There's No Place Like Hawkins//Stranger Things. SH

THIRTY FOUR

Dig Dug

Cat, Mike and Joyce watched over Will's shoulder as he drew the location of Hopper, the former anxiously biting her nails. Joyce leaned down closer to her son. "Hey, is this where you saw him?" She stuttered. "Is this where you saw Hopper?"

"I think so. Yeah." Will answered.

"Okay." Joyce said softly as she picked up the drawing. Her eyes scanned over the walls, trying to work out what part of the map it fit into.

Joyce, Cat and Mike walked through the house, desperately searching for where the new drawing could fit into, until the Wheeler boy called out, "Here!"

Joyce and Catherine both ran over to where Mike stood in the kitchen, the former sticking the paper to the wall.

"Okay, so... so Hopper is here?" the older woman asked.

"Apparently." Cat nodded, crouching down next to her.

"Yeah." Mike confirmed. "Now we just need to find out where he is, right?"

Cat nodded. "Yup. And it sounds like we need to work fast because otherwise we'll be too late. So, um, no pressure?"

"Did he say anything?" Mike asked Joyce. "I mean, before he left?"

Joyce sighed. "Uh, some... something about vines? And to keep an eye on Catherine."

The girl in question raised an eyebrow, silently asking 'why me?'. But before she could get an answer from anybody the sound of a car approaching caught their attention and the three of them raced to the window.

"Hopper." Joyce said, voicing her hope aloud.

Cat looked out of the window to see a red car and Joyce's boyfriend Bob climb out of the car. "I don't think that's Hopper." Joyce opened the door, stepping outside before closing the door behind- not wanting to get Bob involved in their situation. Cat leaned on the door, listening to the conversation between the two adults.

"What the hell are you doing?" Mike asked her, whispering so as to not be heard by the adults.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm eavesdropping, duh." She pushed her ear closer to the door, hearing the conversation between Joyce and Bob.

"Surprise." Bob said as he walked up to the house, a pile of games in his hands. "I would've called, but you said not to clog up the line."

"You know, I... We're fine, we don't need anything." Cat heard Joyce tell him, politely trying to get him to leave so she and the kids could help save the Chief of police. Cat grabbed Mike's arm and pulled him over to the door, getting him to join in with the eavesdropping.

"When I was sick as a kid, and I was sick all the time as a kid, nothing made me feel better than focusing on these brain teaser." He held the pile of games up to show Joyce.