[COMPLETED UNTIL SEASON 5]
Ana Thompson always seems to wind up in the strangest predicaments...
A perpetual victim of Murphy's Law, Ana finds herself arriving in Hawkins, Indiana just prior to the events of November 6th, 1983.
And, just prior to f...
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THE GOVERNMENT VEHICLE rolled to a stop behind a familiar Surfer Boy Pizza van, its tinted windows allowing the adults inside to peer out but not the two wary teenagers on the porch to gaze within.
Jonathan and Nancy's postures were stiff, shoulders tense as they assessed the unmarked sedan, but as soon as Joyce's sights locked on her eldest, the rear passenger door was being thrown open, and any uneasily held breaths were hastily released.
The mother and son rushed towards each other, crashing into a desperate embrace as the others watched from a distance. Hopper and Ana clambered out more gradually, closing car doors behind them, a sound which also drew Mike and Will out from inside the wrecked cabin. There was a lull of hesitation, a pause where they each considered the shock of finding one another again, surprisingly alive, before returned welcomes ensued.
Will joined his mother and older brother in celebration, tears freely falling to streak tiny rivers across their cheeks. Not wanting to intrude on the familial reunion, the Wheeler siblings approach Ana and Hopper instead.
"She's in the bedroom," Nancy announced, answering a silent question that hadn't yet been asked. "We thought she might hide out here until things blew over."
There wasn't much hope of that happening anytime soon, not when much of the town appeared like a war zone. However, the intention, the consideration behind it, still stood, so Ana afforded the younger girl an appreciative smile before turning towards Hopper. "Go ahead," she prompted, giving his shoulder a soft nudge forward though he remained still.
"You're not coming?" He questioned with brows pinched in confusion and received only a shaken head in response.
She and El had had their solitary instances of bonding during the eight months without him. This time was reserved for just the two of them—to make amends, rebuild bridges, and reinforce a bond that had once been considered lost.
Hopper seemed to sense this without her needing to say as much, and a tender look of admiration warped his features before he nodded slowly and began trailing off towards the house alone.
"She's pretty upset," Mike mumbled once his figure had disappeared beyond the doorframe. "She's never lost before," he added, and the observation felt like a bucket of ice water had drenched them all.
It wasn't a complete loss, but also not a harrowing victory, although, for someone who quite literally held the weight of the world on her shoulders, Eleven would take the partial failure to heart. Yet, Ana chose not to think about it. There wasn't much they could do to alter past events now, and they deserved a reprieve to enjoy a moment of reconciliation, no matter how brief.
"Thank you for taking care of her, Mike," she shifted to acknowledge her daughter's boyfriend, whose eyes drew down in bashfulness. "I don't know what all happened, but you were able to bring her back, and we're grateful for that."
