Hey there! I got an idea for another Mileven fic, so I decided to write it out and see how it goes :) to all my readers that are coming over from "It's Still You," you guys are absolutely amazing for following me! I should have more free time coming up which means more updates :) enjoy! Let me know what you think and if youd like to read more of this fic!

Chapter 1:

Sheriff Jim Hopper parked his cruiser just outside the gates that led to the Hawkins National Laboratory. He climbed out of the driver's seat with a tired groan, a cigarette pinched lightly between his teeth.

Leaning back against the car, Hopper pulled his lighter from his shirt pocket and lit his cigarette. It was windy, but with his hand shielding the flame, he was able to light it fairly quickly. Fall was coming to an end, but it still smelled like dead leaves and bonfires outside.

There was a loud buzz that drew his attention to the gates as they began to part ways, sliding back in order to let two men come through. One of them was Dr. Brenner himself, which was usually not the case. Hopper pushed off his car to stand before them.

"Sheriff," Brenner greeted him stoicly. "I didn't expect you to return so soon."

"Yeah, well, I brought something." He reached through the rolled down window of the cruiser and dragged out a plastic bag from the passenger's seat. He held it out to Brenner. "Last time I was here, she was running a fever. Has a cold, Im guessing."

"I don't think that's really your concern," Brenner frowned. "I assure you she's in good hands."

"Yeah," Hopper scoffed at his remark. "Right." He shoved the bag against Brenner's chest. "There's ibuprofen for the fever and some liquid cold medicine. She probably won't like the taste, but tell her she has to take it to feel better."

"I'll pass the message along," the doctor said coldly as he took the bag from Hopper's grasp. Hopper eyed Brenner and his assistant intently.

"Listen, Doc, if I come back next week and she's not better, I'll come every damn day to give it to her myself. You're overworking the poor girl. Have been for years."

"Again, Sheriff Hopper, I don't see how that's your concern."

"Part of our agreement was that I can come once a week to make sure she's alright. I stay out of your affairs, I don't go to the feds, but I get to be concerned. It's the only reason I brought her back to you."

"Not the only reason," Brenner commented with a snarky grin. "You have others to protect. People with lives that don't need to be... disrupted again."

"Just give her the damn medicine," Hopper grumbled, pulling open the door to the cruiser. "I'll see ya next Wednesday, Doc." He started the car and drove away, watching the doctor and his assistant in the rearview mirror as he sped off towards the main road.

Mike Wheeler closed his locker just as a pair of all too familiar arms wrapped around his waist. He smiled to himself, then turned to look down at the big green eyes of the girl he'd been dating for nearly a hear now. Lilly Mason, the prettiest blond in Hawkin's High.

"Hey there, hot stuff," she grinned up at him, leaning forward to rest her chin on his chest. "Are you ready to get out of here?" He placed a quick kiss to her forehead, then pulled away from her, taking her hand in his.

"I'm always ready to get out of here," he chuckled, walking with her at his side. "Are we going to the usual spot?" He glanced down at her, and she nodded excitedly. "Alright." They stayed side by side all the way to the parking lot, where they got into Mike's beat up old car and headed off to their secret spot.

It was hidden deep in the woods, off a little beaten path that not many people knew about. It was a bit overgrown, which helped to keep it hidden. Only a few people from the high school knew about it, and they preferred it that way.

Once he parked the car, they both climbed out of the front seats and moved to the back. Mike sat back against the seat, propping up one arm on the door beside him. Lilly immediately toppled over to lay her head on his shoulder.

"Fall has always been my favorite time of the year," she sighed, closing her eyes. "I like the color of the trees and the mild temperatures and the smell of burning leaves in people's backyards."

"Plus, it'll be Christmas break in two weeks. And we have the cabin rented out next weekend. Lots to look forward to," he smiled softly. Lilly looked up at him, admiring his features. Mike Wheeler had grown into quite the man. She didn't meet him until their sophomore year, but she had seen pictures of the thin, dorky kid he used to be in his house.

