Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

May, 2003

Will squinted at the easel, turning it to catch the sunlight better. It was far too early in the afternoon for it to be getting dark, but there must be some cloud interference or something that was making it more difficult to see...

"Hey," Mike said, leaning over the couch the tapping him on the shoulder with something. "These don't actually do you any good if you don't wear them, you know."

Will turned his already squinted gaze into a glare and focused it on Mike, solidly ignoring the plastic rectangle he was holding out.

"It's not me, it's the lighting," he insisted.

"Do we need to get you another lamp?" Mike said, biting back a grin.

"I told you, I don't want a lamp either. I like the natural lighting we get from the sun."

"Mmhmm."

"It's different!"

"Just put the glasses on, Will."

Will groaned as he took the case from Mike. "They make me feel so old," he complained, wiping away the smudges from the last time he had carelessly put them away in a moment of frustration.

"You are 32, that is not old," Mike grinned. "Besides, I think they make you look cute."

"Thanks," he muttered, finally putting on the readers he'd gotten a few weeks ago. He blinked, the first whispers of the headache he barely knew existed instantly fading as his eyes relaxed and the painting suddenly focused again.

"Better?"

"Marginally," he admitted begrudgingly.

"Soooo I was right?" Mike teased, grinning insufferably.

"Not about everything," Will rolled his eyes.

"Well I was right about them helping," he said, holding his hand up and ticking off his fingers. "And I was right about how good you look in them, and I was right about 32 not being old."

"Says the man who had an existential crisis two weeks before turning 30," Will said pointedly. "Did you forget how hard you freaked out?"

"I did not freak out," Mike insisted.

"You booked all three of us last minute tickets to Nairobi. Without asking Grace."

"Hey, I convinced her! She ended up being fine with it."

"Nairobi, Mike. Even El hadn't been there before!"

"And now she has, thanks to me."

"Because she was legitimately concerned for our safety and your mental well being."

"And we were all fine and had a great family adventure! Priceless memories if you ask me. Absolutely nothing to do with getting older and definitely not me freaking out."

"Suuuuure. If it makes you feel better."

"It does, thanks."

"Shut up," Will said fondly, leaning over to kiss him.

"If you insist," Mike grinned when he pulled back.

Will just shook his head and focused on the painting again. He really wanted to finish it in time for his parents 10th wedding anniversary later this summer. It was hard to believe Hopper had been a part of the family for that long. Will still called him Hop, but in his mind he was more his dad than Lonnie had ever been. But he still felt bad for being so out of it at the wedding, and couldn't really remember much. So El had sent him copies of their wedding photos and he was trying to blend several elements together for one magical portrait.

Mike settled back into the couch and started picking at the guitar again. He was always restless the day before Addie came back. The two-weeks on, two-weeks off routine worked pretty well for everyone; nobody felt rushed to pack too much into one week and Addie wasn't as tired from moving too frequently. But by the end of the off-weeks the stillness and quiet of it all seemed to drive Mike crazy. Will didnt like it either, but for him the beginning of the two week stretch was the hardest. Knowing they had almost reached the end made the waiting easier. Mike was the opposite. Either way, they both were excited for her to come home tomorrow. And as usual, they had planned a nice, quiet night in to pass the time.

Neither of them expected to hear the doorbell.

Mike threw his head back on the couch in exasperation. "I bet it's Kevin again," he groaned. "Wonder what random complaint he's come up with this time."

"I'll get it," Will offered, reluctantly putting down his paints.

"If it's Mormons scare them off with your scary librarian look," Mike suggested.

"Fuck off," he said, glaring back at him.

"Yeah, that one right there," Mike grinned, completely undeterred.

Will ignored him and opened the door, fully expecting to politely turn whoever it was away as quickly as possible.

"Mr. Wheeler?" a dark-skinned woman asked.

At first, when he saw her the business suit and briefcase, he assumed she was selling something. But then he saw the boy behind her and his heart stopped, freezing him in place.

If Will were passing him on the street he probably wouldn't see it. The dirty blond hair and sharp blue eyes were so strikingly different. But the way he was leaning against the wall, shoulders hunched, arms folded, and eyes nearly hidden with a scowl...the resemblance was undeniable.

"Are you Mr. Wheeler?" the lady asked again.

"Um, no," Will said, clearing his throat and trying to find his voice again.

"Is he here? This was listed as his last address."

"Yeah," he said, eyes still glued on the boy, who was glaring at him so hard Will honestly wouldn't be surprised if either one or both of them burst into flames.

"Hey Mike?" he called over his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"You're gonna wanna come over here."

Mike sighed but put down the guitar. Will heard the exact moment he saw it, the way he suddenly stopped in his tracks and the breath caught in his throat.

"Holy shit," Mike breathed after a second.

Yeah, holy shit, Will agreed silently.

Mike had another kid.

Chapter Text

"You gonna let us in or do you want to keep staring at us?"

"Samuel," the woman chided through gritted teeth, with paper thin patience.

"Sam," the boy spat back.

"Sorry," Will said, stepping aside and waving them in. "Come on in."

"Denise Mulder, social services," the lady said, nodding her thanks. Sam sulked behind, dragging a large trash bag with clothes sticking out the top. "You're Michael Wheeler, correct?"

"Just Mike, please," he said, watching as Sam slumped into the couch.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mike. Although I wish it were under better circumstances. Do you remember a woman by the name of Lucy Bridges?"

"Um," Mike bit his lip for a second, racking his brain. "Do you have a picture?" he asked sheepishly.

"I do," Denise said, setting her briefcase on the table and pulling out several folders.

She found what she was looking for and handed it to Mike. Will glanced over his shoulder. A young woman sat under a willow tree at the park, holding a younger, much happier looking Sam. She kept her hair short, curling just enough to frame her face along with the choppy bangs. Will thought she looked vaguely familiar but couldn't place her.

"Oh," Mike said quietly. "Yeah. Lucy."

Denise looked over her shoulder but Sam had disappeared, the only clue to his whereabouts the open pantry door.

"She died in a car accident two weeks ago," she said quietly. "It took us awhile to get a DNA match but it appears you're the father."

"Oh," Mike said again.

Will moved to the pantry, just in time to see Sam opening up a second poptart package. He startled seeing Will, but crammed it down his throat anyways.

"Too late," he mumbled as best he could.

"Jesus, kid, when was the last time you ate?" Will frowned.

"Um...last night I think," Sam shrugged.

"You want some leftover pizza?"

Sam still stared at him with suspicion but cautiously nodded. Will nodded and moved to the fridge.

"...how exactly do you have my DNA?" Mike was asking.

"It was attached to your DUI record from a few years back," Denise said.

"Huh."

Will looked over at him quizzically as he started the microwave, but Mike just winced apologetically.

"How many bedrooms and residents do you have in this place?" Denise asked.

"It's a two bedroom," Mike said. "It's me and Will and then my daughter Addie is here half of the time."

"That will work for now," she said, thankfully asking no further questions about who slept where. "I know this is short notice, but you're the only family he has."

"Really? There's nobody else he already knows?" Mike asked.

Denise lowered her voice again and stepped closer, keeping an eye on where Sam had burrowed into the couch while he was waiting on the pizza.

"She never told you?"

"Um. There wasn't a whole lot of talking..." He mumbled.

"She was an only child, dad ran off when she was a teenager. It was just her and her mom apparently, and now she's in a care home with dementia."

"Oh. So that won't work then."

"If you really don't want him we can try to find him another foster home," Denise sighed. "But he will have to stay here for a few days because theres no where else for him right now. I'll be honest, he's very difficult right now. He's been through three homes already in the past 2 weeks."

"What?" Will hissed.

"Yeah, not what I meant," Mike said, frowning. "Obviously we're gonna take him."

"Great," she said, clearly relieved. She shuffled around the papers on the table and started pointing things out. "Now unfortunately it's not going to be a simple process, even though you are related. Because of your past we have to go through the court system to get approved. You have 24 hours from now to go down to this station for a drug test, and they're gonna be weekly until the judge is satisifed."

"Lovely," Mike sighed.

"I will be checking in for weekly home visits as well, but after the first month or once you get settled I can probably drop it down to every other week. Now this apartment will work for the short term given you had no prior notice, but they will need to see one bedroom per child. You're gonna need a minimum three bedroom somewhere."

The microwave beeped. Will took the pizza over to Sam, who didn't look him in the eye but immediately started scarfing it down.

"You'll need character references," Denise was saying. "People who can testify to your recovery, your parenting skills, your employment records, etc."

"Do I need to fill one out?" Will asked.

"That depends on the angle you're going for," she said carefully. She studied them for a second. "Listen. I ain't gonna judge. You don't tell me and I won't ask. But your whole life is going to be under scrutiny for the next few months, so whatever you decide will need to be consistent. Understood?"

Will flashed his eyes to Mike, holding his gaze for less then a second before he forced himself to look away, trying to act casual even though his heart sank.

"Does having a roommate pose a risk to him getting custody?" he asked quietly.

"Not necessarily," Denise said slowly. "Any adult living in the home undergoes a background check and needs 2 character references, one from your employer and one from another outside resource. Typically roommates are very easy to get approved, unlike significant others, for a hypothetical example, who require a little more work."

Will nodded. "Good to know."

"One more thing before I go. This is the key to the storage unit with Sam's other belongings. And this is a list of phone numbers and addresses for important contacts you'll need throughout the process, including mine here at the top. Any more questions you have you can give me a call. But for now I'll leave you to settle in and process everything."

"Thanks," Mike sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stared at the mountain of paperwork.

Denise walked over to where Sam sat motionless on the couch, almost as if he were afraid to move.

"Hey," she said, kneeling beside him. "Do not make me come get you in the middle of the night again, you hear?"

"It's not my fault they were force feeding me terrible food," he grumbled.

"I get that, and I'm gonna have a talk with them about withholding food as punishment before we give them another placement. But you don't need to act out about it either. If there's a problem, call me in the morning and we can deal with it then."

"Fine."

Denise gave him a wry grin and ruffled his hair, despite Sam leaning away with a groan.

"See you later."

"Thanks," Mike said, showing her to the door.

An awkward silence descended over the apartment, all three of them looking around with shifting eyes as they wondered what the hell to do next. It was weird seeing a small boy curled up on their couch, a perfect stranger who was suddenly going to become a permanent fixture in their lives. Will caught Mike's eye again and subtly jerked his head towards Sam.

Say something, he thought silently.

"Um, hi," Mike said.

"She's not here, you don't have to pretend to be nice to me," Sam muttered, glaring at him.

"Well I'm not gonna be mean to you..." Mike frowned.

"Whatever. I don't care."

Mike looked back at Will helplessly.

"Maybe some proper introductions?" he suggested.

"Right, good idea. So...I guess I'm technically your dad. But if you want to call me Mike that's fine too, I don't mind. And that's Will."

"Hi," Will waved.

Sam didn't really respond.

"And I take it you like to be called Sam, not Samuel?" Mike asked after a moment when it was clear he wasn't going to say anything himself.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"Cool. Sam's a good name. I always hated when people called me by my full name too."

"How old are you, Sam?" Will asked.

"I'm almost 11."

"Good age," Mike said, instantly cringing and looking at Will for help again.

Will just shook his head. His mind was racing with all the things they needed to do, but he had no clue where to start with this one.

Sam, for all his effort to keep up a grumpy exterior, was starting to wilt into the couch. Will watched him for a second and realized how quickly he was blinking, and the way his jaw was clenched suggested he was desperately fighting back a yawn.

"Sounded like you had a rough night," he said gently. "If you want you can go lay down in Addie's room while we figure some stuff out."

"I don't want to sleep on a girl's bed," Sam scowled.

"I actually just washed the sheets this morning," Mike said. "So I know for a face they're her blue ocean ones. And they're probably still warm."

Sam hesitated, but they could both see his resolve starting to break.

"Come on, I'll show you," Will said, leading the way down the hall.

Sam followed, still dragging his feet but more from exhaustion than anything. Unsurprisingly, he didn't argue any further once he saw the bed, climbing in and pulling the covers almost over his head. Will wondered if he should say anything else but figured he just wanted to be left alone for awhile. Not that he could blame the poor kid.

Mike had moved to the table and was staring at the picture of Sam and his mom. Will sat next to him, looking over his shoulder.

"So. Lucy, huh?"

Mike shook his head. "I genuinely have no memory of her."

"Seriously?"

"I was either high or drunk. Or maybe both, I don't know," he groaned miserably.

"So how do we know for sure?"

"Well they have my DNA from a DUI I apparently blocked from my memory. But also...I mean she was my type so I'm not that surprised."

"Really?" Will took the picture and looked at it closer. "She looks nothing like Grace."

"First of all, Grace came on to me," Mike said pointedly, "and I almost never said no if that happened. My type was anyone who looked vaguely like you."

Will squinted and cocked his head. He supposed between the hair color, the rounder face, and the nose he could kind of see some similarities.

"Huh. Yeah, I can kinda see that," he said. "Except for the eyes."

"The eyes were always the wrong color," Mike sighed, leaning his head onto Will's shoulder. "And no matter how much I tried to convince myself it was never actually you."

"It is now," Will said, kissing the top of his head and trying to be comforting.

"God, I was such a mess," he groaned. "My dad was right. I mean I always knew this was a possibility but it feels so real now. I have no idea how many kids I have. We could get another knock on the door tomorrow with like, ten more."

"Let's focus on the two we do have," Will said.

"Oh my god. Addie was supposed to come home tomorrow. What is she supposed to do, sleep on the couch? We have to move." He got up and started pacing.

"Well, not tonight," Will said quickly, afraid he would start trying to pack right away.

"Yeah, but sooner than later. We don't have the space. Also apparently we have to be fucking roommates now."

"Yes, because I'm breaking up with you for real for the next few months," Will said dryly.

Mike looked at him miserably. "Don't even joke about it. It's bad enough as it is."

"It's no different than going out in public," Will shrugged. "We'll just have people coming over. Maybe if all my clothes are in a separate bedroom you'll stop stealing all my shirts."

"They're comfy and they smell like you," Mike muttered, not looking at him.

"Hey," Will softened. "You know it's not worth risking losing him."

"I know, I know. I just hate it. I hate pretending like you're not the most important person in my life."

"I know." Will glanced down the hall. "How do you think he'll take it?"

Mike chewed on his bottom lip. "I have no clue. Addie grew up with it being normal. Who knows what he's experienced or what his mom told him about me. He looks like he hates me already."

"He's grieving," Will reminded him.

"Yeah," he sighed, looking more sympathetic as he flopped on the couch. "I just don't know what to do. I mean...all I've ever known is Addie. And even though I missed her as a baby I still got to grow and learn with her. This is different. And he's a boy. What I am supposed to do with a boy?" he whispered.

"We were boys once," Will said, holding back a laugh./p>

"Yeah and we had perfect father-son relationships that we can use as an example."

"An example of what not to do," he said firmly, moving to sit next to him. "And you both get to grow and learn together in this, too. Just from age 11 and not age 4."

Mike leaned against his shoulder. "I guess I have you this time too. Why are you not freaking out about this?"

"Oh I am 1000% freaking out," Will laughed. "I think I just mostly went into survival mode again."

"Cool, cool, cool. Cause I have no idea what to do now."

"As if I do?"

"I don't know, you seem to be thinking a bit more rationally at the moment."

Will looked at the piles of paperwork littering the table. "We need to find a new apartment."

Mike groaned again. "I feel like we just moved into this one. And where are we gonna find an affordable four bedroom in Chicago?"

"I'm sure Grace could help," Will said, suddenly grateful to know a realtor because the prospect already seemed daunting enough.

"Oh my god." Mike sat up, looking panicked again. "I'm gonna have to tell her. Shit, we have to tell people. What are we gonna...how...how the fuck do you tell people something like this?? Do I just call my mom up and go "Hey guess what, you finally have a grandson so congratulations and you can get off of Holly's back to start having kids cause your son was a slut in college!""

"Mike, come on. She's not gonna think that."

"No, no, you don't get it," he cried, getting up to pace again. Will decided to stay put and just let it run its course. "I finally feel like I've moved on and now...now I have to bring it up to everybody. It's not like I can come up with some other excuse for why I have a kid showing up randomly after 10 years. Oh, not to mention the weekly drug tests. That's great and not traumatic at all."

"I know, I'm sorry. They just want to make sure he's going to a safe home."

"Yeah, but court? This whole thing rests in the hands of one person, whose job is literally to be judgy. It's in the fucking title. They're going to judge everything. What if...what if I can't stand up to that?"

"You-" Will started.

"Holy shit." Mike turned to look at him, completely striken. "What if they take Addie? They can't do that, can they? I can't lose her, Will, I can't."

"Ok, ok, hold on," Will said, jumping up and grabbing his shoulders, leading back to the couch. "I love you, and I know this is a LOT to deal with at once, but I think you're being just a little overdramatic. Grace would never let that happen, you know that."

"I think this is a perfectly reasonable way to react in this situation thank you very much. I mean how would you feel if a random kid showed up at the door claiming to be yours?"

Will shot him a look. "I would say their test is wrong or they're lying for child support and send them away."

"But how would you know..."

"I've never been that drunk."

"Well if you were then you would have forgotten," Mike said seriously.

"Mike."

"I'm just saying..."

"Oh my god."

"...just try to imagine..."

"I don't have to imagine!" he hissed, some of the deeply buried panic seeping through. "It just happened to us!"

Mike clicked his jaw shut at that, looking away a little guiltily. Will took a deep breath, trying to get re-centered.

"You're not alone in this," he said softly after a minute. "I know he's yours biologically. I know that it affects you differently, because it brings up your past and its scary and painful. I know that makes you a little more connected than me, especially right now when neither of us know him and he doesn't know us. But at the end of the day that's not going to matter. He's going to live with both of us full time, we both have to take care of him and navigate this, and one day he's probably going to call me dad just like Addie does, and there's not going to be a difference."

"You really think so?" Mike whispered.

"Well I certainly hope we're not all going to be on an awkward first name basis for the rest of our lives."

Mike chuckled quietly, relaxing a little bit as his head dropped against Will's shoulder again. For a moment he stared quietly into space, sinking heavier the deeper he thought.

"What the fuck is Addie gonna think?" he said quietly.

"Hopefully she'll be excited," Will said uncertainly. "I mean she was thrilled when the twins were born."

"Yes but your mom getting married and having twin babies is different than your dad having a ten year old show up and sleep in your bedroom."

Will made a mental note to check on Sam in a minute and make sure he wasn't getting into anything. And also to remove some of Addie's things before nightfall.

"Maybe she'll be happy to have a sibling closer to her own age," he sighed.

"Maybe," Mike said, not convinced.

"She's probably packing to come home right now," he said forlornly.

"Damnnit. This couldn't have happened 2 weeks ago?"

"It did. They just couldn't find you right away."

"Shit."

They looked around the living room. It was larger than the last apartment, which they had left a few years ago. It was a nice apartment, close to a good park and not too far away from where Grace now lived with her husband and within walking distance from Mike's job. They liked it here. But it was definitely too small for four people.

"She's gonna have to stay with Grace," Mike realized aloud for both of them.

Will swallowed the disappointment. They would still get to see her, he knew that much. They could all go apartment hunting together. But it wouldn't be the same. And he had really been looking forward to it.

"I have to tell her, don't I?"

"Well we can't hide it forever."

"The sooner the better, right?" Mike asked, sounding like he desperately wanted to be wrong.

"Before she has to unpack everything all over again," Will sighed, unfortunately agreeing with him.

"Shit."

They stared at the phone next to the couch, taunting them.

"What do I even say?"

"I dunno. They don't exactly make a guidebook for this. And even if they did its not like we had time to read it."

"Maybe that'll be our next book idea," Mike muttered, picking up the phone before he changed his mind.

Chapter Text

Addie was the one who picked up the phone, as usual. It was a rare occasion where Grace or David picked up instead, if she was busy or too far away from the phone. She always would run to look at the caller ID to see if it was her dads, and she always sounded excited to hear from them, no matter how short of a time it had been.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully.

Will smiled despite everything. She had that affect on everyone, it seemed, but especially for him.

"Hey, Addie," Mike said warmly. "How are you?"

"Good," she said, grinning through the phone. "I'm excited for this weekend."

"I know," Mike sighed. "Listen, about that...um. I have a question for you."

"Ok?" she said uncertainly.

"How would you like another little brother?"

The silence on the other end was deafening.

Will instantly facepalmed.

"Mike," he hissed.

"Actually, sorry, not really a question," Mike babbled, wincing. "He's already here and in your room."

"Wh-" Addie started. "How? Why?"

"Gimme that," Will said, wrestling the phone away from him. "Hi Addie."

"Dad, what is he talking about?!?"

"He's just flustered, sorry. We both are. A lot has happened in the past few hours."

"Please tell me there's not a boy in my room going through my stuff," she said, sounding distressed.

"What?!?" Grace said in the background.

"No, no, he's just sleeping," Will promised, hoping it was true. "You can come pack your stuff tomorrow, then it will be ready to move anyway..."

"Wait, what? Moving? Moving where?"

"Yeah, you're doing a lot better at this, thanks," Mike said, giving him a sarcastic thumbs up.

"Ok, ok, we should have written it down first," Will admitted.

"Ok, what the hell is going on?!?!?" Addie demanded.

"Language!" Grace reprimanded, now much closer to the phone.

"Hey, I just got a ton of random information at once, I think I am entitled to this opinion!"

"Boys, you're on speakerphone now," Grace said. "What is this about?"

"Um..." Mike said helpfully.

"Ok," Will shook his head. "So, social services just dropped a boy off with us a little while ago. Apparently he lost his mother a few weeks ago but it took them awhile to figure out who the father was."

"I'm guessing that's Mike," Grace said matter of factly.

"Well it's not me," he said.

"So he's just going to live with you now?" Addie asked.

"I'm the only family he has," Mike said. "So, yeah."

"Why can't he sleep on the couch? Why does he have to take my room?" she complained. Sometimes it was hard to remember she was a teenager now, only a few months past 13. And other times it was pretty clear.

"It's just temporary," Mike promised. "We're going to need to move. The court apparently has to be involved to make sure he's safe here. And they're going to want each of you to have your own room."

"I want each of us to have our own room," Addie insisted. "What about tomorrow? Do I have to sleep on the couch?"

"You can if you want to," Will said. "But we also understand if you want to stay with your mom overnight until we get settled. As long as that's OK, Grace?"

"Of course," Grace said immediately. "It's just up to Addie if she wants a break from the twins."

"How old is he?" Addie asked, thinking.

"Ten. A lot closer to your age," Mike said, trying to be optimistic.

"What's his name?"

"Sam."

"What's he like?"

"You can meet him tomorrow," Mike said. "Like dad said, we need to start packing and moving anyway. You can come over and we can start doing that."

"Need a realtor?" Grace asked.

"Yes please," he sighed, relieved. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Sure. My mom can watch the kids while David's at work. I'll start looking through my listings for a three bedroom."

"Four," Will said gloomily. "As far as the court knows I'm just a roommate."

"You want to find a four bedroom apartment in Chicago?" Grace asked skeptically.

"Or a surrounding suburb," Mike said. "Just show us whatever you got."

"Ok, we'll do our best."

"Wait, what do you mean, roommate?" Addie asked. "Can I not call you dad anymore?"

"Not if the social worker is over," Will said seriously. "The extra bedroom is just for show. As long as nobody's doing a home visit everything will be like normal."

"Except with a boy."

"Yeah. Except for that."

"I know it's going to take some getting used to," Mike said, much more reassuring and collected now. "But just remember he's having a hard time. All he's ever known is his mom, and now she's gone. Just be nice to him, ok?"

"Ok," she said, voice softening a little.

"You ok?" Will asked.

She sighed. "I don't know," she said quietly. "I guess we can't go to the Renn Faire this weekend anymore."

"Shit," Mike whispered. "I forgot about that. Not this weekend, no. I'm sorry. We'll try to go before the season ends, I promise."

"Ok," Addie muttered, still sounding disappointed. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"We'll see you tomorrow," Mike said. "Can't wait."

There was a moment of silence as she walked away. Grace picked up the phone and took it off speaker.

"Little heads up would have been nice," she said thinly.

"Sorry," Mike winced.

"Is she ok?" Will asked.

"Well you just uprooted a teenager's entire life and the weekend plans she's been talking about the whole two weeks she's been with me," Grace sighed. "So no, not really. But we'll be fine. Are you guys ok?"

Mike looked over at Will helplessly.

"I think we're still in shock," he said.

"Understandably." There was a loud crash somewhere in the background. "Guess that means naptime is over. "We'll come over tomorrow morning after breakfast, yeah?"

"Sure that works," Mike started.

"Mmm, not quite," Will interrupted. "Mike has an appointment first thing in the morning. I'd come closer to 10."

Mike made a face, having already forgotten about the stupid drug tests.

"That's fine, it always takes me forever to get out of the house in the morning. We'll be there around 10."

"Thank you. See you then."

Will hung up and placed the phone back in its cradle. Mike groaned and fell against his shoulder.

"Next time we're writing it down," Will sighed. "That was a disaster."

"I panicked. I'm sorry."

"It's ok."

They sat in silent for a minute, trying to process all of the information and emotions from the past few hours. Will started absent-mindedly tracing the lines on Mike's palm. It calmed both of them, a point of connection where the tension could slowly seep away. For just a moment, everything still seemed the same.

Until Sam cautiously emerged, darting across the hall and opening their door.

"Hey, wait, where are you going?" Mike called, sitting up in alarm.

Sam poked his head back out, looking at least a little sheepish even as he tried to look annoyed.

"Bathroom."

"Oh. Yeah, it's at the end of the hall."

The boy turned and quickly moved that direction, glancing at the other doors as he went.

"That's gonna take some getting used to," Will said quietly.

"Mmhmm. There was nothing embarrassing in there, right?"

"No, I cleaned this morning."

"Ok."

"Just the one, singular bed," Will said cryptically.

"And no other doors in the hall," Mike added with a sigh.

"Nope."

"Sooo....you think he knows?"

"Guess we're about to find out."

Mike hesitantly leaned back against Will. Sam had to find out sooner or later. No use hiding it.

After another minute Sam slowly came back out, taking his time in the hallway and looking around. He stopped just shy of entering the living room, eyeing the two of them on the couch, specifically Will.

"You live here?" he asked, frowning.

"Yep."

"Where do you sleep?"

"In the bedroom you accidentally found," Will pointed, trying to stay calm.

Sam looked at Mike. "So where do you sleep?"

"In the bedroom," Mike said, pointing even though it was very obvious at this point.

"But there's only one bed."

"Yep," they both said simultaneously.

Sam snorted. "What, are you like, gay or something?"

"Yes?" Will said, wishing it still wasn't so terrifying.

"I mean technically..." Mike started before Will elbowed him rather sharply to shut him up, because they absolutely were not going to get into the intracies and technicalities with a ten year old right now. "Ok, yes. For all intents and purposes. Yes."

The boy's face immediately furrowed into a deep frown. "Eww. Why would you want to kiss a boy?"

"Some people are just different," Will shrugged, aiming for casual. "It's hard to understand at first, I get it. I mean, why do you want to kiss girls?"

"Girls are gross. Kissing is gross," he emphasized.

"He's only ten," Mike reminded him. "Lucas was the only one of us remotely interested in girls at that age."

"Yeah, ok, fair point," Will sighed. "I meant more generally speaking, but I see now how that's not gonna work."

"Look," Mike said, turning his attention back to Sam. "Nobody else can really know. Not even Ms. Denise or especially not the judge. If they find out they might take you away."

"Why do I care?" Sam frowned.

Mike hesitated.

"Because we both know how to cook really good food and won't force you to eat something you don't like," Will said quickly, trying to think of what little he had learned about Sam to bargain with.

He seemed to consider this point for a moment, then slowly grinned.

"Cool," he nodded. "Thanks."

"For what?" Mike asked warily.

"An escape card," he said smugly. "I'll stay quiet. For now. But keep in mind I can leave whenever I want."

"Shit," Mike said, sitting up again. "No, that's not what we--"

"I'm gonna play on my Game Boy now," he announced, moving to the trash bag and dumping it on the floor. "Let me know when it's time for dinner and I'll eat it in my bed."

"Addie's bed," Mike said, eyes narrowing.

Sam glared just hearing her name. "I don't care about her."

Mike started to respond, nearly rising from the couch but Will held him back.

"Do you not have a suitcase?" he asked quickly.

"Why would I have a suitcase?" he rolled his eyes.

"For traveling?"

"Travel where? To see my dad?"

"Ok, fair point," Will conceded again as Mike faded back into the couch. "I will get you one to borrow until we can get you your own."

"This looks fine to me," he shrugged, finally locating the game under a pair of faded jeans, two tangled t shirts that looked like there was still food on them, and a pair of underwear.

"Yeah, no. You can keep them in the suitcase until we get you some drawers or closet space or something."

"Whatever," he shrugged, starting towards the bedroom.

Will quickly snatched the Game Boy from him.

"Hey!"

"Wait here, I have one in the bedroom. You can play after you clean up the mess you made in our living room."

"I can clean up whenever I like or else I'm gonna make a phone call," he threatened, crossing his arms.

"Listen," Mike said, bending down until he could look Sam right in the eye. "You may have a card to play here, but you can only play it once. Is this really what you're gonna use it for? To not pick up anything and eat in bed?"

Sam held his gaze for a minute, defiant at first, but slowly settling into irritation as he realized the truth in Mike's words.

"Fine," he mumbled. "But I'm not folding them."

"As long as the suitcase can close, I don't care," Mike shrugged.

Will hurried back into the closet, digging out the big one they bought for their spontaneous trip to Africa. Sam threw his clothes in and shut it with a click, all without saying a word. Then he stood with one hand outstretched, waiting expectantly.

"Thank you," Will said, handing back the game.

Again he didn't respond, just dragged the suitcase back to the bedroom.

