Time After Time (a Stranger Things fanfiction)

Crazy

"Crazy"

Crazy, for thinking that my love could hold you

I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying

- Patsy Cline

Joyce was sitting in the wreckage of her living room when car lights shining through the window woke her from the near-stupor she had fallen into, exhausted and riddled with guilt for having had to send Will away instead of being able to go in there—wherever there was—and fight that monster for him.

Hopper? she thought, squinting blearily in the light. Jonathan? Surely it was time for Jonathan to be coming home by now.

She pushed herself up off the floor and went outside in time to see a snazzy black car pull up. Joyce had never seen it before, but she recognized it anyway—it was Lonnie's. He always managed to have a cool black car, no matter how dire the rest of his circumstances might have been. His wife and children might be down to their last box of macaroni and cheese, but the car got taken care of.

The last thought flickered through her mind without emotion. Whatever Lonnie had done before, he was here now. He was Will's father, and Will was gone, and Lonnie had come.

"Hey. Babe." He came toward her now, concern written in his face. "What the hell happened?"

Without thinking Joyce reached out her arms and Lonnie held her. Being in his arms felt so familiar and safe. Lonnie always knew what to do. He would know what to do now. She could relax.

And with that thought, she fell apart, weeping against his shoulder as she had countless times before when things got to be too much. And as he always did, he kissed her hair and held her and promised her that everything would be all right, that he would take care of everything.

Too tired to do anything more, Joyce believed him, letting him lead her inside the house.

*****

Hopper pulled up to the lab, near the woods, what the kids had called, what was it, Mirkwood?, and got out of the truck, bringing the big wire cutters with him. He cut the fence, slipping in with more noise than he would have liked. Might have to think about cutting down on the beer.

As he moved through the grounds, he was glad for his training—after his visit to their security room, he remembered most of the places their cameras covered, and could see some of the others, so he arrived at a side door undetected. Then he waited until two of the scientists came out so he could grab the door before it closed behind them, slipping in without need of a card to open the door.

It looked like an office. A bare, cold, uninviting office you would never want to work in, sure, but an office nonetheless. Normal.

Hopper moved quickly but cautiously down the halls. It was late enough at night that most people had left for the day, but there were still a few out and about who he had to avoid. He wasn't even sure what he was looking for until he found it: a hallway blocked off with plastic and marked with big yellow hazmat warning stickers.

Hazmat. Well, hell.

Nothing for it but to go in, and worry about the consequences later. Would anyone really notice if he grew a second head, anyway? He unzipped the plastic and stepped through the opening.

This hallway was much more clinical. No more wood paneling. This was all in white tile, with harsher, more industrial lighting.

It ended in a turn and a pair of doors that were locked against him. Only a card was getting him through these doors. Damn it.