Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Sound of Music and its characters belong to their respective owners.

A/N: ForeverJulie, although I shed some more light on it in this chapter to make that clearer (just in case anybody else had the same question that you did) but the answer in short is that no, they are not married. Just engaged. :)

Em, thank you, I'm glad you like the depth I gave Maria. She's got a different vibe to her in my story I know but that's all part of the plot. :)

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Hitler was crazy. Captain von Trapp didn't understand how anybody could fall for his lunatic ideas. Was the world so greedy and twisted? Was it maybe just HIM who didn't see the good in the Nazi ideals? Nah, no way. The man had destroyed his beloved country and everything that was good. And now he was threatening Europe. Was that what Austria had signed up for? Not that it mattered much to him anymore. Aside from his children, nothing really mattered to him.

Although he had tried his best not to shut them out like the last time, his strict resolve and no nonsense attitude returned. He granted the children enough free time to play and do as their wished but times spent with him weren't as happy anymore. The children had taken it in stride. They had been through it before and apparently they adapted to the situation easier than he would have thought. He hated himself for closing up yet again and truly made the effort to show them he did care for them but there wasn't as much happiness in the household anymore.

That wasn't necessarily a surprise, however. Doubts and regrets tortured him each single day. He should have gone back, he should have given Maria a proper burial. God only knew what the Nazis did to her body. In his most desperate moments, he wished he had seen her dead body to let his heart have that finality that it rejected. He blamed himself for her death, too. She had died because of him. Had she not married him… had he not strayed her from the path she had originally chosen, she would still be alive. Frustration was also a regular companion now. He hated the Nazis, he hated war, he hated Zeller and hated everything that had anything to do with them. He wished so much that he could do anything about it. He wanted to take revenge for the loss of his beloved country but most of all for the loss of his beloved wife. He so badly wanted to take part in plots, to fight them… to do anything against the Third Reich and Zeller. But he couldn't. Not only was Georg so far away but the children had no one to take care of them had anything happed to him. It wasn't their fault at all and he had tried to vent his frustration through different means… like long walks or horseback riding. Yet he felt confined. Maria was dead and he couldn't do anything about it.

He hadn't as much as looked at another woman since Maria. The most he could offer in a drunken moment was a physical relationship and nothing that involved his heart. The Captain was a gentleman and wouldn't and couldn't ask that from a respectable woman. As for the not so respectable ones, he wasn't interested. Unfortunately for him there was a lady who had taken a liking in him. Her name was Elizabeth Knightly, a widow in her late thirties. He had eyes so it wasn't lost on him how pretty – and wealthy—she was, and there was something about her that reminded him of Elsa. That particular ship had sailed and he was glad it had and he wasn't the least bit interested in anything like it again, let alone in Mrs. Knightly. He was polite with her whenever she came over, his business had done business with her business but he merely tolerated her presence. His children weren't particularly fond of her either but he refused to let them alienate her. Just because he wasn't up for a relationship didn't mean they had to be anything less than civil.

He flipped a page in the reservations book, remembering they were expecting new guests later that day. He remembered that the guests were wealthy, something the Captain liked since those people brought in the most money, and that they had initially booked for three weeks.

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Felix was a handful today and Maria let out a soft sigh as she finished her song, relieved that the boy finally fell asleep in her arms. He had exhausted himself before they left and was cranky during the ride, giving his mother hell before finally falling asleep. At least now he was out cold and Maria expected him to stay that way until the end of their journey – depending on the road and their driver. According to her calculations, they should arrive to their destination by the time Felix would wake up – if the toddler stuck to his schedule that is, which was rather difficult today.

"He's just like you." Ben commented with a grin and she snorted, very un-lady like, in response. Despite the more sophisticated appearance, there were still times when the misfit of a woman he had gotten a glimpse of in Switzerland emerged without her guards on.

"I fall asleep without this much hassle, thank you." She told him in the same manner. He noticed the grin on her face as he sat next to her and was relieved to see that their getaway was already doing good to her, even if they hadn't even reached the lodge yet. He was hopeful it would do good to their relationship too, hence he had high hopes for the upcoming three weeks. He had been very happy when Maria accepted his marriage proposal, the happiest he had ever been. Yet despite doing everything he could and treating Felix as his own, something was missing. Despite their long engagement, they hadn't even set a wedding date and she didn't seem too bothered about it.

