Title:  The Helper

Summary:  A new member of the Von Trapp family takes some getting used to for someone in particular.  This story takes place about 1 ½ years after Georg and Maria's wedding. I have (conveniently) postponed the Anschluss, so it has not yet occurred and the Von Trapps are still living in Salzburg. Some of you might have noticed that I 'borrowed' something from one of our other favorite Julie Andrews films!

Disclaimer:  I do not own 20th Century Fox, The Sound of Music, or any of its characters.

Thanks:  Many, many thanks to my wonderful beta, Joolsfan, who helped me so much with this story.  Your attention to detail and useful pointers helped me to really capture what I wanted to in this story.

The Helper

The sun shone through the window as Maria peacefully looked out from the second floor of the Trapp Villa. Below, her family was engaging in a carefree game of ball in their yard. She smiled as she saw her husband chase Kurt through the garden and lunge for the ball, while some of the children observed in laughter. A sudden chuckle escaped her own throat as Maria watched the feigned surprise on Georg's face when Lousia and Brigitta cornered him and prevented him from getting the ball through the goalposts.

"Someday you'll be out there with them," she murmured to the dark haired bundle in her arms.  A squeal of delight echoed through the nursery and Maria softly kissed her child on the head.

Her action was met with enthusiasm and Maria carefully  turned the child around to face her. The infant and her mother stared at each other with the same inquisitive look for a moment.

"Yes Rosmarie, there will be a whole team waiting for you when you are able to join them outside; not many little girls are that fortunate," she smiled to her child.

"And don't think I won't be out there playing right alongside everyone," she continued with a gleam of delight as she looked into her daughter's eyes and saw Georg staring back at her.

Suddenly Rosmarie's face broke into a wide grin. She released a gurgled sound and flared her arms upward.

"What?" Maria questioned her child's action with a playful grin and light kiss on the nose. "You better believe that your mother could beat any of them," she said with confidence while glancing outside once more.

"Especially your father," she smiled with a dreamy look.  She sighed deeply and returned her gaze to her baby.  "But we could be charitable and let him win for once I suppose."

Maria laughed at Rosmarie's sparkling eyes amidst her serious expression; a visage she had seen more than once on a certain Sea Captain.

She sighed softly and brushed a strand of hair off of Rosmarie's soft forehead.  "You truly are your father's daughter," she mused while casting her gaze once again to her husband down below. 

Rosmarie glanced up at her mother with a look that almost appeared to be comprehension. Slowly the child's seriousness faded into a broad grin.

Maria leaned forward and kissed her daughter on the forehead, repositioning her on her lap so that they both could look out the window again.  However, no sooner had Maria shifted Rosmarie in the rocking chair, when she began mildly fussing to be placed on the ground, anxious to be out of her mother's grasp.

"My dear," Maria said in a mock chiding tone, "I meant when you're older you could play with them.  Not now."  Softly she laughed at Rosmarie's inquisitive look as she succumbed to her child's wish and joined her on the ground.

Maria placed the five-month old on a blanket in the center of the nursery and sat down next to her. Her own eyes sparkled with determination as she watched her baby struggling to lift herself from the ground in a crawl.

"So determined," Maria sighed as she reached forward to caress the baby's cheek with her finger. 

After numerous attempts, Rosmarie let out a stifled cry of frustration and slumped on the blanket in defeat. Maria leaned down and kissed her gently on the top of her head.

"Not quite yet, schätzchen," she murmured while rubbing the infant's back.

Rosmarie looked upwards and her brow was knitted with frustration while her eyes gleamed with persistence.  Almost dramatically, she again slumped toward the blanket with a deep sigh.

"And just where, may I ask, did you get such a vivid temper and that stubbornness?" Maria chuckled, knowing full well that Georg had jokingly accused their daughter more than once of having her mother's personality through and through.  She smiled and leaned closer to Rosmarie to whisper in her ear.  "I must say I quite like it."

