A/N: Welcome back! Thank you for all the feedback on chapter 15. I hope you all like this chapter just as much.
JAX001993: No offense taken whatsoever. I know that Mileven breakup stories are not for everyone, but I appreciate that you are giving it a chance. I agree, if El and Mike are to get back together, it is important that El wants it because she knows Mike is the best guy for her, not because she thinks he is the only one who wouldn't treat her the way Brad did. Never apologize for long reviews! I love hearing what everyone thinks.
Reader: Yes, the last chapter definitely gave a deeper look into Mike's mindset on a lot of things. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
OdoMango: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. And I agree, more Nancy/Mike interaction is deserved in season 4. I hope you like this chapter.
JayneFawn: Yes, the "bullshit" comment was a direct reference to the bathroom scene with Nancy and Steve in season 2. I'm glad you enjoyed Nancy's advice to Mike. I hope you enjoy seeing how things are going for El.
Iron Exe: Thank you for saying that.
Guest: Thank you! I appreciate it.
Guest: Thank you!
Phieillydinyia: I'm glad you enjoyed Nancy's scene. We'll find out what happens with Lindsey soon enough!
Niko: Agreed, it wouldn't make any sense for Nancy not to be on Mike's side. And I also wish they interacted more in the show. I remember reading somewhere that the actress who plays Nancy said she is disappointed in how little Nancy and Mike interact and that she has given up hope of them having a close sibling relationship. Hopefully season 4 dispels that!
Shrike176: I figured that Nancy may give better advice than Abby or Max lol. That is a good point you raise that relationships can always end, no matter how long they last. I hope you enjoy catching up with El this chapter!
39CluesStrangerThingsFan-Star: I really like Nancy too!
Valpasole: Thank you, I'm glad!
Guest: Thank you for saying that. I'm glad you enjoyed the Nancy scene. And I do see what you are saying about Will when it comes to Mike. Also, it would definitely be interesting to see what Mike would say to El if the two of them had a talk, wouldn't it?
Alisea: Yes, Nancy definitely knows where she is coming from with this advice. We'll see how Mike handles his fear of being alone along with still being in love with El. I do agree it would be best for them both to focus on healing before attempting to get back together.
LabAlley: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed Nancy. We will see El interacting with Max, Abby, and Robin very soon!
Nighting Ryder: Agreed, even if Mike and El do still love each other, getting into things with their current emotional states would only cause more problems.
Guest: Thank you! I hope you enjoy seeing how El has been trying to heal during those weeks.
S. Frog: That would definitely be funny.
Guest: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoy the character interactions.
Exploding Helmets: I'm so glad you liked it! I hope you like this chapter as well.
Grievesforyou: Thank you. I appreciate that.
Mikeleven83: Aww thank you!
WriterAtHeart14: I'm glad you liked Nancy's advice to Mike.
Roped Together: Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying it.
UnoPeso22: Yes, chapter 15 really confirmed a lot of things that readers were mentioning in the reviews. You give a very good explanation for Mike's deep rooted fear of being alone. I'm so glad you are enjoying it, and don't worry, I have a document with future story ideas for after I finish this one. We are nowhere near the end of my Stranger Things fics.
HarleyGrove: Thank you so much for saying that.
Wallflcers: Yes, Nancy can absolutely relate to what Mike is going through.
Guest: Then I've done my job well : )
Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its original characters.
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"El! I'm so glad you're okay!" Max exclaimed when she bounded through the Byers' front door Monday after school.
It was the first day that El missed of the week Joyce was allowing her to take off, and El was sitting in the living room staring at the television, not really watching the daytime show that was playing, when her best friend hurried in ahead of Will. Before El could react, Max was on the couch next to her, embracing her in a tight hug. El looked questioningly at Will over her friend's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I know it's your story to tell, but she forced it out of me," Will apologized.
El nodded; she knew Max could be persistent when she wanted information. Also, it's not like El was too upset that Will had told Max what happened. She was going to tell Max anyway, and now this way, she would be spared having to relive it as vividly.
