Chapter Four

Mayor Kline

It was a cool, yellow morning. Hopper sat on the front porch and watched the white wisps of cloud drift across the horizon. It was peaceful, not unlike the mornings he'd spent out by the water in his old place. It had been Joyce's idea to move closer to the town; now that he had Jane to take care of they needed more space and the cabin had too many bad memories wrapped up in it – not that things had gotten a lot better since.

He'd closed the pool as soon as he got there. The manager hadn't been too pleased about losing the business but the lifeguard who'd saved Will backed him up, which was a pleasant surprise. Joyce, in her single-minded rush to get to Will, had all but shoved the poor girl over. Not that Hopper blamed her.

"Why is this still happening, Hop?" She had hissed, her eyes wide and shining with tears. "It's not fair – he's just a boy."

Hopper had looked across at her car, where Will was sat staring out of the window. He hadn't known what to say to her. She was right: it wasn't fair, on either of them. He knew how it felt to feel helpless to protect your kid.

A flock of birds passed overhead, and Hop exhaled through his nose. Jane would still be asleep, otherwise Hopper would go and question her again about what had happened. Trying to get answers out of her was near impossible: Hopper had never been a natural at the whole 'good cop' routine, but trying to go 'bad cop' and push her was just going to make her push back, and he knew from experience how that would go. Jane hadn't said a word about what happened at the pool, but where his questioning tactics had failed his instincts hadn't. Something had happened, and whatever it was had something to do with the lights, and the cars, and maybe the mall. What any of that had to do with the pool was another story, and something he'd get to the bottom of today if he could.

Right on cue, a police car swung into his driveway, which reminded him of another task on his to-do list.

"Hey, can we swing by Hal's on the way?" Hopper asked as he climbed into the passenger seat. "I need to get my car."

"Ah, sorry. No can do, Chief," Callahan replied. "The Mayor's at the station."

Hopper looked across at him. "What?"

"Mayor Kline. He's at the station."

Hopper gave him a look as if to say 'That's clearly not what I meant by "what"' before trying a different question: "Why?"

Callahan shrugged. "No idea, but he wants to speak to you."

"So, what?" Hopper slapped his hands down on the dash. "Are you my chaperone?"

Callahan rolled his eyes. "Come on, Chief. You know it's not like that. I mean… whatever it is that Kline has to say, it seems kind of important."

Hopper forced back a curse and looked out of the window, drumming an angry rhythm on the dash. Callahan, in a show of uncharacteristic perceptiveness, chose to remain silent for the rest of the journey. When they pulled into the station, Hopper was met by half-a-dozen unfamiliar cars taking up most of the spaces.

"How many idiots has he brought with him?" He asked as Callahan managed to squeeze into one of the few remaining parking bays. Callahan just shrugged, but it didn't take Hopper long to find out the answer. He felt the attention before he saw it; the moment he set foot in the station the low chatter was replaced by total silence and he could feel the tension in the air. When he rounded the corner he was greeted first by Flo, who gave him a grim look as she motioned for his hat and jacket. Hopper didn't have to ask why she wanted to take them since she never usually did – it was very clear she'd had enough of what was going on behind her.

"Jim!" Kline announced as soon as he saw him, striding forwards to greet him. He was shadowed by two men; Hopper recognised one of them as Ron Harrington, Steve's dad. Why the Hell Ron Harrington was there was as much a mystery as the identity of the second man. A few other men lingered around, awkwardly positioned around the desks and chairs as the rest of the police force looked on in silence. Hopper took one look at Kline's outstretched hand and gestured behind him.

"Let's talk in my office."

"No, no, that won't be necessary." Kline abandoned the attempted handshake and instead clapped a hand onto Hopper's shoulder. "I have a small announcement to make."

Despite the Mayor's gleaming smile and tight grip on his shoulder, Hopper's gaze instead went to Harrington. He had never had the pleasure of a proper conversation with the man. The fact that he was here now, in person and with the Mayor of all people, filled him with nothing but dread.

