𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

vi. do you copy?

JAMES TURNED around in his seat when he heard Joyce, "hey. Jonathan? Jesus, what... what happened?" She asked her son and James looked over at Callahan and Powell right away. "Ma'am." He stood up as Jonathan answered, "I'm fine." He was looking down, probably embarrassed. "Why is he wearing handcuffs?" She asked Callahan who was now standing by the desk.

"Well, your boy assaulted a police officer, that's why." He said and James rolled his eyes. "Take them off." She said sternly. "I am afraid I cannot do that." Callahan said and Joyce raised her voice, "take them off!" James looked up, his eyes wide and his brows raised. "You heard her. Take 'em off." Hopper said and James stood up. "See, Callahan, I told you!" He beamed brightly at Callahan. "Chief, I get everyone's emotional here, but there's something you need to see." Powell said calmly and James looked at his dad. He shook his head right away and Jim just sent a look back before walking off with the deputies.

"Ah, shit, shit, shit," James mumbled as he took out a cigarette and lit it up, sitting back down. Jim came back in shortly after and set the box down onto the desk James was sitting at. The seventeen year old boy just slowly looks up at his father. "What is this?" Joyce said when she looked inside and reached in to take a closer look at the things.

"Why don't you ask your son? We found it in his car." He said and James looked down. "What?" Joyce said as Jonathan leaned over, "why are you going through my car?" He asked him right away in a defensive tone. "Is that really the question you should be asking right now?" Jim leaned over the desk, doing his police crap with the stance and everything making James roll his eyes. "I wanna see you in my office." He leans back.

"You won't believe me."

"Why don't you give me a try?"

Joyce was looking at the picture before passing it over to Jim as James glanced between them as he sat next to Nancy who had Jonathan on the other side. Joyce sighs and Jim looked up at the three. "You say blood draws this thing?" He asked them and James sighed. "We don't know..." He shrugs. "It's just a theory." Nancy explained.

Joyce and Jonathan exit the office and Jim looked at Nancy who awkwardly cleared her throat and left as well. James sighed, looking at his dad, "how in the hell are you caught up in all of this, James? I thought I told you to stay out of the woods, to stay home because this kid went missing." He said and James huffs, looking down. "I'd never turn down monster hunting." He says.

Jim looked away. Monster hunting. Sara and James use to play pretend that they were hunting for monsters, looking into James' closet, looking into Sara's closet and even under their beds before going to their parents' room. "James. I'm sorry I'm rarely at home. And I'm sorry it makes you feel alone. I'll try my best after all of this is over. Okay?" He said and James looked over at his dad, before nodding his head. "Now get over here and hug your old man," He said and James smiles.

He walked over and put his arms around his dad who hugged him back tightly. He closed his eyes and sighed. He rarely gets hugs from his dad but when he does, he really takes in the moment, the warmth, the tight squeeze of the arms around him and then he stepped back, pulling his arms away. "I'm sorry. Next time I get caught up in something like this, I'll make sure my partners in... somewhat crime, stay out of trouble." He says to him and Jim Hopper just chuckled in response.

"I want an apology!" The yelling caught them off guard and quickly head for the door. "An apology for what, exactly?" James opened the door and saw Joyce and Jonathan standing outside. "Stay here." Jim said and walked away as James looked at Jonathan and Joyce, the shouting continued. James followed behind and stood at the doorway. "Ma'am, I need you to calm down." Callahan said to the woman standing in front of him.

"What is your name, deputy?" She asked and James furrows his brows. "Well, I'm an officer, okay?" Callahan said as Jim walked over to them. "Name and badge number, both of you!" She shouted at them. "What the hell is going on here?" Jim said loudly, catching their attention.

"Chief..." Powell said but then the woman spoke, "these men are humiliating my son." She sounded very upset and emotional about it. James just scoffs, rolling his eyes and walking away. He entered his dad's office and sat down again.

James looked at Jonathan as they sat in the back seat, Nancy, Joyce and Jim outside the car and looking at the Wheeler residence when Nancy was sent back into the car by Jim, James sitting between her and Jonathan. Jim and Joyce turn to them, "look, we need to find them before they do." Jim told the three teens in the backseat.

"Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" He asked, looking directly at Nancy. "No, I don't." She answered with right away. "I need you to think." Jim says. "I don't know. We haven't talked a lot. I mean, lately..." She said, sighing. "Is there any place that your... your parents don't know about that he might go?" Joyce asked her.

"I-I-I don't know."

"I might." Jonathan said and they all looked at him when he said it. "What?" James said, confused. "I don't know where he is, but I think I know how to ask him." He said and like that, the car was driving off to the Byers house right away.

They all rushed out and into the house, about to pass the livingroom but both James and Nancy stopped to look around. "Woah," she said as she looked around. Christmas lights covered the ceiling, there were letters on the wall. "Think the Christmas spirit came early?" He said and then went to follow Joyce and Jim to Will's bedroom.

In there was a swarm of lamps around the end of the bed, Joyce looking under it and finding the supercomm, "I got it." She stood up. "Mike, are you there? Mike. Mike, it's me, Nancy. Mike, are you there? Answer. Mike, we need you to answer. This is an emergency, Mike. Do you copy? Mike, do you copy? I need you to answer. We need to know that you're there, Mike." Nancy said and then Jim took the radio from Nancy's hands.

"Listen, kid, this is the chief. If you're there, pick up. We know you're in trouble and we know about the girl. We can protect you, we can help you, but you gotta pick up. Are you there? Do you copy? Over." He said then set the radio down before he turned around to face the other four, "anybody got any other ideas?" He asked them.

Nancy looked over at Jonathan and James right then the radio went off, "yeah, I copy. It's Mike. I'm here. We're here." After Mike told them where they were, Jim quickly decided to get them on his own, ignoring James' pleads to go with him. "Stay here with them," is all Jim said before closing the door and Jonathan, Joyce and Nancy all sit at the couch. He sighed and slowly turned to face them.

After a while of Jonathan, Joyce and Nancy just sitting and waiting and James pacing in front of them, they finally spot the headlights of a car and quickly rush to the door. "Mike, oh my God, Mike!" Nancy rushed over to her little brother and pulled him into a tight hug. "I was so worried about you!" Nancy said as James looked behind them, at his dad and the three kids with him.

"Yeah, uh... me too." Mike said and then Nancy looked at the girl with the buzzcut in a pink dress and a navy jacket over it. "Is that my dress?" Is all she said as the girl just looked to Dustin before looking back over at Nancy.

  

  

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

authors note can't wait for their sibling duo... the power they radiate honestly,,, 😌