HOLDING ON TO FOREVER

☀︎

IN HAWKINS, DUSTIN HENDERSON AND LUCAS SINCLAIR WORKED THROUGH A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION TO ROPE IN AN ESSENTIAL MEMBER OF THE GROUP— ERICA SINCLAIR. Officers flooded the Wheeler's house in search of answers about the missing teens and the so-called night swim at Lover's Lake. Just below in the horrors of the Upside Down, the other five found themselves in an empty home, nothing but vines covering the walls and flooring of the place and somehow, it was the safest they had felt being where they stood.

Observing the dark and creepy aspect the Wheeler house now held, Robin felt an uneasy disgust as she maneuvered around the vines. "Might be time to get a maid, Wheeler."

Unamused, Nancy was cautious of her surroundings. What was supposed to be her home was overtaken by the nightmares that Vecna and all his monsters created in the Upside Down. Nevermore had she felt so uncomfortable in a place that was supposed to be a safety for her to escape to. Heading towards the stairs, she ushered the others to follow along. "Come on, I don't want to be here longer than we have to."

The group didn't object as they followed along after her. Sticking to the back of the group, Steve shinned his light toward the stairs until a whisper floated past. For a moment, he felt he was losing it, letting the horrors of this night truly grab hold of him. Yet then again, a faint and indistinguishable whisper of Dustin Henderson was heard once more. While the others headed straight to Nancy's room, Steve fell behind, hoping to catch Dustin's voice once more and signal for help.

In Nancy's room, the other four wasted no time retrieving what they came for. Heading toward her closet, Nancy snatched a shoebox straight off the shelf and placed it on her desk for Eddie and Robin to crowd around. Just as Steve, Alex grew distracted, looking over Nancy's room curiously. Examining the pictures pinned to her wall, she was left to wonder why Nancy would keep such old photos of the two up— pictures that she felt didn't encapsulate their friendship the way she believed they held on to.

The three of Eddie, Robin, and Nancy stuck together and dealt with the new mystery of finding the missing guns Nancy had lost in her room. Now replaced with pointy heels, their means of protection were taken away in a blink of an eye. Ignoring the confused questions Robin and Eddie threw her way, Nancy looked at the flashcards that sat on her desk. November 1983 she found herself making her way down the halls of Hawkins High with Barbara Holland and Alex Henderson on either side of her while she studied herself to perfection for a chemistry test. It was the same day Steve Harrington asked her to a party at his house.

Watching as Nancy frantically flipped through her cards, Robin spoke up. "I get that grades are important to you, but perhaps studying can wait till we get out of here?"

Setting the card down with a huff, Nancy shook her head in utter disbelief. "These are from sophomore chemistry." Looking at the walls in front of her, she felt off by how unfamiliar they grew to be. "And this... this wallpaper, this is old wallpaper." Turning over to Alex, she raced up to her side and took the picture from her hand with a laugh. Holding on tight to it, she couldn't believe it had survived after she distinctly remembered tearing it half. Showing Robin and Eddie the picture, she couldn't help but chuckle. It was an awkward photo of the two, each of them stiff and uncomfortably smiling at the camera. It was a time when they weren't sure if they were friends or if they had spent time with one another for Barb's sake. "And this picture, I hate this picture. I tore it up years ago!"

"Okay, wow," Alex mumbled as she took the picture back from her.

Unable to fight back the laugh, Nancy grabbed hold of her arm to fix the disappointment she let settle on Alex. "I hate it because look at us!" Pointing a finger down to the picture, she looked at Alex with a bright and enthusiastic grin. "I don't even recognize us, do you? We were so awkward and couldn't even touch each other. It's like we weren't even friends. I couldn't stand looking at it, so I replaced it with better ones." Still holding onto Alex's arm, she looked at her wall of pictures, and instantly, she could see how such important ones were missing. "Better ones that aren't even here."

Letting Alex go, Nancy started to feel a relief that she wasn't as crazy as she thought. She knew she had her guns, only in this world, she didn't. Years ago, there were pointy heels and awkward pictures, and now there were guns in a shoebox and pictures that she could never see herself throwing away. Directing a hand over to her mirror, she let out a sigh. "And this mirror, this went to a yard sale." Coming up to her bed, she picked up a stuffed animal that from the looks of the Upside Down, went through hell. "And you... you're not supposed to be here. No, I gave you to cousin Joanna two years ago." Throwing it back onto her bed, Nancy paused as she caught sight of a journal.

