A/N:

Hello, readers! First I'd like to apologize for the delay in updating. As a compensation, I post together this chapter and the following two. They aren't as long as the previous ones. It's because I've received a review saying it would be easier to read the story if the chapters weren't so extensive. At the same time, other reviewer claimed to like how they were so long. So, intending not to disappoint anyone, I divided the text in some smaller parts, but am posting them all together.

I hope you all enjoy!

Please, leave your comments. I need to know what you think about the progress of the story. All the reviewers are welcome!

Aline.

To the story.

Chapter Ten: The Rebel Girl

After a week of daily duties and final preparatives for the party, the night before the grant day had finally arrived. Marta and Gretl were so excited, maybe even more than Liesl, that her dresses, along with their shoes, were already spread on the small sofa in the girls' bedroom. Some time after the dinner all the children went upstairs to get prapared to bed. Georg and Maria stayed behind a little more, sharing a rare moment of "childrenless" privacity.

"It's so good to see them happy!" Georg stated happily, taking Maria's hands in his. "I couldn't have imagined that a simply party would have such effect on them," he added, looking deeply into her eyes.

She was smiling. "Well, Georg, it isn't a simple party. It materializes their need to be together, to have something to look forward to, and, the most important, to have their Father close so often." Maria saw his expression had changed, his look had become more distant. "What is it, darling?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Not realizing, he pressured her hands harder. "It's just sometimes I still can't se how much they need me".

"Don't worry, darling, you are doing well. Don't you see how bright their eyes have been lately?" Maria said, trying to make him see he was on the right path.

However, something kept bothering him. "I know, but sometimes I do think some of them are still resentful against me." This time Georg wasn't facing Maria.

She had gotten the point. "You mean Louisa?" she inquired, not much sure if she should have done so.

He raised his head, a little embarrassed by the fact that she once more had gotten his innermost toughts. "Mostly," he said melancholic.

Maria knew Louisa didn't have any resentment against her Father. It was only her strong personality, her dareness, her difficulty to accept things against her will and, above all, her courage to confront Georg without measuring the consequences. She knew Louisa didn't do those things to upset him. Not long ago they all had seen how remorseful she was after realizing the strife she had brought to the table. She had to assure Georg that, despite her constant rampages, Louisa, like the others, had forgiven him. "You know how she is, dear," Maria started, studying his reaction. "She is always contesting something. She doesn't do that to hurt you," she said. Georg looked at her but said nothing. So she added, laughing, "Louisa is the one who highly resembles you!"

These last words wasn't at all expected, what cause Georg to look surprised at her. "Is she?"

"Yes. You are just as stubborn as her! I had my most difficult moments dealing with you!" she teased in a playful tone.

"I don't – " he started, but she didn't let him speak.

"Louisa is a wonderful girl, darling. You really don't need to be worried." She noticed he seemed more relaxed. "Besides, we know well she is going through the first years of her adolescence. She must be confused, you have to be more complacent. It's only a phase," she went on. Then something ocurred to her, "you know what? I think she is making up for all these years you didn't let the children get closer to you. Judging by the few I could get from her before things changed, she had been keeping to her all her feelings, her thoughts. Maybe she is just letting them burst now."

Georg comprehended her point, and could tell she might be right. Yet, he had his doubts. "But Liesl doesn't act like her. Nor Friedrich, and he is a boy," he emphazised.

"I know," Maria stated patiently. "People are different. And I didn't say she is how she is because of adolescence. It only reinforces her normal behavior. Now stop with that, will you? Just let things go and try not to seem much disturbed when she conflits you," she pleaded.

Georg said nothing. He simply nodded and pulled her closer to him, in a tight embrace. They stayed like that for a long time, simply enjoying each other's warmth. He was so grateful to Maria. Her mere words had this great power to arrest from his mind all the preoccupations. Their faces grew closer and closer until their lips met. At this point their passion outbursted and the world surrounding them disappeared. Georg knew he had to stop. Although he could assure Maria wanted to be in his arms as much as he in hers, he woudn't betray her confidence. So he regretfully pulled apart, to her disappointment. It was when they heard a door being slammed.

"Someone up there isn't asleep yet," Georg spoke.

"And is quite angry," Maria added, freeing herself from his embrace.

After going to the kitchen to have a mug of tea, the two went upstairs and found that most of the children were still up, reunited in Liesl's bedroom. Everyone but Brigitta and Louisa.

