Hopper, Billy and Eleven checks-in at an inn where Hopper finally tells Billy everything about the girl. The truth sent the young man to a shock but soon finds the will to protect the child. Eleven gains a new name and a new guardian to keep her safe.

Chapter 4: The Guardian

"Wake up, we're here"-the chief announced while giving a single tap to Billy's chest with his right hand, sending his nephew to wake abruptly, close to hysteria. He just stared at his uncle annoyingly, not uttering a word when he heard something moan behind him.

"Mmmm…" He looked at the back of the pick-up to find something moving. A part of it moving up and down. He heard the sound of breathing.

"Ok what is that? Or should I say WHO is that?"

Hopper just stared at him, and with a disturbingly serious tone said, "You promised you'd do anything if I get you out of there right?

"I promised? Ok yeah maybe but-"

"No buts… Just go down right now, grab the back door and act like a normal city kid and let me do the talking when we head inside. Do you understand?"

Billy simply nodded and went out into the dark parking lot holding the back door while watching Jim carry out a child covered in a plain brown flannel blanket. Billy saw that the kid's head was shaved and if he didn't hear him making a sound earlier he might have thought that he was dead. He was terrified but still followed Jim, who was carrying the unconscious child like a baby inside the inn.

…..

"Paxton Roadside Inn, good evening, or should I say good morning… I'm Lorie, How can I... help you?"

"Hi good morning, we're on our way home but it looks like there's a storm coming so I just figured we'd make a stop until maybe in the afternoon… We'll get a twin room please."

"Ok. Well, do you need an extra bed for the…..kid?"-Lorie said while nodding, eyeing the child sleeping on the big man's arms.

"No need, we won't stay long anyway." - Jim replied with a helpless smile.

"Sure. Now I'm just going to need some of your details." The receptionist was about to give a form for Billy to fill-out but Jim quickly interjected.

"Sure, you can just write it down for me please. My name's Carl… Carl Porter, we're from New York."

"Ok… Mr. Porter from New York"- Lorie withdrew the form and wrote the details herself. "-and you are staying with… your two boys, I suppose?"

"Yes, my sons Bill and…" Jim contemplated on the name he should give Eleven but the first thing that came to his mind was the rerun of the 1979 Mel Gibson film that he caught a glimpse of earlier at Paxton Police Station. "…Max. Look, my sons are really tired and my youngest here is sick, so how long do you think it will be until the room's ready? I'll come back here as soon as we're settled so I can give you the other details"

"Oh…I see, well, would you need a doctor?"… "Um, no it's just a fever."

"Well, you can go there now, Brian here will be assisting you."

Billy

Jim carefully lays the boy down on the bed situated at the far end of the room. Questions keep boggling my mind right now but I know I would have to wait for the perfect time. Jim touches the forehead of the child and stares at him for a couple of seconds and wait… Did he just smile? Must be my imagination. He starts towards the door walking past me and and says, "I'll go back outside and get my things from the pick-up and talk to that receptionist Lucy"… "Lorie"-I corrected. "Whatever."-He lets out a loud sigh and looks at me while opening the door. "Just stay here and be quiet."-he warns. As if I'd go anywhere.

"Wait, what will I do if he wakes up?" With that he closes the door again, walks towards me and puts both of his hands on my shoulders. "If the kid wakes up…HIDE."

Hide? What the fuck? What is going on here?

I wasn't able to react to that and before I know it, Jim is out of the room. I turn around and run my fingers through my unkempt curly hair - which I usually do when I'm stressed.

I try to relax by observing everything around me. If I really need to hide then at least I have to know where. It is a pretty decent accommodation actually. It's well-lit and the walls are lined with mahogany wood panels. The furniture are warm and rustic. Two single beds line up each other, it has its own bath and a small table with two chairs beside the door. The clock on the wall says 4:00. I slowly sit down at the other bed which stands a few feet away from the other. I observe the kid who's still sleeping soundly. The kid looks feminine, definitely malnourished. Something from his wrist catches my attention. Is that a tattoo? It says 011. Eleven?

The boy moved his head a little and I almost jump but somehow manage to restrain myself when I see a small smile come from the corner of the child's lips. Sigh. Sarah used to be like this back when I used to watch her in her sleep at the hospital. Her mom said she was probably having a good dream. I wonder what this kid is dreaming about. Without knowing it, I also give out a faint smile. So why did Jim ask me to hide if this kid wakes up? That I do not want to find out.

Jim slowly enters the room after 15 minutes and as soon as he's settled in I calmly confront him. We're both standing by the door since we want to be as far from the kid as possible, so as not to awake him.

"Ok so since where are you a Mr. Porter, and since when was I your son let alone a brother to this kid?

"I would want you to shut the hell up kid. I had no sleep but I would stand guard first so you go ahead and get yours."

"Did you kidnap him? Is this some part of a covert operation you're trying to accomplish? Are you with the CIA now?"- I demanded. Not getting any answer, I continue with my query… "Wait, is he really your son? I mean this kid looks old enough to be the same age as-"… Not letting me finish my last statement, Jim grabs me by the collar and pushes me against the wall…

"TRY ME"… I can feel the hotness of his breath against my cold face. His pupils were fully dilated like that of a predator whose about to leap on a prey. I crossed the line so I deserve this. I prepare myself to be slapped or maybe punched in the gut or worst, being thrown out… but he lets go when he saw the anguish on my face. I saw him like this before, and I know I do not want to mess with him.

