Everything I Ever Wanted {A Billy Hargrove + Stranger Things Fanfic}

20. Memory Lane

The whole drive to Hoppers cabin was one full of pain and misery. The sharpness of the pain I felt all over, was just about unbearable as it could possibly get. But I knew I needed to fight. I couldn't stop now. Not when Billy needs me. It's only getting worse and I haven't seen him since he fled from my house the other night. The image of him out there, alone and terrified, vulnerable, shattered my heart into a million pieces. The look in his eyes.....

"Lana! I'm so glad you're here." Max suddenly came running out of the cabin and into my open arms once I stepped out of the car. My eyes were sore as could be from all the crying I've been doing, but more tears threatened to spill the moment I hugged her. She's usually so tough, strong willed and a no shit taking girl. But this turn of events that has conspired in such a short time, has knocked us both down to a whole other level. A stranded and lost level.

"I'm so sorry I've been MIA the past two days. I just..... needed time. Billy..... he showed up at my house. He left this on my nightstand. If I wasn't so alert, I never would have even heard him enter." I handed her a polariod of us three at their house that Max's mom took of us, all smiling and happy for once. Billy's smile was unlike anything I'd ever seen. It just made everything seemingly better for me. He knew how much this picture meant to me. He was trying to tell me he's still in there by leaving that on my nightstand.

"Lana!" Jonathan and Nancy came bounding out of the house the moment they noticed I was here. I hugged them both so tightly to me with my eyes welling up once more. I'm lucky to have the friends I do. My family.

"I'm really glad you came Lan. There's a lot that has happened since we last saw you. The Flayed are expanding. They're creating something. Something to take over the town. They consumed all these chemicals. All these people are being used for their plan." My eyes widened in pure fear from the rambling words of Jonathan, knowing a bit about what they were talking about. But not realizing how bad it had truly gotten.

"Billy is the main source for the Flayer. When I saw him, he looked even worse. He's in so much pain. I want to go after to him. But he warned me not to." Suddenly, Eleven appeared from behind them, taking my hand in hers once she saw the pained look in my eyes.

"There's another way to find Billy. You can come in with me. I can take you with me." I looked to Nancy and Jonathan with question in my eyes, being led into the cabin in shock of what she actually meant. The way she finds people. I didn't know it was possible for her to do that.

"El explained it to us. That's why we called you, because you're Billy's main reason to fight. He'll know you're there. He'll show you exactly what's happening. Eleven and you are the only way we could beat this." My eyes widened from the serious look on Nancy's face, afraid of what I will see the minute i'm in there with El. But knowing that if it was truly the only way, I had to do it.

"Is it safe? It won't hurt Eleven or Lana, will it?" Mike looked so incredibly worried for what we were about to do. And honestly, I mirrored him. I didn't want Eleven to strain herself trying to do this. She's not some weapon of ours to use anytime we want. She's our family. And I would do anything to protect her. But sadly, she's always the way to beating the horrors that come from within the Upside Down. Her powers are unmatched.

"You'll have to trust me Mike." I slowly sat down next to Eleven now on the floor in front of the tv she usually uses to find or see people, noticing the blindfold for me sitting neatly in front of my feet. I took a deep breath with my racing heart the only thing I could focus on, scared of what was about to occur.

"It's okay Lana. We'll be together. Promise." I softly smiled at Eleven, seeing Nancy, Jonathan, Max, Lucas Will and Mike all crowding around us to watch and make sure nothing goes wrong. We both put our blindfolds on and held hands, knowing that would be the way she took me in with her. And then, we were surrounded in the darkness of the void.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Water caressed my feet like a warm embrace the moment we entered into the blackness, seeing just how it looked every time Eleven did this. My eyes scanned the darkness with so many emotions coursing through me, when my eyes landed on Billy, sitting on his bed. He was simply staring off into space with the most tense look I've ever seen on his face. My bare feet walked closer and closer towards him with my racing heart thumping in my ears to accompany me.

"He's just sitting there......" My soft, spoken words echoed all around us and into the world outside of the one we were currently in. At first, it looked as if he was staring at us, watching our every move. But his eyes didn't avert once we were closer, still staring into the void. His eyes were littered with tears, trapped within the chains the Flayer had him in. His bed was messy as usual, knowing he wasn't exactly sleeping. An article of clothing that was mine was strung about his pillows, left from mere days ago. Before this happened. Before my life changed forever.

"He'll know we're here." I looked to El with her words ringing out around us, suddenly hearing Mike talking back to her in an echo. I was too far gone in Billy, that I didn't stop to think how this was really happening. Eleven actually brought me in with her. I've seen her do this so many times. But never envisioned this.

"Billy..... can you hear me?" I boldly took his hand within mine, along with Eleven following suit with his other hand. His tear streaked face and blood shot eyes pained me to no end to see. The black marks littering his body only seemed to fuel a rage I've been suppressing since the moment the Flayer came back to Hawkins. Suddenly, Billy grabbed ahold of our arms with so much force, his eyes locking with mine the moment he did with a single tear cascading down his pained face.

"Billy!! No!" Our screams littered the air around us with so much panic and desperation, afraid of what he could do to us, when he suddenly flung us backwards off of an invisible ledge. Flashbacks of things that Billy remembered flooded my mind like the fastest moving movie imaginable, things that caused my screams to grow louder and louder. The pain coursing through me only grew worse with the things Billy felt, our connection seeming to reach a new peak. The flashes of images drew tears to my eyes of terror, seeing just what was happening. We suddenly landed in a bed of water, our bodies thumping harshly into the sand below us.

"Eleven! Are you okay?!" I put her head within my hands to make sure she actually was, seeing the nod of her head, the confusion clear as day on both of our faces.

"What are you guys seeing?! Are you okay?" We both stood so slowly from the sound of Mike's voice echoing out around us, gathering ourselves and noting that we were on...... a beach. It was such a beautiful one with a calming feeling at first. The sound of the waves calmed my beating heart for the moment, not really understanding what was happening.

"A beach....." Eleven responded. I immediately thought of California, remembering the slight things Billy would let slip on our usual late night talks. He would just go and go, causing me to smile the entire time because he was actually opening up. But he never once said what caused him all his emotional turmoil. Why he is the way he is.

"It's California. We're in a memory El....." We gazed at one another, when suddenly, a beautiful long blonde haired woman appeared on the beach along with us, holding on to her hat from the breeze threatening to take it right out of her hand.

"She's looking right at us." We stood side by side as the lady cheered with a warm smile on her face, when a little boy came running past us with a surf board and towards the woman, seeming really happy about what he'd done out in the water. Something about him was so familiar. My mind kept screaming that it was Billy. Or maybe it was Billy trying to tell me that. He looked so happy.....

"There's a little boy....." I couldn't tear my gaze away from the sight unfolding in front of me, hearing them talking about his surfing and how well he had done with it.

"Ten more minutes?" He pleaded with the woman and knew she would break, letting him go on ahead for that short period of time for more fun. He ran right past us with his surfboard in tow, his smile as bright as the sun. And that's when I knew it was truly him.

"Billy!!! Watch out for rip currents!!" I looked to the woman, completely wide eyed from the sudden realization of who this was. Billy's mom..... something we never fully discussed. We were just getting into talking about our parents. The ones that weren't around anymore. But it never happened because we were pulled apart from one another so unexpectedly. My eyes finally gazed to the storm brewing all around us, behind the scene we had been so immersed in, knowing that was it. What Billy is wanting to show us that he is fighting for with all he's got. The exact thing that happened with Will. It was taking over Billy until there would be nothing left for him to remember......