45. World's Apart

A/N: Welcome back to this story! Lot's of exciting things to come, I'm going to keep some of the plotlines in season 4 but other things will definitely be different. Enjoy the crazy ride as we delve into the Upside Down, and please leave a review:)

March 17th 1986

Steve's eyes snapped open when he heard a thudding sound from beside him, pulling him from his restless sleep. He rolled over to find a bottle of vodka spilling over the floor, having dropped from his hand. With a sigh, he placed the bottle upright, pain ripping through his skull as he moved. He blinked a few times, finding the sun was already up, meaning he'd be running late for work. Pushing himself to his feet, his eyes flickered down to the polaroid on top of his drawers, a sad smile growing on his lips.

"Morning" He mumbled, reaching out to touch the picture of Karmen, feeling his chest tighten, as his fingers lingered for a few seconds.

Taking a shaky breath, he put one foot in front of the other and made his way to his bedroom door, hearing shuffling from outside. He wasn't surprised to find Max wide awake, staring at their flickering TV, a blank expression on her face. Something in her had changed that day in the Starcourt Mall. For both of them. And it meant neither of them could get more than a few hours' sleep, their nightmares always right around the corner. She seemed to hear him a few seconds later, twisting around and forcing a smile onto her lips.

"You slept" She pointed out, as he nodded, not wanting to tell her it was because he had been drinking again.

"I'll whip you up some breakfast" Steve exclaimed, walking over to the fridge, his face falling when he pulled the door open.

All that was inside was milk that was clearly out of date and pickles that Robin had brought over last week. Not exactly a nutritious breakfast. He began searching through the rest of the cupboards but came up empty apart from a few slices of bread. Max had an amused look on her face as he turned back to her.

"Pickles on toast?" Steve suggested, watching as she made a gagging sound.

"It's fine. I'll eat at school" Max shrugged, grabbing her rucksack.

"Hey, uh...I was thinking, we should do something. Go to the movies or whatever. Proper parental guardian and kid shit" Steve announced, making Max stop in her tracks.

"Steve, you don't need to. I'm good. Really" Max insisted, as Steve pursed his lips.

"Everything going okay with you and Sinclair?" Steve asked, noticing how she tensed.

That's what parents were supposed to ask, right? Or was he being too pushy? Max certainly didn't seem to appreciate his questioning from the way her shoulders had hunched over.

"We're fine. I'll see you after school" Max told him, heading towards the door, wanting to make a quick getaway.

"I can drive you if you want?" Steve offered, walking over to her, as Max got a whiff of the vodka on his breath.

"...You've been drinking again?" Max sighed; the disappointment clear in her voice.

"It's not like that, Max. It just...it helps me sleep" Steve insisted, as Max's eyes flickered to the bin, and the beer bottles protruding out of it.

He knew it wasn't healthy, but drinking had become the only way he had to numb the pain that he constantly felt. Steve just needed some relief, even if it was for a few hours. But he had a kid to think about now. Max had come to live with him a few months ago, not getting on in California with El and the others. She said she missed Hawkins, but they all knew who she really missed. Max spent half her time at Billy's graveside now. It was her coping method. Steve reckoned it was probably as healthy as his drinking was.

"I'm just worried about you" Max admitted, as Steve's eyes softened.

"That's my job. Not yours" Steve pointed out, watching Max avert her eyes to the ground, clearly not convinced.

"Hey, I'm sorry, okay? I'm gonna' do better. No more drinking" Steve told her, seeming to please her.

"I don't want to go to the movies, but maybe you could bring a video from work?" Max suggested, causing Steve to grin.

"Sure. But no chick flicks, alright? I'm still trying to recover from that Sixteen Candles crap" Steve muttered, as Max shared his expression.

"Action?" Max suggested.

"Action it is" Steve agreed, as they heard a car's horn from outside, both knowing who it would be.

"You want Robin to drop you off at school?" Steve asked, as Max shook her head.

"No. Like I said, I'll bike there" Max shrugged.

"Alright, have a good day at school" Steve replied, ruffling her hair a little, as she brushed his hands away with an amused look.

"Say hi to Robin for me" Max exclaimed, as Steve opened the door to their trailer, which was barely holding onto its hinges.

