She never expected she'd be several floors underground in a government facility that looked more like a clinical hospital than a boring office building with Billy Hargrove, of all people to be stuck in a cell with. And she never expected to feel relief that it was with him she was stuck with. There was something about him that had become a comfort to her, no matter how dire their situation may be now.

Still, even Billy couldn't temper this feeling of unease that was felt so deep it chilled her to her bones. For the most part literally.

With the amount she was pacing back and forth in the small cell she'd wear down the white-tiled floor in no time. Her shadow was thrown against the hallway wall, scattering as the light was systematically broken by the metal bars acting as a barrier to their freedom.

Meanwhile Billy was lying on the only small, metallic cot against the wall, one leg slung off the side. His arms were laced behind his head. It was so narrow his one arm was pressed up against the wall, elbowing pointing towards the ceiling. His breathing was deep and calm to the point she wasn't sure if he had genuinely fallen asleep.

"Can you quit your pacing? I'm tryin' to relax here." He sighed.

Diane paused for a moment. "We are in a cell. Underground. And no one knows we're here."

"That's not true."

She whirled around in surprise, feeling the hope flare up within her. "It's not?"

"Your fellow patriotic and loyal government employees know we're here." He answered breezily.

Her hands itched for something to throw at knock away that infuriatingly sardonic demeanour. Instead she let out a growl of frustration. His lip twitched which only incited her further. What drove him to act so callous, she wasn't sure.

For a moment Diane scrutinised him. There had to be something, some tale he wasn't as calm as he let on at the moment. It had been him after all who had gripped the bars of the cell first and yelled at the retreating figures of the soldiers to tell them what the fuck was going on.

Then he had yelled a series of derogatory remarks at their retreating back before slamming his palms against the bars in frustration and storming over to the cot.

For a while he had glared at the floor, simmering with anger. Then something had flipped in his brain and his expression had turned cold, before he had eased himself onto his back. Now there he lay, looking like he was on in a hammock on a beach. Instead of behind bars as they waited to find out what was going to happen with them next.

"I know you're new to this whole thing, but it's creepy to stare at people sleeping." He said, eyes still closed.

"Oh will you shut up." She snapped, before turning around and staring at the bars on the cell again.

The hair on the back of her neck standing up, and it had been since they got out of the car. As soon as she had set foot in the building with all its white impersonal walls and floors, goosebumps had rippled across her arms like a chill draft had swept through the hallway. Except it was warmer inside; her reaction was contradictory and she didn't know what was wrong with her.

"We're going to die here. A mile underground, in some military bunker and no one knows we're here." She said, words spilling out quickly and wrangled with nerves.

"If they wanted to kill us they already would've." He opened one eye to look at her.

"Oh great. So they haven't killed us yet. So they're just toying with us then."

"Settle down, I feel like I'm running a marathon just looking at you."

"I just - I can't. Something's wrong. Something's not right with this place. It's like-" she sighed heavily, running her hands through her hair.

It was with every fibre of her being that something just felt wrong. Like some anomaly in the universe was creeping around the shadows of this facility. It made her skin crawl.

It was more than fear of the consequences of crashing into the Department, and it was more than the nervousness of their still uncertain situation. But she didn't even know how to begin articulating her feelings of wrongness.

"Don't you feel it?" Her eyes glanced out at the empty hallway. "Like we're sitting ducks. And the prey's arriving soon."

With a groan he heaved himself up into a sitting position and stared at her. Her hands curled around the bars and she gave them a futile tug.

"Nearly got it Charlie's Angel, one more yank'll do it." He said.

Diane leaned her against one of the bars, fighting back a groan of despair. Trying to pull at the bars was a move beyond desperation. There wasn't exactly a plan to get through all those guards patrolling the building even if she had managed to pull the bars off. Her shoulders sank as acceptance began taking hold of her.

She whispered, "So now we know that thing back there was definitely not a canine."

"We don't know what it was." Like giving it an explicit name was going to change the slow-kindling terror of what they had felt upon seeing it up close for the first time.

Diane breathed a laugh devoid of amusement. "It wasn't natural."

"Still looks like it could be hit by a baseball bat." He said.

