"Hey." Bradley looked into the room. After the soccer field, they two of them came back to his house while the group went to talk to Eddie at the lake house. Peter seemed like he didn't want to talk much, locking himself in Bradley's personal home gym. His back was to a set of weights, hidden out in the dark. He let him have his time before not being able to take it anymore. "Feel like a tea?"

Peter looked up as he held the mug out to him, taking it in his hands. The warmth was painfully comforting, apart of him was tempted to pour the entire thing over his body to get a sense of safety. Bradley sat across from him, his back to the bench as they both had their knees pulled up. "You wanna tell me what's on your mind?"

Peters eyes casted down as he took a little breath. "I just wish El were here."

"I know." Bradley wanted to understand what he felt but couldn't. "She will be, you just have to give her a little time before she saves us."

"It's not just that." when Peter looked up, Bradley started into a watery shade of brown now. "I need her. After....all that, I just really need her."

Bradley nodded. "Can I tell you something?"

Peter hurried to wipe his face, not wanting to cry infront of him. He nodded his head as Bradley was quiet a moment, Peter thought he needed to say it out loud. "You can tell me."

"There are people in your life that you need, no matter what. You say you don't, that you can handle it on your own, but they manage to comfort you in ways that nothing you ever do for yourself will." he stared at him as Peter let it soak in. "It's hard when you can't be with them when you feel that way, but the only way you can help that feeling is by reminding yourself that you have memories of them. It's not the same, but it's something. Remember your time with them, it can give you a little form of comfort until you get to see her again."

Peter stared at the tea, he shut his eyes as he thought about her. Their more recent memories playing a bigger role in his head. The Byers house, the skating rink before things went bad, the diner before she was gone. He opened his eyes. "I just wish I could have a way of knowing, you know? I know she's strong, the strongest person i've ever known, but I just want to know for sure that she's okay."

"You'd know if she wasn't." Bradley said to him. "If El truly does mean that much to you, if she is the only person that brings you comfort and who you think about the most, you'll know. I can't explain it, and maybe i'm superstitious, but there's something that'll tell you if she wasn't okay."

Peter had to stare at him. "Do you have someone like that?"

"I do." he nodded. "I think everyone does, or they will at least, before they leave this world."

Peter sniffled a moment as he breathed heavy. "I sometimes thinking about getting really old, or like, if El and I don't work out and we break up. And apart of me feels like i'd still love her. Like, even if I had another girlfriend, or boyfriend, or whatever. Or if I was really old with wrinkles...i'd still always think about her."

"That's what happened when you're young and in love." Bradley gave a gentle chuckle in his direction. "A lot of adults like to say that it fades over time, that you have more then one true love. But, I don't think that's true."

"You don't?" he asked, feeling a faint rattle in his chest like he needed to cough, but didn't.

"I think you can love other people, you can fall in love with someone different every single day. But, there will be one person that sticks more then others. Someone that crosses your mind and you get the urge to want to see them, know how they're doing, and a little part of you starts to picture what it would be like if you guys were the two together." Bradley was the one to look away from Peter now. "And if you're with someone new you're overcome with the worst guilt, because no one deserves that. But, it's not like you can help it."

"That's deep." Peter admitted, getting a dry laugh from Bradley. "Didn't take you for the in love type."

"Yeah, i'm not." he shook his head. "I guess, that's apart of the problem. We all have our fears, Peter."

"Yours is to love?" he frowned his eyebrows.

"Not to love, to feel loved." Bradley corrected him with a little inhale. "I don't know why, we're suppose to want that feeling. But, it scared to hell out of me. It makes me feel like I need to try really hard, put on some big act to make sure they never have to feel like they'll loose me somehow. Because if they love me, i'll hurt them somehow, and I don't want anyone to feel that way."

Peter hesitated. "Well, what if I love you?"

Bradley gave him an odd look. "You do?"

"I just...you remind me of someone I want to be more like. It's like, you're there for me even with the smallest things. And-and even if I do something so stupid or so terrible, you never make me feel that way. You just say 'you'll do better next time' and all these nice things that I thought were fake at first." Peter rambled on just slightly. "And I love my brother, and I love my mom, and I love my uncle, and Steve, and all my friends....but they've never made me feel so...so appreciated for just existing like you do."