"Holy shit," Mike whispered, running a hand through his hair. "Was I ever that bad?"

"Oh no," Will said reassuringly, patting him on the shoulder. "Most days you were much worse."

"Oh god," he groaned

"He's just getting started. Remember how you were as a teenager?"

Mike turned pale. "Remind me to apologize to my mother."

"You turned out ok," Will said sympathetically.

"I mostly certainly did not," Mike insisted.

"Ok, the middle was a bit rocky, I'll give you that," Will conceded. "But you were also fighting monsters and didn't have active, involved parents. Sam has no monsters and will have a plethora of loving adults in his life. It will be different."

"God, I hope so," Mike sighed, looking over at the paperwork. "Hey I know it was my night to make dinner..."

"Don't worry, I got it," Will said, moving to put away the paints before it ruined his good brushes.

"Wait..."

Mike grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him in for a kiss. Will forgot about the paints for a solid minute.

"You're incredible, thank you," Mike whispered, pulling back and leaning their foreheads together. Will studied him for a second. Most of the tension had left, but there was still a heaviness weighing him down.

"We'll be fine, Mike," he said gently. "You're nothing like your dad, and you're a good father. We can do this."

Mike nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ok," he said, sitting down to properly look at all the papers. "Let's do this then."

...

"Daddy!" Addie yelled excitedly, jumping into his arms even though she was quickly rivaling him in height.

"It is so good to see you again," Mike sighed, holding her tightly.

"Did you have another growth spurt?" Will asked with a grin as she turned and tackled him next.

"Yes," Grace sighed. Despite her complaints about dealing with two toddler tornadoess, she always managed to look extremely well put together when she took clients to showings. Her brunette hair was twisted nicely into a side bun that Will could never replicate on Addie no matter how hard he tried and her sharp black pantsuit made him rethink all his outfit choice of jeans and a t shirt.

She tugged at Addie's summer dress, frowning slightly. "We literally bought new clothes her first day back and I already exchanged them for the next size up."

"Grandma Joyce is gonna have to let out my Renn Faire dress again," Addie sighed to Will.

"Yeah and I think she'll have to make a new one for the Return of the King premiere too," Will said, biting his lip as he looked her up and down. "There's no way we can make it last till December."

"That's OK. I wanted to be Eowyn this time anyway."

"I brought you some boxes," Grace said, leaning some folded cardboard up against the wall for them. "Not many but I figured this could get you started."

"You're amazing, thank you," Mike said gratefully. "I hadn't even thought that far ahead yet."

"I figured you hadn't," she smiled. "Seems like there's a lot to do."

"Oh, speaking of," Mike said, grabbing her arm and pulling her over to the table. "I need to talk to you about this character reference thing..."

Addie stayed next to Will, shyly peering over at Sam, who had yet to acknowledge the presence of the newcomers. He was still curled up in the same chair he had been in since breakfast, playing Nintendo. Addie took a deep breath and stepped towards him, holding out a hand.

"Hi, I'm Addie."

Sam didn't respond.

"Um...your name's Sam, right?"

"Mmhmm."

"Cool. What are you playing?"

"None of your business," he growled, sending her a look so fierce she took a step back behind Will.

"Ok," Will said, steering her towards her room. "Let's start packing some stuff up, ok?"

"What did I do wrong?" she asked forlornly, shutting the door behind her.

"Nothing, Addie. He's just having a hard time."

She flopped sideways on the bed. "I liked it when it was just the three of us."

"Me too," Will said sympathetically, sitting next to her. "Sometimes things change. Like when your mom met David and had Leah and Oliver."

"Yeah but I knew the twins were coming. I helped get the room ready and pick their names out. It was exciting."

"I know. None of us knew Sam was coming. Not even Sam. But you guys will get along eventually."

"Daddy said he and aunt Nancy fought all the time growing up," she pointed out.

"True. And I didn't always get along with uncle Jonathan or aunt El. But we all come from different situations. I don't know how this will all work out either. We just have to be patient and kind."

Addie nodded, somewhat distracted as she surveyed the room.

"It doesn't look like he messed with anything," she said. "So that's good."

"Hard to do when you're sleeping," Will said wisely. "What do you want to pack first?"

They worked quickly once she got started, packing away the clothes she normally kept with them, some journals, posters, lava lamp, other momentos and the few lingering toys and stuffed animals she couldn't bear to give away yet. Lastly she eyed the bookcase.

"Maybe I could leave some books for him. If he even reads."

"Hey, you've only known the kid for five minutes," Will said. "Give him a break."

She rolled her eyes. "Has he gotten off the game boy since you met him?"

"He hasn't even been here for 24 hours," Will said, avoiding the question. "Leaving some books sounds like a good idea to me. It's very nice of you."

Addie nodded, but she grabbed her treasured Anne of Green Gables set first.

"He won't like these anyways," she said.

"Probably not," Will agreed. "Is that everything?"

"For now," she sighed. "I liked this room."

"I know. But who knows, maybe your new one will be even better."

"Maybe."

She didn't sound convinced. But she helped him move the boxes into his and Mike's room before rejoining the others in the living room. Reluctantly she went up to her new half-brother.

"I left some books for you if you want to read them," she said, doing her best to be nice.

"I don't like girls books," he grumbled, not looking at her.

"They're not all girls books," she said, rolling her eyes again. At the moment Will wasn't sure which one of them looked more like Mike. "I left my Lord of the Rings set."

"What's that?" he frowned.

"You don't know what Lord of the Rings is?!?" she gasped.

"Sounds girly," Sam complained.

"There's barely any girls in it!" Addie cried. "Sometimes I even pretend Merry and Pippin are girls when I'm reading it. But they're actually boys, and they get into all sorts of trouble. And there's swordfighting and archery and wizards and giant spiders and an evil magic taking over the world and its the BEST."

For the first time Sam actually looked intrigued.

"You haven't even seen the movies?" Will asked.

"No."

"We'll have to get you caught up before the premiere of the last one," Mike said, running to Addie's room to grab the Fellowship and hand it to him excitedly.

"Oh my god, it's HUGE," he cried.

"Hey its only 22 chapters," Mike said.

"There's notes in the back you don't have to read," Addie said out of the corner of her mouth. Will pretended to be offended.

"Yeah, no," Sam said, setting it down on the side table.

"Well we don't read all of it on our own," Addie said quickly, desperately trying to convince him. "When I first started they read it out loud to me, and then whenever we went to Hawkins to visit Grandma Joyce and Grandma Karen we listen to it on audio book."

"That's gotta be at least twenty hours long," Sam said skeptically.

"Yeah the first one is like 19 hours and the second one is I think 16 and the third is 18."

"There's more than one?!?!"

"Yeah there's three, it's a trilogy. And when we finish each book we can watch the movie! And we can probably catch him up before tbe premiere, right dad?"

"Oh yeah, no problems," Will said. "We still have almost 7 months left."

"Closer to six now actually," Mike corrected, without having to think about it.

"You know you don't have to catch up by the premiere," Grace said, noting Sam's increasing alarm at their tenacity. "It's not like you have to go opening night."

Mike and Will and Addie looked at her like she had lost her head.

"No, no," Mike said, deadly serious. "We always go opening night."

"Dustin already booked his flight," Will pointed out.

"And we already have our costume plan," Addie explained.

"Costumes?" Sam asked, infinitely more confused.

"Yeah, Dustin and Lucas are Merry and Pippin and we're Frodo and Sam," Mike started to explain, pointing to him and Will before suddenly realizing that was also his son's name, which was super cool but also accidental and also a little trippy.

"Actually Max chamged her mind and made Lucas be Elrond," Will said, trying to pull Mike out of a mini spiral.

He only seemed to succeed in pulling him into an entirely different one.

"Please tell me she didn't decide on Galadriel."

"Yep," Will nodded.

"Does she STILL not realize Elrond and Galadriel aren't married?!?!" Mike groaned in frustration. "Has Lucas taught her NOTHING?!?!"

"She just wants to be a powerful elf couple," Will shrugged. "Just let her have this, we got a win just by getting her to like the series in general."

"So who's going to be Merry now? We cant have Pippin without Merry!"

"Aunt El," Addie grinned. "And Benjamin gets to be Legolas since Max decided to be Galadriel after I told her my dress wouldn't fit and I wanted to be Eowyn instead. And Izzie's going to be Arwen, only we're friends instead of enemies because we don't have an Aragorn. Unless you want to be Aragorn," she added to Sam with a small frown. "Or that might be weird. You could always be Gandalf, or Boromir. Although Gandalf is old and nobody likes Boromir because the Ring corrupted him..."

"Not true, I like Boromir," Mike interrupted.

"OR," she continued, firmly ignoring him. "We could make Benjamin give up Legolas and be Gimli instead..."

"We are not making Benjamin give up Legolas," Will said firmly. "He can choose whatever character he wants."

Addie was still getting used to El's new boyfriend. She adored El, and really looked up to her especially now that she was a teenager. El was cool, not just because she had superpowers but also because she knew how to do hair and make up, and traveled all over the world had brought back clothes and jewelry from other cultures that she let Addie try on. But now whenever they saw El, Benjamin was almost always with her, which meant less girl time. And what was worse, El had kept her new relationship a secret from everyone for the first few months, hesitantly cautious since it was her first boyfriend since Mike. For the longest time she was convinced she was asexual and aromantic, until she helped Benjamin when he got lost and joined the wrong tour group in Rio de Janeiro. She told Will she had been hesitantly cautious, unsure if it would last and she didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. They were still keeping it casual, moving slowly as El figured things out. But the fact that Benjamin not only planned to go to the premiere with them, but wanted to dress up and was just as nerdy...Will was hopeful he would stick around awhile.

"Fine," Addie sighed, still a little annoyed. "Anyway, there's plenty of options, and Grandma Joyce can make you a costume. Maybe not in time for the Renn Faire but definitely in time for the movie. Oh, have you ever been to a Renaissance Faire before?"

"Slow down, Addie," Grace said, stepping forward to put a hand on her shoulder. "This is a lot at once."

Sam looked at them all with a genuinely horrified expression.

"You're all nerds," he groaned.

"My deepest apologies," Grace said sympathetically. "You get used to it. But for now could we maybe pretend to be responsible adults looking for an apartment?"

"Oh yeah, right," Mike said, looking for his shoes. "That is important."

"Can I just stay here?" Sam whined.

"Nope, no can do," Will shook his head.

"But this is gonna be so boring."

"You can always get started on the Fellowship," Mike said helpfully.

"No."

Addie looked at Mike in exasperation. "What's wrong with him? Why doesn't he like reading?"

"Shhh, it's ok. People just grow up differently." He patted Sam on the shoulder, ushering him out the door. "Don't worry. We'll make a nerd out of you yet."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Sam said, tucking his game boy into his back pocket so he could cross his arms and roll his eyes at them.

Chapter Text

"This building is a lot taller than ours," Addie said, nearly falling over from craning her neck back.

"Yeah no kidding," Mike agreed, already looking hesitant.

"So the plus side for this apartment is that it's a bit newer," Grace said, leading them up the stairs to the lobby. "It's not far away from us or where you work which would be nice. Now I find the layout is a little clunky but it could still work if you can get creative."

"I can be creative," Will shrugged.

The elevator dinged on arrival and they all climbed inside.

"What floor?" Addie asked.

"I'm gonna push it," Sam said, practically shoving her to the side.

"Hey!" she cried.

He glared at her and proceeded to swipe his arm across the entire panel, lighting up almost all the buttons.

"You don't even know the floor where we're going!" Addie said in horror.

"Well now at least I know we'll get there," he sneered, punching in the last few buttons before Mike grabbed his wrist.

"Hey, not cool," he said. The doors closed briefly while they went up a floor. "What was that for?"

"Oh, sure, what makes her so special that she gets to press the buttons?" Sam sulked.

"I literally don't care," Addie snapped. "I was just standing right next to them."

The doors opened and closed again. Thankfully they were the only ones on the elevator, and nobody else was waiting.

"What floor are we going to?" Will asked warily, desperately hoping for a lower number.

"Twenty seven," Grace said thinly. Addie groaned.

"What?!? That will take forever!" Sam complained.

"Should have thought of that before you pressed all the buttons," Mike sighed.

The doors opened, and this time there were people waiting.

"You're gonna want to wait for the next one," Will said with an apologetic smile. "Someone pushed all the buttons."

The couple sighed and took a step back.

"Wait, we can get another one?" Sam asked as the doors closed.

"Can we?" Mike mused philosophically. "Yes. Are we? No."

"Why not?"

"Because you chose to be stupid so now you get to reap the consequences," he said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah but how come I can't get off and get another one?" Addie complained.

"Because it's an unfamiliar place so we are all staying together," Grace said firmly.

"Great, thanks a lot," Addie snapped, leaning against the wall and not looking at Sam.

Sam tried to make a run for it as soon as the doors opened again, but Mike seemed prepared for that possibility and grabbed his arm.

"Oh, no you don't," he said, pulling him back in.

"Let go of me!" Sam cried, managing to stay in the frame so the doors wouldn't close.

"I'd take the next one if I were you," Will said to the elderly man watching a few few feet away. He grabbed Sam's other arm and together they managed to pull him back inside.

The doors closed and Sam wrenched free with a huff. He turned to Grace angrily.

"Did you know they're gay?"

"Yes," she said, not batting an eye.

Sam turned to Addie, fully expecting a reaction. But Addie just crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Of course, they're both my dads why would I not know?" She took a threatening step forward. "You got a problem with that?"

"Maybe," he taunted, sticking his chin out. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Whoa, ok, ok," Mike said as all three adults quickly intervened and held the two of them apart.

"Adelaide Marie don't you dare," Grace said, grabbing her arm as she started to swing.

The doors opened and Sam tried to dive out to avoid Addie's swing. Will caught him and hauled him to the back corner. Whoever was waiting outside took a step back.

"Sorry," Will apologized as the doors closed again. "Sit down, Sam."

"You're not my dad!"

"Really?" Mike said. "You want someone to call us in for kidnapping, and have Denise come down to the police station and explain why none of the people in this elevator share the same last name?"

"Well it'd be better than this!"

"This is literally your fault," Addie scoffed.

"Would you guys like to walk the rest of the way up, or can you just suffer in silence for ten minutes?" Grace suggested.

Both the kids went quiet, slumping back against their respective corners. Will took a deep breath and leaned back next to Mike. For a moment they were all quiet, catching their breath and keeping a close eye on the two youngsters. The doors kept their endless cycle of opening and closing.

"Hang on," Mike said suddenly, whipping his head around to look at Grace. "Did you say Adelaide?"

"Yeeesss?" she said slowly, very confused.

Mike looked at his daughter. "Your full name is Adelaide?!?"

"Wait, really?" Will asked.

"Yeah?" Addie said, frowning.

"Mike," Grace sighed, exasperated. "You knew this."

"No I didn't!"

The doors opened again, revealing an older couple.

"How have you gone thirteen years without knowing her full name?" Grace frowned. "That was my grandmother's name, I told you, I know I did."

"Hey, anything you told me in the first four years doesn't count, you know that."

"...we'll just wait for the next one," the old woman said with a grimace. Will nodded at her in agreement.

"You have a copy of her birth certificate," Grace said, getting frustrated now. "You haven't ever looked at that before?"

"Like, briefly to make sure it was still there," Mike shrugged. "But seriously, how often do you look at someone's birth certificate?"

"Do you not like it?" Addie asked uncertainly.

"No, no," he said instantly, voice softening. "It's beautiful, it fits you really well actually, I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I didn't even know my own daughter's full name?!?"

"I really thought I had mentioned it more than that," Grace said apologetically.

Mike just shook his head helplessly.

"Adelaide is a city in Australia," Sam said, surprising them all. Nobody thought he had been paying attention. "Ha! Your name is just a boring city."

"I highly doubt you've ever been to Australia so you can't even say that," Addie said, rolling her eyes. "And you're name is just a boring old president."

"Still cooler than a city, Adelaide."

"Oh no," Will said as Addie started to grow frustrated again. "You call her Adelaide and she gets to call you Samuel."

"What? No, I hate being called Samuel!"

"Then stick with Addie and we won't have a problem," she said stubbornly.

"Oh we still have a problem," he muttered, not looking at her.

"Five minutes guys," Grace begged. "Just be quiet for five minutes."

Everyone finally shut up, enduring the agonizing slow ride together. The higher they went, the sorrier Sam looked. On floor 18 a businessman messing with his pager got on without looking. It took 2 floors before he looked up and saw the bright panel buttons.

"Oh, is this going up?" he asked.

"One floor at a time," Mike said cheerfully.

He got out on the next floor. Mike leaned his head on Will's shoulder and clenched his jaw to hold back a frustrated groan. He was definitely regretting the policy of sticking it out for the whole ride.

"Do you think we can call the help button and have them override it?" he whispered.

"No," Will sighed, even though he desperately wanted to do something. The sharp jerks upward and the quick stops were starting to make him seasick.

"What if we call El..."

"No."

"But what happens if all the stopping confuses it and it breaks down and we get stuck?"

"We are five floors away, we can do this."

Mike couldn't hold back the groan this time.

"Sorry," Sam mumbled, actually sincere.

"Damnnit, kid, I was hoping you'd say that like 15 floors ago," Mike sighed. "Then I would have let us all get off this nightmare."

"Oh."

Finally, after what just might be the longest 15 minutes of their lives, they reached floor 27. As soon as the doors opened they all rushed out, desperate to not be stuck any longer.

"Thank god," Grace said under her breath. She took a quick look around to get oriented. "This way."

She unlocked a door and they all snaked their way around the narrow entryway and into the small kitchen.

"So as you can see, you come in through the kitchen," Grace said, back in realtor mode, "and the backwall of the bathroom makes the living area kind of an awkward shape. But if you lay out the furniture just right you could make it work, and the floor to ceiling windows give you a nice view which makes it feel more open."

Will wandered over to the glass wall and accidentally looked down.

"Oh my god," he gasped, quickly stepping away. "No. Nope. Nope. I can't...no."

"Does it make you dizzy?" Sam asked eagerly, running over.

"Holy shit," Mike said, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him back. "How is it legal to be this high?!?"

"Come on!" Sam whined. "I wanna see."

"Yeah I'm not having you fall to your death out of a skyscraper in the first 24 hours since you've been under my care," he said.

"It's the same glass they use on the first floor," he said, rolling his eyes.

"I don't care, stay away."

"You could always put the couch against that side," Grace suggested. "And maybe some plants. Keep you from getting to close and looking down."

"Maybe," Will said weakly.

"Let me show you the bedrooms. This one does have four but one of them technically might be a walk in pantry? But I figured that one wouldn't matter so much since you won't use it as a real bedroom. The master bed is over here, that bathroom is really nice, full sized tub, but unfortunately no windows."

"I can live with that," Will said, still feeling a bit unsteady.

"Wait, does that mean the kids rooms have windows?" Mike asked, looking a bit pale.

Grace inhaled slowly, knowing exactly what was coming. "Well. One of them does..."

"I call the window room!" Sam called, running across the hall to find it.

"Hey, no fair!" Addie complained. "You don't just get to call something like that!"

"I can too! What gives you the right to make the rules?"

"I'm older."

"I'm new, so you have to be nice to me."

"Guys, we don't even know if this is the apartment we're gonna get," Will said.

"What do you even want a window for?" Addie continued to press, completely ignoring him.

"Because it's cooler, obviously."

"Well I want it for practical reasons," she huffed. "If I put a vanity by the window then I'll have good lighting and I won't need to do my hair and makeup in the bathroom. Which takes forever, by the way."

"She does actually have a point there," Mike muttered.

"You're not helping," Grace hissed.

"I don't care about your stupid hair and makeup!"

"Well maybe the one without the window is bigger," she said, going to investigate.

"I don't care," Sam whined again, even though he followed her. "I want the bedroom with a window."

"But I don't have a window in my other bedroom."

"Oooh, so fancy, I have two bedrooms," Sam said mockingly.

Mike pulled out his cellphone and hit Nancy's speed dial while the two kids kept bickering.

"Hey," she said, answering almost immediately. "Make it quick, I'm in the middle of working overtime managing a big project and Jon's photographing a wedding so the girls are with me, so I don't have a lot of time but you literally never call me, is everything ok?"

"I would like to officially apologize for being a pain in the ass when we were younger," Mike sighed, leaning back against the wall even though he looked like he would prefer to just headbang against it.

There was a moment of silence while she sipped her drink. "Are you dying?" she asked dryly.

"It kinda feels like it."

"Is Will there?"

"Hi Nance," Will said, taking the phone from Mike. "We weren't gonna call right now but your brother has no impulse control."

"Tell me something new. Like why is he being a drama queen?"

"Mini Mike showed up and is giving him a taste of his own medicine."

"Eesh, the teenage hormones are hitting Addie that hard?"

"No," Will sighed, remembering they hadn't told her yet. "Mini Mike showed up yesterday. And technically his name is Sam and he's ten."

"Don't tell mom," Mike said urgently, taking the cell back.

"I'm not claiming him as mine," Nancy said, taking the news in stride. Nothing much could ever rattle her these days. "You gonna pass him off as Will's or are you planning to hide him forever?"

"No one would believe that," Will said.

"Well..." Grace said with a pointed look.

"I will tell mom," Mike promised, gesturing for them both to shut up. "I owe her an apology too. It's just been a crazy 24 hours so I haven't gotten around to it yet."

"Well I accept your apology," she said simply. "But please know that even though you do have some sympathy from me, I am thoroughly enjoying this bit of karma for you."

"Understandable and perfectly justified," Mike sighed. "Talk to you later."

He hung up right as Addie and Sam ran back into the room, both angry and flustered.

"...at least I can get away from you every few weeks," Addie was saying through gritted teeth.

"Hey, maybe I can have the window room when you're gone," Sam grinned, a wicked glint in his eye.

Addie turned to her mother, on the verge of tears but still keeping them in check. "I'm going home with you tonight."

"Fine by me," Grace said softly, holding her close.

Will and Mike locked eyes for a brief second before looking away, trying to hide their disappointment. No one could blame her, really. But it still hurt.

"Ready to see if the next one is better?" Grace asked, trying to be optimistic.

"Sure," Mike sighed.

Luckily the ride down was a lot quieter, and a lot shorter.

Chapter Text

Sam disappeared as soon as they got home, slipping into Addie's room before the deadbolt slid into place. Mike and Will looked at each other for a moment, then back at the quiet, empty apartment where Addie should have been getting ready for movie night. It felt wrong not having her there, but at the same time it was nice to have a moment of peace without one child or another finding something to complain or sass about.

"So I was thinking alfredo?" Mike suggested as they moved to the kitchen.

"Sounds great," Will sighed. He went to the freezer and pulled out a bag of pre-cooked and seasoned chicken to fry. "Ok, so obviously the first place is out of the question..."

"Yeah that elevator ride alone was enough to take that off the table," Mike groaned, filling a pot of water to boil.

"What did you think about the second one?"

"Better. The kitchen was so small though. That's like for some sad, pathetic person who eats out all the time or just has frozen junk food."

Will raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean like you were before I taught you how to cook?"

"I was sad and pathetic," he said, sounding totally serious as he suddenly braced both arms against the counter either side of Will, trapping him.

"You were not," Will insisted, crossing his arms as he played along.

"The most I could do was scramble an egg and boil some Ramen. I was starving myself to death. You saved my life."

"Oh did I now?"

"Mmhmm," he murmured, losing track of whatever comeback he was going to say as he finally gave in and leaned forward to kiss Will.

They had come to a somewhat silent agreement, based on Sam's reactions, to hold back on being super touchy and affectionate in front of him, just while he was getting to know them and get used to the idea. But now he was in the bedroom, so a brief makeout session couldn't hurt. Will unfolded his arms so he could grab Mike's waist and bring him closer. He let his mind go blank, the feeling of Mike's tongue running over his own completely taking over. In fact it would have been very, very easy to give in entirely and let Mike take him then and there, and he had to strongly remind himself that there was a child in the house.

Eventually the sound of sizzling chicken and boiling water brought him back. Will gently pushed back against Mike's chest until he could speak again.

"Spinach."

"Huh?" Mike blinked at him, thoroughly confused.

"Go wash the spinach," Will laughed, clearing his throat.

Mike stood there for another second, slowly blinking as his brain came back online.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Go from...from kissing to just back to making dinner. My brain is all fuzzy."

"Because I'm hungry," he said, physically steering him towards the fridge. "Aren't you always the one reminding me to stop for food whenever we go, like, anywhere?"

"You trump food," Mike said. "Always. Obviously."

"I have several memories that contradict that statement, but sure."

"You're annoying. I don't even remember what we were talking about in the first place."

"Apartments," Will said far too easily, looking for pasta. They were out of penne, so the rigatoni would have to do.

"Right. The point is, in that apartment we would not have room for us both to be doing this."

"This?" Will teased, hooking one finger in his belt loop and pulling him closer again.

"Cooking at the same time," Mike said, rolling his eyes playfully. "Now get away from me if you want me to help, I can't think straight when you do that."

"Clearly," Will smirked, letting go.

"Shut up."

"Ok, ok," he grinned. "So a no on the one with a small kitchen?"

"Not necessarily I guess. But it's low on the list."

"Ok. What was the next one we saw?"

Mike grimaced. "The one we skipped."

"Oh, right."

(Mike had recognized the street immediately when they pulled up to the parking meters, and made Sam stay in the car. He had interrupted Grace before she had even closed the door.

"Not this one. It's a bad neighborhood."

"It's not terrible," she frowned, confused. "I know the outside doesn't look great but you haven't even seen..."

"Ok, it may not be a bad neighborhood in of itself, but I know it, ok? There's a drug den down the street and a brothel around the corner," he said bluntly. "And I've recognized at least 3 people since we pulled up. No."

Grace pursed her lips and nodded tightly. "Point taken, let's go.")

"The one we saw after that was nice," Mike continued.

"A lot nicer," Will said. "That was $300 over budget."

"We could make that work."

"With all the extra expenses that already come with an extra kid?" he asked skeptically.

Mike shrugged, opening the jar of alfredo sauce they had canned last summer and pouring it over the chicken. "I'm just saying it's an option."

"True. I liked the last one. I know it's a little further away but the neighborhood seemed very safe. And they had the playground and little park you could see from the window. I wouldn't worry if they wanted to go down by themselves even. I mean, come on, where else are you going to find that in Chicago?"

"Yeah. Sure."

Will looked at him curiously.

"What's that for?"

"What?"

"That face. It's the same one you made when Grace pointed it out."

Mike leaned against the counter and chewed his lip, avoiding eye contact.

"I dunno," he said quietly. "It's probably a stupid idea."

"I highly doubt that. Your stupid ideas have dramatically decreased with age."

"Ha ha."

Will sidled up next to him. "Come on, what?"

Mike took a deep breath.

"What if..."

"What's that smell?" Sam asked, making them both practically jump out of their skin.

"Chicken alfredo," Mike said, clearing his throat.

Sam creeped up to the stove and examined the contents of the pan.

"You're doing it wrong," he said with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Will asked slowly. "What part?"

"Everything!" Sam shouted, the words seemingly exploding out of nowhere.

"How do you normally like it? We can do it that way next time."

"No! Everything is all wrong, everything! You don't known anything! The pasta doesn't spiral, I don't like spinach, and it's not Wednesday!!

"Wednes-?" Mike started, fully confused but Sam turned and started yelling at him.

"And I don't care if that's how "perfect Addie" likes it, I'm not eating it, you can't make me!"

"Ok, literally what is your problem with Addie?? Because she has been nothing but nice to you since you got here and I don't expect you two to be best friends but you've just treated her like shit."

"Ohhhhhh just cause she can "read" and she's a "nerd" that makes her good enough for you?!? You don't know me!! How can you be my dad if you don't even know me?!?!? You're not my dad, and you're DEFINITELY not my dad so don't even try--" he pointed at Will accusingly, and started hyperventilating-- "because dads aren't supposed to leave and...and...and...neither are moms! I don't want one or the other, I wanted BOTH!! What's the point of even making that if she's not here to eat it!?!?" Hot, angry tears finally spilled over as he completely broke, and he made a sudden dash towards the door.

Mike quickly intercepted him and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"Sam, Sam wait..."

"I don't want this!!!" Sam screamed, pushing back against Mike in an effort to break free. "Let me go! I want to go home, its not fair, I just...I just..." And then just as suddenly the fight seemed to leave him, and his whole body went limp, falling to the floor as he cried. "I just want my mom back."

Mike's grip loosened from restrictive to something more comforting.

"I know, kid. I know."

For a moment Will stayed frozen in place still holding the spatula at a weird angle as he tried to process everything. The boy's desperate, heaving sobs choked through the apartment, punctured only by the occasional, tiny, whimpered "it's not fair." After a second, Will quietly dumped all the food into one giant bowl and put it in the fridge. Then he sat on the floor across from Mike and Sam, silently waiting.

Eventually his cries slowly calmed down and he didn't sound like he was one missed breath away from passing out due to lack of oxygen. But still he stayed leaning against Mike, looking too small and tired and weak to move.

"What did your mom tell you about me?" Mike asked softly.

"Nothing," Sam sniffed. "She never wanted to talk about it no matter how many times I asked. Not even for the school family tree project."

"So this whole time you've just thought I was the jerk who abandoned you and your mom in favor of Addie," Mike sighed, finally realizing what had been going on. Sam didn't respond, but the way he tensed and held back another round of tears was answer enough. "Kid, I didn't even know you existed until Denise knocked on our door."

Sam sat up a little so he could look at him suspiciously. "But you and mom made me...together, right?"

"Uhhhhh...shit, ok. So...um..."

Will kicked his leg quickly. "Details later," he said through gritted teeth.

"Right, ok, yeah" Mike nodded in agreement, extremely relieved. "So. Long story short. You don't...always know when you've made a kid...at least right away? It takes a couple weeks. So by the time your mom found out, I wasn't there anymore. And she didn't have my phone number so she couldn't find me."

