The Power of Love

by mileventhdoctor

Takes place post-season 3, but not following the events of my last Mileven story. It centers around Mike and El mainly, but there will be several other characters heavily involved in the plot. Let's just say it's going to involve a lot of telekinesis and rescue missions and leave it at that. (This story is dedicated to Olivia, Freya, Valerie, and John. I love you all so much!)

1. Home Is Where The Heart Is

Okay, so you guys are actually going to kill me because I left you all on a major cliffhanger with the last chapter, but I just came up with this chapter idea that I really loved and wanted to precede "I'm In Love, Thanks To You," so that's what this is. Also, this is the longest chapter I've ever written and I feel the need to apologize in advance because it's literally SOOO fucking long! Kudos to those of you who end up reading it all in one sitting, though please know that I don't expect you to at all! Seriously, I feel so bad about how long this is. Imagine how much of a pain in the ass it was for me to edit it though, lol! Anyway, I worked really hard on this and even decided to shift POVs, which are indicated in brackets whenever they change, but I think you guys will really like it. Also, this chapter is dedicated to one of my best friends who, like El, has been feeling really homesick lately. This one's for you, girlie! You know who you are…(P.S. Shoutout to mileveness for the concept of kissing the tattoo. I only wish I had come up with that myself because it's so damn cute!)

"No one leaves here without getting cleared by the paramedics first, is that understood?" the chief firefighter ordered and checked for understanding.

Hawkins, a place where chaos brewed like a wicked witch's potion- a recipe for disaster. It was when the town fell silent that you knew for sure something was up. But this night wasn't like that.

In front of the rusty, red sky lied a cloud of smoke coming from the very top of the building. It was almost as if evil was still lurking somewhere nearby. And there were people yelling and being evacuated out of Starcourt, and firetrucks, ambulances, and police cars pulling up every which way, followed by their wailing sirens which flashed with red light.

Seeing that all of the police officers and deputies were standing around with their feet planted on the ground and blank looks on their faces, the fire chief took charge.

"Hey, have you seen Chief Hopper around anywhere?" he asked.

The other deputies shrugged and shook their heads, leaving the chief with no other choice than to take the matter into his own hands.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go make yourselves useful! *points to Powell* You: Go look for Hopper, and you: *points to Callahan* go find some answers. Ask people questions and find out what all happened tonight. As for the rest of you, *sighs* just make sure that everyone's been evacuated out of that mall. We have no time to waste," he said.

"*claps hands repeatedly* Let's go! Move it people!" he continued.

"You heard the man!" said Powell.

Among all of the stretchers, ice packs, and paramedics were army men with guns, answering Hopper's call too little too late. And with them were Joyce and Murray, dressed in, oddly enough, Russian uniforms.

Before having exited the building to safety, Callahan caught Joyce on her way out and asked her if she knew where Hop was and if he had been involved. She responded, teary-eyed and struck with grief as she informed him of his death. His eyebrows drooped with sadness, his lips pursed with pity and after letting it all sink in, he phoned Powell on his walkie and told him there was no need to look anymore. He was gone...for good.

[El's POV]

As I sat beside Mike, on the ambulance's edge, a million thoughts ran through my head. I thought about many things that night and I just didn't know which thing to worry about first, but with a shock blanket draped over top of us, I felt like the best thing for me to do was just breathe and try to calm down because if I didn't now, then I never would. So, I stayed put, bundled under that large old blanket with the feeling of his shoulder pressing against the side of mine. I felt so safe in his company. I couldn't think of one person I would've rather been with in a crisis like that. But even so, I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

And then I eyed Joyce. She was frantic. She looked like she was trying to find someone. And not long after that, I watched as Will pulled off his blanket and immediately ran to her. Seeing Will and Joyce reunite was heartening, but then it hit me and I couldn't help but wonder- Where was Hop?

[3rd Person POV]

She got up. She looked from her left to her right, her hands floating by her sides like they didn't know where to be and she didn't know what to do with them. Something wasn't right.

[El's POV]

I could feel her...looking at me. Her hand was clutching over Will's shoulder like she needed something to bear down on. The light of the helicopters hit her just as she whimpered and she looked right in my direction, like she knew how I was going to feel before I felt it. And she did. She knew the most devastating thing and was left to be the bearer of the worst news one could tell- the death of a parent.

I looked at her this time. I knew something was wrong. I looked at her, hoping to find some answers.

[3rd Person POV]

El shifted her weight to her right foot, her face relaxing into a look of worry and wonder, but it was the expression on Joyce's face that said it all.

[El's POV]

And then I stopped. My shoulders dropped like the straps of a backpack that loosen the longer and more often you wear it because I was worn...worn out.

The light hit her again and she closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at me any longer without bursting into tears. I was a pity case now.

[3rd Person POV]

And El's eyebrows came to a slant. Her nose twitched and she started to shake her head involuntarily, her lips pursing in the shape of the word 'no.' Her chin pruned up and her eyelids folded shut and squeezed with the hurt that comes from knowing the truth- Hopper was dead.

[3rd Person POV]

Hopper's death left El feeling so helpless. With him no longer around, was her home even her home anymore or was she homeless? She didn't know.

After processing the news and being comforted by Joyce, she decided to find out for herself:

"*shivers* J-J-Joyce?"

"Yes, sweetie?" she said, rubbing her back.

"What-What do I do? Where am I supposed to go now?"

"Well, *sighs* let's see…*ponders* You could either stay with me and the boys or I could spend the night with you back at the cabin if that would make you more comfortable."

"And go back there?! With all of his stuff lying around to remind me of him?"

"Hmm...Maybe you're right. I guess I was just thinking it might be nice to be back in your room and have all of your stuff already with you, but if you're not ready for that just yet, then just say the word!"

"Would this be permanent? Me staying with you?" she asked Joyce.

"Well, I'm not sure yet. That's what we have to figure out still, but if you're worried about not having your stuff with you, you can just borrow my clothes and things for now and we can come back to the cabin another time. Does that suit you?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"We'll figure all of this out, El, don't worry...You're not going to be all alone again. No matter what happens, I can assure you that much. But let me just talk with the boys real quick, okay? You just stay with Mike for now."

"Okay."

*returns to ambulance, sits beside Mike*

"What-What's going on? Where's Hopper?" asked Mike.

*face reddens, tears begin to roll*

And she turned and latched onto him in a hug, crying into his chest. He looked down at the girl holding him, realizing just what had happened. And he drew her into an embrace so tight, hugging her with all of his might and kissing her head as he ran his hands through her hair.

Mike couldn't let El out of his sight, not when she was like this. He just wouldn't have it...Getting to take El home with him, however, wasn't an easy fight at first, as Max had wanted to do the same herself and she and Mike fought to the point that they were practically playing tug-of-war on each side of her.

"She's coming with me!" said Max.

"No, she's coming with me!"

"I'm her best friend!"

"Yeah, well I'm her boyf- I mean, not that, I'm her-her-"

"Her-her what? See, even you don't know what you are to her!"

"Fine, I'm her ex-boyfriend! Ya happy now?"

"Not quite, but I will be soon," she said cockily.

"Oh, you really think so, huh?"

"Yep."

"Well, let's just settle this and ask El then!"

"Let's do it!"

"Who will it be, El? Me...or Max?"

"I don't-I don't know…"

"El, let me make this easy for you. If you come home with me, it'll be an actual sleepover, but if you go home with him, you'll have to stay in the fort in his basement *turns to Mike* LIKE A DOG!"

"Hey, at least I don't treat her like a dog, ordering her around, making her do special tricks without paying attention to how much it's wearing her out!"

"God, sometimes you can be such an assho-"

"Oh my god, just shut up! Both of you! I appreciate the concern, but can you just give the rivalry bullshit a rest for two seconds?! I mean, really! You two are unbelievable sometimes..." said El.

*uncomfortable silence*

"Yeah, yeah, we're sorry. We were just being selfish, sorry," Mike nervously said.

"Yeah, sorry, El. We really didn't mean it like that."

"*exhales* Thank you!" she said, relieved. "*sighs* Look, Max, you know you're my best friend and I don't want to make it seem like I would ever choose Mike over you because that's not what this is and that's not how I feel at all, but I have known him longer and if it comes down to me choosing one of you to take care of me tonight, I will probably choose him. You have to understand, there's just so much history between us...I lived in his house for a week! But that's not even why I really think it's better that I stay with him than with you, it's really just that I'm aware of the fact that Billy didn't make it out alive either *sniffles* and I'm sorry to remind you of that in bringing this up, but I'd hate to put something like this on you and your parents in your time of mourning. I know we're going through the same thing, but I think your family needs you right now, not me."

"I get it, El. I'm not hurt, I mean, I am, but not about this. Can I talk to you about something real quick though?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, walking off with her.

*Mike throws hands up in annoyance*

"El, are you sure about this? You and Mike? You're not even back toge-"

*El covers mouth*

"Shh! He might here you...Yes, I'm sure. Besides, I think this might be a chance to fix things between us."

"Okay, well, in that case, go for it!"

"Thanks," she said, getting a little excited.

"On one condition…" she said throwing up one finger.

"What's that?" asked El.

"You have to promise to tell me EVERYTHING afterward! I want every. little. detail."

"You can count on me," she said.

"Ah, ah, ah...I didn't hear a promise, missy!"

"I promise," she said with a giggle.

"Good. Well, go get him, girl!"

"*laughs* You just try and stop me!" she joked.

*both laugh*

"Oh, but El?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm real sorry about Hop...My dad doesn't live in the same house as me anymore. He's still in California, all by himself, and I sure miss him, but losing him would hurt on a whole other level and I can't even imagine how awful you must be feeling right now...Just know that I love you and am thinking of you, okay? I know I'm not always the easiest person to talk to, but I'm always here if you need anything."

"Thanks, Max. I love you too and I'm so sorry about Billy...I know he was kind of a jerk to you sometimes, but he was still your brother and losing him must've been anything but easy. I'm always here for you too if you need me."

"Thanks, El. Well, what do you say? Hug?"

"Sure," said El, pulling her in for a big one.

"See you later," she said, rubbing her back and letting go.

