Frost Bite

Hans

Hans flipped through the wallet of that white-haired girl he 'bumped' into as he was leaving. No credit cards. Some cash. Other than that, not much of a good find. He tossed it into a bag full of wallets in the back of his mustang. Getting in, he noticed a sheet taped on the driver side window. Hans ripped it off:
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Good to see you're back in town. Maybe you should stop by your business. I have something to show you.
-Pitch
Oh and do hurry.
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Pitch. What did he do this time to my business? I go away for a year to deal with family matters and leave the business to him, just so he could ruin it. I bet that's what he did. Exactly what he did. Getting in the mustang, Hans drove to Han's Reno & Design Empire. Aka, his business.

"Pitch I'm home!" He chuckled walking into the office, "Bloody f-" The sound of glass breaking distracted him from the swear words that were about to escape his lips, "sh-"

"Hans! Wonderful to see you. I got you a new co-worker. She's quite a catch." Pitch walked in, his foot steps muffled by the carpet. His usual clean cut attire was replaced with a long dark trench coat and casual black colored clothing

"What did you do to my business?!"

"You mean MY business. You were run out of business a year and a half ago." Pitch smiled

"You screwed me over!"

"That is your fault. You shouldn't be so trusting to nightmares. Especially this one." He motioned at himself and turned to the girl behind him, "Your staff are gone. Just thought I should let you know."

"What about my books, customers, and employees? Where are-what did you do to them?"

"Your customers went with Krist in the end. Your employees too. As for you're books, they were burned in just the same way Hitler had the books of his conquered lands burned. What an ingenious man." Pitch brought the girl to stand next to him, "And this exquisite creature is your only employee left."

"She never was. Where's my wife?"

"Oh. Juliet? Well, accidents do happen don't they?" He turned and started walking away

"Pitch! What did you do to her!?" Hans ran at him but found he couldn't move, "Let me go Pitch so I can rip your throat out like you did to my business and my wife."

"Goodbye Hans. I wish you well." Hans felt himself being lifted into the air and then he was soaring down toward the sidewalk. Then he stopped in mid-air, and landed on his feet, just fine. "Don't ever come back, or next time I will make sure you fall."

He had lost everything.

"Hans?"

"Hmmm?" He sadly turned, coming face to face with Anna.

"Hans!? What are you doing back!? I thought you were in jail!?" She hugged him, tightly. It made him feel a little better, being missed and all.

"Ha. No. I got out early. Good behavior."

"Of course you did! How are you?" She looked at his face, "Are you okay?"

"Of course not." He bitterly laughed, "How can I be? My business was corrupted, my wife was killed, and I'm standing here with nothing. Only my- No! C'mon man are you kidding me!?" A tow-truck was taking away his mustang. "Now officially, nothing."

"C'mon Hans. It can't be that bad. Here, you can stay with me until you're back in your feet."

"It won't be awkward with our past history will it?" Hans sighed, their past history was quite a doosy.

"Not at all." She grabbed his hand and led him towards their favorite coffee shop, "Remember when we came here after that big rain and you begged the manager to take out a space heater so that I could warm up? And then you bought us coffee and scones?"

"Yea those were good times."

"I missed you."

Hans was thrown for a loop, she missed him?! "I missed you too." It didn't feel so foreign to be talking to Anna like this anymore. He felt uplifted. Free.

"Can I be completely honest with you?"

"Sure."

"Promise not to run away?"

"Why would I-" Anna shut him up with a stern look, "Fine I promise. I promise."

"When you married Juliet, I was frustrated. You told me that you loved me and yet you married her. And then when we broke up, you went straight away to dating her. It made me feel like you were cheating on me with her and you needed to wait for the time to break up with me before you and her became public. Then at your wedding you publicly insulted me. Did you ever even tell Juliet you love her?"

"I-"

"I'm not done yet. And then when everything is going good for you, one of your workers dies and you try to cover it up! Even though you didn't kill him, you went to jail because you hid it. Why Hans? Why are you doing this? And now you're here being sweet to me because I'm just a rebound for your dead wife. Thanks Hans. You're so nice and gracious." She stood, "I have to go for a job interview."

"Where?"

"That's all you have to say after I have my heart to you?! My story!? Where?!"

"I don't want you going to Pitch's."

"And why not?"

"He changed a white-haired girl into some type of perfect minion. You can't, he'll do the same to you."

"Oh so now you care when about me when your best friend kidnaps and puts my sister in a trance?" Anna rolled her eyes, "Thanks so much Hans."

"I won't allow you to go. You can't."

Anna turned around and got up into Hans' face. "You do not own me. I have the free will to do whatever I please!" She looked at him for a minute, "What did I ever see in you Hans?" And then she left.

"Anna! Wait!" Hans placed two tens on the table and grabbed his coat, "Anna, c'mon, wait!"