And here's chapter 14... I hope it will answer to some of your questions! Enjoy! ^_^

Thanx to Franziska and Elisabeth.

Usual disclaimers here.

Salzburg, market place, July 15th 1937, afternoon

Summer sunshine bathed Salzburg and its region, deliciously warming the countryside, making the colours more vivid. It was one of these summer days when the mountain air was so light that the least flower fragrance was enhanced, that one could distinguish the smallest house miles away. It was one of these summer days when people seemed to accomplish their daily tasks slower than usual as if they tried to enjoy the quiet and serene atmosphere as much as they could. Two black silhouettes were walking across the market place back to the abbey. They were returning from the hospital where some sisters benevolent used to help as nurses, calmly commenting the way one of the newest sisters was adapting to her new task.

"I believe Sister Marlene is doing quite well now, even if she had some difficulties at first. What do you think, Mother Abbess?" Sister Berthe asked in her usual severe tone.

Smiling peacefully, the Mother Abbess answered:

"I think I was right when I said she could cope with it. She always has been so willing to help her fellow neighbours. Just like Maria..."

"Talking about Maria, did you get some news about her? She has been gone for a whole month already," Sister Berthe inquired, clearly disappointed in the way young Maria had not informed the convent about her task at the von Trapp's villa.

"Well, I would say she has too much work to give us some news."

Startled by happy children laughs, she did not go on with her answer. Looking up, she recognized some of the von Trapp children.

"Talking about Maria, Sister Berthe? It seems we are going to be able to hear of her at last," she finished and guided her companion towards the joyful group.

Kurt was laughing so hard he was not able to breathe properly. It was so funny! Kindly leaning over his eldest daughter's shoulders, his father was telling them some silly things Maria had done in the past. Uncle Max, who was holding Gretl, willingly had joined the game and both grinning men just did not let an angry Maria enough time to answer back or defending herself.

"Trying to paint the neighbour's cat..."

"But..."

"Hiding Elizabeth's favourite doll so well she did not remember where she had put it..."

"Not true..."

"Breaking Igor's plane..."

"I've never..."

"Falling in the water in the process of running after a poor duck in the park in Vienna..."

"Max!"

"Burning one of my shirts trying to iron it..."

"Mani!"

"Climbing in that tree and not being able to get down..."

"You promised!" she pleaded, her face flushing with utter confusion. "Will you stop, both of you!" she almost screamed. They were insufferable! She felt the children's amused eyes staring at her, which made her confusion grow even more. Unable to stand it any longer, she tried to hit Mani on the shoulder to make him stop but he quickly retreated behind his laughing daughter. He added finally with a mischievous smile:

"And, I was forgetting, she always has been an extraordinary tomboy, as you can see!"

Max could not restrain himself anymore, and seeing Maria's angry face, he burst out of laughter too, joining the children's hilarity. Even the calm and reserved Louisa was giggling helplessly imagining her beloved and perfect Maria being such a restless and clumsy child... It was so funny!

The dumbfounded nuns were staring at the scene, not believing their eyes. Strict and severe Captain von Trapp, about whom people said he had totally rejected his children, was now laughing heartily with them in the middle of the market of Salzburg. But the most unbelievable thing was the way Maria was talking to him. She even tried to hit him! "My God, what are we going to do with her?" Sister Berthe thought desperately, looking up at the sky as she could receive some godly answer. Even the Mother Abbess, who always had been so indulgent with the rebellious postulant, slowly was shaking her head in disbelief.

The laughing group had not noticed the nuns at all. An angry Maria was hitting Georg's shoulder repeatedly with her tiny fists.

"How could you! You've promised! You stupid opera singer!" she was yelling in Czech, as she used to when she was outraged. She was so angry and confused she did not notice that everybody had stopped laughing all of a sudden. Then, feeling that something was not quite right, she stopped hitting her former guardian and turned back a little to discover the Mother Abbess and Sister Berthe's dumbfounded faces. "Oh my God! This is the end!" she thought desperately. Then, trying to calm herself down a bit, she said with forced cheerfulness:

"Mother Abbess! Sister Berthe! I'm so glad to see you again!" She was fighting hard against the old reflexes of falling to her knees and kissing the ground immediately. Noticing that none of them would answer for the moment, she went on hesitantly:

"I hope everybody is alright in the Abbey." The whole situation was so embarrassing. It could not be worst! Sister Berthe was watching her with severe and disapproving eyes. All Maria wanted was a large hole where she could hide herself...

Seeing that the awkward situation was not improving at all, Georg decided to speak and explain the unusual scene to the two nuns.

"Good afternoon Mother Abbess, I sincerely beg your pardon for my rudeness. I did not find the time to thank you for having sent Maria to us, and it was really rude, I confess," he said calmly, putting his gentleman costume on once again.

"Good afternoon, Captain von Trapp. You don't need to be so sorry. It's our vocation to help our fellow neighbours," the Mother Abbess answered, smiling politely.

"I think you didn't understand me well, I'm afraid. In fact, years ago, I had to look after a little girl for a while until she joined again with her family. And Maria happens to be that same little girl, that's why I'm thanking you so much," he went on and put a reassuring hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Sending Maria to us, you helped to reunite my family in more than only one way."

The two nuns were now realizing the whole situation. So Maria already knew the Captain? The ways of God were unfathomable... Not wanting to disturb this happy family reunion any longer, Mother Abbess said peacefully:

"Well, I am glad to see I was right to send you here, Maria. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to go back to the abbey. Good-bye Captain, children. We will see you again at the end of the summer, Maria, won't we? We wish all of you a nice day." With that, she and Sister Berthe saluted the group one last time and resumed their walk back to the abbey.

