49. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

[A/N: I wasn't sure if I'd get this done before Thanksgiving but here we are! I hope you enjoy this high adrenaline chapter! Please let me know what you think. :) And thank you to everyone for reviewing! You guys are amazing and you keep me going!]

Chapter 49: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (by Starship)

"I'm so glad I found you, I'm not gonna lose you. Whatever it takes, I will stay here with you. Take it to the good times, see it through the bad times. Whatever it takes is what I'm gonna do..."

. . . . . . . .

Jonathan and Nancy had just reached the front of the building where they could already see through the glass that several employees were dead in the lobby. The lab's alarm was deafening as they stood immediately outside of the building and from the other side of the glass, they could feel its echo resounding against the interior walls.

They peeked through the large windows as best they could, cupping their hands around their faces as their foreheads touched the glass. The linoleum floors were smeared with blood and the footprints of inhuman creatures made their stomachs turn to knots.

Sensing their mutual apprehension, Jonathan and Nancy turned to look at one another.

"You don't have to go," Jonathan said after Nancy hesitated a beat.

"No," she quickly shook her head. "No, I'm going. I just…" She looked back through the glass.

Jonathan followed her gaze as they stared stoically at the torn and mutilated bodies of men and women who might have otherwise killed the two of them for trespassing. He was about to suggest that she go back to his mom and the kids. They appeared to be safe in the woods and he didn't want Nancy to feel that she had to do this if she was having second thoughts. However, before he could say anything, she was already testing the door handles to find one that was unlocked.

When the second door she tried gave in to her pull, she looked up at him with wide, blue eyes that made him feel like he was treading water in the ocean. "Ready?" She asked, propping the door open and pulling her backpack around to retrieve her gun.

"Yeah," Jonathan said, pulling out the bat and unwrapping a towel he'd secured around the nails to keep them from poking through and tearing his bag. He dropped the duffel bag on the floor and double-checked that his lighter was still in his jacket pocket. "Yeah, let's go,"

Once they were inside, they noticed the building was eerily empty and while the alarm sirens were accompanied by flashing red lights, the main overhead lights had gone out and been replaced by emergency lights. As the pair cautiously crept beyond the reception desk through a set of double doors marked "Personnel Only", the dim lighting only added to the palpable tension in the air. Nancy held her gun pointed out in front of her, cocked and loaded, while Jonathan held his bat in a ready stance. They peered around corners as they crept through the lab and as they got deeper into the building, they could hear the familiar croaking and shrieking of the Demogorgon. This time, however, it didn't sound like a single monster but rather, an interdimensional chorus that made them question the futility of their plan. Where were Hopper and El? Would they be able to find them in this massive building? What exactly were they getting themselves into?

"Everyone is dead…" Nancy whispered as Jonathan kept his eyes peeled for the slightest movement that wasn't their own.

As they approached the edge of yet another corridor, they heard a sudden rumbling above them, followed by a guttural, gut-wrenching cry. Both of them looked to the ceiling just as a series of explosions went off right above them like fireworks and the blast sent them flying as part of the ceiling collapsed over them.

. . . . . . . .

El…

Her voice was soft and warm like her blanket at home when Aunt Becky took it out of the dryer.

Wake up, El…

Everything was dark and she was so tired. She tried to lift her arms but nothing happened; it felt like she was weighed down by rocks.

El, you need to get up. Now!

Her voice was harsher now, more desperate, and El opened one eye to find herself in the darkness with her mother, Terry.

"Mama," El's face brightened but she didn't move to get up. She was still so tired and even the shallow water she was lying in didn't bother her. "I found you." She closed her eyes, a soft smile tracing her lips.

El, I need you to get up. Terry said, her face pained as she looked down at her daughter. El was slumped over on her side, curled up as though she were home in bed, safely snug under her favorite blanket. You need to get out of the building. The fire is spreading and you're in danger.

El remembered the fire. She'd started it. She hadn't meant to cause an explosion but she was glad there was fire. That meant the demogorgons would die. They'd finally stop terrorizing her and her friends. El sighed sleepily and Terry approached her, more adamant.

