Chapter Eighteen
Happy Halloween
Veronica moaned softly as slowly her mind seemed to come back to her and awaken. She was able to quickly tell that she was no longer at school with the soft sheets she felt beneath her finger tips. Slowly her dark brown eyes blinked open and she was welcomed to the familiar cracks that decorated her bedroom ceiling. She slowly pushed herself up from her bed and looked around to see that she was alone. A chair had been pulled up beside her bed, but it was vacant with a book sitting on the seat. Veronica swung her legs over the edge of her bed and closed her eyes as the sudden movement made the room start to spin around her violently. Her stomach churned for a moment before settling. Her body felt weak and heavy as she pulled herself up to stand. Veronica reached quickly for the headboard the moment she felt her legs start to shake beneath her.
Voice carried from the front of the house as she slowly made her way out of her bedroom. The soft carpet beneath her feet made her footsteps silent the closer she moved to the living room area. When Veronica walked through the small archway that lead into the hallway, her quickly saw who was home with her. Hopper sat on the couch with a cigarette between his fingers and the smoke dancing into the air. Joyce was leaning forward slightly on her knees as she sat in the recliner chair to the left of the couch and Jonathan leaning in the doorway of the kitchen. Everyone's eyes snapped to her the moment her presence was noticed. Veronica was able to feel the energy within the room the moment she stepped in. She was still getting the warmth from everyone before her but there was something else that under the surface, something was wasn't able to identify quickly.
"Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?" Joyce spoke first, standing from her seat and moving to Veronica. Her face was apprehensive as she walked closer to the girl in front of her, gently caressing her face.
"I-I...I feel...fine..." Veronica spoke looking confused to everyone in front of her, "How did I get home?"
"I brought you home," Jonathan spoke up, his voice soft and gentle as he looked to her. "Kind of had a episode back at school so I brought you home to rest."
Veronica's face became more confused, "What do you mean?"
The tension in the room seemed to grow even thicker. Jonathan stood a little straighter and looked between his mother and Hopper, but it seemed that they were just as lost as he way. Flashes of finding you in the girls bathroom back at school played through his mind for a moment. But after a few passing seconds, Jonathan brown eyes landed on the girl across from him.
"Y-You don't remember?" Jonathan asked
Veronica shook her head, "I only remember going into home room and then...all of a sudden I am here."
Joyce took a step back away from Veronica and nervously walked over to stand beside Hopper. Veronica noticed something in Joyce's eyes that she'd never seen before, at least direction to her. Fear. Hopper stubbed out his cigarette before standing from the couch and walked to Veronica. Her gaze switched away from Joyce and up towards her father who towered over her small frame. Normally Hopper was an intimidating man, but the energy she was able to feel from him calmed down her nerves around the man.
"You don't remember coming to the police station to see me?" Hopper spoke, bending down to look her in her eyes, Veronica slowly shook her head. "You don't remember having an episode and Nancy finding you." Veronica shook her head again, Hopper cursed low under his breath and moved to stand back to his full height. "Jonathan has told me that you're having troubles? Not sleeping, panic attacks other kinds of stuff."
He wasn't asking and Veronica was able to catch on that quickly.
"Hopper we might have to take her to the lab." Joyce spoke, knowing that the man in front of her was going to hate that idea.
"Do you really think that is a good idea? The whole point of her being here with you Joyce is so that she get acclimated into a regular life. They say those people from before are gone, but how can we be sure? We send her in there and they could keep her."
Veronica whimpered and stumbled back away from them till her back hit against the wall. Hopper turned to her once he heard the soft whimper come from her and his face pinched into concern. He could see the fear flash in her eyes as she stared up towards him with her hand rubbing over the brand tattooed on the inside of her wrist.
"Please, don't send me back there..." Veronica whispered, closing her eyes tightly as flashes of her life in the lab started to replay behind her eyes.
"Hey, no, no no. We're not going to do that." Hopper softened his voice and bent down to gently caress her face, so her eyes slowly opened to him. "But we gotta think of something. You're obviously sick...o-or something, Veronica."
"I'm fine," She spoke, her lie coming out so easily she was sure that she believed it herself.
