AT FIRST, OLIVIA THOUGHT SHE WAS HALLUCINATING.

The bite was starting to mess with her head, making her see things that weren't there. She could feel the blood seeping through the white shirt, plastering it to her body. The Upside Down was taking its finally toll on her body, taunting her with the one thing she couldn't have.

It's not fair! Olivia wanted to scream it into the universe. She felt Steve's hands quickly grasp her waist, trying to pull her into his chest, but she was doubled over. Her knees were collapsed underneath her and she rocked back and forth on her heels, feeling a sob burst its way into her chest.

It's not fair.

It's not fair.

She wanted Eleven so badly. Her baby sister, the one ray of light in the trauma of the lab, the person she had been closest to. The person that had been the hardest to let go the year before, Olivia knowing that she was sacrificing her one bit of happiness.

And, quite possibly, with her Papa finally figuring out her plan, costing her her life.

She would have done it all again, though. A million times, if it bought Eleven even a week in the real world, with people who could love her and give her the happiness she deserved.

It's not fair.

Olivia was finally moving on after her sister's death. She had a family now, people who provided for her and helped her adjust to the world that was a different type of scary. She had friends who taught her how to fit in and how to make lasting relationships.

And she had Steve, who made her realize that it was possible to love someone even after all the heartbreak.

It's not fair.

But now here was the ghost of her sister, back to haunt her. To make her spiral out of control and grieve and drink away her pain-

Because this wasn't real. It wasn't possible.

So how was she here?

"El." It was Lucas who whispered it.

Olivia's shoulders shook and she clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling a wail of agony as she watched Mike Wheeler slowly walk out from behind Hopper, eyes glued on the punk-dressed girl he had grieved for nearly a year.

He had the saddest, sweetest smile on his face that Olivia had ever seen. She watched as his shoulders relaxed, like the weight of the world had just been lifted off his shoulders.

Olivia felt like the weight was added to hers. It was a nonviable burden. It wasn't possible- Eleven couldn't be alive- yet here she was, standing and breathing and smiling, hair much longer than Olivia remembered.

"It's okay," Steve whispered in her ear. His words made her heart tear even more- because she didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve comfort- not after everything she had done.

Not when Eleven was standing right there, so very small and eyes so full of maturity and so very alive.

Mike and El moved forward and collapsed into each other in sync, fitting together like a piece of a puzzle that had been waiting to be completed.

Olivia grasped her hands to her chest as another wave of torturous pain rocked her body- from the bite or from grief, she didn't know.  She felt as if her heart- her soul- was splitting in two. Steve rubbed her back, gentle circles that kept her grounded in the moment when all she wanted to do was disappear. She felt her face screwed up as tears blurred her vision, desperate whimpers forcing themself from her body.

She was breaking.

"I never gave up on you," Mike stared down at Eleven with teary eyes, his hands holding hers in between their chests. "I called you every night. Every night for-"

"353 days," Eleven whispered. Her eyes darted between his, drinking in every inch of him. "I heard."

She heard.

Mike's eyebrows furrowed. "Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?"

"Because I wouldn't let her."

Olivia looked up in horror, feeling bile rise in her throat. She took Steve's hand and stood slowly, the blood from her head drain down in her feet. She watched as Jim Hopper, his features softened into relief, stare down Eleven.

Like he had been waiting for her.

"The hell is this?" he said gruffly, his voice tight. His hat hung over his eyes as he gestured at her leather clothes and slicked-back hair. "Where you been?"

El gritted her teeth, her lip trembling. "Where have you been?"

Then, to everyone's shock, Hopper pulled her into a hug and El sank into it, letting out a heavy breath as he kissed her hair.

No.

Olivia was going to throw up.

"Hopper," she said hoarsely. She felt her chapped lips part, the vague taste of copper blood filling her mouth.

Hopper turned to her, his arm still around Eleven, and immediate regret painted his features. Olivia shook her head, hot tears spilling onto her pale cheeks. This had to be part of the hallucination. Please.

