HAWKINS, INDIANA — 1983.

     "MISS SINCLAIR, DO YOU MIND TELLING me why I'm seeing your face for a third time?"

Theresa threw up her hands defensively, looking up at Hopper from where she sat beside Jonathan.

"I didn't even do anything! It just happened to be a... wrong place, wrong time situation."

"Sure it did," Jim halfway rolled his eyes.

From beside Jim, Jonathan's mother was biting her nails and shaking her head. She had just gotten done letting the deputies hear it about Jonathan being handcuffed.

"Chief," Deputy Powell said in a calm voice, "there's something you need to see."

Theresa looked up with realization, dropping her head with a sigh. They were really done for now.

Powell led Hopper and Callahan outside, leaving Joyce wondering what was going on.

"Jonathan, tell me what happened." She rested her hands against the desk, meeting his eyes. He looked away at once, not saying anything.

Tess felt bad for him. She tapped her foot, pursing her lips.

"It wasn't his fault, Ms. Byers," she finally spoke up.

Before Joyce could reply, Jim returned with a box in his hands. He slammed it aggressively on the desk in front of Joyce, Tess and Jonathan giving each other a wide-eyed look.

"What is this?" Joyce questioned, shaking her head with mild confusion.

"Why don't you ask your son?" Hopper replied. "We found it in his car."

Theresa registered just then that they didn't know it was her car. She raised a finger, opening her mouth to speak. "Um, actually–"

"Do you really think you should be saying anything right now?" Hopper cut her off.

She closed her mouth, sitting back in silence.

Hopper looked to Jonathan. "I want to see you in my office." He turned his head to Tess. "And you get out of here. I'm gonna give your parents a call later."

Theresa whipped her head up. "What? Why? I didn't do anything!"

"Don't push it, Sinclair." Jim pointed a daring finger at her, then gestured for Jonathan to get up.

She clenched her jaw with irritation, standing up. Theresa grabbed her purse, pausing for a moment. She did not want Jonathan to take the fall for this and get in even more trouble.

"The stuff was in my car," she said, drawing Hopper's attention. He turned, creasing his brow.

Theresa gestured to the box. "All of that was in my car, and I bought it. I-I know Jonathan may have punched Officer Callahan but don't accuse him of this too."

Jim stood there for a moment, then sighed.

"In my office."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

     "YOU SAY BLOOD DRAWS THIS THING?"

Theresa and Jonathan nodded in unison to answer Hopper's question. In his hands he was holding a picture, one of the ones Jonathan took.

"Well– we don't know for sure," Tess said. "But there's a big possibility."

Hopper sat there for a moment, then he stood up and walked to the door.

"Let's give Joyce and Jonathan a minute," he said to Theresa, opening the door.

She complied, standing up and walking out of the office behind Jim. He shut the door, running a hand back through his hair.

Tess looked up at him. "Tough day, huh?"

Hopper ignored her. Theresa folded her arms with a dejected huff, leaning against the wall.

"I think that thing took Priya," she spoke up after a moment of silence. "I just– didn't think you'd believe me."

Jim pinched the bridge of his nose. "I didn't think I'd believe you, either." He placed his hands on his hips thoughtfully. "What are you doing hanging around Jonathan Byers anyway? What happened to that other kid with the– the hair?"

Tess grimaced slightly, shaking her head.

"It's a long story."

Before Hopper could reply, they both heard some commotion from the front. It sounded like a woman's distraught voice.

"You stay right here," he commanded to Theresa before walking off.

She did not do that. Tess followed behind him, peering around the corner to see what was going on.

"...Ma'am, I need you to calm down," Callahan said to the woman in front of him. Behind her was a boy, about Lucas' age.

"What is your name, deputy?" she spat, glaring.

"Well, I'm an officer–"

"Name and badge, both of you!" she demanded in a shrill voice.

Theresa rolled her eyes, watching Jim approach her.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Chief–"

"These men are humiliating my son!" she shrieked.

Callahan shook his head. "No no no, no no. Okay, that's not true–"

"There was some kind of fight, Chief–"

"A psychotic child broke his arm!" she interrupted, flailing her arms about.

Tess raised an eyebrow, wanting to know more.

"It was a little girl," Callahan explained. "A little one."

The woman began arguing again and Tess was able to see the visible irritation on Hopper's face.

