Digging My Own Grave

Now you may be asking how the hell Steve 'the hair' Harrington was in front of Barbara Hollands house digging a hole with her body 3 feet away. the only three words he could think of was Nancy fucking Wheeler, the breaker of hearts, the most beautiful girl in Hawkins history, his fucking ex-girlfriend. He also happened to be trapped in an alternate dimension that has beasts that break all the rules he caught in biology class about how animals worked.

"well Barb I'm sure your loving this! King Steve in the muck with only you to keep him company."

that's right I'm talking to a dead body, it's not like I have much else to do, other than dig this grave. he had reached about 2 feet so far he suspected this would last for 2 more hours or he starts fading from the blood loss and just start burying her.

"sorry... sorry I couldn't a pick better spot, I forgot where your grave is 'up' there? anyway it was this or the library and I didnt like the idea of breaking through concrete."

"oh! I can tell you about Robin you probably knew her, she was in band with you, and nerds tend to flock together. Anyway shes still a chaotic mess, fun to be around, anxious in any conversation with someone she doesn't know. You'd probably find it funny that she turned me down, you seemed like the person who liked irony."

"met, your parents by the way, nice people, bit boring and superstitious, but good people, they hired a conspiracy theorist nutjob to look into your death. They never stopped believing in you, never gave up, maybe one day they'll see this nice grave I made you, but hopefully not, I wouldn't wish this place on my worst enemy."

"knowing Nancy shes blaming herself for me being trapped here, she did the same with you, and knowing Jonathan he probably ran across the country in record time just to be there for her. I genuinely have no clue how to deal with them being together, or even just Jonathan, he's a good enough dude, but I cant stop hating him at the same time."

"There's this kid, friends with Mike Wheeler, his names Dustin Henderson, smart as whip, I have no idea why he looks up to me of all people. We have little if anything in common other than these fucked up situations we get caught in. Anyway he is the first real friend I've ever had, it makes me a little envious of what you Nancy had all those years. I didn't have the basic idea what she was going through when she lost you, getting lost in the woods looking for that little shit with Jonathan Byers seems sensible at that point."

"since I don't see you telling anyone I guess I might as well tell someone, I actually got into a good college, surprisingly enough. I applied hoping to be able to go with Nancy after delaying for a year, then Nancy broke up with me, and my dad used to ride the bench for Notre Dame. He always called it a school for undesirables, he wouldn't have paid for me to go there. I deferred for a year to see if I could gather enough cash for it. All of the journalists in Hawkins apparently dreamed of going there, Nancy never said if she preferred one over another. I thought it would be good, since Northwestern is only one state over she could drive back for thanksgiving, christmas, and Holly's birthdays, she wouldn't want to not be a part of her life."

"so then, Robin had figured out what the code said, but it made no sense, the nerds figured it was a code, and they had no clue what it meant. I was fixated on the music in the background, I knew I had heard it recently, and when we were walking out of the mall right before closed I saw the Indiana flyer. It was the music that it played, while it wasnt the one I saw in the mall, in the recording they found one in the secret Russian base I told you 'bout, they were apparently tampering with it. Anyway after that we found out that the music was from the flyer we knew it had to be in the mall, it was the only place in town that would need one."

"so I guess this is where I get to say my goodbyes, since your ears will be covered in dirt soon, cant hear me can you."

that's when I feel someone or something watching me.

____________________________________________________________________________________

"we can't just leave him there!"

"Nancy we can't just open another gate."

"if he didn't break free of those vines Max and Eddie would have died and Henry would have won."

"We know that Nancy, but we don't know if that won't bring the same effect as Vecna winning."

"You don't know if it will have the same effect, and anyway Vecna is close to dead, I doubt if he is ready for a round 2." Dustin interjected

"we dont know anything, and going in blind could get us all killed. Steve knew what he was doing, he knew the risks"

"...really, Johnathon, the sad bit is if you were the one trapped he would be trying to save you."

"I highly doubt that."

"oh, I'm sure you HIGHly doubt that."

Eleven was off to the side watching this all unfold in front of all of them. She was mostly worried about max who was still in a coma and had a broken arm, she had felt Max dying so she used her powers to keep her heart beating until the paramedics came. She had a short conversation with Max where she told her that she needed time alone, maybe she should ask Max what she thought she should do. She didn't know Steve too well but he was always nice to her, and she knew Mike didnt like him, but Max liked him, even if that was a secret they had. she got plenty of rest on the ride here, and now she understood her powers better, but 001 scared her, she was so easily beaten. She makes a decision, and quietly breaks the awkward conversation between the 2 former love birds.

"maybe I can just see what hes doing without a gate to see if I can."

most of the group verbally agrees with eleven, but Mike looks worried, Jonathon looks defeated, and Nancy thanks her.

