~Sierra~

I'd never seen anything like it. A quiet argument. Apparently, this was to be a week of seeing things I never thought would be possible. Whilst learning about the Upside Down had been unpredictable and surprising, even more so was seeing Henderson keep his voice down. Initially, I had wondered why we were ordered by Hopper to keep our voices as low as possible. Moreover, I wondered why Billy and Steve had shushed me when I saw Nancy emerging from Will's bedroom. She looked utterly exhausted, wringing her hands in a state of anxiety. Words faltered her as she tried aimlessly to explain herself. It had been nearly three days since she'd sped off in Jonathan's car without so much as an explanation or reason. But as my mouth opened wide to bark out a demand as to where she had been or a relieved, tender sigh of 'Nance, what the hell have you been doing?' - which one it was going to be, I wasn't actually sure of - Billy and Steve silenced me. In whispers, Nancy described the ride to an unknown man's house where she and Jonathan had stayed to plot their next moves.

I genuinely believed things couldn't have gotten any stranger. But no, Nancy went on to declare she was going to expose Hawkins Lab for covering up Barb's death. I was absolutely stunned into silence. When were things going to return to normal? God, this was all insane. Goddamn insane. I mean, was there anything we could consider normal anymore? There was an underground, sinister world where Barb was killed and Will had been possessed by a monster from there, and somehow in the midst of all of this, Hawkins Lab knew about it. The Chief of Police knew about it. Four D&D lovers knew about it. My fucking best friends knew about it. A million different emotions were about to implode - anger at Barb's death being covered up, frustration at how the hell the lab had gotten away with all of this, sadness because Barb's parents didn't know and all I could hear was Joyce weeping as her son was slowly fading right before her eyes. God, they'd been keeping all of this to themselves for nearly a year. They'd known about every single bit whilst managing to sustain some form of a normal life. Nancy and I had studied for English tests together. Whilst we were discussing supernatural elements in Hamlet, had she been thinking about the supernatural in real life? Thinking to herself, 'If you think ghosts are scary, think again because I've faced Hell'? Steve and I had played baseball over summer. Had he been thrown into the past with that black, bloodstained bat when I went to pitch? Instead of my face, what if the demodogs flashed in his mind like fragmented episodes? Everything that had seemed normal was mired by the abnormal.

Nothing was going to be the same ever again. Not now. We knew too much.

And now, to fully confirm everything was changing faster than the speed of light, Dustin Henderson was discovering the ability to keep his voice down. For the past ten minutes, we had been trying to conjure up our next moves. Will had been sedated and moved quickly and quietly to his makeshift fort down in the woods. He'd been blindfolded. Jonathan and Nancy explained how Will was acting as a host for whatever had possessed him, and so, we not only needed to keep our voices down to save ourselves, but we needed to ensure he had absolutely no clue about where he was or else we'd have another case of demodogs on our hands. Will had no idea he was in his home. His room had been removed of any homely reminders - no posters on the walls, plastic sheets over his things, the walls painted black in a rush. We'd since learned Will, or whatever possessed Will, had overheard our location when Steve and Billy arrived, and had sent demodogs our way. Were there more of them, or had El killed them all? We were trying to recall as many memories as possible to get Will back. From there, reminding us all that Will was not well known to everyone, Steve suggested he and Billy go and burn the tunnels whilst El closed the gate with Hopper. There was finally hope that all this would come to an end, but all the scheming and events were happening so quickly that I had to sit down. My mind was a violent whirlwind. All my thoughts had been caught in a tornado, the debris of demodogs, a glass of whiskey with no ice, a nailed bat, and The Queen's Gambit book were getting tossed aside, bashing my brain. I cradled my head in my hands, feeling the beads of sweat seep into my fingers. God I just wanted it all to be over. Everything, just everything. I wanted it to stop. But of course, Henderson had to have the last say.