He grimaced as the sun hit him, causing his headache to increase, picking up his pace as he strolled over to Robin's car. She had only been driving for a few months, and still hit the kerb most mornings, but he had no choice but to accept the ride. Robin wouldn't hear of anything else. He had almost been fired from his job at Christmas, which was no surprise to anyone. He would either turn up hungover or just not at all, the only reason they kept him on was their uncomfortable sympathy. No one wanted to fire the guy whose girlfriend died in the mall fire.

"You look like shit" Robin stated, as he flopped down into the passenger seat beside her.

"Morning to you too" Steve scoffed.

"Open" Robin muttered, grabbing his jaw and wrenching his mouth open before spraying a minty substance against his tongue.

"Jesus, Robin—ow!" Steve cried, as she grabbed his hair, tugging his head back.

He grimaced as she placed eye drops into his bloodshot eyes, the substance stinging as he brushed her hands away, letting out a groan. Robin snorted as she finally released him, turning back to the wheel.

"Such a baby" She mocked, as Steve rubbed at his aching eyes.

"This is why you don't have a girlfriend, you know" Steve retorted.

"Sure, that's the only reason" Robin huffed, starting the car engine, and driving them away from the trailer.

"Well, if you would just ask Vickie out—" Steve began, with a teasing smile, but Robin cut him off instantly.

"Uh-uh. Don't start that again. I'll become the town pariah, and you know how my mom would react, she'd like totally kick me out and then I'd end up..." Robin trailed off, realising what she was saying.

"In a trailer park?" Steve suggested, quirking an eyebrow.

"You know, at this point I should definitely get an award for putting my foot in my mouth" Robin stated.

"You certainly have a gift, Rob" Steve snorted, running a hand through his messy hair.

"...You still haven't heard from your parents then?" Robin inquired, as Steve shook his head.

"It's not like they've ever been there for me in the past, why would they start now, right?" Steve went on, with a sad smile.

His relationship with his parents had completely fallen apart soon after Karmen's funeral, and after a heated argument with his father, he had been thrown out. It had happened plenty of times before, and he had no problem sleeping in his car that night, but when he came back home to find his things in garbage bags outside, he knew this time was different. He had disappointed his parents for the last time. With his only income coming from working at Family Video, all he could afford was a shitty trailer on the outskirts of town. He grimaced as he remembered how he had mocked the kids at the school who had lived there, thinking not for the first time, he was getting exactly what he deserved.

"Well, there's still people who care about you. Someone in particular...name rhymes with rusting" Robin pushed.

"Henderson was asking about me again?" Steve frowned.

"He basically ambushed me at school. He said you've been avoiding him. Why? I thought you two were like joined at the hip" Robin pointed out, as Steve let out a long sigh.

"He's better off without me. Besides, he's got Eddie now" Steve muttered, looking out the window.

"Bullshit. That kid worships the ground you walk on for some reason...Steve?" Robin questioned, noticing how her friend had zoned out while looking at the window.

They were driving past the pumpkin patches on the outskirts of town, something that they did most days. Steve always seemed to grow quiet as they drove by, which Robin would try to ignore. But it felt different today, Steve wore such a defeated expression.

"You okay?" Robin asked, reaching out to nudge his shoulder with her hand.

"Yeah, just...remembering" Steve mumbled, leaning against the window.

Halloween, 1984. He had his first kiss with Karmen in the fields, just before they set off running in the tunnels below Hawkins. His face had been littered with cuts and bruises, but all he could remember from that night was how he felt when she pulled him towards her, pressing their lips together. He had kissed a lot of girls before then, but nothing had felt like that did. His heart had been hammering so hard in his chest, every nerve in his body had felt so...alive.

"You kissed me back there" Steve stated, after they had jumped down into the spore-infested tunnels.

"And you kissed me back" Karmen replied, with a small grin.

"So…are we like a couple now?" Steve inquired, indicating to their joined hands.

"Well seeing as I'm in love with you that seems like a good next step" Karmen mumbled, as Steve came to a halt.

"What?" Karmen frowned, as she could tell Steve was smiling underneath the bandana.

"You said you loved me" Steve repeated, in a soft tone.

