Okay, maybe I could have done better with the summary, but I hope you all enjoy the story a little more! Also, if you're going to leave a critical review then could it please be constructive criticism? I mean this in the politest way possible, thank you! :)
'Telling your mother that you're pregnant at seventeen? What's so fearsome about that?' Liesl had been trying to tell herself since she had received the telegram which had only confirmed what she had already known from deep within her heart a little over four months ago. She knew that Maria would be disappointed in her for acting so recklessly; that she would no doubt ask many questions, but she also knew that as soon as the initial shock had worn off she would be drawing her into her embrace and pressing soft kisses to her forehead and cheeks as she reassured her that she would be there to support her and guide her through her pregnancy. Liesl felt her heart pounding as she nervously made her way through the Grand Hall towards the family room and she wrung her hands gently in front of herself, the slight nauseousness that lingered from when she'd vomited just minutes ago growing stronger as she prayed silently that her mother wouldn't be in the family room and that she would be able to keep her pregnancy to herself for just a week or two longer. Her hopes were dashed when she saw Maria standing in the centre of the room through the small window on the door, however, Rosmarie cradled tenderly in her arms as she gazed affectionately down at her and her soft rosebud lips were curled up into a precious smile as it appeared as though she was attempting to get her off to sleep.
Liesl hesitated momentarily when she reached the door and she released the trembling breath that she didn't realize that she had been holding as she ran her soft hand lovingly over her still-flat abdomen through the beautiful floral fabric of her dirndl, knowing that her baby wouldn't be able to feel her comforting caresses for another few weeks but still feeling the urge to show it just how much she loved it. After standing quietly for a time as she thought about how she was going to make revealing her pregnancy to her mother as easy as possible, she knocked gently upon the door before she allowed a soft smile to appear upon her lips when her mother caught her gaze through the window and shifted Rosmarie warmly into one arm in order to beckon for her to enter. The slight fear and nervousness that Liesl was feeling must have been as plain as the nose on her face due to the way that her mother was looking at her as she made her way into the room, Maria's brow furrowing slightly in concern as her clear blue eyes sparkled lovingly as she looked over at her. Once Liesl had closed the door quietly behind herself a short time later, she intertwined her fingers in front of herself and dropped her gaze to the soft carpet as she gave herself a second to compose herself. 'Mother, please may I speak with you?' She whimpered softly when she met her mother's loving gaze, her body beginning to trembl
'Of course you may, darling, you know that you can speak to me about anything that's bothering you.' Maria's tone was gentle and held nothing but love for her as she began to make her way over to the settee with Rosmarie still cradled tenderly in her arms, Liesl following close behind her before they lowered themselves down carefully onto the settee and Maria brought Rosmarie to sit safely in her lap before she smoothed out the slight creases that had formed upon the baby pink skirt of the new dress she had made for her. 'Now, my love,' Maria sighed lovingly as she reached out to take Liesl's hand in her own as her free hand rested protectively upon Rosmarie's belly. 'What's been troubling you?'
'There's something that I need to tell you, mother.' Liesl admitted as her deep blue eyes sparkled with tears. 'I wanted to tell you about it weeks ago because I know it would've been the right thing to do and I know that I wouldn't have felt so alone over the last fortnight, but-but I just didn't know how to say it and I was so terrified! I didn't mean for it to happen, mother, really I didn't, but it has and I know that you're going to think that I'm a stupid and irresponsible teenager, but I just wasn't thinking properly and now..now I'm pregnant, mother; I'm going to have a baby!' Liesl was now trembling violently as she sat beside her mother on the settee and Maria remained holding lovingly to her hand, her mother's eyes wide with disbelief as she had become slightly pale and she continued to hold Rosmarie safely in her lap as the six-month-old played warmly with her fingers. 'Please say something, mother, please...' Liesl pleaded quietly through the gentle tears that were now scrolling warmly down her porcelain cheeks, Maria letting out a deep sigh.
'Is-' Maria cut herself short as she swallowed the tears that were making their way up her throat. 'Is Nicolas the father?' She asked as she remembered how Liesl had gone over to her suitor's residence on New Year's Day, a trembling sigh escaping her lips when Liesl nodded silently and she tightened her hold upon her hand as she sobbed gently. 'Does he know about the baby, Liesl, have you spoken to him about any of this since you found out?' Liesl remained still for several long moments before finally lifting her gaze to her mother's and shaking her head slowly, her cheeks already stained with tears as new ones continued to scroll down them and her gentle blue eyes sparkled with ones still to fall.
