There's No Place Like Hawkins//Stranger Things. SH

FORTY THREE

"They were gonna leave you two behind." Dustin told the older teens.

"Oh, my God." Steve was starting to freak out. Cat screwed her eyes shut and buried her face in Steve's jacket, her fingers now clinging tightly onto his t-shirt.

"I promised that you'd be cool, okay?" Dustin said, still holding the icepack to Steve's head. Cat reached up and snatched the icepack from his hands, mumbling something about needing it more, and placed it on her nose- her face still buried in Steve's jacket.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on?" Steve yelled as Max sped up the car.

"Are we going to die?" Cat asked, looking up at Steve. "I don't want to die."

"You're not gonna die. Stop being dramatic." Lucas chided, his eyes focused on the map he was holding.

"Oh, my God. No! Whoa! Stop the car. Slow down." Steve yelled, continuing to freak out.

"I told you they'd freak out." Mike fired at Dustin.

"Stop the car!"

"I don't want to die!"

"Everybody shut up!" Max yelled. "I'm trying to focus!"

"Oh, wait, that's Mount Sinai." Lucas yelled, pointing out the window. "Make a left."

"What?"

"Make a left."

Max turned the wheel suddenly, crashing into a letterbox as she spun the car round the sudden turning. Everyone started screaming, Cat and Steve screaming the most. Cat had fresh tears of fear (and pain from her various injuries) roll down her face.

"I don't want to die." She muttered, pushing her face further into Steve's chest as everyone was thrown about in the back of the car.

***

Max stopped the car very suddenly, throwing everyone forwards in their seats. "Holy shit!" Cat yelled as she and Steve were thrown forward, her head colliding with the edge of Lucas' seat.

"Incredible." Mike said.

"That was absolutely terrifying." Cat muttered, pushing herself into a sitting position on Steve's lap.

"I told you." Max said. "Zoomer."

"Can I go home now?" Cat asked, shaking from fear.

"No." Lucas said to her. "We came here to help the others and that's exactly what we're gonna do." Cat sighed and leant her head back against Steve's shoulder. The kids all clambered out of the car, and Cat and Steve followed, falling out of the blue Camaro.

"Guys." Steve muttered, attempting to gain the attention of the kids who were 'suiting up' for their adventure in the tunnels. He leant himself on the car as Cat went over to the trunk and started putting her own gear on- she might have been slightly dazed and very injured, but she'd be damned if she didn't help one way or another. "Oh, no. Guys." Mike walked past him towards the entrance to the tunnels, Max and Lucas right behind him. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" The ignored him. "What are you, deaf? Hello? We are not going down there right now. I made myself clear."

"Stevie, honey," Cat walked over to him with her gear, placing the goggles over her eyes. "We're going down there. You can stay up here if you're that against this, and I'll look after the kids down there. But we have to do this." She placed a gentle hand on his arm and his features instantly softened. "A party member requires assistance, my sister needs our help, and so it's their- our," she corrected herself, "job to provide them with that help."