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insomniacwriter17 · 11 months

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Saved from the Flames - Chapter One

“When you're born in a burning house, you think the whole world is on fire. But it's not.” --Richard Kadrey

Billy Hargrove is 9 years old. He tries his best to be the son his father wants him to be - quiet, respectful, and obedient. But Neil just pushes harder and harder, all in the name of raising a "strong man". When Billy is removed from his father's custody and placed in foster care, it takes some time for him to realize his world is no longer burning around him. New experiences, new people, new opportunities all make Billy realize there's a whole lot more to life than respect and responsibility.

AKA: The story of how Bob Newby became a real life superhero for one little boy who needed saving.

Inspired by this post I saw from @connordax

read on ao3

CW: Descriptions of physical/mental/emotional abuse

It was a warm Monday night in the Hargrove home. Billy had come home from school to an empty house, and he’d managed to get his chores done before his dad had come home from work. While his dad cooked, Billy had sat down at the table with his math worksheet to start his homework. Now the nine-year-old was sitting in front of a plate of spaghetti, his dad next to him. It was silent at the table, tense and uncomfortable. There was a knock on the door and Neil stood up, pointing to Billy’s plate. “Eat up, you have homework to do.”

Billy nodded, casting a glance down at the plate. He hated tomatoes, but he knew his dad didn’t want to hear that. So instead, Billy took the opportunity of being alone to pour more of the powdered parmesan cheese on his noodles, hoping to mask the tomato flavor.

He’d only gotten a few bites swallowed before his dad came back into the room, an odd look on his face. “Billy and I just sat down to dinner. He’s right here.” Billy didn’t understand, were they having company? Usually when there was company, Neil would force Billy into a nicer outfit. And his dad was using his public voice. The one that didn’t sound so angry, so disappointed all the time. Neil stepped out of the doorway and a lady with pretty blonde hair and a briefcase walked in, a smile on her face.

“Hi, Billy. My name’s Gabby. How are you?” she asked. Billy’s mouth was full of food, so he didn’t dare answer, not with his dad shooting daggers at him over Gabby’s shoulder. So instead, he held up his hand with a thumbs up, nodding at her. “Can I sit down with you for a minute?” she continued, pointing to Neil’s abandoned chair.

Billy’s gaze fell to his father again, searching for some sort of understanding that didn’t come. “I brought some work home with me,” Neil interrupted, reaching for his plate. Billy was becoming more and more uncomfortable – his dad seemed scared. That wasn’t normal. “I’ll go eat and knock it out while Gabby keeps you company, okay?” His voice was too kind for home, Billy noted. This was the voice he used around teachers and doctors.

Billy only nodded.

And then Neil left the room and Gabby sat down beside Billy, offering him a gentle smile. “How’s your dinner, Billy?”

Billy shrugged. “It’s fine,” he murmured, pushing the noodles around his plate with the fork. “How do you know my dad?”

Gabby set the briefcase at her feet and then leaned forward so she was leaning against the table, looking at Billy with gentle eyes. “I actually haven’t met your dad before right now. Billy, have you ever heard of a social worker?”

“No ma’am,” Billy replied. Better be polite so she doesn’t tell my dad I was rude, he thought.

“Well, my job is to go around Hawkins and check in on kids to make sure they’re safe,” she explained. “You can keep eating if you want to, but I have some questions for you to answer, if you feel up to that?”

Billy shrugged but made no move to continue eating. In fact, he put his fork down. “It’s okay, I don’t like tomatoes anyway,” he told her. She seemed nice enough. “What questions?” Something about this made him uncomfortable, but he didn’t know why. It felt almost like a trap.

“Just simple questions about your life,” Gabby promised. “I just want to get to know you a little bit. Like…your dad told me you were nine years old. When’s your birthday?”

Billy relaxed a bit at the ease of the question, especially when he heard it was questions that Neil had fielded before they’d gotten to Billy. “March 29,” he replied, sitting up straighter in his chair.

Gabby asked a lot more questions, ranging from questions about Billy’s day at school, what things he liked to do when he was home, and a lot of questions about his dad. Billy tried to answer them as best he could, but sometimes Gabby looked like she didn’t like his answer or something was making her sad.

