JASPER HAD NEVER SMILED so much in her life, her grin practically reaching her ears. Wet tears dripped down her face as she met the tearful eyes of her best friend. "Dusty."

"Jas?" He took two shaky steps forward, his entire body racked with shock. After all this time of imagining her voice, it was almost unbelievable seeing her actually there in front of them. But she opened her mouth and a let out shaky laugh, and Dustin felt his heart scrunch up with happiness. There was no denying it. This was really Jasper.

"Oh my God. Oh my God!" Dustin broke into a sprint, racing for the redhead. He didn't care how stupid he might have looked to the others, because all that mattered in that fleeting moment was the girl he was running to.

Jasper let out a gasp and another bubbly laugh as her best friend enveloped her into a tight hug, lifting her into the air. She circled her legs around his waist, hugging him back with all the love in the world. A weight she hadn't known she was carrying was lifted from her shoulders as she sat there, twirling in the air in Dustin's arms. Because even though there was still a battle to fight, she would have her best friend there with her.

"No way!" Dustin cried as he set her back down, his arms still grasping hers tightly. He would've held her for hours if he could've, to make up for all the lost time. "No way! Where have you been? I thought...I almost thought..."

Jasper shook her head, smiling through a sheet of tears. "No. God no, you can't get of me that easily." And her words sent the Henderson boy wrapping his arms around her again.

"Is that...?" Max inquired a few feet away, her curious blue eyes boring into Lucas's skull.

"Jasper!" Lucas called after the redhead, not wasting another moment to sprint over to the reuniting best friends. The dark-skinned boy also had tears in her eyes, realizing just how much he missed his redhead friend.

"Lucas!" Jasper greeted him cheerily, pulling him into a massive hug as well. "It's been too long," she grinned at the Sinclair boy.

Dustin was still finding over the redhead, unable to take his eyes off her. He couldn't stop thinking wow, she's really here. She's really back. His hand slowly snakes towards Jasper's, their fingers playing in a dance before they were completely holding hands.

The two looked up from their intertwined fingers, a smile pasted on both their faces as they cried the last of their happy tears. "We have so much to catch up on. But later, okay?" Jasper nodded, growing increasingly more serious.

"Um, hi," Max stroller forward shyly, giving Jasper a  tiny wave. "I'm Max."

"Max?" Jasper repeated, grabbing the Mayfield's extended hand and shaking it gleefully. "So that's your name? I've heard a lot about you."

"Really? Like what?" She asked at the same time Dustin uttered, "How?"

"Like the fact you're a badass fellow redhead who also skates," Jasper complimented the new girl, excited to be making a new friend. "And I heard it from El, who's also very much alive."

"What?" Lucas, Dustin, and Max all replied in unison.

"Okay I hate to break up this sweet reunion," Steve hurried over to the children, hands on his hips. "But we need to follow those things, wherever they went. Oh, and thanks for saving my life, Jasper."

"No problem, but you owe me one," Jasper answered, folding her arms sassily. "Actually, you owe me two for almost killing me with your car earlier."

"That was you?" Dustin gave her an incredulous look before glowering at the older teen. "You almost ran over my best friend, jackass!"

"I...I am so sorry," Steve apologized, eyes wide in realization.

"It's fine," Jasper broke from her fake glare, sending him a half-smile. "It was kinda fun. Nothing like having a near death experience after living in the Upside Down for a year. C'mon, let's go," Jasper waved the crew on, leading the way back into the shadowed undergrowth.

"Is she serious?" Lucas asked through narrow eyes, not believing the words that just left the redhead's mouth.

Dustin just shook his head in admiration, following Jasper with a lovesick grin. "That's my girl."

Steve, Lucas, and Max shared a look, watching the curly-headed chase after his girl into the night. Because all three of them knew, and they were just wondering how long it would take before the two best friends saw it too.

"Hey! Wait up," Dustin called out, rushing to be by Jasper's side. Because that's where he wanted to be for a long time. By her side. "Did you really live in the Upside Down for a year? Was El with you?"

"Yes and no," Jasper answered, her eyes growing dark. "She got out but, but when I tried...every opening would just burn me. And so I was by myself...for a really long time."

