Chapter Text
"Do you—" Robin tries to ask as they lie on the bed, but Nancy stops to tilt her head up to kiss Robin's freckles again, like they were her own personal stars in the sky. "—Think that we're rushing into this…"
"Robin…we're not going to have sex in this guys apartment if that's where you think this is going," Nancy says as she runs her hand, pushing Robin's choppy bangs to the side, and plants a kiss on Robin's neck.
"I know that," Robin pulls away before pressing her forehead against Nancy's shoulder. "I also know that we've known each other for what, three days now?"
"Do you want to stop?" Nancy says, playing with Robin's thighs that are straddling her.
"Not really, this is really good, don't get me wrong!" Robin says, waving her hands between them to make a point, "I just don't want you to regret this."
" I don't. Regret this," Nancy says honestly, "If it had to be with anyone, it'd be with you."
"Now I know you're trying to get in my pants," Robin says jokingly. Robin knows, deep down, that she's a placeholder, just as much as Nancy denied it.
"Eventually," Nancy says, reaching for Robin's hand. Then wiggles the ring off her finger and drops it onto Robin's palm. "Here, add it to your collection."
"I'll trade ya'," Robin says with a goofy smile, as she took off the silver band on her right hand and put it on Nancy's index finger. "There, it'll be a little loose, but tada!"
"You are such a romantic," Nancy says through her laughs, as she spins the ring.
"I try," Robin says, leaning in for another kiss, savoring the taste of Nancy's lip balm.
"So how was the sofa?" Murray asks as he pours himself a cup.
"Fine, it was fine," Robin says as she takes a bite of the eggs. She was always an over-easy kind of girl. "Hurt my neck a bit, actually."
"I'm sure," Murray says teasingly as he takes a bite and waves his fork towards his neck. "You got a little something here."
Robin chokes on the beef hash and turns her head to the side to avoid blushing even harder in front of them both.
Nancy takes a sip to cover her smile. Smug fucker.
"Oops," Murray says as he drops his scrambled eggs off his fork back onto his plate.
Somebody kill her now.
"I love you too, Mom. Bye," Nancy says into the phone as she paces the room, right before hanging up.
Nancy offers the phone to Robin again, who shakes her head. She can't imagine El back at the house while her parents are still out. Even if they got back early, it's not like they'd even pick up.
"She told me that Mike's at Will's house, they just had a sleepover, so…" Nancy says as she places the phone back down on the counter. "Are you sure you don't want to call?"
"She's probably with them, it's fine," Robin says with a fake smile, picking her coat off the back of the dining chair.
"Do you want to stop by and check?"
"Nah, I'll just be cramping her style, " Robin says as she shuffles her coat on, yet she can't bury the feeling of dread that is creating a pit in her stomach. "They're fine."
"You assholes," Joyce shouts at the guard, who has his knee on El's back, pinning her arms with so much force that if he pressed even an inch more, it would pop her arm out of its socket.
Joyce tries to shake the guards, yelling at her to calm down, which makes her turn to Dr. Owens, "You promised. You promised you wouldn't do anything to her."
"We would, we will. We need her cooperation with a couple of things. She's been in the Upside Down for god knows how long. We thought she was decommissioned," Owen tries, but turns to argue with Joyce. "I really wish you hadn't brought her."
"Sorry, next time my son starts seizing in a field, I'll just let him lie there, I'll just let my fucking son die in those…those tunnels while we wait for your data," Joyce spits with a fervor that makes Hopper startle, too.
Jonathan pulls away from the commotion to look back and forth, watching as they drag a sedated Will away on a stretcher, contemplating whether he should follow Will or help El.
"We're just going to clean her up, and get a brain scan, see if the symptoms are the same," Dr. Owen tries to say, then points at Jonathan and Hopper, "And get you two in quarantine."
"We all just need to calm down," Bob tries, playing peacemaker, with rabid adults, children who are having the worst days of their short lives, and doctors who know nothing.
Utter. Fucking. Chaos.
"Piece of shit, let her go," Mike shouts, ducking past and throwing himself at the soldier on top of El, slamming his fists against the officer's helmet.
"Little shit," The officer says, who thwacks Mike in the jaw, making him crumple to the ground. El cries out, a scared child, yet one snaps the soldiers' necks as she tries to reach out for Mike.