His own careless attitude didn't soothe her in the slightest. No matter how she tried to rationalise it this time, there was no way around it: that thing wasn't natural, and it was a truth that seemed to bleed into her cells.

"Okay well I'm scared." She said, finally turning around her eyes piercing him with the truth. She wasn't just scared, she was terrified.

His eyes softened.

A bruise was blossoming along her eye and Billy had one developing on his forehead right by his hairline. They looked like they were in the process of being dragged into hell.

But of course against all odds, he managed to pull that look off gracefully, looking like he was leading that chariot straight to hell with devilish charm. Diane was fairly sure she looked like something a suspicious neighbour would call the police about, or at this point any citizen interested in upholding the law in Hawkins.

"Well you managed to drive decently. Up until you didn't." He said. And another smile was suddenly pulled forwards in a situation that she'd only be serious in, yet he had an effortless way of twisting their situations into more carefree ones. "When we get out of here, I think I'll driving back."

When. Her heart fluttered. "When we do, the car is all yours."

"I did tell you you should let me drive." His own unease at the uncertainty of their situation was hidden by the veneer of humour in his eyes; he was trying to calm her through his own nonchalance. Because if he could fake it well enough to convince Diane, maybe he'd begin believing it himself.

First he was accompanying her for reasons she didn't know; then it was about the entertainment he watched her brazenly try and solve this mystery; and then it was about keeping himself off the police's radar. His reasons for being around her was perpetually shifting.

She realised he presented his life like a kaleidoscope, fractures of images showing girls and partying and booze and cars. All of them were vividly colourful and dripping with scandal. But besides Max, he never spoke of his home life. She didn't know anything about California. She didn't even know what he wanted to do after graduation, even though she had asked him only hours ago.

In fact, come to think of it, she barely knew Billy Hargrove. For someone who so easily accused her of hiding herself from everyone, she was starting to wonder if he were doing the same. If she were hiding herself behind dark clothes and books, then he was shrouding himself in colourful illusions bursting with outrageous behaviour.

She was distracted from ruminating about him as her stomach did another flip. Being down here for so long was only making her body go more haywire. Small shivers began wracking through her body like she had stepped foot into the cool shadows after standing beneath the sun during a warm summer day.

Standing up he began shrugging out of his jacket as he walked over to her. He slung the denim jacket around her shoulders easily. His body heat still clung to the jacket and seeped into her own. It fought against the deeper chill and she relaxed automatically inside it.

His now familiar scent embraced her, giving her something to ground her within the chaos of whatever was happening.

"Imagine what your parents will think if I had you out all night and brought you back home with a cold." He admonished.

"My parents will kill me." She groaned quietly, careful to make sure no one outside could hear them.

"They sound great." He jeered.

Diane scowled at him, feeling the automatic need to defend her parents. He didn't know them. He couldn't judge what they did. "They are. They've fed me, and I've gotten all the books I've wanted. They're even paying for university."

"Yeah the hallmark of good child-rearing is just not raisin' your kid in a basement." He said with narrowed eyes.

"My mom and my dad are good people. When they're here, it's good, alright? We make dinner together and we listen to Motown. And they always try their best to make sure I have what I need."

"And who're you trying to convince?" His own voice was low as he seemed to be on the same track she was: there were probably microphones in here and neither wanted to be overheard. "You lost all your friends just because you were so sure they'd disown you for you know, being a high schooler."

And by the glint in his eye like he pitied her only hardened her stubborn expression. "They're only angry at me when I'm causing problems."

"Bet they keep finding problems." There was a stubborn edge to his tone as he seemed keen on drawing out reactions of indignation from her. Or perhaps it was something else entirely he was after.

She opened her mouth to retort, but realised their heated exchange had raised their voices away from their furious whispering.

Both of their arguments tapered off into silence. With an unspoken look passed between them they agreed to drop the argument before their voices rose too much. It wasn't important enough to discuss now and they were both too distracted, evidenced in the way his eyes kept flickering towards the hallway as well.

As he stepped back and looked at the jacket that hung over her frame there was a shift of something in his eyes that became magnetic, drawing her in. For a moment Diane was enraptured, trying to understand it. But his mask of sardonic apathy slid back into place and he gave a light shrug coupled with a noncommittal sound. "I still look better in it."

