It was just before dawn on New Years Day when Eleven finally revealed herself to Jim Hopper. Unable to sleep, the man had decided to head back into work much earlier than he was expected to be there, anticipating some sort of crime having happened in the mere five hours since he'd been on duty. Jim made his usual morning stop at the edge of the woods much earlier than he normally did, placing two waffles and a tin of leftovers into the small wooden box he'd left there. He'd been doing this twice a day ever since David Johnson stepped into the station talking about the 'little boy in a dress' he saw sitting by a fire in the middle of the woods. It'd been almost a month now, but Jim was never truly sure who took the food. Hopper lingered a moment over the box, glancing around to check for any sign of footprints. There wasn't, but snow had been falling all night, so he wasn't surprised. Sighing with cold and worry-if he was cold, she must be freezing-the man stood and began the trudge back to his car. He was almost there when he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps crunching fresh snow behind him. Hopper froze in his place, turned around before he lost the nerve, and was shocked to see her standing there, like a little ghost. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks were sunken in, and she was shivering under Johnson's stolen clothes; the hat barely hung onto her head. the coat dwarfed her. Underneath, Hopper could see she was still wearing the same dress as when he last saw her, but the white shoes and socks were now torn and stained, her birdlike legs covered in bruises and goosebumps.

Jim took off his hat, making sure the girl recognized him, and tried to summon a smile. "Hey, kid. Do you remember me?"

Eleven only stared for a moment, finally giving him the tiniest nod in return.

"It's pretty cold out here, do you wanna sit in the car and warm up?" Her eyes widened at the offer, but she didn't budge. Her uneasiness was tangible; just because she recognized him doesn't mean she was getting into a confined space with him. Jim hated seeing her standing in the cold like that, frozen to the bone and probably scared to death, he had to find some way to get her in the car. Remembering the blanket he kept in the far back, Hopper retrieved and showed it to Eleven. "I have a blanket, too."

That reeled her in. The child took a tiny step forward, then another, and soon Jim was passing her the blanket, noting her raw, red hands as she gently took it from him. He opened the door for her she clambered in slowly, weakly. Hopper started the engine and aimed every vent in her direction. Thankfully he hadn't been gone long, and the car was quick to heat up again. Eleven held her fingers to the heat, sighing heavily. They sat like that for a while, watching the sun rise over the New Year. This had been the first time in years that Hopper hadn't been passed out drunk on the holiday, while the child had no idea of its existence. Why the hell was she awake so early in the morning anyway? Hopper contemplated asking her, but he didn't think he'd get an answer, so he dropped it. When the girl finally stopped shivering, Jim turned to her, spotting with relief that her cheeks had regained some color; the tip of her nose was bright red, reminding him that Christmas reindeer.

"I have somewhere else we can go that's warm, and it's safe there. Do you want to go?" Hopper asked, biting the inside of his cheek. It'd taken enough negotiation to get her into the car, and he was worried this would take even more.

Eleven thought for a moment, then nodded. Anywhere was better than the cold, unforgiving woods, and if he said it was warm and safe, she was inclined to believe him. This man had done nothing but help her thus far, and though she definitely didn't trust him yet, she didn't think he was lying to her either. Besides, if he tried to hurt her, she could just as easily hurt him, too.

"Okay, let's go." Jim put the car in drive, and they were off into the sunrise, tire tracks already being covered with fresh snow.

Hopper had put premeditated thought into where the child would stay if he wound up finding her. His own home had never been an option, and before he'd remembered the cabin left to him by his grandfather, Jim actually debated on bringing Eleven right to Joyce instead of possibly harboring her, though he hadn't even told her that the child might be alive. The girl had responded so well to the woman-really the only adult she'd connected with at all, though understandably so-and Joyce naturally felt protective of her. But she had enough on her hands, still recovering from losing her son, really still trying to get him back, that Hopper didn't consider that option for long. He could care for her himself, or at least he was determined to try.

