Teaser: Max has a bad encounter at the mall and it seems everyone wants to have a conversation with her, Mike takes small steps to start including Max in the party more, and the Wheeler's prepare for the Snowball.

AN: What's this, two chapters in a week? Wellllll I've been writing all my little scenes I had blocked out for this story, and some additional ones, and basically can't get myself to not include them so, it means an extra chapter...plus I will admit I was meant with that cliffhanger, so yeah... enjoy and let me know what you all think.

Trigger Warning: Please note this story depicts both physical and emotional child abuse, please read with caution.

Chapter Nine- Conversations.

"- well? Don't just stand there staring, answer me? Are you even listening?"

Silence.

"Maxine! Answer me no-"

"-Excuse me, Ma'am?" Robin interjected loudly over the shouting from the sideroom door. "Is there a problem here?" she inquired, moving closer to the store entrance, trying to diffuse what looked to be a very tense situation.

She had walked out the side room to hear loud and angry words being spoken, Robin only caught the tail end of what was said but she didn't like the look of it. Max stood completely still, back straight and tense, almost like a rabbit caught in headlights, while the angry woman seemed to be berating her, wobbling slightly on the spot.

"Everything is just fine," The woman slurred, "Whoever you are."

"Red? You alright?" Robin questioned as Max had yet to move, ignoring the woman's response entirely as she continued forwards by a few steps.

"I already told you it's fine! We were just talking," The woman barked with an edge to her voice, waving her hand in the air which caused Max to flinch on the spot.

"Pretty sure you were yelling, and generally people don't yell when things are 'fine'." Robin insisted, moving closer again.

"Stay out of things that aren't your business, I wasn't talking to you- see this is the problem Maxine, you are always dragging other people into things that are not their business. Neil was right to-" The woman ranted, taking a step closer to Max in the process.

Robin's eyes narrowed suspiciously after seeing Max flinch backwards from the woman's hand as she reached out as though to grab the redhead's arm.

-Suzzie, don't do this now, not here- it's not helping Neil, or you," A male voice warned, cutting off the woman's ranting and stopping her from reaching for Max.

Robin hadn't noticed the light brown haired man till now, he was standing further back in the mall court watching the interaction closely.

"I just want to have a conversation with my daughter!" the woman seethed eyes hardening as she stared towards Max, causing the redhead to shiver noticeably.

Robin's eyes widened at that revelation, feeling sympathy for the redhead who seemed to also draw the short straw when it came to mothers.

"Conversations aren't usually just one person yelling at the other," Robin commented.

"Are you deaf or just stupid? This has nothing to do with you, this is none of your business so back off!" The woman all but screamed in Robin's direction, the loudness of her voice causing Max to flinch back again, her back colliding with Robin's front.

Robin could smell the alcohol now, Max's mother was drunk, and angry.

"I'm making it my business," Robin replied, leaving no room for argument.

Max's mother glared at Robin in response before her eyes shifted back to Max again, turning angrier, "Neil was just trying to teach you manners, teach you how to stop being such a disappointment, he was trying to make you learn respect and responsibility and this is how you repay him? This is how you repay me? I am your mother Maxine, you will show me respect one way or another!"

As Max's mother moved to take another step closer with her hand raised high, Robin's arm instinctively wrapped around the smaller girl's stomach. She could feel Max's body trembling while pulling them both backwards and felt a need to protect the redhead.

From what she wasn't entirely sure but it didn't take genius to put things together right now.

Not when in just the last week she had learnt Max had been staying with the Wheeler's and that Steve had been concerned. Not when she had witnessed Billy Hardgrove being arrested at school not long before this and rumour had it his father had been arrested too. Not when Max seemed terrified of her own mother, who looked like she was about to hit her.

"Susan, you can't go in there- the restraining order," the man from earlier reminded, stepping forwards to take Max's mothers arm in his hand- stopping her from entering the store- stopping her from striking.

