Spring came early to Austria in 1939 and summer came on it's heels and with a vengeance. Soon everything was in full bloom, including Maria's pregnancy. She was about three weeks from her due date in late May of 1939. She felt the child inside of her moving all the time now. If only Georg could see it, feel it, share it with her.

Dr. Skinner's men were a very obedient lot. They followed his orders, stayed out of their way, and let the von Trapp family live as peacefully as they could under the circumstances.

It seemed that while the actual Nazis were being obedient, their own pseudo Nazi was not. It seemed none of Maria's pleading that day did any good at all. Friederich was as stubborn as his father when it came to natural loyalty only Friederich's was a lot more dangerous than Georg's. Even Georg knew where to draw the line, when it was time to surrender conviction in favor of a more intimate goal.

A few days after the division of Nazi medical corp. arrived Maria received a letter from Georg written before his sub deployed. He asked if the pregnant young wife of a crewmember could possibly move into their villa. It was Georg's wish, so of course, she accepted and Frau Schreiner moved in later that week.

There were now two pregnant ladies in the villa and the clocks were ticking away for both of them. Both missed their husbands terribly and both prayed and dreamt that their beloved heroes could be by their sides when the babies came, though with the men on continuous missing it seemed nearly impossible.

It was impressively hot for May, even the end of May. The children were out of school all ready and they passed the time swimming in the lake or boating on the water. Maria and Helga Schreiner passed their time sewing little garments for their babies.

"Oh, Maria," Helga whined, "how can you be so chipper? It is so hot."

Maria smiled sympathetically, "It'll be over soon. Then I'll be a mother, again, and you'll be a mother for the first time. And its worth all the heat and pain in the world," Maria comforted looking lovingly at the children she and Georg shared.

"You're amazing, as amazing as my husband told me in his letters. That is as amazing as your husband told mine you were," Helga told her, "You love his children as your own, you tolerate his absence for so long and with the baby coming, and you let your home be a haven for the men of Reich. You are amazing, Maria."

Maria was not longer listening to what Helga was saying. Some vague part of her noticed but she was more focused in on the children playing near the boathouse. Actually, she was almost directly focused on Marta who was swinging herself between the steps and the top of the boathouse railing. Somewhere in Maria's conscious mind she was aware of Helga talking to her, but her mother's inner voice was screaming at her.

"Ooh, Marta, be careful, Sweetie," she whispered to herself, "Be careful."

Maria was out of her chair before Marta actually fell and hit the ground and was running toward her as quickly as her pregnancy would allow. "Mother!" Liesl called out the second Marta fell only Maria was all ready half way there. Once she got there she was almost relieved to hear the little girl crying.

"Marta!" Maria cried, kneeling down by the child, "Tell Mother what hurts, Baby."

"My arm," she sniffed, "I fell on it."

Maria looked at Marta's arm, it was twisted in a strange direction and Maria knew right away it was broken.

"Louisa, could you and Kurt please go and find Dr. Skinner for me?" Maria asked calmly. She hated asking that Nazi for help, but Marta needed medical attention and she could at least tolerate Dr. Skinner.

Louisa was off like a shot with Kurt at her heels to the stables to find Dr. Skinner while Liesl and and Maria helped the crying little girl inside the house. All the while Helga was watching this exchange, marveling at how Maria knew Marta would fall before she did it. Friederich was also watching from his windows. He never joined in the family activities anymore; he only was active in youth activities and nothing else, he never even ate dinner with the family.

Dr. Skinner had been at the stables, which was now a makeshift hospital but came as soon as Louisa called him. He met Maria and the rest of the children just outside the villa.

"And what happened her, Miss Marta?" he asked gently, hunkering down to her level.

"I fell," she sniffed clinging to Liesl and Marta's skirts.

"I can see that," he smiled, "How about we go inside and I take a look?" he asked knowing if the child agreed she'd be easier to treat than if her mother forced her.

"Will it hurt?" she asked wide eyed.

"Well," Dr. Skinner spoke the truth, "It'll hurt a little, but it'll hurt a lot less after you let me fix it, I promise."

Maria ran a comforting hand over Marta's hair, "It'll be all right, Sweetie. Mother will be there with you the whole time."

