Mike embraced Eleven, and the two shared a warm hug.

"Is that...?" Juliette asked, and Lucas nodded. "I never gave up on you. I called you every night for..."

"353 days. I heard," Eleven cut Mike off. "Why didn't you tell me you were there?"

"Because I wouldn't let her," Hopper said then hugged Eleven, and that's when Mike realized that she had been with him this whole time.

"You've been hiding her. You've been hiding her this whole time!" Mike shoved Hopper. "Hey! Let's talk. Alone." The two of them went into Will's room.

Ariana smiled and hugged Eleven. "Oh, God, I've missed you," she started to tear up.

"I've missed you too," Eleven said. "I'm so happy you're okay." Ariana smiled.

Eleven went over to the guys and hugged them. "We missed you," Lucas said. "We talked about you pretty much every day," Dustin added.

"Eleven? Hey, um, I'm Max. This is Juliette. We've heard a lot about you." Eleven didn't say anything and just walked past them.

Everyone gathered around the table to brainstorm a plan. "It's not like it was before. It's grown, a lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs," Hopper said. "

Demo-dogs," Dustin corrected him. "I'm sorry, what?" Hopper asked.

"I said, uh, demo-dogs," Dustin repeated.

"How is this important right now?" Hopper asked. "It's not. I'm sorry," Dustin sat down.

"I can do it," Eleven said. "You're not hearing me," Hopper said. "I'm hearing you. I can do it."

"Even if El can, there's still another problem. If the brain dies, the body dies," Mike said.

"I thought that was the whole point?" Juliette asked.

"It is, but if we're really right about this... I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer's army..."

"Will's a part of that army," Lucas said.

"Closing the gate will kill him." Just then, Joyce got an idea.

She walked into Will's room and looked around. "He likes it cold," she said.

"What?" Hopper asked. "It's what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold." She closed the window.

"We keep giving it what it wants," Joyce said.

"If this is a virus, and Will's the host, then..."

"Then we need to make the host uninhabitable," Jonathan interrupted Nancy.

"So if he likes it cold..." "We need to burn it out of him," Joyce concluded.

"We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time," Mike said. "Yeah, somewhere far away."

Just then, Hopper got an idea. "We can do it at my cabin." He walked out of the room. Jonathan picked up Will and followed Hopper out the door.

Meanwhile, Ariana and Steve were in the backyard cleaning up. "Ari, can we talk?" She sighed.

"I'm really sorry about ruining your application. I just didn't want you to leave because we would be far away from each other," Steve explained.

"I'm not mad anymore. I found out I could contact the college and explain. I just wish you would have talked to me about how you were feeling instead of doing what you did," Ariana explained.

"You know, I may be a shitty boyfriend, but...turns out I'm actually a pretty damn good babysitter." Steve laughed. "You're gonna do great at Berkeley," he said.

"Steve..." he smiled. "I know, Ari. It's okay," he said.

"I don't want to let you go, but it's better for both of us," Ariana said.

"If you're happy, I'm happy." Ariana smiled and then hugged Steve.

He walked away, and Nancy came outside. "What was that about?" She asked.

"We just broke up," Ariana sighed. "Oh, Ari." Nancy hugged her. "It's okay, really. I guess he just wasn't the one," Ariana said.

"You should go with Jonathan," Nancy raised her eyebrow.

"No, no, I'm not gonna leave Mike alone," Nancy said.

"Me and Steve will watch him. You really should go with him, Nance. He needs you." Nancy smiled.

"Okay, but we're gonna need a girl's night to talk about everything after all of this." Ariana nodded and laughed.

Later, after everyone left, Dustin took everything out of the fridge so Steve could put the creature in it. While helping clean the house a little, Mike kept pacing around the room.

"Mike, would you just stop already?" Lucas said, annoyed. "You weren't in there, okay, Lucas? That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs," Mike said.

"Demo-dogs!" Dustin corrected him. "

The chief will take care of her," Lucas said. "She needs protection," Juliette said.

"Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it, alright?" Steve walked over.

"Okay, first of all, this isn't some stupid sports game, and second, we're not even in the game. We're on the bench," Mike explained.

"So my point is...right, yeah, we're on the bench, so, uh, there's nothing we can do," Steve said.

"That's not entirely true. I mean, these Demo-dogs, they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away," Dustin explained.

"So, if we get their attention..." "Maybe we can draw them away from the lab," Max cut Lucas off. "

Clear a path to the gate," Mike said.

"Yeah, and then we all die," Ariana said.

"Well, that's one point of view," Dustin said.

"No, that's not a point of view, Dustin. That's a fact," Mike ran to the fridge.

