***So I apologize for not forewarning you all of the explicit scenes from last chapter. There is another brief part of this chapter too, so if any of you feel strongly against sex, please skim past it.***
Sun peaked through the half drawn curtains above the picture window in the master bedroom. The two sleeping figures in the master bed were snoring soundly in unison. Georg rolled over and unintentionally took most of the covers with him, uncovering his wife's bare body. His breath caught in his throat at the majestic sight of his Maria. He lightly traced the curves of her body with his right hand as he propped himself up on his pillow with his left arm. When he got to her backside he felt his wife stirring. He turned his gaze to Maria's face and saw that he had been caught. She had been watching him the entire time.
"Good morning, baroness." Georg leaned in and kissed Maria sweetly on the lips.
Maria closed her eyes and smiled at her husband's touch. She blinked them open as Georg rested his head in his left hand on the pillow. It was his turn to smile and Maria chuckled at his sudden scrutiny.
"Something got you captivated, captain?"
"Mmm...you. Come here." Georg extended his free arm and Maria slid into her husband's arms. Her breasts barely grazing Georg's toned chest. Maria laid her head on his chest and Georg wrapped his arms around his beautiful wife. He then brought the covers up around their waists to generate some warmth.
They sat that way for a good while. Not moving, but just needing to be close to one another. Georg ran his fingers through Maria's hair casually, planting a loving kiss on her head every so often. Maria tightened her grip on her husband, her arms encasing his neck.
"You know, Maria, we're going to have to get up eventually. The children will think I'm holding you captive." He smiled into his wife's hair.
Maria smiled into his neck and sat up, Georg's arms still around her.
"Then that is absolutely fine with me, my dear." She bent at the neck over him and kissed him passionately on the lips. When they broke apart her face had gone completely serious.
"I have to tell you something...something horrible that happened." She ran her hands over his face.
Georg sat up, so that they were both sitting with their legs crossed facing each other. He took her hands in his, face full of concern.
"What is it?" He was nervous at what her response could be.
Maria drew in a deep breath and exhaled it, suddenly afraid to look her husband in the eyes. Georg took one of his hands and brought Maria's chin up so she was facing him again, but tears were in her eyes. Georg moved to say something, but Maria held her hands up so she could speak.
"It happened right after Kurt and I were separated from all of you. We were staying with a very nice couple in Switzerland that first winter and...and it was just so awful."
She stopped to catch her breath and gazed at her husband. Georg was looking on in sheer anticipation. Maria continued.
"I had a miscarriage." She said barely audible, but Georg was able to make it out. By now Maria's cheeks were wet from her tears. Georg drew her near and they were in each other's arms again. He caressed her back and soothed her, wishing away all her pain. He allowed her to regain her composure and finally pushed her back slightly so she was sitting up again.
"Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"
"I didn't want to in front of everybody. And it felt so nice being in your arms again, I didn't want to spoil the moment...I was so afraid at how you'd react...are you angry?"
Her eyes bore into his, but they showed no signs of anger. Georg held Maria's face up with his hands.
"How could you even think such a thing? Of course I'm not mad with you. It's not like you did anything for this to happen. These things happen-Agathe had one you know."
Maria snapped her attention to him.
"She did?"
Georg nodded. "Yes, in between Brigitta and Marta."
She didn't know why, but somehow that put Maria at ease somewhat.
"Maria, after it happened, did the doctor who examined you, did he say...did he say if you'd be able to have any more children?"
Maria gave Georg a pensive look before responding.
"You know, I didn't ask him. Neither Kurt nor I thought of that."
"Well with any luck, maybe we gave fate a little nudge in the right direction after last night." Georg smiled wickedly at his wife, whoo blushed a bit at his comment. Her eyes scanned the room and noticed how their clothes were strewn all over in random spots.
"All right, well I need to dig through my bags for something decent to put on to wear downstairs." Maria stood up and walked over to the far side of the bed, leaving Georg sitting in the middle watching her every move. Still completely naked, Maria bent down in front of her bags next to the closet door and began to rummage through them. When she found another slip and her bathrobe she stood up with her back to Georg and smoothed them out.
