A/N: sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up! New Year got in the way of writing but we're nearing the end now.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE END
Huddled in the sanctuary of the Reverend Mother's office alongside the children and Elsa, Maria couldn't help but feel on edge - though she put on a brave face so as not to frighten the youngest ones. Their questions had long since died away and now they only sat dutifully, quietly, casting her furtive glances while they awaited the Mother Abbess' return. But it didn't matter how well behaved her brood was being, nor how many reassuring smiles the baroness threw her way - the same question kept circulating in Maria's mind in a way that left her wringing her hands restlessly in her lap.
Where are they?
They should've arrived by now, Maria considered over and over again. There was no reason as to why Georg and Max would be delayed - unless, heaven forbid, the unthinkable had happened. What if Landa was still alive and had managed to use his gun after all? What if the colonel's men had come in search of their superior? What if Georg had been arrested and was currently on his way to Bremerhaven under Nazi force? There were so many possibilities - all of them so awful that they left her feeling sick to her stomach - and so she refused to think about them anymore. It was just as well, because a sudden sound alerted her to the fact that she would soon have other things to worry about.
The bell of the abbey's front gate rang out like a taunt, piercing the thick silence and making them all jump out of their skin. Maria's heart both leapt and twisted all at once. Could it be Georg? she dared to hope. Though she quickly realised, with regret, that the chances of Captain Von Trapp being able to stroll up to the front gate of Nonnberg Abbey undetected were very slim. No, she told herself solemnly, her shoulders sagging - whoever was at the gate, it wasn't Georg. She'd surely know, she'd surely feel it in her very bones if it was him.
Cupping a reassuring palm against a frightened Brigitta's cheek and gesturing for the other children to remain calm, she tried to follow her own advice and still her thrumming pulse. But then, quite without warning, the Reverend Mother came sweeping through the heavy wooden door, taking them all by surprise. Maria hadn't even heard the woman approaching.
"Come," the elderly nun summoned gravely but with unmistakable urgency, "we can't wait for them any longer. I have somewhere you can hide."
"Hide?" Maria swallowed - why did they need to hide? But the Reverend Mother only ushered them more emphatically. Without hesitation but with her stomach curling into knots, Maria herded the children together with Elsa's help, shepherding them through the door and encouraging them to keep quiet while following the Reverend Mother. Out in the corridors, the insistent call of the bell could be heard again, and sister Berthe materialised from the courtyard beyond, hurrying anxiously toward the source of the sound.
"Slowly! Slowly!" the Reverend Mother calmed and immediately the formidable nun reduced her pace, her expression a placid mask once again. Maria's chest tightened as she heard the sharp command of a harsh male voice beyond the abbey's entrance.
"Open this gate! Hurry up woman!"
Maria didn't get to hear Sister Berthe's response, nor did she have time to ascertain who was on the other side of the gate, for the Reverend Mother was leading them further and further out of earshot, until they eventually reached the courtyard. The scene that then met her eyes would've been comical if it wasn't for the fact that her heart leapt into her mouth in sheer relief. Her hand clutched at the Reverend Mother's arm to steady herself until she could catch her breath. Thank heavens! There in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by a circle of outraged nuns, looking incredibly sheepish and apologising profusely, were her husband and his lodger.
Georg.
"Georg!" She cried, her voice completely alien to her as it carried through the air, muffled only by the sound of the children's own excited exclamations of "father!"And before she knew it she realised she was running towards him at the same speed she used to run when she'd lost track of time on her mountain, her feet carrying her entirely of their own accord. She watched as his dishevelled head snapped up in bewilderment, his bloodshot eyes focusing and then widening as he opened his arms to receive her.
And then she was in his embrace, burying her nose into his neck, breathing in the scent of him, pressing a kiss to his lips before she could stop herself - much to the outrage of their religious audience. But she could hardly bring herself to care. Taking his face in her hands, she looked him over and noticed instantly that his skin was cut and ruddy with dirt, his clothes torn in places and caked in mud. Before long the children were surrounding them, as relieved as their mother to see that their father was safe and sound.
"What happened?" she implored, her worried eyes darting between her husband and Max. Georg opened his mouth to answer her, but he was immediately cut off by the Reverend Mother.
"Might I suggest we save the reunions for later," she insisted warmly but with unwavering authority, "I'm afraid we have company."
Georg nodded bitterly in understanding, "Zeller," he snarled, jaw clenching as Maria's eyes widened in dismay, "they ambushed us back at the villa," he explained, "I knew they'd come looking for us here."
"The Reverend Mother has somewhere we can hide father," Friedrich stepped forward gallantly, his shoulders squared in an attempt to show his bravery, "we can help the little ones."
Grasping his eldest son's shoulder in gratitude, Georg turned to the elderly nun, gesturing with a nod of appreciation that she was free to take the lead.
