I have a few stories started but this one would not leave me alone and has been hanging out since Season 4. I started this series at Season 2. My OC was part of the event of Season 1 but I was struggling with getting a good flow, so i decided to start in season 2 and do flashbacks to season 1. I have plans for this fic to go through season 4 and 5 once its released.

What you need to know is my OC (Veronica) escaped from Hawkins lab five years prior. She has the same abilities as El, however she was trained more aggressively as a "security" measure for subjects like El. Specifically, she was placed with El as her "guardian". When she escaped El was supposed to go with her, but something happened (the reason will become clear in season 4). In season 1, Veronica got stuck in the Upside down when trying to help Nancy when she went through.

This is unbeta'd and all errors are mine.

Will's disappearance and then reappearance shocked Hawkins. For a month after the destruction and mystery at the middle school and Wills sudden resurfacing, news outlets, papers, reports everyone wanted to know what happened. Then just like that, it became nothing more than the past and people moved on. Winter moved to spring and then summer. It was as if nothing happened, and only for a select few did the memories still linger.

The events had transformed everyone that was there that night and a secret bond was created, one that I wasn't sure any of us realize was there. Unfortunately that meant my once quiet, invisible life on the sidelines was turned on its head. Jim Hopper had made a promise to me after that night. He had let me remain in my small studio apartment behind the arcade with the understanding that he would be checking in regularly. Regularly being at the very least twice a week, but it always turned out to be three to four times. It was guilt driven, I was confident of that. He had let the lab remain open, despite my protest.

Joyce came around bringing food, and always had on a warm smile. It was easy to forget that she wasn't my family, she treated me like her own and it felt good, until I was reminded my own mother had given me to the lab just to be experimented on. I tried my best to not be bitter or resentful but it was hard, they weren't doing this for me, they were just doing it because they felt bad for me, and I hated the pity.

Steven had made dramatic changes. He and Nancy had gotten back together before Christmas, but he had dropped Tommy and his clingy gossiping girlfriend. They seemed happy, but even I could see a shadow over Nancy and the falter in her smile. I had recounted to her what I had seen in the Upside Down and although she nodded in understanding, having been there herself, I could see her anger with Barb's death. Will had come back, and we were all happy, but there was a survivor's guilt that hung between us. Steve turned out to be a genuinely nice guy, and eventually I found myself becoming friend with him.

It was a new experience, I was used to being alone, hidden, but now after everything all my secrets were out in the open, people knew who I was. Be it only a handful, but trust was hard for me, and I was now trusting a group of people with my secret about who I was and the lab. Where I thought I would be treated like another experiment, I was instead going to parties (even if I didn't want to go). Steve always seemed to stay within arm's length of me and was happy to drive me hope if it got to be too much. He had watched me jump through a hole in the Byers ceiling and take down a Demogorgon and then watched me go against the same Demogorgon in the middle school, and then watch as I broke down at the loss of El.

I was unsure how I felt about all of it, but I knew I had to keep my distance to a point. This war was far from over and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt the people that actually started to mean something to me. This was the reason I kept my distance, I didn't want to care, I didn't want to lose anyone else, and I didn't want to be the reason anyone got hurt, but whether I liked it or not our lives were all connected now.

The arcade was in loud and full as it was most evenings before the start of the week. I sat at the counter watching all the kids and listening to the chimes of the games. Four boys ran through the door, and I smiled as they went for the first game they could. After thirty minutes I started walking around the gaming area checking the machines.

"No! No! No! I hate this overpriced bullshit!" I heard Dustin yell frustrated before he smacked the machine. "Son of a bitch, piece of shit."

"Hey." I called smacking him on the back of his head, his hat falling forward. "Don't hit my machine!"

"Ow." Dustin rubbed his head while the other laughed. I walked away shaking my head going back to the register. It was only a few minutes later the four of them ran towards me. "Who is she?"

"Who's who?" I asked confused looking between Dustin and Lucas.

