Hawkins, Indianna, October 15th, 1984

Hawkins was not the town people associated with danger. Or excitement. Or anything really that wasn't routine.

Nothing major happened in Hawkins, hell that Energy Company moving in was all the town talked about for months. The Vanishing of Will Byers was still the first topic on everybody's minds after almost a year.

That suited Jim Hopper just fine. People still talking about what the ki- what they thought the kid went through was fine, better then fine. No one talking about anything strange meant nothing strange had happened, and call it paranoia, but every day the newspapers, gossips and his 'feelers' were examined to ensure that nothing strange had happened whilst he slept for 6 hours.

The paranoia, lack of sleep, individual 'case' that no one else could know about, it was almost like being back at the NYPD, with gang crime, various 'contacts' that no one else could know about, investigations and feelers for 'bouncing trouble' as they called it, actually protecting people … it was nostalgic.

But, that was then, and now, Hopper really needed the tedium and sameness of Hawkins to continue, even if he did miss 'the big city life'.

"Well Mrs Jones, I think that pebbles will most likely come back by tomorrow, just keep some cat food out by your door. If you don't see anything by next week, then come back and I'll get Callaghan on the case."

"Chief I don't think you understand, pebbles is my life, after my dear Jacob, p-pass-paaah…"

The aforementioned Mrs Jones broke down into little sobs, about how her 'perfect Jakey' had died, all of two years ago this month, and how her cat had somehow filled that void. Hopper never did get cats, or replacing people with pets, but he did get the long grieving process that, whilst uncomfortable to watch, affected everyone in different ways.

Folding his hands on the table, he leaned forward, speaking how he would to frightened kids.

"Look, Mrs Jones, I know that your, Pebbles, is close to your –"

"Oh more than close Chief so much mo-"

"Ma'am, if you let me finish. Pebbles may have just wanted to …. Explore, yeah, and he knows that you'll be waiting for him once he gets back."

"Pebbles is a girl chief."

Goddamit, this is why he re-started fucking smoking after moving back here.

"Well ma'am, with the wanted posters out, and cat food by your door, I'd say give if a week, and then we'll get involved."

5pm, he needed to get off work soon.

"Now if you excuse me ma'am, I need to go for an important meeting. If you feel that you can ad anything, speak to Officer Callaghan."

Should serve the idiot right, throwing out his beer was no small matter. Only two people in Hawkins could do that without consequence.

"Oh Hop, there was a call from," Flo paused, looking at her note. "Joyce Byers earlier. Nothing urgent she said, just rearranging an appointment."

OK, yeah, he didn't do himself any favours by sleeping round with half the goddamn town, but seriously, she had kids, one of them was the 'Zombie Boy of Hawkins' for Pete sakes. He had low standards, but he wasn't a monster.

"Nah, its OK Flo, I'll call her at home, nothin' important."

"Ok Jim. Have a nice evening."

And with the smile and look that was characteristically Flo, of you WILL have an enjoyable, healthy evening or I'll mother you like nothing, Jim 'Chief' Hopper ambled out of the station toward his truck.

10 minutes. Thank God it was a quiet day and he could get to his cabin much faster. It was funny how he'd swapped one routine for another so quickly. He … wasn't a new man, not by a long shot, and was a long way off being better at anything. But, in the not-quite-year since That, he'd become… focused was probably the best verb.

Even driving back, still thinking about and juggling verbs, nouns, adjectives like some middle school kid. Well, more like one of those 'braniacs' than an average middle schooler, but the analogy still stood.

8 minutes of humming along to Say Say Say, well goddamnit that song was catchy, so sue him. Although anything was better than some of those garbage dramas, of which he was far too familiar with. As the evening darkened, the Chief's car stopped at a seemingly random point in the woods.

Getting out, scouting the area, making sure he wasn't followed… it was almost like 'nam, but this time, instead of him or his buddies that knew what the hell they were getting into, it was kids…

Carrying on that thought would just piss him off more, he forced himself to stop it there. After another 5 minutes of checking, and finally satisfied, Jim began the roundabout trek to his cabin.

5:20, well 5 minutes later, it wasn't so bad. But the Kid'd probably get annoyed at no signalling. But dammit, if it was anyone else, he'd get pissed at how uptight they were, but the Kid. Well El had every right, moreso than he did, to be paranoid and scared.

After stepping over the tripwires, and avoiding the other traps, he finally made it to the door.

Knock Knock

Knock

Knock Knock Knock

Clink clank clink

The noise of chains and locks being undone sounded, as they always did, unnaturally loud against the repeated quiet nights.

Hopper opened the door and strode in. as always, the curley haired girl was infront of that TV. Four booklets neatly piled up beside her, and, strangely, an open Charles Dickens. Well, points for trying at least, Jim thought, even he struggled with some of those 'classics'. But school needs were school needs, and no matter how he struggled, he'd be dammned if he didn't give the girl a much better start than he got.

"Late. No signal?"

He never figured out how he'd got so attached to this tiny teenager who couldn't speak in complete sentences, or preferred not to. In all honesty, part of it was the feeling of a void being filled somewhere in his, well he knew he didn't have a heart, but brain maybe?

"Yeah, sorry kiddo. I was held up, nothing big, just people." To answer her implied question of lateness.

"Byers?" El knew that if he refered to 'people' it was usually adults, it was whenever he complained or mentioned 'kids' that El would perk up, and badger him about his discreet eyes on the Wheeler and Byers families. He hoped that El was past the imprinting stage, but part of him was more worried about teenage drama.

"No kid, just some normal complaints. Christ its tiring."

"Food." She nodded to the kitchen.

"Aw kid you shouldn't have. Thanks." El's creations weren't too bad, and although Hopper questioned the nutritional value of fried fish and mash, at least El was trying, and learning life skills. And beamed whenever he cleared a plate.

If he discreetly filled up on food on his way back, well that was no-one's business but his own.

Her more traditional attempt, with sausage, baked beans and fries was much easier to get down. He made a note to grab more cookbooks from the store tomorrow.

"So El, how was your day."