It took a while, I know. And it's probably not what you expected.

But still, I hope you enjoy chapter two of this story.

XxXxX

Georg von Trapp looked around the grounds from the elevated stone terrace of the villa. He looked at the rose garden and the maze, let his eyes drift across the meadow towards the gazebo. But nowhere could he see the upset young woman that had left the table only a few minutes ago. He was sure she had run toward the lake, but his eyes couldn't find her. He went with his instincts, after all, they had served him well in many a situation. The captain walked toward the broad stone landing, and finally he could make out faint sniffles. He saw her sitting in the rowboat that was moored underneath an old oak tree. The governess was a picture of misery, never had he seen the young woman like this. She was always so cheerful and in good spirits. Whatever nerve Gretl had unconsciously hit, the words of his little girl had hurt Maria deeply.

Maria. That's who she had become to him. She never was the "little Fräulein", as Elsa liked to call her so condescendingly. Yes, she was a postulant and she was the governess for the summer. But he never looked down at her. Their yelling match right here at this very landing had opened his eyes to the person Maria was: Young, unconventional and very passionate about his children. And pretty to boot. She had taken his children's side, fought for them. That took courage, he knew. Her words had come back to him, time and time again. How his children needed him, their father. How they were growing up without him recognizing it. How he needed to guide them and teach them. She was right, in everything she had said and accused him of. She made him listen – and he heard all she said, even what she'd told him between the lines.

In the following weeks, he had done his best to change, to be there for them all. He had bonded with his brood, through all kinds of activities that Maria always encouraged. In the beginning, she had suggested that he spend a day with every child individually, getting to know his offspring once more. What a marvelous idea that was! Through the activities that each child chose, he had learned so many things.

XxXxX

Liesl had indeed become the young lady that Maria had hinted at. She was beautiful, just like his late wife had been. And she had developed a good set of morals, he thought. After a long day of visiting several churches around Salzburg on Liesl's insistence, she had talked to him about the telegram deliverer, her boyfriend. "It just doesn't feel right to sneak out behind your back, father", she had simply said. He was floored by her honesty and trust. He had hugged her to his chest tightly and asked to get to know the young man who had foolishly used the Nazi's ridiculous greeting with him.

Georg and his eldest daughter talked like two adults, about many topics. They talked about Agathe and about the time after her death, when Liesl was practically a mother to her younger siblings. He learned that she had a keen interest in art history, thus her wish to visit some of the churches that were hard to reach without a car from Aigen. Her knowledge was amazing, and he was sure she would wish to attend university and study the field more in depth.

Friedrich was both angry and confused. He was at an awkward age and Georg realized that he was desperately looking for a role model to look up to. Just like his brother and sisters, he hadn't seen much of his father in the last couple of years, growing up surrounded by girls. Georg took the car out to one of the paved roads outside Salzburg and sped along with his oldest son who was enjoying the time with his father. They talked about the facts of life, and Georg answered all questions that Friedrich had, man to man. He found out that his son was rather shy and introverted, but had a great head for music. While his singing was somewhat difficult at the moment, he had learned to play the piano very well and could also play the guitar and the violin. Georg vowed to himself to spend as much time as possible with his oldest boy, to help him find his way and show him the opportunities life had to offer to a gifted musician like him.

Louisa, his tomboy, wanted to go horseback riding. So he took her out to the stables and went on a long trip with her, bringing along a picnic backpack. They rode through the beautiful countryside, enjoying the opportunity to be wild and free. When they finally agreed on a spot for their picnic lunch, Louisa and he quarreled, yelled at each other and fought for a good while, although none of the two could remember what the trigger was. Suddenly, he saw that tears were streaming down Louisa's face and she was fighting for control. He went closer to her and simply took her in his arms without a word. He apologized profoundly to his most hotheaded child and she said that she was trying to understand why he behaved in such a way to his children who were also missing their mother so much. Georg shed a few tears as well and tried his best to explain, to make Louisa understand how difficult the time after Agathe's death was for him. She seemed to realize what he was trying to put into words and was very touched by his obvious emotions. Again and again he thought that she was so much like him, hotheaded but also very passionate about the people and things she cared about. They agreed to talk to each other frequently and openly, and went back to the stables long after sunset - in a race that Louisa won.