"You should listen to your friend," Robin said quickly, stopping the woman from being able to respond. "We're closed for cleaning, you can't come in- you need to leave, now. If you take another step I'll call security to have you escorted myself."

The woman, Susan, breathed heavily, eyes hard and cold still trained on Max, who continued to tremble pressed up against Robin.

"I suggest you listen to your friend," Robin pressed after a silence.

Susan almost growled before turning on her heel and stalking man who had been with her followed closely, not even sparing a glance back towards Robin and Max.

Robin watched them leave the mall court outside the entrance to the store, Max still pressed to her. She didn't remove her arm from the younger girl's waist until she was sure they had left and weren't going to be back anytime soon.

Max didn't move either, she was completely still bar small intakes of breath and trembling.

"Well she seems like a complete reverse of Mary Poppins," Robin said jokingly, trying to remove some of the tension, "Is that normal for your mom?" she inquired, "To be that, you know- Drunk? Angry? Shouty?" Robin asked further, not being able to stop herself from asking the questions in the back of her mind. "Wasn't sure if she was trying to grab you or hit you at one stage, and what was that about a restraining order?" Robin continued rambling.

Pausing for a moment Robin realised Max still wasn't moving.

She wasn't responding at all to Robin's questions or anything she had said.

Frowning, Robin released her hold from Max and stepped to the side, lifting a hand to the younger girl's shoulder to try and gain her attention. Robin's eyes widened as Max flinched in response, wide frightened tearful eyes turning towards her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Twenty minutes later Max was in no better shape.

She'd not said a single word, was still trembling and silently crying.

Robin thought that when people cried they usually made some sort of noise, generally people cried for attention and comfort. When someone was crying silently it was because they didn't know what else to do.

Robin had managed to get the younger girl to move behind the counter with her, but had managed very little else.

She'd tried everything she could think of to help but nothing seemed to be working.

She wasn't good at comforting people, it wasn't one of her strong suits, distraction was better, but nothing was distracting Max.

Not ice cream, not jokes, not silly dances- nothing.

Robin wasn't a hugger, but she had considered giving the redhead a hug, would have done too if it wasn't for the fact Max flinched from her hands whenever they got near her.

She had considered going to find Nancy and Steve in the store, had suggested it in fact, but had soon dropped that idea when Max had grabbed her sleeve with fearful eyes at the thought of being left alone. It gave Robin some relief knowing that Max at least wasn't entirely afraid of her even if she had flinched when touched.

Robin was relieved but also nervous when she saw Nancy and Steve nearing the store from the mall court- she knew this looked bad. Max was a shaking, silently crying mess. Face red and wet, eyes still fearful and mind barely responsive.

As Nancy and Steve entered, the words started tumbling from her mouth before she could stop herself, "I know how this looks, but I swear I didn't do anything- I was just putting the mops away then all of a sudden this drunk woman is at the entrance screaming and shouting- I didn't even realise it was her mother at first or know anything about any restraining orders, but this woman just kept going at Max and trying to grab her or something so I made her leave- and before you say anything I was going to come and get you but I didn't think leaving her alone was a good idea-" Robin begin, cringing as Max fled from the counter to Nancy, all but colliding into the girls chest,"-she's just really scared."

Robin was impressed by how quickly Nancy recovered from the shock, passing the bag of shopping off to Steve silently so she could wrap both arms around Max's trembling body. She watched as Nancy wrapped one arm around Max's side, pulling her in close while rubbing large circles into the girls trembling back with her other hand. She could see Nancy kiss the side of Max's head in between words of comfort that were too quiet for her to hear over her own pulsing heart rate.

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A knock on the door caught Max's attention, turning her head towards the door she noticed Robin leaning at the entrance of the room, holding two plates of cake, a fork on each plate.

