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Dec 11, 2025

Chapter 19 That’s life

Chapter 19 of Strange

A/N- We’re back!!! I’m so sad yet so happy!! Thank you everyone for coming back and finishing this series with me, I promise I’ll give it my best and that it will be so much fun!!

Warnings- Swearing, fluff, SPOILERS, light gore, talks of unwanted pregnancy, long chapter.

Pairing- Steve Harrington x Hopper!Fem-reader

Episode- 5x01

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

————

In the far depths of the vast darkness is the sound of Steve’s voice. It’s far and not clear, but he wakes you up from your dreamless sleep all the same.

The sound of a needy cry also echoes from where Steve’s voice comes from, and it’s a cry you can’t seem to ignore. It's as if your very life depends on you consoling it.

Thus, without fear and with the help of the moonlight that peeks through the window, you climb out of bed and with light and quiet footsteps you move about the room to throw on a satin robe and grab a battery-powered candle to let it guide you to the room where you hear Steve and the needy cries coming from.

However, when you step out in the dark imbued hallway the usual quiet carpeted floor creaks, making you come to a slow halt and twist around to shine the soft light in the shadows expecting to catch one of Steve’s parents wandering groggily up the stairs, but all you see is shadows not vanquished by your candlelight, so with a thick gulp you continue to follow Steve’s voice.

When you reach the room and push open the door there’s an odd sense of relief when you see Steve hunched over a cradle. However, that needy cry turns to shrieking and Steve’s voice no longer echoes. He’s quiet and his figure is still in the dark room. Usually, he would turn on the lamp by the door at night because he doesn’t like burning his eyes by turning on the big light, but tonight the curtains are drawn and the light doesn’t give life to the room. It’s imbued in darkness, making you relinquish the shadows as you make your way inside.

When you’re close to him, he doesn’t look over his shoulder, he keeps his back towards you, so you take the final steps towards him and gently press your fingertips on his shoulder with the intention of sliding your arm around his shoulder.

However, when you touch him, he turns around and with the candlelight in your hand, you’re immediately petrified by the sight of a faceless monster turning around to face you instead of your boyfriend.

It finally acknowledges your presence and stands to its given height, towering over you with Steve's lifeless body impaled in its long claws and one clawed hand caging the crying baby’s head.

“Steve!” You wail and cover your mouth in utter horror. “STEVE!”

The faceless creature opens its head which opens like a flower would in the sun. However, this creature is no gentle flower, it shrieks, showing off a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth with your dead boyfriend impaled in its claws, and a hand over the wailing baby.

“Steve,” you cry in grief and as if tired of your grieving cries, the demogorgon hurls Steve’s body to the side and then slashes at you, but you step back before your feet turn you around and trip you over, making you fall on your knees with a thud. A thud that sends off a wave of sense that this is a nightmare.

You can smell the iron of Steve’s blood, you can feel horror and grief completely riddle you threatening to cripple you. You can even feel your desperation making your blood race, but it’s…not real. A part of you knows that, but another part of you believes with all its might that everything that’s happening is real. That part of you yells at you to run, so you push yourself up and you run, leaving it all behind; your light, Steve’s body, and that crying baby in the clutches of the demogorgon.

You run out of the room and run through the dark hall. You run down the stairs with moonlight scattered on them, letting you avoid tripping and rolling down, and lastly, you sprint with all your might to the front door, but as soon as you open it, you come face to face with him; Vecna.

You pray and hope that it's not him. You don’t usually pray, but this time you do.

Yet, what good did praying do?

It’s him. His ugly deformed body. His noseless face and hollow eyes.

It’s him and all you can do is feel powerless and hopeless after losing the man that you loved so you do the unexpected and fall to your knees with tears running down your grief-stricken face.

“Don’t cry,” his voice sends chills down your spine and makes the hairs on the back of your neck rise while your breath catches in your throat.

“Tears are pointless,” he adds, making you slowly raise your head to see him towering over you, casting a long shadow over you as he blocks the light of the bright night.

“Please,” you cry, but why?

Why are you crying? You ask yourself before that other part of you breaks through your fear, making you realize that this is not real.

“Get out of my head!” You bellow with realization.

Vecna hums before he tilts his head, and without giving it away he uses his abilities to paralyze you before he forces you off the floor and floats you up to be at his eye level.

“Rejoice,” he says in a cold voice as he studies the way your grief turns to rage as realization sets in. “You have proven to be useful,” he says as he lifts his deformed arm and hovers his hand over your cheek, making you turn away to avoid his cold touch. “Your creation and I will achieve…the unbelievable.”

The line that he calls a mouth curls to a smirk, letting that be the last thing you see before you’re startled awake bathed in a cold sweat and panting for dear life.

“It,” you muster between pants as you drop your face in your hands. “It was just a nightmare…” you trail off and let out a shaky breath.

“Hey,” the groggy sound of Steve’s voice finishes consoling your worry as he reminds you that what you just saw was not real.

“You okay?” He proceeds to ask quietly, making you pick up your head and look at him, seeing his squinted eyes through the moonlight that peeks through the window, and the mouthwatering sight of his hairy chest as he’s propped up by his elbow.

“Yeah,” you say shakily. “Just a nightmare. I was…dreaming.”

Steve studies you before he nods gently. “Okay,” he whispers before he falls back on his side and raises his arm. “Come on,” he invites you to snuggle against him, and without a doubt you accept, and immediately you find safety wrapped against him and find comfort in the warmth of his hairy chest that tickles your face and the sound of his calm beating heart.

There’s nothing to fear when he’s with you. You can find sleep again with him by your side and his scent finding its way into your nose.

Yet…no matter how hard you squeeze your eyes or how many sheep you count, you can’t find sleep so easily as before and it seems that he can’t either. You can feel his fingers caressing your back.

“This is real by the way,” he says without needing to be asked or without checking if you’re actually awake. He just knows.

“Thank you,” you whisper before you kiss his chest and start caressing his bicep. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”

There’s a second of silence before he reassures you. “I don’t mind. It lets me think.”

You probe. “About?” And then peel away to be able to face him as he shares what’s keeping him awake.

“Dustin,” he reveals. “I…I don’t know what to do to get him to be like before.”

You sigh deeply and cradle his face.

Ever since Eddie died there’s been a change in Dustin. At first, you thought he’d grieve and then go back to being that hyper and adventurous boy you knew, but something died in Dustin that day, and that stormy cloud over his head has only grown darker. Too dark to go unnoticed, but no matter your efforts to rid him of that cloud, it doesn’t go away. It looms over his head making him angry, argumentative, and keeping him distant.

You’ve tried to help, Steve more than most, but it seems that he’s purposely pushing Steve away the most, leaving him confused and helpless on how to help him feel better. It’s something he’s often come to you about, but tonight he sounds more desperate for a solution.

“I don’t think he will ever be like before,” you let him down gently, but it still hurts him all the same. “Grief…it changes you.”

“Then…what do we do to make him feel better because I’ve tried talking to him. I’ve been trying to be there for him. To get him to open up, but he…turns me down at every chance he gets. He says he’s okay when I know he’s not,” he says with his voice rising with desperation.

“And he will keep doing it until he’s ready.”