"I think you short circuited his brain" Max giggled.

"Do you really mean that? Don't say it if you don't-" Steve started, but she cut you off.

"Of course, I mean it! Why do you think I got so angry when you and Nancy kissed at Tina's party?" Karmen pointed out.

"I thought that was just because we didn't go together?" Steve questioned, surprised.

"You really are an idiot, Steve Harrington" Karmen shook her head, fondly, as they began walking again.

"I love you too, by the way" Steve informed, as Karmen's grin grew.

Steve's eyes had begun to tear up at the memory, as he rubbed at them, letting out a shaky breath. It was one of the best moments of his life, he felt like nothing could stop them. That everything would be alright from then on. So, how the hell did his life turn out like this, he thought to himself.

"Steve please, just...talk to me. Stop bottling everything up, let it out" Robin insisted, as Steve shook his head, slowly.

"Why? What good is it gonna' do?" Steve muttered, as Robin shook her head, suddenly pulling off the road and slamming on the brakes.

"Because you can't keep living like this!" Robin exclaimed, her tone tense, any of her usual humour void from her expression.

"What do you want me to say?! That I can't even function without Karmen? That she's still the first fucking thing I think about when I wake up in the morning? That I wish I was the one who died?!" Steve retorted, causing Robin's eyes to widen.

"Steve, don't say that—" Robin began, but he cut her off instantly.

"Why not? It's true! Every time that I think about the fact that I'm never gonna' see her again, I just want to...to...I just can't fucking do this anymore!" Steve yelled, slamming his hand down onto the dashboard, the pain clear in his voice.

Steve scrunched his eyes shut as he ran a hand down his face, trying to rein his emotions in. He couldn't do this. He couldn't break down, not when so many people depended on him. He had made promises—

A sobbing sound from beside him had him turning his head to find Robin biting her lip, blinking away the tears that were welling in his eyes. Steve felt all his anger instantly slip away at seeing his best friend so upset, as he reached out to touch her shoulder, forcing her to look at him.

"H-hey, it's okay. I'm not...I'm not gonna' do anything stupid, alright? I promise" Steve told her, as Robin nodded, sniffing sharply.

"Good. Because I seriously don't know what I'd do without you, dingus" Robin cried, as Steve gave her a sad smile.

"Should we like...hug or something?" Steve suggested, watching as Robin shrugged.

He leaned forward a moment later, his leg catching on the gearstick as he wrapped his arms around Robin, who was now patting him on the back, awkwardly. Steve blew away some of her hair that had fallen into his face, when his knee accidentally knocked into the hand brake, causing the car to start rolling back. Robin let out a yelp, instantly reaching down to pull on the hand brake, causing Steve to be thrown away, his head hitting the back of her seat. A second later, the pair erupted into a fit of laughter, with Steve rubbing at his sore head.

"We're such idiots" Robin giggled.

He pulled himself back into his seat, shaking his head, fondly. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed like that. All of a sudden, a wave of guilt was hitting him, as Karmen's face instantly came to the forefront of his mind. She should have been there with him. God...he would give anything to have her back.

986⇂ ɥʇ⇂ ɥɔɹɐꟽ

Karmen woke with a start, jumping upright in her bed, heart beating wildly in her chest. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm herself from whatever nightmare had been plaguing her. Any memory of the dream was quickly fading, but the sense of dread still coursed through her veins. The only thing she could remember was brown eyes, familiar brown eyes—

A loud banging sound at her bedroom door had her jumping out of her skin, instantly knowing the only one who would make the sound. The incessant banging only got louder, a voice now calling out her name, causing her to grab her pillow and place it over her head.

"Kaaaaarmen" Dustin Henderson's voice rang out, all but playing the drums on her door now.

"What?" Karmen grumbled, holding the pillow over her ears.

"Time to wake up!" Dustin announced, swinging her door open.

"Five more minutes" Karmen groaned, still refusing to move from her bed.

All of a sudden, her stereo was turned on, AC/DC blaring through the speakers. Karmen grabbed her pillow again, this time throwing it in Dustin's direction, who was sneaking out of the room, sniggering to himself. Now wide awake, Karmen crawled out of her bed, and made her way towards the kitchen, rubbing at her eyes as she did so.

