Okay, so this is basically a random idea that wouldn't leave me alone. Right now it stands as a one shot, but I do hope to go back and finish it one day. But since I never can manage to update anything, I figured I'd make it have a nice little ending, incase I never return to it. But yes, this is just a short (or not so short, haha it kind of ran away with me) little…thing, a 'what if' of sorts. I hope you enjoy and please review, they make me smile. (:

Disclaimer: Yep, I definitely own The Sound of Music. Oh, you meant the rights? Yeah, no. I don't own those. Just a DVD copy.

Captain Georg von Trapp had the worst headache. After dealing with that absurd excuse for a governess he escaped to the quiet seclusion of his study. He attempted to work for a bit, before the dull ache in his head became too much to ignore. He still had time before dinner for a quick nap, or at least a rest. Not wishing to run the risk of running into anyone on the way to his room, their voices magnifying the pain, he lay on the small couch opposite his desk. He didn't use it often, but now seemed to be the perfect excuse.

George never actually believed he would sleep, but soon he was drifting off, the world slowly slipping away. Soon he was no longer on the couch, but standing in a dark room, someone walking toward him.

"Agathe?" He asked in disbelief.

"Hello Georg." She smiled.

"What? How?" The captain took a deep breath. "I've missed you."

"I know you have," she said, reaching her hand up to graze his cheek. "And while I've missed you, I haven't been too happy with you."

He hung his head, aware to what she was referring to, his treatment of their children.

"You're allowed to miss me, darling, but it shouldn't consume you. You need to move on."

"Move on?" Georg sputtered. Was she suggesting he find someone else? As if his wife could ever be replaced.

"I know you loved me, that you will always love me. But now, you deserve to be happy."

"Elsa," He started.

Agathe smiled slightly. "Yes, Elsa. She is a wonderful woman, but are you sure she's the right one for you? For our children?"

You're the only one, he wanted to say but stopped himself. He would never fall in love again, and Else was a good choice.

"There's something I want you to see. You're really not allowed, but," she grinned sheepishly. "What's one little rule, huh?"

"Show me what?"

"What you can have, if you let it happen," Agathe said simply. "Will you let me show you?"

"Of course," he said automatically. Suddenly a light appeared at the other end of the room. Agathe took his hand and walked him towards it.

"All you have to do, is go through there."

Georg looked at her. "You're not coming with me?"

She shook her head. "This is something you need to experience on your own." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I will always love you."

"And I you," he responded.

Agathe smiled. "Now, go." She nudged him forward. "See what you're missing out on."

With one last look at his wife, the captain walked into the light.

It happened like a movie, with Georg watching, experiencing, feeling, yet having no control over anything. Georg stared on as he saw himself walk out his front door and glance up at the Nazi flag hanging in front of it. Disgusted, the man before him reached up and yanked it down, before beginning to tear it in two. He was almost done when voices distracted him.

Cries of "Father!" made the man's head snap up, and Georg turned too. His children were all in his car, pulling in the driveway with who looked to be Max at the wheel. Confusion cascaded over Georg. They'd been out with Max? Without their uniforms? The children hadn't greeted him like that in such a long time. However, the man in the dream was not confused. He smiled as his children drove up, obviously happy to see them.

"Hello! Hello! Hello!" He called, coming to open the door.

"We didn't expect you back so soon!"

"Did you bring us anything from Paris?"

He'd been in Paris? Georg was accustomed to going out of town for months at a time, but never to Paris. He was still confused as to when Max had arrived. And what was he doing with the children? Where the devil was tomboyish governess he'd hired to keep watch over them? He knew the children weren't fond of her, but had they really gotten rid of her so soon that Max had been the only one left to watch over them?

"Hello!" Another voice called and Georg looked back. Well at least that explained where the governess was.

Except she looked nothing like the future nun that had graced his door step that afternoon. She was wearing a beautiful yellow dress suit, the neckline, which was much less modest than the gray thing she'd been wearing, was accented by a small pendant. She looked stunning. But she'd been coming from the house. He'd been alone with the governess while the children were out?

His children flew to her, just as excited to see her. Apparently she'd grown on them while he was away.

"Why didn't you telephone us?" Friedrick asked.

"Well we tried to but we couldn't get through," she answered.

He'd been away, in Paris, with her? His children's governess? That was…preposterous. There was no way he would break protocol that way. Yet, it appeared so. And no one seemed upset about it, least of all the man he was in the dream.

He looked at Max with a tight smile and held up the crumpled up Nazi flag.

"I had nothing to do with that Georg."

"We came back as fast as we could." He turned to his children. "Well, well, well we missed you!" He grabbed Marta and picked her up. When was the last time Georg had acted in such a way around them?

"We missed kissing you goodnight." The governess smiled at them.

"We missed all the noise you make in the morning telling each other to be quiet."

"Mostly we missed hearing you sing."

His children were singing?

"Oh you came back just in time!" Brigitta exclaimed. "Look Fraulein Maria-I mean mother-we're going to sing in the festival tonight."

Mother? Mother? He'd married her? It had to have been recent if his daughter was still trying to remember the name change. Paris. They must have been on their honeymoon. And the look Maria gave him, as Brigitta called her mother, oh, it made her even more beautiful. The dream version of him, however, was slowing losing his excitement as he reached over his children's heads to grab the program out of his daughter's hand.

"Surprise, surprise!" Max chuckled nervously.

Georg shot him a look before smiling at his children. "Alright, surprises for you on the terrace." The young ones hurried off, Liesl staying behind with Maria. "We'll talk about this inside."

