Shelter From the Past

Chapter 3

Old Greetings

Disclaimer: How many 20th Century Fox producers have to die before ownership can be passed to me?

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long….To anyone currently working on a TSOM story: PLEASE UPDATE! People want to read! Also note: Norbert is a dog.

Summary: A new character is added, but the plot still hasn't changed.

"Maria?"

"Johann?"

Johann Rainer stared in shock at his baby sister; a person he'd thought he'd never see again.

"Oh my god. What are you doing here…I thought…?" Maria quickly cut him off.

"Um, Johann, it's pouring and we're cold, can we talk later." He finally realized that she was soaked and shivering and that there were eight other thoroughly wet people standing wearily behind her.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry, please come in you must be freezing."

"We're hungry too!"

"Kurt!" Georg looked somewhat disapprovingly at his son, but Johann just laughed.

"It's alright, I've got plenty to go around and I wouldn't mind some company to eat it with."

Maria stayed put while her family walked eagerly past her into the house. There were so many things she had to discuss with her brother, but with her family near her it seemed that there would never be a good time to do so. There was one thing she needed to know immediately however.

"Are you coming in too?" He asked playfully.

"Yes, in a moment." She stated. He turned towards the door. "Johann, wait."

"Maria, we're in the middle of the storm of the year, must I?"

"Please, I don't want to talk where my family can hear us."

Johann understood; he'd have been reluctant to talk about their past to his family as well if he had one.

"You want to know where Richard is, don't you." Even after all these years, he couldn't bring himself to put 'uncle' in front of the name. It cemented the fact that they were related; a fact neither of them liked to acknowledge.

"Well, yes. I mean… I know it shouldn't matter… it's just that." She was breaking down. Silent tears were beginning to make their way down her face, and she was grateful to the rain for the first time for hiding them. "Johann, I'm still so scared. I still have nightmares and I'm worried that if I see Richard again, I won't be able to lie to my husband as to what they're about and he can't find out about my past, he just can't."

"Maria, Maria, shh. It's okay." All of the stress and weariness of the past two days caught up to her and she collapsed into his arms, crying. Johann comfortingly held her close. He had never known until now just how much Richard had traumatized her. They stayed like that for several minutes until she calmed down.

"Maria, listen. Richard's not here right now." Relief flooded her face.

"He's not?"

"No, he went down into the city to do…something. He wouldn't say what and frankly I didn't care. Anyway, he's nowhere near here; you have nothing to be afraid of." He paused. "Was part of the reason you didn't want him to meet your family because you thought he might hurt them."

"Yes!" "No of course not, that would be ridiculous." She laughed. No reason to make him think she was paranoid. "By the way, speaking of my family, you didn't even seem the least bit surprised when I showed up with a husband and seven children."

"Maria, all of Austria knew about your engagement, I even went to the wedding."

"You did? I didn't see you." She suddenly felt really stupid.

"You wouldn't have, I left the minute the ceremony was over."

"Oh." A moment of comfortable silence passed between the two. Both of them were thrilled that were getting along as if she'd never left; another topic that needed discussing as soon as possible. "This is going to be a long night."

"I think we should go inside, the children will eat anything if they're hungry enough." He chuckled.

"Well then we'd better hurry; Norbert's not as fast as he used to be…" He quickly jumped back to avoid Maria's friendly slap as they raced to the door.

I know it didn't explain too much, but I'll try and have the next chapter up quicker then this one. R and R!