Things seemed to return to normal in Hawkins. Violet was still slightly on edge, but she figured that would pass at some point. She hoped it would, anyway. Will Byers had gone back to school and his friends had been ecstatic to see him. Violet had never seen Eleven again and, when she had asked Jonathan what had happened to her, no one seemed to know where she had gone. Violet knew that Nancy was still struggling with Barb being missing. Despite the fact they knew she was dead, they couldn't tell anyone. They couldn't tell anyone about anything that had happened. A part of Violet thought that would be difficult, but it turned out it was actually quite easy. She figured that was because she wanted to bury it in the back of her mind.

And then Thanksgiving came and went. Christmas was soon around the corner and Violet's fingers had healed completely. She had started training again. Her dad had submitted her for a Challenger event in the New Year and she was focused on that. She had to admit she was more focused on that than anything else.

Violet had kept Steve at arm's length since the night she'd told him everything. She still saw him at school and she still talked to him in passing, but she never bothered to go out into the woods anymore, even when she stood at her window and saw him wandering out there. She didn't know how long had gone by before him and Nancy officially got back together, but she'd seen them walk the halls together and she knew that was it.

"Anyone would think you've been avoiding me."

Violet had been out on the court the day before school ended. She had been practicing her serve, tennis balls dotted around everywhere on the floor on the other side of the net. She was wearing her tennis whites, hair tugged into a high ponytail and draping down well past her shoulders considering she hadn't bothered to cut it. Violet lowered her racket by her thighs as Nancy moved along the side of the court.

She was wrapped up in her winter coat, satchel on her shoulder and books in her hands. She cradled the books to her chest and Violet noticed the red stain on her cheeks, no doubt from the cold. She lifted a hand up and tucked her hair behind her ear. Violet tried to think of a reasonable excuse, but she wasn't sure she could. She just shrugged her shoulders and tired to smile as naturally as possible, but her cheeks ached and she wasn't sure how long she could fake it for.

"Sorry, things have just been crazy," Violet told her. That much was true. "I've hardly had time to do anything but practice. I'm going to New York in January. There's a tournament there and it means I'm having to take a week off school…which isn't great when I'm already flunking most of my subjects."

"It's alright, I get it," Nancy promised her. "It's just that I thought I might see you a bit more after everything that happened."

"I guess…I don't know," Violet said, cursing herself silently for not being able to come up with some excuse. "It's just been a lot to process and I didn't mean to become a recluse. Sorry if I've been an ass."

"You haven't been an ass," Nancy promised her. "It would just be nice to hang out every once in a while. It's difficult…it's like there's this massive secret that we can't tell anyone and it's nice to know that…well…there's someone who understands. There's only me, you, Jonathan and Steve who have any idea what happened."

"Yeah," Violet said in a low drawl and she reached for another tennis ball from the basket. "Daisy might know too."

Nancy's eyes widened. "You told her?"

"She's my best friend," Violet defended herself, bouncing the ball with her racket. Nancy watched her do it, impressed how she could keep it under control and still talk. "I had to tell her because she knew that something wasn't right. She won't tell anyone. I trust her with my life. I promise the secret is safe."

Nancy huffed, not entirely convinced. She wasn't going to argue over it though. She just watched as Violet tossed the ball into the air and hit it over the net so quickly that Nancy didn't think she saw it until it hit the ground on the other side.

"Right, well, we can't tell anyone else," Nancy said, voice firm on that. "Anyway, what're you doing after this? I was wondering if you wanted to go and grab dinner? Steve and I were heading to the diner in town."

Violet was about to agree to food until she heard that she was going with Steve. Nancy could see it in her face. She instantly dropped eye contact and grabbed another tennis ball. "I should head home. I've got loads of homework I want to get done before dinner."

Nancy let out a sigh in frustration. "You know, I'm not an idiot," she said, voice firmer this time.

Violet finished her serve and glanced back at Nancy. "Never said you were," she said.