"Take care," said El.

"You too," said Max.

*both walk back to Mike*

"*directs to Mike* Before I go, I gotta talk to you about something real quick," said Max.

"Me? O-Okay..." he reacted, surprised. "*turns to El* Hang tight."

"*pulls Mike aside, whispers* Mike, as much as you annoy the shit out of me, you're a good guy and I know how you feel about her, so I'm only going to say this once. *sighs* El's really vulnerable right now and if you take advantage of her in any way, I will kick your ass. Are we clear about that?" said Max.

"You know I would never do tha-"

*Max glares*

"I said are we clear?"

"Crystal!" he exclaimed with vexed enthusiasm.

"Good. You take care of her, alright?"

"You know I will."

"Thanks," she said.

*both walk back*

"Alright, well, bye, you two."

"Bye!" said El.

"*gives single wave* See ya, Max," Mike casually said.

Not long after she left, El turned to Mike and asked:

"What was all of that about?"

"Oh, it's nothing bad...We were just working something out. Nothing to worry about. I'd tell you if it was."

"Okay, I trust you," she said.

*smiles*

"She was just being a good friend. You know, I think that's why we have such a hard time getting along sometimes...because we're both so protective of you, but in different ways. Clearly, we just have a hard time sharing you."

"Aww, that's so sweet...I don't even know what I'd do without you guys!"

"Yeah...but hey! While we're at it, what uh- what were you two girls gossiping about over there?"

"I'll never tell!" she teased.

"*chuckles* You guys work everything out?"

"Yep, we're good. I'm still mad at you for being a *lightly hits collarbone* dill hole though…"

"Damn! Just when I thought I was finally on your good side again, I somehow managed to find a way to screw it up…"

*El chuckles*

"*grabs hands* Let me make it up to you. Come home with me."

"How can I say no to that sweet face…" she said, pinching his cheek.

*looks at the ground and blushes*

Meanwhile, Joyce walked up to both of the boys, saying:

"Boys, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I don't know how to tell you this exactly, but *sighs* Hopper is dead. *pauses* When I closed the gate, he was trapped with the machinery and *sobs* he didn't make it out alive. *sobs more*"

"Jesus!" said Jonathan.

"Oh, Mom…" said Will, feeling for her. "*pauses, gulps* Are-Are you okay?"

"*sniffles, shoulders tense up in a shrug* I don't know what I am, I just- *inhales* I'm- *sighs, hands hit sides* devastated…He and I had been through so much! *breaks out into tears*"

"Gosh, what's El gonna do now?" asked Jonathan.

"Well, that's actually what I came to talk to you boys about. I don't have a real answer for you just yet, but I'm going to talk with her first and for now, I need you, Jonathan, to take Will home. I will either meet you two their later tonight or tomorrow depending on whether El would rather me stay the night with her at her own house or ours."

"Wait, so what does this mean? Is she going to live with us?"

"For now she is...until we figure out a more permanent solution. Now, I don't know what exactly is going to happen and we're not going to decide all of that tonight, but it seems like we're her best bet and for all I know, her only option, so I don't want it to come as a surprise to you if that ends up being the case. Just be ready either way, okay?"

"*nods* Yeah. *pauses* Yeah, okay," said Will.

"Of course, whatever she needs," Jonathan added.

"Now, those are the boys that I raised!" she said, laying a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Mo-om!" said Will, embarrassed.

"Oh, you're just such good sports! I love you both very much," she said pulling them both in for a hug.

"We love you too, Mom," said Jonathan.

"Alright, well, take care of yourselves and I'll see you boys soon."

"Don't worry, Mom. We will. See you soon," said Jonathan.

"Good luck!" said Will.

"Thanks," she said, winking and giving a slight smile through her tears.

Joyce already struggled with separation anxiety from Will, but she couldn't worry about that right now. Right now, she had El to worry about.

She walked around to find El now with the Wheelers, clinging onto Mike.

"El, sweetie, how 'bout we go for a drive and grab something to eat? We can talk more then."

"Oh, right! Joyce was supposed to take me home…*chuckles nervously* Forgot to mention that part..." El said to Mike.

"El, sidebar," he said.

"Huh?"

*tugs shirtsleeve, steps away*

"So, you're telling me I have to fight for her permission now too?" he continued.

"I'm afraid so," she said biting her nails.

"Well, lucky for you, I'm on the debate team."

"Why does that not surprise me!" she teased.

*both walk back*

"Hey, sorry. We're back," said El.

"That's okay. So, what do you say, kiddo?"

"Actually, Ms. Byers, we were going to let her spend the night in my basement...unless you'd rather her stay with you," said Mike.

"El, is this what you want?" Joyce asked.

*nods*

"As long as it's fine with Karen, then it's fine with me," she said, despite knowing how strongly Hopper would've been opposed to this.

"Of course! El's always welcome," she said.

"*to Karen* When would it be best for me to pick her up? 11:30?" Joyce asked.

"Sure! Sounds great."

"Alright then. *turns to El, rubs side of cheek* I'll see you tomorrow, sweetie."

"See you," she said with a slight smile.

*starts to walk away*

"Joyce?" she called out.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," she said.

*smiles, winks*

"That was way too easy," said Mike. "I didn't even have to use my secret weapon!"

"Secret weapon? What secret weapon?"

"Nothing! It's nothing. *shushes* I've already said too much..."

*El laughs, rolls eyes*

Heading back home, Joyce set her keys down on the kitchen counter, greeted by her boys, who peppered her with questions.

"Where's El?" asked Will.

"Don't worry, she's fine. She's staying with Mike and his family. I'm going to pick her up tomorrow morning."

"Okay," said Jonathan.

"So...What now?" asked Will.

"I don't- I don't know. I just need t- I need to lie down."

"Okay, we'll be here if you need us," said Jonathan.

"Thanks, sweetie."

*walks off*

And the boys stayed up talking for quite a bit that night. They didn't think they'd be able to catch any sleep, but at some point or another, they dozed off. Joyce, however, wasn't so lucky, and neither was El…

Back at the Wheeler House:

"El, hun, do you want any pain meds for your leg?" asked Mrs. Wheeler.

"I think I'm good for now, thanks, but I might later. *chuckles to self* Honestly, I don't think any drug could lessen the pain I'm feeling right now..."

"Oh, bless your heart! *sighs* Well, if you need anything, you just let us know."

"Thanks, Mrs. Wheeler."

"My pleasure, sweetheart."

El and Mike then walked upstairs to get ready for bed, even though they planned to stay up talking, just like Will and Jonathan had.

"Do you usually shower in the morning or at night?" asked Mike.

"Morning."

"Okay, sounds good. Oh, and I already asked Nance. She said you could borrow some of her clothes if you-"

He was suddenly distracted by El, who wandered over to his room with a dazed, lost look on her face.

"Wan-ted…" he finished softly to himself.

Quickly grabbing a pair of Nancy's shorts, he followed El into his room. She sat on the side of his bed, staring into blank space, a state which she once saw Billy in. But then, directing her attention to Mike's deep, brown eyes, she snapped out of it completely.

*fumbles through drawers and closet*

"This okay?" he asked, presenting a sweatshirt of his and pajama bottoms to go along with it.

*nods*

It was almost like she had gone back, back to the old El, the nearly mute, abandoned, silent El, and he was reliving his tween days all over again.

"Well, I'll leave you to it," he said, getting up to walk away.

"Mike *grabs arm*," she said anxiously. "No. Don't."

"You don't want me to lea-"

"No," she said, unfastening the ends of her suspenders and sliding them over and off of her shoulders.

Looking down at her chest, she began to unbutton her yellow, tribal-printed shirt.

"El," Mike said, stopping her with a touch of the shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you want me to be around? I mean, is this okay?"

"Mike, don't be so dramatic! *sighs* Look, I know it's a little awkward, but I just, I can't be alone. Not right now…" she said, resorting to her sad state.

"No, no, I get it. I won't go anywhere, don't worry," he said. "I'll just cover my eyes to give you some privacy."

"Okay, thanks," she said, continuing to unbutton.

"*covers face, peers through hand* Must *pauses* look. Too *pauses* beautiful," Mike joked.

"*gasps* Mike! You naughty boy!" she teased, hitting him lightly with her shirt.

He said all of this in an attempt to lighten the mood and cheer her up, while also legitimately resisting the urge to stare at her through his fingers.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself!"

*giggles, blushes*

"No, I mean it though. You're stunning."

"Thank you," she said, looking at him seriously, with nothing but love behind her gaze.

"Of course," he said, handing her his sweatshirt and turning around this time to be fair.

*puts on shirt and shorts*

"Alright, all done. You are free to turn around."

"*takes deep breath, suddenly breaks out into song* Turn around, look at-"

"Oh no, not this shit again!" she said, covering his mouth.

"*singing* What you-" he continued, muffled by the palm of her hand.

"You're not going to stop until I sing with you, are you?" she asked.

*shakes head no*

*El sighs, lets go*

"SEE-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E!" he continued. "In her face- *holds her face*"

"I hardly even know the words! I've only heard it once!" El protested.

"*whispers* Oh, sure you do! C'mon."

"The mirror of your dre-e-e-e-e-ams!" he continued.

*El huffs and rolls eyes*

"Fine, but only until the chorus," she said.

"Actually, I don't even think I know it that far, other than the never-ending story part *laughs*," he admitted.

*both burst out into laughter*

"Huh! I just realized that that was the last song my dad ever heard…*giggles hysterically* I mean, can you imagine? He was probably ready to explode any second then! *laughs twice more, quickly turns to tears*" she said, not realizing that the particular way she referred to his anger would, in turn, mirror his death.

"*shakes head in tears* I'm sorry, Mike...I was really hoping it wouldn't be like this, with me crying the whole time, but I have this bad feeling that there's going to be a lot more of that tonight," she continued.

"El, don't be sorry! Your dad died tonight...No one expects you to be up and lively! It's all still fresh, still sinking in and there's nothing wrong with being sad. I'd be more concerned if you weren't. Hell, I'm just glad that you're laughing and smiling at all!"

"*smiles, wipes tears, sniffles* Thanks," she said, a little relieved.

