A/N: I have a little of Billy and Sierra in this next chapter. Thank you again for all the kind words and support. I'm away for a week on a much needed holiday soon, but I have already created an outline for what happens next. If I get a load of sudden inspiration, as I usually do when I think 'Okay, I probably won't be able to write for like a week now', then you may get the next chapter sooner! If not, take care and I'll be back with you soon as I'm so excited to smash out the next chapter :)


~Billy~

The words tingled the tip of my tongue, and all of a sudden, they flew out. Liberated, unrestrained. Strike after strike, curse after curse, the twin desperately tried to reel me back. But it was out there now. From the depths of my mind and heart, they found a way to overcome whatever monster was lurking around. I was teetering between feeling invincible and unstable. On one hand, it was great to finally get some truth out there. But on the other side, it felt like I was letting go of a foul addiction. Like that sweater you know smells bad but it's the only thing making you feel warm and cozy in the winter. It was a disease, trying to keep more than meets the eye from ever reaching the surface. You yearn to perfect it whilst wanting nothing more than to see it crumble. So, when I told Sierra I trusted her, I felt the walls break down. The death of a lifetime's work. Churning in the pits of my stomach, knowing it could restore itself with a little persuasion.

As the smile on her plump lips rose, I imagined the sound of a creaky gate opening and hearing stones crunch with every step taken along pathway to a house. The gentle breeze ruffled through the lavender, picking up the salt from the sloshing ocean waves in the distance. Birds chirping flew overhead on a voyage to their own island of peace. I peered back, knowing I could leave at any moment. The gate was still open, almost waiting for me. And so was he. The twin, pacing up and down. Silently waiting, watching. Could I go inside? He had been there for so long, my enemy yet closest ally. The only one who had been there in the aftermath of chaos. My eyes locked onto hers, twinkling under the moonlight. I chose to walk into the house. I took one final look at the twin. Boring into each other's minds. He had seen every attack, witnessed every insult hurled.

He didn't even have to say I needed him. I knew.

I closed the door behind me.

Because I wanted her more.

"I trust you too," I repeated, clarity shining in my voice as I returned to reality.

Shyly, she tucked a stray curl behind her ear. We both looked at each other for a moment before trickles of bashful laughter filled the car. I'd never said those words before. In fact, I'd never really thought about them in such a quiet way. If they were found to be in my thoughts, the only feeling experienced was sheer, seething hatred.

I trusted you.

Howling wails, tears running down my cheeks. The mumble of a mother who knew she had made the ultimate sacrifice. Over and over until she could take no more. The phone was put down, the drone of a finished conversation the only thing to be heard. Then His taunts.

Look at you crying like the pussy you are.

I made it my mission to never trust again.

But doesn't mean I never wanted to.

"Thank you for helping me out tonight," Sierra said, bringing my hand to her lips and tenderly kissing it. "You're a gem, Hargrove"

I chuckled, mirroring this as I laced my fingers with hers, and brought them to my own lips. This warmth rushed through me. The only word I could associate with it was safe. It felt safe. Like in this car, no one could get to us. Only gentle whispers and the feel of her hand in mine.

"I've been called worse things" I laughed and started packing away the supplies.

All physical evidence of her fathers atrocities were gone now. I would still remember though. And if the bastard thought he could touch her again, he was going to find himself in a rather deadly situation. She wasn't going back to that house regardless of how much she fought. Hell, even if I had to put her up in a motel for a while, I would be willing to do it. I'd like to think that Sierra's grandparents would be more than understanding with the truth behind their son's parenting, but years of being left to fend for myself had left me jaded. I knew how one turn of a head could make someone keep the secrets hiding behind the doors under lock and key. But we had to try - both of us.

"Why do you have this stuff in your car, Billy?" she asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I envisioned myself telling her the truth. I know what this is like. The routine, what needed to be done.

"You never know when you're going to need it, I guess" I muttered and finished packing away.

I trusted her, sure. But that didn't necessarily mean I trusted myself.

"Were you a Boy Scout or something?" she asked, giggling away like a little kid. It made me happy to see she was feeling more comfortable now. Then again, what choice did we have? People like Sierra and I had no opportunity to wallow in what life served up. We just had to get on with it.