"Morning, Karmen" Claudia Henderson greeted, shoving a pancake towards the younger girl.

"Thanks" Karmen yawned, taking the plate and placing it down on the counter.

"You look exhausted, sweetheart. When did you get in last night?" Claudia frowned, sitting down beside her.

"Went for a ride with Billy" Karmen shrugged, as Claudia quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh?" Claudia smirked, making Karmen roll her eyes.

"Not like that" Karmen giggled.

"Well, just remember we have an open-door policy in this house—" Claudia exclaimed, watching Karmen cringe.

"You know what, I think Dustin would really benefit from a birds and the bees talk. With his new girlfriend and all" Karmen suggested, with a mischievous look in her eye.

"You are so right, Karmen. Dusty!" Claudia called out for her son, making her way toward his bedroom.

Karmen couldn't stop the laugh that left her lips once Claudia was out of earshot, glad she had already got her own back on her friend. Her head snapped up when the TV suddenly turned on, static showing on the screen for a few seconds before a newsreader appeared.

"Almost a year since…Starcourt Mall up in flames…tribute to all those lost…" The newsreader's words were cut off by the static intermittently.

Karmen frowned at the screen, confused. She had only been to the Mall last week, since when had there been a fire? Surely she would have heard about it if anyone had been killed?

"Karmen? Are you okay?" Claudia's voice interrupted her thoughts, as she came back to the kitchen, with Dustin at her side.

"Yeah, I was just listening to the…" Karmen trailed off, looking at the now blank screen of the television.

"Nothing. It's uh...nothing" Karmen shook her head, figuring she must have still been half asleep.

Karmen all but fell out of Mrs Henderson's car as she parked in front of the high school. Karmen let out a yawn as she spotted some of the other kids in the distance, laughing about something, poking at each other's arms. She looked back into the car, grinning as she watched Claudia saying goodbye to her son.

"I still can't believe my baby's in high school" Claudia cried, reaching out to pull Dustin into a tight hug.

"Ugh, Mom! Enough!" Dustin complained, grimacing as Claudia began to kissing his cheek.

"Have a good day, Dusty. You too, Karmen!" Claudia exclaimed, finally freeing her son, who couldn't jump out of the car fast enough.

"See you tonight" Karmen exclaimed, as she slung her arm around Dustin's shoulder, who was now the same height as her.

"Oh, Dustybun, looks like you've got something on your cheek right here..." Karmen grinned, pinching his cheek which was covered in Claudia's lipstick.

"I hate the both of you" Dustin grumbled, making her giggle.

Their heads snapped up as they saw a familiar car parking in front of them, music blaring from the speakers inside. Karmen watched as Billy pulled himself out of the Camaro, a cigarette already on his lips, as two other doors opened. Max had her skateboard in her hands, nodding at the pair, as she set off towards the school.

"Bye, asshole" Max called back, in a somewhat affectionate tone.

"Later, dipshit" Billy murmured, lighting his cigarette, as Dustin went to follow Max.

Karmen came to a halt when a surprising face jumped out of the car, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. Since when were Will Byers and Billy friends, she wondered. Karmen knew Will had been getting bullied recently, maybe Billy had felt sorry for him?

"Hey, Byers. Remember what I said...jab to the throat, and knee to the crotch. Never fails, man" Billy told him, as Will nodded.

"Thanks, Billy" He smiled, before racing off to follow the others.

"Please tell me you're not teaching a fourteen-year-old how to assault someone?" Karmen scoffed, as Billy pulled the cigarette away from his lips.

"Kids fifteen next week" Billy shrugged, a smirk growing on his lips.

Karmen shook her head fondly, eyes flickering over to the group of kids on the steps. Will had instantly made a beeline towards Mike's side, an excited grin on his face as he approached. Poor kid had it bad, anyone could see that. Billy's own eyes were quickly drawn to how Lucas wrapped his arm around Max, pulling her close, a lovesick expression on his face.

"Hey, Sinclair! Keep your hands off my sister!" Billy yelled, holding up a warning finger.

