Olivia had walked all the way into town, soaked to the bone and she couldn't tell what was rain and was was tears. As she continued down the road, she looked at all of the closed buisnesses that she had once ventured into. There was a part of her that knew Steve was right. She didn't seem to care much, but she did. Well, she would miss her family and friends, but she was be happy to know she could leave her old trauma behind.

She didn't know what time it was when she found herself walking right in front of the Hawkins Lab fence. She hadn't realized that she was even walking in that direction. Maybe it was because she hadn't ever used her brain properly while upset, and it would always mess up her navigation skills.

She looked up to see the gate completely destroyed which had led to the estate. She drew her brows together in confusion before stepping closer to the gate, looking down as she heard crunching under her foot. She stopped to see a 'keep out' sign under her foot, the metal rusted and crumbled slightly. She directed her line of vision back to the tall building. It was haunting. The trouble that the building had caused her more trauma, knowing that she could never go back in time and change anything she did.

She then frowned at the sight of head lights flashing right down at her, her brows quickly drawing together. The girl squinted to see if what she was seeing was even real, but when she heard the engine revv, she gasped, knowing that it now was real. The car began driving down the hill torwards the girl, Olivia quickly picking up her feet and running in the opposite direction.

Unfortunately, she wasn't as fast as the car behind her as she slipped on the wet ground, falling forward on her knees and hands. She groaned, looking down as the head lights gave her light to see the cuts on her palms and knees.

"Olivia?"

The girl lifted her head weakily to see the one person she hadn't expected in the slightest. In front of her, dream or not, Joyce Byers was leaning out of the window, her brows furrowed at the scared girl. The dark-haired teen observed the car to see it belonged to Chief Jim Hopper.

"Get in."

***

When Olivia woke up, she wasn't in her house. She wasn't in her bed. Insted, she was laying on the bed of a small room which she was assuming was a cabin. she winced at the stinging of her cuts on her palms and knees, sitting up to see that she was still in her jean shorts, tank top with red stripes and Steve's grey jacket. She groaned as she threw the covers off of her, looking around as she quickly recognized the room to be El's. "What the hell?" She whispered, standing up despite the splitting head ache she had gained over the night.

Olivia stumbled over her black converse before putting them on with a shrug, then slowly opening the door to El's room. She walked out to see Joyce pacing around the kitchen, Hopper passed out on the couch. She frowned, confusion written all over her face. What the hell was happening? Why was she at Hopper's cabin and why was Joyce there?

"Joyce?" Olivia muttered groggily, the older woman standing still at the sound of Olivia's voice. Joyce looked up at Olivia, walking up to her slowly.

"Hey, sweetheart. How do you feel?" She questioned, tilting her head at the teenager.

"A little sore, but I'm fine." Olivia didn't take much time to answer Joyce as she looked around, her eyes trailing over to an unconscious Hopper on the sofa. She frowned walking up to him slightly. "What's wrong with him?"

"He got beaten up by some Russian guy." Joyce said flatly as she walked around the couch. Olivia's brows furrowed even farther, if it was possible.

"What?" She muttered in utter confusion, Joyce shaking her head as she stuttered.

"It's, uh... It- It's a lot to explain." Joyce stuttered, then telling the teenager she would explain it all once Hopper had woken up and was aware of his surroundingss. Olivia nodded, walking over to the kitchen and leaning up against the counter. She had no idea why the two were at the lab, or why they didn't just bring her home. She was oblivious to the whole ordeal, and was impatiently waiting for answers.

After a while of waiting, Joyce and Olivia sat by Hopper as they waited for him to wake, the man suddenly opening his eyes groggily before letting out a soft cough. Olivia grimaced, looking at the cuts and bruises all over the man.

"Hey, careful." Joyce muttered, walking over to Hopper with a glass of water. "Careful. Here. Hey."

Hopper looked over at Joyce in confusion before muttering her name. Olivia watched at his eyes trailed over to her, the man quickly frowning in confusion. "Uh... Olivia?" He muttered groggily, groaning as he tried to sit up.

"Hey, Chief." She pursed her lips, giving him a two finger salute. Suddenly, Hopper began gagging, Olivia quickly stepping back as she knew that he was going to vomit. She grimaced as Joyce grabbed a pot from the table, holding it out as he puked into the object, Olivia putting her wrist to her mouth to hold back her gag.

"Got it?" Joyce questioned as she looked up away from Hopper in disgust. Hopper groaned before leaning back onto the sofa, Olivia slowly sitting back down. Joyce gave Hopper pain killers and water, to which he took.

"How long have I been out?" He questioned with a groan, Olivia still grimacing.

"A while." Joyce muttered. "You've been drifting in and out." She told him, watching him take the meds with a disgusted face.

"Yeah, but how did I get here?" He questioned, drinking from the glass of water. Once Joyce told him 'slowly', he looked over to Olivia again with confusion, not really remembering ever seeing her last night. "And, uh, how did you get here?"

"I was walking around town and Joyce picked me up." She shrugged, not really knowing why she was still there instead of being dropped off at her house, but she went with it.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Joyce questioned, taking the glass from Hopper as he slowly and painfully sat up.

