CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
REUNIONS

After everyone had helped tape up the shed and shield Will from where he really was, Mike, Hopper, Jonathan and Joyce had stayed and talked to him, everyone else sitting in the house impatiently waiting.

It wasn't long before Hopper barged into the house, grabbing a notepad and pen and sitting down at the kitchen table, everyone circling around to see what he was doing.

"What happened?" Dustin asked in a puzzled tone.

"I think he's talking, just not with words." Hopper sighed in response, frantically writing on the piece of paper.

Aaron looked over the older man's shoulder, furrowing his brows at what the man had written.

"What is that?" Steve scoffed from next to Aaron, looking puzzled as he looked down to the dots and lines the man had drawn.

"It's morse code." Aaron shrugged in response.

Aaron's eyes widened as he realised what it was that Hopper had written.

H-E-R-E

Aaron sighed, a worried expression taking over his face as he looked to the older man. However Aaron wished that he hadn't, seeing as the older man looked more stressed than Aaron did, sending the young boy into a panic.

"Will's still in there." Hopper sighed, his face perfectly displaying that of stress. "He's talking to us."

Aaron heard Kimmy sigh from his right, turning to look at her to see if she was alright with furrowed brows.

Kimmy had a look of hesitancy on her face as she went to ask something but stopped herself. However the girl took a breath and seemed to gather enough confidence to ask the man what she wanted to.

"Um, how are we supposed to find out what he's saying without him knowing?" Kimmy asked briskly, trying to get her question over with before  too much attention was drawn to her. "I mean, we can't all fit in the shed for one."

Hopper sighed, turning to Joyce and Jonathan with his brows knitted together as he frowned.

An idea came to Aaron at what the group would do, but he wasn't sure if he should say anything, not wanting to be shut down - or worse, laughed at.

"What about if we use our walkies?" Aaron blurted nervously, focusing all his attention on the older man sat at the table so he couldn't see the reactions of anyone else.

Hopper scrunched up his face as he looked to the boy, and Aaron instantly wished he hadn't said anything. "What?"

Aaron didn't reply, looking nervously up and meeting his brothers stare which he felt burning into the side of his face. Steve nudged the blond, urging him to reply to the chief.

"Um, I just thought maybe we could use our walkies if we can't go in the shed." Aaron rushed out, looking to the chief as his cheeks going pink in embarrassment. "You could go in the shed just like you were before and you could press the walkie to let us know what he said. Um- since it's morse code you think he's talking in, that's just taps and pauses. As long as you know morse code I think it would work."

The chief didn't say anything, looking away from Aaron with a thoughtful look on his face as he glanced down at the paper in his hands.

Aaron bit his lip in worry, glancing up at Steve once again to see if his idea really was as stupid as he thought. Knowing Steve would probably be the only one to show it on his face if he thought it wouldn't work or was stupid.

Surprisingly, Steve didn't have his face screwed up at Aaron's idea. He simply looked like he was thinking it over calmly.

Aaron then turned to the chief who wasn't even looking at him, his mouth moving once more on its own accord.

"It was just an idea," Aaron shrugged worriedly, trying to dismiss his previous ideas as no big deal in case he was shot down. "It's probably stupid-"

"No, it's good." The older man dismissed, abruptly standing from the table, motioning for Joyce and Jonathan to follow him. Mike trailing after the trio.

"Hey," the older man turned and pointed at Aaron, startling the boy. "Pass me your walkie thing or whatever you call it."

Aaron nodded frantically, rushing to get his walkie and handing it to the man. Looking to him nervously as the older man still hadn't moved from in front of him.

"Grab the notepad and pen." The man instructed Aaron firmly. "Write down what I tell you to through the radio."

With that, the group of three left, Mike racing after them.

Aaron then sat in the seat the chief had been sat in, grabbing the notepad and pen as Lucas grabbed his walkie to listen to what Hopper would say to them.

Soon enough, the radio static was coming on and off again in a pattern. Lucas telling Dustin exactly what the pauses were and Dustin decoded it into letters from a help sheet he'd practically searched the entire house for. While Dustin told Aaron the letters.