Seeing Maria standing there caused Georg to get excited. Quietly he crept up behind her and started massaging her breasts lightly. Maria froze at first, but slowly let her guard down and soon her clothes were back in a heap on the floor. She closed her eyes and began to moan at the sensation working its way through her body. She reached around and grabbed Georg in her hands.
Georg spun Maria around and locked his mouth onto hers. Maria pressed her body into his and her hands went to lock around his neck. Her thumbs lightly stroked his collar bone and soon her lips were there, too. She sucked his skin and kissed him all the way down his stomach. Georg could take it no longer and stooped down to his wife's level so that they were both kneeling. He put one hand on the floor to brace them both as he lowered Maria to the floor with him on top of her. They lay together on the floorboards in front of the closet.
Maria called for him, but Georg tempted her with butterfly kisses all the way down from her neck to her inner thighs. Maria reached down and grabbed him by the shoulders and slid him up her throbbing body. Georg smiled at his wife's aggressiveness and found her lips. Maria spread and pushed Georg into her, groaning at the feeling of them being joined again. Georg grinded into her until they both released all the passion they had. After they came, Georg laid there on top of her with his head on her stomach. Maria rubbed his scalp with her hands and Georg's hands gently rubbed her sides.
Georg lifted his head off of his wife's stomach and looked at her seriously.
"Now you may get dressed, Maria."
-SOM-
Liesl and Gretl were at the stove in the kitchen, flipping the pancakes and occasionally moving the scrambled eggs around in the massive skillet on the stovetop. Louisa was pouring coffee while Marta and Brigitta set out juice and toast. As they placed the last slice of bread on the table, Maria entered the kitchen through the swinging door wearing a grin from ear to ear.
"Good morning girls!" She said cheerfully and Brigitta rushed into her arms, followed by the other four.
"Morning, mother," they all chorused back in unison.
"Did you sleep well, mother?" Louisa asked as everyone made their way over to the table.
"Yes, Louisa it was the best night's sleep I've had in years. I didn't have to listen to Kurt snoring into my ears the whole night." Maria joked, making all five of her daughters laugh.
"Why, mother, does father not snore?" Liesl asked wickedly from the stove.
"Your father doesn't snore, no, and he's a much better cuddler than your brother." Maria winked back at her eldest.
"Come sit with us, we're just about done." Marta lead Maria over to one of the chairs against the window and sat down next to her. Gretl brought over the tray of scrambled eggs and sat on the opposite side of her mother. Maria wrapped her arms around her two youngest and gave them each a tender kiss on the tops of their heads. Louisa sat down a the head of table next to Gretl and Brigitta took the seat on the other side of Marta.
"Where is father anyway?" Liesl asked as she scooped the last of the pancakes onto a platter and came to join them.
"He had to make a quick telephone call in his office, which I must have walked by completely yesterday when we came in."
"It's on the right when you immediately come into the house," Marta said, taking a sip of orange juice.
Liesl sat down at the far head of the table next to Brigitta.
"Gitta, why don't you call the boys in." she said as she helped herself to some coffee.
"Yes, where are your brothers? Does Kurt know there's food out?" Maria asked, head craning to look around the kitchen.
"They've been walking around the porch talking for a while now." Louisa said, glancing past her mothers and sisters to look out the window for Freidrich and Kurt.
"Really? For how long?" Maria said, catching on and turning around to look out as well.
"Well they went outside about an hour ago and we've counted that they did forty-one laps so far," Brigitta said as she tapped on the window as her brothers made another pass by.
Freidrich and Kurt looked up from their conversation as their sister signaled for them to come back inside. They nodded in response as they disappeared out of sight.
"Well that makes me happy the two of them picking right up where they left off," Maria said turning back around, arms finding Marta and Gretl again.
"Yes, it'll do Freidrich some good to have Kurt back. He's been terribly depressed and quiet." Liesl said as she stood up to retrieve bacon from the oven.
Maria merely nodded at her daughter's observation.
"What about you, mother? Are you happy to be back? Father said last night you had made friends in New Hampshire where you were staying." Gretl looked up at her mother.
