"I don't understand why everyone is giving you so much attitude today." Frankie said, as she dragged Max to sit next to her on the couch. "The next person who gives you shit is gonna get a knuckle sandwich." Max had just rolled her eyes because she knew she wasn't joking, even though she did smile while saying it.

Frankie, who was probably the worst prepared for the events that happened the last couple of days, was past her limit. First monsters, then running, and now moody children? She was officially done. Frankie was glad that the super hero child was here to save the day, because frankly if she had to endure another hour of this mess, she was going to charge Claudia double plus compensation for the trauma.

"I mean, you're the best child I've ever met, why is everyone trying to fight you?" She asked absentmindedly, whilst rubbing her temples. Ignoring the 'hey' that came from Dustin's direction, Frankie closed her eyes and sank deeper into the couch enjoying the few seconds before she was brought back to reality.

"Come on, get up." Max said pulling her body up from the plush couch. Walking lazily into the kitchen where everyone was reconvening, Frankie let go of Max's hold and let her feet take her to the spot next to Steve. Sending him a small smile, she crossed her arms like his and paid attention to what everyone was saying.

"I can do it." Eleven said, staring at the Chief. Frankie just stared the girl down with furrowed brows and then looked to the Chief for guidance. From what she heard earlier, Hopper was her pseudo dad or something so she figured that whatever the Chief says is final.

"You're not hearing me." He said shaking his head at the young girl.

"I'm hearing you. I can do it." She said simply.

"Even if El can, there's still another problem. If the brain dies, the body dies." Mike said from Hopper's left, causing the room to concentrate on what he was saying.

"I thought that was the problem." Max pitched in with furrowed brows.

"Would that mean that Will, would...you know?" Frankie asked sullenly looking at Joyce and Jonathan before scrunching her face uncomfortably at Mike.

Nodding, Mike explained his thoughts, "If El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer's army-"

"Will's part of that army." Lucas cut him off.

"Closing the gate will kill him."

Everyone immediately became quiet and looked to Ms Byers. They weren't sure how to go through with this without hurting or even killing Will. Frankie knew that after all the shit that Ms Byers has gone through she didn't need this and she hoped that they would save Will one way or another.

Watching Chief Hopper carry Will's unconscious body out of the front door, the kids plus resident babysitters Steve and Frankie featuring Nancy didn't know what to do. Were they just supposed to wait around until maybe the thing living inside of Will was burned out of his body? They didn't know.

"Some of us should look for heaters in the back." Nancy said, finally breaking eye contact with the heavy door, before walking to the back. Nodding along with the short brunette, she turned to Steve and raised a brow.

"What?" He asked dumbly while lightly shaking his head. Rolling her eyes at the boy, she cocked her head to the side and gave him a blank stare.

"Go!" She said pointing after Nancy.

"Wait, why me?" He asked staring at her with wide eyes.

"Because I'm the babysitter?" She questioned, mirroring the look he gave her while waving her hand in the direction of the kids.

"Hey, I've been babysitting these little dipshits all day too." He said with an incredulous look on his face.

"Yeah, well unlike you I'm actually getting paid for this so...scoot!" She said grabbing his shoulder to turn him around and gently push him in Nancy's direction. Sticking her tongue out at the look he gave her she went back to the living room with the kids.

Steve shook his head as he walked out the back door of the Byers house. That girl, he thought out with a smile as he skipped down the steps to help Nancy. Flipping on the switch for his flashlight he shined the light at his ex girlfriend who was digging through a pile of junk.

Looking at the sullen expression painted on Nancy's face, Steve felt some sort of realization. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, well maybe except peace. When he had seen Nancy and Jonathan so close together leaning on one another, a mere few days after they had just broken up, it hurt. But now, he felt sort of calm. He was glad that Nancy was happy now, even if it still stung to look at her and Jonathan, but hey that's life. If someone would have told Steve last year that he was giving Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers his blessing, he would have laughed in their face but here he was, sorting through a pile of junk, promising his ex girlfriend that he'd protect her little brother with his life.

"You should go with him." Steve said absentmindedly while twisting a dial on an older space heater.

"What?" Nancy asked looking up at Steve in confusion.

"With Jonathan." He explained while picking up a pile of Christmas lights from last year. Smirking at the tangled lights he looked up at Nancy already expecting her answer. No.

"No, I'm," Nancy scoffed while shaking her head, "I'm not just gonna leave Mike."

"No one's leaning anyone." Steve said, before walking over to Nancy's side to help her lift one of the heaters out of the pile.

"I may be a pretty shitty boyfriend, but turns out I'm actually a pretty damn good babysitter, well with some help." He finished that last part with a look in the house's direction and a laugh.

The two teens looked at each other with only about a foot distance between them. Nancy felt so many emotions run through her; guilt, remorse, sadness, but not one of those emotions ran through Steve. He looked at the girl he had spent a whole year loving and the only look on his face was content. Nancy looked up at the tall brunette and sighed.