They could see how Lucas laughed sheepishly, all but jumping away from Max, who rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, pulling him up the school steps. Lucas and Billy had developed an uneasy alliance, but neither liked each other much still. Karmen raised an eyebrow at the older boy in front of her, noticing the slip of his tongue.

"Sister?" She smirked.

"Don't start, Dixon" Billy huffed, taking another puff from his cigarette.

"No, it's cute, Hargrove. Maybe you and Max can start braiding each other's hair and shit?" Karmen teased.

"You're an annoying little shit, anyone ever told you that?" He stated, as they began walking towards the school.

"Then why do you keep flirting with me?" Karmen scoffed, as he shrugged.

"Doesn't mean I don't want to fuck—" Billy began, when a haughty cough rang out from in front of them.

"Language, Mr Hargrove" One of their female teachers scolded, grabbing the cigarette from his lips.

"Sounds like someone needs to get laid" Karmen mumbled to him, making him snort.

"You wanna' come round mine after school? Max is out so we could...are you even listening?" Billy questioned, noticing how she had zoned out.

"Shit. He's here" Karmen exclaimed, as they began walking up the steps to the school.

Billy watched as she was quick to unbutton a few buttons of her shirt, running a hand through her hair to give it more volume. He raised an eyebrow as she hitched up her skirt a few inches a moment later, turning towards him, holding her arms out. Billy didn't appreciate the way his chest tightened at the sight.

"How do I look?" She asked.

"Desperate" He replied, as she slapped his shoulder.

"Dickhead. Wish me luck" She grinned, all but skipping up the next few steps, and stepping into the school.

She forced a smile onto her face, approaching the man she had spotted from the steps, who was busy cleaning the floors in front of her. He seemed to notice she was coming, stopping what he was doing, leaning against his mop. Karmen let her eyes trail down his white shirt for a moment, watching as his muscles rippled from underneath. Pulling her eyes up to his face, she felt her cheeks begin to flush under his intense gaze.

"Hi, Peter" She smiled.

"Karmen" He nodded, giving her a small wave.

"Looking forward to spring break?" She questioned, holding her hands behind her back, in a nervous gesture.

"I suppose. I'll definitely miss my favourite student though" Peter replied, making her grin grow larger.

Karmen had been crushing on the blond janitor for months now, just as most of the girls in the school had. The man was drop-dead gorgeous, but it was only Karmen he seemed to give any of his time to. They even hung out when classes were over sometimes, not that she had told anyone that, not even Billy. She knew it was inappropriate, but it wasn't like anything was ever going to happen, so what was the harm, right?

"Do you have plans?" Karmen inquired, racking her brain for things to say.

"Oh, I have plenty, Karmen" Peter told her, a smirk growing on his lips.

"Hey..." Billy exclaimed, as he approached the pair, a stern expression on his face.

Before any of them could stop him, he had kicked over the bucket of water by Peter's feet, causing the contents to spill out onto the floor. Karmen gaped at him, seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Looks like you missed a spot" Billy muttered, grabbing Karmen's hand and dragging Karmen away from the older man.

Peter's only reaction was a clenching of his jaw, his eyes never leaving Karmen's as Billy pulled them towards their lockers. Peter always seemed so gentle but she couldn't help but think there was something else behind his eyes. Something she could recognise in herself. Karmen grimaced as she found her own shoes had become wet from the water and wrenched her hand out of Billy's grip.

"You're such a prick sometimes" Karmen complained.

"He's a creep, Karmen" Billy stated.

"He's hot" Karmen shrugged, as he gave her a look.

"Still a creep" Billy murmured, as they approached their lockers.

"You know, jealousy's a very unattractive trait in a man" Karmen teased, making him roll his eyes.

"I'm serious. The guy's bad fucking news" Billy insisted, as Karmen's eyes flickered back to the janitor, who had knelt down to pick up the bucket.

"I'm just messing around, Billy. It's not like I want anything to happen, I'm with..." Karmen trailed off, with a frown.

Confusion was etched over her features, not sure what she was saying. She had never had a boyfriend. All of a sudden, those same brown eyes that she remembered from her dream flashed in her mind. Why did they seem so familiar?

"You better not have some secret boyfriend, Dixon" Billy exclaimed, as he opened his locker.

