A/N: thanks so much for the latest reviews. Here's the next update - I'm not sure it's as good as the last one but I suppose the last chapter was pretty intense.
He'd awoken in her arms a few hours later with a start, confused and alarmed by his surroundings and it had startled her from her slumber. She'd grasped his face in her hands then and feathered kisses across his cheeks until understanding dawned and he'd relaxed into her with a sigh of relief. They had only an hour or so before the children would wake and discover her missing from her nested position on the floor in the main bedroom, and so he'd pulled her closer, their naked bodies still glowing from the aftermath of their passion, and he'd gradually told her in hushed whispers about everything that had come to pass since they'd parted ways. It was difficult for him, she knew, to voice his fears, to assign his feelings to words - and he'd set his jaw in frustration, his voice hollow and unfeeling as he tried to shove his emotions aside. Maria had stroked her fingers through his hair reassuringly as he spoke, a gesture that she knew would soon become a habit of hers, one that she delighted in - only she would ever have the privilege of such an intimacy with Captain von Trapp. When he finally spoke of Max's sacrifice, his hard voice suddenly cracked with emotion and Maria found her hand had flown to her mouth in dismay.
"Oh, darling," she murmured into Georg's hair compassionately, praying that Max was at least safe, that he'd found his own sanctuary, that he'd somehow made his own escape. The thought of the jovial impresario cooped up in a prison cell, no better than Zeller, filled her with overwhelming sadness. The sheer injustice of such a bright soul being imprisoned was difficult to comprehend.
"He'll have got away," she whispered into the shell of Georg's ear as his words faded into a saddened silence, "that charming sponge manages to weasel his way out of anything, remember?"
He gave a weak smile before reaching down and pulling the covers back wordlessly, slowly revealing her bare breasts to him. Instinctively her arms moved to cover herself up but he gently pushed them away, leaving her skin exposed as he looked upon her hungrily and traced the curves of her body featherlight with his fingertips. At first she thought he was about to end their difficult conversation and turn to her for another physical expression of his emotional struggle, but he made no move to do so. Instead his gaze simply followed the path of his fingers adoringly and then glazed over slightly as though he were deep in thought. She wanted to ask him what was going on behind those darkened eyes but instead she allowed him the silence he needed as he caressed her heated skin, feeling the way her chest began to rise and fall more rapidly under his touch.
As the atmosphere began to thicken with silent desire, he eventually nuzzled into her neck and inhaled deeply, the familiar scent of roses and lavendar soothing his soul just as it had done all those months ago when he'd suffered from amnesia - though he hadn't understood it back then.
"I want to wait here for him," he whispered, his voice thick with a mixture of despair and lust as he licked at her mouth gently, anchoring her body assertively below his own, "at least for a little while."
Maria could only nod submissively, the sensation of his open mouth hot against her skin and his tongue dancing across her lips leaving her entirely incoherent. She knew what he'd said was incredibly important, that they would need to stay in Davos for a time before they moved on if Max were to have any chance of finding them again, but she found her mind was too hazy to consider the implications of his words.
"I have enough money to keep us going for now," he murmured against her breast before taking a nipple in his mouth and suckling possessively, causing the flames to unfurl in her stomach, "I want to stay."
Maria knew it wasn't a request, it was a command - a command that suddenly matched his movements as he pulled her closer assertively, covering her mouth again with his own in a languid kiss that was relentless and demanding, leaving her dizzy with need.
Where their previous lovemaking had been conceived in emotional bedlam, this particular encounter seemed to be all about the physical. He pinned her with his hips and raised their arms above her head, his eyes burning into hers as he wordlessly asked permission to make free with her body. And she found herself acquiescing to his silent request with delighted anticipation and the complete absence of fear - wrapping her long legs around his waist in a flagrant invitation that elicited a low growl from her lover.
Before, it had been slow and agonising, the pleasure building at an excruciatingly unhurried pace. But now - now he seemed to be claiming her in every possible way, rocking their bodies to the heights of pleasure before she'd even had a chance to catch her breath. His eyes conveyed nothing but love and adoration, but his body seemed to be driven by a masculine, animalistic need. He was gentle and protective, yet dominant and insistent all at once and she found that every inch of her body seemed to respond arduously to his possessive ministrations.