Max gave a small half smile in greeting as Robin made her way into the room. She watched as Robin placed a plate on the bedside table closest to Max before turning to look around the room. After scanning the room Robin ended up standing next to a cabinet opposite the foot of the bed Max had been resting on.

Robin watched quietly, stabbing the fork into a piece of cake testinly as Max shifted around on the bed, moving herself into a sitting position.

"Nancy will be up soon," Robin said, voice quiet, feeling the tension still emitting around Max, "she just wanted to ask the chief about a few things, and I got the feeling it was a private conversation so offered to bring you cake- I was surprised she let me actually- you know after the car ride of awkwardness."

Nancy had asked Robin to come home with them from the mall after Max had calmed enough to release her hold on the older girl. Nancy had asked if she would mind giving a statement to the chief of police about what had happened, and even though Robin didn't fully understand all that was going on she could tell it was important so agreed instantly.

Robin had rambled constantly in the back seat. Talking awkwardly and animatedly about anything and everything she could think of. Asking endless questions about what had happened in between her rambles, until Nancy had snapped at her, calling her name in exasperation.

She wasn't loud when snapping.

In fact it was scarily quiet, but the message had been received loud and clear from her tone.

Nancy had apologised almost instantly. Robin wasn't sure if that was for her benefit or Max's after noticing the redhead had jumped at the tone. Nancy had agreed to try and answer Robin's questions once home, but explained that Max needed a quiet safe space at present.

"It was pretty awkward," Max agreed with a smirk.

"Ah, we have progress," Robin announced, at Max's confused look she continued, "you're talking to me again, was that even a smile I saw then before I came in?"

Max rolled her eyes in response to the teasing, "I wasn't not talking to you, not on purpose anyway."

Robin nodded in response, popping a piece of cake in her mouth and swallowing quickly, "So, that was an intense afternoon," she supplied, leaning back against a cabinet.

"Yeah," Max agreed, looking down to the bed to avoid eye contact. Suddenly feeling less at ease, as it seemed Robin wanted to talk about what had happened earlier.

More conversations.

"Is she normally like that? Your mom? Loud, drunk, and- well- angry?" Robin asked, probing for information. Max was aware Robin had tried to ask her this earlier in the ice-cream store, and again in the car ride back to the Wheeler's but she had been unable to answer at the time, stuck in her mind and panicking.

Max grimaced at that, one brief encounter and Robin had witnessed some of her mothers worst attributes as of late, "Recently, yeah," she admitted softly, "but, it's not all on her. I pissed her off." Max said with a shrug as she found herself defending her mothers actions still.

Though her voice didn't hold the same conviction it used to when defending her mother.

"What? How? By feeling intimidated due to the angry woman shouting at you and trying to slap you around?" Robin asked, a snark to her tone directed at the situation. She winced feeling bad when Max's wide worried eyes met her own in response, "It's not your fault red, any of this."

"Don't think my mom sees it that way," Max replied dejectedly.

"Well I suppose not, but she's the one at the end of a restraining order, not you," Robin reminded, her tone softer. "I don't know everything here red, so forgive me if I'm making assumptions, but I'm getting the feeling your home life has been pretty shitty which is why you are staying here with Nancy Wheeler of all people- who, from the look of this room is even more of a princess than I thought- like seriously, look!" Robin began, placing her plate on the cabinet in favour of grabbing a jewellery box and opening it to reveal a spinning figure as music played. "There's even a little ballerina in here!" she announced with an open mouthed grin.

Max smirked, trying to hide her laughter, "You have her completely wrong- she's a total badass." she insisted, her voice stronger in defence of Nancy that it had been for her mother.

"Oh, I'd believe that! I've received some frightening looks from her today, I thought she was going to rip my head off earlier on! Like seriously, if you hadn't been holding her back so tightly I would have been a dead woman walking!" Robin exclaimed with wide eyes as she placed the jewellery box back down on the cabinet, smiling with herself at drawing a laugh from Max as she picked up her plate of cake again.

