The drive back from the hospital was one of the worst twenty minutes of Krystal's life. Her leg bobbed up and down anxiously, as she made sure to avert her eyes from Neil's the whole drive. She had been reluctant to even get in the car with the older man, but it was clear that she had no choice. Neil was silent the whole time, but she could tell there was a silent fury there just waiting to be unleashed. She just wished he would get it over with…whatever it was going to be. She almost let out a sigh of relief when they pulled into the drive, as she thought maybe he was going to let it go. Boy, was she wrong.
"Seventeen years…" Neil trailed off; his hands wrapped tightly against the steering wheel.
"What?" Krystal frowned, completely lost.
"Seventeen years I've looked after that boy, and not once has he said a bad word to anyone about me. Then after just a few weeks of living with you, he's going to the Chief of police. What am I to think of that, Krystal?" Neil questioned, turning to her.
"I'm assuming this is the first time you've given him internal bleeding, maybe that has something to do with it" Krystal pointed out, venom clear in her voice.
"And there it is…talking back again. Didn't your father raise you better?" Neil scoffed, not missing the hurt flash over Krystal's face.
"How did you get the charges dropped?" Krystal inquired, wanting to change the subject quickly.
"Billy recanted his statement. No victim, no case" Neil replied, simply.
"You threatened him?" Krystal guessed, as Neil barked a harsh laugh.
"Now what kind of father do you take me for" Neil exclaimed.
"I want to go inside now" Krystal told him, as she reached for the door handle.
She gulped quietly as the door suddenly locked and turned back to Neil who was glaring at her, an angry expression on his face.
"You'll leave when I let you. Now…I don't like the influence you have over my son. You two have been spending far too much time together" Neil explained, as Krystal looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.
"You're the one who said you wanted us to get along" Krystal pointed out.
"And now I say you're getting along a little too well. You're becoming a problem, Krystal. I don't tolerate problems in my household" Neil went on, as Krystal had to fight the urge to roll her eyes.
"Well, it's a shame you can't get rid of me then" Krystal muttered, as Neil snorted.
"You really think your mother would even notice if you were gone? Max would move on, just like she did last time your mother dumped you. And Billy? He pities you. No one would miss you, Krystal. Only your father…and he's dead" Neil spat out, as Krystal looked away from him.
She was distracted as the door to the house was ripped open and a familiar figure came rushing towards the car. Krystal smiled as she watched Max bound over to them, as Neil reluctantly unlocked the car door. Krystal instantly jumped out and pulled her little sister into a hug, as Max wrapped her arms around Krystal's shoulders.
"Max…I can't breathe" Krystal chuckled, due to Max's vicelike grip around her.
"Sorry, I'm just glad your back" Max grinned, pulling away.
"Glad to be back. You okay?" Krystal questioned, as Neil exited the car to stand near them.
"…Yeah. I'm fine" Max nodded, not missing the way Neil was looming over them.
"Don't you have some homework to be getting on with, Maxine?" Neil suggested, crossing his arms.
"But Krystal-" Max begun but was quickly cut off by her sister.
"He's right. Go on, I'll come talk to you later" Krystal replied, ushering Max back towards the house.
"Okay…" Max trailed off, an uneasy expression on her face.
Krystal could still sense the anger rolling off Neil and didn't want Max anywhere near him. The older man seemed ready to snap at the smallest thing. Krystal knew she had to play smart otherwise things would get much worse in the Hargrove household. However, that all went flying out the window when her eyes landed on her mother. She kept her mouth shut until Max was safely in her bedroom, the door closing with a soft sound.
"Hi Mom" Krystal greeted, hearing the front door close behind her.
Her mother's reaction certainly wasn't what she was expecting. Krystal knew how bad she looked, from the cuts and bruises that covered her face and neck, to the way she hunched over because of her stomach wound. All things that would worry most mothers…but not hers.
"What were you thinking, Krystal? Talking to the police…you…you've disappointed me" Susan announced, her eyes looking behind Krystal to her husband throughout.
"I've disappointed you? Me?! I've been in the hospital for two days and you haven't even come to see me! I almost died this week and you…you don't even care!" Krystal shouted, marching forward, with a fire burning in her eyes.
