By the time they reached the police station, Monica's heart rate had slowed down and her blurred vision faded. The officers informed their parents and Hopper about their whereabouts and made them wait in their office. 

They had handcuffed Jonathan's wrist, making him wait by their office desk while her and Nancy sat towards the wall. Thanks to Nancy and the lady at the front desk, he was given ice for his face wounds from the fights in silence. His silence was more like him calming himself down from raging out on Steve. Rightfully so.

When Nancy was finally finished checking on Jonathan's bruised face, she attempted to notch Monica's attention when she sat back down next to her. 

Monica blinks, cautiously rubbing her sweaty fingers for a sense of comfort. "Monica?"

"Yeah." Monica's soft voice cracks before she clears it up. Her body slouched as she was some severely awkward 12-year-old.

"Are you okay?" Nancy looked directly at Monica, reaching out to hold her hand with pure concern.

Monica instantly remembers the vicious words from Steve: "I saw you and Nancy so if I were you, I would definitely stop talking and stay away from my girlfriend..." 

Reliving that moment made her move her hand and reluctantly answer Nancy. "I don't want to talk about it."

Nancy's brow furrowed with suspicion. "Are you sure? You seem..."

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

Nancy, taken aback by Monica's stern voice, blinks before deciding to drop the subject. She bit her tongue, knowing that Monica was keeping something from her.

Regardless, they remained quiet for a short while or so before they saw a familiar car park outside from the window. Monica tilted her head up as they all shared a confused look.

"You think..." Nancy was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. 

It was Joyce, Hopper, and Linda, Monica's mother, clearly irritated yet concerned. She was the main one who was upset based on the grit of her teeth and flushed face. Like Monica had said before, she was screwed. Monica never had seen her mother so upset which made her scared of what the police actually had told her. Hopefully not be enough for Monica to be in a body bag by the time Linda was finished.

"You." Linda fumed, looking straight into Monica's fearful eyes. "I turn my back for five seconds... and you already have trouble with the law?"

Nancy interjects defensively while Callahan, who was in the room with the trio, tries to calm her down. "She didn't do anything."

Joyce's eyes widened once she saw the cuffs and black eye on Jonathan. When Monica first saw Joyce, she could see the spark in her eyes was now gone which broke Monica's heart. "Jonathan? Jesus, what... What happened? Why is he in handcuffs?"

"Well, your boy assaulted a police officer. That's why." Callahan tries to explain before Joyce orders him to take it off of Jonathan. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

Hopper spoke sternly. "You heard her. Take 'em off."

By that moment, Powell added his common sense to gain all of their attention. "Chief, I get everyone's emotional here, but there's something you need to see."

When showing Hopper the trunk of Jonathan's Ford, it showcased all of the weapons and death traps that they were withholding. A perfect sign that could further anyone's suspicion. The fight with Steve and his goons painted the story: troubled kids with lax parents cause problems given the Will situation as a way to get back at the world. It was almost hilarious how far off they actually were.

Joyce and Linda were shocked. While the reasons were similar, Linda noticed something odd about the box of weaponry that caught her rageful eyes. Her shotgun. "You... YOU STOLE MY SHOTGUN?!"

Monica's body heated up with anxiety, swallowing any possible chance that she was going to make it out alive. Joyce was simply confused by the sight and asked Jonathan what he was doing with this stuff.

"Why don't you ask your son? We found it in his car." Hopper side-eyes at Jonathan who was still handcuffed.

"Why are you going through MY car?" Jonathan questioned as if that would help his case in any way.

"Is that really the question you should be asking right now?" Hopper lowers his voice as he leaned closer to Jonathan.

Watching Jonathan getting interrogated over a plan that Monica and Nancy came up with, Monica felt that it was right to righteously defend him by taking the fall. She was already dead after the stunt she pulled with her own mother and Steve's threat to out her unless she didn't "keep away from his girlfriend" as if she's his property. Might as well take the fall that she deserves.

"It was my idea, okay!" Monica stated so loudly and clearly that the whole station could hear.

