A/N: This is a story I thought up a bit AU. I hope it's not too strange, but you should know that the first chapter is a bit slow. Anyway please let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: The Sound of Music does not belong to me it, as well as the characters belong to 20th Century Fox so please don't sue me!

Summary (PLEASE READ): Ok, reading this story you have to imagine a few things:

Maria didn't "openly" fall in love with Georg over the summer, (so there was no "Something Good" scene I'm making one of those up in this story ). The Baroness and Georg didn't get married/engaged, and he hasn't proposed to her yet but they're still dating. Maria never left, and she was asked to stay and tutor the children, when the summer was over and she said yes.

Ok, so please keep those things in mind, and also know that this first chapter is a little short and slow but the fun stuff is coming up Please R/R!

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The wind rustled the bare branched of the towering oak trees. It was the end of October and the nights were getting fringed. Georg von Trapp wasn't sure how it had happened, but what he did know was that he was outside the house, in the dark and cold trying to fix a window in the children's nursery. The sun had set hours ago, and the first big snow of the year was due to hit later that evening.

Another light breeze grazed his cheek as the first of the snowflakes began to tumble down.

"I'm so sorry father," whimpered Kurt, who was gazing at Georg from a bed inside the nursery, "I don't know how it happened... the ball just slipped from my fingers."

"Which is why we made the rule, no playing with balls in the house," Georg half-heartedly replied, scraping out the last remaining bits of glass from the old window, "I think it's time you go and get your brothers and sisters... and possibly your governess."

The boy quickly scampered out of the room and off to do his fathers bidding. Georg sighed and he drank in his surroundings for the first time. The terrace below him was glazed over with ice and light dusting of snow already lined the now dead flowerbeds. Georg felt his stomach knot... a latter was not the safest place to be on a night like this.

"And would this be the new window, Captain?" A soft voice asked, causing Georg to glance up quickly. There stood Maria and the children, with looks of forced enthusiasm written on their faces.

"That's it," Georg replied.

Quickening her pace, Maria picked up the sheet of glass and brought it to the window. Giving a quick glance to the children, she turned to question Georg.

"Who needs to help with this?"

"I think you and I can do this pretty much on our own," He responded, as Maria smiled then began to lift the sheet.

"Just be careful on that latter Captain, you know how dangerous they can be," Maria said, a hint of seriousness in her voice.

Slowly, but surely they directed the glass into its proper place in the window frame.

"Now Maria," Georg began, his voice muffled through the glass, "I need you to hold this up while I secure it."

Nodding in understanding, Maria shifted her weight to better hold up the glass.

"Fräulein Maria," Brigitta whispered, catching her governess' attention, "Is it safe for father to be out there, on a latter like that? There's ice covering the ground!"

"Darling," Maria spoke, throwing the concerned girl a reassuring smile, "He will be fine... he'll be down soon enough."

"But don't you think it's dangerous to be out there tonight?" Louisa cut in.

"Possibly, but your father knows what he's doing," Maria paused, and giving a quick thought she added, "Plus, where else in this house is there room for seven children to sleep?"

Turning her attention back to the window, Maria's breath caught in her throat. The space that had once been occupied by the Captain was now empty. Noting that the plaster, which was used to keep the window in place, was mostly applied, Maria let go. Not wanting to scare the children for any unnecessary reason, she peered into the dark, looking for the Captain on her own. Glancing around, she assured herself that he had probably climbed down while she was talking to the children. After all, how likely could it be that he fell? She continued to glance around, beginning to feel desperate. Suddenly, her eyes came to rest on a dark, shadowy figure lying five feet or so beyond the latter. Maria felt her heart stop. That figure had not been there two minutes ago...

***

TBC -- but in the mean time, you could tell me what you think, or give suggestions in the form of reviews! (hehehe )

Ps. I have NO idea how to install windows especially in the 1930's. So can you just humor me, and pretend that's how it's done? Thanks