Bradley gave him a sad smile. "I think you're the coolest little dude i've ever known, Peter. I don't want anything bad to ever happen to you, ever since you smacked your head on that goal, I just wanted to protect you. When I was a freshman, I lost my Dad, my Mom got to working a lot more, and I wanted someone. I never got it."

Peter eyed him. "How did you know I needed that?"

He shook his head. "Apart of me just felt it with you. You reminded me so much of myself back then. And now, how close we are, I feel better too. I haven't since I was your age, and now i've got you."

"Is it stupid to say I feel like you and my loony uncle are the only father figured I have?" Peter asked him with a faint laugh.

"I don't think that's stupid at all." he cracked him a little grin.

"Peter!" Dustin's voiced yelled over the walkie. "Hey, Peter! Bradley?"

"We're here." Peter reached for it.

"Okay, change of plans, we're meeting at Skull Rock." Dustin ranted from the other line. "Do you know it?"

"I know it." Bradley nodded when he saw Peters look of confusion. "Ask if they found Eddie."

"What about Eddie?" Peter asked.

"I just told you, that's where we're meeting!" Dustin called. "Sorry, didn't mean to yell. I love you, but we're in a rush and I know you're trying to recover, but we need you right now."

Peter shut his eyes with a small smile. "I need you guys too."

"Be quick!" Dustin yelled before it was quiet again.

"You've really never been to skull rock?" Bradley asked as he stood up.

"Never." Peter shook his head.

"Hey." Wesley walked over to Will, who was sitting on top of one of the cars while Mike and Jonathan continued to bury Harmons body and Argyle got high in the van. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah." Will moved over to let him get up there with him. "I guess i'm just thinking about everything."

"About El?" he asked.

"Yeah." Will looked over at him. "Are you worried about Peter?"

"Beyond." Wesley rolled his eyes. "He managed to get himself into the deepest shit."

"Yeah, but he's good at being good." Will explained with an odd look. "If that makes sense."

"You and Jonathan seem like you're still pretty close." Wesley looked over with a small nod. "You said on the phone you drifted."

"He spends a lot of time with Argyle now." Will explained honestly. "I guess I get it though. He wants to spend time with his friend."

"Friends. Plural." the older Clarke pretended to smoke a joint, earning a laugh from Will. "California people seem like they kinda suck though. You still have friends back in Hawkins."

"You and Mike really got close? Even after him and Peter pretty much planned each other's murders last year?" he looked over in shock.

Wesley shrugged. "You gotta find your people. They don't just come easy to me."

"What do you mean?" Will gave a questionable look.

"It's just...more difficult now then it was last year." Wesley explained honestly. "Last year, I was just Wesley. Wesley from band, and that was it. And I was cool with that."

"And you're not Wesley from band anymore?" the Byers boy tilted his head in confusion.

"Nope." he inhaled. "Now i'm just Peter Clarkes older brother. The best freshman on the teams brother. Peters brother. Just the burnt out older sibling that no one bothers to take a look at because the youngest is just so much better."

"That's not true." Will frowned his eyebrows. "I mean, you're so much more then that."

"Not to Hawkins." he pointed out. "I mean it's not his fault but having Peter as a brother is so difficult, Will. He's my best friend, and I wouldn't trade him for anything, but it's so hard now. He's done so much this year, with his life, with his future. And i'm just there, watching and feeling like....i'm not good enough for any of this."

"But you and Peter are two completely different people." Will pointed out, leaning on his hands. "You like different things, you act differently. Just because you're not drowning in a ice bath or friends with a bunch of guys that aren't even that cool doesn't mean you're not good enough. It just means you're different. Different isn't bad. Jonathan taught me that."

Wesley looked over. "Why's it feel like i'm such a loser then?"

"Why? Because you're in band and you don't spend your weekends drinking cheap alcohol, talking about girls, and having a disgusting amount of sweat ruining your skin?" Wills words made Wesley give a loud laugh. "I'm serious!"

"I can tell." he said through a laugh. "Sweating is pretty gross."