"You need me, Harrington!" Dustin hissed. "I know Dart. If you come across him, I can get out some nougat and keep him distracted"

"Goddamn it, Henderson…" Steve growled and flashed a look at Billy who sat next to me. We all knew that look. If Billy agreed, Steve was off the hook. All it took was Billy merely shrugging and Henderson was getting ready for his next mission.

"I'm coming with you" Max whispered.

"No, Max" Billy snapped and shot her a warning glare.

"Look, I don't know Will. I have no memories of him to get him back so I'm no use. I'm in danger if I'm here and I'm in danger if I'm down in the tunnels. I might as well be making some use. So, I'm coming with you" Max assertively placed her hands on her hips, sending her stubborn message across clearly. "I have a 50/50 chance of eating eaten by demodogs either way, Billy"

Billy tapped his fingers against his denim cladded legs and I could hear a stifled groan rumbling in his throat. He had a difficult choice to make. Weigh up the pros or cons and the same conclusion would still be there. We were all royally screwed. Potentially…got to be optimistic about the odds of my demise somehow.

"Fine, but if I tell you to run, you run. I say stay still, you stay still - "

"You say jump, I say, 'How high?'" Max facetiously added, giving Billy one of her now infamous eye rolls.

"Don't push my luck, shitbird" Billy grumbled, but his favored nickname for Max was said without malice. If anything it was an endearment laced with the right level of concern a sibling should have when their younger one was facing death by demodogs. "I'm serious, Max. Got it?" Max nodded in response and with that, Billy got up. The keys to his Camaro were out, ready to face whatever fate had in store.

There it was. The plan. They would go to the tunnels, El and Hopper would close the gate, and we would try to get Will back. Sluggishly, I rose from the couch I had spent so many nights reading a book on and went out to say goodbye to the others. Hopefully, it would not be for the final time. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who had so many variations of a goodbye crossing my mind. What could I say? I didn't want to even contemplate the danger we were in, let alone if one or all of them never came back from the tunnels. How could I thank Steve for being my closest ally or Billy for making the last week one to remember? How could I finally declare to Henderson that yes, whilst he's a pain in my ass, he is also the kid who can make me laugh so incredibly hard? Or to Max, how glad I was we met and shared that moment on the steps of the middle school together? We had so many questions lingering over us - would the gate ever be closed? Could Will be saved? Would we make it out of this godforsaken nightmare alive? - but the hardest one was, how do you say goodbye to those you love?

It was as if collectively we had all read each other's mind. Wordlessly, Henderson and Harrington dragged me in for a hug. Billy stood nearby and I could sense his unease over whether the invitation was extended to him. He was about to turn around when we all grabbed onto the sleeve of his leather jacket and hauled him in.

"Soppy motherfuckers" Billy chuckled, but he surrendered and wrapped his arms around us. God I hoped he would survive this. Not just because I wanted to share more moments like this with him, but because he had so much opportunity. Within the past week I had seen him go from a brazen, flirtatious bastard to someone who wasn't afraid to have a group hug. He had to live otherwise so much would be wasted. "Hey, shitbird, if I'm having to do this, you do too"

Awkwardly, Max stumbled over, but any tension she had felt dissipated as soon as she dove straight in. To my surprise, Max held on tightly to Billy even as we disbanded, having all had the goodbye we needed. Billy ruffled Max's hair and nodded to the car, silently directing her to meet him there. Now it was just us two. Billy smiled at me, but it wavered. Despite his brave front, I could tell he was just as terrified as I was.

"Make it back, alright?" I said and laced my fingers with his.

