Whoo Hoo, look at this another chapter within the same week!
Only one more chapter in season 2 and then on to season 3. I think i am just going to continue off the same story rather than starting a new one for the next season, that way it just keeps flowing :)
This one maybe a little rough at first trying to fill to the Billy part but i hope it wasnt to bad.
Any mistakes are mine :)
The sight of Mike and El hugging was enough to break any tension in the air. As everyone stared at Eleven, I had to take a few steps back and lean on the wall for support. I was exhausted, any adrenaline I had, had earlier was gone.
"I never gave up on you." Mike said when they finally broke apart. "I called you every night. Every night for…"
"Three Hundred and fifty-three days." El finished, "I heard."
"Why didn't you tell me you were there?" Mike asked taken back by her response and I couldn't blame him. When she had first reached out to me originally, I had been angry, but I knew there was a reason, and it was a logical one. "That you were okay?"
"Because I wouldn't let her." Jim stepped in and I watched as he ignored Mikes hurt look and stared at Eleven. "The hell is this? Where the hell have you been?"
"Where have you been?" she asked back and I gave a small laugh and looked down. The standoff didn't take long before she all but ran into his arms and hugged him.
"You've been hiding her!" Mike exclaimed, interrupting them.
"Mike." I started trying to pull him back.
"Did you know too?" he asked, turning on me angrily and I sighed, looking away. "You did! How could you! I confided in you; I thought you understood…"
"I did… do." I said trying to remain calm, "But I understand what Jim was doing too."
"You've been hiding her this whole time!"
"Hey!" Jim said firmly grabbing ahold of him. "Let's talk… Alone." Forcefully Jim pushed Mike down the hall and into a bedroom shutting the door. Steve moved towards me and reached for my arm supporting me as I grimaced and moved towards a chair.
"You okay?" he asked as I slowly sat down.
"I'm awesome." I stated sarcastically.
"She's the one that told you they were in the lab huh?" He asked bending down so he was at my level. I watched Eleven hugged Lucas and Dustin and nodded.
"Yeah." I said softly.
"How long have you known?" he asked. He didn't seem upset but curious as he watched the exchange between the friends.
"A few weeks." I sighed. "I thought it was just dreams at first, but after I realized she was talking to me. Up on the hill … she projected images of Jim and them in the lab, its how I knew they were there."
"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked quietly.
"I don't know." I shrugged grimacing. "It didn't seem like something anyone needed to care about, especially if we were all trying to move on." I watched and smiled as El put her finger in Dustin's mouth pointing at his teeth.
"You have teeth." El said confused.
"Oh you like these pearls?" He nodded and purred and I groaned.
"I feel bad about lying to Mike." I sighed trying to lean forward and look down the hall.
"You didn't lie." Steve shook his head putting his hand on mine before he stood up. "You were trying to protect him and her. He'll see that eventually."
I watched Eleven walk past Max's outstretched hand towards Joyce and thought back to when she was at my apartment. She had said Mike was with a girl and something tells me Max was that girl.
"Hey, sweetheart." Joyce smiled hugging El tightly tears in her eyes. "Hey."
"Can I see him?" El asked when she pulled away from Joyce. Joyce looked from her to me tears in her eyes again and nodded. Gritting my teeth I stood up and followed them into the room staying in the doorway as El went to Wills bed placing her hand on his.
"He's not doing well." Joyce said sadly.
"I know." El said simply before looking up at the distressed mother. "I saw." I watched as Joyce scowled confused and then there was a glimmer of hope.
"What else did you see?" Joyce asked walking around the bed to stand beside El. "You opened this gate before right?" At her comment I looked up and held my breath. I knew where this was going, and I wasn't going to like the outcome.
"Yes." El answered.
"Do you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?" She asked. El looked up at Joyce and then met my eyes. Taking a deep breath El and I stared at each other having a silent conversation. One without words, without talking in our heads, it was just a look. A look of determination, but she still seemed to be asking if she could or should. I couldn't make the decision for her and felt my breath catch in my throat as she slowly nodded at Joyce. Turning around Jim was standing behind me and he seemed to have the same dread written on his face at the realization of what would happen next.
