AN: this is the second part of the prologue. There will be one more part that talks about the events that follow Eleven closing the gate, then I'll get to the actual story, I promise.

Prologue Part Two

Will Byers finally found some hope after being stuck in some sort of Shadow dimension for three days. He was able to communicate with his mother by touching the Christmas lights. He's heard the search party calling out his name the previous two nights and tried desperately to make them hear him as he called back, but it was hopeless. He'd even considered going to his friends' houses to try to contact them, but the lack of sleep, food and water had left him too exhausted to go to far from his own home.

After the demogorgan attacked when he was talking to his mother through the lights, he returned home. He could hear chief Hopper telling her that his (Will's) body had been found in the quarry. Will tried to touch the lights, but he was too tired from his most recent escape from the demogorgan. He heard Jonathan crying and wanted to tell him that he was still alive. He wondered for a brief moment if he had died. But he hadn't gone anywhere near the quarry. He started to sing "Should I Stay or Should I Go" to remind himself that he was still alive. He had a feeling, that somewhere, someone was hearing him. Eleven was channeling him through Mike's supercom. Mike even started calling out to Will through the supercom, but to no avail. Will fell asleep late that night, or the early hours of Thursday morning. It wasn't long before he woke up hearing his mother on the couch. She seemed talking in her sleep.

"I'm here, Mom. I'm not dead. Please, give me a sign that you know that. Mom? Mom?" Joyce Byers stirred a little. She seemed to be reacting to her son's voice. "Mom!" said Will just a little louder. At that moment, Jonathan gently shook her awake to go to the county coroners.

Will sank to the floor and buried his face in his hands. He'd made contact, he was sure of it. The silence that followed seemed to last an eternity. He went out to the porch to wait for his mother and brother to return, but exhaustion overcame him and he fell asleep again after shivering and trying to stop himself from crying.

Some time later, he woke to the sound of the Clash blaring from the speakers and his mother shouting "I know you're here!" Will stood up and banged on the side of his house as hard and he could, concentrating all of his energy on making contact. Something strange started to happen: it was as though a hole was burning into the wall. Will felt as though energy was pulsing from his arms and into the wall. It must have been the excitement and fear he felt at making contact with his mother.

"Mom!" Will called in desperation.

Eleven watched as Will called out to his mother and a portal formed in the wall where they could see each other. Eleven wanted to scream at Will to push harder through the membrane and he could escape, but she couldn't find the words. She know the monster was coming. She heard his mother say that she would find him, but she needed him the run.

Will started to run, but seemed to be exhausted. Eleven followed him until he tripped and fell. Both of them looked over to see the demogorgon trying to pick up Will's scent. Eleven knew he was in danger. She focused all of her energy on grabbing Will's arm to help him up. Will vanished. Not in a cloud of smoke like people usually did when she lost contact, but he just vanished into thin air, even though every instinct told Eleven that Will was still there. She didn't have much time to wonder as she felt a surge of energy. She was back in the A.V. room with Mike, Lucas, and Dustin. They all looked very concerned. She felt dazed as she looked at Mike, having no idea what to tell him. She knew that Will had escaped the monster. She barely registered that the radio had caught fire.

Will got up and ran as fast as he could until he got to Castle Byers. He collapsed inside the fort, unsure of what had just happened. He had felt tired, hungry, and thirsty for over three day; but this was a whole new level. Will felt completely drained of energy. The world began to spin around him and he passed out.

"Contact the boy's father," Dr. Brenner ordered after he dispatched a couple of agents to the school. "We can't have his mother finding him before we do."

"Yes, sir."

"Remarkable," Brenner muttered as he listened to the conversation between Will and Joyce. Perhaps more members of the Byers family could serve his purpose.

When Will woke up a few hours later, it took an exuberant amount of effort to get back to his house. He strained to hear something. His mother was talking to someone about how should couldn't feel him (Will) any more. Will tried to call out, but lacked the strength to do that. It took nearly everything he had to hear his mother's voice. He soon realized with horror, that his mother was talking to his father and he was trying to convince her that everything was in her head. He couldn't actually hear his father's voice, but the effect on his mother was all too familiar.

After a few minutes, Will heard Jonathan's voice asking his mother if he saw the thing again. Will felt a burst of hope in his chest. He knew that Jonathan believed his mother. If Jonathan believed he was alive, he would stop at nothing to find him. Will knew that for certain about his brother.

Will knew he couldn't stay. If the monster came back, he wouldn't be able to escape this time. He slowly made his way back to Castle Byers to get some sleep. After several hours, Will could have sworn he felt the presence of his dog Chester next to him. For the next 40 hours, Will didn't know anything except that he was cold and tired. A girl appeared to him. She was wearing a dress that looked exactly like one Nancy Wheeler used to wear. She told him that his mother was coming. "Hurry" was all he could manage to say. It gave him enough energy to sing his favorite song to himself as he violently shivered. When the monster came for him, he was too weak to escape. Will tried to struggle as the creature grabbed him, but he passed out from the effort.

The next thing Will knew, he was gasping for breath and someone was putting an oxygen mask over his face. His entire body ached and his vision was blurred. He used every ounce of energy to inhale his first bit of clean air in nearly a week, even though the breathing was painful. Will was only very vaguely aware that someone was gently lifting him up and carrying him somewhere. He knew it wasn't the monster.

"We need to get him to the hospital," said Hopper. "And I don't trust those agents. I want to get out of here before they get back. I don't want to run into that creature again either." He gently lifted Will off the ground, taking care to support the boy's head.

Joyce nodded. She and Hopper headed back to the portal in Hawkins lab. Will appeared to drift out of consciousness, but at least he was breathing.

Hopper gently placed Will on a table as he and Joyce removed their bio hazard suits. The lighting of the lab allowed Joyce to get a good look at Will for the first time in a week. There were dark circles under his eyes, his lips were severely chapped, and his skin was shockingly pale. Joyce felt his throat. She was nervous about the effect that tendril Hopper had to pull out of Will had on him. His glands were swollen. He felt both clammy and feverish to the touch.

The lab technicians who had given them their supplies to go through the gate came into the room. "Let's get this kid into exam room three," said the first tech. Hopper quickly stepped in front of Joyce and Will.

