Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I don't wanna talk
About things we've gone through
Though it's hurting me, now it's history
I've played all my cards
And that's what you've done, too
Nothing more to say, no more ace to play

The Winner Takes It All- ABBA

Max felt like she had the whole thing memorized at this point. She’d watched the recording so many times, that she could see it burned on her eyelids when she went to sleep at night. Still, the concern that Lucas showed for her was more than a little annoying right now.

 “How many times are you going to watch that today?” He sounded exasperated. Lucas’ expression was unreadable to anyone else, but Max noticed the slight pinch between his eyebrows when she turned her head to look at him.

“Well, I’m thinking about watching it more now that you mention it,” Max shrugged as she shifted her attention back to the camcorder and rewound it to start the whole thing all over again.

It wasn’t hard for her to imagine being there in the crowd. If she closed her eyes and drifted, she could almost go back to when she was a kid. See the bright lights flashing through her closed eyelids, feel the cool wind on her face, and hear the crowd screaming. In some way, it was comforting. On the other hand, she knew she would never understand what it was like to be on the other side of it. Hell, the crowds were insane back then and that was after…well…everything.

The car jolting to a sudden stop broke Max from her thoughts as a shriek erupted from the backseat. “Goddamn, Lucas. Drive much?” Max caught a glimpse of Erica’s death glare in the rear-view mirror as she opened her eyes.

“More than you,” he was quick to snap back as he rolled down his window. Erica mumbled to herself the whole time in the backseat, probably checking over her equipment to make sure she hadn’t thrown anything around in her rush to sit up. Max held her breath as the gate opened. Erica had never been to her dad’s house before and this could go one of two ways: quiet admiration or the far more likely attempt to act like nothing could impress her.

“Hey, what the hell? You never said you grew up in a mansion?” Erica peeked her head in between the seats as the car started to move up the long driveway.

“Just didn’t think it was important for everyone to know,” Max shrugged as she moved to clean her glasses. This was going to be a hell of a day.

~

Steve Harrington, at first glance, did not look anything like a retired rockstar. Not that Lucas and Erica knew exactly what those were supposed to look like but they both always pictured some old, tattooed guy looking one step past death’s door. At least Lucas was used to it by now. Erica, however, seemed set on scrutinizing everything. She definitely did not expect someone who dressed in bright-colored shirts and khakis like the sight they were met with when the door swung open.

“He looks straight out of whatever that weird magazine mom keeps on the coffee table is,” Erica hissed under her breath.

“Better Homes and Gardens?” Lucas asked before he could stop himself. “Just…stop talking!”

Max had left them both in the dust once they hit the front door. She’d been swept into a tight hug and Steve started his concerned rambling as she shambled after him into the long hallway that led from the foyer to the kitchen at the back of the house. Her gaze shifts upwards towards the big chandelier hanging in the entryway as the footsteps and quiet conversation start to echo.

“How’s the brace treating you?” Steve flashed Max a soft smile as they entered the kitchen. His gaze drifted down to Max’s leg and his eyebrows furrowed with concern for just a moment as the redhead moved to sit down.

Her shoulders shrugged as she fought back a grimace. “It’s fine,” she glanced up and her expression hardened as she repeated herself. “Seriously, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

A year ago, it had been worse. Everything had been worse since Chrissy, except for maybe her relationship with Lucas. Chrissy Cunningham had been a constant in her life since she could remember. If she listened too close to the quiet of the big house, it was like she could still hear her. Feel her presence in the walls. Hear her laughter and the way that she would offer her guidance.

Steve hurried around the kitchen like he’d practiced the whole thing.

“Lucas had your posters over his bed growing up,” Erica smirked as she pulled out the chair across from Max and sat.

“God, shut up,” Lucas howled. Max was laughing so hard she was red in the face as Steve cackled loudly from across the room.

~

Erica took her good old time setting up the camera after dinner. Steve had cooked the dinner himself and everyone was full and happy. No better time to rip off the band-aid of the whole thing than right now.

“You know, if anything ever makes you uncomfortable in this whole thing, you can feel free to tell us to go screw ourselves,” Lucas joked as he took a seat next to Max.

Steve laughed and shook his head. “I’ve talked about most of this stuff before, Sinclair. But thanks for the offer. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Max shifted awkwardly in her chair, hands folded and unfolded in her lap as she locked eyes with her dad. Steve reached out and squeezed her hand. They were going to power through this. “We’re rolling!” Erica’s loud voice cut through the silence. No going back now.

~

26 years earlier

Steve Harrington, from what everyone around him knew, should have everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was younger, he did. But that all changed when he did. Steve was a disappointment and a disgrace his dad made sure to tell him over and over again all through high school. Steve forgot all about Stephanie; the mere mention of the name made him cringe now. But his dad seemed to want to use it as a sort of power play. Digging the dagger in even more.

It was easy to pretend like it didn’t bother him some days. On days like this one when he was told by someone that he actually idolized that what he wrote just wasn’t good enough, it was impossible even as he sat between Robin and Chrissy as they chatted excitedly. A flash went off and he blinked as he came back to himself. “You good, dude?” Jonathan asked from his perch on a stool in the corner.

“Steve didn’t smile for a picture? Did we just enter a trippy parallel universe or what,” Gareth snorted as he packed up his drumsticks.

“Gare! Can you be nice for 5 minutes?” Chrissy hissed as she tossed a pretzel at his head.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” The smile Steve forced out was a tight-lipped one and everyone but Robin seemed to buy it.

Everyone filtered out of the room in pairs. Nancy and Jonathan whispered quietly about whatever she was planning to write to pitch to the magazine they worked for. Chrissy tossed her head back and laughed at something wild Gareth said to her, and then the door closed behind him and it was silent. Just him and Robin like it had been when they’d packed up their things and ran away from Hawkins overnight. It was terrifying to know that she knew just what was going on with him.

“So, are we gonna talk about it?” Robin quirked an eyebrow as Steve finally rose from the stool and let out a groan.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Steve shrugged. He avoided eye contact as he started to pack up his things. Would this be the last time they were allowed to use the studio? What the fuck was going to happen to them? They’d fucked up and he wrote a boring ass song and this was it.

“Yeah, your face totally tells me there’s nothing to talk about, dingus.”

Steve looked up and locked eyes with Robin. She stood with her arms behind her back, hands thrust into the back pockets of her jeans, and an expression that just screamed I’m worried about you on her face.

“What do you want me to say? That I’m a monumental screw-up? You got it! That my dad was right and I’ll never fucking amount to anything? Sure. You bet,” Steve’s voice cracked as he ran a hand through his hair.

“I never said that! We all have bad da-”

“It wasn’t a bad day, Rob. I put my heart and soul into that shit and Murray told me I’m basically worth shit!” He yelled. Robin didn’t flinch. “Maybe we should’ve never even come here.”

“You shut the fuck up with that shit right now, Steve! Murray needs to pull his head out of his ass and realize that he doesn’t know what he’s fucking talking about sometimes.”

Robin crossed the space between them quickly as she saw the cracks in Steve’s armor start to show. She wrapped her arms around him just as he slumped forward slightly and rested his head on her shoulder. His shoulders shook but no tears came out. He couldn’t let people keep winning. “Now how about we go home, get plastered, and write some amazing shit,” Robin joked as she rubbed a soothing hand up and down her friend’s back.

Steve let out a watery laugh. “Hell yeah.”

A week later, Murray in all his wisdom introduced them all to Eddie Munson.

~

Present
“Sounds like Murray really knows how to boost an ego,” Erica huffed from behind the camera.

“Murray is an asshole,” Max reassured her.

“Murray may be an asshole, but we wouldn’t have anything that we have right now without him,” Steve shrugged his shoulders as he rose from his chair to get a fresh bottle of water from the fridge.

Max knew it was hard for him to talk about Eddie. Hell, it was hard for her to get him to talk about anything directly related to the band. It had been for her whole life basically. The only thing that made it easier to talk about was the fact that she was the one begging him right now. Not some weirdo who was looking to exploit him. God knows he’d dealt with that enough.

“So, you guys didn’t know Eddie from before?” Lucas set his bottle of water down and slung his arm across the back of Max’s chair.

Steve let out a snort of laughter. “No. He grew up a couple hours away from us, but we didn’t even know that until we started to get along.”

“You guys didn’t get along,” Erica quirked an eyebrow. “Definitely didn’t get that vibe.”

Max shot her a look as Steve took his seat across from them again.

He shrugged his shoulders as he got a faraway look in his eye. “I never said that. We got along great after a while but Eddie…he’s just different. He was pretty abrasive when we first met him, but I really couldn’t blame him.”

They’d all seen the footage of Eddie from after Corroded Coffin broke up but… Max just never thought of him as being that way before; getting dragged out of crowded bars over someone’s shoulder like a misbehaved child either drugged out of his mind or still swinging from a fight. It made her stomach turn. How the hell did they get there?

“When we met Eddie, he was playing in some Fleetwood Mac cover band,” Steve took a sip of his drink. He looked up and let out a loud laugh. Erica had a borderline disgusted look on her face. Max’s mouth was hanging open. Lucas had his eyebrows raised with an amused smile on his face. “You can wipe the shock off your faces. I’m not lying.”

“Ok, we have to hear about this shit.”

~

26 Years Earlier

“He’s the one up there with the guitar. You know what those are, don’t you, Steven?” Murray shouted over the loud whistles of the crowd as the band came onstage. Steve just ground his teeth and stared forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chrissy shoot him a mutinous look; almost like she was trying to decide about whether or not she should smash her bottle over his head.

Murray had given them the rundown on Eddie Munson when they’d all crammed into the car on the way over. He’d been in California for about 2 years now, just around Steve’s age. He’d spent the past year and a half jumping between bands faster than a lot of people could keep track of…except for Murray apparently. Murray had kept an eye on him since a friend had heard the band play about 5 months ago. Fucking impossible to get alone according to the people he’d tried to send out to meet with him. Eddie wasn’t very trusting and had sent Alexei away with a laugh and a “nice try, comrade” before he had turned on his heel and sauntered off. But fuck if Murray didn’t like a challenge.

None of them really knew what to expect other than the fact that the crowd seemed excited. Which was pretty weird for a cover band…until they started playing. “They’re pretty good,” Robin whispered in his ear by the time the fourth song rolled around.

Steve could only nod his head. The recording that they’d seen didn’t do it justice. Eddie was hypnotic when he was on stage. His dark, wild hair whipped around behind him as he nodded his head to the music. Nearing the end of the set, Steve noticed something. A bored look seemed to cross Eddie’s face every once and a while, but no one else seemed to care.

He was jolted from his thoughts by a loud shriek and he turned to see Chrissy stand up on her chair, arms thrown in the air. Eddie had just gone screaming into the guitar solo and holy shit, he hated to admit it, but Murray was fucking right.

Murray had a certain way that he moved through the crowd; that way happened to be borderline shoving people out of the way until Chrissy cut in front of him. Instead, she led the way with a polite chorus of excuse mes as Gareth hovered behind her just as ready to shove anyone who might make the wrong move.

“Eddie Munson,” Murray announced his presence with a loud clap of his hands.

“Oh god,” Robin muttered as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

The man in question froze like a deer in headlights where he stood with his bandmates. “Can I help you?”

“You’re a hard man to get a hold of, Munson! I respect that. Hate it! But respect it,” Murray held out his hand as he finally introduced himself.

Eddie had apparently thought it was a joke when the other man had come up to him saying that Murray Bauman wanted to meet with him. It seemed obvious that Eddie was putting on at least a little bit of a front because the guy described as a loose cannon was suddenly nice as pie. He exchanged numbers with Murray and bid everyone goodbye with a little wave.

Steve heard the drummer of the band say something about how he should throw the number away on their way out the back door. Eddie just brushed him off as he turned and looked at Steve over his shoulder and flashed him a smile as the door closed behind him.

Murray heard from him the next day and Steve never saw him look so satisfied with himself.

Chapter Text

As the light hits you
As you shift along the floor
I find it hard to place my face
How did I come to be here, anyway?
It's terribly vague, what's gone before

Oh, To Be In Love- Kate Bush

Chapter 2: Gareth

1 year earlier

Corroded Coffin was never supposed to make it as big as it did. Chrissy had told her that what felt like a lifetime ago. It was just supposed to be a passion project between friends. Friends that weren’t even really friends anymore.

“I don’t regret it at all,” she had whispered as she squeezed Max’s hand. “I regret some of it. Some of the dumb things that all of us did, but we were kids, you know? I was your age when all of it started. I don’t think any of us really were thinking about settling down or taking things too seriously.”

“Dad seemed like he was.”

“Steve always took things too seriously,” Gareth had called from inside the pantry. “I was about 5 seconds away from getting him a fucking mug that said band mom.”

That sounded about right.

“What about Eddie?” Max asked.

Gareth peeked around the corner, eyebrows raised in a curious expression as he locked eyes with Chrissy.

Eddie Munson was a lot of things. Everyone she asked thought something different about him.

“Reckless as hell,” Robin had said with a laugh.

“Self-destructive,” Nancy had offered her input as she had fixed Max dinner one day.

“The best friend I could ask for…even if he didn’t really take care of himself,” Chrissy had sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“Eddie was like a tornado,” Steve had said when Max finally had the courage to ask him. She was old enough now; old enough to be getting married and starting a family of her own when they talked about it. “He would always cause chaos wherever he went. He was reckless and passionate. He just…”

“Did you love him,” Max questioned him.

Steve looked her over as the corner of his mouth twitched up into a small smile. His silence and the sad look that flickered across his features was answer enough for her.

-----

Present

“Why didn’t you ever tell me how you guys met?” Max yawned as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes the next morning. Lucas and Erica were still asleep after a long day of interviewing and board games after. It was just them. It felt safer right now to talk about it.

Steve sighed as he sat down next to her at the island in the kitchen. He slid a coffee over to her as he turned to look at her. “I don’t know. I guess so much has happened since then. I think about it sometimes because it’s funny but. I don’t know.” His shoulders sagged as he ran a hand down his face. “I didn’t think that was one of the important things to tell you, I guess. I’m sorry.”

Max took a sip of her coffee and leaned back in the chair. She wiggled the toes on her right foot as she did; it was a weird habit she had now almost like she was making sure they were still there. “It’s okay,” she shrugged. “I liked hearing the other stuff more.” She smiled softly at her dad.

“So, what’s on the agenda today?” Steve changed the subject.

Max thought for a moment as she chose her words carefully. “We’re going to see Uncle Gareth. Lucas wants to meet him. And I…I miss him,” she admitted. It had been a while since they’d seen each other. Six months, give or take a few weeks. They talked on the phone every so often, but it wasn’t the same. Gareth had sounded excited as hell when she called him last week to see when a good time would be to visit.

“Good. You guys used to be so close.” Steve placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “I’ll send you over with some cookies or something.” Max let out a snort of laughter.

It felt like everyone had grown farther apart since Chrissy died. They tried to be there for Gareth and Max felt too guilty to admit that she really just…couldn’t do it.

“You’re gonna do great,” Steve assured her.

“You have to say that shit. You’re my dad.”

“My little star reporter,” Steve pulled her sideways into a tight hug. Max let out a loud shriek of laughter as she slipped closer to him on the chair. She struggled almost comically for a moment as she swung her arms.

She relented as Steve pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re such a nerd.”

---

The drive to Gareth’s house was one that Max could make with her eyes closed.

“So, which one is this?”

“The drummer,” Lucas answered.

“Chrissy’s husband,” Max corrected him. “But he was also the drummer. That’s just less important to me.” Gareth had basically helped raise her. Not seeing him in months was strange. Part of her felt like Gareth would turn her away. Tell them all to leave. But instead, he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

“I missed you, kiddo.”

“I missed you more, loser,” Max squeezed her eyes shut.

“The infamous Lucas!” Gareth put on his best parent voice as he looked Lucas up and down, an arm still around Max’s shoulders.

Lucas sputtered over his words for a few seconds before Erica showed him mercy. “Infamous for what? Being a dweeb?”

“Jesus Christ, Erica.” Lucas huffed out.

Gareth let out a laugh and stepped away from Max. He reached out a hand, “Nice to meet you, dude. Max hasn’t shut up about you in the last like 4 years.”

It was Max’s turn to be embarrassed now as she felt the heat creep up the back of her neck.

If Max felt like Steve’s house held shadows of Chrissy, then Gareth’s house was like a shrine. Some of her things seemed to be in the same place she’d left them. It was like she’d gone to the grocery store; not like she’d died a year ago.

Gareth seemed to move a little more robotically than Max remembered. Or maybe he’d always moved like that and she’d forgotten after not seeing him for so long. She wasn’t exactly sure which was worse at this point.

Maybe they should’ve left Erica back at Steve’s house but the possibilities of that were even worse. She could end up spilling the beans and ruining everything on accident and they couldn’t risk it.

“She was really pretty,” Erica commented as she nodded toward a picture on the wall. Max didn’t have to look to know what one it was. The picture of Chrissy with her arm wrapped around Max at her graduation had hung in that same spot for the past 4 years.

Gareth’s friendly expression faltered for a brief moment before he pulled himself together. “Yeah. She really was, wasn’t she?”

Within 15 minutes, it seemed like Gareth had secured the spot as Erica’s favorite person. Lucas had never seemed more confused in his life. It made Max happy. She spent years trying to keep all the parts of her life separate but seeing them come together like this was enough to make her verge on getting emotional.

Lucas, as he almost always did, noticed the change. He slid his arm around her shoulders as they sat on the back patio watching Gareth show Erica different patterns they’d laid out into the stone tiles. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Max sighed as she leaned her head over to rest it on his shoulder. “I’m just glad Erica seems a little less miserable. Sometimes I feel like she hates me or something.” Okay. Maybe she didn’t mean to be that honest.

Lucas quirked an eyebrow. “She doesn’t hate you.”

“Oh yeah? How do you know? Are you a super-secret mind reader?” Max teased.

“No. She told me.”

“Bullshit, she did,” Max sat up straighter.

Lucas laughed. “Uh, she totally did. She basically told me when we were kids that I had to get her blessing before I married anyone because she can’t bear to have a boring sister-in-law.” Max felt herself start to blush before a laugh broke through her pursed lips.

“That sounds like her!”

“Totally. So, do me a favor,” Lucas looked down at her. “Stop worrying so much. There’s gonna be plenty of time for that later.”

Max rolled her eyes as Lucas leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. God, she loved him.

---

Gareth seemed like he was ready for the sofa to swallow him whole as Erica went about setting up the camera. She seemed a little less enthusiastic this time. Max fidgeted in her seat and tried not to look too long at Gareth. Behind her, Lucas looked over his little list of questions.

“Well, let’s get this show on the road,” Gareth waved his hands in the air at a weak attempt at jazz hands.

“Are you sure?”

“Sure as I’ll ever be!”

Max looked at Lucas over her shoulder. He shot her a reassuring smile and she turned just in time to see Erica’s expression soften just a little bit.

“If you want me to stop asking you questions at any time, just tell us.”

Gareth let out a shaky breath and nodded. Everyone held their breath as Erica hit record.

---

Gareth had grown up, funnily enough, about a half hour outside of Hawkins. Chrissy had talked that out of him within 15 minutes. Chrissy had a way of getting things out of people like that.

Gareth had moved out there with the same hopes as the rest of them: he wanted to make money off of his talent. Maybe he could really have a chance this time. They all thought that at one point if you asked them. It was weird for Max to think about her family like that.

It was less weird with Gareth, who somehow still had a boyish quality about him even after everything he’d gone through with Chrissy. Being her caretaker for the past 2 years has sucked some of the life out of his eyes, but he still seemed as optimistic as ever. Max always saw him as more of an equal than an authority figure anyway. He was the one she could talk to about things that bothered her. It wasn’t like she loved to keep secrets from Steve, but she was only human.

“You know, I was pretty angry by the time I joined Corroded Coffin.” He told the others. Max raised an eyebrow. “My mom wouldn’t stop harping on me to come home. My parents were getting divorced, and I just felt like it wasn’t going to get any better.”

“And then what happened?” Erica spoke up from behind the camera. Max startled slightly as she looked back and forth between the two of them.

Gareth smiled and Max’s stomach turned. “Then we met Eddie. And for the first time in a long time, I really felt like someone got me, you know?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Lucas nodded his head before he glanced over at Max and smiled.

Max cleared her throat. “I’m glad you found someone like Eddie then. I guess.”

“I think Eddie was good for all of us for different reasons. He made me feel understood and he made Chrissy stand up for herself more. Then of course, you know.” Gareth motioned to Max with his free hand.

She could feel Erica stare into the back of her head before she answered. “Yeah, I guess so. I just wish you guys would tell me more about him.”

Gareth seemed to freeze. It was like the whole world stopped for a few seconds before he spoke up again. “It wouldn’t be fair to him. Or to you, really. Eddie wasn’t exactly himself by the time you were born.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?’

“He was angry and upset.”

“About?” Max pushed.

“I don’t know. At himself? At the world? At Murray? Take your pick, either way, you’d probably be right.” Gareth let out a heavy sigh like the weight of keeping secrets was weighing on him. “It’s hard when you grow up the way that we did. But I got lucky, I think.”

Lucas leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “How?”

“I got Chrissy out of the whole thing and we got to be really happy for a long time.” His gaze flickered over to one of the many pictures of her on the wall.

“Don’t you wish that you guys got to be together longer?” Erica asked.

“Sometimes. But I know she would yell at me for it. There’s so many happy things to look back on.” Max reached out and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. He squeezed back even tighter. “I think that being sad about it and wishing for more isn’t bad but…we were so happy. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.”

Max excused herself to use the bathroom as Erica packed up the gear. A splash of water on her face didn’t do much to calm her shaking hands as the tears threatened to fall from her eyes. “Fuck.” She hissed as she squeezed her eyes closed.

The sound of a soft knock on the door bounced off of the tiles. “Just a minute!”