"Steve-"

"It's okay Nance. It's okay." He said, giving her a reassuring smile, no trace of unhappiness or doubt that she could see. Feeling the sides of her mouth lift, Nancy reached out hesitantly wrapping her arms around Steve. The taller of the two simply did the same, squeezing his first love tightly knowing that this was how it was supposed to be.

-

"Well, now that I'm back in charge-"

Ahem

"-We're back in charge," Frankie said bumping her shoulder against Steve's. "I'd like to take this time for all of us to relax and calm ourselves down considering the fact that we all almost died twenty minutes ago." Giving the children in front of her a fake smile she clasped her hands together and exhaled.

"I have a few rules that you will all have to abide by." She said making eye contact with each kid glaring at them with her eyes, but smiling at them all the same.

"Rule number one, no one leaves the house without my permission. If anyone of you leaves the house, I will drop every single one of you home where you will be locked up with your parents until Thanksgiving.

"Rule number two, no fighting. We have all just escaped the grim reaper tonight and I'd think you're all old enough to realize that life is short and you have better things to do than fight one another. If anyone of you fights, I will drop every single one of you home where you will be locked up with your parents until Thanksgiving.

"Rule number three, listen to me. I'm in charge and that means that if anyone dies or gets hurt, it's on my ass. So please just listen to me and follow my rules. If anyone doesn't listen to me or follow my rules,"

"-I will drop every single one of you home where you will be locked up with your parents until Thanksgiving." Frankie plus the kids said at the same time with the latter's tone a bit deadpanned.

"See?! You all got it!" The brunette smiled brightly at them and gasped. "Now disperse." She said waving them off gently with a smirk.

Going into the kitchen area, Frankie grabbed a cup from the cupboard and filled up the glass with water. She lifted herself so she could sit on the counter and have moment to herself while the kids unwinded. "So, who knew you were Miss Tough Babysitter?" Steve teased coming over and leaning against the counter she was sitting on. Turning her head to look at him, the brunette let out a small laugh before taking a gulp of the liquid.

"I've basically been babysitting Dustin ever since he was born, and believe it or not he's not the best at following the rules." She joked lightly while rolling her eyes.

"I can tell." He laughed out. "So it's you I can blame for the way Dustin pushes me around?" He smirked at the girls scoff. Flicking her finger against his forehead, Frankie just pursed her lips trying and failing to hide the smile spreading across her face.

"Steve! Come over here and help me!" Dustin yelled out from the living room. See, Steve mouthed with a raised brow while trying to stifle his laugh. Frankie just crossed her arms like she was annoyed and shooed him off. Smiling at the sweet grin he sent her before walking towards Dustin, Frankie felt her stomach flutter in the most terrific way as Steve turned around once again and rolled his eyes playfully.

Jumping off her spot on the counter, the girl put her now empty glass in the sink before walking in the direction of the living room. Grabbing a roll of duck tape and some left over cardboard, she went to cover up the window before it got too cold. Kneeling on top of the couch she tried her hardest to cover up the broken window whilst listening to the kids behind her.

"Mike would you just stop already?" Lucas asked as Mike paced the small distance of the living room for the hundredth time.

"You weren't in there, okay, Lucas? That lab was swarming with hundreds of those dogs."

"DEMO-DOGS!" Dustin shouted from the kitchen making Frankie roll her eyes.

"The chief will take care of her." Lucas explained, trying to calm his best friend down.

"Like she needs the protection." Max said sarcastically, while shaking her head.

"Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?" Steve said calmly as he walked into the living room wiping his hands with a dishtowel.

"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 said starting to get frustrated.

"Right, so my point is," Steve stammered out. "Right, we're on the bench, so, uh, there's nothing we can do." He finished lamely while placing the dish towel on his shoulder.

"No fighting." Frankie said with a piece of ripped duck tape between her teeth, not even turning around to make sure they heard. She knew they did.

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

"So if we get their attention-" Lucas said figuring out what Dustin was talking about.

"-maybe we can draw them away from the lab-" Max cut him off knowing what to say next.

"-and clear a path to the gate." Mike finished.

"Yeah, and we all die!" Steve's yell fell on deaf ears.

"No fighting." Frankie said once again, followed by the sound of duck tape being quickly rolled out. The kids continued on acting as one as they came with an idea on how to help Eleven. Steve was trying to put a stop to it and was looking desperately at Frankie's back but she was too busy putting the finishing tapes on the window.

"Hey. Hey! HEY!" Steve yelled capturing the kids attention. "This is not happening."

"But-"

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

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

"No. Fighting." Frankie said, finally joining the conversation. She placed a gentle hand on Mike's shoulder before standing next to Steve.

"We're not leaving the house. Do you all remember rule number one? I will drop every single one of you home where you will be locked up with your parents until Thanksgiving if any of you even so open that front door." She said roughly looking into every kids eye making sure they fully understood her.