The baby gazed up at her mother with wide eyes and reddened cheeks from her effort.  Her twinkling eyes showed no sign of giving up just yet.  Maria smiled at her child's enthusiasm and perseverance.

"Just what am I going to do with you, Rosmarie?" she laughed.

"Maybe I should say my blessings that you aren't crawling yet. You'll be quite a handful, I'm certain," Maria continued in an overly enthusiastic voice while leaning close to her child and opening her eyes wide at her.  Maria picked Rosmarie up into the air and held her high above her head, not able to take her eyes off of her little miracle. 

Rosmarie's big blue eyes sparkled with delight while she grinned at her mother.

As she held her up, Maria noticed Rosmarie's smile grow even wider as something caught her attention behind her mother's back.  Maria turned around and beheld a head of blonde hair peeking around the doorframe into the nursery.

"Gretl? Why are you not outside with your brothers and sisters?" she gently asked the six-year-old.

Gretl shrugged her shoulders as she moved fully into the doorway.

"Can I come in?" she timidly asked.

"Yes darling, of course you can. Come sit by us."  Maria beckoned to the seat next to her on the blanket.

"You weren't outside with us again," Gretl said in a small voice, a mild hint of accusation laced in her tone.

Slowly the little girl walked towards her mother and sister. Usually an outspoken and boisterous child, it was obvious that something was troubling Gretl as she took a seat in silence and focused her gaze downward into her lap.

Maria closed her eyes for a moment, determining the best way to approach Gretl's statement; one that she had heard many times as of late. "No, I wasn't. But, we were watching you play outside," she said gently while casting a sidelong glance at the despondent little girl.

Gretl's frown remained intact and she folded her arms across her chest.  She glanced toward the ground and stood still.

Maria continued speaking, hoping to deter her gloom " Somehow I get the feeling that your father was being bullied out there.  Seven versus one it seemed," she said with a smile at her six year old.

Finding truth in her mother's statement, Gretl smiled mischievously but continued to glance downward. Suddenly, a loud gurgled cry rang through the silence.

"Is that right, Rosmarie?  Are you defending your father?" Maria light-heartedly stated while watching with complete love, the smiling infant who now sat in her right arm. 

The child smiled at her mother and flared her arm upwards, pointing in Gretl's direction.

"Yes, that's your big sister, Gretl," Maria said with enthusiasm while leaning very close to the baby so that their noses would touch. Noting Gretl's blatant ignoring of the infant, she proceeded to hesitantly speak to Rosmarie, "She is someone you will need to listen to very carefully when you get older because big sisters always know best."

Suddenly, Gretl's gaze looked upwards for a minute, but she just as quickly returned it to the ground.  Looking at her little girl, Maria noticed a slight hint of a smile on Gretl's down-turned face. 

"You know, Rosmarie, your big sister could show you a thing or two about playing ball too when you're a little older.  I've heard that she's the fastest runner in the family." Maria smiled to herself when she noticed the slightest glimpse of a proud smile form on the little girl's face.

While Maria looked at Gretl, a questionable noise escaped Rosmarie's mouth and she spit up on her new outfit. The baby smiled broadly at her achievement and cast her large, sparkling eyes upward to her mother.

Naturally, this distraction caught Gretl's attention and Maria smiled at the perplexed look on the six year old's face; present whenever she witnessed one of her baby sister's new actions.

"Oh dear, now look at what you've done to the new outfit your father bought for you," Maria gently stated to Rosmarie as she wiped her face clean.   Slowly she shook her head at the irony of the situation.

"Looks like your big sister could teach you some manners as well," Maria continued while placing a kiss on her youngest daughter's forehead and getting up to bring the baby to her changing table. She noted that Gretl was now watching her with curiosity.

"Why does she do that?" she asked, attention finally caught.

