If there was one thing Peter was grateful for, it was Eddie Munson. He was devastated when he found out, he lost Bradley immediately. He had no clue where he'd gone, but it wasn't to Eddie's trailer. He knew that, because he went there to get a dose of sleeping medication. And, thankfully, it knocked him out after his sleepless state.

Nancy let him sleep in her bed, still out as the day rolled around and they began loading things into the car to take to the children that lost their homes in the 'earthquake'.

They all agreed not to bother Peter now that he'd finally been asleep and not on the verge of loosing his mind. But, when a pizza delivery van showed up, they had no choice but to let someone wake him. That someone being DP. Peter winced as he felt licks on his face, his eyes opening. For a second, he thought that mop of hair was Dustin. "DP!"

The dog crawled up onto his chest, licking him. Peter smiled as he rubbed his head, encouraging him to move so he could sit up. When he did, his shoulders fell at the sight of El in the doorway. She gave him a sad smile, crawling into Nancy bed as the pair fell backwards in a tight hug. El shut her eyes. "Thought I lost you."

His eyes stayed open, but only because he was scared that if he'd close them, it would all seem like a dream. "I told you...not possible."

El pulled back, cupping his face with a small shake to her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." he held onto her wrist as her palms pressed into either side of his face. "It's not."

"I didn't know where you went. When you disappear from Max's mind." El admitted, her shoulders rose and fell quickly. "Then I saw you in the at-"

"Yeah." he cut her off, he didn't wanna talk about it. He just hugged her back, moving so El could lay back down and he dropped his head onto her chest. DP curled up at their feet. El frowned, putting her hand on Peters head as he just laid there, not saying much, just glad at least she'd been okay.

Down stairs, Wesley worried.

"He doesn't wanna talk about it, he doesn't even want to go to the hospital to see her." Dustin explained to Wesley and Will, who were joined at the hands. "I have no clue where Bradley went, he just disappeared and we haven't been able to find him in two days. Peter hasn't even left the house except to go to Eddie's trailer for some sleeping medicine."

"It's denial." Wesley nodded. "He does that. He pretends stuff isn't real at first."

"I didn't know what to do, I just let him stay up there." Nancy explained, Jonathan by her side. "I think it would be good for him to go see Max. For both of them."

"Yeah." Wesley agreed, looking up the stairs. "I'll talk to him."

"Can I tell you something that I haven't told anyone else?" Wesley asked, laid besides his brother. The others went to the hospital, leaving Peter with Wesley in Nancy's bed. The younger brother had his back turned while the oldest stared up at the ceiling. "I'm relived."

Peter didn't say anything, but by the way he shifted, it was clear there was something going on in his brain. Wesley exhaled. "He's our Dad, but I didn't love him. I'm not sad he's gone...I feel like I need to be though."

It was quiet for a second. "I'm not sad either."

Wesley glanced over, but he kept his back turned. He reached over and touched his shoulder. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you. And i'm sorry I never protected you from Dad."

Wesley felt guilt when he didn't talk, but it just took a moment for his words to form. "You protected me from Dad more then you should have."

Peter reached over his shoulder and touched his brothers hand, DP curled up in his side. "What about Mom?"

"I know." Wesley agreed. "She'll probably be sad."

"We're gonna loose the house." Peter admitted quietly. "And all the businesses."

Wesley sat up, Peter glanced over at him. "I think i'm okay with that as long as the three of us stay together."

"Me too." Peter gave a tiny smile. "How's Max?"

"You want to go visit her?" he asked, getting a head shake. "Wanna at least call the room?"

He didn't say anything, sitting up as Wesley grabbed the landline off Nancy's desk. He twisted the number in after Dustin hadn't given it to him before they left, handing the phone to Peter as he held the bottom half. DP tried to chew on the wire, Wesley pushed his head slightly.

"Hello?" it was Lucas. "Hello?"

"Hey." Peter whispered to him. "It's Peter."

"I know who it is." Lucas gave a small laugh. "Where are you?"

"Laying in Nancy's bed." he admitted. "How's Max?"

"There's not any change, but she's some what stable." Lucas admitted to him. "El, Mike, and Will are here."

"Good, she should know they're there." he exhaled with a nod. "How are you?"

"I'm getting there." Lucas admitted honestly. "Your uncle brought us some muffins so we aren't eating hospital food."

It made Peter smile slightly before it fell. "I'm so sorry i'm not there for you."

"I understand." Lucas admitted to him. "I really understand, Peter. I'm glad it wasn't both of you."

Peter shut his eyes. Lucas looked at the phone. "You still there?"

"Yeah." he exhaled, keeping it together. "Can you just tell Max...that i'm sorry, and that I love her. And- Ans I love you too."

"I love you too." Lucas moved closer to Max's bed, El looked over as he held the phone up to Max's ear. "Say it again."

