A/N: Right so I own one necklace, two or three bracelets, and four pairs of earrings (because I have two piercings in each ear). I don't know jewelery and don't pretend too. I'm suffering from a horrible lack of internet as I said at the start, to the research I want to do simply can't be done right now. So this what you get.

I wanted the gifts to be normal in thought and in terms of their existence in the time period, but I wanted to make them a little bit out of the ordinary. Hope this works.

Notes at the bottom why I chose to have them say what they say when Maria decides to engrave them.


Part IV: The Gifts

"I like to call this our eclectic display," Eleanore laughed as Maria and Captain von Trapp turned their eyes on the case in front of them. "This is actually my father's case," She started, "I mean he's made or at least tinkered with almost everything in it."

"Tinkered?" Georg asked raising a curious eyebrow at her.

"You'll see," She nodded through a knowing smile. "Now, lets start with Lisel. I had something specific in mind," She started, eyes on the case in front of her, "Where was it..." She nodded at spotting the piece, "After everything you said about Lisel, I just had to show you this."

Maria nodded, eyes on the necklace Eleanore was placing in her hands. "Oh it's beautiful," She breathed. It really was. It was delicate silver chain, with a sterling silver heart charm in the middle. It was light, and would move with Lisel, grow with her as it had just the right air of youth and sophistication. "I can see this on her," Maria nodded. "It's so simple and delicate. Lisel wouldn't be comfortable in something more ornate," Her eyes were on the necklace and her words weren't directed at either of them. She was just talking Musing. Loving every minute of thinking about how much Lisel was going to love the necklace.

Eleanore nodded. "I thought you might like it." She took the necklace back, and set it aside. "Now who's next, Louisa isn't it? You thought she'd love one of the butterfly hair clips, but I think she'd like this one much better," She pointed to the dark copper hair clip just in front of Maria.

Maria's eyes moved from the hair clip to meet Georg's who shrugged back at her with a knowing smile. "It's shaped like a...like a spider?" She half asked, half said, delighted by the piece, whatever it was.

Eleanore laughed amused, and shrugged. "I don't think that was my father's intention. I imagine it was a butterfly gone array. But sometimes when he creates, things get a little out of hand, so it's hard to say."

"It looks just like a spider," Maria nodded, happily. The intention may not have been a spider, but it was a spider as far as she was concerned. She wondered how the darker edges, and seeming shadows of the legs were worked onto the piece, and how something so beautiful could have been made in error. "She'll never take it out of hair," Maria laughed, eyes on Georg. "And none of the other girls will want to wear it," She laughed. "It really is perfect."

The joy in her smile, the light in her eyes almost took his breath away. He had always known that his children needed a mother, and at one time any woman...though her really had cared for Elsa...seemed as though she would suffice. Now, he realized it wasn't a mother they needed. It was Maria. It was her smile. Her laughter. And her unbridled love and adoration for them that they needed.

"I'm glad you like it. My father will be happy that someone enjoyed his vision," Eleanore told them.

"Your father is very talented," Georg mused, while Eleanore opened the case to show Maria another piece.

"I believe this one was to have been a three inch wide, bronze bracelet, that was meant to cap off that collection over there," Eleanore pointed to a case near the door. "As you can see, it never made it that far."

"Oh, it's a bookmark," Maria exclaimed. "It's perfect." She didn't say for what girl, she didn't have too. Eleanore had known who it was prefect for, before she had even shown it.

"My father can't throw anything away," Eleanore said, seeing the questioning look in the Captain's eyes. "So he soddered this piece into a fine bookmark."

Maria held the piece, testing it's weight in her hands. It was just light enough that it could hold the place in any book, but strong enough to ensure that Brigitta never missed a page of those romance novels she was so fond of. "She's going to love it. And it will be hard to lose; she losses so many." She could already see this bookmark sticking out of the edge of War and Peace - Georg wouldn't allow her to read it until her next birthday, though she still asked to read it every other week - as she excitedly opened the book to read a passage to them and her brothers and sisters.

Elenore nodded. "Three children down already. You're knowing them so well has made this selection so easy." Her words drawing Maria from her thoughts.

Maria smiled fondly. Eleanore's idea to tell her about the children had been a great one. It was easy to see the gifts in the case, and know within a second of laying eyes on them what piece should go to what child.

