#he was 16/17 when they arrived in hawkins

[fanatics4l]

if you, as a child, have to practically raise another child who is in no way biologically related to you and is only around because your biological mother abandoned you, therefore resulting in the marriage between a random woman and your abusive father, you would be pissed off at everything too.

if you, as a child, have to look after some random kid who barely listens to you and constantly gets you in trouble with your harmful father, you would be an asshole too.

if you, as a child, are forced to babysit another child when you can be spending that time doing your own teenage shit, you would dislike that child too.

if you, as a vulnerable child, are raised by a terrible father and have to witness a mother being loving towards her daughter every day when you don't have that anymore (especially when said mother turns the other way while your father hits you), you would be bitter about everything too.

if you were moved miles away from your home, away from your mother and everything you love, and are tossed into some random town in the middle of nowhere with a woman you never wanted as a mother and a girl you never wanted as a sister, you would act out too.

[brbsoulnomming]

Tell Me Sweet Little Lies Part 17

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | AO3

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Eddie wakes up with his face smooshed against Steve's bicep, which, honestly, is not a bad place to be. He lifts his head up a little, blinking bleary eyes, and sees they've both migrated towards the center of the bed. Steve's rolled over onto his stomach, face buried in his pillow. Eddie's still on his back, but he'd shifted a little, leaned in towards Steve, and they're pressed together all along their sides.

Steve moves, which Eddie is guessing what woke him up in the first place, and turns his head to look at him.

"Morning," Steve mumbles, all rough with sleep.

It's not the first time Eddie's heard him like that, yeah, but it is the first time that Eddie's been this close, that he's been touching this much of him, and it makes his brain shut off.

"Doesn't it hurt sleeping like that?" he says, like an insane person.

Steve huffs out a little laugh. "My back's all torn up too, man, it kind of hurts sleeping like anything."

Shit, right, Steve'd gotten dragged over the lake bed in the Upside Down. Eddie has a vague memory of red streaks like road rash all up his back before he'd put on his vest.

Eddie makes a noise, quietly distressed, mostly because he doesn't know what to say to that, and he gets to watch the way Steve's eyes go all soft up close.

"I've had worse," Steve says.

It makes Eddie snort. "You keep saying that, but it's not as reassuring as you seem to think it is. Will you at least let me take a look at it later?"

Steve smiles. "I look after you, you look after me?"

"Something like that." Eddie ducks his head. "Come on, I'm starving."

They take turns in the bathroom. Eddie borrows more of Steve's clothes - another pair of boxers, the same track pants and a dark gray sweatshirt this time. Steve abandons the attempt he'd done at jeans yesterday, opts for navy sweats and a green sweater.

This time, Eddie lets Steve help him downstairs, even gets set up in a chair at the kitchen table so he can watch him cook breakfast.

They're halfway through eating a massive stack of pancakes when the walkie flares to life, and a time is agreed on for everyone to come over.

Turns out Steve hadn't been kidding about an invasion.

There's everyone in their little Vecna fighting mission, of course, Robin and Dustin and Erica arriving in Nancy's station wagon with her. But a Surfer Boy pizza van comes up alongside of it, Max and Lucas and Mike Wheeler spilling out of it along with Jonathon Byers, a pair of kids that Eddie's going to guess are El and Will Byers, and a dude that Eddie's pretty sure he's never seen before.

He's Argyle, apparently, owner of the van and the guy who pointed out that Eddie was not a girl, Jonathan's best friend from California.

Also brand new to all of this, which makes Eddie toast him with his second mug of coffee, from where he's pretending he needs to lean against Steve for support to stand up but he's also mostly using him as a shield because both Dustin and Mike look like they're ready to tackle him any minute.

Someone must have updated the California crew on what went down in Hawkins, because no one asks Eddie why he's standing in Steve Harrington's kitchen wearing Steve Harrington's clothes.

Steve stops working as a deterrent for Dustin about two minutes after the introductions are done, and really, Eddie's kind of surprised it took him that long to come over and hug them both. He's reasonably gentle about it, at least, so Eddie guesses he can't complain much.

"Hey, buddy," Steve says, ruffling his hair. "We're still okay."

"Still alive and kicking," Eddie chimes in, slinging one arm around Dustin and giving into the hug.

Mike looks - sullen and uncertain, like he's not really sure of his place here and he's unhappy about it. For a moment, Eddie considers ignoring it until he absolutely has to do something about it, but, well. He's kind of ignoring a lot of things right now, and he really doesn't want them all to come back up at once.

So he stays in the kitchen as everyone else trickles out into the living room, plops down at the table and makes significant eye contact with Mike, raising one eyebrow. Sure enough, it works, and Mike stays behind.

He doesn't say anything, just drops down to sit at the kitchen table with him and looks mulish.

It reminds Eddie of himself, actually, and he wonders if this is how Uncle Wayne felt sitting across from him when he was fifteen. Shit, he owes that man so much. Eddie's still got some coffee left, though, and he can wait this out, taking slow, lingering sips.

"You weren't supposed to get involved with all of this," Mike says finally.

Eddie raises an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, well, Vecna disagreed with you."

Mike scowls. "You were supposed to be safe. Everything was supposed to be done, or I never would have-"

He cuts off, but Eddie knows exactly what he was going to say.

"Or you never would have left," he finishes for him.

"I wouldn't have!" Mike insists, looking up at him with a fire in his eyes. "Joyce left, and she took Will and El and Jonathan, and Nancy said she wouldn't have left us alone like that if the gate wasn't closed and we weren't safe. Once November passed and nothing happened, we thought we were good."

Eddie sets his cup on the table, the hand that isn't all splinted up running absently over his knee. "That's a lot to unpack right there, Wheeler."

Mike groans. "Whatever. The point is, people who get involved with this because of us die. And it wasn't supposed to be you."

"Aw. Almost sounds like you care," Eddie says, batting his eyelashes at Mike, who scowls harder at him. "Mike, none of this is your fault. I didn't get involved in this because of you, I got involved in this because Hawkins is a shithole and Vecna is a jackass who targeted a girl I knew. Being friends with you guys is the only thing that got me out of this, okay?"

Mike scoffs. "You mean Dustin and Lucas got you out of it."

Eddie raises his eyebrows at Mike, because really, is there jealousy happening here? "If we're going to be technical, Nancy was the one who figured out the Creel connection, and Robin was the one who figured out that music was the key, and Steve got to Max in time and-"

"Okay, okay," Mike grumbles. "I still should have been here."

Ah. Not jealousy - or at least not entirely jealousy. It's the paladin thing, being upset with himself for not being there when his friends needed him. "Mike," he says, pitching his voice a little gentler. "You can't be everywhere at once, you know that. When the party splits, you have to pick which group to go with, and from what it sounded like, you were right where you needed to be. El and Will needed their paladin, didn't they? And we had Steve."

The cloud over Mike's face had been lifting, and he even got a smile when Eddie said that El and Will needed him, but it drops back into a scowl when he mentions Steve.

"Steve's not a paladin," Mike retorts. "If anything, he's a barbarian."

That's not the point, Eddie knows it isn't, but he can't help but consider that, thinking about Steve bare chested with blood and grime all over him for probably a moment or two too long. "All right, yeah, I can see that," he admits. "But what gives, I thought you guys all thought Steve was a badass?"

Mike whips his head around, looking out the kitchen door, then slouches down in his chair. "That was before you knew him! I just didn't want you to like, pick a fight with him when he picked us up, because he's already had too many concussions."

Eddie raises an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And how many of those concussions did he get saving you little assholes?"

Mike pulls a face that Eddie is going to assume means all of them. "That's not the point. I just - are you and he -"

Oh, shit. Somehow, Eddie had completely forgotten their shenanigans over the walkie yesterday morning. He fights the urge to fidget, and instead gives his best stoic, you'll never get it out of me face. "And what if we were?"

Mike slumps down even further. "You don't have to yell at me. Jonathan already got there, I'm not going to say it's gross. It's just - I was gone for like a week! You kept insisting that he was an asshole, and wouldn't believe Dustin and Lucas, and now you're staying with him?"

All right, well, when he puts it like that - Eddie scrubs a hand over his face. "Kind of hard to hate someone when you watch him rip up demobats and then he carries you out of the Upside Down."

Mike rolls his eyes, but he looks a little less like his world has been completely shaken. "Oh. Yeah, Steve does that. So you're not-"

"No," Eddie says, because he can't keep talking around it, and saying anything else would be a lie. There's a pit in his stomach that says no is technically a lie, too, because Eddie's pretty convinced that Steve is his soulmate, but he can't let that trip him up. "I mean, we're definitely friends now, but he's letting me stay here because I've got nowhere else to go."

"They told us," Mike says, his scowl back. "We'll figure something out. Nancy and Jonathan got Hawkins Lab to release a story about Barb, and all of Starcourt got covered up. We'll get your name cleared."

It's a great sentiment, but Eddie's not sure he can believe it at the moment. He clears his throat, nodding towards the living room. "You better get back out there."

Mike stands, though he pauses to look at him quizzically. "You're not coming?"

Eddie holds up his cup. "Just finishing my coffee, I'll be right out there."

Fuck, he knows as soon as he says it that it's a lie. He'll just have to hope that Steve is too busy with the gremlins to check what just got written on him.

Mike apparently doesn't believe him, either, because it's only a few minutes after he leaves that Robin comes into the kitchen.

"Your turn to check on the new guy?" he asks her.

She scoffs. "Awfully self absorbed of you, Eddie. Maybe I just came for leftover pancakes and coffee."

He raises an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, I mostly came for coffee," she relents, pouring herself a cup. "But also to check on you. Hey, though, bonus, you're not the newest guy anymore."

"Thank you, Argyle," Eddie mutters as Robin comes to sit next to him.

"So," Robin says, taking a long drink from her cup. "Are you going to give me something that's a reasonable approximation of the truth so I can not lie when I give a condensed report back to concerned parties, or are we just going to sit here for a while and make this awkward?"

He huffs out a little laugh. "I don't know, Buckley, I'm pretty awkward and you're definitely awkward, I don't think we have much of a shot of this not being awkward."

She smiles at him, wide and amused, but that doesn't stop her from taking another pointed sip of her coffee as she looks at him over the brim of her mug.

"How come I have to be the one who's always getting checked in on?" Eddie bitches. "I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one not doing okay."

"Because you are the new guy," Robin says, though not unkindly. "Everyone else has been through this enough that we kind of know how they're going to react, and what to look for that means things are getting worse. They did it with me, too, after Starcourt."

Eddie hadn't actually been upset, just a little ruffled by the fact that so many people are this concerned over his well being, but if he had been, that would have soothed it. "Steve told me a little about the aftermath of that, about the song you taught him."

Robin laughs a little. "There you go. I had Steve singing that for me just about every night for a while. That's mine - my brain gets itself all worked up with hypotheticals and possibilities, and things that could have happened but didn't will just start spilling out until I have a hard time sorting them all out from what actually did happen. Some of the others have gotten pretty good about knowing when to let me talk myself through it and when to cut me off and distract me."

It's shockingly vulnerable, especially for sitting in Steve Harrington's kitchen with a huge group of people just on the other side of an open doorway, and Eddie appreciates it more than he can say.

"I hyperventilate," he blurts out. "I get trapped in my head and I can't get words out. It gets worse at night and when I wake up, but Steve and Dustin have kind of figured out how to talk me down. I'm sure some new terrible way of not coping will probably come up, but that's me right now."

Robin nods, looking thoughtful. "Has Steve had a nightmare yet?"

"No," Eddie says. "I don't think so. He said he does better with one of us there, so we've been sleeping in the same room."

He isn't expecting it, but that makes Robin light up, looking at him - almost like Steve does, when Eddie did something for one of the kids, and Steve smiles so warm and open at him.

"Thank you," Robin says, toying with the handle on her mug. "My parents wouldn't let me stay over until they knew for sure I was okay, and I just - yeah, that's him. He goes into protect mode when he wakes up from a nightmare, and he needs someone there to tell him that we're all safe."

Eddie gives a little smile, trying not to give into the way his stomach does a stupid, lovesick little flutter at that. "Protective mode fits him so much better than that you're all so beneath my notice thing he did in high school."

Robin barks out a little laugh. "Right? I couldn't believe it when I actually met the real Steve and found out how dorky and sweet he was."

He lifts his mug to her in a toast, draining the rest of his coffee in one gulp. "I'll keep an eye on him for you until your parents relent," he promises, even though it feels a little disingenuous because he was planning on doing it anyway.

She shoots him a grateful smile. "It was a lot easier after Starcourt, probably because it was so new and my parents figured I'd just sneak out and be over here anyway. This time they said they'd come find me, so, you know."

So she didn't sneak out, because Eddie was here and no one can know that, and he feels a stabbing of guilt.

Robin continues before he can decide if he should say anything, though. "We came to a deal, I'm home for a week and then I can come over and stay with you guys until they start school back up again."

Fuck, okay, then. Well, no, mostly not fuck - he's kind of excited about it, actually, the idea of staying with both Steve and Robin for a while is stupidly appealing - but it means he's only got a few more days to suck it up and tell Steve he thinks they're soulmates, unless he wants to do it with Robin there. Which, actually, wouldn't be the worst thing -

"Wait, start school back up?" he asks, his mind skipping and catching on that.

She grimaces. "Yeah, with the earthquake and the school still being used as a shelter, the school year's on hold. They made sure to inform us we'll have to make the time up during summer, but, eh. Gives us more time to make sure you're graduating."

He must look a little blank, because she rolls her eyes at him.

"You're one of us now. If you think Nancy and I aren't going to make sure you're right there with us on graduation day, then, well, you've got a little more time to get your head out of your ass before the mandatory study sessions start."

Oh.

He shouldn't have finished the last of his coffee, because there's suddenly a lump in his throat that he can't quite swallow past.

There's a little bit of a commotion outside the kitchen, though, saving him from having to say anything.

"Robin!" Dustin shouts from the living room. "Is Steve lying?"

"Nice try, dingbat, you know I need more than that before giving up any of the goods!" she shouts back without hesitation.

"He says there's nothing the hospital could've done for him if he stayed and let us look after Eddie!"

Robin pauses, like she's doing a mental catalog of something, and Eddie clocks onto what it is at the same time as she calls, "Not lying! Not enough to count, anyway."

His stomach drops, and he feels like the floor goes with it.

"You and Steve are soulmates." Eddie's not sure why he says it. It's obvious, and he doesn't really want to hear it confirmed, but - he's an idiot, apparently.

"Yeah, we figured that out during Starcourt."

Eddie - needs to say something, he knows he does, because Robin's looking at him in that searching way again, like she's seeing too much of him. But what the fuck is he supposed to say? Robin's his friend, how is he supposed to tell her that he'd wanted her soulmate to be his so bad that he'd almost tested it a few times, that he still wants Steve to be his, that he's angry at her and Steve and himself and the goddamn world, even though he knows he's the only one to blame for thinking he could have this? He can't even bring himself to look at her, gaze dropping down.

"Wait, you didn't know? I thought the gremlins told you."

There's a moment of silence before he hears a sharp intake of breath, and he can't stop himself from wincing.

"Steve and I have two!" she blurts out in a whisper-shout.

His gaze snaps back up to her face, and she's staring at him wide-eyed and frantic.

"What?" he asks, feeling a little wide-eyed himself.

"Soulmates. Steve has two soulmates, and so do I."

Oh.

Oh.

"Oh," he breathes out, his eyes darting to look back at the doorway, where he can just see the back of Steve's head.

"Yup. A platonic," she says, emphasizing the word way more than is really necessary for Eddie to pick up on what she's implying. Steve hasn't found his platonic soulmate yet - it could be Eddie. "And a romantic. So, you know. If you wanted to do anything with that information. It's there."

Eddie swallows, finally looking back at her to see the way her eyes are brimming with nervous excitement. "And you're… you'd be okay with that?"

She rolls her eyes at him. "If anything, I'd be relieved. It'll be a hell of a lot easier to navigate if it's someone who's been through the Upside Down stuff. I like you, Eddie, don't go getting a big head or anything, but you're pretty great."

And that's soft and sincere enough that it actually does make his head feel a little bigger - or at least his cynical heart, anyway, because he likes her, too. He's never been jealous of her before - watching her and Steve together has always felt good, made him all gooey and fond even when he refuses to acknowledge it - and he doesn't want to be jealous of her now.

He can do this, he decides. Steve might already have a romantic soulmate, but Eddie'd already resigned himself to having a platonic soulmate more than once. He can do it, if it means having Steve.

"Cool," he says, and resists the urge to make a face at himself. "That's, uh, yeah. I'll keep that in mind."

She raises one eyebrow at him, and he groans, leaning over to plant his face on the kitchen table.

"Just leave me here," he implores her, his voice all muffled.

Robin laughs at him, though not meanly, and pats him on the head. "No," she says cheerfully. "Suck it up and take your next dose of meds and let's go into the living room."

He groans louder, but he does get up and shuffle over to down his meds, not looking at her as he sets the bottle back down. "You're pretty great, too," he admits.

She doesn't say anything in response to that, until he finally looks up to find her grinning at him.

"I know," she replies smugly. "Now come on, potential soulmate-in-law, your solitary brooding time is up."

Taglist (always happy to add more!): @vampireinthesun @koibug @estrellami-1 @mentalcyborg @allbimyself26 @questionablequeeries @the-s-is-silent @whimsicalwitchm @a-gae-af-racoon @tinyplanet95 @n0-1-important @velocitytimes2 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @newtstabber @jcmadgirl @roblingoblin285 @lexyvey @paperbackribs @goodolefashionedloverboi @evix-syne666 @raisedbylibrarians @stxrcrossed186 @nightmareglitter @greekgeek24 @starman-jpg @crazyhatlady86 @imfinereallyy @manda-panda-monium @deleataecount @prideandsensibility @chaoticvictorianspirit @maydillydally @disrespectedgoatman @scarlet-malfoy @i-less-than-three-you @hbyrde36 @hallucinatedjosten @dragonsandgayships @arepaconchocolate @g4ys0n @novelnovella @bisexualdisastersworld @ghostofyourvampiregf @scarletyeager @pettrichore @nerd-and-nervous @hiimlevi @queenie-ofthe-void @cinnamon-mushroomabomination

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Part 18

[strawberryspence]

snow on the beach by taylor swift but i take it literally.

steve takes eddie to a beach for christmas because eddie has never seen the ocean, never has seen a large body of water and eddie wants to see it. he’s been ticking off a list he wrote down the moment he woke up from his medically induced coma from being eaten by rabid, demon bats.

eddie munson almost died, and he hasn’t ever done anything good or remarkable in his life. he’s never seen the ocean, never been in a big rollercoaster, he hasn’t graduated, he hasn’t done anything to repay wayne for the life he has given him.

there’s probably 40 things on the list. here’s a few:

1. graduate high school, fucking please ✔️ (eddie did graduate. with the help of buckley, wheeler, and the whole fucking party. steve served cookies and drinks.)

