Mary sat tucked underneath Charlie's arm on the couch. Somehow, he had managed to doze off and his head was hanging back against the cushions as he snored lightly. Mary hadn't even tried to sleep — she just lay under his arm with her head on his chest, staring ahead and keeping an eyes on the kids, even though Steve was doing a decent job of keeping them grounded and entertained.

As more time passed, she began counting how many times Mike walked back and forth in the kitchen. Since she had started counting, she had counted fifty-four times. And apparently she wasn't the only one to notice his pacing when Lucas yelled, "Mike, will you just stop already?!" as he suddenly jumped up and glared at the boy with wide eyes.

Mike did stop, but he showed he wasn't happy about it by arguing back, "You weren't in there, okay Lucas? That Lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs." Mike said, expressing his worry of Eleven being back in the dangerous laboratory.

"Demodogs!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Mary's dad will take care of her, right Mary?" Lucas said, glancing across at the teenager that hummer in agreement, sitting up a little.

Max scoffed, "Yeah, like she needs it." That earned a glare from Mike.

Steve stepped in, trying to stop their bickering, "Listen dude, a coach calls a play in the game, bottom line, you execute it alright?" Mary winced, knowing that wasn't going to go well with Mike and so she sat up, moving away from the warmth of Charlie's body.

She crossed the room, yawning as Mike went off on one, "Okay, first of all, this ain't some stupid sports game!" He yelled, "And second of all, we're not even in the game! We're on the bench." He corrected Steve, folding his arms at his chest and looking at Steve pointedly, waiting for him to respond.

Steve stammered, "So my point is, um —"

"Yeah, Steve. What's the point?" Mary edged him on, looking at him sideways as she joined him. The kids were all looking to the teenagers, expecting them to have some sort of speech maybe? Mary at least wanted Steve to deliver.

Steve fumbled over his words and Mary nudged him in the ribs, "Uh, right yeah, we're on the bench so, uh, there's nothing we can do." He caved in, tossing a dishcloth he had in his hand over his shoulder like an exasperated parent.

Mary looked at him, widening her eyes and throwing her hands up, "Steve!"

"That's not entirely true," Dustin chimed in. Everyone looked at him, "I mean these demodogs, they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away." He continued saying. Mary wanted to ask what bus they were talking about but decided it wasn't that important.

"If we can get their attention," Lucas started, "Maybe we can draw them away from the Lab," Max added, "And clear a path to the gate." Mike finished. They all seemed to be having a revelation whilst Mary and Steve stared at them as though they were crazy.

"Yeah, and then we all die!" Steve said, his voice getting louder towards the end of his sentence as he threw his hands up.

"That's one point of view." Dustin said from behind him.

Steve looked down at the boy, "No, that's not a point of view man. That's a fact." Steve argued in a mumble as Mary nodded her head eagerly along to what he was saying.

"Agreed — and I'm not dying wearing Jonathan Byers' clothes. Absolutely not." She said, holding up her finger and moving her head side to side.

Corina approached them, letting out a snort, "Yeah, definitely not." She agreed, coming up to stand beside Mary, folding her slender arms at her busty chest.

Max rolled his eyes, glancing between Mary and Steve and into the hallway, "I got it!" He said. Mary and Corina exchanged tired glances before following after him along with everyone else.

Mike crouched down to where Will's drawings were still stuck to the wall, "This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So..." He rushed back into the living room, "So here, here is like the hub. So you got all the tunnels feeding in here." He said, standing over where the drawings met on the ground like rivers flowing into a lake.

"Maybe if we set this on fire —"

"Oh yeah, that's a no!" Steve yelled, pointing his finger down at the same time Mary let out an obnoxious laugh before looking around the room.

Her face fell when she realised they were serious. She shook her head rapidly, damp hair hitting her cheeks, "Nope, not a chance in hell! No way!" She exclaimed but the kids ignored her as they did Steve.

"The mind flayer would call away his army." Dustin said, finishing what Mike was saying.

"They'd all come to stop us!" Lucas piped in.

"Hey!" Steve spoke loudly.

"We circle back to the exit —"

"Guys." Steve tried getting their attention.

"By the time they realise we're gone El would be at the gate." Mike continued saying, speaking as though Steve didn't even exist and his words were inaudible.