Throughout the duration of the car ride to the 'warm and safe place,' Eleven sat silently in the front seat, her eyes focused straight ahead. It was only the third time she'd been in a car before, the first times being on the way to Will's house, and then to the middle school before their battle with the Demogorgon. It was her first time alone with this man, however, though she'd met him once before when he revealed that he knew the location of the Gate. He had also been bringing her food for the past several weeks-she watched him. She hadn't intended to follow him, she didn't even realize her feet were moving until they were moving fast, jogging down a slope after losing sight of the man when he rounded the corner. Eleven's limit of ignoring her natural instinct for human connection could not be pushed any further, this man was trying to help her and she could no longer ignore him; she was far too cold and hungry. Winter was in full swing, and the snow had begun falling again in heavy flakes when she first spotted the man approaching the box he normally left food in.

It wasn't that Eleven minded the snow; the first sight of it had actually made her laugh, really laugh, something she hadn't done in recent memory. What she did mind was the cold, and the sudden disappearance of the animals she relied on for food. It was much harder to start a fire, as was building any kind of shelter. But even in her coldest moments she could still admire the beauty of snow, especially when it was falling at night. The world was perfectly quiet those times, so still and soft. Eleven felt protected by the white blanket covering the earth, as if no harm would come to her in these moments even if her fingers and toes felt like they might fall off. But here, in the heat of this man's car, her extremities had begun to regain some sensation, and her shivering had mostly subsided. For the moment she was warm and safe, and she tried not to think too far ahead in attempt to relish it.

She's so tense, Jim thought to himself as he cast furtive glances at Eleven. Her posture was impeccable, her back more taught than a rubber band stretched to the point of almost snapping. She didn't glance at him though, and Hopper thought she was probably still adjusting to seeing another human being for the first time in weeks. He didn't push her, didn't ask her any questions or try and get her to speak, and Eleven was grateful for it; she hardly knew Hopper, and she had absolutely no idea how to make idle conversation. But when the man pulled the car to an abrupt stop in the middle of the forest, the child finally dared to look at him, suddenly terrified as to where he was leading her. The Lab, the Bad Place, it was in the middle of the forest, and this man knew where the Gate was, so he knew how to get to The Lab, too. Was he taking her back there?

Hopper noted her fear immediately and tried quickly to think of something to ease her distress over the situation. "Don't worry, kid. We're just leaving the car here, we can only get to the house on foot."

The house on a foot? What was he talking about? Eleven's eyes narrowed in confusion, but her fear was slightly eased because he'd said they were going to a house. She knew that the bad place was not a house because Mike lived in a house, and so did Will, and those places were nothing like the bad place. She liked the houses, and desperately hoped the man was taking her to something similar.

The girl's confusion had confused Jim, too. How much of what he said did she really understand? Was she capable of even expressing that she didn't understand something? In total, Hopper thought he'd heard Eleven speak maybe twenty words, and some of them she'd just been directly repeating. It struck him suddenly that her lack of communication skills had the potential to become a problem, and he tried to think of something he could say to make the child understand that he wasn't going to harm her, that he wanted more than anything to help her and keep her safe. Maybe I don't have to say anything, Jim thought. Maybe I just have to show her.

Hopper stepped out of his car and motioned for Eleven to follow him. The child was still hesitant, not knowing the man's true intentions, and remained still in the front seat-it was warm there. Heaving a sigh, Jim trudged through snow around his car to open the passenger side door. At this, Eleven nearly jumped out of her own skin and lurched away from him, fearing that the man might try to physically remove her from the vehicle. Hopper had no such plans. Instead, he knelt to her height and tried to smile encouragingly. "When we get inside I'll start a fire to warm you up, okay? There's a bed, and blankets, and I'll get food."

Eleven was still suspicious, but the offer of warmth and food tempted her. She'd gone with this man for a reason, and he had been feeding her, maybe she shouldn't assume the worst of him. Maybe he was telling the truth. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his, if only for a split second. Hopper outstretched a hand in hopes that the kind gesture would gain her trust. Instead, Eleven looked at his hand like it had teeth, and carefully avoided touching his arm as she stepped out of his car. Well, at least she finally got out.

