Look at that, another new chapter!

Alright, this one deals with apologies. Said apologies do not come with instant forgiveness, because the things being apologized for aren't little things to write off. I'm of the firm opinion that (as the title of this chapter suggests) forgiveness isn't required in the event of an "I'm sorry"; it's something that has to be earned. Also, acceptance does NOT equal forgiveness.

The bulk of this chapter deals with Veronica, Dustin, and their dad. Yes, Robert Henderson is a dick. It's a well-established fact. Allison was someone who surprised me, as I've mentioned her but never really got into detail with her. She kind of ended up writing herself, and dare I say, I like what came out? Anyway, apologies are given, shouting happens, be prepared for dickish commentary. Screw Steve's whole "I'm a shitty boyfriend" line, he's a goddamn angel and we're all happy he's here. Jonathan and Nancy for the friendship win, and Dustin is a cinnamon roll who deserves all the chocolate pudding.

The last little chunk? Well, it turns out Billy's ready to start changing. Or, at least talk about it. Again, apologies are given and accepted, but he isn't forgiven. Billy Hargrove? Is aware he's been terrible. Lucas Sinclair? King. Literally the baddest. I love that dude so much.

As always, I only own my OC.

Reminder: Dustin's birthday is 01/21. Robert Henderson never called. It's been over a month.

Saturday, February 23

I sigh as I climb out of the car, carefully closing the door despite my mood. Staring ahead at the colonial home, I only shake my head, taking in the immaculately-mowed front lawn and the white pillars decorating the exterior of the overwhelming house.

"Did they renovate?" Dustin asks from beside me.

I snort. "Well, it's been a few years. They probably did." I glance up down at him - thankful for heels - and wrap my arm around his shoulders. My heart fills with worry. Dustin asked to come with us when I told our mom I was planning on visiting dad as soon as possible. I'd given him outs all week. He shoved me aside so he could call shotgun when we left Hawkins this morning. Nearly three hours later, I'm still not feeling great about letting him come along to Plainfield.

Extra footsteps come up behind us, and a large hand wraps around my free one. "You sure about this?"

I hum. "No. Dusty?" I can feel my brother shake his head. "The kid's spoken, Steven."

"We're here, Ver." Jonathan pipes up.

"I brought my gun." Nancy adds, and we all turn to look back at her. She rolls her eyes. "Kidding. I was kidding."

Laughing, I refocus on the house before us. "Alright. This'll be fun." Dustin scoffs, but walks with me to the front door all the same. After a few moments of silence, I finally ring the bell. We only wait a few moments before the door opens. I try for a smile, but it's more of a grimace. "Hi, dad."

After a tense minute, my dad clears his throat. He looks us all over, pausing at Jonathan. "Oh. It's good to see you, son. How's your brother?"

"Uh, good. He's good, Mr. Henderson." Jonathan awkwardly answers.

Dad laughs. "I've known you since you were in diapers. It's Robert."

"Good to know. Can we come in, Robert?" Dustin bites out. I squeeze his hand, but my lips twitch with amusement.

Dad squirms. "Right. Of course. Hi, buddy. It's good to see you." Dustin doesn't respond, and our dad stands to the side. We all walk in, and he shows us where to hang our coats and store our shoes so we don't track slush all over the floor.

When we finish, dad smiles over at Nancy. "It's nice to see you again, Nancy."

"You, two, sir. Robert." She corrects, shaking his hand with a smile, but her eyes are sharp. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Dad smiles. It fades when Dustin scoffs, but no scathing words follow. I redirect our dad, standing beside Steve and smiling. "I'm not sure if you met, uh, last time, but this is Steve."

Steve smiles charmingly, holding out his hand with practiced ease. "Steve Harrington, sir."

"Harrington." Dad frowns, putting his hands in the pockets of his slacks. "Your father wouldn't happen to be John Harrington, would he?"

Steve winces, shooting me a worried glance. I try to tell him with my eyes that it doesn't matter. "Yes, sir."

"How do you know my daughter?"

I clear my throat. "He's my -"

"Friend. I'm her friend." Steve interrupts, and I gape at him.