“You seem like a really sweet kid, Billy. Do you ever get in trouble? Like at school or at home?”

“Sometimes,” Billy mumbled, shrugging. “I guess.”

“When you get in trouble, what happens?” Gabby’s voice had gotten more serious, and Billy’s tummy was churning. He felt like he was going to throw up. He knew this question. The school counselor had asked him that question a few days ago, and she hadn’t liked his answer. She’d gotten serious and quiet and asked a lot more questions, but Billy had clammed up and refused to answer anything else.

So Billy changed his answer. “Um, nothing. Sometimes Dad gets mad and yells.”

“That’s it?” Gabby pushed, leaning in a little closer to Billy, like she was really trying to listen to him. Billy nodded. “He never gets too mad and accidentally hits you?”

Well, accidents happen sometimes. That’s not bad. “Maybe on accident,” Billy whispered, looking at his plate. His spaghetti would be cold by now, which would make it even grosser. Maybe if he answered Gabby’s questions and he could get her to leave, his dad would put it in the microwave and warm it back up.

But Gabby wasn’t done. “Can you show me your room, Billy? Do you have any cool toys?”

Billy bit his lip but shrugged, sliding off the chair and heading toward the living room. Gabby followed behind him, and Billy froze when he caught sight of his dad on the sofa. The man’s face was unreadable to Billy, which was never a good sign. His lips were pursed tightly and he was stiff where he sat. “How’s it going, kiddo?” he asked evenly.

“She wants to see my room,” Billy kicked at the carpet nervously and didn’t look at his dad. “Sir,” he added quickly.

Neil froze, silent for a moment. “That’s fine,” he replied curtly, standing with his half-finished plate. “I’ll start cleaning up the kitchen.” Billy nodded, swallowing thickly before leading Gabby down the hallway to his room.

“What is this, Billy?” Gabby asked as they approached his room, reaching for the lock up toward the top of the door. The outside of the door.

“It keeps the monsters out,” Billy told her. “Dad locks it at night when I go to bed. Or if he’s not going to be home to watch me.”

Oh no. He definitely shouldn’t have said that, he realized. Gabby stopped, casting a look to the blonde boy in front of her. “How often does that happen?”

Billy shrugged, clamping his mouth shut. Oh, his dad was going to kill him. “Billy, honey, you can talk to me,” Gabby promised, kneeling in front of him. Her face was more serious than it had been before. “Does he do that a lot? Leave you here alone?”

Billy stared back at her, unyielding. But his eyes were wide, and that was enough of an answer for Gabby. “Okay, how about those toys then?” He didn’t have the courage to say he didn’t have any, so instead Billy just walked into his room and stood there, waiting for Gabby to come in and take a look around.

Gabby realized quickly that Billy wasn’t going to say anything else, but that was fine. She had what she needed, though it would take a few days to get it all together. She looked around the bare bedroom, her heart sinking for the young boy in front of her. She wished nothing more than to be able to scoop him up and take him now, but they had to wait until the judge gave the okay.

“Alright, Billy, thank you for being so helpful!” she smiled cheerfully at the boy. “I’ll let you and your dad finish your dinner now.” She led him back to the living room and then into the kitchen where Billy could hear Neil cleaning the dishes.

“Mr. Hargrove, I think we’re all done here. Thank you for being so helpful,” she smiled over Billy’s head, nudging him toward the table. Billy settled himself in front of the cold pasta, trying hard not to pull a face.

“Thanks for swinging by,” Neil’s voice was tight. “Hey, Billy?” The boy stiffened in his chair, looking to his dad immediately.

“Yes, sir?” His voice was meek, shaky.

“Why don’t you walk Miss Gabby to the door, tell her thank you, and I’ll heat your dinner back up for you?” Neil offered, drying his hands on his jeans and heading to the table. Billy looked like a deer caught in headlights as he scrambled off the dining room chair, nodding quickly.

“Yes, sir,” he repeated before looking up at Gabby. The blonde woman smiled reassuringly and let BIlly lead the way to the front door.

“Thank you again for being so helpful, Billy. Now, I’m going to give you this,” she explained, handing him a small, rectangular piece of paper. “This has my phone number on it. If you’re ever scared or in danger, you can call me and I’ll come find you, okay?”

