melancholia. [ ALTERNATE SPIN-OFF ] [ BILLY HARGROVE ]

ix. CHAPTER SEVEN

~*~
The Night Before
Hopper's Cabin

     "How did you find me?" Mary asked, arms crossed as she could feel the cold nipping at her already. 

     "Well, you left a note to the Harrington boy and he, idiotically, left it lying around at his job," Dmitri answered, eyes going around the cabin. "Quaint." 

     "Look, I busted you out, I busted me out. Deal ends there," Mary told him, following him as he walked to the couch.

     "Do you have coffee?" 

     "No. I hate it. Get out." 

     "Miss Henderson, I believe you are remembering our deal wrong," Dmitri said with a small sigh. "It was that we help each other find our family's. Seeing as you have already found yours, it is time to find mine." 

     "Oh, and where might they be?" Mary asked sarcastically. 

     "California," he answered. "My wife and my daughter are there, and I believe that is where Mr. Hargrove currently resides. I see this as what you Americans would call a win-win situation." 

     "Except, it's not," Mary snapped at him. "Billy's here, in Hawkins, because he thinks that his little sister is deathly ill. I had this whole plan that I would be waiting for him at our place, and he'd show up there and we'd cry and hug and-" Mary paused, head whipping to face Dmitri. "But that doesn't concern you." 

     "Once you escaped, I tracked your foot steps in the snow all the way to the main road. Take that main road for miles and eventually you hit an airport that flies goods to Europe. I discovered you manipulated a pilot into letting you stay aboard one of their cargo planes, and then you took a flight from the United Kingdom to Chicago. You were quite easy to track, you used only Russian currency. The currency I gave you." Mary took in all the information that Dmitri just gave her, and huffed out a breath of anger. "Now, you'll use that money again to buy us both plane tickets to California, as soon as possible." 

     "You can't go alone?" Mary asked. 

     "No, because as we started this mission, we will end it. Together. The small trip to San Francisco, and then home for you again," Dmitri said, clapping his hands together. "I think its quite nice." 

     "No, no, no. You wouldn't make me go without you for no reason," Mary said, head shaking at him again. "Why do you want me to go?" Dmitri sighed in defeat, shoulders sagging. 

     "They are after us, Miss Henderson," Dmitri confessed. "And if you don't remember, they had a base here in Hawkins. So it's the caged creature, or running. Your choice." 

     "You mean the demogorgon that they own?" Mary asked. "Yeah, great." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I can't leave Billy." 

     "He hasn't seen you, so I don't see why you can't not leave him," Dmitri persisted. "He'll return to California at some point, we just have to wait." Mary took a minute, then screwed her eyes shut. 

     "I just got my family back, they just got me back. I can't leave again," Mary argued with him. "I'm not going, and that's final." 

     "Miss Henderson, I gifted you your powers. I could take them away, as well as many other things in your life," Dmitri said, his tone and eyes darkening. "Do you want that?" Mary clenched her fists, then shook her head. "Good." He stood from the couch, going to the door again. "I'll be retrieving my night wear from my vehicle, we leave in the morning to say your goodbyes." Mary watched as he walked out, and finally went to her room in defeat.

~*~
Present

     Susan looked between the two on her porch, words caught in her throat at the news. 

    "I already talked to Steve and Dustin," Mary said. "And I finally confronted my mom." Susan gave her a sad look, Mary looking to her feet. "She cried, Dustin cried, I cried. We all cried. I told her what I could tell her, and now Billy's the last person left on my list." Mary wiped her eyes, bringing her head up. "Besides, he definitely thinks you've been at the door too long and that we're probably Mormons." Susan chuckled lightly, Mary smiling at the woman. 

     "I'll be in the car," Dmitri announced. He turned and walked to the car, Mary nearly flinching as his door shut loudly. 

     "He'll think it isn't real," Susan began. 

     "I know," Mary told her with a small nod. "I know he will. That's why this is going to suck." Mary pushed past Susan and into the house, leaving the red haired woman standing on the porch stunned. Mary's head looked to Billy's room first, a small smile on her face as it looked like it was Max's now. She then looked to the kitchen, heart pounding at the coming conversation. She was about to step in to talk to Billy, but a hand grabbed her wrist and began to drag her outside. She looked to see it was Dmitri, and he was nearly running. "What are you doing?" 

     "They're almost here," Dmitri answered quickly. "Thank you, Miss Mayfield. Please do send our regards to William." 

     "You're absolutely insane," Mary snapped. 

     "No, I'm right," Dmitri told her. He pointed down the street to a black S.U.V., and two tall men were getting out of it. "Get in the car." He practically threw Mary in the car, starting it up quickly. 

     "No! I haven't gotten to tell him yet!" Mary yelled. She tried to get out of the car, but Dmitri pulled her back. She looked at him, eyes wide and angry. 

     "He'll be in California soon. For now, we must go," Dmitri told her forcefully. He let go of Mary's wrist and started the car quickly. He skidded away from the house at top speed, Mary looking back as her stomach was flipping every second. She could see Billy standing on the porch with Susan now, watching their car drive away. 

     "Billy," Mary whispered, eyes watering at the sight of him. The full sight of him. Dmitri suddenly turned, Mary no longer being able to see him anymore. She fell back in her seat, the nerves and fear now gone. They'd been replaced with sadness and guilt. 

-----

I'M SO SORRY
I JUST
I NEED IT TO BE RIGHT
AND HER JUST WALKING IN
WHILE HE'S SIPPING COFFEE
ISN'T RIGHT

don't worry. we'll get there.
i hope you enjoyed this update
even though it was terribly short
and very disappointing
and gut wrenching
but i still hope you liked it :)