Dad relaxes, though, but he doesn't look any less irritated by my boyfriend. "Good. Well, why don't we go to the living room? I know Allison's excited to see you two, and meet all of your friends." Dad side-eyes Steve, who's moved to stand next to my confused little brother. Nancy and Jonathan both shrug at me as they quickly follow my father, and I grab Steve's wrist as we walk through the large house.

"What the hell?" I hiss, and Steve gives me a sad smile.

"Your dad clearly hates mine. Today's hard enough for you and Dustin as it is."

I shake my head and take his hand, kissing his knuckles. "I don't care."

"You can introduce me to him for real later, I promise. I'm sorry, I love you."

"I love you, too. Stop being so selfless, it makes you too attractive for your own good." I'm only half-joking as I say it. We put some distance between us when we turn towards the living room, and I catch up with Dustin. Jonathan's earned the Lifetime Best Friend award by actually holding a conversation with my dad to distract him from noticing my absence. Nancy's hand brushes mine as I pass her, and my shoulders relax slightly. It only lasts a breath, because all too soon we're in the overwhelmingly large living room. It rivals Steve's in size.

Allison stands in the center, hands resting comfortably on her bump. It's accentuated by her pink flower-print dress. This is the softest I've ever seen her look, so used to her tight pencil skirts and her sharp shoulder pad blazers. She's even barefoot. The fireplace roars behind her, backlighting my step-mother like she's some sort of Hollywood star.

We all stand in awkward silence, until I exhale. Attempting a smile, I glance around the room. The space itself is different, the black leather furniture replaced with cream-colored armchairs and couches. They've even added a few loveseats, all positioned by the doors leading to the patio. Seriously, who do my dad and Allison think they are? "I see you redecorated. It looks nice."

"It's tacky." Dustin whispers beside me, and I nudge him, sending my brother a wink of agreement.

Allison doesn't catch it. "Oh, thank you. It's good to see you two, it's been so long!" She coos.

I smile again. "Yeah, it has. You look beautiful." I gesture to her bump, and she laughs.

"Some mornings, I wake up thinking I look like a whale. You're very kind to say otherwise." I can feel Nancy bristling beside me, and discreetly shake my head at her.

It's Jonathan I should have focused on, though. "Well, you can trust Ver when she says it. She's an honest person."

My dad's face sours, but Allison steps in before he can react. "Robert, why don't you bring us all some water? And some snacks?" Allison turns to us all and smiles. "I swear I'm going to eat us out of home." My dad reluctantly leaves, and my step-mother hums. "Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me. I'm Allison Henderson. You must be Jonathan, right? I've seen a picture of you and Veronica before." She greets Jonathan, who politely shakes her hand. "All I knew was that Veronica and Dustin were visiting, but Robert didn't catch the names of our other guests. I swear, that man could lose his own head if it wasn't attached to his head!" She jokes, and Dustin snorts sarcastically, earning a subtle kick from Steve.

"I'm Nancy. Veronica's other best friend." Nancy introduces herself. "I love that dress."

"Oh, thank you, dear." Allison shakes her hand, then glances over to Steve. "And who's this handsome young man?"

"Steve Harrington. John Harrington's son." My dad cuts in before my boyfriend can introduce himself. He sets down a tray of stacked glasses, a jug of ice water, and bowls of snacks on the large coffee table. Allison happily grabs the bowl of Cheez Balls as well as a napkin, carefully sitting on one of the couches. Dad dutifully pours her some water, and then fills the rest of the glasses. Steve has to pour his own, giving me a look when I'm gearing up to explode at my dad. Dustin nearly blows, but calms down as soon as our dad presents him with a spoon and container of chocolate pudding.

"That's still your favorite, right? Allison reminded me when we were shopping." Dad asks.

Dustin hums and nods, a small smile on his face. "Yeah. Thanks, uh, dad."

"Of course, kiddo. Here, darling," dad turns to me, holding out a few rolls of Smarties, "I assume you're still addicted."

"Awesome, thanks!" I might be a little too forceful with my cheer, but the sight of my favorite candy does make me happy.

Dad looks pleased, too, because he's lighter when he joins his wife on the couch. His grin brightens when Jonathan sits next to me, Dustin on my other side. Nancy and Steve choose armchairs opposite to each other, my boyfriend's focus on his glass of water. I take a sip from my own cup, then lick my lips. "So. Five months?" I ask.

