"Let's go to Indianapolis tomorrow." Hopper randomly blurted out as he stroked his fingers through Joyce's hair where she was currently resting between his legs on her stomach. She was laid across his abdomen and part of his chest reading through a textbook that was on the bed beside them, trying to finish her homework. Instead of going out like most teenagers on a Friday night, Joyce insisted she had to get caught up in English, so here they were.

Not that Hopper minded, having a half-naked Joyce cuddled against him was better than driving around town or stopping in at the diner.

At his words, Joyce dropped her pencil and looked up at him confused. "Why?"

Hopper smiled and slid his hands down her back and over her ass that was barely covered by her shirt and panties. "Because they have a mall and you need new clothes."

Joyce groaned in annoyance and dropped her forehead to his sternum. "My clothes are just fine."

With a quick squeeze of her ass, Hopper moved his hands back up her body to rest at her shoulders, massaging them gently with his fingers. "Honey, you know I think you look wonderful in anything, but wouldn't it be nice to finally be able to pick out your own clothes? To buy more jeans like the pair mom got you for Christmas? To show off this amazing body you have?" He teased, rubbing his hands down her back once more, his fingertips slipping under the elastic of her underwear.

Kissing his bare chest, she lifted her eyes just enough to see his face and after a minute finally gave in. It wasn't worth arguing over when she knew he was right, but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it. "Fine." She huffed and turned her attention back to her homework in an attempt to distract herself from the slight anxiety she could feel pooling in her gut. She knew it was stupid to get worked up over something as normal as shopping, but to be fair, she'd never left Hawkins before, let alone been to a mall. Spending her entire life avoiding people didn't leave much room for traveling or shopping, not that her home life really gave her much of a chance to experience either in the first place.

Sensing the change in her mood, Hopper grabbed her wrist to stop her writing and made her look at him. "Will you please not stress over this?" He asked with a smile. "Just remember that not a single person in that city is going to know who you are."

Joyce dropped her pencil once again and snuggled her cheek against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his back, brushing her knuckles against the headboard to make room. "I'm not worried about being recognized… its just...all of this is a bit overwhelming. Having a family, having a boyfriend, having money. It's like the life I dreamed about for all those years suddenly materialized right before my eyes and I haven't had a second to adjust to anything."

Hopper kissed the top of her head and pulled the comforter back up over the lower halves of their bodies. "I know that sweetheart, and I want you to remember that I'm going to be by your side through all of it. Besides, you're a woman, as soon as you get a taste of shopping, I'm going to be the one complaining about going." He laughed and squeezed her side just as his bedroom door opened.

"Did you take your medicine, Joyce?" Mary asked as she took a step into the room, trying to hide a smile at the two of them cuddled together on the bed doing school work. The horror stories she'd heard from Greg about teenagers in town getting in trouble made her thankful that Joyce and Jim were extremely well behaved for their age.

"Yes, ma'am," Joyce replied, turning her head slightly to look at the older woman, glad her and Jim weren't in the middle of a make-out session like the last time she'd walked in on them.

"Alright then, Greg and I are heading to bed, don't stay up too late." She said with a grin.

"Mom?" Hopper called just as Mary moved to leave, causing her to turn back to them. "Do you care if Joyce and I go to the mall tomorrow?"

"In Indianapolis?" Hopper nodded, and as much as Mary worried about him driving that far, she knew this was a big step for Joyce and wouldn't take that away from her. "Just make sure you check in with your father in the morning before you leave. You know how he is with that old truck of yours."

Hopper chuckled. "I will. Thanks mom, love you."

Mary smiled. "Love you both, goodnight."

00000

The next morning while Joyce took a little longer than usual to get ready for their trip, Hopper made his way downstairs to get the lecture about safe traveling out of the way. Joyce caught the tail end of their conversation when she sat down at the kitchen table and reached for the box of captain crunch before Hopper ate it all.

"Just let me double-check the tires and the radio after we eat. The signal won't reach all the way to the city, but it'll make me feel better knowing you can contact me if something were to happen on the way." Greg insisted, taking another bite of his toast.

Hopper tried not to roll his eyes. His father had just recently checked the tires the last time they got a few inches of snow on the ground and he said they were perfectly fine. He knew his dad could be a little overprotective, being a cop and all, but if his little routine helped keep him from worrying, then Hopper would gladly wait while he checked over everything before they left.

"Oh, I meant to ask you something the other day. Would it be alright if we go camping at the quarry over spring break?" Hopper eyed Greg from across the table as he reached for more cereal.

