"THIS..." ELEVEN STARED OUT THE WINDOW. "This is your home?"

Olivia followed her gaze, staring at the reflection of their own faces from the glass. She looked awful even from here. Her straight, stick-straight wet hair was plastered to her skin, and her eyes looked hollow and sunken in.

"Yes," she honestly. She fidgeting with the blankets sitting on top of her bed, deep in thought. Home was such a strong word, but it fit. 

"Will," Eleven, who had been fidgeting with their intertwined fingers, looked up, her eyes rimmed with red from exhaustion and crying. She swallowed and her eyes drifted to the blackish blood staining Jonathan's old white T-shirt. "Callie, and Jonathan... Joyce... they are your family?"

Family.

That was an even stronger word. 

But once again, it felt right.

There were there for her, through everything. Joyce took up extra shifts for those first few months when Olivia had moved in with them, so she could try to make up for the lack of clothing and hygiene Olivia had suffered in the lab. She was kind and so, so patient with Olivia's powers as she learned how to control them.

The twins had movie marathons with her, and always made sure she sat in the middle between them because they both wanted to "share her". Caroline taught her how to paint her nails and braid her hair, and Will drew her pictures and tacked them up in her room. 

Jonathan had immediately taken her under his wing and walked her to her classes at school every morning, even after she knew the way. He introduced him to Nancy, her now best friend, and to Steve.

Steve Harrington, who had become her entire world.

"Yes," she said again. Sher looked at her sister. "Is Hopper your family?"

Eleven smiled, lost in thought. "He feeds. He protects. He teaches. He is family."

Olivia nodded, tighter this time. After so long of having Eleven to herself, being the only person she could trust with her sister, it was almost hurtful to hear someone else had been able to take her place. She ought to be grateful, though. It was good for Eleven to have more loving people in her life.

Right?

"How long?"

The words were croaked out quietly. Strained.

Coming from a place of pain that even Olivia herself couldn't decipher. It could have been the venom coursing through her shoulder, or the fact that she had missed her baby sister growing up that past year. It could have been the fact that she knew what was coming next, and it was going to destroy them.

El looked up. 

"With... Hopper?" She asked in a small voice.

Olivia nodded.

"353 days," Eleven whispered. "Hop... Hop said he didn't know you."

Olivia tried to bite back the anger on her tongue. She owed Hopper- he had taken Eleven in and kept her safe. But she didn't know if she would ever be able to forgive him.

He had lied about Eleven being alive. He had helped Olivia grieve. He had pretended that he didn't know Olivia, to try to keep the sisters apart.

"Was this Hopper?" she asked, gesturing to the outfit. Eleven's eyes darted down to her cuffed jeans.

"No," Eleven shook her head. "This... this was Kali."

"Kali?" Olivia repeated. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place exactly where it came from.

"Eight," Eleven looked up at her, waiting for the reaction. "I found Eight."

Olivia felt her heat drop into her stomach and she released a choked breath from her throat. Memories came flooding back- brown skin, black pigtails, rosy cheeks, a wide-toothed smile- but most of all, the tears of thanks as she had watched Eight run away into the night, knowing her plan had worked. "You found her?"

"Yes," Eleven beamed. "She's bitchin'."

Olivia laughed- a real, genuine laugh- as short-lived as it was. She couldn't believe it. All these years, she had wondered what had happened to their sister. She knew Eight had made it out safely, and that Papa never found her. They had never traced the escape back to Olivia either.

"She's safe?" Olivia whispered, huffing as a tear of joy slipped onto her cheek.

"Yes," Eleven confirmed. Her legs swung against the bed. "She had friends."

"Good," Olivia breathed. She squeezed Eleven's hand as the little girl looked up at her with concerned, watchful eyes. "That's good."

There was a beat of silence before Eleven spoke again- quiet and timid. "One?"

It had been a long time since Olivia had been called that, but it was still ingrained in her mind. She flinched and Eleven quickly withdrew her hand, looking scared.

