An

So I just rewatched season 4 again and I need to write what happened in those two days! So much happened and yet we see nothing! How did Robin Nancy and Steve get out of the upside down? What about Eddie? How did Joyce and Hopper make it back and what happed to the Russians and Murry? What was the ride back to Hawkins like? So if you want fluff and angst here you are. Enjoy.

Aftermath

"Max, wake up! Stay with me!" El watched from a cold faraway place as Lucas screamed those words, burning tears falling down his cheeks matching her own as she looked down at Max. One of her best friends now so broken and in so much pain and all she could do was sit there and look on.

"Max please please wake up, please please, please." he was whispering now. His words echoed around her as a sob racked her body and all she wished in that moment was to be there with them to do something, anything.

"Max don't leave me," Lucas whispered, his tears dripping to the floor but Max's eyes closed, her breath stopping and in that moment a sound rang out.

Chime

Chime

Chime

Chim-

"No," El whispered, reaching out a hand to the friend that showed her a world so full of color, one so full of fun and what a best friend could be, with comics and a silly little game. A friend who made her own rules…. And she made her own rules now. She was done losing! She was done losing the people she loved in this world and she wouldn't lose someone else. She wouldn't! Couldn't! Letting out a breath she closed her eyes and reached out a hand.

"El!?"

"El wake up!"

"What do we do? She's bleeding so much" Will said from somewhere.

She felt someone grab her hand then and Mike's words found her.

"Guys she's freezing cold."

"Let's get her to the van and turn on the heat," Jonathan said.

Jonathan...Will…Mike they sounded worried… They sounded….scared. El opened her eyes to see Mike's blurry face looking down at her and Will was looking much the same as a door slammed behind them.

"El can you hear us?" Will asked.

"Y-yes," she said or more like tried to say. She hurt all over, and she was cold. So cold to the point her body was shivering.

"Argyle, turn the heat up," Jonathan said.

"Dude it's already as high as it will go."

"Let's get to a hotel," Mike said, "Get her into a warm bed or bath."

Without words the van started down the road at a speed Joyce wouldn't be happy with.

"M...Max, she-she…. Her words trailed off and her world started to go black at the edges.

"It's okay El you're going to be okay. You did it. You won," Mike said and before her world turned black again she felt his hand move her hair out of her face.

No, she thought, she hadn't won. But Her eyes closed a moment later and she fell into nothingness

Every once in a while she would come to, once as they were carrying her into a place that looked like a hallway and then again as someone placed her into a warm bed, and then once more hours later as someone got into the same bed their arms wrapping around her body, and at that moment she knew it was Mike. His warmth was always the same no matter where they were.

Finally, she awoke fully, opening her eyes to afternoon light coming from a window. Mike seemed to be sleeping still next to her. Looking around she found she was in a motel room, Another bed next to them was a sleeping Will and in an armchair lay Jonathan asleep.

There wasn't much to see, a TV in the corner of the room with one sad chair looking at it. A table next to it with a ashtray full of old ashes. And there on the other side of the room looked like a bathroom. Painfully, so painfully she pulled away from Mike and stood. For a moment the world tipped to the side and she had to catch herself on the side table to keep from falling. For a second she let herself simply breath as she held on before she regained her balance and started for the bathroom. As quiet as she could she flicked the lights on. She had to hold in her gasp as she saw herself for the first time in the mirror.

The girl that used to have long hair and slightly sun-kissed skin was long gone. The girl that looked back at her now was pale and covered in blood. She was still wearing that flower top and jeans. The top couldn't be saved with just how much blood was on it now, same with the top of the jeans. Someone had tried to clean the blood from her face but hadn't done a good job as it still caked under her nose, neck, and cheeks.

She swallowed and gently reached up to her face, to her own blood. Before she knew what she was doing she turned to the old shower stained with god only knew what and turned on the water in the shower. She didn't even let it get warm before she got in, clothing and all.

For a moment she just stood there watching the water turn pink, She wondered for a moment how much blood someone could lose and still stay standing? How much could a person fight until they fall?

