(A/N: Slash Warning.)
It was 10:00 at night of the same day where Johannes's mother was shot by Thaddeus. Nikolaus went downtown to drown his misery and Johannes was in his room being forced to do push-ups by his grandfather.
"97…98…99…100." Thaddeus said as Johannes finished exhausted. "Too easy! Start over and double it!"
"But I'm tired." Johannes said.
"Well, you should have thought about that before you got that B- on that history test!" Thaddeus shouted.
"Can't I do it in the morning?" Johannes said. "My arms are sore and I can barely keep my eyes open."
"When I was 14, The Tsar cut my lung open with a rusty bayonet! Left me for dead in the middle of the woods!" Thaddeus shouted with his foot on his grandson's back and pinning him to the ground. "So don't come bitching to me with your problems! Now give me 200!"
Thirty minutes later, Johannes finished and they both headed off to bed. While Johannes was asleep, he heard the sound of his bedroom window opening. He immediately jolted upwards and saw a familiar face on the foot of his bed.
"Anthony?" Johannes whispered. "What are you doing here this late? If my grandfather sees you he'll…"
"Shh…" Anthony said climbing up onto his bed. "I don't know how much longer either of us can put up with this Nazi, so I might as well say it."
"Anthony, are you feeling alright?"
"I love you, Johannes." He said. "Ever since I first met you, I've had these feelings for you. But now I know what these feelings are."
"What?" Johannes said. "Anthony, I… I don't…"
"Don't talk, just listen." Anthony said. Before Johannes knew it, Anthony was right on top of him. (A/N: No, not like that).
"Anthony, I…" Johannes said but stopped when he felt Anthony's lips touch his own. This only lasted 5 seconds when the door burst open.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!" They heard Thaddeus shout.
"Grandpa, please." Johannes shouted. "It's not what you think." Thaddeus just grabbed his wrist.
"You filthy bastard!" Thaddeus shouted dragging both him and Anthony out into the hallway; he then pinned Johannes to the wall. "It's bad enough you're friends with this animal, now you're trying to get intimate with him? Haven't I raised you well? I feed you, clothe you, and bathe you. And this is how you thank me?" He then hit him until his nose started bleeding and slammed his head in the wall.
"Come with me." He said to Anthony. He dragged him by the arm and placed it in an open window.
"Johannes, help me." Anthony said.
"You intervene and you'll join him." Thaddeus said. Johannes just backed away. Anthony just stood there shocked; his best friend was too scared to save him.
"Good choice." Thaddeus said. He then slammed the window on Anthony's arm, breaking it instantly. Anthony just screamed in pain. Johannes tried to run back into his room, but Thaddeus grabbed him by his arm and threw him in a nearby closet.
"Now stay in there! No retard grandson of mine is associating himself with a kike and a fag!" Thaddeus said slamming the door and locking it.
The next morning, Johannes, still shaken from last night, slowly climbed out of the closet, which Thaddeus had the decency to unlock for the morning, he then went into the kitchen and when he got there his eyes just widened. His father Nikolaus was hanging from the ceiling by a noose around his neck and below him a chair had been knocked over; he had killed himself while Johannes was asleep. Johannes was shocked and speechless. Within two days, he had lost both of his parents. Johannes just lay on the ground, sobbing quietly. Just then Thaddeus came down.
"What's going on down here?" He then looked up and saw his son hanging, he just smiled. "Oh, look at that. The bastard finally killed himself." Just then the doorbell rang.
"Go get that, you lousy excuse of a Stern." Thaddeus said. Johannes went to the foyer and opened the door. There he saw Ilsa with Anthony, who had a makeshift sling around his arm, and neither looked at all happy to see him.
"Hi, Ilsa." Johannes said. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, don't act like you don't know." She said. "Anthony told me everything!"
"If he told you everything, then why are you mad at me?"
"Like you don't know!" She said. "You think I'm stupid? That Anthony wouldn't tell me that you raped him, beat him, and broke his arm?"
"I what?" Johannes said. "Ilsa, you know I would never…"
"Oh, so you expect me to believe that Anthony was lying to me?" She said. "I've known Anthony almost as long as you have, and I know he would never lie!"
"Ilsa please…"
"How many other lies have you kept from me? How do I know your grandfather is really as abusive as you claim him to be? Maybe you did lie just to gain our attention. Well guess what? It's not working anymore."
"Hey, Ilsa." They heard someone shout. They turned around and noticed James Dunbar. "Is this guy giving you trouble?"
"Not at all, Jamie." Ilsa said kissing him.
"Why are you with…?" Johannes said.
"Oh, you noticed?" Ilsa said. "Jamie and I are officially going out together. As boyfriend and girlfriend."
"But I thought we…"
"There is no 'we', Johannes!" Ilsa shouted. "There never was, and there never will be! I'm sick of your lies and I'm sick of you! Now do the world a favor and forget about us. People like you don't deserve friends like us!" She and James then walked away holding hands. Johannes then walked up to Anthony.
"Anthony, why?" Johannes said.
"You didn't stand up for me. You're better of with no one." Anthony then walked away. Johannes just closed the door and went to the living room couch. He just lay face down and cried. Thaddeus walked up to him.
"So your friends have finally left you." He said. "Good, now you can focus more on your work and not have to deal with anyone ever again."
