Eddie Munson - A Collection of One-Shots!

010. As Long as We're Together.

*** TRIGGER WARNING ***
• Mention of firearms and teen pregnancy.
______________________________

"Big sis is back from college!"

My adorable little brother; my adorable, always cheerful, clever, inoffensive little brother.

I smiled as I poured coffee into a mug, and turned around, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Hey little bro." I said, chuckling softly.

"Mom know you're back?" He asked, as I took a sip.

"You were sleeping, I got here at around 11 last night. Saw her before she went to bed." I said.

"Interesting t-shirt by the way. Hellfire club?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's a D&D club." He said, grinning.

"Like an official club? Or still in Mike Wheeler's basement?" I asked, with a smirk.

"After school club. Mike is in it with me, and Lucas." He said.

"No Will?" I asked.

"He lives in California, now." He explained.

"So just you three now then?" I asked.

"No, with a couple of seniors." He added.

"Very nice. You made friends then?" I asked, as he rolled his eyes.

"Yes I actually did. But we all can't be as popular as you were." He said.

"Was I popular?" I asked, playfully.

"You know you were." He said, smiling.

"Not as popular as Steve Harrington." I mused.

"Yeah and he works at family video now. How the mighty have fallen." He said.

"He's earning money, paying his way. Not everyone goes to college." I said.

"Speaking of college, how are you finding it?" He asked, sitting down at the breakfast counter.

"It's cool, I guess." I said, with a shrug.

I watched him pour lucky charms into two bowls and add milk, and I frowned slightly.

"Okay, and who's the other bowl for?" I asked, as he grinned.

"For me." A voice purred.

The voice and it's accompanying body strolled into the kitchen, wearing a broad smile.

"Henderson." He said, and then turned to me.

"Lady Henderson." He said, saluting me.

The mug in my hand slipped and I just caught it, clearing my throat awkwardly.

"You okay?" He asked, as I nodded hurriedly.

"Coffee, makes me a little jittery." I said, as Dustin raised an eyebrow.

"My sister, Delilah. Delilah, this is Eddie Munson. Not sure if you ever met, seeing as you were Queen Bee?" Dustin said, introducing us with a grin.

"Shut up, loser. But no, I don't think we ever met?" I asked him.

"Don't think we did, it's a pleasure. You're home from college?" He asked.

"As of yesterday, yeah." I answered, as he tucked into the bowl of lucky charms, leaning casually against the kitchen door.

He was wearing the same T-shirt as Dustin, I noticed.

"You're in Hellfire too?" I asked, making small talk.

"He's the head of Hellfire." Dustin corrected.

"Forgive me." I said, with a smirk.

"At your service m'lady." He said, bowing slightly.

"Okay, I have to go and study." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Get your stuff Henderson, let's roll." Eddie said, finishing his cereal.

"I'm not done yet." Dustin whined.

"Upstairs, stuff, go." I demanded, as I pointed to the kitchen door.

"Okay, okay. When do you leave again?" He asked, with a smile.

"Upstairs shithead. Brush your teeth too." I added.

He bounced out of the kitchen, and when I heard his feet on the stairs, my eyes moved to Eddie, leaning casually on the doorframe.

"So, we're gonna do this for how long?" He asked, as I placed my coffee on the side behind me.

"For as long as I'm here." I said, simply.

"Well played by the way, it's like we've barely met." He said.

"Because as far as Dustin is aware, we have barely met." I said.

"Okay. Okay, that's fair. But the thing is, sweetheart.... We know each other a little more than barely." Eddie said, playing with a strand of his hair.

"Of course we do." I argued, as I watched him intently.

"You're looking after him?" I asked.

"I am. As you asked me to, you know, that night." He replied.

"Are you really the head of his D&D club. I mean, I know you said you played it, but like in charge of an actual club?" I asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" He asked.

"Nothing, I was just curious." I answered, with a smile.

"Would you wanna maybe go out later?" He asked, as I stared at him.

"No." I answered, as though it should have been obvious.

"No you don't want to, or no you can't and have a boyfriend back at your dorm?" He asked.

"Just a straight no I can't. We can't." I answered.

"So there is no boyfriend back at campus?" He asked, smiling.

"Boyfriend? No man, she'd have told me." Dustin said gleefully, walking back into the kitchen.

"Would I?" I asked him.

"You tell me everything Dee." He said, with a grin.

Oh sweet baby brother, not everything.

"Why are you asking anyway?" Dustin asked.

"I was just making conversation, Henderson." Eddie explained.

"And that was your chosen opening? A little invasive." Dustin said, as I watched Eddie roll his eyes.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Dustin asked me.

"Get going." I said, deflecting.

Eddie tossed his van keys, and Dustin deftly caught them.

"In the van with you, we're gonna be late." He said, nodding to the door.

"Since when do you care?" Dustin asked.

"Okay, you're gonna be late." Eddie corrected, and I found myself smiling as I washed my mug in the sink.

"See you later, Delilah." Dustin called.

"See you Dusty." I called back.

And as I turned to reach for the tea towel, he was behind me.

"If you won't go out with me tonight, or any night for as long as you're here, just tell me one thing." He whispered, his body pressed up against mine.

I could smell the familiar scent of cologne, cigarettes and mints and I felt a momentary high.

"What?" I asked dreamily.

"Do you remember that night?" He asked, his lips at my ear.

His hands were covering mine, as I gripped the counter top.

"I do..." I answered.

"Do you remember what we did?" He whispered.

"That's two things, Munson." I noted.

"Clever girl." He said, with a breathy laugh.

"Do you?" He asked me again.

"Of course I do." I said, with a sigh.

"Do you?" I asked him.

"I couldn't possibly forget." He admitted it, squeezing my hands gently.

"You're going to be late." I said.

"You know I don't care." He answered.

"My kid brother is waiting in your van. You want him to come back in here, wondering where you are?" I asked.

"Would it be so bad if he knew?" He asked, as I moved from him then.

"He worships you. Adores you." I said.

"We worshipped each other." He mused.

"You've had six months to work on your flirting, you sure didn't spend that time wisely." I said.

"You really won't go out with me tonight?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"No. Now go, school." I ordered.

"I'm just gonna keep asking." He warned.

"School." I repeated, with emphasis.

"Alright college girl, I'm going. But just remember, we're actually the same age." He said, with a grin.

"As long as you remember how many times you've flunked senior year." I said.

"You wound me, Lilah." He said, pretending to stab himself in the heart.

But I was too busy focusing on my name and how it sounded in his mouth.

He'd called me Lilah that night.
That night I'd never forget.

*******************************************
Eddie's POV.

All day, she was all I could think about.

Standing in the kitchen, wearing a cropped white tank top, her perfect, petite breasts on display, and the sage green joggers that hung perfectly off her hips.

Her previously, long brown straight hair now cut to her shoulders, but it still had that natural, surfer wave.

She still smelt the same; floral, sweet, dusky.

I thought back to that night most days, unable to get it out of my head.

It was a chance evening, and it had been spontaneous.

Neither of us had expected it to happen; I certainly hadn't.

She was beautiful; much more beautiful than I felt I deserved. And it had been the best night of my life.

"How do you go to Hawkins High and yet I have no idea who you are?" She asked me, as I chuckled softly.

We were sitting around the campfire on the beach, kids dancing and drinking around us.

I'd draped my jacket across her shoulders, and she was tucked inside it, her hands cradling a cup of beer.

We were sitting closely together, a proximity I was liking, very much.

She too, seemed to like it.

"Considering I'm the freak of Hawkins, and flunked senior year, I'm surprised too." I said, with a smile.

"You really don't know or remember me?" I asked her.

"No I'm sorry but I don't." She replied, chuckling softly.

"I remember you." I said.

"You do?" She asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, middle school, talent show. You were doing this cheer thing, Yano. I was with my band....."

"Holy shit! Corroded Coffin!" She cried.

"Yes! YES! You do remember!" I cried, excitedly.

"With a name like that how could I forget?" She asked.

"But you looked so different!" She added.

"Well yeah, my hair was buzzed." I said, laughing.

"You played guitar." She said, remembering more.

"Still do. Still do." I said.

"We play at the hideout, every Tuesday. We get quite a good crowd.... Of about 5 drunks." I said, with a grin.

"Have to start somewhere." She said with a casual shrug.

"It's not quite the garden, but you're right." I said.

"My brother, he goes to Hawkins High this year." She said.

"You're worried about that?" I said, observing the change in her demeanour.

"Yeah, he's a good kid. Ridiculously smart, into D&D and basically, I feel as though him and his friends will just get bullied." She said.

"Are they a bully's dream then?" I asked.

"Oh god, absolutely." She said.

"And you're the Queen of Hawkins High. Or, we're at least. Total opposites." I mused, with a smile.

"I don't like being popular, never wanted to be. I'd prefer not to be, but that's where everyone else put me on the social hierarchy." She said.

"What's it like, graduating highschool?" I asked her.

"A relief." She admitted, truthfully.

"It is? Wouldn't know." I said, grinning.

"One day you will. If you knuckle down." She said, with a pointed look.

"Well, seeing as I'm repeating senior year once again, You're in luck." I said.

"I am?" She asked.

"I play D&D. I'm in a club." I said.

"You're serious, aren't you?" She asked.

"Oh, deadly, yeah." I answered.

"Before you say anything.... Yes." I added.

"You'd do that? You'd look after him?" She asked me.

"Him and his friends." I confirmed.

"They'd be like little sheep to me, and I'd be their Shepherd." I added, as she sighed with relief.

"Why though?" She asked.

"Because his big sister obviously cares a lot about him and I admire that." I answered.

"His name is Dustin, Dustin Henderson." She said.

"What does he look like?" I asked.

"Curly brown hair, he's small, has a condition from birth, cleidocranial dysplasia.... So I reckon you'd notice him." She said.

"He's friends with Mike Wheeler, Will Byers and Lucas Sinclair." She added.

"Got it. I'll find them and I'll make sure they're okay." I said.

"You mean that?" She asked.

"How could I say no?" I said, with a casual shrug.

"Because you barely know me. Sure we remembered each other from the middle school talent show, but that was years ago." She said.

"Okay, you want the honest truth?" I asked her.

"Humour me." She confirmed, taking a sip of the warm beer in the red cup in her hand.

"You are absolutely beautiful. I don't think I'd be able to ever say no to you." I said.

"You absolutely can." She said.

"It would be for a good cause, and it's fortunate that I did flunk again.... But the answer is still yes, either way." I replied.

"My knight in shining armour." She said, nudging me playfully.

"I'd be whatever you wanted me to be." I blurted, before grimacing slightly.

That had been a thought I hadn't wanted to say out loud.

But it had dropped off my tongue, nonetheless.

"Okay, humour me again then." She said, coyly.

"Okay?" I asked, turning to face her.

She turned to face me, and pressed her beautiful, rosebud lips together.

"Seeing as you're obviously a gentleman, and I've clearly missed that around school for the various lunchtime announcements you make, and for your lack of attendance in most classes..... and seeing as you've offered to look out for my brother, and given me your jacket.... When you say you'd be whatever I wanted you to be, what exactly would that entail?" She asked.

"That depends." I said.

"On what?" She asked.

"On what exactly you're looking for." I said.

"I'll be honest. Nothing lasting." She said.

"Oh?" I asked, curiously.

"Not like that." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Good thing I can give you something lasting, then." I said, grinning.

"Thank you for that....But, there's a little cave over there, and it's supposed to be real pretty at night. There's glow worms on the cave walls and you can't make a sound or they stop glowing. Come with me, I want to see it before I go." She said.

"I want to see it with someone I like, too." She added.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"I'll show you when we're in there." She said, as I chuckled softly.

"You in, Munson?" She asked.

"Lead the way, m'lady." I said.

**************************************
I couldn't lie to myself, sneaking off with her to a secret cave was already thrilling.

But sneaking past everyone else was just as thrilling too.

We'd grabbed a bottle of whiskey from one of the ice cooler boxes and snuck off to the cave, just a little ways down the shore line, and had gotten past undetected.

We stepped inside the cave, and I led the way, wanting to ensure she didn't fall or hurt herself; I was prepared to do that out of the two of us, if it was going to happen.

Beautiful, Delilah Henderson.
That was her name.

"Remember, we can't make a sound. The only light in there is the glow worms." She whispered.

"Already duly noted, lovely Lilah." I whispered back.

The ground was slippery, and there were a couple of times where we did fall into each other, and there were several awkward apologies, until we turned a corner and there was suddenly a low, greenish light in front of us.

"Wow." She whispered, as I watched her awe, from beside her.

"Ok, this is seriously cool." I whispered back, impressed.

"So what were you going to show me about this place and why you wanted to see it with someone you liked?" I asked her in a low voice, as she walked ahead of me.

"Come here, you'll see." She whispered back.

She was peering over an apparent edge and when I came level with her, she was staring down at what looked like a hot spring.

With luminous blue water.

"Holy shit." I whispered.

"It's so pretty, isn't it." She asked.

"It looks warm." I noted.

"That's because it is, Munson." She said, with a grin.

She set the bottle of whiskey on the edge and shrugged out of my jacket, folding it before placing it down next to the bottle.

I watched as her hands reached for the hem of her white T-shirt and my breath caught in my chest as she pulled it over her head, revealing pert, petite breasts that sat snugly in her white bikini top.

My mouth went dry, and I swallowed hard as she unbuttoned her high waisted jean shorts, sliding them off her hips and down her legs, to reveal matching white bikini bottoms.

"Well?" She asked, turning to face me.

"Well, what?" I whispered.

"Are you coming in with me?" She asked.

I didn't need telling twice.

I quickly undressed and watched her slide down into the water and she sighed softly.

I slid down into the water myself moments later, emitting a similar sigh.

"This was a good call. It's so warm in here." I said, reaching for the whiskey bottle.

We settled against the side of the rock pool, and shared the bottle between us.

For a while, neither of us spoke, we just drank and floated in the water, relishing the warmness of it.

"How did you find out about this place?" I asked her.

"My brother told me about it. I said I was coming here for a graduation party." She said.

"He reads a lot ." I said, as she laughed softly.

"He does. Stuff like this fascinates him." She said.

"Did he tell you to take someone you liked, to see it?" I asked.