"Get yourself some sleep. I'll tell you everything you need to know about her later…before she wakes up."

"You are in deep shit right now, aren't you?"-I say as I try to straighten up my shirt, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Well I guess you are now, too."

…..

"How long has that kid been sleeping?"-I say as I slowly sit down on the dining chair. We've had breakfast an hour ago and now Jim has summoned me from the bed. I guess this is when he tells me everything. The suspense and fear of the unknown is killing me.

"Her name is Eleven."

"Her?" I knew it. Eleven. The tattoo.

"Yes. She's a girl… and she's special."

"How special?"

"Look, what I'm about to tell you are things that you may find unbelievable. I want you to open your mind and just let me finish saying everything, okay?

"Okay…" Fuck just get on with it already!

Jim starts to relay the story from the beginning…

Missing kid… Mirkwood… Hawkins Lab… MK Ultra… a certain Dr. Brenn…er?... Eleven… Telekinesis… Three boys… Upside Down… DEMOGORGON…

I completely spaced out after hearing all of them. I am dumbfounded and I slowly look back to the girl sleeping on the bed.

"What's the matter kid? Ran out of things to say now, eh?"

I slowly look back to my uncle, still in shock. I can't seem to find the right words to say even if I want to say something.

"Well you do realize that every single thing you just said to me is just really hard to process, right? It's so incomprehensible I think I might have lost any logical thought to actually say something that makes sense…I am not making any sense now am I?"

"Well then you're free to ask questions now because I'm lifting rule number three and I'm replacing it with a new one: You can never tell anyone. Billy, this is gravely important. I'm talking about a life-and-death situation here. Once they found out I've successfully extracted Eleven they'd be after me like hawks and they'd stop at nothing. You both have to stay away from Hawkins and keep her safe. I'm thinking New York. You'll both start a new life you will be his brother you will keep her safe the best way you can and you don't have to worry about money I'd get you covered. It's that simple."

"No its not. I can't be somebody's guardian I can barely take care of myself! Why can't you just stay with us?"

"Didn't you listen to me? I can't do that 'cause if I do then they'd suspect I already got her and that I tried to flee with her. Then that would be a breach of our contract which means they get to sabotage the lives of those boys who helped THIS kid. They'd milk their families dry until they can get all the information they need to get Eleven."

"Well why did you even have to sign that contract anyway!?"

"I HAD to if I wanted to save the boy from that place." The Upside Down

"So… that's why… you sold this kid out and now you're guilty as fuck and you wanna try to save her life? You want to be a knight to this… dark… princess."

"This is not about me."

"Wait… you said something about the kid not remembering anything though right? What if she completely forgot about everything...like, what if her memory was completely wiped out? Then that would mean she also lost her memory of all the things that she can do with her mind right? She wouldn't be able to use her powers then, and she'd be completely useless to that doctor, then, she's free to go."

"We don't know that for sure. As far as I can remember, she can still do those things. She killed a dozen of Brenner's men before I got her, but she probably didn't even know she was the one killing them, or maybe yes but I'm not certain of that yet… And even if she forgets now, how can we make sure she won't remember?"

"So we have to wait for her to wake up to know that right? Well what if she wakes up then go crazy and kill us both? Haven't you thought about that?

"As a matter of fact I haven't."

"Well, that's fucked up! So what's the plan?"

"First of all, you keep your voice down because if you wake her up and freak her out then we can both say goodbye to our pathetic and miserable lives."

I put my hands on the table with my palms on my face. Am I really doing this? If I will be doing this then why? Why would I risk my life for this girl?

"I need to get some air"-I say as I stand up from my chair, my knees wobbly and my mind drained. Jim gives me a stern look and I know he's thinking I would run away. I would like to but I can't. Why? I don't know.

"She would need something to eat when she wakes up so maybe I can get something for her downstairs… Look I'm not going anywhere trust me. I have nowhere to go remember? Plus I reckon when she wakes up she wouldn't want to see another face other than yours right?"

He nods and gives me some cash. He looks defeated and miserable.

"Uncle Jim, why are you doing this?" I need to know why so maybe I can also convince myself.

"She reminds me of her… from the very first time I saw her she reminded me of…of…"

"Say it. Uncle Jim, just say her name, please…."

"Of Sarah"…

Both of us weren't able to help Sarah before. We couldn't lessen her pain. We couldn't make her feel beautiful when her hair started to fall. We couldn't tell her she wouldn't die, and couldn't save her when she did. I now see my uncle's reason. And I think I also found mine.

"I'll stay outside when I get back. Just call me when this kid is ready to meet her guardian." –I say to Jim with a genuine smile. He nods and gives me a smile back. It feels good to hear him say her name again, after so many years. And that's because of Eleven. We will protect her at all cost.

"All right, then."

"Billy…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. And you might wanna buy some Eggos."

Thank you for your patience in reading this story. This isn't quite picking up the pace yet but I'm also just taking my time. I loved writing this and I am writing a lot of drafts now especially about the Mike and Eleven reunion. It's going to be so cringe and stuff but I love Mileven so… Next chapter, Eleven will wake up. Will it be a disaster? Will she remember anything? Stay tuned peeps! XOXO -Lucy