AN: There is a reference to underage drinking and sex. No actual scenes.

{"NO!"} Jim yelled and signed to his daughter.

{But.} She signed back. She knew it pissed him off when she didn't talk as she signed. She was pissed off too. Probably waaay more than he was.

{"No. If something were to happen I couldn't get to you in time."} This time he talked as he signed, but the damage was already done. Inside, Jim knew it. He tried to save it. He tried to appeal to her sense of safety.

{Well. I'm going. That's that. You know you can't stop me.} She had THAT look.

She slung her backpack over her shoulders and turned around to stomp towards the door, she stopped halfway. She turned around, tears in her eyes.

{I promised you I would not leave the cabin again when I was mad.}

And then, in her own voice, with no signing. "Please dad? You know I can take care of myself. The Party will be there, it's an old hotel owned by Mrs. Sinclair's family. It has indoor plumbing, electricity, everything. Mike would never let anything happen to me. You KNOW that."

It was the longest speech she'd made in weeks. Her voice was now very good, she could have easily passed for a hearing person. Jim had long since learned that she only used it when she was being sincere. He always encouraged her to use it all the time, but she preferred signing, she could be much more emphatic with it. He also knew that Mike was entirely responsible for not only her voice now, but using it when she really wanted something. The whole group of them had this thing about lying. It was bad. Friends Don't Lie. That's what it was. It was their most important rule.

He sighed. Nodded. It was so worth it to see the look on her face… in her smile.

She said and signed at the same time. {"I love you dad. Thank you for letting me go. It means a lot."}

She ran to him and hugged his middle and said again, "I love you daddy."

He kissed the top of her pixie cut and nodded. If she ever asked he would tell her that he preferred her curly hair, but he knew that she liked her new pixie cut. It made her look older, not so much like the little girl he had rescued in the woods. Even though she was 16 she could have passed for 25. That bothered Jim a little, but she was always with her friends. They were very protective, especially Mike.

He was giving her just a little freedom. It hurt to do it, but he knew she needed it. In two years she'd probably move in with Mike anyway and he'd no longer be able to protect her as easily.

He was going to lose her. He could feel the tear slip out

It was almost as if she could read his mind. She stepped back, said and signed, {"You are never going to lose me dad. Never! I promise."}

It took everything he had to keep his composure. He loved Eleven more than his own life, and if he was forced to admit it, more than Sara. It hurt to even think that, but there it was.

He said in a gruff voice with facial expressions he knew she'd recognize, "Get out of here before I spank you."

She blew him a kiss. The bounce in her step as she left was much better than watching her stomping out because she was pissed at him.

He cried harder that night than he'd done his entire life.

XXXXX

"Here she comes." Max said behind the wheel.

Mike couldn't quite see her yet, "How does…"

"She is practically floating Mike. She's very happy. I guess it went ok. Now you two can come with us."

She crawled into the backseat and scooted next to Mike, their hands clasped and fingers intertwined automatically.

Everyone in the car looked shocked when El signed and said, {"Morning everyone. My throat is a little sore so I'll have to be quiet the rest of the weekend."}

She giggled.

The sound was musical to everyone's ears and they all looked at each other and broke out in a big smile.

It was going to be a good weekend.

El glanced at Mike. {I love you sweetie.}

XXXXX

I pointed to the station wagon roof with both fingers, one was curled down, I came up with that as short for Eleven... El. I didn't even know if that was allowed in ASL But the kiss I got from her let me know I'd done the right thing. {El, I love you, to}, I completed the sign.

Her smile was everything. I have fallen in love with a deaf girl. Prettiest one on the planet as far as I know. The summer course I took to learn to sign was worth it. El couldn't believe I'd done that for her, she'd already taught me a lot. All her friends had gone on it a few years before.

"Mike?"

{"Yeah?."} The Party had gotten into the habit of signing and speaking at the same time. It was good practice when El wasn't around, and polite when she was.

