Smoke -- Jim Hopper

51. HERE IN HAWKINS

idk why they made Hop so angry in season three, like man gets mad at everything at the beginning but oh well. I had to rewrite his whole monologue so it fits in with my story hoped it worked lol

not edited

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Natalie and Joyce shared a relieved look, thankful that Jim was going to take them, but then he made this face and Natalie knew he was getting all bent out of shape again.

"Hmm, you know what I'm a little busy right now, so maybe we can meet up there at seven o' clock. Oh you know unless something comes up- cause I'm sure it will."

"Are you kidding right now?" Natalie snapped.

Joyce scoffed, "you know after everything that's happened to us, this isn't a joke."

Jim shook his head, a sarcastic smile on his face, "no, I don't think it's a joke. I think you, Joyce, are just making things up in your head to occupy your time, and you," he turned to Natalie, "I think you're just acting completely mental- you're getting cold feet aren't you?" he asked referring to their wedding.

"My god," Natalie said not bothering to answer him, since that was a ridiculous question, "look, Jim, put a shirt on. I don't think Joyce appreciates you being almost naked in our kitchen," she said referring to his towel wrapped around his waist and his button-up uniform hanging open, revealing his chest.

Jim huffed narrowing his eyes before storming back to the room and continuing to yell, "God forbid I do anything weird around here. One's obsessed with magnets the other with rats? Like for the love of God can't you two act normal for a day? I mean, Nat, c' mon you blew me off to go to Scott Clarke's house? It would be too much to act normal huh? Huh?!"

Natalie and Joyce already left the house, both very annoyed at Jim.

"Which one of you is pregnant again?" Joyce said as she opened the shed door.

Natalie rolled her eyes rolling up the bag in her hand and stuffing it into her sweatshirt pocket, "I know. He's got a major stick up his ass about this. I swear his ego is so fragile a times."

Joyce chuckled as she tossed Natalie the flashlight, "when are you going to take the test?" she asked.

Natalie shrugged, checking the batteries, "after tonight for sure. I just want to know the lab is safe before getting a solid answer if that makes sense."

Joyce nodded pulling the bolt cutters from beneath a pile of plywood, "yeah, I understand."

Both girls walked back out to see Jim opening the door, boots in hand. He sat down on one of the steps and started to put on his shoes, eyeing them with a shocked expression.

"Joyce, Natalie, you're not going back there," he said and stood to his feet, "son of a bitch, it's going to start pouring soon!"

"Do you not believe me?" Natalie asked turning to face him, "you don't believe Joyce? What happened the last time you didn't believe her Jim? She's right every time. I think by now we have a pretty good sense about this kind of stuff, and if you're not going to take us I will drive me and her there myself." Natalie turned back around and strode towards her truck.

"Fine, I'll drive, just slow down," Jim said as he tried to catch up with Natalie and Joyce.

---

They arrived at the lab just as it started to pour. Everyone in the car was pissed and silent. Tensions were running high, to say the least. Once Jim parked Natalie got out of the car and grabbed one of the flashlights and gave the other to Joyce.

Jim looked at her for one and she shrugged, "only brought two."

"Wonderful," he said snarkily and puled the boltcutters from the trunk. He pretty much stomped over to the gate and cut through the wire opening the flap for Joyce and Natalie, who stepped through without thanking him.

"You're welcome," Jim said below his breath and grabbed his own flashlight out of his back pocket, catching up to them, "you're lucky I brought my own."

"Yeah, guess so," Natalie said, giving him side-eye as they walked down to the bottom of the lab.

Joyce walked ahead of them and Jim lightly grabbed Natalie's arm slowing them down so he could talk to her.

"Nat," he said, his voice heavy with regret, "I'm sorry okay, I just don't know what's going on with you lately and it's stressing me out I guess."

She sighed, feeling somewhat guilty for not telling him anything yet, but she wanted to be sure, "It's okay, Jim. I know I've been acting weird aside from the rats, I'll let you know later tonight okay? When we get back to the cabin, okay?"

Jim nodded, a little confused, but he understood that she didn't always have to tell him everything about her life right away.

The two caught up with Joyce at the elevator to get to the gate to see it was still closed off, a thick layer of concrete covering pretty much any entrance. Jim knocked on the concrete and looked at them with a sigh,

"Nobodys' home," he turned away, "all the cavities have been filled. I watched them do it. It's over."

Natalie and Joyce looked at each other. Natalie was relieved, she leaned against the concrete and sighed.

Joyce sat down, still looking unconvinced, "I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"Natalie is too, so at least you're not alone," Jim added with a cheeky smile.

"Hey," Natalie said, "I'm still weirded out by all the rats, but at least it's not the lab." Her relief didn't last long though, despite the lab checking out, she still had a gnawing feeling in her gut telling her something was wrong.

Jim turned serious casting his gaze to the ground, "you're not losing your mind, both of you. You know the other day I almost shot Betsy Paine's dog because it came rushing at me from behind this fence and I swear to god I thought it was one of those 'things'"

"Man, what is with you and shooting dogs," Natalie said a small smirk on her face. She still shuddered at that memory though. That day was easily the worst day of her life.

"Oh shut up, I apologize to Bucky every day since we moved in together," Jim said folding his arms over his chest. He looked at both of them, "you guys know I'm keeping a close eye on things right? Because it's important to me that you both feel safe." He looked directly at Joyce now, "I want you and your family to still feel like this is your home."

Natalie bit her lip, remembering that Joyce and Bob were trying to move.

Jim paused before continuing to speak, glancing at Natalie every once and awhile, "what? You didn't think I'd find out about that? Gary called me, said he was fixing up your house to put on the market, not to mention Bob has been talking about real estate every time I see him."

"Do Will and Johnathan know?" Natalie asked, her voice small.

Joyce shook her head, averting her gaze from both of them.

Jim nodded and Natalie watched him move closer to Joyce and he sat down next to her, "after Sarah, I had to get away. I had to get the hell out of that place. Outrun those memories I guess. To think that I ended up back in this shit hole...You know though, you had something I never had at the time, you have people who care about you," he glanced at Natalie, "they've been through everything with you here in Hawkins."

Joyce nodded and looked at Natalie, who gave her a weak smile, her hands resting over her stomach. Natalie would not know what to do without Joyce. She had been a constant in her life for so long.

Suddenly there was a bang and all three of them jumped at the sound.

"What was that?" Natalie asked, feeling fear sit heavy in her stomach.

Jim stood and pulled out his gun, "I don't know."