003 (Billy Hargrove x OC)

Season 4 chapter 5: Dear Trisha

-Max Mayfield POV-

I grabbed my backpack and walked outside.
"Max, Max. Seriously" said Steve, but Billy was already taking out his keys. "Seriously, I'm not joking. I'm not driving you anywhere"
"Steve, if you think I'm going to spend what is likely the last day of my life in the armpit that is Mike Wheeler's basement, then you're out of your mind" I said. "So either take me where I need to go, or tie me down, which is technically kidnapping of a minor. And if I live to see another day, Steve, I swear to God, I will prosecute"

Steve's car was locked.
"Come on" said Billy. "I'll drive"
"What are you doing?!" yelled Steve.

"My sister is right" said Billy. "Now, if this is her last day, then I'm not going to ignore her wishes, okay! Now you can either come with us to help, or sulk and explain all of this to Nancy and Robin"
"Fine" said Steve and he unlocked his car. "Henderson, that super walkie of yours better reach Pennhurst"

-Billy Hargrove POV-

Harrington drove us to our place.
"This better be fast, Mayfield" said Steve.
"Twenty seconds" said Max and she got out of the car.

Only after twenty seconds, she wasn't back.
And when she came back after a few minutes, she looked scared.
"Max, are you all right?" I asked.

"I'm fine" she said. "Just drive"
"Did something happen?" asked Dustin.
"Can we please just go?" she asked.

~

"Turn here" said Max suddenly.
"Max..." I said, she wanted to visit Trisha's grave.

-Max Mayfield POV-

My last trance showed that Trisha wasn't always going to be there...
But I still needed to say a few things to her, and her grave was the only place I could think of.
"Max?" Lucas got out of the car.
"Lucas, please, just wait in the car" I said.

"Max, just wait. Max, please" he said.
"Lucas, just wait..." I tried again.
"Just listen to me, just, please" he said. "I know something happened there with your mother. Was it Vecna?"

"I told you, I'm fine" I said. "Okay? I mean, as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be"
"Max..." he said. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
"Yeah, I know that" I said.

"Okay, then why do you keep pushing me away?" he asked and took out the letter I gave him. "Okay, look, I don't need a letter. I don't want a letter. Just talk to me. To your friends. To your brother. We're right here. I'm right here. Okay? I'm here"
"Just wait in the car, this won't be long" I said and walked to Trisha's grave.

I sat down in front of it and opened her letter.
"Dear Trisha" I began. "I don't know if you can even hear this. Two years ago, I would have said 'That's ridiculous, impossible'. But that was before I found out about alternate dimensions and monsters, and your powers. So I'm just going to stop assuming that I know anything. So much has happened since you left. Billy's dad became more aggressive towards me, and Billy, whom you helped change so much, stepped in and kicked him out. The bastard didn't leave my mom much. Billy is trying, he's really trying. But I hear him cry sometimes in his room, he once said that you were a part of him, and that he now feels empty without you. If what you guys had isn't true love, I don't know what is. Eleven moved with the Byers to California, and I feel all alone. So basically, ever since you left, everything's been... a total disaster. And the worst part is, I can't tell anyone why you're gone. I can't tell them that you saved Billy's and El's lives. That you saved my life. I play that moment back in my head all the time. And sometimes I imagine myself running to you, pulling you away. I imagine that if I had, that you would still be here. And everything would be... everything would be right again. Billy would have his love back, Eleven, Dustin and me our sister. Because I really imagined we could become sisters. But that's not what happened. I just stood there, holding Billy back and I watched. For a while, I tried to be happy. Normal, because normal is good, right? But I... I think that maybe a part of me died that day too. And I haven't told anyone this. I... I just can't. But I had to tell you, before it's too late. If you can even hear this, in that hell place. I really hope that you can. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Trisha. And I wanted to thank you, for trying to stop that monster. I really couldn't wish for a better sister... and I swear, they will find a way to get you back. Love, your little sister, Max"

It suddenly became dark...
"Max..." it was Trisha's voice, but different somehow... "I've been waiting to hear those words, Max. Waiting so very long. But it wasn't the full truth, was it, Max? You know, I think there's a part of you, buried somewhere deep, that wanted me to stay dead. That was maybe even relieved, happy"

"Trisha, no, that's not true" I cried.
"That's why you stood there, isn't it, Max?" she asked. "So that your brother wouldn't die, that you would still have him, even if it meant letting me die. It's okay, you can admit it now. No more lies. No more hiding"
"Trisha, that's not true, I swear" I cried.

"That is why you feel such guilt" she said. "Because you still have your brother. But everyone else lost someone equally important. And that's why you hide from your friends. Why you hide from the world"
"Hey, asshole!" I heard another voice of Trisha. "I get you're a dick, but impersonating me is really a low blow!"

She used her powers to push him back and she grabbed my hand.
"We need to run!" she shouted and dragged me with her.
"Trisha..." I cried.

"I heard" she said. "I heard everything, and I know it's not true. I can sense your emotions, remember? I know you don't really feel that. Sometimes, I can actually hear you guys. Mostly you and Billy in the car"
"You're here" I cried.
We hid behind a tombstone.

"Of course I'm here" she said. "Like hell I'm gonna let that bastard get his hands on you. Not if I can stop it"
I held her hand tightly.
"Can you stop him?" I asked.

"No" she answered honestly. "But I can slow him down. But don't worry. The others going to find a way. They're trying to wake you up as we speak. And I just know they will find a way"
"How can we get to you?" I asked.
"You do not get to me" she said and grabbed my shoulders. "Listen to me, Max. You do not get to me, under any circumstances. Now, I can sense him getting closer again. Are you ready to run again?"