Linda's eyes twitch slightly. "What?"

Monica, ignoring her mother's reaction, stares into Hopper's eyes, deadpanned. She remembered the last conversation with Hopper not turning out great and ended with an "I want to believe you but I think you're going crazy" response so she didn't expect much. "Look, I know you won't believe me so give me the cuffs and throw the slammer or whatever you guys call it."

Hopper turned towards Monica, who stood with her wrists out for a fresh pair of cuffs and had his jaw tightened. "Oh, really? Why don't you give me a try?"

"All of you. In my office now."

There, in Hopper's office, Nancy, Jonathan, and Monica explained the situation at hand. Due to Linda's hostile behavior at the station, she had to wait outside while the kids confessed.

They told them about seeing the Demogorgon, learning their quirks with blood, and coming up with the plan to take it out with the new weapons. Nancy was still traumatized from bringing it up but she managed to tell her truth. Although they all predicted that Joyce would ultimately believe them, Hopper was a different story. It wasn't until Monica pulled out the folder of photos with actual evidence of the monster that Jonathan took... when things started to get serious.

The small room was silent for a few seconds until Hopper spoke up. "You say blood draws this thing?"

Jonathan says in a soft tone, "We don't know."

"It's just a theory." Nancy utters.

Joyce's head rose up and glanced directly at Jonathan and Monica with such disappointment. More towards him but it was enough to make someone ashamed of their existence.

"Jonathan? Can we talk? In private?" Joyce asked as nicely as possible but still sounded more like an order than a question.

They all watched Jonathan and Joyce march out of his office leaving Hopper with the girls. Hopper glances at the photo before looking up to speak to them.

"So you both saw this thing..."

"Yeah." The girls both said in unison.

While Nancy couldn't bother maintaining eye contact with anyone, Monica locked eyes with Hopper, conflicted. It was bittersweet for an actual adult to finally believe in them, despite them failing to do so before. However, she still could hear flashbacks of their last conversation as echoes in her mind.

"When someone close to you... someone that you love dies, your mind can react in many different ways and you might hear and see some things that aren't really there. I know from experience..."

"You know... I always thought that being proven right would make me feel better. But all I feel is lousy." Monica looked directly at Hopper when saying this.

"You want to find your friend? Then this is not the time to gloat." Hopper says, knowing that he didn't believe her the first time.

"Gloating? The shit I've been through this past week... ain't worth gloating. I would trade anything for this week to never happen. But I can't help to wonder how quickly all of this would've been if you'd just believed us in the first place..."

Hopper bites his tongue, holding his anger inside. "Look, kid. I'm sorry. I should've believed you. Both of you. But right now, our goal is getting Will back."

"And Barb." Nancy adds on, hunching her back forward while sitting.

"Yes, her too." Hopper nods when saying that statement. "Don't worry. Once all of this is over, you can call me whatever you want."

That part made Monica roll her eyes although the apology was nice to hear.

Hopper soon walked out of the office after hearing a commotion in the station. It seemed to be a woman with her son Troy who had a broken arm, demanding justice for the perpetrator. The same Troy who loves to bully Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and last but not least, Will Byers. He learned that not only the bald kid that he was investigating with Joyce about had something to do with Troy's broken arm, but the bald girl was currently with the same boys that Troy bullies.

Meanwhile, Jonathan enters back into Hopper's office with Joyce, some tears visible as if he just finished crying. From the outside looking in, many people would look at him as some edgy loner, but getting to know him, he just was a socially awkward mess with a heart of gold. Although... he still came off as a creep which is warranted at times. 

To Monica, he was still the most of a big brother she ever had despite how close their birthdays were. The Byers were like her second family, of course. She hated seeing Joyce after all of this because of the constant guilt. It was easier to keep things away from her real mother, Linda since she was usually too busy to notice or emotionally care for her. Joyce was her emotional support while her mother slaved her day in overworking to put food on the table. Monica felt ashamed, watching Joyce look at her and Jonathan in a different light. She never had gotten that look before. It was even more surprising when Joyce walked up to her to embrace a hug.