Steve scoffs. “When?” He asks.

You shrug. “I don’t know. I wish I did. I don’t like seeing him upset either. I miss him, but we can’t rush his grief. The best thing we can do,” you say as you caress his cheek with your thumb and look into his big sad brown eyes. “Is be there for him. Be patient. That’s important.”

“I just,” he mutters and averts his eyes. “Feel helpless.”

“Yeah, I know, but you’re trying. You’re there for him. Trust me that’s good enough. Don’t give up on him. You more than most. He’ll come around.”

Steve swallows thickly so you lean in and press a light feathered kiss on the tip of his nose.

Steve’s eyes find you again and he offers you a sad smile so you drag yourself up and wrap your arm around him this time to press him against your chest. He proceeds to wrap his arm around your waist and you press a kiss on the top of his head as he finds comfort in your embrace.

“I dreamed of him again,” you whisper, making him grow stiff. “He made me believe that you were…dead. You were…”

“But I’m not,” Steve cuts in as he tightens his hold around you. “I’m here. I’m alive.”

You hold onto him tighter and bury your face in his hair.

“He was also after something else. Someone else,” you muffle, but he understands since it’s so quiet, and he understands who you’re referring to as well without needing to be told who exactly. That little sore subject that’s come up in your lives that you hope is not real. By not outwardly speaking about it you hope that it wouldn’t turn out to be real. Not yet.

“So,” Steve says as you feel his eyelashes flutter, tickling your chest as he asks a question against you. “You’re actually—”

“No,” you cut him off nervously. “We don’t know for sure. Not until tomorrow. He’s just getting in my head. That’s all. Not like it matters because it doesn’t get us close to him.”

“If you are, what are we going to do? Leave,” he finishes in a whisper that almost sounds like an answer. “Your aunt said we can go anytime we want. It’s your house too. We could stay there until we find a place of our own. Something small at first.”

“And leave Eleven and the others to deal with all this on their own?” You rebut in defiance. “No. And you have the radio station and…we don’t even know for sure. Not yet.”

Steve lets out a deep breath and knows not to press further, so he leaves it be until you get a clear answer. Until then, you just let the silence unfold. You enjoy it and each other's warmth, letting sleep eventually find you.

Morning comes soon and with it a new day that you start with a jog, making breakfast, and eating some before you find yourself in the bathroom undressing for a shower.

Steve walks in as you’re taking off your leg warmers and doesn’t seem to be fully awake until he realizes that you’ve already started your day while he was barely getting out of bed.

“What?” He asks as his eyes widen. “You went on a jog without me?”

You discard your leg warmers and nod. “You were sleeping and you looked so peaceful, so.” You shrug. “I let you sleep in. Breakfast is on the table. I’m going to hop in the shower.”

“And you’re wearing my favorite outfit, are you purposely trying to ruin my day?” He whines, so you approach him with a teasing smile.

“You like undressing me from your favorite outfit just the same. You can do that,” you tease, making him roll his eyes and groan before he turns to grab his toothbrush.

“You know,” he says as he grabs the toothpaste before he turns to watch you pull off your shorts. “I quite like this picture. You being here. Home. Not at work at that man-filled base.”

You feign a laugh. “I don’t. You and Robin have the radio station. My dad helps Eleven and does the crawl missions. Everyone does something so I will not sit idly by doing nothing if I can help it.”

“Nor am I asking you to just sit around although, you, sitting and looking pretty would be enough.”

You smirk and poke his chest. “For you.”

He scoffs and nods. “Yeah, I know. For me. I like admiring you.”

You roll your eyes and can’t help the smile that creeps on your face before you just make yourself clear. “Well, it wouldn’t be enough for me. Once this is over and we have a place of our own then maybe I could be persuaded into staying home. Until then this case is closed.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and turns to start brushing his teeth.

You throw your leggings in the dirty laundry basket and then look at him in the mirror to admire his hair as it’s all carefree and down. “You know,” you coo as you run your fingers through his hair. “I like this look. It’s a sexy look.”

Steve’s brown eyes fix on you through the mirror and he shakes his head before he says something unintelligible with his mouth full of toothpaste.

“What?” You mess around. “You’ll leave it down after you shower with me?”

He talks with his mouth full again and you know he’s arguing against your idea about his hair, but you just smile brightly and kiss his cheek before you turn around to finish undressing.

“I’ll be in the shower,” you tease before you hop in moments before he does, letting you make the best of another morning you’re given in this chaotic turned town you’re forced to stay in because of the stupid military quarantine.

They think they know what they’re doing, but they don’t. Not really.

——

*LATER*

“Good morning, Hawkins!” You hear Robin’s voice on the radio, brightening up your morning alongside the ever-so-serious and boring border patrol. “This is WSQK The Squawk!” She greets and the sound of a rubber chicken cries, making you smile in amusement knowing that your dearest boyfriend is the one behind the sound effects while Robin does what she does best, talk.

“It’s looking like a pretty regular day in Hawkins. Fifty-five degrees, low chance of rain, medium chance of arrest, high chance of helicopters. But general banality aside, it’s an exciting day for me, your friend, entertainer, and DJ, Robin Buckley. Nice to meet you! AKA Rockin’ Robin,” she continues with her introduction of the day and puts on the song Rockin’ Robin’ by Michael Jackson in the background, making you smile even wider while you also scan the empty area at the other side of the fence.

“And why is it a big day for me, you ask? Well, it’s my 500th broadcast. Yeah, you heard that right, folks, Five-double-O! Which means it’s been even longer since you’ve heard the sultry voice of Jimmy “fast hands” Lee. But while Jimmy was fleeing Hawkins even faster than he moves those hands,” she says, followed by the sound of a woman’s scream. “Yours truly was watching slack-jawed as the earth split open beneath her feet and coughed up that tsunami of mysterious dandruff. And now, I'm stuck here with you, my fellow quarantine compatriots. And if I can be brutally honest, I couldn’t be happier.”

Oh, please. You know she doesn’t mean it truthfully, but either way, this quarantine will be the death of you. Along with the boring border shift.

“Because when you really think about it,” Robin continues. “Why would you want to live anywhere else? I mean, what town on Earth can match our very impressive military-to-civilian ratio?” She says followed by a silly sound Steve makes in the background that makes you snicker.

“And those free, mandatory medical checkups? I mean, very cool. ‘Cause after we inhaled those springtime snowflakes, I mean, who knows what’s wrong with us? Maybe we’re fine, maybe not,” she says and a fake cough sounds in the background.

“No one really knows for sure. After all, this was a “natural phenomenon never before seen by man,” she says in a feigned robotic voice. “A phenomenon now covered up by a giant metal Band-Aid,” she says in her normal voice. “Quite the eyesore, but hey, great for sledding. Though seriously, kids, stop sledding on the giant steel Band-Aid. You are going to kill yourselves. Also, the men with guns. They don’t like it, not one bit.”

They like nothing. They’re too strict and too secretive, but alas, you’re wearing their uniform and…helping them in a way.

