Well, it's been a little longer than anticipated, huh?
Am I the only one who feels like 20gayteen is just flying by? This is the final chapter for Saturday, we are nearing the end of the road guys! I've really been struggling to get this right, it's going great in my head but finding the words hasn't been easy. This really isn't my best work but I wanted to get something out. I haven't abandoned this! I have a sequel that I've worked wayyyyy to hard on to let this go
Anyway enjoy, thank you to everyone who has followed, and liked, and reviewed! it's such an amazing feeling to see that support
Yeah, I could chase you, we'd be up all night
Like the old days, yeah, we'd never had a fight
Still, I don't know, maybe that just goes to show
I don't know if you're just gonna go, you're just gonna leave
We're just living off pages, this book's for the ages
A rollercoaster like we said, hon
About you - G Flip
Hopper, Joyce, Mike, and Jonathan stayed in the shed with Will. Everyone else busied themselves inside and waited for news. Dustin sat on the couch where Will had been, watching the front yard as if his life depended on it. Lucas and Max were out of sight, while Nancy sat at the dining table, hands clasped before her. Allison and Daniel sat together in the same place Allison had been for the last hour.
Daniel had taken the place where her foot had rested and leaned against her chest, his breaths deep and even, she couldn't see his face to see if he had fallen asleep. Allison couldn't say she would blame him though, her eyes had drifted shut a few times and despite Steve's encouragement, she just couldn't sleep. Her gaze left her brother's sandy head and found Steve, only a few feet in front of her swinging his bat from side to side in preparation. The thing looked deadly, she supposed that was its purpose.
"Do you think he'll be okay?"
Allison turns to the soft voice of Dustin who watches her with worried eyes. Gesturing him over, she sits up slightly, so he can join her. He walks over dejectedly and allows her to wrap her spare arm around him gently. He rests his head on her shoulder, the brim of his hat brushing her cheek.
"I know that Joyce isn't gonna let anything happen to him, we're all gonna do our best, alright?" She answers, squeezing his arm in support. Dustin nods but stays beside Allison, resting his arms and head on the edge of the couch staring ahead at nothing, she can see his eyes growing heavy with each slow blink. It'd been a long day and she was sure no one would judge the two boys dozing while they could.
The brunette's gaze moved to the dining table where Nancy sat, she frowned. Her hands had remained clasped before her since they had taken Will to the garage. Nancy wore a heavy look as her gaze switched between watching the back door and inspecting her pale hands. The two girls still had not spoken leaving an uncomfortable pit in the older girl's stomach, she hated the thought of losing Nancy, her first friend in Hawkins. Gently setting her Brother down, Allison rises from her place on the sofa instantly drawing Steve's attention.
Resolved to set the record straight, Allison tested her weight on her injury happy to find the pain manageable. Her ankle felt and looked much better, she hated to admit it, but Steve's advice had been right. The look on his face telling her to sit back down was probably advice she should follow as well but she rebuffed his stern look with a quick shake of her head.
Allison clasped his arm as she walked past gingerly. He nodded in greeting, opening his mouth before frowning in confusion when she continued past him and joined Nancy at the table. Steve released a deep sigh as he watched the blue-eyed girl seat herself hesitantly across from his ex-girlfriend. The girl refused to look at Allison, her eyes never leaving her clasped hands on the old wood. It felt like hours of discomfort before she finally spoke, still refusing to meet the older girl's eyes. Steve winced in sympathy.
"Did you know?"
Gripping the table's edges tightly, Allison observed the girl trying to show her the honesty within her gaze. "Nancy, I didn't know anything until Friday, I swear. Dustin and Steve had to tell me after everything with Dart, if they didn't Daniel and I would be at home asleep and safe. I know we haven't known each other long but there is no one here I've been more honest with." Nancy stands from the table in frustration, pacing before the girl before leaning against the wall with a sigh. Allison noticed Lucas and Max sitting opposite each other in the hallway, both watching Allison inquisitively.
Hesitantly, Steve takes a seat beside Allison, facing a now alert Dustin and Daniel who talk amongst themselves quietly. Refusing to lift her gaze from Nancy, Allison continues to plead her case, "I've told you about my past, about Nicole. I don't share those things with just anyone. I need you to trust that if I had known about what was happening in that lab, I would have tried to stop it."