"Of course!"

After calming down a tad, she turned to him and asked:

"Aren't you going to change too?"

"Oh, no, I take my showers at night, so I'll just change after I shower before bed, but I'm sure you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"*blushes* Shut up," she said softly, in a pouty, playful way.

*Mike laughs, laughter fades*

"So…" said Mike.

"So…" said El.

"El, I know we just got finished talking about all of this, but I'm just so so sorry...I seriously am, and I know you're probably really tired of hearing that...You've certainly had your share of sorries for one night, but I just- I don't know, I feel so bad and...useless. I mean, is there anything I can do? Because you know I'd do anything to make you happy."

*shrugs*

"Are you sure? There's really nothing else I can do for you?"

"I don't think so."

"Just name something, anything!"

"I'm sorry, Mike, I just don't even know what to do with myself at this point...I think I just need a distraction, something to take my mind off of it."

"Okay. Well, we could watch a movie, just to kind of unwind or um, let's see...What else? *pauses to think* I mean, depending on how you're feeling, we could just...talk. It doesn't have to be about what happened if you don't want it to, but I'll leave that up for you to decide...And if none of that sounds good to you, we could always just call it a night. Whatever you want."

"I-I dunno…I'm-I'm sorry."

"No, don't be! This is kind of a depressing sleepover, isn't it?"

"Yeah, *exhales in a slight laugh* a little bit..." she said, bobbing her head up and down.

He nodded and looked down, but once her hand reached out to touch his face, his attention was brought back to her.

"But not because of you! *rubs cheek with thumb* It's just a lot happened to us today…"

"It did," he said, agreeing. "It definitely did."

*reflecting silence*

"Hey, uh, how's your leg feeling?"

"It's alright."

"Good," he said, rubbing it. "I'm not hurting it, am I?"

"*chuckles* No, no you're fine. Stop worrying about me!"

"Sorry, *shrugs* it's my job!"

"What about you though? How are you feeling?" she asked.

"What do you mean what about me?"

"You have that awful gash across your face..." she said, reaching the backs of fingers out to stroke it gently.

"Oh, right...That! No, I'm fine. I honestly forget that it's there, even though I know it's pretty hard to miss. *chuckles*"

"*smiles* Good," she said, pinching his cheek a little before letting go.

Earlier, when they had first arrived home, it was already very late at night. And they continued to talk for another hour until Mike's mom hollered at them to keep it down. From that point forward, they just whispered.

"So, what do guys do at sleepovers anyway?" asked El, putting a hand to her face in interest as she made conversation.

"*rolls lips* Gosh, I don't even know really. *scratches head* I mean, it's pretty chill. We just kind of hang out, you know, maybe play some games, of course, it used to be D&D mainly, but now we play more video games. Um, sometimes we'll play small pranks on like Nancy or Dad or a neighbor or something. Sometimes even on each other! We might draw on the face of the person who falls asleep first. Oh, and we eat a lo-hah-hot of food! We'll usually have pizza for dinner and then when we watch a movie, we'll make popcorn, and then basically we just eat a shitton of snacks and junk food throughout the entire night. A lot of spur-of-the-moment wrestling matches too."

"Wow. *laughs a little* That's um...interesting!"

"And of course we talk about girls and stuff too," he said, raising his eyebrows at the mention of girls.

"Hah, talking about boys is like the main event at a girl's sleepover, I mean, I've only ever had sleepovers with Max, but still…"

"That still counts...Tell me about them. What were they like?"

"*says in a surprised but happy tone* Okay! *smiles* Well, it started with us just singing and dancing to music in my room...A lot of pop, mostly Madonna."

"Of course, of course," said Mike. "Go on!"

"And then we read some magazines, you know, Tiger Beat. And um...then we started talking about boys…"

"So, me and Lucas?"

"Yeah, basically. I mean, it started with Ralph Macchio and then led to that."

"Ah, Karate Kid. Great movie."

"Never seen it," she said.

"Wait, what?! You've seriously never seen Karate Kid?"

"Nope."

"Then how did you know about Ralph Macchio?"

"Oh, I was just flipping through Tiger Beat and Max caught me staring at a photo of him."

"Ah, I see how it is..."

"Well, we were broken up, so-"

"So, you were already shopping for other boyfriends?"

And she hit him back with:

"Oh, like you were 'shopping' for Nana?"

"Touché!" he said.

*playfully nudge at each other*

"Mike, stop! You didn't let me fin-ish," she said, giggling.

"Oh, so, there's more?" he asked, showing interest.

"Mike," she said in a chastised way.

"No, please! Tell me more about you and this Ralph Macchio!"

"You know what? Forget it. I'm not even going to tell you anymore…" she said, crossing her arms with slight satisfaction over his disappointment.

"Okay, fine! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. *chuckles* What were you going to say?"

"I was going to say *pauses* that...*pauses again* when Max saw me looking at his picture, she started blabbing on about how she bets that he would be a great kisser and then she asked me *swallows* she asked me if you were a good kisser."

"Oh. Ohhh!" he said.

She exhaled through her nose in a laugh and nodded, then looked up at him to see how he would react.

"And you said…?" he asked eagerly and all in the same tone.

"Don't put me on the spot like that!"

"*chuckles* Sorry, can't help it! I'm just on the edge of my seat!"

"Ugh...Fine! *sighs, closes and opens eyes* I said I didn't know because you were my first boyfriend, but if she had asked me now, I probably would've changed my answer..."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding and slightly smiling.

"To…?"

"*giggles* To yes, dummy!"

"Good to know," he said, smiling.

"You are too! *pauses* Really good," he continued.

"Oh, you're just saying that!" she said, throwing her hand down.

"No, no, really, I'm not..."

"Oh…*smiles* Then, thanks," she said, biting her lip and drawing attention to it.

"The pleasure is all mine…" he said with a smirk.

"Hey! Don't get any ideas, you…"

"Whoops! Too late!" he said.

*giggles*

"Any-way...We just watched movies and stuff too and read some comic books."

"Ooh! Which ones?"

"Wonder Woman."

"Bitchin'," he said, bobbing his head up and down with a smile.

"Yeah, *pauses* bitchin'," she repeated.

*smiles*

"So...yeah! That's what they're like."

"Cool!" he said.

"Yeah, *pauses* pretty cool," she said, seeing if he would catch onto her hint at one of his past remarks.

*Mike smiles*

"God, can you imagine how much Hopper would be flipping out right now if he knew I was here?!" she brought up.

"Oh my god, he'd totally go berserk! I'm pretty sure he'd actually kill me…*laughs* He'd be like chasing me around with a gun, yelling 'I SAID 3 INCHES, YOU SON OF A BITCH!'"

She giggled like a schoolgirl...at first. She had been in such a good mood with him around, but then her face suddenly changed. The space between her eyebrows condensed with concern, the crescent of her smile flattening into a line between her quivering lips.

"Hopper…"

And she broke. She broke down, closing her eyes and exhaling through her nose and mouth repeatedly as tears rolled down her cheeks and past her pouting lip. Then she opened them, looking at Mike all red-faced and glassy-eyed.

"Mike, *sobs* I'm sorry…"

"For what?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"For acting like everything's alright when it's clearly not…"

"Oh, El…" he said empathetically, so torn up about the pain she was experiencing. "You don't ever have to pretend to be okay when you're with me…"

Sitting up with his back propped up against the headboard, he reached out and grabbed her hand, stroking it with his thumb. And she looked, first at their hands and then at him. He pulled her towards him and then, removing her arm from the one knee she could fold to her chest, she extended her legs and scooted over to where he was.

Rolling over into his chest, her right arm slid behind his lower back, her left holding his hip. He cuddled her in his arms, holding her left arm in the palm of his right and throwing the other around her neck, his left hand resting gently atop of her sleeve. Her head sunk into the crook of his neck and she just cried as he lightly cradled her back and forth, whispering words of comfort to her.

All time just seemed to fly out the window when it was just the two of them, even when they were no longer in a relationship, as they remained the same for almost 20 minutes...That was until Mike found himself starting to doze off.

"Hey, El?" he asked in mid-yawn.

"Yeah?"

"I'd love to stay up with you, but I'm kind of beat. Could we maybe start heading towards bed?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay. Well, I'm going to hop in the shower and hit the sack, so I guess this is goodnight."

"Wait, but Mike, I wanna stay up as long as you stay up…"

"Okay, that's fine. I'll just meet you downstairs afterward."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay. How long?"

"Mm...5, 10 minutes. Not too long."

"Alright."

And she walked down the stairs but stopped in mid-step, realizing that she hadn't yet brushed her teeth or flossed. So, she headed back up the steps and knocked on the bathroom door.

*door opens*

"Something wrong?" Mike asked, his head peering around the creak of the door.

"Oh. No, I just- I need to brush my teeth and floss. Can I come in real quick?"

"No!" he shouted.

"No?" she repeated, confused.

"Yeah, no, sorry. What I meant was- *sighs* You see, I'm kind of *raises eyebrows* half-dressed right now, so um.."

"Oh…" she said, trying to hide her amusement.

"Yeah! Let me just- I-I'll let you know when you can come in."

"*laughs* Okay, sorry."

"No worries," he said, shutting the door.

*curtain rings slide*

"Okay, coast is clear!" he said once done.

"Huh?" she said, not understanding what he meant.

"Come in!"

*opens door*

*El rubs chin*

"Hey, Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, I don't have a toothbrush with me…"

"*laughs* That's fine, you can just borrow mine."

"Are you sure? I mean, isn't that kind of weird?"

"Not really. I mean, we used to swap spit all the time, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you have a point there, though I think it was a little more meaningful than just that."

"It was," he said, agreeing.

*Mike whistles Never-Ending Story*

"Where's the toothpaste?"

"*whistling ceases* Huh? Oh, sorry! Cabinet."

"'Kay, thanks."

"Mmhm."

*Mike winces in pain*

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, it's just the cut on my face...The water just kind of makes it sting when you wash your face, that's all."

"Aww..." she said.

El was always getting distracted, but sometimes that was a good thing. And wiping the steam off of the mirror glass, she looked inside it, saying:

"Aww, man!"

