Chapter Text
Finney Blake died at the age of 12.
Perhaps that isn’t so surprising considering everything he and his sister/cousin went through in the year leading up to that date, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a tragedy.
Because Finney Adler Blake didn’t die at the hand of the man known as the Grabber, or even his vengeful spirit. No. Finney died by the stroke of a pen, by the hand of his own mother, Darla Adler.
His mother never liked people messing with things she considered hers, and despite having left him with his uncle and aunt at the tender age of 5, when his father died, letting him take on the name 'Blake' and only being in contact with him through occasional phone calls, she still considered him hers.
So when news reached her that her son was kidnapped, she was still legally allowed to rip him away from people he called family and force him to play house with her and her new rich husband.
Finney could tell that Mr. Harrington didn’t like him, but for some reason he allowed his wife’s son to live in his home and even added him to his will.
(He found out later that Mr. Harrington was infertile and his father had threatened to exclude him from his will, if he let the Harrington name die.)
Finney tried to argue the name change, but his stepfather didn’t budge; the Harrington name could not be associated with a murderer. Not even by his first name.
(“It was self-defence!”
“It was still murder, boy. And I would not have it tarnish my family name!”)
So, Finney Blake died. No.
Finney Blake was killed. One piece at a time, so that Steve Harrington could be resurrected in his stead.
Hawkins sucked, and Finney…Steve was angry all the time. He beat up anyone who thought they could rough up the new guy.
He built a reputation. King Steve, indeed.
He was still allowed to visit Gwenny and Uncle Terrence, though, and with them he could still be Finney. He got into fights back home too. People had a lot of shit to say about the boy who killed the Grabber.
Then Camp Alpine happened.
He was angry, but mostly he was afraid.
He almost died; Gwenny almost died.
His anger was snuffed out, and in the ashes of it all, Darla swept in and broke off all the ties she had with her niece and her sister’s husband.
But one thing Darla and Daniel (Danny) Harrington didn’t realize was that they could change his name, force him to go no contact with his family, and try to erase Finney Blake all that they wanted.
However, when the phone rang once again six years later, it may be Steve who picked it up, but it was Finney who answered.