[COMPLETED UNTIL SEASON 5]
Ana Thompson always seems to wind up in the strangest predicaments...
A perpetual victim of Murphy's Law, Ana finds herself arriving in Hawkins, Indiana just prior to the events of November 6th, 1983.
And, just prior to f...
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ANA HAD GIVEN much thought and consideration to just opening up the door and jumping out onto the awaiting road, she really had. Sure, the car was progressing toward Hawkins Lab pretty rapidly, but she was reasonably confident she could time it just right, tuck and roll, and everything would be for the best. At least then, she wouldn't have to listen to Hopper and Joyce's constant bickering.
Was freedom worth the cost of some road rash? Yeah, probably, she mused.
Nevertheless, her escape plan hadn't came to fruition, and by the time the trio arrived at their destination, it had begun steadily pouring. The dreary and damp atmosphere added to their collective dread. No one was particularly fond of revisiting the site of so much misfortune and strife.
Pulling up astride the front doors, Hopper parked his vehicle and exited with Ana and Joyce in tow. After retrieving the bolt cutters and flashlights from the bed of the SUV, their motley crew trudged toward the entrance with a shared sense of trepidation. Would finding something dwelling inside be to anyone's benefit? Of course not. Yet, discovering the building decidedly empty, would only create further anxiety as Joyce's case of the missing magnetism would remain unsolved.
When the chains sealing the building from visitors were cut, Hopper made a grand entrance of sarcastically yelling, "hello? Anybody home? We come in peace." He neglected to notice Joyce standing stiff by the door, eyes and flashlight trained on the spot where she'd witnessed Bob being torn to shreds by the demodog.
Ana did notice, however, and none too gently elbowed Hopper in the gut while telling him to, "drop the attitude." Finally realizing that they were treading into sensitive territory, he asked if Joyce was okay, even offering for her to wait in the car instead. Joyce rejected the proposal, insisting she was well enough to continue exploring further with a stout shake of the head.
Ana took him up on the suggestion, though. "I'll gladly wait in the car while y'all do...whatever," Ana announced to the duo, before spinning on her heels and heading in the proposed direction. Yet, her rapid exit was cut short when Hopper's hand wrapped around her right bicep, halting her retreat entirely. The man proceeded to forcefully drag Ana to a nearby alcove despite her complaints of, "Jesus, Hop, unhand me."
Once he had apparently located a spot far enough from Joyce's purview, Hopper did let her go, in favor of pinning Ana with a firm glare and a set frown. "What's your problem?" Hopper questioned lowly.
What was her problem? Ana scoffed at the question. She had a multitude of problems presently, none of which she felt she could adequately communicate to Hopper while they stood inside a decimated Hawkins Lab with Joyce lingering a few feet away.
Ana was tired, not just physically, although that was a harsh reality too, but emotionally drained. When she'd moved to Hawkins, Indiana, all those years ago, it was supposed to be a fresh start. The great equalizer that would provide some sense of normalcy to her otherwise abnormal life. That false sense of hope had hardly lasted a minute, she thought bitterly.
Nothing had gone the way it was supposed to. Rather than managing a peaceful existence, her life was perpetually filled with monsters and mayhem, with seemingly no end in sight. She had an adopted daughter who couldn't be seen in public, one she couldn't even tell her family about for fear of the repercussions. Her boyfriend was a paranoid conspiracy theorist who was still on the tail end of some notable substance abuse problems, and one whom she couldn't seem to effectively help through his trauma. In all fairness, Ana wasn't a walk in the park either. She had self-isolating tendencies and an innate inability to express her inner turmoil because of...well, because of some deep-set fear of being abandoned for conveying any weakness.
But, Ana was weak, and she was exhausted, and, frankly, disenchanted with her life. Still, none of this was what she expressed to Hopper as he stood impatiently waiting for her response to his question. Instead, out of some deluded sense of self-preservation, Ana opted to pick a fight.
"Maybe I'm just not thrilled to be third-wheeling it on another one of you and Joyce's adventures," Ana answered sarcastically, before crossing her arms as a way of bracing herself for the oncoming argument.
The look Ana received from Hopper at her statement could only be described as incredulous. "This again?" He proclaimed while throwing his arms up in exasperation. She expected him to start yelling, ranting about how they'd been over this enough times that Ana should have moved past it by now. She assumed he'd gripe about her continued insecurity over him and Joyce's strictly platonic friendship. He didn't, though, and that only proved Hopper wasn't finished surprising her just yet.
Instead, he stepped forward and gently cradled her face in both his hands, tilting her chin upwards to ensure they were making eye contact, albeit begrudgingly. His eyes were such a deep blue, like the ocean after a storm, and Ana realized she hadn't taken much note of them before.
Letting out a tired sigh, Hopper's breath fanned over her face due to their close proximity. "I love you, only you," he promised, his fingers applying just the softest amount of pressure to the base of her hairline. The sincerity in his voice made Ana's animosity dissipate, disappearing like smoke between her fingertips. It wasn't his fault she couldn't find the words to properly express the doubts slowly devouring her mind, that blame resided with her alone.
Raising both her hands to rest upon Hopper's broad chest, Ana gripped the material of his uniform between her long fingers and confessed, "I know, I'm sorry. It's just that the endless amount of drama in our lives is starting to get to me." Among other things, a voice on the outskirts of her mind warned, but she bullied it back into the recesses it had come from without a second thought.
"Don't tell me you're upset about the non-sticking magnets too," Hopper joked, trying to introduce some lightness into their stilted conversation. The absurdity had them both chuckling. Fucking magnets and the trouble they had unjustly caused that day.
At the mention of Joyce's frivolous venture, the pair peered back at the woman in question who glared at them in return, her expression stating, 'can we get a move on already?'
Turning back towards one another, Ana and Hopper shared an uneasy glance over what was to come. "I've gotta go check this out real quick," Hopper concluded, effectively bringing their moment to an end. "You wait in the car until we're done." Ana nodded mutely in agreement, giving Hopper one final peck on the lips before heading off towards their vehicle.
He'd watched her go, his eyes lingering on Ana's retreating figure longer than necessary. He knew there were things she wasn't telling him, thoughts locked up in that mind of hers like a vice. He, too, was keeping his own secrets, ones which he knew it wasn't the time, nor the place, to delve into.
Once the sound of the car door slamming echoed from down the walkway, Hopper turned back to Joyce, ready to begin their exploration of Hawkins Lab. He assumed their mission would be fruitless, a formality necessary to relieve them all of lingering questions and doubts.
