Chapter Text
The first think everyone thinks is something along the lines of ‘What the fuck?!’ because instead of the Upside Down, or the Creel house, or a freezer, or wherever they had been literally seconds ago, everyone is gathered in what looks like a cosy living room – sat on various couches.
El, Mike, and Will are sitting on one loveseat, El laid on both boy’s laps as if she was simply resting there. Her clothes were dry thankfully, so neither of the boys were wet, but all three were very confused. Argyle and Jonathan – who were seated on a loveseat opposite the trio – looked just as confused, although Argyle was more relaxed as he still had a bit of a high going.
On another couch, Lucas was holding a very much alive and not injured Max in his arms, and seemed close to crying. Erica was beside them looking around with the most confusion and fear she’d probably ever shown in her life. Dustin and Eddie were seated on yet another couch, and both looked absolutely shell shocked since the older - who’d been on the verge of fucking dying - was suddenly whole and hale again.
On the fifth couch, Nancy, Steve, and Robin were sitting beside each other. Nancy’s hand was clenching in discomfort from the lack of her gun, while Steve and Robin had almost immediately gone to holding each other for the sake of comfort, once they realised that they were definitely the real versions of themselves and not some Vecna illusion bullshit.
And – on the last couch – holding hands very tightly – sat Joyce and Hopper. Absolutely stunned to see the condition everyone was in, more or less. Any physical injuries had been erased but the signs of them in the kid’s worn and torn clothes were all too clear.
“Where the fuck are we?” Erica finally asked, breaking the silence.
No one seemed to have an answer, but they all began talking over each other.
“This is not Hawkins-” “Oh my god-!” “Is this Vecna-?” “What happened to you-?” “You’re alive-!”
“You guys need to calm down.” A voice says from one corner of the room, causing them all to jump or scream in some cases. “Shit, sorry. I probably should have introduced my presence more smoothly.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Dustin questioned.
“Uh, you can just call me Noir. I’m not a threat or enemy or anything, I swear.”
Steve narrowed his eyes at the stranger. “What are you then?”
“An author,” Noir answered with a grin. “But that doesn’t matter. I just wanted to explain some stuff to you so you don’t freak out too much.”
“Yeah, I think you failed that last bit,” Will muttered, a hand over his heart trying to calm it down.
Noir winced. “Again, sorry. But trust me, this is better than just waking up without knowing who’s travelled with you.”
Jonathan frowned. “Who’s travelled with who?”
“Ugh, I should have prepared a presentation or something before this,” Noir muttered before addressing everyone at a normal volume. “If you had the chance to change it, would you take it?”
Mike narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “To change what?”
“Everything. To go back to the start of all this shit and do things differently. Make the happy ending you deserve.”
Joyce bit her lip. “What exactly are you offering us here?”
“A second chance, like I said. You would go back in time – your consciousness and memories from the present day will be transferred into your past bodies. It would be like rewinding everything that’s happened so far back to the point where it all began.”
“You mean the day El escaped and I disappeared?” Will inquired and Noir nodded.
“I know some of you might not want to relive all that trauma, hence the me talking to you before I totally fuck everything up. If anyone here feels they would rather not go back then I won’t force you. But those of you who are willing to make the journey can at least know who your allies are.”
It’s silent for a moment, before Steve speaks up. “You can actually do that? Are you like El, or...?”
“I can definitely do it; I wouldn’t be offering otherwise. I’m not like anyone you’ve encountered before really – I have no connections whatsoever to the Upside Down, Hawkins Lab, the government, or Henry Creel.”
Jonathan frowned. “Who is Henry Creel?”
“He’s a fucking bastard,” Dustin stated.
“That’s an insult to illegitimate children,” Eddie muttered.
Noir frowned. “Maybe I should let all of you catch up on what’s happened this week. Uh, I’ll just step out to give you some privacy for that.”
The following conversation between our protagonists was a rather emotional experience. But for the sake of being brief, I'll just give you the highlights.
El was elated to see Hopper alive, albeit pissed off at the Russians, and Hop and Joyce were both quite worried over the state of their kids, plus the others. Those who hadn’t been in Hawkins that week were horrified to find out about everything – murders, witch hunts, fucking Vecna – and Steve straight up had a breakdown when he found out that Eddie and Max had been pulled from the literal verge of death. Then there was everything that had happened to El since Joyce left, which caused yet another round of breakdowns.
It was a long-time before the group was back to okay – um, semi-okay? Point is, no one was crying, screaming, and/or having a panic attack when Noir finally re-entered the room.
The seating arrangement had changed. El and Will were sitting with Hopper and Joyce, Jonathan moved to sit with Nancy and Argyle sat on the floor with his back against their couch, Robin and Eddie occupied a third couch, Steve sitting on the floor between them, with Max and Lucas on one side, Mike and Dustin on the other, and Ericia held to his chest – which she seemed only mildly annoyed by. They’d all sort of just piled up like that to calm the poor man down from his breakdown.
Noir shifted his feet awkwardly and cleared his throat. “So, yeah, I’m back. I can leave again if you guys need more time but I just thought I’d re-establish my offer.”
Will looked up at him. “When exactly would we be sent back to?”
“Sunday, November 6th, 1983, 8:00pm. Just before you left Mike's house. El would have been out of the lab by then and you wouldn’t be in danger of reencountering the Demogorgon. Unless you went looking for it, I guess.”
Will nods and remains silent as he thinks about that. About everything that’s happened – that would happen again if they took this chance.
“I’ll go,” Steve said, surprising the group around him. “If there’s a chance, we can make it so this doesn’t happen- just the small chance we can have some fucking peace, I’ll take it.”
“Me too. Can't let you go alone,” Robin said, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze that makes him smile gratefully.
“I guess that would mean doing senior year for a fifth time, but maybe it won’t be so bad since I’ll graduate when I’m meant to.” Eddie decided.
“If you both are going, I’m definitely coming along.” Dustin declared.
“I would be in California, but I could get a bus or something.” Max thought.
“I want to go as well,” Erica added.
“You’ll be nine,” Lucas pointed out.
“So what?”
“Okay, I am coming with, if only to keep you from killing yourself or some shit.”
Erica rolled her eyes but didn’t make any further remarks on the matter.
“I’m in,” Jonathan stated.
“Me as well,” Nancy added.
“Me too!” Argyle declared.
Mike looked thoughtfully over at the couch where Joyce, Hopper, El and Will were all sitting. “I... I’ll go.”
Joyce bit her lip in consideration then declared. “I will as well. Jim?”
Hopper looked up at her then nodded. “I’ll come along.”
El and Will looked at each other. They were the last to decide, really. Their lives had been arguably the most connected to the shit they’d all gone through. Did they want to go back? Back through all the monsters and nightmares and their family getting caught in the middle? Could they put themselves through that again?
“We’re in.” El said and Will nodded in agreement.
Noir grinned. “Great – that will make things a lot easier. Before I send you off though, let’s talk details.”