It had already been 10 minutes since Steve and the kids had returned from the caves underneath Hawkins, and stuffed Billy's unconscious body in his Camaro. They did consider driving Billy to his front door, but then Steve threw up in the bathroom so they threw away that idea. Already Mike was stressed and pacing up and down the Byers house and peering outside the window, waiting for any headlights. Any update on El or Will would be great right around now, if not to make sure they were okay, but also to ease Mike's nerves and stop him walking around
"Mike, would you sit down for a sec? You're making me dizzy" Steve said as Dustin passed him a kitchen towel with an ice pack inside
"No"
"Well I tried" he said, as he placed his makeshift ice pack on his still-purple bruises
"Mike, I'm sure they're okay" explained Max
"You're sure? Really, you're absolutely sure El and Will are okay?"
"As a rule, no. But she took down these things before, she'll do it again"
Mike knew he hadn't been the kindest to Max all week. Maybe to keep her protected from all of this for her safety or just jealousy at the fact of a new girl in the group replacing El, but he had to admit it, the words of confidence weren't working but she tried "Yes, she's still a newbie to all this, but there's no harm in keeping at least one more person in the loop", he thought
Just then, like an answer to a prayer, the kids heard a familiar crunching sound of wheels on gravel and dirt. It was the Challenger. Their eyes lit up, as Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Max raced outside to the porch, as the car pulled up outside. Joyce, Jonathan and Nancy quickly jumped out of the car and lifted Will out of the back seat, Jonathan almost carrying him in his arms, up the drive into the house
"Is he okay?" said Dustin
"Yeah. It worked, we got the thing out of him" Nancy said quickly as the Byers rushed past the group of kids surrounding the living room and into Joyce's bedroom. Will didn't even react to his friends in the room, he was that out of it. Nancy, not saying another word, just pulled Mike in for a hug, almost smothering him
After finally letting go of him, she asked quickly "Just promise me you guys didn't do anything stupid when I was gone". Mike could see the fear and worry in her eyes, after she'd just been witness to what was close to a real-life exorcism. "Yeah, sure" he lied
Nancy then gathered her brother in her arms again, and Mike reciprocated the hug
"One down, one to go" muttered Dustin to no one in particular
Mike, finally released, looked outside the open door, forlorn
"She's gonna be okay" said Nancy. She rubbed her heartbroken brother's shoulder, and walked into the kitchen
Suddenly, a scream filled the entire house
Suddenly, like a miracle from heaven, the living room was filled with light again. Mike and Nancy were silhouetted in lights coming from the open door. Two more bright headlights appeared from the darkness, getting closer as the room shone
"El" Mike muttered as he finally was loosened from Nancy's arms, and ran outside, followed by Dustin and Lucas. Nancy turned around until her eyes spotted Steve, in the chair, his face purple and bloody and hidden by a wrapped up towel of ice. Her eyes widened in horror, her mouth ajar at the sight in front of her
"Admit it, this is not the worst you've seen me look" he joked
The police jeep stopped just behind the Challenger, and a very worn-out chief Hopper climbed out of the driver's side. He looked on briefly at the group of kids surrounding the porch, before hastily walking towards the passenger side door. Mike walked on down the step and towards the jeep, as Hopper opened the door to help the dozing goth-looking girl, with blood streaks all over her face, down to her feet. He had almost literally carried her out of the lab, passing a few dozen monstrous Demo-dogs motionless on the floor everywhere, and a Dr Owens, who had managed to crawl his way further down the seemingly-endless staircase next to an elevator.