Billy nodded quickly, shoving the paper in his pocket without hardly looking at it. “Thank you,” he mumbled under his breath, and Gabby ruffled his hair before she walked out the door and Billy was able to close it behind her.

Feeling like his feet were way too heavy, Billy shuffled back into the kitchen, where Neil was pulling a plate of spaghetti out of the microwave. “You better put your ass in that seat and eat this food,” the man ordered, and Billy scrambled to obey. “Who in the hell did you talk to?!”

The plate slammed down onto the placemat in front of Billy, causing the smaller boy to flinch. “N-nobody!” he insisted tearfully. He shoved a forkful of pasta into his mouth, ignoring the way the sauce burned every inch of his mouth from being too hot.

“You better hope she doesn’t come back,” Neil huffed as he moved back to clean the kitchen, slamming dishes too hard into the sink. “You won’t like it if she does.”

“Yes, sir,” Billy whispered, blinking tears out of his eyes. He continued to eat his dinner, knowing the faster his plate was clean, the sooner Billy could get out from under his father’s burning glare.

When Billy finally made his way to the bathroom to shower that night, Billy pulled the piece of paper Gabby had given him out of his pocket, staring at it for a minute. He knew if his dad found it, he’d be in way more trouble, so Billy ripped it up into little tiny pieces, flushing it down the toilet.

And it was a good thing he did, too. Because as soon as Billy came out of the bathroom, Neil was grabbing Billy’s dirty clothes from his arms, searching the pockets for anything he could find. The searched clothes were tossed to the floor, and Neil growled, “Pick ‘em up. Get in bed.”

It was too early for bed, Billy wanted to argue. He still had math homework! But before he could open his mouth, a smack to the shoulder sent pain radiating through Billy’s body. “Boy, I told you to do something!”

“Yes, sir,” Billy whispered, scrambling to pick up his jeans before running into his room. Neil followed after him, lecturing about respect and responsibility, while Billy tried to dodge his father’s swinging hands unsuccessfully.

By the time Neil left Billy’s bedroom, Billy was crying. His torso and thighs were pounding where his dad had hit him, and the threats Neil had given him echoed in Billy’s mind as he laid himself down in his bed. “If that woman shows up here again because of something you said, you’re not gonna be able to talk for a week.”

For a woman whose job was to make kids in Hawkins safe, her showing up really didn’t help Billy feel safe. He hoped he never had to see her again.

#stranger things #billy hargrove #bob newby #neil hargrove #neil hargrove is an asshole #foster care au #no upside down #billy deserved better #bob deserved better #mentions of child abuse #cw: abuse #ao3 #insomniacwriter17

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wayward-pocket-dimension · 2 years

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They deserved better

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kelgio · 1 year

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I've been rewatching Stranger Things and I really feel like there's something to the clocks/time. The grandfather clock, the black widows having an hourglass marking, the time in the upside down being stuck in 1983. There's a line in s4 when 001 says "I could restore balance to a broken world" juxtaposed with Henry turning the hands of the grandfather clock backward. Then when Vecna is showing Nancy a glimpse of the future, there's visions of the hands of the grandfather clock spinning backwards again. I really think that in order to "fix" Hawkins, there is going to have to be some sort of timeline reset. That in order to restore balance, they're going to have to merge the upside down with the real world and in order to do that Hawkins might have to get set back in time to before the first portal was opened. And if they do that, does that mean they would bring everyone back? Max, Eddie, Chrissy, Billy, Bob, Barb, anyone who died to Vecna or minions of the upside down. But in order to do that I think someone is going to have to make a sacrifice.

Personally I think Will is going to be the big bad next season. I think this because of his obvious connection to the upside down and Vecna. He was the first one physically brought into the upside down and spent the most time in it. He's got the guilt and suicidal thoughts that Vecna feeds off of due to his suppressed romantic feelings for Mike. Not to mention his hair, his hair hasn't changed the whole series, everyone else's has, but just like the upside down, he's physically stuck in 1983. Then there was the whole 'Will is a traitor's storyline from season 2.