Every nerve sizzled, every synapse fired as he took her again and again, his blazing eyes never leaving hers as they lost themselves in the pleasure of one another. As the waves finally began to crash throughout her body, the world fell away once again and Maria found herself clinging to the abyss that they were sharing, knowing that they had precious little time left before they'd have to face reality once more and confront the uncertainty of a new day.
When the sun had begun to rise, Maria had slipped from his arms and snuck back to the main bedroom through the shadows to her place on the floor. At one point she could've sworn Leisl's eyes had snapped open and caught her in the act, but when she'd studied the girl more closely she'd looked as though she was sleeping soundly, none the wiser to her Fraulein's little indiscretion. When everybody had finally risen with the day, Maria and Georg had pulled together a makeshift breakfast from the remainder of the food they'd managed to salvage from the ground after their emotional reunion. Some of it had been spoiled after Maria had dropped it, much to her dismay, but some they'd managed to save and bring back to the accommodation with them.
All nine of them were huddled on the double bed sharing the bread, meats and cheeses sombrely when Georg suddenly fixed her with a knowing look and the hint of a smile. She'd known what he was trying to tell her in those moments - they were safe, they were together, they were a family, and it was time to tell their children about their love for one another.
Clearing his throat, he'd risen from the bed slowly and gestured for Maria to join him, grasping her hand in his as seven pairs of bewildered eyes had snapped to attention to watch them.
"Children.." He'd said, suddenly appearing adorably nervous, "I.. We.. There's something we'd like to tell you.. To ask you.."
Six sets of eyes had narrowed suspiciously while Leisl's had widened with joy, a smile spreading across her youthful face that Maria couldn't help but return.
"I asked your Fraulein to come with us on this journey not just because she's your governess but because... Well, because I love her very much," he'd explained, wrapping an arm around Maria's shoulder, "and - "
"Everybody loves Fraulein Maria father," Marta had interrupted matter of factly, rolling her eyes and eliciting a frustrated shush from Leisl. Dawning understanding had begun to spread across the faces of the three eldest children but for the youngest, the penny still hadn't dropped.
"Well yes.." Georg stammered, "but, when two grown ups love each other - "
"Like how you and uncle Max love each other?" Gretl had asked innocently.
Maria's heart had sunk as she'd seen Georg's eyes flicker with sadness at the mention of his friend's name, "not quite like that sweetheart," he'd choked.
When no more words had come, Maria had clasped his hand tighter and turned to her charges, "what your father is trying to tell you, children, is that he and I love each other very much and would like to get married - if you would like that too of course.."
An eerie silence had reverberated off the walls after she'd spoken and her heart had begun to thud against her chest under the intense scrutiny of seven little faces with eyes narrowed. But much to her relief the little ones had suddenly erupted in cheers of happiness and before she'd known it, Leisl had been wrapping her in a hug while Friedrich had clasped his father's hand in a congratulatory shake, the little ones grasping around their legs in excitable celebration. Maria had breathed a sigh of relief then and had felt her eyes prick with humble tears - knowing that, despite the war, despite the destruction of life as they'd known it, despite the loss and the grief and the unpredictability - she was utterly blessed to have received the love of this wonderful family.
Ten days had passed since that precious moment and the nine of them had fallen into as normal a routine as was possible under their circumstances. Their accommodation was still available to them and the owners asked very few questions as long as Georg could make payment each day. Maria had managed to gather some materials and a small sowing kit from a local store to add to what little clothes they had, they'd found a small church that they could attend on Sundays, and when the sun was shining they would make a habit of taking walks along the riverbed.
Despite the simplicity of their life in Davos, Maria knew that the money Georg had with him wouldn't last forever and war was breaking out right across the border. It wouldn't be long before it became unsafe here and there was still no sign of Max. She'd been starting to lose hope, thinking that perhaps it was time they left Switzerland, but she knew she would need to approach the topic carefully when she decided to talk about it with Georg.
Paying the desk clerk and gathering her small grocery shop in her bag, Maria left the store she'd been in and made her way back to the bed and breakfast. Upon arrival she found the place empty and put the food and other provisions to one side, finding a note on the bed explaining that Georg and the children were down in their favourite spot by the river. She smiled to herself absentmindedly - it was a beautiful afternoon and the weather was perfect for meandering by the water. It had filled her with joy these past few days, watching Georg gradually return to himself, the hopelessness slowly fading from his face when surrounded by the love of his family.
