The Inbetween The Funeral Chapter 22, a stranger things, 2016 fanfic

The Funeral

August 2th

El stood in front of a mirror looking at herself in the same black dress she had worn at Billy's funeral, which seemed so far away now.

She let out a breath as she played with the blue bracelet on her wrist that Hopper had given her so long ago now, not sure what to feel about today. It didn't seem real to her even now that Hopper was really gone. Gone forever. That he wouldn't be there if she needed him, that they wouldn't get to watch his favorite show Magnum P.I or have more games nights.

She heard the door open then and when she turned to see who it was she found Joyce standing in the doorway of her own bedroom, dressed in black as well. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," El said and joined her in the doorway, without saying a word the older women reached out and wrapped El in her arms. They stayed like that for a long, long time not saying a word, both feeling too much grief to really say anything, both knowing that no words could really make them feel better today, all they could really do now was to work through it. Finally, they pulled away and walked into the hallway Joyce holding on to her hand giving her comfort without saying a word, the heels Joyce wore making the only sound in the whole house.

Click

They found Jonathan and Will both standing in the living room, both in black suits and ties. They both looked like they hadn't slept the night before just like herself.

Jonathan opened the door for them then and she walked outside into a far too bright day for what they had to do. A line of cars waited for them, it looked as if the whole town had turned out for Hopper's Funeral, a hearse in the back of the line made her stop a moment, all of this really was happening, this wasn't a nightmare.

She was snapped back to reality as someone put a gentle hand on her back moving her forward. They all made their way to the car and get in and pulled out to join everyone else.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Driving through the too quiet town and to the graveyard, parking in the long line of cars and making their way to stand in line as an empty casket was walked down the middle of the aisle.

She stood in the front next to Joyce, Will and Jonathan, the only thing he had close to family. She looked across the row over to see Mike, Nancy, and his parents. She found Mike's eyes on her. She looked away a burning pain behind her eyes as a man that she had heard Jonathan call a priest spoke.

She didn't really understand the words he was saying, stuff about a happy place people went and that Hopper was there now with Sara, and they would always be happy there. She knew they were meant to be comforting, though she didn't really feel it. No….she wasn't comforted but there was a feeling of…letting go in some way.

"Now would anyone like to come up and say some kind words?"

Joyce stood from her chair then and moved to take the older man's place, a folded piece of paper in her shaking hand and El saw just how small she looked up there.

For a long moment no one spoke or moved as Joyce hesitated for a second biting her lip before she started speaking.

"We all knew James Hopper, or Jim as he liked to go by, but we all met him in different ways. I first met him in 1958. We were both 16 in high school at the time. I have to say I never noticed him really before then, I know we were both in a lot of the same classes, I had talked with him here and there but it wasn't until a warm August day much like today when we really talked and i like to think became friends. I was skipping lunch that day because I wanted a cigarette. I went to my car and grabbed my pack only to find that it had been empty. I remember slamming my car door shut and throwing the pack on the ground like a child," She paused a second to smile at the memory before she went on. "I had turned my back on it pouting when I heard someone pick it up and when I looked back Jim was there, the empty pack in his hand and he was wearing a smartass smirk.

"You know your lucky no cops are around here to see you littering, you could have been fined you know."

"Thanks," Joyce said, grabbing it from him and throwing it through the car window that was half rolled down.

"If you want a cigarette all you have to do is ask," he said, holding up his own pack and a lighter. He sat on the old red truck that sat next to her own car and lit one before taking a long drag of it, letting out a breath of smoke. He patted the hood for her to come and join him. Joyce rolled her eyes but sat next to him all the same, he passed her a cigarette and flicked on the lighter, she held it over the flam before inhaling.

"So you still fighting with Lonnie?"

"Why do you think I'm hiding out here," Joyce answered.

"You know you don't have to stay with him, he's a real asshole and if you think he's going to grow out of it your wrong," Jim said, letting out another breath of smoke.

"You don't know him like I do," Joyce said, "he's a good guy."

"Sure I good guy that uses racist slurs and calls that poor kid Bob Newby a queer."

"He'll change," Joyce said, but even she knew she wasn't so sure of that.

"You Know," Jim said, putting out the butt of the cigarette on one of the rusty spots on the truck, "You can always call me if you need someone to come over and kick his ass."

"Sure," Joyce said rolling her eyes once again.

"Hey now, I want to be a cop after all I could take him."

"Yeah and I'm going to be a detective."

Jim smiled as he hopped off the hood and turned to look at her. "You need something in your back pocket if all else fails," he handed her a piece of paper with his number on it then, "Same with friends," he said walking away from her.

Joyce looked down at it for a long moment before she slipped it into her back pocket with a little smile.

"I wish I could remember what we had talked about that day, but I can't. But I do remember the feeling of talking with him. He was someone who could make you feel like everything was going to be okay, make you forget what time it was when you started talking to him and it really felt like he cared about your problems even if he didn't know you all that well, he would listen to you and understand everything somehow. Sure he wasn't always very good with words and he was stubborn, so damned stubborn. But you knew in his heart he only wanted the best for you. To protect you, to make you feel safe. Be it just talking with you when you needed it the most, letting you win at cards, taking your anger out on him, or giving you a cigarette when you needed it. He was a good Boss, a best friend, a father figure, a hero and I will always love him..." She paused a moment before going on, "I just wish I had told him sooner."

Once again everything was quiet, so, so quiet as Joyce stood there looking down at her paper, her eyes watering before she hurriedly stepped down to rejoin them as Officer Powell took her place.

El looked up and saw the tears running down the older woman's face matching her own. She reached over and took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze and she held her hand until they had lowered his casket down into the ground before covering it.

After that everything happened in a blur and the next thing she knew was sitting on the couch at the Wheelers. She jumped as someone touched her hand.

"Hey it's just me," Mike said sitting down next to her and handed her a cup of something. When she took a sip of it she found it was tea.

"You know how to make tea?" She asked him surprised. "He gave her a soft smile, "It was just the bag kind but my mom said that tea can make you feel better or something like that."

"Thank you," she said, taking another sip before simply holding it, letting it warm her hands.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, "After everything."

She looked down and found her reflection looking back at her from her glass. "I'm fine, but they're still not back. My powers."

"And do you remember anything from that place yet?" He asked.

"No, it's like...like a dream one you forget after you wake up. I can't remember a thing of what I saw or even said now," El said, the disappointment in herself clear.

"It's okay, you don't have to remember anything, it's all over now, I mean you haven't seen anyone since that night right?" Mike asked.

"No, I haven't seen anyone or even had that nightmare again...But there something there. Like there was something important I need to remember."

"I'm sure it's nothing," Mike said, lacing his fingers with hers, "All that matters now is that you're okay and safe, we're all safe."

She felt her lips turn up in a small smile at his words, with a breath she sat back and laid her head on his shoulder as she closed her eyes, soaking in his comfort. Feeling as if everything had changed now, but he was right. Everyone was safe now. She opened her eyes a moment at a sudden pain on her arm and saw that her sleeve had moved up to show a long cut that she didn't remember getting. She pulled it back down before resting her head on his shoulder once again.

As always thanks for reading, it means a lot to me. If you want to review and give me your thoughts and or any criticism on what I could do better please feel free, it always helps. Only four more chapters now. Stay safe everyone :D