Mani's hand was still on her shoulder, stroking her reassuringly. He was so wonderful! She was so confused she was not able to utter a word and he had helped her in such an adorable way. Turning back a little so she was facing him, she murmured with a timid smile:

"Thank you, you really saved my life, you know..."

Holding her a bit tighter, he answered kindly:

"Don't mention it, ship-girl. I wasn't going to let them have wrong ideas about you..." Then, turning to his children, he added cheerfully "Now children, why don't we resume our walk? We're not going to stay here making fun of poor Maria all day long, are we?" With that, the family went on with their lazy wandering in the streets of Salzburg, Marta and Gretl walking next to Uncle Max, Georg chatting happily with his two boys, Louisa and Brigitta leading the way. Behind the group, Liesl had taken Maria's arm and walked along with her. Something seemed to bother her. After a while, she finally exclaimed with an anxious voice:

"But, you're part of the family now! You're not going to leave us at the end of the summer, are you?"

Surprised, Maria looked at the teenager she considered now as a young sister. Life with Mani and his family had been so wonderful she had not thought of it yet. She did not want to leave them, to leave him...Moreover, all of them certainly wanted her to stay with them even if a certain someone did not seem to be happy at all with her strong relationship with Mani... Of course she wished she could stay here forever as his eldest daughter as she was supposed to at first years ago. Nevertheless, was it what she really wanted? Ever since she had found him again, some irresistible force had pushed her to act exactly as she used to in the past, cuddling against his strong chest, throwing herself in his arms. Of course, she scolded herself for her behaviour. It was not proper at all. She was not a little girl anymore. He was about to marry Baroness Schraeder. Yet, all she wanted was being next to him, enjoying his warm embrace. There was nothing she could about that just as she could not help to feel jealous when she was thinking about his upcoming marriage. She remembered she had been jealous of his beginning relationship with Agathe for a few days. However, everything was different now. In the past, she had been afraid of being left apart. These days, as hard as she fought the utter feeling, she could not stand watching him with the Baroness, she could not stand the idea of seeing him marrying another woman. She would rather go back to the abbey than see that fateful day happen...

"I don't know at all, Liesl, I don't know at all," was all she could answer.

As they were walking rapidly in the streets of Salzburg, the Mother Abbess could not help to think again of the expression she saw on Maria and, more surprising still, the Captain's face when she had mentioned the young woman's return to the Abbey. It had been fugitive, but she was sure she had seen an expression of utter pain. They had been apart for so many years; it was natural that the idea of parting again could be painful... If the Captain had not put his hand on the postulant's shoulder in such a protective and loving way, she could have thought that it was a fatherly fear of losing his child again and vice-versa. However, he actually had put his hand on her shoulder and even caressed it a little she was sure. That was not a parental gesture. Definitely not.  And the way he had been watching her during their little "argument"!

They were arriving at the abbey now. Opening the large door, she looked at her companion and saw that Sister Berthe had been thinking about the same things, confirming her suspicions. She shook her head sadly. Young Maria was walking on a dangerous path without even knowing it. And there was nothing she could do about it.

Salzburg, von Trapp's villa, July 15th, 1937, middle of the night

Georg was lying on his bed, trying desperately to find some sleep. In vain. His troubled mind was not going to leave him in peace any time soon, so it seemed. He had fallen asleep a few hours ago but one of his recurrent dreams had plagued him once again. "What's wrong with me?" he thought angrily. "How can I think about her in such a way?" He was utterly desperate. Twenty years ago, he had thought, no, he had wanted to adopt her. And now... When the Mother Abbess had mentioned Maria's return to the abbey, it was as if a knife had stabbed him deep in the heart. He did not want her to leave him once more. He did want not his little angel to go away. Yet, she had grown up and decided to dedicate her life to God. Even if he did not agree with that, it was her choice and he had to respect it. She was an adult now and she was perfectly able to follow her own path in life. That was the problem. She was an adult; she had become a beautiful and desirable young woman. Even if it was wrong, he could not help that thoughts of her plague him at night. More precisely, he had to admit she had troubled him since her first day here. But it was different now, she was not some unknown beautiful young woman. She was Maria, the little girl he had looked after years ago, the same little girl who he had thought of adopt... Still, today, he had not been able to help to stroke her shoulder lightly, to hold her tight against him. Fortunately,  she had not noticed his uneasiness when he was next to her. Nevertheless, the innocent way she cuddled against him at times drove him crazy...

Then there was Elsa... He really did not know anymore how to deal with her. His growing feelings for Maria were not the only issue. His little angel's return had waken his old self up and he had more and more difficulties to hide it. All he knew was that he wanted desperately something else. So many things had happened within a month! Maria's return. His reconciliation with Ivan. Old aspirations and hopes were reappearing. He wanted to see his friends again. He wished he could talk and laugh with them again. Nobody but Max knew it: his children had not been the only victims of his selfish grieving. They were his only family yet he had rejected all of them, putting an aristocratic costume on and playing a new character. "So much like Father..." If Maria had not returned, he would have become so much like him, ignoring his children, becoming the perfect aristocrat, following high society rules, making a proper marriage. So many things he hated years ago. So many things he still hated deeply, he could feel it now. The stifling costume he had put on was beginning to crackle little by little. He willingly had locked himself in a cage and now he was up to jump out of it, wanting desperately to taste the forgotten taste of freedom again. No more social duties. No more cowardly compliance. He wanted to be himself again. Loving his children, teaching them all that his adventurous young years had taught him, enjoying his friends' company... The problem was that Elsa did not fit at all in that new picture he was beginning to draw.

Who else then? She?

There's no ransom for next chapter, but that's a reason to forget to leave a small review... ^_^

Thanx for reading! Now things are going to be interesting!