46. Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Karmen's eyes shot open, a sharp gasp leaving her lips, as she awoke from a nightmare, finding herself now safe in her bed. She clutched at her chest, feeling how her heart was thumping under her palm, the dread still flowing through her veins. God, she had never had a nightmare like that before. She scrunched her eyes shut, trying to remember what had happened, but the images were fading away. Everything apart from brown eyes, and a name.

Steve.

A loud bang on her bedroom door had her head snapping up, now wide awake. The banging continued as Karmen felt her panic slowly ebbing, realising it was only Dustin at her door.

"Kaaaaarmen" Dustin called out, still banging on the wooden frame.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, trying to drown out his antics and remember more about her dream. Did she know anyone called Steve? Why did the name seem so familiar? She couldn't think of why, but it seemed important.

Before she had time to think too much, Dustin was racing into her room, heading directly for her speakers as an AC/DC song began to play. Karmen frowned when she felt an odd sense of déjà vu, swearing she knew which song would play before Dustin had pushed the button.

"Time to wake up" He told her, staring at her intently.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm up" She scoffed, pushing herself to her feet, ruffling his curly hair with her hand.

She stumbled towards the kitchen, rubbing at her eyes, feeling absolutely drained. Suddenly, Claudia Henderson was thrusting a pancake towards her, a sweet smile on her face. Didn't she give her pancakes for breakfast yesterday too?

"Morning, Karmen" Claudia greeted.

"Thanks" Karmen replied, walking over to the counter, still feeling strange.

"You look, exhausted sweetheart. When did you get in last night?" Claudia inquired, making Karmen's forehead wrinkle.

"I went for a ride with...Billy..." Karmen trailed off, swearing she had the exact same conversation with Claudia the day before.

"Oh?" Claudia smirked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Not like that" Karmen mumbled.

"Well, just remember we have—" Claudia began, but Karmen was quick to cut her off.

"An open-door policy" Karmen finished, as Claudia tilted her head.

Karmen's eyes flickered over to the television, watching the static on the screen as a memory hit her. Hadn't she seen a weird report about a fire at the Starcourt Mall? Or had that just been in her dream? The report had said people died, a lot of people...

"Was there a fire at the mall?" Karmen inquired, watching as Claudia went still for a moment.

"I don't think so. Why do you ask, honey?" Claudia questioned, in a tone far too sweet.

There was something...off with the way she was looking at her. Like Claudia was suspicious of something. If the fire really was just in her dream, why would it make Claudia have such a strange reaction?

"...No reason. Just wondering" Karmen shrugged, turning back to the pancakes, sensing Claudia's eyes still on her.

"Are you sure?" Claudia pushed, as Karmen took a bite of the pancake, refusing to look in her eyes.

Her heart rate was starting to speed up again, the same dread coming back to her. But this was Claudia, she had been like a mum to her over the past couple of years. There was nothing to be scared of, right?

"Yeah...these are really good, by the way" Karmen told her, as Claudia patted her on the back a few times.

"I'll get you another one" Claudia exclaimed, pushing up from her stool and walking towards the stove, as some of the tension left Karmen's face.

Maybe she was still confused by her dream. Sometimes nightmares could seem so real, it was easy to get lost in them. Or she was just losing her mind.

The fear stayed with her that whole morning, that feeling that something was wrong. Something she couldn't put her finger on. Things only got stranger after that, as she went to her first lesson, and could swear she had already been taught the class. She opened up her textbook, wanting to distract herself when she realised, she couldn't read the words on the page. They all meshed together, blurring before her eyes. What the fuck was going on?

"Karmen? Are you alright?" Her teacher questioned, earning a curt nod from Karmen.

She looked back down at her textbook, hoping the page would be back to normal, but it was still unreadable. No matter how hard she focused, she just couldn't make out the words on the page. Running a hand through her hair, she looked over at the clock, finding she still had thirty minutes left of the class. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a boy staring in her direction. No, not just in her direction...at her.

