Bunnies
Summary: A fluffy discovery causes trouble in the von Trapp household…an alternate way that Georg and Maria came together.
A/N: I've been re-watching "The Nanny" and I totally stole the base idea of this story from there, but I thought it would be cute and fluffy, so here we are. This story is AU from the party. Maria didn't leave and she and Elsa never talked. She did attend dinner at the party as Max's guest, but everything was fine. With the exception of a few sideways glances from the guests, Mara escaped the party pretty much unscathed.
"Oh, they're so cute!"
"Can we keep them?"
"Look how tiny!"
The children's cries of awe swirled relentlessly around Maria as they clamored to get a peek at the two, small, brown bunnies. The poor little creatures looked absolutely terrified from their hiding place under the gazebo bench. Maria surmised that they'd run in for shelter from the monstrous thunderstorm the night before and now, with seven excited children and their overwhelmed governess standing in the way, they couldn't figure out how to escape.
"Children, we can't keep them, they're wild animals." Maria explained to numerous groans of disappointment. "Besides, your father would never allow them in the house and you know that."
"He would if you asked him!" Gretl insisted.
Maria could've sworn she saw the older girls smirk at their younger sister's comment, but maybe it was just her own violent wave of self consciousness at the thought of her employer. Or was he her friend now? Since the night of the party, their relationship had definitely changed, although she couldn't define for the life of her exactly what that change was. When they were alone or with the children, they talked for hours and hours about everything under the sun; the children, their pasts, she'd even gotten him to open up a little about Agathe. When they were around any other adults, though, he acted as though she had the plague. It was like he did everything in his power to not even look at her, let alone touch her. In private, he'd started to take her hand in welcome and she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel giddy every time he did. Last week, however, in the salon, she'd passed him her guitar to sing for the children and when their hands brushed, he looked at her liked he'd been burned. Meanwhile, the Baroness' attentions to her had drastically changed as well. Before the party, the Baroness hardly noticed her existence. Now, all Maria had to do was step into a doorway and Elsa's eyes locked onto her with military precision. It was all very confusing. That was problem for a later time, though…
"And where would you keep them, Gretl?" Maria asked, hoping to dissolve the situation.
"In our room!" Marta answered gleefully for her sister.
"Oh please, Fraulein Maria?" Brigitta pleaded.
All seven pairs of eyes turned expectantly towards their governess and Maria sighed. There was simply no defense against that adorable of an army.
"Fine." Maria conceded. "I'll ask your father, but you'll have to take care of them yourselves!" She shouted the last part as their voices rose in excitement.
"What on earth is going on out here?" A deep, amused voice cut through the group's chatter.
The children eagerly turned to their father.
"Oh father, look! Bunny rabbits!" Gretl exclaimed. Georg peered over the group and down towards the bench.
"How exciting." He smiled at Gretl. "Aren't those one of your favorite things?"
He sent a knowing wink towards Maria, as if to say 'hah! I remembered!' and Maria swiftly kicked herself for the delicious shiver that raced down her spine.
"Can we keep them, father?" Kurt asked.
"The rabbits?" Georg asked warily.
"We've never had pets before, father." Louisa insisted. "We would take care of them!"
"Ah, and where do you propose these animals live?" Georg questioned. "After all, the snakes, spiders, and other creatures you snatched up all ended up in your governess' bedroom and I'm not sure Maria is keen on continuing that pattern."
"Did he just call me Maria in front of the children?" Maria wondered to herself while poorly disguising her shock. A quick glance around showed that none of the children had noticed, though, and so she stowed her questions away with all the others about her relationship with the Captain.
"Fraulein?"
Oh, someone was talking to her.
"Hmm?" She asked dazedly.
"I asked your opinion on the matter of the, uh, bunnies." Georg stammered a bit as he realized in an effort to get her attention, he'd moved just a little too close to her.
Maria seemed to have noticed his proximity as well since she blushed furiously before looking firmly at the little fluffy subjects.
"Oh, well, um, it's your house, Captain. Whatever you'd like." She muttered.
Georg looked at her curiously. Less than a month ago, she was screaming at him for his parental choices and now she didn't care? In their talks about the children, he'd made it clear that he greatly valued her opinion and she usually seemed eager to give it. They'd clearly have to talk later…when there weren't seven pairs of eyes staring at them…some of which looked just a little too smug for his liking.