"Georg, I would've told you but you were away," Max said as they walked in the villa. "I had to make a last minute decision. I was fortunate to enter them at all."

"Max."

"They'll be the talk of the festival."

"Max." Georg's tone was more insistent.

"Imagine, seven children at one time."

"Max! Some how I recall having made it quite clear how I feel about my family singing in public."

He did?

"But," Max continued. "The committee heard them and they were enchanted."

"Oh, Max what did they say?" Maria asked.

"I have never heard such enthusiasm."

"Oh, darling don't you think just this once?"

Georg looked back at her. "Absolutely out of the question."

"Georg. This is for Austria."

"Austria?" He laughed. "There is no Austria."

"The Anchluss happen peacefully, lets at least be grateful for that."

"Grateful?" Georg shouted. The room froze at the change in mood. "You know Max, sometimes I don't believe I know you."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maria start towards him, but his oldest daughter cut her off.

"Father, I forgot. This is for you." She handed him and telegram and he took it, before disappearing into his study.

Georg was startled out of his dream by Franz alerting him to dinner. He waved the butler off, telling him he'd be down shortly. He quickly began to make himself look presentable, trying desperately to erase the images from his dream. He'd dreamt of the governess. He'd dreamt of marrying the governess. Sure, she was young and beautiful, he supposed, though you couldn't tell under the hideous thing of a dress she'd worn from the Abbey that afternoon. But the woman in his dreams had been beautiful, stunning. He would've never guessed how attractive she would look with more form fitting attire.

But it wasn't just her clothing, it was the smile on her face, the glow she had around her, being surrounded by his children, their children. She looked like she belonged.

Georg physically shook himself. She was his governess. This wasn't some bizarre dream. She was the governess, a future nun. He should not be thinking of her this way. It was just a silly dream.

When he arrived at the dinner table, his children were already seated, their conversations coming to a halt as he entered the room. Things were just the way they always were. And yet…and yet he suddenly wanted the noise. The laughter, the teasing. He wanted to see the bright, smiling faces of his children as they giggled with one another. Angry with himself, he pushed those thoughts aside as he sat down. It was then he noticed the chair across from him was empty. Where the devil was the-?

The sound of hurrying footsteps filled the air just before the children's governess, Fraulein Maria, came bounding into the room. She slowed as she entered and walked to her seat.

"Good evening, children."

"Good evening, Fraulein Maria," They said together. Georg watched as Maria sat down in her chair, only to shoot back up again, a startled cry escaping her lips.

He smiled as he remembered the pinecone trick. This one was a classic. "Enchanting little ritual. Something you learned at the Abbey?"

"No, uh, it's um…rheumatism," she said and sat down again. One of Georg's eyebrows rose. She didn't call the children on their prank? Interesting.

They picked up their forks and began to eat in silence.

"Excuse me, Captain. Haven't we forgotten to thank the Lord?"

Georg looked up at Maria-Fraulein Maria-and sat down his silverware with an annoyed eye roll. His children followed in suit.

"For what we are about to receive may the Lord make us truly thankful, Amen."

"Amen," he said after her.

"Amen." The children were last. The room began eating again.

After a few moments of silence, Maria spoke again. "I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for the gift you left in my pocket earlier today."

Everyone had turned to her when she started speaking, the children's faces turning from blank to angry while she spoke. Georg had a feeling he knew what she was talking about, the von Trapp children always had a not so wonderful welcome gift for their new governesses, but decided to see where she'd take this.

"Um, what gift?" He asked.

She seemed to pick up on the angry stares. "It's meant to be a secret, Captain between the children and me."

Once again, she wasn't going to tell on them? Every other governess had run to him immediately whenever one of his children played a prank on them. This one had two opportunities to turn them in and still she said nothing. Very intriguing.

"Uh huh, then I suggest that you keep it, and let us eat."

He expected her to keep quiet, but of course she didn't. "Knowing how nervous I must have been, a stranger in a new household. Knowing how important it was for me to feel accepted. It was so thoughtful of you to make my first moments here so warm, and happy, and pleasant."

Maria's-Fraulein Maria's, he needed to stop calling her that-speech had been delivered in the most cheerful of voices, as if what that had given her was actually a gift, and not some rodent or whatever else his children could find. He knew what she was doing of course, and it was a very smart move. Maybe his prank loving sons and daughters had finally met their match with this one.

Fraulein Maria's words seemed to have gotten to at least one of them, Marta's crying breaking the silence. Soon the others followed only the boys and Liesl were the only ones not crying and even they had dejected looks on their faces.

"Uh, Fraulein? Is it to be at every meal, or merely at just dinner time, that you intend on leading us through this rare, and wonderful new world of indigestion?"

The governess smiled at him. "Oh, they're alright, Captain, they're just happy."

This woman definitely had spunk, a trait that seemed to be lacking as of late in the people Georg had chosen to surround himself with. There was something about her; something he couldn't place, but it made him feel…it made him feel. And that was something he hadn't done in a long time.

In his dream, Agathe had told him it was time to move on, and at least the dream version of his dead wife appeared to believe that he would find what he needed in Maria. Georg frowned. He was analyzing this too much. It was just a dream. A silly, odd, dream that held no stock in reality. There was no possibility of him falling in love with the future nun currently playing the role of governess. He would go see, Elsa, probably marry her before the summer was out, and the nun would scurry back to her convent. There was no use entertaining any other thoughts.

But, oh, she did have a radiant smile.