"Still holding out hope that I'll fall for your 'charms' one day?" Karmen suggested, making him grin.

"We both know my personality's not my best feature, sweetheart" Billy flirted.

"Keep dreaming, mate" Karmen scoffed, leaning against her own locker.

"The world is wrong" Billy murmured, as she quirked an eyebrow.

"A tad dramatic, Billy" She snorted, as he pointed towards her locker.

Karmen's frown was back as she found the words 'the world is wrong' had been etched into her metal locker, feeling a strange shiver go down her spine. The feeling slowly turned into a pain in her chest, getting more and more painful over the span of a few seconds. God, it felt like someone had stabbed her in the chest—

"Hey, Karmen! Are you coming to English?" She heard a voice call out to her.

She whipped around to find Nancy and Barb walking towards her, a stack of books in the ginger girl's hand. Karmen felt a wave of happiness hit her at seeing the girl's face. She had missed them. A lot. Hadn't she only seen the day prior?

"I can't hang out after school by the way" Karmen exclaimed, as she began walking toward the other girls.

"Why not?" Billy called after her.

"I'm going shopping with your sister" Karmen grinned.

"And he said, what does it matter what I wear? And I was like, uh, it's a pretty damn big deal, Lucas! I mean, I'm meeting his whole family for the first time, I need to make a good impression, right?" Max ranted, as they walked through the Starcourt Mall.

"Karmen?" Max questioned, when she saw Karmen had zoned out.

"Hm? Oh, right. Lucas. C'mon, he's a boy. What do you expect?" Karmen scoffed.

"Yeah, but...he's not just a boy. I really like him, Karmen. And he loves his family...what if they don't like me though?" Max pointed out.

"Max, they're gonna' love you. I promise" Karmen insisted, as Max pursed her lips.

"But they'll love me more if I'm wearing a dress, right? I don't want them to think I'm weird or anything" Max stated.

"What will be weird is you pretending to be someone else. You have great style. Why change it just to please people you've never even met before?" Karmen explained.

"...Huh, I hadn't thought of it like that" Max mumbled.

"I'm just a fountain of knowledge" Karmen teased, making Max laugh.

Karmen came to a sudden halt outside one of the stores, her heart rate picking up as her feet pushed her towards the entrance. She could hear Max calling after her, but it was like her feet had a mind of their own. Scoops Ahoy. Why did the store seem so familiar? She didn't think she had ever even been inside? A soft laugh echoed around her a moment later, seeming to be coming off from the walls. She knew that laugh. She missed that laugh. Her feet stopped at the door to the storeroom, keying in the code to the door before she knew what she was doing. She frowned when the door unlocked and went inside, feeling tears welling in her eyes. She wanted to go back so badly...

"Karmen?" A voice questioned, as a hand touched her shoulder, making her flinch.

"Shit. Are you okay?" Robin, a girl from her school asked, dressed in a Scoops Ahoy uniform.

It was then that Karmen realised she was crying, ugly tears running down her cheeks, soft hiccups leaving her mouth. It hurt being in that room. But why?

"I miss him" She sobbed, not understanding the words that left her lips.

"What are you talking about?" Robin questioned, eyes narrowed.

"...N-nothing. I...I shouldn't be here" Karmen muttered, pushing past her to run back out of the store, finding Max waiting for her.

"Jesus, Karmen. What happened?" Max gaped.

"I don't know...I..." Karmen trailed off, eyes flickering over to find a vine sliding out of the store, leaving a slimy trail in it's wake.

"Karmen!" Max exclaimed, grabbing Karmen's attention.

When she looked back at Scoops Ahoy, the vine was gone, making her question whether it had been there in the first place. God, it felt like she was losing her mind. She dropped her head into her hands, trying to calm her breathing when she felt Max grabbing her shoulders.

"You need to forget him" She exclaimed, as Karmen's eyes snapped up to hers.

"What?" Karmen frowned.

"I said you need to forget it" Max answered, as Karmen shrugged away from her touch.

All of a sudden, an image of Max sobbing, leaning over Billy's bleeding body flashed in her mind. The Starcourt Mall seemed to glitch for a moment, becoming a dark, burnout shell. The fire that the newsreader had been talking about...had that really happened? Where the fuck was she?

