A/N: The next update won't take as long as this one did. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with this story, but I think I have it figured out now. Also, this is probably one of my nastier cliff-hangers….sorry.
The next morning, Maria and the Captain sat down at the breakfast table with the children and Axel and Klara. Maria's hands felt clammy, and she rubbed them on her dress under the table. Successful in keeping her ring out of sight until the announcement, Maria was glad no one had seen or commented on it yet. Honestly, Maria didn't know how much longer she could keep her mouth shut about the engagement. The words were on the tip of her tongue, threatening to spill out with every second that passed. Moreover, she was scared about the children's reactions. What if they didn't want a new mother? What if they thought she was trying to replace their first mother? Maria took a gulp of breath, and glanced at the Captain, who caught her gaze, his eyes twinkling back at her. He subtly nodded reassuringly, and Maria relaxed, a smile returning to her face.
"So…" Klara started, her eyes regaining their all-too familiar mischievous gleam. "How was your night, Georg and Maria? Tell us about the concert!"
"Oh, it was lovely," Maria gushed. "The music was spectacular!"
The Captain nodded, adding with a soft smile, "We have something to tell you all, actually. We didn't just go to the concert last night…" Liesl froze, her fork hovering mid-air, her eyes wide, darting between Maria and her father. Georg stood up, walking behind Maria and affectionately resting his hands on her shoulders.
"You see, I proposed to Maria last night and…she said yes. That is, if you will allow us to marry," the Captain announced. He had barely finished his sentence before cheers erupted from around the table, the children jumping up to kiss Maria and hug their father. Axel got up, smiling, and clapped Georg on the back. He kissed Maria's hand. "Congratulations," he grinned.
Klara's brown eyes shone with pure joy, a huge smile on her face. Klara embraced both of them tightly. "You two belong together, and I could not be happier for you both." She stage-whispered to Maria, playfully nudging her shoulder, "See? I told you that you two would be married. Thanks to yours truly, look how happy you both are!"
"Klara," Maria chastised jokingly.
Klara laughed. "I'm just joking. I am so excited you are getting married!"
Maria laughed, and she caught the Captain's eyes, making her realize how perfect everything felt in that moment.
Brigitta gasped. "Your ring!" All the girls crowded around Maria, admiring the sparkling diamond.
"Father, you did a good job," Gretl announced, sending everyone into laughter.
"You'll be our new mother?" Marta asked shyly, looking up at Maria.
Maria swallowed. "Well, yes, but I will never ever replace your real mother-"
She was interrupted by Marta and Gretl throwing their arms around her, Marta saying, "We love you so much, Fraulein Maria! We're so glad you'll be our new mother."
A tear of relief and happiness escaped from the corner of Maria's eyes, and she looked at the Captain, his own eyes glimmering with emotion as well. He couldn't help but grin because, after everything that had happened, he and Maria were together.
"Okay, I am going to need the details. How did you propose?" Klara asked, and they proceeded to tell everyone exactly how the previous night's big question had arisen.
XXX
After lunch that day, the Captain pulled Axel and Klara aside.
"Yes?" Klara asked, curious.
"Maria and I were talking," he looked over at her lovingly, "and we think that we should move to Stowe, Vermont."
Axel and Klara didn't look surprised. "You miss the feel of the outdoors and Austria," Axel stated, and the Captain nodded his head.
"I…simply feel like we don't truly belong here in the midst of the city," the Captain replied.
"Well, you know we would love to go with you and move to Stowe as well," Axel said with a knowing smile, "But I'll see what I can do."
Klara whispered to Maria, "That means we're coming with you. I'll just persuade him a little more tonight," she winked, "to make sure we won't be staying here alone. You and the Captain and his children are too much fun to be around."
Maria smiled back. The Captain, his children, and Klara and Axel made her so happy, she couldn't begin to describe it in words.
"And," Axel started with an apologetic grin, "you two are going to need a chaperone now that you are engaged…"
The Captain inwardly groaned, and Maria almost let out a sigh.
"It is quite convenient that Klara and I are here with you, so we could be your chaperones," Axel offered.
"Thank you. We appreciate it," the Captain replied, sarcasm oozing from his voice.
Axel patted the Captain on the back roughly. "Thought you would. You're welcome."
Klara laughed, but gave a sympathetic grin to the couple.
The Captain asked, "Maria, could I have a word with you in my study?"
Her heart jumped. "Yes, of course."
Axel followed the two. "Just leave the door open," he called.
The Captain glared back at him and led Maria into his study.
Maria followed the Captain into his study and stood in front of him. "What is it?"
He held up a telegram. "I've been requested to attend a naval dinner tonight."