"It's not like it was before." Jim said as we stood around the kitchen table. "It's grown… a lot, that's considering we can get in there."
"When Will heard the phone ring the Mind Flayer only sent four of those monsters here which means he left the rest to guard the gate." I agreed. "We can only assume that the majority of those dogs are crawling around the entrance."
"Demo-Dogs." Dustin corrected and I looked up at him scowling.
"I'm sorry what?" Jim asked.
"I said… uh… Demo-Dogs." Dustin explained. "Like Demogorgon dogs… you put them together, it sounds pretty badass."
"How is this important right now?" Jim asked annoyed.
"It's not." He shook his head looking down sheepishly. "Sorry."
"I can do it." El spoke up and I looked up to see her determined eyes focused on Jim.
"Hold on kid, look…"
"Jim." I interrupted him and he turned to look at me. "She is our best chance to close the gate."
"That's great, but you two aren't hearing me…"
"I am hearing you." El spoke up and continued firmly, "I can do it."
"We're missing something." I shook my head breaking the tension between El and Jim. "Closing the gate will kill the Mind Flayers connection, right? And we decided in theory that should kill everything it controls right?"
"I thought that was the point?" Max asked confused and my question.
"It is… but say we're right about this…" I said looking at Mike who seemed to catch on.
"If El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer's army…" he started
"Will's part of that army." Lucas finished and we looked at Joyce who seemed to be frozen in place.
"We do this, we could be killing Will." I sighed and I watched as she nodded but then her eyebrows knit together and she turned to Will's room. We followed her as she stood in the middle of his room and stared between her son and the window.
"He likes it cold." Joyce said quietly.
"What?" Jim asked.
"It's what Will kept saying to me." Joyce explained going to the window and slamming it shut. "He likes it cold. We keep giving it what it wants."
"If this is a virus and Will's the host then…" Nancy stared down at the young boy in the bed.
"Then we need to make the host uninhabitable." Jonathan finished.
"This thing, it thrives in the cold. The whole upside down is cold. If he needs it to be cold to be attached to Will…" I thought out loud thinking back to my time in the upside down.
"We need to burn it out of him." Joyce said firmly and determined.
"We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time." Mike stated as we started to realize what we had to do to beat this thing.
"Yeah somewhere far away." Dustin agreed. It was quickly determined Jim's cabin was the best option. Everyone was moving, Nancy and Steve moved to the pile of stuff we had thrown from the shed earlier and Dustin, Lucas, Max and I stood on the porch watching as Jim put Will into Jonathan's car. I knew I had a decision to make looking at Mike and El standing together a few feet away I looked back at the other kids and then down at my side. With a sigh a new guilt burned in my chest. Jim walked back to the house and looked up at me standing with my back against the house and sighed walking up to stand in front of me.
"Listen I know you're gonna fight me on this but…"
"I'm gonna stay back Jim." I interrupted him and he looked down at me surprised. "In the state I'm in right now, I would hold you back or put a bigger target out there. I am here to protect her, and I know that, but I can't do that standing next to her this time."
"Veronica, you are meant for so much more then protecting her." He said softly leaning down and putting his forehead down to mine.
"Just… promise me to keep her safe?" I whispered my voice cracking as he pulled away. I looked past him at El and Mike and then back. "I think all this time… I think I needed her more than she ever needed me and I just…"
"I got her." He stopped me and I looked up and took a deep breath. "But the moment this is over I need you to promise me something." I looked back at him as he looked down at my side.
"When I know you're all safe I'll go." I nodded in agreement and then looked back at the kids standing anxiously on the porch. "How much trouble could it be helping Steve babysit."
