on. She sighed deeply and started to clamber up towards her window.
Georg stood and flung one leg over the windowsill, before he reached out to her. When she finally reached him, he took her hand and guided her inside. Chuckling, she leaned into him, as he run his fingers through her hair.
"Georg, what if someone comes in, and notices us?" The possibility of someone walking through her bedroom door, despite the unearthly hour, alarmed her. Though there was no thunderstorm or any other calamity, the Von Trapp children were quite unpredictable, especially when it came to their favorite governess who had only just returned to them. They had clung tightly to her that evening, as if letting her go would make her disappear once more. After reassuring them that she would not leave for another couple of weeks, the children relented and had gone to sleep without any objections.
"Don't worry, no one will notice us. Besides, this is not the first time I entered your bedroom, hmm?"
"Do you remember the first time I stepped inside your bedroom," Maria's eyes flew wide open, and she immediately felt her cheeks redden. She looked up at him, a shy smile playing on her lips. "As a matter of fact, I do.. You were so furious," she replied, as she looked him straight in the eyes.
Chuckling once more, he cupped her cheeks, and brought his face closer to hers. His usual stern features softened as he looked down at her. "I wasn't furious, Maria, but rather annoyed.. You had only been inside this house for a mere few hours, and already you disobeyed the rules I set,"
"The children were afraid of the thunderstorm, so they came to me. I couldn't possibly send them away," she reasoned, once again fuelled by her annoyance for his incomprehension at the time. But as soon as these words had come out of her mouth, she knew she was wrong in challenging him once again when it came to his parenting skills.
Sensing her mood swing, Georg stepped back a little, and took both her hands in his. "I know that, Maria. And I know you deem it unjust of me, the way I used to treat my children," he hesitated, then let go of her hands and turned to pace the room, before he continued.
"And that is why I said that nothing was the same when you went away. After the night you left, it seemed as if some sort of invisible wall had risen between me and the children once again. It was as if they blamed me for your disappearance. Oh they didn't phrase it, they didn't deliberately make me feel that way, but still.. It made no sense that you missed the abbey so much and all of a sudden decided to leave us. I think they thought it more likely I had scared you away, expelled you from our lives. And I did wonder Maria, I did.. I worried myself with different scenarios, thinking I had indeed scared you, or if I had acted out of line. But I couldn't determine where it possible could have gone wrong!"
Maria stepped forward as she reached out to him, forcing him to stand still as she laid her hand on his left forearm. "It wasn't you, Georg. Whatever happened that night, during the ball, our dance.. it didn't frighten me. Yes, it confused me, more than anything, because I was experiencing feelings and emotions I had never felt! But no, I did not leave because of that. It was the Baroness."
"Elsa?", Georg knitted his brow in confusion, obviously unable to perceive what she was trying to say. "Maria, what happened?"
Maria, suddenly overcome with shyness, turned away from him and walked towards her bedroom window, like she had done that night. Following her with his eyes, Georg stood motionless, his hands clenched into fists by his side.
"That night, when I went upstairs to change for dinner, Baroness Schräder came to me. She offered to help me change, and suggested I should wear this," she explained, as she reached down and ran her hands over the material of her skirt. "She said you couldn't keep your eyes off me when I wore it the other night, during the puppet show."
"I can't deny that, darling, if that would make you feel better," he replied, because he sensed her discomfort. And it was true, he couldn't keep his eyes off her that evening. In fact, he had a hard time paying attention to any of his surroundings right now.
"But it doesn't! You notice everybody and everything, Georg. How was I supposed to know she was actually telling the truth?"
"Because she didn't know it was the truth herself. Oh, she guessed it already, but she didn't, and still doesn't, know the extends of the whole truth," he offered, trying and failing miserably to make her feel more at ease. It seemed as if his words had quite the opposite effect on her.