Sweetheart. Terry's ethereal form hovered over El like an angel. I need you to wake up.

I don't want to leave you. El didn't have the energy to form words but apparently in the darkness of her mind, she didn't need them.

You have to. Terry pleaded.

El tuned her out, closing her eyes and allowing her head to rest on the seemingly limitless floor of this mental vacuum. She felt so exhausted, like every ounce of energy had drained from her like the juice from an orange. She couldn't move, but she didn't mind. She'd done enough and the monsters would die. She couldn't let them escape the lab and destroy Hawkins. She knew they would kill everyone and everything if they did - there were too many of them now and it was her fault they were there to begin with - she'd opened the gate. So she didn't mind the fire. The fire would keep them safe. Her friends would be safe and Hawkins would be safe. She just needed a little sleep to restore her energy.

EL! Terry almost cried, startling El whose eyes popped open wide at the exclamation. El, you need to wake up! You can't give up, sweetie. I know you're tired but this will all be over soon.

What about you? El turned her head to look up at her mother, her eyes questioning and doleful.

I'll be okay but you're in danger now. Terry dismissed El's concern as she crouched down to touch her shoulder. Remember what I told you - no matter what happens, you can always find me here. But right now, I need you to wake up.

Too tired… El shook her head, resting her cheek against her mother's hand.

No, El. Terry corrected gently. You can do it. Remember how strong you are. She gently grazed the back of her fingers across El's cheek. I need you to be strong right now, baby. I need to know you're going to be okay. Wake up, El.

She wanted to get up but her muscles felt so weak.

El, wake up!

She just needed a little more rest.

Wake up!

Her mother's hand on her face was a silent lullaby.

. . . . . . . .

"El!" Hopper gripped the small girl by her shoulders, her body limp in his hands. "Eleven, wake up!" he said more forcefully, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist. "Damnit, come on, kid!"

He checked her pulse and breathing to make sure she was still alive before picking her up, her slender arms dangling over the back of his shoulder. She whimpered lightly, giving Hopper some momentary relief that she was alright before he set out to get them out of the building.

The hallway was ablaze around them and part of the floor had fallen through. The air was thick with smoke and Hopper's forehead and hair were slick with sweat as he trekked through the halls of the lab. He'd been downstairs dodging guards and monsters when the explosions went off. Most, if not all, of the lab employees were dead at this point so he felt reasonably confident that if they could get past the fire, they'd be safe. The problem was that the fire was spreading quickly and with all of the flammable materials and equipment in this building, there was no telling when or where the next explosion would come from.

Smoke burned Hopper's eyes and he blinked furiously, his brow furrowed, as he struggled to see where he was going. He almost felt like he was walking through the caverns of hell as flames licked at his ankles, framing the hallway and surrounding them in an intense, overpowering heat. The bodies of monsters and men strewn around the corridors only added to the hellish imagery.

A piece of the ceiling came crashing down only a couple feet away from them, fire quickly eating away at it, and Hopper jumped out of the way as it disintegrated into nothing. He adjusted his hold on El as her chin rested on his shoulder and her body was dead weight in his arms.

. . . . . . . .

As Nancy blinked, regaining consciousness, she could feel the heat from the red-hot flames making her sweat inside her jacket. Her hair was matted down with dust and debris from the ceiling collapsing and she could already feel several bruises developing across her side that would be awful tomorrow. The walls creaked and groaned ominously around her and she quickly sat up, realizing the danger they were in.

"Jonathan?" Nancy said, her throat scratchy from the smoke in the air. "Jonathan!" Looking around, she saw the teen lying face down a few feet away from her and was instantly struck with profound dread. They were surrounded by fire on almost all sides but all she could think about was the fact that he still wasn't awake and there was a wooden beam lying across his chest.

