Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Nine

It took a minute for the Captain to realize what had just happened. The window to the apartment next to Maria's burst because of a fire that was ablaze in the room. Maria was still in her apartment and had yet to emerge, and now Gretl had run into the building. At that last thought Georg snapped out of his shock and ran after Gretl not hearing Max's yell. Just has he entered the building the shrieking of an alarm pierced the silence of the air. He wasn't going to loose either of them.


Maria ran through her front door and looked her right. The apartment next to hers, flames were starting to destroy the front door. She knew that in a mere minutes the blaze would hit her apartment, and if she didn't want to get caught in it she had to move.

She turned to her left and began to run. She passed two doors when a small figure emerged from the stairs running with full force towards her.

"FRAULEIN MARIA!" they yelled.

"Gretl?" Maria kneeled down as the little girl finally reached her and pulled in into a hug. "Darling, what are you doing here!" panic hung on her every word.

"I w-w-assss s-s-s-cared Fraulein. T-t-here is a b-b-i-i-i-g-g-g fi-re. I w-w-an-ted to ssssee if y-y-you wwere ok." Gretl said with a tear streaked face, her voice muffled from tears and her Fraulein's shoulder.

Maria pulled back to look at the little girl. She quickly wiped away a few of her tears. "Come on, we have to go." she picked Gretl up, and situated her on her hip, then bent down again to pick up her guitar. Once again Maria began to run, this time with great difficulty.


Just as Maria and Gretl reached the door way to the stairs, the door was thrown open, almost knocking them to the ground. There stood the Captain. Fear apparent in his eyes. Agin Georg froze and looked at the sight before him. Maria stood with her right hand clutching her guitar, and her left arm holding Gretl who had her arms wrapped fiercely around Maria's neck, her face buried in Maria's shoulder, sobbing; with flames dancing in the background. Even with sweat, fear, and a slowly fading bravery etched in her face Maria some how captivated the Captain with her beauty, and had it not been an emergency, he would have paused to admire it.

The constant ringing of the alarm abruptly pulled Georg from his thoughts. He quickly took Grelt and together he and Maria ran. Neither of them talked, they let the sounds of the alarm and Gretl's crying consume them as they ran to the safety of the street.


Once outside the three were met and bombarded with shouts of relief, hugs, and of course: questions.

"Are you alright?" Leisl asked, as she took the still sobbing Gretl from her father's arms and cradled her younger sister in her own.

"Yes fine."

"Did anyone get hurt?" came Max's voice as her began to circle the three, looking for any signs of harm.

"Yes, I think so. But Gretl-" Maria never got to finish as the sound of shattering glass once again filled the air. The small group of by-standers, the eight von Trapps, Max, and Maria all turned their attention to see the glass from Maria's apartment window shatter to the ground as black smoke followed by flames emerge from the small, yet cozy room. The guitar in Maria's hand fell to the ground and her entire body froze in shock.

Georg heard Maria's guitar hit the ground. He turned to look at her and his heart broke. She stood transfixed on the building. Eyes huge from shock. She looked so scared, so helpless. He wanted to help her, he needed to. He was about to offer her words of comfort for a start, but just as he opened his mouth her body began to sway.

"Fraulein?" She gave no answer. "Fraulein, are you alright?" The Captain's question was shortly answered as Maria fainted. Without thinking twice the Captain reached out and stopped her before she fell to the ground.


Max stood still; Brigitta shrieked; Louisa gasped; Leisl, Frederick, and Kurt stood staring, eyes wide with fear; and Marta joined in Gretl's sobs. The Captain gazed down at the young woman in his arms. For the first time since Georg had seen her standing in the hall with Gretl in her arms Maria's face was calm. There was no fear, no bravery, no nothing.

"Max, please take the children home."

"But Father!"

"No buts Frederick. Max, take the children home and Fraulein Maria and I will join you shortly."

"Of course Georg. Ah, here's a bus. We'll take that and leave you the car."

"Thank you."

"But Father…" Marta's quivering voice rang in the air.

"It's alright darling. Uncle Max will take you home and Fraulein Maria and I will be home soon after. Everything will be alright. I promise."

"Come on children, let's hurry. Maybe Frau Schmidt will have some of her wonderful cake that she promised us earlier….." Georg chuckled as Max's voice went out of ear shot. He always did his best to cheer the children up. He looked towards their retreating figures. His friend was succeeding.


Georg looked around the street. This was no place to lay Maria so she could rest. Effortlessly the sea captain stood with Maria in his arms and walked towards the car. Once there he skillfully opened the back door and put Maria down on the seat. He sat on the floor of the car with his legs out the open door.

"Fraulein?" he lightly tapped her shoulder. "Fraulein?"

She didn't wake, but she did move. He looked down at her seemingly lifeless body. She had tried to been brave, she tried to show no fear. But they had built up in her and now she lay before him. The light of the noon sun was shining down on them and her face was glowing. She looked angelic, and at such peace. The Captain watched on, her steady breathing his only means of comfort. If anything and at all possible the immense love he felt for her grew in that moment.

He smiled.

He didn'tknow how long he had been staring at her, but she had yet to move. "Fraulein? Fraulein?" "Everything will be alright. I promise. I promise. I promise." Georg;'s own words of five minutes before rang through his mind for another five minutes. He had promise Marta that everything would be alright, he promised all of them. But now, as he looked at Maria's unmoving body, he wasn't so sure.

"Fraulein? Please, Fraulein wake up. Please. Fraulein." he could tell that his voice was etched with fear for he could feel it rising as yet another five minutes passed. He couldn't understand it. Her heart was beating, she was breathing and yet she didn't wake up. His fear rose to an unhealthy level (by his book) and his eyes began to water.

"Fraulein?" His smile faded.


Author's Note: "La, la, la, la..gonna make you pop-u-lar." :sigh: Good ol' Wicked. Anywho! Hope you liked chapter…what is this….nine? Yeah, nine.

Thoroughly Modern Philly: Ta dah, Gretl's ok! Glad you like the story and thanks for the review!

StKiara: Painting? Cool. So happy you love the story! Thanks for the review!

Hope your all having a fantabulous summer! More to come soon!

The Lonely Goatherd

Days left until RENT: 161