"I got it. This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So..." Mike walked into the living room.

"Here, right here. This is like a hub. So you got all the tunnels feeding here. Maybe if we set this on fire..."

"Oh, yeah? That's a no," Ariana said.

"The Mind Flayer would call away his army," Dustin said.

"They'd all come to stop us," Lucas said.

"We circle back to the exit. By the time they realize we're gone..."

"El would be at the gate," Juliette cut Mike off.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! This is not happening," Ariana said.

"But-"

"No, no, no, no. No buts. Ariana's right. We promised we'd keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what we plan on doing. We're staying here, on the bench, and we're waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand?" Steve said.

"This isn't a stupid sports game," Mike said.

"I said, does everybody understand that? I need a yes," Steve asked with seriousness in his voice.

Suddenly, before the kids could answer, they heard a loud car in the driveway. Max ran towards the window. "It's my brother. He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us," she said.

Ariana immediately recognized the sound the car was making. It was Billy. "Your brother is...Billy Hargrove?" Max nodded.

Ariana looked at Steve, worry in her eyes, and Steve knew what he had to do. "Stay here." He walked out the door.

The kids sat on the couch and watched the two talk. After a few minutes of their conversation, Billy looked towards the window and saw the kids.

They ducked down. "Shit. Did he see us?" Dustin asked. "Well, he did point directly to the window, Dustin," Ariana said.

Suddenly, Billy swung the door open and locked his eyes on Max. Ariana spotted Steve lying on the ground.

"Well, well, well. Juliette Byers, what a surprise," Billy sneered as he walked toward Max.

Ariana stepped in front of him, determined. "Leave them alone, Billy," she warned.

"What? You gonna run to your boyfriend again?" Billy chuckled and then forcefully shoved Ariana against the wall.

"I told you to stay away from her, Max." Dustin rushed over to help Ariana up. "Billy, just go away."

"You disobeyed me, and you know what happens when you disobey me. I break things." Suddenly, Billy grabbed Juliette by her shirt and pushed her against a wall.

"Since Maxine won't listen to me, maybe you will. You stay away from her. Stay away from her! You hear me, you fag!" Billy's derogatory words hung in the air until Juliette responded,

"Bite me, bitch!" She kneed Billy in the balls, causing him to stumble back.

"You are so dead, Byers! You're dead!" Billy yelled, and then Steve intervened.

"No, you are!" Steve landed a punch squarely on Billy's face, but Billy just started laughing.

"Looks like you've got some fight in you after all, huh? I've been waiting to meet this 'King Steve' everybody, including your disrespectful girlfriend, has been talking about so much."

Steve was incensed by Billy's insult to Ariana. He turned to see her standing there, watching him intently. "Get out," Steve ordered, turning back to face Billy.

In response, Billy punched Steve in the face, and they began to brawl. Onlookers cheered for Steve to beat Billy, but Billy seemed to have the upper hand, landing punch after punch.

Max seized a needle from a nearby table and stabbed Billy with it. Shock rippled through the room as Billy stood up, yanked the needle from his neck, and advanced toward Max. However, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. Max grabbed Steve's bat.

"From now on, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?" Max demanded.

"Screw you," Billy mumbled. Max raised the bat and smacked it on the ground between Billy's legs.

"Say you understand! Say it!" she yelled. "I understand," Billy mumbled. "What?"

"I understand," Billy said more clearly before drifting off to sleep.

"Dang, Red," Ariana commented. Max dropped the bat and grabbed her car keys.

"Let's go," she said. "Wait, wait. We're not going anywhere, okay? Just because Steve is...still pretty beat up doesn't mean we're going to..." Suddenly, Dustin grabbed another needle and plunged it into Ariana's neck.

"Oh, fuck you," Ariana exclaimed before collapsing to the ground, and everything went black.

______

Suddenly, Ariana woke up in a car next to Steve. She blinked, her vision a little blurry.

"Nancy?" she turned to Mike, confused.

"Okay, keep straight for half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai," Juliette said, holding a map.

Ariana then noticed that Max was at the wheel.
"What's going on?" Steve mumbled.

"Oh, my God!" he suddenly exclaimed. Steve and Ariana started to panic as Max accelerated.

"Everybody shut up! I'm trying to focus!" Max yelled. "Oh, wait, that's Mount Sinai. Make a left," Juliette said.

"What?" Max asked. "Make a left!" Juliette shouted. Max made a sharp left turn, causing the car to swerve.

Finally, they reached their destination, and Max brought the car to a stop. "Incredible," Juliette smiled, gazing at Max with admiration.