"Keep your hands off this kid," he growled.

"We're trying to help, chief. This kid needs medical attention," said the tech.

"You people faked his death," said Joyce angrily. "What makes you think I'd trust you with him? We're taking him out of here and forgetting about all this, that was the deal."

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that, ma'am. He's been in a very toxic environment for almost a week."

"Mom?" Will groaned. He opened his eyes, they were unfocused and he seemed very disoriented. Joyce turned to him and started caressing his forehead.

"It's alright, Baby. We're going to get you to the hospital."

"We really can take care of him here."

"Your bosses were threatening to kill me and make it look like a drug overdose, just like they made my friend Benny Hammond's murder look like a suicide," said Hopper. The techs looked confused. They likely weren't entirely aware of Brenner's dealings. "Now do me a favor and grab a blanket for the kid so we can get him to the hospital.

A few minutes later, Joyce was sitting in the passenger seat of Hopper's truck with her son in her arms. He was drifting in and out of consciousness and she gently rocked him back and forth. She pulled up his sleeve and ran her thumb over the birthmark on his arm while trying to keep him steady as Hopper figured there were likely some fractures in his rib cage from the CPR. "How are we going to explain everything. We just had a funeral for him."

"I'll just say I was looking for Henry and Dale Mooney and found him in a cabin in the woods. Those scientists said the air was toxic in that place. Being exposed to toxins and getting disoriented could be a good explanation as to why he got lost. I found him, picked you up, then we took him to the hospital." Joyce nodded as Hopper turned up the heat. He picked up his radio and turned it to the channel to call Hawkins General.

"Hey Marge, this is police chief Jim Hopper. I found Will Byers. He's cold and dehydrated. I had to do some CPR, so his ribs are likely broken as well. I need you to prep one of your rooms for some emergency care."

"Did you just say you found Will Byers, chief? Wasn't there a funeral for him Friday morning? How is that possible?"

"I guess we'll have to do some investigatin' to find out," said Hopper. "Right now he needs some medical attention."

"Alright, I'll notify the doctors on call."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve worked to clean up the mess left by their efforts to take out the demogorgan.

"I really am sorry about this afternoon," said Steve. "It was just a really shitty thing to do."

"Don't worry about it," said Jonathan. "You made up for it tonight by saving our lives."

Steve shook his head. "I really didn't. That was just really shitty of me to say those things about your mother and brother. If there's anything I can do to help-"

"Take this," said Jonathan as he handed Steve the bat with the nails. "Just in case any other weird shit happens again."

"I can't take this," said Steve.

"My dad got that stupid thing because he was trying to get me and Will to like baseball. I really don't want it."

"I can understand not wanting to keep something from and asshole dad," said Steve.

They were about to head back to the school to check on Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Eleven when the phone rang. Jonathan ran to answer it. Steve watched as Jonathan appeared to to get some good news. "I should have shoved that spray paint down Tommy's throat," Steve said to Nancy. She smiled a little at him. Barb was at the front of her mind. She knew that Steve was trying to make amends and appreciated it, but felt that she might break down if she tried to talk about it.

"They got him," said Jonathan after he hung up the phone. "Mom said he's alive, but they had to take him to the hospital."

"I'll give you a ride," said Steve.

"We should stop at the school and pick up Mike and the others," said Nancy.

"Hopper heard on the radio that your parents are already there. Apparently there was an incident, but Mike's alright."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Unable to sit still, Joyce paced back and forth outside of the exam room as the Hawkins General doctors and nurses treated her younger son. Hopper watched. His mind was on Eleven. He felt guilty for telling Brenner where she was, but it was his only chance to save Will. In retrospect, Hopper wished that he had lied about her whereabouts, but that may have put everyone else in even more danger. Eleven was just an innocent child; the same age as Will and his friends... the same age Sara would have been if she was still alive.

"Mom!" Jonathan called. He was walking very quickly down the hallway carrying a box full of things from home. He set the box down and hugged his mother.

"What happened?" asked Joyce as they pulled out of the hug and she noticed Jonathan's bandaged hand and took it in her own hands. Hopper stood up and approached them.

"Nancy and I were trying to use blood to attract the demogorgan to the bear trap," said Jonathan.

"The bear trap?" asked Hopper. "The one in the police station?"

Jonathan felt a little intimidated, but decided to be honest. "We snuck in and got our supplies back."

"What part of stay put did you not understand? I told you your mother had already been through enough."

"I heard you," said Jonathan. "But we were trying to distract the demogorgan so you two could find Will!"

"I could hear you," said Joyce thoughtfully.

"What?"

"I could hear you...When we were at the house... or at least the version of our house in that place I could hear you sorting of asking if I was there..."

Jonathan gazed at his mother for a moment. "I had a feeling you were there. After...After we set the demogorgan on fire and it disappeared, the lights were lighting up instead of going crazy. Anyway, we made a pretty big mess in the house. Sorry about that."

Joyce gently took Jonathan's face in her hands. "Don't worry about that. You're fine and your brother is alive. That's all that matters."

"Mrs. Byers?" Dr. Bronson approached the group.

"How's my son?" asked Joyce as she let go of Jonathan and approached Dr. Bronson. Jonathan and Hopper followed her.

"We've got him in stable condition," said Dr. Bronson. "We'd like to keep him here for a few days. He has a couple of fractures from the CPR, but that's normal and the least of his problems. He'll need plenty of fluids and antibiotics. He's severely dehydrated and seems to have some sort of infection. We found a toxin in his blood that we've never seen before. It's probably what caused him to get so disoriented and end up in that cabin. It's a good thing you found them when you did, chief. He didn't have much longer."

Joyce took a deep breath, not wanting to think about what would have happened if they hadn't found Will when they did... If he didn't start breathing again when they found him. "Can we see him now?"

"Of course," said Dr. Bronson. "He's sleeping in intensive care."

"Can you give us a moment, Doc?" asked Hopper. Dr. Bronson nodded and walked away.

"Listen, Joyce, I'm going to go to the station and write up a report. We need to make sure Brenner and his people don't control this whole situation. We need to get Will on the same page when he wakes up."

