Mary and Jim had talked for the longest time on the couch of the lodge with leftover Halloween candy. She had explained all that was going on with Charlie and her feelings over her moms return. However, she didn't mention the fact Billy Hargrove had kissed her and that she may have liked it — nor the fact that her best friend had tried to kiss her and she may have wanted it. Overall, somethings just weren't meant for your father's ears.

Jim had comforted her and told her that if Charlie really did love her then he'd explain everything soon — Mary also didn't mention how he had tried and that she had been too much of a stubborn bitch to give him the time. Which, she was suddenly regretting as time went on and she wondered what the likes of Jonathan Byers, Charlie Williams and Nancy Wheeler could be getting up to.

And then Jim had explained all that happened with Eleven and how he had found her in the first place. Mary had settled after that, realising that yes, what her father was doing was incredibly reckless and stupid but it was also kind and inspiring. He was putting himself and his integrity at risk all to protect El — and suddenly Mary couldn't be angry at him for not being around much; Eleven clearly needed his council more than she did.

And so, after Mary insisted that Eleven just needed some time alone she and Jim decided to go to the station. They had walked down to his truck that was parked on the hill — clearly no road didn't effect her father's driving. They had gotten inside the truck to the sound of Flo radioing in every couple of seconds.

Jim answered instantly, taking his walkie that was attached via a wire to the car and putting it to his mouth, "Yeah, Yeah, I'm on my way in. And yes — I do know what time it is, I just had to sort something out first." He said, exchanging glances with Mary who pushed her teeth together and whispered 'sorry' in a small voice for being that something he had to sort out.

"Joyce Byers has called eight times already this morning. Eight times! For my sake, please deal with her!" Flo pleaded and Mary exchanged a look with her father.

"Alright Flo, I'm on my way." He said. Jim drove like a madman to the Byers residence — worrying that maybe something terrible had happened. And Mary was worried too, having known what little Will had been through and was still going through. She could only hope Joyce and Will were both okay.

When they arrived, the door was lying wide open and Jim almost reached for his gun out of instinct. But as they reached the door, Joyce came towards them, "Leave it open." She said when Mary went to shut the door behind them and the girl rose an eyebrow but nevertheless left it open.

"Where the hell have you been?" Joyce demanded and Jim quickly gave the excuse that he had overslept whilst Mary clutched onto her arms.

"Hey Joyce, it's freezing in here." Mary pointed out, blowing out a breath of cold air that hung like mist in front of her — which wasn't supposed to happen inside a house.

Joyce nodded as she led them both through her house and stopped outside of Will's room, "I need you to talk to him. There's something going on — something I can't understand on my own. I need your... expertise." Joyce said and Mary looked up at her father with a risen eyebrow, wondering what could possibly be going on.

And then Joyce had led them into Wills room. Mary had offered a smile and greeted the boy but he hadn't said anything back — Mary thought he could have had frostbite from the fact he was sitting in his bare feet with his top off, wearing only shorts. And from how cold the house was, she would have been surprised if he hadn't taken ill. But then Will and Joyce began to explain the circumstances.

Mary felt sick to her stomach upon being told Will had been having dreams of a red storm with a shadow in the sky — and not only that, but that somehow the monster had caught him. Joyce has said his behaviour had been strange ever since and Mary could see it. Will wasn't his usual self and instead, seemed to be in a shell, barely speaking or moving.

Mary was sitting on his set of drawers, her feet dangling over the edge and her head in her hands as her father tried to speak to Will, "So this thing — this shadow thing. You told your mom that it likes it like this. It likes it cold?" Jim tried clearing up and Mary lifted her head, looking at the scared young boy who nodded.

"Yeah."

Mary furrowed her brows, "How do you know?" She asked him curiously, wondering just how deep this seemingly connection he had with this monster went — especially since her own boyfriend had also seen it and she had refused to speak to him when maybe, just maybe this was what he wanted to explain to her.

"I just know."

Jim shifted on the bed, "Does he talk to you?"

"No... It's like I don't have to think. I just know things now, things I didn't know before." Will tried explaining.

"And uh, what else do you know?" Jim pressed, trying to figure out as much as possible and from the other side of Will, his mother smiled at him supportively and for the slightest of moments Mary wished she had a mother like Joyce.

"It's hard to explain. It's like these memories at the back of my head, only they're not my memories."

Jim nodded, scrunching up his face, "Okay." He hummed, showing Will was to continue and he did.

"I mean, I don't think they're old memories at all. They're like now-memories happening all at once, now." Will said and Mary frowned deeply, wondering how difficult it was to live with memories that weren't entirely your own.

