DisclaimerThe Sound of Music belongs to 20th Century Fox, although Eddie is mine (whom I just adore)
Gratitudeto Jelpy and Ilandra, who made me tear my hair out by expressing opposite points of view (kind of like Berthe and Margaretta…) Again, both of you have helped me turn this little bit of nonsense into something I rather like. Thank you again!
A/N: this is my entry to Vanessa's Christmas Challenge. She said we could post the stories elsewhere once the voting was done. Since it (the voting) was done sooner than expected, I thought I'd post this for Christmas. I hope you all enjoy it!
SettingVermontDecember 24, 1939
Heavenly Peace
"Mother?" Gretl asked as she walked to the front door and surveyed the scene before her. "What is Father doing?"
Maria smiled and knelt beside her daughter. Before she could answer, however, her husband gave an exasperated laugh.
"Have we been out of Austria that long that you don't know what I'm doing?" the Captain asked, smiling down at the pair.
"Well, you didn't do it last year, my love," Maria told him, standing up and guiding Gretl over to see the results of her father's efforts.
Georg smiled and reached down to stroke Maria's cheek. "Yes," he said. "Last year wasn't much of a Christmas."
"Well, this year is fun, right?" Maria said brightly, looking down at Gretl, who nodded quickly.
Gretl looked up over the doorframe, above her father's head. "What do 'C,' 'M,' 'B' mean?" she asked, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion at the carved letters.
"They stand for the three Wise Men, dear," Maria told her as Georg descended from the stepstool. "The letters usually go over a barn door to protect the animals."
"Well, I figured you children act the part sometimes, it was safe to have the letters over our doorway here," Georg said and backed away from Maria's flailing arm.
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him, their laughter ringing through the hallway. They leaned closer to each other when the sound of footsteps made them both turn their heads. The rest of the children, all wearing their coats, stood at the other end of the hallway, waiting patiently for their parents to notice them.
"We should leave for Mass," Liesl said, holding a bundle of blankets.
Georg walked over to his eldest daughter and took the bundle from her. "Do you think you've got her wrapped up enough, Liesl?" he asked, pulling away an external blanket to reveal his infant daughter's sleeping face.
"Well, it is winter outside," Liesl commented, and Georg looked up to see an all too familiar grin on her face. He returned the expression before looking back down at the baby.
"This is your first Christmas, Eddie," he murmured quietly to her, half-hoping his wife hadn't heard him.
She had. "Georg," she said with mock severity as she wrapped a scarf around Gretl. "We've discussed this. Her name is not 'Eddie.'"
"But she looks like an Eddie," Georg commented as Maria walked over to the pair. He looked at his older children for support, all of whom wisely looked anywhere but at either of their parents. He glanced back at Maria, who reached out for the baby so Georg could put his coat on.
Maria shook her head and leaned her head closer to her daughter. "How can he say that you look like an Eddie?" she asked her. "You're too sweet for a boy's name."
Edeline's response was to yawn and open her eyes lazily for a moment before going back to sleep. Maria shook her head. "Why can't you do that when the rest of the world does?"
"Do what?" Marta asked.
"Sleep," Georg answered for Maria. He winked at her and surveyed the entire group. Seeing that everyone was properly covered for the cold Vermont night, he nodded his head.
"Is everyone ready?" he asked. As the group nodded, he smiled and threw his arm outward in a grand gesture. "Let's go, then!"
"Why do I get the feeling that you'd like your whistle right about now, darling?" Maria asked with an air of innocence and saw her husband make a face at her.
"I would, my love, but it would wake Eddie," he answered and laughed aloud at Maria's exasperated expression.
"Something smells delicious!" Kurt exclaimed as the family re-entered the house a little while later.
"Yes," Georg agreed, placing his hat on its hook. "We'll make an Austrian cook yet out of Mrs. Baines!"
Marta and Gretl flung their coverings off and looked up at their parents with barely contained excitement. Even the older children seemed eager.
"May we go to the living room, please?" Marta asked, practically jumping up and down.