"Yes, well," he started, "I suppose if they're kept outside and, um, you help supervise, I don't see any reason why they can't stay."
The younger children squealed with excitement while the older children looked gratefully and lovingly at their father. He really had returned to his old self. God only knows what might've become of the bunnies if they'd found them before Maria showed up.
The excitement gave said governess the chance to re-distance herself from the master of the house and regain her head. She found she was oddly excited about the bunnies, herself. Although whether that was because of the bunnies or the excuse to be outside and away from this confusing nonsense with the Captain, she would never say.
"Now children, don't you have something to say to your father?" Maria urged gently.
A chorus of 'thank you, father's rang out from the group and Georg humbly accepted them and hugged each of the little speakers. He couldn't believe he just gave his children permission to keep bunnies outside in the grounds. Who was he?
"Can I trust you all to take good care of them?" He asked with a smile.
"Of course!" Brigitta exclaimed. Her siblings eagerly nodded their agreement.
"And can I have a promise that your Fraulein won't wake up with them in her bed?" He jested, but with a somewhat pointed look at Louisa and Friedrich.
"Yes, father." Louisa answered knowingly. Although knowing her governess, Maria probably wouldn't mind waking up to a bed full of adorable fluffy animals. Still, it was a promise Louisa could keep.
"Alright, well then what are waiting around here for? You have an enclosure to make!"
Their father's announcement sent Friedrich, Kurt, and Louisa running off to the wood shed while Liesl sat with Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl debating names and discussing feedings.
As he turned to leave, Georg remembered Maria's strange behavior.
"Um, Fraulein." He said as gently tapped her on the shoulder. He couldn't help but feel disappointed at her flinch before she turned towards him.
"Yes, Captain?" She asked hesitantly.
"Could I see you in my study after dinner?" He tried to ask confidently, but he was sure his worry leaked into his words.
"Of course, sir." Maria answered.
Her words may have been simple, but the mere fact that she'd looked into his eyes for the first time that day when she said them had him reeling. Before he could think better of it, he found himself reaching for her hand and giving it a light squeeze.
"Until then." He murmured softly.
Maria felt herself starting to blush and quickly nodded and turned her attention back to the girls.
Georg smiled as he made his way back to the house, but the sight of Elsa and Max sitting on his terrace gave him pause. How was it that when he was with his children and their governess, everything was right with the world, but the sight of his soon-to-be-fiancé put a damper on that elation?
It was going to be a long afternoon.
Three Weeks Later
A long afternoon turned into a long week, which turned into the longest month of Georg von Trapp's life. His conversation with Maria that night hadn't led to anything except increased tension between him and Elsa and the realization that he needed to stop meeting with Maria privately because eventually, he was going to lose control and kiss her senseless…and given her reactions to him, she probably wouldn't even mind! The revelation that he was falling (had already fallen?) in love with his governess hit him hard and it would've been far easier to deal with if he'd been the only adult to notice. Unfortunately, Elsa or Max were neither blind nor stupid and it hadn't gone unnoticed by them at all. Max seemed amused by the drama as long as no one acted rashly, but Elsa? Elsa was losing her patience with him.
"And rightly so." He chided himself.
After all, he'd held a massive party in her honor nearly a month ago and he still hadn't proposed. She'd been essentially living at the villa, with her chaperone, as an engaged woman…except she wasn't engaged and at this point, Georg wasn't sure he wanted her to be.
Then of course, there were those blasted bunnies. He cursed himself every day for allowing that mess to enter his life. How was he to know, though? How was he to know that his children would take it upon themselves to name the things after him and Maria? He thought the bunnies would be good for them. He'd never really trusted them with anything before, and this would give them the opportunity to have something that was completely theirs. It would teach them responsibility. At least that was the hope. Now, he wanted to kick the bunnies across the lake.
Ever since they'd built the enclosure, conversation around the dining room table inevitably turned towards the bunnies' well being. Of course, after they were named, it wasn't the bunnies' well being, it was 'Maria fell asleep on Georg today and it was so cute!', or 'Georg is so mean to Maria, he steals her food…I think that means he likes her!'.