"Yes." Allison smiles. "They'll practically be a summer baby!"

"You know," Dustin says through a mouthful of pudding, "that means they won't be able to celebrate their birthday at school. Bet their classmates are gonna be fucking pissed they're getting jipped out of free cupcakes."

"Dustin!" Our dad scolds, and I cough out some water. Jonathan pats my back, and I notice Nancy hiding her own giggles behind her hand. Steve looks proud, and he winks over at my brother. "Don't talk with your mouth full. And watch your language. I hope you didn't learn that from your mother." This makes me glower at my dad. Really? He thinks he can say anything about mom's parenting, or even try and discipline Dustin?

"Five months." I laugh, getting everyone's attention. "Five months?"

Dad exhales, and Allison takes his hand. "I know. I just wanted to respect your wishes. You said you'd contact me, when you were ready."

"Mom didn't ask you for radio silence, though." Dustin cuts in, frowning at our dad. "I didn't, either. I never have. Probably because I don't know you."

"Dustin -"

"Dad." My little brother interrupts. "You left us when I was eight. I can count the number of times on both hands that Leia and I've seen you since."

Our father straightens. "Well, we can always change that. There's plenty to do around Plainfield that a thirteen-year-old would enjoy."

"Fourteen." I growl, glaring at our dad. "He's fourteen. Since January 21st." His eyes widen, filling with guilt. "You told us Allison's pregnant five days before his birthday, and you didn't have the fucking decency to remember the day your son was born?"

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry, kiddo. It's just, everything's been so stressful, especially with a baby on the way. Plus, there's so many deals going on. You should have called, and reminded -"

"I shouldn't have to tell you when my birthday is, dad." Dustin huffs, and I wrap an arm around his shoulders as we both glare over at our father.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Dad exhales. My brother just takes another bite of his pudding. Irritation still shines in his blue eyes, but his body is relaxed. It's a resigned acceptance of the fact our dad will never be the man we want him to be. He clears his throat and glances over at Nancy, a small smile on his face. "So, how are you parents doing? We didn't really catch up at the hospital, and I might've forgotten. It was a difficult time. I try not to remember." Allison strokes his arm lovingly, and Nancy bristles. It's Jonathan who shakes his head at her this time, and she attempts to relax. Still, her voice is tight when she responds.

"Of course. Totally understandable. They're good. Dad got a promotion recently. Not much else has been going on. Mom's fine, Mike and Holly are good. Yeah."

Dad nods, then his focus shifts to Jonathan. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot to ask - how's Will doing? Lonnie didn't have much to say last time I saw him."

"He wouldn't." Jonathan shrugs. "Will's good. It was a hard year, but he's a strong kid. He pulled through. Like your kids have."

Dad grins at Dustin and I. "Yeah, they're some tough ones." His eyes flick over to mine. "I'm glad you called. I've missed you, Veronica."

I clear my throat, nodding. "Me, too."

Another awkward silence falls over us, and I look at my glass. "You wouldn't believe the year we've had." Dad finally speaks up. I tense, free hand clenching so tight my nails bite my palms. "Allison got me connected with some brilliant advertisers. Really brought in more business, enough that we've been able to expand into Indianapolis. It's a smaller dealership, we're still little fish in a big pond, but we've gotten some traction there. How about you two? And you both, as well?" Dad asks us, excluding Steve from the conversation.

"Oh, they've all been great." My boyfriend's glaring at my dad. We all freeze. "You wouldn't believe the year they had, either."

"I don't think I like your tone, Mr. Harrington." My dad glowers, Allison frowning at her husband.

Steve shrugs, charming aura long gone. The anger in his eyes could scare the Mind Flayer away, and he's practically vibrating with rage. "No offense, Mr. Henderson, but I really don't care. What kind of dad brags about their business booming after all the shit he's put his kids through? Your apologies aren't cutting it, and I'm speaking as a reformed douchebag." Dustin giggles under his breath. "Did you even check up on Veronica? Like, call Claudia and ask how your daughter was doing? Or your son?" My dad's silence speaks volumes. "Was it too difficult for you?"

