Summary: Maria spends some time getting to the know children. While her first night doesn't go as planned, she realizes that she needs to find a way to gain their approval before her duties starts the following week. Georg comes down after his meetings with Darren to find Maria and the children missing.

Disclaimer: I do not own TSOM or any of the characters.

Chapter Two: The Children, A foundation for Trust

The first night in the Von Trapp villa was as terrible for Maria as she could have imagined. Between the pinecone on her chair, the frog in her bed, and the broken mirror in her bedroom she knew it was going to be a very long summer. The children didn't have any intention of warming up to her, and though she wasn't set to actually start taking care of them until the following week, she felt she needed to start making headway. Darren had spent the morning in the Captain's study, going over naval business and Maria was left to herself to roam the grounds. When she came across the seven children huddled in the garden she decided that she would try, yet again, to have a conversation with them.

"What are you all doing?" She asked, watching curiously as they walked in single file line, pacing the grounds before them.

"We're breathing deeply," Gretl replied, natively, trying to keep up with the line.

"And why is that?" Maria chuckled, wondering what sort of game they were playing.

"Father's orders," Fredrich replied, and continued on following Liesl.

"It is your father's orders that you walk in a line and breathe deeply?" She asked, now thoroughly confused. The silence was her recognition that this was actually what he had ordered. "Wouldn't you rather play a game?" Maria offered, hoping that this new idea would appeal to them.

"Of course," Brigitta replied.

Kurt stopped the line, elbowing Brigitta slightly, "Brigitta you shouldn't say things like that."

She responded, "Well don't you think it was a stupid thing to say?"

Kurt sighed, "Of course, but she was just being nice, Governess number nine was the stupid one!"

Maria was taken back by the number nine. "How many governesses have you children had?" she asked.

"Eleven, well twelve counting you," Liesl answered. They were all staring at her, eyeing her up, begging her to challenge them. They had rid themselves of eleven governesses. Why would she be any different? Maria decided on a different approach.

"Well, I'm not actually your governess until next week, so in the meantime, would you like to go somewhere with me?" All of the children looked at one another, seeking each other's approval but not finding it, and looked back at her confused, feeling that they were going to enter some sort of trap. "Well, if you'd rather not, I'll just head up the mountain by myself than," she said, walking away dramatically, hoping this would work.

"Wait!" Louisa said, generating many disapproving glances from her siblings.

"Are you coming or not?" Maria asked, beginning to turn again.

"A mountain you said? Father would never approve of that!" Louisa asked, skeptical. Maria considered her words, and realized that since the Captain was busy anyway, it could be worth the risk. She needed these children to accept her, and she knew her approach needed to be unorthodox.

"I don't recall asking his permission" she added boldly, knowing it was playing with fire. But she needed something bold so she just kept walking away. When she turned back a minute or so later she realized that all seven of them were following behind her in stride. She smirked so proud of herself, but tried hard to conceal it and remain unaffected.

When they entered town they stopped to grab some snacks for the day. Each of the children were starting to do something that Maria hadn't seen in the past twenty-four hours of being there, smile. They were still shy, and somewhat skeptical, but she could tell as much as they were trying to hide it, they really were having a good time. After the long climb up the mountain they stopped when they got to the top and waited, staring at Maria, for some sort of indication to what would happen next. Maria put the basket on the ground and turned to the children.

"Well, go play than," She offered, sitting on the ground. They looked at her silently until Kurt spoke, "Really?" he asked, unsure if she had said what they assumed.

Maria propped herself up on her elbows and looked at them confused as to why they were so excited. "Well yes, but stay where I can see you." She added.

All the children ran to the other side of the field, but thankfully stayed within eye sight of Maria like she asked. She saw them tackle each other, tickle each other, run and play through the fields as if it was the first time they had ever been outside in their lives. It made Maria smile, to see the livelihood return to them. Though she hadn't been there long the house was silent, too silent to house seven children, and she couldn't understand why there was so much sadness. She thought of how the Captain had mainly ignored his children, only interacting when necessary, and how most of their time indoors was spent studying. It made her sad for them too, knowing they had lost their mother; she could empathize having lost both of her parents. After sectioning out the food they had grabbed for lunch Maria stood up, brushing herself off and walked over to see the children.

They all stopped running when she came and filed in line waiting for their next order. They were willing to listen to her if she would allow them to do things like this! No other governess had allowed them any freedom, and for whatever reason this one seemed to want them to play. "What are we playing?" She asked, waiting for instruction. No one spoke, but they stood tightly in line, waiting to be scolded for some unknown reason. "Why are you all staring at me?" She asked, feeling self-conscious.

Marta was the first to speak up, "we're waiting our punishment," she said in a small voice.

Maria's jaw almost hit the ground when she realized what they were conveying. They really thought that she was going to punish them for, for doing what, behaving like children? After all she had told them to play! "And why would you be punished when you have done nothing wrong?" She asked gently, letting them all know that this was clearly not her intention. They shifted uncomfortably and remained there, not really knowing what to say. "What game are we playing?" she tried again, hoping to pull them back out of their shells.

"You, want to play, with us?" Liesl asked, wondering if they were misunderstanding.

"Well yes, why should you children have all the fun?" she chuckled.

"Oh Fraulein Maria, I like you!" Gretl chimed running to her and hugging her leg.

"We were playing tag!" Kurt said.

The next couple hours Maria spent playing every game with the children that they could name. Each one of them was little by little coming out of their shells and she was thankful that the tension was starting to break. When they walked over to have lunch she was thrilled that they honored her request to quit the games and did not defy her. While they ate each of the children began telling her things about themselves and she listened intently, realizing that they had never been given so much positive attention before.

