SINISTER ~ STRANGER THINGS (2)

CROSS-COUNTRY DREAMS

"Come on," she mutters to herself as she rifles through Bianca's mess of a room, wishing for once she would keep the place clean.

"Okay, think like Bianca. She listens to music while she works so it must be under her... desk!" she internally cheers as she grabs the device, walking to her room to grab the tape.

Quickly, she heads back downstairs, jumping back in the passenger seat. "Got it."

"What was that with Michelle?" Robin asks.

"She may have seen Eddie somehow."

"How? I was hidden under a blanket!"

"She's got those detective's eyes, she sees everything," Dawn sighs.

"Exactly, let's just go. She agreed not to say anything today, but all bets are off tomorrow."

"Great," Steve backs out, speeding towards the War Zone as Sam checks the time.

_____

Twenty minutes later, the group is almost at the store, each having separate conversations when Sam looks over at Steve.

"What?" he chuckles.

"You're pretty good at driving this thing," she smiles softly.

"Thanks, I... I actually... You can't laugh, okay?"

"No laughing, I promise."

"I've always kinda had this dream... that I'd have a really big family. I'm talking full brood of Harringtons, like five, six kids," he starts, a dreamy look in his eye as Sam widens her eyes at that.

"Did I hear you correctly?" she teases.

"Walk with me here. Six little nuggets. Three girls, three boys, and... And every summer, all of us Harringtons, we'd pack into something like this and just see the country. You know, the Rockies, Grand Canyon, maybe Yellowstone," he continues, and she begins to warm up to the idea, not expecting him to be keeping something so wholesome to himself.

"End up in some beachside town in California, spend a week parked in the sand. Learn how to surf or something."

"It's a beautiful dream," she meets his eyes, seeing a twinge of hopefulness and something else in them that makes her grin grow. "Even with your brood of Harringtons. What made you want six kids of all numbers?"

"I don't know, it's not like I've had any practice," he sarcastically responds, glancing back at the kids.

"Good point. Really though, I like it. Not that you were asking my opinion-"

"I am," he corrects, with an assuring smile. "I always am."

She tries to hide her smile at that, turning to the window as she wonders if he'll ever lose the ability to make her blush with just a few words.

She hopes not.

Almost a minute later, they turn into the parking lot, where everyone but Dawn, Eddie, Dustin, and Lucas get out.

Towards the back, Dawn and Eddie were in a heated game of Tic Tac Toe, which Dawn was one move away from winning.

"Face it, Munson. You're going down," she shrugs.

"That's what she said," he jokes, making his move to which she triumphantly marks an O in the corner, winning the game.

"What was that? Oh yeah, thank you, I am a champion," she mocks him dramatically, making him smile up at her and slowly clap.

"You're supposed to trash talk me," she narrows her eyes. "Should be easy."

"Can I ask why?"

"Why you're supposed to trash-talk me?"