Chapter Text
Chapter Twenty-One
The Case of the Missing Lifeguard
“So I'm not like Lee?”
Max winced slightly at the clear relief in her voice, until she glanced over at Lee who smiled comfortingly at her. Their father in his shock had practically stumbled backwards before sitting down harshly on a small boulder. Sam was hunched forward with his elbows braced roughly against his knees. The girls’ father nodded slowly in confirmation as he gathered his thoughts.
“Not at all. You do have Fae blood though, as all children born to the Fae do even if they aren't born with magic.” Sam explained tiredly. “Your Fae blood seems to be reacting to something and making you magically aware as if trying to warn you. Not uncommon either, but unusual that it's as strong as you've explained it to be. Given our family tree though we've always been stronger than others of our kind so the intensity is certainly possible.”
“Aye! An absolute cluster feck of a family tree dat is!”
Billy startled roughly as he whirled around to stare in wide eyed disbelief at the newcomer. The Leprechaun snickered mischievously at the blond boy giving the teen a mocking wave and a shark-like grin.
“Is that a fucking Leprechaun?” Billy blurted out. He blinked owlishly but instead of being offended by the exclamation Kieran merely cackled loudly in amusement.
“Aye. A bright one you are.” Kieran sneered mockingly.
Max looked like she was a strong wind from blowing over but Lee looked unfazed as she studied Kieran whose attention eventually shifted to her. The cruel amusement of his face sliding into something respectful and dare she say friendly.
“Miss. Lee tis a pleasure to meet ya,” Kieran tipped his top hat to her, “Your Pa has told me so much about ya.”
“I'm afraid I didn't catch your name.” Lee admits stepping forward to offer her hand.
Kieran looked genuinely stunned by the response but slowly took her hand into his own, giving it a shake, “Pardon my lack of manners lassie, names Kieran.”
Leprechauns were a powerful race of the Fae Folk. Known for their abilities and skill sets in hunting, tracking, and digging for information. No matter if you wanted to track someone down or needed information there was nowhere something, or someone, could hide that a Leprechaun couldn't find.
They had a more violent nature though and their need for mischief more often than not crossed the line into cruel and malicious. They also happened to be expert thieves to top it all off and master hiders themselves. Leprechauns were amongst the least liked of the Fae Folk even amongst their own. Often living solitary lives or living in small families hidden away from prying lives.
Kieran may have been openly accepted by Sam but he hadn't expected Lee to show him such acknowledgement. A fact he mentally kicked himself for knowing the girl before him was truly a special one.
Lee nodded, “Pleased to meet you Mr. Kieran.” Kieran flashed her a sharp looking grin but Lee saw the kindness in it despite its violent appearance.
“Wait.” Max shouted suddenly, causing everyone's attention to snap to her, “If my Fae blood is trying to warn me of something – then what exactly is it trying to warn me about?”
Lee looked over at Sam who was already gazing back at her. She took a slow step over towards him, “What did you do?”
Sam was not cowed. He flicked a strong brow at her, his face otherwise blank before he spoke, “Merely did some rearranging.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
The older man's eyes unconsciously fluttered over to Billy before snapping back to Lee. Her anger deflated causing her to openly frowned. What did Billy have to do with any of this? What was Max being warned about? What was even happening anymore?
“Anything come to mind?” Sam asked her. Lee slowly shook her head in the negative before she suddenly tensed all over. She was reminded about Star Court. The vision of the mall in twisted Upside Down glory. The imagery of the crashed Camaro followed as it dripped black sludge onto the parking lot beneath it. The dark liquid sizzled as it hit the ground.
“Star Court.” Lee breathed in horror. Sam nodded.
“The mall?” Max asked deeply confused. “What does the mall have to do with this?”
Billy's hand reached out to lightly smack her shoulder drawing her attention, “Lee's always had a thing about Star Court.”
“It's because she senses what's beneath it.” Sam chimed in as he pushed himself to stand. Sam’s focus shifted back to Lee who looked like she was rapidly trying to put puzzle pieces together.
“We can't change a person’s Fate but we can change up the Destinies that lead to it. Mostly. What's coming to Hawkins was always meant to but what's been changed was a necessary evil. I can't interfere more than that; everything has a cost. I'm afraid even beings as powerful as us have limits. What comes next is up to you and your friends.”
Lee frowned deeply, her golden-brown eyes concerned. “What changed, Dad?”
Sam seemed hesitant before his sights once more locked on Billy who tensed under the attention, “Him.”
