Hi guys! So sorry that this has taken me forever as always, but I no longer had my free period at school to write during because of the new semester. Anyway, the intro scene for this kinda just rambles on and might be a little dry, but I wanted to create a humorous "morning after" atmosphere. I was actually inspired by this one memorable scene from Malcolm in the Middle where Francis and Craig were both at the house at the same time (without knowing that the other person was there) when everyone else was away at Vegas and when one of them started to make a sandwich, the other person found it and picked up after them and there was just a lot of humor and confusion with that that I wanted to capture in a similar situation between Hopper, Joyce, and Murray. Many of the moments I write in my fanfiction are actually inspired by scenes from shows and movies and even moments in my own life, but I ALWAYS put my own twist on it. Unfortunately, this story is coming to its end, as I decided early on that I wanted this book to be 11 chapters just for chuckles, but I'll definitely probably write more ST books and books for other shows/movies in the future, especially when we're in-between seasons like this, so stay tuned...But enjoy the finale! Love y'all! (P.S. The ending might feel a bit rushed, but it's already a very long chapter and this was something I thought would be interesting to include and throw into the mix. Also, try and be mindful of the fact that most of this and the previous chapter are about Jopper and not as much Mileven, but I really hope that you'll still enjoy this storyline as much as I did when writing it.)
Ah, the morning after! Sure, your average one-night stand may be the product of impulsivity, sexual tension, and one too many drinks, but you can't beat the pure awkwardness that comes afterward...Right? Especially when you have to share bathrooms with the host! Talk about awko taco...
Throughout the night, Hopper snored quite a lot, but luckily, Joyce came prepared with earplugs. And once she woke up, she snuck out of bed and into the kitchen, as she knew how much Hopper would kill for a steaming hot cup of coffee to wake up to.
After having poured water in the reservoir of the coffee maker, she placed a paper filter inside it, filling it with coffee grounds. She then got a coffee cup out from the cabinet, but by the time the coffee had finished brewing, she realized that Murray was out of sugar. So, she went to the storm cellar, on a hunch that he kept an extra supply down there. Door shutting behind her loudly, she cursed, in fear of the sound waking everyone up.
As it turns out, Hopper's slumber was, in fact, interrupted by the door slam. He was groggy at first, but assuming that Murray was the man behind the noise, he realized that as far as Murray was concerned, he had been sleeping on the pull-out this entire time. He then immediately rushed to it and faked being asleep.
Two minutes passed by and when no one came out, he got up from the pull-out. He then walked over to the coffee machine to make himself some coffee, only to find that someone had already done it for him. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things clearly. But when nothing changed, he poured it into a mug and grimaced as he drank it black- no cream, no sugar.
Plugging in the toaster, he slid two Eggo waffles inside, one for each slot. His fingers drummed on the counter as he waited, but mistaking Murray's toilet flush for Joyce's, he went back to the bedroom and dozed off.
Joyce then returned from the storm cellar with sugar, only to find waffles in the toaster and that someone had already tasted the coffee. She stared with perplexion.
"Morning, Joyce. Sleep well?" Murray suddenly said, walking into the kitchen.
"Hey! Oh yeah, like a rock!" she said, turning from the counter.
"*raises eyebrows* I bet!" he said, thinking he had a pretty good sense of why that was. "Whatcha got there?"
"Oh, I went down to the storm cellar to get some more sugar, I hope you don't mind…"
"No, not at all...¡Mi casa es su casa!"
"I'm afraid I'm a little rusty with my high school Spanish...What's that mean?"
"In English, it translates to 'my house is your house.'"
"Man, Russian, English, and now Spanish?! How many languages do you know?"
"Quite a few. I've traveled a lot."
"I had no idea!"
"Yep, I sure have."
"Hey, Murr, you haven't had any coffee yet, right?" she asked with pauses of suspicion.
"No, I just got up."
"Right, right…"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, it's just weird because I made some coffee just a few minutes ago and the second I turn my back, there's two waffles in the toaster and the coffee's nearly half gone!"
"Perhaps it was Jim…" he suggested.
"Pff, at this hour?! No, I don't think so…" she joked.
"You never know...Actually, I didn't really consider this until now, but it is possible that I could've been sleepwalking...Sometimes I walk myself out of a slumber," Murray said.
*Joyce laughs*
"Or for all we know, it's Alexei's ghost coming back to haunt us!"
"Aww, I miss him…" she said. "Except if he were to do that, he would be taunting us with a cherry slurpee most likely."
"I don't doubt it," Murray said with a peaceful, reflective smile.
"It is a mystery though…" she said, pouring more coffee into the cup, this time adding sugars and cream.
She took the waffles out too, but with her weak bladder, a detour to the bathroom was of the UTMOST urgency.
Hearing yet another toilet flush, Hopper assumed that Murray was actually up this time and made his way to the pull-out once again. However, he wasn't fooling anyone, as Murray saw the whole bed-switching fun with his very own eyes.
Hopper then returned to the kitchen and his newly filled coffee cup, which was no longer creamless, nor sugar-free, much to his confusion! However, sitting in the corner was Murray, quietly sipping his coffee, and while he remained silent, he was still ready to wreak havoc at any moment…
"Goooooood morning!" Murray exclaimed.
"Jesus! You scared the hell out of me!" said Hopper.
"You make quite the Pink Panther with all that sneaking around you've been doing…"
Fuck! He knows...Hopper thought to himself. Don't react, just play dumb! Be cool, be cool…
"What? Too busy contemplating?" Murray teased.
Hopper was so dumbfounded by the coffee and sidetracked by Murray's comments that he hadn't even begun to notice how his waffles had already been set out on a plate before him...until now.
He scratched his head at first. How can this be? Then he shrugged it off, sipping on the sweet caffeine in a cup as he adorned the waffles with toppings and syrup.
"*peers over shoulder* Jim, I didn't know that you cooked!" said Murray, butting in.
"I don't really…"
"Then what's all of that you have going on there?"
"Oh, this? Well, this here's what I like to call an Eggo extravaganza!"
"Oh, I see how it is...You two finally did the deed last night!" he said loudly and excitedly.
"Shhh! Keep your voice down!"
"Why? She's already up," he said, pointing in her direction as she exited the bathroom, glowing and looking fresher than ever.
"Ah, I thought I heard you two gabbing over there!" said Joyce, approaching them in the kitchen.
Joyce and Hop each said hi, like they were still what they used to be, just two shy teens much like their own children.
