the unexpected | steve harrington

dear billy

part three

Steve clambers out of the car, pushing his hair out of his face and forcing Daphne to scramble after him. He was right, she had taken a while, but she was grieving. Daphne didn't want to disturb that.

"Steve, she just needs some time-"

"I've given her time, alright?" Steve snaps at Daphne, her eyebrows raising in shock as it's the first time he's been so court with her, even after they've just had the conversion. "I'm sorry, alright, but if she's in trouble—" Steve sighed as he turned to the three who were slowly following behind, "if she wants to get a lawyer, she can."

Daphne stopped with the other two, watching from a distance as Steve jogs up to the redhead on the gravestone.

"Lovers quarrel?" Dustin grins at his sister, but Daphne just lets out a puff of air and eye roll with her hands situated firmly on her hips, Sinclair laughs at his friend.

Their grins slowly fading at the fearful tone of Steve calling Max's name, shaking her in the distance.

"Oh, fuck," Daphne cursed, the other two's ears perking up.

"Hey!" Steve shouts to the group, all three running in complete panic towards them.

"Oh god, god, god," Daphne knelt in front of Max, directly opposite Steve who was desperately trying to wake her.

Max's eyes were bloodshot, rolled to the back of her head as her breathing seemed stuck in her throat, shaking as though she was in a dream.

Daphne couldn't think; Max was here, potentially dying and she was helpless, surrounded by three boys who were just as helpless as her.

"Max, Max! You gotta get outta there!" Steve's eyes started to well up, choruses of shouting and shaking from all of them at the poor girl in front of them.

"N-Nancy! Dustin, go try them!" Daphne shouted, pointing at the car, Dustin nodding frantically.

"Max, we're gunna find something, okay?" Daphne tried to speak to Max, knowing full well she can't hear her.

"Dude, call Nancy and Robin, call Nancy and Robin now!" Steve yells at a star struck Dustin who couldn't move, falling backwards off a tombstone and breaking his trance as he runs back to the car.

"Please Max, please, come on!" Lucas begged the girl in front of him.

Daphne could hear her brother shouting about a code red, knowing they obviously weren't there to pick up her breathing got frantic as she pulled at her hair.

"Come on, think, Daphne, think," Daphne stood up as she took a deep breath, trying to understand anything.

Daphne didn't know what to do, none of them did, but she knew she had to connect Max back to her real life. Back to reality. She needs a lifeline.

"The letter, try the letter!" Daphne scrambled down, pushing Steve out of the way. "She needs to come back! She needs something that'll bring her back!"

"We don't know it'll even work!" Steve yelled, Daphne grits her teeth in frustration.

"Do you have a better idea than just shoving her?!" Daphne shoves steve, him sighing in defeat.

Daphne grabbed her crumpled letter from her back pocket, looking frantically between Max and the letter with her handwriting on.

"Uhm," Daphne sniffled, "Dear Daph, if someone told me a year ago I would have Dustin's sister at my place every other night, I would have called them crazy, and then got a restraining order." Daphne chuckles as a tear falls down, "You quite literally barged your way into my life and wouldn't let me go, no matter how many names I called you and how many times I slammed the door in your face," Daphne sniffled. "you're a real pain in the ass, but I've never—"

"Her finger!" Lucas cried to Steve and Daphne as her finger twitched.

"Go, go! I think it's working!" Steve yelled again and Daphne let out a small sob.

"I've never had someone who I could trust with everything I have," Daphne feels hot tears stream.

"Her song!" Dustin screams as he runs over, "what— is— her— favourite— song!!" he screams at the group.

"They found something?" Daphne asks, jumping forward and scanning the tapes for her walkman.

"What is her favourite song?!" Dustin cries again and Daphne sits back to think.

"Uh, uh, she always listens to—"

"Kate Bush!" Lucas answers, grabbing the tapes and finding it, "it's right here! got it!"

Dustin puts the headphones over her ears, Steve pressing play as the group scream at her to wake up.

The older Henderson can feel her heart quickening, her stomach about to spill over in front of her, but nothing compares to the confusion and pure fear that takes over her as Max's body slowly lifts from the floor.

"M-Max!" Daphne cried, trying to hold on to her leg, then her foot, that slipped from her grip.

It felt like time stood still, but at the same time that it was slipping through their hands like sand. The group cried out her name, head in hands as the panic stricken teenagers fear that they're about to watch their friend die brutally before their eyes. Daphne promised her she'd be okay.

"Please! Max!" Daphne begs as she feels herself collapse to the floor, the rest screaming at the girl, "Oh my g-god, oh my god!" the sobs ripping through her body.

Daphne looks up at Max who is still levitating in front of her, waiting for it to happen as the boys stand there. Until —

The brunette watches as Max inhales a huge breath, dropping from the sky onto the floor and into Daphne's hands.

"Oh my god!" She pulls her into her, crying into her shoulder, "thank god, thank god!" Max gasping in fear as she looks around to make sure this is real.

The rest of them holding her to make sure it's real.

Daphne lets go as Lucas dives forward, sitting back on the grass in complete shock at what happened, her heart pounding from her chest.

Steve places his arms around Daphne, on the ground with her as they catch their breaths, listening to Lucas' cries for Max as she whimpers and sobs audibly.

The older Henderson presses her head into the crook of Steve's neck, him clutching tight on to Daphne as they breathe in pure relief.

"I thought we lost you,"

"I'm still — I'm still here." Max whispers, more so telling herself that. Dustin placing a limp arm around her.

Steve barely even noticed the stray tears running down his cheek as he held Daphne, laying a small kiss on the top of her head as they watch the girl in front of them breathe. Watch her live.

They know what to do now. They have a small piece of the puzzle. And they will keep each other safe.