"The worst." he agreed. "You have your thing, Peter has his. Whoever decided one is better then the other clearly has never met you. Because I think you're the coolest person i've ever met."

Wesley eyes softened as he looked over at him. "For real?"

"For real." Will confirmed, flushing in the face.

"Guys!" Mike yelled, holding a pen in the air. "We have a number!"

Peter and Bradley met up with the group in the middle of the woods, walking up to Max and Lucas as they smiled at him. "Were the two of you taking about me?"

"Yeah, sorta." Lucas nodded as he walked between the pair. "Get ahold of Wesley?"

"Lines still out." he shook his head. "Mike?"

"Nothing." Max confirmed. "Feeling any better?"

"My ankle is killing me." Peter huffed as he pulled on his jeans to show the bandaged up ankle. "Stupid Vecna."

"Stupid Vecna." Max agreed.

"Stupid Vecna." Lucas nodded, tossing and arm around the both of them.

Robin looked over at Bradley. "You doing okay over there?"

"What?" he looked over.

"You look a little on edge." she shrugged. "You're not having symptoms, right?"

"No." he forced a small laugh. "I guess i'm just worried."

"About Peter?" Robin frowned her eyebrows.

"About Peter, about Max. Everyone." he shrugged, looking around. "I mean, at lead the police didn't find Eddie."

Robin gave a questionable look. "So, you're scared to see your childhood best friend?"

"I see him everyday." he rolled his eyes.

"But do you talk everyday?" Robin rose an eyebrow, getting silence. "I doubt he'll have much to say with what's going on."

"You clearly don't know him well." Bradley gave a single laugh, walking down the hill together.

"Doesn't make sense." Dustin stared at Skull Rock in disbelief.

"Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you in the face, you can't admit it." Steve rolled his eyes, grinning in success. "You just can't admit that you're wrong, you little butthead."

"Do my eyes deceice me-" Eddie's voice rung as he jumped from the rock, making them all look back. "-or is that Hawkins one and only Soccer Caption?"

Bradley inhaled as he turned to him. "Thought you were dead meat."

"Can't say I am." Eddie gave a half grin. "When do you roll with a bunch of freaks and geeks?"

"Since apparently you're wanted for murder." Bradley tilted his head up a little, Eddie mimicked his actions, only a little higher.

"Jesus, we thought you were a goner." Dustin rushed forward to hug him tightly.

"Yeah, me too, man." Eddie hugged him back. Steve squeezed the back of Peters neck slightly, dipping past his headphones.

Eddie looked at Bradley one more time. "Guess I have some explaining to do?"

"Yeah, well.." he inhaled and pretended to be more focused on his shoes. "-you were always better at that then I was."

Peter rose an eyebrow.

A few minutes later, Eddie explained to the group what happened with Jason and Patrick out in Lovers Lake. Peter opened another beer up for him, passing it his way. "When I got to the shire, I tried calling you guys, but, uh-"

He took a long sip. "-my walkie was busted, man. Drenched. So, uh, I did the thing that I do now, apparently. I ran."

"Do you know what time this was? The attack?" Nancy asked him with a small nod.

"Yeah, no, I...I know exactly what time it was." Eddie pulled the watch off his wrist, Bradley pushed off the rock as Eddie turned his head to meet his eye. "My walkie wasn't the only thing that got soaked."

He tossed it to Bradley as he caught it with one hand, looking down. "9:27"

"Same time our flashlights went kablooey." Robin confirmed.

"Exactly two hours before Peters attack." Nancy looked over at the younger boy.

"Which means what, exactly?" Steve looked to her.

"That that surge of energy was Vecna attacking Patrick." Nancy said in return. "Remember when the radio went crazy when we were looking for Peter? That was right when Vecna got him."

"So electricity is our element of surprise?" Peter crossed his arms in the blue jumper.

"Well, we're one step closer." Robin agreed with him.

"We know the signs if we're close enough." Bradley pointed out.

"We know how Vecna attacks." Robin agreed.

"And where be attacks from." Lucas nodded his head.