Now, he was tall, lean, with well defined features and adorable slightly curly hair that she loved to bury her fingers in. Plus, she loved the feeling of his firm body when it pressed against hers. Lilly bit her lip, sat up, and climbed into his lap. She straddled him, planting both palms flat against his chest as she struggled a little to get comfortable.

"Here?" He hummed, an eyebrow raised.

"Where else? At your mom's?" She teased him sliding her hands under his shirt to feel the ridges of the muscles in his abdomen. "Besides, we can't get caught here."

Mike pushed off of the door to sit upright, hands moving to her hips. He really wasn't all too in the mood, but she was right. They may not have a chance to fool around until the weekend at the cabin, and even then, Dustin, Will, and Lucas would be there, too, just in the other room.

So he gave in, leaning forward to kiss her heatedly as he stripped her shirt from her body. She shifted in his lap, tugging up her skirt to allow her legs more room to move. Mike knew the drill. It wasn't the first time they'd had sex in the back of his car, and he didnt imagine, at the time, that it would be their last.

Mike got home before his mom and Holly, which he was grateful for. That way she wouldn't ask him why he was an hour later than usual, or why he smelled like perfume. He headed upstairs immediately to shower.

Not too long after he got dressed again, the phone rang downstairs. He didnt know, in that moment before he answered it, how just that phone call was going to throw him into turmoil and flip his world upside down all over again.

"Hello?" He answered, expecting it to be one of the ladies that always called his mom to talk about recipes and other mom things. However, it was Will that answered.

"Mike, I have something I have to tell you, but I dont know how you'll feel about it," Will said, a liytle frantic on the other end of the line. Mike leaned back against the wall, eyebrows furrowing.

"Well, what is it?"

"I just heard my mom yelling at Hopper. She went down to that station earlier to have lunch with him, and I guess she overheard something she wasnt supoosed to while Hopper was on the phone. And I think... I think you should know what I heard."

"What'd you hear?" Mike wasn't entirely sure how Hopper and Joyce's affairs had anything to do with him, but he didn't question it. Will was practically hyperventilating, which meant it was important.

"She told him, and these were her exact words, 'I can't believe you sold her out. That man only wants to use her. He doesn't care about her.'" Will paused to let Mike process the information before letting the real bomb drop. "She didn't say her name, but... she mentioned the lab. I think... I think she was talking about Eleven."

Just her name nearly tore his heart in half all over again. Mike had never been able to forget about the lab, the demogorgon, and the girl that saved him from all of it. His first love. Eleven. It had been years since she disappeared. They all assumed she was gone, but if Will was telling the truth, and Mike was sure that he was, Eleven was alive and back at the lab. And Hopper had put her there.

"Mike?" Will called to his friend to get his attention. "Are you okay?"

"I can't believe he knew about this," Mike scoffed. "Hopper knew she was alive, and he never... never told anyone. All this time, I thought she was dead or worse, but she's..."

"Mike, there's nothing you can do."

"I can't leave her there!" He said a little louder than he planned. Mike quieted his voice and pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath. "I cant believe this, Will. I cant believe she's alive, and she's been in Hawkins this while time. We have to get her out of there."

"How? They'd never stop looking for her."

"I dont know, but I have to try. Im starting with Hopper."

"Mike," Will pleaded. "Please be realistic. You're eighteen and in high school. There isn't anything you can do to help her. She's being held by a government controlled secret lab in the middle of the woods. They have big guns and lots of money. They could fake your death easily. They did it before. They'd do it again."

"I know." He let out a long sigh. "I know, Will, I just... I need to talk to Hopper at least. I have to know why he sold her out to Brenner. And why he never told us about it." Mike heard the front door open. "I have to go," he whispered.

"Mike, don't be stupid," Will begged. Mike didn't respond. He hung up the phone quickly as his mom came into the kitchen, trailed by his younger sister. He put on a fake smile and pretended everything was normal. He had to. His mother still didn't know the truth about everything that happened five years ago, and it had to stay that way.