"Hello! Hello, everybody!" Mayor Kline said, unnecessarily. All eyes were already on him. "Firstly, I want to thank you all for your great service. Hawkins will forever be in the debt of outstanding officers like yourselves."

"Jesus…" Hopper said under his breath. He didn't like where this was going.

"Now, I'm sure you are already aware of the unfortunate event at the pool just the other day. Chief Hopper was, of course, one of the first respondents on the scene and again we thank you for your service." Mayor Kline took a moment to smile widely at Hopper, before he carried on: "I have spoken with the onsite team and after a very careful and very detailed investigation we have decided to reopen the pool."

"What?" Hopper asked, unable to hold his tongue. "You've reopened… Who did the investigation? When?"

"Well, Chief, you've interrupted me mid-flow!" Kline said with a hearty laugh. "That was my second point, and the reason why these wonderful fellows are here with me today."

When Kline gestured at Harrington and the other man, neither reacted strongly. There was only the slightest incline of Harrington's head, as if he thought it was beneath him to acknowledge anybody in the room. Even, perhaps, the Mayor himself.

"I took into consideration what you said to me at Starcourt Mall, Chief." Kline continued. "You voiced your understandable concern about the ability of the Hawkins Police department to properly govern and protect this town as it continues to expand and grow. It's a very valid concern and I'm glad you brought it to my attention. My solution is this: together with Mr Harrington here and my good friend Mr Stone, we are bringing in a dedicated security team for Starcourt Mall. I believe this will help to alleviate the strain on the resources of Hawkins Police, and will make it possible for you all to do your jobs at the highest possible level."

The words were bouncing around Hopper's head faster than he could think, but he had to say something. "Private security? What does that have to do with the pool?"

"Oh, well, I saw a place where their skills could be used so I took the liberty of taking the burden off of you." Kline smiled widely. "I thought after your fantastic work there the other day you could use a bit of a rest!"

"I really think we should talk in my office."

"Why?" Kline affable smile of confusion was enough to push Hopper over the edge."

"Because that's police work you're giving away. Meanwhile, what, we're sitting out here on the side-lines?"

"Hopper, please," Kline said, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Let's not be dramatic."

Hopper could see it so clearly: the way it all looked. He was standing with his fists clenched, his voice raised, meanwhile Kline was calm and diplomatic and smug. Hop's own team was going to side against him, especially if it meant less work. He could see it, but he couldn't stop it. All he could do was seethe in silence until Kline, Harrington and Stone decided to speak to him personally.

"Chief, I don't want you to feel like you're being undermined here—" The Mayor cut off at Hopper's barely contained spluttering of anger. The other two men didn't speak, but he swore he saw Harrington's eye twitch just a little. Kline tried again: "I do hope you'll come around to the idea."

"Or don't." Ron Harrington said. "It doesn't really matter what you think."

Hopper stared at him. "I'm sorry, what do you have to do with any of this?"

Harrington didn't reply, he only smiled. Mayor Kline was the one who answered: "Mr Harrington was crucial to securing investment in Starcourt Mall. He appealed to investors and company heads on the behalf of Hawkins to make it all possible, including the new expansion."

"Uh-huh, how about you?" Hopper directed this to the other man, Mr Stone. Again, it was Mayor Kline who answered.

"Mr Stone is a key figure behind phase two. Without him, in fact without either of these men, the technology centre wouldn't be possible."

"I suppose we have them to thank, then." Hopper deadpanned. "And how about the security? Who's dealing with that?"

"It's all in good hands, Chief Hopper, don't worry," Kline assured him. From behind them, Hopper heard the door to the station swing open. He turned to see Joyce coming around the corner, brown eyes widening at the sight of the Mayor and his stooges.

"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen," Hopper turned away from Kline and the others and went straight to Joyce. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"Fine, what's going on?" She asked in a lowered voice.

