A/N: It's time for Chapter four that I hope you will come to adore!

They all tried to sleep in as long as possible but all of them seemed to be too hung up on Vecna. Max was glad that they had managed to convince their parents to let them stay away because she wasn't sure how she would have survived the night without the others.

Throughout the night they all woke up at least once to a nightmare. It seemed like they all had a magical sense for when one of the others had a nightmare because within a minute of someone waking up another person was up with them- woken from their own nightmare or not.

While Max was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to rest, the night was long and she couldn't shove down the fear crawling up her back at the thought of Vecna. She felt that at any moment Vecna would take over her mind and this time actually get around to snapping her bones.

A few hours after laying down the sun was already rising up into the sky and by that point they had all seemed to give up on the idea of getting any sleep.

While Nancy, Robin, and Steve made a simple breakfast with bread, jelly, and a random assortment of fruits; the others and herself left the trailer to set up a spot to eat outside.

After some bickering they finally decided to set it up at a spot that sat close to the cabin. Max helped Erica set up a blanket on the ground while the boys continued their bickering. The bickering would have annoyed her on any other day but something about the fact that they were alive to bicker, that she was alive to hear them bicker, made her enjoy it.

Once the blanket was spread out the four of them sat down to wait. Before long the older three members found them and handed out the food.

Max tried to eat the food but found herself feeling sick as soon as it touched her mouth. No matter how hard she tried to distract herself, her mind kept thinking of Vecna. Her limbs were still sore from the tug-a-war game Vecna and Eleven had over them which did not help to get him out of her mind. So she found herself staring emptily at the bread, trying to focus on the weird mix of jelly that was slashed across it.

When she finally took the effort to look up at the others she noticed that she didn't seem to be the only one who was having trouble eating. In fact it seemed that all of them didn't feel like eating; each only having taken a bite or two taken from the bread.

It was Dustin who decided to break the silence, "So... who's ready to start cleaning."

They all hurriedly agreed; everyone of them eagerly standing up and walking towards the cabin. They proceeded to start picking up loose items and sorting them off to the side into piles. Once they were positive that no belongings would be any further damaged, they started picking up the knocked down furniture to it's former design.

After the furniture was in place they started cleaning up any glass and unsalvageable items that littered the home. They would slow down every couple of hours and play some of the undamaged games that were laying around for another couple of hours. The group would also try their luck with eating and sleeping properly but the success rates were low. Their process of work and then games and then work again continued for the next two days.

By the time the second day had rolled around the house looked inhabitable again. The furniture was set up and the books and nick knacks placed on their proper shelfs. They were all surprised that the furniture pnly had a few scrapes and such from the fight. Steve and Robin made a quick trip to the formers home being extra careful to not be spotted. They were able to get the proper materials to at least cover the gaping wholes that ate at the cabin.

Right as the evening was rolling around and the gang started to prepare for lunch, Max heard a noise in the bushes and reached for the rock beside her. The others noticed her alertness and pulled out their own unique weapons.

They all stood still, letting the silence flood their ears. Within a few more seconds the first person walked out. It was a guy she didn't recall knowing. He had long brown hair and a bright yellow shirt and hat that said surfer boys pizza on it.

A few seconds after he walked out from the bushes, another person walked out and then another and then another and then one more. It took her about two seconds to comprehend who she was seeing before she dropped her makeshift weapon and sprinted towards them.

It was Jonathan, Will, and El. They all looked about as exhausted as she felt if not more.

Will, Mike, and Eleven met her in the middle in a giant hug. She felt arms wrap around them from behind and assumed it was Lucas, Dustin and maybe even Erica who joined the hug.

Max could hear Eleven chanting over and over again saying something about Max being alive. None of them seemed to want to let go of each other. She felt a few tears roll down her face and heard Eleven also crying. Max knew Eleven couldn't be the only one she heard crying because Eleven's tears were dripping down the back of her shirt as someone was crying against her arm from the front.

After a few more minutes of staying in their embrace they let go at the insistence of Nancy. The rest of them greeted each other- mostly with small hugs, before seemingly agreeing to go inside the cabin.

Directly behind her she heard Eleven let out a wet gasp at the cabin being some what fixed.

Once they all made it inside they spread out on the living room floor. They all found comfortable positions- well as comfortable as they could get with their injuries. Max found herself sitting with Lucas to her right and Eleven to her left. Next to Lucas was Erica, then Dustin, then Steve, and then Robin. On the left of Eleven was of course Mike, and then Will, and then Jonathan.

Nancy and Argyle were up preparing the food and drinks to pass out for dinner. The California gang had also brought pizza from a place called Surfer Boys Pizza that Argyle worked at so the two were separating that out.

Everyone who was currently seated chose to stay in silence- apparently all deciding that it would be better till they were all sitting to share their tales.

Max personally chose to stay snuggled against Lucas while keeping her eyes focused on Eleven as the girl snuggled into her own boyfriend.

"Pineapple!" Nancy's voice shouted from the kitchen interrupting their agreed upon peace.

"Yeah- It's totally awesome my dude. You got to try it." Argyle's voice replied.

Max didn't seem to be the only one distracted with the argument- everyone else had turned their gaze toward the kitchen as well.

Max was surprised when it was Eleven who spoke up about the argument.

"You should try it! It's good!" Eleven said while deeply nodding her head with a gleam in her eye.

"No! Don't let her trick you! Pineapple does not belong on pizza!" Mike said back.

Max felt laughter starting to burst from inside her. Looking around everyone's faces were a mix of confusion and amusement.

