This is an idea I had when I first watched season two and never got around to writing. Fast forward to me finishing season three and here we are. This starts with them just getting to Hawkins, and as the story progresses you'll get more of the backstory. Billy's gonna be a little softer with my OC Veronica, but not by much. Shit hits the fan in chapter 3, with a creature of my own making, and once it starts it's not gonna stop. So get ready, buckle up, because it's gonna be a messy ride.


The room was small, cramped even, and it was made smaller by the two beds shoved against adjacent walls. "This sucks," Max muttered as she threw herself on the bed.

Standing by the half filled bookshelf with a stack of books in hand Veronica said, "it's not that bad."

"We're sharing a dresser," Max told her, as if she didn't already know; as if Veronica hadn't thrown out half her clothes to make more room.

Veronica sighed setting the stack on a shelf and climbing on the bed beside her. She wasn't any happier to leave in the middle of her senior year and have to share the smallest room in the house with her little sister – but she was the oldest, happy or not this was her job. "We've made do with worse," she said with a shrug. Max was still frowning. "Besides I go to college next year, you'll have the whole room to yourself."

She sat hugging her knees to her chest and replied in a soft voice, "that's not what I meant." Max looked up at her not liking the idea of her being gone, she had a hard time picturing what home was without her in it.

"I know," Veronica said wishing she knew what to say to make it better. But words weren't enough this time. "You're right, this sucks," she admitted watching Max's face open with surprise. "I don't wanna have to start over. But it is what it is." Get over it, it's basically what her mom told her and Max glared at the floor. "I'm glad I'm not doing it alone."

Glancing at Veronica out of the corner of her eye Max saw she was smiling, the small one where the corner of her eyes were squinting slightly. She pursed her mouth not ready to give in.

"Come on," Veronica cooed knocking her elbow against Max's arm. "You know you wanna."

"Whatever," Max groaned rolling her eyes, but not before Veronica caught her faint grin. "You sound like one of your stupid books."

She quickly wrapped her arms around Max's small shoulders and gave a tight squeeze before she slid off the bed and returned to the bookshelf. She set about fixing the potted flower in the center of the shelf and arranged the porcelain figurines her grandmother gave her every birthday. Max watched her twist the figures this way and that, switching them all around before changing them back. Billy called her anal, Max didn't really know what that meant.

"Where's Neil and Susan?"

Speak of the devil. Max turned scowling at where Billy leaned in the doorway his eyes fixed on Veronica. "They went to get pizza."

He traced the length of her back and the span of her hips as she bent to grab another stack of books from the box. His tongue snaked along his lips. "How long ago did they leave?" he asked, his voice lowered to a growl.

Max's face twisted knowing where he was looking, it's where he was always looking. And Veronica alphabetized her books pretending she was unaware he'd crept past the doorway with mischief and hunger in his eyes. "A while ago, they should be back any minute."

"How far away's the place?" His boots struck the ground as he snuck closer to the far wall, his blue eyes glittering.

"How should I know?" Max sneered trying to get a rise out of him, to get his eyes off her sister. Veronica was his sister now too, but that didn't seem to matter.

His hands came around her waist and he pulled her against him burying his nose in her hair breathing in the smell of her floral shampoo. "Think we got enough time?" he grumbled dragging his teeth over the nape of her neck as his hands danced beneath her ribcage pulling at her shirt.

A sigh left her and she leaned against him letting him hold her up. Her eyes fluttered shut at his slick tongue running along her jaw. "Depends on how good you are," she answered, her voice a heavy breath.

He hummed against her cheek wrapping his arms around her middle. "Baby I'm always good." Without warning he hauled her off her feet carrying her out into the hall, and while she laughed startled and amused his teeth carved a malicious grin.

Max watched them go with a sullen glare. It hadn't been so bad when it was just Veronica and Billy. But then their parents got married and it wasn't just Veronica and Billy anymore. They couldn't be Veronica and Billy anymore, and they hated it. And Max hated them.

The door to his room hit the wooden frame with a booming crack and her back hit the wall with a dull thud leaving her ears ringing. She raised a hand to brush the hair out of her face but her head was thrown back hitting the wall again as he kissed her, and the hand she'd raised came around his shoulders.

He felt her sigh as he settled against her, his hips pressed firmly against hers. They hadn't done this in weeks and he hated how much he'd missed it. He loved her, so much he wanted to kill her.

At a muffled clap they both stilled, their mouths held open against each others their tongues still pressed together as they breathed waiting. Another clap and they sighed pulling apart.