{"I'm driving, so I can see you two in the rear view mirror."} I was translating for El.

"Please don't make-out back there. Ok?"

{"Ok."} Mike leaned over and kissed El on the mouth. She giggled as she looked at Max in the rear view mirror. Max rolled her eyes.

{"Yeah, thanks a whole bunch… Mouthbreather."} She actually took her hands off the wheel to sign it. Lucas almost had a shitfit.

She was smiling when she said it. El blew her a kiss. It was her platonic I love you gesture. Only Mike got the { love} and { sweetie} signs.

El leaned forward to hide her signing… {Are we going to do it tonight?}

My eyes went wide, I leaned forward also… {El, that's exactly why your dad didn't want you to go!}

El frowned… {I know. I don't want to disappoint him by NOT doing anything.} She grinned when she signed.

"Oh for god's sake they're talking about screwing again." Max said out loud. Everyone in the car looked away from Mike and El.

I had to smile.

{Now they know we are talking about it again. I promise El. Your dad said he would sign the forms. We can get married next year. he knows what that means. You already told me you promised your dad… I did the same thing. He respects me. I do not want to lose his respect. I worked too hard for it. Also… I'd feel a bit weird knowing our friends were, you know… um, close by.}

El smiled.

{I know sweetie. My dad would know the second I stepped in the door.} She sighed. {Ok… but we can sleep beside each other tonight in front of the fireplace? Lucas said there was a big fireplace in the lobby of the old hotel.}

{Yes… Um… El… we compromise?}

{You know I love that word. Tell me later… ok?}

XXXXX

El was the happiest she'd ever been.

The only time she might have been happier was when her dad found her in the woods and had given her a warm bed to sleep in. Back then he couldn't sign, but she found a pencil and paper in the kitchen and wrote down, "Thank you." She had never seen a grown man cry before. She hugged his middle, because he was so tall, and said in her unconditioned voice, "It's ok. This is the first time I was warm and not hungry." She felt the his chest heaving from the intensity of his crying.

But he hugged her back and kissed the top of her almost shaved head.

She taught him the ASL alphabet that night. He remembered all 26 signs the first night. Within a week they could talk about day to day things. At first she thought he might have been just a big dumb guy who happened to be the Chief of Police. But he was MUCH smarter than that.

After their first big argument over something stupid, when she was crying in bed, she realized that he knew signs she had never taught him. He was learning them for her! That was when she knew she loved him and hoped he'd let her stay in the warm bed.

And now, she couldn't believe it when she told her and Mike that he could stay over that night. On the floor of course.

They sat cross-legged on the bed while she taught him the alphabet. Mike learned all of them the first time too. They were getting along so well that she risked the question she was dreading the answer to.

{"Mike? Do you have a girlfriend."}

He laughed and looked sad at the same time he shook his head, {"You?"}

{"No. No girlfriend."} She saw his eyes widen as if a lightbulb had gone on inside his head, {"Or boyfriend. Nobody wants a deaf girl for a girlfriend."}

He shrugged, smiled, and very painfully spelled out with his hands, {"I-w-o-u-l-d-d-b-e-o-k-w-i-t-h-i-t"}

{"You would?"}

He said while looking into her eyes. "If you are ok with a frogface, geek, nerd boyfriend, I think we'd be perfect together. I really liked your hugs."

He looked at his crossed ankles. She said, "I liked giving them. Ok. You have a girlfriend. Don't screw it up. Besides, you'll like my kisses even better."

He looked back up at her, and her heart almost stopped. They leaned in, and Mike gave her a soft kiss. She kissed him back and they held it for several seconds.

When Mike pulled back, "I'm new at this boyfriend thing, so just tell me if I screw up ok?"

{"Ok. All I ask is you love and respect me."} She was too late to stop herself when she used the word 'love'. Mike didn't flinch though.

Instead he said, "I can do that." The look into his eyes was so intense that she almost looked away.

El had thought to herself, I think I've just fallen in love. Can it even happen that quickly?