His eyes watched her every move, his head tilted to one side as if he was debating something in his head. Karmen was quick to pull her eyes away, taking an audible gulp. With her hands balled into fists, she forced herself to twist around to face him again, her heart stopping when she saw the girl next to him was now also glaring at her. That wasn't the worst thing either, they had the smallest of smiles on their faces like they found her amusing. Like they were laughing at her on the inside.

"What? What are you looking at?" She exclaimed, her voice shaking.

They gave no reply, their eyes never leaving her, making her skin itch. She clenched her jaw and stood up from her chair, grabbing her bag and racing out of the room, hearing her teacher call after her. She was losing it. That was the only explanation.

"Karmen! Hey, wait!" Billy called after her, footsteps close on her heel.

"Karmen!" Billy shouted, reaching out to touch her shoulder, causing her to come to a halt.

"What's going on with you?" Billy queried, turning her to look at him.

"...Nothing. It's fine. I'm fine" Karmen insisted, making him scoff.

"Really? I'd hate to see what you're like when you're not fine then" Billy teased, as her lips spread into a smile for a split second.

"Let's get out of here. Skip next period" Karmen suggested, as he pulled his hand away from her shoulder.

"I'm supposed to be the bad influence in this friendship, you know" Billy huffed, causing her to roll her eyes and drag him towards the entrance.

"I just need to get away from here" Karmen told him, as he nodded.

"We can go to my place, Susan's at work all day" Billy shrugged, as they pushed the front doors open.

Suddenly, a flash of red blinded Karmen, causing her to stumble backwards, colliding with Billy's chest. She tried to shield her eyes with her hand, but found whatever had blinded her was gone. She looked up at the sunny sky, finding there wasn't a cloud in sight. What type of lightning was red, anyway?

"Shit, have you been getting high without me?" Billy scoffed, as she gave him a look.

"Try losing my damn mind" Karmen sighed, as they headed down the steps.

"What do you mean?" Billy frowned, allowing a rare tone of concern into his voice.

"Just been having a lot of nightmares" Karmen shrugged, as Billy's eyes narrowed.

"I had a dream that Max threatened me with a bat with all these nails in it last night. Dreams ain't supposed to make sense" Billy suggested.

A bat with nails in it?

An image of a boy wielding that exact bat flashed before her eyes, twisting it around in his palm before hitting a creature that looked like it had crawled out of hell. It was the same boy again. The one with brown eyes. Steve.

"It's better than the dreams I'm having. I keep seeing this guy, Steve, he seems so familiar..." Karmen began, as Billy's footsteps faltered.

"Steve Harrington?" Billy frowned, as Karmen's mouth went slack.

"You know him?" Karmen gaped.

"...I had a dream about him too" Billy admitted, growing more confused.

"You had a dream about my imaginary boyfriend?" Karmen huffed.

"Not that kind of dream" Billy snorted, as they reached his car.

"Maybe it's not the same guy" Karmen mumbled, as Billy slid into the driver's seat.

"Brown eyes, ridiculous hair, really—" Billy started, before he was cut off by Karmen.

"Hot?" She finished, dropping into the passenger seat.

"Annoying" Billy exclaimed, making her smirk.

"What exactly happened in this dream with you two?" She questioned.

"I kind of...beat him up" Billy confessed, as she slapped his arm.

"You beat up my fake boyfriend?" She scoffed, as Billy gave a small shrug.

"Like I said, he was annoying" Billy insisted, as Karmen's brow furrowed.

"How can we be dreaming about the same guy?" She muttered, leaning back in her seat.

The words.

Maybe if Billy was having the same dreams as her, he wouldn't be able to read either? She opened the glove compartment, trying to look for anything with words, only finding the manual for his car. She started flipping through the pages, finding she still couldn't focus on any of the words and thrust it in Billy's face.

"Read it" She told him, as he gave her a look of disbelief.

"Wow, you really are losing it, huh?" Billy snorted.

"Read it" She insisted, as he looked down at the page in front of him.

