It's dark by the time they got back to the Byers house. Jesse constantly tapped her foot, thinking about how this might be the last time she could ever see her family. The minute Hopper cuts the engine the kids are leaping out of the car. Joyce comes out of the house first, followed by Jesse, Jonathan, and Nancy. But it's the two sisters who have the biggest reaction.

"Mike, oh my God, Mike!" She shouts, hugging him close as her body shakes with fear. "I was so worried about you." Nancy pulls back, but her hands are still on his shoulders.

At least on his side, Mike just looks confused. "Yeah, uh... me too?"

Jesse rushed up to Wyatt and pulled him into her arms.

"Jess..." Wyatt felt a huge sense of relief as he squeezed back, relieved to see her all right.

Sidney winced a bit at the awkwardness between both sibling reunions and watched as Nancy took a look at Eleven.

"Is that my dress?" Nancy's questioned, Sidney snorted then noticed how awkward El looked as Joyce brought everyone inside.

"So you guys already know about this dimension?" Mike asked around.

"I was only caught up with the lab but my partner and your sisters have been in there before, so." Hopper shrugs.

"Okay, well can someone get me some paper and a pen?" Mike asks.

Jonathan nods and disappears into his room, coming back with a yellow notepad and red marker. Mike takes it and rips off a page and draws a line, a person, and a tiny blob with an arrow curving under the line. He held it up to make everyone in the group look.

"Okay, so in this example, we're the acrobat on the tightrope." Mike uses the marker to point to the person on the line. "This flea," he points to the tiny blob next to the curved arrow, "is Barb, Will, and that monster."

"Oh, that's nice, fleas are people." Jesse sarcastically mutters, and Wyatt silently snorts.

Mike just keeps talking, ignoring Jones's reaction. "And this is the Upside Down, where Will is hiding."

He points to the blank space under the line as Wyatt adds, "Mr. Clarke said the only way to get there is through a rip of time and space."

"Mhm," Mike nods, looking at Jesse. "You said when Nancy and your mom found you, you found like a hole in a tree right?"

Jesse nods. "Yeah, like a gate."

"That we tracked to Hawkins Lab," Lucas adds.

"With our compasses." Dustin finishes. The boys stare at them, all of them sighing when they realize the adults don't understand.

"Okay, so the gate has a really strong electromagnetic field, and that can change the direction of a compass needle," Dustin explains, catching Sidney surprised yet impressed by the geniuses surrounding them.

"Damn, you kids are clever," Sidney told him, then glancing at the four. "All of you."

Wyatt looked like he's been taken back and gave a small smile of proudness as Lucas blushes a bit and Mike looked pleased.

"Is this gate underground?" Hopper asks from his chair, still distraught at how the kids easily figured all of this out.

"Yes." Eleven spoke, making everyone look at her.

"Near a large water tank?" He asks the little girl.

She nods. "Yes."

"H-how do you know all that?" Dustin asks the Chief.

"He's seen it." Sidney informed them, turning to El, "You can reach them right? Reach Will? Barb?" El nods and Sidney smiled in relief. "Okay then, what do we need in order to do this?"

"White noise and a blindfold," Mike explains and Sidney held out her hand to help El stand up. They walk to the table and she sat next to her as Jonathan comes in with a bandana and a ripped photo of Barb and Jesse on the diving board, forcing Jesse to raise her eyebrow.

After getting a good look at Barb, El gestured to her head as Sidney covered her eyes with the folded bandana but made sure it wasn't too tight. Mike sets the walkie on static and places it next to her, and everyone remained silent.

Sidney frowned watching her hand and body shake, giving her more of an intention to grab her hand in reassurance as the lights flicker then El rips off the bandana, with tears in her eyes,

"I'm sorry." She whispers to them.

"Wh-what? What's wrong? Wh-what happened?" Joyce stammers out.

"I can't find them." Her voice breaks and she stands up, rushing towards the bathroom. Sidney gets up and walks over to follow her through the small bathroom.

She watched as El splashed her face with cold water. Sidney standing by the small bathroom door let out two soft knocks, making Eleven turn around.

"You know, if it helps when I had to deal with a whole crisis, I didn't get to my destination on the first try," Sidney gave her a comforting smile, hoping it would ease what El was feeling.

"I-I'm sorry. I wanted to help." She looks down mournfully, the detective came over to her, wrapping her into a hug, who accepts it after a few moments.

"Hey. This is not your fault."

"I-I opened the gate. My fault." She whimpers.

"Did you open it? Or was it the bad man's fault?" Sidney asked.