After Hopper left, Joyce and Jonathan followed Dr. Bronson to intensive care. When they passed the waiting room the Wheelers, Steve Harrington, Dustin and Lucas were there. Ted Wheeler was snoring in a chair. Mike ran up to them followed by Dustin and Lucas. "Where's Will? Is he okay? Can we see him?" asked Mike.

"Your friend is recovering. He's been through a lot," said Dr. Bronson. "You can see him when he wakes up. It could be a while."

"Maybe we should go home and get some sleep. We can come back in the morning," said Karen.

"It's 4:15 and we haven't seen Will in almost a week," said Mike. "I'm waiting right here!"

Karen decided not to argue as she knew Mike had been through a lot that week.

"I'll come get you when Will wakes up," said Jonathan as he patted Mike's arm. "I'm sure he'll want to see all of you."

Dr. Bronson led Joyce and Jonathan the rest of the way to Will's room and they took a seat next to his bed. The hospital staff had cleaned him up so he was no longer covered in the grime of the Upside Down. There were oxygen tubes in his nose and IV needles in his veins. Joyce reached over to caress his face, but decided against as she didn't want to risk waking him just yet.

"What is all that?" she asked Jonathan as she pointed to the box he'd brought from home.

"I figured Will was going to be in here recovering for a few days, so I brought him some things from home." Jonathan pulled out a cassette. "I actually made this mix tape for Will a couple days before he went missing. Now seems like a good time to give it to him."

Joyce smiled and squeezed Jonathan's hand. "You're a great brother, you know. You've always been a great big brother to him. It's made all the difference, especially with the way your father..." Joyce clenched the fist that wasn't holding her older son's hand. Jonathan noticed.

"How did you get Dad to leave? He seemed pretty determined to stay."

"I just found out why he really came to the funeral-He thought he could make money off of Will's death," said Joyce through clenched teeth. "I finally realized that he never actually cared about him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Eleven made her way to Mike's house. She saw several cars with flashing lights parked outside of his house. The bad people were still looking for her. She hid in the woods while people searched for her. She desperately wished that she could be with her friends. She couldn't go to Mike's house anymore because they bad people were looking for her there.

When the sun starting to rise, Eleven decided to go to Will's house. Mrs. Byers had been very kind to her. El realized that she hadn't known kindness in her life before she met Benny. She had met several kind people that week. She knew that what Papa was trying to make her do was wrong, but meeting so many nice people in the past week made her understand that Papa was evil.

When she got to the Byers house, she didn't find any of the kind people there. Instead there were more cars from the bad people. They appeared to be fixing broken parts of the house. El decided to go and hide in Castle Byers. Will had hidden there when he was in the Upside Down. Maybe she could hide there until Mrs. Byers got home and the bad people were gone.

When she got there, she found that it was destroyed. El knelt down next to the remains. She saw a stuffed lion just like the one she owned and picked it up. El held the stuffed animal to her chest and shut her eyes. She concentrated on finding out of Will was okay and saw that he was at the hospital. She heard him say Mike's name, but couldn't see what Mike was saying without some sort of radio to channel him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

"It's time to go, boys. Your mothers are here," said Mrs. Wheeler as she poked her head into Will's room.

"Just a few more minutes, mom, please?" said Mike.

"Michael, you've been up for almost 24 hours, you need to get some sleep. We'll come back later this afternoon."

"Actually, can I talk to you for a minute, Karen?" asked Joyce.

"Sure Joyce," said Karen with a warm smile. "Get ready to go," she added to Mike, Dustin and Lucas. The two women walked out into the hallway. "I meant what I said last week," Karen gave Joyce's hand a squeeze. "If there's anything I can do to help, just ask."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," said Joyce as she folded her hands together, held them to her mouth, and took a calming breath. "I had to take a lot of time off work last week when I was looking for Will. I took at two week advance from Donald and I'm going to have to work a lot of extra hours to make it up. Jonathan is picking up some extra shifts too. Would it be alright if Will stays at your place after school until I get off work?"

"Absolutely," said Karen. Truth be told, Karen felt a little guilty about not giving Will a ride home or insisting that he stay the night or calling to make sure Will wouldn't be at home alone. "Mike will be glad to have him. He was devastated when they found that body last Wednesday and he's been really upset about that Russian girl."

Joyce felt herself tense up a bit. She'd only known Eleven for a few hours, but didn't like someone referring to her as 'the Russian girl.' She took a deep breath. "Thank you, Karen. That is a huge help."

Will's medication helped him sleep peacefully for several hours. He was eager for his friends to come back that evening. His mother and brother would be working extra shifts that week. They wanted to stay with him, but didn't have that luxury. Security was stationed near his door. Since there had been a funeral for him two days earlier, Will being found alive was a big news story and several people from the press were eager to interview him. Will had no desire for the attention.

Mr. Clarke visited that afternoon. He gave Will a book about light and the color spectrum.

"It really is wonderful to see that you're alright," said Mr. Clark. "Can't wait to have you back in class."

"They said you were part of the search party," said Will. He was aware that his father hadn't even returned his mother's calls when he went missing. He had overheard his mother telling Jonathan that Lonnie had tried to make money off of his death. They both thought that Will was sleeping when they had that conversation. Jonathan had been curious to hear more about his father's treachery after Will's friends had left. Will decided once and for all that moment that he wasn't going to let his father hurt him anymore. His friends, his brother and his mother had risked everything to find him. Even his science teacher and several total strangers volunteered their time to join a search party to find him.

"Of course I was part of the search party," said Mr. Clarke with a smile. "I had to help find one of my best students."

"Can you send my homework home with Mike? He's coming to stay with me after school while I'm in here and I don't want to fall behind any more."

"Don't overexert yourself, Will. You need to rest and get your health back?"

"Please, Mr. Clark. I promise I won't overexert myself. Besides, this place is boring and a nice curiosity voyage will help make this place more fun."

"Alright, Will, you win," said Mr. Clarke holding his hands up in mock surrender.