“Max. Let me in,” Lucas whispered against the door. It was let him in or talk about it in the car, so Max chose the former. The second the door was closed behind him, Max couldn’t hold it in anymore. The tears spilled freely down her cheeks as Lucas wrapped his arms around her. “Hey. Hey, it’s okay, I’m right here. You did good.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to keep doing this without her,” Max almost flinched at the sound of her voice cracking.

Lucas pulled back as he reached up and used the hem of his own shirt to start wiping her tears away.  

“You’re not alone, you know. For better or for worse! We’re in this shit together. And I think Gareth would tell you that Chrissy is always with you anyway.”

“We haven’t even said our vows yet, loser.” Max sniffled as she ran her hands down her face.

“Well. Practice makes perfect,” Lucas leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you. Do you need me to do anything?”

“Tell me if I look like I just cried my eyes out like an idiot?”

“You’re bordering on looking more like you got stoned out of your mind.”

The red-head took one last look at herself in the mirror before she trailed after Lucas back into the living room. A groan slipped out as she saw Gareth pointing to a picture on the wall. A particularly funny picture of Max as a baby. Erica let out a laugh and Max wanted to sink into the floor and just beat whatever fate awaited her to the punch.

“So, I come here to be a good god child and you choose to torture me,” Max joked as she walked over and stood beside them. Gareth looped an arm over her shoulders as Erica rolled her eyes playfully.

“You should be happy I’m getting along with your weird rockstar family, Max.” Erica retorted.

That made Max’s heart skip a beat. She was really watching stone-cold Erica Sinclair get along with people. Maybe the end of the world was coming sooner than 2012. “Isn’t it normal for family to show the in-laws all the embarrassing baby pictures?” Gareth flashed Max a bright smile.

“God, you’re the worst,” she pouted as the man ruffled her hair.

When it came time to leave, Max could barely bring herself to head out the door. Part of her wanted to burst into tears and beg to stay a little longer. Another part of her wanted to throw the whole rest of the plan in the garbage because she could barely handle the thought of hurting Gareth or anyone else any more than they were already still hurting.

It was like he could read her mind when he stepped towards her on the way out the door.

“Hey. Can I borrow you for a minute?”

“Yeah, sure,” Max handed Lucas her bag before she turned on her heel and followed Gareth back into the house. “What’s up?” Max raised an eyebrow as she watched Gareth flop back onto the big comfortable couch. He patted the mismatched cushion next to him and Max sat down without another word.

“Me and Chrissy talked about this for a while. Before everything happened with her, you know?” Max’s stomach turned. “She always felt bad keeping secrets from you. But we did it because it was just…complicated. Like I said. Eddie wasn’t really himself by the time you were born. He got in really bad with drugs and drinking and,” Gareth took a deep breath.

“You’re making me really anxious right now, you know.” Max let out a shaky breath.

“Right. Sorry.” Gareth sighed as he reached into the drawer of the side table. “We still talked to Eddie. A lot. Like all the time, actually. I have his number and address if you want it.”

Max gave Gareth another tight hug as she left. Another promise was made to visit more often and bring her friends to see him when they come into town.

When she settled into the passenger seat of the car, she turned around to look at Erica as Lucas put the car in drive.

“So?”

“I got his number,” Max announced. It was quieter on the ride to the motel they would be staying at that night. Almost like the three of them could feel the weight of what was about to happen on their shoulders.

Chapter Text

Now Arlene took a-me by my hand
She said "Lonesome George you don't understand
Who do you love? "
The night were dark and the sky were blue
Down the alleyway a ice wagon flew
Hit a bump and somebody screamed
You should've heard what I'd seen
Who do you love?

Who Do You Love- George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Chapter 3: Eddie

Lucas was doing a pretty good job of hiding their next stop from Steve as they ate breakfast. Waffles with fresh fruit that Steve had spent years perfecting in his garden. It was a little later than Max wanted it to be by the time they loaded up the car and left.

Erica was pissed they were leaving her behind even though she said over and over again that she understood why. She was going to spend the day with Steve and Max didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.

“We can always turn back? Go get some lunch or something,” Lucas glanced over.

“No, it’s ok.”

“Are you sure? I-”

“Lucas,” Max cut him off. The man’s mouth snapped shut as he listened. “I can’t avoid this forever. You know? The whole reason I started doing this…it’s kind of all leading up to this. I have to rip the bandaid off at some point,” she sighed as she leaned her head against the window. The houses were few and far between as they drove higher up into the mountains. Perfect for someone who didn’t really want to be found at all.

There was no gate that led to Eddie Munson’s house; just the too long driveway that wound up off the main road and led to a big old looking house. Eddie was already outside waiting for them when they pulled up. Lucas couldn’t help but think that Eddie looked exactly how he’d expected Steve to look when they’d first met.

Eddie had been handsome when he was younger. The old footage that Max had shown him of performances had been proof enough; with his long curly hair that swung around as he thrashed around on stage and the bright smiles he would flash to the crowd or in interviews, even a blind person could see it. Eddie was a heartthrob in the wrong business.

Now, he just looked tired. Like life had dragged him along down his own driveway for too long. “You guys are actually on time,” Eddie called out as Lucas opened the driver’s side door. “Half the time, people can’t find the place. Or they don’t show up at all.” He stepped off the porch and reached out to shake Lucas’ hand.

“Well, being on time is apparently important to professionalism. Or something,” Lucas made a mental note that Eddie was stronger than he looked as he released his hand and moved around to the trunk. His eyes lingered on the cane that Eddie had gripped in his left hand before he started to unload his gear.

“So…are you Max then?”

Lucas quirked an eyebrow as Max let out a snort of laughter. The red-head pushed the passenger side door open and eased herself to her feet. “He wishes,” Max joked. Lucas rolled his eyes fondly as he slung the backpack onto his shoulder. “I’m Max. He’s just Lucas. You guys talked on the phone.”

“Oh,” Eddie surveyed her with a curious look. “See, that makes sense.” He grinned as he reached out to shake Max’s hand. She took it and tried to look collected even as her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest.

Appearances proved to be deceiving as they got the tour of Eddie’s house. It was definitely smaller than almost everyone else’s, except for maybe Robin’s house. The only other person who lived there was his uncle and he was out of town on a fishing trip or something. “One of life’s simple pleasures or whatever the fuck he likes to call it. It changes,” Eddie explained as they walked past a closed bedroom door.

The thin hallway that led from the living room to the kitchen drew Max’s interest. Eddie may not play as many concerts as he did before, but it was obvious that he missed it. The walls were plastered with different items: from concert tickets to flyers to candid pictures. Corroded Coffin was everywhere. “Max,” Lucas whispered. Her gaze shifted over and she stepped closer to get a better look at the picture that Lucas was focused on. It was Eddie and Steve with Chrissy sandwiched between them. They all had big smiles on their faces in the picture. They looked so young and innocent in their own way even though Max knew better by now. It felt like a punch in the stomach when she noticed it in the picture. Chrissy was looking right at the camera. But the other two? Steve had his head turned slightly, almost like he was telling Eddie something when the picture was being taken and the smile on Eddie’s face was…different.

“I miss her sometimes,” Max cleared her throat as she tried to play it off.

“I miss her all the time,” Eddie answered. Lucas looked over his shoulder to see Eddie. The man looked tired as he bore some of his weight on the black cane that he had gripped in his left hand. He sighed as he leaned back against the doorway leading into the kitchen. “I’m sure we’ll talk loads about it. I remember that day…really well, actually. But let’s eat first.”

They settled for doing the interview in the sunroom. Eddie’s backyard was bright, filled with different flowers and blossoming trees. It was nothing compared to the garden that Steve meticulously cared for, but it still showed something that Max suspected. They both enjoyed caring for things. They did a shit job of caring for themselves but the way that the plants and Max herself had flourished proved that they both cared deeply. Maybe too much.

“So, can you tell us what it was like?” Lucas started them off like he has mercifully done when they had interviewed Steve and Robin.

“What what was like?” Eddie tilted his head.

“What being in one of the biggest bands in the world was like,” Lucas elaborated.

Eddie let out a snort of laughter. “Hard to believe that people still think that after everything that happened.”

“Well, they do,” Max interjected. I do, was left unspoken because there was too much baggage that came with that right now. Eddie’s gaze turned to her. It was like she could feel him staring right through her. Right into her soul with his big stupid puppy dog eyes. “I have some friends back home that almost shit themselves when we told them we were going to talk to THE Eddie Munson.”

Lucas nodded his head enthusiastically. It wasn’t exactly a lie either. Max had called their friends when they’d landed to make sure that Mike hadn’t stowed away in their luggage.

“You guys must know that flattery works on me,” Eddie smiled, a real smile. The dimples in his cheeks would definitely make a sucker out of someone like Steve Harrington back in the day. “I wouldn’t know where to start.” It was probably the first honest answer he’d given them all day.

“From the beginning.” Max leaned back in her chair, eyes locked on the older man sitting across from them.

---

Steve had been right; Eddie was one hell of a storyteller. If Max closed her eyes and focused enough, she could practically walk in Eddie’s shoes through the whole story he’d told them. He’d grown up in a trailer. Raised by his uncle after his dad went to jail and his mom couldn’t get custody of him due to a bad rap sheet from her own youth. Wayne still lived with him now. According to Eddie, it was only fair for him to take care of the old man in the twilight of his life since he’d raised Eddie like he was his own son.

The light sparkling in Eddie’s eyes when he talked about moving to California and joining the band after his own failed solo attempt was…something. Max felt like her heart was being squeezed by some invisible force in her chest. She wanted to ask. She needed to know, but she couldn’t yet.

--

Eddie ordered them Chinese food and they flipped through his impressive record collection while they waited. Max was pleased to find that he wasn’t lying when he said he knew one of the best places outside of the valley. Lucas relented and let her eat the rest of his noodles as Eddie settled in across from them once the camera was on.

“Chrissy was the nicest one to me out of all of them at first. Welcomed me with open arms! She was my best friend,” Eddie’s smile softened as he recounted the first time he’d met the little keyboardist. Apparently, she’d run right up to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug when he’d showed up to the first practice. Max smiled. That sounded just like Chrissy.

“What about everyone else?”

“Gareth was cool as hell. We clicked right away basically. Jonathan and Nancy were nice. They kind of just minded their business for the most part, you know? Did their own thing with whatever journalism shit they were up to. Jonathan was fucking killer on the drums though. He took over for Gareth a few times during practice because I swear that dude got sick more often than Wayne does.”

“What about Robin?” Lucas asked.

“I think we really activated each other’s Cain instinct.” Eddie joked. Max let out a snort of laughter. Yeah, she could see that. Robin was the same way with Steve sometimes, after all. “She was cool though.”

“And Steve?” Max tried to be as nonchalant as possible when she asked. If she was a little less observant, she would’ve missed the way that Eddie seemed to stop breathing for a moment. Like he was letting the question settle and ping around in his brain. For a moment, the birds in the trees were the only sound. It was peaceful, sort of like it was before a bomb went off.

“Steve was special.” Eddie paused, like he was trying to decide if the word felt right. If it was good enough to describe someone like Steve. “Yeah. Special. He was like no one else I’d ever met at that point. He was so talented, but a lot of people are assholes to talented people.”

“Like you?”

Eddie’s eyes widened and the guilt instantly burned in Max’s gut. The man’s expression hardened, and Max wanted to curl up into a ball. “Is that what he told you?”

“Not him, necessarily,” Lucas interjected.

The air around them seemed a little thicker now as Max tried to fight back the urge to vomit.

“I wasn’t always the nicest to Steve but I,” Eddie squeezed his eyes shut as he trailed off. Max and Lucas exchanged worried glances as Eddie collected himself. “He was one of the most important people in my life. And then he just left.”

It hit Max like a bag of bricks. Steve had left. Not Eddie like she’d always thought.

“Jesus Christ,” Lucas whispered to himself.

Max straightened up in her chair. She cleared her throat and let out a shaky breath. “Can you tell us about the picture in the hall,” she prayed that she could at least change the topic.

Eddie’s expression was a confused one as he sputtered on a response. “Sure?”

“Then we can go home. It’s been a long day,” Lucas shot Max a worried look that she missed as she just stared straight ahead. Already entranced in whatever story Eddie was going to tell.

---

23 years earlier

“Hey losers, look alive,” Gareth banged on the locked door for the second time in 10 minutes.

The only answer on the other side of the door was a quiet shhh followed by a pair of quiet giggles.

“I swear to god if those two are fucking in there, I’m going to kick in the door.”

“Did you get that, Nance?” Jonathan drawled out as he adjusted the film in his camera.

“Yeah, Gareth hates gay people. Remind me to write that down later.”

Chrissy let out a quiet giggle. Her partner rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Shut up, Wheeler!” Gareth whirled around and pointed at her. In the corner of the room, Robin was fighting a losing battle to stifle her own laughter.

All the noise in the room stopped as the door to the closet clicked and swung open.

“Did you forget how to button your shirt while you were in there, dude,” Jonathan finally raised his head to speak. The attention turned quickly to Steve. Yep, his shirt definitely looked like one that was buttoned a little too hastily. A few buttonholes were empty and the bottom of his shirt was uneven. It didn’t help that Eddie peeked his head out and he was pulling his shirt back over his head.

Gareth broke first and soon the whole room was filled with loud laughter. It felt right. It was a celebration after all; Chrissy was turning 23. She was home and she was happy despite the miserable-looking blonde man who sat next to her with a possessive arm draped across her shoulders the whole time.

Chrissy had met Jason a few months ago. Eddie didn’t like him. Steve hated him. Gareth thought about driving him off a cliff. But they all loved Chrissy, so they would endure it the best they could. That didn’t mean that they missed the hateful looks that he shot their way whenever Chrissy tried to spend too much time with them. They hated Jason Carver but for all intents and purposes, Chrissy seemed happy.

“Alright, picture time,” Jonathan shouted over the chaos of the small party. A rare smile plastered across his face as a few people cheered and more people groaned. Eddie and Steve stood in the corner, arms around each other as they waited their turn.

Before too long it was time. They crowded around either side of Chrissy, bumping her hips with theirs in a way that made her laugh and hug them both closer.

“Ready?” Jonathan called as he peered through the viewfinder.

“Ready as we’ll ever be, chief,” Eddie mock saluted him, and Chrissy let out a yell of laughter.

As Jonathan counted down, Eddie glanced over at Steve. Steve caught his eye and turned to whisper something. Something that made Eddie smile at him like he was looking at something beautiful. Something to be treasured. He knew that Chrissy probably heard but acted like she didn’t for the sake of their privacy and pride. He loved him.

---

Max stared down at the pen and paper in her hand but she couldn’t bring herself to move. Instead, she looked up and found Eddie looking right at her. “It was Chrissy’s birthday. Everyone was happy. And then everything started to go to shit because of Jason fucking Carver.”

“I’m sorry,” Max whispered.

“What are you sorry for?” Eddie sighed as he reached into the front pocket of his flannel and fished out a cigarette and a lighter. “Jason was a fucking dick who was using Chrissy to get famous. He didn’t care who he dragged down with him. None of us thought he would do half of the shit that he did.”

“So that day,” Max took a deep breath, “was a really happy one then? You guys looked really happy.”

“It was one of the first times someone actually told me they loved me and meant it.” Eddie replied quickly. The air felt heavier in the room as all of them seemed to take in what he said.

Lucas’ gaze shifted from Eddie to Max, then back again. Taking in the same look of hurt on both of their faces.

“You guys deserved better.” Max sat up straighter.

Eddie let out a snort of laughter as he rolled his eyes. “Thanks, kid.”

--

Eddie had bid them goodbye with tight hugs. Surprisingly affectionate for someone who seemed so tough on the outside. Max could see why Steve loved him. Hell, she’d known him for all of a few hours and it hurt her deep to leave. She wanted to stay and tell him the truth but it wasn’t right.

Max was practically vibrating with energy on the car ride back to the hotel. She couldn’t blame him for not telling her. He was the one to leave and knowing her dad, he probably didn’t want her to hate him. It just didn’t work out, Steve had told her. Sometimes you can love someone, but it’s just not meant to be.

Lucas wanted to help. He wanted to reach out, but he felt like if he did, then Max would just vanish like something in a dream. And then Steve Harrington might try to kick his ass.

“Are you okay?” Lucas whispered as they rolled to a slow stop at a red light. It had been one of the quietest hours of Max’s life. It had been quiet when Chrissy died but even then, there was the sound of crying that had cut through. Right now, Max was sitting with nothing but the sound of the engine and her own churning thoughts.

“Hm? Yeah. Fine.” Max shrugged.

“You’re not fine, Max. I saw your face.”

“What do you want me to say, Lucas? I’m pissed off. My dad left and he couldn’t own up to it.” Max’s voice didn’t break until the very end. Maybe she deserved a gold star for that.

Lucas let out a shaky breath as he stepped on the gas again. “Alright then. So, we’re not okay.” He was quiet again for a few minutes. “What do you need me to do? Let me help you.”

“You can’t help me with this one, Lucas. This is some family shit that I just…I need to work through on my own I guess.” Max reached forward to turn the radio on. She adjusted the dial until it hit her favorite station. Classic rock. A song by Corroded Coffin was just ending and the next song started when she spoke again. “I love you and I know you just want to help me. You always want to help me. But I don’t think you can with this one.”

Max shut her eyes as Lucas reached over and squeezed her hand. She had no doubt in her mind that Lucas would take Kate Bush’s words seriously if he could. He would switch places with her without a second thought. He would fix things that she didn’t have the strength to, and it was with that thought alone that she finally let herself cry.

Chapter Text

You don't wanna hurt me (Yeah, yeah, yo)
But see how deep the bullet lies (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Unaware, I'm tearin' you asunder (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Oh, there is thunder in our hearts (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Is there so much hate for the ones we love? (Yeah, yeah, yo)
Oh, tell me, we both matter, don't we? (Yeah, yeah, yo)

Running Up That Hill (Deal With God)- Kate Bush

Chapter 4: Max

The ride back to the house was a long one. Max would be lying if she said she didn’t spend half of it trying to think of a plan for if Steve was awake when they got home. He would find out about her seeing Eddie eventually, sure, but she wasn’t exactly ready to handle that. Their relationship hadn’t always been perfect, but there was nothing Max hated more than the feeling of shame when her dad eventually realized she was lying to him. It had happened to her before, and she wasn’t sure what she would say yet.

Thankfully, he was asleep when they got back. Erica, however, was not. She rounded on Lucas with a ferocity that Max both admired and feared when he opened the door to the room the siblings were sharing.

“What did you do?” Erica hissed as she laid eyes on Max’s face.

“Me?! Why do you always assume it’s me who does something?!”

“If it’s alright with you I’m just going to go crash and wallow in my self-pity for a while,” Max said louder than both of them.

Max sighed heavily as she entered her bedroom and walked over to flop down on the bed. She needed to talk to someone. So, she dialed the first number that popped into her head and waited as the line rang and rang…

“Hello?” a tired voice answered.

“Robin!” Max said a little too loudly as she pulled herself into a sitting position on the bed, carefully pulling one of her knees up to her chest.

“Oh hey, kiddo.” Robin sounded like she was trying to stifle a yawn. “What’s up? Is everything alright?” Max was quiet. “Max? Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Everything,” Max whispers into the phone as she chokes back a sob. “I miss her. And I don’t know what to do anymore.”

There’s shuffling on the other line and a sharp sound that is probably Robin dragging a chair across the kitchen to sit. “I know. I miss her, too.” There’s a pause. “Does this have anything to do with you talking to your dad about everything?”

Max huffs as she wipes a hand down her face. Of course, Robin knew about what she was doing already. “Yeah, I guess so.” She sounds a little snippy. Robin noticed. Fuck.

“Did I say something that upset you?”

“No.”

“Did Steve? I mean shit do I have to talk to that dingus about how to talk to his kid or something?”

Max spun the ring on her finger nervously.

“I talked to Eddie.”

The silence is thick. Max is pretty sure that she can cut through the tension with the knife. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything about it. Maybe she should’ve just kept it to herself and suffered in silence; it would surely be better than whatever else was coming.

“How did you find him?” Robin’s tone was almost unreadable, and a shiver ran down Max’s spine.

“I didn’t. Erica did,” Max lied.

“Jesus fucking Christ that kid is better than the FBI,” Robin mumbled. Max couldn’t help but think she was right.

“Eddie told me what happened.” Max continued, “I mean…not everything that happened but he told me that he wasn’t the one who left.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

“He doesn’t know.”

“What?”

Max drew in a deep breath. “He doesn’t know that I’m his fucking kid, Robin. At least not from me. I didn’t tell him. It didn’t seem like he-”

Robin was silent. Max thought the line disconnected. “You gonna be okay until the morning, kiddo?”

---

Max yawned as she pulled up to an intersection. “How did we get stuck grocery shopping?” Erica wrinkled her nose as she looked over the list for the tenth time. “Who eats this many different types of beans anyway? Something’s really wrong with your dad.”

Max snorted. Erica was in a better mood today. Unsurprisingly, her mood had changed for the better as soon as Max filled her in about the visit with Eddie on the car ride.

“I knew your dad was too perfect.”

Max caught a glimpse of a sympathetic look out of the corner of her eye and she realized that maybe Erica really did like her.

“We got stuck with the groceries because we’re not just going to get groceries,” Max explained as she switched the blinker to the opposite direction of the store clearly in view down the block.

“Oh?”

“We’re going to the library.”

“You wanna see what we can dig up on your old men,” Erica raised an eyebrow. Lucky guess.

Max nodded. The library was the best option for something else right now. Her dad made a point of not keeping old articles or anything about the band aside from a few pictures and all of their albums around the house. Corroded Coffin was as much of a ghost in their house as well…the actual ghost that Max had started to believe was real. She just needed to see something concrete. The closest thing she had was the recording of a few performances that Chrissy had given her in secret.

“I’m great at doing research!”

“Especially when it lets you use your skills of being nosey, right?” Max joked as she pulled up into a parking spot. Erica slipped the handicapped parking flag over so it swung from the rearview mirror as she did.

