It was as if every bit of oxygen had been sucked from the small room when silence overtook the kitchen. No one knew what to say or do as they stared at Greg who was still holding the letter from Washington in his shaking hand. It wasn't until the screech of wood on linoleum sounded that all eyes turned to see Hopper's back disappearing through the archway. The front door opened and slammed shut seconds later causing Joyce to flinch.

When she shifted to stand, Mary reached out to touch her shoulder, keeping her seated. "Give him a minute." She said, her voice slightly hoarse from forcing herself to keep it together.

Joyce swallowed and hung her head, her appetite completely gone. The thought of Hopper being ripped from her life and shipped off to war made her want to throw up. Her hand immediately found its way to the collar of her shirt when she felt like she was suffocating, a failed attempt at calming her building anxiety.

With a sigh, Greg finally tossed the paper back onto the table and dropped his face into the palms of his hands. When the sound of heavy breathing caught his attention minutes later, he lifted his head to look over at Joyce who was trying her damnedest to not break down in front of them. Mary hadn't been wrong in asking her to give Jim a moment to himself, but it wasn't worth having her slip into a panic attack when he knew his son needed her more than anything right then.

"Joyce, Darlin' go on." Greg's whispered words were barely out of his mouth before Joyce shot up from her chair, desperate to find the love of her life. She flung the screen door open with more force than necessary, and there in front of her on the front steps was his hunched over form. Head in his hands, uneven breaths wracking his body. She knew what it was like to be overwhelmed and could only imagine what horrible things were running through his head.

Carefully walking the short distance across the porch, the sight of his trembling shoulders nearly broke her as she whispered his name, not wanting to startle him. Without hesitation, his arms reached out to grab her and pull her into his lap, her head instinctively moving to settle under his chin.

Hopper had always been her protector, a shoulder to cry on, and now it was her turn to bear the load of fear and grief. She refused to cry, knowing if this was like any other situation they had found themselves in, her pain would only bleed over to him.

Gently rubbing soothing circles onto any part of him she could reach, Joyce hoped the small gesture would bring him some sort of comfort when there was literally nothing else she could do to make this shit situation better.

Darkness had fallen over the farm before Hopper finally loosened his grip on her. With a groan, he stretched his legs out in front of him, keeping her securely placed on his thighs. "I'm so sorry sweetheart."

At first Joyce thought she had imagined the rumble in his chest and It wasn't until he repeated those four words that she realized they hadn't been in her head. Shifting slightly to run her fingers over the five o clock shadow on his cheeks, she stared into his eyes with confusion.

"What on earth are you apologizing for?" She inquired as she placed her feet onto the step below them for support.

"I promised I would never leave you and now I'm-"

"Honey no, this has nothing to do with you. You haven't broken your promise."

Joyce watched his Adam's apple bob as he fought to not show the emotions she knew he was feeling.

"We'll figure this out together okay? There has to be something we can do to keep you here. Maybe your dad can call in all his favors, or...I don't know…just something." Tears were threatening to overcome Joyce as she saw fear and pain flicker in his gaze.

Before he could bring himself to say anything else, Joyce took his hand in hers and quickly wound their fingers together, Hopper not realizing at first just how much strength this tiny woman was giving him.

"We just need to try and rest. Tomorrow is going to suck enough as it is, and I doubt either of us want to deal with this mess on top of exhaustion." Joyce coaxed, not wanting to remove herself from his embrace, but knew they couldn't stay out there forever.

A few minutes later, Hopper nodded his head and allowed Joyce to stand from his lap, his hand quickly finding hers once more as they headed back inside.

The couple entered the house and quietly made their way down the hall leading to the kitchen. From their seats at the table, Mary and Greg looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw them huddled together in the door frame. Dinner was still on the table, cold and forgotten, and Mary's eyes were rimmed with red, while Greg's knuckles were white from being clutched together for god knows how long.

