Three Months Later

Over the course of three months, Olivia had discovered that the mall was being closed as she watched TV with her boyfriend, and found a small piece of joy knowing that Mayor Kline was now arrested as the truth of his corruption uncovered, the girl knowing that it would've brought Hopper joy, and that's why she felt happy, too. The brunette girl had cut her hair so it was slightly longer than her shoulders, it used to being to her elbows, Steve insisting that she looked hot with her new hair cut.

The girl was once again suffering from her nightmares and trauma, Steve being there to help her through it now that he stayed over more often. Olivia's nother had taken the job an hour out of Hawkins, and despite her love for her daughter, she let her stay in Hawkins with her family, the teenager moving into Max's trailer at the small trailer park. Olivia didn't mind it at all since she had a chance to be closer to her birth mother, and could be there for Max whenever she needed it, like in the times where her sister would have nightmares regarding Billy, or she would wake up in cold sweats. Some part of her was concerned for her sister, but the other part was still trying to heal herself since she too was having nightmares about her trauma regarding her father, the interdimensional creatures and Alexei's death.

Billy's father had divorced Susan, Max and Olivia's mother, the reason they now lived in the trailer park. Olivia still had frequent contact with Patty, but her priorities were now set on her family. Steve was able to go over to the trailer a lot more since Susan could care less, and because she was always passed out on the couch from drinking ever since Billy's dad moved away, understandably.

Olivia, Robin and Steve were all finding jobs together over the past month, somehow the three all finding job openings at Family Video, the three all secretly enjoying the company of working with each other.

Steve had pulled the car into the parking lot of Family Video, Olivia sitting in in the passenger seat holding his hand while Robin sat in the back, holding Steve's resume. She was reading it with confusion as they all stepped out of the car, Steve wearing a red jacket and jeans, Robin wearing a black sweater without sleeves and Jeans, and Olivia wearing a yellow jacket, black t-shirt and jeans, the three almost matching.

"You put your mom down as a reference?" Robin questioned in disbelief, reading Steve's resume. Olivia grimaced, turning to look over Robin's shoulder as she read the paper.  She scoffed before shaking her head with a smile.

"Yeah. Why not?" The boy shrugged, Robin and Olivia both shaking their heads. "She's, like, super well-respected."

"Oh, Steve." Olivia muttered, shaking her head as she went to the other side of the car, holding her boyfriend's hand before walking torwards the doors with Robin on the other side.

"You're such a dingus." Robin muttered as Steve held the door open for the two girls, Olivia smiling at him sheepishly.

"Uh, just to be clear, we weren't fired, you know?" Robin muttered, the three annoyed with Keith's disbelief to hire the three. Olivia always grew uncomfortable knowing she would be working with Keith, the boy who always flirted with her at the arcade, Steve also not particularly liking the idea, the reason the boy had been giving Keith cold glares the entire time they were there. "The mall burned down and, like, killed a bunch of people."

"Thanks for sharing. Didn't know." Keith dropped the papers on the desk, looking at the group in complete boredom. Olivia sighed, shaking her head as she watched him stare between the three coldly. Keith suddenly snapped his fingers, pointing to Robin. "Three favorite movies. Go."

"Uh... The Apartment, Hidden Fortress, Children of Paradise." Robin listened with furrowed brows, the boy behind the desk turning to Olivia.

"I don't need yours. You're hired." He mumbled with a smile, Olivia grimacing In disgust as he looked at her with a smirk, Steve clenching his jaw before dropping his hand in anger.

"You, go." Keith turned to Steve, snapping his finger at him.

"Favorite movies?"

"Did I stutter?" The boy retorted, Olivia and Robin shaking their heads with disbelieved smiles.

"Uh... Animal House, for sure." Olivia snorted a laugh while Robin scoffed, closing her eyes in cringe. "Um..." Steve looked over at Olivia for help, who smiled with a mischievous head shake.

Keith snapped repeatedly before putting his fingers to his eyes. "Eyes on me, Harrington."

"Yeah. Uh... Star Wars." Steve muttered, Olivia dropping her head in her hands as Robin stared forward impatiently.

"A New Hope?"

"A New what-now?" Steve looked at Keith in confusion, Robin giving her friend a look of concern.

"Which Star Wars?" Keith questioned sharply, closing his eyes in annoyance as Steve blanked, looking over at Robin and Olivia, who were impatiently watching him. "The one with the teddy bears. Duh." Steve muttered in an obvious tone, Olivia scoffing.

Robin dropped her head as Steve squealed, the two girls finding no interest in this what-so-ever. "No? Uh... Oh, the one that just came out. The movie that just came out. The one with DeLorean and Alex P. Keaton, and he's trying to bang his mom." Olivia quickly grimaced, looking up at her boyfriend in confusion. "The time... Yeah, those are my top three. Classics."

Keith looked at him with a blank stare before turning to Robin and Olivia. "You two start Monday. You start never." He said, then turning to Steve. Olivia sighed as Steve clenched his jaw, Robin pursing her lips as he clearly grew angry.

