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

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why do you stare at me that way?" Georg asked confused, the look on her face puzzled him. Was she maybe remembering him?

"Well, you don't look at all like a Sea Captain."

Oh dear… he thought. Yes, you've told me that before, darling. Despite his protectiveness of her well being, it took him great restraint to keep the distance between them. The very woman he had been longing to get back was now standing in front of him… and he couldn't touch. Life was cruel. For a moment he considered asking for permission to touch her and make sure she was as real as she seemed but dismissed the idea. Judging by her initial reaction, it wouldn't go over too well. The last thing he wanted of her was to get away from him again.

"You look… different." He responded.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise and he watched as she quickly glanced down at herself, self-consciously but half-heartedly smoothing her skirt before her gaze returned to his.

"I'm keeping up with fashion… but I can make my own clothes." She told him and while the pride was evident in her voice yet again, there was a different feel to it now. This time it rang out as an attempt to declare her independence. It was also quite unusual to hear about his wife following fashion although she had never lacked good taste… only the money. While as a postulant she was not supposed be vain anyway, he had observed her with great curiosity ever since their confession of love to each other. Starting from the moment they became engaged and it became clear she wasn't going to be a nun, Maria did her best within her own ability and comfort zone to look as sophisticated as possible. She had been on her way to become a Baroness, after all.

Maria was feeling unease and comfort at the same time, it was an unusual combination. Not that she wasn't used to unusual and complex, it had been the story of her life. She felt some sort of awkwardness facing a stranger who happened to be Felix' father – a stranger who shouldn't have been one, yet she found great comfort in knowing all the missing pieces were to fall into their place soon enough.

"I know, darling." The Captain finally smiled at her but it quickly disappeared in his dismay upon noticing the first sign of discomfort on her face. Although his heart fell, he couldn't resist a step closer. "Do you… remember anything?" Do you remember me?

She shook her head. "No." The sadness in her voice wasn't lost on him. "I'm sorry." The look of disappointment on his face compelled her to apologize. "Captain, would you… would you mind telling me about me?" It was the strangest request Maria had ever made and she felt compelled to explain. "I've been looking for my past for so long, I need to know." That need in her voice made her request sound like a plea.

The Captain hated the feeling of unfamiliarity. He longed to hold her but evidently, he was a complete stranger to her. If her alleged death hadn't been like a nightmare enough, then this definitely finished the job. Unfortunately, during his years of grieving two wives, he had become a master of guarding his broken heart and trying to shut out the pain. His face hardened when in reality all he wanted was to kiss her and tell her how very much he had loved and missed her. His navy past also greatly contributed to his handling of a crisis. This wasn't necessarily one, but he had to deal with the situation as best as he could, it was in his nature. Maria's return while she had absolutely no recollection of him did definitely feel like a blow that required all of his survival skills.

"Of course." He told her after a long pause, realizing she was anxiously waiting for his response. He averted his gaze for the first time, trying to collect his thoughts and hide the overwhelming emotions he fought so hard. Self restraint had never been so difficult. There was a very strong need running through his entire body to reach out and hold her. Being a stranger to her was bad enough, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable, too. So as he began pacing slowly, a part of his focus was on restraining himself.

Where to start? "You are Baroness Maria von Trapp from Salzburg, Austria." He began in a confident tone before adding: "My second wife. The first, Agathe who was the children's mother, had died many years before you and I uh… met."

Oh… she thought. So that meant the children weren't hers. Well, not biologically. The rest immediately puzzled her though. Ben had told her that the von Trapps came from Austria, so that much she had known already. But… she had been found in Switzerland.

"I needed help with the children for the summer so I asked the Mother Abbess at Nonnberg Abbey for help." The Captain went on. "She sent me one of her postulants. You."

He wasn't expecting the scoff that he received in response to that last piece of information. His eyebrows rose in confusion and surprise. "I'm sorry. Go on please." Maria told him and he looked at her suspiciously. Her reaction to that was unusual. Nevertheless, he went on.