"Of course it was!" My father snaps. "My daughter was missing for four days. I thought she'd died." He stands up and points accusatively at my boyfriend. "I took the high road letting the son of John Harrington in here. I shoulda' kicked you out the minute you said your name. Your old man was always a pompous dick, too. Always stuck his nose where it didn't belong, always acted like he was above it all. Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Steve stays seated, carelessly holding onto his glass. Allison clears her throat, trying to get her husband's attention. "Honey, I'm sure Steve -"

"No, Allison. He's just like his old man." Dad shakes his head.

Steve hums. "Yeah. My dad sucks. I'd know better than anyone. Actually, you're kind of similar." Before dad can gear up for a response, Steve continues. "Both of you are cheaters, both of you know more about your business than your own children." He narrows his eyes. "Maybe you should get together, there's a lot you could bond over. Because while you were trying to forget what happened," Steve nods over to me and Dustin, eyes softening and filling with a love so pure I fall for him all over again, "they've all had to live with it everyday. And you know what? They came out of it stronger. We all did. Nancy and Roni lost their best friend, but they didn't stop moving forward. They kept her memory alive, and it's because of Nance that Barb's parents have peace of mind. Jonathan," Steve grins at my oldest friend, "was just as big a help. He almost lost his little brother, but he held onto hope and he didn't give in to his grief. And your kids? Well, Dustin -" Steve laughs, "Dustin won his school's science fair. I'll never be able to explain it to you, but he's the smartest person I've ever met. He's also one of the strongest. He's too young to be dealing with all the shit that's been thrown at him, but he never gives up. I'm proud to be his friend, and jealous I'll never be half as determined as your son is." Steve exhales shakily, smiling at me. I bite my lip, holding Dustin's hand tight. "I don't even know where to start with Roni. She fought her way out of hell. She got through the nightmares and PTSD like a goddamn warrior. She's smart, and funny. She lights up every room she walks into just by existing. I'm lucky I even get to be in her presence." Steve clears his throat, glowering back up at my shell-shocked dad. "So your whole 'it was too hard to remember' bullshit ain't cutting it. Not when the people who experienced everything first hand have acknowledged it and persevered despite it."

"Nice use of a SAT word." Nancy compliments.

"Thanks." Steve doesn't look away from my dad. "But congratulations on your success."

Dad rouses himself from his stupor. "How dare you talk to me like that in my own home." He looks down at me and Dustin, taking in our shocked expressions. "I can't believe your mom lets you hang out with a boy like that."

We snap out of our surprise fairly quickly after that.

"He's my friend!"

"Don't talk about my boyfriend like that!" Dustin and I shout over each other.

The room grows silent, save for the roaring fire. Nancy is tense, poised to leap like the most protective of lionesses, glowering between my father and step-mother with enough intensity to set them on fire. Jonathan's fists are clenched, his lip bitten raw. Allison looks lost, unsure what to do - should she step in? No. No, she shouldn't.

Finally, my dad explodes. "You're dating a Harrington?"

"Well, you weren't around to let me know that was a problem!" I shout back, standing up. "And it shouldn't be, anyway, Steve's not his father! You're just mad because he called you out on your shit! Why couldn't you at least call and check on them, you owed us that much!"

"I'm your father. I've known the Harringtons longer than you have. His father is a snake, his mother's drinking herself to death, everyone who's ever met her knows that -"

"Shut up!" I shout, slamming my glass on the table and standing up. Nancy and Jonathan join me, Dustin hovering behind the former. "You're no saint compared to them, so stop acting like you are. God, you're a terrible person!" I scoff out. "All you do is make excuses, and when you apologize we know you don't really mean it. All you do is make excuses, it's never your fault. How do you live with yourself?"

"Vera." Nancy whispers, taking my hand as I swallow my sobs.

Nevertheless, I go on, my best girl friend an anchor. "How do either of you live with yourselves?" I glance over at a tear-eyed Allison, who cradles her stomach, and my attention returns to my dad. His face is as red as a ripe tomato. "You don't get to fuck up our lives, and then go off and have a happy ending! Is that what you think you deserve? You think you get to have it easy, because fucked your way into loving each other? Calling to give us the news was the least changing option for you. It was a breeze. All you had to do was tell mom Allison's expecting, let her know how long she's been pregnant, and then hang up." I shrugged, talking around a sob. "You couldn't just talk to mom face-to-face? What, were you afraid it'd be too much? That it'd be too hard?" I laugh as I cry, wiping my eyes. "Of course you were. You're a coward."