"Well, I still need to teach you to surfboard so I kinda have to" he chuckled. I rolled my eyes at him and smirked. Of course, Billy would get through this with any form of sarcasm he could get muster up. He squeezed my hand and brought it to his lips, gingerly kissing my knuckles. "You got it, Princess" His eyes landed on the necklace glinting in the sunrise and reached out to let the pendant balance on his fingers. Something was roaming in his mind, something so precious that he struggled to verbalize it. The words were already there, fighting against the tears in his eyes, his teeth as they bit the inside of his lip. "I wore that necklace everyday since the day it was given to me" He sighed, moving closer to me, his gaze fixated on the necklace. I inched closer too, feeling my chest against the soft fabric of his shirt. "My mom gave me it. It was the last thing she got for me. Apparently if you get it blessed by a priest it gives you protection" I kept silent as he stroked the fine snake chain before grazing my jawline with the back of his hand. He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as if this idea of being protected by some unseen, higher deity was the least realistic notion he'd come across, despite all we'd witnessed. "I wanted you to have it because… shit, I… " Billy sighed and stared into my eyes intently, as if seeking permission to let his feelings speak. There was one thing about Billy Hargrove's eyes I could never get over. Those deep blue orbs in one glance could make me weak at the knees, permit a surge of exhilaration to take over me and tell me a thousand stories. I squeezed his bear hand in mine. It's okay. Billy straightened himself, nodding. "Because you're the only person since her who has made me feel okay" There was more to this, I knew it. And so, I waited patiently as the tears formed in his eyes. He needed to get this out. It had been stored within him for too long. "Who has made me feel anything other than this hatred and anger. You've actually made me feel…" Come on, Billy. "...you've made me laugh more than I have in a long time. You've made me feel…" Billy inhaled deeply and ran his thumb over the pendant one last time "...loved"

A heat rose in the depths of my stomach, rushing to my lightly freckled cheeks. Billy let out the breath he'd been saving for this moment, his whole posture clearly deflating. It was so obvious he'd never been this vulnerable before, never this seen before. Yet here he was, letting his guard down.

"That's because you are loved, Billy" I whispered, gently cradling his cheeks in my hands. Billy slipped his eyes to a close, his head relaxing against my touch. "And it's not only me"

"Be careful, alright, Nightingale?" Billy's voice shook as he spoke. When was the last time someone had told him this? The real him had been hibernating for so long it hadn't felt the warmth of love radiating.

"You too" I replied and he gave the back of my hand a kiss before pulling me in, pressing his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes, breathing in his unique smokey musk. It felt like the calm in the eye of a storm, a fire crackling in a brisk winter. Billy was the epitome of chaos to the outside world. But to me, he was the comfort I had been unconsciously seeking. "I'm holding you to those surfing lessons, Hargrove"

"Well, when we get back, I'm just going to hold you" Billy whispered, those eyes of his glimmering with a sincerity unbeknownst to me.

With a final kiss on my head, Billy headed into the Camaro and drove off. If only he had stayed for a few seconds longer, then he would know I was going to hold him right back.


~Billy~

I could distinctly remember the first time fear overpowered me. It was after Mom had left. He and I were eating dinner in silence. Microwave mac and cheese. So dirt cheap you could taste the plastic. I was drinking a glass of Coke. A Saturday night treat, as He liked to call it. One of those rare treats you reflect on nostalgically and savor whenever it shows up in your life. Any wistful recollections I have with America's most classic drink were ruined the moment the first droplet hit the ground. It all happened so quickly. I squeezed my eyes closed before I even saw His fist coming for me. Fear only overpowered me for a second, but it was enough to make its mark. Whenever He would hit Mom, any panic or fright I related with His hands knew well enough to keep hidden. I would've done anything to protect her. The times I interjected, He would stop in His tracks and look down on me as if I was a squashed bug. A curled lip, nostrils flaring, His knuckles red. He'd let his anger show - let me know I'd intervened with His anger - and then walk off. I was so accustomed to His interrupted anger that my instincts ran haywire the first time He hit me after she'd left. There were no voices imploring him to leave me alone. No smell of her sweet perfume. Only the smell of a stained carpet and the muffled sound of the radio playing.

That was the last time fear had prominently taken a hold of me. But as I stared at the webbed membranes, the foreboding red glow waiting to consume us, I felt it trickle down my veins as ice cold as that Coke had been. Only this time, He wasn't waiting for me. I'd never considered how He may kill me one day. It would be an accident, of course. He wouldn't live down a reputation as a child killer. But whatever lurked down those tunnels could. It was merciless.

