EPILOGUE 1 OF 3
There will be significant time jumps for the epilogues, just something to keep in mind! 3
October 1987
"Ezekiel Furlong!" Steve's shrill made Andy jump in her chair, moving the phone away from her ear in an effort to keep her hearing. "Get back here, right this instant!" he demanded.
"That cat is really giving you a run for your money, isn't it?" Andy laughed at Steve's predicament, as that wasn't the first time that Ezekiel Furlong drove her brother up the wall - it simply wasn't that often that she had a chance to hear it firsthand.
"It's not a cat - it's a goddamn demon!" Steve hissed, and Andy was no longer sure if he was angry at the cat, or at her for heckling him about it. "I fucking hate that little devil."
"Well, you should have thought about that before you fostered a cat," Andy reminded him.
"Nuh-huh!" Steve cut her off. "It's not my cat, it's Lisa's cat and I never asked for this!"
"Well, in that case, it's yours by marriage," Andy shrugged, nearly dropping the phone while doing so. She twisted the cord around her arm to make sure that that doesn't happen, as she continued fumbling through the notes that covered every inch of her desk - the very same task she was in the middle of when Steve called.
"I'm not married," Steve reminded her. "God, I really wish she didn't have this stupid cat."
"Where is Lisa, anyway?" Andy wondered, as, in times like those, it was usually Steve's girlfriend who took care of her demonic cat. According to Steve, Ezekiel Furlong was the only flaw that Lisa had and having only met her once, Andy had to trust him on that. All that mattered was that her brother was happy, and he was - he was head over heels for the girl.
"She's working a double shift today," Steve sighed in annoyance. "She has to pull her weight at the hospital if she wants to have a full week off for Thanksgiving. And that's what I wanted to talk to you about before this furball demon decided to attack."
"What about it? It's Thanksgiving, we'll all be back in Hawkins, the end."
"I wanted to check if you and Eddie needed a ride," Steve explained, but that made Andy even more confused than the topic of Thanksgiving itself. Steve was in Indianapolis, while she and Eddie were in Chicago - if Steve was to pick them up and give them a ride, he'd have to cross the state line to get to them - it made no sense whatsoever.
"Why would you… dude, you're literally going in the opposite direction. Do you miss me so much that you want to spend hours stuck in a car with me and my boyfriend?" she laughed.
"I'm only offering because Eddie's van has to be running on nothing but sheer will at this point," Steve sighed, and Andy would lie if she was to say that she wasn't insulted on behalf of her boyfriend's van. It was old and it's been through a lot, but it was a dear memory.
"I bought a car, Steve," Andy reminded him. It wasn't as easy to keep one another up to speed now that they were no longer in the same state, much less in the same city, but she bought the car even before she and Eddie left Indiana - Steve was there when she bought it, annoying both her and Eddie while spewing random car knowledge when all Andy cared for was that it had all four wheels and was running.
"Fine, fine, you and your Mr. Perfect will drive down in your perfect car, forget I ever asked."
"Dude, who ruffled your feathers?!" Andy demanded, not used to this pissy act from her brother. He was like that when they were teens, yeah, but not for a very long while. There was still a joking tone in her remark, as she wasn't angry, but Steve really sounded on edge.
"Ezekiel fucking Furlong," Steve grunted and that was the last straw for Andy. She started to laugh long and hard at her brother's predicament, not even stopping to greet Eddie - she saw his questioning look from the hallway as he entered the apartment, and she just waved at him in greeting, also trying to signal that she will explain everything later. "You know, I expected more support from my sister."
"Eddie's home, I gotta go," Andy announced, already too preoccupied with Eddie's presence to focus on what her brother was saying. "I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers."
"Oh, fuck off."
"Fine then, I hope Ezekiel Furlong suffocates you in your sleep by sitting on your face."
"Tell Eddie I said hi," Steve sighed.
