12. morse code can be useful

MORSE CODE CAN BE USEFUL

✧･ﾟ: * The plan comes together way too quickly for Nora's liking, but she decides not to say anything.

Whether she knows Will is still in there, or she's just hoping, she really doesn't know.

The interrogation is going to take place in the Byers' shed. Hopper and Jonathan are clearing out all the furniture and whatnot while Nancy and Steve were assigned to cover up all the doors, windows, and anything that would give Will a clue as to where he was. The kids are helping them out by going through the house for makeshift cover-ups.

Mike and Max are in the kitchen while Dustin, Lucas, and Nora are going through the garbage outside.

Nora finds it ironic the last time the trio was doing this it was to find a multi-universe creature, but now, it's so a multi-universe creature wouldn't find them.

"Hey. . ." Dustin is the first to break the silence. "I'm- I'm sorry about Dart, and all. I guess I thought he was. . . my friend. I was wrong. I broke the rule of law, so if you want your girlfriend to take over my spot in the party, I understand."

"Girlfriend?" Nora looks up in surprise. Girlfriend?

Lucas sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance, "she's not my girlfriend."

"I saw you too holding hands in the bus, Lucas," Dustin sighs too.

Nora frowns. When were they holding hands? I held hands with her. Does that not mean anything? What, no. No, it doesn't mean anything. Why would it mean anything? We're just friends. God, Nora.

"She was just scared," Lucas explains. Nora can't help but feel like he was still being proud about what happened. Like, he's glad it was him who held Max's hand, and not anyone else.

You're reading too far into it, Nora. Relax, jeez.

"Maybe, but I could feel it." Nora pauses at Dustin's words.

"Feel what?"

"The electricity."

Nora isn't sure if she wants to throw up because of the trash or because of Dustin.

After a moment Lucas speaks to Nora, "do you think she's my girlfriend?"

Nora sighs, unable to make eye contact with Lucas. "I think she just needed someone, and you were there. She probably would've done the same if it were me or Dustin."

She did do the same when it was me. Did it mean as much to her as it did me? Or is she just a hand-holding-person?

Lucas nods, "do you think she wanted it to be me?"

Nora gather: a bunch of garbage bags in her hands. "I dunno, Lucas. Maybe. I'm gonna get these to my brother."

She makes her way to the shed and avoids eye contact with both Steve and Nancy who are stapling stuff to the walls.

After Nora ignored everyone for about half an hour, the shed is finally covered. Jonathan carries Will over into a chair, and ties his slumped body to it with wires.

Everyone goes back into the house when it was over, leaving Hopper, Jonathan, Joyce, and Mike to talk to Will.

Dustin is perched by the kitchen window, anxiously running a hand through his curls. Nancy is in the hallway outside, leaning by the phone while Steve paces in the connected living room. The hallway from there, Nora and Max are sitting next to each other, against the wall, Lucas opposite to them.

"If he finds out where we are. . ." Max nervously rubs her hands up and down her arms. Nora restrains herself from grabbing her hand. "Will he send those dogs after us?"

"He won't find out," Lucas says. Nora wonders who he's trying to convince more.

"Yeah, but if he does. . ."

"Judgement day."

Nora and Max share a look. Nora decides to just take Max's hand gently and give her a reassuring smile.

She doesn't look at Lucas.

The door to the house is flung open, followed by footsteps. The three stand up quickly - Nora and Max's hands drop in the process - and they make their way to the kitchen where Hopper leads the others into the room. He grabs a pen and paper and drops into a chair as the others surround him.

"What happened?" Dustin speaks everyone's thoughts.

"I think he's talking, just not with words," Hopper starts drawing lines and dots onto the paper.

Nora frowns. She knows it's morse code, but why couldn't Hopper just say what he's thinking? It'd make everything easier?

"Hey, what is that?" Steve asks confused.

"Morse code," Nora, Hopper, and the boys all answer in unison.

Steve gets embarrassed again.

"H. E. R. E." Hopper announces with finality in his tone.

"Here," everyone reading the paper says.

"Will's still here," Hopper says relieved. Nora looks straight to Joyce who's face lit up with hope. He'll be okay. "He's talking to us."

The group goes out again, Hopper bringing his radio to say what Will was saying. Dustin says what Hopper communicates, Lucas found a key to translate, and Nancy writes it out with a red crayon. Nora's nervous.