"So now we just need to sneak into his lair into the Upside Down and drag a stake through his heart." Max inhaled as she dug her elbow into Peters side slightly.

"I volunteer to take on that burden." Peter gave a tight lipped smile. "Save you guys of that feeling."

"Mm, okay." Eddie nodded.

"If he even has a heart." Robin had to point out.

"A stake? Is he like a vamp? Is he a vampire?" Steve gapped.

"No, he's like a skinless old man." Peter explained. "And a stalker. Like, straight up. He says he's been watching me."

"Who isn't watching you these days, Little Clarke?" Eddie tilted his head up at him.

"Wait." Bradley gave a look. "Eddie has a point."

"I do?" he gave an odd look.

"Yes." he gapped at him. "We know that the victims were seeing Miss Kelley, because of trauma. But, Patrick wasn't. I know he wasn't, we had every class together."

"So there's no way he got the time to see her." Lucas agreed with him. "Because we had practice after school, and he was always there."

"Exactly." Bradley confirmed.

"What are you saying here, Maureen?" Eddie gave him an odd look.

"I'm saying that maybe Vecna has some help." he pointed out with a head tilt. "Yeah, he gets into peoples heads, but how does he know everything when there's been so many victims if there's only one Vecna."

"Are you saying you think Vecna has spies?" Nancy gave him a questionable look.

"I'm saying it would make sense and we shouldn't put it paste him." he corrected.

Eddie gave a single, dry laugh. "There he is."

Bradley turned his head in his direction. Peter shook his head. "Like who?"

"Like someone who clearly doesn't want the two of us around." Max look up at him.

"A bullet should work on him, right?" Eddie nodded from where he sat.

"Maybe so." Max looked with a nod.

"I say we chop his head off." Lucas rose his eyebrows.

"Choke him with his stupid vine helpers." Peter rolled his eyes.

"All of the above, but we can't do any of that till we find a way into the Upside Down." Nancy agreed with all of them

"We need El to get her powers back." Max huffed loudly.

"And to get back here." Peter huffed with her.

"Everything was like way easier." Steve nodded, looking to Eddie. "We had this girl, Peters girlfriend who he stole from Nancy's brother. She had superpowers."

"You stole her from Nancy's brother?" Bradley laughed in Peters direction.

"No-" he started.

"He definitely did." Lucas nodded.

"I didn't! They were broken up, I just worked a little charm and bam!" he smacked his hands together. "Happy little love story."

"The happiest." Max nodded sarcastically.

"Hey. Uh, Henderson's not, uh, cursed, is he?" Eddie cleared his throat, making them all turn to a pacing Dustin.

"Curse? No, no. He's fine." Steve shook his head. "Mental? Absolutely."

"Boom!" Dustin yelled as loud as he could.

"What have you involved me in?" Bradley whispered to Peter.

"Blame Max. She involved me this summer." he whispered back.

"Bada...bada...boom." he pointed a finger as he wiggled their way. "I was right. Skull Rock was north."

"Seriously? You're serious?" Steve asked him in disbelief. "This is Skull Rock! Okay? You're totally, absolutely. 100% wrong. Right now."

"Yes." Dustin leaned in. "And no."

"Oh my god." Steve tossed his hands up.

"You've lost me, Dustin." Peter shook his head at him.

"This compass worked correctly when we left the Wheelers." Dustin went on to explain to each of them. "It was correct when we got in the car on Curly. But it started to slip the further ease we went. Now it's way off. When I was leading us here, I wasn't wrong. The compass was."

"So you're using faulty equipment. You're still wrong." Steve said back with a point.

"It isn't faulty." Dustin held the compass up. "Lucas, do you remember what can affect a compass?"

"An electromagnetic field." Lucas confirmed.

"Yep." Dustin nodded.

"I'm sorry. I must've skipped that class." Robin gave an odd look. "Hello? Mr.Clarke? Any help?"

"What makes you think i'd know what he's talking about?" Peter gave her an odd look.

"Ugh, probably because your uncle is a genius." she explained.

"Mm, you see-" he gave a side point. "-all those genes went to my dear big brother, not I."