“Nosey? I prefer the term inquisitive.” Erica retorted playfully. “We’ll find so much stuff it’ll make your head spin, Annie Warbucks.”

The old woman behind the desk barely looked up from her book as she pointed them into a back corner towards the magazines.

“Where are we starting from?”

“1986.” Max replied almost automatically.

“Why 1986?”

“That’s the year that Corroded Coffin broke up.”

Erica was silent for a moment before she let out a heavy sigh that accompanied an eyeroll that Max didn’t miss. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.”

The next hour consisted of the same thing over and over; one of them found a mention of the band in a magazine and scurried off to the photocopier after the other approved, rinse and repeat.

The pile of papers in front of them grew steadily with everything from Rolling Stone to People Magazine to more obscure sources that Max was pretty sure were out of print by now. Max knew she was on the lookout for something big and the sixth article that covered the messy divorce between golden couple Chrissy Cunningham and Jason Carver wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.

Until it was.

“Jesus Christ,” Max whispered as she pinched the bridge of her nose and laid the magazine out in front of her. There it was right smack dab on the side under a picture of Lisa Marie Presley was the article that she was pretty sure ruined everything. Jason Carver tells all.

Erica swiped the magazine off the table and started to flip through it. “I don’t see why anyone ever liked this guy. He sounds like he was a total tool bag.”

“Yeah, they weren’t married for that long,” Max shrugged. She hardly knew anything about Jason Carver except for the things he’d done and said about her family. Erica was silent as she scanned the article except for the occasional annoyed sound that would slip out.

“So, this prick decided to out your dad and called your other dad a devil worshipper because Chrissy divorced him.” Erica gritted her teeth as she slid the magazine back over to Max. The red-head clenched her fists for a moment before she rose to her feet and started off towards the copy machine with the magazine in her hand.

“Let’s go,” she shoved the papers into a folder and back into her bag when she returned to the table. Erica looked up at her nervously over the top of another magazine she’d found. “We still have to go to the store.”

Erica rose to her feet and started towards the door. Max glanced down before she headed off after her future sister-in-law. The picture of her dad’s annoyed face on the magazine was etched in her brain along with the headline The real Steve Harrington: What you don’t know.

---

Max and Erica returned to the house a few hours later with all of the groceries in tow.

“There you are!” Steve called pleasantly down the hall as he passed by the entrance to the kitchen. Lucas peeked his head around the corner and a relieved look crossed over his face.

“Come help us, doofus,” Erica raised a hand that was laden down with the weight of multiple plastic grocery bags. Lucas was already halfway down the hall and only stopped to kiss Max on top of her head before he helped with the bags.

Max swallowed hard as she followed the two of them into the kitchen. She could barely look Steve in the eye right now. She hadn’t read anything that she didn’t know; Jason had told the world that her dad was transgender and had run away from parents who shunned him, had called Chrissy a whore, called Gareth a good for nothing, had all but implied that Robin was a lesbian, and had called Eddie a drug-dealing, devil-worshipping son of a criminal. Something about reading all of that with her own two eyes felt all sorts of wrong.

Dinner that night was good except for the fact that Max couldn’t even focus on what she was eating. All she could think about was how angry she was.

That night, she couldn’t sleep. She slipped out of bed and limped towards the end of the hall in a route she used to take to sneak out when she was a teenager before they had the squeaky floorboards replaced. Max wasn’t surprised to see the light on in the kitchen when she reached the landing. She drew in a deep breath as she approached the bright light and squinted against it to look at Steve.

“You look older when you worry about people, you know,” she yawned as she shuffled up to an empty chair at the counter.

Steve slid her a cup of tea. “I knew what I was signing up for when I had a kid and going prematurely grey was definitely on the list.” He shifted to look at her closely. “You’re totally worth it before you start going off on one of the patented Harrington self-loathing trips and saying you’re not.”

Max hunched forward over the counter to blow on the cup of tea, her shoulder’s relaxed only slightly as Steve ran a hand comfortingly through her hair. “I think I’m going to start going grey soon then.” She mumbled and he let out a laugh from beside her. The urge to laugh along with him won, it just happened to be a little more hysterical than she intended it to be.

Then the tears were coming out and her laugh turned into a distressed little sob as she buried her face in her hands. “Max…what happened.” Steve’s voice was gentle as he turned the chair to face him and took Max’s hands in his. Her tear-covered face exposed to him at last even though she’d tried to hide all of her emotional outbursts from him for the past year.

“I’m sorry, I read some things before at the library,” and then it all came out in a mess of explanations and apologies for how horrible people had been to him.

Steve always seemed to know what to do, so he just wrapped his arms around her as she cried.

When Max slid back into bed later after he helped her back upstairs, she did it feeling just a little bit lighter.

Lucas grumbled as he scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her to pull her closer. “You okay?”

“Yeah, nerd. I’m okay,” Max sighed as she rested her forehead against his. “I just had a really long day.”

“A long couple of days, you mean.”

“So, you noticed,” Max wrinkled her nose.

“Duh,” Lucas opened his eyes and squinted at her in the dark. “You sure?”

“The impending dread of our friends flying in from Indiana in a few days is actually pretty bad,” Max joked.

“God, we should’ve just run off to Greece or something!” Lucas threw an arm out dramatically.

“I told you that,” Max giggled quietly. “But no, nobody ever wants to listen to me!”

Lucas rolled his eyes as he mumbled something about reminding him about it in the morning. Max mumbled right back that she would before she drifted off to a peaceful sleep at last.

Chapter Text

Well, you started off with nothing
And you're proud that you're a self-made man
And your friends they all come crawlin'
Slap you on the back and say, "Please, please"

Stuck In the Middle With You- Stealers Wheel

Chapter 5: Robin

When Max woke up, she decided that she would go see Robin. Preferably by herself, much to Erica’s chagrin. Lucas agreed since he knew from all of her stories that Robin could get a little bit jumpy. Erica showed Max how to use the little portable camera that she would use to record a conversation with her. Not as much of an interview as they’d done with her dad and Gareth, but just a talk about things. Robin was good with that.

Steve had sent Max off with freshly baked cinnamon buns and a poppyseed roll that he’d specifically made for Vickie. “She asked me for one at least 2 times a week since our last cookout,” he explained to everyone over breakfast. Erica eyed the roll hungrily before Steve redirected her with the promise to show both of the Sinclairs how to make one while Max was out for the day.

A smile spread across Max’s face as she rounded the final corner and pulled into Robin’s driveway. Robin Buckley’s house looked as if you threw cottage-core and alternative into a blender and hoped for the best. The little front garden with a fairy-themed birdbath front and center gave the impression that, if you looked close enough, you might see some mythical creature run through it. The old brick exterior was littered with plants growing up the sides almost touching the second-floor window. Max thought Robin’s house was like something out of a fairytale and maybe it was to the older woman.

As soon as she cut the engine, the front door flew open and the older brunette ran down the little stone path towards her followed closely by a little puppy that yipped at her heels. “Oh, there’s my favorite little guy,” Max leaned down to pet the little dog on the head as it jumped around her excitedly.

“Damn, you hear that Vick? We’re chopped liver compared to our son.”

Vickie laughed and waved from the porch as Max was pulled into a tight hug. Max laughed as she swayed back and forth on the spot for a few seconds before being ushered into the house, only stopping to tell them about the treats on the front seat that Vickie hurried out to grab before Robin could get her hands on them.

“So, Robin mentioned you’re working on a little project,” Vickie asked as she placed plates out in front of them. A little tray with sandwiches was brought over next and Max thought she could hear her own stomach rumble.

“Yeah, I guess you could call it that.” She paused as she took a bite of her sandwich. “She told you I talked to Eddie then?” Robin nearly choked on her sandwich as Vickie just nodded her head.

“Yeah! I’m glad you did.” Robin shot her a look that Max couldn’t exactly decipher. “I always liked Eddie. He was nice to me.”

“Everyone was nice to you, sweetheart,” Robin smiled.

“So, he was nice to you? Are you guys okay if I get this on camera?”

“Sure! If it helps you,” Vickie reached out and patted Max on the hand.

---

25 years earlier

Vickie was probably the third assistant that Murray had brought in in about 2 months. Murray didn’t seem to get it and instead, gave everyone a lecture before he brought her in. “And you,” he rounded on Eddie who pointed at himself in shock. “Yes, you! Try to keep the chaos to a minimum.”

Eddie let out a mocking gasp as Chrissy giggled beside him.

“Does Eddie ever not cause chaos?” Gareth answered Murray as Eddie stuck his tongue out and made a face.

Eddie walked over and perched on the edge of Steve’s seat with a huff. Chrissy let out an annoyed little huff and did the same but sat on Steve’s knee instead. “Can I help you?” Steve raised an eyebrow as Chrissy decided to slip off of his knee and curled up in the small space left on the chair instead.

Everyone greeted the new girl with varying degrees of excitement as she walked in. Murray motioned that he was watching everyone before he pointed to the door. “Now we don’t want a repeat of last time!”

“First of all, last time was a total misunderstanding!”

“Last time?!”

Gareth pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance as Robin pointed across the room at Steve. “That was all Steve’s fault.”

“Me?!”

“Alright, children! Children!” Murray clapped his hands together.

Robin flipped Steve off, “Way to go dingus.”

“Alright if tweedle-dee and tweedle-dingus are done,” Murray clapped his hands again and Vickie let out a giggle. “Someone keep an eye on her. Keep her entertained while I take a phone call? Thanks.”

“Oh, but I’m always eager to entertain!” Eddie dipped into a mocking bow with a wink as Chrissy’s eyebrows shot up behind her bangs and she cast an amused glance in Steve’s direction. “Ain’t that right, Stevie?”

Steve wanted to sink into the floor because surely that would be an easier fate than sitting there listening to Chrissy and Robin snort with laughter over it.

Vickie reached out and shook Eddie’s hand as he crossed the room. “Thanks! I’m really excited to be here. But I heard a lot of really weird things about Murray.”

“His bark is worse than his bite,” Chrissy piped up.

“His bark is horrific,” Vickie whispered conspiratorially. Robin threw her head back and laughed.

“Oh, don’t worry we’re gonna have tons of fun together, aren’t we?” Eddie winked.

---

Present

Robin laughed quietly as Vickie finished. “He made quite the first impression.”

“He was a menace,” Max laughed.

“You take after him a little bit in being a menace,” Vickie teased her. Max felt her heart leap. There was something about being told that she was like him. Some connection to him that she’d longed to have for so many years finally being validated. It made her feel special.

“He was a big flirt though,” Vickie laughed. Max groaned and Robin rolled her eyes. “Robin was just a better one.” Robin barked out a laugh as she gave Vickie a playful shove.

“So, you saw my dads like…you know?” Max stumbled over her words. “Like they actually liked each other?”

The older women exchanged a worried look before Robin took over. “Yeah. Steve had it bad for him. He just doesn’t like to talk about it, you know?”

Max leaned forward slightly; her expression almost pleaded with her aunt for something. The truth? A story? She wasn’t even sure anymore. “I wanna know more. I need to know more.”

Robin took a deep breath and looked out into the backyard at nothing in particular. “Fine.”

---

25 Years earlier

“Murray, do we look like the type of people to write some shit like candy girl?” Gareth shouted from behind the drums.

“Not you! But Harrington...”

“Hey!”

Vickie sat in the corner of the room, absorbed in every conversation that was going on around her right now.

“They’ve been arguing with Murray about the direction of the band for a week,” Nancy had explained when she met her that morning. “He wants them to go for something more mainstream and guaranteed to make money.”

“And what did they say?”

“Eddie said he would rather choke on something more exciting and Gareth agreed with him,” the little smirk that crossed Nancy’s face wasn’t exactly surprising. Nancy was a new employee, too. She worked with Alexei. Apparently, the two had decided that talent might react better to someone else rather than a Russian man approaching them in a bar to discuss business.

The argument had been going on for the better part of the hour.

“You have an ass that can’t quit!” Eddie pointed at Steve.

Jonathan let out a strangled-sounding laugh from across the room in response.

“I don’t see what my ass has to do with singing Candy Girl.” Steve sounded offended as he looked to his side for backup.

Chrissy quirked a light eyebrow as the corner of her mouth threatened to twitch up into a little smirk. Steve could feel the blush creeping up his neck, Jesus Christ.

Robin rolled her eyes and made fake gagging noises that trailed off into a yelp when Chrissy pinched her.

“Nah, he’s got a point,” Gareth nodded sagely. “It’s the vibes.”

“Thank you,” Eddie threw his arms in the air.

“What are you guys even talking about anymore?” Jonathan asked from his spot in the corner as he lowered his camera. Nancy nodded at his side.

“Or do you guys know what you’re arguing about anymore?”

Murray pointed over at them and took a step closer. “You know what!” Everyone froze. “You have a point.” He shrugged as he turned back to the band. “Vickie.” Before she knew it, all of the attention in the room was on her. “What do you think?”

“Is this a trick question?” It slipped out before she could stop herself.

“No pressure, Vick,” Robin locked eyes with her. A small reassuring smile was flashed her way and Vickie relaxed a little.

“I think they’re all right. Why go with what so many other people are doing right now?” Next to Chrissy, Gareth punched the air in excitement. “I mean, I know I like things that are different and aren’t I a part of your demographic?”

Murray fumed silently for a moment before he relented. “Fine! Fine, no one listens to me! We’ll do it your way! But if this crashes, we do it my way!”

Whatever Murray was going to say next was lost in the sound of Steve and Robin whooping and jumping up from their seats. They ran across the room and grabbed each other in a hug just as Eddie scooped Chrissy up off of her stool and spun her around. Before Vickie knew what was happening, she was laughing and being dragged by the arm into a group hug with Murray right in the middle.

“Alright!! You’re all making me claustrophobic,” Murray shouted just as Jonathan and Nancy joined in. “You’re lucky I like all of you or this would be over! We have work to do!”

---

Present

The three of them sat around the table and laughed. Robin decided it was the right time to reenact said hug which meant she tried to scoop Vickie up off of her chair bridal style and failed spectacularly. Max laughed so hard that her ribs hurt.

“I wish it stayed like that for a lot longer but…we were like a family.” Robin deflated slightly as they settled down. Vickie reached over and stroked the back of her hand. “I miss him.”

“If you miss him, he doesn’t live far,” Max raised an eyebrow.

Robin let out a shaky breath. “We didn’t really end things on the best terms, you know? I would never talk bad to you about your dad. That was something that Steve made everyone swear on.”

Well, that was news to her.

“What do you mean?”

Vickie cleared her throat. “Eddie…had his demons. But like I said, he was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. A lot of things happened and I think he just…lost himself a little bit. Which happens.”

“To a lot of people.” Robin sounded like she finished Vickie’s thought. “That doesn’t make him a bad person. Just a good person who made some bad choices.”

Max paused to take a sip of her drink. “Do you think dad will get mad if he finds out that I talked to him?”

Robin leaned back in her chair and Max took the chance to really look at her. The way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she was in deep thought and the streaks of her hair that were starting to look a lot lighter than all of the rest. They were all getting old and Max didn’t think she would ever forgive herself if she didn’t give Eddie a chance.

“I think you should do what you have to do,” Vickie spoke up first. Robin quirked an eyebrow. “I mean…Steve’s parents sucked but he knew them. I didn’t have a good relationship with my dad after my parents split and when my dad died I was so mad at everyone. I just don’t want to see that happen to you.” She turned to Robin with an expectant look on her face.

“I think…you have to make the best choice for you. I’ll have your back whatever you want.” Her smile was a little shaky but Max felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders.

“Ok. Great!”

--

Robin was coming over in the morning and Max had one more stop on the way home. She pulled to a stop outside the gas station and ran out of the payphone as she counted the coins in the palm of her hand. It took her a second to dig the number out of her pocket as her hands shook violently.

She almost thought about hanging up until someone on the other end picked up. “Hello,” the voice sounded groggy.

Max paused like the words were stuck in her throat as they spoke again on the other line about hanging up. “Hey! Sorry I mean hi. Eddie?”

Eddie cleared his throat. “Yeah, how can I help you?”

“It’s Max. We talked the other day?”

His tone was brighter when he spoke again. “Oh yeah! Hey, red. What’s up? What can I help you with?”

Max took a deep breath as she tapped a finger on the glass of the booth. “I’m having a party to celebrate my friends coming into town because I’m getting…married in a few weeks. And I was wondering if you would want to come? It’s in two days.” She paused. “The party. Not the wedding. Oh god, this is embarrassing I’m sorry I shouldn’t have even.”

“Sure,” Eddie replied brightly.

“You’ll come?” Max nearly jumped.

“Yeah, why not. I barely get out anymore and what better reason than to celebrate two cool kids.” He laughed.

“Oh god, you’re amazing! It’s at my dad’s house is that okay?” She bit her lip.

Eddie clicked his tongue. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I don’t know.” She thought for a moment. “Robin will be there. And Gareth!”

“And Steve,” Eddie didn’t ask.

“Yeah.”

Eddie hummed on the other end of the phone. “Yeah, that sounds good to me it’ll be good to see the gang.”

“I think Vickie misses you. I talked to her today.”

“Oh?”

“She said you were a flirt.”

Eddie let out a loud infectious laugh that had Max snorting right along with him as she gave him the address to Steve’s house and bid him a rushed goodbye.

She drove the rest of the way home with the windows rolled down as she sang along to the radio at the top of her lungs.

Chapter Text

Listen to the wind blow
Watch the sun rise
Run in the shadows
Damn your love, damn your lies
And if you don't love me now
You will never love me again

The Chain- Fleetwood Mac

Chapter 6: Steve

Max was pretty sure that she’d never seen Steve this mad at her before, if she could even call it that. The look on his face was something more similar to someone who’d been betrayed than anything.

“I can’t believe that you invited him,” Steve shook his head as Robin scurried around the kitchen. The brunette could do a pretty damn good impression of someone who wasn’t paying any attention if she tried.

Max fumed and Lucas shifted uncomfortably beside her. “You can’t believe I invited Eddie to my party?”

“Yes!”

“Well, why?” Max inquired. “It’s my party. I can invite whoever the hell I want.”

Steve lowered the bowl in his hands down onto the counter a little too hard. “That you’re having at my house!”

“You’re throwing a tantrum! You’re unbelievable!”

Her eyes narrowed as she studied the look on her father’s face. He sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Lucas studied both of them closely for a moment. Their foreheads pinched in frustration in the same way, the way that the freckles on both of their faces seemed to stand out more the angrier they got. Some parts of Max were like if you put Steve Harrington in a photocopier with less ink and it spit out a slightly off copy.

“I think you need to take a break,” Lucas placed a hand on Max’s shoulder. She slouched forward but didn’t shake him off.

“I never ask for anything. I just want you to try to get along with him for one night. One night!”

“And then it’ll be your rehearsal dinner. And then your wedding.”

“And so what if it is!”

Steve let out an annoyed huff. Lucas knew what it was before he even spoke. The proverbial white flag being waved in the air.

“Okay. But I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing this for you, you know.”

Max’s facial expression contorted slightly as she sat up straighter. “Thanks.” Lucas didn’t miss the way she blinked tears from her eyes as she rose from her chair.

“Where are you going?” Steve called after her.

“My room! I need to cool down.” Max threw her arms in the air and shouted as she walked out of the room.

 “She’s definitely your kid,” Robin patted him on the shoulder as they watched Lucas trail after her.

Steve let out a groan of frustration and let his forehead bump against the counter. “Jesus Christ.”

Robin grimaced as soon as Steve’s gaze shifted to her. “You knew that she was going to talk to Eddie.”

“Not until after the fact! Just so you know before you decide to go all Hopper and interrogate me or something,” she raised her hands in surrender. “I figured she was going to tell you about it…you know. Before! Not like the day before or whatever. I don’t even know why she decided to invite him or anything it’s never been a big deal before, right? Or did I miss something? I mean we both know that me and Chrissy were tied for favorite aunt. Do you think-”

“You’re rambling,” Steve waved a hand in the air like that would do anything to stop it. “But maybe this is normal? I don’t know. It’s not like either of us ever had the best relationships with our parents.”

Robin pursed her lips. “You have a good point, I guess. Plus, it’s not like you planned on keeping her from seeing him for her whole adult life or anything, right?”

Steve frowned.

“Right?” Robin narrowed her eyes.

“Right. No, you’re right. Sorry I was just…thinking. It’s just been a long time since we’ve been around each other. Where actual conversation might be involved.” He cringed slightly.

“I’m sure you’ll live,” Robin patted him on the shoulder. “I gotta go pick up some stuff for tomorrow. Are you gonna survive?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Just don’t let it get to your head! You’ll be fine,” Robin waved over her shoulder and then she was gone.

---

25 years earlier

Steve was fuming but he wasn’t sure who he was more mad at. The most logical person to be mad at was himself but instead, he settled on being so mad at Eddie that he’d thought of at least five scenarios of how to kill him in the last 2 minutes. “You seem tense,” Chrissy grinned as she sank onto the cushion next to him.

“Yeah, no kiddin’,” Steve mumbled as he took the water bottle from her outstretched hand.

“A dollar for your thoughts?” Chrissy tilted her head.

“Isn’t it a penny for your thoughts?”

Chrissy patted his knee with a smile. “Your thoughts are worth way more than a penny, Steve.”

He wasn’t quite sure that was how it worked but he couldn’t bring himself to tell her that. Chrissy looked a lot smaller than usual lately. More tired, too. They all noticed it; he was pretty sure.

Steve just closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he spoke. “Eddie just keeps flirting with me, and I fucking told myself when I came out here that I wouldn’t…I wouldn’t get distracted I guess.” He glanced over and Chrissy nodded sympathetically. “I get really attached to people and you heard what Murray said. Eddie moves on from band to band. What is he going to do to someone like me?”

Chrissy let out a heavy sigh as she nodded her head. She took her time before she answered, sipping her tea before she let out a sigh. “I think that you need to live a little bit.” Steve sputtered and Chrissy held up a hand to silence him. “Eddie flirts with you.”