"It was just as easy for him to find your ring," Eleanore said, "Once I got him to tell me even the smallest thing about you, the rest was like magic. He went right to it."

Georg nodded, his eyes on Maria. "I didn't talk nearly as long," He teased, but Eleanore nodded and laughed.

"I was here all afternoon listening to him, and that was before I even showed him the rings," She teased, moving behind the counter so she could show them the next piece.

Maria laughed, "Was it a good story, at least?"

"The best," Eleanore nodded, "I'm so happy that I got to meet you. You're just as wonderful as he described you to be." It was delight to watch them, listen to them. She encountered many engaged couples over the course of her days at the shop, but none would stay with her quite like these two. "Now, for Marta and Gretl I'm afraid we don't have much to choose from," She told them with an apologetic smile. Her father created and tinkered with a great many things, but the demand for jewelery small enough for seven and five year old, wasn't enough for even her father to dabble in.

Maria nodded, happy chose from whatever Eleanore had available.

"These were made for two young attendants to wear in a wedding," Eleanore started, pointing to the bracelets in the case, "Unfortunately the wedding never happened."

"They're gorgeous," Maria nodded, eyes on the two smaller silver bracelets Eleanore was pointing out. "And they're the identical."

"One less thing for them to argue over," Georg confirmed. "I think they're just small enough."

"The clasps are adjustable, so they can probably wear them well into their teens," Eleanore told them, "When I think of the way you described them, Maria, I can see them in these..."

"They'll feel like princesses," Maria nodded back on a soft breath. She didn't have to try hard to imagine the smiles on their faces when they saw the bracelets. They'd twirl in their best dresses and ask if they looked like princesses. "They don't have anything like this," Maria started, "I think they're going to love them."

"I know they will," Georg assured her. The thought behind these gifts was enough to make them the most incredible gifts his children could receive, but the care and thought she was putting into choosing just the right piece for each child, made his heart swell with love.

"I'm almost afraid to ask what you have in mind for the boys," Maria joked, running a finger over the spider hair clip that was set aside for Louisa.

"Well, I'm afraid what I thought of for Frederich might a little boring compared to the gifts for the girls," Eleanore acknowledged, "but then I remembered my father telling me that all young men want a strong, dependable pocket watch...just like their own fathers had," She finished, having already removed the watch from the case.

It was a normal pocket watch. Set in the same copper as all the others. It looked the same on the inside too. It looked strong, and dependable The kind any young man would want to carry.

"He's wanted one for years," Georg told them, "You have one Father...Uncle Max has one, Father...why can't I have one, Father?" He mimicked, "I think it's time he be allowed to have one."

Maria beamed at him, having already seen the image of Frederich out in the yard, attempting to round up his reluctant brothers and sisters for dinner so they wouldn't be even a second late, his pocket watch in hand as he meticulously checked the time. "He's going to drive the rest of the children crazy with this," Maria laughed. "I'll be getting constant complaints about him using it to try and keep the rest in line."

"The perfect balance of still being a boy and learning to be a man," Eleanore nodded, setting the watch off to the side with the rest of the selections. "I have just the thing for Kurt," Eleanore exclaimed clapping her hands together excitedly. "It's my favorite piece in the entire store and ever since you described Kurt I've felt as though he will enjoy it as much as I do."

Georg and Maria exchanged a curious glance, and then turned excited eyes on Eleanore.

She held out the piece for Maria to inspect.

"A compass?" Maria asked, eyes meeting Eleanore's in confusion.

"Open it," She told them, her tone light and playful.

"Oh," Maria breathed after a slight pause to take it in.

"I've seen one of these before," Georg mentioned and Eleanore nodded.

"It's the last of set of six that my father made."

"How did he ever?" Maria asked, intrigued. She had never in her life seen a transparent compass. All the proper pieces, lines and the dial where where they were meant to be, but it was completely transparent. You could see straight through to the backside. It was magnificent.

"I give him ten minutes before he's trying to take it apart and put it back together again," Georg laughed.

"Oh if he does, you'll have to bring him back, let my father see. He would love that."

