co·he·sion

noun

the action or fact of forming a united whole.

While Dustin was in the guard's booth trying to get the gate to open simply by repeatedly hitting the button, Jonathan and Emilia decided it was best to join the rest of the group. To be closer, since those creatures were crawling who knew where, being next to the vehicle was the best, and safest, option. She took one step and stopped, trying to keep her whimpers silent but some still weaseled their way out.

"Hey." Jonathan put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? What happened?"

She grimaced. "One of those things..."

"What?! When?" Jonathan panicked for he was realizing his biggest mistake when he left with Nancy. It wasn't kissing her, it wasn't disappearing from Hawkins without even telling his mother and leaving behind an even bigger mess. It was that he wasn't there for Emilia when he needed to be. Sure, things were conflicted between them, distant and different now in ways Jonathan wasn't sure could be fixed, but that didn't mean he ever wanted any harm to come to her. His biggest mistake was ever letting her get in harms way.

She shrugged, "It's not a big deal, Jonathan."

A silence crept in all around them; the tone of voice she used was vicious though it wasn't meant to be. However, there was a definite sense of contempt when she said, "Steve made sure I didn't get killed. He didn't leave me behind."

"Emilia..." Jonathan's voice faded, his chest ached. "I didn't... I didn't leave you behind..."

She nodded, disbelief because it was right there in front of them. He left her behind when he went who knew where. And he took Nancy with him instead of her. She felt spiteful above all other things, rage filling her even though she didn't want to overreact. All the feelings of disappointment bubbled up and she was unable to keep herself in check like she usually would. Emilia Roth wasn't someone who tended to overreact.

"Yeah, right. Let me guess, you stayed at a questionable but cheap motel?" She referred to their trip to Lake Michigan. Then Emilia shuffled over to the gate, wondering if they would ever get it open, and who was inside anyways. When she got there, all the lights came on and the gate opened.

Jonathan got into his car without a word and Nancy joined him. Emilia stood beside the booth, eyes on the ground; she only listened as the car took another person she loved into that horrible lab. Immediately she regretted it and looked up, but Jonathan and Nancy were already through the parking lot. Steve placed his hand upon her shoulder, "They'll be fine."

Her gaze was steely, her lips pressed tightly together as though she would never speak again.

Then only minutes later the cars came rushing; Jonathan in the first vehicle kept driving, he didn't stop for anyone. Behind them was Hopper in his truck, and he quickly slammed the brakes and told them to get in. Everyone obliged; Dustin shut the gate behind them and then joined them in the crammed back of the truck with Steve, Lucas and Max. Emilia got the front.

"What the hell are all you kids doing here?" Hopper asked, his voice shaking.

"Is everyone okay?" Emilia asked.

"Bob..."

"El?" Emilia whispered so that Dustin and Lucas didn't hear.

"She's not at home?" Hopper asked, but his question was posed as though he already suspected that.

Emilia shook her head, "No..."

"Shit." He smacked the steering wheel with the palm of his hand in a rage. But from the look in his eyes as he stared out the windshield, his brows knitting together, Emilia suspected that he was mad at himself. Something happened at that house when she wasn't there, something that maybe she would have been able to cool down and prevent. But she wasn't there; she didn't even know where she was at the time. The whole week had been a complete blur.

"She's okay," Emilia said to herself. If anyone could handle being on their own, it was El.

They arrived at the Byers household not long later, since Hopper was tearing up the road with his foot to the floor. Once again, Steve helped Emilia. She would have turned his help down, but something made her want Jonathan to feel bad. It was petty, it was juvenile, but she did need help, and Steve was there for her all week when Jonathan wasn't. As they entered the house, that communal meeting place whenever the Upside Down decided to make an appearance, there was a sense of cohesion there. Last time, everyone had been scattered. This time, they were a team, united in their front.

Emilia saw Jonathan kneeling before Will, who was unconscious on the couch. He was whispering to his little brother. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I should have been there."

Nancy put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and Emilia looked away. Steve's grip tightened ever so slightly around her. Feeling the unease in the room as Hopper went straight for the phone, making frantic phone calls, Emilia stepped away from Steve with a thankful glance in his direction. She leaned against the wall and surveyed everything. Despite everyone being together, but missing El, nothing looked good for them.

Everyone was in complete disarray.

Hopper slammed the phone down when his conversation fell through on the other end. He told everyone that they were staying here until it was safe, and Emilia agreed. Then Hopper walked over to her, placed his hand upon her shoulder and offered a pained smile. They couldn't discuss El, but in the look it was all they were saying. That, and they were glad one another was still alive, unharmed mostly.

"You should go talk to her," Emilia told Hopper, referring to Joyce.

He nodded, and then disappeared.

Suddenly Jonathan was standing beside Emilia, his hands awkwardly shoved in his jacket pockets, shoulders pulled up tight with tension. He needed comforting, Emilia could see that from her peripheral vision. His brother was laying there drugged up and unconscious, with something from the Upside Down inside of him. Emilia couldn't help but feel thankful it wasn't her; Will was far more resilient than she was.

"We should really talk," Jonathan whispered, not wanting anyone around them to hear.

"I don't think now is the time," Emilia told him again.

"Now might be the only time," Jonathan replied ominously.

Emilia sighed. "What am I supposed to say, Jonathan? That everyone important in my life disappeared overnight? That I was left scared and alone, and the only person I had to go to was Steve Harrington? Who, by the way, has gotten the sharp end of the stick out of all of this. Nancy clearly has feelings for you, and I don't know for how long... And I can see you care about her too. I don't want to lose you, Jonathan, but I need to know if I'm going to."

"No," he said clearly. "I was conflicted, I'm not going to lie. After my complete overreaction to..."

"Steve kissing me," she finished for him.

"Yeah... And then the opportunity to take down Hawkins Lab came up, Nancy and I took it without thinking of the repercussions of it. We had no idea all of this was going on, I never would have left. In the mess of things, I thought... I thought I had feelings for Nancy, but I know now it was only a retaliation in my mind, it was jealousy."

"What made you figure it out?" she asked coldly, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

"Guys!" Mike yelled. "We need your help!"

"With what?" Emilia asked, turning her focus onto Mike instead of Jonathan.

"We're putting Will in the shed and he's going to tell us the weakness of the Mind Flayer!"

Jonathan was going to have to wait before he came clean with Emilia, and part of him was thankful. He understood now just how difficult it was to admit something like that, and now he didn't blame Emilia for withholding it from him. It was so much easier to stay quiet. 

Ah, delaying the information is only going to make it worse. However, it would be best if everyone had clear minds when this shit goes down. But are their minds really clear?

Question of the Day: Do you think Emilia suspects that Nancy and Jonathan kissed? Or possibly did more?