Shelter from the Past

Chapter 7

Demons Do Come Back Haunt Us

Disclaimer: One day they will be mine! Yes? No? Maaaaaaaaaaaaybeeeeeeeee?

A/N: Thanks so much for your suggestions!

Trying to push away the image that entered his head not a second earlier, he stood up and crept silently into the hallway and away from his still sleeping nieces and nephews. He started towards the kitchen to fix breakfast, but in his walking quickly to avoid the urge to look at the barn door, Johann also failed to see the hung over figure of his uncle coming up the hill.

The soft sunlight shining through the cracks in the wooden door landed sweetly on Maria's face and prompted her eyes to flicker open as she sighed contentedly; happy and safe in her husband's arms. Her smile brightened as she turned in his embrace and gazed thoughtfully at his still sleeping figure. They had been married for over a month, but it had taken her until the other night to realize just how much he loved her. Any other man would have heard her story and left her, unsure of what to think.

"But not Georg." She though, "Not Georg…he stayed…and he knows everything. Well, not everything, I still haven't told him about the nightmares…and he still hasn't been inside my room."

"Something on your mind?" Georg's sleepy voice broke through her thoughtful trance. Maria didn't respond immediately and continued to stare into space, not fully aware that he was awake and talking to her. "Helloooo?"

"What darling?" asked Maria somewhat dazedly, making it obvious that she had been somewhere else. Georg smiled, still half asleep.

"Nothing." He made a mental note that something was still bothering her. "What time is it?"

With everything that had passed in the last twenty four hours, Maria thought it an odd question. Her eyebrows furrowed and she smiled.

"What does it matter?"

"Well I assumed that even with guests here, Johann would wake up early to start daily activities." He paused, "And I don't think either of you wants him to walk in on us looking like…well…like this." He gestured to their bodies and for the first time that morning, Maria realized that they weren't covered by anything except her dress which Georg had half-heartedly thrown over them sometime during the night. Maria blushed into the roots of her hair.

"And I though last night was embarrassing enough!" She cried. They shared a laugh, but their moment was quickly broken by the sound of a dish shattering on the kitchen floor.

Out of habit, Maria's heart started beating a million times faster then it should have and when she spoke, the pure fear in her voice shocked Georg to his very core.

"What was that?"

"Hmm… let's see: eggs, bread, milk…." Johann counted off his breakfast ingredients in his head as he happily floated about the kitchen. He'd never made food for this many people before, but he didn't care; all was right in his world.

As he started slicing the bread, his mind drifted to seven of those whom he was slicing it for. He'd only met his nieces and nephews for an hour or two, but nevertheless, he was surprised at how much he cared about them. Something Maria had said entered his mind,

"I knew they were troubled, but I couldn't help loving them on that first day."

Maybe it was yet another thing he had in common with his sister; an immediate love for the Von Trapp family. His mind continued to wander…

"One piece of toast…Liesl; witty yet naïve. Maria's right though, she does want to grow up…perhaps too quickly?

"Two pieces of toast…Friedrich; adorably innocent; it's a good thing he sees heroes in his parents. I wonder if he wants to grow up too, I think he's stuck.

"Three…Louisa; how Maria managed to become the mother of herself is beyond me. It makes me worry that the two are so alike though…definitely one of the two least naïve and innocent.

"Four…Kurt; I know he's not the youngest, but he still feels like the baby of the family. I admire how much he's managed to remain a child; it was something Maria and I were never able to do.

"Five…Brigitta; I must remember to bring her some of Maria's old books. I don't think anyone but me noticed that she made her escape clutching a very worn out Tale of Two Cities. She knows far too much for her age, but she seems to like knowledge, and that's incredible.

"Six…seven…Marta…Gretl; how could anyone resist? They're sweet, eager, and smiling. Why do I have such a desire to protect them?"

Johann knew why: deep down, he felt that most of the children (despite how much he loved them) were far too innocent and naïve to be living in a house with so many skeletons; so many dangers.

It didn't matter though, right? Richard wasn't coming back for at least a few days, by which point, the family would probably be back on their way to Switzerland; the storm had stopped, there was nothing to stop them from leaving.

So why did he feel uneasy?

Johann took a pile of plates out of the cabinet and turned around to place them on the counter, only to drop them with a huge crash at the sight of his Uncle standing right in front of him.

Johann's mind was whirling so fast, he couldn't even form words. Why was he here? What was Maria going to think? Was her family safe? He had said yes before, but were they really? Was he drunk? Did it matter?

"Well don't just stand there, pick up the goddamned mess!" Richard's voice broke through Johann's mangled thought train and he instinctively knelt down to pick up the broken ceramic pieces that littered the floor. "Why so many plates anyway?" he growled. Johann didn't answer. "WELL? Were you planning on eating me out of house and home?" Johann refrained from reminding his uncle that even if that was his plan, he had every right to do so. "ANSWER ME!" Johann jumped.

"I was looking for something in the cabinet; I had to move the plates to do so." His voice had become monotone. He winced. Richard always knew when he was lying because his voice lost its personality.

"Don't lie to me."

"Great." Though Johann. "I wasn't." He tried to squeeze some sort of feeling into his response, but none came. Richard's eyes narrowed, Johann could see he was getting angry, but Johann couldn't tell him the truth; it was far too risky. Richard raised his arm as if to strike his nephew, but reconsidered. He smirked.

"Finish breakfast, your toast is burning." He said it cunningly and with an edge that told Johann that he knew something was going on, but he was going to be patient and let it reveal itself.

Richard turned and started to walk into the living room. He made it to the door way before Johann realized that the girls were sleeping just beyond where he could see.

"Wait!" Richard stopped and turned on his heel.

"What could you possibly want?"

Johann had to think up a good lie quickly and pray that his voice didn't give him away.

"Don't go in there yet…I haven't cleaned up." It came out normal; Johann could have jumped for joy. It wasn't a complete lie, he reasoned.

"Figures." Spat Richard, "Go then, but do it quick, I've been out all night, and deserve some rest!"

Without a word, Johann ran out of the kitchen, leaving his uncle to watch breakfast. Actually, he was surprised Richard hadn't seen the sleeping children when he walked in. "Too hung over to notice probably." Thought Johann wryly.

When he reached the couch, Johann was startled to see the girls huddled together out of sight; the little ones were crying. "Oh no." he thought "They heard the yelling."

Liesl was the first to whisper anything. "Uncle Johann, what's going on? Who is that man?"

There were way too many questions lined up behind any answer, so Johann simply told them.

"I'll explain later. Right now, all of you need to go to my room where your brothers are, okay?" They all nodded and started to scurry out of the room. Marta was the last to leave. When she reached the hallway, she turned around and without thinking, shouted,

"Uncle Johann! What about mother and father?"

Time stopped for Johann. Richard came stomping out of the kitchen.

"What the hell is going on around here?!" he saw Marta "Who are you?"

Marta looked at the floor; it was physically impossible to look anywhere else.

"Johann! Explain all of this!"

Johann opened his mouth, but no sound come out. He didn't know what to do.

"Johann! Explain all of this!"

"Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god…" Was all Maria could think. "How could he be here, Johann promised me."

"Maria, what's going on?" The same question had been asked not two seconds earlier in the next room, but in a very different tone. She couldn't bring herself to answer Georg's question, but she knew what she had to do.

Still silent, she slipped her clothes back on and walked to the door. Avoiding her husband's ever confused and concerned stare, she took a deep breath and turned the handle; this was not Johann's situation to explain…it was hers.

Muahahahaha! I like cliff hangers. The little blue button feels lonely…it would be so pleased if you pushed it! Thank you for reading. I will try to update soon.