Finally, Nancy's dark eyes meet Allison's blue. The icy look within them only intensifies when their gazes lock. "You've told me about your past and I've told you about mine. Barb was my best friend and that lab, the one your Father works for, covered up her murder. You'll forgive me if I'm having a hard time believing anyone who's like remotely associated to that place." The younger teen pauses for a second, a finger on her chin before she powers on, "Honestly, how can I believe you? You had no idea that your Dad was an evil scientist who experimented on children, tried to murder all of us, lied about Will's disappearance, and covered up my best friend's death. Yeah right, gag me. You may have Steve fooled but you won't fool me, I'm not susceptible to the wiles of a pretty face."
"Steve isn't the only one who believes me." Allison says quietly, her eyes darting to the kids around her. Nancy follows her gaze to Dustin who nods in confirmation. "I understand what you're going through, If I were you I wouldn't believe me! This is all insane! But I thought you were my friend, and I thought we could move past this to work together and see the bigger picture." She continues, her voice gaining strength from the truth in her words.
Nancy scoffs, resuming her pacing. With a deep sigh the girl adjusts her coat before meeting Allison's eyes a final time, "Friends don't help murder and torture people." With that Nancy stomps to the front door yanking it open and closing it behind her.
Steve rises from his chair with a grimace gesturing toward the door. "Let me talk to her, go check on the shit-heads." He mumbles uncomfortably. Allison nods and heads towards Dustin and Daniel smiling sadly at Lucas and Max on the way through.
"You okay, Alli?" Max asks with a small frown.
Nodding, Allison leans against the wall with a sigh. "I'm okay, Max. I'm sorry you guys had to see us fight." She says sadly, eyes darting between the young redhead and Lucas. "I totally get it if you have reservations about Daniel and myself and what we knew about our Dad, but I promise you we both knew nothing."
Lucas raises his knees to his chest, fiddling with a thread on his dark pants before answering. "Do you know something now?" His dark eyes reached hers questioningly and she hesitated a moment before shaking her head.
"Nothing that's helpful, unfortunately." Allison said carefully, "Just know that Daniel is completely innocent, and I'm so thankful you have all made him one of your own, after all this is done you're all gonna need each other.
Lucas sighed, sharing a brief look with Max who nodded quickly. "We believe that you and Daniel didn't know." Allison smiled slightly, "And you don't need to worry about Daniel, Alli, he's a member of our party." Nodding, Allison backs away from the pair waving slightly. Of all the horrible things that had happened since the Edwards' had moved to Hawkins, Allison could never regret talking to those kids at the diner just a week ago.
Entering the lounge, Daniel and Dustin watch the shadow of Steve and Nancy in the front yard in confusion. "They've been standing like that for a few minutes." Dustin declares, frowning at the pair. Allison shoots them both a reassuring smile before resting on the couch opposite. She can see the two of them from the corner of her eye while her conversation with Nancy jets through her brain.
Allison didn't want to lose her friend, she had told Nancy the truth before; no one in Hawkins knew her like Nancy, she had revealed everything to her. She felt a bond to the younger girl, a comradery over shared stories and pain. The most frustrating part of their argument is that Allison understood, she sympathised with her friend, it's hard to trust people, it's impossible when you've been burned. With a sigh, Allison glanced out the window, hearing the loud whispers from the front yard. Steve stood before Nancy, his face in his hands while she points a finger at him and talks quickly.
"I get it, Steve I really do! She's gorgeous but I thought you were better than this. After everything we've been through in the last year, I thought you were smarter than this. Allison and her family are the enemy." Nancy whisper shouts, her hand flailing toward the house.
Steve rubs his forehead, his face turned toward the ground while he withstands Nancy's barrage. His hands find his hair before he replies quietly, "You have no idea what you're talking about, Nance."
"How long have you known her Dad works lab?"
"Does it matter? He just sacrificed himself to save everyone inside. Look," He sighed deeply, pointing toward himself in frustration. "I get that your worried and you don't trust her and Daniel but after everything that's happened in the last 24 hours I do trust her, and you can doubt my reasoning but just… trust me, Nance. I know things between us are messed up but that doesn't change me or us." Steve replies tentatively, "Trust that I would never risk you or those kids."