"What? What is it?" asked Mike.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"*peeks head past curtain* Do I really have to remind you?" he asked, pulling the curtain back once finished speaking.

"About what?"

"Well, *turns off water* as a wise woman once said: *peeps head past curtain* friends don't lie," he said, reaching for his towel on the rack.

"Wise woman, huh?" she asked.

"That's right!" he said.

"Well, if you must know…*sighs* I-I got a pimple."

"That's it?"

"Well, yeah."

"*laughs* El, we all get pimples! It's not that big a deal."

"Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say! Your skin is perfect."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, *pauses* it is."

"Are you even brushing your teeth or did you just come in here to talk?" he asked, drying off before he hopped out.

"Oh. Right!" she said, grabbing his toothbrush and squeezing the tube across the top.

And he wrapped the towel around his waist and tucked it in really tightly to avoid any awkwardness that might result from it coming undone. Meanwhile, El, the master procrastinator, finally began brushing her teeth.

*draws curtain, steps out*

*El closes eyes in reflex*

"*chuckles* El, it's okay, I have a towel on."

"Oh," she said, opening her eyes.

Shirtless, with his head in a towel, he rubbed and shook his wet hair until it was poofy and damp. But when he wasn't looking, she was...

There's no harm in checking him out just a tiny bit, right? she had thought to herself. There was already so much history between them.

She slowly moved the brush through her mouth, as if in a trance, her teeth clenching the ends of the bristles just as his gaze met hers.

"What?" he asked, wondering why she was looking at him all funny.

"*spits out toothpaste* Nothing! It's nothing…"

*raises eyebrows*

"No, really!"

"O-kay…"

And just as El was about to walk over to get the floss out of the cabinet below the sink, Mike was walking in the opposite direction to get his comb from the holster on the wall shelf. Seeing as this was the case, the two somehow always managed to make the same moves in the same direction, blocking each other in this unchoreographed little dance.

"'Scuse me," Mike said in a husky, gravelly voice.

*grabs her waist, starts to lift up*

"Hey! What are you doing?!" she asked.

And he picked her up...

"Oh my god. Mike! Put me down!" she said, giggling.

And moved her out of the way.

He couldn't help but smile with how completely smitten she was at his touch and how adorable and tiny she was compared to him.

Then, after grabbing his comb, he turned to the mirror and started running the teeth of it through his hair and bangs. And El nudged his hip with hers, saying, "Hey, scoot over," just as she began to floss her teeth.

It was insanely cute, the way they groomed themselves in the mirror at the same time, so cute that she even let out a little laugh, muffled by the string she threaded between her teeth. And he smiled to himself.

After they both finished, they stopped for a second and just stared into the glass. Standing side-by-side, looking at themselves in the mirror and then at each other was...a powerful image. It made them reflect, so to speak, on how they not only looked good together, but were good together.

"Hey, um- I'm gonna get changed. I'll see you in a few."

"Okay," she said, softly and sweetly.

He walked past her and into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him, just as she shut the bathroom door behind herself. And they leaned their backs behind each closed door, with Mike sighing and El closing her eyes and smiling, as she often did.

They took that second, just a second, to realize their true feelings for each other. Even if they weren't going to act on them just yet, they could still have their fun, being all touchy, teasy...flirty.

She looked in the mirror and fixed her hair and he put on his pajamas. Then, he took a deep breath, exhaling through his mouth and opened the door, where he found El- standing against the opposite wall, waiting for him.

"Hey," she said, in an eager, high-pitched voice.

"Hey," he said, in a deeper, more casual tone, as he swung his hands together in claps. "You ready?"

"Yep. All set," she said with a smile.

"Great."

And he opened the basement door for her, saying:

"After you."

"Thanks."

"Yep."

*walks down the steps*

"You-You still have the fort...Oh my gosh!"

"Uh, yeah! *laughs* Where'd you think you were gonna be sleeping? *tilts head to look at her reaction*"

"I don't know...the couch, a sleeping bag! I just figured Max had a hunch about it when she brought it up earlier like that. I didn't really think she was being serious."

"Oh. No...I could never bring myself to take it down. *pauses* It meant too much to me."

"It did or I did?"

*brief silence*

"Both."

*El smiles at the ground and blushes*

"C'mon," he said, taking her hand and leading her to it.

And then he tucked her in, continuing to hold onto it as he said:

"Look, I know tonight's been absolute hell, but things are going to get better. Slowly, but they will."

"I know they will," she said, nodding.

"Good," he said, bobbing his head with a slight smile.

"Well, uh- Night, El."

"Night, Mike," she said, softly.

*Mike chuckles*

"What?"

"Nothing, just...Déjà vu."

"Déjà what?"

"Déjà vu, it's like when you feel that whatever's happening to you now has happened to you before, usually because of a familiar situation or exchange of conversation, which in this case is exactly it."

"Oh, I see. Like the night we met," she smiled.

"Yeah, just like that."

Then he said:

"You look comfy!"

"*giggles* That's because I am!"

*laughs*

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" he asked, rubbing her hand with his thumb.

"I'm sure I can manage," she said with a cute little smile.

Their faces were scarily close and El bit her lip just looking at him. He was this close to kissing her goodnight, but he stopped himself, knowing it wasn't right even though it felt that way. So, instead, he just kissed her cheek and said a simple:

"Sweet dreams."

"You too…"

And then he walked off and up to his room and that was that. Or so they thought…

You see, when El was around Mike, all of her troubles just seemed to sort of fade away, but when she was alone, they reappeared- and in the worst ways too...She had the hardest time sleeping that night, as all of those terrible thoughts came creeping back into her head, those terribly devastating thoughts of having lost someone she loved dearly- her father.

She cried herself to sleep, but it wasn't long until she popped up again from having a nightmare. At this point, she just didn't know what to do with herself anymore. So, she walked upstairs and gently woke up Mike, as he was the only one left to comfort her in times like these.

"Mike…" she said,

"*groggily* El? *rubs eyes* What uh- What are you still doing up?"

"I-I couldn't sleep," she said, crawling on his bed. "Is it okay if I just lay here with you for a while?"

"El, I-I don't know about this...I really don't think this is such a great idea."

"You're the one who suggested the sleepover!"

"Yeah, but first of all, we're broken up and second of all, it's just- *sighs* if my mom found out you were in here right now, at this hour, she'd kill me!"

"Who says she has to know? It can be our little secret..." she said coyly.

"El…"

"Mike!"

He waited to see what she would say next.

"I need you…"

*clarifying silence*

"Okay. *pauses* Okay, yeah, hop in."

"Thanks."

For a second, he was almost certain this was all just a dream of his, as he often dreamt of El, but when she hopped under the covers with him, he soon found that it was all very real and- there was a girl in his bed.

"Hey, uh- Sorry for being so anal earlier, I just-"

"Anal?" she asked, giggling a little.

"Yeah, but it's not what you think. It has a different meaning. It means-"

"Shh, shh, shh…" she said putting a finger to his lips. "You always talk too much."

"Yeah, I know. *laughs* Sorry."

"And apologize when you don't need to."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry- I MEAN!"

*laughs*

"So, you said you couldn't sleep...Is it because-?"

"Yeah…*pauses* Every time my head hit the pillow, I just couldn't stop thinking about him and how I had a feeling it was going to happen before it did, but I let him go anyway..."

"El, this isn't your fault! *pauses* It's not..."

"*sniffles* You mean that?"

"I mean it! I promise you, it isn't."

"Okay. Sorry, for waking you up, I just- I-I can't be alone right now."

"No, no, I totally get it!"

"How were you able to sleep anyway?" she asked him.

"I have no idea! *shakes head* I could've sworn I was gonna be up all night, but I guess I just- I had something pleasant to dream about…"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," he said, making it perfectly clear that she was, in fact, the one he was dreaming about.

"Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you about something?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"Earlier, you-you kissed me."

"Well, on the cheek, but yeah, I did."

"Why?"

"*laughs* Why?!"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because I wanted to. It just- I don't know...It-It felt *pauses to shrug* right."

"But what does this mean? I mean, what are we? We're not together, are we just friends? What is this called?"

"I don't know, but we don't need to put a label on it right now. Let's just *pauses* be."

He loved her so much that he almost forgot that they were still technically broken up, but that didn't matter to him. Being there for her in her time of need was all he really cared about.

"Mike?"

"Yes?"

"One more thing…"

"Okay…?"

"Hold me...please."

And he drew her close, her chest facing his, but just as she wrapped her arms around him, she soon came to find that he was shirtless and being El, she wasn't afraid to point it out.

"No shirt," she said, her left hand slowly sliding down from his shoulder and coming to a halt at the top of his chest.

"Huh?"

"You have no shirt."

"Oh. Right!"

"But you did earlier. What happened to it?"

"Oh, I just- I-I don't usually wear one when I sleep."

"Oh."

"Yeah, it's kind of a guy thing. I don't know why...but if it would make you feel more comfortable, then I can put it back on."

"No, no, that's okay," she said.

"*laughs quietly* Goodnight, El."

"Goodnight," she said, with a smile he couldn't see but could feel in his heart.

And they both fell asleep with a smile across each of their faces. Now, of course, that smile faded. El was extremely torn up about Hopper. It was hard not to be. He had been such a present light in El's life, but then again, so was Mike and at least that was something. Whenever she felt scared, she just held onto his arms and chest a little tighter and everything was alright, just like he said it would be. She woke up a little earlier than he, but was afraid to move, in fear of waking him but also of letting him go. So, she just laid there, thanking her stars for every freckle on his face and every finger on his hand.

"Oh, hey! You're up!" he said, looking down near his arm, where the side of her neck laid upon.

She looked up at him with a lovestruck look in her eyes and put a finger up to his lips, tracing them with her index finger, then letting the tip of her finger snake down his chest and rub it a little.

"How kind of you to notice! *laughs*" she joked. "*noses touch, softly says* Good morning."

And then he lifted his arm, which was bent behind his head, and put El's wrist to his lips, kissing her tattoo.

"What was that for?"

"To make the pain go away."

"Aww! Thanks."

"Of course."

"Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Like a bunny."