"Why didn't you leave her your phone number?" he asked brokenly.

"Because I was young and stupid," Mike sighed. "The same thing actually happened with Addie, only her mom managed to find me a few months later. And even then I was still...young and stupid. I wasn't really a part of her life either until she was four."

"Is that why you didn't know her name?"

"Yeah. I kind of missed out on that bit. I missed out on a lot, and I hate it. Trust me, if I had known about you sooner I would have tried to be there more."

"Really?" Sam whispered.

"If I could bring your mom back for you I would," Mike said quietly. "I really wish I could. But I'm also really glad you're here. I'm not just taking care of you because we don't have another choice or I'm being forced, ok?"

Sam nodded ever so slightly, and carefully leaned back against his arm again, processing.

"Hey," Will said after a moment of silence. "Do you want to tell me how your mom made alfredo? I don't mind re-making it."

He shook his head, tears starting to well up again.

"Ok. Let me know if you change your mind. I won't make it again until you say so. But in the meantime we do need something to eat. What do you want?"

"I dunno," he shrugged sullenly, staring at the floor. "I'm not that hungry."

"What's something your mom didn't like that you always wanted to try?"

For a second he gnawed on his thumbnail, thinking.

"Chinese," he said finally.

Mike looked over at Will smugly. "The boy has spoken, you cannot deny this request."

"I'm not going to," Will said, pursing his lips. "Chinese is fine, Michael, just not when it was the only thing you ate every night."

"That is not true, by the way, don't listen to him," Mike said as he helped Sam to his feet. "I also ate pizza and anything Jimmy Dean."

"How did you survive without me?" Will asked, shaking his head.

"Miserably, that's how," Mike grinned cheekily.

Will tried to hold his faux-irritated glare; an unsuccessful task when all he really wanted to do was kiss him again.

...

There was a Chinese buffet just down the street, within walking distance. It didn't take long for Sam to perk up a little, but what ten year old wouldn't get excited at unlimited food. He took his time going up and down the aisles, carefully choosing what he wanted to try and only acting slightly annoyed when Mike reminded him not to get too much. Will found him at the dessert table, trying to calculate if he could get a brownie onto his plate without getting it covered in soy sauce.

"You know you can come back as many times as you want," Will smiled. "You don't have to fit it all on your plate at once."

"Wait, really?" he looked up at him in wide eyed amazement.

"Yeah. That's the cool part about a buffet. Come back and grab dessert at the end."

"Nice," Sam said, grinning as he walked over to the table.

Will fully expected Sam to sit on the booth across from where Mike was already seated. Instead, he slid in right next him, not quite touching but close enough that it was going to be difficult to eat without knocking elbows. Mike looked down at him in surprise, then slowly locked eyes with Will. For a second neither of them moved, afraid that if they did the spell would break and Sam would realize where he was and who they were. But he got right to work on his plate, not bothered in the slightest. Will smiled and sat across from them.

"Hey, that looks good," Mike said after a minute, aiming his chopstick at some sort of dumpling on Sam's plate. "What is it?"

"I dunno," Sam shrugged. "I just wanted to try it."

"Do you remember what it was called? I might grab one on my next round."

"It was between this one and this one," he said uncertainly, pointing at two other dishes on his plate.

"Cool. I'll have to find it."

Will studied him for a second as he finally started making some connections.

"Hey Sam," he said slowly. "Can you read?"

Sam grew still, shrinking into himself. "I have dyslexia," he admitted quietly. "I can read some things but it's really hard."

"Ohhhhh," Mike breathed as it clicked for him as well.

"What do you do for school?" Will asked curiously.

"I have to listen to all my books on tape."

"That's how you knew how long Lord of the Rings was," Mike realized. "I thought you just made a dramatic guess."

"I'm pretty good at telling by the size of the hard copy," Sam shrugged. "My friends and I make a game out of it."

"What if they don't have an audio book version?" Will asked, already thinking ahead.

"Mom read it to me. And my homework instructions when I couldn't remember them. But I had one teacher who would print my assignments in a different font, and I could mostly read that. It looked like a comic book."

Oh.

Will's eyes lit up and he looked at Mike excitedly. He hadn't even thought about showing Sam the comics yet.

As soon as they finished eating they rushed home, and the first thing Will did was go to Addie's room and grab the first installment.

"Diss...apear-ance to the Up...side Down," Sam read carefully. "By Will-iam...By-ers. Hey! That was actually pretty easy. William Byers." He frowned, then looked at Will. "Is that you?"

"Yep," Will said proudly. "This is the mostly true story of what happened to me and your dad as kids. I changed a couple things, but not as much as you might think. Maybe this will help you get to know us a little better."

"Cool."

He walked over to the couch and curled up in the corner to start reading.

"Did he just say cool?" Mike whispered.

"Yes, actually, he did," Will said, equally as amazed by the quick turn of events.

"Did he think, like, the comics were cool, or we were cool, or..."

"I don't know," Will shrugged. "All I know is he seems interested and he's not hanging out alone in the bedroom, so that's progress."

The phone rang, interrupting their whispered excitement. Mike answered.

"Hello?"

"I changed my mind," Addie sniffed from the other end of the line. She had clearly been crying. "I wanna come home."

"Ok," Mike smiled softly.

"Is it too late to come get me?"

"No," both of them said at once.

"Never," Mike added.

Will reached for his shoes. "I'll go get her."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I don't mind."

"I don't mind either. And it's been a long day."

"It's been a long day for all of us," Will shrugged.

"You could still stay here," Mike offered.

Will glanced over at Sam, focused on one of the pages. "We've made progress but I still don't think he'd be too happy with that."

"Sorry," he murmured apologetically.

"Mike, it's not like we're deciding who has to go dig through the dumpster. I'm going to get Addie." He grinned. "Tell her I'll be there in 20."

"Dad's on his way," Mike smiled into the phone.

...

The door to the house opened before Will had even parked the car, and he didn't get very far before Addie was practically clinging to him.

"Hey," he said gently. "Miss me?"

Addie nodded into his shoulder.

"Thanks for coming," David said, loading her suitcase into the car. "I would have driven her over but the bedtime battles are raging strong tonight."

"Not a problem at all," Will said easily. "By the way I brought you guys some chicken alfredo, it's in the front seat."

"Sweet, thanks."

"Is there more at home?" Addie asked.

"No. Apparently it was a favorite for Sam's mom. It made him too sad so we went to get Chinese instead."

"Oh," she said quietly.

"Hey, next week I'll barbecue so we're even," David suggested.

"Yeah sounds great. I'll let you know what day when we know more of what's going on."

One of the twins, moving so fast Will couldn't even tell who it was, streaked out the door and made a dash for the car. David scooped them up with one arm and held them upside down, causing an insane round of toddler giggles.

"Keep us updated," David said, trying to hold the kid still. "Hey, say bye to your sister, she's leaving now."

"Bye Addie," the tiny voice laughed.

"Bye Leah, bye Papa," Addie smiled, finally letting go of Will so she could get in the car.

Different Papa, Will had to remind himself again, suppressing the automatic shudder and flare of anger the name usually produced. All these years later and it still made him think of Brenner.

"Sorry," Addie said quietly as they started driving.

"What for?"

She shrugged. "I guess I should have been nicer."

"It's an adjustment for all of us. We're still learning. Speaking of, have you ever heard of dyslexia?"

"Yeah a kid in my history class has it, why?"

"Sam does too."

"Oh."

"But it turns out he can read the same font I used for the comics."

"Really?!? Did you show him yet?"

"Yep, he's at home reading the first episode now."

"Cool. I hope he likes it. Then maybe we can have something to talk about."

"Hopefully," Will agreed. "You wanna play some of your music while you don't have any competition?"

"Yes please," she grinned, reaching for her Brittany Spears CD.

She blasted the music and sang along the whole ride, and by the time they got home seemed to be in much better spirits. But she still hugged Mike for a long time, not wanting to let go until she smelled the kitchen.

"Did you make nightmare cookies?" she asked, confused.

"I figured we could all use a little something," Mike smiled. "Wanna get some milk for us?"

"Hey, how'd you like the comic?" Will asked Sam, sitting across from him on the other couch.

"I got half way through before I needed a break," he said proudly. "I think I like it so far. It's kinda scary though."

"It is a little bit," Will admitted. "But not the whole thing, there are good parts too."

Sam nodded, looking over at tbe kitchen and Mike.

"He said most of this first one happened for real, and you didn't change much," he said hesitantly.

"That's right."

"Was it scary for real?"

"Yes," he said calmly, trying not to think on it too hard.

"How did you get out?"

"Well I won't spoil it too much," he teased gently. Mike and Addie brought the milk and cookies over to the coffee table, and Addie snuggled in next to him. "But I had people who loved me that didn't stop looking for me."

Mike smiled at him. "And I'd still be looking today if we hadn't found you."

Will believed him.

"Now," Mike said, picking up The Fellowship of the Ring from the side table. "Who's ready for a happier story?"

"Me!" Addie said excitedly.

"I guess so," Sam shrugged.

He had curled into the opposite corner of the couch from Mike, slightly angled towards the back as he tried to feign indifference. But the distinct lack of the Game Boy was certainly telling.

"Alright. Chapter one: A Long-Expected Party. When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton..."

Will settled into the couch, watching as Mike began to read. It was almost like watching him DM a campaign: he got so lost in it, truly took on the characters and brought you into the world. But at the same time it was also different. Instead of being engaged in a new plot and challenge, Will got to sit and listen and enjoy the words he had read a hundred times over. It was slower and quiet and cozy, and he could hear the movie soundtrack in his mind even though the characters were still the same as he had imagined them in his head growing up. Plus, if he zoned out because he was a little preoccupied with the narrator...well, he knew what he had missed.

The longer Mike read the more interested Sam became, interrupting with questions about Hobbits and Wizards and why the ages were so different from humans. But for the most part he just sat very still so he could listen. Addie's head grew heavier, sinking against Will as her breathing slowed. He reached out his foot to tap Mike on the leg. Mike nodded and finished reading the final passage.

""I regret to announce that--although as I said, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to spend among you--this is the end. I am going. I am leaving now. Goodbye." He stepped down and vanished. There was a blinding flash of light, and the guests all blinked. When they opened their eyes Bilbo was nowhere to be seen." Mike slipped in a bookmark and closed it. "And with that, we will pick it up tomorrow."

"Wait, what?!?" Sam cried, sitting up in distress. "We can't stop it there! How did he disappear? Where did he go?"

"You'll find out tomorrow," Mike grinned. "But it has been a very long day and Addie's already asleep."

"But I'm not tired," he insisted.

"Our rule here is bedrooms by 9 and lights out by 10," Mike said. "I'll give you an hour since we're a little behind tonight."

"An hour to do what?"

"Addie normally reads," Will said, carefully getting up from the couch so she could lay all the way down. "Or I guess you could..."

"Oh!" he interrupted, moving to grab the comic. "Maybe I can finish it now."

"That works too," he said, hiding a smile.

...

Mike didn't climb into bed so much as lose all muscle control at once, using what little energy he had left to cling to Will.

"I'm so fucking tired," he mumbled.

"That was a lot for one day," Will agreed.

"And yet you're still doing Sudoku. How."

"Because it's relaxing?"

"You're such a nerd."

"Says the guy who just spent the last half hour reading Lord of the Rings out loud."

Mike grinned sleepily, eyes still closed. "Your turn tomorrow."

"Deal."

"Wear the glasses."

"Really?"

"You look good in them!"

"You say that about literally everything I wear," Will laughed softly.

"Because it's true. Everything and nothing."

"Shut up," he said, elbowing him in the side.

There was a moment of silence as Will examined his puzzle. For a moment he thought Mike had fallen asleep, given how heavy and relaxed he became. It almost startled him when he spoke again.

"I don't think we should look at those houses tomorrow. We need a break."

"Yeah, in hindsight we should have given Addie and Sam more time to get used to each other before dragging them around the city."

"Exactly. And...I should probably make some calls."

"That's probably a good idea. Ooh!" He scribbled in a 7 and a 2. "Hey, what were you trying to say before Sam came in earlier?"

Mike sighed. "I didn't like any of the apartments today."

"None of them really stood out to me either," Will mused. "Wanna to move to Massachusetts so we can get married?"

"Don't tempt me," Mike grinned. "If it wasn't so far..."

Will clicked his tongue in mock disappointment. The topic usually came up at least once a month, the two of them trading off on who suggested it and who came up with ridiculous reasons why not. "You're holding out on me Wheeler."

"You're the one who won't decide on a last name."

"I'll keep you posted then."

As Vickie reminded them every year, other states would eventually follow Massachusetts' lead. Something closer was bound to pop up sooner or later, if only they were patient. This was usually the point where Robin interjected with some dramatic lament, Murray suggested they all travel for a month and fake residency, and Joyce offered to hold a ceremony for them even if it wouldn't legally do anything. But at the end of the day they all came back to the same point: it was too much work and it didn't really matter because it was real to them.

"Maybe you'll like one of the suburb houses better," Will said after a minute, marking an 8 in the corner. "The neighborhood where Grace and David live isn't bad."

"Yeah," Mike sighed, unconvinced. "But not bad doesn't equal good. I mean...when we grew up we could bike all over town and play in the woods all day and everybody knew everyone and for the most part kids had actual freedom."

"And it was perfectly safe and nothing bad ever happened."

"Ok, ok, yes," Mike rolled his eyes. "Our parents probably should have been a little more involved even before the alternate dimension started taking over and traumatizing us. But that was an anomaly and we ended it. It's gone, we don't have to worry about Sam or Addie fighting monsters or disappearing. Actually I'm more worried about that here."

Will put down the Sudoku, because despite his earlier sarcasm he did want to listen.

"What are you saying?"

Mike sat up, hugging his knees to his chest the same way he used to do as a kid when he got nervous.

"I'm saying...what if we leave Chicago? I've been wanting to find a new job anyway for months now. You rarely need to go into the publishing office. There's nothing really holding us here except Addie. We'd have to stay close enough that we could still reasonably drive her back and forth to school, and we may not be able to have weekly dinners with Grace and David on our off weeks but since they're on the outskirts now it wouldnt be terrible. Plus, land is cheaper in the country...maybe we could even use the rest of Nana's inheritance to buy a house?"

"I hadn't thought about it like that before," he said thoughtfully. "Where are you thinking? Not Hawkins, right?"

"No, no, definitely not. Never. Plus it's way too far...school would be a nightmare. But...Max and Lucas live halfway..."

Chapter Text

"Come on, Sam, let's go, we're already running behind," Mike said, knocking at the bedroom door.

Like much of yesterday, Sam was sprawled across the bed, deeply invested in the comics.

"But I can't read in the car and I want to know what happens next!!" he insisted. "This has to be the worst place to stop ever!!!"

"I mean, there's a lot of action and suspense and cliffhangers, so..."

Sam flipped the comic down, extremely distraught, and Mike caught a glimpse of the panels. Even upside down, there was no mistaking what part of the story he was at. Years later, the sight of Will's tiny look alike body in the lake still made his heart clench. It was the only one he didn't read aloud to Addie when they had first found the comics, though she didn't understand why until later, after they had met Will. He swallowed and took a deep breath, eyes locked on the page. Will didn't leave his readers in the dark for long, ending this issue on a high note with Hopper discovering the fake body and the kids listening to Jamie sing over the radio with El's help.

"Ten minutes," he said softly. "Let me know when you finish."

Sam nodded intensely and re-focused on the pages. Mike slowly withdrew, going to sit next to Will on the couch, leaning his head on his shoulder.

"Everything ok?" he asked, confused and concerned.

"Yeah."

"Can we go now?" Addie asked. "I'm tired of packing and I haven't seen Izzie in ages."

"He's at the end of the 8th issue," Mike explained with a sigh. "Bad place to stop."

"Oh," Addie and Will quietly realized together.

"Another few minutes won't hurt," Will said gently, squeezing his hand.

...

"But how did they do that so fast??" Sam asked, still peppering them with questions as they drove out of Chicago.

"They had a lot of money and resources," Will shrugged. "Apparently the government knows how to fake a death."

"But why did they lie?"

"They didn't want us poking around the base anymore," Mike explained. "They thought we would stop after that."

"But you didn't, because Eleven helped you hear him on the radio."

"Exactly."

"Are we going to meet Eleven today?"

"No, she's off having some super awesome adventure with her stupid boyfriend," Addie complained.

"Benjamin is not stupid, you're just jealous," Mike sighed.

"And where did she possibly get that from, I wonder?" Will teased from the passenger seat.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You can travel with aunt El when you're older, Addie."

"But what if she decides to stop before then?? What if she has her own kids and she can't go skydiving or mountain climbing anymore?" Addie lamented.

"First of all, I highly doubt that," Will said. "She's never really wanted kids."

"If she did have kids, would her kids also have powers?" Sam asked.

"That is one of the exact reasons she doesn't want them," Will said. "She doesn't know."

"She would make a good mom though," Mike mused. "She always loves hanging out with the kids when we get together. I always thought she would change her mind after being a surrogate."

"Yeah but she said it was different. She always knew it was Lucas and Max's baby, not hers. I think she just likes being the fun aunt who travels the world."

"She sounds cool," Sam said.

"She is cool," Addie said, immediately forgetting her complaints about Benjamin. "She's done so many cool things, like riding donkeys through the south American jungle, and hiking mountains in the Himalayas, and she goes surfing in Australia every summer! Every time we see her she has more crazy stories and pictures. She and Dad wrote a book series together."

"Is it another comic?" Sam asked eagerly.

"Actually they're kid's board books," Will explained. "And technically she writes them and I'm just the illustrator. But it's a lot of fun."

"Aunt Max gets every book for her kids, so you can see them then," Addie said.

"Is that who we're meeting today?"

"Yeah, in the comics they're Logan and Sawyer but we call them Uncle Lucas and Aunt Max."

"Wait, who's Sawyer?"

"You haven't met her yet, she doesn't come in until issue 17. But she's super cool. Who's your favorite character so far?"

"I like Logan and Dusty. They're funny."

"My favorites are Alex and Jamie," she said, sounding only slightly passive aggressive. Mike gave her a look in the rearview mirror. The two siblings had gotten along fairly well yesterday, but mostly stayed out of each other's way, preventing any conflict in the first place.

"But they're not girls."

"Yeah, so?"

"Doesn't your favorite character have to be a girl?"

"No," she said pointedly. "I can like whoever I wanna like."

"So can I," he countered. "And my favorites are Logan and Dusty."

Addie clenched her jaw and looked out the window. Will sighed inwardly, mentally preparing to break up another argument before it took over the whole trip. But then he heard Sam again, much quieter than before but still there.

"But Alex and Jamie are alright, I guess."

He shared a grin with Mike. It was small, but it was progress.

Sam opened issue 9 and tried to read, gradually pulling it closer and closer to his face as he squinted.

"Don't you get car sick when you read in the car?" Addie asked.

"Kinda," he admitted, closing it in defeat. "The letters already move when we're still, so it's even worse in the car." He leaned forward and tapped Will's shoulder. "Can you make an audiobook version of these?"

"There's not enough writing to record," Will explained. "I do most of the storytelling through the art, so all the action and descriptions of places would have to be re-written. That sort of writing is more Mike's style."

"So you could write your version then," Sam suggested.

"No," Mike shook his head instantly. "Sorry, kid, I don't feel like re-living all that again. Helping with the last few volumes was hard enough."

"So what kind of books do you write?"

"Choose Your Own Adventure books mostly. Have you ever seen those?"

"I think mom and I read one together once," he said quietly. "There was a lot of flipping back and forth through the pages."

"Yeah those would also be hard to make into audiobooks," Mike admitted. "I don't mind reading them though."

"What about your other books?" Addie asked, genuinely innocent.

"Uhhhhhh...I mean technically they can be audiobooks, but you guys are too young for those."

"Why not?" Sam frowned, and Will realized that he was definitely in the stage where if you tell him not to do something he was going to want to do it anyway.

"It's...they're adult...romance novels," he managed. "Oh, god that sounded bad out of context, they're not dirty or anything, I don't write anything like that..."

"How can a book be dirty?" Sam asked, even more confused than before.

"Shit, ok just forget I said anything, alright? There's nothing bad in them, it just has a lot of heavy themes and...it's just not a kids book or something you'd like in general..."

"You are a disaster," Will said fondly, trying hard not to laugh as he opened the bag of chips Mike had insisted on buying for the 1.5 hour trip.

"Yeah, well, that's why it will be your job to explain this in the unfortunately probably very near future," Mike sighed.

"My job?"

"Yep."

"Hmm, can't, I'm gay.," he said casually, biting into a single potato chip.

Mike narrowed his eyes and gave him a look. "Seriously?" he deadpanned.

"Hey, don't worry, you're very qualified. You know both sides of it."

"Ohhhhhhh, you so did not," Mike gaped, now his turn to try and hold back laughter.

"Oh I so did," Will snickered.

"Oh my god, please stop," Addie groaned from the backseat.

"What-?" Sam started.

"No, no, no, if you value your innocence at all, do not ask," Addie insisted.

"So dramatic," Mike teased, holding out his hand toward Will, who took it warmly. Mike looked over at him sheepishly. "I was asking for a potato chip."

Will gasped in mock pain. "You mean you don't want to hold my hand? I am deeply offended."

"If you were offended then you would let go," Mike scoffed.

"If you really wanted a chip you would let go," Will countered. "It was your idea to buy them anyway."

"And yet you were the first to open them, when we haven't even left the city yet."

"Are they gonna be like this the whole time?" Sam whispered loudly.

"Unless we stop them to remind them other people exist, yes," Addie sighed deeply.

"Hey!" he called, lightly nudging the back of Will's seat. "Can we listen to the Lord of the Rings audiobook now?"

"Absolutely," Will said, feeding Mike a potato chip with his free hand before finding the right CD. "Where did we stop last night?"

"Chapter 2," both kids said simultaneously. They looked at each other for a second in surprise before Sam quickly turned to stare out the window.

"Not like it's hard to remember," he muttered self-consciously.

Addie didn't respond, and a moment later a friendly and soothing British voice began to describe the interlude between Frodo receiving the Ring and setting out on his true adventure. It was quite a pleasant way to spend the drive, really. Sam gradually grew more relaxed, and Will caught his reflection smiling more than once.

They had just reached the introduction of one Samwise Gamgee when they reached the Sinclair's, and Mike had to pause it.

"Noooo," Sam responded instantly. "Can't we just drive around the block a few more times?"

"Nope!" Addie said, eyes sparkling as she immediately unbuckled and launched herself towards the front steps where Izzie was already waiting for her.

"HEY WAIT UNTIL I ACTUALLY PARK!" Mike yelled after her, though it was doubtful she heard him over all the delighted screaming and jumping. He sighed in defeat and put the car in park at its awkward angle. "So I take it you're liking the book so far?"

"Yeah, I think it's going to be interesting," Sam shrugged, still trying to hold onto at least a sliver of his disinterested facade. "I like it when you read better though."

"I...wait, really?" Mike stammered, thrown off guard.

Now Sam looked slightly embarrassed. "The CD guy has a funny accent," he said hurriedly, ducking out of the car to avoid further questions.

Mike blinked and looked after him for a second, still in disbelief.

"I think he's starting to like you," Will grinned.

"I...don't know how to react to this."

"Don't make it a big deal or you'll scare him away," Will suggested, opening the door. "Come on."

"Welcome to Walkerville!" Lucas said, throwing open the door with a giant grin lighting up his face. Mike and Will waved over the chaos.

"Hey, finally, another boy!" Tony, now 8, cheered as he weaved his way around the ecstatic girls.

"What? Why? How many girls are there?" Sam asked, looking slightly horrified at the display from the two giggling teenagers.

"Well Uncle Dustin and Uncle Steve have boys but they don't live nearby so we don't see them as often. So usually it's just me. Do you like Hot Wheels?"

"Are they spicy?" Sam frowned.

"No, they're toys. Come on, let me show you my track!"

He grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him into the house. Lucas stared after them, looking a little stunned.

"Ok, don't be offended when I ask this," he said slowly, looking back at Will. "But are you sure he's not your kid?"

"If he is then we're starting a new religion," Will said dryly.

"Ha!" Max snorted, wheeling in from the kitchen. "So you have a mini Mike and now a mini Will. That makes it very easy for my visualization until El gets back and can show me what he looks like."

"Yes, yes, I made all of my decisions based on your ease and comfort," Mike said, trying to sound as flat he could while Sandy jumped up and down, begging for pets and licking his face.

"Uncle Will!" Ellie cheered, wriggling down and running over to hug him.

"There's my girl! At least someone's still excited to see me."

"Now you just need a companion for Ellie," Lucas joked.

"Dude, our hands are kind of full right now. And my youngest possible kid would be 7 or 8 now. Besides, don't Dustin and Suzie have that age covered two-fold?"

"Yes but Dustin and Suzy don't live here," Lucas sighed wistfully.

"I'm working on it," Max huffed. "Once Suzy's Grandma dies and the new baby gets here..."

"As if you have any control over those things," Mike teased.

"If I did I wouldn't tell you," she retorted. "I mean I think Suzy would be more willing to leave Utah. Most of her friends have moved away or left the church altogether. I give it 2 years and they'll come back east."

"Can you imagine?" Will asked gleefully. "All of us living in the same place again?"

"Do not get my hopes up just yet," Lucas pleaded. "How serious are you guys?"

"Grace and I are still figuring out logistics," Mike admitted, finally managing to sit on the couch with Will as the dog calmed down. "Addie's school is the biggest obstacle, and we don't want to do anything less than 50/50 again if we can help it."

"Honestly a lot of kids around here ride the bus for a solid hour anyways if they don't have another way to get to school," Lucas said pointedly.

"Very true. We're just still looking at options. And she's only a year away from high school so everything will change again anyway."

"No no no, we do not talk about high school yet in this home," Max pleaded, knowing Izzie wasn't that far behind.

"Well regardless that's not the only...cause of hesitation," Will said. "There's a lot of differences between a big city like Chicago and a small town like this, not all of them good. How...open minded are the people here?"

"I feel like it's better than Hawkins growing up," Lucas shrugged. "First of all there's way more black people which is nice. And there's always going to be bullies in schools but our kids haven't really had any major problems. Obviously we have a completely different situation to you guys, but we've only had, what, a couple weird looks and one confrontation in the ten years we've been here?"

"Oh if that lady gives you any trouble just let me know, I'd love to have a go at her again," Max said eagerly.

"What happened?" Will asked.

"Ok, so this lady," Max said, leaning forward as she got started, "came up to us in the park one evening. Tony was still a baby, so I had him in the wrap and Lucas was pushing me around because it was the end of a long day taking care of two kids so I was fucking tired. And I think Izzie was nearby on her trike or something. Anyway this woman has the audacity to come up and ask me I knew Lucas was black."

"Shut up," Mike said, eyes widening in horror.

"Yeah that's almost what I said," Lucas laughed.

"I said "I sure hope so, or else I might have the wrong husband.""

"Bet she didn't like that very much," Will grinned as Mike laughed.

"Oh no she did not," Lucas agreed. "Then she turned and yelled at me..."

"Like I wasn't even there!" Max interrupted.

"Yeah, she thought I was taking advantage of Max, and that she was obviously vulnerable and I was preying on her...super creepy stuff."

"I rolled my chair into her leg," Max grinned. "I was like, excuse me, first of all I'm right here, I'm not a child, and we're both so far out of your league you have zero power here."

"Oh that is excellent," Mike laughed.

"It was fantastic," Lucas said, shaking his head in awe. "I just stood back and watched at first, but then Izzie wanted to go to the swings so I was like "hey we're going to the playground I'll see you when you're done."

"Then she tried walking away from me, but I kept following her and tried to give her a very friendly lecture about disability rights and how she was being ableist instead of helpful. For some reason she didn't want to hear it and finally got away from me." Max shrugged. "I think I ran her out of town, never saw her again."

Lucas reached out and swatted her arm playfully. "Excuse you, I have seen her and I've told you this."

"Yeah but it makes for a great punchline!"

"Anyway, if she sees you with Max she'll probably keep her distance," Lucas reassured them. "And you wouldn't be the only gay couple in town either."

"Lucas, you don't know they're gay," Max sighed wearily.

"Ok, sure, not with 100% certainty, but I'm pretty sure they are."

"How?" Will asked, thoroughly amused and greatly looking forward to more frequent interactions like this in the future.

"They just have a look, ok? Nothing bad, and I'm not judging, I can just...I can just see it."

"And I can't, so I'm wrong," Max said sarcastically.

"No," Lucas groaned. "That's not what I'm saying and you know it."

"You really can't tell that much from their voices," Mike added.

"I can with you and Will," she retorted.

"Yeah, but you're biased, you grew up with us!"

"And I can also tell you're totally cuddling on the couch right now," she grinned.

"No we're not!" Mike lied as Will stifled his laughter.

"Mmhmm," she said smugly.

"Look, maybe we'll run into them later when we're showing you around," Lucas said, interrupting before Mike could keep it going. "I usually run into them at the bookshop or record store..."

"...and that's what makes them gay," Max quipped.

"...and you guys can help us settle this debate once and for all," he finished quickly.

"Unless we disagree too and then it's still a tie," Will pointed out.

"I call disagreeing with Max," Mike said quickly. "I'm gonna say they're gay no matter what. You have to say they're not gay to annoy Lucas," he added, looking up at Will and batting his eyelashes.

"Deal," Will grinned.

"Oh my god," Max groaned.

Lucas just laughed. "I'm so glad you guys are moving here."

...

"Whoooosh! Suddenly the world goes silent," Izzie narrated dramatically, waving her arms above the table. "For a moment you can't figure out what happened. And then...wshhhhh. What's that sound? Sand starts collecting at your feet..."