They stare at each other, Nancy with sorrow at the pain and desperation swimming in Steve's gaze. Eventually she nods, looking out toward the trees, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. Steve observes the girl before him sensing the obvious discomfort she feels in his presence once the argument fades. Just a few days ago they were inseparable and in love, in the case of one of them the love had faded; if it ever even existed.
The space between them was minimal, only one or two paces but Allison thought it may as well be the Mariana Trench. She could feel the sadness and awkwardness radiating off Steve from where she sat on the couch, it was clear to everyone except Nancy that he was still head over heels for the girl in front of him.
"Steve…"
The back door blows open, slamming loudly against the wall, Hopper, Joyce, Mike, and Jonathan bursting in out of breath and putting an end to a conversation Nancy had tried to start once already while they helped cover the walls in the shed. Steve jogged inside, equally relieved, and disappointed that the conversation had been interrupted again.
"What happened?" Dustin asks as Steve walks into the kitchen, everyone crowded around Hopper who sits at the table writing. Allison stands beside him, eyeing him questioningly. He nods, squeezing her upper arm gently before turning back to the commotion.
"I think he's talking, just not with words." Hopper replies, drawing a series of dashes and dots onto an old envelope. Everyone leans over watching intensely.
"Wait, what is that?" Steve queries bewildered as Hopper begins solving the riddle.
"Morse code," The room answers at once. They realise it spells 'Here' and the room jumps into motion, "Will's still in there." Hopper and Joyce share a look before heading back to the garage with Jonathan and Mike, who carry a walkie and a boombox. The rest gather around the table with a sheet of paper and a Morse code cheat sheet, waiting for the first beeps to come through.
It doesn't take long for the message to come through, Steve leaning next to Nancy with a frown as he reads the message with her, "Close gate." Allison worries her lip as she watches them share a brief look of confusion, Steve's hand finding the handle of his bat momentarily. The gate was at the lab, that much she was sure of, it was the void that her Father had stayed behind to protect. It meant they were going back. Allison had been planning to find her way back regardless, despite the horrible things she knew her Dad had been complicit in; leaving him wasn't an option. She resolved that finding him would benefit there new mission, he had obviously been working around the gate of awhile, maybe he knew how to close it.
A shrill ring echoed throughout the room, everyone jumping in alarm while Dustin shot to his feet to stop it ringing. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" He panics pulling the phone from the hook and slamming it back with a sigh. It rings again seconds later, Nancy pulling the mint phone off the wall with a grunt and slamming it on the floor.
"Do you think he heard that?" Max asks quietly, turning to Steve.
"It's just a phone, it could be anywhere, right?" He says, eyes darting between Allison who wraps an arm around her brother fearfully and Nancy, who frowns. The deep angry growls that permeate the air seconds later give them all the answer. They all turn toward the front door in fear, Allison still clutching Daniel. Steve comes up beside them, bat in hand.
"That's not good." Dustin breathes, refusing to move his eyes from the front of the house. Mike rushes in followed by Joyce and Jonathan who holds the tiny frame of Will in his arms. Mike gestures to his party and they all rush to the window trying to spot the Demodogs.
"Stay back, Allison. Your injured." Nancy orders, waving a hand toward the girl when she steps forward. Allison opens her mouth to argue but stops when Joyce grabs her shoulder and shakes her head.
"You need to stay back, Honey." She says in a hurried voice, Hopper storming in seconds later his hands filled with guns and shouting at the kids to get away from the windows. Allison's frightened gaze meets Steve's for only a second, but it holds so much emotion it almost halts her breath.
He turns toward the front door braced for a fight, his bat in position. He's scared, he can feel the fear coursing through his body, as he pushes Dustin back a bit into Allison's waiting arms. He needs to protect them, he glances back one more time finding his friend pulling the younger kids behind her, steel setting her eyes ablaze.
