"ARE YOU SURE THIS IS A GOOD IDEA?" Hopper asked Jasper nervously, holding the pair of scissors in his hands delicately. "Maybe I should cut your hair. Or we could get Joyce—"

"You don't want anyone to know we're alive right?" Jasper cut him off, cocking a red eyebrow. "You're a terrible hair stylist and while I'm sure Joyce would keep me a secret, we shouldn't stress her anymore. You said she still has to take Will to a doctor right?"

"Uh, yeah," Hopper gulped. "Sam Owens. He's the new head of Hawkins Lab."

"Yuck," Jasper cringed, her face scrunching up in disgust. "Are you sure that you guys are doing the right thing for Will by taking him there? Poor guy is probably traumatized."

"If he's traumatized, then what are you?" Hopper challenged, instantly regretting his words. "You woke up screaming four times last night."

Jasper froze, her gaze darkening like it had every time Hopper had mentioned the Upside Down or her night terrors. "I'll be fine," she finally murmured, snatching the pair of hair scissors from Hopper. "Seriously. And maybe with this new look I can move on a bit better."

"I still don't understand it," Hopper cursed, anger sprouting up in his words. "Why the hell did El get to leave and every time you tried to the shit burned you? Until one day it miraculously didn't? And you couldn't use your time powers either? I can't believe that."

"Yeah, I don't understand any of it either," Jasper muttered coldly, clearly agitated over the subject. "But I'm back. And I don't want to dwell on it right now."

Hopper blinked slowly in astonishment. "Jasper you were stuck in that place for a year. I mean, surely, we should—"

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" Jasper screeched, glowering up at him with her topaz colored eyes. "I survived. That's what matters. You and El kept me alive by bringing me food every week and I came back."

Hopper caved in, knowing he couldn't push her to talk. Instead he leaned back against the couch cushion, scratching at his stubble. Emotion tore at his heart as he struggled to say his next sentence. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you, you know? It seems unfair that you had to live like that for a year."

Jasper softened, realizing her disappearance probably hurt him more than she would ever realize. Even when she has her own kids, she'll probably never have to lose them to a dark dimension, God forbid. "I know. But everything will be fine, like you said. You're never gonna lose me like that again."

Jasper sat up, her hands suddenly pressing on his sides dismissively. "Ya know what Hop why don't ya just go to work, huh? I bet you've got a busy day of donuts and coffee and smoking and whatever else you do at work but—"

"Hey," Hopper slammed his palm forcefully on the door, preventing the girl from further shoving him out into the autumn morning air.  Reluctance tore at his chest, unsure of how to deliver what he wanted to say. "Don't...Don't be stupid, okay? I'm only letting you do this because I can't keep making grocery trips every time El's out of eggos. Which is very often, by the way."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Jasper's lips, and suddenly she appeared much older than her age. Living in a decayed dimension for almost a year can change a person, and for Jasper Hopper she had to grow up too fast. "I'll be fine, I always am."

Jim Hopper inspected his daughter for the thousandth time in the past twenty-four hours, still in disbelief that she was really standing before him. He never wanted her to leave him again. "I love you, okay?" The words felt odd leaving his tongue, but a sense of calmness washed over him knowing he could say that again.

"I love you too," Jasper responded, the smile on her face reaching upwards to her eyes. "You big sap. Now get out of here."

The redhead's fingers danced lightly on the bedroom door, noting the new paint job it would soon require. "Eleven?" Jasper called out softly, her knuckles bouncing on the wood as she knocked. "He's gone now. You can let me in."

After a few painful seconds, the door finally opened, revealing a timid set of brown eyes gazing at her. "I'm sorry we fought again today," the girl whispered in a small voice, referring to the argument between Hopper and Eleven earlier today.

"Hey, it's okay," Jasper shook her head assuringly, lightly pushing the door open further. "I miss them too. Mike, Will, Lucas...Dustin," her voice faltered on the last name as it barely managed to leave her lips.

