The sun was setting when Hopper pulled up in the Byers' driveway. Behind the closed curtains, blue and white lights flashed, a sure sign the TV was on. Jim pictured them all on the couch, bundled under blankets with popcorn in their laps, the little girl with the shorn hair fitting right in. He turned off the lights and ignition and took a deep breath, lighting a cigarette. How unfair it was, the plan he had in mind for her. Give the kid just a taste of family and normalcy before ripping it away and leaving her with only him, a shell of a man who was in no way capable of hiding an emotionally damaged little girl by himself.
He tilted his head back and exhaled smoke, watching it rise and flatten against the ceiling of his blazer. There wasn't another option, he told himself for the millionth time since the idea had come to mind, attempting to quell some of the guilt that was slowly rotting away at him. It was the only way to keep her and everyone else safe. And she'd only be alone during the day while he was at work; the man had vowed the evening before as the child slept in his arms that she would never be left alone at night again. It wouldn't be much of a life, stuck in his grandfather's old cabin in the middle of nowhere, but it would be safe, and it wouldn't have to be forever. That's what he kept telling himself.
Hopper finished the cigarette and grumbled his way out of the car, already feeling sore from the cleaning and lifting and rearrangng he'd done all day. Midway to the house he stopped with a curse and turned around, almost forgetting the bag of clothes he'd driven a town over to buy for the girl. He hadn't gotten much, he was in a hurry, but he'd grabbed the essentials and they'd last her a few days at least before he'd need to thoroughly shop for her. He'd also stopped by the store for some Eggos as well, hoping it might give him some leverage with the girl.
He knocked on Joyce's door and uttered a quiet, "Just me," before he heard movement from behind it.
Jonathan answered, and a warm, hearty smell engulfed the man as he stepped inside. "Dinner will be ready soon." the young man said, not bothering with an introduction as he returned to the kitchen.
Will sat at the dining room table, engrossed in an intricate drawing, while Joyce and Eleven were curled up on the couch, the latter wrapped in a blanket and asleep against the former's side. The woman smiled at Hopper when he sat in the chair beside them.
"How long's she been out?" the man asked.
"Maybe twenty minutes, she's been asleep off and on all day though. How was your day?"
"Good, I got her some clothes." he said, holding up the bag.
"Thank God, she went through all of Will's pajamas today."
"What? Why?"
"Well, not too long after you left she had an accident that woke her up, so I gave her a bath and changed her clothes. Then she ate breakfast, but threw it up right after, so I had to change her again. And when she woke up from a long nap this afternoon her fever had broken and she was sweaty and totally soaked, so she's in Will's last pair now." Joyce explained.
"Shit, I'm sorry." Jim said. And he'd thought his day was exhausting.
The woman only shrugged. "You know I don't care, I'm just happy she's safe."
Jonathan popped his head around the corner, drying his hands on a dish towel. "Dinner's ready."
Jim looked at Joyce, at Eleven, still asleep against her. "Has she eaten since she was sick earlier?"
"No, I haven't tried. I wanted to wait and give her something I knew would be really light." she replied, neglecting to mention the reason the child had thrown up, still embarrassed about overfeeding her. "And Jonathan makes the best chicken noodle soup."
"I believe it, it smells great. Can I bring you two a cup?"
"Get some for you and me, she can eat when she wakes up."
Hopper ruffled Will's hair on his way into the kitchen, stopping to pop the Eggos in the freezer before returning to the living room with two steaming bowls of soup.
They ate in silence for a while before Joyce cleared her throat and dared to ask the question that had been mulling over all day.
"So, what's this grand plan you have in mind?"
Jim sighed and put his bowl down on the coffee table. He still wasn't even entirely sure of his own plan, but it was all he had. "My grandad had an old cabin on the edge of town. I've been storing my crap from New York in it since he died, but now…"
"You actually have a good use for the place. Is that why you're all dusty?" Joyce said, brushing something from the shoulder of his jacket.
"I've been cleaning it out all day. Didn't realize how much I let the place go to shit."
Joyce smiled, but it faded a little when she asked, "So...you're going to take her back out in the middle of the woods for hiding again?"