Nancy and Hopper hold the guns, Lucas, who is standing only a few steps from Allison has his wrist rocket, Max standing behind him unarmed. On her opposite side Joyce is being held by Jonathan who meets her eyes briefly and nods, she returns it. She knows they aren't okay but for now they have each other's back. Mike stands behind his sister, candle stick holder in hand.
Growls Allison was all too familiar with begin again filling the once silent room, everyone within following them with eyes and ears as they circle the house. Daniel grips Allison's hand tightly, "I won't let anything happen to you." She promises in a whisper, gripping back just as tight, her left hand holding onto Dustin's maroon hoodie in a vice grip.
"What are they doing?" Nancy gasps, following a loud snarl to the left of the house. The growls seem to shake the small house as they circle back to the front, everyone following with their weapons. The growls give way to a loud, unorthodox buzzing sound and then an inhuman whine before everything falls still.
Allison watches the window anxiously, waiting for something to break the stillness, she screams with the others when the dark body of a Demodog bursts into the house. It slams against the wall opposite before falling with a thud, unmoving. "Holy shit." Dustin says, removing Allison's hand from his sleeve and stepping toward the creature. Allison follows, stopping behind Steve, who has his bat raised in preparation of an attack.
"Is it dead?" Max asks tentatively, refusing to take her eyes of it. The Chief takes a deep breath before moving closer, moving its head with a gentle foot. The creature remains still but a creaking at the front door has everyone on alert again.
The old lock on the door clicks itself unlocked and the chain quickly follows suit. "Oh my God." Allison breathes, grabbing onto Daniel and pulling him behind her. The door creaks open and a tall girl walks through, her nose bleeding and black ringing her eyes. Everyone lowers their weapons in shock and suddenly it clicks who the angry looking girl is.
Mike steps forward in shock, tears in his eyes matching the girls. This was Eleven.
Hopper had taken Mike into another room after he revealed he had been hiding Eleven. Dustin and Lucas had moved in quickly to embrace their long-lost friend. Daniel stood beside a hesitant Max both looking intimidated for different reasons. Max was finally meeting the Mage, the girl whose ghost had kept her apart from the boys since she first met them, and she wanted Eleven to like her. Daniel was looking at the girl who his Father might have held captive and tortured. He couldn't know for sure, but he suspected his sister knew more than she was letting on when it came to their Dad, she lied and said she didn't see him at the lab earlier. Daniel thought Allison was a shit liar and had told her so on many occasions, he wondered why she felt the need to lie to him back at the lab.
Allison watched the girl from the corner with Steve, Jonathan, and Nancy feeling a terrible feeling punch through her stomach at the odd nature of the girl, who stuck her finger in Dustin's mouth, marvelling at his teeth. She didn't know how to interact with people, Dustin said she didn't know how to be a kid. That was the lab's fault; that was her Dad's fault. The hatred she felt for her Father in that moment was almost enough to make her abandon her plan to try and save him. He had assisted in stealing who knows how many children and testing them; torturing them, why should she risk her neck to save him?
Jonathan touched her shoulder tentatively and she jumped, her eyes snapping to his in surprise. His dark eyes assessed her in that way she had come to find specific to the younger teen and he squeezed lightly. "Are you okay?" He spoke quietly, Nancy stood beside him eyes measuring the pair questioningly. She assumed Jonathan distrusted Allison like she did. Nancy's eyes met Allison's for a second before the older brunette nodded, placing a hand over Jonathan's briefly before stepping away, bringing herself closer to Steve, who watched the moment unfold with a frown.
"I…" Allison stuttered, her eyes returning to Eleven who was currently embracing Joyce. They spoke quickly before the pair disappeared toward Will's room. "I'm struggling to look at that girl knowing what my own Father had a hand in doing. I-I-I wish I could have helped her… I wish I could have saved her." Allison whispered, watching after the girl in despair. Steve wraps an arm around her shoulders comfortingly and leads her away from Jonathan and Nancy who both watch her with puckered brows. Allison finds herself beside Max who looks forlornly at Lucas, Dustin, and Daniel who talk together quietly.
"She hates me, Alli." Max says quietly, her eyes never leaving the boys. "She hates me, the boys are never going to accept me now. I can't believe I thought they would want a Zoomer in their party: I'm so stupid." Max continues her hand running though her long hair in frustration.
