Midnight Caller (Jopper)

this feeling

 "Hopper?" Joyce asked into the phone, fearing she'd lost connection.

"Yeah?"

"About- about this feeling... do you think it'll ever fade? I know that it won't be going away anytime soon, but... are you suggesting we face it? Like, how?" Joyce got a little carried away, as she wasn't all there yet, still between waking and dozing.

"I don't know, Joyce. I really don't know..." He sighed heavily.

"I had another dream." she said at last.

"Oh... I'm sorry." He said "The one with Bob?"

"Yes." She said, sobbing slightly.

"Do you want me to come over there? Jane will be fine for an hour or so by herself."

"Yes... I don't want to be alone right now." she replied, shaking.

"I'll be right over... don't go anywhere." then he hung up.

Hopper quickly jotted down a note for Jane, telling her that he would be at the Byers' house, and that he should be back in a few hours at the most. He left the note on Jane's bedside table, kissed her forehead and exited the front door.

He started his truck and drove solemnly over to Joyce's place. Parking the truck, he got out and went to the door, knocking three times before letting himself in.

"Hopper?" called Joyce, from her bedroom.

"Yeah, its me," he confirmed, walking down the hall towards her room. He entered silently, going over to the bed where she was sat, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. 

"Hey." She said, looking up at him.

"Hey," He echoed, sitting beside her on the edge of the bed, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Do you wanna talk about it? Might help.."

"I don't know... I just... He just..." She broke down, sobbing quietly into his chest. 

"I've got you." He assured her, "I've got you... " 

"I just can't get him out of my head... Bob. I watch him die every night, I-I ..."

"I know." said Hopper. "Its okay,"

"I don't want to feel this way... I can't go on like this." she mumbled, defeated. 

"It was like this with Sarah, too. The dreams... "

"How do you make it stop?" she asked.

"You don't... You can't. It just fades, eventually. It gets easier."

"Why hasn't it gotten any easier, then?" she cried. "Why, Hop? Why isn't it fading? Its been a year, now..."

"I don't know, Joyce. I really don't know. I wish I did." he squeezed her shoulders, as if to reassure her. "I wish I could help..."

"Just stay with me, Hopper. Please don't leave me alone tonight. I cannot bear to be alone right now."

Hopper checked his wristwatch, 3:21 am. 

"But I need to get back to Jane..."

"Please stay." she begged. "Please don't leave me."

"If it really means that much to you..." he said, laying down on the bed and pulling Joyce down to lay beside him.

"It does." she said, wrapping her arms around him.

Hopper held her, and felt her trembling cease.