Time After Time (a Stranger Things fanfiction)

Only in My Dreams

"Only in My Dreams"

No, only in my dreams

As real as it may seem

It was only in my dreams

- Debbie Gibson

Will looked dejected, coming out of the school toward Joyce's waiting car. He hated these appointments, the constant reminder that he wasn't the same as the other kids, and hated even more that they were always during the school day, pulling him away from his favorite things. Joyce had tried to get Hawkins Lab to reschedule, but they always gave her a very polite runaround before scheduling for the same time again. She thought they did it just to prove they could.

But she brightened up when she saw him anyway. She always did now—it was such a relief to look at his little face, to know he was still here, still with her. The principal had escorted him out, and now he opened the car door for Will and helped him in while Joyce went around to the driver's side.

"I should get Jonathan to teach you to drive," she told him cheerfully. "You'd like that." What did it matter that he was too young? Anything to put a smile on his face.

"I like my bike."

"Yeah, the bike's good, too. How were the guys today?"

Will shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

"Mike?"

"Mom, Mike's okay!"

The vehemence in his tone told her Mike still wasn't okay—he was still struggling with the loss of Eleven. Joyce wished more than anything she could tell Karen Wheeler what her son had been through, make the other woman understand, but that was impossible. The best she could do was suggest that Karen give Mike a break, and even that was hard to say now. It had been so long that Karen thought they should all be past it.

Driving down the road with this silent child where her chatterbox had been, Joyce glanced over at him. Will was leaning his head against the window, looking out. She thought about asking to buy his thoughts for a penny, but she didn't think she wanted to know.

"You feeling any better?" she ventured at last. "Will?"

He turned his head, as if she'd startled him. "Huh? Uh ... yeah. Yeah. Sorry."

"Hey," she told him, "what'd we talk about, huh? You've got to stop it with the sorrys." After what he'd been through, Joyce didn't think he ever needed to apologize again, but he was so embarrassed by being the center of attention, so uncomfortable with the weight of everyone's worry on him.

"Sorry," Will said without thinking. "I mean—I mean, yeah. I know."

"Hey, listen, you know, there's nothing to be nervous about. You know, just tell 'em what you felt last night, what you saw. Hey, I'm gonna be there the whole time, so it's gonna be okay. Okay?" They had finally decided the lab needed to know about his episodes, and Joyce had been chilled to see how not-surprised Dr. Owens was.

"Okay." Will wasn't convinced, though, and he leaned his head against the window again, cutting off any further conversation.

Joyce was relieved to see Hopper already waiting for them when they pulled in. She felt better with him there. He was less emotional about all of this, and saw things more clearly than she did because of it.