"Well, not yet," Georg told them, tapping their heads as if that would calm their nerves. "Dinner is first."
"But that door has been locked for ages!" Gretl moaned.
"Then a few hours spent with your family won't be that much longer then, will it?" Georg asked with a frustratingly sweet smile.
The girls frowned, but their disappointment quickly vanished as the cook entered the foyer, the sweet aroma of cookies following her.
"How was Mass?" she asked, wiping her hands.
"Very nice, thank you," Maria said walking over to her. The cook helped her remove some of the many blankets around Edeline. "We really thank you for spending your day with us."
The older woman patted her shoulder. "It was my pleasure to learn some new traditions. And besides, this way, I get to go home to a clean house and a special dinner already prepared."
"Now, there's an open window," Georg quipped. "It smells wonderful."
"I hope it'll be up to your fine Austrian standards," Mrs. Baines said, putting her coat on. "I've never cooked these dishes before, so you're taking your chances. And I can't even pronounce what those cookies are called, let alone tell if I've made them properly."
Maria laughed and leaned over to kiss the woman's cheek. "I'm sure everything will be delightful," she said and moved aside to let the woman pass. "Are you sure you won't join us for dinner?"
The cook shook her head. "No, thank you, ma'am, but I have some family waiting for me," she said. "Merry Christmas."
The family echoed the salutation as Mrs. Baines hugged them all good-bye.
Maria met Georg's eyes and nodded at him. He returned the gesture and followed the woman to her car, and Maria could see him pull a small wrapped gift out of his jacket pocket. When he returned, she turned to the children. "Let's eat!"
"Kurt, are you feeling alright?" Maria asked, studying him.
He nodded, his face a little pale. "I think I ate too much," he answered, rubbing his stomach.
The Captain dropped his fork onto his plate, completely shocked. "Did I hear you correctly, Kurt?" he asked his son. "Did you finally reach the end of that bottomless pit of yours?"
The family, including Kurt, laughed.
"It was the cake," the boy said in defense, pushing the remainder of the dessert away from him. "It was delicious."
"Mmm," Maria agreed, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. "Where Mrs. Baines managed to find the ingredients this time of year and during the Depression is a mystery."
"The fish was really good," Louisa said.
"You would say that," Friedrich said with a smirk. "You caught it."
His sister shrugged. "Not all of it," she said, looking over at her father, who winked at her.
"It was a job well done, sitting in the freezing cold in the early morning hours," Georg replied, raising his glass to his daughter.
"Everything is so lovely," Maria said, looking around at the homemade decorations. The cozy atmosphere of glittering pinecones and popcorn garland filled her heart. She looked over at Brigitta and Marta. "You girls did a wonderful job."
They blushed. "It was fun learning about American traditions," Brigitta said. "We wanted to have both, Austrian and American."
Georg smiled. "I think you succeeded." He looked up at Maria and nodded.
She rose quietly. "If you'll excuse me," she said, a twinkle in her eye, "but I need to look into something."
The little ones' faces instantly got ten watts brighter, and they flew out of their chairs in efforts to follow their mother as she exited to the locked living room.
"Where do you think you're going?" Georg called out. He rose out of his own chair and walked over to the cradle in which Edeline lay. She was studying the ceiling with keen interest.
"Hello, Edelweiss," he whispered to her as he stooped over to pick her up. The baby looked over at him and flared her arms as a greeting as he lifted her in his arms. He grinned and kissed her forehead. Turning to the rest of his children, he shook his head at the anticipation he saw on everyone's, even the older ones, faces.
"Just a few minutes longer," he told them, rocking Edeline.
"This is the first real Christmas we've had in a long time," Liesl said, walking over to her father and youngest sister. In truth, it was more than just being the first Christmas in their new home. It was the first Christmas Liesl could remember being happy after her mother had died. The holidays weren't very merry in the von Trapp home after that, and even last year was spent trying to settle into their home and adjusting to their new lives. This year was like experiencing the thrill of Christmas for the first time. Liesl was as energized as Marta and Gretl, who had never really had a joyful holiday season.
