Come Together - Steve Harrington [1]

10: gone.

~love is a battlefield - pat benatar~

JENNIFER SAT IN BETWEEN NANCY AND HER MOM IN THE BYERS LIVING ROOM, awaiting the return of her brother and his friends. Paul and Hopper had left over an hour ago in search of the boys and still hadn't returned. Jennifer wasn't alone in feeling worried.

For the first part of the hour, there was slight conversation filling the room. But for the second, silence had overtaken the small house.

Until Hoppers police SUV finally pulled up in front of the house.

Jennifer raced passed Jonathan and Joyce who had both made their way to the doorway. She spotted Matt standing amongst his friends and immediately started for him. When Matt saw her, he moved forward and into her arms straight away.

"Matt!" she exclaimed, holding the boy's head. "I was so worried about you!"

A few feet away, Nancy was giving Mike the exact same treatment, much to Mikes dismay. Amanda shoved past Jennifer and pulled her son into her arms. Although she was pissed that her children had been keeping her in the dark about all that had been going on, she was glad they were safe.

Jennifer looked past her mother and brother and spotted a young girl standing with the boys. She was wearing a pink dress with a sweater and her head was shaved.

That was the girl.

"Is that my dress?" Nancy asked, noticing the pale dress.

After the boys tried their best to explain what was going on, the group decided to make a plan. So, everyone gathered around the small table in the Byers kitchen while Mike drew something out on a piece of paper.

"Okay, so, in this example, we're the acrobat. Will and Barbara, and that monster, they're this flea," Mike explained to the older group. "And this is the Upside Down, where Will is hiding,"

"Mr. Clarke said the only way to get there is through a rip of time and space," Matt continued.

"A gate," Dustin added.

"That we tracked to Hawkins lab," Lucas told the group.

"With our compasses," Dustin said eagerly before pausing at the look of confusion on the older group's faces. "Okay, so the gate has a really strong electromagnetic field, and that can change the direction of a compass needle,"

"Is this gate underground?" Hopper asked quietly.

All four boys looked towards Hopper, none knowing how to answer.

"Yes,"

Jennifer turned to look at the young girl she now knew as Eleven. This was the first time she had even heard her speak.