His forehead wrinkled, as he took the manual from her hands, bringing it closer to his face. She watched in a panic as he started rubbing at his eyes, clearly not able to read it either. Looking out of the car window, her heart sank as she spotted something in the distance.

"Is this a joke or something? Why does—" Billy started, but Karmen cut him off, gesturing to the school.

"Billy. Look at the sign for the school" Karmen gulped, pointing towards the large sign above the entrance.

Neither of them could read it, the sign blurring before their eyes. It was like the whole world was glitching in front of them. Nothing made sense.

"What the fuck is going on?" Billy questioned.

Before she could answer, the radio suddenly turned on, a screeching sound erupting from the speakers, causing them to cover their ears. The sound slowly ebbed away, replaced by a song pushing through the static sound.

Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me.

Billy and Karmen turned to each other as the song continued to play, creeping them both out. The song grew louder and louder, almost deafening them, as Karmen listened more intently to the words.

While I'm alone and blue as can be,Dream a little dream of me.

"Turn it off, Billy" Karmen exclaimed, as Billy held something up in his hands.

His car keys. He had never turned the ignition on. So, how was the radio playing music?

But in your dreams whatever they be,Dream a little dream of me.

"Karmen...weren't we at the school a second ago?" Billy gulped, his eyes flickering up to find they were now outside the mall, having somehow moved.

The Starcourt Mall. Why was everything leading her back to that place? There was no evidence of a fire, everything seemed...normal. But still, just seeing the building caused something to twist inside of her.

"Holy shit" Karmen gasped, jumping out of the car, her eyes darting around.

"Did we...pass out or something?" Billy questioned, trying to find a logical explanation.

"Let's get inside. Now" Karmen insisted, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the car.

Anywhere was better than staying in that car a second longer. Could they both be hallucinating? Maybe someone drugged them? The pair continued walking into the mall, trying to stay calm as they blended into the crowds. Karmen's eyes snapped up to Scoops Ahoy, her feet pushing her towards the store without even realising it. For some reason, it made her feel safe. Like there was someone there she could—

"Karmen" Billy's voice rang out, a hint of fear laced into his tone.

She was about to ask him what was wrong when she realised it for herself. They had stopped. Everyone in the mall. They were just...standing there, staring at them. Karmen held onto Billy's arm tighter, her fight or flight response kicking in. Her eyes darted around, finding people even on the floors above and below them had come to a halt. The shoppers, maintenance workers, even the kids. Everyone had stopped.

"Just keep moving" Karmen insisted, pushing them forward.

They kept their heads down as they tried to shove their way through the people in their way, refusing to look at them. Something told her, if they didn't get away from the crowd soon, something much worse was going to happen. Karmen's heart was beating faster and faster, completely terrified. She let out a cry when a man suddenly stood out in front of them, his eyes growing dark. Black veins crawled out from the corner of his eyes until the whites of his eyes were completely covered, giving him an almost demonic look.

"Shit, shit, shit..." Billy muttered, when he saw the others in the crowd were now moving, looming closer to them.

A few seconds later, the pair had been pushed up against the railing, the strangers almost on top of them. Billy felt Karmen reach out to grab his hand, whispering something in his ear.

"Jump" She said, twisting them around so they were facing the railing.

"What?" He gaped, looking at the steep drop below.

"Jump!" She cried, hauling him up onto the railing, the panic clear in her voice.

Not needing to be told twice, Billy pushed off from the railing and was suddenly falling to the ground below. He scrunched his eyes shut, waiting for the impact, knowing from that height it could kill him. One, two, three seconds...and then they were hitting the floor with a thud. Billy frowned as he opened his eyes, expecting to be overwhelmed by pain but instead he felt...nothing. From that height, they should have broken something. Cut something. At least been injured, but they weren't. It wasn't possible.

"...This isn't real" Karmen mumbled, pushing herself to her feet.

"What do you mean?" Billy questioned, standing up, his legs shaking as fear took hold.

"You can't read in your dreams" Karmen stated, as Billy's eyes widened.

"No...no, this is real. This has to be..." He trailed off, suddenly noticing that the crowds that had been surrounding them only moments before had vanished.