Her father sensed what she meant and nodded at her. Their eyes met and she smiled at him. "There are so many things to be thankful for this year," she said, reaching over to stroke Edeline's cheek.
There was a soft noise from the other side of the room as Maria returned, closing the door behind her, her hand behind her back. She smiled at the mirth she saw bubbling on all of the children's faces. Wordlessly, she produced a small bell from behind her back and rang it. She stepped aside to avoid being trampled by the stampede towards the living room. Shaking her head, she looked up at Georg, who was laughing softly.
"What is it about Christmas?" he asked, walking over to her. Their eyes met, and Maria felt her heart warm as he smiled at her.
"It brings out the best in everyone," she told him, reaching up to kiss his cheek.
"Oh!" they heard Brigitta gasp. "There's a crèche!"
The couple shared a smile before venturing into the living room to find half of their children fussing with the various gifts, and the other half staring in wide-eyed wonderment at the sparkling decorations.
"It's gorgeous!" Marta said, running around the lighted tree, trying to look at everything at once.
Maria knelt down at the foot of the tree next to Brigitta. The girl looked up at her mother, and Maria was alarmed to see tears falling down Brigitta's face.
"Darling," she exclaimed, putting her arm around her. "What is it?"
Brigitta shook her head. "I wasn't sure if there would be a manger."
"What kind of Christmas would it be if we didn't have a Nativity scene?" Georg asked. When Brigitta turned to look at her father, he smiled at her. "You always loved the Nativity, didn't you, Brigitta?"
She nodded wordlessly, too emotional to speak. She leaned into her mother's embrace and picked up the small statue of the Baby Jesus. "See, Mother?" she asked, giving the object to Maria. "It looks so much like one from home! Isn't it pretty?"
Brigitta and Maria examined the tiny figures as the rest of the children were examining the gifts and starting to make their guesses as to what each package was.
"I think we've waited long enough!" Georg announced after a moment. The children ceased their predictions and stared at their parents with strained patience. Maria rose and walked over to sit next to Georg. He grinned as she reached out for Edeline.
Georg watched as Maria adjusted herself next to him. Seeing her, with their youngest child in her arms, smiling brightly at him, filled him with a deep, joyous warmth. Their eyes met for a moment, and she mouthed I love you silently to him. He kissed her gently in response before turning his attention to the children and smiling at them all.
"Frohe Weihnachten," he said quietly. Seven elated faces beamed back at him and returned the sentiment.
Maria looked down at her daughter as she rocked her gently. Edeline stared back up with her father's clear blue eyes. Maria smiled and caressed her daughter's cheek, a feeling of wonderment flowing through her. She loved her daughter more than she thought possible, which amazed her since Edeline had come into their lives just a few weeks before. Maria glanced back up to stare at her family, her heart full with love for all of them.
Turning to Georg, she blushed as she found him watching her with the same intensity as their daughter. He winked at her before looking back at the children, all of whom reminded him of racers posed to begin a marathon. The sight caused him to laugh, and he shook his head. Wrapping his arm around Maria, he looked at all of his children in turn.
"So," he started, "what has Kristkindl brought all of you?"
His question was the catelyst they needed. Soon, all of the children plummaged into their gifts, shouts of excitement filling the room.
"Wait!" Maria cried, not expecting the sudden commotion. "It will last longer if you take turns."
They stared at her, soaking in her suggestion as if they had never heard of harmonious gift revealing before. Looking at each other for a moment, they nodded.
"Who gets to go first, then?" Kurt challenged. "Please don't say to go in birth order. We always go in birth order!"
Maria laughed. "Very well, then," she said. "You decide!"
Georg kissed her forehead. "Is that a wise idea, my love?" he asked. "Maybe it should be a free-for-all."
Maria shook her head. "I can't believe Christmas is here alreday," she said, looking anxiously at them. The older children had wisely let Marta and Gretl commence the unwrapping, and she was pleased that she could witness the reaction each gift gave its recepient. "This has been such a hectic year."