It had gotten so bad that he'd banned all talk of bunnies from the table, much to the little ones' dismay and the older ones' amusement. He scoffed. Of course the older children knew the trouble they were causing.
That thought brought him to back to the reason he was moping about in his study. The children weren't taking to Elsa. At first, he'd chalked their resistance up to the need for time, but Elsa had been with them for over a month and they still wanted nothing to do with her. How on earth was he supposed to marry someone who couldn't be a mother to his children?
A glance at the clock told him it was time for lunch and he reluctantly pulled himself together and headed to the dining room.
As usual, he was the first one there, but Elsa and Max soon followed and the children were not far behind them. The only ones missing were Maria and Gretl. He assumed they'd gone out to feed the bunnies and would be along any moment. He was about to be proven extremely right.
Right on the dot, at noon, Gretl ran into the room.
"Maria's going to have a baby!" She screamed.
The look on Elsa's face could've sunk more ships that second than he had during his entire time in the navy.
Max was beside himself with laughter, having quickly realized the youngest von Trapp must've been referring to the bunnies.
The rest of the children were somewhere on the scale between jumping and giggling.
Before Georg could try to gain any control over the situation, however, Maria ran into the room ready to apologize for being late. Unfortunately, her being out of breath left time for Max to have his moment of teasing glory.
"Who's the father, my dear?" he asked with a grin. He'd directed the question to Maria, but Gretl promptly answered for her.
"Georg, of course!" She exclaimed.
Elsa erupted into a violent fit of coughing on half-consumed wine. Georg reached out to grab her hand in an attempt at comfort, but he immediately regretted it as Elsa's nails sunk deliberately into his skin.
"Ow…darling…please…she means the BUNNIES!" He yelped on the word as her nails punctured his hand.
"Oh dear," Elsa quipped as she noticed she'd drawn a little blood, "sorry, Georg."
"I'm so sorry, Captain!" Maria interrupted. "We were late going to feed them and then Gretl noticed that, um, Maria, looked bigger and well I do have some experience with farm animals and so I thought I would check and Gretl was just so excited that she ran back before I could catch her and well, she is pregnant, but she's a bunny, so it's probably more than one-"
"It's a bunny named after Georg von Trapp," Max joked, "there are probably seven."
"You are not helping, Max!" Georg whispered harshly.
"You know, I'm not feeling very hungry." Elsa interjected, "I think I'll take lunch a little later, if you don't mind."
"No, Elsa, please," Georg tried to stop her, "I'm sorry about all of this. It doesn't mean anything, the children just think the names are fun."
"We'll speak later, Georg." She quickly dismissed him, and walked gracefully, but hurriedly out of the room.
Her exit left a tense silence. Even Max seemed to realize they'd gone too far. Georg didn't know what to say, but he was fuming. The worst part was, he couldn't even decide who he was angry at. He was annoyed with Max for encouraging the whole thing, annoyed with his children for instigating it, disappointed in himself for not being able to control everything, and some how furious at Maria for reasons he couldn't explain, but he knew if he looked at her blushing face one more time, he was going to lose it.
"I'm going to go make sure the Baroness is alright." He spoke tersely. "Please, eat and continue your studies."
Georg walked briskly out of the room leaving an extremely unsettled group in his wake.
"Fraulein Maria?"
A young voice brought Maria to her senses and she realized she was still standing awkwardly in the doorway. She turned towards Max and the children, but realized she had nothing to say, herself. Luckily, Max, now seeing exactly what the bunnies meant to everyone, decided to step in and save her.
"Well, if there's anything I hate more than wasted talent, it's wasted food." He announced. "Come on everyone, eat up."
After several reassuring nods from Max and the elder children, everyone began to eat. Everyone except Maria, of course, who simply pushed her food around trying not to think about the conversation they all knew was happening on the other side of the house.
Later that Afternoon
Maria sat outside by the bunny enclosure watching little mini-Maria munch softly away at a piece of hay while mini-Georg slept soundly in a corner. Despite all the trouble the bunnies had caused, Maria couldn't help but feel jealous of them. They had no idea of the troubles of humans. Their lives were so simple. They ate, they slept; that was it. What she wouldn't give for her life to be that carefree.