"Mad Max!" Dustin nearly shouted, and I turned to Mike raising an eyebrow.

"They beat his high score in Dig Dug and now he's freaking out." Mike explained.

"I just want to know who they are okay?"

"You'll have to ask Keith, I have no clue." I Shrugged.

"We did… he wants a date with Nancy." Mike rolled his eyes and wrinkled my nose.

"That's gross." I commented. The others seemed to lose interest and move back to the game while Mike hung back. "How you doing kid?"

"Good…" he nodded and I scowled.

"You still calling her?" I asked referring to El. I knew he had been pretty upset after the events at the middle school last year and losing Eleven. He had told me he was calling her and hoping she would respond, and I just didn't have the heart to tell him she wouldn't call back.

"I just… I just keep thinking that maybe she's out there." Mike answered his features falling. "I don't want her to think I've forgotten."

"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner that day Mike." I sighed guilt overwhelming me. If I had come through the opening at the school, or if I had immediately gone to the school instead of the Byers. I had been working through all the 'if' scenarios that could have changed everything, but it wouldn't do any good now, which only made the guilt worse.

"I'm not." Mike shook his head and I scowled. "If you hadn't been at Jonathan's my sister and him might not have made it. You saved them." All I could do was shake my head and avert my eyes to the ground. "I miss her Roni." He whispered and when I looked up I could make out the small well of water in his eyes. He quickly turned and used his sleeve to wipe his eyes.

"Me to." I replied giving him a sad smile before my eyes followed Will as he walked outside. "Hey, is he alright?"

"What's he doing?" he questioned starting to walk towards the door. Walking around the counter I followed him out the door. Will was looking up at the sky almost in a trance and I scowled looking behind me to see if anyone else was watching.

"Will!" Mike called almost shocking him from whatever had his attention. He turned towards us shaky. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just…" Will trailed off looking back towards the sky before finishing his response. "I needed some air."

"Come on your up on Dig Dug," Mike encouraged and slowly Will walked towards us. Holding the door open I let them past me, "Lets beat that high score." I turned back towards the dark parking lot and up at the sky where Will had been staring.

"I don't need a ride every day." I crossed my arms in the front see of Jim's truck. He had stopped by this morning as a weekly 'check in'. He told me it was concern but all I saw was a gesture out of guilt. Jim hadn't even known who I was before everything and now he was acting like I was his responsibility.

"It's on my way, plus it gives us time to talk." He shrugged and I rolled my eyes.

"Talk about what?" I mumbled. "Your not responsible for me, its not like you are under any obligation to pretend to care."

"Hey." He said firmly as he parked his truck at the police station, turning in his seat to face me. "No one is pretending here Roni…" he started to say but the knock on his window interrupted him as a man eagerly waved at him.

"Whatever." I whispered opening the door to leave.

"Hey, we aren't done here!"

"I am." I replied nodding to the man still waiting for Jim to get out of the car. "Plus it looks like you have more pressing matters."

"Roni!" he called as I shut the door and start walking around the vehicle in the direction of the school. I heard his door open, "Veronica wait." I stopped at the back of the truck and turned raising an eyebrow.

"Good morning Jim!" the man said.

"Get away from me." Jim said but the man was persistent and stepped in front of him.

"Jim. Hold on a second. We need to talk." The man said and I took the opportunity to start walking down the road refusing to look and see if Jim noticed I had left.

After all the craziness from the past year it was nice to get back into a normal routine once Junior Year started again. Books in one hand, backpack over the other shoulder I made my way up to the high school and through the parking lot, my eye falling on a familiar burgundy BMW parked in the lot. I was unsure about Steve and Nancy, from what I observed before everything Nancy was trying to be what Steve wanted and now it seemed to have switched.

"Roni!" I heard my name behind me and I turned to see Jonathan walking up to me. "Did you walk all the way here? I could have picked you up." That was a routine concern for everyone. My lack of regard for my own well-being seemed to bring out the mother hen in everyone, especially now that they knew who I was.