"Say hi to Lisa, too. See you soon," Andy struggled to untangle the cord from her arm in an effort to hang up. As soon as the call was over, Eddie made his way to where Andy was sitting at her desk. She smiled, leaning back into him as he pressed kisses along her cheek. "Welcome home, babe," she giggled when his hair tickled her against the neck. Every time one of them returns home to the other, it always turns into a mess of kisses and hugs. Once upon a time, Andy found the idea of that disgusting, over the top, and very cheesy, but it's safe to say her mind had changed.
"Good to be home," he planted another kiss on her cheek. "Is that cat annoying Steve again?" he asked, obviously catching enough bits of the conversation to know what was up.
"Yup," Andy laughed. "Or the other way around. I mean, as someone who lived with Steve for more than 18 years, I wouldn't be surprised if the cat is acting in self-defense."
"Why don't we have a cat?" Eddie wondered and Andy could practically hear his pout.
"Ha-ha, nice one," Andy turned in her chair, making him take a step back - she needed to glare at him to get her point across. "You're working, I'm studying. Which means that I would be the one taking care of said cat, and I'm barely able to take care of us both," she laughed at the look on his face, but both of them knew she had a point. "There's also a no-pet policy in this building, babe. If we get a place of our own one day, then we can discuss."
"Fiiiiine," Eddie whined, but it only lasted a few seconds before it turned into a look of suspicion, which, in turn, made Andy immediately suspicious - he would make that face when he wanted to ask for something, usually for something he knew Andy wouldn't be on board with. "Did you have a good day?" he asked, somewhat sheepishly.
"Why?"
"Can't I just ask how my lovely girlfriend spent her day?" he let out a nervous chuckle.
"Eddie, why?" Andy insisted. She could read him like the palm of her hand and she knew damn well he was either about to admit to something or ask for something.
"Okay, I did something, but I need you to hear me out," he blurted out quickly.
"Eddie!" Andy whined as she watched him walk toward the couch, almost as if he was trying to put more distance between them. Their rental was by no means huge, but with her at the desk and him on the sofa, he was definitely far away enough to avoid immediate bodily harm. "What did you do now?" she asked, mentally going through all the options.
Eddie had mentioned renting a place that he would turn into an impromptu workshop, as he found a hobby in woodcarving, but he wouldn't be crazy enough to do that. Especially since it wasn't his job - it was his hobby. And yes, the furniture he made looked pretty darn good and had its designated place in their apartment but renting a full-time workshop would have to be something they discuss first.
He also once had the idea to buy the laser tag place he worked at, but that was a random thought born on a night when he and Andy had too much tequila. It surely wasn't that?
"I've been doing some research lately," he started, and Andy was already bracing herself - if she was a believer, she would have started praying. "We talked a lot about computers lately, right? Well, I was talking to Jonathan the other day and I kind of followed his lead. He is well-versed in computers and he invested in this one company, right?"
"Eddie," Andy closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I know I told you to think about investing money sometimes, but I didn't think you'd do it on an impulse."
"Andy, it's from the fund!" Eddie insisted. "We barely ever touch that money, we wouldn't be able to spend it all even if we tried! I barely scratched the surface!"
He had a point there, that much was true. Between the two of them, they had enough hush money to last them an entire lifetime. And the two of them, living together and all, weren't squandering that money around - Eddie had a full-time job, a hobby on the side that would sometimes bring some cash, too, and Andy brought some money home from tutoring, mostly because she couldn't stand the idea of Eddie being the only one who financed their life while she studied. They had a nice, comfortable life, even without touching the fund. After all, they had a rented apartment in downtown Chicago - they were hardly struggling.
But still, having grown up with parents who were adamant to show up their wealth, Andy wanted to keep the money in the bank, maybe invest a little here and there and save it all in case a rainy day was to come.
"What company did you invest in?" she grimaced, proceeding with the conversation as if she was ripping off a band-aid - the sooner it's finished, the better for her.