"They're reopening the pool," Hopper muttered back. Joyce immediately looked past him at Mayor Kline.

"What? You can't reopen the pool it's not safe!" She cried.

Mayor Kline's response was the smuggest look Hopper had ever seen, coupled with a level of patronization he didn't think was possible. "Good morning, sweetheart. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yeah, there's something you can help me with," Joyce fumed. "You can start by telling me why you'd reopen the pool after my son almost drowned."

"I can see you're very emotional and I want you to know that I totally understand your concerns. I can assure you that the pool is entirely safe."

"Entirely safe?" Joyce repeated.

"I apologize for what happened to your son, but you have to understand that it was an accident. Now, if you'd like to discuss it further let me redirect you to my office. I'm sure my secretary—"

Hopper could see Joyce gearing up for an all-out attack so he decided to intervene before Kline had an excuse to press charges. There was no way Hop could go through with that – he'd quit before he arrested Joyce Byers on behalf of Mayor Kline. Laying a hand on Joyce's shoulder he pulled her out of the room and back outside. The sun was still low in the sky, in that irritating place where it hovered right above the horizon so no matter where you looked you had to squint or cover your eyes. No doubt he'd be taking calls about road accidents soon, there was always some unlucky son-of-a-bitch getting themselves into a collision on a day like this. That was the last thing the town needed after the recent breakdowns. The moment the door swung shut behind them and they were out of earshot of everybody inside, Joyce pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"I can't let you hit the Mayor, Joyce. You know that." Hopper began. Joyce gave him a dark look.

"You can't expect me to just stand back and let that asshole do that." Joyce hissed, gesturing angrily at the station. "You know that."

"I do know that he's an asshole," Hopper agreed. "Listen, I'm going to fix this. Alright? I just can't have you getting in trouble with that guy. He's not worth the jailtime, trust me."

"This is serious, Hop. I know what happened to Will wasn't normal. Maybe it was the pool, maybe it was the lights… I don't know. But there has to be something going on."

Hopper exhaled through his nose, looking down at her steadily. He didn't disagree with her, but neither could he share her blind conviction. If they went storming back into the station yelling about monsters they'd be laughed out of the room, or worse. He pinched his nose. "I'll fix it. Just… please don't worry. You've been through enough."

"Don't patronize me."

"I'm no—…" Hopper cut himself off and took a moment to steady his breathing. "I'm sorry. I just want to keep you safe."

"I know," Joyce said. "But I have to keep my son safe. And you have to keep that little girl safe too."

"I have to keep everybody safe," Hopper said, tapping his badge and offering her a grim smile. Joyce, thankfully, returned it. He couldn't stand the thought of her being angry with him, not after everything. He cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"

Joyce seemed momentarily stumped by the question, "What… Oh! Oh, well, to be honest I just wanted to check on what was happening with the pool, to see if you'd found anything."

"Well, if you believe Kline then there was nothing there."

"It should stay closed. The kids don't even miss it; they're are at mine today, I was going to head to the mall to pick up some movies for them."

"Are you going there now?" Hopper asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you mind if I catch a lift?" He asked, his gaze wandering around the parking lot, lingering on every shining black car. "There's something I need to check out."


Starcourt Mall was as busy as ever. Hopper had to wonder how bad things would have to get in Hawkins before the Mall would lose its dedicated consumer base. Joyce found a space not far from the building site where Hopper had seen the white van a few days before. As Joyce struggled to open the car door without hitting the car next to them, Hopper took a good long look at the white tarpaulin and high chain-link fences that obscured whatever was going on at the mall. He couldn't see any vans this time, but there was a more sophisticated gateway in place now, with a proper metal gate guarded by a proper private army.

"He wasn't kidding about hiring his own security," Hopper murmured through a cigarette as Joyce slammed the door shut behind her and came to join him. He nodded at the men patrolling the gate and Joyce squinted over at them.

"What is all of that?"

