Quick Note: THIS ORIGINALLY RE-POSTED FROM MY AO3 ACCOUNT QuintusSeptimus! If you want to get more frequent updates I'd either go to my AO3 or my Tumblr trash-gobby.
A/N: So I've definitely messed with the canon for both Stranger Things and Lost Boys. One of the major changes I made is to when the events of the Lost Boys movie took place and what happened to the characters. Events of TLB (Lost Boys) occured in the summer of 1984 instead of 1987.
Obviously the boys (from TLB) aren't dead in this scenario. I also aged Sam Emerson down from sixteen to fourteen so he can have more interactions with the gang in Stranger Things.
It was a lot less sunny in Roane County, Indiana. A lot greener too. The kind of green marked by dense forests and underbrush that was filled with the kind of wildlife that would be featured in Disney's Bambi. At least that's what Michael thought derisively.
Although around late September the gloom of oncoming fall was starting to descend over the area. The season working its way into fall with some trees leaves already starting to turn from green to oranges and yellows. Although green was still the dominant colour of the surrounding scenery.
Michael's eyes roamed from the surrounding forest rushing by out the window and to Star sitting in the passenger seat up front with his mom in their dinky little family Volvo. She had a pair of headphones that he'd lended her so she could listen to Sam's walkman for a bit. Michael can just make out the sound which is bleeding softley. It's her favourite album of all time and tuned to her favourite song.
They have forgotten what binding they lack. Oh under those white street lamps-
The amount of times that the whole Emerson family has listened to that album, She's So Unusual, would be probably on beat the amount of kilometers they'd traveled. Michael didn't mind though, the songs on that album pretty catchy even if played over and over. At least Michael could handle it. However, Sam had reached the end of his rope when Star had suggested playing it on the cars cassette player. The compromise of borrowing the walkman was what Lucy had suggested in order to keep everyone happy. The last thing that they all needed was a nearly two day trip ruined by arguing the whole way over music.
Tensions were pretty high though. At least they were for the first half day of travelling. Lucy had hastily piled as much of their stuff as possible in the back of their trunk along with making sure there was enough space for Nanook to sit comfortably.
They'd left a lot of things back at Grandpa's in order to make space for Star and Laddie to come with them. Only the essentials and a couple of their most loved possessions were allowed to be packed up. The less they had to think about what to take, the sooner they could get the hell out of dodge.
After the events of that dreaded night, the final showdown... Michael didn't want to think about it. Not at the moment, possibly not ever again.
He wanted to forget it. There was already the pressure of starting fresh yet again in a new location with a town full of strangers. Possibly nosey strangers that would ask questions at these interesting group.
They'd definity stare at Star's strange handmade clothes and long gathered hippie style skirts. Her wardrobe was that of someone way to carefree for any common everyday folks. At least not yuppie townies. Her strange habits for foraging and creating artwork out of random things she'd find lying around might be off-putting to others.
Sam didn't really know when to stop talking or how to make his choice of wardrobe, reading and music quiet. Everything about his younger brother was loud and flamboyant. Fitting in with the general crowd seemed to be something he was allergic to. He'd never been terribly bullied, but Michael suspected that was due more to his intervention then because Sam was able to work his way out of anything himself. Michael often thought that if he wasn't there for Sam, things could have been much worse back where they lived before all this jumping from place to place.
Then there was Laddie. Lucy had tried to find his parents after the final battle. However, he'd insisted he'd never want to go back after what his family had done to him. The legal matter of holding onto a runaway was a whole can of worms Lucy wasn't prepared to handle.
That's when Grandpa stepped in to save the day. Or at least to admit that on top of taxidermy he was also knew a guy who could do some pretty convincing forgery of documents for a price. However, Grandpa was more than happy to help cover the costs and soon Lucy had to deal with the moral dilemma of what would be considered kidnapping. Michael thought she made the right choice by taking Laddie along, even if he did have to now go by a new name in order to not raise suspicion.
As far as Michael was concerned those abusive assholes could keep looking.
There was the matter of Laddie as a whole. Living with a den of vampires doesn't exactly encourage an environment for normal behavior. Laddie had spent a good amount of time being out of school and away from other kids his age. As a result he wasn't exactly well socialized and would often say things which while Michael and the others could brush off, might rub someone else the wrong way. Like suggesting that they should make some toys out of animal bones and play together. Not exactly something a normal kid suggests.
His sticky fingers were also a whole other deal which Lucy and Michael hadn't anticipated. Having been encouraged by David and the other members of his vampire gang when Laddie had lived with them, he'd developed the nasty habit of thinking stealing and picking pockets was a perfectly fine thing to do.
You wouldn't be able to tell looking at him sitting in the other window seat next to Sam who had been forced into the middle seat begrudgingly. His longer hair had been cut short into something less wild by Lucy, and dressed in a striped tennis shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. Looks can be deceiving, but Michael hoped that the little shrimp would be able to figure out the ins and outs of being in a normal school with a normal family.
"Look! We're almost there," Michael was pulled out of his thoughts by his mom pointing to the giant sign which marked the town of Hawkins, Indiana. Just another thirty minutes and they'd be there.
"Great 'cause I've really got to pee," Sam groaned while adjusting himself in his seat. He really did look uncomfortable.
"You always need to pee, it's like you don't have a bladder just made of pee."
"Laddie that's gross," Laddie giggled looking up from the colouring book he'd been working on at Sam's disgusted expression. Michael couldn't help but crack a small smirk at the little display.
"Why are you smiling? I can't help it. I have the bladder I'm born with."
"I didn't say anything Sam," Michael held up his hands in a defensive manner.