Because he wouldn't do this to her. Not when she had finally come to trust him, not when she had worked so hard to build a world for herself without her sister. Not when he had been the one to threaten the lab into giving her a normal life. He had been the one to enroll her in school, who had escorted her to her appointments on the days Joyce couldn't. He had told her about grief, how to move on...

Steve held her arms, the only support keeping her standing as she watched Eleven turn to look at her. His hands were strong while she trembled, blood seeping through her T-shirt.

"You..." Olivia looked at Hopper with horror, the cold, sickening feeling of betrayal. She clutched her stomach, feeling like she were about to be sick. "You hid her..."

"Olivia..." Hopper looked at her, begging her with his eyes to understand.

But how could she?

"You've been hiding her!" Olivia's voice quaked and her knees shook so hard she was sure she was going to fall down. She clamped a hand over her mouth as a sob rocked her body. Her eyes were glued on Eleven. "You told me she was dead! You-"

"Olivia, I had to," Hopper pleaded.

"No!" Olivia choked. It was so wrong, so twisted... Steve grasped her hips as she slumped into him, unable to stay up on her own anymore. He held her tightly, keeping her grounded. "Eleven..."

Eleven stared at her in silence, her lips slightly parted. A tear slipped down her cheek, trailing a line of black makeup as her face screwed into a sob, drinking in the sight of her sister. "One?"

Olivia stumbled forward weakly, arms outstretched as she let out a gut-wrenching cry of pain and relief. Eleven met her halfway and let Olivia sweep her up into her arms, leaning into her sister's touch. The second Olivia felt Eleven rest her head in her chest, her knees collapsed and they slumped to the floor, Eleven gripping the back of her bloody shirt.

"Eleven..." Olivia sobbed into her baby sister's ear. She raised her hand and rested it on the back of Eleven's head, ignoring the black grease in her hair that smeared onto her fingers. Her hand curled around the little girl's waist, letting her sink into her chest. "Eleven..."

She repeated it like a mantra. If she stopped, she was sure Eleven would disappear. She couldn't ever let go.

"You've been hiding her this whole time!" Mike bellowed suddenly. The words sounded like they were underwater in Olivia's ears, but she knew they rang true. Hopper had kept her away, The angry little boy shoved past Lucas, who made a feeble attempt to pull him back, and shoved Hopper square in the chest.

There was a beat of silence and Dustin sucked in a breath, but Hopper, being built like a brick shithouse, was unfazed.

"Hey!" He said loudly. He glanced at Olivia, who stared up at him with a look of betrayal so heartbroken that he had to look away. "Let's talk. Alone."

Olivia felt Eleven's head raise as Hopper gripped Mike's upper arm and moved down the hallway to the twin's bedroom. The look in her little sister's eyes were one of longing and pain as she watched her friend's curly black hair disappear, and Olivia realized just how much the two of them must love each other.

The older of the two had pulled away, gasping for breath in between sobs as she took Eleven's face in her palms, smoothing the hair from her face. Olivia used the pads of her thumbs to wipe the tears off her little sister's cheeks, taking in the big, doe-brown eyes staring up at her.

"I don't... I don't understand," El cried, her hands grasping Olivia's around her face. Olivia felt her eyebrows dip and her bottom lip tremble when she realized how big of a word that was for Eleven to use.

Olivia smoothed back her hair and kissed her forehead, ignoring the pain tearing through her shoulder. Eleven let out a sob. "I thought... I thought you were... gone."

Another year slipped out of Olivia's swollen eyes, and it dawned on her what Eleven must have meant. She had though Olivia was dead.

They had been grieving each other for the past year.

Olivia quickly shook her head, pulling Eleven in close again. Her hand ran through her slicked-back curls. "I'm not. I'm right here. I'm right here, okay? I'm never leaving you again."

Eleven leaned back and stared at her sister for a moment before a hand darted up to Olivia's hair. "Pretty," she whispered.

Olivia let out a watery laugh when she remembered how long it was the last time Eleven had seen it. While Papa had kept Eleven's head shaved, claiming it interfered with her powers. Olivia was never allowed to cut hers. Olivia remembered the feeling of pure freedom when Nancy had taken her to a salon and they had left with it brushing the top of her shoulders.