“Me?” Billy said.
Sam nodded, “Everyone has a Fate and a Destiny. Some people have several Destinies written for them in their souls but I had to alter one of yours.”
“Why?” Billy frowned.
Lee gave a shuddering inhale causing Billy's attention to snap to her. Her eyes filled with unshed tears as she looked at her father with an unreadable expression. Billy didn't hesitate to stride forward and wrap his arms around her pulling her to him.
Lee opened and closed her mouth several times as if to say something but nothing would come out. After the third time, Sam nodded slowly in confirmation. She whirled around latching onto Billy crushing him against her. The blond boy was both concerned and confused but he paid it no mind as he held Lee back just as tightly cooing soft words of comfort and devotion in her ear.
Sam crossed his arms over his chest as he watched them softly, “Because if I hadn't you'd die.”
Billy didn't tense at the revelation. His face smoothed over in understanding. The news didn't shock him honestly. In the beginning he had no desire, nor belief, he'd live until his eighteenth birthday. Then everything changed when he met the girl currently shaking with silent sobs in his embrace.
Lee had changed everything.
His world.
His views.
His dreams.
His desires.
Him.
She made everything better by simply existing. She gave him the drive and the strength to be better, to do better. The fact he had been destined to die soon didn't strike Billy as odd at all terrifyingly enough. In a way, a twisted and morbid way, he had always known he'd die sooner rather than later.
“The Fae can't touch Fate. It's something even we can't reach but Destinies can be changed if there is worth to be found. And even if you don't believe it Billy, there's more than a few people who find you worth it in this world. Including my daughters.” Sam nodded at Lee before nodding over at Max who had grown teary eyed.
At the attention she rushed forward wrapping her arms around both Lee and Billy who both pulled her into their embrace. Billy was actually speechless as he held the two girls who had quickly become his family close to himself. He could tell he was crushing them but neither girl complained, merely holding him tighter in return.
“So what now?” Lee asked Sam as she turned to look at him from the confines of Billy's arms. Her face was blotchy, eyes puffy with wetness.
“Now you need to look into a kid named Jason Carver. Have El help you. He's the starting point.” Sam explained cryptically.
“Carver?” Billy squinted at him. “What does Carver have to do with this?”
Sam paused for a moment as if to choose his words very carefully.
“He's the beginning of what's to come.”
_________
Shortly after that Billy herded Lee and Max who wouldn't let go of her sister towards his Camaro driving them in the direction of home.
Sam watched them go with remorseful eyes as Kieran strolled up to his side, “The scents match?”
Kieran nodded seriously, “Aye.” He held up his hand where a tiny flicker of green sparkles fluttered into the air before transforming into a green manilla folder which he handed off to the larger Fae. “This is the man ye were looking for.”
“How bad is he exactly?” Sam asked opening the fairly thick folder.
Kieran glanced up at him out of his peripheral, “Ye killed others for far less.”
Sam tensed instantly. An icy, terrifying, rage thrumming through his veins causing a slight crackle to fill the air around them. His eyes glowed so brilliantly with orange flames they cast shadows across the pages he clutched in his hands. Kieran flinched but didn't say anything else. Slowly, Sam's head raised to reveal eyes entirely swallowed by wildfire.
“Yeah Kier. As a matter of fact I have.”
____________
The drive home for the Mayfield-Hargrove trio was a silent one. A rarity in reality as normally Billy had music playing through his speakers while the trio talked back and forth. This silence wasn't a comforting one either. It was full of sadness. Heavy like a thick fog.
Billy sighed glancing over at Lee who had curled nearly into a ball in his passenger seat. Her body angled towards the door as she rested her head against the glass. Glancing in the rearview mirror he saw Max was splayed across the entirety of the back seat with her arm thrown over her eyes.
Billy felt helpless and he fucking hated it with a passion. He drove them home at a snail’s pace, his mind rattling with a million thoughts. When they pulled up on Cherry Lane, and the driveway was still empty, he found himself saying a silent prayer of gratitude. Lee went to open her door but Billy leaned over snapping it shut, before getting out and pulling his seat forward.
“Go in first, Shitbird.”
Max only nodded in understanding scrambling out to make her way inside. Once Billy saw the front door shut behind Max he climbed back in the car snapping the door closed behind him with a flick of the wrist.
“I'm not dead.”
Lee violently flinched at his words but he merely leaned over the center divider. His hands coming up to cradle her face on either side to pull her into his space, or maybe himself into hers, he wasn't sure and frankly didn't care as long as the space between them grew smaller instead of larger.
