On Monday morning, Jim Hopper got ready for work a little earlier than usual. He had a stop to make before going to the police station, having already phoned Karen Wheeler. She and her husband fully supported his idea. An important mission, he was thinking as he pinned on his badge and poured a cup of coffee for the road. Putting on his hat, he called, "Jane! Are you awake? I'm leaving soon!"

He heard her bedroom door open and a disheveled figure with wild brown curls emerged, bleary eyed in pink pajamas, with a white kitten at her heels. She went to the stove and saw a small pot of oatmeal which was clearly meant to be her breakfast. She looked at Hopper and asked hopefully, "Eggos?"

"Eat that first then you can have an Eggo or two. No oatmeal, no Eggos. And have orange juice or milk with it."

She turned her back to get a bowl from the cabinet and rolled her eyes where he couldn't see. He was gathering his keys and wallet as she spooned her breakfast into the bowl. She sprinkled some sugar on it quickly before he could notice and tell her no.

"I do have some good news for you, kid. You can watch TV. You went all weekend without it and didn't complain. Much. I figure you served your time."

She perked up at that and looked at him with excitement, saying, "TV! Thanks, Dad!"

"You're welcome, honey. You can introduce Snowball to the wonders of game shows and soap operas," he said, giving Jane a quick goodbye kiss on her forehead and walking out the door.


Hopper arrived at his destination five minutes ahead of schedule. He pulled up in front of the house and waited. Just inside the door, Mike Wheeler was looking at his mother like she had sprouted a second head.

"He's driving me to school? Haven't I been punished enough? I'm still coughing from all the dust in the garage!" Mike yelled. He couldn't believe what was happening.

"Don't talk to your mother like that," came his father's voice from the kitchen.

Mike forced his voice lower and looked at his mother with pleading eyes, "Please, Mom. You can make me clean something else, or take away my bike until high school. Anything but this!"

"Stop being so dramatic," his mom replied. "This isn't punishment. Chief Hopper just wants to talk to you."

"Talk?" Mike felt like he was begging for his life now. How could he make her see the gravity of the situation? "Mom, the man is armed. Do you realize he could kill me and hide the body and no one would ever find me? Don't you care about your only son?"

His little sister Holly had been sitting on the steps, holding her blanket and watching the whole interaction as if it were a movie. Suddenly, she burst into tears and wailed, "I don't want Mikey to die!"

Mrs. Wheeler gave Mike an exasperated look and went to comfort Holly, "No one is going to die. Mike is just going to school, like any other day. Now, Michael, see what you've done?"

Mike saw an opportunity here. "Holly, tell Mommy not to make me get in the bad man's truck!"

At that, his dad appeared around the corner. He put an end to the discussion, saying pointedly to Mike, "That's enough. Get going now, young man. You're keeping Chief Hopper waiting and you're frightening your sister."

Mike roughly grabbed his jacket from his mom, picked up his backpack with a huff and turned toward the door. "Goodbye, world," he mumbled.

"What was that?" asked his father, looking sternly at Mike's retreating figure.

"Oh, nothing," answered Mike. Just being sent to my doom by my own parents. Maybe I should radio Dustin, Will, and Lucas, to tell them bye, he thought. Or ask them to send out a search party if I don't turn up at school.

He trudged toward Hopper's truck. The chief was strangely cheerful when Mike opened the door and climbed in.

"Good morning! Beautiful day, isn't it?" Hopper remarked in a voice so chipper, Mike began to seriously fear he was in an alternate dimension. What is even happening, he thought. He stared in disbelief.

"Seat belt, son! Safety first!" Mike obeyed, though in shock, and still pondering if the chief's plan was to somehow end his life.

The truck started down the road and Hopper asked, "So, how was your weekend? Bummer about having to clean your garage."

Did Chief Hopper really just use the word 'bummer', thought Mike. Maybe I'm having a weird dream. Should I pinch myself? Is he about to drive me off a cliff? At this point, nothing would surprise me.

Hopper continued, "Yeah, I hate that for you. I know it's rough. You get in trouble, you get punished. It sucks."

First, 'bummer', now 'sucks.' Mike began to contemplate just how dangerous it would be to jump out of a moving vehicle. I'm trapped in here with a crazy person, he thought. Maybe I could make a run for it at the next stop light. The chief was still talking.

"Ugh. Parents. They're a LOAD."

On the last word, the truck came to an abrupt stop so suddenly that the seat belt prevented Mike from lurching forward.

Oh, crap, thought Mike, rubbing his shoulder under the seat belt. So that's what this is about. He's definitely going to kill me. They had pulled to the side of the road, about a mile from school. Well, this is where it happens. Why did I tell Jane that? I signed my own death sentence.

Mike took a quick glance to his left. Hopper didn't look too insane, an observation that made him feel a little better about his fate. He also didn't look happy, either.

"Ok, enough beating around the bush. You and I are going to have a discussion. And you are going to listen to what I'm saying and not give me any attitude." Mike swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry.

"Will you please let me in on the reason you would tell Jane all that bull you told her? That parents are a load and rules are stupid?"

For the second time in three days, Mike found himself faced with questions he wasn't sure he was supposed to answer. For lack of a better option, he stared silently at Hopper, eyes wide and jaw open. There was a pit in his stomach and he felt like he would throw up if he started talking. All the color had drained from his face.