“While we’re on the subject of things not to do, please steer clear of the Military Access Control Zone aka the MAC-Z, or as I like to call it, the Big Mac. I have no idea what’s going on in there, but I have a gut feeling there’s a pretty good reason they’d like you to stay away. But hey, the rest of Hawkins is still there for you to enjoy. Someday soon, they’re gonna let us out of here,” she says followed by the sound of a bell. “In the meantime, be thankful this is your home, study for that test, enjoy that TV dinner, and go on that date. Which by the way, is exactly what yours truly is doing tonight.”

You smile wider as you pick up the binoculars to look at the horizon.

“That’s right. Rockin’ Robin has a date, ladies and gentlemen,” she announces and the sound of the rubber chicken goes off again, making you grin. “And now, who is this lucky someone? Well, don’t be so nosy, kids. They know who they are. That is if you’re listening, which I hope you are. Because this next one, it’s for you babe.”

The song Rockin’ Robin stops and Pretty in Pink by The Psychedelic Furs starts playing. Yet it all too soon sounds staticky before it completely ends and static is all you hear.

“About time,” one of your comrades says as he joins you in the guard tower. “Can't stand the sound of her voice.”

You tighten your hold around the binoculars and just bite your cheeks to hold yourself back. You think of a smart response, but…what good would it do…Joyce says. Just listen to them Joyce says. Don’t pick fights or rile them up, she says and Steve echoes her advice only because he couldn’t stop you from joining. You know his first advice would be to quit, it’s a suggestion he keeps in the back of his mind to use the moment there’s an opening that won’t trigger an argument from you. Until then, he makes hinting comments here and there.

Your mother…she would’ve contradicted them. Fight against them is what she would say. Tower over them and grab them by the balls. That’s why she and your dad didn’t last.

Alas, you are not your mother and your position in the military is something you can’t put at risk, so you stay quiet and continue doing your job of watching and patrolling.

Watching and patrolling.

Watching…and patrolling.

This shift would be easier if you could sleep with your eyes open. Time would pass by quicker, but alas, watch and patrol.

At least, you can listen to music. That makes it easier. Besides, Steve insists on the matter, so you listen to one of your current favorites, Siouxsie and the Banshees to be exact.

That is until you tune out the music as you spot a truck picking up clouds of dirt as it approaches the gates.

“Truck approaching. ETA 5 minutes,” you let everyone below know as you pick the binoculars and look through them, catching that the truck driver is none other than your dad's weird friend, Murray. Good.

“What can you make out?” One of the men in charge of today’s shift asks.

“Delivery truck. Same as usual. Bradley’s truck.”

There’s audible sighs of annoyance and little to no alarm because they all know he’s harmful. Or so they believe. You know otherwise, but you’ll never tell, so you just descend the tower and just for this specific task you’re allowed to go past the gate to be able to greet Murray when he comes to a stop in front of the gates.

The task is not because they trust you, they let you do it because everyone finds Murray weird so they send you to deal with him. If it were anyone else you wouldn't be allowed to move from the guard tower, but they underestimate the weird man so you get to go down and let him get away with a lot.

However, he is still a few minutes out so you just wait quite impatiently. Shifting from foot to foot, checking your watch, and lifting your head to look out at the approaching truck.

In one of the many cycles, as you’re looking up, something…someone on the other side of the fence, just past the tree line catches your attention, pushing the sound of Cities of Dust by Siouxsie and the Banshees to the back of your mind as you focus on them.

They’re not military. He’s tall and thin in a clean brown suit that should’ve gained attention. He stands out like a sore thumb especially with that matching brown hat and round glasses, but it’s almost like you’re the only one who can see him. The only one captivated by his presence, and no matter how hard your racing mind and alarmed heart thumps, you can’t find the voice to alert anyone of his presence.

He’s by the gate, you need to alert your comrades and superiors of any presence by the gate even if they’re on Hawkin’s side of the fence, but as you part your lips only a breath escapes. His gaze steals all ability to speak and the warm smile he offers you completely stills you, making you go unaware of what's happening around you until you’re yelled at. “Hopper! Get to work.”

You gasp and your eyes flutter before you snap your eyes to your superior looking at you with annoyance before he points his eyes at the truck now halted by you.

“Right,” you mutter and break away from your spot to approach Murray, but first, you look back at where you had seen the tall man in the brown suit, but he’s no longer there…

He probably walked back into the cover of the woods…

Either way for now, you reach Murray and offer him a smile. “Good day,” you greet.

“Hey, hey. How you doing? It’s always nice to see a friendly face,” he greets overly excitedly as he passes you a clipboard with the papers he needs to go in.

“Austin Millbarge,” he says his memorized lines. “ID 4528-niner,” he laughs. “That’s me.”

You mindlessly flip through the paper pretending to read what it says before you hand it back to your superior and point your head at the truck.

“I’m just going to do a quick check in the back,” you let him know and with no other choice he nods with that fake smile still plastered on his face.

“Go on.”

You walk off to the back and like usual you're left to open the back all by yourself and do the tedious work of checking what he’s taking in. Again, because they don’t think much of him.

Yet, it’s not like you’re doing an extensive search, you pretend to look and then make sure no one’s approaching from either side of the truck to take out an orange envelope you kept hidden inside your coat to hide it between his things.

Once that’s secured you close the back and walk back to the driver's side to let Murray know discreetly that you hid information that the military is going into the Upside Down tonight in the back.

“Beautiful day for a stroll around town,” you say your secret message, gaining no suspicion of any kind from the men around you.

“Ha,” Murray feigns a laugh without giving anything away. “Only if you join me.”

You flash him a grin as you’re handed the papers to give it back to him. “Oh, you’re cheeky, sir. Alas, I already have plans with another old man today. Maybe next time.” You smile and he laughs with disdain after you call him old.

“I’ll hold you to that,” he points at you as your superior walks away to open the gate for Murray.

“Have a good day, sir,” you say your goodbyes as you step back.

“You too.”

You offer him one last smile before you watch him drive past the military and into Hawkins. You wish you could go with him because you know he’s heading to the radio station, but you’re left watching him get further and further away from the town side of the fence.

When the truck is no longer visible you look back at where that man with the brown suit had been, but like before he’s no longer in sight. He just disappeared.

Could it have been…Vecna?

No, you wouldn’t have snapped so easily from your trance if it had been Vecna. It had to be just a man. A curious man. There’s often people wandering to the fence, so that’s what that man was. A wanderer.

“Hopper,” your superior calls out, gaining your attention. “Doctor Kay wants to speak to you. Get in the truck and I’ll take you so you don’t leave her waiting.”

Oh?

Did they find that false lead? Is that what she wants to talk to you about?

Or does she know you’re not really on their side?

No, that can’t be it…

Whatever it is you do what your superior says and don’t leave her waiting, feeling anything but relaxed on your drive to the MAC-Z.

Once you would’ve enjoyed watching the passing scenery even if you’ve seen it all multiple times, but the military quarantine has a way to spoil the beauty of the small town, and there’s nothing to find comforting when it feels like the entire town is holding its breath as it fears what may come next, so you lied to Murray. The sun may be out but there’s nothing nice about town.

When will it all be over?

Soon hopefully, you yearn for life to return to normal where you can take strolls around town without being watched or fearing that something may happen at that instant. You have good days, but it’s exhausting being scared and having to look over your shoulder all the time.