2. thank uncle wayne. give him a hug for fuck godness sake. ✔️ (eddie did, from the moment he woke up from the coma, he cried and thanked him for everything he has ever done. wayne is his dad, through and through.)

3. thank dustin and give him the campaign of his life. ✔️ (eddie also did that, not only for dustin but for the rest of the party.)

4. go to one of lucas’ basketball games. you owe him one. ✔️ (eddie did, he went to every last game with steve even though people looked and stared but who the fuck cares? sinclair has the talent for shooting balls into baskets, and the smile he gave eddie the first time he came is worth every glare.)

5. thank the bald headed, super powered girl who came for you in the dark space. ✔️ (eddie met el. he thanked her for his life, but she just thanked him for helping her friends. eddie would like to think they’re friends now.)

6. thank everyone who believed in you when you were in the run. ✔️ (he did. he thanked wheeler, buckley, harrington, the kids. and they just smiled at him. told him, it’s okay. that he’s one of them. eddie would never confess but he had some tears on his eyes. BUT ONLY because of the dust.

7. ride a big rollercoaster. ✔️ (eddie did that too. steve made a big day out of it and then drove the whole party to the nearest amusement park.)

8. have your first kiss. ✔️ (yes, he did that too. it’s from robin fucking buckley. because they’re both gay, and both haven’t had their first kisses and they were drunk and high out of their mind. never again.)

9. go see a beach.

10. cook something that won’t kill a living human being. ✔️ (eddie did, he cooked pasta with steve’s help. it was pretty good and the party loved it.)

11. learn how to skateboard. (they’re almost there, max is still teaching him how to.)

12. dye your hair. or some shit. do something to your hair.

13. take a fucking hike. go see the fucking mountains or something jesus christ. ✔️ (he did. it was horrible. he’s just happy he can tick it off now.)

14. fall in love.

15. knit something. maybe some gloves.

16. get out of hawkins. get out of this shit hole.

17. go visit chrissy cunningham’s grave. apologize. i don't fucking know. talk to her. just go.

18. get a pet dog. ✔️ (he adopted the trailer dog. wayne wasn’t happy when hetfield peed inside their brand new, given by the government, house)

there’s about 20 more items in the list. some done, some still on going, some not gonna get done until a few years later.

steve finds the list november of ‘86. he knows there’s a list, the kids annoy eddie into letting them join and help him do some of it. he wants eddie to tick off number 14, only if it’s with steve. but that’s him being delusional. he wants to grant one thing for eddie for christmas.

so for christmas he drives eddie to the nearest beach, it’s not as big as any california beach, but it’s a beach, with some kind of body of water. it starts snowing halfway through the trip and when they finally arrive to the beach its full on snowing.

still eddie is happy. steve watches as he plays with the snow and sand, running and jumping around like a little kid. they could’ve swam but its too cold, steve promises that they’ll come back in the summer with kids. steve takes out some sandwiches and some hot chocolate he made. it’s warm enough that they can watch the snow and the water on the back of eddie’s van, doors open.

there’s a shimmer of glow in eddie’s eyes when steve finally tells him, “merry christmas, eddie. i hope this ticks one more thing on your list.”

eddie takes out the list out of his pocket, already crumpled and lines permanent from being folded, “would it be okay if i tick two things off?” steve feels like he’s being lit from within, as he nods.

“i guess.” steve answers. eddie smoothes down the paper on his knees, takes out the pen he always brings with him.

steve watches as he crosses out 9. go see a beach.

eddie looks up at him, and it’s almost too beautiful, almost like something steve has only seen in a movie. there’s snow behind him, coming down without sound. eddie’s wearing a black sweater, his cheeks red and his eyes twinkling like stars.

“would it be okay if i tick off number 14?” eddie barely whispers, like he’s afraid he’ll jinx it.

“are— are you sure?” steve whispers back, like anything louder would wake him up from this weird, but fucking beautiful dream.

eddie smiles at him, bright, wonderful, alive and moves closer to finally kiss him.

steve knows the feeling of being stopped by time, he knows it well from grandfather clocks ticking away. he thought that was it. but steve didn't know it could be so wonderful, as eddie kisses him and as time stops around them. if somebody ever asks, steve will tell you that kissing eddie would be the closest feeling to what he thinks flying would feel like.

eddie checks of number 14. fall in love.

he should’ve checked it off the moment he woke up from coma, asked for a piece of paper and pen and steve harrington got him a whole notebook and a box of colored pens.

[ladykailitha]

All My Roads Lead Back to You Epilogue

Here it is, the final part. I’m sad that’s it over. It has been such a lovely story and such lovely people that have supported me through. Those that were there from the start. Those that joined at anytime during the ride. Even the ones joined in with the last chapter. Thank you. All of you. You are all amazing.

The wedding.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

***

The Munson-Harrington wedding was the must have invite of the year. It didn’t even matter that their marriage would only be recognized in a handful of states. All that mattered was that they were getting the chance to tie the knot and throw a huge party for all their friends.

Dateline had done an hour long piece of the Hawkins Witch Hunt as they were calling what happened to Eddie. It opened a whole can of worms regarding the Hawkins Police Department and other things that they may have sanctioned.

That lovely little news piece also bagged Kenny a girlfriend. He took one look at Lily Byers when she arrived for school that autumn and fell head over heels in love with her.

She even joined the band as rhythm guitar to newly named Children of the Knights of Hell’s Fire. They had found their style at last. It was little bit metal and whole lot of rock.

While their kids were in their senior year, Jeff, Gareth, Eddie, and Steve were all in Eddie’s studio working on an album. Apparently not only could Steve play, but the man had the pipes of a god damned angel.

Eddie had been tempted to put him as lead vocalist, but Gareth wisely pointed out that fans are going to at least expect to hear Eddie at some point.

So Steve was harmonies and backup vocals as well as bassist. Eddie was writing away and coming up with new stuff, remixing old stuff and he was finally able to properly grieve Jay by writing the song “Two Loves: Not Better, Just Different”.

The original Corroded Coffin boys loved it, Children of the Knights of Hell’s Fire loved it, and of course Steve loved it. It was unanimously decided that it should be the first single.

Everyone came to the wedding. The other Byers/Wheeler clan arrived with twin baby girls that they recently adopted. Beautifully named Elinor and Jeanette.

Dustin and Suzie’s baby boy was named Percival or Percy after his other favorite literary hero when Suzie wouldn’t let him name their child D’Artangan. He was also spoiled rotten.

Max and Lucas were the next to arrive with three very tall red-headed, dark skinned boys. The eldest Anthony was sixteen, the middle boy, Reggie was twelve, and their youngest Sean was eight.

Erica and her husband, David brought their two boys, Nico and Nemo aged ten. When their firsts were twins that was enough for them.

The parents started arriving as well. Joyce and Jim came. Claudia, too. The Sinclairs were there of course. Wayne had showed up weeks ago to help with all the planning.

Jane came last. She never married, she became a children’s advocate for neglected and abused orphans. She was the one they brought in when things got bad because she always had a ‘knack’ for knowing what the child was thinking. She had thrown herself into the work and found it rewarding.

Steve’s house was teaming with children of all ages and he loved it. Eddie came up to him at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.

“It’s not quite the six nuggets you were hoping for,” he murmured into Steve’s ear, his arm gently wrapping around his waist. “But I think you’ve got your wish about lots of kids, sweetheart.”

Steve blushed. “I didn’t know anyone had heard that.”

Eddie nibbled on his ear. “My only regret is pushing you toward Nancy. That wasn’t fair to any of the parties involved.”

Steve nodded. “I was so desperate to be loved by someone, I would have fallen for anyone. It’s not your fault.”

Eddie’s chuckle rumbled through Steve, they were that close. “Ah, but you see that’s my regret. Had I known that I would have pushed my case so fucking hard, babe.”

Steve burst out laughing. “I’ll bet you would have! Throwing that vest in my face so hard I had to take a step back just because Nancy and I had an in-joke.”

“Guilty as charged.”

Max came up to them and hit Steve with her crutches. “About time you two got your heads out of your collective asses.”

Eddie gave her a hug. “I missed you too, Red.”

“Just make one of the stops on your tour Boston and we’ll call it even,” she said.

“Deal,” Steve and Eddie said together.

She laughed. “God, how does Harri and Edie put up with you two? You’re such saps!”

“Auntie Max!” Edie called. “Come meet Mandy Lawrence, she skates, too!”

Max laughed. “I’m coming. Hold your horses.”

*

The backyard was beautifully decorated in blue and yellow flowers. Eddie’s groomsmen were in blue and Steve’s bridesmaids were in bright, sunny yellow. Dustin was Eddie’s best man and Robin was Steve’s maid of honor. On Steve’s side of the aisle was Nancy, Edie, Lily, and Max. On Eddie’s was Wayne, Harri, Jeff, and Gareth.

It was a quiet affair despite everyone who knew anyone wanted to be invited.

There was no procession. Steve and Eddie were already at the alter waiting for their guests to file in. They stood together, both hands clasped in the other’s.

Hopper was officiating, having become a justice of the peace after leaving the police force. They had already done the marriage part in a quiet courthouse in a small Massachusetts town. This was for their friends and family to witness.

“Today we bring together two people,” Hopper began, “who despite all appearances of being complete opposites couldn’t be more perfect for each other than if God himself had planned it.”

Steve and Eddie both blushed.

“Eddie,” Steve murmured, “You are the best part of me. I wandered lost and though I was never quite alone, having friends and beautiful daughter by my side, I looked for love in all the wrong places, because that place was always home, with you. I started us on the path by saying things I didn’t mean because I frightened of the change you have always brought to my life.” Steve released Eddie’s hand for a moment to wipe away a tear.

“But I should have realized that you brought me joy in those changes and not run away from you. So I promise to come to you when I’m feeling down or bad about myself. I promise to love you even if loving myself is hard. I promise to care for you always and cherish each moment of every day that I get with you. I never thought I’d get a single day, and getting a chance of a life time with you is a dream come true.”

He brought Eddie’s hands to lips to kiss his knuckles.

Eddie smiled. “Steve, I believed I used up my second chance when you rescued me all those years ago. Bleeding and broken, I thought my second chance at a new life was when me and my boys got our record deal, but now I see that my real second chance was here, with you. Jay made me happy for the time we had together, and I truly believe he prepared my heart to be receptive to yours.”

Steve mouthed, ‘I love you.’

“I promise to love on the days that are hard. To cherish on the days that are easy. And worship you all of my days. You had a life time of believing yourself to be unlovable, and I promise to spend the next forty years–”

“At least!” Dustin called out.

Eddie laughed. “At the very least. I promise to spend the rest of ours lives proving how wrong you are. That you are loved, adored, worshiped, and admired by me. I love you, sweetheart.”

Hopper cleared his throat and blinked back tears. “And now the rings.”

Eddie took the black box from Dustin. He pulled out a gold band that had a sun and a moon with a diamond in the sun setting and a grey garnet in the moon setting. “With this ring, I thee wed.” He slipped it on Steve’s ring finger.

Steve looked at it in wonder, eyes filling with joyous tears. He took the white box from Robin and pulled out a black wrought iron ring with the same setting, only in the sun spot was a red garnet and in the moon’s was the diamond. “With this ring, I thee wed.” He slid it onto Eddie’s finger.

“By the authority vested in me,” Hopper concluded, “I pronounce you both husbands in the eyes of this congregation and God, husbands as long as you both shall live. You may now kiss the groom.”

Eddie grabbed Steve’s face in his hands and kissed him fiercely as Steve held on.

They broke off to laughter and tears. They walked back down the aisle to everyone throwing white rose petals over them as they past. Eddie and Steve laughed, skipping and giggling like children as their bridesmaids and groomsmen followed close behind.

*

The reception was the grand affair. All of Steve’s friends were there and all of Eddie’s connections in the music industry was there. Harri was almost one hundred percent sure he saw James Hetfield talking to famed baseball player Derek Jetter, but then someone past in front of him and they were both gone by the time Harri could see around the person again.

Harri walked up to Edie and bumped their shoulders together. “Who would have thought that over a year ago when you told me that you needed a new guitarist for your band, that it would lead to the wedding of the decade, between our two dads.”

She looked over at her dad who was trying to catch marshmallows with his mouth thrown by Dustin, Jane, and Eddie. He had come so far now that he was with the right therapist. Edie had started listening to her own more now too and was forced to admit she didn’t need to look after her dad because he could look after himself just fine.

“Best decision ever,” she agreed.

“Just two small town boys from each from different worlds clawing their way to make their own place in the world,” a warm voice said behind them.

Edie and Harri turned to see Wayne Munson standing there in a nice grey suit having changed for the reception, hands in his pockets.

“Grandpa Wayne!” Harri cried and threw his arms around him. “It’s been so great having you around these last couple of weeks.”

Wayne reached out with one arm for Edie who promptly snuggled up too.

“Does this mean you’re my grandpa now, too?” she whispered.

Wayne kissed the top of her head. “Of course it does. Steve was always mine married to Eddie or not. Even if we hadn’t spoken in decades, Stevie was always mine.”

“You’re going to make me cry for the tenth time,” Steve said coming up to them, hand in hand with Eddie, “if you keep saying things like that.”

Wayne waved his hands. “Come on, I still arms enough for you two.”

Steve and Eddie joined the Wayne hug and sighed happily.

“Hey!” Jonathan said, “Picture?”

They all lined up, Wayne in the middle flanked by Eddie and Steve his side while Edie and Harri stood next to their dads.

Jonathan snapped the photo.

Steve came up and gave him a hug. “Thanks for agreeing to do the photos for us.”

Jonathan hugged back fiercely. “Not a problem, man. Saves me from having to buy you a toaster.”

Steve laughed. “Where’s your beautiful wife?”

Jonathan looked around and pointed to the punch bowl. “There she is. Bitching out Barbara Walters.”

Eddie laughed. “Sounds about right.”

Harri looked over at her and cocked his head. “Hey, Dad. She looks a lot like you.”

Jonathan and Eddie shared a panicked expression.

“Well, you see...” Eddie said as Steve threw his head back and laughed.

***

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk​ @trashpocket @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @mightbeasleep @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @trashpocket @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666  @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @steddie-as-they-go @lillemilly @callas-shitshow @bisexualdisastersworld @renaissan-vvitch @immortal-iratze @bookbinderbitch @cardigangoth @lilacrobin @nightmareglitter @nerdsconquerall @stxrcrossed186 

[dingusfreakhxrrington]

More Than A Feeling

pairing: eddie munson X fem!reader

fic summary: life only gets harder for y/n wheeler when she develops a friendship with the town freak, eddie munson. as one of the most popular girls at school she should absolutely not be associating with the likes of eddie but she couldn’t help but feel more herself when he's around. what will happen when she finds herself struggling with the expectations put on her by her friends, catching feelings for the local freak, and finding herself swept up in the latest town mystery?

chapter warnings: smoking, mentions of bullying

chapter word count: 2.1k

song of the day: cars, gary numan

chapters: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, more coming soon...

read on ao3 here | masterlist | playlist

Chapter 1

“Y/n? Come on we’ve gotta go!” Mike yelled as he swung his bag over his shoulder, rushing out of the house.

“And who’s fault is it that I’m running late?” With a huff you rolled your eyes and grabbed a piece of toast, shoving it into your mouth as you too hurried out the door.

Nancy was already sitting in the car, tapping her finger impatiently against the wheel watching as you ran over and jumped in next to her, slamming the door shut behind you.

She sighed as she pulled out of the driveway. “If I’m late to work I’m going to kill both of you.”

“It’s not my fault I got up late, someone stole the batteries out of my alarm clock so they could use their walkie-talkie.” You turned to Mike with a glare but he simply shrugged in return, not even the slightest bit of guilt present in his features.

“It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, let's just hope you get to school on time.”

Nancy didn’t usually take you and Mike to school. Normally you were on time so she didn’t need to but you were definitely grateful that she had a later start at work than usual that day. You’d been late a few times before due to your own negligence, nothing too major but enough for you to worry about showing up to class late again.

You made it with not a second to spare, arriving just as the bell rang. There was no time to chat with your friends that morning but at least you had made it on time.

“Thanks Nance, see you later!” You waved, hoisting your bag up over your shoulder as you jogged over to your friends who were already starting to part ways for homeroom.

“That was a close one y/n, you know you could be kicked off the squad if you’re late to class again.”

“I know Chris but I won’t let that happen, don’t worry,” you reassured her.

You and Chrissy had been best friends since the beginning of high school. You both joined the cheer team and became fast friends. She had always been so sweet and cheerful, a true friend through and through. Even though you hadn’t told her about the horrors you had experienced over the past few years she was always there for you through it all. She had always been good at knowing when you needed a shoulder to cry on, even if she didn’t know why you needed to cry.

She was the best friend anyone could ask for, which is why what happened at lunch hurt so much more. 

“Stop being an ass, Jason.”

Jason was once again picking on some first years, those he had dubbed the dorks and freaks of Hawkins. You had never understood the social hierarchy of school, in fact, you hadn’t always been a part of your current crowd.

When you were in middle school you were one of those freaks the other kids were always picking on. You were sure the only reason you weren’t still one of them was because you were friends with Chrissy, the most popular girl at school. Although others credited your newfound popularity to your so-called ‘glow-up’ over the summer between middle school and high school.

Now in your final year of school, you had truly left the life of being a freak behind, although you couldn’t help but feel out of place amongst your new friends sometimes. Especially when they all stood by and laughed when Jason tormented those he saw as beneath himself.

“Come on y/n, I’m just teasing them,” he turned back to the first years with a smirk, “isn’t that right?”

The boys hurriedly nodded, scared of what else he’d do to them if they didn’t go along with him. Your heart sank just looking at it because you knew exactly how they felt, but there was little you could do about it.

“Go on, scram.”

You shook your head when the boys ran off down the corridor. “Why do you have to treat them like that? They’re just kids.”

Before he could snap something back or try to brush you off again, Chrissy walked over, taking Jason’s arm with a smile. “What’s going on?”

“I was just having a bit of fun with the first years but y/n has a stick up her ass.”

As if scripted, she turned her head towards you and defended him. “Jason was just teasing them y/n, I’m sure they know that.”

“God, why do you always defend him? Love really does blind, it’s pathetic,” you snapped before you thought it through, letting your anger take over.

You had been watching Jason bully people for years and you were so sick of it but you knew what Chrissy was like, she always saw the good in people. You knew she didn’t mean it like that yet you still yelled at her.

You watched as her eyes welled up, knowing you had gone too far. “I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it-”

Jason just glared at you and ushered Chrissy away, comforting her as they grew further from you.

