Disclaimer: As I once again watched the Sound of Music today I was once again reminded that I don't own the Sound of Music…
Author's Note: I made a slight change to the ending of chapter three….nothing major…but a change none the less…
Also, in the middle of the chapter my own plot will start and the story will no longer be in flashbacks like it has been. Just to let you all know!
I Trust In My Heart-
-Chapter Four: Can This Be?
The children were talking, but Maria couldn't hear a word.
Maria pushed her food around on her plate. She couldn't eat, she wasn't hungry. She didn't think that she would ever be hungry again. Even the pain of starving would be better than what she felt right now.
What had she been thinking? Coming back here, when her intenstion was to never come back. What had she expected? That once the Captain saw her he would loose sense of surroundings and take her in his arms? That was unlikely, even if the Baroness hadn't been here.
The Baroness. He was engaged to the Baroness. Her lover her. Always had and always would. There would never be a spot for her, Mariam in his heart.
How could she have come back? Back into a home, a family! There was no longer a need for her here. The von Trapp family was complete and the children had a mother again. Maria had done what she was sent here to do, prepare the children, this family, for a new mother….and it wasn't her.
The Baroness was staring at her plate, a look of sullen guilt on her face, but Maria didn't see it.
Where would she go now? She couldn't go back to the abbey. So where? And to leave the children again after she had just come back. Bust she would have to leave them, this home…forever. And she would be alone.
The Captain stared at her through the entire meal, but she never noticed.
And the children talk on, but she never heard a word.
"Well, why don't we ask-"
"-the children?" Georg finished with her, making both of them laugh.
They shared another sweet kiss, so full of passion. They parted, staring into the other's eyes. Maria was suddenly over come with more joy that she had ever felt before. Her face broke into a broad grin as she slightly shook her head in disbelief before resting her forehead on Georg's chest.
"What?' he laughed into her hair.
"It's just…I can't…." she whispered, not yet moving her head. "I never could have dream that this could happen." she paused and her voice got quieter. "Especially after today.
The Captain smiled into her hair. "But that's all in the past, and you're here now." she whispered into her ear, quoting what she had said not but a week ago.
Maria felt his warm breath on her ear and neck and shuddered. She rose her head and took a step back, looking him in the eyes. She lifted her hand slowly, delicately placing it on his cheek, stroking it softly with her thumb. Slowly rising on her toes, she met his lips with hers in a kiss indescribable for words. Georg's arms encircled her waist, pulling Maria as close as possible as her arms hooked around his neck.
Maria never knew someone could be filled with so much happiness, the amount she felt at that moment. So a live. The feeling of being loved. She never wanted to let it go.
They pulled apart, slowly, both catching their breaths as their foreheads rested against the others.
"Oh, I must be dreaming." Maria whispered.
"But you're not." Georg replied, smiling.
"Good." was all she could say in reply.
The moon was full by now and the animals of the night began to sound.
"We should be getting inside. The children will need to be tucked in soon." Maria reluctantly said.
"Hm. They'll be wondering where there lovely Fraulein go to."
"And their father." they laughed.
"I supposed you're right." he kissed her. "If we must." they smiled.
They walked towards the house, hand in hand.
Leisl stared out the window of her bedroom. She opened it and let the breeze was over her, the smell of summer consuming her body. If she were ever to leave Salzburg she would always remember the look of the mountains in the setting summer sun. And the smell that came with it, that smell would always be home.
A movement to her right caught her eye. She turned to see two figured, standing extremely close, in the middle of the gazebo.
She could tell that one of them was Maria. There was now mistaking that. She could see the short blonde hair. Leisl squinted to try and identify the second person. The looked an awful lot like-
"What!" she whispered a scream. "Father?" she asked to know one as she stuck her head out of the window farther to see better.
There was no doubt in her mind that that was her father and Fraulein Maria standing very, very close…unprofessionally close. And they were…no, Leisl didn't believe it, she couldn't believe it…kissing!