"I couldn't believe it, and to be honest, I still can't. I never.. I mean, how many men do you know who marry their governesses? Except for Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester? She told me you thought me irresistible because I was in love with you. Not literally that way, but I know what she meant! And that you believed you were in love with me.. That piece of information, coming from the lips of your soon-to-be-fiancée, pulled the trigger. She told me it was clear by the way you looked into my eyes.. and that I had blushed when we were dancing."
As if remembering the conversation was too shameful, she mimicked her movements and facial expressions as she had done a little over a week ago, when she was having said conversation with said Baroness; her hands crept up to cover her cheeks, her eyes large and stunned, as she looked at her own reflection in the window.
"She told me you'd get over it soon enough, because that's what men do," she continued, her voice low, almost a whisper. "I knew I had to leave, that I couldn't possibly stay here, with you, under the same roof. I knew that, whether the Baroness had spoken the truth or not, it would form a barrier between the two of you, and I would never want that. I told myself again and again that I was here on God's errand, to prepare your children for a new mother. To stay here would mean I would stand in the way of this family's happiness, I could never want that."
"Maria, whatever barrier may have formed between Elsa and me, had nothing to do with you. We would have started drifting apart sooner or later anyway. I don't want you to feel guilty or blame yourself for something you absolutely had no part in."
Maria knew he meant it, but she still wasn't convinced. "I asked the Baroness not to tell you what had happened, what we had discussed. She told me she wouldn't tell you, that she wouldn't dream of it. Then she turned to leave, and I turned back to my packing. Before she left, she told me she was sure I'd make a very fine nun.."
Georg sighed, and rubbed his face. He hadn't noticed Elsa's absence back then in the first place, and, looking back, she had seemed more jovial and at ease during dinner that night. It all made sense now. Elsa had thought of Maria as a threat, and had managed to convince the shy, unknowing Maria to leave his house. It made his blood boil. Not necessarily with anger, but with a feeling of helplessness which was quite alien to him. He mentally kicked himself for allowing Maria to change for dinner, or for not checking on her earlier when she didn't appear for dinner half an hour later.
"It wasn't until Max insisted on checking where you were that suspicion rose," he began, as he leisurely made his way towards her, careful not to frighten her, given her emotional vulnerability. "Max went upstairs to see if you were still in your room, but you didn't reply when he knocked on your door. So he came back, found me in the dining room and told me you weren't responding. At first I thought you had retired for the night, but Max insisted I go upstairs and check on you," he continued, until he stood behind her, only inches away.
"I was irritated, told myself you had possibly gone to bed, or had went to check on the children. But I found your room unoccupied, your closet empty. I remember how I felt panic rise inside me, I knew you were gone, but couldn't understand why you had left at that hour, without saying goodbye. I went to see the children, but they were all sound asleep, and there was no trace of sign of a teary goodbye on their faces. When I walked down the stairs I ran into Franz, who gave me your letter. I was shocked, or rather speechless, that you were experiencing that much homesickness for the abbey that you had decided to leave us without notice. Thinking back then, I had never detected any sign of homesickness or unhappiness in you. Not that I was paying attention to it at the time, but it seemed to me you had always been happy, and contented here."
Maria closed her eyes, trying hard not to show she was trembling, as she listened to him continuing once again. "I immediately opened the front door and went towards the gates, but there was no one in sight. I knew then that you had gone, that I had lost you, whatever that meant. Deciding it would be better to join my guests, I went back inside, after glancing down the road once more, hoping I'd see your lone figure standing there, carpet bag and guitar case in hand. But you weren't there.."
He laid his hands on her shoulders, the warmth of his fingers helped steady her, as he slowly turned her towards him. Maria lowered her head, but Georg lifted it with a gentle finger under her chin, silently imploring her to look at him.
"I was a fool, for not coming after you. But it was only then that I realized how I felt about you. I may have started loving you when you sat on that infamous pinecone, but I guess I fell in love with you the moment our eyes met, during the Ländler. I shall never forget what I felt then. Oh I know there has been some sort of tension between us since the moment you stood up against me that afternoon when I returned from Vienna. I only fully realized how I really felt about you when you were gone, my love. And then it was too late."
