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

A/N: Well, life just keeps getting in the way but I'll admit lack of inspiration and my attention focused elsewhere contributed, too. But like I've said before, my interest in this story isn't lost, I'm just not the kind of author who can write if my focus isn't properly on a certain piece. I don't like putting out a chapter just for the sake of publishing. That said, I hope you'll like this part and I want to thank you for the tremendously kind messages you have been leaving me. They are appreciated and forgive me if I forgot to answer any!

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And there it was out of the blue, catching her completely off guard, the image of a stern looking Captain von Trapp, very much like now, flashed through before her eyes…

"In the future, you will kindly remember there are certain rooms in this house that are not to be disturbed."

It took Maria a few seconds to grasp that it was a memory. And another few seconds to realize it wasn't really a pleasant one. She was unable to respond, the unexpectedness of finally recalling something alone was startling, but the unpleasant nature of this particular mental image was enough to leave her speechless. It certainly wasn't surprising in context with how the Captain had been behaving with her but it definitely was bothersome if she considered the fact that he was supposed to be her husband. Was that how a husband spoke to his wife?

Maria was so surprised, she completely forgot about their first meeting. That she had been the governess of his children before they fell in love was a tale she had found intriguing, but being so surprised by his snap, finally remembering something as well as her own reaction to his tone made it all slip her mind at the moment. Opting not to reveal her very first memories, her own defiance got the better of her.

His response was harsh and uncalled for and for whatever reason, Maria was offended. She may have let it slip and handled it with taking the high road if it had been someone else, but being subjected to his cold treatment was bothering her more than a stranger would. The reason would be significant later but at the moment all Maria was aware of not being immune to him. She pushed it aside as the bond she shared with the father of her child, the bond that the fateful accident erased from her mind.

Her silence was painful evidence to the Captain, evidence of what he had known the moment those words left his mouth: he was unfairly rude to her. A part of him felt it was justified, because the woman who was legally married to him was sharing a bed with someone else. Despite all determination to move on, let Maria be past and find a reasonable solution regarding their child, the feelings that were tearing his heart apart while he had been mourning her couldn't be erased any easier.

"Forgive me for the harsh tone, Fraulein, it was rude of me." He mustered the guts to apologize, but the way he addressed her betrayed that the reason for his rudeness was still present. He concluded that the old Maria would have picked up on it, this woman, this stranger, most certainly wouldn't.

Unbeknownst to him, he was wrong. The way he had first reacted to his long lost wife made sense, everything else that followed did not. While keeping a safe distance was appreciated, being so stern and cold left her nervous and uncertain. She felt it was not right for a husband to treat his wife who had lost her memories the way he was. But then she remembered it also wasn't right for said woman to share a room and a bed with another man. To her defence, she did not know that her family was still alive and her relationship with Ben had been a long term one. Did she let go of her hopes too soon? Maybe she deserved to be treated this way. Yet the fact that she did not intentionally deny this man left her heart rebelling against her own conclusion. What prospects did she have for the future, especially now that the first sign memory, albeit confusing, surfaced?

That was all that came, however. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember more. Her silence and expression must have led the Captain to believe he had offended her, while in reality it was a mixture of hurt and being caught off guard by…him. Both at the moment and in the past.

"Thank you." Maria said, finally finding her voice. Thanking him for the apology also practically confirmed that she agreed – he was rude.

They stared at each other for a while in silence. Maria was so busy trying to hold on to this very short memory, she zoned out. She tried hard, the hardest she could, to remember more, to hold on to the image that flashed before her mental eye, but it was to no avail. Once again, the past that suddenly seemed within reach dissolved into that hazy mess that it had been. Again, Maria was left with nothing… except for that cold, commanding tone and disapproving expression of a man that apparently had faced her like this before – and God only knew how many times.

Maria was growing frustrated. She was upset with the Captain, she was upset with the notion of the wrongness of her living arrangements and she was upset with her inability to regain her memories. Remembering, it seemed so easy, yet it was her biggest challenge. She cleared her throat. "I'll, ah… I'll return this to Louisa." She spoke, needing time alone, again, to process all this.

