Chapter Two

The wind whipped through the car causing Piper's hair to fly into her face no matter how many times she fought to push it back. The cool air of the Midwest felt good against her skin as they drove through the back country roads toward Hawkins. It had taken them a few days to get from California to Indiana but finally, the two had made it. After sleeping in seedy motels and eating out of vending machines and fast-food restaurants. Billy was hoping that this trip was going to bring them closer and maybe bring a shift into Piper's attitude, lift some of the heaviness that seemed to be weighing down heavy on her shoulders. But it seemed with each mile he drove the more and more sullen she became.

Billy reached over and turned up the radio as the last song playing died out and he waited for another to start. But it was like the moment the first couple of notes Piper's head peaked up. Her feet slid down from the dash as a smile fought to tug up on the corner of her lips. Billy knew the song; it was one that Piper loved and played constantly. Let's Stay Together by Al Green. A song her mother used to play all the time when she was growing up. A song that they sing and dance to whenever they cook or bake together. It was the song that Piper's father would sing to his mother whenever she'd catch the moment the two of them thought that they were together.

Billy couldn't stop the smile that came across his face when he looked over and watched as she sang the song at the top of her lungs. Her green eyes shone in a way he hadn't realized how deeply he'd missed it till he saw it now. Piper turned to him with a bashful smile, her cheeks turning red when she saw that he was watching her.

"Why, somebody, why people break-up / Oh, turn around and make-up? / I just can't deceive / You'd never do that to me (would you, baby?)" Piper sang to him before starting to dance in her seat and let her body sway to the music.

Billy was almost saddened and disappointed when it began to fade and a different song began to play. But the happiness on Piper's face didn't fade as quickly as he thought that it would. Her delicate fingers reached for the knob and turned the music down, before resting back against her seat.

"Wow, I-I haven't heard that song in forever," Piper rested her head against the headrest before turning her head to look at Billy. "Did you make a new cassette and put that on there?"

Billy shrugged his shoulders, "I knew how much you loved that song, so I might've done that and placed a few others that you would like for the road trip."

"I didn't even notice till this came on," She reached over and brushed his blonde curls from his face, before caressing his cheek. Billy melted against her touch and reached up to grasp her hand, bringing it down to kiss her lips and kissing the back of it. "Thank you,"

"You don't have to thank me, baby," Billy spoke, keeping her hand in his and rubbing his thumb across the back. Piper relaxed under his touch and the feeling of his cold rings against her hand.

"I know I've been distant lately...I-I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to apologize...you're going through a loss, again. Your Uncle wasn't just some person that died. He was your uncle, your parent figure. You lost your mom and dad too, and I'm sure this is just bringing up some stuff."

Piper felt the familiar burn of tears behind her eyes, "You lost your mom too, I feel you're the only person that knows what this is like to some degree."

"I'm always gonna be here for you baby, no matter how long it takes you. Cause I'm gonna be right there fighting the darkness away with you." Billy tightened his hold on her hand, so she knew how sincere he was.

"I love you," Piper whispered, her throat tightening around the words and her voice showing it.

Billy looked at her quickly, before going back to the road. "I love you too, more than anything"

The rest of the drive to Hawkins was in a comfortable silence till the sign that said "Welcome to Hawkins" came into view and they drove past. Piper let out a shaky breath and dropped her gaze down into her lap, Billy giving her hand that he was still holding a tight squeeze.

Billy pulled up in front of the Motel that was right off the main road that led into downtown Hawkins. The two of them climbed out of his Camero before grabbing their bags and checking into their room. They both tossed theirs down to the floor beside the door before lying down on top of the bed with heavy sighs.

"This place brings back memories," Billy smirked, moving to lie closer to Piper and pull her into his chest more. A small lazy smirk turned her lips up slightly as she looked at him.

"Don't get any ideas, Hargrove, not doing anything till I have had a shower,"

Piper pushed his arm from around her waist, causing him to whimper slightly, and walked to the bathroom with her small bathroom caddy. The door closes with a soft click leaving Billy alone in the room. While Piper washed up, he used the motel phone to check in with Joyce that they had made it. Not bothering to check in with his own family. He'd like to let Max know that he and Piper were in town, but he wasn't sure if his father would be the one to answer the phone. He wasn't really in the mood to speak with his father.

When Piper was done, she stepped out of the bathroom with the steam billowing out behind her with a small white towel wrapped around her frame. Her long black hair pulled up from her face into a scrunchie. Billy couldn't help himself from letting his eyes slowly scan up her legs and over her body.