Leisl quickly turned her back on the window, embarrassed a witnessing such an act. Especially between her father and governess. Surely she had seen wrong. They couldn't have been doing that. There was no way. Why, her Father was engaged, to the Baroness. No, she must have been mistaken. Yes, mistaken.
The voice of Gretl calling for Maria snapped Leisl from her thoughts. She turned back to the window just in time to see the two walking back into the house, hand in hand. The last this she saw was their smiling faces before they disappeared into the house.
In disbelief Leisl closed the window, locking it with a click.
"Is this really happening?' she whispered.
"Is what really happening?" Louisa asked as she walked into the room.
"Oh, uh, nothing." Leisl replied, closing the drapes.
"When do you want to tell the children?" Maria asked as she and the Captain made their was back towards the house.
"How about tomorrow, after breakfast." Georg said after some thought. "I think they've had enough excitement for one day. And if we told them now they would never go to bed."
Maria laughed. "Very true." Her laugher quickly died down and she nearly stopped walking as a thought crept across her mind. "Do you, do you think they'll be happy about this?" she asked quietly, no sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Georg stopped walking, grabbing both of Maria's hands. "Of course they will." she said, smiling and looking into Maria's eyes. "They love you."
"Hm, yes. As their governess."
"And they'll be overjoyed that you'll soon be their mother."
Maria smiled. "Mother." she whispered. The Captain lowered his head and captured her lips in a quick, passionate kiss.
"FRAULEIN! FRAULEIN MARIA!" the little voice of Gretl called from the house.
"We better get inside." Maria whispered, stepping back from his embrace and resuming her walk, pulling Georg with her.
The two reached the doors of the house, smiling. Once safely inside the Captain gave Maria's had a squeeze before releasing it, just as Gretl came into the entrance hall.
"Father!" she said just under a yell as she hurriedly made her way towards the couple.
"Fraulein Maria, where have you been?"
Maria gave a small giggle. "I was," she briefly paused, taking a sideways glance at the Captain. "Out taking a little walk." she finished smiling, making Georg grin.
"Well! I've been looking all over for you!" she exclaimed as only a five-year-old could do.
"I'm very sorry, Gretl. What is it that you want?" she said laughing.
"Me and Marta were wondering if you would sing to us before we go to bed."
"Of course I will, darling."
"Yeah! Come on Father!" the little girl exclaimed, taking her father's hand and pulling him towards the stairs.
"I think I'm coming too." Georg whispered, only loud enough for Maria to her. She had to stifle a laugh.
"Girls, it's time for bed." Maria said, sticking her head into Leisl, Louisa, and Brigitta's room.
"Alright, Fraulein." Louisa said, as she laid down her last card. "Ha! I win!" she said, pointing at Leisl, whom she had been playing cards with.
"Yeah, but I beat you the last, what was it? Ten games?" Leisl said, walking over to her own bed.
"So, I still won."
"One."
Maria laughed. "Girls." she warned, no anger in her voice.
"Can I just finish this chapter, Fraulein?" Brigitta asked, not looking up from her book.
"Well, oh, alright. But only one."
"That means one more game!" Louisa said grabbing her cards and jumping onto Leils bed, who agreed.
"I'm not that slow of a reader." Brigitta stated, quickly looking up.
Before Louisa could make her reply, Maria did. "Only means Leisl's a fast loser, right Louisa?"
"Correct!" All four laughed.
"Good night girls."
"Good night."
Maria turned and closed the door, just as she heard Brigitta say: "She's in a good mood."
"She's probably just happy to be back." Louisa replied.
"Yeah, that's it." Leisl said, in an unsure way.
As Maria neared the younger girls room she saw the Captain leaving the boy's room. "Let me just say goodnight to the older girls and I'll be in." he said, passing by and grabbing her hand swiftly before letting it go.
"Alright."