The mall was empty. Silent. Fuck, Karmen was right, he realised. None of it had been real.

"Those dreams we were having...I don't think we ever woke up" Karmen realised, her bottom lip trembling.

"You always were too smart for your own good, Karmen" A voice exclaimed from behind them, as the pair twisted around.

Peter.

"Maybe it's time I woke you up" Peter smirked, as a chill went down Karmen's spine.

Hawkins, March 17th 1986

"You...heard her? Your dead girlfriend? That Karmen?" Mike questioned, in a sceptical tone.

"Yes, Mike. That Karmen" Steve retorted, trying to push down the urge to roll his eyes.

After a lot of convincing from Dustin, Steve finally agreed to tell the rest of their group about what had happened at the video store. Only an hour after the S.O.S had been put out, the kids were rushing into the store after closing time, on red alert. But just as he expected, none of them seemed to believe him, most likely thinking he was losing it. But he had heard her. He was sure of it.

"Guys, I know it sounds crazy, but I heard her too" Dustin insisted.

"And you're sure it was Karmen?" Lucas pushed, as Steve ran a hand down his face.

"I know my girlfriend's voice, man. It was her" Steve told them.

"I believe you" Max announced, after not having said a word that whole afternoon.

"That's because this is exactly what you want to hear. It's what all of you want, it doesn't mean it's true" Mike pointed out, as Dustin's eyes narrowed, a scowl growing on his face.

"Why are you being like this?" Dustin asked, as Mike threw his hands out in the air.

"Look, El is coming back from California in a few days, the last thing she needs is to be reminded of Karmen—" Mike began, but he was quickly cut off by a harsh scoff from Steve.

"Reminded of her?! She was like a sister to her, Mike! She has a right to know—" Steve exclaimed, but this time he was cut off by Mike.

"No! No, this spring break is supposed to be perfect. I'm gonna' let you ruin it for her" Mike snapped, before turning on his heel and storming out of the store.

"What the fuck was that?" Dustin murmured, in disbelief.

"Things aren't going well with him and El. He thinks she's coming back to break up with him" Lucas informed them.

"By the time El and the others come back to Hawkins, we'll have more answers. I'm going to meet up with...with that woman from Karmen's funeral tomorrow. Maybe she'll understand what's happening" Steve explained, not believing his own words.

"I'm going with you" Max told them, as Steve began shaking his head.

"Max, it's dangerous. We have no idea who this woman really is" Steve pointed out, as Max pursed her lips.

"If she knows something about Karmen and...I have to be there. And you can't stop me" Max insisted, as Steve let out a groan.

"Looks like I'm babysitting again then" Steve muttered, as Dustin slapped his arm roughly.

"I'm fourteen, dude. I'm practically an adult" Dustin retorted.

"An adult whose mom still gives him a kiss before dropping him off at school" Steve teased, as Dustin punched his arm this time.

"Ow!" Steve cried, clutching at his sore limb.

"Well, I'm coming too then" Lucas announced, as Max whipped around to face him.

"Lucas, you don't need to. It's fine" Max told him, in a dismissive tone.

"Steve's right. It could be dangerous, okay? I'm not letting you—" Lucas began, but Max interrupted him.

"We broke up, remember? I don't need you looking out for me. Not anymore" Max pushed, crossing her arms.

The boy's face fell at her words, looking like he had just taken a punch to the gut. He nodded a few times after, his jaw clenched as he went to walk away. Max's gaze followed him as he left the video store, the remorse clear on her face. She didn't want to hurt him. But that's what happened to everyone around her. They got hurt...or worse.

"Wait, you and Sinclair broke up?" Steve gaped, as Max gave a small shrug.

"It wasn't working anymore" Max mumbled, eyes cast to the ground.

"But you guys were great together. What happened?" Steve insisted, as Max grit her teeth.

"We changed. He's better off without me" Max suggested, not meeting his eyes, causing Steve's brow to furrow.

"That's bullshit—" Steve began, but was cut off by a familiar voice, as the front door swung open.

