Lexi wasn't even sure how she was going to start the conversation with Hopper.

She knocked on his door to his small cabin, regretting it immediately as he answered looking pissed.

"Bad time?" She asked as he shook his head.

"No, Mike and El are in her room...with the DOOR OPEN!" Hopper yelled making Lexi sigh, she didn't want El or any of the boys to be there.

"Can I speak to you- in private" She asked, Hoppers expression softened with worry. 

He exited his cabin, walking outside and walking over to the small bench that overlooked the forest ahead.

It was cold, Christmas was a few days away, not like she was going to be doing much, just visit Jonathan.

They two of them wrapped in their coats as snow lazily began to fall, their breath visible in the December air. 

"Everything alright kid?" Hopped asked as they took a seat.

"Shit...no" She sighed, looking up to the sky to hold back her tears.

"Marcus is dead" Lexi began making Hopper sigh.

"I'm sorry"  He said, though they both knew Hopeprs feelings towards Marcus. 

"And I just found out he isn't my real father" Lexi looked at Hopper

"What?" He looked confused.

"Did you ever know a Rose" She asked.

"Yeah, your mother's sister" He nodded, "Why?"

"Turns out she was my real mother" Lexi nodded bringing her confidence up.

"God I haven't seen her since I was about 24" A small, nostalgic smile flickered, then faded as something clicked.

"Wait..."

"Did you happen to have a one night stand with her 18 years ago?" Lexi laughed as she wiped her tears.

Hopper went pale, completely freezing. 

"Turns out your my dad" Lexi stood, walking away to take a minute as Hopper also needed one.

"What!" Hopper finally came out of his frozen position.

"You never knew, so I wanna start off by saying don't feel bad, you never knew...I never knew!" Lexi laughed to try and lighten the situation.

"What..." He couldn't put a sentence together.

"I just thought you should know, but this doesn't mean you have to start being my dad or anything, no pressure. Marcus left Lucy in my care and Nikki in Dean's and he left me enough money for a deposit on a small place to live so I am okay in that end, no father needed, so no pressure" She rambled.

"What"

"Can you say something other than what!" She snapped as Hopper looked at her.

"Sorry this is a lot to take in, you are right, I never knew or I would have done more, I would have done a lot more... look if you need a place to stay while you hunt for a house" Hopper looked at his cabin then at El and Mike looking through the window at them

"HEY!" He barked, sending them scrambling. 

"I appreciate it, but I'll be okay, I'll be staying with Joyce for a few days over Christmas anyway" She smiled.

"I'm sorry I never knew" Hopper apologised, "I wish i knew, I would have treated you right, I would have been the dad you needed kid" Hopper looked at her sadly, the guilt was eating him up.

"Hey, it's not on you, no one knew but Joyce..." She slipped, she didn't want to put Joyce in the mud.

"She knew" Hopped snapped.

"She made a promise" Lexi shrugged. "Look, don't be angry at her for that, you two only just became friends, alright, and if it wasn't for the upside down, you two would never have spoken again, so...let's just leave her out of this" Lexi explained as he nodded. "And if it's okay with you, I would prefer it if this stayed between us until I've spoken to Nikki, I'm speaking to him tonight" She asked as Hopper understood.

"Do I tell El? I know she isn't my daughter by blood, but she is my kid now" Hopper explained as Lexi nodded.

"Soon, yeah" She smiled as Hopped hugged her, Lexi hugging back, feeling a weight off of her shoulder. "I need to get home, there is a lot to do now I have no parents" She tried to laugh "Well..ugh you get what I mean" She cringed

"I know, nothing has changed, I've always been here for you, that's not changing" Hopper smiled at her as she said goodbye heading back to the van where Eddie and Steve had waited.

"Hey baby, you okay" He perked up when he saw her.

"Yeah, that went a lot better than I thought" She smiled.

"Good, but you know Nikki is going to take this the hardest right" Steve told her hand as she took a deep breath

"I know, let's get this done"

Lexi waited in the trailer with Dean and Iaan for Nikki.

Eddie took Lucy over to his trailer to spend some time with his Uncle, plus Wade loved Lucy. Steve had gone back home, his parents where flying in for Christmas, that meant he needed to make sure the house was clean and back to how it was.

The three of them sat in painful silence when finally Nikki walked in the door, immediately looking at the three of them concerned.

"Oh shit" Nikki sighed, throwing his bag down.

"Language" Lexi warned softly, "Please sit down" She asked as Nikki took a seat next to Lexi.

"Kid" Dean began, "I'm so sorry to tell you this, but your dad died two nights ago" Dean began as Nikki looked at him confused.

"Dads dead?" He looked at Lexi who looked at him sadly.

"I'm sorry buddy" She grabbed his hand as he looked at the floor sadly.

"I mean, I hated him, but that really shit" He struggled to express himself.

"You can hate him and still be sad that he's died" Iaan explained as he nodded.

"Look, I hate to throw bad news on you like this, but his funeral will be in a few days okay" Lexi explained as he cried, standing up and hugging Lexi tightly. She held him close, letting him cry into her shoulder as she looked at Dean and then Iaan.

That's when her tears poured.

"Nikki" She pulled him away, "There is something else" She cried. "We found out through dad dying that I am not his real daughter" She came out and said it.

"What?" He stopped to look at Iaan.

"I'm so sorry" She cried. "But just because we are not blood related does not mean I do not love you and Lucy, okay, I am still your big sister" Lexi cried as she watched Nikki's heart physically break.

"You...You arent my real sister?" Nikki cried looking at Iaan who was crying besides Dean.

"I'm sorry" Dean looked at the three kids in front of him.

"What does this mean?" Nikki asked as Lexi looked at Dean.

