EPILOGUE
SEVENTEEN AGAIN

2 MONTHS LATER

THE Gate was finally closed. At least, that's what they hoped.

Hopper had vanished after that fateful July 4th. He wasn't seen again. Edward had launched a full investigation with his team, using his last shred of hope that maybe – just maybe – something had gone wrong and Hopper was, maybe, lost in the woods, waiting to be found. But he wasn't in the woods, nor was in any part of town. The police had searched the entirety of Hawkins and came up with nothing. It was like the universe had snapped him out of existence.

No one was handling it well. Joyce Byers used last summer's escapade as an excuse to finally move out of Hawkins. Eleven cried herself to sleep almost every night. But Edward Moreda? Sometimes he wondered if he had the worst out of all. Everyone had to live with the memory of Hopper, but Edward had to take over the chief's former life. The only thing he gained from losing his best friend and work partner was a new title – one he didn't even want.

Edward was named the chief of police after the investigation for Hopper was closed. He didn't accept it at first, both the disappearance of Hopper and the position itself, but like always, Edward gave in. He knew it was what had to be done, and Hopper would've skinned him alive if he didn't. The job wasn't much different from his role as deputy, but Edward still found it odd to be sitting in Hopper's office, with a new badge, and a new name plaque. It wasn't normal. It wasn't sane.

Especially, when Edward still believed that his friend was alive. But he'd never know the true outcome of that.

Veronica seemed to be on a different side of the spectrum. After the events of July 4th, she agreed to go back on one single date with Steve Harrington, which then turned into multiple dates, and eventually, the two had spent the rest of the summer together. They both had enough time to anyways, since the entirety of Starcourt had collapsed after the Mind Flayer's invasion, and their job at Scoops Ahoy was left in the dust. Despite the two hardly having any money in their pockets, Veronica spent that summer with Steve Harrington like it was her last, frequenting themselves around the old movie theater or going to the skate park to hang out with Robin and Dustin. The summer of 1985 had been catastrophic and traumatic, but she never wanted it to end. She actually began to dread the thought of college.

When the time came for move-in day, Veronica stood outside of her house, balancing on the balls of her feet. Edward had packed up the U-Haul all by himself and was currently tapping to the beat of a Kiss song in the driver's seat. He gave his daughter five more minutes before they were to leave. She told him that she wanted to say goodbye to Steve first, and for a moment, she almost thought he wasn't going to show. But then, he came barreling down the street in his beat-up car, coming to a sudden halt right behind the U-Haul. He didn't even give her time to crack an insult about his lateness, because he was already engulfing Veronica in his arms, never wanting to let go.

Veronica had leaned back, sending him a warm smile, much different to the permanent frown usually plastered on her lips. She revealed her teeth, cheeks warming under the early-September sun, and she reached up to pat his cheek a few times. "Don't be a baby, Harrington," she said, watching his mouth wobble just the tiniest bit.

Steve looked away for a moment and rubbed at the end of his nose, anything to stop her from seeing him cry. He told himself he wouldn't do it. He really didn't want to, but the waterworks were coming and the more he looked at her – it was hard to stop.

"This isn't a goodbye, or an ending." Veronica ran a hand through his mane of dark brown hair, bringing his stare down to her eye level once again. She sent him a smirk. "It's a see you later."

And that's exactly what it was. Veronica did her best to maintain a long-distance relationship with Steve while she studied crime scene investigation at Clarion University. It was hard, but she always managed to hog up the one public phone in her dorm every night so she could call him. Steve loved hearing about how she was enjoying her studies for once, and how college was so much more freeing than the "demeaning and toxic society that was Hawkins High." Although he still longed for the day she would finally come back, either for Thanksgiving or some other dumb holiday that he could take her away from her family so he could kiss her until his heart's content.

But Steve didn't get that. Veronica was too busy to come back for Thanksgiving, and then she went on a vacation with her dad for Christmas vacation. Steve hadn't seen her all school year. Calls were becoming less frequent, especially as her spring semester finals approached. Steve knew he was being selfish, but it was so goddamn difficult when all you wanted was to hear from your girlfriend hundreds of miles away while you were stuck in your little town, working at a movie rental store, and hoping that your local community college will accept you. (They did, eventually, and Steve would be starting at Indiana Tech come fall.)

Now, it was finally the beginning of May. Mornings were cold, but the days were getting warmer. Steve liked to eat outside Family Video on his lunch break, sometimes share a sandwich with Robin, who also managed to snag a weekend job there, but he couldn't wait until he could get back to school in just a few months. Steve had never once been excited about school, but the thought of not spending his days at Family Video was everything he could want and more.

It was the first day of the year that Keith, his begrudgingly stupid manager, had to bring out the fans. Steve was practically sweating his balls off as the summer heat wafted in on that warm May day. May 15th, 1986 to be exact. Robin was probably chowing down on Keith's stash of Doritos in the backroom during her fifteen-minute break, so Steve had to man the front for a few.

The place was completely dead. Steve was surprised more people hadn't fluttered into Family Video once school had been released for the day, seeing as they finally got the VHS of Pretty in Pink for people to rent. He actually started to get bored while standing there. So bored that Steve began to clean the dust off the counters below the register. Keith really didn't make much of an effort to keep the place sanitary, and Steve was sure he wasted a whole bottle of Mr. Clean on this one shelf.

The bell above the door rang for the first time in an hour. Steve immediately shot up, banging his head on the counter in the process. He rubbed the back of his head, repeating the same greeting that Keith had taught him in a tired voice: "Welcome to Family Video. Can I help you find –"

Steve halted his words, unable to move a muscle.

Standing in the doorway of Family Video, hair freshly dyed and sporting a brand new T-shirt from Clarion University, was the Veronica Moreda, and Steve Harrington was left breathless.

"A little birdie told me Steve 'the Hair' Harrington now works at Family Video," she said, allowing her shoulders to sag just the tiniest bit. She played with the loose threads on her old jeans. "And by a birdie, I obviously mean a robin."

Steve shook his head. His lips moved a few times before he could actually get a word out, "What – what are you doing back so early?"

Veronica rocked back on the balls of her sneakers, and with one side of her lips turned up, she replied, "I'm home, asshole."

Steve grinned big before jumping over the counter and engulfing her tightly in his arms. Veronica took comfort in his scent, and in the way his hair still felt the same. He realized that she still smelt like cigarettes and sweet cinnamon. When his eyes met hers and he closed the gap between their lips – it still felt the same. The heat and teenaged curiosity were still there – or maybe that was just the warm weather outside. (Veronica couldn't be too sure.) Nothing ever changed, except for who they grew up to be.

They could never be seventeen again, and maybe that was a good thing.

THE END

( made by JustSav )