A/N: This was written in response to one of the writing prompts for the month of March on TSOM ProBoards site. This is a very different type of story for me to write, but that was the big challenge! Please review! I really like reviews! I still don't own anything etc.

"Are you certain Brigitta?" Asked Kurt.

"Yes, of course I am. Don't you believe me?" Brigitta replied.

"No!"

"I don't believe you either!" Friedrich joined in.

"Well come with me, I'll show you." Brigitta said quite exasperated.

Brigitta pushed past them and lead her brothers and sisters around the side of the house until they came to the parlour window. She motioned for everyone to be very quiet by putting her finger up to her lips.

"Inside there." Brigitta motioned into the parlour.

"What's 'inside there'?" Gretl asked trying to keep her voice at a whisper.

"What I told you about!" Brigitta answered her.

"Are you sure we should be snooping?" Liesl questioned.

"Well, you don't have to stay here if you don't want to." Brigitta shot back.

"Fair point!" Liesl held up her hands in defeat, but she stayed, not wanting to miss out on this.

"Ok, it is almost time. Look in there. She'll be in there. It has been the same each day this week." Brigitta told them all.

Seven pairs of eyes peered up over the windowsill into the room. There in the parlour was Baroness Schrader. She was sitting on the elegant lounge waiting. A knock came at the door and the maid entered with the tea tray. There was a silver teapot, fine china teacup and saucer plus several strudels on a matching fine china plate.

"May I pour your tea Baroness?" The maid asked.

"Yes please." The Baroness replied, her tone polite but icy.

The maid poured the tea quickly and efficiently, gave the Baroness a quick curtsy and left the room, closing the door behind her. The Baroness started sipping her tea slowly.

"This is boring." Kurt announced.

"Shhhh... Just wait," Brigitta replied, slightly annoyed, "it will happen in a moment!"

Almost as Brigitta finished speaking, inside the parlour the Baroness put down her teacup and got up, wandering over to the tray-mobile. Pausing for a moment to check that indeed the parlour door was closed, she quickly poured herself a nip of sherry. Downing the drink in one gulp, she resumed her spot on the lounge, closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep.

Back outside the window, Brigitta turned to her siblings and announced proudly "Told you!"

"Alright we believe you." Louisa sighed, admitting defeat. "So you mean she does this every day at this time?"

"Yes, I've watched her everyday this week. Same routine without fail. She'll sleep for at least half an hour before she finishes her strudel and goes to meet Father."

"What do you think they do together?" Kurt asked.

"Stupid! What do you think they do?" Louisa asked, poking him in the arm.

"You mean kissing? Oh I hope not, that's awful!" Kurt replied, sticking out his tongue in disgust.

"Oh kissing isn't that bad..." Liesl pipped up, almost talking to herself.

"Why do you say that? What do you know about kissing?" Kurt asked Liesl.

"Err... Nothing!" Liesl quickly replied, trying to disguise the blush that was coming to her cheeks.

Just at that moment, they were interrupted by the sound of a loud snore coming from the Baroness inside the parlour. Louisa struggled to hold off a snort. Having seen enough of what was going on inside the parlour and also conscious of being discovered snooping at the window, the children decided to move back out into the garden.

"So, when do you think it's going to happen?" Brigitta asked them all.

"What?" Marta asked, slightly confused.

"Father and Baroness Schrader. You know, getting married." Brigitta said back.

"Getting married? Did you really think so?" Marta asked.

"I hope not. I don't like her. I mean, she's beautiful and elegant, but not like our 'real' mother." Louisa commented.

"Oh... she's not that bad." Friedrich remarked in a slightly dreamy way.

"Ha! You only say that because you like her." Louisa teased.

"I do not!"

"Do to!"

"Do not!"

"Ha! This was you the other night after the puppet show. 'Good night Baroness Schrader' oooo, ahhh, oooo!" Louisa teased him again, giving him a gentle shove.

"I do NOT like her!" Friedrich concluded adamantly, turning a bright shade of red. Trying to cover up his embarrassment he pondered "Maybe we should play a trick on her to get rid of her?"

"Frauline Maria says we shouldn't play tricks anymore." Gretl pipped up.

"I know," Louisa replied, "but we have to do something. I really don't want her as our new mother. Next thing we'll know, we'll be shipped off to boarding school."

"Maybe we could put a frog in her room?" Marta suggested.

"Nah... Too tame." Louisa said thoughtfully.

"And we've already done the glue on the toothbrush trick." Kurt helpfully reminded them all.

"Hmm..." Louisa thought carefully. "If only we could get close enough to her to put a bug or a spider in her hair. You know those stiff curls she has at the back, I'm sure you could hide something in one of those for weeks and she would never know."

"That's it!" Brigitta exclaimed! "Good idea Louisa. Let's do that!"

"Won't we get in trouble?" Gretl asked.

"Probably," replied Kurt, "although it will be worth it to hear her scream."

"Well have to do it quickly before she wakes up." Liesl added. "How long does she usually sleep for again Brigitta?"

"About half and hour. Come on, let's find some bugs!"

The children spent the next ten minutes finding a good collection of bugs and spiders. Knowing that Louisa was the best at quietly sneaking into rooms to hide bugs, they nominated her to be the one to put them in the Baroness's hair. The remaining six children went and took their places back outside the parlour window to watch.

After a few minutes waiting for Louisa to go into the house and make her way to the parlour, the children saw the parlour door open quietly and Louisa sneak into the room. She tiptoed over to where the Baroness still slept soundly on the elegant lounge. Louisa started to quietly open the jar that she had brought in with her when the Baroness suddenly gave out another loud snore, stirred but relaxed back into the lounge to continue sleeping.

Very slowly Louisa continued to open the jar. She carefully picked out a very large bug that they had found in the garden. Dropping the bug into one of the large ringlets at the back of the Baroness's head, she then picked up another couple of bugs and did the same thing to the other ringlet on the opposite side. Now finished her task Louisa crept out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

A few moments later, Louisa arrived back to where the others were under the windowsill, slightly out of breath. They waited, and waited and waited. Just as they all thought nothing was going to happen, the Baroness stirred from her sleep. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, careful though to not smudge her impeccable makeup.

Outside the window, the seven pairs of eyes watched her like a hawk, all of them waiting for the moment of discovery with baited breath, but were starting to get a little agitated as nothing still was happening.

The Baroness sat upright, leant forward to finish her strudel. Mouthful after mouthful she ate without anything eventful occurring. All of a sudden, one of the bugs from her ringlets found its way loose and stated crawling down her head.

The only sound the seven satisfied children heard from outside the window was a loud scream.