El knew that he'd be way too cold, so she had to plead with him to sleep on the bed. Under the covers and beside her.

Close beside her.

It was one of the best nights of her life.

At least so far. El thought to herself

XXXXX

El wasn't quite sure what Mike meant. And now he looked a little worried, a little sad after that. He hung his head, gave her the occasional smile, but something was bothering him.

Maybe the idea of having sex scares him. He might not be ready to take our relationship to the next level. I'm not sure what any compromise would be.

If something bothered Mike, she was worried. He was the most easy going person of all the group. It felt like something new had entered into her relationship. She hoped it wasn't her more the obvious efforts to go to bed with him. It would be nice, sure, but not at the expense of their relationship.

Now El hung her head too.

XXXXX

{Shit} Max pulled her thumb out of her thumb and forefinger.

{What?} Lucas signed.

Nobody in the back two rows of seats of the station wagon could see Max and Lucas signing.

{Something happened. Look at El and Mike. Don't be obvious.}

{They are still holding hands.}

{Yeah. That's a good sign at least. No pun intended.}

XXXXX

Max stopped the car in the parking lot. She turned around so everyone.

"I promised El that if she could go, we'd get McDonald's, and NOT at the one where that deaf girl works. She wants to order with her voice. We clear?"

Everyone but Mike nodded. El's head was up, Mike still looked down, but he could hear what Max said.

El tapped Mike on the shoulder, she was smiling. {I'm buying you breakfast. Ok sweetie?}

Mike smiled back, nodded.

{Egg McMuffin with sausage?}

Mike nodded, leaned forward, kissed her and signed. {I love you, Eleven.}

{I know.}

XXXXX

Nobody pushed Eggos on me. What a relief. I mean, I like them, but that was before my first Egg McMuffin with sausage.

Mike has been pretty quiet. I hope he's not mad at me for asking to have sex again. It's like the exact opposite of what I've read… it's always the guy who wants sex. I know he's being really careful and protective of me. He doesn't want to piss my dad off. My dad is an imposing figure, they've already had one fight. Mike gave in that time. I'm such a lucky girl. He actually punched my dad! I don't care what anyone says. That's love.

El sighed.

She got out of the station wagon and then all went into the restaurant.

XXXXX

Max was the first one to sit down with her tray.

"Mike… she ordered for everyone. I don't think the girl taking the order even knew she was deaf. Her voice is very good."

Max laughed. "And she only paid for yours and hers."

"I love her Max."

"Shit, Mike we all know that. What's wrong, for fuck's sake don't break up this weekend. We are having a really good time."

"Nah, it's not that. I don't know how to tell her, or sign to her how much I love her."

Max looked at him.

"Mike. That's easy."

"What is?"

"Just make up a sign between the two of you. The two of you have to make it together and agree on it. You don't even have to tell the rest of us. We definitely don't know all the signs in ASL. Some of the time we're not sure what you guys are saying. It's not like you haven't already made up signs together anyway."

"Really? It seems like we are doing that all the time."

"Really Mike, I don't know. Think of it as a secret language only you two know."

Mike smiled at Max. Everyone showed up with their trays.

El sat very close to Mike, as per usual. {Here sweetie}

Mike leaned over and kissed her cheek. El's smile made everyone smile.

XXXXX

{"Here are the rules."}

Lucas turned around at the big lobby doors. Had everyone's attention.

{"We all sleep in the lobby in front of the fireplace. This is something of an historic hotel, and, shit. Not going to explain. We all sleep in the lobby. And we clean before we leave. We are all sixteen. No booze. Except... Dustin?}

Dustin brought in a case of beer and two bottles of wine. "I'm putting these in the fridge. Hands are full, someone tell her."

Her of course being El. She looked around, Max signed to her.

{"If you puke. You clean it up. My suggestion is that if you've never cleaned up your own puke… you don't do it. I'm serious man. Don't puke."}

Everyone nodded.