"How'd ya sleep?" she asked quietly and with a smile.
"Good...Great! You?"
"Ditto."
"Good," he said with a smile.
Then he cleared his throat, trying to pass it all off as normal, yet again.
"How long have you been up?" Hopper asked, casually and no longer in a secretive tone.
"Oh, you know, just long enough to make some coffee...*empty mug handle dangles on fingers* Can't live without the stuff!" she said, laughing a little.
"Oh, you made that? I'm sorry...I'm afraid I had a bit of that. *clicks tongue* I just couldn't help myself! It looked so good and well, you know I'm a big caffeine addict…*chuckles*"
"*wheezes* Well, isn't this interesting!" said Murray.
"What? Joyce, what the hell is he laughing about?"
"Did you make these?" she asked, holding up his Eggo Extravaganza.
"Yeah, well, awhile ago...Why?"
"*gasps* So, it WAS you!"
"What do you mean?"
"You're the one who put the Eggos in the toaster! I thought I was just going crazy or something…"
"Hey, no one said you weren't already crazy!"
"Hey!" she said, playfully hitting him.
"Am I wrong though?"
"No…" she said, in a pouty, innocent way, then more confidently saying: "But does that mean you have to be an ass about it?"
"No…" he replied in the same way as she had.
"My, how the tables have turned!" she said with a satisfied smirk.
*Hopper rolls eyes with a smile*
"You know, they were actually meant for you to eat..." he mumbled.
"What was?"
"The Eggos in the toaster. I used them to make you my famous Eggo Extravaganza. It's El's favorite."
"Oh, I know! She wouldn't shut up about them! I tried to make it for her myself, but I could never get it quite right…"
"Oh, c'mon, I don't believe that for one minute...You're a great cook!"
"Have you ever actually tasted my cooking?"
"I can't say that I have, but you know, cop's sense and all I guess...It's a piece of cake though, really!"
"Well, if it's so easy, then why don't you teach me!" she said, lightly poking his gut with her plate.
"Gladly," he said, smiling close to her face. "But I make it a rule to never bake on an empty stomach."
"How do you like your eggs?" she asked.
"Sunnyside Up, but you're making me breakfast?"
"If you want, yeah."
"Sure, but on one condition…"
"I'm the one making you breakfast, I don't really think a condition needs to be set," she said, chuckling to herself as she cracked the eggs.
"Well, yes, but I'm letting you make me breakfast."
"Oh, you're letting me, are you?"
"Will you just let me finish?!"
"Fine!" she said throwing her hands up and crossing them. "I'm listening…"
"I will let you fix my breakfast IF...You let me buy you dinner tonight."
"Really? Tonight? But I thought we talked about waiting a little bit longer...You know, for the kids' sake."
"Joyce, that was pillow talk. That was before we even, you know- *holds hands, shakes up and down with his* But I want this...*shakes head while talking* And I can't wait any longer!"
*blushful pause*
"So?" he asked with eagerness.
"I'm not saying no because I mean, how can I say no to that, but I do think that we should wait a bit-"
*Hop sighs loudly*
"Not long!" she continued. "Just until we get used to this new family dynamic, but I'll tell you what: How 'bout we go all halfway happy and take the kids out for dinner tonight, somewhere fun! We'll split the bill."
"And then?"
"And then...I'll let you buy me dinner within the next week or two."
"Deal," he said, shaking her hand and kissing it. "Halfway happy it is!"
"You alright, Murr? You've been awfully quiet over there...We miss your snide remarks!" said Joyce.
"I sure didn't…" said Hopper.
*Joyce hits*
"I'm sorry, did you say something? I was just so invested in this book, I didn't even hear!"
"Really? Whatcha reading?" she asked.
"No, Joyce, don't- It's a trap!" said Hopper.
"Well, I'm glad you asked Joyce. I was just reading about some of Freud's theories on sex. You know, sexual instinct, sexual drive, sexual desires & motivations...arousal."
*Hopper spits out coffee*
"What is it, Jim? Cat got your tongue?"
"Okay, we get it. You want to hear us say the words. Fine. We had sex. There. Happy now?"
"What kind of perv do you take me for?! *sighs with annoyance* Whatever, I'm just glad that you two finally tore off those clothes," he said with a wink.
*Hopper gulps*
"Now, I've got some business to take care of, so I'll leave you to it."
"Whatchu up to, Murr?"
"Mind your business, Lucy & Ricky!"
Both Hopper and Joyce rolled their eyes, which then met each other's and they laughed. Laughter turning to sigh, Joyce turned back around and continued to fix the eggs, nearly done.
"Wait, Murr, want some eggs too?"
"*peaks from corner* Uh, yeah, if you'd save me some, thanks."
"Sure thing," she said with a smile.
*Murray leaves room*
At first, Hopper just fidgeted with different things in the kitchen, tossing things from hand to hand as one does when they're bored, but then, he found a new distraction…
"Uh- Ho-op! Did you just...goose me?" she asked, having trouble containing her laughter.
"What? It's not like he's around anymore…" he said with a smile she couldn't resist.
"Hop…" she said, shaking her head with a smile in return.
*turns back around*
"Hey, is that my shirt?" asked Hopper, pinching the fabric of the plaid shirt that draped off of her like a dress.
"Oh, yeah! Sorry...It just looked warm and I didn't have anything else to wear."
"No need to apologize...It's pretty sexy if you ask me…" he said, moving her hair aside to kiss her neck.
"Good to know…" she said with a smile.
The bristles of his mustache tickled her neck as she scraped the eggs with the spatula, scooping them up and onto the plate. And gentle hands on cheek and chin, thumbs resting on mouth corners, they shared a kiss...A real kiss. Not a peck, not for foreplay, but because they wanted to. It was the kind of kiss you have when things are still fresh...The kind where you smile silly into it and it's soft and delicate, maybe a little shy even, but definitely not undesired.
And after that, Murray returned, just in time for breakfast.
"Mmm...MMM! That's the stuff," Hop exclaimed.
"Really? You like it?" she asked.
*nods enthusiastically*
"And you're not just humoring me?"
"No, no, I don't play when it comes to food...or coffee for that matter! They both taste great."
"Good...How 'bout yours, Murr?"
*mouth full, puts thumbs up*
"Joyce, sit down, will ya? You're making me nervous…" said Hop.
"Well, that's a first!" she said.
"Oh c'mon...You haven't even touched your breakfast yet!"
"I will, right after I wash the dishes."
"Don't worry about the dishes, I'll take care of those."
