Chapter Four

Dark Room

Ronnie sat in the cold metal chair, her hands gripping tightly to the seat beneath her, as she waited for Papa to walk through the door. Her mind was still fuzzy from being woke up only moments ago. She wasn't sleeping peacefully when the two technicians walked into her room and ripped her out of her bed. But the little sleep Ronnie would get, she never took for granted, so she was upset to be placed in this room. She hadn't been back since Papa made her kill the other child. Her heart still felt heavy from that moment and the child's eyes haunted her in her sleep. Ronnie jumped slightly in her seat when the doors opened up and Papa walked in. He stood tall as usual in his all black suit, the striking white of his hair glowing under the luminescent light. It seemed to create a halo around his head, but he was anything but angelic.

"Hello, Seven." He smiled down towards her and took a seat at the chair across from her, the smile on his face that never seemed to reach his cold eyes. "You sleep well?"

Ronnie didn't answer, she just stared ahead at him, her body more tense than it was before he walked in.

"There is something that I need for you to do." He reached into the inside jacket pocket of his suit and pulled out a photo and placed it down on the table in front of her. "Do you know this woman?"

Slowly her eyes moved down from Papa's face and towards the photo on the table. She knew better than to show her emotions, she knew that if she did, pain would follow. The woman was standing beside a man, her hand cupped over her mouth and a sorrowful look on her face. The photo was in black and white and a little grainy, but Ronnie could tell that the woman was crying. Her long dark hair fell around her shoulders as she bent towards the man whose arm was around her. His face was just as sorrowful as hers. He stood tall, appearing to stand strong for the woman beside him, but bit down on his lower lip as he stared ahead. They were her parents. Ronnie knew this, she was taken from them young, but she still remembered them.

Her eyes stayed there for a moment, before moving back up towards Papa. She shook her head slowly and she made sure to keep her face void of any emotion.

"Are you lying to me, Seven?" Papa spoke with a even tone.

"No." Ronnie spoke, her voice void of emotion just like her face. "Don't know her."

Ronnie moved her left hand up from the chair beneath her and pushed the photo back towards Papa. He kept his eyes locked on the girl in front of him, before nodding his head once, and taking the photo back.

"It hurts me that you choose to lie, Seven." Papa stood from the table, and almost immediately, the two technicians from before rushed into the room.

Fear gripped Ronnie's throat as they moved towards her, her body shaking with fear and panic, before they each grabbed an air and dragged her out of the chair. She let out a scream as she fought against their hold. But it was no use - the ten year old girl was no match for the two men holding her. But Ronnie still fought, twisting her body and kicking her legs, trying to break free. The two men moved from the rook into the hallway and carried her towards the Solitary Room. A dark room that held nothing but a small cot inside. When the children were placed inside they were given no food and no water and were kept there for however long Dr. Brenner made them. The last time Ronnie was here she was kept for nearly two weeks. She had reached her weakest point during that time period. Ronnie was now petrified of how long she was going to be kept this time.

Ronnie shot up from the bed beneath her, her body covered in a cold sweat, and her breath labored. Her eyes looked around the room she was in with a panic, expecting to see nothing but darkness, but instead was welcomed with sunlight. As her mind slowly started to wake and she was able to realize she was safe, the panic slowly faded from her senses. Ronnie reached up with her hands and took a few deep breaths to calm herself more. The vivid memory of Hawkins Lab made it feel real and like she was back at the place of her torment. The sound of soft bangs coming from the front of the house caught her attention causing her to swing her legs over the edge of Jonathan's bed and slowly stand.

The moment she opened the door she was welcomed by the scent of pancakes and bacon, a smell that made her stomach growl loudly. Tentatively she walked along the plush hallway floor towards the kitchen, looking towards the couch as she passed to see Jonathan still a sleep, before walking into the kitchen. Joyce stood with her back towards the archway, moving around the counter and stove quickly, as she made breakfast. Ronnie began to fiddle with her fingers from a nervous habit before walking a little further into the room. The soft steps of her feet against the linoleum floor caught Joyce's attention and caused her to turn quickly towards the doorway. With how light her footsteps were against the floor Joyce couldn't help but first think of Will. Her heart jumping into her throat as she turned around, expecting her missing little boy, but instead was welcomed by the sight of a girl. Her shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment before she gave the girl a small smile.

"G-Good morning." Joyce smiled towards her and took a small step forward, the girl flinching from habit and taking a step back. Joyce frowned and stopped her footing quickly. "Are you hungry?"

"Hungry?" Ronnie spoke back softly, her eyes moving towards the sizzling bacon on the stove, and her stomach letting out a loud enough growl for Joyce to hear.

Joyce couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Going to take that as a yes. Why don't you take a seat and I'll make you a plate."

Joyce pointed towards the worn down yellow chair that was tucked against the round wooden table. Ronnie looked down towards it for a moment, before reaching to pull it out, and taking a seat. The sound of the chair scraping against the floor caused Jonathan to wake up from the couch. He let out a groan, already feeling a tight knot in his lower back, before slowly sitting up. Ronnie looked over her shoulder back towards the living room and their eyes met. He smiled towards her and she couldn't help but smile back. Once again she was surrounded but that calm positive feeling that she felt the night before. The Byers giving her a sense of safety, but she was also not fully trusting in that safety.

Jonathan walked from the living room into the kitchen taking the seat beside Ronnie and looking towards her. Now that she had a full night sleep and a shower the night before he couldn't deny that she looked a little better. The dark purple rings beneath her eyes were now a little faded. But he frowned when his eyes quickly began to noticed the bruises he'd seen the night before. Who hurt this poor girl?

