Chapter One
"Everything seems to be going ok. El is loving it in California, or...at least that's what her letters tell me. Billy and I moved to San Diego so she's a littler farther from me...but I try and see her as much as I can." Piper spoke as she stared off towards the water, the sun barely peeking out over the horizon. She sniffled slightly as tears slowly and silently fell down her cheeks. "I thought that things would get easier moving out here. And I love it...don't get me wrong. Being with Billy is everything that I hoped for. We take care of each other."
She sat in silence for a while and felt the sea air move around her, causing her dark curls to halo out around her face with soft caresses. She reached up with a gentle hand and wiped away the tears that sat chilled on her cheeks.
"But it's not the same as being with you Hop. I-I thought that losing my parents was hard and it was. It ripped me in half...but losing you...that took the other half. And I fear that I'm not able to become whole again."
The silence hung heavy as Piper sat in the sand of the beach that wasn't too far from the apartment that she shared with Billy. She hugged her arms around her legs and held them tighter to her chest as she stared towards the water. The sound of the waves and the birds calmed her slightly, giving a bit of peace. At least twice a week, Piper comes out to the beach to talk to Hopper. Sometimes her mom, or her dad. But it seemed that speaking to Hopper seemed to help the most.
It was silly, she knew that. It was crazy to talk out loud to herself to speak to her dead Uncle. But it was comforting. She was able to get out and say the things she struggled to get out when she tried to talk to others - specifically Billy.
They had grown closer since everything that happened at Star Court Mall. It seemed to have bonded the both of them in a way that even they couldn't understand. But there were some parts then even the love of her life couldn't bring out of her.
Once the sun peeked out over the water and started to warm everything around her, Piper stood from the sand, dusted off and headed towards her bike. She kicked up the small stand it leaned against, before moving to straddle onto the seat. It was a slightly worn down and beat up yellow beach rider that Billy had gotten for her. As she pushed off and headed back towards home the city around her started to wake up and come alive.
Piper knew that when she got back home that Billy was more than likely still asleep. She softly closed the door behind her before going into the kitchen, but as she stepped through the door way, Piper nearly jumped out of her skin. A small scream passed from her full lips and grasped to her chest as she stared towards him. Billy sat at the table with a mug of coffee sitting in front of him, steam still dancing into the air.
His blonde curls were starting to twirl and grow around his ears as his hair began to grow out again. His elbows rested on top of the cheap table that sat against the wall, worn spots at the top of the linoleum surface. Piper let out a rush of air before standing straighter and taking a couple of breaths. His blue eyes stared at her in a way that was stern but some how still caring at the same time.
"Jesus Christ, you're going to give me a damn heart attack," Piper spoke as she walked towards the coffee maker to make herself a mug.
"Can't really sleep when you're not beside me," Billy spoke, his voice calm and even. "Where did you go off to this morning?"
"No where," She shrugged, nonchalantly as she poured some creamer into her mug and moving to take the seat across from him. Piper worked to keep her face void and neutral.
"Doll," Billy sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them, staring at her. God, she hated and loved the pet name her gave her. How his deep voice seemed to wrap around it and make it sound like heaven against her ear. Draw her in and make her melt right before him. "Why do you even bother lying?"
"I'm no-" Piper stopped short as Billy's eyes narrowed towards her. With a roll of her eyes, Piper brought her mug to her lips and took a small sip. "I really hate it when you do that, it's not fair."
"You can read me just as good," Billy smirked, "Had me pegged within in seven seconds of seeing me and not saying a word to you."
She smiled slightly. "Really wasn't that hard, wasn't small brained like most of Hawkins."
Billy let out a soft and breathy laugh in a way that always seemed to make her stomach flip and heart skip a beat. The couple fell into a comfortable silence before his hand reached across and grabbed hers gently. She loved the feeling of his rough and callous hands against hers, working at the auto shop adding new scars to his knuckles and hands.
"Piper...you gotta talk to me," Billy spoke with a gentle ton, his thumb rubbing up against the back of her hand.
"There's nothing to talk about," She looked down towards the table, feeling a small bit of shame, not being able to look at him.
"Ever since you got the letter in the mail about going back to Hawkins, you are having your episodes again." Billy spoke, watching her closely, seeing as she seemed to fold in on herself slowly.
Billy wondered every night on whether she was going to have another wild nightmare or not.