"Well, if you insist!" she said, sitting herself down at the table.
"Hallelujah!" he said.
"*takes a bite* Mmm, wow! El was right...Now I see what all the fuss was about!"
"I'm glad we could corrupt you…" he said, coyly.
"Ull, I think I'm gonna hurl," said Murray.
They both cracked a smile and laughed a little.
Not long after that, Joyce gave the kids a wake-up call and eventually, the three said goodbye after getting past their earlier awkward encounter.
"Thanks for everything, Murr. Really, you've been so great to us," said Joyce.
"You're very welcome. Take it easy, you two and don't bother me again unless it's urgent."
"Oh c'mon, you know you love us!" said Hop, giving him a noogie.
"On rare occasions, yes," he joked.
"Well, so long, friend," said Joyce, hugging him.
*Murray pats, lets go*
*Hop waves, they leave*
And so the two hit the road, heading home to see their children. It wasn't too long of a car ride, but that didn't stop them from having long, intimate talks.
Walking up to the house together, Hopper stopped for a moment, checking it out.
"So...This is your house!" he said, the tone of his voice scooping with interest.
"This is my house," she confirmed.
"Wow...It's really-"
"Different?" she asked.
"Well, I was gonna say nice, but yeah, that too…"
"I'm glad you like it," she said with a smile contained behind her lips. "I'll give you the official tour of it once we're inside!"
"I look forward to it," he said.
At first, she reached her index finger towards the doorbell, but couldn't bring herself to ring it. She dropped her finger and sighed.
"What's wrong?" asked Hopper.
When she didn't respond, he took it upon himself to do it, but she blocked his finger out of the way.
"Joyce, whatever it is, it's going to be okay. We're going to be okay."
"How can you be so sure though? I mean, everything's changing...and fast too!"
"A little change never hurt anyone."
"But that's the thing- These aren't small changes we're talking about here...They're big and I'm just very aware of the fact that once we walk through that door, there's no turning back. Our whole lives will start and we'll have to make all these decisions…"
"Jesus Joyce, this isn't marriage, not yet anyway...It's a little more complicated than that, but we'll figure it out just like we figured everything else out. It's nothing we can't handle."
"But I moved. I live here now! And you try to hide it, but I know your heart still lives in Hawkins, I know it does. And I don't want you to get in the way of your plans."
"Pfft, you think I have a plan?!"
"*scoffs* What I'm trying to say is, I don't want you to build your life around me and just settle for living here if you don't really mean it. I don't want anything you don't want."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, who said I was living here or moving there? I'm only spending the night here, at most several. Let's just slow down…There's no reason for us to be having this conversation right this second!"
"I know...you're right, it's just- There's still so much to figure out and I can't stand the not knowing…"
"Well, the good news is, I don't think our fights can get much worse, so when we do fight about something, it shouldn't come as a surprise...I mean, even if we just jumped into a serious relationship blindly, in a way, it would just be an upgrade of what we already were."
"Well, when you put it like that, being in a relationship seems like a piece of cake!"
"No, I just meant that there are some benefits to being as close and acquainted as we already are."
"I guess you have a point there..."
"Confronting the kids is just the first step. Think of it like ripping off a bandaid."
"*exhales* Alright, let's do this thing," she said, finally ringing the doorbell after all this time.
Socks pitter-pattering against the hardwood floors, El pranced over to the door and opened it with a big smile on her face, a smile that neither Hopper nor Joyce were used to seeing except for the times when Mike was around.
"Good morning!" she said.
"Morning, kid," said Hop.
"Hi, sweetie! You didn't miss us too much, did you?" Joyce asked jokingly with a warm smile.
Were they both her parents now? She didn't know, but it didn't matter to her. As long as they were both still apart of her life, she was happy. (Though secretly, she wished that they would end up together and that she would get the proper family she had always dreamt of.) Accepting it either way didn't stop her confusion and curiosity though, no siree!
She eyed each of them, not knowing what to say next nor which one to hug. So, after a bit of an awkward pause, she just launched into what was a cross between a bear and group hug- the bear hug she learned from Hop, of course, the group one from the party. It took them both by surprise.
"Don't ever leave me again, Dad, promise?" El then said.
"*chuckles* You got it, but you might not be able to promise the same...You're pretty free-spirited, kid, and who knows! You might even go off to college someday."
"Already trying to think of ways to get rid of me, huh?"
"Of course not. I'll be around as much as I can, but it's not like I'm gonna tag along with you at sleepovers! That would just be incredibly weird and uncomfortable…"
"Yeah, thank god for that!" she said.
"Speaking of that...where's Will?" asked Joyce, peaking around the doorframe.
"He's-"
"Right here," he interjected, walking up to the door. "Hi Mom. *nods* Hop."
Hopper sensed that Will wasn't totally on board with another addition to the family just yet (that addition being Hop himself), but really, it wasn't that he was against it, he just didn't know how to feel. Maybe he was still just a little homesick and struggling to adjust to things in general. But then something happened between them that made Hopper hopeful.
"Well, why don't you go ahead and go in. I think I should probably bring your stuff inside," said Hopper.
"Oh yeah, good thinking," said Joyce.
"Be right back," he said, winking at El after the promise he made to her.
And after making his first trip to the car, he came back to the house, his teeth clenched with a bead of sweat on his head as he clumsily juggled with the luggage.
"Jesus, Joyce! What the hell did you put in this thing? Bricks?"
"No, I just like to be extra prepared and besides, that's the suitcase I packed your things in, so I wouldn't be complaining too much if I were you…"
"Sure you don't need any help with that?" asked Will.
Normally, Hopper wouldn't peg Will as the "athletic" type, let alone "the muscle," but he wasn't about to shoot down his generous offer if he wanted any chance at becoming his stepfather one day.
"*surprised* Okay. *pauses* Yeah, I could use your help," said Hop.
And after there was nothing left to haul, they all gathered around the living room to catch up a bit.
"Thanks, bud," he said.
"No problem," Will replied, sitting down.
"So, did you two have fun last night?" asked Joyce.
"Yeah, we had a pretty good time," Will said, looking at El with a smile.
"Oh yeah?" Hop asked. "What kind of crazy antics did you two get up to last night?"
"You know, the usual. Fighting off interdimensional monsters and Russians," El answered jokingly.
"*laughs* Nah, we just kinda played some games, watched tv, looked at comic books, nothing too crazy."
"Bitchin'," said Hopper.
El rolled her eyes with a smile of embarrassment.