"Why aren't you sleeping yet? You have to rest, to be in your full strenght tomorrow," Georg pointed out as soon as he entered the room, followed by Maria.

"We we were in our room waiting for Fräulein Maria!" Gretl exclaimed.

"Yes, she promissed us a new story today, but she'd never come! So we came here to see if Liesl was up too," Marta explained, rather impatient.

"I'm here now, darlings. Shall we go to your room? It's very late. Your Father is right. You don't want to be drowsy at Liesl's party, do you?"

"No, but we still want you to come and tell us the story," Marta replied.

"All right," Maria agreed, knowing that, considering their tired faces, the girls would soon be deeply asleep.

Maria stared at Georg with a look of 'you discover what happened and tell me later' and left with the little girls.

"What about you, boys?" he inquired, looking firmly at his sons.

"We were trying to sleep, but the girls wouldn't stop talking," Friedrich said defensively.

"So we came here to see what was happening," Kurt added wisely.

"And have you discovered yet?" Georg asked, faking seriousness.

"Er, we, we-" Kurt began, glancing at Friedrich, looking for his brother's help, but this time he didn't manage to come up with one of those nonsense justificatives.

"Alright, alright, off to bed, you two. Don't you think that because you are boys I'll spare you," Georg demanded, and they obeyed at once, going past him and rushing to their own bedrooms.

Thus it was only him and his eldest daughter, who had remained silent until then, wondering why her Father and Maria had taken so much time to come upstairs, and why, despite his attempts to show authority, he didn't seem annoyed at all by the fact that his children were up beyond bedtime. Liesl only left her reverie when, intrigued by her expression, Georg spoke at last.

"They are very agitated, aren't they?"

"Hum? Oh, yes! Marta and Gretl don't talk about anything else. Since we finished dinner they've come here no less than ten times to ask or show me something," Liesl replied, satisfied to have her sisters so content.

"I see. I hope Maria succeeds at putting them to bed. It'll be a hard task!" he joked.

"I don't think so," Liesl said. "They were excited, but also very tired. I'm sure after some of those smooth and peaceful words, both will be soundly asleep."

Liesl made Georg think once more about the power Maria had of calming everyone down. No matter how upset, concerned or angry they were, she always had some words of comfort to offer. "She is really an angel," he thought loud.

"Surely she is." Liesl agreed, laughing at her Father's silly expression as he talked about Maria. "The once strict man sighing dreaminful because of a woman! Who would tell?" she thought amused.

Georg returned to the real world when he saw Liesl's mischievous smile. A little embarrassed to have been caught in a so vulnerable state, he remembered what he was supposed to find out and asked with no hesitation, "do you know where Louisa and Brigitta are? I haven't seen them."

Liesl noticed he had felt uncomfortable, yet his question seemed sincere, even though it was also a way to get out of the uneasiness. Anyway, she should have known the reason that had brought him there at first place. By the way, that same reason was bothering her. Maybe they could deal with that together.

"I guess Brigitta is in her bedroom, reading or already sleeping," she started. Her Father was hearing attentiously, things taking form in his mind. "But Louisa, I don't know what happened to her." Georg's worst fears were being confirmed. "She came hear looking for you. She seemed very angry. I asked what the matter was, but she wouldn't say. When I told her I thought you were dowstairs with Fräulein Maria, and that she'd better not bother you, she became even more furious and left without a word, slamming the door shut behind her."

Georg was taken aback, even if the situation shouldn't be a surprise at all. Despite the conversation he had had with Maria just a few moments ago, now that the magic effect she had on him had dissolved, his anguish about Louisa returned. He still couldn't understand why she kept acting like that. She seemed so close and sweet when he had taken care of her some weeks ago. Had she so many old griefs that were being released now?

"Why didn't you go after her?" he asked anxious.

"I would have gone if Marta, Gretl, Friedrich and Kurt hadn't shown up," she explained.

"I see," Georg said absently, looking past his daughter. "Maybe it was better that way, and I am the one who should be talking to her," he mused.

Liesl noticed his weird expression. She felt confused, but tried to help him. "Do you want me to go and find her now?"

Georg approached Liesl, stroke her cheek, as he always did when he wanted to show his affection for her, and took her hands. "No, I'll do that," he replied in a decisive way. Before leaving the room, he gave her one more look, which she returned with a reassuring smile.

Georg made his way towards Louisa's bedroom. He knocked on the door, getting no answer.

"Louisa?"