"Some thug attacked me." Hopper groaned out, sitting up on the couch.

"Hey, you need to rest." Joyce urged, Hopper still wincing.

"No, I'm fine." Hopper held his hands out to Olivia, which she stared at. "Help me up." She looked over at Joyce who shook her head, walking over to the two. Olivia turned back to see Hopper staring at her, Olivia reluctantly taking his hands and pulling him up. "I'm fine. I'm fine." Hopper told the woman as she argued with him, Olivia pulled the man up. But she quickly regretted it when he stood up completely naked, the girl quickly shouting as she turned away, Joyce exclaiming in disgust.

"Where are my clothes?" Hopper questioned angrily.

"Uh..." Joyce looked around, trying to avoid looking over at Hopper as she pointed over to the porch, stuttering as she stayed looking away, Olivia still turned around as she put her hands over her face.

Olivia sat down on a chair by the couch while Joyce and Hopper walked outside, finally uncovering her face from her hands. She sat in the chair, looking around before spotting a phone on the wall. She stood up reluctantly, her head pounding as she began walking torwards the phone as she thought about Steve, but quickly stopped when she heard the door open. Joyce and Hopper came walking back in shortly after, his clothes in his hands. "I mean, did you recognize him?"

"Who?" Hopper questioned in an annoyed tone as he walked to the fridge.

"The thug." Joyce replied in an obvious tone.

"Well, I didn't get a good look." Hopper said angrily, walking away from Joyce as she followed him. He opned the fridge, pulling out a can of beer.

"Well, I mean, he's gotta be government, right?" She suggested, Olivia watched as the two interacted, standing with her hands in the jacket pockets. Hopper sighed, slamming the fridge shut.

"Yeah, but if he's government, what's he doing slinking around?" He brought up, opening his beer and going to his room. "W-Why is he running? You know, why didn't we find anything down there?"

"Let's ask him." Joyce smiled softly, holding up a piece of paper with a few letters and numbers on it. Olivia frowned, watching as he turned around frustratedly.

"What is that?"

"His license plate." Joyce muttered matter-of-factly, Hopper taking it from her hands as if he could care less about it. He studied it with disbelief.

"What are the dashes?" He questioned.

"Wll, they're blanks." She muttered, Hopper turning his head to her in annoyance. Olivia rolled her eyes, going to sit back down on the sofa chair while the two adults continued arguing. She put her temple against her fist, leaning her head down. She hadn't been listening much until she heard Joyce argue with Hopper.

"I think you should stick to sales." He said, throwing the paper on the table next to him before sliding his curtain on his bedroom door shut as he inhaled. JOyce scoffed, holding her hands up.

"Can't you run a search or something?" She questioned, her voice laced with hope.

"I just think you have to lower your expectations." Hopper argued from in his room, Joyce rolling her eyes in annoyance. "I mean, this is a state government agency. Gonna take me weeks before they find a match."

"Weeks?" Joyce questioned in disbelief, quickly whipping her head around.

"if we're lucky." He argued. "And, I mean, what are the odds that this guy registers a car in his own name?"

"It wasn't a car." Joyce brought up, Olivia looking up at her in confusion. Hopper flung the curtain open, a concentrated glance pointing right at Joyce. Olivia and Joyce both smiled as they looked at Hopper's choice of style, a floral button up. Joyce cleared her throat, trying to hold back her smile. "Uh, what are you wearing?"

Hopper ignored her question, tilting his head. "What do you mean it wasn't a car?"

***

After Hopper had ordered Olivia to get in the car and listen to everything he or Joyce says, they began driving down to the middle of town, driving over tons of protesting signs as they got to the the Town Hall. Despite all of the questions Olivia had asked Hopper, he stayed silent, ignoring her with a clenched jaw.

"Why are we here?" Olivia questioned, staring out of the window at the brown Town Hall building lined with tall pillars. She frowned, not remembering the last time she stepped onto the property.

"We're gonna pay our favorite mayor a little visit." She said through a clenched jaw before stepping out of the car, looking back at Olivia. "Are you coming in?"

She looked at Hopper than back at the building. Normally, under normal circumstances, she hated the building because it had power over her and her mom, which was the reason why they had so many bills, but this, this was not normal. "Sure, why not?" She shrugged, opening her car door and quickly jumping out, catching up to Hopper and Joyce. Hopper grumbled as Olivia walked on one side of him, Joyce on the other.

Eventually, when they made it to the office, Hopper stormed in, looking at the lady behind the front desk. "Hey, is he in?"

"Yes, he's busy at the moment, but-" Before the lady could finish her sentence, Hopper stormed into Mayor Larry Kline's office, ignoring the calls of the blonde woman.

"Great." Hopper muttered flatly, walking into the room and slamming the door behind him. Olivia watched before shrugging, standing beside Joyce as the lady shouted at the chief.

"Excuse me." She shouted with wide eyes, Joyce clenching her jaw.

