Chapter Text
Hopper arrives at the Byers home, knocking on the door firmly. He can already hear the chatter of the kids from the inside, making him run a hand over his face as he prepares himself for the inevitable onslaught of questions from all of them.
The door opens to reveal Joyce, looking more worried than anything else.
"Hopper? Thank god, get in here." she practically drags the man into her house. Closing the door, she turns to look at him expectantly. Hopper notices the look on her face and jumps to the conclusion.
"Guess they've told you about Will, then." he assumes.
"Of course they have, Hop." she remarks. "They haven't shut up about it, especially the new girl."
"New girl?" Hopper's eyebrows raise in question.
"Max, she said her name was.Anyway, did El tell you anything? Do you know what's going on?"
Hopper sighs. "A bit. As much as she knows herself."
"Which is?" Joyce insists desperately.
"That she saw it too, at the same time."
Joyce's eyes shoot open. "She... what?"
"She told me that she saw the same thing he did. A huge monster or something, that came chasing them."
Joyce sighs, taking a drag of her cigarette, clearly distressed.
"A huge monster." she repeats. "Same as the last one?"
"I... I don't think so. I'm sure she'd be able to tell me that."
"She didn't describe it?"
"Not really..." Hopper admits. "But she's saying that what he's been seeing... aren't flashbacks. She told me that what he's been seeing is all real. Happening right now."
This clearly hits Joyce hard. She backs up slowly, hitting the wall before leaning against it.
"How does that even make sense?"
"It doesn't." Hopper agrees. "But neither does any of the crap we've been through."
Joyce nods at that, sighing again.
"You think she's right?"
"I trust her more than those goons at the lab." he says seriously. "Yeah. I'd put my money her being right."
"Well what do we do about it, then?" Joyce asks without hesitation. "I'd bring it up to those 'goons' but that's too dangerous."
"Oh, thank god you're on the same page as us there." Hopper sighs in relief.
"We definitely need to bring it up at some point... some how." he says slowly, clearly not liking the fact. "But we've gotta figure out some sort of story, so they don't have any reason to suspect anything."
"And?" she insists. "Any ideas?"
"None." Hopper admits. "I have no idea how we can go about it."
She sighs, turning her head in a dreading nod. With that, she begins heading to Will's room, where the other's are. Their voices had died down, and so she decides to check on them.
She finds Will surrounded by the three others; he immediately tries to hide the paper in front of him upon her entering, but she notices that action.
"Will, what is that?" she asks.
"Nothing!" he quickly blurts back, completely unconvincing.
"Will." she insists. "Please, you know I hate you hiding stuff from me." she approaches him, laying a hand onto his shoulder. He sighs, lowering his head.
"Are you drawing what you saw?"
He hesitantly nods, revealing the paper he'd worked on. Her eyes widen. The entity he's drawn is all black, seemingly huge thanks to the angle, with a faceless... head? Which despite having absolutely no features, is clearly staring directly into her soul.
She looks back at Will, seeing the worry in his eyes.
"That's what you've been seeing?" she asks.
He nods.
"Why haven't you told me?"
"I didn't want to worry you." he admits honestly.
" Will." she sighs. "You worry me more by not telling me this stuff. I need to know these things to help you."
" Same here, dude." Lucas agrees with Mrs. Byers. "We get it. Just look at how broken Mike was whilst El was missing, The first couple of weeks, god..."
"He really was just
gone.
" Dustin finishes for him, seeing Mike's struggle.
"Didn't speak to any of us for a good few weeks, minus the odd acknowledgement of our existence over the 'Coms."
"Yeah... And then
you
finally broke his shell." Lucas turns back to Will.
"He was much brighter the first day you spoke to each-other about her."
"What they're trying to say, is that talking, to us, your mom, Jonathan, just someone who'll listen, really helps." Max summarises.
"Thank you, guys." Joyce nods her head.
Will gives in, nodding his head. It's not like he can keep this from them now; he'd been drawing it for them, his mother's seen it, and she'l likely raise it to Jonathan at some point. Everyone knows, so he might as well use what help they can provide.
Not to mention, El.
The only other person who's been to the Upside Down.
The only one out of them who knows what it's like.
Sure, there's his mother and Hopper; they'd brought him back from the dead in the Upside Down, after all, but they're not his age; it's easier to communicate to friends than adults.
Death.
Another thing he's visited.
Not just the Upside Down.
But the darkness beyond.
Nobody's seen that and returned to struggle with it.
Nobody, but him.
El can relate to him regarding the Upside Down.
But not death.
Nonetheless, he makes a promise.
He'll try to talk about his issues to everyone else. Less containing it within himself. More opening up, letting the pain out.
Maybe it will help.
Hopefully.