Clandestine

A/N: An alternate chapter title would have been "Surreptitious", but it seemed like a mouthful :P

Fun fact! This chapter was originally meant to be a one-shot. However, it seemed to fit into this story so well that I just decided to enter a "bonus" chapter. Still might upload it as a one-shot though. Who knows. Enjoy!

Christmas Eve had mostly passed without incident. The house had been quiet, and everyone had seemed to be peaceful and enjoying the day doing their own things. Max had spent a good amount of time in her room, but once her mom started preparing her favorite dish—the smells wafting towards her room, she couldn't resist going into the kitchen to lend a hand. It had been nice to chip in and chop vegetables, just her and her mom. Dinner had even been tolerable, and she'd sat in her own comfortable silence while Neil and her mom spoke of some of the holiday happenings around Hawkins. She didn't even mind the part when her mom suggested they all watch a movie together because she'd suggested it with a giant serving of mint chocolate chip ice cream. To be fair, anything would sound like a good idea with that in front of her.

But sitting on the couch opposite her mom and Neil had presented an air of uncomfortable feelings as she watched the awkward way her mom tried to cuddle up against Neil, but his lack of interest meant she just leaned strangely into him as his arm hung loosely over the couch. She'd somewhat regretted saying yes to the movie since it meant Neil would be there, but it was a new Christmas special movie called 'The Night They Saved Christmas,' and her mom's happy face was enough to soften her to the idea. More than anything, she'd been surprised Neil even agreed to it since it wasn't sports or the news. Perhaps it was another one of his 'being more like a family' attempts. It took her a while to ignore the cuddling and just focus on the TV, but once the movie started, she found it rather easy to just let go and enjoy the moment.

But at times, her mind would wonder, lost on her time spent with Billy…the conversation they had…

I wonder why he doesn't like talking about his mom, she thought. It didn't seem like Billy hated her—Max knew him and his searing gaze well enough to at least know that. And she got the suspicious feeling his mom was still alive, though sometimes, Neil spoke as though she were dead to him.

Max suddenly remembered that day, the one right after she and her friends destroyed the Demodogs. Billy had said something to Neil about never laying hands on whores if she recalled correctly. Who was he talking about? Was he talking about her mother? Max never saw her mom bruised, and she'd know if he hit her. But she never saw Neil with any other woman. So who else could he be talking about? Unless… Was Billy talking about…her…

The buzz of a commercial break started, interrupting her thoughts. Max shook her head and got up, stretching a little on the tips of her toes. She started towards the kitchen to get something to drink. That's when her eyes fell on the window near her. Some guy was outside crouched low, making slow, careful steps towards the house. She did a double take. Can't be…

Susan and Neil sat on the big couch in the center of the room while Max sat on the love seat to the left, the gap between the curtain and the window visible only to her. So, it didn't take a lot of time for her to recognize the flashy jacket-wearing guy outside as Billy.

Her jaw slightly fell. Max didn't know a lot of things about her brother—….um, well stepbrother—but one thing she did know was that it was nearly 10 o'clock, waaay past his curfew. She felt her eyebrow twitch and turned to see if Neil had seen him. The older man was saying something to her mom, remote in hand as he switched between channels. Max darted one last glance outside and saw Billy crossing the front lawn, trying to be as sneaky as he could.

He wasn't wearing any shirt beneath his jacket. What the hell?

Max held back her laughter by pressing her fist to her mouth. On one hand, seeing Billy trying to huddle in his jacket while trying to get back inside without alerting anyone was funny, but there was also that little buzz of worry that was in her chest at him recklessly making some kind of noise to set Neil off. She hadn't even known he left the house after dinner, and given how much he was already on lockdown, she wanted to march right up and shake him before asking, How could you be so careless? And to top it off, being half undressed in the freezing cold…seeing him slip on something made her let out a snort which she quickly tried to cover with a cough into her fist when Neil and her mom looked at her.

"Sorry," she muttered, directing her attention back to the TV. It was on the news now.

"…expected to snow heavily in the early morning, so it's best to prepare…" the weatherman was saying, a bright look on his face as if it was snowing in a California summer.

