His face may not have been bruised and bleeding like Steve's had been upon their return from Hopper's cabin, but Nancy could tell that Jonathan Byers was hurting all the same. She knew it was in his nature to be more introverted, but even so, she had never seen him this quiet. As he'd driven them back to the Byers' home earlier that night, she almost wanted to make him stop the car so that she could take the wheel for him, despite her lack of driving experience. His face was paler than chalk, and his hands shook so badly she could almost feel the vibrations from her spot in the passenger seat. She'd tried to take one of his hands to offer a bit of comfort, but he'd insisted that he'd be fine as long as he kept both of them on the wheel while he drove. However, despite his sudden inclination to drive as safely as possible, he'd continually glanced away from the road to look back at his mother and Will slumped in the backseat, as if his little brother could vanish if he didn't keep checking to make sure he was still back there, alive and well.

As soon as their car had reached the familiar house, so much started happening at once that Nancy could barely keep track of it all. Lucas had run out to the car to alert them that Hopper and El had come back minutes before they had while Dustin shouted over him in an attempt to explain the presence of a dead Demo-dog in the Byers' fridge. Hopper was dragging a disoriented-looking Billy Hargrove towards his cruiser while Steve limped behind, Hopper having insisted that the teen go to the hospital for what was probably a concussion. Mike and El had been lounged on the futon watching TV, the latter looking utterly exhausted, but content nonetheless to be held in the younger Wheeler sibling's arms.

And as all this chaos took place across the household, Jonathan seemed to be tuning out everything as he gently picked up Will and carried him to his bedroom, Joyce trailing behind in her sons' wake. Nancy was tempted to follow them, to make sure the small family was okay, but she didn't want to intrude upon their moment alone. Instead, she figured she would stay for a while where she seemed to be most needed: remaining with the kids since Steve had left. First and foremost, she made sure everyone was fed, watered, and uninjured before turning to the curly-haired child leaning against her brother's shoulder. "How are you feeling, El?"

The young girl wearily blinked her eyes open to look at the older teen. "Tired," she whispered hoarsely, her vocal cords having pretty much given out back at the lab.

"Do you want to go try and get some sleep?" Nancy asked, concerned. "The Chief has to drive Billy and Max home and then take Steve to the hospital, so he won't be back for a while."

Eleven thought on this for a few moments before answering. "Not alone," she insisted, limply craning her neck to look around at her friends. "I don't want to be alone."

Nancy nodded her understanding and instructed the two to move for a moment so that she could pull the couch out. That way, the four remaining kids could fit and none would have to deal with any potential nightmares alone that evening. Although all of them passed out fairly quickly, she decided to search for any extra blankets that might be lying around for them to use; it was a fairly chilly November night. She'd tossed a couple more throws overtop of them before she came to a halt in her search, having explored every room in the house except for the bedrooms. However, as she paced the hallway a final time, she noticed that Will's bedroom door was slightly cracked, letting a sliver of light into the dim room. She didn't mean to pry, but she happened to see the outline within the room of Joyce Byers curled up in Will's small bed, her arms wrapped protectively around her sleeping son. The family matriarch must have noticed Nancy standing near the doorway when she smiled good-naturedly towards her. "Thank you again, Nancy," she whispered. "Thank you for helping me get my Will back."

The teen returned Joyce's smile. "Of course," she replied. "I'm just glad he's okay."

Joyce nodded minutely, running her hand affectionately through Will's unruly mop of brown hair. "Jonathan just went to his room, if you're looking for him," she mentioned when she looked back up. "He'd hate me if he knew I told you this… but he really cares about you, Nancy. I can tell," she explained. "But I think he's the one who's going to need some care tonight. He's pretty shaken up… I guess we all are."

Nancy nodded her head. "I'll talk to him," she promised, heading in the direction of his room before she heard Joyce whisper to her one more time.

"I'm so glad you two have each other," she said with a sleepy smile. "Thank you for being there… for both of my boys."

But as Joyce slumbered off once again, Nancy couldn't help but grin. She had never felt this close to Steve's family when they were dating. But now, it was such a good feeling to be trusted and appreciated by the only woman who cared for Jonathan as much as she did, if not more… Probably more.