It was somewhat of a long walk to the cabin and Hopper hadn't been there in years, so the path wasn't only totally covered with snow, but also completely overgrown with hidden branches, bushes, and sharp rocks. Jim was fortunate to be wearing long pants, which protected his legs against the invasive spikes he trampled with his heavy boots. Eleven, however, was not so lucky. While her upper body was nicely covered with a thick coat, the knee length socks Mike had given her offered her bare, cold legs very little protection. Her worn out shoes didn't do much to keep out the snow, not to mention they were too small; her ever growing feet had easily begun to tear holes in the wet fabric. Due all in part to her ill fitting shoes, cold exposed limbs, and the obstacles hidden in the snow, it wasn't a surprise when Hopper heard the child trip behind him, falling hard and landing on her hands and knees. Jim rushed to help her up, but when he touched her arm, the girl recoiled in fear. Hopper stepped back, and Eleven quickly stood on her own, brushing the wetness from herself and continuing forward. She was cold and hungry, and the sooner she reached the house the better.

The door hadn't been locked, but instead frozen shut. Hopper had to kick the thing down, something that both startled and exhilarated Eleven. This man was strong, and wether that fact was good or bad eluded her at the moment. Once inside, Jim quickly cleared out the fireplace and began breaking down wooden boxes for firewood, something else he did with his feet. It wasn't until Eleven slowly approached him to observe that he noticed a bright red blotch staining one of her socks. Hopper dropped the task at hand and turned to the girl, his expression full of worry. Only Mike had looked at her like that before, and for a moment Eleven feared she was in trouble. But this man didn't seem mad at all, he seemed concerned. For her? Shyly, she met his eyes, waiting for him to speak.

"What happened?" Hopper asked, though a split second later he knew the answer. Why had it taken him so long to notice that she'd hurt herself when she fell? Did she have other injuries he was unaware of? He was suddenly filled with shame; why hadn't he checked her physical condition first thing? "Come here," he said, striding into the cabin's quaint kitchen. Jim shook off a dusty rag and turned on the sink, shocked when water actually came out. Not only did the place still have power, but the pipes weren't frozen either. Eleven had followed him this time, but only because he was headed into the kitchen, and she knew that was where food was kept.

Hopper rung out the rag and turned to the girl, who's sock had soaked up even more blood. Without warning, he reached forward and grabbed Eleven by her underarms, lifting her to sit on the kitchen counter. The child was shocked when he picked her up; she'd only been held once before that she could remember, and the sensation of being off the ground like that was new to her, as was this man. She was about to squirm down and away when he gently reached out and began to take off her shoes. While doing so, Jim silently noted that the laces were held together in one simple knot; Eleven did not know how to tie her shoes. When Hopper peeled off her bloody sock and began to gently wipe off her wound, Eleven realized he wasn't going to hurt her, quite the opposite actually. Jim didn't know it, but that was the moment she first began to trust him.

After he got a fire going, Hopper rummaged around the cabin and retrieved a dusty blanket, shaking it off as much as he could. Eleven was crouched by the flames, her hands slightly outstretched to feel the warmth, but not too close. Jim startled her when he placed the blanket over her shoulders, but she took it graciously and gave him the tiniest hint of a smile in return. While she warmed up, Hopper tried his best to somewhat clean the place up. He pushed all the storage boxes against one wall, then brought the small couch close to the fire so that the kid didn't have to sit on the ground. He sat beside her to rest for a moment, but was interrupted by the sound of the child's grumbling stomach. Eleven had been in such a hurry to chase after the man that she'd forgotten about the food he'd just stashed for her. She regretted this now, but didn't have the courage to ask this man for more food; it was her own fault she was hungry.

Jim was hungry too, and cold despite the fire. There weren't many blankets here, and he didn't have enough wood to keep a fire going for much longer. He had to leave, he decided. He had to go get supplies and he couldn't bring the kid with him, she'd have to stay here. Hopper bit the inside of his cheek, trying to find the best way to tell Eleven that she'd have to stay in this brand new place all alone while the only person she knew left.