"Jonathan, get up!" she exclaimed as she pushed the beam aside and shook his shoulder roughly. When he didn't stir, she began to panic. "Jonathan!" she almost screamed, shoving him even harder. His hair was covered in the same layer of dust that she had and his face was smudged with dirt and sweat. Her eyes brimming with tears, Nancy looked back down at Jonathan as she furiously blinked them away. "Damn it," she whimpered quietly. "I can't lose you, too…" Her voice was barely a whisper as she stifled a small sob that threatened to creep up on her. After another brief pause, Nancy screamed once more as she pushed him again and when he finally stirred, she exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Jonathan leaned onto his side and coughed painfully. "Ugh, my head…" he groaned as he reached up to cradle the growing knot on the side of his head.

"Don't scare me like that!" Nancy admonished fiercely, burying her worry as her tears disappeared. "We've gotta get out of here."

She helped Jonathan to his feet, both of them wincing in pain as they stood up and assessed the best way to go. Neither of them were familiar with the lab's halls but with the growing inferno around them, they followed their instincts and hurried deeper into the building, away from the fire.

. . . . . . . .

El's soft murmurs alerted Hopper to the fact she was coming in and out of consciousness. He paused in a hallway that had not yet been consumed by the fire. Despite his knowledge of the lab, finding a way out when the main halls were currently engulfed in flames was a bit challenging.

"You okay, kid?" Hopper said as he slid El off of his shoulder to look at her face. Her eyelids were heavy and the eyes behind them vacant as she fell unconscious again. He caught her as her body went limp and scooped her up into his arms. "How the hell do I get us out of here?" Hopper mumbled to himself as he scanned his memory for the best route out of the lab. They needed to get downstairs and they were on the opposite side of the building as the exit. Their only option appeared to be to make their way around the other side of the building and hope they could use the staircase on that side… and that they made it out before the fire spread further or caused any more explosions.

As Hopper made his way through the halls, the thickness of the smoke in the air was becoming noticeably dense. He could tell they were getting closer to more fire and he did his best to duck down low, keeping both his and El's head out of the smoke as much as possible. His walk was cumbersome and his arms were screaming at him from the awkward position as he carried El's weight. There was blood all over the floor that he was trying not to slip in and dead bodies spaced apart like decorative plants in an office. At any moment, he knew he could run into one of those creatures or one of the few remaining lab employees but the fire seemed to be the primary danger at this time. There was no way to quantify the threats stacked against them - rather, everything was the enemy and he just needed to find a way out. Anything or anyone that stood in the way of that would have a steep price to pay. And even if he lost in the end, he would be damned if he didn't go down fighting.

The walls groaned and Hopper could hear the flickering of flames as he got closer to the end of another hall only to realize the fire had spread to this section as well. His exit wasn't blocked but beyond the wall of fire ahead of him, he wasn't sure what he would find. He could only hope they'd find a way out of the building.

Suddenly, a loud boom came from the hall they'd just passed, followed by another, and shook the floor beneath Hopper's feet. The explosion knocked him unsteady and he nearly lost his grip on El, catching her head before she hit the floor.

"H-Hopper?" Her voice was scratchy and her eyes opened only momentarily to meet his before closing again.

"I'm here, kid," Hopper said gruffly, situating her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. "We're getting out of here, don't worry."

Galvanized, he began to jog down the hall, stopping short when two familiar faces appeared around the edge of the corridor.

"Hopper!" Jonathan said, clearly relieved to see that the police chief was alright.

"Is that El?" Nancy asked, concerned as she and Jonathan quickly jogged up to him, their weapons at their sides. "Is she okay?"

"What the hell are you two doing here?!" Hopper exclaimed through gritted teeth.

"We wanted to help," Nancy replied. "I-"

"It was my idea," Jonathan began to explain to a clearly angry Hopper as Nancy furrowed her brow defiantly.

