Number Four

Chess

Apparently this was what counted as some colour- it seemed she was only getting one change at a time, because they were back to fifties tea dresses, but with a bold, scarlet petticoat beneath the crisp white skirt.

With a frustrated sound, Bonnie put it on, tying the red belt in a bow behind her back. As she thumbed the ruffles and the luxurious fabric, her mind drifted once again to the ring. He couldn't ask again. She couldn't allow him to ask again. She didn't know how she knew, but if she took that ring, she would never escape.

Battle armour in place, Bonnie went for the door. Striding down the stairs, she fixed a smile on her face, her wide grin savagely sharp. "Good morning!" Pushing open the door, she strode right up to Henry. "What shall we do today? I want to do something."

***

That's how Bonnie wound pretending to be failing at chess.

"Come on, I know you know how to play." Henry's eyes twinkled humourously at her from the other side of the board. "I taught you myself."

"I just don't get it!" Bonnie exclaimed. She was holding a chess piece in her hand; she was black and he was red. "How come the king is meant to be the most powerful piece, and yet he can do basically nothing?"

"The king is the most important piece. You have to use the others to protect him."

"But why?" Bonnie scoffed. "What's he done for them? ...Maybe the other chess pieces should have a revolution and overthrow him." Spiders- the chess pieces were decorated with spiders. Why hadn't she noticed that before? Each one a different species, gorgeously detailed.

"It's a game, Four."

Bonnie wasn't listening. She was looking at the wall over his shoulder. She had found that if she unfocused her eyes, the room began to come apart at the edges; white wall crumbling away into nothing, black vines and cold light creeping in.

Henry's voice seemed far away- he had been talking this whole time. "... Well, since you seem to have understood it enough not to feel the need to listen to me, how about we make this harder?"

Bonnie blinked. The walls returned to white- in fact, it was like they had never changed. "I'm sorry?"

"I said, how about we make this harder?" Henry was challenging her with those cold blue eyes of his. "A new game. One move, one question- and the other has to tell the truth. Anyone caught lying..." He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Gets punished."

Bonnie was torn up inside. How would he even know if she was lying? ... He was psychic, of course he was know if she was lying. Normally, she could taste lies, deception had a bitter tang- but that didn't seem very reliable at the moment. But if he was offering to give her the truth... this might be the only chance to get answers.

He leant back in his chair, smiling like the cat that got the cream. He gestured with one sweeping arm towards the board. "How about it? Ladies first."

Bonnie chewed her lip. Then slowly, she reached for her pawn. "What is this place?"

"This is our house." He blinked once, slow and long.

So that's how this was played- not a lie, but not the whole truth either. She could do that.

Sitting upright in his chair, he went for his knight. "Why did you buy the house?"

"I wanted to see where you lived." An enigmatic smile, giving away nothing.

He seemed delighted by that- not in the fact she hadn't given him the full answer he wanted, but that she had caught on how to play. As he sat back in his chair, Bonnie went for another piece.

"How did you wind up here?"

"Eleven sent me here." He answered without batting an eyelid.

That one knocked Bonnie for six. "What? Why? How?" She blurted without even thinking.

Henry leant across the table and silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Ah-ah-ah, one question, one answer. Don't worry, I won't punish you for this one. But the next one might require a forfeit." He withdrew his hand, resting it under his chin, smiling all the while. "What did you do after escaping from the lab?"

"Got on a plane. To France." Bonnie answered quickly. From the questioning look on his face, she felt the urge to explain further. "To look for my mother. The song... I remember her singing- it's French, she speaks French."

"Your mother?" He scoffed. "Your mother, who gave you up- who abandoned you to that lab?"

"Hey! You said one question, one answer."

"That I did." He chuckled. "That I did." There was something about him again, something unreal- or maybe trying to be too real?- something uncanny, creeping in about his eyes.

Rook. "How did Eleven send you here?"

"She opened a gate."

"Eleven can open- ah, er, nope, I'm not commenting." Bonnie hid her mouth behind her hand, stopping the rhetorical question that was about to come flying out.

Henry gave her a bemused look. "So... France, your mother, how was it?" He slid his bishop across the board.

Bonnie muttered something unintelligible, lips obscured by her knuckle.

"I didn't hear that."

"I never made it that far!" Bonnie lowered her hand. "The plane had issues, we had to stop off in Spain. I took it as a sign- I cowed out and left the airport. Been traveling around ever since."

Tipping his head back, Henry laughed, a deep, genuine, jovial laugh. Bonnie crossed her arms. "Did you ever plan to come get me from solitary?"

That stopped him up short. "Yes. Always. I just couldn't."

Bonnie was surprised to find she believed him.

He leant forward, fascinated with her once more, voice soft and curious. "Why, then, did you come back?"

Bonnie considered her remaining pieces.
"I heard of strange happenings in Hawkins. So, I came to investigate. See if it had something to do with the lab. Thought I might find out what ever happened to you whilst I was at it." She flicked her gaze up to his. "Why are you doing this?"

There was something inhuman about his grin. "Because it's fun."

"Checkmate."

Shocked, Henry looked down. She was right- all this while, she had been diligently manoeuvring her pieces, until she had him surrounded.

With a sugar-sweet smile, Four rose from the chair, patting him on the shoulder as she glided past. "Good game."

He watched her go, with an expression like someone who had won.

A/N: I think that's the longest chapter I've written for this fic so far! Hopefully you like it!

Alternate dialogue-
Bonnie: "Why are you doing this?"
Henry: "Because you're cute when you're mad."
(The Director: "Jamie, you messed up your lines!" XD)

Picture up top! Music I discovered from Locke and Key, another Netflix show you should totally watch if you like Stranger Things.
I have a deep suspicion Henry and Dodge might get on really well. Whereas Bonnie might just want to smack her, or take her to lunch- it's 50-50. Alternatively, the actress could just play Bonnie/Four- I'd be down for that.

Anyway, fun game: If you could ask Bonnie/Four any question, what would it be? If you want, Bonnie might even answer. XD