"You alright, Hargrove?" Harrington whispered.

I jolted for a moment before regaining the cool facade I always resorted to. But Harrington was doing a lot better than I was right now at maintaining any calm illusion. Beyond the adrenaline rush keeping my nervous system on overload, I was fucking terrified.

"Quit your mother-henning, Harrington" I grumbled, ensuring my feet didn't trip over all the fleshy vines covering what I guess you could consider a floor.

I already felt ridiculous enough as it was. We would have looked pretty badass in just the paisley bandanas we were wearing for masks, but Henderson had to take it that one step further and made us all put on these dorky lab goggles. I saw why. After all, whatever the fuck this cesspit was was probably riddled with all sorts of diseases. Not to mention the smell. It was fucking vile, what I can imagine a decomposing body smelt like and it was emitting from every crevice. Even the gasoline we were carrying around couldn't compete.

All this time, a lair had been hiding underneath us as we all went about doing normal shit. We ate $2 sandwiches in the school cafeteria whilst the vines grew and pulsated, laid on the grass in The Communion whispering the most intimate of thoughts when all the while beneath us something menacing growled. It was fucking unbelieveable. Yet those kids and Harrington had known for so goddamn long that it was here and carried out a regular life. Credit was owed where it's due. Harrington had bigger balls than I had presumed.

Max made sure not to both encroach or leave my space. I'd made it explicitly clear too many times than I'd rather recall not to get too close or too far behind. I was in the firing line of danger and if she was to follow, she would be as well. Simultaneously, if she fell behind then she was left open to whatever could hurt us here. You know, when I first moved here about a fortnight ago, if you'd told me I was hanging around with a kid who worshiped some fantasy game, then I would have howled with laughter and probably knocked you out. Hanging out with not just one, but two little nerds in what was essentially Hell really was taking the fucking biscuit. But Christ, I'd rather be in here with them than Tommy or Carol. Tommy would probably piss himself if he was here and Carol…pfft, forget about it.

To be fair, I wouldn't have blamed them. This place was end-of-the-human-race-apocalyptic bad. Any horror movie was a goddamn Disney film in comparison. So for once, I was heeding the orders. And it was only from a fucking 13-year old nerd. Yup, Henderson was adamant on calling the shots and whilst I could concede Harrington had balls, those nackers weren't so big that he could tell Henderson where to shove it. The kid was beyond book smart, he was a fucking genius.

So when Henderson came to a halt, the rest of us followed. I shot a look of 'You better be too' at Max and thankfully, she wasn't so stubborn as to be the odd one out. I could feel the lighter I'd had since I was 15 slipping through my fingers. For some reason, the lighter stuck out to me. I wondered how many cigarettes I'd lit with this thing? On average I smoked about 10 a day, 15 if I was pissed off about something. Recently I'd shared them with Sierra. I never lit a cigarette for someone if I didn't give a shit about them, let alone light one up and then let them have it. I'd hand the lighter over, but I'd never light a cigarette for them. Shit, I was complex. I could fuck girls with very little care involved, but I wouldn't light their cigarette. Such a micro gesture had way too many implications. It would create some bond, and I didn't want one with just anyone. I'd had a strong bond with Mom and look how that ended up. Gone, dead. It had been years now and no one had managed to touch the barbed wire around my heart since. Until her. Sierra. I'd had such an indifference to life. Smoked cigarettes, shit my liver was probably drowning in beer and drove my old car straight into a lampost in a haze of this chaotic indifference. Gotten into fights with this alpha bravado leading me to believe I could win. Yet I was still alive.

Alive enough to know I was looking death right in the eye.

Right there.

I shook my head. I was seeing things. I had to be.

I'd seen them before. But where?

Those eyes… where had I seen those eyes?

Gasoline permeated the entire area, wet on the pile of writhing vines.

