A/N: THE SECOND SEASON IS ALMOST HERE! Which means this is the long over due ending scene of this one. I hope you all enjoy!
It was funny how much changed in a month.
Reagan had grown in a way that if she looked in the mirror, while it wouldn't show on the outside, the blonde would be able to see it in her eyes. But the realization never hit, as it was hard to when her mind was occupied. She had gotten closer with Nancy, finally learning what having a true friend was like, and still remembering Barb's words and thanking the departed girl when she was by herself. Her relationship with her brother had improved, and it was different but nice for Steve to see Reagan wear her heart on her sleeve for the first time.
But more importantly, she had him. Just when she thought the trauma of everything that happened would hit her, Jonathan was a welcome distraction that kept all the memories of the monster away.
On a cold December night, the two walked hand in hand, oblivious to the gentle snow that fell around them as they made their way to Jonathan's car.
"Admit it." She poked at his arm with her free hand, giggling as she nearly slipped over a patch of ice. Jonathan chuckled at her antics, keeping her steady as the girl nearly went down. "I'm not going to say anything." He defended, holding his ground until Reagan started pouting. The boy sighed, rolling his eyes,"You know that's not fair." Jonathan argued at her.
"Then admit it." Reagan simply asked of him. Jonathan reached his car, unlocking it and proceeding to open the passenger side door for her. He leaned gently on the frame, still holding her hand. His eyes dropped to where their hands met and he gave her a little squeeze. "Fine. It was a good movie." He reluctantly admitted. Reagan giggled in triumph, moving closer to him. "I told you so." She boasted, leaning in to kiss him gently. Jonathan kissed her back softly before pulling away. "We should go or we'll be late." He reminded her.
She frowned, nodding her head. Reagan let go of his hand as she slipped into the passenger seat. Jonathan closed the door behind her, moving around his car to the driver's seat. He opened his door, slipping inside and putting the key in the ignition.
The drive from the movie theatre to the Wheeler's house wasn't too far away, so luckily the two arrived just in time to pick up Will from his game. Jonathan unbuckled his seatbelt as soon as they pulled into a space right outside of the Wheeler's household. "You good to wait in the car?" Jonathan double-checked with her. Reagan gave him a small nod, watching him head inside. She waited until he was inside to unbuckle her own seatbelt and exit the car.
Nancy opened the door to her house, watching as Reagan made her way to the entrance. "Hi." The brunette greeted, wrapping an arm around her torso due to the cold weather. Reagan waved, meeting Nancy with a quick embrace. "Do you have it?" Reagan asked and Nancy nodded in confirmation. "It's in my room." Nancy explained, closing the door behind Reagan as the blonde entered her house.
Her task was cut short by two arms wrapping around her. Reagan groaned as she was squeezed tightly by her twin brother. "Steve!" She choked out before her brother finally released her from his grip. "Sorry." Steve apologized lightly. "Did you call Mom this morning?" Reagan asked him. Steve made a face, clearly indicating that he forgot to. "Steve! You know that was the deal about them going away for their anniversary in the first place–" "Shhh. Go get your present." Steve quieted, looking to his girlfriend for help.
"Don't worry, he'll call her first thing tomorrow morning." Nancy said, grabbing Reagan's hand and dragging her away from her brother and up the stairs. The two girls made it to Nancy's room, and Nancy let go of Reagan's hand in order to retrieve what the girl came looking for. Nancy reached underneath her bed and brought out the wrapped gift. "You know, I still don't understand why you couldn't have kept it underneath your own bed." Nancy admitted it.
Reagan blushed a little as her friend handed her the gift,"I– He would've found it if I did that." She confessed, trying to hide the embarrassment on her face. "No!" Nancy gasped in surprise. Reagan held the gift tightly to her chest and nodded her head meekly. "Steve doesn't know, right?" Nancy asked. "God, no!" Reagan answered,"He hates Jonathan. He's still getting used to the idea of us dating." She explained, scratching the back of her neck.
"Was it...–" "I rather not discuss the details but..." Reagan smiled small which made Nancy laugh. "That's great, Reagan, it is." Nancy smiled, studying her friend's face. "Have you told him yet then?" She questioned and Reagan shook her head a little bit. "Have you told Steve?" She questioned back at her friend. Nancy pursed her lips together,"I mean, we've been together longer than you and Jonathan–" "That wasn't a yes, Nancy." Reagan pointed out gently to her.
Both girls picked up Jonathan's voice at the same time when he came out of the basement with Will. Reagan hide the present behind her back as Nancy was the first to exit her room. "Hey, Jonathan, wait up!" Nancy called from the top of the staircase, before rushing down the stairs with Reagan. The boy was surprised to see them both, unaware that Reagan had left the car.
Jonathan was a little confused until Reagan made her way over to him, revealing the wrapped present she had hid behind her back. "I thought we were going to wait until my house to exchange gifts." He told her. She rolled her eyes gently at him,"You don't have to open it now." Reagan pointed out. Will smirked a little at her remark, looking up at his brother,"You should open it now." He said.
