I promised you an update, didn't I? Well, here it is. The return. It is happy, and sad. But I think that it is all right. Please give me any feedback, I love hearing from you!

A little more angst here, but not too much.

Love, Mangotango101

Disclaimer: It is not mine, sad face. It all belongs to 20th Century Fox, Rogers and Hammerstein, and Robert Wise

Maria POV

Mother Abbess convinced me to return to the Von Trapps, though I was still a bit hesitant. The everlasting war was raging my head over the Captain. I still didn't know what I felt.

I heard that the children had tried to visit me. I would have liked to see them, but I'm glad that they were shooed away. I didn't think I could handle it.

I again made the trip to the villa, more nervous than the first time. When I knocked on the front door, Frau Schmidt answered and welcomed me back. She told me how miserable and dreary everyone was. She told me that the children were in the back and I should probably see them before I settled in. I agreed whole-heartedly. I very much wanted to see the children.

As I walked around the back of the house and heard the most melancholy song I had ever heard. I recognized it immediately as the song I had taught the children my first night at the villa. They were trying to cheer each other up. I decided the best way to show them I was there was to join in. And so I did.

Their voices slowly stopped and they came running toward me. I embraced them all, hugging and smiling while singing, and now it was happy singing. We walked, or skipped rather, a little closer to the house.

"Oh, children, I'm so glad to see you!" I cried, out of breath.

"We missed you," Marta said with her cute little lisp.

"Oh, I missed you." I turned to Kurt. "Kurt, how are you?"

"Hungry," he answered me honestly. We all laughed.

Gretl held out her finger for me to see and there was a white bandage wrapped around it. I leaned down and said with a slight smile, "Gretl, what happened to your finger?"

"It got caught," she told me.

"Caught it what?"

"Friedrich's teeth."

Once again, we all laughed. It was so mice to be back with them. My heart felt whole again.

"Liesl, you all right?" I asked, slightly concerned for the eldest.

"Just fair," she answered.

"Any telegrams been delivered here lately?" I asked, knowing she had a sweet spot for Rolf.

"None at all, Fraulein. But I'm learning to accept it. I'll be glad when school begins."

We had now made it back to the patio – I really felt like I had come home.

"Oh Liesl, you can't use school to escape your problems, you have to face them. Oh I have so much to tell you all."

"We have things to tell you, too," said Louisa.

"I'm sure you do," I said with a smile. I was just so happy to be back. I couldn't wait to see the Captain.

"The most important thing is that father is going to be married," Brigitta said. She sounded sad.

My heart broke. Right then and there. I knew I was too late. I didn't know that it could feel this way. I had put everything on hold so I could come back and face the Captain, and now I hear that he is going to marry the Baroness.

"Married?" I asked tentatively, almost too afraid of the answer.

"Yes," Louisa said. "To Baroness Schraeder."

I could only stare in the distance. My mind was reeling. Married. The man I wanted to spend my life with – to grow old with. He was to be married. To that glittery, sparkly Baroness. How could I, little Maria, a failed nun, compare to her?

I looked to Louisa for one more confirmation. She nodded her head.

"I see," I said, still looking into the distance.
If the children didn't know about my feelings, I'm sure they would know now. I had gone to ecstatic about seeing him to devastated and wanting nothing more than to retreat back to the safety of the Abbey walls. But I knew that I needed to stay here. For the children. I needed to be strong, however hard it would be.

"Oh father, look! Fraulein Maria is back!" Brigitta called. They all echoed her.

My head snapped to the villa doors.

Then I saw him.

He was in the uniform I had first met him in, standing tall, his piercing blue eyes looking to my soul. Every feeling, every thought was pushed from my head. I couldn't think, I couldn't do anything. All I saw was him. My heart fluttered and my stomach twisted. I felt lightheaded, and again, I knew that I loved this man with all my heart. He was so handsome, standing there. I wanted to run into his arms and collapse, half laughing, half crying, for the relief I would feel finally being able to be in his arms.

I had never felt something so powerful before. Something that hit me in the deepest, darkest, recesses of my heart. Not even the revelation that I wanted to be a nun hit this hard. This man had a way of upending my plans.
I stood, staring for a moment, before I found my voice.

"Good evening, Captain," I said quietly.

A smile flickered on his lips. I hoped that it was because he was seeing me again.

Stop it Maria, he loves the Baroness.

"Good evening," he replied, his smile still playing at his lips. "All right, everyone inside, go and get your dinner!" he clapped his hands. Clearly the children had done something. I wasn't sure what, nor did I know if I wanted to know.

