somewhere only we know

i'm gonna tear into your soul

"You just think you're always right, don't you?"

"No, actually... but now that you mention it, I have been right about - let's see - my son not being dead, that fucked up place still having control over him... um, the magnetic fucking force field being off, and 'you' being alive!" Joyce seethed through her teeth, her eyes wide with anger as they went off on each other. She was being extra dramatic, - she knew herself well enough - using her hands to count off each event as she named them, because she was furious with where this little stir-up had gone. God forbid she make a suggestion to improve the lives of her family... their fucking family, after doing it solo for many years. She thought that people would actually start to listen to her by now, and take her recommendations and ideas seriously... not even the one closest to her could give her the time of day. "Forgive me for thinking that I may just know what's best or have some damn good advice for keeping my family safe!"

She felt silly, wearing this shimmery, revealing night gown that was white and being held up by frilly, thin straps. The lingerie was way out of her comfort zone, but she had dug the piece of fabric out from one of their dresser drawers. The compartment was filled with different one and two-piece outfits that she had bought for Lonnie and Bob in the past. The current climate didn't really call for buying a new bra and panty set, because... well, the only shop in town that sold such ravishing pieces met its' demise with the opening of 'Hell'. Her sexual advances on Lonnie in any of those outfits were failed attempts that ended up in nasty fights, guaranteed... and Bob, well... as nice of a guy as he was, he didn't make her tick the same way Hopper did. With no need to have the material at easy access, she pushed those pieces to the very bottom of her drawers. Needless to say, she never wore any of the special undergarments she owned again... until tonight, that is. The 'one' time she dared to dig out something for their celebratory night, - with the hope that seeing her in this 'get-up' would occupy his and her own mind - and the night looked like it was going to end with them bickering rather explosively at each other... attitude, yelling, the two of them had it all.

This night had taken a complete one-eighty from what she had anticipated.

Everything started with the news they received at the ripe, early hour of six-thirteen in the morning. There were warning sirens going off, the news was blaring away on the television, and the obnoxious sound of helicopters weren't far from their little cabin. Jonathan was the one to come wake both her and Hopper up to alert them of what had occurred overnight. When they both dressed in a hurry and rushed out the front door of the cabin, they were greeted with squad cars and tanks and huge, stark white testing tents that were set up not even fifty miles out from their home.

Fuck... you've got to be kidding...

The Upside Down was expanding, and now, the danger was making its' way for the place they called home ever since they returned from Russia. No, it wasn't much, but it was a roof over their heads, and Hopper had done quite the patch-up and remodel on his cabin to make it friendly for five people. He put in so much work and effort - every day - making the once tiny cabin at least another room larger, and even having given El her own shed for some privacy away from the boys. She appreciated every bit of compassion and love he put into each addition, and she didn't want to think about the day that it would all crumble beneath them, nor did she want to be around to watch it happen. She, Will, and Jonathan had already lost two places they called home, and El had struggled to find and hang onto a place and the people she called her home. Joyce didn't want any of their children constantly moving around anymore.

The increasing danger coming for them was unavoidable, but she was certain that they needed to find a permanent home away from Hawkins.

The unnerving event had set a particular tone for the rest of the day, one that forced them out of the cabin and on a short road-trip to the neighboring town. The entire family was starting to bite at each other's necks, and it would only get worse the longer they remained cooped up in one place. No plans for the trip... just distractions. Joyce and Hopper were originally supposed to be spending their night at a five-star hotel just outside of Hawkins, but that was before the impending doom had pulled right up into their backyard. Within a matter of hours, their entire date night managed to fall apart. Since the news had put a damper on the rest of the day and cancelled all foreseeable commitments they had, she was hardly in the mood to be walking around this dinky, little stretch of blocks and small businesses unfamiliar to her. Being in this neighboring town with the sun beating down on them, and the commotion in the streets due to the busy Sunday afternoon, was still much more manageable than being stuck in their cabin together. Every single one of them was noticeably tense, and the air between her and Hopper felt especially heavy.