The rest of the night had passed by without any incidents. Billy was once again the only adult present, stuck looking after the two girls whilst his step mother was out doing god knows what.

Once the pair had gotten back in from their short car ride they both flung themselves onto the couch, turning the TV on and watching whatever came on first. Billy paid them not much attention as he cooked, occasionally letting his eyes drift up and onto the pair who watched the screen silently. They didn't talk and Billy was thankful for it. He didn't want to talk anymore he just wanted to concentrate on his cooking.

He didn't make anything too grand for them, just a pizza and some fries but it was enough. Both girls devoured it as if they'd never been fed before whilst he idly picked at it. He did eat it all but not with as much enthusiasm as everyone else.

Once they had food they all stayed in place on the sofa with both Max and Eleven occasionally glancing over at him as he began to fall asleep in his chair. Neither girl wanted to leave him alone so they also gradually fell asleep on the sofa, bunched together as best they could.

It wasn't a surprise to Billy that he woke up before the sun had risen, sweat coating his skin as he woke up in a dazed panic. It was as if he could never get a break, every morning the same. He looked over at the sofa and tried to focus on his sister, keeping his eyes trained on her as he forced his breathing to slow down. He needed to snap out of it.

The nightmares were always the same. He got dragged down away from his car and forced to murder everyone he cared about. He was trapped as he watched his body hurt Max and El and then he always woke up once the Mind Flayer impaled him once again. He hated it. Every morning he was sure he could still feel the blood pooling out of his wounds. His throat felt constricted and he felt really nauseous. He really struggled to get his breathing back under control, one hand coming up to grasp at his chest where the stitches once were. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there before his breathing picked up, time having no meaning.

Billy couldn't really hear anything over the static in his ears. He watched without seeing as Max shifted, raising her head to look at him through bleary sleep heavy eyes. Her mouth was moving but he didn't know what she was saying. His eyes focused on hers but he wasn't watching. He seemed to go into a trance, seeing her covered in blood as she sat. He didn't even see her get up and approach, his eyes fixed on where he thought he could see her sitting on the sofa bleeding out. It was pooling on the floor, her face unmoving as she stared back at him. El hadn't moved so he took it as she had already been killed, he hadn't been able to save her this time. She was just lying there, a victim of his own hands...

He had done that...

He had done it all. He caused the pain. He caused his step sister to be in pain...

How was he going to explain this? How would he fix this? This was really bad... He had always tried to stop the Mind Flayer before but clearly it had happened without him knowing. Had he sleep walked over and killed them? How was that possible! It couldn't be. The Mind Flayer was gone. It was gone. It was gone.

A small delicate hand tugged on his shoulder. He immediately jerked out of the way, paying no mind to the stretching wounds that burned his skin as he did so. The weight of another person's hand was enough to bring him back. To snap him out of his nightmare induced hallucination. He no longer saw a blood stained floor but rather an empty seat next to the sleeping form of Eleven with Max standing by his side.

She had enough experience by now with her brother that she knew to not stand too close to him when he was panicking. She had always been a light sleeper but it had gotten worse after starcourt, her body always tuned in to her brother. She had to be after all, someone had to know when his heart monitor changed or he shifted in bed in hospital. This was no different. She had heard his laboured breathing and immediately woke up, watching as he struggled to breathe.

"Billy?" Max asked hesitantly, taking a step back as he rose from his seat quicker than he would had he not been running on pure adrenaline.

"Mmm... Ine" He slurred, standing up unsteadily and hurrying his way over to the bathroom. He hadn't managed to get his breathing back to normal as he slammed the door shut or as he turned the shower on. Max could hear him wretching, the same routine as always, and she didn't know how to help him. Billy didn't even step into the shower for a good ten minutes after that as he held onto the porcelain sink in a death grip. Once he felt strong enough to move he did so, stepping under the shower head.

He made sure to have the water so hot his skin turned bright pink. Having hot water on like this was a reminder to him that he was still him. That the Mind Flayer wasn't back. Max had told him that the Mind Flayer hated the heat so he made sure to turn it all the way up.

He hated wearing the same clothes after a shower so he wrapped the towel around himself once he was done and made his way quietly over to his bedroom. He didn't look over at the sofa as he shut the door behind him, pulling his normal sweatshirt and jeans out of the wardrobe and onto his body. He stuck the used towel back in the bathroom before making his way to the kitchen. His hair was dripping wet and splashing his sweatshirt as walked.

Max watched him from beside the chair having not moved when her brother darted away. She didn't want to overcrowd him straight away but also didn't want him to think that he was all alone. So she stood by the edge of the kitchen, not saying a word and just watching him move around.

