Stranger Things: Rebuilding

Chapter 21 of my Stranger Things story, enjoy.

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Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stranger Things or its characters.

Family Dinner

Pulling up outside the family home, Jonathan smiled lightly to himself as he shut off the engine of his car.

'Feels like I haven't been home in ages...still, it'll be good to see mom and Will again.'

Getting out the car, still smiling he made his way towards the door and knocked before using his keys. As he entered he saw Will and his mother, both heading for the door and grinning when they saw him.

"Hey." He greeted with a soft smile.

Will instantly hurried forwards and the two hugged, Jonathan still couldn't get over how much Will had grown over the years, they were practically the same height now. Turning to his mother he also hugged her.

"I'm glad you could make it Jonathan." She said warmly.

"Thanks mom." He replied.

Before long he had placed his bag in his old room and was now sitting in the living room with Will while their mother continued with the dinner. Her own insistence that the boys catch up while she finished and they could then all talk while they ate.

"So, I'm sorry I've not been around a lot." Jonathan remarked. "College has been a lot...busier than first anticipated."

Will smiled and shook his head. "It's cool, I've been having fun, just hanging out with the guys you know."

Jonathan smiled. "How are they...and the girls too, Max and...El?"

"Yeah, they're all good, at least…" Will bit his lip.

Jonathan caught on instantly, worried by Will's hesitance.

He glanced back towards their mother before turning his attention back to Will.

"Will, what do you mean by that?"

Will sighed. "I just...I'm worried about Mike, he's...he's having trouble at home lately."

Jonathan tensed at that. 'My God, and Nancy is…'

"Hopefully, I'm hoping something will happen to help him, you know how Mike is after all…" Will continued.

Jonathan sighed. "Yeah, I remember...Well, Nancy is going to join her family for dinner tonight. If...If she finds out…"

Will bit his lip. "Yeah, but still...That might be what's needed."

Jonathan quietly reflected that he certainly hoped Will was right.

Trying to at least keep things light, seeing the subject was uncomfortable for Will, he asked. "So, is that the only problem, is there anything else...bothering you or the group?"

"Nothing as serious as that...Just Lucas having a crush on Max and having no clue what to say or do to get her attention." Will admitted.

Jonathan couldn't help but laugh at that. "Ah...now that sounds familiar, just like me and Nancy back in the day...What about you Will, anything in particular for you, any...girl problems?"

It was like he had hit the right button, Will flushed bright red.

"Well I um...There is a girl, but...I don't even know how to talk to her." Will stammered.

Jonathan smiled sympathetically at his brother and as their mother called out that dinner was ready they headed through to eat, Jonathan deciding he'd do his best to help his brother out with his current problem.

XXXXX

Knocking on the door, Nancy smiled lightly, looking forward to seeing her family again after so long spent at college. The door opened and Nancy smiled.

"Hey mom."

Karen's eyes widened and she then smiled. "Nancy, good to see you, come in, dinner's almost ready."

She stepped in and her mother closed the door before they hugged. As they parted, Nancy noticed something in her mother's eyes, a flicker of something. She bit her lip but said nothing, her mother didn't even mention it and proceeded as normal, heading through to the kitchen.

'Mom doesn't look quite as happy as she's acting, as if she's...hiding something…' Nancy wondered.

As she did so she reached the entrance to the living room and sure enough her father was there in his Lay-Z Boy recliner.

"Typical." She muttered before speaking up. "Hey dad."

Ted looked up from his paper. "Nancy, welcome home, it's good to see you."

"Yeah, it's been so long." She replied, while noting. 'But apparently not so long and not good enough to actually get up and greet me...and you're hiding something too, just like mom."

She could see it, especially with how her father's smile when he greeted her seemed strained. She made her way towards the stairs and paused, listening and was surprised when she heard not a sound from the basement.

"That's odd." She muttered.

Making her way upstairs she went to put her bag in her room.

It was only after doing so that she heard what she had tried to listen for at the basement, Mike's voice. It was coming from Holly's room. Confused she made her way there and entered, there was Mike, sitting next to Holly at her desk, helping her with her homework. They looked up as the door opened and Holly was out of her seat in an instant.