"God no" But I did flush their heads down the toilet in elementary school. Perhaps I shouldn't part with that little bit of information. It's probably wise. Last thing I wanted was for her to think badly of me. I knew I could be a shit sometimes. Every now and then I thought about things like this, digging in deep. More than the thought of how powerful it felt, I did contemplate how it made the person on the other side feel. But the power would always invade before I had a chance to mull it over. It was almost like an automatic response. How can you switch off a machine forced into being on automatic mode? "It's just handy to have. Particularly when I was in California"

Sierra raised a doubtful eyebrow, but didn't pursue the conversation any further. She didn't have to. I could tell it would come back to bite me in the ass later. She was wary about the hidden secrets I kept stored within me. The girl was perceptive. It would all come out later on, tumbling uncontrollably. But not yet. I couldn't do it. Besides, she didn't need me to go on some sort of tangent about how shit things could be at home. She needed someone to protect her, take care of the nightmares waiting in the darkness.

"Should we head back to mine?" I suggested. After all, she could get changed there and I'd run her a bath, make sure she could just relax for a bit instead of being parked by the seafood restaurant for longer than necessary.

She hesitated for a moment, her faraway gaze fading the more she forced her brain into overdrive. I could almost hear the cogs turning, getting faster and faster.

"Do you think we could go for a little drive?" she timidly asked, as if I was going to deny her request. A drive was a fair shout. Clearing out the shit from our thoughts by doing some mindless activity could be good for us both.

"Yeah, where to?"

"I don't know. Just," Sierra sighed and leisurely wafted her arm in the direction of the junctions ahead of us "follow the moonlight, I guess!"

"How poetic of you, Nightingale" I smirked at her which resulted in me receiving a teasing wink. "You're learning far too much from me, you know?"

"I still can't smirk quite as good as you, so don't get too cocky" she chuckled and jokingly poked her tongue out at me.

"Give it time, Princess" I chuckled and gunned the engine, ready to follow the moonlight.

~Sierra~

"Sierra"

Who was calling out my name? I couldn't recognize the voice. Evil, dominating. A threat. Who was it? Rotting vines snaked around my feet, bolts of lightning overhead lit up the foreboding dark red sky.

"You see me in every person who has done you harm"

Suddenly, I was picked up. Spinning round and round. Endlessly being thrown around in a ruthless tornado.

"And through them, I see you"

Screams were silenced by the avalanche of debris, filling my mouth until I could hardly breathe.

"I know what keeps you awake at night, Sierra"

Will - those exact words were from Will. But this wasn't Will's voice. It was too deep. Full of vile deeds.

"And I will let it destroy you"

Over my rapidly beating heart, I heard Billy's voice. Once again, he had managed to somehow save me. Lightning bolts continued to obscure my view, but I could feel the warmth of his hand as it clutched onto mine.

"You alright?" With a shake of my head, I was able to clarify exactly where I was. Still in Billy's car, feet curled up under me. We had been listening to Foreigner when I had started drifting off. It was still playing. The same song. How long had I been out for? In whatever dream that was, it had seemed like an eternity. "Bad dream?"

"You could say that" I murmured, yawning a little. "It was a little weird. Like, there was this voice, Kind of like a monster. All around me were these vines"

Billy's eyes narrowed and I noticed how his thumb started tapping against the steering wheel at a faster rate than before. He sharply inhaled and fumbled around for a cigarette, lighting one for me first and then one for him. Something was working its way around in his mind.

"You've had a shit night. That can always make bad dreams a little worse" he finally replied and blew out a pillar of ashen smoke. I wasn't sure if it was the leftover haze of sleep or not, but I discerned his neck inch forwards, allowing his eyes to become momentarily lost in the smoke. "Don't worry, we're just driving around. I'm gonna pull over for a little soon though"

Billy found a quiet spot next to the lake in The Communion, the wrench of the handbrake establishing this as our space. I was too enchanted by the moon as it shimmered over the tepid waters to notice how Billy had left the car and was soon opening the door for me to get out. Everything about The Communion was serene. Far from the recklessness of home and constant theatrics played out day after day in high school. We laid down on the bed of grass next to Billy's car, basking in the trickling stream and lack of existence. It was just us two and nature. My fingers grazed against the unruly blades of grass, feeling them tickle my skin. Above us, the scintillating stars embellishing the dark canopy shone down on us, making us barely visible. It was bringing me back to the moment before I felt the wrath. The calm. Nature whispered to me, 'Be slow' and I heeded its wisdom. Around Billy, away from everything and everyone else, I felt the heaviness leave my shoulders. Finally weightless.