"Babysit?" Dustin turned offended. "Why does everyone say their babysitting us." I laughed and rolled my eyes just as Steve and Nancy came out the front door. Nancy smiled at me before running to Jonathan's car. Jim turned to head down the steps and I caught his arm.
"Jim, just um… please be careful." I said all joking aside.
"I already said I got her, I'm not going to let anything happen to her." He said and I shook my head.
"No, I mean you." He paused and looked at me with a scowl. "Look, you're a pain in the ass, you are overbearing but I have gotten used to your constant check ins and your nagging and I just… don't die okay."
"You got it." He chuckled and looked at El and Mike just as they leaned closer to each other. "El come on, let's go!" he called, and I groaned.
"Seriously?" I asked and he turned to me with a smirk before turning back to his ward and Mike with a gruff look on his face. "It's time."
Steve stood at the top of the porch next to me as the kids stood on the steps, watching as El and Jim got into his truck. Jonathan's car and the truck pulled away from the gravel driveway leaving us standing alone. After a few seconds we slowly started to make our way into the house. Standing in the entryway I looked around the living room at the shattered glass and broken wood from where the Demogorgon had flown through the house.
"I'm going to find a broom." I sighed, slowly walking further back into the house until I found the cleaning supplies. Coming back out I passed the broom to Lucas and nodded to the glass in the living room before scowling as I heard things being thrown in the kitchen.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked watching Dustin pulling all the items in the refrigerator and dropping them on the ground.
"Making room." He said without looking up at me. Steve game in holding the Demo-Dog wrapped in a blanket looking unamused.
"You're kidding right?" I looked at Steve who just shook his head and moved forward.
"All right," Dustin said stepping aside, "It should fit now."
"Is this really necessary?" Steve asked.
"Yes, it is, okay? This is a ground-breaking scientific discovery." He explained and I scoffed rolling my eyes.
"Please tell me you are joking… this thing and its pack have been trying to kill us and you want to keep it on ice?"
"We can't just bury it like some common mammal, okay it's not a dog." Dustin stated and I watched with amusement as Steve came forward awkwardly holding the creature.
"All right, all right, all right." Steve sighed awkwardly struggling to push the thing into the fridge. "But you're explaining this to Mrs. Byers all right…. Will you help me?"
"What am I supposed to do?" Dustin asked and I moved under Steve to get the bottom half of the monster into the refrigerator.
"Get the door man." Steve instructed. "The door."
"All right, I got the door." Dustin said. Once the door was closed and Steve pulled back his arm covered in slime, and he grimaced in disgust. Standing up I stepped away from the fridge, but my vision became fuzzy for a second and I staggered reaching out to the counter before falling over.
"Whoa." Steve said quickly, coming to my side, his hand on my back.
"I just got up too fast." I reaffirmed closing my eyes.
"Roni, you're really pale, maybe its time we think about going to the hospital." Steve stated is voice etched with worry.
"No, its fine." I shook my head, taking a deep breath opening my eyes slowly.
"You weren't in there, okay Lucas." Mike exclaimed from the living room and I, with Steve's hand still on the small of my back, moved towards them. "That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs."
"Demo-Dogs." Dustin called from behind us.
"The Chief will take care of her." Lucas tried to calm his friend.
"Like she needs protection." Max commented and I smiled.
"Listen dude." Steve said stepping forward after making sure I wasn't about to keel over. "A coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?"
"Oh Steve…" I shook my head and he turned to me scowling. "A sports metaphor? Really?"
"Okay, first of all this isn't some stupid sports game." Mike shot at him offended by Steve's statement. "And second, we're not even in the game… we're on the bench."
"Righ… so my point is…" Steve started pointing at Mike pausing as he thought about what to say before bowing his head defeated. "Right, yeah, we're on the bench, so uh there's nothing we can do."
"You kids have to realize going out there could just make things worse." I spoke. "Mike's right, there are a ton of those things out there and they won't hesitate to kill anyone of you. We are trying to keep anyone else from dying."
"Well, I mean… there is 'something' we can do." Dustin said, ignoring what I just said. "These Demo-Dogs they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away."