'I'm worried that he's going to despise me if I tell him about the baby, mother, I'm worried that he's going to leave me to care for it on my own and that he's going to fall out of love with me if I tell him about it.' Liesl choked out through her harsh sobs as she held her mother's gaze and could see that her own eyes were now filled with tears, a soft sigh escaping her as she watched her mother reach into the pocket of her dress before she pulled out her handkerchief and allowed her to take it. 'Why aren't you screaming at me?' She sniffed as she wiped the tears from her cheeks with the handkerchief and felt her mother caressing her thumb comfortingly against the back of her palm. 'Father would be.'
'I don't want you to think that I'm condoning what you and Nicolas have done, because I'm not.' Maria told her firmly, Liesl nodding as she hiccuped gently from the intensity of her previous sobs. 'You promised your father and I that you would wait until you were married before you were intimate with a man, and by being so careless and impetuous when you went to see Nicolas, you broke your promise to the two of us and I can't even begin to explain how disappointed I am in you for that.' Liesl nodded sadly as she cast her gaze down into her lap. 'But,' Maria hooked her finger beneath her daughter's chin before slowly directing her gaze back to her own and stroking her thumb lovingly along her jawline. 'I cannot begin to explain how proud I am of you for having the courage to tell me about this, my darling.' Her tone was gentler now and her crystal blue eyes sparkled with pure love for her as her lips curled up into a soft smile, Rosmarie beginning to fuss in her lap before she shushed her affectionately and pressed a kiss to her crown before bouncing her. 'You could have just kept your pregnancy to yourself and waited for I, your father and the others to find out naturally, but you didn't and I am so desperately proud of you, my love.'
Liesl allowed a small smile to form upon her lips, then, before feeling a surge of love for her mother course through her veins when Maria allowed her hand to come to rest upon her flat belly through the floral material of her dress and she watched her brush her thumb tenderly against where her first grandchild was slowly continuing to form. 'You'll help me when the time comes, won't you, mother?' Liesl whimpered softly as she covered Maria's hand with her own upon her belly and the two of them laced their fingers together. 'I'm going to need you with me when the baby comes and I'm going to need you afterwards, too, to teach me how to feed the baby and change it and things, and-' She was cut off by a slow and soft kiss being pressed to her cheek, a loving smile appearing upon her lips as she gazed into her mother's eyes.
'I'm going to be right beside you through all of this, Liesl. I'm going to be there through every doctor's appointment, through every bout of morning sickness, through the birth, and I swear that I am going to be there to teach you everything that there is to know about being a mother.' Liesl couldn't help but sigh as Maria pressed her forehead to hers.
'Mother, there is one more thing that I need you to do for me.' She admitted softly.
'Anything, my love.' Maria reassured her after carefully slipping Rosmarie's pacifier into her mouth to stop her from fussing.
'I want to wait a little while before I tell father, so I need you to promise me that you won't say anything and that you're going to be there with me when I do tell him. I want to tell Nicolas first, and I want to make sure everything is going to be fine with the baby before we tell father. I'm nervous that he's going to lose his temper with me and that he's going to drive Nicolas away, because you know just as well as I do that he's going to have it in for him when I tell him.'
'I promise that I am going to be there to hold your hand when we tell your father, darling.' Maria kissed her temple. 'We'll tell him together, but there's someone else you have to speak to about this now.' Liesl nodded with a relatively nervous smile before releasing a soft sigh and squeezing her mother's hand, the two of them sharing a loving glance.
It was time to telephone Nicolas.
She had barely been able to bring herself to talk to Nicolas - her fear creating a suffocating barrier that seemed to manipulate her throat - but, through panicked determination, she had somehow managed to invite him over. Then, as she waited - the minutes seeming like hours - she knew that she had to figure out exactly what she was going to say to him. Telling her mother had been one thing, but telling her suitor was a whole new world of trepidation for her. She hadn't been this nervous when she had told Maria about the baby, considering she had known that she was one of the most precious things in the world to her mother and that she loved her more than anyone else could ever hope to, but now, as she paced tearfully back and forth on the garden patio, she couldn't reassure herself that Nicolas would be as understanding and as supportive as her mother had been. Would he draw her into his arms and kiss her face and lips whilst whispering words of comfort to her, reassuring her that he would be there to cherish and protect she and their baby? Or would he place every piece of the blame on her and tell her that he wasn't ready to be a father before turning on his heel and leaving the garden, leaving her broken?
