Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except Twelve and Thirteen, and that random guy asking Mike questions. It all goes to Netflix and the people who created and wrote stranger things.

El's POV-

I pulled myself off the ground, coughing. I seemed to cough more and more each day I was here. I don't know how I've lasted this long here. With the Demagorgans children chasing me and the air being toxic I'm surprised I haven't died.

I coughed more, finally making it back to Mike's house. Same house... No Mike.

I missed him a lot. I missed the way he never gave up on me, the way he treated me and wouldn't let anyone hurt me. It's hard to think about, considering it was the only amount of hope I ever had in that world, and this one.

A tear swelled up in my eye as I jammed open the door of the basement, closing it behind me.  Vines and corrosion littered the floor and walls, I saw my hideout and quickly crawled over, hugging the blanket and letting my tears stain it, yet again.

"Mike..." I mumbled, looking around the trashed basement.

"Where are you?"

Mike's POV-

"All I'm saying is you can't have it unless you build the gun and you can't build the gun without-" Dustyn rambled as we walked up to my door. I chuckled as him, Lucas and Will bickered about who knows what as I opened the door to my house. We were greeted by the smell of chocolate chip cookies and we all shared looks as we bolted in.

I stopped in the kitchen as I saw Steve and Nancy cooking. Nancy looked at us and rolled her eyes playfully as she pulled out the finished cookies and placed them on the counter. Steve looked at her and then us and she sighed.

"Help yourself weirdos" she smiled. We smiled back and all ran to grab a cookie. I grabbed two and looked at them.

El would have loved to try a chocolate chip cookie.

Enough Mike, El is dead and it hurts to even think about it but it's true, don't pull yourself back into disparity, you just got out of it.

"Hey Mike, another campaign?" Will asked and I looked over at him. He smiled goofily and I couldn't help but agree.

"Sure."

•••••••••••••

I sat in my usual spot, looking at the book. Now which monster should I choose....

I looked at the board and remembered the day El told us where Will was.

••••••••••••••••••

El looked around, seeing the board and slowly sitting down in front of it. She stared at it for a bit until we took notice and Lucas was the first to respond

"What's the weirdo doing?"

She slowly placed the tip of her hands on the board examining it. As we gathered around she closed her eyes, quickly opening them after a few seconds.

She grabbed the wizard and looked at it.

"Will" she mumbled, before placing it on the side.

"Superpowers." Dustyn mumbled as we stared at her, wondering what she was going to do next.

I sat down beside her, looking at her worriedly, I remembered thinking how pretty she was, and trying to get the thought out of my head.

"Did you see him?" I asked "on Mirkwood? Do you know where he is?"

She looked at me calmly before clearing off the table, except for the demagorgon and the wizard. We stared at her confused as she flipped over the board to the black side and placed the wizard in the middle.

"I don't understand." I muttered, looking at her again.

"Hiding." She said sadly, it almost broke my heart to hear it like that, but I stayed strong and looked at the wizard.

"Will is hiding?" I asked calmly. She nodded slightly, continuing to stare at the board. "From the bad men?"

She shook her head no, and it felt like a darkness fell over us. I remembered wondering what she was talking about . Who could Will have been hiding from if not the bad men?

"Then from who?" I asked calmly, as not to freak her out. At the time I imagined even the slightest thing could hurt her, in the long run I still thought that, but that was just because... I cared about her.

She looked worried for a second before slowly picking up the demagorgon, and placing him next to Will. A moment of truth fell over us and Dustyn placed his hands on his head worriedly. We didn't think we would find Will then as we all shared scared looks.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Mike!" Lucas yelled, snapping me out of my thoughts. They all looked at me confused and I shook my head.

"Yeah?" I asked. They continued to look at me.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Oh uh yeah... Yeah! Sorry." I said, continuing on with the game.

A few hours later and I had forgotten all about El and was completely invested in the game.

"Mike..." I heard. I turned to Will.

"Yeah?" I asked, he looked at me confused.

"I didn't say anything." He answered, getting back to the game. I looked at Lucas and then Dustyn, who both shook their heads.

"Mike... Where are you?" I heard the soft whisper again. I turned my head to the table where El used to sleep and looked at it confused.

"Do you guys hear that?" I asked, looking at them. They all three shook their heads.

"Mike!" It was a yell this time. I went wide eyed and so did they. They heard it.

"What the-" Dustyn began as the lights started to flicker, We shared worried looks as we slowly stood up. It sounded like...

"El?" I asked. They all stared at me as the lights went out.

"Shit." Dustyn muttered. "Where's the pudding when you need it?"

I turned to where she used to sleep and jumped as I saw red. It looked like a wall but was only on the little bit of wall under the table. I crawled over to it and looked at it. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"El?!" I asked worriedly, putting my hand on the 'red wall' She turned her head, looking around, her eyes falling on me.

"M-Mike?" She asked, crawling over to the wall separating us. I wanted to cry, she was even more beautiful then before... But she looked sick and dirty and... Cold.

"It's me El, I'm here. Where are you?" I asked worriedly. She held her hand where mine was held and her eyes fell.

"Demagorgon." She muttered.

"Upside down..." I heard Will mutter, I turned to see them bending down and looking at us.

"I'm gonna get you out of there... I promise you." I said to her, she smiled slightly. She was so beautiful.

"Not safe." She shuttered, before coughing safely.

"I'm gonna get you out!" I stated again. She smiled wider.

"Snowball?" She asked.

"Snowball." I answered, smiling slightly back. Just then a growling sound was heard and she turned her head, her eyes filled with fear. It broke my heart.

"Demagorgans." She muttered, turning back.

"Ans?" Dustyn asked. Tears welled up in El's eyes.

"El run! We'll save you! Just run!" I said, turning to run off.

"Mike!" She yelled, I turned around.

"Yeah El?"

"Be safe." She said, as it closed up. I jumped up, grabbing my bag.

"Mike, where are you going?" Lucas asked.

"To find El" I said as I grabbed my wallow talkie.

"How are you gonna do that? Only Joyce and Hopper know where the gate is, and it might not even be there anymore!" Lucas spoke.

"Not to mention she said there is more than one monster in there." Dustyn said.

"Look, I lost her once. I won't lose her again. Are you in or not?" I asked. It stayed silent.

"I'll go." Will said, I looked at him surprised.

"Really? You didn't even know El." I said. He nodded.

"You're right, but I've been there, and I don't want someone my best friend is in love with the to suffer in there any longer." He stated.

"I'm not-" I began.

"Save it, I'm in." Lucas stated.

"Me too." Dustyn said. I smiled happily.

"Thank you so much." I smiled, hugging all three of them.

"Ok let's go save your girlfriend." Will said, running up the stairs.

"She's not my girlfriend!" I yelled, running up after him.

At least not yet.