"No, that was my idea." She said.

"Well, I'm glad you had this idea." I asked, straining to look above our heads.

The cave walls were lined with glow worms, as she'd said.

They were the only source of light in here, and I watched as they twinkled above us.

And when I settled back into the water, she'd moved.

"What do you look for in a girl, Munson?" She asked me.

"A connection." I said, without hesitation.

"What do you look for in a guy?" I asked her, nervously.

"Chivalry. And a connection." She said, unfaltering.

She swam to the middle of the pool, and like a magnet, I was drawn to the middle, towards her.

We trod water, close together and our faces were close.

"It's pretty romantic in here." She said.

"Are you a romantic?" I asked.

"Aren't most girls?" She asked, as I laughed softly.

"No." I answered.

"Then I guess you could say I am, yeah." She said.

"Are you a romantic?" She asked me.

"I wouldn't be in this beautiful place, under the light of hundreds of glow worms, swimming in a hot spring with a beautiful girl, if I wasn't even a little bit romantic." I said, as she smiled.

"I told you, I'm not looking for anything lasting." She said.

"Oh I heard you." I said, finally braving it, pulling her even closer to me.

Maybe it was the whiskey; either way, it had been the Dutch courage I needed.

We were a little merry, if anything.
Merry, and brave.

"I could give you something that lasts for just tonight, Cinderella." I said, as her arms snaked around my neck.

Our noses touched from that moment, and I reached down further into the water, to grip her slender thighs.

I lifted them and her legs wrapped around me, finally bridging the gap between us.

I nuzzled my nose against hers, sure this was going to happen as I brushed my lips over hers.

She responded to me almost immediately, apparently as sure as I was.

I kissed her deeply and slowly on her mouth, the tips of our tongues pressing together, and I held her to me, crushing her against me.

I blindly swam until my back hit the side of the rock pool gently, her hands weaving into my hair as we kissed deeply.

I gripped a fistful of her long, mousy hair gently, holding her in place as she ground her hips against me.

"Do that again..." I whispered, against her parted lips.

She obeyed me, and a sigh escaped my mouth.

I released her momentarily to remove my board shorts and I watched her shuffle her bikini bottoms down her legs, under the water.

She lifted them out of the water and placed them on the side, next to our clothes. I reached for the tie of her bikini top, and eyed her carefully for consent.

She nodded once, and I unfastened it, her perky little breasts springing free.

I leaned up over the side, rummaging in my jeans pocket for my wallet.

I rifled through it, retrieving a small silver package and tore it open with my teeth.

"This just happens once?" She asked, from behind me.

"One final hoorah, to send you off to college. I'd better pray I'm on my A Game." I replied, with a breathy laugh.

I turned slightly, lifting myself upwards and over the edge, balancing on a wet elbow, as I clumsily tried to roll the condom onto my shaft.

"Let me..." she whispered, swimming over to me.

Surprised, I slowly turned to her, shocked at her kindness.

With gentle hands, and in a comfortable, but suspenseful silence, she rolled it down onto me, as I breathed heavily at her touch.

I was conscious of myself for a moment, but when her eyes met mine, I could see both lust and desire.

I could see I had nothing to worry about.

She pressed down on my shoulders then, inching me back into the water and she deftly straddled my lap.

I felt her press onto the tip of arousal and she searched my eyes.

I nodded hurriedly, awash with desire and anticipation, as she eased herself down onto me.

I gasped loudly, hearing her own gasp mix deliciously with mine, and I gripped the back of her neck, bringing her face to mine.

Our foreheads pressed together, as she started to gently bounce on me, holding me by the shoulders as I heard the water slosh softly around us.

"Want to see something?" She asked me, her voice shaky.

Her brow was creased and her eyes were narrowed, as she breathed through the pleasure ripping through her.

I knew this, because my expression mirrored hers.

"Yeah..." I said, my hands gripping her hips.

Her hands released my shoulders, and she brought them together in a loud clap, and as soon as she'd done it, we were engulfed in darkness.

The only light was the luminous blue of the water.

"You just keep getting better..." I said, with a strained sigh and a grin.

"One last hoorah." She whispered, her hands back on my shoulders.

"Oh you know it, baby girl...." I whispered back, before crushing her into me, roughly.

She whimpered, and I covered her mouth with mine, bucking my hips upwards.

I didn't just want to make love to her; I wanted to devour her whole.

I flipped us around until she was facing the pool's edge, gripping onto it, as I repositioned myself behind her.

Her hips backed against mine, and I slid back into her, immediately pounding my hips into her.

The sound of the water meant that the glow worms didn't glow after that. Her cries of pleasure, my own, meant we were in total, complete darkness.

"Oh god..." she choked out.

Our bodies crudely slapped together and the sound of her moans sent me spiralling into sexual oblivion.

"You feel so fucking good...." I said, breathlessly.

"You make me feel good...." She answered, her knuckles white from gripping the pool's edge.

Wanting to see her face again, I moved until she was pressed against it, and my lips were on her neck, kissing her skin softly.

She turned her head, wrapping an arm around my neck from behind, as she turned back to face me, rocking her perfect lips over mine.

The tip of her tongue ran along my top lip and I sighed deeply into her mouth.

"Harder Eddie...." She whispered and her wish was ultimately, my command.

I reached around and held her to me across her chest from behind, cupping one of her tiny breasts and her head tilted back as I pounded hard into her.

"Oh god.... I'm close...." I whispered.

"Me too....." she whispered back, before crying out.

Her cry echoed around the walls of the cave and I felt myself becoming sloppy in my movements.

She held me to her, arching her back as I slid deeper inside of her.

That sent me hurtling over the edge and I came loudly, my lips on her neck.

She followed closely with me and we collapsed together, breathless and tired.

For a moment, I held her to me, kissing her shoulder softly.

Her head leaned back against me, her eyes closed as she tried to steady her breathing.

"That had to be your A Game..." She said, with a sigh.

"Why?" I asked her, laughing softly.

"Jesus Munson, I've never experienced anything close to that." She said.

"Like we said, one final hoorah." I answered, flattered.

"And what a hoorah it was." She said, dreamily.

"You sure it wasn't because of this place?" I asked her.

"It was because of you." She answered, with certainty.

I fished in the water then, pulling the condom off me and I placed it on the wrapper on the pool's edge, leaning over her slightly.

She turned around to face me in the water, and I leaned down to immediately kiss her.

"Can we just stay here? Together?" She asked, in between kisses from me.

"Sure... I'd love to." I answered, as she smiled against my lips.

"Where were you a few months ago?" She asked, sounding regretful.

"Busy with lunchtime announcements. Besides, if we'd done this months ago, I wouldn't want you to leave." I admitted.

"I don't want you to leave after just this one time." I added.

"I am though." She said, as I sighed softly.

"Then let's just stay here, until the sun comes up and we'll walk home on the shoreline. See the sunrise in, together. I'll walk you home, and we'll go our separate ways, until perhaps the next time we might meet." I suggested.

"That sounds wonderful." She whispered, as I kissed her softly.

"It will be, I promise." I whispered back.

******************************************
"He called her Lady Henderson."

Dustin sprang me from my thoughts, and back to the campaign in front of us.

"You're back on Earth. Hello, Starshine." Gareth said, playfully.

"Where were you?" Grant asked, frowning.

"Me? Oh uhm, nowhere." I said, clearing my throat.

"Did you really call Delilah, Lady Henderson?" Mike asked, as Dustin grinned.

"Yeah I think I did." I said, managing a laugh.

"Was she impressed?" Jeff asked.

"Delilah? Not likely." Dustin replied, chuckling.

Oh sweet boy, if only you knew.

"No, she wasn't. Can't say I'm not polite though." I said, with a feigned, casual shrug.

"We playing this or what?" I asked, not wanting to talk to these goons about my still apparent crush.

"We were waiting for you." Gareth said.

"Well I'm here, so let's play." I said, as my mind started to wander into thoughts of her glorious mouth, and her tiny breasts.

"Uhm HELLO?" Gareth called.

"What?!" I asked annoyed.

"Where do you keep going?" Jeff asked.

"Can you blame me, with you menaces?" I asked, frowning.

"Daydreaming about Dustin's sister." Lucas said, snickering.

"No he's not." Dustin argued, horrified.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and opened my campaign book.

Come on Eddie man, get it together.

"It would make a change from you, Sinclair." I said.

"I don't daydream about Delilah." Lucas said, hurriedly.

"I do." Gareth said, with a grin.

"Okay, shut up." Dustin snapped.

"I'm kidding." Gareth said, before turning to me.

"I'm not kidding." He muttered.

I rolled my eyes then, and sighed softly.

"Can we all just focus on the game now?" I asked.

"You done daydreaming?" Jeff asked.

"MY GOD." I said, exasperated.

"You're tetchy tonight." Jeff noted.

"One more word and this is cancelled." I warned.

They all fell silent then.

Much to my relief.

**********************************************
When Dustin arrived home, it was around 7, and I was lying on my bed staring at the ceiling, surrounded by open textbooks.

I'd been studying all day, and realised I'd had no lunch, or dinner and my stomach was growling loudly to signify as such.

"Have you really studied all day?" He asked, as he stood in my doorway.

"Hey Dusty. Yeah.... Got lost in the media rabbit hole." I said, turning my head to look at him.

"How was D&D club?" I asked him.

"We won. It was Eddie's campaign tonight." He said, with a grin.

"Well that's good then!" I said, happy for him.

"Speaking of Eddie.... I think he likes you." He said, as my heart raced slightly.

I tried to keep my expression vague, and my voice even, as I looked at him, in fake surprise.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" I asked.

"The guys were teasing him earlier, he wasn't really with it tonight.... They said he was daydreaming about you and well... normally he'd be all cool and collected and have some Eddie style comeback, but he didn't." Dustin said.

"He was.... Shifty." He added.

"Listen, even if he did, nothings gonna happen." I said.

"Do you like him?" Dustin asked.

"Sure, he seems cool." I lied.

I knew he was cool, and I did like him.
I liked him the night we slept together too, in a hidden cave in the dark.

But how could I tell my kid brother that?
He idolised Eddie.

"Dya wanna order pizza?" He asked, changing the subject then.

But it had given me an idea.

"No, I'm gonna head out I think, I haven't left the house all day. I'll grab something whilst I'm gone. My purse is in the kitchen, get yourself one." I said.

"Thanks! Have fun." He said, giddy with excitement.

I rolled off my bed and into the shower, before dressing in a pair of blue boyfriend jeans rolled up to my ankles, my docs and a black cropped tank top.

I pulled my leather jacket on, and ran my fingers through my loose curls, adjusting my front bangs.

I put a little foundation on, a touch of mascara and dabbed a little red lipstick into my lips, before spraying perfume on.

I headed downstairs, grabbed my purse when I was sure that Dustin had money for pizza and swiped my car keys off the side, waving Dustin goodbye, before I headed to Forest Hills trailer park.

Spotting the infamous Munson mobile, aka his beat up van, I knocked on the trailer door, before resting casually against my car, my arms folded across my chest.

The door opened outwards and I was greeted with an all too familiar face.

"Got plans, Munson?" I asked him.

"Uhm, you said there was no chance of going out tonight." He said, frowning.

"I changed my mind. I've spent all day studying, I'm starving and I just want a burger or something and a little fresh air." I explained.

Only he was already pulling his leather jacket on as he clambered down his trailer steps, apparently both excited and eager.

I chuckled softly, as he adjusted the collar of his jacket.

"What?" He asked.

"Excited?" I asked him.

"I don't want to chance you changing your mind again. Figured I'd take it whilst it was there. And I'm also starving." He said.

"Get in then, loser." I said, leaning up off the driver side door.

I opened it and climbed in, seeing him settle in the passenger side next to me.

"Dustin will kill us, you know." He said.

"This was your idea." I argued back.

"I didn't say I was above risking certain death now, did I?" He asked, with a grin.

"Where should we go?" I asked.

"Get onto 47, I know a cute little diner. It's far out enough that no one will see us." He said, before turning the stereo on.

Tears for Fears - Everybody wants to Rule the World started to play, and he smiled with satisfaction.

"Cool song." He noted.

"Glad you approve." I replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Just drive Lilah." He said, laughing.

*****************************************
Eddie's POV.

College girl was busy sipping her milkshake, as I stared at her, taking in her beauty.

Aside from her hair, she looked the same.
She was wearing the same perfume as she had done that night and I wondered for a moment if it was intentional.

Her dainty fingers were manicured, painted a deep red as she stirred her shake, her eyes on the menu laid out in front of her.

"Still going for a burger?" I asked, as she looked up at me through thick lashes.

Not all her own, I could see they were extensions.
I noticed that she only ever accented what she already had, though.

A simple manicure, lash extensions and her lips were a little plumper than I remembered; Filler, I suspected.

She took care of herself, and she didn't overdo it.
Everything she did, still appeared natural.

Either way, she was still beautiful to me.

"Yeah, with fries." She said, smiling with perfectly straight, white teeth.

"You done gawking at me?" She asked.

"Wrong choice of word princess, admiring you." I corrected.

She laughed, and ran her fingers over her lips.

"I'm not getting them done again." She said, knowing I'd noticed.

Saying it as though she wanted me to be reassured.

"I think they're pretty. But they were just as pretty before." I said.

"There was a trial going, at college. Beautician students. Figured I'd be the Guinea pig." She said.

"Everyone has to start somewhere." I said, as she smiled.

"Exactly." She answered, clearly remembering too.

She'd said that to me, before.
She'd said that to me, that night.

I wanted those newly filled lips to kiss every inch of my skin.

I wanted those freshly manicured fingers to caress my face and run through my hair and I wanted those recently framed eyes to bore into mine, whilst I was inside of her.

I realised I'd gone into my own head again, and I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"You're back with me now?" She asked me.

"Yeah, sorry about that." I said, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

She tilted her head slightly in question, and smiled.

"Where'd you go?" She asked.

In the crevice of my memory, where you are, naked with me in a hot spring, bouncing on me, in a secret cave.

"I'm a little spaced out lately." I said, hoping she'd take the white lie.

I didn't want to tell her where.

"You're thinking about the cave, aren't you?" She asked.

My mouth fell open in shock.

"It's okay, I think about it a lot too." She added.

