Hey guys! This was out a lot earlier than I expected XD. Not much is different, I just went and rewrote a few scenes, edited and removed and added stuff- I didn't rewrite it COMPLETELY, but I hope you guys like it!

A lot of things will be different but still happen, and I'll explain in each chapter.

Since I split up each chapter, I plan to update once every week- on Mondays. I know I say that all the time but I've done it with another story so I think we'll be good XD.

As of right now, you get a chapter a week for thirteen weeks XD

Tuesday, November 6, 1984
1 AM

"Mike, calm down already." Dustin said, groaning as the thirteen year old continued pacing in front of everyone. Mike glared at him and he shut up.

"She's strong, she'll be alright." Joyce said, standing up and stopping him, putting her hands on his shoulders. He bit his lip and looked at her.

"I can't lose her again." he said softly.

"I know," she nodded, "and you won't, Sweetie. I'm sure they'll be back soon."

"It's been an hour since we got back." he said, biting at his thumb nail.

"Hey, they're fine, Mike, okay? He's kept her safe for a year and he'll keep her safe for as long as possible. You know that." Jonathan said. Mike nodded, practically falling onto the couch.

Almost immediately after, headlights shown through the window and before Mike could get up, Nancy said,

"It's mom."

"Mom?" he asked, confused. She nodded. Not even two seconds later Karen started banging on the door and Nancy opened it, immediately tackled into a hug.

"Christ, mom, I'm fine, calm down."

"Where's your brother?" she asked, pulling away and looking at her daughter, making sure she wasn't hurt. Someone must have called her. Nancy nodded in the direction of Mike and Karen pulled him up quickly, hugging him tight. "I haven't heard from you two at all and I get a phone call saying that you've had a few rough and crazy days? What the hell is going on?"

"Who called you?" Mike asked, face squished into her shoulder.

"Michael Aaron Wheeler! That is not the point!" she scolded.

"His middle name is Aaron?" Dustin whispered to Lucas, who shrugged.

"Now is not the time to be a smartass." Karen told him. Mike rolled his eyes and wiggled out of her hold, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't roll your eyes at me!"

"Mom, he's had a rough night- we all have. Cut him some slack."

"I wish I knew what you were talking about, but I don't, do IT?"

"Oh my God, mom, just stay out of it!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I can't deal with this right now." he walked out the door and slammed it on his way out. Karen sighed angrily and turned to Nancy.

"Where have you been the last couple days? Neither of you have even gone to school!"

"Don't start with me too, mom, we have a good reason."

"Well?"

"Karen, calm down." Joyce said, "We'll explain everything once Jim gets back."

"Are you in some sort of trouble, Nancy?" Nancy rolled her eyes and followed her brother out the door. Karen sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, and then looked at the kids, who were slightly wide eyed and looking at her. She then noticed Will lying on the couch with his head in Jonathan's lap- so pale he nearly matched the white in the hospital gown he was wearing. Next she saw a beaten up Steve Harrington and then the drawings all over the place. She gaped and looked at Joyce, who nodded.

"We've had a mess the last couple of days. I'm going to need to talk to Jim before we talk to you. There is a lot you don't know."

Before Karen had a chance to respond, headlights shown through the windows- broken windows, and she heard her son yell out the letter L . Everyone else rushed out the door so she followed, only to see her son hugging a shorter figure as if his life depended on it.

"I was so worried." Mike whispered to her.

"I'm sorry. Back now, like I promised." he chuckled wetly.

"Hey love birds! We're her friends too!" El giggled tiredly and she and Mike let go of each other and El went to hug them all. Mike stood with his back facing everyone for a couple of seconds, trying to discreetly wipe his eyes, having gotten emotional hugging her.

"You alright kid?" Hopper asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He sniffed and nodded, looking up at him.

"I'm fine." he said. "Just relieved she's okay," he bit his lip and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"For?"

"For the way I acted earlier."

"It's okay, kid. Everyone breaks down every once in awhile. I think you needed it." Mike nodded in agreement. He turned around and walked to the group along with Hopper.

"Hopper." Joyce said, motioning for him to follow her. He raised an eyebrow but did so. They stood on the porch while everyone hugged El and talked to her. Karen sort of stood on the sidelines, unsure of what to do.

"What's wrong?" Hopper asked.

"We have to tell Karen." he furrowed his brows. "And I mean everything. Steve called her and told her that Mike and Nancy had a rough couple of days and she came over immediately, thinking they were hurt and asking questions." Hopper sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You do know that she and Ted are convinced that El is a Russian Spy?" he asked, "And that they know Mike kept her in their basement for a week?"

"Yes I'm aware of that, Hopper, but dammit, we need more than two adults to know about her."

"But you don't know what they would do. They could end up getting her killed!"

"Hopper, you and I both know that Ted Wheeler isn't good for shit, he would make a call to someone and wouldn't worry about it again. As for Karen, I know she gossips about everything but if she knows everything thats happened, that her children are involved, she won't tell a soul." Hopper sighed, pausing for a few seconds.

