ISMKPG: nine

written by: jxnnyl

Maria blinked her eyes as she stood at the doorway, watching the scene before her.

"I'll cross the stream

I have a dream"

She watched as Elisabeth played with the strings with complete ease. Making Maria feel so proud of her.

Since when did she learn to play so smoothly?, she mused as she remembered the failed attempts of her eldest daughter on playing the instrument in the past. Now she's sitting there, with a guitar she never saw anywhere before and strumming it like a pro.

"I have a dream (I have a dream), a fantasy (a fantasy)

To help me through (To help me through)... reality (reality)"

She turned her head to her son while admiring the echoing of Elisabeth and Martha. Smiling widely as she heard their melodic voices. Slightly frowning as she remembered how many times she silenced them for the past five years.

"And my destination makes it worth the while

Pushing through the darkness still another mile"

Maria felt her heart melt as she heard the voice of the twins blend. They've developed from cute little shouts into two complementing not-so-little voices.

Sadness soon followed as she remembered the times when she stood at the exact spot with her husband on her side. Now she's alone, listening to their voices that drastically matured for the past years.

Remembering old times, she opened her mouth as she entered the room.

"'Cause I believe in angels

Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels

When I know the time is right for me"

Elisabeth stopped playing when she heard a fourth voice.

Her mother.

She and Frederick exchanged glances as Martha looked to the door, watching their mother sung the chorus with a voice that's indescribably great.

"I'll cross the stream

I have a dream"

Maria smiled at her youngest as their voices blended on the next two lines.

"I'll cross the stream

I have a dream"

Opening her arms, Martha, Frederick and Elisabeth rushed to her as they hugged her. Tears also in their eyes as she kissed their foreheads, mumbling 'I'm sorry.' to them as she bent down to kiss Martha's forehead.

"I'm very sorry, my darling." she mumbled as Martha wrapped her arms around her neck, hugging her tightly.

Carrying her youngest up, she looked at the twins and smiled.

"Oh you two.."

The four shared a very long and emotional hug as Maria's eyes caught a glimpse of a figure walking past the doorway.

Georg Von Trapp.

For seconds, she immediately remembered every single word he told to her back at her office. Not only those words but also the ones they shared for the past week whenever he messaged her.

.

Von Trapp: Ms. Rainier, it's nearing the holidays and children can't feel the fun of the festivities if they're drilling their noses in the books.

Maria: They never complain to me, Mr. Von Trapp. And they still need to study harder, especially Elisabeth since her college exams are after these 'festivities'.

Von Trapp: They wouldn't dare to complain when you're 3,400 miles away across the ocean. Ms. Rainier, your children love you enough to go with whatever you wish and they fear you enough to not complain.

Maria: You wouldn't dare to tell me how much the children love and fear me for you know nothing, Mr. Von Trapp.

Von Trapp: Oh do I? I apologize, Ms. Rainier. But you've certainly need to know it from someone since you're never home long enough to see it with your own eyes.

Maria: I don't want to have any more messages from you, Mr. Von Trapp. I am at the middle of a business meeting. Just make my children study harder… I know they can do better.

.

Carefully bringing Martha down, she mumbled, "Wait a second."

She rushed out of the room as she saw his silhouette enter a room at the end of the hall.

Running at the same direction, she remembered some moments of her life for the past five years.

Not knowing what presents to give… not knowing their favorite things anymore… Heck she didn't even know their favorite color.

Knocking at his door, she brushed the tears away as she knew he's right.

Taking a step back as he opened the door, Maria realized that he's taller than her. Not too tall but still, taller. He's wearing something much better than she last saw him: white loose buttoned shirt, tucked into his black comfortable-looking jeans.

Looking at his eyes, Maria felt herself lost as she mumbled, "I- I'm sorry."

"Whatever for, Ms. Rainier?" he asked as his hands, that are on the opposite sides of the casing, fell and remained at his sides.

"I behaved badly." Maria said as she let out a deep breath, "And you are right…. I don't know my children."

"There's still time, Ms. Rainier. They want so much to be close to you, especially Martha." Georg said as he observed her facial features, very different from the ones he encountered.

And hardly the face of a dragon… he thought.

Maria looked at the floor as she nodded, then looking back to his eyes as she mumbled, "You brought back music to the house."

He smiled and shook his head, "It's the children actually that do love to sing so much."

Maria smiled as she lifted her hands, stopping as she realized she was about to reach for his. Letting it drop again, she looked at the floor then back to his eyes again as she smiled, "I- uh… Thank you… for making me realize all that."

Georg nodded, his eyes staring at her hands then back to her eyes, "I was just doing what I know I should do."

Maria's eyes trailed from his eyes to the bag on the bed behind him. She looked back into his eyes as she shook her head, "I want you to stay."