"What happened? Is El okay?" Mike cried
"She's drained" answered the chief as he opened the passenger side door. El was asleep in the seat, barely hearing anything until she felt a sweep of cold autumn air hit her face. Hopper lifted her arm over his shoulder, and lifted her down from the jeep and into his arms. Her arm dropped and swayed as Hopper ran into the driveway, being careful not to trip or fall, as he carried her up the steps slowly, and into the house, barging past the group of kids gathered around the doorway
Mike, immediately torn up about the state of her, felt like his body was about to implode on itself. He walked alongside the two, as Hopper cradled her up into the house
"Make some room on the couch" ordered Hopper. Max and Mike quickly ripped away all the tunnel drawings stuck over the couch, to let El lay down. Mike kneeled down next to the couch, close to her head. As soon as El's head hit the soft couch cushion, she groaned
El's body looked so tiny in comparison to earlier. The light around shone over her exhausted face, and emphasised the red streaks around her mouth and over her earlobes. Dustin chucked Mike a pillow from the couch, who carefully placed it under her head to keep it up. Everyone gathered around, with worry in their eyes. "Is she okay?" asked a voice from the crowd. It was Max, and no one knew how to answer her
As soon as Hopper put her down, he ran into the kitchen, quickly grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and a washcloth from the draining board, filled the bowl with water and gently hurried back to the couch, trying not to spill it all. Everyone moved out of the way; all except Mike
Hopper passed the bowl down to the floor, and handed the washcloth to Mike with a "Here". Mike dipped the washcloth in water and smoothed it slowly over El's face, the dried blood slowly but surely coming off. El's face winced at the touch, but Mike still tried to be tender with her while cleaning her up
Joyce had recently come out of her bedroom, where she had been resting on her bed, next to Will and Jonathan, but awoke to lights from outside the window, and commotion from outside the door. She inspected her sons to make sure they were still sleeping, and made her way slowly towards the corridor. She left the door ajar a few inches, and strolled on, to survey the scene that had magically occurred in her living room. The teenagers and the kids were all standing around her couch, turning and looking at her, all surprised to see her there, until her eyes met the sleeping El on her couch, being tended to by Mike and Hopper. Hopper noticed the movement of everyone out of the corner of his eye, and stood up to walk over to her
"Hey. You should be asleep" said Hopper, in a low, comforting voice
"Oh shh. What happened? Is she okay?" Joyce whispered while hugging herself in her cardigan
"She did it. She closed it" he declared softly
Everyone sighed in relief. Mike's eyes went back to El, feeling a smile emerging on his face, the first one he had felt in months
"Okay, anybody who doesn't live here, time to go home. You okay to drive?" he said, pointing at Nancy
The kids wanted to stay with their friends, but all they mustered was throwing their hands in the air, until Hopper glared at each and every one of them
"No arguments. Come on"
Dustin, Lucas and Max followed Nancy out, while Steve wandered behind them. It was hard to find a balance when half your face is cold and numb. Mike was the last one to leave, but it was clear from the way he kept looking back at El, the image of her sleeping getting smaller and smaller as he slowly walked away. Hopper couldn't make head nor tail of it, but Joyce did, so she took a gamble
"Mike"
This made the two males in the doorway stop and turn to Joyce
"Do you want to stay here tonight?"
Mike, of course, answered "Yes please". But the look on Hopper's face just read "Did she really just say that? What are you doing Joyce?" As Mike skipped his way over to the couch and kneeled down beside it, next to the sleeping El, Joyce called Hopper over to the kitchen with a "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
Meanwhile, outside, as Nancy tried to help a reluctant Steve into the passenger seat on the Byers' Challenger (There wasn't enough room in the Camaro, with Billy's still unconscious body in the back seat, and they were pretty sure hijacking a cop's jeep was an arrestable offence), Max looked back at the house, before opening the door and getting into the back seat with the boys
"Is Mike really that obsessed with her?" she asked
"Should've seen him when she wore a wig" smirked Lucas
"A what?" exclaimed Steve from in front
"We'll tell you later" said Dustin as he patted Steve on the shoulder from behind. Nancy stuck the keys in the ignition and drove away
When eventually El had gained enough strength to open her eyes, even that felt like an anvil was sitting on her head. Her eyes were wet from tears, but she blinked to focus on her surroundings. First the ceiling, then she looked over to just light, and a shade of brown all over. Then her eyes managed to focus on one blurry face in particular, kneeling beside her
"Mike…?" she mumbled
"Hi El"
"Mike" El jumped over the couch and stretched her arms out to wrap them around him. Mike rubbed her back gently, knowing the strain already on her, fighting the urge to hug her tight as well. El felt a tear fall down her cheek as she snuggled into him, the feelings of warmth and comfort from her previous tenure with Mike 353 days ago flooding back; she had been through a nightmare, but now she knew she was finally home. And it was perfect
Hopper followed Joyce out the back door, where the brisk cold air shot into them both like spines. But Joyce didn't mind the cold so much, as her face explained. She felt Hopper had some explaining to do, and she didn't want to upset the kids
"Joyce, before you say anything"
"No. Okay, now I want the truth"
"Joyce I was only-"
"A year, Hop? A godamn year. Out of everything we talked about back when…"
"I was protecting her. To keep all of you safe" he interrupted
"What so you don't trust me?"