"I obviously noticed you weren't at school today, and Will told me you weren't feeling well. But then after school, he went to the principal's office to pick up your homework your teachers had sent down for you, and the secretary was confirming that he would be doing this every day this week," Max explained. "I knew something was up."
"It's okay," El shrugged.
"No, it's not okay. El, why didn't you call me?" Max asked, reaching out to squeeze El's hand.
"I don't know… I just, well I guess…," El sighed and turned her head away. "I don't know."
"I wish you would've. You shouldn't have had to be alone that night," Max said gently.
El shot Will a curious glance, and the look on Will's face as he subtly shook his head told El that he hadn't included the detail of Mike coming over in his retelling to Max.
"Well, I wasn't alone," El said softly. "Mike came over… Will called him."
Max's face was a look of pure shock. Her eyes widened, and she opened and closed her mouth several times while trying to find the right words to say. El waited patiently for her friend to process this new information, and she noticed Will continue down the hallway, giving El and Max privacy to hang out.
"Oh… well that's… that was ni-" Max stopped herself before saying it was 'nice of him,' cocking her head to the right and studying El's face. "How did you feel about him coming over?"
"I didn't expect it," El shrugged. "But that's who Mike is, you know? He has always been there for me whenever I needed anything."
"Yes, but you were dating all those other times," Max pointed out.
"I know," El agreed, nodding. "But, you and Abby… you said that Mike and I… that we might…" El sighed and pursed her lips. "No, never mind."
El pulled her knees to her chest and looked away from Max. Max had an idea of where El was going with her thought process, but she wanted her friend to say it out loud. She had been making a conscious effort to be a better friend to El and really encourage her to share how she was feeling about everything.
"What is it?" she asked gently. El sighed and shook her head before facing Max again.
"I was just thinking that you and Abby had said that after seeing what else is out there, Mike still might be the one for me… so maybe what he did for me the other night shows that he still loves me," El explained quietly. "But that can't be right. He's in love with Lindsey now."
"How do you know that?" Max asked.
"I asked him if he loves her. I also asked him if they are having sex. He didn't say no to either one," El replied.
But did he say yes to either one? Max wondered to herself. She knew Mike had always had a particularly sensitive spot for El, even before he ever admitted to being in love with her. So, it wouldn't have been completely shocking for him to have come over to comfort El… but still, Max thought back to what she walked in on last week when she opened Mike's basement door… the image that was burned into her brain of Mike and Lindsey together. Maybe she should tell El that she knew Mike and Lindsey were being intimate together. Maybe that confirmation would be just what she needed to move on, just like Mike clearly had. Sure, it would hurt, but El was clearly conflicted over what Mike's actions meant.
"El…" Max started.
El looked at Max, and Max couldn't understand how El's eyes were able to look so exhausted, yet so full of emotion at the same time. Max's chest tightened at the thought of everything El was going through. Processing what Brad did to her, being confused about what that means about other guys out there, trying to figure out what it meant when Mike came over… it was too much. Max couldn't add anything else to El's plate.
"El, you've been through a lot recently. I think it might be best if you stop trying to figure out what that night meant for you and Mike," Max said gently. "Don't worry about him, don't worry about Lindsey. Let's get your mind off everything and focus on getting you better."
El offered a gracious smile. She was certainly confused about Mike, and she felt nauseous any time she thought about him with Lindsey. But she was also battling her own trauma. El tried her hardest to stay awake late into the night because she worried about the nightmares that could come if she slept. She didn't have anyone there to hug her and rub her back until she calmed down, and it was no longer an option to reach for the walkie Mike had given her to contact him with if she ever had a nightmare when he wasn't with her. She knew if the nightmares got in, she would have to face them alone.
Of course, try as she did, she wasn't able to stay awake throughout the nights, and she inevitably fell into a restless sleep, not deep enough for any dreams that she could remember. But last night, she had fallen asleep underneath her bedspread, and when she had started waking up, she felt the weight of the heavy blanket on top of her and, in her mind, she was underneath Brad again. This morning, El had decided she would start laying on top of her blankets so that wouldn't happen again.
"Thanks, Max," she said. "How should we do that?"
Max glanced over El's pajamas and messy hair.