"I am sorry," she said quickly. "You... okay?"

"Yeah," Olivia rushed out. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to suppress the memories breaking through the barricades in her mind. She wiped a bead of sweat off of her temple. The venom from those monsters was doing a number on her. "Sorry. I just... I haven't been called One in a long time."

"No?" Eleven's eyes brightened. "You have a name? Like me?"

"Yeah," Olivia smiled down at her. "Yeah, I do. It's Olivia. It's... Papa's and my Mama's name for me. From when I was a baby."

"Olivia," Eleven repeated, trying out the word on her tongue. She grinned. "Pretty."

"Thank you," Olivia ran her thumb across El's cheekbone. "El is very pretty too."

El nodded. "Mike... Mike gave it to me."

"You like Mike?" Olivia smiled at the blush rushing to her sister's cheeks, turning them rosy. "He's cute, huh?"

"Yes," El admitted. Her eyes were wide and the smile on her face was so adorably excited. "I... missed him."

Olivia shoved down another wave of pain, focusing instead on everything El was saying. "I could tell."

"You like Steve, yes?" Eleven nudged Olivia, a sweet, goofy smile on her face.

Olivia didn't have enough blood in her body to blush, but she felt the butterflies in her stomach anyway. She pictured his big brown eyes and long dark lashes, the few freckles dotting his nose and the hair he was so adorably proud of. "He is good to me. I just... I hope I am good for him too."

"You are good," El said simply. It was only a few words, but Olivia felt her eyes well up with tears.

"I try," Olivia admitted. "I try very hard."

El slipped her hand into Olivia's, letting their fingers intertwined again. It was safe and comfortable; a feeling of home neither of them had realized they were missing.

Olivia suddenly let out a small whimper as fire erupted in her shoulder; she felt like the flesh inside her was burning. She removed her hand from El's and pressed it against the wound, covering her mouth with her other fist. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt a tear slip down her cheek as a hoarse cry of pain tore itself from her throat.

"You are hurt," Eleven said, sounding scared.

Olivia waited for the pain to die down, trying her very best to stay conscious. She looked at El with trembling lips, knowing what had to happen next, and wishing with her entire heart that it didn't have to happen.

It really was awful timing.

"I'm sorry," Olivia whispered. She cupped El's cheek in her hand. "I'm so sorry, El, but I need you to do something."

"Yes?" El begged. "Help you?"

"It will help everyone," Olivia said. She drew a shaky breath. "El...I need you to go back to the lab."

Pain and horror reflected into the little girl's eyes. "One- Olivia..."

"I'm sorry," Olivia moaned, tears streaming down her cheeks. It was sick. It was twisted. It was wrong. "It isn't fair. It shouldn't have to be you. But... it is. All of this leads back to the lab."

El just stared at her.

"You covered for me," Olivia said softly. Pain flashed through El's eyes. "When you first came here. You told everyone it was you who opened the Gate, but it wasn't. It's time to let me take responsibility."

"Resp-responsibility?" El repeated, furrowing her brows.

She didn't understand.

"It means it's my fault," Olivia rasped, staring at her blackish-red stained fingers. "I opened it. I have to pay the price. You have to get to the Gate, okay? And I... I'm going to help you from here. Can you do that?"

"How?" El whispered. 

"With your gift," Olivia told her. She took El's tiny hands and ran her thumbs along her palms. "You were most powerful one out of all of us. You fix things, El. You can do it. You know you can."

"I can," El said slowly. Her eyes drifted upwards and met her sister's, pleading. "But you?"

Olivia shook her head. "My gift doesn't fix things like yours can. Mine destroys things. I can tear things apart, but I can't put them back together." She looked at El. "Do you understand?"

"Understand," El managed. "How.. will you help me?" 

Olivia smiled through her tears. "That part's going to be a little bit harder. I just need you to trust me, alright? I'll be okay."

"Olivia," Eleven stared her down, lip trembling, but a fiery look in her big brown eyes. "Sisters don't lie."

