A/N: I am sorry if some of you think this is rushed.  Maybe it is a little, but rushed is better than a whole detailed account at least for now.  So I hope you like this chapter and please continue to review. 

Ch. 3: Learning You Were Wrong

            Maria awoke and went downstairs to eat breakfast.  She found the children there who told her their Father had already eaten.  She was glad she would not have to deal with him for a bit.  They ate in silence, each children concerned with what their Father was going to do to their beloved governess. 

            "Why don't we go out to the terrace and sing?" Maria suggested. 

            "Father doesn't like us to sing.  We are not allowed to, remember?" Brigitta told her. 

            "Of course, but he said in the house.  He didn't say anything about out doors.  Anyways he needs to lighten up a bit.  We will sing something for him.  Maybe he will lighten up."  The children shrugged and began to walk outside. 

            "I doubt it will work but it is worth a try, I suppose." Kurt said.  The others nodded and began to warm-up their voices.  Soon they were deciding on a song.  Maria decided to go inside and get the guitar so they could have accompaniment.

            Georg was curious for he thought he had actually heard the children singing one of the most beautiful songs he had ever heard.  He began to walk outside when he ran into Maria who was carrying a guitar.  Suddenly he remembered his rules. 

            "Maria?  What do you think you are doing?  Do you think I asked for a music instructor?  I thought I said no singing."

            "You said no singing in the house Captain.  You never said anything about outside." Maria told him. 

            "And what may I ask is this?" He asked, holding out a picture frame with a picture of his family in it with Agathe.

            "It's a picture of your family." She answered simply. 

            "Yes but why is out of the attic, where it is supposed to be?"  Maria studied his face.

  She remembered the last night when the two smallest girls told her they didn't even recall what their Mother looked like.  They told her their Father had taken all the pictures and locked them in the attic.  Maria knew she shouldn't pry, but she found it terrible that the younger girls barely remembered their dear Mother.  So with the help of Liesl she had gone to the attic and recovered a picture of all of them together. 

She didn't want to hurt the Captain more than he had already been hurt, but she knew from experience that running from the problem was not the way to go.  As she looked to his face she didn't see anger anymore she just saw a whole bunch of hurt. 

"Captain, I am sorry, but the children don't even remember their dear Mother.  I thought at least they could have a picture of her.  Hurting you is the last thing I want to do, but don't you realize how much you are hurting them from running away from them?" She asked disgusted. 

"I do not believe you have any right to discuss my life and my relationship to the children…"

"I was placed here to help your family out, not to be their Mother.  Yes I love watching them, but what do you do?  Sit around and do nothing all day?  Sit and waste your life away?  You can't run from the past, you know, even if it is tragic."

"What do you know about running from a tragic past?  I bet your life was perfect.  You can return to your perfect life tomorrow morning." He replied.

"Actually…" Maria started tears forming in her eyes.  "My Mother died before I was eight, my uncle was abusive and drunk and I had to live with him while my Father traveled.  He arranged my marriage to Lukas, who is becoming a Nazi and most of my family hates me or is dead.  Can you beat that?" 

The Captain was silent.  He had forgotten for a long time that other people besides him had suffered and were hurting perhaps more than him.  He looked at Maria with compassion in his eyes.  Maria sensed she had turned him around slightly.  She spoke timidly, but strong.

"Agathe doesn't want the memory of her to be sad and depressing, Captain." She told him.  "She doesn't want you to live like this.  Do you want to hear a story?  Something my Mother told me before she died?"  The Captain looked up and nodded.  "There was once a professor at a college.  His basketball team was not doing well, so he decided to try to inspire them to succeed, not just in basketball, but also in life.  They were looking at the trophy case with pictures of the very first teams that played at that school.  The students commented on how they look just like them.  The teacher smiled and told them that they do look similar.  He also told them that all of the people in the picture were dead.  But he told his players, if you listened carefully they could hear voices coming through the paper chanting 'Carpe Diem, Carpe Diem, Carpe Diem, seize the day.'  That is what Agathe is saying.  Oh can't you hear it Captain?"  She told him with tears forming in her eyes.  "Can't you hear her singing softly, 'Carpe Diem, seize the day my love?  Captain please tell me you can hear her now."

