Mike woke up to the glorious smell of freshly brewing coffee. "You are driving me crazy with that smell."

"Morning, Mike, I think I used to be a barista or something in another universe."

"I believe it. I don't think I've ever smelled coffee that good before. Want to tell me your secret?"

"A girl needs her secrets Mike."

Mike got up and walked into the kitchen. "Well, good morning to both of you!" She took a quick glance downwards at Mike.

Mike was confused at first but followed her eyes. "Shit, El, ah, sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen. It's a morning thing." He turned beet red almost instantly. He quickly covered himself, turned around and walked to the sofa to go get his housecoat.

Nice going wasteoid.

He could hear her give a low giggle and say, "Let me be first to say that was impressive. I wish my boobs were on an equal scale."

Mike feeling completely at ease saying it, "Um, your boobs are ok, but your ass is spectacular.

Shit, did I just say that?

El maybe you should have been a bit more embarrassed seeing that. I might have, except that his reaction made me feel sorry for him. But then, he said I had a nice bum. Ass, El, he said you have a nice ass. Actually he said you had a spectacular ass. And it sounded like he was completely comfortable saying it.

He came back out to the kitchen, avoiding her eyes. He looked over at the table. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that's a diary?"

Yes, and it told me something I already know. It told me how much I love you. How much we loved each other. I'm not so sure about that now.

"Did you find the key, was it hidden?"

"No, it was in the diary."

"You know what that tells me?"

"Yes. That I trusted you either to not read it, or that there were no secrets in it you didn't already know."

She saw Mike nod. "I see you've been reading your leather journal. It wasn't hidden either."

"No, probably for the same reason," Mike shrugged, you can read it if you want to."

Mike turned red again, and quickly put his hand over the book holding it to the table when she reached for it. "Uh… Um… Uh, there are some passages in there that um, I might be a little um, embarrassed if you read them."

"Let me guess, there's a description of the first time we had sex. Of everything we did."

She purposely said we instead of them.

"Um, uh, yeah, and it's um, detailed. Um, very detailed."

"It's ok Mike, mine had the same thing. Right down to smells and tastes."

Mike would not look at her. She thought his face had now blended to an intense shade of purple. She was smiling and keeping her voice light and level, but she was a little turned on.

El, that's definitely not going to happen right now.

"Do you want me to make you some breakfast, I can cook way better than making Eggos for you."

"Um."

"Please Mike, it's ok."

I am never going to be able to look at her again. When she said smells and tastes, he knew that her reading that in her diary had been just as steamy as his had.

They sat eating bacon and eggs at the breakfast nook. "Thanks, El. I was starved. All I had yesterday was the Eggos. I don't think you had anything to eat at all?"

"I didn't really feel like it. I lose my appetite on emotional days."

"How do you feel today?"

"I'm done."

"Done?"

"With my cycle, Mike."

He felt his face flush again.

"What's your plan for the day?"

"You've heard of Maslow?"

"His Hierarchy of Needs. Yes. We already have the bottom layer." She looked around. "Food, Shelter, etc."

"Yes, but we don't have those for free. I've taken a look at a leather bag I have, and it seems like I repair watches or something." El nodded, "I read that in my diary. What was it you did… where you came from."

"Exact same thing. So at least the universe decided not to screw me too badly. But, I'd like to know why nobody has wondered why I'm not at work."

"Good question." El said looking a little worried. "Is that it?"

Mike continued avoiding her eyes. Something he found very hard to do because he felt at peace when he looked into them.

"I, uh, want us to go to the police station." It was El's turn to avoid eyes. "The county clerk's office is there too. I'm taking our marriage certificate, and documentation, to see if it's all legitimate."

He saw El's head hang low and in a voice he barely heard, she said, "Why, Mike?"

This is it, he wants an annulment or divorce. Why? So he doesn't have to be with me. One of us is going to have to move out.

"You said your name was El Hopper. But the paperwork all says Jane Ives."

She shrugged, she didn't know any Jane Ives. But she'd looked at all her ID, and that's who it said she was. But I'm El Hopper.

She decided to blurt it out. "You want out of the legal part of the relationship."

Mike did something she was not expecting. Not at all.

He clamped his hand over his eyes. His face grimaced, and then he put his other hand over his mouth. She could see his voice was hitching, he's started to cry the tears literally spraying from between his fingers. He was crying even harder than he had yesterday when she told her lab story.

Oh. His heart is breaking. What did I say?

"Mike?"

He was hyperventilating. She got up from the table and ran around to him. She threw her arms around him. "Mike! Please don't cry."

"Can't help it." He said.

This was it. He wants to end it but doesn't want to hurt my feelings and it's really bothering him. I should be crying with him, I need to be with him. I need to be with him because I love him.

"What is it Mike?" Force it out of him. Make him say it.

Suddenly his voice calmed down. He hadn't really looked at her since the morning wood incident. But this time he did. His eyes bored into her soul. She could not look away from his all consuming gaze.

"I love you El. I don't want us to be apart. Neither of us have anyone here, sure we have our friends but-"

"But it's not the same." She finished for him, she watched his slow acknowledging nod.

"If you don't feel the same way, I understand. I knew it would be a possibility, but I had to tell you."

"What about Max? You don't want to try and get back to her?"

"No... Max and I had a relationship of lonely convenience. We went to movies, hung out, but I went with her for maybe five years? I can count on one hand the number of times we kissed. Even then I think she did it because she felt sorry for me."

Max is turning out to be a bit of a cold bitch. She never treated Mike right where he came from, and it seems that she doesn't like or even believe us here.

There. I said it. I told El I loved her. He frowned, well she didn't say it back, so I guess I know where I stand.