"You were the twelfth in a long line of governesses to look after the children, one of which stayed only two hours." He reminisced about the events that brought her to him. His point was to soon explain how easily she had found her way into all of their hearts, yet her reaction was startlingly distracting and… familiar.

"What's wrong with the children?"

His reaction had a different edge to it this time. "There's nothing wrong with the children. Anymore." That much he knew now. The only thing the children were responsible for were the awful pranks. Everything else was his fault, in fact even the pranks were triggered by him. Maria had been the one to open his eyes.

"Oh." Was her response just like it had been back then and the memories it brought intensified his longing.

"You brought happiness and music back to our house. The children grew very fond of you and… so did I. I fell in love with you and to my delight you felt the same." Well, that was it in a nutshell. He only emitted the juicy details because he wasn't sure how prepared she was for all this. Instead of approaching her like he really wanted to, the Captain walked around his desk and opened a drawer. "We got married with the children's blessing." He pulled out several papers and went through them until he found what he was looking for.

Maria's eyes followed him with great curiosity and she watched as he finally approached her, handing her a photo. Her free hand went to her mouth and her fingertips covered her lips as she stared at it. It was their wedding photo. She studied it with great intensity. If the Captain's words hadn't been enough to convince her he really was talking about her, then this was the ultimate proof. The smile on her own face was one that she had never seen staring back at her from the mirror. The Captain's stance was very… him. Maria didn't have a thorough idea of what he was like yet, but his expression seemed true to what she had seen so far. There was pride on his face as he held her by the waist in his stunning gear. Her hand rested on his chest and he seemed every bit of the man he was. Was he proud of her or was it the natural pride of an aristocrat reflecting on his face?

The Captain also studied the photo in her hand briefly. It had been somewhat of a solace in the past two years, looking at it whenever that aching need to see her beautiful face again got too much to bear. Of course looking at the picture brought pain, too, but at least he got to see her. He had often scrutinized every detail of it, although he remembered every single moment of that day and that photo shoot. He remembered the overwhelming pride he was feeling to have her on his side. He was proudly showing off his new wife and that definitely showed on the picture. That wasn't the only photo they initially had but was the only one he could save. There wasn't much time to pack in their hasty decision to leave. Maria had packed a great amount before Zeller took her and the Captain had very little time left to finish.

His gaze soon left the photo and he took advantage of their proximity. Whether she didn't mind or just simply didn't notice that he had stepped into her personal space, he wasn't sure, but he tried to make the best of this opportunity. He could smell her sweet scent. She wore different perfume now but his nose could still pick up what was essentially her. He felt the long suppressed desire stir within him and he willed himself to calm. He studied her face, the features he grew to love so much reflected wonder now. That wasn't an unusual sight but when it came to the subject matter, it did definitely sting. She was as beautiful as ever and he realized the make up didn't alter her appeal but simply strengthened it. His eyes traveled to her lips and he unconsciously licked his own. He longed to kiss her. His gaze traveled further down but stopped abruptly at her jaw when he spotted something. It was thin and hard to make out at first until he realized what it was. Her make up covered it well but such proximity allowed him to see the remains of a scar running along her jaw.

It was what reminded him of the accident and that there were still enough left to tell and explain to her. A new wave of guilt came over him, he felt he should have gone back for her. His scrutiny of the bruise did not go unnoticed however. She must have felt his eyes on her because her head suddenly snapped up and she stepped away. Her hand flew up to her jaw and ran her hand over it in an attempt to cover it. He was a little puzzled at first by her reaction, she had had plenty of smaller bruises and scrapes from all the things she had been playing with the children. But then it hit him that the accident was not such a small thing. In fact, it was as much of a life altering event for her as it was for them.

His heart had sank when he had been told about the extent of her injures. The knowledge that he hadn't been there for her and she was all alone in the world while at death's door was as painful as his grief had been. She was such a wonderful person, how could all this happen to her? Again, he blamed himself.

"Do I have any other relatives? Parents, siblings?" She asked to try to break the awkward silence and to distract him from what he had undoubtedly seen.