"You haven't told me much about the place." She spoke again while her right thumb continued to draw lazy circles on her sleeping son's cheek ( out of habit), while the little boy kept clutching the front of her mother's blouse in his sleep, most likely leaving it all wrinkled. She didn't seem to mind.

"Well it's a family business from what I've been told." He moved to put an arm around her, smiling when he felt her relax into him. "Captain von Trapp purchased the place after moving here from Austria and then about a year ago he started hosting guests."

"Captain?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"A retired, decorated officer of the Imperial Navy." She merely nodded and listened as he went on. "I hear poor man has lost two wives. He's running the place while being in charge of his seven children."

"Seven children?" Her eyes went wide upon hearing that information, quickly looking down at Felix who didn't even stir at the raised voice of his mother.

Ben chuckled. "What's the matter? You do like children, don't you?" He teased, his eyes quickly flickering to the one in her arms.

"Well yes, but... seven?" He laughed and kissed her temple.

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The lodge was doing well enough now to afford actual staff. They had a cook, two maids and even a receptionist who also served as a butler. The Captain was grateful for that because despite his background and experience in hosting, he hadn't been feeling too communicative these past few weeks. He was usually available if the guests wanted to see him but for the most part he was either dealing with the children or was off in his own world, preferring to spend his time in privacy.

Grief was gradually taking over now that there was less for him to do and as much as he hated it, he was slowly retreating yet again. He didn't hire a governess for the children, he simply trusted and put Liesl in command. The past two and a half years were trying for all of them. While his children continued to grow and seemed all settled in their new home, he just didn't think anyone could take Maria's place, either as a Mother or as a governess.

In the middle of his afternoon stroll on the grounds of his estate, he wasn't in a hurry to get back to the lodge just yet. The new guests they were receiving today would be perfectly catered to by the staff. It was one of those days when his pain was a little more intense than in usual and he just wanted to be alone.

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Back at the lodge itself, Maria carefully got out of the car and admired the breathtaking view. Or tried to. Felix was gripping her hand and kept tugging on it, the little boy obviously had no time for his mother's sightseeing. He had important business to attend to: running around. Laughing at her son's persistence, she gave in and began walking with him, allowing him to run as much as his short legs could carry him.

A staff member who Ben figured had to be the butler, indeed awaited them. He quickly took care of their suitcases and refused any of the help Ben offered. While the young man hurried off with their luggage, Ben joined Maria who was busy trying to restrain her son from thumping on the pretty flowers beside the pavement that led to the main entrance. Grinning yet again, he simply swept the toddler off his feet and lifted him up, emitting a giggle from the small child.

"How about we take care of formalities while Mommy admires the view, huh?" He asked him and Felix' response was to point his finger at his mother, uttering a simple 'Momma'. "I think he means you're allowed." He joked and enjoyed the sound of her chuckle. He leaned in to place a quick, soft kiss on her lips before he walked away and disappeared through the main door of the Von Trapp Family Lodge with Felix in his arms.

There was a newfound silence around her with the sound of the birds and a soft wind blowing, giving her the kind or peace only the mountains could provide. She had been here for less than five minutes but she had felt more at home than anywhere else so far. Did she love nature and the hills this much before her accident, too? With Felix and her performances occupying most of her time, she hardly had time to think about all that in the recent weeks. As painful as it would have sounded to more than two years ago, she had grown to accept that she would never recover her memories or her previous life for that matter. Although the unknown part of her past left her insecure in many ways (which she tried to hide with a well structured façade), resignation which later turned into acceptance was what she had felt foremost.

She lifted her face towards the afternoon sun, closed her eyes and inhaling the fresh air deeply, she could feel every part of her body relax. It was quiet over here. What she didn't notice was a 7 year old staring at her in awe merely a few steps away.