I also think that Jonathan will sacrifice himself to save Will because he feels responsible for Will and because he's the only person who truly understands Will. They made Jonathan MUCH more attentive to Will in s4, he's the only one who truly knows what's going on with Will and how he's feeling. That's why they're setting up the StevexNancy vibes. They've also given Joyce a love interest who's also lost a kid and would know how that level of loss and grief would feel and who could see her through it.

I'm finishing season 4 tonight and I'll update this if I can find any other evidence to support my theory.

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absolutechaosebrain · 2 years

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Trying to talk season 5 theory’s with my mother is not very satisfying….

#stranger things #season 4 #season 5 theory #eddie x chrissy #eddie deserved better #Bob deserved better #barb deserved better #bring my babies back #time travel #it could work #questionable science #i just want a happy ending #pleas duffer brothers just give me a happy ending

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selfproclaimedunicorn · 2 years

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Back to my rewatch of Strager Things, I am still not okay about Bob Newby

#personal #misa watches stranger things #bob deserved better #he deserved the WORLD

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joyce-bi-ers · 2 years

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Just saw a tag on Ao3 that was ‘no beta we die like Bob’ and I wanna cry

#stranger things #bob deserved better #he was just a good guy #so nice to Joyce and will #Noah saying that will would feel safe coming out to bob #CRYING

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primordialscream · 2 years

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drunk bob odenkirk giving a speech be like 'when we did the thing that we did when we did it and also wow this is huge thanks and ass!!!'

#i love him #he deserves all the happiness in the world #also rhea is like what and she sends me sjsnqj #bob odenkirk #rhea seehorn #michael mando #patrick fabian #giancarlo esposito #bcs #better call saul #hca awards

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futurelabs · 11 months

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he makes pancakes’ tower for breakfast and she doesn’t appreciate. he deserves better 💔

#ts4 #sims 4 cas #the sims 4 #ts4 cas #my edits #i want some pancakes from bob 🥞#i think he makes the best pancakes ever #sims 4 edit #ts4 portraits #i'm on the bob pancakes deserves better train guys no one can stop me 🚂

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lover-of-mine · 11 months

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Thinking about the time Bellamy spent 6 years thinking he left Clarke behind to die, found a random child who told him she was alive then immediately decided to confront a bunch of criminals armed with nothing but a fucking mug.

#the shit that happened in that show #i will NEVER not be furious about how they played this out #even more when Eliza and Bob said they were instructed to play them as romantic #like #they deserved a better ending #the 100 #bellarke

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insomniacwriter17 · 11 months

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Saved from the Flames - Chapter Two

“When you’re born in a burning house, you think the whole world is on fire. But it’s not.” –Richard Kadrey

Billy Hargrove is 9 years old. He tries his best to be the son his father wants him to be - quiet, respectful, and obedient. But Neil just pushes harder and harder, all in the name of raising a “strong man”. When Billy is removed from his father’s custody and placed in foster care, it takes some time for him to realize his world is no longer burning around him. New experiences, new people, new opportunities all make Billy realize there’s a whole lot more to life than respect and responsibility.

AKA: The story of how Bob Newby became a real life superhero for one little boy who needed saving.

Inspired by this post I saw from @connordax

---

chapter one

read on ao3

CW for this chapter: Descriptions of a child being removed from their biological family, slight emetophobia warning.

But because fate was never Billy’s friend, Gabby came back. It was three days later, and Billy had just started to feel like maybe everything would be okay. He’d tiptoed around and been as good as he could for his dad, and the anger in the house had settled and he only had a handful of bruises left to show for it.

Billy wasn’t sure how everything had happened – it’d gone down so fast. One minute, he and his dad were sitting down at the kitchen table, their dinner in front of them. The next, the doorbell rang and Neil left to answer it. There was a hushed conversation Billy couldn’t quite hear, and he tried to focus on the grilled cheese sandwich in front of him. After a few minutes, a lady appeared in the doorway, one Billy had only seen once before.

“Hi Billy, do you remember me?” Gabby asked, waving at the blonde. Billy nodded, an uncomfortable feeling growing in his stomach.

“You’re the social worker,” he murmured. “You came here to talk to me.”

“I did,” Gabby nodded, moving to kneel beside the table. “Do you remember how I told you it was my job to keep kids in Hawkins safe?”

