A/N: jrae1948 thanks for the review sweetie ^_^

Joyce sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands and a cigarette burning away unattended in the ashtray in front of her. She was so quiet that Jim barely noticed her sitting there as he passed by.

"Hey babe-" He took the seat next to her at the table and put an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Without reply she buried her face in his shirt, her hands fisted in the khaki material. He held her close as she cried, placing small kisses in her dark hair.

"What in the world?" Her arms hung loosely at his sides now, grasping at his hips. "Baby, what's wrong?" When she looked up at him he brushed her tears away with his thumbs and kissed her forehead.

"I've had the worst day." She replied, burying her face in his shirt again. "The washing machine broke. I dented my car at work. Lost my keys in the storm drain after work and had to call Jonathan to bring me the spare set. A wasp got in the house and kept me out of the bedroom for four hours. Four hours!"

He chuckled lightly and lifted her chin. "I'm sorry sweetheart. I would have saved you from the wasp if I hadn't been at work."

"I know it all sounds silly, but it'd just been the worst day. I can't do anything right. I can't wait for it to be over."

He brushed her hair from her face and kissed her. "Why don't I take you out for dinner? Just the two of us? We can try and make this day a little better?"

She sniffled and nodded, picking up her neglected cigarette and knocking off the cherry into the ashtray.

"Why don't you take a long hot bath and let me look at the washer? Take your time and get dolled up. I'll take you to Angelo's." He offered, referring to the fanciest restaurant the tiny town of Hawkins had to offer. She sniffled and nodded again.

.

Outside the house he stopped to look at Joyce's car. She managed to dent in the driver's side quarter panel. He popped the hood and leaned over the engine, peering down inside the car. With one swift movement he popped the metal back into place with his fist. Some things can be fixed with a fist. Scratch one thing off the bad day list. He didn't have to look at the washer much to realize it was fried beyond repair. He sat at the kitchen table with phone in hand, ordering a new one. He'd ask Jonathan to go with him to pick up the new one tomorrow. Wasn't much he could do about her lost keys but make duplicates tomorrow when he went into town for the washer. He sighed and walked into their room, picking out his blue dress shirt to wear with a pair of clean jeans.

He was buttoning up his shirt, his tie loose around his shoulders, when she walked into the room. The short black dress she wore made his breath catch.

"What?" She asked when she caught him staring as she pulled on a pair of black heels.

"You look beautiful, babe." She looked bashful momentarily and it made him smile. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing a kiss on her bare shoulder.

"You're going to have to get used to compliments. Cause I mean them. You're beautiful Joyce." She turned to his chest and moved the tie around his neck, skillfully knotting it. Then her lips moved to his.

"I love you, Jim."

"I love you too." He replied, reaching down to take her hand.

.

At dinner she couldn't stop fretting over her boys.

"I left them a note and money to order pizza with." He responded, pausing to take a bite of food. "They'll be fine. They're big boys now, Joyce."

"I know, I know. I'm just so used to having my eye on them these days."

He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Loosen up some, babe. The boys will be fine. Let's just enjoy this, okay?" She smiled at him, squeezing his hand tightly.

"I'm sorry. I'm really bad at the whole dating thing."

"That's okay. That's why we're taking our time." He reassured her. He noticed the people around them watching them. Whispering amongst themselves. He missed living in the city briefly then. He knew the whole town was buzzing about them. He knew his reputation well. The drunken Chief with Lonnie's ex wife. Two broken people. The thought made him squeeze her hand again.

"Hey I'll be right back okay?" She said, motioning at the bathroom. He nodded and released her hand, turning his attention back to his half eaten chicken dinner.

In the bathroom Joyce stood at the mirror, washing her hands. She fussed with her hair. It didn't want to cooperate at home and instead of falling in ringlets, it fell limply at the sides of her face. He'd called her beautiful, but she wondered if he'd really been looking. The last few years had been rough on her, and she her fingers ran over the fine wrinkles setting into her features.

"You're here with Chief Hopper, aren't you?" Marissa, the town librarian, asked her from the next sink.

"Yeah..."

"Be careful with that one, Joyce. He's all bad habits and good looks. He left me hanging more than once."

Joyce's lips set into a stern line as she continued fussing over her hair, trying to decide just what to say. "He's a good man." Was the best she could muster before rushing from the bathroom.

"Hop, can we leave?" She asked, suddenly feeling crowded in the tiny restaurant. He nodded, grabbing the nearest waitress' attention for the check and to go boxes.

.

"Are you ready to go home?" He asked in the truck.

"Not really. I just felt I dunno- crowded. In there."

He nodded and turned, driving them out somewhere they could talk. He parked at the quarry where they could see the moon and the stars across the sky. He popped a George Jones cassette in player. "Listen Joyce, I know what people are saying about us-" She turned to him in the cabin of the truck, reaching for him. "You know I don't care what people say about me." She nodded, taking his hand. "I'd fight them all, ya know? If anyone said anything bad about you."

She slid closer across the bench seat until she was against his side. "Yeah someone just had some words of wisdom for me in the bathroom about you."

"I could tell someone said something by your face." He laughed, but he didn't ask. "You mean the world to me. You always have." He added, kissing the top of her head.

"I bet you say that to all the girls." She teased and he kissed the top of her head again.

"There's so much I wanna say to you, but I don't know how to."

She leaned across his lap and pulled the seat latch. "Then show me."

Jim felt as if he'd have a heart attack on the spot as she crawled into his lap. He shifted the cigarette between his teeth as she kissed the side of his jaw. His hands wandered her back. She pulled his tie loose and began unbuttoning his shirt. He stopped her and looked into her eyes, brushing her hair back from her face. He tossed the half smoked cigarette out of the window and pulled her face closer for a kiss.

"We're really bad at this dating thing." She mumbled against his lips, her hands roaming under his shirt.

"But we're really good at this kissing thing." He smiled, pausing to unbutton her blouse.

His fingers traced the lines of her ribs, his thumbs rubbing the soft flesh of her tummy. "You're so beautiful."

The windows steamed up in the Blazer and he rolled the windows down before laying her down in the seat, covering her body with his own. She started tugging at his belt when he stopped her.

"Hold on a sec-" He fumbled in the glove compartment and he quickly retrieved the small box, hiding it in his big hand.

"I really loved you back in high school, ya know. But I let you get away. I left, and I let Lonnie win. Then I came back this mess of a man after my divorce but we've been through so much together. And you taught me how to feel things again, Joyce. You make me wanna be a better man."

She kissed the side of his face. He braced himself on an elbow, opening the box and retrieving the small golden band. When tears welled up in her eyes he leaned forward and kiss them away.

"Oh Jim, I just don't know-"

He sat back on his heels, trying to hide the disappointment he knew was all over his face. "C'mon Joyce. Give us a chance. We've got a good thing going here. Give me a chance to make things right." When she sat up he pulled her close. "I want you, Joyce."

Her arms wound around his waist and she buried her face in his bare chest. "I'll make you forget all about Lonnie. I promise."

"I feel like we're doing this all so fast-" She began.

"I won't rush you-"

She took the ring from his hand and slid it on her finger, admiring it in the moonlight.

"Will you marry me?" When she nodded he kissed her forehead.

"I love you." He could feel her smile as he kissed her lips.

"I love you too."