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

A/N: This story is partially AU but mainly a continuation of the movie with one major difference: the escape didn't go as planned.

Summary: Herr Zeller's early entrance changes the escape plan… as well as the Von Trapp family's life forever.

Back to you

„Get the children all together. Don't say anything that's going to make them worry, just get them ready. We've got to get out of Austria… and this house. Tonight." The Captain told Maria and held her close.

This was the hardest decision in his entire life so far, one that was the result of careful consideration and hard thinking in the past few weeks. The news of the looming disaster had reached reach him during his honeymoon and Georg had done his best to push it out of his mind and focus on his new wife. But having been to war, he knew this wouldn't go away if he simply closed his eyes. Deep down he had hoped all along that it wouldn't get this far or that it wouldn't come so soon at least. But it did and that was reality.

Georg allowed no doubt to cast shadow on his decision. The worry in Maria's eyes reflected his own, but there just wasn't much thinking he needed to do at this point. Not about leaving anyway. When it came to his family, it was priority, even to his country. As heartbreaking as it was to abandon Austria, the journey back home and seeing all the Nazi soldiers proved that it wasn't the same anymore.

Tightening his hold on his wife, he gently rubbed her arm before bending his head to place a long kiss on her neck. Needing to feel the closeness and intimacy he had shared with her in the past few weeks while it was just the two of them, he did his best to draw strength from the amazing creature in his arms. Having her made him feel he could do anything. It was due to her that he still had a family. He knew he could pull through this. With her.

He finally pulled back and gazed into her eyes. "In the meantime I need to go and make sure we have everything we need. I'll be back soon and help you with the rest."

"Will you be long?" She asked, concerned.

"No." He reassured her. "I'll be as quick as possible. Enlist good old Max if necessary, it's about time he made himself useful." He tried to lighten the mood.

"He'd probably protest the old part." She smiled and that reassured him. He gave her a lingering kiss on the lips before turning on his heels and hurrying out. Little did Georg von Trapp know he would regret this part of his plan until the end of his life.

Driving away from the villa had a melancholic feeling. Alone with his thoughts, he was making this journey for the last time. Leaving home wasn't an easy thing to do, leaving behind as much as he did, it was all the more difficult. Ever since his realization that he loved Maria, Captain von Trapp knew he was ready to move on from Agathe. He would always, always love her but she was gone. Maria had been an eye-opener in many ways.

She had showed him there were still enough places in his heart left to let someone in. Now she occupied most of it. She had sowed him how bad he had been treating his children. He couldn't stop wondering how far it would have gone had it not been for Maria. He was set to marry Elsa and the kids most likely would have ended up in a boarding school. Not only did he push them away emotionally, he damn near pushed them away physically too.

The great hero of Austria nearly lost his battle with grief and damn near lost his children in the process. Was that forgivable? The children definitely forgave him but forgiving himself was a different matter. It wasn't something he spent much time dwelling on however. He had Maria and the children and they all loved and relied on him. They were his focus and he was grateful for them and his second chance.

Now, driving to town for the last time, Georg couldn't stop admiring the beauty that was around him. His decision had been made and the state of the country may have perished, but the spirit and essence of it would live forever. The hills were beautiful on this sunny day, it was almost as if they were showing themselves off to him in their true beauty as a parting gift. It was terribly hard to leave this all behind but Georg knew this beauty in itself wouldn't keep him and his family safe.

There was no way he would accept the commission. It wasn't his own safety he was concerned about but his family's. Leaving them home alone in an impending war time was unacceptable. He wouldn't sacrifice them or his own happiness – or life for that matter- for a "union" and an ideal he despised with every fiber of his being. The decision had been made and Maria's lack of protest or questioning clearly told him she agreed. Yet he couldn't stop wondering how she was going to feel leaving her beloved hills. Although this decision had been forming on his mind in the past few weeks, he didn't want to ruin their honeymoon with talking about it. And now he just merely informed her that they were leaving. Georg was accustomed to his position as the head of the family and every once in a while in his haste of wanting the best for her, he had made decisions on his own – decisions revolving around her too.

A smile came to his lips as he remembered each time he did something without her consent. Thankfully Maria saw his good intentions but she never failed to remind him and tell him her own opinion if his decision didn't sit well with her. For the most part however, Maria had been nothing less than the perfect wife. She respected his role as the head of the family and challenged him only when she felt it necessary and Georg considered her a true partner. Now she said nothing aside from having expected these turn of events, so he knew she agreed.

While Maria had no living relatives and her ties consisted of her new family and the abbey, their honeymoon was the first time Maria had really traveled and left Austria. Georg was aware that leaving would affect their children but hoped they would have an easier time adjusting. What he knew would make it even harder on them was leaving Agathe behind in a way. As much as he had tried to shut her out in the past few years, her spirit had always lingered, even if denied by him.

