Chapter Text
I showed up in the night. Literally...
I didn't want neighbourhood eyes on me, as I knew this town. When they're small, all the residents want to do is talk, and they talk a lot. I don't want to talk, I don't want to tell my story 300 times over, I'm already upset as is. So when I went out, I avoided everyone like they had the plague. Some I knew from my childhood, some I only heard in passing, and some my dad had a really loud voice for. I had bigger problems than dealing with people to worry about.
I got my job as a Middle school teacher fast, and when I had my first class even the students were whispering but again, what was there to talk about? The new girl on the block? I lived in a house on the lake here in the town and it was refreshing... but tiring, I slept in the guest room as it was my parent's home. Somewhere I have been in the past 6 years. I knew there would be more questions, people showing up at the door and the rumours spreading like wildfire soon. I was scared of that happening because I loved my calm before the storm and a storm sounded scary.
Unfortunately, the storm came today. Literally. It was storming outside and while I sat on the floor packing away items I heard a pounding on the door. I jumped when I heard it, who would be out this late? let alone in a storm? I stood and ran to the door opening it and saw... some guy.
"Yes?" I asked and he stared at me confused, he looked up behind me and looked very... Confused?
"Is... Terry home?" He asked and I slacked my shoulders. The Storm.
"Who are you?" I asked and he hummed putting his hands on his hips. He'd be soaked if it wasn't for my porch.
"Jim Hopper. Chief of Police. now is Terry home?" He asked all demanding like. I huffed.
"Come in?" I asked and stepped aside, he slowly stepped in where I closed the door and gently touched his jacket. "I can hang this up, it's wet," I said and he looked at me nodding taking it off, I hung it up and turned to him. "Coffee? I'm sure you're cold Chief Hopper?" I asked and he nodded softly. I walked into the kitchen. "You can sit wherever," I said and he walked into the living room, I could see through the cut-out, he looked at the boxes, confused, and then the photos on the fireplace mantel. I walked into the Living room holding for him a cup, he looked at me and took it. "Sit?" I asked as I sat down myself on the couch, he sat next to me, but on the other side of the couch putting a distance between us.
"Okay, spill. Where is Terry and who are you?" He asked and I sighed lifting myself and putting my feet up on the couch, pulling my knees to my chest, just to hide a bit.
"Well... I'm Terry's Daughter. Y/N." I asked and he sat straight.
"You're Y/N?" He asked and I nodded.
"Yeah... and Terry... is gone," I said looking down and he looked confused by that. "He's dead Chief Hopper," I said and he leaned back putting his hand on his forehead. "I was the only one who wanted to come out here for his stuff. When I got out here I found Buck." I said looking over to the corner where a Border Collie lay asleep. "And the lake... so I'm keeping the house... He left it to me since I was his only kid."
"How did he..." Jim leaned toward me and I huffed taking a sip of my coffee.
"He uh... Car accident right outside Chicago." I said and he looked at me puzzled.
"What was he doing going to Chicago?" He asked and I looked into my cup.
"I uh..." I looked down. "He um..." I covered my eyes. "He was coming to help me." I huffed and I felt the couch shift.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked and I looked down nodding.
"I don't want to talk about Dad anymore," I said and he nodded. "Why did you need him?" I asked and he sighed.
"Hes my friend, he told me to check up on Buck here and there because he was going somewhere and when he never called back and I would stop by during the day he wouldn't be here, but I could see the dog being fed, I wanted to confront him with letting me worry... but now I see why..."
"I get it, I'm sorry," I said and he huffed. "Hes already had his funeral, sorry...If I had known there was anyone out here he liked I would have invited you." I said and he chuckled nodding.
"No, it's alright." He hummed. "Wow, I can't believe he's gone." He mumbled and I hummed, both took a drink. "Y'know he was the first guy I arrested when I moved here?" He asked and I laughed.
"No shit?" I asked and he shook his head.
"He was drunk and started a bar fight, when got in the back of my truck he wouldn't shut up about his daughter. Talking about how she was the only one who cared and so on." He hummed and I felt my chest warm up. my dad talking about me... that's nice. "Here you are. The daughter." He got up looking around at the photos. "You gonna redecorate? Make this place your own?" He asked and I hummed.
"Yeah, I got a job down at the middle school, gots a lake view, gonna make this place my own. So far I'm just the Mystery Girl." I said and he hummed.
"I did hear some people talking about some new person, must be you. then again I don't talk to people much." He grunted.
"Me either," I mumbled.
"Rather be by myself." We mumbled in unison and looked at each other, I giggled softly. He had the faintest smile like he was suppressing it.
"Y'know... I could show you around sometime. If you want." He grunted and I hummed. The chief of police showing me around a town I already know like the back of my hand? Then again it's someone to know... and the Chief is safe. Safe is good.