Having enough, Steve clapped his hands together, yelling, "Hey, Hey, Hey!" Everyone turned to him, including Mary and Corina. They stared expectantly. Steve's hands went to his hips, looking around the faces, "This is not happening." He refused.

"But!" Mike tried.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Steve and Mary yelled simultaneously, trying to be the reasonable adults, "No buts! I promised I'd keep you shitheads safe and that's exactly what I plan on doing. We're staying here. On the bench. And we're waiting for the starting time to do their job, does everybody understand that?"

"This isn't a stupid sports game!" Mike exclaimed for the second time.

"Hey!" Mary barked, pointing at Will and the boy glared up at her, "Enough of the attitude, Wheeler. Ever heard of the phrase respect your elders?" Mary said, settling her hands on her hips and straightening out her face.

"Ever heard the phrase of kiss my —"

"Oh for the love of god!" Corina yelled, throwing her head back and her hands up. She looked to Steve and Mary, "Please just let them to. My ears can't take the sound of their insufferable little voices anymore!" She begged desperately, screwing her face up.

Mary looked at Corina, "They'd get themselves killed."

Corina blinked, "So?!"

"So we already have one dead body in the fridge and can't fit anymore in it and I can't be bothered covering up their deaths!" Mary yelled, gesturing with her hands. She sighed, closing her eyes as taking a moment to collect herself as the kids stared at her, "What I mean was, if the kids die I'm gonna die — my dad would murder my ass and then Joyce would bring me back to life and murder me again —"

"We'll be careful." Max attempted.

"And you'll be with us!" Lucas tried.

Steve grabbed the dishcloth from his shoulder and pointed at the kids with it, "I said we're not going. Does everyone understand that?" No one responded, "I need a yes." Still, no one said a single thing and just when Mary was about to open her mouth to go full on crazy on all their asses, the sound of a car engine revving outside stopped her.

Max was the first to rush to the window, recognising the sound instantly. Her jumping onto the couch startled Charlie awake and he flailed his arms around for a moment, "I'm up, mom!" He blurted out sleepily.

Charlie looked around in confusion an then got off the couch, joining Mary, "It's my brother," Max announced. Steve threw his head back whilst Mary swallowed nervously since the last time she had seen Billy he had kissed her and then kicked her out his house, "He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me, he'll kill us." All of the teens exchanged glances.

Mary kicked into protective mode, "Kids, stay away from the window. Everyone else, come outside, we'll try to get rid of him." She said, rushing towards the door that was bolted up.

As she unlocked it, Steve caught her wrist, "Hey, let me and Charlie handle it." He said softly.

She shook her head, "No. We all go out — he's least likely to be suspicious that way." She insisted.

Charlie nodded, "She's right, man. No time for us dudes to play heroes today." He said, grasping his leather jacket that had been cleaned down from the couch.

He flung it on as he approached. Steve hesitated and Corina sighed, rolling her eyes, "Hurry up and open it, dweeb." She said, gesturing towards the door and Steve sighed before opening it and stepping out first.

Billy was standing by his car with the door open, leaning against it whilst smoking a cigarette. Form behind Steve, Mary could smell the nicotine and wished she had a cigarette on her, "Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?" Billy called out, smoke puffing out from his mouth.

"Yeah, it's me. Don't cream your pants." Steve called back casually, standing on the steps with his hands on his hips — Mary, being Steve's longtime best friend knew that he was doing that typical male testosterone thing where he tried to appear larger and more brave than he was with snark and sarcasm.

Billy, confirming Mary's thoughts on boys and their behaviour, began taking his leather jacket off, displaying his large biceps, "What're you doing here, amigo?" He asked Steve as he threw his jacket into the drivers seat. He glanced by Steve, noticing the other three at the door, "Ya'll having a party or something?" He said with a snicker as he and Steve walked towards each other.

"I could ask you the same thing... amigo." Steve said.

"Looking for my stepsister. A little birdie told me she was here." Billy retorted, the cigarette bopping up and down between his lips which Mary watched, craving a cigarette to destress.

"Huh, that's weird. I don't know her."

"Small, redhead, bit of a bitch," Billy described. His gaze drifted to where Mary, Charlie and Corina stood close together. Billy chuckled, "Like Corina over there only younger and annoying." Corina folded her eyes at her chest and blinked, staring at him blankly and coldly. Mary assumed whatever thing they had going on a while back must have ended on a bad note.

