A/N: I wasn't going to do post this one so soon. But there was no point in waiting. I was not expecting the reaction I got for this story. It's very encouraging. Thanks.

"Hi Dad"

"Hey kid"

"I met someone today." Hopper was silent for a few seconds, he had known this day was coming. She'd met guys before, but nothing ever came of it. Today her voice sounded different. He felt the slight pang of loss and couldn't help thinking to himself "This is the one. My girl has grown up."

"What did we talk about?"

"I know dad. Remember Max gave me rules too."

"Does this someone have a name?"

"Mike."

"Does he have a last name? I can do a background check on him. Save you a lot of time if he turns out to be an asshole."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you'd just talked to Max. Max called him that lots of times. She said she lost track." Then El's voice got really quiet "He's not an ass...asshole".

"Sorry El, you know Max and I are just looking out for you. Neither of us wants to see you hurt."

"Mike would never hurt me."

"You don't know that, kid. Some guys can be complete and utter assholes. Nice on the outside, but assholes just the same. Wouldn't think twice about taking advantage of someone like you."

"Mike would NEVER hurt me." There was a determination in El's voice that left no room for argument.

"Ok, Ok, So when did you meet Mr. Wonderful? How long have you known him?"

"4 hours and 34 minutes"

"But you're not counting" Hopper replied with one of their in-jokes.

"I'm counting every single minute I'm not with him." El said seriously. "...If that's what you're asking" Her voice had a smile in it.

Hopper knew she had it bad. He was going to have to talk to Max. And then he was going to have to talk to this 'Mike'.

"Why don't the three of you come up for the weekend? You're due for a road trip up here anyway...right kid? He smiled tried to project as much guilt into her as possible. He would read 'Mike' the Riot Act. He would make no room for doubt what would happen to Mike if he hurt El. No room for doubt at all.

"Road...trip?" El said. "I'm not sure Max would let Mike in her car...Drag him behind it maybe, but not in the car." But El had to admit going on a trip with her two of her three favourite people -and she was pretty sure Mike was now one of her favourites- sounded like a lot of fun. She'd just have to convince Max.

"I can talk Max into it" Hopper said. "Just tell her to give me a call when you talk to him again… Which I can only assume you are going to do as soon as you kick me off the phone". He was teasing, but El was very serious when she replied.

"This is our time dad… Mike's time can come after".

She could almost hear him pause, clearing his throat to fill in the silence. "Ok, what else is going on in your life?"

"Since we talked yesterday? ...just Mike" She could already picture her dad rolling his eyes. So she thought she'd tease him a little bit.

"I opened the building door for Mike, and Mike said I was an angel, and I opened Mike's loft door with Mike's keys, and Mike said I really was an angel. And Mike gave me his watch so I could tell time better, and Mike said I was pretty, and Mike showed me his blanket fort, and Mike...Had enough? I'm sticking my tongue out at you"

"Yer killing me kid". But Hopper was grinning from ear to ear.

They talked for a few minutes. They did that every night if it was humanly possible. They hadn't missed a night in ten years.

When they were done, El hung up and left her room. She could see Max in the kitchen and went over to talk her about calling her dad.

Max looked like she'd been crying. Max didn't cry. Not in the ten or twelve years they'd been best friends. Something was up.

"You ok?"

Max smiled. She had a hunch, "This question will seem like it's out of the blue-" She saw the look on El's face.

"...out of the blue?"

"Ask Mike to explain it, did you notice his rock star hair do?"

"Didn't get past those eyes, so... no" El said looking down.

"Hmph, thought so. He said the same thing about you. You guys are going to be impossible to be around."

Max reached up and hugged El. "You be good to him, ok?"

"What? Didn't you call him an asshole like a hundred times? Now I'm the one who has to be good to him? " El thought the butterflies that had come back with a vengeance would burst out. "What happened?"

Max shrugged, "I talked to him and-" Max was holding up the book she'd been re-reading.

El cut her off. Her face fell little. "You don't need to tell me that story again. Not sure I could take the hero's loneliness…too sad."

"… this is your Mike" She held the book so that El could read the spine.

"My Mike." El repeated smiling, then read: 'Mike Wheeler'. Her eyes got wider than Max had ever seen them. She looked over in the direction of his loft, her mouth fell open.. "He's the author?" Then she thought of the main character Max had told her about through nine really thick books .

"Oh, Max... I need to see him again...soon"

"I know El, he's waiting." She gestured toward the door. El tried to not run.

She called back over her shoulder. "Oh, call my dad, he wants to grill you on how much of an asshole Mike is."