That was the first time you had ever yelled at Chrissy. You’d never even had an argument before, and it wasn’t like you just yelled at her, you were mean. Really mean. It just made you so angry how she followed along after Jason genuinely believing he could do no harm. You knew he wasn’t a bad guy, not at heart. He really did love Chrissy after all, but that would never excuse how he treated others outside of his circle.

In all honesty, you didn’t care about making Jason angry but you did care about Chrissy and you had hurt her, you knew that. Hurting her hurt you and so before you knew it, you found yourself out in the forest just outside of school.

Sitting at the bottom of a thick tree, you pulled your legs up to your chest and let your tears slowly drip down onto your cheeks. You didn’t even hear the sound of leaves crunching under shoes as someone made their way over to the bench you were sitting near.

“You okay?” The voice sounded hesitant, almost unsure about whether they should have intervened or just left you to yourself.

Sheepishly you lifted your head from your knees and quickly wiped your tears with your sleeve, hoping to save yourself any further embarrassment. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

You hadn't looked at who it was until you were back on your feet, about to walk away. It surprised you when you realised it was none other than Eddie Munson who was checking on you. Eddie the freak, as the rest of your friends had dubbed him.

“You sure? People only come all the way out here for one of three things: to smoke, make out, or sit and feel sorry for themselves,” he chuckled, tilting his head slightly as he looked at you.

You couldn’t help but smile a little at his remark, wiping your fingers against your wet cheeks in a lousy attempt to dry them off. “Really? Well then, what are you out here for?”

He hummed to himself for a moment as if he was thinking. “Well, as much as the ladies dig me I wasn’t out here to meet anyone and I don’t need to come out here to feel sorry for myself, I can do that just about anywhere.”

As he sat down on the bench he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and fitted it between his lips, his eyes flickering back to yours as he asked, “You mind?”

Shaking your head you sat opposite him as he lit the cigarette and took a puff, turning away from you to release the smoke from his lungs.

“Want some?”

You knew it was a bad idea but after your argument with Chrissy, all reason had flown out the window. If it could relieve even a fraction of the stress you were feeling at that moment then you figured it wouldn't hurt. 

When you nodded your head, Eddie passed you the cigarette and watched as you hesitantly lifted it to your lips. Not even a millisecond after sucking in a mouthful of smoky air you were coughing and spluttering until it all came right back out.

As you waved at the air in front of your face you passed the cigarette back to him and regained your breath. “God, how do you smoke those things?”

“Sorry, should have known better than to think little miss perfect actually smokes,” he laughed.

He smiled and amusedly shook his head and you sat in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say as he took another puff.

“I’m not perfect, far from it,” you muttered under your breath.

“Of course you are. You’re on the cheer team; best friends with the Chrissy Cunningham, most popular girl at Hawkins High; always at the top of your class; and you actually seem kinda nice, unlike most of those buttheads you call friends,” he reassured with a grin.

You sighed and glanced down at your hands which were bunched in your lap. “If I’m so perfect I wouldn't have made my best friend cry. I wouldn’t have been so horrible to her.”

Eddie didn’t make another joke or funny remark, he just flicked what was left of his cigarette onto the floor and put it out with his foot. The two of you sat in silence once again although it was oddly comforting to you. There was no feeling of judgement, he just sat there patiently as if waiting for you to continue in your own time.

When you finally worked up the courage to look at him again you asked, “Do you ever feel like you just don't fit in?”

He chuckled, “All the time.”

“Really?”

Again, he laughed, “Me? Eddie Munson? The town freak? You really think I fit in anywhere?”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I’ve just seen you talking with your friends and you seem to all get on so well.”

“I just about fit in with my friends, sure, but everyone else? Not so much.”

You sighed, crossing your arms on the table as you confessed, “I feel like I don’t fit in anywhere. Most of my friends are, as you said, buttheads. Jason especially. He’s just a complete ass to people sometimes and I can’t stand it but Chrissy always defends him, her sweet little Jason who couldn’t hurt a fly. I know she means well, she just sees the good in everyone, but Jason is a total a-hole.”

“Trust me, I know,” Eddie reassured, “but why are you still friends with them if you feel that way?”

You stood up, pacing as you replied, “I don’t know. I guess I just don’t want to leave Chrissy. She’s my best friend and I don’t know what I’d do without her. They’re her friends and they’re not all bad, even Jason. I know what you’re going to say but sometimes he really is an okay guy. With his friends at least. It’s just when people don’t fit his standard-”

“Which is most people,” Eddie retorted and in all honesty, you couldn't really argue with him, he was right.

“Yeah. Jesus, it’s so infuriating sometimes,” you exclaimed, sitting back down on the bench.

Eddie’s eyes met yours again as he leaned forward against the table, cupping his hands together as he rested his chin against them.

“Just be yourself. If you don’t like them, let them know it. Don’t let them walk all over you or tell you how you’re supposed to behave. Just be you and if they don’t like it screw 'em.” He sat back upright with a smile and a shrug.

Once again he had pulled another smile out of you as you giggled, “You know, you’re not as broody or scary as I thought you’d be.”

“Well, you’re not what I expected either. You actually seem to have a conscious, unlike those butthead friends of yours.”

You laughed together again as the bell rang, bringing your conversation to an end.

Eddie stood up from the bench first, waving as he began to walk back through the forest towards the school. “See you around, Wheeler.”

You smiled to yourself as he walked away, sitting for a moment longer before you too pulled your bag up over your shoulder and began making your own way back to class. “See you around.”

next chapter

feel free to let me know if you want to be added to or removed from my taglist!

[eddies-puppet]

Updated 14th February 2024

Smut 🔥 Angst 🥺 Fluff 🥰 Descriptions of Violence 😱

Joseph Quinn

Blurbs

Underneath The Tree 🥰 - 1.1k - Joe surprises you by coming home from his trip early, just in time to help you decorate the Christmas tree 🎄

One Shots

Those Eyes! 🔥 - 2.5k - You meet Joe in a bar and the night doesn’t end how you expected!

Eddie Munson

One Shots

Study Break 🔥 - 2.8k - You’ve been studying non-stop recently, trying to make sure you graduate so you and Eddie can get out of Hawkins. One hot day though, you’re distracted by your half-naked boyfriend playing that damn guitar…

My Girl 🥺🥰 - 2k - After a particularly bad fight with your dad, you run to your best friend for help and a place to stay.

My Girl (Part Two) 🔥🥰- 2.3k - Y/N and Eddie have crossed the line from friends to lovers and there’s no turning back. Good job they don’t want to!

Beautiful 🔥🥺🥰 - 2.4k - Jason and his friends target Y/N over her weight, so Eddie finds his own way to show her how beautiful she is.

The Silverchair Chronicles 🔥🥺🥰😱

Miss You Love 🥺🥰 - 900 - Eddie and Y/N have been dating for a while now in secret, but Y/N is fed up of being Eddie’s dirty little secret.

Blurbs

My Queen 🥰 - ~800 - Just a little fluffy blurb of Eddie looking after his girlfriend when she has cramps.

Toughest, Bravest 🥺🥰 - 800 - Eddie being the supportive king I know he would be in the face of his love being diagnosed with a serious illness.

You Gave Us Our World 🥺🥰 - 1.2k - Eddie is feeling insecure on Valentine’s Day but also being the best boyfriend!

Works in Progress

Out of The Upside Down (Series) 🔥🥺🥰 - After Eddie’s escape from the Upside Down and the fall of Hawkins, his best friend Y/N tries to help him get back on his feet, but soon friendship turns to love, and changes everything for them and those around them.

Lovers Lake 🔥 - It’s a hot summer day in Hawkins and Eddie takes Y/N to a packed Lovers Lake to cool down. At least, that was the plan!

Party Night 🔥 - Y/N and Eddie get carried away at a party at Harrington Mansion!

Sunday Morning 🔥🥰 - There’s nothing better than waking up with Eddie on a rainy Sunday morning.

Domesticity 🔥🥰 - Wayne is away for the weekend so Y/N takes it upon herself to teach Eddie to cook. However it seems Eddie has a thing for housewives!

The God of Hellfire 🔥 - Y/N has been teasing Eddie under the table all through Hellfire. After the rest of the guys have left, he pulls her back into the room and locks the door.

Marked 🔥 - Tattoo artist!Eddie is inking his favourite girl but finds her moaning seriously hot!

Hellfire 🔥🥰 - Eddie asks Y/N if he can hold Hellfire at her house and comes up with his own way to thank her.

*New* BlackOut 🔥🥰 - A ferocious storm rolls through Hawkins, wiping out the power supply. Y/N makes her way to her best friends trailer rather than be home alone all night.

Unnamed 🔥 - Y/N Harrington, Steve’s cousin, is visiting for the holidays and catches the eye of a certain Eddie Munson…

*New* Unnamed 🔥🥰 - Y/N is home from college for the holidays and Eddie picks her up from the bus station. On the way back to Hawkins, he can’t wait one more second to get his hands on her.

Spencer Reid

Series

Lost In The Fire 🔥🥺🥰😱 - When an old unsolved case falls back onto their desks, the BAU calls in reinforcements from Emily's days with Interpol. Becca's arrival stirs the case up, as well as the heart of a certain Dr Reid... Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27

[imsodishy]

so, Billy was originally meant to be in the same grade as Nancy. Which means he should have, in canon, been a junior when they arrived in Hawkins, so 16/17, which imo makes way more sense for why he would stick around during the summer. I can't see him waiting to leave once he’s 18 and graduated, and they never mention him having graduated along with Steve. Which means he would have been 17 in season 3, not 18 like his tombstone in season 4 indicated.

Now, there are a couple options. 1) They just fucked it up. Totally plausible, the production is obviously a continuity mess, and they don’t have a show bible.

2) There’s a Watsonian argument to be made for him having been held back at some point. Which is a generous read to fix an inconsistency I think.

3) Or, do we think during the hiatus someone said, 'Uh... was Karen really fully prepared to fuck a minor?' and they retconned it.

[candied-cae]

And Who Are We At The End Of The World? - Freaks and Fools

Chapter 15/? - - - Read it on AO3

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Word Count: 9,634

Summary: While they await the final verdict, passing the hours by until the Hawkins Police decide what will happen to Eddie Munson, a few of them have some fun in his hospital room. A few others hammer out the details with the government operatives. And, eventually, the shoe has to drop...

What's going to happen so they can move on from Spring Break?

More ST Fics

-----------------------------------------------------

While most of the party was making their way to the high school, agreed upon gathering around one of the tables outside, one faded yellow pizza van was arriving at the hospital. Argyle got them parked, and Robin was swinging the door open for their two smaller backseat passengers to climb out. El, of course, was someone they already expected to bring. To make sure she didn’t get cornered somewhere alone while the others got things figured out. But Erica was also trailing along. She had promised to check on Max first thing for her brother while he was off with Dustin, telling the rest of Hellfire a good cover story for what was going on.

“Come along, ladies,” Robin grinned at the two as they hopped out onto the parking lot.

The older kids escorted the younger of them to check in and obtain their visitor passes and waved to Officer Nichols. He was posted outside Eddie’s room on a chair in the hallway, flipping through the morning paper while he sipped on a cup of crappy hospital coffee. He returned the gesture with a tip of his cup while Argyle hovered behind Erica, following her into Max’s room while she made her visit. The other two went for the door across the hall as Robin poked her head through first.

She actually had a particular question she’d been asked to extend before El came in with her.

“Heeyyy, Eddie?” she asked as she cracked open the door to the guy’s room, wearing a big, bright smile to hopefully win him over effortlessly.

Eddie looked over from the tv set quietly playing a cartoon. There was a second of confusion when he saw her face - only having expected to see El’s - when he noticed the expression spread across it. She had a suspicious kind of smile that cued him that she had a favor in mind,“ What do you want?”

The thing was that when Robin was getting picked up, the girl had stepped out of the car to say something before she got buckled in. Robin leaned over and El whispered to her something about when she had the sleepover with Max over the summer. That she’d mentioned wishing she could paint her nails. Max might’ve been a rough and tough kind of girl, but she liked feeling pretty and special too. But as active a kid as Max was, it would just chip off in no time. So the girl never really went through the trouble, even though she liked the look of them. And well… Max wasn’t really going to be doing too much right now… so El wanted to paint her nails as a little surprise for when she woke up.

But El had never even painted her own before, so surely it wouldn’t go very well.

So Robin had an idea.

She stepped a little further into the room and put her hands together,“ So, El needs to practice.”

“Practice?” he quoted back to her, his confusion coming back quickly.

“Painting nails.” Robin clarified,” She wants to paint Max’s. I offered to do it for her, but she really wants to do it herself.”

“And, what does that have to do with me?”

Robin hummed her words and came in just a little closer,“ Well, you don’t really need your hands, you know? Can’t even move them very far at the moment, so…”

“No.” he stopped her quickly.

“Come on! You’re not busy right now!” she argued.

With a wave of his hands, as far as they could while he was under the charges and restrained, he threw back,“ Offer her yours!”

“Mine are already painted! Obviously!” she told him, flashing her maroon-tipped fingers at him with a stern face.

And then Eddie was silent.

Considering.

Could he really say no? Even if it was being said to Robin’s face, it was really being said to El. And the girl did save his life. And she was kind of his favorite. And he liked Little Red. And he felt pretty bad for both of them…

“Fine.” He gritted out through clenched teeth,” But I’ll only accept black polish. Nothing frilly, or you’ll mess up my vibe.”

“I assumed that would be your preference.” Robin smiled to herself, pulling a bottle of black nail polish out of her back pocket that she nabbed when she came up with the idea,“ El! Come on, he’s in!”

The girl timidly joined them, her own hands tucked into the sleeves of her sweatshirt as she came forward to Eddie’s bedside.

He splayed his hand out for her and dropped his voice to sing a line,” I want it painted blaaack~”

He was hoping for a smile. Or a laugh. Or just, something to let him know he was funny and making the situation entertaining. But she just looked at him with a blank expression. And then her eyes drifted up at Robin, who was pulling up another chair, like she was asking for help with the comment.

“Come on. The Rolling Stones,” he explained, because maybe she didn’t know their whole discography, but she had to at least know the name.

But nothing. She just looked back at him, not even a glint of recognition behind her eyes.

“Okay, seriously? The Rolling Stones? You don’t know The Rolling Stones? They aren’t my favorite or anything, but geez- have you been living under a rock, girlie? They’ve been makin’ music for like twenty years.”

Robin chastised him with a gentle smack to his shoulder for expecting the kid, who had never been outside of a lab until three years before, to know about any musical artists except for her favorites. The two girls were getting sat down side-by-side on Eddie’s right hand when Arygle and Erica came into the room. They made themselves at home in the other chairs on Eddie’s left side and watched what was playing, which turned out to be an episode of Scooby Doo, Where Are You!

It was slow work of the pair on his hand. Robin was showing El a comfortable way to hold it and get a good angle for the brush. Showing her how to wipe off the excess polish in the rim of the bottle, and how to start in the middle before working her way back and pulling it along the sides to make it clean and easy to keep on the nail.

“Doesn’t get very messy if you don’t stress and take your time. ’Course, if you do get outside the lines a bit, not a big deal.” She added and exemplified with his pointer finger, letting the brush barely slip over the side,” I just take my thumb and gently scrape the little bit off of the skin with my nail to fix up the edges, like this-”

“Ow!” Eddie complained and shot Robin a glare.

She ignored the dramatics to whisper to El,” It doesn’t really hurt-”

“Yes, it does,” he insisted,” You just dug your nail into my- my-” he struggled for the word.

“Your cuticle?” Robin finished for him.

“Yeah! And it’s pointy, Robin!”

She rolled her eyes at him,“ It doesn’t hurt, El. Boys are just wimps. Max’ll be way tougher than this patient. When you do hers, she won’t even feel it-”

Robin had said it quickly. Absentmindedly. For a second, forgetting that Max was in a coma and couldn’t feel anything at all. And El didn’t look like the words hit her too badly, but Robin started sputtering anyway.

“I mean, even if she was awake, she wouldn’t… Like, we all know Max is a tough cookie in her own right, and she’d be fine. And she will be fine! And girls really do handle things better! The whole ‘beauty is pain’ thing and- Boys really complain about this sorta stuff way more and…” she fizzled out of her defense and added one last note,” It really doesn’t hurt. Promise.”

El simply nodded back.

“Says you.” Eddie grumbled to himself,“ How many slumber parties you been to where they train you mini-torturers anyway?”

Robin shrugged and focused on holding his middle finger for El to try painting on,“ Oh, none. I just sometimes make Steve try colors out with me when I can’t pick one. But he’s antsy and always picks it off within the hour, so… I get lots of practice.”

“You’re lying,” he dismissed the idea quickly.

She just quirked an eyebrow at him with a quiet “Am I?” that left him wondering.

Before Eddie could consider her words much further, Argyle was leaning over to Erica and asking who she thought the bad guy was for this particular episode. Now, of course, he’d already seen it and remembered who was hiding under the mask. So did Robin and Eddie. But Erica thumbed at her chin and hummed while recounting some of the plot.

“Weighing the variables," she’d said.

And the conversation moved on. Robin passed Eddie’s hands into El’s so she could continue, and the room was alight with the discussion of a far simpler mystery than the one they had waiting for them in the real world. And El was shy about it for a bit. She hesitated to take his hand, and she was stiff and extra careful with it when she held it. Like his hands were delicate and fragile. But after a few minutes rolled by, she was sufficiently focused on her paint job, instead of the fact that the hand was connected to someone. She started to relax around them. Letting their conversation pass over her while she soaked it up. Listening, but not worried about answering herself.

It was comfortable and easy.

The rest of the crew was less so at comfort or at ease.

The folks who were sent off to the meeting had all gathered around a cement table with the slow traffic of townspeople around them. Some of them go inside. Some of them leave. Some of them were just milling about like they didn’t know what to do.

Nobody really knew what to do. This sort of tragedy wasn’t something Hawkins had ever been faced with. And even the people who knew what was really going on didn’t know exactly what to do.

They had the barebones of a game plan. The idea was to get some tapes set up so they had a shield or buffer between them and Vecna when they rode into battle. And the understanding that they needed to find a way to take to that fight as soon as possible, preferably before Vecna got himself fully pulled back together. But there wasn’t anything solid. Nothing to really stand on except shifting quicksand.

Which was a maddening reality.

Nancy was mad, in case no one noticed.

She kept finding herself mad, what felt like all the time.

It felt like she just had this hair trigger, and so many things set it off.

And now she was meeting with a woman who kept pissing her off. So surely she was going to get even madder within the next few minutes. But she was meeting up with her with Jonathan, Steve, Joyce, and Hopper by her side. And - if the way he kept his arms crossed and his expression sour after Nancy pointed out that they handed El back to Dr. Brenner was any hint - Hop would be right there with her on being pissed off. They also had Will and Mike. They tried to leave them behind, but they both insisted on coming with them.