"Well," Neil said, getting up from his seat on the couch. "I'll go get Billy and lay down the salt in advance."

Susan smiled and nodded. "Then I'll go make some hot coco for when you're finished."

Max's eyes went wide as a wave of panic flew over her.

Her mom went to the kitchen to put on the kettle. As soon as Neil was out of view, Max darted towards the window and knocked on it. For a few seconds, she questioned why she was even doing this. But then the flyer under her mattress appeared in her mind again and she knew without a doubt that if Billy got into trouble again, especially for sneaking out, then the entire plan for getting Billy to the concert would be that much harder. Neil would have the microscope out, looking for any slip-ups for the next few weeks. It wasn't a risk she wanted to take. Besides, there was also a churning in her stomach that swelled at the thought of hearing or seeing Billy get another beating. Laying low had been working just fine, and she didn't want Billy's recklessness to mess things up for them.

Luck seemed to be on their side because Billy's head immediately darted in her direction. He shot her an incredulous look, like she was the one trying to get back inside with nips out for the world to see.

"Don't go!" she mouthed frantically at him while pointing to the side. "He's going to your room."

At first, Max wasn't sure he understood what she was trying to say, but then he slumped against the wall. His mouth moved, forming words, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Knowing him though, he was probably swearing.

"He's not in his room!" Neil's shout came from the hall.

"Did you check the bathroom?" her mom asked, slipping out of the kitchen. Footsteps clamped along the floor, and he started moving, probably going to check there next.

"I swear if that boy is breaking curfew…" Neil muttered.

Max quickly turned around, motioning for Billy to move as well.

"Front door!" she mouthed. Billy sighed before moving towards it.

"I forgot the damn thing wasn't working," Neil said, coming out of the bathroom near the kitchen and back door. "I'll check the one near his room."

Max's heart jolted. Shit. She looked outside; Billy was heading towards the front door. Shit, shit, shit! If he came in right now, Neil would see him right away.

Neil stepped into the living room. Panicked, Max blurted out the only thing she could come up with. "I, uh, think the phone was ringing…" Immediately, she wanted to facepalm.

Neil looked at her like he was wondering if her brain was alright. "I didn't hear it ring."

"You were in the bathroom. It uh…only rang once…" Way to go, Max.

Throwing one last skeptical glance her way, he stepped back into the hallway where a second phone hung on the wall. Once she heard him pick up the receiver, she subtly crept her way to the front door. Just as Billy was about to open it, she opened the door a crack and leaned out.

"Not this way either," she hissed so that Neil wouldn't hear her.

"Then which way do I fucking go?" he whisper-shouted. His face was starting to look red from the cold, hair slightly damp, and she shot him an unimpressed look. Why was he angry at her when she tried to help him? Ungrateful bastard.

"Neil is just around the corner. Find another way."

"Not exactly a lot of damn choices here, Max."

"Not my fault you broke curfew."

He ran a hand through his hair and huffed, thinking for just a split moment. "I'm going through your window."

Before she could even object, Max heard Neil say, "Sick and tired of all those little brats calling this late at night." She slammed the door shut, drawing his attention to herself.

"Oh…" she trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"What are you doing at the door?" he asked, eyebrows raised. Realizing she was still holding the doorknob, she let go of it and moved inside the living room.

"Just checking the weather. It looks like a storm is coming." Good grief. Max's voice sounded way too cheery for the dreadful weather, now was not the time to display her bad acting, but if Neil was questioning her sanity, he certainly didn't let it show on his face.

He straightened and refocused. "Where is that damn boy?"

She nodded. "I'll go to my room and…recheck my homework."

Neil gave her an incredulous look and then shook it off before he turned around and went down the hall, Max right on his heels. As he went to the bathroom, she went to her room, shut the door, and turned the lock so that even if he did come in, he wouldn't be able to enter right away. Then she turned to the window, drawing back her curtains.

Billy was climbing on top of the white firewood storage shack outside, just beneath her window. She gestured around wildly for him to hurry up, and he rolled his eyes. Jerk.