"Fucking asshole," Jonathan says, taking a step forward shakily, and can only watch as a nurse slips past to stick a needle in El's arm. He feels powerless, as the adults fight with the doctors, El's crumpling form, blood dripping out of her ears. The cries of Will echo through the halls, cries that Jonathan hasn't heard since he was a baby.
Jonathan's legs give beneath him in the realization that he can't save them both.
"We know, we just need to know what she knows, what she's capable of," Dr Owen says, placing a hand over Hopper's as the officers drag El away. "I won't let them do anything to her."
"You have to tell me now," Nancy says, tapping Robin's thigh like a drum, "I told you mine!"
"No, it's like super embarrassing, and it's not even that important, also Janice Rule, she's not even…all that."
"You take that back right now!" Nancy says, trying to pinch Robin through her jeans, Robin tugs their hands together to make Nancy stop. "She changed my life—you're just mad you didn't like 3 Women."
"It's an alright film," Robin says, lying straight through her teeth; she didn't get it. She knew what they were going for about womanhood, and the different parts, but it was just all over the place. Plus, the music sucked. In its attempt at being eerie, it was just plain grating.
"Robin, tell me your first girl crush, or I will never kiss you again."
It's so embarrassing. She had gone with her parents to the movies to watch Alien, her first R-rated movie that wasn't on VHS. A younger Robin, who didn't want to leave because of how scared she was, instead just stared in astonishment as Ripley stripped down in the escape pod. Even though it was meant to be tense, it had just felt like something had clicked; that woman could be beautiful, more beautiful than men ever were. "No."
"You're such a—is that Lucas?" Nancy says, giving the rear-view mirror a once-over. "Shit, it is. Where is he going…"
"Why does it matter?" Robin says, letting go of Nancy's hand, turning around to see the kids in question hauling ass. "He's in a rush, so what?"
"It's never a good thing, is what it is. Hold on," Nancy says before doing an emergency U-turn.
Robin yelps, clutching onto the armrest as her head jerks suddenly into the car door. Once they've straightened out, Nancy honks to get their attention, waving her hand at the kids to slow down.
Nancy slowly pushes on the brakes as she rolls the window down. Eyes still on the road as she asks, "What happened?"
"A code red is what happened," Lucas says, winded, Max's grip digging into his ribs, like a cat with a scratch post. "Heading to the junkyard to corner the fucker."
"Damn it." Nancy curses.
Robin moans in exhaustion; she was really looking forward to that shower.
"Is that…" Robin says, dumbfounded, as she stares out at the dead field strewn with ruined cars that lie about. Is that Steve "The Hair" Harrington pouring cut-up meat with that one kid who was born missing teeth? It uh, something, it rhymed with dust bowl…
"What are you doing here?" Steve says, lifting his shades til they plonked on his head, dampening the hairball he has going on, blatantly ignoring the rest of them, as he rushes to hug Nancy.
Robin leans back and mimes puking as they hug. Which makes their taut posture loosen, blink, and you miss it kind of moment, but a wave of peace nevertheless for the three of them.
" Lucas said you were cornering the Demogorgon," Nancy says, pushing Steve off of her. "So of course, I had to—"
"Dude, not everyone here knows—" "Nancy!" Steve and Lucas shout in sync.
"Not a Demogorgon. His name is Dart, and he is a Demo-dog." Dustin chirps helpfully.
"Oh, like that's so much better," Robin says with a roll of her eyes. Max snickers, but coughs as if she had never found it funny when Robin starts to smile at her. Traitor.
"Who the hell is she?" Steve asks, waving his hand in Robin's face. Robin slaps his hand away.
"Yeah, we didn't put a vote for you," Dustin adds. It's like watching a peasant cling to their king's robe, the way Dustin latches onto everything Steve says.
"Well, she knows, so that's that," Nancy says to the group harshly.
"Don't remember me, Steven?" Robin asks teasingly. "I sure do look different, huh, Nance." Robin elbows Nancy teasingly.
"Should I?" Steve asks. God, he is such a dingus. Robin's really trying to be nice as she remembers Nancy telling her more about how Steve has changed for the better, but god, does he make it hard.
"Names Robin Buckley, bona fide translator, music enjoyer by day," Robin says like she was James Bond, extending her hand to Steve. "CIA Secret Agent by night."
"Buckteeth!" Steve says, with a snap of his finger, coming to an epiphany. "You're that one jerk who ruined prom."
"Of course you remember, since I took your mom as my date!" Robin shoots back childishly.
"Be nice," Nancy adds, rolling her eyes.