Maria quickly stuck her head in the boy's room, saying goodnight, and returned to Gretl and Marta's room.
"Are you girls already for bed?" she asked walking in. They nodded as they climbed into their respectable beds.
Maria went over to tuck Gretl in first. "Will you sing My Favorite Things, Fraulein Maria?" the little girl asked.
"Well," Maria replied, pulling the comforter up to the girl's chin. Just as she did, the Captain walked into the room and went to do the same the Marta. "Actually, I already had another song in mind."
"What's it called?" Marta asked, as the Captain sat by her side.
"Feed The Birds."
"Feed The Birds?"
"Yep. Would you like to hear it?" the two girls nodded. Maria sat by Gretl's side and began to sing the quiet melody.
The words filled the room, and the two little girls were smoothly lulled to sleep by the simply rhythm of the words and sweet sound of Maria's voice.
"Tuppence, tuppence. Tuppence a bag." Maria finished, pushing aside some hair on Gretl's forehead and kissing it. She and the Captain simultaneously stood and switched spots, Maria kissing Marta goodnight and the Captain, Gretl. Without saying a word yet the two quietly snuck out of the room.
Georg slowly closed the door, letting the quiet click of the lock fill the lifeless house. Her turned to Maria and smiled. "That was beautiful," he whispered, making her blush.
"Thank you."
"You're very welcome." they paused, "Come, I'll walk you to your room." Maria raised her eyebrows. "Before I head towards mine." he finished without a moments hesitation.
"Alright." he offered her his arm and she gladly took it.
"Tell me, did you really start loving me after I blew that ridiculous whistle?" The Captain asked after they had walked in silence for a moment.
Maria laughed. "Yes, I suppose I did."
"I don't see how you did?"
"Neither did I." she said, sarcastically making Georg laugh. "But I did, and that's all that matters."
"Yes, it is."
"And what about you? Did you really start loving me when I sat on silly pinecone?"
Georg laughed harder. "Yes, I do believe I did." he paused before a moment. "But I never really realized it until we danced at the party."
Maria blushed.
"I'm very glad you saved that dance for me." he continued on, referring to the conversation they had had before the party.
"I'm glad you had faith in my dancing abilities." Marie joked making both of them laugh. "Well, here we are." she said, stopping in front of her bedroom door.
"Here we are." Georg lifted his hand and stroked Maria's cheek, closing the distance between them slowly and kissing her, tenderly. Maria responded by sliding her arms up to his shoulders.
"Goodnight, Maria." he said, as Maria opened the door and stepped into the room.
"Goodnight." she paused. "Georg." she whispered.
Author's Note: There it is, chapter four! Um…oh yeah….Feed The Birds is from Mary Poppins…probably my favorite song from that movie. One of the things I wanted to do was have Maria not use the Captain's actual name, like she does in the movie…she never calls him Georg…but I found that hard to do…so yeah…
I luv Julie Andrews: Glad you like it! Thanks!
Megs: Lol. Good to know! Glad you like it! Thanks for reviewing!
MaryAnne: Aw, thanks so much. I really appreciate it! Thanks again, you're too kind!
Emartin: I don't think you're being overly critical. I have a bad habit of not proofreading…which I am trying to break! Thanks for the input! And the review! Glad you like it!
Edelwyn: It's no problem about your English, it's rather good! I'm glad you like the frog scene, it was one of my favorites as well. And it's good to know that you see a similarity to the movie…that's one of the goals I'm shooting for! Thank you again!
Sound of Music fan: Gee! Thanks! Glad you like it! Thanks for the review!
Kelsea Scarlett: Thanks! Glad to know this is original, I hope I can keep that going as my plot begins to take form! Glad you like it! Thanks again!
The Marauders3: Glad you like this story and my others. Thanks for the compliments and the review!
Maz: Glad you like it and I will! Thank you for reviewing!
Well, this is it for now…until next time!
Your humble author,
The Lonely Goatherd