(y/n) - your name

(Y/f/n) - your full name

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"Thanks to Nancy's minions, we are now rock-star psychology students at the University of Notre Dame." Nancy and Robin explain their plan of pretending to be psychology students who were writing a thesis on Victor Creel to be able to get to talk to him and get some answers.

"Nice GPA." Dustin says, the group taking turns in looking over the student portfolios of 'Ruth' and 'Rose'.

"And you managed to land a meeting with the director?" (y/n) asks, highly impressed by the girls as they nod.

"Now all we have to do is charm him and convince him to let us talk to Victor." Robin claps, ending the explanation of the plan.

"Then maybe we can rid Max and (y/n) of this curse." Nancy says, looking at the two girls. The boys had a lot of questions about Victor and the girls did too, Steve narrowing his eyes when he doesn't see a portfolio for him.

"Wait... Wait... Wait a second. Uh... Where's mine?" Nancy looks at Steve and he crosses his arms, running after her and Robin as they head up to her room. "You've got to be kidding me! Nancy, you're outta your mind if you think I'm babysitting again!" everyone flinches at the basement door slamming shut.

"I'm just going to make sure no one throttles each other..." (y/n) says, pecking Billy's cheek despite him not wanting to be left alone with the kids as the girl runs upstairs to hear the others arguing. She gets a major sense of deja vu, following the voices up the stairs to Nancy's room, seeing the frilly pink and feminine decorations of the bedroom while Nancy took out clothes for Robin to change into.

"(y/n), what's wrong? Is something happening?" Steve furrows his brows in concern, seeing how quiet the girl was as she stood by the doorway. "(y/n)?" he takes the chance to gently hold her cheek, frowning as she looks around blankly. Nancy and Robin glance at each other, not liking how Steve was getting so close with the one girl that had a boyfriend already.

"I've... I've been here before... haven't I?" she asks and Nancy's eyes widen with glee.

"Yes! Yes, you have!" A flash of memories hit (y/n), remembering textbooks, notes and someone called Barbara.

"Barb?" Steve and Nancy go rigid before Nancy smiles softly. "She... she was your friend... You told me about her while we studied?"

"Oh my god, yes! I did." Nancy pulls her friend further into her room, holding her hands. "You were new to Hawkins and I offered to help you catch up with your classes."

"I kind of remember that. Chemistry was the one class I hated!"

