Love Is A Battlefield (A Stranger Things/Steve Harrington Fanfiction)

Chapter Ninety-Six: She Needs You

Steve, Robin, Nancy, and I made the decision to keep the results of my test to ourselves. The kids needed to focus on the task ahead as much as possible, and we were already going to struggle to do that as it was. 

I sat at the table in the RV, trying to push the current situation ot of my mind so that I could mentally prepare myself for what I had to do with Max. 

Our plan against Vecna was pretty extensive; Lucas, Erica, Max, and I would stay behind in the real Hawkins, while Eddie, Dustin, Steve, Nancy, and Robin would go into the Upside Down. Lucas, Max, Erica, and I all had bright blue lanterns that we'd purchased at The War Zone, and we would use those to locate Vecna inside of the Creel house. Once we'd found him, Erica would run out to the playground and signal the others in the Upside Down. That would lead to Phase Two: Max would would taunt him, and we would follow him up to the basement, where Max and I would set up shop and prepare to travel into her mind, with Lucas monitoring us.

Phase Three consisted of Dustin and Eddie transform Eddie's trailer into a fortress and draw the demobats to them. With their spears, shields, and temporary bunker, they would keep the bats at bay, while Nancy, Steve, and Robin, would move onto Phase Four: Sneaking into the Creel house and killing Vecna in his trance state.

Once in her mind, Max would, with the help of my powers, hide in one of her happiest memories, buying us and the Upside Down crew enough time to kill him, while hopefully not killing Max and potentially me.

It was a good plan, and one I needed to be 100% focused on, seeing as it would be my job to protect Max, as well as keep her hidden. I couldn't afford to be distracted, so I decided to sit alone inside the RV and try to center myself until it was time to ship out at sunset. 

Just before this however, Steve walked onto the RV with me, leaning back against the bathroom door and crossing his arms.

"How do you feel?" I asked, propping my chin in my hand. He nodded, slowly looking up at me.

"Honestly?" He asked. I nodded and he pushed off of the door, coming over to crouch down beside the table bench. I moved so that I was sitting on the edge of it, and he put his arms on the sides of my legs. "I'm happy, Barbie. I mean, I'm really happy."

"Really?" I asked gently, reaching up and coming a hand through his hair. He chuckled, nodding as he looked at me with tear-filled eyes.

"I mean, we were just talking about this," He said, "Having a family of my own has always been a dream of mine, but the fact that I get to do it with you is just...its unreal."

I smiled as his tears fell, brushing them away with my fingers.

"I  think I'm happy, too, underneath all of the fear." I admitted. "I mean, obviously I didn't anticipate this would be happening right now, but...I want that dream that we talked about, I want to have a family with you, I just..." I averted my eyes to my lap, a sob overtaking me.

'Hey...hey." He rubbed my legs.

"I wish my dad were here." I said, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Come here." He grabbed my hand, standing up and pulling me to my feet so that he could wrap his arms around my waist and press my body against his. I wrapped my arms around his neck, crying into my arm.

"I don't want to mess all of this up."

"You won't," He said, putting a hand on the back of my head, "No way. You're gonna kill this whole parenting thing, I know it. I mean, Eleven knows it, the kids know it, and if your Dad was still alive, he'd tell you exactly the same thing."

I blew out a breath, pulling away and wiping my eyes.

"I need to get focused," I said, shaking my hands out, "We're marching into battle here, I can't...I can't be all weepy and emotional right now."