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Max awoke enveloped in the warmth of being sandwiched between Nancy and Robin, snuggled under the warm quilts belonging to Nancy's room.
The brunette had a hand wrapped protectively over the redhead and the blonde on her other side rested her own hand over the one already on her stomach.
She let her body relax, having subconsciously tensed at the touch. The events from the previous day flashed through her mind and she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the relentless images.
Sighing she peeled away the covers and gently slipped out from between the older girls, trying her hardest to not disturb them. Her feet padded quietly across the wooden floor, and she pulled open the bathroom door, a click ringing through the room as it shut behind her.
A quiet sob escaped her mouth as she saw the splotches of blood lining her underwear, a hand slapping against her mouth to muffle the broken sound. Neil had taken the one thing she had vowed to not let him, and now she would have to deal with the consequences.
Going back was most definitely not an option and Nancy had said she could stay with them, but she didn't know if she could deal with Mike permanently.
Maybe El will let me stay with her?
She knew Hopper was okay with their relationship but she didn't know if she gruff man would be open to her staying, especially as they were more than friends. Though she had no idea where she would stay, all Max could think about was the pain blooming between her thighs and the feeling of the warm, thick, sticky blood running down between them, her stomach cramped painfully as she bit her lip to stop any noise from escaping in fear of waking the girls on the other side of the door.
Changing the thick lining of her underwear, Max attempted to clean herself up before slipping back into the bedroom. Her body ached and legs felt as though they were going to give out, but Max continued silently downstairs. Her feet had adapted to making almost no noise but her heart still beat erratically despite there being no threat.
Silently slipping downstairs, Max crept towards the cupboard she knew held the painkillers and pulled out the small orange bottle housed there.
Swallowing two even without water, Max let her body relax as the pills slid down her hoarse throat. Quietly filling a glass, Max downed half of it quickly, sighing at the feeling of the cool liquid helping the agitation caused by hours of screaming the night before.
Cleaning the glass and putting away the bottle, Max left the kitchen as though she had never been there and stalked back up the stairs, eyes scanning her surroundings as though she was a lone wolf with its hackles raised and teeth bared.
As she snuck into the bedroom, the redhead froze at the sight of the blonde and brunette who she had left asleep, now awake and staring at her.
Her body went rigid as she expected a fight, an argument, pain. None of that came though, Nancy just opened her arms slowly, as if not to frighten her.
Max stood stock still for a moment before deciding not to contemplate it and launched herself at the older girl, hands wrapping tightly around her waist as if she were afraid of disappearing.
Robin smiled as she watched the scene, heart clenching at the horrid circumstances that allowed it but glad Max felt safe with them even if she was still cautious. She knew Nance had taken care of everything when she had slipped out of bed the previous night but that didn't erase the trauma already upon the young girl.
They stayed wrapped together for a while until Max pulled away, tears now spilling down her ceeks leaving behind a salty path.
"It's okay red youre safe now." Promised Robin, the blonde though never usually violent and preferring sarcasim and witty retorts, knew that for the redhead she would harm anyone she needed to.
Max didn't reply verbally, just nodded before grabbing the blondes hand and squeezing it slightly before retracting the limb quick enough to question if it was there to begin with.
"Do you wanna see if El can hang out today?" Asked Nancy gently, she knew Max was scared to see the other girl in fear of rejection after becoming what she thought was dirty.
Max's eyes widened in panic before she began to bite her lip anxiously, "Can we ask, but I want to be the one to tell her, and not all of it just a bit. Please." Her voice was quiet, as though she was worried they'd lash out.
"Of course kiddo, I'll call her while Nancy gets you some spare clothes." Replied Robin standing and ruffling Max's hair on the way out the room.
Nancy watched, affection evident in her gaze as a small smile occupied her face.
Robin came back with a grin on her face, nodding her head while sticking two thumbs up towards Max who was now in a fresh set of clothes anxiously bobbing her knee up and down.
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and smiled back at Robin. "She can come?" Asked the redhead wanting a verbal affirmation.
"Yeah kiddo she can, she'll get dropped off by Hopper in around an hour but he wants to speak to you before he leaves." Replied Robin, tone serious at the end.
Max begin to stress at that and nodded mutely, Nancy however, noticing her turmoil, began wrapping an arm around her in a side hug.
Twenty minutes later and Max was sat at the table kicking her feet idly as she nibbled on a piece of toast, she didn't have much of an appetite and didn't think she could stomach anything else but her heart clenched painfully at the idea of worriying the other girls so she settled on the plain food.
Once she had finished and washed her own plate, much to the dismay of Karen who had come downstairs recently, she headed into the lounge and sat on an armchair, pulling her legs to her chest.
Soon enough, El was knocking on the door and her and her father were lead into the living room where they both took a seat. El was beside her girlfriend a tan hand in a pale freckled one, and Hopper was sat across from them, face stoic.
"Max I've got some news about your stepfather." He began almost wincing as Max flinched violently at the title. "Neil he has gone missing, his car's gone and we don't think he'll be back soon, if ever."
Max didn't miss the way his eyes flickered to Nancy and nor did she miss the way the brunette nodded slightly. The redhead was pretty certain that they were involved and Neil hadn't just 'gone misisng' but frankly she didn't care what they did to him as long as it hurt and he would never be near her again.
Hopper left soon after, and El asked Max if she wanted to bake together which Max eagerly agreed to, her stomach occasionally cramping and twisting painfully but she didn't let that ruin her fun.
During their baking afternoon, Max decided to just tell El what had happened.
"El, I don't know how much you know about Neil already... -but he did something bad... Hehurt me in ways someone shouldn't be hurt. I don't want you to think I'm disgusting or dirty. I didn't want it I promise. I'm sorry.Please don't be mad, I tried to stop him." Max was crying by the end of it and El felt sick, not towards Max but towards the fact Max was scared of El's reaction and at the idea of someone doing that to a child they were supposed to love, Papa may have been cruel but he'd have never done that.
"Maxie, it's okay, I'd never think that about you I swear. You did not deserve that baby and you're not disgusting, that man is, for doing such a thing. I love you so much Max and if my father hasn't killed that thing already then I'll search the void for as long as it takes until I can." As she came to the end of her reassurance, El pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug which they held for a while and then they continued to bake the cakes.
While they were frosting the now cool cupcakes, El had managed to get some vanilla buttercream on her nose, causing Max to laugh and wipe it off, stealing a kiss as she did so.
"I love you Ellie," She whispered as she brought their lips together into a soft, gentle kiss filled with love and promises for the future.
"I love you more Maxie." Declared the brunette as she pulled back and rested their for heads together.