Disclaimer: I still own nothing….sob

Chapter Three

Louisa flopped down on her bed, grabbed her pillow, shoved part of it in her mouth and let out an aggravated scream. Upon hearing Kurt laugh and finishing her scream, the frustrated thirteen-year-old threw the pillow at her younger brother.

"And what, may I ask, is so funny?" she said glaring.

After his short fit of laughter subsided Kurt threw the pillow back at his sister. "Wouldn't you like to know…"

Leisl interrupted the two before Louisa could draw a breathe to respond, "Would you two cut it out." she said with a sigh.

"It's her fault."

"Is not."

"I said, cut it out. Do you want Father to come up here? He is already in a bad mood as it is. Something on the radio made him mad."

Brigitta watched on thinking and waiting for Fredreich to close the door. When he finally did the ten-year-old decided it was time to speak about what none of them had dared to speak about for the past two days. "I just don't get it.

"Get what?" Louisa asked.

"Why Fraulein Maria left."

"Because she missed the abbey." Marta said sadly, but matter-of-factly.

Brigitta smiled at her seven-year-old sister. "I know, but well it's just, I mean-" she said, choosing her words carefully.

Her six siblings looked at her, urging her to continue. "Well, Fraulein Maria seemed so happy to be here and she hardly spoke of the abbey, it was like she never lived there. And when she did speak of it she always said that she thought she would never make a good nun. And now here we are, Fraulein Maria-less because she missed her life at the abbey to much." She let it out in one breathe, then after thinking some more she continued slowly; "It just seems like there is-"

"More to it." Leisl finished for her. "I know what you mean Brigitta."

"Do you really think so?" Fredreich asked. Both girls nodded their heads.

There was a couple minutes silence before Louisa decided to speak her opinion. "Then let's find out why."

"What?" Kurt asked.

"I said let's find out why she left. I agree with you two and I want an explanation."

"And just how are we supposed to do that?"

"Ask." she said while shrugging and ever so slowly a plan began to from between the seven siblings.


She didn't run off to the hills when the front gates where open, she didn't argue with Sister Berthe and she didn't sing. She had stayed in her room since her arrival five days ago. The only time she left was to pray and go to mass. She cried during the day, especially after praying, since most of her praying was for the family she left behind. The Sisters had tried to cheer her up, but she would just look at them and smile, tears threatening to fall. She hadn't spoken to anyone since her arrival, unless you count the eight words she spoke to Reverend Mother the morning after the party; "May I take my meals in my room?" And so she did. She liked being alone, she felt safe, safe from everyone's questions. Safe from the outside. It was just her and herself.

Maria had just finished a fresh wave of tears and was now staring at her ceiling. Thinking of how she was acting. She should be happy to be back, back home. But she wasn't, because she wasn't home. This used to be her home, but how could she call it that now. After having lived in the von Trapp home. After growing to love those seven children as if they were her own. After falling in love with the Captain.

Bolting up right into a sitting position Maria confirmed what she was dreading these past days. She was in love with Captain Georg von Trapp. She should have felt bad. She was sent to that house on God's errand, not to fall in love with her employer. But she didn't, she didn't feel bad. Maria felt the slightest bit of peace and happiness wash over her for the first time in a while.

Laying herself back down on her bed, for the first time since her arrival at the abbey, Maria didn't cry herself to sleep. Instead she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, with a smile tugging at the ends of her mouth.


On the same night Maria fell asleep smiling the children of the von Trapp house hold would ask their Father what happened after they left. They had it all planned out, they choose exactly the right words to say. They didn't want to seem to be noisy.

The family, the Baroness and Max where sitting together in the sitting room where the Captain had sung Edelweiss. Staring at the spot where Maria had stood the Captain was lost in thought of that day.

