"Please, say it again. I love to hear it come out of your mouth." She giggled happily as Max nudged her arm, urging her to repeat the words they heard.

"I can't now."

"Oh please! It would make me so happy." They continued to laugh, and she brought a hand to cover her mouth. "How did she say it?"

"Okay, she said…" She couldn't continue through her giggling, which caused Max to laugh even harder. Clearing her voice, she prepared to do the best impression she could of the lady from the book shop. She placed her hand upon her hip and sat up straighter, camping it up a bit. "She said, 'you are not welcome here, Baroness Von Tramp.'"

"I still can't believe it!" He laughed harder, stomping his foot as he doubled over. "And then?"

"And then she said 'Is reading a common pastime for a whore?' And then I said…oh, Max, I can't believe I said it." She laughed harder, her stomach hurting from the laughter.

"Say it again! I couldn't believe it either."

"I said 'it's good to have an upright hobby with such time spent on your back.'" They erupted in laughter once more, and Liesl raised her eyebrows in question from her seat upon the patio. She didn't find the harassment her mother faced to be particularly amusing, but she and Max seemed to find it hilarious at the moment.

"Mother, don't you think that comment would make someone think you're admitting to something?" She smiled, patting Liesl's hand upon the arm of her chair as she sat down her empty wine glass. Her head was spinning in a way that wasn't quite unpleasant.

"I'm not sure I could get a worse reputation at the moment." She laughed, and Max chuckled into his wine as he drained his own glass. The wind picked up again, blowing through their hair and cooling them down from the humid day. She took a deep breath, smelling the approaching storm in the air.

"You really think this is funny?" She sighed, shaking her head, but still unable to stop the trickling laughter that tickled her. She was incredibly intoxicated, and it was making everything quite hilarious, especially with Max's help.

"It wasn't funny at the time. I think your uncle Max is a bad influence on me."

"Who knew you were so easily influenced, Baroness Von Tramp." They burst into laughter once more, and Liesl couldn't help but smile a bit at the sound of his voice. It was clear that he was trying to help the situation feel less constricting and serious, and it made her quite happy to see her mother laughing again.

"What did you just call her?" They all stopped quickly, gazes snapping to the door of the patio to find Georg had returned home from work. It was quite late, enough so that the younger children were in bed already and the others had mostly retired to their bedrooms for the night.

"I was getting worried about you, darling. There's a plate of food in the…"

"What did he just call you?" He interrupted angrily, and she shook her head to bring herself down a bit. She hadn't expected that version of her husband to appear, seemingly out of nowhere. Thunder rumbled in the distance, which she found terribly fitting for the mood he brought with him.

"Mother and Uncle Max were telling me about their trip to the book shop this afternoon." Liesl tried to help, smiling a bit to her father in greeting, but his eyes remained on Maria, who shifted a bit uncomfortably in her seat. The weight of his gaze felt quite heavy.

"Just the two of you? Do you think going to a book shop alone with a man who isn't your husband is helping anything?" She gave a short laugh, shaking her head.

"Georg, honestly, we had most of the children with us. Besides, I wasn't with a man, it's only Max."

"I'm a man!" She slapped Max's arm to silence him, biting her lip to stop herself from joining his giggling next to her.

"And now you're getting smashed with the children inside?" She wasn't sure how to respond. He nearly felt electric as he stood across the patio, his fingers drumming against his thigh in his frustration.

"I…I don't know what you want from me right now. Did something happen today?" He looked to Liesl and Max, wishing them away for the moment.

"Come to the shop." She stood slowly, feeling quite wobbly in her inebriated state.

"Why the shop?"

"Because I asked you to." His tone was harsh, and it made her feel a bit alarmed about what she was walking into. She nodded, deciding it would be wise not to argue.

"Well, it's been very nice knowing you both." She looked between her daughter and her friend, giving them one last smile in farewell. "I fear I will not make it out of this one alive. Please remember me fondly…"

"Come on." Georg grasped her arm and gave her a tug, pulling her with him toward the barn that was behind their house. Max gave Liesl a look of pain, and she shrugged in response as a few raindrops began to fall.

"Georg, you're hurting me." He loosened his grip upon her arm, certainly not meaning to hurt her, as he led her quickly to his shop. He had taken a part of the barn as his own for various projects, mostly attempts at fixing household items or trying his hand at woodworking, though he hadn't spent any time there in months. But he knew it was the perfect place for them to be alone, to speak freely without any of the children overhearing the inevitable argument. He knew he was in a bad way, it was no secret at that point.

He led his wife into the shop, closing the door to leave them in complete silence. A small window toward the ceiling let in a glimmer of light, and he was able to find the lamp upon his work table with ease. Maria squinted at her surroundings as he turned on the light, honestly never having set foot in the shop since he set it up in the first place. There had been no reason for her to care about what was going on in their empty barn, after all.