"Papa... papa made me." She admits, and Jones nod.

"My point exactly, we'll figure something out. Okay? We'll find them."

Sidney moves to turn off the water but realizes that it's still running. El grabbed hold of her hand, blinking up at her. "I know how to help."

When they return to the kitchen, the group is talking amongst themselves. But the conversation gets interrupted when El states, "The bath."

"What?" Joyce asks, everyone briefly looking at Sidney, who shrugs.

"I think she can find them in a bath."

"The bath?" Nancy asked.

"Papa put me in the bath. So I could see it." El timidly explains, and Dustin snaps his fingers.

"Sensory deprivation!"

"But how do we do it?" Mike asks, and Lucas shrugs.

Suddenly Dustin grins. "Mr. Clarke."

He rushes over to the phone, having memorized his favorite teacher's number last year. He holds the phone to his ear and dials the number with his free hand, tapping the phone as he waits until Mr. Clarke answers as he receives the information they needed from him.

Afterward, he quickly hangs up without so much as a thank you and looks over to Joyce, "Do you still have that kiddie pool we bobbed for apples in?"

"I think so, yeah. Yeah?" She looks at Jonathan, who nods.

"Yeah."

"Good, then we just need salt. Lots of it."

"How much is 'lots'?" Hopper asked.

"1,500 lbs."

"Well, where are we going to get that much salt?" Nancy asks.

Sidney clapped her hands together. "I got one."

Everyone turns to her, who gave them a confused frown. "What? It's obvious."

"What?"

"Come on!" Sidney quickly grabbed El and headed for the door as everyone followed.

"Wait! Mom where are we going?"

"We're going to your school, son." She stated.

"I don't get it, why our school," Wyatt asked, being squished by the window and sitting beside Lucas who sat beside Dustin.

"You're middle school keeps de-icing salt in their gym right?" Sidney asked, the boys realizing what she was saying.

The gang drove to the school in separate cars. Nancy, Mike, and El rode with the Byers while Lucas and Dustin rode with Hopper and the Jones. As soon as they got there, Hopper barks out their marching orders. Wyatt, Dustin, and Lucas are given the inflatable pool, charged with setting it up in the gym. Mike and Nancy grabbed hoses to fill it up, Jonathan helps Hopper get the ice, and Sidney followed Joyce and El to get her ready.

They sat in the science room, El laying on the detective's lap as Joyce grabs a pair of goggles and duct tapes the lenses to block out light.

"Alright. This will keep it dark for you. Just like in your bathtub." Sidney hands goggles over to the girl, giving her a soft smile.

"You're a very brave girl." Sidney comforts. "You know that, don't you?" El looks away, but Sidney only keeps talking. "Everything you're doing for the kids... for Will... for Barb, for my family..."

Joyce takes Sidney's hand in hers, neither of the mothers looking away from the little girl.

"Thank you," Joyce whispered, glancing over the two. "Both of you, for doing all of this." Sidney turned to Joyce, giving her a smile before both turn back to El, "We're gonna be there with you the whole time."

El looks at the two, giving them a small nod. "And if it ever gets too scary... in that place, you just let us know, okay?" Joyce assures her.

El nods, responding with a "Yes."

Sidney gave her a smile, her response sounded innocent, soft as though she's been through enough. She felt more than just protective, it wasn't even pity.

It was compassionate. Just for them.

"Ready?" Joyce asks.

El nods, "Ready."

All of them stood up and walked out of the door of the science room, Sidney's arm around El's shoulders and weapon in her other hand.

"So how were the boys?" Sidney asked.

"Friends." She whispered, looking at her. "They're my friends. Mike and Wyatt especially."

"Was Wyatt nice?"

Eleven nods. "He cares for me and never left my side. And I never left his. Neither did Mike."

She blushes a little at the mention of Mike and Sidney gave her a smile and nods in pride, wondering if she should ever doubt her son despite the brief. Even if Wyatt was silent and stubborn to admit or talk about serious things. He's still a sweet kid to most.

"Dustin?"

"Was nice."

"Lucas?"

"We fought. He didn't trust me."

Sidney frowned, "Never really talked face to face with Lucas, that's my son, but he's....just very protective and cautions."

El gave Sidney a confused look, "Wyatt was cautioned too....he was also scared and confused about the other world."

"Well, I suppose Wyatt and Lucas have their own ways of handling their cautions and caring nature. Perhaps Lucas acts on it so Wyatt doesn't have to. And I know Wyatt doesn't want to act on it because he might feel it'll upset you or the group." El nods in understanding, "But you three are better now?"