They hadn’t been there waiting very long. Maybe ten or so minutes. Sitting silently together. Because they didn’t really have much to say to each other. Next to her, though, Mike sat with a bouncing knee.

Then, just as Nancy was thinking she would need to snap at her brother for being incapable of sitting still- three agents strolled up.

They were all dressed in uniformity: dark, neutral suits and trench coats, hats and sunglasses, glossy, black dress shoes, and the exact same silver watches on each of their wrists. They were headed by the same woman Nancy kept butting heads with. She walked in the middle while two men were just shortly behind. And she was the only one with a briefcase tight in her fixed grip. The other two didn’t have one, but when the wind whipped and their coats opened, she could catch sight of the holsters on their hips.

“This isn’t all of you,” the man on the left said in place of a greeting. He was a tall and lanky guy. Bushy eyebrows and slicked, jet-black hair that just barely poked out of his fedora.

“No. It’s not.” Hopper answered, though clearly not giving up the information the man wanted him to. Silently challenging the guy to push it. See how tough he really thought he was. Hop took a step forward and told him,” But it’s everyone you’re going to get. So, let’s talk.”

“Let’s.”

The woman cut between them, seeming to try and soften the tension, though Nancy felt like she did the opposite every time she’d seen her,“ Why don’t we start with what happened to you? It’s been months since you were presumed dead-”

“Eight months,” the guy on the right clarified. Shorter than the other. With a mop of dirty blonde on his head and a speckling of freckles across his cheeks.

Hop just shrugged and blew between his lips casually,“ Not much. Blew up the mall gate. Wasn’t enough to kill me. Russians came back. Found me. Smuggled me out. Threw me in a cell. Sat in prison til we snuck our way back over.”

“You say that like it’s simple-” the woman started.

“It’s the simplest part of this mess because it’s over and dealt with.” He declared,” So let’s skip to the next part: the bullshit happening right here, right now.”

And she didn’t really seem to like that answer. Probably something about paperwork and files that would be left blank or vague about his unaccounted-for time. But the blonde didn’t hold any argument.

“So, what do you know?” he asked, content with moving right along to the current shit show.

“We know there’s a problem in fair Verona. A disagreement.” Will spoke up. Having just covered the play in Lenora, the legendary dueling families were fresh on his mind. And the need to know if these people were friends or foes to his sister was one of the most urgent concerns he'd been thinking over time and time again.

And then, as if Mike was right there in his head, he continued the comparison,“ A disagreement about what to do with El. So, are you Montagues or Capulets?”

The woman rolled her eyes, and with an exasperated tone said,“ We’re in this with Dr. Owens. We know the girl didn’t cause all of this-”

“But we don’t know what did.” The blonde stepped forward to insist,” Care to enlighten us with what you’ve found out while you were running around?”

Nancy shifted in her seat,“ How much do you know about Dr. Brenner’s original experiment?”

“His data’s on a need-to-know basis,” he returned.

“So nothing? Or just about?” Nancy guessed. Enjoying just a little bit of how it felt to know more than them about the atrocities of their department’s precious scientist.

“The point?” the black-haired one pushed.

“Well - since it’s all ‘need-to-know’ at this point anyway - the first child he snatched for his superpowered kids game was Henry Creel. I assume you’ve at least looked into what happened at the Creel house a few decades ago considering the similarity in the recent murders?”

The woman gritted her teeth,“ Yes, we have-”

“Good.” Nancy steamrolled on through,” After those, the doctor got custody of him. Made him subject number one of his great experiment. Used him as the blueprint to try and replicate his… condition, in others. But, if the dead and tortured family was any indication, he wasn’t very stable. For some reason, or other, the doctor removed him from the experiment and kept him in the lab to keep an eye on him. Gave him an implant that suppressed his abilities. Henry didn’t like that. So when he got the implant out and had the opportunity to use them again, he killed over a dozen of the newer models and just about every member of staff at the lab.”

“El,” Mike jumped in,” was the one who stopped him from getting out by getting rid of him. She was stronger. Trapped him in the Upside Down all on her own. Practically by accident. On instinct. So he couldn’t hurt more people.”

“Sounds like a happy ending. Just one problem: what’s he been doing causing death and destruction over the course of these last two weeks then?” the taller man asked.

“It’s not been just these past two weeks. Every time we’ve had… an ‘event’ it’s been him trying to get back. Get back here.” Joyce informed.

Hop summarized the timeline,“ Three years ago, Dr. Brenner was pushing her, and she made contact in the Upside Down. Once Henry found out there that there must be a way to reopen that connection, he was. He’s been trying to claw a way back here and finish business. Which we’re all pretty keen on not letting him do.”

“Why- What does he want to do that we can’t let happen? If he’s just trying to come back, why doesn’t El just open the door and let him through so all the other things stop mixing in?” the woman asked, rubbing her temples.

“He wants to destroy everything,” Nancy answered. Cold. Remembering what he showed her. His promise for what he’d do.

The air of the conversation shifted. The three of them were finally starting to understand the stakes at play this time.

“It wasn’t just about hurting the people in the lab that made him a prisoner. He wants to get rid of all of it.” Jonathan explained a little further.

“What would he even gain from that?”

Nancy took back over,“ He thinks humanity is a failure. A calamity with faults so deeply ingrained in us that the only choice is to start creation, civilization, all over again. In his image of what’s right and natural, of course.”

“And- where do we stand with this? With keeping this from happening?”

“He needed to take four lives to open the gate and get back onto this side. We met him in the Upside Down while he was staking out Max and lit his ass up.” Steve answered with a slight nudge to Nancy’s shoulder for being the one to fire the buckshot right into his ugly mug.

“But it wasn’t enough.” She admitted,” Max died. And he disappeared when the gate opened, but El kept her from staying dead, so the gate snapped shut again. We don’t know what happened after that. He could be in some kind of limbo between dimensions, or hiding out somewhere here, or still on the other side. We just don’t know. Will can’t feel him.”

The blonde looked at the boy,“ You can’t?”

Will shook his head,“ Not like the last times he’s come back. He’s not totally there, sparking things up again. But he’s not gone. He’s still there, just… small, and- and it’s like he’s curled up in some corner. Putting himself back together.”

“And what happens when he’s got himself straightened out?” the other man asked, unkept eyebrows raised.

Nancy let out a remorseful huff,“ Best guess is he tries to brute force the gate back open with Max’s half-death. Or he’ll try to reach back over and finish the job. Maybe even go after someone new if he has to, but he doesn't like losing, so surely he wants to get at Max.”

“Which we won’t let happen.” Steve needed to say.

The agents looked… off-kilter. Like they’d been rocked off of their foundation for the first time. The first real surprise. They were used to dealing with weird things. Unusual, inexplicable things. Dangerous things. But this was a whole new ball game, and there were finally getting a lay of just how messed up the land was this time.

“And what of the NINA Project?” the woman steered the conversation, wanting to finish fleshing out where they all stood within the organization.

“We didn’t stick around long. But what we did see was a lot of bodies, a lot of fire, a helicopter fell out of the sky… and Dr. Brenner can’t hurt El anymore.” Jonathan filled in.

“Dr. Owens?”

“Didn’t see him.” Will said,” We’ve been telling El to take it easy after the fight and trying to find One again, so she hasn’t tried to find him yet, but she doesn’t know what happened. Didn’t see him after Brenner drugged her.”

“But the girl, the project itself, it was successful…?”

Mike confirmed,“ Her powers are back. Stronger than they were when they went away. But that doesn’t mean that this will just get taken care of with a snap of her fingers when we find him. She threw everything she had at him-”

Nancy threw in,“ While the rest of us were risking our lives doing the same-”

“-And all that didn’t finish him off. Somehow, he’s still kicking. And he’s going to keep trying to get back over here if we can’t take the fight to him and end it for real.”

The three agents were silent for a minute. Processing, if the locals had to guess. Trying to figure out what it all meant and what options they had. They all looked deflated by the time the woman spoke up.

“What’s the plan?”

“Wow, you don’t have one for us? Shocker.” Nancy cut out.

“We-”

“It’s so surprising that you are, yet again, useless.”

Joyce put her hand over Nancy’s to try and soothe her,” We’ll figure it out.”

The woman sounded humbled, quieter, when she next asked,“ What can we do?”

And maybe that was it.

Maybe that’s what Nancy has been waiting to see. To see them accept it, just accept that they messed up. Accept that they didn’t have all the answers. That they were wrong. They didn’t say it outright. That was probably lesson one when they joined the supernatural clean-up crew: Not admitting culpability.

But that silence. And the question that followed.

It did something. Took some pressure off the hair-trigger of Nancy’s rage. Because it meant she’d been justified before. She was right and now they knew it.

She took a breath and calmly asked,“ Can you bankroll a trip to the RadioShack and wherever else we go to for supplies?”

And the woman nodded,“ We can do that."

“And Eddie and Max’s hospital bills,” Mike added.

“And when two more come to town, we need to get their citizenship worked out.” Joyce considered the Antonov’s.

“And find a way to make sure the California Stowaways don’t have any problems trying to graduate after this mess.” Jonathan thought for himself and Argyle.

“And, if you hear anything from Dr. Sam, you let us know. You let us know if you hear anything about unexplainable earthquakes, demo-murders, or general Upside Down related business. The minute you know. So we all stay on the same page.” Nancy spoke.

“And whatever Max wants when she wakes up, she gets. Period.” Steve added.

Jim pointed out,“ And guns. We’d like more guns.”

Nancy quickly agreed,“ I second the vote for guns.”

Which brought a smile to Hop’s face. That girl was something all her own.

“We’ll start working on things.” The man on the right said after he was done jotting things down in a notepad.

The three agents nodded a silent agreement and were about to walk away when the sight sparked something for Nancy.

“This is it?”

“What?” the woman asked her.

“This. The three of you. This is all of you that’s left. Isn’t it?”

The teens and two parents looked at her and then between the agents when they didn’t have a thing to say for themselves.

Jonathan questioned it next,“ Is she right?”

“We-” the leftie was about to lie when the woman cut him off for the simple truth.

“There are two others still working on contacting any of the team that might’ve made it out of the NINA Project. But besides that, this is all. We’re it.”

“You used to be dozens with a fleet of vans…” Mike wondered in shock, remembering the insurmountable difficulty they’d been to dodge three years before.

“The Capulets have made times difficult for the Montagues. We got stretched thin, and most of us that were trustworthy enough to stay on the force on Owen’s side went to work at the bunker in Nevada. The rest of us came out here when things started looking hairy. Which… isn’t a comforting reality, I’m sure. But, if you focus on fine-tuning that wishlist so we can be done with Fair Verona as a whole, maybe we still have a chance at getting out of this play better than the lovers did.”

Nobody really knew what to say. But the woman stepped forward and spoke directly to Nancy for her last lines.

“We’ll keep you updated with what we know, and you do the same. We haven’t gotten along well, up until this point. But we all want this to be over. And we all want to suffer as little damage as possible. We don’t have to be adversaries in getting across the finish line.”

Nancy met her gaze. And for the first time, she wasn’t so furious at the green staring down at her.

“Agreed.”

And then they were gone. Packed into black cars and driving off to “deal with business.”

And Nancy found herself left with… a vacancy where her anger had sat. She still had plenty to be mad about, but the focus of it that she had temporarily shifted onto the government suits was now gone. And she was left dissatisfied. And the hollow feeling wasn’t enough. It didn’t sit in her, filling her up and taking up her attention, like the anger did. And then she had to wonder if she might’ve made the whole mess worse than it needed to be. At least a little bit.

They were wrong for being in Hawkins and not saying anything, yes.

They were wrong for letting El suffer Dr. Brenner’s experiments again, yes.

They were wrong for taking down to her before, yes.

But she turned them into a big, evil monster in her head that they simply weren’t. They weren’t the monster they had to defeat at the end of the day. But maybe she’d decided they were because they got in her way enough and were something she could fight against while Vecna remained a big question mark in her notebook.

So maybe she’d been unnecessarily mean, fostered animosity between them because it felt better to have a reason. It felt better to have something to be mad at and yell in the face of.

Maybe she should be worried that it felt better to be mad at people who didn’t completely deserve it than to not have anything to do with herself.

“Welp,” Hopper clapped his hands on his legs and stood up, interrupting her train of thought,” I have a Chief of Police to soften up.”

“Bribery?” Joyce asked him, just a hint of judgment in her tone. Not much, though.

“If it works.”

After a little while, El had moved on to Eddie’s other hand. She was far more comfortable with holding it and painting along his short nails as she was reaching the end of her work. There was some discussion happening around her. Not one that she’d been paying much attention to for the last few minutes. She had followed along earlier. But over the last little bit of time, she’s had a question buzzing around her mind she really wanted to ask that was distracting her.

“Eddie?” she spoke quietly, not wanting to stop the room’s talk even if she was stealing his attention for a minute.

He looked away from Argyle’s lackadaisical questions about life growing up in rural Indiana he’d been posing for everyone over the last twenty minutes. She hadn’t looked at him when she spoke, kept her eyes fixed on the pinky finger in her hold as she started its first coat.

“Yeah, angel?”

She hesitated, swallowing to steel herself before she just tried to push it out,“ Dustin said… he said they call you ‘freak’ too?”

And maybe the words themselves would’ve sounded like a statement. But from her, they were certainly a question. And they sounded like just the tip of an iceberg. Because she said “too.” And she said it softly and ashamed.

Someone made her feel that way.

“Does someone call you that?” he asked, voice gentle as he could make it. The other three in the room pretended like they couldn’t hear them, instead trying to paint a picture for the Californian of the divisive political nightmare that was the Starcourt mall when it was built the summer before.

El didn’t answer though. Just kept her gaze on sweeping the black polish down his nail. Lips tight together with a slight, barely perceptible tremor that said all too much.

With a sigh, Eddie pulled on the part of his character that he thought might help.

“Well, for the record,” he started, bringing himself all high and mighty against her sullen expression,” over here they call me ‘The Freak.’ So, like, the freakiest freak of them all, you know. I get it. I am a freak. I’m weird and off and certifiably freaky, and I like it. But, you little lady? You ain’t no freak. You’re super normal.”

She giggled at the idea. Couldn’t help herself. Eddie must’ve had her figured all wrong to say something like that.

“What?” He wondered, playfully dropping his head to the side to look at her,” People never tell the kiddo with magic powers she’s normal?”

She cast her eyes up at him as if to ask “What do you think?” before quickly putting them back on their task.

He shrugged it off,“ I mean, sure, the magic power part is, admittedly, a little off the baseline. I won’t lie. And the haircut. But I’d say that makes you way cooler than everyone else. I was rocking the tight buzz myself once upon a time, and not everyone can make it work like the two of us do. But besides those two very small factors, you seem like just any other little girl to me. Way more normal than miss Erica over there. First time I met her, she was already lecturing me about venomous knives-”

“It was one poisoned kukri,” she corrected, unable to keep the comment to herself.

He lowered his voice and leaned in,“ See what I mean? But you? Nah, you’re just fine.”

She finally looked up and held his eyes,“ Fine?”

And he smiled back at her, as bright and assured as he could manage,“ Yeah. Just fine. And even if you were a freak like me, you’d still be fine. I’d accept you into my beloved kingdom and show you that being a freak isn’t bad. It’s actually a whole lot of fun. I know we’re still new to each other, but will you trust me on that much? As a freak speaking from experience on it?”

And she looked kind of like a weight had been lifted off of her. One she’s carried for so long with no idea how to understand. No idea how to get rid of or come to terms with.

But somehow, being told she was normal, even when it still didn’t quite fit… it felt better than all the times Mike called her his superhero.

She was different. No amount of “but it’s special” ever got rid of the feeling that there was something wrong with her. And for so long, she would’ve given anything not to be the way she was. And yet, here this guy was. This near stranger that told her he didn’t find her all that weird. That he didn’t find it impossible to look past the things the lab did to her.

It felt nice. To try and believe him for a minute. To pretend like “normal” would be an option after they shut the door on the Upside Down for good.

And maybe one day she’ll be able to believe she doesn’t need it anyway. Decide that normal was fine and all, but she can also be a freak and still be just as fine because she chose to enjoy it. Eddie seemed happy enough in it. Even handcuffed to a hospital bed and having just escaped death, he was still loving being a freak.

“Yeah,” she decided. She’d trust his advice. Why not? It felt way better than the alternative.

“Good,” he remarked before splaying his hand to view for himself,” And thank you for my bitchin’ claws, kid. I’m sure Little Red’s set’ll look great too.”

“Thanks…” she smiled a little wider, capping the black polish and setting it down on the table by the bright orange they’d brought for Max’s.

“Of course. Surprise, surprise, she’s good at more than just saving lives. Though I doubt I’ll ever really get over the fact that you saved mine, you know. You would not believe the hell I’d have tried to raise if I died before I got to see Ozzy live.”

“Ozzy?” she asked, tilting her head with the inquisition.

And if he weren’t laid up and chained in place, Eddie would’ve tried to fling himself to the floor with a gasp.

“Another person who doesn’t know about the one and only Ozzy? God- you people are killing me here!” he groaned and writhed in his bed for effect, pulling another giggle out of the girl at his side while the rest of the room playfully rolled their eyes at his antics.

“Wasn’t sure you’d show.” Police Chief Powell said as Jim pushed in what used to be his door.

At least, it had been until he went and got himself abducted, of course. Now it was Calvin’s. And he sat behind the desk wearing a face that Hopper probably guessed he’s worn before. Long nights, early mornings, shit getting kicked up faster than a town as small as theirs had any right to. He remembers being in that spot and feeling just as exhausted as Calvin looked.

He strode in with the confidence that said that office was still his in some way,” Said I would.”

“Yeah, but you always hated mornings at the station. Came in late as often as you could.” Powell pointed out.

Jim smiled and shook his head,“ You got me there. But I’m here, with coffee, as promised.”

He passed over the cheap paper cup. Took his seat in the chair opposite him while the man popped off the lid and shook out a few packets of sugar, definitely stolen from the break room and squirreled away in his desk drawer.

“Still got a sweet tooth?” he teased and sipped on his own cup, black and bitter.

The man raised an eyebrow at him while he stirred it around,“ You weren’t gone that long, you know.”

Jim had to give it to him,” Guess not. Not long enough for you to grow out of it, at least.”

They drank from their cups in a familiar, comfortable silence while Jim looked around the room. It was mostly the same. He’d never decorated much, so there wasn’t much to be taken down or changed. Same knots in all the wood grain. Same dents and scratches in the walls. Same scraps under the chair legs. New name on the nameplate, though. New man in the chair. New computer set up in front of him, big and clunky and off-white. Jesus Christ, Jim’s happy he involuntarily gave up the job before they’d made him regularly use one of those things, at least.

