Georg walked around his garden looking for some peace that didn't seem to be with him these days. While he was walking to the Pegasus statues he started wondering what was happening to him. He felt he had changed, he didn't feel like before, and he couldn't comprehend why. After those years of being alive without wanting to live he now felt like he was starting to wake up from a horrible dream and was once again becoming the man he was before Agathe died. And it wasn't only because he had started to reconnect with his children, but also because his hard and cold exterior was breaking little by little, showing more of his passionate nature.

There was something Georg couldn't stand; losing control. He loved to be in charge. When he was underwater in his U-boat he used to anticipate every move, every situation, and always survived when something unexpected happened thanks to his cool head. He was always analyzing, his mind never stopped working. That's how he was raised. However, he would be foolish if he didn't accept that since Fraulein Maria arrived at Aigen everything had changed.

Lately, Georg had to control himself because he had the strangest desires. Sometimes he wanted to extend his hand and touch her hair just because he needed to know if it was as soft as it seemed. When he heard her voice he would walk around his house until he finally reached that melodic and beautiful sound. Even if Georg didn't see her, just listening to her singing or her laugh was like a balm, it calmed his interior beast, it gave him peace. It was ridiculous! If he were a teenager discovering women for the first time he could somehow excuse himself, but at his age, it was almost irrational.

He and Fraulein Maria had an unspoken truce after the rowboat incident, yet they still had their disagreements. It seemed like when he was looking at her something changed and their talks, at first friendly, turned into arguments in which neither of them wanted to lose. Sometimes they'd bicker just to see who could make the other one angrier. He couldn't stop himself, it was quite irresistible to see how her cheeks turned into a beautiful red while she said anything and everything that came into her mind. In those moments she was fascinating, even endearing. However, he really thought he had his feelings under control, until the puppet show, when his world turned upside down.

He could perfectly recall her blue dress, how she really seemed an angel with her golden hair. His eyes were always scanning the room until he found again her blue dress, admiring how beautiful she was. Georg was conscious he had to be careful, Max almost caught him that time. He had disguised his fascination until the governess approached him with the guitar, coaxing him, begging him with her eyes for a song. If Fraulein Maria and his children wanted him to sing he would do it, how could he say no to those beautiful eyes? At that moment he finally knew he was entirely lost.

"Yes, definitely I'm out of control," Georg muttered angrily to himself, gripping the gate while he was looking at the lake. "But I won't lose, I must keep my composure."

Georg sighed, he was very tired. He couldn't even sleep more than three hours because when he closed his eyes he saw her blue eyes, and when he fell asleep the governess was in his dreams. They didn't do anything improper, they just were in front of each other and he just admired her from distance. She was such a strong woman, so passionate, how could she ever be happy at the abbey? Sometimes he even tried to reach her in his dreams, but he could never touch her, she just slipped when his fingers were near hers. He going mad, he thought irritably. Perhaps, as he always told himself, if he didn't say "Fraulein Maria" too much in his head it would be like she was just an illusion, a dream, a product of his mind and not something real.

He put his hands inside the pockets of his trousers and walked past the gazebo. Ever since he had started thinking too much about his governess, Georg found that walking at night in his garden, listening to the water and looking at the moon had a calming effect on him. It was the only time he had the opportunity of disciplining his thoughts and not being interrupted by his children, or Elsa's gossiping or Max's snickers while he was drinking his expensive wine.

The best company he had that moment was the sound of his pristine shoes against the grass, feeling the wind on his face. At least Georg knew Max was in Salzburg visiting some friends and Elsa was in Vienna, looking for the perfect dress and preparing the grand and glorious party. The party...it was quite easy to forget he had accepted Elsa's suggestion about the party, but it was quite hard to forget that night for other reasons. That blue dress, again, back to torture him!

He stopped, adjusted his jacket and crossed his arms before resuming his walk. The night was the coldest they had had this summer. Even with his jacket, he felt the chill of the wind against his skin. He shivered, but he didn't want to go to the villa, walking at night was necessary if he wanted some sleep.

As he neared the trees he heard a clap of thunder. Georg remembered the dark clouds he had seen earlier in the afternoon and cursed under his breath. With military precision his mind calculated how far it was to the boathouse and moved in that direction, knowing the house was still some distance away.

Georg sighed again, annoyed with himself as he thought about the future. His iron control was slipping easily and he needed to do something, but he was at a loss. It was crystal-clear his children would be devastated in September. Despite not having his affection, they had finally found a mother figure. They had blossomed under Fraulein Maria's care and he would be always grateful to her, she had done, in one and a half months, what he hadn't been able to, in four years.