She quietly tiptoed away from Will's door, not wanting to cause any more disturbance to the house's other sleeping occupants. Instead, she ventured towards the only other person she knew would be awake, presumably held captive by his thoughts. Indeed, as she approached his room, she could already hear the sound of heavy, erratic breathing coming from behind the thin, wooden door. Not wanting to startle him, she lightly tapped her knuckles on the door before gingerly turning the knob and stepping inside. "Jonathan? It's just me."

The eldest Byers brother was sitting on the edge of his bed facing the wall opposite her, his elbows resting on his knees with his hands holding his face. He looked like every ounce of energy had been drained from his body, but of course, sleep would still escape him that night after having seen what they had seen. As she moved to sit beside him, his breathing suddenly became more rigid, almost as if he was trying to force himself to be calm and collected in her presence, which was the very opposite of what she knew he was really feeling.

She laid her hand on his back and gently rubbed it in small circles, placing her other hand comfortingly on his knee. "Jonathan…" she spoke softly. "It's okay if you're not okay," she assured him, holding back a shiver as she recalled the memory of Will's recent exorcism. "I'm here… and I'm not going anywhere."

At her words, his breathing hitched, and she noticed a couple stray teardrops slip between his fingers onto his jeans. Gently, she touched his wrist, silently trying to convince him to look up at her. When he didn't move, she settled for wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly. "Do you remember that night you pulled me out of the Upside Down? How you stayed with me through the night because I was so afraid?" she reminded him. "That meant the world to me, Jonathan… Now let me be here for you tonight."

There was utter silence for a few moments as his heavy breathing halted… and eventually, he let his hands fall into his lap. As she'd already expected, his eyes were red and swollen, and the rest of his face was blotchy with moisture from the tears he'd shed. He hadn't yet gathered the strength to meet her gaze, but after taking a minute to control his breathing, he opened his mouth to speak. "I almost lost him again," he managed to say, his voice thick with emotion. "This time, I almost lost them both! If you hadn't grabbed that poker, I—" he trailed off, squeezing his eyes shut as another wave of tears threatened to spill over. "God, I don't even want to think about it."

"Then don't," she encouraged him gently. "They're safe, we're safe. The gate's closed. That… that thing is never coming near us again."

He bobbed his head the tiniest bit in response, squeezing his eyes shut before he spoke again. "I just felt so… Jesus, I'm just so useless," he stammered. He must have felt Nancy's shocked gaze on him since he eventually continued to elaborate. "If it had just been me in there—I mean, without you or Mom… then Will would be dead. Or worse," he said with a shiver. "God, I couldn't even help my mom when he was… when he tried to— When he was choking—" Just the mere recollection of what had happened was enough to get him worked up again, and his head fell back into his hands. Nancy remained silent for a few seconds, half-expecting him to continue talking, but his shoulders soon began to shake with near-silent sobs.

Without a second thought, she pulled the boy into her arms and held him fiercely, letting him softly cry into her shoulder, and she could feel her own eyes beginning to water as he broke down before her. He didn't deserve this, neither him nor Will. Or Joyce, for that matter! Her heart ached for this beautiful, little family that had withstood so many terrible things, both supernatural and otherwise. Oh, how she wished that she could somehow wave a magic wand like a fairy godmother in a nursery rhyme and make it all go away: Lonnie and his abuse, the bullying, their financial troubles, and more than anything, the horrors that the Upside Down had wreaked upon their lives. But of course, she couldn't; fairy tales weren't something that could exist in real life… apparently, only the scary stories were real.

Minutes or hours could have passed that she just sat with him, lightly whispering sweet nothings and pressing soft kisses to his head. Eventually, his tears ceased, but he still remained relaxed against her as he began to take slow, even breaths again. Nancy took advantage of his regained calm and gently took his face between her hands, wiping away the remaining traces of tears with her thumbs. "Jonathan, look at me," she said, her voice gentle yet firm. She looked into his eyes until his gaze met hers and she knew that he was giving her his undivided attention. "You. Are. Not. Useless," she told him, moving her finger to his lips when he tried to open his mouth. "Ah-ah-ah, no. Don't you dare start arguing, Jonathan Byers. Just shut up and listen to me," she insisted. His eyes widened a bit at her forcefulness, but he closed his mouth and nodded. "First of all… you see things that other people don't," she began, cupping her hand around his cheek. "It's obvious in your photos; they're amazing. But it also makes you one of the most thoughtful people I know," she told him.