"I know, I know." he replied with exasperation. "I drove myself crazy all night and day trying to think of an alternative, but there isn't one. It's the best option right now." And if he was being realistic, it was the only option right now.
"And then what, drop off food for her every morning and night like you have for the last month?"
"Jesus Joyce, no! I'm gonna stay there with her."
This caught the woman off guard. She knew Jim had been invested in finding Eleven and guaranteeing her safety, but was very surprised to hear that his new plan included the idea of actually raising her. Joyce was unsure, not of Hopper's parental capabilities-obviously he'd had prior experience-but because of both his job title and the fact that he was likely still under close observation by those goons at the Lab.
"But is..is it safe? For you I mean, won't people notice you're not at home?" If they were still patrolling Mike's neighborhood, surely they had eyes on Hopper.
The man had thought about this as well. "Well, I do technically own that property since it was left to me in his will. I'm sure I can come up with one reason or another for spending time on my own plot of land."
"I guess you're right, you are the chief of police." Joyce conceded.
"And don't get me wrong, alright? I do feel bad about it." Hopper said, finishing the last of his soup. "Boarding her up in a secluded little shack in the middle of nowhere with a man she hardly knows. I'm aware that it's a shitty move. But what the hell else can I do?"
They were both silent for a moment before the woman reached over and touched Jim's hand. "You're right. It sucks, I know, but you are right. I don't have a better idea either."
"And if we're being honest, I'm not even sure that she's gonna want to go with me." the man said, glancing at the still sleeping child.
"What do you mean, of course she will!" Joyce said, confused. He'd rescued her from the cold and held her by the fire all night long. Why wouldn't the girl want to go somewhere safe with him?
"After being here with you and the boys all day, you really think she'll want to leave to go right back into hiding again?"
"If she knows it will keep all of us safe, I'm positive she will."
Hopper knew she was right, but still wasn't entirely convinced. "What if she just runs away again?"
"In the middle of winter after almost dying out there? Why would she do something stupid like that?"
"She doesn't even know me, Joyce! What if she's scared of me? And I don't know what the hell to do with a kid, especially one who can move shit with her mind and was probably tortured by big scary men like me for her entire goddamn life!" Hopper said, starting to raise his voice unintentionally before switching it to a whisper when he noticed the little girl on the couch beside him beginning to stir.
Joyce took a deep breath, still gathering her thoughts and still holding Jim's hand. "Hey, relax. You said she can stay here for the weekend, right?"
"Yes, but then.."
"Then that means you have the whole weekend for her to get to know you and get used to the idea of living with you at the cabin."
Hopper was quiet, finally, so the woman continued.
"Just spend some time with her while she's here when you can. Put her to bed tonight, and be there when she wakes up in the morning before you leave again. Then when you come back in the evening tomorrow, we can all talk about what to do next."
"You really think that'll work?"
"I do. The first word she said today was your name, asking where you were. I told her all day that you were going to come back."
The man swallowed a lump in his throat, remembering with pain in his chest the last time a little girl had wanted him to return to her. Just then, the child stirred, her leg jerking violently and waking her suddenly. Her gaze fluttered around the room, trying to make sense of where she was; it seemed that every time she awoke, she was in a different place in the Byers' house. Only this time when she opened her eyes, the man from the night before was seated in the chair beside her and holding a bowl with some kind of liquid steaming inside of it.
"It's alright, sweetheart, you're safe. You're safe." Joyce comforted the child in her lap with ease, and Hopper wondered if the act seemed so practiced because she'd been performing it all day with the girl, or if the same words had been used recently on her own son.
"Hey, Kid, it's good to see you again." The man said, setting his bowl of soup on the coffee table and exchanging it for the plastic bag of assorted articles of clothing. "I got you some stuff while I was gone, wanna check it out?"
Eleven hardly glanced at the bag, and instead leaned her head onto Joyce's shoulder and fixed her gaze on the police chief as he passed the bag to the woman. "It's not much and I don't know how well they'll fit, but it should be enough for at least a couple of days."
Joyce adjusted El in her lap so that she'd have a free hand. "Look at all these clothes, honey." she said, showing her a blue longsleeve sweater that looked like it was very soft.