Mary edged closer, "What're these memories like, Will? Is there anything that stands out in particular?" She questioned softly.

"I — I don't know. It's hard to explain." Will was clearly getting frustrated — not with the questions, but his lack of being able to answer them.

Joyce comforted her son, "I know it's hard but can you — can you try? For us?" She prompted, eager to get to the bottom of what was happening with her son; wanting to protect him against an unknown foe.

Will stared off into thin air, "It's like they're growing and spreading — killing."

Mary frowned, "Who?" She asked the same time Jim asked 'the memories?'.

"I don't know!" Will exclaimed, tears in his eyes and Joyce was quick to hug him, "I'm sorry!" He sobbed and Mary diverted her gaze, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with guilt. Charlie had been suffering from the same thing as Will and she had shoved him aside for her own selfish reasons — and she felt awful.

"It's okay sweetie," Joyce soothed before she looked across the room. She shifted, bringing Will's face to look at hers, "Hey sweetie, what if you didn't have to use words?" She suggested, glancing to the desk where Mary sat on top of and the brunette looked down. Her eyes landed on a set of crayons and paper and she suddenly remembered Jonathan once saying Will was an excellent drawer.

Will nodded his head and Mary got off the desk so he could have his space. Mary hovered briefly before looking to Joyce hopefully, "Um Joyce, can I use your phone?" She asked, suddenly having the overwhelming need to speak to Charlie. She hoped he was home by now.

Joyce smiled, "You don't have to ask, sweetheart." Mary uttered a thank you to Joyce as she left the room and moved down the hallway. For a brief moment, she thought about the drama with the Demogorgon the year before and how she and her friends had fought it off. She suddenly missed being friends with them and taking on the world.

She dialled the Williams' number and waited. However, his mother had answered and said that Charlie had stayed over at Steve's — which Mary hadn't really believed, considering Steve was usually their cover story for when they went places they shouldn't. It was the smartest idea since Steve's parents were hardly ever home and so their own parents couldn't call for confirmation because it was out of state and cost extra on the telephone bill.

     Mary had tried Nancy's next, however Mrs Wheeler had answered and said she was staying over with a friend — a name of a girl Mary didn't even know. And so, she gave up hope and put the phone down. Before she suddenly remembered one other person.

       She sighed heavily as she dialled the number. But then she realised she was being ridiculous and moved to put the phone down. But there was a sudden answer, "Hello?" The velvety voice questioned and Mary perked up.

      "Corina, hey —"

      "Oh, it's you," Corina said in a flat tone. She was leaning against the wall of her secret home near the woods, picking at the peeling wallpaper as she held the phone to her ear, "Unless you want your own personal warper the only reason you'd call would be for Charles — and he's not here before you get your panties in a twist."

      Mary's lips parted at Corina's words and she went to defend herself. But she sighed instead, realising those were in fact probably the only two reasons she'd contact Corina, "Alright then, well, thanks for letting me know then I guess." She said, leaning her back against the wall and Corina was silent for the longest moment.

      She groaned dramatically, "Gosh Hopper, I can feel your energy through the freaking phone. Look, Charles knows exactly what he's doing and he has Miss Perfect and Lonely Guy with him so I'm sure they won't let anything happen to him in Hawkins Lab —"

      Mary screwed up her face, "Hawkins Lab? Why would they go to Hawkins Lab?" She questioned, pushing herself away from the wall as Jim and Joyce came through to the living room with hoards of paper.

      Corina winced on the other side of the phone, pursing her lips, "I guess you and Charles haven't talked then?" She said. Mary didn't reply and Corina sighed, "You probably should have had that conversation with him. Because if you had, you'd be with him right now instead of on the telephone with your least favourite person —"

       "You're not my least favourite person," Mary quickly told her, frowning that she'd even think that. On the other end of the line Corina's facial expression softened, "But I should have listened to him. I should be with him right now." Mary said, suddenly kicking herself for getting in that car with Billy instead of listening to her boyfriend.

      Corina sucked in air through her teeth, "Yeah, it was pretty important," She said, unintentionally lacking empathy and Mary smiled the slightest at her obliviousness to how feelings worked. Corina perked up, "But no worries, once he's back he'll explain everything to you." She said with certainty but Mary wasn't sure Charlie would even give her another chance after what had gone down between them.

      She rubbed at her temples as she glanced over to Joyce and her father working as a team and she missed when that was once her and Jonathan. She sighed, "Thanks, Corina." She said, truly grateful for the short conversation and honestly Corina almost was too. She had previously been sitting in the dark and staring at the ceiling.

     "Don't do anything more stupid than you usually would."