Dad growls, eyeing Steve. "I see that son of a bitch has been a wonderful influence on you."

"Robert!" Allison shouts, before I can respond. My dad blinks down at her, startled. "Enough." She looks up at Steve, frowning. "My husband was out of line. I apologize."

"Sweetheart, I don't want you getting worked up." Dad tries, but he's silenced by Allison's glare.

"I'm not. I'm perfectly calm. Why shouldn't I be? They're right, about everything. You don't know your own children. What we did is unforgivable, and there aren't enough apologies in the world to make it right." Allison stands up, slapping at her husband's hands as he tries to assist. She focuses her attention on me and Dustin. "Your father and I love each other, and I don't regret that. What I do regret, and will forever regret, is what we did to you and your mother. None of you deserved the pain we put you through. We've spent too long pretending everything's alright, but it's not. We shouldn't have just called, and we shouldn't have waited so long. We were scared. Be honest, Robert, we both were terrified." She urges my dad.

He shakes his head and glares at Steve, and it grows when I walk over to hold my boyfriend's hand. "Veronica, I'm telling you, being with him is a mistake."

I exhale. "No. You don't get to comment on the guys I choose to date. That ship fucking sailed." I hold up my free hand to stop his retort. "Listen to Allison, and what all of us have said. You don't know me, not anymore. You don't know Dustin. And you definitely don't know Steve. Not like we do. See, he's nothing like his parents. He looks like them, but he's so different, especially now that he lets himself be." I clear my throat. "I know he loves me just as much as I love him, which is more than any mathematician can calculate. I know he respects me. I know mom more than approves. I know Dustin loves him. I know Steve'll never do to me what you did to mom." I give my dad a sad little smile. "I'm never going to walk in on him fucking another woman, because he's an honest man. If he ever falls out of love with me, he'll tell me. He won't lie until he's caught. And years down the line, if we end up married and we've got kids of our own, he's going to be there for us. No matter what." I glance over at Allison. "Thank you. You're right. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to forgive you two for what you did. I've accepted it happened, but that's not the same thing. And it's wrong of you," I blink over at my dad, who's frozen once again, "to keep making excuses. You're the adult, here, you should know better." I hold out my hand for Dustin, and he steps around Jonathan to take it, Nancy coming to stand with her boyfriend, as close to us as possible. "But all of this doesn't mean I ever stopped loving you, dad."

"That we ever stopped." Dustin adds, our father inhaling sharply.

"I still wear your jacket. And your purple heart is on display in my room." I tell him. "I want you to be a part of my life, but only if you're willing to try harder. If you can't face any of the challenges that come with growing past what you both did, you have to let us know. Dustin and I won't like it, we'll be disappointed, but we'll respect your decision all the same because you were honest about it. But if you accept, that means you have to try. We all will." I shrug and release my boyfriend and brother, walking over to my dad and Allison. "I am happy for you." I tell Allison, who smiles tearfully in response. "And I'm going to love my half-sibling."

"Shit, I will, too!" Dustin announces. Nancy scolds him, but we all break into laughs.

"Yeah." I sober up. "Dustin will, too. And we all know mom's incapable of hating anyone." Dad nods in response, gaze downcast. "So no matter what you decide, here's what's going to happen." I stand in front of my father. When he finally looks me in the eyes, I harden my own stare. "From the minute your child is born, you're gonna be present in their life. The whole damn time. Even if you do to Allison what you both did to mom. That child will know their father. They will get to experience the life Dustin and I will never get to have with you. Consider this your only warning. Because if you run - if you pull the same shit you did on us - I will find you. That's my promise to you." I exhale. "Which means I'm also going to be a part of their life, as will Dustin. We won't let you do to them what you did to us."

"That's fair." My dad agrees, tone the most subdued I've ever heard it. I look back at Dustin and our friends, flushing at all the pride and love they're directing towards me.

My brother walks over, joining me in front of our dad and step-mother. "Yeah. What Leia said."

