Jopper: The Unspoken Connection

Chapter One: Something Special

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Rolling over, staring at his face a wave of anger hit me, a level of anger I had never felt before. I always wanted to have happiness but I know I could never truly be happy with HIM, so while waiting for him to wake I couldn't help but fantasise about a different existence for me, Jonathan and Will away from him, away from this marriage, away from this life. Lonnie, my husband, rolled over and smiled at me with his discoloured and broken teeth showing and immediately I turned over waiting for my knight in shining armour to save me from this life of despair.

"BREAKFAST" I boomed upstairs, calling Will and Jonathan, just as I dropped the open carton of milk and quickly tried to clean it up before Lonnie saw... too slow. "Joyce are you really so incompetent?! Do I have to remind you what happened last time you made such a mess of my house?!" he sternly spoke through gritted teeth and his fists clenched. As I pleaded that it was only an accident Jonathan and Will ran down the stairs to see what all of the commotion was about. Saved by the bell. "Oh nothing sweetie" I reassured as Lonnie watched on. Will continued asking if I was sure but Lonnie was still too tired for this, "She said it was nothing! Okay?!". Will shrunk to the floor and helped me clean the mess without giving his father even a nod in response. As soon as the mess was cleaned Lonnie left the kitchen to sit on his ass while I do all the work as usual and so when breakfast was eventually finished Lonnie complained he was going to be late to work because of my accident when it was actually because he can't be bothered to get off his ass... but I would have never said that to him. Will goes to leave for school before being stopped by Lonnie "And where do you think you are going?!" his beer and cigarette stained breath filled Will's nostrils as he held back from gagging, "school" he replied shyly. "Not today you're not, after the saving grace act you pulled earlier you really think you're getting off that easy? Ha think again!", Will knew exactly what was coming as he immediately walked upstairs, bracing himself for the beating he was about to get.

Covered in bruises, limping and crying Will walked through Hawkins forest until he found a clearing where he completely broke down onto the floor and sobbed until it felt like there were no more tears left and thats when the rain started... as if the skies were crying for him. He needed shelter from the torrential rain and not even the trees were enough to cover him so he erected a small shelter made of sticks that he planned to call 'Castle Byers' in order to have somewhere to escape from his abusive father. As the rain poured onto the roof of the newly assembled 'Castle Byers' the tears still rolled down Will's cheeks as he weeped very loudly. The sound of a child weeping always catches the attention of the cops in this town and just as Will got the strength to stagger out of Castle Byers the new cop in town, Hopper, saw and heard most of Will's breakdown and so asked Will why he was so hysterical. "Oh, it's nothing", Will said sheepishly as he wiped his last tears away, "I need to go home, my dad doesn't like me talking to cops, bye". Will tried to quickly walk away but obviously Hopper caught up with him and asked where his bruises and limp came from in serious voice but Will shut him down and tried to walk away again but the same as the last time Hopper caught him and said, "look if you can't talk, one of your parents will... where do you live?" Will timidly replied "maybe it's easier if I just show you". And so Hopper and Will set off through Hawkins forest and quickly arrived at the Byers home.

"come in, my mom will be here somewhere, but my dads at work, so just have a sit in the lounge while I find her" Will said coyly. Hopper then took a seat directly in Lonnie's chair, without realising, and found a bag of suspicious white powder underneath the armrest and left it out on the coffee table just as Will returned downstairs with me in tow. "Mrs...?" he asked. "Byers" I replied as I looked him up and down realising which chair he was in... and how good he looked in it... a lot better than Lonnie ever did. Hopper questioned me on Will's bruises and limp and I simply explained that Will had a nasty fall the other night on his bike coming home from the Wheeler's, which couldn't be further from the truth. Hopper then proceeded to pick up the bag of white powder and asked if I recognised it and I denied even knowing it was inside the house, which actually was the truth. He explained there was a big drug dealing ring going on inside Hawkins and that he was transferred to Hawkins PD to investigate it and so he needed to take the bag of powder back to the station to test it and if it was the substance he thought and he would be back to question me and Lonnie further. 'Lonnie won't be happy' was the only thought my brain could comprehend as the shock of what just happened settled in. The worst part wasn't even that Lonnie would be mad... it's the fact I had just spent the entire conversation mesmerised by him and watching his every minuscule movement because... I didn't know what it was... but there was something special about him. As Hopper reached the door, I was still sat in shock but I managed to say, "Hey, sorry I couldn't be much help but my best friend Karen Wheeler, who lives 5 minutes away, always knows the gossip around here so maybe I could take you there and see if she can help?". All I wanted was to spend more time with this fine ass man because there was definitely something... different about him. "Sure! That would be great but first I need to log this evidence", as he shook the bag of powder, "at the station and then I'll meet you back here? Half an hours time?", "Yes, sounds great... well not great but well..." I stuttered as I walked towards to door to let him out. "See you later" we both said it at the same time followed with a laugh as I shut the door behind him.