“Eddie flirts with everyone,” Steve corrected her.

“Eddie’s more serious when he flirts with you,” Chrissy wrinkled her nose. “I see it and so does Gareth.” So, Gareth is a little traitor, too. Got it. “He flirts with me all jokey because he’s nice. He just looks at you differently.”

Steve sighs as he finishes his drink. He gives Chrissy a kiss on the forehead before he leaves.

When he talks to Robin later, she agrees with what Chrissy said. Apparently, no one in the band thought to let him in on the little secret.

Steve needs a break and because God apparently hates him, Eddie is outside of the apartment building when he gets to the walkway.

“Hey, Prince Charming.” Eddie wiggles his fingers in Steve’s direction and Steve tries his hardest to focus on the smoke that billows from the cigarette and not the other man’s hands.

Steve rolls his eyes. “What are you doing out here? Don’t you live like 2 floors up or something?”

“I do! And I’m honored that you know where I live.”

“Only because you’re a nuisance and beg for a ride home half the time,” Steve steps closer to the archway that Eddie is leaning against. They lock eyes and Steve just prays that Eddie doesn’t notice him shiver slightly at the look he gives him.

“If you think that’s begging, you have another thing coming.”

“What? Batting your big eyelashes at someone doesn’t count as begging?”

Eddie laughs. Really tosses his head back and laughs and Steve just knows he’s fucked. “I would say that’s only part of it, big boy. Usually, people have to buy me dinner first to see me really beg for anything.”

Part of him feels flustered and another part of him just thinks back. Eddie flirting with Chrissy. Eddie flirting with Jonathan. Eddie flirting with Robin. Eddie flirting with him. Cut the shit with all the flirting it’s all bullshit.

Steve realized too late that the comment about being a giant flirt hadn’t been in his head. He said it out loud and Eddie grinned that stupid Cheshire cat grin at him. “Why do you care who I flirt with? Does it make you jealous or something?”

“Don’t you care?”

Eddie quirked an eyebrow, “Care about what?”

“What people think about you? You’re flirting with everyone.”

And Eddie gets what he means because he rolled his eyes.

“I’m like 99% Murray and Alexei are swapping spit and no one gives a fuck but I’m the bad guy right now?”

 Steve clenched his fists and he really feels himself teetering on the edge of something. “You’re putting words in my mouth.” Eddie blew the smoke from his cigarette in the opposite direction before he threw it to the ground and stomped it out.

 “I think I struck a nerve. I think you really are jealous.”

Steve says nothing and Eddie gets even closer. “You know you can always do something about it instead of just lurking around moping and fucking up everyone’s vibe in practice. But who am I to say?”

Eddie turns to leave as he’s talking but it’s cut off by a yelp as Steve grabs him by the collar of his shirt and yanks him backwards. Steve crashes their lips together before Eddie can open his mouth for another smart-ass comment.

For the first time in his life, he lets himself step over the edge and he drags the other man right along with him.

Steve pulls back and Eddie tries to follow him, but Steve’s back to holding him at a literal arm’s length. He’s stunned for a moment at how young Eddie looks in the dim light of the path. Their eyes are locked, and Steve speaks before Eddie gets the chance. “No bullshit.” Eddie nods. “Do your jokey flirty shit but if you don’t wanna do this anymore…”

“You’re coming in crystal clear, captain,” Eddie cuts him off.

Then they’re kissing again, and Steve’s brain is buzzing because Eddie is being so gentle that he wants to scream. For all of his flirting and sex jokes, Steve half expected him to be someone who would drop to his knees the second he gets the green light. A little whimper escapes him as Eddie pushes in closer and takes full advantage of his parted lips. He can almost taste the smoke from the discarded cigarette on Eddie’s breath but he has other things on his mind.

Mostly about how he’s utterly fucking screwed.

---

Present

The phone rang and Steve almost jumped out of his skin. He swore under his breath as he walked over to the phone. “Harrington residence,” he answers as he moved the phone to balance between his shoulder and his ear.

“Steve! Steven! My main man!” The excited voice on the other end is too loud for the sudden intrusion and Steve groans as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Henderson,” he replied flatly. Yep, Steve can definitely hear the sounds of the airport in the background. He thought those little gremlins were supposed to be on their plane by now and he says so.

“Well, ya see,” Dustin started before his voice got quieter and he started to shout over his shoulder at Suzie. “Mike and the crew’s plane got delayed and he’s too nervous to call you himself, so they made me do it.”

“From the Salt Lake City airport?”

“Yep.”

“While they’re in Indiana?”

“Actually, they’re in Kansas. The connecting flight got cancelled,  I guess. They should still be there by tomorrow morning just like an hour late or some shit I don’t know. Mike talks waaay too fast.”

Oh great.

“Why did you call me? Shouldn’t you have called Nancy? She’s supposed to be picking them up.”

Dustin is quiet for a second. “Oh, shit you’re right what are big siblings for!” Steve heard a mumble on the other end of the line. “Suzie said that Max and Lucas took over for Nancy so she can do some extra running around! Nice try though. See ya later.” And he hung up without another word leaving Steve to stare at the phone with a bewildered look on his face.

“Who was that?” Max leaned against the doorway leading into the kitchen when Steve turned to look at her.

“Dustin.” He answered as he crossed the room, brow furrowed. “Wheeler’s gonna be late.”

“Typical.” Max huffed as she folded her arms across her chest and Steve’s heart hurts. “He’d be late for his own wedding if he didn’t think Jane would kick his ass.”

Steve took one last look at the list of things to do before tomorrow and looked back outside. The patio is almost completely decorated now as Gareth and the Sinclairs milled around the yard hanging the lights. Erica was directing them, and he thinks that she’s a sort of visionary.

“You’re not even listening to me,” Max snapped her fingers and Steve startled. She was across from him now.

“I was too busy admiring their handiwork.” He motioned outside.

The corner of Max’s mouth twitched up into a smile. “They’re pretty awesome, huh.”

“I’m so,” Steve stopped himself. “Happy. Happy that you found someone that makes you feel like that.”

“Like what?”

“You know.” Max raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “In love. Butterflies. Like they would lay down everything to make sure that you’re comfortable.”

Max looked away from him, but he saw the tears in her eyes. “You know, you had that once. You said so yourself.”

“I know and that’s why I’m so fucking thrilled that you have it right now. And I’ll swallow my pride like an idiot because having Eddie there will make you happy.”

Max hugged him and they didn’t talk about Eddie for the rest of the night, but they both fell asleep nervous about seeing him the next day.

Chapter Text

Stopped in to a church
I passed along the way
Well, I got down on my knees (Got down on my knees)
And I pretend to pray (I pretend to pray)
You know the preacher liked the cold (Preacher liked the cold)
He knows I'm gonna stay (Knows I'm gonna stay)
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day

California Dreamin' - The Mamas and The Papas

Chapter 7: The Party

The next day, Max, Lucas, and Erica leave early to get to the airport. “Their flight gets in at 10,” Erica groaned as she rubbed her eyes.

“And the traffic around the airport is insane,” Lucas shrugged his shoulders before he glanced over at Max.

“Unfortunately, he’s right. I would also rather be in bed than going to pick Mike Wheeler up from the airport,” she smirked.

Lucas rolled his eyes as he put the car in drive. They don’t get to the airport until a little after 9am and Lucas grinned as he told Erica that he told her so. He yelped as his sister kicked the back of his seat before she climbed out of the car.

Dustin and Suzie had already landed when they got there. Max couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face when she spotted the black-haired woman as she waved excitedly across the lobby from the baggage claim. Lucas yelled from beside her as Dustin hurtled toward him at full speed and lifted him a few inches off the ground in a hug. “Please don’t break my future husband, the deposit is non-refundable.” Max rolled her eyes as Suzie pulled her into a hug.

“Dusty,” Suzie hissed through gritted teeth as she released Max from the almost too-tight hug. “Behave yourself we’re in public!”

“I thought we talked about calling me Dusty in public!?”

“No. You talked about it.”

Erica snickered before she was engulfed in Dustin’s grasp. “Hey, watch the merchandise, Dusty.”

The hour until Byers and Wheelers landed went by fast. Mostly thanks to Dustin and Suzie as they excitedly told the group about a new project for software they were working on. Something about artificial intelligence. Max can’t understand half of what they talk about but she’s excited for them.

Mike Wheeler is stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide open in horror as Will and Jane hide their laughter behind their hands. Erica smirked and looked proud as ever about the Welcome home, prison Mike sign she made that earned them more than a few concerned looks.

Lucas broke the trance by throwing an arm around the taller man’s shoulders. “Welcome to California, dude.”

Then Will and Jane are being pulled into hugs as Max sprinted forward to throw herself into the arms of her best friend.

“Your hair got so long,” Max grabbed a strand of hair that had slipped loose from the bun on top of her head.

“So did yours!” They hugged even tighter before more arms wrapped around Max.

She didn’t even have to look to see that it was Mike who pressed a quick kiss to her temple.

Max groaned in protest as she shoved the young man’s face away, “Gross, Mike! Save that shit for Will!”

“Oh, but we missed you so much, Maxxie!” Mike pinched her cheek playfully before Max snapped at him, nearly biting his finger. “Jesus.”

“She bites,” Lucas called out with the same tone as someone discussing the weather.

“Yeah, no fucking kidding,” Mike mumbled as he turned on his heel and they started off towards the baggage claim once again. Lucas had rented a van for the occasion; more like Steve had rented it for them and had surprised them by saying it would be easier and cheaper for everyone to get to the house that way.

“Are you seriously about to Mamma Mia Eddie Munson?” Dustin shouted from the backseat.

Erica rolled her eyes. “It’s not Mamma Mia if she already knows that Eddie’s her dad, you doofus.”

“It’s like you haven’t even seen the movie, Dustin.” Will yawned as he looked out the window.

“I’m not Mamma Mia-ing him or whatever,” Max turned around to fix him with an annoyed look. “I’m just inviting him to my party.” She paused. “And maybe the wedding.” She turned back to look out the windshield just as the backseat exploded into excited chatter.

“So, you’re parent trapping him?” Jane laughed.

“Maybe we can convince him to play with us,” Mike whispered to Will.

“Slow down, grandma!”

 “Grandma?” Mike shouted as he turned to Erica with a shocked expression on his face.

Yeah, this was gonna be a long drive.

---

Max and Lucas managed to herd everyone into the house without too much chaos. Steve had offered everyone snacks and they ran off with the plate like a pack of ravenous animals. Only Suzie and Jane trailed behind as they made polite conversation with Steve. Suzie showed him pictures she’d had developed of her wedding to Dustin and Jane finally drifted off to find the others as Suzie started to ramble about the fireworks display that Dustin had programmed himself.

“They talk a lot more than I remember,” Steve sighed as Suzie finally walked away to freshen up. Thank god the house had multiple bathrooms.

Max smiled softly as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed her father on the cheek. “Yeah, no kidding. But I missed them, so I’m not gonna complain.” She shifted her gaze up to him. “Can you do me a favor?”

“The last time I did you a favor, this party happened and now I have seven extra people in my house with more on the way,” Steve joked.

“I was just gonna ask you to braid my hair for the party, damn.”

Anyone who knew Steve knew that he was a sucker for Max. Hell, Max knew it, too. He didn’t say anything else, he just motioned for Max to follow him into the bathroom. His hands moved almost robotically as he moved one strand over the other into a simple braid just how Max liked it.

“Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think I fucked up?” They’re both quiet. “I mean, by inviting Eddie. I can always call him and cancel if you want.”

“No. I mean…no. I wasn’t really happy about it, but I understand. I think if things were different with my parents, I would do the same thing you’re doing right now. I understand that you want him to be there.”

Max let out a deep breath. “But?”

“There’s no buts here. I just don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“I’m a Harrington! I’m great at keeping my expectations for people low.”

She turned and they both looked in the mirror for a moment. Steve can’t help but think about a few years ago when he would help Max do her hair for school or her prom. Now, he’s helping her get ready to celebrate her future getting even closer. Max grinned as Steve pulled her into a big hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Be proud of yourself, old man. You’re a pretty awesome dad.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. For a dweeb.”

Then Max was gone, and Steve watched as she made her best attempt to skip down the hall. Once she was out of sight, he bumped his forehead off the doorway in the bathroom. He loved Max. Max was everything to him. He would get through tonight for her.

---

Max tried not to glance towards the door every couple of minutes. She was having fun and definitely not stuck on the fact that Eddie might not show. It was totally possible he could forget and not show up, but she would have a good time no matter the fuck what. Will and Robin laughed over by the bar. Erica and Jane held hands and spun each other around on the little makeshift dancefloor as Lucas and Suzie compared wedding details and Max wished she was over there instead. Lucas looked over and flashed her a smile and Max felt a sense of calm wash over her.

Then she snapped back to reality as Mike and Dustin continued their metaphorical dick-measuring contest right next to her. The least they could do was not do that around her dad. Jesus H. Christ.

A shriek made everyone jump and most of the attention turned to the doorway. “There’s my favorite little weirdo!”

“Holy shit, that’s Eddie fucking Munson,” Mike whispered as he slapped Dustin’s arm excitedly.

Max glanced over and noticed Steve look over at Gareth. Gareth and Eddie chatted excitedly by the door before they swept each other up into another hug. She could feel her friends eyes all on her as she crossed the room faster than she first intended to. “Eddie!”

“Hey, Red!” Eddie froze for a moment when Max threw her arms around his waist in a tight hug.

“I didn’t think you were coming.”

“Oh, kid. I’m Eddie fucking Munson. Don’t you know I never miss a party?” He smiled down at her as she took a step back. Max took in the appearance of the man in front of her. He wore a button-up shirt, leather jacket, and dark jeans. Paired with the jewelry he had on, Max thought he could probably be considered as looking pretty dressed up for a retired rocker.

Gareth ruffled Max’s hair before he hooked an arm around her shoulders. “You doing good, kiddo?”

“Doing great, Gare-bear.” Max mockingly saluted him.

The smile slipped off Eddie’s face when his gaze flickered over.

“Hey, Eddie.”

Max felt herself stand a little straighter because she hadn’t exactly planned for them to talk. What the fuck did she think was going to happen? Or maybe she didn’t think.

“Hey, Steve-o.” Eddie pointed at him and Max almost got whiplash from the bright smile that crossed his face. “Hey, birdie.” Eddie whistled as Robin looked over. Robin didn’t approach but Max was relieved to see that she just grinned and waved over at him. “Nice place you got here, Steve.”

“Thanks. You-”

“Let’s get a drink! I want a drink,” Max stepped in between the two of them and clapped her hands. “Eddie, let’s go. You can meet my friends!”

“Oh? Okay.” Like he had a say in it at all as Max linked their fingers together and pulled him after her across the yard. She could feel Mike and Dustin as they stared at her but she just focused on Lucas. Lucas greeted Eddie with a handshake before they were interrupted by a loud clatter behind them. The three of them turned; a shit-eating grin already crept its way onto Max’s face.

Oh this was gonna be good. And Max was right because the two of them were already scrambling over each other. Determined to be the one to meet him first.

Dustin was falling all over himself as he pushed Mike aside and slid up to the bar next to Eddie. “Oh my god, it’s so cool to meet you can I touch your jacket?”

“Uh,” Eddie eyed him nervously before his gaze flickered over to Max.

“Jesus Christ,” Lucas snorted before he turned to grab his drink.

“Were you raised in a barn?” Max teased as Mike approached trying his hardest to act like he hadn’t been shoved full force into a table.

Mike held out a hand. “Hi, Mr. Munson. Uh. Or Eddie? I’m a huge fan, dude! I’m Mike Wheeler.”

A look of realization crossed over Eddie’s features as he reached out and ignored the handshake. Went straight for the hug. Max had never seen Dustin more beside himself or Mike so happy. “Wheeler! How’s Nancy?”

Mike patted Eddie awkwardly on the shoulder as the rest of the party meandered over. Out of the corner of her eye, Max spotted Robin and Steve as they whispered to each other in a corner. “Good. She’s coming in for the wedding but she just couldn’t get the extra time off to come in early.”

“She’s his sister,” Max chimed in.

“Mike was totally a fix the marriage baby,” Erica nodded.

Mike sputtered as Eddie leaned in, clearly interested. “Did it work?”

“Well, they’re still married so…”

Eddie raised the soda can in his hand. “Then, Mazel Tov!”

The few of them that had drinks in their hands raised them in a mocking sort of cheer to Mike, who held a hand over his heart and bowed. Suzie stepped up beside Dustin and he said something to her that Max didn’t quite catch over the loud chatter.

Her brow furrowed and she bit her tongue as she debated on whether to speak or not. The thought process lasted 5 seconds at most. A record for Suzie and Dustin who usually talked without thinking unless it was work-related. “Oh, did Dusty-bun remember to introduce himself?” Suzie frowned. Max choked on her drink.

Dustin let out a dramatic shout, “Suzie! What did I tell you about the nickname?”

A wild smirk crept onto Eddie’s face as he held out his hand, “Nice to meet you, Dusty-bun.”

Max had the decency to try not to laugh even as Jane hid her own laughter behind her hand.

Lucas and Mike were not as merciful; practically holding onto the edge of the bar as they doubled over laughing at Eddie Munson calling Dustin that. “I think it’s a cute nickname! I could come up with much worse if I were you, Suzie.”

Dustin’s face turned pink right up to the tips of his ears but he laughed.

“Wait until you hear Mike’s nickname,” Will chimed in conspiratorially.

“Wait what,” Mike panicked as Max finally broke down and started to giggle.

Jane patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Mike.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it, Mike.”

---

The way that Eddie seamlessly fit into the group made Max oddly happy. It was the same way she felt when she’d brought Lucas home for the first time and Steve had made him feel like part of the family almost instantly. Eddie laughed and joked with her friends in a way that made them feel included. Mike talked to him about how he played the guitar and listened intently along with Jane as Eddie made suggestions. Will spoke quietly to Eddie about Chrissy and how the two times he’d met her had apparently changed his life.

Max crossed the backyard to the table where Steve and Robin sat. On her way there, Vickie called her over to ask something about the flower arrangements as Gareth wrestled her into a hug that she jokingly tried to fight off like some sort of feral kitten. “He seems really happy to be here,” Vickie practically whispered to her as she typed away on her phone.

“You think?”

“He definitely is,” Gareth nodded as the three of them quickly looked over in the direction of the little dancefloor. Jane was currently being twirled around by Eddie as the group laughed and partied like he wasn’t anything special.

Vickie said something that Max didn’t quite catch and when she turned to look, Gareth fixed her with a stern glare. “We’ll touch more on this later.” She gave Gareth’s arm a squeeze as she drifted off towards the table again; the two of them spoke in hushed voices as she wandered away.

“Hey,” she grinned as she slipped into the chair next to her father and placed a hand on top of his. Robin stood and said something about letting the two of them talk before she rushed off in the direction of Eddie and her friends. The two of them watched as Eddie embraced Robin excitedly before they seemingly started to chat each other’s ears off.

“Hey,” Steve finally tore his gaze away and smiled at her. He gave her hand a squeeze as he took a deep breath. “Are you having fun? All of your friends seem like they’re having fun.”

“I am,” she smiled gently. “At least I am right now but if you say you’re not having fun then we can do something about it.”

He shook his head just like Max expected. If Steve Harrington was anything, he was predictable. His arm could be hanging on by a thread but if he thought any expression of pain would hurt someone, he would grin and bear it. Especially with Max. “I’m having fun!” His eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. Max thought he almost sounded offended.

Max squinted at him; her bright blue eyes scanned over his expression and he stared right back. “Fine. But you’re being all mopey just so you know.”

Steve sputtered.

“Gareth would say I’m right.” She noticed Steve’s gaze flicker over to Eddie for probably the tenth time since she sat down. “Listen, you know I can’t make you do anything. But Jesus Christ, dad. If you want to go have fun, then do it. Or talk to him. Or don’t. Whatever. I’ll be okay.”

He looked over at her and Max just nodded as if she was really reading his mind. “You know I think we know each other a little too well.”

The redhead wrinkled her nose and laughed. “Well, I pretty much am your mini-me, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Steve reached over and tucked a stray hair back into Max’s braid. “But don’t worry about your old man, I swear. You know, we all had our heyday where we spent time partying and all that shit. You don’t need to think that I’m suffering in silence over here or something.”

“I don’t wanna think any more about my parents and their party years than I have to, thanks.”

“It’s not like I was a saint. You don’t get pregnant by just-“

Max rose to her feet quickly. “Alright see you later, dad. Love you,” she ducked down and kissed him on the cheek.

“Have fun, sweetie,” he called out as she departed. It made his chest tighten to watch as she crossed the yard and practically threw herself into Lucas’ waiting arms. He missed feeling like that with someone and it didn’t make it any easier that Eddie was right there. Steve didn’t hate that Eddie was there. He couldn’t avoid him and the way that he still made his heart flutter after so many years. Fuck it, he should go talk to him.

Max had slipped right in between Jane and Eddie as they danced and snatched her best friend’s hand right away from the aging rocker. “I was just warming her up for you, Red.” Eddie grinned.

“Thanks.” She beamed at him and almost had to bite the inside of her mouth to stop herself from saying too much.

“He’s really nice,” Jane said quietly as she took Max’s other hand in hers and they started to sway.

Max looked away from where Eddie was now tucked away in a corner. Erica stood with him and Gareth. For once in the time that Max had known her, Erica Sinclair seemed to hang on every word that the two men were saying to each other.

“You kind of have his freckles,” Jane observed before she released Max’s hand to twirl her around.

Max loved Jane’s honesty. It was one of the reasons they made such great friends. Max’s brand of honesty was brutal and biting while Jane could say the same thing but it could come across as understanding and kind. She had been exactly the kind of person missing from Max’s life when they’d met and sometimes she felt like she clung to Jane like a lifeboat.

When Max faced her again, her jaw dropped.

