MIKE POV-

---- 9:25 AM ----

"I've got a crazy story for you!" El exclaimed, a bright grin on her face; she was now sitting in the back seat while the brunette sat in the front. She was over the moon that the pair had made up; Mike had been apologising periodically to the small boy watching his tongue and his temper the best way he could. Will and El could tell he was trying his best so neither held what he said as an attack against the brunette, rather just something said in the spur of the moment. Mike was trying to make up for what he said anyway he can; El was always aware he had anger management issues and tried coaching him through it.

"What?" Will replied, his curiosity piqued as he spoke again, "More than being a model and business owner?"

"Oh, Hell yeah!" the doe-eyed girl nodded eagerly, "I've been arrested before!" she said, popping her head between the front two seats.

Will's eyes widened in surprise as he turned his attention to the girl, quickly glancing at his boyfriend at the wheel. Mike merely chuckled soft; being a witness to the event, knowing it all too well.

"You got arrested?" The brunette scrunched his face in disbelief.

El grinned mischievously, her previous excitement now apparent, "I hit a girl with a roller-skate!" she chirped, a smile that never left her face.

"Umm..." the small boy stretched his words, "Rewind that for me!"

"Yep! But it's not as bad as it seems. You see there was this bimbo- Angela and she was making fun of my missing stepbrother... so I picked up a roller-skate and shmacked her in the face."

Mike couldn't help but chuckle at the familiarity of the story, his eyes glancing at El through the rear-view mirror. He knew how protective and sensitive of her 'missing' stepbrother she was; his eyes casted between the pair with an unreadable expression, hearing the pair mindlessly chit-chat beside him. The secret weighed heavy on him; the undeniable connection between Will and El and the truth about Will's identity.

The ravenette tightened his grip on the steering wheel, the car travelling as the landscape gradually transformed around them. The neighbourhood signs indicated they were approaching Lenora Hills, Mike's own neighbourhood, yet also the one of Will's mother. He couldn't help but glance at the brunette for a mere moment, his expression was curious, but it was clear he had no indication of the truth.

As Mike drove through Lenora, he passed his own house, ignoring the doe-eyed girl's suspicious glances. She couldn't help but notice as she leaned over gently nudging the tall boy, asking, "Hey dingus, I think you passed your house."

The ravenette glanced at El, an expression that held a secret smile, "There's something we need to do before we go home... the surprise."

"Oh, yeah!" El nodded, trusting Mike's judgement as Will did the same, staying oddly quieter than usual, he didn't know what the surprise was, but he was excited for it. He exchanged a look with El who reassured him with a gentle smile.

Yet, minutes felt like hours for Mike, his palms becoming sweaty as he anticipated the reactions from all of them; how would either of them react to the situation? Would Joyce accept Will, or would she reject the small boy?

Mike parked in the car, in front of Joyce's house; Will and El's mother. With a deep sigh he parked the car in the driveway as the doe-eyed girl's confusion grew, "Why are we at my mum's house?" she asked, her voice concerned and curious.

The ravenette remained silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He knew he couldn't tell them just yet, wanting to go inside before he revealed everything. Finally, he turned to face the pair taking a deep breath, "The surprise... the thing I have to tell you is inside."

He then turned to El, "Jonathan is here too, right?"

El scrunched her face, "Yeah, he should be; he was staying the week after my stepbrother's birthday, I think he's leaving back to New York next Monday," she paused for a second, "But why does that matter?"

"It's part of the surprise," the tall boy winked as calmly as he could, unbuckling his seatbelt and taking the key's out the ignition. El and Will exchanged a puzzled look but did the same, following him out the car and to the steps before the door.

Mike stood on the doorstep pressing the doorbell, his heart pounding with a mix of anxiety and anticipation as he waited for the door to open. Will stood behind him slightly with palpable nervousness; he knew nothing of the situation and couldn't be so sure what this 'surprise' was.

El stood beside Mike, her expression mirroring that of the small boy.

Finally, the door swung open, revealing a middle-aged woman with dark auburn hair and a bright smile. Her eyes widened with surprise as she embraced the pair of Mike and El warmly, "El! Mike!" she exclaimed, "What are you guys doing here?"

As she let go, her eyes flickered with recognition as they settled on Will who hid behind the pair. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen this young man somewhere before.

"It's nice to see you again Mrs H; sorry I couldn't be here for the birthday party on Friday." The ravenette offered a warm smile, "Can we come inside? We have something to discuss."

Joyce stepped aside, inviting them into her home with a short nod, a look of concern on her face. As they entered, she finally got a clear view of the brunette behind them, her heart racing as she realised the uncanny resemblance he bore to her eldest son, Jonathan. The same hair, the same smile, the same sense of vulnerability.

Once in the living room, Mike turned to Joyce, a small smile on his face, "Is Jonathan and Hopper here?" he questioned.

"Oh, um, yeah," Joyce nodded, going over to call them; she screamed for them to come down; it was early in the morning. A few seconds later, the tension in the room mounted; increasing with every breath.

Nancy, Mike's sister was also here, in the kitchen nibbling on a slice of toast. It wasn't weird that she was also present; she was dating El's big brother Jonathan and was here because he was. She could sense the tension in the room as she stepped over after finishing her slice, "What are you doing here? I thought you were having a 'lunch date' with mum and dad for them to meet your boyfriend... is this him?" Nancy questioned gesturing to the small boy, a grin on her face but then also realising the weird similarity between the brunette and Jonathan.

Mike nodded nervously, "Yeah, this is Will. He's... well, you'll understand everything in a bit."

