That One Month
Summary: This story picks up right after El closes the gate and will end right before the snowball. It will probably be 2-3 chapters (4 if I get a bit carried away). T for swearing. This story is going to set the foundation of my future stories that will be building off of this one. Let me know what you think. It's been a long time since I've written anything so I hope you like it.
Chapter 1:
Once the ambulance left Hawkins Lab with the injured Dr. Owens, Hopper loaded El into his truck, but wasn't sure where to go. He knew El needed a safe place to rest, but the safe house was probably still a mess from their fight, not to mention whatever Joyce had done to it after getting that "thing" out of Will. So he took her to the Byers House. There El would at least be around her friends before she had to go back into hiding.
God, was that going to be a hell of a conversation. He knew there would be different rules this time, for instance he probably wasn't going to be able to get away with El having zero contact with her friends, especially Mike. Hopper still felt guilty about that. He had known the kid was missing her, but counting the days? Just how did they were become so attached. I mean the kid was… 13? Jesus, a lovesick 13 years old. Hopper was trying not to panic thinking about that. Especially when he had a lot of negotiating left to do with what was left of the "people" at Hawkins Lab. He wanted to play his cards right and get her the normal life she deserved. Now he just had to convince her and her entourage to let him. Not to mention, Hopper was still trying to come to terms with having seen the extent of her powers. Had she really levitated off the ground?
Hopper always thought of himself as a level headed guy amidst all the crazy shit that's been happening, but to see it go down first hand, had shaken him. I mean she hadn't just pushed that mind-thing, she'd turned it to dust. Not that he was scared of her. No, he was just more aware now of what was at stake if he fails to protect her. He knew she was a good kid, a bit of a brat, but who wasn't a brat at that age. He also needed to control his temper. El is not Sarah and that black hole was just his own insecurities. Learning to separate the two in the future was going to be key in giving Eleven a normal life. A life where she gets to go to school, buy clothes that actually fit, and play outside with her friends. Speaking of friends...
As he pulled into the Byer's driveway, a lanky figure came running out of the house.
"El!" shouted Mike, trying to open the car door before Hopper could fully stop the truck. Mike knew that El closing the gate had been essential in defeating the Mind Flayer, but he hoped to God they were done with this shit. No more goodbyes and no more broken promises. He had to make sure she hadn't left him again, that she'd kept her promise. He also had been nervous that Hopper was planning to hide her again. Mike was not going to let that happen again. 353 days of hoping she would answer and not knowing if she was okay or if he had just imagined her outside his window. He had thought he was losing his mind. He couldn't do that again.
El had been dozing off when she heard Mike's voice. Immediately, she was up and reaching for the door. Hopper rolled his eyes at her ridiculous attempt to get the door open while clearly still in a sleepy haze. It wasn't so much that Hopper minded El being so close to someone, it was more that that someone was male and had almost kissed her. In front of everyone. In Hopper's time, you made out under the bleachers or in an empty stairway. Always away from eyes, but especially parental eyes. At least that's what Hopper told himself was bothering him, and not the fact that calling these two "close" was an understatement. Which they were too young to be so intense with each other.
"Hey Kid, she's pretty wiped out. Give her some space to... Hey, easy!" Mike pulled Eleven from the truck while Eleven tried to hug him and promptly fell on him. Her legs weren't able to hold her, but she didn't seem to care. Mike was here. She could touch him. No more disappearing-not-able-to-hear-her-speak Mike. She was completely content to half sit on him and the ground forever.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? We saw the lights go super bright and I knew that it was from you. We were so worried. I… I was so worried." Mike whispered that last part. Hopper, who was gradually becoming upset by the fact that neither El nor Mike had made a move to separate. Even though he was clearly standing right there, like 5 feet away from them. Apparently, there will be lots of talks about this is not okay. And they needed to happen soon. Like right now...
"El!" The rest of the kids had spilled out of the house and the incessant chatter started. The phrase one at a time was still lost on the young. "What happened to her face?" "Are you alright?" "Did you close the gate? "We knew you could do it!" "I bet you're tired, you want something to eat?" By this point, El's head had slumped onto Mike's shoulder and it looked like she planned to sleep there.
Hopper was starting to regret not taking her straight to the safe house.
"Guys, she needs to get some rest. Can you make room please?" Hopper came around the truck to pick her up off the ground. But El wouldn't let go of Mike's hand so it an awkward shuffle into the house.
