Lost Souls ↠ Steve Harrington ✓

Chapter Nine ✓

THE GATE

EVERYONE WAS SHOCKED TO SAY THE LEAST. Eleven was alive. Eleven was there. She was there to help them. "Eleven," Mike gasped. "Mike." Eleven spoke quietly.

"I never gave up on you," Mike said. Jess looked at Eleven, and smiled a little. She couldn't believe that she was there. Eleven was back. "I called you every night. Every night for 353 days." Jess licked her lips, looking down. 

"Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?"

"Because I wouldn't let her." Hopper spoke. Jess turned to him, eyes widening. He wouldn't let her? "The hell is this?" "Where have you been?" Hopper asked. "Where have you been?"

Hopper pulled Eleven in a hug, and Jess glanced at Steve. "You've been hiding her," Mike said, realizing the truth. "You've been hiding her this whole time!" He yelled.

"Hey! Let's talk, alone."

-

"El," Jess smiled, and went to pull the girl in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright." "I missed you, too," Eleven said, giving the girl a hug back. Jess smiled, and so did after she pulled away, it was Lucas and Dustin's turn. "We missed you," Lucas said, bringing Eleven in a hug, and Dustin hugging her as well. Jess glanced back at Steve who was watching with widened eyes, still not sure what was going on. "We talked about you pretty much everyday." Dustin included.

"Teeth." Eleven went to Dustin's bottom lip, and pulled it down. "Oh. You like these pearls?" He smiled, and then purred in a playful way. Jess folded her arms, letting out a chuckle afterwards. She walked back over to Steve, smiled up at him a little then looked back at the kids. "Eleven? Hey," Max said, walking up to her. Eleven wasn't too thrilled about Max, Jess could tell she wasn't very fond of her. She could give her a chance at least.

"Um, I'm Max. I've heard a lot about you."

Max went to extend her hand for the girl to shake it, instead Eleven wiped the blood off of her nose and stormed past Max to see Joyce.

"Hey. Hey, sweetheart," Joyce said softly, hugging her. "Can I see him?" Eleven asked about Will. Joyce and eleven went to Will, Jess grabbed Steve's hand.

"Now what? Now we just wait here for those things to come back?" Steve asked, running a hand through his hair. "No," Jess said. "Now we fight." Jess let go of Steve's hand and she went to see Will with Joyce and Eleven. She walked up behind them and went to stand by the girl.

"What else did you see? You opened the gate before, right?" Joyce asked. "D-do you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?"

-

"It's not like it was before, it's grown. A lot. I mean that's considered we can even get in there that place is crawling with those dogs." Hopper said. They all stood, sat around the table, arms folded. "Demodogs," Dustin corrected him. Hopper giving him a look, and Jess shook her head.

"I'm sorry, what?" "I said uh, demodogs. Like demogorgon, dogs. Like, you put them together it sounds pretty badass-" "How is this important right now?" Jess snapped, not that she meant to, but she was not in the mood for Dustin's comments at the moment, that was for sure.