Nancy furrowed her brows but nodded as Hopper and Jonathan rushed into the hall, their faces etched with worry. Jonathan walked over clutching Nancy's hand tightly, "Mike, what's going on? Is everything okay?"

Hopper, dressed in his police uniform, said with concern evident, "What happened kid?"

Mike didn't respond to that question, merely motioning everyone to sit on the couch. He knew the revelation would be shocking but it was something he needed to do, and it was best to be sitting for this.

"He looks a lot like Jonathan, doesn't he?" Nancy whispered to Joyce, pointing at the brunette,

The auburn-haired woman nodded, her heart pounding that someone thought the same as she did, "He does, he really does."

Mike stood before them, gently grabbing Will's hand in his, the room falling into a thick silence as the tall boy took a deep breath, "Okay... so this is Will... my boyfriend,"

The room collectively awed, assuming Mike's news might be about his new relationship. Questions started flying and the ravenette did his best to answer them calmly as Will stood by his side, blankly staring; not knowing what was going on.

As the questions were thrown at him, he stopped "Guys!" he said, waving his hands in the air, "That isn't the news! This is Will; your Will. William Jacob Byers."

A hushed realisation washed over the room; Jonathan clutched Nancy's hand tighter, El's jaw hung open; how could she not have known this before? Hopper sat quietly analysing the situation, he couldn't deny the similarity the boy bore to his wife Joyce.

In the silence, Mike then turned to the brunette, "Will... this is your mother... this is your family."

The brunette's eyes widened as he stared at everyone in disbelief for a moment. It was a dream to find his mother as he mentioned to Mike multiple times in the car. He heard of El's missing brother but to think it was him this whole time was surreal.

Mike continued speaking, "And this," he gestured to Jonathan, "Is your big brother Jonathan, and that," he pointed to Hopper, "Is your stepdad, and well, you already know El... your sister." he smiled.

Will's heart pounded in his chest as he took in their faces, each a mix of curiosity and warmth. He felt a lump building in his throat as he struggled to process the overwhelming revelation.

"Will...?" Joyce repeated, her eyes widened as she took in the young man by Mike's side. Her heart raced as she slowly stood up, her heart pounding in her chest. She carefully studied his features, as if memorising every detail, her breath hitching as recognition set in.

How could she be so foolish to not notice him the moment he walked in? Tears welt up in Joyce's eyes as she reached out gently touching Will's face, her hand trembling with emotion. It was him. It was really him. The missing son who she had searched for tirelessly, who had been mysteriously lost for 15 years, was standing before her.

Without a word, Joyce gently pulled the brunette into a tight embrace, holding him as if she was afraid he might disappear once more. Her tears fell onto his shoulder, worried this might be a cruel mirage.

Will swallowed hard, choking on his own sobs. He wanted to say something, anything to his mother.

Joyce latched onto her son, showering the brunette in her arms with motherly affection. Her words soothing, expressing all the thoughts in her mind; holding him close with tears streaming from her eyes, "My dear, sweet boy." she murmured, "I missed you so much. You're safe now, and I promise I'll never let you out my sight again."

The small boy felt overwhelmed with emotions, a testament to all the feelings he felt bubbling over him. He could feel the weight of his mother's emotions; the years of pain and worry melting away in their reunion, but also his own life falling into place. It was a moment of pure love and joy; it was something Will yearned for his whole life; a family.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and El couldn't contain themselves as they rushed to join the embrace, enveloping Will in a cocoon of love and acceptance. Jonathan matched his mother; sobbing into an incoherent mess, always blaming himself for being unable to protect his brother despite being a child himself at the time. Jonathan's protective arms conveyed his silent promise to never let go.

El was quiet as she always was, yet a few tears brimmed her eyes threatening to fall. She never met him as a child but always wished she did; she wondered what he'd look like, how he would act, his favourite colour and whether they would have gotten along... and to think she had already been talking to him this whole time.

Hopper struggled to grip the shock of the moment, remaining firmly on the couch. He took off his hat, his emotions a mix of disbelief and relief. The weight of years spent searching for Will had lifted, replaced by the incredible sight of the small boy being caught in the loving embrace of his family; a smile crept onto his face.

The hug lasted for an eternity. Tears were shed, emotions were raw, and a deep sense of relief washed over all of them. Joyce and Jonathan couldn't help sniffling as they held their long-lost son and brother close. El passed a small smile as she spoke, "I can't believe you're my brother," keeping a hand on his back.

Hopper finally arose from his seat approaching Will; he was tall, a lot taller than Will and a lot stronger and built. The small boy hesitated, taking a step back; he had been through so much, memories of his father's abuse still haunted him; he was frozen, but Hopper wrapped his arms around in a gentle, fatherly hug, Will's fear dissipating in that moment.

"It's good to see you again kid" Hopper's voice was deep, filled with warmth and sincerity. He was never an emotional person... but this whole situation filled him with joy.

Will couldn't hold back as he returned the hug. The years of abuse and separation had taken a toll on him, and this moment, surrounded by people who cared for him, was a deep step toward healing. He felt safe... and loved.

Joyce couldn't contain herself as she wrapped her arms around Will again, grabbing both Jonathan and El with each arm, forcing them to join the hug which they so gratefully did.

Nancy and Mike stood to the side, sharing a knowing look as they held the same position. Mere witnesses to this beautiful reunion, cherishing the happiness that now seemed to envelope the room. Nancy smiled bright, her face softly smiling. Mike dabbed his eyes, worrying a tear might fall from the sweet moment before him. The ravenette stood quietly, despite all the bad he had done in life, this was the one thing he was most proud of...

-------

2332 Words

Stay Safe <3