Making her way around her bed, she let the three pairs of eyes follow after her, watching as she had a realization of what was wrong. Cracking open the cover of her journal, she could already imagine the many entries she had written were lost in this world. Flipping through, she came to her last and final entry— November 6th, 1983 where she gushed about her blossoming relationship with Steve Harrington and how she managed to convince Barb and Alex that the relationship between the two didn't really mean anything, it was just for fun.

This world was frozen in time. Slamming her journal shut, she couldn't bring herself to read anymore. It was a person she wouldn't be able to recognize now. Turning to the three that began to hover over to her, she couldn't help but frown. "I think the reason that my guns aren't here is because they don't exist yet."

"They don't... exist?" Eddie questioned in confusion.

"This diary should be full of entries and it's not. The last entry is November 6th, 1983. The day Will went missing. The day the gate opened. We're in the past."

"So no guns meaning no way out," Alex said with a sad huff. "We're basically screwed."

"Basically," Nancy whispered. Holding onto the top of his head, Eddie turned away from the girls in complete shock, "Jesus Christ," he mumbled. "Those things will tear us apart and you're telling me we have nothing?"

Taking a seat at the end of the bed, Alex looked around in disbelief. They had nothing to protect themselves and no way to free themselves from this hell. That was until an idea settled in her mind. "Well, there's one idea I have but none of you would like it," she offered quietly, "Those things can't stand guard if they're busy taking me to Vecna, right?"

"Shut up, that's not happening," Nancy interrupted with a shake of her head. "How could you say that?"

"We can't hike all the way the Hawkins PD without being seen and we can't get to the gate because it's being guarded. I really don't see us having another option, but if we do, I'll be happy to take it."

"Then we'll find another option. We always do," Nancy stated forcefully. There was nothing in her that would allow something so awful to happen once again to Alex in this place. Even if now there was no way out, she wasn't leaving unless everyone else was.

The silence sat with them as eyes turned around the room, unsure where they could go from here. The hike here seemed to be a waste of time and no one else could come up with a plan to escape without sacrificing one of the group.

The only person who didn't see how bleak the plans were looking was Steve Harrington. Downstairs in the kitchen, he darted around in a panic, screaming for Dustin Henderson. Gaining the attention of the others unknowingly, he continued to call out to him while the others watched his panicked state.

Huddled together, the four stared at him, unsure what to make of his behavior. "Maybe he really does have rabies," Robin whispered, earning an agreeing nod from Alex.

Unable to sit and watch his descent into madness, Nancy stepped forward and spoke over his cries for Dustin. "Steve, what are you doing?"

Whipping around, Steve was wide-eyed. "He's here. Henderson. That little shit, he's here. He's like..." Breathless with every word, he approached the group. "He's in the walls or something. Just listen." Pausing, he held a hand to his ear until a smile broke out across his face. "Dustin," he whispered. Stepping back, he caught word of Dustin's muffled voice and found his excited panic settle in him once again as he began to scream out to him.

The other four stood in their spots, cautious that perhaps they lost Steve to some type of curse they couldn't understand. Then, like a whisper in the wind, Dustin Henderson spoke once more. "That brings us to the question you first raised," his voice echoed faintly. Now understanding the sheer panic and excitement in Steve's voice, the group filed out across the kitchen calling to the younger Henderson.

Marching his way around the table, Steve took a stand beside Alex and shinned his light to her. "All right, either your brother can't hear us or he's being a total douchebag."

Unable to listen to his words, Alex looked down at his flashlight as the gears turned in her head. When it came to the Upside Down, there was always communication through lights. Taking the flashlight from him, she clicked it on and off as she walked away. Dropping his hands down to his sides, Steve felt he should give up entirely on speaking to the Hendersons. Tonight seemed to be the night they both ignored him.

Making another lap around the table, Alex blocked Steve's path from walking around as she clicked the light at their feet. "Great, so you're losing your mind now too, huh?"

Furrowing her brows, she continued to click the flashlight as she turned her eyes up to Steve. "Dude, the light."

Slowly wrapping his hand around the flashlight, he gently removed it from her. "Yeah, that's a flashlight."

"I know that obviously," she scoffed. Holding her hands out, she turned her eyes around the kitchen. They were the key, figuring it out, however, was another story. Just as she once clicked the flashlight on and off, it was as if something clicked on in her brain. "Lights! Ha, the lights!"

Coming up beside Steve, Eddie narrowed his eyes at Alex clicking on the lights around the kitchen, only to come up short and be left to darkness still. Whether it had been lamps or switches on the wall, she happily tried to turn them on and off. "So, like, she's lost it, right?"

"One hundred percent," Steve said quietly only in such a close and silent space, Alex caught his every word. Standing up tall, she sent each of them a glare. "I'm not crazy. The lights!"