"You do?" I asked.

"In my short time on this planet, my sexual experiences have often been quite awkward, and well.... Sometimes it was a little disappointing when I've had to show the person what I want.... Sometimes even a step by step guide.... It wasn't my first rodeo obviously, my first rodeo in a rock pool in a dark beach cave, sure, but it's hard to forget about." She said, sounding a little distant.

I smirked then, knowing she'd gone exactly where I'd just been.

"You've gone back there too, haven't you?" I asked her, my smirk turning to a broad smile.

Her eyes were distant for a moment longer before she snapped out of her head, and blinked rapidly.

"I think I was, yeah." She said with a breathy laugh.

"I haven't forgotten about it." I said.

"I never had to tell you how to do anything. I only had one request." She said, as I smiled fondly and nodded.

"Harder, Eddie." I said, perhaps a little loud, teamed with a playful smirk and narrowed eyes.

"Now who's gawking?" I asked her, as she stared at me in mild shock, her mouth agape.

"The whole diner if you carry on." She said, blushing madly.

"Why are you blushing?" I asked, laughing.

"Should I be ashamed of the fact that it was the best night of my life?" I asked her.

She looked at me a little differently this time; she looked at me with an expression I had not yet seen etched on her face.

Shock mixed with the notion that I had potentially just opened up her world, to realms she'd not yet witnessed.

I'd opened her world to the possibility that the experience with her, truly was one of a kind and I believed it registered with her just how much that time with her had truly resonated with me.

And then I realised why; I'd never told her that before tonight.

"It was the best night of your life?" She asked me, her voice painfully hushed.

"In my fleeting time so far on this earth? Irrevocably, yes." I answered, swallowing hard as I anticipated her response.

"Even though it was a one time thing?" She asked.

"One last hoorah?" I asked her.

"Yes." She said, swallowing hard.

"Yes." I answered, with certainty.

The waitress came over then with our burgers, and I looked up at her, smiling warmly.

"Sorry, could we take these to go?" I asked.

"Sure honey, one moment." She said, taking them away.

"Why to go?" She asked.

"I want to show you something." I said, as she seemed nervous.

I chuckled softly, and threw a few dollar bills down onto the table from my wallet.

"Don't have a cow, Henderson. It's somewhere real pretty, you'll like it." I said, outstretching my hand to her.

"Shall we?" I asked her.

She took my hand firmly in response, as she chose to trust me, and my word.

********************************************
Eddie's POV.

Watching her eyes take in the skyline, as we sat on the edge of the cliff, eating our burgers, was practically magical.

They were wide with awe, with a small glimmer of the sparkle I'd seen at the diner, from our previous conversation.

It would be easy for anyone to fall in love with her.

I knew that quite certainly, because I already had.

She stared back at the tree line of the forest we were sitting in front of and the gentle breeze rocked the natural waves of her hair.

She turned back to the skyline, moving her hair delicately from her face, licking her plump, rose red lips as she stared out, deep in thought.

"We know some pretty places, don't we?" She asked.

"We sure do. I come here a lot actually." I said.

"You do?" She asked, before taking the final bite of the burger in her hands.

"Yeah, it's quiet and sometimes the world is loud. It's nice to break away from that, occasionally. You know, when it gets too much?" I asked.

"I understand." She said, screwing up the now empty wrapper in her hands.

She licked her lips again, and I suspected her mouth was dry, so I reached for my Diet Coke and passed it to her.

"Have some of this Henderson, no need to be polite around me. We passed the pleasantries months ago." I said, as she chuckled softly.

She took it gratefully, and nervously took a sip.

"Have some more, Jesus." I said, laughing.

"I'm just trying to be polite, my god." She said, but she was laughing with me.

"We've swapped more than just spit, Henderson." I reminded her, as she laughed loudly.

"You don't have to be so crass about it." She said.

"I'm just trying to make you realise that you can be comfortable around me. You want to slug the rest of that Diet Coke? Be my guest. You wanna barf, burp, fart or whatever, go for it." I said, as she grimaced.

"I'm not sure I'd wanna barf in front of you." She said, as I laughed loudly.

"You'd be happy to burp and fart in front of me though?" I teased as she rolled her eyes.

"Obviously not." She said, as I leaned back on my hands, smiling.

"You can be you, around me." I said, explaining.

"You're the only one that I can be myself around." She said.

That both caught my attention and gave me hope, as she stared at me, her eyes searching my face.

"Humour me." I said, as she pressed her lips together.

"Okay?" She asked.

"When you went away, did you ever consider there being another time?" I asked her.

"Did you just see it as a one time thing, or did you want more after?" I added.

"I know what I asked for, and I know what I called it, but honestly? It left a certain taste in my mouth." She said, as I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm flattered." I said, as she punched me playfully in the arm.

"Let me finish, dingus." She said.

"Okay, sorry.... Go on?" I asked.

"I didn't expect it to feel the way it did for me... To me. I could tell how you kissed me that it would be different. You didn't kiss me like an awkward teenager. You didn't touch me like a teenager." She said.

"How did I touch you?" I asked her.

"Like I was a woman, not some girl. And you kiss and touch like a man. You're experienced, you're intuitive.... You based what I wanted by listening to the sounds I made.... You listened to me. You didn't have to wait for me to tell you... you were listening, watching me, watching how my body responded to you." She said.

"It was the only time you were sort of an open book." I said.

"Really?" She asked.

"You opened yourself up to me, in more ways than one. It's not a bad thing, the sounds you made told me a lot, how you moved told me a lot more. You put yourself out there, and I admired that. I still admire that. You know what you want, and I'm sure that you've done that before and never quite been answered in the way you wanted." I said.

"I didn't need a manual like the other guy. What you needed was right there, and I tried my best to give that to you." I added.

"Nice touch. Smooth even, but not guy. Guys." She said as I raised an eyebrow.

"You did say I could be myself around you. So let's not pretend there's just been one guy." She said.

"You can be yourself around me, I just wasn't aiming to come across as insulting." I said.

"You can be yourself around me too. You can remember what I said, and I said from the start that there have been other guys." She said.

"And you can remember that I also said, none of them made me feel anything close to what you did." She added.

"Humour me again, then." I said, as she smiled broadly.

"Go on." She said, invitingly.

"Can there be a second time, tonight?" I asked her.

"You want there to be a second time?" She asked.

"You know I do." I said.

"Where?" She asked.

"At mine." I said.

"I'll get to see the Munson Mansion?" She asked, excitedly.

"It's a trailer, Lilah." I said, as she giggled.

"Nothing to cry home about." I added.

"It's your home. Regardless of what shape or form, I'm still excited to see where you live." She said.

"You're weird." I said, through narrowed eyes.

"We can just call the second time off, no biggie." She said, playfully.

"Didn't I tell you? I dig weird." I said, as she smiled.

"Why at yours, anyway?" She asked, curiously.

"Because, I want you to stay the night with me." I said, simply.

"That's something I've never been asked before." She said.

"Tonight's the night for firsts and second's." I said, as she crawled over to me.

She pushed me down, until my back was against the ground and her newly plump lips kissed mine softly.

"Take me home." She whispered, as I swore I left my body.

****************************************
True to his word, he took me to his room, and covered us both with his duvet, as we rolled around together, naked and aroused.

"I'm not gonna lie to you.... I want those around me." He whispered, his eyes on my lips, his chest heaving.

I rolled him onto his back, and slipped under the covers out of his sight.

Engulfed in the darkness of his bed, the next sound I heard was his sudden breathy moans and I could feel my own arousal coursing through me.

He twitched underneath me and I held him down by his hips. He groaned with satisfaction as I took him inch by inch into my mouth.

"Oh fuck...." He whispered, unable to keep still.

I emerged from the covers a short while later, and he was rummaging blindly in his bedside drawer.

I leaned over him, straddling him, and gently moved his hand away.

"Let me...." I said, as he withdrew his hand, staring up at me in mild surprise.

"What?" I asked, as he reached up to trace my collarbone, softly.

"No one has ever been kind like this to me." He whispered.

"Shame on them." I whispered back.

He moved when I did, trying to reach for me and when I retrieved the silver packet he was looking for, he was wearing the same expression.

He sat up, coming level with me, as he watched me tear the packet open with my teeth.

Between us, we rolled it onto him, and as I went to push him down onto the bed with my hand on his chest, he came to suddenly grip my wrist.

His eyes intently bored into mine, as his other hand gripped my throat gently.

"Let me do this...." He whispered.

"What?" I whispered back, relishing his touch.

"Let me make love to you...." He whispered, his lips kissing my neck.

"What was that the first time then?" I asked him, as his lips kissed the corner of my mouth softly.

"That was me finding out exactly what you like. That was us getting acquainted with each other." He said, his breath warm against my mouth.

He gently lay me down underneath him, admiring me as he slid down my body.

I peered down just in time to see his eyes in between my legs and they were staring right back at me.

"I wanna taste you." He whispered, his hands coming to grip my thighs.

I knew that this was going to feel electric; I was going to feel a pleasure I'd never felt before.

And I wanted it, badly.

His tongue suddenly started to dance against me and it was my turn to not be able to lie still.

It didn't deter him though; he simply moved with me, he followed me, never breaking contact.

He only stopped, once I'd ridden out the toe curling climax he'd given me, my orgasm expelling from me in a burst of short, sharp, high pitched moans.

I felt myself shudder, and he slid his body along the length of my own, and I welcomed him.

He entered me with ease, and just like he said, he made love to me.

It was soft, gentle and passionate.
And when we both climaxed together, he tenderly kissed me on the mouth, tucking a strand of my hair, behind my ear.

He nuzzled his nose against mine, as he lay on top of me, my skin tingling from his touch.

"Can I get you anything?" He whispered.

"Could I take a shower?" I asked, as he smiled.

"Of course. Out of my door, first on your right." He said.

"I'll get you something of mine to wear to bed too." He added.

"Thank you." I answered.

"You still want me to stay over?" I asked, suddenly realising what he'd said, as a smile tugged at his lips.

"Sorry, yeah." I answered.

"You're the only woman I've ever wanted to spend the night with." He said, as my heart fluttered slightly.

"It is a night of firsts, after all." I said, as he kissed me softly.

"Shower together?" He offered, as I smiled broadly.

"I'd love to." I said.

In the shower, he was just as tender. He washed my back and my shoulders, and I washed his.

I helped him wash his hair, and for a short while we just held each other, standing close under the water.

I'd never had those closeness before, and it dawned on me just how much I felt like I both wanted it and needed it.

And then it dawned on me that in two months time, I'd be leaving to go back to college.

"Don't think about it." He whispered in my ear.

"Are you?" I asked him.

"I'm living in the moment, here with you. Stay here with me." He pleaded, softly,

"I'm already here." I said.

And when we were clothed and in his bed once more, he nestled us both under the covers, and he curled around me as he cradled me in his arms from behind me.

He buried his face into my hair, and I heard him sigh softly.

"Can I keep you?" He asked me, as I smiled broadly.

"I'm yours, Casper." I whispered.

**********************************************
The following day, I drove to the library, after seeing Eddie off to pick Dustin up for school.

I'd armed him with a cover story, and it was pretty simple.

He hadn't seen me, and I wasn't with him last night.

And as I sat in the library, pouring over a number of open textbooks, I couldn't stop thinking about last night.

I couldn't stop thinking about how he'd made me feel.

My skin I was sure, was still on fire.
Was he thinking about it as much I was?

I hadn't meant for there to be a second time; my proposal had originally only been for the one time.

But now, I didn't just want a first and second.
I wanted many more times to come.

Something always drew me to him and it was something I couldn't explain or put my finger on.

He made me feel alive, almost.
I knew I was alive, I felt my heart beating every day and I was sitting here breathing. The evidence was clear that I was alive. But this wasn't the kind of alive he made me feel.

This was different.
It was like he woke me in a different way.
In his way.

He was so vibrant, so mischievous, and so devilishly attractive that I often thought about his smile, his mouth, his eyes and the way he carried himself.

He was authentically himself at all times.
And he wanted me to be myself around him, in the same way.

He didn't care what people thought of him.

"Penny for them princess?" Someone asked from behind me.

I turned and he was there, leaning casually on the back of a chair.

"You're supposed to be in school." I said.

"Uhm, it's lunch time?" He asked, as I hurriedly checked my watch.

"I have got to start keeping track of time." I said, leaning back in my chair.

He moved to sit in the chair next to mine, and smiled broadly.

"I have an hour, so I figured I'd come and see you." He said, with a casual shrug.

I smiled, and his hands reached over me, closing each textbook in front of me.

"Someone could see us together, here." I warned him.

"Look around you Lilah, everyone here has their head buried in a book. It is a library after all." He said.

"That's a valid point." I said, with a small nod.

"Exactly." He said, with a satisfied tone.

"No one has even noticed me come in." He added.

"What are you doing here, Eddie?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"See, I know a few little sweet spots around here where the odd Hawkins student might come with their boyfriend or girlfriend.... And make out completely undisturbed and undiscovered, and I was wondering if...." He said, trailing off as his fingers lightly brushed my arm.

"Oh, you do?" I asked, playing along.

"I do. And I was wondering if you might wanna come along and I'll show you one?" He asked.

"Just show me?" I asked, secretly convinced but not wanting him to know that.

"Show you.... And perhaps stay there with you. Probably make out with you too." He said, as his eyes met mine.

He held my gaze and I bit my lip, a little nervous.
Nervous, and already aroused.

"I have to warn you though, if I do make out with you, I might just wind up touching you." He whispered.

"Touching me where?" I asked.

"Everywhere, sweetheart." He whispered.

"30 minutes and then I have to get back to it." I said, as he rose from his seat with a wide grin.

"This way then, Lady Henderson." He announced, outstretching his hand.

And as soon as I took it, he raced off into the stacks, leading me by the hand and we headed to the very back of the library.

He pushed me into the last aisle, which was dimly lit, and I felt my back hit the shelving behind me.

"This very well could be the third time." He whispered.

"It's safe to say that my original proposal went out of the window last night." I whispered back, as he pulled me to him.

"Then how about I make a proposal?" He suggested.

"Sure." I said, a little breathless, as his hands weaved into my hair.

"I propose that we do this, for as long as we both want to. Let's stop counting." He suggested.

