𝘼𝙪𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙩 [𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣]

[Babysitting]

Hopper and Mike now in Will's room talking, Lucas, Eleven, and Dustin embraced in a tight hug, Cherry watched, curiosity crossing her features. The scene felt surreal, like something out of a movie rather than real life. "We missed you, El," Lucas smiled, his voice breaking through the moment. The girl smiled back, a shy grin on her face. "I missed you too," Dustin's excitement palpable, he smiled widely as he exclaimed, "We talked about you pretty much every day," Eleven smiled back, pointing at Dustin's face with intrigue. "Teeth," she observed, her tone simple yet filled with meaning.

"What?" "You have teeth." Dustin seemed puzzled before catching on. "Oh, yeah. You like these pearls?" he joked, beginning to purr. His playful demeanor clashed with Eleven's more serious expression. Cherry watched them interact, a hint of uncertainty flickering in her eyes. Meanwhile, Max approached Eleven tentatively, extending a hand in greeting. "Hey. Um, I'm Max. I've heard a lot about you," she said, her voice tinged with nervousness. However, Eleven ignored the gesture, walking past Max toward Joyce without a word. Cherry observed the exchange, sensing the tension in the air as Max's attempt at an introduction went unnoticed.

With her hand still wrapped around Steve's arm, Cherry moved her hand to his shoulder and leaned in slightly, hoping he hadn't noticed her grip. "Who is that?" she asked quietly, her curiosity getting the better of her. Steve turned to her, his face a grimace as he considered how to explain. The demegorgons had been hard to explain, let alone Eleven. "She's a girl from the lab. Pretty sure she has superpowers," he replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he too tried to make sense of it all. "Oh, okay." Cherry nodded, trying to sound casual even though none of this was normal.

Hopper and Mike eventually emerged from Will's room and the group gathered back around the kitchen table. Cherry's grip moved from Steve's shoulder and back to his arm as she listened to the conversation around the table. It was almost as if she couldn't let go of him. The idea at hand was that Eleven would go back to the lab with the goal of closing the gate. The weight of the situation hung heavily in the air, each word spoken adding to the sense of urgency that filled the room. Cherry watched Eleven with curiosity, perplexed by how a young girl like her could be able to take down such a powerful being.

She was so small; so innocent. Steve's hands were clasped tightly around the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white as he listened. Hopper crossed his arm, his voice deep with hesitation, "It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can even get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs," he explained, his expression troubled. "Demo-dogs," Dustin interjected, his voice loud in the room full of silent people. Max rolled her eyes, clearly frustrated with his same antics. Hopper sighed annoyed, "I'm sorry, what?" "I said, uh, Demo-dogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs," Dustin explained, a smile growing on his face.

"You put them together, it sounds pretty badass," Dustin defended, though Hopper was quick to redirect the conversation. "How is this important right now?" he demanded, his voice stern as he refocused the group. El spoke up, her tone determined. "I can do it," she asserted, her confidence clear despite the risks. Cherry's eyes widened, 'good for her'. Hopper shook his head, conflicted. "You're not hearing me," he insisted, but El remained sure that she could do this. "I'm hearing you. I can do it," she repeated, her gaze unwavering. Mike cleared his throat, adding to the discussion. "Even if El can, there's still another problem," he pointed out, his words hanging in the air.