Greg leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "Who all is going?"

"It'll just be me, Joyce, Benny and Karen. Most of the kids won't go down there anymore after getting run off the last time."

Mary placed her mug on the table with a loud clack and leaned forward in confusion. "Benny?"

Joyce glanced up from her bowl of cereal, instantly seeing the look of worry on Mary's face and decided to let Hopper take the lead on this one.

Hopper sighed, not at all surprised by his mother's reaction. "Yes, Benny."

"Is that really a good idea son?" Greg asked and reached under the table to place his hand on Mary's thigh when he saw how tense she'd gotten.

"Look…" Hopper started, pushing his empty bowl to the side and threading his fingers together. "What happened before was a misunderstanding. Karen is Joyce's closest friend and her and Benny are dating, which means Karen more than likely won't go if Benny can't."

Both of his parents sat quietly for a moment, not at all happy about this newfound information.

"When did the two of you even start talking again?" Mary asked, clutching Greg's hand that was still resting on her leg.

"A couple months ago, but our friendship isn't anything you need to worry about, alright?" Hopper insisted as he reached for his bowl and got to his feet. "Are you ready to give the truck a look?" He asked with a smile, trying to change the subject. He quickly rinsed off his dishes and walked back by Joyce to squeeze her shoulder, watching as his father stood and adjusted his belt.

Hopper slipped on his jacket and followed his dad outside while Joyce stayed with Mary in the warmth of their home. The moment Hopper moved to unlock his truck door, Greg was touching his arm to make him turn around.

"Are you sure you can trust Benny around Joyce after what he did?" Greg asked, a hint of worry present in his tone even though Hopper could tell he was trying to keep his emotions under control.

"Yes." Jim leaned against the fender and shoved his hands in his pockets, never breaking eye contact with his father. "I know this is a lot to ask, and my word probably doesn't mean a whole lot, but school is almost over and that doesn't leave many opportunities for Joyce to get to do these kinds of things. She finally has a friend, dad. Someone that isn't me, and it's been good for her. Benny knows where he stands and I won't hesitate to put him in his place again should something happen."

Greg scratched at the scruff on his chin and gave his son a nod. "Alright, if you say he's changed then I believe you, but your mother is going to be harder to convince. You know how she is with Joyce, and this is going to eat her up inside with worry to make sure she doesn't get hurt again."

"We still have two months before spring break, which gives you plenty of time to change her mind." Jim grinned. "Now come on, let's get this useless inspection over with."

Greg playfully pushed on his son's shoulder and walked around to the other side of the truck to check the tires.

00000

Once Hopper turned out onto the main road, he wrapped his arm around Joyce's shoulders and pulled her into his side. "You alright? You haven't said much since breakfast."

Resting her head against his arm, Joyce reached up with her left hand to intertwine their fingers together. "Just a little stressed, mom seemed upset with me."

Hopper furrowed his brows and quickly glanced down at her, trying to keep his eyes on the road. "Honey, she's not upset with you, she just cares, and like any good mother, she's going to worry about you."

"She kept asking me about Benny...and then it started to make me wonder if I really was being stupid in trusting him." She sighed and shut her eyes, turning her face into his jacket.

With a quick squeeze, he wiggled his fingers out of her grip and rubbed his hand up and down her arm in an attempt to keep her calm. "Benny knows if he so much as looks at you the wrong way I'll kill him, and Dad would gladly help me bury his body."

Joyce let out a soft chuckle and pushed against his side. "That's terrible."

"Seriously though." Taking his eyes off the road once again, he pressed his lips to her temple. "Don't worry about Benny and don't worry about mom. She'll be fine. Let's just try to enjoy the rest of our day."

Knowing he was right, Joyce sighed and sat up a bit straighter when he needed his arm to merge onto the highway. As the scenery grew foreign around her, the anxiety she'd been trying to keep at bay decided to make itself known and she quickly flipped on the radio for a distraction, silently wondering if she was being ridiculous. Sucking in a deep breath, she told herself it was perfectly normal to be cautious of change. She'd only been on the highway maybe four times in her entire life, just being in a car that was going over forty-five was entirely new to her.

"How long does it take to get there?" She asked and turned to look out the passenger window, unconsciously playing with the zipper on her coat.

"A little over an hour, we can go back home though if you want to." He wanted this to be enjoyable for her, but feeling how tense she was under his palm when he touched her leg had him thinking he'd made a bad decision talking her into this.

"No." She quickly responded, shaking her head. "I just need something to keep my mind occupied so I can stop overthinking everything."