As the water fell she let herself slide to the floor of the tub and let the new tears warm her cheeks. How had all this started? How did it all end like this?

"El?"

She turned and found Mike standing in the doorway. His eyes tired.

"Are you okay?" He asked, coming into the room, worry flashing across his face.

"I don't know."

Mike nodded and came over to her kneeling to be at eye level with her. "That's okay, after everything that's okay to not be….okay El."

She nodded and for a moment the room was quiet before he spoke again. "Did you hear what I said last night?" She watched him swallow and she could see he was nervous.

"Yes, it's what made me...made me fight harder. It made me understand something about my powers, to save..." She trailed off as what happened hit her.

"Max…" the words escaped her lips and she turned to Mike. "Mike… I didn't win."

"What do you mean?" He asked, not understanding.

"We need to get back to Hawkins." She stood then and jumped out of the tub but Mike caught her arm gently stopping her, his eyes filled with fear now. "El what happened last night? What happened with Max? "

She closed her eyes Max's body lay there motionless... what she had tried to do...had it worked?

"El you're awake," they both turned to see Will and Jonathan in the doorway looking tired.

"We need to get back to Hawkins," She said, her words coming out in a whisper as more tears found their way to her cheeks.

Jonathan and Will looked at her with tired eyes but his words were kind. "Yeah of course, but first we need to get you new clothing and-"

"No, we need to get back now, Hawkins… Max….Everyone...I- I didn't win, not really!" She said, her words almost a whisper.

"What do you mean?" Will asked fear creeping into his face too.

"I-" she started but suddenly the door opened and everyone turned to see Argyle coming into the room.

"My guys you need to see this, I was out in the van trying to calm myself now when I turned on the radio, and let's just say I'm not calm." They watched him go over to the TV and turn it on before he flipped to the news.

The room seemed to stand still as everyone looked at what had become of their home.

A woman stood with a microphone in hand as she pointed to something behind her and not a second later the camera panned over to a burning building.

Jonathan grabbed the remote and turned the volume up her voice filling the room.

"As you can see behind me the library of Hawkings is in flames as is so much of this small town after an earthquake rocked this town to the core like nothing we have seen before now. Firefighters are working day and night to get the fires under control. Many, are now homeless and even more still missing as we speak, here are just a few."

Suddenly the screen went black and people's faces started appearing. Face after face showed, young and old, middle-aged and teens all missing. Most likely dead.

"Oh my god," Will said from next to them and that seemed to snap everyone back to reality.

"I need to call Nancy," Jonathan said and went for the phone dialing a number and placing it to his ear.

"The power is out, I don't think you will be getting through," Argyle said.

He was right Jonathan slammed the phone back into the receiver moments later.

"What about everyone," Will said turning to look at them, "Dustin, Lucas, Max what -What if their missing too?"

"No!" Mike said, "No they're okay, they have to be okay, Nancy and Holly and everyone have to be okay!"

"What happened?" Will said turning on El, "What happened with Vecna?"

"Max -"

"She can tell us in the van," Jonathan said, grabbing the keys and throwing them to Argyle before he started for the door.

For a moment everyone stood frozen looking at the town they had called home burning away. Ash filling the air.

"What are we waiting for?" Jonathan asked, holding the door open, panic clear in his face matched only by worry. Will was the first to move and headed out the door alongside Argyle.

El felt hot tears burning at the back of her eyes but as Mike took her hand and pulled her towards the door she knew she couldn't cry. Not now.

Together they all walked out into the light of the day and towards that yellow van and as they piled in and she sat down next to Mike she knew only one thing as they pulled away. She had lost. Not only lost to Vecna. But maybe her home and friends too.

She felt something warm then and looked to her side to see Mike's hand reaching for her own.

She wrapped her fingers around his but she didn't feel the comfort she was used to, didn't feel his warmth as Argyle sped down a road in a blur back to a world they didn't know.

AN

Next chapter will be of Nancy, Rabin, Steve and Dustin and of course what happens to Eddie in the upside down. That should be out in a few days so be on the look out.