The words hit Olivia harder than anything else she had ever heard. She looked away for a moment, her face screwed up in a sob. Sisters don't lie. She couldn't protect El forever, no matter how much she tried. The little girl from the lab was long gone. This new girl was a lot stronger than Olivia remembered. 

"There is an opening," Olivia said quietly, holding back her tears. Another wave of pain crashed over her, but she didn't have time to stop. The words came out forced and rushed; "Hopper just stuck down there. I lost control a little while ago and when the portal opened, I couldn't stop it. It spread.

I'm going to go back there and try to destroy it. It will draw the monsters to me and away from the lab. When it's clear, you should be able to get in and close the Gate."

"You are hurt," El pointed out.

Olivia swallowed the dry taste in her mouth. "Yes. It was one of the monsters. My shoulder is poisoned." She tried to use words El would understand, but she was so tired. "But... if we don't close the Gate, it will Caroline and Will. It will kill me."

She said it so matter-of-factly that it scared even her. Like her brain had accepted death already.

Eleven sat for a moment, letting it sink in. "But, when I close the Gate..."

She couldn't finish her sentence, but Olivia understood.

"Yes," she rasped. "That could kill me too."

There was a beat of silence and El burst into tears. She looked up at Olivia, looking so sad that Olivia wished she had the strength to hold her again. 

"You will be... gone," El sobbed.

Olivia's heart wrenched and she took El's hand in hers. The little girl was stiff for a moment, but eventually she leaned into Olivia's touch, melting into her side, like a piece of a puzzle fitting perfectly into place.

"It's worth it if I know you're safe," Olivia whispered, her voice breaking. "It's okay."

Eleven buried her face into Olivia's shirt. "Lie," she choked.

Olivia didn't argue this time.

O.B + S.H

They emerged a couple of moments later in silence, Olivia barely able to walk on her own at this point. Eleven held her sister's arm over her shoulder and walked her into the living room, where the party sat waiting. 

The second Steve saw Olivia he stood so quickly that the sofa scooted back a couple of inches. Eleven, knowing exactly what Olivia needed right now, made a beeline for the king of Hawkins High.

Steve immediately wrapped her in his arms and Olivia sank into him, letting his take the remainder of her weight. She was exhausted; she felt like she could topple over at any moment. Steve brushed her out of her face, tucking the sweaty strands behind her ears, and gently kissed her forehead. Olivia closed her eyes, focusing on his cool fingers rubbing up and down her arms as her shoulder set the rest of her body on fire.

"Are you okay?" Steve whispered in her ear. 

Olivia shut her eyes briefly. She lay her head on his chest, a single tear dripping off the end of her nose. She didn't want to lie to him.

But she didn't have to.

Steve understood.

As the party walked past them down the hallway to where the twins lay, Olivia tried to keep her breathing steady. She didn't know how much longer she could hang on. She knew she couldn't pass out; she would lose control and the plan we be all for naught. She had to just stay awake and push through. 

But she was glad she got to spend this time with Steve, even if she was miserable.

The group moved past them again and this time Steve helped Olivia stand up. He moved her slowly to the kitchen table, holding her tucked into his side as she bit back a moan of pain.  She sat down across from Eleven, who stood staring down at a piece of paper reading;

C.L.O.S.E. G.A.T.E.

Olivia read it and her eyes darted upwards, watching to see El's reaction. She kept her face expressionless, trying not to make it harder than it had to be, but El wasn't as good at masking her emotions.

She looked at Olivia sadly, almost begging. 

"You opened this gate before, right?" Joyce asked the little girl. 

Eleven blinked hard, tearing her eyes away from her sister. "Yes."

"Do you think if we got you back there," Joyce took a deep breath. "That you could... close it?"

Hopper sighed, staring at El. "It's not like it was before," he said gruffly. "It's grown. A lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those... dogs."

Olivia felt herself go even more green. She squeezed her eyes shut as images of bleeding bodies and howls of monsters from the Upside Down, the feeling of the thing's teeth sinking deep into the tissue of her shoulder flooded her mind-

Steve lay a hand on the small of her back, rubbing it in slow circles.

