When they arrived at the Wheeler house the three boys were on their bikes in the driveway waiting for Rosie. "Finally!" Mike shouted when they pulled in.
"Thanks for the ride" she said to Oliver giving his arm a small squeeze "I'll see you tomorrow"
"No problem" he relied as they both exited the car Rosie running to get her bike as Oliver walked towards his front door. He watched as she got on and started to cycle with her boys waving goodbye to each other till she was out of sight.
They found El at the power lines staring off into space with a slightly worried look on her face. "Hey El, are you okay?" Rosie asked the young girl concerned.
She nodded in response before Mike patted the back of his bike seat "Hop on then. We only have a few hours"
She sat down behind him holding on to his bike and off the cycled into the woods for Operation Mirkwood.
~~~~~~~
They were walking wheeling their bikes with them through the woods, Mike and Eleven in front with Dustin, Lucas and Rosie walking behind. Rosie watched the two young kids in front of her as they talked before she turned to Lucas.
"What's going on with those two?" She asked him.
"I don't know, Mike's being all weird around her like he loves her or something" Lucas told her with a disgusted tone.
"Yeah like you and Oliver" Dustin added.
"What?!" Rosie turned to her little brother "We've been over this before, I don't like Oliver like that okay, we're just friends" she once again had to defend herself against the boys "Well whatever's going on between them it's sweet"
"It's disgusting if what it is" Lucas argued.
"You say that now Sinclair but sometime in the future when your crushing on some girl it won't be so disgusting then" after she finished Dustin began laughing making her turn to him with eyebrows "Same for you Dusty"
"Yeah Dusty" Lucas mocked getting a small smack on the arm from Rosie as they laughed continuing their journey.
The two other boys started laughing about something else but Rosie couldn't stop thinking about what they said about her and Oliver.
She knew they were just teasing but did it look like they wanted to be a couple? The only crush Rosie had really had was when she ended up falling hard for her best friend at the time Steve Harrington.
She had never gotten the nerve to tell him how she felt which resulted in him going with girl after girl while she stood by trying to remain his supportive best friend. However there had been points when she wanted to run from their friendship as it was so hard watching the boy she wanted look anywhere but at her.
So when Steve started hanging out with Carol and Tommy she took it as her opportunity to slip away from him with the excuse of not wanting to hang out with the other too.
Whenever Steve talked to her though there was always a small part that wanted to confess what she felt but she knew he was happy with Nancy. So she let him be happy.
~~~~~~~~~
It was dark by now as Eleven lead them down the dirt path. Their bikes headlights were the only thing lighting the way as they trailed down the path completely exhausted from walking so far.
Soon enough a house came into a view making Rosie think maybe they had finally reached where Will was hiding. That was until she realised it was Will's own house.
"Here" she told them.
"Yeah, this is where Will lives" Mike stated,confused.
"Hiding" El told them as Rosie stepped forward to the girl.
"No no, this is where he lives" Mike tried clarifying "He's missing from here. Understand?"
The other boys let their bikes drop to the ground in defeat. "What are we doing here?" Lucas asked.
"She said he's hiding here" Rosie said trying to understand what El could be meaning.
"Um...no!"
"I swear, if we walked all the way out here for nothing-" Dustin panted clearly annoyed.
"That's exactly what we did" Lucas informed him. "I told she didn't know what the hell she was talking about!"
Rosie could sense the boys starting to get pissed so turned to El "Why did you bring us here?" She asked softly.
"Rosie don't waist your time with her. Or you Mike"
"What do you want to them?" Mike questioned.
"Call the cops, like we should have done yesterday"
"We can't call the cops" Rosie pointed out to him.
The three continued to argue their voices over lapping until Dustin shouted loud enough "GUYS!"
They all looked in his direction and were silent. That's when they heard the sound of sirens approaching them. From down the road they saw two police cars and ambulance rush past.
"Will" Rosie said in a slight whisper but they heard and all began to run towards their bikes. They all climbed on and started peddling as fast as they could trying to catch up.
They finally arrived where all the emergency services vehicles were parked together. Rosie finally realised they were at the bank of the quarry. And then she saw the firefighters in the water with a stretcher.
And then she saw the lifeless body they pulled out the water.
And her heart stopped.
Her ears were ringing and she couldn't hear anything the boys around her were saying to each other. She leaned against the back of the fire engine they were stood behind,clutching her stomach as she felt the tears begging to fall down her cheeks.