It wasn't long before the static from the radio stopped all together and Aaron was left with nine letters looking back up at him.

CLOSEGATE

"Close gate?" Kimmy read from behind him, sounding confused as she repeated the letters.

No one had any chance to elaborate or express their own confusion because the phone suddenly rang, startling everyone in the room.

Dustin ran to the phone, shouting curses as he did so. The boy hung the phone up instantly, the noise cutting off.

Everyone was staring at the curly haired boy as he turned back around, Dustin letting out an airy laugh of relief.

However the phone rang once more, causing Dustin to let out a scream and turn back to hang it up again. Before he could do so, Nancy ripped the entire phone off of the wall and threw it to the side.

Aaron might have found the entire situation humorous if it weren't for the circumstances. Instead, the boy felt himself panic completely, breathing heavier as he tried to push the fear rising inside him down.

"Do you think he heard that?" Max asked the group in a whisper.

"It's just a phone. It could be anywhere." Steve answered, trying to reassure the girl. But Aaron could tell without even looking at his older brother that he was starting to panic. "Right?"

Well, obviously Steve was not right because moments later and Hopper was barging through the door with a gun in his hand.

Aaron's eyes widened and he instantly stood from his seat, taking several steps back in fear as the man made his way over.

Max made her way over to the window to look at what was going on but the older man soon put a stop to it. "Hey! Get away from the windows!"

Max instantly did as she was told, rushing back to stand next to Kimmy who looked as if she could throw up from fear.

Mike, Jonathan and Joyce came into the kitchen next, only from the hall not from the front door. Coming back from Will's room.

Aaron was momentarily puzzled at how he had missed the three entering but presumed he was too occupied from fear at Hopper coming at the group with two loaded guns.

Hopper ushered everyone into the living room, instructing everyone to stand behind him and grab a weapon.

Aaron seriously began to panic at this, his mind fogged over and his thoughts a blur as he stilled on what to do. Steve grabbed him by the arm, dragging him behind him as he gripped his bar coated in nails tightly.

Steve then grabbed the sleeve of Kimmy's jacked and tugged her behind the other side of him, seeing as she was the only one left without someone with a weapon defending her.

Kimmy did not object as Steve pushed her behind him, shuffling closer to both Steve and Aaron in obvious fear.

Aaron had no idea what was going on or what could possibly be outside to cause this drastic reaction from the policeman but he knew better than to ask during it all.

"Do you know how to use this?" Hopper asked Jonathan firmly, the older boy stammering in response.

"What?" Jonathan panicked.

"Can you use this?" Hopper asked again, much more firmly.

Jonathan spluttered, unsure of what to say as he was clearly taken aback in surprise.

"I can." Nancy replied for him, much calmer than Aaron knew he ever could be in that circumstance.

Hopper threw the loaded gun at her and Nancy caught it. Aaron didn't have much time to really process his surprise, because a loud screeching noise outside caught his attention.

Aaron shuffled closer to Kimmy who was stood to his left while also shuffling a little closer to Steve who was stood in front of him due to fear.

"Where are they?" Aaron heard Max ask, although she was met with no answer, everyone too scared to speak.

Aaron jumped and grabbed onto Kimmy as there was a loud thud from the other side of the house, everyone snapping around to see what it was.

"What are they doing?" Nancy muttered fearfully as she kept her eyes on the window where the bushes were moving frantically.

No one got the chance to answer the girl, as there was another, louder screech from behind the door, the group snapping back around to look at the front door.

Aaron began to really panic at this point, gripping Kimmy's arm so tightly that it must have hurt her, but she didn't say anything. She probably didn't notice, she too breathing heavily as a fearful expression pulled on her features.

The screeching then stopped abruptly, surprising Aaron to a great extent. However just as Aaron thought that meant that the monsters had left, one was sent flying through the living room window.

Kimmy latched onto Aaron's arm just as tightly as he had done to her, but Aaron didn't notice, he was too stuck on watching the seemingly dead demo-dog with a fearful expression, worried as to what the hell could have killed it.

"Holy shit." Dustin breathed out, his voice shaky.

