Wherever You Will Go

If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go
And maybe, I'll find out
A way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you through the darkest of your days
If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all
Then I hope there's someone out there who can bring me back to you

. .

"Okay, so tell us again what happened?"

Billy sighs and paces the living room of Nathan Lewis' house. Nathan is standing opposite him, hope blooming in his chest as Eleven watches with wide eyes.

"For the third time, I was driving down some backwoods road when the headlights on my car started flickering and my engine started acting up. I pulled over, got out, and the lights flickered again. I didn't think too much about it, but then I heard her call my name."

"Dani. You heard Dani."

"Yes." Billy grits his teeth. He knows better than to lash out at Nathan, so he takes a deep, calming breath. He's not angry at the man, he's just.. he wants Dani home as soon as possible and the more he has to go over this story, the more time they're wasting. "She appeared in the middle of the road and she told me she wanted to come home, and then she- she disappeared."

Nathan shakily exhales and glances at Eleven. "Can you.. can you try now?"

She nods. "I can try."

Eleven gets up and disappears upstairs, she coming back down with a boombox and blindfold in hand. She puts on the radio and quickly flips it to a station that's nothing but static, and then ties the blindfold around her eyes. Taking a seat on the recliner, she leans back and relaxes her entire body.

Billy and Nathan watch on with bated breath, and the seconds quickly turn into minutes. The minutes seem to drag and just when the hope starts to dwindle.. Eleven breathes out one word that has them tensing. "Dani."

Blood starts to trickle down from her left nostril, but by now Billy knows the drill and knows not to panic.

"Found her."

Nathan chokes on a sob and Billy subconsciously reaches up to grip the back of Nathan's neck to squeeze in comfort. "Is she- is she okay?"

"..Dad?" The voice most definitely comes from the radio filled with static, and both Billy and Nathan glance at it in awe. "M'tired, dad."

Falling to his knees, Nathan settles in front of the boombox. "Baby, can you hear me? Come home. Dani, come home. Please."

"Cold," Eleven says. "Too much blood."

"Home?"

"Yes, home. Come home," Nathan urges.

"Can't."

"That's bullshit!" Billy finally snaps, glaring at the boombox. "I saw you. You were here and then you were gone. Do it again, Dani. Do it one more time and come home to us."

"M'tired. Miss you.."

Eleven suddenly gasps and she yanks off the blindfold. Nathan sags when the connection breaks and he hides his face in the palms of his hands as he quietly cries.

Billy grimaces, but turns his attention to Eleven. "What happened?"

"Couldn't.. couldn't hold connection," she pants. "Dani's stuck."

"Stuck?"

"Yes. She's weak.. and confused?" Her brow furrows a little.

"But she's okay?" Billy asks. Eleven doesn't answer and her averted gaze answers his questions. "Shit." She sniffles and Billy pinches the bridge of his nose as his eyes close. Then gathering himself, he asks, "How bad is she?"

"Bad."

Nathan's cries get a little bit louder and Billy fists his hands at his side. "But she's alive."

It's not a question, but Eleven still answers. "Yes."

"Then she'll come back. Dani's a fighter," Billy says, mostly to himself, but loud enough for Eleven and Nathan to hear. "She'll come home. She has to."


Nathan opts to keep the news about Dani just between himself, Billy, and Eleven. He also makes Billy stay the night when he sees the newest additions of bruises to Billy's body and though Billy wants nothing more than to argue, he doesn't. Eleven is hoping to be able to reach Dani again to keep an eye on her and Billy sticks around because he wants the play by play.

A week in and everyone but the core three are losing hope of Dani ever returning. They know better, but Nathan still doesn't want to let anyone know in case the worse possible outcome comes to fruition. So while Eleven keeps an eye on Dani on the down low and Billy tries to keep somewhat busy by going back to work at the local pool, Nathan throws himself into getting Eleven ready for the public eye.

Eleven is going to need an education if she wishes to have any sort of life as an adult, so he gives her two options- she can either be home schooled or have a private tutor catch her up to speed so she can attend public school with those her age. She's ecstatic to have the option and chooses public school with her friends. Nathan tells her that it won't be easy and she'll have to spend the rest of her summer learning without the distraction of her friends, and she readily agrees. She wants public school with Mike, Dustin, Max, and Lucas.

Later that day, after the excitement of filling in her friends on her summer plans, Eleven decides to reach out to Dani once again. Nathan and Billy are both at work, and she has just enough peace and quiet to really concentrate on where she needs to be.

Sitting on the floor of her room with the curtains closed and her radio on static, Eleven wraps a blindfold around her eyes. She inhales and exhales deeply, and soon finds herself wandering the Void.

All around is nothing but black and a few inches of water at her feet. Eleven walks around, watching as images of scenery swirl in a mist before disappearing all together. "Dani?" She calls out, voice echoing. More images swirl before a figure in the distance, curled up on the ground, comes into focus and stays. Eleven's eyes widen. "Dani!" And she takes off in a sprint.