Georg looked at her as he looked surprised on what she said.

"I- uh- ask you… to stay." Maria corrected, blushing as she realized what her first statement could mean.

Lots of things but I don't want to give any impression… she mused as she looked to his face. Avoiding his eyes as she felt herself uncontrollably blushing whenever she saw those ink black orbs.

Georg opened his mouth then closed it again, then opened it again as he said, "If I could be of any help."

"You have already." Maria said as she looked at him and smiled, "More than you know."


Margaretta smiled as she never felt the Villa's dinning table so loud and happy. Maria and the children talk endless about anything else they can talk to.

I guess we can give credit to Martha for asking so many questions… she thought as she turned to the chuckling man beside her.

Damn only if I'm younger… Margaretta thought as she took a bite on her food.

Looking back at Maria, she smiled again as she saw that gleeful smile she never saw on her for the past five years. A smile that she prayed never followed Dominik down to his grave.

A smile she knew very well will end her task as Maria's personal psychologist.

"I have to thank you for bringing her back." she whispered to the man beside her as he looked at her.

"She brought back herself here, Ms. Böhm. I'm just merely a tool of pushing." he said.

Margaretta smiled at him, "Well you pushed her very hard, Mr. Von Trapp. Now just call me Margaretta.. I'm not really into a formal conversation."

"Well, you can call me Georg then, Margaretta." Georg said as looked at Maria and her children, "Who knew the four of them can be louder than my classroom?"

They both chuckled as Margaretta asked, "How long have you been teaching?"

"Three years. One year as a substitute and two years in the subject of Biology." he said, "How long have you known, Ms. Rainier?"

"For thirty-five years. She's a child of my client." she said.

That made Georg looked at her skeptically as he spoke, "I thought Ms. Rainier was an-"

"Orphan? She's not until she turned Martha's age. Her parents used to run a boarding school that later became an orphanage when they died. Maria became one of the orphans but unlike others, she already got money on her pocket. That place later became one of her charity works after she got married and started her own business and here we are." Margaretta smiled as she sighed, "And I should not have said that. That's a very personal information."

Georg chuckled as he said, "I'll keep my mouth shut. It seems Ms. Rainier do have a hard life after all."

"She's been through a lot for the past years. If you didn't show up to slap her back here to reality, I'll risk our relationship to do that. You're incredibly brave for standing up against her." she said.

Georg shrugged, "I know someone has to do it on her. Grief can be fatal if not dealt with properly."

"I'm sure she'll be fine now. She just have to be with the children and thanks to you... she managed to see her family and herself again." Margaretta smiled.

Georg looked at the scene before him as he saw Maria laugh at something Frederick said.

At first he thought she was like other businesswomen/mothers he met. Strict, materialistic, cunning and strong yet shows a lot of concerns when it comes to their reputation and social life as a female.

But this woman in front of him is someone who tried to overcome grief while flawlessly making business and being strict to her children's education. She's not like other mothers or businesswomen he knew.

And now she's no businesswoman but just a mother who rekindled with her children after years of being blinded with grief.

Maria felt his gaze as she spoke with the children. Years of being in business trained her to get used on observing eyes but for this particular situation, she was not trained nor used to the eyes of a man who taught her a lesson just hours ago.

Looking at him, she gave him a smile, feeling a bit relief and flushed when he smiled back.

"Is mother playing 'stare' with Professor Georg?" she heard Martha asked Elisabeth as she cut her eyes off the teacher.

"What was it, darling?" she asked.

"Why did you look at us, mother. Now you lose.." Martha huffed, "You're not suppose to look at other people when you're playing 'stare'."

Elisabeth and Frederick exchanged looks as they turned from their mother to their teacher then to Martha.

Margaretta watched with fascination as she observe Maria 'play stare' with Georg, blush and spoke:

"I guess I shall learn how to play it then. Now…. enough staring. Who wants strawberry cake?" Maria asked as the three children brushed the previous topic away when Annalise showed up with a round vanilla frosted cake with strawberries on top.

The cake was cut into six pieces as Maria, her children, Georg and Margaretta enjoyed their piece while continuing to eat dessert on a short-lived silence since Martha seemed to ask any question she can throw for every thirty seconds.

For the first time in five years, the staff can hear loud chatters from the dinning room to the kitchens as they enjoyed their own dinner, conversing about the upcoming change that everyone will certainly look forward to.


A/N: Thank you very much to those who appreciated this story and thank you very much for showing support and everything! The Mamma Mia reference is actually one thing that I only realized when I read the reviews and I guess yes- It is *now that I saw it (⊙-⊙)*.. And the Dominik part from the last chapter is actually one thing that I didn't plan until it hit my head like a stone brick while I'm writing the part. Anyways, I hoped you enjoy and please r&r! Thank you very much and I'll try to update soon!