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HOPPER SAVES THE DAY
Jonathan thought he knew how to deal with manual things. At home with his mother, more often than not, it was always up to him to change the light bulbs, or put up the shelves. He didn’t do it because Joyce wasn’t capable, after all she was she who taught him how to use the drill, but he liked to help her, take a little weight off her shoulders.
Now, however, he no longer lived with her.
Nancy always said that he had taken his dark eyes and stubbornness from her, and when she dumped them in the midst of yet another supernatural catastrophe that hit the town of Hawkins to go to Russia, he kinda knew.
But she returned hand in hand with Hopper, straight from the world of the dead, so he quickly forgave her.
He really didn’t care too much even when they started dating. To the three sibilings it seemed almost inevitable. After all, El was already part of the family.
Five years, and a wedding in the woods later, the two were the only ones in the family who still lived in Hawkins, where Hopper resumed his sheriff’s job and Joyce replaced Flo as his secretary.
For the first time since he remembered, his mother was happy. She looked like she had literally been reborn since Hopper returned to town to the point that Jonathan wondered what life would have been like if they really got together in high school. Maybe he wouldn’t have Lonnie as a father.
Against everything that had happened in recent years, even the now three Byers-Hopper sibilings were doing quite well.
Exactly five years had passed since Vecna’s last appearance and a bit of everyone, finally, had managed to move on with their lives.
Will was back in California, at least for the time being, with a head full of dreams and an admission letter from UCLA’s prestigious arts program. Who knows, maybe things were going so well that Will would be able to find a job as a designer in the newborn Pixar, Jonathan was sure about It.
He shared an apartment just outside Las Angeles with Mike, as a product of what the family will forever remember as “the 88th Thanksgiving dinner”.
Will had come out to him while they were trying to get home from California to be able to face Vecna, also telling him about his crush for Mike.
Jonathan didn’t flinch. He knew it, he already knew it.
Like the good older brother he was, he just hugged him and told him it was the same for him. To him, Will would always be that sweet little boy he'd taught to love Clash and who drew tirelessly on the ruined kitchen table top in their small Hawkins home, whether he had a girlfriend or not.
But it was Mike who surprised everyone at that famous Thanksgiving dinner. He announced without too many frills that he had also been accepted at UCLA (which he did to follow Will, but also to get away from the Wheeler’s house for a Little bit.) At the film school and that he and Will would live together, as a couple.
Karen was more upset about her son's future career (he wanted to be a screenwriter, or why not a director. Anything that allowed him to tell stories like he did when he played D&D in his tavern as a child with his three best friends) than having a Gay son (Bisexual in his case, which Jonathan still didn't quite understand how it worked, despite trying to support his brother as best he could). Ted barely raised an eyebrow. Joyce was happy that her son finally had someone to love him while Hopper's terse comment was only one.
“It doesn't matter Wheeler, the rules don't change. Under my roof I want the door open by 3 inch minimum. Whether you go out with my daughter or my son ".
Their step-sister wasn’t doing too badly either. She had chosen Northwestern in Chicago (to stay close to home in case they needed her) after she and the rest of the family resettled in Hawkins and left California forever. She attended Med School with the intention of becoming a pediatrician to “help needy children like I was”.
At least she wasn’t alone. She shared a room with Max, also studying Medicine like her, and Lucas and Dustin were just a few doors away, in the boys’ dormitory, the first studying economics (to please his father) and the second to studying mechanical engineering.
Jonathan was surprised when, on Mike’s coming out, El was more amused than surprised. Jonathan knew they broke up a long time ago, and maybe El already had someone else, but it was still weird.
After all, even Nancy always joked about it.
“Basically I’m married to my brother-in-law” she always said.
It all seemed surreal to Jonathan. His sibilings were chasing their dreams, his mother was no longer alone and he was about to give a second coat of white in his daughter’s room.
Nancy appeared at that moment on the threshold of the small room, a delightful floral dress to give her relief in that surprisingly hot April.
Jonathan stared at her for a while. Sometimes he couldn’t believe he was this lucky.
His sweet and insufferable wife.
He would have happily settled for Chicago, like El, Max and the boys, but if there was one thing that Nancy Wheeler (or Wheeler-Byers, that’s how she signed her articles now) was good was at persuading people. .