"It means, I am moving back to Hawkins, and you, Iaan and Lucy are going to come and live with me and my girlfriend" Dean explained.

Lexi hadn't told Eddie or Steve yet, but Lucy was going with Dean, she knew that Lucy would be better off with two fully earning adults who could give her the attention she needed.

"Where is Lexi going"

"I am going to live here, and I am going to be looking for a flat to live in, and I am going to have you guys over as much as possible, and when I have enough money, we are going to move into our own house, big enough for all of us" Lexi smiled through her tears.

"I don't want to go with Dean" Nikki cried.

"I know, but the only thing that is changing is that you are going to sleep somewhere else everynight, you can still come here, you still have the boys. Nothing between us is changing" Lexi reminded him, standing up and hugging him tightly as Nikki hugged her back.

Iaan walked over to the two of them, hugging them as they all fell to the floor in tears.

"I love you Lexi" Nikki told her.

"I love you too" She kissed his head, holding him tightly.

Lexi, Iaan and Nikki ended up watching TV, Dean leaving them be.

Eddie headed over after Lucy had fallen asleep, walking in carefully, looking to see that the three of them had fallen asleep on the sofa.

Eddie smiled to himself, gently placing Lucy next to Lexi, allowing her to snuggle into her.

"Eddie?" Nikki opened his eyes, gently removing himself from under his brothers arm.

"You okay kid?" Eddie looked at him as he shook his head. "Come outside"

Eddie and Nikki walked outside so they could speka in private.

"It's not fair" Nikki began, "She isn't my real sister"

"Just because you aren't bloodline relatives, doesn't mean anything" Eddie reminded him as he nodded.

"She has never really been my sister, she has always been more like my mother, a mother that is five years older than me" Nikki laughed to himself making Eddie smile.

"I know" Eddie chuckled softly and hugged him as Nikki cried into him.

Eddie and Nikki continued to talk for a while before heading back inside.

Eddie began cooking some food for them as it was getting late and when he had left none of them had eaten.

Nikki slowly began waking them up, putting Lucy to bed who was already fed and changed ready for bed by Eddie hours ago.

Lexi woke and then Iaan.

In silence they all walked to the dining table, eating comfortably between them all.

"Look, I know everything is weird now, but we will be back to normal soon" She smiled.

"Can I ask" Iaan began "Did you find out who your biological dad is?"

"Yeah" She pushed her empty plate away from her gently.

"Who?" Nikki asked.

Lexi looked at Eddie for reassurance, him nodding in support.

"Hopper"

"Hopper!" The two of them yelled unison.

"Yeah, he knows and he isn't saying anything to anyone, Nikki it's up to you if you tell the kids, it's in your hands okay" She smiled.

"Okay, I might just let this cool off for a while, then I will let them know." Nikki nodded.

Lexi gave him a smile.

"Dads funeral is in two days, it's shit because Christmas is in four, Dean has sorted everything out, you don't have to come, but if you did thats okay too" Lexi explained as Nikki took a deep breath.

"I'll be there" Nikki nodded.

"What about Lucy?" Iaan asked.

"She wont be coming, she is too young for a funeral, so Karen is looking after her for the day and evening, Joyce has been kind enough to have the wake at her house" Lexi spoke to the two honestly.

"Who is coming"

"Anyone you want to come, look dad was a piece of shit, but burying a parent is hard, and the more people you have there for support the easier it is okay..." Lexi explained

"I'll probably just ask Dustin" Nikki looked at Iaan and then Lexi who both nodded in agreement.

"Make sure he is okay with that too bro" Iaan told him.

Later that evening everyone headed to bed, Lexi sat in her bed waiting for Eddie.

"Can I ask you something?" Eddie asked as he crawled in besides her, laying down as he looked up at her as she wrote in her book.

"Hmm" She looked at him.

"Are you okay, you've had possibly the most soul destroying last few days and I havent seen you cry once" Eddie asked her as she smiled, placing her book down.

"I struggle to cry Eds" She explain as he sat up, "Like I feel that I want to cry, but I think I am so angry right now, I cant"

Eddie sat in front of her, taking her hands in his when he noticed something.

"What's that?" He asked as he opened the palms of her hands.

"That is me...squeezing my hands so hard to contain my anger, that I accidentally cut my hand with my nails" She lightheartedly smiled embarrassed as he kissed her hands.

"You can talk to me you know" Eddie reminded her as she looked at him in appreciation.

"I know" She leaned forwards, kissing him, thanking him. "Thank you for everything" She smiled as he smiled back at her.

"I'm sorry I won't be here for the funeral" Eddie apologised, "I don't want to let me Uncle down, you know?" Eddie explained.

"I wouldn't want you to give up your Christmas tradition for a funeral for a man you didn't even like" She smiled as he agreed.

"I leave tomorrow morning" Eddie told her as she nodded.

"I know, it's okay Eddie" She smiled as she leaned forwards, kissing him gently, allowing there lips to melt into one another.

"I will call you the day of the funeral okay" Eddie told her.

"Okay, just shh" She continued to kiss him, moving to straddle his lap. Kissing him harder.

Eddie melted under her, wanting to kiss her forever.

"Lex" He sighed.

She sighed, collapsing her head on his.

"I'm sorry" She apologised.

"No, I would do this, any other day, but right now you aren't in the right place, plus we have a deal with Harrington" Eddie reminded her as she nodded.

"I know" She sat back on the bed, looking at him sadly.

"Everything is going to be okay" He reminded her as she nodded.

"I know" She gave him a smile as she let him peck her lips once more as he stood.

"Goodnight sweetheart" He held her facce in his hands, kissing her lips again before leaving her alone.