021 Eleven's Place
Everyone sat around the long table in Steve's house. After introducing themselves to Joyce—who still didn't know the full story—they began to recount facts that sounded like pure fantasy.
Joyce's first reaction was disbelief, but when she turned and saw Jonathan and Will—her two sons—looking at her with silent pleas of "Mom, please believe us," the stubborn resistance inside her melted in an instant and she chose to trust them.
Another reason she chose to believe was the sorry state of Steve's house; after seeing the wreckage, Joyce couldn't help but suspect that, as everyone claimed, a fierce battle really had taken place here two nights earlier.
With Joyce's trust secured, the conversation could move forward.
"Chade, who's this new kid?" Chief Hopper asked after sitting down. His eyes had stayed fixed on the little girl in the wig; during introductions she'd been the most reserved, offering only a number that seemed to be her name: "Eleven."
Richard slowly explained Eleven's background. To prove her powers were real, he had her give a demonstration on the spot. With a tiny gesture of her finger, Eleven floated Chief Hopper's cap through the air into her hand.
The room was stunned; the boys shouted that it was awesome. In almost the same instant they were fascinated by this sheltered girl who wielded impossible power—none more openly than Nancy's kid brother Mike, whose eyes glazed over with obvious admiration.
Hopper and Joyce were equally shocked by Eleven's power, but as adults they also felt deep pity for what the girl must have endured.
"She's the key to solving our problem," Richard told the astonished group. "The Lab can be handled by conventional means, but the gate to The Upside Down that's already been opened can only be closed by her."
"Can't we just burn it shut again?" Hopper frowned, recalling how Richard had once torched a passage.
"Fire only works on small, temporary tears. Strictly speaking, the gate beneath Hawkins Lab wasn't opened by Upside Down forces—it was opened by Eleven's power. There's an old saying: 'Whoever made the mess has to clean it up.' Because Eleven opened the door, only she can close it." Richard gently stroked Eleven's hair.
"So where will she live now?" Joyce asked the crucial question.
Richard drew a slow breath. "Hawkins Lab and the people behind it are ruthless. Tommy's death is our warning. To bury every trace of The Lab, they'll silence anyone who knows the truth at any cost. Because we know Eleven exists, we have to be extremely careful and never let her identity leak. Right now I'm keeping her at my place."
"No—too dangerous." Hopper waved his hand in immediate, grave objection. "You've got neighbors who'll notice, and your house is close to The Lab. If they search door-to-door, they'll reach you fast. That won't work."
"Then what?" Joyce asked.
As soon as the words left her, everyone fell thoughtful. Mike glanced around nervously, then shot his hand up, half-panicked and stammering, "I... my house has a basement where she could hide. My parents never go down there. She... she could stay with me."
"Out of the question." The idea was shot down by unanimous protest, including from his closest friends.
Nancy stared at Mike wide-eyed. "Don't even think about it. Have you forgotten you have a little sister, Holly, at home? Have you thought about Mom and Dad's safety?"
"Besides, that basement is the secret headquarters of our party," Lucas declared firmly. "How could we let some girl just waltz in?"
Dustin and Will said nothing, but their expressions showed they sided against Mike as well.
"Why not? I... I could take care of her secretly. I... I can make waffles!" Mike protested, glancing at the innocently attentive Eleven, then at the others, then back at the girl.
Joyce, the gentle mother of Mike's friend, also spoke from a parent's perspective: "I don't think this is a good idea. You're still a student; you have classes. While you're at school, Eleven would be alone in the basement, and your mom and sister are usually home. If your mom suddenly decides to clean the basement, how will Eleven hide? How would you explain that to Karen?"
Mike, unwilling to give up, deliberately sidestepped the school-day problem. "I can tell Mom I'll clean the basement myself every day."
In the end, Lucas's genius little sister Erica delivered the final blow. Grinning, she said, "Wow, Mike, I hate to burst your bubble, but you don't want to take care of her—you've got a crush on her. You've completely lost your mind. That's not good."
"Yeah, not good," Steve said, corner of his mouth curling; he naturally backed his girlfriend Nancy.
Eddie's knowing smile never wavered. "Chasing love is fine, but the timing's wrong. So—yeah—not good."
After Erica's words, everyone wore knowing smiles and began teasing Mike.
"I... I don't—" Seeing Eleven's bewilderment, Mike hung his head, ears scarlet.
"I'll take care of her," Chief Hopper decided, voice low and final. "I've got an old cabin outside town, left by my grandfather. A little fixing and it'll be livable—secluded, no one passes by."
"Can you manage?" Joyce asked, the only one sounding doubtful.
From what Joyce knew of the rugged chief, he barely looked after himself, let alone a child. Yet she remembered he'd once had a family, a daughter who'd died suddenly after a brutal illness. Those last painful days had left scars; Eleven might re-open them, making it even harder for Hopper to care for the girl.
Hopper bit his thick lip, eyes flickering with memory, pain, regret. Scenes of his dead daughter surfaced—memories he usually buried. Joyce's question made him doubt, if only for a moment, whether he could care for Eleven.
But in the end he steeled himself, meeting Eleven's curious gaze. "I will. I'll do my very best."
Richard had no objection; his house was too open, too exposed, and suited only to a solitary life. He could shelter Eleven briefly, but she needed long-term protection.
Still, before Hopper's decision was final, Richard said, "We should ask the kid. She may be clueless about the normal world, but she has her own mind and will."
"Right," Robin nodded.
"Exactly," Eddie agreed; a free spirit, he respected personal choice.
Realizing his rashness, Hopper rose, took Eleven's hand, and asked gently, "Would you let me look after you for a while? I'll get you good food, music, your own bedroom. I'll protect you with everything I've got."
Eleven studied his earnest face, a little nervous. Calming herself, she let her power brush his mind and sensed his honesty. This man was not like her papa. With a last, wordless glance at Richard—perhaps not even understanding the feeling as reluctance—she looked Hopper in the eye and nodded.
And so Eleven returned to the fate awaiting her, bound to Chief Hopper by a thread destined to become father and daughter.
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