"That's quite alright, I'll give it to her..." The Captain stopped her. "It's their dinner time, besides I'm sure your fianceé's already awaiting you."

Now this was awkward... and frustrating. She couldn't decide if she should have felt embarrassed, angry or ashamed. So she felt all three at the same time. Thanks to his tone, she was now certain of the animosity coming from Captain von Trapp.

"I appreciate the concern…" Maria began just as formally. "…but I can spare a few more minutes to personally return the guitar to Louisa."

"Wonderful. But can he spare a few more minutes?" The Captain fired back. Apart from an unconscious and not so nice need to push her buttons, the Captain also wanted to keep her around. Their recent interactions resulted in Maria running away from him. His wife may have been gone and he had concluded it was time to let go, but his curiosity didn't let him rest. He wanted to see what kind of a woman she had become. So keeping her in a conversation, even with a tense undertone, was like an unconscious and very strong need.

"Perhaps you should ask him." Came Maria's answer, with an expression that was all too familiar to the Captain. It made him miss her more which, in turn, let his unrest grow. So did Maria's.

"I'm certain he'd much rather see you." The Captain responded childishly.

Cold yet jealous? Maria was confused and slowly getting irritated. He was apparently calling her on the very thing that had left her conflicted. Was he aware of it or was he just letting her know his approval in his very own way? If so, what right did he have to suggest any kind of impropriety in the only relationship in her life that had made her feeling cared about? What right did he have to intensify her conscience?

So, although unbeknownst to her, just like any other time the Captain had been unjustly unfair, Maria's bluntness and cruel honestly emerged full force for the first time in a very long while. "What he'd much rather see or do is between him and me. You have your own rules you expect to be followed, Captain, so I expect you stay out of my personal affairs."

That did it. Maria had hit yet another nerve, her defiance got to him much the same way it had always had. Despite all determination to let her go, the idea of her being together with Herr Reinard in his house was a different matter. So was being told to stay out of it.

"Your affairs are directly affecting my son. I don't intend to stay out of his life."

Maria's heart sunk for a moment before rage engulfed her. She felt terribly protective of her only family member she knew inside out and whom had been by her side all along. He was her child, the only bond she felt unbreakable in this whole world, and the implication of the Captain's words were not lost on her. While she had felt a mixture of astonishment and worry about finally finding her family, there was a certain extent of joy in her heart, too, upon the aspect of learning who they were. Fighting, tension and rude comments were not on her mind, however. Neither was any kind of notion implied by his tone that her relationship with Ben would affect her son in a bad way. If anything, Captain von Trapp was a stranger to her son, not her would-be fiancé.

Maria had gotten used to (and a pro in) protecting her heart and innermost feelings in the past years. But what she wasn't afraid of was to protect her son like a lioness, no matter what it took. As far as she was concerned, she didn't know Georg von Trapp. That her own judgment was clouded by her own frustration caused by a combination of emotions and events, was lost on her. So she met her alleged husband head on.

"I assure you there's no cause for concern. I have been managing without you just fine and so did he, without being commanded around." Her intentions really weren't to hurt but she spoke nothing but the truth. That it did have to sting was something Maria regarded very little due to her own frustration.

His brows furrowed and there was no mask on his face anymore but the clear sign of anger. She had faced it before but she didn't remember. The Captain had never really put up well with being out of control, yet he had to suffer exactly from that ever since he had to flee his own country. Now that his long lost wife was around, again, he felt he needed his order more than ever to be able to comprehend all that happened. What he forgot was that not only was she not acting like his wife, but neither was she the governess of his children whom he could order around. Yet his tone implied just that. She was merely a guest in his lodge but his desperate attempts to make it clear he did not intend to let his son out of his life weren't conveyed in his most well chosen words. Now he was slapped with the cruel truth in a way no one but Maria could slap him with. Did it sting? It sure did.