But, thinking of chiefly duties…

“Well, Cal, how’s it looking for the kid?” Jim brought up.

He looked at him for a second and asked, waving his cup to him,“ How do you even know Eddie Munson all that well? You’ve been gone for eight months, Jim. And while you were still here, we never busted him for the drugs.”

Jim settled back in the chair further and recounted,“ I told him to quit it a time or two, but didn’t want to make a fuss on his record about it. Never caught him in the act, and only ever with a baggie of pot on him.”

He took another sip and continued,“ But, besides that, I just want to see something done right by him. By this whole mess, I’ve heard about. I can’t explain how I know that what all the kids are saying is the truth. That he’s innocent. But I just do. Would stake my life on it. He didn’t do anything to the girl or those boys.”

Powell almost nodded to the fact, given what they’d been working on uncovering over the last few days,“ Well, we’ve been investigating the case based on their testimonies…”

He let his words trail off, but Hop was impatient for some good news.

“And?”

Powell met his eyes, and with a tone of near-disbelief, he admitted,“ We haven’t found a single shred of evidence to suggest they’re lying about it. Nothing beyond the locations of the murders speaks to Eddie having had anything to do with it. And while the kids could’ve had time to coordinate their stories with each other, the others we’ve interviewed couldn't have. And with the background we’ve dug up on the victims… The claim that this was all a huge mess perpetrated by Jason Carver as he kept digging himself a deeper hole to cover his tracks… it’s the more plausible theory between the two. Way more than the idea that Eddie just went crazy all of a sudden and convinced so many people to cover for him this well.”

“So you’re saying…?”

“We can’t charge a dead man with the crimes. Can’t detain him and interrogate him while we look for more evidence.” Powell pointed out, regretfully,” But we can drop Eddie from the suspect list. Take the cuffs off him, make an announcement, and turn him loose.”

“That’s good news, Cal. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear it.”

“Oh, I’m sure. Better than sending him to the clink for something he didn’t do just to satisfy this town’s thirst for blood.”

“Aint that the truth.”

There was almost time for another silence to fall around them. But Calvin had a question to pose before it settled very long.

“So, what’ll you do now that you’re back?”

And it probably should’ve been a scary question. The prospect of the unknown. A whole slew of decisions to make now that his life’s been so completely thrown off-track. He probably should’ve already had some idea of a plan in place for what he’d return to without the walls of a Soviet prison making all the choices for him.

“I have no clue.” he honestly answered instead.

“What? Don’t want to get rehired back here at the station?”

“And do this grunt work?” They shared a hearty chuckle that spoke to all their years of complaining about both having not enough and way too much to do before he explained,” Nah. I don’t know what I’ll do, but I think I’m tired of trying to make this whole damn town my responsibility.”

“You think you already have enough of it with that kid of yours?”

Fondness crept its way into his face,“ Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

“How did that even happen? I feel like I had no clue you were even looking to adopt, much less had a kid already when you died and she was moving away with Joyce.”

“That’s a crazy story, Cal. Crazier than the shit that’s gone on here in recent days, I swear. But, uh, she’s mine. And she means everything to me. And I don’t want to do anything except be a good dad for her now. A job just seems like a waste of precious time.”

Powell brought his hands together and wistfully sighed,“ I hear ya…”

“What? Chief ain't treating you right? Wasn’t all it cracked up to be?”

“Don’t you make it sound like I’m whining about it. Wasn’t too much more to deal with until all this shit hit the fan. But this shit has been…”

“Hell on earth?” Jim supplied.

“Exactly. Slept either here or in the cruiser more nights than I did at home. I think the Missus is just about ready to march in here and drag me back into the cold side of the bed I left her with.”

Jim’s eyes snapped to his with more attention,“ Missus? So you and Wendy?”

“Finally tied the knot,” he pulled back his hand to reveal the wedding band on his left ring finger that he’d been twisting.

“Wow, been waiting on you to do it, what, six years now? And you up and decide to commit while I’m gone.”

“I ‘up and decided to commit’ because you were gone. Seeing you here one day and then just - poof - not anymore… Thought about taking up your badge and if the same thing happened to me… I was done wasting time.” Powell detailed the whole affair for the man who missed it,” So I bought the ring and proposed that same month. She spent forever on the phone, planning the whole thing out with her sister. Got married in December. Honeymooned over Christmas and New Year's.”

“That sounds nice.”

“It was. And, in a way, I had you to thank.”

Jim shook his head at that,“ Nah, you woulda wisened up one of these days. With or without me.”

“Maybe. But why don’t you tell me when you’re going to wisen up.”

“What does that mean?”

“You think the whole you-and-Joyce thing is subtle?”

They shared another laugh before Jim conceded,” No, I guess it isn’t.”

“You gave her your kid, Jim! That’s nearly grounds for an engagement right there.”

“Don't start talking like that, or I’ll get ideas and scare her off, Cal. We haven’t even had a single date yet.”

He was a little taken aback,“ Didn’t you two…? Back in high school?”

“No. Never.” Hopper corrected him,” We just ran into each other a lot, hung out cutting class sometimes…”

Powell didn’t really look like he believed him, but he let it slide to check him,” But now you’ll get a move on?”

“I guess now I owe it to her to get a move on. Already made her wait eight months for a damn dinner.”

Cal whistled,” Oh yeah, sounds like you best get a move on.”

“How ‘bout you do the same?” He said while he got up,” I’m sure that the kid’d like to know he’s a free man as soon as possible. You promised me you wouldn’t drag your feet on this.”

Powell stood up with him,“ And I’m not. Just waiting for Flo to let me know the machine’s done spitting out the official report. Then I'll be headed out to get started on cleaning things up.”

Before Jim turned to leave, he asked,“ Could I ask you for another favor?”

“What do you want from me now?”

“Nancy Wheeler. She’d been writing up the story on what happened for the school newspaper. She’s the only one with the inside scoop, has both the Munsons talking to her, and the most in-depth coverage of both the during and after of the arrest.”

“That’s good for her.”

“It is.” He agreed,” And if her's got to be the first article announcing that the charges have been dropped, before even the tv crews do, it’d go a long way for her resume down the line."

“I’ll bet it would."

"Especially since she'll have to help spearhead women in investigative journalism in the first place.”

"I never did like the press... But you tell her she can stop by and get a quote. As long as none of the other kids get in the way of it, she can get her story printed before morning news runs with it tomorrow.”

“I will. Thank you. Really. I’m happy to know the seat I left empty got filled by someone fit to sit in it.”

“God, what’d they do to you while you were gone?” Powell rounded the desk to stand next to him,” You’ve gone all sappy and soft in your time off.”

Jim bumped against his shoulder,“ Let’s just call it gettin’ old and leave it at that.”

“And see, I would've bet good money you’d be one of them crotchety things. Screaming from your front porch at everyone who dares pass by.”

“I woulda bet on it too. Now look at me.”

“It’s a good look on you. Enjoy it.”

Then, Flo burst through the doors, thumbing through freshly printed papers and eyeing them through her glasses instead of looking up,“ Your paperwork is all done, Chie- Jim? How are- When did you slip in?”

“Flo,” he greeted simply with a smile to the woman who practically kept that department running by being the biggest pain in his ass the entire time.

She tucked herself against his side in a quick hug, turns out working with someone for about eight years mean they miss you a little bit. Who would have guessed?

She held the papers into her chest and reached out to shove at his shoulder,“ I’m almost scared to ask if this is someone’s stupid idea of an April Fool’s joke.”

“It’s April first?” Jim asked, looking at the calendar on the wall that was fully crossed off but hadn’t been flipped to the new month yet.

“Sure is,” she confirmed while Powell took the hint to change it.

“Thanks for reminding me…” Jim thought of something for a minute,” I’ll be heading off. Was good catching up.”

With Eddie’s hands all painted, Argyle found himself the only one in the room without. He’d held out his hand for Erica and asked if she thought he’d look cute with shimmery pink nails like hers. Which made all of them laugh. But she said it didn’t exactly fit his vibe, so he then turned to all of the girls and was letting them debate what kind of color they’d put him in if they could. There were a few ideas of a mossy green, or a peachy orange, or maybe a daffodil yellow when Hop’s voice cracked through the walkie they’d perched on the windowsill of the hospital room.

“Hey, any rotten kids around?”

Robin leaned over and snatched it off the ledge,” Rotten kids one through five checking in. What’s the word on the construction for gallows in the town square?”

“Just spoke to Cal on how the case is looking,” was all he answered.

Robin took a look around the room with a stilted expression,“ And? What’d he say?”

There was no response.

“Hello? Requesting status on the conflict between Ex-Chief, Jim Hopper, and Current Chief, Calvin Powell?” she joked.

Hop’s voice came back in a low rumble,“ I’m real sorry, kid…”

All at once, Eddie felt his stomach plummet through the tile floor.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

They’d been joking around and having fun all morning… he forgot for a minute that things don’t always just turn out. They usually didn’t before he found out the world was ending, but his luck hadn’t been so bad recently. He cheated death and made some new friends, but it seemed the legal system was going to be a fouler beast to defeat.

Shit.

Jim continued,“ They’ve been digging through everything, but it’s just not enough to convince them…”

Robin shook her head as his voice faded out. She looked back up at the accused man and remained defiant,“ Don’t worry, Eddie. We- we can keep trying to figure this out. We’re not going to quit on you and we aren’t going to let them chuck you behind bars for the rest of your life. Okay? Well… We’ll put together a petition! Or gather a protest! Or- We have Nance’s paper she’s gonna publish! We’ll get people on your side and figure something out. We won’t give up on-”

But the radio cut right through her,“ I just can’t get ‘em to put you in prison stripes.”

And everything stopped.

Eddie's heart stopped beating, his lungs stopped breathing, the whole fucking Earth stopped spinning under him.

“Wait-” Robin asked herself before remembering to pull the walkie up to her face and click the button,“ What?”

The next time Hopper’s voice came through, they could hear the grin he was trying to fight back,“ He’s on his way down now to tell you officially, but the Hawkins Police Department is dropping the charges. Congratulations. You buncha deviants did a good job showin’ ‘em all what’s what.”

“Are you kidding?!” Eddie’s voice rang through the room, Robin having clicked down the button in time for Jim to catch most of it.

“What? Nobody’s ever heard of an April Fool’s joke?” he asked.

“Most April Fool’s jokes aren’t supposed to make the victim die of a heart attack!” the man yelled, voice rising in pitch.

“He’s still breathing ain’t he?”

“Oh my god- as if that even makes it okay to tell a guy he’s going to be prosecuted for like a hundred murders-”

“It would’ve been three, maybe four, and an assault at most, Eddie,” Robin tried to remind him, setting down and forgetting the walkie on the table.

“They would’ve sentenced me to like a hundred years, Robin!” he argued back.

“I just told you we would’ve figured it out-”

“I’ll take that as a yes. So, he’ll be fine.” Jim assumably answered the silence he received.

El took the walkie herself to tell him,” Was still a mean joke.”

“You kids need to lighten up. Yeesh. Nobody around here knows how to have any fun anymore.”

Eddie’s room filled up after that. Nancy, Steve, Mike, and Will arrive shortly after, just barely beating Chief Powell. He went over all the news with Eddie and the officer there. They undo his cuffs and explain that he won’t even have a misdemeanor for the drug distribution he admitted to at the end of the day. And since Nancy was right there, she got his statement and would get to send out her papers before the news channels ran an official announcement. If he faced any harassment despite it, though, the Hawkins Police department would help him out.

Then the rest of Hellfire showed up. Dustin and Lucas, along with Jeff, Gareth, Bruce, and Josie. Those four were particularly relieved to see him okay after everything. Not having received any update between Jason’s “Where’s Eddie?” interrogation and “Eddie Munson; Prime Suspect” and “Eddie’s in the hospital” they got from the boys that same morning. They were just saying their hellos when a nurse came in and tried to show them out.

“Awe, but we were celebrating,” Dustin complained to her.

She just looked down at him and hummed,“ Well, I’m sure Mr. Munson would prefer that we checked over everything privately. Like getting that catheter removed. Am I correct?”

Eddie didn’t hesitate to erupt with a pointed finger towards the door,“ Everybody, get the fuck out! Now!”

They got him taken care of and returned his things, but kept him in the hospital gown and hooked up to the IV.

They weren’t letting him out just yet. Turned out that when you nearly die of blood loss, the medical community likes to hold on to you. Make sure the wounds start healing over well, and there wouldn't be any deficits before the guy could start strolling about town. Who knew.

They decided to keep him until the end of the week, just to be safe.

In any news, they let his friends back in to annoy him. And, if Max’s mother signed some moving paperwork, she’d get wheeled into his room to share the rest of his stay with her the next morning. Hellfire made plans to camp out with him sometime and hold a one-shot around his bedside. Even roped newly returned Will Byers in agreeing to play, even though he didn’t know the rest of the club and was a little nervous.

When four o’clock hit, his uncle arrived and pulled him out of the bed for a real hug after the room emptied out.

Everyone else scampered off home, save for Robin, Nancy, and Steve.

They went to the school and used Nancy’s key to the newsroom to format her release and get Steve’s story for it. He sat on the light table while Robin threw questions at him. And they argued about how exactly he should word his answers the whole time Nancy typed away at the computer. They were crammed together working on it for a few hours, easily. And then they gathered up by the printer and folded hundreds of copies of the account. Using the school’s dime and credentials to get the news out as quickly as possible with at least a little reliability.

They were filling up milk crates from the cafeteria with stacks of them and loading them up into the Surfer Boy Pizza van when Jonathan and Argyle stopped by. The pair ran them around town and packed them into the newspaper boxes, even though technically they weren’t supposed to. Steve and Robin ran a few of them around the homes of people they knew were in a lot of the local groups and communities and would spread the word the fastest, and to Eddie’s neighbors. Those of them that were still at the trailer park.

Nancy dropped off copies in the mailboxes of some of the businesses for them to see first thing in the morning: the Hawkins’ Post and local news station, particularly. And then she dropped off a bunch of enveloped ones at the post office like they had when they released the tape about Barb less than two years before. To correct the brigade they’d been running with over the last week.

By the time the sun came back up, it should be on a world that believed Eddie was innocent. Or at least could be convinced of it soon.

As they were finishing up their rounds and headed back towards Robin’s house for drop-off, Steve stopped by his mailbox. He’d forgotten to for the last few days, and when they were about to pass it by, he figured he should grab anything while he was thinking about it before he came back later and forgot again.

There was a little bit that built up. Nearly all of it was addressed to his parents. But there was one letter with Steve’s name on it. Sent from the Family Video Headquarters in Glenview, Illinois.

“What…?” he mumbled to himself when he saw it.

“Come on, Steve,” Robin called from the rolled-down window,” Let’s get me home, so my parents don’t try to find new reasons to disapprove of our treasured friendship.”

“Just a second.”

Steve tore open the envelope right there, standing outside by his mailbox with the others tucked under his arm. When he pulled out the papers inside, they certainly held a surprise of a completely different kind. Not the stuff he got surprised with earlier that week. Not supernatural, end of days stuff. Instead, the mail spoke of incredibly mundane, and yet totally shocking stuff.

“Holy shit…”

Robin perked up at his expression while he read the paper“ Steve? What is it?”

He didn’t even look up for the paper when he quietly sputtered,“ I’m the manager…”

“What?” Robin knocked her head to the side and opened the door. Stepping out onto the street and rounding the car to join him.

“I-” he tried to start, then switched gears and looked at her,” Keith skipped town. So did half the staff. It’s just you, me, and Alex left in Hawkins now. Family Video sent the letter to me because I’m older and have the most hours on the schedule. They can’t convince anyone else to move out here to take over the building since Hawkins is so cursed in the public eye. So I- I’m the manager now.”

Her eyes fell to the paper, and she parroted his first thought,“ Holy shit…”

“We’re supposed to re-open on Friday and try to get things back in business.”

After… everything… that was so out of left field.

“April Fools?” Robin tried.

“They sent over the rest of the keys and instructions…“ Steve separated the open letter from the stapled packet behind it and held up the three new keys he had. For the office door, locked filing cabinet, and emergency exit.

“So, not April Fools…” Robin looked at the official paperwork and reminded him,” Steve. You don’t know how to run a store.”

Which, yes, was true. Steve did not know how to run a store. But the thing was that Steve and Robin never did any work truly on their own. So he looked back up at her and emphasized how absolutely tied together they were in it.

“We don’t know how to run a store.” he corrected.

“We don’t know how to run a store.” she agreed.

“We’ll have to figure it out…”

[orpheusredux]

Enter the 80s verse, part 1: Johnny Boy

Summary: What if John Bender from The Breakfast Club was Eddie’s cousin?

Rating: Mature, pre-eddie x you

Pairing: none

Warnings: Suggestion of violence, parental neglect and abuse (non-sexual), the off screen death of a minor character, mild drug use.

Series Playlist: Enter The 80s Verse

A/N I wrote this post about wanting to see Eddie connected to every character from every 80s film I’ve ever loved in some barely plausible way. The Breakfast Club came out in 1985. John Bender is a two-time senior in that film, making him about the same age as Eddie in 1986, however I’ve made him a year older here for the sake of a little cousinly hero worship. I had to pick a name for Eddie’s mum and I picked Lilly Dalley for some God unknown reason. Just roll with it.

Enter The 80s Verse Masterlist - Masterlist

When Eddie was seven, he’d wanted a “tattoo like John’s”. His mom had been so confused - John, her sister’s kid, was only 8, so there was no way the kid had any ink. But later, over dinner, Eddie had snatched the cuff of his cousin’s long sleeved tee shirt up so she could see the “tattoo” on his arm: four or five shiny, pink patches of skin, about the size and shape of the cherry on a cigarette. 

“Let your cousin alone,” his mom had said and reached across the table to pull John’s sleeve back down and pat the back of his arm. After dinner, she’d sent Eddie to is room to make a bed for his cousin on the floor. Eddie had dragged a bunch of blankets and pillows in there from the hall closet, and then come back to find his mom hugging John to her chest, whispering soothing sounds as she carded her fingers through his long chestnut hair. 

When Missy, Eddie’s Aunt, had arrived to pick John up a couple of days later, Eddie had heard his mom and her having one of those grown up fights, the kind you feel more than hear. 

“He gives as good as he gets,” Missy had said, her arms crossed, defiant. Eddie’s mom had just shaken her head and crossed her arms too. 

“He’s eight years old, Missy,” she’d said, and it had sounded less like a statement than an accusation. 

Then she’d looked up and seen Eddie lurking by the ranch slider. 

“What have I said about listening at doors, Edward James Munson?” 

Eddie hadn’t heard the rest, he’d just run, as fast as his legs could carry him into the woods. 

