STRANGER THINGS

Benny's memory

This took place after season 2 and before season 3.

Mike,El,Lucas,Max,Dustin and Will are hanging around.

"I say let's go to Benny's. Those triple decker burgers are to die for." Dustin said rubbing his hands together clearly already thinking with his stomach.

"Yeah that's good with me." Lucas nodded.

"Me too." Max and Will said in unison.

Mike nodded his agreement but then noticed his girlfriend had been oddly quiet. "El? Is that okay with you?" he asked her softly. She looked up at him and he was stunned by the look in her eyes, it was almost fearful.

But she seemed to swallow down her nervous and smiled half-heartedly, "yes that's…fine." No one else noticed her change in attitude but Mike frowned wondering what was wrong. She didn't elaborate and he eventually brushed it off when she got on the back of his bike and he became suddenly distracted by her arms tightly around his waist.

He biked with a smile on his face. He could now legally drive and he had his girlfriend securely tucked up to him. Could things get any better?

El felt an anxiousness building inside of her that she hadn't felt for a long time. It wasn't like she had chosen to not talk about Benny, but it had never really come up. She didn't even know if her friends and her boyfriend knew the real reason why he had died. That thought alone racked El with guilt.

Hopper had made sure Benny's death was avenged and the pay out his family had received was one of the reasons they had reopened his beloved diner in honour of him. But despite the fact that his legacy lived on, he didn't and it was all El's fault.

She clung tightly onto Mike and leaned her head against his broad back, trying to hold back her tears and just breathe him in. His natural scent immediately calmed her and El felt her tight chest ease slightly.

Before long the party arrived at Benny's and El looked up at the diner feeling an ache in her heart. The party had all come here for Mike's 15th birthday when she asked them to distract him, but for El, this was the first time she had come here since the day she ran away from the lab.

"You know, we should come here more often as a party." Dustin commented as he clicked on his bike lock. The others murmured in agreement but El stayed quiet. She didn't even realise Mike had noticed her odd behaviour until she felt a gentle squeeze of his hand on hers and she looked up into his dark eyes. They were filled with warmth but also a question, he wanted to know what was wrong. She gave him a small smile and shook her head gently, hoping he'd understand that she didn't want to talk about it. Mike sighed softly but gave her a warm smile in return.

"El you just wait, they seriously have the best burgers and fries around." Will said grinning at his soon to be step sister as they all walked into the loud diner.

"I know." El mumbled under her breath, remembering the first proper food she had ever eaten, that Benny himself had cooked for her.

They walked into the diner and El was immediately surprised by how different it all looked. Everything had changed or so it seemed, but there was still a warmth, still the smell of amazing food being cooked and the sound of the Jukebox livening up the place. El's eyes went to the counter where a large man was smiling and taking the order of a group of people in front of her and the party. She gasped when she realised how similar Benny's brother looked to the man who had saved her life.