"Fine, fine. We'll tell her. Let's not go too into detail, though." she nodded in agreement and he turned to the group. "Everyone, get inside and Nancy, help clean El up some, would you? Joyce and I need to talk to Karen." Nancy nodded and the group made their way inside, El under Mike's arm as she wrapped her arms around him. Once the door was shut and a cigarette was lit, Karen said,

"Well?" Hopper rubbed a hand over his face and blew out the smoke.

"It all started the night Will went missing..."

"Nancy!" They heard El call from the bathroom a while later. Nancy had got a shower started for her and the younger girl had finally finished washing all the gel out of her hair and getting rid of the dirt and grime all over her.

"Duty calls!" Nancy joked as she got up, and got few laughs as she left to go help El. She had the clothes on and was using the towel to squeeze the water out of her hair.

"You ready to dry your hair?" Nancy asked. She nodded. "Do you know what a hair dryer is?"

"Yes." she nodded again. "Hop has one, but it doesn't work."

"Okay good. I'll have to get you one that works." El smiled at her. By the time Nancy finished drying her hair, she had El giggling. When they were done, Eleven's hair was hanging right above her eyes, and looked like Mike's when he blow dried his.

Nancy cleaned up the small mess of water on the floor and El timidly walked back into the living room, smiling when she spotted Mike on the couch beside Will, who was now sitting up. She joined them, curling up beside Mike, and gave Will a small smile.

"Hi, El." he said, grinning at Mike and then her. She assumed Mike made a face because Will chuckled, coughing a little.

"Hi." she whispered. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too, finally."

"Oh yeah!" Dustin exclaimed. "This is the first time you two have actually talked."

"This is the first time they've seen each other." Lucas said, smacking him.

"I saw him while he was sleeping." El said. "But… that doesn't count. He didn't see me." She tilted her head, looking at Mike. "Did I say that right?" He nodded with a wide grin.

"Hopper's been teaching you, I assume?" Jonathan asked. She nodded.

"I can read and write some." She said with a shrug. Mike bit his lip, hardly able to keep the grin off his face.

"Mike?" she asked.

"Hm?" he looked down at her

"You didn't break your promise." she said. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. She smiled and said softly, "You promised me a home." He then remembered, and smiled.

"I did, didn't I?" she nodded.

"I'm home."

"So… you're telling me that this… this man has been keeping children with abilities locked up and doing experiments on them?" Karen asked carefully. Hopper and Joyce nodded. "He forced them to kill people, and animals?"

"From what little El has told me, yes." Hopper nodded.

"That's horrible and sounds like a plot to a movie or TV show." she said, running a hand over her face.

"Karen, I can assure you, this is not a plot to a movie or TV show." Joyce said. "Trust me, I understand that this seems unreal and insane, but it is. For God's sake, the man had an exact replica of my sons body made and we had a funeral for him because everyone thought he was dead, when in reality, he was in another dimension."

"Doesn't the fact that they were trying to hide it from you sound weird?" Hopper asked.

"All of it sounds weird." Hopper snorted.

"We can prove it to you, when El is strong enough again. She might seem like she's fine in there, but I can promise you she's exhausted. She's fascinated with that boy of yours, and she hasn't seen him in nearly a year." he nodded his head back towards the door- clearly talking about Mike.

"He was the first person to show her kindness, of course she is." Hopper shook his head.

"Nah, she really likes him, Karen. It's… it's annoying, to say the least. All she would do is talk to me about him, tell me everything he told her that week. She never forgot it." he took a puff of a new cigarette, passing it to Joyce. "She was able to see him, told me he cried the first hundred days he called her. Of course, he was still upset, but she said he seemed angry."

"She's why he's been acting out." Karen realized. "Because he missed her." Hopper nodded. "Ted surely isn't helping the situation, either. It's late, I need to get them home." Hopper snorted.

"Good luck dragging Mike away from her." Karen rolled her eyes.

"Michael, we need to-" Karen started to say, but stopped as soon as she saw that her son was asleep, both arms wrapped around El. She let out a quiet sigh but smiled a little at the sight.

"Go on home, Karen, he'll be fine here. We'll bring him home tomorrow." Joyce said. Karen nodded.

"Nancy, are you coming?" she turned to her daughter, who nodded.

"Uh, yeah, I really need a shower." she said. She kissed Jonathan on the cheek and left with her mom.

"Are you guys staying here too?" Steve asked Dustin, Lucas, and Max

"I mean, I can't exactly go home while Billy is here passed out on the kitchen floor." They had moved him out of the way a while ago.

"I don't have a key to my house. Gotta wait for mom to get up. It's useless." Dustin shrugged. Steve rolled his eyes.

"Of course you don't. Sinclair, what about you?"

"I'm staying." Steven nodded.

"Okay, well, just give me a call tomorrow if you need a ride home." he left too. Those who were awake looked at each other, Dustin and Lucas beginning to giggle at their friends, all cuddled up together on the couch.

"Oh grow up." Max glared at them. They stopped and looked at her. "According to you two and Will, he has been depressed and heartbroken since she left, give him a break."