"No." He shook his head. "You were an only child and your parents have died." The rest he did not want to tell. It took Maria a while to talk about that wicked and miserable past. He had been amazed how much strength and happiness she still managed to awoke and feel herself after such an abusive and unhappy childhood. So if there was one good thing in her loss of memories then it was not remembering those unhappy early years. Georg made a decision he felt was best for her: he would not tell her.

"What happened to me?" She finally asked one of the questions that had been the most pressing ones on her mind. While there were still a million other ones she wanted to ask, this particular information had been one that had bugged her the most.

The Captain sighed as he began explaining what exactly had gone down. He told her about the conditions that had awaited them upon their return from their honeymoon, the commission he absolutely refused to take, the plan they had made to leave Austria that night. He told her about Zeller's interference… and everything else that he thought went down. Now, talking about Max proved to be just as difficult. While his grief for his friend had been one of the many things occupying his troubled mind the past years, now he felt conflicted about him. For long he had felt bad for both doubting his friend yet not double checking on Maria when he had been told about her death. Since he found out she was alive, Georg's anger for Max returned, just like that night. It had taken him more than a year to forgive Max, it had taken him more than a year to accept Max wasn't at fault. Right now he couldn't grasp just how on earth did his friend think that she was dead. But in the end, Georg knew who it all came down to. Max couldn't do what should have been Georg's job: saving Maria. It was true that circumstances and lack of time compelled them to make a decision they had thought best at the time. Now, more than two years later it evidently was not the right choice. Ironically, it was Max who paid the biggest price.

He saw the frown on Maria's face after she had absorbed all the information. "But… how did I end up in Switzerland?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know, darling. You had been declared dead in Austria." He knew, he had inquired about it. Upon setting foot on safe soil, the Captain had gotten in touch with the most reliable source he knew: Mother Abbess. Unfortunately that didn't last long. Every communication was monitored and since he had been a fugitive, they kept a close eye on all his possible ties. He had known the risk he put the Abbey by contacting them and only managed to get in touch with the Mother only once. She had confirmed the tragic news: Maria had been found and declared dead in a car accident.

Now the Captain wondered if the nuns had anything to do with Maria's survival, although he didn't know how that was possible. They had been good at maintaining the abbey but their lives hardly included the outside world, at least not enough to carry out such a plan. That left him in the dark as much as it did Maria. The confusion on her face must have reflected his own but as soon as her gaze returned to the picture in her hand, it disappeared. That was when the Captain noticed the ring on her finger. That and Ben Reinard's presence alluded to what he hadn't asked and didn't even want to initially think about. Just what exactly was Ben Reinard to Maria?

Even with the still remaining mystery aside, Maria felt that this moment was somewhat gratifying. She had given up hope that she would ever find out who she was and now that was exactly what was happening. A part of her still found it hard to believe, while another felt amazed. She was a Baroness? Her wedding photo portrayed a woman she hardly recognized. She had her face and body but her expression alluded to certain feelings she had never felt – or apparently, couldn't remember ever feeling. Her wedding dress looked beautiful but she couldn't help noticing how different it was from her current clothes. Although it emphasized her curves, it definitely did not reveal as much skin as she usually did. Was she such a different person back then? That reminded her of something the Captain had said. A postulant. If that was true, her old self would be horrified with her current self. Maria had lost faith in God, took no comfort in religion, was unmarried with a child… and had made love with her fiancé out of wedlock. That is what she THOUGHT had had been doing at least.

All of this brought her to one very important fact though: this man wasn't simply 'Felix's father' as she had been referring to him. He was her husband, her spouse… the one she belonged to. Someone she had allegedly given her heart… and evidently her body to. The deep red blush creeping onto her face felt hot and soon so did her entire body. This man knew what she looked like… naked. They had been intimate. While Maria may have not been following religion anymore, she did still have her very own principles. Everything he had told her about her suggested there had to be love on her part to marry him and to conceive a child with him but she had absolutely no recollection of any of that. Hence, she didn't know him while he knew her in ways that made her utterly uncomfortable. She caught movement from the corner of her eyes and by the time she looked up, the Captain had moved back to his desk.

