Abe stood in front of the house, waiting nervously for Anna.

He had barely slept last night. How was he ever supposed to explain to her what had happened? It was his fault. If he hadn't let his anger towards Keller drive his heart, Frenchie wouldn't have got trigger happy and killed him.

Sam had taken Abe away whilst Hollywood sorted everything out. They hadn't spoken for the rest of the night. Abe knew Sam was ashamed of him, and it really got to him. When he'd woken up, he'd darted straight out and made for patrol. He spent all day thinking of how to tell Anna what had happened. When the boys finally did catch up with him, they gave only conflicting opinions. Hollywood told him to just not say anything. Sam, of course, said he should be honest with Anna... and that he was a fool for going in the first place.

As the evening set in, he made his way to where she was staying. He'd been pacing there for a good ten minutes, unsure of whether to bite the bullet and knock on the door.

Finally the front door opened, and Elli ran out to see him. "Abe!" she cried, launching herself into his arms.

Abe scooped her up with a smile. "Hello El."

Elli pouted. "You did not come to see us yesterday."

Anna stepped out of the door with Gabby. She smiled up at the pair of them and Abe's heart pounded in his chest.

"Sorry, I had a lot to sort out."

"We missed you!" Elli insisted.

"Missed you too."

Anna came over as he set Elli on her feet again. "Is she telling you off for not coming to see us?"

"Yeah, I've had my wrists slapped," he grinned, Anna returning it.

"We are just going for a walk before supper," said Gabby. "Did you want to join us?"

"Actually, I need to talk to Anna. About some official... stuff."

Gabby's eyebrows raised in response. "Official stuff? Sounds very... official."

"Yep," he said, his hands now behind his back so that Anna didn't notice his torn knuckles.

"Come on Elli, we'd best stay here," said Gabby, taking Elli's hand.

"Do you think he's going to ask her to dinner?" asked Elli wistfully.

Anna shot them both a glare.

"Maybe?" teased Gabby, winking at Anna before she led Elli back inside.

"What they saying?" asked Abe.

Anna shifted her attention back to him. "Nothing in particular," she said hurriedly, then really focused her gaze on him. "Are you all right? You seem out of sorts."

"There really is something I need to talk to you about," he murmured.

"Shall we go to the river? Then we can sit down?"

"Good plan." As they walked, Anna linked her arm through his, his gaze softening as he looked down at her. "You and Gabby seem to've hit it off," he said after a while.

"She has been so welcoming. And she is great with Elli."

"I'm mighty pleased."

They soon arrived at the river, Anna working out how to sit up on the high wall beside it.

"Want some help?"

"That would be nice," she laughed. "We cannot all be as vertically gifted as you."

Grinning, Abe stepped close to her. He put his hands on her waist, both of them feeling a jolt pass through them. "Ready to jump?"

Anna nodded quickly.

Abe lifted her up, placing her on the wall, then pulled himself up to sit beside her. He sat, fiddling with his hands. His heart was hammering in his chest now. Every time he was with her, he felt even more drawn to her, and he was certain she could feel it to. But after her big outburst about being so independent, he was so worried that she'd push him away after he had told her what he had done.

"Your hand," she said, taking it from his lap to inspect it. Her eyes flicked up to his. "Hmm." She put his hand back. "Is this what you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah," he said sheepishly. "Look, I know you're gonna be angry at me. But you've gotta promise to just let me explain myself... no interruptions. I wanna make sure I say everything I need to."

"All right," she sighed.

Abe took in a deep breath, his gaze on his hands. "I actually did come to see you yesterday. You were sitting in the square, and you thought no one could see you."

Anna also looked away. She knew what he'd seen. She didn't want Abe to see her like that.

"It was after you had been to see him."

"You know about that, then."

"Yeah," he breathed. "Why did you?" There was a long pause.

"I needed him to give me answers," she murmured. "I wanted to know why he had killed Freddie... why he had picked me... why he had looked after me." Abe grimaced as she glanced at him. "I hate him... more than anything else in this world. But to say that he did not look out for me at times would be a lie." They looked away from each other. "I am sorry to upset you."

"You ain't upset me," he promised her. "I was just so worried about you. I wish you had waited for me. I would have made sure you were all right..." He trailed off, sighing heavily. "You're so good at hiding how much everything gets to you," he continued, "but there, at the fountain, I could see it hitting you like a tonna bricks. And I knew that fucking bastard set it off." His voice wobbled, a hard lump lodged in his throat. "I was so angry that anyone would do that to you. I let it blind me, and I ended up driving to see him." He sighed, rubbing his temples as Anna watched him again. "I just wanted him to admit what he did. I thought if there were witnesses, then you'd be able to get your justice. That it would be evidence in his trial or somethin'. But he kept goading me... saying all of these God-awful things..."