Small tears immediately started to stream down Monica's face as her heart began to beat faster. She was too overwhelmed to say sorry but she felt it severely.

"I'm glad you're okay." Joyce whispered into Monica's ear while patting her back. She pulls herself away which reveals the welled-up tears in her eyes. "I should've known... from our phone call..."

"Don't apologize. I'm the one who didn't tell you the truth... I just... I was scared... scared that I was imagining it. It's my fault for running away in the first place."

Joyce pursed her lips, not allowing Monica to talk badly about herself. "Don't you say that! I will not allow you to blame yourself for this. You're... just a kid. This is not your fault, you were scared. Goddamn it, you should've told me what happened to you... I'm so sorry."

"It's... it's okay." Trying to disagree with the fact that it wasn't her fault like Joyce proclaimed ... it wasn't necessary. It was a waste of time because deep down she knew that Joyce was right which made Monica feel worse. It's not a good feeling to be reminded that no matter how selfish of a choice it is... sometimes, the best option is to run away. No matter how weak it made her feel.

Joyce sighed while looking at her. In her eyes, she could tell that Monica didn't believe her but she remained silent. A few seconds passed until Hopper barged into the office.

"We have to go. Now."

—

Leaving the police station in Hopper's car, he explains the situation of Nancy's brother and his friends being associated with the bald girl and her special abilities. How this bald girl is one of the many kids who get kidnapped by a government program and exploited for their powers. Experimenting on them like lab rats as much as they could. So much that it could lead to developing... situations like this one. This piece of information was the very reason why Hopper made it dire for them to find the kids before they do.

Nancy had a hard time believing that her brother would be that much of an influence to have the entire government on the search for him. They didn't spend time with each other rarely other than family dinners but she had no idea that he was even capable of doing that... She mostly thought of him as a nuisance anyway. 

To her surprise when Hopper pulls up close enough to see the people from the dangerous program surrounding their house and Monica's. Despite Nancy wanting to come back to her house to help her parents, Hopper forced her back.

Monica, on the other hand, was seated in the middle of the backseat with Jonathan on the right and Nancy on the left. She could see dozens of cars surrounding the houses which shocked her. Like Nancy, Monica would most likely bicker with Mike Wheeler and defend his own sister from the wrath of him and his insults. But Monica had no idea.

Nancy was actively upset from the moment she was forced into the car. All she could do is staring out the window with only negative thoughts overflowing her head. Monica saw and tries to hold her hand for support but Nancy pushes her away.

Hopper turns to the backseat, looking at Nancy as if he had a plan. "Look, we need to find them before they do. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

"No, I don't... I don't know... We don't talk a lot. Not... lately at least..." Nancy answers defensively, ending it with a sigh.

"Well, is there any place that your... your parents don't know about... that he might go?" Joyce asks, hoping for anything, a lead to the kids.

Nancy simply shook her head whilst a light bulb went off Monica's head. In her babysitting days, she sometimes saw Will with that dang walkie, talking to his friends for when's their next campaign. Jonathan thought of the same thing when they both shared a look.

"His walkie." They said in unison.

They drove up to the Byers' household after they told them about the walkie. It had been a while since Monica had visited them over at their house. Last week when babysitting Will to be exact. But it felt more like a month.

When taking a step into the house, Monica and Nancy were both speechless by the chaos. The Christmas lights hanging all over the living room, black painted letters in alphabetical order plastered on the walls alongside a large hole in the middle of the room. Not to mention that the clutter in the trashcan with a burned-out telephone inside. Jonathan had told Monica that Joyce was going through it but it was still astonishing to see it in prime time.

They searched and found Will's abandoned walkie under his bed in his room. Hopper had Nancy contact them first but there wasn't any response from either Mike, Dustin, or Lucas. But before he got his hands on the walkie, Nancy suggested that Monica give it a try.

Startled, Monica responds with a "What?"