He had noticed practically nothing of her blush. The moment he spotted the ring on her finger, his eyes darkened and his mask immediately went up. He hadn't questioned Herr Reinard after he informed the Captain of Maria's situation, all that mattered to him was that his wife had returned. During his scrutiny of the man Georg had noticed his ring, exactly like the one he had just seen. That his wife was apparently wearing someone else's ring on her ring finger was like ripping out the heart he had just gotten back. It also strongly compelled him to prove that Maria was his. He opted to prove that in a subtle way. He once again began going through his papers and files and pulled out the ultimate proof: her papers proving her identity as well as their marriage documents. Although he knew it was an irrational feeling, he couldn't help feeling hurt. After so much grief and suffering, he was still capable of feeling like this. It wasn't a surprise though that he felt cheated. His wife was wearing someone else's ring. His wife most probably kissed another man. The rest he didn't even want to think about or else he would lose his mind. He knew Maria remembered nothing of him or the children but he remembered every moment of their life together… and the one without her. If that wasn't enough, his pride as an aristocrat, an ex-naval hero and most of all a man was affected, too.

Maria noted that the strict expression was back on his face and oddly, it helped her a little. His proximity and terms of endearment suggested his familiarity with her that wasn't mutual and hence made her uncomfortable. That he was an utterly handsome man did not leave her unaffected at all but everything was just so new and confusing to her. She took the papers from him and began reading… about herself. Unfortunately gratification was not what she was feeling anymore. The more she learned the more of a stranger she felt to herself. She had always thought finding her past would bring her peace, yet none of this triggered any memories. That, sadly, made her seem nothing more than any other woman she was reading about. It was only the children and the Captain that felt real in connection to this person. They were as real as it could get.

Tearing her eyes from the papers, she opened her palm that had been clutching her old wedding ring all along. So here it was, the connection. The Captain's eyes went wide at the sight and he watched her with great intensity. She still had the ring.

While Maria had kept her deepest feelings from everyone, including Ben, and she became considerably more guarded than she had been before her accident, her honesty had always remained intact. She may have not shared everything but she never lied. At the moment her honesty came as freely as it always had. "I… I need time to comprehend all this, Captain."

While a part of him wanted to tell her to stop calling her Captain, he was feeling too worked up to do that at the moment. That damn pride of his was a cruel companion to the hurt he had been feeling and his anger was misguided. Maria wasn't at fault, deep down he knew that. Yet the fact that she had her old wedding ring clearly had to mean she had already been married. And yet she gave herself to another man? Did she give up on him so easily? Did she give up on the marriage she had just like that? He had been mourning her with every fiber in his being while she was happy with someone else? That he wasn't thinking rationally anymore he didn't realize just yet. He felt cheated and robbed. Of course there was also the matter of his son who, apparently, had been raised by another man.

He nodded to her in response. He himself needed some thinking to do, too. But not before…

"Your return was a great surprise for everyone and the children are understandably very anxious to see you. If you think you could see them again before their bedtime, I'd be grateful. I'd also love to see my son if it's not too much to ask, Fraulein." He obviously was polite and all of it was a request instead of a demand but his hard demeanor was back.

"Of course." Her worries and confusion was forgotten when it came to the children. Those poor dears seemed so excited to see her and while she knew she needed a little time to come to terms with all of this, she realized it had to be a lot more confusing and upsetting for the children. While Maria was protective of her son like any good mother would be, she had no objection to the Captain seeing Felix either. Ben had been a wonderful presence in Felix' life but the Captain was his father.

"We can go see them right now if you wish."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So… does this mean he's our brother?" Gretl asked her sisters and brothers, all of whom were gathered in their play room.

The lodge wasn't just for guests, that was where the von Trapps lived, too. They had a separate section of the large house upstairs where their living space was located at. Liesl, being the oldest, had her very own room now. Louisa shared one with Brigitta, Gretl with Marta and Friedrich with Kurt. They had a room that their father declared their very own play room but it was small and they much preferred the main lounge downstairs – something their father wasn't particularly happy about.