He nodded and reached down to stroke Edeline's cheek. "Hectic, but I'd say it's the best year we've had in a long time."
Maria's cheeks reddened, and she shifted so her head was resting on Georg's shoulder. They smiled in quiet amusment as their children unwrapped gift after gift.
"It would be a wonderful Christmas miracle if some elves cleaned those dishes in the dining room," Maria said wearily. The children had gone up into their rooms, but the dull sound of their laughter could be heard, and both Maria and Georg were elated that their children enjoyed their first real American Christmas.
"They can wait until Thursday morning," Georg told her, plopping down on the settee next to her.
"Two days from now?" Maria asked, making a face.
Georg laughed. "Who wants to do dishes on Christmas?" he reasoned.
Maria nodded. "I think we ate everything anyway," she said. He reached down to twist the wedding ban on her finger. "That really was nice of Mrs. Baines to stay all day today when she had her own family at home."
Georg kissed her forehead. "I think she likes being around us," he said.
"It's good to practice our English with her," Maria said. "She's so patient with us."
"You're really picking it up well," he told her.
"Not as well as the children," she said, looking up at the ceiling. "And you already speak it, so it's not a challenge for you."
"You don't give yourself enough credit, Maria," he told her, tilting her chin so their eyes met. He kissed her lips gently. "You're a fast learner."
She smiled and reached up to trace his jaw line. Besides them, Edeline made a soft mewing noise as she stretched in her bassinet. The couple grinned at each other at the sound.
"We're so blessed," she said, caressing his cheek.
He nodded. "Life here is a lot better than I had thought it was going to be," he told her. "Sometimes, when I look outside, I feel like I'm home again."
She nodded. "I feel that way when I look inside. This house feels more like home each day."
He smiled and leaned towards her. Their embrace was soft at first but grew more intense as they wrapped their arms around each other and moved closer to one another. Georg brought his hands up to run his fingers through Maria's hair, and she moaned lightly in response.
Pulling apart, he smiled at her and wiped a few stray hairs from her face. "I love you too," he whispered to her. A bright glow came to her eyes and she hugged him tightly to her. Shifting so her head lay on his shoulder, she sighed in complete peace. Georg reached down and absently drew lines up and down her arm.
"I think they all enjoyed their gifts," Georg said, glancing up at the ceiling.
"Yes, I do too," Maria agreed, following his lead and looking up. Every so often, they could hear footsteps.
Georg shook his head. "They won't be sleeping anytime soon tonight," he muttered.
Maria laughed lowly. "Good," she said. "Then they can help with Edeline when she starts to fuss."
Georg looked over at the culprit, who was making soft gurgling noises to herself. "What?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. "My Eddie doesn't fuss!"
Maria shook her head. "You're lucky it's Christmas, Captain," she said. "Otherwise, I'd hit you for defiling our child's name."
"I think she likes being called Eddie," Georg said.
"Her name doesn't even sound like 'Eddie,'" Maria protested.
"I'm making it American," Georg said.
"Heaven help us," Maria said and rolled her eyes.
Georg grinned and leaned down to kiss her cheek. He looked up at the ceiling again as a series of thumps could be heard, indicating someone running. "Do you think they each had a favorite gift?"
Maria shrugged. "I suppose so," she thought aloud. "They seemed to like everything they received. And they were very generous with each other, too."
Georg nodded. "Yes," he agreed. "It warmed my heart to see Louisa actually give nice gifts to her siblings this year."
Maria laughed. Turning quiet after a moment, she turned to look at the manger set up beneath the tree. "I'm still shocked at Brigitta's reaction to the Nativity being set up."
Georg, too, looked over at the miniature stable with its inhabitants arranged slightly differently than when the evening had begun. "She has always loved sitting under the tree and playing with the figures," he said.
Maria looked up to study her husband. "She commented that it looked like the one in Austria. Is that why you were so adament and selective about which Nativity scene we should buy? " she asked.
He turned to met her gaze and nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I knew it would make her feel better."