"Yeah, yeah, the lights, you said that," Eddie said mockingly.

"Shut up, you don't get it," she snapped as she faced the two. "Will talked through the lights. It's how he talked to Joyce, why she knew he was still alive. Through the Christmas lights, the lamps..." Voice trailing off, Alex felt her glare start to soften as she spotted the light above them. "The lights," she whispered. Making her way up to them, she ignored the teasing comments about her burst of insanity as she broke between them.

Looking up at the chandelier, Alex hesitantly stuck her hand out toward this stunning orange glow that encompassed the lights. It was the only bit of life this world held on to. Haunting, yet beautiful.

"Whoa, you sure you should touch that?" Eddie asked cautiously. When she placed her hand into the glow, he gave a simple roll of his eyes. "Or just, you know, ignore me."

"It doesn't hurt," she whispered. Pulling her eyes off the glow, she looked at those gathered around her and felt her smile grow. "We can talk to them through the lights."

Sticking her hand out next, Nancy ran her fingers through the glow and felt the warmth inside. It felt like she was home, and not the house that felt frozen in time, lost in an alternate dimension. It felt like her true home, it felt like every happy memory she could ever experience. It was a moment she wanted to hold on to forever.

Seeing the bright smile come to Nancy's face at the touch of the glow, the others grew compelled to do the very same. This light gave them every ounce of hope to find a way out. Because it allowed them to feel every bit of warmth and comfort some of their happiest memories gave them.

For Robin, it felt the very same as the moment she shared her deepest secret with Steve and Alex, how accepting they were, no hesitation or judgement, and how she felt their friendship become everlasting. Nancy felt the flutter of her heart the moment that Jonathan Byers first kissed her, magical and undying. Eddie Munson grinned at the pure feeling of friendship that he felt when he met that kid in a Weird Al shirt and curly hair— Dustin Henderson.

Steve could only imagine the same light that wrapped around himself and Alex Henderson from Billy Hargrove's car Max stole the night the demodogs attacked. After escaping certain death in underground tunnels full of monsters, they were finally able to admit to each other the love they felt for one another that could never fade away.

And Alex Henderson felt the same happiness she felt after months of feeling empty and cold inside. How Lucas Sinclair wrapped his arms around her, swaying her from side to side in pure joy that she attended his basketball game, hearing his laugh against her, how Robin Buckley held her hand and filled her ears with rambling words she found endearing as she shared her darkest feelings with her, with no judgement and only kind words spoken. When Eddie Munson forced her against him, walking through this hellish world as he told her that he wholeheartedly believed that she deserved happiness. At the table where Max Mayfield held her hand and the two were able to find one another once again in such dark times. Or when Nancy Wheeler followed her into the halls late night at Hawkins High and held Alex in her arms, promising her that she was always there, never to let any monster from any world ever take her away. Dustin Henderson, sitting in the back of the car where they would know forever and always that they needed each other. Their bond unbreakable. And finally every moment in between with Steve Harrington. Being able to hold him in her arms, feel his touch against her once more. How they could easily admit the love they had for one another never faded, always forever.

It was easy to feel those moments fade away as their hands fell from the glow, welcoming back the cruel dark world of the Upside Down. Suddenly it was as if every bit of warmth was ripped out from them and replaced with darkness, just as Vecna would want. Holding the tips of her fingers nervously, Nancy felt empty inside. "Does anyone know Morse code?"

Unlike she expected, there was a collective response of no. However, Eddie didn't seem his abilities would stem as far as Nancy Wheeler would expect. In fact, he felt it could be seen as useless. "Wait, does SOS count?" When all eyes turned to him, he felt uneasy and uncertain of his question. "Is that... is that good?"

"It's perfect," Nancy beamed. Stepping back, she gave him more room. "SOS, right into the light. That way, if we're lucky, they'll see."

Hesitant, Eddie was slightly anxious he could mess it up despite knowing perfectly how to get the message across. Feeling the weight of the world sit on his shoulder, he relayed a message to the other end, hoping someone would take sight of it.

It didn't take much for Erica Sinclair to see the spookiness in her surroundings. Now filled in on Vecna and the opened gate in Lover's Lake, she had an eye out for the unusual. It's how she planned to survive it all, spot what was wrong, and head in the other direction. Once she spotted the strange message coming from the lights, Dustin Henderson took charge of constructing a plan to listen to the group from the other side.

『••☀︎••』

IT WAS AN ANXIOUS WAIT AS THE GROUP GATHERED AROUND NANCY WHEELER'S BEDROOM AS THEY WATCHED HER BED FOR A NEW GLOW TO FORM. Dustin Henderson's plan to communicate with them involved a brand new and creative way of reaching them and a wrestle for a Lite Brite from Holly Wheeler.