Later that evening, Mrs. Wheeler brought back Mike, Dustin and Lucas for a visit. She had picked up Will some new clothes (with Mike's input) and baked a casserole for the Byers family. It was much better than the hospital food. Will was much more thirsty than hungry. Mrs. Wheeler had also picked up plenty of gatorade. Will had put on a long sleeve tee shirt and sweatpants. He was grateful to have something to wear other than a hospital gown.

They worked on their next campaign as Jonathan sat in the corner working on some catch up homework and throwing Will and his friends amused looks. Joyce sat in a chair looking over paperwork from the hospital. Will received several hugs from his friends. It was something unique about the "party" as they'd called themselves: most kids their age, especially boys, didn't like hugging. Will felt especially grateful for the hugs that evening. A small part of him was afraid that being in his own dimension was a dream and he'd wake up back in the Upside Down. The hugs, high fives, shoulder squeezes and pats of the back helped him feel like he really was home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Around six in the evening, the happiness of the group was interrupted by an unwanted visitor. A nurse entered the room to inform everyone that Lonnie was there to see Will.

"What?" Jonathan exclaimed. "No, he's not getting anywhere near Will."

"He's being very insistent," said the nurse.

"I bet he is," said Joyce. She stood up and set her paperwork down on the nightstand. "I'll get rid of him."

"No, Mom, it's okay," said Will. "Let him come in."

"Will, you don't have to see him," said Joyce. Will didn't want to see his father, but knew that Lonnie could cause trouble for everyone if they didn't let him in.

"It's okay," said Will. "Let's just get this over with."

"I'm afraid your friends will have to step out," said the nurse and she indicated Mike, Lucas, and Dustin.

"What?" said Mike.

"That's bullshit!" cried Dustin.

"Yeah, we're not going anywhere!" said Lucas.

"Only four visitors at a time, hospital policy. We've been pushing it allowing all of you here."

Will's friends resisted for a minute, but the nurse's stern look caused them to reconsider. Will looked around the room. Mike was the closest so he grabbed his wrist.

"Mike, stay," Will pleaded. Mike looked over at Joyce who nodded.

"We'll be right outside," said Lucas.

"Yeah, if that son of a bitch tries anything, just give us a shout," said Dustin.

"I'll be fine, guys," said Will. "His words don't matter any more." Dustin and Lucas still looked worried. They glanced at Mike who gave them a determined nod. Will swung his legs around and hopped out of his bed standing next to Mike. He winced slightly at the pain in his fractured ribs.

"Will, honey," said Joyce as she started to walk toward her younger son. "you need to lay back down. You can't over exert yourself."

"Don't worry, Mom, I'm fine and I'm going to be standing up when he walks in here."

Joyce looked like she was about to protest, but Jonathan stepped over to her and took her hand. "He'll be fine, mom."

A few moments later, Lonnie entered the room and was faced by four stony faces. He seemed unfazed by that fact. He was putting on the act of caring father and everyone in the room knew it. "Hey there Will, I'm so happy you're alive!" He approached Will with his arms open, but Will stepped out of his reach. Mike stepped protectively in front of Will. His arms were folded across his chest and he glared at Lonnie.

"C'mon, Mike, move out of the way. I'm just trying to hug my son."

"Doesn't look like he wants a hug," said Mike. Less than 24 hours earlier, he'd stood between Eleven and heavily armed federal agents before facing a demogorgan, Lonnie just wasn't the least bit intimidating after those experiences.

"What do you want, Day?" asked Will as he peaked around Mike.

"What do you mean. I was at your funeral two days ago and now you're alive. I wanted to see you."

"Yeah, right!" Will retorted. "You didn't even return Mom's calls when I went missing and you tried to make money when you thought I was dead."

"Have you been trying to turn our children against me again, Joyce?" Lonnie turned toward his ex wife with his fists clenched. "Are you feeding them your crazy delusions again?"

Jonathan stepped in front of his mother. "Crazy delusions?" he said. "She was right, he was still out there. You kept trying to convince her that she was imagining things, but she was right all along."

"You've always been trying to convince Mom she was crazy. You always tried to convince everyone else too, why?" asked Will as he stepped out from behind Mike.

"Will, you're sick, you aren't thinking clearly. Besides, your mother did have anxiety."

"Probably because she was married to you," Will spat. Mike looked at Will in awe. He'd probably wanted to say these things for a awhile. Memories of times Will had shown up at his house in tears and looking for a place to hide because of something his father had said or done swam into Mike's mind.

"Some fine parenting, Joyce. The kid has no respect."

"You haven't earned any," Mike shot.

"Mike, this really isn't any of your business," said Lonnie.

"Mike spent the whole week looking for me. So did Dustin and Lucas," said Will. "My science teacher joined the search party too. Chief Hopper kept looking until he found me. He actually listened to me when Jonathan had appendicitis too. So there's a lot of people whose business this is before it's yours." Will suddenly doubled over into an excessive coughing spell.

"Will!" said Mike, Joyce and Jonathan in unison. Mike knelt next to Will. Will turned to his friend and whispered hoarsely that he needed to get to the bathroom. Mike helped him up and lead him to the bathroom. Lonnie reached over to Will, but Jonathan and Joyce quickly stepped in front of him.

Will doubled over in front of the toilet, vomited what little food he'd manager to eat earlier and started dry heaving. Mike shut the door and turned on the bathroom fan to drown out the noise of Will's mother and brother arguing with Lonnie.

Dustin and Lucas sat near the vending machines in the hall waiting for Lonnie to leave.

"He always seemed kind of down when he came back from visiting his father," said Dustin. "I don't think I've ever actually heard him talk bad about anyone, though."

"His parents got divorced before you moved here, but there were so many times he'd show up at my house or Mike's house trying really hard not to cry after his father called him queer or something again." said Lucas.

"Yeah, it's bad enough when Troy and James do it, but his own father? That's just plain shitty."

"Hey, what are you two doing out here?" asked the chief, slightly startling the two boys.

"Will's dad is here," said Lucas. "They had to enforce the four visitor limit."

Hopper's expression darkened. He had never particularly cared for Lonnie, but his opinion had dropped significantly between the guy not returning Joyce's calls when Will went missing and him trying to profit off of his son's apparent death. He wordlessly headed toward Will's hospital room.

