𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗗 ━━━━ 𝒎𝒂𝒙 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣

[𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗗𝗘 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗘]

"ELEVEN," MIKE BREATHED OUT AS he walked towards eleven. "mike," eleven gasps and hugs him tightly.

"is that . . ." max began then looked at lucas and sage. they both nodded.

"i never gave up on you," mike told eleven with a smile after he pulled away. "i called you every night. every night for —"

"353 days," eleven finished for him. "i heard."

"why didn't you tell me you were there?" mike asked her. "that you were okay?"

"because i wouldn't let her." hopper said then walked up to eleven. "the hell is this? where you been?" hopper asks her. "where have you been?" eleven asked him.

hopper hugged her, rubbing her back.

"you've been hiding her. you've been hiding her this whole time!" mike said and shoved hopper.

"hey! let's talk. alone."

mike and hopper walk away. sage immediately rushes over to eleven, crashing her into a hug.

"protecting her! protecting her?" mike asked the chief. "listen. listen to me." hopper told the teenager. "the more people know about her, the more danger she's in. and the more danger you and your family are in —"

"so, what? i should be thanking you?"

"i'm not asking you to thank me! i'm asking you to try and understand."

"i don't! i don't understand!"

"that's fine. that's fine! just do not blame her! all right? she's upset enough as it is."

"i don't blame her! i blame you! i blame you!" mike shouted. "that's okay, kid. that's okay." hopper told him. "no! nothing about this is okay! nothing about this is okay!" mike shouted more and shoved the chief back.

"oh, jeez —"

"you're a stupid, disgusting, lying piece of shit!" mike said, punching hopper in the gut. "okay. all right! stop it." hopper told the teen and tries holding him down. "liar! liar! liar!"

"stop it. it's okay."

hopper wraps his arm around mike and hugs him, rocking side to side as mike sobs into his chest.

"you're okay, kid. you're okay. i'm sorry, kid."

"we missed you." lucas told eleven as him, dustin, and sage were in a group hug with the girl. "i missed you, too." eleven said with a smile.