"Oh, you didn't hear? This is the future." Hopper pointed his cigarette at the decidedly-unfuturistic marquees. "Phase two: Rise of the machines."

"Stop," Joyce chastised. "Are you coming?"

Hopper took another look at the guards outside the tents. If that was external entrance, surely there was another way in inside too. "Sure." He said and followed her across the parking lot.

Once they were inside he started to think of the best way to split from Joyce – there was no way he'd put her at risk like that – but before he had a chance to come up with a polite way of saying 'Thanks for the lift, catch you later' Joyce did it for him.

"I'm gonna go grab the movies or I'll be late back. Let me know if you need a ride, okay? Is your car still at Hal's?"

Shit. He'd forgotten about the car again. "Uh… Yeah. Sure. Thanks, Joyce. See you later."

"See you," She said, and left him behind. Huh. He stood there on his own for a few moments before setting off in the direction he thought the entrance must be. If Joyce had known what he was planning to do then she hadn't let on. Hopper shoved his hands into his pockets and did his best to make it through the crowded food hall without knocking into anybody. Making himself as small and inconspicuous as possible served more than one purpose: Scoops Ahoy loomed large and unavoidable on the opposite side of the food hall, and the last thing he wanted was the kid showing up. He had almost made it through in one piece when a woman ran full-sprint into him, almost knocking him over. The woman went sprawling across the ground, shocking a gaggle to teenage girls sitting nearby. Some of them started to laugh nervously as the embarrassed woman scrambled to sit up. Hopper ducked down to help her, taking her arms and hauling her upright. She was very thin, and for a second he thought he might have really hurt her.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The woman was trying to stand up straight, but it was like her legs weren't strong enough to hold her. She was muttering something over and over about how she was fine, alternating with how she was sick and needed to get to the bathroom. When she got her balance back Hopper let her go. The woman's head rolled back and she looked up at him.

"Hey," Hopper said, grabbing her again. "Hey, you're bleeding."

The woman reached up with one hand and wiped away the blood trickling from her nose. "I know." She pulled away, her strength apparently rejuvenated, and before Hopper could stop her she took off again. He was about to go after her when a strong hand grabbed his arm.

"Hey!"

"Christ… Steve," Hopper tried to look over the kid's shoulder to see where the woman had gone but it was too late. "Listen, now's not a good time."

Steve was looking up at him, his Scoops Ahoy cap sitting slightly askew on his head. "Look, I have to talk to you about something—"

"Steve…" Don't shout at the kid. Don't shout at the kid. It's not his fault his dad's a dick. "Do you know where the inside entrance is to the new building site?"

"Uh… Yeah, it's down by Jazzercise." Steve pointed. "Listen, I really need—"

"Okay, I'll be right back. I just need to take care of something."

Before Steve had a chance to say anything else Hopper took off in the direction of his still outstretched finger. Hop didn't hear Steve's muttered "Son of a bitch", but he did notice the looks of alarm and suspicion from other mallgoers as his feet pounded across the shining tiled floor. What are you doing, Jim? They're gonna think there's some kind of emergency. Hopper slowed to a jog, his eyes scanning the storefronts for the bright rainbow sign for Jazzercise. The whole time he was sure he was going in the wrong direction if he was thinking of the external entrance, although it was easy to lose your sense of direction in a place like this. That, or the internal entrance really was on the other side of the mall, and the building site stretched much further than it appeared. Had the Mayor said something about it going underground? Hopper couldn't remember, and he was so absorbed in trying to that he almost missed the gawdy storefront he'd been looking for. Hopper skidded to a halt right in front of a pair of inconspicuous-looking double doors. He looked around for some kind of sign, or anything indicating an entrance, but there was nothing. Just these doors, and that ugly store. Hopper shrugged and took a quick glance around before approaching the doors and giving them a gentle push. Nothing. He tried again, this time gripping the handles and giving them a rough shake. The doors didn't budge, but Hopper felt the handle move beneath his hand and he quickly stepped back. A man in a dark blue uniform stuck his head out, eyeing Hopper suspiciously. Hop cleared his throat.