"Just try. Maybe they'll... trust you more." Nancy holds out the walkie out for Monica to grab.

Monica slightly shakes her head, looking at the others to back her up. She knew that she had a better relationship with the kids than Nancy but she didn't think it wasn't by that much. Especially with the day she had, she didn't really have confidence in herself.

Jonathan opened his mouth to speak. "Well... she does have a point. You have a better chance than the rest of us."

"As long as you get a response from them, I'm all ears." Hopper agrees.

"Seriously?" Monica dreaded her existence at that moment. She tried to get anyone on her side but she failed which annoyed her. She pouts as she grabs the walkie from Nancy's cold yet smooth hands. She pulled its antenna and held it up to her face.

Before pushing to talk, she tries to think of anything that would make the kids trust her in any way. It had been a while so she took a minute to think of something. She then remembered one time she taught Dustin Pig Lati as a secret party trick a while ago. Maybe a couple of years ago but still felt ancient in her brain. She was rusty in the language but could hold a conversation so she wasn't missing that department. Her nerves were a different story.

Monica took a deep breath and pushed the button to talk on the walkie. She clears her throat before speaking. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

No response. Which resulted in an annoyed Hopper. Monica gulped, preparing to speak in Pig Latin. Rusty, bad pig Latin.

"Ittyay isyay importantyay. Eway areyay otnay ithway ethay... adbay eoplepay. Eway ustjay antway ouyay otay ebay okayyay. Anyoneyay opycay?" She butches a rough translation of saying in regular English, "It is important. We are not with the bad people. We just want you to be okay. Anyone copy?"

Hopper raised a brow in suspicion. "What the hell is she saying?"

Nancy as well was shocked by not knowing that Monica could speak that foreign language. "You speak Pig Latin?"

"Yes, but not well." Monica answers first to Nancy's question, chuckling at how adorable her reaction was. She looked at Hopper next. "I only told them that it's important and we're not with the government... if I say it right..."

A few seconds passed and Hopper was too antsy to wait anymore, knowing that a child's life was at stake. And right before he pressed the button to talk, someone spoke on the walkie-talkie. Mike Wheeler.

"Yeah, I copy. It's Mike. I'm here. We're here."

—

6:45. It was now six hours until Monica's birthday which feels less important, more and more. Hopper has gone alone to get the kids right after Mike gave away their location. So within every hour, minute, and second that passed, Nancy, Jonathan and Joyce waited for his return. They sat on the couch together, staring at the wooden door for it to open. Sweating with... anticipation.

Nancy breaks out of this stare and gazes upon Monica with her sweaty palms. She slowly nudged her to get her attention. "Monica?"

"Yeah?"

"You think that my parents are okay? With the government and all?"

Monica sighed before answering. "I'm sure they're fine. It's certainly not like they're summoning the Demogorgon or some crazy shit like that."

"You think they're talking to your mom?"

"If they are, then all they would know is... how I almost died..." she chuckles at the end of that sentence.

Nancy bite her tongue at that triggering possibility that her best friend could've been dead. She wondered how things would have gone if it played out that way and the thought emotionally drained her. It's definitely not the world she'd ever want to live in. As she wondered, the specific thoughts flowed in her mind: I couldn't bear to live without her... but... it's not something I should say out loud. It'll sound too weird.

"I can't believe... I can't believe that I almost lost my best friend." Nancy scoffs, looking down at her fidgeting fingers. "What kept you going?"

What kept me going? Well, the name starts with N and ends with Y. That was something Monica would've said if the timing was right, which was never. At least not for a while. She had a hard time understanding who she was even though in hindsight, it was clear as day.

"A lot. Friends, family... and the urge to kill that monstrosity of a creature... the list goes on. I'm probably never going to sleep the same." Monica mindlessly chuckled as if she was trying to laugh off the pain.

"Well... that makes two of us."

