This is the last chapter! I hope you all like it, and I'd just like to say how much I appreciate all of the feedback every single one of you have given throughout this. I like to think I've cut down on my rambling in this chapter, but I'll leave that for you to decide. I have a few more story ideas at the moment, but depending on how my creative-ness goes I'm unsure as to whether I will continue with While My Guitar Gently Weeps. I will try though. Anyway, here you go, the last chapter. Thank you all again xxxx
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor
Georg's last night in the little fishing town was fast approaching. In fact, tonight would be the last he would spend with Maria before leaving.
As he approached the little kitchen that morning, he could hear the sweet humming voice of Maria, and he smiled. Over the past few days Georg had learnt that Maria had the most beautiful singing voice. They had also grown closer over the past few days - he would spend his nights here with her in the cottage, and his days too when she was not working. Maria had now ceased with her humming, and instead began singing a song that Georg did not recognise. He simply leant against the frame of the door, smiling and watching her.
"When I'm feeling sad," she murmured whilst preparing a mug of coffee for the two of them. "I simply remember my favourite things, and then I don't feel so bad."
When Georg heard the lyrics she was singing, his smile fell. As she then began to repeat the song; singing about raindrops on roses and crisp, apple strudel, he approached her from behind and dropped his hands gently to her waist. She did not seem surprised by his sudden appearance, and instead leant back against him and silently longed for him to continue with the feather-light touches to her waist. He leant forward, granting her request, and also pressed a kiss to the soft skin of her neck.
"What else do you like?" he asked, referring to the song.
"Mmm," Maria mumbled in response to his kisses, tilting her neck to one side; providing him with much better access. "Green meadows, skies full of stars... You!" She gasped as his kisses began to heat up. He was now trailing his lips across her neck, causing murmurs and moans to escape her throat.
He smiled to himself, mumbling incoherently into her neck.
"You think about all of these things when you're feeling sad?"
Maria nodded, turning into his embrace. Trapped between the kitchen side counter and his toned chest, Maria felt she had no option but to look up at him; make the eye contact and initiate the conversation starter that she had needed for the past few years of her life. "It was a song my mother taught me. We thought of our favourite things together."
"Tell me about it."
Maria then began to talk about her mother - and although Georg had not guessed, it was the first real moment since her death. She explained how raindrops on roses had caused them to glisten in the sunlight, making them even more beautiful. She described to him the stray, little kitten that had wandered onto their farm one winter morning. It had been shivering, but its whiskers had been so long Maria had been caught in marvel, and from that moment a five-year-old Maria had developed a loving obsession for kittens and cats. Her mother had once brought home a rusty kettle with interesting markings, and for the rest of the day mother and daughter had spent their time polishing it. It had transformed into the bright, copper kettle in their song - Maria's father had marvelled at their work, and commented that he must be a rich, noble lord to have such fine implements in his home.
Maria smiled at the memory, and once she had accounted for the rest of the song, looked up at Georg with sincerity and tears in her eyes.
"What are you frightened about now?" he enquired gently.
It took a few moments for Maria to compose herself and respond, but eventually she spoke. "You... I'm frightened that you will go, and not come back."
Georg released a sad sigh, and then gathered her tightly in his arms. He knew this was affecting both of them - he recognised the fear that lingered in the air and threatened the natural supply around them. He was frightened too - he could never deny that those uncomfortable lurches came from fear. But he did not just fear for himself, he feared for Maria too. Leaving her alone was his biggest fear, because he knew that her heart was not likely to survive any more grief or ache.
"This is all my fault. If I hadn't... If I hadn't tried so hard to-"
"No," she interrupted. "If you hadn't made such an effort... I'm in a better place now than I was before." The truth in her tone of voice astounded him. "My mother didn't just teach me to think about my favourite things when I'm sad, she also told me to look for my life. She told me that love in your heart is never put there to stay; it isn't love until you give it away."
The expression in his eyes could never be described with words. No one could take his emotions and write them down in a sonnet, or even make the most fantastic tale of love in literature.
"She always told me to give that advice to my own children," Maria continued. "So first I should probably abide by it myself."
Georg found words useless and futile now, and instead leant down to press his lips gently onto hers. It was the gentlest kiss he had ever given, but even with these most minimal amounts of contact, it sent jolts throughout his entire body. When he pulled away, Maria only leant back into him and responded further. Her kiss was harder, and more demanding.
"I was going to make us breakfast," she mumbled against his lips.
"I'm not hungry," he responded, his hands enthralled in the softness of her hair as they ravaged through it. He eventually managed to remove his hands, and when oxygen became a necessity he led her back upstairs to bed. They decided to spend as much of their time together now as they could.
When night drew and darkness descended, they were lying beside each other. Georg had his eyes firmly planted on the ceiling, his mind deep in thought as they pondered over what tomorrow would bring. He was passive, and seemed unresponsive to the gentle, occasional touches from Maria. She lay in the foetal position beside him - her arms wrapped around herself, and she softly continued to gaze at him through her blue eyes. Tears had threatened to fall, but for the time being she remained in control of her own emotions. It felt odd. Often her body would refuse to accept her pleas, but this time it had listened. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, basking in the sight of him whilst she still could; appreciating the closeness between them, and that had developed recently. Maria had never shared such intimacy with a man, but whilst she rejoiced at the pride coursing through her body, she still feared that she may lose him.