"Are you sober enough to have a real conversation?" She scoffed, hands upon her hips as he moved closer.

"Of course I am, we were only having a bit of fun." She tried not to take offense, but his attitude certainly left a lot to be desired. "What's going on with you?"

"We're moving. I requested a transfer." He remained silent, allowing her time to process, which she did appreciate, but there were too many reactions bouncing about in her head for her to respond. She shook her head in confusion, searching his eyes. Where? When? Why?

"I…I suppose I don't get an opinion on the matter."

"You do not." She gave a short laugh, unbelieving of his decision.

"Honestly…"

"I will not allow you to stay here and suffer the nonsense in this town. None of these people mean a thing to us, so let's get out of here." Eyes narrowed, she stepped closer to him, reading him the best she could. While her husband was very kind to her, always thinking about her needs and caring for her, he wasn't one to make such rash decisions. Unless…

"Something happened at work. Somebody said something that pushed you over the edge." He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't sure how she could read him so well, and it somehow frustrated him even more. "Tell me what they said."

"There's no reason to worry."

"I think I have a right to know what's being said, no matter which of us it's about." He shook his head, the rage he felt at work bubbling to the surface once again. He didn't want to tell her for fear of upsetting her. "Just let it out. Perhaps you won't look like you're going to implode once you do."

"Well…I just thought…"

"Please tell me." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I heard a couple of men speaking in the break room at the office. Their topic of conversation was my promiscuous wife and how she gets around…how they wouldn't mind taking a turn."

"Of course it was." Her sarcasm was evident, and he sighed in frustration.

"Do you know other women believe you've been flirtatious with their husbands?" She laughed a bit, shaking her head. She hadn't heard that one yet, she was certain, but she also wasn't surprised. There were so many rumors flying, she had stopped trying to keep up.

"And when would I have done that?"

"Apparently when you were tutoring their children, it was really a front to fool around with their husbands." She rolled her eyes, wishing she had brought the rest of the wine bottle with her.

"You know that's not true."

"Of course I do, but they seemed to believe it very much."

"Well, lucky you, darling. I've been around so much this past year, I'm certainly quite exciting in bed. All the tricks I must know…"

"Maria, please take this seriously." She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Now I must take it seriously? Now that you've decided to be upset by it?" She laughed, even though his face turned red in frustration.

"Stop laughing."

"We just have to let it blow over, don't we?" She taunted, and he took the bait. He knew he was doing it, and he didn't care.

"Is this your way of telling me you've somehow won?" She laughed, looking at him incredulously.

"Nobody is winning anything here, Georg, that's the farthest thing from my mind. But now that it's affecting you, then game over? We must move away at once!" She waved her hands in the air flippantly, her best impression of his arrogance.

"That's not what is happening."

"That's exactly what's happening. You can't handle the same ridicule I've been enduring, and that you've asked me to keep enduring, for weeks now." He frowned, looking to the ground for a moment. He seemed to back down a bit at her words, but she wasn't ready to let up. "I am a kind, honorable, respectable woman. To be kicked and dragged through the dirt like this…it's appalling."

"It absolutely is. Maria, I've never said this wasn't real."

"You certainly do have an interesting way of showing your support." He slammed his hand against the table next to them, an attempt to control his anger, and she jumped at the sudden movement.

"Do you really think I know what to do in this situation?"

"Clearly just as much as I do." He narrowed his eyes at her, but she stood strong. She couldn't have been more annoyed by his sudden care for her reputation. "Captain Von Trapp is in a situation that he can't control, and that makes him rigid with anger."

"Don't…"

"Don't what? I can't share my own frustrations? I was having a marvelous time, and then you dragged me out here to watch you have a fit." He picked up a glass from the desk, dusty from lack of use, and he angrily threw it against the wall across from them. She jumped at the sound of the explosion, surprised by his quick movements. "And you say I'm the crazy one."

"God damnit, Maria…"

"Don't you dare…"

"I want to argue. I want to throw things and punch holes in the walls and…"

"Swear at your wife."

"Yes, if it gets a rise out of you! I can't control this rage inside of me! Because I need them all to see that you are…" He searched for words, unsure how he wanted to say it. "You are everything."

"Then why am I the one you need to argue with?"

"Because I want to consume you. I want to protect you and hold you, and I want to shake you for always being so kind to strangers where they get the impression they're important to you."

"I brought this on?"

"Not intentionally, and not in the way everyone thinks." She gave a short laugh, not believing his words.

"Because I'm polite and treat others with respect, you think I…" She stopped, biting her lip. Her eyes narrowed as she worked out the mood between them. "You're trying to upset me so I'll argue with you."