Hopper sighed softly, "Sweetheart, I can tell just by looking at you that something is wrong. If everything Jonathan is saying is going on, and now you're having holes in your memory, we gotta get you looked at."
"Hopper," Joyce whispered catching his attention, she knocked her head to the side signaling for him to step away for privacy.
The two adults left out of the room and out onto the front porch leaving Veronica with Jonathan. Her hands reached up and rubbed at her face before stepping forward and walking toward the kitchen. Jonathan kept a close eye on her and soon followed after. She grabbed a cup from the cabinet beside the sink before filling it quickly with water. Jonathan nervously stood behind her not sure where to start or what to say.
"I can feel your eyes burning a hole into the back of my head, Jonathan. Whatever you have to say...say it." Veronica spoke with a heavy sigh after finishing off her glass of water.
"I'm just worried about you, Ronnie." Jonathan started, taking a few steps toward her before leaning against the counter beside her. "How I found you after Nancy came running out of the bathroom was...scary. It was like you were...scared, and whatever was causing you pain was enough to send you into some sort of shock."
"I don't remember any of this," She whispered, looking at him slightly and frowning. "I believe you, I just don't...remember."
"Do you remember when I told you about the time we set the Demogorgon on fire, and then you came through in it's place?" Jonathan asked. Veronica stared at him for a moment before slowly nodding her head. "You didn't remember then either, Nancy said you were convulsing on the floor just like that moment. And you kept talking about it hurting and burning when we got to Hopper."
A look flashed through her eyes but it was so quick that Jonathan wasn't able to see if it was fear or panic. But he thought either response was appropriate with what was happening. Her hand gripped tighter on the edge of the counter causing her knuckles to turn a nearly bone white color. Veronica's breath became harsh and labored as she stood there and looked down into the nearly empty sink. Jonathan stepped closer to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently.
"We're not afraid of you, Ronnie. Don't want you thinking that."
"I saw the fear in your mom's eyes...Jonathan...I am familiar with that look very much. People in the lab would give it to me at times. I never understood why, since they were forcing me to do the experiments. But maybe they have a right to be scared of me."
"We're not them, ok. We're not scared, we're worried. That is very different. We want you to be ok and not have to go through this kind of stuff." Jonathan spoke
Veronica looked up at him with her eyes showing her vulnerability, her large doe eyes making him soften even more against her. "Promise?"
"Of course," Jonathan spoke without hesitation.
"Then maybe...maybe I need to go to that lab. If Hopper is with me, of course."
Jonathan nodded his head, "Yeah. Yeah."
He wrapped a protective arm around you and lead you out of the kitchen into the main part of the home again. Just as they came out of the kitchen Hopper and Joyce stepped back in from outside. Veronica didn't even give them a chance to speak before she started.
"I want to go to the lab. If what is happening to me is making me go through these...episodes and everything then we need to figure out what." Veronica nervously spoke, "But I want dad with me the entire time."
Her eyes shot to him when she spoke. Hopper felt something move through him whenever she called him dad. It was rare, normally Veronica going with the default Hopper. But it seemed whenever she was unsure, afraid or just needed him – she called him dad.
"I'll be there the entire time." Hopper nodded his head, his fingers fiddling with the brim of his Chiefs hat in his grasp. "I'll call them up and see when we can get you up there. Maybe next time Will has a visit?"
Veronica nodded and smiled slightly before moving toward him quickly. Hopper was taken a back for only a few moments when he arms wrapped around his broad frame. He looked at Joyce in shock for a second, before his arms came down and wrapped around her. Veronica seemed to burrow her face into his chest and take a deep breath as she reveled int the safety of being in her father's arms.
"So we're not going in costumes?" Veronica asked, looking at Jonathan confused as she walked around her bedroom.
"I mean...I'm not. But if you want to, then go right ahead." Jonathan shrugged "I wasn't really planning on it but Nancy has sort of been bugging me all day to go."
The next day Veronica decided to act like nothing had happened, which was easy since her memory of the day before seemed to never show up. So with Halloween night falling upon Hawkins, Veronica wanted to take full advantage of it. Mostly cause she never got to celebrate the holiday since she was locked away in a lab most of her life.