"You shouldn't have been in the forest in the first place. You were supposed to be looking for Maxine" Susan stated, as Krystal scoffed harshly.
"I was! I was looking out for her like I always do, not that I'd expect you to understand that" Krystal retorted.
"I have always done my best for you and Maxine-" Susan began, but Krystal quickly cut her off by shoving her in the chest.
"You abandoned me! You don't care, you never have! I…I wish you weren't my mother" Krystal spat out, shocked by her own words.
Susan flinched as if she had been slapped, hurt clear in her eyes. Krystal didn't feel even a sliver of guilt, it felt good to finally say what she had been thinking for half her life. Any relief she had been feeling quickly dissipated as a hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her around. Before she could react, a hard slap to her face almost sent her flying into Susan. Krystal clutched at her painful cheek as she looked up at Neil, fear seeping into her bones. In the next second, Neil had lunged forward and punched her in the stomach, just under where her wound was. She fell to her knees, gasping for her air, but Neil still wouldn't let up. He sent a hard kick to her abdomen, throwing her onto her back, as she scrunched her eyes shut. Krystal let out a scream as Neil kicked her wound directly, as pain coursed through her body like lightning.
"Apologise to your mother" Neil exclaimed, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and pulling her upright.
"Apologise!" Neil shouted, shaking her.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry…I'm sorry" Krystal cried, flinching away from him.
"Now things are going to change around here from now on. You do what I tell you, or there will be consequences. You will treat your mother with the respect she deserves, and you will stay away from Billy. Do I make myself clear?" Neil told her, as Krystal nodded.
"I didn't hear you" Neil stated, gripping onto her collar harder.
"Yes, sir" Krystal replied.
"Child protective services will be calling by next week, I expect you to be on your best behaviour…or I might just turn my attention to Maxine" Neil whispered in her ear before he dropped her back to the floor.
Krystal rolled onto her side to look up at her mother, as Neil began to usher Susan out of the room. From the lightning on Susan's face, she could now see the beginning of a black eye that she hadn't noticed before. Susan flinched slightly as Neil gripped onto her wrist and all but dragged her away.
"Mom…" Krystal cried, as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Susan didn't look behind her, as Neil turned off the lights in the room, leaving Krystal in darkness. She couldn't help the sob that escaped from her lips, as she tried to stop herself from crying. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, hissing in pain as she clutched at her abdomen. She grimaced as she felt her shirt was wet and realised that her wound must have started to bleed again. Using a nearby chair to push herself to her feet, she stumbled towards the bathroom to find the first aid kit. She turned the light on and quickly wished she hadn't. There were tear tracks all over her face, not to mention a cut on her cheek that wasn't there before. She looked pathetic. Krystal leaned over to turn the light off again and grabbed the first aid kit from the cupboard. Taking a roll of bandage out, she rolled up her top and pulled the crepe over her stomach a few times, hoping it would stop the bleeding. Her hands shook as she tried to wash the blood away. Her blood. With a shake of her head, she began to walk out of the bathroom towards her bedroom. She stopped outside Max's door and making a split-second decision, she walked inside. Max was sitting upright in bed, her knees pulled to her chest, as she hid her head. Her eyes snapped up when she saw Krystal enter the room. Max opened her mouth to talk, but Krystal quickly placed a finger to her own lips. The last thing she wanted to do was talk. But she didn't want to be alone. Max scooted over to make room for her big sister in her bed, as Krystal got under the covers. Settling back down, Max fell asleep quickly, seeming to feel safer in Krystal's presence. The older girl did not find it so easy, her eyes trained on the door at the side of the bed, fear still deep in her bones.
Krystal couldn't keep the smile off her face when she was told Billy would be returning home a few days later. Neil had refused to let her visit him in hospital, and even Max had only been allowed to see him once. The usually stubborn sisters had not said a word against Neil his fight with Krystal, both too scared by what their stepfather might do. Any happiness about Billy coming home was quashed when Neil told her she wouldn't be allowed to come to the hospital to collect him. She was embarrassed by how much she had been missing the blond, from his sharp retorts to his cocky smile. Maybe she had been spending too much time with him. Max and Krystal stood by the door as they heard Neil's car pull up in the drive, while Susan stayed in the kitchen, getting dinner ready. She hadn't been able to look Krystal in the eye for days and had been avoiding her around the house. Billy all but stumbled through the front door, clutching at his abdomen more with every move. He came to a halt when he saw Krystal standing a few metres away, a beaming smile on her face.