He had his own trauma when it came to what happened back at Hawkins. There were moments that he swore that he still felt the grip of the Mindflayer within his mind. Has dreams so realistic that he's not sure he's fully awake when he snaps out of it. But oddly, Billy took Steve's suggrstion and reached out to Will Byers. It felt weird to him to reach out to the kid he barely knew, but deep down, Billy knew there was no one else that would understand. They would have letters sent to each other every once and a while whenever the memories started to become too much.
But Billy knew that Piper didn't have the same outlet. Instead closed herself off and pushed the memories down farther and farther into her mind to try and forget them. But it took the one trigger, a letter posted from Hawkins, to trigger them back to the surface.
"I'm still going," Piper spoke with a sharpness to her tone.
"I'm not suggesting that you don't," Billy spoke "But I still think that you need to talk about it...I'm worried about you."
"They are just simple nightmares, Billy. I-I don't know what else you want me to say about them" Piper looked up towards him with tears starting to fill her green eyes. "That I miss my Uncle? I thought that would be obvious."
Piper ripped her hand away from Billy's before walking out of the kitchen, leaving Billy to sit there staring at the empty seat. He sighed deeply and ran his hands over his face with frustration. His blue eyes moved across the kitchen slowly before landing on the paper that sat on the front of the fridge, a hand written invitation.
Hawkins Police Academy Invites You to the Honoring Ceremony of James Daniel Hopper.
Billy grabbed his mug and downed the rest of his black coffee before standing from the table. His bare feet shuffled against the wood floor, leading him through the living room and towards their shared bedroom. Billy stopped right beside the bed and looked around to see not a sign of Piper. Till he stood in the silence and soon heard the soft muffle of crying.
His heart cracked within his chest as he looked towards the closed bathroom door.
"Fuck,"
Piper leaned against the wall as the phone rang through her ears, waiting impatiently for someone to pick up on the other side. She stayed looked away inside the bathroom till she heard Billy leave for the shop - letting her know that she was alone.
There was a pit of guilt growing within her stomach as she picked at the red nail polish that was chipping on her nails. Deep down she knew that Billy only wanted to help. But Piper was scared and not wanting to add onto what he was already dealing with. It hadn't even been a year since everything happened and that last thing she wanted was to add more weight to his shoulders.
It was on the third ring that someone finally answered.
"Byer's residence." a soft, yet warm, voice spoke.
"Joyce," Piper perked up slightly and stood up from the wall slightly "H-Hey...it's me."
"Piper!" She spoke with a bit more lightness, hearing the smile that was in her voice. "Where have you been? Haven't heard from you in weeks."
"Sorry, been busy with classes and picking up shifts at the studio." Piper explained, scratching nervously at the back of her neck.
"Don't work yourself too hard," Joyce spoke, the soft sound of shuffling on the other side. "I'm sure those kids are learning a lot from you, but don't need you working yourself to the point of exhaustion."
"I-I'm not...just um...saving up, Billy and I are...w-we're going back to Hawkins this weekend, gonna stay for a while."
There was silence on the other side. The pause was so long that Piper almost thought for a second that she'd lost Joyce. It wasn't till she could hear the shuffling again that she knew that she hadn't.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Joyce asked
"They are holding a ceremony for Hop and want me to there to receive the plaque or whatever." Piper shrugged even though she knew Joyce couldn't see her. "So I'm going to go, see everyone, and then come back home."
"El was looking forward to seeing you for spring break,"
You smiled with a light scoff,"We both know that is a lie. I'd see her for a few hours tops but she'd spend most of her time running around with Mike. She'll be ok without me,"
"Does she know about the ceremony?"
"No. And I think it's best we don't let her know." Piper bit down on her fuller lower lip and gnawed on it for a moment, before releasing it. "But I'll drive up and see you guys the following weekend. We can go to the movies, have dinner, the usual stuff."
"As long as you're sure. You know I still worry about you, even if I don't see you as often."
"I know, Joyce. And I appreciate it, really." Piper swallowed the lump growing at the back of her throat. "Hopper would appreciate too."
"Oh, sweetie." Joyce cooed, hearing the slight tightness to the girls voice as she spoke.
"I, uh, gotta go...gotta get some stuff done before we leave. But I'll talk to you later."
Piper hung up quickly before Joyce could even get a goodbye out. Piper gripped tightly to the phone as she slammed it down on the wall mount, gripping the green plastic tightly till her knuckles ached.
"1...2...3...1...2...3...1...2" Piper counted out between slow and steady breaths before blowing it out once she felt the feeling of tears fade away.
Then she stood up straighter, shook off her feelings, before placing on the smile she was too familiar with forcing on.