Two years and this lighter had been there in the aftermath of His fist pummeling my face, used to compliment a cold beer, burned my skin so I could awaken from my thoughts, and showed my girl I felt more for her than just attraction. And now, it was going to set this whole fucking place on fire.

"Light it up, Hargrove" Henderson ordered.

My thumb slid down the metallic curve of the lighter. Goodbye, old friend. You've served me well.

Then, everything was ablaze. A golden, flaming ball of fire tore through the vines, roaring as it destroyed whatever evil had created it.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Harrington yelled.

But I couldn't.

Through the lethal flames, they wouldn't stop watching me.

I had seen those eyes before.

Because they were mine.


~Sierra~

Screaming.

Everyone was screaming.

Terror had infiltrated Fort Byers - a once place of comfort now morphing into a version of Hell that would frighten even the loyalist Satanist to the core.

High pitch screams, pleading screams.

Nothing else.

Just screaming.

His small hand around his mother's throat. A hand that had been held in hers the moment he was born, taught to walk, stroked whenever tears poured from his eyes, was now trying to kill her. But this wasn't Will. It may have been his body, but his mind was not his own. Pure black, wide eyes penetrated into Joyce's soul, sending her one, clear message.

I will kill you.

Jonathan, Nancy and I tried to haul her back to her, but whatever gripped tightly around her throat was not giving up without a fight. Air was stolen from my lungs. Any movement of my own forcibly taken. An excruciating pain surged through my back as it collided with the wall. Motherfucker! Three pained groans fled past our lips as we staggered to get back to our feet. Immediately, we threw Mike behind us. Protests seethed out of his mouth, but we wouldn't give in.

"Will - Will!" Mike shouted, fighting against the hands that yearned to keep him safe. "Will, remember when we first started playing D&D? You said you'd thrash every single bad guy. Remember that?" Nothing, absolutely nothing. Will wasn't here. "This is your moment, man! This is the enemy, Will! You can beat him, I know you can!"

God, nothing was helping. Whoever this enemy was hadn't just stolen his body, it had wiped any memory tinted with a warm kindness from ever saving him.

We were losing. Will was losing.

But we couldn't give up.

The fire was going out. I grabbed the matches, getting it ablaze again. The heaters were dimming. Whatever was inside Will was using whatever power it had to switch them off.

He likes it cold.

Ignoring the shudder going down my spine, I put the heaters back on full blast.

Jonathan's shaking hands began rummaging frantically through some cardboard box. Before I could see what he was looking for, my focus was too repelled by the blackened veins bulging from Will's face, the blunt riff of a guitar shouted out from behind us. A calm melody juxtaposing this utter hell.

"Darling you got to let me know… should I stay or should I go?" The casual, rough punk voice snapped out. Would this transcend the strong clutches around Joyce's throat, reaching wherever Will was imprisoned?

"Remember this song, Will?" Jonathan pleaded, tears pouring out of his eyes. "It helped you beat it once, you can do it again. I told you to play this song whenever you'd hear Dad beating the shit out of me, when things got too much so you could lose yourself in music. But I need you to do the opposite now, buddy. I need you to use it to come back to us!" Jonathan launched himself across the room, seizing Wil's shoulders and shaking him with such force that I had to really stop myself from interjecting. This wasn't Will he was shaking. "Please, Will!"

Then, a memory flashed before my eyes.

"Will, you played this song to me once. It was October last year. You taught Mike, Lucas, Dustin and I how to do the best air guitar ever" My quaking voice managed to rasp out. Giggles flooded my mind, fleeting images of the five of us rocking out in the Byers living room flickered like a film roll. Come on, Will. Remember.

"I told you the next day that Mike taught me and you couldn't stop smiling. You were so happy because others were happy" Nancy called out. "That's who you are, Will. Not this. You can beat this!"

"You can beat this thing, Will!" Mike shouted through the anguish, the sheer terror that whatever was possessing his closest friend would win. "You need to let everything about you - your kindness, how you make your friends laugh - set this thing on fire! Because the Mind Flayer doesn't have what you have and it's the only way we can beat it!"

