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The explosion is loud and frightful, Mike and the party gather awaiting to know if their attempt to collapse the Upside Down worked, if they have indeed defeated vecna once and for all.
In the distance Mike can see Hopper and Kali, but the only thing he notices is the body in which Hopper is carrying. He turns to his right where Dustin stands, he looks at him but Dustin says nothing… as if he knows something or has figured something out quicker than he has.
“Where’s el?” Mike asks Dustin, but he is given no reply. He senses something is wrong, maybe it’s in his head because, nothing will ever happen to el.
“Where Is El?” Lucas on his left, again offers nothing but a look of sadness. This is out of character for Lucas, he is the one member of the party who offers an assuring but also defensive approach.
As Hopper walks closer, Mike sees the familiar wetsuit, messy brown curls and the ring on her index finger. He collapses into himself. His breath catches in his chest, it becomes harder to breathe, and a sense of dread fills his entire body.
“Hopper, what happened? Is she okay?” He rushes off into a run, and is shocked by what he sees. Blood is pouring from her nose and ears, paleness washes over her face, no colour in her cheeks.
“El?” He takes eleven from Hoppers arms and lays her on the ground. He is gentle, almost caressing her as he lies her down. Hand behind her head checking for any sign of consciousness.
“El wake up” He begins thrashing her body, in a way to get her to wake up. But nothing happens. He becomes desperate with his movement, almost shaking her like a doll.
“Somebody help me please” Mike begs as tears start to fall down his face. He senses something is wrong, something not quite right. He thinks back to the time in the pizza store, when she became stuck in the void. A familiar sense of dread fills him, and desperation fills his heart.
“El, please wake up! it’s me, Mike, can you hear me?” But nothing comes from her. It is silent. He is demanding in his movements again, checking for any sign she is in there.
“El please, I know you’re in there, give me a sign”. He caresses her face, stroking her cheek, to let her know he was there, she was safe.
“She’s gone kid” The voice comes from Hopper, who is now crying, tears falling down his cheeks. Hopper is never one to show his emotions, he is hardheaded almost vague. Mike clenches his jaw, almost in anger.
“NO. NO she’s not, she’s okay… she… she’s going to be okay” Mike hugs el’s body close. He checks for her breathing, the same way he always does when he hugs her, too afraid to let her go.
Ash starts to fall around the group, the floor begins to shake. Mike holds on tighter to el, putting his body over hers to protect her from whatever may come down.
“We have to leave” a whisper comes through the air. Steve.
“Mike, you need to let her go… we need to leave” Lucas goes to comfort his best friend, pulling him off eleven’s cold body.
“No, no, no please” Mike fights against Lucas’s hold, his arms are trapped beneath his. His crying and screams are affecting everyone around him. They can’t believe what they are seeing. Everyone is now in tears, grieving for a friend, a daughter, a partner.
“NO, I can’t leave her, I won’t.” His whole body begins to collapse into Lucas, the weight of the grief is too much. Mike can no longer breathe, his chest is tight and soon he slips into nothingness.
18 Months Later:
Today is graduation day.
Mike wakes up, feeling groggy and dripped in sweat. He hasn’t had the nightmare for a couple of months now. He puts it down to anxiety.
“Michael” He hears his mother knock on his door.
“I’m awake” He responds with no emotion, today is hard just like every other day. He continues to hope everything was just a dream, but he continues to wake up in a world where he grieves the love of his life. El.
He pulls back the covers of his duvet, his feet touch the cool floor, bringing a sense of clarity that he is awake again, in a world without El. He gets dressed into a shirt and some trousers, not really caring what he looks like. He walks down stairs to join his mother and Holly. She got out, but Eleven didn’t. He is relieved his little sister is safe, but the feeling is bittersweet.
“ Michael, are you having breakfast?” His mother questions, a look of sadness crosses her face. She knows everything now, when Eleven died, he broke down in his mother’s arms and told her everything. Told her about his love for a girl with superpowers.
Mike ignores her. He can’t eat, not today.
Walking through Hawkins feels different. Everyone has moved on, the town is rebuilding. No monsters remain, no curses or supernatural beings. They’re moving on. Whilst he is stuck in the same place, begging for El to breathe. Begging for her to wake up.
Mike collapses onto a bench in the middle of town. He sees Hopper come out of the police station. Once everything became settled again, Hopper returned to his position as Chief. Hopper needed something to focus on. Their relationship has become stronger with their bond of Eleven. They continue to speak to each other, often through silence.