"I am being nice, prick over here is just not all there, y'know," Robin says, knocking her fist against her head, popping her cheek to make a hollow noise. "Gotta give a refresher course."
"I don't like her," Steve says, crossing his arms.
"You believe all this crap," Max asks Robin, who shrugs in response. "Wow, super helpful."
"You'll believe when you see it," Lucas adds.
"Real helpful stalker." Robin's going to ask her about that nickname later.
"It happened by chance, honestly, and it wasn't even Nancy's fault, it was—" Robin turns to Nancy for confirmation that it was a safe place to talk about El.
"Dustin and Lucas were some of the first ones that found her when she first fled the lab."
Robin continues turning back to face the group. "—El. She was entirely by accident, but uh, she's the reason why I know some shit was happening in Hawkins, and don't worry, Ms. Byers caught me up." Robin says placatingly as Lucas and Dustin stare at her with scrutiny. "Well, her name is really Jane…"
"Your El's sister!" Dustin says with a light-hearted laugh.
"No wonder. Dude, you made her look like a dork," Lucas adds, giving Robin a once-over, thinking about El's baggy clothes and worn jacket with patches. Not girly in the slightest, he didn't believe El actually had an older sister until now.
"Rude, at least I don't look like Rambo," Robin says, jabbing her finger at Lucas's military bandana.
"This is from Vietnam!"
"Ram-boo," Robin adds for emphasis.
"Stop arguing with them, we're here for the Demogorgon," Nancy says as Lucas and Robin go back and forth. "Demo-dog, whatever, sorry, Dustin."
"It's alright, Nancy," Dustin says with a smile, then pats Steve's chest, "Well, Steve and I here were leaving a trail for Dart, after he escaped my basement. So we can try to capture him—"
"Kill it," Steve interjects.
"We have to keep him alive for science, Steve."
"Not if he eats our faces off first," Lucas says, smacking Dustin's shoulder. "Where are the others?"
"Do you think I would've chosen Steve if the others weren't available?" Robin snorts as Steve lets out a small "Hey." "They're not answering their walkies. Not Mike, Will, no one. Not even Hopper."
That makes Robin pause, "What do you mean they're not responding?"
"I tried to get all the help I could, but they're not answering. Your guess is as good as mine," Dustin says, nose crinkled. "They're outta batteries probably."
Robin feels uneasy, but Nancy reaches for Robin's hand, "They're fine."
Robin holds Nancy's hand tight, "I hope so."
"Anyways, we have about forty minutes of daylight still," Steve says, side-eyeing the party before pointing back to the abandoned bus. "A little help would be appreciated."
"Right," Nancy says, before pulling her hand away.
This has to be some joke, Robin thinks as she lies on the cool metal floor at the center of the rickety bus, her legs up in the air as she kicks back and forth, waiting for something. The kids periodically peek, going back and forth like little guards on patrol, as Nancy and Steve sit on opposite ends of the bus.
"I'm going up, we can't see shit with the fog," Max says as she heads toward the ladder, Lucas hot on her trail.
"I'm going to—I'm going to help her," Lucas says nervously, yanking the binoculars off the bench and hauling himself up the ladder.
Steve eyes the two, but shuts his eyes again, with a smirk.
"Real smooth," Steve says, fidgeting with the nail bat, like he was Don Mattingly.
"You would know, wouldn't you?" Robin retorts sassily. "Oh, wait."
"Robin!" Nancy says as she reaches over to slap Robin, who narrowly rolls away.
"I'm just saying what no one else is! This is like super weird," Robin says, patting Dustin's chest, knocking him out of his stupor and back to reality. "Just talk like normal people, jeez."
"Yeah, totally. Wait, what's weird?" Dustin says in a haze.
"God, you're no help with your love-sick, puppy-love schtick," Robin says, clamping her eyes shut tight. God, if you can hear, get her out of this rusty tin can.
"I'm not!" Dustin says, his voice peaks like the tween he is.
"You are, so is he," Robin points at Steve.
Steve, however, rolls his eyes at her, acting like the douchebag she's known her entire time at Hawkins High.
"And you. You're…you are just Nancy-ing this," Robin says, turning to Nancy.
It's fine if Nancy wants him; it's still fresh, things are changing, and it's always weird around your ex. Well, Robins never had an ex, but she saw how Dash and Kate were still. Were. Things are fuzzy in that area; it's been a while since she's been at school, now that she thinks of it.
