It took weeks to process their grief. They held a memorial service in Steve's backyard. There was no body to bury. It had faded before them. Something about the rules of time, they weren't listening. They didn't care. She slipped through their fingers forever.
Robin is standing in front of him and Eddie with a pregnancy test. Her mouth is open, her hands shaking.
Eddie is pacing in a circle.
"Well?! What is Buckley spit it out!" He rips the test out of her hands and stares at it. He wordlessly passes it to Steve.
Steve looks down at the little pink plus sign. A ghost of a smile takes over his face. He looks back up at them.
She crying. She hasn't stopped crying. Steve has never been so happy to hear a little voice. One week old and she's the best thing that's ever happened to him.
He's rocking her in the chair Joyce got him. His parents completely disowning him when he came out gave him the opportunity to get new parental figures. She has a birthmark where the puncture wounds were. Little freckles in the places she bled the most. A reminder from another life. It wasn't all a dream.
"Hey," Eddie's watching him from the doorway, a tired smile on his face.
"You wanna switch over?" He asks.
"No, not yet." Steve says shaking his head. "I finally get to see her grow up, I know I get to live to see her grow." His breathing quickens.
"We got her back Eds, we finally got her again."
Eddie walks to him, running his hand through Lydia's baby hairs.
"I know Stevie, we're parents." He looks over at Steve.
"I love her so much it hurts. She's never leaving us again. "
"What do you mean you're leaving us!?"
"C'mon Pa it's just summer camp! Plus Uncle Dustin's the main counselor you know he basically runs that camp. Besides whats the worst that can happen?"
Eddie and Steve rush into the hospital room.
"Oh my god what're you guys doing here?!" Lydia shouts.
"What do you mean! We're your parents! You got hurt. You're in the hospital!"
"I broke my arm. It's not a big deal kids break bones all the time, plus John's been helping me." She points somewhere behind them. The two spin around, noticing the shy boy sitting in the corner.
Immediately they don't like him.
"Oh?" Eddie's eyebrows raise. A snarl on his face. "And who is this?"
"Well sir I-I'm John...I go to camp with Lydia-"
"Oh!" Steve throws his hands in the air. "And you're the reason our daughter's here??!"
"Dad leave him alone! He's just a teenager!"
"Yes Lydia! I was a teenage boy too!"
Eddie gives him a flirtatious grin.
"Yeah you were quite the teenage boy weren't you sweetheart."
"Oh yuck!" Lydia groans. "I'm fine, can you guys leave yet? I'm literally supposed to leave camp in a week. You couldn't wait that long?"
"Of course not!" Both of them grab her cheeks pulling at them. "You're our precious baaaaabbbyyy~"
"Ok! Ok! I love you too!" She giggles. "I'll see you soon."
"See you munchkin, I'm just gonna have John here walk us out so we don't get lost."
She rolls her eyes, "whatever."
When they leave the room the two corner John.
"You will not go near our daughter again you understand?"
"It's the same dress." Steve says staring at Lydia. "The same dress I met her in."
"Should we ever tell her?"
"No, no. El said to keep the lives separate. She's been having dreams though. The other day she remembered you face-planting at the bowling alley. We're supposed to keep the scars a secret too. We got lucky she hasn't really questioned ours too much."
"Well...there's no upside down for her to worry about and that's what's important."
"Do you think she even realizes that she saved millions of lives." They look over at her giggling with her bridesmaids. A smile on their faces.
"I hope she gets everything in this world and more."
"What are you two yapping about?" Lydia's laughing at them.
"Just making fun of John."
She cackles. "How many years has it been? Give him a break, after today he'll be my husbaaannnnd."
"Yuck," Eddie sticks out his tongue disgusted. "That twerp? Still want him huh? Not too late to change your mind munchkin."
"You think he's ok?" She's biting her lip in worry.
"Sweetie, he loves you, he literally ignored every threat we gave him to love you. This was meant to be."
"You believe all that?" Lydia asks, "fate?"
Steve takes one arm while Eddie takes the other.
"I believe in it all and most of all, I believe in us, in you."
Together they walk her down the aisle, as a family.
I hope you didn't cry too much. I got attached to these little suckers.
Whooooo it's been a whole week since I started writing this and now it's done!
Let me know your thoughts! I'll be putting it on ao3 tonight.
My ao3 is pinned in my profile <3
Thank you for the support:)
@tinyplanet95 @jaytriesstrangerthings @bookworm0690
