The Disappearances ➙ Steve Harrington [01]( complete )

xiii. holly

xiii. holly

When Jackie said she would stay home with her mother, she was expecting to sit at home and watch MTV with her while going through baby photo albums of herself, Jonathan and Will while drinking large amounts of coffee.

What she wasn't expecting was her mother to come in through the back door with the big box of christmas shit, a large plastic bag of new christmas lights and black paint with paint brushes.

The box was rough and with bent corners with the words 'X-MAS' written in a thin tip sharpie. Joyce drug the box across the 70s tile floor, her confused daughter standing there with a cup of coffee in her hand, wearing a pair of jeans and a Journey t-shirt that was much too big for her, one of Jonathan's she stole a while ago.

"Mom?" She asked holding the coffee with both hands with one eyebrow raised, the other pointing to the box as her mother quickly worked, "What're you doing?" Joyce huffed as she worked not wanting to seem crazy to her daughter, "We're going to talk to Will."

At this Jackie put her coffee cup down and looked at her mother, she knew her mother wasn't crazy, she believed her. Will was somewhere waiting for them, and he was somehow contacting them, she could feel it. So she got on her knees and helped her mother unpack the christmas box filled with decorations.

Joyce looked at her daughter with admiration, "Y-Your not gonna argue?" She looked at her mother with a curious gaze, "Why would I argue with you mom?"

"Jonathan thinks I'm crazy-"

"Jonathan is just really scared mom..." Jackie whispered, "We all are, and if being rational is his way of coping then we need to let him be rational." She held onto her mother's hand and smiled at her, "But we... are going to have hope that Will is talking to us." Joyce reached forward and hugged her daughter tight, this being the first hug they've had since Will had gone missing, the first talk they'd had about Will being gone.

Joyce sucked in a breath, "I'm so sorry for blaming you baby... It's not your fault at all for Will, you had no idea-"

She shook her head, "I should've been here mom I was-" She paused not knowing if she could tell her mom, but she trusted her, "I was... out, with someone, and they kinda saved me." Joyce looked at her daughter with a surprised smile, "Out? Out with who?And how'd they save you?"

"Steve Harrington." Jackie huffed, as her mother looked at her shocked, "Steve Harrington? Your ex boyfriend Steve Harrington?" She nodded while her mother continued, "Well what is that all about?"

She shrugged, "The white thing coming out of the wall? I saw it too, it chased me in the woods, mom." Joyce gasped as Jackie raised her hands and shook them back and forth, "But I'm fine! Steve helped me out, and drove me out of there."

Joyce let out a relieved breath as her daughter smiled, "He bought me a slushie and we just... talked, it was nice."

"But?"