A/N Went into a fugue state and wrote this. I did something similar after the ST4 "003" Teaser. Although I eventually unpublished that since it didn't fit the story once the season actually came out, it was fun to write, and I wanted to do something similar here. But this time, I only had one frame to go off of...

Enjoy!

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Hawkins, Indiana

Sometime in 1987

"Hold still, Dustin."

"Dude, leave it alone!"

"I said hold still!"

"And I said—"

"Hey!" Steve snapped, turning around to face the Henderson siblings. The beam of his flashlight caused them both to squint and scowl. If Steve didn't know Alice was adopted, he would assume they were biologically related due to their eerily similar mannerisms. "We're supposed to be on a covert mission. It's not exactly 'covert' with you two bitching the whole way."

Alice narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend. He cleared his throat and gave an apologetic smile. The kind of charming smile that let him get away with anything. Handsome bastard.

"Sorry, babe. I didn't mean bitching. I meant...speaking loudly in an agitated manner."

"Well, Steven," Alice said, voice clipped. He winced at the usage of his full government name. Oh, he was in the doghouse now. "Maybe I'll stop speaking loudly in an agitated manner if my dearest, darling brother here would just let me try to help."

"Al, leave it!" Dustin snapped. "Dr. Clovers made it very, very, abundantly clear that you're not ready to heal without a transfusion first."

Alice rolled her eyes.

"What does she know?"

Dustin pretended to ponder the question, tapping his chin before ticking Dr. Clovers' accolades off on his fingers. "Hmm, let's see: Genetics. Biochemistry. Hematology. Oh, and she's Dr. Owens' protégé, so she knows everything he knows about how your powers work—"

"Fine!" Alice said. "She knows a lot. But what she doesn't know is how much it hurts me seeing you hurt." Her eyes swept over Dustin's bruised face, and her heart broke all over again. "Give me five seconds."

"Two."

"That's nothing!" Alice protested. Steve looked between the two of them as if he was watching a tennis match as they negotiated.

"Three," Dustin countered.

"Four. And a half."

"Three and a half."

"Done," Alice said. The two of them shook hands. While their hands were intertwined, Alice closed her eyes.

Alice had always had healing abilities, but they worked so subtly that she didn't even realize it until 1983, when the Gate between Hawkins and the Upside Down opened in the Lab. Back in those early days, as she was learning how to use her powers, she couldn't control them. Even in the year following, she struggled with it. They were unpredictable, except for the fact that using them came with a few tell-tale signals: a golden glow and a warmth.

Now, as she worked tirelessly to regain her strength and heal again, the few times she used her powers, the glow emanating from her palm was a dull, grayish-white. The cozy warmth was replaced with a barely room-temperature sizzle.

Alice pushed as much energy as she could through her palm, hoping to see the bruises and cuts on her brother's face fade even slightly. But she felt a twinge of pain behind her ribcage and let out a gasp, dropping Dustin's hand after two-and-a-half seconds.

She stumbled back, clutching her chest. Steve and Dustin raced forward.

"You okay?" Steve asked, wrapping an arm around Alice's waist in case she lost her balance.

Alice nodded wordlessly.

"Don't lie," Dustin warned. "Friends don't lie, remember?"

Alice sighed.

"Right. Sorry. No, you were right, I shouldn't have even tried. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Dustin said. "I think something happened. My cheek doesn't hurt as much anymore!" He gave her a small smile. "So that's progress."

"Progress," Alice repeated with a grin of her own.

Dustin turned to Steve, face dropping into a grimace. "Hey, man. Can you not feel up my sister right now? This is life-or-death."

With that, he stalked forward, deeper into the vine-covered hellscape they were traversing.

Steve grumbled but stepped away from Alice. However, before he could get too far, she grabbed his hand with her own and squeezed it.

"I didn't mind it," she teased.

"For the record, I wasn't 'feeling you up,'" Steve protested as they followed after Dustin.

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"That was support! I was being supportive. A supportive gentleman!"

"Of course. A supportive gentleman, with your hand dangerously close to my ass."

"It was not! Your ass and my hand were practically in different time zones."

"Who's bitching now!" Dustin called from over his shoulder.

Alice cackled at the affronted look on Steve's face. Before he could defend himself, the walkie-talkie clipped to Steve's belt started to warble.

He handed his flashlight to Alice and clicked to talk. It was time. 

[Published May 31, 2025]

T-Minus 25.5 Weeks Until Stranger Things 5...