"It's called Apple," Eddie was now excited, and very clearly passionate about the topic. "I've read a few books on it while work was slow - I'll explain everything to you and you can even read them yourself. Jonathan found a fucking goldmine for us, Andy."
"I'm not as worried anymore, I actually heard of the company," she admitted. "How much did you invest, though?"
"Well…"
Oh no. Oh no. "Eddie, how much?" Andy asked, now in a full-blown panic.
"50 grand?"
"50 grand?!" Andy yelled in complete shock.
"I barely scratched the surface, Andy!" Eddie reminded her, but there wasn't much use.
"Edward Christopher Munson, are you out of your goddamn mind!?"
Eddie could tell that she needed a moment, and he smartly decided not to speak. It took Andy a minute or two, but she did manage to calm down. At the end of the day, it was his money. Yes, they lived together, and yes, the idea is that what was his and hers was theirs, but there were two heavy funds that they barely ever touched. He was a full-grown adult and he didn't need to ask his girlfriend for permission before spending some money.
Besides, he invested. Yes, it could backfire and yes, 50 thousand dollars is entirely way too much money, but there were so many worse ways in which he could have spent it. At the end of the day, Andy didn't want to be the type of girl who cuts down dreams with her realism. She loved him too much to hinder him with her rationality at all times. She will keep a level head most of the time, though, and Eddie surely knew that, but he was his own entity and if he wanted to invest 50 grand, then fuck it, he made the right choice.
"If it doesn't backfire, you're gonna spoil me rotten, you hear me?" she couldn't hold back a smile when he grinned at her.
"With a place of our own where we could have pets?" he suggested with a pointed look.
"Why the heck not?" Andy laughed. "Seriously though, as much as you scared the living shit out of me with that sum, I'm glad you're finding another interest. Between computers and building furniture, you're finding your own thing, babe. I love that for you."
"I have to find something if I'm going to stand next to my attorney girlfriend," he joked.
"Ha - nice one," she laughed, but anyone who knew her could hear hints of panic in her voice - panic at the idea of all the obstacles she would have to cross before actually becoming an attorney. "It's going to take several years of studying and likely multiple bar exams before your girlfriend can be called an attorney. Right now, you have a student for a girlfriend. And a half-housewife, as you would literally die if I wasn't feeding you."
"When I say I couldn't live without you, I always mean it," Eddie chuckles, winking at her.
"You monster," Andy laughed as she turned her back to him, going back to the task of organizing her damn notes, which, between her brother and boyfriend, she will never finish. "Anyway, Steve called and he mentioned Lisa taking a full week off for Thanksgiving - I know that we're spending the day with Hopper, Joyce, and the rest, but would you want to stick around a while longer to spend some time with Wayne?" Andy asked him as she went through her notes, trying to find the ones she highlighted with blue.
"Yeah, we can do that," Eddie agreed, and Andy smiled at the sound of a yawn and the TV he turned on. He worked the morning shift today, which was normally the slowest possible time at a laser tag place, but it also meant that he had to wake up early. He was tired and will likely lounge around their place the rest of the day. "Wayne would be happy to spend some time with us. We will be going down for Christmas though, too, so if you can't take time away from school, we can make time for him then?" Eddie suggested an alternative
"Nah, all of my exams and classes will be over by the time we'd leave," she answered, having already gone through her schedule, multiple times. "We can do both. I mean, I don't have a particular desire to stay for a long time in Hawkins, but I do want to see everyone, and there's no chance anyone will be missing for Thanksgiving or Christmas."
"What about your folks?" Eddie asked, and Andy could hear in his tone that he was very careful with starting the subject. "Did Steve or you check in with them if they'll be there?"
"No," Andy shook her head in response. "Steve hasn't spoken to them in almost a year. And I, well… you know."
From the day they left Hawkins to that very day, there was only one bad day in Andy's eyes, and that was the one when she and Eddie went out for dinner with her parents.