"Hey, look Eleven has been through a lot and maybe she's just gonna need some time to get to know you. You are amazing MADMAX and those boys would be crazy not to make you their Zoomer. You are totally the coolest kid I've ever met, and my brother is that little wastoid cinephile over there." Allison grins cheekily, nudging the girl with her elbow. "You'll be fine, Kid, trust me."
Max looks up at the older girl and returns her grin, surprising Allison when she throws her arms around her briefly. "I do trust you, you know. You're cool." She finishes pulling away awkwardly and backing away toward the boys with a blush lighting her cheeks. Allison waves once at the girl before turning away and finding herself alone for the first time in a while. It's quiet but it doesn't last long as Joyce and Hopper start rushing around again, bringing Eleven to the kitchen table and making plans to close the gate.
In the blink of an eye Eleven has confirmed she can close the gate and Joyce and Jonathan have a plan to take Will to Hopper's to attempt to expel the Shadow Monsters control. Hopper is alone in the kitchen when Allison swoops in, a determined look on her face. The Chief watches her apprehensively already knowing he wasn't going to like where this conversation was headed.
"I want to go with you."
Hopper watched the young woman before him, her blue eyes refusing to leave his- hardened like steel. He knew it was coming, he had forced the kid to leave her Father in a lab crawling with possibly hundreds of those creatures. Whether she liked what he did or not they both knew she would go back for him. "Kid, I don't know if it's such a good idea," Hopper cautioned. Allison opened her mouth to argue but Hopper cut her off before she could make her case, "Look, I get that it's your Dad. Trust me, I get it, but we don't know what where walking into and I can't look after you and El."
"I didn't ask you to look out for me, Chief. I'm going back to the lab, so you can either take me or I'll find my own way. He's trapped in that hell-hole. Whether I agree with his choices or not, he's my Dad and I refuse to leave him there. Besides, there's a possibility he could help, we have to assume he has decent knowledge on the Upside Down, we could use that to our advantage." Allison bit out, she's gasping for air by the time she's finished. Her anger and fear fuelling her words. Her sharp gaze never left Hopper, her fists balled at her sides and her posture straight despite the protest from her sore ankle. She knew if Hopper didn't believe her resolution, she wasn't getting anywhere near that lab.
"What about your ankle? I wanted you to stay with Harrington and the Kids, keep 'em outta trouble." Hopper replies, sighing into his hand. Allison understood his hesitation, she was a minor, a wickedly injured one at that regardless of if she was resolute in not needing him to watch her back, he would.
"I'm fine, Chief. Look, all I'm asking for is a lift and then I can totally look after myself. You said that my Dad could do more where he was, well, then let's figure out a way to put that to use." Allison crosses her arms with a shrug before continuing in a persuasive tone, "Besides I imagine I'm going to be like the last thing the Demodogs will want to pay attention too, Eleven closing the gate is going to make you two a pretty enticing distraction."
The Chief frowns at the girl, she can see the acceptance creeping onto the Chief's face, he sighs once more before nodding his head. "Okay, you can come, go and do what you need to do, we leave in ten." He grumbled before side stepping her and heading down the hall to Will's room. He stops and turns to her, deep frown set on his brow, "Promise me you'll watch out for yourself?" He stopped beside Allison pointing a finger at her warningly, she nods, with that he stomps out the front door leaving a stunned teen behind him.
Allison breathed a deep sigh of relief before heading to the lounge to collect her bag. She stopped abruptly when Daniel, Dustin, Lucas, and Max stood before her, arms crossed and frowns lining their faces. "You're going back to the lab?" Dustin asks accusingly.
"Yeah, look, I need to make sure our Dad is okay." Allison's found her brother who stared back at her in betrayal, "I lied and I'm sorry. I saw Dad at the lab, I just didn't want to scare you and he told me to protect you, so I did. Daniel, I'm so sorry." Daniel's eyes fell to his shoes before he met his sisters broken gaze again.
"I know you lied, I knew the second you came into Will's room that you were lying. Was Dad okay?" Daniel says quietly, surprising everyone in the room. Allison nods, reaching a hand out to her Brother and clasping his outstretched hand.
