"Don't you ever speak about her that way!" Joyce shouts angrily. Lonnie has come drunk, again, and now they stand in the living room, going at each other.
"Why not?!" Lonnie asks, his speech slurred, "that's all she is, a retard!"
"She's a better person than you'll ever be!"
"Oh please, she can barely function as a human being, we never should've adopted her, do you know how embarrassing it is to have to deal with her when she has a meltdown in public?! what it's like to have everyone stare at you?!"
"Yes I do! because I've been there more for her than you! and so what if it's embarrassing she's our daughter!"
"She's a freak is what she is! and our son isn't any better, the little faggot!"
"Enough!" if the kids weren't already awake, they would be now, "I've had it! I am sick of you! having to deal you getting drunk, your gambling, and the way you treat our kids! we are done Lonnie! done!"
"What are you talking about?"
"We are getting a divorce, and you are leaving this house right now!"
"How? I'm drunk you dumb whore!"
"You got here just fine, I'm sure you'll be okay!"
"You can't kick me out."
"Yes I can! this is my house! and you are no longer welcome in it you pathetic piece of shit!"
Lonnie raises his arm and slaps her right in the face. This isn't any different to his usual outbursts, he usually hits his wife, only this time, she isn't going to take it.
She clenches her hand into a tight fist, and punches him right back in the face, breaking his nose. Lonnie's face is one of shock, but it goes straight back to anger in an instant. He moves towards her, growling in anger, but stops after she picks up a baseball bat and points it at him.
"Get out! get out of my house!" she moves forward, holding the bat to him, forcing him back towards the door.
Lonnie scoffs, "You won't do anything with that."
"You sure about that?!"
Lonnie scowls, and, without a word, opens the door, and steps out, slamming it shut.
Joyce lowers the bat, and breathes a sigh of relief, but then she hears the sound of smashing glass. She runs out to find that he has kicked out one of her headlights. "Are you kidding me!"
Lonnie says nothing, he just gets in his car, and begins to drive away. Joyce runs after him and throws the bat, taking his break light out, which causes him to stop. He gets out, looks at the damage, and picks up the bat, his face now full of rage.
"YOU BITCH! YOU'RE DEAD!"
Joyce turns round and runs back to the house, but is stopped when Lonnie throws the bat, and it collides with her head. She falls, her head in agony. She feels a hand grab her, she is then forced onto her back. Lonnie straddles her and wraps his hands around her neck. She tries to pull them away, struggling to breathe the whole time.
"Lonnie… please…"
The sound of an engine and the flashing of red and blue lights cause Lonnie to turn around the see the chief's car. Hopper, who is not in uniform, steps out and points his gun at Lonnie, "Get off of her right now!"
Without hesitation he takes his hands away from her neck, and steps to the side with his hands raised.
Hopper walks over and pushes his hands behind his back, he moves towards the hood of his cruiser, and roughly forces him down on it. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Whilst you were out here, beating your wife, your son called me on my house phone."
"Why the hell do you have the guy's number?!"
"In case this shit ever got out of hand, and I can get here a lot quicker," he finishes cuffing him, "Now get up!" he moves him to the back of his cruiser, opens the door, throws him in, and shuts it, before going to check on Joyce.
He reaches down and helps her up, "Are you okay?"
She doesn't answer, she just throws her arms around him, and breaks down into tears, "Thank you."
Hopper reciprocates the hug, "It's okay. It's over now."
…
Later that evening, Joyce lays in bed with her two children, holding them close. She smiles, she may have gone through hell tonight, but it was all worth it, because now her babies are safe, and he will never be able to hurt them again.