"Hey! Is this the way, uh, backstage?" Hopper asked, cracking a grin. "We had a call about some suspicious activity. Someone trying to get where they're not supposed to?"

The man pulled the door open a little more, revealing his uniform. Security. "I haven't heard anything about that, officer."

"Chief." Hopper corrected. "Well, we've had a call so it's our job to investigate."

"There's nothing back here, Chief. Anyone trying to get through would need a staff card," The security guard pointed at a small scanner Hopper hadn't noticed on the wall beside the doors. "Appreciate you coming out, but you'll need to speak to the head of security and he's not here right now. You can wait in the food hall."

With that, he closed the door. Hopper cursed under his breath. If the head of security was anything like that guy, there was no way he'd let Hopper through. Even worse, if he was caught lying about something like that he had no doubt that Kline and his suits would serve him with a lifetime ban from Starcourt Mall. Under normal circumstances, he would consider that a blessing. But now that he was here Hopper's bad feeling about the place was only getting worse, and he'd learned to trust his gut a long time ago. He had to get in, but how?

Then his eyes went to the scanner. "How the Hell am I gonna get a staff card?" He muttered, but already the idea was forming in his head.

Chief Hopper took a deep breath, adjusted his hat, and headed back towards the food court. If there was something hidden in the mall, Hopper had to find it. He'd broken into more dangerous places, and better guarded, but had he done worse to get there? He was still some hundred feet away when he glimpsed Steve, still standing where he'd left him. Poor kid. Steve looked lost, and angry. Hop couldn't really blame him for that. His bull-headed approach began to lose its lustre. A dozen images filled his head, of Steve's stolen card being discovered, and the kid taking the blame. What would his father think about that? What would the Mayor think? When they started asking questions about why Steve Harrington's card was in a restricted area, would Hopper be the one who had to arrest him?

Steve caught sight of him then, and the Chief had no choice but to keep walking towards him, his mind buzzing. When Steve reached him Hopper could hear him saying something about a radio, probably the same nonsense as before about having his own police radio so he could learn and help them in secret. Hopper didn't listen, instead he put his hand on his shoulder and pushed him away. "No. Pick up my car. If you want to help me, get my car."

Then Hopper turned and left Steve behind, before he could change his mind.


"And he just asked you to pick up his car? His police wagon?" Robin's barrage of questions hadn't ended since Steve had asked her to drop him at Hal's Garage rather than home, as she usually did. He had responded with silence, mostly because they were questions he couldn't answer. "How is that even allowed? Surely they'll just take one look at you and throw you out."

"I don't know," Steve murmured. His mood had been slowly disintegrating all day, even before running into Hopper, and now all he wanted to do was get home. But Chief Hopper had asked him to do something, and like an idiot he was doing it. It could get you somewhere, he thought. Or he could be taking advantage of you. To his relief Robin finally decided to give up on the questions, instead turning her attention to an unfortunate stain on her uniform.

"I hate kids," She grimaced, sniffing at the pale orange mark across her sleeve. Some poor kid had thrown up right before the midday rush, and it had been Robin's job to go and clean it up. "I've seen more vomit working this job than I have the entire rest of my life."

"I know." Steve agreed, his attention divided between the suspicious smell coming off of the dried-up stain, and the lights of the garage coming up ahead of them. "Hey, thanks for the lift." He said after they pulled up. Robin had her window rolled down so she could talk to him, but she also seemed glad for the chance to stick her head out and suck in some fresh air.

"No problem, you want me to wait around just in case."

Steve considered it before shaking his head. "No, that's okay. If there's a problem I'll get them to call Hop."

"Man, I'm glad you said that," Robin said. "Because if I have to spend another second in these clothes I'm going to lose it."

Steve had to laugh. "Get home safe, alright."