Eleven falls to her knees by the shivering figure, her hands gently grasping Dani by the shoulder to turn her on her back.

"Wake up, Dani. Come on." She taps Dani's cheeks, lightly shaking the girl. "Wake up. Please." She sniffles.

Dani's eyes flutter open and she swallows passed the dryness of her mouth. "E-El?"

"Yes! Yes," she cries. "It's me. I'm here. Are you okay?"

"M'tired."

"I know, I know." Eleven helps Dani sit up and Dani blinks away the sleep in her eyes. "You need to come home, Dani. Now."

"M'trying."

"Try harder," Eleven pleads. "Your dad misses you. And Billy. And everyone else. Please come home."

"..I'll try."

Dani's eyes droop shut and moments later she vanishes in a swirl of mist. Eleven's eyes widen, but she quickly pulls herself out of the Void and ends up back in her room. Heaving slightly, she hopes that Dani disappearing in the Void means what she thinks it means.

With a smile, she pulls herself up and goes to wait by the phone. Dani's coming home. She just knows it.

- X -

Groaning, Dani curls in on herself tighter and squeezes her eyes shut against the blinding light. The surface beneath her is no longer flat, wet, and cold, but rather hard, bumpy, and.. hot?

Eyes then fluttering open, Dani nearly cries in relief at the sight of sun filtering in through the trees. She attempts to sit up, but everything hurts from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes. Her chest, especially, is killing her. So giving herself a couple of minutes to regulate her breathing and calm her mind, Dani rolls over amidst the protest of every muscle in her body. She continues to blink through the too bright day and pushes herself up onto her knees. Whimpering in pain, she glances down and gulps at the sight of her blood soaked clothing.

"W-Where..?"

The most Dani can comprehend is that she's somewhere in the woods. It looks both familiar and unfamiliar to her, and it isn't until she turns around that she does start to cry. She knows exactly where she's at.

Climbing to her feet, Dani cries as she limps towards the Hawkins Police Station. She'd somehow found herself behind the building, so it's a bit of a walk around to the front doors. Pushing herself faster, her hands shake and she bloodies the glass door as she practically falls inside the air conditioned building.

Dirtied, bloodied, and absolutely exhausted.. Dani then immediately collapses right there in the front lobby. Flo, the front secretary, yelps at the sight.

"Nathan! Nathan, get in here. Quick!" Since she's a little too old to get on her knees, Flo hovers nearby as she stares down at the disoriented girl. "Dani, can you hear me?"

Dani mumbles right before her eyes roll into the back of her head.

"Dani..? Dani!" Nathan rushes in, falling to knees and picking up the upper half of his daughter's torso. Tears immediately fall and he cradles her. "Somebody get an ambulance here. Now!"

- X -

Billy bursts into the hospital like the hounds of hell are on his heels, still in the community pool's standard uniform of a tank top and red shorts. He had went back to work the previous day, but since he was still on the mend they had put him to work behind the desk for the time being. But a single call from Eleven had him hurriedly clocking out with a shouted excuse about a family emergency towards his co-worker, and jumping into his Camaro before speeding away.

Eleven is waiting for him just down the hall next to the receptionist's desk, and instead of asking for a room number and being denied because he's not family, he makes a beeline for her. No words are spoken as she takes his hand in hers, he squeezing tight as he lets her lead him down various hallways to the room he so desperately needs to get to.

But before they can enter, however, he freezes with his hand on the door knob. "How is she?" He asks with a gulp.

"Alive, but she.. she lost a lot of blood." She quietly tells him.

Billy exhales shakily before entering the room and his gaze immediately drawn to the person laid up in bed. It's Dani alright, but she's extremely pale and it seems she has bruises around her eyes. There's an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth, various wires disappearing underneath the standard issued hospital gown, and an IV taped down into the back of her right hand and another in the crook of her arm.

"She's going to be okay." The rough voice startles Billy and he quickly blinks back the tears that had blurred his vision. Sniffling, he quickly wipes a hand down his face to rid himself of any traces. Sitting next to Dani's bed and grasping her left hand between his own is Nathan who looks as if he's been put through the ringer. "She's exhausted and lost a lot of blood and even has a few fractured ribs, but other than that she's fine."

Billy nods as his expression briefly wavers. "Where did she pop up?"

"Behind the police station, I think. She stumbled into the front lobby and collapsed. Gave poor Florence the scare of her life with the way she looked." Pain ripples across his expression and Nathan shakily breathes in and out. "Take a seat. We have a long day ahead of us until she wakes up. If she wakes up today at all."

He hesitates briefly before Eleven nudges him forward, she finally letting go of his hand that he hadn't realized he'd been gripping onto for dear life. "I'm going to make a few calls," she quietly informs Nathan. "Let everyone know Dani's home."

Nathan nods. "Please let them know to not rush down here. Tell them to give us today. They can visit tomorrow."

"Okay."