"Actually -"

"I don't give two shits whose idea it was," Hopper growled at them. "Which way did you take to get up here? Is it still safe to get out that way?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so," Jonathan replied quickly, jerking a thumb behind him. "The stairs down that hall were okay but the ceiling fell through downstairs,"

"El, are you okay?" Nancy approached Hopper, tentatively touching El's back and peering around to the small girl's face. Her skin was bruised and her veins visible and Nancy couldn't tell if the blood all over her was her own.

"She's in and out," Hopper explained tersely as the heat in the air began to noticeably intensify. "I don't suppose either of you stumbled upon Terry on your way up here, did you?" When both teens shook their heads regretfully, Hopper sighed, "Let's go."

Nancy backed up as the chief shifted El's weight on his shoulder and without warning, another explosion went off, this time above them. The ceiling blew out, tossing all of them backwards like leaves in the wind as wooden beams fell from above and sent embers flying through the air like snow.

Groaning and favoring their bruises, they each pulled themselves to sitting. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured or unconscious - except for El who hadn't stirred once through the explosion. A couple more support beams had fallen and brought the fire from upstairs to this hall. Now separated by a wall of flames, they stared demoralized at the fire for a moment.

"You two go," Hopper instructed brusquely as he checked that El was still okay, albeit unconscious.

Jonathan looked up. "What about you and El?"

"We'll find a different way," Hopper brushed the question off as he shakily threw El back over his shoulder. "Just get the hell out of here before something else happens," When the two hesitated, he barked, "Now!"

Nancy threw a wary glance back at the police chief and El as Jonathan hurriedly grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall in the direction they'd come.

As Hopper was about to turn around and try to find another detour, he stopped short at the sight of a Demogorgon approaching him and El like a lionness stalking her prey. Trapped between a wall of fire and a monster preparing to pounce, Hopper ducked into one of the laboratory rooms and set El down on the floor as quickly and gently as he could before hurrying back out into the hall just as the monster rushed him. He blocked its initial attack with his forearm, earning a sizeable gash in the process, then grabbed a broken piece of wooden and waved it in the monster's face like a torch. The Demogorgon shrieked, quickly backing up, though it didn't run away. Clearly it was torn between its fear of fire and its desire to attack.

"You want some of this, you son of a bitch?" Hopper snarled, jumping closer to the monster as he swiped the fiery weapon at it. When the flames made contact, the Demogorgon cried out in an ear-piercing scream before running in the opposite direction. Hopper exhaled with satisfaction, his brow furrowed as he tossed the flaming piece of wood back into the fire.

"Well, Chief Hopper," A familiar voice laughed in an ironic way when Hopper returned to the lab room. Hopper blinked in surprise to see Dr. Brenner sitting on the floor on the other side of the room from where he'd absent-mindly left El. The scientist looked paler than usual and with a quick once over, Hopper noticed the significant portion of leg that was missing from the older man. Blood pooled at the base of the wound, spreading out across the floor, and Hopper avoided looking at the torn flesh and exposed bone protruding from Brenner's knee.

Hopper quickly gathered El into his arms, watchful eyes on Dr. Brenner, though it was clear he wasn't going anywhere. He was losing blood quickly and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't be able to get far or do much with part of his leg missing.

A chill ran up Hopper's spine as Dr. Brenner chuckled to himself. "This is quite the turn of events, wouldn't you say so?"

Hopper squinted at the dying man, seething. "Where's Terry?"

Dr. Brenner looked up, half-delirious yet fully aware of what little power he still held.

"You'll never find her in time," he replied casually, his eyes fixed and cold.

"The hell I won't," Hopper barked. "Tell me where she is, you bastard or I'll make sure you die in a hell of a lot more pain than you're already in,"

Dr. Brenner only smirked, shaking his head as he looked down. "I wonder, does Eleven know about your betrayal?" he asked, looking up with a malicious glint in his eye.

"Fuck you," Hopper growled, as he hoped against hope that El was still unconscious.

