Hi,

So this story started out Louisa centered but unconsiously (unconsiously? Who am I kidding? Everybody needs some early awkward but cute Georg and Maria in their life!) Anyway it started out as a Louisa centered story because she is probably my favorite of the children and I don't think she gets mentioned/represented enough, but then as I continued writing, it became more about Georg and Maria. So it'll just be a mix I quess?

Happy Reading!

Maria lay in bed her many thoughts giving her little to no chance to sleep. September was edging closer and Maria's stomach got heavier by the day. How could she not get attached

to those children? She dreaded the day to have to say goodbye to them. She almost felt like a mother- She quickly shoved that thought to somewhere in the back of her mind.

You're not their mother! She reminded herself. Not even a second after scolding herself for such a thought she heard someone scream.

"Mother!"

"Louisa…!" She recognized the girls voice immediately and as fast as she could got up from her bed. Quickly slipping on her robe she made a run for the hallway just before hearing her scream again.

"Mother!"

Maria entered the room not knowing the captain was behind her also having heard that same piercing cry. But instead of going in the he stayed back looking through the small gap between door and doorframe. Maria quickly went over to Louisa's bed and knelt down beside her.

"Shhh…" She brushed a few strands of hair away from the girls face "It's alright…"

She gently placed one of her hands on Louisa's arm to steady her.

"Mother!" Came the cry again but this time a bit softer.

"I'm here…" It slipped out before she could even think of something else to say "I'm here sweetheart" She said it again. She softly stoked her face with the back of her hand. Louisa flinched and her cries got louder again.

"Mother!" she started wriggling under Maria's hold wanting to free herself from her grasp as if trying to reach something or someone "Mother I am so sorry!"

The captain had told Maria that it might have been Louisa's scarlet fever that infected his late wife. The captain still stood in the hallway now completely baffled as to how a child, an innocent child, could ever even think that something like this was her fault. If only he'd been there for her sooner… He inwardly cursed himself for being such a fool. He was blind. Totally blind. That interlude after their trip in the lake was only the beginning. How was he ever going make his daughter truly believe that this wasn't her fault.

They just need time, captain. He remembered the comforting words the governess told him. Then he also remembered another quote he read somewhere once but never seemed to forget.

It has been said that time heals all wounds. The truth is that time does not heal anything. It merely passes. It is what we do during the passing of time that helps or hinders the healing process.

"It is what we do during the passing of time that helps or hinders the healing process..." He repeated the last words. He needed to be with his children and set things right. He- his thoughts suddenly stopped when he heard the fräulein speak again. But this time she said something he hadn't heard in a very long time.

"Lou…"

He remembered the time when his wife first used that silly nickname…

"Come here my little Lou! I am coming to get you!" A 6 month pregnant Agathe von Trapp ran after her now loudly giggling daughter as fast as her swollen feet would carry her.

"No- M-mother please…!" She answered finally surrendering to her mother falling into the soft grass.

"Now I've got you!" She said lowering herself down next to her daughter tickling her sides making her giggle even more.

Georg von Trapp sat a few feet away carrying their almost one-year-old son in his lap entangled in a game of memory with Friedrich and Liesl just enjoying the display before him.

"Now is that a proper way for a Baroness to behave?" He said with a small chuckle, mimicking one of the baronesses in their social circle.

"Hmm… Tell me children, is this a proper way for a Baroness to behave?" Agathe asked her children in mock seriousness.

"I think," Liesl started "I think that- that- if you are someone's mother you can act that way because you love your children" She said showing a big smile.

"What do you think Lou?" Georg asked his youngest daughter who was still wrapped his wife's arms

"Papaaa…! You can't call me Lou!" She said crossing her arms in irritation

"Oh?" He raised a curious eyebrow at his daughter

"Only Mama can call me that… be-because she is my Mother" She replied with a huff as if it was common knowledge.

"Oh I see. And how did this mother of yours think of such a silly name?" Georg gave his wife a suspicious look.

"Georg, it's not silly, it's cute." She sighed "It just came to me one day" She she continued her face now showing a smile.

"Shhh… Lou… It's not your fault…"

Georg was pulled out of his thoughts upon hearing the governess's voice again.

"I'm not going anywhere…" Maria felt Louisa's body calm down and her breathing started to slow down to a more regular tempo. She felt that knot in her stomach again when the last sentence left her mouth. She was leaving coming September and was in truth going somewhere.

"Mother…" She said again but now barely audible slowly opening her eyes vaguely aware of what was happening.

