Special thanks to Janet, who gave me suggestions on how to improve the chapter

And Martina, I couldn't have done it without you!!! You're my muse

Okay, so here it is, enjoy

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Once back at the villa, Maria went up to her room to change for dinner, even though everyone had agreed on the way back that for once they didn't have to go through that since they were all starving. So when Maria kissed Georg and told him she'd just go to put on another dress and that she wouldn't take long, Georg frowned confused, but let her go. All the way back she had been so distant, so far away with her mind. He decided to let it go for that day. It had been a bit tiring, and he also realised that Maria probably still wasn't used to the late hours of going to bed, but still getting up so early. For Georg himself it was easier of course. He had been doing this for as long as he could remember. So maybe it was just the amount of exciting events happening these past days that made her a bit weary and quiet …

He just let it go, because he wasn't really in the mood to trouble his also fatigued mind. 'It's probably nothing.' He comforted himself before moving into the sitting room.

Maria found herself in front of the mirror, her left hand placed on her stomach. She gazed at the sight for a few minutes and completely forgot that the others were waiting for her. How wonderful it had felt to be pregnant. She loved the Von Trapp children to death, but to have a baby of her own would simply be grand.

Her gaze broke when she unconsciously moved her head forwards. Meanwhile a sad frown had taken place on her face. She did miss Chris. Just like the last time she had to say goodbye to him. Chris had been there for most of her life and she loved him all the same. To see him get on that train was one of the hardest things she had ever done, even if she knew that this wasn't their last goodbye. Maria moved towards her closet and started going through her dresses, without really looking at them. 'Well it's not like you'll never see him again.' She stopped for a minute with going through her closet, as she thought back of the huge house he was now living in. All those fond memories came back to her.

Then, as if she snapped out of her world, she remembered that the rest was waiting for her, so she focused back on the closet and this time she did look at every one of them. Soon her eye fell on something she had never seen before. Slowly she took the dress out of the closet and held it in front of her. It was made of a light, soft-red material, with a V-neckline with a white collar, and white sleeves. Maria gasped by seeing such a lovely dress. She immediately placed herself in front of the mirror, holding it just beneath her neck, so she could have a glimpse of what she'd look like in that dress. A genuine smile filled her face and made her eyes sparkle. Then she saw the little tag on the inside of the dress.

For you, my love

Georg

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"Okay everyone, gather in the dining room, Maria will be here any minute." Georg said to the children who had been talking a little to kill time. They nodded and exited the sitting room. Rosemarie and Max followed their example, and as last to leave was Georg. He was closing the door as everyone already had joined in the dining room. Georg then turned, to proceed his way, but the minute his eye caught the angel on the top stairs, his heart skipped a beat and he just froze. Maria walked blissfully down the stairs were Georg was still standing motionless.
"Thank you so much." She said, before kissing him briefly on his lips.

"So I take you like it?"

"I love it!" She smiled broadly, before taking his hand and leading them both to dinner.

Georg felt relieved. Maria was back to being her old self. Yet, not long after that during dinner, Maria was as quiet as before. Her thoughts were constantly wandering off again, and it showed too. Instead of eating the dinner, she was more or less playing with it. 'I wish he didn't had to go so suddenly …'

Liesl was following Maria's moves, along with Georg. They both saw how her hand froze for a minute while she got a unusual look in her eyes. 'Maybe I'll ask Georg if we could visit him this week or somewhere in the next …' Her eyes got sparkles again as she thought of seeing him again, seeing their village again.

After dinner Maria excused herself and went up to her room, where she sat for the rest of the evening because she knew that she was different than normal. She wasn't doing much other than daydreaming how nice it would be to be with child and reliving some of the precious moments she had gotten in the Von Trapp house ever since she had gotten there.

And Georg sat in his study, thinking of other reasons why Maria could be so quiet. But that wasn't the only reason. Ever since he and Maria had gotten together, he hadn't been there alone. Here, in his study, he had sat a lot after Agathe had died, thinking about everything, missing her and their children, even though he hadn't lost them too. Or had he? 'Doesn't matter …' he thought, 'I've got them back now.' He sat down in his armchair behind his desk and looked at the picture that the children had given Maria. He sighed deeply as he gazed at the photo for some minutes. Then he put it back on its place, where Maria and himself had put it the day she had gotten it. This had became their private room and it was the perfect place for now to put it.