Maria smiled. "Oh, Georg, that's wonderful!"
He swallowed. "I think it would be safe, but—"
Maria looked at him, interrupting with, "Georg, we're in America. You know the people who are hosting the party-" he nodded "-and so I don't see any problem with it."
"I would say yes but the problem is that it is a dinner, so we have to eat. I would say yes if we could discreetly avoid eating and drinking, but…" the Captain trailed off, torment in his eyes.
"I think it would be vital and a good opportunity. Georg, we can't avoid everything outside of the home," Maria told him.
He looked down and started to pace in front of her.
"Besides, I would like to meet some of the people you work with," Maria added.
The Captain thought about it. "Everyone there is on our side. There won't be any Nazis there," he stated.
"Exactly. Things here are much more tame than on the other side of the ocean," Maria replied. "I think we should go."
"It's quite short notice. The telegram must have been delayed."
"I'll be fine, I can get ready quickly." Maria's confidence had grown now that she had actually attended a few parties.
He finally relented. "Alright." He added, looking at her intensely, "Only under the circumstances that I keep you in my sight at all times. I don't care if you get up to walk into the other room, I don't care if you have to go to the bathroom, I don't care if we're simply on opposite sides of a room, we are staying together and I am keeping you in my sight the entire night."
The tiny spark in Maria's belly had turned into a fire at his words. She touched his arm. "We will be together, and God will keep us safe."
The Captain glanced towards the open door, and, not seeing anyone in sight, drew Maria in for a kiss.
He placed his hands on the small of her back and brought her closer to him. "I can't stay away from you," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear and making her shiver.
"I can't stay away from you," she whispered back, her heart stopping for a second when her eyes met his.
He pressed his lips gently to hers and what he meant to be a quick, small, chaste kiss rapidly turned into a desperate flurry of passion.
She flung her arms around his neck and he moved his hands up and down her back, his lips parting to let her tongue in. She arched her back into him, desire coursing through her.
He groaned, pressing into her, trying to feel every part of her against him.
Finally, Maria stepped back, but her knees completely buckled. The Captain swept forward to wrap an arm around her waist.
Completely out of breath, she panted, "I guess we have to go back into the living room before we get caught."
He grinned, pressing a kiss to her nose. "I suppose so."
But neither of them moved.
"I don't hear any talking!" came Axel's voice from down the hallway.
Maria and the Captain looked at each other and Maria rolled her eyes. "Just a couple weeks," she said.
"Just a couple weeks," he repeated.
"I love you so much," she breathed.
"I love you," he said back, pressing his lips to her forehead.
They reluctantly parted to join Axel and Klara back in the living room to discuss the night.
XXX
Maria was dressed a simple light blue gown and she walked with the Captain to their car. He was dressed in his uniform with is white gloves on his hands.
"Taxis are too unpredictable," he had explained when she asked why they were taking the car.
She settled into the seat, the setting sun creating a soft glow. The Captain looked over at her.
"Hi." He whispered breathlessly. "You look beautiful."
She grinned back. "Hallo. You don't look so bad yourself."
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her again – he can't not kiss her because it's a need that takes over everything in that split second. He slid his hand up the back of her neck, cupping the back of her head. This one was chaste, quiet, but they both lingered, just holding each other. He itched to do more, feel more of her. He wanted to get rid of the gloves, find the warmth of her skin, dive in and never leave…
His pants were suddenly a little tighter, and it didn't help when her breasts brushed against his chest. He bit back a groan and pulled back.
"We should start planning the wedding," the Captain said.
"I'm pretty sure Klara has the entire thing already planned out," Maria laughed.
The Captain chuckled. "Probably."
They continued talking until they reached the large house on the outskirts of the city.
They both sat in the car, looking, remembering the last time they had been in a big house for a party.
Maria reached over and intertwined her fingers with the Captain's. "It'll be okay."
He looked over at her, and squeezed her hand. They finally got out of the car and entered the house.
Dinner had gone quite smoothly, and Maria could almost say she felt at ease. She was still a little nervous about such large social events, but when the Captain was next to her, most of her nerves disappeared and she regained the confidence she knew she had.
When many of the couples started to move to the ballroom, Maria and the Captain stared at each other for another minute and suddenly, the tension between them grew, getting more intense. His blue eyes were solely focused on her, making her forget about the people and the world around them. Her eyes fell on his lips and it made her unconsciously part her own. He leaned down toward her and placed a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth, grabbing her hand as he did so.
"What are you doing?" She whispered against his lips as he intertwined their fingers together.