Just then, out of nowhere, Johannes just snapped. With his fists clenched, he got off the couch and pushed his grandfather to the ground.
"You really want to fight me?" Thaddeus said. "You don't know who you're dealing with."
Thaddeus then grabbed Johannes and pushed him towards the wall. But Johannes fought back and threw him to the ground. Johannes then went up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"Wha… What are you doing?" Thaddeus said. "Johannes, listen…"
"No! You listen!" Johannes shouted in his face. "For 18 months you've pushed me around and treated me like dirt! I don't care what happens now, I won't take it anymore!"
Each person put up an even fight at first, but Thaddeus' age finally caught up to him, he lay on the ground begging for mercy.
"You never gave me mercy, so you get no mercy." He then delivered a hard punch which knocked the fallen Nazi to the ground. Thaddeus felt his face and saw that he was bleeding. Johannes looked down and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Thaddeus' cold, ruthless eyes had a look of fear in them; Johannes had reduced him from one of the most powerful men in Germany to a frightened child. Thaddeus then got up and walked out the door. After a year and a half, Thaddeus finally left him alone. Of course, Johannes was 15 now, so he was capable of taking care of himself.
Unfortunately, things weren't as good at school; Anthony had apparently spread the same rumor that he told Ilsa. Nobody wanted to be with him anymore, he had virtually no friends. Whether at class or at lunch, he would always be seated by himself. Often he would think about Ilsa and how she was managing with James Dunbar; Johannes just cried whenever he thought about it.
A few years later, Johannes was now a senior at high school. Everyone had dismissed Anthony's story and were starting to talk to him more. One day, Johannes was sitting by himself when he heard someone come from behind him.
"Excuse me." He heard. The voice obviously coming from a girl. "Are you Ilsa's friend?"
"I was." Johannes said not turning around. "Why? Did you know her?"
"Yeah." She said. "I thought you might have heard, but she broke up with James Dunbar."
"Really." He said without any care.
"Yep. He started being real abusive towards her and even cheated on her." The girl said. "But maybe she was just a rotten bitch who deserved it."
"Yep." Johannes said. "Why does it matter anyway? I haven't seen her since that faithful day."
"And now you'll see her again." The girl said sitting down across from him. Johannes looked us and saw that it was Ilsa.
"Is it really you?" He said. She just nodded her head.
"I've come to apologize." She said. "I should have believed you about Anthony."
"I didn't rape him." Johannes said.
"I know." She said. "And saying those things when both your parents had died, that just made it worse. Nobody should ever have this done to them. Is there anyway I can make it up to you?"
"Well, there is something I've been meaning to ask you." Johannes said. "Will you be my date for the senior dance?"
She didn't say anything. After a few seconds, she just held his hand and kissed him on the lips.
"I thought you wouldn't ask." She said. "I would be honored to go with you."
"Thanks." He said. "Hey. What happened to Anthony anyway?"
"Nobody's seen him ever since the day we left you." She said. "Rumor has it he moved away somewhere where nobody could find him."
"I hope so." Johannes said. "I hope he never comes back too."
A month later, the dance came and Johannes and Ilsa were already having a good time. During the dance, Johannes popped the question to Ilsa. (A/N: Not that question).
"Ilsa, do you love me?" He asked.
"Yes. Yes I do." She said.
"Will you always?"
"Always and forever." She said as they continued dancing.
Years later, Johannes and Ilsa got married and moved into his old house. It pained him to live in the place that brought him so many bad memories, but it was the best they could do.
A few days later, a letter came in the mail saying that Thaddeus Stern had passed away and Johannes, being the last descendent of the Stern family, was left with his money. Apparently, Thaddeus was found passed out after suffering a severe lung infection and was rushed to the hospital and put on intensive care. A few days later, the power had gone out and before the backup generator could kick in, the machines keeping Thaddeus alive had failed and he died instantly; everyone else on intensive care survived though. Johannes called it a happy coincidence; Ilsa called it karma and an act of God.
"So how much money did he leave you?" Ilsa asked. Johannes looked at the check and his eyes widened.
"1,000,000 German Marks." He said. (A/N: Remember, it's the '80s. They haven't adopted the Euro yet).
"Really?" Ilsa exclaimed. "What are you going to do with that money?"
"I have a few ideas." Johannes said. Within weeks, Johannes bought himself a new house and had the old one demolished. He then found work at a steel mill where he became one of the top workers. A year later, his boss died and he assumed all management responsibility; he was making more money than before. However, despite it all, it wasn't the happiest moment of his life. No, that came years later.
On July 14th 1991, Ilsa Stern was in the emergency room in labor with her first child. After hours of pushing and screaming, Johannes was called in to see his newborn son. When Johannes entered the room, he immediately went to his wife. The doctor then went up to them.
"Congratulations, Mr. Stern." He said holding the small infant. "It's a boy."
"Let me see." He said as the doctor handed his son to him. Johannes held him close, he then felt a tear run down his face; for the first time in a long time, he had found joy in life.
"Aren't you going to name him, Johannes?" Ilsa said. Johannes then though for a while, finally he spoke.
"Ulrich." He said. "Ulrich Stern."
"Ulrich, I love it." Ilsa said. Johannes then leaned closer to his son.
"I know you'll make me proud." He whispered. "I promise I'll never let you fall down the same path I did, and I know you'll thank me for it."
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