Letting go of the steering wheel to scratch at his chin, Hopper tried to think of something they could talk about to pass the time. Instead, he searched through the channels on the radio in search of a song she might know. He'd caught her singing to herself numerous times and it was extremely adorable when she really got into it and tried to get him to jump on the bed with her like they were little kids again.

Not having any luck, he turned the volume down slightly so she could hear him speak when a thought hit him. "You know… if we do go to the quarry you're going to need a swimsuit, and I'm not opposed to watching you try some on." He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Joyce giggled and turned to face him. "Is that so?"

"Honey, you're the sexiest woman I've ever laid eyes on. I'd have to be dead inside to not want that."

A blush quickly ran down Joyce's neck and chest, a heat pooling between her legs at his words. She'd never understood the power he had over her body and the way he could make it react to something as simple as his voice.

"I guess that would make me a pretty terrible girlfriend to deprive you of such a thing then huh?" She said with a smirk and reached out to touch his knee.

After jumping on him at school in the AV room, then having sex in the barn, and two other times after that, Joyce was just now realizing how difficult it was to keep her hands off of him lately. He constantly invaded her senses no matter where she was, or what she was doing, and it was becoming a struggle to not have her way with him every chance she got.

Biting back a moan as her head swam with images of him doing unimaginable things to her body with his mouth, she slid her hand across his lap and down the length of his zipper.

Hopper tensed at her touch, the movement catching him off guard and he gasped her name softly in question, almost choking on his spit when she started undoing his belt.

"Shhh." She whispered, shifting to kiss the side of his neck as she pulled the leather through the clasp and unbuttoned his jeans.

"You do know this is dangerous right?" He said when she freed his dick from beneath his clothing, already fully erect and straining against his stomach. Joyce had learned early on that it didn't take much to get a reaction out of his body when it came to her and was going to take full advantage of the small gift.

"Then you better keep your eyes on the road and both hands on the steering wheel." She smirked and wrapped her fingers around his cock, stroking him slowly a few times before dipping her head and taking him into her mouth.

"Joyce…" He moaned and after a few minutes moved his right hand to thread his fingers into her hair. "Honey...I can't…" His grip grew tighter on the steering wheel, turning his knuckles white, but Joyce acted as if she hadn't heard a word he said and continued to suck him with vigor, letting her teeth lightly drag across his skin every now and then when she'd suck back up his length.

The new sensation caused Hopper's legs to tremble and he curled his fingers around several strands of hair to pull her away. "I don't want to cum in your mouth." He panted.

"Why not?" She asked confused, still holding onto the base of his cock as she looked up at him.

Sucking in a breath, Hopper tried to stay focused on the road in front of him and loosened his grip on her hair. "I just…" He bit the inside of his cheek and drifted his palm down her side to rest at her hip, squeezing it gently. "There should be an old flannel behind the seat." He said in an attempt to change the subject, not wanting her to know it made him feel bad the last time he'd done it.

Joyce made no effort to seek out the flannel and instead licked up the underside of his dick, swirling her tongue around the head before pulling off him with a pop. "I don't mind." She said with a grin and took him into her mouth once more.

"Sweetheart…" He whispered, practically begging her to stop as he pushed against her shoulder when he was right there on the edge.

Hopper's tone finally had her reaching behind the seat, retrieving the flannel to lay it across his lap and stomach before she completely ruined the moment by wondering what she'd done wrong. Using her hand instead of her mouth, she wrapped her fingers around him with a firm grip and started stroking him the way she knew he liked, watching as his jaw clenched and a puff of air left his lungs.

Not wanting him to think she was upset, she shifted to drape the bottom half of the shirt over her hand and started kissing his neck until his hips jerked and he came with a loud groan, his left arm moving to grip the door handle while his other clutched at the steering wheel.

Giving him one last pump, Joyce stilled her hand and kissed his cheek before moving to clean up the mess. When the flannel was tossed into the floorboard, Hopper stuffed himself back into his boxers and righted his clothes the best he could with one hand. There was a brief silence when neither of them knew how to approach the awkward shift that had occurred, but Joyce finally decided to bite the bullet when she saw him open and close his mouth a few times in a failed attempt at speaking.

"I'm sorry if that was too much."

Hopper sighed and rubbed his hand over the bridge of his nose, turning slightly to look in her direction for a quick moment. "Honey, everything about that was perfect, and I mean everything. The stuff you did with your teeth..." He smirked. "I just don't want you to feel obligated to let me finish in your mouth. I know it's gross, and it feels the same to me either way."