"That's right! You're getting your memories back!" Nancy squeals, jumping on (y/n) to hug her tightly while Steve decides to head back down to the basement.

~~~~~~~~

Max sighs as she finishes writing her final letter, jotting down the last name of the people she cared about. "I know you guys are staring at me." the boys make excuses as they look away, Max rolling her eyes as she gets up and walks over to them with her letters in her hands. She passes one to Dustin, Lucas and Steve whose eyes widen in happiness that he received a letter.

"What's in the letters?" They ask but Max doesn't say anything, passing more to Lucas.

"Give these to Mike, El, and Will. Also, where's Billy?" Max says.

"He's outside smoking-Max what are these!?" Steve yells out.

"Don't open them now! It's a fail-safe for after!" She yells back, running outside to find her brother leaning against his Camaro and smoking, blowing puffs into the air above him until he sees his sister and stops.

He quickly drops the cigarette and crushes it beneath his boot, nodding to Max. "What shitheel? Did something happen?"

"No, just-here." She hands her brother his letter along with others including (y/n)'s, her mums and the rest of her family.

"Max, what is this?" she looks at Billy, him instantly standing up straight and frowning, not liking the idea of what these letters were.

"It's, um... it's a fail-safe. For after. If things don't work out." Billy's face hardens at the thought of someone this young thinking of preparing themself to... die... It felt so wrong, so wrong that Max had to go through this, it felt so wrong for him to be here. He shouldn't be here but he wouldn't waste this time, he would make sure Max is ok. He would make sure that nothing ever happens to her or (y/n) again.

"Enough with the bullshit Max!" Billy exclaims, gently holding onto his little sister's shoulders. "I'm not letting anything happen to you, you hear me! Nothing is going to take you and (y/n) away from me!"

"Billy you can't promise that! you don't know what's going to happen-"

"-I'm not losing you or (y/n), neither of you! I don't care if you hate me, I know I did some fucked up shit to you and I don't deserve any forgiveness from you. I hurt you, I acted like Neil with you when I swore I wouldn't become him." Billy holds Max's face, hands shaking in relief that she didn't flinch away from him like she used to. "But I don't fucking give a shit that we're not related, you're my little sister. You are my family. That undead creature is not taking you, over my fucking dead body!" Billy hisses out, holding his sister's cheeks as she tears up.

"I don't hate you Billy..." he pulls his sister in his arms, holding her in a tight hug. She couldn't hate him but she couldn't forgive him either.

"I don't hate you either shitheel..." Billy mumbles into her hair, rubbing her back. He promised himself he would be a better sibling, to be a better man, better than his father ever was. He would be a better husband and never hurt (y/n), ever.

"Can we... can we start over?"

"Of course, we can." Max buried her face against her brother's chest, taking in the calming warmth from him that she never thought she would ever get from her brother.

"Hey..." the siblings turn to the quiet voice, seeing (y/n) stand a few meters away from them to not disturb them. "You both ok?"

"Better than ok." Max smiles, her sister-in-law walking over to her and gently brushing her cheek in a motherly way.

"Steve said you were handing out letters? Are you sure you're ok?" The redhead nods, Billy handing over his loves letter to her. (Y/n) noticed that it was bulkier and looked older and a little crumpled than the others Max was holding.

"I... I, uh wrote yours a couple days before Billy came back to Hawkins. After you were gone... I wanted to go to the cemetery with him to visit your headstone and read it to you..." Max whispers and (y/n) smiles sadly, passing the letter back to the younger girl.

"You can still do that... I know I'm not the same (y/n) you knew, I know I'm not the one you wished would come back... everyone says they're glad I'm back but it's not fair to them that I can't even remember them, remember you."

"You can read the note to old (y/n), let her know she has sent another her to look out for you..." Billy suggests and Max nods, thinking it might clear her conscience.

"I'll be back. I'm going to give the rest to Nancy and Robin." Max says before she runs back inside the house, the couple waiting a few minutes outside.

"Is that how you feel?" Billy asks (y/n) and she nods. "You're still (y/n) no matter what, my (y/n) even if you don't have your memories or not..." he holds her hands, kissing her forehead.

"I know... I just... it feels like I'm lying and stealing someone else's identity, like I'm an imposter."

"But you're remembering who you are-"

"-what if I don't remember everything, remember everything we went through? I don't want to lose those memories with you..."

"We can always create new ones. Together." Billy whispers, leaning his forehead on (y/n)'s. "I fell in love with you (y/f/n) and only you."

"You have my heart, Billy. No matter what happens, I know I will always fall in love with you over and over again." He smiles warmly from the words of his love as she nuzzles her nose with his, the couple breaking apart when the boys all run out and follow Max.

"We're coming too."

"We need to make sure (y/n) and Max stay safe." Dustin and Lucas say but Steve completely disagrees. No one listens to him as Billy, Max and (y/n) jump into Billy's car, the rest getting into Steves to drive off to the cemetery. They arrive and park next to a hill, Max jumping out of the car and Lucas running after her. He begs her to talk to him, to let her know that he was here for her but Max pushes him away.

"Just wait in the car. This won't be long." Billy and (y/n) watch with concern as the redhead walks away, unsure whether to go with her or respect her wishes. Some time goes by and both (y/n) and Steve get antsy and even more worried, both of them pacing in front of the cars.

"She's taking too long. Why is she taking so long!?" (Y/n) exclaims.

"All right, it's been long enough!" Steve and (y/n) run up the hill to go to Max, the older girl gasping when she sees the younger one stuck in a trance.

"Max!" Steve yells out, trying to shake her awake. "Max! Wake up!"

"Max, sweetheart come on! Wake up please!" (Y/n) screams out, tearing up.

"What do we do!?" Steve exclaims and (Y/n) looks around, seeing her Walkman when she couldn't find Max's. "(Y/n)!? What are you doing!? Wait don't-" She ignores Steve, taking off her headphones and she grimaced against the pounding of the chimes ripping through her head.

"Song! Give me a cassette!"

"Which one!?" Steve empties out Max's bag, seeing a single cassette as the boys and Billy run up the hill to them. (Y/n) puts in the cassette, looking over at Billy who was yelling out for her.

"(Y/n) wait!"

"I'm sorry Billy. Look after Max ok." She says, putting her headphones on Max to save her as the boys go rigid when (y/n) falls into the trance with Max.

"(Y/n)! Max!" Billy yells out, falling to his knees next to his girls. (Y/n) held onto the headphones tightly against Max's ears, tears falling down her face unknowingly. He lost (y/n) once, he wasn't going to lose them both now.

"I'm not losing you two!" Billy exclaims, holding onto Max's hand and (y/n)'s over her ears, him getting sucked into a trance with the girls.