He didn’t see John again till he was 16, and John was 17, and the world had ended.

He was wearing an ill-fitting suit, and his hair was really long now, but that cocky, defiant air, Eddie recognized that straight away. He slouched into the church behind his mom and an older guy, heavy set, with a long greaser beard and a leather jacket, that Eddie had never seen before. 

They’d come up to Eddie and Wayne, and his aunt, red eyed and pale, had hugged him.

"She loved you so much, kid," she'd whispered.

She hugged Wayne and then drifted up the aisle to sit near the front. 

“It’s a fuckin’ shame,” the older guy said, shaking Wayne’s hand. “A fuckin' shame. She was one of the good ones.”  

Next to him, John had been silent, looking Eddie up and down before raising his chin in a nonchalant salute. His father turned to him just in time to see it, and Eddie felt the change of mood in the air. 

Without warning, his dad open-palm slapped him around the ear, harder than Eddie had ever seen a kid get slapped by an adult before, and he’d seen and felt some shit. 

“The fuck you think you are?” John’s father said, as John cringed into the gaping neck of his suit jacket.

Eddie had felt Wayne tense next to him. It made him want to say something to his cousin’s dad, tell him to stop or something. But Wayne put his hand on Eddie’s shoulder and squeezed a warning.

Wayne may have been a Munson and everyone in Hawkins knew Munsons were trash, but Wayne had been looking after him since the day his mom first got sick and he’d never once raised a hand to Eddie. If anything, living with Wayne was the first time Eddie had ever been treated with kindness by a male relative. 

“'M sorry for your loss,” John had mumbled, before moving quickly up the aisle of the church, hand cupped around his ear. 

“Fucking kids,“ the guy had said to Wayne, too loud for the little church. “You don’t put ‘em in their place, they'll walk all over you. Johnny Boy’s a real handful.” 

He’d given Eddie a sideways look, before followed his son up the aisle. 

“Those Dalley girls sure knew how to pick ‘em,” Wayne had said, half under his breath as if he didn’t even know he was saying it out loud. 

At the wake, Eddie found a place to hide, out by the back porch of the church hall. He’d had his cheek pinched so many times that day, they were practically bruised. He was also completely over being told to look after his uncle Wayne - he fucking loved Wayne, but Lillian was his mom. Wayne wasn’t even related to her, not really, he was just her brother-in-law. How come he had to look after Wayne when it was his life in the toilet now his mom was dead and his dad was in jail? 

Eddie felt a surge of something hot and painful in his chest. They hadn’t even let his dad out for the funeral. Wayne said it was because his folks were only “de facto” whatever that meant. Fuck the Goddamned police. Fuck this podunk fucking state.  

“What the fuck do you do around here for fun?” 

It was John, sidling out the back door of the church, and jumping off the porch. He flicked his hair out of his eyes, and it looked so cool, Eddie wondered if he could get his hair to grow like that. 

John had taken his tie off, tucked his suit pants into his combat boots and tied it around the top of his boots. He’d taken of the suit jacket and replaced it with a denim one, swapped his starchy white shirt for a plaid work shirt, and topped it all off with a long, brown wool overcoat. He looked fucking deranged, like a street warrior pirate or something. Eddie wondered if he could slip his stupid tie off and maybe tie it round his head, like a ninja, or one of those guys from that film he went to with Wayne, a Cobra Kai karate guy. That shit was badass. 

Eddie had to think about what they did for fun round here. 

“Ride our bikes?” He said, like he wasn’t sure. “Band. I play guitar. Dungeons and Dragons? D&D? Do you….” 

The blank look on his cousin’s face told him that John Bender did a lot of shit and none of it involved dragons. 

“I’m sorry about your mom,” John said, slouching over to sit next to Eddie. “She was cool.” 

Eddie didn’t say anything because he couldn’t. She was fucking cool, and he couldn’t even talk about that yet without crying like a goddamned girl. He just nodded instead. 

“You got a girlfriend?” John asked out of the blue. 

“Sure,” Eddie lied.

“She got any friends?”

“Why?”

“Why the fuck not?” 

“You got a girl back home?” Eddie had asked, curious. 

“Some.”  Replied John, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of the pocket of the coat and lighting one up. He offered the packet to Eddie, who’d never had a smoke before but would rather have thrown himself off the top of Sattler Quarry than let John know that. He took one and held it awkwardly between his fingers. 

“Some? Like more than one?” He said, floored at the idea of having even one girl give him the time of day, let alone multiple. 

“Some of them are my girlfriends, and some of them I just consider.” John leaned over and cupped his hand around the end of the lighter, and lit Eddie’s smoke. 

“Consider what?” Eddie sucked, hollowing out his cheeks, trying to copy the way John had Bogarted it to get it to catch 

“Whether I want to hang out with them.. Whoa, fuck, are you OK?” 

Eddie was coughing so hard he thought he was gonna be sick. It was the fucking worst taste he’d ever encountered, ashy, dirty and foul. 

“Gimme that,“ John said, pulling the cigarette out of his hand and stubbing it out on the porch steps. “You’ve never smoked before? Jesus.” 

Eddie hacked a little longer, gasping for air, and John landed some heavy, helpful thumps on his back.

“Here,” John said, when Eddie could breathe again. “It’s like this, smaller pulls, don’t breathe it in so deep, till you’re used to it.” 

He handed his own cigarette to Eddie and held it while Eddie sucked a little bit. It still burned, but not so bad, and it tasted less of ash than a clean metallic tang of tobacco. 

“There you go, big boy. You’re smoking like a champ.” 

John took a long drag and blew a smoke ring. 

“Now you’ve mastered nicotine, I’ve got something else you can try,” John said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a little plastic bag of what looked like oregano or something. “Lets ditch this popsicle stand.” 

Eddie suspected the stuff in the bag was drugs - weed, reefer. He’d seen a film about it at school, Reefer Madness it was called. They’re tried to make it look like a a life ruining nightmare, but there was no way his life could be any more ruined than it was right now.

Besides, one of the key things they warned you about was the fact it made you not care about anything anymore. Made your feelings turn off. 

“Yeah, OK, “ Eddie said. “I know a place. No one ever goes there. We’ll be fine.” 

John looked at him sideways. 

“I promise,” Eddie said, and started walking in the direction of the woods behind Hawkins High.

Part 2 coming soon!

[omniishambles]

BILLY HARGROVE

MEDIA: Stranger Things. FACECLAIM: Dacre Montgomery. AGE:17-19. GENDER: Male. OCCUPATION: Lifeguard at Hawkins Pool (Summer Job). SPECIES: Human. SEXUALITY: Bisexual. NATIONALITY: American. EYE COLOUR: Blue. HAIR: Dirty blonde mullet, curly. HEIGHT: 5″10. SCARS: A small scar on his right eyebrow gained through fighting. Multiple scars left after the Mind Flayer. LANGUAGES: English. ZODIAC: Taurus, April 29th. NOTABLE RELATIONSHIPS

Max Mayfield, step sister.

IMPORTANT NOTE

I don’t interpret Billy as racist nor do I write him as such. He IS aggressive and violent. But he’s also a teenager with trauma and I will explore both sides of his character, the hard and the soft, the dark and the light. He is human and flawed and all aspects deserve to be acknowledged. If you disagree with all of the above, you’re free to peacefully move on.

Template for Billy’s icons created by @imprvdente​!

BIOGRAPHY

TW: Abuse, parental neglect.

Born in California, Billy didn’t have the happiest home life. Though his relationship with his Mother was good, Billy’s Father was abusive, presenting a personality to the world of a loving family man while consistently doling out violence behind closed doors. Any step out of line earned him a cascade of verbal abuse and often physical aggression; a hard slap, arms gripped so tight that fingermarks remained behind for hours, but only ever in places that could be hidden from view. Sometimes the belt. 

Billy’s Mother faced the same level of control and punishment, finally leaving her husband, but also leaving 10 year old Billy behind.

Alone with his Father’s insistence on toughness and respect, Billy began to lash out and emulate this behaviour, turning into a school bully. When his Father eventually remarried, Billy was bitter, bitter still at his Mother’s abandoment but also that his step mom and step sister were waltzing into his life, completely unaware of Neil Hargrove’s true nature. They became aware soon enough.

When Billy was 17, the decision was made to leave California and its sunny beaches behind for tiny, landlocked Hawkins. He had no choice in the matter.

VERSES

Series 2 Arriving in Hawkins from California, Billy is significantly unimpressed with his surroundings. He spends his time working out, partying and begrudgingly acting as a guardian for his younger step sister, Maxine.

Series 3 After crashing his car on the way to an illicit rendezvous, Billy becomes ensnared by the Mind Flayer. The creature uses him to gather warm bodies in order for it to grow a physical form outside of its home dimension, giving him enhanced strength and durability to carry out its work.

Survival AU Though Badly injured after trying to stop the Mind Flayer from taking Eleven, Billy was saved. He spent a number of weeks in Hospital recovering from his wounds while the government arranged a cover story about a fire at the Starcourt Mall. Scarred mentally and emotionally by the possession, Billy is struggling with going back to a ‘normal life’.

Upside Down AU After the events of Star Court, Billy was not killed by the Mind Flayer but tossed into the Upside Down, where he’s been trapped ever since.

Hunger Games AU Billy is a District 4 tribute, volunteering for the games at just 16 years old. 

Percy Jackson AU Son of Poseidon. Billy has had an affinity for water since he can remember. But during the turmoil of his Mother leaving his life and his dad becoming more and more abusive, Billy’s anger put him in serious danger. With the protection of a satyr who scouted him out one summer day, watching him on the waves, Billy made it to Camp Half Blood in one piece. Age 14.

[lovestuckyhatemarvel]

Stranger Things season 2 episode 5 baby!!!!

1.) I commend the props department for putting this shit together. This must have taken ages to plan out and execute this maze of tunnels on paper

2.) mike is doing his best to help will

3.) hopper got spat on by a monster, and now he’s gonna pass out. Oh I forgot the hole he entered through closes with terrible cgi

4.) comparing scars and having Nancy say hers is bigger means something but idk what

5.) ‘I waited’ ‘yeah only like a month’ you’re both morons

6.) will saw hopper in trouble!!!! I forgot he saw him and that’s how people know to help that dipshit!!!

7.) I love this Sinclair family breakfast. They are a cute family

8.) I am super mad at Dustin after having my day go missing and spending a couple days sleepless with worry and my dumb cat was under my own porch, not in the stomach of a monster from another dimension. Poor poor Claudia doesn’t know where mews is

9.) that was a bonkers way to get the thing into the cellar but like, points for getting it done

10.) I’m remembering as El knocks on the door that her aunt is a snitch, I think

11.) ok Murray’s place is in season 2. And I forgot he instantly recognized them.

12.) I also forgot that Nancy and Jonathan just immediately spill the beans

13.) I forgot Lucas got Dig Dug shut down to talk to Max

14.) and then Max finds out everything

15.) Hi bob!!! I’ve been looking forward to him coming to solve this. I did forget they’re like uhhhhhhhhhhhh no questions. Solve these crayon drawings!!!

16.) ‘it’s a map of Hawkins! Right will?’ Will’s like ‘uhhhhhh yeah, totally. Knew that one for suuuuuure’

17.) hopper found something with fire

18.) Erica gave Dustin a code shut your mouth and honestly that’s valid

19.) the nursery for Jane is so cute

20.) follow the blinking lights to talk to mama

21.) bob is super shocked that they’re going

22.) ew Margaret thatcher was mentioned

23.) and Steve arrives back in the plot!!! I forgot Dustin just gets into Steve’s car and demands he drive

24.) hopper is so tired. I get it, bud. But those vines don’t

25.) I forgot that Max thinks the story is fake

26.) I. Hate. Billy.

27.) I forgot Murray gets all the info and then drinks Russian vodka while listening to jazz. He’s the first person to tell Nancy people won’t believe them

28.) I forget the dirt is connected and floats when part of it is heated up in the lab

29.) oh hi baby kali. I forgot you were in Terry’s memory

30.) I forgot bob helps Joyce down into the tunnel and then follows after her

31.) oh it’s government trucks

32.) has anyone ever made it be bob/joyce/hopper

33.) oh right. Will seizes and screams when the vines are burnt m. That was unpleasant.

[lauravias]

Ted Bundy

Ted Bundy, born Theodore Robert Cowell on November 24, 1946, was one of the most notorious American serial killers. He is known to have kidnapped, raped and killed at least 36 young women in 1970s and probably earlier. He was executed in the electric chair in 1989. His murders have inspired many novels and films about serial killers.

Photo of Ted Bundy

His mother was Eleanor Louise Cowell, who was 22 years old and unmarried when she gave birth to Bundy. His biological father's identity may never be confirmed, since on his birth certificate the father was listed as unknown; also, some rumours identify his father as his grandfather. For the first three years of his life, Bundy lived with his maternal grandparents and was told that his mother was his sister. He eventually discovered the truth and expressed a lifelong resentment toward his mother for never talking to him about his true parentage. In 1951 Louise met and married Johnny Culpepper Bundy, a hospital cook, and later that year the couple officially adopted Bundy, that took his name. He had a tense relationship with his stepfather, and complained to his girlfriend that Johnny "wasn't very bright” and "didn't make much money".

Ted Bundy’s parents, Eleanor Louise Cowell and  Johnny Culpepper Bundy

After graduating from high school in 1965, Bundy attended the University of Puget Sound for one year before transferring to the University of Washington. There, he fell in love with Stephanie Brooks, a wealthy and lovely young woman from California. He was devastated by their breakup, and many of his following victims resembled his college girlfriend. He graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in psychology in 1972.

Attacks and murders

There is no consensus on when or where Bundy began killing women. He told different stories to different people and refused to reveal the specifics of his first crimes. For example, he told his mother that he attempted his first kidnapping in 1969 in Ocean City, New Jersey, but did not kill anyone until 1971 in Seattle, yet told psychologist Art Norman that he had killed two women in Atlantic City in 1969.

Homicide detective Robert D. Keppel and biographer Ann Rule, who had previously worked with Bundy, both believed that he might have started killing as a teenager. Circumstantial evidence suggested that he may have kidnapped and killed eight-year-old Ann Marie Burr when he was 14 years old, but he repeatedly denied. His earliest documented homicides were committed in 1974, at the age of 27. The disappearances all took place at night, usually near ongoing construction work, and the victims were all young, attractive, and with long hair parted in the middle; at most crime scenes there were sightings of a man wearing a cast or a sling, and driving a brown or tan Volkswagen Beetle.

Photos of Ted Bundy's 1968 Volkswagen Beetle, in which he committed many of his crimes. The vehicle is on display at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. 

Items found in his car when he was arrested in 1975

His first confirmed attack occurred shortly after midnight on January 4, 1974, when Bundy entered the apartment of Joni Lenz. After bludgeoning her with a metal rod from her bed frame, he sexually assaulted her with either the same rod or a metal speculum. She survived, but with permanent physical and mental disabilities. In the early morning of February 1, 1974, Bundy broke into the room of Lynda Ann Healy; he beat her unconscious, dressed her in blue jeans, a white blouse, and boots, and carried her away. On March 12, Donna Gail Manson, left her dormitory to attend a jazz concert on campus, but never arrived. On April 17, Susan Elaine Rancourt disappeared while on her way to her dorm room after an advisors' meeting at Central Washington State College in Ellensburg. On May 6, Roberta Kathleen Parks left her dormitory to have coffee with her friends at the Memorial Union, but never arrived. On June 1, Brenda Carol Ball disappeared after leaving the Flame Tavern in Burien, near Seattle; she was last seen in the parking lot, talking to a brown-haired man. On June 11, UW student Georgann Hawkins disappeared while walking to her sorority house.

The murders culminated on July 14, 1974, when Bundy abducted two women, Denise Marie Naslund and Janice Anne Ott, in the daylight and from crowded areas. Five female witnesses said that a good-looking young man, who introduced himself as "Ted", asked their help to unload a sailboat from his car. Four girls refused, but one agreed and accompanied him to his car. She saw there was no sailboat and fled. Using the same story, he approached and abducted Janice Anne Ott and, approximately four hours later, Denise Marie Naslund. On September 6, 1974, two grouse hunters found the skeletal remains of the two girls near a service road in Issaquah. After these happenings, King County police disclosed a composite sketch, that was printed in regional newspapers and transmitted on local television stations. These are not the only murders that he committed, as it is believed that he has killed more than a hundred women.

Newspaper from 1974 warning young women about “Ted”, aka Ted Bundy

Timeline of Bundy’s attacks       

In 1974                       

Joni Lenz, age 18, survived the attack on January 4, 1974

Lynda Ann Healy, age 21, died on February 1, 1974

Donna Gail Manson, age 19, died on March 12, 1974

Susan Elaine Rancourt, age 18, died on April 17, 1974

Roberta Kathleen Parks, age 20, died on April 17, 1974

Brenda Carol Ball, age 22, died on June 1, 1974

Georgeann Hawkins, age 18, missing since June 11, 1974

Denise Marie Naslund, age 18, died on July 14, 1974

Janice Anne Ott, age 23, died on July 14, 1974

Nancy Wilcox, age 16, missing since October 2, 1974

Melissa Anne Smith, age 17, died on October 26, 1974

Laura Ann Aime, age 17, missing since October 31, 1974

Carol DaRonch, age 18, survived the attack on November 8, 1974

Debra Jean Kent, age 17, died on November 8, 1974

In 1975

Caryn Eileen Campbell, age 23, died on January 12, 1975

Julie Cunningham, age 26, died on March 15, 1975

Denise Lynn Oliverson, age 24, missing since April 6, 1975

Melanie Suzanne Cooley, age 18, died on April 15, 1975

Lynette Dawn Culver, age 12, missing since May 6, 1975

Susan Curtis, age 15, missing since June 27, 1975

In 1978

Margaret Elizabeth Bowman, age 21, died on January 15, 1978

Lisa Levy, age 20, died on January 15, 1978

Kathy Kleiner, age 20, attacked on January 15, 1978

Karen Chandler, age 22, attacked on January 15, 1978

Cheryl Thomas, age 21, attacked on January 15, 1978

Kimberly Dianne Leach, age 12, died on February 9, 1978

Arrests, last murders and death

On August 16, 1975, Utah Highway Patrol officer Bob Hayward arrested Bundy in Granger (a Salt Lake City suburb). The officer searched the car after he noticed that the front passenger seat had been removed and placed on the back seats. Inside he found a ski mask, a second mask created from pantyhose, a crowbar, handcuffs, trash bags, a rope, an ice pick, and other items. The police did not have enough evidence to detain Bundy, so he was released. Afterwards, Salt Lake City police placed him on 24-hour surveillance. 

