Are You Safe? [Stranger Things]

|| C H A P T E R 15 ||

After the short reunion everyone gathered around as we planned on how to close the gate. "It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot." Hopper explained how Hawkins Lab is swarmed with those Demogorgons. "And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs."

"Demo-dogs." Dustin said as Hopper looked at him "I'm sorry what?" 

"I said, uh, Demo-dogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass." Hopper grumbled "How is this important right now?"

"I'm sorry, it's not" Dustin stammered, looking down at his feet. Nudging him on the shoulders he looked at me as I gave him a smile. "I think Demo-dogs sounds pretty badass." Dustin smiled. Looking back at Hopper, giving him a wink. He shook his head, smirking.

"I can do it." El spoke "You're not hearing me." Hopper sighed. rubbing his face. "I'm hearing you. I can do it." glancing at Will then back to El "Even if El can, there's still another problem." Mike looked at Will "If the brain dies, the body dies."

"I thought that was the while point?" Max tilted her head "It is, but if we're really right about this I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the Mind flayer's army, Will's part of that army." nodding as I agreed with mike.

"Closing the gate will kill him." everyone looked at me, Joyce gasping while Jonathan comforted his mom. "He likes it cold." 

"What?" Hopper looked at Joyce "It's what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold. We keep giving it what it wants." Joyce said while shutting all the windows closed.

"If this is a virus, and Will's the host, then, then we need to make the host uninhabitable." Jonathan looked at Nancy. "So if he likes it cold, we need to burn it out of him. We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time." 

"Yeah, somwhere far this time." Steve said as I gasped softly. They all turned to look at me "What is it?" Hopper asked "Take Denfield, then you'll see a large oak tree. You're gonna swing a right. That road is dead-end. And it's about a 5 minute walk from there." I explained to Jonathan as he repeated the directions that I have just mentioned.

"Okay. Denfield to oak tree. Swing a right. That's it. But it's channel ten right?" Hopper nodded his head "It's channel ten. Listen you let me know when that thing is out of him." Jonathan nodded his head as he went to carry Will.

"Hey Hop." smiling, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Hey. You feeling alright?" nodding my head as I buried my face on his neck "I can't lose you, at least let me go with you." hearing him sigh, cupping my face, leaning his forehead against mine as he peck my nose "You wont lose me, I promise. And you need to stay here with the kids. Make sure they won't be doing anything stupid." chukling he leaned in, kissing me. The kiss was slow yet it was full of love. Slowly pulling away as he stared at me "I love you. I'll be back soon, okay."

Nodded my head "I love you too." El "Come on, lets go." El hugged Mike as she went to hug me too "You be careful okay, please promise me that you'll come back to me, with Hopper. Yeah?" El smiled, nodding her head "I promise." 

Watching them go and knowing that they'll be in that Lab with those Demo-dogs made me feel uneasy. "Hey, it's cold out here." Steve said, offering me a small smile. "So, how are you feeling? I know things were and are still awkward with Nancy but I promise you, you guys will be okay." 

Sitting on the couch hopping and praying that Hopper and El would make it out alive as Dustin placed the dead Demo-dog in the fridge with the help of Steve, Lucas and Max are seated beside together, while Mike is pacing around the living room. 

Hopper's P.o.V

"So, what, we're just not gonna talk about it, huh?" glancing at El every once in a while. "About what?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm just curious, you know, why all of a sudden you look like some kind of MTC punk." sighing "I'm not mad, kid. I just want to know where you've been. That's all." 

"To see mama." she shrugged as she continued to stare outside the window. "Okay. How'd you get there?" 

"A truck." looking at me, shrugging her shoulders "A truck?" she nodded "A big truck."

"A big truck? Whose truck was it?" she stared back at the window "A man's. A nice man."

"Okay. So let me get this straight in my head. So a nice man in a big truck, he drove you to your mama's, and then what? your aunt Becky gave you those clothes and that make up?" El sighed, shaking her head "I shouldn't have left." shaking my head "Mmm-mmm No. No, this isn't on you kid. I should've been there. I should have never lied-hell I should not have  told Marcella to keep you as a secret. I should never have lied to you about your mom or about when you could leave. A lot of things I shouldnt have done." 

Inhaling sharply, trying to calm myself. "Sometimes I feel like I'm like I'm just some kind of black hole or something." El was now looking at me "A black hole?" 

"Yeah, it's a you know, it's this thing in outer space. It's like, it sucks everything towards it and destroys it.  Sarah had a picture book about outer space. She loved it." El tilted her head "Who is Sarah?"

"Sarah? Sarah's my little girl. She's my little girl." El smiled softly "Is Sarah's mom, Marcella?" chuckling softly "No, she isn't. But I wish she was." El smiled sadly "You love her so much, don't you? Like how I love Mike?"

smiling, remembering all the things we've been through "Yeah. I love her, so much." El smiled. nodding her head "She's like a mother I never had. She makes sure that I'm okay, she hangs out with me, and we do girls stuff together. And you, you're like my papa. A good papa." 

Smiling "Yeah?" she nodded and smiled "Yeah."

"Where is Sarah?" El asked as she stared straight ahead. "That's the thing, kid. She-uh left us." El frowned "Gone?" 

"Yeah. The blackhole it got her. And somehow I've just been scared, you know? I've just been scared that it would take you too. I think that's why I get so mad. I'm sorry, for everything. I could be so, so-"

"Stupid?" chuckling "Yeah, stupid." El smiled "Just really stupid. I've been stupid too."

"I guess we both broke our rule." chuckling softly "I don't hate it by the way, this whole new look. It's kinda cool." El smiled as she nodded her head "Bitchin'" 

"Okay. Sure. Bitchin'"