Suddenly a car drove by and parked in their driveway with the car light shining through the house. They all sprint out the door to see Hopper return with the kid. Mike with his black shaggy cut, Dustin with his usual baseball hat that he basically wears on a daily basis, and Lucas with his military bandana. The whole group was here other than Will. Rather, there was a girl, standing between Dustin and Lucas. She was bald, wearing a blue jean jacket and a pink flowy dress. She remained silent, watching everyone reunite.

Nancy ran to hug Mike which was something an average person doesn't see every day. Monica blinked, watching the sight.

"I was worried about you." Nancy insinuated as she hugged the little boy.

He reacted awkwardly to the sudden affection. "Oh... yeah uh... me too?"

Dustin stares off to see Monica standing on the porch giving one of his famous gummy smiles. He waves at her. "Monica, hey!"

Monica waves back with a smile, walking up to be right next to Nancy. The last time she heard his sweet voice was just when she was passed out from escaping the Upside Down. And he was mostly screaming but this time, it was different in a good way.

"Adglay otay eesay ouyay okayyay. Eway avehay osay uchmay otay elltay ouyay." Dustin says confidently in Pigs Latin, which translates into, "Glad to see you okay. We have so much to tell you."

And they did. When everyone went back to the house, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas told the adults about the adventures that they went through and their personal theories. Mike held up a loose leaf "diagram' as he explained:

"Okay, so, in this example, we're the acrobat. Will and Barbara, and that monster, they're this flea. And this is the Upside Down, where Will is hiding. Mr. Clarke said the only way to get there is through a rip of time and space. A gate."

"That we tracked to Hawkins Lab." Lucas says. "With our compasses" Dustin adds on.

Dustin further explained how there is a way to get to the flea. Into the Upside Down. A place that Monica and Nancy fell witness to with scarring nightmares for years to come. How romantic.

"...the gate has a really strong electromagnetic field, and that can change the directions of a compass needle."

All of those words Monica failed to grasp in her head. Whenever these twelve-year-olds say anything smart, a piece of her ego cracks a little. Sometimes she felt bad for not achieving a lot in her childhood. She was either too busy with babysitting and house chores or filming with her video camera. A lack of self-confidence certainly did not help whatsoever. It amazes her how much these kids had achieved in a short amount of time. It's annoying. The little girl, whose name was Eleven, just Eleven, had a special power that could contact people in searching for their whereabouts. 

But it required a lot of tools. Dustin then asked his science teacher by calling him a late time while everyone stared. He wrote all they needed on a piece of paper. It wrote:

"1. 1500 lb salt.

2. Pool."

And there was one place to get the massive amount of salt. None other than the infamous "Hawkins Middle School."

—

Younger Monica wouldn't appreciate going back to Hawkins Middle so... so sooner. She thought that part of her life was over for most of the time. Maybe attending the Snowball if Nancy ever had a chance to chaperone. But here she was, creating a kiddie pool with salt for a kid with a buzzcut and a tattoo on her wrist. 

Jonathan and Hopper were out getting the salt while Nancy and Mike went out to grab the hose. Monica, on other hand, was assisting Dustin and Lucas, in getting the kiddie pool situated in the gymnasium. "Assist" in meaning by carrying the heavy blue bag for them and helping them unfold it. It took a few minutes to set it up which was shorter than they expected.

Meanwhile, when Nancy and Mike went out for the hose, the door for the backhouse was strongly locked based on Mike's failed attempt on breaking it open. Nancy made the decision to have broken its lock in a matter of seconds with a handy tool. A rock. Mike had never thought of his sister... as cool... not in a while. It was a nice look on her.

On their way back to the school, Mike and Nancy made conversation about Eleven and how he was able to hide her away from everyone in their house. And how wrong they were with what they were doing with their lives during the whole time.

"Hey... No more secrets, okay? From now on we tell each other everything." Nancy announced, stopping to turn toward her little brother.

Mike nodded with a slight shrug. "Okay. Do you like Monica now?"

"What?" Nancy felt her skin grow white, her eyes widened when hearing that question. She hated how much she wanted to agree with it. She did like Monica, more than she could say. What she didn't realize, though, was that: what she thought Mike said wasn't what he actually said.

