STAND BY ME
John Lennon

" Have to say, you can't be old enough 'than twenty. Can't believe they let in such a fine, and young, impressionable girl like yourself in the force. I don't take you as the type to be an officer of the law." Melissa, flattered by Becky's words, shrugs a shoulder.

" Ive always been drawn to the idea of seeking out justice, for those that can't defend themselves. Save those who need to be saving."

It was half the truth, it wasn't all a lie. Milly did believe her desire to help those, that couldn't seek out help. Even if she had to fabricate an identity of a woman of the law. She is helping a mother find her baby girl. Becky smiles, hearing the sincerity in her tone.

" if only there had been s..someone that'd saved me before it was too late."

Jim reaches for her hand under the table. Milly on instinct presses her fingers, in his hold, out of comfort. Mentally thanking him for distract-ing her thoughts that were leading her to think back to the past.

" She was a part of some study in college." Becky referenced, buzz sound effects coming out from Terrys tv watching 'family feud' re-runs on recordings. Terry Ives is a broken girl, in her thirties, who once was ambitious. Living and thriving, now rocks in an isolated room. Catatonic, unmoving, a catalyst forever in the time loop of her daughter being born then she is taken. Stuck waiting for a child who'll never come back home. " MK ultra?"

Melissa, not understanding, flashes Jim an inquisitive stare which's answered by Becky.

" drug experimentations. it started in the fifties. By the time Terry got involved, it was suppose to be ramping down l, but they just got crazier. It messed her up real good it did."

Becky studies Milly's facial expression turn to one of consolation, for her and terry. " Don't. It was her choice. I know that look, honey. Terry knew what she was getting in to. Well, so she thought." Melissa hears ringing of a table buzz, it came from a contestant answering questions correct. " This was the CIA that ran this?" Asks jim, as Milly knee bounces. It's another habit she inherently does when she felt anxious.

" You and Terry would've gotten along. 'The Man' with a big capital 'M'. They'd pay.. you know a couple of hundred bucks to people like my sister, give em' drugs, Psychedelics. LSD, mostly." Milly touches the spot above her heart as she felt her skin grow taunt with a sense of unease.

At the thought of Terry's substance abuse being orchestrated by scientists and doctors using it to control her. It made her want to vomit.

Hopper, disturbed at hearing the new information, kept his hand on Melissa's.

" they'd strip her naked and put her in these isolation tanks." Isolation tanks. Milly thought back on Henry showing her a memory incorporating from his time in Hawkins lab. It was brief, though, before Jim had interrupted.

" deprivation pods." Becky, shocked with Milly knowing those contraptions existed, nods.

" Y.. Yes. Those big bathtubs, basically. Salt filled water where you can float around in. You lose any sense of, uh well.. sense and feel nothing. H..How did you know? Have you seen them?" Milly, a sense of unease of possibly saying too much, antipatleticlly says

" Yes. A long while 'go."

In response to her hesitant reply, hopper comforted Milly doing circular patterns on her thigh. " They wanted to expand the boundaries of the time. Real hippie crap if you ask me. I.. I mean it's not they were forcing her to do any of this. The thing is, though, is that she didn't know she was pregnant at the time."

'Jane'. Milly fell quiet, thinking. ' Oh my gosh, I don't know what to say. Those monsters. T..They did tests on a pregnant woman, they weren't idiots.' Sonography machines were invented in the forties. There's no reason the lab technicians didn't know, a coincidence, of Terry's pregnancy. 'Those sick bastards. Oh how I wish to get my hands on them.'

Melissa mind ventures. " do you possibly have pictures of her? Of Jane? That could help?"

Becky looks to Milly, then back at hopper who was letting Melissa do all the talking. " I don't think you guys understand. Terry miscarried in the third trimester."

Melissa's soft gasp made him stare, worrying the information would be too much for her to grasp. 'No. That can't.. oh no.'

Becky guided Melissa and Jim to a nursery living space. Medallion yellow walls, which had paintings of velveteen rabbit and trees from Alice in wonderland hang as decorations, meets Milly's eyes.

" she keeps all of this up. Been doing it for twelve years. Terry pretends like Jane is real, like she'll come back home someday."

Light symphony of a lullaby plays out of the mobile baby toy hanging over a bassinet. She lightly, delicately, touched the toy but draws her eyes to hopper. Knowing this must've made him remember Sarah.