When he got there, Joyce was telling Lonnie that his presence was making Will's condition worse and Lonnie was accusing her of raising their kids to be weak.

"I don't think a man like you is in any position to call good kids like your sons weak," said Hopper as he stood in the doorway. Lonnie looked at Hopper with disdain.

"This isn't any of your business, Jim."

Hopper stepped toward Lonnie. "I remember, you and your buddies used to come over from the high school to beat up me and my friends when we were Will's age. A bunch of seventeen year olds must over felt really tough picking on a bunch of twelve year olds. All of us ended up fighting in a war that you and your friends avoided. Some of them died and others suffered permanent injuries. So your sons that you think are so weak are both stronger than you ever were."

"Lonnie, for the last time, get out of my son's hospital room."

"Joyce, I'm trying to help. There's a reporter who wants to hear Will's story. That show pays good money."

"This again? Will almost died and you're still trying to make money off of him?"

"They just need a quick interview,"

"So give them one," said Will as he opened the bathroom door. "You can even lie and tell them you're a caring father. Don't say anything bad about Mom, Jonathan, Hopper or any of my friends, but tell them whatever else you want. I don't care. Just leave me alone."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Saturday, November 19, 1983, was the first chance that Jonathan had to check on Castle Byers after they got the house ready for Will's homecoming. He found it destroyed. Steve and Mike helped him salvage Will's things, while Dustin and Lucas kept Will company at the hospital.

"How's Nancy?" Steve asked Mike. She told him that she needed space.

"She's really upset about Barb. I think it's even worse that the FBI people won't even let her tell Barb's parents." Mike answered as he examined Will's old stuffed lion before putting it into a box.

"That is shitty," said Steve. He wanted to help Nancy. She'd told him she needed some time. If he was honest with himself, he probably needed time too. He certainly didn't miss hanging out with Tommy and Carol. Having to be an asshole all the time was wearing thin. Things had gotten rough at school, but he was getting by. School would be over in a year, and Steve was looking forward to possibly getting out of Hawkins. Hanging out with Nancy had made him realize that he wanted a future out from under his father's shadow.

"We built this the night dad left," said Jonathan as he examined shattered pieces of wood. "We worked all night and it was all destroyed by some monster in just a few seconds."

"Maybe you can rebuild it," said Mike earnestly. "Will's a lot better at hammering than he was when he was eight."

"I don't even know where we'd get the materials," said Jonathan. "We were lucky to have enough last time."

"I can get you some. My dad's company throws out a lot imperfectly shaped materials. It should be easy to get enough to build a fort. I could help."

"So could I," said Mike. "I'm sure Lucas and Dustin will too."

Jonathan smiled at them gratefully. The three boys were unaware that Eleven was watching them from a distance as Mike had tried to call her on his supercom the night before and mentioned he'd be helping Jonathan. She desperately wanted to call out to Mike right then and there, but still feared the bad men would hurt him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Mike and Will sat on the couch in Mike's basement Thanksgiving morning finishing up some history homework. Dr. Owens, the new head of Hawkins lab had returned the Dungeons and Dragons game as well as the blankets used for Eleven's fort. Lucas and Dustin had gone to see family out of town, but would be back on Friday. They planned a campaign that would be their first since Will returned. Mike had also put the fort back up immediately. Will was spending the day at the Wheelers because Joyce and Jonathan were working double shifts for the holiday pay. It would help them catch up on their expenses and save for Christmas. Mike was dreading the visit from his tactless uncle Jack Wheeler and Uncle Jack's family. He was glad to have Will there for company.

Around 11 am, Mrs. Wheeler came down into the basement to give Will cough syrup, which made him drowsy. Mike got up for a bathroom break about twenty minute after Will took his medicine. By the time he got back, Will had dozed off. He'd been exhausted all week, even falling asleep in class a couple of times. The teachers cut him some slack, but some of the other students didn't, much to the anger of Mike, Lucas, and Dustin.

Mike grabbed one of the blankets out of Eleven's fort and draped over Will, who appeared to be shivering in his sleep. Mike got an idea. He tiptoed upstairs. When he got to the kitchen, he poured a glass of apple juice for Will. His mother was preparing the gravy and Nancy was helping. She seemed to be desperate to keep herself occupied. Uncle Jack wasn't there yet, but Mike knew he was on his way. Mike's cousins Shelly and Abe would likely try to come down to the basement. They had seen the story of Will's disappearance on TV and probably wouldn't have the nicest things to say about it. Mike certainly wasn't in the mood to have Will go through that.

"Hey, Mom?"

"What is it, Mike?"

"Will's really tired. He's actually asleep right now. Is it okay If I keep the basement door locked. I don't want Uncle Jack or Shelly or Abe bothering him. They'll probably ask about when he got lost and I know he doesn't feel like talking about it."

"That's probably a good idea," said Nancy. Mike felt grateful to his sister. "You know how they are. Will's in no condition to deal with them."

"Believe me, I know," said Karen. "Don't worry, Mike. We'll make sure no one goes into the basement."

"Thanks, Mom. Can we eat dinner down there?"

"Michael, it's Thanksgiving. Don't push it. We're all eating together."

Mike quietly groaned, grabbed the glass of apple juice and headed back downstairs. Will was still sleeping when he got there. Mike set the apple juice next to his friend on the coffee table. Will still seemed to be shivering intermittently. Mike grabbed a heating pad out the the closet, plugged it in and put it under the blanket. He then grabbed his supercom and sat in the blanket fort.

"Hey, it's me again. It's day 12. Will's here. He's still not feeling well. I think I'll punch my uncle and cousins in their faces if they say anything rude later. Nancy'll probably do the same if they say anything about Barb. Anyway, I hope you're okay and I really wish you were here."

Will moaned on the couch. "Mike?" Will looked a little disoriented. He blinked, looked over at Mike sitting in the fort, then abruptly sat up and ran to the bathroom. Mike heard retching sounds coming through the door. He stood, walked over and knocked.

"Will are you okay?" Silence. Mike hear the sink for a few seconds, then Will opened the door. His face was flushed.

"Sorry. I'm not a great house guest," Will said sheepishly as his eyes dropped to the floor.