Olivia sighed before leaning forward, her hands crossed as she looked at Keith in the eyes. "Give me a minute." Olivia mumbled to Robin and Steve, the girl walking away with a smile ehile Steve walked away reluctantly, not wanting to leave his girlfriend with Keith.

"Keith? You have to understand, I know he's, like, a little weird and strange, but there are other things about him." She watched as Keith smirked at her, Steve glancing from the distance, his eyes remaining on the two.

"He's a douchebag of the highest order!" Keith muttered, Olivia rolling her eyes as she groaned.

"That doesn't matter. I know he used to, like, what? Billy you? I don't really know, or care. But here's the thing, he doesn't work here, then I don't work here." Olivia watched as Keith's smile immediately fell as she nodded. "Yeah, understand? So, I know you don't really like him, but do it for me." Olivia gave him a fake pout, although she wanted to vomit in her mouth. She watched as Keith turned to Steve, who was ran into a cardboard figure of a girl in only her bathing suit, the boy awkwardly standing it back up as Olivia smiled over at him, Robin furrowing her brows at him.

"Fast times. Fast times. Ever heard of it?" Steve suddenly muttered, holding the cardboard up. "Top three for me, Keith."

The boy huffed before turning back to Olivia, stuffing a Cheeto in his mouth. "Fine." The short-haired girl smiled, patting her hand on the counter top before she walked up to Robin and Steve with her resume in her hands. Robin raised her brows in question.

"Come on. You start Monday." Olivia muttered, walking torwards the door as Robin and Steve followed her out with a smile.

"Just, like, don't look at him like that again." Steve said as he got in the driver's seat with a warning glare, Olivia holding her hands up in defense.

"Yes, sir." She nodded with a two finger salute before Olivia and Robin got into the car with wide smiles, the three laughing as Steve started the car and quickly drove off while reaching for his girlfriend's hand.

***

After Steve had stopped the car at the end of the Byers' driveway, which was soon to no longer be there's, Robin and Steve could tell that Olivia was dreading the moment where she would have to say goodbye to Will, El and Joyce. She took a deep breath, looking out to see a large U-Haul truck sitting in the front lawn. Steve squeezed her hand, turning to face her.

"You sure you're okay?" He questioned, Robin leaning forward to see her best friend's face.

Olivia's nodded, although she was lying to herself. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Robin quirked a brow, knowing that it wasn't true what-so-ever. "Yeah, 'cause you definitely don't say that everyday." Robin teased, Olivia rolling her eyes as she shushed the girl. Olivia exhaled deeply before reaching for the door handle, pressing a quick kiss to Steve's lips before opening the door.

"Love you, guys." She muttered with a smile as she slammed the door behind her, Robin waving to her as Steve returned the gesture.

Olivia walked into the house to see Nancy and Jonathan quickly walking torwards the door, the two carrying a mattress. She quickly got out of the way, smiling at the two. "Hey, Nance."

"Hi." She replied with a grunt, quickly trucking down the stairs with the mattress in her hand, Jonathan on the other end. She walked into the living room, which was no longer a living room, instead, a room filled with boxes. She smiled as soon as she spotted her sister sitting on the ground next to Lucas, the two singing Never Sending Story, knowing it was annoying Dustin from across the room. She laughed, walking up to Lucas and putting her hands on her hips.

"Hey, guys. What're doing?" She questioned, furrowing her brows as they sang the next verse. Olivia laughed as she sat down by her sister and Lucas, helping box anything away.

"What, did we get that verse right? It's 'unfold behind the clouds'?" Max questioned teasingly, looking over at the clearly annoyed Dustin.

"Yeah, but you're butchering it, so could you please stop?" Dustin asked flatly, looking at his friends in frustration.

"So then join in, Dusty-bun." Lucas mocked, blowing air kisses torwards the curly-haired boy. Olivia quickly frowned, holding her hands out as she looked between Max, Dustin and Lucas. She shook her head with a laugh.

"Wait, what? 'Dusty-bun'?" She questioned in disbelief, trying to hold back a laugh.

As Max teased Dustin once more, Lucas leaned over to Olivia. "It's what Suzie calls Dustin, right Dusty-bun?" Lucas questioned with a laugh, Olivia shaking her head as she swatted Lucas'shoulder, knowing she wanted to laugh but the boy across from them was giving them cold glares.

"You guys are so funny. You should be on Carson." Dustin said sarcastically, Olivia still smiling at him.

"Can't we just hear your rendition?" Max questioned hopefully, mockery laced in her tone.

"No."

"Oh, come on! Hey, I didn't hear any of the song, I think I deserve a line or two." Olivia joked, Max and Lucas giggling at her sides as she gave Dustin a pouring lip, although the boy remained with an annoyed straight face.

"No. No way. It's reserved for Suzie's ears and Suzie's ears alone." Dustin argued, Olivia shaking her head with a sigh as she packed more cassette tapes into the box, recognizing one to be the day of Halloween, the girl's expression softening before packing it away. Max and Lucas turned to each other in defeat, staring mischievously before they both broke out into song again, wide smiles on their faces.

