I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Trying to get back to normal for at least a little while! Leave me a review and enjoy reading!

"We'd better get back home before Mom and Dad freak. But I'll drop you off here in the morning instead of school," Nancy told her younger brother, who was on the verge of tears looking at Jane asleep on the couch. Mike looked at her with sad eyes, but nodded. On the car ride home, Mike was quiet. Nancy knew he was probably worried sick about Jane.

"She's a strong girl," Nancy told him. "I'm sure she'll be fine." Mike smiled at her, wiping a stray tear from his cheek.

"I know."

Jane woke up feeling incredibly groggy. She could see light streaming through blinds in an unfamiliar room. She tried to lift her head to get a better look at where she was, but she found it incredibly difficult. Her head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds and there was an insane amount of pressure behind her eyes.

"Hi sweetheart!" Joyce said as she noticed Jane stirring awake. Jane turned to look at Joyce and realized she must be in her bedroom. She tried to talk but her voice was too weak and nothing came out. "Let me get you some water, okay?" Joyce told Jane sweetly. Jane gave a weak smile as Joyce left the room. That woman really had a heart of gold. Jane looked over and saw that it was 2:12 pm. She sighed, knowing that she had gotten a ton of sleep and still felt this awful.

"Jane?" Mike's voice caught her attention as he poked his head into the door. He and Will walked in and kneeled next to her on the bed.

"Mike," Jane croaked out. The Wheeler boy broke out into a grin. Then, Joyce returned with a glass of water. She lifted Jane's head and tipped the glass so Jane could drink. The water made her throat feel much better. Joyce stayed by Jane's head, running her hands through her hair soothingly.

"Your dad really wanted to stay, but he had to go to work. Mike and Will stayed home from school to be here for you," Joyce told Jane, her eyes twinkling.

"Nancy covered for me with my parents, it was super cool," Mike joked, but his voice revealed how relieved Mike was that Jane was okay.

"Thank you for saving me… again," Will said to Jane with his soft voice. He cracked a smile. "I feel so much more like me now," Will explained. This made Jane feel much better.

"Sister?" Jane managed to whisper, wondering what happened when after the bath. The others shared a glance before Joyce spoke up.

"Kali and her friends left. I think they're staying the next town over. Kali wanted me to tell you that she'd see you soon. We tried to thank her, but she insisted the scales were even," Joyce spoke, sounding like she felt a little uneasy about the whole thing. Jane looked at Mike, knowing he would understand why Kali had stayed local. She was waiting for her.

Max was skating home from school with Lucas riding alongside her, unsure of what state her house would be in currently. Neil had been kicked out by her mother in tandem with the State. Billy was still living with them for the time being, but Max assumed he would leave after this all blew over. Lucas was hoping that with all the drama going on with his dad, Billy would decide not to commit a hate crime against him. A boy can dream, can't he? When they reached Max's house, both of them let out a sigh of relief that Billy's car was out of sight.

"Mom? I'm home and I brought my boyfriend," Max said bluntly. Lucas grinned for ear to ear hearing Max say that. He had never met Max's mom since her house was basically off limits for them considering her psycho step family. A woman with familiar red hair rounded the corner.

"You must be Lucas," the woman said warmly, but she looked like she had just finished crying. Lucas shook Susan's hand.

"Nice to meet you," he said pleasantly.

"Come on," Max demanded, dragging Lucas by his shirt sleeve to her bedroom. When they were in the privacy of her bedroom, Max pulled Lucas in for a lingering kiss. When they broke apart, Lucas put his hands on either side of her face.

"You're a pretty good kisser, Madmax."

"You not too bad yourself, Stalker."

Steve had gotten filled in at the station that day in Hopper's office. Paranoid as ever, Hopper had told the story in code-words, gestures, and some Morse code thrown in. Steve really hoped this would solve their upside down problem permanently. Just wishful thinking, he guessed. Steve was glad that Will was finally recovered from his disappearance two years ago, but he worried about how Jane was doing. Joyce had stayed home from work to watch her, but Hopper was still worried sick. The Chief clocked out of the station early to make sure she was alright.

Jane was on the Byers couch wrapped in a blanket with a pillow behind her pounding head. Mike sat next to her and occasionally rubbed her neck when she asked. Will was sitting on the other side of her, manning the Television with Jane's favorite soap operas so she was never too bored.

"Who wants chicken noodle soup?" Joyce called from the kitchen. Will hopped up to go see if she needed help.

"When?" Mike asked simply when he and Jane were alone. She looked at him and shrugged with little effort. "You need time to heal. And what are you going to tell Hopper when you leave?" Again, Jane had no answers.

Mike gave Jane a small smile that didn't meet his eyes. She should never have agreed to kill Brenner with Kali. She shouldn't have to do everything for everyone else. It wasn't right. Mike made a promise to himself that Jane would never face anything without him ever again.

Hopper walking into the Byers house to see Jane on the couch slowing eating soup with weak, shaky hands. Mike was next to her on the floor with Will, also eating. Joyce sat next to Jane, rubbing calming 'mom' massages on her back.

"You feeling better, kid?" Hopper asked, hanging up his hat.

"Yes," Jane told him quietly. Her voice sounds so tired, he noticed. Joyce motioned for Hopper to come and take her seat.

"You want a bowl, Hop?" Joyce offered.

"I'd love one," he replied, sitting down. As he got so close to Jane, he noticed how she still looked pale and tired, but not half dead like she had last night. Hopper had stayed up almost the whole night watching her and making sure she was alright. He didn't think he could take losing another daughter, especially when the universe had gifted him with Jane following Sarah's death. A heart can only take so much. That was something he and Joyce had in common; they would do anything for their kids.

Kali sat in a motel room with Axel, Mick, Dottie, and Funshine. She still felt really tired, but her mind was still racing and plotting. The others were aruging over television stations or poker hands. Kali tuned them out. She was so close to finally ending Dr. Brenner. Ending the torment, the trauma, and the damage that still plagued would finally be free. All because of Jane.