A/N: Thank you all so much! I am so glad you're enjoying this! I love hearing your comments about everything that's happening. I hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 48

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" I called out before heading for the door. I was expecting company. We had finally set up a date for the upcoming campaign and I decided it would be a good idea for Deanna and Joyce to meet Eddie beforehand. Which brought us to now.

"Hi Eddie," I greeted. He had his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Kate!" He rocked back on his heels. "Always good to see you but, uh, you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course, why?"

"Parents don't really like me much," he admitted. "Might be the hair."

I tried not to smirk. "Or the whole side business."

"Or that," he agreed.

"Just got to work on your marketing, Mr. Businessman," I teased. "Come on in. I'll start you off easy with my mom."

"That's easy?"

"You'll see." I motioned him in.

He bit at his thumb as he walked in and looked around. "Nice place."

"Yeah, I got lucky," I said. "Mom!" I called out.

"Kitchen!" we heard her call back.

I motioned for Eddie to follow me. He did so slowly, as though he was hesitant. It didn't need to be. Deanna was definitely the easiest out of the parents in my opinion. At least for the first meeting. Sam was easier going unless he was in protective mode, but he looked intimidating.

"Mom?" I caught her attention as we walked into the kitchen. "This is Eddie. He's the one I told you about who runs the D&D games? The fantasy role-playing one I offered to host here?"

Deanna wiped her hands dry and walked over. "I remember. The game with the dragons, right?"

I grinned. "That's right."

She offered her hand to Eddie. "I'm Deanna, Tammy's mother. It's nice to meet you, Eddie."

Eddie wiped his hand on his pants before shaking hers. "You, you too. Thanks, Ms. Thompson, for letting us play here."

"Of course. Any friend of Tammy's is welcome here. She said the games can run long?"

"Um, sometimes, yeah."

Deanna nodded. "Are you or your teammates allergic to anything? Any food preferences?"

"What?" He blinked at her, surprised.

I grinned. "My mom and I are going to make snacks before everyone shows up. That way we'll be able to eat while we play or when we take breaks."

"You don't have to do that," he said, shaking his head slightly.

"Nonsense," Deanna said. "You're Tammy's guests and if you eat anything like Sam does, you'll need the nourishment."

"My dad," I explained.

"Really," Eddie said. "We'll be okay. We're not expecting anything. We usually just all pool funds and bring chips and sodas and call it good."

"You're not going to win this, Eddie," I said, pretending to whisper. "Trust me."

"That's fine for the table but you will need to eat something proper. Now, any preferences?" Deanna asked again.

Eddie looked at me for help. I motioned for him to answer.

"Uh, no? We're not allergic or anything. We'll eat whatever."

Deanna stared at him for a moment before she nodded. "If you change your mind, just let Tammy know, okay?"

"Okay."

Deanna smiled at him and looked at me. "Are you going to Joyce's today?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "We're headed there next."

"Good. I have something for you to bring her."

Something ended up being a book and a container that was filled with something that smelled like what she had been making that morning.

"So that's your mom, huh?" Eddie asked once we left the house.

"Yup. Told you you'd be fine."

"She's nice."

"I know."

"Didn't expect the food though. She knows she doesn't have to feed us, right?"

"Oh I know," I said as I climbed into the passenger seat. We took Eddie's van to head downtown. Or what was considered downtown. "She likes it though. You should have seen Steve on Thanksgiving. I think he nearly went into shock with all the leftovers she sent him home with."

"Harrington?" He asked once he started the van. I told him where we were going. "You had Harrington over for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah. I ran into him on the street when I was walking my dog. His parents were gone so I invited him over. No big deal."

"Huh," he looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "Wouldn't have expected that."

"Well, now that you met my mom, you'll probably have an open invite too. I'm not kidding. She likes feeding people."

"Yeah, I got that," he grinned. "I can see where you get it from?"

I scrunched up my face in confusion. "Feeding people?"

"Taking care of them," he said. "I mean, hard not to notice the way you look after people. Everyone's heard about the fight with Carol and I saw you in the cafeteria when you stood up to address everyone. Might have to steal that move."