"There's no reason to be sorry," said Mike as he put his arm around Will's shoulders and lead him back to the couch. "You're alive and safe. You could puke all over me, and I'd still be grateful for that." Will gave a small laugh.

"Hopefully, I don't get sick at dinner. Your mom's been really nice to me and I'd hate to repay her that way."

Mike handed Will the glass of apple juice, which will eagerly took and drank. "If you do, it'll at least give me an excuse to get away from my cousins."

Mike's supercom made a crackling noise. He held his breath, but nothing else happened.

"Are you okay, Mike?" asked Will, his brow furrowed in worry.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"That's actually making me worry more," said Will. Mike looked at him carefully.

"I know it's stupid, but I've been trying to contact Eleven."

Will nodded. He took another sip of his apple juice and stared at the fort for a few seconds, then shook his head.

"It's not stupid," he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"It's not?" Mike asked in surprise.

"No. If she is alive, she's probably out there alone. She probably can't answer you because of the bad men, but it'll help her to know you're trying to contact her."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yeah, it made all the difference to me when I was in the upside down. I at least know my mom was still looking."

"I think that's the first time I've heard you say anything about being in the Upside Down," said Mike. Will tensed up. "Sorry, didn't mean to bring it up, but I'll listen if you ever want to talk about it."

"It's okay," said Will. "I just...I don't know-have to keep reminding myself that I'm not there anymore."

Conversation at dinner was dominated by by Mike's least favorite people at the table. Nancy would occasional inject to steer the conversation in a different direction if anyone asked about Will or Barb. It didn't work for the entire dinner though.

Uncle Jack noted that Will was barely touching his dinner. Will squirmed uncomfortably in his chair at the unwanted attention.

"He just got out of the hospital a few days ago and he hasn't been feeling well," said Mike angrily.

"Michael, your mother worked very hard on this dinner and there are children starving all over the world. Your friend should show some appreciation." said Uncle Jack.

"Don't pretend to care about my mom's hard work or starving children. You'll only embarrass yourself, you ass!" said Mike.

"Language!" said Ted.

"See, Ted," said Uncle Jack. "This is what happens when you let your son hang out with a kid from a bad family. His mother should be spending the Holiday with him, but work is obviously more important to her."

"Jack, that's enough," said Karen. Mike glanced at Will, who stared at his plate, tears started to prick his eyes.

"Karen, what I'm saying is true. The kid got lost because his mother is irresponsible."

"Yeah, how dumb do you have to be to get lost in the woods of Hawkins for a week," said Shelly.

"Super dumb," said Abe.

"SHUT UP!" Mike shouted as he jumped from his seat. "Will's mom is a much better parent than you or Aunt Claire would ever be. She found him when everyone was telling her he was dead. And Will's a million times smarter that your idiot kids."

"Michael, sit down. We're trying to have a nice family dinner," said Ted. Mike really couldn't handle his father's obliviousness any more.

"Will is my family. And I'm not going to sit here quietly while your douchebag brother and his douchebag offspring treat him like garbage!"

"Language!" said Ted.

"I'm done eating, how about you?"

Will just silently nodded. Mike grabbed his and Will's plate and took them to the kitchen sink. He and Will headed up to his room where Mike locked the door. Will perched on Mike's bed and stared at nothing, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Mike was about to go over to Will when Ted knocked on the door. His mother had probably insisted he talk to Mike. "Michael, I think you should apologize to your Uncle and cousins."

"They should apologize to Will," Mike called through the door. "Go away, Dad!"

"We're going to watch the game. If you want to act like an adult and talk to your uncle and cousins, we'll be in the living room."

Mike rolled his eyes. He walked over to Will, sat down and pulled him into a tight hug. Will sobbed into Mike's should and Mike rubbed circles on his back. "I'm so sorry, Will."

"My mom works really hard. She wanted to spend the day with me and Jonathan, but she has so many bills to pay."

"I know," said Mike. "Don't listen to them. You mom is awesome."

Nancy shortly followed Mike in locking herself in her room when her uncle and cousins started making comments about Barb. If she had stayed, she likely would have punched them all in the face. There was the notion that kids should respect their elders, but nothing about adults earning that respect. Nancy put her head in her hands and started to sob. She wanted to check on Mike and Will, but decided to wait until she could pull herself to get that.

The phone rang and Nancy heard her mother yelling down the stairs asking her father to get it because she was putting Holly down for her nap. No response. Nancy decided to help her mother and answered the phone.

"Nancy? Hey, it's me," said Steve. Nancy thought about telling him that it wasn't a good time, but decided that talking to someone might make her feel better.

"Hey, how's your Thanksgiving been?"

"About as good as it can been when your relatives are a bunch of grade A assholes," said Steve. Nancy chuckled.

"Same here."

"You're family isn't that bad, is it?" asked Steve.

"You haven't met my Uncle Jack and his kids."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Well, they managed to be assholes about Barb and Will. Mike and I have locked ourselves in our rooms. Will is really upset and trying to hide it."

"Need to get out of there? The bowling alley is open today. We could take the kids. It's right near Melvald's and the theater. We could take Will to visit his mom and Jonathan."

Nancy thought about it for a moment. She had told Steve that she needed space and he'd been respectful of it. Going bowling with him wouldn't give him the wrong idea if Mike and Will were there. He was just trying to do something nice. "Can I call you back in a couple minutes? I'll ask the boys."

"Sure."

Mike sat on the bed holding his friend in a tight embrace, finding himself crying in frustration as well.

"Sorry about ruining your Thanksgiving," said Will.

"What?" said and astonished Mike. "You haven't ruined anything. It's my stupid relatives."

"I haven't exactly been fun lately."

"So what? Neither have I. I feel like throwing something every time my parents call Eleven 'that Russian girl."

"I think my mom does too."

"Yeah, Eleven said your mom was really nice to her and I'd say El is a much better judge of character than my stupid uncle."

"I'm just sorry if I lose it at some random point. I have no idea how I'm going to feel or react about anything at any time," said Will as he stared at his hands.

"Neither do I, to be honest," said Mike. "But again, you're alive and here and that's all I care about."