"Just from the station." I stated. "Hopper stopped by for breakfast." I said making the quotation gestures with my fingers on the word "breakfast".

"He's just worried."

"Not sure why." I rolled my eyes. "Not like he knew who I was a year ago."

"Roni…" shook my head to cut him off turning at the sound of a loud engine pulling through the parking lot.

"Who the hell is that?" I asked. The blue Camaro rolled to a stop and the passenger quickly left. I had seen her at the Arcade recently but wasn't sure who she was yet, and she absolutely didn't fit with driver. The driver stepped out in a leather jacket and boots. Looking around the blonde had got the attention of everyone, more so the women and he knew it as he slammed his door smirking.

Jonathan and I walked towards the school, making a point to avoid the new comer, who just oozed 'too cool for school'. As we passed the BMW I caught Jonathan glance back towards the occupants of the vehicle and just shook my head.

"Still hung up on Nancy?" I asked shaking my head.

"What… no… that's not…"

"Relax," I laughed, "you know you could just talk to her."

"There is nothing to talk about, plus she's with Steve and he's actually decent now so…" he denied, "Plus what about you and Steve."

"What about me and Steve?"

"You two seem pretty close lately." He responded and I stopped in the middle of the hall.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I scowled. Sure Steve had come around a few times since the incident last year but it was nothing to go home about.

"Please, the guy is always watching you, like you're going to disappear."

"He did watch El disappear with me last year." I rolled my eyes making my way to my locker. "There is nothing there I promise, I don't have time, nor do I want anything like that with anyone let alone Steve." Thankfully he dropped to conversation after that point, and we went on our way to classes. The headache I had been sporting since talking with Jim this morning had gotten worse by lunch and made focusing hard. I kept finding my mind wandering back to the event from a year ago.

I had followed the monster to the Byers home, or its equivalent in the Upside Down. I could hear muffled voice and yelling as the monster disappeared through a whole it created in the ceiling. I had been stuck in the dark, musty, horror scene of a world for at least a day and in that time, I was able to make contact with Eleven from her place at the middle school. Will had done a good job hiding, which was great for keeping hidden but made it hard for me to locate him for Joyce.

Hopper had told El to have me stay put at Castle Byers until he could come for me, but I had never been one to follow orders of authoritative figures. Its probably why Dr. Brenner didn't like me and subjected me to 'training' more than the other subjects. I heard the yell from the Demogorgon first and ran through the woods.

I wasn't sure what had happened on the other side but all I could focus was getting through the hole in the ceiling. Moving quickly, I grabbed a chair from the kitchen and dragged it below the hole. Standing on it, I jumped grabbing the edge of the slowly closing portal. Using whatever strength, I had left I lifted myself up and through the hole. The reverse happened as I came back to our world, pulling myself through the hole I kicked my legs under me landing in the living room. Standing the room was flashing as the monster advanced on Steve who was swinging a nailed bat into the beast. The Demogorgon raised its clawed hand but I had my own raised towards him. Teeth barred I pushed all my strength out towards it.

I hadn't practiced my abilities in years, not unless I needed them, but in this moment its like no time had passed. Brenner had made me to be a weapon for him, to protect subjects like Eleven, I hated it, not the protecting El part, but being a weapon, something someone could use against others. But in this moment, I didn't care. Closing my eyes, I clenched my fist the image of the monster flashed behind my eye lids, and I could feel the tether I had on it stop the monster in its track. As it cried in rage my eyes opened and I flung it backwards past me and into the wall at the far end of the living room. I didn't bother to look at Steve or Nancy I turned just as the monster got up and started to charge at me. Bracing myself I held out both my hands in front of me stopping the Demogorgon in its tracks. Its face opened up and cried again. I could feel the strength of the monster push against my invisible wall, my lack of training and practice became evident as the beast started to move forward pushing me further back, my feet sliding on the floor.

"Son of a Bitch" I cursed, already feeling blood drip from my nose.