"Dance with me," he whispered back, his voice low and soft enough to send a shiver all over her body, as if he had traced the bare skin of her waistline with his hand and not her silk covered skin.
She smiled. "You don't need to ask."
He led her towards the dance floor and pulled her into his embrace, her soft curves against his hard chest. He slid his hands to the small of her back and she barely held back a gasp. Her own hands moved of their own accord up to his impossibly broad shoulders. Their eyes never left each other's, bodies slipping together until there was nothing between them. Her breath caught at the feeling of his hard frame pressed against almost every inch of hers.
They couldn't keep their eyes off of each other's, and when he ran his fingers up her spine and her body responded with a shiver and small goosebumps, he was done. No force on earth could have pulled him away. He did it again and reveled in the way her eyes widened and her mouth fell open in a small gasp. He could get addicted to that sound coming from her mouth.
Maria could hardly breathe. The Captain kept pulling her in tighter, little by little. She definitely wasn't imagining the desire in his eyes, was she? When his fingertips skipped up her spine again, she gasped minutely again and his eyes darkened and she knew she wasn't imagining. He felt it too. And she realized she had felt it ever since they danced the Laendler. This electricity that seemed to generate every time they touched. Everywhere that they touched.
Maria's hands slid from his shoulders to the back of his neck and he closed his eyes involuntarily at the sensation. When her nails scraped across his scalp, a groan rumbled through his chest and his eyes flew open. Her eyes darkened, her tongue slipping out to wet her lips.
They danced for a while, Maria's insides feeling all warm and fuzzy. She closed her eyes as they swirled around the dance floor, trusting him. She hummed softly happily, and a small smile tugged at her lips and she raised her head up, meeting Georg's eyes, which were shining brightly.
XXX
Once they had left the house and were in the darkness next to their car, the Captain moved without a word and pressed Maria up against the side of the car, her soft body crushed sweetly against his body.
Her breath caught. "Georg-"
He captured her lips hungrily and she immediately responded, threading her fingers through his hair.
"You're my fiancée," he said, his voice full of love and awe.
"You'll be my husband soon," Maria said back, her heart beating a thousand miles per hour.
XXX
In the car, they continued to talk about the wedding until the Captain asked, "Are you feeling better?"
She looked at him, question in her eyes.
"In the mornings and everything?"
"Oh," she responded, thinking. "Well, I think the drug is out of my system because I haven't gotten any flashes recently, but I still get sick in the mornings. It's gotten a little better, actually, so I'm sure the drug is working itself out of my body. I have been feeling more tired than usual, but it's nothing worrisome."
He nodded. "Before we leave for Stowe, we should go back to the doctor."
Maria agreed. "Oh, I can't wait for Stowe! I am truly excited."
"Me too," he said. There was a small moment of silence until they were all of a sudden blinded.
The Captain's eyes widened as he realized it was the headlights of a car that was barreling straight towards them.
"Captain!" Maria yelled. It was clear the car wasn't going to get out of the way, and so the Captain swerved, narrowly missing the car.
He unconsciously hit the brakes and looked over at Maria. Her eyes were huge with fear. "Are you okay?" He asked. "I'm fine," Maria said. "Are you?"
Except in that moment, the Captain saw in the mirror the same car stop and turn back around, coming at an angle at the side of the car.
The Captain tried to floor it but the other car was coming directly at them like a hurricane. Maria took a deep breath, and took the only chance she might get, eyes closing in belief of him.
"I love you."
She opened her eyes to look him.
He looked over at her, his eyes conveying the exact same words back to her, and the car hit.
It hit harder than she had thought, the impact sending the car screeching forward onto the empty road. A yell left her before she could stop.
The Captain was frantically trying to take control of the vehicle, and Maria tried to ignore the way her knees hurt, her eyes widening when she saw the black car come at her again, hitting their smaller car with so much force that they went careening into the side this time, flipping, toppling to the ground. The car cart-wheeled and stopped, inverted, with them trapped inside.
Her vision was blurring but she heard the Captain's frantic voice. "Maria?"
As much as she tried to will it, her mouth refused to open. Her vision swam even more and she slowly attempted to touch her forehead. She felt sticky wetness on the scalp. She could physically feel her fear, mingled with his own.
"Maria! Maria! Please answer me, damn it!"
His voice was thick of an emotion she couldn't name, anger and fear and desperation all mixed into one. She wanted so badly to close her eyes now and try not so hard any more, just to rest for a minute.
"Maria! Say something! Please!"
She spluttered, blood spilling from her mouth.
"MARIA!"
She blinked groggily, managing a small croak that hurt her throat, before she slowly slipped into nothingness, her body aching and her ears ringing, his voice the last thing she heard.