"You cannot hide from me, Maxine" said Vecna.
"It's Max, dipshit" said Trisha and we began to run again.
"When did you become so foul-mouthed?" I asked.

"When you're being held captive by that monster" she said. "You begin to use the words you and the others always use. He's not very friendly or helpful"
"Why does he hold you captive?" I asked.
"No idea" she said. "He keeps calling me sister, that we were once family. But that I blocked those memories"

"You don't remember?" I asked.
"Max, I think if I had a brother that looked like that, I would remember!" she shouted.
We suddenly saw a red fog.

"What the hell" I said.
"Okay, let's go" said Trisha. "I think I know where that leads, it might give us an advantage or even a way out"
"You sure?" I asked and she shook her head.

"No, but what other options do we have?" she asked. "His hold on you is much stronger now, I can't wake you up from the inside. So the others will have to do it from the outside"
We saw the clock, pieces of a house everywhere...
"Why did you bring her here, Trisha?" asked Vecna.

"Well, you see, dick" she said and pushed me behind her. "You went in her mind, you're in my head all the time. It's only fair to be in yours once in a while"
I saw Chrissy... put on display...
Close to Trisha I saw a picture of her and Billy, pieces of her room as well.

"Come back to me, Max" said Vecna.
"I told you" said Trisha. "Not her, not Max"
"How do you like them, Max?" he asked. "Would you like to join them?"

"Over my dead body" said Trisha. "Max, run!"
I began to run but a vine caught my leg and trapped me.
"No!" screamed Trisha, but the guy held her back with vines. "Let her go! I beg of you! Please! Don't hurt her! I'll do anything! But please! Let Max go!"

"Trisha" I cried and kept looking at her.
"It's gonna be okay, Max" she said.
She smiled when she heard music.

"I knew it" she said and somehow made the music go louder, it was my favourite song...
She created an opening in the real world and I could see everyone.
"Max!" it was Dustin. "Max, wake up!"
"Max! Wake up!" shouted Billy.
"Max, we're right here!" shouted Lucas.

"They can't help you, Max" said Vecna. "There's a reason you hide from them. And Three can't help you anymore. You belong here, with me"
"You're not really here" I said.
"Oh, but I am, Max" he said.

I noticed that Trisha was trying to get out of the vines, using her powers, and it was working, slowly...
His hand was above my head and I could feel him trying to break me, but Trisha was interfering.
"Focus, Max" she said in my head. "Focus on what makes you happy. And fight! Fight!"

I remembered all the happy moments in my life.
I managed to get free and rip a vine off Vecna.
Trisha got free and stood in front of me.

"Don't hesitate, Max!" she yelled. "Run towards them! Run! Don't look back!"
She began fighting with Vecna, making sure he stayed away from me.
Right before I ran through, I looked back and saw him holding Trisha in the air.
"Keep going!" she screamed and I listened.

~

-Billy Hargrove POV-

Max was in the air... and suddenly she fell and I took her in my arms.
"It's okay" I said and she grabbed me, she was hyperventilating.
"I thought we lost you" said Lucas.

"I'm still... I'm still here" she said. "I'm still here"
"Damn it, Max" I cried and held her closer.
"She saved me" she said. "Trisha heard you and used that to save me"
"The music?" I whispered and she nodded. "I'm so glad you're back"
"Me too" she whispered. "Me too. Now we need to get Trisha back"

~

Nancy woke us up in a panic.
"Where the hell is my sister?" I asked.
"Dustin dozed off" said Nancy, we ran upstairs and saw Max at the table, drawing...

"Morning, guys" said Mrs. Wheeler. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah" said Nancy. "Everything's okay"
"I think it's so sweet that you guys are sticking together like this" said Mrs. Wheeler.

"Could try sticking together at a different house for a change" said Mr. Wheeler.
I walked to my sister and touched her shoulder.
She took off her headphones and looked at me.

"Hey" she said.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Just couldn't sleep" she said. "People kept blasting music in my ears for some reason. But Holly let me borrow some of her crayons. We've been having fun, right, Holly?"

"Is this what you saw last night?" asked Nancy, I looked at the drawings, I noticed some pieces of Trisha's room, like her bed, her photo's,...
"I mean, it's supposed to be" said Max. "I'm no Trisha Henderson after all. She always said that sometimes it's easier to draw something out than to explain it, but... not so much"

"Is that..." said Nancy and took the drawing with 2 people in pillars.
"It was like they were on display" said Max. "And then there was this red fog everywhere. It was like a dream. A nightmare"
"You think Vecna's just trying to scare you?" asked Nancy.

"With fake Trisha? Yeah" said Max. "But Trisha opened this. She took me there. It was something different. He seemed surprised, she managed to take us there. It was like he didn't want us there"
"Sounds like Three and you infiltrated his mind" said Dustin. "Maybe Three knew you'd find the answers we're looking for is somewhere in this incredibly vague drawing. God we need Will, or Trisha"

"No shit" said Max. "But I tried them again this morning, and it's the same busy signal"
"Is this a window?" asked Nancy, holding the paper Dustin just held. "Stained glass with roses"
"Yeah" said Max. "See? I'm not so terrible after all"

"Yeah, well it helps that I've seen it before" said Nancy, she began to fold the drawings and put them together.
She put them together until they formed... a house...
"It's pieces of a house" said Max.

"Not just any house" said Nancy. "Victor Creel's house"
"Where are you going?" asked Dustin.
"Waking the others" said Nancy.
I looked at the pictures of Trisha's room.
'That's where he's keeping you, right? Your room in the Upside Down'