"Baby steps. Why don't you go take a hot shower, and I'll make us some triple decker Eggo extravaganzas," she suggested.
El nodded and headed down the hallway to do as Max suggested, and Max made her way to the kitchen to pull out all the necessary toppings. The rest of the afternoon, Brad, Mike, and Lindsey never came up again. The girls ate their Eggos before working on some schoolwork and finishing the evening up by watching Dirty Dancing. Max left after the movie, but she planned on talking to her parents about spending the night at El's house at least once or twice during the week. That night, El laid down on her bed, overtop of the covers, with a smile on her face. But after several minutes of laying alone in the darkness of her bedroom, her mind started to fill with the familiar confusion and depression. She rolled onto her side and hugged an extra pillow tightly to her body, eventually falling into another restless sleep.
The rest of the week went similarly. Max came over after school each day, and the two of them spent the afternoon and evening together. They watched a lot of movies, read a lot of Cosmos, and painted their nails fun new colors. Max always made a point to ask how El was feeling and let her talk about whatever she needed to get off her chest. El was open about more with her, especially after the first night that Max spent the night in El's room and asked why she was laying down to go to bed on top of her covers. El had turned away from the look of sadness that had spread over Max's face when El had explained that the weight on top of her when she was waking up could put her back in that moment when she was unable to move with Brad on top of her.
El was not the only person in the house who was thankful for Max's frequent visits. Joyce and Will had both taken Max aside throughout the week to thank her for being so caring and helping El heal. Joyce had expressed feelings of guilt, knowing that, although she was there with El during the afternoons while everyone else was at school, she often worked in the evenings, so having Max there for El was especially helpful.
Thursday afternoon, Dustin and, to El's surprise, Lucas followed Max and Will into the house after school. Dustin pulled El into a tight bearhug and whispered into her ear that he was glad she was okay.
"Hopefully your new English class won't be the last period of the day. Study hall is so boring without you," he said.
"They got me switched into one during the same class period, just a different teacher. So the rest of my class schedule is staying the same," El revealed.
She turned toward Lucas who was standing between Dustin and Max. El could probably count on two hands the number of words Lucas had actually spoken to her since she had broken up with Mike. Now he was looking at her with a softer expression, and she thought she even sensed some regret, or maybe guilt? She opened her mouth to speak, but at the same time, Lucas started to take a step forward. El closed her mouth and waited as Lucas hesitantly came closer and reached out his arms, pulling her into a hug.
"Hey El," he whispered into her ear. "I, uh… I'm really glad you're okay."
El squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the sting of tears, and by the time Lucas pulled back from the hug, she was able to compose herself. Later, after the boys went home, Max told El that she had not-so-politely filled Lucas in on what had happened with Brad. Lucas had made a snide remark earlier in the week about El not coming to school because things didn't work out with her new boyfriend, and he had been confused when Mike had shot him a glare from across the table. When Max had told him the story privately that afternoon, Lucas actually had to hold back tears. The guilt of how poorly he had been treating El took over him, and he immediately felt like an asshole. This was El. This was the girl who had saved his life, their friends' lives, and the world countless times. Lucas had apologized to Max for the comment he made, and he had told Max he wanted to see El. Lucas knew that things still wouldn't be back to normal between the two of them, but he also couldn't stand the thought that something bad could have happened to Eleven while he was being unnecessarily harsh toward her.
The five of them spent Thursday afternoon at the arcade. It was the first time El had left the house all week, and she had never had more fun at the arcade than she did that day.
The next day was her friends' last day of school before Thanksgiving break, and El knew that Max planned on spending even more time with her during the week of break when she didn't need to be with her family for the holiday. Will spent a lot of time over at Mike's with Lucas and Dustin while Max came over to see El every day from Saturday through Tuesday, even spending the night both Saturday and Sunday.
By the middle of the week of Thanksgiving break, El knew she had made a lot of progress. She was not over what happened, and she accepted that the pain would always be with her, but she was getting better. Max coming over every day, Will spending time with the two of them periodically, seeing Dustin and Lucas, and having many one-on-one afternoons with Joyce had been almost therapeutic.