"Mrs. Byers' room is clean and El could rest in there. Also it's got a bathroom so we can clean off the blood." Mike said while reaching his other hand toward her face where blood had caked under her nose.
Geez, kid! I get it, you were worried now stop with all the touching. Hopper was finally successful in maneuvering El away from Mike when he placed her on the bed. Mike wandered away for a moment and Hopper thought he was finally going to get El settled without being bothered.
"Mike?" whispered an anxious El, searching for Mike. Oh come on! Mike immediately appeared grabbing her hand and kneeling beside the bed. He wasted no time in cleaning her face with a washcloth. Eleven was looking at Mike in a way that was making Hopper feel like he was intruding on something private. To hell with that, she's too young for this sort of thing. The rest of the kids didn't think much of this as they filed into the room still chattering.
"Alright, let's let her rest first. She's not going anywhere and we could all do with some winding down. So let's you and I move to the living room where everyone else is and recap what went on tonight." The kids shuffled out of the room and starting the story of how they distracted the Demo-dogs, except for Mike who finished cleaning El's face.
"Mike stays." El said while giving Hopper her 'not up for discussion' look. I invented that look, sweetheart.
"No, Mike goes" Hopper said firmly and crossed his arms. Both El and Mike gave him the same stubborn look. So that's where she learned that look. Yet another thing to hold against this adolescence. Hopper narrowed his eyes at them. He was not a stranger to dealing with stubborness. It was only when El's eyelids started to droop, Mike immediately tried a different tactic.
"5 minutes then? You let me think she was dead for a whole year, I think you can give us 5 minutes." Mike asked while looking like he wouldn't mind having another go at Hopper. For a skinny kid, he could deliver a good hit.
Still, the kid had an attitude problem. Hopper signed, I must be getting soft in my old age. The guilt combined with the fact that he knew Mike was actually a good kid and did care a lot for El, made Hopper reconsider.
"Fine! 5 minutes and then if you're not out I'm coming in. And you don't want me to come in. Got it." Both kids nodded.
"Halfway happy" whispered El with a smile. Hopper knew he was done for with this one. She had him wrapped around her finger.
Hopper reached over to pat Eleven on the head before leaving the room. "Good job today, Kid. I'm proud of you." El smiled at him. She was finally starting to understand what "home" was. Home was Mike. It was Hopper. It was her friends. And she would protect them all to the end.
Hopper made his way out of the room and just as he closed the door he noticed Joyce in the hallway with a smirk on her face.
"What?" said Hopper.
"They're good kids. I would even go as far to say they aren't kids anymore with all this stuff happening." she said with a mournful expression. "But you know this and you also know you can trust Mike with El. Why the hesitation?"
"They're just so young. I want them to hold on to their childhood while they can, at least what's left of it. This past year with her has given me a newfound respect for parents. I don't know how you all don't go insane." Hopper was rubbing his head. Joyce chuckled at that.
"You can't protect them from everything, no matter how hard you try Hop. God knows I've tried to shelter Will after what happened last year and look where that got me. You can't control everything and trying to only seems to make it worse. They need to figure things out on their own. You, as a parent, just.. need to be there." Joyce reached out to rub Hopper's back. She didn't mention it, but the poor man had his work cut out for him with Eleven. It was going to be lots of fun to watch.
"How is Will?" realizing that was probably the first thing he should have asked her. Joyce smiled a tired smile and looked over to Will's room.
"He's sleeping with Jonathan. Getting that.. thing out of him was more of a struggle than we thought," Joyce rubbed her neck. That was when Hopper noticed the bruises. "But he's a trooper. Everyone else is in the living room. We should probably go and join them." Joyce whispered that last sentenced and looked awkwardly at the ground then back to Hopper, who had taken a step closer.
"Joyce, what happened to your neck? It looks like you were.."
"Don't worry about it. Really Hop, it's fine." Hopper could tell she didn't want to talk about this now so he let it drop. For now.
"You gonna be okay? If you need anything, you just have to ask. You know that right?" Hopper was running his hands up and down her arms to comfort her. Joyce wasn't sure if now was a good time to be vulnerable, but Hopper was so warm and understanding… and tall. She gave in and rested her head lightly on his arm.