Joyce rolled her eyes slightly and scooted closer to him, dropping her head against his shoulder. "It's not that bad." She teased and was rewarded with a soft chuckle.

Taking her hand in his, Hopper intertwined their fingers together in her lap and kissed the side of her head. "Do you think we'll ever figure out how to be normal at this?"

"Normal is probably boring anyway." She grinned and shut her eyes, trying to ease her own desires that were still flowing throughout her body. "I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart, and don't worry, I'll return the favor when we get back home." He promised.

Joyce giggled. "Such a gentleman."

00000

The mall parking lot was filled with the typical Saturday traffic. Families who had been stuck in school or at work all weekend that needed a day out flocked to the location with hopes of a new toy or that new toolbox all of the dads had been eying since it's release. Joyce looked out her window in awe. The building itself was the biggest one she had ever seen and her mind automatically went to how many rooms they could have in a tree house that size.

"So what do you think? Is it what you expected?" Hopper questioned as he pulled into one of the few vacant parking spots closer to the building.

"This place is huge, Hop! You don't think we're going to get lost in here do you? I really don't want to spend the evening wandering the parking lot looking for the truck." Hopper couldn't help the small laugh that escaped as he turned to look at her. He quickly placed his hand up to his brow and gave a mock salute.

"I promise if we end up wandering the parking lot tonight looking for the truck I will carry you the entire way."

"And all of the stuff you're going to make me buy?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way darlin'. You ready?"

"Just a sec, I want to do something first."

Reaching under the seat, Joyce pulled out her camera and looked at Hopper sheepishly as he gave her a questioning look.

"Since this is my first time out of Hawkins, or at a mall, or actually shopping, I wanted to take a few pictures of the place ya know?"

"You do whatever you want to honey. It's a big step in your life, you need to remember it." Joyce gave him a huge smile before she bounded out of the truck, her fingers already picking at the lens cap of her camera. Hopper watched as she snapped several pictures of the building and even got one of him sitting in the truck.

"Come on Hop, I want to get a picture with you!" Joyce's excited voice called to him after a few minutes of photographing her surroundings. He dutifully climbed out of the truck and walked around the bed, reaching her side in a few long strides.

"Here." She said, holding her camera at arm's length. "You take the shot, your arms are way longer and you have at least a foot on me in height. That way we can both be in the picture and look decent."

Hopper hesitated, but eventually took it from her. It wasn't like they hadn't taken several pictures together before, this time however, he was holding a much more expensive camera.

"Just put the strap around your arm if you're worried about breaking it." Joyce giggled, already knowing what was going through his head.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" He questioned and carefully wrapped the strap several times around his wrist.

"I just know you I guess." Joyce shrugged and pulled him into a hug, her arms going around his waist.

Hopper raised his arm up and aimed the lens at what he hoped was both of their faces. "Alright babe, say cheese!" He exclaimed even though she was already smiling like a loon. He pressed the button and waited for the sound of the shutter to click before he allowed himself to blink. An idea popped into his head and he quickly brought his arm back up.

"Hey, Joy?"

Joyce looked up into his eyes, waiting to hear what he had to say when he suddenly brought his lips down to hers. She smiled into the abrupt kiss and the sound of the shutter snapping once again filled the air.

"I want a copy of that one to go in my wallet, okay?" He chuckled and carefully handed the camera back to her.

"You're sneaky and I love it." She squealed as she opened the truck door and carefully stashed the camera back under the seat before locking the door and slamming it shut. Hopper waited for her as she ran to his side, her hand quickly twining with his.

"You ready to go inside now?"

"Yeah, I'm a little nervous, but as long as I have you by my side I can conquer anything."

Pride swelled in Hopper's chest at her words and he brought the back of her hand up to his lips.

"Come on, I'm waiting on my fashion show."

00000

Hopper carefully kept an eye on Joyce as she soaked up the coming and goings of the mall. Her eyes lit up as she took in the various clothed manikins packed into shop window displays and he couldn't help the smile on his face when a particular top caught her attention.

"Can we go in here? I want to take a look at this." She asked while pointing at the manikin.

"Lead the way darlin'." He smiled and felt her grip on his hand tighten as she pulled him into the store.

The inside was bright and cheery with endless rows of every type of clothing you could imagine. The top that had originally caught her attention was short sleeved and bright yellow with white buttons down the center.

"Do you think this would look good on me?" She questioned, skimming through the rack for a
medium.

"Honey I think you would look amazing in any of this stuff. I also think that top would go great with those jeans over there."