On Thursday evening, El was seated at the kitchen table with Joyce and Will for a small Thanksgiving dinner. Jonathan had gotten in late yesterday afternoon, and after several hours of catching up on how school and life was going, he had reminded them that he was spending Thanksgiving with Nancy at the Wheelers' house. With it just being the three of them, Joyce didn't want to go overboard, but she still wanted a special, traditional Thanksgiving dinner. So, on display in the center of the table was a ten-pound turkey surrounded by dishes of stuffing, green bean casserole, yams, and corn. A pumpkin pie was waiting on the counter for after dinner.
"Before we dig in, who wants to start with what you're thankful for?" Joyce asked, folding her napkin over her lap.
"Mom, do we have to do that?" Will almost whined.
"It's tradition," Joyce reminded him.
It hadn't always been tradition, but after almost losing her youngest son permanently in 1983, Joyce took every opportunity she could to remember the things in life she was thankful for. So, having her children do the same at least once a year had become tradition.
"I'll start," she offered. "I'm thankful for all three of the kids I'm honored to call my own. You're all turning in to young adults that I could not be prouder of. I'm thankful for my job which gives me the ability to help send you all to college so you can have more than I've ever been able to give you. And I'm thankful for yet another year free from any inter-dimensional interference."
"Mom," Will laughed. "I don't think you have to thank the universe for that every year."
"I don't. I thank it every day," Joyce said. "Your turn."
"I'm thankful for my friends, my brother, my sister," Will began, turning to smile at El briefly before facing back to his mother. "And I'm thankful that you're my mom. And for what it's worth, you've always given me all I ever needed."
Joyce beamed at her youngest son and squeezed his hand before turning to El. The concept of reflecting on things she was thankful for had been so foreign to El when this tradition was introduced to her several years ago. She often found herself saying the same things: her friends, her adoptive family, Mike. But she had even more to be thankful for this year.
"I'm forever thankful for all my friends, and to both of you and Jonathan for accepting me into your family," she said. "I'm thankful for my powers. And I'm thankful for the extra love and support everyone has shown me over the last couple weeks."
When El had finished speaking, Joyce actually stood and went around the table to give her a hug as Will squeezed her hand. Then, the three of them enjoyed their Thanksgiving dinner.
The next day, Jonathan and Nancy walked into the house shortly before noon, each carrying armfuls of shopping bags. From looking at the store names on the bags, El realized it was nearly all Nancy's purchases.
"Get anything good?" Will asked, crossing the room to peer at the bags in Jonathan and Nancy's arms.
"Actually yes," Nancy replied, shifting her bags away from Will's eyes. "All of my Christmas shopping is done. Well, except for Jonathan. I couldn't buy for him with him right next to me."
"I tell you every year not to worry about spending money on me. Just shop for your family and friends," Jonathan said, taking the bags from Nancy and taking them down the hallway to his room.
"And I tell you every year that's never going to happen," Nancy called after him as she unwrapped her scarf and hung her coat in the coat closet.
"What are you getting him this year?" Will asked while his brother was still out of the room.
"I haven't decided," Nancy replied. Last year, she had gotten him a brand new camera. The year prior, she had gotten him a new watch. "I'm trying to think if there's anything for our apartment that he specifically wants."
While Nancy and Will talked about Christmas gift ideas for Jonathan, El went to the kitchen, grabbed some turkey from the refrigerator to make a turkey sandwich, and retreated to her bedroom to work on some of the schoolwork from the previous week that she had neglected. She sat at her desk over her algebra homework for about fifteen minutes before she heard a tap on the door she had left cracked open.
"Hi," she smiled at Nancy who was standing in the doorway.
"Hey, can I come in?" Nancy asked, and El nodded. El was seated at her desk, so Nancy took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Did you have a good Thanksgiving?"
"Yes. It was just the three of us, but it was nice. Plus, lots of leftovers," El replied, and Nancy laughed and agreed. "How was your Thanksgiving?"
"It was good. You know how my mom goes overboard with holiday dinners. I'm pretty sure they'll be eating the same thing until Christmas," Nancy said.
