The Strangest is Yet to Come

08.

Just in case you missed it, I went back and edited last chapter cause I had a change of heart and couldn't do that to my babies Jonathan and Samantha. Hope you guys don't mind the whiplash like change haha

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The car ride was anything but quiet; they were all trying to come up with suggestions of what to do, where to go and eventually, they decided to take shelter in Hopper's cabin. It was out of the way, secluded and Max had made the good point that Billy didn't know where it was so he wouldn't be able to send any other nasty creatures their way.

When they're present and accounted for inside, Samantha slips back outside to sit on the small porch, telling Lucas that's where she'll be if anybody needs her.

Letting out a sigh, she rests her head in her hands, thinking about what they all just went through at the hospital.

The hospital...god, she didn't even know if her dad was alive, if he was even working.

"Please," she whispers, to anybody who's listening, "Be alive. Just please, be alive."

When the door creeks open behind her, she turns to see Jonathan and she gives him a weak smile.

"Hey," he murmurs, taking the empty spot beside her, kissing her forehead when she she rests against his shoulder, "You okay?"

"Did you...when you were upstairs in the hospital, was my dad there? I mean, did you see him?"

He's shaking his head before she's even finished her question, "No. He wasn't there."

She nods, his words giving her a smidge of reassurance.

Wrapping his arm around her, "How are you doing? You know, with Billy and Heather?"

Samantha raises a hand to toy with his fingers, "I was supposed to be working the day Billy got Heather. It was supposed to be me and him on the close but I...after the fight with you, I called in sick and now, I can't stop thinking that it would have been me who he flayed. I'd be one of the people trying to hurt you guys, hurt Eleven. If I had gone into work-"

"Don't," Jonathan squeezes her hand, "This is not your fault."

"She was covering for me," her eyes burn, "She took that shift thinking it would be a little extra money and now..."

Jonthan turns so he can wrap his arms around her, holding her tightly as she sobs into his shoulder, pressing kisses to the top of her head and rubbing her back trying to soothe her.

When they eventually return into the cabin, sans tears, they walk in to see Eleven sat cross legged on the floor, the TV on in front of her set to static.

The rest of the group shush them when they come in and with furrowed brows, they join Max and Lucas who are sat on the sofa.

"What's going on?" Samantha asks, making sure to keep her voice down.

"She's looking for Billy," Max whispers, "See if she can find out where he's hiding, where the Mind Flayer is hiding."

They sit in silence, listening to Eleven's rapid breathing and Samantha watches as blood trickles from her nose.

They jump when she pulls off the mask covering her eyes and Max is immediately by her side, "What's he doing?"

"Sitting in his room," she says slowly, "On his bed."

"Is he alone?"

"Alone," she nods, pushing up from the floor.

Nancy's eyes follow her as she goes into the kitchen and grabs a glass before looking at Max, "Is that normal?"