Gretl had been disappointed in the morning because she had received the usual answer yet again. Each day she had asked her siblings when Maria would be back. Each day they told her 'Soon.' Well for Gretl, it just wasn't soon enough. The young girl didn't know why anybody believed that she was gone for good. She sometimes felt frustrated with all her older siblings for not believing in what she did. Yet she missed her. Gretl awfully missed Maria's voice… her smile… and her ability to make everything better. Her father was feeling sad again and she didn't understand why didn't her new Mother come home to them already and comfort him.

Leaving all of her siblings behind with a huff, Gretl had been spending a good few hours outside around the Lodge, collecting flowers. She looked for all sorts of colors and shapes and not for the first time she was disappointed that there was no Edelweiss in Vermont. Yet all thoughts of flowers were suddenly forgotten when she had made a full circle and got back to the arrivals area. There she stood, in the finest clothes Gretl had ever seen her mother in, smiling with her eyes closed. For Gretl this wasn't a moment of shock but a long awaited and overdue reunion.

"YOU'RE BACK!" Gretl cried and threw the flowers away before making a mad dash to the very woman she had been missing SO very much.

Maria's eyes snapped opened at the loud yet very young voice and turned her head in time before a girl threw herself at her with all her might. Maria tumbled a little and her eyes went wide at the unexpected contact. But the hug the child was giving her held nothing threatening. If anything, it was full of joy and overwhelming strength, as much as such a young girl could muster. In fact, it felt like she was clinging to her for dear life.

"I KNEW IT! They didn't believe me, but I knew it!" The girl lifted her head and the happiness Maria saw on the child's face, although confusing, was an overwhelming sight. Placing a gentle hand on the top of the girl's head, she couldn't help the smile.

"Knew what, darling?" Maria asked gently, her confusion reflecting on her face.

"We have to tell the others!" Gretl said with great enthusiasm, not answering her question. She tugged on Maria's hand gently once before she ran ahead, turning back halfway when she realized Maria wasn't following. "Come! Come!"

Maria, her face once again in a frown that relayed her confusion, did as she was told. Not only did the child seem to be on her own which instinctively reminded her of her own motherly protectiveness, but the little girl awoke her curiosity enough by that point to try to find out what was going on. Yet the child gave her no chance to ask any more questions for she turned on her heels the moment she saw Maria move and ran forward. Shaking her head, she followed, utterly lost. Was it possible that the little girl had seen her sing in New York and now recognized her? That was the only explanation she had for the events that had just transpired or for her enthusiasm.

Gretl, with heavy footsteps and with all the noise of an overly excited young girl, rushed through the main entrance and past the reception. Ben, who happened to be busy with the aforementioned formalities, raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Young Miss Gretl von Trapp." The receptions offered as an explanation without looking up and Ben smiled, noticing that it awoke the interest of an oddly peaceful Felix in his arms. The little boy had been observing the lodge with wide eyes, obviously in awe of the brand new environment.

Gretl didn't stop until she reached the main lounge where she knew her siblings would be. Although their father was strict about not bothering their guests, the children knew he was out on his usual afternoon stroll and wasn't expected to be back for a while. Since they were all quietly occupied, they were seated in the lounge which was quite spacious and comfortable. The large windows had the kind of wide seats that Liesl loved – and where she was currently seated. The furniture and the room itself almost reminded her of their old living room back home, except this was much larger and accommodated a lot more people. Apparently this had been a conscious choice by their father, for he wanted to stick with his own old traditions and felt creating a homey feel for guests to wait or spend time in was essential. Liesl felt their father was still every bit of a Baron, even away from Austria.

Said lounge had two entrances, one leading to the reception area and another one leading outside to an open terrace. The terrace itself gave a spectacular view of the mountains and had a few stairs which led to the garden designed for the guests. It had a few benches and a fountain, providing both cozy corners and spots where one had an overall view. Since there wasn't a fence anywhere, one could easily make their way through the garden and take a stroll up to the meadows before reaching the mountains. If there was one thing Liesl loved about this place more than home, then it was that the hills were so much nearer to the house than in Salzburg. She quite often mused just how happy Maria would have been here.

"SHE'S BACK!" Gretl's excited shout made Liesl raise her head from the book she was reading. The rest of her siblings -- who were all occupied with either a card game or their own books -- all looked at Gretl, too. "I knew she would be back!"

"Who's back, Gretl?" Liels asked the very question that was written on the faces of all the von Trapp children.

