A/N: This was one of my favourite scenes to write. I hope you guys enjoy it.

Chapter Seventeen

I passed the probation period, at least it seemed so. Officers Powell and Callahan, who I learned was Beth Callahan's brother, were hilarious. They seemed to play off together and everyone seemed to tease each other good-naturedly. Flo was the mother of the group and I watched her take cigarettes straight from Hopper's mouth while she was talking to him. I kind of loved her. She was badass in a subtle kind of way.

I was driving home from the police station in the dark. I was getting used to driving all the time, and paying for everything, and honestly, it made me feel more like myself. The act of having money from work I was doing instead of expecting my parents to pay for everything was a relief. I never expected to think that.

There was a car up ahead on the side of the road. I looked at it carefully as I approached. It looked like two people were arguing, shouting at each other from either side of the car. I considered driving on, but as I got closer I recognized one of them to be Billy and the other person looked to be a kid. This was an age without cell phones and they looked as if they were stranded on a dark road. They both looked up as I got closer.

I slowed the car to a crawl before I eventually stopped. I leaned over and rolled down the passenger window. "You guys alright?"

Billy smirked as he saw me and I could see the girl's hands go up in the air in frustration as he leaned into the window. "You just can't keep away, can you?"

"If that's how you're going to act, I'm going to keep driving and leave your ass here in the dark. What's wrong with your car?"

"There's nothing wrong-"

"The battery's dead," the girl shouted from across the car.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Sounds like nothing. If you got jumper cables, I can give you a boost."

He looked away and I could see his jaw clench. "I don't have any."

"What?"

"I don't have any fucking cables!" he snapped.

"Jeeze, no need to shout." I got out of the car and went back to open the trunk. "Let me see if I have any."

He followed me to the back of the car. "Why the fuck do you have a sledgehammer?"

"To deal with deranged lunatics, obviously." I moved some stuff and looked through it. "Shit. I don't have any either."

"You have a sledgehammer but not jumper cables?"

I leaned back to look at him. "I'm sorry, did I ask for your opinion?" I looked over at the girl who had come closer. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she did not look happy. God, I was going to regret this. "Do you want a ride?"

"With you?"

"No with the magical elves that are going to come fix your shoes." I couldn't stop myself from making sarcastic remarks apparently. "Yes, with me. I can take you home, then you can get it all figured out and come back in the morning or whatever." I saw him think about it and he didn't look like he was going to accept it. "Otherwise you're going to be stuck out here in the woods until someone else passes by, and it's a weekday which means there isn't going to be a lot of traffic and it'll be awhile. So?"

He looked away and I took the opportunity to close my trunk. I leaned against the car and waited.

"Come on, Billy!" the girl said. She must have been about Lucas's age. "I don't want to be stuck here! You can get your car tomorrow!"

"Shut up!" he snapped at her.

"Hey!" I snapped back. "You don't have to yell at her just because you're upset. Make a choice so I can go home."

There was another moment of silence before I finally watched him grit his teeth and accept it. "Fine."

"Cool." I walked over to the girl. "I'm Kate, by the way. Kate Thompson."

"Max Mayfield," she said, shaking my hand.

"Come on and get in."

I went to the driver's side of the car and motioned for them to get in. "Well?" Billy shoved Max towards the back seat and I rolled my eyes. "Seat belts!" I waited until they both clicked in before I even started the car. "Alright, where are we going?"

oOo

Max turned out to be hilarious as well. She had the tendency to make snarky comments in response to whatever Billy said. It was also made very clear to me that they were not related. They refused to really see each other as brother and sister since their parents married each other.

"You should come inside!" Max said. "Come meet my mom! I'd much rather have you babysitting me than him," she motioned to Billy.

"Leave her alone," Billy snapped. "She doesn't want to fucking come in."

"Actually," I said. "I could use more money. It'll be quick." Billy shook his head and I had the feeling that he didn't want me near his house. Sucks to be him.

He muttered under his breath and I followed them both to their house. Billy walked in first.

"Where were you?" a man's voice snapped.

"The car broke down. Had to get a ride." A man strode in from the kitchen. I stayed where I was by the door.

"A ride?" A woman followed the man out. She saw me. "Oh! Did you give them a ride?"