Hopper and Joyce then gave each other a look, as if they had already planned out what they were going to say to the kids in the car and were about to speak their mind.
"Look, I know there's a lot of mixed emotions right now and not much certainty, so Will, why don't you and I have a chat one-on-one while El and Hop do the same? Then we can all go out to dinner or something afterward. How does that sound?" asked Joyce.
"Alright," said Will.
"El, porch. C'mon," said Hop.
And she followed him out.
"So, tell me, what's on your mind right now?" asked Joyce.
"What do you mean?" asked Will.
"You know what I mean! I'm pretty sure you're aware that things between Hopper and I have...escalated and that things are going to be a lot different around here now that he's back to being El's dad again. I wanted to know your opinion. I mean, how do you feel about all of this? And be honest."
"*shrugs* Fine."
"Okay. Now, how do you really feel about all of this?"
"Mo-om..." he grumbled.
"I'm serious, Will. I'm really trying here!"
"*sighs* I don't know. I guess, I still don't exactly know what all of this entails…"
"Well, he's going to sleep on our couch for probably a few nights until he can get back up on his feet. And then, once he finds a stable place to live, he's going to probably take El with him and-"
"And what? That's it? She's just gone like that?"
"Well, no, not exactly...We were thinking we'd share custody of her."
"So she'll stay with us sometimes?"
"Yeah. Is that cool with you?"
"Yeah! It's more than cool."
"Oh, good good…I'm glad that you enjoy her company, and I'm especially glad that you got to bring a friend with you when we moved out of Hawkins," she said with a smile.
"I am too," he said, also with a smile.
"Now what are your thoughts on Hopper and I dating each other?"
"I'm fine with it, I guess. I just want you to be happy, Mom, and Bob may have given you that, but he's not Hopper…You lost them both in a way, but I've never seen you more heartbroken than when you thought you had lost Hopper for good."
"*tears up a little, wipes under eyes* Well, I'm glad to have your blessing, kid."
"See, you're already starting to sound like him!"
*Joyce giggles*
"What do you actually think about him though?" she asked.
"You're putting an awful lot of weight into this...Is there something you're not telling me?"
"No, I just- It's important to me, that's all."
"You're really serious about him, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am, I really am."
"Well, if you're saying what I think you're saying, if you're suggesting that he could potentially become my stepfather, then I have some thoughts about that."
"Let's hear 'em!" she said.
"Look, I like Hopper, I do. He's funny and more importantly, he keeps us safe, but I also know that with that, he can be really overprotective of El...And it's not only her! Mike has given me an EARFUL about how scary and strict and unfair he is to him, and I know I'm not Mike, but in a way, I'm already kind of like her brother, so I guess I'm just afraid that he'll start treating me that way too and enforcing rules on me like he does with her."
"I understand your doubts, but at the end of the day, it's up to you to decide what his role in your life is, not him. And besides, even if he did start acting like that with you, or even if he was too harsh with El, I would put him in his place. You know how stubborn I can be!"
"Yeah, but it's not just that. It's the thought of him becoming like a father figure to me too...It's no secret that he kind of has a drinking problem and has struggled with prescription drugs in the past…"
"I'm gonna stop you right there because I see where you're going with this. You're afraid that he's going to turn into Dad, right?"
"Well, yeah, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not actually. Hopper may have a lot of flaws, he might make poor judgments sometimes and tell a few white lies here and there, but he's a good guy. He values family. Lonnie surely didn't, otherwise, he might still be here, but he's not. He was never mature enough for that kind of thing, it wasn't for him. And the difference is that Hopper knows what he wants to do with his life. He's responsible. I am going to be very clear with him that he needs to cut down on the drinking and if he doesn't, then I'll put him in an AA group, but truly, I think it's more of something he does in large quantities when he's depressed and lonely, or in my case, when I unintentionally stand him up on a date. But anyway, my point is, I'm not going to let what happened to us happen again, and I don't think that it ever would because we've all been through so much together already, but you should still trust that I know what I'm doing."
"That's all I needed to hear," Will said with a slight smile.
"Well, if you have any other doubts, don't be shy about them, okay? I wanna know."
"Don't worry, I won't."
"Before we reconvene with them, do you have any burning questions for me? I'm an open book."
"Well, there is one thing, but I'm not sure if I should ask…"
"No, really! Ask anything."
"Okay. Have you and Hopper slept together?"
"That's...private."
"So, yes?" Will asked, taunting her a little.
"*sighs* You know, just because you know about sex doesn't mean there aren't still boundaries, mister!"
"Yeah, okay…I knew it was a bad idea..."
"*Joyce laughs, tousles his hair* That's the boy I raised!" she said with endearment.
*Will blushes with embarrassment and flattery*
By comparison, El and Hopper's conversation was much shorter and to the point than Joyce's was with Will. That's not to say that it didn't serve its purpose, but it's more so that neither of them was very good at communicating. Although Hopper always tried his best to be as open with El as possible in order for them to have a healthier relationship with each other and for her to do the same in return. That was important to him, but even that didn't stop him from stalling for the entire beginning of the conversation, as he was often known to do.
"So, I've been thinking..." he finally said.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"Joyce is kind of like a mom to you, right?"
"Yeah, I mean, I guess you could say that, but I've never actually called her that before."
"Right, right, but you see her as a mother, don't you?"
"Yeah, yeah, I guess I do. Why?"
"Well, what do you think about that being a more permanent situation...?"
"Wait a minute...Are you guys-"
"Getting married? No."
*smile fades*
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, we're just talking about raising you together, like co-parenting."
"But you're still going on the date with her, right? So, potentially, yes?!"
"If all goes well, yeah, kid. Perhaps we'll get married somewhere down the line."
"This is the happiest day of my life!"
"*rolls eyes* Oh, brother...*chuckles* Hey, but don't get your hopes up too much, kid. Marriage is hard work. We have to be sure that we're ready for that if it's something we're going to consider. We've both been through divorces, and trust me, they aren't pretty! They're really depressing…"
"Yeah, but the way I see it, that's one more thing you have in common," she said.
"You're not wrong, kid...You're not wrong," he said, rocking back and forth in his chair.
"Do you think we're going to move back to Hawkins?" she asked.
"I don't know yet, kid...We might, you never know! We're just going to have to be flexible either way…"
"Okay, but if you're asking me, I think we should. Just saying!"
"I know you do, kid. I do too...I even miss those annoying little friends of yours."
"Annoying?"
