no one else

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my love of The Sound of Music and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.

Setting: au, no Anschluss, Winter
Song: "No One Else" from Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.

This winter sky
How can anyone sleep?
There was never such a night before!
I feel like putting my arms 'round my knees
And squeezing tight as possible
And flying away
Like this...

Oh, the moon
Oh, the snow in the moonlight
And your childlike eyes
And your distant smile
I'll never be this happy again
You and I
You and I
You and I
And no one else

Half asleep, Georg reached out for his wife, wanting her warmth. The room had grown cold, and despite the many blankets covering them, Georg always enjoyed having Maria as a source of heat too. His arm slid under the covers to find her waist and pull her close, but he was met with an empty yet slightly warm space.

Georg frowned and immediately opened his eyes. Where was his wife?

The retired naval captain rubbed his eyes to remove the sleep.

Noting that it was three in the morning, he leaned over to see if a light shone under the bathroom door, but he saw nothing. He furrowed his brow, miffed she was not with him. Perhaps one of their children had woken again.

Oh, their children.

They had been a handful as the winter beak drew near - especially the littlest girls. Maria had returned Gretl to bed twice already. She handled it with patience as she always did, knowing the youngest von Trapp was merely excited for the holiday season. She and Marta had no memories of happy Christmases. Both girls were too young to remember much before their mother died, including the holidays. The villa had never been decorated for the season since the family moved there after Agathe died.

However, Maria was determined that change this year. She and Frau Schmidt worked together to transform the estate. A large Advent wreath rested on a stand in the middle of the foyer, while the gallery railings and staircases were decorated with garland, and candles were placed in the windows facing the courtyard. The Christmas Tree would not be put up and decorated in the house until Christmas Eve, as was the Austrian custom. Regardless, the decorations gave the villa a warm, holiday atmosphere of Christmases past much like Maria had brought music and joy back into their lives.

At that thought, the former naval captain pulled on his robe and stepped into his slippers. He felt the biting cold run through his body and rubbed his hands together to generate heat before touching the cold door handle.

He stopped in the hall, brow furrowed.

Where would his wife be?

Knowing their children, one might have woken up again and required her assistance. Set on his destination, Georg walked down the hall to the main gallery and turned to reach the nursery. Given the peaceful silence on this side of the house, he suspected his hunch was incorrect, but he wanted to ensure his children were safe and sound. Georg peaked his head into each room, and as suspected, the children from oldest to youngest were snug in their beds. He returned Marta's fallen doll to her arms and silently retreated. After shutting the door, he grasped the gallery railing, brow furrowed.

Though their children were sound asleep, their mother certainly was not, and Georg wanted to know where she stole off to! If the children didn't need her, she might have gone to fetch a glass of water. But she would have been on her way back to their room by now. She wouldn't be wandering outside as she sometimes did during the summer; it was far too cold. He grasped the cold railing tighter in frustration.

Where could she be?!

As he brooded, a light thud from downstairs interrupted his thoughts. Georg straightened and quickly scanned across the foyer, noting it didn't come from the ballroom. It must have come from the sitting room. Confident in his prediction, he swiftly descended the staircase. Georg turned to the left, and as he suspected, the sitting room door was cracked. Georg snuck through, trying to enter undetected, though his slippers padded quietly against the floor.

Once he entered the room, he spotted his wife. Maria sat on a sofa that had been turned to face the windows. It was lightly snowing, and hazy moonlight broke through the clouds and reflected off her golden hair, giving her a halo in the dark room. He expected her to turn around and greet him but received no such response.

Instead, she remained focused on the softly falling snow, and Georg couldn't help but smile. He should have known it was going to snow, the papers predicted it, but he hadn't counted on it sticking. To Georg's surprise, it was cold enough to pile up, blanketing their property in the beautiful white fluff.

He walked closer and as he approached, he noticed her slippers sitting next to the sofa. Reaching the couch, he understood why; her legs were clutched to her chest, her bare feet poked out from her long nightgown, and she rested her head on her knees. His heart overflowed with love for her.

"What do we have here?" Georg lowly spoke, trying not to startle her.

Maria raised her head from her knees, shoulders tensing. She slowly turned from the window and relaxed as she registered his broad form. "Hello, darling."

"Good evening, or should I say morning , Baroness. May I ask what you are doing?"

Oblivious to his teasing tone, she earnestly answered, "Watching the snow, isn't it beautiful?" She turned back to the window and wistfully sighed. He softly chuckled and shook his head, admiring her childlike joy. He should have known his wife was a lover of all seasons, not just the warmer months. After all, she appreciated even the smallest things in life, but still, he couldn't ignore it was now well after three.

"Maria, my love, please come back to bed."

"Oh, no, Georg. I couldn't sleep. Have you ever seen such a night before?" She momentarily paused before turning away from her beloved snow. "My mother and I would watch the first snowfall together," she explained softly, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Even if it was in the middle of the night, she would wake me up and carry me to the sofa to watch it from our tiny living room window."

Georg could imagine a young Maria, more freckled and gangly than she was now, with her same bright blue eyes watching the snow. His heart warmed before momentarily icing over as he considered his own relationship with snow.