Nevertheless, you eventually reach the MAC-Z, and what your dad has to do secretly, you do with ease and get past those gates and get into the MAC-Z where Doctor Kay is waiting outside the big gate to the Upside Down, wearing her usual green jumper, and typical scowl.

“Hopper,” she greets as you meet halfway. “They were able to spare you.”

You offer her a tight-lipped smile and nod. “You call and I come. It's nice seeing you out where the sun can touch your face.”

She scoffs. “You sound like the doctors,” she quips before she points her head at the sidewalk ahead. “Walk with me. The doctor says I need to take in more fresh air. That’s what I’ll do. While I work.”

You hum and take her side to walk with her down the street that was once calm and not infiltrated by the military.

“The lead,” you bring up knowing that it wouldn’t have gone well, but you still ask just in case. “Did they find her?”

“No news as of yet, but if they had found her they would have been gloating the moment they took her down to be validated.” She shakes her head in disapproval.

“I’m sorry,” you offer her because it was you who had passed the false lead, putting an innocent girl at risk to help your sister.

“You tried to help, don’t apologize for it. The girl is slippery. That’s not your fault,” Doctor Kay assures you.

“It seems like when we take one step forward, she’s already taken two,” you play your part, earning a hum.

“Had your mother been here she would’ve already delivered her to me,” Doctor Kay piques your interest as she usually does when she talks about your mother. Someone she used to know.

“She never disappointed me as much as this pack of men has lately.”

“Had my mother been here I wouldn’t be here,” you point out the truth.

“No, your mother always knew better. She was astute, fierce, and headstrong. She was better.”

You swallow thickly and nod softly.

“But she’s not here,” Doctor Kay continues to say, bringing you to a stop, and making you face her at a place that’s not so crowded. It’s not alone, but there’s not so many eyes on you.

“In her place is you, sharing her hunger for better, showing these men that we can get it done despite their prejudice. I look at you and all I see is her,” she says, making your eyes soften and your breath hitch. “She would be proud of who you turned out to be in this time of chaos. Where it feels like the world might end.”

You smile softly, but you also know your mother would want you far from this horror. Doctor Kay knew who your mother used to be before she had you, she didn’t know the woman you knew and loved.

“You show promise,” Doctor Kay says and takes a step toward you. “I want to nurture that and turn you into what your mother was. What she couldn’t be. I want you to be my Valkyrie,” she says words that catch you off guard and offer you a promise.

“That’s what she was,” she reveals and digs in her pocket to take out a name badge with ‘Valkyrie’ written on it.

“It’s not her badge, but she wore one just like this. She’s gone now, but I am giving you her name. She would’ve liked that.”

No, she wouldn’t, but she is right, you are like her. You share her ferocity to protect the people you love and you’ll uphold that to protect Eleven and everyone else that you love.

“From this day on I’m taking you under my wing,” Doctor Kay reveals as you take the badge without question. “You’ll learn from me and take part in the more important mission. Finding Eleven and saving this town.”

Your eyes give off a glimmer that she takes as glee and pride for being handpicked by her and given the honor of rising in the ranks, but in reality, it’s pride and glee for getting closer than ever before and now being able to offer more to your team. That’s all you wanted.

“Thank you, Doctor,” you say with a soft and thankful smile. “It means the world to me. It truly does.”

She hums and offers you a nod. Nothing else. She’s kind of cold like that, but that must be why she’s here. You would admire her if she weren’t actively after Eleven.

“You’re leaving early today, is that right?” She asks.

You nod. “Yes, I have to go to the doctors.”

She doesn’t probe, she just nods in comprehension. “Well, I want you ready tomorrow. You’re going into Dimension X with me.”

If this doctor's appointment didn’t hold such an important answer you would have told her to take you now, but you really can’t miss it. You need an answer today. You can't live without knowing a moment longer, it’s eating away at you.

“Okay, I’ll be ready. Thank you, Doctor Kay.”

She remains nonchalant and just nods before she dismisses you. “Go get your new uniform and supplies. If you come across trouble you report to me now or do what your mother did. Tower over them and grab them by the balls.”

You scoff in amusement and nod before you leave her after one last grateful smile, feeling lighter than before now that you can offer Eleven and the rest of your team more.

——

*LATER*

“Positive.”

Tears fall from your cheeks, wrinkling the paper and smudging the ink. The word is still clear as day for Steve to read. No matter how much you want it to be fake the truth is still there in dark letters.

It’s not that you’re angry that the test reads positive, you weren’t careful. That’s your fault, but it wasn’t supposed to happen yet.

You wish that by pretending that it’s not there that it would magically go away. You wish that’s how things worked, but this is not a fantasy, it’s real and it’s there, a little ball of inconvenience.

But, you won’t let that little inconvenience stop you. It’s there, you know, and acknowledging it is all you’ll do because you can’t sit back and watch everyone risk their lives. Not with so many people putting their lives on the line; people who would make life insufferable if you were to lose them because you can’t be there to help. That’s why you have to put the task first despite this new development growing within you. So, in some ways…it is for them, the…little inconvenience, so they can know happiness. And in some ways, it is motivation to fight harder. Even so, you won’t get excited.

If Vecna wasn’t on the loose, if your town and life weren’t in danger you would have been excited. You would have celebrated and ran to Steve with a grin, but everything and everyone is on the line, so you can’t get excited. If you let yourself get attached and something were to happen then…you’d break. More than when you thought you lost your dad.

If this ends soon and you’re still carrying that little surprise then you’ll rejoice, until then, you’ll only tell Steve. If everyone were to find out they’d treat you differently especially your dad and Joyce, so you won’t tell anyone else but Steve until this passes or until you can hide it. Until then, you'll go on as you were because you can’t afford to lose anyone or this fight.

Thus, you fold the paper with the response in your pocket and walk out of the exam room where the doctor had left you to process the news.

Your day at work is over so your next stop is the radio station. Yet on your way to the car, you bump into none other than Will seeming to be in a hurry out of the hospital.

“Will,” you greet with surprise.

“Oh,” he gasps and glances back with panic before he meets your gaze with his eyes wide. “Hey. Sorry.”

You laugh nervously and look past his shoulder to see what he might have been running from, but you don’t see anything, so you probe with concern. “Are you okay?”

Will nods and glances back again. “Yeah, yeah, just on my way out.” He laughs nervously and you look at him with concern. He reads it and quickly changes the focus back to you.

“What are you doing here? Are you okay?”

Your test results are already in your pocket so you just nod stiffly and offer him a stiff smile and nod. “Yeah, just came for a regular check-up for work. Are you sure you’re okay?” You turn the attention back to him so he doesn’t analyze you too hard and finds out.

“No, yeah, I was here with Lucas, but well, he’s with Max and I don't want to be a third wheel, so I was heading out,” he explains and his panic doesn’t seem to match what he’s saying, but you don’t probe out of fear that he knows you’re lying.

“Oh, okay, well, I came in Steve’s car today and I’m heading to the radio station, so do you want a ride there? I’m sure you caught Robin's late broadcast?” You ask without hinting or telling him what it might be about. You just hope he’s smart enough to know already that she announced a burn happening today. Murray should have delivered the envelope with the details for the burn, and Robin should have relayed all the details discreetly through the broadcast, so he should know.