"I don't have time for this. Will you please take a statement..." he then mouthed, "and get her out of here?"

He turned to walk away as Powell asked the young boy, "So what'd this girl look like?"

"She had no hair and she was bleeding from her nose. Like a freak!"

Theresa frowned. That was an odd description. Hopper was almost at the corner when he stopped in his tracks, turning around sharply.

"What'd you just say?"

"I said she's a freak!" the boy repeated.

Hopper shook his head, stepping toward him. "No, her hair. What did you say about her hair?"

The boy responded, "Her head's shaved. She doesn't even look like a girl. And..."

He looked down, almost as if he were embarrassed about something.

"Tell the man, Troy," his mother encouraged.

Troy looked up at Jim. "She can... do things."

"What kind of things?" Hopper pushed.

Troy glanced down. "Like... make you fly? And piss yourself," he muttered the last part so that Theresa could not hear him from where she stood.

Powell blinked. "What–"

Jim cut him off. "Was she alone?"

Troy shook his head. "She always hangs out with those losers. Mike, Dustin, and Lucas–"

"What?"

Theresa came from around the corner, walking toward Troy. Her sudden appearance alarmed everyone else.

"Did you just say Lucas?" she questioned. "As in Lucas Sinclair?"

"Theresa," Jim glared, "now is not the time–"

She ignored him. "Answer my question, twerp!"

"Y-Yes!" he squealed, leaning into his mother as she glowered at Theresa.

"And who do you think you are, young lady?"

Tess reached over the desk, grabbing her purse with her keys in it.

"Where the hell are you going Sinclair?" Hopper called after her as she started toward the exit.

She kept walking. "To find my brother."

"Sinclair! Sinclair, get your ass back here!"

Theresa hurried to her car, opening the door and putting the keys in the ignition. Just as she put the car in reverse Hopper walked out of the police station, swearing under his breath.

"Goddammit."

Tess sped down the road, barely slowing down as she turned a corner. She looked up as something in the sky suddenly caught her eye. It appeared to be a helicopter.

"What the fuck?" she muttered, dismissing it for now. Tess pulled into the driveway of her house less than five minutes later, slamming the door shut and running through the garage door.

"Mom? Dad?" she called, finding them both sitting at the dining table.

"Theresa, thank God," Mrs. Sinclair said, standing up to embrace her daughter.

Tess dodged her, saying, "Where's Lucas? Has anyone seen him?"

Mrs. Sinclair began to shake her head. "We– we've been trying to get ahold of both of you. I called Mrs. Wheeler, Ms. Henderson and Ms. Byers but none of them know–"

"Never mind," Theresa cut her off, turning and darting upstairs. She went past her room and straight to Lucas', finding someone else as soon as she entered.

"Erica? What are you doing in here?"

Erica looked up, a plastic green army man in one hand and a Barbie doll in the other.

"Playing."

Tess dismissed her, rummaging through drawers and pulling back the blankets.

"Come on, where is it?" She placed her hands on her hips in distress.

"Whatcha looking for?" Erica asked, standing up.

Tess threw up her hands. "That walkie-talkie Lucas has. I don't even know if I'm looking in the right place."

Erica immediately dropped to the floor, reaching under Lucas' bed. She pulled out the walkie-talkie with a triumphant expression, handing it to a wide-eyed Theresa.

"How did you know...? Never mind."

Tess pressed the button at the top, unsure of what to say.

"Uh... Lucas? Are you there? D-Do you copy?"

After waiting for a few moments, there was no response. Theresa knew he had to be on the other end, or someone did. She just seemed to have a gut feeling.

"Alright, listen dipshit. I know someone can hear me, so cut the bullshit and tell me if you're there."

Yet, there was still no reply. Tess wanted to yell out of anger and frustration, setting the walkie-talkie on the nightstand and sitting on the bed. She buried her face in her hands, trying not to let Erica see that she was on the verge of tears.

"I'm here."

She brought her head up so fast it nearly gave her whiplash. Theresa scrambled for the walkie-talkie.

"Lucas?"

"Yeah. I'm here. We're here."

Tess gave a relieved sigh. "Thank God. Are you okay? Who are you with?"

There was a pause. "Mike, Dustin, and Eleven."

Theresa opened her mouth to reply, then stopped herself.