"Yes. I... apologized? For throwing him. He said sorry, too. Friends don't lie." She finishes, almost catching Sidney off guard about the "throwing" incident.

Nonetheless, she shrugged it off, picking her up as they got out of the gym, the rest of the group waiting for them as Muke turned the walkie back on, setting it to static. Sidney steadied El as she removed her jacket and socks, handing Mike his watch, who puts it on his wrists.

Joyce hands El the goggles and she puts them on, taking a deep breath as the two mothers carefully get her into the pool.

As El begins to float on the pool, the electricity begins to surge as the lights get bright before shutting off once more. The group remained in complete silence as El keeps floating, waiting for her to find the missing. She suddenly begins breathing heavily, the electricity pulsing once more.

"What's going on?" Nancy asks Mike, who looks scared, too.

"I don't know."

"Is Barb okay?" Sidney asks El, looking at Jesse and Wyatt as they felt terrified at the moment. "Is she okay?"

The word she yells out a second later felt haunting, both her and most importantly the two siblings standing beside El.

"Gone!"

Splashing in the water, El yells, "Gone! Gone!"

Everyone froze. Sidney's eyes lowered as the thought of being too slow caught up to her. Wyatt couldn't open his eyes as he nearly collapsed with only Mike to quickly grab him from falling. Jesse couldn't breathe properly at the news, letting out screams of pain and guilt.

"Jesse!" Someone roars, and she turns to see Hopper in front of the girl, who held her hands to her ears for cover, the gut-realization hitting her.

"Jesse!" Hopper shouts as Jesse goes into a panic. "Hey, come on. Breathe, Jesse. Breathe!"

Jesse couldn't, it was just too much. All she could do was lose it until she heard faint sounds as Wyatt calls out to her.

"Sis....please..." her brother, voice choked, whispered out to her as though her current reaction was scarring him.

"Jesse..." Wyatt pleaded, unable to lose his sister. Despite any arguments, any hard silence, or harsh words between them, he couldn't live in that reality fully all over again. "...please. Come back. Don't go."

"Jesse!" Sidney cries out, one arm wrapped around a scared little girl, the other reaching out to her daughter. "Come on, Jess, snap out of it! You need to breathe. Breathe, Jesse, breathe."

Jesse opened her eyes to hear Wyatt's silent scared expression, sensing the familiar throb in his throat as the screams stopped. She took a moment to realize that..it was her screams she was hearing.

She looked up to see her mom in front of her, same-colored eyes meeting with each other as she assured her, "It's not your fault. None of it was...okay."

She looked around at her surroundings, to see Joyce confronting Nancy, who was experiencing a similar feeling of guilt. Mike holding Wyatt as his eyes looked directly at his sister with worried eyes.

"Sorry..." Jesse let out as Sidney wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so sorry...." Jesse's eyes looked up to see El, her goggles off and brown eyes looking at her.

"Sorry. Sorry. Wanted to help." El whimpers.

"You did the best you could," Jesse assured her. El nods.

"Go... again." She tells Joyce, putting her goggles back on.

"Okay. Okay, honey. I got you. We got you." She nods at Sidney and Jesse, both nodding as they helped El lie back down, both mothers holding one of her hands while Jesse held one of her upper arms, giving her enough strength to find Will as the lights flicker again and she breathes.

"Castle Byers. Castle Byers." El whispers. Sidney's eyes flickered towards the Byers, remembering the little hideout fortress they made the night Joyce and Lonnie divorced.

"Will?" El asks.

Sidney let out a sigh of relief, eyes tearing up more as Jesse gasped and Jonathan had his hand over his mouth, relieved to see that his little brother was still holding on.

"You tell him... tell him I'm coming. Mom is coming." Joyce requests.

"Your mom, sh-she's coming for you," El says, stuttering a bit.

"Hurry." Everyone heard the radio, Wyatt buried his head in Mike, and let out a small laugh in relief.

"It's Will...it's really him!" Jesse exclaimed.

"Okay. Listen, you tell him to... t-to stay where he is. We're coming, okay? We're coming for you, honey." Joyce stutters out.

"Just... hold on a l-little longer," El says.

She called out to him once more, her voice becoming distressed and the three kids near Sidney and Jesse jumped back when she abruptly sits up, tearing the goggles off her face as the two Jones and Joyce burst forward to hold the whimpering girl.

As Joyce reassures her that they got her, El held onto them as she gave the three women in front of her the smallest of smiles, "I helped."

"Yeah...you did well." Jesse nods.

"Thank you, kid," Sidney gave her a thankful look. "How about when this is over, I get you some treats, yeah? What do you like?"