"Nancy!"

Nancy laughed and returned the hug from Holly before looking up at Mike who had stood and now smiled as he watched.

"What, no hug for your little big sister?"

That cracked a bigger smile from Mike, a standing joke between them due to Nancy being the oldest but Mike being much taller. Mike hugged her too and stepped back.

"It's good to see, Nancy." He said.

Just like that Nancy was on guard, she saw it in Mike's eyes, the same strain as in her parents. His voice sounded hollow and up close she could see the deep purple shadows under Mike's eyes.

'Okay, what is going on here? Whatever it is, Mike's not sleeping because of it.' She thought worriedly.

She had no time to dwell however since at that moment, Karen called her kids down for dinner.

"C'mon, let's eat." Mike said.

Holly grinned and led the way, as they descended the stairs Nancy whispered to Mike.

"We need to talk after dinner, basement, just the two of us."

She saw Mike swallow nervously, but he nodded.

Dinner had been surprisingly normal, as normal as a Wheeler family dinner could get. Karen asked her a few questions about college, with Mike also chiming in, being perhaps a little more interested than Nancy initially thought he'd be. Holly listened and occasionally brought up things from her day while Ted ate in silence. But underneath it all, Nancy sensed the underlying tension, and noted that Holly seemed blissfully innocent of it all, which made Mike and their parents the most likely origin. She knew then her decision to hold this conversation with Mike was the right one. Down in the basement Mike leaned against the table, one leg restlessly bouncing while Nancy sat on the sofa.

"So, what's really being going on Mike?" She asked finally.

Mike got that deer in car headlights look. "Wha, Nancy, I-"

"Mike please, don't lie or deflect." She pleaded. "I could see it the moment I walked in, something is going on, something between you, mom and dad...but not Holly? I want to help Mike, but I need to know what's happening."

Mike's shoulders slumped, he looked defeated. "I...There's been, fights…"

"Fights?"

"Yeah, mom and dad have been arguing, usually about me. Dad seems to have finally noticed me, but only because he sees me as a disappointment." Mike admitted at last.

"What, that's crazy?" Nancy burst out. "Mike, there is nothing to be disappointed in about you. Look at you, you've got great friends, your grades at school are brilliant...I'll even admit it you're the smartest out of all of us."

Mike sighed. "Not smarter than you."

"Yes you are Mike." Nancy insisted. "I don't see how dad could-"

"Because I'm not the son he wants. I'm not the tough sports start who is super popular and doesn't get bullied every other day." Mike burst out.

Nancy's eyes widened, unable to believe what she was hearing.

She immediately got up from the seat and approached Mike.

"Mike, that's not...he has no right to-"

Mike sighed and picked something up from the table.

"Then this happened and now he's...even angrier…"

He held it out for her to see.

She read the cover of the book. "School choir...you're trying out?"

"Yeah...of course dad is furious, doesn't want any son of his in some namby pamby choir when they should be in a real sport." Mike replied, sighing heavily.

Nancy shook her head. "Well, all I can say Mike is...he's wrong. It's entirely up to you what you want to do."

"It's just so hard Nancy, it's like this almost every night now...Mom's trying to stick up for me, but that just leads to them arguing and it just...gets worse and…" Mike caught himself and took a deep breath.

"Hey, it's alright." Nancy reassured him. "Don't hold it back, it won't help."

Mike shook his head. "I can't...Holly…"

"What about Holly. She's still so-" Nancy began but stopped dead as it hit her. "You…"

Mike nodded. "I need to be strong, for Holly's sake, I've been protecting her from the worst of this but...That's why I can't afford to break down."

"Mike…"

Nancy wished she knew what to say to that. For while she felt it admirable for Mike to be so protective of their little sister like that, she was afraid that he was going to drive himself into the ground at this rate.

'All this because you just can't accept and be happy with the son you have, dad?' Nancy thought venomously.

Now she knew, she couldn't help but be worried, worried for her mother, her siblings, while at the same time, furious at her father.

End of chapter, things are heating up now, read and review please.