Addie gasped, fully caught up in her friend's storytelling.

"You look up and see a steady stream of sand falling from a small opening and realize...you're TRAPPED IN A GIANT HOURGLASS!"

"No!" Addie cried.

"This plot is starting to sound similar to Aladdin now," Will whispered with a grin to Lucas.

"Oh, as if you didn't write cool stunts you saw hot guys doing in movies so you could imagine Mike doing them?" Lucas countered.

"I...hey," he sputtered, blushing red.

"Princess Sawyer, what's your action?" Izzie demanded.

"Roll for strength, I'm gonna try to break the glass with my sword," she decided, throwing the dice.

"Seven!" Izzie cried in dismay as Addie groaned. "You thrust your sword at the glass but alas, it just deflects to the side and does nothing."

"Come on, giant hourglass? You gotta check for spells first," Mike said as he took the die from her. "Roll for insight."

He cast them on the table but before they had even settled the doorbell rang.

"Grandma!" both girls yelled excitedly, abandoning the table and rushing to the door to let them in.

"To be continued," Max said conspiratorially. Will was starting to suspect she had helped Izzie with the campaign.

The three girls bombarded Karen and Joyce, who had both driven up to see them. Karen was handing out cookies amid all the hugs and hellos.

"You seem to be missing a few kids by my count," she said after a second, looking around.

"The boys are playing with hot wheels, I'll go get them," Lucas explained.

"Not the D&D types?" Joyce asked sympathetically.

"Yeah they lasted about 5 minutes," Mike sighed. "Although I can't really blame them when we dragged them all over town exploring today."

"They could still come around under the right circumstances," Max shrugged. "I didn't learn to enjoy it until I had nothing better to do."

"Gee, thanks," Will said sarcastically.

"Hi Grandma Joyce, hi Grandma Karen!" Tony said excitedly, running up to them. Sam hung back, looking between the two women in confusion.

"Tony!" Karen cried, handing him a cookie. "Goodness, you must have grown at least 6 inches since last I saw you." Her eyes darted up, searching the room until she found the other boy. "And you must be Sam," she said softly.

"Are you guys gay too?" Sam asked, looking around the room as he searched for some clarity.

"Oh, no honey," Joyce said kindly. "Hopper had to work tonight so he couldn't come with us. I'm Will's mom."

"And I'm Mike's," Karen added.

"Oh," Sam said, eyes lighting up as he understood. He focused on Karen. "So you're my grandma."

Joyce's eyes widened slightly and her smile tightened as she tried to cover her surprise. Addie's face darkened but Joyce lay a hand on her shoulder to hold her back.

"Yes," Karen said simply, glancing over at Mike for a split second before she tried to keep things normal. "And you are my first grandson. I made some chocolate chip cookies before we came over. Do you want one?"

Sam nodded and reluctantly came forward.

"I'm gonna go get my dress," Addie muttered, slinking away with clenched fists.

"I call her grandma too," Tony said, trying to explain.

"Why?"

"I dunno. We just do. Same as how they're Uncle Will and Uncle Mike."

"And aunt El," Izzie added.

"We're all like one big family now," Joyce tried to explain.

"But how am I supposed to know who's actually family with who?"

"But it doesn't matter-" Izzie began.

"I'll draw you a chart," Will interrupted. "There are a lot of us."

"Found it," Addie said, coming back and handing the dress to Joyce. "Do you think you can finish it by this weekend?"

"Oh, I am the costume queen," Joyce winked at her. "I once made an entirely new costume in a week because Lucas decided he wanted to change the group theme."

"Sorry," Lucas grinned. "At the time I didn't realize you were hand-making them."

Joyce held up the fabric to Addie so she could see how much it needed to be let out.

"Yep. Every single one from age 4 to 12," she said proudly. "And it's not the first time I've had this problem either. I purposefully started making everything a bit long in case your dad had another growth spurt. But you're growing even faster than he did."

"Because they're not related," Sam said again, frustrated they were missing an obvious piece of the puzzle.

This time Will really did have to look away, closing his eyes against the pain. That one hurt. He didn't see anyone else's reaction, but the silence that followed was telling.

"Family's not always related you know," Joyce said after a moment. "Will and El aren't connected by blood but because they were raised together they picked up mannerisms from each other. People even tell me they look alike, so they got mistaken for twins a lot. And Hopper has been more of a real dad than either of their biological fathers. It's who shows up that really matters."

Sam still seemed confused, and not entirely convinced. Tony was getting bored.

"Can we go back to hot wheels now?" he asked.

"Sure," Lucas said, waving the two boys away.

"It was good to meet you!" Karen called after them, trying to be cheerful.

Sam offered an awkward smile in response before they disappeared. Once again a heavy silence filled the room. Addie moved to Will and wrapped her arms around him.

"Why does he keep saying things like that?" she whispered, nearly on the verge of crying.

"He's just getting used to it," Karen said gently. "Give him time. I'm sure he'll come around. I did."

"Yeah, but you were an adult, mom! And it still took you years," Mike whispered in frustration.

"I had a lot more years of bias to overcome," she said pointedly. "And it's a lot to adjust to. For all of you."

"I know," Mike sighed.

"We'll get out of your way," Joyce said. "I've got a dress to work on. But let us know when you need help moving. El should be back by then too."

"Thanks, mom," Will smiled bittersweetly.

...

He'd forgotten how quiet the country was at night. Normally the busy background of Chicago faded to a dull white noise he ignored, but without it the quiet seemed almost loud, broken only by the sharp symphony of crickets.

The screen door slid open.

"You out here, Byers?"

For a moment Will held his breath, trying to hide. He didn't really feel like talking to anyone.

Max sighed. "If you don't want to talk that's fine, just say so. But I need to lock this door and I don't want to trap you out here if my instincts are correct."

Will sighed. Nothing could get by Max. "I'm in the corner chair," he said finally.

Max rolled out onto the deck and came over to him.

"Thought as much. So how are you doing with all this? And I mean really. No bullshit."

"I don't know. I haven't really had time to think about it. And he's just a kid, and he's going through a lot, so I can't really be mad at him."

"No but he is annoying."

"Max!"

"What? I'm a mom, I can say it. Kids are great but they're also annoying sometimes. We were all like that as kids. Well, except maybe you, actually."

"And some of us apparently never grew out of it," he said flatly.

"What? Am I wrong?"

"He's just a kid."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt though," she said gently.

Will was silent. There was no hiding that. Max reached over and found his hand, squeezing it comfortingly.

"I'm sorry," she said, truly sympathetic.

"I don't take it personally," Will sighed. "At least I try not to. Honestly it doesn't matter who the other person is. Like, even if, hypothetically, if Mike were with Grace for some reason, then he wouldn't like her either. So I get why he doesn't like me. I kind of expected that to happen. I just..."

Max waited patiently as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"I just wish he wouldn't go after Addie about it."

"Yeah I can tell it hurts her a lot. You guys have a really special bond." She cocked her head suddenly, thinking. "Maybe he's jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah. Think about it, he grew up just him and his mom. I can relate to that. And if it were me, who suddenly comes into this giant extended family where blood doesn't seem to matter...it would definitely be overwhelming, but a part of me might be a little jealous and even resentful. Like where were you guys earlier? Why didn't you show up before?"

"Actually he did say he felt that way about Mike and Addie," Will realized. "He thought Mike had chosen Addie over him and that's why he never showed up."

"Right. That applies to you, too, I think. Even if he doesn't realize it yet."

"I hadn't thought about it like that."

"That's why you need me," Max grinned smugly. "Don't even bother trying to hide next time."

"Ok," Will sighed dramatically. "Whatever would I do without you?"

"I shudder to think," she teased.

For a moment they just sat together, soaking in the soft sounds of the night.

"You know," Max said quietly after a minute. "I guess I wouldn't necessarily use the word "lucky," because it is terrible what happened. But one day he's going to realize how fortunate he is to have you and Mike."

"You think so?"

"Of course. You guys make a great family. It's a good place for him to heal."

Will blinked as he turned the words over in his head and tried to take them to heart. That was a really good way to think about it, actually.

"Thanks, Max," he said softly. "I appreciate that."

"Anytime, Byers. Except for any time after this exact moment because it's late and I'm ready for bed."

"Right, sorry. Lead the way."

He followed her in and locked the door behind him. Max squinted at the nearest bedroom door.

"Are my eyes deceiving me or is the boys' light still on?"

"Yeah looks like there is something. You want me to make sure they're asleep?"

"Yeah, but hang on a sec." She rifled around in a kitchen drawer, trying to be as quiet as possible as her fingers skimmed over the various odds and ends.

"What are you looking for?"

"I thought there was an old nightlight in here..."

She opened the next drawer and started feeling around.

"Oh I see it," Will said. "Thanks."

"No problem. Goodnight."

Will carefully opened the door and peered inside. Sure enough the lamp was still on. Tony was facing into the wall with the blankets pulled up almost over his head, and Sam was nearly falling asleep on the floor, half face planted into the comic. He jerked up when he heard the door, a wild, frightened look on his face.

"Just me," Will whispered. "I saw the light was still on."

"I was reading," Sam whispered guiltily.

"That's fine with me, but I think Tony might like it a little darker in here now."

"Oh." Sam bit his lip anxiously.

"But I brought this," Will said, kneeling by the outlet to plug in the nightlight.

"I'm not a baby, I don't need a nightlight," Sam tried to protest uncertainly.

"It makes a good reading light if you still wanted to read," Will pointed out.

"Ok," he relented, relaxing a bit.

Will moved to turn off the lamp, but something caught his eye as Sam adjusted, bringing the comic closer to the nightlight.

"What's that?"

Sam startled and looked down at the worn stuffed rabbit that had been hiding under the covers.

"Nothing, it's Tony's, it just fell off the bookshelf," he said quickly.

"You want me to put it back for you?"

"No its OK I know where it was I'll do it."

"Ok," Will said, pretending to go along with it. He switched off the lamp. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Sam said quietly.

Will closed the door with a quiet click. That had definitely been the toy rabbit Max's mom had bought for Izzie, and had now been passed down through all three kids, currently in Ellie's possession. And he definitely didn't hear Sam get up to put it back either, or hear the comic's pages turn any more as he settled down to sleep.

Duly noted.

Mike was waiting for him in the guest bed, exhausted but still fighting sleep to see him.

"You ok?" he yawned.

"I'm fine," he said honestly, climbing in next to him. "Just talking with Max on the porch."

Mike didn't press, but he held him close anyways.

"So practical jokes aside now that Max and Lucas aren't here, what did you really think of Art and Ollie?"

"Oh they're definitely gay," Will said, fully agreeing with him now that they were alone.

"Yeah?"

"First of all, show me a straight man that goes by Art instead of Arthur. And secondly, if they really are two straight roommates in a completely platonic relationship, why did they immediately invite us for dinner? Not coffee, not drinks, dinner. At their house."

"Excellent point," he grinned sleepily. "I'll tell Max at breakfast."

...

"I think we have the opposite problem here," Addie announced.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"I like all the houses!"

All five of them, Grace included, had crammed into Mike's car as they drove around Walkerville. So far they had seen four houses, all within budget and in good locations. They all had plenty of space and had decent yards, and the only drawbacks seemed to be a benefit another house had. So far Mike's favorite was house number 3, since it had a pool. Even though the kitchen was smaller than the one Will liked in house 2.

"There are definitely better options here," Will agreed.

"Well there is a reason I saved this one for last," Grace said, pulling down the semi-shaded driveway of house number 5. "I think you'll like it."

"We're pretty close to Max and Lucas here, right?"

"Five minutes by car, 10 by bike, probably 15-20 on foot," she confirmed.

They walked up the steps onto the nice front porch, complete with a wide bench swing on the other end. Sam immediately went and sat down, rocking back and forth.

"I like this one already," he grinned.

"The house faces north, so you'll get a good view of sunset and sunrise no matter if you're in the front yard or the back," Grace pointed out. "The front yard isn't huge, but the trees around the driveway and near the front give you a little bit of privacy from the neighbors."

"Nice," Will nodded.

"Shall we go in?" Grace asked, unlocking the door.

Will lingered a moment longer, caught up in a daydream about slow early mornings with coffee and a good book on the swing. He imagined Mike would join him eventually, barely awake and wrapped in a soft, fuzzy blanket that dragged along the ground behind him. He could sit next to him on the swing, leaning against his shoulder and still dozing until the sun was high enough to poke above the trees and Sam would come and bother them about breakfast.

"Dad, come look at the fireplace!" Addie called excitedly.

Will snapped out of it and followed the others inside. Immediately his breath caught in his throat as he was hit with an intense wave of something almost like nostalgia. Addie stood by a stone fireplace that looked relatively new, lined with floor to ceiling bookcases on either side. It was wider than most, and would have no trouble chasing away the cold in the winter. Both couches would actually fit perfectly with the layout, and there would be room for a nice Christmas tree in the corner...

"We could almost host Thanksgiving here," Mike said as he inspected the kitchen.

"It's a nice open floor plan," Grace agreed. "And even though the dining room has its own spot there are two wide doors so it doesn't feel isolated."

Will joined him, admiring the island bar. He missed the island from Mike's old apartment; it made it easier to help Addie with her homework when they were cooking.

"This feels like one of the bigger kitchens that we've seen," he said.

"You like it better than the other one?" Mike asked.

"About the same, I think."

"What's down there?" Sam asked, opening a door and peering down the stairs.

"Go and see," Grace winked. "I think you'll all like this."

The kids scrambled down the carpeted stairs. There wasn't much to the empty room, other than some bare shelves and a TV mount on one side, but all four of them lit up at once.

"Hey, this is just like your basement in the comics!" Sam said excitedly. "You could build a good pillow fort under these stairs."

"We could have campaigns down here and not have to move everything when we have dinner!" Addie cried.

"Do you have games other than D&D?" Sam sighed.

"Sure, we've got lots of board games," Mike said. "This can be the new game room."

"And sleepover room?" Addie asked.

"Of course!"

"Hey I think there's a problem," Sam asked, wandering over to the washer and dryer corner and staring up at the metal opening in the floor. "There's a hole in tbe ceiling."

"That is the laundry chute," Grace explained.

"No way!" Addie squealed, bounding back up the stairs.

"It opens in the hallway on the second floor!" Grace called after her.

"Cool," Mike grinned. "I always wanted one of those as a kid."

"So does that mean you won't leave piles of dirty clothes lying around?" Will teased.

"Not anymore."

"I'm gonna hold you to that you know."

"Hellloooo!" Addie called, voicing echoing down the metal shaft.

Sam grinned up at her. "Hi!"

Addie removed a springy hair tie from her wrist and dropped it down for Sam to catch.

"Wait, I wanna see if I can throw it back up!" he called.

He pulled back the coil and tried to fling it back up. It only made it about halfway before it came bouncing back.

"I think it has an angle," Addie said. "Try a little to the left!"

Sam tried it again, laughing. It still didn't make it all the way, but there was an improvement. "This is so cool!"

"Do you want to see the bedrooms?" Grace asked.

"Lead the way," Will said.

"The owners put in a new master bedroom over the garage a couple years ago," she explained as they went up the stairs. "Which means that of the three bedrooms in the main section, one of them has its own private bath."

"Can this be my room??!?" Addie asked excitedly as she explored.

"Why do you always have to get the best rooms?" Sam complained again.

"Now hold on a second," Grace told him. "Let's look at the other two bedrooms before you start."

Sam looked at her quizzically, then followed her across the hall. For a moment they watched as he looked around the mostly empty room, first opening a closet and then moving to the other door.

"Oh!" he cried, pleasantly surprised. "They both have bathrooms!"

"This one is conjoined with the other room," Grace said, opening the other door behind him. "This one is a bit smaller but since it's on the corner it has two windows."

"Which one would you prefer?" Will asked.

Sam looked at both of them for a second. "The bigger one," he decided.

"Then this one will make a fantastic art studio," he said, watching the way the sun fell through the windows. "Lots of good lighting."

"My thoughts exactly," Grace smiled. "Now let me show you the master."

They went back into the hall and up the two small steps into the main bedroom. It was by far bigger than the room Addie wanted, with a nice spacious bathroom and two grand double doors leading outside.

"Is that a balcony?" Mike asked.

"Just in case you were missing a part of that Chicago lifestyle," Grace said, opening the doors so they could all step out. "You get a great view of the backyard from here. The patio has a fire pit already, and it's completely accessible from the kitchen so it'll be easy for Max. And..."

"THEY HAVE A TREEHOUSE!" Sam yelled, immediately turning and running downstairs with Addie fast on his heels.

"Why didn't you show us this place first?" Will asked with a wide smile.

"Because I knew you would want to look at all the options "just in case,"" she smiled. "And I knew Mike wanted to see the one with the pool."

"That is the one down side," Mike admitted, though he didn't sound too disappointed.

"A pool is a lot of work," Will said pointedly. "And we saw the community pool from a distance and that looked great. I think we'll live without one."

Sam and Addie burst out of the door and immediately began climbing the tree house.

"The yard is fully fenced in, about half an acres worth," Grace pointed out. "But the park backs up to the corner down there, and there's free woods on that side."

"I don't mind a fenced in yard," Mike shrugged. "It'll be good if we have people over and want to contain the kids."

"Oh my god," Will said, grabbing his arm. "We could get a dog."

"Did you say we're getting a dog?!?!" Sam cried from below.

"WE'RE GETTING A DOG!" Mike cheered, throwing his free arm wide.

"So should I tell the seller you're putting an offer together?" Grace asked.

Mike looked at Will, who nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah," he said. "This is home."

Chapter Text

"Hel--Oh holy shit."

Will bit back a laugh as he finished boxing the rest of the random knickknacks from the nightstand.

"Is anyone even home?" Mike called after a moment of confused silence.

"Yeah," Sam called absent-mindedly from the couch, currently taking a break from reading and packing and playing on his Game Boy again.

"In the bedroom!" Addie yelled.

Will made his way around the towers of boxes until he found Mike by the front door. Mike's eyes lit up and he smiled when he saw him.

"Hey, you survived," he grinned, pulling him in for a kiss.

"We survived," Will nodded. "And we got a lot of packing done."

"Yeah I can see that. Was this all you or did the kids help?"

"Actually they helped a lot, both of them. Addie's still working in her room."

"Awesome." He peered over the pile of boxes behind the couch so he could see Sam. "He didn't work you too hard, did he?"

"Total slavedriver, all day with no breaks," Sam deadpanned. He looked up for a brief second, eyes glinting slightly to show he was teasing. "As you can see I'm still very busy."

"Clearly," Mike laughed. "Thanks for your help."

"How'd work go?" Will asked as they made their way back to the bedroom.

"Not bad. I gave my two weeks notice, so no turning back now."

"Does it feel weird?"

"Yeah, kinda. I mean I've had the same job for...what, seven years now I think? Almost eight. And before that was just odd jobs here and there and living off my parents' credit card. I've never had any other job other than that. I don't even know what I want to do."

"You could just become a full time writer," Will suggested.

"My mind doesn't work that way," Mike shrugged. "If I have the whole day free I won't get anything done. I'm thinking just a part time job on the side. Something to get me out of the house and bring in something consistent but still give me enough time to write afterwards."

"I like that."

Mike looked around at all the boxes again. "I don't like this. It feels claustrophobic."

"Me neither," Will sighed. "It doesn't feel very practical."

"Denise is coming on Friday for the home visit too. I don't want her to think we're hoarders."

"This is NOT what a hoarder house looks like," Will said, smacking him on the arm. "I worked hard to make these stacks look neat, you know."

"It's still not a good look. How did we end up with so much stuff?"

"I genuinely have no idea. But I think we need a storage unit until we can start moving into a house."

"Sam has a storage unit," Mike remembered. "We should get one at the same place so we can move everything at once."

"We can go after dinner to check it out," Will nodded. "I ordered pizza."

"Good idea."

"Oh, also," he stuck his head out the door. "Hey Sam, what do you think about pineapple on pizza?"

"I like it!" Sam called.

"Oh, not you too!" Mike complained lightly. "Does that mean you ordered Hawaiian?"

"How could I say no?" Will grinned. "But I ordered a meat lovers too, for those of us with less defined tastes."

"Meaning me?" Mike asked, poking him.

"Yes, of course, who else?" Will laughed. "The rest of us are sophisticated."

Sam giggled in the living room. Mike shook his head with a smile.

"So it really went ok?"

"Of course," Will shrugged. "You forget I once had to babysit all seven of Steve's kids on my own after you and Addie got sick and couldn't help. Nothing can phase me after that. I think I can handle our two."

"Never doubted you for a second," Mike grinned.

...

They loaded Mike's car after dinner, since it had the bigger trunk and they didn't feel like taking two car loads on the first trip. Addie asked to stay behind, wanting a little time on her own and pointing out that there would be more space for more boxes if she didn't go. Mike agreed and let her stay.

"Doors stay locked at all times, don't answer for anyone unless it's the police or firemen," he warned.

"Got it," she said, giving a sharp salute.

"Why can't I stay?" Sam complained. "I'm a latchkey kid, I promise I won't cause any trouble."

"Sorry, our rule is 13," Will said. "At least here in the city."

Sam made a face but didn't protest any further.

"You want to listen to Lord of the Rings on the way over?" Mike asked. "Addie won't mind."

"No thanks," he muttered, drawing his feet up to rest on the edge of the seat.

He didn't say anything after that, Will noticed, and helped unload the car without any pushback or jokes, unlike earlier when they packed. As soon as the car was empty he slunk right back to his seat and leaned against the door, keeping his eyes down. Mike clocked it too.

"Hey," he said gently. "We're going to look at the storage unit from your house and see what all is in there. Do you want to come with us?"

Sam shook his head, not looking at them.

"Do you want us to look for anything specific for you?" Will offered.

Again he shook his head silently.

"Ok, that's fine," Mike assured him. "You don't have to do anything with that yet. Not until you're ready."

He drove around the corner and down another aisle until they found the right unit. Will unlocked it with the key and slid the door up, revealing a cluttered pile of dusty belongings that were seemingly thrown in without a care. There were barely even any boxes, most of the lighter objects had been tossed into giant trash bags.

"Huh," Mike said, looking around. "I didn't expect so little. Is this all of it? Is there more than one unit on the list?"

"They were poor," Will said, recognizing the signs anywhere. He pointed at the small stack of mismatched, chipped and cracking plates and bowls. "Look at the dishes."

Mike deflated, examining the wear and tear of just about everything in sight.

"Did they even have a table?" he asked quietly.

Will rapped his knuckles against the card table folded and leaning against the wall. Mike sighed.

"I should have been there."

"There's no way you could have known," Will said sympathetically.

"Yeah, but at the time I thought my poor choices were only hurting myself. I didn't think it mattered."

Will stepped around the boxes and trash bags until he could take Mike into his arms.

"You're here now. And that doesn't mean we can necessarily make up for the time and the memories where he was on his own. But we still have plenty more ahead of us."

"I know. You're right," he sighed, breaking away and looking around again. "You see anything we need?"

"Not at the moment," Will said, examining a bookshelf. "Although these are still in good shape, actually. We might be able to get some of these for Sam's room, if he wants."

"Honestly with how he is reacting I don't know if he'll be ready to sort through anything for awhile. And maybe he shouldn't, that's a lot for such a young kid."

"Maybe I can make a list of categories," Will suggested. "With options like whether to keep all of it, a few things, a specific thing he wants, or to get rid of all it."

"Smart," Mike nodded. "Well if we're done for now let's close up and head home. We still have a lot of work cut out for us."

"Not tonight though, I think we're all worn out," Will said, feeling a bit like Indiana Jones trying to choose a safe path through the booby trapped tiles. "I was thinking about putting on a mov-

The toe of his shoe snagged on the edge of a pile of trash bags, and he tripped suddenly. Mike lunged forward and caught him before he landed on a box of random dishes.

"Shit," he hissed.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he sighed, trying to find solid ground again. "First thing I'm doing next time though is clearing some pathways."

"Definitely," Mike agreed, bending down to push the towels back into the bag.

"Hey, wait," Will frowned, reaching forward as something caught his eye.

He pulled a stuffed rabbit out of the pile by its floppy ear. It had seen better days, it's gray fur only showing faint traces of the original brown, the blue bowtie flopping worse than the ears, and it's once curly thick fuzz worn and pilling against the skin. Will studied it curiously, thinking of Ellie's borrowed bunny.

"What?" Mike asked.

Will didn't respond, already moving towards the car. Sam was still curled deep in the seat, his whole body taught and stiff as he avoided looking. Will opened the passenger door and leaned into the back.

"I know you said you didn't want anything," he said quietly. "But I think this little guy would be much happier at home."

Sam looked over his shoulder hesitantly, but his demeanor changed the second he saw the stuffed animal. He sprung into action like a coiled spring, immediately launching forward and pulling it close into his chest as he gasped.

"You found Mr. Rabbit!" he cried.

It wasn't a surprise, Will knew he had been right in his assumption. But the reaction hit him harder than he had anticipated. Any other words he had were crushed to silence in his throat. He smiled bittersweetly, though Sam didn't see as his face was still buried in the comfort of a life gone by. Will let him have his moment, and turned back to find Mike staring at him with a peculiar expression.

"What?" he whispered.

Mike shook his head, in the way Will knew to mean 'nothing, leave it.'

It was a quiet ride home. Sam barely moved, still holding on just as tightly to the rabbit as his shoulders shook with silent tears. Mike kept glancing at him in the rearview mirror, but he just held Will's hand and didn't speak a word.

...

Miraculously, they managed to get all the boxes and then some into the storage unit by Friday morning. They had even packed away all the plates, bowls, cups, and utensils in favor of plastic. (The kids were thrilled at the impact this had on washing dishes.) Will thought the apartment looked stale and empty and dreadfully boring, but he knew it wouldn't last forever. Mike was satisfied that it no longer looked like a hoarder house and they would pass inspection.

("I really don't think that's how that works..."

"Ok but do you know for sure it doesn't?"

"Michael."

"Hey, for once in my life I'm working on getting cleaned and organized of my own volition, you really gonna argue with me about that?"

"It's not your own volition, you're stressed a judge is coming in here and I think you're over-thinking it a tiny bit..."

"Too late, I've cleaned half the windows already, if I don't finish the rest we'll look like total psychos."

"Fine, but I'm going to bed.")

And then, 30 minutes before Denise was set to show up, the phone rang. She explained that something urgent came up which would likely take the rest of her day, and they would have to reschedule for Monday instead.

"So we just cleaned the whole house for nothing?!?" Sam cried.

"No, not nothing," Mike chided. "It still needed to be cleaned regardless. Now we just have to keep it this way through the weekend. Somehow."

"By not doing anything?" Sam complained.

"Weren't you begging for a break to play your game boy like 2 hours ago?" Addie said, rolling her eyes. "

"You know it's really a shame," Will started before Sam could bite back, "that the world outside has been completely destroyed and there's nothing to do to keep us out of the apartment during the day. It's reaaaally too bad that there's absolutely NO fun event going on this weekend that we've been looking forward to for MONTHS..."

"OH MY GOD I FORGOT," Addie shouted, slamming her hands on the island in her excitement.

"What?!?" Sam snapped, startled and annoyed by the outburst.

"Get dressed, losers, WE'RE GOING TO RENN FAIRE!!" she yelled in a battle cry as she charged off to her room to get ready. The door slammed shut behind her. "Give me 30 minutes!"

Sam groaned. "Do I have to dress up?"

"No, no, of course not," Mike assured him.

"Do I have to go?" he tried.

"Yes, we're all going."

"I promise you'll find something you like," Will said. "And while we get ready you can play your game and read. It's a win-win."

"Not how I'd put it," Sam sighed, but he went to grab his Gameboy without further complaint.

...

There was nothing like the sound of those wooden flutes by the entrance to the fair. Will wasn't as much of a music enthusasist as Jonathon or Mike, but there was just something about that style that he absolutely loved. It was like a weight fell off him as they were transported into a new world. Maybe it brought him back to the scratchy CDs they played during their D&D tournaments as kids. Maybe it was the way everyone came together at the fair, the magic of everyone allowed to be their weird and authentic selves, having fun as adults without judgement. Maybe it was both. Either way, his excitement nearly matched Addie's, even if it wasn't as noticeable.

"So what's the-" Mike started.

"Dragon coaster," she interrupted, grabbing his hand and pulling him along in the crowds.

"Slow down, it's not going anywhere," Will laughed as he and Sam struggled to keep up.

"But unless we get there early the line will take FOREVER!" she insisted.

She wasn't wrong, the line was pretty short compared to other times they had seen it.

"Rides come first," Addie said pointedly as they caught their breath. "Then we can get snacks, and explore, and see what shows there are."

"It's a good system," Will agreed.

Sam was watching the dragon zip around the track with interest.

"Where are the wings?"

"They're not real wings," Addie said somewhat impatiently. "Wings would get in the way. They're just painted on."

"Oh. Do we get to choose where we sit?"

"No they show you."

"Oh." He looked nervously up at Mike.

"We still sit together," he explained.

Sam looked relieved, though he tried not to show it too much. He had started to open up more over the past few days, but he still put up a front.

It didn't take long to reach the front of the line, but they were the cut off as the next dragon filled up.

"Does that mean we're at the very back?" Sam asked a little forlornly.

"The opposite actually," the attendant said as the dragon took off. "You can follow me to the front."

"Yippee!" Addie cheered. "I've never gotten to ride at the head before!"

"I haven't even been on a roller-coaster before," Sam pointed out crossly. "I should sit at the front!"

Guys, there's two spots," Mike said. "You can both ride in the front and Will and I can take the row behind you."

Addie and Sam looked at each other hesitantly, as if the thought of riding together had never even occurred to them. The next dragon pulled up to a stop and the riders disembarked. The thrill of being up front won them over.

"Ok," Sam shrugged.

"Fine with me," Addie said, trying not to sound either excited or disappointed.