“I do not!”

“Whatever you say. I just think you do,” Jane shrugged as she continued to bob her head to the music. “You seem really happy that he’s here.”

“I am.” Max sighed as she turned and flashed Lucas a bright smile. “I almost dropped dead on the spot when I met him, I was so nervous.” Jane frowned slightly before Max continued. “But when we got there he was so fucking nice, I just…it was great! Even though I don’t know how to shut my mouth sometimes.”

“There’s nothing wrong with saying how you feel,” Jane counseled her. “Especially when you don’t really know him yet. I’m sure he wasn’t that upset considering that he’s here and all.”

“I accused him of being an asshole to dad and leaving.”

Jane cringed. “Yeah, that’ll do it.” She took a deep breath as the song changed. “What did he say?”

“He said that dad left and not him.”

Jane stopped and Max almost swayed right into her. “Well, that’s interesting. I’m sure your dad didn’t mean…”

“To lie?”

Jane nodded as she reached up to brush her bangs back out of her eyes, “I hate liars. But I don’t hate your dad so I’m sure he had a reason.”

“I just don’t know what it is and it’s killing me,” Max groaned and leaned back slightly.

“Well don’t die or the flight cross country will be for nothing,” Mike joked from behind her. Max stuck her tongue out at him just before she straightened up again.

“Speaking of,” Jane glanced over. Mike and Max both whipped around too fast to be considered anything but obvious.

Steve walked over with a purpose and only stopped for a second when Robin gave him a slightly worried look from where she stood with Vickie. The two of them nodded at each other like whatever he was about to do, Robin knew. Max almost wanted to throw up as he marched straight up to Eddie. A squeeze on her hand almost made her jump until she realized that it was Mike. It was sweet that he seemed to try his best to calm her but that wasn’t going to work right now, still she squeezed his hand right back.

“Can we talk?”

They couldn’t hear what Eddie said but Erica’s eyes widened in a mix of amusement and horror as she locked eyes with Max. Max looked over towards Lucas who looked just as shocked as she did. The last thing she expected was for Eddie to look pleased as all hell as he walked past them, cane gripped a little more tightly than before, on the way back up to the house. With Steve.

“I give them 5 minutes,” Robin announced once the two of them disappeared inside.

“10,” Vickie sipped her drink.

“You guys have no faith in them, do you?” Max furrowed her brow.

“Of course, we do, Red. That’s why I’m betting 15 minutes.” Gareth nodded.

Max felt strange as the rest of her friends chimed in with their own bets. No one bet a half hour, but Lucas and Jane bet the closest to it. She couldn’t help but feel like it was out of pity.

---

Twenty minutes had passed like nothing had happened except for every few minutes, someone else let out a noise of defeat as the time they’d bet on passed. Jane had bet 25 minutes and Max couldn’t help but notice how her eyes sparkled with the fact she might win something. She couldn’t really feel mad at her for it.

“How do you think it’s going?” Max slid up beside Gareth and only just noticed that she had chewed her cuticle so much that it was red.

Gareth sighed as he looked down at his watch. “It depends. It could be good, but it could be really bad.”

“Like?”

“Like arguing about…the past or whatever.”

Max bit her tongue. They both knew that if Chrissy were there, she would’ve stomped in there after them to see what the hell was going on by now. Maybe even play referee if she had to. “I’m gonna go see what’s going on.”

Gareth tried to stop her, but Max just ignored him and walked right up to the house. She didn’t even notice that Mike followed her until she almost jumped out of her skin when she saw his reflection in the glass door.

Mike nodded at her and Max took a deep breath before she slid the door open. As they stepped into the kitchen, Mike pointed down the hall toward Steve’s office. They could hear voices coming from inside and see the light underneath. So, they were talking and not killing each other. Cool. Everything was going great. Max couldn’t help but think that something was about to go horribly wrong.

Chapter Text

And if you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you sayin'
You would never break the chain

The Chain- Fleetwood Mac

Chapter 8: Eddie

Eddie thought the whole house was impressive after the tour Steve had given him, but he always liked being able to poke around in Steve’s mind. The inside of Steve’s office was decorated with pictures of him and Max. As he took his time looking over every picture, Eddie noticed the ones from Corroded Coffin. They were tucked away in corners; little photo strips of the 5 of them stuffed into a photo booth together tucked into the side of a framed photo of Max or a candid of them on stage under the clear desk cover where Steve kept his calendar.

“Nice setup, you got here,” Eddie smiled as he trailed a finger over one of the photo strips. This one in particular showed Steve as he beamed at the camera and Eddie kissed his cheek.

“Thanks,” Steve huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Eddie turned and looked at him, his expression soft. He almost had to look away. “You look good.”

Steve gave Eddie the once over like he hadn’t spent half the night doing that from the distance already. He knew he had his own grey hairs that peeked through but he fought it a lot more than Eddie seemed to. The grey hairs stood out against his dark locks in a way that looked unfairly good. Even his crow’s feet didn’t look terrible as the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled over at Steve.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Steve said even though his brain screamed at him to say more.

Eddie shot him a cocky little smile that would’ve made him fall to his knees 25 years ago. “Well, 17 years of sobriety will do that to ya,” Eddie sighed as he meandered back towards the front of the desk and perched on it.

Steve froze almost like a record scratched to a halt in his brain and just replayed that over and over. “Seventeen years?”

“Well. Technically a whole year without a slip-up. I kind of had a little…moment last year.” Eddie sighed as he started to nervously twist one of the rings on his fingers.

“Chrissy dying was hard on all of us.”

“I know, but I still shouldn’t have done that. I should’ve reached out but I just…I couldn’t.” Eddie shook his head and only looked up when he noticed Steve move closer to sit beside him on the desk.

“Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie shrugged as he looked up and stared over at one of the framed pictures. “Maybe I just felt like I would be a fucking burden or something. I didn’t want to end up fighting with you like last time.”

“Last time was different,” Steve frowned.

Eddie’s shoulders tensed as he turned to look at him. “For you, maybe, yeah. It would’ve been the same old I can’t believe you fucked up again and I just couldn’t handle that shit without her.”

Max’s heart broke. She never wanted to hurt anyone, but it felt like it was too late for that. Maybe she never should’ve brought Eddie to the house. Shouldn’t have started to poke at wounds, both old and new, with a stick like a little kid. They could’ve gone on living like before; parallel lives only connected in the places where she forced them to meet. Fuck. She never wanted this.

Steve flinched. “I never wanted to-“He froze and took a deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth. “I tried to help you, you know. I just couldn’t…nothing worked.”

Eddie let out a broken-sounding sort of laugh. “Yeah, I know.” He paused. “I almost died, you know. Before the last time I went. After we broke up.”

It was different to hear him talk about it. “I know,” Steve whispered. “I was still your emergency contact.”

Eddie hung his head. “I just didn’t want to bother you again with all that shit. Not after what happened to Chrissy. Not when you already had to take care of Max.”

Steve clenched his jaw and ran a hand through his hair before he hesitantly placed a hand on Eddie’s knee. “I would’ve helped you, Eds. I would’ve done anything you asked me to.”

“I thought you hated me.” Eddie sniffed.

“I-”

“You told Max that I fucking left. Which I mean fine. I wasn’t around but don’t make me sound like a fucking deadbeat. You know I hate that shit. You make me sound like…fuck.”

“You aren’t your dad, Eddie.”

It was silent for a few seconds before Eddie finally spoke again. He was so quiet that the two of them had to strain to hear him through the door.

“I would take it all back if it meant that I got to have a family.”

 “I know,” Steve said quietly as panic began to set in deep in his gut. Eddie started to tear up and Steve forced himself to look away. “I know you would.”

“I loved you. So much. I’m sorry I couldn’t-”

“It’s okay.” He paused. “I mean it’s not okay but…I’m proud of you. Seventeen years is a really long time, Eddie. I just wish that-”

“I wanted to come back but I just…didn’t trust myself to not fuck up and I couldn’t put you or Max through that. So, I just stayed away like a coward.”

He looked up and their eyes met. Something about the way that Eddie looked at him still shook Steve right down to his core and he let out a shaky breath.

“Did you?” Eddie whispered.

“I did. With my whole heart, man.” Steve reached up and brushed some of Eddie’s long hair behind his ear. The world froze for a moment and it was like both of them were trying to figure it out. Whatever it was they wanted.

Eddie cleared his throat and gripped his cane so tight that his knuckles turned white as he stood. “I should go. But I’m glad I came. It was good to see you, sweetheart,” Eddie shot him a lopsided smile.

Damn, this whole thing would’ve been easier if Eddie had done something to piss him off. “It was good to see you, too,” Steve wanted to hide his head in his hands in shame because he just grinned at him like a fool.

Eddie opened the door to the office and took a step out, then stopped. His eyes widened slightly as he walked towards the kitchen instead. Steve crept forward and peered between the gap in the door and the door itself just in time to see Eddie and Max as they said goodbye. Max looked disappointed.

Eddie said something that made Mike laugh as he reached out and gave Max’s arm a squeeze. Eddie didn’t look at Steve when he walked past to get to the front door. Steve just went back inside his office and wondered where he went wrong.

-----

22 years earlier

All Steve wanted to do was bury his face in Eddie’s hair and go to sleep. He was quickly starting to realize that he would probably not get to do that anytime soon. Instead, Eddie sat straight up in a hospital bed as he glared daggers at Murray Bauman. “You’re not my fucking dad, Murray. So, why don’t you cut the shit?”

“That’s rich coming from you. You know that I was in bed sleeping before this one,” he motioned to Steve with his thumb, “called me in a fucking panic because you crashed out on your fucking bathroom floor? Christ, Munson.”

“And now I’m fine and I just fucking want to go home.” Steve thought that Eddie looked far from fine; the skin under his eyes was so dark that it looked like he had a black eye, he looked skinny, his hands shook, and his eyes darted around the room every few seconds like a caged animal.

“I don’t even know if they’ll let us go home,” Steve furrowed his brow as he reached down to run a hand over his belly. At least Max had decided that now was a good time to not kick the shit out of his insides.

 Steve never thought he would see Murray give in. When the older man threw his arms in the air and let out an annoyed string of curses, he felt himself freeze in the chair. What was he supposed to do? Murray stomped out of the room and he felt like all the air filtered out with him. He had to focus too hard on breathing as it felt like the walls started to close around him.

He hardly even noticed the tears that rolled down his cheeks until Eddie’s cold hands brushed against his cheek. “Please don’t cry. Please don’t be mad at me,” Eddie whispered as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it.”

“That makes it worse,” Steve’s voice broke and when he looked over at Eddie, he looked as broken as Steve felt. The confident stance he had put on for Murray was gone. Instead, he looked younger than Steve had ever seen him. His dark eyes were wide even though it looked like he was fighting to stay fully awake. His shoulders slumped and he was almost hunched in on himself even as he tried desperately to hang onto Steve’s shoulders. “Eddie, I love you. You know that.”

Eddie nodded a little too quickly.

“But I can’t bring you home after that.”

Eddie flinched and almost pulled his hands away if it hadn’t been for the quick reflexes of his boyfriend.

“I want you home, but if I bring you home and it happens again.”

The squeak of the door as it opened set them both on edge. Eddie whipped around like a caged animal as he tightened his grip on Steve’s hand. Almost on instinct, he stroked the back of his hand with his thumb and felt the way he trembled; it nearly broke him.

Alexei adjusted his glasses as he sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the bed. Eddie’s eyes widened as he let out a shaky breath. “Hello, my friend.” He looked exhausted.

“Thanks for coming.” Steve smiled warily, and Eddie seemed a little more nervous.

“I won’t force you to go. But I want to talk,” the Russian furrowed his eyebrows as he surveyed the two of them. “You look like shit.” He nodded at Eddie.

Eddie sputtered as he turned to look at Steve and found himself deflating a little as he nodded. “Gee thanks, guys.”

“We want to help. Like with Chrissy,” Alexei stated. Eddie always liked Alexei better than Murray. If Murray was the brains and brawn behind the operation, then Alexei was the beating heart that ran the whole machine.

“I’m not like Chrissy,” Eddie shook his head.

“You both give me grey hair,” Alexei deadpanned.

“I do not,” Eddie replied with the most life he’d show since they got to the hospital. Steve let out a hiss through his teeth as he felt a tiny little foot dig into his side. Eddie turned to look at him almost instantaneously with concern all over his face.

“It’s fine. I think she was just…adjusting,” he winced as he shuffled around to get comfortable again in the chair.

Alexei fixed them both with a look as they turned their attention back to him. “We’ve talked about your parents. Both of you.” Eddie suddenly became very interested in the blanket on his lap. “I know you don’t want to be like your parents, Eddie. And we won’t let you. Just let us help, yeah?” With his much gentler proposition done, Alexei kissed the top of Eddie’s head and left just as quick as he’d come.

Then they were alone again. Steve wouldn’t force Eddie to talk if he wasn’t ready and Eddie seemed transfixed on his hand that was placed on Steve’s abdomen. He’d joked before about how every time she kicked, it looked like something out of Alien. Almost like she sensed him, Steve felt another little kick right where Eddie’s hand was placed. “Hey, bug.” Eddie whispered as he smiled when he felt another little kick.

The corner of Steve’s mouth quirked up as he spoke with a playful edge to his voice. “I think she likes you.”

Eddie’s expression cracked into one of despair as a tear rolled down his cheek. “I’m such a fucking terrible person, she shouldn’t.”

“You’re not a terrible fucking person. You’re just…I don’t know. But if you were a terrible person I wouldn’t be here right now. And Murray sure as shit wouldn’t.”

“I’m scared,” Eddie whispered. He looked up at Steve with tears in his eyes and Steve immediately felt compelled to reach out and wipe them from his face. “What if I go and I come back and-”

“Then we’ll figure it out.”

“Why?”

“Because I fucking love you, you idiot. And we aren’t our parents.”

On April 10th, Eddie went home with Steve. They cooked dinner and Steve helped Eddie pack his bags. They took a bath together, fell asleep in each other’s arms, and Steve made Eddie breakfast in the morning.

On April 11th, Alexei picked Eddie up and drove him 3 hours away to a rehab that Murray ‘pulled some strings’ to get him a bed in. Eddie blasted metal music the whole way there and by the time they hit hour two, he’s broken Alexei to the point that he tried to sing along with him.

He called Steve almost every day and Steve would send him pictures in the mail of the nursery and new ultrasounds. Eddie would tell his therapist about every single one.

On July 10th, Alexei picked up Eddie Munson, who looked even more young and fresh-faced than he had when they’d first met, to bring him home. Eddie and Steve embraced like two lovers who had been torn apart for years instead of 90 days but it may as well have been the same for them. Alexei excused himself when Eddie got on his knees and started to talk to the baby that still grew in Steve’s stomach. If there were tears in his eyes, then no one else saw.

On July 12th, Eddie cried harder than he had when he left. Harder than he’d probably cried when the band broke up even. None of it really mattered anymore when the tiny shrieking redhead got placed gently into his arms. “You’re gonna be a better fucking person than both of us, kid. I just know it.”

-----

Present

If Max had started to have doubts about getting married, then the immediate agreement to get in the car and go see Eddie after breakfast the next day almost made her ask to just go to the courthouse to sign the papers right then.

The night before, Max had wanted to hug Eddie, but she was too proud to ask. She had a feeling that he would’ve done it without question but she didn’t feel like it was the right time. Was there ever going to be ‘the right time’? Who the hell knew anymore, honestly?

They didn’t bring the cameras today. Lucas had suggested it and Max had felt her heart swell with gratitude. They did stop and pick up some Chinese food on the way. “As a peace offering. If we need one,” Lucas had said as he got back in the car with their order before they started the rest of the drive.

“You’re such a nerd,” Max smiled fondly over at him as she set the bag of food on the floor at her feet.

“I even got some extra noodles in case he wants some more. And so you won’t steal all of mine again,” Lucas poked her shoulder.

“A man after my own heart,” the red-head sighed dreamily as she turned to look out the window.

They rolled to a stop at the top of the hill as the little house came into view. “Is that who I think it is?” Lucas leaned forward to squint through the windshield.

“Wayne.” Max sighed as she leaned back in the seat.

Wayne Munson looked over. “Fuck,” Lucas whispered. Max pinched him as she started to roll down the window.

“Shut up, shut up! Act natural,” she hissed through gritted teeth as Wayne shuffled up to the side of the car.

“Can I help you, kids?”

Wayne’s voice was a little gruffer than either of them expected. Max froze like a deer in headlights; too many thoughts and explanations ran through her head until Lucas’ voice broke through the mental fog.

“You must be Mr. Munson!” Lucas reached a hand across her to shake Wayne’s hand. “I’m Lucas and this is Max. We’re here to see Eddie.”

The old man eyed him tentatively before his gaze shifted to Max. A strange look that Max couldn’t really place crossed over his face and then it was gone. He reached into the car to shake Lucas’ hand. “Just Wayne. Neither of us like that Mr. Munson shit. Why don’t you two park and I’ll head in and get you two some water. And make sure Eddie’s presentable.”

“That would be great,” Max beamed and waved a hand as he departed back towards the house.

“Holy shit,” Lucas let out a long breath as he put the car back in drive to pull in beside the beat-up pickup truck.

“I think I almost shit my pants,” Max furrowed her brow as she ran a hand down her face. “Do you think we should’ve stayed back at the house?”

Lucas looked up as he turned off the engine. “Maybe. But Eddie looks pretty excited to see you,” he nodded towards the house.

Eddie did, in fact, look very excited to see them. Max raised a hand slowly in the air and waved out the window as Eddie limped towards them. “What’s up, Old Yeller?” Max shouted out the window. Eddie tilted his head back and laughed.

Eddie slapped the side of the car as he leaned in to look through the window. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all.

“I don’t think you have to take me out back just yet Red. But what brings you guys up here?”

“We just wanted to check on you. You blew out of there pretty fast last night,” Max furrowed her brow.

Eddie stopped for a moment as he contemplated something. Then his hand reached through the open window and ruffled Max’s hair, “Aw shucks!”

“Not the hair, dude! Come on.”

Eddie laughed as he stepped back and opened the car door for Max as Lucas climbed out and made his way around to the passenger side.

“I always hold the door for a lady,” Eddie bowed mockingly.

“Don’t be a showoff,” Wayne huffed from the porch.

“Wayne is loving this,” Eddie snorted. Max looked over and wasn’t exactly surprised to see Wayne looking as stone-faced as ever

“Wayne’s enjoying himself?” Lucas quirked an eyebrow.

“We don’t get a lot of company,” Eddie shrugged.

“Whatcha got there, boy?” Wayne eyed the bag in Lucas’ hand with suspicious eyes.

 “Uh...Chinese takeout?”

“I like him.” Wayne broke into a grin and Max felt herself relax for the first time since they got in the car.

The old man led the way through the house with the confidence of someone who could walk through the halls with his eyes closed.

Max’s hands shook a little as she sat at the table across from Wayne. Odds are he’s as much of a big teddy bear as Eddie but that didn’t really help the nerves. True to his word, Wayne had set out cups of water for everyone.

“So, how’s your dad?” Wayne said conversationally. Max almost choked on her drink. “Oh. Sorry I should’ve said that I knew Steve was your dad, but I thought that was a given.”

Max paused and eyed Wayne wearily. “He’s doing really good. Just nervous about the wedding and everything I guess.” Wayne’s eyes almost bugged out of his head as he cast a quick glance in the direction of Eddie.

“I told you about the party, Wayne. Lucas and Max are getting married,” Eddie reached over and clapped Lucas on the back.

“Cheers to the happy couple,” Wayne smiled.

Max felt her cheeks grow hot as she looked down and poked at her noodles. “Thanks.”

“Are you guys sure you’re here just to visit?” Eddie asked around a mouthful of his own noodles.

“Totally, dude,” Lucas waved a hand dismissively. “We invited you to the house last night. We would be shit hosts if we didn’t check on you after whatever the hell went down last night.” One of the things that will always throw Max for a loop is how casual he can be. Like he almost didn’t drop the bomb that maybe they had walked in on Steve in the closest state to shamble that Max had seen him in pretty much ever.

Eddie and Wayne shot each other an almost unreadable look before a smirk spread across Eddie’s features. His eyes lit up and he looked 10 years younger with the mischief that gleamed in his eyes. “Great, so I get to grill you guys now.”

Lucas’ smile faltered and Max’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes, Red! Fair is fair.”

Eddie drilled the two of them on how they met. An appreciative nod was earned as Lucas recounted how they’d met at a concert that Max had gone to with Gareth and Chrissy. They recounted the year and a half of cross-country phone calls that only stopped being an issue when Lucas moved from Indiana to California for college. Wayne seemed to hang on every word that the two of them said. Whether it was out of politeness or genuine interest, Max couldn’t really tell.

“You two stayin’ the night?” Wayne nodded towards the window and the darkening sky outside. Shit. They hadn’t meant to stay that long.

“Sure,” Lucas said without a second thought.

“We’d love to,” Max hoped her smile didn’t look too forced.

“Great. We always have the guest room set up. Force of habit.” Eddie trailed off and the room fell into an awkward silence.

“Chrissy and Gareth used to come stay every once and a while when they weren’t so busy,” Wayne cleared his throat. “But the room should be clean. You’re more than welcome to stay.”

“Thanks for inviting them to stay in my house, old man,” Eddie rolled his eyes as he rose to his feet and headed towards the sink but Max thought she saw the smile that quirked up the corner of his mouth.

“You were ‘bout to. Sorry I just beat you to the punch.”

“At least I know you’re not falling into your old age yet,” Eddie joked as he wiped his wet hands off on his jeans. “I can show you guys to the room whenever you’re ready. I can get you some old clothes if you don’t have anything for bed.”

“That would be great, thanks.” Lucas grinned.

Old clothes turned out to be some old sweatpants for Max along with an old Corroded Coffin tour t-shirt. One for each of them.

