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Epilogue: Beauty and the Beast

            "Oh Grandmamma what happened after that?" Joan pleaded loudly as she jumped up and down on the couch.  "I want to know the rest of the story!" 

            "I thought you didn't want to listen to your families history my dear." Maria told her smugly. 

            "I do now.  Oh please!  I am going to have the best report ever!  It is going to be so wonderful, but I want to hear the rest of your story." She pleaded.

            "The rest of what?" Came a deep voice from the hallway. 

            "Grandpa!" Joan cried and rushed to give him a hug.  "Grandmamma was just telling me all about your life when she met you.  Did you really get married in the Cathedral in New York?  She hasn't got that far."

            "What part did she get to?" He asked.

            "The part where you climb the mountains in your backyard over to Italy." She replied hopefully. 

            "Well it seems my darling wife didn't get to far, did she?"

            "She tried to end it there!  She told me they all lived happily ever after, the end!" Joan cried in disgust. 

            "She did hmm?  Well maybe you tired her out to much today…she is getting pretty old you know…" He told Joan as Maria glared at him. 

            "Grandpa!  She is only like twenty years old!"  Joan told him smartly.  Maria and Georg shared a laugh, as little Joan looked proud of herself. 

            "Joan I would love to tell you the rest of the story…"

            "No you are not allowed to tell her stories you exaggerate to the…" Maria begin.

            "You didn't let me finish, my love.  I would love to tell you the story, but I am sure your Mother would love to tell them to you." He told her. 

            "Mother's back?" Joan questioned. 

            "Yes I believe she is in the drawing room trying to dry off, it is raining quite hard out, it was not the greatest day for skiing." He told her. 

            "I am glad we didn't go." Maria told Joan.       

            "Grandmamma skiing is only fun when it rains.  Then you get dirty." She informed Maria. 

            "Joan?" Came a voice from the other room. 

            "Mother!" Cried Joan as she ran into the other room.  In the distance Maria could hear little Joan telling Liesl all that she had told her that day.

            "Was skiing so terrible?" Maria asked as he sat down beside her on the couch. 

            "Well it actually was pretty uneventful besides the rain and snow." He told her.  "I hate it when you don't come.  I missed you and I wanted to get back as soon as I could."

            "You just missed me because you love to make fun of me on the slopes and how terrible I am at skiing." Maria said angrily. 

            "That is not true.  I just find it funny that you are so klutzy out on snow.  You would think someone like you would be wonderful on skis." He told her.  "Besides it is fun when you hurt yourself because I get to hold you the rest of the day." He said hugging her closely.  "Now how about your story telling?  You didn't over exaggerate, did you?"

            "Of course not.  I would never romanticize it." She told him.

"You didn't even get to the part about how we got married at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York and my bride was more beautiful than the church itself?" He asked. 

"Georg you know that is not true, I am not prettier than God's house…" Maria began before Georg kissed her on the lips.

"Joan would have loved to hear about the wedding." He whispered. 

"Yes, but she also would have demanded me to take her to New York to see the Cathedral so she could make up her own mind about it." Maria told him.

"Well then lets take her there next week so she can hear the rest of the story." Georg told her. 

  "She already has so many fantasies and stories in her brain.  If we take her there she will get even more.  Yesterday she came home and told me she plans to be the greatest singer in the world and is going to premier at Carnegie Hall in ten years.  Then today she comes home all dirty because she decided to go for a swim in the mountains.  She told me she wanted adventure and hated being cooped up in that classroom."

            Georg laughed at his wife softly.  "I think Joan has a striking resemblance to someone I know." 

            "Really?  Who dear." Maria asked knowing the answer. 

            "You.  Now I know what you were like when you were a child."  He laughed hugging her close.  "You know maybe she really has a shot."

            "What do you mean?" She asked. 

            "I mean at Broadway and Carnegie Hall.  Her voice is strong and very pretty for a child.  If her personality is any indication she also may very well have your voice…"

            "Darling my voice is not…"

            "And don't even try telling me that my wife's voice is not Carnegie Hall or Broadway material because she has the most beautiful voice in all the world…"

            "Georg…"

            "No I am serious.  You do.  If you wanted to sing there your voice would have taken you there, I mean it."  He told her honestly. 

            "Thanks." She replied.

            "I should be thanking you." He told her. 

            "For what now, Georg?"

            "For breaking that interesting spell, and marrying me, even though I was so incredibly rude when we first met."

            "It's not your fault darling.  When people we love pass away you have a right to mourn, for a little while." She told him softly. 

            "You think five years is a little while?" He asked shocked.  Maria thought for a moment. 

            "Well I don't know.  You see usually I would say it is a long time, however we have been married for about twenty years now…"

            "Yes, what are you implying Maria?"

            "Well everyone says when you are married for a long time sometimes you don't really love the person anymore you are just…well obligated to stay married I guess." She told him. 

            "So…"

            "So I have been married twenty years to you and that must not be a long time because…I am still madly in love with you."  She told him starring at him lovingly in the eyes. 

            "I see…"

            "Don't you agree?" She asked. 

            "Well lets see…yesterday I loved you, but now I see what tricks my eyes have played…I must have been out of my mind…" He told her as she glared at him in shock. 

            "…Because I find you so much more beautiful today."  She smiled as their lips touched lightly.  "And I must confess that tonight I love you less then I will tomorrow morning." He told her as he deepened the kiss.  "Yes you are right." He whispered.  "Our love will never die."

            "I love you Georg."

            "I love you as well my angel, or should I say my Beauty?" He asked as she laughed before their lips met again. 

            And to make the story complete one is forced to say the last three words of every fairy tale.  Maria and her Captain did in fact live happily ever after.

Fin.