"Hey Krys" He grinned back, as Krystal felt her heart flutter at the words.
"Hey" She smiled back, their eyes never leaving each other.
"Did the doctors give you the all-clear?" Max questioned, as Neil entered the room.
"Yeah…maybe no basketball for a couple of weeks though" Billy mumbled, pulling his eyes from Krystal.
"They're calling you the Hero of Hawkins at school. Dustin told everyone how you wrestled with…one of the rabid dogs" Max informed him, making Billy chuckle.
He realised that Krystal had slowly been backing away and was already halfway across the room by the time he looked back at her. He saw how his father was watching her go, his arms crossed. There was a weird tension in the room that hadn't been there before. It was strange how Krystal had just left without saying anything. Was she mad at him?
Krystal barely bothered to lift her head from her pillow when she heard her bedroom door open later that night, expecting it to be Max. The sisters had been sleeping in each other's beds every night since Krystal had got back. It was the only way either of them felt safe enough to sleep.
"Max, it's almost three…" Krystal trailed off, when she saw it wasn't Max entering her room.
"Billy?" She frowned, as he quietly shut her bedroom door.
"Why did you-" Billy was cut off as a body collided with him as soon as he turned around.
His eyes widened as Krystal hugged him tightly, as he slowly draped his arms around her waist. He certainly hadn't been expecting that.
"What was that for?" Billy chuckled, as Krystal pulled away, with a small blush that he could just about make out in the darkness.
"I was worried about you, idiot. Neil wouldn't let me see you" Krystal admitted, as the pieces fell into place for Billy.
"Huh, and here I thought you just got bored of me" Billy replied, only half being a lie.
"What happened, Billy? Neil said you recanted your statement" Krystal exclaimed, as Billy looked away from her.
"Did he say why?" Billy queried, as Krystal shook her head.
"I never should have made the statement in the first place. There's no getting away from my dad. Not until I can leave high school at least" Billy explained.
"What changed your mind?" Krystal insisted, as she still wasn't convinced.
"…My concussion cleared, that's all. It was a stupid plan" Billy lied, not wanting to reveal the real reason.
"Yeah, I guess it was…" Krystal trailed off, making Billy frown.
"You okay?" Billy inquired, noticing her deflated behaviour.
"Let's just say your dad knocked some sense into me" Krystal muttered, as Billy let out a long sigh.
"He give you the speech about us staying away from each other too?" Billy guessed as Krystal nodded.
"He didn't hurt you anymore, did he?" Krystal questioned; concern clear in her voice.
Billy slowly shook his head, worried about what exactly his father might have done to her. Krystal leaned forward a moment later, resting their foreheads together as she let out a sigh. The moment she had seen him it was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt Billy's lips brush over hers for a moment, before he quickly pulled himself away, with a shake of his head.
"Krystal, this…whatever this was…it's over. Its too dangerous" Billy insisted, as it was Krystal's turn to scoff.
"Haven't we already had this conversation?" Krystal pointed out.
"I'm serious! If my dad ever found out, he'd kill us both" Billy stated, as Krystal bit her lip.
"So, what? That's it? We just go back to how things used to be?" Krystal asked.
"Yes. Look, it's not like…like this ever meant anything. It was just a bit of fun" Billy told her, as hurt flashed across Krystal's face.
"That's all I am to you…fun?" Krystal questioned, an accusatory tone to her voice.
"Like I said before, your hot, Krystal. I'm a guy, I'm not gonna' pass up on a good piece of ass, am I?" Billy suggested, harshly.
"…Get out" Krystal snapped, shoving him in the chest.
Krystal quickly pushed him towards the door, all but throwing him out of her room and shutting the door behind him. She rubbed at her eyes in annoyance, hating that she could feel tears welling there. Billy was an asshole; she had always known that. But did she really mean nothing to him?