"*giggles* Me too...Well, sorta."

"I'm just glad you got some at all, poor thing," he said, running his hands through her hair.

"Yeah, thanks to you…"

"Well, are you hungry? We could always make your favorite…"

"Eggos?"

"What else?!" he said eagerly.

*El giggles*

And they did just that, having breakfast with the rest of the family, but making sure to sneak down at different times. Then, El showered, dried her hair, and got dressed, but not without Mike demanding to be in the same room as her, of course, as he wanted to help her and make sure that she didn't slip in the shower because of her leg. And by that time, Joyce was all ready to pick her up.

"Ready, sweetheart?" she asked.

"I don't want to let go…" she whispered to Mike, clinging onto him.

"Believe me, I don't either, but I'm afraid we don't really have a choice…" he said.

"*sighs, lets go* Yeah, I'm ready," she said, finally answering Joyce.

"Goodbye, Mike. I uh- I'll see you."

"Yeah...See ya."

On the car ride back home, Joyce and El briefly conversed about the sleepover and then jumped into a long conversation about what things would like from there on out, such as where El would live, who her guardian would be, and what her schooling arrangements would look like.

"El, *pauses* I know you're going through an unimaginable amount of pain and confusion right now and I want you to know that we're all here for you and you're not alone in this, but at some point, we will probably need to discuss your home and schooling situation."

"I understand. We can talk about it now if you'd like. I think I'm ready."

"Okay. Well, I've been thinking about this a lot while you were gone and I so wish that I could just let you pick your own guardian, but considering your powers and secrets, it really only makes sense for me to take you in. That might not be your ideal choice, but I can assure you that I will stop at nothing to keep you safe."

"There's no need to be sorry. I understand and besides, I would've picked you anyway. Hopper would've wanted it that way…Are you sure you're okay with this though? Taking me in and all?"

"Of course, sweetheart! The boys and I, we have no problem with making a new addition to the family and would be more than happy to take you in."

"*smiles* Thank you…for everything."

"Well, don't thank me yet…I'm afraid I have a bit of an upsetting proposal for you."

"What is it?"

"El, *holds hands* I know how much this place means to you, but I also know that this hasn't been an easy journey for you, not in the slightest and now your life just got a bit more complicated."

"Yes," she said, nodding.

"Can I tell you something you're not going to want to hear?"

*nods*

"*sighs* I think if we stayed here, we might not make it. I know you want to protect your friends and I know that you love them dearly, but just because you can do those things doesn't mean you should, especially if it's putting your own self at risk. You have already saved them over and over, but there's only so much you can do to protect them."

"What are you saying?"

"I think we need to move."

"Move? Where?"

"*tearfully* Out of Hawkins."

"Wh-Wha- *pauses* What would we do that for?"

"I think you know why…"

"But why do you want to?"

"This place, it's different. It's special in a lot of ways, but it's broken too. The people on the outside, they just shrug it off, think it'll get better, but all of us, you, me, Will, Jonathan, Max, the boys, everyone involved- we've been in on the inside. We know it wasn't just a fluke. It's all one big hot mess that we always seem to tangle ourselves in and it's not going to get any better. Even if nothing major happened again, it won't heal the damage that's already been done..Sure, we found Will, but he's never been quite the same since. And the body count goes up more and more every year...I've lost three people while here in Hawkins. I lost Bob, I lost Hopper, and then I lost myself…I'm not about to lose you or Will or Jonathan too."

*tears up, holds Joyce's hand*

"If we're already going to start new, we might as well start fresh. So, I'm proposing that we move, not right now, but within the next couple of months. When we're ready. Look, I know that this is a big transition and a lot to consider, but I need for you and Will and Jonathan to be safe and I truly think that this is the only thing that makes sense to do if we're really going to be intent about it. I know it's not ideal, but I really think that it would do us all some good…to get the hell out of this place, for good."

"For good? What good would that do? We'd just be leaving everyone behind."

"We won't be leaving them behind. We'll come and visit regularly."

"You promise?"

"I swear it!"

"*sniffles* You've been thinking about this for a while now, haven't you?"

"*chuckles a little* I have."

"*also chuckles a little* I can tell," she said, sniffling.

*snickers, brief pause*

"How long?" she asked.

"How long what, sweetheart?" asked Joyce, rubbing her back.

"How long have you been thinking about this?"

"A little less than a year, but believe it or not, your father wouldn't let me leave! He insisted that I stay. He kept telling me that there were people here who still cared about me and implied that he was one of them, but now that he's gone, I just don't have much of a reason left to stay."

"I know my dad and he wouldn't say that to just anyone…You meant a lot to him, you know that?"

"*lip quivers, nods* He meant a lot to me too…And I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but screw it! *sighs* We had plans…plans to go on a date, but that was before…"

"*wipes tears* Really?" she asked, suddenly interested.

"Yep," she said, nodding.

"My dad…on a date? Wow! I mean, wow..."

"Kind of hard to picture, huh?"

"Yeah...I mean, I always thought you guys would make a good pair…I always had this fantasy that maybe someday you'd become my mom but while he was still my dad, of course. At least my glass is half full now," she said with a smile.

"Aww, c'mere, you!" she said, pulling her in for a hug.

*pulls away*

"Listen, you take as long as you need to process all of this. There's no rush!"

"Thanks."

"Of course, sweetheart," she said, placing a section of hair behind her ear.

[El's POV]

The next three months flashed right before my eyes and the next thing I knew, it was moving day already. I was nearly completely finished with packing up my things, the only thing left being my favorite teddy bear, Beary, which I'm sure you can guess who named it.

[3rd Person POV]

It was on the very top of the shelf in her closet and she tried to reach for it herself, but it was too high up and she was too short. Frustrated, she sighed heavily, placing her hands on her hips as she stared at it, the veins in her forehead a bulging blue. She looked down with disappointment.

[El's POV]

No one else was around to help me and though it was a little task, I was determined to do it on my own. But then a thought occurred to me, a way to satisfy not only my need but my curiosity too- I could try and move it down with my powers. My powers were the one part of me that was special, the one part of me that stood out. Without them, I not only felt lost but like I had lost my purpose too. Mike tried his best to show me that my background was what made me different, not just my powers. Joyce even expressed that not everybody had just one purpose or even a purpose at all, but assured me that if I did, I would find it. She said that that's what your teens are for, figuring out who you are, what you're passionate about, and your place in the world. And when I came to Max about this, she said that I might just surprise myself by how much I'm actually capable of on my own and that true power came from within, I just have to trust in myself. But this time, I didn't feel misled by her advice. I felt the opposite. I felt encouraged, by not only hers but everyone's, yet I still couldn't fight this dying urge of mine to put them to the test...

After having lost them, I had tried to test them out time and time again with no success or positive results, but it only made me feel less and less capable, so everyone advised me to take a break for a while (mostly Mike but Joyce a little too). In some ways, I agreed with them and deep down I knew they were right, but they just didn't know what it was like. So, looking up again with the same focus and crinkle between my eyebrows, I did what I vowed I wouldn't. Raising my hand in front of me at eye level, I attempted to harness the power that once lived inside of me.

[3rd Person POV]

Her hand twitched and writhed with struggle, her face scrunching up like a raisin. She was really hoping that they would work in her favor this time, her powers, but for trying to lift something so light, they sure weighed down on her brain until it was too much to bear and there was no point left in trying.

She let go, again, her chest rising and sinking as breaths pushed against her diaphragm in a series of sighs...That was until she was suddenly interrupted by a familiar, comforting voice. "They'll come back," he said. "I know they will." She smiled and watched as the boy who welcomed her into his world came walking through the door, approaching her. Now that he was taller than his own sister and mother, reaching for that teddy bear was a piece of cake and he did just that. She wondered how he knew that she was trying to reach it in the first place. She figured he had probably seen her fail, but it didn't matter. She was just glad that he was here.

He handed her Beary. She looked down as she wrapped each arm around it, then up at him as she let out a soft "Thanks!" with a shy smile and settled in place with an eager bounce.

"You packed your walkie, right?" he asked.

"Yes," I asserted.

"Because you know that I'm going to steal Cerebro from Dustin and call you so much you're going to have to turn it off, right?"

[El's POV]

I snickered...He did too.

I looked down and he looked right at me with a smile.

I then brought up Thanksgiving, making sure that our plans were still settled for him to come over. I feel like just the fact that he was sacrificing his holiday plans just to spend them with us really said something about the way that he felt about me, even if he couldn't yet say that for himself. I mean, sure, Will's his best friend, but though no one's willing to admit it, we all know he's coming more for my sake than his.

He even went on about Christmas, suggesting that maybe I could come spend it with him, and Will too! And he started rambling on, as the lovable Mike Wheeler does, about how fun it would be with all of our cool, new presents to play with, which he started to regret saying solely because of how childish it sounded to him, but I didn't mind. I didn't mind at all. I loved that idea because I loved him. And I reassured him, trying to break through the mere awkwardness of it all by telling him that I liked presents too and that was that.

Then, I looked down, my face changing as I passed him. There was so much history and unfinished business between us and I no longer knew where we stood. I thought that talking to him before I moved away would clear things up, but I left the conversation feeling more confused than I was when we first started. It only further blurred the line between our being friends or more than friends.

I could tell he felt like he had totally blew it, like he had wasted his only chance to tell me how he really felt while it was just the two of us. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. He let his awkwardness get the best of him again, just like when he first tried to tell me before back at the grocery store, but since the conversation wasn't going in that direction, he was hesitant to bring it up. He was afraid of how I might react and of being vulnerable with me in that way, but I wasn't. I knew how I felt and even though I was much shier than he, I somehow found the courage to confront him about it. It was then that I finally learned what Max meant when she said that true power came from within.

"Mike," I said, turning around to face him.

"Yeah," he answered, his hand hitting his side as he turned to face me.

I then brought up that day back at the cabin when he was arguing with Max. He claimed he didn't follow even though I knew he did, but I continued to paint the picture for him regardless.