"Baby, you've got to come back!" Joyce wept, defying all fear and climbing back onto the bed. Tender hands gripped her youngest son's shoulders. How far could a mother's touch go? Was Will, wherever he was trapped, hear how loved he was? Could love conquer all as much the history books said?

A blood-curdling scream shattered the unrest amongst us. The Clash cut off, sparks flying from the record playing. Shards of glass flew from above, the smell of burning permeating the whole of the dank room. Joyce collapsed onto the floor, Jonathan rushing to get her up. My eyes darted from scene to scene - Nancy with a red hot poker, Mike clutching onto my hand, Joyce and Jonathan trying to save themselves in a strong embrace. My heart thumped rapidly, drowning out the ringing in my ears. A murky black entity rose from Will's open mouth like a tornado, shrieking and convulsing. It flew straight out of the cloaked window. Despite all instincts commanding us to stay glued to the ground, Nancy and I rushed out of the door, watching as it disappeared into the night. Our breath mingled in the frosted air as we remained fixated on the trees swaying in a gentle breeze. Nancy and I shared a look

Was it finally gone?

Then, the stillness we had all been dreading.

The only thing heard above the silence was how hard we were all panting.

Will's ashen face appeared the most peaceful it had ever been.

Jesus Christ, he was dead.

We'd killed him.

It had won.

A desperate intake of breath pierced through the silence. I felt my back, soaked with sweat, slacken against the wall as Will's eyes - the innocent chocolate button eyes that had endeared us all to him - flickered open. Wracking sobs of relief stored within us in the hopes we would see Will alive were finally liberated. Mine and Nancy's tearful eyes latched onto one another. I pulled her into one of the most heartful embraces I could share and we stayed like that, gripping onto one another for dear life. Every word we could have ever spoken was communicated - apologies for not being there when we should have, mourning the loss of Barb, a way of telling each other we would never let go.

"A-am I okay now?" Will asked, his face pallid and weak. Nancy and I dragged ourselves off the floor and joined their hug.

We would be okay…right?

I snuggled into Nancy's shoulder, slipping my eyes to a close. Breathe in, breathe out. Everything would work itself out. But I knew the monsters were still here. They weren't as demonic nor were they supernatural. No, my monster appeared normal to the outside world and I still was yet to face it. Face him. For the now, hidden away in the crook of Nancy's neck, I could pretend he didn't exist. Like he wasn't waiting for me.

In the meantime, I could revel in the hope that whatever was lurking in Will had been vanquished. He'd made it.

We'd made it.

And now, all I could do was pray those I had said goodbyes to earlier would return alive.


~Billy~

I'd never taken the opportunity to really see Hawkins beyond what it was. But, as I drove us all back to the Byers, it felt as if the winding road belonged only to immortals. We'd escaped death tonight. Yet, I couldn't get those eyes out of my head. It was as if the twin prowling inside my head had physically manifested itself to me. Was it just an adrenaline rush or was there something seriously fucked up with me? Attempts to drown out my overworking mind with Billy Idol were futile. So instead I focused ahead on the road. I counted the amount of stores lining the pavements, the amount of times we hit a red light under my breath. Harrington offered to call Him so we could put forward an alibi as to why we weren't home yet. It was 9pm already so we stopped at a payphone. Harrington put on his best, most cookie-cutter voice and managed to persuade Him that we were all fine and dandy at Harrington's house with Max and the rest of her dork friends. Harrington even went as far as to ask if we could stay over which He obligingly agreed to. When I'd said thanks to Harrington, he'd patted my back heartily and smiled. It was one of the handful of times I hadn't wanted to knock his lights out. Harrington was growing on me. Weirdly enough, I was okay with that. Strange how I was staunchly opposed to assumptions, yet I'd had my own based on his stupid fucking hairstyle. Harrington was alright. But I still wanted him to plant his feet. And I also wanted to keep the shirt he'd let me borrow when we went to his house to get changed into some fresh clothes.

