I'll Do My Best

Hello, hope you are having a good day. This one is about Beatrice/Karen and Leo.

Leo

Leo woke up and saw the sun shining through the window. He got up and heard his mum scream. He ran to her room and saw she was having a nightmare. He went to her and hugged her.

"It's ok, mummy. The monsters won't get you." Leo said. Beatrice started to calm down. She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw that it was Leo.

"Oh, Leo. Thank you for saving me." Beatrice whispered.

"I will always save you. You're my mummy. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Was it those monsters?"

"Yes, it was."

"Why won't they leave you alone? I want you to take care of me again. I miss you."

"I know you do, but you have Mia, Fred, Niska, and Max."

"But they're not you. I love them but they're just my siblings. You are my mum."

"Oh, Leo. You have grown up so much."

"I'll be thirteen tomorrow."

"I know. You are no longer my baby."

"But I like being your baby."

"I know you do."

"Will dad hurt me again? Like he's done since he created my siblings."

"I hope not. Promise me something."

"What?"

"That you will protect your siblings like you've protected me. That you will be kind to people even when they have hurt you. And that you won't forget me."

"I won't. I promise."

A couple of days after Leo's birthday, Beatrice and Leo drowned. When Leo woke, it was several months later. His siblings helped him recover from the trauma. Leo remembered what his mother had made him promise. Years later when Karen came to him in the Hawkins' house. The last conversation he had with his mother came to mind. He realized that he had broken his promise. When they left the church, Leo wanted to find his mother. He saw her walking away. He ran to her.

"Mum, wait. Please." Leo begged. Karen stopped and looked at Leo.

"I'm not your mother, Leo. You said it yourself." Karen answered.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong. It was hard waking up knowing that I was more than just human. Everything felt strange. Everything was different and I was scared."

"What did you want to tell me?"

"I'm sorry. I broke my promise. I promised that I would protect my siblings and I didn't."

"But you found them."

"But I didn't protect you from the monsters."

"I didn't need you to, Leo."

"I wasn't kind to people like I should have been. I was mean to the Hawkins when they were only trying to help."

"But you eventually started to accept them. But you never forgot me."

"How do you know?"

"I asked to see your most played memory."

"You playing with me."

"Yes. I could have forgotten you, that's why I made you promise never to forget me."

"I would never forget you. You're my mummy."

"I love you, Leo. Promise me that you will be careful. That you will protect your siblings."

"I'll do my best."

Leo watched Karen walk away.

Beatrice/Karen

Beatrice loved Leo but as time went on, it got harder for her to care for him. It broke her heart when Leo screamed about how he didn't want to be with her or see her. David took her to the woods and left her. She spent years trying to put the past behind her. When she saw Leo again, part of her wanted to hug him close and protect him from the world. When Leo laid on a stretcher being examined by Hobb and the doctors, she looked at his memories. She saw a memory that had been played often. It was when Leo was very little and she was playing peek a boo with him. Then it showed a memory from when Leo was 10.

"Mummy, do you love me?" Leo asked.

"Yes." Beatrice answered.

"Even though you are really sick."

"Yes."

"Dad said that I caused you to get sick. That if you hadn't had me, this wouldn't have happened."

"But I wouldn't trade you for anything. Sadly, there will be a day where I won't remember you but we still have these days."

"I will remember it often."

"Good."

"Mummy, try not to forget me. Please?"

"I'll do my best."

"I'll do my best, Leo." Karen whispered. When Hobb and the doctors were out of the room, Karen went in and squeezed Leo's hand. She kissed his forehead. "I never forgot you, Leo."

She felt Leo squeeze her hand. She smiled slightly. She was about to Leo, when Leo's grip got tighter.

"DOn't leave me." Leo gasped in his sleep. Karen squeezed back and rubbed Leo's forehead.

"I won't leave you, Leo. I never will."

Leo relaxed and went back to sleep.

THE END