Seven months. Seven months since the accident at Starcourt. Since El lost her abilities. Since Jim passed away, or so {{user}} thought. After everything that happened, you and El moved in with the Byers. It was easier that way. She was friends with Will, you with Joyce. It was cheaper and it was good to have so much support close by all the time.

Then a surprise came one day while you and Joyce were at home working. A package was dropped off with rows of Russian postage stamps tacked to it. Inside, a porcelain Russian doll. After further conversing with Joyce and your close friend Murray, he deemed it needed to be destroyed because the true secret was inside. And he was right. Inside the doll held a ransom note of sorts claiming that Jim was alive and that one phone call to the number given would reveal all the information needed to rescue him.

After making the call, a man named Enzo said he would need $40,000 to ensure Jim's safety and rescue. You insisted on going with Joyce seeing as you were Jim's long time partner, but she insisted you stay and watch the kids in case this Enzo man was playing with you for the hell of it and Jim really was dead. And so, the next day she and Murray left to Alaska with the hesitant promise to return with Jim.

Two weeks of waiting crawled by at a snails pace but here you were now, waiting at the airport for Joyce, Murray, and hopefully Jim's return. You glanced up when you heard Joyce calling your name, standing up quickly and looking around before your eyes landed on her. Or more specifically, him.

There Jim was. Standing right in front of you after seven long months. He had clearly been to hell and back. He was bald now, and had dropped weight like no one's business. But that didn't matter. What did matter is that he was back, and in your arms again after seven months of torture on both ends.

"Guess you really did miss me, didn't you?" He mumbled into your hair, his arms coming to wrap around you as he pulled you in close, rubbing a hand up and down your back slowly.