Serve & Protect

Chapter 7- Snow Ball

It had been a couple of weeks since you found out about the Upside Down and life had been surprisingly mundane since.

You had been on high alert for any monster sightings around town, but if you were being honest, you were more on lookout for your old work partner, Hank. Since that voice message he left, you hadn't heard from him.

The most exciting thing that had happened was Mrs O'Neil's cat getting stuck in a tree and you guys had to block off the road while the fire fighters got it down.

That gash on your stomach was healing up nicely, but you were still stuck on light duties at work under the Chief's order. The others at the station all thought you had been in a minor car accident, but it wasn't like you were going to tell them that you were attacked by a monster from an alternate dimension.

"Where are Powell and Callahan?" Hoppers voice suddenly asked.

You looked up from the report you were typing to find him walking through the front door of the station with a brown paper bag in one hand and a yellow envelope in the other.

"Out on patrol. They got sick of office work." You replied, motioning towards the files in front of you. "If someone didn't put me on light duties, I would be out there with them."

Hopper rolled his eyes, "you nearly bled out that day."

"It was just a scratch."

"A scratch that required stitches." He muttered, dropping the paper bag on the file in front of you. "Consider that a bribe."

You raised your eyebrows, "a bribe for what?"

"Owens pulled a few strings." He said, handing you the yellow envelope.

Curiously, you opened the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper, but frowned in confusion because this was an adoption document. Why was Hopper showing you some random adoption paper?

"What is..." You trailed off when you read the name at the top of the paper. Jane Hopper. "Holy shit. Is this real?"

"Doctor Owens made it real. El is officially my daughter.... and I have no idea what I'm doing." He admitted, pulling his hat off and running his fingers through his hair almost nervously.

You carefully tucked the paper inside the envelope and handed it back to Hopper who had now began to pace the office. You watched him for a few seconds in amusement before you spoke.

"You don't need to worry. You're a good father and El already likes you. Why are you so nervous?"

"Because Owens said it isn't safe for her to be out in the world yet. But I'm letting her go out for one night with her friends." He answered, still pacing in front of your desk. "The middle school Snow Ball. It's tomorrow night."

You nodded, opening the brown paper bag to find a chocolate donut inside before looking back to Hopper in confusion.

"I am failing to find a connection between that and this donut bribe though."

Hopper stopped in his tracks looking over at you, "I need your help."

"With...?"

"El needs a dress. I'd get one myself, but-"

"You have a terrible fashion sense? Yeah, I know." You said, cutting him off causing him to chuckle softly. "What size is she?"

"Uh..."

You rolled your eyes, "I'll get a few options for her."

-

The following afternoon you found yourself parking your car in front of Hoppers cabin in the woods. At first, you weren't sure if you were at the right place, but then you saw El's head pop out from behind the curtain in the front window.