"They definitely can be, but really I'm just pulling your leg."
"No you're not!" she said.
"*chuckles* Not literally, kid. It's just an expression."
"Oh. *long pause* Then what about Mike, huh? Bet you don't miss Mike!"
"Even him…"
"*smiles big* I'm gonna tell him you said that!"
"*sighs* Of *word lingers* course you are, kid...Of course, you are."
Before Joyce gave them the okay to come inside, Hopper placed his hand on top of El's, which was lying on the arm of her chair. He then said to her:
"You know something though? You and me, we're gonna be just fine, kid."
"I know that," she said.
"I know you do, but I just wanted to reassure you of that anyway...And you wanna know something else?"
"What?"
"I love you, kid," he said, squeezing her hand.
"I love you too, Dad!" she said.
"I meant to tell you this earlier, but I'm just blown away by how much you've grown up since I last saw you...You're just, you're stunning! And I'm so proud of you! You've handled all of this change so well and have worked so hard at school, but none of that compares to how good you are at protecting your friends. You really are my daughter after all!"
"Aww, thanks, Dad..." she said.
And not long after that, the 4 went out to dinner at a local burger bar and had a grand old time together, laughing, sharing stories of Will when he was little and when Joyce and Hopper were in high school. Even some from when it was just Joyce, Will, and El living together or even before, when it was only Hopper and El. It felt natural, not forced, but El was laughing so hard that a bit of soda came out of her nose at one point, burning a little from the carbonation.
And after dessert and paying the bill, they made a trip over to Family Video to rent a movie, the perfect end to a perfect evening, they all thought.
But Joyce found that things between the four of them became comfortable and routine fairly quickly, so Hopper finally convinced her that it still wasn't too soon for them to go on that goddamn date. But that wasn't the only thing he convinced her of…
You see, one day they finally decided that it was high time they get "the" conversation out of the way, and no, not the sex one, the one where they finally hash out the biggest question of their relationship: Hawkins or Illinois? It went a little something like this:
"New York wasn't my home, it never was...I had a wife, a kid, a whole life up there and it still never really felt like home. So, after Sara died and my marriage failed, I went back to Hawkins. You wanna know why? Because I realized something...I realized that some of my fondest memories happened in that town and whenever I thought of Hawkins, I immediately thought of you. All of those little moments we shared together had such a lasting impact on me, even if it was just over an innocent cigarette...And it took me this long to realize that the real reason I went back to Hawkins was because of you because you're the only person that's ever felt like home to me. And if it wasn't for Hawkins, maybe we wouldn't have this connection, but now that we do and you don't live there anymore, Hawkins just feels like any other place. So if being with you means moving here, then so be it!" Hopper said.
Throughout that entire speech of an argument he made, she felt her eyes wettening and lips start to quiver, choking up a little until she finally shed a tear or two.
"Oh, Hop…"
"I meant what I said...every word."
"*sniffles* So basically what you're saying is...you were pining for me."
"*chuckles* Don't let it go to your head…"
"I won't," she said with a teary wink.
"Good."
"But I do have one opposition."
"Oh yeah, well, let's hear it then!"
"*sighs* Let's get out of here...Let's move back to Hawkins."
"I'm sorry, what was that now?"
"You heard me!"
"But I thought-"
"Well, you thought wrong!"
"El didn't nag you too much about it, did she?"
"No, it wasn't just her, it was me too. I miss it. I wanna go back."
"Alright, but on one condition."
"Oh no, not this again!" she said.
"No more Melvald's. If you're coming back to Hawkins with me, then you're becoming my partner in crime. It's decided."
"That's it?" she asked, unimpressed.
"Well, yeah…"
"Deal!" she said.
"Wow, I gotta say, I didn't think it'd be that easy! What uh *pause* what made you change your mind about coming back anyway?"
"*with a smirk* There's no place like home…"
"Good answer," he replied with a smile.
"I feel good about this," she said. "I feel like if we're both working together to stop any supernatural business that comes our way, then we don't have much to worry about. We've done a good job of it so far, it would be nice to get paid for it too!"
"Yeah, well, I did, but you definitely deserve your share. And I just can't wait to see you in that uniform," he said, drawing her into a close, intimate embrace.
"Oh, so that's what this is about, huh?"
"Well, about 40% of it, yeah."
"Shall I get a hat too?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Do you even have to ask?"
*Joyce smiles and bites lip*
"Gosh, the kids are going to be so thrilled! How shall we break the news to them?"
"How 'bout we just have a moving truck show up to the house already? They'll be wondering who in the neighborhood's moving out only to find out that it's them!"
"If we weren't for certain that they wanted to go back, then I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that, but since we do, that's genius!"
"I'm on it," he said. "Just let me know when and I'll make it happen."
And she kissed him and smiled. Nothing more, nothing less.
"This is all happening so fast...Hah, I can't help but find it funny how we're already moving in together and we still haven't even been on that date!"
"Well, when you know, you know," she said with a smile. "And it's still going to happen, it's just been postponed for now."
Before leaving for good, Mike decided to have one last hang out with El at what would soon be her old new house. Joyce tried her best to keep Hop occupied and away from the kids to give them some privacy, but would interrupt them every once in a while just to humor him. I mean, why check on them when he's got a nice old pair of lips to kiss himself?
"For the short time that I've been here, I've made a lot of memories," said El. "I just wish more of them were with you..."
"Oh c'mon, we've made plenty of wonderful memories in this house," he said, rubbing the side of her arm. "Like when we played Spoons with Ms. Byers and Will and Jonathan and Nancy and it got so competitive and aggressive, or when we watched White Christmas together on Thanksgiving, or when we prank called people in Hawkins."
"Oh yeah, *chuckles* that was a good day…I don't think I've ever laughed that hard!"
"Yeah, that grandma was pissed!" Mike said expressively.
"It's your grandma," she teased.
*breaks out into laughter*
"Hey, speaking of that, my nana's coming to town soon. You wanna meet her?"
"Of course I do! Oh my god, wait- We should have my dad meet her! That would be HILARIOUS!"
"It's official, we're 100% doing that."
*laughs some more*
And then they kissed for a bit until Hopper came over and pushed Mike away, saying:
"Okay, I think you've had enough!"
*Mike scowls in annoyance*
And after that, Will woke up from his nap and walked down to catch up with Mike as they all packed everything into the moving truck and said their final goodbyes to the house before traveling back to the new old one.
