Stranger Things Than a Tribrid

Chapter 9: Not Gone Forever

1 Month Later

Hope's POV:

It's been a month. One month since El died. One month since Will was saved. One month out of Malivore. One month in the past. I've been staying with the Byers for this month. I didn't want to keep messing with the Wheeler's heads so Joyce let me move in. I'm not staying though.

Tonight's Christmas, and I have a destination. Currently Johnathan and I are on the way to pick up Will from the Wheeler's house. They're all playing DnD in the basement. After Johnathan's gonna drop me off at the bus stop.

From there I'll hop from bus to bus until I get where I need to be. In this month, Nancy and I have  grown extremely close, as have Johnathan and I. Hell, even Steve and I have built a small relationship of sorts. Him and Nancy got back together a few weeks ago.

I still think Johnathan and Nancy are better together, but I now see what she sees in him. He's a good guy with a few flaws. Hell, we all have them. When we reach the Wheelers we go up and ring the doorbell. I make sure I have both cards in my hands. One for Nancy and one for Steve.

Mrs. Wheeler opens the door and smiles at us. "Johnathan, Hope, they're downstairs." She tells us, letting us in. "Thank you Mrs. Wheeler." I say respectfully. She nods and closes the door behind us, going off to do something else in the house while we make our way to the basement. 

"Jeez, what's the smell? Have you guys been playing games all day, or just farting?" I chuckle. "Oh, that's just Dustin. He farted." Lucas grins. He then proceeds to make fun of the boy. I just laughed at their antics.

Along with me getting closer to Johnathan, Nancy, and Steve, the kids have become little brothers to me. I'd do anything to protect them. Will actually has an interest in art so that's what we spend most of our time doing. He's a good kid. "Will, come on" Johnathan tells his brother.

The boy says goodbye to his friends as he stands and walks over to us. "So, you have fun?" I ask as we reach the main floor. "Yeah." he beams. "Hey boys, Hope." Mrs. Wheeler says as we enter the kitchen. "Hey, Mrs. Wheeler." "Hi." We all says.

"Hey, wish your mom a merry Christmas for me, ok? You too Hope. Tell Hayley Merry Christmas for me." I nod, giving her a tight smile. I forgot how potent my compulsion spell was. "Thank you. Merry Christmas." I say, ushering the boys to the door. "Merry Christmas." "So did you win?"

"Yeah." "Awesome." I grin at Will. "Hey, Johnathan, Hope, wait up." Nancy calls to us, coming down the stairs from her room with two wrapper gifts in her hands. She hands us each one while I hand her the cards. "They're for you and Steve. Read them together." I tell her.

She nods, thanking me as we switch. "Merry Christmas. Both of you." "Thanks, um...I didn't get you anything." Johnathan says nervously. "No, it's, ih, it's not really a present. Well yours isn't at least. It's, um...well, you'll see." She says. She then leans forward and kisses his cheek.

"Merry Christmas." He mutters. I feel like I shouldn't be here. We turn to Will. "You ready?" Johnathan asks. "Yeah." "Let's go squirt." I tell him, wrapping hand arm around his shoulders as we walk to the car. Once inside Will turns to Johnathan.

"Can I open it?" He asks, gesturing to his brother's gift. "Sure." He takes it and together the two of us open the gifts. Inside mine is a leather bound journal with a note.

Hope,

You said all your spell books are back in your time so we thought that you could use something to write your new ones down.

Merry Christmas,

Steve and Nancy

I smile at this and take in the journal. It's beautiful and it has my full name on the inside of the cover. Hope Andrea Mikaelson. I smile. It's perfect. I turn to Johnathan and my eyes widen. It's a camera. One like the one Steve broke.

I heard the story and I made sure to smack the boy upside the head for that. It's sweet, and something tells me, like my gift, it's not just from Nancy. After he's taken in his new camera he turns to me. "You ready?" I take a deep breath and nod. As I'll ever be."

He nods and starts his car, pulling away from the Wheeler's house. "Do you have to go? Why can't you just stay here with us?" Will asks with a pout as we drive. I give him a small smile as he continues to make a sad face.

"It won't be forever, but I need to know if I'm just back in time or if I'm in another universe. If I'm just back in time then I have family out there. You know how important family is to me." He nods sadly. "I know. I just don't want you to go." I sigh.

"I'll be back before you know it, and I would never leave this universe without a way to get back or a saying goodbye so you'll have to see me again." He smiles and nods. Finally we pull up to the bus stop and the three of us get out.

"Now, you call us the second you get there. You know the home phone. And you call us when you find anything out. I nod. "I'm serious Hope. You now how much my mom worries." I chuckle. "Trust me, I do. Now, I have to go." I say as the bus pulls up.

He sighs, but pulls me into a hug which Will soon joins. "Be safe Hope." "I will." With that I pull away, ruffling Will's hair one more time, before climbing on the bus. As it pulls away from the bus stop I take in the sad faces of boys I would could as my brothers. I'll be back.

I'm not gone forever. For a while. But not forever.