She wrote his application for NYU, handing it in with her own, and when he tried to protest she replied that his sibilings were fine, her mother was no longer alone and there was nothing to stop him from going in the Big Apple like he always dreamed.
Four years of college and they graduated respectively in Journalism and Photography with honors. They also got an internship at the Post which, thanks to one of Nancy's professor, turned into a full-time job.
The Fucking New York Post. In the roaring 90s.
At work they were already “The Byers” for everyone, so it didn’t take long for Jonathan to kneel in the middle of Central Park and make Nancy a full-fledged Byers.
Seven months later, here he was. In the middle of an empty room full of buckets of Paint and a terribly stubborn and very, very pregnant wife.
“Are you sure that theres nothing i can’t do?” Nancy finally asked. “You’ve been locked in here all day and I feel useless.”
“Yeah, you can help me choose the color of the walls” Jonathan replied, smiling.
“I was thinking of something more useful” said Nancy, approaching “I can assemble the cot”
“Absolutely no”
“Jon, please. I’m getting bored here. And then I have to remind you again that I’m pregnant, not sick “
“I know, Nance” Jonathan said softly. “But I wanted to finish the walls at least before we go home for Spring break. And it’s too heavy “
From where he was, Nancy’s baby bump was perfectly aligned with his face. He kissed It on top of the buckets, feeling a kick in response.
“Please Jenny, give me a hand. Your mother doesn’t want to lissen “
Nancy made a small face before pulling his bangs off his forehead to kiss it.
“You’re lucky to be so cute” she said smiling “come at least a little bit over there with me. In 10 min. It begins Friends “
“Okay, I’m coming for an episode”
He didn’t even have time to get up and clean himself when the doorbell rang.
“Did you order anything for dinner?” (with her pregnancy, Jonathan had now lost count of the amount of spring rolls his wife had eaten in those seven months)
“No,” Nancy replied, as confused as he was.
He just had to find out.
When he opened the door, their little landing was full of people. All of their family and friends were there.
First in line was Hopper. He carried a heavy toolbox with him, and patted him on the shoulder as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t just traveled more than six hundred miles to show up at his door in New York.
“Hey Kid,” Hop told him, with a pat on the shoulder.
“What the hell are you doing here?” it was what Jonathan asked instead.
“Hey, I haven’t cooked for a whole day to be treated like this”
Behind him, His mother Joyce carried a unspecified number of containers full of food. Same thing for El and Max, right behind her.
Immediately behind the girls, Steve greeted them almost spilling the contents of his bucket on Robin.
“Hey Byers” he told him passing over the threshold “it’s nice to see you. But I’m only here because Hopper is my boss and I don’t want to miss the chance to play my chip as the favorite Uncle “
“Go ahead Dingo,” Robin said instead, just pushing him. She tried in vain to pass the heavy rollers and brushes she carried from one arm to the other before hugging him, with little success.
“Oh God Nancy” she added then “You’re huge”
“Thanks, you always know how to cheer me up Robin”
“Hey, it’s a good thing, my niece is growing strong and healthy”.
Jonathan chuckled slightly, meeting Nancy’s gaze. Steve and Robin were two of their best friends (once Steve finally got over his crush for Nancy and moved in with Robin).
Jonathan was glad to know them happy. Steve joined the police force because “I’ve been defending Hawkins for free for too long, it’s time to get paid” and became Hopper’s deputy.
Steve. A policeman. It was hard to believe, even though Hopper guaranteed that he was one of the best he had ever had.
Robin was having an affair with her high school flame Viky. The two use to brake up constantly, but it was since they had been bridesmaids for Nancy ( with her sister, El and Max) that they was still together. She had set up a private investigation agency, although she kept saying that the job was more fun when she was investigating with Nancy.
Immediately behind them, Eddie appeared with Dustin and Lucas, two of them at the sides of a heavy ladder and Dustin in the middle. Even their strange friend was not doing badly.
Once the rest of Hawkins learned about Vecna too, he was found innocent and literally returned as a hero. He now ran the Starcourt record shop, and he had even cut his hair into a weird mulet.
Past Dustin’s toothless smile, Jonathan finally noticed who was at the back of the line.
His brother stood there, shy as always, almost afraid to enter the house of his own brother. Mike was almost trying to pull him inside.
