It's been a month since Hopper has been appointed as the new Chief of Police of Hawkins. He attended small crimes since then like dispute over a tree, cheating husbands being caught by their wives, lost dog, even dispute over parking spaces. It's been a light and boring chapter for him. At least, it gives him distraction and a reason to get out of bed every morning. Of course, Flo is the main reason he gets up every morning. She will ring his phone until he picks it up forcing him out of the bed.

It's a normal morning routine for coffee and contemplation. The only difference is he needs to drop by Melvald's to pick up a few batteries. He didn't bother removing his hat and his sunglasses when he entered the shop. He strolled down the aisles but he cannot find the right size he's looking for so he went to the counter. There is no one posted there so he rang the bell multiple times at an annoying speed.

"Alright! Alright! Jesus…where's the fire?" a woman yelled from the back.

Hopper rolled his eyes around. He badly needs his coffee and his stop at Melvald's is delaying that much awaited drink.

"What is it?" a woman called out his attention.

He turned around and saw Joyce Byers. He almost froze as he didn't expect to see her at all. He heard that she has been married to Lonnie Byers and that she has two sons but he hasn't seen her since he came back.

"Hey", he greeted briefly.

Joyce stiffened too. She has prayed that she will not run into him at the streets. It's been a long time since she saw him and it was a painful memory too. She quickly brushed her hair a little towards her hair to cover up a slight bruise on her face but it's too late. He already seen it.

"What is that?" he asked.

"What is what?" she asked him back pretending she has no idea what he's talking about.

"Are you seriously going to play that game on me? Who did that to you?" Hopper asked firmly.

Joyce sighed deeply before looking back at him.

"You wanted to buy something, Chief?" she asked turning on her cold façade.

Hopper frowned at the sudden switch in her tone. She's hiding it like she's protecting someone and that's when he got the answer he's looking for. He chuckled and then shook his head.

"Your husband did that to you", he muttered.

She's not sure if he knows who her husband is but considering he is the Chief of Police, he must know it somehow. She kept quiet trying not to prolong the conversation.

"How is being married to Lonnie Byers working out for you?" he asked with a taunting smile.

Joyce felt insulted by his tone. He's not cruel. He's never been cruel to her but this time it's like he's a different person. She can see the condemning look in his eyes like somehow the one to blame in her situation is no one but her. She felt sick to her stomach that she cannot respond to his remark so she just looked down the floor to avoid his gaze.

Hopper knew that what he said hurt her even though she's not saying anything. That's another thing about Joyce. She doesn't like expressing what she feels out loud. She's always been like that even when they were in high school. She likes to keep it to herself. That is another example of that. He pressed her button and she didn't respond.

"So are you buying something or not?" Joyce asked once she composed herself. Her tone is a lot colder than before.

"Yeah…battery, AA", he answered.

Joyce checked behind her and then grabbed a couple of batteries and punched it in. Hopper handed her the money and she handed him the battery. He grabbed her arm once he noticed something. Joyce tried to take back her arm but his grip is too strong for her. He slid her sleeve and saw large bruises on her pale arm.

"Let go of my arm, Hopper", Joyce ordered and he did.

She quickly rolled over her sleeve to hide the bruises. Hopper just watched her do it with disbelief. How in the hell she get like this? He thought.

"You should file a report about that", he said.

"Stay out of my life, Hopper", she snapped.

He wanted to protest but he realized it's not his business to intervene. She's married now.

"Fine", he replied and then left the store.

It's the most awaited reunion at Hawkins High School. The gym was decorated in a colorful manner and everyone is encouraged to dress to impress. Hopper arrived with a blonde bombshell in his arms. He met her a couple of days ago outside of town and he thought she'll be a nice accessory to the festivities.

Joyce arrived with Lonnie at the school gym. Both are wearing black leather jackets. Joyce is wearing her black dress that she bought years ago. She only wore it once before and she's pretty sure no one will remember it. The dress reached her upper knee revealing her legs to all. The low neckline accentuated her chest and her hair is done in a messy waves. Most women went for the light color makeups and pink lips but not Joyce. Her eyes are dark and her lips are blood red. She looked extremely different from the Joyce they know who works at Melvald's store.

Hopper eyes immediately followed Joyce and Lonnie across the gym. The thought went for drinks right away. Lonnie handed her a bottle of beer while she lit up a cigarette. Hopper can hear Lonnie whispering something in her ear that she doesn't seem to like. Joyce rolled her eyes around and just like that, Lonnie left her side. Joyce remained by the bar and continued drinking and smoking. Karen Wheeler tried talking to her but she cannot take the smoke coming out of Joyce's mouth so she left too.

"I'll be back", Hopper said to his date and went to Joyce.

She knows he's standing next to her but she chose to ignore her. Most people that night leave once she continues to ignore them. Perhaps, it will work on Hopper too.