"Eggos?"

"You can have all the Eggos, I promise." Sidney nods, helping the shivering girl out of the water, and the boys rush to help her over to the bleachers.

Sidney instructed them to wrap her around with a towel as she lay between Mike and her son. The motherly Jones watched the animosity between the five, two protective and caring seeing her son to El as much as Mike was. It was at this point that she couldn't see her son with anyone but those guys. They were meant for him. And she was glad she moved the family to Hawkins when they did.

They were different just as he was. And that's why they were together.

It was only just a shame that she didn't see it sooner...

Sidney wiped away a tear, gaining a strength she never thought possible to possess while Hopper asks for directions to Castle Byers.

"It's in the woods behind our house," Joyce tells him.

"Yeah, he used to go there, to hide," Jonathan tells the Chief. Hopper starts to walk away, only to stop in front of the Jones girls, bringing them into a warm hug.

"You stay here. I'll go in and find him."

"You'll need me," Sidney crossed her arms.

"I got this...please. They need you with them. I'll find him. I promise."

Sidney sighs, "You stay smart."

Hopper gave her a warm smile, "You stay safe okay."

After a quick understanding and warm tension, Hopper walks out the door with Joyce and Jonathan hurrying after him while Nancy leads Jesse out.

Nancy and Jesse sat near each other closer, mourning the friend they had lost.

"Barb was not your fault. Okay?" Jesse whispered to her,

"I know....she knows too but...I..."

"You know, one of the last things she said to me was that she was proud to be our friend. And I made her promise to buy me a milkshake."

"Strawberry, right?" Nancy remembers, Jesse glanced at her letting out a small chuckle that slowly evolved into a laugh as Nancy joined in.

Jesse muttered to Nancy, her head leaning against her shoulder, "You saved me, Nance. If you hadn't found me, I'd be dead."

"It was luck." She whispers. "Besides, your mom found you, not me."

"But you helped....and if I remember, you guys gave her the information and guided her. She wouldn't have found me without you."

"Good thing I did, I guess...can't really drink without someone professional teaching me can I?"

Both girls chuckle which eventually turns quiet, still sniffing as Jonathan followed by Sidney, comes around the corner and then walks over to them.

"Mom left with Hop."

"Figured," Jesse shrugged as Jonathan sits next to the girls. Jesse lay between them counting her breaths to keep herself calm after the recent panic attack until Nancy broke the silence moments later,

"We have to go back to the station."

"What?" Jonathan asks while Sidney's eyes questionably glanced at Wheeler.

"Hopper and your mom - they're walking into a trap," Nancy exclaimed. "They don't know I tell him, head moving back to rest on Nancy's shoulder once again. "They don't know the Upside Down, not like I do."

Sidney's eyes widened in realization, "Shit."

"Wait," Jonathan breathes, "Didn't you tell them about it, Sidney?"

"I did," Sidney nods, "But who knows how many they are? I need to get there."

Jonathan nods, standing silent for a moment before looking at his friend and Nancy, "You still want to try it out?"

"I want to finish what we started."

"Let's kill this son of a bitch." Nancy and Jesse say at the same time, Sidney looking confusingly at the trio of teens as he helped them up.

"Good. I was worried I'd have to go by myself."

"Wait! What's happening?"

"We're gonna create a diversion," Jonathan stated. "You help Hopper and Mom through that hell and get Will out while we distract the creatures, while they're focused on us, you guys get my little brother."

"Wait! What!" Sidney exclaimed. "No way in hell you three are going-"

"Sidney," Jonathan looked eye to eye with the cop who was like his older sister figure. "I know you're trying to protect us and all but all of us are into this. For Will. It's worth the risk."

Sidney sighed, knowing these kids will just leave out anyway, "In my truck, there are a few things that can help you. Hurry up!"

The teens left as Mike walked in, rushing over to them. "What's happening?!"

"We're leaving," Sidney went straightforwardly with him.

"What?" Mike was about to complain but the detective stopped him quickly.

"I know, it's stupid but we need to help Hopper and Joyce out there. Now everything inside of me hates this idea but you guys have to stay here." Mike nods but it wasn't enough, "I'm serious Mike. I trust you to look after El, Wyatt, and the boys while we're gone. Can I trust you?"

Mike nods again, taking a sigh. "Okay. We'll stay. Just come back, all of you okay?"

"Capiche." Sidney gave him a comforting smile. A few minutes later, everyone left. Jonathan, Jesse, and Nancy drove in one car while Sidney drove hers. All the way to the Hawkins Lab to confront a very expected encounter.