Maria crinkled her nose as she turned the rusted old pickup truck into the circular driveway of the posh house that stood at its end. She desperately tried not to grind the gears of the truck as she screeched its engine to a halt. Drawing in a breath she looked down at the dowdy dress that she was forced to wear and then at the two devils sitting silently beside her who were the reason for her sudden change in wardrobe before they had left the Abbey. She threw them a smirk that hopefully let them know that, although Mommy loves you very much I secretly hate you both right now. They both threw her their toothiest grins and began another round of apology. She held up her hand to silence them.

"It's fine really. Now listen Ike and Mike, I need to go in there and get our key. You two are to stay here in this truck." She gave them her best; you had better do as I am saying looks or else as she continued her drill sergeant list. "You are not to get out of this truck for any reason, "

"What if it's on fire?" Her wise cracking son interrupted her.

"Even if it's on fire, keep your butts in this truck. Don't touch anything, don't touch each other. As a matter of fact, don't even look at each other." Finished she opened the door and stepped out, hoping that her ingenious idea of parking farther to the right of the main door hid the jalopy that she had parked into the grand driveway. She could almost feel the house sneering at the old caretakers' truck. As if sensing the scrutiny it was under, the old trucks front fender dropped a little more from the frame.

Normally she wouldn't care about appearances but the sheer majesty of this house demanded nothing but the finest and right now she was feeling anything but fine. Looking around taking in her surroundings she smoothed her hand down the gray dress. The rough feel of the fabric forced her to look down. Who was she kidding she thought. Whatever this fabric was couldn't even get a wrinkle in it. As a matter of fact a wrinkle would be too afraid of this fabric. She herself had concluded after she had changed into this dress that whoever had made the fabric had an odd sense of humor. She glared again at her children who were watching her now and she smiled at them. They were devils but she loved them to pieces. It wasn't their fault that she had taken so long loading the small pickup with their few belongs for the move. Nor was it their fault that their boredom had overtaken them and they released that boredom by playing in the fountain at the Abbey while they waited for their mother to say her goodbyes. She laughed to herself now as she thought back and remembered their startled faces as she came up behind them and went to scold them. Her son had turned around too quickly had lost his balance and caught himself by grabbing the first thing he could find. Which in this case had been his mother's left breast, leaving behind a perfect muddy handprint on her white cotton summer blouse right over her bosom. To keep her mother from falling over her daughter had tried to catch her and had put a matching handprint over her mother's right breast. With all of her clothes packed away for the move she had no other alternative but to change into something from the poor box. This gray dress was all that was left.

Maria tapped the door of the truck, "I was only kidding you can get out if the trucks on fire," the kids laughed, "but ONLY if it's on fire." They rolled their eyes at her and went back to their cat's cradle game. She calculated in her head as she rang the doorbell how long she had, to get the key from her new landlord, before the game turned into an all-out brawl between her children.

"Knock it off Liam," she heard her daughter yell. About two minutes she figured. Thankfully the door was answered by an older gentleman. He scanned her length silently taking in her appearance and gave a slight eye roll. Right off the bat she confirmed what she had already suspected about this Captain von Trapp. She didn't like him one bit. Biting back her sarcasm she gave him her biggest smile.

"Hello, Captain I'm here," she stopped midsentence as the gentleman's hand came up to silence her.

"I'm the butler Frualein. Please come in." He stepped aside to allow her entrance into the house.

"Wait here please." The gentleman turned and left her at the bottom of the stairs in the grandest entryway she had seen since coming to Austria. The foyer was quite magnificent with its lovely gold plated mirrors and elegant armchairs. The floral arrangements threw in a beautiful scent and touch of class. For a moment she was reminded of her Grandmother's house back home. She had also been very Austrian.

Maria walked further into the foyer and couldn't help but to peak into the first door on her right. The door was cracked open a bit and a slight gleam reflected from the walls. She stuck her head further into the grand room. Never before had she seen a room covered in almost all gold, it was quite breathtaking. She wondered would it would look like in daylight. The room was so dark it mustn't have any windows she thought to herself. She was about to let herself into the room when someone cleared their throat rather loudly taking her by surprise. She twirled around too fast. Much like her son had done earlier in the day, and slammed into a gray clad wall of a man. She would have surely gone to the ground if the man hadn't grabbed her elbows to still her movement. It took her a moment to realize just what had happened and another moment to realize that she had her entire body flush against this stranger. Quickly she looked up into the stranger's expressionless face. Taking in the taught lips and the piercing gaze from his eyes, she realized two things. One he was kind of handsome and two he scared the crap out of her. This brought her to the conclusion that this must be the infamous Captain von Trapp.