Silence again. Carefully he opened the door, expecting to hear some mad complains. But Louisa, sat on the bed, her back turned to her Father, said nothing. It was as if she hadn't noticed his presence, what he knew wasn't true.

"May I came in?" he asked as gently as he could.

"You are already in," Louisa spated. "But now I don't need you anymore," she added, her voice full of rudness.

"Georg, keep control," the poor man told himself. Slowly he got closer to his daughter and sat close to her, making an effort to look directly into her eyes, but she wouldn't hold his look. "What is the matter, darling, what happened?"

"Nothing."

"How come you are so angry then? Come on, tell me," Georg said, trying to seem confiable.

"I'm not angry," Louisa retorted. Glancing at her Father, she knew he wouldn't give up. "These are the matter," she said at last, pointing at a pair of shoes in the near corner.

He got up and took the shoes. "What is wrong with them?" he asked, examining the content of his hands.

"I don't like these shoes."

"Why not? Just another day you were so excited about buying them!" Georg stated, trying to figure out the reason of the sudden change in her opinion.

"Yes, but it was another day. I'm not going to use them tomorrow!" Louisa announced, leaving no place for further argumentation.

"Oh, God, help me!" Georg prayed. "Sorry, Louisa. You've got to. There is no possibility of buying another pair before the party." He too left no room for contestation.

"I said I'm not going to use them!" Louisa cried.

Despite Maria's advices, Georg wasn't able to keep calm. His patient was over.

"There is nothing wrong with the shoes! If you don't want to use them, then you'll go barefeet!" Louisa didn't expect that reaction. She looked at him in shock, but he wasn't touched. "Why are you always creating problems?"

The girl hadn't got what she wanted, and it had made her furious. However, the shock of seeing her Father's reaction was bigger than her anger. She was carried away, scared, and didn't know what to do. Again, regret came over her and she cursed herself for not being able to keep her mind in control. She herself didn't know well the cause of all that rudness, why she had to lose her mind everytime something got a little different from the way she liked. After all, there was no reason to behave this way. Until few months ago, when it would be perfectly understandable, Louisa did protest against things she didn't approve of, but never with that intensity. She couldn't let past ressentments continue to take the best of her. It was messing up the happiness she had been having since Georg's change of attitude. She was putting an unfair load on shoulders of people who had been caring so much about her, specially in those difficult moments she had gone through during her sickness. Louisa had realized how worried they had been. Why then was she doing that to all of them, mostly to Georg? Oh, they didn't deserve that immaturity, because that was what it was. She was decided to change her behavior. It couldn't be so hard.

When Georg saw Louisa somehow had stopped the argument, he become intrigued and intended to discover why she had shut her mouth so suddenly. He noticed her shoulders shrug, her eyes deepen, the scare on her face. He also regret his rudness towards his daughter, and felt impelled to pull her closer in a tight embrace. Several minutes of striking silence passed between them before Georg finally managed to straighten himself and make up some words.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," he muttered.

"No problem," Louisa replied rather uneasy, because she knew it was her who needed to apologize. Anyway, the coldness was broken. The girl felt comfortable to share her emotions with her Father and, like a little child, put her arms around his neck, rested her head against his shoulders and began to sob.

Georg was sorry for Louisa, but, at the same time, relieved to see she trusted him, to see she wasn't mad at him. He felt an urge to comfort his daughter like he used to do in the past whenever one of his children went to him seeking protection, either with a hurt knee or after a bad dream, or yet because they were scared of something. He enlaced her with one arm and used his other hand to press her head against him, gently stroking it. Maria was really right: his children needed him, they needed him at their side, and to be loved by him.

When Louisa calmed herself and stopped sobbing, she raised her head and looked directly into Georg's eyes. "I'm sorry, Father," she whispered, her voice weak.

"There is no need to be sorry. It's alright," he assured with a smile, still holding her. Then he pushed her apart and stared at her. "I don't want to see that beautiful face so sad anymore."

Louisa simply nodded and got up from the bed. Georg followed, gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and, after whishing her good night, left the room. But the girl didn't feel like sleeping, she needed to think and put her mind together. She decided that going for a walk and taking some fresh air would help. Of course the back door would be locked, but she secretly knew where Frau Schmidt kept a copy of the key, thanks to her sneakiness. Passing by Liesl's bedroom, she noticed the door was closed, but the light, still on. "She isn't a threat." Making sure the rest of the way was clear, she carefully headed to the 'secret hiding-place'- a small locker in the kitchen- retrieved the key and made her way to the terrace.