"I don't understand how children as nice as you can play such awful tricks on people" she said, really meaning it. She had quickly realized that they were all truly, wonderful children, and the dread she had felt last night and having them under her command the following week, was slowly turning to excitement.

"We really are sorry Fraulein Maria, we didn't know that we would actually like you" Louisa stated honestly. Maria chuckled, "I like all of you too."

After spending another half an hour there Maria decided that they should probably return to the villa before the Captain had noticed they were missing. She had not asked for permission to take the children on an outing, knowing what his answer would be, and she was hoping to have them back before anyone noticed they were gone.

"Why don't you tell us something about you Fraulein Maria," Brigitta asked, and it made Maria's heart warm to know that they actually wanted to get to know her.

"Well, I had considered for a long time, becoming a nun after my parents died. They died when I was young, and the sisters at the abbey were the closest I had ever felt to being a part of a family, that abbey actually, Maria motioned seeing Nonnberg come into view."

Liesl stopped walking almost knocking everyone behind her into one another. "Our mother died too." Maria turned and even though she had known this information she realized that Liesl offering it to her, was more of a symbolic gesture of empathy, a way to also offer Maria her trust. "It is really hard, isn't it?" Maria offered, looking at all of the seven children before her.

"Yeah," they replied in unison.

"But you aren't a nun, because you have a fiancé, Sir Vogelson right?" Louisa asked, bringing the somber mood back to one of ease.

"That is true" Maria laughed. "We were childhood best friends, he serves in the Navy as you father did before he retired." They walked in silence the rest of the way until they entered the back gates of the Villa. Maria suspected the children knew, when they went in the back, that they had not had permission to go on the journey. And if they weren't aware before, they were surely aware when they saw their father, whistle in hand, stomping furiously down the back stairs in their direction. As he blew the whistle each of the seven children ran into formation as she had seen up on the mountain when she approached them. So that's where that came from, she thought, feeling sorry for them.

"Fraulein is it to be next week as well, or only today that you ignorantly believe you can remove my children from the grounds without telling me?" he sneered, trying hard to hover above her, and show her that he was superior to her.

However she didn't quiver, she didn't move, she simply smiled up at him and said, "Perhaps I'd better wait to see the weather of next week, before commenting on such issues, it'd be dreadful to wander off in the rain."

He could feel his blood boil and his hands clench into fists. Just who the hell did she think she was? Hearing one of his children chuckle behind him, he knew he was about it lose it. "And where, may I ask, was so important that you felt the need to kidnap my children too?"

Just as Maria was about to respond with yet another angry retort she saw Darren standing in the distance behind Georg, pleading her with his hands to stop.

The children must have mistaken her silence for a loss of words, because soon Fredrich chimed in, "Fraulein Maria wanted to show us the abbey."

Georg suddenly shook his head, slightly confused, a convent? But why? "Yes, she said that we need to start spending more time going to church, learning of god's will rather than marching about the grounds wasting our minds away in summer" Louisa added, knowing she had heard her father voice this concern to their last governess.

Maria smiled, and gazed downward to try to hide it. Somehow in the last five hours with the compassion she had given them, she had gained their approval, their trust. The night before they were doing everything they could to send her running out the door, and today they were doing everything they could to protect her from their father's wrath, one they feared themselves.

"Is this true Fraulein?" he asked, wondering why he had not heard her angry retorts.

She gave one last look to Darren's pleading eyes and decided to given in. "Yes, I lived at Nonnberg for many years, and I felt it imperative for the children to understand to the importance of God."

Georg fell silent; why had she lived in a convent? Darren had never mentioned that and it caught him off guard. "Very well, next time however, I'd like to be informed before my children leave the grounds."

And he turned to walk towards the villa, but not before hearing her say "Yes Sir" and could he of imagined it, saluted him?

The chuckle of his seven children told him that was exactly what happened and he knew that he had been defeated. How could he argue this young woman's desire to teach his children of god, while part of him knew it was a lie, accusing her of that would make him look insane! She had gotten the better of him, this time!

As he walked away Maria turned around to the children who were still standing in the line, awaiting her reprimand for lying. "I'm impressed" she chuckled as she pushed Fredrich and Liesl playfully. Each of the children started laughing and playing fighting until they were on a tangled heap, laying over one another on the ground.

"I love you Fraulein," Gretl chimed, as Maria tickled her lightly. Darren turned to Georg who was now rooted deeply to the ground, looking at his children very curiously.

"Would you like me to speak with her Captain? About the rough play, I know it is not very proper?" Darren asked, wishing that Maria would just act like an adult, even if it was only when the Captain was around.

"No, I've just, it's not that." Georg responded, his voice a little shaky. Part of it was that, seeing his children embrace another person so lovingly, to lie for a governess, to hear his youngest daughter profess a love, it was so unlike his children. Who was this woman that drove him literally insane by her snide rude, classless remarks? Yet drove him physically mad at the desire to touch her. Georg Von Trapp did not bow down to anyone, he did not lust after any woman, he was losing his edge, and he knew it. "I can't remember the last time they looked like that" he said, motioning to his children, feeling weak for allowing a subordinate to see a vulnerable side of him.

Darren didn't understand what he was trying to convey and looked at him with a sideways glance, "Sir?" he asked, waiting for clarification.

Georg turned his back on Darren, "Happy" he said, as he turned to walk back into the villa.