"Karmen?" A soft voice called out to her, as she slowly turned to see Peter approaching her, his forehead wrinkled with concern.

The walls around her became a stark white for a second, as children walked past her, all dressed in the same hospital gown. Just like...

"El...Eleven?!" Karmen cried, as she was suddenly back in the Starcourt Mall.

How could she have forgotten about El? The girl's face flashed before her, glitching from when she was a little girl, with her hair buzzed, to the time when she had seen her last, with shoulder-length hair. But when was that? Where was she? She stumbled backwards as Peter stalked closer to her, her vision beginning to blur.

"You need to calm down. Clear your mind" Peter told her, as she shook her head.

"No! Where is she? Where...where's Steve?" Karmen cried, the name falling from her lips easily.

Steve. That's who the brown eyes belonged to. Steve Harrington. Her boyfriend. Who she loved. She desperately tried to remember what happened to him. She knew he would never leave her.

"What have you done with him?" Karmen accused, as Peter was suddenly standing right in front of her in the blink of an eye.

"You don't need him. He was holding you back" Peter insisted, as she glared at him.

"No! Where is he?! Steve? Steve!" Karmen screamed, eyes darting around the mall, hoping he would somehow appear to save her.

"He's not coming, Karmen. No one is" Peter exclaimed, as she turned back to him.

"I...I remember you. From the lab" She gaped, eyes widening in horror.

"Yes. And then you forgot. About me. About Steve. About all of it" Peter told her, grabbing her shoulders, roughly, his fingernails cutting into her skin.

"...And then...I forgot..." Karmen stuttered over her words, feeling her knees give out, as the world went black around her.

Hawkins

Steve leant his chin on his hand, as he continued to stare at the phone at the front desk, just like had been for the last ten minutes. He chewed on his fingernail as he debated what to do. His eyes flickered around the video store, finding there were only a couple of customers. He would have time to make a phone call before any of them approached him. With his mind made up, he dialled the number he memorised by now and listened to it ring. Again and again until...

"You've reached Murray. Leave your name and number, unless your name is Steve Harrington, in which case...stop calling me!" The older man's voice exclaimed, as Steve rolled his eyes.

"I know this isn't your voicemail, Murray. I've called you like eight times today, why are you ignoring me?" Steve complained, as he heard a huff from the other end.

"Nine times, Harrington. Nine! What if I had a lady friend around, huh?" Murray pointed out, as it was Steve who scoffed this time.

"I'll believe that when I see it" Steve murmured, his lips pulled into a smirk.

Over the past year, Steve and Murray had developed a...friendship of sorts. It consisted of a lot of making fun of each other and Murray going on about subjects Steve had no hope of understanding, but it seemed to work for them. Hell, it was just nice for Steve to have an older male figure in his life that actually gave a shit about him.

"Alright, if you must know...I was at karate" Murray admitted, as Steve bit on his lip to stop his laughter from spilling out.

"What, like...in those robe things?" Steve questioned, the amusement clear in his voice.

"I'll have you know I recently become a black belt. I could take a man down with my pinky finger now" Murray insisted, hearing Steve snort.

"So, I'm guessing you haven't made much progress on...you know?" Steve asked, whispering the last part.

"Your insane plan on opening a portal to a hell dimension which could very likely destroy the fabric of reality as we know it? Can't say I've thought about it much" Murray replied.

"I think you're being a little dramatic. I'm not asking you to open a portal, just a...window. Like a tiny window that no one will ever know about" Steve went on, as Murray let out a loud sigh.

"One that you plan to crawl through and get eaten alive by hell spawns" Murray pointed out.

"You said you could help, Murray" Steve insisted.

"Hypothetically. I said hypothetically" Murray retorted, not able to see Steve's blank expression.

"Yeah, I still don't know what that means, man" Steve told him.

"Listen to me, Harrington. Even if I knew how to do what you're asking, which I don't...what makes you think you'll find Karmen there?" Murray stated, making Steve tense.

"She's still out there, alright? I know she is. I can...I can still feel her. She needs me" Steve went on.