Standing at the doorway of Nancy's room, Alex felt her stomach turn as she let her hands slap against her sides. Her eyes traveled around those that sat around. When a particular person paid her no attention, Alex placed her hands behind her back as she shyly cleared her throat. "I have to go to the bathroom," she said quietly. When all eyes began to turn over to her, she gave an embarrassed smile. "This place sorta gives me the creeps and I don't really want to be alone..."

Hearing that, both Robin and Nancy didn't hesitate as they rose to their feet. Though she appreciated their kindness, Alex diverted her eyes over to the person she really wanted to have a moment with. "Steve?"

Pointing to his chest, he looked surprised to hear she wanted him to accompany her. Nodding her head, she saw from the corner of her eyes as Robin and Nancy slowly sunk back into their spots. Seeing that he was the one she truly wanted over the company of the girls, Steve scrambled to his feet and with quick movements, tried to get over to her, only to end up tripping over Eddie Munson stretching out his legs when he took a seat upon the floor.

Recollecting himself, Steve straightened out the denim vest as he tried to hide his embarrassment from his excitement to follow her. Coming to her side, he placed a hand on her back as they exited the room, leaving the rest to silence. Heading right to the bathroom down the hall, she opened the door and ushered him in before shutting it behind him. Taking a look at the space before him, he immediately grew disgusted and concerned by her decision, "You sure you can't hold it?"

"You actually believed I wanted to go to the bathroom in this place? Gross," she scoffed. Picking a dirty towel from the sink, Alex leaned forward and attempted to clean off the mirror the best she could. After becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the progress of cleaning it off, she barely saw a clear view of herself and Steve in the reflection.

"You said bathroom," he mumbled under his breath. Thinking it through, he looked over at her hesitantly. "Did you wanna... in here? Right now?" Beginning to slip off his vest, Alex quickly stopped him with a laugh. "No, keep your clothes on. What is wrong with you?"

Licking his lips in embarrassment, he looked around. "Then, uh, why are we here?"

Holding up a pair of scissors between them, she gently tapped the end onto his chest, "Can you cut my hair?" As he questionably took the scissors for her, she turned back around with a forced smile. It was such a simple act to hopefully protect herself, but if it hadn't worked, she feared she'd be stuck with an awful haircut from a place just as bad. "I need it short like Robin and Nancy's. You know, that way I can hopefully not draw in too much attention of those bats. Nancy thinks that after Eddie saved me last time, they'll be a bit more aggressive with it, you know? Maybe this'll help confuse them long enough for us to kill them if... if they attack, of course."

"Sure, sure," he agreed. "But you want me doing this?" He hadn't seen himself as much help and a part of him didn't trust himself to give her the kind of haircut she was expecting.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I also wanted to talk to you." Meeting his eyes in the mirror, she felt her chest tighten. "It's stupid, but... I was thinking... what if something happens to me?"

Taking a strand of hair in her hands, he hid well behind a mask of confidence how broken he felt hearing her say such a thing. "Nothings gonna happen to you, Alex."

"I know," she laughed nervously. Of course there was always that fear she wouldn't make it, that everything could go wrong and it would all be over. Tonight, feeling that warmth, she felt that holding onto that kind of comfort was the best feeling she's had. "But if it did, there's so many things that I want to say... I need to say... and I figured there's plenty I need to say to you specifically."

Steve's lips began to turn down as he listened. Yet he held on to that distraction of cutting her hair at her shoulders, he hoped that maybe her words wouldn't hurt him so badly if he let himself be busy. However, that was never her intention to hurt him. Knowing what she planned to say, she couldn't help but smile as she watched him in the reflection of the mirror. "You know, I used to be deathly afraid of the future. After all this shit, I sort of figured soon enough I won't have to worry about the future because...  I wouldn't have one. And... and I was talking to Max and I sort of realized I do want a future." Pausing, she sucked in a deep breath of air before admitting the truth. "With you most importantly."

Cutting off another strand of hair, he stopped himself from continuing as he realized this wasn't meant to be a painful conversation. This was filled with hope and it all began with them. "With me?"

"Yeah," she nodded happily. "And I really hope this doesn't scare you off but..." feeling herself laugh, she knew it sounded ridiculous, "You've seen me at my absolute worst so I really hope this isn't the one thing to make you run." Holding her breath for a moment, she felt that even in this darkened bathroom with little hope of fleeing this place, there was a new glow that this time didn't come from the lights. "Considering everything going on, I've had some time to think. And for some odd reason, I sort of love thinking about us."