Dustin glanced at his best friend, and his heart shattered at what he saw. His saw his best friend, the girl who used to laugh in the face of danger and shed nothing but light when the entire world was drenched in shadows. He saw her, and he saw who she was now. A girl trying to hide her pain and fear in a mask, a stone wall she kept painted on her face. And behind that fortress, she was crumbling. And she needed saving.

"Hey, Jas?" Dustin stopped, wheeling around to face his best friend.

"Yeah?" She replied shakily, turning as well to gaze into his beautiful eyes lit up by the moonlight.

He reached his hands out with hesitating, sweeping her hands into his and holding them tightly. "I don't know how, or why, you went through that, but you didn't deserve it. You've been strong for so long," Dustin felt like he was going to cry, and he swallowed his throat. "You don't have to be strong with me. Not one bit."

Jasper nodded, trembling as her eyes were instantly wet again. "Fuck, I've missed you so much, Dustin," she whimpered, and they were embracing each other once again.

Dustin felt his knees turn to jelly at her words. "I've missed you too, Jas. So much," he answered, his own tears threatening to fall again.

"You're staying the night after this is over. I have so much to tell you."

It was there, in her arms, Dustin suddenly remembered the three words she said to him on that fateful night one year ago. He had forgotten about them, or just repressed them to loosen his pain, but now it was all he was thinking about. But now wasn't the time, or place, to ask her. His thoughts were proven right as Lucas began storming towards the two, ruining their sweet moment and yelling angrily.

"Dustin, you fucking asshole!" The Sinclair boy stomped over to the curly-headed boy, shoving him backwards slightly. "I knew it! You kept Dart!"

"What?" Dustin gasped, taken aback by Lucas's accusation, especially since he was right. "No—No I didn't!"

"Who's Dart?" Jas questioned, her voice drowned out by the arguments of her other friends.

"Oh really? Because your new pal Steve just told me he ate Mews!" Lucas shouted, throwing a hand at the older boy who was hiding in the shadows fearfully.

"He did what?" Jasper cried incredulously.

"Steve, you fucking idiot!" Dustin groaned, realizing his cover was blown. "And to think I cried because you almost died!"

"I'm sorry, okay! I thought they knew—wait, you cried because you thought I was gonna die?"

"Guys!" Jasper shouted, halting the fighting before it could grow any more intense. "Guys, seriously? Not to be somewhat selfish here but I just got back and I really do not understand what the hell is happening!"

"Well while you were gone Dustin here kept a baby Demogorgon as a pet. Then we lost him, then he found him and hid him from us, until he grew into a full Demogorgon and ate Mews," Lucas explained in a hurry.

"He ate Mews? Thank God. That cat was one hell of a bitch to me," Jasper muttered, her eyes widening in realization as she looked towards Dustin. "May she rest in peace."

"Jas, it's fine. You know the only person that liked that cat was my mom," he replied, earning a nod from the redhead.

"Hey, guys?" Steve questioned, raising his volume over the four kids. He gestured his head toward the forest, a loud chorus of monstrous growling sounding from beyond the bushes.

"Let's go," Jasper muttered, remembering her dark visions in Ohio. She needed to be serious, there were many lives at risk.

The trek towards the lab was oddly a boring one, Jasper leading the way through the dark maze of gnarled trees and overgrown bushes. Dustin remained by her side, the two not saying much as panicked thoughts of Demodogs hurting their friends plagued their minds. But the Henderson boy was secretly dying for Jasper to tell him everything that happened. Just from the way the redhead walked with extra confidence, with more solemnity, he could see something in her had changed. And he wanted to know that something.

"Hey! Who's there?" A somewhat familiar voice called out from the clearing ahead of them. Steve raced over to flank Dustin and Jasper, his flashlight beaming ahead through the opening of the bushes. The three crawled out first to reveal two inquisitive pairs of eyes belonging to Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers.

"Steve?" They gasped in unison.

"Nancy?" Steve uttered.

"Jonathan," Dustin and Jasper acknowledged the older Byers sibling in sync.

"Wait, Jasper?" Nancy cried, shock burning in her heart. "No—No way."

"That's what I said," Dustin smirked, earning a playful shove from Jasper.

"Hi guys," Jasper greeted them warmly, hugging the two teenagers. Although the redhead had just been their brothers' friend, Nancy and Jonathan had still felt the sadness of Jasper's disappearance.