"Now, does everybody understand that?" Steve asked whipping the towel off of his shoulder and pointing it at the kids. Frankie looked to her side at Steve and smiled as he backed her up before turning back to the kids.

"I need to keep you all alive and breathing and if you go out that door and try to light some tunnels on fire, that's my ass on the line. We're doing this for you, to keep you all safe." Frankie said with furrowed brows just wanting the kids to understand the reality of what was going on. Even if this idea did work, she wasn't going to endanger a group of thirteen year olds. "Now, does everyone understand?"

The kids just rolled her eyes and Frankie pursed her lips. They just couldn't comprehend that they could die if something went wrong out there. They were kids and small ones at that. She wanted to help Eleven as much as she could but just imagining the look on Claudia's face if anything happened to Dustin made any chance of helping disappear.

Hearing the sound of a car pulling up, the group turning towards the front of the house in confusion. Max ran up to the window quickly at the sound of a familiar engine. The rest of the kids following her to look out as well.

"It's my brother. He can't know I'm here, he'll kill me." She looked Lucas directly in the eye with fear written across her face. "He'll kill us."

Looking Steve directly in the eye, the two teens shared a look. Frankie was confused and a little scared and Steve's was angry and ready. Nodding at each other, Frankie grabbed the kids and pulled them away from the window as Steve went outside.

"Don't let him see you, stay quiet and trust me." He said directing the statement to the group before closing the door behind him.

"So does this mean you're taking Steve home so he can be locked up with his parents until Thanksgiving?"

"Oh shut up Dustin!" Frankie whispered shouted at the kid before making her way towards the window. She shot a glare at the kids as they tried to come over and turned back to looking outside as they stood still. She made sure neither of the guys outside could see her.

"Am I dreaming or is that you Harrington?" A blond teen with curly hair in a mullet said as he stepped out of his blue mustang. Frankie furrowed her brows at the sinister and sarcastic look on the guys face. This was Max's brother?

"Yeah it's me, don't cream your pants." Steve said with his hands on his hips. Frankie covered her mouth to try to contain the giggles threatening to spill. Steve wasn't giving any shits and Frankie was living.

"What are you doing here amigo?" The blond asked shedding his leather jacket which Frankie did not think was a good sign. Steve simply walked up the guy calmly with his ever present coolness.

"I could ask you the same thing...amigo."

"Looking for my stepsister." Oh that explains it. "A little birdie told me she was here." He said with a cigarette between his lips.

"Huh, that's weird. I don't know her." Steve said with his arms crossed shaking his head lightly. If Max wasn't in the room with her, she would have believed everything he said, Steve had a strong poker face.

"Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch." The blond said nonchalantly which made Frankie's blood boil.

"Doesn't ring a bell. Sorry buddy." The blond sighed at Steve's words before shaking his head and taking out his cigarette.

"You know, I don't know, this," He clicked his tongue trying to find the words he was looking for. "This whole situation, Harrington, I don't know. It's giving me the heebie-jeebies." The blond explained looking mad.

"Yeah, why's that?"

"My thirteen year old sister goes missing all day. And then I find her here, with you, in a stranger's house. And you lie to me about it."

"Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what? I don't know what you don't understand about what I just said. She's not here." Steve laughed out condescendingly before getting serious.

"Then who is that?" The blond asked pointing his cigarette at the window. Frankie's eyes widened when she realized all the kids were piled high in front of the window. They all ducked as Steve and the blond looked at them, but Frankie kept her eyes glued to make sure Steve was okay.

The blond pushed Steve on the ground and Frankie felt her heart beat wildly at what was about to happen.

"Steve!" She screamed out as the blond kicked him to the ground hard before making his way towards the house. Frankie jumped away from the window and positioned herself in front of the kids. She didn't know who this guy was and judging by what happened and how afraid Max was, she could tell he was bad news. She just hoped Steve was okay and nothing bad happened to him.

The door burst open and the blond made his way inside. His glare was enough to make Frankie back up a bit. She thought she was scared when the monsters almost killed her on the school bus, but nothing compared to the way the blond was looking at the redhead behind her.

"Well, well, well." The blond said before slamming the door behind him loudly. "Look what we have here." He said glaring at each child before his eyes stopped on Frankie. His eyes roamed her figure up and down before raising an eyebrow at her.

Frankie squared her shoulders and took a step forward feigning strength as she stared him down. Steve still hadn't come through the door yet, which meant that she was the only one defending the kids. An hour ago, she would have said that facing those monsters was the worse thing to happen to her but facing them was nothing compared to facing the burly body of Max's older brother. She was scared, yes, but like she said earlier she was going to keep these kids safe and no older brother was going to stop that. Staring deeply into his dark eyes that seemed almost black, Frankie gulped before crossing her arms and lifting up her chin.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked with a cocky smirk.

"I'm the babysitter asshole!"

AUTHORS NOTE