Billy stormed into his room, slamming the door shut as he slowly slid down the surface, hitting the floor roughly. He banged his head against the door, before dropping his head into his hands. He desperately wanted to march back to Krystal's room and take back everything he had said, but he knew he couldn't. The whole reason he had talked to her so harshly was that it was the only way to get her to stay away. She didn't know what Neil had threatened when Billy had first refused to recant his statement.
Krystal pulled her leather jacket closer to her as she walked through the long corridors of the hospital. Of course, Billy would forget his pain meds at the hospital and of course, Neil would tell her to walk all the way there to get them. He seemed to be trying to find any way he could to keep the teenagers apart. Not that Krystal minded after her fight with Billy. She was still furious with him. She had even considered not bothering to get his medications…for about five seconds. Krystal may have been pissed off, but she still didn't want to see him in pain.
"Hi, I'm here to pick up Billy Hargrove's medications" Krystal greeted, as she stood by the reception desk of the ward.
"Oh, you must be his sister-" The ward clerk began, but Krystal quickly cut him off.
"Step-sister" She stated, with a tight smile.
The moment she had the bag of medications in her hand, she was making her way to the door. She hated the looks she got from the various staff around the ward, who all seemed to have heard about the abuse going on in the Hargrove household. She hated being pitied. She raised her arm out to open the large doors of the unit, and grimaced when pain shot through her abdomen. Her wound was still bleeding and no matter how many bandages she used, it wouldn't seem to stop.
"Hey…it's Krystal, right?" A familiar voice inquired.
"Uh, yeah" Krystal replied, trying to remember where she had seen the man before.
"I was one of Billy's doctors. Are you picking up his meds?" The man informed her.
Krystal nodded, as she remembered he had been the doctor to speak against Billy going home so quickly. With his dark brown eyes, sharp cheekbones, and beard, he was clearly attractive. From the looks the nurses gave him as they walked past, everyone seemed to be aware of that.
"How is he?" The Doctor questioned, seeming genuinely interested.
"As okay as you can be after having internal bleeding, I guess" Krystal shrugged, as the Doctor chuckled lightly.
"And you?" He inquired, as Krystal looked at him with confusion.
"Are you okay?" The Doctor clarified as Krystal mulled over his question for a moment.
She was about as far from okay as she could get, but she wasn't about to go blabbing to a stranger. Even if he was a hot stranger.
"I'm fine" Krystal shrugged, as she went to move past him, but he quickly blocked her path.
"You're bleeding" He pointed out, looking down at her stomach, as blood began to pool under her shirt.
"Damnit" She muttered, pulling her leather jacket tighter over her stomach.
"C'mon, let me patch you up" The Doctor insisted, watching Krystal shake her head.
"I don't need your help" Krystal retorted, as the older man sighed.
"It'll take five minutes," He told her, as Krystal bit her lip.
Soon enough she found herself having her wound stitched up in a nearby doctor's office, by a man who's name she didn't even know. Deciding that needed to change, she spoke up, happy to end the awkward silence in the room.
"So, Doctor…?" Krystal trailed off, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Tyler. Just call me Tyler…I haven't been clinical for long, it sounds weird being called Doctor" The man explained, as he finished stitching her up.
"Why are you helping me?" Krystal asked, curiously.
"My dad used to beat the crap out of me…I remember what it's like dealing with the aftermath" He admitted, as Krystal's forehead wrinkled.
Before she could reply, the office door was suddenly ripped open to reveal an angry-looking Billy. He was breathing heavily and had a murderous look in his eyes. The teenager looked all but ready to snap.
"What's going on in here?" Billy announced, stepping inside.
"Nothing" Krystal answered quickly, pulling her shirt down, but Billy had already seen her wounds.
"I'll just leave you guys to it" Tyler mumbled, leaving the bandages next to her, and walking towards the door.
Krystal rolled her eyes as Billy stood in the doorway, practically puffing up his chest and glaring at the older man. With a loud cough and a raised eyebrow sent his way, Billy reluctantly stepped out of the way of the Doctor.
"Hey! Thank you" Krystal called out to him, as he smiled and closed the door behind him.