Peter felt her, he knew she was there, like he sensed her needing him. The same way he sensed it back in California. "I love you, Max."

Wesley put a hand on his shoulder as Peter inhaled deeply. "And i'm so sorry I can't be there....I will be, soon. I promise."

"Boys?" Karen knocked on the door as Peter hung up. "There's someone here to see you."

Wesley got up first, waiting for Peter as DP followed. The three went down the stairs togwther, coming into the living room. "Mom."

"Uncle Scott." Peter gapped as his uncle and mother standing in the kitchen.

"Oh, thank god." Darcy hurried to the pair, hugging them both with her hands pressed into the back of their heads. "I was so worried about you, babies. Please don't ever scare me like that again."

"We won't." Wesley held onto her tightly. "I promise."

Peter hugged her tighter. "Mom-"

"You don't have to say anything." she promised him, kissing the side of his face. "We never have to say anything again."

Shane Clarke was gone, rotting away within Vecna's formed earthquake. He left behind an abused wife, two abused children, and his neglected brother. Only thing was, non of them had to speak about it again, non of them would have to suffer from his hand, his anger, or his words. And, even if they wouldn't say it, all four Clarkes in the room had a sense of peace.

"Hi, boys." Scott smiled at the two as Darcy pulled away. "How bout that growth spurt?"

Peter smiled as he hugged his uncle, Wesley rubbing his Moms arms. "What are we gonna do now?"

"Now?" Darcy looked at Wesley with her hand on his face. "We live."

"What about our money?" Peter asked her again. "And the businesses."

"Let em go." she shrugged her shoulders. "I never liked any of them anyways."

"Neither did I." Wesley admitted, he was crying and laughing at the same time. Darcy kissed him on the head with her arms locked around him. "Where are we gonna live?"

"Well, my house does get lonely." Scott admitted as he rocked with Peter just slightly. "And there's another teaching position open for you, Ms.Clarke."

Darcy had to smile at him.

Wesley parked his car infront of Eddie's trailer, looking at Peter. "You wanna take this one?"

"Just be ready. I don't know if he's gonna be here." he nodded his head, opening the door and getting out. He walked behind Eddie's trailer, touching the side with a gentle smile, hoping Eddie could feel it. He made it to the back, seeing the large hole of dirt dug up with Bradley kneeling infront of it. "Hey."

Bradley looked over, still sat on the ground. He rubbed his eyes, not wanting Peter to see he'd been crying. "I was about to come check on you."

Peter walked over, sitting down to lay his head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry about Eddie."

"Yeah." Bradley mumbled as he held the bridge of his nose. "I- we talked about digging up our time capsules when all of this is over. I've been holding it for two days, I just can't read it."

Peter glanced at the bottle in his hand, a note insane. "Would it make it better if I did?"

Bradley nodded, passing him the bottle. Peter popped the lid off and patted the side until the note fell. He unrolled it and immediately recognized Eddie's handwriting from all of Wesley's forged essays he did to help Eddie get close to graduating. "Dear dickhead Dadley."

Bradley laughed as he leaned on his knees, letting Peter go on. "I'm looking at you right now, with all your stupid pimples and those dumb glasses, and I have to urge to smack you. I wanna smack you because I don't think you know how much you mean to me. I wanna smack you because you're my only friend ever and i'm glad we did boy scouts together. I hated boy scouts, my uncle said I should quite if I hate it so much. But, I stuck it out because I liked to be around you. I hope when we read these, your senior year while i'm hopefully on my second year of real man work, i've been able to tell you by now. And in some miraculous way, Hawkins would be okay with us being more then just boy scouts.

-Eddie the fellow dickhead."

Bradley held his face in his hands as Peter folded the letter. He kept it together, having the last two days cried out enough, but sitting there. "Me too."

Maybe Eddie heard, maybe he didn't, but Bradley said it anyways. Peter hugged his body as he kept his face in his hands. "You're the best person i've ever known."

Bradley smiled, leaning his head against his. "I just want to give you what you deserve, Peter."

"Me too." Peter hugged him. "I'm sorry I couldn't."

Bradley hugged him back.

Back at Hoppers cabin, Bradley helped Nancy and Jonathan rebuild outside while Peter made the excuse he needed a bandaid from Wesleys car, while him and Will were busy being stupidly happy on the back porch together. Bradley opening Eddie's letter earlier made him want to open his own best friends letter she'd wrote him, figuring now was a better time then any. DP followed him to the car, sitting near his feet as Peter sat in the passengers seat.