Eleven's eyes slid towards Jasper's, noticing the overwhelming pain she hid beneath their blue color. Something inside her snapped, realizing something she had never even pondered on before.

The bond between Jasper and Dustin had formed over several years, an unspeakable love of friendship. Nothing, not even the passionate-filled relationship quickly formed between Mike and Eleven, could compare to it.

It wasn't fair, to Dustin nor Jasper, that they had to stay apart from one another, mostly because of Eleven. She chose to pull Jasper with her into the Upside Down, her own fear of being alone separating two best friends.

"You should go see him," Eleven murmured, propping herself up on the bed to sit crosslegged. "Dustin needs you more."

Hesistance shone fiercely in her blue eyes, but there was a hint of desire and hope in them too. No matter how hard she tried, Jasper wouldn't be able to hide the pain she felt being away from her best friend. "No, I couldn't."

Eleven's hands slowly reached out, her fingers wrapping around Jasper's affectionately. She enjoyed and missed being able to hold the redhead's hands, once again feeling grateful Jasper had found her way home. "You need to see him more than I need to see Mike," she mumbled, her brown eyes matching the same intense gaze of Jasper's blue ones.

Jasper paused, her lips opening and closing in short clauses of indecision. Every part of her heart told her to wrench free of Eleven's hold and sprint as fast as she could towards town. Towards Dustin, and towards all her friends and family. The people that defined her old life. The one before she became Jasper Hopper, and was still Jasper Marrow. The life before she changed into a fierce redhead who has crazy time powers and is the chief's daughter.

But her brain had far outweighed any instincts her heart would try to inflict, and her brain told her to stay right where she was. "No," Jasper refused gently, shaking her head. "I won't go see him until I know it's safe for you to go see Mike and the outside world again."

Eleven fought against the urge to murmur another mouthful of protest, and instead just gnawed on her bottom lip whilst nodding quietly. Jasper was one of those girls who firmly made her choices, and hardly ever backed down from them once she decided upon them. There would be no way to convince her to leave Eleven alone in the dust-ridden cabin and return to her best friend and possible lover. Deep down, the brunette was grateful in knowing she wouldn't be deserted by her friend.

A new light sparked in the deep blue tones of Jasper's eyes, an idea brewing in her mind like a wild storm of lightning. "You should come with me," her words fell from her lips in a hushed breath, excitement filling the air.

"Come with you?" Eleven repeated softly, confusion furrowing her eyebrows as they pressed together gently. "You mean...leave?" The redhead had already clambered off the bed and across the room, angling herself in front of the small mirror on the wall. Eleven stood patiently behind her, watching as the redhead's electric blue gaze eyed the long—soon to be short—strands of her red hair.

"No, I mean stay with me in the cabin for another year," Jasper responded, her sarcasm becoming something Eleven was quickly getting used to. The girl's pale fingers reached up slowly and brushed through her strawberry hair, her teeth grazing the pink of her lips thoughtfully.

"But the rules—" Eleven felt herself begin to panic.

"Rules are meant to be broken," Jasper cut her off swiftly, whirling around and facing Eleven again. A new fire crackled in her powerful gaze, the intensity of its heat aimed at the brunette. "We don't have to tell Hopper as long as we don't get caught. He won't be back until eight," she hummed in a sing-song voice, desperate to persuade El.

The thought swam uneasily at first in El's mind, remembering the words that left Hopper's mouth sourly as he spoke them. We are not stupid. But the idea of getting to see Mike again, and knowing that Jasper would reunite with Dustin made her heart soar. "Okay," Eleven nodded in agreement, surprised by the confidence etched in her own voice.

"Great," Jasper murmured with a smile, pulling the rubber gloves tightly until they snapped to her wrist. "Now I just need your help with this," she spoke quietly to Eleven, holding up a pair of scissors.

Nearly an hour passed of the two girls attempting to cut Jasper's fiercely red hair. From Jasper struggling to cut her hair evenly, to El being a horrible judge of symmetry, it was still the most fun both of the girls have had in ages.