"Are you sure it's not the other way round?" Murray pointed out, as Steve cursed the way tears began to well in his eyes.

"You said you'd help" Steve murmured, in an accusatory tone.

"If you want answers, real answers...I think we both know who you need to talk to..." Murray trailed off, as Steve shook his head, ruefully.

"No. No fucking way" He muttered, already knowing exactly who he was thinking of.

The woman who had approached them at Karmen's funeral. The one who looked exactly like Karmen. The one who Steve had told to stay the hell away from him. She was lying, she had to be.

"She said she was Karmen's mother, Steve. That she knew things you didn't. If there really is any chance of getting her back, don't you think she'll know?" Murray explained.

"...I don't trust her" Steve replied, after a few moments.

"Set up a meeting with her. I can make it to Hawkins by tomorrow—" Murray began, but Steve stopped him.

"You don't need to, man" Steve stated.

"I told Jim I'd look after you kids. And that's exactly what I'm going to do, Harrington. Call her. I'll be in touch" Murray exclaimed.

"Thanks, Murray...hello? Hel—so shit at goodbyes" Steve scoffed, placing the phone back down, realising the older man had hung up.

Steve jumped out of his skin as a loud bang came from behind him, as he whipped around to find a familiar face glaring at him. Steve grimaced as he looked at the walkie-talkie that had been slammed down on the counter, guilt washing over him.

"Jesus, Henderson. Where'd you learn how to sneak up on people like that?" Steve complained, as Dustin crossed his arms.

"You're unbelievable" Dustin muttered.

"Look, I don't know what you heard but it's not what it sounds like" Steve argued.

"So, you're not planning on going into the Upside Down to get Karmen back? Without me?" Dustin accused, as Steve opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"...Okay, it's exactly what it sounds like. And yes, Dustin, 100% without you. I promised your Mom, I'd keep you safe, remember?" Steve went on.

"You're such a fucking asshole" Dustin retorted, making Steve gape.

"Hey, language!" Steve exclaimed.

"You're not the only person who loved Karmen! She's like a...she was like a sister to me" Dustin murmured, averting his eyes to the ground.

"I know. And you meant the whole world to her, Dustin. But I know she'd want me to keep you away from all this shit. And I need you safe too, dipshit" Steve explained.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Steve. I know the risks. You can't do this alone" Dustin insisted, as Steve pursed his lips.

"...Fine. If this woman will actually speak to me, you can come too, but the second it gets dangerous, you're going back home, understand?" Steve ordered.

"Sure" Dustin grinned, crossing his fingers behind his back.

"And don't think..." Steve trailed off, as the lights in the store suddenly began to flicker.

Both boys looked up as the lights above their heads got brighter and brighter, sending chills down both their spines. The air around them suddenly felt different, thicker somehow. The hairs on the back of Steve's neck soon stood up, his flight or fight response kicking in.

"Should we be running right now?" Steve questioned, his eyes flickering to Dustin.

Before Dustin could answer, a sound had Steve's heart skipping a beat, everything around him suddenly becoming muffled. He could swear he stopped breathing as a voice echoed through the store.

Steve.

He knew that voice. He could never forget it. It was Karmen. His eyes darted around, desperately trying to find her, as the lights above them shone brighter and brighter. Where was she?!

Steve!

Karmen's voice came through stronger this time, the desperation clear in her tone. She sounded terrified. Just as Steve opened his mouth to call back to her, all the lights in the store suddenly crackled before exploding a second later, causing the glass to shatter onto the floor. Frightened screams came from the few customers left in the store, now surrounded by darkness. Dustin's mouth had gone slack, heart beating quickly in his chest as he looked up to Steve, surprised to see the overjoyed expression on his friend's face.

"She's alive" Steve gaped, grinning from ear to ear.

Author's Notes: Thanks for all the support readers, I can't believe it'll be five years soon since this story started! To answer a few questions you probably have, the Peter in this story is Peter/Henry/001...and whatever other names he'll soon have. Is Karmen really in the Upside Down? Sort of, that will be explained soon. This chapter takes place a few days before the events of Season 4. And last of all...there will be Eddie in this fic, haha. Please do leave a review if you want me to continue, it really helps to motivate me:)