"Jim I-" Mary started and was silenced with him raising the palm of his hand.

"Tomorrow mom, tonight…I just...I can't."

Joyce watched as Mary and Greg nodded, both of them clearly hearing the exhaustion in their son's voice.

"We love you both so very much. Please try to get some sleep." Mary called as the two teens slowly moved from the doorway.

"Love you too. Goodnight"

The climb up the stairs seemed to take whatever energy the kids had left as they dragged their drained bodies into the bedroom. With no words spoken, Joyce stripped down to her panties and threw on one of Hopper's old wrestling shirts, the warm, soft fabric bringing her more comfort than she thought possible. When Hopper finally dropped down into bed, Joyce was in his arms instantly, her head resting on his shoulder as she thought about the fact she may not have many more nights of peaceful sleep with him by her side after today.

00000

The drive to school the next morning was silent, neither of them knowing what to say to one another besides 'I love you'. Pulling into the school parking lot, a random thought smacked Jim in the face. If he got his number drawn, there was a good chance that some of the other males in his graduating class had as well. Realization loomed like a dark cloud over Hopper as he took in the sight of tear streamed faces of students, letting him know he was right. He wouldn't be the only male from Hawkins going to war and that made everything seem all too real. Putting the truck in park, he glanced at Joyce who had also picked up on their peer's emotions.

"What's on your mind sweetheart?"

"We need to talk about this Jim...figure out a way to keep you here..." Joyce's voice cracked on the last word, making Hopper's heart ache. He knew there was no hope of him staying home and needed to accept his fate.

Reaching for her hand across the cab, Hopper chose his words carefully. "Darlin' there's no way I'm going to be able to stay. It's just not in the cards for me and I've started to accept that."

Hurt and panic quickly flashed in Joyce's eyes, tears already starting to form.

"Honey, don't be sad, I'll make it bac-"

"I'm not sad Hopper, I'm pissed off! How can you just give up so easily!? It's like you don't even care that you're being forced into a pointless war where there's a good possibility that you won't come back to me! We had plans, I had plans, and I won't be able to live if you don't come home! You are the one and only reason that I'm alive today. You're the one who saw how good of a person I was, even back then you tried to stay by my side no matter how much I begged you to find someone else. You stayed, and now it's like none of that even matters! It's like you're determined to go and leave me here in fucking Hawkins not knowing if you're alive or ever coming back home to me!"

The tears were freely falling now and Hopper didn't know if she wanted to kiss him or hit him. "I have to go." Joyce sniffed. "I need to redevelop all the photos those bitches ruined before class. We'll talk about this later. I love you...more than anything." Leaning across the cab, she placed a soft kiss on his freshly shaven cheek. "I'll see you at lunch okay?"

At a loss for words, all Hopper could do was nod. How could Joyce chew him out and tell him how much she loved him all in one conversation?

00000

The sight of Lonnie leaning against his beat up Pontiac smoking a cigarette, caught Hopper's attention as he watched Joyce disappear into a small crowd of people entering the school. Reaching behind his seat, he grabbed the flannel that had saved Joyce from embarrassment, along with his book bag and exited his truck.

Quickly crossing the asphalt, Hopper made his way over to him. "Morning Byers," He stated as he closed in on his car.

Lonnie looked up at his voice, causing Hopper to stumble slightly in his step. He had dark circles under his eyes, circles that matched his own.

"Morning Jim. What's going on?"

Hopper held out Lonnie's flannel, carefully meeting his gaze. "I wanted to thank you for what you did the other day. You helped Joyce when she had no one else and that means a lot to me."

Lonnie carefully took the offered shirt and tossed it into the back seat of his car. "No need to thank me Jim. I'd do anything for her. She was the first friend I made here and didn't care that I was new or weird. Hell she even forgave me for being a jackass. The least I can do is be a decent human being toward her."

"Yeah, she's always been like that. Standing up in her own way to bullies, protecting those she cares about. It's just who she is."