He was startled to hear the intensity of her next words. "I don't feel like it's… it's enough to say that I love you Mike. I don't. But I'm yours. Our souls belong together. I would do anything for you. I would die for you Mike. I'm sure in another universe I have. If you want to be together, then it's done we are together. I don't care what some stupid legal paperwork says."

After she said that, he got a very determined look on his face. "Get dressed. We are going there now."

We love each other. We both know it now. We can do this. We can stay in this world and be happy knowing that.

XXXXX

"You ok El? Yesterday you looked a little, ah, no quite you." Hopper looked at the two of them holding hands and smiled.

"I had a few shocks yesterday."

"Henderson came by and asked why you were crying so hard after I dropped you off. You know I've thought of you as my daughter since everything you did for Sara. You visited her in the hospital the first day she was in there, and every day afterwards. You shaved your head when hers had to be. You still do that but neither Sara or I can figure out why. It's ok, a girl is allowed to have her secrets. You and Sara are more than best friends, you are like sisters. It took a lot of pulling of strings to become your foster parent, but I don't regret that at all. Neither does Sara, it was like a dream come true for her. I've told you before, I think it was your love that saved her. She was scared of leaving you… alone if she was… gone. Doctors said it was one of those recoveries that can't be explained. That it was not even worth the effort to try and find out. Seeing you yesterday, you looked like you didn't even recognize me, that hurt a little. Today I see you much happier, I can only assume Mike is the cause of that. Two of the best days of my life were knowing I could legally take care of you, and knowing that someone loved you as much as I did and loved you for who you were. Damaged goods or not, everyone knows how much in love you two are."

"Oh dad." It was all El managed to get out, before being completely incoherent. She ran to him, hugged his middle, she pressed her tear soaked face into his shirt. He kissed the top of her head.

Mike looked down, trying to be respectful of this display of affection. El had her dad back. Some weird twist in reality or luck. It didn't make any difference.

They stood like that for a few minutes.

"Sara was worried. You haven't talked to her in a few days. Can you stop by the cabin?"

El stood back, smiling at Hopper through her tears.

"Ok, what can I do for you guys, I mean, great visit but we could have done this at the cabin. Sara is really worried."

El turned to Mike, "Mike?"

Mike held up the folder containing all paperwork. "Everything here references Jane Ives. El doesn't even know who that is."

"I knew this would come back to bother you. We, uh, had to do it. Part of the string pulling I was talking about."

He went over to a safe in the corner of the room. Spun the combination dial, opened it and pulled out an identical folder. He handed it to El.

"This looks the same?" She looked up at her dad, her cheeks still wet with tears.

"The difference is your name is El Hopper, this is all your ID, real marriage certificate, everything."

"You are older now, they can't take you away from me." Hopper cleared his throat and turned away. "So," his voice sounded a little high pitched. "You can have this now, I know you didn't want to hide it, but we had to."

"Are you going to tell me why?" El said, curious.

"No. Too much bad shit has happened to you. You are my legally adopted daughter, Sara's best friend and sister, and you have someone who loves you and would die for you. My wishlist is complete. I hope yours is too."

XXXXX

"Can you believe that just happened?" El said as Mike drove to the mall.

"I'm so happy for you El. You seem to have your dad back. It was a little surreal listening to him. I almost started crying I was so happy for you."

El was silent. I don't think you are magically going to have a your little sister back, Mike.

"I'm sorry Mike."

He looked took a quick look at her. "I know what you are thinking. I don't have Holly anymore. But I have you and-" Mike stopped talking.

I'm sorry Mike, I didn't want to make you cry. Not again.

"I have you." He repeated.

"Yes you do Mike. And you have me forever. We have double sets of paperwork to prove it regardless of my name."

Mike laughed. "Can you imagine the look on your dad's face if you told him about the lab?"

"He seems a little less gruffer than he used to be."

"He loves his daughters. I would say equally going by how he talked about you two."

"He lost Sara where I came from. He was destroyed. Warning Mike, I'm going to cry really hard when I see her."

"It's ok. El. You always have someone to hug. Three someone's now."

Yes! This morning I was lost. It's almost like I just had to wait for universal alignment or something.

"Mike, I love you."

"More than anything, El. I love you more than anything." He gave her a deep sigh. "Let's go see if I still have a job."

XXXXX

"Get outta here Wheeler!"

Shit. I was afraid of this. Guess I don't work here anymore.

"You're on vacation, I don't care if you and your wife shop in the mall, but don't come to where you work. I'll see you in a week or so. Although…"

"What is it sir?"

"Well, first off, how many times have I told you to call me Don. You are almost like a son to me. Melvald's Jewelers would be nothing without you. I'm having a problem with this watch."

"Mainspring too tight?"

"Yes, but I can't seem to spring it. I promised it for a wedding anniversary. Should never have done it when you are on vacation. My hands aren't what they used to be.

"Let me take a look… Don."

"That's better Wheeler."

Mike took a look through a jeweler's loupe.

"Ah I see. Don, you really should put the mainspring tool onto the key post arbor and of course you gently click that holds the mainspring wound up. "

"Shit. You are a lifesaver. You really are. You are getting a raise."

El beamed. He fixed the watch in what looked like ten seconds. And he got a raise? Mike was really liked.

And he was really loved.

By me.

They walked through the mall. Mike turned to her. "Um, El?" He said. "My Maslow hierarchy needs are fulfilled. Completely. Let's make sure yours are."

El waggled her eyebrows at him. "Only one thing left for me, Mike."

"Oh?"

She didn't want to say it out loud in the mall. So she tiptoed and whispered in to his ear.

As expected he turned red. He's such a gentleman.

"Uh."

"Yes, Mike. Uh. Take me home and take me to bed."

"Uh."

El giggled.