Of course, he loved his brood, but he had thought the best way of protecting them was to keep them at distance, not letting them see how his grieving was killing him. But now he knew it had been his way of coping with the pain of losing Agathe. He had barely been able to look into their faces because of their resemblance to his beautiful wife. It had been childish and reprehensible behavior which had heartbreaking consequences for them, yet it was the only thing he could do. While he had many medals, he wasn't brave, not as a widower and even less as a father.

Georg arrived at the boathouse and sat on the bench. Stretching his long legs, he closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air, letting his thoughts drift back to his governess. Every time he remembered she had to go back to the abbey he felt a pang of pain in his chest. It was irrational, he was merely attracted to her, after all. But it was disconcerting how his physical desire towards a postulant had that effect in him. Maybe because he had been inside his bubble four years without paying attention to women, or probably it was the fact that she was only the second woman in his life who dared to speak to him freely without fearing his temperament.

And what about Elsa? She was charming, witty, graceful, the perfect hostess, beautiful, gorgeous. Elsa was a great friend, and in a way she had saved him from his despair. She had managed to keep him afloat when his ship looked like it was sinking. However, floating wasn't the same as sailing. And when his governess invaded his dreams he felt guilty like he was betraying Elsa. He shivered again and now he couldn't blame the wind. He knew he should be thinking about proposing to Elsa, but the more he got to know his governess the harder it was to take that step. It was if there was an invisible chain around his neck squeezing little by little. Determinedly, he repeated to himself it was just an attraction, it wasn't that passionate love he felt for his wife. After all, that kind of love only happens once in a life.

With each thought, he heard the thunderclaps nearer as if the storm could sense his own torment. Suddenly he felt a cold drop in his cheek and Georg opened his eyes, looking at the sky. He had been so preoccupied with Fraulein Maria and his children that he didn't realize it had started to rain.

Raindrops started to fall quickly and in the blink of an eye, it was raining in torrents. Georg stood up, he needed to get to the villa soon. If he was fast enough he could make it before Franz locked the door, and with luck, he would remain unnoticed. He was soaked, with his hair plastered into his skull and some locks falling in his forehead. Cursing under his breath like a seaman, he accelerated his pace, running in the end until he finally made it to the door.

He entered the villa, closing the door without making any noise. The villa was in silence, only the ticking of the clock could be heard. At least it seemed everyone was in bed, thank God the governess could take such simple instructions. He badly needed a hot shower and then sleep, it had been a long day and he felt very tired.

Georg climbed the stairs and went to his bedroom when suddenly he heard a thud. He turned around and there she was; Fraulein Maria in her horrible nightgown, jumping with one foot in her hands. Unable to help himself he stared at her, admiring her beauty in spite of her nightgown until he remembered it was the middle of the night and that he was quite soaked.

"Fraulein! Could you please enlighten me and tell me what are you doing? Are you trying to learn how to dance and teach my children the fine art of the waltz? " Georg spoke sarcastically, taking off his wet jacket. He fixed his eyes on the wall to avoid staring at her again.

"Captain," she blurted out in surprise, realizing he was in front of her for the very first time. She looked at him, from his hair to his feet and started to open and close her mouth without saying anything, noticing he was completely soaked "Why are your clothes so damp?"

"Isn't it obvious? I was out walking when the rain caught me!" he snapped, running a hand through his hair trying to neaten it. He pushed away the damp locks from his forehead, but sighed as he realized he couldn't do anything about it, as they stubbornly fell down again. His shirt was so wet and cold that it was like a second skin. He needed to run a bath, and soon.

"And you, Fraulein Maria, why are you sneaking away at this hour? Perhaps looking for some drapes to make play clothes?"

"I only wanted a cup of tea, but I accidentally hit my foot against the wall," she said defensively. Then added, "I didn't know I had to explain myself to you Captain." She crossed her arms around her chest like she was protecting herself from his barbs.

But then, suddenly, she smiled and cocked her head. "If I remember correctly you told me once that a Sea Captain could never control the weather but was able to predict it just by looking at the sky and clouds."

Georg closed his eyes and counted to five. If Fraulein Maria wanted to bicker this really wasn't the right night. While he was preparing to answer the governess, he sneezed. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, brushing away the raindrops that fell from his forehead into his eyes.

"Look Fraulein..."

"You should change your clothes, Captain," she said before he could say anything. "If you don't you will catch a cold"

"I never get sick, Fraulein. I'm a sea Captain, some raindrops could never harm me, water runs through my veins," he drawled, but he shivered again.

"Of course, Captain, it's quite obvious, I don't know how could I forget it" She rolled her eyes and approached him until she was so near him he could even smell her lavender soap. Suddenly, her eyes changed; the governess was looking at him with a concerned gaze.

"Do you want me to speak with Frau Schmidt and tell her to bring you a cup of tea?"

