Together Again

Chapter 3 - The Flower (part 5)

Steve, Jonathan and Nancy got in the car as they watched the kids head back towards Lucas's house. They decided they needed to figure out what was going on with the shadow. They drove towards the police station and were going to talk about it in Steve's office. He had a computer with lots of files about Hawkins they could use. And a few maps of Hawkins.

They arrived at the police station and he led them inside. Flo was sitting at the front desk and he introduced them as his friends who wanted to talk to him about something. He then led them to his office and pulled out a map. Nancy grabbed a pen off his desk and circled the junkyard, then the spot that Steve found Nancy being chased, and then the spot where they found Jonathan earlier. They were all within 1 square mile. They decided that it must live somewhere in that square mile, but where?

The weird part was that this time it was not that close to the lab. In that square mile, there was only the junkyard, a pumpkin patch, and a bunch of forest.

"It has to live in one of those places." Steve stated

"I'm guessing the pumpkin patch is out, there would be no where for it to hide there." Jonathan explained

"So it's either the forest or the junkyard." Steve realized

"The first time Mike saw it was in the junkyard, and I was in the junkyard when it almost got me. So it's gotta be living in the Junkyard."

After lots of discussion they came to the conclusion that it must live in the Junkyard. Jonathan left the office to go to the bathroom. Steve and Nancy were left alone. Steve asked what had happened with her and Jonathan. The two barely made eye contact all day. And after Nancy's conversation with him yesterday, he guessed that things were over.

"We ended it." Nancy replied, tearing up.

Steve quickly took her in his arms, as a friend again. He held her as she gulped down tears. "Hey, don't cry. You don't need a man Nance, your a beautiful strong woman." Steve comforted. "Unless, your looking for someone to fill that position." Steve joked. Nancy chuckled and playfully punched him in the arm.

They heard footsteps coming down the hall and quickly pulled apart, they didn't want to give Jonathan the wrong impression. The door creaked open and they expected Jonathan to walk in, but it wasn't.

"Robin?" Nancy asked when she saw the persons face.

"I'm sorry, your receptionist didn't tell me you had company." Robin said to Steve. Then turned to walk out.

"Robin wait." Steve instructed. Then asked, "you two know each other?" Pointing from Robin to Nancy.

"She is Hoppers nurse." Nancy explained. "What are you doing here?" Nancy asked Robin. Nancy hoped Steve couldn't hear the hint of jealousy in her voice. Even though it had been almost a year since her and Steve had broken up, and she had been dating someone else, she was still a little jealous that some pretty girl was coming to Steve's office.

"I wanted to talk to officer Harrington. About our meeting earlier." Robin said. "I know your lying. I want the truth" Robin accused, not caring that Nancy was standing there.

Before Steve could reply Jonathan burst in the door, mid sentence. "The Shadow Monster! The clo—" he stopped when he saw Robin standing there.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Robin exclaimed. "What the hell is a shadow monster? All three of you know something about what happened on that 911 call that you won't tell me."

"Robin, your wrong."

"Really? Because my boyfriend worked at the lab, before it became a hospital, I wasn't a nurse yet. but all that he would tell me was that that was where he worked, he wouldn't tell me what he did there. Then one day last year, he just died, they told me he had a heart failure, but he was a very healthy man.
He had a strong heart, he exercised all the time and ate a healthy diet. There is no way he died of heart failure. Then after he died the lab closed down, and they say the other half of the lab is military, but I never see anyone in military uniforms. And then the thing with the girl happened. And we have never seen anything like what happened to the Sheriff. I am sure that something is going on, and you guys know something that your not telling me." She rambled.

The group didn't know how to respond. As they were contemplating what to say, the radio went off. Nobody had noticed Jonathan slip out of the room. On the radio was Flo saying that she needed Steve to go to the middle school to check in on some things, right now. Steve and Nancy left, saying that they had to go. They didn't know where Jonathan went but they figured he would find his way home. Robin followed them out and got in her car.

As Nancy climbed into her seat a voice startled her. It was Jonathan, hiding out in the back. "I snuck out while she was telling her story and convinced Flo to radio him to interrupt the conversation, so that you guys have more time to decide what to tell her, but I'm guessing that wasn't the last you will see of her."

"Wow, that was actually a pretty genius idea." Steve remarked.

Then the three of them drove away, they decided to go to Jonathan's house, since no one was home there. Nancy's parents were home and Steve's little brother was home.

They arrived at the Byers and walked inside. They were astounded. There was stuff everywhere, glass shattered, furniture knocked over. Yet both doors were locked.

"This looks like..." Nancy started

"The middle school." Steve finished