"Then why are you avoiding me?" Nancy asked, stretching out the arm that wasn't holding her books. "And don't say you're not because I know that you are. Look…I didn't want to do this…ever, really…but it's just…"

"What?" Violet wondered, not entirely sure if she wanted to know what Nancy was thinking. A part of her would prefer to live in ignorant bliss. But there was no chance of that happening.

"I saw it that night, Violet," Nancy said. "I saw the two of you and how he was around you. I saw the way he reached for you straight away. I saw the way he held you…how he looked after you…I've seen the way he looks at you, Vi, and I…if there is something there then I wouldn't be mad, okay? I wouldn't be upset because I'd get it. The two of you have a history and I don't want to get in the way of that."

Violet remained quiet, silently cursing Steve for even telling her what he had because now she either had to tell the truth or lie to Nancy. She wasn't sure which would be worse.

"What I would be upset about is if you kept this from me," Nancy said. "I can handle whatever you throw at me, Violet. I don't need to be protected, but what I can't handle is lying…because I see you as a friend and I want you to be my friend."

"There was a moment," Violet blurted out to Nancy. She couldn't keep doing this. She couldn't keep it inside because it felt like it was eating at her. "Steve and I had a moment, but that was all it was." She was lying again. "What has he told you?"

"Nothing," Nancy said. "Anytime I mention your name he just shuts down."

"I…he wondered if there was something there and I wondered it too," Violet confessed. "We'd spent a lot of time together and I think we just got confused about what that meant, but it didn't mean anything…not really…I like him, Nancy, but not like that. I might have thought I had a crush on him, but that's all it was. I guess I was just flattered that he paid me any attention even if I do think he's a pompous ass for most of the time and I'm above that."

Nancy watched her. She knew she was still lying to her. She knew that she wasn't telling the truth. But Nancy guessed that this was as close to the truth as she was going to get from Violet. She didn't want to push her, but she knew that there was something else going on.

"And I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to think that I was trying to steal your boyfriend because that's not what I was trying to do. I would never do that."

"I know," Nancy said. And she did know that. She knew that Steve might've enjoyed playing around in the past, but Violet didn't seem like that. Plus, Nancy liked to think that Steve had more respect for her than doing that to her.

"I just…I guess I felt guilty," Violet confessed. "But Steve really cares about you. Whatever it was he felt for me was just…it was nothing…it was nothing compared to what he feels for you. You two belong together. Trust me. I don't want to get in the middle of that."

"You know that I'd understand, right?" Nancy said to her. "I mean…I guess hearing that you fancied my boyfriend isn't exactly nice…but you can't help how you feel."

"I know, but there's nothing there, Nancy," Violet said and her stomach churned even as she said it. There was something there. She knew it. She just couldn't talk about it. "And I'll stay away. I don't want to make things awkward-"

"-I don't want you to stay away," Nancy interrupted her. "You're my friend."

"Only if you're sure," Violet relented.

"I'm sure," Nancy confirmed. "So…come to dinner?"

Violet smiled sadly. "I would, but I can't. I really do have to get home."

Nancy suspected she didn't, but she wasn't going to say anything about it. She just relented and forced a smile onto her face. "Have a good Christmas, Violet."

"You too, Nancy," she replied and just watched the younger girl walk away.

…

"How's your brother doing?"

Violet had given it another half-an-hour before leaving the court. She didn't bother to get changed. She just tugged on her Hawkin's sweatshirt and grabbed her bag, tossing it onto her shoulder and heading back to the car. She found that hers and Jonathan's were the last two in the parking lot. He was by the trunk of his, putting his rucksack in with some books when Violet said hey to him and asked about his brother.

"He's alright," Jonathan said and watched her drop her tennis bag onto the floor by her own car. She crouched down and searched for the keys in the side pocket. "I think he's still struggling with some things, but that's understandable after everything that happened."

"More than understandable," Violet said and stood up straight, unlocking the car and popping the trunk open. "And how's your mom?"