Hopper turned to her earnestly. "So listen Kid, I have to leave. Just for a little while, to get food. Then I'll come back. And you can stay here while I'm gone." Jim tried to break this news to her as gently as possible.

What he didn't realize was that Eleven had been left alone in others' homes before, and that she didn't mind all too much as long as it meant he was coming back with food. She simply nodded and turned her attention back to the fire, still trying to warm her fingers. Hopper took this as a good sign and decided to leave before she changed her mind. He didn't worry she'd run away; after all, she'd chosen to come with him, he hadn't forced her. "I'll be right back, okay?" Again, the child only nodded, not even bothering to turn away from the fire and face him.

Jim was reminded of his duty as the Chief of police when he started the Blazer outside, the bright red clock on the dash reading 8:57am. He was due at the station in three minutes. The man actually laughed; once, loud and ludicrous, before picking up the radio and calling Flo.

"Hop?" the woman asked when she came on.

"I won't be in today, Flo. Sorry." he said, not even bothering to come up with an excuse.

"Wild night, I assume." she replied.

Again, Hopper laughed, remembering that the night before had been a holiday. "You have no idea."

"See you tomorrow, Chief."

Realizing then that it would be odd for him to call into work but show up minutes later at the grocery store just up the street, Hopper drove in the direction of his trailer. There wasn't much he needed to get today anyway, and he had enough food of his own to hold them over until tomorrow. Upon arrival, Jim stocked the back with firewood, then forged through the rest of the house. All the food he had. Soap, towels, blankets, pillows. A toothbrush, toilet paper, clothes for himself. It dawned on him then that Eleven only had the clothes on her back, which consisted of a pink dress, an oversized winter coat, a hat, socks soaked with blood, and shoes that could barely even be classified as shoes anymore. Hopper didn't have any children's clothes-he'd thrown all of Sara's away in a fit of rage after her death-and even if he'd still had them they would never have fit Eleven; though she probably would have been thin enough to squeeze into Sara's forever size eights, she was taller than his daughter had been. Jim made a mental note to pick up some clothes for her when he could, but for now packed his smallest shirts and a pair of thermal long johns that might fit if she rolled them up enough. Tossing everything into the backseat, Jim took off in the direction of the cabin, hoping that nobody was watching him.

During her time alone, Eleven explored every square inch of the tiny house, something that didn't take long. She discovered a room with a massive bed inside-it was a double, but she'd only ever seen a single-so large that she could lay flat in the middle and stretch her arms and legs as far as she could, still unable to touch the edges. She spent some time jumping on the bed as well once she discovered there were springs inside. Growing tired, Eleven forged through the kitchen in search of anything to eat, but of course found nothing. She settled for a drink of very cold tap water, which eased her hunger slightly but only added to a different problem. Fortunately, said problem was resolved when she located the cabin's bathroom. Upon entering, Eleven was filled with relief that she would no longer have feel like an animal, living and doing absolutely everything outside.

Eleven was in the bathroom when Jim returned, and he immediately noted her absence. He dropped everything he was holding and began to frantically search the cabin for any sign of the child, the only evidence he found of her presence being the unclosed kitchen cabinets she'd obviously snooped through. Hopper's heart leapt when he heard movement from the bathroom, and without thinking, barged in. This, of course, scared Eleven half to death, who was standing at the sink washing her hands for the first time in weeks. When the man barged in, the child jumped halfway to the ceiling, shooting sink water everywhere. Quickly regaining her composure, she turned off the tap and slowly looked at the man, her eyes not missing the patches of water that now adorned both herself and the entire bathroom. She would definitely be in trouble over the mess she'd made.

But to her surprise, the man just started laughing. Eleven had never heard a grown adult laugh before, but she knew that laughing was good, that it meant he wasn't angry. She breathed a sigh of relief and managed a tiny smile herself. Jim sighed too; he was sure something had scared the kid enough for her to make a run for it. His laughter came from relief as well, both that she was safe and that he'd caught her just washing her hands.