"Very odd," he commented with a smile. "Us? Give me a break, Henderson."

"I know, I know," she chuckled with a playful roll of her eyes. "And I'm not talking tomorrow or a week from now, but I'm talking years from now. I-I don't know how you'd feel about it, I just sort of figured one day we'd finally get that chance at being happy, you know? We can finally leave Hawkins, hopefully steal Robin away with us, and..." Swallowing hard, Alex tried to allow herself to share how she really felt, how important a future meant to her. "And we can get married, maybe have kids... eventually. Not any time soon of course. It probably sounds stupid, but to me, it sounds perfect. And you know, hopefully, after all of this, it'll just be us. No more Vecna or Mind Flayer or anything that'll get into my head to stop us from being together. Eddie said I should let myself be happy for once and... and this makes me happy. You do."

Brushing the final bits of hair off her shoulder, he couldn't bring himself to look at her in the mirror. All he wanted was to see her perfectly through his own eyes and not a clouded reflection. "Doesn't sound impossible to me," he said softly.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Alex touched the ends of her hair with a light laugh. "It's so short. Not too bad, Harrington." Despite being choppy and uneven, to know he had done it for her when she needed him the most, it was nothing but perfect in her eyes.

Brushing his hand down her hair, the corners of his lips turned up, seeing that sliver of hope for the two because she believed in it. Taking his hand, he gently touched under her chin and brought her over to face him. He had his own set of dreams, things he saw as unrealistic and too full of hope and now they seemed just a reach away. Admitting that to her now felt that it would be seen as insincere and another part of him was embarrassed that holding onto that hope, it would never come to him. That everything would fall apart when he felt his happiest. However, he could admit how he felt for her just in that moment in such a simple, yet heart-fluttering way. "I love you," he said in a whisper. Giving her no option to say it back, he put his lips to hers and closed his eyes the second they touched. For that moment, he could see everything each of them dreamed for their future. Only now it wasn't a dream, but a goal.

As he started to pull back, her arms wrapped around his neck, intertwining her fingers as she pulled him back to her and his hands fell onto her waist. Leaning back against the nearest wall, they stayed connected, forgetting the world around them just for that moment to be with one another. A world of horrors stood outside their bubble and none of that had mattered when they were together. They could take away each other's pain and now, they made a promise to forever keep— to never run again, fulfill their dreams, and never love another as much as they could love each other.

Breaking apart their lips, Alex's forehead rested against his, breathing out a laugh as her eyes closed once more. Eddie Munson said, let Alex Henderson be happy, and all of that came so easily when she had Steve because Steve Harrington was just that— her happiness. This time around she wasn't afraid to keep falling for him— he was safety, he was a light in the darkness, and he was home to her. Everything she needed to break free from the hell in her mind.

Letting her arms slip down, she let her hands settle on his cheeks as she brought him nose to nose with her. "I love you, Steve Harrington. It's embarrassing, actually."

"Sort of the worst decision you could've made," he whispered. Stepping back, he let her hands fall down from him and a moment of emptiness hit him. "I hate to say it, but we should probably get back otherwise they're gonna start talking about us."

Nodding in agreement, Alex slipped out from between him and the wall as she opened the bathroom door. "Oh, for sure. I can guarantee Robin immediately started the second we left." Letting him out the door first, she trailed after with a small laugh of amusement. "And I bet Eddie won't even recognize the haircut."

"Ha, he can't be that oblivious, can he?" Steve questioned, making a reach for the bedroom doorknob. Making a quick, split-second move, Alex gave him a peck on the cheek, savoring their last moments together before they faced reality once more.

Feeling himself blushing as he pushed open the door, Steve pursed his lips together into a tight smile as all eyes turned to the door in worry. To see it was only them, Eddie Munson shook his head in disbelief. "Jesus, guys, Dustin's gotta almost be done here and we're not waiting for you two to finish going at each other." Feeling the back of Nancy's hand hit against his arm, Eddie flinched as turned to her with wide eyes. "What? Buckley said the same thing and you didn't go hitting her."

"I-I never said that," Robin said defensively as she rose to her feet next. However, as she turned her eyes to the pair, ready to ramble off an explanation for what Eddie had claimed, she paused, slowly raising her finger, a devious smile coming to her face. "Did Steve cut your hair?"

Gently touching the ends of her hair, Alex started to feel embarrassed as she glanced back at Steve. "Uh, yeah. I thought it would be a decent idea to sort of stay under cover from the monsters here. Figured with Robin's shirt on now and this... it's not much. Kinda stupid."