"Good," Jonathan said. "She's always asking after you…still finds it amazing how I got Hawkin's tennis star to help search for Will."

Violet laughed at that and put her bag in the trunk as Jonathan closed his and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He moved towards her, shoulders hunched and hair falling into his face. Violet slammed the trunk shut and turned around to lean against the back of it.

"I kind of got myself involved," Violet said. "Anyway, your mom seemed really nice. How much trouble were you in when she found out what we'd been doing?"

"Oh, heaps," Jonathan said. "She was more annoyed I'd dragged you and Nancy into it though…was amazed when I told her that your dad had been helping out. She said he didn't seem like the kind to get involved in things like this."

"I don't think any of us are the kinds of people to get involved in that," Violet said. "But my dad…yeah…I guess I never expected it either. We don't exactly have the best relationship, but recently he's actually been okay. I mean, he's hugged me twice which I don't think he's ever done since I was about six…or younger."

Jonathan didn't want to tell her how sad that sounded to him. He figured she already knew that much.

"Anyway, how're things with you? You got any Christmas plans?"

"I think we're just having a quiet one," Jonathan said, toeing the ground with his shoe. "Will's always with his friends so I imagine he's gonna spend most of his time with them. I was hoping to get some work done…catch up on stuff…maybe spend time with Nancy and some other friends…would be good if you joined us though…then again, my mom would have a field day if you did."

Violet arched a thin brow. "Your mom, huh?"

"Seems to think I could do worse than the rising tennis star," Jonathan said and Violet laughed as his lips also arched into a smile. "Of course, I told her that there was no chance of that happening."

"Why's that?" Violet wondered.

"Because of Steve."

Violet felt her chest ache again. She crossed her arms over her chest, almost going defensive.

"You don't need to deny it to me, Violet. I saw how you looked at him and I saw how he looked at you too. Whatever has gone on between the two of you is none of my business…but I just…I don't want Nancy to get hurt."

"Why? Because you're in love with her?" Violet couldn't help but spit out. She wasn't sure why she was being nasty. She didn't have to be and she knew it was rude. But she wasn't going to do this. She wasn't going to defend herself again. But Jonathan didn't say anything. He just looked to the floor and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," Violet said to him. "I didn't mean to be a bitch."

"You're not being a bitch."

"Yeah, I am," Violet said. "I just…Nancy came to me earlier and I told her that there might've been a moment, but that's all it was. It was just a moment between me and Steve and I don't want to talk about it or think about it. I just want things to go back to how they were."

Jonathan could agree with that. He knew the chances of that happening were slim though. "I don't want to make things worse," he said to her. "It's just that I saw the two of you and the way he looked at you…I kind of got it because I recognised it on my own face."

Violet could feel Jonathan's anguish and she understood it. She understood it completely because the two of them were in the same boat. Violet stepped towards him and moved a hand to his upper arm as he finally looked her in the eye. The smile he gave her was a sad one, eyes slightly wet. "I'm sorry," she said to him. And she was sorry because she knew it hurt like hell.

"Does it get easier?" Jonathan questioned her.

"You want the truth?" Violet wondered. "Not really."

…

Christmas Day at the Mattheson house was hardly a celebratory affair. Violet had been the one to decorate the tree, hanging the baubles as Christmas hymns played out on the radio behind her. She also knew that she rarely got many presents. Usually, her dad just bought her something tennis related: practical. Her mother would buy her perfume and makeup, despite the fact Violet had no idea what to do with a tube of mascara. Mariana Mattheson didn't cook a traditional dinner either. Donnie didn't know where to begin. Violet had tried, for the first time, when she was fourteen to do it, but everything had burned. Her mother just insisted they have it delivered, but nowhere was open on Christmas Day and it wasn't like they lived in a city surrounded by five star restaurants.

"I don't know why we're bothering with this," Mariana complained.

