Even Stranger Things

No One Gets Left Behind

Everyone stared at Steve, no one able to wrap their head around it. The room started to shake. Everyone looked over at El to see her fists clenched. Mike ran over to her and tried to calm her down, but it was no use.

"Where is she?" She asked shakily.

"I don't know," Steve groaned. "They took her away. I tried to. . . They didn't. . . I couldn't stop them."

"How long ago?" Eleven asked through her teeth.

"I'm not sure," he stuttered. "But. . ."

"But what?" Will asked.

"I could hear her screaming."

"They're torturing her?" Dustin asked, his voice breaking.

"Running tests," Steve scoffed.

"If they were after her, how did you end up getting taken?" Lucas asked.

"They came into the ice cream shop," Steve sighed.

"One always stops by to see you before she goes home for the day," Dustin sighed. "They must've known that."

"They found her and grabbed her," Steve continued. "I tried to stop them."

"So they took you too," Eleven finished for him.

"I couldn't let them take her," Steve said, looking up at Eleven apologetically. "I tried to stop them, El. I swear. But they. . ."

"It's okay," El said. "I know you did everything you could."

Steve started to walk away but pain overcame him and he collapsed. Dustin quickly leaned down and tried to help Steve to his feet.

"Dustin, take Steve to the car and the rest of us. . ."

"No!" Steve yelled. "I can help."

"Steve, you can barely stand," Mike sighed.

"I'm fine," he grunted. "I need to help her."

"Steve," Eleven said, getting his attention. "You've done everything you can to protect her. Go to the car and wait for us. I'll find One."

He looked around at the kids and sighed in defeat. "I want to help her," he whispered.

"Help her by waiting in the car," El said softly. "She wouldn't want you getting more hurt than you already are. Please, Steve. For her, go back to the car."

Steve reached his arm out, Dustin instantly jogging to his side and wrapping his arm around his waist. They slowly started walking out of the room but when they got to the doorway, Steve stopped.

"Find her," he said, turning around. "Please, El. Find her."

* * * * *

"I should be in there," Steve said weakly.

"It's okay," Dustin said gently. "You put up a good fight."

"But One needs my help." He tried to sit up, but he was too weak. "I have to help her, Dustin. I can't leave her."

"You also can't fight anyone right now, Steve," Dustin sighed. "What you need to do is wait. El will find One. Okay? They'll bring her out here."

"I can't. . . I have to help her."

"You really love her, huh?"

"Love," Steve stuttered. "I don't. . . It's not like that."

"Yeah, it is," Dustin laughed. "You were the one who felt guilty after we left her the first time. You were the one who had the idea to go to her after those guys took El. You were the one who drove forty minutes almost every day to see her. You were the one who decided to go back for her a third time. You were the one who convinced her to come with us."

"Dude," Steve tried to laugh off.

"And ever since she moved here, you've been glued to her," Dustin continued. "You guys work at the mall together. You meet up every day for lunch and an after-work venting session. For crying out loud, Steve, when those Russians were grabbing her, you fought them off and purposefully got kidnapped so she wasn't alone."

"It's not that easy," he sighed.

"Steve," Dustin cut him off again. "If you have feelings for One, you should tell her."

"Yeah, right," Steve scoffed. "And by the way, her real name is Anna."

"She told you her real name?" Dustin asked. "Never mind. That doesn't matter. What matters is how you feel about her. There's nothing wrong with you having feelings for her. You and Nancy broke up almost a year ago. It's okay for you to move on."

"It's not that simple," he sighed. It was useless. Dustin already knew so Steve might as well open up to him about it.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a good babysitter, not a good boyfriend," Steve said sitting up with a painful grunt. "I'd just lose her."

"No, you wouldn't," Dustin laughed.

"Yes," he cut him off, "I would. I lost Nancy. I'd lose Anna too."

"Dude," he sighed. "You willingly got kidnapped for the girl. Besides, One is different than Nancy. One is perfect for you. And more importantly, you make her happy."

"I do?" Steve stuttered.

"Obviously!" Dustin laughed. "She makes you happy, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," he said slowly. "She does."

"Then why the hell won't you tell her?"

"Because I already told you. . ."

"And I already told you that's bullshit," Dustin cut him off. "You and Nancy weren't right for each other. But you and One, I mean you and Anna, it's a whole other game with you two. I know I'm young and naive, but I've seen it. You guys instantly clicked. The chemistry between you two is. . . unreal."

"You really think I should tell her how I feel?"

Dustin shrugged as he said, "If I wanted her to be happy and I wanted to be happy with her then yeah, I would tell her."