"Freulein Maria… I mean Mother!"

In the meantime Maria stepped through the door of the Lodge and her eyes immediately settled on Ben and her son at the main desk. Yet there was no sign of the little girl she was supposed to be following and she looked around, still confused. "Have you seen a little girl running by?" She asked them and the receptionist proved to be useful yet again. "She headed to the main lounge, Madam." He told her and when she raised her eyebrows, he further instructed her. "To your left."

Back in the lounge, Liesl exchanged worried glances with Friedrich and then Louisa, the latter not hiding the expression that implied Gretl probably had finally lost it. Surprisingly, it was Kurt who spoke up first in a rather irritated manner.

"Stop it, Gretl! It's not funny! She's GONE, can't you just grasp it?" The moment he said those words Liesl knew all hell would break loose. Nothing could convince Gretl that Maria was indeed dead but this latest development was very alarming. She wished their father had been around to deal with her because she clearly was taking this to a new level. Liesl had been aware of Kurt's irritation with Gretl and now everyone was looking at the young girl with great skepticism. She herself had often wished Gretl had finally grasped that Maria died, it sure would saved all of them a great deal of unnecessary heartache.

"Is not!" Gretl bit back, yet there was no sign of anger. If anything, nothing could throw off her excitement. "I just saw her!"

"There you are." Maria exclaimed upon stepping into the lounge, unsuspecting of the drama she had just walked into, or the one she would just trigger. While the young girl immediately hugged her again, Maria wasn't sure what to make of the disbelief that settled on six other young faces.

That didn't last long, however. Marta was the quickest to recollect from the surprise and within seconds she was clinging to Maria in very much the same manner as Gretl was. Liesl, covering her mouth with a hand, watched the scene unfold. There was a confused but charmed smile on their Mother's face upon the greeting and soon Brigitta, Kurt, Louisa and then even Friedrich joined their youngest sisters. Liesl didn't waste much time. Completely oblivious of the clear signs of puzzlement on Maria's face, she completed the crushing group hug, tears of joy glistering in her eyes. To her biggest surprise, Louisa's tears were flowing, too, and Liesl had no doubt they were from happiness. In the past two and a half years this was the first clear sign of Louisa's emotions. It was touching.

As for Maria, she was beginning to feel overwhelmed. She had grown accustomed to admirers, she had received many compliments from people after her performances and many had been supportive of her even without knowing her personally. Yet this strong affection these children displayed for her was most puzzling… and crushing. Literally. An eerie feeling began to settle in her mind and her initial idea that they were fans began to fade the moment she could make out some of the words amidst their loud noise.

"Mother!"

"I'm so happy you're back."

"I love you, Mother!"

"Fraulein Maria, I knew you'd be back."

She didn't know which cry belonged to which child but she grew fairly certain there had to be a huge mistake here. She attempted to speak but they were much too happy and excited, seeming reluctant to let her go. She was beginning to feel uneasy. The impending disappointment she was about to cause them made her feel bad, so she knew she had to put an end to this before it would escalate.

"Children…" She tried but it was in vain. "Children!" She tried a little louder but apparently it wasn't enough just yet. She finally managed to pull her right hand free and she promptly made good use of it. She whistled as loud as she could and that finally did the trick. Seven surprised but smiling faces looked up at her and she carefully untangled herself from them, gently rubbing the arms of whoever stood closest.

"We missed you so much, Mother." Liesl was the one to speak for all of them.

"There must be some kind of misunderstanding…" Maria tried gently. "I… I'm not your mother."

"We thought you died." Liesl continued, not really acknowledging what Maria had just said.

The moment those words registered in her mind, Maria's heart skipped a beat. Having been disappointed so many times in the last two years, she initially refused to rationalize the implications of those words. No, this couldn't be. It just couldn't. They couldn't have known her back in Switzerland… Nor could she be their mother. That just wasn't possible. A thousand thoughts began flooding her mind at once, all of which trying to convince her that this was a misunderstanding. It included refusing to believe she had seven children. Her body definitely did not bear the signs of having given birth before Felix… not to mention that she was way too young. That in itself let doubt sneak into her mind. In reality, she had no idea how old she was. Although the doctors have given her a well educated guess, she was just still too young for the oldest ones. But what about the youngsters? What were they doing in America…. and if she WAS their mother, what was she doing in Switzerland?