"Yeah," El nodded, her smile turning slightly sad as she remembered holidays at the Wheeler house.
"I just wanted to check in on you," Nancy began. "You don't have to tell me what happened. I'm sure you're sick of retelling the story. And I know you have Will and Mrs. Byers, and even Jonathan if you ever needed him, but if you ever want someone else to talk to… a woman who isn't your mom, for example… just know that I'm here for you."
"Really? Even though…" El trailed off.
"Of course. El, no matter what happens between you and my brother, you will always have me around if you need me," Nancy assured her.
"Thanks, Nancy," El smiled gratefully.
Throughout the years of dating Mike, El had grown close enough to Nancy to view her as her own big sister. Nancy had helped show her how to apply makeup and use a curling iron. She had always been there for advice, and she usually gave different advice than Max… probably because of the age difference. El wasn't sure. But she knew that she was thankful she wasn't losing Nancy because of her breakup with Mike.
"You don't need to thank me," Nancy replied. "But, if I may ask, how are you doing now?"
"Better," El sighed. "It's been hard. Really hard… Um, how much do you know?"
"Mike told me everything," Nancy admitted, and El nodded.
"I thought the breakup was hard enough… but then what happened with Brad two weeks ago…" El trailed off again and shook her head. "If I didn't have my friends and family to help me, I don't know how I would have gotten through it alone."
"Well that's what friends and family are for. You don't have to get through anything alone," Nancy reminded her, placing a hand on El's knee.
El nodded and gave Nancy an appreciative smile. Then, it dawned on her that Nancy and Mike must have had a rather deep conversation if Mike had told her 'everything' like Nancy claimed.
"So… how is Mike doing?" El asked hesitantly.
"He's confused," Nancy answered carefully. "He has a lot on his mind. I know that you know this, but you're the first – and until recently, the only – girl Mike has ever dated. These feelings, heartbreak, new relationships, everything he's going through right now is all new to him."
"Yeah," El said distantly. "It's new to me, too."
Nancy nodded and squeezed El's hand with a sigh.
"Nancy, do you think it's still possible that… that Mike and I… well, that we are… um…" El diverted her gaze away from the older girl.
"Yes, I do, El," Nancy replied softly. "I really do. There's a lot that would still have to happen… You and Mike both need time to truly find yourselves and heal from everything you've both been through."
El nodded and thought about Nancy's words. She was right, of course. El knew she still had a lot to figure out personally, and she was sure Mike did too. She had broken up with him to see what was out there like Max and Abby had recommended, but El wasn't sure that she cared what was out there anymore. She only knew how much she missed Mike and how perfect it felt for those few short hours when she was in his arms again a couple weekends ago.
"I know you have a lot to think about. Let me know if you need anything at all," Nancy said before standing to leave El's room and rejoin Jonathan.
Later that afternoon, Max came over, and she and El were hanging out in El's room. El had considered sharing Nancy's advice with Max, but she and Max had been having such a good two weeks, El didn't want to risk getting into an uncomfortable conversation about she and Mike's relationship. El decided to keep it to herself a while longer while thinking through it.
"So, I talked to Robin this morning," Max said. "You don't have any plans tomorrow do you?"
"No," El shook her head.
"Good! Robin and Abby are heading back to campus Sunday afternoon, so they wanted the four of us to get together tomorrow," Max explained.
With everything that had happened with Brad, and with the place El's mind had been the past couple weeks, she had forgotten all about Max saying that Robin and Abby would be in town.
"O-okay," El said, and Max furrowed her brow.
"What's wrong?" Max asked.
"Nothing's wrong. I just forgot they were coming to town," El replied. "What do they want to do?"
"They want us to come over around six," Max explained with a shrug. "Apparently Abby has the whole night planned."
El nodded in agreement, though she couldn't help but feel hesitant about seeing Robin's friend again. Then again, they would be spending less than twenty-four hours together. What's the worst that could happen?
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A/N: Thank you for reading! The next couple chapters each have some major, pivotal moments that I think you'll all enjoy. I've already started working on a couple important upcoming scenes while this chapter was in progress. Please leave me a review to let me know what you're thinking, and I'll see you all next time!