"He does that," mumbled Anna. "He toys with people. Like a cat with a mouse. Its cruel."

"I got angry, and I hit him," said Abe, then added, "I hit him a lot. I just wanted him to suffer. But then, I thought of you." He looked at her now, his brow furrowed. "You make me feel so differently about the world. You gotta understand, I was such an ass when I was younger. I told you, I just used to let my fists do the talking. I never thought about nothing or no one. When I hit my thirties, I didn't wanna be like that anymore. But the only way I knew how was to just not talk. That way, my mouth wouldn't get carried away and draw me into a fight." His eyes searched hers, eager for understanding. "But when I'm with you, I say what I'm thinking. And you help me talk it out, see things clearer."

Anna's waited patiently for him to finish.

"It made me stop and think about how stupid I'd been. Beating ten tonnes of shit out of him made me feel better, but it weren't gonna help you. And really, that's all I wanna do. And then..." He trailed off again.

"And then?"

"Then, when I walked away, Frenchie shot him," said Abe, the words falling out of his mouth.

Anna sat perfectly still, her eyes glassy. "He is dead?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Abe nodded.

Anna couldn't help a small smile flickering on her mouth. She covered it quickly with her hand, her eyes shutting to hold in the tears. "Sorry," she said to Abe, whose eyes were wide. "I do not know how to react." She looked at him now. "I have wanted him gone for as long as I have known him," she explained. "I have never hated someone in the way I hated him."

"I get that," said Abe.

Anna took a deep breath, working out her response in her head. "I am really glad he's dead," she said bitterly. "I feel as though a weight has been lifted." She held his hand in both of hers, rubbing it with her thumbs. "Did you really hurt him?"

"Yeah."

"Good," she said, her voice gritty. "He deserved far more pain than any person could deliver, though."

"I still shouldn't've gone behind your back-"

"No," she sighed, "you should not have." Another pause. "I know what it is like to let your anger take over," began Anna, turning to look at him properly. "Mine has made me do stupid things many times. We are human, we make mistakes." There was a pause. "There is a part of me that is annoyed at the idea that you felt the need to take over. That I could not cope without your interference," she said, thinking on it. "But, actually, I am not sure that that is why you went at all." Anna pulled Abe closer, now cupping his face in her hand. "What makes me happy, is that you told me. You could have hidden it, but you chose not to. And that even when you had made a mistake, you stopped and considered a better option. You cannot hold yourself accountable for Frenchie's actions."

"You sure?" he pressed, holding her hand tighter. "'Cause, I'd get it if you were angry... I'd understand-"

"Your honesty means more to me than anything," she urged. "It is so nice to have someone in my life who I feel on a level with."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that," breathed Abe. "I was so afraid you'd push me away. And I wouldn't've blamed you."

"I like being around you too much to push you away," she admitted, inching closer still.

Their faces were so close that she could feel his breath on her lips. She liked it.

A thought flashed through Anna's mind. What would he do if she leant forward and kissed him? Even just on the cheek?

It surprised her, her heart racing at the idea. They had certainly grown close over their time together. They saw each other every day without fail and talked for hours at a time. A few weeks ago, she was ready to totally give up on life; to completely disappear. And yet, here she sat, a wonderful rush of excitement flooding through her.

Even though she was indignant about his behaviour with Keller, she didn't want to scream and shout at him. As she and Karl had always agreed, it was a person's choices that made them who they were, and he had chosen honesty and integrity; he had completely put her first. Had anyone ever truly done that? He hadn't even tried to limit her reaction or vilify his behaviour. Should she take this moment to tell him how grateful she was for him? She knew that their time together was running out. Soon, their forces would move on, and she'd be staying here with Gabby and her mother.

Her heart pined in that moment. She really didn't want him to go.

"Anna?" he said, pulling her from her thoughts. "You all right?"

"I was thinking about the fact that you will leave soon," she admitted, tears spilling from her eyes as she looked at him. "I do not want you to go."

"I don't either," he murmured. "Maybe we can still take you and Elli with us?"

"But why would you? My use is at its end."

"To them, but not to me!" he blurted out. Anna's heart pounded in her chest. He hung his head. He was clearly fighting in his head as to what to say next. They were still close together, their hands entwined. "I'm gonna make sure we stay together," he said finally, their eyes meeting. "The boys will help me. Ain't no way we can let you and Elli go just yet."

A small smile flickered on her mouth. She held his cheek, leaning forward and kissing it lightly. He took in a deep breath.

"My knight in shining armour," she whispered.

"Hey, y'all don't need one, remember?" he teased.

Anna smiled fully. "And yet here you are."

He grinned. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Do not ever be sorry for being close to me," she murmured. They were silent again.