"Hallo," she said awkwardly to break the silence. The captain stepped away from her and walked rather militantly to the doors she just had her head stuck in and closed them tightly. He turned on his heel doing an about face and gave her a look that could cut glass.

"You will kindly remember in the future Frualein that there are some rooms in this house that are not to be disturbed." His tone of voice didn't provoke her to correct him in his assumption that she was a Frualein when she was indeed a Frau.

"Yes Captain," boy this was going to be a fun summer she thought to herself. Why had she let her Aunt talk her into tutoring the von Trapp children and living in their cottage for the summer holiday? Then she remembered the two toe heads out in the hot truck waiting for her to begin their "summer of adventure" as they had taken to calling it. Even if this man made her want to pee in her pants she wouldn't let the two of them down.

Much like the gentleman who had answered the door the Captain scrutinized her wardrobe. Thanks again children she thought.

"Captain," she started then quickly stopped as he had held up his hand to silence her.

"Turn around please." He commanded and twirled his finger around in a circle like she didn't know what he meant. She gave him the "you're insane" look but yet couldn't stop her feet from doing exactly what his finger was telling her to do.

"It's the dress. You'll have to change before you meet the children."

"Well, of course Captain." Did this guy really think that she was going to wear the same dress for four days? Today was Friday and the first English lesson was Monday.

"Ah Frualein," he stopped, turning to her and snapping his fingers. About five more minutes of this guy and she was going to hurt him.

"Maria"

"Ah yes Frualein Maria, I don't know how much the Mother Abbess has told you."

"Not much," she stated before he started his circle march around her.

"You are the 12th governess in a long line of governesses," Governess? What was he talking about? Obviously he had her confused with someone else. She tried to interrupt him as he was going on with his speech, but again that silencing hand came up. And again she fought the urge to slap it down. He continued on with his speech, she was only half listening trying to figure out how to get him to listen to her. Her patience wore thin as she took in all the rules that he expected his children and this new governess to follow.

"Excuse me Captain!" She yelled over his banter. Boy if the first look was made to cut glass this look was definelty made to kill. "I'm sorry sir, but there has been some kind of mistake. I'm not here to be a governess to your children. I'm here to collect the key to the cottage…" Again the hand stopped her. She was beginning to wonder if that hand had some sort of special power in it. Everything it told her to do she did it.

"Excuse me", he sneered "I was told that the professor that I hired was a widower and that he and his children were going to be staying in the cottage. " Again he looked her up and down. Only this time there was a slight glimmer in his eye. "You don't look like much of a child to me."

Oh Captain you arrogant, arrogant man. "That's because I'm the professor." Wait for it Maria, she thought as she let him process this information. She tried to hide her smirk as she watched his head snap to attention but couldn't hold her laugh as she saw the utter look of confusion wash over him. "Obviously I'm a widow, not a widower and my children are waiting for me outside in your driveway."

"How old are you?"

"Excuse me?" Her patience was really running thin with him at this point. There was rude and then there was rude and this man was beginning to cross the boundary with her. It wasn't as if she wasn't used to people marveling at her age and all that she had achieved at such a young age. She had simply grown tired of having to explain herself to everyone that she met. Sometimes she thought that it might just be easier to carry a note card with the story of her life thus far written down so that she wouldn't have to go into it every time she met someone new. Most people were quite impressed with her once they found out that she had graduated her first university when she was fifteen and then went on to Juilliard and earned a doctorate in music theory all while being a young wife and mother to a set of twins no less. However, she didn't believe that to be the case with the good Captain here.

"It's just that I was told that the professor that I hired held a doctorate degree in Language," this time it was her that held up the silencing hand.

"No sir, that is wrong. I hold my doctorate in music theory and my master's degree in Language arts. I'm not really sure how the confusion was started or whom you spoke to at the school, however I can assure you that I am fully qualified to tutor your children in English. Especially since it is my native tongue and I speak fluent German as you can tell. Plus I have been working with Freidrich and Liesl at the upper school this past semester."