“I think this thing is as old as me,” Lucas whispered theatrically in Max’s ear as Eddie handed over the shirts.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three,” Lucas eyed him wearily.

“The shirts have about a year on you,” Eddie laughed. “But you can’t judge things on their age. I mean, I’m still pretty cool, right?”

Max burst out into a fit of laughter.

“Everyone’s a critic!” Eddie threw his arms in the air and cringed when the cane smacked into the wall. Lucas let out a sputter of a laugh as Wayne shouted something down the hall about not tearing the house down around them.

“You’re cool, dude.” Max managed to say through a laugh. “Don’t worry about it. Thanks for the shirts.”

“Anything for the lady,” Eddie swooped into a small bow. “And the gentleman, too. We don’t discriminate here.”

“Thanks,” Max grinned as she nudged Lucas back into the room.

“Hey.” Eddie looked nervously down the hall for a moment before he turned back and placed a hand on Max’s shoulder. “I’m sure your dad’s told you this before, but Lucas seems like a really good kid.”

“He is,” Max assured him.

Eddie’s expression was unreadable until he broke out into a grin. “You know, I’m really happy that you came out here even if it didn’t go…great. It was good to see everyone.”

“I want you to come to the wedding,” Max blurted out. “Before you say no just…I want you there. Okay? Just think about it.”

“I will.” Eddie paused before he wrapped an arm around her in a hug. “Night, kid.” Max wrinkled her nose as Eddie ruffled her hair. “See you in the morning. I’ll make sure that we have breakfast ready.”

“Night,” Max sighed as she watched Eddie depart down the hall and she finally stepped in and closed the door behind her.

---

“Are you sure you should be doing this?” Lucas furrowed his brow as he set the desk chair down outside of the closet.

“No. I’m not sure. But if this is the room where Chrissy used to stay then she definitely left some stuff here. Or something!”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Nothing,” she snapped. Lucas frowned and Max took a deep breath. “Sorry I just…”

“I know,” Lucas leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “I just don’t want you to do anything that you’re gonna regret.”

He stood next to the chair and only winced as Max gripped his shoulder for support as she stood up on the chair and squinted against the light so close to her face. “There’s something up here,” she whispered as she reached up and her fingers brushed something.

An old shoe box. She leaned forward and pulled it over the edge and into her hands.

“Holy shit,” Lucas’ eyes widened.

“It has Eddie’s name on it.”

They locked eyes and Max felt her hands start to shake. So many things could be in the box. Part of her wanted to put it back and pretend she never noticed it but another part of her couldn’t resist. She wanted to know. She needed to know. More about him and about everything else that she’d missed out on.

Her knee shook and the panic hit fast. Instinct made her reach out to Lucas with one hand and the box flipped. Max grabbed the back of the chair as Lucas reached out and snatched the box out of the air before it hit the ground.

Time stood still for a moment before they both looked down and Max’s heart sank to her stomach.

She cursed under her breath as a few pictures fluttered to the ground. She was usually better at snooping than this. She stopped dead in her tracks as she glanced at the first picture. “What the fuck,” she whispered as she picked it up with a shaky hand. It was a picture of her at her graduation.

A picture of her at her prom.

At homecoming.

In the different plays she was in during middle school.

It was all a blur until there was one left. Facedown with a date scribbled on the back. 7/12/90 with a little heart next to it. Max felt nauseous as she flipped it over. “Jesus Christ,” Lucas whispered from behind her. Max didn’t hear it though. All she could focus on was the picture: Eddie Munson, 17 years younger. He looked tired but happy, and, in his arms, he held a toddler. A freckle-faced red-headed toddler. “What the fuck.”

Chapter Text

You're as cold as ice
You're willing to sacrifice our love
You want paradise
But some day, you'll pay the price
I know

Cold As Ice- Foreigner

Chapter 9: The Break-Up

How Max had managed to spend the night at the house without incident was nothing short of a miracle. Breakfast was short and sweet. They all hugged goodbye like nothing was wrong even though Max had the picture from 1990 shoved in the front pocket of her backpack. Eddie and Wayne were none the wiser. Even when Max invited Eddie to drive down for dinner, he happily accepted.

She didn’t talk about whatever she had planned. That was one thing that Lucas knew about Max before they even started to date; she was great at hiding when she was upset, and she was even better at making plans.

Lucas had white-knuckled the steering wheel the whole drive back to Steve’s house. The tension that hung between the two of them in the car was only softened a half hour into the drive when Max finally looked away from the window.

“Hey Lucas?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think that it’s crazy?”

Lucas furrowed his brow. “Do I think what’s crazy?”

“Me being mad about…you know. The pictures.” She paused. “The way that dad used to talk about him…the way everyone used to talk about him was like he didn’t even know.”

“Maybe they thought it would be easier if you thought that.” Lucas sighed as Max reached over and rubbed his shoulder in a way that comforted both of them. “I know Steve and maybe he thought…I don’t know. Maybe he just didn’t want to hurt you as much as he thought this would.”

Max clenched her jaw and gripped his shoulder a little too tight. “Maybe. We’re going to find out though that’s for sure.”

When they pulled up the driveway, Erica was out on the front steps with her face twisted into a mask of concern and annoyance. “It’s about time! I was ready to start climbing the damn walls if I had to listen to your dad and Robin whisper at each other in this big ass house for five more minutes.”

“Robin’s here?” Max grimaced as she pulled herself out of the passenger side door.

“Uh yeah? They’re more attached at the hip than conjoined twins.”

“Erica,” Lucas hissed as he rounded the car.

“What? It’s just the facts.”

“It’s quiet.” Max yawned as she stretched her arms above her head. She grimaced at the pull she felt in the muscle of her leg as she leaned against the door and Lucas gravitated towards her side.

Erica shrugged her shoulders. “Dustin and Suzie went off to some nerd museum or something. Jane and Will took Mike to go visit Jonathan and Nancy for a couple of days.”

“You say that like they took him by force,” Lucas smirked as he hooked arms with Max to start towards the house.

“They were about 5 steps away from shoving him in the trunk of the car.” Erica laughed as she closed the car door behind them. “And I told him that he’s just mad that they’re going to spend time with the cooler sibling.”

Nancy and Mike had a complicated relationship, to say the least. She was already older and out of the house by the time Mike was born. Nancy always lived in California as long as Max had known her; Mike had lived back in Indiana with their parents. Max had only really met him a few times before she met Lucas. Now it was like they were inseparable. Nancy had joked once a few years ago during the first time that the party had come out to California that Mike and Max were more like Steve and Robin than Steve and Robin were at that point.

“He was just pissed you were right,” Robin announced her arrival in the doorway with a bright grin. “You guys have a nice night?”

“It was alright.” Max shrugged as they passed by her into the house. “Can you let Dad know that we’re going to have Eddie over for dinner? I need to go upstairs and lie down.”

She almost missed the worried look that Robin directed at Erica.

“Oh, awesome!” Erica grinned as Robin began to fidget nervously. It was just a matter of time until Eddie showed up.

---

To say that Erica Sinclair was almost stunned into silence by the picture would be an understatement. It was probably the quietest that Max had ever seen her be since they’d met. It didn’t take much after that to get her on board. All she had to do was keep everyone engaged enough during dinner that she could get Eddie to stay.

Max just wanted answers. There were too many things that she didn’t know. “It feels like it’s fucking eating me up inside.” She let out a heavy sigh as Lucas ran his thumb along the back of her hand.

“Everything about your parents?” Erica quirked an eyebrow up at her from her spot on the carpet.

“Kind of? I just…I know that everything that happened near the end was bad. With everyone, you know? I know that Jason did that interview but…” She trailed off.

“You want them all to sing like canaries or what?”

“What?” Max sputtered. “No. No, I just…I mean kind of? Fuck. I don’t even know. I just…”

“You just want to understand. Right?” Lucas furrowed his brow and Max nodded her head. She didn’t feel good about it. The whole thing felt like a betrayal of the way she’d been raised. Steve was always honest. Open to a conversation and any questions she had. She loved her dad. But the little voice in the back of her head spoke a little louder now.

He’d been honest but how much? He’d lied to her about Eddie leaving before she was even born. What else had he lied about? She was more than entitled to whatever she got out of this dinner.

They all just existed in the same space until the doorbell rang; Steve, Robin and Vickie stayed downstairs while Max, Lucas, and Erica occupied themselves like nothing was wrong. Erica was surprisingly good at the whole thing. By the time Max got to the middle of the stairs, Steve already had the door open. The three adults stood in the foyer and whispered among themselves as Eddie shuffled through the door. Vickie threw her arms around him in a tight hug as Robin patted him on the back.

“It’s about time,” Erica’s voice seemed to break everyone out of their own little worlds. “I’m starving.” Max sighed heavily as she followed the younger woman down the stairs with Lucas not far behind her.

She could feel the weight of the picture in her pocket as she passed through the foyer.

“Hey, Red,” Eddie called out.

“Hey,” Max didn’t even turn her head.

---

“Damn you’re a good cook,” Eddie grinned as he leaned back in his chair.

Max couldn’t help but notice the smug look on Steve’s face as he set his silverware down on the table. “Thanks.”

“I’m so happy you came, Eddie,” Vickie flashed him a bright smile from across the table.

“Happy that you guys had me!”

“You’re not going to leave already, are you?” Max spoke up as Lucas rose from his chair. The attention in the room seemed to shift. Eddie fidgeted in his chair as he tapped a finger on the table.

“Maybe? I don’t really want to overstay my welcome.”

“You’re not overstaying anything,” Steve spoke before Max had a chance. Max’s gaze shifted over to Erica. The younger woman was better at a poker face than she would ever be. While Max tugged nervously at the hem of her shirt under the table, Erica looked as calm as someone ready to talk about the weather. The only move she made was to brush her bangs out of her eyes.

“Oh. If you’re sure then, I could stay for a little while. It’s not like I have a curfew or anything.”

Robin eyed Max warily, in a way that showed she knew she was up to something. Max looked back to Eddie and her eyes searched for something in his face.

Something familiar that might make anything click in her head. Like in the movies where someone would have an epiphany and everyone would hug and live happily ever after. Yeah, right. This wasn’t some stupid romcom.

Then she noticed it; the freckles that seemed to scatter across his face in the sunlight as it dipped below the mountains. Something in that spurred her on. Maybe someone would finally tell her the truth she sought out for so long.

“I want to know more about Chrissy...and Jason.”

Robin’s eyes grew wide, Vickie made a startled noise, and Eddie...just deflated.

“What are you talking about,” Steve’s expression was calm but his voice was harsh.

“You know what I’m talking about. We saw the interviews he did,” Max frowned.

“I’m a great researcher,” Erica tagged on.

“Jason was an asshole,” Robin interjected.

“Understatement of the year, Buckley.” Eddie sighed as he ran a hand down his face. Max didn’t need them to tell her that. She’d read everything that Jason had said about her family. And that was just what he said to the press.

She knew what Jason had said about her when she was nothing but an innocent kid.

“How did Chrissy even meet that guy?” Lucas asked as he sat back down.

Max thought she could cut through the tension with a knife.

“In rehab.” Steve cleared his throat and looked towards the ceiling. It felt like the rug was pulled out from under her. “She went for an eating disorder,” Steve sighed. “She wasn’t eating and none of us knew until...until she passed out at practice.”

“Murray got her sent somewhere great,” Robin looked misty-eyed. “We all just wanted her to be okay, you know?” Vickie reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Then how did she meet Jason? I don’t get it.” Erica furrowed her brow.

“Jason worked there. Or his mom did or some shit.” Eddie grimaced.

“What the fuck,” Lucas frowned as he rubbed comforting circles on the back of Max’s hand.

“It’s not Chrissy’s fault. Jason was really nice to her at first.” Eddie fiddled with his utensils. “She wrote me a few times while she was there. Just talked about how happy she was. How she was doing better, you know?”

Steve let out a shaky breath and ran a hand through his hair.

“Then when she came back, they were already married.” Eddie shook his head.

“He was like a monster,” Vickie whispered.

Max’s mind swam. What the fuck happened to Chrissy Cunningham?

23 years ago

Chrissy Cunningham was on the ground in the shower by the time Steve stormed into the hotel room. Jason had tried to get him away from the door for at least 5 minutes. All Steve wanted to do was apologize to her.

They’d gotten into a stupid fight at soundcheck, and he would never forgive himself if he didn’t get to apologize. Chrissy was never closed off the way she was the past few weeks. She was always warm and open. Kind and accepting when everyone else in California was more likely to spit in his face. He needed to talk to her.

He didn’t want to yell, he didn’t want to fight, he just needed his friend right now and Jason wouldn’t let him in.

“You need to let me in, Jason.”

“You need to mind your own business, freak.”

Eddie must have heard everything because all of a sudden, he was right next to Steve. “I heard Chrissy yell. Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine. You two seem to be the only people with an issue here,” Jason met Eddie’s eye. Eddie decided that he really hated him. Somewhere inside the room, the three of them heard it. A distressed kind of sound. Almost a sob, but more of a whimper like a wounded animal. A quick panicked look crossed over Jason’s face as Eddie went pale.

“Chrissy?” Steve called out.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Jason shoved Eddie back by the shoulder and hell broke loose.

Steve had shoved his way past Jason; in the same breath, Eddie had moved into the room and crowded Jason into a corner. His gaze fixed right on Jason; a fierce look in his eye that could make even the bravest men fall to their knees and beg for mercy.

“Jesus Christ,” Steve whispered as he crossed the room. The stress and panic were evident all over Chrissy’s face and Eddie wanted to punch the indifferent look right off of Jason’s face. Steve inched closer and kneeled down across from Chrissy in the bathroom. Her cheek was red and there were tears in her eyes. Her lip was split and her eyes darted around the room like a caged animal. She flinched away from him as he reached out to comfort her. Steve turned to look at Eddie.

“Eddie,” Steve’s voice cracked as his boyfriend cast a glance at him. “She’s hurt.”

Eddie’s expression was unreadable before he turned to Jason and hissed through gritted teeth. “What the fuck did you do to her?”

“I’m fine. This is nothing,” Chrissy tried to sound sure of herself. Steve turned to look at her. The unspoken this has happened before passed between them.

“This isn’t nothing, Chrissy.”

“She said it’s nothing, then it’s nothing. She’s just a klutz. I mean you’ve seen her on stage. Flailing around like a baby deer with no fucking balance.”

“I’m going to have to fucking kill you,” Eddie hissed as he stepped closer.

“Whoa, hey now, what’s going on in here,” Murray’s voice broke through the tension.

“Why don’t you fucking make yourself useful for once, Murray, and call the fucking cops or something?” Eddie snarled.

“Now Edward, we don’t like the cops.” Murray sounded everything like a kindergarten teacher and nothing like a fearsome record producer.

“Then I’ll lay your ass out, too! Why don’t you just fucking listen to me!”

“We are not laying anyone’s asses out so shut up!” Steve turned his head and glared over in the direction of the other men. “But can you please fucking do something, Murray? Get this asshole out of here. Now!” Steve could hear the blood pump in his ears. The walls felt like they were about to close in on him. All that mattered was that Eddie kept Jason away. He blinked rapidly as Chrissy’s cold hand slipped into his and gripped tight. Don’t cry don’t fucking cry.

The gravity of the situation seemed to hit Murray as he stepped into the room and turned to look into the bathroom.

“You alright, kid?” He scanned the room quickly. Steve thought he saw his brow furrow in concern when his eyes landed on Chrissy.

 “Super fucking duper,” Chrissy flashed Murray a wary smile and a thumbs up.

Murray turned on his heel and pointed past Eddie. “You. What the fuck happened in here?” Jason stuttered. “You have 30 seconds starting now!”

“Nothing happened. I have no clue what Munson and Harrington are even talking about when they decided to bust down the door like a bunch of lunatics,” Jason eyed Eddie nervously.

“That’s bullshit and you know it. You expect me to believe that Chrissy hit herself?” Steve called over from the bathroom floor. Chrissy buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly.

“Now, Steven. That’s not helping the situation,” Murray pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Thank you,” Jason sighed.

“What are you thanking me for? I’m not helping you out here. The only reason Eddie hasn’t put your head through the wall is I can’t have my guitarist going to jail.”

Jason swallowed harshly as Eddie only seemed to loom closer. Like a guard dog that waited for its owner’s command to strike. Bite. Good dog.

The silence was heavy. Everyone in the room seemed to wait for someone else to make a move.

“What the hell is going on?” Gareth’s voice cut through the silence in the other room. “I heard yelling! Whoa Eddie what the fuck are you doing, man?” His gaze shot to the corner of the room.

“About to give Jason what he deserves if Murray will let me.” Eddie growled.

“Not a chance in hell,” Murray snapped his fingers as he began to pace the room.

Gareth furrowed his brow and turned. His mouth was half open, ready to speak when he turned and looked into the bathroom. All of the color drained from his face and he was at Steve’s side in the blink of an eye.

“Chrissy? Chris, holy shit,” Gareth stuttered as Chrissy launched herself at him and clung to him like a life jacket.

Whatever Chrissy said to Gareth, he would never know. Whatever it was made Gareth stiffen up and something in him seemed to break. Gareth didn’t get mad. At least not really mad.

His shoulders were stiff as Chrissy pulled back and leaned against the wall. Her hand found Steve’s again as Gareth rose to his feet and crossed into the main room.

Steve never thought Gareth was scary until he saw the way he rounded on Jason like a rabid dog.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” Gareth screamed as he lunged forward. Eddie blinked in shock as Gareth hurtled past him and pinned Jason to the wall. His hands went around his neck and Jason could only let out a quick shout before any noise was choked out.

God. Gareth was really going to fucking kill him. What the fuck.

“Gareth, stop!” Chrissy shrieked.

“Enough!” Murray screamed and if it wasn’t so tense, Eddie probably would’ve laughed at the way he picked Gareth up like an angry kitten. Murray was stronger than he looked and in the blink of an eye, he had pulled Gareth off of Jason by the back of his shirt and pulled him halfway across the room.

“Enough! Everyone’s going in time fucking out,” Murray screamed.

Steve had risen to his feet, ready to block the doorway to the bathroom in case Jason tried to make some kind of break for it.

Alexei was in the doorway. He looked madder than any of them had ever seen him. Robin peered over Alexei’s shoulder; the stress and anxiety painted all over her face.

“Fighting isn’t going to help this and it sure isn’t going to help Chrissy,” Alexei stated calmly. Eddie noticed that he didn’t even look in Jason’s direction.

Robin brushed past Murray like a bat out of hell and was at Steve’s side faster than he thought possible.

“You okay?” She reached out and touched his arm comfortingly.

“Yeah, I… yeah. He didn’t come near me.”

“Robin,” Chrissy’s voice was weak and then Robin disappeared into the bathroom.

“What do you mean no fighting? What about no fucking hitting your wife?” Gareth seethed as he tried to pull against Murray’s hold.

“Jason apparently missed that lesson in being a decent fucking human being,” Eddie snarled as he locked eyes with the blonde man again.

“You guys are all fucking crazy. Freaks,” Jason rubbed his neck.

“Stop!” Everyone in the room turned. Chrissy stood in the doorway behind him now, supported by Robin. “Stop being mean to my friends. They didn’t do anything to you. Ever!”

Steve felt Jason’s eyes on him. Jason hated him. He had since they met, it wasn’t really a secret.

“They wouldn’t be your friends if it weren’t for-”

“You don’t know anything about why we’re friends,” Chrissy snapped. Steve felt his admiration for her grow by the second. Gareth watched her with tears in his eyes. “Just because you don’t have any friends doesn’t mean you get to bully mine.”

“Your best friend is a freak! Walking around on stage like you’re a man?” Jason wrinkled his nose. Eddie stiffened. “You’re sick, Harrington.”

Steve felt like the air got punched out of his chest.

“He’s more of a man than you are.” Chrissy teared up. Steve could feel his hands start to shake as Chrissy reached out and linked her fingers with him. “You’re rotten. You’re the sick one. What’s the matter with you?”

“Don’t be a big fucking baby,” Jason sneered.

“How about you shut the fuck up or I’ll shove this drumstick right up your ass!” Gareth started.

“Don’t.” Eddie cut in. “He’s not even worth it. People like Jason never change anyway.”

Apparently, that wasn’t enough for Gareth.

Nancy opened her door just in time to see Murray pulling Gareth out of a hotel room by the collar of his jacket, “We do not engage in behavior that will get us lawsuits, Gareth! How many times do we have to talk about not engaging with the man!” Nancy sighed and stepped back into her room. She picked up the phone and called security. Jim Hopper showed up to escort Jason out in 2 minutes. He wasn’t gentle.

---

Present

The air in the dining room was thick. Erica chewed nervously on her lip. Robin had tears in her eyes. Max didn’t even realize she had started to cry until a sob escaped her lips.

Eddie’s attention turned to her as Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this. He was-”

“He was a horrible person who couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He was bitter that he couldn’t control Chrissy anymore and he wanted to take everyone down with him.” Steve gritted his teeth.

“So, he went after you,” Lucas frowned.

Steve shrugged as he folded his napkin over and over. “Guess I was the easiest target.”

“You were just the closest to her.” Vickie tried to reassure him. “Well, besides Gare. But I guess he couldn’t really find anything headline-worthy on him.”

“He went after all of us.” Eddie corrected. “In one way or another…but your dad is right. Jason went after him the worst. But he didn’t just stop with us. I guess he heard me talking to Chrissy about my mom so…there were articles about her being an addict. And about me.”

“And about me,” Max cut in. “Right?”

Erica noticed the look that Steve and Eddie exchanged. “What kind of asshole talks trash to a tabloid about a baby?” She frowned.

“Someone who hates that kid’s parents, I guess.” Robin blurted out. “He just couldn’t handle losing so he never shut his mouth when he should have.”

“He’s lucky that I didn’t see him after that.”

“Or what?” Steve rolled his eyes.

“Or I would have beat his ass,” Eddie raised his voice.

“For talking shit about your kid?” Max frowned. Eddie’s face went pale. Robin choked on her drink as Vickie let out a heavy sigh.

