There's No Place Like Hawkins//Stranger Things. SH

FORTY ONE

The Gate

Mike and El walked up to each other, the pair finally reunited. "Eleven." Mike greeted.

"Mike." El gasped as the two pulled each other into a hug.

Cat felt fresh tears- ones of happiness- fall down her face. Steve noticed her crying and gave her a questioning look. "El's back." Cat explained, wiping her tears on her sleeve. "They're reunited. They're together again."

"Is that..." Max asked, trailing off. Lucas and Dustin nodded.

"I never gave up on you." Mike said as the two young teens pulled out of their hug. "I called you every night. Every night for-"

"Three hundred and fifty three days." El said, completing Mike's sentence. "I heard."

"Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?"

"Because I wouldn't let her." Hopper answered, walking over to the two.

"Wh.. What?" Cat stammered. "Why?"

"The hell is this?" Hopper asked El. "Where you been?"

"Where have you been?" El asked him as Hopper pulled her into a hug.

"You've been hiding her." Mike realised. "You've been hiding her this whole time!" He shoved Hopper.

"Hey!"

"Mike, stop!" Cat yelled, stepping forward slightly.

Hopper grabbed the front of Mike's shirt. "Let's talk. Alone." The two went in to one of the bedrooms to talk, although it was more like Mike yelling at Hopper.

El walked over to Lucas and Dustin, the three of them sharing a hug. "We missed you." Lucas told her.

"I missed you, too."

"We talked about you pretty much every day." Dustin said.

The three friends pulled out of their hug and El stared at Dustin for a moment before pushing her finger into his mouth. "Teeth." She stated.

"What?"

"You have teeth."

"Oh." Dustin grinned. "You like these pearls?" He purred and everyone in the room cringed slightly.

"Dustin." Cat said, and her brother looked at her. "Don't."

El walked over to Cat and hugged her tightly. "Sister."

"Yeah, it's good to have you back, kiddo." Cat smiled, hugging El just as tightly.

"You two are sisters?" Steve asked and Cat shook her head silently at him. "I'm so confused."

El pulled away slightly from Cat and the older girl gently wiped the blood that was leaking from her nose. "Hurt." El noticed, pointing to the bandage around Cat's shoulder that was poking out from under her shirt. "You're hurt."