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"YOU'RE not going."
Edward furrowed his brow at his daughter's statement. Veronica watched both Hopper and Jonathan rev up their cars, leaving the rest of the kids in the care of her and Steve, which probably wasn't the best idea. They were standing outside of the Byers' home after a fresh sprinkling of rain wet the ground, and the area was now surrounded by fog. Edward told Veronica he was accompanying Hopper to see the gate, and she was completely against it. "I need to be aware of the situation if it comes back again," he explained. "I already know too much. Might as well see it for myself."
Veronica looked at him as if he were crazy. "Or you could – oh, I don't know – die!"
"I'm not going to die."
"That's what they all say."
Edward pulled his daughter into a tight hug, relishing in the way her arms wrapped around him, and it reminded him when she was just a child. "We were both put into this situation without warning," he muttered, "and I have to know what is exactly going on with my own eyes."
Veronica leaned away, giving her father an unsatisfied expression. Her feet squished into the mud below her.
Edward put his hands on her shoulders, a smile tugging at his lips. "I know you don't like to talk about your feelings often," he said, "but I'm going to be okay, Ronnie. You still got me."
She put her head down, trying to hide the tears that almost escaped from her eyes. It was difficult when her mom left. She didn't really have any other maternal figure to talk to. Regardless, her dad tried being both parents, even though it exhausted him, along with his day-to-day job. When Louie died, it was the tipping point, and it was worse because it was her fault. Edward was the last family member she had, seeing as the rest of her family were either dead or psychotic. But she still had him.
Edward gave his daughter one last big grin before hopping into his boss' cruiser. Veronica sighed heavily, looking to the right to see Mike embracing Eleven, asking her to come back. It made Veronica's heart sink in the most innocent way. Jonathan called out for Nancy to hurry to his car, and soon enough, the girl came running out of the back of the house. She waved an awkward goodbye to Steve, who waited on the porch steps, before hesitantly stopping in front of Veronica.
The blue-haired girl didn't know what to say exactly. Her eyes flickered from Nancy to the ground. "Uh –" She swallowed hard, and then patted Nancy's shoulder. "Good luck."
Nancy smiled softly and gave her a short hug, much to Veronica's surprise. She welcomed it though. Veronica had never been a fan of hugs, but during a time like this, she needed all the comfort she could get. Nancy stared at her with a content expression when she let go and whispered, "You're different for him." She sent her a warm smile. "He needs different. You two are good for each other."