Only time would tell, now.
She felt her heart begin to pound violently against her chest when she caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye a short time later and her eyes began to sting with warm tears as he shot her that incredibly charming smile that she knew was only meant for her and no-one else, her heart breaking as she knew that this could potentially be the last time that she would ever be blessed enough to see it. The last time that he would ever look at her with so much love and affection in his warm hazel brown eyes that had never failed to make her go weak at the knee. The first tear scrolled gently over the curve of her porcelain cheek as she watched him slowly make his way across the garden to her, a second tear following the trail that the first one had left as she saw his perfect brow crease in concern for her at her sudden display of despondency. 'Darling?' She found herself unable to resist running into his protective arms at his term of endearment for her, her tears falling faster as gentle sobs began to escape her and she cupped her hand over her mouth in order to stifle them somewhat. 'Oh, my Liesl.' He whispered softly into her hair when she had run into his chest and he had wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, her face buried into his shirt as her sobs were loud and desperate and certainly not the kind of cries that you would expect to hear from the daughter of a decorated Naval Hero.
He held her protectively in his arms for several long minutes as her sobs grew in intensity and he cradled the back of her head tenderly in the palm of his hand as her own arms were wrapped around his middle, her perfectly sculpted hands gripping the soft material of his jacket as she buried her face further into his shirt and her warm tears caused the thin fabric to stick to his skin as he brushed his thumb soothingly against the soft dark brown hair that he discovered beneath his palm. 'I'm so sorry, Nicolas!' Liesl managed to choke out through her harsh tears as she turned her head slowly to one side upon his chest and nuzzled her cheek against the broad surface, her eyes fluttering closed when he nuzzled his nose soothingly into her dark brown hair and pressed a warm kiss to the crown of her head. 'Please don't leave me on my own, darling, I need you here to help me!' He seized her gently by the shoulders, then, before bringing her away from his chest and gazing down at her with a deep furrow in his brow as he frowned slightly. 'I need you.'
'Liesl, sweetheart, what on earth are you going on about?' He reached up to stroke a strand of dark brown hair back behind her ear, her beautiful blue eyes brimming with tears as she gazed up at him and her lower lip quivered uncontrollably as she ran her hands slowly along the outside of his strong arms through the brushed fabric of his jacket. 'Who has put the idea into your head that I'm going to leave you?' He raised his brow at her as he held her warm face in his hands and brushed his thumbs across her perfect cheeks.
'Nobody.' She admitted faintly as she allowed herself to meet his gaze and all that she saw in his perfect brown eyes was pure love and adoration for her as he tenderly brushed his thumbs across the smooth skin of her cheeks, Nicolas appearing to become more perplexed as the seconds ticked by. 'It's just that I received a telegram a few months back and ever since I opened it, I've been terrified that as soon as I tell you what it said then you're going to stop loving me and you're going to tell me that you don't want anything to do with me anymore.' Several more tears danced down her porcelain cheeks, then, Nicolas letting out a loving sigh before he leaned forwards and kissed them off of her skin.
'Oh, my love, there is nothing that you could tell me that would make me stop loving you.' He told her sincerely as he stepped closer to her and allowed one hand to drop to her waist in order to bring her flush against him, his free hand remaining upon her cheek before he dropped his gaze from hers, down to her soft lips and back again before he left a slow and lingering kiss upon her lower lip, Liesl's deep blue eyes delaying opening when he pulled away from her. 'You are the most beautiful, loving, compassionate, gentle and funny girl that I have ever come across in my life, and now that you're mine there isn't anything that anyone could say or do that would ever make me fall out of love with you.' He couldn't help but sigh deeply when her lower lip quivered once again and he saw the unmistakable fear and heartbreak in her beautiful dark blue eyes, his lips curling up into a loving smile before he pressed them to her warm forehead in a soft and tender kiss. 'Come here, my darling.' His tone was gentle as he took her perfectly sculpted hand in his own and began to lead her over to one of the nearby stone benches, a troubled sigh escaping her when they lowered themselves down onto it and she refused to meet his gaze. 'Liesl,' He took her chin lightly between his thumb and forefinger before turning her head slowly toward him. 'I want you to talk to me about this, darling, I want to understand.'