"She has had the most difficult time of everyone adjusting to life here," Maria said softly. "But she seems to be doing better."
Georg nodded, mesmerized by the lights on the tree. They lay in peaceful contentment for a while, the soft lights of the tree illuminating the room and Edeline's hushed noises filling the silence.
Reluctant to break the tranquil spell, Georg shifted to stand. Maria moved with a sigh and looked forelornly as he stood above her. "What?"
He looked down at her and smiled. "There is something else Kristkindl brought," he said lowly to her.
Her eyebrows rose. "Oh?" She watched him walk behind the couch and stoop over to pick up a large box.
"Georg!" she gasped, her eyes widening at the sight of the size of the box.
He gave her a look. "Nothing but the best for my wife on this, our first real Christmas together!"
She opened her mouth to reply, but felt unable to do so as she looked beyond him at the desk. He cocked his head. "Is there something in the corner that is of interest, Fräulein?"
She shook her head. "You can read me too well," she muttered and rose. Walking over to the desk, she opened the draw revealing a smaller wrapped gift. Holding it in her hand, she met his gaze and grinned. "I'm glad we both decided to keep our gifts to each other small," she said dryly as she eyed the package in Georg's arms.
Georg laughed as he manueved around the couch.
"How did I not see that there?" she asked.
He winked at her. "I had Friedrich and Kurt bring it down from their bedroom while you were feeding Eddie," he explained. He nodded for her to sit on the settee again. Shaking her head, she sat down. He placed the box in front of her, and she handed him the smaller package.
"You first?" she asked.
"I thought it was the ladies who went first," he countered.
"Well, the lady is giving first," she suggested. "How about that?"
He laughed. "If you insist, Baroness," he said.
Maria watched in anticipation as Georg unwrapped the present. His smile widened as he lifted a small whistle out of the box. He looked up into her sparkling eyes.
"I knew the first time you blew that silly whistle," she whispered. Full of emotion, Georg leaned to her and kissed her sweetly.
"I never knew such a stern, unfeeling object could be the most romantic thing I've ever received in my life," he murmured, reaching up to cup her cheek.
They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, reliving the early moments of their relationship. A loud thumping caused them both to jump.
"They have the worst timing!" Georg said. Laughing, Maria took the whistle from him and placed it around his neck. As she pulled away, he took her hands and brought them to his lips.
"I don't think I ever did learn your signal, Captain," she murmured.
"Well, I guess I was wrong, then," Georg said, shaking his head slightly. Seeing the question in her eyes, he grinned. "You're not a fast a learner as I had thought."
"You're terrible!" she gasped, slapping his shoulder. "And on Christmas!"
She stood up abruptly.
"I was just joking!" Georg said and tried to pull her back down.
She resisted, laughing. "You're not done yet, Captain."
He frowned. "Two gifts?" he asked, looking at his single present to her and feeling suddenly inadequate.
"I wouldn't just give you a whistle, darling," she said and walked over to the desk again. Producing a second gift, not much bigger than the boxed whistle, she walked back over to him, her excitement at this gift apparent on her face.
Georg smiled at her enthusiasm. "My goodness, Baroness," he commented. "If I could capture the expression on your face…"
Maria reddened. "Merry Christmas, my love," she whispered and handed him his second gift. He opened the box, and stared at the object inside with puzzlement. Looking up at Maria, he knitted his eyebrows together as he held a small rowboat in the air.
"It's a model," she answered the question on his face.
"Model?" he repeated, still not understanding.
"Its big sister will be docked in the Waterbury Reservoir come March," she told him and smiled broadly as Georg registered what she had said.
"You're giving me a boat?" he asked.
"A Sea Captain needs a boat," she answered wryly.
He stared down at the present. "Maria, I… this is…" he trailed, words failing him.
"It's just a little rowboat," she informed him quickly. "It's not that big. It's actually smaller than the boat we had in Salzburg, and it's old."
