~*~
The sirens were distant, but everyone in the mall could hear them. It was Mike's head that picked up first, head turning to see that Nancy and Jonathan had joined them at the bottom of the escalator. Robin was stood with Will and Lucas, who could all begin to hear them. Robin slowly walked to Steve, placing a hand on his back to comfort him.
He just continued to cry, Robin crouching down and hugging him tightly. He fell into her, and that was when Nancy dug her head into Jonathan's shirt. He immediately hugged her back, letting her cry into him. Will could feel the tears leave his eyes, shutting them quickly to blink them away. Lucas just gave him a pat on the back, pulling Will into his side.
Billy heard the sirens approaching, his head moving up from Mary's chest slowly. He was hoping that when he did move it up, he'd see her start breathing again, but she didn't. She stayed the same, and he sobbed once more. He tightened his grip around her, never wanting to let go of her again.
The sirens got closer, and Billy knew that they would take her away from him. He took a deep breath, looking down at her again. He brought up his right hand, not caring that it was shaking violently. He placed it against her cheek, studying her face carefully.
"Mary," he whispered. "Don't do this." He shook his head, feeling a lump in his throat form. "Wake up, baby. I need you to wake up." He took a deep breath, the entire place quiet, still. The sirens got louder, and the familiar blue and red light illuminated the dark mall. The click of the megaphone didn't even make their heads turn.
"If you are inside the mall, exit immediately with your hands up!" a voice yelled through the megaphone. Billy felt his face scrunch again, and he continued to cry even more.
"Hargrove," Steve croaked out. "You got to take her up."
"I-I don't want to," Billy responded. Jonathan motioned for all the kids to follow him out, and they all ascended the escalator. Robin gave Steve a small pat on the back, going up the stairs then, too. Steve pushed himself off the ground, walking around Mary's other side to look at Billy. "I already told you, Harrington-"
"Billy," Steve interrupted. He looked up at him from Mary's face, lips trembling as he saw how much Steve was crying, too. "You gotta take her up."
"I-I can't move her. W-W-What if s-she-"
"Billy," Steve said again. This time Billy stayed silent, head dropping as his eyes shut. He noticed that the ripped shirt Mary was wearing was one of his, tears falling from his eyes again.
"I just need a minute," Billy mumbled. Steve still heard him, and walked up the escalator's then. He approached the police officer, glancing back inside.
"We've got one more coming. He's gonna need a minute alone," Steve told him. "Don't go in there." He was about to walk away, then turned to a paramedic. "You're going to need a, uh... a gurney." Billy kept his eyes on Mary, his right hand still caressing her face slightly.
"Wake up, baby," Billy whispered. "It's time to get up, okay?" There was no response, Billy taking a deep breath. "Mary, get up. I don't want to carry you out. Please don't make me carry you out of here." He studied her for a moment, shaking his head slowly as she still didn't move. "I-I don't want to carry you out, Mary. Please, get up. Get up, just wake up. You're okay, it's fine. You're going to get up, okay? Y-Y-You're going to get up, a-and you're going to hug me and cry and we're going to go to California. We're going to get married, and we're going to have kids, and a stupid white picket fence house. W-With a dog, and we'll take our kids to the beach every weekend. You're going to be a musician, work for some place local. I-I'll be a mechanic, and we can be happy. Okay? We're going to be happy. Right? Mary, please, please, I know you want that. So, please, wake up." He sobbed out again, shutting his eyes to not look at how lifeless she was anymore. He looked to her right hand, taking it in his slowly. He noticed that the ring he'd given her months ago was still on her hand, and he bit his lip to keep from sobbing out at the sight. He took a deep breath, looking to her face again. "L-Love me tender, love m-me d-dear..." He waited for her to complete the line, but it never came. "Tell me you a-are mine."
"Anyone else in there?!" the megaphone voice boomed.
"Just give me a minute!" Billy screamed back, eyes shutting again. He looked to Mary, still rubbing small circles on the back of her right hand. "Tell me you're mine, Mary. Please, just say it." The silence hit him again, Billy shutting his eyes for the final time. He dropped her hand, reaching under her legs and picking her up. He stood from the ground, legs wobbling as he went up the escalator. The bright lights made him wince, and he walked through the doors to see officers and paramedics waiting for him. They ran to him with a gurney, and Billy set her down on it gently. Before they could take her away, he leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. "Goodbye, Mary." He watched as they walked her to an ambulance, placing a tarp over her body. Someone started guiding him to a different ambulance, a blanket draping over his shoulder and water being shoved into his hand.