"Henderson!" Eddie Munson called out, his trademark grin on his face, his guitar strapped behind his back.

Steve couldn't help but scowl as he saw Dustin's face light up, instantly seeming happier at seeing his friend. The two had been hanging out more and more recently and Steve was growing...well, not jealous. Irritated. Yeah, that was the right word. He wouldn't be jealous of Eddie Munson. Or his hair.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Dustin questioned, as the older boy approached him.

"The Hideout's closed tonight. You wanna' do some shredding?" Eddie suggested, gesturing to the guitar strapped to his back.

"You're serious?!" Dustin gaped, excitedly.

"One time only offer, man" Eddie grinned, as Dustin's face slowly fell.

He turned back to Steve, biting his lip, knowing how difficult the day had been for his older friend. They were all freaking out from the idea that Karmen could still be alive, but none more than Steve. How could he leave him now?

"...Shit, uh...I can't do tonight. Steve has some—" Dustin started, but Steve was quick to stop him.

Dustin was pretty much obsessed with Eddie, and all his quirks. He looked up to him, just like an older brother. And he had been going on for months about how amazing Eddie's guitar was, and how he had this dream of playing beside Eddie one day in his band. With all the shit that had happened in the past couple of years, he deserved a night off.

"Steve will be fine. You guys go do threading on the guitar or whatever" Steve exclaimed, as Eddie let out a snort at his mix-up of words.

"You sure, neighbour?" Eddie asked, with a smirk.

The metalhead loved to remind Steve of how they lived at the same trailer park whenever he could. Steve couldn't blame him either. They had been in the same year at school and Steve had never exactly been nice to the boy. He grimaced as he remembered how he and Tommy made it their goal in tenth grade to mock Eddie from everything from his clothes to where he lived. The least he could do was let Dustin hang out with him.

"Yeah, I'm good. We've got a movie night to prepare for, right Max?" Steve suggested, as the redhead's lips pulled into a smile.

Max and Dustin were still just kids, even if they didn't like to admit it. They should have been doing things like movie nights, not trying to figure out a way to bring their dead friends back. But he had a feeling that no matter what he said, the two would be going with him to meet Karmen's mom. They were a team, after all.

Steve was well and truly panicking as he made his way to a nearby bench, his eyes darting around the forest clearing. Dustin and Max stayed close by his side, their shoulders rigid, palms growing sweatier by the second. The three sat down on the bench, only just fitting, as Steve's leg started bobbing up and down, his nerves showing. God, what was he thinking bringing Dustin and Max with him? What if Karmen's 'mother' had lured them out to the forest to stop them from asking any more questions?

"What time is it, Henderson?" Steve queried, as Dustin looked down at his watch.

"Two minutes since the last time you asked" Dustin stated, earning a glare from Steve.

"Are you sure she's coming?" Max questioned.

"If she really is Karmen's mom...she'll be here" Steve suggested, twisting his head around when they heard a twig snapping behind them.

His shoulders slumped when he saw Murray walking towards them, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts that were way too tight, stretching his arms out as he approached. Steve was a little surprised to see him, the people in his life didn't usually follow through with what they promised.

"What are you wearing?" Steve frowned, as Murray looked down at his outfit.

"I'm blending in. Making myself look as least threatening as possible" Murray answered, walking over to sit opposite them.

"Why?" Steve asked, even more confused.

"So, she won't see me coming...when I strike!" Murray exclaimed, swiping his hand out, banging it against the wooden table, letting out a pained sound.

"Please tell me this isn't our backup, Steve?" Dustin groaned.

"I'll have you know I am now a black belt in karate, child. I could disable you with just my pinky finger!" Murray insisted, waving the finger in the air.

"Guys" Max hissed, tapping Steve on the shoulder as she watched a figure appear from behind the trees.

Steve's eyes widened as the same brunette from the funeral made her way over to them, feeling a wave of sadness hit him. She looked so much like Karmen. In twenty years, was that was his girlfriend would have looked like? Would have...

He hated it. He hated thinking about Karmen in the past tense. It hurt too much.