They climbed in cautiously, not really looking at each other. But as soon as they took off the awkwardness faded as they both squealed with delight. Mike grinned and grabbed Will's hand as they went into the loop.

"THAT...WAS...AWESOME!" Sam cheered as they disembarked and made their way through the exit.

"Yeah but I thought it was faster last year," Addie sighed.

"I didn't want to spoil your ride, but the back always feels faster cause you're getting pulled along," Mike said.

The kids looked at each other and then back at Mike eagerly.

"Can we go again?"

"There's no guarantee we'll get the..." Will started.

"I still want to go again!" Sam said, bouncing up and down.

"Please?" Addie asked.

"Why not?" Mike laughed.

They didn't get the very back, but they were definitely closer to the tail this time. And even though there was nothing special about their seats and they didn't have to, Addie and Sam still sat together. Mike and Will exchanged a pleasantly surprised glance but didn't say anything. All of them agreed it was faster than the front.

"What's next, Ads?" Will asked.

"Fairy Flight," she grinned, pointing to the classic swinging fair ride that had re-decorated the chairs with lights and fake wings.

"No thanks," Sam said grimly.

"Oh, come on, it's fun! It's not girly, there are plenty of boys who ride it," she begged.

"I don't like going round and round in circles like that," Sam insisted. "And those chairs don't look safe."

"I've ridden it hundreds of times."

"That's impossible."

"Ok, I'm exaggerating a little. But it is safe!"

"I want to go on that one," Sam said, pointing to the swinging viking ship.

Silence fell over the group. Will felt his heart sink and heard Mike swallow.

"We don't like that one," Addie said. "We're going on Fairy Flight."

"Sam doesn't have to ride anything he doesn't want to," Will said firmly. He sighed. "We can split up."

"But I don't want to ride it by myself!" he complained, looking a little pale at the mere suggestion.

"One of us will take you," Mike said reluctantly. He looked at Will. "Rock paper scissors? Loser goes on the viking ship."

"Deal," Will said easily.

He fully expected Mike to throw down scissors, as he did 99% of the time, so kept his fist firmly closed and didn't break eye contact. Neither did Mike.

Mike's hand cupped his before he even had time to process. He looked down and his jaw dropped in shock.

"Paper beats rock," Mike said smugly.

Will looked back and forth between the match and Mike, completely dumbfounded.

"But how did you..."

"You really thought I wouldn't catch onto your system sooner or later?" he smirked. "Have fun on the death boat."

"Michael!"

But Mike had already grabbed Addie's hand and slipped away.

"Death boat?" Sam asked timidly.

"He's kidding," Will sighed. "It's safe, it wouldn't be here if it wasn't."

Sam seemed to accept this fact and they headed towards the boat, although he was noteably quiet.

"Hold up," an attendant said as they neared the entrance. He beckoned Sam over to the height measurement. "I gotta check you first little dude."

Sam obliged, and it was close. Will watched as the attendant leveled his head and scrutinized whether or not he was considered tall enough. He half hoped, a little selfishly, that they would be turned away.

"You're good," he declared, waving them through.

Will tried not to look disappointed.

Addie's theory was right, the lines were getting longer, and this didn't help settle Will's uneasiness one bit. He watched the boat swinging back and forth, the people's screams rising and falling with the boat. Something about it seemed off. It looked less like it was riding waves and more like...

The pendulum of a clock.

The familiar cold sweat came over him far too quickly, and he looked around for Mike but couldn't see him in the crowds.

Shit.

Will stared at his shoes as he tried to access the logical part of his brain to fight the panic. It shouldn't bother him anymore. He was used to seeing Grandfather clocks without jumping out of his skin. The sound of bells or chimes no longer turned his blood to ice. This wasn't even related to a clock, it was just a similar motion. He wasn't going to chicken out just because of that. It would be fine.

"It looks bigger up close," Sam said.

Will looked up and realized they were almost at the front now. The boat was a lot bigger than he had expected, and it looked like it went a lot higher from this angle too.

"Yeah," Will said, trying to keep his voice even.

"I can see why Addie doesn't like it."

He was trying to pass it off as a dig at his sister, but looking at him, Will could tell he was actually getting nervous.

"You know it's not too late if you changed your mind," he said. "We don't have to get on if you really don't want to."

Sam looked up at him, slightly surprised. He bit his lip uncertainly.

"Don't tell her?"

"It'll be our secret," Will promised.

The line moved forward as the next group started boarding the boat. Will put his hand on the boy's shoulder and steered him towards the exit. Nobody batted an eye or asked questions, and Sam's whole body instantly relaxed as soon as they were out.

"Thanks," he said shyly.

"Not a problem."

Honestly, Will didn't mind either.

They met Addie and Mike by the exit of the Fairy Flight. Mike's hair was a mess and even Addie had some stay strands flying out of her elven braid.

"How was the ride?" Mike asked.

Will shrugged. "Not as bad as I thought."

Mike looked at him skeptically, but before anyone could ask questions, an announcement came over the loud speaker.

"Attention Fairgoers! The Jousting Tournament will begin in 30 minutes. I repeat, the Jousting Tournament will begin in 30 minutes."

"Perfect!" Addie said, lighting up. "Just enough time to grab snacks."

Will spotted a snack shack nearby. They were no where near the stadium so they'd have to book it afterwards, but that was probably why the line was so short.

"What's everyone's orders?" Mike asked. "I'm grabbing caramel corn."

"Funnel cake, obviously," Will said. "And you can't eat half of mine this year," he added, poking Mike.

"Fine, fine," he agreed dramatically.

"Cotton candy," Addie requested. "The strawberry one, please."

"Got it. Sam?" Mike asked. "What do you want?"

"Um..." Sam looked at the little stand, craning his neck to see around people. It was crowded but his eye finally landed on something. "Ice cream?"

"We normally share-" Addie started, but Mike nudged her to be quiet.

"What kind?" he asked.

"Chocolate, I guess."

"Regular or chocolate peanut butter?"

His eyes lit up. "Oh, chocolate peanut butter! That's my favorite."

"Duly noted," Mike nodded.

They received the snacks and fought their way through the crowds to the stadium, somehow managing to find half decent seats near the top of the bleachers with plenty of time to spare. Sam had already nearly finished his ice cream by the time he got there, but the others started splitting the rest of the snacks.

"Hey dad, why did you think you were going to win at rock paper scissors?" Addie asked as Will tore off a piece of her cotton candy.

"Oh yes," Mike grinned, eyes glinting as he stole a rather large piece of funnel cake. "Do tell."

Will glared at him and grabbed a large fistful of popcorn in retaliation, although he let half of it fall into the extra plate he had grabbed for Sam.

"Fine," he sighed. "It started when we were kids. Lucas was complaining how Mike and Dustin always beat him. So I started paying more attention. I realized that when you're getting ready to play, your hand is already in the rock shape. Most people want to change it, right?"

"And daddy always picked scissors?" Addie asked.

"Yup. Nine times out of ten, he went with scissors, and Lucas went with paper. But I was the wild card. I changed mine every time, so sometimes I won and sometimes they won. And then I realized that Dustin had already figured the same thing out."

"Oh my god, I knew it," Mike said. "You guys were unbeatable. I swear though, every time I thought maybe you guys were cheating me and Lucas would win."

"Only if we didn't care about the outcome, or to make you think it was still fair," Will grinned.

"Damnnit," Mike shook his head. "I can't believe you guys were cheating."

"We weren't cheating! It was basic math, patterns, and probability! I can't believe it took you twenty years to figure it out."

"I can't believe you were still using it twenty years later."

"And now I have to go back to random chance," Will sighed.

"Doesn't that make it more fun?" Addie asked.

"For me it does," Mike grinned. Sam laughed.

"Oh, shut up and watch the show," Will grumbled as the first knights came out into the field.

...

It was a good tournament. They all enjoyed it, of course, but Sam especially. It was like he finally got to be himself, and Will got to see a glimpse of his true personality without being hidden by grief and uncertainty. By the end of it he wasn't shy about stealing extra bites of the others snacks, either.

After the show they walked around and explored the other vendors. There was an incredible display of craftsmanship this year. Crocheted fairytale creatures, hand carved and painted chess sets with a variety of magical elements, leather book covers, hand-knit scarves, hats and sweaters, metal dragons that actually could breathe a puff of fire, and so many paintings and drawings that Will knew he could spend days just admiring them all. They spent nearly half an hour in the D&D tent alone, mesmerized by the colorful homemade dice and special clay figurines. Nobody could make up their minds on what to get, so Mike ended up taking a business card and they made a list for later. Sam wasn't interested, but across the way he did spot an actual clockmaker. Some were more steampunk style with shiny metal and exposed gears, but others incoporated fairy tale elements, embedded in trees and grassy hills decorated with mushrooms and flowers. Will and Mike ended up choosing one for their bedroom, and let the kids choose one for the mantle above the fireplace.

By this point they had so many little bags and were already nearing the end of their budget that Will decided to make a run back to the car. It took a fair amount of time to find the exit, locate where they had parked, and make his way back to the same strip where Mike had promised to stay put. He finally found them again inside a glass and jewelry booth, where Addoe was begging for a pair of dragonfly earrings.

"Not until you're sixteen," Mike was saying.

"But mom said I could get them done for Christmas!"

"Then your mother and I will need to have a word," Mike frowned, clearly caught off guard.

"Didn't Nancy get her ears peirced at 13?" Will asked, mentally planning to come back the next day on his own to get them for her. Renn Faire budget and early Christmas shopping budget were two very different things after all. He didn't like to take sides when Grace and Mike had a difference of opinion, but personally he didn't see the harm in it. And it certainly wouldn't hurt to get the earrings and putting them aside for awhile, whether he ended up giving them to Addie for Christmas or her next birthday.

"Yeah, well, I'm not raising Nancy," Mike said. "Thankfully."

Addie looked like she still wanted to argue her case, but Will subtly shook his head.

"Anyone else ready for dinner?" he asked.

"Ooh, I saw some sort of kebob/gyro place not too far away," Mike said eagerly.

"Sounds perfect. I need to sit down after that trek. Where's Sam?"

Mike looked at him blankly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...I assume he wasn't interested in looking at jewelry...is he in the next tent?"

"No," Mike said, suddenly going pale. "I thought he went with you..."

"Why would he go with me?!?!" Will asked, feeling his heart drop like a stone in the ocean. "He doesn't even like me!"

"I don't know I thought he got bored!" Mike said, running out of the tent and looking around. "Sam!"

"Shit, shit, shit," Will muttered, grabbing Addie's hand so they didn't lose another kid and frantically scanning the crowds. "How long has it been??"

"I don't know," Mike groaned. "He was with us in the clock tent and I don't remember seeing him after that."

"Ok, ok," Will said, trying to stay calm. "It took me probably....twenty minutes to get to the car? And twenty back? Holy shit, that's like 45 minutes."

"Oh my god, he could be anywhere! I can't believe I've barely had this kid a week and I've already lost him! SAM!!

"Do you think he ran away?" Addie asked.

"Oh fuck," Mike said, practically on the verge of passing out.

"We don't know that," Will insisted.

"But I was mean to him," Addie said, nearly crying. "What if he didn't like me..."

"What the hell am I gonna tell Denise?!?!"

"Nothing, ok?" Will put his hands on Mike's shoulder to ground him, even though he wasn't far behind him on the panic meter. "We'll find him. Look, he's smart, right? He'll probably head towards the lost and found. Take Addie, you guys go that way, I'll go this way, and we'll meet at the front. If we still haven't found him then we can get more help."

"Ok," Mike agreed shakily.

"And you," he added, looking directly at Addie. "This isn't your fault, got it? Now stay calm, go slow, and look in every tent. We'll find him. See you at the front."

They broke apart and hurried their separate directions. Will was trying to stay calm but now that Mike and Addie were gone it was a lot harder. This was every parent's worst nightmare, and now he completely understood why. But it was more than that, because they knew, they all knew, just how fast bad things could happen. Even all these years later it was impossible not to think of the Upside Down and the horrors that unfolded. And even though it was gone, and Will knew that, it was still just as terrifying. There were still monsters in this world, too, just not the same kind.

"Sam!" he called, picking up the pace. The adrenaline pushed him forward, making him forget how tired he had been just moments earlier.

They would find him. They had to. He couldn't think about what would happen if they didn't.

El.

If they didn't find him he could call El and she could look for him from a distance and tell them where Sam was. She hadn't met him yet, and there was no easy way to get her a picture quickly, but maybe with her connection to Mike she could do it.

That steadied him somewhat, but his heart was still racing. Somehow there seemed to be even more people, and the costumes he'd been admiring were now getting in the way. So many colors, so many moving pieces. It was so easy for a small boy to disappear. Not to mention the sun was rapidly sinking towards the horizon. It would be so much harder once it started getting dark.

"Sam! Sam!"

Will tried not to think about it, but Addie's theory kept nagging at him. What if he really had run away? Maybe it was too much. Maybe they had tried too hard. Maybe he just really hated Will. And if that were the case...well. He obviously wasn't going to break up with Mike, but he'd move out. At least for a little bit, to give Sam some space. The spare room at his mom's house was empty now that El was with Benjamin. That way he could visit often, especially when Addie was there. It would be miserable, there was no getting around that. But if that's what they would have to do then he would do it.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," he muttered under his breath as he rounded a corner.

He was getting close to the front again, and still no sign of Sam. Maybe Mike had already found him, and this whole terrifying incident was already over.

From this perspective he could see the viking ship swinging above the trees, and he wondered if Sam had tried to go ride it again on his own. Or at least head towards a familiar landmark...

Somewhere down the lane, a small child screamed.

Will ran towards the sound, just in time to see Sam bolting out of a tent followed by someone in a plague doctor's mask.

"SAM!" Will yelled.

Sam's head whipped towards him and he changed course, running straight for him. He didn't even hesitate, crashing into Will and holding on for dear life.

"Oh," Will breathed, immensely relieved but also a little shocked. He sank to his knees so he could hold him better. "It's ok. You're safe. I've got you."

"I'm so sorry," the plague doctor said, taking off her mask as she approached. "I wasn't trying to scare you, you just looked lost so I was trying to help."

Sam wouldn't look at her, still hyperventilating into Will's shoulder.

"It's ok," Will told her, trying to shake away the flood of different emotions so he could talk clearly. "It's his first year here."

The young woman nodded apologetically. "You are his dad, right?"

"Um...step-dad, technically, but yeah," Will managed.

"Good. Glad you found him," she said as she walked away to leave them be.

"They left me," Sam cried, finally able to speak. "They left me and I couldn't find anybody..."

"Hey, hey, it's ok. They didn't mean to leave you, they just thought you went with me."

"No," Sam shook his head, pulling away now that the initial fright had started to subside. Will kept his hands on his shoulders, still afraid to let go. "I was f-following them, and then I saw a cool sword, and I stopped to l-look at it, but when I looked up again they were g-gone and I ran to find them but but but I couldn't see them and..."

"Breathe, buddy, it's ok," Will said. "Its not your fault, it was just an accident. It happens, its really scary, but we found you now. And we're all gonna stick together so it doesn't happen again, yeah?"

Sam nodded shakily and wiped his eyes.

"Ok," Will sighed, taking a deep breath himself. "Let's go find your dad before he loses his mind."

"Where are they?" Sam asked, sounding exhausted. Will kept a firm hand on his shoulder, both to support him and to make sure he didn't lose him again.

"We said we would meet at the lost and found. We figured we would either find you on the way or you already went there yourself."

"There's a lost and found?"

"Yeah, near the front gate where we came in?"

"How...how do you know that it's the lost and found?"

Will stopped in his tracks and looked down at him.

"Holy shit. You can't read the signs."

Sam shook his head. "I don't know Elvish."

"Oh my god." Will looked around at the fancy medieval script, most of it handwritten, with new eyes. "I guess it does look like elvish."

"You mean to tell me THAT is English?!?!" Sam complained, thoroughly outraged as he pointed to an apothecary sign.

"I am so sorry," Will said. "I don't know why I forgot already."

"Most people don't remember," Sam said sullenly, kicking the ground as they kept walking.

"Yeah, well I'm gonna do better from now on, ok? I'm sorry."

Sam shrugged, not fully believing him. He was already retreating into his shell again.

"How did you know to order the ice cream if you couldn't read the menu?" Will asked curiously, trying to keep the conversation going so Sam didn't fade away completely.

"There was a picture," he explained, almost reluctantly. "One of the decorations on the sign was an ice cream cone, so I figured they must have ice cream."

"But you didn't know the flavors, so you just picked chocolate?" Will guessed.

"Everyone has chocolate," Sam said. "Once we got closer I would have tried to see if there were other flavors."

"That's smart."

"People pick on me for not knowing how to read. I have to hide it."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Will sighed.

They finally came towards the front of the Fair grounds, and he could see Mike standing in front of the customer service tent, biting his nails and never keeping his head still for longer than a second as he anxiously scanned the crowd. He clocked them before Will was close enough to call out, grabbed Addie's hand and started running.

"Sam!" he cried, crouching down so he could look him in the eye and grabbing his arms. "I am so sorry, are you ok?!? What happened?"

"I stopped to look at a sword," Sam muttered, trying to act like he hadn't just been scared for his life and it didn't really bother him.

He wasn't pulling it off very well, and Mike could tell.

"I'm glad Will found you," he said, glancing up at him for a second. "Tomorrow we'll bring walkie talkies. That way if we get separated we can find each other faster."

"And this is a good spot to meet up again anyway," Will added. "It's by the front, near the viking ship, and you can recognize it from the stripes and the two flags on top."

Sam took a second to study what it looked like, and nodded silently. Mike exhaled slowly to release the remaining tension.

"So...there was a cool sword, huh?"

...

"I'm such an idiot," Mike whispered miserably, both elbows propped on the picnic table and chin in his hands.

"No you're not," Will said, picking through the near empty baskets looking for extra fries. "It was just an accident, it happens all the time."

"I forgot he existed," he groaned. His eyes were locked on Sam and Addie, who both now had new swords and were play fighting just a few yards away.

"First of all, not really. You just got momentarily distracted and weren't thinking. Second of all, its barely been a week, it will take time for it to become second nature and a habit to look for 2 kids. But it's ok. We found him."

"And if he mentions it to Denise?!?!"

"You won't lose custody because we got separated at the fair," Will promised.

"You don't get it, do you?" Mike sighed.

"What? That you feel like you have to be perfect because of everything else in your past?"

Mike blinked and took his eyes off the kids for the first time.

"I know you," Will said gently. "You keep setting these high standards for yourself, for us. Nobody expects you to do that. You don't have to be perfect just to atone for your past mistakes."

Mike leaned his head on Will's shoulder, all his energy completely drained.

"Easier said than done when you have people literally judging your parenting skills."

"I know," Will said quietly, squeezing his hand under the table.

They watched the kids keep sparring. It was nice to see them getting along, both grinning as they played. Addie ended up getting the upper hand on this match, pinning Sam's sword to the ground.

"How are you so good at this?" he panted, trying to catch his breath.

"I'm older and taller," she said smugly.

"Not for long," he said, a teasing glint in his eye. "I'll bet I'll be taller than you someday."

"Maybe," Addie shrugged. "But I'll always be older."

"Fine," Sam conceded.

She moved her sword away and pretended to start turning away. Sam moved fast, attacking from the side, but Addie whirled back around, easily blocking him and knocking the sword out of his hand, holding the blunt tip at his chest.

"How?!?!" Sam groaned, though he wasn't truly upset.

"Swordfighting runs in the family," she smirked. "Although that's technically a spoiler for issue #85."

Sam glanced over at the picnic table curiously, a little impressed. "Cool."

"And maybe I'll be nice and teach you some of my moves," Addie teased. "If you admit that you had fun at the fair. Aside from getting lost, of course."

Sam put on a face. "What makes you think I would say that?"

"Because I think you actually like it here," she pressed.

Sam looked over to the picnic table once again. It was just for a split second, and Mike and Will were pretending to be busy cleaning up, but they both clocked it.

"Its...not as weird as I thought," he admitted.

"Maybe you're a little weirder than you thought," Addie countered with a grin.

"Not that weird," he said, crossing his arms.

"I bet you five bucks that next year you'll dress up with us."

"No I won't!"

"That's what the bet is for," she explained. "If you don't dress up, I pay you $5. But if you decide you do, then you pay me $5."

"Oh," he realized. He took a second to think. "Then yeah. Bet you five dollars. And you'll end up paying me because I know I'm not doing that."

"Ok," Addie smiled. She dropped her sword and held out her hand, and they shook on it to seal the deal.

"Not as weird..." Mike mused quietly under his breath. "Do you think he means...more than just the fair?"

"I'll take it," Will said with a slight smile. He finished stacking the rest of their trash and whistled to get the kids attention. "Hey! We'd better get a move on if we want good seats for the fireworks show. It's starting to get dark."

"Did they even have fireworks in medieval times?" Sam asked, rolling his eyes.

"Not in medieval England, but they did exist in China," Mike shrugged. "Regardless its just a good show."

"And they have them in Lord of the Rings, so I don't care," Addie said.

Sam didn't argue there. They started walking back to the stadium, walking through the rides and carnival style section on the way. The lines had dwindled drastically, most of them practically a walk-on. Will noticed Sam kept looking at the viking ship hesitantly.

"Hey," he said quietly, sideling up to him. "You wanna try again? We have time."

Sam paused, still a little unsure. But then he nodded.

"Alright." Will took a deep breath and looked at Mike. "You guys can go ahead if you want to find good seats. We'll find you."

"Not a chance," Mike shook his head. "Until we get the walkies we're staying together."

"I don't want to ride it!" Addie cried in alarm.

"Oh no, we're not riding it," Mike said, eyeing Will knowingly. "But we will watch."

Will was tempted to make Mike go instead, keeping up with the lie that they had already ridden it once, not to mention the pay back from Mike figuring out his system. But fair was fair, and he didn't want Sam to see him chicken out. They split at the entrance to the line. Sam kept his hands in his pockets as they weaved their way through the ropes, trying to hide the nerves.

"Is this your first time at a fair?" Will asked, trying to distract him. (And himself, to be honest.)

"Sort of," Sam shrugged. "We went to my school fair once, when I was little. But it was nothing like this. They didn't have any rides, or costumes, and it wasn't very big. And all the dads made the games and all the moms made the cookies and cupcakes." His eyes lit up as he remembered. "But there was this one game, where you had to throw darts at balloons to win a prize. I wasn't very good at it because I was too small. But then mom said I did really good on all of my other tests besides reading, so she played it for me and hit the best balloon, and that's how I got Mr. Rabbit."

"Ohhhh," Will breathed, understanding.

"She said he would help me get better at reading. I don't think he did, but she let me bring him to all my appointments, and every night he would sit with us in bed while she read to me."

That explained his appearance at their nightly Lord of the Rings readings.

"I'm glad I found him," Will said gently.

"Me too. He still smells like her."

Will had to look away, blinking back tears. God, this poor kid. Sometimes he forgot just how recent the loss was. It had only ever been the two of them, so they must have been close, the same way he and Jonathan had been so close to their mom growing up.

"Do you think it would be better in the front or the back of the boat?" Sam asked, eyeing the swinging ship uncertainly.

"Um..." Will tried not to wince as he watched the drastic change of positions. It all seemed terrible. Instinctively he looked over to where Mike was waiting and watching with some amusement.

"I honestly don't know," he said weakly.

The ship slowed to a halt and the group in front of them got off. There was no denying they would be next. No more stalling. No more putting it off. Sam wasn't excited, persay, but he didn't hesitate when the attendant helped him on near the front end. Will followed automatically, trying not to think about it. The lap bar was lowered over them, and up close it didn't seem like it would do much to keep them in place, honestly. Will nearly asked if there was something they had forgotten when the crank started and they started going backwards and upwards. He gripped the bar tightly with both hands, trying to keep his breath even. It kept going, higher than he thought it would, and being near the front it seemed like nothing but a straight drop. He locked eyes with Mike, deeply regretting not making him go in his place.

And then it dropped.

"Shit," he wheezed as all the air was sucked out of him.

Everyone on board screamed, and Sam suddenly clung to his arm. Will let go with his other arm and used it to try and help hold him in place. They were going to die. They were going to be the freak accident at the end of the night and fly right off. After everything he had been through, everything he had survived, this is how it would end for him. Forget losing Sam, Mike was going to have to explain how he had killed him, and Will.

The only positive thing was make him think of the Upside Down. The reality was far worse. But it did not, in fact, make him feel like he was sailing on the high seas, other than the seasickness. His insides didn't seem to be settled as securely in his body like he thought, sloshing around like they were just free floating. Back and forth, swooping from one high point to another. The motion was already making him dizzy, and he closed his eyes just wanting it to be over. Will should have counted while they were in line to see how many times it swung because it seemed to be never ending. He was lost in a storm of never ending rocking, the wind screaming past his ears and his heart slamming inside his chest. He would really, seriously, honestly rather go through an Upside Down portal chased by Demogorgan over this.

But finally, mercifully, it started to slow down. They didn't go as high, and with every swing it got a little less intense until they finally stopped.

"Whoohoo!" Sam cheered, somehow completely unaffected. "We did it!"

"We did it," Will said shakily.

"That was fun!"

"Well at least one of us enjoyed it," he sighed as the attendant let them go.

He stumbled towards the stairs and had to lean pretty heavily on the railing to get down.

"Not that bad, hmm?" Mike teased even as he wrapped on arm around his waist to steady him.

"Shut up," Will groaned. "You're going tomorrow."

Mike sighed dramatically, but when he spoke his voice was soft and his eyes were fond. "Deal."

...

The nerves waiting for Denise's visit were not softened by the two day extra wait. Will found himself drinking tea and clicking through and organizing his email inbox, just for something to keep him busy. So he got the notification just as the phone rang.

Re: Dustin Henderson -- RETURN OF THE KING TRAILER ALERT NERDS!!!!!

Will clicked the link eagerly as Mike answered.

"Hello?"

"I JUST SENT YOU AN EMAIL!!!" Dustin yelled, which Will could hear through the line and in the other room.

"I got it!!" he called. "Addie, Sam, get in here!"

"What?!?" Mike asked, following them into the bedroom and over to the computer in the corner.

"TRAILER FOR RETURN OF THE KING JUST DROPPED!" Dustin yelled. "I've already watched it twice!!!"

"Wait won't this have spoilers for Sam?" Addie asked in concern. "We've barely gotten started with the first book."

"Nah," Will said. "I can't think of anything major. If anything it might help you get through some of the slower bits to know where you're going."

"Yeah, you're probably good," Dustin said impatiently. "Watch it, watch it!"

"Hang on, it's still loading," Mike said anxiously.

"Oh my god how slow is your internet???"

"Just give it a second," Will said. "I don't want it to buffer right in the middle."

"No you most certainly do not," he sighed. "This suspense is killing me."

"You've already seen it!"

"Yeah but now I want to hear YOUR reactions. I need someone to share in this excitement!!!"

"Ok, ok, shut up so we can watch it!" Mike insisted, leaning over to click play even though it had only loaded a quarter of the way.

Thunder rumbled on-screen, with a flash of blue light. Will felt a shiver run up his spine already.

"The eye of the enemy is moving," Legolas whispered.

A nazgul shrieked as a series of quick images flashed across the screen.

"Wait, are those dragons?!?!" Sam asked excitedly. Addie shushed him.

"The end has come."

"Turn it up, I can't hear," Dustin complained.

Will sighed but obliged him anyways, which was needed as Aragorn and Gandalf quietly wondered whether or not Frodo was alive as he scaled the black rocks of Mordor.

"Come master," Gollum hissed.

"Eugh!" Sam cried in alarm, physically jumping back. "What the hell is that?!?!?"

"Oh shit I guess he doesn't know about Gollum yet," Dustin said apologetically.

"It's fine," Mike said hurriedly, trying to shush them all so he could listen.

"This is your test," Elrond was saying. "Every path you have trod, through wilderness, through war...has led to this road."

Will shook his head in awe. The sheer scope of these movies, the music, the acting, everything just blew him away all over again.

They watched as Aragorn's sword was forged in fire and water.

"Become who you were born to be."

Mike whistled in appreciation.

"That is gorgeous," he whispered.

Will agreed, and he had a sudden desire to find some sort of replica...for reasons. As much as he loved Frodo and Sam and the subtle way they could have a couple's costume together...Mike would make a killer Aragorn.

"The precious shall be ours..." Gollum whispered.

"He's so ugly!" Sam cringed. "Is he naked?!?!?"

"No," Mike said firmly.

"Practically," Addie said with a grimace. She wasn't a huge fan of the design either.

"Gross," Sam said. "Oh that IS a dragon!"

"Wait till we get to The Hobbit," Addie promised.

"What do hobbits have to do with dragons??"

"No its the name of the prequel book."

Sam groaned in despair, although he did still watch the trailer with interest. Will gave up on trying to hear everything on the first watch. He knew they'd play it over and over through the rest of the day anyways.

"Shelob!" Mike said, pointing.

"Oh that looks incredible," Will gasped, even though they only got a tiny glimpse for a half second.

"I know!!" Dustin cackled. "She looks so real!"

"A day may come, when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowships, but it is not this day!"

"Whatever happens, stay with me."

"That's Eowyn!!!! It's Eowyn in her armor!!" Addie squealed, jumping up and down.

"Is that the costume you're gonna re-create?" Mike asked.

"I don't know yet," she sighed. "I just really want to be Eowyn."

"All you have to decide, is what to do with the time that is given to you," Gandalf said.

Will could feel himself getting emotional already. The battlefields, Arwen sick and crying in the forest, Merry and Pippin's hope and despair...it all felt so final. It really was ending. The last movie.

"We cannot achieve victory through strength alone."

"Whoa, is that a giant elephant?!?" Sam asked.

"Wait, is Legolas CLIMBING the elephant?!?!" Addie said only a few seconds later.