Dustin ran towards Steve with Erica by his side, stopping as he saw the solemn look on Steve's face. His walk slowed as he saw a body being rolled on a stretcher under a tarp. Steve found Dustin standing there, walking towards the kid.
"Dustin," Steve said, walking to him.
"Who is that?" Dustin asked, heart beating rapidly as he couldn't see his sister anywhere. He frantically turned every which way, trying to at least spot her strawberry blonde hair that he'd grown accustomed to since he was a baby.
"Come here," Steve said, motioning for Dustin to hug him.
"Steve, who's under the tarp?" Dustin asked, eyes wide as Steve pulled him in for a hug.
"It's gonna be okay, kid," Steve told him. Dustin looked up at Steve at his words, eyes watering as he wasn't getting a clear answer.
"Steve, who's under the tarp?!" Dustin shouted, tears threatening his eyes. Steve looked down at Dustin, who then looked to the tarp again. He pushed past Steve, walking to it quickly.
"D-Dustin, don't," Steve said, following him to the tarp. Dustin pulled the tarp off, being met with his sisters lifeless eyes and face. He gasped as he dropped his walkie-talkie, taking a few steps back. Steve didn't say anything as Dustin stood there for a second, staring at her. He stepped to Mary, studying her face carefully. He wanted to believe that it wasn't her. He needed it to not be his sister that had been with him through everything. Through all of the bad shit that he and her went through, she was the one that was always there for him. But it was her, it was undoubtedly his sister. And now she was gone and he didn't even get to say goodbye.
"What happened?" Dustin asked, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"She sacrificed herself, to save everyone," Steve said, his lips trembling again. "She... She died a hero." A small sob escaped Dustin's lips, and he reached to wipe the tears from his eyes.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye," Dustin said, more tears streaming down his face. "I didn't get to say goodbye!" A few people looked over at his scream, Mike and Lucas jumping out of the ambulance they were sitting in.
"Dustin, I'm so sorry," Steve said, his voice quiet. The boy turned and wrapped his arms around Steve, sobbing into his shirt. Steve cried, too. His head dropped as he cried with Dustin, not wanting to think about it as much as he was. Mike and Lucas slowly walked up to Dustin, joining in on the hug with him and Steve. Dustin sobbed more, tears flowing from all of the boys' eyes. Even if Mary was just Dustin's sister, she took care of all of them. They all loved her.
"We have to take her now, I'm so sorry," one of the paramedics said. Steve nodded, but Dustin and the boys didn't move. They took Mary away, Steve gripping Dustin tighter.
Billy sat in one of the open ambulance's, a blanket draped around his shoulders. The paramedics told him that the chemicals must have left his system, and his wounds healed when he woke up. He stared forward with tears in his eyes, hands shaking around the cup of water he was holding.
Max slowly walked up to him, Billy glancing up at her for a moment. He then shoved the blanket off of his shoulder, jumped down from the ambulance, and wrapped Max in a tight hug. Tears left his eyes again as he could only think about what would've happened if something had happened to Max. No matter how much he hated Max when he first met her, he'd grown to like his little sister.
"It's gonna be okay, Billy," Max whispered, tears leaving her eyes, too. He didn't respond, but just closed his eyes to block out the pain. The two slowly stepped back from each other, Max giving him a light smile. She turned and went to one of the ambulances, Billy sitting in the back of his again. Eleven walked up to him, Billy looking up at her slowly.
"I saw her," Eleven said, referring to Mary. "When you showed me the beach." Billy looked down again, a lump growing in his throat at Eleven's words. "And I gave her the note." Billy looked up as he had nearly forgotten about the letter he left Mary. "And she wanted me to give you this." Eleven pulled a folded up piece of paper that had writing on it, front and back, out of her pocket. She extended her arm to Billy who took the note slowly. He stared at it for a second, then unfolded it. He read the first two words, his heart nearly stopping.
Dear Billy
"Thank you," Billy whispered, his head picking up from the letter. He looked at Eleven who just nodded once, trying to give him a weak smile. She turned and walked away, Billy looking to the note again. He folded up the paper, then shoved it in his jeans pocket.