"I did," I said. "Passed by them on the side of the road and I couldn't just leave them there. We didn't have any jumper cables so a ride was the next best thing. Car's on Jefferson, just south of third," I added.

"Jumper cables...the battery's dead." I watched the man stride towards Billy who looked like he was instantly on the defence. "You didn't have jumper cables?"

"Mom," Max said, drawing my attention away from the men who moved further back. It was safer to say that Billy's dad moved forward, forcing Billy to step back. "Kate babysits! I thought she might be a better choice than Billy," Max said. "I know he's busy sometimes." Max's eyes darted back to the men.

"That's nice, dear, maybe."

I focused on the men and I could hear his father speaking to him. "What type of man doesn't keep jumper cables in his car? You had to let a girl save you?"

"It was nice to meet you," I turned back to Max's mom. She was in the process of ushering Max up the stairs and I watched her gaze flick quickly to what I presumed was her husband. "The kids will see you tomorrow, at school." That was a dismissal if I ever heard one. My attention was drawn to sudden movement from the men. Billy's father was grabbing his arm and looked ready to haul him away. I saw Billy flinch as the man raised his other hand.

"-iece of shit, I will have your respect!"

"Excuse me!" I called out, stepping away from the mother. I moved further into the house. Both of them froze. The father looked up at me in surprise, like he had forgotten I was there. "Is something wrong? What's the problem here?" I motioned to the two of them.

"Nothing. This is a family matter," the father said. He let go of Billy but neither of them moved. I could see Max on the stairs out of the corner of my eye. Her eyes were wide as she watched us.

"Seems to me like your family matter would be best resolved with the chief of police." Things were decent now between Hopper and me. He'd come out if I asked him to.

The father stepped towards me. It was a classic technique of using his size against a small opponent. I gritted my teeth and adjusted my stance. This didn't scare me.

I felt a hand touch my arm.

"Please," the mother said. "Don't." I shook her off. I watched the man in front of me. Billy was still frozen like a statue behind him.

"You should listen to my wife, girl," he said. I tried not to snap at the term. It irritated me when people used that to subtly insult someone. "Go home. This doesn't involve you."

"Now that's where we disagree," I said. "You involved me as soon as you started this while I was here. Can't turn back now." I wasn't going to be one of those people who just ignored things because it was easier. I promised myself that a long time ago.

His face turned into an angry scowl. "What I do with my son is my business, and I will not take lip from a girl he's fucking. He'll call you, or he won't but get out of my house."

"As if I'd sleep with him," I said, "have you seen his hair? That's beside the point. It becomes my business if you're going to start abusing him in front of me. I'm not leaving."

"How I choose to discipline my son,"

"Abuse is not discipline!" I snapped. He stepped forwards again and shoved his finger into my sternum. Ow. "Don't touch me."

"This is my house," he snapped. "I do not have to listen to some uppity cunt," he reached to grab my arm, "who thinks she-"

I reacted before I could stop myself. I twisted my body into the punch, giving all the force I could. He collapsed. I wasn't too surprised he didn't stay standing. He didn't seem the type to expect someone to fight back.

"Asshole," I muttered, shaking my hand out as my knuckles burned. I was lucky I did that properly or I would have never heard the end of it in class.

"Holy shit!" Max called out. "You knocked him out!" I looked up as she started laughing. Billy was staring at me like he had never seen me before.

"What did you do?" Max's mother cried out.

"Me?" I turned to face her. "What about you?" I snapped. She flinched as I stepped forward. "You were just going to let that happen? What the fuck is wrong with you? He was swearing at him and grabbing his arm like he was going to rip it off and something tells me that was not the first fucking time it happened, especially as you were trying to get Max out of here. What? It's okay because it's not your fucking kid? That's fucked up," I pointed at her. "What happens when he decides Max needs fucking discipline too? Is it a problem then?" I turned away from her. "Jesus fucking christ."

"You knocked him out!" Max repeated. I looked over at her. "In one punch! A full KO!" She was staring at me in awe.

"Yeah," I said. "You let people get away with that shit, they think it's okay and that they can get away with anything. It's not and they can't. They gotta learn. You ever need somewhere to hide, find me." I looked up at Billy. "That goes for both of you." I glanced around the room. "Where's your phone?"

"What? Why?" her mom asked.

"Because I'm going to order a pizza. I'm calling the fucking cops! Why else?"

[tbc]