"You should sit down." Joyce muttered, Olivia looking at Joyce with a small nod before leaning against the desk in front of her, her arms crossed over her chest as they sat in silence, hearing the faint voices of Hopper and Mayor Kline talking in the Mayor's office, although Joyce and Olivia paid no mind to it.

After only five minutes, everyone turned their heads at the sound of something slamming against the door, preferably the Mayor. They heard the mayor beginning to yell, Joyce, Olivia and the woman behind the desk all widening their eyes. Despite Joyce's orders to stay seated, the blonde woman ran to the mayor's door, rattling the knob as it stayed shut. "Larry? Larry!" As she continued to pound at the door, it stayed shut, Hopper yelling from inside of the room.

Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose, her hand quickly falling to her side as the woman ran back to the desk, grabbing at the phone and beginning to dial a number. Joyce quickly turned around, pulling the line and tilting her head at the woman.  "Who you calling? The police?" She questioned, Olivia snorting a laugh at the joke.

After a few minutes, Larry came tumbling out of the door with a shout, Olivia quickly snapping her head torwards the mayor. Her eyes widened as she saw the blood covering his face, Hopper coming out after and grabbing the man by the shirt. "He just bumped his head. Just a little boo-boo, right, Lar?" He muttered, walking torwards the door which Joyce had opened for him.

Without another word, Hopper, Joyce and Larry walked out of the office, Olivia looking down at the desk before scooping a small amount of the jelly beans in a hallow jar and bringing them to her mouth. "Have a great day, ma'am." She smiled, saluting the woman with two fingers before walking out of the office, a smirk on her face as she ate more of the candy.

***

Olivia sat in the back seat with the mayor, who kept looking over at her coldly, his blood dripping all over his clothes. She kept her arms crossed as she looked out of the window to see the car parking in front of the mayor's house. She clenched her jaw he the man beside her began talking about protecting his property from people like them, but Joyce, Hopper nor Olivia could care less.

Hopper whistled as they stepped foot into the house, looking around at the white walls and thousand dollar decorations. "Wow, I love the place, Lar. Hey, you shoot that fella yourself?" Hopper questioned, looking down at the zebra skinned rug in the middle of the walk way.

Larry winced as he started up the stairs. "That's- That's not real." He admit, Olivia snorting a laugh at him as she followed Joyce up the stairs.

"No shit!" He shouted, his mouth falling open in fake surprise, Olivia smiling from behind him. She had no idea what was going on, even though Joyce and Hopper had given her a brief description of their 'mission' while in the car, she still was confused. She was also in disbelief as to why all of this was just for Joyce to figure out why her magnets had been demagnatized. Olivia couldn't help but wonder if this was all connected to something with the Upside Down, and if so, why the hell was she always brought into it?

When the four made it up to the mayor's office, he immediatly moved to his safe in the wall, punching in the code and pulling out a bunch of files regarding the property he was selling.

He gave Hopper the files, the police chief leaning up against the table as Olivia stood by the window. "All right, so... what exactly are we looking at?" He questioned, opening the file.

"Land deeds, transfers of property." Larry told the man, holding his bloody nose in pain.

"So your buddies at Starcourt, they suddenly start buying up all this property." Olivia's brows knitted together as she heard mentions of the mall, knowing that Robin and Steve were there everyday. Now, she grew more worried, knowing that they could be in potential risk. "They tell you why?"

"I already told you," Larry sighed. "they don't tell me anything."

"They're just using you, I get it." Hopper nodded torwards the bloody man, rummaging through the paperwork. "What I don't get is why you have a bunch of land deeds in a safe in your bedroom." Joyce walked up to Hopper, taking the paperwork from his hand and beginning to look through them. Olivia leaned over Joyce's shoulder.

"These people, Jim, they're bad news." Larry finally looked over at Hopper coldly.

"So, what, this is blackmail?" Hopper questioned, wrapping the rubberband he was playing with around his hand, beginning to point it at Larry.

"Protection." The man corrected.

"Protection." Hopper reapeated with a nod before shooting the rubberband at Larry's head, Olivia shaking her head with a smile.

"Wait a second." Joyce muttered, walking out into the hall. Hopper looked over at the mother before turning back to Olivia. "Stay here." He muttered, pointing to her before he walked out into the hallway with Joyce, Olivia going to sit in the spinning chair behind the desk. She looked around, grabbing a pen and spinning it in between her fingers to waste time, ignoring how the mayor was glancing at her frustratedly. Olivia leaned back, propping her feet up on the desk as she messed with the pen, biting her bottom lip slightly.

After only a few seconds of boredom, Olivia got up from the chair, walking over to the drawers against the wall, rummaging through the drawers. When she found nothing interesting, she pursed her lips, turning around and walking back to the chair to see Larry bending over and attempting to climb out of the window. Her eyes widened as she yelled for Hopper, knowing that she wouldn't be strong enough to stop him.

Hopper quickly came running at the sound of Olivia calling for him to see Larry climbing out of the window. "Hey!" Hopper shouted, grabbing him by the shirt and yanking him back into the room. "Where do you think you're going, pal?" Hopper threw Larry into the space, the man falling into the table.