"I'm so sorry I forgot your birthday." Dad puts a hand on his shoulder. "It will never happen again. You're my son, and I love you. I'll work harder than I ever have before to prove it. To both of you." Dad's free hand hesitates, until I step forward and let his hand fall on my own shoulder. "I'm so proud of both of you. I won't miss anything else. I don't care how hard the road's going to be. I promise."

I'm the first to pull my dad into a hug, Dustin quickly joining. Our father holds us tight, shaking with tearless sobs as he murmurs loving remarks and promises backed with a strong tone of voice. As Dustin soaks up the attention, I step out of the embrace to offer one to Allison. After a few moments, she accepts with a sorrowful laugh, her bump the least awkward thing about it. Still, our hug doesn't feel wrong. We even relax into it, and when we break apart, she guides my hands to her stomach. I hold my limbs there, gasping when something bumps against my right palm.

Allison grins. "I think they like you."

"What's not to like?" Nancy poses, sending me a wink when I turn around. "They're going to have the best sister around." Jonathan nods in agreement, Dustin giving his own verbal confirmations while Steve stares at me, hazel eyes full of wondrous love.

The rest of our time in Plainfield passes in a more relaxed fashion. It's still awkward, but the yelling stopped. It's replaced with laughter as Jonathan tells a story about the time I dragged him into the woods and we both ended up terrified by a squirrel. Rather than words of frustration, praise is given as Dustin talks about everything, from his grades in science to his latest campaign. Nancy and I talk about going to the range, my dad giving her tips about the pistol she's been struggling with. I even invite him to visit us when we're practicing, and he agrees with a pleased little grin.

Still, my dad doesn't look at Steve. Steve doesn't speak to him, choosing to converse with Allison instead. He offers the name of his mom's favorite interior designer, and when my step-mother asks to hear how we got together, my boyfriend blushes but happily answers all the same. I watch his words pique my dad's interest, but his focus stays on Dustin as my brother complains about the girls at his school. Nancy backs him up, waving my dad off when he thanks her for stepping in and dancing with his son at the Snow Ball. Jonathan even joins in on the fun, sharing that he shook the camera while taking photos of the girls who rejected my brother, causing their pictures to come out awkward and blurry.

Eventually, it's time to go. Dustin hugs our dad once more before going over to Allison, talking to her bump. Our step-mother giggles, thanking my brother for whatever he said and happily accepting the hug, even letting him touch her stomach and bond with his unborn half-sibling. She offers one to Nancy and Jonathan as well, my dad shaking the latter's hand. "Your father's a dick. I'm proud of you, though. Thanks for taking care of my kids, especially Veronica."

"We take care of each other." Is Jonathan's response, and he briefly hugs Allison before escorting a hyper Dustin to the Beemer - dad had given my brother three more chocolate puddings, so it's gonna be a fun drive back.

Nancy hugs Allison and shakes my dad's hand, thanking him for the tips before joining her boyfriend and Dustin. She hugs me on her way, whispering, "I'm so proud of you. Barb would be, too."

Finally, it's just me and Steve. I refuse to let go of my boyfriend's hand, squeezing tightly when dad gazes at him. It's tense again, and I wouldn't blame Steve if he decided to sock my father in the face. He earned it, with all the shit he was saying earlier. He's lucky I didn't bring my bow. "You really love my daughter?" Dad asks.

Steve nods, a smile overtaking his face. "More than I ever thought was possible."

"You know, your father screwed me out of a big deal. He made promises he never intended to keep." My dad exhales, laughing to himself. "Of course, I did, too. You definitely look like your old man, but I'm hoping my daughter's right and you're nothing like him. For both of your sakes." He holds out his hand, the other tucked casually in the back pocket of his pants. "I'm sorry for the things I said, and I'm looking forward to getting to know the kind of man you are. "

Steve glances at me, eyes soft. "Me, too." He accepts the hand shake, then hugs Allison. I grin as he pecks my cheek before walking to his car.

It's just me, my dad, and step-mother now. I chuckle awkwardly, shifting my weight. "So. Sorry, about all the shouting."

Dad shakes his head. "No. No, it was deserved. And long overdue. I'm going to keep my promises, this time. And I really am proud of you."

"Thanks, dad." I pull him into a hug. "Call us. Whenever."

"I will. Of course I will. I love you, darling."