"Thank you for meeting with me" The woman exclaimed, her English accent strong.

"You said you have answers. We want to hear them" Steve replied, coldly.

"Please, take a seat" Murray stated, patting the bench beside him, a fake smile on his lips.

"You were all friends with Karmen?" The woman inquired, sitting down beside him.

"That's not how this is going to work. We ask the questions, alright? What's your name?" Steve pushed.

"Melody. Melody Dixon. I suppose I should start from the beginning. Explain how my daughter ended up in this mess" She sighed, running a hand through her hair, the action reminding Steve so much of Karmen.

"Are we supposed to just take your word that you're her mother, huh? Do you actually have any evidence?" Steve pushed, as Melody began to reach into her pocket, making them all intense.

Half expecting her to pull out a weapon, Steve was surprised when she instead placed a photograph down on the table. Steve's heart twisted as his gaze fell on the child in the photo, recognising their bright blue eyes in an instant. It was Karmen, no older than five years old, a beaming smile on her face, hands covered in paint. Melody was holding her in her arms, sharing the same happy expression, the photo having caught her mid-laugh. Steve's eyes flickered back up to the older woman, finding all that happiness was long gone.

"Doctor Brenner recruited me whilst I was still in college. I had always had a passion for science ever since I was a child and I was driven, to say the least. I moved to America to work with him in Hawkin's lab on a new project. He had found a boy. He was...special. He could do the most incredible things, move objects without touching them, get into your head...more powerful than you can imagine" Melody began, as Dustin's eyes widened a fraction.

"Just like El" He murmured.

"What was the boy's name?" Max questioned.

"Peter. But I don't think that was his real name. He didn't seem to remember much of his past, or maybe he just wanted us to think that" Melody frowned, seeming lost in thought for a moment.

"What does this have to do with Karmen?" Steve insisted, growing impatient.

"Peter was just one boy. Doctor Brenner wanted more. He wanted more of him. So, we started to experiment, first on adults, then on children. But it didn't work. We couldn't seem to recreate Peter's abilities no matter what we tried. Until...we began experimenting on pregnant women" Melody confessed, having the sense to look guilty.

"Experiment on them how?" Murray pushed.

"Blood transfusions. Bone marrow. Anything we could think of. And finally, it worked. We have our number two. He had the same telekinetic abilities as Peter...number one. But Doctor Brenner didn't want to stop there. We experimented on many unborn children over the next two years, but only three ever showed the same abilities. I thought it was a success but Doctor Brenner felt differently. None of them could compete with Peter. There were only like shadows of him" Melody explained.

"Why was it so important to make these kids?" Max inquired, confused.

"If we could find a way to recreate all of Peter's abilities, we could change the world. The children would be an unstoppable force, we could end wars. Bring peace to the world. But...we were missing something. And then it came to me one day. We needed to start the experiments before conception. But our ethics were already slipping, we knew how dangerous it could be..." Melody trailed off, her eyes downcast.

"...So, you volunteered" Steve realised, with a look of disgust.

"I felt that if anyone should take the risk, if anyone could even understand it...it had to be me. We started the experiment, and I became pregnant" Melody went on.

"Didn't you think about what it could do to the baby? To Karmen?" Dustin gaped, with a shake of his head.

"I thought...the project was too important. It was all I thought about. The pregnancy went well, right up until the end. I went past my due date, the placenta started to break down, my child was dying. Doctor Brenner performed a C-section, but it was too late. The baby was dead. And then...there was a spark of electricity that she seemed to form herself, started her own heart. It was a miracle" Melody smiled, remembering the day well.

"Sounds like Karmen" Steve mumbled, a slight smile on his own lips.

"The moment I held her, I knew I couldn't let them experiment on her like the other children. I wanted her to have a normal life. So, I took her back to England. I would update Doctor Brenner regularly; tell him she showed no signs of telekinetic abilities. Which was true, but she had other powers. Even when she was just a baby, she could turn on machines without even touching them, creating sparks on her tiny palms. It was amazing" Melody told them, as Max's eyes narrowed.