"No," Georg said brusquely, noticing how she broke contact with his eyes and started chewing her lower lip. They stood in silence and he scanned her face, stopping at her mouth. Despite his resolve, he wondered if her lips would be as soft as they seemed.

Georg blinked several times when she looked at him again, and he cleared his throat, speaking more gently this time.

"No, thank you. I'm fine. I just need to change my clothes and sleep. Goodnight Fraulein, and don't stay up too late, the children will exhaust you tomorrow if you don't rest properly."

For a moment Georg didn't move, he was too enraptured by her blue eyes. Then finally becoming aware he was staring again, he broke the spell and started to walk to his bedroom. When he closed the door, he rested his forehead against the wood, irritated that her blue eyes still lingered in his mind. How could a light blue turn into an electric blue in two seconds? When Fraulein Maria was angry her eyes displayed every shade of blue, even with some green touches, and they were just like the sea, fascinating, mysterious, captivating...

He went to his ensuite, removing his wet clothes and stepped into the shower. He shuddered, his skin was completely cold in contrast to the warm water. While he was soaping his chest he sneezed again. Cursing, he hoped it was momentary. He had never been bedridden before and he wasn't going to start now.

He put his pajama bottoms and went to bed, completely exhausted. If he was lucky he would get some sleep without waking up in the middle of the night, he needed to rest. While he was closing his eyes, once again he couldn't stop himself thinking about his governess. He drifted off into a troubled sleep with her concerned gaze and those expressive blue eyes in his mind.

Georg woke up at five o'clock in the morning like he usually did. A lifetime in the navy had shaped his character and habits, and he couldn't get rid of them. Waking up before sunrise and doing some exercise before breakfast, were ingrained into his psyche. He thought briefly of having a swim in the lake, but he still felt very tired and his body was aching. He decided to continue sleeping since he rarely had that luxury and he thought he deserved it after all the restless nights.

Georg opened his eyes again when a sunbeam shone through the window into his bedroom. He groaned, hearing his children shouting to each other and the governess trying to keep them quiet. He looked at the clock, it was almost time for breakfast. With slow movements, he got up and went to his wardrobe. His whole body felt painful, and his head was beginning to ache. Georg blamed it to the brandy, even though he usually didn't drink too much, and even less alone. He knew perfectly well what happened if he drank in his study, alone, with his grief.

After he combed his hair immaculately he left the bedroom and went to the dining room. His children and the governess were already there. He sat in his chair without saying anything, and clasped his hands, waiting for Fraulein Maria to say grace.

She looked intensely at her plate as if she didn't dare to lock her eyes with him. It was strange, normally she wasn't afraid of him and she was always straightforward and unconcerned about challenging him when they talked. Georg was so sure she was going to make a witty remark about his lateness that he felt a pang of disappointment when she remained silent. Where was his feisty Fraulein Maria? Wait, she wasn't his and never could be, he remembered bitterly.

After grace, Georg picked up his fork and stared at his breakfast. He wasn't hungry, and the little bites he had of his sausages made him feel dizzy and nauseous. He pushed around his food and drank his coffee, hoping that caffeine would make him feel better. His children were chatting happily, planning a picnic to the mountains. Sometimes they asked a question which he answered with a grunt. Their voices were making his headache worse, but he didn't say anything. He knew that some months ago he would have shouted, telling them to be quiet or sending them to study in silence. But now he had changed and he preferred them this way, laughing and smiling rather than sad and reserved.

"Captain, what happened to "breakfast is to be strictly observed"? "

There she was – his impulsive, impertinent Fraulein Maria! One second, she was embarrassed and shy and suddenly she was teasing him again. She was smiling at him, savoring the fact that she could turn the tables on him.

"A Captain is never late. He arrives when he's needed, "he said hoarsely, clearing his throat. His late excursion was clearly having consequences, much more than he had thought.

"Sir, are you all right?" He could hear the concern in her voice again.

"Papa, your cheeks are a funny color!" Gretl said loudly, increasing Georg's headache.

"It's true father, your cheeks are red," Friedrich pointed out.

Georg placed his hands on his cheeks; they were burning. He frowned and then touched his forehead. Was it possible that he was running a fever? Before he could think about it he felt a cold hand on his forehead and he grimaced with the sharp contrast in temperature. He lifted his eyes, wondering who was touching him and realizing it was Fraulein Maria. When their eyes locked she blushed, and then looked at her hand, realizing what she was doing. She quickly removed her hand, looking quite uncomfortable.

"You have a very high fever, Captain." The worry was clear in her voice.

AN: Hello! This is my first TSOM story. I hope you like it! English is not my native language, sorry if you find some mistakes.

Bloomandgrow, thank you very much for encouraging me and also checking this, I'd never done this without you.

I don't own TSOM