A/N: Thank you once again for the response, it means a lot! I'm trying to finish this before I go to University in late September *fingers crossed* there are going to be 9 more chapters after this one!

Chapter Thirty Six: Moments Alone

A week had passed since the family arrived in Clermont Ferrand, and everyone seemed to be settling in well. The children loved the town in which they lived, and all of their French was coming along better whenever they ventured into town – keeping to their promise of speaking German at home for the sake of Maria and Adda. Only Adda and Maria struggled with their French outside the home, but as they were almost always accompanied by the others, it did not pose as much of a problem as it could.

However, one morning in the first week of October, Maria decided that spending some time alone with Adda was long overdue. She had promised herself that she would spend time with the little girl often to ensure that she was coping; that it was not all becoming too much for her.

Maria dressed that morning, having woken a little later than usual, and went downstairs only to find that the children had already had breakfast. Flora noticed her enter the kitchen and asked if she wanted something to eat, but Maria refused and explained that she would pick something up in town, wanting to go there today with Adda. Flora simply smiled in understanding and continued to go about her day.

Maria found Adda in the sitting room, playing on the floor with Marta and Gretl. Brigitta was sat, curled in an arm chair, book in hand. Nothing new there, Maria thought, smiling.

"Adda," Maria called softly, capturing her attention almost immediately. "Come here for a moment, please."

Adda stood up and followed Maria out of the sitting room, into the hallway.

"I was thinking we could go into town today," Maria explained. "Just the two of us."

Adda's eyes seemed to light up at the prospect, and she nodded, smiling.

Maria smiled back. "Go and get your coat, then."

Once she was gone, Maria went to find Georg quickly and explained her plans for the day. Georg nodded and explained that he would, in turn, spend the day with the rest of the children.

Therefore, half an hour later, Maria and Adda were both strolling through the streets of Clermont Ferrand. Maria stopped off at a bakery immediately, going inside and ordering something for her and Adda to eat.

"What is it?" Adda asked as they walked and ate.

"It's called brioche," Maria explained, taking a bite of her own and remembering the times on her honeymoon when she had indulged in the delicious French food. "We ate this when we were on our honeymoon."

"Did you?" Adda asked excitedly, instantly realising that she should take a bite and try it for her own understanding. When she did, she took another, and another until it was gone.

"We did," Maria smiled. "And I see you like it just as much as me!"

Adda giggled, licking her lips as she discarded of the paper bag in a nearby bin.

They continued to then walk around the town, talking about various things that they used to speak about back in Austria. It seemed that even in the weeks Maria had been away on honeymoon, and the changes around the time of the wedding, had not changed anything for Adda, and she still felt comfortable around Maria. Maria was glad and would often keep an eye on her now as they walked.

However, a little while later, Adda seemed to fall into a contemplative mood. It had been almost several minutes since she had said anything, and Maria felt there was a need to prompt her from her thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" Maria asked softly, still walking.

Adda shrugged, but Maria knew there was more to it.

Maria quickened her pace for a moment, so she could turn and block the path of the child with a hand to her shoulder. "You know you can ask me anything."

Adda nodded, but not meeting her eyes.

"Then what is it?"

"Why don't they like me?" Adda asked quietly. "Why do I always have to run away?"

Maria took a deep breath. She knew this question would arise one day, and she knew it was only a matter of time when they had to come here. She had revised her tentative answer, "Because they don't like that you're different to them."

Adda slowly started to let her head rise up, letting her eyes meet those of Maria. She found instant comfort in them.

"But being different is a very good thing, and it's extremely important. You will always remember that, won't you?" Maria knelt to be level with Adda. "No one should ever make you feel bad because you're different."

"You still like me, don't you? Even though I'm different from you?"

"Of course I do, I love you." Maria reached forward and wrapped her arms around Adda's small frame, one of her hands moving to smooth her hair. She whispered again and again, "Of course I do."

While in France, Flora began to notice that Maria seemed a little ill. She woke in the morning sometimes to find Maria ghastly pale and unable to stomach anything at breakfast for fear of bringing it back up, and Flora noticed that she seemed lethargic around the house, something almost foreign for the Maria she, and the children, knew.

Ever concerned, Flora mentioned the matter to Georg.

"I had noticed," Georg sighed. "She was sometimes like this in Switzerland."

"What do you think it could be?"

Georg sighed once more and shook his head. "It could be anything, she has been under a great deal of stress since we came back home…"

"Well, that settles it," Flora spoke up decisively.

Georg furrowed his brow. "Settles what?"

"You two will take a weekend for yourselves," Flora stated matter-of-factly. "Sebastian and I can take care of the children, Max is here. You two making yourselves ill will not help any of us."