Kurt surprised him most. He had learned in the last couple of weeks that his younger son easily ate as much as himself, and was still constantly hungry. "Just like your mother", he told the boy when they were en route to their location. Like all the children, Kurt was starved for information about his mother, as he hardly had any memories of her or any other mother figure, until Fräulein Maria came along. "Really?" he asked in surprise. "But she looks so slim on the photograph that we have of her." "She was", the Captain confirmed, "but she was always on the move, chasing you kids, playing and running with you." "Just like Fräulein Maria", Kurt said.

Yes, Georg thought. Just like Maria. The young woman was so much like Agathe in many regards, and yet so very different in others. He had never thought much about it, but suddenly many things became very clear. This was the moment when he swore to himself that he would get to know the postulant better who had been sent from the abbey – and had become their own personal savior, it seemed.

Kurt had wished for a visit in the kitchens of the Hotel Goldener Hirsch, the finest in the city. Not only did he like to eat, he was also very interested in food and how the ingredients of a meal were put together in order to prepare a fine dish. That interest was unusual for an eleven-year-old, Georg thought. But with his connections he could grant Kurt his wish and was surprised when the boy asked many questions and actually helped the kitchen staff prepare some of the food. During their dinner Georg asked the boy about his knowledge and skill. "Fräulein Maria taught me a lot about fruit and vegetables, what to do with them, how to handle and prepare them. Whenever we'd go on one of our picnics, she would make sure we'd go to the market in the city first and buy fresh things. She made us all try everything and figure out what we liked and what we didn't like."

Georg was impressed, as especially fresh vegetables were not necessarily what his children loved to eat. "She also encouraged me to talk to our chef, learn about the composition of meals. And after a while I was allowed to help, to prepare things, to peel, to cut – everything that needs to be done." Georg sat stunned. He remembered how he hated each and every minute he had to spend in the kitchens of the ships he served on as a young sailor. Peeling potatoes was always the worst punishment for whatever he might have done against the rules.

Father and son had a few good laughs about their adventures in the kitchen and Kurt promised to prepare the food for their next picnic. "But you won't be able to taste anything then, father. You never come with us", he said innocently. Georg had already vowed to himself that he would get to know that mountain that their Fräulein called her own. He wanted to know what was so special about that place – after all, there were so many mountains around their beautiful hometown. "Oh, I will, next time you go. I promise you that."

For his bookworm Brigitta the Captain had prepared a very special trip. They went to Vienna, where they could see one of the very few editions of Guttenberg's first bible that was on exhibition in the National Library. Brigitta was in awe of the elaborate work and the history, and of the incredible amount of books that she could see. But even more than that, she reveled in the time she spent with her father. Besides Martha, his middle daughter was the most sensitive of the children and would tear up when things got too intense. But her tears were very different from the angry tears that Louisa had shed. Brigitta just wanted the world around her to be her save haven, a place from which she didn't have to escape into the fictional worlds of her books.

Martha was the child that Georg felt most indebted to – he had consciously avoided her seventh birthday just a few weeks ago. Sitting in Vienna, he had not been good company on that day. Of course he knew all his childrens' birthdays, and he had fled Salzburg, knowing that it was hard for Martha and the other children to celebrate their special days. And even harder without their father around. So first, he took the other early riser beside himself out to a very posh breakfast in one of Salzburg's finest cafés, and treated his little girl like a very special lady. After the shops had opened, he made sure she got her pink parasol. And a pretty dress to go with it. Martha also had a lot of questions about her mother and felt very sad that she couldn't remember her at all. Georg recaptured stories from the life of the von Trapps at the times when all the children came along.

