I DO NOT OWN STRANGER THINGS. I ALSO DO NOT OWN THE LYRICS TO YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE. THIS IS SUCH A PERFECT MILEVEN SONG. AS SOON AS I PICTURED MIKE SINGING IT TO ELEVEN, I WAS CRYING LIKE A BABY

Hawkins, Indiana

(Dr. Reaves's POV)

While Joyce and Hopper were getting engaged, everyone else was preparing for Agent Tyrone Seibert's arrival. The party, along with Kali and her crew had made Castle Byers their base of operations. Jonathan and Nancy had brought material to fortify the fort and even Steve Harrington had pitched in. Axel and Funshine were practicing their marksmanship as Dottie and Mick moved the van next to the fort to add cover for the impending battle. Dr. Cameron Reaves explained that for some reason, when they went through project VOID, it always dropped them in the woods near the Byers home, therefore, it was logical that Agent Seibert and his army would pass Castle Byers on the way to Hawkins.

"We have to make our stand at Castle Byers." Dr. Reaves said. "If we don't, they will march straight through to Hawkins and they will slaughter everyone."

"Why would they torch the entire town?" Steve asked. "I thought they just wanted Jane..."

"El." Mike corrected as Eleven squeezed his hand.

"Trust me, Tyrone wants her, but he's not gonna leave a town for of witnesses to chance. Not even if they are in another dimension. When you are a Majestic 12 member, the first you you learn is that when you make a mess, you clean it up. Every last spot."

"Come on, we don't enough manpower or firepower to take on a whole ducking army!" Axel exclaimed. "I say we haul ass out of this pukehole and live to fight another day!"

"Don't you get it Axel?" Kali asked. "There will not be another day if Seibert has his way. Not for us, not for anyone close to us. We need to kill that bastard here and now."

"Kali is right." Reaves insisted. "So here's the plan: We keep holes up like this at Castle Byers. When Agent Seibert and his troops come here, we fight, we'll have El and Kali using their powers and Chief Hopper is a Veteran of 'Nam so his army experience will be invaluable to us. The most important thing is that we need to kill Seibert. We need to cut off the head of the snake. If he escapes, he'll just come back with more men and better weapons. He doesn't completely know what he's up against and we can't give him a chance to bring backup." Everyone agreed as they spent the rest of the evening stockpiling weapons and reinforcing Castle Byers and Kali's van. It was going to be a long and difficult battle and they were going to be ready for whatever came at them.

(Eleven's POV)

A few hours later, after everything had been set up, the Hawkins Defense Force called it a night. Kali and her group of outcasts slept in the van, the teenagers slept in Will's house, and the party slept inside Castle Byers. As everyone drifted off to sleep, Mike Wheeler was laying down on the only bed, cradling his one true love in his arms. He and Eleven were facing each other, their noses so close that they could touch. Mike ran his hand through her hair, which was growing back quite nicely. As Mike looked into his girlfriend's deep brown eyes, he felt as if he could just fall right into them; swimming through the chocolate pools. As the two young lovers kissed, they were each terrified about what would happen when Agent Tyrone Seibert found them, but Mike was sporting to stay strong for his El, and she was trying to stay strong for her Mike.

"Mike." Eleven said as he kissed her cheek.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Are you scared?" She asked.

"No." Mike said as he tried to lie.

"Mike. Friends don't lie." Eleven reminded her boyfriend as he sighed.

"I know...yeah I am scared. I...I can't lose you again El." He admitted. Eleven caressed Mike's cheek with her delicate hand.

"You won't lose me Mike." She swore. "You. Will. Not. Lose. Me."

"You promise?" Mike said as he sniffled a little.

"Promise." El replied as she kissed him deeply. They proceeded to make our with innocence and passion all at the same time.

"I love you so much it hurts El." Mike said as he buried his face in her chest. Eleven planted kisses on his forehead. Then she asked Mike for something she wanted desperately. Even more than Eggos.

"Mike?"

"Yeah El?"

"Could you...could you sing to me?" She asked with her innocent eyes. Mike nodded as he thought of something to sing. Suddenly, he thought of an old song that his mom used to sing to him that described his feelings about Eleven perfectly.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy, when skies are gray.

You'll never know El, how much I love you.

Please don't take my sunshine away.

As he sang, Eleven cried harder than she ever had before, even when her papa locked her in the bad room back at the lab. She had never been anyone's "sunshine" before and she was happy to take away Mike's pain.

The other night El, as I lay sleeping.

I dreamed I held you in my arms.

But when I awoke El, I was mistaken

So I hung my head and I cried.

Those 353 days apart had all but destroyed them and everyone knew it. Hopper had apologized profusely, but it was something they never forgot, it was something they never wanted to experience again. As Mike wept, Eleven kissed his tears away and sang to him in her sweet voice.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy, when skies are gray.

You'll never know Mike, how much I love you.

Please don't take my sunshine away.

As they both kissed each other's tears away, Mike found it hard to comprehend that this amazingly gifted and beautiful girl wanted him. HIM. They both fell asleep with tears in their eyes and love in their hearts.

THIS CHAPTER TOOK ME SO LONG TO WRITE BECAUSE I HAD TO WIPE THE TEARS OFF MY LAPTOP. NEXT TIME, THE SIEGE AT CASTLE BYERS...REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.