Unwanted ※

Seven ※

***

Jim bought the two girls food, then drove home to his cabin. El led Max through the woods, showing her the tripwire Hopper had made when he found her. The two stepped over the wire, walking into the house. Hopper followed them inside making sure they washed their hands before sitting down at the small table. El and Hopper started to eat while Max just stared at her food as if it was going to eat her. "Hey kid you okay?" Hopper asked, putting a fork in his mac and cheese. Max looked up at him nodding and picking up her fork. The father and daughter stared at her as she slowly picked at her macaroni. She looked up again and the two started looking anywhere else. Max looked back down at her plate and brought the fork up to her mouth, taking a small bite. El smiled brightly before returning back to her meal, continuously checking if Max was eating. 

***

While Max was in the bathroom, El decided to call Mike. 

"Hello?"

"Can I talk to Mike?"

"Oh hi El, just one second please."

She heard Karen yell something, then angry footsteps coming to the phone. 

"Max if that's you I'm going to send you back to fucking cal-"

"Mike, it's El. Is it okay if Max spends the night?"

"She's with you?"

"Yes. She didn't tell you?"

"Uh I don't know if you've noticed, El, but she doesn't talk."

"Right."

"We thought the- I- Will was so worried El, I couldn't-"

"I know. I'm sorry I should've told you guys. Tell Will not to worry, I closed the gate. Nothing's going to hurt us ever again."

"If anything happens-"

"You'll be the first to know." 

"I can't lose you, El. Not again."

"And you wont. I'm not going anywhere, not now, not ever. Now can she sleep-over?"

"Give me a second," there was faint yelling. "Yeah, my mom said she can stay over." 

"Okay, she'll be home tomorrow." 

"I love you."

"I love you too, I gotta go now."

"Bye," El hung the phone up. Max was standing in the kitchen awkwardly. "Oh! You finished, here lets go to my room." Max slightly flinched at Els loud voice. The brunette took the other girls hand softly, leading her to her room. She closed the door behind them as Max touched the blanket with curious fingers. "You cold?" El asked, turning on the radio. The ginger shook her head, swaying her hips to the music. El smiled, "do you like to dance?"

Max looked up with a big smile and nodded. The brunette grabbed her hands and started spinning them. The two started to dance crazily. When the song ended, the two flopped on the bed laughing. Once the laughter died down, El took a good look at Max. She noticed the thousands of adorable freckles, the pink rosy cheeks, the way her beautiful ocean eyes lit up when she was enjoying herself. There were so many thing about this girl that El thought she would fall right then and there. "Hey, you look pretty tired. What if I get you some clothes and you can go to sleep?" She thought for a second before nodding tiredly. El smiled softly and left to go get her some pajamas. 

When El returned, Max was already asleep. She sighed getting the girl out of her clothes, wincing at ever bruise and scar. She noticed some of them were self inflicted and felt her heart ache at the thought of this girl harming herself. Once Max was fully clothed, she tucked the smaller girl in, planting a light kiss to her forehead. El walked the the door, turning off the lights, then closing the door. 

"Hey dad, could you do a search for Maxine Mayfield?"

"Yeah of course, is that her?"

"I just wanna know what she went through. Maybe the boys and I could be a little easier on her."

"I'll get you a full report by the end of the week."

"Thanks dad," El turned to go back to her room.

"El?"

"Yeah dad?"

"Take care of her, god knows what the poor girls been through."