"Is it dead?" Max whispered to no one in particular, Hopper slowly taking a step closer to the limp animal with his gun raised.

Hopper than nudged the animal with his foot once he was close enough, taking a breath as he realised it was in fact dead.

The lock on the front door then unlocked itself with a single click, only flooding Aaron with more fear as he and Kimmy hid behind Steve.

Aaron had a fearful expression on his face. Not fearful - terrified.

Although this features dropped into a look of complete surprise as he looked at the girl who walked through the front door.

Eleven was stood there with blood dripping from her nose, her hair now much longer than it was when Aaron had last seen her, slicked back with gel. She had some sort of black power smeared on her eyes and she was dressed head to toe in black with sneakers on her feet.

She looked different to say the least.

Mike pushed his way past everyone to get to the girl first, tears beginning to stream down his face as he looked to her.

Mike quickly wrapped her the girl in a hug, Eleven also growing teary eyed as she hugged him back.

There were some words exchanged between the two, but only in hushed whispers. Aaron couldn't actually hear what was being said.

Slowly, Aaron and Kimmy let go of each other, each of their cheeks slightly pink as they each avoided the others eyes.

"Who's that?" Steve turned to ask Kimmy and Aaron in a whisper. His face furrowed in confusion.

"Eleven." Kimmy answered simply, as if she expected Steve to know who Eleven was.

Aaron sighed, causing his brother to turn to him instead.

"She helped us last year." Aaron quickly explained to his older brother, keeping his voice quiet as to not draw attention away from the twos reunion. "With the demogorgon's and stuff. She's like a superhero."

Steve rolled his eyes at Aaron's last remark, causing the younger brother to instantly defend himself. "No she is - Kimmy tell him!"

"She is." Kimmy whispered as she nodded, Steve unable to hide the look of surprise on his face. "She can move stuff with her mind and everything."

Mike's voice could then be heard, his tone shaky from tears as Aaron, Kimmy and Steve drew their attention over to the pair.

"I called you every night." Mike spoke through tears, sniffling as he took a breath. "Every night for-"

"353 days." Eleven finished his sentence for him, the girl also crying now. "I heard."

Mike's mouth parted in surprise, blinking several times to recollect his thoughts. "Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?"

"Because I wouldn't let her." Hopper butted in, taking everyone in the room by surprise.

While everyone looked to the older man curiously,  Mike looked absolutely furious. Scowling at the man as his cheeks turned red in anger.

Hopper ignored him.

The older man walked straight past Mike and made his way to Eleven, looking to her worriedly.

"What the hell is this?" Hopper scolded quietly, Eleven looking to him with a sheepish expression. "Where have you been?"

"Where have you been?" Eleven retorted softly.

Hopper didn't answer the girl, pulling her in for a hug that instantly had Eleven in tears again.

Aaron looked to his side and was startled to find Kimmy blinking back tears of her own. The girl biting her cheek as she quietly sniffled at the sight of the pair.

Kimmy was looking at the two with a look Aaron couldn't quite decipher, the blond boy presuming that Kimmy was so overwhelmed by the sight of her friend again that she had reduced to tears.

And while this was partially true, what had really brought Kimmy to tears was seeing the girl with Hopper, happy beyond words that Eleven had someone the once fragile girl could count as family. That Eleven had Hopper looking out for her.

"You've been hiding her." Mike's harsh voice tearing Aaron's attention from the teary eyed girl and back to the small reunion before him.

Aaron couldn't fully focus on Mike's outrage in the making with Kimmy sniffling from next to him, the tears now streaming down her face.

Aaron took a breath as he debated on what to do, wanting to comfort her without alerting anyone else that she was crying.

Instead of asking loudly why she was crying and gaining the attention of the room full of people, Aaron decided to bite the bullet and make himself uncomfortable in hopes to bring some sort of relief to the girl.

Without saying a word, Aaron reached over and grabbed her hand, allowing the crying girl to lace the pairs fingers together while she used her free hand to frantically wipe her face.

Aaron pushed down his internal struggles that he seemed to have when dealing with others and tried to send her a reassuring smile. Kimmy attempted to smile in return but it was drowned out by the tears running down her cheeks.