Mike thought for a second. "Tell you what, I'll put up with your mood swings if you put up with mine. Deal?"

Will looked up at Mike and gave a tiny smile. "Deal." He loosened up and allowed his head to droop onto Mike's shoulder. They both seemed to feel a little better, but hadn't stopped crying.

There was a soft knock on the door that seemed to strike a nerve with Mike. "GO AWAY!" he shouted startling Will. "Sorry," he said as he pulled his friend back into a hug.

"Mike, it's me," said Nancy through the door. Mike took a deep breath, gave Will a squeeze on his shoulder. He stood up, wiped his eyes with his sleeve and unlocked his door to face Nancy. "Hey are you two okay?" Mike shrugged. Nancy glanced behind him to Will and decided that Steve's suggestion was a good idea. "You guys wanna get out of here?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Melvalds wasn't too busy, just a few people picking up last minute Thanksgiving supplies. Joyce was mostly alone in the store. Around two in the afternoon, she was paid a visit by the manager of the Radio Shack next door: Bob Newby. He brought her a turkey sandwich for lunch. He was getting the store ready for the Black Friday sale. They sat and talked at they ate their lunch and talked. Joyce knew that Bob had been one of the search party volunteers when Will went missing and he was just a nice person. Joyce liked talking to him. It turns out that Hopper was planning on visiting Joyce. When he saw her talking to Bob and apparently enjoying herself, he decided to leave some food in the woods for Eleven.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jim Hopper had been putting food out in the woods for Eleven to find since the day after he brought Will Byers back from the Upside Down. It wasn't until a few days before Christmas that the food started disappearing. It gave him a bit of hope. He'd been feeling guilty about selling her out to Brenner, even if it was his only chance to save Will. When agents from the CIA told him that she may have survived (they'd seen footprints her size walking away from the portal in the main hallway of Hawkins Middle) he saw it as an opportunity to make things right. He had seen footprints in the snow leading away from the wooden box that had to be hers.

On Christmas Eve, his hopes were confirmed as a freezing Eleven approached him. She remembered him as the Chief who has punched the bad men. She was tired of hiding in the woods and being cold all the time. Maybe he could help her. Eleven has ridden in Hopper's car before, so she didn't need much convincing to get into it that night especially since the car was warm. He took her to his trailer, which he'd been putting a little more effort into keeping clean since Will's disappearance.

Hopper's trailer wasn't as nice as Mike's house, but it was warm. Eleven had been freezing for weeks. The weather had gotten extremely cold after Thanksgiving. The snow was unusually heavy for December. Eleven felt a thawing sensation up and her legs and in her hands as she warmed up. Hopper heated up some water for hot chocolate.

Hopper explained to Eleven that it wasn't safe for her to stay in his trailer too long as the bad men were still looking for her. Not to worry, though, he had a place for her to see and he'd take her there tomorrow. He gave her a blanket and pillow as she sat on the couch. When the water for the hot chocolate came to a boil, he got up and went to the kitchen. Eleven saw some drawings on the wall that reminded her of the ones she did at Hawkins Lab. She was tempted to get up and take a closer look, but the blanket and pillow were too comfortable after several weeks of sleeping on the cold ground. She did find the energy to sit up when Hopper came back with a mug of hot chocolate.

"Merry Christmas, kid," said Hopper as he sat down and handed Eleven her hot chocolate.

"Christmas?" asked Eleven.

"They really kept you isolated in that lab, didn't they? Christmas, it's a holiday where people give each other presents and try to do nice things. There's a lot to it really."

"Holiday?"

"A special day. How about this? We learn a new word every day?"

"Mike taught me new words," said Eleven.

"Yeah, if I can work something out with the new people at the lab, you'll see him again soon. We have to be careful for now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Over the next several months, Eleven became much better at finding Mike in her head. She has little else to do while Hopper was at work. There were time she was able to see what Will was doing with no effort. They were both having a difficult time. It made her eager to leave the cabin and help them. She knew that in Mike's case, he was upset because he was worried about her. Eleven told Hopper that she could help Mike if she could see him just once. Hopper would argue that if she left and the bad people caught her again, that would hurt Mike.

Eleven knew that Will was getting frustrated because he couldn't ride his bike to school or to the arcade with his friends like he used to. Dustin and Lucas also weren't talking to him when they were sad about something because they thought he already had to deal with so much. Many kids at school were also acting like mouth breathers towards Will. It made him hate being the center of attention for any reason; even when he and his friends won the science fair.

The boys all celebrated their 13th birthdays that winter. Eleven used the TV to see their big parties. From some of the TV shows she watched, she learned that birthdays were a big deal. Thirteen meant that they were teenagers. That was a really big deal. Eleven wished that she could be there with her friends, especially Mike.

When it was time for Will's birthday, he didn't want a party. His friends couldn't believe it and they tried to change his mind. They eventually talked him into dinner at a place with pizza and games a couple of towns away from Hawkins. He asked everyone not to sing Happy Birthday him, but they ended up doing it anyway. Eleven could feel that Will was upset, but he smiled anyway. Mike was upset that night too and was also trying to hide it. Will saw Mike crying in the bathroom, but didn't say anything until he called him on his supercom later that night to try to help him. Mike had been in such a bad mood that he snapped at Will for the first time ever saying that Will himself was a complete mess, how could he help Mike? Mike immediately regretted that, but Will turned off his supercom before Mike could apologize.

Will had been getting increasingly upset, but feeling guilty for being upset with his friends because they had always been there for him and had never stopped looking for him when he was trapped in the Upside Down. He was frustrated that while they were always there for him, they wouldn't let him be there for them. It made him feel isolated. Mike would at least confide in Will. This would at least make Will feel like he could still be helpful. Mike saying that Will was too much of a mess to help him that night had been the thing that had pushed Will over the edge, though he still tried to hide it. When Mike apologized to him the next day, Will merely shrugged. If they talked about things anymore, Will knew he would start crying. He didn't want to cry.

The next day, he refuse to go to the arcade with them.

"C'mon, it's Friday," said Dustin.

"Maybe you guys can afford to fall behind in your school work, but I can't!" Will snapped. Lucas and Dustin looked shocked, but Mike just looked sad.