He didn't look to her as he spoke, putting some hot chocolate powder into a mug. "What do you want Max?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Peachy." He snarked, stirring water into the mug.

"You don't have to hide from me. I have nightmares too." She tried extending an olive branch to him but he shook his head not wanting to recieve it from her today.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do Max but not today. I'm sorry you have nightmares but this is different." His tone was harsh, harsher than it was normally ever since the incident and it sent Max back to a time when this is the only way he would talk to her. She hated it, hated the hostility that he laced into every word. It was like he would revert back to his old ways, unwilling to let himself grow and change. She wasn't even sure if he knew he was doing it. He just had to become defensive as a way to protect himself. He had done it for so long with Neil around that it was difficult to accept that people just want to help him.

Max didn't let it get to her. She didn't let his hostility upset her as she tried again. "Mine are about you. About you not making it. That you stayed on the mall floor and you never got back up." His movements were slower now as he listened, her voice thick with emotion. "Every night I see it over and over again. Sometimes I wake up and think reality is a dream. I have to stand by your door and make sure you're still here. I know you do the same with me."

"You have no idea what it's like Max."

"Then let me in. Let me know." She pleaded.

"Why do you care so much?" His hands clenched, knuckles going white. "Why do you need to know?"

"Because I'm your sister, shithead, it's my job to know." She tried to lighten the tension between them but was disappointed when he didn't bite back.

"Just get ready alright? We leave in ten." He sighed, trying his best to reign in his temper. She didn't move once again so that she could get a good look at her brother once he turned around. "Go on. Get El up too. She can't be late either."

"When can we start to take the Camaro again? I miss it." She asked.

"I'm not sure. Bus is fine for now." His response was short, eyes trained down.

"But don't you miss the car? The music? It's sitting right there Billy how can we not use it?" She pushed, head tilting.

"Because I said so!" His voice left no room for an argument. "Now do as your told and get ready. I'm not missing the bus again and you're old enough to get on yourself. If you're not back here in ten minutes, ready, then I'm leaving."

She rolled her eyes, spinning on her heels with a huff. "Whatever you say, Shithead."

"Shitbird." He snarked back, getting a middle finger from Max's retreating form as a response.

Her leaving allowed him to let out a deep sigh of relief. He wasn't sure why she was always pushing him to talk more. He didn't want to share his nightmares and he wasn't ready to face the facts. Why couldn't everyone just accept it and move on?

Luckily he was already ready so he had a few minutes spare to make Max and El some snacks for the school day ahead. He stuck twenty dollars in both of their bags along with a small packet of Reeses Pieces. He wasn't sure if El liked the candy but figured she could give it a go along with Max. They had small bottles of water in the fridge left from the last time he had attempted shopping so he stuck them in their bags too.

When he was satisfied that both bags were ready he moved them over to the front door, setting them down with a groan.

"Thank you Billy." Eleven whispered from the sofa, her eyes trained on the man.

He paused, not used to people being nice to him without expecting anything in return. "You're welcome."

"You're not alone. I understand what you've been through."

The sincerity in her voice made him shift uncomfortably. He had been told a little bit about the girl and her history but he hadn't wanted to pry and at the time he had quite literally been on his death bed. He selfishly had no interest in her backstory when his entire life was falling apart at the seams. It was times like this that he wished he hadn't shut her up, that he had let her vent as he lay half asleep. He never knew how to bring it up with the girl despite knowing she would never shut him down. He was truly scared to open up, to make a connection with his sister's best friend.

Luckily for him, Max had once again saved him. He didn't know how he was going to escape the conversation and he didn't have too with her leaving the bathroom. He was able to clap his hands together theatrically, hurrying them both along despite he knew they had a lot of time left. "Come on, get your asses in gear! Time to go!"

Eleven got up without complaints, following behind Max who grumbled at her brother as she snatched her bag up off of the floor. He opened the door for them both, grabbing his house keys from the side table he had left them on the night before and locking the house up behind him. He pretended as if nothing had happened this morning, as if he hadn't had a full blown meltdown. Both girls waited for him at the bottom of the driveway, Eleven standing a slight distance away from the Camaro that Max was leaning against cockily.

"Get your ass off of my car." He barked as he started to make his way down the driveway, trying to keep his face neutral. She didn't stop leaning on the car until he got to their side. "Thanks shitbird."

She scoffed at her brother who had already started to make his way ahead of them. "You in a hurry or something?"

"No. I just don't want Joyce on my ass if El over there is late again." He explained without looking back at the pair. "And I can't wait to have you out of my hair for a few hours. The peace will be incredible."

"Oh ha ha." Max sarcastically laughed at him as she hurried to be by his side, Eleven sliding in step with him on the other.

"You got everything you need?" He asked with a tone that could only be described as parental.