'I'm scared.' Her voice was coated with tears.
'Listen to me.' He took her face warmly in his hands before brushing his thumbs slowly across her porcelain cheeks and resting his forehead against her own, Liesl softly grazing the tip of her nose against his before she gazed deeply into his deep hazel brown eyes. 'I love you, Liesl von Trapp.' He told her firmly. 'I have loved you since the moment I set eyes on you when your parents held their anniversary ball last year, and I've continued to fall more and more in love with you since that evening.' He stroked his thumb warmly across her knuckles as he held her hand in his lap and his dark eyes shone with nothing but pure love for her, a surge of love for him coursing through her veins as she shuffled closer to him upon the bench and slipped her fingers through the gaps in his. 'I don't want you to be scared of talking to me, Liesl, I need you to know that I'll never judge you.'
'Will you hold me whilst I tell you?' She whispered softly as she dropped her gaze to his chest. 'Please? I need to be in your arms, Nicolas.'
'Come here, sweetheart.' He smiled before drawing her carefully into his lap and slipping his strong arms securely around her middle as she curled up, her head coming to settle upon his shoulder as she allowed her hand to come to rest upon his chest before brushing the pad of her thumb soothingly against the thin material of his shirt with a light sigh. 'You take all the time you need, darling.' He murmured gently into her perfect brown hair, running his hand along the curve of her side through her dress. 'There isn't any rush.'
'Do you remember when I came over on New Year's Day?' She asked softly after sitting in silence for a moment, her heart already beginning to pound as he held her tenderly in his embrace. 'Do you remember how you began to kiss me when we were sat together in your sitting room and then one thing led to another and we-' She hesitated. 'And you-'
'And I made love to you?' He finished for her, his voice muffled in her hair as he could sense her trepidation over the whole situation.
Liesl nodded silently. 'What I'm about to tell you has something to do with that afternoon, but I need you to know that I don't regret it. Not for a single moment. I love you, and I know that you love me and that you didn't take advantage of me, but something's happened.' She felt her chest tighten, then, and Nicolas had clearly heard her breath catch, considering he tightened his hold around her and pressed a lingering kiss to her crown as she snuggled further into his warmth. 'A few weeks on from that afternoon I started to feel nauseous at specific times of the day - but mainly when I woke - and I began to throw up, but I thought that I had just caught the stomach virus that Marta'd had for days. I tried to ignore it and just forget about it, but when it continued after Marta had recovered and I had realised that I had no other symptoms, I decided to visit the doctor. Three months ago, I received a telegram when I was sat at dinner with the family and it revealed the results of the doctor's examinations.' She drew back slowly from his chest, then, gentle tears glistening in her eyes once again as she cupped the sides of his neck in her palms and brushed her thumbs along his jaw. 'Nicolas.' She whimpered. 'I'm pregnant.'
The same shock and disbelief that had been evident in the eyes of her mother just an hour-and-a-half ago were now evident in the deep brown eyes of her suitor as he held her protectively in his arms, the gentle tears that had been brimming in her deep blue eyes just moments ago now dancing slowly down her porcelain cheeks as she studied his face in the hope that it would somehow reveal whether or not he was going to stay and support her or if he was going to simply remove her from his lap and walk away from all that they had built together over the last eight months of their relationship, not even a backwards glance being thrown over his shoulder. She couldn't help but sigh sadly as she felt her heart sink slightly when she realised that his face was unreadable, a faint sob escaping her soft lips as she cast her tear-filled gaze down to his chest and she waited for him to push her away. He never did, though. After a short time of sitting together in silence, Liesl felt Nicolas rest his warm palm upon her tear-stained cheek before he directed her gaze back to his and she immediately melted in his embrace at the deep love and compassion that she detected in his eyes. 'Oh, my darling, I'm so sorry.' He whispered gently.
