𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻.

sixteen.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐄

edited.
4508 words.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Mike..."

The two collided into each other, wrapping their arms around one another. Mike pulled away, smiling as tears slid down his cheeks. "I never gave up on you, I called you every night. Every night for-"

"353 days." Eleven smiled, "I heard."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were there? That you were okay?" Hopper stepped forward, his gun lowered. "Because I wouldn't let her." Everyone turned to him, y/n still busy staring at Eleven in shock.

"The hell is this? Where you been?" Hopper started over to the girl, Mike taking a step back. "Where you been?" Eleven shot back, the two hugging. "You've been hiding her. You've been hiding her this whole time!"

Mike shoved the man, Hopper turning. "Let's talk. Alone." He pulled Mike into another room, Eleven turning her gaze to y/n. The girl finally snapped out of trance, running forward. She collided with her sister, sobbing.

"El...I miss you so much!" She cried, Eleven smiling. "I missed you too." y/n pulled back, wiping at the blood falling down Eleven's nose. "I write you letters everyday, to keep you caught up." She smiled.

y/n stepped back, Jonathan setting a hand on her shoulder. Eleven then turned to Dustin and Lucas, hugging the two boys. "We missed you." Lucas informed, Eleven reflecting his statement. "I missed you too."

They pulled away, Dustin grinning. "We talked about you pretty much everyday." Eleven looked at the boy in confusion, sticking her thumb into his mouth. "Teeth." Dustin shook her hand away, confused. "What?"

"You have teeth."

y/n stifled a laugh, Dustin smiling even wider. "You like these pearls?" He made a weird growling like noise, Eleven stepping back. "Eleven." Max stepped forward, excited to meet the girl she had been told so much about.

"Hey, um- I'm Max." She held out her hand, "I've heard a lot about you." Eleven just ignored her, walking past to Joyce. Max looked disappointed, y/n shooting her a sympathetic glance. Normally Eleven would have greeted her, did Max do something?

"Hey sweetheart." Joyce hugged the girl to her chest, pulling away after a moment and cupping her cheeks in her hands. She smiled, Eleven sniffling. "Can I see him?" Joyce sighed, leading the girl down the hall towards Will and y/n's room.

y/n pulled away from Jonathan to follow, stepping into the room behind Joyce. "He's not doing well..."Eleven knelt next to the boy, "I know. I saw."

"What else did you see?"

Eleven glanced up at y/n, standing again. She led the two out the room and to the kitchen table, the words 'close gate' written on a paper. Joyce began to realize what it meant, turning to Eleven. "You opened this gate before, right?"

Eleven pursed her lips, "Yes." y/n began to catch her drift, "C-Could you close it?" Eleven stayed silent, exchanging glances with her sister.

"Yes."

***

"It's not like it was before. It's grown, a lot." The group stood huddled around the table, trying to come up with a plan of action. "And that's considering we can get in there, the place is crawling with those dogs."

"Demodogs." Dustin corrected, Lucas face palming. "I'm sorry what?" Hopper turned to the boy, Dustin explaining. "I said demodogs. Like demogorgon and dogs, you put them together, it sounds pretty badass-"