Chapter Fourteen

Maria stirred in her sleep and reached out to Georg's side of the bed. She was just getting used to having it occupied again, and in another day, it would be empty again, and thus she was startled to find it empty now.

Maria pulled her robe on and rose from the bed, looking in the cradle to check on Lucas, and was not really surprised to find the cradle was also empty. Maria knew that Georg regretted not being able to spend more time with his newest son. He had been there for the early years of all of his children's lives, it was only Lucas, their first child together whose early life he would have to miss. She just knew that they should thank God that Admiral von Schriever had let Georg have a leave to see the new baby.

Maria strolled down the long hallway in search of her husband and baby boy. She saw the soft glow of a lamp shining out from underneath the study door. He must have brought Lucas there to avoid waking her. That was sweet, not a lot of husbands would think to do something like that for their wives. Rearing the children was very much a female responsibility; even Georg held that idea, thus the number of governesses, which had a lot more to do with roles in a family than with his obstinacies, it was revealed. Georg could be sweet with the kids however, especially with Marta, and he liked to spend some father/children time with his kids. That was what Maria supposed he was doing now.

Maria heard Georg's voice through the wooden door speaking softly. She paused for a moment and listened, "I understand, I do," he was saying, and not necessarily to Lucas. "It doesn't make your actions less wrong."

"I know that," a second voice replied. Maria realized it belonged to Dr. Skinner. He must be explaining things to Georg, she knew he wouldn't just let it go. "But I'd like to explain it just the same."

"I'm listening," Georg replied. "We're listening, aren't we, Lucas?"

Georg was sitting behind the desk, cradling baby Lucas, who was now content with a new diaper, in his arms. Dr. Skinner was nervously shifting in his seat across from watching Georg play with his son's feet. Maria sensed that the conversation that was about to take place was for the men's ears only, so she turned quietly and headed down the hallway back to their bedroom.

Back in the study, Georg prompted, "Get on with it then. We don't have all night; I have to go back to the base tomorrow night and I'd like some more time with my wife and family."

"You know how lucky you are to have a wife and family to spend time with?" Dr. Skinner asked. "I suppose I was jealous."

"Jealous? They're a good bunch of kids, but they can be a handful. Just ask Maria some of the things they did to her when she first got here," Georg recalled smiling at the memory.

"She told me a bit about it. A pinecone on her seat, a frog in her pocket, Liesl sneaking in through her bedroom window…"

"So that's what was going on that night," Georg nodded; it finally made sense. "I'm afraid I was at fault for most of that." He smiled down at Lucas, "When Daddy met Mommy, he could be a little silly, and a little stubborn. I think he gets that from both of us," Georg commented to the doctor.

"He was more than stubborn when it was time to be born, but Maria was strong, she came through it. Like I said, you are very lucky," Dr. Skinner studied his hands. The Captain's gaze followed the doctor's glance and for the first time, he noticed that Dr. Skinner, like himself, wore a wedding ring on his left hand.

"You're married!" Georg gasped shocked. "And still I catch you with my wife in such an intimate way!"

Dr. Skinner shook his head, "I'm not married anymore, at least not in the physical sense. My wife and I tried for seven years to have a child. I delivered numerous babies in my country, my wife got pregnant several times, and she even delivered three times. Each time the babies died almost immediately after I delivered them."

Georg cleared his throat, "Agathe, my first wife Agathe, she miscarried one baby between Louisa and Kurt, and we had a stillbirth in between Brigitta and Marta. I know it can hurt. I can't imagine…Did you ever manage to have a live…that is did any of your children live?"

Dr. Skinner nodded, "One of them did. After nearly eight years of marriage my Annie finally had a healthy baby boy, just like the one you're holding. Maria's labor reminded me so much of that labor…only our outcome was not as good."

"Your wife?"

Dr. Skinner nodded, studying his wedding band. "I couldn't stop the bleeding. It was only seconds before she hemorrhaged…I haven't ever really gotten over losing her. She looks so much like your Maria, petite, blonde, beautiful, fragile…"

Georg laughed at that, "Doctor, Maria is a lot of things but fragile…she is the strongest woman I know. She's rearing eight children mostly on her own, she puts up with soldiers in her home, she's married to me…she is not in the least bit fragile."

Dr. Skinner laughed, "No, the other day one of my men was getting…how do I put this, rude with your housekeeper and boy did he regret he ever raised his voice to her. Maria cut him down so fast…"

"That's what I love most about her, her spirit," Georg mused. "She and I had so many battles when we first met, heck, we still can go out it. Case in point, the day I came home and found what I found."

"Yes, well, now that you know about Annie…Maria was so vulnerable after she had the baby, she missed you and she needed a lot of help at first, especially after the children went back to school. The birth was hard, but the postpartum period was harder. I had to cut flesh and muscle to get in and get the baby out. I only had a few minutes to do it, I waited longer than was prudent. It's what Maria wanted, and I had only just won her trust."

Georg nodded. "She told me about Marta's fall and how you were with her. Even with the incident, we can call it that, I suppose, I am indebted to you. I just don't understand how you went so quickly from physician to friend to kissing her in broad daylight."