"Well, I just finished feeding her a few minutes ago and sometimes when babies eat they inhale too much air and this is what happens," Maria explained while gesturing to the messy child laying in front of her.  She smiled lovingly at the baby and shook her head playfully.

"Oh," Gretl answered with a serious look on her face. "So how do you fix it?"

"Well, we have to change her clothes again!" Maria said with feigned disbelief as she lowered her head towards the changing table and gently tickled Rosmarie's stomach.

The baby let out an excited squeal and Gretl giggled at the interaction. The six-year-old moved closer to her sister, placing herself between Maria and the changing table so that she could see more easily.

"Oh dear, Rosmarie!" Gretl rebuked through a smile as she shook her head, "does your big sister have to do everything for you?"

She placed her hands on her hips and smiled down at her baby sister.  Rosmarie continued to smile up at her sister and coo softly.  "Now what would you like to wear?" Gretl said with an exaggerated sigh.

Maria turned her attention to the infant and smiling to herself, asked, "Why don't we have your big sister pick out a new outfit for you to put on? I'm sure she will choose something to your liking, hmm Rosmarie?" She grinned at Gretl's eagerly nodding head as the child watched her baby sister. With love, Maria softly caressed the six-year-old's hair in her own fingers.

"Hmm, Rosmarie? Would you like me to pick out a new outfit for you?" Gretl repeated while leaning closer to the softly cooing infant and gently stroking her cheek.

Suddenly Rosmarie released an excited squeal and raising her left arm, captured Gretl's nose and pulled her towards her own face.  Gretl giggled as she and her sister stared at each other.

"Do you know, Gretl," Maria softly began while placing her arm around the little girl's shoulders, "that you and Rosmarie have the same smile?  I noticed it the first time she ever smiled for us."

"Really?" Gretl asked in an excited tone while turning around to look upwards toward her mother.  On her face was a gigantic grin.

"Yes, " Maria affirmed while nodding.  "Just like your father.  And only you and Rosmarie, out of all the children."

Gretl's face shone with absolute delight as she turned back to face her sister and softly caressed the smiling baby's lips.

"I bet your favorite color is yellow too, just like mine.  Isn't is Rosmarie?" Gretl softly cooed to the baby as she stroked her cheek.  Suddenly she stepped backwards and began to walk towards the armoire, a look of determination upon her face.  "I'm going to pick out a yellow dress for you to wear today."

Minutes later she emerged with a frilly, lacy, albeit yellow, dress; purchased primarily for church or any formal occasion that might necessitate its wear. 

Maria had to stifle a giggle when she beheld Gretl's innocent face as the little girl showcased the dress she had chosen.  "Gretl?" she began in a soft voice with a loving smile," isn't this dress a little, um, fancy for a nap and a day at home?"

Every frilly detail of the outfit Gretl had chosen, right down to the lacy socks and white patent leather shoes, were quite appealing to the little girl and she appeared shocked that her mother did not share her excitement.

"I like this one," Gretl insisted. "It's the prettiest.  Rosmarie will look even prettier than Gretchen," she said with a wide grin as she referred to the beloved doll that she had preciously cared for since she was three years old.

"Well, Rosmarie will need a new dress for the festival next weekend.  What if she wore this one then? And that means that you can pick out another dress for her to wear today too," Maria suggested while placing an arm around the Gretl's shoulders.

Persuaded, Gretl nodded eagerly and proceeded to choose another less formal, yellow dress for Rosmarie to wear today. She held it up for her mother to see, and Maria smiled broadly with approval at the child's second choice.

"That one is very pretty, Gretl.  And I think Rosmarie wants her big sister to help her put it on," Maria told her, as she removed the soiled outfit from the baby.

"Ohh!" Gretl proudly stated with a proud smile.  Without hesitation, she crossed the room and reclaimed her space between her mother and the changing table. 

Maria moved the baby into an upright position and instructed Gretl to support her while she placed the dress over her head. 

Eagerly Gretl nodded and did as told.  She giggled as she and her mother struggled to get the squirming baby into her new dress.