“Oh, yeah, that’d be great! Yeah. Thanks.”

You offer him a stiff smile and nod before you walk with him to the car and give him a ride to the station, enjoying the sound of your music for a while until he finally picks at your presence in the hospital.

“Are you sure you're okay? I’m just surprised you were at the hospital. Doesn’t the military have its own doctors?”

They do.

“Yeah, well my doctor is at the hospital and I needed a refill on some stuff, so I went to the hospital,” you lie and glance at him to see if he believes it, and it seems like he does. He doesn’t look at you to question you or judge you. He just nods in comprehension so you don’t press on the matter.

“How’s…school?” You change the subject.

“Well,” he says as he looks out the window. “It’s easier with my friends, but it’s also hard knowing that Henry is still out there. Somewhere.”

You nod softly. “Yeah,” you say quietly. “I get that, but you haven’t gotten chills have you?”

“No…well, uhm, I did today. Just don’t tell my mom, okay?”

You glance at him with worry and concern because of what you dreamed about and what you saw earlier.

“You felt him?” You question and see him nod.

“But it can be anything, right? I just…don’t know. I don’t know what it meant. I didn’t see him or anything else. It was just a feeling.”

You hum as you look out at the road ahead.

“Have you…dreamt of him?” He redirects at you and you don’t lie. Not to him.

“Yeah, but it was the same as usual…he’s just tormenting me.”

Will nods before he parts his lips. “What if it means something? Do you think it means something?”

You shrug. “I don’t know, but I guess we might know later won’t we? When my dad does the crawl mission. You do know that’s happening today?”

He nods. “I caught Robin's broadcast.”

You nod. “Good, well, we might know then if your chill and my dream might mean something…just let me know if you feel it again, okay? Then we can tell someone. I know you don’t want to be coddled, but we can’t hide this. I know how overbearing parents can be, but unfortunately, this isn’t nothing. It’s important for us all to know.”

Will nods and stays quiet letting you know that he doesn’t like your response before he speaks on the matter. “How did you get your dad to stop being overbearing?”

You chuckle. “I didn’t, I left home, but he still finds a way to be overprotective.”

He nods.

“Not that you should leave home. You’re not eighteen yet.”

He chuckles dryly before he probes. “Would your mom be the same?”

You smile softly. “If my mom were here she would have been relentless the moment she knew Vecna wanted me dead, or I wouldn’t be here. My bet is on the latter. She didn’t mess around when it came to me…that’s not what you wanted to hear did you?”

He gulps and you know the answer is no, so you try your best to reassure him.

“Maybe you should look at your mom's overbearingness as…a blessing. She cares and wants the best for you.”

“But I’m not a child anymore,” he argues with annoyance. “I can help. I can do what Dustin does or what Lucas and Mike do. I can help. I’m not a child. I want her to understand that.”

You nod and spare a glance at him. “I know you can. And I know deep down she knows you can help too, but what happened to you makes it hard for her to accept that. She’s scared, Will. I know it can be annoying. Trust me I know, but you can’t blame her for being scared to lose you.”

Will sighs deeply and frowns before he mutters. “I just wish she’d trust me more.”

You nod softly and offer him a small smile before interjecting. “I know, maybe we can find something to do soon, hm? After this crawl mission maybe we can arrange for me to go with Steve instead of Dustin and you can tag along. I know it’s not as dangerous as Mike and Lucas’ job, but it’s something. Or you can come with Nancy and me to target practice? We can teach you how to use guns. Or we can find something to do without her knowing.”

Will chuckles breathlessly and doesn’t seem so reassured when you glance at him, but it’s something different than being stuck in the radio station under his mom's watchful eye so he nods in agreement. “Yeah, okay, I’ll like that.”

You hum and smile at him. “Great.”

Mindless chatter follows after that until you finally reach the radio station, but maybe you should have prolonged the matter because when you get there and meet Steve, your stomach is in knots and you have the mind to hide the news, but he’s expecting an answer so it can't be hidden.

“Hey,” he greets you as he pulls you away where Mike, Jonathan, Nancy, and Will won’t hear. Robin was at the hospital with Vickie, and you and Will left Lucas with Max at the hospital. Everyone else should get here soon, so it’s just the six of you for now.

“Did you go?” Steve asks with concern.

You swallow thickly and nod before you hand him the letter where the answer was noted. “Yeah, here.”

Steve takes the paper and takes a moment to read the response and then goes over it again, finding it hard to digest before he realizes that your fears came true.

“Steve,” you get to say his name before he brings his hand up as his face reads disbelief.

“I know, I know,” he whispers.

He runs his hand through his hair and sighs deeply before he kicks the small table beside him, startling you and making you step back, noticing Nancy and Jonathan looking over curiously before you ignore them and reach out for him to just hear what he thinks because right now all you see is his disappointment and anger.

“I,” you mutter with your eyes stinging and your chest tight. “I’m sorry.”

He turns away and shakes his head, making a knot grow in your throat.

“It’s just…” he trails off and you wait for him to finish, but he doesn’t so your mind makes sure to finish for him; inconvenient, a burden, a mistake, and it makes you feel scared. For the first time since you had a hunch, you feel scared. It was never going to be a happy moment, but you didn’t think you’d be scared either.

“Steve…say something,” you plead.

Said man folds the paper and keeps shaking his head with nothing to say, making you take another step back.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper and look at him one more time hoping for a change, but he looks just as upset and disappointed so you just walk away, making sure to keep your distance from everyone else because if someone were to see you and ask what’s wrong you’d sob since you still have a strong need to cry

Eventually, Lucas, and Robin come to the radio station. Your dad, Eleven, and Joyce are expected to get to the station later than the time everyone is supposed to be here so you don’t count them as late whereas Dustin is.

He’s usually never late, and he always seems intent on doing his assigned task. Whether he likes it or not you don’t know, he’s a vault now, he just does it, so you try to reach him through his walkie and at his house while remaining inside away from everyone, sensing Jonathan and Nancy both wanting to ask why you’re keeping your distance from Robin and Steve when you’re usually glued to them, but you make sure not to leave yourself open for them to approach you. You just let Robin know that you can’t reach Dustin as you keep your distance from everyone until ultimately your dad and Eleven find you as they finally arrive at the radio station.

“Hey, kid,” you greet Eleven with a bright smile that you muster for her.

“Hey, I knew you’d be here already,” she says as she walks over to give you a quick hug.

You roll your eyes playfully you probe about her training. “How did you do today?”

She shrugs with a flicker of annoyance. “I could do better. Maybe you can help me next time? I think Hop is making me go slow on purpose.”

You giggle and nod, adding nothing to defend your father because she’s right. “If you want, I’m down,” you say instead. “It’s always fun watching you train. Besides, I think I have some new obstacles to add.”

Her eyes brighten. “Really?” She asks.

Before she can respond a deeper voice cuts in, interrupting your conversation. “What is it?”

You both look back and you see your dad joining you guys in the room you’re in.

“Something,” you add stiffly. “Something cool.”

Eleven glances back at your dad and then looks back at you before she walks away, leaving you and your dad alone.