Marta nodded and Liesl opened the door so they could go inside. Maria took Marta and Dr. Skinner to the Captain's study, when the doctor put Marta on the desk to examine her arm.

Maria hovered like a mother hen, watching every move the doctor made, ready to pounce on him if she thought Marta was being hurt unnecessarily. The child whimpered a bit when Dr. Skinner examined and set her arm, but was a real von Trapp trooper while he was casting it.

"All finished, Miss Marta," he declared with a gallant bow, "Now, you must keep the cast very dry. Wrap it when you bathe and unfortunately, no swimming for a month or so until that cast comes off," he instructed.

"No swimming?" she asked, "But it's so hot," she whined.

"I know, but you have to keep your cast dry, so your arm won't get wet underneath. If that happens your skin will get really itchy and you wouldn't want that would you?" he asked, putting things in such a way that it was easy for her to understand.

"No," Marta shook her head, "I won't go swimming."

Dr. Skinner could see the child was disappointed so he smiled again, "But in a day or two when the cast sets better you can get all your brothers and sister to sign it, even your mother. Now, I want to talk to your mother for a few minutes, so why don't you run along and show your brothers and sisters your cast?"

Marta went off to the nursery to show her cast off while Dr. Skinner turned his attention to Maria, "Will she be all right, Dr. Skinner?"

"She'll be fine, Baroness. It was a very simple break," Dr. Skinner assured her, "I'm worried about you."

"Me?" Maria queried. Why would he be worried about her?

"Yes, you look very pale and all the heat...and I noticed no one's been out to examine you and you never go into Salzburg...I'd like to examine you," he told her making a long story short.

"You want to examine me," Maria repeated in disbelief. The man was crazy if he thought she'd let him touch her, "What about Helga. She's due around the same time."

"Ah, Frau Schreiner was examined by my associate Dr. Wagner just yesterday. Plus, she looks a lot better than you do, color wise," Dr. Skinner explained.

Maria knew he was right. She had not felt well in days, the heat getting to her overburdened body. Yet, some stubborn sense of pride or misguided sense of loyalty kept her from giving in, "I'm fine, Dr. Skinner. Just tired," Maria replied, "as before, if I need your help, I'll let you know. Now I must go and check on my daughter."

Maria turned to go, feeling a bit guilty for being so rude and not properly thanking Dr. Skinner for helping Marta. She stopped in the doorway, "Dr. Skinner, I am grateful for you helping Marta today. Would you as a thank you, join the family for supper?"

The man's eyes letup at the invitation, "It would be my honor, Baroness."

Maria nodded in response and left the study, a stabbing pain ran up her back. She paused a moment, but the pain receded almost as soon as it came.

Maria climbed the steps and began to inform the children the Marta's arm would be fine and they were having a guest for dinner.

When she reached Friederich's room, she stopped. She hated going in there with all the posters and photographs and articles about Hitler and the Reich it made her heart hurt and her stomach turn. She could see so much Georg in Friederich only it was so very dark.

"What?" he barked opening the door to see his very pregnant stepmother standing there.

"Friederich, I'd like to join the family this evening for supper. Dr. Skinner will be our guest.

"Why?" Friederich asked, happy at the prospect of having a fellow Nazi, a non-traitor to eat with.

"He was gracious enough to mend Marta's arm so I asked him," Maria replied, rubbing her very sore back.

"All right," he agreed, "I'll come."

Maria winced as she felt another pain and Friederich, who in spite of his bitterness held a place in his heart for Maria in a strange way, quickly asked, "Are you all right?"

Maria smiled brightly, heart soaring at the glimpse of the son she knew, "I'm fine," she responded, "I'm just fine. See you at supper."

As Maria left to instruct Frau Schmidt to set another few places at the table Maria felt a wet sensation between her legs. She looked down at the carpet to see a puddle of bloody water at her feet. She cried out as another strong pain grabbed her and her knees turned to jelly.

Friederich heart Maria's cry and went out to see what happened. He saw her on her knees in a puddle of blood and water he shouted as loud as he could, "Liesl! Frau Schmidt! It's mother!" Maria smiled slowly at hearing that word leave Friederich's mouth once again, it was a lovely sound to hold onto as her vision gave way to unconsciousness.