^^^^^
' But, left to live on forever. '
^^^^^
Three Months Later
Hawkins had been on the news for months after the chaos the small group had been through. Hopper's face was painted on newspapers and TV screens, many calling him a hero; a name he deserved. July fourth was going to be remembered for a long time by the people of the small town, for the horrors that had occurred. And the many people that had died.
Eden hadn't coped well with any of it. She lived in her old home by herself for the better part of two months, never letting any one in; never going out. It was just her and the twins in her stomach. That had been the first time she'd left the house, to get an ultrasound and receive the news that she wasn't having just one child, but two. And she was almost halfway through her second trimester.
The first person she'd seen after that special moment was Billy, heading to his house to sit in his room; going through his things. She'd found countless Polaroids of them together, many of just her that she didn't know he'd taken. She'd found a note book with only one page of writing in it, which was full of scribbles and messy words; most she couldn't make out. She'd spent the entire day there, collecting things to decorate her room in the house she'd bought in California; the very one Billy and herself had picked out.
Currently, the Lawson girl carried out light boxes from the Byers household; holding them over her bulging stomach as she headed for the U-Haul truck. The family was moving away, Joyce unable to handle being in the small town any longer. And with her, she was taking not only her sons, but Eleven, who'd she'd taken into her care when Eden couldn't.
'Oh, sweetheart, put that down,' Joyce gushed as she raced over.
'Joyce, I'm ok,' She chuckled; 'I carry a box that light. I'm not bed bound yet.'
'And you better ring me the second you are.'
'Yes, ma'am.'
The woman hit her softly as she laughed, letting her head back inside. She walked straight into max and Lucas' teasing of Dustin, the curly haired boy sitting across the room watching them sing the song he'd performed with Suzie not three months ago.
'Oh, come on, you two,' She shook her head; 'You got the beat wrong. It's, the mirror of your dreams... Rhymes that keep their secrets,' The couple joined her; 'Will unfold behind the clouds-'
'Wait, did we get that verse right? It's, unfold behind the clouds?' Max cut them off.
'Yeah, but you're butchering it, so could you please stop?' Dustin grumbled.
Eden chuckled, messing up his hair as she placed a hand on the lower part of the bulge.
'So then join in, Dusty-bun,' Lucas teased.
'Yeah, come on, Dusty-bun, why don't you join us?' Max pressed.
'You guys are so funny, you should be on Carson,' Dustin rolled his eyes.
'Can't we just hear your rendition?'
'No.'
'Please? Just one verse?'
'No. No way. It's reserved for Suzie's ears and Suzie's ears alone.'
The couple looked to each other before they began to sing once more, 'Turn around. Look at what you see...'
Dustin raised his hand to flip them the middle finger, but they continued to sing and dance from where they sat on the floor.
'In their face... The mirror of your dreams-' They continued.
'Guys, stop,' Eden finally sent them a pointed look as she smiled softly; 'Come on, you're almost done.'
The pair laughed, continuing to pack the box between them; humming the song. The Lawson girl smiled down at Dustin, leaning down to kiss the top of his head before she wandered out of the room. She found Nancy and Jonathan standing in his room, coming to stand in the doorway; looking into the empty space.
'Damn... The memories in this room,' She sighed.
He turned to look at her, 'Yeh... Seventeen years of my life packed up in one day.'
'But, left to live on forever.'
She stepped into the room, eyes roaming over the bare walls before she stepped into his arms. He kissed her forehead as Nancy watched on, smiling softly as the smile on the girl's face.
'I'm gonna miss you, Jonny,' She croaked.
'I'm gonna miss you, too, Eddy,' He replied in a thick tone; 'It's gonna be ok.'
He swayed them side to side gently, merely holding her close because they both needed it. After a while, she pushed herself up to stand.
'I'm gonna go see if your Mum needs a hand,' She sent him a tight smile before leaving.
'She needs you guys,' Nancy stated once she left the room.
'I know,' He continued to stare out the door; 'But, she won't let herself need us... Not after what happened.'
'Just... Don't let her fall, Jonathan... Because I don't think she'll get back up if she does again.'
He nodded, pulling her into his arms; pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Eden found Joyce in her room, sitting on the floor packing Hopper's shirts away into a box.
'You mind if I keep one?' She asked.
The woman jumped, looking up from the note she had been reading to look to her.
'Uh, yeh, of course, sweetheart,' She nodded.
She passed the Lawson girl one of Hopper's work shirts, watching as she curled it over her arms; holding it close.
'What's that?' She motioned to the note on her hands.
'Uh... The speech he wrote for Mike and El,' Joyce smiled sadly before digging back into the pocket on the shirt; 'And this is the one he wrote for you and Billy.'
