Author's Note: Thank you to those of you who read the first chapter and to those of you who let me know what you thought, reading your lovely reviews made my day and I hope that you like this chapter just as much. Happy reading x

Friedrich

Putting his head in his hands as he sat down in the chair near the window that looked out over the courtyard of the hospital, Georg groaned and carded his fingers through his hair in impatience. It had been an hour since Agathe had been rushed into theatre and he was still waiting for someone to come and update him on her condition. Pre-eclampsia was serious and life-threatening in the case of both the mother and the baby, he was well aware of that, and with each second that passed by his fear and concern for his wife and their unborn child only increased. The mere thought of having to live without her made him feel sick to his stomach. She meant the world to him and so much more. She was the most important thing in his life and she, along with their beautiful little girl, of course, was the only thing that kept his morale up at sea.

He needed to stop thinking like this.

Max was due to arrive at the hospital with Liesl in ten minutes' time and the last thing she needed to see was him moping around.

Running his hands down his thighs, he rose from the chair and walked across the room towards the window so that he could open it a little and let some air into the room. The moment he opened it, however, he heard the sound of footsteps in the corridor outside the room and so he turned around just in time to see the surgeon appear in the doorway with a tiny bundle nestled in his arms. The slight nod that the elder man offered him reassured him that all had gone well and his shoulders relaxed as he let out a deep sigh of relief. 'Congratulations, Captain,' The surgeon smiled as he started to walk towards him, one arm cradling the dazed newborn against his chest as his hand rested on the back of its head and he brushed his thumb comfortingly against the fair wisps of hair he found there. 'You and the Baroness have a beautiful son.'

Georg allowed the surgeon to ease his son into his arms once he was standing in front of him and he felt an overwhelming surge of love for him course through his veins as he brought him close to his chest, tears clouding his vision as he shushed him when he fussed and bounced him a little in his arms. He couldn't believe it. He had a son. He loved Liesl more than he could put into words and he wouldn't have traded the past year with her for anything, but there was just something about having his first baby boy that filled him with indescribable happiness. 'He's so perfect…' He whispered with a shake of his head when he remembered that he was standing with the surgeon, sheer gratitude in his eyes when he looked up at him once again. 'Is the Baroness doing all right? Did the procedure go well? When will I be permitted to see her?'

'The Baroness is fine, Captain, I can assure you and the procedure was a great success. I think she'll be in theatre for another ten minutes or so, just while we close her back up, but then I'll bring her back down here. You should expect her to be asleep for quite some time and she'll feel a little nauseous and disoriented for a while, but that is completely normal after a procedure of this kind and it'll start to wear off, so you have nothing to be worried about. Now, I don't doubt that you'll be wanting to spend some time alone with your son and that your daughter will be arriving any minute, so I'll head back to theatre and you have my word that we won't keep you waiting to see the Baroness for longer than necessary,' He reassured him, reaching out to pat his shoulder. 'Congratulations again, Captain, and please pass that onto your wife too.'

Georg nodded. 'I will. Thank you.'

Without another word, the surgeon turned around and walked out of the room and once Georg was alone with his son he walked over to the chair he had been sitting in and lowered himself down into it. He then made himself comfortable, pulling the cushion behind his back before cradling his son in both arms once again and smiling as he watched him cuddle against his chest. He was so small, a good deal smaller than Liesl had been at her birth, but he had known that that would be the case considering he had been born three weeks before he was supposed to have been. He would forever be in debt to Doctor Weiss for noticing the signs of pre-eclampsia before it had been too late. If he had failed to notice them and allowed Agathe to progress to full-term with her pregnancy then she would have died and he wouldn't have survived that.

The fact of the matter was though, he had noticed the signs and so there was no point in thinking about what could have been.

He needed to focus more on the present moment and on bonding with his son and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Holding him close to him in one arm, he took one of his small fists in his own and brushed his thumb against his fingers before chuckling when he opened his hand and tried to curl his fingers around his thumb. He didn't succeed in the slightest, his fingers were just far too tiny, but the way that he looked up at him with nothing but trust and inquisitiveness in his deep blue eyes only deepened the love he had for him. 'Your mother has no chance, does she, little man?' He mumbled, using his fingers to stroke the backs of his own as he brushed the thumb of his other hand against his hip through the blanket he was swaddled in. 'You are going to get away with murder with those eyes, I mean that.'