“Hey kid” Hopper offers him a tap on the shoulder. He takes a seat next to Mike, already sensing his silence and sadness.
“Graduating today, you’ve grown” Hopper offers him
A reassuring smile. Mike does not reciprocate.
“ Nothing to be happy about. I had another nightmare.” Mike explains, his face written with pain.
“I get them too kid, think of her time to time too”. Hopper clutches his hands together, almost going white with how tight he is holding them.
“I can’t stop thinking about her. She was everything to me Hopper. Ever since I found her in those woods, I loved her.” Mike’s chest begins to tighten, a single tear falls from his eyes.
“Sometimes I wish I went with her, I’ve thought about it. It’s becoming so hard to live on without her, she should be here with us, celebrating. I promised her we would leave, somewhere far away, where no one would ever find us” Mike is pained thinking back to the day before everything changed. Him promising El that they would leave, together.
“Mike, you can’t keep punishing yourself. I can’t watch you destroy the rest of your life, I know El was very important to you. She was my daughter and I loved her, but I know you loved her more than anyone” Hopper knows he’s keeping something from Mike, and it’s getting harder and harder to keep this secret. But he knows if he revealed what it was, the risk of someone finding her would be greatly at risk. He doesn’t know who could be listening. But the look on Mike’s face continues to carry the weight and burden. It’s not fair.
“Kid, there’s something you should know.” He begins to think maybe this isn’t a good idea. He could just walk away from this moment, and SHE would remain safe. But he can’t, thinking back to 3 years ago when Mike collapsed in his arms. Only aged 13. It’s now or never.
“That night, I was with El and Kali. El fought and fought, until the bridge collapsed.” Hopper begins but Mike interrupts.
“I know this Hopper, you’ve told me the same story time and time again. I don’t want it hear it anymore. Please” Mike can’t take hearing the story again, how El saved everyone, how she sacrificed herself to save everyone else. Life had always been so cruel to her, and she never got to live.
“No you don’t know the FULL story. She survived” Hopper holds his breath, waiting for a response.
“What?” Mike is confused, can’t even believe what he is hearing.
“What do you mean, she survived?” His heart begins beating harder and harder, thinking that this is some cruel joke.
“She survived. She lost her powers for good. But she’s alive.” Hopper begins to tell the story.
“Kali used her powers to show El dead, we needed to make sure the military believed she was gone. It was the only way to ensure her safety, to ensure she could live a normal life!” Hopper stares into Mike’s eyes, he could see the turning wheels in his head. He’s slowly grasping what he is saying to him. Mike’s breath hitches.
“She’s alive? Like, breathing?” Mike couldn’t believe it, El was alive.
“Take a walk with me” Hopper insists, getting up from the bench and begins to walk away.
Mike gets up also, jogging to catch up with him. He couldn’t believe what he is hearing. El is alive. His El is alive. All this time, he was grieving for her and she was alive somewhere.
They continue to walk across town, until they end up outside Hawkins Middle School baseball field. Mike begins to breathe harder, his heart is beating out of his chest and his head begins to hurt.
“Why are we here?” Mike turns to Hopper, but his focus isn’t on his own face, but looking over his shoulder. Mike turns his head over his shoulder, only to see a car pull up to the gates. He is confused, but he senses something. He can sense her. He’s always been able to sense her, even if he can’t see her.
The car door opens from the back. He sees her hair before anything. It’s longer in length. She’s a little taller, but still smaller than him. She is dressed in a pretty summer dress, with purple and yellow flowers. Then he sees her. Her face. El.
Mike breaks out into a run, not caring about Hopper behind him.
El returns the run, already crying and they crash into each other. Mike holds her tight, scared that if he lets her go, she’ll disappear.
“El” He looks into her eyes, filled with tears just like his own.
“Mike” El breathes out, and grasps his head, caressing his cheek. A smile reaches her face, which Mike reciprocates. Mike pulls her into a kiss. It’s subtle, soft and sweet. He’s missed her, missed touching her, feeling her in his arms.
“I love you so much” Mike states, feeling like he needs to get it out there, he never fell out of love for her. He continued to hold that love ever since that night where he thought he lost her forever.
“I love you too” El responds with a laugh, she is still crying but they are happy tears. She has missed him more than anything. Life was not the same without him. She was ready to come home.