Chapter Text
After breakfast, Henry showed Holly around the various rooms in his house. It had the feeling of a house just before someone moved in. Put together, but nothing had the certain “lived-in” feeling. Not a speck of dust, tread on the carpet or even miniscule chip in the various wood tables.
It all seemed a little old-fashioned to Holly, but beautiful nonetheless. Almost like one of the old dollhouses grandma gave me. To that, Henry's well manicured smile twitched at one of the edges, but Holly didn’t seem to notice.
Once moving upstairs, Henry stopped at the entrance to a room with pink walls and a great wooden dresser.
“And this room,” Henry said, “will be yours. If you’ll have it.”
Holly ran into it with an excited gasp. “Are you kidding! This is much better than my room back home.” She began to look around at where she’d be staying, at least until all the monsters were gone. After admiring the various dresses in the dresser she said, “Looks like you could head into Narnia from the size of it.”
“I am certainly glad you like it.” Henry slowly walked into the room then took a seat on the bed. His usual smile was replaced with a grave expression. “Holly, I’d like to discuss why you were the first child I brought here.”
Holly ceased her admiration of the room and sat obediently next to Henry.
“These monsters that are after you, they’ve been around for quite some time. When I first noticed them attacking your world, I was caught off guard. As such, in my first attempt to help, I made mistakes that I deeply regret.” A somber look crossed Henry’s face like he was repaying a particularly shameful memory.
“What happened?” Holly asked.
“The monsters attacked a young boy and brought him to their world. This place is full of dangers even I couldn’t imagine.”
“He must have been scared.” Holly said.
Henry nodded. “He was, but he was also very brave. He ran and hid for days with the monsters just behind him. I regret that I wasn’t able to find him sooner.”
“It sounds like you helped him the best you could. “Although,” Holly cocked her head to the side, “If he came here first, where is he?” she asked.
“He’s…” Henry started, “Well, it might be easier for you to understand if I show you.” Henry stood up and started walking down the hall, Holly trailing not too far after.
They approached a door she hadn’t seemed to notice during their initial house tour. Henry pulled out a key from his coat pocket and unlocked it. Once the door was open, Holly glanced at what seemed to be the master bedroom. This is the only room that appears lived in she thought. She looked at the ornately carved bedframe and saw someone asleep, It almost looked like…
“Will!” She exclaimed and ran over to the bed. Laying down was in fact, the sleeping form of Will. He had on a pair of pajamas she’s never seen him in and his hair was a bit longer than his usual bowl cut, but it was unmistakably Will. “But I just saw Will in the other world. How is he here?”
“Do you remember much from when William went missing all those years ago?” Henry asked as he slowly made his way to the other side of Will’s bed. This side had a table with a stack of books on top. Maybe he was reading them to him.
“Not really.” Holly said. “I mostly just remember everyone being really sad. Guess I was too young to know what was going on.” She looked up, “Wait when he went missing, that must have been when the monsters took him, right?”
“You are such a bright girl Holly” Henry said with a wry smirk. Holly blushed slightly and shrugged. “Yes, William was taken by the monsters back then. By the time I reached him, he had spent so much time running that he thought I was a monster.” Henry turned his gaze back to Will’s sleeping form. “To get him to safety I thought I could put him to sleep, and he’d wake up like it was all a bad memory. But I made a grave error.”
Henry suddenly put his head in his hands and let out a great exhale. Holly watched him, enthralled. She’s never seen him look so distressed before. Henry once again looked at the sleeping form of Will.
“What’s wrong with him,” Holly tentatively asked. “Why won’t he wake up?”
“See, I had never brought anyone to my world before,” he began to explain, “so I thought the process was simpler than it actually is. When I put William to sleep to bring him here, I only took a part of his unconscious mind while his physical body was left with the monsters. Thankfully, his family found him back then before they could do any harm, but I still have a piece of him.”
Henry took Will’s hand in his then looked at Holly. “Have you ever noticed William seems sad, or like there’s something he’s been trying to let out?”
“Yes,” she said. “He’s always been kinda sad. I thought it was just because he and my brother get picked on a lot.”
“That might be part of it, children can be cruel.” Henry said. “But I think it’s that there’s a part of him that knows something is missing. Something I took from him.”
“You couldn’t have known.” Holly said, looking up at Henry. “You were trying to help. I’m sure he’d forgive you if he had the chance.”
“It is a kind thought, but nevertheless, my actions have caused him pain and for that I will always hold regret.” He stopped for a beat. “Now here is the favor I must ask of you.” Henry looked Holly in her eyes. It’s like he’s looking directly into my soul, she thought.
“While I have cared for him the best I can here, I believe the only memories William has of me is that associated with the monsters. With that, any attempt I make to bring him here in order to reunite him with his missing piece will be fought.”
“But what can I do to help?” Holly asked.
“I am not a face he trusts, but perhaps if coming from someone he knows, William might be more amiable to the idea of coming here.” Holly’s face showed consideration. “Of course, please understand I do not take this request lightly. I would much rather have you safe here, away from the monsters, but I can think of no other way of getting William here unharmed. Especially because I believe since they got to him once, the monsters will try again and again until they have him. So Holly, will you please bring him home to me?”
There was a brief pause and then, “I’ll do it.”
Henry looked relieved. “Thank you Holly. I truly believe this couldn’t be done without you.” Now here’s what you’re going to say once I bring you back…”
From what Henry could remember, Joyce Byers was comparable a marine when running the drama club performance, but not even she could’ve found a flaw in his acting. Although, considering what it was used for, she probably wouldn’t have appreciated it either way. Holly fell hook, line, and sinker for his carefully planned words, but he knew that she would. The regret, sadness, and hope on his face were placed in just the right intervals to make her weak little heart cave to his plan.
After waving Holly goodbye and sending her on her way, Henry was now back in William’s room. The first real emotion since the girl was brought here washed over his face: longing. The recreation of his family home in Hawkins had everything he could ever want, except for a certain pair of eyes.
Technically, he wasn’t lying when he said William hadn’t woken up since he’d been here. He just switched the cause and effect. In the beginning, when William was his first vessel, he didn’t expect a piece of his mind to remain part of Henry. The first plan was to lock him away in some deep dark place where he’d never bother Henry again, but then just as he was about to lock him away, William did something unexpected; he spoke to him. Henry learned all about William’s life and in turn Henry told him about his. There was a true connection Henry had never experienced before made all the greater by their bodies being one. Henry wished to keep for all eternity. William was perfect and he was all Henry’s, so of course someone had to go and ruin it.
The sudden intervention of Joyce and Hopper tore apart their perfectly crafted world, the shock of which almost killed his William. For that, he can never forgive them. If the inevitable creation of their perfect world doesn’t kill both of them, he has many ideas to make them suffer. The death of Joyce may hurt his William, but he’ll have all the time in the world to earn his forgiveness.
Henry fought to keep his William as hard as he could, but was left with just this one piece, his sleeping beauty. After trying whatever he could to wake him up. Henry learned he could use this copy of his beloved to look through his eyes. It was working perfectly, soon he could bring his William’s body to him and they would be connected once more, then Joyce and William’s friends had to get involved. Once more he was blocked from his William, but already a new plan was forming. He recreated his home so William would have a comforting place to wake, then he began his work.
Henry reached his right hand and cupped it to William’s cheek. Soon William, he thought, my builder, my spy, my vessel, my partner. Soon it will be just us and our perfect world rid of weakness. You and me, forever.