When his son laid his free hand on his chest and curled it into his shirt, he shook his head in slight disbelief that he had actually had a hand in creating something so perfect before leaning down to brush a kiss against his forehead. He allowed himself to linger for a second while he breathed in his scent, but when he heard the sound of little feet coming down the corridor outside the room he pulled back and sighed as he looked in the direction of the door. Sure enough, just moments later, his little girl appeared and the moment she saw him she waddled into the room. The fact that the mere sight of her was still enough to set his heart all aflutter when she had been a part of his life for a year was just unbelievable. She had just turned one and yet she still had the exact same effect on him that she had had on the evening she had arrived.

He held his breath as he watched her stumble towards him, a little worried that she would lose her balance and end up falling down, but the minute she reached him and rested a hand on his knee to help keep her balanced he eased an arm out from beneath his son and stroked her cheek. 'You are such a clever girl,' He told her as he brushed several dark curls out of her face and back behind her ear, her laughter making his love for her deepen before she turned her attention to her baby brother and leaned against him in an attempt to look at him properly. 'Come here, darling, come and sit up here with me and then you'll be able to see him a little better.' He put his arm around her middle and lifted her onto his knee, his lips finding her hairline when she cuddled against his chest and leaned her head against his shoulder with a sigh.

The sound of a breathless chuckle from the door prompted him to look up once she had made herself comfortable and he was unable to hide his smile when he saw Max standing there. 'That was quick,' Max remarked, stroking his moustache. 'The procedure went well then, I hope?'

'It did,' He replied. 'He's a bit dazed, but that isn't surprising and the surgeon told me that he'll be bringing Agathe back down here soon.'

'Is she all right?' Max inquired as he walked into the room before leaning against the wall near the chair and folding his arms over his chest.

'She seems to be, but I was told that it'll be a couple of hours before she wakes up and then she'll be disoriented and nauseous for a while,' He told him, brushing his thumb against Liesl's hip through her dress as he held her close and watched her reach out her hand to stroke her brother's face with her fingers while he began to doze off. 'She should be fine in the morning though, so I'll just keep an eye on her tonight.'

Max hummed in response before gesturing to Liesl. 'It took a while to settle her last night. I think she could sense that something was off.'

'I should have warned you about that, in all fairness,' He admitted as he settled his chin atop Liesl's head. 'She's always been able to do that.'

'What's the plan for this evening, then?' Max asked. 'Is she spending the night here with the two of you or would you like me to watch her?'

'I'd like you to come back a little later on, around dinnertime perhaps, and take her home because I honestly can't see her being able to sleep here,' He tightened his hold of his children and brought them both closer to him as he looked over at his friend again. 'The nurses will be in and out all night and I don't want them keeping her up. All she'd want to do is lie with Agathe and climb all over her if she stayed here too, and she isn't going to be in any fit state for her to do that when she comes round. I just think it would be better all-round if she goes home.'

'Noted,' Max reassured him. 'Now, are you going to let me hold him or are you going to make me stand here all afternoon?'

'Just be careful with him, he's just fallen asleep.' He chuckled before watching him push away from the wall and approach the chair that he was sitting in, his gaze following him as he eased his son out of his arms and into his own before starting to slowly pace the room with him.

Cradling the back of the newborn's head in his hand, Max stroked his hair with his thumb. 'Well, well, well, he definitely has Agathe's looks.'

'Do I have to remind you again that she's spoken for?' Georg teased. 'I honestly shouldn't have to, seeing as though you were my best man.'

'You can remind me of it all you like,' Max shot back. 'It won't change the fact that that woman is exquisite.'

'She is, isn't she?' Georg smiled, brushing his thumb against Liesl's stomach as she tucked her head into his neck and grasped his jacket.

The next couple of minutes passed in silence as he sat in the chair and held Liesl in his lap, his gaze fixed on Max as he watched him walk around and croon softly to his son as he held him in his arms, but soon enough that silence was broken by the faint squeaking of wheels and his heart raced as he looked over at the door. He then watched as two of the surgeons that had operated on his wife eased her bed back into the room, their movements cautious as they made sure not to knock it on the doorframe, and once they had returned the bed to its original place he rose from his chair. 'She'll be in a considerable amount of pain when she wakes up,' The surgeon with whom he had spoken earlier on explained to him. 'If she asks for some pain relief, just head down to the night nurse's desk and whoever is on duty will sort that for you.'