"I'm dressing up," Veronica nodded her head and ruffled through her closet trying to find something, "What should I be?"
"You're asking the wrong guy," Jonathan laughed softly "Why don't you just dress like you normally don't? Or something like that?"
Veronica laughed "You are no help at all."
Veronica rushed into the living room to look for Joyce and smiled when she found her sitting on the couch adjusting Will's costume as he got ready to head out trick or treating. Of course neither of them knew about the plan about you heading to a party with Jonathan.
"Joyce do you have something? I wanna be festive...since I've never really got to dress up."
Joyce's smile broke out as she stared at Veronica. "I do! I have a few costumes I have kept over the year, might be a little big. But we can adjust them quickly for just the night."
Joyce grabbed her hand pulled her toward her bedroom and opened her closet quickly. Joyce reached up and pulled down a boy labeled "costumes" and dropped it onto her bed. Quickly the two of them pulled out costume after costume trying to see something that would capture Veronica's attention. Veronica saw a clown, a vampire and maybe a scarecrow? But the one that caught her eyes involved a black dress and a pointy hat.
"Oooo, a witch," Joyce spoke with a smile "I love that costume. We can do your makeup and all you need is a pair of boots, maybe some tights for underneath?"
"Let me try it on!" Veronica spoke excitedly before rushing into the conjoined bathroom to Joyce's room.
Joyce took a seat on her bed and waited for her to come out. She only had to wait a few minutes before Veronica stepped out wearing just the black dress. Like predicted it was a little big on her small frame which Joyce worked quickly and moved to sew a little into the dress so it would fit her more. The two of them laughed and giggled and Joyce helped her with the makeup and even her hair. It was in that moment that Veronica forgot about the fear that flashed through the mother figures eyes the day before.
"You look amazing," Joyce smiled at Veronica as she watched the girl slip on a pair of black boots to complete the look.
Veronica reached to balance the hat on top of her head, her black curls twisting around her face and out around her head. Joyce sighed softly and saw for a moment her old friend, clearly seeing Lauren in Veronica more and more. Veronica noticed the sad look in her eyes and frowned slightly.
"Something wrong?" Veronica asked
"No, no." Joyce shook her head, the sad smile still on her face. "You just...you look so much like your mom and it...it sometimes bring memories back of all the fun I used to have with her."
Veronica blushed slightly and looked down, "Hopper told me that once, that I look just like her."
"Once we figured it out, I felt crazy for not seeing it before." Joyce caressed her face gently and rubbed her thumb over her cheek. "I see Hopper too, but...you're mostly Lauren."
The brought a bright smile to Veronica's face, filling her with a happiness that seemed to be missing over the last few days. The rush of footsteps coming down the hall caused the two of them to turn their focus from each other. Jonathan collided against the door frame slightly with his breath labored from rushing down the hall.
"You ready? Will is getting a little antsy." Jonathan chuckled softly, his eyes scanning over her costume, "Wow, cool witch costume."
"Thanks!" Veronica hugged Joyce, before moving to join Jonathan, waving to Bob at the three of them left out the door.
She held tightly to her black bag as they three of them rushed to Jonathan's car so they could drive closer to town. The Byers lived a little far from most of the neighborhoods in Hawkins. Veronica's fingers moved over the slightly, and intentional, tattered edge of the dress.
"I don't think I've ever seen you in makeup before," Will spoke from the backseat. "I like the costume,"
"Thanks," Veronica's smile brightened "Your mom let me borrow it. I've never got to dress up before, it feels kind of cool."
"You never got to dress up for Halloween?" Will asked his voice raised slightly in disbelief.
"I didn't know Halloween was a thing until this year. We didn't really celebrate anything while in the lab. Kind of new to all this stuff."
"Wow," Will whispered. "Gonna have to get you some of the big bars! Can't miss out on those."
Veronica smiled back at Will brightly which only made the boy smile a little more. Veronica knew Jonathan wanted to save the surprise of letting him go off with the other kids for trick-or-treating so Veronica didn't say anything to Will. But she loved that the boy was so eager to have her celebrate and enjoy the haunted holiday.
AN: Please leave your thoughts! I love seeing people's thoughts and theories in the reviews.