Afterwards he went through his drawers, not searching for something special, just to look at his and Agathe's things again. He found some photos, where the two of them weren't even married yet. Georg had forgotten all about those, it had been years since he had last seen him. Not even the children knew of those pictures, let alone Maria.

There he was, a grand smile on his face while dancing with Agathe at a wedding of their mutual friends. He remembered it as if it was yesterday. Not only was it their friend's wedding, it was also his and Agathe's one-year-anniversary and the day of their engagement. They had had the most perfect day. He and Agathe went for a little stroll in the wonderful nature. When they came to the big willow where they had come a million times before on dates or just when the one needed the other to talk with, they sat down and Georg got a diamond ring out of his pocket.

"Agathe, will you marry me?"

He had never forgotten the look on her face. She gleamed, her eyes sparkled, and she smiled so wholeheartedly while exclaiming yes.

'Strange …' he thought as the image of Maria saying yes came to his mind. It was somehow similar, their expressions, and yet so different.

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A soft, cold breeze filled the room. Shivers came over Maria. She turned her head and saw the window was still open. Slowly she walked to the window to close it, but when she was there, she was simply breath taken by the view of the garden, the dark blue lake with the moon shimmering on the surface it and the vague mountains in the background. She stood there for a few minutes, enjoying the fresh air and the silent world outside, when suddenly Marta came running in.

"Maria, aren't you going to put us to bed?"

Dazed, she looked in the direction of the little girl. 'Is it this late already?'

"But of course." She smiled before walking to the little girl to take her hand. "Let's go, shall we?"

Once in their room, Marta jumped in her bed and Gretl, who was still sitting up, lay down. Maria followed Marta and as soon as the little girl lay comfortable, she bended over the bed, pulled the covers decently over her and kissed the little girl on her forehead. As she walked over to Gretl, she noticed that Georg wasn't in the room saying goodnight with her.

"Where's your father?" She asked a little confused, while pulling the sheaths closer to Gretl.

"He has gone to his study, not long after you went upstairs." Gretl answered with an already sleepy voice.

"We haven't seen him since." Marta added.

Maria kissed Gretl goodnight. When turned off the lights, she quietly closed the door and went to the others rooms. After that she made her way to the study, since she wondered why Georg hadn't put his children to bed as well. She softly knocked on the door, before stepping inside. Georg only looked up briefly, but turned his look back to his pictures as he saw Maria had come in.

Maria walked over towards his chair and stood still behind it. There she bended over a little so she could embrace Georg from behind. Softly she let her head rest next to his. She gave him a little kiss in his cheek and then noticed the photos he was looking at.

"Those are lovely … You look like the perfect couple."

Georg smiled a little before laying his hand on hers, just as Maria had done with Chris in her dream. Maria felt so joyful.

"It was our anniversary there, and the day I had asked her to marry me."

Silence filled the room for a minute when both were looking at the pictures. Then Georg laid them back down, sighed deeply and turned so he could see Maria.

"Darling, is something wrong?"

"Why no, why would there be?"

"Because you were so awfully quiet ever since you woke up from your little nap."

"Oh it's nothing. I just had a dream."

Georg took her arms and guided her around the chair, onto his lap. He saw the smile on Maria's face and couldn't help but smiling himself. As Maria laid her arms around Georg's neck, he pulled her closer until their lips touched. A soft little kiss …

"Did you have a nightmare?" He asked unsure, remembering the evening they had fallen asleep together in the tree house.

"No, it was quite pleasant actually." Maria honestly answered. She had always loved snow, Christmas day and the feeling of security together with her pregnancy made it simply perfect.

Georg looked fascinated at his beautiful fiancée, sitting so closely to him. He just loved her smile, the little glow in her eyes, …

Quite sudden Maria asked then "Why weren't you there to put the children to bed?" She saw how her captain thought deeply before remembering that bedtime was almost a quarter ago.