"Throw it over here!" I heard someone yell and with another groan and gathered more strength and step forward pushing the monster back several feet allowing me time to look over my shoulder. Steve was at the entrance of the hall and dining room, bat in hand. He was looking down the hall and through the flashing lights I could barely make out a bear trap at the end of it. With another slide of my foot, I clenched my teeth gathering the strength I had left, wrapping it around the Demogorgon and pulling it through the room towards the hall. With a final yell it flew through the room and landed next to Steve who proceeded to slam the bat into its head forcing it to move backwards through the hall.

Falling to my knees, I was exhausted and out of breath and through blurred vision I watched as the creature was snared in the trap, Jonathan threw his lighter, and the hallway went up in flames. The light immediately stop flickering. Leaning forward on hands I took a deep breath before standing on shaky legs. Slowly I made my way over to where they huddled as Jonathan put out the fire with the extinguisher. Leaning on the wall, I closed my eyes and coughed turning my head away as smoke billowed around us and the fire went out. Head on the wall I listen as they slowly walked towards the trap they had laid.

"Where'd it go?" Nancy whispered standing closed to Steve.

"No, it has to be dead." I heard Jonathan mumble, and as the cloud and smoke cleared, it was apparent the trap was empty. "It has to be." In the place the monster should have been, was dark blood and a closed trap. It had been injured and retreated, but I couldn't focus on that I needed to get to El.

"Harrington, I need your keys." I finally spoke and all three turned to look at me as I pushed myself off the wall and held out my hand.

"What?"

"I need your keys." I stated again. Sighing I pointed to the closed rip in the ceiling of the living room. "When I was… look I don't have time to explain but the lab, um… the scientist are looking for El and headed to the school."

"Okay…" Steve hesitated, placing the bat on his shoulder. Looking to Nancy he started moving towards the door. "Let's go."

"What?"

"We'll stay here in case it comes back." Nancy nodded as I slowly followed Steve out the door looking over my shoulder unsure.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Like hell I'm letting you drive my car." He stated and I rolled my eyes moving to the passenger seat. "Plus, you are in no condition to drive."

"Whatever, just hurry." I said as he peeled out of the gravel lot and down the road. "Are you… are you okay… Roni?"

"Hmmm." I had zoned out watching the trees and fences pass by. Turning I scowled confused at Steve's question and he pointed to my ear. "Huh..?" I questioned lifting my hand to my ear feeling blood drying below my ear lobe. "Shit, yeah its just … a side effect of … you know."

"Right." He nodded as if he wasn't internally freaking out. "Holy…"

"Shit." I cursed leaning forward in the car and watching the lights flicker through the school as we pulled in. "Stop the car!" the moment the car was close to stopping I had the door open, ignoring his yelling at me to stop. Running through the door the lights were strobing around us and as I went further through the halls, I found the massacre of bodies. The Demogorgon was brought here because of the blood. Forcing myself to push on, ignoring the lifeless bodies I could hear screams a few rooms down.

Heart pounding, I ran to the doorway only to see a large opening in the front of the room and El standing in front of it, yelling at a disappearing Demogorgon.

"El." I said out of breath before yelling it. Taking a step forward an arm came around my waist pulling me back and I fought weakly, trying to move forward. With little energy left my legs gave out and the arm pulled me to the floor with it as I cried out. I heard my name whispered in my ear as tears streamed down my face my head falling back onto Steve's shoulder.

"Roni…" "Roni…"

"Roni…" I looked up and was met with Steve's concerned eyes. We were still in the lunchroom and as I looked around Nancy and Jonathan were talking beside us. "You, okay?"

"Huh… Oh yeah, just zoned out for a second." I shook my head giving him a half-hearted smile. I see he didn't buy it but I wasn't sure what else he wanted me to say. "I'm have to go set up the Chem lab, I'll see you guys later." I said addressing Nancy and Jonathan who both nodded. As I walked through the lunchroom, the boy from the parking log caught my eye sitting at a table with Tommy. As I passed by, he looked up and gave me a smirk. With a silent groan, I just rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Roni." I heard my name called behind me, but I kept moving. "Veronica!" Steve was behind me and his hand was on my shoulder stopping me in the middle of the hall. Looking at my shoes, I turned towards him and he quickly took his hands and put them in his pockets. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Steve…" I sighed finally looking up at him.

