Just in case you missed it, I went back and edited last chapter cause I had a change of heart and couldn't do that to my babies Jonathan and Samantha. Hope you guys don't mind the whiplash like change haha
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The car ride was anything but quiet; they were all trying to come up with suggestions of what to do, where to go and eventually, they decided to take shelter in Hopper's cabin. It was out of the way, secluded and Max had made the good point that Billy didn't know where it was so he wouldn't be able to send any other nasty creatures their way.
When they're present and accounted for inside, Samantha slips back outside to sit on the small porch, telling Lucas that's where she'll be if anybody needs her.
Letting out a sigh, she rests her head in her hands, thinking about what they all just went through at the hospital.
The hospital...god, she didn't even know if her dad was alive, if he was even working.
"Please," she whispers, to anybody who's listening, "Be alive. Just please, be alive."
When the door creeks open behind her, she turns to see Jonathan and she gives him a weak smile.
"Hey," he murmurs, taking the empty spot beside her, kissing her forehead when she she rests against his shoulder, "You okay?"
"Did you...when you were upstairs in the hospital, was my dad there? I mean, did you see him?"
He's shaking his head before she's even finished her question, "No. He wasn't there."
She nods, his words giving her a smidge of reassurance.
Wrapping his arm around her, "How are you doing? You know, with Billy and Heather?"
Samantha raises a hand to toy with his fingers, "I was supposed to be working the day Billy got Heather. It was supposed to be me and him on the close but I...after the fight with you, I called in sick and now, I can't stop thinking that it would have been me who he flayed. I'd be one of the people trying to hurt you guys, hurt Eleven. If I had gone into work-"
"Don't," Jonathan squeezes her hand, "This is not your fault."
"She was covering for me," her eyes burn, "She took that shift thinking it would be a little extra money and now..."
Jonthan turns so he can wrap his arms around her, holding her tightly as she sobs into his shoulder, pressing kisses to the top of her head and rubbing her back trying to soothe her.
When they eventually return into the cabin, sans tears, they walk in to see Eleven sat cross legged on the floor, the TV on in front of her set to static.
The rest of the group shush them when they come in and with furrowed brows, they join Max and Lucas who are sat on the sofa.
"What's going on?" Samantha asks, making sure to keep her voice down.
"She's looking for Billy," Max whispers, "See if she can find out where he's hiding, where the Mind Flayer is hiding."
They sit in silence, listening to Eleven's rapid breathing and Samantha watches as blood trickles from her nose.
They jump when she pulls off the mask covering her eyes and Max is immediately by her side, "What's he doing?"
"Sitting in his room," she says slowly, "On his bed."
"Is he alone?"
"Alone," she nods, pushing up from the floor.
Nancy's eyes follow her as she goes into the kitchen and grabs a glass before looking at Max, "Is that normal?"
"Sitting in his room alone on the Fourth of July? No, that's not normal."
"He wants us to find him." Will points out and Nancy nods.
"That's what I was afraid of."
"If we go to Billy," Samantha stands, "Then the rest of them will know where we are as well."
"We'll be ambushed," Mike nods, "It's a trap."
"But it won't be a surprise. We'll know that they're coming and we, will kick their flayed butts." Lucas grins and Samantha has to admire his optimism.
"We?" Max snorts, "You mean El will kick their flayed butts."
Jonathan, though silent, stands between Nancy and Samantha, awkwardly chewing on his thumbnail, "It's too risky."
"And unnecessary," Samantha points out -as much as she hates to agree with him right now. Wait, was she being petty? "Killing the Flayed won't stop the Mind Flayer."
"She's right," Nancy nods, "We have to find the source."
"Billy knows it," Eleven says as she steps back into the room with her glass of water, "Billy's been there - to the source."
"But-"
"It's a trap," she interrupts Mike, "I know. We can't go to Billy but I think there's another way."
"The TV thing again?" Samantha asks and the girl nods, grabbing the bandana she was using before to cover her eyes once more.
While she gets comfortable on the floor, Samantha sits back down on the sofa beside Max, giving her what she hopes is a reassuring smile. Lucas and Will join them and she scoots up to make room for them.