Then he remembered if there was one good thing that came out of his distant and unfair treatment of his children and his late wife during his grief, then it was the fact that they learned to embrace her memory even without material reminders. Visiting her grave wasn't something he forbid his children anymore but they wouldn't be able to do that again if they left. He hoped the happiness Maria brought into their lives would be powerful enough for all of them to cope. If anything, he hoped to have them think of this as an adventure. With Maria by their side, that shouldn't be a problem.

His errand in Salzburg didn't last long and Georg tried his best to cover his tracks. His fortune was big and while most of it was in a British bank, he needed some cash if he wanted to leave the country. The amount they had left from their honeymoon wasn't enough for this journey. If anybody asked, he had the perfect coverage: he needed to leave money for his family while he was accepting his commission. That was a possibility that he found hard to stomach even if it was just a lie. Thankfully no one asked questions and that rat Zeller failed to show his face, too. Georg was glad and satisfied that everything was going smooth so far.

He had been everything but pleased to come home from his honeymoon and be greeted by that disgusting flag on his own home. That and the telegram were the final proof that there was no more Austria. Pulling up to his own villa, he was surprised to note the front gates were open. With a frown he drove up to the main entrance, shut the engine and got out. Did Franz forget to close it after him? He wasn't happy about that prospect, he wanted nothing out of ordinary to raise no suspicion.

But out of ordinary everything was. The biggest proof of that was Frau Schmidt practically rushing out of the house, straight up to him.

"Captain! Oh, Captain!" Georg frowned, it had been long years since he saw Frau Schmidt so upset.

"What happened?" He asked, that something was up was evident.

"Oh Sir, it's so good you're back. They just left!"

"Georg!" Max' voice caught his attention and he put a reassuring hand on Frau Schmidt's arm while turning his head to his approaching friend.

"What's going on here?" He asked, his tone getting stronger as his worry grew.

"Herr Zeller." Max told him and Georg's eyes immediately narrowed.

"He was here? What did he want?" He now realized why he had found the gates open.

"He was looking for you." The troubled expression on his friend's face told Georg that wasn't all. He had a gut feeling something was off and that was confirmed by Max' quick, worried glance at Frau Schmidt, as if he wasn't sure how to tell him the news.

"Where are Maria and the children?" Georg asked, the troubling feeling growing at the pit of his stomach.

"The Baroness sent them upstairs when Herr Zeller arrived. They are still in their rooms, Sir." Frau Schmidt told him but left the rest of the news to Max.

"He took her, Georg." Max finally told him with a heavy sigh, his face troubled.

The rage that filled his entire body left the Captain momentarily speechless. Rage and fear. The next thing he knew, he was sitting in his car, driving away from the house. Max had told him Herr Zeller was immensely interested in the Captain's immediate response to the offered commission and had come personally to talk to him. When Maria had told him the Captain was making the necessary arrangements and wasn't home, apparently Herr Zeller was anything but convinced.

Remorse tugged at his heart as the Captain thought of the sleazy bastard as much as looking at his wife. He shouldn't have left his family alone, apparently the content of telegrams weren't private anymore. He should have expected it, Zeller was a true embodiment of the Third Reich and everything Georg despised. Herr Zeller had been probably waiting to practice his power over him and when he didn't find him home, he took a token. Maria. That was the impression Georg got from everything Max had told him. But Captain von Trapp would die rather than let any harm come to his family.

He had told Max to help the kids finish getting ready for the journey, locked his newly acquired money safely away and within minutes was out of the door. Having just reached his destination, he shut his car's door with a little more power than necessarily and then marched inside the Gauleiter's headquarters. Getting to him wasn't as easy as he would have thought, the Captain knew Zeller made him wait before finally seeing him.

Trying his best to hide his frustration, he evenly observed the sorry excuse of a man standing in front of him, ignoring the satisfied gleam in his eyes.

"Captain von Trapp, what a surprise. I was looking for you earlier… without success."

"So I've heard." He told him, a small, forced smile appearing on his face. If Zeller wanted him, then be it. Maria and her welfare were priority.

"Please, take a seat." Zeller offered and Georg felt disgusted just by being in the building in the first place.

"No, thank you. As a matter of fact, my visit is brief. I came to take my wife home." To say the Captain had no respect or acknowledgment of Zeller's authority was an understatement. While he knew directly opposing him was not possible at this point without endangering his family or himself, keeping up appearances was extremely difficult at the moment. He had made a mistake and Zeller took advantage of it and now he had the upper hand.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Captain." Zeller smiled. "Not yet anyway. You see, the Third Reich requires her services."

