upsidedowns | (no subject)

Using ones abilities to the fullest extent and beyond to defeat a Monster that should not be in her reality had taken a lot out of her. Sending it and herself back to the monster to keep Mike and Dustin safe. To keep everyone she loved safe? That had been worse.

And then tearing a hole through the universes to get out of the Upside Down, only to end up somewhere she'd never been before? She was surprised she wasn't dead.

Or maybe she was and this was another Upside Down and she was stuck? Whatever the case, after much wandering and almost passing out, she found herself digging through the trash behind a burger joint, somewhere in Nevada.

She was dirty as can be, pink dress torn and stained with blood and the stink of the Upside down, blue jacket in a similar state and everything smelling like man-made saltwater. Her skin was pale to the point of being grey, bruises around her eyes and blood on her face from an intense nosebleed and still she was pressing on, digging and hoping to find something to eat.

Something to 'recharge her batteries' with.

But the sound of someone coming out of the closing restaurant was enough to send a spike of fear through her, the small girl ducking behind the dumpster and trying to make herself small as possible.

Go away go away go away go away she thinks over and over, trying to not shake from exhaustion ad fear.

And fatigue. She was, after all, close to half dead, so as she tried to will the other person away, her eyes started drifting shut and with a metallic thump that woke her up, her head hit the side of the dumpster.

Shit.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

At the mention of her tattoo, El's smile vanishes and she tucks her arm against her chest. Her eyebrows furrow ad she leans away some, clearly not wanting to or even *willing* to discuss the tattoo. Whatever it's from, she doesn't like it.

She does like what he says about being her protector, someone like a cop. She needs that. Protection. She can take care of herself normally, but for now? Not so much and it's obvious when she leans forward to get a better look.

The momentum is too much for her, slight as it was, and she almost falls flat on her face. One hand hits the ground, barely holding her steady.

It's this that makes the decision for her.

"Yes. Protection. A special cop." She'd like all of this, please and thank you.

Rocky darts further forward from his place, crouched around the corner of the dumpster as she falls. A moment later, the hand on the ground is lifted free as he gently shifts to scoop her into his arms, making a point of tucking the bag of food against her chest before he's lifting her and standing.

"I gotcha, cub." he soothes, handling her like she weighs nothing...and she doesn't, it's not just his strength. She's weirdly light in his arms, and he thinks about Mr. Lynden's lectures on magic, and the weight of a soul...

"The only place you're going is to bed. With a full belly and some clean pajamas." he assured her as he carried her out of the alley...and as he said it, the gentle and innocuous words held a heavier note, something blacker and full of blood that were not meant for her, but rather wrapped around her, a protective wall of terrible things that would shield her from all harm.

Reaching his car, Rocky deposited her in the passenger's seat and buckled her in. He then gently reached out to open the bag of food he'd given her and pulled out a hamburger, pressing it into her hand.

"I'll drive. You eat. That's your job." he informed her with a smile and a pointed finger, pretending to be stern. "You up to the task?"

Once she's in his arms, she curls into him, one hand once again clutching the bag and the other curled into his shirt. El doesn't want to be put down or leave his side, not with how safe and protected she felt. Other kids would run away from the strange man offering food and safety because of what their parents taught them. But not El.

El was never taught how to survive. Just how to find. And hurt. And she didn't want that anymore.

She lets herself be buckled in, watching Rock carefully but without the caution from before. Now, it's basic curiosity.

The burger in her hand? It has two bites taken out of it before Rocky tells her her task. After the two bites are gone, another is taken, followed by fries. Baby girl ca eat. Baby girl will eat. There will be nothing left of Rocky's extra hot dogs and burgers when they get home and instead, a girl almost asleep in the front seat, curled into a ball as she watched the world roll by.

The ride home isn't a long one, and Rocky doesn't even try to help her out of the car: once he's parked in the structure, he walks around and picks her up again, along with what's left of his food.

Once he gets into the apartment, he settles her on the couch. If she's aware enough, she'll notice the lighting and camera setup still around his sofa from an earlier recording session, along with the remnants of a costume he was wearing during the filming, complete with a giant pink fake mustache sitting on the coffee table.

He leaves the rest of his Burger King with her on the couch, then goes looking for a few things she's going to need.

When he finally comes back to gently wake her, he has a pillow and blanket piled on the back of the couch, and a t-shirt she can change into along with an old pair of gym shorts Quinn left at his place at some point. They're still probably too big for her little body, but they have a drawstring, and they're smaller than most of his clothes.

Gently shaking her awake, Rocky smiles down at her.

"Hey, Ellie." he croons gently. "C'mon, cub. If you can wake up for me for just a couple minutes, I'll let you sleep as long as you want. I got you some clean clothes so you can go clean up and change in the bathroom, 'kay? Then I'll put you to bed for as long as you want, alright?"