Joyce turned her head in the direction he pointed to see the two different styles folded neatly on a table a few feet away. "The darker or the lighter ones?"

"Why don't you get the top and try both on with it? See which one you like best."

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea young man." An elderly female voice sounded from behind them. The sales attendant was probably in her early seventies, her hair white as a summer cloud.

"If you would like sweetie I can take them to the dressing room for you?" The lady, who's name tag read Edith offered, her hands already reaching out toward the items in Joyce's arms.

"Um yeah sure, thank you."

Edith gave them a nod before taking Joyce's options back toward the dressing room. After another thirty minutes or so of browsing, Joyce finally had a decent variety of clothes to try on.

"Go on Joyce. I'll be around here somewhere." Hopper commented, his eyes glancing toward the store's pitiful men's section.

Edith unlocked the dressing room door for Joyce and directed her to place the clothes she didn't like on the track outside so they could be put back on the floor. Giving the kind old attendant a smile, Joyce quickly disappeared behind the dressing room door. Hanging up on a hanger on the opposing wall were the items that Joyce had picked out. The bright yellow top caught her attention first and a smile appeared on her lips as she ran her fingers over the soft fabric. Making quick work of pulling her shirt up and over her head, she carefully unbuttoned the yellow one, hoping that it looked decent on her. The fabric felt cold as she slid it onto her arms and began to re-button it. Three buttons to go and a knock on the door startled her.

"Someones in here." She yelled out, not wanting to be rude to whoever was currently waiting on the other side.

"Joy, let me in." Hopper's familiar voice echoed around her. Glancing down at the space between the bottom of the door and the floor, Joyce saw the familiar worn-out boots Hopper wore around the farm doing chores. Why he decided to wear those today she had no idea. Quickly reaching for the lock on the door, she stepped back into the depths of the dressing room, almost feeling claustrophobic at the sudden loss of space that he now occupied.

"What are you doing?! You can't be in here with me!" Joyce panicked in a slightly loud whisper.

"And I won't be in here for long if you keep being loud." He grinned, looking down and noticing the top she had yet to finish buttoning. His eyes instantly lit up at the sight in front of him, his hands itching to reach out and touch the exposed skin at the top of her jeans.

"No way Hop, I can tell what you're thinking by the look in your eyes and it's not going to happen! We're in public!" She once again whisper shouted as he took a step toward her, making her back hit the wall of the small enclosed space.

"That color looks amazing on you Joy, really makes your eyes pop." He murmured, placing his hands above her head on the wall, pinning her under his body.

"What are we going to do if we get caught?" She questioned, running her hands down his chest, the movement causing goosebumps to stir on his arms.

"We won't get caught if you're quiet." He growled into her ear, gently pulling her lobe between his teeth. The slight catch in her breath doing things to him he was ashamed to admit out loud.

Joyce stood on her tiptoes and stretched her short frame up for a kiss. The moment her lips met his, any sane train of thought was halted. Hopper quickly brought his hands down to her ass, kneading it through the thin denim of her jeans, her breath hitching when his hands left her ass and traveled to her thighs. Suddenly she was being lifted into the air and instantly wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands moved to either side of her neck, holding her in place as his lips continued to claim her. Joyce realized that his hips were the only thing holding her up when she felt how hard he was against her center.

"Hop we really shouldn't b-" Her voice was cut off when Hopper thrust his tongue into her mouth, her hands instantly going for his belt buckle. She wasn't sure what it was, but the possibility of them getting caught made her even more eager, and completely ignored her own words of caution. His belt came unfastened quickly and the sound of his zipper dropping filled the dressing room.

"Joyce, this is supposed to be for you." He whined as her hand wrapped around him.

"Making you happy, makes me happy."

" Joyce please…" He begged, the sound of a knock on their door made them both freeze.

"Young man, I'm giving you three minutes to make your way to the front of the store to wait on the lady before I call the authorities. Is that understood?" Edith said firmly from the other side of the door.

Joyce and Hopper both stayed frozen in place until the white shoes of Edith disappeared.

"Honey, I'm begging you with everything that I have to please grab all of these clothes and go directly to the counter and pay. I don't care that you haven't tried any of them on. Just please..." Hopper stated, a genuine look of fear in his eyes. He set Joyce back on her feet and hastily zipped his zipper. Mortified herself, Joyce quickly complied and took off the yellow top, replacing it with her old worn-out shirt.