"Sure," I said and he looked taken back, surprised even. "It would be nice. I haven't been here in a long time so..." I said and he nodded.
"Alright." He nodded. "I should get going." He said and then a hard thunderstruck. I shook and looked outside and saw how hard it was coming down.
"Actually!" I got up grabbing his arm, gently. "Maybe you shouldn't." He looked down at me, and my hand, which I removed as he did. "It's raining hard, it's not safe," I said and he looked outside and saw it was coming down harder than it had been when he had arrived. "There's a guest room," I said and he nodded.
"Maybe you're right, it's hard to even see out there." He said and I nodded.
"Here." I handed him the remote to the TV. "Dad's Laz-E-Boy is vacant and I have more to pack so, go ahead, relax, don't... Don't be a stranger." I smiled and he nodded slowly. "I'm assuming you like the same beer?" I asked and he nodded. "Well, I don't and there's a shit-ton in the fridge." I giggled and he hummed.
"I wouldn't be opposed to taking some off of you." He walked to the kitchen and I smiled. It was nice to have a body in the house. I was so alone for the first time in forever and it was nice to hear footsteps. I got on the floor, adjusting my jean shorts to be lower. I watched him from the corner of my eye, open the fridge and grab a beer and then walk to the Laz-E-Boy. I heard the TV turn on and I smiled, I picked up a photo of Dad holding a large trout, and I felt a cold wet nose bump my cheek, I looked at Buck and he looked at me, resting his head on my arm.
"I know Buck, I miss him too," I whispered and he whined and I put the photo in the box along with his fishing gear, but then I froze. "You, uh, You fish? Chief?" I asked and he hummed.
"Yeah, why?" He asked.
"Dad's got a shit-ton of fishing gear, and I'm just not gonna use it, I don't want it collecting dust," I said and he hummed. "You want it?" I asked and he looked down.
"Sure..." He said and I got up carrying the box to the door and putting it next to it. I felt him watch me as I took down decorations and pictures, things like animal heads and antlers. My dad's home was all man cave and it was something I was gonna change. I planned on keeping all of it, but in storage rather than on the walls. I wanted the walls empty. Every time I looked at him, expecting him to be watching tv his eyes were on me, making me tingle. It was odd, I went into the kitchen and I tried to grab some things he had on the top of his cupboards and I couldn't reach, them at all. I was about to hop on the counters when I felt a hand on my back. "Need help, shortie?" He asked and I hummed.
"That would be greatly appreciated, you Giant." I chuckled and he grabbed it like it was nothing. Then the other stuff.
"What are your plans? with the place?" He asked and I hummed.
"I'm renovating, I enjoy the layout but I want new wallpaper and paint, It's so dark in here, I want it to be bright and groovy!" I giggled.
"You stuck in the '70s?" He asked and I popped my hip out.
"Maybe so!" I giggled. "But I want, new, and refreshing! not... Dark man cave." I said and I skipped over to the living room. "While you're helping can you help with some other stuff?" I asked and he nodded, I walked down the hall into Dad's room, the whole place was one floor so I was happy about that. He followed me. "Dad's room, I couldn't reach anything on the top of his closet," I said and he nodded, I opened the sliding closet and he reached up, pulling out papers and stuff, but one thing he handed to me made me freeze. "Oh wow." I giggled and he looked at me. "It's my high school tests..." I said and he looked down at it. "Why would he keep these?"
"All A+'s..." He hummed. "You were a smart kid." He said and I chuckled nodding.
"That's why I'm a teacher," I said and he looked at me.
"Teacher? You said you got a job at the middle school but... I didn't think teacher, maybe EA but... You're a teacher?" He asked and I nodded.
"Yeah, I'm an English teacher," I said and he hummed. He looked almost impressed.
"How old are you?" He asked and I laughed.
"I look young. but I'm 27." I said and he hummed, but slowly his expression turned confused. "My dad was 16," I said and he hummed.
"I've got 12 years on you." He said and I hummed.
"So?" I asked and he looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "I like 'em older," I said slyly and he stared at me, silently just looking at me until I laughed, his expression was just shock, I laughed, putting the stuff down. "You're so serious," I said and he hummed rubbing his face, I giggled, I walked over and tried to jump up to see if there was anything else, he chuckled watching me do so, and I huffed.
"It's empty." He said and I looked at him smiling.
"Jeez, look what time it is." I said and he looked over, it was 11:55. I got him some clothes that belonged to my father and handed them over to him. "Bedtime!" I pushed him and he chuckled letting me do so, I opened the door across the hall. "Here is the guest bedroom, and the bathroom is at the end of the hall." I smiled and he nodded softly. "There are extra blankets and stuff in the closet." I smiled and he nodded, I walked back to my dad's room and continued taking stuff down so that I would feel comfortable sleeping in the room.