There's No Place Like Hawkins//Stranger Things. SH

FORTY TWO

The Gate

"What the hell?!" Cat exclaimed as she entered the kitchen, the thought of getting another glass of water escaping her mind at the mess Dustin was making. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Making room in the Byers' fridge." He answered casually.

Ca raised her eyebrows slightly. "No shit. I can see that. But why?"

"So the dead Demo-dog can fit in there."

"Wh-what?" Cat stammered out, her eyes landing on Steve who was stood there with the revolting creature in his arms- although it was wrapped in a blanket.

"All right." Dustin sighed, having finished throwing out the last of the stuff in the fridge. "It should fit now."

"Is this really necessary?" Steve asked, looking completely exhausted.

"Yes, it is, okay? This is a ground-breaking scientific discovery." Dustin told them. Cat tiredly leant against the wall, her eyes fluttering shut as she hadn't slept properly in like twenty-four hours (maybe even forty eight- she'd lost track of the days). "We can't just bury it like some common mammal, okay? It's not a dog."

"No shit, Sherlock." Cat mumbled, rubbing exhaustion from her eyes.

"All right, all right, all right." Steve sighed, stepping towards the fridge. "But you're explaining this to Mrs. Byers, all right?"

"I'll make sure he does." Cat assured him, snorting in amusement at the way Steve was struggling with shoving the Demo-dog into the pretty small fridge. The two eventually managed to fit the creature in the confined space, and Steve ruffled Dustin's hair through his hat once they were done. Cat giggled, a sound no one had heard leave her mouth in forever, and made her way into the living room where Lucas and Max were sweeping.

"Mike, would you just stop already?" Lucas yelled.

Cat's gaze landed on Mike, who was pacing the length of the room. Her eyebrows furrowed and she immediately knew what he was worrying about- El. Cat was too. Then again, she was worried about everyone. She chose to only think about the protection of Lucas, Dustin, Max and Mike (and Steve, but she knew that he was more than capable of looking after himself), in order to stop her worrying about the safety of the others who weren't with them in the house.

"You weren't in there, okay, Lucas?" Mike stopped pacing and turned to his friend. "That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs."

"Demo-dogs!" Dustin yelled from the kitchen.

"The chief will take care of her." Lucas told Mike- 'her' being El.

"Like she needs protection." Max muttered.

"Listen, dude," Steve entered the room, wiping the Demogorgon gunk off his hands with a towel, "a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?"