"But we can give Frodo a chance," Aragorn said determinedly.

"AAAAHHHHHHH," Dustin shrieked through the phone, unable to hold back as the last few scenes culminated with Samwise yelling in what could only be Mount Doom.

LORD OF THE RINGS
THE RETURN OF THE KING

DECEMBER 17TH

"Oh my god I have chills," Will said, eyes wide from the excitement.

"I TOLD YOU!!!"

"Would you guys kill me..." Mike started, "if I also changed my costume idea?"

"Not if you go as Aragorn I won't," Will said pointedly. Dustin snickered.

"But you always go as Frodo and Sam," Addie frowned.

"Yeah well Lucas and I always went as Merry and Pippin until Max got involved," Dustin lamented. "Oh speaking of, I'm gonna call them now and get their reaction! Enjoy obsessing over it for the rest of the day, talk to you later bye!"

Mike couldn't even respond before the line beeped and Dustin was gone.

"Let's watch it again!" Addie said.

"Ok but this time no talking," Will insisted. "I missed like half the dialogue."

Everyone obliged, and that time they could really take it all in. Then they played it a third time, pausing every few seconds to explain to Sam who the characters were, and break down some more of the quick shots. And then they watched it one more time, just for good measure.

"That looks EPIC," Addie sighed. "Why can't it be December already???"

"It takes time to make such a masterpiece," Mike said appreciatively.

"After Ms. Denise comes can we read some more?" she asked.

"Sure," Will said. He glanced at the clock, realizing it was almost time. "I could use a day lounging around the house reading after such a busy week and weekend."

"Can I make cookies? I just want to be a hobbit curled up with a good book and warm snacks."

"Go for it," Mike nodded.

Addie grinned and skipped off to the kitchen.

Sam lingered at the computer. "So that's what Frodo and Sam look like?"

"In these movies, yes," Will said. "Allthough you can always picture them however you like in your head. Why? Do they look different to how you were imagining them?"

Sam shrugged. "I was just picturing you guys," he said off-hand, not looking at them as he hopped off the chair and went to grab his Gameboy.

Will turned to Mike, completely flabbergasted.

What? he mouthed.

Mike opened and closed his mouth, trying to process.

"Did he just...???"

"Did you ever picture certain people when you read as a kid?" Will mused.

"No."

"Well we must be doing something right."

"I...I guess I'll stay Frodo," Mike managed.

"For the premiere, yes. But I am gonna start looking for an Aragon costume for you," Will said matter-of-factly.

"Where would I even wear it?" he frowned.

Will sipped his tea innocently, keeping his eyes locked meaningfully with Mike.

"Oh my god," he groaned, flushing bright red. "Really?"

The doorbell rang and he jumped, putting both hands ok his cheeks to try and hide the incriminating heat.

"I'll get it!" Addie called.

"Sword, too," Will added cheekily, rising to his feet.

"Stoooop," Mike hissed, "I have to go be a responsible parent!"

"What, you can't be responsible and fun?" he grinned.

"Not right now!"

"Later then," Will promised. Mike tried to glare at him. "Don't worry, I'll stall her for a second so you can catch your breath."

"Well, good morning!" Denise greeted the children cheerfully. "You look like you've had a lot of fun."

"We went to the Rennaisance Faire," Addie explained. "I'm a butterfly."

Will tried not to laugh. He had forgotten they found a face painter yesterday.

"That sounds fun," Denise said, nodding politely at Will. "Sam, did you have a good time?"

Sam barely glanced up, still focused on his Gameboy.

"It was weird," he said. "But I got to ride on a roller-coaster. And I got a sword. So I guess it was alright."

"A sword?" she asked intrigued. "Why don't you show it to me."

Sam reluctantly put down the game and went to his room to bring it out.

"I got one too," Addie said. "I'm teaching him some moves."

"I'm glad you're getting along," she smiled. "You must be Addie. Where have you been staying since Sam got here?"

"On the couch," she said simply. "Sam got the room since he's new."

"That's very kind of you," Denise said, writing down some notes.

"We wanted to make sure he had his own space," Will explained.

"Good," she nodded.

"Here's my sword," Sam said, coming back to show her.

"Very cool," Denise said appreciatively. "And are you a ninja?"

"Yep."

He held up his sword samurai style. Addie pursed her lips in frustration, but Will shook his head at her to just let it go. She had made it very clear yesterday how ninjas were not part of the rennaisance and they had COMPLETELY different swords, so nothing about it made any sense at all. Mike had tried to convince her that Sam was happy, and participating, so it really wasn't a big deal. Clearly she still thought otherwise.

"Hey, good morning," Mike said as he joined them, very deliberately not looking at Will.

"Morning," Denise smiled. "You seem like you've made a lot of progress in the past week."

"We've certainly been trying," he said nervously.

"Packing already?"

"Yeah we found a house," Addie told her excitedly. "It's where my best friend lives, so we can see each other all the time! And she has a brother too, so Sam has a new friend."

"That's wonderful. Sam, have you seen the house yet?"

"Yeah, it has a tree house in the backyard. And we're gonna get a dog."

"There's plenty of space," Mike added. "Four bedrooms."

"Excellent, when do you close?"

"In about two weeks," Mike said. "We'll move in straight away."

She nodded, pleased with the updates. "I'll probably pop in sometime next week, then I'll wait until you get settled before I visit you at the new house. Where is it, by the way?"

"Walkerville Indiana. It's about two hours away, that's not a problem is it?"

"No, that's fine. You don't have a custody arrangement with anyone outside of the household so you're free to move wherever you like."

She flipped a page on her clipboard to an extensive checklist.

"Right, I'm just gonna have a quick look around, ask Sam a few questions, and then I'll be out of your hair."

Sam went back to his game while she walked around, and Addie went back to making cookies. Mike and Will lingered awkwardly in the living room. It felt wrong to follow her, but it still felt weird to just stand there.

"Do you want any tea?" Will offered to break the silence.

"No, I'm fine, I've already had a coffee this morning, but thank you," Denise said pleasantly.

"No problem."

She opened the kitchen cabinets and the poked her head in the pantry.

"Is that a snack basket?" she asked.

"Yeah I thought it would be helpful so Sam could find them easier," Mike said.

"That's a good idea," she nodded, impressed. "A good mix, too."

"And I can get more if I want," Sam chimed in without looking up.

"Good. That's an improvement over the Thompsons, isn't it?"

"They only gave me dry carrots," he muttered bitterly.

"Not even ranch?" Addie asked, surprised.

"Nothing. And their kids got goldfish."

"I talked to them," Denise said flatly.

She walked around a few more times, inspecting the windows, bathroom, and what she tactfully referred to as "main bedroom."

"Sam, why don't you show me your room where you're sleeping?"

Sam sighed but followed her inside. Denise left the door open only a crack, asking him questions in a low tone as he showed her around. Will could barely dare to breathe, straining his ears to try and catch a drift of something. Something clicked in the kitchen as Addie mixed in her last ingredients, and Mike held a finger to his lips, clearly trying to eavesdrop as well. Addie cringed apologetically and moved as slowly and silently as possible.

"...and what's it about?"

"Monsters and kids with superpowers," Sam was explaining. "Will wrote it. It's pretty cool."

Will grinned, silently relishing in the victory.

"And you can read it?"

"Mostly. And if I need help with a word they don't mind."

"Good. So, are you happy here?"

Sam hesitated. Mike started biting his nail, needing some sort of outlet for the anxiety.

"I miss mom," he said quietly. "I wish I could go home."

"I know, honey," Denise said gently. "It's hard, it really is. You're always gonna miss her, and its always gonna hurt in some way. But it gets easier, I promise. Now, is there anything else you want to tell me before I go? Any complaints? Anything wrong?"

"Um..."

He paused again, thinking. And for a split second his eyes darted towards the crack in the door, looking first at Mike, and then at Will. They both held their breath.

Please don't say anything, Will pleaded silently.

Sam looked back at Denise, mind made up.

"No."

Mike let put a long, slow exhale in relief.

"So everything's good?" she pressed.

He shrugged. "Yeah, it's fine."

"Good. Thank you. You can go back to your game now."

She started back to the living room, heels clacking on the floor. Will turned to grab the documents they had both prepared, while Mike tried to look busy, both pretending they hadn't been listening in. Denise glanced at Addie, then beckoned them both into the entryway so they could have a little space.

"I am very pleased," she said warmly. "This is the longest he's lasted anywhere since mom died. He likes you, I can tell."

"Really?" Mike asked, still a little worried.

"Really. These the paperwork I asked for?"

"All our references for both of us," Will said, handing them over.

"Plus bank statements and a few other things," Mike added.

"Boy, you guys are fast," Denise said. "Some people really drag their feet getting this stuff done. I also spoke to the testing center just before I got here. Both your tests have come back clean, so everything's looking good. We should have your court date soon, I expect it'll be in about two months time. Provided nothing else goes wrong, you shouldn't have any problems. Just smooth sailing from here."

"Thanks," Mike said, giving her an uneasy smile.

"Not a problem. Give me a call if you need anything. I'll see you again next week."

Mike held the door for her, leaning up against it when she was gone and sighing deeply.

"See? That went fine," Will said. "There's no need to worry."

"I know," he said. "I know. I just wish it were up to Denise and we could get this over with. I still have to convince a judge."

"It'll be fine," Will promised. "It's like she said, everything looks great."

"Yeah, but my life has never been that simple."

"Maybe this time it will be."

"Yeah. Maybe. Problem is I won't know that for sure for another 2 months."

Chapter Text

June, 2003

"Ok, bring it back slowly," Will called, trying to direct with his arms. "A little to the left...I said SLOWLY! OK, too far now, go back to the right...MIKE."

"Hey, this is not really my skillset here!" Mike called, sticking his head out of the moving truck window.

"Oh my god," El sighed. "Mike, just stick it in neutral and let me do it!"

Mike threw his hands up in surrender and El gently maneuvered the truck into place in no time. Sam watched from the porch with the rest of their friends, clearly still skeptical about her powers being real. El just smiled at him while Mike parked the truck and Will unlocked the back.

"Right," El said, surveying the contents for a moment. "All clear?"

Will looked both directions. The trees along the outskirts of the property obscured most of the view, but they didn't want to take any chances.

"Clear," he nodded, stepping out of the way.

El raised her arms and the first couple boxes slowly floated out of the truck and down to the ground. Sam's eyes widened as he watched her build a wall of boxes for some extra security, just in case someone decided to go for a morning walk or come try to greet their new neighbors. Once she was satisfied, she started sending the rest of the boxes inside, setting them down in the living room.

"Alright people, let's move it," Hopper said.

Will had been meticulous in his planning, labeling most of the boxes based on the room he wanted them to go. It had gotten rather rushed towards the end, and the ones Mike had packed often had a random assortment of items instead of distinct categories, but for the most part it was a good system that allowed everyone to help as much as they could without having to stop and ask a million questions.

Footsteps echoed through the halls as people got to work. It was easy to lose track of people as they went back and forth, making only passing remarks to each other as the chaos started unfolding.

Will spotted a box labeled "art supplies" and took it upon himself to take it up to the new studio/4th bedroom. The excited chatter and busy noise from the rest of the house faded away as soon as he entered. The sun's rays drifted lazily through the window, highlighting the numerous boxes that had already been delivered. He set his box next to them and took a moment to catch his breath, visualizing how he wanted to set up the room. Then his eyes caught on the disassembled shelf leaning in the corner.

It would be a little easier if they had a shelf to put some of these boxes...

"Dad?!?"

"Art room!" he called, screwing in the last board.

Addie opened at least one wrong door before she found him.

"I have a question," she said breathlessly. "But you have to come to my room to see."

"Alright," he said, putting down the screwdriver and resigning himself to putting things on the shelves at another time.

Addie led them down the hall to her room, where Lucas was finishing drilling her bedframe together and Izzie was hanging clothes in the closet.

"Ok, what do you think of hanging a net in the corner for my stuffed animal collection?" she asked, spreading her arms wide as she described it. "Because my friend Emma has one and it looks super cool."

"How would you get them down?"

"No the point is it's for the collection," she said. "The ones I don't play with but I don't want to get rid of. Then I can still see them and they won't be in the way."

"That's not a bad idea," Will nodded. "I like it. We'll see what we can do."

"Bed frame is done," Lucas announced. "Do you know if anyone brought yours or Sam's up yet? El said she would wait to bring the mattresses up until there was a clean place to set them."

"No, I've been working in the art room," Will said. "I haven't been much of anywhere else lately."

"Shoulda known you'd be hiding in there already, letting us do all the work for you," Lucas teased, holstering the drill in his belt.

"Hey, I've been working!" Will protested, stepping to the side to let Benjamin in with some more boxes for Addie. "I've got no space to draw yet, trust me. I got like, one shelf built so far and that's it."

"Ok but when nobody can find you I'll know where you'll be," he said smugly, sauntering off to find out if the other beds needed assembly yet or not.

"I guarantee you I won't make it back in there for at least another hour," Will said, following him.

"Will!" Mike called as soon as he spotted him. Will pointed to prove his point and Lucas laughed as he disappeared into Sam's room. "C'mere, come look at this."

"I thought you were working on our bedroom," Will said, ducking into the bathroom just in time to avoid Hopper and his tottering tower of boxes coming up the stairs.

"Yeah, well there was a box of kids' bathroom stuff that got put in ours by mistake, so I got distracted. But don't even try to call me disorganized, cause look at this," Mike said, proudly opening the closet door to show him. He tapped each shelf as he pointed it out. "This one's for Sam when we get him some more stuff, that one's Addie's, then we have the first aid, and then all the cleaning supplies on top."

"Looks nice. Why are there no shelves on the bottom?"

"That's what I was thinking about," Mike grinned. "And then I realized...laundry basket."

"In the closet?"

"Yeah! You could totally fit a laundry basket right here, so when you take a shower you can just throw your clothes in there. I think ours might have one too."

"Cool idea. But we already have a laundry chute. Why do we need more baskets?"

"Because it's fun. And what else are we gonna put in here?"

"Ok, you're right, we have gotten old and boring," Will sighed. "Fine, we can get an extra laundry basket. But Addie has her own bathroom, she doesn't need a shelf in here."

Mike groaned. "Shit, I forgot she had her own. I was so proud of how organized I made it though! Now what am I gonna put there?"

"Towels?" Will suggested. "That sink doesn't look like it has good storage space."

"But the towels are already in the linen closet. Do I have to re-do that, too?"

Will blinked.

"The what?"

"The linen closet?" Mike said again, leading them back into the hall. "Did you not see that when we did the walk through?"

He opened a small door near the laundry chute and showed Will the closet, which already had a few towels and sheets stacked on the shelves.

"That's not a thing," Will said in bewilderment.

"What, that people put all their towels and sheets in one place?"

"Well, no, but...like that's just a closet. There's nothing...who even says linen anymore?!?!?"

"I don't understand why you're so confused," Mike frowned. "We literally had one in my house growing up, remember?"

"It's not like I went poking around. The only doors I opened in your house was your bedroom, the basement, and the bathroom," Will said. "That's not a thing."

"Yes it is," Mike insisted, grabbing his wrist. "Just ask my mom..."

"Oh so it's a rich-"

"Duck!" Mike warned, pulling him to the ground just before one of the kids' mattresses came floating up the stairs over their heads.

"El!" Will called. "You gotta warn us before you send something up the stairs like that!"

"I did," she sighed, not breaking concentration as she stepped around them. "It's not my fault you were arguing about closets. Which, by the way, the irony of that is hilarious."

Mike just shook his head and pulled Will down the stairs before he could respond. They found both of their mothers in the kitchen, stacking plates in the cabinets.

"Ok, you guys both know what a linen closet is, right?" Mike said without giving any context.

"Yes, of course," Karen said, not at all puzzled by this seemingly random question.

"Mom, come on, tell him that's not a thing," Will insisted.

"No, it is," Joyce frowned. "We had one, we just never had enough towels or enough space for other things. We just called ours the hall closet."

"So it is a rich person thing," Will said, still trying to edge out a win.

"And now we have one," Mike shrugged simply.

Will blinked rapidly, at a loss for words. Sure, he knew they were much more well off than he was growing up, but he figured that had more to do with the fact that they had 2 incomes.

"It's the little things," Joyce said sympathetically, patting him on the shoulder.

"I really don't know how I feel about this," Will said.

"That's what's tripping you up?" Mike asked. "Not the fact that we bought a house?"

"Nope," Will decided, "Shut up, I'm not thinking about that right now."

"Exciting times," Karen said cheerfully. "Listen, I don't know exactly how you like your kitchen set up, but I figured it would be better and easier to find than being wrapped and packed in boxes."

"That's great, mom, thanks," Mike said, giving her a quick hug before dashing off somewhere else on another side quest.

"Are you alright?" Joyce asked Will quietly.

"Debateable," he said simply. "Thanks for helping."

"Anything for my boys," she smiled.

Since they seemed to have the kitchen covered he wandered back into the living room to grab more boxes. Max was kneeling on the floor, unpacking the books and putting them on the shelves.

"Did you do all this yourself?" Will teased.

"Of course," she snorted. "This is gonna be my masterpiece."

"Including the ones that are upside down?"

Max flipped him off. "It's called art, William, shouldn't you know that? Like I said, masterpiece."

"Got another box for ya," Benjamin said, dropping one off at her side.

"Excellent," she grinned. "I love snooping through your collection. Got anything dirty hidden away in here?"

"You know us so well," Will deadpanned.

The floor to ceiling shelves were one of his favorite features of the house. It still looked nice, even if half the books were turned the wrong way. They would fix it later.

"Heads up!" El yelled.

This time Will was prepared and made sure he and Max were well out of the way of the giant cluster of boxes El sent in. He found a bunch of boxes labeled W + M bedroom and decided to get it all out of the way. Not surprisingly, Mike still wasn't up here unpacking like he had said he would, although Lucas did have the bedframe together and El had brought the mattress at some point. Will tried to look around for their sheets and pillows but quickly realized those had probably been taken to the stupid linen closet. Maybe that should have been lower on his priority list, but it felt weird to unpack a bedroom without having a proper bed. He went back to search the closet but it was still disappointingly bare.

"...that's gonna be SICK," Mike's voice echoed suddenly from somewhere nearby.

Will nearly jumped out of his skin before remembering the laundry chute existed. He opened the hatch and peered down. Sure enough, Mike and Lucas were standing almost directly under it.

"What's gonna be sick?" he called down.

Lucas actually shrieked and jumped away, but Mike just leaned back and grinned up at him.

"Oh, hey! You should come down and see this!"

Will decided to give up on the sheets for now. Surely they'd find something by nightfall. He passed Addie and Izzie on the stairs, giggling about something as they hauled more boxes up to her room.

Lucas had already set up their folding table and chairs in one corner, along with the wire shelf and most of their board games. The rest of the basement seemed jarringly empty compared to the rest of the house.

"Hear me out," Lucas said. "Ya'll need another couch down here. Not some throw away couch either like Mike had, no offense, you need a real couch, one with a pull out bed for maximum sleepovers."

"Are you planning on a sleepover?" Will asked, trying to hide his grin.

"What was wrong with my couch?" Mike asked, deeply offended.

"First of all, obviously, and second of all, dude, that thing was tiny. You couldn't fit 2 people on it to sleep."

"Will and I did it all the time."

"Yeah, exactly. Ya'll aren't the standard for human space, you know that right?"

Will snorted into his hand. "He's got a point."

"We were eight!"

"Oh no, you were at least ten when you stopped sharing the couch. And then where did you move to? Remind me?"

"Air mattress on the floor," Mike grumbled reluctantly. "With Will."

"Yep, and then I was stuck with the uncomfortable couch."

"It wasn't that uncomfortable," Mike insisted.

"It was for the whole night."

"No it wasn't!"

"You're just saying that cause you got to sleep with Will," Lucas said pointedly.

Mike flushed red and looked away.

"I'll add a pull out couch to the list," Will laughed.

"And beanbags," Lucas said, snapping right back to his idea. "You need lots of beanbags down here. And I'm thinking, instead of a TV, you should get a projector."

"A projector?" Will asked, intrigued.

"Look at that wall space," he said, slapping the concrete blocks. "Give it a fresh coat of white paint and you can practically have your own movie theater, big enough for all the kids to see without fighting for the good seats."

"Brilliant," Will grinned. "We should get a spare microwave down here too, so we don't have to go upstairs for popcorn."

"Oooh, now you're talking," Mike said excitedly.

"And a fridge," Lucas added. "Man, we're gonna be over here ALL the time."

"Can't wait," Will said. He turned to Mike. "You're supposed to be unpacking the bedroom."

"Hard to do that without any place to put stuff," Mike said sheepishly.

"See if you can find the clothes hangers so we can at least hang stuff in the closet," Will suggested, hoping a concrete task would keep him more focused.

Mike gave him a flirty salute and bounded up the stairs.

"Is this level accessible from the outside?" Lucas asked as he and Will followed at a normal human pace.

"I think so, but we gotta find another solution in the winter," Will sighed.

"No worries, we'll get to that eventually," Lucas shrugged, veering off towards his wife.

Will started towards the pile of boxes, which thankfully hadn't grown too much since he'd been gone. It was amazing how much more stuff they seemed to have when it was packed away like this.

"Hang on a sec," Hopper said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Will turned towards him worriedly, recognizing the serious tone. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know where Mike is, but one of you should probably check in on the boy," he said.

Will's heart dropped as he realized he hadn't even seen Sam since El started unloading.

"Where is he? Is he ok?"

"Bedroom, and not really. I think this might be a little much for him."

"Thanks."

El was in the process of telepathically guiding the bedroom dresser up the stairs, so he waited a moment before following her.

It should probably be Mike, Will thought. Sam didn't seem to mind being around him so much after the Viking ship seemed to have literally bonded them together on some level, but when he got quiet and emotional he still tended to prefer Mike. Which made sense, and Will didn't mind. But Mike somehow hadn't made it to the master bedroom, and since Will had no clue where he had disappeared to now, he figured it wouldn't hurt if he was the one who checked in.

He knocked twice on the door, but there was no response. Slowly, because he didn't want to scare him off, Will opened the door and peered inside. Sam lay curled up in bed, half wrapped and half holding onto a blanket. The bed was the only thing that was put together or even remotely unpacked; everything else was in boxes scattered around the room, the bookshelf and the little dresser they had brought from his storage unit both stood empty.

"Hey," Will said gently, coming in and closing the door behind him. The commotion from the rest of the house died down. "You doing ok?"

Sam shrugged silently, staring blankly into space.

"Are you hungry? Do you need anything?"

He shook his head slightly.

"Do you want some help in here?"

That got more of a reaction, and Sam shook his head almost frantically.

"Ok, that's fine. I know it's pretty busy out there but if you change your mind you can come find us."

"Sorry," Sam whispered hoarsely.

"What are you sorry for?"

Sam shrugged again, fighting back tears.

"You don't have to be sorry for anything," Will promised. "You don't have to unpack anything today either. I know it's hard. Take your time."

Sam burrowed deeper into the blankets, despite the heat, and squeezed his eyes shut. Will knew he was missing something. He just couldn't figure out how to unlock it, or how to reach him. Maybe Sam just needed more time, and more space. He hoped leaving him alone wasn't the wrong thing to do.

"If you need us, come and find us, ok?"

Sam nodded, but stayed silent. Will let him be, leaving quietly. Almost immediately he ran into Hopper, who stumbled and tried to catch his balance. Will barely managed to catch the top box as it fell over.

"Shit, sorry," Hop wheezed.

"Take it easy, Hop, we don't have to get everything done today," Will smiled, following him into the main bedroom.

"I know, I know," Hop sighed. "It's not easy to remember I can't do as much as I used to."

Will helped him stack the boxes and looked around at their bedroom in dismay.

"I thought Mike was supposed to take over this room," Hop said.

"He keeps getting distracted," Will said. "I guess I could-"

"Hey Will!" Benjamin called from the stairs.

"Nevermind," he sighed. "What is it?"

"Mike can't decide where to put the couches and El looks like she's about to just put it on top of him," Benjamin said with a grimace. "And from what I heard it's not pretty when they go head to head."

"Oh my god, no, ok, I'll be right there."

"Well I can see why neither of you are getting anything done," Hopper grinned.

"It'll be worth it in the end, right?"

"You should see the progress your mother made in the kitchen," he promised.

"Thank god something got done today."

He skipped the last step and went to the living room. El stood with her arms crossed, her expression slowly becoming more and more murderous by the second. Even though she hadn't been working physically she looked as tired as the rest of them.

"Ok, what if we tried this couch over-"

"Mike, quit making El move the couches," Will interrupted, physically stepping in front of him.

"Ok, but I can't decide if I like this way or not."

"Half our stuff is still in boxes, we don't know what the living room will look like when it's done. We can rearrange everything later if we don't like it, without making El do it a thousand times."

Mike glanced apologetically at El. "Sorry."

"I don't mind helping you later, too," she pointed out. "We don't have any more travel plans until we visit Dustin and Suzie for Halloween."

"True. I guess the point is to unpack and not...MAX!!!" he groaned, interrupting himself as he spotted the bookshelves.

"What?" she blinked innocently, leaning back against the fireplace.

"All of our books are upside down!"

Will looked and realized he was right. Max faked a dramatic gasp.

"My god, I didn't even see that!"

"You did that on purpose."

"Me? No, I was only trying to help. You can't expect a blind girl to do that, would you?"

"I expected a mix, but every single book means you did it on purpose," he frowned.

"To be fair, I asked which way was the right orientation, just ask your mother," she said shrewdly. "They must have gotten mixed up on the way to the shelf."

"Mom!"

"I thought I was being helpful," Karen apologized from the kitchen where she was stacking the spices on the lazy susan.

"This is Max we're talking about."

"I don't understand this relationship," Benjamin said, confused.

"None of us do," El assured him, leaning against his shoulder. "It's been going strong since middle school."

"Ok," Will intervened, once again standing in front of Mike to disrupt whatever thought train was currently running the show. "First of all, you should go check on Sam..."

"Holy shit, I forgot about him again," Mike startled. "Where is he?!?"

"Again?" Max laughed.

"His bedroom," Will said.

"Please tell me you didn't lose this kid already," Max continued. Will bit his lip guiltily. "Oh my god!"

"Oh as if you've never lost track before," Mike retorted.

"I have an excuse!" she said, waving her hand in front of her face.

"He wasn't gone long, we just got separated at the fair," Will said quickly. "Go check on him, and then go work on the bedroom. El brought the dresser up so we have a place to put stuff now."

"On it," he sighed. "Anything to get away from her."

"I'll fix them!" Max called after him, already flipping titles. "You're just so fun to mess with! And I needed something else to do," she added to Will.

"Clever," he said flatly. He turned to El. "How are you doing?"

"Tired, but I can finish unloading," she said.

"Thank you."

Will turned to the pile of boxes and spotted another one labeled art. He quickly retreated before anyone else needed him. Maybe this time he could actually put some stuff on the shelf. But no sooner than he had put it down Hopper stuck his head in.

"Got any empty boxes?" he asked.

"People have empty boxes?" Will asked in disbelief.

"Addie's gone through a lot, and the kitchen is nearly done," Hop shrugged.

"I haven't had time to do anything," Will said in despair.

"You've still been working hard," Hopper said sympathetically. "Hungry yet?"

Will thought for a second. "A little."

"I'll order some pizza," Hopper decided. "And try to run some interference if anyone else tries to look for you."

"Thanks, Hop."

Will started going through boxes, putting things up on the shelf carefully but quickly, since he didn't know how much time he had. He knew it wasn't a race, but it would feel good to get at least one box unpacked in here.

In the second box he found a notebook and some pencils, and despite his internal promise not to get as distracted as Mike, decided it would probably be wise to start physically writing down the things they said they needed instead of trying to remember mentally. Starting with command hooks, and a laundry basket, and...

He had already forgotten.

"Hey dad, can you paint my room?" Addie asked suddenly, jolting him out of his thoughts.

"What, now?!?" he asked, slightly panicked at the thought.

"No, not now," she explained, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards her room. "But I had an idea, look."

"Wow, it looks great in here," he said, looking around in shock. It was a very similar set up to the way she had her bedroom in the apartment, almost like she had just lifted and moved the whole room altogether.

"Thanks, I think that's almost everything, except I'm still missing some bathroom stuff and there's a few decorations but we put those in the closet. That was Izzie's idea."

"Good thinking," Will nodded. "Check the closet in the other bathroom, last I saw there was some stuff of yours in there."

"On it," Izzie said.

"Look, wouldn't it be cool to paint a wave along this wall, kinda like the famous Japanese one, but with brighter colors?" She said, showing him where she wanted it. "And on the bottom, what are these called again?"

"Baseboards."

"Yeah, I want to make it look like sand, with seashells."

"Oh, that would be really cool."

"Also, maybe I can get one of those desks with a mirror for my birthday?" she asked a little shyly.

"We'll see what we can do," Will said. "There's plenty of room in here. I think it's even a little bigger than your old room."

"Cool," she grinned. "Thanks."

Izzie came back with the misplaced bathroom stuff and they got to work putting it away, so Will took his leave and went back downstairs to see what else needed to be done.

"Will, hun, where do you want these pictures?" Karen asked as soon as she spotted him.

Will glanced at the box of frames. "Just put them against the wall over there," he shrugged. "I don't know exactly where I want to hang them yet. Or if Sam wants any from his house out here or just in his room. We haven't gotten quite that far."

"Sure thing."

He spotted Max reclining on the couch, eyes closed.

"Now who's not working hard?" he teased, leaning over the back.

"Pfft, I am cashing in my well earned reward," she scoffed.

"Napping in the middle of this chaos?"

"More peaceful than my home, I'll tell you that," she shrugged. "Sorry I couldn't convince Tony to come help Sam. Couldn't help but overhear he's having a hard time."