Violet had said that she would try and cook dinner without burning it and was in the kitchen trying to get timings right. Mariana was in the dining room with a glass of white wine in front of her. She was wearing a silk red dress with thin spaghetti straps, hair bouncing around her shoulders in voluminous curls. She was leant back, one leg folded over the other and a cigarette in her other hand.

Donnie was currently setting the table and trying not to snap at his wife for her complaints. He didn't know why she had to moan about everything. It was almost as though spending time with her family appalled her. He knew that as soon as they had dinner then she would be gone. She had some party out of town she wanted to get to and had paid a driver double-time to take her there. Donnie suspected she'd be staying away for a few nights, but he didn't ask which lover she'd be going with this time.

"With what?" Donnie wondered, biting the bait.

"With a Christmas dinner…sitting round here…"

"Because we're a family and that's what families do on Christmas Day," he answered and Mariana cocked her head, lips pinching together tightly.

"Since when did you care about tradition?"

"I don't," Donnie said, but he didn't even know if that was true. A part of him had to admit that ever since what had happened in the Byers' house, he'd felt different. He didn't know if he could explain it. "But I think we owe Violet this much considering the effort she's gone to."

"Effort?" Mariana asked. "She threw on a skirt and a sweatshirt. She hardly made an effort."

"She decorated the house and has cooked the dinner, Mariana," Donnie said to his wife. "She's made an effort."

"What is this?" Mariana wondered, motioning between her husband and herself, ash falling onto the table as she made the movement. "You defending her? You're usually on her ass for every little thing she does. I'm surprised you don't have her out there training today."

"That's not true," Donnie said defensively.

"Not true?" Mariana asked and she stubbed her cigarette out and leant forwards. "You know that I'm not maternal, Donnie. I never claimed that I would be a good mother and you knew that when we got married…when we had her…and I never knew how to bond with her. She was always awkward, nothing like the other kids my friends' had…she was a mistake we both couldn't get rid of because it was too late."

"Don't say that about her!" Donnie snapped at his wife, grabbing the back of his chair at the end of the table and bending over slightly to hiss at her. "Yes, we might not have planned this, but we had her. She is our daughter, Mariana."

"And do I provide for her?" Mariana wondered, arms stretching wide. "I send her to all those tennis tournaments. I buy her whatever she wants. I do everything for her. What? You think she wants mother-daughter bonding time? She doesn't. She never did. So this…this has to be enough…it has to be enough because I don't know what else to give her. I provide for this family, Don. I give you a roof over your head while you go out and pretend that the job you have pays the bills, but we both know it's bullshit."

Donnie didn't want to fight with his wife. He wondered if they could've at least made it past dinner before quarrelling.

"So what? You want us to get down on our knees and thank you?"

"No. I want to be able to spend Christmas as I see fit," Mariana said. "I've earned that right."

"And you'd rather spend it with some bunch of socialites than your husband and daughter?"

"Don't act so pious," Mariana demanded from her husband. "We both know you'd rather be drinking a bottle of scotch in your study than sitting here playing happy families."

"I am doing this for Violet," Donnie said. "I am doing this to try and give our daughter a normal Christmas. God knows we've never done much for her before."

"And why do you suddenly care?" Mariana wondered from him. "When has that girl ever been anything to you but a vessel for your broken dreams?"

"That's not fair," Donnie complained.

"But it's true," Mariana said. "You can stand there and accuse me of being a bad mother and a bad wife, but you need me. Without me then both of you have nothing…and both of you…I don't know why I bother."

She stood up and Donnie watched her as she downed her wine.

"I loved you, you know that?" Donnie said to her. "Despite everything…I loved you."

"And I thought that you were going to be something you never were," Mariana said to him. "And now look at you…a man who works a crappy job just to feel some sense of worth…lives off his wife's money."

"And let's his wife have as many affairs as she wants," Donnie finished and Mariana looked at him, the two of them eyeing each other with nothing but contempt. Donnie wasn't entirely sure if he was going to cry. He didn't cry. He couldn't cry in front of her. He refused to. But Mariana always had to twist the knife that she stuck in his back.