"Come," the Mother Abbess instructed, "this way. There's precious little time," then, pausing to confront the gaggle of fascinated nuns who continued to stare open-mouthed at the bizarre scene in front of them, she added formidably, "as you were, Sisters!"
Immediately the miniature crowd seemed to remember themselves and scattered like marbles while murmuring their apologies, leaving the Von Trapps, their uncle and the accompanying Viennese socialite to flee after the Reverend Mother dutifully. Guiding them through various twists and turns, the elderly nun led them deeper and deeper into the convent and up a flight of stairs that opened out onto the yard, the open space rife with tombstones. Without delay, they were taken across to the other side where a section that lay behind wrought iron gates made for the perfect hiding place.
"In here," the Reverend Mother commanded, allowing them through the gates one by one and then handing Georg the keys, "lock yourselves in and hide behind the tombstones. I'll fend them off as best I can."
Urgently, Georg locked the gate and then reached through the bars, taking the elderly nun's hand warmly in his, "thank you," he whispered, with all the gratitude he could possibly convey in those two simple words. The Reverend Mother smiled and squeezed his hand back just as firmly, before turning on the spot and leaving the same way they'd come.
Left to their own devices, the family arranged themselves strategically behind the large tombstones alongside Elsa and Max, ensuring there were no hands or feet still visible beyond the shadows. Just as they had settled into position they heard the low din of voices growing closer at the bottom of the stairs.
"Herr Zeller, I really must protest!" The insistent objection had unmistakably come from the Reverend Mother.
"Move aside woman!"
"This is the house of God-"
"I said move aside!"
Pressing a finger to his lips to keep the little ones quiet, Georg tried to ignore the panic blooming in his own chest. It was no use however - soon enough Zeller and his men would search the yard and discover their hiding place. There was nowhere else for them to run. And he understood, even before his mind had registered it, that he would need to give himself up. It was the only way he'd be able to keep his wife and children safe. It would be the hardest thing he'd ever had to do - but he knew Maria had enough love in her heart to carry their brood through the loss of their father. They would survive without him, just as they had survived the loss of Agathe.
Just as he was about to launch to his feet and walk willingly into Zeller's warpath however, he felt an odd tugging sensation at his pocket that made him take pause. Looking down, he saw Elsa's perfectly manicured hand swiping for the gate's keys.
"What the hell are you doing?" He breathed, eyes wide with panic.
"Don't you dare be a hero, Georg," Elsa warned with a pointed finger, her eyes sharp as she grasped hold of the keys, "Don't any of you come after me, do you hear me?"
Quickly, she stood, stepping out from behind the stone.
"Elsa!" Max hissed incredulously, as Georg tried in vain to pull her back, "what in God's name-"
But the socialite only gave a wistful smile over her shoulder, her eyes combing warmly over the ten of them.
"Auf wiedersehen, darlings."
And with that she unlocked the gate and slipped silently out into the yard. Heart pounding, Georg chanced a glance over the stone at that precise moment to see if he could go after her - but he was met with the sight of several soldiers reaching the top of the steps, spilling out into the yard with grim determination. They were followed rapidly by Zeller, Sister Berthe and a crestfallen Reverend Mother. Cursing under his breath, he darted back down behind the stone, bile rising in his throat.
"Two men down there.. " Zeller's voice rang clear, "Six of you cover the yard. You two, cover the corridor."
The sound of booted feet scattering in all direction filled the air - and it was then that Elsa chose to step into the light, bravery carrying her feet forward.
"They're gone, Wolfgang," she stated matter-of-factly, clasping her hands in front of her skirts with an air of calm she certainly didn't feel, "you're too late."
Whirling on the spot, Zeller's eyes narrowed and then widened when they fell upon the unexpected woman who was addressing him.
"Elsa?" He breathed in abhorrent disbelief, his black eyes flickering, "where is he? What are you doing here?"
"I told you," Elsa repeated, "He's gone."
Confusion shrouded the Nazi rat's face, until comprehension began to dawn, and his expression twisted into a menacing scowl.
"You facilitated von Trapp's escape?!"
"I assure you it's the least of my current transgressions," her perfectly rouged lips quirked upwards in a little smile, "If only you knew, darling."
Zeller's face turned puce with rage as it dawned on him that there was far more to her apparent involvement than she was letting on - coupled simultaneously with the incomprehensible fact that he'd been bested by none other than a woman.
"You'll be shot for this!" He spat furiously, reaching for his weapon. Back behind the tombstones, Georg instinctively lurched forward in an attempt to come to Elsa's aid, but a firm hand on his shoulder from Maria reminded him that he couldn't move a muscle - not if he wanted to keep his children safe. With extreme reluctance, he sank back down on his haunches in the shadows, feeling utterly helpless in light of Elsa's gallant sacrifice.