The kids popped open the trunk and began gathering supplies. Steve and Ariana struggled to get out of the car.

"Guys, oh no, guys," Steve mumbled.

"Hey, where do you think you're going? What are you, deaf? Hello?" Ariana yelled.

"We are not going down there right now. I made myself clear. Hey, there's no chance we're going to that hole, alright? This ends right now!" Steve asserted.

"Steve, and Ariana, you're both upset, I get it. But the bottom line is that a party member requires assistance, and it is our duty to provide that assistance. Now, I know you promised Nance that you would help keep us safe. So, keep us safe," Dustin said, handing Steve and Ariana backpacks.

They all jumped down into the hole, wearing protective gear.

"Holy shit," Ariana muttered.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's this way," Mike shouted.

"You're pretty sure, or you're certain?" Dustin asked.

"I'm 100% sure. Just follow me, and you'll know," Mike declared.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey. I don't think so. If any of you shits die down here, we're getting the blame. Got it, Wheeler?" Ariana took the map from him.

"Ariana's right. From here on out, we're leading the way. Come on, let's go," Steve said.

After ten minutes of walking, they finally found it. "Alright, Micheal. I think we found your hub," Ariana said.

"Let's burn it," he said, and they began pouring gasoline everywhere.

Once they finished, they all moved to the side. "Alright, ready?" Ariana asked, and they nodded.

"Let's light her up," Dustin said. Ariana sighed.

"Nancy's gonna kill me," she muttered before igniting the hub with a lighter.

It started to catch fire, and they all ran away. As they searched for the exit, Mike's leg got trapped in a vine. "Help! Help!" he cried.

"Everyone, back up!" Steve urged, striking the vine until it released Mike. As they turned around, they froze when they saw a creature standing right in front of them.

"Dart?" Dustin said.

"Dustin, get back," Ariana said, taking a protective stance.

"Shh! Trust me," Dustin whispered, then approached Dart.

"Hey, it's me, it's me. It's just your friend, it's Dustin. It's Dustin, alright? Do you remember me? Will you let us pass?" The creature growled at Dustin.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchey thing to do. Are you hungry? Yeah?" Dustin reached into his pocket, placed some Three Musketeers bars on the ground for Dart, and signaled for everyone to pass.

They started to run toward the exit, and the whole tunnel suddenly shook. "What was that?" Max asked.

Then, the creatures began to roar in the distance. "They're coming! Run, run!" Mike yelled.

They rushed to the rope, and all the kids began climbing it. Everyone made it up safely, and it was just Ariana and Steve left. They heard the creatures getting closer.

"Oh, shit," Ariana said. Steve held his bat up, and Ariana stood in front of him. "Ariana! Steve! Come on!" the kids shouted. However, when the monsters arrived, they simply ran past them.

The two finally made it to the surface, and everyone piled into the car, driving back to the Byers' house.

______

Today marked the eagerly anticipated Snowball Dance at Hawkins Middle School, and it was a special occasion for Juliette as it was her very first school dance.

"Juliette, you look absolutely stunning," Joyce exclaimed when Juliette walked into the living room, resplendent in her dress.

"Thanks, Joyce," she replied, her cheeks tinged with a hint of pink.

"Where's Will?" Juliette asked, noticing a hint of concern on Joyce's face.

Joyce let out a sigh. "He's in his room. He's a bit apprehensive about going to the dance," she confided. Juliette made her way to Will's bedroom door and gently knocked.

"Will?" she called as she pushed it open, finding him seated on his bed, a look of uncertainty clouding his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked with genuine concern.

Will hesitated before responding, "I don't know if I want to go to the dance." A hint of vulnerability colored his voice.

"Why?" Juliette questioned, moving closer to him. She sat down beside him, waiting for his answer.

"Because...What if I get bullied or no girl wants to dance with me, or..." Will's voice trailed off, his worries threatening to overwhelm him.

Juliette placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, her eyes filled with warmth.

"Will," she said gently but firmly,

"any girl would be lucky to have you as her dance partner. And who cares what anyone else thinks? You're going to have an incredible time with your friends. Besides, for the record, I'd choose 'Zombie Boy' over those 'mouth breathers' any day," she added with a playful grin.

A tentative smile played on Will's lips as he absorbed her encouraging words. "Really?" he asked, seeking affirmation.

Juliette nodded, her smile unwavering. Will couldn't help himself; he embraced Juliette tightly.

"I'm really happy you're here, Juliette," he admitted, his voice filled with sincerity.

She returned his hug with equal warmth. "Me too," she whispered, knowing that this dance would be a memorable moment for both of them.