I answered by toying with his lips, and he responded to me immediately.

He deepened the kiss, and true to his word, his hands were everywhere for the full duration of the 30 minutes I'd given him.

And as his hands slipped under my skirt and his hands rubbed me through my underwear, I let out a hushed, strangled cry and held onto him.

"I'm not leaving until I hear it...." He whispered, gruffly.

And he fell to his knees, tugging down on my underwear, as my hands tried to stop him.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked, looking up at me.

"No...." I whispered back.

"Then the only place I want those hands, is on my face. Show me where you want me to go." He whispered.

I cradled his face under his chin, and he disappeared under my skirt as I guided him, and I slid down the shelving slightly, shuddering at his tongue as it ran over the wet, fleshy rosebud, hidden under there.

I clung onto the shelf with my free hand, as his tongue started to dance against me, my chest heaving with deep, shaky breaths.

His hands gripped my thighs, pushing one leg up off the ground, opening me up to him even further.

"Oh fuck......" I whispered, hearing him groan witn satisfaction.

"I know you're close..." he whispered, his breath hot against me.

I shuddered violently, holding myself up on the shelving, and my head tilted back as it washed over me.

I climaxed, my eyes focused on the titles of the books above me, the words blurring as my eyes glazed over with pleasure.

My head fell forward, and I watched through almost closed eyelids, as he opened his jeans, pushing them off his hips.

His erection sprang over the hem and he hastily rolled a condom down onto himself.

I pulled him to me, desperate and aching for him, as he frowned and shifted slightly.

We were using the full hour it seemed, and yet I really wasn't complaining.

"It doesn't feel right, I'm not sure it's on." He said.

I briefly glanced down as he crushed himself against me.

"It looks on, to me." I said, breathless.

"I'm not so sure..." he said, adjusting himself.

I grabbed a fistful of his jacket and pulled him to me roughly, not wanting to wait any longer.

"Eddie Munson, it's fucking on." I said, through gritted teeth and he smiled broadly.

"Yes, m'lady." He said, before lifting me off the ground.

He eased his way inside me and we roughly and passionately had sex against the stacks.

It was hot, it was awkward, and sloppy at times.
But I enjoyed every second.

*****************************************
One month later.

Eddie's POV.

Considering it had only supposed to have been a one time thing, we were past that after the time in the library.

And now? We had glided past that so quickly it made my head spin.

Any chance we had, we were together.
We went on secret dates, spent nights together doing nothing but lying together, listening to music or just simply talking.

It had gone beyond sex now, for us both and I knew that. And I think Delilah knew that too.

After the second time, she had been thinking about what would happen when she went back to college but upon my instruction, it hadn't been on her mind since.

She was simply enjoying the time we had, like I was.

"Okay, we need to talk to you." Mike said, flopping down onto his chair at the game table.

I sat back in my throne, and clasped my hands together, appearing like some a kind of sinister war lord.

"Go on, Wheeler." I said, as Jeff eyed me carefully.

"You're seeing someone aren't you?" Jeff asked.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

How I was keeping my cool or my nerve, I couldn't say.

"The last time I saw you like this over a girl, it was Elvira." Jeff said, as I scoffed.

"You are, aren't you?" Mike asked.

"What, Wheeler?" I asked.

"Seeing someone. Why didn't you tell us?" He asked.

"We're happy for you, we wouldn't have made fun of you or anything." Grant said.

"It's cool that you've found someone. The lone wolf, not so alone anymore." Gareth continued.

"Did you think you couldn't tell us?" Dustin asked.

"No... of course I knew I could tell you. It's just, well it's still new. Who knows what's gonna happen?" I asked, as Mike sighed.

"We just knew, you've been miles away in your own head, for weeks." Mike said.

"And you're sometimes more hyper than usual. Always grinning, occasionally giddy." Jeff continued.

"More happy than normal." Gareth added.

"As opposed to when I'm always apparently miserable?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're fun Eddie, no one's gonna take that from you. What we mean is, you're a little too happy." Grant said.

"So, we're just asking if the reason for that is, because it's now gotten serious with whoever this girl is?" Dustin asked.

"It wasn't at the start. It was like a chance meeting, and we just clicked. And then lately, I suppose it has gotten more serious, yeah." I said, relenting slightly.

Mainly because I knew what the next question would be.

Who was she?

"So who is she?" Jeff asked.

"She's from out of town." I lied.

Well, depending on how you looked at it, was it a lie?

Delilah had come home, from college; a college out of town, out of Hawkins altogether.

"What's her name?" Mike asked.

"Some things I would like to keep sacred, if you don't mind." I said, giving him a pointed look.

"Okay, well if you won't tell us her name, at least tell us what she's like." Dustin said, with a smile.

"Yeah, the girl who's captivated the heart of our Dungeon Master." Jeff said, with a grin.

Calming myself, I thought about my next words carefully. I didn't want to slip up and say too much.

"She's awesome. She's smart, she's funny, she's real sassy, and yeah.... I like who I am when I'm with her." I said, dreamily.

"Eddie's in luuuurve..." Lucas said, snorting with laughter.

"Are you always this immature?" I asked him.

"Only when I get the chance to be." He shot back.

"Zip it, Sinclair." I shot, as he fell silent.

"Are we going to meet her?" Jeff asked.

"We're really not there yet." I said, with emphasis.

"I don't know, you said it was getting serious." Gareth said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it's up to me when you meet her. If you meet her." I said.

"Fine. Ready to play?" Jeff said, watching me closely.

Jeff was good at sensing when I wanted something dropped, and his talent had shone through once again which his effective changing of the subject.

Jeff as I anticipated, also knew that there was a specific reason why I wasn't disclosing much about this; he knew me too well.

After the campaign, he hung behind and as I was packing my dice up, he leaned casually against the doorframe.

"Okay, spit it out." I said, rolling my eyes.

"It's against bro code, man." Jeff said, shaking his head.

"How did you know?" I asked, suspicious.

"When you said she was out of town. I know you're lying face Eddie." Jeff said.

"And?" I asked.

"The fact that I saw you that night, at the graduation party. I saw you both, sneaking off from the party, down the beach. I didn't think much of it, you weren't holding hands or anything, you weren't exactly what I'd call close." He said.

"But it was the way you were talking, and laughing. And the fact that the beach was full of people, and you two only seemed to see each other." He added.

"Why haven't you said anything then, since that night?" I asked.

"Nothing ever seemed to come of it. You didn't come into school talking about her afterwards. To be honest, she was going away for college so I didn't think you'd have struck anything up because of it." He said.

"You never ratted me out to Dustin though, when he joined the party." I said.

"You're my best friend, why would I do that?" He asked.

"It's against bro code." I said, repeating his former statement.

"It is now." Jeff said.

"You have to tell him. Surely if it's serious, you're going to have to tell him eventually? If you wanted it to progress to anything further?" Jeff asked.

"We're just living in the moment right now. Trust me, I'm not really thinking about saying goodbye to her, not when I really don't want to." I said, perching on the end of the game table.

"You're both just avoiding the inevitable. So she's going back to college? She'll be back at Thanksgiving, she'll be back at Christmas, what happens then?" Jeff asked.

"I'd want to see her." I admitted, truthfully.

"Exactly. That kid worships you, won't hear a bad word said against you. He's the first to jump to your defence, he's the first to offer a hand if you need anything. He's always trying to impress you, and he looks up to you. The guy who's seeing his big sister and lying to him about it. Do you really want him to look up to that guy? Or the guy he met on his first day of highschool?" Jeff asked.

Jesus.

"I know you're right. But it's not just my decision." I said.

"No, that's fair. But she's his big sister and she equally needs to do the right thing. See, when he's not talking about you and how amazing you are, he's talking just as proudly about his smart, wonderful, college going, big sister." Jeff said.

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Really." Jeff replied, with emphasis.

"He adores you both. He'd likely be okay with it, he's a good kid." Jeff added.

"What he won't be okay with, is the sneaking around and all of the lying." He concluded.

He leaned up off the doorframe, and sighed.

And as he was leaving, he hesitated and turned back, leaving me with one final statement.

"Do the right thing, Munson." He said.

********************************************
"I like it here, another pretty place." I said, sighing softly.

We were sitting at the edge of lovers lake, side by side, hands entwined as we looked out at the water.

It rippled softly in the wind, as he produced two burgers for us both, from his back pack.

"Not quite the diner off 47, but close enough." He said, as he opened the wrapper.

"That smells weird." I said, screwing my nose up.

"It's a Big Mac." He said, chuckling softly.

"You don't think it smells weird?" I asked him, handing him mine.

"I think it smells like burger." He said, looking at me like I had five heads.

"You're not gonna eat that?" He asked, as I shook my head.

"I just said, yours smells weird. So I'm not gonna chance it." I said.

I sighed softly, and he passed me a bottle of Gatorade.

"You want this, or does that smell weird too?" He asked, with a grin.

"It smells fine, you dingus." I said, pouting slightly.

"Don't look at me like that sweetheart, you're killing me." He said, nudging me playfully.

I took a sip of the Gatorade, and noticed that there was a somewhat tender ache, in my breasts.

"Hey.... You okay?" He asked me, as I ran my hands over them. I flinched slightly, as they suddenly felt heavy, and tender.

"Yeah, it's just.... My boobs hurt." I said.

"From where I nudged you?! Oh god! I'm so sorry." He said, panicking.

"No, no you didn't. You didn't, don't be sorry. They're just.... Weirdly tender." I said, frowning slightly.

"Is it almost rag time?" He asked, as I shot him a glare.

He gulped a mouthful of his burger down, immediately regretting it as he looked at me with wide eyes.

"Is it almost time for my period?" I corrected him, as he shifted nervously.

"I don't have to be so crass about it?" He offered.

"Exactly." I said, tersely.

But I shot him a wide smile, and he seemed to relax then.

"Sorry..." He said.

"It's okay, gutter mouth." I answered, chuckling softly.

"Is it?" He asked.

"Is it what?" I asked, as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ears.

"Time for your period?" He asked.

"Probably yeah, perhaps it's just more in my boobs this time. I never have one the same." I said, brushing it off.

"What normally helps you?" He asked.

"Heat, usually.... Hot water bottle, chocolate, chocolate always helps. Uhm, painkillers, comfy clothes. Why?" I asked.

"I was thinking incase you ever were if you stayed over at mine. I'd have what you needed there." He said, as my heart fluttered.

"You'd do that?" I asked, in disbelief.

"Course I would." He answered, like it was obvious.

"You're a rare breed, Eddie Munson." I said, as he chuckled softly.

"I can see why my brother loves you." I added.

"Speaking of Mini Henderson, uhm.... They were all ragging on me yesterday, at Hellfire." He said.

"About what?" I asked.

"About me. They asked if I was seeing someone." He said.

"What did you tell them?" I asked, curious.

"I told them I was. I said I was seeing this little sass pot from out of town." He said, as I chuckled softly.

"Did they believe you?" I asked.

"It's not technically a lie, and yeah they did." He said.

"Except for Jeff." He added, hurriedly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He saw us that night, at the graduation party. He saw us slip past everyone. I asked him why he'd never said anything or whatever and he said that I hadn't mentioned you after that. Which is true, I didn't. Because we said we wouldn't, not because I didn't want to say anything because I really did. He also said that he had a feeling when I said you lived outside of town." He answered.

"So, Jeff knows then?" I asked.

"He does." Eddie answered, with a sigh.

"Is he going to say anything?" I asked.

"No, but he thinks we should tell Dustin." Eddie answered, as I swallowed hard.

"No kid brother wants to think or know that his big sister is dating his friend. It's gross to him. And you're virtually his best friend, he looks up to you. This would feel even worse for him." She said.

"Right now, he looks up to someone who's been lying to him. And as much as he looks up to me, he looks up to you in the exact same way." He said, sadly.

"You want to tell him, don't you?" I asked.

"I wouldn't tell him anything, if you didn't want to." He said, with certainty.

He twisted the rings on his fingers, his foot tapping as I considered my options.

Our options.

"I think before we tell him anything, we establish exactly what we are first." I said, breaking my silence.

"What do you think we are, to each other?" He asked.

"I'm not interested in anyone else, I'm not seeing anyone else, we don't just sleep together, we go to random pretty places together, we have been on a number of dates, I've stayed over, you've offered to get things for me for when I'm on my period, so I'm gonna go out on a limb here and by all means correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like you could say we were dating?" I asked, trying to gauge his expression and reaction.

"Oh I'm absolutely dating you, sweetheart." He replied, with a grin.

I sighed with relief then, and he chuckled, gently wrapping an arm across my shoulders.

"And my experience so far has been a wonderful one." He added, kissing the side of my head softly.

"Okay, so now we've established that, perhaps we should see how that goes for the next week or so, and then tell Dustin?" I asked.

"He's definitely gonna kill us, but that sounds like a fair deal. And this way, we'll be lambs to the slaughter together." He said, with a shrug.

"Nothing like a united front when looking certain death in the face, huh?" I asked, as we both chuckled.

"He loves us both... apparently. So, you never know, he could be really happy about it." Eddie said.

"Or totally grossed out. But either way, I suppose he should know." I said.

"And he will, soon." Eddie answered.

Little did I know that soon, wasn't all too far away.

*****************************************
I woke up the next morning in my own bed, and as I yawned and stretched, the smell of breakfast from the kitchen filled my nose suddenly and I felt my entire body start to sweat.

I could feel it rising from my stomach, and I sat up abruptly, clasping a hand over my mouth.

I clambered out from under my duvet and ran into the bathroom, just about reaching the toilet before being sick into the bowl.

"You okay sis?" Dustin called from my bedroom doorway.

"What the fuck is mom cooking this morning?" I asked, heaving.

"Pancakes, you're favourite. Why?" Dustin asked.

"They smell awful." I said, as he chuckled softly.

"Are you hungover?" He asked, appearing at my bathroom door, with a wide grin.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I think I am." I lied, unsure of the real reason.

I figured if I'd said no, it would have posed more questions than answers and so I ran with the lie instead.

First, Eddie's burger and now my favourite breakfast meal?

And not only that, the smell had made me sick.

What the hell was going on with me?