"Don't worry about it, Kid. We're gonna get this mess under control right after we eat."

She followed him into the kitchen, where Hopper cleaned it up enough to cook the child toast and sausage. She devoured the meal in mere seconds, but declined when he offered her more due to her shrunken stomach. The rest of the day was spent mostly organizing the small cabin, including a peek through his ancient record collection, a lesson on morse code, and how to use the TV, stove, and oven. The sun had set by the time Hopper placed the final box in the loft, looking down with a sigh of finality at the little girl staring up at him. It was then he noticed how filthy the girl was, covered head to toe in dirt and dust. He descended the ladder and retrieved the bag of clothes he'd brought from his trailer, sifting through them to find some he thought might fit her.

"It was all I had, I'll get you some real clothes soon." he promised the child as he passed them to her.

Eleven took the clothes from him and immediately attempted to undress, completely forgetting what Mike had taught her about privacy; she was cold, wet, and had been wearing the same dress for over a month, so she couldn't wait to get the thing off. When Hopper saw the child start to take her clothes off he was momentarily shocked at her immodesty, but then remembered. She'd grown up as a test subject, and it made sense that, as a result, she lacked the understanding of most social norms. Of course, Jim still turned around, but seconds later felt a tap on his back. Very hesitantly he faced her, but to his surprise, the girl was still in the dress. Eleven couldn't get it off; the thing was buttoned up the back and she couldn't undo them herself. Not sure how to ask the man for help, Eleven simply turned her back to him and pointed to the buttons. Jim understood immediately and unbuttoned the three it had, silently wishing she'd spoken to him instead. But there was still a problem: the dress was drenched, making it impossible to remove, even with the loosened buttons. Eleven was struggling to pull it over her head, and Hopper paused for a moment, unsure of what to do. Would it be inappropriate for him to help? He assumed many people had seen the girl unclothed before because obviously she didn't care, but Jim still had reservations; he didn't know her and she didn't know him, and the last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable. It wasn't until Eleven pulled so hard on the dress that it began to tear that Hopper decided to step in.

"Can I help?" He asked tentatively. If she wasn't uncomfortable, Jim decided, neither was he. After all, he'd had a daughter before, and it wouldn't be weird unless he made it weird; she was just a kid. Relieved, Eleven nodded vigorously. Hopper helped her out of the dress, and when it was off the child threw it to the ground with force as if to say 'good riddance'. Hopper had to smile, but then suppress a frown when he couldn't help but notice how skinny the little girl was.

When Eleven was dressed, Hopper stepped into the bathroom to stock the place with the supplies he'd brought. He suddenly realized that Eleven didn't have a toothbrush, and added that to the mental list of things he needed to get for her. Jim was shocked when he emerged, sure for a moment than an animal had just torn through the cabin. In the minute Eleven had been left unattended, Hopper found the refrigerator door wide open, and seated on the couch was a child dressed in oversize clothing with wild hair, ripping a box of Eggos to absolute shreds and stuffing her mouth to max capacity. Despite everything, Hopper thought she looked adorable; her dirty hair matted down from the hat, his shirt falling clear to her knees, the long johns rolled up fifty times but still too big. Her little face was spotted with dirt, and he couldn't help but realize how much she needed a bath. But it had been a long day already, and through the mask of hunger Jim could see how exhausted the kid was. Her eyes had dark circles underneath them, and when she blinked the action was drawn out and uneven.

Hopper retrieved more wood from his car and began building up the fire again, Eleven still seated on the couch to watch. Her eating began to slow, and she felt herself finally relaxing. The new clothes were soft and clean, and the fire was putting off enough heat to warm the whole cabin. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly safe. While the man was adding more wood, Eleven layed her head on the armrest of the couch, the constant knot in her stomach finally loosening. By the time Jim was finished the child was fast asleep, a half eaten box of waffles still in her grasp.