One was out hacking wood to build a fire when she felt it. She set the axe down against the stump she was working on. A strange breeze caressed the back of her neck and ruffled her hair. One turned to meet it and was surprised to see something she hadn't seen in a long time.

A portal.

Through the portal laid more of the dark, barren wasteland that she was used to. Where it went and why it appeared, she had no idea. She wasn't even sure that she was the one to have opened it. She stood, perplexed by its existence, for several minutes as she tried to determine what to do.

She had been fairly content in her cabin in the woods. She had minimal run-ins with monsters. At the worst, she had barricaded herself inside the cabin while a pack of dog-like monsters attacked. But something deep down told her that it was time to move on to somewhere else. Somewhere through that portal.

One cautiously approached the portal and tried to peer through it. From what she could see, it looked fairly similar to her current surroundings: dark, ashen, lots of trees. But something else caught her eye...a sign.

Some sort of black vine had grown around the sign and covered most of the words. The only letters One could make out were "C-O-M-E". It almost felt like a deliberate invitation. Her curiosity got the better of her and she climbed through the portal.

One drew the rusty pocket knife she had found in the cabin from her pocket as she approached the sign. She lifted a vine, which hissed in her grasp, and was about to cut it when she instinctively turned back towards the portal. It was gone.

Dammit, how could she be so stupid? Her backpack and supplies were back in the cabin and now she was fuck know's where with no safe haven and it was getting dark. Howls from packs of monster-dogs filled the air to signal the beginning of their nightly hunt.

If One didn't get out of there she was screwed. She could see a town beneath the winding road that she was standing on, but the howls were closer to her than she was to any of the buildings. She needed to get back to the cabin.

One faced the sign and focused as hard as she could on the visible letters. It had been a long time since she had tried to summon a portal and she almost forgot how to do it. Her lips moved as she absentmindedly mouthed the word "please" over and over.

One's face lit up in surprise as she watched the "O" grow into a portal before the sign. She expected more darkness and death to greet her on the other side but what she saw instead was something she thought she'd never see again. Something that she thought was impossible.

One climbed through the portal and stepped foot onto a paved road. It was smooth, and the few cracks it had didn't have mysterious plants swaying to an invisible wind growing from between them. The air was fresh and she didn't inhale ash whenever she breathed it in.

The sky was dark, not because of a permanent cloud layer, but because it was night. One had no memories of seeing stars, but she instinctively knew what the bright dots shining above her were. Her scarred, ashen skin felt like it was glowing under their radiant gleam.

The same sign stood to One's right, unencumbered by vines. The letters, in their full, white glory, read:

"Welcome to Hawkins".

Since One didn't have many items to take with her, it didn't take long for her to move back in with Hopper and Eleven. Joyce had helped her to pick out a few more outfits and a winter coat during her time living with the Byers', but One had refused to let her buy too much. Aside from feeling guilty about Joyce's generous offer, One was used to having minimal possessions.

It was a different feeling moving in this time since One was actually conscious for it. It felt strange, but good, to cross the threshold of the cabin with her new family. The cabin looked different now that it bore the weight of home.

"Sorry, it'll be a little bit until you have your own room because I'll have to clear this out," Hopper apologized as he cracked open the door to the spare bedroom and a pile of boxes collapsed onto the floor. "For now you can take my room and I'll sleep on the couch."

"No," One immediately refused. "I want the couch."

Hopper tried to argue with One but she wouldn't allow it. She had spent the last fifteen years sleeping on far worse than a couch. The cot at the Lab and the assortment of rotted places in the Upside Down had taught her how to fall asleep anywhere. She slept more comfortably when she was uncomfortable.

Spread out on the couch, One began to think about the conversation they had had last night. After telling Joyce, Hopper, and Eleven about James there was a quiet lull. The three had been unsure how to respond, especially to the part about James' possible murder attempt on One.

"So this boy made my Will choke you?" Joyce had asked, after a moment of contemplation.

"Yes, I believe so," One had answered.

"And this was the boy that El saw standing in the front yard?" Hopper had asked.

"Yes."

"I don't like him," Hopper had concluded.

Then One's mind turned to another thought: she had a date with Steve Harrington that night. She shot up from the couch in a panic and found Eleven sitting by her feet. The two both gasped from startling each other.

"What's wrong?" Eleven asked, picking up on the worry in One's eye.

"I have a date with Steve tonight," One sighed.