“Hey,” he greets softly as he slides his backpack off his shoulders to hand it to you so you can fill it up with snacks and supplies for today’s mission. “How’s your day been?”

You avoid his gaze because you fear he’ll find out what you’re hiding and just nod to end this conversation as quickly as you can. “The same as any other day. No change.”

“No dreams?”

You shake your head, choosing to keep your nightmare a secret to avoid him probing and finding out. He’s good that way.

“Okay,” he breathes out as he realizes that you’re going to keep your conversation dry like before. “So. When are you thinking about coming back home?” He asks as he stops trying to be nice.

You sigh deeply and finally look away from what you’re doing to meet his gaze. “Do you trust me yet?” You ask, making him scoff and shake his head.

“It’s not about trust,” he argues. “What you’re doing is dangerous. Do you really expect me to be okay with you risking your life in that base? Would your mom want you to risk your life spying on the military?”

No.

“It doesn’t matter if she would or wouldn’t. I’d ask her to trust me and she would. She’d give me that grace. That’s all I'm asking from you, but you can’t do it. I’m not a little girl anymore. I can be useful and I can do things.”

He sighs. “Yeah, I know, but what you’re doing is not worth risking your life. We can find other ways to spy on them, you don’t need to put your life on the line to do it.”

You continue packing his stuff in his backpack while also taking out the trash he kept inside from his other mission. “And what would you have me do here? Sit and watch everyone do something to help? No, not when we need all the help we can get and you don’t understand that so no, I’m not going back home anytime soon. Besides…Doctor Kay has taken me under her wing. Tomorrow I’m going to go through the gate with her.”

Your dad gets closer as he’s riddled with disbelief. “You can’t be serious. You couldn’t have accepted.”

You step back and pull out the name badge she gave you to hand it to him so he can see your commitment. “That’s what my mom was called when she was in the military. Doctor Kay trusts me enough to pass me her mantle. I’m closer than ever before.”

“You’re closer to getting burnt,” your dad argues and closes the gap between you to grab your arm so you’ll face him. “Your mother wasn’t lying when she was in the military. You are. Your mother was…”

“Tougher?” You finish for him. “I know I’m not her. I am not half the woman she was, but I am strong. I’m smart. I can do this.”

Your dad nods. “Your mother was tough. She was a beast of a woman. It’s probably why we didn’t last, but you know what? She knew when she was in over her head and knew when to walk away.”

You take in his words and appreciate them, but it doesn’t stop you. “That may be so,” you rebut. “But if it were me in Eleven's shoes, she wouldn’t sit back. She’d go to hell and back for me and that’s what I’m doing for my sister, for you, and for everyone else that we love. Please get that because I’m tired of arguing with you about that same thing.”

You take your arm from his hold and just leave him to pack his own backpack.

In the time you have left before your dad, Steve, Mike, and Lucas leave to start the mission, you keep trying to reach Dustin since he doesn’t show up, but you get the same response as before, nothing. He doesn’t even show up just as they’re about to head out and it’s honestly concerning and all you can think about.

Well, you try not to think of what’s happening with you, and you’re giving Steve his space so all you do is worry about Dustin until it’s time for the boys to leave.

“Anything?” Mike asks as he sees you walking back to the center of the room.

“No.” You shake your head. “Nothing, I’ll keep trying while you're out though.”

“Thank you,” you hear your dad tell Will as he takes something from him after he and Joyce come out of the storage room where all the weapons are kept.

Your conversation didn’t end well, but you know better than to let him leave without saying anything. “Be careful,” you muster through your annoyance.

He pats your shoulder as he walks past you to grab the tracker from Jonathan, so while Robin tells Steve to check for the tracker's signal from the Squawk van, you fall next to Will and announce the problem that’s risen. It’s mainly aimed at him so he can take this chance, but you say it to the entire group around the table so you’re not suspicious.

“With Dustin gone Steve is going to need someone to monitor,” you say and glance around the table before you land on Will, seeing his eyes brighten as he sees that you’re directing your comment to him. “So keep that in mind.”

Will doesn’t say anything yet, nor does anyone else. “Hey,” Steve comes through the radio. “Anybody know how Henderson’s wheelie thing works?”

“Uh, any ideas?” Robin asks, making Will speak up.

“There’s a safety lock. Look for a small switch under the wheel.”

Robin nods and then sends the message back to Steve. “There should be a safety lock under the wheel.”

“Safety lock,” Steve repeats what he heard and then adds a sassy remark. “Real necessary.”

A couple of seconds pass before he reports back on the matter at hand. “Okay, getting a signal. It’s pretty quiet, though.”

You put your hand on your hip and wait until he finally reports back with good news, letting everyone who’s going to go out know that they have the green light to move out. “Okay, signals holding a steady 90 dB. But how exactly am I supposed to monitor this and drive without Henderson?”

You look over at Will and he looks over at you, making you offer him an encouraging look while your dad asks about the missing teenager.

“Uh, hear anything from Inspector Gadget?”

“No, nothing,” you let him know before you open the space for Will to take his opportunity. “But it’s not all lost. He’s not the only one who knows how to monitor.”

“Yeah,” Will interjects. “I can do it. I…I can monitor.”

“No, you’re staying here,” Joyce quickly turns him down without even debating it. Just as you thought she would.

“No, mom,” Will argues. “I helped Dustin set up the antenna. I know how to work it.”

“Out of the question. It…it’s just a wheel.”

“It’s not just a wheel.”

You step up after Will counters his mother and try to help him out. “I could go with him, Joyce. I don’t mind.”

Said woman parts her lips, but she doesn’t say anything. She seems to almost debate your offer until your father ruins your plans. “No, you can’t. You want to keep that fancy new position in the military, you can’t risk getting in trouble or being seen doing something suspicious. Stay here with your sister.”

He’s right and you knew that, but with that now out in the open Joyce would use that as an excuse so there is no use arguing back and forth.

“Jonathan,” Joyce brings up. “You…you can work it, right?”

Oh?

You glance over at said man with a growing teasing smile.

“Yeah,” Jonathan doesn’t fret to reassure his mom. “Yeah. I mean, I think so.”

“You better not think,” your dad presses him, and rightfully so. “You better know,” he continues. “You lose me out there, I’m not coming home.”

You watch Jonathan tense slightly before he assures them with more confidence. “I can handle it.”

A sense of understanding is shared after that and your dad is off with Joyce trailing behind him to walk him out all the way into the woods behind the radio station where a hatch leads into the tunnels that the demodogs made what feels like ages ago. They’re all abandoned and dried up now, but not useless, Eleven and your dad use them now to get around without being spotted.

Either way, you leave the building as well to bid Steve a farewell. Much like with your dad things with Steve are tense. Less so with him than with your dad, but still, life is cruel so you can’t let him leave without at least sharing a stiff goodbye. And with the same thought process in mind, Steve is already waiting for you with the driver's seat window open and his arm hanging over the door.

“Are you my lucky monitor?” He asks as you walk out alone.

“No,” you say and skip before you close the gap between you and the van. “I can’t, I got promoted today so I have to be extra careful,” you share, holding some tension, but sharing some of that pride nonetheless.