'I was so terrified that you would leave me once you found out.' She managed to say through her tears. 'I thought that you would place all of the blame on me and say that you didn't want anything more to do with me, Nicolas, and I know that it was wrong of me to have such little faith in you because I know that you love me and that you care for me, but I was just so overwhelmed at the fact that there's a human being growing inside of me and that I'm really going to be a mother in five months time and-' She let out a quiet whimper against his lips when he silenced her with a softly passionate kiss, his strong hand coming up to cup the sharpness of her jawline beneath the curtain of her hair as she melted into him and she allowed her arms to slip gently around his neck. 'That was such a pleasant way of telling me to shut up.' She giggled breathlessly a few moments later.
'I am never going to leave you, Liesl, do you understand me?' He growled as he pressed his forehead tenderly against her own and brushed his thumb lovingly against the ridge of her ear beneath her hair, his free hand coming to rest upon her still-flat belly before he smiled tearfully down at where his unborn child was continuing to grow safely. 'You're both my main priority now, my love, and even though I never expected to become a father at nineteen, I promise that I am going to be right next to you throughout all of this.'
'People will talk.' She reminded him as she reached up to stroke a short strand of dark hair away from his forehead. 'I'm going to start filling out in the next few weeks and then people are going to start noticing that I'm pregnant, Nicolas, which is going to make it difficult for both of us to go out together without people looking down on us for this. Even though we're young and I know that newborn babies are terribly hard to take care of, I want this child more than anything else in the world. When I read the telegram that told me that I was pregnant, the first thing that I said to myself was that I didn't want the baby. I know that termination is illegal and I never would have done it anyway, no matter the circumstances, but I told myself that I wanted it to be taken to an adoption agency as soon as it was born. As the weeks went by, though, I found myself unable to think of anything other than the baby.' Nicolas smiled lovingly down at her as he stroked his fingers soothingly through her perfect long hair. 'Then, when I would lay awake in bed once Louisa had fallen asleep, I would think about the baby even more and imagine what it would be like to have it beside me in a cot when I went to sleep at night. What I'm trying to say, darling, is that even though I know that I'm going to struggle at first and even though all my spare time when I'm not working on my studies is going to be spent caring for our baby, I still want it. I want to be a mother to our child, and I want you to be there to help me raise it. I also want you to come and be outside the door during the birth.'
'I am going to be standing outside your bedroom door from the very first contraction to the moment our beautiful baby is placed into your arms, sweetheart.' He promised her.
'Thank you.' She sniffed tearfully before brushing a soft kiss against his lips and resting her forehead gently against his own, a loving smile upon her lips as he rubbed her belly.
'We're going to be parents, Liesl.' He breathed in slight disbelief.
'We are.' She giggled nervously, covering his large hand with her smaller one and lacing intertwining their fingers upon her stomach.
Yes, they would both be entering into the unknown in just a matter of months, but neither of them were as anxious as they had originally thought that they were going to be.
Because they had each other.
And that was all that they could ever hope for.
Georg groaned slightly as he walked into his bedroom later that evening, stifling a yawn and tugging off his jacket as he did so. He felt stupidly tired and silently scolded himself for letting his work wear him down so easily. But then, his tired eyes finally adjusting to the dim light of the room, he instantly felt himself relax and a smile of adoration spread across his features. There on the bed before him sat his beautiful Maria as she was settled back against the headboard and she held their daughter delicately to her chest as she gave her her feed. There wasn't a moment in the day that Maria was anything less than the epitome of beauty and elegance in his eyes, but he had to admit that he had always found her at her most beautiful whenever she was nursing their child. 'I thought you would have been long asleep by now.' He whispered softly when she allowed herself to tear her gaze away from Rosmarie in order to meet his own, a sleepy and yet breathtaking smile appearing upon her warm rosebud lips as he removed his tie. 'It's nearly midnight.'
'I was just about to drift off when she started crying for her feed.' She admitted as she allowed her head to drop back against the headboard and her crystal blue eyes glistened with the deep love and affection that she held for her six-month-old, Rosmarie continuing to suck sleepily upon her nipple as her small hand cupped the softness of her breast in its palm and she released perfect coos of contentment every now-and-again. 'Besides, you should know by now that I can't sleep properly if I'm not held in your arms.' Georg released a loving chuckle as he lowered himself down carefully onto the edge of their bed in order to remove his shoes, nothing but pure love and devotion sparkling in his deep blue eyes when he cast his gaze over to the miraculous woman that had made her way down the aisle toward him a little over a year ago and made him the happiest man alive.