"Oh well Kurt and I will certainly miss our friends there, Elli and her daughter Claire and Claire's daughter Susan, and the priest of their church, Father Fitzpatrick...but nothing could ever replace being right here with all five of you."
"And father!" Marta piped in.
"And your father, of course," Maria said, smiling at her daughters.
"So you both traveled to a lot of places then?" Brigitta asked from her seat.
"Well we were in Austria for a very short time after we, well after we all got split up. From there we trekked through Switzerland to France where we took a ship to New York. And from there we made it to New Hampshire and of course now home to you all."
"Were you ever scared?" Louisa asked as she wrapped her knees up to her chest at her chair.
Maria's expression altered drastically.
"I'd never been more frightened of anything in my entire life." The serious tone caused Louisa to shiver, she had never known her mother to be afraid of anything before.
"If it hadn't been for your brother, I don't know how I'd have ever made it here safely."
"Kurt? Really?" Marta asked incredulously.
"Yup. He had to grow up pretty quickly, unfortunately. And he was always there if anything happened."
"Like when you almost drowned?"
"Or when you were almost homeless in New York."
"You got it," Maria said looking from Brigitta back to Louisa.
"I think he was ready for all of that." Everyone looked to Liesl who was still taking the cackling bacon from its hot sheet.
"What makes you say that, Liesl?"
"Well it all makes sense doesn't it? After our mother died and everything changed, Kurt always wanted to be grown up like Freidrich and father. It's no wonder he was so eager and so able to help you through so much." She finished and carried the bacon over to gaze at her mother and sisters.
"Well spoken, Liesl." Maria gave her a genuine smile, which Liesl gratefully returned.
The door swung open to reveal Kurt and Freidrich walking in conversing with each other with their father right behind them.
"Good morning ladies!"
"Good morning, father!" Gretl squealed with delight as her father took a seat directly across from Maria. Freidrich sat down on Georg's left, but Kurt circled the table, planting a big kiss on each of his sister's foreheads. He couldn't reach his mother, who was still nestled between Marta and Gretl, so he settled for blowing her a kiss across the table as he took his seat in between his father and Louisa.
"Maria, would you do the honor of saying grace for us once more?"
"Of course, Georg." She smiled at her husband and brought her hands clasped in prayer to her lap, the entire family following suit.
"For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen."
"Amen." Was the reply said in unison by the other eight Von Trapps.
"Girls, this looks absolutely delicious," Freidrich said as he poured himself coffee and juice.
"Why thank you, Freidrich." Marta said as she stabbed some pancakes onto her plate. Georg sat with his arms crossed on the table, taking in the sight of the entire family at the table once more. He was on cloud nine and he couldn't believe that the three years they all had spent in turmoil had actually happened.
When everybody had food on their plate and all the glasses and mugs were full, Liesl raised her juice and cleared her throat.
"Excuse me, but I'd like to propose a toast."
Everyone mimicked her and grabbed what they were drinking.
"To mother and Kurt, who are now finally home where they belong. And to the man who brought them back to us...to our family. Cheers!"
Nine glasses clanged together as everyone knocked glasses around the table.
Just like dinner, they feasted until not a drop of food was left on their plates. The Von Trapps were all sitting back in their chairs, stomachs full of delicious food.
"Now THAT was a good breakfast." Kurt exhaled and closed his eyes, relishing in the joy of his first meal back with his family.
"Glad you enjoyed it," Louisa said as she playfully jabbed at her little brother's expanding belly.
"Hey cut that out! Do you want me to throw up all over you?" Kurt retorted and reached over to tickle his sister, who howled with laughter. When they had calmed down, Louisa reached over and took Kurt's hand in hers.
"I missed you." She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb.
Kurt smiled whole heartedly back, "Me too. I'm glad to be home."
Maria's heart melted at her children's affection. She could only remember days where Louisa and Kurt would be at each other's throats, and now they were openly showing love.
Georg draped his right arm over Kurt as Kurt settled back in his chair and his left one went over Freidrich, mirroring Maria's position with the girls.
"So family, what should we do today? Hhmm?" He looked to each of his children.
"Let's play outside in the snow!"
"Yeah!" Marta got excited at Brigitta's suggestion.