The girl reached forward and held the material between her fingers, pleased that it felt as nice as it looked. She fully sat up and took the sweater from the woman's hands, immediately pulling it over her head and inhaling the unfamiliar but not unpleasant scent of slightly musty used clothing. Both adults smiled at the girl as she began looking through the bag in earnest. She was especially captivated by the thermal pajamas with small flowers on them, as well as the plastic packages filled with socks and underwear of various colors.
"Has she eaten anything since she was sick?" Hopper asked Joyce while El combed through her new clothes.
"No, she hasn't. Sweetheart, do you want some dinner? Jonathan made soup." Joyce asked the girl
Eleven didn't look up, didn't even acknowledge that she'd been spoken to.
"Here, Kid, try some of mine, it's nice and cooled down." The man said, holding his bowl out toward her.
The child finally glanced up at him, to the bowl in his hands, back at him, and then down to the clothes in her lap, where she shook her head no.
"Honey, I know you got sick when you ate earlier, but I think it'll be different this time. I asked Jonathan to make this just for you so it wouldn't upset your tummy." Joyce said from beside her.
The girl only shook her head again.
"What if I told you I have Eggos?" Hopper said, raising an eyebrow.
This caught Eleven's attention, but even when the man went to the kitchen and returned with the unmistakable rectangular yellow box, the girl still shook her head. Joyce and Hopper glanced at each other, the latter clearly concerned, the former with a smirk that said she knew exactly how to handle this. The only time the man had ever struggled with getting a child to eat was when Sara was very sick, and by then she was already in the hospital, being prepped for surgery to insert a feeding tube.
"Hey, boys?" the woman said over her shoulder as she maintained her sly smile, El still halfway in her lap. "Do you two want to rent a movie tonight?"
"Yes!" Will replied excitedly, shooting up from his spot at the kitchen table. "Can we get two?"
"As long as one of them is appropriate for all of us to watch." she told her son pointedly, and Will knew exactly what she meant; nothing too scary for Eleven.
"Yes! Jonathan? Are you ready?" the younger boy said, packing up his art supplies.
The young man laughed, just then finishing his own soup dinner where he stood at the kitchen counter. "Sure, whatever."
Eleven watched with wide eyes as the boys put on their jackets and headed out the front door, completely unsure of what everyone else seemed to totally understand. Joyce could tell the girl was confused. "The boys are just leaving for a little while, they're going to go pick up a movie and bring it back so we can watch it here on the TV together. Does that sound good?"
The child nodded, the anxious crease between her eyebrows easing.
"Okay, but before we can watch the movie, you have to eat something. Would you rather have some soup or an Eggo?"
El stared at the woman for a moment, weighing her options. Jim thought for sure she was going to stubbornly decline again, but instead she quietly replied, "Eggo."
Hopper, surprised the tactic had worked but pleased nonetheless, returned to the kitchen and toasted a waffle for the child. When he brought it back for her, she stared at it in her hands, biting her lip anxiously and glancing at the woman in fear.
"Sweetie, I really don't think you're going to throw up again. And if you do, it'll be okay, we'll just clean up like last time." Joyce told the girl on the couch next to her, rubbing her back softly. "Take small bites, and if you start to feel sick, tell us. We're here to help you."
Eleven took the words to heart and took her sweet time eating miniscule bites of her single Eggo. She was only halfway through her meager dinner when Jonathan and Will returned with National Lampoon's Vacation and Jaws 3, and when they walked through the door, the child started to shove all of the remaining half of the waffle into her mouth at once, worried that she'd run out of time to eat it and would no longer be permitted to watch the movie.
"Woah woah woah, slow down, Kid! You're gonna choke!" Hopper said, jumping up from his spot in the chair and kneeling next to her on the couch.
The little girl stared at him with wide eyes, stricken, and dropped the waffle into her lap as she sank backwards into the couch cushions and reached for Joyce, gripping her arm tightly.
"Hey, it's okay, I'm not mad at you." The man said, his voice immediately softening. He slowly reached forward and touched the child's knee. She didn't flinch away from him, but she was shaking underneath his hand. He took the waffle from her lap and held it out for her again. "I'm sorry, Kid. I didn't mean to scare you. You don't have to finish the whole Eggo right this second. You can eat the rest while we watch the movie, okay?" The man told her.
