Jailbird || Stranger Things

sixteen ➵ nancy drew

"Ghost."

    Teresa looked up from her coffee, watching as Eleven came into her room, a sheet over her head.

    "I wouldn't bet on it, kiddo. But try," she smiled, nodding towards the kitchen where Hopper was attempting to not burn the french toast and bacon.

    As expected, Hopper jumped from the sudden appearance of El behind him, Teresa watching from the front door, where she was packing her bag for the day with one hand.

    It took the whole of the previous day to get Hopper to agree to let her go to a party. An almost full night's sleep helped her out in that department.

    "Sure is Halloween," Hopper agreed to El's pitch, plating up. "But right now, it's breakfast, okay? Come on, let's eat."

    Teresa joined them, picking up the three plates and looking to El. "Sorry honey," she gave the girl a small smile.

    "They wouldn't see me," El continued to try, turning to Hopper who was putting condiments on the table.

    "Who wouldn't see you?"

    "The bad men."

    "What are you talking about?"

    "She wants to go trick-or-treating," Teresa translated, Hopper looking between both of his daughters.

    "You both know the rules," he said, looking around. "Reese, where's the maple syrup?"

    "Yes, but—"

    "So you know the answer," Hopper told El, Teresa reaching behind him to pass the syrup.

    "No, but they wouldn't see me!"

    "No, hey," Hopper turned, holding onto El's shoulders to make her look at him. "I don't care."

    "But they wouldn't see me," the girl was a second away from stomping her foot in annoyance.

    "I don't care, all right? You go out there, ghost or not, it's a risk. We don't take risks. All right? They're stupid, and...?" he raised his eyebrows, Teresa letting out a sigh as she finished setting the table.

    "We're not stupid!" El replied, still defiant.

    "Exactly," Jim nodded. "Now, you take that off, sit down and eat. Your food's getting cold," he waved, Teresa reaching to help El take off the costume. With quick movements, she folded up the sheet and laid it across the back of the sofa.

    The next few seconds were spent in silence, El picking at her plate of french toast. Teresa watched, until she turned to her dad, kicking his ankles lightly under the table.

    With a muffled groan, Jim turned to her, before he let out a sigh. "All right, look... Reese is coming home late. So, how about I get off early tonight, and I buy us a bunch of candy, and we can sit around and get fat, and we watch a scary movie together? How's that for a compromise?" he asked, watching his older daughter smile softly at the idea.

    "Compromise?" El asked, looking to both of them in question, unsure about the word.

    "C-o-m promise?" Hop spelled. "Compromise. How about that's your word for the day? Yeah? It's something that's kinda in-between. It's like halfway happy."

    "By 5-1-5?" El checked.

    "Five fifteen," Teresa corrected gently.

    "Right. Five fifteen, yeah, sure," Jim agreed.

    "Promise?"

    "Yes, I promise."

    "Halfway happy," El nodded, Teresa smiling at the small conversation.