Hopper felt pretty pleased with the ride so far. Kid looks like he's about to vomit, he mentally congratulated himself. At least the first part of his operation was successful. He had put the fear of God in the boy. Now to move on to phase two. He decided to take a little pity on the the pale figure next to him.

"When did I become the enemy?" He asked Mike, genuinely wanting to know.

"Last year, you kids really impressed me," Hopper resumed, when Mike didn't answer. He hadn't really expected him to. "We fought some nasty stuff together, the things of nightmares. And I know you thought Jane was gone after all that."

Mike spoke for the first time since getting in the truck. His eyes were looking down at his lap, and his voice was quiet.

"You kept her from us. From me."

Hopper sighed, though he wasn't surprised. He knew that was coming.

"Mike," he explained, "I had to. To keep her safe. Surely you can understand that. Think for a minute. What would have happened if I'd paraded her out into town, with those bastards from the lab still looking for her?"

"I know, but that doesn't make it any easier. You had a whole year with her. And I didn't."

This kid has it bad, thought Hopper. For my daughter. Time to get us on the same side.

"Here's the thing. Jane is painfully honest, right? Friends don't lie, right?"

Mike nodded, thinking, you lied when you hid her from me. But he kept listening.

"So if you have a brain, you'll realize you can't say or do anything to her a girl can't tell her father. Sneaking out of the gym, telling her to break rules and not listen to me, that crap isn't going to work with her."

"Why?" Mike felt suddenly brazen. "Because you make the rules?"

Hopper was determined to explain this without getting angry.

"Yes, I do make the rules when it comes to Jane. But that's not the only reason. You are your own worst enemy, not me. She needs consistency. And honesty. Don't you think she deserves that? After all she's been through in her life?"

Mike looked at Hopper for the first time, a light bulb going off in his head. He did understand what the chief was saying, finally.

"Yes, sir," he answered honestly.

A breakthrough, thought Hopper. Time to reel him in.

"When you tell her to break rules, it puts her at risk. And it confuses her. I know you want what's best for her. I know you care about her. I'm not an idiot. But it's up to me to be sure she's happy and healthy and most importantly, protected. Not you. And if you're working against me, you won't be seeing her. It's as simple as that."

"I'm sorry," Mike said quietly. "I'll do what you say, I'll follow your rules. Promise. Just please, let me see her?"

"Sure, as long as it's within the guidelines I set. I think we've reached an understanding here, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, sir," Mike responded. That wasn't so bad, he thought.

"And just to be clear, if you try to undermine me again, I'll cut you off at the knees. If you do anything to hurt Jane, I'll cut you off a little higher. Got me?"

"Uh-huh, I mean, uh, yes, sir," Mike stuttered, looking scared, clearing his throat to keep his voice from cracking. Okay, it's getting bad again.

"I'm not going to hurt her. Ever," Mike added.

"Glad to hear it. While we're clearing the air," Hopper continued, "Keep the physical stuff to a minimum. A bare minimum. Better yet, just keep your hands to yourself. Remember, she tells me everything. Even when I don't ask. Even when I really don't want to know. So if I were you, I wouldn't do anything you don't want her telling me. Do you understand?"

Mike's face blushed scarlet red and he looked out the window, not trusting himself to make eye contact and speak a response to that.

He nodded, but Hopper wanted to be sure he drove this point home. He repeated himself a bit louder, still keeping his voice even.

"I said, do you understand?"

Mike took a deep breath before mumbling, "Yes, sir, I understand." Jumping out of the truck was looking better and better, if this conversation continues, he thought.

Hopper merely said, "Good," clearly pleased. Kid is being respectful and I think we are on the same page. Mission accomplished. This had been a successful endeavor. Point to Hopper.

"Um, Chief?" Mike ventured to ask nervously, "Are you going to tell my mom what I said? About parents? I'm really sorry..."

Hopper laughed a little. "Naw, I don't think your mom needs to hear about that. Since you and I understand each other now, man to man."

The truck was moving down the road again, and came to a stop in front of Hawkins Middle School.

"It's been great talking to you this morning," Hopper said happily, patting Mike's leg. For his part, Mike still looked like a deer in the headlights, though the color was slowly coming back to his face. He took a few deep breaths.

"Um, yes, sure, it's been, uh, great, like you said," Mike muttered. I'm still alive, he reassured himself. At least I got that going for me.

"So, can I go now?" Mike asked cautiously. He saw his friends standing in front of the school, their jaws gaped open at the sight of Hopper's truck and who was in it.

"You bet. Have a good day!" Cheerful Hopper was back. Mike could not get out of the truck fast enough. He ran to his friends. Ah, freedom.

Dustin was the first to speak. "Dude, what the hell?" Were you arrested?!"

Lucas smacked Dustin's arm. "Of course not, you idiot!"

Will asked seriously, "Mike, why did Chief Hopper bring you to school? You must be in some big trouble!"

"Calm down, guys," Mike explained, "I thought I may die this morning but it turns out he just wanted to talk. And I lived, thankfully."

The four of them turned and headed into the school.

"You must really like Jane, brother," said Dustin, patting Mike's shoulder and shaking his head, as they walked to their first class.