"It's fine, I think some space is good for him," Will said. "He's not used to having so many people around."

"I think I saw him slip out to the treehouse a little while ago," Joyce said, putting the rest of the books on the higher shelves where Max couldn't reach. "He definitely seemed a little overwhelmed."

"I'll go check on him again," Will said.

He went outside, making a mental note to look for patio furniture at garage sales so they could make good use of the fire pit this fall as he passed it on the way down the hill. The treehouse wasn't located that high into the tree, but the steps nailed into the trunk looked a little worn and narrow, and not necessarily meant for adults to be climbing. Maybe by next spring they could re-do that part to make it easier.

Sam looked up from the comic in surprise as Will climbed the last steps.

"Hey," Will smiles. "What are you doing out here?"

Sam shrugged, tucking the comic behind him. "It's loud inside," he murmured.

"Sorry. I love our friends but I do agree with you, it can be a lot sometimes."

"Am I in trouble?" he asked nervously.

"No, not at all," Will said warmly. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I'm not working like everyone else," he muttered, avoiding eye contact.

"I think you probably have a good reason for it," Will prompted gently.

"I want my old room," Sam said, struggling with the words. "But I don't want to see my old stuff."

"It's hard, I know. You're working through a lot of emotions right now, it's ok to take your time. Maybe we can help you with that tomorrow, after everyone leaves."

"Why do you care?" he asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Will asked, confused.

"I'm not your kid. So why do you care so much?"

Will thought carefully for a second, trying to find the right words.

"Well, for one thing," he started gently, "I remember what it's like to be ten and scared and lonely and in a completely new world away from everything I knew."

This seemed to resonate with the boy, dismantling some of the defensive walls he was trying so hard to put up. Will shifted to get more comfortable.

"Do you remember what my mom said, about how family isn't always related?"

"Yeah," Sam frowned, still seeming confused by the concept.

"A lot of people, whether they know us in real life or read the comics and think it's all fictional, they think that we bonded together because of the trauma. And sure, maybe we wouldn't have become friends with Steve or Murray without those circumstances. But the truth is, we survived because we were already so close. That bond saved us. It saved me. With some people, you just know from the moment you meet them that you're going to be there for each other no matter what.

"Like you and Addie?" Sam asked uncertainly.

"It took time, but yeah. By the time I met her she was already 8. I liked her immediately, but at first I just treated her the same way I treated Lucas' kids. She called me Uncle Will just like they do. But that didn't feel right to either of us, and she asked me if she could stop."

"And that's when she started calling you dad?"

"Not quite. She did it once on accident but at the time Mike and I were still just friends. It took a long time before we got together. But by the time it did, we already felt like a family. It was just natural. It doesn't matter that we're not biologically related or that I didn't know her for the first 8 years of her life. I'm her dad. And I always will be."

Sam nodded slowly, though he kept his eyes down and didn't say anything. He didn't seem as confused now, and Will could tell he was just thinking and processing.

"What issue are you on?" he asked, changing the topic to something a little lighter.

Sam pulled the comic out and opened it to one of the final pages of issue #16, when Will had been rescued and finally woke up in the hospital. Will smiled softly at the memory.

"Did you always love him?" Sam asked shyly. "Even then?"

Will let his fingers trail over the panel when the rest of the Party had been allowed to come and see him. Mike had gotten there first, fully laying his head on his chest in his excitement. It was how Will remembered it, so it was how he had drawn it. Dustin and Lucas were right behind, also about to pile on top of him, so it wasn't too overt. But even despite his caution he couldn't help but draw a tiny moment with just him and Mike.

"Yeah," he smiled. "Especially then."

Sam nodded again, like it was starting to make sense to him. But he still didn't seem in particularly high spirits.

"Is there anything else you need?" Will asked gently.

Sam started to shake his head, but then his stomach growled. "Is there any food?" he asked.

"I'll order some pizza if you don't mind having that for the billionth time this month," Will promised. "Best I can do in the middle of this madness."

"I don't mind pizza," Sam said, mouth twitching upwards slightly.

"Then pizza it is."

Will awkwardly managed to climb down the rickety steps, opting to jump the last few since that seemed like the lesser risk. But he nearly fell over backwards at the sight of Mike leaning against the other side of the tree.

"Holy sh-" he wheezed, barely managing to reign it back in as Mike put a finger to his lips.

Sorry, Mike mouthed, taking his hand and leading them back to the house.

"What were you doing there?" Will whispered once they got further away.

"Looking for Sam," he shrugged. "He wasn't in his room when I went to find him. I forgot about the treehouse, good thinking."

"Mom saw him slip out. Why didn't you come up and talk to him?"

"Seemed like you had it handled," Mike smiled, squeezing his hand. He glanced over at the barbecue pit, and then took out a pen and a piece of paper. "We need to find some patio furniture."

Will hooked his chin on his shoulder. "That's a lot more impressive than mine," he sighed, handing him the crumpled piece of paper.

"Hey at least these are the two things I forgot," Mike grinned, copying it down quickly before holding the door open for Will.

"How is the bedroom looking?"

"No idea."

"We're not gonna have anywhere to sleep tonight," Will groaned.

"I'm going now, I promise!" he laughed, disappearing up the stairs as Will reached for the phone book.

But no sooner than he found the number for the local Domino's and started the order than Mike reappeared, peering at him from around the corner with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"...a large pepperoni, large hawaiian..."

"Hey," Mike whispered.

"...large sausage," Will continued, ignoring him.

"What's in the secret Christmas box?"

Will's eyes widened and he frantically gestured him to stop. Mike started towards the stairs but Will reached out and snatched his wrist, holding it tight as he could with one hand.

"...a margherita pizza..."

Mike broke free, slipping away and bounding up the stairs.

"And-a-side-of-garlic-bread-all-pizzas-large-thanks," Will said quickly, hanging up the phone without waiting for the confirmation. "MIKE!!"

Mike just laughed, skidding into the room and attempting to shut the door behind him. Will was faster, practically slamming up against it in his efforts to catch up.

"Do not open that box!" he yelled.

"Finders keepers!" Mike said, pushing against the door as hard as he could to keep Will out.

"That's not how Christmas works, Michael!" he huffed, finally winning over and bursting into the room.

Mike dove towards the box anyway, trying to at least get a peek but Will grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

"You're going to ruin the surprise!"

"This is why you don't shop too early," he grinned cheekily, trying to pull away.

"It's called seizing the opportunity. And either way you shouldn't snoop."

"Do you even have anything for me in there?"

"Doesn't matter."

Mike changed tactics, switching the flow of energy as he suddenly pushed, throwing Will off balance and sending them both tumbling onto the unmade bed.

"Hey!"

"So there is something for me," Mike said triumphantly, pinning Will's wrists to the bare mattress.

"You can't get it unless you let go of me," Will rolled his eyes.

"But you'd catch me before I ever got there," he sighed dramatically.

"Seems we're at an impasse then."

"Seems so. Unless you change your mind."

"I'm not gonna change my mind."

Mike leaned forward and kissed him. "How about now?"

Will just laughed. "No."

Mike tried again, a little harder but still too brief in his excitement. "Now?"

"Oh, you're gonna have to try harder than that."

Mike narrowed his eyes, and before Will could process he suddenly swooped down. Will couldn't laugh anymore if he tried, lips caught in a vacuum-tight seal as Mike swallowed his very breath. The diversion had worked, but maybe a little too well. For a moment, the rest of the world faded away.

ANYWAY YOU WANT IT
THATS THE WAY YOU NEED IT
ANYWAY YOU WANT IT

Will startled as Journey suddenly reverberated up the laundry chute and through the house. Someone must have found the CD player and plugged it in, cranking it up to full volume. Mike didn't seem to notice, but unfortunately it had brought Will back to his senses.

"Mike," he managed.

"Mmhmm."

She loves to laugh
She loves to sing
She does everything...

Will pushed on his shoulders until he reluctantly broke away. "You do realize there's not even sheets on the bed."

"Don't care," Mike said, eyes still a little unfocused as he tried to push back down.

"And we have like 20 people downstairs," Will sighed.

"You're exaggerating. And they can wait."

"Mike, I haven't been able to focus on ONE thing for FIVE minutes before someone comes after me with a question or needing help."

Mike groaned dramatically and flopped into Will's shoulder.

All night, all night
Ooh every night...

"We should tell them to just go home then," he mumbled.

"Not when they're helping us. It would take us years at the rate you're moving."

"You insult me," Mike scoffed. "You haven't been doing any work either the past few minutes."

Will gave him a sympathetic pat on the back but then immediately followed by flipping him off. Mike blinked in annoyance at the sudden motion, tracking Will as he moved to look through boxes.

Oh, she said anyway you want it, that's the way you need it, anyway you want it.

"Ugh, why do you make that look so easy?"

Will raised an eyebrow at him. "Because it is."

"Stop flirting if you're not gonna let me do anything about it," Mike complained.

I said anyway you want it, that's the way you need it, anyway you want it.

"You started it," he shrugged, acting like he didn't care even though he really did, and throwing Mike the sheets. "Now, we're not going anywhere until I see some progress in here. And nobody's gonna stop us."

"Aye aye, captain."

With Will there to keep him focused, Mike did actually manage to get things done. It had been stupid to split up, Will realized as the empty box pile steadily started to grow. After all, they had always worked best as a pair.

The music helped too. Will would bet money it was Hopper, actually. And/or possibly spurned on by a request from Max. Mike started singing along, apparently getting over the tragic rejection. And soon, when Will listened hard enough, he realized he could make out everyone joining in. At least on the chorus.

Anyway you want it, that's the way you need it, anyway you want it...

Will couldn't help but grin; even though Mike slowed down a little, it was a nice mood booster to get them through the final stretch. The rest of the album played on, albeit more quietly than the opening the number. Once again Will got lost in the motions, quickly unpacking as much as he could while he still had the energy. And miraculously, nobody came in to bother them.

Then the doorbell rang, interrupting the momentum. For a split second, Will wondered if the neighbors were already coming over to say hello.

"Pizza's here," Mike grinned. "Am I allowed to leave to go get it?"

Will looked over at the nearly empty box of clothing. "Well you can't stop now," he insisted. "I'll get it. Stay until it's empty."

He didn't stay to see Mike's inevitably displeased reaction, hurrying down the stairs as the doorbell rang a second time. The living room was notably absent of people save El and Max, napping on the couch together despite the music, although it was notably quieter on this level.

Will hurried to open the door before they rang for a third time.

"Hi-" he started, but he stopped suddenly, blinking rapidly as he tried to process what was going on.

There were two delivery guys standing on their new front porch.

One dressed in the expected blue, but the other with a contrasting red. Domino's and Pizza Hut.

Both looked just as confused as Will was.

"Am I at the right house?" the Domino's guy asked hesitantly.

"Um..." Will said, trying to remember who he had even ordered from.

"You forgot I ordered, didn't you?" Hopper asked, coming up behind him and trying not to laugh.

The exhaustion of the day suddenly hit Will full force.

"Yeah," he sighed, deflating.

"Don't tell us one of us isn't getting paid," the Pizza Hut driver frowned.

"No, no, we'll take both," Will assured them, patting his pockets. "Crap, I can't find my..."

"I got it," Hop said, handing both drivers a $20.

"Sorry," Will said, closing the door with a sigh.

"Don't worry," Lucas laughed, coming to help. "We can take the leftovers home. Tony will be jealous if we don't."

"Who says we won't eat the leftovers," Mike said, coming down the stairs two at a time as they set up in the dining room. "I don't think you can ever eat too much pizza."

Will just shook his head wearily. "I'm tired of pizza. And packing. I'm never moving again."

Mike hugged him from behind, resting his chin on Will's shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said quietly. "I don't plan on it."

Chapter Text

"Oh my god," Mike groaned, collapsing onto the bed.

Will couldn't even answer at first, the exhaustion clouding his mind and voice from working together to form a single coherent thought. But after a moment he could feel the restorative properties of the mattress start to work their magic, slowly siphoning the tension somewhere deep in the springs and framework.

"Aren't you glad I forced you to make the bed earlier?" he finally managed.

"Mmhmm," Mike mumbled, already sounding half asleep. "You're very smart. 'S why I married you."

Will snorted. "You never asked."

"Ok, fine, wanna move to Massa-"

"No," he groaned, half-heartedly trying to smother him with the blankets. It didn't work well, considering he was only using one arm and not even looking. "I told you, I'm never moving again."

"We're gonna have to work something else out then," Mike grinned, batting his arm away.

"Not tonight," Will yawned.

"Yeah, I'm not doing anything else tonight, I swear. Or tomorrow, honestly. I just want a nice, relaxing day, nothing exciting."

"Perfect," Will murmured, eyes already closed even though the light was still on. Honestly he didn't even care at this point.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Mike called, trying not to sigh.

"Hi," Addie said a little sheepishly.

Something about her tone was enough to make Will open his eyes.

"What's wrong?" he frowned in concern.

"Um...maybe you already know this, but...well, somebody put a box of Sam's stuff in my room, so I just went to take it back to him, and he finally started unpacking, and I wasn't trying to snoop, but I saw his calendar, and..."

"And what?" Mike asked.

"Did you guys know it's his birthday tomorrow?"

"Shit," Mike said, sitting bolt upright.

"No," Will groaned. "Are you sure?"

Mike threw back the covers and went to the stack of unopened boxes, quickly rifling through until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out the binder from Denise and started flipping through it.

"Oh my god," he said in dismay. "Oh my god, she's right. His birthday is tomorrow. June 23rd."

"Shit, shit, shit," Will said, forcing himself to sit up. "That's why he was so sad today. He thought we had already forgotten."

"Why didn't he say anything?"

"He probably didn't want to make a big deal of it, or be annoying," Will sighed. He tried to think. "Ok, what do we need to do?"

"Presents. We don't have any presents. Unless you have some in that secret Christmas box of yours."

"No. He didn't seem particularly interested in anything at the fair, and I haven't had time to look for anything else for him."

"Ok, well one of us needs to go out and look for presents. And the other needs to stay here and make a cake."

"And decorate," Addie said. "That way he'll know that we didn't forget."

"Do we even know where the birthday stuff is right now?" Will asked.

"I think I saw it in the garage, with the rest of the random stuff," she said. "I'll go see if I can find it."

"Ok, perfect," Mike said. He looked over at Will sympathetically. "Cake or presents?"

Will thought for a second. "Presents," he decided. "You sure you don't want me to just buy a cake while I'm out?"

"Absolutely not," Mike said, highly offended. "Since when do we just buy birthday cakes?"

"Since we spent all day moving," Will shrugged, reluctantly getting out of bed. "But if you don't mind doing it I won't stop you."

"No, we have to make this special," he insisted. "It's his first birthday with us! We are not skimping out on this."

"Alright," Will agreed. "I'll be back later I guess."

It wasn't terribly late, actually, barely 8'o'clock. But all the local stores were already closed, which meant he had to drive to the Walmart on the edge of town.

Sam had been with them for a little under three months, so by this point Will did have a general idea of what he liked. He knew he liked Legos, that had been one of the few things specifically requested from the storage unit as they were sorting through it, but all his sets were hand-me downs and collections of random pieces his mom had likely found at yard sales. Will found a couple cool sets from the Adventure collection, which looked similar to Indiana Jones but still fun if you didn't know the story.

Usually with Addie they liked to get a few toys and a book or two, and some other collaborative game. But since Sam couldn't read traditional books, Will found a small tape player and the original Peter Pan book on cassette. And on the game aisle he picked up a game called Blokus, since it didn't look like it had any cards or reading involved.

By this point his brain was awake enough to think about the fact that picking up some extra tape, push pins, and balloon string would be a good idea in case they couldn't find anything in the moving boxes. Also more balloons and streamers. If Mike and Addie had found some at home, then these could be the replacement for next time. But he would rather be safe than sorry.

And wrapping paper. He didn't even know if they had any, let alone something appropriate for an 11 year old boy's birthday. Unless he was reaaaally into reindeer and gingerbread men but that wasn't very likely.

Oh, and chocolate peanut butter ice cream. He remembered what Sam had said at the fair. You can't have a birthday without ice cream, after all.

Finally, after he had criss crossed the store more times than he could count, Will headed to check out. And thats when he saw it, the giant tables by the registers covered with Harry Potter books. At first he kept walking by, but then he did a double take when he realized it was Order of the Phoenix.

"When did these come out??" he asked in disbelief, grabbing a copy.

"A few days ago," the cashier said, starting to scan the items. "You're lucky, we just got our new shipment in a couple hours ago. We sold out in the first few hours after we opened."

"We've been so busy moving I lost track of the date," Will shook his head.

"I've been too busy working to read it but I've heard it's good," she shrugged. She glanced over the rest of the belt as she bagged. "Looks like somebody's got a birthday. You got kids?"

"Yeah, two actually," Will smiled, realizing it was the first time he'd really been able to say that to somebody outside of his immediate circle. It was a little surreal.

"Boys? Girls?" the cashier asked.

"One of each," he said proudly. "Addie's 13 and Sam is turning 11 tomorrow."

"Oh so this really is a last minute birthday run?" she laughed pleasantly.

"Everything's been buried in moving boxes," Will shrugged, swiping his card.

"I get that, I've been there. They're lucky kids to have a father who cares so much."

"Actually I think I'm the lucky one," Will grinned, gathering the bags.

"Don't let go of that feeling on the hard days," she smiled. "Have a good night."

"Thanks."

Two kids. He liked having a shred of normalcy in a conversation like that. The adrenaline kept him awake on the drive home.

He found Mike lounging on the couch, listless hitting an orange balloon in the air in a desperate attempt to stay awake. Two others lay pitifully on the coffee table.

"I'm guessing that's all the balloons you found?" Will asked.

Mike startled out of his daze. "Unfortunately," he yawned. "I feel awful. I wanted it to look amazing and honestly it would be better not to have them at all now."

Will tossed him the new pack. "It will look amazing," he promised. "I got streamers too, and tape and things to put them up."

"Oh my god you're so smart," Mike sighed in relief.

"More like I was tired and just started grabbing stuff," he grinned, putting the ice cream in the freezer. "I think I was more impulsive than you normally are."

"You did better than I would have," Mike said, admiring his haul. "Actually you did do better than I did. I can't find where our moms put the mixing bowls for the life of me."

"We can do that tomorrow, it's not like the cake needs to be finished when he gets up. Can you bring me the scissors since you're already standing?"

"That's what I figured," he shrugged. "Addie decided to turn in since there wasn't anything to do."

"I don't blame her," Will said, feeling the exhaustion trying to creep in again now that he was sitting. "I say let's just get these wrapped, throw up some decorations and do the rest tomorrow."

Mike nodded wearily in agreement. They worked mostly in silence, too brain dead to make conversation except for a few odd remarks. Will got the presents wrapped, although it wasn't his neatest work, and sat down on the couch to help Mike finish blowing up the balloons. He had hung a few streamers back and forth before deciding it was no longer worth risking his rapidly diminishing balance and coordination skills. And hey, balloons on the floor were still festive, right? It would look nice, as long as they had enough.

They just needed a few more, and then they could go to bed...

...

Footsteps creaked on the stairs.

Which was weird, because they didn't have stairs in the apartment.

Oh, right.

They moved. They had a house now, Will remembered with his eyes still closed.

"What's...this?" Sam asked timidly.

Will pried his eyes open, suddenly realizing his neck was laying at an awkward angle against the back of the couch, and Mike was slumped at his side, a deflated balloon still sitting loosely in his hand.

"Morning," he said hoarsely, jabbing Mike in the side to wake him up. "Happy birthday."

"Me?" He looked around the room with a fragile awe, almost like he was afraid he was still dreaming.

"Well, it is your birthday, isn't it?" Will asked, now concerned that maybe they had dreamed it by mistake. He tried to shake Mike off his shoulder. "It's not any of our birthdays."

"You know my birthday?"

"Of course," Will said casually, physically holding Mike's head up as he pushed him into a sitting position. "Although you should really thank your sister for realizing it was like, today today. I haven't been aware dates in general for like a week. Mike."

Mike finally snapped awake with a groan.

"Oh my god I need coffee."

Sam slowly started to smile.

"For the record he's like this on my birthday, too," Will said dryly. "Or basically most mornings."

"Oh, shit, right," Mike blinked rapidly and looked over at him with something that was supposed to resemble a smile. "Happy birthday, buddy."

"What do you want for breakfast?" Will asked, stifling a yawn. "Normally we make something fancy, but we can go out too if you want something specific."

Sam shuffled on the steps shyly. "Anything?"

"'F course," Mike said. "'S your birthday."

Sam's eyes lit up. "Do you remember that doughnut place we saw when Tony's family was showing us around?"

Mike snapped his fingers at him. "I like your thinking. You are definitely my kid, no DNA test required."

Will gave him a look. "That's literally how they had to find you..."

"Shhhhhhh, that's not my point. My point is doughnuts and coffee. Excellent breakfast. Let's go."

"We need fresh clothes unless we want the whole town to think we hitchhiked our way across the country," Will reminded him. "And it will take Addie some time to get moving."

"Thirty minutes or we're leaving without her," he warned.

...

"Why do you like those?" Sam asked, wrinkling his nose as he watched Addie trying to eat her Bavarian creme without making too much of a mess.

"'Cause they're goo," she mumbled with her mouth full.

"Goo?" he snickered.

"Good. You're missing out."

"It looks like cheese."

"Well it doesn't taste like it. What's your favorite?"

"Cookies and creme," he grinned, grabbing a second already. "Or any of the ones that have candy on top." He looked over ar Mike. "Your turn."

Mike finished a long sip of through the straw, finally hitting empty ice cubes at the bottom. He blinked rapidly and looked around, eyes finally clear.

"Morning," Will grinned.

"Oh, hey," he said, looking around the table.

Will had decided to just eat on the patio outside, since Sam was complaining about being so hungry and Mike had been so focused on coffee he hadn't even ordered his own doughnuts. It was nice outside. The trees growing along the edge of the sidewalk meant they weren't in direct sunlight yet. It was so much more peaceful than Chicago, only a few people up and walking through the little park across the street, setting up for some sort of event.

"Feeling better?" Will asked.

"Much. Although I'm getting a second one before we leave." He grabbed a chocolate sprinkle from the box. "Did someone ask me a question?"

"We're talking about our favorite kinds of doughnuts," Sam said. "It's your turn."

"Easy, this one," he shrugged. "Can't go wrong with a classic." He nudged Will's foot under the table. "You picked 'em good, thanks."

"That one might be your favorite but you'd also eat just about any of them," Will teased.

"That is true, I do just really like doughnuts," Mike told Sam.

"What's your favorite, dad?" Addie asked.

Will finished his cake-style and leaned back, thinking. "My absolute favorite of all time...it's gotta be the maple bacon they do in the fall."

"Eew," Sam laughed. "Who puts bacon on a doughnut?!?"

"What is wrong with you?" Mike asked, shaking his head.

"Says the guy who used to put syrup on his eggs."

"You did it too!"

"You taught me!"

Sam was full on cackling now, so hard he had to put his doughnut down. "You put syrup on your eggs?!?!?" he wheezed.

"Don't make fun of it if you haven't tried it," Mike huffed in mock offense. "I'm going to make it for you for breakfast tomorrow."

"Ok," Sam giggled.

"We should do this every week," Addie suggested.

"Syrup on eggs?" Will asked skeptically.

"No, coming here for doughnuts for breakfast."

"What about every time you come back home from mom's?" Mike offered.

"Deal," she nodded. "New tradition."

"I like it," Will smiled.

"Right. I'm going to get another coffee before we go. Anyone else need anything?"

Will shook his head. "I think we're good."

Mike went back into the Cafe, and Will started boxing up the leftovers to take home.

"What are they doing over there?" Sam asked, looking over at the park curiously.

Will glanced over and spotted the numerous little black fences and the two vans pulling up to the sidewalk, which immediately piqued his interest.

"Ooooooh, how anxious are you to get home and open presents?" he asked.

Sam frowned in confusion until the van doors opened and the dogs started coming out.

"I can wait," he grinned.

"Ready to go?" Mike asked, reappearing with a fresh iced latte.

"Nope, we're making a quick detour," Will said, guiding the kids across the street.

"Ok, ok," Mike grinned. "Just try not to get too attached to any of them, because we don't have anything ready at the house and there's a lot going on right now..."

"That must be pretty good coffee if you're being the logical thinker right now," Will teased.

"Eh, just let me finish this one and I'll be back to normal in no time," he shrugged, immediately veering off towards one of the corrals without them.

They all ended up splitting naturally. Addie wanted a chance to pet every single puppy they had, Mike kept gravitating towards specific breeds like the huskies and collies, and Will was actually spending time reading the pamphlets and asking questions. Just because they weren't getting a dog today didn't mean he could start researching.

And then there was Sam.

Like the others he had immediately zeroed in on one of the dogs to start with, and Will kept an eye on him while he meandered around. He was making a more conscious effort to glance up every so often to make sure both of the children were there, but he wasn't really paying attention to what either of them were actually doing.

"Will," Mike breathed, barely close enough to hear.

He looked up and saw Mike as still as a statue, eyes soft as he looked across the park. Will followed his gaze to the edge of the showcase, and realized Sam was still sitting with the first dog he had gone to. By this point the dog had jumped over the fence and had fully taken over his lap, licking the tears off his face as Sam laughed quietly.

Oh.

We're getting a dog today, Will realized.

Slowly, Mike and Will made their way over to him. The volunteer smiled as they approached.

"Somebody seems to like you," Mike said gently, kneeling beside Sam.

"Mmhmm," Sam hummed happily, face half buried in fur. The puppy sniffed in Mike's direction but didn't move from Sam's lap.

"This is Lucy, but we call her LuLu," the volunteer said, starting her spiel.

"Lucy?" Mike asked in surprise.

"That was mom's name," Sam whispered. LuLu ignored the newcomers again and turned to lick his face.

Will felt his heart clench as he tried to hold it together. He looked imploringly down at Mike, only to find his pleading dark eyes already staring back at him with the same silent question. This was terrible timing, it made no logical sense whatever to get any sort of pet right now. But there was no way they were walking away without this dog.

"We believe she's an Irish Setter, Golden Retriever mix," the volunteer continued. "She's around 8 months old and fully house trained. She'd make a great family pet."

"Can we get her, daddy? Please?" Sam asked, not begging, not whining, but so genuinely honest it hurt.

Will didn't even realize what he said until Mike looked away sharply, covering his mouth with his hand as he tried not to let the emotions overwhelm him.

Oh.

Will sucked in a breath, afraid to move or do anything to break the fragile scene. Somehow the volunteer also seemed to recognize the significance of the moment, and kept quiet. Mike swallowed hard, trying to compose himself.

"I don't think we could separate you two if we tried," he managed hoarsely.

"So we can get her?? Really?!?"

Mike put a hand on his back. "Sure, buddy."

"Thank you thank you thank you!!!" Sam cried, leaning over pup and all into his arms.

Mike nearly fell over from the sudden shift, but he recovered quickly and held them both for a moment, eyes closed as he caught his breath. Will silently caught Addie's attention and waved her over. She caught sight of Mike and Sam on the ground together and came running over immediately.

"Are we getting a dog?!?" she asked eagerly. "Did you choose one without me?"

"More like she chose us," Mike said apologetically, reluctantly letting go so Addie could come and meet the puppy. "This is LuLu."

Surprisingly, LuLu did step slightly away from Sam to see Addie. She hovered in between them, licking Addie's face and then turning back to Sam for a minute before she caught sight of her own tail and started spinning in circles trying to catch it.

"She's perfect," Addie laughed.

"Yeah," Sam grinned, for once in perfect agreement with his sister.

...

It was almost noon by the time they stopped at the pet store and got everything set up and settled at home. Sam was very impatient to open his presents by then, and insisted they open them before lunch just so he could at least see them. Will didn't think he had ever seen him so happy before, grinning ear to ear as he looked over his new Lego sets and thanking both of them over and over.

"Oh, Addie, I almost forgot," Will said after the last of them had been opened. "Guess what I saw when I went shopping?"

Addie frowned, trying to think of what it could be. Will found the discarded shopping bags and pulled out the new Harry Potter book.

"Order of the Phoenix came out!" she squealed excitedly, running over to take it excitedly. "Can I start reading it now???"

"Of course," he grinned.

"Oh I like Harry Potter!" Sam perked up, unpacking the first Lego set. "But mom and I didn't get to finish Goblet of Fire yet."

"We'll catch you up," Mike promised. "Anyone ready for lunch?"

"Is there anything besides pizza?" Will grimaced.

Mike looked in the fridge. "Not really."

"This is going to be the last time we have pizza for months," Will vaguely threatened. "I'm going to the store after this for some real food. Sam, any preferences for your dinner tonight?"

Sam paused from the set-up, not fully looking at him. Will could tell that he knew exactly what he wanted, but was almost too scared to ask for it. LuLu seemed to sense it too, and came over from her bed to crawl in his lap again.

"It's your birthday, you can have anything you want," he assured him.

Sam took a deep breath and slowly looked up to meet his gaze. "Can we make chicken alfredo?" he asked quietly.

Will smiled. "Of course," he said gently. "You want to help me make it the same way your mom did?" Sam nodded silently. "Sounds great. You like the spiral noodles, right?"

"Yeah. And no spinach. She liked to put mushrooms in it."

"That sounds pretty good, I can't wait to try it," Will smiled.

"Pizza's ready," Mike called.

Nobody seemed overly-thrilled, the kids because it interrupted their fun and Will because he really didn't want anymore pizza. But it was nice to sit around their dining table altogether in the new house for the first time, Will thought.

"Do we have cake?" Sam asked as he finished his second piece.

"Oh, shoot, I have to call my mom and ask where she put the mixing bowls," Mike remembered. "I'm going to make one after lunch."

"I did grab some chocolate peanut butter ice cream last night," Will said.

"Yes!" he cheered. "Can I have some?"

