Disclaimer: After twenty chapters I still don't own the Sound of Music.

Author's Note: Wow! I can't believe this is chapter twenty already! Sorry this took so long to get up! I blame the writer's block. But now I'm here, and you can thank a wondiferous motivator for that…(thanks!)

I Trust In My Heart-
-Chapter Twenty: Borrow the Moonlight

They drove all day. Not stopping for anyone. Not even themselves. Maria's legs were beginning to cramp and her eyes were getting lazy. Georg's body was sore from sitting low for half of the day. But they were out of the city, out of Salzburg for good. Traveling along a river that would take them out of Salzburg Land. If they kept up their pace they would be a safe distance inside Tirol by mid-morning the next day, all they had to do was reach the city of Bischofshofen tonight.

Maria felt her head began to drop and her eyes closed. She quickly snapped her head up and shook it, trying to make the sleepiness going away. There was a soft laugh from her side.

"Tired?" Georg asked, yawning.

"I'm afraid I am. And if I keep driving the car will end up in a ditch." she said, also yawning.

"I would tell you to pull over and have us switch places, but I'm afraid I'm about to fall asleep as well."

Maria laughed slightly. "So what do we do? We didn't bring enough money for a hotel. And we need what we have for food."

Georg thought, looking around outside, straining his eyes to see in the dark. With the help of the moonlight he could see a small clearing of trees just up ahead. "Pull over into that clearing of trees."

"Didn't you just say switching places wouldn't do us any good?" Maria asked, raising and eyebrow. "Goodness, you are tired."

The Captain laughed. "I have another idea."

Maria sighed. "Alright."

Maria safely maneuvered the car through the trees and under their cover. Once there she turned the car off. "Now what?" she asked, looking at the Captain skeptically.

"Welcome to our hotel." Georg said, gesturing around the car. "You can stretch out on the back seat, and I will the front. It won't exactly be comfortable. But, as you said, we can't afford a hotel, and this will be safer. Someone could recognize either of us at a hotel."

Maria looked at him like he was crazy. Crazy, yet the most brilliant person in the world. He was right. "Well, ok." with that, Maria opened the door and stepped outside. Despite the fact that it was summer a cold breeze ran over her body. She clutched her traveling cloak closer to her body.

"Cold?" the Captain asked from the car, seeing her reaction to the weather.

"Just a little. Too bad we didn't bring any blankets." she said, stepping into the back of the car and closing the door just as Georg closed the front door.

"Good night, Maria." Georg said from the front seat as he lied down and put his hat over his face, to shield the moon that seemed to be shining ten times brighter tonight.

"Good night, Captain." Maria whispered back, lying down.

She fidgeted for a bit, trying to get her dress situated around her body so she was comfortable. Once she was as comfortable as possible she lay still, staring at the ceiling of the car. Today had been so, eventful, yet so uneventful at the same time. But most of all it had been long. It felt as if they had been traveling for days, even weeks. But it had only been a simple day.

She sighed. There had been one thing bothering her all day. Something she had wanted to say to the Captain. But she hadn't, she had bit her tongue every time the thought crossed her mind. But now as she lay there, staring at the dark ceiling the thought wouldn't leave her alone. And she knew the only way to make it go away was to talk to the Captain.

"Captain?" she whispered, into the dark. She sounded like she was checking to make sure he was still there.

"Yes?" he whispered back, taking his hat off of his face so she could hear him better.

"I…well. I want you to promise me something." she said. Even though Georg couldn't see her he knew she was blushing. He was right.

"Anything."

Maria paused, and bit her tongue, wondering if she should continue. Well, she had already started, and she was sure that there was an unwritten rule that stated once someone started to say something they had to finish.

"I want you to promise me that on this journey, I guess you could call it, of ours that there will be no secret keeping. We tell each other what the other is planning on doing. No keeping the other in the dark." she paused, and her voice got smaller. "Cause we both know what happened the last time we did that."

Georg chuckle to himself, not letting Maria hear. He smiled. "I promise." he said, genuinely.

Maria smiled. "Thank you. And I promise you. Goodnight, Captain." she said again.

"Goodnight, Maria."

Georg woke sometime later. He didn't know why. Perhaps it was the fact that his body was aching. A grown man, especially one of his size, should not be constrained to sleeping in the small space of a car. His muscles needed to stretch or he was sure he would be stuck in the position he was lying in for the rest of his life.

Georg sat up and stretched his back, it made a resounding cracking noise. His head immediately shot to Maria to see if she had woken up from the noise, it was so loud. However, when he saw her he froze.

She was lying in the back seat on her back, one are above her head and the other resting on her stomach. Her head was tilted to the side, her chin resting on her chest. The moon was so bright and wonderful that he had never seen a more beautiful.

The moonlight was reflecting off her skin, it was milky white and had a glow to it. Giving Maria an angel look. Her eyes were lightly closed, she was in a peaceful sleep. Her breathing was a steady rhythm. Her eyes fluttered slightly as she dreamt. A single hair fell from onto her forehead as she moved just the slightest bit.

Without even thinking Georg reached out and brushed the hair away from her face. And to think. He could have watched her sleep like this, with nothing but the moon as his light, every night for the rest of his life. But he wasn't. Perhaps…no, he couldn't get his hopes up. But perhaps, this journey of theirs was just what they needed to bring them back together. Hadn't he told Gretl weeks ago that perhaps Fate would one day bring he and Maria back together. But, he mustn't get his hopes up.

Maria shivered slightly, pulling Georg from his thoughts. Without thinking, again, he pulled off his coat and draped it over Maria. She immediately shifted her body under, absorbing the new source of warmth. She smiled slightly in her sleep. Georg smiled in response.

Even though he began to feel sleep over come him he wouldn't lie down, no, he couldn't. He was too absorbed in watching Maria sleep. It was intoxicating. It was wonderful. So he sat, all he had to do was borrow the moonlight to see her sleeping peacefully.

Maria woke later that same night. Georg had long since fallen asleep, but she would never know he had been watching her. But she knew he had been up. His coat was draped delicately over her body. Slightly confused, she sat up and looked to the front seat.

The Captain was lying on his back, his hat covering his face and his arms crossed over his chest.

Maria smiled, despite herself. Even though she couldn't see his face, the feeling of watching him sleep was invigorating. It filled her with comfort. Something she hadn't felt all day.

She borrowed the moonlight for a few minutes and watched his sleeping form before lying back down and pulling his coat closer to her body, smiling, she closed her eyes.

And as the sun began to rise that next morning, signaling the beginning of a new day the moonlight was finally through.

Author's Note: The title of this chapter, and theme for that matter, come from a line from the song "As Long As You're Mine" from Wicked. So I don't own that either.

I usually thank everyone individually, but these past few chapters I haven't cause I've been focused on getting them up….SO THANKS TO EVERYONE! AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU ALL KEEP ME GOING!

Ok, well, I know this chapter wasn't long, but it was just a filler chapter…showing time passing and good stuff like that…more to come soon, though I can't promise when. Maybe tomorrow. But if not then, it will be Sunday. I have work on Friday and the Sweetheart Prom on Sat.! Whoot…how exciting…lol…

THANKS AGAIN!

Until next time!
Your humble author,
The Lonely Goatherd