With her hands on the frame, she pulled up, trying to open the window, but it was stuck. She tried again. Wouldn't budge. That's when she vividly remembered who was the reason behind it too.

"Open it!" Billy said, his voice an impatient muffle behind the glass as he gestured towards it.

She darted him a dirty look before turning around to find something to pry it open with. Making quick work of it, she picked up the first thing she could find, and that happened to be scissors. She jammed the blade underneath, scraping the paint of the windowpane. Giving a few tugs, she tried to lift the glass panel, but it refused to budge from its place.

Max huffed in frustration. "What the hell did you glue this shut with?"

"J-B Weld," he answered, a completely serious look on his face.

"That stuff used for cars?!"

"Doesn't matter. Just put your back into it."

Billy gripped the window from his side, pushing up as Max put all her weight on the scissors. A loud CRACK splintered through her room, the window finally opening, peeling up the paint and leaving a tattered strip of wood. The scissors, however, somehow got completely destroyed in the process. They froze, silent. They looked at each other for a few seconds, wide-eyed at the sound, then looked to the door when they heard footsteps rushing their way.

"Go, go, go, go!" Max quickly waved, and Billy scrambled to get in, landing with a thud on the floor as Max quickly moved to the side. The air was freezing, and she closed the window immediately.

"Hurry!" she gestured for him to move underneath her bed. He understood immediately and got down, slowly moving forward. Max kicked him and shoved him as soon as she could, rearranging her comforter to hide him. Thinking fast, she ran towards her door and unlocked it before reaching for her shelf, shoving everything to the floor. It clamored on the carpet but didn't make as much noise, and that was what she wanted.

Right the next second, the door to her room swung open. Both Susan and Neil stood there, looking at the mess on the floor. They looked back at her with wide eyes.

"Are you okay?" her mom asked.

Max forced out a chuckle. "Yeah, I accidentally tripped and ran into my shelf and knocked this stuff over. I'll clean it up."

Neil had that look on his face again like he was contemplating her sanity before he came to a conclusion in his head and sighed. "Have you seen Billy anywhere?"

"Wasn't he in the bathroom?" she asked, praying that her voice didn't sound shaky to them too.

"No, he wasn't."

She shrugged, and that seemed to answer enough since they left her room afterward, closing the door behind them. As soon as they were gone, Max rushed to her door and peeked out, looking both ways down the hall.

"They're gone."

As soon as he heard those words, Billy rushed out from his hiding place, doing a mix of rolling and crawling, leaving her comforter on the floor. She wanted to say the least he could do was pick it up, but knowing Billy, he'd probably stomp on it on his way out just to spite her, so she kept silent.

Her gaze fell to his clothes once again and she finally asked, "Why are you only wearing your jacket? And why is your hair wet?"

He clicked his tongue. "Don't." Giving her a quick glance, he peaked out the hall, both ways, then swiftly left the room, the door clicking shut softly behind him.

Max sighed. She could hear Neil talking in the living room, his tone a clear giveaway to his anger. She might have to distract them a bit more so that Billy could change his clothes. With that in mind, she rushed down the hall. Just before turning around the corner, she called out, "I think he might be…in the…basement?"

"Why would he be in the basement, Maxine? Can't remember the last time he went down there willingly," Neil said, his voice taking on a sharper tone.

"Well we started putting the salt down there. Maybe he's just getting it to put out? It has been one of his chores lately…" She trailed off as Neil began to head towards the basement door in the dining room, a look of clenched anger showing in his jaw. She scrambled to try and think of a way to stall him just a bit longer. Just as she opened her mouth, she turned to see Billy sauntering towards them, stopping her and Neil in their tracks. Her heart thundered in her chest, and she tried to coax it into relaxing without breathing too hard to alert Neil to her nervousness.

Max couldn't believe her eyes. Just a few seconds ago, Billy looked like a wreck with his disheveled hair and no shirt, but there he stood now, wearing a proper shirt and his pj's as he took a bite from an apple.

"What's going on?" he asked casually, eyes languidly darting between them. If Max looked closely, she could still see the light flush on his cheeks; She wondered if Neil would notice it too.