They used the Wheelers' kiddy pool as a sensory deprivation chamber in the garage Lucas, Erica, and Will went to distract the Wheelers, while they went to contact Steve.

"----in dirt soon, cant hear me can you."

she then saw him looking around looking really tired and now scared.

"I see him"

"what's happening?" Nancy sounding a little worried

"He looks scared, there isn't anything dangerous though."

"where is he?" sounds like dustin

"I dont know there is a house, a pile of dirt and a body."

"body?" Jonathan "body!" Argyle

"whose body?" Mike, she liked Mikes' voice

"I don't know"

"what's the number on the house?" Nancy

"2301"

"Barb!" Nancy, she thinks, it sounded different.

"he's burying her" Dustin

"I think we can call it." Mike

"yeah" Nancy sounding normal again.

she is getting out of the pool when Johnathon speaks up.

"this doesn't change anything opening a gate is dangerous"

a new boy she doesn't know speaks up "yeah you mentioned that, we know where he is for the short amount of time so we do it now, or not at all. I think we can leave it up to Jean grey to decide, shes the only one who can help him."

"I agree it's up to El" Mike (helpfully doing jack shit).

"I, I would like to help." if I want to be Mike's superhero again, I should try

"great, who's driving?" The guy with big hair asked

Nancy who was already on her way to the car with Dustin"I will, I know where she lives"

"shouldn't we grab will and lucas?" Argyle said surprisingly

"I'll grab them" not looking happy per say, but going along with it.

when everyone packed into nancys' 'wagon' she peeled of going far more above the speed limit. She liked it more than when Argyle drove.

it took 2 minutes to get the house, it looked like the new owners weren't home but a neighbor was out smoking, but ignoring them.

They piled out into yard and then she felt them all looking at her and started think back to that time in the courtyard, where they were all laughing at her. Then she starting thinking about that time at the roller rink where they would those hand gestures. That's when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned around "Mike" she whispered.

"we aren't judging you El, we are your family, we all believe in you. You. Can. Do. This." giving her a reassuring smile, her returning with smile of her own.

she refocused now thinking about her new family, but mostly of Mike.

____________________________________________________________________________________

After getting out of his hiding spot, he decided to finish his job as fast as possible, and start going on the run. Right when he reached the body he heard a sound completely unlike anything hes heard, it's hard to explain. when he looked over thinking this new thing would be his doom, he saw gate forming, much like he opposite of it closing in on him in the munson trailer. He looks at Barb and back to the gate he quickly picked up her shockingly still intact body and ran like hell to the gate. he jumped through almost comically so, when he got that first breath of fresh spring air he didnt realize almost bumping heads with Mike Wheeler. Feeling arms catch him, looks towards his holder, and saw Eddie Munson of all people.

"I hope you aren't expecting a kiss munson"

this gets a lot of laughs and eases the tension, but el is still looking at the gate trying to close it, completely unaware of a government car pulling up behind them. As she finishes closing it she collapses, luckily into mike waiting arms, her favorite spot she decreed.

"oh hello Mrs.Byers!" Argyle is the first to notice Mrs.Byers

this gets everyone's attention as they see mrs.Byers running towards Will, and Murray by a car with tinted windows and a door open. which is when they all see Jim Hopper step out, back in his hometown, and immediately look for El, and when he sees her a big ol' stupid smile is stuck to his face. Mike let's go, and El runs to her dad. It's a whole big stupid happy moment for all really.

Over by where the gate used to be, a passed out steve was lying on the ground(luckily he doesn't have a concussion this time so it should be all good).

Saying Nancy was a mess is an understatement, she was crying nonstop over her friends dead body. Dustin, Eddie and Robin were checking on Steve, while Lucas, Erica, and Jonathan were standing nearby not knowing what do.

Jonathon slowly stepped towards Nancy getting down on the ground and placing a hand on her shoulder. She looks over and quickly wraps him in a hug, Jonathon

can't help himself from smiling a bit. When a lot of the crying is over a lady in a 3-piece suit has called in a team to take the body away and with the help of Eddie, Lucas and Hopper put steve into her back seat, and was going to drive to the hospital. She didnt look happy to have blood on her seats, but she knew it was inevitable, when Lucas asking to ride with her, she gave a shrug of acknowledgment.

After some surgery, the doctors said Steve would be up and about in a little over a week. They put Max and Steve in the same room at the behest of agent Stinson. At night Steve would talk to Max very much like he talked to Barb, Max took this time to sleep, to not have to deal with Steve Harringtons stupid ass problems.

in the waiting room everyone looks worse for ware.

"so did you meet any eskimos, up in Alaska?"asked Argyle

"I still have no idea who you are."Murray responded

"oh how rude of me, I'm Argyle."Argyle says like that explains everything.

Murray takes a heavy sigh, and walks away.