"Yeah, well, had to do something. Not really my finest moments leading up to that but whatever. You live and you learn, right?"

"Only if you're lucky," he said. I didn't respond. He was right, in my experience. Luck played a lot into it. That was odd to think about. Was it considered lucky to wake up as Tammy than not wake up at all?

We got to Joyce's work in no time. The downtown core was still fairly empty because of the mall. It was really disheartening to see.

"This place is like a ghost town," Eddie muttered.

"I know," I said. "It's sad. We have a lot of good places here and they're just getting swept to the side for major corporations."

"Yeah." Eddie fell silent, like he wasn't sure what to say. I didn't push. A lot of people weren't interested in the details of capitalism and I had a specific viewpoint coming from the future and all. I knew what it was going to do. Convincing others was an entirely different matter.

"It's here," I said, opening the door to the store. We walked in, Eddie grabbing the door from me as we entered. It was empty as usual. "Hey, Joyce!"

Joyce popped out of one of the aisles. "Kate! You're here early."

"Couldn't stay away," I grinned. "I brought you some things from my mom, I think it's the next book for the book club? And I brought someone for you to meet. Joyce, this is Eddie Munson. He's the leader of the dungeons & dragons group I found that I told you about. The one I want to introduce Will to." I turned to Eddie who gave a wave. He looked terribly uncomfortable. "Eddie, this is Joyce Byers."

"Hi."

"Munson?" Joyce asks. "Is your uncle Wayne Munson?"

"Yeah. You, uh, you know him?"

"Yeah," she gave him a smile. "He's a good man. Always liked Wayne. So you…you play the dungeons & dragons?"

"I do," Eddie said. "I run the campaigns. Uh, set up the story and the villains. Make it interesting, you know?"

"No," Joyce admitted with a smile, "but my son Will? He loves it."

"It's a lot of fun," Eddie grinned. "Fantasy, adventure!"

"And all from the safety of your own home," I added.

"Well, I do like that," Joyce grinned. "You said you play?" she asked me.

"I've been known to dabble. I'll be joining the campaign with Will. That way it won't be too awkward with settling in as a new member. He won't be alone."

Joyce gave me a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"Of course," I shrugged. "We'll be set up for this weekend. Do you want to drop off Will? Or I could pick him up?"

"Jonathan can drop him off when he goes to work. If that's okay."

"Of course. Just give him my address."

After a few moments longer, where Joyce told me to thank my mother for the food and book, Eddie and I left.

"Seems you're not as bad as you thought since you're two for two with moms today."

He laughed. "Maybe it's just you they like."

"Nah," I waved it off. "They're used to me." I looked over at him. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you think parents don't like you?"

"Come on, Kate." He stepped forward a bit and turned to face me. "Look at me."

"Okay, and?"

"People call me a freak, and not just because of the D&D."

"You point those people out and they won't do it again," I said. He gave me a smile.

"You have a hero complex for freaks?"

"Only the ones I like," I teased. "Seriously though, I know you won't believe me but in the long run, the way you dress and what you like really don't matter. It's how you treat people. Anyone who can't see that is an asshole and probably doesn't even tip their servers. It wasn't just me that made Joyce or my mom feel comfortable leaving their children with you. It was you, Eddie."

"Yeah, I don't believe that."

I stopped walking and looked at him. "Wanna bet?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Let's bet on it. We'll find another adult, preferably one you already deal with at least occasionally, you talk to them like a person and we'll see the magic happen. I'll even stand back."

He crossed his arms over his chest and appeared to think about it. "What are the stakes?"

"Every time you have a good encounter, you give me 5 stat points to use at my discretion."

"And if I'm right?"

"What do you want?"

He bit at his thumb again. "You come to one of the band performances and you handle all the parent conversations from now on."

"Okay," I said. It wasn't a hardship. I held out my hand.

He looked at it. "Is this another deal with the devil?" he asked.

I grinned. "You scared?"

He clasped his hand with mine. "Nope."

"Then it's a bet."

We headed for the craft store. It had a huge sale sign in the window. I hadn't been here before but Eddie had chosen the place and I dutifully followed. The store was neat and well organized with bins that were clearly labelled.