'Is there something I can do to make her more comfortable?' He inquired, readjusting Liesl on his hip as her arms circled his neck.

'I'm afraid there isn't much that can be done, but I would say to just see to it that she has whatever she asks for.' The surgeon replied.

He nodded. 'Thank you so much for all that you've done, I truly appreciate it and I know that the Baroness will too.'

'You don't have to thank me, Captain, it's my job,' The surgeon reminded him. 'But your wife was a model patient and you're both welcome. Now, we'll leave you so that you and your daughter can sit with her for a while. I would recommend no guests when she wakes up, though.'

'Herr Dettweiler isn't going to be here much longer, but I'd like Liesl to be here when she wakes up so that she can see her.' He admitted.

The surgeon nodded in response. 'I understand and I think that that will be doable. As I said, just alert the nurse if you require assistance.'

'I'll remember that,' He assured him. 'Thank you, again.'

He then watched as he and the other surgeon left the room and once they had disappeared down the hall he turned his attention to the bed, his heart sinking in his chest when his gaze landed on Agathe. He would never refer to her as weak because she was nothing of the sort, but as she laid there she didn't look well at all. She was pale and appeared to be rather limp and knowing that the procedure had taken so much out of her pained him. He forced himself to remember, however, that he had to think on the positive side of things. She may have looked ill, but if he had to choose between seeing her like this and losing her and their beautiful baby boy then he would choose the former every time.

'I think I'm going to head back to the villa so that you and Liesl can spend some time with Agathe alone,' Max said as he approached him a little while later, the two of them sharing a smile when he handed his son back to him and allowed him to hold him close to him again. 'I'll return for Liesl at about six o'clock and I'll come and see how Agathe is doing if the nurse allows me to. Give her my love though, will you?'

'I will,' He told him before turning his head in Liesl's direction. 'Say goodbye to your uncle Max, sweetheart, he's leaving for a little while.'

The one-year-old lifted her head from his shoulder at his words and waved at Max, squealing gently when her uncle kissed her on the cheek.

'Congratulations,' Max patted Georg on the back of the shoulder. 'I'll see you later on.'

Once he had left the room and Georg was finally alone with his wife and their children, he breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the bed before sitting Liesl down on the edge of it so that he could cradle his son in both arms and hold him more comfortably against his chest. 'Quiet now, all right, we don't want to wake your mother.' He told her, his voice soft before he laughed when Liesl put her finger to her lips and shushed him. He loved her more than he could explain. Readjusting his hold on his son moments later, he moved towards the cot beside the bed and lowered him down into it before smoothing down his fair wisps of hair and leaning in to brush his lips against his tiny forehead.

'Mama,' Liesl said, causing her to look at him once he had pulled back from his son and see that she was pointing at Agathe. 'Mama…'

'Your mother is exhausted,' He told her as he returned to the bed and sat himself down beside her. 'You can lie with her though if you want.'

The way that her lovely blue eyes sparkled at his words told him that she was completely in favour of the idea, so after running a hand over her curls he pulled back the blanket that the surgeon had laid over her mother and allowed her to settle underneath it herself before she laid down. The second she had gotten comfortable beside her mother, Liesl cuddled up to her and grasped the front of her nightgown in her hand and Georg was unable to keep the tears from blurring his vision as he watched her. The bond that she and her mother shared was incredible. Reaching out with one hand, he smoothed his palm over his daughter's curls before doing the same to his wife and sighing with satisfaction.

He had everything that he could ever want or need in that one room.

A beautiful wife, a wonderful daughter and his first son whom he couldn't wait to get to know.

And he swore to himself at that moment that he would never, no matter what happened, take them for granted.

The second he heard Agathe moan with discomfort and noticed that her eyelids were fluttering as he sat in the chair next to her bed, Georg breathed a sigh of relief and put down his book before moving to perch on the edge of the chair and running the back of his hand down her cheek. He stroked her hair while she came round, tucking the odd curl back behind her ear as she shifted beneath the blanket, and he didn't even attempt to keep the lovesick smile from crossing his lips when her eyes opened at long last and the first thing she did was look at him. She looked exhausted and even though he could tell that she was fighting to keep the pain that she was experiencing from him, her eyes told him the truth and he sighed as he took her hand in his. 'Let me go and ask the nurse for some pain relief, sweetheart, it should help a little.'