"I've lost track of time." He confessed, regretting he hadn't been there as well.

Maria bended over, her lips softly brushing his as their foreheads touched, then suddenly pulled away as if to tease him.

"Well, you can put them to bed all by yourself tomorrow instead." She smiled broadly.

"Oh joy …"

With feigned offensiveness she slapped Georg on his shoulder.

"Oh come here you."

He pulled Maria close to himself and reached her lips before she even had the time to react. But she recovered quickly. Her hands slowly slid up his chest, over his shoulders, into the back of his neck, which made Georg embrace her even more tightly, letting the kiss become more passionate. Maria felt how his hands softly roamed over her back, it made her feel extremely light-headed. Her fingers caressed his neck, then moved up to feel through his hair, which gave Georg shivers all over his body. Then to his dismay, Maria slowly parted while still enjoying his touch. Her eyes stayed closed for a moment, then opened and gazed right into Georg's. Afterwards she sighed blissfully before resting her head on his shoulder, followed by Georg caressing her soft neck with his index fingers.

"You know what I was thinking?" Maria then finally began after that little, yet comfortable silence.

"What?"

"Well … now that Chris has gone home again, the boys might be missing someone to do boy-stuff with. You should take them out some time to a father-son-thing."

"What are you saying? That I didn't do much with my sons when Chris was around?"

Maria was somewhat startled by his tone that was implying Maria didn't think of Georg as a good father. She pulled back so she could look him in his face, maybe to try and soothe him that way.

"Oh come on, you know I didn't mean it like that." She began, her fingers touching his face softly. "I'm just saying that they miss him--"

"How come you're so sure that they miss him?" Georg asked, not even giving Maria a chance to finish her sentence.

"Of course they miss him, I miss him too." Maria answered a bit irritated, but also gloomy at the same time.

"You do!?"

"Well what did you expect?" She stated well getting up from Georg's lap. "He's been there for me, nearly my whole life." In one moment she forgot the upcoming anger, because Chris had taken her mind over again. "Oh Georg, can't we visit him this week …" Georg didn't know what he was hearing. Of course she missed Chris, he understood that, but the way she reacted was so emotional to just miss a dear friend, he stood up and turned around, away from Maria, "… or maybe next--?"

"Do you have feelings for him!?" He somewhat bellowed.

Maria just stood motionless for a couple of seconds, completely surprised and overwhelmed by Georg's question.

"How dare you ask me such a ridiculous thing as that!" She shouted back, not longer able to control herself.

"So you do have feelings for him!" Georg went on, blinded by hate for Chris to see Maria's pain.

Maria simply walked to the door and exited the room without giving one look at Georg. She was just so furious, so full of it, so hurt … Several tears fell down over her cheek as she hastily moved to her room. 'How can he react like that? Can't he understand what Chris means to me, but how he himself is even more precious to me?' She had finally reached her room. Quickly she flew in and slammed the door without really wanting it. Then she sat down on her bed, letting all of her tears, all the pain and sorrows come out. She wondered had it could have gotten so bad in such a small time. It was only ten minutes ago that she and Georg had been sitting there, lost in their kiss. And now she was sitting there, feeling so alone …

Through her tears she looked outside. Sparkling white dots filled the dark sky and the white beams of the moon lightened the world outside up. It made her all so weary. One last tear fell down her face, then not long after that, she closed her eyes and lay down on the covers of her bed. "I wish Chris was here …" She murmured quietly.

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'I knew it!' He thought jealously. Georg had felt so bad about himself, so he had followed Maria not long after she had exited the room. But now, when he was standing in front of her door, he heard Maria's wish. Misery came mainly over him, conquering his anger. Fear to lose his angel. Yet, as he walked to the study, anger slowly began to get control and his hatred for Chris started growing again.

'I've known it ever since I saw those two together!'

He paced a few times around his study and then sat down behind his desk again. Aggravated, he just stared at the space in front of him while he leaned back in his chair, breathing deeply as if to let the sorrows find a way out. All he could think about was the moment he had seen Chris and Maria kissing the day he had confessed his love for her.

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