Hopper and Joyce rode together in the front while Mike and El sat in the back, holding hands and rubbing thumbs. That day was a very crazy one for the Byers-Hopper family, a frenzy you might even say, as once they got back, almost everyone was lined up to see Hopper. It was almost like he was the town's local celebrity now, with cameras and news reporters to be seen at all times.
He spent the first hour in town answering endless questions for the press release. Then, finally making it over to the house, he shut the door behind his back and leaned against it with wide, anxious eyes.
"Havin' fun out there?" Joyce joked.
"Oh yeah, yeah, I'm just having a dandy old time!" he said sarcastically.
*Joyce chuckles*
Later that day came the time for their first official date...at Enzo's. And as she and El searched tirelessly for something for her to wear, they found it to be nearly impossible, with most of her clothes still in boxes. It was then that they realized they'd probably have more luck finding her something nice and newfangled while on a shopping spree. Nearly 4 hours later, they came home with a new dress, a pair of slingback heels, a clutch purse, and new makeup, not to mention some clothes for El, Hopper, and Will too, because why not! Most of it was on sale anyway and no one loved a good ole bargain more than Joyce Byers…
When she put the dress on, she felt confident and sophisticated. She wanted him to feel like the luckiest guy in the room, to show him her fun and wild side, and not just the one that prompted her conversation with Christmas lights.
The dress was raspberry-colored; a boat neck, midi halter dress with a black sheer fabric that shimmered over top of the taffeta so nicely. She wore her hair back in a low bun with a clip to hold it in place. Her lips were painted with a color that could only be compared to that of a Strawberry Laffy Taffy wrapper, with rosy blushed cheeks and just enough mascara without overdoing it. And with this slight makeover, she was no longer just a mom...she was a hot mama if anything.
El had helped her get ready for a bit but then let Will take over as she biked over to the motel where Hop had checked into for the evening. He figured that it might be good for him and Joyce not only to have a little alone time after their date, but perhaps some space apart at the end of the night too. Coming home together would just be too weird, they decided.
It was cute, how the kids each helped their parents get ready, and especially how El bounced from house-to-house, since they were both her parents as far as she was concerned. At Hop's, she laid out a Kenzo, red silk jacket and a black turtle neck for him to wear and ordered him some roses over the phone to bring her.
"Wow...I never would've thought to put those two together, but what do ya know, it works!" he said, glancing at himself in the mirror. "You got good taste, kid."
"Thanks," she said with a smile.
And so Powell and Callahan secured Hop a position back at the station, his position to be exact and because of that, he got his car back and proudly showed up to the front porch of their house with 12 long-stemmed roses.
"Here, kid. You can keep the rest."
"What?! What are you doing?"
"I think Joyce is more of a 1 rose kind of girl *clears throat* woman."
"But what am I supposed to do with them?"
"I dunno, just keep 'em for yourself or give them to Mike or something!"
"Well, there are 11 of them, so that would be pretty cute…"
"See! There you go," he said.
"You nervous?" asked El.
"*laughs* Who? Me?! *turns to look, silent pause* Oh yeah!"
"*laughs* Knew it! But don't worry, Dad. You're going to be just fine! Just be yourself and throw some compliments around every once in a while. Be romantic!"
"I love how my 15 year-old daughter is giving me dating advice!"
"Well, who's been on more dates in the past two years?"
"Okay, just because you have a boyfriend doesn't mean you have to get cocky about it!"
*El giggles and smiles devilishly*
Earlier, while Joyce and El went shopping, Mike and Will met up with Max and the rest of their party, which had once again been restored. However, when it came time for the actual date, Will continued to catch up with the gang as Mike biked over to El's house and took her to his own. This way, he could give her some company while having a little stay-in date of their own.
"So, are you a Byers or a Hopper now?" Mike asked.
"I don't know, I guess both," she said.
"Well, either way, El's enough for me. It always has been because you always have been…"
"Aww…"
"Seriously, I might as well just start calling you Priority!"
"Why would you call me that?"
"Because you're mine."
*blushes and smiles*
She looked deep into his eyes and traced his cheekbones with her thumb and forefinger.
"What are you doing?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Enjoying you," she answered with a smile.
"Oh, then I'll do the same. Boop!" he said, pressing her nose with his finger.
*giggles*
"I've missed this."
"Me too...Me too."
Then he sighed and catching her off guard, turned towards her, cradled her head back, and smothered her in kisses.
*giggles more*
"What was that all about?" she asked.
"*shrugs* You're so cute, I couldn't resist…?" he said with the hesitance of a question.
"Aww, you're the sweetest...Wanna try and find a movie in one of these boxes?"
"Let's!" he said.
Hopper had a hard time trying to let go, knowing that Mike and El were alone at the house together, but he knew that if he bitched about it, he'd be killing the fun of the date, and that was the last thing he wanted!
"You know, I gotta say *finishes chewing food* I'm surprised! You haven't brought Mike and El up once tonight," said Joyce.
"You've already heard enough about them from me, thought it was time I tone it down a bit."
"Cool as a cucumber, huh?"
"Yeah, something like that," he chuckled. "How's the wine taste?"
"Oh, it's great! Love the cherry."
"Thought you might."
And a few more glasses in, they started to get into what led Hopper to move back there the first time:
"I was depressed for a long time, I popped pills, drank way too much, but when I heard about you and Lonnie, oddly, I felt...relieved. Not even just because of old feelings, but because it felt like we were equals again. The depression didn't go away, of course, and I was too preoccupied with it and grief at the time to even think about anything other than that, but then you showed up to the police station one morning and my life was never the same."
"Then why didn't you ever ask me out until now?"
"Well, I was planning on it, but I kept chickening out...There was just never a good time! Bob had just died and I knew what it was like to lose someone, so I tried to be sensitive to that by giving you enough time to mourn his loss and heal."
"I really appreciated how kind you were to me around that time. I still do! You were really there for me when no one else was. And you've always believed in me too, never doubted me."
"You're a sharp woman- It's hard not to take your word about most things."
"You look very handsome tonight," she said, waving her breadstick at him, then sipping her chianti.
"Well, you look *shakes head*...astonishing!"
*Joyce laughs*
"What? You do?"
"Just didn't expect for something like that to come out of your mouth, that's all."
"Well, get used to it," he said.