“Max.” Steve stared at her with wide eyes.

“I-” Eddie stuttered. “Yeah. I guess. I mean yeah.” He stumbled over his words. “Max, I-“

“Save it.” She shook her head. The world was about to come down around her. “I don’t…I can’t do this right now. I mean…shit. I just wanna know why.”

“Why…” Robin frowned.

“Why you guys broke up? Why you guys never decided to talk about it? Why my dads decided to act like one of them didn’t exist for my whole fucking life?”

Eddie buried his face in his hands as Steve ran a hand down his face. “Max, you don’t…”

“I saw the pictures.” Max frowned as she reached into her pocket and slapped the picture onto the table. “You wouldn’t tell me anything about Eddie when I asked until I was older, but you sent him pictures of me for my whole life?”

“Max-”Robin reached across the table at her. Max pulled away.

“No! No, it’s,” her voice cracked as she took a deep breath. “It’s not fucking fair.”

“It would have been even less fair for you to have me around,” Eddie looked up. His face was serious. Max’s stomach turned. “You deserved more than what I had as a kid, Max. That’s what I wanted for you. That’s why I made that choice. You can hate me for it, but I made that choice because I loved you and I wanted the best for you.”

It was like a punch in the chest. Like a door opened and a whirlwind sucked all the air out of the room. “I can’t.”

“Max,” Lucas reached a hand out to her. Robin winced at the screech of the chair as Max pushed back from the table.

“Where are you going?” Steve started to rise from his seat.

“Out,” Max snapped as she stomped away from the table. “I can’t handle this bullshit anymore.” No one moved until the front door slammed shut.

 Lucas slumped forward and thumped his forehead against the table. “Fuck.”

“I’m gonna go call Gareth,” Vickie whispered as she rose from her seat and hurried into the next room.

Steve deflated. His shoulders hunched in as he looked across the table at Eddie. “So much for a nice family dinner. Right?”

“Hey, how about you two come help me uhhh out in the garden,” Robin’s eyes darted around the room as she tried to hurry Lucas and Erica out of the kitchen.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Eddie furrowed his brow. They were alone now and it was so tense he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“We fucked up. What else could it mean?”

Eddie scoffed and rose from his seat. “Whatever.”

“No! Not whatever.”

“Yes! And you know why? Because I was an idiot to think that I could come back here and-” Eddie groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Forget it.”

“No. Say it. Just fucking say it,” Steve was on his feet now too.

“I was an idiot to think that I could just slide right back in and have….something. You don’t fucking get it.”

“You think I don’t get it? I don’t have a family either.”

“Bull-shit,” Eddie threw his arms in the air. “You have Robin. And Vickie. And Gareth! My fucking best friend! And you have Max. All I have is Wayne and he’s only getting older and then I’ll have no one.”

Steve flushed like he’d been slapped. “I…You…You wanted it to be this way.”

“Because I was an addict, Steve. And we had a fucking baby! Did you really want me around Max like that? I was a fucking mess and I just…what if I overdosed? What if Max found me like that? I couldn’t…I couldn’t do that to her.” Eddie let out a shaky breath. Ran a hand through his hair.

Steve hated him. Hated him because he understood what he meant and he couldn’t really hate him for it if he tried. “Eddie, I…”

“Whatever,” Eddie’s voice was hoarse. He tried to blink back the tears but Steve knew him too well. He knew the telltale crinkle of Eddie’s nose. The way his top lip trembled and the corner of his eyes glittered with tears that he never wanted to let fall. “I’ll leave you alone then. If you really want to talk, you’ll know where to find me.”

Steve jolted as Eddie brushed past him with intentional force. “What does that mean?”

“The old house,” Eddie answered. “If you even remember where it is.”

Eddie didn’t look back.

When the door slammed behind him, Steve finally let himself crumble.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Chrissy

14 months ago

Max could drive the route to the hospital with her eyes closed by now if she really tried. The big stupid fancy hospital that she would see in her nightmares sometimes. “I can meet you there if you want,” Lucas had told her that morning.

“I appreciate it, but I like having my alone time with her,” Max shrugged. She didn’t want to say that most of the reason she enjoyed it was because she didn’t know how much time they really had left. Time was precious and maybe she’d wasted too much of it on being an angry, surly teenager. Chrissy had guided her and tried to do her best but she would lash out. If she could go back in time, she would do it differently. She would listen to her and not yell at her for siding with Steve. She would try to be better. Be nicer. Be anything that showed Chrissy how much she loved and appreciated her.

The most she could do now was treat her the best she ever could. Even if that meant trips to the hospital for treatment. If she tried not to focus on where they were going, it would almost seem like they were going on a shopping trip. Right down to the comfortable shirt and cardigan that Chrissy wore with her leggings and Birkenstocks. It was like nothing changed except for the feeling that Max couldn’t shake. Almost like she was on her way to death’s door with her.

Chrissy cleared her throat in the passenger seat and Max jolted back to attention. “You alright, kiddo?”

“I should be asking you that.” Max furrowed her brow as she rolled to a stop at the red light. She cast a quick glance over before she occupied herself with a loose string on the bottom of her black t-shirt.

The blonde shrugged as she pulled the cardigan closer around her shoulders. “I’m used to it by now. I feel great.”

Max didn’t even have to look over to see the small grimace that crossed over Chrissy’s face. “Great enough for the discounted hospital frozen yogurt we get after your treatment.”

“My one true love!”

“I won’t tell Uncle Gareth,” Max laughed as she flicked on her turn signal.

“That’s my girl,” Chrissy reached over and patted her on the back of her hand. A sudden gasp almost made Max turn her attention away from the road. “Wait!” She reached out suddenly and turned up the music. “Do you recognize this one?”

Max usually couldn’t bear to listen to the song on the radio but this time was different. “Yeah, it’s Moonbeam.” She tried to tune out the male voice that joined Chrissy on the track.

“This was always one of my favorites,” Chrissy smiled sadly as she turned and looked at the redhead.

“It’s in the top 5, I guess. I just don’t really get it.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just so…different from everything else. Especially on that album! It totally throws off the vibe,” Max exclaimed as she pulled into a handicapped parking spot and put the car in park.

“It’s a love song. That’s why it’s different.” Chrissy explained with the patience that she always had for her.

The sound of the seatbelt cut through the quiet of the car as Max unbuckled. “You’re fucking joking with me right now.”

“I’m not,” Chrissy crossed her arms in front of her chest and leveled her niece with a look.

“Corroded Coffin wrote a fucking love song.” Max sputtered.

“What did you think a line like moonbeam hiding in the dark bathe me in your light was about?”

“I don’t know! I thought it was some weird symbolic shit and fuck knows people thought it was some devil worship shit.”

Chrissy quirked an eyebrow and it was silent for a few seconds. Then she laughed. Then she dissolved into a coughing fit that made Max’s blood run cold. They would be late for her appointment if they carried on too long.

~

Chrissy slept the whole way home. She was always tired after her treatments. Max was used to the silence aside from the music that played quietly. More background noise than something she actually paid attention to by now.

It was all like going through the motions now. Right down to the fact that Gareth was already outside on the front porch when she pulled into the driveway.

“Oh, there’s Prince Charming,” Chrissy rubbed her sleepy eyes as the passenger side door opened.

“Hey there, princess.” Gareth held a hand out to her and Max could only trail after them. She’d always thought that one day she would find a love like the one they had. In sickness and in health. She shuddered to think about it. Max huffed as she took a left into the living room as Gareth continued down the hall with Chrissy. She kicked off her beat-up shoes and contemplated whether she should follow them or not.

Down the hall, Chrissy coughed loudly and that was enough to propel Max down the hall. She slid through the doorway in her socks and was met with two very concerned looks.

“You okay, kid?” Gareth raised an eyebrow. He had a corner of the sheets lifted up as Chrissy crawled into bed. The woman kneeled halfway on the bed with concern all over her face.

“Lucas asked me to marry him.” Max blurted out. She didn’t even register the tears on her cheeks until Chrissy crossed the room with somewhat impressive speed and wrapped her in a tight hug.

“I knew it was coming! What did you say?” Chrissy held her at arm’s length. The bright smile on her face made some of the anxiety melt away; like being submerged in a warm bath.

“I said yes?” Max felt like a weight lifted off of her shoulders when she finally said it. It wasn’t like she hadn’t told anyone. She’d called Jane the morning after it happened. “I haven’t told Dad yet.”

“He’ll probably be excited,” Chrissy furrowed her brow.

“Yeah, he loves Lucas. Right?” Gareth squeezed her shoulder.

“Yeah, I mean…I just don’t want him to get weird. I don’t even know how he would get weird but I’m just really nervous that’s all.”

“Take your time, kiddo. Just know we’ll be there to fight back your old man with a stick if we have to,” Gareth joked.

“Oh, Robin’s gonna be so mad we knew before her,” Chrissy dissolved into a fit of giggles and Max followed soon after. She knew Steve would be happy for her but at least she had Chrissy and Gareth in her corner if she needed them.

One year ago

The last week blended together. If Max tried to think about it, she could remember that it was Monday that Chrissy had been brought into the hospital, not Sunday. She’d been there pretty much every minute she could since Tuesday. The four walls of the hospital room would start to swim if she looked at them for too long. The cafeteria food was terrible when she could actually keep it down.

“You should come home. Sleep just for the night,” Lucas rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand from his spot next to her.

Max frowned and tried to fight back a yawn. She ran a hand down her face as she thought. The sleeve of her green sweater brushed against Lucas’ fingers as she grabbed his hand. “I can’t I just…what if I leave and she just…” She swallowed hard and shook her head.

Lucas leaned back in his chair. “I know. I can stay here if you want. I don’t want you to be alone.” Max poked noncommittally at the salad in front of her before she shrugged.

“Dad’s coming today. And I’m not alone. Chrissy’s here. Gareth’s always in the room, too; he’s not going anywhere.” She sat up a little straighter. A thoughtful look crossed her face, and she reached out to grab something on her plate. She could eat the soup today. That would be good.

Lucas kissed her on the top of the forehead when she was done; it felt a little ridiculous. Like a treat for good behavior or something. Max kissed him on the cheek before they parted ways down different hallways. Lucas promised to come back the next day during visiting hours, then Max was alone as she walked back down the long, twisted halls. Back to the cancer ward. Back to the room where Chrissy had been admitted to a week ago.

Max turned the corner and stopped in the doorway to the room. She expected to see her dad there beside Chrissy when she came back. Not whatever this was. Chrissy’s frail, thin fingers were clasped tight between two tattooed hands. They spoke too quietly for Max to hear but whatever was being said wasn’t good. Gareth’s shoulders were tense from what Max could see from her spot behind him. Chrissy’s brow furrowed and the other man…well he just seemed to cry as quietly as he could.

Max moved a little too quickly and her sneakers squeaked on the polished tile floor. She felt all the eyes in the room on her and part of her expected to be scolded. Like a fucking kid that stole from the cookie jar or something. Instead, Gareth reached out a hand for her and she felt herself move closer without a second thought. She moved purely on instinct now; so tired that she could barely string together a few coherent sentences.

Chrissy reached out and grabbed Max’s hand. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sat down on the side of the bed. She thought she heard Chrissy introduce the man on the other side of the bed but she wasn’t sure. Time didn’t feel real as she laid down beside her aunt with her head resting on her shoulder. She didn’t even realize she had fallen asleep until a hand brushed through her hair.

“Max. Honey, come on wake up.” She opened her eyes slowly and squinted groggily.

“Dad?”

Steve smiled softly as he took her hand from Chrissy’s grip. She had fallen asleep too. The other man paced in the corner of the room like he was trying not to intrude on whatever was going on.

“When did you get here?”

“About a half hour ago. Robin and Vickie are here too.”

“They took Gareth down to get some food. Dude looks like he hasn’t eaten in a week.” The mystery man finally spoke up from the corner.

“I don’t think he has,” Max rubbed her eyes as she sat up and swung her feet off the bed. She rose to her feet and turned to perch on the edge of the chair Steve sat on. It was quiet in the room. Just the three of them and Chrissy asleep in the hospital bed. Peaceful.

A few hours later, Eddie went out for a smoke break. When he turned the corner to go back to the room, it was loud. All sorts of alarms blared and a scream almost echoed right through his bones. Max tore out of the room like hell was hot on her heels. Steve shouted her name from down the hall, but she didn’t pay it any mind. She was an unstoppable force that barreled towards the nearest exit. Eddie reached out as she got close enough and wrapped his arms around her; the force of it almost pulled them both to the floor. Max shouted as she fought against his grip, turned around and punched him in the chest. Then the next minute, she slumped forward and sobbed against the front of his shirt and all he could do was hold her.

~

Present

Max sat cross-legged on top of the hill, camcorder clutched in her shaky hands. The shuffle of footsteps behind her made her stiffen until the person spoke up. “You’ve been just sitting here,” Erica said as she kneeled down beside her. Max shrugged. The feeling of eyes on her made her turn and she locked eyes with the younger woman. Her usually stern expression was traded for one painted with concern. “I know it’s been a rough couple days but you can talk to me, you know. I may not…get it but I’m not stupid, you know.”

“You’re like the smartest person I know, Erica.”

“Damn right, I am. So, let’s talk.”

Max furrowed her brow as her fingers traced along the back of the camera. “I’m just scared.” Erica frowned. “I’m scared to watch whatever she made for me because…I feel like all I did was disappoint her. And my dad…and Eddie. I mean, my dads? I just can’t fucking do anything right.”

“No offense but I think both your dads fucked up in their lives. I mean Exhibit A!” she waved a hand in the air as she grimaced. “You got mad. You freaked. Been there, done that.” Erica placed a hand on top of Max’s own. “She wanted you to watch whatever the hell she had to say. You should probably watch it. Or else she might haunt you and Lucas for the rest of your lives and that man would not survive a day in a haunted house.”

“Not all of us can be as fearless as you, you know,” Max elbowed her playfully in the side.

“You are,” Erica replied. Max scoffed. Erica turned to look at her and Max eyed her warily. “I’m not bullshitting you. Compliments from me are rare. You should just accept it.”

The corners of Max’s mouth twitched up into a small smile as a sly grin slipped onto Erica’s face. “I know. I’m really happy that you like me, you know. I used to think you hated me.”

“I never hated you.” Erica frowned. “I just don’t like a lot of people. But you’re like so cool. Way cooler than Lucas. I’m glad you’re gonna be my sister.”

Max sucked in a deep breath and the tears started to slide down her cheeks. “I’m glad you’re gonna be my sister too.” She wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Do you think you can drive me home?”

“You don’t mind my lead foot?”

“I’ll hold on to the handle when you go around corners,” Max deadpanned.

“You got it, Dude.”

Whatever Chrissy had to say to her, she didn’t know. It could be a lot of things but the only way to know was to watch that stupid video. At least she could hear Chrissy’s voice one more time no matter if it was good or bad.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: Steve

Steve paced the floor of his room and stared at the ripped-up little piece of paper in his hand. It was like the thing was going to grow legs and run away from him soon if he didn’t do something with it.

So, screw it. He was going to do something about it. Steve looked at himself in the mirror as he sat on the edge of his bed. He didn’t think that he looked old by any means. He could look past the graying hair. Hell, he could even try to ignore the smile lines and the crow’s feet. Whatever.

He rose to his feet and got dressed. Took a little too long on that part, even. He fought an internal battle with himself about no that looks too casual and no you want to look casual what are you even thinking.

“Where are you going?”

Steve nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned to look towards the kitchen. Jane stood in the doorway of the kitchen, brows furrowed. Max peered around the corner and quirked an eyebrow at him.

He definitely shouldn’t feel like he was about to be yelled at like a teenager being caught as they snuck out a window. He was the parent, for fuck’s sake.

“I’m going out.”

“Out?” Both girls said at the same time. Steve caught the look they gave each other.

“Yes. Out.”

“When will you be back?” Max pushed past Jane and started to follow him down the hall.

“Later?” Steve shrugged as he slipped his shoes on.

“Dad.”

Steve turned and was met with a concerned look from Max. “I’ll be back later. I promise. Then we can talk about…whatever you want to talk about. I just need to handle some things.”

“With you know who?”

“Yes.”

Max pursed her lips and nodded. “Okay…okay. Just drive safe.”

“I will.”

“I love you, Dad.” Max frowned.

Steve reached out and ruffled her hair, “Love you too, kiddo.”

~

He hadn’t driven the path in so long, but it felt like just yesterday that they had driven up that mountain. Together, that time. Eddie had wanted to look for a place in the mountains where they could raise Max. Or maybe a summer house where they could escape from the prying eyes of the public for just a little while.

She deserved that. They all did, honestly.

Steve missed that little house. He thought about it sometimes when the noise and bright lights of the valley got to be too much for him. But mostly, he thought about what their life would have been like up there…if things were different.

His stomach felt twisted in knots as he turned up the long driveway that led to his destination. He could still turn back if he really wanted to. Not that it would do much good if he did. So, he drove up the path and let out a shaky breath as he finally put the car in park.

The house didn’t look that different from what he remembered. Eddie and Wayne had done a good job with the upkeep. Steve took everything in as he walked up the gravel path to the porch. His eyes fell on the little E+S carved on the handrail and he pulled his hand back. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath as he took the step up.

The solid wooden door loomed in front of him as if some sort of horror movie monster might lurk behind it. Ready to strike out and take something from him if he didn’t move fast enough. He took a deep breath and collected himself; there were no monsters here. Just Eddie. His Eddie even though he hadn’t really been his for a long time.

The door opened within seconds of the knock and Steve nearly took a startled step back. “Wayne?” He cleared his throat. “I mean…hey. Hi.” Well, now he felt stupid.

Wayne stood still as a statue; his dark eyes scanned Steve’s face for what felt like ages before a small smile twitched up the corner of his mouth. “Well, if it isn’t Steve Harrington. Long time no see.”

“I…yeah. A really long time.” Steve stuttered out.

“What brings you up this way?” Wayne took a step out onto the porch.

Steve hadn’t thought about this. He hadn’t really thought about much past the fact that he needed to go and see Eddie, in fact. He could basically hear Chrissy’s voice in his head tell him well, you were never a great planner, but you have the spirit. “I’m here to see Eddie. I just…we need to talk.”

Wayne nodded slowly as he scratched his chin. “Right. Well. He’s out back in the yard if you really wanna talk. I’m headed out to the store. Unless you wanna talk to me, too,” he raised an eyebrow.

Steve relaxed slightly. “Do what you gotta do. We can play catch-up when you get back. I hate to keep you from all your fans at the grocery store.”

“How did you know that the one lady cashier has been tryin’ to slip me her number for the past month?” Wayne grinned as he clapped him on the arm.

“The Munson charm is just genetic, I guess.”

“’Atta boy.” Wayne leveled him with a serious look. “Just don’t you two go hurtin’ each other. We don’t need that again.”

“I don’t…plan on it,” Steve sighed as he watched Wayne head off towards his truck. Then he was alone. Alone with Eddie. Fuck.

Steve took a deep breath before he crossed the threshold into the house. A flood of emotions almost took his breath away as he thought about the first time they’d seen the house together. He tried not to think about the first time he’d brought Max there; so tiny and innocent and vulnerable.

His eyes lingered on the posters on the wall as he passed through into the kitchen. The picture of the two of them with Chrissy pulled at his heartstrings. He tore his eyes away when he felt the familiar burn of tears that threatened to spill.

He couldn’t cry yet. What would Eddie think of him if he just showed up and cried? He stepped into the kitchen and let out a quiet sigh. Wayne had been right. The open sliding door that led outside let him see that Eddie was still out in the garden. A little orange cat perched happily on one of the wicker chairs that sat outside as it bathed itself in the sunlight. Steve just stood and watched for a moment as Eddie moved slowly to another plant. His feet carried him closer to the door and he startled as Eddie turned to face him.

“I…”

“I saw you through the window. You were looking at the pictures.” Eddie shrugged as he reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes. “I figured I would give you some time.”

“Oh,” Steve swallowed. Eddie quirked an eyebrow as the awkward silence settled in between them. “It looks nice out here, you know. You did a good job.”

“I’m perfectly happy living in my isolated little bubble, you know,” Eddie rolled his eyes with a hint of a smile. “I have to keep my space happy…or clear. Whatever the fuck my therapist said.”

“You go to a therapist?” Steve furrowed his brow.

“I used to. I haven’t really gone in…” Eddie cleared his throat and shook his head. “What are you doing here, Steve?”

Steve crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I just-” He let out a heavy sigh and ran both of his hands down his face. “I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have…fought with you. Because I know we talked about it…before. Everything was just…” He blinked back tears. “It was so hard. You know? I never wanted you to feel like you didn’t have anyone. Or like you didn’t have Max. I just. I never told her anything bad about-”

“Steve,” Eddie’s face softened.

“No. I have to. I mean I want to.”

“Steve,” Eddie leveled him with a serious look. “It’s okay. I was just…I was already upset from talking about Jason, and I just,” he took a deep breath. “I got kind of carried away.”

“But I-”

“You were right,” Eddie sighed as he wiped his hands on the front of his jeans. “I think you should come inside. We can sit down and talk.” Eddie grimaced and Steve reached out almost on instinct to steady him. Their eyes met. The corner of Eddie’s mouth twitched up into a smile. “Look at you, Stevie. Still trying to look out for me after all these years.”

24 years earlier

Steve squinted at Eddie from across the bar. It had been Gareth’s idea. All of them should go out and celebrate Robin’s birthday. Now Robin was…somewhere. Nancy and Vickie had dragged her out to the dance floor and Robin was drunk enough that she didn’t look like a hostage. At least one of them was having fun.

“You good, dude?” Gareth sipped his drink.

“Yeah.” Steve mumbled as he finally tore his eyes away from Eddie. “Sorry. I just kind of zoned out.”

“I feel like all I’ve been doing is zoning out lately,” Gareth sighed as he ran a hand through his curly hair.