"Get in the car." Jonathan chuckled at his little brother. "I'll call shotgun." Will said before making a run for the front seat. "Will! Don't run, there's ice!" Reagan called after him, handing the present over to Jonathan before unlinking her arm from his and running after the boy. He watched as they reached his car and Reagan ran up behind Will and started tickling him.
He started laughing, slipping on the ice and tumbling back onto the snow. "See I told you!" Reagan exclaimed as Will laughed. "That's only because you know my weaknesses!" Will protested as he got up from the snow, wiping off any that lingered on his clothing. He looked over to notice Reagan opening the door to the front seat. She smiled and gestured,"Go for it." She told him, letting the young boy climb into the front seat. She then proceeded to get into the back seat as Jonathan made his way to the driver's seat.
"Don't forget to buckle up." Reagan told Will, watching him as he buckled up his seatbelt. Will then looked down at the present before looking up at his brother,"Can I open it?" Will questioned. Jonathan hesitated for a moment, turning back at Reagan. The blonde gave him a tiny nod and he looked back to his brother and did the same. "Yeah, sure." Jonathan answered. Will smiled and ripped the wrapping paper off.
Will grinned,"Whoa... pretty cool." He said, turning the box to reveal to Jonathan that Reagan had gotten him a new camera to replace his old one. Jonathan looked at the box fondly and nodded. "Yeah... yeah, pretty cool." He agreed, looking behind at Reagan. Will looked between the two teenagers,"You two aren't going to start making out, right?" He asked. "Will!" Reagan reacted, making the young boy laugh at how embarrassed she got. Jonathan just smiled as he drove away from the Wheeler's household.
They pulled into the driveway, Will exiting the car first. He took off inside to escape the cold weather, while Jonathan leaned over to collect the box. "Do you like it?" Reagan asked curiously as he took it into his hands. She watched hopefully as his eyes shifted to her. "Get out of the car." Jonathan said quietly, and it was too dark in the night to make out his full facial expression. Reagan worried as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She exited the car, letting the cold air hit her face.
She rubbed her hands together, feeling more cold than it actually was. She waited as Jonathan walked around to meet her. Reagan frowned,"You hate it." She presumed. "Or worse... you probably wish I didn't buy it, right? But– I mean... I've been wanting to replace your camera since the day my brother broke it. And Steve pitched in too, okay? So... I know you said you didn't want me to get you anything expensive but– you have a real talent, Jonathan, and I just didn't want–" "Reagan." Jonathan stopped her as he reached her. Her wide-eyed gaze shifted from the ground over to him. "Yeah?" She asked him, a little nervous.
"I– I love it." Jonathan told her. He wanted to say more, but they had just started dating.
"You do?" She asked him. Jonathan nodded his head in confirmation. "You do." Reagan realized with a smile as he leaned in to give her a kiss. She wrapped his arms and pulled him closer to her. Jonathan pulled away, meeting her eyes,"I do. Thank you." He told her gently. "I'm glad and you're welcome." She responded.
Jonathan took her hand into his,"Come on, I have a present for you too." He admitted, pulling her inside of his house. He stopped to set down his coat and helped her out of her own coat. "Reagan, sweetie!" Joyce noticed the blonde's presence instantly, rushing over to give her a hug. Joyce squeezed Reagan tight with a grin on her face. Reagan smiled at the woman as she pulled away. "Do you need any help–" "Present, first." Jonathan reminded Reagan before she went running off to help his mother.
He led her down the hall to his room. "Keep the door open!" Joyce called over, reminding them as Jonathan led her into his room. He stuck his head out to give his mom a look. "Mom." He mouthed over to her and she gave him a face. "Sorry." She mouthed back. Jonathan slipped back into his room, looking to Reagan. "You can sit down if you want." He told her.
Reagan nodded her head, taking a seat on his bed. Jonathan opened his closet, rummaging around before producing a wrapped present. He moved back over to her, sitting down besides her. Jonathan was excited as he handed her the gift, watching her intently. "Open it." Jonathan said, giving her permission. She smiled, and removing the wrapping paper away gently until she caught a glance of what he had given her.
"A photo album?" She asked, looking at the cover. Jonathan nodded,"Yeah– I was going to make a mix tape but uh... I found something and I– I thought... I mean... open it up. You'll understand." He said, hoping that would be true. Reagan opened it up, looking to the picture on the first page. Her breath caught in her throat as she studied the picture.
She looked so young.
Her fingertips grazed the picture. "I was– what? Twelve or thirteen?" She realized as she looked at it. "You were–" "Will's age." He confirmed. She studied her natural mousy brown hair color, but noticed the lack of her glasses which she used to wear quite frequently at that age. Reagan noticed the dress she was wearing in the picture and the young boy who accompanied her as well. If she thought she looked young, Jonathan looked even younger. "This was– I thought... I thought you didn't remember." She admitted, looking over at him.
