Time After Time (a Stranger Things fanfiction)

Walk on By

"Walk on By"

Foolish pride

Is all that I have left

So let me hide

The tears and the sadness

- Dionne Warwick

Joyce was restocking a shelf full of laundry detergent when she heard the door bell jingle and heavy footsteps coming across the floor. "Be right there!" she called.

Hopper came around the corner, lifting his hat slightly, although there was nothing else about him that would have indicated he knew her at all. Come to think of it, he'd probably have been more polite if it had been someone else, Joyce thought. "Don't worry about it," he said as he went past. "I know the way."

"Sure. Of course you do." She watched him walk down the aisle to the pharmacy. Another prescription, then.

By now everyone knew about him, including Dr. Barnes behind the counter, but as long as the prescriptions were legitimate, which they always seemed to be, no one could do anything about his continued abuse of the prescription drugs. Or his drinking. Or the way he slept around. Apparently he was still charming when he wanted to be, enough so that woman after woman overlooked the big flashing red danger sign and thought she could fix him.

Not that Joyce would have known that from talking to him. The most she ever got from him was a tip of the hat and a "Joyce."

And then she'd do what she was doing now—watch him go by and worry that he was going to kill himself, the rate he was going, and worry even more that maybe that was what he was trying to do.

She picked up most of her information from listening to gossip, although even that was hard to do—enough people remembered them being together in high school that they didn't want to talk about him in front of her.

Not that she had any business worrying about him, anyway—she had Jonathan and Will to worry about, and that was enough for any given day.

He came back down the aisle while she was still standing there holding a carton of detergent. "Joyce."

"Hopper."

As he went by, she turned around, suddenly anxious to get something more out of him than that, just to reassure herself. "Nice to see you."

Startled, he stopped, looking at her over his shoulder. "Yeah. Same here." Then he kept going, and she heard the bell jingle again as he left.

Well, that had been a bust. She wished she hadn't said anything. Sighing, she heaved the detergent onto the shelf and reached for the next box.

*****

In the grocery store, Hopper rounded a corner, his cart full of beer and cold cuts and chips so that anyone who didn't know him—anyone who didn't live in Hawkins—would think maybe he was having a party. Party of one, he thought. Pity party, he added with a bitter smile.

The smile was still on his face when he recognized the small, thin figure in front of him, reaching up for a box of cereal that had been pushed to the back of the top shelf.

Briefly, shamefully, he considered turning around and exiting the aisle, pretending he was never here and hadn't seen her. Then he kicked himself and called himself a coward and continued down the aisle, reaching easily over her head to grasp the box.

Joyce's eyes widened in surprise when she recognized him, and she clutched the box of cereal to her chest when he handed it to her. She was still way too thin, her face drawn and worried and all eyes. Did she never stop to eat? Or did she give the lion's share to her growing boys and go hungry herself?

Without seeming to, Hopper looked over the items in her cart. Other than the pricy new Donkey Kong cereal she was holding, everything else was generic, or on sale. Cans of vegetables five for a dollar, pasta, hamburger.

She must have noticed him looking, even though he had used his best police glance, because she said defensively, "This stuff is new. Will really wanted to try it. All his friends have it."

Her life in three sentences, he thought. Trying to keep up with the middle class of Hawkins on the pittance Donald probably paid her at Melvald's. Skimping and saving so she could buy small treats for the boys.

"Looks like good stuff. I haven't had anything like that in—" He closed his eyes in pain, Sara sneaking up on him the way she did any time he tried to be normal. Because of course the last time he'd eaten whimsical cereal had been with her.

Joyce's face mirrored the pain he felt. She had always been like that, sensitive to the feelings of people around her, taking them on as her own. "Sorry," she whispered.

"Yep." Without another word, he steered his cart around hers and left her there in the aisle with her precious box of cereal.

*****

On the sidewalk outside the movie theater, waiting in line for the doors to open for Poltergeist—a luxury she probably shouldn't have splurged on, but the look on Will's face when she told him they could go had been more than worth it—Joyce saw Hopper coming. Briefly, she wondered if he was seeing the movie, then realized how impossible that would be for him. Ghosts, and a possessed little girl? Not in a million years was he ready for something like that.

To her surprise, he slowed when he saw her. "Joyce."

"Hopper." When he didn't continue on, she hastily added, "This is my son, Will. Will, Chief Hopper."

"Hey, kid." Hopper held out a hand for Will to shake, which Will did, somewhat hesitantly. Why did people shake hands, anyway, Joyce wondered. Seemed like a good way to pass germs along more than anything else. "You sure you're up for this?" He gestured toward the marquee, which spelled out POLTERGEIST in big black letters.

"Yeah! I can handle it," Will said confidently. Joyce wasn't so sure, but she supposed they would see. Truth be told, he was probably more ready for the scary movie than she was. "My mom got us tickets."

Hopper glanced at her, quickly, then looked back at Will. "She's a good mom."

Will nodded. "The best."

Joyce couldn't help but smile. She ruffled Will's hair. "I don't know about that, buddy, but I suppose I have my moments."

"You have lots of them," Will assured her. He moved up in line, leaving Joyce and Hopper looking at one another.

"Good kid," Hopper said. He was impressed by the kid's open face and confidence. You heard a lot about Joyce and her boys, but everything he had seen of them indicated she was doing a good job with them, despite the challenges.

"Thanks. He's ... He's going to be someone special," she said, her eyes lingering on him with a look that touched Hopper's heart even as his chest flooded with bitter envy.

"Well. Enjoy the movie," he said gruffly, and he moved off, leaving her to catch up with Will, the specter of Sara in front of him a more haunting image than any film studio could dream up.