"Ahh, apparently not. That should be interesting, should she ever find out," Dr. Brenner smirked to himself, recognizing the thinly-veiled guilt in Hopper's face. "I think I understand what's been happening here all along," he said, resting his head back against a cabinet door. "Your daughter dies as a result of your negligence and fool-hardiness, then you put all your time and energy into rescuing a scrawny little nothing of a child only to betray her -" he weakly gestured to El, "- trust in doing so," Dr. Brenner chuckled and his toothy grin was deeply unsettling. "You spend your life seeking redemption for your mistakes but in doing so, you do nothing more than dig yourself deeper into this hole you created for yourself when you caused your daughter's premature death,"

"No!" Hopper shouted, furious. If he hadn't been holding El, he could have rushed over and beaten the man to a pulp, dying or not. "You killed her, you son of a bitch!"

Dr. Brenner seemed unfazed by Hopper's exclamation and his small, unceasing grin only fueled the fury raging in Hopper's chest.

"You want to kill me, too," The scientist surmised nonchalantly. "Go ahead; neither of us are getting out of this place alive."

Hopper considered putting El down so he could give this man the beating he unquestionably deserved but he held back. "No," He shook his head as he moved to go back out into the hall with El still unconscious over his shoulder. "You deserve to burn,"

. . . . . . . .

Mama? El could feel heat all around her, despite the cool water at her feet and the vacant darkness that surrounded them.

I'm right here, sweetheart. Terry said comfortingly, though her voice was tight and strained. She was sitting by El, her legs tucked to the side as El rested her head in her lap. You're safe. Terry brushed a hand over El's forehead, playing with a random curl that was still left on her head after the hack-job of a buzzcut she'd received earlier.

Where are you? El briefly opened her eyes and Terry's stoic smile made her feel warm, but in a good way.

I'm right here. Terry soothed, shushing her. You're going to be okay. Rest now; you're in good hands.

El let herself sink into the softness of her mother's embrace - the gentle give of her leg under the weight of El's head, the plush texture of her robe, the smooth caress of her fingertips gently grazing El's cheek.

I'm here.

. . . . . . . .

She'd been handcuffed to a chair, though it'd been unnecessary at best, given her catatonia. They had planned to kill her much earlier, before the monsters escaped and before the lab had become the embodiment of hell.

Murmuring unintelligibly, she'd close her eyes and focus on her daughter. More than anything, that was what mattered to her most of all now. Despite being trapped, she could still protect her baby in the only way she was able now. Everything was so erratic until she allowed her mind to still and when she found El in the darkness, the jumbled up words and pictures and thoughts and memories fell away. Everything made sense and she was herself again - a young woman with her beloved child.

The room was already hot and she tried to focus on the sound of her daughter's voice in her mind as opposed to the imminent danger encroaching on her prison. She was in an observation room with the same familiar two-way mirror facing her but she kept her eyes closed. She didn't want to lose her connection with El.

It all happened so fast - the explosion next door and the fireball that blew through the hall, the door, the mirror, and set her room ablaze. There was no escape and she could feel the flames dancing closer and closer to her skin.

. . . . . . . .

Jonathan and Nancy narrowly made it out of the building. The fire had spread quickly and while they had a path to escape, it was narrow and quickly becoming more harrowing. Jonathan held a firm grip on Nancy's hand as they ran, the path behind them seeming to be swallowed up by flames in their wake. The staircase had shaken with the aftershock of another explosion somewhere in the lab and on the first floor, debris crumbled and fell from the ceiling.

As they made it to the lobby, they could hear glass shattering as a result of another explosion somewhere in the building. Just before they were about to cross over the threshold, out into the safety of the parking lot, a gut-wrenching scream came from somewhere in the lab. They couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from and at this point, the flames were too high and dense to see beyond the lobby. Nancy's heart sunk into her stomach and she and Jonathan exchanged heavy glances as the woman's cries echoed through the halls until they abruptly quieted.

Swallowing back a sob and frozen in shock, Nancy let Jonathan pull her outside to safety just as another section of the ceiling fell through.

. . . . . . . .

Hopper quickly ducked out into the hall only to find that the fire had spread even more, effectively trapping them, and when he came back into the lab room, Dr. Brenner let out a gravelly laugh.