Ted Bundy's 1975 Utah mug shot

In September Bundy sold his Volkswagen Beetle to a Midvale teenager and Utah police impounded it. Inside the car, FBI technicians found hairs of Caryn Campbell, and some hair strands "microscopically indistinguishable" from those of Melissa Smith and Carol DaRonch. There was sufficient evidence to charge him with aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal assault in the DaRonch case. Further investigation confirmed that he had not been with his girlfriend on any of the nights when the Pacific Northwest victims had vanished. In February 1976 Bundy stood trial for the DaRonch kidnapping, and after a four-day bench trial and a weekend of deliberation, he was found guilty. In June he was sentenced to 15 years in the Utah State Prison, and after a period of resistance he was transferred to Aspen in January 1977. 

While in the Pitkin County Courthouse's library, in Aspen, he opened a window and jumped out, managing to run away. He was a fugitive for six days, until two police officers found him and brought him back in jail. He planned his escape a second time; he sawed a hole of about one square foot between the steel reinforcing bars in his cell's ceiling and, on the night of December 30, stacked books on his bed to simulate his body, climbed into the crawl space and escaped. 

After evading, he travelled from Aspen to Tallahassee, Florida, passing from Chicago, Ann Arbor and Atlanta. There, on January 15, he attacked another five women, Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy who died, Kathy Kleiner, Karen Chandler and Cheryl Thomas who survived. On February 8 he attacked another woman, Kimberly Dianne Leach; her partially mummified remains were found in a pig farrowing shed near Suwannee River State Park, near Lake City. He was arrested four days later by police officer David Lee for having stolen a car. 

Two of Ted Bundy’s victims

After numerous trials and three death sentences, Bundy was executed at 7:16 a.m. on January 24, 1989, at the Florida State Prison in an electric chair. Outside the prison, hundres of people cheered, sang, danced and even set off fireworks. His body was cremated in Gainesville, and no public ceremony was held.

Sources:

Ted Bundy | Crimes, Death & Facts | - Britannica

Ted Bundy - Biography

Ted Bundy’s Victims - Women’sHealth

Ted Bundy - Wikipedia

[spurgie-cousin]

WHW In Memoriam: Unarmed, Murdered Black Americans from History

(Content Warning: Violence, murder, abuse, racism)

So this is definitely not the same kind of ‘weird’ history I usually post about (and it’s not Wednesday quite yet), but in light of the George Floyd verdict I thought it was important to take a moment to remember some of the unarmed, murdered black Americans throughout our history, most of whom have never received justice. Whether their lives were taken by the police or violent, racist vigilantes, their memories should always be a reminder that though we’ve come a long way, we still have a long, long way to go. 

This is in no way a comprehensive list, in fact I start at Emmett Till because the *known* lynchings pre-1955 are too numerous to include in one, two, ten posts. I know I will not have room to include even everyone post 1955 (god there are so many) but please know that all of them, from the unknown to the infamous, from our country’s beginning to today, matter the same.

“History, despite it’s wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” - Maya Angelou

 1. Emmett Louis Till

Born: July 25, 1941, Chicago, IL Died: August 28, 1955, Money, MS

Emmett Till was a 14 year-old child from Chicago visiting relatives over his summer break in August of 1955. Unfamiliar with the strictly racist social codes in the American south, he spoke to a white woman at a grocery store, and was accused of flirting with her. A few nights later her husband and his brother abducted Till, brutally beat and mutilated him, and then shot him before letting his body sink into a river. When he was found, his body was barely recognizable even to his mother. 

In an act of grief and defiance, his mother held a highly-publicized, open casket funeral to show the brutality of what had happened to her child to the world. 

It’s believed that before her death, Carolyn Bryant, the woman from the grocery store, recanted key details from her original story, including that Till whistled or flirted with her. 

2. James Earl Chaney

Born: May 30, 1943, Meridian, Mississippi Died: June 21, 1964, Philadelphia, Mississippi

James Chaney was a 21 year old field/social worker working for Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). He was murdered along with two colleagues, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, by the Ku Klux Klan while they were in Mississippi investigating the burning of a church. The 3 were pulled over by a patrol car being followed by 2 cars full of Klan members, who shot Goodman and Schwerner, beat Chaney, and then shot him 3 times. 

3. Michael Donald

Born: July 24, 1961, Mobile, Alabama Died: March 21, 1981, Mobile, Alabama

Michael Donald was a 20 year-old who on March 21st, 1981 was walking down the street after purchasing cigarettes for his sister. He was chosen at random by a car full of Ku Klux Klan members, angry that a recent Klan members court case had been declared a mistrial. He was beat, hung, and his throat was slit, and was left hanging dead from a tree in a secluded, wooded area. 

Three Klansmen were convicted of Donald's murder. Henry Hays was sentenced to death and executed in the electric chair in 1997. James Knowles and Benjamin Cox were sentenced to life in prison. A civil suit against the United Klans of America caused their bankruptcy.

4. Yusef Kirriem Hawkins

Born: March 19, 1973, Brooklyn, NY Died:  August 23, 1989, Brooklyn, NY

Yusef Hawkins was a 16-year-old black teenager who was shot to death on August 23, 1989, in Bensonhurst, a predominantly Italian-American working-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Hawkins, his younger brother, and two friends were attacked by a crowd of 10 to 30 white youths, with at least seven of them wielding baseball bats. One, armed with a handgun, shot Hawkins twice in the chest, killing him. Hawkins and his brother were in the neighborhood to inquire about a used car. 

5. Nicholas Heyward Jr.

Born: August 26th, 1981 Died: September 27th, 1994

13-year-old Nicholas Heyward Jr. was playing cops and robbers inside the stairwell of a Brooklyn apartment building when officer Brian George mistook the boy’s toy gun for a real gun and shot him in the stomach, killing him. 

6. Amadou Diallo

Born: September 2, 1975, Liberia Died: February 4, 1999, NYC, New York

In the early morning of February 4, Diallo was standing near his building after returning from a meal. At about 12:40 a.m., officers Edward McMellon, Sean Carroll, Kenneth Boss and Richard Murphy were looking for an alleged serial rapist in the Soundview section of the Bronx. While driving down Wheeler Avenue, the police officer stopped his unidentified car and interrogated Diallo, who was in front of his apartment. When they ordered Diallo to show his hands, he supposedly ran into the apartment and reached into his pocket to show his wallet. Soon afterwards the four officers fired 41 shots with semi-automatic pistols, fatally hitting Diallo 19 times. Eye witness Sherrie Elliott stated that the police continued to shoot even though Diallo is already down and that McMellon is still shooting even though he is lying on the ground.

7. Kendra Sarie James

Born:  December 24, 1981 Died: May 5, 2003, Portland, Oregon

21-year-old Kendra Sarie James was shot and killed by Portland Officer Scott McCollister when she attempted to flee a traffic stop for a minor violation. Portland police initially said it appeared the car had run over the officer's foot but he did not receive medical attention at the scene or at Northeast Precinct. Police repeatedly refused to identify the alleged traffic violation that caused them to stop James and two companions in the car. Police had taken the driver out of the car and was checking his identity when they saw James slide into the Chevrolet’s driver’s seat. Both officers, while standing on the driver’s side of the car, struggled with James to stop her from driving away. One of them fired a taser gun at her to subdue her. McCollister fired a single round from his 9 mm service pistol at James, killing her.

8. Deaunta T. Farrow

Born: September 7, 1994, West Memphis, Arkansas Died: June 22, 2007, West Memphis, Arkansas

On the night of his death, Deaunta Farrow was walking with his 14-year-old cousin from Farrow’s home to the nearby Steeplechase Apartments where Nash lived.  Along the way the two made a stop at a gas station where they purchased soda pop and chips from the station’s convenience store, and continued down the street. Farrow and Nash turned up the street leading to Nash’s apartment.  At that point two undercover West Memphis police officers, Jimmy Evans and Sammis, who were on a stakeout in a narcotics investigation, appeared from a nearby dumpster.  According to some eyewitnesses, the two police officers confronted the young men and soon afterwards Sammis, noticed something bulging in the 12-year-old’s coat pocket.  As Farrow removed the item, Sammis shot and killed him.

9. Rekia Boyd

Born: November 5, 1989, Chicago, IL Died: March 21, 2012

On the night of her death, Rekia Boyd was hanging out with friends at Douglas Park on Chicago’s West Side at a party listening to music while having a few drinks. Around 1:00 am, Boyd and some of her friends walked to a nearby liquor store. Around the same time, officer Dante Servin was just finishing his shift on his second job. He was off duty, heading to a fast food restaurant for a hamburger, but Servin drove to Douglas Park after a citizen called police about a noise complaint. Servin saw Boyd and her friends and later claimed they were arguing in an alley. Whether Servin calmly approached Boyd and her friends or was rude and aggressive is still debated. One of Boyd’s friends, Antonio Cross, claimed that Servin attempted to buy drugs from the group. When Cross told Servin to “get his crackhead ass out of here,” Servin pulled a gun, stuck it out of the window of his car and fired into the group, hitting Boyd in the head. She was instantly killed.

10. Eric Garner 

Born: September 15, 1970, NYC, New York Died: July 17, 2014, NYC, New York

On July 17th, 2014, NYPD officers approached Eric Garner on suspicion of selling single cigarettes from packs without tax stamps. After Garner told the police that he was tired of being harassed and that he was not selling cigarettes, the officers attempted to arrest Garner. When Pantaleo placed his hands on Garner, Garner pulled his arms away. Pantaleo then placed his arm around Garner's neck and wrestled him to the ground. With multiple officers pinning him down, Garner repeated the words "I can't breathe" 11 times while lying face down on the sidewalk. After Garner lost consciousness, he remained lying on the sidewalk for seven minutes while the officers waited for an ambulance to arrive. Garner was pronounced dead at an area hospital approximately one hour later.

11. Breonna Taylor

Born: June 5, 1993, Grand Rapids, Michigan Died: March 13, 2020, Louisville, Kentucky

A narcotics investigation regarding suspected drug dealer Jamarcus Glover, led detectives to Breonna Taylor’s residence in the South End. Glover was a previous acquaintance of Taylor and she was under suspicion for using her home to his receive mail, hide his drugs, and stash money earned from his drug sales. Taylor, who was 26, at the time, lived in a Springfield Drive apartment with her 27-year-old boyfriend Kenneth Walker. Taylor and Walker were asleep in bed, on the night of March 13, 2020, when they were awakened by a loud banging at the front door. Taylor called out, asking who was there, but heard no response. Walker, a licensed and registered gun owner, armed himself and headed towards the front door, when it suddenly came off its hinges.

Under a “no-knock” search warrant, Louisville Metro Police Department Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, Detective Brett Hankinson, and Officer Myles Cosgrove, all in plainclothes, stormed into the apartment. Taylor’s boyfriend Walker, thinking this was a home invasion robbery, fired one shot in self-defense. Sgt. Mattingly was hit in the leg, and in response, the other officers opened fire, releasing more than twenty rounds into the apartment. Taylor was shot eight times and collapsed in the hallway of her apartment. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

12. Daunte Demetrius Wright

Died: April 11, 2021 (20 years old)

On April 11 of this year, Daunte Demetrius Wright was fatally shot by police officer Kimberly Ann Potter during a traffic stop and attempted arrest for an outstanding arrest warrant in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. After a brief struggle with officers, Wright was shot at close range by Potter, who had confused her gun with her taser. Officers pulled Wright out of his car and administered CPR, but were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

[sergeantmiller]

Ted Bundy's Murder Timeline

February 1974

Bundy abducted Lynda Ann Healy, 21, from the University District of Seattle, where the main campus of the University of Washington is located. She was known in the community for giving the weekday ski report on the radio. He abducted and strangled her.

March 1974

Bundy kidnapped and murdered Donna Gail Manson, 19, a student at Evergreen State College in Olympia. Her body was never recovered.

April 1974

Bundy abducted and killed Susan Elaine Rancourt, 18, a student at Central Washington University in Ellensburg.

May 1974

Bundy abducted Roberta “Kathy” Parks, 20, from Oregon State University around 11 p.m. He claimed to have raped and killed her at Taylor Mountain, more than 25 miles southeast of Seattle.

June 1, 1974

Bundy abducted Brenda Carol Ball, 22, in the town of Burien, south of Seattle. Her skull was later found at Taylor Mountain.

June 11, 1974

Bundy kidnapped and killed 18-year-old Georgeann Hawkins from the University District of Seattle. In an interview with King County Sheriff's Office Detective Robert Keppel, he claimed to have knocked her unconscious and strangled her.

July 1974

On a beautiful summer day at the popular Lake Sammamish, Bundy abducted Janice Anne Ott, 23, and Denise Naslund, 19. Witnesses described a handsome young man who called himself "Ted." Police were beginning to identify Bundy’s strategy of luring women by wearing his arm in a sling and asking for help.

September 1974

A grouse hunter discovered the remains of Ott, Naslund and Hawkins, one mile east of an old railroad trestle just outside Issaquah, Washington. According to Keppel the site was a “multi-use environment” for Bundy.

Oct. 18, 1974

Bundy abducted, raped and strangled Melissa Smith, 17, from Midvale, Utah. Her body was discovered just over a week later.

Oct. 31, 1974

Bundy kidnapped, raped and murdered Laura Ann Aime, 17, from Lehi, Utah. Her remains were found that Thanksgiving Day in a mountainous area.

November 8, 1974

Bundy attempted to abduct Carol DaRonch, 18, at the Fashion Place Mall in Murray, Utah. He posed as a police officer.

At 10:15 p.m. that same day, Debra Jean Kent’s father gave her the keys to the car to pick up her brothers from a roller skating rink. She never got to her parents’ car. She was 17. Bundy claimed in an interview with Salt Lake County Sheriff's Detective Dennis Couch that he left her body in a grave, but her body has never been found.

January 1975

Bundy abducted Caryn Eileen Campbell, 23, from the Wildwood Inn in Snowmass, Colorado. Thirty-six days later, her body was discovered three miles from the inn with evidence of blows to her head.

March 1, 1975

While Bundy was in Salt Lake City, Utah, the remains of Healy, Rancourt, Parks and Ball were found on Taylor Mountain in Washington. Their skeletal remains showed they suffered severe blunt force trauma.

March 15, 1975

Bundy abducted and killed ski instructor Julie Cunningham, 26, from Vail, Colorado. Her body was never found.

April 1975

Bundy killed Denise Lynn Oliverson, 24, from Grand Junction, Colorado. He said he left her body in the Colorado River and it has never been recovered.

May 1975

Bundy kidnapped and drowned Lynette Dawn Culver, 12, in a bathtub, then later said he discarded her body in the Snake River. Her remains have never been found.

June 1975

Bundy kidnapped and killed Susan Curtis, 15, when she was attending the Bountiful Orchard Youth Conference at Brigham Young University. Bundy claimed he buried her body near a highway, but her remains have never been located.

August 16, 1975

At 2:30 a.m., Bundy was arrested for the first time in Granger, Utah, after a chase by high way patrol officer Bob Hayward. Police found masks, gloves, rope, a crowbar and handcuffs in his car. He was released on bail the next day.

October 1975

Bundy was identified in a line-up by Carol DaRonch, whom he tried to abduct in November 1974.

Carol DaRonch testifies at a pre-sentencing hearing for convicted murderer Ted Bundy as Judge Edward Cowart looks on in Miami, July. 28, 1979.AP

Bundy was arrested and charged with the aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal assault of DaRonch. He was held in Salt Lake County Jail.

February 1976

Bundy’s trial began. He waived his right to a jury trial. On March 1, he was found guilty of aggravated kidnapping. He was sentenced to a minimum of one to a maximum of 15 years in a Utah state prison.

October 1976

Bundy was charged with Caryn Campbell's murder.

January 1977

Bundy was moved to Aspen, Colorado, to face charges for Campbell’s 1975 murder.

May 1977

Bundy pleaded not guilty to Campbell’s murder.

June 1977

Bundy assisted in his own defense in the case, and was allowed to access the Pitkin County jailhouse law library. He escaped from the second story window of the library, 25 feet above the ground. He was captured five days later, after spending that time in the nearby mountains and back in Aspen. He went back into custody at a facility in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. On June 15, 1977 he was charged with escape, burglary and felony theft.

On June 7, 1977, Ted Bundy jumped from the second-story window of the Pitkin County Courthouse, seen here in this recent photo, and ran straight for the mountains.ABC News

December 1977

Bundy escaped from his jail cell through a light fixture opening in the ceiling. He stored books and other belongings on his bed below a blanket to appear as if he were in bed sleeping.

This 1977 file photo shows the jail cell from which serial killer Ted Bundy escaped on Dec. 30, 1977, in Glenwood Springs, Colo.Ross Dolan/Glenwood Springs Post-Independent via AP

January 1978

After flying to Chicago, then taking a train to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and driving a stolen car to Atlanta, Bundy arrived in Tallahassee, Florida, by bus. He signed a rental agreement at a building called “The Oaks.”

Jan. 15, 1978

At 3 a.m., Bundy entered the Chi Omega sorority house near Florida State University and killed Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy. They were both beaten severely and strangled to death.

Chi Omega Sorority members Lisa Levy, 20, and Margaret Bowman, 21, were killed by Ted Bundy at Florida State University, Jan. 15, 1978.Bettmann via Getty Images

Karen Ann Chandler and Kathy Kleiner suffered severe injuries after Bundy bludgeoned them while they slept, but survived.

Kathy Kleiner was a member of Chi Omega and living in the sorority's house in Tallahassee, Florida, when Ted Bundy entered the house on Jan. 15, 1978. He attacked Kleiner and three others, killing two women.ABC News

Shortly after the Chi Omega attacks, Bundy broke into the apartment of Cheryl Thomas, a student at FSU, and attacked her. Her housemates who lived on the other side of the wall, Debbie Ciccarelli and Nancy Young, heard the noise and called Thomas’ apartment, but she didn’t answer. Ciccarelli and Young then called police. Bundy escaped before authorities arrived. Thomas survived the attack.

Cheryl Thomas was attacked in her home, blocks from the Chi Omega sorority house. A neighbor called 911 after hearing pounding and Thomas? whimpering.ABC News

Feb. 9, 1978

Bundy kidnapped and murdered 12-year-old Kimberly Leach. She was a junior high school student who disappeared in the middle of the school day. Leach was one of Bundy’s youngest victims. It was his last murder.

Kimberly Dianne Leach was 12 when she was abducted and murdered by Ted Bundy in 1978.Lisa Little, Ruby Bedenbaugh and Sheri McKinley

Feb. 15, 1978

At 1:34 a.m. David Lee, a patrolman with the Pensacola Police Department, noticed a suspicious car loitering and driving erratically. The officer ran the plates and discovered the car was stolen. Bundy refused to give his name and resisted arrest. The officer was able to subdue Bundy after a struggle and arrested him.

Back at the police station, Bundy gave officers a stolen ID and said he was an FSU student named Kenneth.