"Eyes are up here, baby." Piper teased with a smirk, before moving toward her bag to pull out her PJs. She let the towel drop to the floor before getting changed.

"I can't help it...and you're not really helping right now," Billy spoke, his voice dropping a little deeper as he unashamedly watched her. His tongue peeked out and ran along his lower lip. Piper looked at him and blushed when she saw the hungry look in his eyes as he stared at her.

"We can have fun christening the motel room another night, a little too tired tonight." She spoke once she was fully dressed.

"Oh, I'm just enjoying the show, don't worry." Billy spoke and stood to move and take his shower, "I called Joyce and let her know that we made it safe. She said to give her a call tomorrow or something, just to check-in."

Piper smiled and nodded her head, "Thank you."

Billy bent down and kissed her lips softly before walking into the bathroom to take his shower. Piper moved to the double bed and sat down on the edge before grabbing the remote and turning on the tv. She sat on top of the scratchy comforter that lay across the bed, flipping through the channels and trying to find something to watch.

But as she came across a static channel and pressed the button to move on to the next, it seemed to be frozen. It stayed on the channel with the loud fuzzy noise filling the room.

"What the fuck," Piper muttered to herself as she pressed the over and over again on the button but nothing happened.

She rolled her eyes and stood from the bed, moving across the room, and clicking on the switch on the side. But just like with the remote, nothing happened. Piper stepped back for a second and stared at the TV before giving up and pressing the power button. But even then, the channel didn't turn off. If anything, the white noise seemed to be getting louder. Piper took a few steps back away from the TV, till suddenly it turned off. The sudden cut of the loud noise caused her to jump back.

Tick...Tick...Tick...Tick...

Piper looked around the room with a frown as she heard the loud clock ticking, but did not see a single clock in the room. Not one to make that loud of a sound. It reminded her of the grandfather clock that sat in her grandparent's home back in Michigan. It sat at the end of their stairs and would intensely tick.

"Piper..." a soft voice spoke off in the distance, it made her heart feel like it had jumped into her throat. Being able to recognize that voice from anywhere.

"Mom?" She called out, looking around the motel room like suddenly she'd see her mother standing there. "Mom?"

"How could you do this, Piper? How could you have done this?" Her mother's voice echoed, drawing Piper's head to the other side of the room, seeing a figure walk past the large window on the other side of the bed.

"Mom!" Piper called out louder, running out of the motel, stepping out into the cool Hawkins night and looking from one side to the other, but seeing no one else outside of their room. "Mom,"

Her voice cracked as she felt that familiar tightening in her chest, her breath labored. When Billy stepped out of the bathroom, he heard the television on, a sitcom playing on the small television that sat on top of the dresser across from the bed. But as he tucked his towel around his waist more, Billy stood there confused as he looked at his girlfriend. She stood in the doorway of the motel, her head shooting from one side to the other. Billy slowly walked toward her and became more confused when he heard whom she was calling for.

"Mom!" Piper's voice cracked

"Piper?" Billy spoke, Piper, jumping slightly with a small yelp, turned around to face him. Her face twisted in pain and panic caused Billy to rush toward her. His arm wrapped around her waist and led her back into the room, and closing the door behind her, "Baby, what are you doing out there?"

"I-I...I-I...I thought...I thought..." She couldn't form a sentence as her mind tried to understand what had just happened to her.

"Hey, hey...it's ok." Billy caressed her face so her eyes would focus on him. "Just breathe for me ok?"

Piper whimpered softly and nodded her head as he tried to match her breathing with Billy's to bring her breathing down. Once she was calmed down, Piper felt a weight lift from her chest, leaning into Billy more and closing her eyes, letting his warm skin and small calm her down, loving how there was always a musk to him. Her cries turned into soft whimpers as her body was pressed tightly against him.

"You ok now?" Billy asked Piper, nodding her head. "What happened?"

Piper paused for a moment, not moving from nuzzling his chest, before speaking. "I just think I need to sleep...and being in Hawkins is messing with my brain a little"

Billy stood there for a moment holding her, and something deep in his gut told him you were lying. But he didn't want to push it. So, instead, he got dressed for bed as she crawled in. Billy laid in beside her after turning off the tv and lights, before pulling her into his side. Piper clung to him the moment he was beside her.

"I love you," Billy whispered with his hand rubbing against her back slowly.

"I love you, too."

As Piper lay there, she couldn't get the sound of the ticking clock out of her head.