“No, I’m not sure Mike” his brother was saying “it’s not finished”
“Jesus Christ Will” said Mike, exasperated “You worked on it for weeks”
“What have you been working on for weeks?”
Will looked at him in surprise, before Mike took the initiative. He took the folder his brother carried under his arm before speaking.
“Hey Jonathan. That fool of your brother has been working on this for at least three weeks but he doesn’t want to show it to you. “
“It’s just a prototype” hastened to add Will “I wanted to finish it directly on the wall. That’s why I didn’t want to show it to him “
Nancy appeared at that moment on the threshold “Hey, the party is inside. What are you doing out here? “
“Trying to convince my boyfriend that the beautiful drawing he worked on for weeks is beautiful enough for the wall of our niece’s bedroom” said Mike, hugging her “God, you are huge”
“My little brother” said Nancy “Always lovely”
“You look great Nance” said Will instead, hugging her “How is our niece?”
“She likes to jump on my damn bladder” Nancy said “And I’m sure she’ll love whatever her favorite uncle has designed for her”
“Favorite Uncle?” Mike said “This is yet to be decided”
“It’ll be Will if you keep telling me I’m huge”
Jonathan opened the folder before his brother could protest. The design was a simple and elegant “Jennifer” written in the middle. Their little girl’s name was then surrounded by beautiful butterflies, fairies and other forest animals. On closer inspection though, Jonathan laughed when he noticed that each animal was actually a member of their extended family.
“The boys and I are the squirrels” said Mike “El and Max the fairies, Hopper is the bearded badger and Joyce the owl”
“Steve and Eddie are the biggest beavers,” Jonathan continued, “and Robin the Fox. But me and Nancy? “
“The elf and the fairy sitting side by side on the J” said Will “Do you really like it?”
Nancy was already crying. “Don’t pay any attention to me, I cry for everything these days” she said “Will is beautiful”
“Did you really think we didn’t like it?” Jonathan said “You’ve improved so much”
Will blushed. He was about to speak before El appeared in the doorway
“Excuse me” she said “Mom wants to know where you keep the spatulas, Jonathan”
“Oh, I’m coming El” said Nancy “And you, I want this masterpiece on the wall of my daughter’s room, understood?” she added, pointing to Will.
By the time they got back to the house, Hopper was already making arrangements.
“So, Lucas and Mike help Will with whatever he needs. Me, Steve and Eddie help Jonathan with the other walls. Dustin and Robin you have the cot and the other furniture. The girls will come to finish furnishing, I can’t keep Joyce on food for much longer ”but no one moved“ Come on, nipples. We don’t have all spring break. I promised my lady to take her to Broadway “
“Hey, not that I don’t appreciate a little help” Jonathan said to his mother “But you didn’t have to go all this way, I was able to do it alone too”
“Oh, talk to Hop about it” she replied. “He arranged it all. He said that you were complaining that you were going to be late for the holidays last time you guys called and he decided that we will spend spring break here instead. And he’s right, he also promised me Broadway “
“Rent is going strong lately” replied Nancy “You’ll have a lot of fun Joyce”
“Oh, he’ll have six hundred miles to hear me complain if he doesn’t take me. And don’t laugh too much, Mrs Wheeler-Byers. The girls are here to keep you at bay. And no, my son didn’t say anything, I just know it. I didn’t stand still for a moment when I was pregnant with these two. So here we have four pans of lasagna, two rolls of meatloaf, and my apple tart. Jonathan will appreciate. I stopped by your mother for you and she left me a jar of her raspberry jam and a pan of peach tart. She would have loved to come but you know, your father. “
“I know. He doesn’t like traveling very much, ”Nancy said, looking forward for the tart she loved so much.
“Mom,” Jonathan said instead.
“What? We will not be of any trouble. El found a hotel nearby. Isn’t that true Sweety? “Joyce said
“It’s not really close from here” Max replied for her “But close enough not to be in your way”
“See? We’re OK. It will be fun Jonathan. Oh, almost forgotten. Murray brings you his regards. You know how he is, he would never stick his nose out of the house if not for a government conspiracy “
“I thought the girls kidnapped you in the kitchen,” Hopper told him when Jonathan joined them.
“Thanks Hop,” Jonathan said simply,After a Moment
“Hey, you do this for the family right?”
Yeah, the family. His messy, noisy, incredible family.