"Says something about the type of man you are that I have to look elsewhere for satisfaction."

"Or maybe it says more about who you are, Marie," Donnie said.

The two of them just stared at each other, knowing that was the most honest conversation they'd had in years. Donnie didn't bother stopping her as she left the dining room and went to grab her bag from upstairs. He just let her go and he walked away to his study, knowing that dinner was cancelled.

…

Violet had finished cooking, carrying two plates of Christmas dinner into the dining room and expecting to see her parents there, not talking, but at least just sitting silently. But there was no one there. Violet frowned, setting the plates down and then moving into the entrance hall in time to see her mother leaving. She just said a quick goodbye and then she was gone. Her dad's study door was shut and Violet knew something had gone on. She had the good sense not to knock and ask what.

Instead, she went to the dining room and sat down to eat her dinner by herself. Her appetite was gone though. She just picked at the turkey and spooned at the mash potato. She sat there until the sun had disappeared and the room went dark. She didn't bother to turn the lights on. She just sat in silence and wondered what everyone else was doing. No doubt Daisy's parents would be forcing her to play charades. Nancy would have her brother and sister and probably a house full of presents. Joyce would probably be smothering Jonathan and Will with affection. Steve…well…Steve's Christmas might not look too different to Violet's.

"I take it the turkey went cold."

Violet looked to the door and saw that her father had turned the lamp on and was carrying a small box in his hands. Walking to the table, he sat down next to her and looked at his plate of dinner that he hadn't bothered to eat. He grabbed the bottle of white wine that had gone warm and poured himself a glass and set the box on the table.

"Went cold about two hours ago, I guess," Violet said monotone.

"Your mom and I…she…" Donnie trailed off and downed the glass. He didn't exactly know how to explain to Violet what had happened. He tried to protect her from her mother's indiscretions, but he knew that he didn't always do the best job.

"Dad?" Violet tentatively spoke.

"Hm?" He asked, refilling his glass.

"Why do you stay with her?"

It was the question that she had longed to ask him for years, but she'd never quite worked out how to phrase it. Truth be told, a part of her didn't want to know either. She preferred to live in ignorance.

And Donnie didn't even know where to begin or how to answer her. He just leant back in his chair and rolled up the sleeves to the green jumper he wore. There might've been a time when he'd gotten angry with her question, but now it didn't even phase him. He just nodded his head once and looked to the ceiling.

"Honestly, Violet? Because sometimes imaging a different life…it scares me more than staying here."

Violet didn't know if she could comprehend that. Donnie looked to her then and picked up a piece of cold turkey. It was slightly over-cooked and chewier than usual, but he didn't make any comment. He just popped it into his mouth and ate it.

"Why did you tell Harrington that you don't like him?" Donnie wondered from her, turning the tables and Violet looked shocked at him. He shrugged at her. "I know you told him that day after what happened…and I know you've been avoiding him ever since. You couldn't wait to get away from him when we pulled into the drive at the same time the other day."

"It's not like that."

"I'm not blind," Donnie said to her. "And I'm not pretending that a part of me isn't happy you're staying away from him because I don't trust him…but I know that you like him, Violet. I know you like him and I can only imagine you're hiding because you're scared of what might happen if you admit how you feel."

Violet wasn't entirely sure how her father knew all of that, but he did. Violet chewed on the inside of her cheek and Donnie just observed her. He shrugged and took another drink of wine.

"Seems were both scared of something," he mused.

"How d'you know?" Violet questioned.

"I used to be a teenager at one point, Violet, and as difficult as that is to believe…I did date other women before your mother," Donnie informed his daughter. "I know what it's like, okay? I know what it's like and it might seem like the end of your world right now, but things get better. Trust me, things do get better."

"I know," Violet said, even if she couldn't feel that way just yet.

"Anyway, Happy Christmas."

Donnie handed the box over to his daughter and Violet looked confused. His lips arched at the expression on her face.

"It's a gift, Vi," he said to her.