Trying not to think too much about it, I showered and dressed for the day, and as I was running a brush through my hair, my mom wandered into my room, armed with a pile of clean clothes.

"Morning sweetie, I got you more girl things, you know to top you up for your next cycle. I figured you'd be abit low and I had you down as due sometime early last week, on my calendar." My mom said, humming a little tube as she set them down on my bed.

I groaned slightly; as much as she meant well, I could document my own cycle just fine.

"Were those pancakes okay this morning?" I asked her as she turned to face me.

"Yes hon, I saved you some. Why?" She asked.

"They smelt awful." I said.

"Did they? They didn't smell bad to me." She said, before thinking nothing more of it.

"Oh just so you know, I did already put them in your en-suite, but there is quite a few in there still." She noted, as my mouth went dry.

"Are you okay hon?" She asked.

"Yeah, sorry...." I said, laughing nervously.

"Maybe I marked it down wrong." She said, innocently.

Only I didn't think she had marked it down wrong.

"I'm just gonna head out for a little while." I said, suddenly.

My mind was whirring and I felt a little nauseous.

"Oh okay, dinner will be at 6." She called as I hurried past her.

******************************************
I stood in my bathroom, peering down at the white stick with the blue lid, watching it intently.

Last minute, I tore my eyes away, not wanting to see.

I sank down onto the toilet, sitting on the lid with my head in my hands, sweating profusely.

I clawed at my oversized, off the shoulder T-shirt, uncomfortable and suddenly a little scared.

"You've gotta look." I told myself, my hands shaky as I psyched myself up.

"Get up Delilah and look." I muttered, before rising to my feet.

I leaned over the counter, and peered down at the stick infront of me.

And there were two lines.

Two.

My legs suddenly felt like jelly and I gripped the counter, holding myself up.

"Shit..." I whispered, before clasping a shaky hand over my mouth as I burst into heavy, terrified sobs.

I turned to face the mirror, and hesitantly lifted my shirt, to see that my stomach was slightly raised, more than usual.

This explained the tender boobs, this explained the off putting smell of certain foods.

It was because I was pregnant.
Oh god.... I was pregnant.

"Sis are you alright?"

Flustered, I spun around to see Dustin st the door of my bathroom, with a concerned look on his face.

"What's behind you?" He asked, suspiciously as I shook my head hurriedly.

I wiped the tears away from my face roughly, and tried to feign a smile.

"What's wrong? What are you hiding?" He pressed.

"Nothing, Dusty, Jesus." I said, as he tried to peer around me.

"I care about you. You're upset." He said.

"I'm fine." I answered.

"I know when you're lying to me." He said, approaching me.

I threw myself along the counter as he crashed into me, trying to get behind me.

"And you might be my little brother but you're annoying as hell. Nosey too." I said, breathless.

"Just show me." He demanded.

"Dustin, no. Dustin, Dustin no!" I cried, as he swiftly grabbed the stick from behind me.

"What is this?" He asked, frowning.

"Everything okay in here? Oh my god, what on earth is going on in here?"

We both turned to see our mother in the doorway of the bathroom, the two of us across the counter, the stick in Dustin's hand. We both froze as her eyes fell on it, and she suddenly gasped.

"Oh my god...." She said, clasping a hand over her mouth.

"Mom, mom I can explain." I said, hurriedly.

She remained frozen, the only movement being her eyes, as they locked with mine.

"I hadn't got it wrong on the calendar had I?" She asked, her voice hushed with shock.

"No, ma...." I whispered back.

"Someone tell me what's going on." Dustin said.

"I need you to just put that down." She said, to him.

"How late are you?" She asked me.

"Seven days." I said.

"And there's two lines, you're sure?" She asked.

"Yes I'm sure..." I said, fiddling with the hem of my T-shirt.

"Who's the boy?" She asked me.

"What?" I asked, distractedly.

"Who is the father, Delilah?" She asked me, more plainly this time.

"Father? Hold on.... Hold on, no.... You're pregnant?" Dustin asked.

I'd forgotten he was in the room for a moment.

"Dustin be quiet." She said, sternly.

"You can tell me, Delilah." She said to me.

"I can't." I said, shaking.

"No one is going to judge you, your father and I won't be mad, I'm not mad. But the father is going to need to know." She said.

"Uhm, I've come at a bad time haven't I?"

We all turned to see a startled Eddie in the doorway, his eyes wide on the situation in front of him.

I gasped for breath then, panicking as Dustin looked from me, the stick in his hand, and then to Eddie.

"Please tell me it's not him...." He said, his face creased with sadness, and betrayal.

"Shut up Dustin, I'm begging you." I said, through gritted teeth.

My mom eyed me carefully, as my scared eyes couldn't meet Eddie's and she quickly deduced that Dustin was bang on the money.

"No, no, he's my best friend. You wouldn't do that. You said you didn't like him like that." Dustin continued, horrified.

"I never said I didn't like him like that, I didn't say much of anything. I was going to tell you, Dustin." I said, sadly.

"So it is him?" He asked me.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered.

"What's going on?" Eddie asked, confused.

"You two have been seeing each other? You've been sneaking around with my sister? She's the secret girlfriend you weren't ready to introduce us all to?" He asked Eddie.

"Listen Henderson...." Eddie started to say.

"When did you two meet each other? And tell me the truth." Dustin demanded.

"The morning after she came back, or before that?" He continued.

"Dustin..." I started to say.

"Tell me." He demanded.

"The week before I went to college." I admitted.

"At the graduation party. We got talking and listen, we really hit it off, we just clicked. Neither of us were expecting it, it just happened. We were talking about you, and Lilah asked if I'd look out for you." Eddie said, as I tensed.

"You asked him to be friends with me?" Dustin asked, me.

"She did, but listen.... I wanted to be friends with you, you're a cool kid. You're the best kid I know, man." Eddie argued.

"So you didn't initially make friends with me naturally? You were looking for me in school to make sure we became friends? Only because my older sister asked you to?" Dustin asked.

"Maybe that was the reason at the very start, but after? No, I was friends with you because I wanted to be." Eddie said.

"Friends don't see their friends' sister behind their back. Friends don't lie." Dustin said.

"Dustin, go to your room." My mother suddenly demanded.

"I think I should go..." Eddie said, sadly.

"You need to stay. Dustin is going to his room, and then you, me and Delilah are going to go downstairs to her father and we're going to talk. It's going to be a real grown up conversation, and you're probably not ready for it. But we're going to have it nonetheless." She said.

Dustin went to walk past her, when she stopped him.

"This isn't about you, or your feelings on this right now son. This is much bigger than that. And I'm going to need that." She said, holding her hand out.

And as Dustin thrust it into her hand, Eddie watched the exchange with curious, wide eyes before he turned to look at me.

And I doubted I'd ever seen him look so scared.

"Lilah....?" He asked me, searching my face, desperate for an answer.

My mother turned to him, and sighed softly.

"Son, this is a pregnancy test. There's two lines on it. Delilah is pregnant. And based on certain reactions in this room, I'd wager that you're the boy she needs to tell. We need to have a conversation, and that's gonna happen right now." She said.

Her tone was firm, but kind.
My heart swelled with love for her suddenly; she really wasn't judging me.

I suspected this wasn't what she'd want for me right now, in the future perhaps, but she was trying to be calm and judgement free. After all, she hadn't heard the two sides of our story yet and so she was remaining impartial until she'd received the much anticipated explanation she was looking for.

"You're.... You're pregnant?" Eddie repeated, suddenly unsteady on his feet.

"You should sit down for a moment." She said, guiding him into a seated position on the end of my bed.

She sat next to him, and patted his shoulder, sympathetically.

"Before we go downstairs, I need you to just answer a few questions." She said, as my legs suddenly felt like lead.

"Delilah, you should really sit down too." She said, motioning to my window seat.

I limped over to it, before sitting down.

"Did you use protection?" She asked.

"Every time." Eddie said, sounding congested.

When he braved a glance my way, he was crying.
His eyes were wide with shock, and he looked scared.

He looked exactly how I felt.

"Is there a chance one of them tore, or split?" She asked, her voice painfully soft.

"Why aren't you mad?" I blurted suddenly, unable to take it.

"Because I know that you're not stupid Delilah. And I think that this guy here isn't either. You also forget that I was only a little older than you when I had you." She said.

That was a little fact I'd overlooked, apparently.

"I didn't see any tears or anything." Eddie said.

"Sometimes they can be defective, and you wouldn't have seen." She said.

"I swear mom, we weren't stupid." I said.

"No, we weren't. I promise we weren't." Eddie said.

"We need to tell your father, Delilah." She said to me, as I nodded.

"Could we just maybe have a minute, please?" I asked, referring to myself and Eddie.

"Of course. I'll be waiting downstairs." She said, before excusing herself.

She gave me a lasting glance, before disappearing around the door.

"Can you please look at me?" I pleaded, my voice thick with tears.

"I'm sorry Lilah, I'm just in shock I think." He said, wiping his eyes.

He cleared his throat and looked up at me, as I begged with my eyes.

He seemed to notice this, and his posture immediately softened.

"I could use a hug right now I think, could you?" He asked, managing a small smile.

Somewhat relieved, I hurried over to him and fell into his arms.

"You're really pregnant?" He asked.

"I'm late. The test is pretty accurate." I answered.

"I haven't had chance to really digest it." I added.

"I mean, I've always wanted kids.... Maybe not at this age or right now, but I've never ruled them out." He said, with a sigh.

He held me to him tightly, and kissed the top of my head softly.

"This was just an accident." He said.

"Oh god..." I said, suddenly.

"What is it?" He asked.

"The day in the library... you said it didn't feel as though it was on." I said, the nerves twisting in my stomach.

"It was on though." He argued.

"You said it didn't feel right.... But I wouldn't wait..." I said, as his eyes widened.

"This was my fault." I whimpered, horrified.

"No, no, no....no, this wasn't your fault. It felt a little loose but it was definitely on." He said, reassuringly.

"I should have checked again." I argued.

"I should have checked again. I was in charge of protecting us." He said.

"It's a two way street, and you know it." I argued.

"It's not your fault." He insisted.

"I need to think about what we're going to do." In added, as his grip loosened on me suddenly.

There was a few minutes where he was deafeningly quiet and I wasn't sure I could bear it.

"Eddie?" I questioned as he rubbed his face, sighing.

"I uhm.... I don't think I can have this conversation with your parents, not right now. There's things I need to think about, things I need to get together in my head... I'm sorry, but I have to go." He said, rising from the bed, abruptly.

"What? You're leaving?" I asked, frowning.

"I have to go, I'm sorry. I just have to think about this." He said.

"What did I say?" I asked.

"Nothing... nothing Lilah. But I have to think about all of this." He spluttered hurriedly.

"I can't run, Eddie. I can't run from this." I said, a wave of claustrophobia washing over me.

I felt like the room was caving in on me.

"I'm not running." He argued.

"Sure looks like it from where I'm sitting." I argued back.

"We're kids, Delilah. I just need a moment, I just need to think about all of this. I'm sorry, but I'm suffocating in here." He said, his voice strained.

"Go then, Eddie. Get the fuck out." I spat angrily.

"I didn't mean it like that.... Please..." He begged.

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" I yelled loudly.

He flinched, and his mouth quivered, as his eyes glazed over with tears.

"Lilah...." He whispered.

"Run home Eddie." I mumbled, before turning away from him.

I lay down on my head and when I heard him descending the stairs, I burst into heavy, heartbroken sobs.

************************************
The conversation took place without him in the end, and my parents were painfully supportive.

I would have considered the other option, had Eddie not ran out on me. My mom seemed disappointed with my answer but my mind was made up.

And so, we drove to the appointment the following afternoon and as we sat in the waiting room, I heard my mom sigh.

"You wouldn't be alone, if you chose otherwise." She said softly.

"He ran out on me." I said.

"Honey, he's as scared as you are. The saddening crux of this is that the mother can't run. The mother carries the child, carries everything that comes with it. He's a young man, you're a young woman. This is very real grown up stuff. Maybe he hasn't ran out on you like you think, maybe he just needs a moment." She said.

Funny, he'd said that too.
And it was becoming too long of a moment for me.

"Where's my moment, ma?" I asked her.

"Yours is here. It's upon you, right now. Are you absolutely sure?" She asked, sadly.

"Miss Henderson?" The nurse called from the door.

"I'm sure." I said, rising to my wobbly feet.

"This way." The nurse said.

And I followed.

***************************************
Eddie's POV.

I hadn't gone home, I'd stayed out all night and all day, sitting on the cliff edge, where we'd had burgers and where I'd asked her for a second night together.

There'd been many days and nights that had followed but it had been the day in the library that had ultimately brought us here.

Our baby was growing inside of her belly, and the realisation of effectively walking out on her, had already dawned on me.

I knew what it would have looked like, but I hadn't run for that reason.

I'd run for another reason, altogether.

She'd make a great mom, if she chose to take that option. The other option would see this massive change suddenly disappear and I wasn't sure if we'd be able to come back from it.

Things seemed strained, they seemed awkward and I supposed that I'd effectively jumped before I'd figured I'd be pushed.

Would she want me by her side, to help raise the kid I'd made with her? I loved her, but I didn't know if she loved me back. The ideal I always had in my head was that I'd be with a girl who loved me, and we'd have a house, a car, jobs and I'd be the caretaker of both her and our child.

The ideal that I would only ever want with her.

If she did love me, she'd likely be regretting it now having watched me run from her house in a panic.

But it wasn't that kind of panic.
It was the panic that I was painfully underprepared and I'd wanted to try and correct that.

That was why I was here.
I was considering how I'd make this situation better and work for all three of us. How I'd be better, for her and our kid.

I had nothing to offer her right now, and she deserved everything. Everything I didn't have in this present moment.

I didn't need anyone to tell me I didn't have much, or was much. I already knew. But every day, I tried to be better, tried to get my shit together.

And I was already late in doing that.
Even more so, now.

Realising I needed advice and I needed help, I rushed to my van and erratically drove home, bursting through the trailer door.

And I was met by a concerned face, and stern eyes.

Uncle Wayne.

Did he know already?

*****************************************
Dustin's POV.

I hadn't seen or spoken to Delilah since yesterday and I'd heard my parents leave with her this afternoon.