Once they had conquered their task, Gretl glanced upwards at Maria and giggled.   "Rosmarie's silly." 

However, with a more serious air of importance she asked, "What else should I do for her?"

"Well," Maria started with a tap on Gretl's nose, "How about we put Rosmarie down for a nap and then you and I could spend some time together this afternoon? Alone. Hmm? How would that sound?"

"Really?" Gretl excitedly asked her mother, eyes shining bright.

"Well, that is, only if you want to?" Maria quipped, as she inwardly smiled at the young child's look of pure happiness.

"Oh yes!" Gretl exclaimed with a clasp of her hands in front of her.

Maria leaned down and kissed Gretl softly on the cheek. "Come darling, let's sit in the rocking chair so we can rock the baby to sleep."  She beckoned Gretl towards her and together they walked toward the rocking chair that sat in front of the bay window.

"All right, schätzchen, you sit across my lap and I will place Rosmarie in your arms," Maria instructed while sitting in the chair and patting her lap.

Gretl smiled with importance and nodded eagerly.  She climbed into her mother's lap and leaned against Maria's right arm, placing her head on her mother's shoulder. Maria gently lifted Rosmarie over Gretl's head and placed her in the smiling child's arms.

"Hold tight, now," she whispered to her blonde-headed daughter, while gently beginning to rock the threesome in the chair.  Maria began to sing a lullaby while she tenderly stroked her baby's head and rested her own head upon her older child's:

Stay awake, don't rest your head,
Don't lie down upon your bed,
While the moon drifts in the skies,
Stay awake, don't close your eyes,

Though the world is fast asleep,
Though your pillow's soft and deep,
You're not sleepy as you seem,
Stay awake, don't nod and dream,
Stay awake, don't nod and dream.

Maria's heart warmed as she watched Gretl protectively stroke her sister's cheek and smile downward, until the infant finally fell into slumber.  It was only then that Gretl removed her gaze from the sleeping baby.

"Mama?" she barely whispered, "I think she's sleeping."

Maria softly nodded and placed a light kiss upon Gretl's head. She continued to gently sway the rocking chair, cherishing the closeness of her two daughters.

After a few moments, Gretl glanced upwards at Maria with a heart-rending expression on her face. "Mama?"

"Yes, baby."

"I'm not the littlest anymore," she said in small voice with sad eyes and a quivering lip.  As she spoke, her voice caught slightly and tears began to form in her eyes. 

Maria slowly shook her head and placed a tender kiss on Gretl's nose.  She hugged her closer and rested her cheek on Gretl's head.

After a moment, Gretl pulled away from Maria's caress and looked upwards to her mother.  "But, I think I'll like being a big sister," she said softly.  Her eyes sparkled with love and pride as she spoke.

Maria kissed her daughter's cheek and smiled down at her. "And you are quite a wonderful big sister, Gretl. I am very proud of you."

Gretl smiled. "Liesl told me that nobody was as good at being the littlest as I was, even Marta. Do you know that she was the littlest before me?" the young child innocently asked in a low voice with wide eyes, as if revealing a secret to Maria.

Maria leaned forward and kissed her forehead, privately chuckling to herself.  "Yes, darling, Marta was the littlest before you.  And look what a good big sister she is to you? And Brigitta, Louisa, and Liesl. They are also very special big sisters."

Gretl softly nodded, never removing her gaze from her mother.

Maria continued to speak. "And you will be just as wonderful a big sister to Rosmarie, my love. I'm certain of it."

Gretl's face broke into a broad grin at the suggestion.  She leaned closer to her mother and embraced her. "I'll be the best big sister to you, Rosmarie," she tenderly whispered while gazing downward at the sleeping infant and stroking her cheek.

Maria smiled lovingly at her little girls' interaction. She squeezed Gretl tight and continued to rock, serenely content in the presence of her two youngest daughters.

End.