"Yes."

"Well then. Tell me what you have." Each step hurt more than the last and he longed to be sitting on the bus to relieve his aching muscles for a few minutes.

They went through this routine every day so Max answered without hesitation, "Keys. The house phone number and your college phone number. Pepper spray."

"And?"

"The talkie. You got yours?" She asked him.

"I do. Always. You reach out to me if you need too." He reminded her.

"I will Billy." She assured him.

"And yet you didn't with Carver." He said with a grin.

"That's because I didn't need you." She playfully shoved his shoulder. "I had it covered."

"Sure. Cause sulking on the couch looked like it was really teaching him a lesson..." He joked as they reached the bus stop, both girls setting their bags onto the floor as they breathed a sigh of relief.

They didn't have to wait too long and for that Billy was eternally grateful. He wouldn't tell the girls how bad his scars hurt today but each step really did send a deep pain right into his gut. He felt drained and the day hadn't even begun. He always wondered whether or not this pain would be permanent. He really hoped not. He missed the days where he could do weights or go jogging. It was simply impossible now but he longed for those days again.

Luckily he was once again saved from dwelling on his thoughts for too long as the bus chugged up the street towards them. Max stuck her hand out, motioning the bus to stop as Billy grabbed her bag up off of the floor for her. He tossed it to her without saying anything, letting both girls sprint onto the bus and sit at the back as he paid the fare for all three of them.

He knew that they were just being kids by choosing the seats right at the back of the bus but he really wished they had of stuck to the front. Because by the time he had paid and started to move away from the driver, the bus was already pulling away. This sent him forward, his body not strong enough to fight the change in momentum and he went hurtling towards an empty seat on the left side.

These seats had an arm rest built into them which immediately dug into his thigh as he fell. Then he was lucky enough to get the top corner of the seat right in his gut, pressing his tender stomach violently as he couldn't stop himself. Tears sprung to his eyes, a small groan escaping as he folded and landed down in the empty seat. He knew he wouldn't be able to move to the back of the bus now, he just had to sit on his own for a little bit and then he could try again once the bus stopped moving.

His breaths came out in short hisses, his head lolling back on the headrest behind him. His eyes closed involuntarily, mind whirring as his hand instinctively gripped his stomach. Nausea swirled through his system as he tried to get his pain under control.

The bus pulled up to the next stop and he wasted no time in pulling himself up and staggering to the back to be with Max and El. They watched him wearily, Max's hand reaching out as if to steady him but he pushed it away. "Don't need your help shithead."

"Sure looks like it."

"It's fine." He hissed, slouching down in the seat next to her, head falling onto the window. The bus pulled away again, small vibrations wobbling his head as they moved.

Both he and Max knew the route off by heart now so seeing the familiar stop outside of a church made the girl gather her bag up neatly on her lap, looking over at her brother as they moved ever closer to her stop. "You sure you can manage today?"

"You got your lunch and bus money, yeah?" He didn't answer her question and neither did she. She just stared at him deadpan. "Max. Answer the damn question."

"Yes. I have it. Jeez..." She shook her head as the bus approached their stop.

Billy reached out, giving his sister a warm pat on the shoulder as the bus began to slow down outside of the high school. "Take no shit." Was his brotherly advice as she stood alongside El.

Max didn't respond and neither did El (who had been strangely quiet throughout the entire bus ride) so Billy was forced to watch them leave silently. Max didn't wave to him from outside of the bus, instead opting to throw her middle finger up to him which he happily reciprocated. He didn't care if anyone else thought it was strange, it was their own way of telling eachother they were fine and that everything would be okay.

Billy really needed that today. He needed reassurance. He needed the familiarity of their interaction to tell him that his nightmares hadn't been real and that she was still okay. It dulled the pain in his system just a little bit and made his journey off of the bus at his stop just a little bit less daunting.

He was once again back on campus and he already wished the bus would turn around and take him back home. He hated the place. He couldn't wait for Mrs Daniels to tell them they could work at home again, then he wouldn't have to break his back everyday trying to get to campus.

All he had to do to make this project as easy as it could be was to somehow get the new girl, his partner, to leave him alone. He had no idea how he was going to accomplish that and hadn't thought of anything by the time he reached the familiar room. As soon as he opened the door he knew, deep deep down, that she wasn't going anywhere. That she was clearly determined to get under his skin and work with him.

Because she had sat herself down in his seat, her hard eyes trained on the door as her leg bounced up and down. She was clearly waiting for him and she looked agitated. He didn't look at anyone else as he moved through the room, keeping his eyes locked onto hers as he walked. It was only once he got within arms length of the woman did she hiss out, "Where the hell were you yesterday?"