My mom had told me to take the day off from school, and Mike had already radioed twice, asking where Eddie was, and where I was.

Eddie hadn't turned in either.

My mind was whirling with everything, and I realised that I was trying to tell my sister who she could and couldn't be with.

And I had no right to do that.

I knew that.

I just didn't like that they hadn't just been honest with me. But I had no further time to think about that, as I picked up a card from the kitchen counter and my heart started to race.

Suddenly, my parents came through the door, with a distressed and distraught Delilah in tow.

She was in my mothers arms, and she was hunched over.

She looked small, and she was shaking.

"Mom?" I asked, as she walked Delilah to the stairs.

She turned to me sadly, and shook her head.

"Lilah?" I whispered, as she gripped the bannister.

"Big sis?" I asked, desperately.

"She needs some time, Dusty." Our mom said.

I watched sadly as she carefully and very slowly led Delilah up the stairs, before turning to my dad.

Who looked equally as heartbroken.

"I should never have made her feel guilty, about it. I know he's my friend....I should have been a better brother." I whispered, my vision blurring with tears.

My father eyed me carefully, before crossing the room towards me. He threw his arms around me and he sobbed into my shoulder.

"You're such a good kid. Both of you. I'm so proud of my kids." He said, between sobs.

**********************************************
Eddie's POV.

"You and I need a chat, boy."

"Wayne I don't know what you know... but I have to tell you something." I said, holding myself.

"Yesterday, I had Mrs Henderson on the phone. She said that you and I needed to have a serious talk about something and that you ran out on Delilah. Only, you haven't been home since yesterday morning." He growled.

"I know, that's why I came over here." I said.

"Delilah..... she's having a baby." I said, shaking.

"She's having my baby." I corrected.

I watched as he doubled over, the shock a little too much for him and I regretted blurting it out.

And so, I immediately tried to compensate for my outburst.

"But it's okay, because I know what I need to do. I won't be what she deserves, I won't be worthy until I... I-I get a job, until I get a place for us, until I'm making enough money to support us." I said, my mind racing.

"Boy...." Wayne said, as I started to pace.

"So yeah, I'll get a job, I'll make sure I graduate, I'll work full time after that, people still buy weed too, so don't judge me but I'll do that too.... And I.... I.... I'll be worthy enough for her then. I'll be worthy enough to be a dad to my kid..." I said, panting.

"For god's sake Ed, SIT DOWN." Wayne shouted.

I stopped pacing, and sat down slowly on the sofa.

He walked over until he was level with me, and glared at me.

It was coming. The I'm just like my parents speech.

"Don't ever let me hear you say you're not worthy of that girl. That girl, has always known what she wants, she's always been a sassy little thing. I don't think you could ever make her do something she didn't want to. Don't let me hear you say you gotta go out there and prove your worth, like you're in the damn dark ages where you present a girls family with the prize pig in exchange to marry her. She lay with you, boy. She cares about you. If she didn't think you were worthy of her, she wouldn't have done that. Now I know y'all didn't mean to get yourself into the tight spot you're in right now. But you're in it. And you're gonna have to grow up real fast. But none of us are gonna expect you to do this on your own." Wayne said, as my mouth fell open in shock.

"Uhm, I wasn't expecting that. Sorry.... I was geared up for something else." I said, blinking rapidly.

"You were waiting for the you're like your parents speech. But you know something Ed? You're my boy. And you ain't nothin' like them." He said.

"And us Munsons? We don't run out on a woman in trouble. Not someone like Delilah Henderson. She's a good girl, and you're a good boy. But now you need to be a man." Wayne added.

Just as the trailer door burst open.

"Eddie man, you gotta come with me now. It's Lilah."

"Dustin?" I asked, shocked.

"Do any of you kids knock?" Wayne grumbled.

"I'm sorry Sir..." Dustin said hurriedly, breathless.

"Sorry... I need a sec. I ran all the way here." He added, his hands on his hips.

"What's wrong with Lilah?" I asked, concerned.

Dustin's face was creased with sadness and fear.

"I've been the worst brother and friend ever. I know that whatever deal you made in the beginning, you were still my friend. I know we were friends regardless. I didn't mean what I said. But Lilah, she came home from the doctors today..... she's upset, she's not well, and she's been crying in her room for hours." Dustin said, hiccuping softly.

"No... wait, wait, wait.... She.... Is she okay?" I asked, my heart pounding.

I rose to my feet slowly, feeling bile wash up my throat.

"My mom wouldn't tell me anything, and my dad was upset....I'm not sure what's happened but I saw the appointment card on the counter.... It was for the abortion clinic..." Dustin said, as I let out a shaky cry.

"No man.... No...." I said.

"I don't know but that's what it said..... what if she has?" He asked.

"I need to go to her...." I said, my eyes wide, tears streaming down my face.

I felt out of it. The shock, more than likely.

"You can't drive like that. I'll take you both." Wayne said, sounding sad all of a sudden.

"What if she has?" I asked him, the fear loud in my voice.

"It was her decision, son." He said, with a sad sigh.

******************************************
Eddie's POV.

As I stood outside her bedroom door, she looked so small all of a sudden.

Small and afraid.
She was sitting in her window seat, looking out of the window as her head rested against it, and she was clutching a cushion to her chest, holding it to her for comfort.

She was crying, and I watched her sadly, as she hiccuped softly.

She whimpered, before holding her breath, trying to keep her emotions in, and I could see the anguish and the turmoil she was going through.

My heart ached to see her like this. She seemed so frightened, confused and heartbroken.

And it was partially down to me.

"Lilah....?" I called softly.

"Lilah, I'm so sorry.... I didn't leave because I didn't want to be a part of this with you. I left because I had to figure out what I was going to do and how I was going to support you." I said.

And when she didn't answer, I slowly inched into her room, careful to keep a boundary between us, so I didn't upset her further.

If that was even possible right now, I didn't know.

"I just needed to figure out what I needed to do, so that I would be worthy of you. So that I'd be worthy of looking after you and our baby." I continued.

"He's not lying Lilah, he's telling the truth." Dustin said, appearing behind me.

Her breath caught in her chest then, as she turned to look at both of us, her face wet with tears.

Old and fresh.

Her hands were shaking, as she tried to wipe some of them away, and I rushed over to her then, Dustin at my heels.

I climbed onto the opposite side of the window seat, facing her, Dustin kneeling on the floor in front of her.

"But if you've already made your decision, just know that I want to be with you either way." I said.

"I'm sorry....I know you were just looking out for me, I know that he's my friend because he wants to be. I'm really glad I have a sister like you." Dustin said.

"I want to be with you." I confirmed.

"I want you and all that you come with." I added.

"I couldn't do it...." She whispered suddenly.

"Couldn't do what?" I asked.

"I couldn't go through with it." She said.

"I'm so scared.... But I was more scared at the thought of going through with it. I was on the gurney.... They were about to, but then I shouted for my mom." She said, sobbing heavily.

"The abortion clinic...." Dustin said, wide eyed.

"I didn't have the procedure.... I didn't have the termination." She said, clutching onto the pillow.

"I'm scared too. But we can be scared together." I said.

"We can figure this all out together, Lilah." I added.

"I'm here too." Dustin said, as a small smile tugged at her mouth.

"I'm sorry for all of the lying and sneaking around." She said, reaching for his hand.

He took it gladly and she pulled him into a hug, holding onto him tightly.

"I love you baby brother." She said, as I watched the exchange through glassy eyes.

"I love you too." He said, sighing.

She released him and she turned to me slowly.

"Can I see?" I asked, as she hesitated for a moment, gauging my expression.

She must have seen something in my eyes that I was desperately trying to tell her, because her shaky hands suddenly moved to the hem of her cream turtleneck jumper and she lifted it slowly, to reveal a small mound.

Unless you looked real close, you wouldn't see it.
But I knew every inch of her body and I could see it was there. A small, minute mound.

Forgetting myself, my hands immediately reached towards it, and thankfully she made no attempt to stop me.

My hands touched the skin of her stomach and I cradled the small bump in my fingers, sighing softly.

I turned to Dustin, who was smiling broadly.

"Are we gonna be okay?" She asked, as I nodded through my tears.

"We're gonna be fine. Because we'll be together. If that's what you want?" I asked her, as her eyes welled up again.

She nodded hurriedly, and she smiled through fresh tears, a shaky laugh falling from her mouth.

"That's all I want." She said.

I opened my arms and she fell into them willingly, crying with relief.

"You're all I've ever wanted, Delilah." I said, holding her tight.

"No one is gonna expect us to do this alone. People will help." I said, kissing the top of my head.

Dustin rose to his feet, and nodded towards me, out of respect.

"I'll give you two a moment." He said, subtly ducking out of her room, leaving us.

"I'm gonna get a job, whilst I finish school. I'm gonna make sure I graduate, and then I'll get a full time job. I'll save until we can get a place of our own, and then we can be a family." I said.

"Until then, I can stay with Wayne, you can stay here, and let the people who love us, help us." I added.

"I thought I was going to have to do this alone." She said, hiccuping softly.

"I wasn't going to leave you. I'm not going to leave you." I urged, as she looked up at me.

"Why?" She asked.

"Isn't it obvious baby girl? I love you." I said, as she whimpered with relief.

"I've loved you since that night in the cave. The night I spent with the most romantic girl, who asked me to sneak into a secret cave with her before she went to college. You took a piece of my heart with you. A real big piece. And when you came back, it was like it came back with you." I continued.

"I love you, too." She whispered.

"We're gonna be a family, and we're gonna be fine. As long as we're together, we're gonna be just fine." I said, reassuringly.

"You were wrong." She said suddenly, as I frowned.

"About what?" I asked, as she stroked my cheek gently.

"You are worthy of me. You always have been." She said.

********************************************
Eddie's POV.

By the time evening came around, we were both sitting in her window seat in a newly comfortable silence, the hard conversations out of the way, for this day at least.

She was sitting in between my legs, her back resting against my chest, her head lying against my shoulder.

My arms were wrapped around her protectively and we were both looking absentmindedly out of the window, watching the world go by.

As much as I was scared, I was glad she hadn't gone through with it. I believed she felt the same.

As much as we're going to need all the help we could possibly get until we'd found our feet, if I was ever going to have kids with someone, I'd want it to be with someone I both connected and was in love with, regardless of if the kids were planned or accidental.

That part wouldn't matter to me; the connection and the love did.

And I hadn't been sure of her feelings for me and how far or deep they went until today.

She'd needed to know that I wasn't standing by her through obligation or duty.

I was standing by her, because I loved her.

I held her to me then a little tighter, and she welcomed the closeness, with a small sigh.

"I think I'm gonna drop out of college." She said, her voice calm and quiet.

"You don't have to do that... we could figure something out." I said.

"You're going to be working and working your way through your senior year, to eventually graduate." She argued.

"I'd have to seriously knuckle down, sure. But I'm ready to, and I want to, more than ever now." I said.

"Which is why I'm going to drop out of college." She said.

"Why?" I asked her, sensing there was more to this bold statement.

"Well, seeing as I've already done the tests and graduated, I'm going to help you do exactly the same." She said.

"You're going to help me cheat my way through to graduation?" I asked, in disbelief.

"No. I'm going to tutor you." She corrected, with a small laugh.

"Oh." I said, before chuckling softly.

"Give me some credit Munson. I'm a little rebellious, sure. But not that rebellious. And if I did help you cheat your way through, you wouldn't have earned it through your own merit. Given that this will be your second senior year, I figured you'd want to graduate through your own achievement and not by the answers scrawled on each palm?" She asked.

"No you're right, you're absolutely right. I was just surprised." I said, laughing softly.

"If I drop out, I can focus on tutoring you and perhaps find work somewhere too." She said.

"I don't want you doing too much though." I said.

"I'm pregnant, not disabled." She said, and I could practically hear the eye roll that I was sure had followed.

I may not have been able to see it, but I could tell she definitely had, either way.

"I know that. But we still need to take care of you and baby Munson." I said.

"And we will." She answered.

"Have you told your parents this yet?" I asked.

"No, but I plan to. Just when the dust has settled. One disappointment at a time." She said, sounding sad.

"They're not disappointed. They're just shocked and worried, I promise you that." I answered.

"You didn't see this happening until far into your future, and I thought the same." She said.

"I'm also strongly of the opinion that everything happens for a reason." I said.

"It's not your fault." I added.

"I guess I'm gonna have to try and make my peace with that." She answered.

"Take as long as you need. This is a big thing, it's a big, lifetime commitment. I could be ready for that, if you can?" I asked.

"Yeah, I could be ready for it too." She answered.

"As long as we're together, right?" I asked.

"As long as we're together." She repeated.

********************************************
Two weeks later.
Eddie's POV.

It hadn't taken long for people to find out that I was going to be a father; I wasn't surprised, not really.

The guys felt a little betrayed at not hearing directly from either myself or Dustin, and Mike was still a little put out at Dustin not responding to him over the radio.

"Did you think you couldn't tell us?" Jeff asked, at lunch.

"We've been through this, I knew I could tell you. But this is fucking life changing man. Not just for me or for Dustin, but for Delilah too. We were just getting our heads around it, we needed time." I said.

"Im sorry I didn't answer on the radio, some things happened after and it was a lot to deal with." Dustin added, looking at Mike.

"I didn't ignore you on purpose. I just had to make amends with Eddie and Delilah and be there for them both, as family." He added.

This kid, was just awesome.
I didn't deserve him.

"No we get that." Gareth said, before eyeing me carefully.

"You okay?" He asked.

"You holding up alright?" Jeff asked.

"I've found a part time job, Delilah is tutoring me from this week so I can hopefully graduate, and it's sinking in more now." I said.

"Daddy Munson, who'd have thought it eh?" Gareth asked.

"Yeah, who'd have thought it? I mean, we were all secretly hoping that you'd save us and the world from your freak offspring, Munson. I wasn't sure your goods would even work from all the sacrificial rituals you carry out, but hey, what do I know?"

I looked up to see Jason Carver, with a smug smile spread across his face.

"Although I was initially impressed that it was with the former Queen of Hawkins High. She sure is a beauty.... Clearly made up for the fact that she obviously hasn't been thinking straight by letting you anywhere near her."

And just as I went to answer, practically vibrating with rage, someone else spoke before I could.