But God, no matter how much Olivia had changed, Eleven had grown up more. Her features were more mature, her cheekbones a little bit less childish.

"Me?" Olivia echoed with a watery smile. Her eyes were filled with pain. She had missed so much. "Look at you! You got... so big!"

"Pretty?" El asked in a small voice. Olivia felt her heart clench.

She choked out a sob. "So pretty."

"You look pretty badass," Lucas whispered. Olivia turned to see the him and Dustin standing shoulder to shoulder, wiping away the tears that had escaped.

Eleven grinned when she saw them. She slowly stood up and the three of them stumbled together, pulling into a small group hug. Dustin murmured something about how much they missed her and Lucas just grinned, looking like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Olivia, still sitting on the floor with tears running down her cheeks, felt the faintest smile grace her lips as she watched them. Eleven looked so happy.

She winced when she felt a sudden pang of pain from the flesh in her shoulder and she pressed a hand to the skin, trying not to vomit. When she pulled her hand away, there was a blackish-red liquid tainting her fingers, blood mixed with... something else.

"Liv," Steve crouched down next to her and she was too exhausted to flinch away. His hands hovered near her waist, his eyes full of concern. "Is that..."

"I'm fine," she croaked quietly. Her eyes were on Joyce, who glanced at her in confusion and worry. She forced a smile, wishing her mother didn't have to worry so much.

"Do we need to bandage it up more?" Steve asked her in a low voice. "I can go grab-"

Olivia's hand grazed his and Steve twined their fingers together, watching her eyes glaze over in pain. "I'm fine," she repeated. "it's... it's not going to help."

But with one look at the blackish blood lining her fingers, Steve knew it was true.

But Steve Harrington was smarter than that. There was something else happening to her that she wasn't saying.

"Okay," he murmured. "Come here; it can't be good for you to sit like that."

She gave him a pleading look and he nodded, before putting an arm beneath her knees and one secure behind her back. He picked her up bridal style and sat her on the couch, gentler than he had ever been in his life, before sitting down beside her, letting her sink into him.

There was another wave of fiery pain and this time she couldn't hold back her gasp. It rang across the room as Steve squeezed her hand, wishing he could take her pain.

Eleven quickly turned, the rest of the room following suit. The little girls' eyes widened and she quickly moved forward.

"One?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice. "You are hurt!"

Olivia knew she had gotten a lot more pale in just the past few minutes. Beads of sweat dripped down her temple and her stomach quaked, threatening to empty itself any minute.

But her mind was sharper than ever, and she knew what she needed to do.

"We need to talk about some things, okay?" Olivia forced a smile. She almost regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth; she was about to put a much bigger burden on her little sister than she deserved. But this was what they were made for.

And they were the only ones who could do it.

Steve's eyes were big and worried as he helped his girlfriend stand. Olivia wobbled for a moment, grasping onto Steve's outstretched arms as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. She was too sick to even pay much attention to the butterflies taking flight in her stomach at the sweet gesture. Eleven's eyebrows raised and the corners of her mouth twitched as she watched the exchange.

She may have been young, but she knew enough to see that there was love between them, even if she didn't know the word.

"Come here," Olivia held out the hand that wasn't stained in blood, keeping that one close to her stomach. "Let's go talk in my room."

Eleven looked at her hesitant before taking her hand, looking scared she would hurt her. Olivia forced a smile, wanting to capture this moment and keep it forever; the happiness she felt, the look of adoration and relief in Eleven's eyes...

But that just wasn't how the girls lives worked.

And things certainly weren't getting any easier now.

A/N: It happened and it's happening!

Now that the sisters are together they really need to catch up, and that is going to be in the next chapter.

Olivia and Hopper are both really strained right now, and obviously Olivia is so hurt that he would keep Eleven from her. After doing so much for her and being a father figure when she has had such a hard time trusting men in the past, it's gonna leave some damage.

A lot is happening in the next chapter and it's going to be SUPER important

and of course, a shit ton of Olivia and Protective, Sweet Steve

I love you guys!