"Karmen told us Doctor Brenner kidnapped her when she was six" Max pointed out, knowing Melody's story was about to take a turn.

"I was stupid to think that Martin...Doctor Brenner, would let us go. He kept tabs on us for years, and one day they must have seen what Karmen could do. He realised the experiment was a success and immediately began trying to experiment on women before conception. And it worked. A new baby was born. One he thought would be just as powerful as Peter. But I knew the risks, Karmen almost died. There were some lines we shouldn't cross. So, I...I made a deal. I gave Karmen to him on the promise that he would stop experimenting before conception" Melody confessed, her eyes scrunched shut.

"You just gave her up? Your own daughter?!" Steve snapped, angrily.

"Martin promised he wouldn't harm her. That she would have a good life there—" Melody began, but Steve was quick to cut her off.

"They abused them! Experimented on them, isolated them, they...they used to beat her!" Steve insisted, as the blood slowly drained from Melody's face.

"N-no...no, Martin wouldn't do that. He loved those children" Melody shook her head.

"It's true. Those kids...they were practically tortured in that lab" Murray told her, as Melody's mouth went slack.

"What year was the baby born? The one whose mother was experimented on before conception?" Dustin questioned.

"1971...why, is it important?" Melody frowned, watching as Dustin's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"El. Eleven. She was born in 1971" Dustin realised.

"You know the girl? She's here?" Melody gaped, as Steve gave Dustin a warning look.

"What happened to Peter? Karmen never spoke about him" Steve pushed.

"I don't know" Melody sighed.

"Why did you never look for her? Try to get her back?" Max asked, as Melody's forehead wrinkled.

"...You don't know what happened in 1979, do you?" Melody realised, as the others all shook their head.

"There was a massacre. All the children were killed. I...Doctor Brenner told me Karmen died that day. All these years I thought she was gone. And then I saw the list of the dead in the mall fire. And there she was. My daughter...dead again" Melody sobbed, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Who killed them?" Murray asked, looking sick to his stomach.

"The baby. The one born in 1971...Eleven" Melody told them, met by a tense silence by the rest of the group.

"Now, I know you're full of bullshit. El's a good person. She'd never hurt a goddamn fly" Steve muttered, pushing himself up from the table.

"Please, you have to believe me. That girl is dangerous! She could—" Melody continued, but Steve quickly stopped her.

"No. I'm not listening to any more of this. C'mon, we're leaving" Steve insisted, gesturing for the others to stand up.

"Wait! Wait, just...tell me one thing. It's all I can think about" Melody begged, looking up at Steve with sad eyes.

"What?" He mumbled.

"Karmen. Please, tell me she didn't suffer at the end?" Melody pleaded, as Steve grit his teeth, tears welling in his own eyes.

Suddenly, the image of Karmen's bleeding body flashed before his eyes, the painful cries she let out every time she moved. The way she seemed to be in agony with every breath she took. She had suffered. Right until the end.

"...I can't tell you that" Steve replied, his voice cracking, as he turned away, the pain in his chest too much to bear.

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! We had some revelations in this chapter, feel free to ask questions if you're confused by anything. And regarding the Season 4 finale, I thought it was...okay. Nowhere near the quality of Volume one though. What did everyone else think? Please leave a review:)

NicoleR85: Thanks for reviewing, she's definitely going to be a main character in this season!

plopp10011: Aw, thank you! We'll have to wait and see how Karmen's presence might change the storyline of Season 4. The finale definitely had me crying, this show always seems to kill off my favourite characters!

RoseAmeliaSarahNoblePond: Thank you so much:) I'm glad I was able to get you back into this story after so long away! Karmen's going to have an intense season coming up!

fugitivo: Yes, this is a Steve/Karmen fic, haha.

Guest: Thank you! I hope you like the update:)

Extra-Element19: I definitely got some inspiration from Wandavision and a few horror films too!

kalecream: Yes, she's alive...sort of, haha.

Guest: Thanks, hope you like the update!