On Saturday morning, Will slept until 10:30. When he woke up, he heard his friends in the kitchen with his mother and his brother talking about a surprise party they planned at Mike's house to help Will out of his rut. They had invited the kids who had gone to Will's funeral. This made Will even angrier. Why didn't they listen to him when he said he didn't want a party? Why couldn't they respect his wishes?

Will grabbed his sketchbook and climbed out of his bedroom window. He scribbled a note that said "Went for a walk, don't panic." It was a nice day and Will loved spring because everything was coming back to life. Eleven could see will walk deep into the woods, find a nice tree, take a seat and began drawing. He didn't go anywhere near the newly built Castle Byers because he knew that everyone would look there first. After about an hour, Will heard his mother, brother and friends calling for him. He snuck back to his house and worked on a story in his notebook.

Everyone came back. His mother hugged him and cried, but was upset with him for sneaking off. Dustin and Lucas tried to talk Will into going to Mike's house, but Will refused. They told him that people were there waiting for him, but Will retorted that he never asked them to throw a party and didn't want one. They said that they were worried about him. Will said that he was fine and just because he didn't want a party didn't mean that something was wrong with him. When they said that he didn't understand what it was like for them when they thought he was dead, Will really lost his temper.

"I don't understand? Well, while you guys were getting your kicks out of Jennifer Hayes crying at my funeral, I WAS STILL TRAPPED IN THE UPSIDE DOWN! ALONE!" Will ran down the hallway and slammed his door shut. Mike had been silent the whole time, feeling responsible for Will's current state of mind. He would say so to Eleven that night when he tried to contact her. A deflated Joyce asked Jonathan to take the boys home. Will did allow her to hold him as he sobbed when she went to check on him a few minutes later. Eleven found herself wishing she could talk to Joyce sometimes when she was sad. She knew Mrs. Byers would understand

Joyce took Sunday off work and Bob came over that afternoon. Will had opted not to go to Mike's for a campaign the boys had planned a week earlier. He just wanted some peace and quiet. His friends spent the afternoon staring at his empty chair. They wanted him to be happy again, but everything they tried to do seemed to make things worse.

Will sat on his porch swing drawing pictures. It was an unusually warm early spring day. Will liked the smell of the mud that was left as the ground thawed from a long winter. Bob came out and talked to him about random things. That small gesture made Will feel better. He liked Bob because Bob made his mom smile. He also treated Will like a normal person. Those two things meant a lot.

Will woke up feeling refreshed Monday morning until his friends cornered him in a classroom and tried to get him to talk about what was bothering him. This recharged the anger Will had felt the week before, especially when Dustin and Lucas grabbed his arms. Mike told them to let him go. Will angrily pulled out of their grasp, but lost his balance. He fell over and broke his social studies project.

Will asked Mr. Clarke he there was a room (other than the AV room) he could use to fix his project before he had to turn it in that afternoon. It was an excuse to not eat lunch with his friends. Jennifer Hayes and Julie Mason found him and joined him for lunch. They had both been at the surprise party Will had skipped. The three of them just talked about random things. It made Will feel better. He had lunch in the same place the next day, and the girls joined him again. Will knew that he was being unreasonable, but he just couldn't deal with his friends trying to make him talk.

Tuesday afternoon, he was going to the Wheelers' house because his mother and brother had to work late. It was the first time in his life that Will wasn't looking forward to going to Mike's. Mike met him at his locker and Will silently put his books into his backpack. The newspaper clipping of Will's return feel out of the locker. Someone had drawn over Will's face and wrote the word "freak" across it. Will froze for a moment. Mike gaped. Will angrily slammed his locker door and headed toward the school entrance. Mike ran after him.

"Will wait!"

"Jonathan's probably here. I don't want to make him late for work."

"Will, this has gone on long enough. You have to talk about what's bothering you."

"Why should I, Mike? No one ever talks to me when something's bothering them!"

Mike stopped for a brief moment, but ran to catch up with Will again. He knew at that moment that his snapping at Will five days earlier when Will was trying to help them had been the lightning rod. They were mostly silent as Jonathan drove them to Mike's house. When they got there, Mike suggested that go to the basement door. He knew that Will wasn't in the mood for his mother cheerfully asking them how their day was.

Mike went upstairs to grab some drinks and tell his mother that they were home. When he got back downstairs, Will was leaning against the wall, listening to his walkman and working on his Algebra. Mike decided to leave him alone until his finished that assignment. Mike pulled out his book to work on his own.

Mike finished his algebra in 45 minutes. He looked over to see Will already nearly finished with the assignment from Mr. Clarke. He really would remain silent until Jonathan came to pick him up if Mike let him. Will was getting very good at being stubborn. Mike took a deep breath, walked over to Will, knelt down beside him and put his hand on Will's arm. Will pulled away. Mike signed and pulled off Will's head phones.

"Hey!" Will protested angrily. He grabbed the headset back from Mike, but Mike grabbed his wrist. "Let me go, Mike!" Will hissed.

"No, we're going to talk!"

"Stop trying to make me talk when you won't even talk to me!"

"Look, what I say last week, I didn't mean it,"

Will scoffed. "Yeah, Mike; yeah you did."

"Ok, you're right. I did mean it. But only for second. I wanted to take it back right after I said it. I don't mean it anymore. I should have done a lot of things like stopping the others from singing happy birthday when you said you didn't want that. I shouldn't have tried to make you go to a surprise party when you told us you didn't want that. I should have done a lot of things, but I've been to wrapped up in my own crap. Crap, by the way, that you were just trying to help me deal with."

Will looked for a moment like he'd been getting ready for an angry retort. He just sighed, shook his head and wiped tears that streamed down his face. Mike put his hand on Will's should and Will didn't shrink away.

"I'm sorry I've been such and unreasonable jerk for the past few days."

"Hey, we've all been unreasonable jerks at some point and you've always put up with it. You're way over due to have your turn."

Mike pulled Will into a hug and Will leaned in to it. Eleven, who had been watching at that moment breathed a sigh of relief. If she couldn't be there with and for Mike and Will, it was important to her that they at least had each other.