Mike sets up the TV and Eleven ties the bandana around her head tightly and over her eyes.
"He's still in his room." she says quietly.
Everyone makes sure to stay quiet, knowing how much focus and energy she need when she does this but Samantha grows worried when the girl's breathing starts picking up again.
"Something's wrong," Mike says over her whimpering, reaching out a hand to rest on her shoulder but stills when she falls silent once more, "El, are you okay?"
"I'm okay," she says softly.
"What's going on?"
"I'm...on a beach," she tells them and Samantha frowns. There aren't any beaches in Hawkins.
"What else do you see?" Max asks.
"A woman. She's...pretty. I think she's looking a me. There's a boy." she's quiet for a few minutes, "It's Billy."
A look of realisation crosses Max's face, "It's California."
Of course it's California. Billy wasn't quiet in voicing his disdain for Hawkins and Samantha has lost count of how many times she'd heard him say that as soon as he could, as soon as he had the means, he was going to go back to The Golden State. That was his home. Of course it was his safe place.
"I think I see it," Eleven suddenly whispers and Nancy perks up, "The source."
"Come on," Samantha whispers, leaning forward, "Come on."
"I think I've found it."
Samantha scrambles to find a pen and something to write on, hand poised to scribble down any details she might be able to give, "Where are you, El?"
"Brimborn...Steelworks."
Jonatha leaps up from his chair and grabs the phonebook, slamming it down on the counter beside Samantha as he flicks through it, "Uh, steelworks, steelworks-"
"There," she whispers, pointing to the small section of details.
"6522 Cherry-Oak Drive."
"That's close," Nancy nods, "Get her out."
"El," Mike gets down on the floor beside her, "El, we found it. Get out of there."
But he doesn't. She sits there, letting out quiet sobs and despite Mike trying his best, he can't bring her out of it.
"El!" he gives her shoulders a shake.
"Stop!" Max yells, "Mike, it's not working."
"Why can't she get out?" Will cries.
"Maybe she's found another memory?" Samantha offers desperately as everyone starts yelling at each other.
"No!" everyone falls silent when Eleven screams, "No!"
"What's going on?"
"Get away!" finally, she rips the bandana off her eyes and they all collectively breathe a sigh of relief, Samantha leaning on the counter in front of him.
"Shit."
Jonathan reaches out a hand and rests it on her shoulder, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb.
"El," Mike wraps his arms around her tightly, "Hey, you're okay."
They get her situated on the couch and Samantha grabs a cloth and runs it under the tap so she can get rid of the blood that's staining her skin.
"What happened?" Max asks gently as they all gather round her, Samantha sitting down on the floor, peering out of the window when the fireworks start going off at the nearby fair.
"He said he was building something. That it was all for me."
"Building something?" Max repeats.
"He has to be talking about the Flayed," Samantha murmurs, "He's building an army just like we thought."
"Yeah but he's not building it to spread," Lucas is pacing behind the sofa, "He's building it to stop Eleven."
Mike nods in agreement, "Last year, El closed the gate on him. I have a feeling that really pissed him off."
"Royally."
"And now the Mind Flayer knows that she's the only thing that can stop him. But if she's out of the way..."
"Game over."
"He also said that he was going to kill all of you."
Samantha's blood runs cold and she pulls the sleeves over her jumper down over her hands, "Isn't that nice."
Nancy suddenly stands, moving towards the window and she can't help but notice that Will stands too.
She can tell that something's wrong just by the way she's standing and she herself slowly gets up, "Nance? What is it?"
"Do you guys hear that?"
"It's just the fireworks." Jonathan tell her.
Samantha moves to stand beside Nancy, peering out of the window. It was loud, the fireworks are loud but even over that, she can hear it - a faint screeching sound.
"There's something in the woods."
"Billy," Nancy spins to look at Eleven, "When he told you this, it was here, in this room?"
She nods, looking up when the approaching thudding becomes more noticable and the rest of the group start to react.
Samantha lets out a shaky breath when Will raises his hand to the back of his neck, knowing what that means.
He knew where they were.