"Sure thing, dad."

Steve stepped back and watched her drive away, before turning his attention to this isolated little garage on the outskirts of town. Hal's wasn't somewhere he was overly familiar with – he'd driven past a few times, but he'd never used them himself. Suddenly less confident about his decision to send Robin away, he cleared his throat and started up the driveway towards the building. It was a two-storey shack, with a workhouse at the side and a small office lit by bright, unfriendly light. Even outside he could see how cramped and messy the office was, and as he got closer he could see that the roller door into the workhouse was partially open, and a familiar boot was sticking out.

Steve swore under his breath as he took the final few steps up to the office and saw him standing inside.

"—fix it." Billy finished saying, just as Steve pushed the door open. Billy turned, and as soon as he saw him, he grinned. "Look who it is."

Steve looked past him at the girl behind the counter. She was the same age as him, but he didn't recognise her from school. She was pressing her lips together so tightly the skin had gone white, and even then he could see them trembling.

"What's going on here?" He asked. Billy lifted his arms in a shrug.

"Just making sure I'm getting the service I was promised." Billy said. He pointed past Steve out of the door, to where the flickering sign stood. "You don't call it 'Hal's' if the only person working on the cars is this—" He gestured at the girl. "It's not fair. It's not honest."

"How about you stop being such a dickhead, huh?" Steve said. Billy raised his hands and stepped away from the counter.

"You're getting me all wrong, Stevey-boy." Billy offered the girl a smile, something so kind and so charming and so venomously cruel that Steve felt a pang of sympathy for her. "I wasn't being rude, was I?" Billy asked her. "You understand that my car is important to me, and I just want to make sure it's being looked after. I didn't mean to upset you, baby." The girl swallowed but didn't say anything. Billy held her gaze until she looked away, and then he turned to look at Steve. "Guess I'll see you around."

Steve stepped aside to let Billy pass. He heard Billy give a loud, wet cough – probably on purpose - and he didn't move until he heard the door close behind him.

"Are you okay?" He asked the girl, and to his surprise she laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. Fine! Just, you know, the usual customer service stuff." She sniffed and smiled at him. Steve pretended not to notice how shiny her eyes were, or the redness in her cheeks.

"I get that," He tried for a carefree laugh but it came out a little choked. "I work at the mall."

"Ouch," The girl crossed her arms, clearly more than happy to joke rather than acknowledge what had happened with Billy. "Where?"

"You'll laugh." Steve promised her. "Scoops Ahoy!"

"The ice cream place? My uncle loves it there. He's supposed to be on a diet; he thinks I don't know but I take out the trash so I always see the wrappers." The girl grinned. "I'm a big fan of the uniforms."

"Is Hal your uncle?" Steve asked, gesturing behind him at the sign. The girl's eyes flicked up to it and her expression dulled a little. She nodded.

"I'm Christine." She leaned forwards over the counter. "Are you here for a car? I don't recognise you."

Steve cleared his throat, his gaze going to the taut muscles in her arms. The longer he looked at her, the less sure he was that he didn't recognise her. Perhaps they went to school together? Her bleached hair clearly wasn't going to spark any old memories, but there was something in her face that seemed familiar: the blue eyes, maybe? Or the curve of her jaw? The bump in her nose? He tried to figure it out without making it obvious, and without missing a beat he replied to her question: "It's funny you say that, I need to pick up a car but it's not mine. Chief Hopper sent me."

"Right…" Christine narrowed her eyes a little and straightened. "That sounds a little—"

"Suspicious?" Steve finished. "Yeah, I told him that but he insisted. He's a busy guy. If you want we can give him a call to double-check."

Christine gave him a wry smile, "I'm just gonna—" She stuck her thumb over her shoulder to where the phone hung on the wall. "—You don't mind?"

"I don't mind." Steve repeated.

"Okay," Christine whispered, taking the phone off of the wall and dialling.