She swallowed a little shyly. "Well, not old, but I thought that maybe you and the children would enjoy working on it when it gets warmer, and then—"
Overcoming his shock, Georg took her in his arms and hugged her fiercely. Maria, surprised by her husband's sudden burst of affection, returned the embrace and buried her face in his neck. When they pulled away, she gazed into his eyes.
"Wow, Captain," she breathed. "If I could capture the expression on your face..."
His smiled widened. "Thank you. You have given me so much," he started, glancing over at the bassinet. "Thank you."
She followed his gaze over to the spot where their daughter lay and then returned to look at him. "You're right," she said and nodded. "It has been a very good year."
He nodded and leaned in to kiss her. "Will you be my first passenger?" he asked when they parted. He caressed her cheek.
"Of course, Captain," she whispered and held his face in her hands. "Just don't let me fall in this time."
He laughed. "I believe that was your fault, Fräulein," he said, looking down at the model again. "This is very generous of you, Maria. How did you—"
She smiled. "Kristkindl, naturally," she answered with a twinkle in her eyes.
Laughing, he drew back. "It's your turn, Maria," he said, gesturing to the large box at her feet.
Maria leaned over to peel away the festive paper. Opening the box, she dug into the padding and suddenly froze. She snapped her head up and found her husband watching her intently.
Her mouth dropped open slightly. "I can't believe…" she trailed, feeling her stomach tighten and tears well in her eyes as she pulled her beloved guitar out of the box.
"Georg, I—" she started, but it was her turn to be speechless. She looked up at him and smiled brightly.
"Now it's back where it belongs," he said, slowly running his hand down the freshly polished body of the instrument.
"How did you get this?"
He cocked his head in secrecy. "As you said, Kristkindl," he answered.
As she placed it on her lap and adjusted the tuning pegs, Georg nodded in affirmation. "You're right," he whispered. "This is starting to feel more and more like home each day."
"Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed and reached over to hug him. "This is wonderful!"
A soft cry prevented his immediate response as Edeline chose that moment to make her presence known. Georg tapped Maria's nose before rising to pick up his fussy baby. Gently rocking her, he looked over at Maria.
"Maybe the guitar will help calm her down," he suggested.
"She does seem to like it when I sing to her," Maria said, still gazing in awe at her present. Looking up to meet his gaze, she nodded.
She plucked away at the strings and concentrated for a second.
"It still sounds good," Georg commented, swaying a quieter Edeline. "Do you know any Christmas carols?"
"Why, yes, Captain," she answered. "I happen to know a few." She adjusted her fingers and sat back into her seat. Tentatively at first, she played louder as she re-accustomed herself to her old instrument. She smiled sheepishly every so often as her fingers fumbled, and Georg winked at her.
"I think I'm remembering now," she said and began to sing softly. Georg smiled and sat across from her, moving his gaze from his wife to his daughter. Edeline had stopped fussing and stared out into the air, as if wondering where the new sound was coming from.
"That's your Mamma, Edeline," he told her. "Do you like her singing?"
The infant shifted her eyes to look at Georg and she yawned. Georg chuckled. "Well, it does rather sound like a lullaby, doesn't it?" he asked and continued to rock her. He looked up and watched as Maria went into her element, softly singing the familiar carol, closing her eyes and losing herself in the beauty of the melody. Edeline's soft noises combined with Maria's soothing voice filled Georg with a strong emotion. He brought his daughter up to his face and kissed her cheek. He looked over at Maria again and smiled to himself, feeling God was truly with all of them.
Maria re-opened her eyes and met her husband's gaze as she finished the last verse. He was about to comment, but she surprised him by continuing to play, and she resumed her singing.
Georg felt his own mouth drop slightly as she sang the same carol, but with the English lyrics. She smiled at him and continued to sing the new words, and Georg exhaled loudly, a feeling of complete bliss spreading over him.
As she finished, she smiled to herself and rubbed her hand down the body of the guitar. She looked back up at her husband, her heart full at the sight of Edeline in his arms and the peaceful expression on his face.
"Frohe Weihnachten, Georg," she whispered.
He blew a kiss at her. "Merry Christmas, Maria."