Two months later

Dearest Maria,

Nearly two months have gone by and still I'm at Bremmehaven. I'm so close to you, yet so far away. Each night I pray with all my strength Germany will relent and I can return home, to you, to our children, to our home. We haven't been together long enough to be separated so indefinitely.

I miss you, my love. I miss your laughter during the day, your music, and at night I miss your arms, your kisses, your caresses, the irrevocable comfort you could bring to me with your body and soul. I need you at night, Maria. When the base is quiet and I am alone, that is when I need you most, for that is when I feel the whip against my back, the knife in my heart, ripping away flesh and blood. It is only memories of our last night that keep me going.

I've just learned that tomorrow my submarine will depart for the Adriatic. I don't know how long I'll be out of touch, but I want you to know you'll be in my heart.

How are you fairing? How are the children? Is Liesl still seeing the young student? Has Brigitta kept up her geography grade? Have you gotten over the morning sickness? Please don't stop writing, it's all I have.

Till then, I am, as I ever was and ever shall be,

Yours, Georg

Captain von Trapp signed his name in a flourish and took off his glasses laying them on his desk. He wrote Maria every day and she must be writing him twice if not three times a day, by the amount of letters she was sending him. He cherished each one, but no letter would or could compare to being with his wife and family.

Perhaps now that his submarine was actually being deployed he could forget about who he was fighting for and concentrate on fighting. Perhaps being in active combat would stop the ache or at least disguise it. If he had something to occupy his mind, perhaps he would not miss Maria and the children as much as he did.

"Captain," Georg's musings were interrupted by his aide, "then men are ready for inspection, Sir."

Georg nodded and rose from his desk. He missed this part. He missed being in command of his ship, of his men, only if he could be part of the right side. That's what got him through the first time, believing in what he was fighting for. War was killing, killing your enemies, so why was he now killing for them.

Villa von Trapp

Darling Georg,

I feel your side of our bed empty and I weep for you to be next to me. I miss you more each day than even I thought was possible. I thought with time the loneliness would become part of me; that I'd get used to it, but instead it seems to haunt me more.

I'm glad you are still at Bremmehaven and safe and I dread the day when you write and tell me you'll be in active combat. As long as you are on the base, I know that some day you'll come home to us; to me.

The children are doing well. Liesl is actively dating Warren (the student) but seems interested in Andrew. He's a young groundskeeper at the von Klopper villa. Not her status I realize, but then again, you did marry the help.

I'm concerned about Friederich, though, Georg. Since you've left he's been acting up and out. He's taken to calling me Maria, which is fine, but disturbing since he once called me mother. There are other things to Georg that disturb and unnerve me. I'm afraid he crossed over and I don't know what to do. I've explained the issue but still I fear I've not gotten through.

Brigitta is improving in her geography, but she still struggles without your expert help. Kurt shows your skills at cartography though and helps her quite a bit.

Your eight child seems to have my mannerisms. He or she keeps me awake nights with sickness I should have in the mornings, but the symptoms are abating.

Don't stop writing, every day my dearest friend.

Till then, I am, as I ever was and ever shall be,

Yours, Maria

Maria signed her name to Georg's letter, licked the envelop and put it on the bedside table. She missed Georg terribly at night, and read and reread every letter he'd written her.

"Mother?" Liesl's soft voice came, "I brought you some soup. Do you think you could eat a little?"

What Maria had written in her letter to the Captain had been a lie. Her morning sickness was not getting better, if anything, it was getting worse. It was so bad infact, that she's lost ten pounds instead of gaining, and was now confined to bed until her condition improved. Maria nodded in answer to her daughter's question and took the soup plate from her, "Have a seat beside me, Liesl. Keep me company."

Liesl sat beside her mother and her eyes fell on the letter, "Another letter to father? What did you say?"

Maria smiled, "Everything. Nothing. Writing keeps me from missing him too much," she said with a sad sigh.

"I can't believe he's still at the naval base only two hours away and he has not come home to see you. Surely, I thought he's come home once he learned that you were put on bedrest, if only to lay down the law around here."

Maria studied the top of the sheets, "He doesn't know."

"What do you mean? You mean you didn't tell him? Mother, Father would want to know that this baby is..."

Liesl did not get a chance to finish her sentence for Maria's face paled and took on the look that it did when she was about to be sick. With practiced precision, Liesl moved the soup plate out of the way and handed her mother the chamber pot. When the spasm subsided, Liesl retrieve a cool wash rag from the washroom and dabbed the perspiration off of Maria's forehead.

"Mother, this is getting out of hand. You really should get another doctor to look at you," Liesl told her.

"Dr. Burke is the only one we can trust, Darling," Maria murmured weakly, her eyes closing, "He's the only one your father would approve of."

Liesl continued to soothe her mother until she fell asleep, uneasy as it may be, "We'll just see about that," she said under her breath.

Louisa was heading up the stairs as Liesl came down, "How's mother?"

"She's resting. Can you keep an eye on things for a bit, I need to go into town. I have to sent a telegram to father."

"Why? He should come on his own if he knows..." Louisa began.

"He doesn't know. But he will. She can't go on like this. I have to tell him. I have to."