"Oh, the station might be closed." Steve realized. Christine waved a hand.

"No worries, I have his home phone." She had barely finished explaining when her call connected. "Hey, is that Hopper? It's Christine. I have Steve Harrington here saying you want him to pick up your car?"

Steve pretended not be listening as Christine hummed, laughed and nodded along with whatever Hopper was saying. After an excruciating length of time, Christine finally hung up.

"Your story checks out after all. Sorry for ever doubting you."

"It's no problem." Steve stuck his hands in his pockets and followed Christine as she came out from behind the counter. She stopped to grab a set of keys from a safe before leading him through a door into the adjoining warehouse. Christine was saying something about needing to move Billy's car when Steve couldn't hold his question in for any longer: "Do we know each other?"

Christine stopped and turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"You said my name on the phone to Hop." Steve said. "It's just… I don't remember where I know you from."

A strange look passed across Christine's face. "No, I'd just… I saw your staff card." She pointed, and sure enough Steve's lanyard was visible beneath his jacket.

"Oh," He said. It made sense, and yet Steve couldn't shake the feeling that he'd met her before. Christine turned away quickly and pressed the button to open the roller door, and then jumped into Billy's car. Steve stood back and waited for her to move it out of the way, and then he waited again when she went to get Hopper's car from further back into the workshop and bring it out front. When she climbed out she slapped the roof of the car. "All ready."

As Steve approached, he could hear Christine's fingers tapping against the roof of Hopper's car. That nervous energy she'd had when he first walked in had come back, and all of a sudden Steve felt like he couldn't just leave her alone.

"Hey, um…" He began. "With Billy… what did he want?"

"Oh, pfft." She rolled her eyes. "His car died, he just wants to make sure it's getting looked after. So no spilling nail polish in the driver's seat, I guess." She chuckled. "Don't worry, he wasn't even the worst I've had this week. I don't know if it's the heat or the cars dying, but people are acting nuts."

"At least you have your uncle around, right?"

"He's a bit under the weather at the moment. I blame you for that - too much ice cream."

"Do you work here alone? I bet it's a lot of work for one person."

"Yeah…" She admitted. "But, you know, what else am I going to do?"

Steve was about to say something about her getting another job, but he thought about all the people who had said the same thing to him and how that made him feel. People didn't understand that it was never as easy as that. He imagined Christine's situation was similar. Still, he felt bad for leaving her alone. She might be able to shrug off Billy's behaviour now, but they both knew he'd come back sooner or later. Steve took a moment to think, and then he unhooked his backpack from his shoulder and rooted around until he found what he was looking for. Christine watched in silence, no doubt wondering if he was going to turn out to be an even worse customer than Billy, and when she caught sight of what he was holding her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Here." He held out the radio.

"A walkie-talkie?"

"It's… I mean, it's a radio. Hopper has one too," It was a barefaced lie. In fact, he'd tried to give Hopper that very same radio that afternoon and the police chief had completely ignored him. "Just in case you get into any trouble with anyone. I know he's not the easiest person to get hold of sometimes."

"Does he know you're giving me this?"

"Uh… He mentioned it. Said something about the cars acting funny." The lies came out easier than he'd expected, and after a few seconds of deliberation Christine reached out and took the radio.

"Well, thanks. Any bad reviews and I'll be right on the line." Christine handed him the keys, and a thought suddenly came to him.

"I don't… Does Hopper need to pay anything?"

"Don't worry, I'll chase him for it." She waved the radio and Steve's expression made her laugh. "I'm joking. Emergencies only."

"Okay." Steve gave a nervous laugh before climbing into the car. It didn't take long for the doubts to creep up on him. What are you doing, Steve? He asked himself as he watched garage shrink in his rear-view mirror. But the memory of Billy's horrible smile, and the immediate anger it caused, was enough to justify his decision. He wanted to be there if Billy caused trouble. He wanted that chance.

He'd messed up too many things in his life. It was time to fix that.