"Where have you been?" Neil asked, tone angry as he took a step forward. "You didn't hear me calling you up and down this house?"

Billy looked unfazed and glanced at Max, who only raised her brows in response as though to ask, What more do you want from me? She tried to give him the smallest of shrugs, but she was running out of ideas fast and she had the urge to scream at Billy to take over doing the heavy lifting. There was no way Neil was buying anything she said, and the more nervous she got, the less she believed the things coming out of her mouth too.

"I was in the basement," he said, the lie easily rolling off his tongue.

"Since when do you go to the basement?"

"Since there's nothing to do." Billy paused, Neil's raised eyebrow reminding him to check his tone. Billy cleared his throat. "I was seeing if I could find my extra twenty-pound weights for tomorrow..." Neil continued to look at him with doubt, obviously not believing what he was saying. Billy sighed. "Look, there are only a few days of winter break left, so I wanted to make sure I didn't misplace any of my weights since you wanted me to move some of them out of the living room."

Max wanted to scoff at his words, but the anger and skepticism on Neil's face seemed to dim; that finally seemed to convince Neil as he shook his head with a loud exhale. "Go get dressed for outside. We're going to lay down salt before it snows."

"Yes, sir."

Billy went to his room wordlessly, and Max returned to her own. As she watched the night progress from the window, she wondered how things would've gone if it had snowed earlier. His footsteps would have been a dead giveaway. Luck was on their side, she supposed. Still, that didn't stop her from wondering, where the hell had Billy been? Why would he be so careless, especially when he could have gotten in trouble again?

Max went back to the living room, the whistle of the kettle sounded, and she watched Billy scatter the salt along the pavement from the window. Any other time, she couldn't care less where Billy had been, let alone how he spent his nights, but for some reason, her curiosity wouldn't settle. Not to mention the wet hair and lack of shirt…could he have been with another one of those chicks? Ugh, maybe I don't want to know, she thought.

. . .

It was approaching eleven when she slipped out of her room, footsteps barely making any sound as she made her way toward Billy's room. He had only gotten back inside a few minutes ago, and Max was too curious not to ask, especially since she had to do some much to save his ass.

She knocked on the door. It opened, and a very unimpressed-looking Billy greeted her. "What?"

She tried to look past him into the room, but he kept blocking her sight. Max sighed. "Where have you really been?" It was Christmas Eve. He couldn't have been at work, could he? When he had entered her room through the window earlier, she didn't get a whiff of alcohol, so he clearly wasn't drunk. But he smelled like chlorine. Had he been returning from a pool party?

"Mind your own business, Max," he snapped, shoving the door to slam it, but her hand shot out, and she stopped it. His nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched, but she leveled a stare back at him.

"Where did you go? Is it a job?"

"If by 'job' you mean blowjob, then yeah, maybe."

Max rolled her eyes, but she pressed on, knowing he was just trying to dodge the question and ruffle her feathers. "Come on. I want to know–it's the least you can do since I saved your ass," she hissed.

Billy paused for a moment, his eyes darting along her face as he seemed to contemplate something. Then he smirked, making the scowl on her face drop instantly. He took a step forward and crossed his arms, staring down at her.

"Well…you could say I was…working on a particular…breaststroke."

She blinked and raised her brows in confusion. She started to say something, but he held up a finger. "You know, just had to get the proper backstroke down…dive really deep and work the arms to get a nice rhythm going? Makes the job a lot easier that way. Especially once nice and wet…"

Max's face contorted and her nose scrunched up as she processed the words. He let out a snort and straightened again. "Want to hear more?"

"No!"

"Didn't think so."

This time when he shoved the door, she let it close and slam in her face. For a moment, she stood there and pinched the bridge of her nose. I just had to ask. Max took a few deep breaths, feeling her temple throb. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't give in to the urge of kicking the door. She'd been having a trouble-free day…almost normal even. After all, it was Christmas Eve; was it too much to ask to spend it like most 'families' did? It was like it somehow broke the laws of the universe for her to have a good day.

Not even a thank you either, she thought with a scoff as she turned back to her room. Ungrateful jerk.

To be continued. . .