"I'm afraid I warned you," he said grimly as he coughed, catching blood spatter in his hand. "There's no way out."

Hopper furrowed his brow as he tried to think of a plan. There had to be a way out; they couldn't die here in this lab, trapped with this son of a bitch. He didn't want to admit that Brenner was right but he could hear the flames blazing outside the room and feel the smoke filling his lungs - how much of a chance did they really have?

Dr. Brenner was becoming quieter and it was obvious he wasn't going to last much longer. As Hopper reviewed his options, he started to wonder if maybe the older man had been right. Was this whole rescue attempt truly futile? Had he been living his life and making decisions all this time in an attempt to assuage the guilt he felt about his daughter? Brenner's words seeped back into his head and Hopper felt the hot coal of guilt in his stomach at the remembrance of the deal he'd made with Brenner back in November. He'd sold the kids out in an attempt to not only rescue Will, but to save his and Joyce's skin. Sure, he'd rationalized the decision by telling himself that El was more than capable of defending them and between the four of them, they could find a way to escape the agents. But when he'd gotten back to the school after everything and learned of El's fate, he'd felt almost as sick as he'd felt the day he lost his daughter. Once again, it was his fault.

Brenner's coughing stirred Hopper from his downward spiral and he remembered the situation at hand. He remembered the girl that was still in his arms and still in need of rescue. There had to be a way.

Desperate and wild-eyed, he looked around the room. It was a basic laboratory exam room with supply cabinets, sinks, and shelves. There was a hospital bed on one side surrounded by a myriad of medical equipment he wished he didn't recognize. Suddenly, the idea struck him as though he'd been punched in the face and Hopper rushed over to a shelving unit, carefully balancing El over his shoulder as he rifled through various items. Nothing. He threw open the cabinet doors over the sink. Nothing. He crouched down and looked through the lower cabinets, pulling out a large blanket. It wasn't terribly thick but it was their best shot.

"You're wasting your time," Dr. Brenner said harshly, his voice weakening with every breath.

Hopper ignored him. This had to work and, fueled by adrenaline, he would find a way. They would not die next to this bastard if he could do anything about it.

El's arms dangled against Hopper's back as he leaned over the sink, soaking the blanket as water sloshed over the counter and drenched his boots. When the blanket was fully saturated, he pulled it over his head and around El as best he could. It was heavier than he'd been expecting so he quickly repositioned El so he could carry her in both arms, then pulled the dripping blanket over them as a shield.

Without another glance back at the dying man in the corner of the room, Hopper hurried out of the room and back into the hall. Piercing screeches echoed through the halls as the building was consumed by fire and the monsters burned throughout the lab. Much of the interior structure of the building was exposed and metal supports behind the walls were warping under the intense heat. The hall was littered with wood beams that had fallen and caught fire. There was no telling when or where ceiling could fall through again or the floor could collapse beneath them or another gas tank could explode. They just needed to go.

Hopper stared at the wall of fire before them, gathering his courage as he pulled the edges of the blanket closer, almost completely shielding El and leaving enough open to see where he was going. Flames roared before him and monsters screamed behind him as he ran through the fire with El still unconscious in his arms.

. . . . . . . .

Once outside, Jonathan continued to pull Nancy farther and farther from the building as they both coughed vehemently. Nancy fell to her knees, exhausted.

"We -" Her sentence was interrupted by a series of violent coughs as both she and Jonathan recovered from smoke inhalation. "We have to go back for them," she panted and Jonathan knelt down beside her, struggling to clear his own throat.

"They'll find a way out," he said reassuringly, though he wasn't sure he believed it himself. "Hopper will find a way."

"Jonathan?!" Joyce's frantic voice was coming closer as she and the boys rushed over to the teens. "What the hell are you doing here?!" She was almost crying as she fell into a heap between her son and Nancy, pulling them both into a hug before pushing them away. "What-what were you doing in there? What is going on?!"