"So are we just overlooking the fact that you forced Terri Jones into having an abortion when you knocked her up after a pep rally last year?"

Delilah.

"And additionally, that your daddy tried to pay her five thousand dollars in hush money?" She added.

"See, before you ask.... I know because she told me. Thank god she spared the world of your offspring. One Jason Carver running around making the world a misery to live in, is more than enough." She continued.

She sure was sassy.

"I'm sorry Delilah, I didn't see you." Jason said, with a large gulp.

"It ain't me you need to apologise to. I have a better GPA than you'll ever have in your short little life so don't worry about me, Carver. There's nothing you could say that'll affect me, so don't hold yourself in the regard that would even imply or suggest you could. But you can apologise to Eddie. And this I would just love to see." She said, folding her arms across her chest, with a raised eyebrow.

"Whenever you're ready, Carver." Jeff interjected.

"It isn't your business anyway, so your narrow minded opinion isn't required or even remotely relevant." Dustin added.

"Good at commenting on other people's affairs but like people to stay awfully quiet about your own, huh?" I asked him, through narrowed eyes.

"It's a good job Daddy's wallet is endless. Otherwise there'd be a lot of talk around here about the stunts you pull and the shit you get up to." Delilah added.

"I'm sorry okay?!" Jason cried.

"Do you think he meant that?" Delilah asked me.

"Not sure, what do you think, Henderson?" I asked.

"Meh, I've heard better." He said, with a shrug.

"I am sorry." Jason said, with a frown.

"The moral of this story Carver, is that unless you can say safely that you've never been in this kind of situation, then it's best to just keep that shitty little mouth shut. Because Terri never took the hush money did she?" Delilah asked.

"Babe, what's she talking about?"

Chrissy Cunningham appeared at his side, and I watched Delilah narrow her eyes.

"And that's the second moral of the story. Don't come over here, giving someone grief when you've not told your current girlfriend that you cheated on her last year. These things have a funny old way of coming out, don't they? Always comes out in the wash, Carver." Delilah said, with immense satisfaction.

"So maybe, just maybe, you'll think about that a little more, next time." Jeff added.

"That's your cue to leave, Jason. You have some explaining of your own, to be busying yourself with." I said, with a smile.

Whilst Chrissy had been clearly caught in the crossfire, and there was a hint of regret on Delilah's face, it was obvious that she was protecting me, and had done it quite effectively and admirably.

The guys had too.

After theyd both made a swift exit from our table, I turned to Delilah then, as did Henderson.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" I asked her.

"Someone forgot his lunch." She said, nodding her head towards Dustin.

I looked again and realised that he didn't actually have anything in front of him.

"Have you literally sat there this whole time without lunch?" I asked.

"Like she said, I forgot it." He replied.

"Jesus man, we'd have subbed you lunch. Why didn't you say anything?" I asked, as Jeff smiled.

"What's up with you?" I asked him.

"You just sounded awfully fatherly then." He said, as I rolled my eyes.

"I'm being serious. That was cool, man." He added.

"Well anyway, here. Eat up." Delilah said, placing his lunch box down in front of him.

"Thank you." He said, with a smile.

"But I'm also here for you." She said, turning to me.

"You are? Well my day just got better." I said, with a smile.

"Wayne has signed you out for the afternoon. We're going to the hospital." She said, as my smile immediately faded and I started to panic.

"Are you okay? Is everything alright?" I asked, my eyes hurriedly taking in her appearance.

"Eddie, I'm fine. It's routine." She said.

"Oh thank god." I said, as she smiled.

I relaxed in my seat then, not seeing the guys staring at me incredulously.

"Eddie man, she means now." Grant said, as Dustin chuckled.

"Get going." He said.

"Oh shit, okay. Sorry." I said, scrambling to my feet.

I approached Delilah and she wrapped an arm around me as we said goodbye and made our way to the entrance doors.

"Thanks for having my back, back there." I whispered in her ear.

"It's my job to protect you too, you know." She said, as I kissed the side of her head.

"So, what's happening at this appointment today then?" I asked her as she smiled broadly.

"We're going to see the baby." She said, as I gasped loudly, excited.

"We are?!" I asked.

"Yeah and we should be able to hear its heartbeat." She said, as I rubbed her shoulder softly.

"Today is a good day." I declared, sighing with satisfaction.

**********************************************
We sat in his room later that evening, staring down at a single scan picture in my hands, and it was beginning to finally feel real.

I was almost 11 weeks, along.

We were looking at his copy; mine was safely tucked away in my purse.

There was a baby growing inside of me.
We'd heard its heartbeat.

I had only just managed to quieten Eddie down, from bouncing with such wonderful joy and excitement.

There wasn't a glimmer of doubt or regret anymore; if there ever had been, it was long gone.

My parents had understood my decision in regards to quitting college and believed my plan to both work and tutor Eddie was perhaps the better move. More practical, my father had described it as.

When I'd voiced that I knew they'd seen my future a little differently than what it was now, I was aptly assured that I wasn't the disappointment of the family I had put myself down as.

They weren't disappointed; they were actually both quite amazed at how well we'd already been working to get things as they needed to be.

Tonight, I was trying to get Eddie in the frame of mind to start reading the book he'd been assigned and he'd complained for almost half an hour about the fact that Mr Glenn could have let the class read a book of their choosing and that his would have absolutely have been the Hobbit.

"If he let me read that and write an essay, I'd pass with flying colours." He had said.

That had been his argument.

Mine? Mine was that he had been given The Destructors by Graham Green, it was pretty final and that he needed to read it.

And so, after a final look at the scan picture, he sat back against his headboard and began to read, as I lay at his crossed feet, reading the job advertisements in the local paper.

And when he was done reading for the evening, he picked up the scan picture from his bedside table, placed it within the book to mark where he'd read to, and I subtly watched him as he smiled at it fondly, before closing the book.

"Nicest bookmark I've ever had." He said to himself, smiling.

I doubted I could love him, more.

***********************************
I'd managed to find a part time job in the book store, next to Family Video, and I often had my lunch break with Steve.

We were fellow non college goers together, now.

"Any regrets?" He'd asked.

"No. To be honest, I wasn't sure it was what I really wanted to do, anyway. I thought about changing degrees and changing classes but figured it wasn't either of those that were the problem. Eddie has always been right about one thing.... Forced conformity and I never thought I'd say that in my life. But I went because I thought it was expected of me. Instead, I'm knocked up and my parents are actually proud of me for getting on with things. I'm not the disappointment of the family. I'm someone my brother still looks up to, and I'm someone my parents are still proud of. That beats going to college where I wasn't even happy." I'd replied.

There had been a number of conversations of this nature over the course of the next week, but ultimately Steve was thrilled for me, for us.

We really did have wonderful friends.

And as I stacked a table with fresh copies of a local authors book, a figure came to stand behind me and I immediately tensed.

"Can we talk?"

"I don't think we have anything to talk about." I answered, not turning around.

"Yeah? I think we do."

I turned around then, to see Jason behind me.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" I asked him.

"Haven't been able to face going in. And that's because of you." He said.

"It's because of you." I answered, simply.

"Everyone knows the kind of person you actually are now. What's that like?" I asked, when he didn't answer.

"You're awfully proud of getting knocked up at 19, aren't you?" He sneered.

"Is that supposed to offend me?" I asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"How doesn't it? How aren't you embarrassed?" He asked, almost offended himself.

"Why does it matter so much to you?" I asked.

"You're high and mighty with the freaks baby inside you." He argued.

"You know something, you might not hold him in any regard whatsoever, but you know what separates you from him?" I asked.

"Enlighten me." He said.

"The fact that he didn't run. He didn't tell me to get rid of it, he didn't offer me any money to keep quiet. He worked on this with me, like you're supposed to. He understood that it was my choice and he made no argument against my decision. I had his support, either way. In fact, I have to keep him calm on a daily basis because he's that excited, he practically bounces off the walls. Don't think for a second that I didn't consider a termination because I did. But I am so glad I didn't." I said.

"He's more of a man than you'll ever be, and that's why you're here. He's making a mockery of you as a person and what you try to uphold on a daily basis. This goes against your ideals. Well, I have some advice for you. Try not to let it bother you so much." I added.

"How come you were never interested in me, Delilah?" He asked me suddenly.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, in disbelief.

"Come on, it was obvious that I liked you. Why were you never interested in someone like me? Why him?" He asked.

"Oh that's why you're annoyed?" I asked.

"What does he have that I don't?" He asked.

"You don't really want me to answer that, surely?" I asked.

"Oh I'm really curious." He answered.

"He comes from the most humble background, his parents ran out on him and he was brought up by his uncle. He's not been brought up on much money at all, but he's never once complained about it because he knows he's loved and he's always been looked after. My brother started high school the year I left for college and without a glimmer of hesitation, he looked after him so that he wouldn't get bullied by you. I asked him and he obliged without question; he barely knew me at that time, but he still said he'd do it. He's had a less comfortable life than you and he's still the nicest guy. And then, then there's you." I said.

"Let's hear it." He said, a little too confidently for me.

He still thought he stood a chance at being better than Eddie.

"The reason I was never interested in you nor will I ever be, is because you'd only ever have wanted to go out with me because I was apparently the Queen Bee. You'd have been more popular and you'd have been the guy that got the ultimate girl. Jesus Carver, I hated being popular. I just wanted to be me, get through school and leave. That's all you and everyone else saw. Eddie see's me. He never cared if I was popular, or even if I was well liked. He liked me, and he didn't care what anyone else thought. It was never about how it would look to him. He just liked me." I said.

"You sure think you know me. Well, if you do, you'd already know that I'd have this with me, wouldn't you?" He asked, before drawing a gun from his pocket.

I heard a woman behind me gasp loudly, and I half turned to her.

"It's okay, it's okay." I said, calmly.

"Everybody needs to get out. Right now." Jason announced, as the customers in the store all stopped dead in their tracks and gasped.

"It's okay." I said again, calmly.

"I want everybody in here to get out right now." He ordered, a little louder this time.

I turned to the woman behind me and met the other people's eyes before nodding at them.

"Do what he says." I said.

"You're staying with me. They all need to leave." He said.

"We heard you. Please, do what he says and leave." I called out.

I heard gasps and footsteps as one by one, they all slowly walked to the door, their eyes on me.

"It's alright, go, close the door behind you." I said, managing a small smile.

"Lock the door." He said, when he was sure everyone had left.

He followed me with his eyes and the gun as I slowly walked to the door and turned the lock.

When he heard it click shut, he beckoned me towards him.

"Come here." He demanded.

I raised my hands slowly in surrender and approached him.

"You're going to stay with me, and we're just going to talk. We're going to sort this out, so that things go back to how they were." He said.

"Jason, things aren't going to go back like that. It's already done." I argued.

He grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me to him.

I yelped, and he shoved me behind the counter, forcing me to sit down on the chair.

"It's not too late. Things can go back. And you can help me with that." He said.

"How? By holding me hostage?" I asked.

"Keep arguing with me and see what happens." He said, pointing the gun inbetween my eyes.

"Now you're gonna call the freak and tell him whatever you need to, so he stays away from here." He ordered, motioning to the phone on the desk.

"Call him." He demanded.

I shakily reached for the phone, and dialled my home number, knowing Eddie was with Dustin.

"Henderson Residence, this is your friendly neighbourhood freak Eddie Munson, how can I help?"

Any other time, thst perhaps would have made me laugh.

"Eddie.... Eddie it's me." I said, trying to keep my voice even.

"Lilah? Hey you, aren't you finishing soon?" He asked.

"Yeah about that...." I started to say, before subtly turning so that the phone in my hand was out of his view, suddenly having an idea.

And as the conversation continued, I started to tap on the phone buttons.

********************************************
"Henderson Reaidence, this is your friendly neighbourhood freak, Eddie Munson. How can I help?" I asked, as Dustin rolled his eyes.

"Eddie.... Eddie it's me."

"Lilah? Hey you, aren't you finishing soon?" I asked, glancing at the clock.

"Yeah, about that...." She started to say, before I heard a tapping of the phone button.

"Lilah, you're pressing on the buttons." She said, as Dustin looked up from his homework.

"I told my boss I'd do overtime last week, totally forgot." She said, over the tapping.

And then it dawned on me.

She was tapping morse code on the buttons of the shop phone as she spoke to me.

I signalled to Dustin, who hurriedly rushed over.

"Who's with you?" I asked.

J A S O N

"I'm not gonna be too long." She said.

"Is it just him?" I asked, in a low voice.

"Around one hour I think."

Y E S

"Can you get out?" I asked.

S T U C K

"I'll be locking up too."

"Are you tied up? Can you move around?" I asked

"I said I would, we have inventory."

N O

"Is he armed?" I asked.

"Yeah, I said I would, I forgot to tell you?"

G U N

"Is he watching you right now?" I asked.

S O S

"Sorry, yeah I said I would."

"Lilah, are you hurt? Has he hurt you?" I asked.

N O

"Okay, I'd better go now." She said.

"Sit tight, I'm coming sweetheart. Just hold on for me okay?" I said, hurriedly.

"Will do, I love you Teddy." She said.

She never called me Teddy.

Did she think this was going to be goodbye?

"I love you. I'm coming for you baby girl. Hang in there." I said.

"Bye...." She said, as her voice cracked.

I heard the phone click and the line went dead.

"We need Hopper, and we need him now." I said to Dustin.

"I'm already on it. He's going straight there now." Dustin said, the radio in his hand.

"I need to go." I said, sliding my keys off the side.

"I'm coming too." Dustin said.

"Henderson, he's armed, there's no way." I said.

"It's my sister Eddie." He said.

"Is Steve working today?" I asked.

"Yeah I think so." Dustin said, as the radio crackled and a voice came through.

"Uhm, Dustin? Tell Eddie that everyone's been kicked out of the book store. They're all gathered outside, I think something is going on."

Steve.

"You're ears must be burning. I need you to go outside and tell me what you can see." I ordered.

"What's going on Ed?" He asked.

"Jason is in there with Lilah. He's locked them both in and he's armed. We've radioed Hopper, but I need you to go outside and tell me what you can see through the window." I said.

There was a pause and the radio went silent, until his voice came back over, a few moments later.