"If it is your native tongue why don't I detect an English accent?" Maria had heard about this Captain since she had moved to Austria to be closer to her Aunt. She had had four of his children in the grade school as pupils starting with Louisa. She knew his children well and loved each and every one of them, having comforted Brigitta, Louisa and Kurt when they had lost their mother three years earlier. However well she knew his children, nothing had prepared her for the cold hard man that was in front of her.

"Although I was born and raised in America, both of my parents were from Austria. I can switch my accents according to what language I am speaking at that time." She spoke this all in English with a full on New York accent.

The Captain nodded his head at her and she saw the impression in his eyes. The same eyes she recognized from several of his children. He was about to say something when he was interrupted by a delighted squeal.

"Frualein Maria!" She heard Brigitta before she saw her coming through a door to their right running at her to the displeasure of her father. Maria beamed at the girl and opened her arms inviting her into a hug.

"Fraulein Maria, I'm so happy to see you." Smiling down at the girl she placed a kiss on her forehead. Brigitta would always hold a most special place in her heart. She had held the child while she had wept tears for her lost mother years ago and remained to this day the child's confidant. Plus she was her daughter's best friend.

"Is Lynn here?" Maria rolled her eyes at Brigitta. She had wondered how long it would take her to inquire after her. During the school session Lynn and Brigitta were inseparable.

"She's out in the car with Liam. Probably has him in a head lock as we speak." She looked over at the confused Captain. "Lynn is my daughter. She and Brigitta are best friends." Just then Kurt came from a room on the upper level and was trotting down the stairs.

"Fraulein Maria! What are you doing here?"

"Well hello to you too Kurt." She laughed at the exuberant boy.

"Oh I mean, hello Frualein Maria, how are you?"

"I'm fine Kurt, thank you for asking."

"Liam and Lynn are out in the driveway Kurt." An excited Brigitta informed Kurt.

"Really? Father, may we go outside to see them?" Kurt asked his father who had been standing as if in shadow watching the interaction between the tutor and his children.

"For a moment while I get, Frau Maria, the key to the cottage."

"Frau?" Both of the children looked confused at their father's sudden change to Maria's prefix.

"The grade school children find it easier to say my first name, sir. They all call me Fraulein Maria so it really has simply become a nickname. It's fine really."

"Are you staying at the cottage Fraulein?" Kurt asked. "Are you the English tutor we are going to have this summer?"

"Yes Kurt." Both of the children jumped up for joy at this news.

"I can't believe Lynn didn't tell me." Said Brigitta, "She had said she had a surprise for me this summer, I can't believe she kept this secret."

The children ran up the foyer stairs to go out the front door. Kurt turned around and looked at Maria one last time before he went out.

"Fraulein, where in the world did you get that dress?"

"I was wondering the same thing Kurt," said Brigitta, "but at least I wasn't rude enough to ask."

Maria sighed, "Just ask Liam and Lynn they will tell you." The children made their exit. After a brief moment she heard the truck door slam. It must be on fire she cheekily thought to herself. Turning to the Captain she caught him in a stare as her eyes met his. For a moment she was startled by her own reaction when her heart skipped a beat causing her to look down with a knowing blush. What was that about she thought? He isn't that scary that he could stop her heart from beating. No he isn't, the side of her conscious that had been silent since the death of her husband some 8 years earlier piped in. No you fool he isn't that scary, it said to her, but he is that handsome.

Forcing herself to meet his eyes again and finding her lost confidence she asked, "So Captain do I pass inspection?" The captain taken off guard by her question raised his eyebrows at her cocking his head with a small smirk on his face. Realizing what she had just asked him had a double meaning she quickly corrected, "Uhh what I mean is, do you think I'm qualified enough to tutor your children this summer?"

The Captain stood for a moment with his arms across his chest. Leaning back on his heels his eyes scanned her up and down again, though this time he did it slowly letting her know full well what he was doing. Without realizing it her breathing quickened and her heart did a little flicker. When his eyes finally met hers, her breath caught in her throat.

"I think you'll do" was his reply.

I own nothing. Just having some fun. Read and Review, please, this is my first fic. but you don't have to hold anything back if you see something I can improve on please let me know.