The child regarded him with a careful gaze before taking it from him, eating another small bite while watching him closely. She was trying to placate him, Jim realized with a sinking heart. She was still in survival mode, doing everything she could to maintain her safety, which meant pleasing those around her so she didn't get hurt again.
"Will and Jonathan still have to make popcorn anyway." Joyce said beside her, loud enough for her boys-who had both retreated to the kitchen at the first sign of any kind of confrontation-could hear. "It's okay, honey. Take your time."
The woman rubbed up and down El's arms, feeling guilty for the second time that day. She'd only meant to use TV as a motivator for the girl to eat, she hadn't wanted it to become a source or stress or something she thought they would withhold from her if she didn't comply with their requests. It broke Joyce's heart, and Hopper's too, to see so clearly the extent of how traumatized this child was. To both adults, the road ahead suddenly seemed even rougher and more daunting than it had already appeared.
By the time the boys had popped the rental into the VCR, Eleven had finished eating and began to feel suddenly significantly better, so much so that Joyce noticed her eyeing the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and offered her a small handful, pleasantly surprised when the girl continued eating. Midway through the movie that El didn't really understand the premise of but enjoyed the lightheartedness and laughter of those around her anyway, Joyce got up from the couch, much to Eleven's surprise; she'd been practically glued to the woman all evening.
"I'm just gonna go put on my pajamas, I'll be right back." she told the girl as she eyed Hopper pointedly, giving him an in.
"C'mere Kid, come sit with me." Jim said from the chair beside the couch, patting his lap with both hands.
The little girl glanced at Joyce as if asking for her approval, and she nodded and smiled in encouragement. Slowly, El rose from the couch and crawled stiffly into Hopper's lap, beginning to relax when the man pulled a blanket from the back of the chair and covered both of them with it. When the woman returned to check on them, Eleven was curled into the man just as she had been the night before. She smiled to herself and put another Eggo into the toaster-she wasn't getting her hopes up, just putting the offer on the table-and after delivering it to the girl who immediately dug into it, she resumed her spot on the couch, this time next to her youngest son, who she pulled close to her side.
Throughout the course of the movie, Eleven ate another Eggo, a small bowl of soup, and drank a glass of water, though the adults cut her off after that in fear of both overfeeding her and causing her to wet the bed again. The girl was dozing off by the time the movie ended, and Hopper knew he needed to put her to bed, but was unsure of where she'd be sleeping.
"Where do you want me to put her tonight, Joyce?" the man asked, Eleven startling awake in his lap when he spoke.
The woman blew out a breath, thinking. "Will, honey, is it okay if El sleeps in your bed tonight?"
The boy beside her shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I don't care."
"Hop, do you wanna crash on the couch in here or on the floor in the bedroom with her?" Joyce asked.
"Either's fine, I'm gonna put her down first and then I'll figure it out." The man replied.
"Okay, why don't you take her to the bathroom while I get his room ready?" Joyce proposed.
The man nodded in agreement, and started to move the child off of his lap but stopped short when her double socked feet touched the ground and she let out a small yelp of pain.
"I think her feet are still pretty tender." Joyce told him, hovering at the threshold, waiting to see if he wanted help walking Eleven down the hall.
Instead, Jim swung the girl onto his hip in a movement so swift yet so unfamiliar to his character that it made Joyce raise her eyebrows momentarily before checking herself. She cleared her throat and addressed the two who still remained on the couch. "Will, Jonathan, are you guys staying up to watch your other movie?"
"Yes." The boys said in unison.
"That's fine, just keep the volume down." They both nodded, Jonathan rewinding the first tape and Will retrieving the second.
Hopper carried Eleven into the bathroom and helped her open her new toothbrush, pleased that this was an act of self care that the child was clearly familiar with and independent in. When she made a move to use the toilet, Jim headed for the hallway to give her some privacy, but when he tried to shut the door behind him, he heard a hoarse but very insistent "No!" from the little girl.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" the man asked the child who looked like she was on the verge of panic again. Jesus, it was like peeling an onion with this kid.