As Rosmarie continued to take her feed, Maria felt her mind wandering back to Liesl. In truth, she hadn't been able to think of much else since her daughter had confided in her about her pregnancy. Whilst she was still deeply disappointed in her, she felt such compassion for her eldest child and empathized heavily with her fear. She wanted so terribly to tell Georg; after all, they were partners in everything, but she knew that it was Liesl's news to break, not her own, and that she had a promise to keep. Without even noticing it, Maria sighed, attracting the attention of her husband as he was fastening the final button upon his nightshirt. 'Maria, my love, what's the matter? You've been so preoccupied since I returned home from Innsbruck this afternoon.' He spoke gently to her as he climbed slowly into bed next to her a few moments later and leaned back against his pillows.
'I've just been terribly exhausted today, darling, that's all.' She reassured him as she continued to soothingly pat the small of Rosmarie's back through the silken material of her nightgown. 'All I need is a night of proper rest and I will be fine and well, I assure you.' Georg nodded slowly in response, not truly believing his wife's excuse but knowing from experience that it was wise not to press her when she was tired. 'There we go, my little love.' She whispered gently once Rosmarie had released her nipple a short time later, a loving smile upon her lips as she brought her daughter into a sitting position in her lap and swept her hand soothingly through the dark brown hair she'd gained from her father.
'Rosmarie gasped softly as she extended her small arms out to her father and Georg released a gentle chuckle in response before he drew his daughter into his embrace with a tender kiss to the side of her head, his eyes holding nothing but pure love and devotion for her when she allowed her head to settle upon his shoulder and she buried her perfect little face into the side of his neck before releasing a gentle sigh of contentment.
'Vati loves Rosmarie.' He whispered softly into her hair as he supported her rear with one arm and ran his free hand slowly along the curve of her spine through her nightgown. 'Why don't you lay yourself down and try and get some rest whilst I get this little one off to bed?' He whispered softly to the beautiful woman beside him as her head had fallen against his shoulder and he could tell that she was fighting against the desperate urge to just surrender and allow sleep to claim her. 'I'll get her settled in her cot and then I'll come to bed myself, hmm?' The gentle hum that Maria gave was confirmation enough for him, and so he waited until she had lay her head down upon her pillow before he slipped off of the bed and turned his head towards his beautiful little girl, burying his nose into the perfect dark brown curls which covered her small head as he felt her blinking against his neck. How has it been half a year already? He asked himself as he continued to slowly pace the bedroom with Rosmarie snuggled against him, his strong hand on her upper back as he patted it comfortingly in order to lull her into a blissful slumber. It only feels like yesterday that I was cradling her in my arms for the first time.
It didn't take much longer for Rosmarie to drift off against his shoulder, her thick dark eyelashes fluttering against his neck as she released the softest of snores and he started to carry her slowly over to her cot that stood at Maria's side of the bed. Once he had come to a stop beside his daughter's small bed, he cradled the back of her head warmly in his palm before bringing her away from his chest and beginning to lay her down carefully. 'There we go, my angel girl.' He whispered gently once her back had hit the mattress. 'Sleep well.' With one final affectionate sweep of his hand through her perfectly soft hair, he began to make his way slowly back around to his own side of the bed that he and Maria shared. Once he was once again settled in bed beside the beautiful woman who had completely stolen his heart with her compassion, gentility, voice, and heart, he slowly slipped one arm slowly beneath her neck to cushion her head somewhat before wrapping his free arm protectively around her slight waist and bringing her back into his chest.
'Mmm...' Maria hummed softly in satisfaction as she settled back into him. 'Goodnight, Georg.'
'Goodnight, my darling Fraulein.' He whispered before pressing several soft kisses to the back of her neck, a soft smile upon his lips as he cuddled up to her. 'Pleasant dreams.'
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of this story! I know it's a very different kind of stories from the others on this site, and I don't know if it's ever been done before, but I hoped you enjoyed it and that you will follow it to find out about any upcoming chapters. Thank you so much, too, to a brilliant friend of mine, DeadlyFandoms for all the help you have given me! Also, please let me know in the review section what you thought about it and also let me know if I should continue or not! :)