"You don't need to, I can see it on your face," Sam said shoving Michael's leg over, "and can you please stay out of my space, I'm crushed sitting here."
"The middle seat is the death seat in a car. Means your the most likely to die in a crash," Still working on his colouring book, Laddie weighed in.
"No it's not, that's the passenger seat dumbass."
"Sam, language."
"Yes it is."
"No it's not."
"Yes, it is."
"Christ! I can't take being in this car anymore with you, your so annoying," Sam groaned exasperatedly. Laddie looked over once again and blew a raspberry at Sam, which seemed to be the last straw.
Sam lunged over to Laddie's side of the seat and grabbed him, in the process kicking Michael in the shin and causing him to involuntarily knock into the back of Star's seat. Lucy jolted from the sudden burst of action in the back seat, slightly swerving the car on the road, nearly sending them into a patch of bushes alongside the road.
"Sam, what the hell!" Michael grabbed his brother and pulled him back from Laddie who was still giggling like this was somehow all a big joke he'd been responsible for.
"I swear to god, I'm gonna kill him!" Sam shouted struggling in Michael's grasp, kicking his shin again and causing him to grunt out.
"What is happ-" Star was cut off when the car came to an abrupt break-squealing halt, jerking everyone in their seats.
"That is enough!" Lucy yelled, causing everyone to fall silent. Turning in her seat to face the boys sitting in the back, all looking at her with slightly frightened eyes.
Lucy doesn't yell much, so Michael knew she'd just about had it if she was this angry right now.
"This behaviour is unacceptable. You've managed to sit with each other comfortably for most of the ride."
"Define comfortable," Sam grumbled under his breath.
"Sam. I don't want to hear it. Your supposed to be the older sibling in this situation, you don't attack your brother like that. Especially not when I'm driving!"
"Yeah, except he's not my brother," Laddie's eyes then became downcast. Michael noticed the now mischievous smile was wiped from his face replaced by something a lot darker. Michael didn't have a moment to really process this before Laddie had thrown open the door and ran out.
"Laddie!" Lucy called out after him frightened.
"Great, look what you did," Star said giving Sam a stern look before getting out of the car quickly to chase after Laddie.
Sam didn't say anything in response to this. Michael could tell that part of him felt conflicted with what he'd just said, but another part was to petulant to admit fault. Michael rolled his eyes and got out of the car to go after Star and Laddie, leaving Sam alone with his mom to get a stern talking to which he very much deserved.
Tensions had been high between everyone, but sometimes Michael didn't understand why Sam would say the things he would, especially when they all wanted the same thing. A normal life.
Star had stopped Laddie in the middle of the road. He'd run until she'd caught up to him and held him in her arms. As Michael got closer he could see that she was whispering to him, little things like that it was going to be okay and that he was her little brother.
Michael came around to face Laddie, crouching to be level with him. His face was already tearstained from when they started falling, most likely as soon as he ran out of the car.
"Hey," Michael said softly, giving Laddie a moment. Star slowly stopped whispering to him and looked over to Michael. He kept his focus on the younger boy with his painfully sad expression.
"Sam didn't mean it you know," reaching out, Michael brushed some of the tears from Laddie's face.
"He just doesn't know how to deal with not being the youngest, he's easily irritated and a bit of an ass."
"He did," it came out as a whisper, barely audible to Michael at first.
"He did," Laddie said a little louder. "He did mean it."
Michael didn't really know what to say to convince Laddie at this point. Sam really did sound like he meant what he said, and he rarely said something he didn't mean when he was angry.
"Look, Laddie, your my brother, and that's not gonna change," Michael watched as the boy slowly met his gaze.
"Give Sam time, he's just annoyed from being stuck in the car, he really does like you. You want to try going back to the car?"
"You can switch seats with me and sit in the front for a bit?" Star suggested, giving Laddie's shoulders a little hopeful squeeze.
"Okay," He said, using the back of his hands to brush the tears away from his face and sniffled. As the three of them made their way back to the car, Michael saw Sam now sitting in his window seat looking out into the endless dense forest.
Lucy had rolled down her window and leaned out looking down at Laddie with one of those sympathetic and genuinely concerned maternal expressions she was a pro at giving.
"Hey kiddo, you doing alright?" Laddie merely nodded in response.
"We were thinking he could sit up front with you for the rest of the ride," Star said.
"Great. You can hold the town map and help me navigate the rest of the way to the house. I know you're great with directions," Lucy smiled down at him, getting Laddie to return it with a smile just as enthusiastic, before bounding over to the passenger side of the car to get in and unfold the map. Before Michael could make his way into the back, Lucy stopped him by placing her hand on his arm as he passed her window.
"Michael, honey could you talk to Sam when we get to the new house. I think he could use a talk with you right now." As she expressed this Michael looked back over to his younger brother sitting in the backseat.
They'd all been through a lot, but Sam seemed to be taking really hard in a much more expulsive way. His fights with Laddie had only expounded these already existent cracks which Michael had started to notice in Sam's composure. Ever since their little adventure in Santa Carla, and Sam nearly losing Michael forever to the vampire gang he'd been seeing these cracks starting to form. The cracks that represented something which was slowly breaking his younger brother down.
Eventually Michael knew, he had to talk to Sam about it. However, how and when was going to be the real challenge. For now focusing on making it to their new home was what Michael wanted to focus on.
Please let this town be normal. Please let this be just what we need. Michael thought to himself. He was pretty sure there was going to be nothing which could be worse then their experience in Santa Carla. Nothing which could even hold a candle.
Hawkins was sure to be the perfect place to start fresh.