"Of what service could my wife possibly be to you?" The Captain asked, his tone and face lacking any kind of politeness. He had to bite his own tongue not to let a sarcastic comment slip. This was wrong. Sickening, even. But all he could think of was getting her out of there. "I was disappointed to learn you acted without my consent, Herr Zeller. I am the head of the family, you need my approval in matters like this."

Herr Zeller's face lost the smile, too. Apparently both men were now on the same page as to where this conversation was heading as well as the fact that there were no more fake pleasantries necessary.

"The only approval I need is the Third Reich's." Came the reply and the man's true colors were finally showing. It was disgusting how wrapped up he was in the Nazi ideals and how much of a lap dog he was. It felt almost surreal to Georg to acknowledge that this was reality and not just a bad dream. It was hard to believe this was truly happening to the world. "There are some… doubts regarding your uh, commitment to Austria and its new alliance."

Alliance? The Captain resisted the urge to spit the man in the face.

"Oh I am… entirely committed to Austria." The Austria I used to know, he added mentally. Zeller nodded, the real meaning of it wasn't lost on him at all.

"Then let me be more clear, Captain Von Trapp. There is concern you wouldn't be patriotic enough to accept your commission. Your wife stays until you report to Bremerhaven."

Tactics or not, Nazi or not, the Captain was a man of honor and a decorate hero, he wouldn't let such a little rat intimidate him. He slammed his hands on the table as he stared him in the eyes. "Are you saying my wife is a hostage?" His voice was low.

Zeller's slow smile made Georg's skin crawl. Damn that money, he should have just grabbed his family right then and there and left. He now knew removing the Nazi flag was a mistake, too. He involuntarily raised suspicions. .

"I believe you have some packing to do, Captain." Zeller walked around his desk, obviously finished with this conversation. But Georg wouldn't leave it at that. With a quick step he was face to face with him, staring down at him with the deadliest look in his eyes. Zeller was unfazed. "You have seven wonderful children. No way would you want to leave them without parents, would you? Your wife will return home to take care of them as soon as you have reached your destination."

To say he was outraged was an understatement, but the mention of the children reminded him of everything that was at stake here. He was still an aristocrat and even Zeller wouldn't want to risk harming such a high ranking, decorated hero's innocent children. Yet Maria did not have such a background, he knew Zeller could easily accuse her of any wrongdoing, regardless how innocent and wonderful his wife was and regardless of her new position as a Baroness. It also wasn't lost on Georg how Zeller was intending to make an example of him. Yet another reason why he was rejecting the idea of joining the Nazis. Last thing Georg wanted was other men following his actions and side with the Third Reich. No, he needed to be careful and smart with this. This was war, his personal one. Just like so many times before, outsmarting the enemy was the key, not overpowering them.

The Captain's eyes narrowed and he held his breath while taking a step back. The initial idea to refuse to go until she was released now seemed like a futile attempt. She wouldn't be released, not until he was in Bremerhaven. But what proof would he have that she indeed would go free?

"I want to see her." He demanded much like a Sea Captain and for a moment he saw the hesitation in his enemy's eyes.

"You're wasting time." Came the answer with as much strictness as Zeller could muster. The Captain would have none of this anymore. He stepped dangerously close, not taking no for an answer. Herr Zeller was anything like a man, however, and the moment the Captain got too close, he called for his back up.

"Karl!" He called and kept his eyes on the Baron while he spoke. "Escort Captain von Trapp to his car." He ordered. Georg knew he was outnumbered. Although he could have easily taken both with his bare hands, he was without a weapon while they were armed – not to mention the countless other Nazis in the building. "The Third Reich's requests will be fulfilled. You report in Bremerhaven and your wife goes home. You have my word, Captain." Zeller spoke, but it was anything but a promise or an attempt of reassurance. It was a threat, a clear indication that everything was arranged and everything would go according to their plans. Captain von Trapp took a step back and turned, not bothering to hide his death glare anymore.

"Heil Hitler!" Zeller proudly shouted and Georg's eyes narrowed further.

With dear Karl in tow, Captain von Trapp left the building, his mind racing all along. The frustration he felt was overwhelming and he felt helpless. He got in his car and drove away, heading back to the villa. Zeller was a lunatic, as crazy as Hitler. To think he had Maria made his heart race. He needed to act quick, he was expected in Bremerhaven the next day, that hardly left him much time. Unfortunately the only way to set Maria free seemed to be to accept the commission. As painful as it was to leave his family behind, he needed to do whatever it took to get Maria out of harm's way. If it meant accepting the commission, then be it. The children needed at least one parent.

To Be Continued…

A/N: This is going to be a multi-chapter story with quite a few installments. I have the plot all worked out but don't have an exact number of chapters yet. I would love to hear what you think and whether it's worth keeping up with it. Thanks for reading and thank you to everyone who kindly reviewed my previous works!