"Did you find El?!" Mike asked, barely concealing the panic that had been steadily rising in him as they'd watched fire spill out from broken windows in the lab. "Is she okay?"

"Sh-she's with Hopper," Nancy replied, still catching her breath. "But…"

Jonathan watched her hesitate and he knew why. He wasn't sure he could tell them that Hopper and El were possibly trapped and El hadn't even been conscious when they last saw her. He could barely look at his mom and the boys' worried expressions.

"But what?" Mike pressed, exasperated. His agitation was evident as he bounced on his heels and Jonathan could see that his muscles were tensed. "What the hell is going on?!"

Dustin tried to steady his friend with a hand on his shoulder but Mike roughly shoved him away, his face twitching as he struggled to keep his composure.

Nancy was coughing into the grass again and Jonathan was about to explain what had happened when another series of loud explosions pulled their attention back to the lab. Light flashed in their eyes as they watched the building begin to collapse under the intensity of the fire. They could feel a slight rush of wind, despite their distance from the explosions, and Mike's eyes began to water.

"No!" His voice was guttural and he moved to run toward the lab but Dustin caught him around the torso. "Let me go!" Mike bit back at his friend but he was half Dustin's size and the two struggled against one another as they watched the top floor of the lab collapse completely, initiating a domino effect as each floor beneath it caved in from the weight. "I said, let me go!" Mike almost screamed, his voice cracking as Lucas and Will came around to the front and Dustin dug his heels in, holding Mike in a bear hug.

"She's still in there!" Mike's voice was ear-splitting but his friends held tight.

"You can't go in there!" Lucas said, face to face with his friend as he freaked out. His own eyes were brimming with tears as they realized the severity of the situation. "You can't go in there!"

"You're letting her die!" Mike snapped back harshly and despite his fierce anger, tears slid down his cheeks. He wasn't thinking about what he was doing and the adrenaline rushing through his veins made him feel almost electrified. "Let me go! I promised her! I promised her I'd get her out!"

"Michael!" Joyce rushed over, pulling Mike's face up to look at her as Dustin gripped the fabric of his sleeves in an attempt to keep a secure hold around his friend. "Mike, listen to me," Joyce said, keeping a firm yet soft tone to her voice as her own tears spilled out from her eyes. "You can't go in there, it's not safe!"

"I don't care!" Mike replied, his voice faltering as his adrenaline waned. "I don't care!"

Behind them, the building continued to fall and in seconds, what had once been a towering, intimidating structure was now a pile of debris and rubble, illuminated by pervasive walls of fire. The alarm siren stopped and suddenly everything was quiet except for Nancy crying into Jonathan's shirt and Lucas and Will's sniffles.

Suddenly weak at the sight of what had once been the lab, Mike's knees gave out and Dustin helped him fall gracefully to the grass as reality hit them and everyone's tears began to flow freely.

Mike fell into a prostrated position, his legs tucked under him as he buried his face in his arms. Dustin, Lucas, and Will sat in the grass surrounding him as they each cried quietly. Joyce exchanged glances with the boys before pulling Will in for a kiss on the forehead and crawling over to Jonathan and Nancy to check on them.

"I promised her," Mike whimpered under his breath, his voice cracking in and out. "I-I never got to tell her -" he sputtered quietly, his voice muffled into the sleeves of his jacket. Their own hearts heavy and mournful, his friends watched as his shoulders shook. While it had always been obvious that Mike really liked El, the depth of those feelings was even more evident now. "- h-how I really feel - just a stupid 'crush'..." He shifted to wipe his face on his sleeves, trying so hard to pull it together but he felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. How could he lose her again?

He turned his head slightly so it was easier to breathe and Dustin could see his friend's red and splotchy face. "Wh-what if she - what if she didn't -"

"She knew, Mike," Dustin said reassuringly, patting his shoulder. "Trust me, she knew."

. . . . . . . .

"Let the world around us just fall part. Baby, we can make it if we're heart to heart... And we can build this dream together, standing strong forever. Nothing's gonna stop us now..."