"I love you, too." Stepping back, I hug Allison. She pats my back, then places one of my hands back on her bump, just as she'd done earlier. The baby kicks, and I tap back. "I'd like to be there when they're born. I know it's a ways away, but -"

"Of course." Allison smiles. "I'd like that." She clears her throat. "We should do dinner sometime. It's more than okay if she declines, but I'd like to see your mother. Robert and I have a lot to make up for, no matter how hard it'll be."

They do. But I'm looking forward to it.

"I'll talk to her." I promise. "I'll see you three soon." I wave and practically leap off the porch, hurrying to steal the passenger seat from Dustin. I'm pretty sure he just lets me, climbing into the back without fussing.

"Drive safe!"

"We'll call!" Allison and dad shout, and I wave once more as Steve drives away.

When we turn onto the main road out of Plainfield, my boyfriend clears his throat. "So, you've thought about marrying me?"

The others laugh as I groan, hiding behind my hands as they tease me the rest of the drive.

Monday, February 25

3rd Person POV (Billy's)...

Billy inhales as he leans against the hood of his car, eyes trained on Hawkins Middle School. The runts all hurry out, some of them shoving themselves onto buses while the others rush to their parents cars or hop onto their bikes. He would've just stayed in the High School parking lot, but he couldn't breathe. Partly because of Vicki and Nicole and their overwhelmingly sweet perfume, partly because of the bruised ribs he earned the night before when he broke a plate. Apparently it was Susan's favorite, but she didn't seem all that torn up about it. She had the nerve to cry when her husband wailed on his son, but did nothing to stop him. Billy guesses her conscience was soothed by the fact Max wasn't around to see it, having been allowed a night at the arcade for some bullshit math grade.

Billy hisses around his cigarette, exhaling and flicking the butt away. He crosses his arms and waits, patience rewarded when Max and her little boyfriend step outside, flanked by their friends. While some of him is a little proud of how startled they were, the rest of him - the part of him his dad couldn't beat out, the part of him that's his mother - sags. Max skates over, frowning.

"You never meet me." Is the first thing that comes out of her mouth.

Before he can respond, another car pulls up, several spaces away. Harrington and Veronica step out, King Steve watching him as Queen V goes over to her brother, trying to drag him away. "I'd like to talk to Lucas." Billy says, not looking away from his ex and his step-sister's little friends.

"Billy -"

"Not to hurt him. Or threaten him. You can be here the whole time." Their matching blue eyes connect. "Go ask him, if he wants to."

Max shakes her head but skates back to her boyfriend. The group huddles together, with Lucas eventually shoving the others away. He looks to Veronica, though, as does Max, and Billy watches with what he knows is a wistful smile as the trio walks back towards him.

"You wanted to talk, Hargrove?" Lucas questions, keeping his distance. Smart kid.

"Yeah. I did."

Lucas hums, and Billy spares a look at Veronica. She narrows her eyes, and they flit towards her boyfriend. She shakes her head, and Billy finds himself relaxing once more. He's doing his best here, but he knows better than anyone just how quick he responds to a threat. He's trying here, okay? It's been a rough few years.

Stop it, Billy. No more excuses. Be a fuckin' man. Make your mom proud.

"Well?" Lucas asks, bringing Billy back to reality.

"I wanted to apologize." The trio freeze, all of their expressions different. Max is surprised, eyes blown wide. Lucas is unsure, eyes screaming "It's a trap!". Veronica's eyes are shining with a cautious pride, and all he can remember is every moment she smiled at him. "How I treated you wasn't right. It was embarrassingly wrong, and cruel, and terrifying. You know," Billy huffs, "an amazing girl once told me a person's worth in life has no correlation with the color of their skin. She's right. And there was a time when I knew that, too. When I wasn't a monster. And then I let myself become one." Billy gazes at Max for a breath before staring Lucas Sinclair in the eyes once more. "I thought the only way I could survive is by becoming him. I lost myself. I'm going to work on that. So for now, I'm sorry. What I did was wrong, how I treated you was wrong. You don't have to forgive me, and you don't have to trust me." Billy inhales, licking his lips. "I know I'm not in any position to ask favors, but this isn't for me, this is for Max - don't come over. You can bring her to your place, or any of your friends', but not to Cherry Lane."