Dear Peter Clarke,

So, this is stupid, right? You probably think it's cute, but I think it's kinda dumb and clique. I hate those stupid cliques, like how she smoothed all your letters to El in kisses before you send them to her. I hate that stuff, but I can't think of a way to say any of this to your face. I can tell you anything, but not this. You never asked me why I kept you close but pushed everyone else away after Billy, you just accepted it and were there. You didn't push me to talk about it, and you didn't snap at me when I was being a complete jackass to you. You just loved me, even when it got really bad, you let me cry and scream and throw things. I just wanted you to know that I never had a best friend before I met you. I thought maybe it was Dustin or even Lucas, and then it got close to being El, but then I met you and I never knew best friends until there was us. I don't know what's gonna happen to me, or even you, but I'm glad there was at least an us at some point. If you make it and I don't, just keep El safe.

-Max. (ps. don't fucking cry)

Peter laughed, but he did cry. He rubbed his face and laughed because it was so her, everything she said he could see her saying them in person. But, he cried for fear. He cried because maybe she wasn't the same Max now. If she woke up, nothing would be the same, and he couldn't bare to live without her. You can have a million friends, maybe even best friends, but there's always one you put above all your other friends, one you'd always care for a little bit more.

That was Max.

El looked back when she heard her door open up, giving Peter a smile. "Hi."

"Hey." he shut it back. "I hate cleaning."

"Me too." she tossed the broom to the side and wrapped her arms around his waist, shutting her eyes and listening to his heart. It eased her panic to hear it, to know he was still with her. "Peter?"

"Yeah?" he rubbed her back.

"I'm really glad you love me." she admitted to him. "I'm glad you feel that way."

Peter smiled. "Just feel the same way anyone else would. If the world knew you, they'd love you as much as I do."

El looked up and cupped his face. "Love you as much as I love my eggos."

He let out a laugh. "That much?"

"Yes." a grin grew across her face. "Mind blowing, right?"

"So mind blowing." he grinned, leaning in to kiss her again as El smiled.

A knock heard before the door opened. "Hate to interrupt what's going on in here."

"Wes." El scolded him.

"I need your beefy arms." Wesley pointed at Peter. "There's....something that needs to be lifted."

"Right." Peter frowned his eyebrows, glancing at El. "Be right back."

Wesley pulled him out of the room, shutting the door back. "There's nothing to be lifted."

"Wh-" Peter started, stopping as he came face to face with Hopper. "Hop?"

"Shh." he put a finger to his lips. "Hey, Pete."

Peter smiled. "I like your no hair."

"Yeah?" he reached forward and touched his shoulder. "Hitting the gym? Get your heart broken?"

"No. The complete opposite actually." he beamed at El's father. "What about you? You get your heart broken and been hitting the gym this whole time?"

It made the small group around them laugh as Hopper shook his head. "Is she-"

"Missing her Dad." Peter nodded, moving out of the way for Hopper to go to El's room. His eyes shifted toward Wesley and Will. His brother had his arm around the younger Byers, the pair mumbling something and grinning. It made him happy, seeing them together. Only, it pained Bradley. He'd always known Wesley deserved someone good, his secret affair with Jason last year one of the worst pairings he'd ever seen. Will was good for him, Will was exactly who he needed.

But seeing them, two boys in love in secret, just reminded him of what he'd lost in the last two days.

"So." Mike nudged Peters arm. "Did you miss me?"

Peter laughed. "Are you kidding? I had to watch movies all alone."

"Oh, is that what you were doing? Watching movies this whole time?" the Wheeler boy nodded.

"Musicals?" Peter suggested with a half grin. "Thanks, Mike."

"For what?" he shrugged.

"For watching out for Wesley, for DP, Will, and then El." he nodded, exhaling. "I think that they really need you. We all do."

Mike cracked a minor smile, looking away. "Okay."

Peter grinned, looking back as El and Hopper walked out of the house. She hugged Joyce while Bradley walked up to Peter, holding his shoulders for a moment with his own little smile at the mother and daughter.

Wesley felt his, what appeared to be, boyfriend shift under his hold as his hand came up and cupped the back of his neck. "Will? What's the matter?"

"Something is-" Will began, stopping as small flakes began to fall.

"Is it snow?" Peter had to smile at the sky. "My polar bear still never came."

"I don't think it's snow, Peter." Wesley admitted.

El's hand grasped Peters tightly, the other scooping DP off the ground. They all walked together, the trio before the rest. As they circled behind Hoppers cabin, they came face to face with many explosions in the distance, creating a horrible smoke in the air. Half the field was grey, growing closer and closer. Peter took DP in his arms as El leaned down and felt the grass, looking up at her boyfriend with a worried stare in her brown eyes.

•

kylie speaks

i'm upset it's over, but it's
been such a good run. honestly
i really was expecting season
four to flop for this book since
there wasn't a lot of el and
peter content but the fact that
four did better then three did
shocks me in so many ways. i
can't thank you all enough for
the endless support through your comments and your votes.
i've loved every second i got to
spend talking and writing for all of you. i still plan on writing
baby boy wes's book about his
time in scoop troops, i'm just
not sure when it'll be up. once it
is, i'll be back to let you guys know. i had such a good time here, i'll see you again for the fifth season :)