Please note that this is an AU story. The story picks up at an evening after the Gazebo scene and it goes from there. Please trust me, even if things look a bit strange at the beginning. I know where I want to lead this story! Also, the timeline is changed a bit at some points, but I tried to synchronize the events with historical facts. So enjoy the story, and let me know what you think!

I want to say a big thank you to my wonderful beta, Jessica for all the helpful suggestions, corrections and encouragement most of all!

Chapter 1.

3 September 1937

The moon was shining bright in the skies surrounded by a bunch of stars giving a magical glow to the von Trapp Villa's garden. It was on one of those early fall evenings when Maria and the Captain were resting in the garden, enjoying the view, but mostly each others' company. The date of their wedding was inevitably nearing, and both of them were getting excited about their new life together. Sitting on a bench and holding each other close they didn't say a word, just simply enjoyed the evening.

"Maria" Georg softly stroked Maria's cheek who was resting in his arms. Maria turned her head to face him.

"Yes?" She softly asked.

"What are you thinking of?" He asked her gently.

"That by this time in three weeks I will be your wife, and you and I will be in Paris on our honeymoon. It's like a dream for me, Georg. I have never been out of Austria. Seeing Paris itself would be a great adventure, but doing all these things with you my love, will surely be the most wonderful time of my life." She replied all the while looking into his eyes and added: "It has been wonderful so far. Everything seems to be too perfect to be true. I mean you and I, sitting here and planning our wedding and our life together." She said and reached up with one hand to gently caress her fiancé's face.

"You are not dreaming Maria. I can assure you. This is the reality, our reality. I love you more than anything; you are the meaning of my life. Please keep this in your mind, always." As he spoke, he slowly placed his lips on hers and they shared a deep long lasting kiss. As their kiss deepened Maria was overwhelmed by the emotions and feelings the kiss awoke in her. This sensation was a bit new, and to her surprise she felt a need for more. She didn't want him to stop, feeling his hands caressing her back, her sides all the while holding her as close as he could urged her to respond to all these with a passion that she never knew it had existed in her. He didn't want to stop either, she tasted so sweet, her skin was soft and her responses and reactions to his touches made him hunger for her even more. In the back of his mind he knew that they had to stop before things were getting out of control and he would lose all his self-control. They had gotten too far, he realized and reluctantly he broke the connection between them. Maria looked at him, her look reflected disappointment, and her eyes were filled with desire.

"Maria, I'm sorry...." He said a bit out of breath noticing how far they had gotten.

"Please don't apologize." She smiled her heart beating heavily. "We have to be patient only for a little while." She added.

Her response surprised Georg. At the beginning of their relationship Maria seemed to be rather shy when he tried to make a step ahead. Now she was filled with desire, and she seemed to be more than comfortable with his touches and caresses. She was amazed by her own reaction. Since the moment of their very first kiss in the gazebo, some fears and worries had been consuming her thoughts. She didn't know much about the physical part of a relationship and this had caused her to feel uneasy sometimes. But this uneasy feeling was gone for tonight. She felt a longing for more to feel his touches and kisses on every part of her body.

For a while they sat on the bench trying to cool down without saying a word. They both knew that tonight a boarder line had been crossed. Georg was the one who broke the silence.

"Maria? Darling, I have to tell you something. I wanted to do so earlier, but then... let's just say that you distracted me." He said with a twinkle in his eyes. Maria couldn't help blushing at his comment.

"Uhm?" Maria turned in his arms to face him.

"Tomorrow, I will have to go to Vienna to attend some business." He let out the information waiting for Maria's reaction.

"But, why? I mean for how long are you going to be gone?" She asked, her voice a bit confused.

"Only for 5 days, Maria. It won't be long. And think of the fact that we are going to get married in two weeks. 5 days are not a lifetime." He said and gently stroked her face.

"I know. We have many years ahead of us. But I'm missing you already." She said and kissed him on his lips. When they parted Georg gently caressed her face.

"Come my love. It's getting late. We should go inside." He took her by the hand and they started walking towards the house.

Slowly, they went upstairs and stopped in front of Maria's room. She smiled at him and gave him a goodnight kiss.

"Good night Georg. I will see you tomorrow before you leave." She said and looked into his eyes.

Georg pressed his lips on hers and if the kiss they had shared an hour ago was passionate, then this one surely sent more jolt of pleasure down their spines. The two lovers didn't want to part and instead of breaking the connection between them the embrace became even more heated. Maria felt all her senses giving in to him. There was only one thing she wanted at the moment, to be his completely. Her body and soul longed to be consumed by him as the fire inside her rose. She gasped in surprise when she felt his arms around her picking her up and carrying her inside. She didn't protest. His strong arms carried her to the bed and laid her gently down. She felt his lips on hers, while his fingers started unbuttoning her dress. Georg stopped for a moment and looked into her eyes.