"I'm not—"
"I only got back into this mess because I wanted to apologize to her," Steve says, flicking his shades down, who fucking wears shades at night. "I had it all planned, flowers, everything, but then Dustin picked me to help him, and I…couldn't say no."
"I was grieving Steve. I… rushed into things with you, and it hurt you because I couldn't just let go. Let Jonathan go. Let Barb."
"Can we not do this right now?" Steve mumbles, fiddling with his hands. "Or at least do this in privacy without these two."
Robin and Dustin look at each other, silent as Trappist monks, but both have reached an understanding: neither wants to be here for this fiasco. So Robin drags Dustin by the hand to the front. "Come on, we'll get a better view of your Dog from the driver's seat."
"Robin, you don't have to go."
"I know, Nance, but I feel like you need me too."
"Robin."
"We'll be back right after these messages," Robin announces, which drags a smile back onto Nancy's face.
"Thanks, Buckley," Steve says, face softening and looking at Robin with appreciation.
"I'm not doing this for you, lover boy."
"We can still hear them," Dustin says under his breath to Robin as they sit down and settle.
"Yeah, but it's the thought that counts," Robin says, nudging him, "So tell me all about that redhead that has you two in a twirl?"
"It's so not like that!"
"We broke up because I wasn't happy, Steve. I couldn't be happy with you." Nancy says, ripping the band-aid right off. "I didn't want to be rushed into letting go of Barb. Of settling down with you after high school."
"I could've changed, I'm growing. I care—"
"I don't want us to become my Dad and Mom."
"You're the best parts of them both!" Steve says, as he gets up, so they are now sitting across from each other, face-to-face. "Your parents are always home, always there for you. For me. Your mom even made me that ugly Christmas sweater!"
"She bought it, actually."
Steve opens his mouth and pauses before going, "I mean, it was something for me. Didn't you have fun on Christmas? Wait, is this about my college application? I could get into a trade school, take over my dad's business—"
"You hate your dad's finance, whatever bullshit."
"I would do it for you, though."
"You shouldn't have to change for me, like I should've never changed myself for you."
Steve, however, is at a loss for words as the bus settles into an awkward silence, "I'm sorry I made you feel like you had to."
"It wasn't just you, I think I've always done it to myself," Nancy murmurs, facing the ground in shame, hatred for herself.
"I… Hope you can be happy one day, even if it's not with me." Steve starts then contemplates with himself, as he puts the bat down on the bench next to him, "When you meet him eventually, when you're finally off to Emerson, when this is all over. I hope you can live a life you deserve."
"I'm, uh, sorry for hurting you, Steve," Nancy says nervously, as she plays with Robin's ring. "It wasn't your fault, I'm just…"
"Different?" Steve offers, and it makes Nancy smile, one of his favorite smiles, how she used to look at him when they first met. "It makes you special. You are one of the most special women I've had the pleasure of meeting in my life."
"High praise coming from King Steve."
Steve slaps at her knees playfully, "Stop, not you too with that bullshit."
"It's hard to acknowledge something that you hate when you feel like you deserve the pain it causes—" Nancy says, shoving her knees to the side, but pauses as they hear a girlish scream come from the top of the bus—making them both jump up and rush to peer up the ladder.
"Max, are you alright?" Steve asks anxiously. "What happened?"
Max peers down the hole at them, "Lucas just screamed because I told him there was a spider on him."
"Oh, thank god," Steve mumbles, eyes shut as his hands rest on his chest, like a relieved mother.
"Also, he saw Dart," Max adds helpfully.
"Ah fuck," Nancy blurts.
Robin's heard the stories about how it comes out of the walls and tries to eat you alive, like a fairy-tale nightmare come to life. That there is no mercy with it, there is no reasoning, for all intents and purposes, it intends to kill for reasons Nancy nor Ms. Byers could understand.
A superior being for all intents and purposes. That can be burned, thanks to the Titan Prometheus, who would suffer for humanity's greatest weapon, a gift. And yet…
"Here, kitty kitty. Here, kitty." Steve shouts as he treads through the fog, making a kissy noise like it was some… pet.
"There's no way this is going to work," Max whispers, handing the binoculars back to Lucas. Robin nods her head sagely in agreement.
Steve meows, quite frankly, pretty accurately, which is more jarring to Robin than anything.
"I'm going out there," Robin says, taking the gun off her side, pushing past the others as she checks the bullets.
"Have you had that the entire time!"