From behind the wall came a familiar knock; two taps a pause and another tap. Veronica knocked twice in response letting Max know they'd heard. Max met Neil and her mother at the door. "I'm starving," she said following her mother to the kitchen, looking back to see Neil's eyes on Billy's closed door.

He moved down the hall glancing at the girls' room seeing an unorganized stack of books forgotten on a shelf – and that really wasn't like her. His blood boiled as he stalked to Billy's room throwing open the door where it slammed into the toe of Billy's boot.

"Jesus Christ," Billy exclaimed meeting his father's stern eye.

Neil looked from the poster and tape in Billy's hand to the closet on the other side of the room where Veronica was holding a rolled up poster looking at him curiously. He didn't buy it, not one goddamn second. "Dinner's ready," he told them, his voice level and his eyes on his son.

It was always gonna be his fault. "Mind if I finish hanging this up first?" he asked, a hint of defiance curled in his tone.

A heavy breath left through his nose like a bull ready to charge. "Seriously?" They both turned to Veronica seeing the poster she'd unraveled was of a blonde woman in a string bikini.

"Damn straight," Billy said dropping the Metallica poster and moving to grab the one Veronica had. "And she's gonna go right here." He held it up to the wall and turned to her grinning.

Rolling her eyes she moved around him and headed for the kitchen, passing a stern-faced Neil still blocking the doorway. He waited until she grabbed the plates to help set the table before he closed the door and turned to Billy.

"What?"

"Cut the crap," he warned seeing from the way Billy swallowed his first thought had been right. "She's your sister now you keep your goddamn hands off her, is that clear?"

"Yes sir," Billy answered.

After another long look Neil turned for the kitchen where Veronica stood passing out pizza slices on plates to Susan, and then to Max after Max finished setting the glasses and napkins. She was a good girl, respectful. He took the plate she handed him holding her wide-eyed stare, it made her look innocent even though he knew she wasn't. He should be harder on her. She smiled sweetly, warmly, and he was wrapped once more around her finger as he reached a hand to ruffle her long auburn hair.

As he made his way to the table she turned for the hall, her smile falling as Billy still didn't come out. With a sigh she slapped two slices on a second plate and carried both his and hers to the table. She set his plate in the space across from her and slid into the seat beside Max with Neil at the head of the table on her left.

"Where the hell is he?" Neil demanded turning for the hall with a heavy sigh.

"I forgot the salad," Veronica said jumping up. "You want salad mom? Neil?" She looked from her mother to Neil, both of whom nodded. She made her way to the kitchen grabbing a large bowl, she set it on the counter and glanced at the table seeing both her mother and Neil looking at Max as she stalled them.

Slipping into the hall she walked back to Billy's room wasting enough time to grab any part of him, which happened to be the collar of his shirt, and dragged him to the kitchen. She opened the fridge looking for the lettuce. "I already got your pizza," she whispered when he moved around her to reach for a plate. Grabbing the bag of lettuce she held it up to him and rifled around for the dressing.

Max was telling them about the comic she was reading, it was the only thing she could think of after Veronica nudged her before running off to make a salad. This was their life now, covering for Billy to keep Neil from yelling.

"If he is not out here in the next ten seconds," Neil fumed as he turned once more for the hall. He found his son dumping the lettuce in the bowl while Veronica grabbed everything else.

"Can you get the bacon?"

"You actually gonna eat a salad?" was her quick retort, knowing he'd just put it on the pizza. But she grabbed the small yellow bag and handed it to him. They made their way to the table and settled in the tense silence as Neil stared heavily at his son who refused to look at him. "Can you pass the water?" she asked looking at her quiet mother. She first filled Max's cup then her own then Neil's before setting it back on the table and reaching for the salad.

"Is everyone excited for school tomorrow?" Susan asked looking at her daughters and step son, all of who were staring at their plates. And then at her husband who drank his beer in muted anger.

After a long pause Veronica lowered her fork wondering why it always had to be her. "I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's gonna honestly answer yes."

"Yeah," Max agreed, her mouth full. "That's what happens when you're a nerd."

"Hey," she exclaimed turning to see Max grinning behind her hand.

"It's a good thing you're cute," Billy said and Neil stiffened beside him, "you'd never get a date."

The whole table seemed to be holding its breath waiting for the storm to break and Neil's voice to crack like thunder. But Veronica raised her glass to her mouth as though she didn't notice, as though her indifference was the only thing that could keep the storm at bay. "Whatever," she responded in a voice that sounded older than she looked, "there's more for me than just being someone's girlfriend." She took a gulp of water and set her glass down not needing to look at Billy to know she'd just hurt him.