"Maria, is this really what you want? As much as I want you, I don't want to force you to do anything." He said.

"There isn't anything else I would rather do, Georg." She replied smiling and pulled him downwards so that their lips met. He took it as a sign to go on that she was equally ready to consummate their relationship.

Maria opened her eyes a few hours later and a soft smile crossed her face as she felt Georg's strong arms around her. She snuggled closer to him, enjoying the safety and security she had never felt before. He had made her feel loved, wanted and needed. His guidance had helped her along the way, and she couldn't be grateful enough to him for being so gentle with her and for making this first time as special as possible. It was a magical night, and she didn't regret their actions at all. She felt happy and content. Reaching up, she gently caressed his face. Opening his eyes slowly he placed a kiss on Maria's head.

"Why are you awake?" He asked her so softly while pulling her even closer.

"I'm so happy Georg. I cannot sleep." She answered. Her response made him softly laugh. He took a moment to study her face in the moonlight. Obviously, she looked happy, but was she really? He knew that he had been the first man in her life and these actions might have been taken too early. Maybe they should have waited until they were married. He felt a bit guilty for taking advantage on a young woman's innocence. He would have been the stronger one, putting an end to the heated embrace. But it was too late, he had lost all of this self-control and finally they both had given in. Not that he had regretted anything, the night was perfect in every means, he felt happy and complete, but the worries he had for Maria didn't leave his mind.

He gently stroked her face and let out a deep sigh. Maria sensed that something was wrong.

"Georg. What's the matter? Are you not happy? I mean, is there anything I did wrong?" She said, while a few tears welled in her eyes. He didn't respond for a moment. Maria sat up in the bed, all the while trying not to look at him. She felt hurt and sad. "What did I do wrong?" She thought to herself. Georg sensed that his reaction had not been in compliance with his intentions, and Maria had misunderstood what he just had tried to point out. Sitting up next to her, he gently touched her shoulder.

"Maria, I'm sorry." He said and put his arms around her. "I didn't mean it that way. Of course, I am happy. I have never been happier, my love. I'm only worried about you darling. Yes, tonight has been perfect, you have been wonderful. I only cannot bear the thought that you may wake up tomorrow or the day after and regret our actions of tonight. I wanted our first night together to be very special, something that you will remember all your life." He responded while placing tiny kisses on her cheek.

"Georg, it has been special and surely I will remember it for the rest of my life. You have made me loved, wanted and needed. I have never felt this way before. I love you." She said and kissed him fully on the lips.

"I love you. More than you will ever know." He responded when their lips parted. Putting his arms around her, he pulled her down back to the pillows.

Morning came and soon it was time for Georg to leave for Vienna. None of them were happy to see him go, but all of them knew that this time it would be only for a short time. Georg said goodbye to his children, before they were off to school. He promised them to bring souvenirs from Vienna. Once again alone with his young Maria, he hugged her close to him. While in the midst of their embrace he was amazed by the fact that now she was completely his.

"I will be back on Thursday, Maria." He said softly.

"I know, but do you mind if I miss you?" She asked looking into his eyes.

"No, I don't... of course I don't." He laughed. "I will miss you too, more than anything." He added before he broke the embrace and walked to his car.

"Take good care and have a safe trip." Maria said as Georg got on his car. She blew a kiss to him and waved goodbye. She knew that it was no use to be sad, it would be only for 5 days, but her misgivings told her something else.

In the next few days she tried to keep herself busy. She had appointments with the dressmaker, ran various errands in town to do the final arrangements for the wedding. As busy as she was in the mornings with her errands, and also in the afternoon once the children were back from school, she was lonely in the evenings. She took long walks in the garden, but without her fiancé everything seemed to be different. She longed for him, to be near him to feel his kisses and his arms around her. Like a little schoolgirl she counted the days until Georg was supposed to come home.