And then it was time for his biggest surprise: since it was Saturday, he found a matinee performance by a very famous ballet company. He took his little girl, and both were overwhelmed by the powerful music and the beautiful dancing. Martha was fast asleep on the way back in the car after such an eventful and special day. But after her father had tenderly put her to bed with the help of Fräulein Maria, she unconsciously held on to him for a long while.

He lay down beside Martha in the small bed and let her fall back into her deep slumber, thinking about all the things he had done wrong since his Agathe had died. And he shed tears in the dark. Tears that wouldn't come after she had taken her last breath, after the funeral or at special dates after that. His sadness had change into anger and sarcasm, a behavior he deeply regretted. And now, after a beautiful day with the girl he hardly knew but loved with all his heart, he finally broke down and cried.

That's how Fräulein Maria found him after a long time, on her round to look in to all the childrens' rooms before she retired to bed herself. She sat beside him on the bed and handed him her white lacy handkerchief, too overwhelmed by this formidable man's honest tears to do anything else. He didn't feel embarrassed that she had seen him like this. He didn't try to hide. He knew she understood. She gave him a hand getting up from Martha's bed and wiped some of the moisture away from his cheek. They made their way out of the little girl's room hand in hand. And when they separated by the door, she gave his fingers a gentle squeeze.

The very next day was Gretl's turn. With her, Georg went to a "Wildpark" close by. Not really a zoo, but a huge park where all the animals could be observed that are native to the mountainous regions of Austria. Gretl had a lot of fun with her "Papa" and was mostly happy about the fact that she could ask him any question that came to mind, lots of them how he was as a boy. And that she could snuggle up to him or hold his hand whenever she felt like it. Never had she experienced such warmth from her father – and she hoped that this man never changed back to the Captain von Trapp she had grown up with until now.

So Maria's gentle encouragement and support had basically brought his children back. He was so proud of each and every one of them of their knowledge and their accomplishments. And finally, two days after his excursion with his youngest daughter, he made it up to Maria's mountain. They did what they always did, and he accompanied them happily. They went to the market and bought a wide array of food that they carried in the baskets that they had brought along. The Captain was astonished how well his children listened to their Fräulein and how attentive they were to each other. Maria would do a little bit of teaching here and there, but the children weren't even aware as she wrapped the mini-lessons up in games that were challenging and fun for everyone.

As he lay in bed that night, he couldn't remember a happier day in a long, long time. Everybody got along splendidly, there was music, games and laughter. The food on the picnic blanket was simple yet tasty, and Kurt, with Maria's guidance, had even picked wildflowers from a nearby meadow and threw together a colorful and delicious salad for the family. Georg had been given a second chance with his children. And he was determined not to waste it.

XxXx

Now he was walking along the landing towards his very unhappy governess. Maria was sitting on the hard wooden bench of the old rowboat, still crying her eyes out, it seemed. And he had no idea how he could make her tears stop, how to make her feel better. But he would find out. Even if he couldn't solve her problem, he could be there for her, just like she had been for him, for them. He pulled his own starched handkerchief out of his pocket and approached the vessel slowly. He did not want to frighten or spook her.

She heard his footsteps on the stones and turned her head to see who was disturbing her in her misery. As soon as she saw his shoes and the familiar grey trousers, she tried to hide her face in her hands. She didn't want to see anyone in this particular moment. But there he was, her handsome employer – and he surprised her. He leaned down towards her, gestured to the rowboat and asked "would you like to go on a little tour on the lake?" When she didn't answer for a while, he sat down opposite her, shaking the wooden boat quite a bit. He checked the oars and looked at her, repeating his question quietly: "May I take you on a ride?" She slowly nodded her assent and he pushed the boat away from the landing. With powerful strokes he took them away from the villa, around the waters of the lake.

-schnipp-

Disclaimer: I do not own The Sound of Music or any of its characters.

Flashbacks seem to find me - I hope it wasn't too confusing. Please... let me know what you think :)