~Three Months Later~
(play the video ^up top^ when you start
the italics, and good luck)
The waves of the California shore washed up to Billy's toes, tickling his feet. He looked down at the note in his hands, not wanting to read it. It had been three months since Mary had died, sacrificing herself to save Billy, and El, and quite possibly the whole world.
He hadn't opened the note since Eleven gave it to him because he was scared of what he could find in there. He was scared he would never move on, but he knew he had to. He went to the University of San Francisco like he said he would, and was two months into the semester. The three month anniversary of Mary's death was that day, and the anniversary for the first time they met would be in two weeks.
Billy stared down at the note again, only analyzing the white paper that was folded over and over. The waves crashed together as background noise, and he could hear the seagulls just yards away. For the first time since the night she died, Billy opened up the letter. He took a deep breath, and began to read it.
Dear Billy,
I'm assuming that if you're reading this, El gave it to you and I'm gone. Which means it's probably been a while since I've been gone. I knew you wouldn't read it right away, you were avoiding saying goodbye. I don't blame you, you never wanted me to leave.
I don't think either of us are really ready to say goodbye. I know I'm not, but I guess I don't have to now. Which is selfish, but I really can't control it, can I? Anyways... I wanted to tell you something.
When you were visiting California on your college visit, I was alone for the week because Steve was gone, too. And when I was alone, I saw someone driving a Camaro that looked exactly like yours. I knew it wasn't you because you were in California, but it looked like yours. I wanted to go say hi, but I realized you were gone.
And that's what makes this all so much worse. I could see one thing, one small detail on someone or something, and I'd be reminded of you. My mom was drinking hot chocolate the other day, and I couldn't stop thinking about how we'd sneak out of my house and go to Pie's Diner and get whatever the hell we wanted.
Steve mentioned basketball and I was reminded of that time you took me to the outdoor courts in the park, and played a one-on-one game with me. We ended up collapsing to the ground in laughter that night, and that's when you took me to the lake.
It was February. Valentine's Day. You said you had something to show me, and you know I'd follow you anywhere so I did. You took me to the lake, and you stepped out of the car and looked up at the sky, and you said something I'll never forget. You said, "Sometimes, when I feel lost, I'll come here, look up to the stars, and find my way back to you."
After that, you even made the stars sound better. They were always just small little points of light in the galaxy that didn't matter much to me, and I didn't matter much to them. Until you came along and gave them meaning. And that's what I think love is.
Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning. And you were that someone. You made everything mean something to me, and I kind of hate you for it. But at the same time, it's exactly why I love you. Everything about you.
You told me that loving me was just a part of you now. Well, loving you is a part of me, and I don't think I'll ever be able to stop. I've loved you since February now, but I was too scared to tell you because I thought I'd lose you. Now I know that I could never lose you, because I have the stars to guide me back to you. And you back to me.
I guess I should end this before I start crying more than I am, and before that thing gets back. Billy, you said there is nothing you would put in front of me. Past, present, or future. Well, I'm right there with you. I would never put anything before you because if I did, I would just be lying to myself.
Oh, and by the way, I found your surprise. The teddy bear. I guess you forgot to take it out of the trunk of my car after you "secretly" won it at the senior carnival. And I was right, you do look a lot like a teddy bear when you're angry. Scrunched up, stone cold eyes, and the adorable face. You're practically twins.
Billy chuckled lightly, the tears streaming down his face as he stared at the words. He flipped the paper, looking at the last few sentences.
Don't be sad about this, okay? I don't want to you look back at what happened as something bad. I want you to be happy. Be happy that it happened at all, be grateful. I knew our time would be cut short, and now it has. And I'm sorry. I know my leaving is going to hurt, but that hurt will remind you of how much you loved me.
You said I'd never know how much you love me? Well, now I might know. You say more than anything, but it's so much farther beyond anything, isn't it? I know because that's how much I love you.
And now, it's time to say goodbye. I know... I know you don't want to, but it's time, baby. It's time for our journey to end. That's always a part of the journey, the end. And now we're meeting ours.
Maybe we'll meet again, in another life.
I love you, Billy Hargrove, more than anything, and more than that.
Forever Yours,
Your Girl
Mary
"In another life," Billy whispered. He folded up the paper in his hands, a tear drop falling onto the parchment. He took a deep breath, bringing his head up to look at the sea. "I'll see you again, Mary Henderson."
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