"You gotta try before you deny." Argyle said coming out of the kitchen with his arms full of a stack of pizza boxes and paper plates laying on the top.

"No! I'm not trying it!" Mike shouted choosing to cross his arms over his chest.

It was clearly an argument they had before- whatever it was they were actually arguing about. Luckily Max didn't seem to be the only one confused on the topic.

"What do you mean pineapple on pizza?" Erica asked for them all.

The only people who seemed to understand what they were talking about continued to argue on the topic instead of answering.

Luckily Jonathan came to their rescue and explained, "Argyle puts pineapple on his pizza. He managed to get Eleven to try it and she fell in love with it. Mike on the other hand has been stubbornly set on not trying it.

"Yeah- because it's pizza! Who puts fruit on pizza!?" Mike said.

"I do!" Eleven replied.

"Yeah, one time!"

"Well now I will forever!"

The two continued to argue on, officially dropping Argyle from the debate. He seemed okay with it and used his new freedom to pass out plates and help serve the food. He tried to get everyone he could to try his pizza, practically forcing the slices on people. Max herself agreed to have half her pizza with pineapple and the other half without.

Eventually the couples argument died out and they all started eating their food.

It was Robin who brought up the topic they all seemed to be purposefully avoiding- "So are we gonna talk about it or ignore it?"

"Maybe we should wait till after we eat. I don't think I would be able to eat while talking about it." Nancy suggested.

Everyone especially herself were quick to chime in their agreement. Instead they decided to talk about what they had been doing for the past several months.

While some of the topics were still hard to talk about such as her avoiding her friends or El's apparent bullies that she had been lying about, they managed. It was easy to conclude that for the most part everyone had been struggling it their own ways the past few months apart.

Max found herself opening up about the guilt of Billy's death and how sorry she was for ditching everyone. They were all quick to say she shouldn't be sorry and that they understood that she was struggling. Then they quickly added in that she should not do it again, in which she gladly promised.

Eleven on the other hand seemed to want to stay silent. Almost seeming to talk like she did when they first met, maybe even as bad as she did when she first met the boys- all choppy and without emotion.

El struggled to explain in as little words as possible how she had been lying in their conversations and that she wasn't fitting in at all. Max was sad to admit to herself that it wasn't that much of a surprise, people were cruel to others who were different and thanks to El spending the majority of her life in a a lab as an experiment she was really different.

Eventually the California boys jumped it to help Eleven explain her struggles, even Mike who hadn't been there chimed in with details. They talked vaguely about the worst bully named Angela whom they seemed to be avoiding going into detail about. When Max questioned their obvious hesitation they told her that they should probably wait to go into detail till later when they talk about "the other stuff", which totally wasn't worrying to her at all.

Once they finished eating they agreed to take a slight brake before telling their stories. Eleven went to her old room and told Mike she needed a "minute alone" when he tired following. Max decided to help the other girls search for any hot chocolate and tea that might have been left in the destruction to serve during the discussion.

In the end it was Dustin who found it after he joined their search claiming he bet he would be able to find it. His victory was short lived when Steve pointed out the Dustin was the one to put it away while cleaning in the first place.

As soon as they started boiling the water they heard a car pulling up close to the cabin outside. It was followed by the noise of people making their way up to the cabin. Steve ushered them to hide in the kitchen while he grabbed his nail bat. Max watched from behind the table as Steve hid behind the door ready to attack anyone who might show up to hurt them as Jonathan started unlocking the door.

He swung the door open and what Max saw not only caused her to leave her hiding spot but to be in total shock. It wasn't the first figure nor the second who surprised her but the third. Behind Mrs. Byers and Murray was Hopper who was supposed to be dead.

Apparently it wasn't just her seeing things again since she heard the others let out large gasps of surprise. She heard Lucas mutter out a "H-how?" and the other agreeing with him.

After the shock started wearing off they were quick to notice the beaten up shape the adults were in and pull them inside. The younger Byers hugged their mom while Murray made himself comfortable on the couch. Everyone continued to stare shockingly at Hopper before Mike reacted.

"El's in her room." Mike said while grabbing Hoppers arm and leading the man towards the door. "She's missed you a lot."

Hopper only nodded before taking a deep breath and entering the room. For a few minutes Max listened to Mrs. Byers fret over everyone while trying to ignore the mix of sad and happy sobs that came from her friends room.

By the rime Mrs. Byers made it over to Max, Hopper and Eleven came out of the room with matching smiles and wet faces.

It was Jonathan who finally gave his mom a somewhat satisfying answer, "I know you probably have lots of questions mom and so do we. We were about to sit down with some hot drinks and catch each other up."

"I bet we're all curios to hear about Hopper and I know you guys are curios to hear what happened to us- in fact we're curious too. Mike, Eleven, Will, Jonathan, and Argyle just came into town a few short hours ago and we have yet to explain to each other what has been happening." Nancy clarified.

"Yeah, maybe you guys can explain your story first?" Mike said seeming to voice the opinion of all the other younger people.

Max agreed it would probably be smart to have the older people explain their story first. It would give herself and the others a stronger sense bravery to open up. Plus it would end their curiosity about what happened to Hopper.

The adults shared matching glances seemingly more interested in what happened in Hawkins but gave in and started telling their story.

A/N: They are finally all reunited! Next chapter will be the last one and I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Hope you enjoyed! Thank You so much for reading! Thank you to everyone who liked and/or commented on this, it means a lot! Till next chapter!