"I think so. I use to believe as long as my family was safe, I could survive anything. But losing Bob.." Joyce voice broke as a sob found its way out. Hopper pulled her into a hug and knew that they were all going need some healing when it came to losing Bob. Not that he and Hopper were close, but none of them would have survived tonight without him. Being a cop, you sometimes saw things that could make you question life and why horrible things happened to good people. Losing Bob.. Hopper knew he would always wonder if he could have done something different which would have ended with Bob alive. That sort of thinking wasn't going to help anyone, but knowing this didn't stop the thoughts from coming. They heard a throat clear behind them.
"Hey.. Uh, you guys want something to eat? Um.. Also... Um, Mrs. Byers, we had to empty out your fridge to make room for the Demo-dog. But don't be mad because we can prepare you a lovely meal to say thank you and to prevent your food from being wasted" said Dustin, who was slowly coming to realize he might not have brought up the topic well or at the most appropriate time.
"Wait, what's in my fridge?" Joyce immediately released Hopper and turning around to head towards the kitchen as well as a quickly retreating Dustin.
"Okay, so don't be mad. See.. we have a new species on our hands.. an.. and in the name of science..."
"Dustin! Please tell me you're joking."
"Pssh! Well of course I'm totally joking.. Haha.. It was all Steve's idea!"
"What!"
"That's better." Mike said as he wiped the last of Eleven's blood from her ears. This reminded him of last year when she had saved his life.
"Still pretty?" said Eleven with a knowing smile on her face.
Mike was shocked at first and then smiled as he remembered how well she understood him and how right it was to just be around her. He was so happy to have her back that it still didn't feel real. Do not pinch yourself to see if you're awake. No being lame in front of El! Focus Wheeler! What did she say..Oh ya...
"Ya, pretty.. really pretty." Mike said and reaching to touch her hair. "Your hair is really pretty." It had grown. She had grown. Eleven's punk look was pretty badass and looked good on her. Her eyeshadow was still on and bit smudged and it made her seem a lot older. Mike wasn't sure how he felt about it. He knew that they had both changed and worried if things could never go back to how they once were.
"El? I'm glad you're safe. I was really worried. I know you need to rest, but I wanted to tell you that I'll always be here for you. You know that, right?" Mike knew he was probably being a bit dramatic, but he couldn't seem to help himself. He had lost her once and thinking about losing her again made him feel a little crazy. Also the fact that she had heard him all along and said nothing.. well maybe she didn't trust him. Mike recognized deep down that it was a stupid thing to think, but it didn't hurt to make sure.
Eleven was surprised to hear the vulnerability in Mike's voice. It was also sweet. Her sweet Mike. She smiled softly and touched his hair and then moved her fingers to trace his freckles. She loved his freckles. After running her fingers from one side to the other, she carefully cupped his cheek with her hand. She just held him there for a while, staring into his big brown eyes. Eyes she'd missed so much. Her gaze traveled his face, his nose his mouth and then back to his eyes. She was finally with Mike, no longer watching him in the void. She could touch him and when she looked at him, he looked back. Really looked at her. Eleven could feel herself getting lost in them which made it harder to stay awake.
"Mike.." Eleven whispered "I understand." She gave him that look. It was their way of communication. With Mike, she didn't need to use words all the time. Mike grinned. I guess there are some things that never change. Mike had a feeling that his 5 minutes were either up or coming up soon, but getting in trouble was worth staying with Eleven just a little longer.
"You should rest. I'll be here when you wake and then we can catch up on the year that we've missed." Mike assured her while squeezing her hand. He could feel her grip starting to loosen.
"Yes" Eleven said as her eyes slowly closed. Mike rested his head next to hers just in case she wasn't sleeping. Yeah, he just wanted to make sure. She looked so peaceful. He was just wanted to make sure she didn't have any bad dreams so he would stay, just for a little bit. He yawned and closed his eyes.
That was how Hopper found them. Eleven and Mike asleep with Eleven on the bed and Mike sitting on the floor with his head on the bed, hands clasped and noses almost touching.
Hopper wasn't sure what to do in these sort of situations so he called for backup. When Joyce appeared and saw the two inappropriately arranged kids, she just laughed and dragged a very unwilling Hopper behind her and out of the room.
Authors Note: Sorry it was so short. It also turned out to be a bit slow paced. I had a clear vision on how I wanted this to play out, but putting it on "paper" was harder than I thought. I've written a couple stories before, but I've changed a lot since and apparently so has my writing. I should have another chapter up within a couple of days so stay with me. This story is going to be picking up I promise. And of course, let me know what you think.