"I said are you and Monica cool now?" Mike repeated, thinking it wasn't that big of a question.

"Oh." Nancy utters in embarrassment. "Well, of course. We're always... cool. What made you think that?"

"Well, Monica didn't look pleased with you and Steve together. I can't blame her." Mike answers. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah I knew." Nancy crossed her arms, biting her lip. "Well... uh... Do you like Eleven?"

Mike's reaction was animated, cringing at the thought. "What? No. Ew. Gross."

Nancy simply rolls her eyes, dropping the conversation to walk back to the school gymnasium. The Bathtub was soon finished. Ready.

As Eleven entered the lukewarm kiddie pool full of salt, she was still in her pink babydoll dress that was now drenched. The walkie was there for everyone to hear what person Eleven contacted from the Upside Down. With Joyce on her side for emotional support, she slowly goes in and floats on her back. Her eyes closed as her body went numb. It took a second for the lights to flicker. It was at that moment, Eleven was in the void.

She, at first, tries to contact Barb and calls out her name. That name only brought Monica to that fact when she turned her back on her. Even closing her eyes would make her go back. She just rolled a single tear, hoping it wasn't real even though it was.

Nancy pleads to Eleven as she hears her name. Eleven was crying as if she witnessed a murder. That scream only made both Nancy and Monica terrified. "Is Barb okay? Is she okay?"

Eleven whimpers repeatedly with the word, "Gone."

—

Nancy was now against the wall in a fetal position, letting the tears loosely fall down her cheeks. She was outside of the gymnasium, all by herself. The wall that she was sitting against showed a painting of a tiger with the American flag in the background. Trophies were hung up near her and benches sat next to her.

Many thoughts cross her mind. How did Barb die? Did she suffer? Did Monica knew? Why wouldn't she tell me?

There wasn't one emotion that could describe Nancy from realizing Barb's death. All she could do is stare off somewhere, losing herself and questioning herself and everyone around her.

It wasn't until Monica crept towards her and took a seat next to her. Nancy could smell her guilt and pity from a mile away.

Monica wasn't the best with wording apologies. It always felt weird and awkward to admit that she was a screw-up. Especially to the people she loves. The girl she loves. But regardless, one thing her mother had taught her is to know when to say your apologies and take accountability. She just hoped that she wouldn't lose her best friend.

"Hey... you okay?" Monica spoke very softly to her.

Nancy rose her head up while not giving Monica eye contact. "No."

"Oh." Monica looks down trying to find a way to break the news to her. "I'm sorry about Barb. I know how much she meant..."

"Did you know?" Nancy interrupted her mid-sentence. "About... Barb?"

This is it. Time to face the music. The funny feeling in her stomach wasn't helping her nerves in the slightest but she tells the truth nonetheless. "Yes."

"Did she... did she suffer?"

"Yes." Monica says while her eyes start to water as if a small girl is in trouble with the principal. Nancy let out a painful breath, sniffling. "Nancy, I'm so sorry. I didn't want her to... I was... I was scared, okay?"

Nancy shakes her head before finally staring deep into Monica's glossy, dark eyes. "I'm not mad at you."

"You should. I'm a coward."

"Even if I wanted to... I can't. I can't explain it but... I just can't hate you. Monica... I..." Nancy wanted to say the words but it was too early for her self-discovery with whatever feelings she had for Monica. "You're my best friend. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

Monica blinks when taking into the information. Nancy continues to talk, switching the tone. "What I want... is for us to take this thing down. Once and for all."

By this time, Jonathan walks in to check on them. "You guys okay?"

"We have to go back to the station." Nancy announces, standing up.

"What?" Jonathan and Monica both said in unison.

Nancy gritted her teeth as her rage slowly kicked in. The urge for revenge. "Your mom and Hopper are just walking in there like bait. That thing is still in there. And we can't just sit here and let it get them, too. We can't."

Yet another lightbulb went off Monica's head. "The theory? You still wanna try it out?"

"I wanna finish what we started. I want to kill it."