"In the presence of a stringent electromagnetic field, the needle will deflect toward that power." Dustin pointed as he explained. "So either there's some super big magnet around here, or there's a gate near by."

"But we're nowhere near the lab." Nancy stared at him.

"A gate that we don't know about." Dustin tilted his head. "It has to be smaller. Way less powerful."

"Snack-size gate." Robin nodded.

"How? Why?" Steve shook his head in disbelief.

"No idea. All so know is that something is causing this disturbance, and the last time we've seen anything like it, it was a gate." Dustin nodded toward Lucas. "And I hope it is because when we'd have a way to Vecna. And a shot at freeing Max and Peter from this curse."

"Yeah!" Peter cheered, looping his arm with Max's. "Vecna's love children are in."

"That we are." Max confirmed with a loud sigh.

"Where you going?" Steve called. "Hey, hey, hey, hey! Eddie's still a wanted man. We can't just go for a hike in the woods."

"This little steel capsule might be the key to saving Max, Peter, and Eddie." Dustin held the compass up. "What say you, Eddie the Banished?"

Bradley looked back at Eddie, his eyes flickered to his for a moment. Eddie exhaled as he hung his head. "I say you're asking me to follow you into Mordor, which, if i'm totally straight with you, I think is a really bad idea. But, uh, the Shire...the Shire is burning."

Dustin jumped up and down as Eddie stood up. "So, Mordor it is."

"Here." Bradley held Eddie's watch out to him as the group began to leave. "Maybe you can put it in rice when you aren't wanted for murder."

Eddie glanced at it. "You bought it."

"Still yours." he shoved it forward some. "Go on then."

Eddie took it from his hand.

"Somethings happening." Dustin ran full speed through the woods.

"Dustin? Can you slow down? Dustin?" Eddie called, close behind him.

"I think we're getting close!" Dustin yelled.

"Dustin, I can't see very good in the dark!" Peter called as Nancy grabbed his arm and pulled him.

Eddie caught Dustin before he could fall into the lake. "Watch your step, big guy."

"Woah, that was eventful." Peter took a deep breath when he was finally in the moon light, looking to Nancy. "Oh, I thought you were Eddie."

"It's the hair." Max confirmed.

"Definitely." he agreed.

"Oh, man." Steve huffed. "You gotta be shitting me."

"Yeah." Eddie agreed. "I thought these woods were familiar."

"Lovers Lake." Robin nodded.

"Which seems anything but lovely right now." Bradley gave a weary look.

"This is confounding." Dustin said in aw.

"There's a gate in Lovers Lake?" Max frowned her eyebrows.

"Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening." Nancy looked to the group. "Maybe Vecna's the same way."

"So, are we going swimming?" Peter gave an odd look. "Because i'm not totally okay with fishes."

"I have a better idea, Little Clarke." Eddie flashed him a smile, going to the shed to take out the boat. Steve and Eddie dropped it into the water. "Easy. I said easy."

"Sorry, dude." Eddie huffed.

"Why do I need to go?" Peter frowned his eyebrows as Eddie held his hand out to him.

"Haven't you been there before?" he gave a questionable look.

"No, I was in a red soup." Peter exclaimed.

"I'm not going unless you go." Bradley looked over at him.

"And we kinda need his brain." Eddie pointed out. "Just incase."

Peter huffed, taking Steve's hand. "You owe me. You SO owe me."

"Protect him." Max nodded to Bradley.

"Always." he promised, latching onto Eddie's shoulders rather then Steve's hand as he got in. "Thanks, Fonzie."

"Who's Fozie?" Peter whispered to Nancy.

"From Happy Days." she said back. "That 70s tv show?"

"Yeah, i'm just gonna do that." Robin held Steve's head as she stepped into the boat.

Dustin went to get in next as Eddie held a hand out. "Hey, hey, hey, you trying to sink us? This thing holds five people tops, okay?"

"Peters arms likely weigh as much as I do." Dustin spoke.

"Damn." Peter faced him. "I get bodyshamed for having noodle arms and now i'm body shamed for not having noodle arms?"

"El likes your arms." Max pointed out.

"Keep an eye out for trouble." Nancy  looked to Dustin.