" Says she is special. Born with 'abilities'."

Abilities. That wasn't absurd to Milly, truely believing Becky, Henry had those qualities. She knew there is miracles of the supernatural kind in the world. Hidden from those who are Normal. " you guys ever read Stephen king? I mean, come on, it's all make-believe. Not real." Jim now talks for the both he and Melissa.

" What are these abilities?"

Becky, from her spot on the arm of a rocking chair observing for a few seconds, sighs.

" Telepathy, telekinesis, you know shit you can do with your mind. That's why the big, bad man stole Jane away. Y'know? Her baby's a weapon, off fighting the commies."

Women were being bred for to be made human incubators and create weapons to fight the Russians. Communists. Melissa felt bile rise up her throat. " You know, the doctors all say it's a coping mechanism. You know, to deal with the guilt."

Becky, extinguishing her cigarette out in an ash tray, reveals watching Milly go to Jim and put an arm around his. Holding hands.

It was cute to Becky how obvious he is with his love for her. " Is there any possibility you think your sister, Terry.. what she was saying is the truth? About having j..Jane? I know it's stretch but it's not that hard to think about." Milly was taking in the new information, scanning Jane's nursery. " There is no birth certificate, nothing from the hospital, doctors and nurses all confirm that she miscarried." A cover up. It was an elaborated, well thought of, deception done by the lab coats in Hawkins's laboratory.

" Yeah, that couldn't been covered up. Right?" Jim expressed the exact thought Melissa and he shared. There were resources they could've access to successfully hide Jane. " Like I said, you and Terry would've gotten along." Hopper and Milly stare in one another's gazes knowing better. They were definitely responsible for all of Terry's pain, her suffering.

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" Where is my brother? Johnny. Johnathan!"

In angry strides, Melissa yells made active on duty officers wince at her authoritative shriek, she storms in to the processing section of hawkins PD station. Powell reported Jonathan was in an altercation, fist fight, which conclude Steve Harrington was on the scene. " Mel. I'm right here." Jonathan strains a complicit smile. Nancy, Mike Wheelers sister, eyes start to go wide sensing Melissa's outrage as her boot's heels knock with determination on the floor.

It wasn't long before Jonathan feels his face is grabbed and inspected. " Please tell me you did NOT start that fight." Nancy, her soft blue eyes congenial and sweet, shook her head.

" He was only defending me."

Milly switches her focus on Nancy, plumed feathered hair sweeping in motion of her movement.

" Is that true? What she is saying, Johnny?"

Jonathan, hand-cuffs clanging, knowing how pissed off Melissa is knew not to lie to her.

" Steve was saying real awful shit bout our family, Mel. Called you.. a Slut. For hanging around Chief hopper. Him, Tommy H, and Carol Perkins spray painted an insult on your stores back entrance. Nance was called a slut, too. Amanda and Katherine were just let off with a warning. 'cause Amanda had chased after Carol, Kat had helped her. They were here before you arrive, ten minutes before. I'm sorry for making you drag yourself out here."

'That little shit. When I get my hands on him.'

Nancy, apologetic, stood. " I wanted to say I'm sorry. It's my fault, you were also targeted."

If it wasn't for her telling Steve about her excitement that the Melissa Byers, known in the fashion world for her unique eye for detail and beauty tips, was in town opening her store. he might've left her alone.

Carol, and Tommy. H, had heard rumours of Chief hopper getting close to her the gossip in Hawkins high hallways would spread to all those in attendance.

Milly softens her eyes, surprising both Nancy and Jonathan, embracing the girl.

" It's not your fault. Honey. Don't apologise. But, personally, I am going to find Steve. He and I we are going to have a talk, 'bout respecting women."

Officer Callahan groans upon seeing Milly.

" that is just what I need, a Byers family affair."

He was for real beginning to think whoever was in charge of his life hated him.

" I want my brother out of these cuffs! Or so help me, god, I will call my attorney, right now, from this point moving forward and run this station out of commission for all of its worth. Do you hear me? He did nothing wrong of the sorts."

Jim, hearing Melissa's shouting from outside of the precinct, dashes to her aid. Joyce, after he'd got her from her job on the way there, goes for her son.