"That there is," Neil agreed, his eyes heavy on her face. Always so heavy.

There wasn't much conversation after that, what with them having just gotten to Hawkins, what with Max having runaway less than a month ago, what with Billy being Billy and Neil being Neil and her mom being a shadow. And that just left Veronica, picking up everyone's pieces to keep this charade from falling apart.

Her and Max did the dishes while their mom and Neil talked softly in the living room, or rather Neil did the talking and she voiced her unnecessary agreement. "Veronica."

She looked up at her name, the only word to come out of his mouth gently. Drying her hands she met him by the door, her auburn brows just slightly creased. His hand on her back made her blink too quick, breathe too sharp, swallow heavily - he didn't notice her flinch. But Billy did, he stood in the doorway to his room having heard her name and he watched a little too close to be considered casual. He knew what his dad's hands could do. She did too, even if Neil never raised them to her.

"Your mother and I wanted you to know how much we appreciate how good you've been with the move, helping us out and taking care of your sister," he said pulling the front door open and leading her outside. At the sight of the old truck her eyes lit up and the beginnings of a smile worked its way onto her mouth. "It's not exactly the one you've been saving up for."

"It's perfect," she said without hesitation. He expected no less and he looked down at her not quite smiling but pleased. The corners of her eyes were squinting from her wide grin as she looked up at him. "You really put up the other half?" she asked quietly, as though waiting for this to be taken away. Nothing good ever stayed.

But Neil nodded handing her the keys. Her truck looked massive next to Billy's Camero, it never ceased to amaze him how completely she overshadowed his son. Billy was seething as he returned to his room throwing the door shut behind him, grabbing the closest thing and breaking it in his hands. His dad always liked her, too much and more than Neil had ever liked him. Billy hated her so much sometimes. Even Max sulked gloomily having always known Veronica was his favorite, pretty perfect Veronica with her small hands and her big eyes. She was their mother's daughter, Max wasn't.

"Wanna go for a ride?"

Max looked up at Veronica's openly happy face and even though she wanted to hate Veronica too she rolled her eyes to hide her smile as she nodded. Veronica threw her arms around Neil's waist squeezing him tight, feeling his hand on her hair before she darted down the steps and to the driver's side. Max wasn't far behind her, and with a quick wave from Veronica to Neil she backed the truck out and they headed for the highway.

With the wind tearing at their sunlicked hair they belted every song that came on before dissolving into a fit of giggles. Max and Veronica, Veronica and Max. Since the beginning of time, it's how it'd always been and how it was supposed to always be. She wished it never changed.

They were parked at an overpass lying in the bed of the truck watching the sky bleed as night slowly crept in. Max glared at the sunset like it wronged her. She didn't wanna be here, she didn't wanna start at a new school with new friends, she didn't wanna live with Neil or Billy, she wanted everything to be like before her dad left and it was never going to be.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Veronica's soft yet warm voice had Max sighing as she pressed closer to her side. "Do you really think everything's gonna be okay?" Max asked because that's what Veronica always said. And Max really didn't think so this time.

Veronica blinked at the faint stars too frail to twinkle yet, but they'd get there. They'd get there. "I think we'll make it okay," Veronica said turning her head to look at her sister's disbelieving face. "We always do." She raised her hand extending only her pinkie. "Together or nothing, right?"

"Right," Max repeated feeling a very small smile at the corners of her mouth as she hooked her pinky with Veronica's. And for the first time since their mom said Neil proposed Max actually thought it might be.

The two girls returned home still singing the song that'd been playing as they shut the door behind them. Max headed to their room but at not finding Veronica behind her she turned to see her kiss Neil's cheek with a sweet smile before she stood upright. Max saw the way that smile slipped off her face like it'd been wiped off with a rag, she ducked in their room before Veronica knew she'd seen. She thought Veronica was like any other simple preppy girl, too lost in her own privileged world to know how much the world really sucked. Max wondered if maybe she didn't know her sister as well as she thought she did.

Veronica showered and stood at their closet with her wet hair piled on top of her head staring at the shirts she hung up earlier. Max already asked her why she couldn't just pick out her outfit tomorrow like a normal person, Veronica only shook her head needing something she could control.

There was a loud knock on their door, hard knuckles striking the wood making them both jump. "Night girls," Neil told them, his eyes trailing the oversized shirt Veronica wore finding it familiar. But she was in her room, that's what he'd come to see.