"Shhh… I'm here… Go back to sleep darling…" She whispered softly stroking Louisa's face until her features turned soft again and she started to drift back into a more peaceful sleep.

She really was the perfect example of a mother. Showing unconditional love to his children while having only known them short of 2 months.

Captain von Trapp was so consumed by his thoughts that he didn't even hear let alone see the governess enter the hallway again. But in return the governess was also in too deep a thought to notice the captain.

"Ouch!" Georg winced out in pain as the door came in contact with his nose and forehead.

"Oh! I- Captain- I- Didn't see you- are you alright?!" She instantly recognized his voice.

"I'm alright… I think…" He moved his hand to touch his face only to pull it back instantly wincing out in pain again.

"Captain! You're bleeding! You must have someone take a look at that!"

"Yes I probably should… I have a first aid kit in my-" Bathroom. He quickly rephrased. His en suite bathroom wasn't exactly… an appropriate place for his governess to be in. "I think we have a first aid kit in the kitchen."

She followed him down the stairs into the dimly lit foyer. The large room was dead silent except for the two occupants' steady breathing. Upon entering the kitchen the captain clicked a switch which turned on the lights above the stove and a few lights coming from underneath the upper cabinets. He started opening a few drawers frantically looking for that blasted first aid kit.

"Looking for this?" Maria held up the box with first aid supplies.

"Seven children will hurt themselves at least once if not more in one day so it mustn't come to a surprise that the governess would know where to find it"

He let out a deep sigh "I guess… not…" He replied a bit more irritated than he would have liked but the governess didn't seem to notice his temper or she deliberately chose to ignore it. He heard the sound of running water and saw Maria over the sink.

"I'll be right there I'm just fetching a cloth to clean your wound with"

She returned to the kitchen table and took a seat in front of him.

"Captain I really am sorry…" She said fidgeting with the piece of fabric she held in her hands

"It's alright fräulein really, accidents happen to the best of us" He replied giving her a gentle smile. The smile however faded when he felt the cold cloth against his skin.

"Ahh!" he flinched away from the cold sensation but he instantly relaxed when he felt the Maria's hand cupping his chin

"I can't clean it if you don't stay still captain," She firmed her grip while moving the cloth to clean up the small wound once more.

"You are a natural…" He breathed out as she continued to work on his wounds "W-With the children I mean" He corrected himself.

"Well, I did study to become a teacher plus; it really isn't that difficult to fall in love with your children"

"Yes so it seems…" Georg hesitated, as if not sure how candid he should be.

"Maria… the way you comforted Louisa… I could never do that. They would never trust me enough to come even that close to them…"

"I beg to differ captain; the children talk of nothing else but you, especially the little ones" She gave him a comforting smile

"That nickname you gave Louisa…"

"Oh- It just came to me one day…" Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink not really sure if the captain would approve of her use of such an informal name on his daughter.

"My wife used to call her that too…" He chuckled at the memory "In fact when I asked her about it at the time she said the exact same thing"

"Oh I'm sorry… I…" She stopped not sure what to say.

"No, no that's all right. It obviously calmed her down." He said calming her nerves

"This may sting a little…" She said before dabbing a small dot of ointment onto the wound.

He winced once more which earned him a soft giggle from Maria.

"I'll have you know, fräulein, that even smaller wounds can cause discomfort to a man." He teased

Maria took out a band aid. Her hands trembled slightly as she tried to remove the paper on the back. She edged closer to the captain as she placed the band aid over the wound.

"All done." She said softly her face turning bright red once she realized how close she and the captain were actually sitting. Still, she didn't move nor did the captain.

"I see…" Were the only words that were able to leave his mouth.

Both were lost in a trance. Eyes locked together like magnets. Maria felt like she could hardly breathe. Yet the only thing the captain could do was breathe in her lovely scent. Vanilla mixed with a subtle hint of a soft flower he couldn't quite place. It left him wanting more than just the sensation of her fragrance flowing around him.

When his lips were a mere inch away from hers she came back to reality. Her eyes shot open wide as she backed away sending the first aid kit and the chair flying to the floor.

"Oh captain I-I'm sorry I-" She quickly dropped to the floor putting all the supplies back into the box and before he could even say anything she'd already put the box back in one of the cabinets.

"Maria I-" Before he could even finish his sentence she'd already fled the kitchen running up the stairs.

Ah... left ya haning there didn't I? How will they handle this elephant in the room? Find out next week on Temptation mountain!

(yes I just made a terrible joke using Temptation Island which i basically just watch with my roommates for a good laugh) (If you don't know what temptation island is just look it up it's so bad that it's actually funny)

Thanks for reading!