One had a very limited understanding of dates. It was part of the missing knowledge that she had lost after living in the Lab and then suddenly reappeared like it had always been there. She knew that a date was when two people went somewhere to celebrate liking each other, but she was unsure of any of the customs or traditions that went along with it.

"What are you going to wear?" Eleven asked curiously.

One looked down at the outfit she was wearing; ripped jeans, a Pink Floyd t-shirt, and as always, James' leather jacket. "Probably just this."

Eleven immediately shook her head and disappeared into her room. A series of bangs and crashes followed before Eleven reappeared with something in hand. "Wear this," Eleven told One, holding out a red quarter-sleeve dress with a v-neck and white polka dots. "Too big on me."

One ran the fabric through her hands. She was overwhelmed by how beautiful the dress was. "Th-thank you," she stammered.

"Try it on!" Eleven ordered.

One nodded her head and dashed for the bathroom. She came back out minutes later with a blush almost as red as the dress on her cheeks. Hopper turned the corner from the kitchen just in time to see her show off the dress and dropped the Eggo he was holding in his mouth.

"Wow," Hopper said. "You look beautiful." Eleven also gave her nod of approval.

"Thanks," One blushed even more. She nervously smoothed the fabric against her legs and returned to the bathroom to change back into her previous outfit. She hoped that Steve liked the dress as much as Eleven and Hopper did.

☆ ★ ☆

Five hours later, it was almost time for One's date. She alternated between sitting on the couch and pacing the living room every few minutes. She'd bunch up the bottom of the dress skirt in her hand, smooth it out, and then bunch it up again. She wound her fingers in and out of the blue hair tie on her wrist. Her nerves were going haywire.

Hopper watched One's erratic behavior from the doorway of his bedroom. He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet trying to decide what to do.

Hopper couldn't deny that it felt strange having his biological daughter back in his life. After Sarah's death and his divorce with Diane, he had really closed himself off to the world. Adopting Eleven had broke some substantial chinks in his wall, but he was still struggling with completely letting other people in.

Hopper and One both jumped when a loud knock echoed through the cabin. Both had different emotions about Steve's arrival. Excitement. Annoyance. Anxiety. Irritation.

Hopper watched and waited for One to open the door but she stood frozen by the couch. Another knock emanated through the space and Hopper made a move to open the door but Eleven beat him to it.

"Hey El," Steve greeted Eleven. "Is One here?" One had called Steve earlier to tell him that she had moved back in with Hopper and Eleven but Steve had still embarrassingly stopped at the Byers' first.

Eleven opened the door wider so that Steve could see One from the doorway. Once Steve laid eyes on One his jaw dropped open.

The bright red tips of One's hair bled into her dress making her look like a beautiful flame. Her icy blue eyes glowed underneath her thick black lashes and her smile was accentuated by another pop of red on her lips. It was the first time One had ever worn make-up and she was grateful that Eleven had been there to help her.

One had an equal reaction to seeing Steve. His silky hair swept back like flowing waves and his dark brown eyes nearly melted her into a puddle. He wore a pale pink button-up shirt under a dark gray suit with a floral tie. She was stunned silent.

One and Steve stared at each other until Hopper interrupted their view. "I expect the two of you back by no later than 9:30 PM," Hopper said sternly. "At 9:31 I go searching, at 9:32 I find you, and by 9:33 you're dead. Understood?"

Steve gulped and nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, sir."

"And don't even think about going anywhere other than Enzo's," Hopper continued, his glare burrowing deep into Steve's eyes.

"We won't." One's answer was accompanied by a roll of her eyes. She had finally found the ability to move again and was standing beside Hopper in the doorway.

"You better take good care of her. If anything happens to her just remember that I'm the Chief and I have a gun and it would be all too easy for me to cover up your murder." Hopper's glare got more intense with every word. Steve had to hide the fact that his knees were trembling.

"All right, all right, we get it," One whined.

She looked up to exchange a look with Hopper and he felt his features involuntarily soften. He couldn't glare at her like he glared at Steve.

"We'll be okay, dad."

That word. Dad. She had won.

Hopper stepped aside to let One leave, but not before stopping to hug her. "Have fun, kiddo," Hopper whispered between a slight smile. One nodded and smiled before following Steve towards his car.

Hopper stood in the doorway until One and Steve were in the car and driving off. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked down to find Eleven standing beside him.

"They'll be okay," Eleven reassured him.

Hopper looked outside one last time before shutting the door. "I know," he said.

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★