As Eleven leaves, Billy stumbles forward and plops in the only other vacant seat. He scoots as close as he can to Dani's bed and reaches for her hand, but he stops himself before touching her and places his hands back in his lap. "So what's the story?" He asks, leaning back in his seat but never letting his gaze stray from Dani herself.

"The official story is that she was in the wrong place, wrong time," Nathan says. "Since it is known that Russian's were secretly working right under out noses at the mall, we're going with the story that Dani saw something she wasn't supposed and was taken because of it."

"And how are we explaining her reappearance?"

"She escaped her captors and got lost in the woods until she found herself behind the police station."

Billy nods. "And the real story?"

"I.. have no idea," he sighs. "She passed out almost as soon as she entered the station. We'll have to ask her when she wakes up."

Nathan and Billy fall quiet then, the two of them not being able to look away from Dani's fragile looking form. Every now and then she'll twitch in her sleep, but she never wakes up. And seeing her laid out and looking so vulnerable, it makes something in Billy ache. He likes this girl- really, really likes her- and he knows for a fact that she likes him back. He's never been invested in someone quite like he's been with Dani ever since she teased him with that damn bikini of hers, and he doesn't know how to feel about the feeling panic trying to claw it's way out of his chest.

A hand clamping down on his shoulder startles his from his thoughts and he glances up at Nathan. "Stay with her, will 'ya? I need go make a few calls of my own to take some time off of work."

"Yeah."

Nathan leaves and soon it's just Billy and Dani. He moves to take Nathan's seat and after a few long seconds he finally reaches for her hand. The moment her cold hand is grasped within his own warm one.. his bottom lip trembles and tears immediately spring up. His expression crumples as he attempts to keep the tears at bay, but he still feels a few slide free when he bows his head.

Sniffling loudly and shaking his head clear, Billy then resettles his gaze on Dani and he can feel slight anger simmering just below the surface. "When you wake up and get better I'm gonna kick your ass, Lewis." The machines continue to quietly beep around him and his jaw clenches. "I want to know what the hell you were thinking when you sent us all away and stayed behind with that thing."

Dani continues to sleep and his shoulders droop, the annoyance and anger fleeing him.

Lowering his voice and fighting off the wobble he can feel threatening to come loose in his voice, he says, "Please get better. I won't kick your ass. I promise. I just want you to wake up."

The machines to continue to beep, but Dani never wakes.


It takes two days.

Two days of feeding his dad excuses, two days of avoiding work and promising to pick up double shifts after Dani wakes up, and two days of glaring at every individual who keeps walking into Dani's room to visit the unconscious girl and interfering with his time to sit next to her bed.

The last visitor of the evening has just left when Nathan claims he needs to go home for a shower, and Billy settles in until Nathan gets back. He's got one of Max's comic books in hand, idly flipping through the pages when he hears a sigh.

Freezing and then glancing up, Billy watches with bated breath as Dani's eyelids flutter.

"D-Dani?" Her eyelids fly open before she closes them again, quietly groaning and slowly reaching up to shield her eyes. Billy is up and out of his chair in a heartbeat, he leaning over. "Dani."

"Shhh.."

Her admonishment startles a chuckle out of him, his lips stretching wide in a smile then. "Don't shush me, Lewis. You've scared at least ten years off my life and that of your dad's."

"D-Dad?" She opens her eyes once more, keeping them squinted against the too bright light of the room.

"He went home to shower. He'll be back soon." Dani frowns and then reaches up to pull the oxygen mask off her face. "Can I have.. water?"

"Yeah." Billy scrambles to pour her a cup, he then plopping a straw in it before moving back to the side of her bed. Dani shifts and then whimpers in pain, and he grimaces. "Fractured ribs," he tells her. "You have several, so take it easy."

Dani whimpers some more until she falls back flat on her bed and Billy grins as he angles the straw downward to her mouth. She takes a few draws of the cold liquid before waving him off. "Real?" She then asks.

It takes him a moment to realize what she's asking, and he quickly nods. "Real. I'm real and this place is real. You came back. You made it home, Dani."

Her expression crumples then and tears leak from the corners of her eyes. The machines connected to her start beeping a little more wildly and it isn't long until a nurse rushes in to see what the problem is. Upon seeing Dani awake, a doctor is called and Billy is instructed to wait outside while they run some tests.

He's still pacing outside Dani's room when Nathan returns and almost immediately Nathan thinks the worst. When Billy realizes it, he's quick to block Nathan's entrance with a shake of his head. "Hey, no, it's okay!" He assures him. "She's awake, but they needed to run some tests. We can go back in when they're done."

"A-Awake?" Nathan stills, stuttering. "She's awake?"

Billy flashes Nathan Lewis the brightest smile he can muster and he readily accepts the too tight hug Dani's father bestows upon him. "Yes, sir. She's awake."


Author's Note: As if I'd keep her away any longer. Haha. Bad news though, this story is close to wrapping up. I literally ran out of ideas so I'm going to try and tie up some loose ends.