There were times when she'd still see the darkness lurking in his eyes, moments when she'd find him pensive and brooding, lost to his woeful thoughts. But she would wrap her arms around him, or kiss his lips gently, and a small smile would grace his handsome features. She longed to see his dimples again, the very same dimples that dented his cheeks when he grinned broadly or succumbed to a deep, boyish laugh that lit up his features and filled her with a tender rush of love. But she knew it might be a while before he smiled like that again.
She made her way outside into the peaceful ambience of the late afternoon and wandered down the little hill that led to the riverbank where she, Georg and the children had spent recent days walking in the sunshine or skimming stones along the water. Enjoying the sensation of the sun low in the sky as it kissed at her exposed skin, she thought about how she'd come to like Davos - it was a beautiful, green place after all, with lots of wilderness and nooks and crannies to explore - it reminded her very much of the villages near her mountain and it made her long for home. She knew she'd be sad to leave this place.
Eventually she rounded the corner and spotted the children down by the bank but, much to her confusion, Georg was nowhere to be seen. Her brow furrowed slightly as she stepped closer, finding the children huddled together suspiciously as they watched her approach, whispering secretively and grinning from ear to ear - she suspected, with an inward smile, that they were up to no good. Just as she was about to ask them what they were doing and where their father was, they suddenly stood up straight in formation and, much to her bewilderment, they began to sing.
"What on earth.." She muttered, watching their little faces light up as the notes of The Sound of Music rang out against the backdrop of the gradually setting sun, their voices every bit as beautiful as they had been the very first day she'd heard them. She watched, baffled, as they continued their soulful melody, her eyes full of questions, until Leisl caught her gaze with a broad grin and gave an inclination of her head towards a nearby tree.
Maria spun round to follow the girl's eye line and what she saw suddenly took her breath away. There, in one of the surrounding willows, with deep dimples etched into his handsome face, the very same dimples that made her weak at the knees, was Georg, his long legs dangling from the branch playfully as he gazed down at her with a boyish grin spread across his features. On the bark next to him was a marking, one that she'd seen before, and she knew instantly what it was. It was another symbol of hope, another representation of love - another beautifully carved "M+G".
Wordlessly, he reached out a hand to her from his position on the branch, and she found her feet moving her closer of their own accord, her mouth hanging open in bewilderment. When she finally grasped his outstretched fingers, he helped her up into the tree and settled her next to him, never taking his eyes from hers. The children's sweet voices rose high above them as they watched on knowingly and Maria was convinced her heart was about to burst from her ribs.
Georg brought her hand to his lips then and kissed it gently before placing her palm against his chest where his own heart thundered for her.
"I know it's not our tree," he murmured, stroking his fingertips down her cheek with an adorable smile, "but I wanted to give you the next best thing."
Maria could only stare at him in awe, words entirely failing her as a rich warmth spread throughout her entire body.
"Now, I don't have a ring," he smiled bashfully, "but I do have a quartet," he gestured to his singing brood, "and I have a sunset," he looked to the hills where the sun had begun to kiss the peaks of the Alps, "and I have a beautiful woman by my side.."
She blushed deeply then and his smile only broadened. He wondered briefly whether she'd always blush like that in his arms. He hoped that she would.
"I can't give you the real proposal you deserve Maria but I can give you my whole heart, my soul, my everything - until we grow old together," he murmured, his eyes burning with adoration, "well, older, in my case..."
They shared a wry smile as a lump began to form in Maria's throat.
"I know the future is uncertain but there's one thing I've never been surer of," he whispered, "I want to spend the rest of it with you by my side," he kissed her cheek where the skin still prickled from his touch, the light stubble of his jaw brushing against her and causing her to burn all over, "marry me my darling," he murmured into the shell of her ear, leaving her entirely breathless.
She was struck dumb by his moving gesture, rendered utterly speechless by the love she saw reflected back at her in his blue eyes, and all she could do was nod wordlessly, her face breaking into a watery grin as the tears of joy that pricked her eyes threatened to fall. He laughed heartily then, pulling her into an embrace, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and sank against him to a sudden chorus of whoops and cheers from their young audience on the ground. A buoyant laugh tore from her own throat then, finding nothing but joy in the faces of their little brood as they waved up at her from their musical formation. She sighed contentedly against Georg's chest, his strong arms encasing her protectively as she listened to the soft thrum of his heartbeat. Never before had she felt so loved, so needed, so cherished. And she knew, as she nuzzled into his masculine frame, that despite the desperate circumstances, despite the impending danger, despite the ugliness of war, she was very much exactly where she belonged.