"I know, but you gave me my present this morning."

"Well…this was something else," Donnie said. Truthfully, a part of him had been considering not giving it to her. He was apprehensive about how his wife might react. He didn't want her to make some sarcastic comment. He wasn't in the mood for it.

Violet opened the box and looked inside at the golden chain with a golden flower dangling from the end of it. She moved her thumb over it and Donnie watched her apprehensively. "If you don't like it then I can take it back."

"No, I like it," Violet said. "I really do."

"You don't need to say that to save my feelings."

"I'm not," Violet promised. "I really like it."

She took it out of the box and fiddled with the clasp, managing to get her round her neck. It sat on top of her sweatshirt, the gold glimmering as it caught the light. Donnie watched her and held onto his glass of wine. Violet smiled to him and he wondered if that was the first genuine smile he'd had from her in a long time.

"Thanks, dad," she said.

He was shocked when she stood up and kissed him on the cheek, but he just reached for her arm and held it softly. "You're welcome, Violet. Merry Christmas."

…

"Did you at least make it to dinner before the arguments began?"

"My mom had left before the turkey had even finished cooking. You?"

"Mom smashed a plate after dad complained the potatoes were too mushy."

"Is that a new record?"

"Might just be. Usually, we get to about seven when they've both been drinking and become spiteful."

"Merry Christmas to us, huh?"

"Merry Christmas to us," Steve echoed back to her and Violet smiled despite everything. She moved a hand to her neck and felt the chain there. Maybe it hadn't been a terrible Christmas.

She'd gone back to the garden to take the trash out and had found Steve sat outside by the pool, can of coke in his hand and wrapped in a woollen winter coat. He was dressed smarter than usual in a pair of trousers and a black shirt. She guessed the Harrington family dressed up for Christmas. He'd walked towards her slowly, daring to approach her and speak to her for the first time since that night.

"Nancy told me what you told her," Steve began and Violet just shrugged at him.

"I just told her the truth."

"The truth, yeah," Steve said. It hadn't been the truth. It had been a version of the truth, but it wasn't right. Yet, Steve hadn't corrected her. He'd gone along with it because he didn't want to lose Nancy. He cared about Nancy and enjoyed spending time with her. He knew that the two of them were fundamentally different, but they complimented each other too.

"Anyway, I should head back in," Violet said, motioning to the house behind her.

"I don't like this," Steve said to her before she could turn on her heel and leave him.

She frowned. "What?"

"You avoiding me," Steve said. "I keep going out there and hoping that you'll come. I know you see me because I can see you at your window…you run away whenever I come near you…I just…I know that things are tricky, Violet, but I still want to hang out."

"You think I can do that right now?" Violet wondered from him. "Steve, we need time apart. If we hang out and go back to how things were then it…it's not fair on Nancy and it's not fair on us either."

"Why can't we hang out?" Steve asked from her. "It's not like we're having an illicit affair, is it?"

"No, but it's not as if it would make things easier," Violet said to him. "Just give it some time, Steve, okay? We'll get there eventually."

Steve didn't want to give it time. He wanted things to be how they were or different. He missed her. He missed Violet and no matter how many times he told himself that he was happy with Nancy, he still felt a longing for his pain-in-the-ass neighbour. He knew he wasn't being fair on Nancy, not really. He just didn't know what to do for the best.

"Merry Christmas, Steve," Violet said to him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Vi," he said and he watched her head back inside.

He moved to the inside pocket of his coat and pulled the small box out. He opened the lid and looked at the bracelet inside of it. He'd seen it and though of Violet instantly. It was a gold chain with a gold tree charm on it. It reminded him of their times in the woods together. He should have given it to her, but he'd been stupid to buy it in the first place. He hadn't even bought Nancy any jewellery. And so he put the lid back on and put the box back in his pocket. Turning back to his own house, he walked away with a stern nod to himself.

"Maybe someday…maybe someday."

...

A/N: Thanks to everyone reading and would love to know what you think!