Smoke -- Jim Hopper

56. SMIRNOFF

I'm pretty sure all artists have insomnia, or at least I think that to make myself feel better cause I have insomnia and that's when I write lol... love to see it.

As always enjoy

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Once Joyce got back into the car they literally spent the next couple hours driving around Hawkins searching for the damn power source and they were beyond tired. It was pitch black and the only sounds were the engine humming and Jim occasionally puffing on his cigarette. Natalie had fallen asleep in the front seat and Jim looked at her, he was worried.

"She's fine," Joyce whispered to not wake Natalie, "she's a lot stronger than you seem to remember Hop."

Jim sighed, "I know, Joyce, that's what scares me. She's so damn stubborn and strong, I'm scared she not going to back down from something that's too much for her."

Joyce quietly laughed, "well, that's Nat for you. It's gonna be really funny when your kid comes out just as stubborn as her."

Jim smiled, "that would happen wouldn't it?"

Natalie cracked an eye open, "what are you two chattering about?" she asked, her voice raspy from sleep.

"Nothing," both Jim and Joyce said simultaneously.

Natalie sat up and yawned, "okay, keep your secrets," she said with a chuckle and looked at the window to see the Hess mailbox on her left, "let's hope this place has something."

"I hope so too," Joyce agreed with a nod.

Jim parked the car and they all got out a little hesitant. Natalie felt in her gut that this was the right place and she looked up at Jim and gave him a small smile. They walked into the Hess house and Jim gently placed his hand on Natalie's lower back as they ascended the stairs, just in case she was to fall.

"I'm not going to fall you know," Natalie said, with a raised eyebrow.

"I know, just being careful," he said, looking worried as he eyed the creaky old steps they were walking on.

"Jim," she said letting Joyce move ahead of them, "look I know you don't believe in karma and all that jazz, but if you keep treating me like I'm going to die if I trip over a rock then you know that bad ju-ju is gonna come our way."

Jim rolled his eyes, he thought her whole notion on visualization and karma was definitely not real and just her being superstitious, "Natalie, as much as I love you being independent as hell, let me try and take care of you okay? Honey, you got someone else to think of too," he gently reminded her and rubbed her side.

Natalie nodded, deciding just to give in, since Jim was also stubborn as hell, "okay fine, just don't try doing anything stupid to protect me, okay?"

"Okay, promise. I won't do anything stupid," he told her honestly.

Joyce poked her head around the corner above them, "c' mon you two we don't have all night."

Natalie and Jim looked at each other briefly before bounding up the stairs and into an empty bedroom where they could easily hear the heavy humming of machinery and electricity. Jim grunted in frustration as he put his ear to the wall and walked down the hallway trying to find the source of the noise.

"Damn it, where is it coming from?" he growled, running a hand over his face.

Joyce and Natalie both made eye contact before looking at the base of the bed where a red light was shining through a vent. Natalie got down on her hands and knees and looked into the vent and put her ear to the ground, "it's under the bed."