As it turned out, separating Steve and Robin was a horrible idea.

Joyce watched as Steve helped cut the vegetables for supper, his lips forming a tight line as his hands shook. He muttered under his breath and constantly looked at the door, as if waiting for Robin to come back, even though she probably wouldn't for a while. Hopper had called, said that her reunion with her parents went really well, and that she would stay there for the time being. Steve tried to make it seem like he didn't care, but anyone could see that he did.

Joyce didn't know all of the details about what happened to the two, but from what she could understand they had barely been apart, and when they did it was filled with pain and suffering. It was no wonder that he wasn't reacting well to it.

Jonathan was casting concerned glances to Steve as he worked beside him, giving Steve a gentle pat on the shoulder, one that Steve gave him a grateful glance for.

"Why don't you sit down, Steve?" Jon asked after a while. "I got this."

"No, I'll be fine." Steve said, taking a deep breath. His whole form was tense, like he was expecting a fight. "I'm just…worried."

"Do you want to call her?"

Steve shook his head. "She's with her parents right now, I don't want to intrude."

"I'm sure she won't mind." Will said softly from the table, and Joyce nodded, willing to do anything to get Steve to relax, relax in a healthy way, at least.

Robin had told Hopper and Joyce privately about Steve's tendency to make himself feel nothing when things got too overwhelming. Because of his powers, his mind would shut off all emotion when he wanted it to, sometimes subconsciously, and Joyce knew that that was one of the worst things to do after facing what he did. He needed to feel the bad feelings that he felt instead of banishing it from his mind like he got in the habit of. She didn't want all of those emotions to bubble up inside of him, trapped, and continuously be buried because of what he could do. One day it would erupt, and depending on how much he buried, it could take a long time to get him out of the rubble.

She didn't want that to happen. She didn't want any of it to happen. But, it was going to be hard, that she knew, because she had never seen him do it, so she wasn't really sure what she was looking out for. She didn't even know how to stop it if it happened, or know if it happened at all.

"Why don't I call her, and then you two could talk for just a few minutes. It'll be good for you," she offered gently.

Steve put down the knife, nodding hesitantly, and Joyce led him over to the phone and dialed the Buckley's number, now knowing it by heart.

It took some time for the phone to ring, but then Mrs. Buckley's voice came on the phone, and the other woman sounded happier than ever before.

"Hello? Buckley residence, could you call back some other time?"

"Hey, it's Joyce Byers."

"Oh, Joyce! Hello, so sorry, I just didn't want to have to explain that Robin is home, but I guess that you know that. I can't believe it. Robin's home!"

Joyce couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm. "I know, it's incredible. I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you so much, Joyce, we are all over the moon. Is there anything I can help with?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could quickly put Robin on the line? Steve wants to talk to her."

"I heard that he was alive, you must be so happy! I'll definitely get Robin on the line for you, just one moment."

"Thank you."

She could hear some commotion and voices over the phone, and she gave the phone to Steve, who took it with shaking hands.

"Robin?" He said after a moment, and a relieved smile burst forth on his face. "Robin, hey. How are you?"

Joyce watched him fondly for a second, his whole being lighting up as he talked with Robin, before heading back to the couch, picking up the book that she had been reading. She couldn't help but share a knowing look with Jonathan, both thankful that the two had each other. If Steve didn't have Robin, would he have made it out alive? Would he be able to recover? If Robin didn't have Steve, would they have lost her, too?

She was just happy that they had each other to depend on, to find comfort in.

Steve and Robin only talked for a couple of minutes, but Steve was clearly in such a better mood when he hung up. He gave Joyce a grateful smile, and continued to help Jonathan in the kitchen, all of his shaking and tension gone.

The four of them fell back into a steady night routine, eating supper, Jon and Will doing homework after, Steve and Joyce watching the television as they did so. Steve managed to relax, and was laying down, playing with his hair. She never asked, but she knew that he had lost it while he was gone. It was what Brenner did to his subjects, so why would he be exempt from it?

His brow was furrowed with concentration as he watched the show, clearly seeing beyond the screen and thinking about something. Joyce wanted to ask him about it, but they couldn't, not with the other two around. She hated keeping secrets from her boys, and hated that she couldn't talk to Steve freely about what happened. There wasn't much she could do, though. She reached over to the couch where he was laying and put her hand on his leg, making his eyes flick towards her.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly, and he nodded.

"Yeah."

She didn't know how to respond to that, but she didn't have to, as the phone began to ring, cutting through the silence. Steve perked up at it, and Jonathan rushed to grab it.

"Hello, this is the Byers'." Jonathan said in greeting. His whole frame froze as he no doubt heard the other voice on the line, and he gave his mom a pleading look, Joyce getting up immediately.

"Yes, he's here." His voice became defensive, laced with anger, anger that Joyce wasn't used to hearing from her gentle son. "You're not going to come see him yourself? Paris? You're in Paris right now, Mrs. Harrington?"

"Jon一" Joyce filled with panic at the words, and Steve froze behind her, like a deer in headlights.

All Jonathan did was wave his mom away, clutching the phone angrily.

"Hopper called you yesterday. Yesterday! Aren't you on your way back? Steve was missing for months and you can't even bother一"

Steve rushed over and took the phone from Jonathan's hand, pushing the other teen away gently.

"Mom, it's me. It's Steve."

The silence, the silence that was comforting only minutes before, made everyone cease to breathe, waiting for Steve to say something as he listened to his mother talk to him, his face falling with every second. Joyce thought that she could see tears forming in his eyes, but he pushed them away, his hands going from his face to his hair over and over again.

"Mom…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go missing, or get hurt. I didn't want to leave, I didn't want to worry you, and I didn't want to hurt our family name. I know. I'm so sorry…can you just come home? I miss you." His voice broke as he spoke, his chest shaking with quiet sobs.

Joyce put her hand on his shoulder, hoping to help him through the conversation, but she didn't know if it would help or not.

"Please? I'm sorry….I really want to see you. I want you to come home. I want my mom."

Anyone could tell by his broken expression that his mom wasn't going to come see home, and Joyce's heart shattered for him.

"Okay…I…I understand. Enjoy Paris."

With those final words spoken, Steve put the phone back into the cradle, barely keeping himself together. His body shook, and he wrapped his arms around himself, as if trying to give himself a hug.

"Steve? Are you okay?" Jonathan asked softly, and Steve barely reacted.

Joyce didn't think that this night could get any worse, but it did. She watched as Steve's tearful expression, his broken gaze, all faded away, leaving him emotionless and detached. His eyes seemed empty, and all tension left his body, along with all of the remains of his pain. She inhaled sharply at the transformation, knowing that nothing could have prepared to see Steve change that drastically in such a short time.

He did it. He did exactly what Robin warned her about. He made himself lose all emotion, the pain of his mother not wanting to see him pushing him to the limit, making his cease to feel anything,

Joyce didn't know what to do. She really didn't know what to do.

"Steve?" Will asked quietly, seeing the change easily. "What's wrong?"

Steve painted on a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes, and nothing about it seemed real.

"Nothing." He said simply. "Everything's fine."

No. Nothing's fine, and that's okay. Joyce wanted to say, eagerly wanting to wrap this boy in a hug. We're here for you, we're here to pick you up when you can't carry the pain, the burdens. We're here to help, you don't have to stop feeling what you feel, what you need to feel.

But before she could say anything, Steve made his way back to the couch, watching the television in silence, expression unmoving like a statue.