"Yes he is. " Louisa answered. There had been much debate ever since they were ordered to return upstairs. Aside from Gretl, practically all of the children had been in shock. That took away nothing from the delight that Maria was back however. Not all of them quite realized how it was possible that she simply didn't remember them. How could she forget about them?

Their father had joined them a while later and explained briefly that their Mother had survived the accident that everybody had thought took her life. She had hit her head and unfortunately lost her memories. It was Brigitta who had the easiest time to believe it. She had read enough novels that had alluded to similar situations. Gretl was the one who was the most confused but her happiness had overshadowed it all.

"She looks different." Kurt exclaimed.

"She looks wonderful." Liesl smiled. Being the oldest – and almost a woman who was very much into fashion – she couldn't help admiring what she had seen. She couldn't wait to ask and talk to their Mother about it.

"Well, of course she does." Kurt said. "But… different."

"It's the clothes." Louisa informed her brother.

"And the hair." Brigitta said.

"Her smile's the same." Marta chimed in, too, and the nods she received in response meant they all agreed.

The moment the door opened, seven heads snapped to that direction and they all stood when their father stepped in. Questions they still had a lot and seeing their father meant possible answers. He raised his hand to stop them at once before they could overwhelm him with questions and stepped aside to let Maria in. Their faces lit up at her sight yet they were hesitant, too. Some of them exchanged glances, while some stood with curiosity written all over their faces. It was Gretl, who yet again was unaffected by it all. The little girl was utterly happy. She ran to Maria again to hug her and was delighted when she felt her Mother's arms returning the gesture.

"Let me introduce you to the children." The Captain told Maria before turning back to them.

His words and his expectant look created confusion at first but it was Liesl who realized what their father's intention was. If their Mother couldn't remember, it was only logical to reintroduce themselves. While the Captain wasn't as strict and… naval like he had been after their birth mother's death, he did return to maintain order and some kind of discipline. There was no whistle anymore but he liked his children to have their manners whenever he introduced them to someone. So Liesl nudged Friedrich who in turn nudge Louisa and soon the von Trapp children were all lined up in front of Maria, much like they had when she first met them in Salzburg.

Granted there was no shock on Maria's face this time, she did raise an eyebrow at the unusual sight. Then the children all stepped forward one by one and introduced themselves. Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl. Maria tried her best to memorize them all and had to smile at little Gretl's enthusiasm. They also told her how old they were and it wasn't lost on Maria what that meant. These children had lost two mothers already. It was apparent from everything she had learned so far that she had been their new mother before… before the accident.

The children apparently had many things to tell her and she listened as best as she could, yet the moment they began asking questions she couldn't quite find the right answers for, the Captain came to her aid. He told them it was about time they went down for dinner and that he would not dine with them tonight. Obeying their father's orders, they all said their good byes to Maria before heading down. Even if she didn't know conditions were much worse when she had first met the family, it was now easy to tell that their father had indeed been a sea captain.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben was in the middle of trying to calm a very upset Felix -- unsuccessfully. The toy ship they had been playing with somehow snapped and while it didn't break, a part of it came off. Felix wasn't happy to say the least while Ben was absolutely clueless where that part belonged. That was when Maria entered their room. While Maria initially had no objection to the Captain seeing Felix, after the encounter with the children she wondered how this meeting would go because Felix wasn't used to such demeanor. Ben's face lit up when she entered and he rose to his feet. His intention to lean in and kiss Maria was dismissed the second he caught glimpse of Captain von Trapp following.

The Captain was dismayed to learn that yes, his wife was indeed sharing a room with another man. While he wished he could order this man to get away from her at once, reality that Maria apparently had more emotional ties to Herr Reinard than to the Captain reminded him why it would be a bad idea. He was everything but happy about it though.

