Maria sighed as she adjusted in her seat, doing her best to get comfortable. The train was to take them from Salzburg to Zürich, and then they would hopefully find a train to take them through France, but Georg predicted they would have to stop in Paris, and then take another train the rest of the way. The boat across to England was the part of the trip Maria was most nervous about, aside from the amount of time they would spend sitting on a train. She had never been on a boat before, and she was a bit concerned that she would become sick. Georg would never let her forget if she became seasick, for his love of boats had him looking forward to even the smallest ride. He took her hand in his to pull her from her thoughts, smiling as she met his eyes.

"It won't be but a few more hours." She nodded, returning his smile. "You look tired."

"Yes, I think the adrenaline has finally worn off." She winced a bit as she readjusted in her seat. Her back still ached, and she had to wonder if whomever had carried her unconscious body to the kitchen had simply tossed her upon the hard tiles of the floor. Frau Schmidt did say she had laid there motionless for a long while.

"Are you in pain?" She shook her head, not wanting to alarm him.

"I'm fine, darling." He rolled his eyes.

"Of course you are. You're only readjusting yourself every five minutes for fun." She glared at him, sighing.

"My back hurts."

"Not your head?"

"Well, that too." He wrapped an arm around her and gave her a gentle hug from the side.

"I feel such regret that I wasn't there to protect you."

"Had you been there, we wouldn't be here right now. It worked out the way it needed to. Though, I must say, it was quite unexpected." He nodded, placing a gentle kiss to the side of her head. "I love you, Georg."

"I love you too, darling." He smiled, never tiring of hearing the words come from her mouth.

"I realized, before I knew you were okay, that I didn't tell you I loved you before you left." She felt emotion swimming behind her eyes, and she did her best not to allow it to show. There was no need, they were safe.

"Oh, Maria, I know you do. We don't always have to say it to feel it." She smiled, her eyes feeling tired and hazy. "Lay your head on my shoulder. Try to get some sleep."

She obeyed, resting her head against his shoulder and sighing as her body relaxed. It didn't take her long to nod off, rocked by the bustling of the train and comforted by the feeling of her husband beneath her.

xxxxx

They were unable to find a train that left until the next morning, so they found themselves in a dingy little hotel room for the night. Maria entered the room and placed the couple of bags Georg allowed her to carry upon a chair in the corner of the room before rushing to the bathroom. She swore she had to go constantly anymore, and she wondered what that meant for the future of her pregnancy if it was happening so soon.

Georg stood in the doorway and looked at the room, a bit disgusted. It was unfortunately all they could get on such short notice. The furniture looked dusty and the wallpaper was faded. The carpet looked dirty, and there were smudges all over the windows, likely not cleaned for weeks. He sighed and closed the door as Maria exited the bathroom, looking relieved.

"I can't imagine I won't end up wetting myself at some point during this pregnancy." She rubbed her hands together to warm them, as the room felt quite chilly.

"I'm sure you will. It's quite common."

"Ugh, wonderful." He put their suitcases down upon the foot of the bed, cringing as he looked around the room. "What's the matter?"

"This place is disgusting."

"Is it?" She looked around, noticing it wasn't in immaculate condition, but it didn't seem so bad to her. "I don't know. A bit messy, but I wouldn't call it disgusting."

"You wouldn't? You really must set higher standards for yourself."

"Perhaps your standards are too high." He gruffly met her eyes, and she gave him a sweet smile. "It's only for the night."

"Yes, well. I would have much preferred a suite. This one room nonsense…" He sputtered off as he, moved the suitcases to the sofa, afraid to put them on the floor, and began to take off his jacket.

"A suite has multiple rooms?" She sat upon the edge of the bed, smiling at how he cringed that it didn't bother her.

"Yes, it can have quite a few rooms, depending upon the hotel. You've never been in a suite?" She laughed, wondering if he was even aware of who he was speaking to.

"Let's just say, even my room at the Abby was smaller than this, and much less impressive." He gave her a soft smile, doing his best to lighten up. She was right, it was only one night after all.

They readied themselves for bed quickly, hoping to get a decent night sleep before the much longer train ride they would be facing the next day. It was no small task to take a train through France, after all. Maria pulled the blanket back on the bed, wincing for just a moment as she looked everything over. Thankfully, the sheets looked fresh, and she sighed as she climbed into bed, the mattress squeaking loudly beneath her. Georg chuckled as he joined her, turning out the light.

"Good thing I'm too tired to have my way with you. It would be quite disruptive to others." She giggled, wrapping an arm around him and cuddling against his chest as he pulled the blankets over their bodies.

"I've never known you to be too tired to have your way with me. Something must be terribly wrong." He smiled as he pulled her close, and they shared a kiss before settling down for the night. Maria felt safe and secure in his arms, sighing and relaxing at the feeling of being held by him. They were just about asleep when all of a sudden they heard squeaking from the room next door. It was soft and slow, rhythmic, and Maria's eyes shot open in surprise at the realization of what she was hearing. They could hear it incredibly clearly. "Georg?"

"Of course this is happening." His sarcasm was not lost on her as the rhythm picked up a bit faster, and Maria couldn't stop herself from giggling in discomfort. She couldn't believe what they were hearing as sounds of love making resounded through the thin wall of their room. She found herself quickly thankful that the children weren't traveling with them.

"Isn't it sweet though? They're in love." She smiled, leaning up to meet his eyes. Suddenly, they heard a loud slap and a cry of pain…or pleasure, it was difficult to decide. The couple began shouting obscenities, moaning and carrying on at a new volume. Her eyes widened, and he laughed at the look upon her face.

"Isn't that sweet?"

"Dear me, it sounds like they're killing each other." The wall began to shake above their bed, a painting sliding around, and Georg groaned at the disruption.

"Just get her off, man." He spoke to the wall, and Maria slapped his chest.

"Stop it."

"Well he could."

"It isn't always that easy." The woman suddenly cried out, whimpering loudly and screaming in pleasure. "There, you see, they didn't need your help."

"You're on their side? This is insanity." He began to laugh, and she couldn't stop herself from laughing as well. As the noise next door continued, more laughter escaped from their lips, and Maria hurried to cover her mouth as she giggled. They were tired, stressed, and concerned about their future, and the complete surprise of their current situation was enough to send them into hysterics. Neither of them had laughed so hard in a long while, and it felt healing in a way. He pulled her close, gasping for air. "Oh, Maria, I love you."

"I love you too." They spoke through giggles, knowing it would take a long while to get any sleep that night.