It took Maria a few moments to compose herself. For a young woman who had only just confessed to herself and the man standing in front of her that she loved him, this was quite a lot to take in. She opened wet-lashed eyes and looked at him, while her lips trembled into a smile.
Georg leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. "But what matters now, is that you've found your way back to us.. and that I have found my way to you," he whispered the last sentence in her ear, before he cupped her cheeks and lowered his head once more. His lips settled warmly on hers, in a kiss so gentle and tender, she ached as she returned it. When it ended, she opened her eyes and stared into the soft icy blue darkness of his. Georg drew her closer to him, and enveloped her in his strong arms.
"Tomorrow, we will start making preparations, immediately after we have spoken to the children. I can't wait to see their faces," he chuckled, before he dropped his arms and reluctantly stepped away from her. "Goodnight, my love," he whispered, as he kissed her knuckles.
"Goodnight," she managed to choke out, feeling her cheeks redden once again, but this time not with shame. He stole a glance at her one last time, before he disappeared through the door and closed it behind him.
The following morning, Georg was the first one to enter the breakfast room. Just before he walked down the stairs, he could actually hear the turmoil from his children's bedrooms. The noise, accompanied with an occasional 'shhhhh' from the older children, made him grin. It was obvious that Maria's return had quite the positive effect on his children, another circumstance for which he was grateful. The house had become alive again, he had become alive again, and words could not express what it meant to him. Maria may not have been an asset to the abbey, she most certainly was an asset to the Von Trapp family!
As he quickly scanned the breakfast room, he noticed table had been set for ten. He frowned, obviously Elsa's departure had gone unnoticed by Frau Schmidt. Deciding he should go to Frau Schmidt first, to explain to her why their guest would not be able to join them for breakfast, he saw Max rapidly coming out of his study, obviously eager to get out of the door.
"Excuse me Georg, I just came by to tell you I'm off to town to see a certain singing group, so I won't be able to join you for breakfast. I obviously overslept, which I seldom do, so please be nice enough to entertain Elsa while I'm gone. And oh.. please don't do anything I wouldn't do, or at least don't do what God forbids, hmm?" Knowing Georg wouldn't hold it against him, he winked at his friend, before he turned to leave.
"Max!," Georg called, as he made his way to him, accompanying him to the door. "Elsa left, last night.. We broke off our engagement." Not too sure yet about what to tell Max and what not, he decided to wait giving him any further information until he had discussed certain matters with his children and his new fiancée. Max, however, wasn't prepared to let go that easily.
"Why's that? The two of you got along so well, what did you do?" Georg rolled his eyes at this. For someone being a sponge, he was a very annoying sponge to say the least. "I will tell you when you get back. Take your time, though," he said in a conspiratorial tone.
"Aha! This wouldn't have something to do with your governess, would it, Georg?"
"That, Max, is for me to know, and for you to find out!" Clapping Max' shoulder, Georg turned towards the kitchen, but was halted by Max' voice. "Come now, Georg –"
"Max, are you familiar with the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat'? Besides, you really need to learn when it's the right moment to hold your tongue. Go on, off you go, go exploit some poor, ignorant singing group, while I spend some time with my family."
"…. And their governess?" Max inquired sweetly, before rapidly walking through the door, out of Georg's proximity and his angry looks.
It wasn't until half an hour later, that the children trickled into the breakfast room. Georg had already spoken to Frau Schmidt about the absence of their guest, and sat leisurely at the breakfast table, reading the Wiener Tagblatt. The children were unusually quiet upon noticing the table was now set for only nine people. They had gotten used to the fact that their uncle Max rarely joined them for breakfast, but they had been looking forward to having breakfast with their governess. That the breakfast table would only accommodate nine, made them fear the unthinkable: that Fräulein Maria had once again left, because obviously, Baroness Schräder would of course be taking her usual place at the table, the place she had taken since the moment Fräulein Maria had left, more than a week ago..