"Captain von Trapp came to see Felix." She told Ben upon his questioning look. He nodded in understanding, even if it felt somewhat awkward. The look the Captain gave him was anything but understanding however. He looked at Ben expectantly and there was no sign of friendliness in his eyes. The man looked distant and while Ben would have preferred to stay, he had enough respect for Maria to honor her and her son's time alone with his father.

"The ship broke, he has been upset about it." He addressed Maria and gently rubbed her arm as he passed her by.

The Captain's jaw tightened but he remained silent. As soon as Ben left, the Captain turned back to Felix. The toddler was upset indeed and Maria moved to kneel down in front of him to run a gentle hand over his head.

"Momma?" He asked, teary eyed and held out the two pieces of the ship that he was gripping in his hands. If it had been any other toy, he would have just moved on to another. But not with this one. Felix loved ships, everything that had something to do with the sea… and now it suddenly hit her. The explanation was standing right beside her: his father used to be a sea captain.

Said captain was mesmerized, all of his hurt and pride was pushed aside when he looked at the boy. His eighth child and third son. His only child with Maria. He had received seven precious gifts from Agathe, the knowledge that Maria had given him one too was just simply fantastic. He had loved her without a child but to know their love came to life in this precious little boy was just heart warming. After Agathe's death, the Captain never thought he could be this happy again. Maria, yet again, proved that she had this innate ability to save him whenever he was in his most desperate moments.

"Here." He crouched down next to them and reached for Maria's hands. His fingers brushed her skin as she handed him the toy and the Captain had his finality at last. She was real. She was alive. Her hands were warm and soft and it took him great effort to pull away. Felix' eyes followed the toy and he watched his father agape while the adult easily fixed the ship.

Once done, he handed the toy back to Felix who seemed mesmerized. He stared at the Captain in awe, scrutinizing and observing him without moving. Georg smiled at his son whose eyes weren't on the ship but on him. The toddler was fixated on him, whether it was because he was a stranger or something else, he didn't know. "Go ahead, sailor." He joked and raised the ship in his hand a bit. The boy's gaze finally shifted to the toy and he eagerly grabbed it. He shrieked in delight and immediately turned to get lost in his own little world again. Felix was a very active little boy and a happy one, too. It always made Maria's heart melt when he smiled or laughed.

"God kept an eye on you two." Georg told her, knowing how much God's guidance and presence was important in his wife's life, even if he didn't necessarily have as much faith – especially in light of the latest developments.

"God had nothing to do with it." She stated to his biggest shock. "I'd credit my fiancé or myself much more with that task." It wasn't until she said it that Maria realized her carelessness. This man was her husband after all. That she had two identities now posed the kind of problem she hadn't given a thought just yet. There it was again, however guarded she had been, she just couldn't help her mouth going off in overwhelming moments.

Now he knew what her reaction had meant when he told her she used to be a postulant. While she looked like his wife on the outside, she behaved differently than his Maria. Yet when she met the children for a second time, her gentleness returned and he could have sworn she looked like she had never left. This day had been the weirdest of his entire life so far. While her proximity was both painful and delightful, he had been certain he still loved her. He had a son from her yet he didn't have her. He had gotten her back but she apparently wasn't his.

"I'm sorry." She told him. "I realize my past as a postulant should have me speak differently. Sadly my life hasn't given me many reasons to believe in God's guidance." Not what she could remember anyway.

While the Captain understood that all too well, it still felt like a cold shower coming from Maria's mouth. Was his Maria really gone?

"I would be a liar if I said I didn't understand. But there were plenty of things that made you happy before…"

While the old Maria would have responded with an openness unlike anyone he had ever known, that wasn't what happened now. "It's getting late, Captain. We arrived here later than we had expected. It's time for Felix' bath soon and then his bedtime. I hope you don't mind."

This certainly wasn't the first time that she would run away from him. Even the old Maria had done that and the Captain knew he needed time to process all this, too. Retiring for the approaching night might be a good idea. That his wife was spending it with someone else awoke feelings he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Certainly." He nodded and stood with her. "There are still many things left to discuss, of course in your own time." His voice held the kind of strictness that usually hid his turmoil. "I hope that you are planning to stay to sort this all out…"

"Of course." She told him, finally aware of the tension.