" hey. Hey, easy. Easy. Callahan, you listen to her, take him out of those cuffs. Now."

Hopper brought her close to his chest, acting as a median for both Callahan and Milly for his protection more than Melissa. " I know emotions are high. But chief you outta for real see this."

Powell plonks a box of ammunition, bed traps, lighter fluid and a grenade on his desk, in Jonathan's possession. Jaws dropping, Milly and Joyce scoured the contents.

" John.. what is all of this? For?"

Cautious to not touch the ring, grenade in hand, Milly put her hip out eyebrow raised high to her hairline. Jim, wincing, carefully takes the explosive out of his girls hand. His girl. That sounded normal to think.

" Let's go have a chat, in my office, Jonathan."

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" You say blood draws this thing?"

Hopper, his eyes scan over a collodion photo of the monster which Melissa recognised from her attack a week earlier, wanting to confirm Jonathan's story passes the developed coated picture to Milly.

" we don't know." Jonathan says, still ashamed for being caught, Nancy included her own words. " it's just a theory."

Milly sighs, not wanting to believe such an idea of the monstrosity still at large, to be true.

Hopper let Nancy and him out of his custody, Joyce had decided to lecture Jonathan how stupid, ridiculous, it was for him to have those weapons in his car. Him virtually baiting, him self, and being almost taken from her by the creature. Risking Nancy, also his own, life for the sake of avenging will.

Now on surveillance, Milly had her arms around Nancy acting like a source of comfort, as Jim scouts out offical top secret government operatives in suits exporting personal items from the wheelers. It made Milly's blood boil seeing all of it happen.

" My mom.. my dad are there." Nancy, distress, exclaims. " Your mother and father will be ok. I don't think these assholes want to hurt them, if they wanted to it bring them in for questions we'd see them already." Melissa illustrates, hoping her words would be helpful rubbing Nancy's shoulders.

Jim agrees nodding his head.

" Nancy. No. Wait. Don't, hey. Listen!" Milly follows her, keeping a hand on her arm, and Jim goes to step in but allows Melissa to take charge. " I know you want your parents! I get it, I do! But, honey, the last thing you and I need is those douchebags knowing you are mix in with all this."

Helicopters rotors whirling and hovering humming repeatedly above Melissa, Jim and Nancy. Searching the woods for Eleven.

" But.. Mike, he's over there." Nancy, worried for her brother, says; weakly.

" They haven't found him. Look. Look. You see? From my knowledge, no military plane would be staying in one place if they found him." Powerlines are in formation and close to the woods. One lone helicopter, hoping to catch sight of the kids, forage miles of dense trees wanting any sight of them. " For Mike?"

Nancy, disbelieving, says being brought back to Jonathan's car. Hopper frowns after Milly does not get in the car.

" What are you d..doing mills? Why're you standing there. We need to go."

He gets out, worry washing over his face.

" I know it's not safe. I need you to trust me on this. I gotta go see Kat, and Manda', I gotta know if they are okay. 'Cause they are involve, deep, in this whole mess as well. Please, Jim."

Melissa's tormented, pained, eyes broke hoppers heart. " I will be okay. Jim. I know my 'round a couple of government agents. You've seen me do it, before. Go. Those kids need you. I will be okay."

She felt guilty for involuntary causing Katherine and Amanda to be in the firing line of being targeted by those assholes. It would be her fault, on her conscience. Jim is a fool, for how he reacts, especially considering who is in the car behind him. He captured her lips, hand entangled in her ravelled ringlets. A deep desperate attempt to keep her to stay and with him. Melissa dissolves in his fervent kiss.

" Careful, baby. Please." He mumbles, he leans down his forehead on the crown of hers. Milly pulls her eyes closed.

Savouring how close he is. " I will. I will."

JASMINE SPEAKS;

Jim finally kissed Melissa! I felt this was an emotional time to write that moment, I love the nickname 'Baby' so much, it's so sweet and I swear if my future husband calls me that I will actually melt. Be a whole blushing mess. I am so happy I got to write their first ever kiss.

What did you think of the moment Jim and mills kissed? Do you think it was too early? I personally don't think it's soon enough. I love writing for these two so much.

Considering I do love hopper very much.

He's my favourite, after Joyce, out of the stranger things parents.

®️ Written by jasmine. 2024