"Seriously, are you just gonna' start throwing yourself at every man in Hawkins now?" Billy suggested, taking a step forward.
"Well, at least I'm not the one who was about to get the measuring tape out" Krystal scoffed.
"What happened to your stomach?" Billy inquired, coming to stand close to her, spotting the bloody gauze beside her.
"Uh, you were there, remember? A dog from hell tried to kill us-" Krystal began, but Billy cut her off quickly.
"Those bruises weren't from the demodog" Billy stated, as Krystal gave him no reply.
Before she could react, Billy had grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up to reveal the purple bruises that covered most of her abdomen. She tried to pull her top back down, but Billy only pulled her closer to him in response.
"Did my dad do that?" Billy asked, as Krystal looked away from him.
"Krys!" Billy exclaimed, as Krystal slowly nodded.
"…I didn't think he'd actually…fuck…" Billy trailed off, with a frown.
"Take your shirt off. You need that bandaged" Billy told her a moment later, as a mischievous smile grew on Krystal's face.
"At least take me on a date first" Krystal teased, as Billy rolled his eyes this time.
Billy was surprisingly good at pulling the crepe bandage over Krystal's abdomen, as she guessed it wasn't the first time he'd patched up a wound. Any thoughts of Billy's past abuse quickly dissipated when he suddenly kneeled in front of her. He cut the tape in his hands using his teeth and carefully placed it over the bandage to keep it in place. Krystal's mouth went dry as Billy's hands lingered on her stomach far too long. She gulped as Billy leaned forward to press his lips against one of the bruises just above her hip.
"Billy…" Krystal stammered, breathing heavy.
In the next second, Billy grabbed her hips and pulled her to the floor, where she practically landed on top of him. Before she could ask what he was doing, Billy's lips were crashing into hers, as he pulled her body against him. Krystal kissed him back for a few moments, before pulling away, a confused look on her face.
"You said this was over…that I was just a bit of fun" Krystal pointed out, the hurt still in her voice.
"I was trying to protect you from my dad. I thought if we ended this that he'd leave you alone" Billy admitted, as he moved to sit upright.
"I think it's too late for that" Krystal replied, from where she had moved so that she was straddling him.
"I don't want this to stop" Billy confessed, moving his hands to rest on her hips once again.
"Neither do I…but I'm not just gonna' be here for you to make out with and then drop me whenever you feel like it. We need some ground rules" Krystal informed him.
Billy nodded eagerly, his eyes already dropping to her lips, as Krystal expected he'd be willing to agree to anything at that moment.
"Rule one: No hooking up with other girls. I don't do sharing" Krystal announced, as a smirk spread over Billy's lips.
"Deal. Rule number two: No one ever finds out about this. So that means no going to squealing to Harrington or any of his little friends. We keep this a secret" Billy told her.
"Rule number three: You've got to be nicer to Max. She's my sister and she needs us to look out for her" Krystal went on, as Billy seemed to agree.
"Rule number four: We're not dating. I'm not your boyfriend. That's just not me" Billy exclaimed.
"Alright. So, we're more…friends with benefits?" Krystal suggested as Billy nodded.
"I can work with that" Billy smirked, as he pulled her further onto his lap.
"What you said last night, was all a lie then?" Krystal inquired, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
"About you being a bit of fun? Yeah. About you being hot…not so much" Billy grinned, as he surged forward to kiss her.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll be doing quite a few chapters for the time in between Season 2 and Season 3 of the show, as we can see how Billy and Krystal's relationship grows. I think they both care about the other a lot more than they're willing to admit. Please leave a review:)
LoveFiction2020: Aw, thank you!
Runaway Fantasy Princess: Unfortunately, he was. Hopefully, they'll be able to protect each other. Thanks for reviewing:)
smokenmirrors94: Thanks for the review! I'm really glad you like this story, and Neil is definitely the worst. If he ever finds out about them...I think it'll be the end of them both.
Apoka: Thanks for reviewing:) Murray was really fun to write, I'm definitely planning on adding him more into this story. Unfortunately, it looks like Neil intimidated Billy into dropping the charges, meaning there was no case. Neil will get his comeuppance one day, don't worry!