“Yes ma’am,” Billy whispered. “Where’s my dad?” he asked, voice shaky. He wanted to pull away from her, but there was nowhere to go.

“Billy, I need you to listen to me,” Gabby’s voice had gotten very serious, and Billy couldn’t do anything but nod. “Your dad’s not doing his job to keep you safe, so we’re going to take you somewhere safe, okay? You and me, we’re going to go pack a bag like you’re going to a sleepover, and we’re going to take you somewhere safe for the night.”

Billy’s whole body went cold, and what little bit of food was in his stomach was making him feel like he wanted to throw up. “No, I want my dad,” he whimpered, sliding off the chair and heading for the living room. “Dad?!”

“Billy, please, stay in here,” Gabby called, getting up to follow him, but Billy was quicker. The front door was open, Neil nowhere in sight.

“Get your hands off of me!” Billy heard his dad yell out front, and Billy raced to the door. He froze on the porch, breath caught in his throat as he watched two police officers wrestling his dad into the back of a police car.

“Dad! Daddy!” Billy shrieked, breaking into a run across the yard. Neil’s head shot up, still fighting against the officer’s hands. “Daddy, no!” He was crying now, which he knew his dad wouldn’t like, but Billy was scared.

He didn’t know what he wanted his dad to say, but hearing his dad growl, “This is your fault, William,” was not it. Billy froze a few steps away from his dad, eyes wide. A moment later he felt hands on his shoulder, and Gabby was leading him back to the house. Billy tried to fight against her, to pull away, but Gabby was stronger.

“Billy, I know you’re scared,” she tried to soothe once they were back in the house, the front door closed behind her. Billy’s eyes were fixed on the window – even though he couldn’t see anything from his current angle right now, he couldn’t look away. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

“Is my dad going to jail?” Billy whispered, chin trembling. Gabby sighed, quiet for a moment, before she nodded. Slowly, she knelt on the ground in front of Billy so she was eye-level with him.

“What your dad was doing to you is not nice,” she explained. “The adult word for it is abuse. Do you know what that means?” Billy shook his head, which made a few rogue tears fall from his eyes and down his cheeks.

“It means that he isn’t doing his job as a dad,” she tried to tell him. “Like when he hits you or locks you in your room. Dads aren’t supposed to do that. It hurts you, doesn’t it?” she asked, and Billy nodded mutely, quiet sobs hitching his shoulders despite how hard he tried to stop. “Dads are supposed to feed you and make sure you have all the things you need. They take you to the doctor when you’re sick and they make sure you go to school and get so smart,” Gabby continued. “Your dad isn’t doing that.”

“But he’s my dad,” Billy whimpered, bringing his hand up to wipe at his nose. “I don’t want to leave him! He’ll be mad.”

“He’s not allowed to keep hurting you, Billy,” Gabby insisted. “Your dad is going to get a social worker – someone like me – and they’re going to try and teach him how to be better for you. But until then, we need to take you somewhere safe where someone can take care of you until your dad is able to. Do you understand?”

Billy was quiet, contemplating. “I don’t know anywhere safe,” he whispered finally, looking at Gabby with tearfilled eyes. “All I have is my dad.”

Gabby’s face softened, and she reached her hand out to place it on Billy’s shoulder. “I have a friend, his name is Bob. He’s so nice, and so funny, and he’s offered to let you stay with him until your dad can.”

“Why?” Billy’s voice trembled.

“Why what?” Gabby cocked her head to the side, watching as Billy shrugged.

“Why’d Mr. Bob offer to take care of me?” Billy asked after a second. “Does he know my dad?”

Gabby shook her head. “Bob’s someone we call a foster parent. It means that he has gone through classes and has let someone teach him how to take care of kids in situations like yours. He’s got a bedroom for you to stay in, he’ll make sure you go to the doctor and school and anywhere else you need to go.” The woman pushed herself from the ground to a standing position, offering her hand to Billy. “Why don’t we get you packed?”

It was a blur. Billy basically sat on his bed, crying quietly while Gabby flitted around the room, tossing clothes and books and his toothbrush into some bags. He only had one duffle bag, so the rest of it was being placed in trash bags. “Do you have anything special you want to take with you?” she asked gently, stopping to look at him. “Like a stuffed animal or a toy?”