“Oh, did you?” He asks with genuine curiosity and need to know more, but if you got into that now he wouldn’t be able to leave, so you just respond with a hum and nod before you cradle the back of his neck and tell him what you need to say.

“Be careful, okay?”

There’s things left unsaid. Things you have to discuss tonight when you’re alone and in bed, but until then, he looks at you with a flicker of soft reassurance before he’s smug. “Always am. I love you,” he reassures you while also trying to figure out how you’re feeling after he just walked away without saying anything before.

If you said it back deadpanned and with a scowl, you were pissed. You have never not said it back or not said it first though, again, because life is cruel and you both know better, so if you didn’t say it he’d be super worried.

In this instant though, you respond with a soft smile. “I love you too.”

You aren’t mad. He knows that for sure now, so he can go on with this task without worrying too much over the matter.

“And Steve,” you say with a hint of amusement before you lean in and whisper in his ear as you hear approaching footsteps. “Be nice.”

You pull back and press a kiss on his cheek before you step away from the van, seeing Jonathan walk out of the radio station.

“I always am,” he retorts and shoots you a wink, making you shoot him a warning look before you step away, catching Lucas and Mike outside with their bikes and Eleven behind her boyfriend to see him off too.

Once they’re all gone, you wrap your arm around Eleven's shoulder to reassure her whilst you walk back inside to wait.

“Hey, so, Hopper,” Robin fills the silence while you wait for everyone to reach their places. “So what’s this about you getting a promotion? You’ve been awfully quiet today.”

To anyone who wasn’t you or Steve, they would assume that you keeping to yourself today was about what your dad announced, but that’s not what it was because no one knows…

“Yeah, Doctor Kay has chosen to take me under her wing.”

Robin nods and narrows her eyes as she probes. “And you didn’t think it would be a big deal?”

“Yes, that’s surprising,” Eleven agrees with her, making you share quick glances with them before you shrug and look away.

“Well…when I have people saying it’s not the big achievement it is, it makes it kind of hard,” you throw your dad's reaction under the bus so they wouldn’t press further, but Robin still has her eyes on you with suspicion.

“Uh-huh,” is all she says before Will cuts in.

“So what does this new promotion mean?”

You sigh. “Well, I’ll be able to know and report back more stuff, and I will, according to her, follow her into the Upside Down tomorrow to see what they have going on.”

“That’s very good.”

“That’s what nepotism gets you,” Robin bounces in after Nancy. “Your late mother probably never thought her past in the military would get her daughter so close and cozy with one of our enemies.”

“No, she wouldn’t have liked it either,” Joyce says, making you drift your gaze to her rebuttal.

“No, but Robin has a point. Thanks to her I’m closer to the General. I will be able to relay important information we would have never gotten our hands on before. Important information that could help all of us, but mainly Eleven. That’s what matters. That’s why it’s a good thing.”

Joyce doesn’t say anything, but you know that she thinks like your father. She’s just much kinder about it and not so verbally opposed.

“Well, I think it’s a good thing,” Nancy is the only one who gives you her support. “Just…keep your head up when you’re around all those men.”

You chuckle and nod. “Don’t worry. I got it handled. Actually,” you giggle. “My mom would say to tower over them and grab them by the balls. I plan to do just that. Not in the literal sense of course.”

Nancy smiles in admiration before Robin laughs. “God, I wish I could've met your mother, she always sounds so cool,” she says with a hint of longing as she walks over to sit on the couch.

You walk over to sit by her and offer her some consolation. “She would’ve liked you.”

“Really?” Robin asks with genuine curiosity. “You think so?”

You smile at her nod. “Oh, I know so.”

She smiles with pride whilst she drops her head on your shoulder, letting you move onto other matters.

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you today.”

Robin sighs deeply. “I’m sorry too, but there’s always tomorrow.”

You hum and nod. “And tomorrow you tell the truth as to why you have to reschedule so many dates?”

Robin lifts her head off your shoulder and looks at you with annoyance before she says the same bull as always. “It’s not easy, you know? It isn’t the same as when Steve told you.”

He showed you more than he told you, but you digress.

“And no one said it’d be the same or that it would be easy, but—”

Robin cuts you off with a groan before she mutters. “I know, I know. I can’t lie. I’m slowly building up to it, okay?”

You look at her with sympathy. “I just don’t want you to lose someone precious to you because you’re scared to say the truth. It’s okay to say it. I mean there’s no way of hiding things now, is there? If…they don’t understand then it’ll be easier to break things off before it gets harder.”

Robin picks up a pillow and hugs it against her for comfort. “I know,” she whispers.

You sigh and grab her shoulder before you try to comfort her too. “If they love you they won’t run away. Trust me. But I’m sure they will understand.”

Robin holds your gaze with a sense of reassurance washing over as she nods in comprehension.

Silence follows for a second before she has to probe. “Are you okay?”

You laugh nervously and question her. “What do you mean?”

She shrugs. “You just…have been distant today and I got eyes, you know? I see when I have to worry about my friends.”

You offer her a faint smile and reassure her quietly. “Nothing's wrong. We’re okay.”

Her gaze lingers on you before she nods completely unconvinced.

“Oh, and tell your boyfriend to stop having measuring contests with Jonathan. It was funny at first, but it’s painful to watch now,” she adds, making you feign a laugh.

“Trust me I know, but it’s easier said than done…maybe Nancy and I should threaten breaking up with them if they don’t stop,” you joke.

“I quite like the thought,” Robin agrees with a smile. “Maybe then we’ll know peace.”

You both laugh and then let the silence completely take over after, feeling the tension build and impatience seep in as you wait. It hasn’t gotten easier, waiting, but you’re better at it.

You can’t say the same for Joyce though. “Squawk to Crow’s Nest, anything? Over.”

“Negative, not a peep,” you hear Mike say through the radio from the tower that he and Lucas are hiding in to spy on the military for your dad so he can find a way into the trucks going into the Upside Down.

Thankfully to Joyce’s impatience, the wait isn’t long after Mike’s response. In fact, a couple of minutes later you hear him finally share that the mission is in motion. “We got action. Four trucks, outer east gate on Main.”

The hard part is getting in the truck. You can never sit still for that.

“Burn commencing in five,” Mike says after a couple more minutes of silence. “Four, three, two, and boom.”

You can’t be there to see it, but you’ve heard it being done so many times that you can picture it in your head; the way the burning fire escapes out of their weapons and makes the gate cry and screech in pain almost as if it were human when all it is nothing but hideous. You can see the ash swirling up into the night sky, and the smoke growing thick and turning the night darker. You can see an opening slowly growing big enough for the military to roll in.

“Trucks moving in,” Mike reports, making you stand from your seat and bite the inside of your cheek.

“East is clear,” you hear Mike let your dad know.

Now, you can’t hear your dad just yet, but you can hear the responses he’s being given, which paints a picture as to what he’s doing.

“Hold. We got a straggler.”

You rest your hands on your hips after Mike’s report and start pacing as you wait for the next update.

A couple of seconds almost feels eternal, but that’s all that passes before your dad is given the all clear for him to move toward the trucks.

It’s only when they report that your dad is in that you can breathe and sit back down. As far as being scared for his life, hell yeah you are, but you trust him to find a way out of any trouble. He made it out of Russia, he can make it out of the Upside Down.