With all of them living in Chicago, it was somewhat inevitable, and Eddie specifically asked her for a chance to meet them. Andy wasn't going to rush headfirst into it, but Eddie wanted to meet them, he wanted to, in his own words, assure them that their daughter wasn't living with some random asshole, and Andy couldn't take that away from him. She warned him, very extensively, and he knew even from the stories before, so he wasn't surprised by the animosity that both of them were met with.
Andy's parents weren't outright rude - of course not, that was beneath them. They were just very passive-aggressive and excessively formal, asking Eddie questions that they wouldn't really ask anyone, such as, what did it feel like to be accused of murder?
It was horrible, but it ended fast, and ever since that night, Andy didn't even bother calling. She didn't feel particularly guilty about it, as they weren't reaching out, either. She and Steve had cut them off, and their parents barely noticed. Hell, they probably thought that their children actually did them a favor.
"Maybe you should check if they'll be in town?" Eddie carefully suggested. "I mean, it's better to know than to be surprised, right?"
"No need for it," Andy shrugged. "I'm 99 percent sure that they won't be there. Besides, we will be staying in your cabin - there's no way we would run into them, even if we tried."
They called the Chicago apartment home, but the cabin was home, too. Once there was nothing holding them back except Hawkins itself, Andy moved in with Eddie. They weren't there for long, as they began planning to leave rather fast, but Eddie's cabin was definitely a place they considered home. Definitely more than the Harrington Manor.
"I'm with you, whatever you decide," Eddie reassured her. Andy really wished that she was right next to him, snuggled up on the couch so that she can hug and kiss him, but she was stuck with her studies - the only thought that kept her going was that she will have time that night and that she will make sure that Eddie was fully aware just how much she loved him.
"Thank you, love," she sighed contently. "We're going to have fun. And then we're going to get back to our lovely life here in Chicago."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
It was funny how so many things around them have changed, and yet, they hadn't. They had completely new lives, in a completely different town, and it was as fun as it was challenging. And at the same time, they haven't changed one bit. Andy was the worrier, the planner, and Eddie was the one who couldn't sit still for longer than 10 minutes straight.
Andy smiled to herself as she studied because she could hear him moving about more and more with each passing minute. She'd occasionally glance at the clock, wondering how much time it would take him before he dropped the calm act and did whatever the hell it was that he wanted to do. It was so endearing and she was so stupidly in love.
"Alright, that's it," he suddenly announced. Andy smiled, realizing that he lasted a full hour. She wasn't surprised when he hugged her, the back of her chair between them, but she was very surprised when he lifted her up and made her stand up.
"Woah, wait, what the hell are you doing?" she laughed, but she stood up regardless.
"I am taking you to the bedroom because it's been at least two days since we had sex and I fucking need you," he decided.
"Eddie, I need to study," Andy laughed, fully aware that she will go along with it anyway.
"You can do so while sitting on my face," Eddie announced.
That time, she was surprised - and while she laughed in disbelief at the words that came out of his mouth, he took his chance. Before Andy knew what he was planning to do, he had picked her up, and somehow, with a strength he'd never exhibited before, he casually threw her over his shoulder.
"Eddie!" she screeched, but she was also laughing, taking the opportunity of her position to smack him on the ass - he retaliated in the exact same way.
"You can sit on my face or recite your notes while you ride me - whatever the hell you want, baby, as long as I am in you or around you or whatever."
"I need to study municipal law!" Andy was laughing her ass off, and no, she no longer had a shit to give for municipal law. She was so stupidly happy and it was all because of the man that was carrying her around like a sack of flour.
"Fuck municipal law," Eddie joined in on the laughter. "Actually, fuck me. That sounds so much better."
"You insatiable bastard!"
"I love you too, baby," he hollered with laughter. If Andy's heart could explode from happiness, it would have. There's still time, though, and judging by the last couple of months, Eddie plans on making her happy for a very, very long time.