"He was okay, I'm going with Eleven and the Chief to the lab. I'm going to find him." Dustin opened his mouth to argue, Allison raised a hand to silence him a sad smile on her face. "I know it's stupid and dangerous, but I don't have time to argue all the ways it is those things," Allison shook her head, stepping away from the four of them.
"Wait!" Daniel exclaimed, rushing from the room, and emerging with his backpack. "Take this with you, it's got the walkie in it and a few other things you might find useful. It's on the right channel, if you need us or Steve reach out." Allison accepted the bag, placing it by her feet and enveloping her Brother in a tight hug.
Sandy strands of hair tickled her nose, but she refused to pull away, squeezing until he begged her to stop. "Do what Steve says, all of you, you hear me? And please stay out of trouble." Daniel and the others nodded but made no promises, not that Allison expected them too. Max stepped up and threw her arms around the older girl's midsection before stepping back with a whispered good luck.
"Please be careful." She whispers again before joining the others, Allison nods with a reassuring smile.
Lucas did much the same, albeit more awkwardly before Dustin stepped forward, his hand lifting his hat, so he could push through his curls with a sigh. "You gonna behave yourself, Dweeb?" Allison joked, flicking the brim of his hat when he finally approached.
"Are you? Is this a good idea, separating from the party? We already did this today and it didn't really go well." Dustin asks accepting Allison's quick embrace. She chuckled at the younger kid, knowing he already had something extravagant planned.
"I'm gonna be fine, look, the way I see it, Eleven is going to be pulling the focus. I should be able to get in and out before any Demodog knows I'm there." Allison surmises, earning a thoughtful look from the pre-teens surrounding her. "Just, look after Harrington for me, yeah?" He nods before joining the others, Allison can see the wheels turning in his head as he stands beside a forlorn Daniel and Max.
Picking up her pack, Allison turned to the backdoor hoping to find Harrington before she has to motor. She waves once more at the kids and exits hoping they stay out of trouble. She spots Steve quickly once she's out in the crisp Fall night. He's passing a space heater to a dejected Nancy, a reassuring smile on his face.
"Steve…"
"It's okay Nance, really." He steps away from the confused girl, who opens her mouth to call him back before Allison cuts in,
"Harrington."
He turns toward her light voice, a frown forming on his brow when he takes in her backpack. "I'll see you later, Nance…" He says distractedly, heading toward the blue-eyed girl without a backward glance. The girl behind him watching on with a deep frown at being disregarded.
"Hey, what's going on?" He asks meeting her halfway, "We're on babysitting duty." Allison clasps her hands tightly, refusing to meet her friends eye when she tells him.
"I'm going to the lab with Eleven and Hopper."
"Yeah, that's funny." Steve grunts, running his hand through his hair and watching her with humour laced eyes, it quickly turns to disbelief when her gaze meets his and he sees her determination. "You can't be serious! Allison, you are going to get yourself killed! And that's not me doubting your ability to take care of yourself, that's the obvious outcome to trying to go against possibly hundreds of these freaking Demo-things."
"Demodogs," Allison corrects, feeling like Dustin for a moment. "I'll be okay, Hopper and Eleven are going to be at the gate so the attention won't be on me, I get in, find my Dad, see what he knows, and get out. Simple." She repeats, in her mind it was that simple, she really did expect not to encounter any trouble, Hopper and Eleven would be making too much noise for them to notice her. "Look, I just came to say goodbye and thank you for watching over Daniel, there is no one I trust more than you."
"This is insane, Alli, c'mon. Just stay here with me and Hopper will find your Dad." Steve panicked, looking over Allison's shoulder to try and spot Hopper, he hoped he could talk some sense into him.
"No."
"Fine, I'm coming with you."
"No way in Hell, Harrington." Allison sighed, grabbing Steve's hands within her own. "You don't need you risk yourself for me. Besides, you need to stay with Daniel and the others, they are going to get themselves in trouble and you might be the only one who can stop them." Steve stared at their joined hands, his face set in a frown. Allison could see how much this was bothering him and winced in sympathy, he was protective, and she was leaving his protection in favour of an admittedly stupid plan, again.