"I'm surprised you still have that dress", Hopper commented.

Joyce looked at him and rolled her eyes. She cannot believe he still remember her dress.

"Yeah, I don't earn that much so throwing away clothes is not practical", she said.

Hopper looked at her from head to toe admiring her beauty.

"I always like it on you. I'm pretty sure you're aware of that", he said.

Joyce swallowed. Her breath is becoming heavy.

"Shouldn't you be with your blonde date?" she asked changing the subject.

"Maybe…but I am here with you", he answered.

Joyce turned to face him.

"What exactly do you want from me, Hopper?" she asked.

Hopper looked at her brown eyes and pale cheeks before his eyes got caught up by her red lips.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" he asked her back.

She scoffed in disbelief.

"Yeah, you did…a lot of times before you left me and didn't contact me for years. Now, you're coming back here and act like I'm still yours", Joyce answered.

"You are still mine", he replied and it surprised Joyce.

He really caught her off guard that she doesn't know what to say. They're locked on each other's eyes as the tension is quickly building up between them. It's been years and despite how much he hurt her before, he's still making her feel like the only girl in the world. Hopper is so hypnotized by her eyes that he doesn't want to look at anything but those eyes.

"Look who we have here", Lonnie intervened cutting off the moment between the two. He put his arm around Joyce and turned to Hopper. "Hawkins' Chief of Police Jim Hopper. Who would've thought that you will be Chief, right?" he added.

"Yeah…it's crazy, right? Opportunity knocks. I just answered it", Hopper said.

Lonnie smiled.

"I know the feeling. I mean, I never thought that I will be married to Joyce Horowitz but here I am married to the most beautiful girl in town and father of her two children. Life is so unpredictable, eh?" he said.

Hopper can feel his blood boiling. He knows exactly what Lonnie is doing. He knows that he and Joyce were together back then and he's rubbing it in his face that he got her after he left.

"That's right. It's unpredictable", Hopper muttered under his breath trying to control himself.

Joyce is eyeing him not to follow his impulses because she knows how short his temper is and that he dislikes Lonnie so much even back then.

"Well, have a nice night, Chief. Me and my wife will just be over there", Lonnie said and then took Joyce away from Hopper.

A few hours passed and Lonnie is already drunk. Joyce just sat by the corner still smoking waiting for the night to end. She didn't bother stopping her husband from drinking because she knows he will not listen to her. She then got up and walked outside. She cannot stand watching Lonnie make a fool out of himself in the middle of the crowd.

She went to the parking lot to catch some air. It's a clear sky but to her it felt like there are dark clouds above her head waiting to pour down on her. She's been feeling like that for a long time now but she just ignores it. Life must go on for her. She has two boys. She cannot afford to feel sorry for herself because she has to raise them. Life is unpredictable.

Joyce threw the cigarette away and was about to head back to the gym when someone grabbed her and pulled her into the alley beside the gym.

"Jesus, Hopper! What the hell?" she exclaimed when she saw his face. "Are you drunk?" she asked upon seeing his heavy eyes. Plus, he smells like alcohol.

"You mean like your husband?" he asked.

"Hopper, you need to go home", she instructed but he didn't release her from his grip.

"Why, Joyce? There are a lot of guys here in Hawkins, better, good guys, and you married that piece of shit. Are you out of your mind?" he finally asked the question he's been holding on for days.

"Don't you do that to me. Don't you even dare! You don't know what I went through when you left me. I was thrown out by my parents because of you, because I stood by you and you just left me just like that. I was supposed to go to college but I got nothing. I got no home. I got no family. Lonnie was the only person who stuck by me during those times that I was waiting for you to come back and then I got pregnant so I have to marry him. I've been through shit in my life, Hopper, and most of them were because of you so you are in no position to judge me and my choices in life because you have no fucking right!" Joyce exclaimed.

Tears escaped her eyes and fell down her cheeks. Hopper stared at her beautiful face as the tears kept falling down from her eyes. He gently wiped them with his thumbs but she tried to shake his hands away from her face.

"Joyce", he called.

She grabbed his hands and took it off of her and tried to walk away. Hopper pulled her back, put his hands on her face and kissed her deeply on her lips. Though shock by the move, Joyce didn't resist. She knows it's wrong in a moral sense because she's married but she's been longing for this for a very long time. No one has been able to touch her the way Hopper does and now he's back. Hopper pushed her against the wall as he aggressively explored every inch of her. They're so into each other that they didn't notice someone has come out of the gym.

"Oh, shit…sorry", a guy muttered and then turned away.

The two broke the heated moment to catch their breath. They know they cannot continue what they had started. Joyce pulled away from Hopper and wiped the smudged lipstick off her face.

"I need to get back to my husband, Hopper. You should get back to your date as well", she muttered and then left.