As they did so, Dustin stuck up his middle finger, moving it around in the air as they clapped their hands, Olivia smiling as she continued packing things into the box, Lucas and Max singing from beside her.

"Shut up, you guys!" Dustin yelled, looking down in annoyance as they continued clapping, clearly enjoying it more than they should. "Stop! You guys, please, shut up."

As Max and Lucas continued singing and annoying Dustin with anything possible, Olivia made her way into Eleven's room which she has stayed in over the past three months until they moved. The teenager turned the corner to see El taking her clothes off of the hangers, a saddened expression on her face. Olivia pursed her lips as she leaned on the doorframe, El turning when she noticed Olivia. "Hey, kid. You okay?"

El turned to look at Olivia, her lips pursed as she nodded. "Hey, don't worry. You can always call whoever whenever, and you can come visit over school breaks." Olivia coaxed, walking up to El as she nodded. "Hey, you can even call me anytime you want, I'll always answer." Olivia reassured the girl, El nodding once more.

"I don't want to leave." El said through small tears in the corners of her eyes, Olivia's expression softening as she wasted no time to walk closer to El, pulling her into a hug quickly.

"It's okay." Olivia muttered as El hid her face in the girl's neck. Once Olivia had pulled away, she placed her hands on the light-haired girl's shoulders. "Hey, I'll hide you in the trailer if you want me to."

Eleven quickly laughed, Olivia chuckling softly as El wiped a tear from her cheek. "That's okay." El shook her head with a smile, Olivia nodding as she pursed her lips, not wanting to leave the girl, nor Joyce, Jonathan and Will. She knew she was going to miss the family to pieces, and having a sorrow goodbye was only gonna make it worse. So, Olivia walked back to the door, stopping in her tracks as she turned back to El.

"I'll see you outside, okay?" Olivia muttered, El turning back to face Olivia. The younger girl waited a few seconds before nodding, it clear that she too was dreading the moment where she would have to leave everyone behind.

Olivia moved back into the living room, running into Max and Lucas, who were no longer singing, instead, both of their faces had fallen and they were surely upset. Olivia pursed her lips, taking the box from Lucas' hands, letting them walk outside first, the girl behind them with the box in her hands. She quickly slid the kitchen supplies into the U-Haul truck, turning around, Jonathan the first person her eyes laid on. She pursed her lips, the boy smiling as he hugged her. He muttered a quick 'thank you' before pulling away, her brows furrowed.

"For what?"

"Being my friend when no one else was." He muttered, Olivia nodding before she gave him one final hug, then moving over to Will, who had tears on his cheeks. She tilted her head before he moved away from Mike, wrapping his arms tightly around the teenager. The two didn't exchange any words, not because they didn't want to, but because they didn't need to since they had a mutual understanding of the situation, both knowing that everything they wanted to say was already adressed.

Olivia then gave Joyce a quick hug as the mother thanked her for always watching out for the kids, then the teenager moving over to Mike and Max, tears in her sister's eyes. El moved over to Max and Olivia, staring at them sadly before Olivia pulled El closer, Max joinging the hug as tears left Eleven's eyes. Olivia had always hated saying goodbye to the people she cared about, but this, this just felt different.

After parting with everyone, Lucas, Max and Dustin moved over to Olivia, the girl having her arms around all of them as they watched everyone get into their cars, the U-Haul truck slowly driving off, Jonathan's car behind it. After almost twenty minutes of Olivia standing in the driveway without any words, the kids began leaving on their bikes, Olivia waiting at the house for Steve and Robin.

Olivia sat on the proch steps, dropping her chin on her knees as she stared out into the driveway with tears in her eyes. Her whole life and family was gone in a day, no matter her living there or not, she felt like this was her life being taken. The dark-haired girl sighed shakily before tears fell down her cheeks, the girl quickly wiping them as she noticed Steve's car pulling into the empty driveway.

She pursed her lips before quickly stepping off of the porch stairs, Steve and Robin watching her from the car with worried glances. She got to the car, quickly opening the car door and sliding into the passenger seat. Steve watched her softened expression stay still as she looked up at him, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"You okay?" Robin muttered from the back seat, leaning forward to look at Olivia, who had dropped her head. The girl nodded, although she knew it wasn't the truth, and so did Steve and Robin. She hated that she constantly had to feel pain, whether it was physically, or mentally. It was life, and it wasn't ever going to change.

"Yeah." Olivia exhaled shakily, Steve holding her hand as he pulled out of the driveway, looking over at her every few minutes. "I just, I have to get home to Max." She muttered, trying to avoid how she felt knowing if she spoke of it, she would cry.  And despite everything, despite the loss and the pain, she somehow had a gnawking feeling that this wasn't ever going to be over.

AUTHORS NOTE:
That is the end of season 3!! I didn't want to write this because it's just too sad. But, I am going to be righting another story which I have started, 'His Grace', about Francis Valois from the series Reign, so please check that out if you are interested. Thanks for all of the love and support! Byeeeee