"So, if we get their attention …" Lucas agreed adding to Dustin's revelation.
"Maybe we can draw them from the lab." Max finished.
"Wait a second." I scowled shaking my head as the kids started getting excited about what was being said.
"And clear a path to the gate." Mike ignored my comment.
"Yeah, and then we all die." Steve stated not buying into their plan.
"That's one point of view." Dustin murmured.
"It's not a point of view." I stated looking at Dustin then to Lucas and Max. "He has a point, you are suggesting putting a big fat target on your backs to pull every single monster to us, and then what? We barely made it out of the junk yard when there were six, what do you think will happen when triple that number are coming at you."
"I got it." Mike said running down the hall following the drawn tunnel map on the Byers walls. I groaned as I followed the kids. "This is where the Chief dug his hold. This is our way into the tunnel so…" he paused again and moved back out into the living room looking at the floor, where all the tunnels seemed to flow to one spot. "So. Here, right here." He pointed to the spot looking up at his friends.
"This is like a hub. So, you got all the tunnels feeding in here. Maybe if we set this on fire…"
"No!"
"That's a no." Steve and I shook our heads and interrupted him at the same time.
"The Mind Flayer would call away his army." Dustin ignored us and moved to stand beside Mike looking at the picture.
"They'd all come to stop us." Lucas added and I looked at Steve in disbelief.
"Are they listening to us at all?" I asked and Steve just shrugged pinching his nose in annoyance.
"Then we circle back to the exit." Mike looked at Lucas nodding. "By the time they realized we're gone…"
"El would be at the gate." Max finished and Steve started saying 'hey' to get their attention but none of the kids seemed to be listening.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Steve clapped his hands to get their attention. "This is not happening."
"But…" Mike started but Steve cut him off.
"No, no, no, no, no." Steve shook his head. "No buts, I promised to keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. We're staying here, on the bend, and we're waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand?"
"This isn't some stupid sports game!" Mike said frustrated.
"You're right." I stated my own frustration coming out, "It's not a game, none of this is a game. Believe me I know better than any of you. You are a bunch of kids. Look a round you're making a plan where one of you may not make it back alive… are you okay with that?"
"Do you understand us?" Steve asked again looking at each of the kids. "I need a yes."
Before any of them could respond and engine roared in the distance, and I looked at Steve eyes wide.
"I know that car." I hissed and Max and Lucas rushed to the window to watch the car pull in closer to the house.
"Its my brother." Max commented looking at Lucas. "He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us." I looked at Steve who looked at me before dropping the dish rag that had been on his shoulder to the ground and walking out the front door.
"Stay out of sight." I hissed, opening the door, and standing on the porch. Steve stood a few feet from the house, hands on hips as Billy's car came to a stop and the engine was turned off. Billy slowly got out of the car cigarette between his lips, smiling amused at Steve.
"Am I dreaming or is that you Harrington." Billy smirked leaning on his car door before looking up at me. "And look at that Veronica is here too, but you said there was nothing between you two… tsk, tsk here I thought we were friends."
"Get over yourself Billy." I crossed my arms, trying my best not to wince as I pulled my injured arm across my body. Billy chuckled dramatically pulling his jacket from his back and tossed it into his car before shutting the door.
"What are you doing here amigo?" Billy asked Steve stepping forward.
"I could ask you the same thing." Steve responded. "Amigo."
"Looking for my stepsister." Billy said sizing Steve up. I had to force myself to stay focused on the two guys in the driveway and not look over my shoulder at the house. "A little birdie told me she was here."
"Huh, that's weird." Steve shrugged. "I don't know her."
"Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch." Billy tried and I slowly made my way down the steps. "I mean Roni, you know who she is. Little shits always at the arcade, she around? I really need to get her home."
"Go home Billy," I stated.