"But we couldn't just–"

"I am perfectly capable of caring for my nieces and nephews, thank you very much."

Georg had to smirk at her tone of voice. There was no arguing with his aunt once she had an idea set firmly in her head. And now that he thought about it, a weekend to themselves may be the best thing at the moment. Neither of them knew for definite how long they would be here, or how long it would be until they could settle in America.

"Fine," Georg conceded.

Now to get Maria to agree.

Georg was right in thinking Maria would put up a fight, but eventually she conceded. Therefore, at the start of October, Georg and Maria caught a train which would take them through parts of France, eventually to arrive in Versailles. Georg had wanted to show his wife the beautiful palaces that had once housed the richest in France, and it seemed his idea was working as Maria marvelled at the beautiful architecture.

They spent the rest of that afternoon searching the place before going to their hotel.

"This was a lovely idea, Georg," Maria admitted as they retired to their room after dinner that night. Their meal had been delicious, Maria trying a seafood platter for the first time, and Georg joining her in her choice of meal. Maria was already unbuttoning her dress as they settled in front of the roaring fire, settling down for the night.

"And I would love to take full responsibility," Georg teased, joining her on the rug. Maria smiled at his teasing before leaning across and capturing his lips in a kiss.

"Well, you did choose Versailles, and that is responsibility to me," Maria teased, kissing him again.

"If you say so," Georg responded absent-minded, far too distracted in showering his wife in kisses.

"And I expect you to show me much more of it tomorrow," Maria spoke through the kisses being placed on her neck, moaning at times when Georg hit the more sensitive spots on her neck.

Georg murmured, "Gladly."

He then continued to kiss her neck, moving the fabric of her dress aside as she happily tilted her head to the side, giving him better access.

Eventually the teasing became too much and Maria pulled Georg on top of her, letting him undress her fully in front of the roaring fire, admiring once again the closeness that they shared through the movements of their bodies and the intensity of the kisses they shared.

Georg woke up the next morning to an empty space beside him. He frowned almost immediately, remembering how tired Maria had been the night before and how he had been almost utterly convinced she would sleep until the late hours of the morning. It had been weeks since the two of them had been afforded the luxury of a lie-in, they always had to wake and tend to the children.

However, just as Georg was going to call out for her, he heard a noise coming from the bathroom.

It was a sound that he recognised, and it sent a shiver of fear through his body. He left the bed immediately and went to the bathroom to find Maria hunched over the toilet being sick.

"Maria," he called out tentatively, approaching and kneeling down beside her, ensuring that her hair was away from her face.

Maria instantly began to jerk upwards, covering her mouth. "Georg, I'm sorry, I didn't want you to see me like this."

"Don't be silly…" He murmured, stroking her back as another bout of sickness washed over her. When she had finished, he asked, "What has brought this on?"

Maria shook her head, unsure. She finally made to stand up after a few minutes of waiting, rising to her feet. The colour from her face had drained, only to be left with a ghastly white shade, and the usually spark in her eyes had disappeared.

"It was probably the food last night," she offered by way of explanation. "It may not have agreed with me, I hadn't eaten it before."

Georg frowned as if to disagree, but nodded anyway.

"Do you want to sleep?"

Maria covered her mouth and shook her head. "No, I might just sit in front of the fire."

And Maria did just that for the rest of the day. Like the time in Paris, Maria found one of Georg's larger jumpers and huddled herself in that, her eyes drowsy as she sat in front of the flames.

Georg brought out one of the books he had decided to bring with them and began to read aloud. He sat on one of the armchairs in front of the fire, Maria moving back to sit against it, her head resting against his leg as she listened, closing her eyes.

Georg suggested later that evening that, if she felt better tomorrow, they could go back to Paris for the day before returning to the children on Monday.

Maria politely declined, "Our time there was special, it was wonderful in fact. But now, everything has changed. I don't want our special memories of Paris clouded because of our current situation."

Georg nodded in understanding.

"I gave all of myself to you in Paris. Let's not mar the beautiful time we had there."

Georg nodded once again in understanding, inside he was touched at the sentiment Maria held for the honeymoon experience. He was still cautious, however, of her health at the moment and often was caught with a concerned expression across his face, one that Maria would admonish almost instantly. She told him that tomorrow she would be perfectly fine.

And it turned out to be true. The next day, Maria felt like her usual self. She put it down to the stress of the last few weeks, the food and her exhaustion.

Georg agreed, if only to keep her sated. However, he vowed to discuss things with Flora upon their return.

He had his suspicions about Maria's sudden illness, and he had seven past experiences to support him.