~*Part One*~

Captain von Trapp cleared his throat "Sister Maria." Nervously he got down, collecting the broken pieces of glass from the wet floor. "I'm sorry. I am just so, ehm, nervous today. It doesn't happen every day that my oldest daughter is getting married." He tried to smile and concentrated at the pieces again.

Maria could not help to feel uneasy. She was not sure, if he really had smashed the glass out of nervousness or if he had been hearing her words. She just hoped he had not heard them. How could I be so silly, she rebuked herself.

"I think it's time for me to go to the church now." Maria broke the awkward silence. "I think you two want to share a few moments alone." She nodded towards the Captain and Liesl and left the room.

~* ~*~*~

He knew he should have tried to concentrate on the wedding-ceremony, but Maria's words echoed in his head. "I had to leave, because I was, because I thought I was in love with your father".

He remembered the night she left; he recalled their dance on the terrace of the villa. The views they had been sharing, the feeling of her touch. Georg shuddered at this thought.

I shouldn't think about it anymore, he told himself and tried to concentrate on the words of the priest, which seemed to come from a far distance.

"I had to leave, because I was, because I thought I was in love with your father"

He glanced at Maria. She had become older, yes, but her age certainly did not affect her beauty, nor did the black nuns-robe she was wearing. He caught his self at thinking that she even had become more beautiful. His feelings confused him and made him feel uneasy. After all this years of separation, he had not expected to be still so fascinated by Maria.

Suddenly he felt Elsa's hand on his and looked at his wife.

"Darling, is everything alright with you? I know it must be strange for you that Liesl is getting married today, but that's no reason to look so pained, you should at least try to look happy." She whispered into his ear.

"I'm sorry, Elsa. It is just hard for me to believe my little girl is getting married today and will have a family of her own. Besides I really don't know what to think of the idea of becoming a grandfather."

Elsa gasped for breath and he couldn't help but to feel amused by her reaction. Obviously, she never had been thinking about that fact before.

~*~*~*~

"Father is really behaving peculiar, today" Brigitta shook her head as she looked at her father.

"Of course he is." Louisa answered. "He finally has to accept that Liesl isn't a child anymore, which –"

"Oh please stop your psychological analyses, Louisa. I'm always getting sick of them," Gretl laughed.

"You're only afraid I'll analyse you, Gretl." Louisa grinned. "I even thought about writing my doctorate about you," she added with pretence of being serious. "Gretl – The blackest depths of the human soul"

"If you'll do that, I'm going to kill you." Gretl twisted her face into a menacing grimace.

"I am glad Maria came to the wedding." Kurt said between two bites of his gateau. "It's so good to see her again. Although I just can't believe she really became a nun."

Louisa nodded "Me neither. I just cannot imagine she is spending her days in a convent. She always seemed to be too lively for that."

"I always hoped she would have married Father," Marta said with a smile. "That would have been great, eh?"

"I like your choice better than Father's" Gretl laughed.

"Oh come on, Elsa isn't that bad at all. She just isn't somebody who knows how to handle children." Brigitta defended their stepmother. "Or can you imagine her caring for a baby?"

"I suppose she'll hate it, if somebody will call her "Grandmother"," Gretl stated with a big grin in her face, which caused her siblings to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Liesl had left the dance-floor to join her siblings.

"Actually nothing, we were just talking about your future. We all hope you'll soon have your first baby, Mrs. Miller"

"Oh Friedrich, you're really impossible" Liesl said and her checks reddened. "Why don't you marry yourself, if you want to have a baby in the family? I'm sure Karen wouldn't say no, if you'd asked her."

"I don't know if it would be worth to marry just to see Elsa's face when my son is calling her "Grandmother"." Friedrich answered. "On the other hand, this is the only good reason I ever heard for marrying"

Louisa rolled her eyes "Will you never become grown-up?"

"Not if I can avoid it, Mrs. Psychoanalytic."

"Will you never stop teasing me, only because I'm studying psychology?" 

"I suppose not if he can avoid it." Brigitta answered for her brother.

"You're absolutely right, Brigitta." Friedrich looked at Marta who almost chocked on her champagne of laughing. "And you should learn some manners, Mrs. Homecoming Queen."

"You're so funny, Friedrich. Why don't you just go and pick some blue strawberries?" Marta stuck her tongue out at her oldest brother. "And take Father with you; he's really behaving odd, today." She pointed at the Captain, who sat alone at a table, playing with a glass of champagne in his hands.

Liesl looked at her Father, too and remembered the scene earlier this morning. Thoughtful she shook her head, not knowing what to think or to say.

~* ~*~*~

Maria enjoyed the wedding reception, although she avoided the closeness of Captain von Trapp. She still felt embarrassed by the happenings of the morning and another thing made her worry: When she was around him, she suddenly felt like the 24-year-old governess again she used to be, and not like the 34-year-old nun she actually was.

She hadn't expected to feel anything but feelings of friendship for him after the 10 years of separation. That she still felt attracted to him confused her deeply.

During the wedding-ceremony, she had noticed his glances on her, and wondered what he had been thinking. He didn't seem too glad to see her again. Besides she could tell by his facial expressions that he avoided to talk to her.

Actually, I should be happy about this, as I am not eager to talk to him, too, she told herself. Even if we're certainly having different reasons for avoiding each other. 

Suddenly Maria heard a voice behind her.

"I'm wondering if nuns are allowed to dance."  Kurt offered Maria his hand. "I've grown a lot since our last attempt, so we won't have any problems with turning under."

Maria laughed and took his hand "I'd love to dance with you, Kurt."

~* ~*~*~

The sound of the Ländler filled the ballroom, the woman curtseyed, the man bowed and everybody who knew how do dance the old Austrian folkdance joined the happening.

Maria enjoyed dancing with Kurt, Friedrich and Max, enjoyed the music, all the twirling and spinning, but after another turn, she suddenly faced Captain von Trapp.

As Maria touched his hand, it was like electricity flowing through her body and she quickly pulled back her hand. She could tell her face was all red and for a few seconds, which seemed to be an eternity, they glanced at each other without moving or saying something.

Finally, Maria broke the silence "I am sorry, I haven't been dancing for years. I did not expect it would be so exhausting. Would you excuse me, please?" With that, she left the dance-floor as fast as she could and left the ballroom for the garden.

To be continued.

~* ~*~ *~

Note: During a "real" Ländler you're usually changing partners.

~*~*~*~

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, encouraging me to go on with "Smashed dreams". I hope you'll like the way this story goes and keep reviewing:-) (Do I even need to say this?) I love reviews, LOL.

Amy thanks a lot for taking the time being my Beta and all the patience you had with me. Your suggestions made the story more complete.

A huge thanks to ILUVTSOM, too! (And Sorry for making the Captain marrying Elsa;-)