That evening they celebrated as a family underneath the willow tree as the last of the sunshine faded behind the hills. Georg was sat with his back against the trunk, his legs stretched out before him on the grass as he watched his children taking part in a boisterous stone skimming competition not too far away. He grinned to himself as he watched Gretl attempt to skim a small stone and miss the water completely, stamping her foot impatiently as it bounced off the riverbed and dropped into the river with a heavy plonk.
He caught Maria's eye and she gave him a breathtaking smile before coming to join him against the trunk of the tree. She sank into a sitting position next to him and took his hand, pressing it to her lips as she too watched the children play their game as though oblivious to the danger lying on their doorstep. It was an incredibly beautiful sight, observing them in all their childish innocence as they exuded a sense of calm and tranquility that left her feeling entirely at peace.
"Louisa takes the competitive element rather seriously doesn't she.." She laughed, watching the girl becoming increasingly more insistent on the edge of the riverbank.
"I have absolutely no idea where she gets it from," Georg replied in mock obliviousness, eliciting an amused raise of the eyebrows from his fiancé.
"No, I can't possibly imagine.." She retorted sarcastically and he smiled, wanting very much to give her another kiss but knowing it was most likely inappropriate in public and in front of their children.
They fell into a comfortable silence as they watched the game unfolding, his fingertips tracing absentmindedly up and down her forearm as they relaxed against one another. She knew that she ran the risk of ruining such a precious moment, of spoiling the blanket of peace that had temporarily shrouded them, but she wanted to say what needed to be said before she lost her nerve.
Choosing her words carefully, she leant closer to him, her eyes glazed with concern, "Georg..."
"I know." He stated, before she'd even had a chance to speak, tearing his saddened eyes from the children and meeting her compassionate gaze in silent understanding, "I know. We need to leave Switzerland."
She gripped his hand tighter, stroking the side of his face in comfort, "He'll be okay," she whispered, wanting to reassure him that his guilt about leaving Max behind was entirely unfounded.
"It's my fault though," he choked, his face hardening, "he could be anywhere. I just left him."
"But he was right Georg, you had a family that needed you," she chastised, desperately trying to make him see reason before she lost him to the despair that still haunted his eyes, "we would've been entirely lost if you hadn't found us."
He set his jaw in anguish, pulling her closer still and instinctively she knew he needed to lose himself in her body again. She'd already become accustomed to the telltale signs of his longing for her - the way he'd move their bodies closer, the way he'd clench his jaw in frustration, the way his eyes would darken with a heady lust that set her body alight. They had barely touched each other since their emotional night together when Georg had first found them, and the lack of intimacy was beginning to take its toll. Maria had found herself lying away most nights in her nest on the floor, consumed with flashbacks of heated gasps against skin and skilled fingers marking her flesh, leaving her ragged and desperate, a deep ache settling in her groin as she thought of him only mere feet away in the second bedroom. It must've been equally, if not more frustrating for him, she knew - to be unable to find solace in her body when he craved it most. Instead, they had settled for quick, chaste kisses when the children were otherwise occupied. But it was nowhere near enough.
"I need you so badly," he growled suddenly, his words reaching into her ears and striking an arrow straight to her heart, "I need it so badly I can still taste you."
Liquid fire roared to life in the pit of her stomach before it was extinguished abruptly by Marta running over and showing them a flower she'd picked from the riverbank. Maria managed to regain just enough composure to tell the girl it was lovely, watching her scamper back to her siblings happily, before she turned back Georg.
"Soon," she managed to choke, and he nodded dangerously, kissing her hand again and leaving a searing mark where his lips made contact.
He sighed sombrely and looked out towards his children again, his brow furrowed in thought.
"We'll marry here in Davos in the little church," he eventually murmured, meeting her gaze again with sorrowful eyes, "and then we'll move on. As husband and wife."
She nodded reassuringly, placing a loving kiss on his lips and praying that her eyes conveyed everything words couldn't, "yes my darling," she whispered, "As husband and wife."
A/N: I hope you liked Georg's little gesture. Oh, Christopher Plummer's dimples! I can imagine Georg wanting to give Maria his best shot in terms of giving her a proper proposal so I hope I did it justice. Next update very soon and the story will be gradually drawing to its natural end! Thanks for sticking with me.