"No I do-"
"And El. When were you going to tell anyone about her? She's just a kid, she can't be shut in all her life. Hasn't she had enough of that?"
"It's not like that. She's been at my uncle's old cabin up in the woods, she's got everything a normal kid would have"
"Everything? What about friends, people, company?"
"It was too dangerous"
"Dangerous? Hop…" she rubbed the head of her nose, she couldn't even comprehend the words coming out of Hopper right now
"Wouldn't you do the same if it was you?"
"You don't think it hasn't been hard? Having to sit there and watch my boy-My boy! Being poked and prodded like that? Wires strapped to his head, all that equipment on him, while those assholes, who didn't even try to help, they just sat there and watched him, waiting for something-Anything to happen? Going through that same thing almost every day? Now I know what El and Will both went through is different, but don't you dare think that I would treat him, or her, any different to any other kid" She walked past him to open the door. She couldn't bear to talk to him anymore
"I didn't mean like that-Joyce I-"
"You know" she interrupted "I really thought me and you could trust each other on anything"
"Joyce, I did-" his next words were interrupted by the sound of the back door closing, leaving him alone to feel the cold air's sting, as his own inconsiderate, selfish words came flooding back to haunt him
Joyce took a deep breath, and walked around to the living room, to see El and Mike still hugging like nobody was there. She folded her arms and leaned on the wall, just watching them before Mike caught a glimpse of her, and the two kids in love quickly unfolded from each other
"You two doing alright?" she smiled
"Yeah" "Yes" They answered
"You guys hungry?"
"I'm okay, thanks" "Me too"
"Okay, I'll go get some blankets, and Mike, there's still that sleeping bag for you"
"Thanks, Mrs Byers" Mike called as the doting mother disappeared down the corridor into Will's bedroom. Until it was just Mike and El, alone. Mike turned and folded his arms on the couch cushion, his head resting on them, looking up at El. El smiled and grabbed onto his sleeve
"How are you feeling?" Mike felt like he knew the answer already
"Hmm… not great" El strained to get out, as she rested her head on the armrest
"You did so great, I'm so proud of you, you're the most amazing person I've ever met, I've missed you so much, I like you more than a friend" were all thoughts going through Mike's head at this point over and over, but due to El being as weak and vulnerable as she was now, all Mike thought to do, was entangle her hand inside his. El's face turned into a massive sleepy smile, as she squeezed Mike's fingers tight in her hand, their eyes locked on each other's, neither one wanting to close, for fear of this all being a dream
Eventually Hopper re-entered via the back door. He had decided to stay outside for a few minutes more, until it quietened down in there. He had planned to sleep in his jeep, but it was like something pulled him into the house. Just to double check.
He looked around to make sure the coast was clear. He didn't want to wake anyone up, especially Joyce, he felt he was the last person she wanted to see right now. He poked his head around the way to see his daugh-the girl he'd been looking after and teaching for a year- finally asleep, with her arm draped over this boy's shoulder, who was also sleeping, slouched with his back to the couch she was lying on. True, according to her, the two of them had been pining for each other for ages, and asking continuous questions asking Hopper for his company, only to be answered in a series of "No"s and "It's too dangerous"s and "Soon"s. But after seeing them so content next to each other, it makes you think, whether Hopper, who had already been a father, might need some teaching as well