"Well we could do that, but I was thinking of taking your mother and Kurt into town for some shopping. I'm thinking they're going to need some new clothes." He looked down at his youngest son. "You especially since you'll be starting school here next week."
"Really, father, shopping seems awfully boring." Freidrich said, allowing his head to rest on his father's shoulder.
"Well I was thinking that while Kurt, Maria, and I are in the stores, you six could be milling about town. Say, gathering food from the market for the week, maybe making a stop at the bakery for something sweet for later this evening."
"Oh Georg how can you be thinking of food after the meal we just had!" Maria exclaimed, not even opening her eyes, still resting with her head on the chair back.
"Hhm...perhaps you are my child after all." He said jokingly as Kurt looked up at him, causing the entire family to giggle.
"Do you think I could go into the hardware store to see about the supplies for the piano, father?"
"I think that's a fantastic idea, Freidrich. Yes, you may do that."
"Why what's wrong with the piano?" Kurt ask, looking down the table at his brother.
"The wood on two of the bench legs split last month when we got the Christmas tree. Somebody thought it was a good idea to use the bench to stand on while we decorated it and put the angel on top." Freidrich didn't say who it was, but immediately six pairs of eyes rested on Georg who grinned sheepishly at his son and wife.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Maria rolled her eyes at her husband and sat up.
"Well it sounds like we have the rest of the afternoon planned, so why don't we start cleaning up? I'm going to pick at all the delicious bacon crumbs if I sit here any longer." She moved to start clearing away plates when Gretl put her hand on hers.
"We have this, you and father go rest."
"No, really darling. I didn't help with anything."
"Maria," Georg started. "Why don't you listen to your daughter and come sit with me while we digest?" He extended his hand over the table, which Maria gladly took and walked around to her husband, giving Kurt a real kiss on the way.
"All right, but I WILL be helping with dinner tonight and with the meals from now on."
"That's fine, we'll hold you to that, mother." Brigitta said as she placed a stack of dishes in the sink.
"Children, why don't we plan on leaving here in one hour? That should give everyone plenty of time to relax and get changed before we head out."
"All right, father. Come one everyone, lets get cleaned up so we can go chat." Liesl ushered her siblings to clear the table.
Maria and Georg ducked out of the kitchen as all seven of the children joked around with each and headed for Georg's study.
It was just as Marta had said, right next to the front door. Georg closed the door behind them as Maria stretched out on the sofa in his office. He sat down beside her and took her feet in his hands, kneading the bottoms with his strong hands.
Maria moaned in pleasure as her husband rubbed her feet.
"Oh how I've missed those hands of yours," she said with her arms crossed lightly on her chest, eyes slightly closed.
"Not to worry, love, you'll be seeing and feeling a lot of them to catch up on all the time we lost."
"Somehow I think that seems appropriate." Maria opened her eyes all the way and smiled lovingly at Georg.
"I'm glad the children are all okay. I was worried they'd all be different and awkward after Kurt and I came back."
Georg stopped rubbing Maria's feet and tugged at her hands, bringing her to a sitting position next to him.
"How could you possibly imagine a thing like that?"
"I don't know, I just figured after everything you all must have gone through that things would be completely off. Kurt and I each went through periods where we didn't talk to each other at all or hated the world for stretches of time...but it felt perfect just now with all of us together again. I don't want to leave any of you ever again."
She leaned in and kissed Georg, who reclined back to prop his feet up on the coffee table. Maria nestled into the nook of his arm and sighed contently.
"You know, baroness, I'm glad too. Do you know how long it's been since I heard that beautiful voice of yours? What do you say to a few songs later tonight by the fire? I'll see if I can manage a few verses of Eldleweiss for you for old times sake."
"Sounds heavenly. Promise?"
"For you? I guarantee it. Not to worry darling, I'm not going anywhere and I'm be damned if I let you out of my sight every again."
Maria smiled into his robe as she snuggled there beside him on the couch. And that's where they stayed until Georg forced them upstairs to change for their outing with the children...an outing as an entire family.
* Only one more chapter to go to tie everything together. Get your reviews in! They've been great and no need for them to stop! =) *