Max flipped through one of her comics laying on Veronica's bed, and like clockwork after twenty minutes Veronica moved to their door. "He's mad at you," Max reminded her, having seen his brief flash of hurt at the dinner table before an ugly sneer replaced it.

"I know," Veronica replied quietly before cracking the door and looking down the hall to see the light under their parents door was off. She snuck out of their room and closed their door the same time she opened Billy's and slipped inside.

He was sitting at the edge of his bed with his back to her rifling through one of the few boxes he had left. "Thought you were too good to be my girl," he scoffed huffing smoke through his nose. The bed dipped as she climbed onto it and he inhaled sharply feeling her settle against his back with her arms around his waist.

"I hate this," she breathed finally admitting it, and saying it out loud had her sighing as she wilted against him.

He'd seen through every lie and fake smile she plastered on for Susan and Neil and Max, but she couldn't lie with him. "I know." Stubbing out the cigarette he let his hand fall to her leg, soft and fleshy beneath his palm peeking out from beneath his shirt. He loved her in his shirts.

He turned and she raised her chin meeting him for an open mouthed kiss. He forced her back laying himself over her, his greedy hands making quick work of his pants before he was inside her. It'd been so long, they were starving.

They knew how to be quiet, how to not get caught, how to get so close the bones of their hips ground together and all he had to do was twitch. Like he was trying to put back what had been taken from them. He had his face buried in his pillow and his hand clamped over her mouth, and with a choked groan he stilled between her legs.

He normally rolled off of her, reached for a cigarette, tried to coax her into saying it was good with an infuriating sly grin, on the really bad days he'd be mean and get as close to calling her a whore as he could without actually saying the word. He'd only ever called her that once, a year ago, and the way she pulled away from him with tears in her eyes he'd never say it again no matter how mad he was. But tonight, tonight he buried his face in her warm chest with his arms around her.

She wound her hand in his curly hair playing with it gently, feeling him grow steadily heavier as he relaxed against her. He wasn't like this often, she could count on one hand the times he'd been this soft with her. She could see at times he wanted to be, but he couldn't and it left her having to make up for it. This was her life now, a never ending obligation to make up for everyone else's shortcomings without room for her to be anything but perfect.

"I should go before we fall asleep," she said in a voice like a soft brush of wind.

He let her go and she sat up swinging her legs over the side of the bed. But she paused taking a breath and turned into him stealing a quick kiss, feeling the curve of his mouth against hers. He was almost smiling as she left, and she snuck back into her own room without a smile of her own. She wrapped her covers so tight around her she could barely breathe, needing something to hold her there so she didn't sink into the ground. Some days living was just too hard.

"It's pretty cool Neil helped you buy the truck," Max said in the dark. She barely heard Veronica's soft yeah. She never understood why Veronica wanted one, she was too small too delicate to control something that big. "Why are you his favorite?" she asked trying not to sound so bitter. Even their mother favored her, bought her dresses and did her hair - she was everything her mother wanted, what was left for Max.

"I'll tell you when you're older," was Veronica's quiet reply.

Max hated that answer and she hated more that it was coming from Veronica. "You think I wouldn't understand?" Max sneered not realizing how much she sounded like Billy.

She was quiet, so quiet Max almost thought she'd fallen asleep. But her voice cut through the darkness an airy strange thing that didn't really sound like her sister. "I don't want you to know that part of the world exists yet." She rolled over facing the window wondering how hard it'd be to fly from this, she'd tried several times but the same thing held her back every time - the wrist to whom her balloon was tied. "Night, Max."

Max stared at the shadow of Veronica's form curled in on itself, wondering how she hadn't noticed before how heavy the world Veronica carried was. "Night", Max said in return, and it didn't feel like enough.

.^.

Her bed was empty when Max woke and she shot up looking around their small room for any sign of her. All she found was Veronica's neatly made bed and missing book bag. Glancing at the hall she saw her standing in the doorway to Billy's room and Max rolled her eyes shutting their door so she could get dressed.

He was standing at the mirror fixing his hair, and as if knowing his eyes shifted left seeing Veronica leaning against the doorframe watching him. "Like what you see?" he asked with a smug grin, his tongue snaking out to lick his lips.

Glancing behind her she stepped into his room making her way to where he stood, the top of her head reaching no more than an inch above his shoulders. He grunted at the sting of her hands on his ass and leaned against her chuckling darkly. "I need you to drive Max."