"What are you guys doing here?" Dustin asked the older teens curiously.

"We're looking for Mike and Will," Nancy answered simply.

"Are they in there?" Jasper huffed, aiming her thumb at the lab ridden with darkness and quaint, flashing red lights.

"We don't know," Nancy replied, quickly followed by a "why" from Jonathan.

Jasper didn't need to respond, the loud shrieks of Demodogs coming from inside the lab was a blunt enough answer. The group turned their heads in fear, watching the black box in hopes their friends would come barreling out of it.

Jasper shook her head in disbelief, emotion tugging at her heart strings. "Hopper's probably in there. Will, too. We have to get in there—I need to get in there."

"There's no way," Jonathan uttered lamely, pointing at the security entrance. "The power's out so the gate won't open."

This caused the crowd to erupt into a stream of bickering and panicked chatter. Jonathan and Nancy were trying to bargain with Dustin and Lucas on a way inside, while Steve uselessly began asking questions about Jonathan and Nancy's whereabouts.

Max learned over to Jasper, whispering, "I really have not a clue what's going on."

"Me neither," Jasper murmured sympathetically, flashing her an anxious smile. "Looks like we're both kinda out of the loop on this, huh?"

Max returned the favor, the corners of her lips turning upwards. "Yeah. I'm glad I'm not the only one."

The frenzied talking was interjected by Nancy pushing through the crowd, announcing the power had returned. Jonathan and Dustin were the first to race to the open gate button, Jasper close at their heels. Dread filled everyone's souls as they noticed the gate wouldn't budge, even after the Byers teen began aggressively pushing the button.

"Let me try," Dustin suggested, leaning over in attempts to maneuver his way inside the tiny box. He was met with a string of calm protests from the older Byers boy. "Let me try, Jonathan!" He insisted, repeating the same process, muttering profanities to the button as he received no reaction.

"Is there anything you can do?" Steve's eyes landed on Jasper.

She raised a dark red eyebrow at him, partially bemused. "Not unless you want me to magically conjure up a vision on how to work buttons."

Several minutes later, the group was met by a surprising click as the gate began to open. "Hey, I got it!" Dustin laughed, his eyes lighting up with pride.

"We'll be back," Nancy huffed, climbing into the passenger seat with Jonathan behind the wheel. "Steve, stay with the kids."

"Oh hell no!" Jasper exclaimed defiantly, marching towards the backseat. "There's no way I'm not going in there!"

"Hey, that's not happening," Steve refused, a steady hand wrapping around the restless redhead's forearm.

"Let go of me, Harrington!" She screeched, wrenching away from his grip with a strength she didn't know she possessed.

"He's right, Jasper," Nancy leaned out the open car window, staring up at the girl. "All due respect, there's really nothing you can do to help and it'd be foolish to put you in danger."

Jasper's hands curled into fists, her nails digging into the soft flesh of her palms. "Nothing I can do?" She repeated angrily, remembering the words Carson Oakes had recited to her earlier. "I'm the only one that can do anything."

Nancy's eyes narrowed in confusion, followed by the rest of the group's. Nobody really knew what that meant, or what secret meaning lay behind those words. "Just stay here, okay? We'll bring them out, I promise."

Jasper watched with sadness as the car trailed through the fence, towards the danger. Dustin was instantly by her side again, linking his arm through hers and his eyes following the shrinking car as well. "Hey, they're gonna come back, okay? Don't worry."

Jasper felt a wave of gratitude when Dustin and Nancy's words proved to be true, Jonathan and Hopper's cars surging forward through the gate. Jonathan speedily continued on down the road, Hopper braking roughly and sending the kids a stormy look. "Let's go!"

Steve swung the passenger door open, ushering the kids in hurriedly. "Jasper?" Hopper grunted in a mixture of surprise and anger. "What—"

"We can catch up later, Hop! Drive!" She yelled as nicely as possible to her dad. Steve's door slamming was his cue, and the chief began racing down the path towards the Byers house.

Jasper felt exhaustion wash over her, and she tiredly placed her head on Dustin's shoulder. She could feel the pumping of his beating heart as he laid his head down on top of hers gently. Despite their moment of relaxation with one another, there was an obvious truth that still hung heavy over their heads.

This battle was far from over.