This update is super late, so sorry about that! My crazy life got in the way! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think in a review!

Jane hopped onto the back of Mike's bike as they headed towards the Byers to hang out after school. The air was getting colder and Jane pressed tightly against Mike to stay warm. She felt him laugh at her closeness but she just snuggled her head into his shoulder in response. The party finally reached Will's house, where they all ran inside. Jane hovered by the front door.

"What's up?" Mike asked, sensing her discomfort.

"Do you think I should tell them? About Papa?" Mike pondered that for a moment.

"I think you should tell them whatever you're comfortable with. They might be able to help, but you don't have to tell them if you don't want to."

"Thanks Mike," Jane said, soothed by his words. She took a step forward and planted a soft kiss on his mouth before walking into the kitchen towards everyone else. Mike couldn't help but smile as she walked away, her kiss still lingering on his lips.

Hopper was cooped up in the town library, looking up old newspaper articles of missing children that matched Kali's description. He knew that Jane was not telling the entire truth about something, and Hopper wanted to find out. He didn't trust Kali, not one bit. When the Chief had read about twenty useless articles, he came across one that stood out to him… Indian Girl kidnapped from London. Hopper sat back and looked at the picture of the little girl in the article. It certainly looked a lot like Kali…he thought. He made a copy of the article before heading back to the station to figure out just who this girl was.

Jonathon and Nancy were at the Wheeler's kitchen table filling out their college applications to NYU.

"You really don't have to apply here just because I am, you know," Jonathon told her softly.

"I know. But it just so happens that they have an amazing investigative journalism program," Nancy countered. Jonathon nodded, trying not to grin very wide. He never thought he'd end up with someone like Nancy. Nancy was beautiful for one, and totally out of Jonathon's league. Nancy was popular, smart, well liked. She was pretty much the whole package and through some very unlikely circumstances, they'd fallen for each other.

"You're going to pull the curtain down on all these people," Jonathon told her.

"And you'll be there to get it all on camera."

They party was all sitting in the Byers' living room, finishing up their homework so they could start a campaign. Jane still didn't really understand the game, but no one was opposed to stopping and explaining things to her, especially Mike. Jane focused in on her English homework, which was a one-page reflection on 'Romeo and Juliet', which they had just finished reading.

"Ohh, that's good," Max commented, glancing at Jane's paper and writing down something similar.

Soon, everyone was finished with their work and Dustin went to get the game set up at the kitchen table. Jane grabbed Mike's arm while everyone headed to the kitchen. He turned to look down at her. It seemed to Jane that he was growing taller by the day.

"I think I'm going to tell them," Jane whispered. Mike nodded reassuringly, letting a shy smile enter his face as they went to join the others.

"Hey, I'm playing too," Max objected when Dustin didn't set her place at the table.

"I thought you hated this game. 'It's a dumb game for boys! I'd rather play Dig Dug and get like a billion points'," Dustin said, mocking a high pitched girl's voice that sounded nothing like Max's.

"I don't even sound like that!"

"But you want to play, right Max?" Will argued. "You're our Zoomer."

"Yeah!" Max agreed, shooting Will a thankful glance.

"I knew you were secretly a nerd like the rest of us," Lucas teased.

Mike and Jane took their spots at the table silently, which cued the rest of the party in that something was up.

"Guys, Jane wants to tell you something," Mike said, which caused everyone to sit down in their seats nervously. Jane generally didn't want to share things, so this was definitely odd. Will just hoped it didn't have to do with the upside down.

"Sister Kali," Jane began, taking a breath. "I made a deal with her," she told them slowly.

"What kind of deal?" Lucas asked with an air of paranoia.

"She needs my help to find…" Jane trailed off, not wanting to even speak his name. "The Bad Man. And she wants us to kill him. Together," Jane finished, looking everyone in the eye with a hardening expression.

"Who's the 'Bad Man'?" Max asked, the only one who didn't know about Dr. Brenner and all that he'd done to the kids at the lab.

"Papa," Jane said, her face becoming stone-like.

"He was the Doctor at the lab before Dr. Owens. He's the one that experiemented…" Mike started explaining before glancing at Jane. "He's the one responsible all the kids at the lab."

Max's eyes widened in understanding.

"Are you going to-to kill him?" Will asked.

"Yes," Jane said, without hesitation.

"When?" Dustin asked.

"Six days from now," Jane said. "That's when she said she'd come."

"But, that's a school day," Lucas pointed out. "What are you going to tell the Chief?"

"Maybe you could locate Brenner and then go after him on the weekend," Dustin suggested with a shrug.

"Maybe," Mike agreed. "But either way, I'm going with her."

"What just a minute," Dustin said. "Are you shitting me?"

"What?" Mike exclaimed.

"You? Killing someone? No way!" Max said.

"I don't think any of this is a good idea," Will pointed out.

"Well, if you're going with, I think I should too. You know, safety in numbers, right?" Lucas said.

"You're not going without me," Max told Lucas.

"Woah, you think you're leaving me out of this?" Dustin said. "I can ask Steve to come too!"

"This is not a good idea," Will chimed in again.

"No," Jane said quietly. All eyes were quickly on her. "Just Mike."

At the station, Hopper motioned for Steve to enter his office.

"Harrington, I need more than one pair of eyes on this," Hopper said.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

"Another kid from the... Older, different…" Hopper made eye contact with Steve so he caught his drift. "She's the one that helped…" Again, Hopper left the sentence hanging, but Steve still got the message. "I have a bad feeling about her. I want you to get in touch with this guy, he can help you figure out who she is and what she wants with… Okay?" Hopper handed Steve a business card that read 'Murray Bauman: Private Investigator'.

"Hi guys! I brought pizza," Joyce said, walking in the front door.

"Oh Ms. B, you're the BEST," Dustin said.

"Thanks Ms. Byers," Lucas and Max chorused.

"What kind did you get?" Will asked, getting up to help her carry the boxes into the kitchen.

"One's cheese, because I heard someone doesn't like pepperoni," Joyce said, eyeing Jane who smiled shyly. "And the other is pepperoni and olives."

"My favorite," Will said, giving his mom a loving look.

"This looks great Ms. Byers," Mike told her.

"Well, come on guys! Grab a plate. I think I have some soda in the garage…"

Once Hopper picked Jane up from the Byers, they had come inside and put on one of those soap operas that Jane loved to watch. Hopper just sat through it, barely paying attention because this was not the kind of show he would ever choose to watch, but he loved spending time with Jane, no matter what was on the TV. Once the program ended, Hopper switched the TV off, ignoring Jane's annoyed sigh.

"Okay Kiddo," Hopper said. "I think we should have a little chat."

"What?" Jane asked, looking at him with round brown eyes.

"Well, I have some questions for you. First of all, how are you feeling?"

"Better," Jane said truthfully. She really didn't feel sore anymore.

"That's good," Hopper didn't really know how to have the conversation he wanted to be having right now. God, Joyce was so much better at this than him. She could console her children without difficulty and both of her boys trusted her with anything. Hopper tried pulling on his paternal side. "I know this year has been rough, okay? We both learned a lot. We both messed up a lot, but I think we both know what we mean to each other," Hopper said. Jane nodded along, a smile playing on the sides of her mouth. "I just want you to know that you can tell me anything, alright? I won't get mad like I did last year, okay?" Jane nodded again before pulling him into a hug that Hopper was definitely not expecting.

"I know," Jane said into his neck as they hugged.

"Okay kid, now get ready for bed."

Jane headed to her room, ignoring the guilt that made it hard for her to swallow.