Joyce plated two plates for the teens sitting at the table behind her and smiled as she placed them down in front of them. She quickly walked towards the coffee machine and poured herself a mug, before walking back towards the table and taking a seat across from Ronnie. Ronnie looked down towards the food in front of her before looking around towards the two seated beside her.

"Go ahead...enjoy." Joyce spoke softly, encouraging the girl to start eating.

Ronnie reached down and grabbed the fork from the table and began to stab a few pieces of pancake onto it. She looked at it in wonder before bringing the fork to her mouth and taking a bite. Ronnie had never had pancakes before, the lab only feeding the children oatmeal for breakfast and sometimes toast with eggs, but never pancakes. Ronnie moaned from the sweet taste and closed her eyes, enjoying the new food, before cupping her hand over her mouth in embarrassment. Jonathan couldn't help the laugh that escaped him as he looked towards her.

"Good right?" He spoke before taking another bite of his food. Ronnie nodded her head before swallowing.

"Very good." She turned her gaze towards Joyce. "Thank you."

"Of course," Joyce spoke as she nervously moved her hand around the mug in her grasp. "So...Seven...where did come from?"

Ronnie looked between Jonathan and Joyce, a sense of hesitation now in her body language, before she set her fork down. She looked down towards her lap and once again began to nervously fiddle with her hands.

"It's ok...you're safe." Joyce spoke noticing the girl's nervousness "We want to help you."

Ronnie looked back up towards them. "Help?" Joyce smiled and nodded "I-I come from not...far."

"So...from Hawkins?" Jonathan asked looking towards her, breakfast now forgotten. Ronnie nodded.

"Ok...um...where are your parents?" Joyce asked

"Dead." She spoke quickly and looked back towards Joyce, her face blank as she spoke.

Joyce frowned "Your parents are dead?" Ronnie nodded her head.

"Died a long time ago. Papa killed them." Ronnie reached down for the fork and took a few more bites from the breakfast down in front of her.

"Whose Papa?" Jonathan spoke after a long pause.

"Bad man." Ronnie looked up towards him through her lashes before she took another bite of food. "I-I left Papa...needed safe...save Eleven..."

Ronnie gasped – she had forgotten about Eleven till that moment. Her eyes began to water and she quickly moved from the table. Joyce and Jonathan moved quickly with her as they followed her towards the front door. Tears streaked down the girls face as she moved towards the front door, her thoughts only on Eleven, and needing to find her. But before Ronnie could open the door, Jonathan wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close towards his chest. The sudden touch sent Ronnie's mind into panic and she began to fight against his hold. Screaming 'no' over and over as he pulled her away from the door. He moved her towards the couch, his hold almost slipping a few times, and knelt down in front of her. Jonathan could see the clear panic in her eyes as she fought to head back towards the door. Joyce cupped her hand over her mouth as she watched the scene in front of her. Feeling both helplessness and sadness for the broken girl in front of her.

"Seven! Seven you're safe!" Jonathan spoke over and over, moving to grab her face and having her eyes meet with his. "You're safe. You're safe."

As Jonathan repeated the mantra over and over it seemed to calm Ronnie down and bring her back to the present. She panted heavily as she reached for Jonathan's wrist as he held her face.

"That's it...that's it...you're safe." He spoke before looking over his shoulder towards his mother. The look in his eyes holding the same sympathy that Joyce had. He looked back towards Ronnie as he spoke. "We're going to help you find your friend. But we need to help you first. Ok?"

"Help?" Ronnie whimpered, tears still cascading down her gray cheeks as she looked down towards him.

"Yes. Help."

Jonathan moved his hands away from Ronnie's face, her body falling limp slightly from the sudden rush of adrenaline, her arms moving along with his. As her arms moved something caught Jonathan's attention. He moved her forearm up so that her elbow rested against her thigh and staring back up towards him was a tattoo. A tattoo of the numbers 007. His eyes widened and looked to see his mother had moved closer and she was also looking down towards the same marking.

"Seven." Ronnie's eyes quickly looked towards Joyce. "Who did this." Joyce lightly touched the tattoo on the inner bend of Ronnie's elbow.

"Papa." Ronnie whispered sniffling lightly.

Joyce's stomach dropped and the realization quickly hit her as she looked towards the marking. It was a brand. She looked over Ronnie's face and sighed softly, moving to sit beside her, and really look at her. The dark, almost black, eyes. The faint freckles that have greatly faded but were still present along the girls cheeks and nose. The long black hair that surrounded her shoulders. The more and more Joyce looked towards her the more she seemed familiar.

"You look like someone that I used to know." Joyce whispered, her thoughts spoke a loud. She frowned and reached to tightly grab Ronnie's hand. "I know someone that can help. His name is Hopper and he can also try and help find your friend."

"Eleven?" Ronnie spoke with a hopeful look washing over her face.

"Yes." Joyce smiled "We're gonna make sure you get help and don't have to go back to the people that did this to you."

Joyce's fingers lightly touched over the branding tattoo on Ronnie's arm.

"I'm gonna get you some proper clothes and we're gonna head down to Hopper's office." Joyce spoke to both Jonathan and Ronnie.

AN: Thank you again for all the reviews! You guys seem to really be enjoying it and that makes me happy. For those that asked specifically what Veronica's age is – she's 16 going on 17. That is why I said she as Jonathan & Steve's age. She's right between them. She did know the Byer's before she was taken, as it was shown in the last chapter, and she's a few months older than Jonathan. Ronnie doesn't fully remember them – she feels they are familiar, but don't worry. She's going to figure out who they are over time. I want you guys to get a sense of Veronica before jumping right into the season one time line. The next chapter we are going to start doing that, so don't worry. Please leave a review and ask questions I love answering them. If you're a guest reviewer I'll try and answer them in a note like this!