It wasn't an entirely truthful description of events.

Max had been glued to Nancy shaking and crying, Robin had been rambling, and Nancy had likely been glaring, but Max wasn't sure of that. The idea of her being able to hold Nancy Wheeler back from doing what she wanted did amuse Max though- mainly due to how unlikely it actually was.

"Anyway- what I'm trying to say is I get the whole shitty family thing, to a degree at least," Robin revealed, gaining Max's attention. "My dad's long gone and doesn't give a damn, and my mom- she pretends I don't exist other than to remind me of my flaws when we see each other in passing," she rambled in explanation, before ploughing another spoonful of cake into her mouth. "Which, honestly? Totally sucks- not as bad as I'm feeling like your home life has sucked, but I get it, sort of- and if you ever want someone to talk to- my rambles, my snark, and myself are always available- but not to all of you strange dingus minions- just you, your not so bad, you're a natural at mop races, and your have great aim with the cream gun."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two days later, on Tuesday afternoon Max found herself in a similar position as this time Mike knocked on the bedroom door once home from school. Max could hear Nancy talking with Jonathan downstairs vaguely, and assumed school had only recently got out as Mike still had his school bag slung over his one shoulder.

She was still a little groggy having only recently woken up from a nap. She was still recovering, and her sleep was very broken up through the night by nightmares. For the most part she slept when she could, and no one so far had stopped her from doing so. Sleep came and seemed to stay a little longer than usual after taking painkillers, which she had needed often at first but less now.

She remembered Nancy trying to quietly climb off the bed from behind her, and remembered feeling a blanket being draped over her shoulders as Nancy had told her she wouldn't be long- had just wanted to talk with her mom about something. She must have been asleep when Nancy came back as there was a half drunk tea on the bedside cabinet and a book laying near Max that wasn't there before.

"Hey," Mike greeted, leaning against the doorway to his older sister's room, "we need to talk."

Brilliant she thought, more conversations.

Max frowned, quickly sitting up on the bed and moving to face Mike, wrapping the blanket around herself almost subconsciously. "If it's about the supercom, I'm working on getting the money together and will replace it soon, I just need something that isn't tape to fix my board back together so I can sell it." Max explained.

The supercom had come up in conversation a few days back when they had watched Ghostbusters together. Dustin has asked her why they never heard from Max on the Supercoms anymore and Max had admitted her device got smashed up when Billy caught her using it one night. She didn't mention the additional belting it had also earned her, though the shiver that had run down her back did prompt Nancy to squeeze her a little tighter at the time.

Mike had looked angry, and at first Max assumed that anger was directed at her as the supercom that had broken was his spare one that had been borrowed to her.

She had braced herself for harsh words from him, like the usual, that was until he loudly announced that Billy was an asshole.

"No, it's not that- wait, what? You don't have to sell your skateboard," Mike said, his face looking confused. "I don't expect you to replace it, you didn't break it," he continued.

Max looked at him for a moment before uttering, "I doubt Billy is going to replace it."

"Doesn't matter. You're not selling your stuff, alright? I value my life and Nancy is seriously protective over you, it's actually scary." Mike insisted.

Mike just happened to be walking past the bedroom when Nancy had broached the conversation they had started in the clothes store at the mall last night. He had listened in and been unable to stop his reaction of horror at the thought of having to sell his own toys and personal belongings just for clothes, for food.

His reaction had embarrassed Max at first, but it had also helped Nancy get the point across that things shouldn't have been that way. That they wouldn't be that way here, even if Max did have trouble reminding herself of that at times.

Like this morning, when Max had been nervous at the breakfast table, when she hadn't moved to get herself any food until after everyone else was eating.

Until after both Nancy and in turn Mike prompted her.

As silence fell over the room, Mike shifted uncomfortably before continuing, "I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow- the Snowball?"

"What about it?" Max questioned, with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you coming?" Mike asked simply.