“Hey.” He called softly, causing her wet eyes to flicker up to meet his. “I'm not dead, Rosalie. I'm right here. I'm right here.”
Her murky orange-brown eyes searched his face for something only she could know the answer to but whatever she looked for she must have found. Lee lunged forward, their mouths crashing together in an act of violence rather than a passionate kiss. Billy’s lips moved just as eagerly against her own. His left hand sliding down to hold her by the neck. The band of his ring left an indention of vines and leaves into the surface of her pale flesh.
Rather than try to escape his grip she pushed forward into it. One hand gripping his wrist the other latched onto his jacket collar. Billy wanted to devour her. Wanted to leave trail after trail of bruising bite marks branding her visibly as his for everyone to see. He wanted to trace his tongue along the ink of her hips where his handprints permanently rested.
He wanted to rip his chest open and show her his beating heart. Prove to her that he was without a doubt alive, and he was alive because he loved her. He wanted her to crawl inside of him and live beneath his flesh. Dance along the surface of his veins. Sleep behind the fence of his ribs and use his heart as a pillow. Swim in the sea of his blood and drown in him so he could breathe his own life into her.
Billy could feel his obsession grow and his madness sing as he kissed her like a man starved. It wasn't until he had half crawled on top of her that she pushed against him causing him to draw back. Their gasps for air like a brilliant symphony to his ears.
Billy's eyes caught on the sight of her kiss bitten mouth. Her swollen lips smeared heavily with blood much like an apex predator after finishing a feast.
“William…” Lee gasped in awe. Her finger coming up to trace his own blood coated mouth.
Their bottom lips sharing an identical jagged slit down the center caused by one another's teeth. The connection between them seemed to be singing. Words too old and ancient for comprehension lovingly walked across their souls writing musical notes along its surfaces. Etching a tale older than time into the creases of their being and painting masterpieces of artwork with every step they danced.
Something seemed to physically shift inside both of them causing each to gasp sharply in perfect synchronization. Their foreheads falling forward to thunk heavily against the other as they fought to regain control of their breathing.
Neither teen realized the entirety, nor the severity, of what had just transpired.
______
Billy didn't sleep the entire night.
Instead he sat in the center of his bed pressed back against his headboard waiting. Waiting for the tell tale sounds of Susan and Neil getting ready and leaving for the day. When time finally rolled around and the vehicles left the driveway, Billy scrambled down his bed. Nearly lunging to his feet to make his way down the hall. Lee's door was slightly ajar causing him to frown momentarily in concern til he opened the door fully stepping into the room.
He was greeted by the sight of Lee on the outside of the bed with Max on her other side closest to the wall. The two sisters cuddled closely together in a tangled mess of limbs. Max had her head laying on Lee's arm, her face buried in her neck. One arm curled up to her chest, while the other was wrapped around Lee's waist clutching against her sleeping shirt.
A shirt Billy realized smugly was his own.
Billy softly shut the door behind him and strode forward claiming the outside space of the bed. An action that forced both girls to scoot over closer to the wall. He pulled Lee flush against him, pressing out all space between them as his strong body curved around her.
He gently brushed aside sleep tangled curls from Lee's shoulders, nuzzling his face into the back of her neck. His strong arms encircled around her waist as one of his knees slotted between her thighs, and the over threw itself over her hip. His foot landed on the outside of Max's calf.
Billy felt Max sleepily rub her cheek against the back of his hand, causing him to gently pet her hair until she settled back into slumber. The exhaustion of the previous day and lack of sleep during the night caught up to him.
He slowly dropped off into a deep slumber.
An alarm blaring caused Billy's hand to snap out intending to slam harshly on top of the clock to silence it, but a softer hand beat him to it. Lee's head popped up with wide awake eyes as if she hadn't slept at all.
She brushed her thick hair out of her face before climbing on to her knees to lean over and softly wake Max. The small redhead awoke with much less grace than Lee did groaning pitifully as she focused on Lee's whispered instructions. Max nodded jerkily as she crawled out from under the blanket and made her way out of the bed towards the bathroom.
Lee tried to climb out of the bed, but was snatched back into a broad chest where vice-like arms caged her in. Billy's stubbled cheek rubbed against the underside of her jaw rough enough she wondered if he wouldn't give her beard burn. She didn't mind softly patting his strong forearm that rested across her stomach.
