"Reached out a hand to touch your face
You're slowly disappearing from my view
Disappearing from my view"

I Ran (So Far Away)
By A Flock of Seagulls (1982)

"Eleven," Mike said before walking forward and meeting her halfway. The teenagers stood and watched the reunion, most of them knew what was happening except for Steve who looked at Valerie, confused. He had never seen this girl before but something told him that she was important by the way that everyone was looking at her with awe. He had been told about Eleven, but he never imagined her to be a goth teenage girl. "Mike." Eleven gasped, the two embracing each other with tears streaming down their faces. Eleven, with blood still streaming out of her nose, pulled away from the boy as they held their hands on each other's forearms."I never gave up on you. I called you every night for--"

"Every night for 353 days. I heard." Valerie awed at the scene causing Steve to quietly snort and throw his arm over her shoulder. She smiled at him before turning back to the kids in front of them. "Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?" Mike asked in confusion before Hopper stepped forward. "Because I wouldn't let her. The hell is this? Where you been?" Everyone's eyes widened as they watched Hopper give Eleven a one-armed hug. Valerie's jaw dropped whereas Steve, still confused, furrowed his eyebrows.

"Where have you been?" She retorted back before they split apart, Hoppers back to Mike who's eyes darted across the floor below him as thoughts raced through his mind. "You've been hiding her. You've been hiding her this whole time!" Mike shoved Hopper causing the chief to grab his shirt and stop him from punching him in the back. "Hey! Let's talk. Alone." As Hopper and Mike walked out of the room, Valerie's eyes were back on Eleven who walked around and said hello to everyone that she'd left behind a year ago. Valerie smiled to herself. It was almost as if nothing had changed. As Eleven made her way to Steve and Valerie, Valerie was quick to open her arms and embrace the girl.

"I am loving this look you have," Valerie whispered to her causing the two to chuckle. The memories of Valerie and the boys with Eleven flooded back causing her to smile as she held the girl tighter. Valerie was one of the first people that took care of her in Mike's basement, sneaking her food that wasn't just eggos. "I'm glad you're back." They pulled away before El pointed over Valerie's shoulder. Valerie spun and saw Steve awkwardly standing behind her, giving the girls a short wave in response to their stares. "That's Steve. Nancy's boyfriend." El nodded before walking off towards Joyce leaving Valerie sighing. Steve pulled on Valerie's arm directing her to the side where they wouldn't be standing near anyone.

"Valerie, Nancy and I broke up." Valerie's heart swelled with the news that the boy she had a teensy tiny crush on was single, but she remained calm and collected. "Steve, I'm so sorry." Valerie put her hand on his arm as a comforting gesture which caused him to sigh out before looking out the broken window. "Don't be. She doesn't love me, she likes Jonathan and yes, I did love her, but--." Steve sat down on the couch with his head in his hands causing Valerie to shrink down next to him and put her hand on his back, rubbing small circles

"Steve, what is it?" She asked causing Steve to groan and look at the carpeted floor. "Why is this so hard to say?" Steve asked as Valerie's eyes crinkled in confusion. "Say wha--" Valerie's words were silenced by a soft pair of lips pressed against hers and Valerie was shocked. Just as quickly as it started, Steve pulled away from her face as her eyes fluttered open to look at him. He looked at her with wide and cautious eyes to see her reaction which was just pure shock causing him to sigh sadly. "I'm sorry, but-" Steve tried to apologize but couldn't finish his sentence as Valerie pushed herself into his arms and gave him a passionate kiss. She was in paradise. Pure nirvana. She smiled against his lips as she noticed how he tasted of Vanilla and the sweet smell of his hairspray drifted down. Valerie tensed in the kiss as she heard a throat cleared besides them causing her to look and pull away from the kiss, slowly.

"You don't like him, huh? We're discussing what to do about the gate. Come along, lovebirds." Dustin's words caused both of them to blush and stumble into the kitchen. Their happiness ceased as the slow realization that the fight wasn't over crept back into their minds. "It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs." Hoppers speech was interrupted by Dustin, correcting him. "Demo-dogs."

"I'm sorry, what?" The chief sighed, waiting for Dustin's elaboration on his comment. "I said, uh, Demo-dogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass--" Dustin rambled on before the chief interrupted him. "How is this important right now?" Hopper asked, visible to everyone that he was getting increasingly annoyed with each stupid comment and question. Valerie bit her lips to stop from smiling at her brother who shook his head. "It's not. I'm sorry." Dustin apologized, looking down at the table and playing with his fingers.

"I can do it." With Eleven's words, everyone fell silent and their eyes darted to her stern features. "You're not hearing me." Hopper shook his head, softly. Looking at him straight in the eyes, El delivered the words again. "I'm hearing you. I can do it." Valerie had missed her 'I don't give a fuck' attitude so much. She was so proud. "Even if El can, there's still another problem. If the brain dies, the body dies." Valerie grabbed Steve's hand causing him to have a slight smile and her to look at the kids wide-eyed as they gave her more information. "I thought that was the whole point," Max questioned.

"It is, but if we're really right about this I mean if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayer's army. Closing the gate will kill him." The severity of the situation caused Valerie's throat to tighten up. She gulped before looking at everyone. Their faces. All frightened, all scared of what would happen to Will. Joyce walked and gestured everyone to come into the room where Will was before she pointed to the window. "He likes it cold." Joyce softly said causing everyone to become confused "What?" Hopper questioned from right behind her.

"It's what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold. We keep giving it what it wants." Joyce shut the window causing everyone to slowly reach the same conclusion as her. "If this is a virus, and Will's the host, then--" Nancy summed it up before Jonathan finished her sentence. "Then we need to make the host uninhabitable." Everything clicked for Valerie as she looked up at the ground, nodding. "So if he likes it cold--" Valerie slowly said before Joyce looked at her dead in the eye. "We need to burn it out of him." Hopper grabbed Will with Joyce and Jonathan trailing behind him as they went to put him in a car.

"This is insane." Steve sighed as he paced around the kitchen. "I know." Valerie held out her hand causing Steve to grab it. He paced with it in his grasp before quickly dropping it as Nancy walked in. "Do one of you want to help me find some heaters outside?" Steve nodded before the two walked out the back door, Steve sending Valerie a quick smirk as he walked out. "So, Steve?" Valerie jumped as her brother sat in a chair in front of her causing a slight smile to form on her face. "What? I--" Valerie groaned as Dustin gave her a look as if to say 'I walked in on you making out' before throwing her hands up in the air and slamming them down on her thighs.

"Yes, okay? Me and Steve." Dustin smiled before hugging his sister and standing up next to her. "I'm happy that you're happy and now, you can't call Steve's advice bad." Valerie smiled at him before her eyes averted to Steve who walked in through the back door. "Where's Nancy?" She glanced at him, not seeing the familiar brunette hair walk in behind him. "She's going with Jonathan." Valerie nodded before the two watched Hopper and El drive off and The Byers with Nancy. "Do you think it's going to work?" He asked, his arm draped over her shoulders. She looked up at him and quickly twirled one of his locks of hair that was hanging down.

"Better, bloody hope so."

I reckon we got about 2-3 chapter left. I'm getting sadder and sadder as I finish writing these like damn why couldn't the season be longer.

Anyways, THEY KISSED!!! Finally, amiright? These two need a ship name. Valve, Stevie? Those are not that good. Oh well, I'll try to get another update out tonight so until then BYEEEE.

Thanks, Queenie.

(EDITED)