Saved

Twenty-One

***This chapter is going to be a bit longer than the others so far. I don't want to write a bunch of chapters about Christmas so I'm trying to keep it all in one.***

Allison was startled awake by the sudden sound of Billy's Camaro roaring to life outside the cabin. In a panic, she jumped out of bed, darted through the cabin, and out into the freshly fallen snow. Billy was turned away from her, looking over his shoulder as he tried to back out of the driveway.

Allison held out her hands, bringing the car to an abrupt stop, prompting Billy's head to spin back around in her direction. When he realized what was happening, he slammed his foot down on the gas, causing the tires to spin. Allison refused to release her hold, letting the blood drip out of her nose and down her face.

When Billy realized that he wouldn't win, he took his foot off the gas pedal, shut off the car, and slowly climbed out, coming face to face with a furious-looking Allison who was standing barefoot in the snow.

"You were just going to leave without saying goodbye?", she growled, stomping forward and shoving him hard in the chest.

 "I should get back to my place for Christmas.", he shrugged, looking everywhere but where Allison was standing.

"So that your dad can punch you some more?", she inquired, raising an eyebrow at him, the bluntness of her words catching him off guard. "I'm not stupid. I know you aren't leaving because you're in a hurry to get home. What's the real reason?", she pried, placing her hands on her hips.

"Your dad seemed pretty pissed off last night and I don't think he'll like me sticking around for Christmas morning."

"Well, it's my first Christmas and I want you to stay.", Allison confessed, watching him go wide-eyed. 

"Your first? Man, I thought my childhood was shit. You really want me to stay?", he asked, struggling to understand why someone would actually want him around.

"Yes. Please?", she whispered, holding out her hand towards him, giving him a gentle smile.  He looked down at her hand and then back up into her green eyes, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from turning up into the first genuine smile of his that Allison had witnessed.

He accepted her hand and followed her back into the cabin, where Eleven and Hopper sat next to the Christmas tree, waiting patiently. Eleven tilted her head to the side at the sight of them walking in together, while Hopper's attention was drawn straight to their interlocked hands.

"Billy is going to spend Christmas with us.", Allison announced, watching the vein in Hopper's forehead start to bulge as he took a long, deep inhale through his nose, trying his best to keep calm.

"Are you sure that's what you want?", Hopper asked, earning a firm nod from Allison. "Alright. In that case, come sit down and we'll get started.", he shrugged, tapping the empty space on the floor beside him, and holding a gift out towards Allison.

Billy let go of her hand and lowered himself onto the couch, feeling out of place at first, but he quickly relaxed as Allison made sure that he felt included. As she and Eleven unwrapped their presents,  they tossed the wrapping paper onto the couch, until Billy was sitting in a large pile of it, the sight enough to earn a chuckle out of Hopper. 

Finally, only one gift remained under the tree, and Eleven picked it up to pass it to Hopper. The girls grinned at each other, while he shot them a quizzical look, wondering how they had managed to get him a gift.

"Joyce helped.", Eleven explained, watching him turn the poorly wrapped package over in his hands. Allison crawled onto the couch next to Billy, reaching for the camera that was sitting nearby. As Hopper began to unwrap the present, Allison waited for the perfect moment, snapping a photo as soon as Hopper realized what it was.