Hopper didn't miss the sad smile on Lonnie's face as he dropped the butt of his cigarette to the ground. "Won't do her any good trying to help me now. She can't protect me where I'm going."

A pit suddenly settled in Hopper's chest, his number had been picked too.

"She won't be there to protect me either." Hopper admitted softly, his hand coming out to squeeze Lonnie's shoulder before turning on his heel and heading inside the school. His boots felt like they were weighed down with cement, each step across the hallway feeling like a mile as he let his eyes scan over the many faces of hurt and despair staring back at him. A familiar figure waiting by his locker was exactly the distraction he needed to stay focused on getting through the day instead of letting the dread he could feel in his gut bubble over.

"Joyce already in class?" Karen wondered as Hopper put in his combination and started digging through the various items inside the metal storage unit. With a sigh, he pulled out the book he was looking for and slammed the door shut, spinning the lock back in place.

"She went to redevelop the photos for the layouts Chrissy ruined. Figured she'd do it now before someone else needed the room." Taking a second to look up and down the halls, he adjusted the strap on his shoulder and leaned against the wall behind him. "Where's Benny?" The two of them had been glued at the hip since they started dating, so his absence made him wonder if something had happened.

It was Karen's turn to sigh and she didn't hesitate to lean in beside him. "He told me what he did to Joyce, and I...I don't know Jim. I don't understand how he could hurt her like that…and then not a single one of you felt the need to tell me? That's a lot to just accept like it never happened...especially since I'm dating him, well...was dating him…"

Dropping his head back onto the cool bricks, Hopper shut his eyes and sucked in a breath. This definitely wasn't the conversation he wanted to have after everything he was currently dealing with. Being emotionally drained didn't even come close to expressing how he was feeling. "Joyce forgave him."

"That doesn't change what happened. What if he did something like that to me? I feel like I don't even know him…" Karen whispered and nervously picked at a piece of paper coming off the cover of the book she was holding.

"He wouldn't do-"

"You don't know that." Karen interrupted him.

"Yes I do, because he knows I'd beat his ass if he ever laid a finger on you." Hopper huffed. "But that's not the point. Look…I've known Benny since we were in middle school and he does stupid shit when he's scared, but hes not a bad person. He knows he messed up with Joyce and he's been doing everything he can to make it up to her, and me. If Joyce was able to forgive him, that has to say something. I mean...he told you the truth about what happened when he could have easily lied. He's trying to be a better person and you've been good for him. I've never seen that idiot happier than I have in the past few months." He said with a slight grin.

Karen stayed silent as she listened, desperately wanting to believe him. "It really doesn't bother you that he hurt her?"

"It did for a while…and I guess it still kind of does." He admitted, his hand finding its way to his chin, searching for the stubble he normally had. "But I don't want to be the kind of person who's angry all the time because of it. I don't want to hold onto the hate I felt for him right after it happened. It made me lash out at the wrong people for the wrong reasons. You saw how I acted after Lonnie kissed her. Joyce didn't deserve to have me speak to her that way and a lot of how I was feeling came from the anger I held onto after what he did and what her father did. When Benny came looking for me the day Chrissy and Marissa went after her in gym, I could tell he was actually trying to not be that asshole anymore."

Karen swallowed and reached out with one arm to wrap it around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. "I hope you're right." She mumbled against his shirt before letting him go. "I know I shouldn't feel responsible since it wasn't my fault, but I'm still sorry it happened. Joyce is my best friend and I don't want her getting hurt because of me. It would kill me to know this entire time she was uncomfortable being around Benny and only did it to make me happy."

"You're one of the best things she's had in a long time and it means a lot to me to know you're willing to put her feelings before others." That little bit of information calmed some of the fear he had at possibly leaving Joyce with no one once he joined the army. She would always have his parents no matter what, but she still needed that one friend to be her rock when he couldn't be anymore. He wasn't exactly afraid of going to war and fighting for his country, but knowing he wouldn't be able to protect her if something happened, or talk to her if she got upset made his heart ache. Quickly blinking back tears as sadness overtook him, he choked out a goodbye to Karen and disappeared down the crowded hallway to find the nearest bathroom.