Coming forward, Nancy brushed a hand through Alex's hair with a smile. "I think it's adorable. A little choppy, but that's a guarantee considering Steve did it." Letting her hand drop back down to her side, she shook her head with a small smile. "Not stupid at all."

"All right, I did the best I could and Alex liked it," Steve mumbled, slipping his hand out of hers as he made his way toward Eddie. Setting his hands on his hips, he let out a frustrated sigh, "These shitheads ever finish? Don't they know we're in this hellhole?"

"They're almost done," Nancy assured as she pulled Alex toward the bed. "I'm sure it was a battle trying to get the Lite Brite from Holly."

Getting to her knees, Nancy pulled Alex down with her while the others soon gathered around. Any moment they knew Dustin, Lucas, and Erica would create a glow in their world, setting up the most perfect way to communicate. Holding their breaths, they watched her bed, anticipating the monumental moment of reaching the other side.

Lighting up their faces, that orange glow spread out in front of them. Taking a shaky hand, Nancy placed it into that glow, feeling her warmth hold onto her once more. As she danced her hand around the glow, Dustin, Lucas, and Erica's laughter erupted in a wonderful echo to know they had done it.

"We're not moving it, but we're gonna unplug it. Stand by," Dustin instructed. Taking her hand out of the glow, it only took a moment before the glow faded away. Growing anxious, Nancy looked to the others, unsure what they could say, in the simplest way possible, to get the help they needed. Biting her bottom lip, she made the executive decision as she traced her finger through the empty space, creating a reemergence of the orange glow, lighting up the Lite Brite on the other end. Sending them a message, she kept it short, fresh, and sweet enough to let them know it could only be them— HI.

Once more, Dustin's laughter echoed around them. "That worked!"

Cheering to themselves that they got their win, the group laughed, clapping their hands together to know they had done it. "Okay, um..." Nancy recollected herself as she traced into the glow again— STUCK.

"They're stuck in the Upside Down," Lucas' voice echoed as he spoke to Dustin. Nodding in agreement, Dustin asked a question to confuse the others. "Uh, you can't get back through Watergate?"

"What the hells Watergate?" Steve questioned suspiciously.

"Cause it's in water and it's a gate," Robin explained in slight annoyance. It was a fun way for Dustin, but sort of unneeded in her eyes being trapped on the other side of it.

"Oh, that's cute," Steve whispered as they all focused back on the glow.

Thinking to herself, Nancy spoke out loud. "No, uh, it's..." sighing, she drew her final word into the glow— GUARDED.

"Uh, okay, Watergate's guarded," Dustin spoke to them. "We think we have a theory that can help with that!"

Giving in to Dustin's constant antics, Robin had to give him props. It was always him that managed to have the most brilliant ideas that would save them. "Genius child," she whispered.

"We think Watergate isn't the only gate! That there's a gate at every murder sight!"

Holding onto her bed, Nancy turned her head over her shoulder as she looked at the others. "Does anybody understand what he's talking about?" Exchanging confused glances with one another, none of the five were able to understand what Dustin's logic was all about.

Sending back a simple question mark, they awaited an easier explanation, but in return were only given sass from Dustin. "Okay, seriously? How many times do I have to be right on the money before you trust me?"

Resting her head on Nancy, Alex closed her eyes at the frustration in her brother. "He's such an ass," she mumbled.

"Jesus Christ, this kid needs to get his ego checked," Steve scoffed. Jumping in on the action, Eddie leaned forward for a better look at Steve and grinned. "It's his tone, right?"

"I know," he agreed in a single breath.

Holding her hands up, Nancy put a halt to the complaints about Dustin Henderson. "So how far is your trailer?"

"Seven miles," Eddie shared.

Scooting closer, Robin gave a gentle tap on Nancy's arm. "Uh, I know your house here is, like, weirdly, creepily frozen in time and shit, but haven't you always had bikes?"

"The boys were all here that night," Alex said, lifting her head up. When the gate had opened back in 1983, the four boys gathered around in the basement, laughing and yelling as they shared their last moments of innocence. Just before Vecna stole their childhood out from under them. "All their bikes are here then," she explained. "That's four."

"Mine should still be here," Nancy whispered, a smile emerging. All it took was seven miles for either end to reach the trailer— the trailer where they would be reunited, free from the hidden world and its never-ending nightmares. After the two groups shared their quick thinking thoughts to one another, it hadn't been long before they all zipped through the empty streets, seven miles to Eddie Munson's trailer.

On top of a single flickering streetlight above the teens, a single bat caught sight of the arrival of the group. Unable to attack on its own without risking its life, it let out a screech that awoke something inside of a monster within. Unamused with the fleeing group, Vecna found himself trekking up the attic stairs, ready to pay a visit.

