Chapter Text
It’s been years since El died in front of everyone’s eyes. Her friends, lover, siblings, a motherly figure, and her dad.
Before
She knew she had to die to end the cycle of Brenners program. She didn’t want to die, she knew that wasn’t her ending.
She and Kali made a plan while Hopper when to go get bandages,
“Jane, I know this is where my story ends, but your’s doesn’t have to. I can help you find a way to happiness, a way where no one can find you again.” Kali said while she was bleeding out, she knew she had time to help her sister.
“H-How? You’re bleeding out! You can’t last so long without help. Hop is coming with bandages to save you!” El started tearing up at the thought of losing her sister. She can’t handle more death in one life time.
”Jane listen to me, all this blood is just an illusion. I am not bleeding as much as you’re seeing. I am making it seem like I am going to die so I can live long enough to help you. I will create an illusion of you by the gate when the Upside Down starts to vanish. I will make sure your real body is invisible and the clone of you will die but you don’t have to. I know you have so much to live for, live a life for the both of us. Something I cannot have but you will!”
Kali starts crying more than she thinks she ever has. She knows she has to help her sister even if it means she will die helping.
“What about you! You deserve a happy ending too!” With tears now streaming down Els face, she can’t believe she’s going to live without her sister now.
“It’s okay Jane, there was never a happy ending for me but there is for you. Please live a long life without fear.” Kali stares with pleading eyes, she wants to do one last good thing in this world.
Kali moves her arm to touch Els. Their tattoos lining up with each other
008 & 011
The two sisters are now crying, but El just nods at her. Knowing she will go with the plan. Kali creates an illusion of her dying when Hopper comes back. Only if he knew what El would do next.
Years after the Upside Down vanishes
Eleven is now in Iceland, where she lives in a small cottage near two waterfalls. It’s not three but she knows this is what she imaged for herself, for her and Mike. She still feels guilt for leaving her life behind, leaving the people she knew who loved her for who she is. She couldn’t risk staying with them because she knows she would slowly lose them one by one if she stayed. She doesn’t want to live a life without the people she loves. Even though right now she is, she knows they’re alive and well. It’s better than living knowing that they’re not in this world with her. She hopes Mike and Hopper understood her decision. Her decision of leaving everyone behind to start a new life free from the military and free from a supernatural world.
It’s been years since she used her powers to check up on her family, she’s afraid if she does, she will keep regretting her choice of leaving them behind. She misses them a lot, missing Hoppers Eggos Extravaganzas, her and Mike talking about anything really, arts & crafts with Will, creating mix tapes with Jonathan, her and Dustin sharing snacks, talking about Max with Lucas, and the presence of Max. Those are the people who she knows misses her so much but she can’t bring herself to talk to them. She’s still trying to gather up the courage to send a post card.
El who now goes by Eleanor Ives works at a bakery. When she first arrived in Iceland, she needed a place to stay and something to take her mind off of everything going on. El met this kind older woman who took her in. She noticed Elevens lack of understanding of the Icelandic language and knew that Eleven needed help, any type of help for that matter. The kind lady let El live in the apartment on top of the bakery with her while El worked in the bakery with her.
El worked until she was able to afford a small cottage by the waterfalls she and Mike wished to run off to.
Oh how she misses him so bad.
She knows she has to gather up the courage somehow, she need to let everyone know she’s alive and well. From the last time she checked in, the only person living in Hawkins was Steve! Everyone else has moved away all over the country but mainly on the East coast with the exception of Lucas and Max in California. El knows that the only way to let everyone know was by sending a post card to Steve. He still was living in the same house as always and she knows the address by memory.
Memories of her and The Party always having sleepovers at his house during the summer of 85. How she misses those days when she didn’t have to worry about anyone after her. She really does miss her old life but her new life is great so far! She doesn’t have many friends but living alone is something she’s used to. She is better with the language used there and learned perfect English while learning Icelandic. She’s more mature, grew her hair longer, and has grown just a two inches taller from the last time everyone has seen her. She’s a new person that doesn’t fight creatures from alternate dimensions. She is a person who lives in Iceland near waterfalls and works at a bakery. That is her new life.
It does get lonely sometimes for El, she started new hobbies just to make her forget her past. She still does some arts and crafts and tries to paint but she knows her painting aren’t as good as Wills from what she recalls. She started knitting sweaters, scarves, blankets, anything you can think of. She needed to make a new life for herself and a new hobby can help her with that. She started reading books to help her with understanding English and picked up some copies of Icelandic dictionaries so she can improve her skills in the language.
One day in the bookstore while searching for a new book to buy, she sees a book that catches her attention. A book that is written by Michael Wheeler.
She opens the first page and sees who it is dedicated to,
To the love of my life who I won’t stop believing in
That’s when she realizes she needs to reach out to everyone, to let them know she is safe and is well. To let them know that their hope of her being alive is real and to make sure they find her. She buys the book and a post card. She knows only one address and that person is the last person who she knows is living in Hawkins still,
Steve