The socialite's next words however, made her assailant take pause, gun raised in mid air.
"I don't doubt I'll be punished severely," she accepted solemnly, "The Fuhrer does not take kindly to traitors - we all know that. But perhaps, don't carry out my sentence in front of the Sisters," she gestured to the stricken Mother Abbess and Sister Berthe, who were both watching the scene unfold from a few feet away, "Not in the house of the Lord. I won't pretend to know anything about your religious beliefs, Wolfgang, but I do know that even you are not so callous as to commit murder in such a holy place."
Clearly struggling with his own internal battle, Zeller didn't move for long seconds, contemplating his next move.
"God is always watching, Herr Zeller.." the Reverend Mother murmured wisely - though it was perhaps the wrong thing to say, because the barrel of the Nazi's gun shifted instantly until it was trained on the elderly nun instead.
"You shut your mouth!" He seethed - and Elsa immediately stiffened, taking an alarmed step forward in an attempt to regain control of the situation.
"Like any prisoner of war, I deserve a fair trial," she coaxed him hastily, "we've known each other a long time. You are many things, Wolfgang, but unjust is not one of them."
"Enough!" Zeller barked, his gun returning to Elsa, the Mother Abbess apparently forgotten for the time being, "you are a liar and a traitor and I'll personally see to it that your every move is investigated. If I have my way, you'll never see the light of day again," with that, he turned to his men, "Arrest her!"
Within seconds, she was surrounded, her hands bound tightly behind her back. She didn't attempt to resist, allowing them to detain her with her head held high, emitting as much elegance and grace as she would have done if she were about to open a Viennese ball. She would miss that life - the champagne, the waltzing to various Strausses, the opera gowns, the gossiping gaily in her glittering salons - but the Vienna she'd once known, the Austria she'd once known, was gone for good.
The intelligence she'd gathered for the British, with Max and Maria's assistance, would hopefully help to path the way to a greater future. One in which a madman didn't rule over the entirety of Europe. One in which death and destruction were things of the past. There would be difficult times ahead, she knew - and what would become of them all still remained a mystery. But one thing was for certain. She, Elsa Shraeder, Viennese socialite turned unlikely British intelligence - she had helped an innocent man and his family go free. And with such knowledge came something else. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. Peace.
Maria watched, tears lacing her eyes as the woman who'd once tried to banish her from the villa now made the ultimate sacrifice in order to save her and her family. A glance to her left told her that Georg too was holding back tears, and Max had long since given up the fight, his cheeks wet with sorrow as he watched Zeller's men lead Elsa away. Wanting to comfort him but finding no words that could possibly make things better, Maria settled for taking the impresario's hand. It shook like a leaf in her palm, and he took a shuddering breath that rattled with grief.
As soon as it was safe, the Reverend Mother hurried to the gates and ushered for them to come out of their hiding places.
"Oh Reverend Mother," Maria implored as Georg wrenched open the gates and herded the children out, "we didn't realise we put the abbey in this danger!"
"No, Maria," the elderly nun reassured, "it was right for you to come here."
"And Elsa.. " Maria choked, "it's all my fault-"
"God will watch over her, my child. Have faith in His will."
Ignoring the lump in his own throat, Georg stepped forward, knowing they were still very much at risk, "She.. Elsa.. ," he swallowed painfully, "she mentioned that we might borrow your caretaker's car.."
But the Reverend Mother only shook her head gravely.
"I'm afraid our car will do you no good now. They'll be monitoring the borders for you, I'm sure of it."
Georg's brow thatched with worry.
"All right," he murmured, "if the borders are no good... then we'll drive up into the hills and go over the mountains on foot."
"The children-" Maria exclaimed, but her husband hurried to reassure her.
"They'll be alright, we'll help them."
Friedrich stepped up honourably, "We can do it without help, father."
"Maria," the Reverend Mother clasped her hand, as Georg and Max led the children down the nearby steps and began helping them into the car, "You will not be alone. Remember: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help."
The tears that had laced Maria's eyes some minutes ago now freely spilled over as she pulled the only mother she'd ever known into her arms.
"Yes, Mother," she whispered, before taking one last look at the place that she had once called home.
"God be with you, my child."
A/N: so that's pretty much the end folks! We all know how the Von Trapps make it over the border. But don't worry, there will be a final epilogue-style chapter that ties up all the loose ends, including Elsa's fate, John's fate and of course, the fate of the Von Trapps! I'll also throw in some G&M deliciousness if it's in high demand.
Thank you to all those who have reviewed and stuck with me throughout this story. It's a little different to those I've done before and quite possibly a little too far fetched as an AU - so I really appreciate all your kind words and all the thoughts you shared from start to finish!