As all seven children took their seats, their eyes immediately wandered to the only vacant spot at the table: on the opposite side of their father, next to Gretl and Louisa.
"Father?" It was clear, by the way she looked at her father, that Gretl wasn't sure how to ask her father the question that they all had on their minds. Sensing their discomfort, Georg quickly laid the morning paper aside and turned his attention to his seven nervous children. "Yes, Gretl?"
"W-where is.."
"Your future new mother? I think she overslept, Gretl, but I am sure she will join us soon."
The children exchanged looks across the table. Obviously Gretl hadn't been meaning to ask where Baroness Schräder was, they couldn't care less about the woman. The person they were actually concerned about, was their Fräulein Maria.
"We didn't actually mean Baroness Schräder, father, we –"
"Of course not, Friedrich. You meant the future Baroness von Trapp, didn't you?" Georg knew perfectly well they didn't mean Elsa, but he felt this was a conversation he needed to have with Maria by his side. Fooling his children in this manner was not exactly what he had in mind the moment he woke up this morning, but breaking the news already without Maria present felt just as wrong.
As if right on cue, Maria stepped into the room. She looked radiant, with slightly blushing cheeks and a small smile plastered on her lips. "Good morning!" her cheerful voice broke the other persons present from their reverie. Georg turned in his chair to look at her, and greeted her formally with a "Good morning, Fräulein," before winking at her. Maria nodded slightly, making it clear to him that he wanted to keep up appearances before telling them, fearing it might become too clear to the children too soon. The wicked grin he gave her before he composed his face once again and turned towards the dinner table once again, was unmistakable.
"Good morning, Captain. Good morning, children."
"Good morning, Fräulein Maria," was the clipped response she received from her seven charges. Though she could see in their eyes that they were pleased to see her, it was clear they drew a sigh of relief. However, their governess' presence in the room still didn't answer all their questions. Where was Baroness Schräder, the woman their father was going to marry?
Georg took a deep breath, and placed his hands on the table, to push himself up. As he did so, he scraped his chair back from the table, which caught everyone's attention. Taking his time to look each of his children in the eye, Georg moved to walk around the table.
"Children, there is something I want to discuss with you, something that is of great importance. You know that, as an answer to Gretl's question yesterday, I told you that you weren't going to have a governess anymore, because you were going to have a new mother,"
The children all nodded in agreement, their eyes never leaving their father. Maria didn't know where to look at first, feeling a bit uneasy because Georg left his sentence hanging in midair. She could only guess the uneasiness the children must be feeling, because it had been obvious to her on numerous occasions that they didn't particularly like Baroness Schräder, and they had no idea where their father's monologue would lead.
"And that was the truth, you will have a new mother. A mother who will love you, support you and guide you as you grow up. But I am aware of the fact that marriage isn't something to be thought of lightly. You must all remember that, because a marriage can only succeed when you give everything that you have to give. It is not only about love and trust, but also about communication, commitment and affection. Those are components that can not only guarantee a happy, successful marriage, but also guarantee a happy family life. Because marriage is not just about a couple, it's about families as well. Especially in our case, your new mother doesn't only marry me, but marries the seven of you too, in a way. And I now realize that it would only be fair for all of us, if I asked your permission to remarry,"
The children looked at each other. Was their father really asking their consent for him marrying the Baroness? "But father.. what if we don't?"
"Kurt, I know for sure you will give me your permission, don't ask me how or why, I just do," Georg winked at his youngest son, who looked at him quizzically, his brow furrowed. Suddenly, all children mimicked their brother's facial expression. Their father couldn't be more wrong.
"I discussed some matters with your Fräulein last night," that piece of information suddenly caught all their attention and all gazes flew to Maria. What was going on here?
"I am very happy to tell you, that Fräulein Maria will leave us, probably in a few weeks' time, to take her vows –"
Georg was unable to finish, because the room was suddenly filled with the exasperated voices of his children. Some were whispering, others were nearly shouting, but all of them had a look of utter desperation in their eyes. Their father couldn't possibly be serious! They only just got her back!