"Dinner!" They all cried, running to the house.

It was just me and him now. He kept that small, secretive smile on his face.

He slowly made his way down the steps. I still couldn't believe I was seeing him again.

"You left without, saying good bye. Even to the children." He said.

"Well, it was wrong of me, forgive me."

He kept looking at me like that. Like he could see every thought, every feeling. My insides were mush, and I could barely think straight.

"Why did you?" he asked.

"Please don't ask me," I answered, scared that I wouldn't be able to lie. "Anyway, the reason no longer exists."

He looked at me as if he knew. One part of me hoped that he knew, and the other part hoped that he would never know.

"Fraulein Maria, you've returned," the Baroness appeared. I did not know what she said next or how I replied. I only had eyes for the Captain. Only him.

I felt a surge of hatred, jealousy perhaps, course through my body. It made my blood curl and my hair stand on end. I wished with all my heart that she was gone. I wished with all my heart that I could have the Captain to myself, now that I had accepted my feelings.

I loved him. I wished the Baroness would go.

I wished…

Captain POV

I heard a commotion outside, and I went to investigate. There I saw a sight that took my breath away. Maria was standing there, surrounded by my children, looking as beautiful as ever. Her teal dress brought out her eyes, and her features were more perfect than I remembered them. I stood and stared. I couldn't get enough of her beauty, of her grace. My heart was soaring and my stomach was doing back flips. I couldn't imagine something more beautiful. In that moment, I certainly felt something embarrassing…you know. I couldn't help it. This woman was a dream, a vision. And I wished that she was mine.

Had I known she was returning, I never would have proposed to Elsa. I would have sent her back to Vienna. I would have saved it for the woman whom I love with all my heart.

"Good evening, Captain," she said quietly, as if frightened of my reaction. I felt a smile playing at my lips. This woman could make me smile like no other.

"Good evening," I replied, the smile still there. "All right, everyone inside, go and get your dinner!" I said to them. They ran screaming into the house. I had never intended on keeping them from dinner, but also, I just wanted to have Maria to myself for a few minutes.

I walked down the stairs as if lead by another person. I just wanted, needed, to be closer to her.

"You left without saying good-bye," I paused. "Even to the children."

I wanted to know why she left, even though I had a thought. It had broken my heart, and yet, I still had a smile, albeit a small one, on my face. I couldn't contain it. Not with her around.

"Well it was wrong of me. Forgive me," she said.

I knew I'd always forgive her.

"Why did you," I asked, hoping she'd tell me.

"Please don't ask me," she began. "Anyway, the reason no longer exists."

I knew at that moment why she had left. I knew it was because she felt the same energy, the same spark that I felt. I knew she had – that night of the Laendler. I knew that she had felt something too.

"Fraulein Maria, you've returned," came a voice from behind me.

I saw Elsa coming down the stairs. I felt nothing. Nothing at all. She was beautiful, yes, but not like Maria. She was sweet, yes, but not like Maria. No one could be like Maria. I knew that I had loved her at one time, but that time was in the past. I no longer harbored feelings for Elsa, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself.

"Isn't it wonderful, Georg?" she took my hand, and I had an awful reflex to pull my hand away. But I suppressed it.

The way she looked at me, Maria that is, broke my heart all over again. I knew it was hard for her to come to terms with, and I hoped that one day she would be able to forgive me for my own foolishness.

"May I wish you every happiness, Baroness." She began to walk towards us. "You too, Captain. The children tell me you ought to be married." I could tell how hard it was for her to say it.

I nodded, all the while imploring her to forgive me with my eyes.

"Thank you, my dear," Elsa replied.

She nearly ran up the stairs, as if she couldn't take any more.

"You are back to uh, stay?" I asked. She stopped dead in her tracks. Maria turned to me, the ultimate hurt in her eyes.

"Only until arrangements can be made for another governess," she said.

I felt my heart breaking again. A man's heart should not break so many times in his life, especially over one person. I needed to find a way to get Maria to stay – for good. I couldn't live without her. I learned that.

I watched her go into the house, and I wished that I had done things differently. I wished that I could give her everything she needed and wanted.

I wished…

Well there it is...I hope it did something for you. Anyone know what the Captain feels embarrassed about? It's the same thing that's plagued him in the past...I think that we all know what that is ; ) Next update will me dum dum duumm...right before the imfamous Gazebo Scene. So get pumped. Not sure when it will get out, but hopefully soon. Reviews make me update faster! ~mangotango101