Eden took the folded paper into her hands, staring at it before sending Joyce a tight smile.
'Thanks,' She whispered.
She left the room quickly, heading outside to stand for a second; letting out a long breath from her cheeks. She unravelled the note in her hand, tears welling in her eyes as they raked over Hopper's familiar messy handwriting.
There's something I've been wanting to talk to you both about. I know this is a difficult conversation, but I care about you both very much. And I know that you care about each other very much. And that's why it's important that we set these boundaries moving forward, so we can build an environment where we all feel comfortable trusted and open to sharing our feelings.
She chuckled softly at the choice of words, knowing that Joyce must've helped him write it. But, as she continued to read on, the tone changed and she knew he wrote what came next.
The truth is, for so long, I'd forgotten what those even were. I've been stuck in one place, in a cave, you might say. A deep, dark cave. The one day, you and your sister came into my life like stars from the sky; literally just falling into my hands and there was nothing I could do about. Nothing I wanted to do, anyway. It was then I started to feel things again. But, lately, I guess I've been feeling distant from you. Like you're you're pulling away from me or something. I miss playing board games every night, our banter over the cigarettes you thought I didn't watch you take, watching westerns together before we doze off, all as a family. But I know you're getting older. Growing. Changing. And I guess if I'm being really honest, that's what scares me. I don't want things to change.
So, I think maybe that's why I came in here, to try to maybe stop that change. To turn back the clock. To make things go back to how they were. But I know that's naive. It's just not how life works. It's moving. Always moving, whether you like it or not. And, the young woman I've watched you grown into this past year and a bit, that's something I never want to take back. I never want to see you as weak and scared as you were the day I found you in this cabin, I want to see you smile like you do when you're with El, or me, or even Billy. I want to see you laugh, and sing, and dance around like a fool. I want to see you happy and safe.
So, you know what? Keep on growing up, kid. Don't let me stop you. Make mistakes, learn from 'em, and when life hurts you, because it will, remember the hurt. The hurt is good. It means you're out of that cave. But, please, if you don't mind, for the sake of your poor old dad, keep the door open three inches. And don't do things when El's home, for the love of God.
She chuckled softly, wiping her tear stained cheeks as she smiled; her jaw aching slightly. She turned to face the family as they walked out of the house, sending them a tight smile as she continued to wiped her face; tucking the note away into the back pocket of her jeans. But, she merely began to cry once more as Will walked toward her with open arms; letting out a soft sob as she pulled him close, listening to him cry into her shoulder.
'I'm gonna miss you, kid,' She whispered.
'I'm gonna miss you, too, Ed,' He croaked.
She kissed his cheek as she let him go, letting him move on. She hugged Joyce, continuing to cry softly.
'Thankyou,' She croaked; 'Thank you for being the mother I always wanted... And thank you for taking El, you're better for her then me.'
'No one's better for her then you, Eden, you remember that,' The woman replied; 'You be safe in California.'
'I will.'
Joyce kissed her cheek, letting Jonathan hug his best friend once more. She sobbed harder then, holding him tight as he cried softly; resting his head on top of her own.
'I love you, Jonny,' She sniffled; 'I never say it enough. But, I do. I really do.'
'I love you, too,' He chuckled; 'Don't you go forgetting about me when you make all those surfer friends.'
'No one's replacing you, ever. Not in a million years. But, hey, don't go forgetting about little old me, either.'
'How could I when I'm about to become an uncle?'
She chuckled, squeezing him tight one last time before she reached up to kiss his cheek; closing her eyes when he kissed her temple. She stood by herself for a second when he moved to hold Nancy once more, before she was wrapped up in her little sister's arms. Eleven cried into her shoulder, her body shaking against her own.
'One day,' She cried; 'I can live with you again.'
'Yes,' Eden nodded; 'And you can always come and visit, but you have to tell Joyce first.'
Eleven chuckled, 'Ok... I love you, Eden.'
'I love you, too, Ellie. You be good.'
'I will. I want to meet the babies.'
'I'm gonna need your help with them.'
'I can help.'
'I know.'
Eleven smiled at her as she stepped back, letting her kiss her forehead before she moved to climb into the car with the others. Eden wrapped her arms around Max as the truck and Jonathan's car rolled down the driveway, wiping her face from the tears that lingered there. One by one, the kids climbed onto the bikes and rode off together, leaving her to wander over to Billy's car; something she'd spent most of her time locked away fixing.
She turned over the engine and flicked it into gear, following Nancy out of the driveway and onto the road. She placed her hand on her stomach, heading through the town of her childhood; silent tears rolling down her cheeks as she drove past the Thanks For Visiting Hawkins sign, heading for her next adventure. California.