Longing ~Stranger Things~[Sequel to Illusion] {ON HOLD}

Prolouge

||A new home||

[Hawkins Indiana winter of 1983-84]

Pine pulled on her heavy coat, hugging it closer to her and fidgeting with the zipper. She still hadn't found shoes but, El had knocked two guys unconscious, stolen their coats, and hats a while ago. For a while the two had hunted for food, using El's powers to capture and kill it. Pine hated hunting and from the look El always had on her face when she killed an animal, she did too. However, recently they'd found a small box in the woods someone had put food in for El everyday. El never really shared her eggos so, Pine ate whatever else that had been put in the box. She didn't mind. That's where they were on their way to now, the box. Pine's feet were numb from the cold snow. Still, she walked. Soon they approached the box. El knelt down and opened it. Just as usual, there were two eggos, a bag of pretzels, cheerios, and a few other things. Pine knelt down and picked up a few things and El picked up the rest. They closed the box and started walking away. Pine was focused on the ground for no particular reason when she walked into something. At first she thought it was a tree. She got distracted and walked into trees a lot. El always laughed at her when she did that. But, when El didn't laugh, she looked up. She'd walked into El. El was frozen. Like a deer in headlights she stood staring at something. Pine looked to see what it was and froze too. A person. It took Pine a moment to realize it was Hopper. He walked up to them.

"Pine, you're alive?" was all he said

Pine nodded, shivering slightly from the cold.

"Lets get you two somewhere safe. Come on." he waved for them to follow but, they didn't move.

How were they to know if they could trust him?

"Come on guys. I know you don't trust me yet but, you're gonna die out here if you stay here."

Pine looked over at El. They exchanged a look, deciding what they should do. Pine took the first step, walking towards Hopper, taking El's hand as she did so. El followed and together they made their way to him.

***

El shifted uncomfortably in the backseat of Hopper's car. She'd never been in a car before, that much was quite clear. On the other hand, Pine rather enjoyed the ride. She always loved the feeling of being in a car. When she was little, her mom would drive her around just for fun sometimes. She missed them, her parents, immensely in that one moment. El sensed Pine's sadness and turned to face her, putting a hand on Pine's hand. Pine looked at her with a sorrowful look then smiled.

"We're here." Hopper said

Pine and El got out of the car and were greeted by an old cabin in the middle of the forest. It was a cozy looking place but seemed to be unlived in for quite some time.

"Ok girls, I know it's a little rusty but, with some fixing up it'll be perfect!" Hopper said getting out of the car and walking up to them.

Pine smiled slightly and followed Hopper and El inside. It had potential. Pine saw the hope that glistened in Hopper's blue eyes. Pine's feet tingled, warming up. They started with sweeping and over the next few days Pine, El, and Hopper had fixed up the woodland cabin. Hopper played endless records on his record player as they worked. On the first day he ran out to the store and returned with some shoes for Pine. White converse, low top, almost exactly like El's, just the way she liked them. He also had brought back two pairs of overalls, some jeans, jackets, socks, and shirts.

The living room had a TV and a couch, the kitchen had one small table, and just off the living room was a bedroom. There were only two bedrooms in the cabin. One belonged to El and Pine and the other to Hopper. El and Pine's bedroom consisted of one bed and a few other things. Pine, being the nerd she is, managed to talk Hopper into getting a Star Wars poster and hung it up. Hopper had laughed at that while Pine only blushed and promised a confused Eleven she'd watch it with her. A small bookshelf sat in the corner of their room with many books Pine would be sure to read soon.  

Pine didn't realize how much she'd missed taking a shower until she took one that night. The warm water gave her a sense of warmth that she had not had in a very long time. Washing her long, even longer now, hair felt heavenly. She hadn't realize how much grime and dirt she'd had on her until she saw it all go down the drain and when she looked at herself in the mirror. She had become very thin. She most likely weighed less than 100 pounds. Her skin was almost a shade paler because of the dirt that made it seem darker. When she brushed her hair out, finally, she was surprised on how long it had gotten. El's hair was in the awkward stage from growing out of a buzz cut, although Pine still thought she looked pretty with it. El was just overall a beautiful person, inside and out. At least, that's what Pine thought. The two had become very close. So close, Pine regretted ever thinking Eleven could never be her sister. But, she'd meant it at the time. Her and El could never be sisters with Brenner as their father. Never. Pine pushed the thought of that horrid man out of her head as she put her clothes on. She'd chosen to wear a grey sweatshirt and overalls. Something about the color grey just made her feel cozy. She tied her hair up into a high ponytail and put on her socks and shoes. She was very thankful for Hopper's trip to the store although she giggled at the thought of him at the cash register with so much little girls clothing. She didn't know why but, it felt very out of character.

Pine exited the bathroom and went into the living room. She plopped on the couch and called to her and El's bedroom.

"El! Your turn!"

This surprised Hopper. Even though he didn't know Pine very well, through observing her every day actions he found it hard to believe she would or even could speak so loudly while being calm. Pine curled up sleepily on the couch and wrapped herself in a blanket. She felt safe. She never felt this loved or cared for with Ruth. The last time she felt remotely cared for was when she was with Will. But, that was not the same. She felt, differently towards him. The last time she'd felt this way was when she lived with her parents. She never told anyone about her parents. In fact, for the longest time she'd tried to forget them. The first time she'd opened up to anyone about it was in the upsidedown with Will. Then, during her time with El in the forest, she'd felt it unfair not to tell her, so she did. In return El had told her of the horrible things they did to her in the lab. Both stories ended with sorrowful looks and hugs. The two had become almost sisters and, the numbers on their wrists proved so even more.

Hopper walked over to the couch and sat next to Pine. Pine looked at him curiously. Then El walked out of the bathroom in jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt. She plopped onto the couch next to Pine and stole part of the blanket Pine had.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Hopper asked the two.

"Movie?" Eleven asked, trying the word out.

"Yeah, its like a book but, with moving pictures." Pine replied

"Book?"

"It's a story written down."

El nodded and the two looked over at Hopper. He turned on the TV and started flipping through channels. Hopper looked over at Pine in a "this one?" kind of way when he saw Star Wars pop up. Pine smiled happily and nodded.

"A long time ago in a galaxy far far away..." Hopper read aloud "It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy...."

Pine smiled and snuggled into El who just smiled and snuggled back. Hopper smiled at the two girls. He hadn't felt this way since his daughter Sarah, feeling a sense of responsibility to keep them safe. The three sat on the couch, eating some eggos Hopper had toasted for them, watching the epic tale of a galaxy far far away. Three broken souls, maybe not so broken anymore.