"Demo-dogs," Dustin corrected, happily oblivious to little Lucas Sinclair glaring at him.

"I'm sorry," Hopper ran a hand down his face, looking a million years older than he really was. Olivia tore her eyes away from the man, squaring her jaw in anger. "What?"

Dustin's face fell immediately, all confidence erased as the cop stared him down. "I said, uh, Demo-dogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass-"

Max Mayfield nudged him, her fiery red hair swinging as she begged him to shut up.

"How is this important right now?" Hopper's eyes were wide with incredulous annoyance as he stared down the curly haired little boy.

"It's not," Dustin mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"I can do it," Eleven said louder. Olivia's eyes darted back to her little sister, who stood looking confident in her words.

"You're not hearing me," Hopper said lowly. A million angry thoughts erupted in Olivia's head, some of them in Steve's voice-

Don't speak for her!

She can handle herself!

Who are you to talk?

But El could hold her own. She seemed to have gotten a much bigger backbone than Olivia remembered. Whatever EIght- Kali- had taught her on their little adventure, Olivia was thankful for it.

Eleven stared down Hopper with gritted teeth. Her big brown eyes were dark, daring him to contradict her, before she glanced at Olivia.

Olivia nodded, just the slightest movement of her head. You know what we have to do.

 "I'm hearing you," she insisted, tearing her eyes away from her sister. "I can do it."

Mike, who looked scared and desperate, stood behind her, taking her hand. "Even if El can, there's still another problem. If the brain dies, the body dies."

"I thought that was the whole point," Max rowned.

"It is, but if we're really right about this..." Mike cleared his throat, "I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayer's army..."

Olivia froze, the realization hitting her. 

"Will and Callie are a part of that army," Lucas said quietly.

"Closing the gate will kill them," Mike whispered, his lip trembling.

The room went silent at the realization. Olivia and El stared at each other, having a silent conversation only siblings could. The plan still stood. There was even more at stake than they had thought about. 

Their family, much bigger than it was at the lab, was on the line.

Olivia knew that they would defend it to their last breath.

Joyce stood suddenly, a determined look on her face. Olivia glanced up at her mother's sharp movement, flinching into Steve, who tightened his grip on her waist. 

Joyce suddenly marched down the hall and the group quickly followed, finding her in the twins room, slamming the window shut.

"He likes it cold," Joyce said, repeating the Mind Flayer's favorite phrase.

"What?" Hopper asked gruffly.

"It's what the twins kept saying to me. He likes it cold." Joyce moved to the other side of the room, slamming that window shut as well. Olivia wrapped her arms around herself, the cold sweat on her skin suddenly feeling very hot at the lack of wind. "We keep giving it what it wants!"

Nancy spoke for the first time. "If this is a virus," she said slowly, shooting a glance at her best friend, who looked sicker than ever, "and the twins are the host, then..."

"Then we need to make the hosts uninhabitable," Jonathan continued.

"So if He likes it cold..." Nancy trailed off, her eyes distant.

Joyce understood. Olivia saw the look of determination on her face, looking so very much like Caroline and Will that she had a newfound sense of urgency. "We need to burn it out of them."

"We have to do it somewhere they doesn't know this time," Mike said quietly, thinking of the shed in the yard.

"Yeah," Dustin nodded. "Somewhere far away."

Olivia and El exchanged looks and the former nodded one more time, sinking into Steve Harrington's arms and trying to hide the tears in her eyes threatening to fall.

A.N Hello beautiful people!

Eleven and Olivia have a plan that they have to execute, but it isn't going to be fun. Olivia and Steve are so in love. Olivia got to hear what happened to Kali, who was her best friend in the lab and her same age. I might do a few chapters once this book is done diving into Olivia's backstory in the lab...

But for now, stay tuned for the next chapter! Billy's gonna make an appearance, and Protective!Steve is going to come out blazing.

Go drink some water!