Chapter Text
[The scene opened with Ellie waking up in a bedroom she does not recognize at first. The girl was startled upon opening her eyes. Ellie lifted herself up onto her elbows, taking in her surroundings before noticing her clothes. She patted them, as though not believing she was finally out of that hospital gown.
Ellie finally got to her feet, stumbling slightly. She wandered around the room, opening drawers and the closet door. The sound of footsteps echo down the hall, startling her. Panicking, Ellie crawled under the bed, pushing herself so far back she touched the wall. The door opened, although from Ellie’s perspective she can only see two pairs of socked feet.
STEVE: *perky* Good morning-and she’s gone.]
Eddie snorted at Steve’s blasé reaction, garnering a look from Robin. He blushed when he saw her ‘I know what you are’ face. Embarrassed, the metalhead flipped her off.
Wayne saw the interaction from the corner of his eye, but chose not to say anything. If he knew his nephew, the boy would rather pine to death than say anything if not pushed. A hopeless romantic he was, no matter what Eddie liked to claim.
[Robin peeked over Steve’s shoulder at the seemingly empty room. Steve took in the slightly opened drawers & the unlatched closet door. He then placed down the tray he had been carrying on the dresser, eggs, toast, and juice sat atop of it. Steve gestured to the bed with a nod, informing Robin of Ellie’s position. She remained by the doorway while Steve took a seat on the bed.
STEVE: Elle, Robin and I brought breakfast. You’ve got eggs and some toast, and Robin picked up some apple juice from Melvald’s this morning. I think you’ll like it. Robs’ has got a sweet tooth a mile long so it might be a little sweet for you, but I can get you some water if it is.
Steve did not move, just waited. Eventually, Ellie cautiously poked her head out from under the bed, laying eyes on Steve and Robin. Robin waved from the doorway, a smile on her face.
STEVE: *softly* Hey sweetheart, you hungry?
Ellie nodded and crawled out from under the bed. Robin grabbed the tray while Ellie got situated at the head of the bed, setting the tray on the bed in front of her. Ellie hesitantly grabbed the fork and stabbed one of the eggs. Her eyes widened when the yolk began oozing out. She looked to Steve as though asking him for help. He chuckled.
STEVE: They’re sunny-side up kiddo. Try dipping the toast in the yolk.
Ellie looked at him in disbelief before grabbing a piece of toast with her free hand and dabbed it in the yolk as he instructed before taking a bite. She froze before quickly putting the toast in the yolk once more. Ellie quickly began devouring the meal, finishing it in a few minutes.
She accidentally spilled the juice on herself, the comforter, and the tray while drinking, making her freeze. Ellie looked to Steve in fear, waiting for his reaction, but Steve just smiled and slowly reached for the dry napkin on the tray.
STEVE: It’s alright. If I got mad every time sheets got covered in food, Robin wouldn’t be allowed in the house. That girl spills everything.
ROBIN: *snarky* You wouldn’t be able to survive if I couldn’t come over. You need your daily Robin fix.
STEVE: *solemnly* Of course. *turning and winking at Ellie* She wouldn’t be allowed on the couch, then.
Robin let out an offended noise, but Steve just laughed at her while he patted the bed dry He handed Ellie the other napkin so she could clean herself up. Ellie, albeit quietly, giggled along with Steve.
ELLIE: *softly* All done.
STEVE: Alrighty then. You want some more juice or would you rather we show you around since you’ll be staying here for a while?
Ellie thought about it for a moment, before shyly asking:
ELLIE: …Both?]
“I am going to stab whoever hurt this child,” Peter declared.
“Get in line,” Hopper practically growled, his hand instinctually reaching for where his holster usually was.
“Technically I’m not supposed to say much because spoilers and whatnot,” the Woman stated, “but if it makes anyone feel better, the people who facilitated her containment do receive their just desserts.”
“Good,” Wayne stated darkly, crossing his arms.
Gareth leaned over to Eddie, whispering, “Is your uncle always like that?” Eddie nodded.
“You should have seen him with my dad after I showed up half-dead on his porch. I thought I was about to witness a murder.”
[Steve’s smile grew even wider.
STEVE: We can definitely do that.
The scene cuts to Ellie, now dressed in clean clothes, being led around the home by the two, one hand clutching a cup of juice and the other holding Steve’s hand. He pointed out various rooms, opening doors and showing her what was inside. The phone rang, so Robin left them to answer it. To distract Ellie from Robin’s absence, Steve showed her his room. The girl lit up when Steve showed her his bedroom, much different than the blank walls of the lab.
In the few months that Steve and Robin had been in the past, they had quickly redone Steve’s bedroom. The walls were now a pastel yellow rather than the plaid and various posters and paintings practically lined the walls. The blankets were a soft blue and the bed was covered in pillows, most likely Robin’s addition. There was a desk in the corner that looked not empty, but like it was waiting to be covered in well-loved things that haven’t come yet. It feels lived in.
ELLIE: *quietly* You and Robin are…more, than others.
Steve looked down at her, his face showing not surprise, but understanding.
STEVE: Yeah, we are. Does that bother you?
Ellie shook her head.
ELLIE: No, I am more than others too. You are more, but a different more than me.
STEVE: Is it a bad kind of more?
ELLIE: I… do not know. I do not think so.
Robin came back up the stairs, a pale look on her face. Steve spotted her, quickly switching to his ‘battle face’.
STEVE: *Concerned* What’s wrong? Did something happen?
Robin swallowed, shaken up.
ROBIN: That was Jonathan. Will was gone when he woke up this morning.
STEVE: What? No, we-we changed things! He wasn’t home alone, we stopped that thing from following him- Just- How?
ROBIN: *freaking out* I don’t know! Jonathan says that all of his stuff was still at the house. It’s like he just vanished from his room!
ELLIE: Taken.]
"Oh, God," Joyce whimpered.
The two slowly turned to look at the young girl. Ellie shuffled where she stood, uneasy from the stares.
ROBIN: Taken?
Ellie nodded, so slight that it was almost unnoticeable. Steve kneeled in front of Ellie, the two now eye level with each other. He still held her hand, and squeezed it once.
STEVE: Ellie, baby, I need to ask you something okay?
She nodded again, this time much more firmly.
STEVE: Is Will in the other place, the Upside Down? It looks like here, but dark, and cold, and filled with monsters.
ELLIE: *whispering, shaking* Yes.
Steve and Robin shared a look, a new determination in their eyes. Steve turned back to Ellie.
STEVE: Thank you, sweetheart. That’s all we needed to know.
ROBIN: So… Plan B?]
"Considering what we've seen of their other plans, I'm not super confident," Billy remarked.
"I mean, they're survived this far," Eddie pointed out, gesturing to the screen, "although the 'beat it 'til it dies' routine will only work for so long. Something's gonna be smart enough to see past that."
"That's what worries me the most," Nancy fretted, "what's going to happen when something is?"
Steve nodded, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
STEVE: Plan B. Hope you like hunting, ‘cause we’ve got a demogorgon to bait.
Steve looked out his window at the pool, then to the woods.
STEVE: It's November Seventh, Robs. I know exactly where it’s gonna be next.]