"Shall we go for a walk?" he asked suddenly. "It might be nice, just you and me." Then he felt bad. "Not that I don't love Elli to pieces, I just-"

"I know what you mean," she assured him. "You will have to help me down again," she said.

Dutifully, he jumped down, then tried to work out the best way to get her down. Before she could move, he pulled her so that he scooped her up in his arms, making her squeal. Instinctively, her arms clung to his neck, squeezing him as his arm tucked under her knees and the other cradled her waist.

"I gotcha baby, don't worry," he said, looking at her.

She smiled up at him, his gaze totally fixed on her. "Abe," she said gently.

"Yeah?"

"I cannot go for a walk with you unless you put my feet on the ground," she whispered.

Embarrassed, he set her down, Anna unable to hide her cheeks flooding pink. Abe cleared his throat, then held out his elbow to her.

That wasn't enough for her.

She slid her hand along his arm, and tucked her hand into his, their fingers lacing together. He grinned, giving it a squeeze. Talking of everything and nothing, they began to stroll together along the riverbank, happier and lighter than they had both felt in years.

***

The once quaint, bustling town was now anything but. The people seemed drawn and worn through. The red Nazi banners were gone, the remnants of an American flag hung from the clock tower. So the Americans had been and gone.

Hans was exhausted.

He had been travelling for nearly a month to get here. It had not been easy. He'd had to walk much of the way on a painful leg. Several times he'd had to stop off and take a full day's rest. But he couldn't spare too much time; he needed to get to Anna. He'd finally made it to the town, but he still had to work out a way to the camp. Hans headed for the bar which he knew usually had a few rooms going. It would be a good place to rest and work out a better plan of action.

As he walked through the door, he noted how empty it was. The once thriving bar was dead. Someone suddenly appeared from the cellar, looking at him curiously.

"What do you want?" the man asked him.

"Bed and board, if you have it," asked Hans throatily. How long had it been since he last spoke?

The man's face brightened. "Of course!" he said. Then he looked Hans up and down again. "You look like shit."

"I feel like shit," replied Hans.

"Take a seat," said the barkeeper. "I'll get you a beer."

Hans did so, sighing heavily. Both of his leg injuries were killing him. The shot wound in his leg still persisted all these years later, and he was fairly certain that walking so far on his barely healed fracture was going to do irrevocable damage.

The barkeeper gave him his beer, and to Hans' surprise, sat down with him. "What brings you here then?"

"I'm looking for my fiancée."

"You back from the front, then?"

"Yes," he lied. "I'd heard she'd come this way to visit her sister."

The barkeeper eyed him suspiciously. "Not here for the camps, then?" Hans' eyes widened, the barkeeper rolling his own. "I knew it was only a matter of time before people started showing up to find inmates. Congratulations, you're the first."

"You know about the camps?"

"The Americans found them, then got half the village to go and move all the bodies." The man shuddered at the memory. "It was vile. We had no idea they were there. I mean, we knew something must be going on... so many SS in one place... but that? How were we to know! Then they had some bloody inmate inspecting all of us to see if she recognised us."

"An inmate?"

"Yes! And get this, she was sleeping with the Commandant of the camp! That's why she'd know us! The nerve of her..."

Hans system flooded cold.

Anna.

"What happened to her?" asked Hans urgently.

The man shrugged. "I don't know. I know she went to the Red Cross camp at one point. Maybe they left her there before they moved on."

"Where is the Red Cross camp?" Hans barked.

The barkeeper shifted a little further away from him. "About fifteen miles down the road," he explained, pointing in a general direction.

Hans rocketed to his feet, limping out hurriedly.

"What about bed and board?" called the barkeeper.

"I'll still need it," said Hans, leaving some money by the front table before he darted out. He stood in the middle of the square, his head spinning.

Anna had been here. She'd made it out.

What about her sister?

What about Freddie?

He needed answers.

Hans began asking passers by the way to the Red Cross camp, who all helped put him on the right path. It was the road that had led to the camp. They must have set up nearby.

Determined to reach her, Hans set off, ignoring the pain that seared through his entire body. As he carried on down the road, a small truck trundled passed in the opposite direction. A young woman, sitting in the back, frowned as she craned her neck to look at him. He ignored her. Then she yelled to the driver to stop and the truck screeched to a halt. She jumped down from the back, running up to Hans and blocking his path. She stared at him, her eyes scanning his face.

"Excuse me," he said, trying to walk around her but she stopped him.

"Hans?" she asked, his brow furrowed.

"How do you know my name?" he asked.

"I'm Eve," then realised he had no idea of her name. "The marzipan girl... from the bakery?"

"Y-you remember me?" he asked.