"My children come from a prestigious family, I expect them to live up to the reputation. They are my legacy. I refuse to let my children lack manners and the discipline they need to get by. Raising one child is hard enough, bringing up and instilling decorum in seven is an entirely different matter, not quite unlike a group of unruly sailors. But I don't expect you to know that, Fraulein, order isn't exactly your forte." He bit back.

"Yet my son doesn't lack the fundamental things children need; showing him my love."

"Reassuring thought, given the role model he sees on a daily basis. He'll need guidance as he grows, I fully intend to share my knowledge and teach him everything he needs to know."

"Spoken like a true captain."

"I certainly have the experience."

"I expect to, from a decorated naval hero."

"I do tend to live up to the expectations, Fraulein. So naturally, I refuse to miss out any more on Felix' life."

"The only thing you are missing, Captain, is a whistle." And with that, Maria stormed out, leaving an equally upset Captain von Trapp behind. Had he not been so angry, he would have laughed. If she only knew…

Standing outside, now alone, the Captain wished just for that. She was thoughtless in her honestly, fiery in her passionate argument and beautifully infuriating. Exactly the reasons he had fallen in love with her. Spoken like a true Captain. Her words rang in his ears. Was he living up to his own reputation? In truth, he wasn't. Yet again it was none other than Maria who opened his eyes. He had been agonizing over losing his wife and delving in self pity over having her near yet so far, intending to give her up. Oh-ho, no. Captain von Trapp didn't just give up. He certainly didn't just give up on his wife. If he had been on a ship, he would have every intention to go down fighting. If she wanted to see just what kind of a decorated naval hero he was, then he would live up to the expectations indeed – both for her and his own sake. There was just no way he would give Maria up without a fight.

With newfound determination and feeling more motivated than he had in years, the Captain spun around and marched inside the house, too, ready to have his own dinner before a new day would begin.

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That night, before bed, Maria was still restless. Ben had seen the unusual fury in her demeanour but he had learned long ago that if there was something she didn't want to tell him, then she wouldn't. So not surprisingly, every attempt on his part to find out what was wrong, failed. Felix was fast asleep in his crib, and Ben's eyes followed Maria's every move. She wouldn't sit still, instead she rummaged around in the room, apparently to keep herself busy with just about anything. It was when he was ready to disappear in the bathroom to take a shower when Maria stopped him.

"Ben." She called after him softly. "I need to talk to you."

While he initially turned hopeful, thinking maybe she was ready to share what was on her mind, what she had to say did not turn out what he wanted to hear.

"I… I've been thinking." She told him, clearly with some difficulty in articulating her thoughts as she sat next to him on the bed. "So many things happened since we arrived here, there is so much I need to sort out in my head. I've given up hope that I would ever find my family and now that I did… it's so different from what I thought it would be like." Meeting his eyes, Maria told him what she had been thoroughly considering. "You've been nothing less than wonderful and I'm so thankful. I can only hope you will continue to understand and be patient with me. I feel it somehow… improper for us to share a room. The children are so enthusiastic about my return yet must be confused about our living arrangements. I need some time myself to be alone with my thoughts for a little while and…."

She did not need to finish, Ben immediately caught on. "You want me to take another room." He stated and Maria nodded with apologetic eyes.

Ben sighed. This trip was not turning out to be what he hoped it would. He had taken her here with the intention of cozying up to her and strengthening their relationship that he had felt needed more pillars, and instead their lives turned upside down. Yet there was no doubt in his mind that he would grant her wish, as difficult as it seemed. She had been loving once but just when he thought she had began to open up to him, she retreated and the distance gradually grew between them. Neither really acknowledged it but both felt it. But Ben wasn't about to give up. She was a wonderful person and he wouldn't pass up on her.

"Okay." He told her and encircled her in his arm to pull her in for a kiss. To his surprise she returned it, and the warmth of her body almost made him change his mind. But insisting he stayed with her would only alienate her and that wasn't what their relationship needed.

That night Maria slept in the bed alone, feeling an odd mixture of relief and longing. For whom, she wasn't sure.

To Be Continued…