"I'd have to agree with her, boys. Let him be happy- let them both be happy. When you fall in love with a girl who loves you the way they love each other, you'll understand." Joyce said. Hopper let out a cough from the other side of the room. "Oh shut it, Hop, you know they're in love." he started grumbling as he stood and went to the kitchen to get a drink. He opened the fridge and the Demogorgon that Steve and Dustin had stored in there fell out.

"What the hell?" He yelled waking both Mike and El up. El glared at Hopper through the wall.

"What?" Dustin asked, and then saw the Demogoron on the floor. "Oh, about that, uh..." Hopper just ignored him and took the slimy, disgusting thing out to get rid of it. Dustin pouted.

"Dude, what would you have done with it anyway?" Mike asked tiredly.

"I don't know, I could have handed it over for scientific research or somet-" A pillow smacked him in the face and he saw Mike glaring at him and El looked sad. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I know. It's okay." El said. She yawned and stretched, bumping Mike in the forehead on accident. "Oh, sorry Mike." he chuckled.

"It's okay, El. Wanna lay down?" she nodded and he put an arm around her and she put one over his stomach, putting her head on his shoulder.

"You need to eat more. Too skinny." she mumbled, but everyone heard her. Mike snorted.

"Oh he eats all the time, Sweetie." Joyce said. "All the boys do. They're growing boys."

"Eat more eggos." she said. Everyone laughed at that.

"That's why I'm so fat." Hopper said, joining them on the other side of the couch, giving Mike the I'm watching you look. Mike rolled his eyes.

"You're not fat, Jim." Joyce said, rolling her eyes. He scoffed and looked over and saw the two kids already asleep, and then heard a loud snore and saw Dustin, Lucas and Max passed out on the floor. Jonathan had long since retired to his room, and Will was in his bed asleep.

"Looks like it's just us." Joyce said. He nodded and rubbed at his eyes. "Do you think we have to worry about the lab anymore?"

"God, I hope not. I made sure to put an idea in Owens head before we went and closed the gate." Joyce raised an eyebrow and he explained.

"Oh, I certainly hope so. She deserves it." Hopper looked at El, who was like a daughter to him, and nodded.

"She really does."

The next morning, Mike woke up, unable to move. He looked down and saw El, and then smiled. He reached up and pushed some hair out of her eyes. He looked around and saw Dustin, Max, and Lucas still asleep on the floor, Joyce and Hopper were in the kitchen, and Will was sitting in a chair watching TV.

"Hey." Mike said quietly, trying not to wake her up. Will looked at him and grinned.

"Hey."

"You feeling better?" Mike asked.

"I haven't felt this good in a long time. What about you?" Mike glanced down at El and nodded.

"So much better it's crazy." Will grinned at him again.

"I'll be even better when I get food in my belly." Will joked. Dustin sat straight up at the word food which woke the other two up.

"Food? What are we eating."

"Well, apparently Hopper went to the store and got some eggos and some other things." El's head popped up sleepily when eggos was said, much like Dustin had done.

"Eggos?" Mike laughed as she sat up. She scooted away from him so he could sit up too and then scooted right back so she was close to him.

"When all the other food is done we'll make you kids some eggos!" Hopper called.

"You guys need to call your parents and make sure they know you're okay and that you'll be home later." Joyce called. They all groaned and did so. "Food is ready!" Joyce yelled and they rushed into the kitchen. When their food was put in front of them, they all began to stuff their faces.

"Hungry, huh?"

"We only ate breakfast yesterday." Mike said, and the others nodded in agreement.

"I haven't ate in three days." El said with a mouth full of food. Everyone looked at her.

"Why?" Joyce said. She shrugged innocently.

"You still need to tell me where you've been for the last couple of days, young lady." Hopper said, pointing a fork at her. She swallowed her food and took a sip of orange juice.

"Went to see mama." she said. "And sister."

"Sister?" Everyone chorused.

"Sister." she nodded. "Eight." she added.

"As in...?" Joyce asked.

"Experiment number eight." she told them. "With me when I was younger. She escaped."

"Where is she now?" Lucas asked. She shrugged.

"They were getting revenge on people that hurt them. Tried to get me to find them. I found one, but I didn't kill him. I was supposed to, but he had kids." She shoved a forkful of eggos into her mouth and paused for a few seconds. "I told her I had friends that I had to go back to and help. She wanted me to stay but I couldn't. I had to come back. Nice lady on bus talked to me though." she smiled at that. Everyone didn't know what to say.

"She had others with her?" Hopper asked. She nodded.

"Police were shooting at us." she pushed her empty plate back and looked at them.

"Wow." Dustin said in awe.

"What kind of abilities does she have?" Will asked.

"She can make you see stuff that isn't... real. She showed me a butterfly. It was pretty. And..." she stopped talking then, kind of dazed, her eyes beginning to water.

"El?" Mike asked softly. She looked at him and blinked.

"She showed me papa." she whispered. Everyone looked at each other.

"He's gone now, El. He can't hurt you anymore." Mike said. She looked at him.

"Promise?" she smiled. He smiled back and grabbed her hand.

"Promise."