—— 30 minutes later ——

KNOCK KNOCK! 2 rasps on the door... it's him. Eagerly I jumped off the couch to greet him at the door and just as I passed the lounge room window I saw Lonnie's car pull up on the driveway. SHIT! I quickly opened the door and tried to whisk Hopper away before Lonnie staggered out of his car and thankfully we just managed to get away without talking to him, although I was almost sure he saw us. Great, another 'mess' he won't want... especially since Hopper was in his uniform... SHIT! Lonnie hated cops and punished any of us if we even spoke to them in the street never mind at his house or walked them around Hawkins... weeeellllllll it was a bit late by then.

"So Mrs Byers... if you don't mind me asking... how long have you been married?", Hopper inquired. I explained I had been married ever since I became pregnant with Jonathan, when I was 19. "Are you married?", I followed. "No, once upon a time I was... way back when... when..." he went to reply. I reassured him and told him it was fine and that maybe it's a story for another time but he continued, "when... well, it was around the time of the war lets just leave it there for now".

Slowly but surely we arrived at the Wheeler's but before we entered Hopper stopped me with his large, masculine hand on my shoulder and asked, "Hey Byers, just before we talk to your best friend and in order to not seem ignorant, what is your name?... I'm Jim by the way, Jim Hopper". I quickly replied, "Joyce... now shall we?", as I gestured towards the door even though I wanted to savour this moment forever... but thats not how life works I guess...

I walked him inside the Wheeler house and shouted of Karen, my best friend, and slowly but eventually she floated down the stairs at the sight of the hot new cop and ushered me out the door so they could 'talk in private'... poor Ted, her husband, wouldn't be the first time she tried it on with a younger man... but why would I care, its her life and I'd only met him twice so I couldn't be getting too territorial yet... plus I was married so its not like I could go after him... no matter how much I wanted to.

—— 4 hours later ——

"JOYCE! Open up! It's me", the familiar voice of Karen Wheeler bellowed from outside. I anxiously let her in, knowing Lonnie would be home any second because he finished work hours ago so god knows where he is. "So... Hopper... mmmmm now he's a bit of me I can't lie", she proceeded. "You're married", I stated. "And? I didn't say I would do anything, I'm just saying we can't lie that he's hot... unless... unless you wouldn't want me making a move on him", she suggested through stifled laughter during the last part. "I'm married", I responded. "Yes I know, but what's the harm with fantasising about life with someone else because as only we and God know that we are only married to Ted and Lonnie because we got knocked-up all them years ago", she replied. I reminded her that my children were only upstairs and my house wasn't soundproofed and she stopped, now I knew they couldn't hear anything but at least she shut up for now. "But, yes, he is hot and the only thing holding me back from latching onto him and never letting go is this stupid ring.", I said while gesturing towards my wedding ring. "Joyce, you are my best friend and I can tell you and Lonnie are deeply unhappy and have a deeply troubled relationship and it kills me I can't help you or the kids and this could be your way out, Joyce honestly trust me", Karen kept trying to persuade me to see if something could happen with Hopper but I knew I couldn't do that to my family even if we aren't happy all the time... there has been some good times... I think.

"Soooo? Are you going to-", she cut off as Lonnie walked through the front door. "Go on. Finish. Don't stop on my account ladies." Lonnie interrupted. "No it's fine, you were just leaving... weren't you Karen?" I continued. "Uhm yeah... but seriously think about what I said. Please." Karen muttered as she gathered her bag and left. And all I could think about was Hopper, like a curse that wouldn't leave my brain. "So you had a good chat then?", Lonnie queried. "Yeah she just-", I tried, "She? He looked very masculine in that police uniform earlier!", Lonnie forcefully said.

SHIT!

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Thanks for reading :)

Hope you enjoyed and I'll get the next part out as soon as I can.

This is trying to make up for the messy travesty that was 'byler: the secret romance' - hopefully the twists in this won't be so big lmao