"Is it working?"

"Georg, stop being a child." She began to walk past him, but he grasped her arm in his hand to stop her from leaving. She tried to pull away, but he maintained his hold.

"You're not leaving, I'm not finished with you."

"Let go." She gave him a shove, but he held tighter. She pushed again, doing her best to force her arm out of his hand. "Georg, let go."

Suddenly, his lips were upon hers, and she pushed as hard as she could to shove him away. He merely held her tighter, deepening the kiss, pressing his body against hers. He hadn't kissed her quite like that in so long, perhaps ever, and she felt her body melt into him without her control. He loosened his grip when he felt her relax, and she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. Thunder crashed outside, the smell of fresh rain permeating the shop as he backed her into the work table. The sound of the rain falling against the roof mixed delicately with the sounds of their heavy breathing, enveloping them in a cocoon of desire.

She bit his lower lip as he ground his hips against hers, his hands grasping her backside as she loosened his tie. It felt almost primal, the way their bodies needed and responded to one another. It was as if all the tension and frustration from the weeks before had built up to a point of explosion, and they had every intention of relieving that tension together. She fumbled with his belt, shoving his pants to the ground, and he quickly took her by the waist, spinning her around with her back to him. She caught herself with both hands upon the table as he pushed her forward, her hips pressing into it as he lifted her dress and gripped at her panties. He pulled them down to her knees, baring her backside to him, and his hands caressed her skin.

He pushed his own underwear down and bent her forward, wasting no time in making their connection. She closed her eyes as he eased himself inside of her, feeling her body responding in excitement. The moment he felt her reaction, he pulled out fully and slammed into her, causing her to gasp in surprise. Her body tingled, her pelvis hot beneath his thrusts as he took her roughly against the dusty piece of furniture. The sound of the table legs sliding against the concrete floor echoed through the shop, but he merely thrust harder. She closed her legs a bit so he couldn't go too deep, and he groaned at how tight she felt around him.

"Am I hurting you?" He sounded concerned through his deep breathing, and she shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips. Her body felt amazing, of course she didn't mind his roughness. Suddenly, she felt the sting of his hand as it collided with her bare backside, and she cried out from the surprise. If he was trying to get her attention, he certainly had it.

"Georg…" She began to chastise him, but she stopped when her body jolted delightedly from the power of his heavy thrusts. She gripped the edge of the table as her pelvis pulsated around him, and he groaned at the feeling.

"You liked that?"

"Y-yes…" She bit her lip, closing her eyes as she struggled to find her breath. His hand slapped her once more, and she couldn't stop a moan from escaping her lips, louder than she would have liked to be, but there was no helping it. Never in her life would she have imagined she could be so turned on by such a thing, but there she was, body rigid with desire and backside red from his hand.

"Christ, I love when you're filthy." His words were breathless as he closed his eyes, thrusting harder as the table made contact with the wall, slamming into it with each thrust. He hadn't really known why he chose to bring her out to the shop in the first place, but knowing they could be as loud as they wanted, caused them not to care at all about the location. She pushed back and moved with him the best she could, her body merely trapped beneath his heavy thrusts, but in a way that caused her such delight. Her husband was so powerful, so all-consuming, and she couldn't get enough of him.

"Harder…oh!" He obeyed immediately, and she heard her own voice echo off the wall she was facing, her own breathing mixed with his as it permeated the room. He ran a hand through her hair, pulling a bit, and she felt her teeth sink into her lower lip with delight as his other hand gripped her bare hip roughly to keep her in place.

"Tell me how you like this." She knew what he wanted, what he craved from her when they were in such a state.

"I like when you fuck me so hard." His body jolted and a groan escaped between his clinched teeth. He reached around her hips, quickly bringing his fingers to the sensitivity near their connection. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes at the brilliance of his hand between her legs, every movement fanning the deep flames in her pelvis. "Oh God, don't stop."

Thunder crashed outside, the sound of rain pouring heavily against the roof of the shop echoed loudly in contrast with their gasping and heavy breathing as she felt the explosion of her orgasm coursing through her body. Crippled with pleasure, she pressed her forehead against the table below her, her body shaking and convulsing as they continued to move. She felt him lean across her back as a gasp escaped his lips, his own body succumbing to the indescribable pleasure they had built together. He vaguely wondered if his heart would shatter from how hard it was beating within his chest.

They stayed connected for quite some time, catching their breath and coming down from the heights of their passion. He held her tightly against him, holding onto her as if they could suddenly merge into one body. She loved the feeling of his warm chest against her, radiating intense heat through their clothes as he continued to hold her in place.

"You are mine." His words were harsh, but she understood what he meant loud and clear. There was no one else in the world she would rather belong to.

"Yes, darling, I am."