#girldads

Mike and will would be girldads and their daughter is named Josie

(Loosely/entirely based on my tamodachi island)

Josie is so cool and awesome and she’s like 16 and the banter Mike has with Josie is awesome and hilarious and fun

building on a post I just saw, Mike had a daughter with a woman, and then Mike realised he was gay. He came out, the woman took it badly and left Josie with him. Mike had to rely on his writing job for the newspaper to keep them afloat, and soon, he began writing children’s books when Josie was put into Kindergarten. and when Josie was in first grade, Mike met Mr. Byers.

Josie’s first grade teacher. They met after Mr. Byers said Josie had an issue with another student, and Mike was absolutley dumbfounded with how beautiful the teacher was. Before Josie entered, Mike confided in Will about how maybe not having her mother preeent was having an effect on her, and Will asked some questions. Mike informed him of their situation and was kind and understanding, admitting he was in a similar one but with no kids. After they found out Josie was standing up to someone for being a huge assface, Mr. Byers took Mike aside and asked him on a date. Mike obviously said yes, and took Josie out for ice cream.

obviously will was super intruiged about the children’s books, and Mike was impressed with Will’s professional level artistic skills. When Josie was in third grade, they wrote and illustrated a children’s book together and let Josie be their critic. They released it and became the famous children’s literature duo with amazing writing and gorgeous artwork. They got married a year later!

I posted today how I wanted Will to cuss while being a badass defending a loved one, and the idea was brought up in comments that Will might fiercely fight for HOLLY this season. When I thought about it, I realized the abduction of Holly would be a perfect device to explore Will's trauma.

Not only would Holly going missing be a way for Mike to revisit the trauma of losing Will but this time it's his own sister; it would also force Will to confront the injustice of being abducted when he was around Holly's age. He will want to prevent what happened to him from happening to her. It would echo Hopper in s1 dealing with his own trauma and trying to "correct the past" by saving Will.

And Will might actually be forced to remember -- or look for -- old memories of his time in the Upside Down, to figure out how to rescue Holly. His memories can lead to new unexpected revelations (and powers!?), just as El's memories did in s4.

Mike and Will's heart-to-hearts in s4 were very intimate, but they weren't dealing with high stakes during any of them.

Rescuing Holly could be very emotional for Mike and Will (leaving aside that they'll probably face danger together and the fear of losing each other!) This all could bring pent-up emotions to the surface and be the occasion for Mike and Will to have heart-to-heart scenes that put all previous ones to shame.

-teambyler