"Okay, got it," Lucas looks down at the key as Hopper sends a letter through. "C." More buzzes come. "L. O. S. E. G. A. T. E."

Nancy blows off the crayon excess and holds the paper up. Everyone gathers around and reads out, "close gate."

The shrill ringing from the phone causes everyone's heads to snap towards it. The phone trembled on the receiver as Dustin runs to it and slams it back into the wall. "Shit. Shit. Shit!"

Everyone sighs in relief until it rings again. This time, Nancy shows no hesitation when she rips it off the wall and throws it to the ground. The silence is interrupted only with her ragged breaths.

"Think he heard that?" Max asks.

"It's just a phone," Steve shrugs. "It could be anywhere. . . right?"

The roars coming from outside answer his question.

"That is not good."

Joyce suddenly burst through the door, Jonathan behind carrying Will who is unconscious. . . again. "They heard! They're coming!" Mike races to the window, his friends following.

"Hey." Hopper yells over. "Hey! Get away from the windows!" The kids quickly jump off the couch and go to the living room. "Do you know how to use this?" He turns to Jonathan who is no longer holding Will.

"W- what?" Jonathan starts panicking.

"I can," Nancy steps forward when Hopper asks again more intensely.

The group forms a type of protection circle, all preparing for whatever was going to come through the door. Shrieks come from their right and they all spin towards the kitchens. There's a rustling outside the windows and they brace themselves.

Suddenly, the window shatters in, the Demodogs dead body thrown inside, unmoving.

"Holy shit," Dustin breathes as Hopper slowly makes his way over, gun up.

"Is it dead?" Max asks hesitantly.

Hopper nudged it with his foot as he approaches, but nothing happens.

It's dead.

There's a creaking on the porch, and in the silence everyone turns with their guards up. The doorknob turns slowly and the chained lock shakes a little until it flies off.

Nora gulps in what she hopes is not an audible way as the door swings open.

I knew it. I fucking knew it.

There, in all her glory, with blue, cuffed jeans over white socks and white converse; a black, oversized jacket overtop more black clothes; slicked back, pixie-cut hair; deep, messy eye makeup; and a bloody nose. . .

Eleven.

Everyone's still until El and Mike make eye contact and slowly make their way over to each other. Smiles slowly spread across their faces as they wrap their arms around each other, just holding each other.

"Is that. . ." Max starts slowly.

Nora tells her voice not to shake, "Eleven."

Mike is the first to pull away. "I never gave up on you." Me neither! "I called you every night." I did not. "Every night for-"

"Three-hundred and fifty-three days," El finishes. "I heard."

Nora lets out a breathy laugh, actually coming to her senses of what was happening. "Holy shit."

El looks up at her best friend, "Nora." El lets go of Mike and walks up to Nora as the girl wraps her arms around the brunette.

"You're- you're alive. Holy shit. I missed you so much," Nora has way too many thoughts going through her head right now.

"I missed you too," El smiles nicely.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were okay?" Mike asks as they pull away. "That you were okay?"

"Because I wouldn't let her," Hopper speaks, confusing almost everyone in the room. "The hell is this?" he just looks to Eleven. "Where've you been?"

"Where've you been?" El glares before falling into his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

Nora frowns in realization.

"You've been hiding her!" Mike shouts. He pushes Hopper back, "you've been hiding her this whole time!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Hopper grabs Mike's hands before he can hit again. "Let's talk," he takes the collar of his shirt. "Alone."

Mike wrestles and yells until Hopper pushes him into a room, and even after Nora can hear shouting.

Dustin and Lucas step up and hug El, exchanging their "I missed you's."

"Teeth," she moves her hand to Dustin's mouth. "You have teeth."

Dustin smiles, "You like these pearls?" He does a weird growl thing and El jumps back a little.

"Eleven?" Max finally finds the courage to speak up. "Hey. Um, I'm Max," she holds out her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

El just stares at her hand before pushing past her to Joyce.

"Don't worry about it," Nora whispers softly, gently lowering Max's hand. "She didn't say anything to me when we first met either."

a/n:

i hate editing. like, why can't i be enough for you touch-starved gays. this is ridiculous.

n e wayz. el is back 😁😁😁

i lied, this is an el x nora story (/s)