It was no surprise to Steve. Gareth and his big crush on Chrissy was probably the worst-kept secret in the whole band. “You talk to her?”

“Yeah,” the younger man shrugged. “She called the other night for like 10 minutes. And the night before that. She sounded…she sounded great.” He furrowed his brow, “But it’s gonna be another month before she gets to come home. She said she’s gonna call you next week.”

Steve grinned like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. “Yeah? Good.” He sighed. “You tell her yet?”

Gareth sputtered and almost choked on his drink. “About what?”

“About your big fat crush on her?”

“Did you tell Eddie about yours?” Gareth raised an eyebrow. So that was his gotcha moment.

“Yeah, actually.” Steve almost laughed at Gareth’s face. “So, looks like it’s your turn, man.”

Gareth sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Well, fuck.”

“What are we talkin’ about, gentlemen?” Eddie leaned against the back of Steve’s chair.

“How you finally grew some balls, Munson.” Gareth smirked.

“How Gareth needs to grow some balls.” Steve quirked an eyebrow.

Eddie nodded. “Oh, is that all? Because I have some things to say about that.”

“I have plenty of shit to say to you about your own shit.” Gareth quirked an eyebrow. Steve shifted uncomfortably as Eddie and Gareth shared a look.

“Nah, I’ll pass. Let’s go dance, Stevie.” Eddie grabbed him by the hand and began to pull him towards the dance floor before he could protest. There was just something about the way Eddie held him. How he slid his arms around his waist like no one was going to judge them even though they both knew it was coming at some point. For right now they could dance like no one was watching them and all that mattered was each other.

Even when the inevitable happened, all he cared about was Eddie. Eddie who declined to go to the hospital even though the guy who’d try to jump them on the way out of the bar had knocked him to the ground before Gareth had a chance to jump in. Steve stroked Eddie’s hair as they sat in the back of the car. “Sorry I ruined your birthday,” Eddie mumbled. Whether it was from a concussion or the alcohol, Steve didn’t know.

“Don’t be a clown, Munson. You didn’t ruin anything! That asshole back there did.” Robin reached back and patted him on the knee. Even through the blood that strained his face from his bloody nose, Eddie flashed her one of his most charming smiles.

 Steve got Eddie changed and led him to his couch. “Baby, I’m just tired.” Eddie pouted as Steve gently held an ice pack to the back of his head.

“I know. But you fell and hit your head. Just stay awake with me for a little bit longer. Just so I can make sure you’re okay.”

Eddie’s gaze wandered over Steve’s face before he focused. Their eyes locked as he lifted his hand and brushed his ringed fingers along his cheek. “Sure. Sure, Stevie. Whatever you want.”

~

Steve crumbled up the paper for what was probably the fourth time in the past 2 hours. It was his own bright idea to write a song about…well. Yeah. It was supposed to be a surprise for Eddie but it wasn’t exactly as easy as everyone else made it look.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Robin snuggled up beside him on the couch. “That’s a look on your face that I haven’t seen in a while.”

“What look?”

“Oh, you know the good old ‘I can’t do anything right I should just throw in the towel and say fuck it all’ look.”

Steve furrowed his brow and tried his best to put his thoughts into words that wouldn’t want to make him hide under a blanket forever. “I want to write a song…for Eddie.”

“Oh,” Robin wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Your heart calls to you? You wanna write a song for lover boy?”

“Shut up,” Steve laughed and nudged her away.

“Seriously, dude. I think you could write total fucking nonsense or a rip-off of some shit. You could probably sing Everything I Own, change some words, and Eddie would call you the best songwriter known to man.”

Man, he hated it when Robin was right. “You think so?”

“Yeah,” Robin stared at him. “Stop being such a dingus. He’s like in love with you. You have to open your eyes and stop hating yourself for just a little bit and see it.” She rubbed his shoulder. Steve felt his cheeks grow hot. “I’ll help you write it.”

“Really?”

“I mean, as much as I can before I start to feel nauseous.”

Steve thought that Robin would never know how grateful he really was for her. Not just for the help with the song, but everything. If it weren’t for Robin, he probably would have packed it in and gone back to Indiana the first time someone told him they didn’t want to sign them. He wouldn’t have met Murray. He wouldn’t have met Chrissy or Gareth. He wouldn’t have met Eddie. So fuck it. Robin could take half of the writing credit; she earned it.

~

“Whatcha thinking about?” Eddie whispered as Steve opened his eyes. They were nose to nose; Eddie dragged a finger along his forehead. “You’re going to get wrinkles if you keep worrying about shit.”

“I wasn’t thinking about anything bad,” Steve rolled his eyes as he tried to lean away. It wasn’t really something that was possible when Eddie was still on top of him but hey. At least he tried his best.

“Then share with the class.”

“I wrote a song,” he felt himself cringe. Eddie’s eyes opened a little wider as he propped himself up on his elbow. “About you. Ugh. God, never mind. That sounds so stupid.”

They lay in silence for a moment; Steve covered his face with his hands. “I don’t think it’s stupid.” Eddie whispered as he pulled gently at Steve’s wrists. “I’m serious will you just…just move your hands and look at me for a sec?” He sat up as Steve pulled his hands back. “One day I’m going to write so many fucking songs for you. You are so just…”

He didn’t have to say anything else. He just leaned in and kissed Steve. His lips were warm. It spread through him right to his toes like he stood in the sun on a hot summer day. Somewhere deep inside his chest, he felt it start to bloom like he was a sun-starved plant that tried to reach out and touch the sun. He was totally fucked.
~

Present

Steve’s hands shook as Eddie lowered himself into the chair across from him. “I’m s-”

“Listen. You don’t have to say sorry. If you really just wanted to just say sorry, you could have just called me.” Eddie smiled gently at him from across the table. Like he saw right through him.

“You said I should come here if I really wanted to talk, right?”

Eddie’s expression faltered for a moment before he looked down at his hands. “I did say that, didn’t I? So what? You showed up to rub it in?”

“To talk it out. Or something. I don’t know.” Steve pulled at a stray string on his watchband. He was going to be sick.

Eddie leaned back in his seat and shifted his gaze to look at him. “Talk it out?”

Steve swallowed hard. He’d come here to extend the olive branch so why was it so fucking hard. Maybe it was because when he looked at Eddie, he could still see things in his expression that reminded him of how things were. “I…it wasn’t fair. For me to say that you wanted it to be this way.”

Eddie paused and tilted his head.

“I know it was something we decided on together and I just…sometimes I get so mad.”

“At me?”

“At the people who sold you that shit,” Steve hissed. “At you. At everyone else for not even noticing until you almost fucking died.”

“Steve.”

“But I fucking hate myself for not being good enough to help you or to get you to stop or-” Eddie reached across the table and clutched his hand in his own.

“Steve. This was never your fault. You know? And I mean, not to sound like a dick but…it’s not all about you.” Eddie smirked. “And honestly? I would probably be dead if it wasn’t for you and the rest of the guys. And Robin and Chrissy. I just…I wish I could have done it in one round like Chrissy, you know? But everyone’s different and has to do it in their own time.”

“You learn that from your therapist?” Steve raised an eyebrow. Better to try and act like he wasn’t about to cry.

“Yeah, actually.” Eddie rolled his eyes. Steve couldn’t help but focus on the fact that he hadn’t let his hand go yet. “I told them a lot about you. Like the real you. Not all that tabloid shit.”

“Really?”

“Hell yeah, man. Whenever you would send me pictures and stuff of Max? I would bring them to therapy to talk about…” Eddie paused and looked down at his hands; when he looked back up, there were tears in his eyes. “To talk about how we made one of the best fucking people in the world. I may not have been there, but it just…I kind of get it when I hear people say that their kid is like the best part of them. I’m so fucking proud of our kid.”

Steve choked on a sob and ran his free hand down his face. “Yeah. Me too. Max is pretty fucking amazing.” He let out a nervous laugh.

“You did a great job, Steve. I’m sorry if I snapped and made you feel any different about it.”

“Do you ever wish that it was different?”

“Yeah. All the time. But I guess I didn’t trust myself to not screw it up.”

“You saw Max when Chrissy was dying, man.” Steve frowned.

“I didn’t know she was going to be there. Honest to god I didn’t and I just…after Chrissy died, I didn’t really trust myself. I almost fell off the fucking wagon.”

“Why didn’t you call? That’s something we all could have been there for each other for.”

“I wasn’t ready and…I don’t think I could’ve done it. Seeing Max like that fucking hurt. And then Chrissy was gone.” Eddie trailed off. Steve turned his hand and laced his fingers with Eddie’s ringed ones.

“Hey…I’m here now. And you’re doing pretty fucking great from what I see.” Steve tilted his head. “Better than me. I’m a fucking mess right now, man.”

“Why?”

“Because Max is fucking getting married. We’re officially old men.” Steve sighed dramatically. Eddie stared at him in shock until a loud laugh bubbled out from his throat. “We’re not the cool fucking rock stars anymore, dude! I’m serious.”

“Speak for yourself, dude. I’m still a cool fucking rock star. Did you see how all of those kids almost shit themselves when I walked in?”

Steve joined him in his laughter. “I really missed this. Just…you know. Chriss tried to get me to reach out to you outside of stuff about Max for a really long time.”

“Shut the fuck up. She did the same thing to me.” Eddie laughed. As if on instinct, he turned his head to look down the hall. Down towards the pictures of them and where it seemed like some part of Chrissy still lingered. “Little fucking shit.”

“Little fucking shit is right. Beyond the grave and she’s still trying to get us back together.” Steve shook his head.

Eddie looked down to where their fingers were still intertwined and squeezed gently. “Some of that was my fault, I think. Not the dying thing but the…trying to get us back together thing. I would just…I don’t know. Vent, I guess. About how much I missed you and I wanted to be there and how much I was missing and-”

“Eddie.”

“I want to come to Max’s wedding.” Eddie cut him off. “I want to try to be a good dad. I want to try again. Wayne deserves to get to know his grandkid instead of just having little old fuck up me.”

“You’re not a fuck up, Eddie. You just…addiction is hard. And you’re doing great now and I’m so proud of you. I just wish I could have been there for you.”

“It was pretty gruesome.”

“I can imagine.”

“You can be there for me now.”

“I would really, really love that.”

They smiled at each other. Steve felt like a weight was lifted off of his body as he squeezed Eddie’s hand again.

Eddie walked Steve to his car after lunch. He insisted on it even, in fact.

“So, you can get there early on the day of the wedding.”

“Yes, Steve. You told me that already,” Eddie snorted.

“And we can take pictures together-”

“If Max wants. Yeah, you told me that too.” Eddie beamed as he leaned against the hood of the car. “You can tell me 700 more times and I’ll be saying it right along with you. I know. I’ll be there.”

Steve sighed as he unlocked the car and opened the door.

“Careful on the ride down,” Eddie stepped closer. “There’s a whole bunch of animals and shit in the woods so…just drive safe.”

“I will,” Steve nodded. Eddie placed his hand next to his on top of the car door as he leaned against it.

“Call when you get home? Just so I know you made it.”

“Yes, mom,” Steve rolled his eyes playfully.

Eddie reached out and pinched his cheek with a smirk. God, Steve was going to have a heart attack.

Eddie leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Steve felt silly but he felt it. The feeling blossomed in his chest like roses ready to open after a cold winter. Eddie’s smile felt like sunshine.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: Max

Max sighed heavily as she put the car into park. Jane and Mike fell silent in the backseat as Lucas climbed out of the passenger seat to help Max out of the car. “I never went to a farmer’s market before,” Jane stretched her arms above her head.

“You guys can look around,” Max peeked at them through the window. “I’m here for a reason.” 

“What reason,” Mike quirked an eyebrow as he got out of the car. 

Lucas tilted his head in the direction of a flyer hanging on a telephone pole close by. “Oh boy,” Jane whispered as she glanced over at it. A few posters with Jason Carver’s face on them were plastered on it. His bright smile did nothing but make Max’s stomach turn. “Are you-”

“I’m fine. I just wanna talk.” Max furrowed her brow as she started off towards the stalls. 

“You think she really just wants to talk?” Mike whispered to Jane as she adjusted her purse on her shoulder. 

“I think that Max thinks she just wants to talk.”

“Think she’s gonna threaten him?” Mike frowned.

“At the very least, yeah,” Lucas sighed as he ran a hand down his face. “We should follow her.”

Jane and Mike trailed after Lucas as they watched Max disappear around a corner. “She walks fast,” Mike mumbled under his breath. Beside him, he could barely hear Jane mumble to herself about how she just wanted to go shopping. Maybe they still could. After. If Max didn’t get them all banned from the farmer’s market for life. Whatever, there were probably 100 more of them back in Indiana anyway.

It was hard not to get distracted by the different stalls; there were people everywhere who tried to stop them to look at hand-made soaps, treats, and flower arrangements. Jane clung to Mike’s arm as she struggled to keep an eye on the mane of red hair that weaved through the crowd in front of them. Lucas had run ahead to walk with her. More like he’s gravitated toward Max even in a crowd of people. Romantic.

The wind almost got knocked out of Jane as Mike came to a halt. They’d caught up to the other two and oh Jesus wept.

“Maxine!” The blonde practically chirped.

Max cringed as the color drained from Jane’s face. “What’s wrong?” Mike whispered.

“Janey?” 

“What are you doing here, Angela,” Max furrowed her brow. Lucas stepped up beside her and folded his arms across his chest.

Angela wrinkled her nose and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Working. Duh.” She was already just as terrible as Jane remembered. “What are you doing here?” Mike didn’t miss the way that her eyes lingered on Lucas before she focused back on Max.

“We’re here to talk to-”

“Jason Carver?” 

“How did you guess,” Mike frowned. 

“Unless you’re here to talk to the little old ladies who sell honey, then Jason is the only person worthwhile to talk to here. If you want anything worthwhile anyway.” Angela shrugged. “I was an intern for his last campaign. I can totally get you over to talk to him if you really want it. You know. Since we’re old friends.” 

Max ground her teeth and glanced back over her shoulder. The two girls locked eyes and Jane tried to communicate a silent plea. Please we don’t really need to talk to him let’s just go.

“What are friends for?”

Max looked like she wanted to vomit.

~

Max had met Jason Carver one other time in her life. She barely remembered it now, but she had heard her dad talk about it and that was enough for her to know that she never wanted to meet him again. Jason had sneered at her. Called her an abomination and smiled in Steve’s face after. Jason was not a good man. He didn’t agree with anything that he said in his campaign commercials and it made her sick to her stomach.

Max could go the rest of her life without breathing the same air as Jason and be happier for it. But she wanted some kind of closure. She needed closure. She needed Jason to not forget about the shitty person that he was and maybe. Just maybe it would make her feel a little bit better. She could sleep easier at night with the knowledge that Chrissy would haunt Jason and he would never be able to escape it.

But that was wishful thinking.

People like Jason never cared about what they did. Who they hurt in the process.

“Max.” Lucas’ name shook her from her thoughts. “Are you okay?”

Max glanced down and realized how hard of a grip she had on his arm. “Yeah. Sorry I didn’t-”

“It’s okay. Whatever you need. I’m here. Okay?”

Max nodded her head and took a deep breath. The top of the little tent that the man was under was in sight now. Angela marched along in front of them, her blonde hair bounced with each step as she led them towards what felt like some kind of certain doom. It was like one of Mike’s D&D games where they were a clueless party getting led into the villain’s lair by some charming nymph. 

“There you are.” 

Max turned her head and locked eyes with Mike. He clenched his jaw as Jane stepped forward and began to look through the papers on the table. 

“Now where did you wander off to?” 

Max felt her stomach turn as she watched Jason pat Angela on the arm as she made her way back behind the table.

“I was on my way back over and I ran into an old friend.”

“We weren’t friends, actually.” Max hissed through gritted teeth. “But sure. Whatever.” 

“You’re such a joker, Maxxie.” 

Max opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off. “Don’t call her that! You guys were not friends, Angela.” Jane narrowed her eyes at the other woman. “You are mean and nasty and a bully! No wonder you work with him.”

“Holy shit,” Lucas mumbled under his breath as Mike took a small step forward to place a hand on Jane’s shoulder. 

“Sorry. Who are you?” Jason raised an eyebrow. “I don’t exactly like what you’re implying there, little lady.”

“Don’t even try it,” Max furrowed her brow as she stepped forward and let go of Lucas’ hand. “Don’t condescend to her. You don’t know her.”

It was like all the anger started to bubble in her stomach. All the anger for Chrissy. For Eddie; no, not just for Eddie. For her dads and the absolute hell that Jason Carver had put them all through just to get a fucking leg up. Just to stand here in front of her and hand out pamphlets that talked about doing things that were the best for the people and for the children. She hated him. Max hated him more than she thought she could ever really hate anyone. 

But as he stood in front of her right now, she saw him. Really saw him. He wasn’t some ancient unknowable evil. He was just a man. 

“Well, Jane,” Angela smiled sweetly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Must just be you being c-”

“Shut up, Angela! Just shut up,” Max snapped. 

The blonde woman blushed as she stood up straighter. Max stepped forward and picked up one of the pamphlets. “ So this really is all bullshit,” she scoffed as she tossed one to the ground. Behind her, Mike and Lucas exchanged a worried look. “You want to do what’s best for the people voting for you? What are your positions on LGBT issues, huh? Or do you not want to talk about that?” 

Jason clenched his jaw and leveled her with a look that almost sent a shiver down her spine. She got it; how he could make someone as strong as Chrissy feel so small. But Max kept his gaze as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Those aren’t issues that people want to hear about.”

“Well that’s shit luck for you because I want to hear about it,” she snapped back. 

“Max.” Mike spoke up. “He’s not worth it. Just let-”

“No! I want him to tell me. Tell me to my face about all the other kids that you’re going to call an abomination or that they shouldn’t even exist. Tell me. Or did you lose your fucking balls when Chrissy divorced your ass.”

Beside him, Angela fidgeted nervously. Lucas folded his arms in front of his chest and raised an eyebrow as Jason glanced around quickly. He looked like a caged animal. Good.

“Chrissy didn’t have any kids.” Jason scowled as he looked the red-head up and down. 

“You’re pretty close. She’s my godmother. If you think about it really hard I’m sure you’ll remember who my parents are. If your brain even functions to think that far back,” Max frowned. 

“You’re Harrington’s kid.” Jason wrinkled his nose. Jane clenched her teeth and Mike drew himself up to his full height. “And Munson’s.” 

Max felt her chest swell with pride at the recognition of both of her parents. Whether it was the fact that some part of both of them was recognizable in her or just the fact that they had made such an impression on Jason that it stuck with him for a whole lifetime, she wasn’t sure.

“I’m surprised you remember them. You know, given the fact that you ruined a lot of people’s lives. Must be hard to keep track of all of them.” Max grinned. 

“That was a long time ago.”

“People like you don’t really tend to change,” Lucas chimed in. “I’ve been dealing with them for my whole life. You can say whatever you want but a long time ago or not. That’s still you.”

“Some people might forget about your stupid little farewell tour but not me.” Max pursed her lips and shook her head. “Plus, you left a pretty big paper trail. Not exactly the smartest idea anyone’s ever.” 

The color seemed to drain from Jason’s face the more she talked. 

“Am I taking you down memory lane?” Max chirped as a charming smile slip onto her face.

“What do you want, huh? Money?” Jason gripped the edge of the table as he leaned across it. Max didn’t budge as the man invaded her space. He was good. But she was better.

“I don’t need your money. My dad has more money than you do anyway, are you stupid? I want you to realize that you can put on your good guy-for-the-people mask all you want but there are still people out there who remember what you really are. A wife-beating fucking asshole.” She hissed as she slapped her hand down on the table between them. Jason flinched. Not much, but just enough for her to notice. 

Mike yelped as someone grabbed his shoulder and he turned to see a bodyguard with a stern look on his face. “That’s enough out of you guys.”

“We get crazies like you out here all the time.” Jason chimed in

“She’s not crazy,” Mike scowled. “And if that’s what you think is crazy, then the people that you’re kicking out are probably better than the asshole you work for.” He stumbled back as his arm was pulled roughly. 

“Hey you leave him alone!” Jane whirled around and pulled Mike’s other arm. “We’re leaving! He didn’t even do anything wrong. Max!”

Max locked eyes with Jason. She took a deep breath before she reached out and swept her arm across the table and sent some of his flyers and pamphlets flying. “Good luck on your campaign.” A sickly sweet grin spread across her face as Lucas grabbed her by the hand and started to pull her away. “None of us will be voting for you.” She glanced over at Angela, “I hope he’s nicer to you than he was to Chrissy. Not too hopeful for that though.”

“Have a great day,” Lucas called over his shoulder as he pulled Max away from the table.

~

Max’s hands shook as she reached for the door handle. 

“Hey.” Mike placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. “I got you. Don’t worry.” He reached around her and opened the door. 

Max opened her mouth to speak but found no words coming out. Her bottom lip quivered and all she could do was bury her face in her hands. Jane’s arms were wrapped around her before her tears even started to fall. “I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry. I thought it would make me feel better but-”

“Don’t.” Mike sighed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t be sorry you didn’t do anything wrong.” Mike nudged her playfully, “I think you could’ve done a lot worse. He didn't get the full rage of 17 year old Max. I don’t think he would’ve survived that one.” Max rolled her eyes as she groaned and ran a hand down her face. 

“I get it, Max,” Jane whispered in her ear. “I would do the same thing if people were saying horrible things about my dad. I think I’ve done worse to people that have said things about him, actually.”

Max let out a choked laugh. “You sure have, tiger.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Lucas sighed as he opened the driver’s side door. “You wanna get ice cream?”

“Yeah,” Mike and Jane answered at the same time.

Max wiped her eyes as she turned to face Lucas. “Yeah.” She smiled at him as he reached out across the hood of the car. Max stood on her tiptoes to give his hand a squeeze. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For…everything. I guess,” she furrowed her brow. 

Lucas flashed her a blinding smile. “Anything for you.”