He acted like it was so long ago, like he had forgotten about it completely, but I could see right through him. He had been thinking about it for far longer than he was willing to admit. He claimed that the conversation was just an argument and heat of the moment stuff, but I knew it was more than that. I knew that it had opened a floodgate of feelings he didn't know he had in him, but loving someone wasn't just something you forgot, despite his "not remembering" exactly what he had said.

So, saying his name again, I approached him slowly, the teddy bear still in my arms. He looked down at me with a slightly confused, furrowed look between his eyebrows. But reaching a hand up to the side of his neck, I looked him straight in the eyes, and mustered enough confidence to tell him that I loved him too. Then, with my thumb sliding into his hair, I guided his face towards mine and pulled him in for one kiss that turned into three. And afterwards, I stared into his eyes again and smiled, my hand sliding down his chest.

This time I walked away with a nervous look on my face, a look of "Oh my god, I can't believe I just did that." I closed my eyes again and scrunched my face, this time, pleased with how I left things. And I can only imagine my forwardness must've taken a real shock to him because even though he kissed me back, I could still sense that his eyes were open.

At the time, I didn't know how he felt or how my telling him that and kissing him made him feel, but all I know is that Mike and I have always been on the same page in our relationship when you don't count the brief period where we were broken up. We've always felt the same way about each other, even when we didn't know how to express it to one another or got too nervous when we tried to, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the same still applied now.

Before Hop passed, things were so unclear between me and Mike. It was always the question of whether we were friends or if there was still something there between us. When he saved me from Billy, he showed me how much he still cared and the danger he would put himself in at my cost, but it wasn't until he gave me those M&Ms back at the hospital that he truly won me back with his charm. Those two moments reassured me that he was still going to be an integral part of my life, regardless of our label, but also convinced me that we were worth fighting for and that this wasn't just something that was going to happen over night. We needed time to mend and to heal our broken hearts and find our way back to each other in the process. With the way things were going though, I was sure we'd be getting back together in no time, but I came to find that that was not the case and it took a lot longer than I thought it would.

Overhearing him say that he loved me was the biggest, most flattering compliment I've ever received, one that I didn't quite know what to do with and I can't help but wonder if that's just because I'm still learning. I knew what love was, I just didn't know how you knew when it was.

Regardless, I started to reexamine my own feelings for him, but I guess I was just waiting for the moment when he would actually say it to my face, thinking that maybe I would know how I felt right then and there, but this was his thing to tell me and I wasn't planning on beating him to the punch. Eventually though, not long after he got all flustered at the grocery store, I realized that I loved him too. I loved Mike Wheeler and I didn't know what to do about it.

I think it was that night, the night when Hopper died that I really came to my senses. Something happened between us then. He was the only person in the world that knew how to comfort me, how to take my mind off of things even in the worst of times. He was my rock. And there was something about the way he held me that night that just felt so...right. I can't explain why and maybe I never I will be able to, but all I know is that there was just no one else in the world that I wanted to be with more than him. As far as I was concerned, he was the only person for me, no one else. He was my person and I was his.

When I knew for sure that I did, I had the hardest time keeping it to myself. Loving him didn't feel like it was meant to be a secret. It felt like something I needed to shout from the rooftops and I wanted nothing more than to tell everyone I knew, but him most of all.

He stole my heart like a box of Eggos from the grocery store. I just couldn't stop thinking about him no matter how hard I tried to, but the thing was that he kept giving me mixed signals. There was something about the way he would hold me so close and tight, like he couldn't lose me again, that was so affectionate. He took care of me so well when I was wounded, but we never kissed and he hardly ever held my hand on purpose, so if we weren't together, then what were we? I knew he wanted to be in a relationship with me, but why couldn't he just tell me that? That's what I had the hardest time understanding. But Mike was patient. He didn't expect anything from me. In fact, I've come to realize that the very reason he didn't come right out and say it in the first place after everything that happened with Starcourt was simply because of what happened to Hopper.

He loved me in silence. He was just waiting for the right moment to tell me how he felt, but there never seemed to be one. I was completely devastated when Hop died and he wanted to give me space and enough time to grieve and adjust to life with the Byers before bringing it up again. He just wanted to be there for me above all else, so he kept putting it off. He didn't want to add to the problem or get in the way, but what he didn't realize was that this was what I needed to hear from him all along. It was something that could lift me out of the darkness, but he figured I already had more than enough to worry about and it didn't even occur to him that I might love him too!

From the moment I told him that I was moving away, I could tell that it was killing him on the inside even though he wouldn't say so to my face. I'll never forget telling him that...the look on his face. He cried, I cried, we hugged, and leaned our foreheads against each other like we didn't know how to break past that barrier.

So that was why. That was why I told him just before I left because I couldn't hold it in one second longer. He had probably tried to move on during those three months because that's probably what he thought I was doing, but I had quite the opposite on my agenda. You see, I wasn't ready to move on or give up. I needed him more now than ever and I wasn't about to settle for a friendship when I knew I could have so much more. Most things in my life I didn't have control over- Being with Mike was the one thing that I did. And telling him felt good, it felt better than I thought it would. It was such a relief knowing that he knew and such a wonderful feeling to finally get it off of my chest, that big elephant that was in the room all this time...

Though we never said the words "Let's get back together," it was implied. We both loved each other, so it only made sense for us to be together, despite everything else trying to tear us apart. I could just tell by the embrace Mike held me in when we said our goodbyes. We said goodbye about 3 or 4 times, like one goodbye would never be enough and it wasn't, because we always came back to each other, no matter what. Always.

I said goodbye to every one of my friends. I cried my eyes out, with each hug hurting a little more than the last, but none compared to Mike's. That was a pain like no other I had encountered, and I have known pain worse than most...

"I'm sorry for telling you so late, I know have the worst timing, but- I just couldn't leave without telling you how I felt. That wouldn't have been fair to you," I said.

"El, even if you never told me you loved me, it wouldn't stop me from loving you. I would still love you just the same, but I'm glad to know that you do too…"

"Yeah, I do. I really, really do…*sniffles* That's what makes all of this so hard! *laughs* You were always so scared of losing me...Who would've thought that I'd be the one losing you?"

"You haven't lost me, El. I'm right here and when I'm not, I'm right here…" he said, guiding her hand to her heart with his own.

*eyes sparkle with wonder, lip quivers into a smile*

I sobbed in that van until there wasn't even an ounce of water left in my body to shed another tear. It felt like my heart had been torn into a million pieces. I felt completely hopeless. I was eager to start a new life, but not like this. Not when I had just found my family. We were always in the wrong place at the wrong time and I couldn't stand it.

After having arrived in my new town, I kept trying to hold it together, to push through this period of adjustment, but whenever I got home, everything fell apart. I would just psych myself out thinking about how all of my friends were probably out having the time of their lives back home and I was stuck here, without a friend in the world. I felt trapped, like Rapunzel in her tower, except I didn't know how to let my hair down. What was the answer? I sure didn't have one...But there was always Will. He was my friend. We might've not been as close with each other as we were with other people in the party, but being surrounded by him and Joyce and Jonathan made me feel a little closer to home even though I was miles and miles away from it.

Keeping in touch was hard, but I was determined to do it, no matter what. I soon came to realize that it was a two-way street and that sometimes I too had to do the initiating, which wasn't something I was used to. It also proved challenging, particularly because it was harder than I thought it would be to always keep the conversation light, fun, and consistently interesting. Often times, it just fell dry...for a number of reasons. Sometimes it was because we caught ourselves telling a story we had already told before. Other times, it was just that we had run out of things to talk about altogether and often because of that particularly dull day. Sometimes, things were so bad on my end that I was almost tempted not to recount all of my problems to my friends and instead to withhold them. I tried to keep them bottled up inside the best that I could, but it only made things worse and I was really only lying to myself, acting like everything was fine when it wasn't. I just didn't want to bring them down when god knows I already was...

Lucas and Dustin I didn't talk to quite as much. Will spent more time on the phone with them than I did, but I still managed to talk to them several times a week. As I'm sure you can imagine, I talked to Mike every day and Max pretty much just the same. Max and I spent long hours on the phone for the first few weeks, connecting even more than usual over our shared grief. And Mike, well, Mike and I talked to each other once or twice a day, and that's not even counting when he would call me at the start and end of every day just to wish me good morning and goodnight! Every conversation with Mike might as well have been a phone date in itself and I always thought it was so cute how he would give me daily news reports on the latest Hawkins gossip, from none other than Mrs. Wheeler herself!

Living in Hawkins was constant chaos, but it was my chaos. My new town wasn't anything like it. Not even close. I hated it and everyone there. I wished that I wasn't this close-minded about it, but how could I not be?! It felt like I would never have friends again like I did back home, and even if I did, I would be too afraid that they would hurt my current relationships, which were my only real priority. I just didn't know how much longer I could last in this environment...It was much bigger than Hawkins. It made me feel so small, like I was 2 inches tall or something.

And as I said before, all of these feelings were somehow echoed in this roof over my head, rather than the strange, unfamiliar streets I walked among each day. I hid it well, but on the inside, I was a hot mess, a complete emotional wreck.

Every day, I would get home and have a complete mental breakdown. It was something about living in a house that didn't feel like a home that made me feel the most alienated and isolated. It only reminded me of what I had left behind. Though my body, my being, my physical presence was here, my heart, my mind, my soul was there, in Hawkins, with the people I loved most. It made me feel like a robot, like I was just this shell of a person controlled by a brain. Was my whole life just one big illusion or was I actually this living, breathing person with a soul? I pondered over this question most days. It usually came to me at night, this panic that woke me up at the crack of dawn, making me wonder where I was and what I was doing there, but I was usually able to talk myself out of these odd feelings and realize that- it was all just my anxiety talking.

[3rd Person POV]

El still saw Will as a friend or maybe even still just as Mike's friend. They weren't that close, despite how much they had in common, but they were both reserved and almost shared Mike at different times. After beginning to live with him, however, he started to feel like a roommate to her, especially since they shared a wall between their rooms. And then they started interacting more and more and warmed up to each other. They would gather at each meal and sometimes even hang out. And eventually, as she started to pick up on his habits and quirks, as their bond continued to grow, she started to see him as a brother and maybe even her brother. And as for Jonathan, well, the same was true for him even though he wasn't around as much with college and all, but when he was, she enjoyed his company. Ever since he helped relieve her wound, she had a deep respect for him and besides, he was Nancy's boyfriend, which all connected back to Mike, so how could she not like him!