*Joyce smiles and blushes*
News travels fast in a small town like Hawkins and word of Hopper's return apparently got all the way to Indianapolis, as even Lonnie heard about it. He didn't take it very well, as he never saw Joyce as anything but delusional, even when she was right all along. He had known about how she and Murray nearly went on a goose chase searching for him and after knowing that and hearing about his "return," he decided to take matters into his own hands. And when Joyce returned home after a brief visit to Hopper's hotel room, she found herself in the midst of an intervention, as Lonnie pronounced her clinically insane. And who was behind all of this you ask? None other than Brenner himself.
She resisted. How could she not! She explained and explained how she just got back from a date with him, but no one chose to listen. Instead, they just silenced and restrained her. And she was immediately issued into a mental facility. She was terrified.
And once Will biked on home, he realized that Joyce wasn't there and decided to call up Hop to see if she was around.
"Hey Hopper, it's Will."
"Hey, bud. What's going on? You alright?"
"Yeah, I think so...I was just wondering if my mom was still there with you."
"No...Is something wrong?"
"Not yet, but she's just not here. I can't find her anywhere."
"What do you mean she's not there?! I just dropped her off not that long ago."
"I-I dunno, I'm just telling you what I know...I'm-I'm scared."
"Okay, well, let's both just take a deep breath. She's probably just out at the store or something. If she's not back in 30 minutes, then I'll come over and we'll look into it, alright?"
"Okay."
"But in the meantime, call your brother, okay? I'll give El a ring."
"Yeah, yeah, I will. Thanks."
"Sure thing, kid. Keep me posted."
"Alright, will do. Bye."
"Babye," said Hop.
And then he hung up, taking a minute to pull himself together before dialing the phone again. Once Hopper called, El and Mike's date came to an immediate halt and without Mrs. Wheeler knowing, Mike snuck out of his bedroom window. He even made sure to leave a pillow-shaped version of himself in bed with the lights off so she wouldn't suspect a thing.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Mrs. Wheeler. Is El still there?" Will asked over the phone.
"Oh, you just missed her, but she's headed your way! I'm sure she'll be there soon."
"Okay, thanks. Well, goodnight."
"Goodnight, sweetie!"
And then he curled up into a ball, his knees to his chest and shed a tear.
As it turns out, Joyce did not come home in the next 30 minutes, so Hopper came to meet with the kids and eventually Nancy and Jonathan too, who left college with a "family emergency."
"*sighs disappointedly, pulls El aside* What is he doing here?" Hopper asked, referring to Mike.
"He's here for emotional support...and to help if needed."
"*sighs* Can we just not involve him in every aspect of our lives?! I already see more of him than I see of myself in the mirror."
"But I love him, Dad!"
"Oh, what do you know? You're 15!"
"I'm being serious. I really do love him."
"*sighs* Yeah, I was afraid of that…Just-just do your old man a favor and give it to me slow. It's gonna take me a few weeks before I can fully process this."
"Understood," she said with a gigglish tone.
That was a pleasant interaction during that time, but really, they were all very scared, just as Joyce was when she was first taken.
They tried to retrace her steps, call up everyone they knew, now involving Murray. And eventually calling Lonnie, Hopper got everything out of him that he needed to know.
"You're a real jackass, you know that? And I think I can speak for everyone in saying that I will personally lock your ass up in jail so fast, you won't know what hit you!"
"Okay, we'll see about that. Bye now."
*Hopper grunts*
And so, they turned to the only two people they knew who could help them navigate the hospital Joyce was staying at- Terry and Becky.
"Ready to meet my mother?" El asked Mike.
"Ready," he said, locking fingers with hers.
Meeting El's real mother was really important to not only El, but Mike too. He knew that it was a really big deal and that while she might not be able to communicate with him like a normal girlfriend's mother would (given her vegetable-like state), he still felt privileged just to be able to meet her at all.
"Hi, Ms. Ives. I'm Mike, El, I mean, Jane's boyfriend. You don't have to say anything, but it's really nice to meet you."
She didn't respond at first, but El tried to reach her in The Void and once she did, she saw that she started to hold Mike's hand from the rocking chair, which brought her to tears...and a smile of course.
"I know that if she could speak, she would tell you that she's glad you've made Jane so happy and would ask that you give her the care that she couldn't and still can't," Becky said.
"Aww, well, I made that promise to El and myself a long time ago," he said, looking down at her as she clung to his arm.
And while they were there, they talked more to Becky about what the best way to get Joyce out of there might be while El stayed in The Void and tried to see if she could get any word of advice out of her mom.
With that information, they decided to confront Brenner head-on for their final battle with the crazy son of a bitch. But not without involving one more person...
*Karen hops in the car*
"Michael, I thought you were asleep!"
"Mom? Wha-What are you doing here and why are you so dolled up?"
"Yeah, what's with the trench coat?" asked Nancy.
"It's *sighs*...complicated." she replied, with heavy makeup on and her hair extra styled.
"Oh, by the way, Nana's coming into town today," she continued.
"What?!" Mike and Nancy said in unison.
"She is?" asked Nance.
"Today?" asked Mike.
"Yes," said Karen.
"In the midst of all of the chaos?" he added.
"Yes! So, we really need to keep all of this as much under the wraps as possible. Is that understood?"
"Sure, I don't see how, but sure," said Mike.
"Wait, does this mean that I finally get to meet her?" asked El.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess it does," he replied, lightening up a little with a smile.
And once they got in, they soon found that it was Karen's job to distract the guards, as she was the "seductress" of the operation.
"I'm going to go hide in a closet for a million years, wanna come with?" Mike asked El chipperly.
"*laughs* No! C'mon, we gotta focus."
"I know, you're right, but it's just hard when you have to watch your mom flaunt herself at random men," he said, laughing nervously.
"You'll get over it," she said, grabbing his hand and running towards the room where Joyce supposedly was.
"God knows what she's been through already…" said Will. "She's probably super drugged. I really don't wanna see her like this…"
"I know it, bud," said Hop. "But we're just going to have to make the most of it. Her life's at stake right now, let alone her sanity!"
And he was right. It was. She was restrained by a straight jacket, in her bed, alone, in the cold, white, brick room that echoed when she screamed. She felt like an animal in a cage that couldn't escape. She finally knew what it was like to be El and Terry at the same time, with experiments being performed on her and medical tests taken against her will.
This hospital was the newest form of mental health in Hawkins since Hawkins Lab was closed for good, but this time, Brenner came prepared, with a disguise, a fake name, and an expunged record or so he thought...Unlucky for him, however, Hopper came prepared with old documents of his about the lab, enough to ruin Brenner's reputation when he took him to court.