Maria was lost in thought. Kurt would spend hours looking at the compass; studying the way it all worked together. And then he would announce that he could create something similar. His brothers and sisters would laugh, but she'd find him later, studying it under one of the bright lights in Georg's study. He might be their inventor or their actor, perhaps a bit of both. "He's going to drive us mad with this," Maria said, proudly.

Georg nodded. "As usual with anything Kurt takes a fancy to."

"I'm almost sad we're finished," Eleanore said, motioning to the complete set of gifts on the counter in front of them.

"Thank you so much," Maria breathed, "they are all perfect."

"It's been my pleasure," Eleanore nodded. "Oh, they can all be engraved if you'd like. Is there anything special you might like to put on them?"

Maria paused for a moment, and then shook her head. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly. That would be far to expensive."

"Money is of no concern," Georg countered almost instantly. "Whatever Maria wants them to say, they'll say."

Eleanore nodded and looked at Maria, who's eyes were locked on Georg's.

He hoped she'd learn once they were married that anything that was his, was hers. She had no qualms about being mother to his seven children, she even seemed to be warming up to the idea that she would be Mistress of the entire villa, but she didn't seem able to reconcile that his money was to be her money. His money of simply of no matter to her. How had he earned the privilege of getting to love her?

"Your wedding date might be nice," Eleanore offered with a shrug.

Maria shook her head. That didn't feel right. Those were just numbers.

"The date of your arrival into our lives," Georg added, eyes on her profile. He watched her face contort as she thought it through. Her smile curved up to a slight scowl, and her nose wrinkled. He laughed at the sight. She was exquisite.

"No that's not right," Maria said with a sigh. "Dates are just numbers, they don't mean anything. I want the children to have the gifts and feel special. I want them to look at them and know that they are special, they are that wonderful, that they can do absolutely anything," She finished, and eyes flicked quickly, as it dawned on her just what she wanted their gifts to be engraved with.

He didn't know what she was going apt to say, but the smile on her face was the likes one he'd only seen one other time - the night in the gazebo when he'd proposed.

"With the sound of music," Maria told Eleanore confidently. "I want them to say, "with the sound of music."

Elenore nodded, but her face was filled with confusion.

"Have you ever been up into the hills?" Maria asked, "Listened to the sound of the birds? And the lakes ? And the trees? It's music and it fills your heart with happiness," She continued, with a knowing smile. She wanted those words to be the start of the sentence, with the rest there for each child to fill in. With the Sound of Music, what? What could they do? What would they do? As long as the remember to listen to the sounds of the music all around them, they would always be able to find happiness and draw strength. "Music can breath life into your soul..."

"And open your heart to love," Georg added, eyes drinking in Maria. Only she could could capture it all in five simple words.

"Yes," Maria nodded, "with the sound of music by your side, you can find the strength to do anything."

Eleanore nodded. "With the sound of music it is," She smiled happily at them, reaching for a pen so Maria could write it down exactly as she liked. "I'll have them all ready for you tomorrow. My father will have the bill ready as well."

"Oh thank you," Maria grinned reaching across the counter to shake Eleanore's hand. "The children are going to love their gifts."

"Not nearly as much as they love you," Eleanore added, the feelings between the entire family as transparent as that compass of Kurt's. "It was a pleasure to meet you, and to see you again, Captain. Have a wonderful wedding day!"

Georg shook her hand and then reached for Maria's. "Shall we, darling?"

She nodded, and tugged at his hand, leading him toward the doorway. "I don't suppose we could stop and get something to eat?"

"We already ate," He laughed shaking his head, "Kurt must be wearing off on you."

"Ha ha ha," She laughed as the door closed behind them.

They would return tomorrow, pick up the gifts, and try to hold in their excitement at giving them for another two weeks. And while they could hardly wait to see their faces as they tore through the wrapping, it was the other gift they would getting that day that excited them more.

A family. All nine of them. Finally happy.

It was amazing what you could do and feel, with the sound of music following through your life.

The End


***I really struggled with what I wanted the engraving to be. And the I just took a deep breath and it came to me (makes sense in my head anyway). That why I chose to have the gifts read, "With the Sound of Music" because that's basically the theme of the movie. Look what was possible because of the sound of music (filling the house, the hills, etc). The almost literal mountains that Maria moved with music. I kind of see "With the Sound of Music" being the start of a sentence for each kid to decide how they complete it.