She didn't know what he was saying but she heard Mike shouting at Eleven out of anger and sadness. He had gotten his hopes up that Will was okay. But he wasn't.
Mike started to walk away as the others tried calling him back. Rosie meanwhile could feel her breathing begin to pick up and she knew what it meant.
The remaining boys and girl looked at her worriedly trying to get her to talk but she didn't until she had began walking away from the truck. "Go home guys"
She needed to find the person she knew could help her with her panic attack.
The red and blue lights around her brought her back to the night her and her dad got into the car crash that killed him. And when that happened and she started having her panic attack it was none other then Hopper who calmed her down.
She saw him standing looking at Will's body and felt her sobs become harder making her breathing worse.
Officer Callaghan saw her standing in the midst of everyone and shouted "Hey Chief, the Henderson teenagers here!"
Hopper turned and saw her standing in a state of panic and confusing so instantly ran to her. "Rosie why are you here?" He helped her control her breathing before she would answer him.
"It's my fault"
"Ros-"
"No don't go and tell me it's an accident cause it is my fault. I let him ride home all alone, I should have made him let me drive him home or cycled with him. Or I sho-"
"Hey, hey listen to me" he told her sternly "There was no stopping what happened. The worlds a cruel place sometimes and this is definitely one of those occasions"
She looked over his shoulder and saw Will's innocent young body getting zipped up into a body bag. That was what broke the dam and caused her to fall down while sobbing.
"I'm sorry Will, I'm sorry" she repeated over and over. Hopper held her close to him like he had the night he found her on the road by herself after the car crash.
She didn't know where he was taking her as he led her away from everyone's prying eyes. She then heard the sound of a door and realised he was putting her into the passenger seat of his car while Powell put her bike in the back.
"We're going to the Byers then you're going home" he told her climbing in the drivers seat.
~~~~~~~
Back at the Wheeler house Oliver was sat at the dining room table trying to do homework but ultimately procrastinating it.
He heard the door close and turned to see Mike had come in. He only had to look at his little brothers face once to know something was wrong.
"Mike" he called getting up from his seat making his brother stop. "What's happened?"
Mike never answered simply wrapping his arms round his brother, burying his head into Oliver's shoulder as he held him tightly.
Oliver wasn't expecting it but he held his brother close anyway, feeling the sobs rocking his body. "It's okay I've got you. It's okay"
He saw their mom watching them from the entrance to the living room confused but Oliver didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do other than stand and hug his brother.
~~~~~~~
Meanwhile Rosie had to sit awkwardly in Hopper's truck while he went in and broke the news to Joyce and Jonathan. Her cheeks were stained with the tears that had finally stopped and she could just tell her eyes were red and puffy.
She watched Hopper walk out followed by Callaghan and Powell who shared a few words with the chief of police before going to their own car both looking over at Rosie before they did.
Hopper got in the drivers side,taking his hat off and letting out a sigh of defeat. He turned to the girl beside him running a hand over his head before he spoke "You shouldn't of been there kid. Shouldn't of had to see that"
Rosie didn't have anything to say as Hopper pulled out the Byers driveway and started driving down the road. Rosie was so spaced out she assumed he was driving her home but when they stopped she looked and saw they were outside a gas station.
It was the same gas station Hopper would take her to when she wanted to talk about anything really. He understood ever since her husband died Mrs Henderson had been working more to support her children so sometimes Rosie would go to him instead.
Hopper exited the truck without a word walking into the gas station and Rosie knew exactly why. The night her father died he had wanted to help her in anyway so he asked her if there was anything he could get her. And her answer was a blue slushie.
They had been her dad's favourites and drinking them reminded her of him. So now out came Hopper with two large blue slushes in his hands. He passed hers to her and then he climbed back into the drivers seat.
The only sound was them sipping their icy drinks until Rosie spoke up "What about the boys? How am I meant to help them?"
"Just be there for them" he told her and Rosie could hear the sincerity in his voice. "Take tomorrow off, take the time to grieve Will, to think of all the good times you had together"
"I will. Thank you Hop" Rosie smiled.
"Your dad would be so proud of you" he told her and her eyes watered at the idea of her dad seeing who she had grown into.
A little while later Hopper drove Rosie home to where a very worried Mrs Henderson was relived to see her daughter safe and sound. Rosie went straight to her room as Hopper spoke with her mom and found her younger brother sat on her bed with tear stained eyes.
"I didn't know where you went" He cried running and hugging her tighter than ever.
"I'm here now" she comforted him.