I peered back at Max. She was sleeping soundly, her head resting on Lucas' shoulder. I knew what I needed to do. From the fleeting look we both shared, somehow Lucas knew too. A small smile creeped on my lips, feeling the corners tug themselves upwards as if I had no control over them. Shit, I was happy for Max. Back in San Diego, she didn't really have many friends, let alone a boyfriend. Max was somewhat like me in that regard, a lone-wolf who found it best to rely on one person and one person only - ourselves. It was a trait strong enough to drive us apart and kept us together in the midst of mayhem. The thing that made her my shitbird and me her asshole of a stepbrother. I owed the kid a lot. She'd said I was a symptom, not a cause, but it wasn't enough to exalt me from the havoc I'd wreaked. No, I needed to start somewhere and this is where everything would begin.

Finally, we reached the house. The others clamored out, sharing one common goal: to see if the others were alive. I stayed behind and as if he'd read my mind, Lucas joined me. Max stayed. I didn't mind doing this in front of her. An awkward silence permeated the car. I couldn't help but stare at the kid in the rearview mirror.

"I owe you an apology, kid" I murmured, my confession subconsciously wanting to stay hidden. No, the mask was coming off. Fuck the mask. The kid deserved more than that. I cleared my throat. "I made a shitty assumption about you"

"Yeah, I know" Lucas muttered, shifting in his seat. God, how many times did the kid have to deal with this sort of shit? It was his family and perhaps three other Black families in the area. The way the kid had predicted my crappy assumption so nonchalantly with a hint of sadness made me think, how many times had people left the assumption unsaid yet spoke clearly with their eyes? "You don't have to - "

"No, Lucas, I do" I sucked in my teeth, trying to compose myself. "My dad is a racist, Lucas. That isn't an excuse for what I did, okay? I need to hold myself accountable for my own actions. I'm not asking you for forgiveness or any shit like that. You decide whether you forgive me or not, alright? I just want you to know I'm sorry and I'll do what it takes to make sure Neil doesn't do anything and that I don't repeat this"

I meant it. I could tell Max felt something for the kid and it was reciprocated. But I couldn't ignore the reality of what could happen if He found out about their relationship. Nothing would happen to Max, but everything would happen to Lucas. The thought of Him even so much as uttering the words, 'There are certain people in this world you don't hang out with' was enough to make my fist clench. I loosened it up, distracting the temptation to hit something by patting my jeans, feeling the rough texture underneath. I took one long, hard stare at the kid in the rearview mirror, trying my best to soften my intense gaze. At this point, it appeared natural.

"I don't really know what to say" Lucas said, returning the stare.

"I don't expect you to say anything" God, I needed a cigarette badly. I wasn't used to owning up to so much shit. But it needed doing and if there was one thing I learned this week, it was accountability wasn't a weakness. "Like I said, I'm sorry"

"Alright, Hargrove" Lucas took a deep intake of breath. "I've dealt with a lot of this shit before. So I'll see if you stick to your word first"

I nodded and watched as the kid left the car.

Max stayed behind for a moment and smiled softly at me before following Lucas. I fumbled around for my cigarettes, lighting one up the moment I grabbed hold of it. Over the flame, I saw the door fling open and my whole heart seized. The cigarette held between my teeth went limp as my lips parted. Skin glittering under the moonlight, unruly loose curls cascading down to her back and an oversized white T-shirt swathed over her small frame, she was a radiant beam in this bitterly cold night. Honestly, she looked as beautiful as the day I first met her. She hauled Lucas and Max in for a tight embrace, slipping her eyes to a close as they rocked side to side. Wordlessly, she rubbed Lucas' back, directing him towards Harrington who stood there with two cups of a steaming hot drink. The moment those green eyes, sparkling with relief and something else, locked onto mine, a flutter of warmth rose in the pits of my stomach.