Billy paused, chewing his lip before reaching beneath his pillow. He pulled out a framed photo, offering it to Gabby shyly. She took the item, glancing at the picture. It was a photo of Billy and a woman who could only be his mother – the similarities were striking. But instead of asking questions, Gabby simply smiled, placing the photo on top of Billy’s pajamas and zipping the duffle bag. “Did I forget anything, boss?”

Billy couldn’t help but giggle at the nickname, shaking his head. “I think that’s it.” He looked sad again, wringing his hands together in his lap. “Will my dad know where I am?”

“I’ll make sure your dad knows you’re safe,” Gabby promised, turning off the bedroom light as they made their way back down the hall. She closed the front door and led Billy to a white Ford car that was parked in front of the house.

The police car was gone, Billy noticed. That only made him even more nervous, and he slid into the backseat silently, looking at the pile of bags next to him that Gabby was putting in the car. He was trying really hard not to cry again. He was nine whole years old – a big boy! Only babies cried.

But despite telling himself he shouldn’t cry, tears welled in his eyes as Gabby drove away from his house. He didn’t want to go to a stranger’s house! He wanted to be at home, where he knew how to act to keep from being in trouble. What if Bob didn’t like something about Billy? Or something Billy did? What then?

So many questions swirled around in Billy’s brain, and it was making his stomach churn. The feeling only got worse and worse as time went on, and what little food Billy had eaten at dinner felt like it was creeping up his throat. “Miss Gabby?” he called meekly, swallowing thickly. The woman looked in the rearview at Billy, and she frowned at the look on his face.

“What’s the matter, Billy?” she wondered.

“My tummy hurts,” he whimpered.

“Your tummy hurts like you’re nervous? Or do you feel like you’re going to be sick?” Gabby asked, looking between the road and the young boy in her backseat. Billy held up two fingers, a miserable look on his face. “Okay, just take some deep breaths, honey.” This, unfortunately, was not an all too uncommon side effect of her job. “We’re just down the street from Bob’s, and we’ll get out of the car and get you some fresh air.”

Billy nodded once more, keeping his mouth tightly shut as Gabby slowed the car to a stop just a minute later. He was unbuckling his seatbelt and tumbling out of the backseat as soon as the car was parked. A moment later, Billy was standing on the sidewalk and sucking in deep breaths of air as he bent over, his hands on his knees. Gabby was right behind him, her hand on his back in a quiet show of support. “You okay, buddy?” she asked sympathetically, looking down at the boy.

“I’m okay,” he croaked after a minute. His tummy still churned dangerously, but he didn’t quite feel like he was about to throw up anymore. “Sorry.” He straightened back up to a standing position, sniffling.

“Don’t apologize, honey. It’s alright,” Gabby soothed. In front of them, a porch light flicked on and a front door opened, a man appearing in the doorway. Both Gabby and Billy looked up, though Gabby waved and Billy ducked behind Gabby the best he could.

“Well, if it isn’t my good friend, Gabby! What’re you doing out here in the dark, huh? You know the front door works!” The man’s voice floated across the yard, and Billy tried to peek around Gabby’s arm to get a better look. He sounded nice enough.

Gabby chuckled. “Hi, Bob. We were on our way in,” she promised. “We just had a little bit of an upset tummy, I wanted to make sure everything was okay before we got your carpet involved.” She sounded like it was no big deal to be here, which helped Billy feel a little bit calmer.

“Oh, boy. Upset tummies are no good. What can I do to help?” Bob wondered, stepping out onto the porch. Now standing beneath the porch light, Billy was able to get a better look. The man was definitely shorter than his dad, and he was fatter, too. The thought echoed through Billy’s brain – I can outrun him if I need to – and it made him relax a little bit.

He looked nice enough, with kind eyes and a concerned look on his face as he stared into his front yard. “I think we’re okay now, crisis averted!” Gabby insisted before looking down at Billy. “Should we get you inside?”

“Okay,” Billy whispered, crossing his arms over his chest. He knew that question wasn’t one he was allowed to disagree with, it was just to make Billy feel like he had a choice. Gabby’s hand fell to Billy’s shoulder in order to lead him across the dark yard, and Billy walked after her as slowly as possible.

Like it or not, this was happening.

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