"Hello! Welcome to Handy-Crafts!"

I looked over to see an older woman at the counter. She smiled and looked hesitant. I smiled back but I didn't engage further since I told Eddie he had to take the lead.

"Hi," he finally answered. "I'm uh…looking for some paint for some…figurines?"

"Oh?" she perked up. "What material are you painting on?"

"Pewter."

She moved around the counter. "You'll want enamel paint then. It doesn't fade as much and dries harder than acrylic."

"Really?" Eddie stepped forward, looking intrigued. "That would help keep it from chipping."

"Of course," she said. "You'll have to be careful about the extra metal that sticks out."

"I usually buff them," Eddie admitted. "I use fine grain sandpaper and a couple dental tools I picked up at the medical supply my dentist gets his stuff from."

"Oh, wonderful. One of my customers told me she's using a pin. Hell on the arthritis."

"No kidding," I muttered. I wandered around the shop as the two of them kept talking, sharing tidbits about their creations and art. I heard Eddie describing how he liked to make his figurines unique. The shopkeeper asked questions and offered advice. So much for his theory that he didn't get along with people.

I browsed the limited supply of scrapbooking material. There wasn't much but I guess the increase in the craft hadn't fully hit yet. The rise in interest only really hit in the 2000s. I made a mental note to come back and pick up some more art supplies for El. Or bring her with me.

I was lost in thought a bit, comparing the difference between the bit I remembered about craft fads back home to what I was seeing here like paint with water books, graphic spinner stencils, sand painting, and boondoggle. Eddie stepped up next to me, bag in hand.

"Are you getting anything?"

"Nope," I looked at him. "You done?"

He held up the bag. "Yup."

"So it's safe to say, I get those 5 points?" I grinned widely.

"Yeah yeah," he nudged me slightly as we left the store. He paused only to say goodbye to the woman he had been talking to. "What are you going to use them for?"

"I guess you'll find out."

"Kate?" I paused at the sound of my name being called from either side of me. I glanced around and saw Billy who was looking rough heading towards us on my right, and Steve on my left.

I looked at Billy. "Jesus, what happened to you?"

"What's this?" he nodded towards Eddie. He was already smoking.

I rolled my eyes and ignored him since he was being rude. I turned to Steve. "Hey, not working today?"

"Uh, no. I mean, not yet. I got a shift in like an hour." Steve looked at Eddie and I thought I saw his jaw clench before he nodded. "Munson."

"Harrington," Eddie greeted back.

"Hargrove," Steve nodded to Billy. Billy didn't say anything back, just took another drag of his cigarette.

"Rocky!" I threw in. They all looked at me confused. "Since we were saying names…" None of them seemed to get the reference. That was a shame. "You guys need to expand your repertoire."

"What are you doing today, Kate?" Steve asked.

"Eddie and I were just shopping," I explained. Eddie crossed his arms, looking far too amused at me.

"You're friends with this loser?" Billy asked.

"First of all, rude," I said, pointing at him. "Second of all, yes. Eddie and I are going to be playing D&D. We're getting ready for the campaign. Want to join?" Both of them shared a look of disgust and I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh.

"What happened to Ted?" Billy asked, still staring at me. "He know about this?"

"Ted?" Steve asked. "Who's Ted?"

"Her boyfriend," Billy said, sounding unimpressed. I tried not to roll my eyes again.

Steve looked at me, frowning slightly. "You have a boyfriend?"

I couldn't even tell him no since the whole point was getting Billy off my back. "Yup," I said, popping the p. "Met him at the Prince concert."

Billy scoffed again and looked away.

"You didn't strike me as a Prince fan," Eddie said. "But I'm not surprised."

"It's Prince's world, we're all just living in it," I shrugged. "And Freddie Mercury is our god."

"Not Ozzy?"

I bit back the remark about not taking him seriously since the reality show came out. "I like Sabbath but it's not my be all end all."

"Queen is definitely top dog," Steve cut in. I grinned over at him.

"Exactly."

"You never answered my question, peaches," Billy said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Considering you never answered mine, I assumed those were the rules of the game we were playing," I said dryly.