"Eleven? Who is Eleven? You know what– it doesn't matter. Where are you?"

Another pause. "...I can't tell you that."

Tess frowned. "What?" she snapped. "Lucas, now isn't the time. Where are you?"

"Someone could be listening. I can't say."

She swore under her breath. "Lucas, if you're in danger I need to know. I can't just sit here and let something happen to you."

"Theresa!"

Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair burst into Lucas' bedroom, a man right behind them. It was Hopper.

Her eyes bulged, shooting to her feet.

"Theresa, why is the police chief here asking for you?"

"No worries, I just need Theresa to come with me," Jim explained, shooting her a threatening look.

Theresa clutched the walkie-talkie in her hand, taking a few steps forward as she began to weigh her options. They were quite limited, and she felt like she was running out of time.

"Mom, dad." She faced them. "I promise I didn't do anything wrong. I'll be back."

They stood there, puzzled, watching as Tess followed Hopper down the hall. Once they were outside, Theresa said, "I talked to Lucas. But he won't tell me where they are–"

"How?" he stopped, turning to her.

She held up the walkie-talkie. "He told me he's with his friends. And someone named Eleven. But he won't say anything else."

Jim opened the door of his car and got in, Tess getting in the backseat where she was greeted by Jonathan, and Joyce in the front passenger seat.

"Let me see that," Hopper said, gesturing for the walkie-talkie.

Tess handed it over and he spoke into it.

"Lucas, this is the Chief. Do you copy? Over."

There was an excruciatingly long silence before they got a reply.

"I copy. Where's Tess? Over."

"She's right here," Jim replied. "Listen, kid, we need to know where you are. Do you think you can do that for us? Over."

Theresa closed her eyes, balling her fists as she waited for Lucas to respond.

And finally, he did. She let out a breath she did not realize she had been holding in, sitting back. Hopper put the car in reverse, pulling out of the driveway.

He sped faster than Theresa, everything around them nothing but a blur as Jim drove. Tess clutched the seat on either side of her, trying her best to stay calm. Everything that had happened in the past two hours had been the most chaotic moments of her life.

Jim slowed down as they arrived at what looked like a junkyard, Theresa peering out of the back window. She didn't know this place.

"Stay here."

Hopper got out of the car, a gun in hand. Theresa held her breath again, getting that familiar anxious stomachache.

What happened next was a bit muddy in Tess' memory, but she recalled watching Hopper knock out three men with guns. Then, he led Lucas and three other kids off of the abandoned bus in front of them.

Theresa hopped out of the car as soon as she saw her brother, running over to him.

"Lucas, thank God," she embraced him tightly, nearly squeezing the life out of him. "I can't believe you actually had me worried about you."

"Sorry?" he muttered, managing to wrestle out of her grip.

Theresa counted heads to make sure they had everyone, then paused at the unfamiliar face. It was a little girl, shaved head, wearing a pink dress and a blue jacket. It's the girl Troy was been talking about, she thought.

"You must be... Eleven, yeah?"

The girl stood there without saying anything, but finally gave a small nod.

"That's an... interesting name."

"We'll have time for chit chat later," Hopper interrupted, ushering them all to the car. "Let's go."

How they all managed to fit was a mystery, but it was nearing dark by the time they arrived at the Byers residence.

Tess got out of the car and let the rest of the kids out, walking up to the door.

"Alright, someone has some serious explaining to do."

She stopped, looking around at the complete mess she had walked into. There were Christmas lights covering every inch of the ceiling, as well as a very messy alphabet painted on the wall above the couch.

Joyce tilted her head with a small smile.

"It's for Will. He– he could communicate through the lights."

Tess narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, communicate?"

"He's in the Upside Down," Lucas explained. "He's in our world, but a parallel version of it."

She blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what she was hearing.

"Uh huh... am I having a stroke?"

notes.
no steve in this chapter 💔 he will be back next chapter, trust!

the fact that i'm almost done writing season one... that's so crazy to me like i'm proud of myself for making it this far

i'm trying to think about what kind of weapon i want theresa to use... like what could be considered her go to weapon so to speak

maybe a kitchen knife bc she's lowkey crazy and would stab the demogorgon with no hesitation 😍 LMAOOO idk we'll see

what do you want to see happen in season 2?