00000

The first two classes of the day passed by in a blur, teachers giving the seniors a break when they realized learning was the furthest thing from most the students minds. Everyone was more worried about the young men of Hawkins that would soon be shipped off to war than a stupid quiz that no longer really seemed important.

Hopper chose to keep to himself while seated at his desk, not speaking to anyone as time ticked by. Even when his favorite teacher pulled him aside to offer him comfort, Hopper politely excused himself from the conversation and went to his next class. He was just so tired. Tired of hearing how sorry everyone was, and tired of watching as his life slowly crumbled down around him. Senior year was supposed to be filled with laughter and fun, going to prom and graduating, and in the blink of an eye those things were suddenly something he'd no longer get to experience.

With the day continuing to drag on, lunch couldn't have come quick enough. It was the one thing Hopper had been looking forward to since leaving Joyce that morning. Seeing her always made him feel safe and warm, but as he sat there listening to Karen explain to Joyce about Benny, he found himself feeling completely numb. It wasn't that he didn't want to be there for his friends, he just couldn't physically or emotionally support himself right then, let alone someone else.

When the bell rang signaling the end of their time together, Hopper tried to ignore the sadness in Joyce's features at having to let him go. Sharing a kiss goodbye, Hopper immediately retreated back inside of his head like a mindless zombie in an attempt to keep his emotions under control.

The final period of the day felt like it had taken an eternity to arrive, and by that point Hopper was so overwhelmed he didn't think twice about exiting the building and heading to a place he knew would help relieve some of the stress he was feeling.

"Why the hell aren't you in class?" Hopper asked as he walked toward his spot under the bleachers where Benny was currently seated, leaning against a metal pole.

"I could ask you the same thing." Benny countered, readjusting his posture and placing what he'd been trying to hide back in his lap when he realized it wasn't a teacher.

Hopper tossed his backpack to the ground and plopped down in front of Benny, resting against one of the many concrete pillars under the stands. "Are you seriously out here smoking pot?" He asked, instantly picking up on the distinct smell when he blew out a puff of smoke in his direction.

"Not exactly having a good day." Benny sighed before bending his right leg and resting his elbow on top of his knee, his free hand swiping across his face.

"So I heard...ran into Karen this morning," Hopper admitted, feeling bad for his friend as he watched him inhale another lungful of smoke.

"I'm so fucking sorry for what I did Jim...I wish I could take it back, along with the past six years. I was such an asshole and maybe Karen isn't wrong for leaving me." Benny huffed. "I just didn't want to lie to her…"

Hopper wasn't exactly sure what to say. The emotions he'd been dealing with since dinner yesterday were enough to bring him to his knees and he wasn't sure right now was the best time for him to offer advice to anyone. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to deal with life in general at the moment, let alone this. "Have you tried talking to her?"

Sucking down another puff of smoke, Benny picked at the grass below him. "Of course I did and she wasn't having it. She told me to stop calling her last night, then completely ignored me this morning in the parking lot."

"Just give her some space and a chance to understand what happened. She seemed just as hurt as you when I talked to her." Hopper admitted.

Benny shook his head. "She's probably better off without me. There's this older guy Ted that comes into the diner when she's working, and every time they talk, she lights up like I've never seen before… She'd never have to worry about him hurting her either."

Hopper frowned at the heartbreak he could feel coming from his friend and moved to sit beside him. "You know as well as I do that you'd never hurt her. What happened with Joyce was a mistake, but I know you don't want to be that person anymore. I've seen how you are around her now, and what you've done for us both since it happened. Karen will come around, just give her some time."