"Not from that," she admitted. "But I remembered Anna. And she stayed with us when she was in the town."

He clutched the young girl's shoulders desperately. "You've spoken to her."

Eve nodded.

"And her sister?"

"Elli? She's fine."

Hans breathed a sigh of relief, his head hung as the moment washed over him.

"It was Elli who told me about you," she explained, Hans looking up at her again. "She showed me that photograph that Anna has of the four of you. Anna wouldn't talk about any of you." Eve leant in closer. "She thinks you're dead."

"Dead?" said Hans.

Eve nodded. "Like the others in the picture; Elli said she found out-"

"The others?" asked Hans, his face draining. "But only Karl is dead."

Eve's eyes grew sad. "Oh, you don't know," she said quietly, taking a deep breath. "Elli said the other man, Freddie, died trying to save Anna."

Hans wavered on the spot, his legs now buckling underneath him. He was too late.

As he faltered, Eve sat him down on the side of the road. "I'm so sorry," she said, her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

Hans couldn't speak. That poor, poor boy. How could that have happened? What on earth was happening to Anna that he needed to try and stop? And which bastard had done that to him? He was sure he could guess the only one with enough gumption. He'd failed to protect both him and Karl. That was two members of their little family gone.

"I need to get to the Red Cross camp," he managed finally. "Have you just come from there?"

"Yes. I take bread there every day. But they're not there, Hans. Anna and Elli, I mean."

"What? Well, where is she?"

"She left with the Americans."

"Where?"

"I know they were heading towards Austria," said Eve. "But I have no idea which town they went to. I'm sorry."

"What regiment were they? Did they say? Tell me!"

"I'm not really sure," said Eve hurriedly. "I never spoke to them, just Anna and Elli. I can't speak English. I couldn't understand them."

Hans buried his face in his hands, furious with himself.

"I'm really sorry," she murmured.

Hans tried his best not to look so utterly broken. He had totally and utterly failed. He had let Freddie down. Such a sweet boy. He had wanted to save him so badly, especially for Karl. Perhaps they were together now. At least Anna wasn't in the camp anymore. "How did Anna seem? When she was staying with you, I mean."

"As good as can be expected," said Eve. "I mean, her temper certainly hadn't gone anywhere. First thing she did when she arrived in the town was berate two Americans that were stealing from my shop."

Hans couldn't help a smile. That was his Anna.

"And she threatened the Priest."

"Excuse me?"

"They had tried to remove Elli from her care," she explained. "The stupid Americans that were watching her let her out of their sight and the Priest nabbed her. They're doing that to a lot of Jewish children from the camp. Rehabilitating them."

Hans grimaced.

"But Anna marched in there with this giant American she'd befriended and threatened to beat the Priest half to death if he didn't give her sister back."

"At least they're still together," sighed Hans.

Eve edged closer. "Listen," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "If anyone around here finds out you were something to do with the camp, they'll lynch you. You can't stay here."

"I've got bed and board for the night-"

"Stay one night, and keep your head down," she insisted. "You're lucky that its only me that remembers you, and that's only because of the photograph. The camp has sucked the soul out of the town. They're all ashamed that they didn't realise, and the Americans only demonised us for it. Don't tell anyone that you worked there-" Then added, "even if you are the good man Elli made you out to be, they'll never believe you." Hans nodded in understanding. "Come on," said Eve, helping to drag him to his feet. "Hop in, we'll take you back to town."

"Thank you, Eve," he said gratefully.

They both climbed in and Hans leant against the side of the truck out of exhaustion. The truck made off down the road, hitting every bump in the track. "So, Anna didn't talk about me?" he said after a pause.

"I think she was too sad," explained Eve. "I saw her talking to her big American friend about it though. It was just after they had rescued Elli."

Hans nodded, letting out a big sigh.

"She has your ring on a chain around her neck," said Eve, Hans' eyes brightening.

"Really? I had no idea she had kept it."

Eve still looked a little glum. "Elli said she found it hard to talk about you because you'd left her behind," said Eve, Hans' face twisting with guilt. "Is that true? Did you leave her there?"

Hans said nothing, staring straight forward.

Eve sighed. "Anna and Elli deserve a proper life," she said, their eyes locking. "If you are going after them, you should make sure that's what they get, no matter what."

"I will," he promised.

They soon arrived back in the town and the truck dropped him at the bar. Hans thanked Eve, and she promised to make him some marzipan before he left tomorrow. He went in wearily and collected his room key, ignoring all the questions and comments from the barkeeper. He managed to get up to his room and shut the door before he collapsed on the bed. His mind was swimming with a thousand thoughts, and he was too tired to focus on any of them.

Content that Anna was at least away from the camp, Hans let himself drift into a deep, yet troubled, sleep.