"I wonder if you even know you're about to be a mother." Maria gently spoke to her tiny counterpart. "Are you excited?"
Maria looked to the bunny almost as if expecting a response before she realized that was ridiculous.
"Well, I doubt you're as excited as the children are. You know, I hope you do have seven babies. I can only imagine them fighting over names if you have any less."
Bunny-Georg stirred awake, hopped over to the hay pile, and promptly tried to push bunny-Maria out of the way.
"Hey, Georg, that's not nice." Maria chided. "She's having your babies, you could at least let her eat something." Bunny-Georg stared at her for a moment before resuming his task and taking a sizable chunk of hay away from bunny-Maria.
The real Maria sighed wistfully. If she were pregnant, she was sure the real Georg would be doting on her hand and foot. She blushed at the thought and felt a horrid, but familiar, cloud of loss settle in her stomach. She shouldn't be thinking about the Captain like that. She shouldn't be thinking of him at all. The summer was coming to an end and she was to leave soon and follow her dreams of taking her vows. Except she couldn't deny any more that those dreams no longer held the same spark.
"I wish I could talk to someone about all of this." Maria whispered to the bunnies. "I think…I know…I fear I may be very much in love and I don't know what to do."
Saying it out loud broke her heart and she didn't even try to stop the tears that flowed at her admission.
Little did she know that Georg had come outside looking for her just a few moments ago and stumbled upon her private moment with the bunnies. He knew he should either leave or interrupt before she said anything else, but he was frozen. She loved him. The woman of his dreams was in love with him, he could hardly believe it! He frowned as he came back to earth and heard her crying. He never wanted to hear her cry ever again as long as he could help it.
"He's getting married." She cried. "He's marrying the perfect woman and I have no right to say anything."
"You have ever right to say something, Maria." Georg cut in.
"Captain!" She screamed, embarrassed and quickly drying her eyes. "I'm sorry, sir, did you need something?"
"What?" He asked lamely. "Oh! Um, no, it's quite alright. The children are upstairs reading with instructions not to come down until dinner."
"Oh, is everything okay? I can go to them if you like." She tried to escape.
"No. I mean, please, um, stay for a moment." He asked.
Much to Maria's surprise, he knelt down in the grass next to the bunnies with her. He'd gone on picnics with them, but she'd never seen him dare touch the grass in his suit pants. Suddenly she realized she was staring and quickly averted her eyes to focus back on the bunnies. Soon, though, the silence became too uncomfortable for her.
"I really am sorry about lunch." She apologized. "I hope everything is alright with the Baroness."
"Oh, well, it will be I suppose. I think it'll take her a little while back in Vienna to recover, but-"
"Vienna?" Maria asked, confused.
"Yes, we've, um, called off our courtship, you see, and um," He stammered.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She whispered half-heartedly.
"Yes. You are?" It was his turn to be confused.
"Why wouldn't I be?" She deflected. Georg sighed. She was much too good at avoiding the uncomfortable.
"Well, I thought that," he stopped himself, "Maria, please look at me."
Maria took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself, but when she turned, the look in his eyes was not at all what she expected.
"You've been crying." He noted. She tried to turn her head again, but he reached out to gently take her hand and the gesture brought her back to him.
"It's nothing." She assured.
"Maria, I'd like to think I know you pretty well now and I don't think I've ever seen you cry – not even when you nearly broke your neck falling out of a tree." They both let out a quiet laugh at that. "You can tell me."
Her earlier wish of having someone to talk to fluttered through her mind. He was no longer with the Baroness. Maybe this was God giving her a sign?
"Why would you want to be burdened with my troubles, Captain?" She asked honestly.
Instead of answering, Georg slowly reached up and caressed her cheek before drawing her face closer to his.
"I think you know." He whispered before gently pressing his lips to hers.
They kissed for only a second, but it felt like a lifetime later when they pulled away.
"I love you." He promised.
For the second time that night, Maria felt tears come to her eyes, but this time, there was someone to wipe them away. As Georg leaned in to kiss her once more, Maria wondered if she would ever feel unhappy ever again.
And in the grass, little Maria and Georg slept peacefully snuggled against each other.
I hope you enjoyed! :)