El used her powers to bring him to his knees and rip off his fake mustache and toupé, exposing him to people Hopper contacted from State. He was fully compromised now. And once that was handled, Hopper, El, Will, and Jonathan walked inside to see her, with Mike, Nancy, Karen, and Murray waiting closeby, next to the doorframe, peering through.
"Mom!" Will yelled.
"Joyce, honey, it's us," said Hop.
"Hopper, is-is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," he said, holding her hands.
"You found me," she said with a broken smile.
"I found you!" he validated.
"And El, Will, Jonathan! Oh, I'm so sorry that you all had to see me like this," she said, the IVs shaking with her arms as she moved her hands.
"Let's get those things out of you," said Hop. "We're going home."
"H-How-How did you do it?"
"We exposed Brenner to some people from State."
"Brenner? What do you mean, Brenner? Brenner was behind this?"
"You didn't know?" asked El, concerned.
"He went by Harvey if that helps," said Will.
"No, I had no idea Dr. Harvey was Brenner, but hey, maybe that's just the drugs talking."
"She's still just as funny even when she's drugged," Jonathan said with a smile and a tear.
And they carried her out from the back, cueing Mrs. Wheeler to stop distracting the people that restrained Joyce in the first place.
"Well, I'd say that was quite the warm welcome, huh, Joyce?"
"Yeah, tell me about it!" she said with her big, expressive bug eyes.
"You wanna know something though?"
"What?"
"You look good in a hospital gown!"
"Oh Hop, you big flirt!"
"Lightens the mood a little, right?"
"Yeah, a little," she giggled.
"Well, once all of this is worked out, what do you say we go on our second date?"
"Already?" she asked, surprised.
"Joyce, we live together for god's sake!"
"Yeah, true, but oh, I don't know...That seems pretty iffy. I think I'm busy that night...Reign check?"
"Haha, very funny," he said.
"Nice try, huh?" she asked.
"Yeah, if your goal was to try and get me heated as usual."
"Then I guess it's working," she said smugly.
And the whole rest of the day, Hopper hopped around from one thing to the next, mainly taking care of Joyce, who was still a little loopy, lying on the couch. On the other hand, he was doing everything from getting El to bed to calling up lawyers, etc. Part of him was in total dad and boyfriend mode and the rest of him was in cop mode. He wished he could just be in chips and salsa mode and moving towards bed though because he was BEAT!
A few days later, Nancy and Jonathan presented their full exposé on Hopper, Joyce, and Brenner, with photos that Jonathan took himself and information that Nancy had gathered together and written about. By the time the journalists were through with reading, they couldn't say no to it and it even ended up being on the front page of the newspaper the next day!
"I'm so proud of you, Nance...You did it! You actually did it! I always knew you could," said Karen once she first got her hands on it.
"Thanks, Mom. None of this would've been possible without your support!"
*both hug*
The only problem with this though was that as she had said before, Mike's nana was in town, and so it was Mike's responsibility to get every newspaper out of her sight. That meant not only their house, but at local stands and stores too, as she was pretty conservative and all of this would be overwhelming for her and too hard for her to wrap her mind around. But despite Mike's nervousness about the whole situation, there was some hilarity and that hilarity came with El meeting her for the first time.
"Oh, Mike, I don't-I don't know about this…" she said.
"What do you mean you don't know about this?!" he asked.
"I just *sighs* I know it's stupid, but I've never been around old people and they kind of freak me out…"
"Aww, El, they're no different than regular people! They're just older and have more wrinkles, that's all," he said, rubbing her back.
"Yeah, exactly! They're like human prunes...or Yodas rather!"
"*Mike laughs* Well, Yoda's very docile and I love how weird and shy you are about this...It's insanely adorable!"
*El blushes and smiles*
"C'mon, I'll be with you the whole time. We're going to be fine! You'll love her and more importantly, she'll love you!"
"You really think so?"
"I really do!" he said. "Because your name may be Eleven, but you'll always be #1 in my book and there's no doubt that she'll love you too..."
"*blushes like crazy* Okay. *exhales* Okay, let's do it," she said, grabbing his hand with both of hers.
El had dressed up just to meet her, knowing how conservative she was. She wore her best lilac-colored sweater and borrowed some of Nancy's pearls.
However, when they actually did meet, Mike certainly wasn't expecting El to break out into laughter the second she saw her.
"What? What is it?" Mike asked with a smile.
"*whispers* It's your grandma!"
And they both busted out laughing for a solid 30 seconds.
"What? What's so funny, dear?" asked Nana.
"Oh, nothing, just- It's just an inside joke, that's all," said Mike.
What was even better was watching the pure guilt on Hopper's face when he himself saw Mike's nana, who was very much alive and well, contrary to how he once depicted her to be.
Later that night, he and Joyce got ready for bed.
"You doing alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she said.
"I don't know, it's just, you've been through a lot in the last 24 hours...I just wanted to check up on you."
"Oh well, I'm fine. I mean, losing you was much worse and more traumatic for me than any of this. You might not have died, but I still lost you. I experienced that pain already which can't be undone."
"Well, I'm real sorry that you had to go through that," he said, rubbing her back and handing her a decaf cup of tea. "Truly."
"That's okay…*pauses to reflect a little, then* So, tell me, when does Detective Byers start?" she asked.
"She can start tomorrow if she wants," he replied.
"Good, she can't wait," she said coyly.
"You know, without her, I never would've even found my daughter...OUR daughter! Hell, she'd probably be dead now if it wasn't for Detective Byers! *breaks out of their bit* And nothing I do for you will ever compare to that, so thank you. Thank you, Joyce."
"I beg your pardon! Who believed in me when no one else did? Who helped me find my son and stuck by my side the whole time he was flayed? Who was there for me when my boyfriend died? You. Wonderful, marvelous you!" she said, poking his chest.
His eyes met hers in an intimate stare. He was hers, completely.
"I love you, Joyce," he said, shaking his head with ardor. "I'm just...crazy about you."
"I love you too!" she said. "Although, I did go to a mental hospital for it, so sorry to one-up you, but, ya know…"
And he playfully hit her, catching her in an embrace that led them to kiss. And they felt good, knowing that Brenner's case went all the way to federal court and that he would be locked up forever, never being able to get to them again.
After their first day of working together, he thought that they should somehow celebrate and what better way to do that than to revisit old memories!
"What do you say, Wheelbarrow? Cigarette for old time's sake?"
"Always, Antique Chariot…Always."
One crime at a time, they were saving the family they had built, not to mention the whole town, and they felt better knowing that...
THE END