"Thank you for helping me out tonight" I whispered, almost afraid to penetrate the stillness.

"Don't sweat it, Nightingale" Billy sighed, the flicker of fire from his lighter illuminating his face momentarily. For those few seconds, I could see him in another light. Someone who had seen things, who knew how to act in situations such like this. Repeated time and time again. After what I had seen of his father today, I had an inkling as to why we initially understood each other so well. "Besides," he paused, grunting slightly as he pulled me closer. Resting my head on his chest, I could feel the relaxed pumping of his heart against my ear. "You're my girl. No one is going to do that to you again"

If only it could be that simple. I had Zack to think about. An image of my mom flickered in my mind. Imagining the frantic movement of her hand as she wrote out the letter. Was I just as bad as she was? I had been considering college, leaving everything behind. Just like she did, I wanted to leave everything behind whilst knowing what happened inside our home. Only difference was, I hadn't left yet, and I knew I never would. Billy could think all he wanted that no one was going to hurt me again, but he was going to be bitterly disappointed.

"Remember what I said?" His voice, a murmur, suddenly chimed up. As if he had felt the burden tightening around my chest again, he pulled me closer to him. "I said, let me prove you wrong" My eyes slipped to a close, getting lost in the swirling motions of his fingers as they ran through the roots of my hair. "I intend to keep my word"

I mumbled a barely audible 'Mmph' in response and tangled my legs up with his, burrowing a little deeper under his blonde curls. Breathing in, I smelt a hint of smoke, but mostly fruity notes. This pleasantly soothed me, emotional warmth rushing through my stomach, fluttering upwards until it spread everywhere. I let out a contented sigh and curled my fingers up, feeling the beat of his heart, how his chest rose and fell.

"Getting comfortable, Nightingale?" he huskily chuckled, fingertips getting lost in my hair.

"Not as much as you are, Hargrove" I murmured sleepily, tracing the edges of his shirt button. As I undid one of them, a coy smile expanded on my face and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"You really are getting comfortable" He enveloped his arms around me, allowing his finger to trace the shape of my spine. Up and down, up and down. Time collapsed when he touched me, and we slowly became two tiny specks floating around in a universe of millions. Comfortably insignificant, melding in with all the surroundings. "I know we were going to do some stuff earlier" Billy started, but he hesitated for a moment and rolled over onto his side, cupping his cheek as his head rested against his hand. He took my hand and opened it up, following the outline of it with the back of his finger before working his way in. "I, er," Billy paused again and lowered his eyes, clicking his tongue as if trying to prompt the words to roll off effortlessly "I only had sex when I had a… you could say, pre-arrangement in place"

My eyebrow quirked upwards and I swiftly mirrored his pose, facing him. His eyes were still deflected and he simpered, opening himself up to vulnerability. Not many people had the courage to spread their arms and welcome vulnerability. To be completely exposed in a world where we are told to act in certain ways, adhere to the scripts determined for us and ensure it controlled us for the rest of our lives. Finally shouting out, 'That's not who I am!' took a certain level of bravery. Here was Billy Hargrove, at long last. Giving the world the biggest, most meaningful middle finger. The bad boy wasn't here. It was the inception of a man who wanted to welcome someone into their life.

"Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but," he sighed, pulling blades of grass and flicking them over himself "I didn't have feelings for them. We agreed it was only ever about sex" Once again, he pondered over if he really could free himself, learn to trust. "It's different with you, Nightingale"

"Oh?" I asked, prying for more information. From the way he still had his eyes lowered, there were more thoughts roaming around in that mind of his.

"I just," he groaned and ran his fingers over his face, laughing a little "I've never had feelings for a girl before and… you're gonna think I'm a pathetic piece of shit for this"

"No, really, go on" I encouraged him, giving him a playful swat on the arm. Taking a long breath, he breathed out slowly.

"You're the only girl I've wanted to be with just because I like you" A satisfied smile crawled onto my lips, and I felt a scorching heat rush into my cheeks. "Don't fucking tease me at a time like this, Nightingale" he moaned and tugged on my shirt, beckoning me to come closer.

We both let our heads drop to the pillow of grass beneath us, our noses brushing together. Gently, he kissed me on my forehead and found a dangling curl to play with, twisting it around his pinkie.

"When did you figure that out?" I asked, genuinely intrigued. Billy had shamelessly flirted with me since day one of knowing him. "It was totally when I knew you had a 1979 Camaro in English, right?" I joked, entwining my hand with his, our thumbs playfully tangling together.