He could almost see her standing there in that blur dress of hers. Smiling that bright, beautiful smile. Staring at him with those rich blue eyes that never seemed to end. He just couldn't believe that she was really gone. The house wasn't the same without her. When she was hear the house seemed complete, so did his family, and so did h-

"Why don't we sing something?" Leisl asked her siblings breaking the silence of the room and the Captain's train of thought.

"I don't feel like singing." Kurt said.

"Not without Fraulein Maria." Brigitta finished.

"Well, we can sing a song she taught us." Leisl said, pretending to reach for the guitar they had placed in the room earlier that day.

"Like the one we sang at the party?" Marta asked.

"Oh, do you remember our song Father?" Gretl asked running over to him.

The Captain nodded with a smile on his face as he picked up Gretl and placed her on his lap. "It was absolutely wonderful." He said, tapping her on the nose. "After you all went up stairs everyone kept telling me how amazing you all were."

"Is that when Fraulein Maria left?" Gretl asked what she was told to say. Looking down, sad. Leisl was taken aback by her youngest siblings acting. Us older ones have a had a bad influence on her, playing tricks and deceiving people. She made a mental note, but couldn't help but smile at the thought of it too.

The Captain looked down at the small girl sitting in his lap. "Well, that was the last time I saw her. If I remember correctly she went upstairs to change for the party but she didn't come back down." Fredriech made a mental note of how the Baroness's body tightened and she looked into her glass she was holding after hearing the Captains explanation.

"Oh, she was invited to the party?" Louisa asked enthusiastically.

"If I remember correctly she was supposed to be my dinner partner." Max said. "You don't think my lovely charm scared her off, do you?" he finished, with a grin on his face. The children giggled.

"Only you could Max, only you could." Georg said, making the children laugh harder. Looking at his watch the Captain turned his attention back to his children. "I think it's time you should all get to bed." Placing Gretl on the ground, the Captain was about to stand up when Leisl stopped him.

"Don't worry about it Father, I'll make sure everyone gets to bed." Giving Leisl a smile, the Captain kissed the children goodnight one by one as the left the room.


Once in the hall that lead to their bedrooms the children huddled together to talk.

"So much for finding out why she left."

"Yeah, but did you see the Baroness."

"What do you mean Fredrich?"

"After Father explained about the last time he saw Fraulein Maria, Baroness Schraeder got really tense and she looked at her cup, it was almost as if she was guilty of something."

"Do you think she had something to with it?"

"I don't know, I just don't know…."


Baroness Schraeder was walking down the hall towards the kitchen later that night before she retired for the night. Max had gone to bed and Georg disappeared again. The Baroness found herself wondering, again, if she had done the right thing.

Passing Georg's study, she saw the light was on. Tapping on the door and hearing no answer she entered. The Captain was sitting on the couch staring at nothing.

"Just thought I would say good night, darling." Elsa said. When she got no response Elsa allowed herself into the room even more and tapped the Captain on the shoulder.

"Georg are you alright?" She asked, knowing all to well what the answer was.

Looking up the Captain smiled. "Of course I am darling. Why do you ask?"
"You just don't seem yourself lately. That's all."

"I am just worried about the children, tonight was the first night in a while I have seen genuine smiles on their faces. They really miss Fraulein Maria."

"Oh Georg, they'll get over it soon enough I should think, children do you know."

Patting her hand, the Captain smiled. He knew what he had to do. Reaching over to the table next to the couch the Captain pulled a smile deep blue box out of it's drawer. He shifted his body so he could see Elsa better. "Elsa I have been thinking. And I would feel honored if you would be my wife. Will you marry me?" he said as he opened the tiny box.

"Oh Georg, of course I will." after the ring was placed on her finger Else leaned forward and kissed the Captain.

As she did a sudden thought hit Georg.

'What are you doing?'

'Asking the woman I love to marry me?' he shot back at his conscience.

'Or are you using her as escape?"

Author's Note: Yeah for me, two chapters in one day! Whoot! Hope you liked this chapter, more coming soon.

The Lonely Goatherd