_____

"Dustin! What did you do with my hairspray? Dustin!" Ariana called out impatiently, her footsteps quick as she headed to his room.

She found him in the act of spraying hairspray into his hair, a perplexed expression on her face.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Dustin, still engrossed in his hair-styling mission, replied, "Making my hair look like Steve's."

Ariana let out an exasperated groan. "At least ask me next time. Also, I'm leaving for the Snowball in ten minutes, so be ready," she informed him before turning to leave his room.

"I'm going with Steve."

Ariana paused, a hint of surprise in her voice. "You're going with Steve?" she asked.

Dustin nodded. "Yeah, he said he'd drive me."

Ariana gave a thoughtful nod. "So you and Steve are like what? Buddies now? A year ago, you wanted nothing to do with him," she pointed out.

Dustin didn't seem the least bit bothered by her observation. "Steve's not that bad. He's kinda badass," he admitted.

Ariana couldn't help but smile at Dustin's newfound friendship. "Well, I think it's cute you guys are friends now," she said.

Then, turning to face his towards her, he asked, "You're not mad?"

Dustin shook his head. "No, it's whatever," he replied. "I mean, me and him are still friends."

Ariana nodded in understanding. "Well, I'll see you when you get there," she said, before leaving his room.

_____

When Dustin arrived at the Snowball dance, he headed straight for the table where his friends were gathered. However, they stared at him with their eyes widened, immediately fixated on his hair.

"Holy shit, what happened to you?" Juliette asked.

"What do you mean, what happened?" Dustin asked.

"What? Dude, your hair," Max chimed in.

"Is there a bird nesting in there?" Lucas playfully teased as he touched Dustin's hair.

"No! What do you mean? What's wrong? There are no birds nesting in here, asshole. I worked hard on this!" Dustin exclaimed, defending his hairstyle.

Suddenly, a slow song began to play, and couples started to dance. Juliette took a deep breath and turned to Max with a bit of nervousness in her voice.

"Max...um, this is nice, right? Do you maybe wanna, you know, like...?"

"Are you trying to ask me to dance, Jules?" Max teased, noticing Juliette's pink cheeks.

"Uh, no, of course not. Unless you want to...?" Juliette stuttered.

"So smooth, Jules." Max smiled and took Juliette's hand, leading her out onto the dance floor.

As the boys watched, a moment of realization dawned upon them. Juliette and Max were different from them, but it was a positive difference.

They didn't care about that, they just wanted their friends to be happy, and that was all that mattered.

Juliette and Max wrapped their arms around each other while swaying to the music. "Did you know this is my first dance?" Juliette admitted.

"Mine too. But more importantly, this is my first time dancing with a girl," Max shared, a smile lighting up her face.

As they danced, Juliette noticed people looking at them, which made her slightly uncomfortable.

"People are staring," she mentioned.

"Let them stare," Max responded. Juliette smiled and then leaned in to share their first kiss.

It felt magical, as if they were the only two people dancing in the room. After their kiss, Juliette rested her head on Max's shoulder, enjoying the moment.

Meanwhile, Ariana was helping serve snacks when she noticed Lucas sitting at a table by himself. She decided to approach him.

"Let's dance," she offered, extending her hand toward him.

"What?" Lucas looked up, surprised by the invitation.

"Come on," Ariana insisted, taking his hand and leading him to the dance floor.

"Put your hands around my waist," Ariana instructed when they were a bit too far apart.

"Come closer, Sinclair. I won't bite," she playfully teased. Lucas complied, closing the distance, and they began to dance together.

"Why are you doing this?" Lucas asked, curious about Ariana's sudden kindness.

"Because you looked like a damsel in distress, and since I'm a superhero, it seemed like my job to come to the rescue," Ariana smiled.

"Plus, imagine how many girls will want you once they see you're dancing with a senior."

Lucas couldn't help but smile. "A hot senior."

Ariana chuckled. "You always make me laugh, Lucas. Can I tell you a secret?"

Lucas nodded, intrigued. "Sure."

"You're my favorite of my brother's friends," Ariana confessed with a warm smile.

"Really?" Lucas seemed pleasantly surprised.

"You're cool, you're smart, you're funny," Ariana complimented him.

"You'll always be my number one girl, Ari. Even when I get a girlfriend, you'll still be my number one."

Ariana smiled. "When you get a girlfriend, she will be the luckiest girl in the world."

The Snowball dance turned out to be a magical night for everyone. Juliette and Max shared their first kiss, while Lucas and Ariana danced and shared laughter throughout the evening. It was a night that none of the attendees would ever forget.

Everything seemed almost too perfect. But they had closed the gate, so surely, nothing bad could happen... right?

END OF SEASON