"Go ahead," he grinned.

"I'll have some later," Addie said, eyeing her new book.

"Hey Sam, while I'm calling Grandma Karen, is it ok with you if I invite her over for dinner?" Mike asked. "I know she'd love to come celebrate with you."

Sam thought for a second, struggling to get the brand new lid off the ice cream carton.

"Ok," he said after a moment. His eyes flicked up to Will briefly. "You can invite Grandma Joyce and Hop, too," he added quietly.

Will's eyes widened and he looked over at Mike to see if he'd heard correctly.

"Ok then," Mike grinned, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. "I'd better go make some calls."

Will watched Sam eat his ice cream out of the corner of his eye. He could not have imagined this three months ago. Everything had seemed so good, so settled. They had a routine and they liked it. It was hard not to have Addie around for the 2 weeks she was with Grace, but they got used to the empty house and the quiet together. If it had been his choice, Will probably wouldn't have changed anything.

"Aha! I found them!" Mike said triumphantly, holding the mixing bowls over his head. "What kind of cake do you want?"

"Yellow with chocolate frosting," Sam said instantly, licking his empty spoon. "Can I help?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Mike blinked in surprise, glancing briefly at the mostly un-touched presents.

"I can play with them after," Sam shrugged, noticing his silent question. "But I liked making cakes with mom."

"Well I like making cakes but I'm a mess, so you'll have to keep me in line, ok?" he said, pointing a spatula at him but immediately fumbling it.

"Ok," Sam giggled.

Will subtly grabbed the camera again so he could snap some pictures. He stayed seated at the table so they wouldn't notice at first and timed it so the click would go off when they cracked an egg or opened a drawer. But eventually, of course, Mike caught him and rolled his eyes teasingly.

"Why is he taking pictures?" Sam whispered loudly, finally noticing.

"Because he doesn't know how to live in the moment," Mike teased, measuring out the flour so a white cloud puffed up from the bowl. Sam made a face and leaned away.

Will quickly snapped another shot to get the effect Mike had set up for him. "I like to capture the moment, thank you very much," he huffed. "And this is a big house with more room for pictures. Which is good because we don't have very many of you yet, so I need to start taking some."

"Did they get the pictures from mom's house?" Sam asked. "We could hang those up."

"Of course," Mike said. "We can work on that tomorrow. And maybe finish setting up your room."

"Ok," Sam said simply, sticking his finger in the batter and stealing a taste.

"Hey!" Mike said, pretending to be offended.

Will grabbed another snap and thought back to when Sam had first arrived on their doorstep, angry and bitter and distrustful. Not a great first impression. Will hadn't exactly been thrilled he would be moving in permanently, but of course they had taken him in. And now, finally, it was like they had all melded together. Sam was the missing piece they didn't even know they needed.

He really couldn't imagine going back to a life without Sam.

Chapter Text

August

"You gotta stand still," Will said with a slight frown, trying to comb Sam's hair to stay in place.

"Why do we have to dress up?" Sam complained, still fidgeting in the new button up that Mike had ironed stiff.

"Because you're trying to make a good impression on the judge."

"Then why don't you dress up?" he asked, eyeing Will's simpler blue collared shirt and khakis critically.

"They're not really looking at me," Will sighed. He gave Sam one final look over. His hair may not have been as curly as Mike's, but there was still a stubborn streak here and there. "I think that's as good as we're gonna get. Don't lay down on the bed, and try not to lean your head against the wall."

"We need to go," Addie reminded them, nervously shifting from foot to foot as she stood by the hotel window. She had fully taken advantage of the situation to get her hands on a new dress, and convinced Mike to at least let her get clip-on earrings.

"I know," Will said. He rapped on the closed bathroom door where Mike had been hiding for a solid 15 minutes. "Mike, you ready?"

For a moment he didn't answer. Will bit back a sigh and knocked again. Every time.

"I can't...I can't get my stupid tie right," he finally groaned.

"Let me in and I'll help," Will said gently.

Mike opened the door without looking at him, staring at the sink with unfocused eyes. Will could feel the tension and anxiety without even touching him.

"Just breathe for a second," he said quietly, unknotting the tie to start over.

Mike nodded, but his breaths were still shallow, and even though he was clearly trying to hide it he was shaking. Will secured the tie and took Mike's face in his hands.

"Hey, look at me."

Mike finally looked at him, his deep brown eyes wavering in the uncertainty.

"I don't want to lose him," he whispered.

Will kissed him, long and slow until he felt Mike relax under him and his breathing return to normal.

"It's gonna be fine," he promised. "There is literally no reason they would take him from us. From you," he added, because he knew that's what the judge was really doing.

"I know," Mike sighed. "I'll just feel a lot better when it's done."

"Well it can't be done unless we get there. So let's go before they have to reschedule our appointment."

"Yeah, ok, good point," Mike winced. He took one last deep breath to steady himself and managed a small smile for the kids' sake.

Sam was waiting nervously, head purposefully leaning down and away from the wall so he wouldn't mess his hair up.

"Hey, you guys look great," Mike said, taking his hand. "Let's go."

"Finally," Addie said, holding the door open for them all. "We're going to be late."

"No we're not," Will assured her.

"You said we had to be there by 10:00," she frowned.

"I lied," he said easily. "We don't need to get there until 10:15. And our case isn't scheduled until 11."

Mike looked back at him over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. "Really?"

"Was I wrong?" Will asked pointedly.

"No," Mike grumbled, looking away sullenly.

Addie giggled. "Do you do that every time?"

"Just for the really important things," Will grinned.

He drifted a little further behind as they walked across the street to the courthouse, and went to stand with El, Max, Lucas, Karen, and Grace, who had come for moral support. Nobody spoke much; they had seen each other at breakfast anyways. Everything felt too big and important for trivial matters now.

It was only after he had stepped back that Will realized how strange, surreal actually, it was to finally be here. These past 3 months had flown by, but it had also felt like forever waiting for everything to be finalized. And now it was almost over. In an hour or two it would be done, and they could go back to normal life.

"Morning," Denise greeted them cheerfully.

Instantly some of the tension in the group, especially with Mike and Will, dissipated. It has been intimidating at first, having Denise come inspect their lives for the home visits. But both of them quickly realized how capable and competent she was, and how much she was rooting for them. They were in good hands.

"Just look at you lot, all dolled up," she smiled warmly. She focused her attention on Mike. "There is no reason to be nervous. We have everything we need right here, so just relax and be yourself. It'll be over before you know it."

Mike nodded silently and managed a tight smile.

Denise led them down a short hallway to the court room. She directed Mike to the table where the defendant normally sat in all the TV and movies Will had seen, and got to work organizing the binder of documents for the judge. Will sat in the front row with Sam, Addie, and Karen, while Lucas, El and Grace took the row behind them and Max took up the narrow aisle space in her wheelchair.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Brighton."

Shit, here we go.

Now that he wasn't actively calming anyone down the nerves were hitting him full force. But somehow he managed to stand and sit back down without falling over. The judge took her seat and looked over their little group kindly, putting Will at ease again.

"Good morning," she said cordially. "What are we looking at today?"

"Good morning, your honor," Denise said, approaching with the initial stack of documents. "May I present case #3957, regarding the custodial placement of Samuel Bridges."

"And what is your recommendation?" she asked, scanning the first pages.

"My recommendation is that he is placed with his father, Michael Wheeler."

"You are the biological father, Mr. Wheeler?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Seems rather straightforward...ah." She looked over her glasses at him. "I see you have quite the history."

Mike shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, but as you said, history. It's in the past, not present events."

"How long have you been sober?"

"Nine years."

"These are letters from therapists, old AA mentors, and three months of weekly tests as the documented evidence," Denise said, handing her another stack of papers.

She took a moment to read the letters. "Almost a decade, well done," she said quietly. Mike's shoulders relaxed a little. "Why is it that you haven't been involved in the boy's life until now?"

"I didn't know he existed until a few months ago," Mike said, biting his lip. "I didn't...exactly leave his mom a way to contact me."

"I see. But you are prepared to take him into your care full-time?"

"Absolutely."

"At the time of your arrest you were unable to provide a permanent address or employer, do we have recent documentation showing those changes?"

"We do, your honor." Denise handed her another stack.

"Seven years consecutively," the judge nodded in approval. "Excellent recommendation from your boss about your work ethic. And from what I understand you only left recently due to moving, is that correct?"

"Yes ma'am. Your honor. Sorry, I don't know how to..."

"It's alright, I'm not judging you on your courtroom etiquette," she said, lips twitching as she held back a slight smile. "So what is it you do now? I don't seem to see any references to current employment status."

"I have some interviews next week, with the coffee shop, records store, and animal shelter. And I have some publishing contracts as well."

"Quite a broad variety."

"Just looking for something different, keeping my options open," Mike said nervously, shifting in his seat again.

"Not a bad philosophy. Well I don't doubt that when you do find something you'll stick with it. So this new house..." She flipped the page and scanned the new information. "Oh, very nice. Four bedrooms, three full baths..."

"And a it has a treehouse," Sam piped up helpfully.

"Shh," Addie quickly tried to shush him.

But the judge just looked up at him with a smile. "And a treehouse, excellent. I was just about to ask. I take it you like the new house?"

"Yeah," he said, a little sheepish now that the attention was on him.

"Does your dad feed you well?"

"Yeah, he's a really good cook. And he likes pineapple on pizza..."

Sam stopped abruptly, biting his lip.

No he doesn't, Will thought.

And then it hit him.

Holy shit he's talking about me.

Mike's eyes met his in a split second of panic. Will looked away and focused on breathing in an out through his nose. He couldn't react in any way, even though the thought that Sam was apparently mentally thinking about him as dad, even if he hadnt said it out loud yet, made him want to cheer. If Sam reacted the wrong way, and the judge noticed, there would be questions. But right now there was no way for the judge to know that, it was fine...

"Well I question your pallette choices but that's certainly not a reflection of your parenting choices," the judge quipped, focusing on the papers again. Mike laughed awkwardly, shaking away the nerves.

Sam looked over at Will worriedly.

"It's ok," he whispered under his breath, even though his own heart was still pounding.

"And you must be the sister, what's your name?" the judge continued, completely oblivious to the slip up.

"Addie," she said cheerfully, keeping her voice neutral even though her fingers were fidgeting with the edge of her dress. She had noticed too.

"Addie. Lovely name. Mr. Wheeler, what is the custodial arrangement with Addie, how often is she home with you?"

Mike cleared his throat. "For the past few years we've done a 50/50 split, but since we moved further away from her mom she'll be with me during the week and go back to see her mom on the weekends."

The judge looked at him curiously. "That's a very interesting arrangement. Why not the other way around?"

"Mostly the school district. We have a good school where we live now and Addie's best friend goes there too."

"And the mother is ok with this?"

"I am, your honor," Grace spoke up from the back.

"Oh, I did not realize you were also in attendance."

"Yes I came for moral support. I also provided the testament to parenting."

"Ah, yes, I'd like to see the rest of the character references please," the judge told Denise.

"Of course," she said, already prepared with the last of the papers.

"Do you have official documentation of the custody agreement with Addie?" the judge asked Grace.

"No. We've just done it amicably between the two of us since Addie was 4."

"That's rare to see ex's on such good terms after a split. But very good for the children. You won't miss your daughter being gone for the majority of the time?"

"I always miss her," Grace smiled wistfully. "But it's never been a reason to deny her time with her father. And we frequently have each other over for family dinners so that neither one of us has to go a long time without seeing her."

"Good, good."

She took a moment to read over some more papers.

"I have a couple of questions regarding this roommate situation," she said with a slight frown. "Mr. Will Byers, is he present?"

"I am, your honor," Will said.

"You co-signed the lease on the new house, am I reading that correctly?"

"Yes."

"So you own half the house."

"Yeess?" he said slowly, not liking where this was going.

"I'm just curious as to the reasoning behind your decision to also move locations. Why not stay in Chicago?"

"I illustrate children's books for a living so I only go into the office once every few months so I'm not particularly tied down to Chicago," Will frowned. Mike's foot started tapping subconsciously. "And we've been roommates for five years...it's a good arrangement, it works for us, so there was no reason to change it."

"Except now there will be two children living at home a majority of the time."

"I know that. I don't mind."

"It can be a bigger shift than most people realize. A lot of responsibility even if you're not the caretaker."

"I'm sorry I don't understand what this has to do with me," Mike interrupted. "He passed the background check and has good references, I thought that's all that was required."

"I'm concerned Mr. Byers will change his mind about the move and back out of the lease. Can you afford the house on your own?"

"Yeah, that's not happening," Mike snapped. Denise tried to quietly gesture for him to calm down.

"And what happens later?" the judge questioned. "What happens when one of you meets a girl and decides to settle down and get married? Who gets the house then?"

"Again, not happening," Mike said, clenching his fists.

"Mike, enough," Denise whispered, physically putting her hand over his.

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it," Will offered, trying to stay calm and answer the question so they could move on.

"I'm trying to make sure Samuel has a stable home," the judge said firmly, eyeing Mike's growing displeasure.

"He does have a stable home," Mike insisted. "Do we really need to go through every vague possibility of change in the next ten years?"

"Your honor, maybe we should take a..." Denise tried again to take control of the situation.

"I'm not going to take a home away from the children," Will said, unable to stop himself. Just thinking about the possibility made his throat clench, and it was hard not to sound emotional. "If for some reason we...have to part ways then I'd just leave."

"No," Addie cried, looking up at him worriedly.

"That's not going to happen," Mike said, absolutely fuming at this point.

"Let's..." Denise started.

"You don't know the future, Mr. Wheeler."

"And you don't know Will," Mike snapped, slamming his hands down on the table and rising to his feet.

"Oh shit," Lucas breathed behind Will.

"You sit there at your fancy desk with your fancy robes and read a couple words on a piece of paper and make a random snap judgement of someone you only see for a few minutes and barely talk to!?! You don't know him. You don't know everything we have lived through and fought against and survived together. He's not going anywhere. We're not going anywhere. I'm not going to meet some random girl and "settle down," why would I do that when I have Will?"

"Mike, no," El whispered desperately.

"He knows me and understands me better than anyone else," Mike yelled. "He doesn't treat my kids any differently because to him there is no difference. He loves my kids like they're his own and they love him. They're OUR kids. He didn't even hesitate when Sam showed up, he has taken care of him and talked to him and tried to make sure that he felt safe. He just jumped straight in to figure out what needed to happen and how he could support Sam and how to support me. I NEVER would have been able to do this without him. He's never once complained or made me feel bad for my shitty life choices or my fucking nightmare of an emotional rollercoaster, even though I know he must have his own complicated feelings about this whole situation cause who the hell wouldn't, but he never put that on me or the kids because that's not what Will Byers does. That's not who he is."

Will just sat there, heart beating out of his chest. He wanted to jump up and stop him, yet he sat frozen with his eyes wide and breath still trapped in his lungs. As reckless and dangerous as the situation was, he couldn't help but be blown away by Mike's words.

"He is the most selfless, loving, caring person on the whole goddamn planet and probably deserves the kids more than me if I'm being honest," Mike continued, "so you can't just treat him like he's some boring, uncaring roommate who doesn't give a shit because he's NOT. He's not my roommate, I love him and I don't understand why it matters what we do in the bedroom behind closed doors matter as long as the children are fed, and clothed, and safe and loved. Why does it fucking matter?? Because I DARE you to find a better home and family for Sam with a heterosexual couple, I da-"

Mike abruptly stopped, air catching his throat as his mind caught up and realized what he was saying.

"No, wait, shit...I didn't mean...don't actually..." He looked at Denise in a panic.

"Boy sit your ass down and shut the fuck up," she hissed under her breath, pulling him down. Mike finally listened, hiding his face in his hands. "Your honor I'd like to request a recess," she said as evenly as she could. "I know its not necessarily standard procedure in cases like this..."

"No," the judge sighed, looking a little stunned at Mike's speech and accidental admission. "No, I agree with you. You've given me lots to think about, Mr. Wheeler. We'll reconvene this session after lunch, in approximately one hour's time."

She hit her gavel sharply once and left the room. Mike let his head fall all the way to the table. For a moment nobody moved or spoke. Then, slowly, Denise stood and turned to face the small audience, leaning back against the desk for support. She started to speak, but the breath turned into a sigh and she shook her head, still searching for words.

Will finally caught a glimpse of the back row. Max literally had her head in her hands out of embarassment, Lucas was pinching the bridge of his nose, El had closed her eyes in a grimace, and Grace's mouth was still open in shock.

"I thought...we weren't supposed to tell anyone you were gay," Sam said slowly.

"We're not," Addie whispered, biting her nails and looking at Will nervously. "What happens now?"

"Lunch," Denise said firmly. "There's a food court just outside the building and to the left. You guys get something to eat. I'm...I'm going to see what I can do. Try not to panic. Nothing is decided yet."

She patted Mike on the shoulder sympathetically and left them all in silence to process what had just happened. Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair, not caring that it would get messed up now. That seemed like the least of their problems.

El was the first to move, finally standing and taking over Max's wheelchair just to have something to do. Lucas and Grace followed her lead, and Karen gestured to the kids to get up and follow her out. She tapped Will's shoulder and nodded to where Mike still hadn't moved from the table. Slowly, even though his legs were still shaky, Will got to his feet and went over to kneel beside him.

"Mike," he said softly, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Mike took a stuttering breath and finally turned to look at him, revealing his red-rimmed eyes and the silent tears running down his face.

"What have I done?" he whispered.

...

"Mike, you need to eat something," Karen insisted, pushing a basket of extra fries in his direction. "You barely ate any breakfast either."

"This was supposed to be a victory lunch," he lamented, picking up a single solitary fry and watching it droop sadly between his fingers. "Why couldn't I keep my stupid mouth shut for ten more minutes..."

"You're just...very passionate," Grace said.

"It was better than the speech you gave me," El said.

"It was kinda sweet," Will admitted.

"Just the wrong place at the wrong time," Max sighed.

Mike groaned and dropped his head on the table again. "This is a disaster," he mumbled.

"Does this mean...I can't stay?" Sam asked quietly, voice wavering a little. "Are they going to send me back to another foster home?"

Mike raised his head and looked at Sam in alarm. "I don't...I don't..."

He looked over at Will helplessly, but Will was also at a loss for words. They hadn't thought about that before. There wasn't a reason to.

"No," Karen said firmly when she realized they didn't have an answer and Sam was on the verge of tears. "I'm your next of kin. I'll ask that you come stay with me."

"And if they won't allow that for whatever reason, then we'll apply," Grace added. "Surely there's something to be said for staying with your half sister."

"But I don't want to stay with you," Sam cried.

"There's gotta be a way you can file an appeal," Lucas said. "Do it all again. Maybe get a new judge?"

"And if that doesn't work, then I'll handle it," El said grimly.

"El, you can't get away with threatening a judge," Will sighed.

"Sure I can," she said, eyes fierce. "Who's going to believe her?"

"Then she'll think its a dangerous environment and definitely take the kids away," Will said.

"Wait, can they take me away too?" Addie asked frantically.

"No, that's ridiculous," Grace said. "Even if they try I won't abide by that."

"Ten fucking minutes," Mike groaned under his breath.

"I see you're all doing a fine job of not panicking," Denise sighed, walking up to their table. They startled at her appearance, having been too wrapped up in their anxieties to notice her coming.

"You didn't hear any of that, did you?" Grace asked.

"No, not a word," she said innocently, rattling her mostly empty cup of ice by her head. El and Grace both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Please tell me I didn't mess this up for good?" Mike pleaded.

"I'm doing what I can. Right now the judge has requested to meet with Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Stone, and Ms. Hopper-Byers for additional statements."

"Of course," Grace said, already rising to her feet.

"Please don't send me back to the foster homes," Sam begged, leaning against Mike's shoulder and holding onto his arm with a death grip, as if they would force him away any second.

"He can stay with me, right?" Karen asked her. "I'm his biological grandmother."

"Yes, we can use you as a secondary option," she assured them both. "You won't have to go back into foster care, Sam. I promise. Right. You three follow me. The rest of you, make sure you're all back at the courtroom in half an hour."

"Please don't do anything stupid," Will whispered to El as she left.

"Not unless absolutely necessary," she promised.

He watched them go worriedly. Logically, he knew all three of them had his back. But he had no clue why the judge wanted to speak to them, or what she would ask. This was nerve-wracking.

"Good news is your lawyer doesn't seem phased by this new revelation," Max said in the silence.

"She's just a social worker," Will sighed. "And yeah, I'm pretty sure she clocked us right away. She gave us the information we needed to know without her having to ask questions or us having to give anything up."

"That's good, it means she doesn't care and she's on your side," Karen said.

"We should get a lawyer," Mike said sullenly.

"We will if we have to," Will promised.

"Let's just see what the judge says, and we'll go from there," Karen said soothingly.

...

It was probably the slowest half-hour in the history of mankind, agonizingly painful. Lucas, El, and Grace didn't come back, so they returned to the courtroom without them. Will was about to sit back in the front row with the kids when Denise grabbed his arm.

"You can't hide back here anymore, unfortunately," she said, gesturing to the table where an extra chair had been placed. "Judge wants you up front."

Will swallowed nervously and went to sit next to Mike. All of a sudden everything felt much more intimidating. The judge's seat looked huge, looming over them like some sort of impenetrable fortress. It made Will remember the few times he'd gotten in trouble at school and had to be sent to the principal's office, and he felt impossibly small.

"Welcome to the microscope," Mike said out of the corner of his mouth, not even daring to look at him even though the truth was already out. Will didn't blame him.

"Stay here," Denise instructed. "I'm going back to help with the interviews."

"Does it normally take this long?" Mike asked worriedly.

"Honey, nothing about this case is normal," she sighed before leaving them in silence.

It was another tediously long 15 minutes before Lucas and El came back in the room, though Grace was still missing. Will searched their faces anxiously but they neither looked hopeful or despondent, just uncertain.

"What was she asking you about?" Mike asked in a desperate whisper.

"She wanted to know more about Will," El shrugged. "But I have no idea what she's thinking."

Lucas started to speak, but the door opened as the judge, Grace, and Denise finally came back. Grace could only give them a brief reassuring smile as she returned to her seat, but Will had no idea what it meant. All eyes went to the judge, waiting to hear the final verdict.

"Right," she said, looking over the little group before settling on Mike and Will. "I think we will all agree that this has been a most...unconventional case. However, after further questioning I believe I have found an unconventional but satisfying arrangement."

She adjusted her glasses and looked over the documents.

"This case was brought forth based on several issues concerning the past history of the biological father, Mr. Wheeler, namely the substance abuse and lack of proper employment or housing. Now, I believe these original concerns have been satisfactorily addressed. However, based on other comments I have heard today, another issue was brought to light: whether or not Mr. Wheeler is capable of raising Sam on his own."

Will frowned. That's what she had taken away from this? When was that even an issue?

"Therefore, in the best interest of all involved parties, I am hereby granting 50% custody to Mr. Michael Wheeler..."

Fuck. Will's head dropped and his heart sank as a chorus of disappointed and outraged gasps whispered around the courtroom. They would have gotten him full time if Mike hadn't slipped up, and now, after all that work, they were only getting 50%?

"...and 50% custody..."

Karen Wheeler, his brain supplied in the millisecond gap. At least they could go visit often. Maybe she'd let them keep Sam for longer than they were supposed to...

"...to Mr. Will Byers."

Will's head shot back up in the stunned silence.

"What?" he managed.

"You are both being granted equal guardianship over Sam," she said slowly and clearly so that they didn't miss anything, "following the precedent of two unmarried relatives or community members who take on a child with no other kin. All medical, educational, and legal matters must be made in full agreement between the two of you. Living arrangements will follow the nesting method where Sam stays at the same address to provide stability. When and where the two of you stay is entirely up to you as long as one of you is with Sam at all times, and not a matter for the court to intervene unless there are further issues."

Will looked at Mike in shock, blinking rapidly as his brain tried to catch up and process what was happening.

"I...I don't...I don't understand," Mike said, looking back and forth between Will and the judge in confusion.

"You did say you couldn't do this without him, did you not?" she said shrewdly.

"I...yeah?" he breathed.

"Very well then. Since you freely admitted to not being able to do this on your own, you are being given 50% custody, and so is Mr. Byers. Unconventional, but satisfactory, yes?"

Will couldn't respond. Something big and heavy had taken up residence in his chest, slowly clawing its way up his throat. Mike swallowed hard and nodded wordlessly.

"Are there any other questions or concerns?"

"No," Mike whispered.

"Excellent. In that case I'm considering this case to be closed. Congratulations," she said, finally allowing the warmth to break through. "He's yours."

She struck the gavel for a final time, and the sound seemed to echo in Will's ears even as everyone behind suddenly cheered. He released a stuttering breath, one he didn't even know he'd been holding, and suddenly all the emotions came flooding out at once. He collapsed against the desk, burying his face in his hands as his shoulders shook. Mike's arms wrapped around him, gently moving him over to his shoulder. And then Addie and Sam were there, still cheering as they forced their way into the little bubble until they were all one crying, tangled mess.

"I can stay I can stay I can stay!" Sam kept saying over and over again, half crying and half laughing.

"Will," Mike said, voice strained as he pressed their foreheads together. Will opened his eyes to see that he was crying too, a wide, relieved smile and the immense leftover fear and emotion fighting for dominance on his facs. "We did it. We did it. It's over."

A watery laugh of disbelief escaped him and Will closed his eyes again, holding on to his little family tightly. He couldn't believe it.

It was over over.

He's yours.

He's ours.

...

"I still don't understand," Will said later that evening, looking over the copy of their file he had spread out across the island and still in complete shock.

"Understand what?" Mike grinned, rolling cookie dough even though they had all gone out for celebratory milkshakes just a few hours earlier. "You got 50 and I got 50, but because we're together we get 100."

"Yes but why? She could have just overlooked your little outburst and given you the full 100."

"Oh so now we're calling it an outburst?" he asked, pretending to be offended. "I thought you said it was kinda sweet."

"It was also stupid and risky," Will said pointedly. "What else do you want to call it?"

"Ok, fine, it was," Mike admitted carelessly, eating pinch of raw dough. "Because of what I said she had to look at you the same way as if I had a girlfriend or was married to a woman. Like Denise warned us about in the beginning. Hence the extra interviews."

Will flipped to the back where the new pages had been added. Lucas had given an account of how they had all grown up together, and how solid he believed their relationship to be. El had explained about his own recovery journey, assuring the judge that it was more of a blip in college as a result of trauma and he wouldn't likely relapse again. And Grace...she had testified to his parenting skills, even going as far as to say that if something happened to her and David that their twins would be entrusted to him and Mike. And even if something later happened to Mike, too, she was fully comfortable with him being the sole caretaker of her three children. Will hadn't been able to read that one all the way through yet.

"She still could have left me out of it. We're not married."

"But she found a loophole to make it work anyway," Mike said cheerfully, sliding the first batch of cookies into the oven.

"But why?"

"Maybe she was just nice. Maybe my eloquent speech persuaded her of the error of her ways."

"Eloquent speech?" Will shot him a look.

"Hey, it brought us here, didn't it?"

"I know, I know," he sighed. "And I'm grateful, really. It's...it's better than anything I could have hoped for. My brain is just having a really hard time comprehending...all of this. Like I feel like everything is catching up to me finally."

"Lucas said he saw a picture of someone who he thought might be gay in the judge's office, maybe her brother or something. So maybe that's why she was sympathetic," Mike shrugged, licking the spatula. "Who cares? You're legally his father just as much as I am now."

Will blinked slowly, staring at him with just as much shock and confusion as when the judge had first said he was getting custody. Logically speaking, Mike was completely right. And the facts hadn't changed since this morning. But putting it that way made it really sink in. And suddenly everything seemed so, so very real.

"Oh my god," he said breathlessly. "We have two kids."

"Yep," Mike grinned.

"No, I mean, we have two kids."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"We bought a house."

"Ha! Two kids and a house," Mike laughed. "Hello American dream my father told me I would never have!"

"We have a fucking mortgage. We're gonna be paying this off until we're almost 50?!?"

"Wait, hang on, what's that sound?" Mike put a hand to his ear and pretended to listen. "I think...no, actually I'm pretty sure that's my dad rolling in his grave."

"Oh my god. Addie would be 28. Sam would be 26...Holy shit that's how old we were when..."

"I've always wondered how that feels. Feels pretty nice."

"They could have kids at that point. We could have grandchildren."

"Makes me feel kinda powerful."

"MIKE."

"Oh, shit, sorry, right," Mike snapped out of it to realize just how much Will had started panicking. "It's your turn to freak out now, isn't it?"

Will was frozen, unable to move or even talk as his brain jumped into overdrive as it struggled to both catch up and skip ahead to the future. Mike walked around from the other side of the island and gently took him into his arms. The faint smell of his cologne from earlier still lingered, and Will leaned into his chest until he could hear his heartbeat.

"Can I show you something cool?" Mike said after a moment, when it was clear Will was no longer actively spiraling.

"What?" Will whispered, reluctantly pulling away.

"Look," Mike said quietly, nodding towards the living room.

Will looked over his shoulder. "Oh," he breathed.

Addie was nestled on the couch, reading through Order of the Phoenix again, this time armed with colored pencils and sticky notes as she went through to uncover the foreshadowing and try to find clues for the next book. Her tongue was sticking out the corner of her mouth, just like Mike used to (and still did sometimes). Sam was curled on the floor in front of the fireplace with LuLu, even though it was still too hot to turn on. He had his headphones on, listening to a book on tape...or maybe he had already fallen asleep judging by his breathing. LuLu noticed them watching and thwapped her tail twice on the rug, but as usual didn't move away from her boy.

"When was the last time you remember hanging out in our living rooms as kids?" Mike asked.

"Not unless we were watching a movie at my house," Will said.

"Exactly. See? I think we're gonna turn out just fine."