The Overcomer, Stranger Things

Going Home

Christmas Eve...

Gwen Byers' leg bounced up and down impatiently as she waited for Hopper to get back. She was going home today. El, who was sitting next to the anxious girl, gently placed a hand on her knee to stop the annoying bouncing. Eleven was happy for Gwen, but the older girl couldn't help but feel disheartened since Hopper was still confining her in the cabin. The chief of police said that she just had to "wait a little bit longer." But how long would that be? Both girls snapped out of their thoughts when Hopper's secret knock resonated from the door.

Knock. Knock.

Knock.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Gwen and El grinned at each other before racing toward the door. The Byers girl swung the door open to reveal an unusually happy-looking Hopper. The man would never admit it, but he was a big old softie when it came to Gwen. He knew the girl missed her family terribly, and the feeling was definitely mutual. The Byers family had been an absolute wreck without her. Hopper took his fedora off and placed it on his chest as he stepped inside the threshold. The policeman bent down to the Byers girl's level.

"Are you ready to go home?"

~:~

Joyce Byers frowned slightly as she saw Hopper's truck pull into her driveway. What is he doing here? The woman's frown deepened as the Christmas lights, that she still had hung up, started blinking rapidly. The last time they did that was when Gwen was here. Gwen. Her sweet baby girl... that she hasn't seen for 42 days, 21 hours, 37 minutes, and 16 seconds. The broken mother tried to be strong for Johnathan and Will, but they saw right through her. Their family was crumbling to pieces without Gwen.

Joyce was brought out of her thoughts when a knock came from the door. She hurried to the door, praying that Hopper had some word on her girl. The paranoid woman furrowed her eyebrows when she was met with a nearly giddy-looking Hopper on her doorstep. He was practically bubbling with excitement. What was he up to?

"What's wrong with your face?" Joyce asked, pointing at the big smile prominent on his face.

Hopper glared at her before answering, "I have a Christmas present for you and the boys."

Joyce sighed before she started, "Hop, you didn't have to get us anything --"

"Oh you'll want this," Hopper interrupted, making Joyce give him a weird look.

"Okayyy..." Joyce trailed out questionably before calling out to her boys.

"Johnathan, Will come here please!" Joyce kept her eyes narrowed on Hopper suspiciously as her son's footsteps stopped on either side of her.

"What is it, mom?" Johnathan asked as he put a hand on his mom's shoulder.

"Is there any news about Gwen?" Will questioned excitedly, getting a sympathetic look and a shoulder rub from his mom.

"I don't know honey," she answered Will first before turning to respond to Johnathan. "Apparently Hopper has a present for us," Joyce shrugged.

Hopper grinned at the Byers, knowing he was about to rock their world, before turning to his truck.

"You can come out now!"

~:~

Gwen smiled as she heard Hopper yell. The girl opened the passenger door of his large truck before slowly sliding out. Even though she had been out of the Upside Down for more than a month, the small girl was still very frail. Gwen's boots crunched over the powdery snow as she walked around the front of the truck. All eyes were on the Byers girl as she stepped into view.

The three Byers standing on the porch seemed to be in a state of shock as their missing family member appeared like a vision. Big, majestical snowflakes fell around the blond-headed girl, making her look like an angel. Will was the first of the group to snap out of his daze. The 12-year-old's face broke into a mega-watt smile as he ran over to his little sister. Gwen laughed as her brother tackled her into a hug, causing them both to fall into a pile of snow. Meanwhile, on the Byer's porch, Joyce and Johnathan were wondering if this was too good to be true.

Joyce had a tight grip on Johnathan's arm as she whispered, neither of them daring to take their eyes off of Gwen, "Is this real? Is she really here?"

Joyful tears slipped down Johnathan's face as he responded, "Yeah mom. She's really here."

Not wasting another moment, Joyce ran to her daughter. The nurturing mother scooped her girl into a suffocating embrace as tears trickled down both of their faces. Gwen burrowed herself deeper in her mom's arms, never wanting to let go. Joyce pulled back just enough to cup her daughter's cheeks, scanning every square inch of her face with loving eyes. The older woman smiled tearfully as she caressed her daughter's face, still in awe that she was right here in front of her.

Gwen sniffled before gently placing her hands on either side of her mom's face. Joyce's grin seemed to get even bigger as Gwen carefully wiped her tears away. The doting mother tenderly took both of her daughter's hands in her own and placed a sweet kiss on the girl's knuckles. The 7-year-old's attention was momentarily taken away from her mother when she heard the shutter of a camera sound a few feet away from her. Gwen couldn't help but beam when she saw her oldest brother taking pictures of the mother-daughter duo from the porch.

"JOHNATHAN!" Gwen cheered, before racing over to him.

The Byers girl laughed as she heard the click of the camera go off again, and again, and again! It seemed that every time the girl took a step it was documented on film. As Gwen stepped onto the porch, the overprotective brother had his arms wide open to hug his youngest sibling. Gwen took full advantage, not hesitating to catapult herself into Johnathan's embrace. The Byers girl smiled as she felt two more pairs of arms wrap around her, knowing it was her mom and Will.

The Byers family was whole again.