Unaware of the horrors that haunted them, the group rode through the streets. Keeping an eye on the sky, they were met with the sound of chitters of hungry bats flooding the skies, only they didn't attack.

Giving a worried smile, Nancy looked over to Alex, "I don't think they realize it's you."

"Morons," Alex mumbled with a small laugh. Entering the trailer park, there was a relief that swept over the group, knowing they made it to their way home with no obstacle left in their way to keep them here any longer than they wanted.

Zipping up to Eddie's trailer, it didn't take any longer to drop their bikes and make a beeline inside. Breathless from the ride, they wasted no time heading in to where Dustin was sure there had been a gate for them to escape.

Filing into Eddie's trailer, the group was astounded to see that Dustin Henderson once again managed to be their greatest savior. Leading them to their way back home, the road ahead seemed smooth sailing. Torn and beaten up, they looked at the break in the earth above them, and never once did the view of a gate look so refreshing.

The red glow of the gate gave the room an eerie ambiance and no reason for a means of light. Clicking off his flashlight, Steve shook his head in complete disbelief. "Goddamn."

Swallowing hard, Eddie felt a wave of sadness wash over him. "This is where Chrissy died. Like, right where she died," he whispered. Stepping closer, Alex looked at the strange movement on the other side. On the other end was supposed to be a means of safety and there was no one that should have been there besides the kids. Nervous that there could be another threat waiting for its moment to attack, Robin reached out and pulled Alex back towards her. "I think there's something in there."

The layer between this world and home began to stretch, threatening to burst open by something on the other end. Staying close, the group watched and waited before the gate burst open. The thick layer broke apart, dripping an unknown substance around their feet as a stick tore it open even further.

Breathing heavily at the sudden scare, the group slowly emerged from their hidden spot from the view of the gate. Collectively, a breath of fresh air hit them to see above them, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Erica hovered over them. Split between worlds, each group saw the others upside down and a burst of laughter broke out among them to be reunited once more. Greeting each other happily, Robin turned her eyes off of the kids and looked at Alex with a soft expression. "Holy shit, this is trippy."

Grabbing ahold of her arm, a glowing smile broke out across Alex's face. "Insanely bonkers," she whispered. Both their eyes turned back to the gate and Dustin extended his arms out, amazed with even himself. "Bada bada boom!"

"Get us the hell out of here, man," Steve called up with a smile. Had it not been for Dustin Henderson, they would be aimlessly traveling and planning, searching for a way back home. Now, this was the safest they had ever felt. It was astonishing to be so close to home.

Raising a finger to put them on hold, Dustin worked his gears in his brain. Disappearing from the view of the others above, he spoke quickly as he passed out instructions to those he was with. Gathering up sheets and blankets from around the trailer, Dustin began to tie, unsure if his plan would work, but it was worth the try. Looking to give them a safe place to land, Lucas and Max headed back to Eddie's room for his mattress.

Watching from above, the group held their breaths awaiting their freedom from the Upside Down. The first to break the silence was Eddie Munson when he took notice of his mattress they would all have to land on. "Those stains are, uh... I don't know that those stains are," he admitted quietly.

Groaning, Robin scrunched up her face in disgust, hoping that whatever the stains were, they were dry and unable to rub off onto her. Still, nothing could take away from the pure joy she held on to being so close to leaving the Upside Down. As she stated before, Dustin was a genius child, without him, none of them would make it as far as they ever did. Without Dustin Henderson, the world would crumble apart into darkness.

Coming back into view, Dustin held onto a bundle of sheets he roped together with full faith that he could once again save this group from the terrors they kept finding themselves in. "Not quite sure how these physics are gonna work. But, uh, here goes nothing." With a single throw into the air, his rope-like structure hurdled through the gate and fell right into the other side. Rather than slip fall back to him, the rope had stayed held up on the other side as it poured down from the ceiling.

Giving it a tug, Dustin could already feel his heart racing to know it already felt so secure. With the final test, he loosened his grip and allowed his hands to pull away from the rope. Staying in place with nothing to hold to, it gave pull on either end, defying the odds, and stayed put.

Giving it a pull from their end, Robin used her whole weight to pull it down and ensure them that this rope could take them climbing up it. More than ready to get out, Robin's hands stayed on the rope as she looked at the others with an anxious grin. "Guess I'm the guinea pig." With a grunt, she pulled herself up through the gate, just to be turned all the way upside down and fall from the ceiling on the other end. It was magical. The air was fresh and the world was lit. Being away from this world, she grew to appreciate how freeing it felt to live there.

