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He thought he’d gotten good at handling the feelings, but apparently not.
As he slowly places his character handbook on the shelf, he finds himself breaking down for a moment.
Why did the world have to be so against them?
She deserved nothing but happiness – but no. Either a twisted being was out to get them, or their country’s own military and/or government wanted to use her to power a superhuman factory.
He meant what he told her, all those times before:
He can’t live without her.
He just can’t.
And yet he has to.
He can’t let her sacrifice be in vein. He has to power on, he has to try, for her.
So, putting on a brave face, he makes his way out of the basement.
As Mike reaches the top of the stairs, his hand lightly grasps the handle of the door, and turns.
The sudden smell of fresh air, the bright sunlight, the sound of water running suddenly hits him, and he stands there confused for longer than he can count.
Slowly stepping through, he finds himself on a green mountain top, overlooking a small village ahead.
Between himself and the village is a steep dive that takes him back to the quarry for a moment, but this one is vastly different.
Much higher a vantage point, much prettier view, and…
Waterfalls.
One.
Two…
He’s slowly turning his head to overlook the area, but then a figure stood in his peripheral vision catches him instantly.
Even in the corner of his eye, he can recognise the shape of her face, the hair framing it.
The second he’s fully turned to her, his legs start moving on autopilot.
It only takes a few seconds, but it feels like he’s running a marathon. As she begins to move also, they finally crash – arms wrap around each other, holding tight, never wanting to let go.
His tears begin to soak her shoulder as he sobs. In relief, distress, fear, he’s not sure.
“This isn’t fair.” he chokes quietly.
“All the nightmares, repeating that night… but this… why this when I know it’s not real?”
“I am real.” her sweet voice hits his ears for the first time in eighteen months, and it just makes him sob more.
“But… how can you be? I was in the basement, I wasn’t even asleep, I-”
“I saw you.” El cuts him off.
“You were happy, you finished your campaign, but… then you started telling a story about the Mage… me.”
He stays quiet for a moment, letting this moment sink in. If he really is dreaming this, he never wants to leave.
“Mike… how did you know?”
“Know… what?” he asks, confused.
“You told the party, how I escaped – how I survived. But… how did you know?”
His confusion continues as he looks into her – rather realistic looking – beautiful eyes.
He wants to believe this is real, he can’t help the feeling that this actually might be-
“Mike.” she cuts off his thoughts, as if she could hear them, before taking his hand.
“I am real.” she affirms again.
“I am alive. You said it yourself – I escaped. At the gate, that wasn’t really me. I just… needed everyone to think I was dead.”
Mike’s face contorts. Think. So all this time… it’s been a lie? He’s been left thinking his nightmare came true, all this time, but now it turns out-
“I did it to protect you.” she tells him then.
“They… they would’ve chased us everywhere, forever. They’d kill you. If… if we ever had… children, of our own… they’d use them. We would never be safe, Mike. I…”
A tear forms in her eye, and for a moment, he can feel himself trying to understand her point of view…
But his point still stands.
“El, I’ve told you, so many times. So many times that, no matter what the risk is, I don’t want a life without you. Of course I love my family and friends, but I would rather be with you, even if that is all the way in fucking Iceland, I-”
“Wait, how do you know this is Iceland?”
Mike pauses for a moment. How does he?
“I… don’t actually know. I guess… I’m in your head right now, aren’t I?”
El slowly nods, realising the point.
And then, as they stand there, she feels a different plan forming inside Mike’s head.
“Mike, no.” she immediately retaliates.
“I told you, I did this to keep you safe.”
“But you… you are safe now, right?” he questions.
“That’s the point of you faking your death and being all the way out here. You’re safe now.”
El can’t argue that he’s right – the whole reason of the last eighteen months of pain was exactly that.
“So there’s nothing you - or anyone else can do to stop me. I mean it when I say I can’t live without you. I can’t, I just can’t. So I don’t care what anyone says, I need to be there with you.”
“Mike, you have a life. You have family, I-”
“So did you, El!” Mike comes back, his voice raising slightly.
“We were your family. The party, Hopper, Joyce… Me.”
The pain in his eyes hurts her to look at – the pain she knows she caused.
“We all love you, so much. I-”
His old theory – saying it makes it hurt more… isn’t completely wrong. But they both know it.
“I love you, so much. I will never love anyone else. Never. I don’t have a life without you, El. I don’t want a life that doesn’t have you in it. I need you to understand that. And since coming back to America would put you at risk… the only choice we have is me finding you here.”
“Mike… you know I love you too. And I would love for you to find me here. But… how are you going to do that, Mike? How do you explain that to your mom, to our friends… to Hop?”
“I think… I think I can tell my mom the truth. Now that she knows what we’ve all been through these last six years, I think… maybe she’ll understand. For the others… I’ll figure something out. I’ve taken up writing… maybe I’ll leave a note that hints at where I’m going, but I can’t give it away because I am not putting you at risk. Then somehow, no matter what it takes, I am finding you. I am finding you, and we’re getting our happily ever after, and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop me.”
The seriousness of his voice and face, she knows there’s no way to change his mind.
“Mike…” she takes both his hands in hers as she reaches up to give him his first kiss since that fateful night, and he relishes the moments it lasts for.
“Please be careful.” she continues, finally breaking the kiss.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, El. And I will. I promise.”
With that, she kisses him again, and he feels his mind slowly returning to reality. Iceland fades away, and soon, the feeling of her lips against his is just a memory. Thankfully not as distant as it had become – but still a disconnection he hates.
And so, a plan is formed. No matter how hard it may be, or how long it takes, he’s going to find her.
They will get their happily ever after.