All of this was too much information and overwhelming to handle, especially with the speed all of it raced through her mind. No, this was impossible. Maybe they were just joking…. or trying to play some trick on her.

"You're our mother!" Brigitta stated matter of factly, bringing Maria back to the present. There was the kind of conviction in the child's voice Maria would have given anything for after her accident. She had longed to find her family, someone to claim her, someone to identify her and tell her who she was. But this… this had to be a misunderstanding, right? She had given up hope long ago. Memories never returned and there was nobody else out there looking for her. Maria had been so hurt and disappointed in the past that she simply did not even dare to hope this situation really was what it seemed like. If this was a joke, this wasn't funny. She was growing a little apprehensive.

"Don't you remember?" The younger of the two boys asked her.

"No." She said in her dismay before adding silently. "As a matter of fact I don't…"

"You don't remember us?" Marta asked astonished.

Outside the Lodge, Georg wasn't particularly happy. What he hoped would be his private downtime alone instead turned out to be a walk back to his home spent with plastering a small, polite smile on his face. Elizabeth Knightly had caught him while outside and promptly decided to join him in the walk. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased. The only reason why he did try to be civil with her was the fact that she had done nothing wrong in particular. It wasn't her fault that his entire world had crashed two years ago and that he had lost a wife again. It wasn't her fault that he was feeling either way too hollow or hurt most of the time and that he had been failing to aid his children in their emotional development during this difficult time. Georg had been aware of the rumors going around that they held mutual interest in each other given that they were both widows, but there was absolutely no interest in her on his part. He made sure he never implied anything that she could have misunderstood. Whether she accepted that yet still decided to try to maintain a friendship with him… or was unable to grasp his lack of interest, Georg wasn't sure.

"You've come a long way, Georg." Elizabeth complimented him as she continued to carry the conversation. "Look at how great the Lodge turned out." His response was a simple not. "It must have been hard for you. Losing my dear Jimmy has been devastating, but you also had to leave your country… your home. I greatly admire you."

He nearly scoffed. Miss Knightly, as she was called by most people, clearly had no idea what he really was like. He had the name, he had his decoration and had his family history, some of which was public knowledge unfortunately. Yet he found nothing about himself to admire. He felt like a trainwreck, his resolve and façade precisely in place to keep everyone out so he could cope with how empty his life had become. If that hadn't been enough, his conscience about his children kept plaguing him, too, yet his grief overshadowed and overpowered everything else. He had been in pain for so long. While Elsa had helped him realize he was still among the living, it was Maria who had brought the life back into him. That life died with her for good.

"Thank you." He told her politely as they had reached the bottom stair of the terrace. View he had none yet but he could hear the loud voices of his children coming through the open doors of the lounge. His eyes narrowed slightly in mild annoyance. They had been expecting new guests in the afternoon and the children were evidently not following his orders regarding keeping a quiet and peaceful atmosphere in areas reserved for guests.

Barely acknowledging Elizabeth following in his footsteps, he confidently and quickly made his way up the stairs and entered. He never anticipated the sight that greeted him.

"Father!" Friedrich called out, bringing everyone's attention to him.

"Father, look. She's back!" Gretl exclaimed happily.

Disbelief wasn't the right word to describe what the Captain was feeling. Was he dreaming or just seeing a ghost? Seeing his children all gathered at one spot had immediately drawn his attention to the spot upon entering and then, among all the kids, the most beautiful and very familiar sight greeted him. That he was wide awake was clearly proven by Elizabeth's voice registering on his mind a moment later while the ghost theory was quickly dismissed by the fact that he wasn't the only one seeing her.

"Oh Georg, I've never seen your children so excited. A family friend?" Elizabeth asked and immediately moved to greet whoever the woman was.

"She's… my wife." Georg declared in his answer and Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Cliffhanger, I know. I promise I'll try to be quick with the new chapter. As for a small note… the story is titled 'Back to you' for multiple reasons and a deeper meaning will start in the next installment. Thanks for reading!