Eager to follow after, Eddie Munson gave it a go at his own turn. Just as Robin had fallen through the other end, Eddie crash landed on his bed with a soft grunt. Amazed to finally feel the real world again, his smile broke out when he sat up, accepting a helping hand up from those around him.

Chuckling, Steve and Alex looked over to Nancy next. At first, her smile faltered. She wanted out, but to leave anyone behind didn't sit right with her. It was always easy for anyone to want to run and escape, but she found a sense of purpose to be there for those she cared about. Nancy Wheeler grew into a fighter and letting others fall behind no longer sat right with her. It was all of them or none of them. This time she had to let go, she had to allow herself to leave and hope that tonight, no danger would come to any of them.

"See you on the other side," Steve smiled.

Feeling an easiness let up on her shoulders, she knew leaving them to each other was the right move. No matter what, they would protect each other if anything had gone wrong and they'd find their way back to her. They always did. "On the other side," she whispered.

Leaning over, Alex grabbed the rope for her as Steve placed a hand on her shoulder to guide her toward the opening of the gate. When Nancy made no movement to go next, Steve glanced over to her as she stood so very still before them. Lost to this world, Nancy's eyes escaped this reality while her mind fell right into Vecnas hold. "Nancy?" He questioned.

Turning over, Alex went to see how she could convince Nancy to help herself first, unaware she had lost her so easily. The safety of her friend was the most important to her, far more important than she ever viewed herself. Catching sight of Nancy lost in a trance, Alex let the rope slip from her hands, "Nance?"

Finding himself in a hauntingly similar situation, Steve began to shake Nancy, begging for her to wake. Just like Max Mayfield, he planned to stay there and protect her in any way he could. "Nancy! Come on! Stay with us!"

Beginning to reach out, Alex started to extend her hand to grab Nancy just the same as Steve. Even if it couldn't make a difference, she wanted to be there for Nancy all the same. As her shaky hand reached for her, a collective yelling above her made her come to a complete stop of pure fear. Looking up at the gate, she felt a sense of shame and panic wash over her to see most had held out their hands as they all demanded her to stop.

Stepping onto the mattress, Max held a hand out carefully in a warning. "You touch her, you send her straight to him. You touch Nancy, you could kill her."

Taking her eyes off of Max, Alex watched Nancy standing before her-- no way of help, no way of returning back to her. With glossy, tearful eyes and a quivering voice, Alex called out her name, knowing there was nothing she could do to be a comfort to Nancy. She could only keep her distance, watching as Steve held onto Nancy and the others were able to help in search of music to free her. Their panicked screams filled her ears as they searched for a way to free her, while Alex could only stand and watch, waiting as she feared the inevitable death of her friend. Those minutes that passed were truly agonizing, filled with warm tears that poured down her cheeks and quivering breaths of air that broke free.

Inside of her mind, Nancy came face to face with the man that forced her to become this fighter. The man behind the reason she would go against the world to protect those around her, even if it cost her everything. And now she was deemed as nothing more than a messenger of Vecna's plans. After Alex failed to relay the true warning he had in store for all those prepared to go against him, he reached for another in Nancy. To show where he was going, he had no choice but the pity the life of Nancy Wheeler despite his obsessive need to end her suffer just as he did the others. Though he very much enjoyed the tease of hanging Nancy's life over their heads, listening to the pure panic and fear each and everyone one of them held onto, he bathed in their suffering, knowing that soon enough he could free them from it when he broke open the world.

There was a weakness in Nancy's legs when color filled her eyes once again, only they returned empty and terrified of seeing the future of their world. Unable to find the strength to stand, she crumbled to the ground in time for Steve to catch her in his arms. Setting her down gently to the floor to regain herself, he cared for her, reassuring her she was with them.

Finally allowing herself to breathe, Alex let her tears spill over her cheeks as she fell to her knees beside Nancy. With a shaky breath, she hesitantly extended a hand out for Nancy's. Had she been wrong to touch her so soon after waking, she could easily hurt her friend just as the others told her.

Alex hung her head to feel Nancy's hold in her hands only and escape the world around her. It was so simple, so sweet because her friend had returned so soon after being whisked away to the darkest ends of her mind only for her to face the same horrors only seconds after.

A once strong grip on her hand that brought Nancy that comfort of home, had soon grown limp, lifeless to the world around them. Looking away from Steve's warm brown eyes, Nancy's lip quivered to see Alex's gloss over left to Vecna's grasp. Whispering her name through the fallen tears, Nancy gave her hand a squeeze, wishing it had only been a ghost of her haunting nightmares. But this was no ghost, this was a man set on claiming what was forever meant to be his.