“Why do I feel like the rest of summer is really gonna suck?” His morning voice drew a sharp shiver that he soothed with a soft press of his lips to her pulse point.
“It probably will honestly.” Lee admitted softly causing Billy to sigh heavily against her.
“What's the plan?”
“Max and I are gonna go see El and I need you to keep a close eye on Carver at work. Let me know if anything seems off to you.”
She felt Billy nod against her throat in agreement. Lee couldn't place what had changed but something felt incredibly different between her and Billy.
Not bad, no, in fact the complete opposite. Lee had always been able to reach out and touch Billy's energy, but now as she did so, she felt him gently caress her back. His strong arms squeezing her physically with each time as if to reassure her both spiritually and physically, he felt her too.
Billy seemed to do so out of natural instinct, or at least, he wasn't the slightest bit bothered by the constant nudges along the edges of his soul. Lee saw the aura of storm-gray and brilliant teal quiver as she trailed her fingers up his arm with feather-like touches. Her sharp nails just slightly scratched as she went nearly making Billy purr in her ear.
Reluctantly she patted his bare biceps causing him to grumble, begrudgingly releasing his hold on her. Lee couldn't help giggling lovingly as she leaned over to press a quick peck to Billy's lips. She darted out of the room directly after as he tried to lunge for her.
The sound of her giggles echoing down the hallway was music to his ears.
____________
El opened the door before the Mayfield sisters could even knock.
She looked like she hadn't slept much, or at all, as she softly greeted the older girls. She peeked around Lee's shoulder and gave a small smile to Billy who hung lazily out of his driver side window. The older boy gave her an affectionate smirk and teasing flutter of his fingers, before he backed down the driveway and turned back out onto the road. His engine roared as he sped off causing Lee to roll her eyes fondly.
“Did you eat?” Max asked El in concern. The slightly smaller girl slowly shook her head in the negative before shiny eyes locked onto Lee.
“I couldn't find him.” She admitted ashamed.
Of course El already knew what Lee had come to talk to her about. The oldest girl didn't hesitate to step forward and gather the tiny girl up in a tight embrace. Her chin leaning down to brace against the crown of El's head as she held her tightly in comfort. El latched her own arms around the taller girl's waist with a vengeance as if Lee's hold was the only thing keeping her together.
Lee pulled back enough to look down at El who was already looking up at her with wide puppy like eyes.
“Don't sweat it, Ellie. We'll find him together. I'm just glad you felt up to helping at all. You know you can always say no.”
El shook her head so fast her bob length hair whirled from side to side, “Always help.”
“But you don't have to, Ellie. You can always say no.”
El frowned even deeper at her before her eyes flickered to Max and then back to Lee, “Sisters.”
Anyone else would have assumed El was meaning Max and Lee, but both Max and Lee seemed to know the youngest girl was calling them her sisters. If El was nothing she was absolutely loyal and devoted to those she deemed hers. Lee felt herself melt as she reached out blindly for Max who came willingly into the shared embrace.
After a few minutes Lee practically carried both girls inside as neither felt like letting go of each other, or Lee. Once she dropped them off on the couch, she went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Lee slipped off her navy leather jacket tossing it on the back of a dining chair as she passed, before she began fluttering through the kitchen as easily as her own. She quickly whipped up Waffle mix and cooked bacon for the girls.
The girls were sitting at the dining table talking in soft giggles in between ravenous bites of food as Lee quickly cleaned up the kitchen. Once Lee decided she was satisfied with her work and both girls finished eating their food, they all retreated to El's room.
Max claimed the bed while Lee sat across from El who had already set up her little space on the floor with a radio, blindfold, and a Hawkins High Yearbook open on Jason's picture. Lee helped El get her blindfold secure before both girls held hands on either side of the Yearbook.
El gave a nod when she was ready causing Lee to flash Max a confident wink. The oldest girl’s edges began to dance with inky shadows as her nearly neon orange eyes fluttered shut.
Opening them again Lee was standing beside El in The Void. Lee stayed back a bit letting, El take the lead as they slowly began to wade through the ankle deep waters.
The sound of a sudden, loud bang caused Lee's newly clawed hand to snatch El by the back of her shirt. Yanking her into the older girl's side as she whirled around to bare her teeth in warning. Only she realized there was nothing, and no one there.
El was looking at her with confused but trusting eyes. As if she hadn't heard anything herself but trusted Lee enough to be silent and still at her side. Lee focused her eyes, feeling the intense burn of their glow as they burned with brilliant light. Irises swallowed up entirely by the flickering flames of fire. She couldn't help but frown as she sensed various things in the vastness. Trying to focus in on it she felt a slight tug on her shirt causing her to nudge El softly.