Maria pressed a loving kiss to his bare shoulder. This touch caused Georg to turn his head; shift his body to look at her intensely. The expression in his eyes told her everything, and so did the powerful, hungry kiss that followed. He needed her. He needed to join with her again tonight. He did not need tender caresses, he needed the contact. Maria was only too happy to comply, allowing him to take charge and follow his male instincts.
She cried out his name, and as he collapsed onto her she wrapped her arms around his chest; pulling him even closer. The friction caused by their skin contact caused certain degrees of desire to surge throughout them again, but Georg remained in Maria's arms. After a while, as he felt tiredness overwhelm him, he shifted a little to rest more by her side. However, Maria would not let him move too far away. She kept her hold on him that night; letting him fall asleep in her arms.
The next morning came in a prompt manner. The looks exchanged between Maria and Georg were silent, but both understood the other. They would both usually find it incredible how they could communicate silently, but today the only thing crossing their minds was his departure. Their contact seemed minimal, almost as though they were frightened to initiate the intimacy between them for fear of potentially losing it forever.
They shared their mug of coffee that morning, both taking it in turns to take a sip of the liquid that would comfort and stabilise them for a second at the most. Both would glance at the clock nervously, dreading the time that the small hand would reach ten, the larger one to reach twelve. That is the time they would have to leave if Georg was to be there in time for eleven o'clock. They had both decided to be there in plenty of time, there was no use in denying the inevitable.
As Maria left to go upstairs and get changed, Georg stood and walked around the kitchen aimlessly. He fingered the outline of something round in his pocket, and contemplated taking it out now and presenting her with it, or waiting until later. When Maria did return downstairs in a plain, simple dress, it seemed that he would indeed wait until later.
They both resumed their seating arrangement at the kitchen table, their eyes searching each others for the comfort they both so desperately needed. Eventually, after much deliberation and a rush of emotion throughout the both of them, Maria stood to then come across and sit herself across his lap. He wrapped his arms steadily around her, pulling her closer to him as she buried her head into his shoulder. He too moved his head to gently rest in the area where her shoulder and neck met, and then they both sobbed. Maria clung to Georg desperately, silently asking whether he must go.
Georg and his silent sobs were masked by hers, but she noticed as the tears met her skin. She felt his hands smooth her hair, his way of soughting the comfort he needed, so she clung to him even more; tightening the hold she had around him.
"I'll miss you," she finally mumbled into his shoulder.
Georg could not respond verbally at the moment, so instead he planted a kiss onto her neck.
A few moments later, when he had gathered himself, he finally managed to speak. "What you said yesterday..." he stopped for a moment, unsure of what to say next.
When Maria looked up and saw the expression in his eyes, she instantly knew what he meant. She instantly knew what he was referring to - she had seen the same expression in his eyes yesterday when she had mentioned the love in her heart.
She nodded. "Yes Georg, I do love you."
The emotion in his eyes was incomprehensible. They seemed to hold so much raw emotion, and they watched the woman in his arms with awe, and the moment he brought his lips down to her own, she knew he loved her too.
But then he did something that really proclaimed his love for her.
Reaching into his pocket, he brought out an object in the shape of a ring. Maria gasped as Georg held it up to her. "This was my grandmother's engagement ring, I'd like you to have it."
"Georg..." she began to protest.
"Maria, please take it. This is my promise to you, that when I return you will be my wife, and that when this war is over we will be happy for the rest of our lives together." As he stressed the word when on multiple occasions, Maria felt her heart lift a little. She knew that nothing was ever ensured with this war, but his promise to her felt joyous and it evidently professed his love for her. So she took the ring from his hand, and placed it on the right finger. Georg smiled, and thanked her, and their lips soon joined in a searing kiss.
The clock then chimed, signalling that it was time he left.
"Would you like me to come with you?" Maria asked, still wary of leaving his lap, and a look of doom etched across her features.
Georg shook his head and placed a kiss upon her forehead. "No, you stay here."
She nodded in response, mumbling and then climbing off his lap. Maria then offered him her hand, and he took it with gratitude as he was pulled to his feet. Offering her a small smile, he walked into the other room and gathered his sturdy bag of belongings required for the months that lay ahead of him. As he then approached the front door, he turned to find Maria with tears in her eyes, evidently waiting until he left to fall.
"I don't want to say goodbye," she mumbled, closing the distance between them.
"Don't be dismayed by goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before we can meet again."
Georg's response seemed to calm Maria slightly, and he soon closed the distance completely between them. He embraced her tightly, kissing her forehead tenderly. As they shared one final, powerful kiss before he left, he then bid her farewell and opened the front door. His attempt to not look back at the cottage as he left was futile. He did, and he smiled brightly at the figure of Maria, still stood in the doorway. Then he turned away and began walking down the road, away from sight, unaware that when he returned thirteen months later they would share a daughter.
Fini
It was either going to be that ending or this: "... unaware that he would never return, and never meet the daughter they shared." but I really couldn't do that. Obviously a lot of credit goes to The Sound of Music for the characters... and My Favourite Things, and some of the quotes that I may have played around with. Credit to Richard Bach and his beautiful quotes too, I know this is set before his time, but oh well. Thank you for reading, and hopefully I'll have a new story for you soon :-)
