Steve will never remember the drive to the Hargrove house. Whether it be from the brain damage Billy mentioned, or stress, or the absolute terror he felt from receiving Max's message, it doesn't really matter. What he'll never forget is the sound of Max's voice. That is seared in and no amount of battering will ever shake that loose. He'd seen her face off against monsters and of course she was scared, but this was on another level. This was the sound of someone dealing with something very bad.

Steve parked his car half on the lawn, barely taking the time to turn off the ignition before rushing out and sprinting toward the house. He didn't bother knocking as he barreled through the front door. The smell of alcohol was almost overwhelming and Steve was tempted to swear off drinking altogether after this. Neil was standing in the center of the room, with Billy squared up right in front of him. Steve could only see one side of Billy's face from his position, and it wasn't good.

"Steve? Uh, this- this isn't a good time," Susan stammered from where she was standing on the opposite side of the room. One of her sleeves was torn and Steve could see some discoloration on the bit of skin peeking through. "You need to go home."

"What's going on?" Steve asked, ignoring her direction. There was no way he was leaving.

"Called your boyfriend, I see. Should've fucking known," Neil sneered, cutting his eyes over toward him. There was the hateful man Steve had heard about in all his glory. There was no trying to hide it anymore.

"Leave him alone," Billy growled, balling his fists at his sides. Steve knew what those fists could do, but he didn't see a mark on Neil. Steve could give as good as he got with almost everyone, but in the presence of his father, he was cowering and obedient. Billy must've felt the same way. But it looked like something made that change tonight.

"No wonder your mother left. She couldn't stand to see what you'd become," Neil laughed.

"Son of a bitch!" Billy shouted, lunging the few inches that separated him from his father. Steve rushed forward, pulling him away before they could make contact. He needed to try to calm the situation down before it got out of hand. Or rather, even more out of hand.

"Shit," Steve murmured, now that he had a full view of Billy's face. His lip was split and there was a trickle of blood dripping from one eyebrow. One cheekbone was already starting to swell and Steve could tell it would be heavily bruised by tomorrow. The Hargrove men really knew how to do some damage.

Steve pushed Billy back until he was next to the entrance to the hallway, feeling uneasy with Neil so close behind him. He found Max just out of view of the action, gripping the radio in her hand like a lifeline. Steve wondered if any of the other kids were aware of what was going on. They should've been asleep at this hour, but they rarely did things they were supposed to.

"Are you hurt?" Steve asked, looking her over for any sign of injury. She shook her head, then threw herself at them, burying her face in Billy's chest. They'd gotten closer over the last few weeks, but this was an unusual display of affection.

"You know, maybe I was mistaken. You have been spending a lot more time with that little whore," Neil jeered. Steve froze, feeling all the blood drain from his face. Nothing Neil had said or done had been okay, but that was crossing a major line. The disgusting language and even more disgusting implication was too far.

"How dare you say something like that about my daughter!" Susan exclaimed, staring at Neil in shock.

"Don't talk back to me!" Neil hissed, stomping over and grabbing her by the arm. Steve had seen enough and rushed over, pulling Neil's hand off her. He hadn't seen the fist coming until it collided with the side of his face. Steve went down hard, laying on his back in a daze. A blur of Billy leapt over him, crashing into his dad in a pile of limbs. Steve groaned as he shook his head, trying to force himself back up. He couldn't let Billy fight this fight alone.

"Stop!" Steve demanded, staggering over to where Neil and Billy were locked up, both of them trying to get the upper hand. Steve wished the alcohol he smelled was making Neil sloppy, but it seemed to be giving him strength. He grabbed Neil's arm again, but ended up catching an elbow to the mouth. Steve landed on his butt, feeling blood start to pour out of his mouth from where his teeth tore into his bottom lip.

"Neil, don't!" Susan shrieked. Steve rolled his head to the side to look at her, finding her and Max holding each other and crying. And dammit if Steve didn't feel like crying as well. He wanted to curl up into a ball and wail about how unfair the world was. Why were the people who were supposed to take care of you the ones who could hurt you the most?

"Billy!" The sound of Max crying out for her brother snapped Steve out of his depression spiral and he smacked his cheek, trying to wake himself back up. There was probably no way he was leaving this night without another concussion, but that was a problem for later.

"Should've done this a long time ago," Neil growled, straddling a prone Billy and squeezing his neck. Steve didn't know how they'd gotten into this position, but seeing Billy scratch at his father's arms to try to free himself gave him a burst of energy. He jumped up, going at Neil in a full sprint. Steve tackled the man, sending them both sprawling to the floor. Billy started coughing harshly, curling up on his side as he tried to get oxygen back into his body. Steve tried to flop onto Neil while he was down, hoping to subdue him and end this madness, but the older man kicked him in the center of his chest. Steve gasped, hearing more than feeling something snap in response.

"Stop-" Steve barely got the word out before the back of his head was smacking the floor. He moaned, trying to blink the blurriness out of his vision. He wished he hadn't when his sight finally came into focus and was filled with the rage filled face of Neil Hargrove. This was so much like the fight with Billy, except this time, Max didn't have a syringe of tranquilizers to save the day.

Steve's head snapped to the side from the first punch, leaving him facing Susan and Max for a brief moment. They looked horrified and he wished he could tell them to run while they had the chance, but he couldn't really get his mouth to work. A second punch had him facing Billy. So much for being able to help with anything. At least he was able to take some of the punches for Billy. A third punch had him looking back up at Neil again. Would the man ever realize what he'd done and feel guilt? Could he justify all these actions somehow? Steve could feel himself fading as he watched Neil pull his fist back for another punch. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see it happen.

But suddenly the weight of the man was gone and Steve sucked in a shaky breath, forcing his eyes open again. Billy was squatting over his father and was wailing on the man, throwing punch after punch so fast that Steve couldn't keep up. Any hesitation or fear was gone now as Billy let out all the built up pain and frustration he'd been dealing with for years. Neil was too far gone to even try to fight back, with his hands resting limply at his sides.

Steve crawled over and put his hand on Billy's shoulder. He was shoved back harshly, barely able to keep himself from keeling over from the force. Steve tried again, this time draping himself over Billy's back and wrapping his arms around his chest, tucking his face next to Billy's ear. He was dripping blood all over him, but it didn't matter.

"It's over. It's over," Steve whispered, trying to get through to Billy before things went too far. He knew Billy wouldn't stop until the man was dead. The world wouldn't mourn the loss, but Steve couldn't let that stain Billy's conscience. "Billy, it's done." Billy finally stopped swinging, panting unevenly from exertion and most likely emotion. Steve slowly dragged them both away from Neil's unconscious body, not stopping until they were resting against the wall. Billy was shaking in his arms, so Steve kept holding him, needing the comfort for himself as well.

"Oh my God," Max mumbled, breaking free from her mother's grip and kneeling down beside them.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay," Steve murmured, not quite believing the words as he said them. Things were definitely going to be different after this. There was no way that things were going to go back to the way they were. Steve wished he could see into the future and know everything was going to work out, but he couldn't. What he did know was that they couldn't deal with this next part alone.

After sitting for a few more minutes in his post assault stupor, Steve eased himself out from behind Billy. He shifted the silent teen closer to Max, so they would be able to support each other, then staggered over to the phone in the kitchen. His head swam as he was upright again, but he made it to the counter without falling. He picked up the phone, dialing a number he probably should have a long time ago.

"Hawkins police department."

"I need Chief Hopper."