The pair began to walk again. El in front of Lee with the older girl's hand still firmly gripping the back of her shirt as they moved in tandem. Lee allowed her senses to fully open up causing her ears to slowly grow a point near the top as the inner canal widened to hear further.
Both of her hands were now equipped with sharp, murky, colored claws. The flesh of her fingertips appeared to slowly bruise as the discoloration traveled up to the bends of her fingers. Brilliant blue veins rising to the surface of her skin as the pair moved slowly until El stalled all together. Her small shoulders slumping forward in defeat.
“Can't find him.”
“It's okay Ellie. We can try again later.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth, did the two girls suddenly see an image begin to shimmer into existence in front of them. Both girls were suddenly standing in the center of an old industrial building. Slowly, El grabbed Lee's hands gently leading her forward towards the sound of whimpering. The girls traveled down a set of stairs where they were greeted by the back of a familiar blond.
Jason was leaning over the gagged and bound form of Heather Holloway, another fellow Lifeguard and high school student. The blond boy leaned down to level his mouth directly with her ear, but even with his low tone of voice, both Lee and El heard him perfectly clear.
“Just try and stay very still. It'll all be over soon.” He said reaching out to peel back the duct tape from her mouth causing her to cry out as the stickiness pulled harshly on her skin.
It was as he stood up that a loud, ground shaking, bang echoed through the old building. Lee noticed something moving forward from the shadows before stepping fully into the dim light. Heather and El both released terrified screams at the beast that stood before them.
The Mind Flayer once shadow made flesh.
Jason whirled around looking directly at El before his attention shifted to Lee. Something, or someone, using his eyes. Someone that seemed far too pleased to see Lee there.
El and Lee broke apart with a harsh gasp. Lee flung herself harshly back against the flooring. Her lungs burned as she choked on her own blood. Her vision was tinted red as well. Reaching up she roughly rubbed a hand across her eyes only to witness them come away stained heavily with crimson.
“Lee!!”
Her head snapped over to see Max now at El's side cradling the younger girl. Both girls held looks of concern but she softly brushed it away as she got her bearings now standing on her own two feet again.
She caught sight of her reflection in El's small mirror on the wall and saw the whites of her eyes had filled with blood while her irises had turned into glossy obsidian gems. No sign of fire in sight. The skin around her eyes was bruised, the surface littered by thin black veins. Her head was killing her and her sinus cavities felt like they were on the verge of collapsing.
Lee noticed not only had she bled heavily from her eyes, but her nose, mouth, and ears all held thick blood trails. The oldest girl looked down to El and Max still on the floor, her focus landing on Max.
“We have a huge fucking problem.”
__________
Neither Jason Carver nor Heather Holloway showed up for work.
Billy had spoken to another Lifeguard, Wendy Grace, a very nice but quiet girl who was in Billy's graduating class. Wendy told Billy that the pool manager was pissed because Jason and Heather never showed up for shift. Now I know what you're thinking, teenagers playing hookie from work during the Summer? Totally normal. And yet, Billy knew it was total bullshit.
Even if the fucked up events of the day before hadn't happened with Sam. Billy was good at watching people. Learning how they operated. Their mannerisms and routines. Jason was beyond punctuality. He was downright anal. Heather was less fussy or overly serious but she never missed a shift. Even when he knew the girl had partied her ass off the night before.
Sam's advice of finding Jasin rang loud and clear. He was the start of whatever was going on, but what exactly was fucking happening in Hawkins? Billy didn't have the answers for that but he intended to find out. He knew Lee would have to deal with whatever it was and if he could help, even if only a little, he'd do anything in his power to ease the burden she had been forced to carry.
Billy had volunteered for the closing shift.
As he cleaned up and put things in their proper place, he kept an eye out for anything that seemed too out of place or even downright bizarre. It wasn't until he got to the showers that he noticed a spot along the tile. The spot itself wasn't anything too concerning as it was only the size of a quarter. And deep red in color. Billy crouched down gently scooping his index finger through the spot when the tinge of metal assaulted his nose.
“What the fuck…” He mumbled rubbing his thumb and index finger together.
Blood.
Of course it was blood.
He found more drops that lead into one of the farthest showers where he found a large smear against the bottom of the shower curtain.
Fuck, did he hate Hawkins.