"Don't...don't close it."
Even though it wasn't much-yet at the same time also more than she'd said all day-Hopper understood her meager words loud and clear; she wanted the door to stay open.
"Is this alright?" he asked, closing it about halfway.
The girl nodded, then, realizing he couldn't see her, whispered, "Yes."
"Okay, I'll be right out here when you're done." Jim said, and true to his word, waited just outside the doorway until Eleven limped out to meet him, arms raised in preparation to be picked up again.
They met Joyce in Will's bedroom, where she had already stripped the sheets and lined the mattress with old towels before making it again with the addition of an extra thick blanket on top, cracking the window slightly but closing the curtains and blinds. Hopper turned the covers down and tried to put El in bed, but she clung to him instead, so he sat down himself, running his fingers through her hair which, now that it had been washed, was soft and downy and even curled a little at the ends. Joyce hovered in the doorway, letting the man take the lead but still curious which direction he'd go with it.
"It's time for bed, Kid." the man told her, patting the mattress with one hand. El looked up at him with scared, exhausted eyes and didn't budge, but this time he was pretty sure he knew what she was afraid of. "It's okay, I'm right here, you can lay down."
The child slowly crawled off of his lap and under the covers, stiffly reclining onto the pillows as she watched both adults carefully. Aside from the night before-much of which she didn't even really remember-Eleven's only experience with falling asleep was doing so alone and in complete darkness. While at the Lab, sometimes sleep had been a much needed reprieve from the constant demands placed upon her and she fell into its arms with ease and relief. However, most nights this was not the case. She'd struggled with falling and staying asleep long before ever escaping captivity, but the problem had only gotten worse during her time in the woods. Because she was constantly on high alert, El usually hovered somewhere between barely asleep and barey awake, never feeling safe enough to completely relax. But now, after pushing her body to the absolute limit, the girl was overcome with exhaustion, and despite the unfamiliar environment and situation, she felt very safe with these two specific adults. They'd been nothing but nice to her so far, and even though a part of her was still awaiting their betrayal, she was too tired to succumb to her suspicions and decided instead to just relish tne attention and comfort they were providing her in the moment.
When she noticed the child finally relaxing, Joyce moved from standing at the doorway to kneeling at the bedside, cupping one of El's rosy cheeks in her hand. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I'll see you in the morning."
At her words, Eleven sat up and clung to the woman's sleeve. "Don't go."
And as much as her heart wanted to stay, her head told her otherwise. "Baby, I'll be right in the next room. And Hopper's gonna stay right here with you for as long as you want."
The girl looked from Joyce to Hopper, wanting so badly to trust them but still unsure if she could. The man could clearly see her apprehension, and it both broke his heart and confirmed his suspicions about Eleven possibly not wanting to leave with him the day after tomorrow. He had to do something.
"Kid?" he said, touching El's knee under the covers. "Hey, I don't want you to be scared. Tell me what I can do to make you feel safe tonight. Do you want me to sit right here next to you, or on the floor, or next to the door? Whatever you want, you've just gotta tell me."
Eleven stared him down, weighing her options. She really didn't want Joyce to leave, but the woman had been with her all day long, and both her and the man had said he would stay. Hopper did hold her the entire night before, so really, she didn't have a reason to believe he wouldn't do the same now. By then it was becoming physically difficult to even keep her eyes open, so she acquiesced, as long as she could make sure he wouldn't just leave her the moment she closed her eyes. In answer, El pulled the covers back and scooted over, patting the small empty space with the palm of her hand.
"You want me to lay down with you?" Jim clarified. The child nodded, making even more room for the large man. He smiled and began untying his shoes. "Okay."
Hopper clambered into bed next to her, the mattress squealing and sinking under his weight. Eleven rolled into his side and curled up under his arm, using his chest as a pillow. She could feel her eyes fighting hard to stay open and gave into a big yawn that allowed her to close them.
"Sweetheart, I'm going to turn the light off but leave the one in the hallway on and the door open, is that alright with you?" Joyce asked from the doorway.
The girl nodded, her eyes remaining closed as she snuggled closer to Jim and he tucked the blanket tighter around her.
"Okay. Goodnight, you two. See you in the morning."