"You don't understand...this guy...he's got a good job, money, things he can give her that I'll never be able to. Why the hell would she choose to stay with a fuck up like me over someone like that?" Benny sulked, dropping his head. "You three are the only friends I have left since I stopped talking to the team and the old group I used to hang with. If Karen doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, neither will Joyce...and then neither will you."

Hopper closed his eyes and chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying his best to not let his own emotions cause him to say something he'd regret. He cared about Benny, he was his friend, but he was struggling with his own problems at the moment. As badly as he wanted to tell him he didn't give a shit about any of this right now, he held his tongue and forced himself to be supportive.

"Listen man, give her a chance to forgive you. You can't just give up that easily, especially if you love her as much as you say you do." Hopper offered.

Benny turned his body slightly, dropping his head against the pole behind him. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry to unload all this on you, it just sucks you know?"

"I get it. You're not the only one having a shitty day, trust me."

"You alright?" Benny asked, finally taking a second to notice he really did look like shit, but then again so did the entire school.

"Not really, but it's nothing you need to worry about." Hopper was pretty sure if Benny pressed the subject, he wouldn't be able to talk about the draft and the current black hole sitting in the pit of his stomach, so when he was met with silence instead of a million questions, he couldn't have been more relieved.

"Want some?" Benny held out his hand, the joint pressed firmly between his thumb and pointer finger.

Hopper had never smoked pot before, but given the circumstances, he really didn't give a shit about the consequences that might come from it. "Sure." Taking the stick from Benny, he carefully placed the paper against his lips and inhaled, immediately sending himself into a coughing fit.

Benny chuckled and patted Hopper on the back playfully. "First time?"

"Fuck you." Hopper spat between coughs, only making Benny laugh harder.

"You smoke those nasty ass unfiltered camels all the time, what's the problem?" Benny teased, quickly dodging a light punch to his arm.

"I've also been smoking them since I was sixteen jackass, and they're not nasty. The ones with the filters just aren't as satisfying." He shrugged.

"Well if cigarettes calm you down, you're in for one hell of a ride my friend. Hope Joyce can drive your truck home."

"Oh shit, I didn't even think about that." Hopper chuckled, already starting to feel the effects from the one hit he'd taken.

"Fucking lightweight." Benny laughed and passed the stick back to him.

"She can drive...at least I think she can. She doesn't have a license or anything, but she drives the truck around the farm without any problems."

Benny gave him a nod and allowed a comfortable silence to fall over them for a moment as they shared the joint, the pot slowly starting to ease some of the stress Hopper had been dealing with.

"I hope I'm able to get something like this over in Nam. I can only imagine the fucked up stuff that place is going to do to me."

"Was wondering when you were going to bring that up. Heard Lonnie saying you got your number called like him. I think Scott Anderson, Adam Fulk, and James Steven's got their letter as well." Benny coughed, reaching into the pocket of his jeans for a small metal clip.

"There's really nothing to talk about ya know? It's going to happen and no one can say otherwise. The only thing I can do now is prepare and hope for the best."

"What's Joyce saying about it?" Benny questioned as he fidgeted with the clip and what was left of the small paper roll.

"Pretty much what you would expect. She's scared to death and trying to figure out any way possible to keep me from going. Dads doing the same thing. I'm just trying not to get my hopes up you know?"

Benny nodded and took the last hit of the now diminished joint.

"I got a favor to ask..." Hopper voiced, his head leaning back against the cement that was supporting him.

"What's up man? If you need some more pot you know I get it from Kevin, and it's pretty good shit if I do say so myself."

Hopper shook his head, a grin gracing his lips as he ran his hands up and down his jean clad thighs.

"If I don't…If I don't make it back, I need you to promise me that you'll look out for Joyce. Make sure she takes care of herself and that she's happy. She needs to find someone else and have the family she's always wanted. Even if it's not with me."