"Do you want me to?" Max shot back just as simply.

Mike sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, "Well, yeah."

"Why?" Max asked, not expecting the answer.

"Because the whole party is going to be there," Mike answered, "and you're our zoomer."

Mike smiled, hopefully, as Max watched him with interest.

"I'll think about it."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Max was quiet as she sat on the stool in front of the mirror, her cheeks tinged pink while Nancy stood behind her, weaving her hair in a different way to how she usually wore it.

The room was silent around them.

Not an awkward silence, or even a nervous one, just comfortably quiet.

"Look at me a second," Nancy directed softly, inspecting her work in the mirror before placing a hand on Max's shoulder to indicate for her to turn around. She waited for Max to shuffle around on the stool, looking closely for a moment before smiling down at Max while squeezing her shoulder, "Wearing your hair like this really suits you Max. I think you are going to have a lot of dance requests tonight." Nancy complimented.

Max flushed under the attention, looking down at her lap, "Thank you," she muttered.

"I mean it," Nancy said softly, her hand moving to Max's cheek, "you look beautiful."

Max looked up swiftly at that, "You really think so?" she asked, eyes wide.

Her mother's, Neil's, and Billy's words rang in her ears.

' Try harder to fit in Maxine.'

'You're a girl for crying out loud, would it hurt you to try and act like one, look like one for a change?'

'I gave up wasting expensive pretty clothes on you a long time ago- all you do is ruin things.'

'It's like you're trying to look as ugly as possible.'

"Of course," Nancy replied, speaking over the memories flashing in Max's mind, "if anyone has told you differently in the past it says more about them than you." She continued, noticing the faraway look in Max's eyes. Nancy lowered herself to her haunches trying to catch Max's eyes, "Hey, look at me," she prompted, waiting for Max's eyes to find her own, the far away look fading as they did, "you are beautiful just the way you are. I will keep telling you that as many times as needed for you to believe it- it's part of what we dorky big sisters must do."

Max was quiet for a moment, hands moving to pick at one another. Nancy, seeing this, reached out to hold one hand, squeezing softly while still searching for Max's eyes that were bouncing around the room as her mind settled.

"You're good at that," Max said, quietly, her eye's finding Nancy's again, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Nancy hummed in response, her other hand coming to rest on one of Max's orange-jean covered knees. "I've had a bit of practice, and you make my job a lot easier than Mike does, that's for sure." she replied, giving Max's hand another squeeze before letting go so she could stand. "You ready?" Nancy asked, holding her hand out for Max to take.

Max nodded, pulling herself to stand with Nancy's help, she hesitated for only a moment before leaning into Nancy's front and wrapping her arms around the older girl initiating a hug. She felt comfortable and warm when Nancy's arms wrapped around her in return, a soft pressure on her back that made her feel secure enough to forget the frightening thoughts and memories that often plagued her mind, even if just for a moment.

"Are you excited for tonight?" Nancy questioned after feeling Max take a deep breath, earning a small nod from Max in response to her question after some time. "Do me a favour at the dance" she started, pulling back from Max to rest her hands on top of the redheads shoulders before continuing, "be yourself and have some fun, okay?"

Max nodded with a small smile in return before following Nancy out the room and towards the stairs. She could hear talking as they descended the staircase and once halfway down could see Mike was standing to the side, a grumpy expression on his face as his mother took his photograph with a polaroid camera.

"Oh my god, your hair!" Mike exclaimed upon seeing Max.

"Michael!" Karen abolished quickly, at the same time as Nancy glared in Mike's direction.

"I wasn't saying it to be a dick-" Mike began.

"Language," Ted cut in quickly, not as loudly as usual.

"-it's just you actually look like a girl," Mike finished sheepishly.

Nancy's glare hardened in intensity, but it was Max that spoke.

"I am a girl, moron."

AN: Thank you to everyone who is reading, please do let me know what you think :)