"Why not?" Lucas asks accusingly, and Max inhales. Her eyes go wide again, and Billy nods, knowing she finally understands.

He shrugs at the shorter boy. "Let's just say, Maxine and I live with a bigger monster. And he doesn't make a habit of bettering himself." And there's that look of realization. "On days he's out of town, you can come over. I'll happily be lookout, it's the least I can do. When you're comfortable with it, I'll drive you places, too, just nowhere near Cherry Lane unless it's safe. And in the meantime, I'm gonna work on myself. I'm going to unlearn everything that was drilled into me, or die trying."

"This isn't to get back together with Veronica, right?" Lucas checks. "Because if it is, fuck you."

Billy can't help the snort that escapes. "No. It's not. I know that's long gone." Veronica nods when her brother's friend checks, and the Sinclair boy huffs.

"Fine. You get one chance. I'm not promising shit, though. Maybe you can unlearn your bout of racism, but you still almost killed Steve, and me, Mike, and Dustin - and you're a dick to Max. I'm not holding my breath."

With that, Lucas bravely pecks Max on the lips and strolls away, head held high. Billy hums, impressed, then blinks down at his step-sister. She watches him with an unreadable expression, and he does his best to hide his nervousness. "You're breathing weird." Is all the little redhead says, and then she climbs into the car. Leaving Billy on his own.

With Veronica.

And Steve Harrington, glaring in the near distance.

"How did I do?" Billy finally asks his ex.

She raises her eyebrows, crossing her arms. "Pretty good, not gonna lie. But you're a good talker."

"Yeah." Billy agrees. "Not so good on the follow-through, huh, Ice Queen?"

Veronica hums. "I haven't been the 'Ice Queen' for a while" Then she shrugs. "I guess we'll find out. I want you to remember something, though -"

"You've got a bow. I still have to apologize to your brother, the nerds, and Harrington. I know." Billy interrupts, shoulders slumping as he slouches onto the hood of his car.

"Not just that." He blinks up at his ex. "If you keep acting like him, Neil wins. Remember, you are capable of being better than the monster you believe you are destined to become. It all depends on the kind of person you choose to be." A gentle hand pats his shoulder. "I'm just really hoping you decide to be good." Then Veronica glances down at his torso, frowning. "Also, Max is right, you're breathing weird."

"I broke a plate." Billy briefly explains, the cogs in his mind replaying her words. "I'm alright. Just bruised." Then he sighs, and glances over to where Dustin has now joined Harrington. "I think your boys are waiting for you."

Veronica rolls her eyes, lips twisting into a small smile. "Be good, California."

"I'll do my best, Jett." With that, she walks away. He watches her ruffle her brother's hair and kiss King Steve before climbing into his Beemer. As soon as they've driven out of sight, Billy shakes his head and gets behind the wheel. Max stares at him, and he exhales. "Do you want to stop for a snack? I know a place that makes a mean hot chocolate."

Max holds her breath, then nods. It loosens something in Billy's chest. "Yeah. I'd like that, Billy."

"Alright, Maxine." He smiles as she groans.

Yeah, he's got a lot to make up for. If he's lucky, he'll earn some forgiveness. For now, he'll settle on making his mother proud, wherever she is.

To anyone who may be thinking "Why were Jonathan and Nancy there?" Because they're part of Veronica's support system, and while they may not have been involved as much verbally, their presence is really what our Ice Queen needed.

Don't mistake them getting along with their dad and step-mother as Veronica and Dustin forgiving them, they haven't. Hopefully I was clear on that. And I also hope I didn't put too much of the blame on Robert or Allison, and found a balance as they both willingly had the affair, knowing Robert was still married to Claudia despite no longer loving her. Also, the long: long-standing rivalry between Robert Henderson and John Harrington? Totally not planned, but I enjoyed writing it. I also really enjoyed Steve's speech to Robert, and Veronica's too. She totally doodles "Veronica Leigh Harrington" all over her notes.

I hope I handled the Billy section alright. How he treated the kids - especially the way he treated Lucas - isn't something that should ever be easily forgiven. It also didn't seem right to have Billy apologize just because Veronica told him too - with him being so connected to his mom, I figured that would be a more compelling reason why he's finally decided to try being a decent fucking person.