The issue was, now that Kimmy had started crying, she couldn't stop.

"You've been hiding her the whole time!" Mike yelled at the man after he ignored him, pushing Hopper roughly to get his attention.

"Hey!" Hopper yelled at him, turning around to grab his shoulder. "We need to talk. Alone."

With that, Hopper dragged the distraught boy out of the room, leaving a slightly startled Eleven watching.

Kimmy dropped Aaron's hand, pushing past Steve as she made her way to her old friend, Eleven frowning at Kimmy's tears.

Kimmy wrapped the girl in a tight hug, sobbing into her shoulder as Eleven hugged her back. Aaron noticed the way Eleven began sniffling and crying slightly as she held Kimmy tightly.

"It-it's good t-to see y-you," Kimmy tried to force out, but Aaron could hardly hear her from how harshly she was sniffling.

Eleven smiled softly at her friend, gently placing a hand on Kimmy's shoulder.

"I like y-your new look." Kimmy sniffled, while nodding. The brunette letting out an airy laugh as she spoke.

Eleven laughed softly too, shaking her head at her friend. "Thank you."

Aaron looked to where Lucas and Dustin were talking amongst themself before nodding and making their way forward slowly, Lucas turning to usher Aaron to follow them.

Aaron did so, the three awkwardly standing behind the two girls as they waited for their turn to speak to the girl.

Kimmy seemed to notice, giving Eleven one last hug and smile before walking away, wiping her face as she walked past the three boys.

Kimmy was quite obviously still an emotional wreck as she walked away to stand next to Max. The redhead grabbed Kimmy into a reassuring hug as Kimmy continued to cry into Max's shoulder as the girls closest friend did her best to comfort her.

Aaron was really surprised at Kimmy's tears. The brunette wasn't the type to cry, especially not to harshly. Aaron was pretty sure that the only time he'd ever seen her cry was when he'd properly met her the year prior in the rain, and even then she wasn't crying as harshly as she was now.

Eleven suddenly grabbed the three boys at once, pulling them all into a group hug. Aaron flinched and squeezed his eyes closed, pretending he was somewhere else so he didn't push the girl off of him, knowing she didn't know any better and that she was just glad to see her friends again.

"We missed you." Lucas told her when she let them go, Aaron smiling softly at her as she went to reply.

"I missed you all, too." Eleven mumbled, a small smile playing on her lips.

Eleven looked startled as Dustin smiled at her, the small girls smile dropping for a moment as she poked his mouth. "You have teeth."

Dustin laughed and looked to Lucas and Aaron proudly before replying.

"Oh, you like these pearls?" The curly haired boy the purred at Eleven, causing the girl to screw her face up.

Aaron's smile dropped and he shook his head at his friend, as if telling him to drop it. Dustin got the message, smiling sheepishly at Eleven.

"Eleven?" Max asked softly from behind the three boys, walking through them as she stuck her hand out for the girl to shake. "Hi, um, I'm Max. I've heard a lot about you."

Max had a nervous look on her face, smiling unsurely as she looked to Eleven. Aaron had never seen the redhead so nervous.

Eleven didn't look impressed at all, looking to the girl blankly as she brushed past her. Leaving the room and wondering away to greet Joyce in a hug.

Aaron's face scrunched up in confusion at the girls actions, completely taken aback at the interaction.

Max frowned, looking utterly disheartened at the girls complete disregard for her feelings.

Kimmy was quick to comfort Max just like the redhead had done for her moments before. The brunette placed a hand on Max's shoulder, the drying tears still on her cheeks as she frowned.

Aaron couldn't hear what Kimmy was telling Max as she ushered the redhead away, but he saw the way Max nodded sadly at her, Kimmy smiling softly at Max before hesitantly pulling her into a small hug.

Aaron hid a smile, knowing Kimmy had probably hugged the girl as a last resort, not knowing how else to comfort her friend.

...

Okay so I lied, I didn't realise I still had this chapter to write when I posted my last chapter the NEXT chapter is the interesting one LMAO😭😭😭

anyway hope everyone is having a great day and liked the chapter!!!

- AJ :)