The day of his return was almost there, when something unexpected happened. She spent her afternoon with the children, helping them with their homework when Frau Schmidt delivered her a letter that had been express mailed from Vienna. As much as she tried to figure out who the sender was, she had no idea who that Frau Yvonne von Wittelsbach could be. She opened the envelope and as she started reading the letter from this unknown woman, she felt the blood leave her head. She almost fainted at the site. The information the letter contained was more than she could bear. It sounded as if everything was taken away from her. She couldn't put together the picture how it all happened. She tried to stay strong for the children's sake, but how could she cope with the fact that Georg had cheated on her, and had decided to marry this Yvonne von Wittelsbach instead of her. The tone of the letter was clear; she had no place in Georg's life anymore. He had gone to Vienna, had met this woman who he had known for long, and they had decided to get married. Also, this woman clearly told her that she should be out of the Villa before Georg came back from Vienna. She felt her heart breaking at the news. She had given him everything, her body and soul was completely his. She reached for the telephone to place a phone call. She wanted to reach Georg to hear those words, as painful as they were, directly from him. After a few unsuccessful attempts she simply gave it up. Her thoughts wandered over to the children. How shall she tell them about the news? Her world was falling apart and her future was unclear. While pondering the situation back and forth, a soft knock on the door brought her back to the present. She arranged herself a bit, and went to answer the door. She tried to smile when she saw Liesl in the doorway.

"Sorry for waking you up from your afternoon slumber, but this telegram is for you. It's from father." The girl said and handed Maria the folded paper. She tried to do her best to hide her tears and fears. Liesl noticed that something was wrong, and that Maria needed this time alone. Without being noticed, she simply slipped out of the way.

Maria's hands were trembling as she opened the folded paper. As clearly as the letter instructed her to leave the Villa, this short telegram with its plain words made her see that she didn't belong there. She read it 10 times, because it was beyond her belief how Georg could be so cruel on her.

"Leave the Villa, Maria STOP Getting married to Yvonne STOP. Georg".

That was too much for her, she couldn't understand how that intelligent man, her loving and gentle fiancé, the love of her life, could do such thing? The letter had reasoned the decision by mentioning their social standing and the future of the children. A poor little nothing like her couldn't obviously be a good mother and wife to someone in the upper class. The upper class abandoned her. She knew that some people had not really accepted Georg's decision, but he had always assured her of his true and honest feelings. The letter and the telegram, and their content came as a cold shower for her. "Okay, I'm going to leave, if this is what he wants. But how and when? How shall I say goodbye to the children?" The thought of the children made her realise how hard it was going to be. She couldn't bear the situation of hugging them one more last time, telling them that she was never going to be back. She decided to leave after putting them to bed. Arranging her thoughts one more time, she sat down to her desk and started writing a letter.

"My dearest children,

Please forgive me. These are the hardest lines that I have ever written. It's not easy to find the right words how to explain you what happened and why things have changed so suddenly. Believe me, it's not easy for me to leave you, but we all know that this will be best for everyone. The Lord has led me to this place where for the first time of my life I experienced how it feels like when you have a real family. Thank you for accepting me in the first place so quickly after my arrival here. I love you all so dearly, and I will never forget you, nor will I ever forget the things we have done together. I will carry these memories with me all along the way. Please do the same! Maybe some of you are still very young to understand, but please know that it's the best for everyone. I thought that I belonged here, but things have changed and those made me realise that this was not my place. It was not my place to be your mother, and the wife to your father. I did my duty; I prepared you for a new mother, and made you reunite with your father. I am sure you will all be very happy. Please keep your faith in God, and remember to be cheerful all the time.

I am closing for now... please never forget what I have taught you.

All my good wishes are with you.

Good-bye!

Maria."

As she signed her name on the bottom of the note, she dropped a few tears on the paper. She couldn't help with her tears. She stood up, but couldn't contain the position and collapsed next to her bed. She let out all her tears before she slowly walked to her wardrobe and started placing her clothes into her bag. „Everything was way too perfect to be true. Fairy tales doesn't exist." She thought to herself.

The afternoon hours slowly proceeded and soon it was time for dinner. Maria was a strong person; she didn't let the children sense anything. During dinner she was just as cheerful as ever, the children even made her sing and play a few games with them before it was bedtime. She read the bedtime stories to Marta and Gretl just as usual.

When she made sure that all the children were in bed and all her belongings were safely placed in her bag, she slowly approached Liesl's room again and placed her note on the doorstep. She removed the engagement ring from her finger and put it on the desk in Georg's study. There she looked around once more, one last time and remembered the other night when they were cuddling here on the couch looking into the flames of the fireplace.

After descending the stairs she left the house. From the gate she looked back one more time, tears filled her eyes. She didn't know where to go or what to do with her life. She possibly couldn't go to the abbey that was out of the question. But where to go then? What to do now?

To be continued....

As I said things might look a bit strange. But please trust me! In the meantime I would like to know what you think, so please leave a little review.