UPDATES FOR MY PEEPS: I really love this chapter and it literally came to me last night lol hope you enjoy

L is for Life

February 1999, Indianapolis, IN

Eleven walked out of the doctor's office almost in tears. It wasn't anything bad! She'd been so stressed the past few weeks, thinking that she might have some kind of deadly illness. Mike had told her repeatedly she needed to see a doctor and even offered to come with her, but she was so scared of receiving bad news that she didn't want him to know right away if it was something terrible. She only ended up coming in the first place because her insistent husband had called and made an appointment on her behalf.

Now though, she was kind of regretting it. She wished he could have been there to hear the diagnosis firsthand, but it also now offered her the option of coming up with a creative way to tell him herself… Luckily for her, Valentine's Day was just around the corner, and it would be their fourteenth as a couple.

Hey, Mike!

No answer. Damn. She waited a few minutes before trying again, because he was at work and probably busy (Mike worked in a downtown restaurant part-time, the rest of the time he was at home writing or else with his editor).

Mike! Helloooooooo, your wife is calling!

Sorry, I was taking someone's order. What's up? What did the doctor say?

El hadn't thought this through and so had to make up an excuse on the spot. She was glad that Mike was an expert at reading her face and not her thoughts, otherwise he'd have known something was up. Nothing much, he said it's probably either stomach flu or some other bug that's been going around.

Okay, doesn't sound too bad! That explains the vomiting. Do you need anything?

No, I'm fine! I'll see you later?

Promise. Love you.

Love you too.

That night, Mike would return to find his favourite person in the world lying in bed watching TV, all snuggled up under the comforter just as she liked to be. She smiled when he entered the bedroom.

"Hey."

"Hey," he answered, turning to the chair in the corner to dump his clothes. Once he had his pyjamas on, Mike opened the blinds to let in the moonlight as El switched the TV off. Slipping into bed and burrowing under the covers to cuddle and be warm was just about his favourite thing to do ever (there were other, also fun, activities in which he enjoyed partaking, but nothing could top this).

Peeking his head out from under the covers to look at her, he asked "So how are you feeling? You look a bit better."

She nodded. "I feel a lot better now that I know it's nothing really serious." At this, El's face was taken over by a smile so wide she could barely contain it.

"What? Why are you smiling like that?" Her grin was contagious though, and it was all over Mike too even if he didn't know why.

"I'm pregnant."

There was silence for a moment. Then: "What?!"

"I was going to wait until Valentine's to tell you but I just realized I can't wait that long!"

Mike grasped her hands, not even noticing their frigid temperature. He could feel tears pooling in his eyes. "You're pregnant? I-I'm going to be a dad? We're going to be parents? A real life baby?!"

His tears were making her eyes water too. "Yes, a real life baby, you idiot!" She choked. "We made a little life and it's here with us right now," said El, removing her hands from his hold and bringing one of his to her belly. "It's here," she whispered.

They both stared at the point under the duvet where they knew their hands lay, imagining how much life was about to change for them. Suddenly, Mike let out a watery laugh. "I can't believe I'm gonna be a dad," he said. "God, I love you so much." He snuggled up to her as close as he could and kissed her nose. "Probably the only person I'll ever love more than you is this baby."

They locked eyes for a minute or two, simply taking each other in, until El closed hers and pressed her lips to his for a brief kiss. "I love you, Mike."

"Well, I mean, yeah, who doesn't-ow!"

"Hopper doesn't!"

"Are you kidding me? That man loves me like Dustin loves chocolate pudding! But you love me even more so who cares, right?"

"…Idiot."

"You just say that 'cause you know I'm right."

Silence, then a chuckle. "I love you too, El. So much. Good night," he added.

"Good night, you mouthbreather."

He could hear the smile in her voice.

~HEHEHEHE BET YOU THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA WAIT DIDNT YOU?