Of all the thoughts that circled around in Julie's mind that morning, the most prominent was: Jim Hopper had a habit of running late.

It wasn't a big deal, really, but every minute that passed made her extremely aware that this situation was awkward. Why she ran to him after finding out he was local, she had to do some soul searching. Was it because she was attracted to him and those two nights they spent together all that time ago hooked her in? She decided that no, that wasn't the case – she simply had no one else to go to and so she figured he was a good bet.

But her mind still raced. After this was all said and done, when she found that empty lab, what would she do next? With no one to chase down, no other investigations, no job, no family…

Jim's memories had connected things for her – cleared up some gray areas. However, she was still convinced that this wasn't over. She couldn't go back home – if there were still employees out there they'd find her fast. But staying in this crappy motel room wasn't an option either.

Someone pulled up outside of the motel and a car horn sounded twice. Glancing out the window, she saw Jim's truck. Such a gentleman. She took a deep breath before walking out the door.

Jim couldn't help but notice how she dressed. Now that she wasn't forced to borrow clothes from Jim's friend's girlfriends or wear what she had on from the lab, Jim liked how she dressed. He wondered if they were from her suitcase from home – wherever she called home – Mississippi, was it?

"Hi," she greeted as she got in his truck.

"Hey," he nodded before throwing it into gear and peeling out of the parking lot.

It felt strange having her in the passenger seat once again. It felt like a decade ago that he was crossing state lines to get her home, when it was – what – two, three years? It was a strange feeling, really, having another encounter with her. Weren't people typically expected to catch up after a few years? Had they really even known each other before? To Hopper, this felt like the strangest hookup run-in he'd ever had.

Yet it wasn't awful.

Unless she brought those fuckers back to Hawkins…

"Thank you for taking me," she finally spoke. Her voice was soft as she stared out the window in fear of making eye contact with him.

He grunted. "You really wanna do this?"

"No," she answered immediately. He glanced at her and she returned the gaze just to break it once again. "But I have to. I need…closure, almost, I think?"

Jim nodded and she was comforted by the understanding. "Makes sense."

"You don't have to do this; I can go myself. I didn't want to take you away from work."

He glanced at her again, "You really wanna go alone?" Julie remained silent. "Look, I didn't bring anything to get in, say those doors are bolted, okay? Trust me when I tell ya: a walk around outside will prove it to you." A few minutes passed in silence and Julie stared out at the trees blurring by. She wondered if these were the woods she got lost in on her escape. "This place was heavily guarded."

Her big doe eyes took him in as he pulled down the drive that led to the lab. As it came into view, he slowed the truck and watched her reaction. Her chest rose and fell quickly as her breathing hitched.

"Jim…" she spoke in a warning tone, pulling her legs up to the seat with her eyes wide. "Jim!"

He glanced back at the empty parking lot, wondering if he missed something. What did she see?

"Hey, hey!" he threw the truck in park, attempted to calm her sudden thrashing. As she tried to get away her nails dug into his wrist and he pulled away sharply. "Jesus! Stop!" With a touch he felt a shock; a vision of a full parking lot coming into his mind, then the view from a balcony. He blinked and it was gone. "Julie, calm down!" he held her shoulders now. "It's okay! No one's here."

Her breathing slowed as she slowly opened her eyes, noting the abandoned lot. She'd thought this was it: figured she'd been right yesterday: that Jim was working for them, he was taking her back. But the lot was empty and nothing looked the way it had when she'd escaped; no lights on, no guards, no cars…

Jim was telling the truth.

"I'm sorry," she choked out, hanging her head. "I thought I saw…"

Jim was still getting used to this new ability: that she could transfer memories with her touch – what the Hell?!

"I…saw it. You-" He didn't have the words. Shared it? He sighed. "Julie, you gotta believe me." She said nothing. "Let's walk." He gave her a second and then shut off the car, stepping out.

Julie was tentative as she walked alongside Jim. He took her to the entryway, stayed back a bit so she didn't feel cornered as she ran a hand along the bolts on the doors. Jim's memories were screaming in her ears: something about hideous dog creatures and a monster underground. She didn't want to know. Not now.

Her chest felt tight as she lifted her hands to peer into the darkened room. She half expected to see Martin Brenner peering back at her, but nothing inside moved. The view down the main hall brought memories flooding back to her in waves:

She remembered sitting staring at the plate before her. "This is what you requested, correct?" Brenner spoke finally. She nodded. "Good."

What was the catch, she wondered. Yet of course she ate it, practically moaning at the taste. Brenner didn't leave. The whole situation seemed foreign to her. He hadn't paid her a visit since she'd been brought back, when she'd demanded he tell her his name so she knew who to curse.

