His back slammed against the floor as he fell from the bed, her body falling on top of him as she continued to move, never breaking their connection. He grasped her hips as she moved, pushing as deeply as he could, beads of sweat dripping from their bodies. The morning sun illuminated the room as their bodies glistened in the orange light, straining and pushing one another to find their climax. She gasped, ripples and waves of pleasure overtaking her with such force that she could hardly continue moving. He took the opportunity to roll them over once more, thrusting into her until he released, her fingernails sliding against his back and intensifying his pleasure.

"You're going to kill me." He gasped as he rolled off of her, a breathy laugh escaping her lips.

"And here I thought you'd be able to keep up." He rolled over again and kissed her neck, tickling her a bit as he did so.

"When I said you should take control, I didn't know we'd end up fighting for it." He looked down into her eyes, placing a tender kiss upon her lips.

"You should know me well enough by now to know that I'm not one to back down." She rested her hands behind her head, smiling as his gaze remained on her face.

"I love your freckles. The sun is making them show." She rolled her eyes, smiling.

"They make me look like a child."

"No, they're beautiful. You're beautiful." He sounded a bit whimsical. As much as she loved to hear how he felt about her, he seemed strange. She looked into his eyes, her brow a bit furrowed.

"Georg, are you alright?"

"Of course."

"You just seem so...well, I don't know what, exactly."

"Happy?"

"Uneasy." He kissed her once more, resting his head against hers for a moment before standing. He reached for her hands and pulled her up with him, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

"You know how people talk of the quiet before the storm? That's how I'm feeling right now. Anxious, perhaps."

"But why?"

"I don't know. I've just got a feeling." She ran a hand through his hair, kissing him for comfort. "I'm sure it's nothing. I think we're both missing home a bit."

"I will agree with that. As beautiful as this trip has been, it will be nice to be home again. I've never really had a home before."

"You will always have a home with me, Baroness." She rolled her eyes at the title, kissing him once more before heading to the bathroom to ready herself for the day. He still hadn't told her what he had planned, but their time in Paris was coming to a close. They had less than a week left for their trip, and there were still so many sights to see. She smiled when she realized they had been distracted by one another in their room for most of the trip, otherwise they probably would have had a chance to see more.

She stepped out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, dressed and ready for the day. She could smell breakfast waiting in the dining area, causing her stomach to growl. They had been eating so much on their trip, she hated to admit her clothes were becoming a bit tighter than she liked. But she wasn't about to stop herself from enjoying such wonderful food, just in case they wouldn't get the chance to return for a while.

"Georg?" She stopped walking when she saw the look on his face, so many emotions at once; so many miles away. He was standing in his robe, the newspaper open before him as he stared blankly.

"It's happened." She quickly approached him, looking at the headline in the paper before their eyes: the Anschluss. After so many months of its looming possibility, it had finally happened. She felt her blood go cold, doing her best not to begin panicking.

"Have you phoned the house?" She rushed to the phone, dialing in hopes of hearing one of the children's voices on the other end of the line, but she was unable to be connected. She tried again, and still no luck.

"I tried too and got nothing." Hanging up the phone, she felt her heart drop. It was almost as if he had known what the day would bring the moment they awoke.

"We have to go home."

"I've already made a call, our train leaves tonight." He tossed the newspaper on the table, finally meeting her eyes for the first time. "Maria, I don't know what will be waiting for us in Austria."

"Stop this." She moved quickly, placing her hands upon his cheeks and looking deeply into his eyes. "Whatever happens, we will figure it out together."

"I couldn't do it without you if I tried."