𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 - 𝐒.𝐇 (𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬)

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞

"Eleven?"

"Mike."

The two kids hugged lovingly and Lea and Jim looked at each other. Steve lowered his bat and looked at Lea. She wasn't paying any attention to him. Instead, she was smiling at the two who were happily in the same space again.

"I never gave up on you." Mike's voice cracked. "I called you every night. Every night for-"

Eleven interrupted him with a nod. "Three hundred fifty-three days. I heard." Lea moved out from behind Steve and slowly walked towards them.

Eleven looked up at her with a sad smile. "Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?" Eleven didn't know what to say so she just hugged Lea tightly.

Mike's face contorted into confusion. "Because I wouldn't let her." Hopper stepped up. The girls pulled away slightly. Mike stepped back so Hopper could get in front of El. "The hell is this? Where you been?"

"Where have you been?" El snapped. Hopper tugged both of his girls into a hug.

"You've been hiding her." Lea looked up from El to see an infuriated Mike Wheeler. "You've been hiding her this whole time." The boy sent a shove to Hopper's back.

"Hey! Hey!" The chief grabbed Mike by his collar. "Let's talk. Alone." Hopper and Mike walked off and El kneeled in front of Lea, inspecting the bloody t-shirt wrapped around her shin.

The girl poked it and Lea winced, pulling her leg back. "Hurt." Lea nodded and wiped a tear that had fallen. Eleven stood back up. "I saw you. I missed you."

Lea smiled a teary smile. "I missed you, too. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Eleven nodded and wiped the blood from under her nose.

"I'm sorry, too," Eleven said quietly. Lea pulled her in for another hug and they both let out happy sighs.

They pulled away and the girl walked over to Dustin and Lucas.

Lea gave Max a sorry look when Eleven gave her the cold shoulder. Lea limped back over to Steve and he still looked confused.

"I-i-i don't understand. I thought your sister... died?" Steve hesitantly spoke.

Lea tilted her head to the side. "That's Eleven. She's like a sister to me. We've had her all year, hiding her from the bad men who tried to take her back to the lab."

"And she's like you?" He asked. Lea chuckled and nodded.

"She moves things with her mind. How I got this." Lea pointed to the already fading scar on her cheek. Steve raised his eyebrows and nodded.

Lea noticed everyone gravitating to the kitchen where Joyce and El stood. She moved with them. "Do you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?"

El looked at Joyce with a determined face.

◇◇◇

"It's not like it was before. It's grown." Hopper said solemnly. He looked around at the people around the table. "A lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. And Lee can attest, the place is crawling with those dogs." Lea shivered at the thought of those things.