Billy stepped a bit closer. "So, does the boyfriend know?"

"Oh don't worry about my love life," I said. "Ted knows everything I do." Which was true considering he wasn't real.

"What kind of name is Ted?" Steve asked. I assumed without thinking since he looked surprised when we looked at him.

"Exactly!" Billy said, pointing his fingers holding his smoke toward Steve. They both paused and looked at each other.

"And on that note," I cut in. "we're done. Gentlemen, it's been real," I gave them a small salute. "Eddie, shall we?"

Eddie bowed in return. "We shall, milady!" He offered me his arm and I took it, passing the other two as we headed down the street. I looked back and caught Steve and Billy looking at each other like they couldn't believe what they were seeing…until they realized they were in agreement with each other and strode off back the way they came.

I laughed. "You know, I think that's the first time I've ever seen them agree on something." I nudged him slightly. "Look at you bringing the community together."

He laughed.

Eddie asked if it was alright if we stopped at his place before he drove me home. Seeing as I didn't have any plans, I didn't mind.

We headed to a trailer park. I caught Eddie glancing at me, as though he was expecting to catch me making a face or going to say something. I wasn't going to. The world was hard enough and with the way rent was skyrocketing in my time, living in a trailer wasn't a bad decision. It at least ensured you'd always have some kind of space to yourself.

I got out of the van once Eddie parked and looked around. It was nice here, aside from being close to the woods. I had yet to forget running into one of the things out there. Thank god I had Buster. Not that he had been much help, but company of any kind was appreciated.

Eddie held open the trailer door for me. I gave a 'thanks' and walked in. My gaze instantly went to the collection of mugs.

"Wow." I moved closer, trying to see if they had different designs on them. My babka collected spoons that had different locations on them. This reminded me of it.

"Hey! I bought a friend!" I heard Eddie call out. "This is Kate." I turned around to see Eddie motioning toward me. He was standing with an older man who looked like he had either just woken up or was ready to go to bed. I gave a wave.

"Hi."

The man stared at me for a moment before he nodded and moved forward, offering his hand. "Wayne," he said. I shook it. "I'm Eddie's uncle."

"Nice to meet you."

"You know Eddie from school?" he asked once he let go of my hand.

I grinned. "Yup! We met at the library though."

"We just stopped by so I could grab some tapes," Eddie said. I wasn't sure how much his uncle believed that but he didn't ask.

"You…still in school?" Wayne asked.

"Nope, graduated this year. I was helping Eddie with that, but he missed it by a very slim margin. I'm not so sure I don't believe him anymore about the teachers having it out for him…" I trailed off. He should have passed. If only because I had seen the work he did and was capable of. There was no way someone could be a dungeon master in the 80s and fail math. "Is that your collection?" I asked, motioning back to the mugs.

"It is."

"Cool. It's a good one. Is there a theme? How'd you get started?"

His uncle smiled before he started telling me. There was a theme but it wasn't obvious. It had started with his sister, Eddie's aunt, who passed away when he was young. All of the mugs had some importance to them, mainly by who he had been given them from or where they came from. A lot of them came from Eddie. They didn't have a lot of money and Eddie had given him a mug each year for a birthday or holiday, likely one he picked up from the thrift store. Wayne treasured each one. It was clear from the way he spoke about them.

"Ready?" Eddie asked as he came back into the room with what looked like a lunch box in his hand.

"As ever," I said.

"Shall we?" he asked.

I looked at Wayne and smiled. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too, Kate. Take care out there."

"Always. You too." I left before we got caught in a circular agreement of making sure we all kept safe. Eddie held open the door for me again. "Your uncle's nice."

"Yeah?" he looked a little surprised at that.

"Yeah. He was cool. I like his mugs."

Eddie grinned at me. "That's because I have great taste."

"Or he does."

"Had to get it from somewhere," he says.

"Alright, you got me there." I climbed into the passenger seat and waited for him.

"So," Eddie tucked the lunchbox in the space between the seats before starting the van and looking at me. "Where to?"

"Home, Jeeves," I grinned. "Please."

"As milady commands."

[tbc]