I got out of the car, casting the cigarette aside. The flutters rose and rose, growing more intense the closer I got to her. I knew I was falling for her, but as she shone under the moonlight, something dawned on me. Jesus, I couldn't believe I was capable of feeling something other than the perpetual anger, the numbness I forced upon myself. Yet, as I picked her up and felt the softness of her lips against mine, the same sentence whirled around in my mind, like a bird freely riding a gentle breeze.

I was in fucking love.

The more the words sang in my head, the more my smile entwined with hers. I'd learn to survive this world, push past the recklessness, and I knew someone for the first time in so long would be there. I'd find my way towards redemption, not just in the eyes of others, but my own. I wasn't going to let the mask tear me apart from all this second shot at life. There was one thing this whole experience had taught me. I'd not been eaten by a demodog for a reason. Hell, I wasn't one for coincidences, but perhaps moving to this hicktown and meeting Sierra, Harrington and these nerdy-ass kids happened for a reason. Perhaps I had met them so it could trigger off some transformation. Maybe the universe was telling me, "People do give a shit. Don't let Him make you lose yourself". I didn't have to be alone. For once, there was someone making it crystal clear. Who knew it would take meeting a girl and uncovering a supernatural realm to make me realize something beyond this rut I'd gotten myself in? I pressed my forehead against Sierra's, breathing in the smell of sweat mingled with flowers.

"I seriously need a shower" she giggled.

"Same" I chuckled. Holding onto her, everything for the first time just felt…right. Everything felt right. "It's good to see you, Nightingale"

"It's pretty good to see you too, Hargrove" Sierra laughed and we stood there for a moment or so just smiling at one another, our eyes chained together through the sheer happiness that we were alive and here to welcome in a new beginning.

Suddenly, my head perked up to see a small woman with dark hair run out in an oversized shirt, a beaming smile on her lips. I put Sierra down and found myself with this woman's arms around me. They felt maternal, relieved. I'd seen her earlier on very briefly with that Byers kid. Despite the situation she found herself in, her kindness had shone in her tone with me in the quick interactions we'd had.

"Let's get you two indoors, alright?" she said, tenderly ushering Sierra and I towards the house. "We have hot cocoa, Hopper got some Chinese. You like Chinese, Billy? I can make you a sandwich if you don't?"

"No, no, Chinese is fine" I chuckled and placed my hand on the small of Sierra's back, greeting her smile with a toothy grin.

I never thought having Chinese takeout after defeating a monster in a stranger's home could be the most at home I'd ever feel, but as I'd recently learnt, Hawkins was a place of surprises. As we entered the house, Jonathan and Nancy gave me a warm smile. To add to all of the surprises, Hopper came over and heartily patted my back, handing Sierra and I one steaming box of noodles each.

"Get yourselves sat down" Hopper whispered, but before we could obey, he stopped me. There was something about the way his hard eyes glistened that caused a lodge in my throat. It felt like someone was telling me after a basketball game, "Thatta boy" in this proud voice. I'd never seen it before, let alone heard it. "You did good, son"

I bit my lower lip to stop it from trembling, but it was too late. Hopper had seen what yearned to break free from me and clasped his strong hand around my shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"Thanks" I said, a small smile on my lips. I wasn't usually shy, but I had no idea how to feel towards all of this.

Jesus, Sierra was right. I was loved.

Sierra and I chose a spot next to Max and Lucas, immediately tucking into our food. Fighting off a supernatural evil really worked up an appetite. As I surveyed the room, seeing everyone share a good laugh over their boxes of noodles, my leisurely inspection was met by two scared eyes that had seen - knew - too much.

Will Byers was staring at me.

This kid was what, the same age as Max? And yet as his fixated gaze told stories beyond his age. All my muscles subconsciously steeled themselves, becoming as rigid as a soldier getting ready for impact.

Will Byers knew something.

He wouldn't stop staring at me.

And for a minuscule second, I could have sworn I was staring at myself.


A/N: Well, over 30 chapters later and we've reached the end of Season 2! I didn't really anticipate how it would take this many chapters to build up to this part, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for a slow burn. Thank you for the latest review, favourites and follows and I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter :)