Chapter Twenty-Five
Skylight
Piper sighed softly as she sat with El across from her, and her leg placed into Piper's lap. Making sure that her wound was cleaned, disinfected and wrapped around once again. A few feet from her - Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan and the rest of the group were catching each other up on what had happened. With all the information being told she thought that her head was gonna explode. Between the Mind Flayer and the Russians, she didn't know which was worse at the moment. But Piper wanted to stay as far away from it, her brain needing rest for just a small moment from everything that was happening around her.
"Thank you, Piper." El spoke as she smiled slightly towards her.
"Of course." Piper slowly pulled El's pant leg down. "I'm always gonna have your back."
Piper reached up and gently caressed El's cheek before placing it gently down back in front of El. When Piper looked up she saw Steve running out of the mall with Robin and Dustin following behind him. Piper stood up from where she was sitting and turned towards the group as her Uncle walked up towards the two of them.
"What's going on? Why is Steve leaving?"
"Heading towards the field, it's all part of the plan. But I need you to worry about something else." Hopper answered, moving to sit down beside El and gently pulling Piper to sit down on his other side. "Now I'm going to be going to find this...machine that is opening the gate. And I wanna make sure that you both understand to stay safe." He turned his gaze towards El. "How are you feeling, kid?"
"I-I'm about about half right now. But I'll be ok." El looked up towards him with a slightly tired look on her eyes. "I'm a fighter."
"I know you are." He smiled before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "And that's what I'm worried about. I want you to stay safe. From the sounds of it...this is a lot worse than the last time we faced up against this thing. We don't know what to expect. This thing is after you...not after me." He bent down slightly and caressed her cheek. "Please understand...and stay close to Piper." She nodded her head, before Hopper turned towards Piper. "And you...I need you to make sure she's safe."
"I will." Piper looked down slightly towards her lap.
"And I know that you will." Hopper spoke, causing Piper to look up towards him. "You have protected her when I couldn't and I know that you will do whatever needs to be done in order to make sure she's safe. But I also...I also want you to keep yourself safe." Hopper gripped Piper's hand tightly "Because it's already shown that it will use you to get to El. Which means you gotta watch your back too, kid."
Piper nodded her head before moving to hug her Uncle tightly, feeling El do the same on the other side. The three of them pulled away from each other and Hopper reached down to his wrist and pulled the small blue bracelet from around his wrist. Piper watched as he grabbed her wrist and placed it around hers. She couldn't help the small gasp from her lips, knowing how much this bracelet meant to her Uncle. It was her cousins. The one she's wear all the time – even during her fight with cancer – till she died.
"Uncle Hop..." Piper began to protest and shaking her head.
"No." Hopper shook his head and looked down towards it, before looking into her eyes and gently caressing her cheek. "I want you to have this. I lost Sarah. I lost your mom. Make sure I don't lose you both too."
"I-I won't." Piper bit her lip. "But what about you? I can't lose you too."
"I'll be ok. I love you, Piper." Hopper held her tightly and kissed her forehead. "I love you like you are my own daughter, and I never got to tell you that."
"Why does it sound like you're saying good bye?" Her eyes watered slightly as she pulled back to gaze up towards Hopper.
"I'm not." He took a deep breath "But I felt that you should know that, Piper. Cause I feel I don't tell you enough. Either of you. How much you mean to me."
Piper chuckled slightly and shook her head. "You don't have to Uncle Hop. We already know."
Hopper nodded his head and cleared his through slightly as he felt himself chocking up from the moment. "Take this," He handed a gun he'd take off one of the Russians and placed it into Piper's hand. "Just in case."
Piper kissed her Uncle cheek before standing from the small bench they all sat on. Piper placed the gun into the waistband of her shorts, before she wrapped her arm around El's middle to help her stand. They both smiled towards the man in front of them, before turning and following after Mike, Lucas, Will and Max.
Piper moved to place one arm beneath El's knees and the other around her back as she moved to carry her through the mall following behind Mike and the group. She followed behind them as they moved toward Joyce's car parked out front. Everyone eagerly climbed into the station wagon as Piper moved towards the back to place El inside so she'd have more room to lay down. Once Piper knew she was settled, she climbed in to sit beside her as Nancy tried to start the car. But no matter how much she tried it wouldn't start. The sound of the engine not turning causing a sickening feeling to drop into the pit of Piper, and everyone's, stomach.
"What's wrong?" Piper called from the back of the car leaning slightly over the back bench of the car.
"Hey...Will, didn't your mom just buy this car?" Lucas spoke up as Nancy tried a few more times to get the car started.
"Maybe it's out of gas? Or the lights were left on?" Piper shrugged her shoulders trying to think of possible answers.
"I don't think it's out of gas. Let's just...get out and see." Jonathan sighed as he opened the door.
Piper fell back into the seat beside El, and it wasn't long till a familiar sound met her ears. Piper's back straightened as the rev of a Camero filled the silence over the parking lot. Looking out the back window she was able to see the bright head lights of a car. And she knew exactly who it was.
"Guys...get back into the mall." Piper spoke, as she gently moved to El up from the position she was in. She felt a little guilt from moving her as El whimpered softly in pain.
The car revved over and over as a taunt towards them. Once out of the car Piper stood back and stared towards the car, knowing exactly who was behind it. Jonathan moved towards the back of the car and took El from Piper's arms before moving frantically towards the front entrance of the mall. Piper looked over her shoulder and saw that everyone was back inside, before following behind them.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Piper yelled as she slammed the door behind her, rushing behind the group as they moved back into the mall. She didn't know whether to scream, or to cry at the moment.
Jonathan placed El gently on one of the benches inside the mall courtyard, as Piper moved to grab a walkie off one of the Russians and placed it into Mike's hand.
"Call out to Dustin, let him know that Billy is outside the mall and knows where we are." She spoke before walking around towards the other bodies laid across the courtyard. "Nancy start looking for anything that'll help us. Preferably weapons."
"You aren't gonna kill him are you, Piper?" Max asked with a worried look on her face and in her tone.
"No. But we need to make sure we have protection." Piper bent down and grabbed another gun from the waist band of one of the bodies. "Because if Billy knows where we are. So does the Mind Flayer. I promised my Uncle that I'd keep you all safe and that's what I plan to do."
Piper stood up from kneeling on the ground and standing up straight as Jonathan moved towards her.
"What about the other car?" He spoke
"What other car?" Piper asked looking towards him. Jonathan turned slightly and pointed towards the car that was flipped over. "That can't drive."
"We don't need it to drive. We need the ignition cable to get my mom's started." He spoke quickly.
"Right...so we just gotta try and flip the damn thing." Piper sighed before calling everyone over towards them. Everyone moved towards the car and tried to grab it front any angle to try and flip it over. But to no avail it would move slightly before rocking back down.
"W-What if I tried?" El spoke from behind them.
"El you're already worn out. Half empty, remember?" Piper spoke over her shoulder towards El.
"I can do it." El spoke with determination.
"Alright. If you're sure?" Piper asked causing El to nod her head with determination in her eyes.
Piper moved away from the car slowly with everyone else, moving to stand behind her as she moved to pull the car back over onto it's wheels. El shook slightly as she used all her strength to move it. But it didn't even budge.
"El," Piper spoke tentatively as she moved onto her side. "Its ok. We'll find another way."
El sagged slightly and stumbled as she stopped. Piper wrapped her arms around her and moved her back towards the bench to sit down.
"I'm sure I can get it out with it on it's side." Jonathan spoke as he moved back towards the car.
Nancy followed Jonathan as they moved to figure out how to get the cable out. Piper sat down beside El and wrapped her arm around her, allowing the girl to rest against her side. They sat there for a moment, listening to Jonathan and Nancy, before the heavy sound of thumping could be heard from outside the mall – causing everyone to stop. It was loud enough that it made the walls shake . Piper's eyes slowly moved up towards the ceiling as she heard the sound travel up the mall and towards the sky light above their heads. Her eyes widened as once again the face of the Mind Flayer stared down towards them.
"Got it!" Jonathan spoke, oblivious to what was happening.
"Jonathan!" Piper screamed as she moved to pick El up from the bench and rushed up the stairs. "Run!"
Piper pushed her legs as hard as she could as the sound of the glass ceiling crashing down through the courtyard could be heard. The vibration of the Mind Flayer landing in the courtyard causing Piper's knees to buckle as she towards the counter at a resturant and slid behind it, Max and Mike following close behind her as a shriek could be heard. Piper pressed tightly to El as she held her, and pressing Mike as tightly to her side as possible. She couldn't help how her body shook as she heard it move through the mall. With each hard and heavy footstep her heart seemed to stop. Piper took a few deep breaths before shifting so she would have a better vantage point by looking over the counter.
"He's moving towards the south end." She whispered and moved back to sit beside El and Mike.
"Maybe we can make it up the stairs if we run?" El asked
Piper shook her head. "We won't make it."
"There's another way. We can make it through the Gap." Max whispered as she moved to gently pick up El. "You two go in front of me, go it?"
Max and Mike nodded their head before moving quickly towards the store that was to their right. She felt like her heart as in her throat as they pushed through the entrance, but it all stopped when she heard the crash of something to the floor. El's foot had knocked into a glass container causing it to drop to the floor. Piper dove in front of the first register counter she saw, and pressed their bodies against the cabinet. Piper's body pressed against theirs, as a shield, as they heard the Mind Flayer move closer and closer. Max and Mike gripped tightly to her arms as they heard it move through, throwing mannequins and other items to the floor. It knew they were there.
"Be quiet." Piper whispered softly.
Her eyes widened as one of the tentacles moved slowly past them, searching for them. Piper pressed hard against the three teens, waiting for the feeling of it's claws into her. But it never came. Instead it moved away quickly and out of the store.
"Move! Move!" Piper screamed as she pushed off the counter and once again grabbed El.
She prayed that the store was just like the theater and would have a back entrance.
Piper ran through the back hall of the mall, Jonathan and the rest of the group following along as they moved as far away from the Mind Flayer as they could. Her lungs burned with each breath as she carried El through the double doors and back towards the Byer's station wagon. Jonathan moved towards the front, the hood still propped open from before, to place the new ignition cable it. But everyone stopped short as once again the sound of the Camero revving came from across the parking lot. Piper set El down back onto her feet, motioning towards Mike to wrap his arms around El's waist, before grabbing the gun she'd placed into her waist band.
"Jonathan get the car started." She instructed before moving around the car. "Nancy you still have that gun?"
Piper looked towards the other side to Nancy and saw the girl nod her head. Piper moved towards the front of the car, the kids moving into it quickly as Jonathan worked to get it started, as both Nancy and Piper aimed towards the Camero.
"Aim for the wheels, any where but the drivers side." Piper spoke "Don't hit Billy."
Quickly the Camero started towards them and almost immediately both Nancy and Piper began to fire towards the car. With each pull of the trigger Piper was praying for the car to stop. Come on Billy. Come on. The car moved closer and closer, the brightness of the head lights nearly blinding them both, before suddenly it was gone. Piper gasped as, what seemed to be out of no where, a car collided with the side of Billy's. She stood their in shock as she watched both spin slightly, before stopping only a few feet away.
"Holy fuck. Steve?" Piper spoke and moved towards them, moving the gun back into her waist band before reaching to open the car. "Are you fucking crazy!"
"I could see that fucking thing from the hill." He spoke, his voice slightly dazed as he moved from the car. "I-I knew you needed help."
She sighed softly and hugged him tightly, catching him slightly by surprise before his arms wrapped around her. "Thank you."
Piper pulled away and looked towards where Billy's car rested and could see him slumped over towards the driver side of the car. She took one step towards him, her instinct to make sure he was ok. She moved towards the drivers side of his car and gently moved him off the door. Piper ran her fingers along his neck, searching for a pulse. Piper let out a heavy sigh of relief when she felt it.
"Oh thank god," She whispered before moving her hand to brush back his matted curls. His face was relaxed as blood slowly dripped from his forehead.
Piper moved to try and open his door before a shriek sounded causing her to stop. Piper turned to look over her shoulder and watched in horror as the Mind Flayer crawled up the building and onto the roof.
"Move! Move!" Steve spoke as he pulled on Piper's arm and towards the station wagon. She climbed into the back with Steven as Jonathan pulled away quickly.
Piper stared out towards the back window and watched in horror as the Mind Flayer chased after them.
AN: Please leave a review. Hope you're enjoying it!