Time After Time (a Stranger Things fanfiction)

Always

"Always"

Days may not be fair always

That's when I'll be there always.

When the things you've planned

Need a helping hand

I will understand always.

- Irving Berlin

A few days later, when El and Will were at Mike's house for a party, Joyce found Jonathan having a sandwich in the kitchen. He had just come home from work. His camera was on the table, and from the bathroom Joyce could hear the shower running, which meant Nancy must be here. She had never talked to Karen Wheeler about how much time Nancy spent at the Byers' house. Joyce didn't mind, and she thought Karen might, so she had decided not to get involved. Both the kids would be happier that way, she believed.

She sat down across the table from Jonathan. "Hey. You have a minute?"

"Yeah, Mom. What's up?"

"I ... wanted to talk to you. About ... plans, now that we have Eleven to think about."

Jonathan nodded, his mouth full of sandwich.

"It's going to be weird for her—weird for all of us—when school starts up again."

"So what are you thinking?" His gaze was direct, and Joyce thought as she had so many times before how grateful she was for her oldest son, for his steadiness, and his constant support, and how much she wished she hadn't had to lean on him so much.

"I'm thinking—about leaving Hawkins."

Jonathan put his sandwich down, his dark eyes wide and distressed. "Really? But—we've always lived in Hawkins."

"I know. My whole life in this small town. Everyone knows everything about me, and about us. As long as I live here, I'll be the scatter-brained one, the one with problems, the one whose husband left her, and you'll be the one who doesn't talk, and Will'll be ... zombie boy, and now we'll have to explain Eleven, and people think I—they don't know what happened with Bob, or Hopper, but they know I was there, and they think—" Joyce caught herself, the ache of tears back in her throat. "I can't blame them, not really, but I want—I want a fresh start. For me, and for Will, and for El, and for you, if you want it."

She waited for his response, but he was thinking, the way he did, and she knew he would wait until he was sure he had thought it all through before he spoke.

Joyce went on, "I know that you have your job here, and you have Nancy, and if you want to stay, then we'll—we'll figure something out. Hopper—Hopper left us everything." Her voice broke, and she put a hand over her face to try to stop the tears from coming. "He left us everything," she said again, "to take care of Eleven, so we'll be fine for money, if you want to stay here, in the house, and—"

"No." It wasn't Jonathan's voice breaking in, but Nancy's. Neither Jonathan or Joyce had heard the shower stop or the bathroom door open, but there Nancy was, with her hand on Jonathan's shoulder. "You need Jonathan with you, and he—he's meant for more than Hawkins." She squeezed his shoulder, the love she had for him clear in her eyes.

Jonathan looked up at her with gratitude. "She's right. You need me. And—I don't want Will to grow up without me. Or Eleven."

"Are you sure?" Joyce looked at both of them. "Because we'll be okay, really, if you—" It was a lie. She didn't know what she would do without him. Clearing her throat, she said, "But I would rather have you with us, if it's not going to hold you back ..."

Jonathan reached for Nancy's hand, holding it tightly. "I'm sure."

"We're sure," Nancy added.

Joyce got to her feet and put her arms around this tiny girl who had been strong so many times when they needed her. "I wish you could come with us."

Nancy clung to her. "Me, too."

"But we'll visit, and we'll call, and ..."

"Visit from where?" Jonathan asked. "Where are we going?"

Joyce smiled through the tears that were rolling down her cheeks, letting go of Nancy. "I was thinking maybe ... California. I know it's far, but it doesn't snow, and it's a fresh start."

She held her breath waiting for him to argue that it was too far, but Jonathan was nodding thoughtfully. "I could go for that. Warm, and sunny, and not in Hawkins." He put his arm around Nancy's shoulders. "Excuse us, if you don't mind, Mom?"

"Sure. You guys have a lot to talk about." Joyce watched them go, heading down the hall to Jonathan's room, and then scavenged what was left of his sandwich. That had gone better than she expected. Now to tackle Will, and Eleven ... and Mike.