Trust is that easy!

“He’s flipped,” Mike lets you all know of your dad's status, letting Jonathan and Steve now come into play.

“Jonathan, signal?” Joyce asks and you sit back down and wait since things on their end take more time and patience.

And you’re proven right when the response is silence for a couple of seconds before you finally hear Jonathan. “Snagged it.”

“Should I move?” You hear Steve in the background.

“No,” Jonarhan says. “Hold. Hold. Hold. Hold…Go!”

You sit forward and watch Nancy approach the projector while Joyce reports to Lucas and Mike.

“Van is on the move.”

From the station, on the projector, Nancy marks the path the station's van and the military trucks are taking using your dad's tracking signal. They move slowly, but so far there's no trouble.

“Hopper, can you hear us, okay?” Joyce directs at you dad, making you hold your breath again.

“Yeah, yeah, loud and clear,” your dad reassures you as you hear his voice, letting you breathe.

“Good, good. Okay, hard parts over,” Joyce says what you’re thinking.

“I mean speak for yourself,” your dad retorts. “I still gotta jump out of this thing. And is it me, or are we moving faster than normal?”

“A little faster. Just aim for the grass.”

Your dad laughs. “I was gonna aim for the asphalt, but now that you mention the grass—”

As you roll your eyes, you come to a sudden halt when your dad suddenly cuts off and you hear a big crash come through his side.

Another crash echoes and you catch the sound of distant screeching tires.

“What’s going on? Hopper?” Joyce demands to know what you’re all also wondering.

“Hopper, do you copy?”

You share a worried look with Eleven before you walk over to her.

“Hopper!”

“Yeah,” you hear your dad groan. “I copy.”

You exhale deeply, but can’t find comfort just yet.

“What the hell happened?” Joyce asks.

“I don’t know. We just slammed to a stop.”

Vecna?

“Wh…why would they stop?” Robin asks and Eleven fills the silence with her concern.

“The soldiers. They know he’s there.”

You shake your head.

“We don’t know that,” Nancy voices one of your thoughts before you share the rest of yours and also try to reassure Eleven.

“Nancy is right. Besides, if that were true. There wouldn’t be all that commotion. It has to be something else. Something they saw.”

Eleven holds your gaze with worry and fear.

“There are too many,” Eleven keeps expressing her worry as she starts pacing. “He can’t take them.”

“El, listen. It can’t be that. Dad would’ve said something if that was so.”

She shakes her head and parts her lips, but before she can express more doubt you hear the reason why the trucks stopped. A demogorgon is lurking by them. You hear it’s chittering through the radio so you run to it along with Nancy and Robin to listen closer.

If only you could see what’s going on. You want to know, and you can picture it, but in your mind it’s a blood bath that has no escape, so you try to steer away from your thoughts and listen instead.

That is until all the lights in the room start flickering like crazy while all you hear from your dad's end is shooting and the truck moving before there’s another crash and then Will falls on the floor with a loud thump at the same time.

“Will!” Joyce wails. “No!”

You all surround him on the ground and notice that his eyes are rolled back as he’s convulsing.

“Honey!” Joyce cries helplessly as there’s nothing she can do but shake him in hopes he’ll snap out of it. “Will! Will! Will!”

Nevertheless, the fuse box on the wall blows, sending out an explosion of sparks that makes you throw your arms around Eleven to shield her from the flying sparks as you also fall back.

When it stops sparking you, Joyce, and Eleven sit up again while Robin gets up, and Nancy goes to grab a flashlight while you still have to worry about Will in the dark.

“Will, Will,” Joyce calls out as she shakes her son. “Come back! Come on, hunny. Will, come back. Come back. Will, come on. Will! Will! Wake up!” She pleads as she grabs his face now as his head keeps twitching while his body is still.

“Will! Come back! Come back!” She begs desperately before she starts slapping him, making you flinch with each hit.

“Come back! Come back!”

Either in response or just because he snapped out of it himself, Will finally wakes up with a gasp and sits up with panic written all over his face.

“Will,” Joyce’s demeanor changes to soft and reassuring as she embraces her son. “Sweetie. It’s okay.”

“Mom!” He cries.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

You breathe out a deep and stressed breath before you stand up as Will is out of danger now.

“I’m here. I’m here,” Joyce reassures Will as he gasps for air. “It’s okay. Just breathe. Just breathe. What happened?”

It takes him a moment, but when he can muster his thoughts he mutters. “I saw it.”

You swallow thickly and narrow your gaze.

“What?” Joyce asks for all of you. “What did you see?”

“The demogorgon,” he whispers, sending chills down your spine. “It’s coming. It’s coming for them.”

You furrow your eyebrows and probe first this time. “For who? Who’s them? Steve and Jonathan?”

Will's eyes slowly drift to meet your gaze before he shakes his head and slowly turns to look at Nancy.

“The Wheeler’s,” he reveals and there’s a sense of relief that it’s not Steve or Jonathan before you’re filled with worry again for Nancy’s family.

She seems to feel it too before you see determination along with her worry and fear.

She doesn’t linger behind when her determination pumps through her blood. She storms to the weapons closet. You and Robin don’t say anything, but you immediately follow after Nancy, and Robin follows after you.

When Nancy walks out with a gun, you go in and pick up a machete and a rifle to hang them around your shoulders without hesitation.

“Nancy,” you call out after her as you follow her burning trail. “I’ll go with you. I’ll drive you.”

“You don’t have to,” she quickly reassures you over her shoulder.

“No, but I want to. It’ll be better if I drive you. You’re in no state to drive and you’ll need another gun.”

“I’m going too,” Eleven also volunteers herself, making you twirl around to face her as you walk backwards after Nancy.

“El.”

“I can help. Guns don’t hurt it and you only have one weapon that can cut it, but it won’t be enough. I can help,” she insists as she’s hot on your trail.

The right thing. The thing your dad would want would be to make her stay, but she is right about everything and you want to give her what your dad doesn't.

“Fine, but put your hoodie up and keep it on the entire ride there,” you let her know, earning a thankful smile before she shows determination too.

You flash her a proud smile before turning back around as you reach the stairs that lead to the door.

Once you’re out in the main room, Nancy gives Robin a command. “Robin, stay here. Contact Hopper, and the boys. Tell everyone what’s going on.”

“Right, right,” Robin agrees as she follows the three of you through the station.

“The power,” you mention. “Think you can get it back on?”

“I can try,” she offers.

“You do, you call my house,” Nancy throws out next. “And tell everyone to get the hell out of there.”

“Okay,” Robin breathes out and once you’re out the doors, she stops and watches the three of you stride to the car.

“Keys,” you tell Nancy and as you reach the driver's side she throws them for you to catch.

“I want you guys to hang on,” you warn Eleven and Nancy as you get the door open. “I’m going to get there as fast as I possibly can. Rules be damned.”

“Good,” Nancy mutters as she slides the gun off her shoulder to be able to sit down.

You take your machete and gun off too and hold her gaze with confidence and reassurance and your weapons in hand. “Ready?” You ask.

She clenches her jaw and nods with her gun in her hands. “Ready.”

A/N- Nancy team-up!!!

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