Jonathan shrugged his shoulders a little,"I didn't want to, for the most part. After that... you dyed your hair, ditched your glasses, and limited your time to spending it with Carol, Tommy, and your brother." He remembered, frowning a little. Reagan frowned as she stared at the picture,"I made so many mistakes." She realized. Jonathan shook his head,"No... it was not just you, Reagan. We were kids. I made mistakes too." He said as he looked at the picture.
"I... I find that hard to believe." Reagan said softly, touching the picture gently. Jonathan put his arm around her, pulling her close to him. "I did... I let you convince me that you were something that you're not. And it took me a long time to realize... you were the same girl. The same girl that I have always..." Jonathan trailed off as she flipped through the pages, her eyes landing on a certain page.
"You fixed them?" She realized with a chuckle as she stared down at the pictures Jonathan had taken in the diner. They were ripped but he had took the time to tape them back together. He nodded his head over at her,"Yeah. They're important so... well, they're all important. Because it's you." Jonathan said, turning the page. "I had some help. Not all are ones that I took. Your mom really helped. She dug up some pretty nice photo albums." He admitted.
Reagan recognized the mischievous look in his eyes. "What did you find?" Reagan asked, a little scared as he flipped the page to find some portraits she and her brother did when they were only two years old. "No!" Reagan said, covering her blushing face as Jonathan flipped to the pages where he had manage to collect almost every embarrassing childhood photograph of herself. "This isn't fair, I'm going to need to see some pictures of you when you were a kid too." She argued.
He chuckled, shaking his head. "No way am I letting you see bathtubs photos of me when I'm six." He pointed out. Reagan's jaw dropped in awe,"Bathtub?" She asked excitedly. Jonathan rolled his eyes lightly when she started to shake him around a bit. "Come on." She begged as he finally reached blank pages in the photo album. "It's not complete." Reagan noticed. Jonathan nodded his head a little. She smiled,"I guess we'll have to finish it together, won't we?" She said. "And when we run out of pages, I'm buying you a new one." Jonathan said.
"Yeah?" Reagan asked, wrapping her arms around him. Jonathan turned to look at her and he nodded his head,"Yeah."
"What you got there? That one yours?" Jonathan asked, looking down at his brother. Will held up the present and nodded,"Yeah." He confirmed. "Looks pretty big." Jonathan commented. He lifted his camera up to take a picture just as Will started shaking the box. "Be careful, you'll break it." Jonathan warned as he lowered his camera.
He focused his his camera on someone else. Joyce set down the platters and bowls of food for the dinner, noticing her son was taking a picture of her just as the flash went off. She chuckled, lifting her hands up,"What are you... what are you doing?" The woman questioned, a little embarrassed to be the subject of a photo she wasn't prepared for. Jonathan smirked slightly with a shrug,"Documenting." He explained briefly, snapping a picture of Reagan as she carried in a plate of food.
"Oh, why?" Joyce asked as Reagan set down the place. Jonathan grinned as he snapped a shot of the two of them together. "Because..." He simply said. Reagan smiled as she looked over at him,"Reminds me of last Christmas." She commented, and Jonathan simply got closer to snap a shot of her mildly annoyed look. Reagan then smirked,"You keep doing that and I'll do a repeat of the diner, but this time with mashed potatoes." She threatened with a chuckle.
Jonathan lowered his camera, looking over at the food. "It looks great." He complimented his mother. "Oh, this is just so overcooked. And look, the potatoes are runny..." Joyce said, shifting through the mushy mashed potatoes with a spoon. "They're so runny." She sighed, a little disappointed. Jonathan moved over, placing his hand on her shoulder,"Mom– mom, it's gonna be great." He assured her.
Will rushed to sit down at the table,"It's definitely an Atari." He said. "An a-what-i?" Joyce asked him, completely confused. "The green present. It's an Atari." He said as he leaned back in his chair. Joyce joined the table, along with Jonathan who set his camera down, and Reagan. "I felt Dustin's today and it's the same exact weight." Will deduced.
"Really? Well..." Joyce trailed off, smiling over at her youngest. "We'll have to see, won't we?" She told him. Will said nothing, getting up. Joyce raised her hand,"Hey, no more snooping." She scolded. "No, I forgot to wash my hands. I'll be right back." Will told her, disappearing to the washroom. "Okay." Joyce said, looking over to Reagan. "He's washing his hands?" She asked her in a whisper.
Reagan shrugged, unfolding her napkin. "I didn't even have to ask." Reagan said, a little surprised herself.
They began serving themselves food, and Reagan leaned over to fill Will's plate up so he could eat when he got back. She spent enough time to know what kind of food he liked. When Will returned, he looked a little pale. He took his seat again quietly. "Are you okay?" Joyce noticed. Will looked over at her and nodded,"Yeah, I'm okay." He convinced.
As they started eating, the conversation changed, which steered attention away from whatever was going on with Will. Things returned had to normal, for the most part, and everybody was trying to distant themselves from how strange things had been. After all, it was uncanny.