"There's no debt owed, Captain," Dr. Skinner replied. "It's my job to heal, to help. I will do what I can to ease the suffering caused by this war. As for Maria, we spent time together, we became friends, I missed Annie since the day she died, and spending those days with Maria in the hills, it hurt less. She loves you; there was nothing on the other side of that kiss, Captain. I have kissed my fair share of women before my wife, trust me I know when a woman isn't having it and Maria certainly wasn't. In fact, I'm glad you showed up when you did," Dr. Skinner admitted.

Georg chuckled a bit, "Oh, yeah. Why's that?"

"Because if you hadn't shown up, Maria probably would have shown me a little bit of the spirit you love so much," Dr. Skinner commented.

Georg couldn't help but laugh, "That is true. I only have two questions; the first one is where your son is now?"

Dr. Skinner nodded, "He died a year ago; scarlet fever."

Georg took a deep breath, "Ah, yes. Scarlet fever doesn't discriminate when it kills. It was what took my first wife from me. I'm very sorry, I can't even say that I fully understand. I did have my children when Agathe died, but I do know what it is to miss the other half of your heart," Georg sighed. "That brings me to the second question though, how do I know this won't happen again? How do I know that you and Maria won't go for another walk, and you try to kiss her again?"

Dr. Skinner sighed, "I know it was incredibly stupid and I don't want to ever find out what Maria would have said to me if you hadn't shown up. You have my word, Sir, as an officer and a gentleman; I will never touch your wife in an inappropriate way again."

The Captain nodded, "I don't know why, but I believe you. Thank you for sharing your story with me. It did put things in better perspective."

Dr. Skinner rose and leaned over the desk to study baby Lucas, "He's special, that little one," he commented of the sleeping baby. "You and Maria are very lucky."

Georg rose from his chair also and cuddled the baby to his chest, "I know we are. We're lucky to have this wonderful family, and we were lucky to have you there when Lucas was born."

"I'm glad I was," Dr. Skinner replied. "If there's anything else I need to do to help your family know I'll do it. I will keep your family safe while you're gone," Dr. Skinner said, turning to leave the study.

Georg stood up as well and shifted the baby to his shoulder. "I appreciate that. Now we both better get some sleep. It'll be morning before we know it."

Dr. Skinner and the Captain left the study and went off in separate directions. Dr. Skinner towards his quarters, Georg towards the room he shared with Maria. The Captain tried to be quiet when he went into his room incase Maria was still sleeping. He was surprised to find her not in the bed asleep but out on the terrace her white robe blowing in the breeze. Carefully, the Captain placed a sleeping Lucas into his cradle and moved to join his wife on the terrace. Quietly, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Maria started when she felt Georg wrap his arms around her, but just as quickly she settled back against his chest.

"What are you thinking about?" he whispered near her ear.

"You, me, our family; the fact that you have to go back to war tomorrow night. I didn't ever want this week to end, but it did all too quickly," Maria sighed. "I miss you so much when you're gone. I'm just getting used to you being here and you have to leave."

Georg increased the pressure of his arms and kissed her temple, "We still have tonight, my love, we can make it last." He kissed her cheek down to her throat.

Maria turned in her husband's strong arms and pressed her lips to his, "I love you, Georg. So much."

"And I love you, Maria, let me show you, Darling," he whispered, taking her lips again, increasing the pressure of his kiss.

Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and gasped lightly when Georg lifted her off the floor and carried her to their bed. Carefully, he laid her down and undid the laces at the neck of her nightgown, kissing his way from her eyes, to her cheeks, to her neck, finally to the delicate valley of skin between her breasts.

Maria's hands and lips explored Georg's body as well, his face, his chest, his abdomen, returning each of his strokes with one of her own.

Georg rose over on his elbows after removing the clothing that was acting as a barrier between him and his wife, "Maria, are you sure you're okay with this? That you are ready for me, for me to…"

"Be gentle," was her only reply as she pulled him down to her again and the two consummated once again their love for one another.

Meanwhile, while Captain von Trapp laid making love to his wife, Admiral von Schriever sat conferring with his top advisors.

"Frau Schreiner said she's sure. Add that to what his own child said about him, and we have a risk and a criminal," Captain Helleman observed.

"Still, he's very popular with the Austrian people and the Reich's public relations love his hero status. It could be very dangerous if we move against him," a different Captain advised.

"Yes," Admiral von Schriever replied. "We could eliminate the problem without letting anyone know we were behind it. A hero can't be shot as a traitor, but a hero can and should die a hero's death."

"What are you thinking?" Admiral Bergstrom asked. "Are you saying that we sink our own sub?"

Admiral von Schriever nodded, "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"What about the other men on the ship?" Captain Helleman asked.

"Those men are expendable, the Reich is not, we have to make a choice," Admiral von Schriever noted. "There is only one choice to make. Captain Johannes, your crew will be in charge of the attack. Don't let anyone on the crew know anything. We can't let von Trapp be tipped off. We just need him out of the way, where he can't hurt anyone."

"What about his family?" Captain Helleman asked.

"Hero's death, gentlemen," Admiral von Schriever reminded them. "Hero's benefits."