✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*🐝 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
"GUYS? HELLO!" Audrey called urgently, knocking on the door to the Byers'. She hugged her jacket close to her body, hoping to shield herself from the cool air. She sniffled and got down on the ground, hugging her knees together when a sharp pain shot through her hand. She looked at her palm where the bandaging was still snug against her hand, and she winced. It had stopped bleeding but the strenuous activities of her day finally kicked in and it began to throb. Audrey let out a quiet whimper.
The sound of a car pulling up caught her attention, and she laid eyes on Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers, both with concerned looks. The back doors opened and Jonathan and Nancy came flying out, rushing toward the girl.
"Audrey, oh my God," Nancy called, being outrun by Jonathan who pulled her up from the ground and engulfed her in a hug. His head nuzzled in her neck and he tightened his grip around his friend. The Wheeler girl just stood back awkwardly, not knowing what she was to do. As excited as she had been to see the Audrey safe, they hadn't really established a relationship and she was worried she might overstep boundaries.
"Where have you been?" His muffled voice asked.
"Oh, honey." Joyce voiced, shutting the passenger door and rushing up to the broken girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder as she sobbed into her best friends' chest. Hopper just stood back, arms crossed as he observed the scene, waiting for his turn to welcome her back. Although he too had been excited to see her, he was conflicted with what she'd be involved in from now on.
Jonathan broke away from the hug, still holding Audrey at arm's length as he checked her over for any injuries.
"I thought they got you too." He mumbled quietly. His heart clenched at the mere thought of the monster he and Nancy had seen finding her and taking her away.
"Who?" Audrey asked innocently.
Joyce, Hopper, Jonathan, and Nancy all shared looks of concern.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*🐝 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
"Wait are the kids okay!?" Audrey questioned, following after everyone. The five of them rushed through the doors, the older three navigating the premises as the two girls stayed back and gawked at the destroyed living room.
She couldn't help but feel at fault for not having believed Mike when he told her what had been going on. All while she was parading around with her friends doing who knows what.
"Woah." They gasped in unison.
They continued down the hallway until approaching Will's room. Jonathan hurriedly checked through his drawers, while Joyce got down on the ground and checked under the desk.
"I got it!" Joyce yelled, holding up one of the boys' infamous walkie-talkies.
Joyce got up from the floor and handed it straight to Nancy. She nodded as if knowing exactly what was expected of her and she turned it on, bringing the microphone to her mouth.
"Mike, are you there?" She proceeded to call her brothers' name, not sure that he heard her the first time. "It's Nancy. Mike, we need you to answer this is an emergency. Do you copy?"
Hopper rolled his eyes and snatched the device from her hand, bringing it up to his own mouth. "Listen kid, this is the Chief. If you're there, pick up. We know you're in trouble and we know about the girl."
This confused Audrey. She didn't know that anyone else in the room had known about Eleven.
"We can protect you, we can help you. But you gotta pick up. Are you there, do you copy?" He continued, voice a lot rougher than it had previously been. "Over."
"I can try reaching them." Audrey chimed in, standing firm. "They trusted me before and if they aren't angry with me, they should now."
Hopper sighed and handed the device over to her. She took a deep breath and spoke into the microphone just as Nancy and Hopper had.
"Mike? It's Audrey. Remember what you said the other night." She started shakily, hoping they will come around. "I believe you okay? I believe everything you said and more importantly, we want to help. All of us do."
The room was filled with an eerie silence, everybody standing on edge. Their hope was slowly slipping away, worry digging its way further into their minds and clouding their judgment. It took everything in Hopper not to yell into the walkie-talkie, adamant that that would have caught their attention, but he didn't want to scare them away.
"We got any other ideas?" Hopper asked, irritated.
Nobody replied to his question, either brainstorming or not having an idea at all.
When all hope seemed to be lost, a muffled crackling emitted from the device, catching everyone's attention.
"Oh my God," Nancy whispered.
"Yes. I copy." The voice spoke. "Mike. I'm here. We're here."
Relief flooded through everyone's body in an instant. It was as if the gravity was returned and everyone had landed back on their feet. Nancy ran a hand through her hair while Joyce grasped onto Jonathan hopefully, her remaining hand on her heart and her son returned the gesture, rubbing her back comfortingly. They now knew that they were safe and had been hiding away the whole time.
Hopper glanced back at everyone in the room, a determined look set on his face. He locked eyes with Joyce and they shared a look. He nodded and turned towards the door, preparing to leave when he was stopped by a hand grabbing his upper arm. He whirled around to face a concerned Audrey.
"Please be safe." She pleaded.
He nodded at her, knowing full well he would do anything for the girl before him. He loved her like a daughter and knew it would crush her to lose another father figure.
And with that, he rushed out of the door with two very important things set on his mind that he intended to fulfil.
To find the kids and bring them back safely, and stop the mother fuckers that messed with him.
All of them.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*🐝 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