Living with Joyce was the easiest part of the transition. They already had a clear connection from the get-go, one that could be traced all the way back to when Will first went missing. It was then that Joyce learned of El's story on accident and without even knowing her yet, as she thought that Will was somehow mixed up in all of this business with the lab. And when she heard it, she felt so moved and was so caught up in the tragedy of it all that she did everything she could to make El feel welcome and like she belonged. So, clearly, it was no surprise that they had an instant connection, as El was like the daughter she had never had and Joyce was already the closest thing to a mother figure that El had in her life; and now that role she played was starting to take actual form...

No one could replace Hopper, overprotective and loving as he was, but Joyce was the next best thing. Like Hopper, she was tough as nails and had motherly instincts that made her want to be more attentive to the needs and whereabouts of her children, especially after everything that happened with Will. Joyce was a smart cookie and had grit that extended far beyond her tiny little self. She didn't give up easily and never without a fight. She didn't care what other people thought of her, she just always marched to the beat of her own drum. She was a little squirrely at times, but fiery and independent at the same time. And she was nurturing in ways that El had never been treated, but it was so comforting and just what she needed. She was understanding and empathetic. And best of all- she was the closest thing that Hop had to a friend, unless you counted his colleagues and Flo (or even Benny when he was still alive). Back in the good ol' days, he had plenty of pals, but as he got older, he became more cold and distant and lost a lot of friends because of that. Although everyone knew that Joyce was much more than a friend to him...Even for Alexei, who hardly knew a lick of English, their attraction and feelings for one another were blatantly obvious! And for that reason, El felt even closer to Joyce. She could've potentially been a special someone in his life, in their life, and in some ways, she already was. She especially appreciated her motherly presence in her life in moments like these:

"It seems to me that you're feeling a little homesick." she said, rubbing her back. "But that's totally normal! The boys are going through the same thing and so am I..."

"Homesick?"

"Yeah, like missing Hawkins, your friends- all of it."

"Oh, well, if that's what being homesick means, then that's what I'm feeling..."

And Joyce stroked her hair, looking at her with concern, giving her such words of comfort. But that reassurance didn't last, as living in this new town though was anything but easy...El felt powerless when she wasn't surrounded by the people that loved her and even more so without her actual powers. But this was a defining moment for her...This was when El would think back to what Max had told her that past summer, disregarding the flawed boy advice she gave her, but focusing on what made her feel like herself, what she liked, and on her independence and where that came from. The moment she left that lab, that was when she slowly started to learn how to live a life that was no longer under someone else's control, but was finally- her own. She was constantly having to do things on her own ever since. It was all she could do! She had to fend for herself, but she also learned how to ask for help without fear of being forced into a situation she didn't want to be put in. Though she was still learning about her own inner strength and the confidence and empowerment that stowed inside her, just waiting for the chance to come out, a part of her knew that being isolated once again was good for her in the sense that she could figure out where all of that stemmed from and what that meant to her. At the same time, however, she couldn't decide which was better: having been isolated in that lab for all of her childhood without a friend in the world or how she felt now- being torn away from her friends and family by the means of death and moving away. It seemed that now, there was only before and after with no in-between, nor balance by any means. She didn't regret meeting all of the people that she had, not in the least, but in doing so, she unintentionally created that feeling of missing them and restored that streak of loneliness that she had grown so accustomed to. She certainly hadn't missed that...That was for sure.

Hopper. His loss alone made her feel at a loss herself. The first year of living with him was unbearable at times. She soon found that she was tied down by so many rules and he didn't know how to handle her. They constantly argued. It wasn't healthy and he was gone more often than not. She felt a prisoner in her own home, BUT she also wouldn't have changed a thing, as he was her father now and she cared about him dearly. But it wasn't until she left Chicago that she had finally decided that Hawkins was her true home afterall and over time, she grew to love Hopper as a father and learned how to put up with his ways, but now, without him, without Hawkins, she felt a stranger to her own home.

She fell into a depression, with anxiety to coincide. Maybe it was always there, with all that she had been through and the PTSD that she struggled with daily, but now it was just echoed in her homesickness. Sometimes she could feel so detached from the world and everything in it, but she was determined to make the most of what she had. She wouldn't be El Byers if she wasn't. Yes, that's right, El Byers. But now that she was in fact not only a Hopper, but a Byers too, Joyce treated her just as she would any of her other children, tending to her needs as needed:

*El nervously paces and bites her nails*

"El, honey." Joyce called from the kitchen.

"El? You okay?" she asked, walking up to her.

"It's 3:15. I always see Mike at 3:15."

"He came over every day at 3:15?"

*nods*

"How the hell did he manage to do tha- Never mind...not important."

"Well, is there anything I can do?" she continued.

"I don't think so…" she said.

But the more El got in her head about it, the more she started spiraling. Thinking about Mike led to thinking about Hawkins which all led back to Hopper and sometimes even as far as the lab. She had more shit to deal with than her pretty little head could take and then something happened...something terrible.

[El's POV]

There was this feeling in the back of my mind like a faucet dripping or a pencil tapping on a desk. I could hear it, I could feel it, it was constant, and irritating. It started out small, but then I couldn't turn it off and it only festered from that moment forward, becoming more and more prominent. It felt like something needed to happen, but it wasn't happening. My entire body was feeling everything and nothing at once. I just wanted to jump out of my skin, to get away from this feeling, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't.

I had a meltdown. My mind was racing faster than I could run away from it and I was freaking out. I tried to slow myself down, to calm myself down, but it almost felt like I had lost control of my own body, like I was a prisoner again.

My blood pressure spiked, my heart pounding. I could feel the pressure of my pulse beneath my temples without even rubbing my finger over the surface. My hands were clammy and shaking and I felt this tingling sensation throughout my entire body. I grew fearful, fearful of what was happening to me and fearful of what might happen next. Would this be the end? I wondered. An the more worried and distressed I grew, the more I fell short of breath, my lungs practically gasping for air.

I began reciting "It's alright" to myself like it was the only phrase I knew. I only whispered it, but the more this inexplicable feeling grew, the louder I blurted it out. And before I knew it, I was on the ground, groaning, my knees to my chest and my hands on the sides of my head, completely red in the face. Joyce saw most of it in action, but once I reported all of my symptoms to her, she put two and two together.

"El, honey, what's going on?"

"El?" she repeated. "Are you alright?"

"No, no, I *gulps* don't feel so good."

"How do you feel?"

"Dizzy."

"Do you feel like you're going to pass out?"

*nods*

"In that case, the best thing for you to do is just go ahead and lie down so you don't fall if it happens."

"Okay," I said, and did as she said.

"Would water help?"

"Yes, please."

"Here you go," she said, walking back and handing it to her.

She engulfed it in vigorous gulps and noisily set the empty glass down on the table as she herself sat down.

"El, I think what you're having is an anxiety attack. I know because I used to get them too."

"That-That doesn't sound good…"

"No, it's-it's not, but it's pretty common for someone who's been through something similar to what you have."

"How-How do I stop it? How do I make it stop?" she asked helplessly.

"There's no one way really, but there are certain things you can do to help slow it down."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters, you can slow down your breathing. Here, I'll show you what I mean. We can do it together."

"Okay," she said.

And she did just as Joyce said and showed her, which seemed to help a little.

"I-I think it's working," she said, surprised at how something so simple could fix something so intense.

"G-G-G-Good. I'm so glad, sweetheart."

"J-Joyce? *pauses* Will this happen to me again?" she asked, with a tear strolling down her cheek.

"I'm afraid the answer is probably so, my dear, but don't worry, sweetheart! They are manageable."

"Then how come they don't feel that way?"

"*sighs* I don't know, that's just the way they are I guess, but honey, we're not gonna let it do the damage. There are things you can do to relieve and lessen them. You can always take the pacing outside and walk it off, or concentrate that adrenaline rush and nervous energy into exercise. That might be good for you, especially to build your strength while you don't have your powers at the moment. It might give you something to feel proud of, even! And if that didn't work, then there's always listening to songs or watching tv to calm you down, but right now, what I think might be the most beneficial to you is calling someone who puts you it at ease like Max...or maybe even the boy who you were so eager to see all along. I don't know, just a suggestion, take it or leave it…" Joyce said innocently, though secretly priding herself in knowing what El really wanted.

"Oh, I'll take," she said, grabbing the phone from her hand.

*Joyce giggles*

*dials phone, it rings*

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hey, Mike, it's me...El."

"*laughs* I know it's you, silly!"

"Okay, well, you never know! I could be lots of people!"

"True! Who am I to say! You could easily be one of the guys just playing a prank on me."

"Well, lucky for you, I'm not."

"Well, I'm glad because I'd much rather talk to you."

"Aww...That's sweet."

"Well, I'm a sweet guy!"

"The sweetest!" she said.

*Mike smiles*

"So, how have you been? What's my gorgeous girl up to these days?"

"That's actually um- *gulps* that's what I wanted to call you about…"

"Oh?" he said, interested, like a question. "What-What's going on? Are you alright?"

"Well, no. No, not really. I uh *brief pause* kind of just had an anxiety attack."

"Oh my god- El! Are you okay?! What-What can I do?"

"Nothing really, just talking to you is more than enough."

"Aww, well, gosh...H-How did it happen?"

"I was just thinking about how we normally always met at 3:15 and how we never did anymore and it made me really sad and anxious and my mind, my-my thoughts, they just wouldn't stop and I-I don't know...I just- lost it, I guess."

"What did it feel like?"

"It was almost like I floated up out of my body and was watching myself, suffering…"

"Suffering?"

"In a way, yeah. You know when you're in a dream and you're screaming, but you can't make any noise?"

"Yeah…?"

"It's kind of like that."

"Oh, gosh, El, I-I'm so sorry! I hate that you had to go through that...I just wish I could be with y-"
"Don't. *pauses* Don't be sorry and I know you do…'cause I do too."

"Mike?" she asked.