"Well, that did impress me" Billy chuckled and pressed down on my thumb, winning whatever game we were playing. "No, it was here. After I dropped you off, I couldn't get your laugh out of my head"

"Yeah, it's kinda loud" I chuckled, earning me another defeat in this thumb game. Before I knew it, Billy had hauled me onto his chest and I found myself bundled in his arms. "You're not the only sarcastic asshole here, Hargrove"

"Mmm, I've had more practice, Nightingale" he murmured against my curls, burrowing his head beneath them.

"But," I giggled and moved my hair out of the way, revealing a pouting Billy who was sad to lose his hiding place "I think this is where I figured it out too"

"You figured out you were an ass over tits guy here, too?" I gasped theatrically and tried to stifle my laughter, flicking a barrage of grass blades at him. "Hey, I told you I'd had more practice at being an asshole"

"I mean, you do have a good ass" I chuckled, sitting on his legs so I could aim my grass blades better. Before I could, Billy shot up and seized my wrists, jokingly fighting against them.

Done with my relentless mission to cover him in grass, he captured my lips in a sensual kiss. His arms were a refuge, and I flowed in them. We could let go together, breathe and lose ourselves in this mutual understanding we silently shared. Pulling me in deeper, I began to believe him. He would prove me wrong. I was supposed to be tough, to defy the flutters as they grew stronger. To the point where my own fragility knew it could be shattered. Yet, as Billy Hargrove held me in his arms, I became unbreakable.

I felt safe.

As his lips drew away from mine, I prepared myself to drown in the self-activating insecurities. But, they never turned on. I was truly under his spell. Magic had prevailed.

"Yours is better" He winked at me, biting his bottom lip. Even that couldn't break his spell. Now, I had fully seen him. "Sorry, Princess, I'm not good at being serious"

"I gathered" I giggled and wrapped my legs around his hips, moving closer to him. "But, you were the one who made me laugh when we first came here, so all this is entirely on you"

"Just be grateful I like your laugh, Nightingale. Besides, if I hadn't made you laugh, we wouldn't be here right now" Billy chuckled and collected all the grass blades so they were resting on the palm of his hand before blowing them at me. Spluttering with laughter, I chucked some right back. "Come on, we should get going. It's getting cold" He got up and pulled on my arms, dragging me up. Lacing our fingers together, I playfully bumped the tip of my nose against his chin. "Did you really have to get on your tip-toes for that?" As we started walking, I got onto the tips of my toes and exaggeratedly walked alongside him, making a show of how much of a shortass I was. "Cute as a fucking button, Nightingale"

Grinning at him, I earned myself a wink. We got into the car together and Billy lit me another cigarette before lighting one for himself. Soon, we were off again, following the same moonlight that got us here. Suddenly, I realized something. Barely any thoughts had seeped into my mind as we just laid there talking, play fighting over blades of grass. Even in the depths of my slumber, my mind knew how to go into overdrive. But as he held me, brought his lips to mine, everything had just stopped. Utter tranquility took over. No control. For once, the silence had embraced me. It was like a sigh of relief. Back to a lost time where all the cracks didn't need healing.

"Thanks for opening up to me" Even though we had both fallen into this trap of being really silly, it didn't erase everything that had been said. More importantly, it would never undermine how Billy had permitted the veiled part of him to shine. "You're a lot stronger than what you think you are"

"Sometimes you just gotta meet the right person, I guess" he chuckled and reached over from the steering wheel, stroking my thigh. However, as soon as it had radiated, the glow dwindled and every feature on his face fell. "What the fuck?"

Brow furrowed, I squinted out into the darkness. The shape of three figures, lurking among the desecrated remains belonging to the local junkyard, stood far from the light beaming from the Camaro's headlights. Before I could even process what was happening, Billy had leapt out of the car, fueled by a blazing inferno.

"What the fuck do you call this, Harrington?"

Wait, what was Steve doing here? Quickly, I fumbled to turn on the main beams of the car. Flooding the entire area with a bright light, my jaw dropped.

A baseball bat, jagged nails sticking out of it.

Billy, his fists clenched, ready to attack.

Steve, eyes wide.

And as I quickly moved out the car, I froze.

Max, Lucas and Dustin all stared at me.

They were shocked I was here.

I was shocked they had guns.