Georg's eyes were overflowing with tears and he let out a sniffle, his last attempt of holding them back.  Tears rolled down his face as he looked up and nodded at Maria. 

"I can…" Maria smiled at him happily.  "I can hear it.  I haven't been able to for five years, but now I can…I can hear her, because of you…" His eyes met Maria's and he shivered.  He loved her.  As if on key the children began singing out on the terrace.  "Who's singing?" He asked as Maria handed him a tissue to wipe his eyes. 

"The children." She replied happily.  He glance back at her and started to walk to the back door.  The children, led by Liesl sung one of the classic songs that Georg remembered well.  He slowly joined their voices and soon his children were in his arms and tears were filling their eyes.  When they were finished the children stood in awe amazed that their Father was actually singing. 

"I am sorry I did not pay attention to my beloved children like I should have for the last few years." He told them. 

"It was like you died too." Louisa told him tearfully. 

"I know and I am so sorry.  I will never go away again.  I love you." He directed it toward the children, but found his mind meeting Maria's gaze.  She was grinning happily at the reunited family. 

"We love you too Father!"  The children cried and hugged their Father.  "Will you sing with us some more?"

"Sure." He told them.  They grinned. 

"Father will you sing something to us?" Asked Brigitta.  He nodded and Maria gave him the guitar.  He started singing the gentle strings of Edelweiss.  While he was singing his gaze focused on Maria and he realized he was not remembering the words.  By the middle of the song he had to stop.  His cheeks turned red from embarrassment.

"I suppose I forgot the words." He told the children.  Maria laughed at him softly. 

"Captain, they are really not that difficult…here I will sing it too." So with Maria's words he sung the rest of the song with Maria singing by his side staring at him strait in the eyes.  She had never felt that way about anyone, she was sure of that.  Maria was captivated by his soft voice; she had never heard anything more beautiful.  The two of them stopped singing, but never broke their intense stare until the children started to clap. 

"You two sounded perfect together!" Gretl screamed.  It was true; no two other voices could sound as beautiful.  It surprised all the children how well both of their voices went together.  Almost like they were meant to be.  The children walked inside to prepare for dinner. 

"I never knew you could sing that well." Maria broke the barrier of speech. 

"Oh thanks I suppose.  I am not that wonderful…"

"Yes you are." Maria cut him off.  He smiled at her. 

"I guess I shouldn't argue with you.  I don't suppose you have ever lost an argument?" He asked in amusement.  She thought for a minute. 

"No I don't lose often." She admitted. 

"I don't know if I will ever be able to thank you enough for what you did.  You helped in so many ways…I don't…"

"Don't worry about thanking me.  I just did my wonderful job.  The joy I get from seeing you with the children is better than anything in the world." She replied. 

"Thank you anyways Maria." Georg told her putting emphasis on her name.  They slowly moved closer together.  The Captain put his hand on Maria's back pulling her into a hug.  Just before their lips met Maria pulled away, half wanting to continue, half knowing it was not right.  She gently pushed away. 

"I suppose we should get ready for dinner." She replied.

"Yes, I suppose we should." He echoed as she made her way inside.  Georg couldn't help but be disgusted at himself.  She was after all supposed to be married.  She mentioned it just a few hours prior.  How could of her tried to kiss her?  Even though his mind was telling him it was wrong.  His heart was saying it was very right.  It felt so right were also Maria's same thoughts as she walked to the dinner table.

'I love him.' She stated to herself.  She was sure of it.  'How could have I let that happen?'  When she thought about it though it was almost love at first sight.  She had never felt so nervous with anyone as when she first met him in the market place.  Maybe her Father was right.  Maybe she was in love, but was he also right that he could never be in love with her.  Yet, if the way he had been looking at her earlier was any indication he was deeply in love with her.  She sighed as she walked downstairs, realizing she was late again, this time for dinner.