"He's in there with her. He's locked the door. Apparently he pulled the gun out and ordered everyone to leave, except for Lilah." Steve said.

"Is she okay, does she look hurt?" I asked, hirriedly.

"Some of the customers said he grabbed her a little rough and forced her to sit at the counter. But he hasn't done anything else to her. He was shouting at her about embarrassing him and that his life is over." Steve said.

"This is about Terri." I said.

"It's about what Delilah said about Terri." Dustin added.

"Chrissy broke up with him, too." Steve said over the radio.

"He hasn't been at school." I said.

"He's not in a good way man, he looks wired." Steve said.

"We're on our way." I announced, immediately.

"Hopper will be there soon." Dustin said.

"Keep an eye on her for me Steve, stay outside, please." I begged.

"I'm not going anywhere man, I promise." He replied.

**********************************************
"Why are you doing this?" I asked him, calmly.

"Because you decided to out me in front of the whole school, bitch." He said.

"Chrissy broke up with me, half the school hates me and this is all on you." He added.

"Why do you care so much about what people think of you?" I asked.

"You don't get it do you? My reputation is in tatters. It's practically nonexistent." He argued, angrily.

"I do get it. Mines not much better these days, either. Former Queen of Hawkins High, knocked up at 19. But you know something? I've learned that it doesn't matter. These kids, they'll forget about it." I said.

"Yeah? Well I won't. I ain't ending up like you or Harrington. Pair of nobodies that didn't end up in college or doing anything with their lives." He spat.

"I am doing something with my life. I'm going to be a mother. Harrington is making his own way, too." I argued.

"I did go to college." I added.

"And dropped out." He noted.

He brandished the gun at me then, and I tried to keep my expression as stony as possible.

"I did, but if you want me to be ashamed of that I can't. I've made my decision and I've accepted it. There's other more important things I need to be doing. I need to get my boyfriend through his senior year, I need to keep this job and earn money to buy my unborn child exactly what it needs. I can't do this any other way and I am sorry that this might not be what you want to hear. You want to hear me say that I'm embarrassed and ashamed of my situation, because you would be. Because you were once, with another girl. I can't do that Jason, because I'm not you." I explained.

"I'm sorry that I said what I said." I added.

He went to answer me, but something had caught his attention.

"Did you call the chief?" He asked me, in disbelief.

"Jason, there's customers outside. One of them more than likely has. Did you not think they would?" I asked.

"I called Eddie, like I asked. I lied to him, I told him I was here for overtime and closing." I continued.

"He's outside too." Jason said, motioning towards the window.

I turned and I could see him immediately, pressed up against the glass, his panicked, worried face peering in.

"Please let her go Jason. Please don't hurt her." He begged, his voice muffled.

I watched as Hopper pulled him back from the window, likely for his own safety, and he addressed Jason himself then.

"Put the gun down and open the door, Jason." Hopper instructed sternly.

"I can't do that." He said.

"Yes you can. I need you to put the gun down, open the door and let Delilah go." Hopper said.

"She's ruined my life." Jason called, his face creased with anger and grief, blended together.

"That doesn't justify holding her at gunpoint, Jason. I need you to put the gun down. Right now. And you need to let her go." Hopper said, adamant.

"Jason listen to me. I'm sorry for what I said, I'm sorry for outing you. But you have to realise that I was just protecting him. I was doing what you'd have done for Chrissy or for anyone you were with. You'd have done this, too. People will forget about this, it's not the be all and end all. There's so much more to your life other than what people think." I said, trying to appeal to him.

He turned to me, cocked the gun and shot me straight in the arm.

I cried out loud, the gunshot ringing in my ears as I clutched my arm.

And with a quick glance towards the shop window, Eddie was frantically trying to prise the door open, desperate to get in.

Dustin was pressed up against the glass, shouting me as Steve tried to shield him incase Jason shot another bullet.

"What have I done?" Jason asked me suddenly, shocked and horrified.

Whilst he was distracted, I noticed Hopper shove past Eddie, and I realised that they had one chance to get in here, before Jason decided to fire another round.

"Look at me." I ordered.

Jason turned to me, as I held my bloodied hands up in surrender.

"It's okay. They'll want me to press charges, and I won't do that. I'll take responsibility for my part in this, I drove you to this, and I'm sorry." I said.

"I already have taken responsibility. I know what your image and reputation means to you, I know it's important to you. Someone else will fuck up next month and they'll forget all about this. It'll be a distant memory, I promise you that." I continued.

"But there's a man out there, who loves me and is worried about me. My child's father is out there. My baby brother is out there too, he's watching his sister being held at gunpoint. Please don't do anything that means I don't walk back out there, to them, today." I begged, my hands shaking.

"Please let me walk out there to them. Don't do anything that means I'm wheeled out of here into a private ambulance." I added.

I watched his face soften and he lowered the gun.
And as it slipped out of his hand altogether, I heard a loud crash as Hopper broke through the door, and marched straight over to Jason, who didn't resist.

Hopper roughly grabbed him and pinned him down onto the counter cuffing him, as Eddie ran around them to me, bundling me up in his arms frantically.

"Don't resist or argue Carver, you're under arrest and I'm taking you in." I heard Hopper growl.

"Oh god, oh my god.... Delilah..... are you okay?!" He asked, panicking.

"He shot me in the arm, but I'm okay." I said, shakily.

"I thought I was going to lose you and the baby." He said, his voice cracking.

I held him to me, hearing him cry into my shoulder, as Hopper turned to me, with Jason in tow, cuffed.

"I'm gonna put him in the car. You need to go to the ambulance outside, they're waiting to take you to the hospital." He said.

"You're a brave young woman, you know that?" He added.

Eddie released me and helped me to my feet, before looking at Hopper.

"She's the best, Hop." He said, smiling through his tears.

"We should go." I said, as he guided me outside protectively.

"Delilah!" Dustin shouted, him and Steve rushing over to us.

"I'm okay, I'm alright." I said to them both.

"I just need to get checked out." I continued.

"We'll meet you at the hospital." Steve said.

"Over here Miss Henderson."

Eddie guided me towards the paramedic, and she helped me into the back of the ambulance.

"You can ride in the back." She said to Eddie, who had already climbed in.

"You weren't going anywhere without me, anyway." He explained as she nodded.

She climbed in after him, and helped me onto the stretcher, inspecting the bullet wound.

"It's a through and through. Bullet exited through here. You'll just need stitches." She said.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" She asked me.

"No, just there." I answered.

"You're a lucky girl." She noted.

Boy was she right.

***************************************
Time had flown by since the incident, and despite not wanting to press charges, the city did anyway.

So when the case went to trial, something Jason and his hot shot daddy hadn't anticipated, it was Jason Carver vs the State.

And he lost miserably.

Sentenced to four years and 9 months for holding me hostage and wounding me with intent, along with possession of a firearm without a licence, I watched him from the seats in the courtroom as he was taken down into the cells, before he was transferred to Pennhurst Prison.

It took a while, but we did fall back into our lives, living them as we were, and there were happier times that followed shortly after.

Eddie was officially on his way to graduation.
He'd followed my guidance and instructions, knuckled down and worked hard. He could now see the end path in sight.

He was finally ready.

We'd found out at 20 weeks that I was carrying a boy, and we'd chosen a name. A name we'd decided to keep as a secret from everyone, much to their dismay.

I'd had a lovely baby shower, organised by my mom, Joyce Byers and Nancy Wheeler.

We'd included the boys though, as much as that wasn't tradition and so they'd been invited along and it had been a magical day, celebrating the upcoming birth of Baby Munson.

"How's it going there mama?" Eddie asked me, as I stood in my moms kitchen, making a milky tea.

He watched as I groaned slightly and pressed my hands on my back, stretching.

"I've been cramping all morning." I said, as I poured the water into the mug behind me.

"And my stomach, it feels quite tight. I'm uncomfortable today." I said.

"When you say cramping.... How often?" He asked.

"Around every 5-6 minutes, why?" I asked, as his eyes widened slightly.

"Baby girl, I think you're possibly in labour." He said.

"But my waters haven't broken?" I asked, frowning.

And as I strained the tea bag and lifted the mug to my lips, we heard a sudden gush.

I looked down at my feet and then up at Eddie, open mouthed and wide eyed.

"Okay, that was my waters." I said.

"Because you're in labour." He said, as I nodded.

"I'll get the hospital bag and the van keys!" He said, rushing through the kitchen.

"What do I do?" I called after him.

"Call your mom, tell her we're going to the hospital, so she can meet us there!" He called back, hurriedly.

He met me in the kitchen seconds later, as I was putting the phone down and he looked at me proudly.

"Trying not to be a fuss, huh?" He asked me, with a smile.

I leaned on the counter then, feeling another cramp coming that wasn't a cramp, but actually a contraction and breathed through my nose.

"I'm just trying not to be a wuss." I said, through gritted teeth.

"Be whatever you want. You're a superhero. You've carried my boy and cooked him to perfection, I just know it. Come on, we need to go." He said.

I knew he was trying to stay calm so I was calm.
For now, it was working.

But in truth, I did feel a slight sense of fear.
Fear of the unknown.

I waddled to the car, as he chuckled softly behind me.

"What?" I asked him, as he helped me into the front passenger seat.

"I'm just gonna miss that walk." He said, with a grin.

"Shut up." I mumbled.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." I said, now smiling.

"We're gonna meet him, finally." He said, as he clambered excitedly into the drivers seat.

"Baby Munson." I mused, dreamily.

"It's time, baby girl." He said to me, with certainty.

*******************************************
When Baby Munson did finally arrive, 14 hours of labour, one anti sickness jab and twelve stitches later, we were already in a happy, family bubble.

They'd all been there in the waiting room.

Jeff, Gareth, Grant, Steve, Nancy, Dustin, Mike, my parents, Wayne and Hopper.

And when Baby Munson had taken his first breath, I lost Eddie for a moment, after he'd cut the cord.

He ran into the waiting room, and loudly declared:

"HES HERE GUYS! MINI MUNSON IS HERE!"

"I'M A DADDY!"

I'd heard the cries and cheers of happiness from down the corridor, as I cradled the perfect little Angel in my arms.

I realised there and then that this had been the best decision I'd ever make in my life.

It was the only decision.

Eddie had been perfect all the way through, he'd been my own personal cheerleader, keeping me going.

He'd held my hand for the entirety, had been on hand with the sick bowl, and had caressed my head and kissed my face when I'd gotten tired and close to giving up.

He'd watched his son crown, and had been overjoyed to cut his cord and hold him first.

And hed walked to the window with him in his arms, and as he stood rocking him back and forth, he told our son, his parents love story.

The pain I'd felt during labour, disappeared the moment our son was placed in my arms, as he cried his first cry.

The pain had immediately been replaced with sheer happiness and love for the baby in my arms.

Our little Prince.

I stared at Eddie, and my heart grew in that very moment.

I now had two, favourite boys in my life.

My new little family.

********************************************
Six months later.

Eddie's POV.

"So, what do we think?" I asked, as we all gathered around my throne in the game room.

"I dunno, he's a little small." Jeff said, through narrowed eyes.

"Small but mighty." I suggested.

"He's eating the cards, Ed." Gareth said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, he eats everything." I said, with a casual shrug.

"Da-da.... Da-da...."

I turned to Jeff and the boys and smiled, filled with excitement and pride.

"I think he's the perfect choice." I squeaked, as they all laughed.

"What's going on?" A voice asked from behind us.

And when we all slowly moved aside, she smiled broadly when her eyes fell on the little bundle, in his romper, sitting on my throne.

"Our new leader of Hellfire here was just telling us about his upcoming campaign." I said, as she laughed softly.

"Oh yeah?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's gonna be a big one. The Campaign of Da-da or something like that. Couldn't really tell, he was also eating the cards when he told us." I said, playfully.

"I see. Well, I hate to break this up, but we should probably move him. We don't want him eating any of the game pieces." She said, as I quickly spun around, back to reality.

"Da-da...."

She scooped him up into her arms, as we all watched her hold him close to her chest, stroking his head as she kissed his cheek softly.

"I grew you and carried you, and there's no sign of you saying mama anytime soon." She said to him, as I smirked.

"Da-da...."

She chuckled softly, lost in her little world that just had him and her in it, and I smiled proudly.

I admired her for a moment, watching her mother our son so wonderfully, and wondered what I'd done in a past life to have this chance to love her, to love them both. To have them both.

"Okay, so in all seriousness. Until our little Prince of Darkness himself is ready to take the throne, someone else needs to look after it for him. Keep his kingdom going, so to speak." I said, addressing the boys again.

"And for me, there's only one person for that job." I added, as I eyed Jeff, Grant and Gareth.

"We graduated this year." Jeff said, frowning.

"Thank you." I said, sarcastically.

"No, I think it's only fair that the throne go to his brilliant, most revered.....Uncle Dustin." I announced, as Dustin's mouth fell open in shock.

"Me?" He asked.

"Yes, you. There's lots of other little sheep out there to look after. And you're just the man to do it." I said, with a grin.

Delilah rolled her eyes, as she rocked little Oskar 'Ozzy' Munson, who was falling asleep in her arms.

She was smiling though.

"What say you, Dustin the Daring?" I asked.

"I'd be honoured." He said, smiling broadly.

"Rule well, my friend." I said, before pulling him into a one armed hug.

"My favourite little butt head." I added, as he struggled against me, laughing.

"We should probably get going." Jeff said, as I smiled fondly at them.

"Enjoy college, guys." I said, as we all formed a circle and hugged as a group.

"Enjoy fatherhood man, it looks good on you." Gareth said, shaking my hand.

"Thanks man." I answered, sincerely.

We all walked outside and as she carried our sweet Prince, I snaked an arm around her shoulders, as we watched Jeff, Gareth and Grant get into their cars.

We waved them goodbye as they drove off, heading to their new college lives, and I sighed softly.

"Any regrets?" Delilah asked me, as we remained outside, watching the cars disappear into the distance.

I rubbed her shoulder softly, my free hand stroking our son's head, and I rested my head against hers, the two of us watching Ozzy sleep in her arms. I sighed, and found myself smiling broadly.

It was the easiest answer I'd ever have.

"Not a single one, baby girl." I said.

****************************************