Georg tried and failed to catch their attention, and was almost tempted to dig into his shirt pocket and pull out that 'silly' whistle of his. However, those days were gone, and he would make sure that history would not repeat itself. Instead, he walked towards Maria, who remained seated, and placed both his hands on her shoulders. He did not make another move, or undertook any further attempt to silence them, he just looked at them, waiting for them to calm down, and for realization to dawn on them.
Liesl and Brigitta were the first to realize what was actually happening. Their jaws dropped, and they were soon mimicked by Friedrich and Louisa, who began to understand what was actually happening because of the behavior of the two adults, and their sisters' reactions. The youngest children were quickly admonished by the eldest children to be quiet. Maria realized she had been holding her breath until all heads were turned towards Georg and her. She had never felt so nervous, as she did now. His fingers flexed strongly on her shoulders, his grip helped steady her.
"As I said, she will take her vows, but not as a nun. She has agreed she will be taking her vows in holy marriage. Thus, I would like to ask your permission to marry your eh.. governess." Georg wasn't sure what kind of reactions he had expected, but he certainly had not expected such deafening noise when all of his children leaped from their chairs and into Maria's and his arms. They were ecstatic, to say the least, and had a hard time containing their excitement, for more than five minutes. It was quite the opposite reaction he had received only yesterday, after delivering a quite similar piece of news.
"Fräulein Maria, when will the wedding be?"
"Will you be dressed in white?"
"Father, will you be wearing your uniform?"
"Can we be flower girls, Fräulein Maria?"
"Can we come to the wedding, father?"
Georg chuckled and ruffled someone's hair, caressed a cheek, and hugged another. Seeing his children as blissfully happy as they were, only confirmed to him once again that he had made the right choice. Looking down at his fiancée, he saw his own emotions mirrored in her eyes.
"I guess that's a yes then?"
Deciding that now was the right moment, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. As she turned to face him, he kneeled on one knee. Gasping, all seven children backed away, their jaws dropping once again. Georg reached inside his jacket, and pulled out a black suede ring box. The girls gasped, the boys had difficulties to stand still. Maria tried hard to hold back her tears, but failed miserably, as a single tear slid down her cheek.
Georg opened the box to reveal a beautiful, simple golden engagement ring with a single framed diamond, the frame resembling a lemniscate. "This belonged to my mother, Hedwig Wepler. My father gave her this engagement ring when he proposed, back in the 1880's.* The lemniscate you see here, stands for infinity. Two halves are joined, and because they fit so perfectly, nothing will ever be able to separate them. Therefore, it stands for everlasting love. I for one do not know how long forever will be, but I do know that I will love you, until my last breath."
"Maria, will you marry me?"
Maria was at a loss for words as she tried to swallow back her tears. Her heart sang at his words. It touched her heart that he meant to give her his mother's engagement ring, and what it stood for. She could sense his uncharacteristic nervousness, as eight pairs of eyes stared at her, waiting for her to answer. All she could do was nod, and as Georg slid the finger around her finger, they were met with a deafening jubilation, as all the children jumped and danced around. When Georg arose, he took her in his arms to plant a sweet, tender kiss on her lips, and she laughed softly as joy welled up in her heart, swelling it with a sweetness stronger than she ever imagined possible.
After kissing her hand and the shining engagement ring on her finger, he raised his head once more, her hands clasped in his in front of his chest. He suddenly frowned, and groaned as he clamped his eyes shut.
"What's wrong?"
"I suddenly have the most disturbing, terrible vision; the eight of you together, ganging up on me for the rest of my life.."
The End
(for now)
* In reality, Georg von Trapp was born in 1880, his sister Hede was born in 1877, meaning that Georg's parents would most probably have been married in the 1870's. Though I was unable to find the date or year on/in which August Ritter von Trapp married Hedwig Wepler, I took the liberty of pushing the date forward. And in the end, the creative team of TSOM didn't exactly keep to the historical facts/dates either, so I decided to ignore them as well :)