His smile was gone in a flash and his eyes narrowed as he glared at her in the mirror. She knew how to get what she wanted, she could use people like they were only there to be of service to her. She was a real bitch sometimes, and god did he love her. "What's in it for me?" he asked making it clear he wasn't giving her anything for free.

A smirk curled half her mouth as she stepped back, hearing Neil still in the kitchen as he got ready to leave. They both knew how easy it'd be for Veronica to get Neil to ask Billy to drive Max. It was a good thing she loved him too. "We have the same lunch period, I'll make it up to you." She had her shoes on and her keys in her pocket, she was leaving and he was driving Max there was no other way around it.

"And what are you gonna do?" he demanded like he had any say in this. She had all the power here, what's worse is he'd given it to her without realizing it until it was too late.

She was aware of this too, she knew it was why he could be so mean. "Whatever you want," she answered seeing the smile that slid across his mouth like a knife through butter. His mind was so far down the gutter he forgot he never really had a choice. But it got her what she needed and it made him happy enough he'd probably let her enjoy it too. He was out of her mind as she entered the kitchen to grab a banana to take with her.

"You're leaving early," Neil casually remarked with just enough of an edge she knew he wanted a reason.

She shouldered her bag and looked up at him with a smile ready. "I wanted to get my schedule and go over the programs and extracurriculars they offer."

She was an overachiever, always had been, she wanted the world and she knew how to get what she wanted. He hadn't been sure of her at first, didn't care for her severe ambition, but she worked hard and was so sweet it made his teeth ache. So he nodded and told her, "two."

She had four extracurriculars and a part time job on top of being class president when she left California. Her wide eyes narrowed slightly as she studied his stoic face, finding the subtle fondness for her in his stern jaw. "Two, and if I find a third I'll bring it to you to discuss." She was toeing a very thin line with a short-fused man. But she was agreeing to his terms while making it clear she wanted more, with the added cushioning of clear respect. She would've made such a good class president, and it would've looked so good on applications.

As she knew he liked that she wasn't going to do anything without his okay, she had a way of making him feel like the most important man in her life. "Deal," he said holding his hand out for her to shake on it.

She fit her smaller hand in his and shook firm and brisk, like a man. But she stepped forward rising on tiptoes and kissed his cheek before she marched out of the house with purpose heavy in her step.

...

Billy had her on her stomach in the back of his car, his hand fisting her hair and his teeth buried in her shoulder hard enough it'd bruise. She waited for him to finish lost in too many thoughts to care about enjoying this.

He was catching his breath as she sat up pulling her skirt down and then set about fixing her hair. Her face wasn't flushed, her breathing wasn't ragged, nothing about her was bothered. "Could you at least try to pretend you wanted that?"

Her fingers stilled in brushing out the knots he'd put in her hair and she took a steadying breath. The honest answer was not anymore than he pretended to care if she enjoyed it, but that wasn't fair and it'd only make him angry, and she still needed him. So she smiled. "That wasn't for me," she said leaning into him for a warm kiss.

She had soft full lips and when she kissed him like this it felt like lying down after a really long day. He exhaled in a short huff through his nose as he got a hand around the back of her neck: not often but more often than sometimes he had to knock her down a few pegs. "What do you want now?"

He used to fall for that so easily, just the curl of her mouth wrapped him around her finger. But Neil was getting worse and Billy was getting harder, and she wouldn't be able to do this forever. "Drive Max home," she told him. It wasn't a request.

His hand tightened on her neck, his thumb along her jaw, just enough for her to think of choking. "And if I say no?" They were so close he saw her eyes turn to stone, he knew her first thought but she loved him too much to go there.

She took another breath. "I wonder what Neil would say." His face broke open showing a terrible pain but it closed just a fast and filled with rage. She'd already climbed over the seat and was getting out by then. She shouldn't have said that, nothing he did would ever make her do that to him. But she turned to him as he stood over her glowering. "You know I have an interview. We talked about this, the moment I graduate I'm getting her out of that house. You can either do this with me or I will do it without you." Her eyes might've been wide and her voice soft but there was a quiet strength about her that wouldn't yield to him. "I want you with me, Billy," she really thought she did and she could see in his suddenly vulnerable eyes he did too, "but I'm not gonna wait forever for you to decide."

There was nothing else for them to say and if they continued now they'd only hurt each other. And they were already hurting. So she walked away hearing the door slam shut like a clap of thunder. Her eyes closed as though to flinch but her steps didn't falter, she didn't turn back.