"I'm gonna have to stop you right there Jim. You're coming back, and when you do, you and her will get married and have a house with three or four kids for Uncle Benny to spoil. So don't be talking like your future is decided. Especially not in front of Joyce who will be able to hear us in about five seconds."

Hopper looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching to see Joyce, followed closely by Karen, making their way under the bleachers. If looks could kill, both men would be severely wounded by the glares the two women had on their faces.

"So let me get this straight. You skipped class and left me waiting by the truck for an hour, worried out of my mind, so you could sit here with Benny and get high?! Jesus Hop." Joyce scolded as she nudged his knee with the toe of her shoe.

"Shit Honey, I'm sorry. I didn't realize what time it was."

"How are we supposed to get home? You're clearly in no condition to drive and I don't have a license."

"Looks like you're going to be joining our merry little band of law breakers today Joyce." Benny chuckled as he rubbed at his eyes.

"It's not funny Benny. What if the Chief finds out?" Karen questioned.

"You know as well as I do that Jim is incapable of getting in trouble." Benny teased, trying to brush aside the warmth he felt at Karen speaking to him.

"Guys, I got this alright? No worries." Hopper grabbed his bag and slowly climbed to his feet, the tightness in his muscles making him groan. Had they really been sitting out there for over an hour?

"The hell you do." Joyce scowled.

"Honey I'm fine, really."

"You're not driving Jim." When he attempted to move around her, Joyce grabbed onto his belt loop to hold him in place and not so easily dug his keys out of his pocket.

"There's no way you're driving either Benny. We're going to sit in your truck until you sober up a bit." Karen stated as she helped Benny up from the ground. The moment he was steady on his feet, she let go of his arm, but didn't move from his side.

"Come on, let's get going." Joyce said, then started giggling at Hopper leaning against her and placing several kisses across her face. "I'm still mad at you. You loving all over me isn't going to change that."

"Hey, a guy can dream." Benny laughed from behind them as the couples began the trek back to the parking lot.

The sight of old blue Chevy made Joyce's body flood with relief and anxiety all at once. She was happy to have Hopper putting his weight against the truck instead of her, but now she had to face her fear of driving on a public road.

"I'm telling you Joy, I've got this."

"And we're telling you that you don't. Come on Benny, we're going to be sitting here for a while, might as well talk." Karen gently nudged him in the direction of his pickup as Joyce turned to climb into the driver seat of Hopper's.

"I don't even know if I can reach the pedals Hopper!" Joyce growled in frustration, the brute of a man beside her sliding into the truck with ease.

"You got this Honey, I have faith in you. Just stretch those little legs of yours and they will grow the last few inches you need. But don't stretch too much, I kind of like you being smaller than me."

If Joyce hadn't been mad as hell at their current situation she would have found Jim's stoned ramblings adorable.

"Well I'm glad at least one of us is having a good time." Joyce huffed as she stretched and pressed the brake down with the toe of her shoes. Carefully sliding the key into the ignition, she gave it a quick turn and the truck roared to life.

"We're literally fifteen minutes from the house, you'll be fine."

"So you keep saying. I'm just glad Benny and Karen are the only people left in the parking lot. I don't need anyone else seeing how bad my driving is."

"Just keep on your side of the road and you'll be good to go."

Pulling out onto the main road had Joyce concentrating more then she had on anything in months. Was there normally this much traffic out when they headed home? Why was everyone driving so fast?

00000

"I'm already stressed enough Hop, you don't have to laugh every time I freak out when a car drives by. It's not helping." Joyce complained, her grip on the steering wheel tightening.

Hopper smiled and slid across the cab, carefully placing his hand on her thigh. "Stop being so damn cute and I'll stop laughing."

"How the hell is me possibly getting into a wreck or pulled over cute?" She questioned, the circles she could feel him rubbing into the fabric of her jeans doing little to calm her already overworked nerves.

"Joyce nothing bad is going to happen, you're doing fine. Besides, right there's the driveway." Hopper pointed, watching as she lightly tapped the brakes and flipped on the turn signal.

Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Joyce finally leaned back into the seat and felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease. She was still upset Hopper had put her in this situation to start with, but as the house slowly came into view, the irritation she'd been feeling started to fade when he softly pressed his lips to her temple.

"You did great Honey." Hopper praised, taking the keys from her once the truck was in park.

Joyce sighed and waited a second before opening the door. "I guess it wasn't so bad. I really should look into getting my license soon anyway." She didn't have to actually say the words for Hopper to understand what she meant. Once he was gone she'd have to start depending on herself for things like this.

"One day at a time sweetheart. But let's get going, I'm sure our parents are wondering where the hell we are." Hopper laughed and shifted to slide out of the truck, closing the passenger door with more force than necessary.

"Care to explain to me why in the hell Joyce is driving instead of you Jim?" Greg's voice thundered as he stepped out of the barn, catching them red handed.

Joyce froze at the stern expression on Greg's face. She had never made him mad before and she didn't particularly want to start now.

"Psst. Joyce. I think we're in trouble." Hopper whispered none too quietly as Greg stopped in front of them, taking in a deep breath through his nose.

"Please tell me you hit a skunk coming down the driveway and that I'm not smelling weed coming off of your clothes Jim."

"To be honest with you dad, if she did hit a skunk on the way home she wouldn't have killed it. She was doing fifteen the entire way." Hopper chuckled and elbowed Joyce a few times to draw attention to his joke. Joyce chose not to respond, her face turning red with embarrassment.

"Seriously son? I'm the chief of police! Do you have an idea how bad you being high would reflect on me if you were to get caught? Or if Joyce had been pulled over? She doesn't have a license and you're high as a fucking kite! Do you know how worried your mama and I would have been if y'all were in a wreck because you decided to get stoned knowing good and damn well that Joyce isn't that experienced at driving? I know you're stressed son, we all are, but you can't be acting like this."

Hopper had the common sense to look ashamed and hung his head. Whether it was out of actual shame, or to hide the fact he was grinning like a loon, Joyce would never know.

With a sigh, Greg held out his hand toward Hopper. "Give me your keys and go up to your room until I call for you. Joyce, I think Mary could use your help in the kitchen with dinner."

Joyce nodded and led the way inside. Quickly unlacing her boots, she slid them off in the front entry before making a beeline for the kitchen where Mary was standing in front of the pantry door, her hands on her hips.

"What do you guys want for sides with the chicken tonight?" She questioned, not moving from her spot as she continued looking through the various items spread out over the shelves.

"Pepperoni slices." Came Hopper's voice from behind Joyce.

"What? You feeling okay Jim?" Mary asked, watching as her son walked over to the cabinet where they kept all of the snacks.

"Okay, hear me out mom. Pizza slices, but we dip them in that vanilla icing you use for the red velvet cake."

Joyce quickly crossed the kitchen and smacked Hopper's hand, making him lose his grip on the snack cake he'd been pulling out of the box.

"Ow Joyce! What was that for?!" Hopper whined and tried once again to grab a Swiss roll.

"Greg what's going on?" Mary asked, her arms now crossed over her chest. Greg just shook his head, trying not to laugh at the sight of his son being denied snacks by a woman half his size.

"Our son here had a little date with Mary Jane and now has the munchies."

"James Kenneth Hopper! You better not have driven home high!" Mary yelled as Hopper finally grabbed an armful of snacks and made a run for the hallway, only to turn back and dash to the fridge, grabbing the entire carton of milk, before running up the stairs.

"If you eat all of those don't expect me to feel sorry for you when you get sick Jim!" Joyce yelled after him, the sound of a door slamming shut echoing back down into the kitchen.

"What the hell is going on in my house?!" Mary looked at Greg for answers.

"I don't know Darlin', but the boy may be onto something with the pizza and vanilla icing." Greg laughed.