"Okay," Jasper huffed, switching off the small hair dryer before staring at it quizzically. "It's amazing that we get power out here," she rambled, her fingers gripping the scissors nervously.

Eleven shifted to stand in front of the redhead, her brown eyes widening once they landed on her friend. "Pretty," she mumbled, a smile crawling onto her lips. "Very pretty."

A light chuckle escaped Jasper lips, her cheeks flushing pink. "I'm sure I don't look that good, but, thanks."

"Dustin will like it," Eleven whispered, her dark eyes sparking knowingly as she continued to smirk at the redhead. To Jasper's amazement, a small, girlish giggle fell from her lips. "He likes you."

"As a friend, of course," Jasper answered dismissively, ignoring the deep maroon of her face. Her heart pounded in her chest apprehensively as she felt herself drawing closer to the mirror. "Alright, moment of truth..."

The reflection staring back at Jasper was one that completely surprised and nearly frightened her. Despite the simple change of hair length, she looked different. Older. The battle scars she embroidered from the Upside Down seemed to shine more through her new appearance.

"Woah," Jasper finally choked out, a stunned expression glued to her face. "I mean...wow. That's me?" She almost couldn't peel her eyes away from herself, words getting lodged in her throat. A tiny laugh bubbled from her lips as her fingers began grazing through her now short red strands.

"Jas..." Eleven awkwardly mumbled, fiddling with her hands. She could feel the tips of her own cheeks blushing a dark pink. "Can I ask you something?

"Yeah?"

"Do people...who love each other...k-kiss?"

Jasper whirled around, her eyes widening at the girl in astonishment. "Kiss? Why are you asking that?" Slowly, the redhead's lips curled into a smirk. "Looks like somebody's been watching too much TV, huh?"

"Sorry," Eleven uttered apologetically, folding her hands together tightly. "I was just, uh, curious," she spoke the word out slowly, as if it were new to her.

"Well," Jasper strolled towards the bed again, sitting on the edge next to Eleven. "To answer your question, yes. But only people who are in love kiss." The redhead's hands gradually wrapped around Eleven's, causing the brunette to let out a faint gasp. "True love doesn't always have to be romantic."

"What do you mean?" El questioned hesitantly, her head tilting to the side.

"Well, when you love someone, you truly care about them. You'd do anything to protect and help them, and they mean a lot to you. But, when you're in love with someone, it's a new meaning. They're your other half. They complete you," Jasper explained, her eyes softly landed on El. "Do you understand?"

"Does...Mike...love me?" The words left her uneasily, as if she were uncomfortable and almost too afraid of the answer.

"Of course he does," Jasper nodded, fastening her grip on Eleven's hands. Her lips wore an assuring smile as she met the nearly embarrassed brunette's gaze. "Now, if he's in love with you...that I don't know. But, I have a good feeling about it."

"Does Dustin love you?"

Jasper pulled away from El's hands, the brunette slightly frowning at the sudden loss of warmth. The redhead shifted uneasily in her seat, her hands at her sides and gripping the bedsheets. "I...I hope so," she forced out, tears burning her eyes and her throat clenching tightly. Memories began to creep into her mind, reminding her of the simple question Dustin had asked her nearly a year ago.

Have you ever fallen in love?

She missed him. She missed him with every fiber of her body, every string that held her heart together, and every muscle that once allowed her to wrap her arms around him, laugh at his dumb jokes, and even kiss him on the cheek that one broken night long ago.

"Jas, you're crying," Eleven exclaimed, worry and sadness etched in her voice. "What's wrong?"

"What?" Jasper gasped, drenched in awe to find tears streaming effortlessly down her cheeks. "Shit! Sorry! I didn't mean to get all emotional," she murmured, sheepishly wiping the tears away with her sleeve. "I'm fine."

"You miss him, don't you?" Eleven inquired softly. "You should go see him. Today. Together."

Something inside Jasper snapped, whether it be desperation or a loss of common sense, and she found herself nodding. Instantly, she leapt to her feet and whirled around to face Eleven.

"You know what? You're right. It's been too long. I need to see my best friend. Today."