"Good night, Fraulein." With a last quick glance at his son, Captain von Trapp left the room. That he had called her Fraulein did not ease any awkwardness this time. On the contrary, the edge to it sounded cold coming from a man who was supposed to be talk to his long lost wife. Then again, he was leaving her behind in a room she shared with another man. That this other man did not mean as much to her as their alleged relationship would suggest was something nobody but Maria knew. And boy did it make her feel guilty.

------------------

"A postulant?" Ben asked with great surprise in his voice and then laughed. He couldn't imagine her as one. Maria had the kindness and gentleness for sure but her cynicism and lack of faith in God… not to mention having been physically intimate with him definitely made it hard to think of her as a postulant.

While she knew Ben didn't necessarily mean anything negative with that reaction, she couldn't help feeling annoyed. "Stop laughing. You'll wake Felix." She snapped at him, something she rarely… if not never, did.

"I'm sorry." Ben told her gently. "Come to bed?"

"I'm not sleepy yet. Go ahead, turn off the lights."

"Maria."

"Please, I need to think. Just sleep." With a sigh Ben gave in and after muttering silent good nights to each other, the room was covered in darkness.

Standing by the window in her nightgown, Maria observed the scenery as much as she could in the darkness of the night which was anything but peaceful. A thunderstorm had been making much noise and light for the past half an hour and she was happy Felix was sleeping as peacefully as he did. She knew the long journey had exhausted the little boy.

Yet risking waking Felix wasn't necessarily the reason why Ben's reaction angered her. As hard as it was for her to comprehend all she had been told, it was her past they were talking about. It was serious matter and not a laughing one. If she had been conflicted about her feelings for Ben before they arrived, now she was completely lost. While she welcomed the hug and comforting words he had given her as soon as they were alone, it became clear to her she needed him much more as a friend than anything else at the moment.

She loved him but this all felt wrong. She was a married woman who was sharing her room and a bed with another man. It was true she couldn't remember a thing from her past or of her marriage for that matter, but now she was plagued by guilt. Did she give up searching too soon? Did she let her old family down? But she didn't even know them! The moment she thought would be so gratifying and wonderful did nothing to ease her helplessness. Nobody and nothing of the information from her past triggered any memories. Without an emotional connection, they were as much of a mystery and strangers as anybody else. So this reunion was nothing what she had dreamt about. The children were lovely and she could see they loved her, but even that made her feel lousy. How could one explain to the younger ones that their mother forgot them? It was hard enough for an adult to deal with that. And there was the Captain. Captain von Trapp. Her husband. He was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen yet he left her utterly puzzled. He seemed to have a strong aura around him and there were instances he came across so cold. Strength radiated off him and it was no doubt he demanded discipline from his children – she had witnessed it, too. Yet he let a gentler side of his show with Felix, in fact he had shown some of it towards her too, at one point. Was it just politeness on his part?

Maria didn't know for how long she had been standing by the window when she heard a soft knock. It was barely audible and although she moved her head, she stood still to listen carefully. Maybe it was just the storm outside. She dismissed that thought when she heard it again. Her eyes had already adjusted to the dark so when she glanced over at Ben, she saw he was sound asleep. Grabbing her robe from the end of the bed, she put it on and opened the door.

Outside stood a frightened looking seven year old with the most innocent eyes Maria had ever seen. "Gretl? Are you scared?" She asked the small girl who, in turn, hugged her.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I tried singing about my favorite things but it didn't help." She mumbled into Maria's nightgown. Maria's heart immediately softened. She glanced back into her room and after making sure both Ben and Felix were sound asleep, she silently closed the door.

"Let's take you back to bed and see what we can do about that, hm?" Maria asked Gretl and offered her a hand. The little girl gladly took it.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Writing this chapter took longer than I had expected but I guess that's understandable. Thank you for the feedback again!