Feb. 17, 1978

Bundy reveals his true identity to police officers.

April 1978

Kimberly Leach’s body was found near Suwannee River State Park.

July 1978

Bundy was indicted for the murders of Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy and the attempted murders of Cheryl Thomas, Kathy Kleiner and Karen Chandler.

Florida State University student Margaret Bowman, one of Ted Bundy's murder victims, is shown in an undated photo.AP

May 1979

Bundy rejected a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid the death penalty if he admitted to murdering Bowman, Levy and Leach.

July 24, 1979

Bundy was found guilty of murdering Levy and Bowman and attempted murders of Kleiner, Chandler and Thomas. One week later, he was sentenced to death for the murders.

Kimberly Leach, 12, was a victim of serial killer Ted Bundy.Acey Harper/LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images

Feb. 1980

Bundy was found guilty of Leach’s kidnapping and murder and was sentenced to death.

July 1986

After Florida Gov. Bob Graham signed two death warrants for the Chi Omega case, the 11th Circuit Court signed a permanent stay of execution fifteen minutes before Bundy was scheduled to be executed.

Jan. 17, 1989

Gov. Bob Martinez signed the second death warrant in the Leach case.

Jan. 21, 1989

Over the next several days, Bundy confessed to various law enforcement agents. Bundy told FBI Special Agent Bill Hagmaier he killed 30 people in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and Florida between 1973 and 1978.

Jan. 24, 1989

Around 7 a.m., he was strapped into the electric chair. He was later pronounced dead.

[candied-cae]

And Who Are We At The End Of The World? - Wake Up

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Chapter 9/? - - - Read it on AO3

Word Count : 2,957

Summary: Now that the Party has everyone's favorite super-powered little girl back in Hawkins, it's time to figure out just what happened the night of the Vecna fight… Just how are Max and Eddie really doing?

More ST Fics

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The group of them, now nine strong, walked into the hospital without further delay. Steve and Robin led the way for the kids while Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle herded them from the back. They all made their way through the lobby and packed themselves into an elevator. There was a handful of other people in the box with them. They were discussing their own friends and families in hospital beds and, while it would’ve been customary to be solemn and slow-paced in such circumstances, as soon as those doors parted to release them onto the second floor, they pushed their way out in a manner that earned them a few, somewhat deserved, stink eyes.

But it wasn’t really their fault. They had to rush. They were on a very important mission.

Steve slowed as they made it about halfway down the hall, finding they’d arrived at the door for room 237. He reached for the door handle, pulling it open a crack as the lone sound of Lucas reading slipped out. He waved them all to gather inside as he pulled it further back and the boy’s voice stopped. The kids entered first while the older ones stayed at the back to let them reunite. Which was good. Because, as soon as Lucas saw the faces that began to pour inside, he set down “The Talisman” in favor of running to Mike and Will.

“Oh my god.” slipped from him as he crossed the room.

It was the first time either had ever seen him so hurt. Left eye nearly swollen shut, nose still bumped in the middle. They closed their arms around Lucas the second he was in reach. He locked his own around them in turn. The two who'd been gone could feel the deep breath Lucas pulled in to assure himself they were there; they felt his grip tighten as he convinced himself they were real; they felt him relax when he let himself believe it.

“We’ve been calling you guys like crazy,” he told them with closed eyes, focused entirely on just holding the two people he’s known since he was just a toddler, but didn’t have by his side on the worst night of his life.

“I know,” Mike answered,” We came as soon as we knew.”

As Lucas looked up from between their shoulders, he saw El. Looking right at him from just a step away. Her eyebrows were coming together in the middle, her lash line already holding back tears. The boys split apart so Lucas could hug her, too. They tightly wrapped around one another as El let out shaking breaths, trying to keep from releasing her sobs.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered beside his ear as she held tighter, squeezing her eyes shut and tucking her face into his shoulder.

He was giving a gentle rub to her back, to let her know there was no way she had anything to be sorry for, when she stiffened. She just had the chance to look past him to Max for the first time. Seeing her in the flesh for the first time in months… and it’s in a hospital bed, cast-covered arms and legs, neck brace in place, and purpling bruises under her eyes. Lucas released her as she took careful steps toward the motionless girl.

“Do they know… when she will wake?” El asked fearfully.

“No. They say she might not,” he told her honestly. Friends don’t lie.

El turned into Mike’s arm at the thought while Lucas continued, remembering what the doctors had said,” Her heart stopped for over a minute. She died. I… I mean, clinically, but… then she came back. The doctors don’t know how. They say it’s a miracle.”

El took Lucas’s hand in hers and squeezed it with some conviction. He looked to her for an answer she didn’t have. But she was going to try. She was going to try until she got her back. No matter how long it took. No matter what it took. El was going to get Max back.

The girl let go of Lucas’s hand and slipped out from under Mike’s to step closer. Sitting onto the bed beside Max and, with a featherlight touch, reached out to hold the fingers poking out from beyond the white material.

“I’m here, Max,” El told her. Willing with everything she had that the girl could hear her. Beyond monsters and madmen, and shit that’s not fair... beyond everything else, El’s words had to reach her. She looked upon her face for a moment longer before she closed her eyes in search of the girl in her mind.

But this was also not something she’s ever done before. She’s never tried looking for someone while they were asleep, or comatose, for that matter. But she’s found people when they’ve been blocked before. Her Mama when her mind was nearly gone, Billy when he was possessed, so surely she should be able to find something.

She hoped Max would gleam against the black like she usually did. Fiery, red hair and pale, speckled skin standing out against the backdrop of nothing. And for the first time, Max would see her back. Instead of a quick peek where El can only see her, they would be in the space together. Max would turn to her with wide eyes and run to greet her in the middle.

But she doesn’t.

She doesn’t do anything.

Because Max isn’t there.

When El enters the black void, it’s simply that: black and void. There was nothing but herself lurking there. In a wide expanse of nothing, a whole world left empty, El was alone. She looked and she called. She ran and she begged. Yet still, nothing. She couldn’t find her. She stopped Max from dying, but she doesn’t know what happened to her after. What did she do?

When she came out of it, back to the crowded inpatient room, they were all looking at her expectantly. No one said a word, but they stared. Waiting. She looked away from their eyes, finding some comfort in examining the floor instead of their faces, not happy to imagine how they’d look when she said it. When she let them down.

“I cannot find her,” she admitted in a small, defeated voice.

“What?” Lucas asked, not mad but scared.

“She’s not in there…” El’s voice wavered as her hand held Max’s fingers just slightly tighter, she sounded near tears.

“Is it… is it just because she’s unconscious?” Robin asked.

El’s shoulders shrugged the slightest like the weight was almost too much to move under,“ Maybe?”

“So, let’s visit the other guy.” Argyle thought.

“What?” Jonathan asked him.

His sudden words hit stark against the emotions in the room, but he had a point. And Nancy could tell what he was getting at.

“He’s right. If El tries to find Eddie and she doesn’t see him in there either, then it probably just means something about them being unconscious makes them hard to find. Nothing to worry about then, we’ll just need to wait a bit more.” she explained, honestly fairly impressed the new guy figured it out so fast.

“Okay.” El stood back up and wiped her eyes. She was barely ready to try again, but she needed to.

The group wandered across the hall, Lucas and Erica now in tow, as they opened the door into room 238. For a minute there, Steve was trying to think up some kind of excuse to give Eddie’s uncle. Maybe something about the kids just wanting to see him and wanting to say something alone. But it would still be weird to try and kick the man out of his own nephew’s room. But they couldn’t tell him what El needed to do, even if he believed them, they’d be pulling him into their mess of a world, and that wouldn’t be fair to Mr. Wayne. Course, maybe they could offer to watch Eddie for a few minutes and let him take a breather or smoke break or something. Or maybe one of them could try to pull him away with a distraction or-

It didn’t matter.

Because Wayne Munson wasn’t there.

The room was empty, except for little ol’ Eddie snoozing away in his bed. Steve shakes away his wasted panic with a reminder that just hours before, he was commenting on how badly he wanted to get out of the white room with all its beeping. And here he is, back in it again. Like nothing had changed.

Once more, the kids had filled the room first and had been the ones to gather closest to the bed. But this time, Mike is the one having the strongest reaction. It’s not that Eddie looked worse than Max, but Eddie wasn’t someone he ever expected to see wrapped up in all their secret stuff. Eddie was just supposed to be their DM, the cool senior who ran the coolest club, in Mike’s humble opinion, and did his own thing. They were only supposed to know each other inside the halls of Hawkins High. They were only supposed to share happy memories. That’s it. Eddie was not supposed to be someone they ruined with the Upside Down.

Eddie was all loud voices, big gestures, and dark clothes. And now he laid in clinical white, still and silent. Because of them and the stuff they discovered that night almost three years ago in the forest past Mirkwood.

It didn’t look right seeing him like that.

Besides him being so non-Eddie-like, his wrists were cuffed to the railing on the bed. The chains weren’t quite long enough to lay his hands on the bedding, they hung limply about an inch above. They’d been switched yesterday when the cops came through, and it already looked like the metal was wearing red marks into his skin. El gently took his hand into hers, lifting it off the constant pressure of the restraint.

“Hello Eddie, I am Eleven. I’m going to try to find you,” she said politely. Like they deserved to have a proper introduction before she tried to dive into his head.

Once more, El was in the void. Dark and empty, the familiar splashing of water under her feet. But this time, when she walked forward and called, she wasn’t alone. She found him. Eddie was lying on his back, but strangely he didn’t really look like he had in the real world. He wasn't lying in a hospital bed, he was on the ground. His arms and legs were stretched out around him further than the bed would've allowed. And, despite El approaching rather noticeably, he was unresponsive. He wasn’t completely frozen in place, though. His eyes were open, and he seemed to be shaking, like the full-body, involuntary kind of shaking. Like he was reacting to… something. But he didn’t react to her.

“Hello?” she called again, standing just beside him.

She looked down as he stared past her into the nothing. His breath was trembling, and every part of him seemed to be raked through with fear and pain. Like he was still being ripped into by the monsters. They weren’t there, of course, but he looked like he was stuck at that moment, unable to escape.

“He’s in here,” El said, loud enough for the people in the hospital room to hear it as a mutter.

“Is he okay?” a voice came back to her. It was Mike’s.

El bent down and hugged her knees. Crouched just next to his hand, the same one she held out there. Maybe she needed to… help pull him out? She brought her knees to the ground, leaning back on her heels, and slowly, she reached out to touch the hand. And as suddenly as her fingers brushed his skin, it was like he came to life. He drew a deep gasp of air into his lungs and connected terrified eyes with hers. He scrambled back away from her with a shriek, hair flying around him in his urgency.

El threw her hands up reflexively as he flinched away from her. She held them in front of her in surrender so he might realize she was not really all that scary.

“Woah, Woah- Who are- What is this pla-” he started asking fearful questions until a look of realization came to his face. He put his hand to his chest over the hospital gown,” Am I…?”

El remained quiet, waiting for him to finish a question so she might answer it for him. He, however, took her silence as the answer itself and came to his own conclusion of what was going on.

“Oh shit… Shit, shit, fuck. Wait, are you…?” He looked at her again, properly taking the stranger in for the first time. His eyes run up and down as his face drops the fear and picks up a look of confusion instead,” I mean, I guess I get the idea, but you really messed up some parts.”

“I messed up?” El questioned him back, ignoring the first bit of his sentence in favor of the second. How could he know if she messed up in bringing them back?

“Well, yeah, to appear as a younger me, to chill me out or whatever, it makes sense. Sorta. And, I mean, some of it’s fine. The buzz cut, the big brown eyes, the works. Not half bad. But that is not my face, I have never worn those clothes, and I definitely didn’t have those in middle school.” he motioned to indicate her chest at the end, which only seemed to make her further confused.

This statement completely took her aback,“ I am not you,” she countered.

“Clearly, like I said, not a perfect rendition. But I guess it doesn’t really matter.” He huffed before standing up,” Which way are we going? Up or down?”

“Up or down?” She asked him back, coming off her knees to join him on her feet.

“Yeeeaaahh? You know…” He pointed up and sang a mocking ‘ahhh’ like angel chorus,” or…” and he pointed down, imitating little screams of torture.

“Never figured God for the forgetful type, but what do ya know.”

El’s confusion seated deeper in the wrinkle of her forehead,“ I am not God.”

In the hospital room, El has been mumbling to herself, though it was too quiet for anyone to make out. So, after a few minutes had passed and they all started to get a little freaked, Steve leaned forward,“ What’s going on in there?”

Eddie clearly couldn’t hear it, but El looked up and spoke to them,” He thinks I am God and that we are going up and down.”

“Up or Down.” Eddie corrected, carefully stepping closer,” You know, it’s pretty rude to talk about someone to someone-” he glanced up with her at the blank space above them,” -or something else right in front of his face.”

El turned her attention back to him,“ Why have you not woken up yet?”

Now Eddie was the one that looked the most confused again,” What?”

“You should wake up,” she advised him.

“So, I’m… not dead?” he needed her to clarify what exactly was going on.

“No, you are not dead. You are in the hospital.”

“You’re kidding… Fuck, they pulled it off,” something of a proud smile formed on his face as he started pacing around the void, too much energy suddenly in him from the impossibly good news,” I mean, I really figured I was a goner, you know. Made my joke about graduating, tried to pretend like it was real for a minute, made Dustin promise to take over things for me, passed along my final words to the little guy, closed my eyes, and… ‘show’s over, that’s all folks’. I mean, there was this moment after, I think. I came back up for a second, but I thought that was like my one last chance to hold on, and I only held on a second before I was back out so… I just thought ‘Hey, that sucks, but that’s life! Or death, I guess’. But, shit,” he stopped to look directly at the angel before him,” I can wake up?”

She nodded, feeling just a little better to see someone so lively rather than the alternative,“ Yes.”

“O-okay, how do I do that?”

“You do not know to wake up?” she asked, squinting a little to look at him.

She was starting to feel the strain again. They’ve been on the road the whole time, so she hasn’t been able to rest up well since the piggyback and facing off against Henry. Just stunted naps and gas station snacks. Which were now proving to not be enough to fuel these trips much longer.

“Are you okay, Not-God? You don’t look like you’re operating in top condition.”

“I will be fine-” she began to say until she was interrupted.

“Tell him to stop being dramatic and get up already, or we’re going to kick his ass.” Dustin’s voice echoed through El’s mind, she could hear him trying to press a smile in his words.

“They want you to get up.” she passed the message along, omitting most of the boy's phrasing, though.

“They?”

Eddie was coming to terms with the fact that he was alive and had a chance to keep it that way, but he was still fairly confused about what supernatural business was going on and who was involved.

“Party.”

“They’re having a party?”

“You should hurry up, they are very impatient,” she told him, and then she was gone.

Like she’d never been with him in that blank vacancy in the first place.

[basketball-lifer]

All-Star Weekends: The Greatest and the Most Memorable

The NBA has the best when it comes to All-Star festivity compared to other leagues of American Sports. Since the 50s, the NBA All-Star concept evolved and even with the arrival of the flamboyant ABA, it just allowed for more creativity. Here I don’t mean the Slam Dunk Competition or the 3-Point Competition but rather I’m talking about the NBA All-Stars vs ABA All-Stars matches that happened in 1971 & ‘72 

1972 NBA All-Stars: UNIONDALE, NY - MAY 25: The NBA All Star Team during introductions from left to right: Bob Love #11, John Havlichek # 17, Connie Hawkins #42, Paul Silas #22, Dave DeBusschere #44 (injured and did not play), Wilt Chamberlain #13, Bob Lanier #33, Archie Clark #21, Nate Archibald #16, Oscar Robertson #1, Gail Goodrich #20 and Coach Elgin Baylor versus the ABA All Star Team at the Nassau Coliseum on May 25, 1972 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Randy Brooke/Getty Images) 

1972 ABA All-Stars: UNIONDALE, NY - MAY 25: (L-R) ABA Coach Al Bianchi, George Thompson 320, Don Freeman #26, Jimmy Jones #15, Ralph Simpson #43, Artis Gilmore #54, Mel Daniels #31, Rick Barry #24,Roger Brown #35, Julius Erving #32 (Dr J), Dan Issel #44 and Willie Wise#42 of the ABA All Star team line up during the introductions prior to the game against the NBA All Star Team at the Nassau Coliseum on May 25, 1972 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Randy Brooke/Getty Images)

The short lived clash of the leagues on an All-Star level may have played an important role in bringing both closer to the point of merger and with it came the flamboyance that was severely lacking in the 70s NBA

Since the leagues merged and with the start of Magic-Bird era in 1979, the new talent with veterans like Dr. J, Kareem, Moses, ensured that every year’s All-Star weekend became a highlight reel on it’s own. As exciting as NBA Finals but on a friendlier tone (not the watered down complicated version we see today where players let each other dunk and the East vs West rivalry has been replaced by individual superstars rivalries) 

The Peak, however, was reached in the 90s and here are two weekends that will always stand out in NBA All-Star Weekend history:

1997 All-Star Weekend:  

It’ll be remembered as the Golden All-Star Weekend due to NBA’s Golden Jubilee but also because of: 

Gathering of NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time

47 out of 50 Greats gathered at Gund Arena. The three who weren’t able to attend were: Pete Maravich (d. 1988), Shaquille O’Neal (knee surgery) and Jerry West (ear surgery)

Michael Jordan recording 1st ever triple double in ASG History (no one had a triple double before him, not even Big O)

The upset in the game happened because of injuries of five All-Stars: Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning but their injuries would pave the way for All-Star debut of Chris Webber and Kevin Garnett. I guess this is how life works 

Glenn Rice (All-Star MVP) broke two ASG records that night: most points in a quarter and most points in a half

Allen Iverson was the Rookie All-Star MVP while Kobe Bryant set the record for the most points in Rookie All-Star Game history. This was destiny telling us that these two would dominate the league in the next decade  

1998 NBA All-Star Game: The Crown Jewel

In my opinion, the 1998 NBA All-Star Game will always stand out as the most important from a historical standpoint. It was not like Magic Johnson’s 1992 All-Star Game nor was it like Michael Jordan’s in 1996

This game would put the Greatest Laker of All-Time in the making, Kobe Bryant against possibly the Greatest of All-Time: Michael Jordan but to know the greatness of an event, you have to read the signs:

Michael’s last All-Star Game in which he also won the All-Star MVP trophy

Larry Bird’s first ever All-Star game as a Head Coach

Kobe’s first ever All-Star game 

And all of this took place in the city known as Mecca of Basketball with the location being Madison Square Garden 

End Note

All Star games from the 80s till early decade of 2000s were pure magnanimity on display from the NBA under the late David Stern but the 1997 All-Star Weekend and the 1998 All-Star Game were a part of a Divine plan of more greatness to come in the league