"You know I don't know this… this whole situation, I don't know… it's giving me the heebie-jeebies." Billy said looking between Steve and I. "Here I was told my thirteen-year-old sister would be here, to find you… and Veronica is here almost guarding this house where I find her. And you both lie to me about it."
"Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?" Steve scoffed with a small laugh looking at me with a smirk. "I don't know what you don't understand about what I just said. She's not here."
"Then who is that?" Billy asked, pointing to the window. Turning quickly, I saw four kids staring out the window before quickly ducking below it.
"Dammit." I cursed and turned just in time to see Steve trying and calm Billy down.
"Listen…" Steve started but he didn't get far before Billy shoved Steve to the ground.
"I told you to plant your feet." Billy hissed before kicking him in the stomach. I backed up as Billy stalked forward.
"Billy, you need to calm your shit and go before you do something you are going to regret." I warned him stopping at the bottom of the stairs.
"Stay out of this Veronica, this is family business." He pushed me to the side roughly and I stumbled into the railing. Stalking up to the door he quickly kicked it in, and I heard the kids yell in surprise. Turning I saw Steve groaning on the ground but slowly moving to his knees to stand. Making a quick decision I went into the house to find Billy threatening the kids who were backed against the living room wall.
"Billy go away!" Max yelled at her brother.
"You disobeyed me," he said quietly with a menacing tone. "And you know what happens when you disobey me."
"Billy." Max tried again but it didn't seem to slow Billy down.
"I break things." Billy smirked and then grabbed Lucas roughly pushing him into the kitchen. The kids were yelling, and I ran past them pushing them back.
"Get off me!" Lucas yelled scared. With as much physical strength I could muster, I ran into Billy's side surprising him enough to drop Lucas. Grimacing I was standing between him and Lucas holding my arm pain shooting through it, as Billy turned his murderous gaze towards me.
"I told you to stay out of it." He said, grabbing my shirt and pulling me towards him so his face was right in front of mine. He sneered at me before he continued, "So stay out of it before you get hurt." and with little effort tossed me into the kitchen table. The action caused me to hit my injured side painfully against the table causing it to buckle and break under the stress. I cried out in pain as the table and myself collapsed to the ground. Billy didn't give me a second glance, curled in on myself holding my side. Max was beside me, hands hovering over me before looking up at her brother yelling at him.
"Since Maxine won't listen to me, maybe you will." Billy said to Lucas and with tears in my eyes I watched as he picked the kid up again and shoved him into the cabinet. "You stay away from her, you hear me?"
"I said get off me!" Lucas yelled again and kicked Billy hard between the legs. With a small laugh I slowly picked myself up and saw Steve walk around the corner. His eyes caught mine and his already angry expression turned darker as his eyes locked on Billy who was groaning bent over himself.
"You are so dead Sinclair!" Billy shouted, "You're dead"!
"No…" Steve said pushing Billy's shoulder, so he was upright staring at him. "You are." And with that Steve swung his fist into Billy's face. Billy's head shot to the side but as he turned back, he was laughing using the back of his hand to wipe his lip.
"Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh." Billy continued to laugh, holding his arms around circling the kitchen. Finally, I was standing holding my side tightly as Max pulled me back towards the living room with the other kids. "I've been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody's been telling me so much about."
"Get out." Steve hissed, jabbing his finger at Billy's chest. Billy just smirked before swinging at Steve. Steve moved quickly ducking out of the way before landing another hit on Billy pushing him further back into the kitchen.
"Yes! Kick his ass, Steve!" Dustin called. Steve's upper hand didn't last long. I watched as Billy grabbed a plate on the counter and smashed it over Steve's head, catching him off guard, giving Billy an opening to land his own punch across Steve's face knocking him back. Billy grabbed Steve's jacket and pulled him close to him, so they were nose to nose.
"No one tells me what to do!" He spat before slamming his head into Steve's causing him to fall on the ground. "Whoo!" Billy yelled enthusiastically advancing on Steve, but I pushed my abilities out, pulling away from Max I stepped forward and pushed Billy back and into the wall hard. He collapsed on the ground giving me a chance to get to Steve and try and help him up.