For the former naval captain, it meant numbness, isolation. The winter months had been hardest for him after Agathe's passing and the holidays even worse, but now, as with many things, Maria had changed his perspective. She never ceased to show him how much life could be enjoyed.

"I woke up a little while ago to get water, but when I realized it was snowing, I couldn't go back to bed yet." She turned back to the window and looked out at the quiet landscape with a wistful expression, lost in the memories. Knowing there was no way he could ask her to return to bed with him, Georg walked around the couch and sat down next to her.

Maria was surprisingly warm, cloaked in a double-lined robe she received as the weather cooled. Still chilled himself, Georg pulled her into his lap. She squealed the unexpected movement but quickly settled back against his chest and the arm of the couch, more comfortable than before.

"I love the peacefulness of snow," she sighed, "It's so crisp and quiet, especially with the moonlight reflecting off the ground."

Georg hummed in agreement and pressed a kiss against her head. "I never thought you would appreciate the quiet," his tone laced with adoration.

"I appreciate you, and I'd say you are usually quiet," she mischievously replied.

He let out a low laugh that made Maria's stomach flip. "I disagree; my darling wife makes sure of that for a multitude of reasons."

"Mostly good reasons, I hope."

"I'd say so," he mumbled, burying his face in her neck. Georg took in the lingering scent of her new perfume – warm vanilla, sandalwood, and coriander.

Georg didn't expect Maria to enjoy perfume as much as she did. It started with her appreciation of his cologne. She would often spend an extra moment in his arms to take in the smell. He didn't ask her about it until one night on their honeymoon, and she endearingly explained scents were one of the most potent triggers of memory. For example, his cologne reminded her of the beginnings of their relationship.

Inspired by the information, Georg presented her with a light floral scent on their honeymoon as a commemoration, and she wore it until the seasons changed. Aware the summery perfume was out of season, Georg ordered her current perfume as an early Christmas present, and she wore it every day since it arrived. For him, Georg knew this scent would remind him of this night forevermore.

"I didn't think I would ever be this happy again, but because of you, I am," Georg declared after he pulled back. "Your childlike curiosity and unbridled passion for life bring me a joy I can scarcely describe. It reminds me each day is a marvelous gift and should be taken in rather than shut out."

"Georg…"

"And though I suggested us going back to bed, I have to say, I am happy to have you to myself. I realized; we haven't been truly alone since our honeymoon."

"Has it been that long?"

"Yes, what with the children and my travels, it seems like life got in the way of us."

"But we've had nights out..."

"But my darling, we were not alone at those events," Georg protested and pulled her closer. "I can't do this when we're out at dinner or an event." He peppered kisses along her neck, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close.

"No, I suppose you can't," Maria sighed, running her hand through his hair. "You would get a few looks, I am sure."

"Which is precisely why I believe I am justified in stealing you away." He ceased his kisses and instead nestled closer into her neck, enjoying her nails against his scalp. Usually, Maria cuddled into him, and he relished ensconcing his form around her, but it was a nice change to be enveloped by her.

"Oh? Where would we go, darling," Maria replied indulgently, pressing a kiss against his temple.

"Perhaps up into the mountains, just you and I and no one else," he answered after a moment of deep thought. "You can enjoy the snow. After all, it probably won't stay for long here, and I can enjoy you."

"But I'm enjoying the snow right now, and by the way you're holding me, I think you are enjoying me. We don't need to go anywhere," Maria teasingly countered.

"Hm," George grumbled, but before he could respond, a small voice cut through the sitting room.

"Mother? Father?"

Still in Georg's lap, Maria turned to the doorway, spying their youngest daughter standing in the door. Gretl rubbed her eyes, much like her father, before padding into the room. "Yes, darling?"

"I woke up again," the little girl pouted. "I'm still too excited now that the snow is coming down."

"Like mother-like-daughter," Georg quietly observed.

Maria gave Gretl an empathetic smile and said, "I understand, darling, but you need to go back upstairs. We have a busy day at the Christmas Market tomorrow."

Gretl sadly nodded as both adults stood. Georg scooped his youngest daughter up while Maria stepped into her slippers. The trio made their way through the quiet house up to the nursery. After Gretl was tucked into bed for the third time that night, Maria and Georg wordlessly walked to their bedroom to retire.

Maria was slightly disappointed Gretl had interrupted their moment alone. Perhaps Georg did have a point. Though Maria loved her children, leaving for a few days wouldn't hurt. The thought of having uninterrupted time with her husband again was enough to make her as giddy as when she realized it started to snow. Decision made, Maria climbed into bed and curled into her husband's side. His body heat drew her in like a moth to a flame, and he wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Georg?"

"Yes, my love?"

"After thinking about it, the snow will most likely be gone by morning." Maria could feel his smile against her head as she continued, "And you said, we haven't been truly alone in a very long time, as just evidenced by our youngest. How did you phrase it before?"

Georg paused, unsure of what she meant before his eyes brightened with silent laughter. "You and I, and no one else."

Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoyed it. xx