Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THE FIRST THING AMARA DID after she and the others returned to the Byers house was dial the phone number of the friend her brother was staying the night with after the Queen concert. When Carter answered the phone, he was confused as to why Kevin's sister was calling so late at night but nevertheless handed the phone over to him. Amara proceeded to inform Kevin that she was alive and that they had succeeded in completing Steve's homework (the excuse Steve had used when he had called Amara for help the previous night). With a promise to explain everything tomorrow, Amara agreed to meet Kevin at Lake Tippecanoe at 2 pm the following day so they could make it seem to their parents as if they'd traveled back home together.
Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy had already returned with Will, who despite being gaunt and pallid was himself once more. His friends had the chance to reunite with him, all overjoyed that he was freed from the Mind Flayer. Hopper and Eleven returned shortly afterward, the latter barely clinging to consciousness with blood streaking down her face. He and Joyce were quick to bundle her up in a blanket and dab at her wounds. As Hopper made to grab some bandages from the bathroom, he caught sight of Billy, who was still out cold on the floor. Nobody had bothered placing him on the couch – they'd merely moved his body out of the way to prevent him from blocking the doorway.
"Who's this punk?" Hopper questioned, angling down to get a better look at him. "What's with his hair?"
"He's my stepbrother," Max hastily explained. "I think he was looking for me, but he attacked Lucas and then Steve when he stepped in. I had to sedate him."
"Jesus Christ," Hopper murmured, straightening his back and facing Max, as well as Lucas who had approached her side. He understood Billy's motive for harassing Lucas because that type of bias was prevalent within the police force despite his best efforts to eliminate it. "You need me to tell your family, kid?" he asked Lucas.
"I think I'm good," Lucas told Hopper, even though he was shaken just by looking at Billy. "Max probably scared him enough when she hit him with Steve's bat. Thanks, though."
It was only then that Hopper took notice of how battered all of them looked, not just Steve. Mike had one of his legs propped on the coffee table, Dustin was visibly upset for some reason, and they were all sporting bandannas beneath their chins. "What the hell did you kids get up to?" he interrogated.
Mike, Max, Dustin, and Lucas clamored, all trying to tell Hopper their rationale for disobeying his orders to stay put at the house, worried that he'd unleash his temper on them. Hopper couldn't understand a word they were saying, not when they were gabbing over one another.
"Guys, guys, guys," Amara gestured with her hands for them to stop before she faced the Chief. "Sorry we left the house. We just wanted to help – "
" – And you did," Hopper interrupted, recalling how fortunate he and Eleven had been when the Demodogs had abandoned the gate, only now he knew it wasn't sheer luck. "Whatever you did saved our lives."