'No, the pain is manageable at the moment,' She shook her head, running her thumb across his knuckles. 'Just tell me…is the baby all right?'

Leaning down to press his lips to the side of her head, he squeezed her hand before standing from the chair and turning to the little cot that their son was still fast asleep in. For a second, he just stood there and watched him snooze and revelled in his perfection, but then he reached in and eased him into his arms while shushing him to help keep him asleep. He kissed him on the forehead before moving to sit back down in the chair, the tears that he could see in his wife's eyes making him smile as he patted the small of their son's back in a comforting fashion. 'Can you remember telling me throughout the pregnancy that you were positive that we were having a little boy?' He asked, raising his brow.

'I was wrong again, wasn't I?' She tutted before giggling softly.

He shook his head. 'No, darling, you were absolutely right and he's just perfect.'

'Can…' She swallowed the lump in her throat as she laid a hand on her chest. 'Can I see him?'

'Here, let me lie him next to you,' He replied before standing from the chair again and waiting for her to extend her arm so that he could lie their son in the crook of it, nothing but love and pride for her living in his eyes when he sat back down and watched her wrap him safely in her arms. Her hand rested on his hip as she held him close to her chest and the fingers on her free hand ran over the wisps of fair hair that covered his head, a smile of sheer happiness on her face as she studied his little features before pressing her lips to his temple in a warm kiss. She was a natural mother, he had thought that from the moment she had pushed their sweet Liesl into the world, and he couldn't have been prouder of her if he had tried. 'Liesl, sweetheart, are you going to come here and see mama?' He asked his little girl as he looked over at her.

From where she was sitting on the floor with her doll, Liesl's head snapped up the moment he mentioned her mother and she pushed herself to her feet before waddling as fast as she could towards him and allowing him to sit her on his knee. 'Mama…' She beamed as she looked at her mother after cuddling against her father's chest, her hand holding onto the front of his shirt as she let her head lean against his shoulder.

'Hello, precious,' Agathe reached out to trace the outline of her face with the back of her hand. 'Oh, I've missed you.'

'Max said that she was a little restless last night,' Georg told her as his hand stroked their daughter's waist. 'She knew something was wrong.'

'Poor darling,' She sighed. 'She's always been the same though, hasn't she? It's like she has a sixth sense or something.'

He nodded. 'I'm allowed to take you home in the morning though, so hopefully, she'll start to sleep a little better once we're there with her.'

'I'm going to be confined to our bed for weeks, aren't I?' She groaned, rolling her eyes at him in a teasing manner.

'You are, indeed, and I telephoned the Rear Admiral and explained the situation and he's given me an extended leave,' He smirked. 'I'll be at home for about three weeks and that means that I'll be keeping an eye on you at all times and making sure that you're doing as you're told.'

'And what if I don't feel like doing as I'm told, Captain? You know I've never been one for following the rules.' She reminded him.

He chuckled. 'Then I suppose there are just going to have to be consequences, Baroness.'

'Such as…?' She pressed.

'For one, I could refuse to kiss you.'

'You wouldn't last five minutes and you know that.'

'Fine,' He huffed before humming in thought. 'Aha, I could tell Cook not to make her Linzer torte after dinner every night.'

She seemed genuinely hurt by that and he was unable to keep himself from laughing when she said: 'Oh, that's just cruel.'

'You daft thing,' He shook his head at her, reaching out to rest a hand on her cheek and brush his thumb against her cheek. 'I adore you.'

'Yes, I know you do,' She reassured him as her eyes drifted closed and she tightened her hold of their son. 'And I adore you. All of you.'

The two of them fell into comfortable silence then and Georg was unable to take his eyes off of his wife as she pressed her forehead against their son's and grazed his nose softly with her own, the thumb of the hand on his lower back brushing against it through the blanket as she sighed with contentment. What he had done to be considered deserving of her and the two beautiful children that they had created he would never know, but there was one thing that he was completely certain about and it was that he would do it again in a heartbeat if he needed to.

In his opinion, he was the most blessed man that had ever walked the earth and he would never be convinced otherwise.

Not ever.

Author's Note: It means a lot to me that you took the time to read this chapter! I hope that you liked it and I would be so grateful if you let me know what you thought with a review. I'll see you soon! x