"Doesn't ring a bell. Sorry, buddy." Steve's voice was dismissive but it didn't bother Billy.

The boy took a long draw of his cigarette before taking it out of his mouth. He tilted his head, exhaling as he jittered his knee, "You know, I don't know, this," He clicked his tongue, "This whole situation, Harrington. I don't know... It's giving me the heebie-jeebies." He said, looking Steve dead in the face, stepping closer to him.

"Oh yeah, why's that?" Steve asked.

Billy took a draw of the cig, "My thirteen year old sister goes missing all day and then I find her with you in a strangers house. And you lie to me about it." Billy was getting more serious as time went on, Mary could see it in his straight posture.

Steve chuckled, "Man, were you dropped too much as a child or what?" Billy laughed in amusement, "I don't know what you don't understand about what I just said." Steve's voice was getting low and cocky.

Billy stepped forward and Mary's heart skipped a beat when she thought he was about to get violent with Steve. She stepped forward quickly, "She's not here, Billy!" She called out before she could stop herself. She hasn't wanted to get involved, not really, but when Steve' safety was threatened she couldn't help herself.

Billy looked by Steve and right to Mary. He noticed Charlie beside her and he licked his lips, grinning like a maniac. He pointed with his cigarette, "She's a good kisser, isn't she?" He called over to Charlie and just like that, a switch went off and Charlie ran down the stairs to Billy.

"Charlie!" Mary exclaimed, grabbing at him as she chased after him. Steve turned, catching Charlie in his arms before he could reach Billy that was laughing narcissistically, "Billy, shut up!" Mary yelled, glaring through gritted teeth as she tried to hold Charlie back along with Steve.

Steve managed to push Charlie back a few feet and everyone stood around in a heated silence, "Hey, we're all good here, right? We're all good here." Steve said, holding both his arms out to separate Charlie and Billy.

Billy looked Mary up and down, "It's nice to see you again, Mary." He said, making Charlie's nose twitch as he tried to conceal his anger for the sake of the kids in the house hiding.

Mary looked at him, "Really?" She asked bitterly, "I mean, you were the one that threw yourself at me and then kicked me out when I wasn't having it. And what, you thought we'd just be friends?" She asked in amused disbelief, laughing through her words.

Billy stepped closer, "I never wanna be just friends with you, Hopper," He winked lazily at her and the girl glared. Charlie was breathing heavily, his shoulders heaving. Billy handed Mary his cigarette, "Hey, uh can you hold this?" Mary didn't have a choice since he took her hand and put it between her fingers anyway.

He walked around the side of his car and Mary sighed, "Billy, what're you doing?" She asked in exasperation.

"Getting my sister back. Even if I have to go through all of you losers to do it." He said, looking in the back seat for something.

"How many times, man? She's not here." Steve called over to him but Billy simply laughed, pulling a hollow pole out from the back of his car and Mary's shoulders tensed.

He walked right up to Steve who didn't even flinch, "Then who is that?" He said in his face, glancing by him to the living room window.

        Mary looked, seeing all of the kids quickly duck down and she cringed, "Aw, shit." She mumbled right before Billy pushed Steve onto the ground.

He leaned over him, "I told you to plant your feet." He said before kicking Steve in the chin.

Charlie ran at him, swinging his fist but Billy bet him to it and swung the pole in his hand that clattered against Charlie's head who was out cold before he even hit the ground, "Charlie!" Mary exclaimed, running to her boyfriend, trying to shake him awake whilst Steve was on the ground groaning in pain.

Billy marched up to the house and tossed the pole aside. Before he could reach the door, Corina stepped in his way, blocking him. Billy sighed heavily, "Don't be like that, Corina." He said, his voice low and crackly.

The girl tipped her head back fiercely, "What, you gonna hit me too?" She challenged.

"I don't hit girls." Billy said before pushing her aside and throwing the front door open.

Mary stared ahead, gulping. They were in deep shit.

( authors note )

        How badly I wanted Charlie and Steve to beat Billy's ass! And I know other people wanted it to but it just makes better sense to put Charlie out of the fight otherwise it kinda fucks with the actual plot. Oops. Don't worry, I'll definitely include some scene of Charlie ending Billy ;).