Pulling his hands from hers, they found their way back to his messy hair and he tugged the strands in frustration. "This is a mistake, Alli. You're going to get yourself killed," Steve muttered quietly, gently placing his hands on her arms and shaking her lightly.
"I can't leave my Dad." Allison cries, pulling away from Steve and wrapping her arms around herself. "Steve, I left him there! I could have fought harder, I could have said he was an idiot, I could have made Hopper take me back and I didn't! I let my anger and my fear rule me and now my Dad is stuck in a hell-hole." Sighing, Allison tore her hands through her long locks, her fingers clutching her skull as she turned away from her friend's sorrowful eyes, "Hopper will watch out for me." The teen continued, refusing to meet Steve's eyes, "I'm taking a walkie just in case. I promise if shit hits the fan, I'll call for help."
Steve knew he was cornered, he couldn't leave the kids alone. He groaned, lowering his head to her level to take her in with worried eyes, "You'll be careful?" He asked gently, his expressive dark eyes catching hers and refusing to let go. She nodded once, and he returned the gesture before placing a hand on her scalp and guiding her into a crushing embrace, his other hand securing her shoulders to his chest. Her arms wrapped around his chest, clutching his upper back, "Take my bat with you, Nance and I found another shot gun, I'll use that."
Allison nodded, to surprised at the embrace to put up a fight at Steve surrendering his weapon. She felt warm and safe in that quick hug and found she was disappointed when he made to let go. "This is the second time we've separated today, I really think we need to stop doing that." He whispered, pulling away with a serious expression.
"Last time, I promise." Allison smiles, watching as he quickly grabs the new gun and his bat before gesturing them both forward. "Are you sure you want me to take your bat? I can take the gun."
Steve shook his head passing her his treasured weapon without hesitation, "Trust me, it will give me piece of mind to know you have that." He mused, touching one of the shiny nails fondly.
"Does the bat have a name?"
"Why would the bat have a name?"
"Steve Harrington you've had this baby for a year and you never christened it! Honestly, what was your life like without me?"
"I wonder that myself sometimes too." Steve grins, coming to a stop before Hoppers wagon. Allison returns his smile easily, her eyes falling to the bat in thought.
"I think you should call it something bad ass, like Leia, or Ripley, or Æthelflæd. Something Iconic. Maybe Veronica, that's a badass name, I could picture a Veronica like murdering the mean girl at school or something." Allison decided, twirling the bat in her hands.
"Ethel-what?" Steve stuttered, his brow raising in confusion. Allison watches the boy frown and her smile grows. The confoundment on his face as he tried to wrap his tongue around the old Mercian leaders name was a delight to watch and a moment of respite for the brunette. "It doesn't matter, we can name the bat later, not Ethel-whatever."
Allison laughed lightly, tucking the handle of the bat into her bag, and fastening the zipper around it. "Remind me to teach you about Vikings and Mercian rulers when this is all over, Wastoid."
Steve opened his mouth to reply but closed it quickly when Hopper stormed out, Eleven following behind quickly. "You ready, kid?" He asked gruffly, opening the door to the sheriffs' truck, and throwing a duffle bag in. He pulls the seat to the passenger side down so Allison can get in. Allison nods, her humour sliding away as her eyes dart between the cantankerous man and the serious young girl.
Eleven watched her without emotion for a moment before walking to the car and standing beside Hopper, both waiting her to get in. Allison felt her heart racing in her chest but refused to let her fear show, turning to Steve with a final reassuring smile and a squeeze of his arm.
"I gotta motor, watch those shit-heads, they've got plans." Allison warns, stepping back with a wave. "See you soon." Allison reiterated before turning on her heel and throwing her bag in the car before sliding in with a grim smile aimed at the sheriff.
"Here, you know how to use this?" The older man said, passing through a hand gun to the teen. Allison nodded, tucking it under her bag. "Harrington needs the bat, use that instead." Hesitantly Allison passed the bat to Hopper, resting her fingers on the cool metal of the gun in reassurance.
As they pulled away Steve stood and watched, hand gripping his bat tightly and a deep frown marring his smooth face. Allison could read the worry in his eyes all the way down the driveway until they turned, taking Steve and the Byers house from sight.