When she finished eating, Brenner called someone in to take the plate. He returned to the chair, sitting simply, looking relaxed. He was staring at her, hands pressed together in front of his mouth like a prayer. Julie looked directly at him.

"What are you thinking, I wonder."

Julie answered instantly. "Wondering if I could overpower you. How many guards are positioned outside that door?"

Brenner blinked slowly, a soft smile coming to his lips. "I've missed that spark." He rested his hands on his lap. "You're unhappy here."

"You think?"

He hesitated. "We're going to start doing things differently. Would you like that?"

"I'd like for you to let me go."

Brenner shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't do that yet."

He was probably giving her false hope, but she clung to that word – 'yet'. If she obliged, would they let her go? Her perspective changed.

"So, what, I bitch about wanting a burger and fries, you bring it for me? What do I owe you in return?"

Brenner pursed his lips. "We want to push your powers – see what else you're capable of."

"There's something else," she sensed it. "Tell me."

He nodded solemnly then spoke loudly. "Bring it in."

A man pushed a cart into the room. He nodded at her, "Seventeen," he'd said it in almost a greeting. He picked up a strange contraption – pressing a button to make it buzz. Julie glanced over at Brenner who slowly stood, grabbing her left wrist and pulling it behind her back as he took a seat behind her.

"This will only hurt for a moment, little bird. And then things change," he hummed into her ear.

The other man grabbed her right arm, stamping something on her skin. She saw "017" then realized what the buzzing thing was. Pulling back, she felt her heartrate increase.

"No, stop. Don't," she begged. The man started tattooing, a stinging pain coursing through her arm. "You bastard," she cussed at Brenner.

He looked genuinely pained at her retort. "I assure you this, Julie, I'm only doing this to keep it consistent."

"Consistent!?"

He nodded. "The others have one too."

Others? Julie wanted to vomit.

"You alright?" Jim called from behind her and she pulled away from the window quickly, trying to shake the feeling of the memory. She nodded at him but he wasn't convinced. "This is too much. Let's go."

As they walked back to the truck, Julie saw the balcony out of the corner of her eye, but she jogged closer to Jim, pushing those memories away. She wasn't ready to go there yet; she couldn't let those thoughts consume her, not now.

They got in the truck and Jim just sat there a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"I'm sorry," Julie spoke quietly.

"Sorry?" Jim repeated. "What the Hell do you have to be sorry for?" she remained silent. Jim tried to get rid of the gruff edge to his tone. "Okay, so what now?" Julie just looked at him blankly. "You're just gonna stay in that shitty motel and…and?"

She hadn't really thought that far ahead; being so convinced that something was going to turn up when they arrived: that some creature would pop out of the lab or some Suit would take her away again. Yet there she was, back in the truck with the man who'd crossed state lines to get her home. Where was 'home' now, she wondered.

"I'm not really sure, Jim. I…I really have nowhere to go so," she shrugged. "I guess I can go anywhere." She paused. "There was another…experiment I met in Chicago…I could always…" she trailed off.

Jim focused his eyes on her. All the responsibility he had at the moment: Jane, the department, the paperwork piled on his desk…he wondered what it would be like to feel that sense of freedom. Yet, he wondered if she felt free at all. He knew that he was always looking over his shoulder; constantly convinced that someone was going to come for Jane. He imagined Julie felt similarly. What was freedom when the government had you kidnapped and tested on?

Hopper sighed heavily. "I'll see what I can do."

A look of confusion crossed her face. "What? You mean stay?"

Jim stared back at her, jaw clenching and unclenching as he contemplated if he really wanted to say what he was about to say, but she probably already read it from him.

"There's someone else," he spoke apprehensively. "Eleven."

It struck her then, what Kali was talking about: "She left in the middle of a shit storm. Said she was going home to her police officer."

Hopper didn't need her powers to know the look of recognition on her face. He cringed. Was he doing the right thing?

"You know where she is," Julie spoke.

"Uhhh…"

"Is she safe?"

This stopped Jim right in his tracks. "Yes."

Julie sat back in the seat, look contemplative. Jim was blocking her, being guarded for a good reason. She didn't want to push and make that skin contact to read him. She trusted that whatever happened was the right thing. She let out a sigh.

"If she's here, she could use protection – another pair of eyes on her. I understand if you still don't trust me, but I need to know if she's got this…this feeling too." Jim looked at her. "That things aren't over…I can't shake the thought."

Hopper wanted to vomit.