"You keep an eye out." he argued with her. "It's my goddamn theory."

"You heard Nanc." Robin gave him a knowing look

"Who put her in charge?" Dustin asked in disbelief.

"I did." Robin gave a faint smile.

"If you see me fall out of the boat, make sure to call the fish off." Peter gave Dustin a small salute. "I hate fishes."

"What happened with these fishes?" Eddie frowned his eyebrows.

"You don't wanna know." Lucas said confidently.

"You really don't." Bradley agreed. "Soccer thing."

"Athlete thing." Lucas corrected.

"More like athlete trauma." Peter corrected.

"Compass." Nancy held her hand out to Dustin as he huffed and gave it to her.

"Hey, there you go." Steve tossed the bag to Dustin, hoping on the boat after giving it a push.

"You said five!" Dustin yelled in annoyance.

"He's my cousin." Steve motioned to Peter.

"This is the worst idea ever." Max braced herself.

"Bed time at nine, kiddos." Robin called back to the trio.

"So, why's Wesley not with you?" Eddie got seated infront of Peter and Nancy.

"California." he shrugged. "With his..his William."

"Woah. Woah, woah, woah." Nancy spoke quickly. "Slow down. Slow down, guys."

They all looked down at her compass, watching it spin out. Peter gaped. "Mind blowing."

"Guys, what's going on?" Dustin spoke from the walkie. "Come on, guys. Talk to me. What's going on?"

"Uh, Dustin, your compass has gone from wanky with a capital ahhh." Robin explained as she took the walkie.

"Steve, what are you doing?" Nancy looked over as he removed his shoes.

"Someone's gotta go down there and check this thing out." he explained. "Unless one of you five can top being a Hawkins High swim co-caption, and a certified life guard for three years, then it's gotta be me."

"What about the fishes?" Peter gave him a look. "They'll eat ya'. "

"Okay, now I have to know what happened with these fishes." Eddie spoke up, looking to Bradley. Only, he was a bit distracted by gapped at Steve, who pulled his shirt over his head and threw it back. Nancy had nearly the same reaction.

Peter looked down his shirt with a sigh of relief. "Not genetic."

"Hey." Eddie held the flashlight wrapped in a bag up to him. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Steve took it.

"Bye." Peter looked up at him as Steve held his head a little moment.

"Gross." Robin pulled the cigarette from Eddie's mouth.

"Steve." Nancy spoke up, Bradley cleared his throat and looked away from Steve. "Be carful."

He smiled to her, diving off the side of the boat. Eddie smacked Bradley in the knee. "So, fishes?"

"So, Peter got athletes foot real bad." Bradley exclaimed as the Clarke boy gave him a look of disbelief. "And I got him a bag of Garra rufa fish that you're supposed to soak your feet in because they remove bacteria. Well, turns out I didn't get Garra Rufa, I got Chin-Chin's-"

"Which grow teeth and are aggressive." Peter cut in.

"So, you can imagine how that went down when he put his feet in the fish bath." Bradley cleared his throat.

"That is terrible!" Robin explained in disbelief. "Why would you make that poor baby do that?"

"I thought I was helping." he held his hands up.

"You tell 'em about how that big ass gar almost got you when you flew off the rope swing?" Eddie hummed toward him, leaning back on the deck.

"A gar?" Peter gapped with wide, innocent eyes. "That is so scary."

"Oh, it was terrifying." he agreed. "And, I was only thirteen."

The water splashed as Steve swam up, tossing his hair out of his face, they all yelled out in panic. "I found it."

"You found it?" Nancy smiled.

"I found it." he confirmed, swimming their way.

"Dustin, you're a god damn Einstein." Robin spoke over the walkie.

"How does it look?" Peter blinked.

"Pretty wild." Steve panted. "It's more of a snack-sized gate then the mama gate, but still, it's pretty damn big."

He was yanked under immediately after.

"Steve!" Peter yelled out in a panic, hoping over the side immediately to go after him.

"Wait, wait. Bradley, Brad, Bradley , B-" Eddie started to try and stop him, but he followed Peter down.

•

kylie speaks

ouu, long chapy. look at this
bc i was sobbing over it last
night