"Mike, don't cry! Please, don't cry…"

"*sniffles* I'm sorry, I just- I hate this. I hate not getting to talk to you face-to-face or hold you, kiss you...touch you- But you know what? *sniffles, wipes tears* I'm going to start calling you every day at 3:15 and you won't ever feel alone again from now on because-"

"To hear your voice is to know that you're with me," she said.

"*breaks into big ol' smile* Yeah, that's uh- that's why."

*El sniffles, wipes tears*

"Oh no, you're not crying now too, are you?" he asked.

"*giggles* Maybe just a little…"

"Are you hugging the phone right now?" he asked.

"No...Are you?"

"What? No! Of course not…" he said, removing the phone from his embrace.

"Well, that was convincing!" she joked.

"Shut up," he said.

"Never!"

"Good! Because I would miss hearing your voice too much."

"Awwww!" she said, the adoration escalating in her voice as she lingered onto the end of the word.

It went on like that for about a half an hour until it met its end and afterwards, Joyce returned to the couch to have a discussion with El.

"Joyce."

"Yes, sweetie."

"I don't want to feel that way ever again, the way I felt when I had the-"

"Episode, I know."

"Episode? Is that what you call it?"

"It's another name for it."

"It could be our name for it."

"Yeah! Sure. *smiles, smile fades* You know, El, I'm not sure how you'd feel about this, but I'd like to talk to you about possibly seeing a shrink."

"A shrink?"

"Yeah, like someone to talk to, a professional, a therapist."

"What-What would we talk about?"

"Whatever you wanted really. It's up to you, but usually people go to talk about their problems."

"You-You think I have a problem?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all," she said, grabbing her hands to hold. "I'm just saying that it might be a good idea because you have a lot on your plate right now and *tilts head towards, raises eyebrows* many people find it helpful to get these kind of things off their chest. There's nothing wrong with therapy, with asking for help. It's a good thing. It's healthy for you."

"Do you think that's what I should do?"

"I think it would be wise, but it's totally your decision. 100%."

"How much would I tell the therapist?"

"As little or as much as you want to, sweetheart!"

"But how much am I allowed to tell them? Like I can't tell them about my pow-"

"No, no. Not that. You leave that part for me. *pats thigh* But you could tell them anything that's not lab-related. You could tell them about your trauma, leaving out your particular part in it, but rather talking about what it was, what it feels like, and how it's been affecting you. You could talk about Mike and what it's like to miss him, all of that homesickness and *pauses* you could even talk about your grief...Therapists, you see, they know how to help you work through this stuff, El. They're trained specifically to work with anxiety or trauma depending on which field they're trained in."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"So, what do you say?"

"I'll think about it."

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks for having this talk with me! Feel free to go and do whatever you want now."

"I think I'm okay with staying right here for now, that is if you're not busy..."

"*smiles* No, I'm not busy! Which would you rather do? Watch a movie or play a board game?"

"Mm...Movie because a board game would be more fun if we played it with the boys and they don't always like the movies that we pick."

"Agreed. What sounds good to you? Girls Just Want To Have Fun perhaps?"

"Sounds perfect!" she said.

And the next thing she knew, it was already November, November 6th that is. The day that Will went missing…

It wasn't easy, it never was on this day. His PTSD was always triggering him even more than usual around this time, but his family was there for him.

"Would it make you feel better if you could spend time with your friends today, sweetie?" Joyce asked Will, rubbing his back.

"You mean drive all the way to Hawkins a day earlier? No, no...I mean, I'd love to see them, but I just think it would all be a little bit too much, particularly today."

"Understood. Just wondered if it would cheer you up."

"Yeah, well, I think that's pretty inevitable."

"Well, I love you, does that help?"

"A little."

"Then I've done my job," she said with a smile.
*smiles*

"I mean it though, Will. You've always been such a good sport, ever since you were a baby. Our family, we've been through a lot...more than a lot, but you've always had a positive attitude about it. I know that you've struggled in years past with bullies, but a part of me is so thankful that we moved here where that and all of the other stuff are no longer an issue for us."

"Yeah, except, now I'm the new kid, like Max."

"But that will wear off."

"Yeah, I know, you're right…" he said.

"Ah, *pulls in for hug* I just love you so much and don't you ever forget that!"

"I can't! You won't let me!" he said, laughing a little.

"That's right!" she said. "*kisses head* Mmm-WAH!"

*Will blushes with embarrassment*

Now, you may have caught Will mentioning driving to Hawkins a day earlier and wondered to yourself, What did he mean by that? Well, I'll tell you. What he meant was just this: The day after he went missing was the day when Mike found El and now that they were together and things were getting serious with their long-distance relationship, he wanted to make big plans with her, but since the Byers had already talked about them going on a road trip, El thought that she was completely busy that day and declined his invitation. Little did she know, however, that he, in fact, was her destination all along.

It was perfect! Everything was set in place, just as he had planned it- a surprise party with the party, starting from where it all began- Mirkwood. He even made sure to get Will in on it, who, keeping it all to himself, would try to distract El and make sure that she didn't catch on without lying to her because while siblings might, friends don't lie and in this case- they were both. And so, he would keep El out of the kitchen at all costs the day before as Joyce attempted to make an Eggo cake. We all know she would go to extreme measures like that for her kids!

The plan was for the Byers to drive on over on the 7th and spend the night at a motel, as they often did when they came to visit. And Dustin and Lucas would ride with Mike to Mirkwood, where he and El had first met, with Will bringing her to them. Meanwhile, Max would sneak into Mike's house to help set everything up. Lucky for them, the forecast was rainy, just like it had been that exact night, so reuniting there with El was going to be even more magical than Mike had initially intended it to be.

And Will guided El right to the same spot, his hand over her eyes, removing it once in proximity of Mike.

"Will, where are you taking me?" she asked, laughing.

"*giggles* You'll see. *removes hand* Literally."

And Mike looked at her the same way that he always did- with heart eyes.

"Mike?" she called out. "Oh my god, Mike!" she cried, running out to him.

*hugs, pulls away*

"Dustin? Lucas? What are you guys doing here?" she asked, filled with disbelief.

"Surprise!" they all said, as Mike approached her with a big, giddy smile.

"Why? Is it some holiday no one bothered to tell me about or something?"

"*chuckles* Kind of. You know what it is, you just didn't know when it was."

Puzzled, she began to look around at her surroundings, which oddly filled her with nostalgia.

"Wait a minute...This isn't where we first met, is it?"

*Mike slowly smiles*

She covered her mouth in awe.

"So, that means that today's the day we-?"

*Mike nods*

She squealed, throwing her hands on him.

They kissed once, then some more, then even a little more, like they couldn't stop and they didn't want to.

*Lucas clears throat*

"You think we missed this too much?" Mike asked in a whisper.

"Eh, what is much!" she said, nuzzling his nose with her own.

"*Dustin snaps in face* Hey, we're still here, assholes!"

"*giggles* Sorry," said El.

"*to Mike* Did we surprise you?" asked Will.

"Will! Hey, man!" he said, pulling him in for a quick bro hug. "Yeah, you did actually."

"Oh, good!" he said.

"Glad to have you here with us this time, Byers," said Mike.

"Glad to be here," he said. "You may have not found me then, but at least some good came from it," he said with a brotherly smile.

"Yeah, as much shit as we give you two for being all in love all the time, we're really glad that we found you, El."

"Aww, thanks, guys," she said. "You have no idea what that means to me! I'm can't even tell you how glad I am that we met…especially you, mister!" she said, poking Mike's chest.

"*smiles* Happy Anniversary, El," said Mike, kissing her cheek.

"Happy Anniversary…" she said back, all googly-eyed.

*Lucas makes gagging noise*

*Dustin laughs*

*Mike flips off*

"*turns to Will* I've taught him well, haven't I?" Dustin joked.

*all laugh*

"Hey, speaking of that, where's Max?" asked El.

"You'll see…" said Mike.

"When? Where?"

"Now. C'mon! Let's go!"

And he threw his arm around El as they walked back up the hill and all rode away together by bike.

"You can share with me, Will," said Dustin.

"Thanks, man."

"No sweat," he said.

And off they went.

During the time that they had been gone, Joyce had headed over to the Wheelers' house as well, setting up the cake.

*rings doorbell*

"Surprise!" said Max, greeting them at the door.

"Max!" said El, lunging towards her in a hug.

"Hey, girl! I missed you," she said, hugging her back.

"*doesn't let go* I missed you too!"

*finally lets go*

"*nods* Max."

"*nods* Mike."

*El lightly hits Mike in the gut*

"Ah! *to Max* G-Good to have you here," he said.

"Yeah, thanks," she said.

"*sighs* Ah, home sweet home," El said with a smile as she walked in.

And they all gathered around the table, the eggo cake placed right in the center, with candles that said 3, 5, & 3 among the circle of eleven regular candles.

"*gasps* Rose petals, an eggo cake, 353, 11...You really did all of this for me?"

"Y-Yeah, why wouldn't I? I love you, you know that."

"Yeah, well, I love you back, but I'm pretty sure you already knew that too," she said, her face close to his, her arms around his neck.

*quick kiss*

"Thank you," she said.

"No need to thank me. I'm the one who should be thanking you, for-"

"Alright, lovebirds, it's not Thanksgiving!" said Dustin.

*everyone laughs*

*Dustin curtsies*

"*to El* Make a wish," said Mike.

"It already came true because I'm here with you..."

*Mike blushes, pulls hair back and kisses neck, wraps arms around from behind*

"Do it anyway. I'll do it with you."

"Okay," she said, smiling.

And they did just that, happy as could be.

"Now, I'm not the best cook or baker, but I tried my best. I sure hope it tastes good," Joyce nervously explained.

"Joyce, *with a giggle* I love it! It's perfect! *kisses cheek*"

"Thank you, sweetie."

And later, Mike went on to talk about how that night he had gone looking for someone dear to him that he lost and though it wasn't until later that he was found, he found El and in El he found the love of his life. But after that monologue of a sentiment, they all hung out in his basement, with El and himself in the fort, playing D&D with the rest of the gang, just like old times. Ah, home sweet home...