Alone, No More (Harringrove)

Chapter 22//In the Grave

Steve panicked, yelling in fear, as he had never felt something so jarring. It was like being in a car accident but not being able to see anything going on around you, and Steve began to feel out of control; a feeling he classically wasn't a fan of.

"Harrington?" a male voice spoke so close to his face, making Steve's eyes fly open, and all of a sudden he was back in his room, now splayed out on the ground by his bed.

Jonathan and Nancy knelt beside him, worry evident on Nancy's feminine features, and deep concern in Jonathan's eyes. Steve had never told anyone of his nightmares, and for these two to have seen it happen in real life made him want to disappear.

But there was something more important than what his peers thought about him, "A-are the kids okay?!" he asked Nancy loudly, leaning up into her personal space, making her lean back slightly and her boyfriend gently lay a warning hand on his shoulder.

A picture of the tomb stone burned in Steve's mind, all he could think about the blood on his hands, and the kid's lives, and he didn't think he'd ever get over it.

"Everyone's okay, Steve," Nancy paused, digging deeper into his petrified expression. "But...are you...okay?" She had seen him scared before, but not like this. He had faced his own demise and had never looked as distressed as he did at that point.

Steve let out the air he had held in his lungs. The kids were safe, "Yeah, shit, I'm okay. Just a bad dream is all".

Jonathan snorted, "that's some dream if it has you yelling and flailing off the bed".

Nancy shot a warning glance at her boyfriend before regarding her ex once again but with a more gentle approach, "It's nearly noon, we have a plan still right?"

Steve slowly nodded, remembering that they were going to go to Hop's cabin that day, and began to push his torso off of the ground only to lean against his bed frame. The three sat in silence, anxious about the day ahead of them.

"Oh come on Harrington!" Dustin cried as they pulled up to Steve's house and into the garage. He was squashed between a grumpy looking Mike and Eleven, as Steve had annoyingly split them up after they were late to the car due to a silly little make-out session. "Why do we always have-tuh sit back and watch you do all the fun shit?"

"First of all, watch your mouth young man," Steve said and turned in driver's seat to point at the boy as if he were his son. Dustin rolled his eyes in response , "and because you little shits are under my protection as per the Police! So shaddup and do as I say".

"Oh brother," Mike groaned beside Dustin. "It's not like we haven't done this before, and wouldn't it be better to have El help? I mean...she is all powerful".

"Look I'm not fighting with you kids about this," Steve sighed, unbuckling his seat belt and wrenching his car door open. "If Hop found out that you kids were involved as much as you'd like to be, not only would he chop my damn head off, but he'd put you all on house arrest".

Plus, Steve thought to himself, I can't let them get in harms way...I can't lose them.

Again.

The four of them made their way into Steve's house and the kids plopped down onto the sofa, just as soon as two more vehicles pulled up to the house.

The door bell rung and Steve felt an unnatural feeling bubble in his belly. As if he were about to meet the president, bungee jump into the Grand Canyon or something, and it continued to simmer even as he made his way to the door.

The handle was electric as he grasped it, making him flinch, and when he opened the door he was more than nervous as Lucas and Max sped past him and into the living room. He didn't miss the small and private smiles that pulled at their lips as they glanced at him while shouldering by.