"I'll wait for you outside of the store, I really can't afford to go to jail. Dad would literally kill me." Hopper informed her as he made sure Joyce was adequately covered before opening the door and making a beeline for the front of the store.

00000

Hopper had to practically drag Joyce out of the mall after she insisted she buy him a new pair of swimming trunks, along with a few new flannel shirts.

"Sweetheart stop buying me stuff, I'm the one whose supposed to be buying stuff for you, not the other way around." He whined and finally guided her out into the nearly abandoned parking lot.

"What's the matter? Gender roles getting to you?" She joked as he unlocked her side of the truck.

"I just feel bad when you buy stuff for me and I know I can't give you anything in return." He stated, helping her pile into the truck with all the new items she had decided to buy today.

"You don't say! Sucks when that happens doesn't it?" She teased and carefully pulled a bag out of the path of the door.

"Think you're funny don't you?" He glared playfully as he closed her door and made his way around to the drivers side. The drive back to Hawkins was uneventful, both of them just ready to lay down and relax after such a long day. Joyce's stomach growling halfway home had them stopping at a drive-thru for dinner. Each of them getting a burger, fries, and a milkshake.

"I can't be eating all of this junk Hop, I won't be able to fit into any of the clothes I just bought." Joyce whined as she took another sip of her milkshake.

"Then you'll just have to run around naked then won't you." He laughed, narrowly avoiding the swat she aimed for his shoulder.

"You'd love that wouldn't you tough guy?" She teased, finishing off the rest of her milkshake.

"Yes and no...Yes because I would get to see you naked all the time, and no because everyone else would too. I'd hate to spend the entire day whooping ass and not looking at you." He smirked and shoved the last of his fries into his mouth.

"You good to go?"

Joyce gave him a content nod as she rested her hands against her stomach. "Yeah. Might have to unbutton my jeans on the way home though." She giggled, giving Hopper a grin from her side of the cab.

"I'm certainly not going to stop you."

00000

The lights inside the farmhouse were off with the exception of the front porch. Glancing at the dash, Hopper realized that their little adventure had taken way longer than he had planned and would more than likely have to deal with the consequences tomorrow morning over breakfast. Until then, they would continue to live in the little bubble of happiness they had made for themselves today.

Quietly opening the front door, Hopper and Joyce, with their arms full of the day's spoils, re-locked the deadbolt and made their way up the stairs and into their bedroom. They placed the bags on the bed, already dreading having to find a place for all of it in their shared closet.

"Did you have fun today?" Hopper asked from the foot of the bed where he was sitting down, untying his boots. The reply he got consisted of nothing but pure silence. Looking up from his boots, he noticed Joyce standing in front of the closet with her arms wrapped around her chest. She was staring at all her old, worn-out clothes. The clothes that Travis had bought for her out of obligation instead of love. Most of them were second hand and had holes in them that Joyce had learned to patch herself, or were three sizes too big for her.

"It's so stupid," Joyce stated, her voice showing obvious signs of emotion.

"What's stupid Honey?" Hopper asked as he made his way to stand behind her, wrapping her protectively in her arms.

"When I went to the trailer that day, I got my necklace and a few notes, that's it. I trashed the entire place and I was happy. Happy that I had destroyed anything and everything that he would have left if he ever went back. Anything that was left of my childhood that I had deemed as horrible reminders of my life. Then I come home from an amazing day with you, and I see all of these." She sighed into his embrace. "He bought these for me out of obligation to keep your parents from calling child protective services. He didn't do it because he loved me, he did it to save his own ass. I want to burn every last article of clothing in this closet of mine because of that. But, there are so many good memories in this closet too."

Joyce reached out and gently ran her hand over the white tee shirt closest to Hoppers' side of the closet. The red ketchup stains on the chest giving away the significance of it.

"I was wearing this the night you won me that necklace. Your parents bought me a hotdog and I got ketchup all over it. Then this one...this one I was wearing the night we shared our first kiss at the Treehouse." She smiled, her fingers gracing over the see-through grey material.

"How about you burn what doesn't have a good memory of me and you attached to it? We'll go through everything, and what you don't want anymore we'll stick in a bag and burn tomorrow night before dinner. Sound good?" He asked, placing a delicate kiss to the side of her neck.

"I think that sounds like an amazing idea."

"What do you need from me?"

Joyce turned around in his embrace and placed a kiss to the center of his chest.

"I think I need to do this on my own. To rid myself of Travis and my old life once and for all. So if you would, just hang in here with me and keep me from staying up all night."

"Whatever you need sweetheart. I'll wait as long as you want me to."