"Who the hell do you think you are!" Billy exclaimed and my head was yanked back by my hair away from Steve who was yelling at Billy as he pulled me back, so he was in front of me. His hand moved from my hair to my neck squeezing, cutting off my air flow. "I warned you Roni, now you're going to wish you took me up on my offer. I could have showed you a good time, we could have had fun…" I had tears in my eyes as I continued to struggle to breathe. My vision was blurry, and I couldn't focus my abilities on him as I started to panic with the lack of oxygen.
"Billy…" I wheezed. But he wasn't listening. I could vaguely hear the kids yelling at Billy but he was laser focused on me.
"I'm gonna finish of Harrington, I'm gonna teach Sinclair a lesson, and you…you're gonna learn what it means to ignore me." he whispered and dark spots filled my vision and then Billy was gone with a hard tug.
"Don't fucking touch her!" Steve stated loudly. I couldn't see what was happening. I was on my knees, one hand on the floor the other around my neck and I struggled to take in a breath of air coughing. The coughing aggravated my side and sat back continuing to gasp holding my side. Steve had grabbed Billy and pulled him back away from me, but he was still unstable from getting hit earlier and it was easy for Billy to get the upper hand again. Jumping on top of him Billy continued to punch Steve. I couldn't get my vision to clear to step in, but Max was quick to grab a syringe of sedation drugs used on Will and stabbed it into Billy's neck. Billy stood up quickly spinning around surprised grabbing the syringe and looking at it staggering off of Steve. "What the hell is this?"
"You little shit, what did you do?" Billy asked staggering a little more before collapsing to the ground laughing manically. Still stunned, I watched as Max grabbed Steve's bat and held it high above her head walking up to Billy until she was standing over him.
"From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone." Max stated, "Do you understand?"
"Screw you." Billy slurred rolling his eyes. Max swung the bat down and it landed directly between Billy's legs. He lifted his head surprised.
"Say you understand!" Max yelled, raising the bat again. "Say it! Say it!"
"I understand." I vaguely heard Billy say.
"What?" Max asked again.
"I understand!" Billy repeated before passing out. Slowly I crawled over to Steve who was unconscious. Taking his face in my hands looked over the bruises whispering to him hoping he would wake up. Beside us Max was leaning over her brother and searching his pockets before she pulled out his keys.
"Let's get out of here." Max said holding them up.
"Hold on." I said but my voice betrayed me and game out scratchy. "We are not going anywhere. We need to get Steve fixed up and then we are waiting here."
"We can't do anything here," Mike shook his head. "Come on, are you telling me you don't want to help? If you could do something, wouldn't you do it?" I cursed, closing my eyes. He was right, if it was just me, no kids I would be out there using myself as bait to give El a chance.
"I can't keep you all safe, not right now." I shook my head.
"Let us protect you then." Dustin offered, but I just shook my head.
"You don't have to go you know." Mike said, "We can say we snuck out; you didn't know."
"Really?" I looked at him in disbelief before rolling my eyes and groaning. "I'm going to regret this. Okay, help me get him up and go get as much gasoline as possible."
"We're doing this?" Lucas asked surprised and I looked up at him squinting my eyes at him annoyed.
"Move!" I stated my voice still horse, "before I change my mind."
"Maybe we should leave him?" Mike said as Lucas and Max rushed through the house and out to the shed to get materials for our fire trap.
"No." Dustin and I said together.
"He's going to freak out." Mike said.
"Let me deal with that, just go get the first aid kid and help me get him into the car." I said and Dustin and Mike went into the bathroom. I looked down at Steve's beaten face and sighed. He was not going to like this when he woke up, but the kids were right, we needed to give El and Jim a chance.
Chapter 8 should be out shortly i already have it laid out.
Hope you enjoyed.
Like, comments, suggestions, follows all are appreciated and help motivate me to continue writing.
Thanks as always!