"Look, if you're not that's okay, it's just… you know you can talk to me right?" he asked.

"I'm fine…"

"Still having nightmare?" he interrupted and I scowled up at him.

"I had nightmares before last year, nothing's changed." I sighed leaning back on the lockers behind me. "You don't have to do this you know."

"Do what?"

"This… I don't expect you to check up on me just because of what happened last year you know. I appreciate it but there is no obligation or anything, you don't owe me anything."

"Whoa." He state his voice slightly irritated. "I didn't come out here because I felt like I had to, I wanted to okay."

"Why?"

"I don't know," he shrugged running his hand through his hair. "I just… you're not alone and just want to make sure you know that I guess."

"Okay." I shook my head a small smile on my lips before I pushed off the lockers. "I really do have to prep the lab, you should go back before someone misses you."

"You're gonna go to Tina's party tomorrow right?" he asked and I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out before I could stop it. "What?"

"When have you ever seen me at a party?" I asked raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"It'll be fun."

"I seriously doubt that." I rolled my eyes.

"Just think about it. Maybe it would be good to just let loose." He shrugged.

"Sure, I'll think about it Harrington." I said turning and talking back down the hall. The idea of going to a house full of drunk teenagers held little appeal. The rest of my day was quiet, and I was able to leave the school without having to convince Jonathon or Steve I didn't need a ride and I was fine with walking. I made my way to the arcade for my shift and got there just as the Camaro pulled in. I inwardly groaned as I watched the red head get out and flip the driver off as he pulled out. As he passed me he slowed down until he was beside me.

"Hey, you go to Hawkins High right?" he asked leaning out the window.

"Figured that out all on your own did you?" I asked raising an eyebrow unimpressed.

"I have my moment." He shrugged unfazed. "Names Billy Hargrove."

"Does this usually work?" I asked arms crossed. "This…. The car, the hair, the 'too cool for school' attitude? Tell me how many girls have you hit on since you arrived today?"

"Only looking at one right now." He smirked.

"Oh well…" I gave an over dramatic gasp holding my chest before laughing. "Get over yourself Hargrove. I'm not interested."

"We'll see about that." He said revving his engine. "See you around Veronica."

"Hey wait…" I said as he pulled away loudly. "how the hell do you know my name?" I finished my question to just myself before turning towards the arcade only to watch Dustin and Lucas walk through the doors. Dropping my bags off behind the counter I rounded the corner of one of the tables shaking my head at the two boys. I followed where they were looking and saw the red head that got out of Billy's car.

"This could be considered stalking you know." I said slapping my hand above them holding back a giggle as they both jumped.

"Jesus…" Dustin stated as Lucas stared at me wide eyed.

"What are you guys doing hiding over here like weirdos?" I asked leaning on the wall. "Where are the other two today… or did they not agree with following around a girl?"

"Mike has family dinner thing and Will… its testing day." Lucas answered looking away from me. I pursed my lips. I was not a fan of the lab, they all knew that, but the fact that Will was still being taken back there only added fuel to my hatred, one Hopper and I had argued about continuously.

"Well…" I cleared my throat looking back at the girl playing at the arcade. "You two could go talk to her."

"And say what?" Dustin asked

"I don't know, we've been following you and want to know if you will join our nerdy quests…"

"Ha Ha…" Dustin rolled his eyes and I just laughed.

"Look, I don't care what you do, but stop sneaking around… its bad for business." I waved them off as I went back to my spot at the register.

Hope this is okay and isnt a crap shoot.

I am always look for suggestions, and i love kudos and comments :)

Chapter 2 will be posted soon hopefully.