"I thought she was kidding about the CIA Agent thingy!"
"No, you're not. Give that to me," Nancy says, yanking on Robin's arm and reaching for the gun. Robin pulls it back, lifting it high above her head.
"I'll be fine, it is not bulletproof." Well, Robin hopes so at least.
"I have better aim," Nancy says right before punching Robin in the stomach, making her keel a bit.
"You'll have to do better than that, El always went for the cheap shots," Robin wheezes, gun still high in the air.
"Give it to me, it won't do much, and it'll be better in my hands," Nancy says, tugging Robin down til their noses are basically touching.
"Have you always been this short? My back is starting to hurt now," Robin says as she takes deep gulps of air, gathering her bearings, that is, until they hear Steve let out a shout.
"Guys, a little help!"
"Nancy let her through," Dustin shouts. It echoes through the bus. Nancy eyes her, daring her to move. "Steve needs help, dammit!"
"I can't lose you, too."
"Parting is such a sweet sorrow," Robin says chipperly, confounding the shit out of Nancy. This gives Robin the chance to go around and slam through the metal chunk that separates them from the monster dogs, worse than Cujo, supposedly.
"Shit," Robin rubs her shoulder, feeling the bruise already starting to form, and follows Steve's grunts. As Robin steadies her aim, she realizes he's surrounded, and hell, she doesn't remember her dad's lessons all that well, but she knows what it means to shoot these fuckers where it hurts. She hears their wails, some dropping due to the pain, and their shrieks until she hears her gun start dry-firing.
She might not like the guy, but she can't let him go out like this, so she stupidly waves her hand and shouts.
"Hey fuckfaces!" Some turn to face her, allowing Steve to ram his bat down on one of their heads, "I'm over here!"
Fuck.
Robin starts to dash away, and she's never hated how weird her running is. Maybe if she had focused more on herself, she wouldn't be in this predicament.
Her mom was right.
She always did open her mouth too much, and as she fell face-first, with her eyes shut, she felt the blood drip down her nose. Their claws dug into her ankle like she was just a piece of meat to consume.
She couldn't believe speaking too much would be how she died.
"Keep pressure on her nose!"
"God, you're so fucking stupid, Buckley." What's new?
"Is she—"
"Focus on the road!" The kids and Steve all shout as Nancy swerves through the forest.
"Right! Start turning right!" Dustin shouts as he taps the back of the driver's seat headrest.
"I know how to get to the lab!" Nancy shouts back and jerks the wheel til it's spinning.
It makes Robin slide off their laps and jerk across the backseat like she were on a Slip 'N Slide.
"Don't you dare, Nancy Wheeler!" Steve shouts, shoving Robin off his lap and making her sit up right til she's staring right at Lucas and Max. "Not my fucking car!"
"Hey," Robin says humdrumly with a little wave.
"Shit, she's finally awake!" Max shouts, pleased, pinching at Robin's nose still.
Robin turns around to see what they're seeing and spots the lab gate, locked shut. You've got to be kidding.
"You're awake!" It's the last thing Robin hears right before it sends her flying across the car's console.
Is she fucking Sierra Sam? Because frankly, she wishes she wasn't a fucking crash dummy for two seconds. Robin groans and slowly wriggles into the driver's passenger seat alongside Dustin as she feels Nancy shove her ass away to check the gears as they go up the hill.
"You come here often?" Robin says as she leans down, she really wishes her body would fucking clot faster.
"Be careful, Max said it must've been a fracture or something," Dustin says, brushing off Robin's attempt at breaking the tension. Pulling the rag of cloth back, making Robin sit up and lean forward, "Here, like this, so you don't choke."
"Open the door," Lucas says to Dustin, who yanks it open without a second thought.
"Get in!" Nancy hollers, and Robin swears it might be the borderline concussion she has, but she spots Jonathan holding a limp El in his arms.
Without hesitation, Robin takes El out of his arms and holds her, whispering, "I got you. I got you."
"Get in, Jonathan," Nancy says, as Lucas and Max wriggle to make space.
Hopper then tugs at Jonathan's shirt as he runs by, dragging him away. Shouting at the car, "I have space in mine, get out of here! That door isn't going to hold them for long."
Robin, however, can only stare at El's pale demeanor and the IVs still strapped onto her arm. "I got you. I'm never leaving you."
Robin kisses her forehead, blood smearing across El's forehead. It's gross, but she's so fucking grateful that El is safe in her arms once more.