"It's pretty hard to compete with you." She said sarcastically, though some truth bled in there.

Then he reached out, readjusting the jacket slightly. But she was fairly sure it wasn't just because he didn't think it fit right on her; there was no way she was broad shouldered enough to fill it out no matter how he readjusted it.

The back of his hand brushed against her neck, moving upwards to her shone through his eyes, and for a moment she truly believed they would get out of here both alive and unscathed.

"Hey - hey! No touching!" A guard yelled down the hallway. At least one person was keeping an eye out for the CCTV camera in the cell, then.

They sprung apart.

"Sorry." Diane said reflexively and Billy raised a brow at her in response. She wasn't even going to try and defend herself because it would be an uphill battle she didn't have the focus for.

For an indiscernible amount of time they walked around the small cell, shifting from leaning against the walls or sitting on the cot restlessly. Time was passing at a glacial pace. Several times she peered at his watch.

10:54

10:56

10:59

11:01

11:03

A door slammed down the hallway and both of their heads snapped up at the sound. Footsteps grew louder the closer they got to Diane and Billy's holding cell.

Two guards appeared, accompanied by a man in a white lab coat who eyed both of them with a detached curiosity. Again, another employee she had never seen before in her life. Diane never knew so many people worked here. Then again, she didn't know they had prison cells in a building oddly clinical for being a bureaucratic government building.

The man gave a short gesture with his hand and a guard stepped forwards, the silver ring of keys clinking together. Then he slid the door opened; the bars rattled as they went.

"Come with me. It's time we had a chat."

There was no other option than to cross the threshold that'd bring them towards what looked to be an oncoming interrogation. She glanced back at Billy who was sneering at the guards with fire blazing his eyes. It surprised her, the way he could flip a switch so quickly. There were two ways he presented himself, and soft surprise filtered through as the memories of him being so imposing had slid away the second his face had softened and he spoken gently to her.

It wasn't an aspect she thought he was capable of, yet it sprung from him so naturally. It was like weed growing through the cracks, breathing fresh life through him despite his hardened exterior.

But it was impossible to forget about how intimidating he could present himself to be when he was staring at the guard like he was ready to beat him black and blue, and maybe even go further.

Now there was nothing for them to do but take one step at a time. Literally, and figuratively. Until the truths they offered tonight threw her off the cliff of normality.

Tulipei1: No one can do that mans lifeguard job. Who's going to be yelling 'hey lardass!' at kids running around the pool now? Thanks so much for the compliments. My goal is to keep veering the story away from the original plot as this progresses and Diane continues influencing the events around her. It's great how he got all protective and possibly blocked her from gathering any sort of information on the transaction that happens between him and Rob and Judith. Now if he could just properly articulate that he was concerned for her instead of getting all uppity.

Diane in the front trying to calmly and kindly collect information from someone while you see Billy mowing down perps in the background. Diane, Billy and Max could really become a great and terrifying triple threat. And as for Steve, Billy and him may have a run-in at some point ;)

MulishaMaiden: It's going to be revealed soon why she doesn't remember being there. You may be on to something, but I won't spill secrets before the chapter's out. Liking the theory though.

Character progression in ST is great. Actually that could be a good reason they decided to just kill him off. There'd need to be an entire season just dedicated to his recovery because I'm pretty sure he'd be absolutely emotionally wrecked for an entire season if they're keeping the show within their usual natural character growth. But those missed Steve-Billy bickering scene though. . .

Evilmonkeyfishturtle: Diane is a pretty great OC (the writer said without bias), and it's been pretty fun playing with her in the ST universe and how she impacts the events of the story which'll continue being more evident as it progresses. Honestly I think slowburn is the only way to go with Billy's character, protecting himself as been so deeply entrenched in his psyche for years that boy has mental walls a mile high. You're English was nearly perfect so no need to apologise :)

ReidsLittleGenius213: The cover of the book will be Billy yelling at kids and rampantly abusing his lifeguard position.

Ami, toobsessedwitheverything3 thanks for the reviews!