Thunderstorms
Category: The Captains POV. Just because Maria's gone doesn't mean that Gretl is any less frightened of thunderstorms.
** I'm not one for songfics, but I think it works here!
*** I was asked by one of my feedback people if I thought that the analogy of a thunderstorm worked. And I think it does. Their relationship was storming in the beginning, and the first time Maria really challenged Georg was the night of the thunderstorm.
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My quiet dimly lit study has been my only escape since her return to the abbey. I've found that it's the one place in the house that I have been able to immerse myself in something that succeeds in taking my thoughts off of her.
Perhaps it's the thunderstorm raging outside that leads my every thought back to her.
I'm so lost in my thought of her that I almost fail to hear the door slowly creek open. I look over my shoulder and see Gretl standing in the doorway.
" Gretl?" I say quietly, " Is something the matter?"
" I was frightened by the thunderstorm." She says tearfully.
I motion for her to come in, " There's nothing to be afraid of, darling."
She walks slowly towards me and then stops in front of me. Her tear filled eyes meeting mine,
" It's just…that the last time there was a thunderstorm…" She trails off still fighting back tears.
" The last time there was a storm, what, darling?" I say softly.
" Fraulein Maria was here." Her voice cracks, as she's no longer able to hold back her tears.
I nod sadly, " I see. And there was something special that she did to calm your fears?"
Her eyes leave mine, and she drops her head before nodding slowly.
" Perhaps if you tell me what she did, I can try it, see if it makes you feel better?" I coax her gently.
" Well…she, she used to…" She says tearfully, " She used to sing to us."
I can't help but smile at that revelation, " Oh, what song did she sing?"
" My Favorite Things." She says her tears giving way to a slight smile.
" My Favorite Things, I'm afraid I don't know that one. Would you like to teach it to me?"
I watch her smile grow brighter as she nods to me.
I pull her onto my lap, and smile down at her.
She lays her head against my chest and softly begins to sing,
" Raindrops on roses,
And whiskers on kittens."
" Bright copper kettles,
And warm woolen mittens."
" Brown paper packages,
Tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things."
She stops suddenly and I hear her trying to stifle her tears, " Father?" She says, her voice a tearful whisper.
" Yes darling?"
" Did we do something wrong?"
" Something wrong?" I say back, trying to understand what she's talking about.
She nods against my chest, " Something that made Fraulein Maria leave us?"
I shake my head to try and emphasis my point, " No darling, no one did anything wrong. Fraulein Maria said in her note that she missed her life at the abbey to much, that she had to leave us."
" She didn't even say goodbye." She sobs, as thunder continues to roar outside the window.
I pull her closer, " No…I suppose she felt it was better that way."
She's quiet for a few moments before I hear the soft sound of her singing,
" Girls in white dresses, with blue satin sashes.
Snowflakes that stay on your nose and eye lashes…"
The last few words of the song are muffled by a yawn. She sings a few more lines before I hear her begin to drift off to sleep.
" Goodnight, darling." I say as I place a tender kiss on the top of her head.
I look down at Gretl sleeping peacefully in my arms, and realize that even though Maria's gone, she's the reason I have my children back. I smile at the thought of her, and whisper into the air, " Goodnight Fraulein, and thank you."
Fin.
Category: The Captains POV. Just because Maria's gone doesn't mean that Gretl is any less frightened of thunderstorms.
** I'm not one for songfics, but I think it works here!
*** I was asked by one of my feedback people if I thought that the analogy of a thunderstorm worked. And I think it does. Their relationship was storming in the beginning, and the first time Maria really challenged Georg was the night of the thunderstorm.
************************************************************************************************
My quiet dimly lit study has been my only escape since her return to the abbey. I've found that it's the one place in the house that I have been able to immerse myself in something that succeeds in taking my thoughts off of her.
Perhaps it's the thunderstorm raging outside that leads my every thought back to her.
I'm so lost in my thought of her that I almost fail to hear the door slowly creek open. I look over my shoulder and see Gretl standing in the doorway.
" Gretl?" I say quietly, " Is something the matter?"
" I was frightened by the thunderstorm." She says tearfully.
I motion for her to come in, " There's nothing to be afraid of, darling."
She walks slowly towards me and then stops in front of me. Her tear filled eyes meeting mine,
" It's just…that the last time there was a thunderstorm…" She trails off still fighting back tears.
" The last time there was a storm, what, darling?" I say softly.
" Fraulein Maria was here." Her voice cracks, as she's no longer able to hold back her tears.
I nod sadly, " I see. And there was something special that she did to calm your fears?"
Her eyes leave mine, and she drops her head before nodding slowly.
" Perhaps if you tell me what she did, I can try it, see if it makes you feel better?" I coax her gently.
" Well…she, she used to…" She says tearfully, " She used to sing to us."
I can't help but smile at that revelation, " Oh, what song did she sing?"
" My Favorite Things." She says her tears giving way to a slight smile.
" My Favorite Things, I'm afraid I don't know that one. Would you like to teach it to me?"
I watch her smile grow brighter as she nods to me.
I pull her onto my lap, and smile down at her.
She lays her head against my chest and softly begins to sing,
" Raindrops on roses,
And whiskers on kittens."
" Bright copper kettles,
And warm woolen mittens."
" Brown paper packages,
Tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things."
She stops suddenly and I hear her trying to stifle her tears, " Father?" She says, her voice a tearful whisper.
" Yes darling?"
" Did we do something wrong?"
" Something wrong?" I say back, trying to understand what she's talking about.
She nods against my chest, " Something that made Fraulein Maria leave us?"
I shake my head to try and emphasis my point, " No darling, no one did anything wrong. Fraulein Maria said in her note that she missed her life at the abbey to much, that she had to leave us."
" She didn't even say goodbye." She sobs, as thunder continues to roar outside the window.
I pull her closer, " No…I suppose she felt it was better that way."
She's quiet for a few moments before I hear the soft sound of her singing,
" Girls in white dresses, with blue satin sashes.
Snowflakes that stay on your nose and eye lashes…"
The last few words of the song are muffled by a yawn. She sings a few more lines before I hear her begin to drift off to sleep.
" Goodnight, darling." I say as I place a tender kiss on the top of her head.
I look down at Gretl sleeping peacefully in my arms, and realize that even though Maria's gone, she's the reason I have my children back. I smile at the thought of her, and whisper into the air, " Goodnight Fraulein, and thank you."
Fin.