"Last year, you remembered my birthday… Steve didn't, most of my so-called "friends" didn't. Hell, my own parents barely acknowledged it," she exclaimed. "But when you came over that night to pick up Will, you brought me a cupcake. And Will gave me a card that he'd drawn himself… and to you, it probably seemed like nothing, but it made me so happy."

She could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes, and she bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from crying. "You care about people, Jonathan. Both you and Will do. You give and you give and you never ask for anything in return… I honestly don't think I've ever met anyone else as genuinely good as you two," she said sincerely. "Jonathan, you risked your life with me last year just so we had a shot at saving Will and… and B—Barbara," she stuttered, the tears finally starting to overflow at the mention of her late best friend. "And yesterday, you helped me break into a government lab, for Christ's sake!" she exclaimed. "Even though Will came back. Lord knows you didn't have to go with me… but you did. And I know for a fact that you're never going to ask to cash in any favors either because that's not the kind of person you are. You came with me because you wanted to," she reminded him, quickly scrubbing the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

"Jonathan, I don't know how much Bauman got right last night… and if you do have any sort of trust issues, I honestly wouldn't blame you. I know the world hasn't always been kind to you," she whispered. "But I want you to know that I trust you… honestly, more than anyone," she told him, taking his hand in hers. "And I hope that you'll trust me when I tell you that you are NOT usele—"

But she suddenly found herself unable to finish her sentence as his mouth covered hers, his arms slowly encircling her and pulling her close to him. This kiss was nothing like their frenzied one from last night; it was short and sweet, soft but with no less passion. She melted into him, tangling her fingers into his shirt as the tears on their faces mingled together, and when they broke apart, she still remained close enough that she could hear his heartbeat... or perhaps it was her own that she heard, ringing in her ears. Her head swam with emotion, and she couldn't seem to grasp a single thought until his voice cut through the fog.

"I do trust you," he breathed, leaning his forehead against hers. "And I'm really glad you trust me too."

"Yeah… I think it's you that needs a little more trust in yourself," she teased him, pushing his shoulder playfully. "Seriously, Jonathan, you don't give yourself enough credit for what an incredible person you are. I know it, your family knows it, the kids all look up to you… I'm pretty sure my ex-boyfriend even trusts you!"

Her spirits soared as she finally saw him smile for the first time all night. "Not as much as he trusts that baseball bat, I'll bet," he joked.

Nancy laughed, her heart feeling lighter as she noticed him cheering up. She took his chin in her hand and brought his face towards her own. "Jonathan, as a very special someone told me a couple days ago, 'you need to cut yourself some slack.'"

He couldn't help but grin wider as she referenced their conversation on the car from the other day, where their ingenious plot was first formulated. He opened his mouth to retort, but much to his chagrin, a heavy yawn escaped instead of words.

The contagion of it caused her to let out a yawn of her own in response. Lifting her hand to his face, she gently ran her thumb across the dark shadows under his eyes. "I guess we should probably get some sleep, huh?" she murmured. However, she felt his body suddenly go tense at the idea; sleep meant nightmares. She frowned, observing the conflicted expression that now occupied his face. She knew this sort of apprehensiveness all too well after the events of last year, and she knew he'd struggled with a few periodic nightmares of his own, as well. But this… she knew that tonight, the night of his brother's exorcism, was a memory that would probably haunt him for the rest of his life, just as the loss of her best friend and her accidental visit to the Upside Down still plagued her own dreams. She sighed quietly, wishing he didn't have to go through it too.

But he wouldn't go through it alone; she wouldn't let him.

Without a word, she ran her hands soothingly up and down his arms and shoulders, lightly massaging them until his muscles relaxed and his eyelids began to grow heavy again. Before he could wake himself up again, she pressed her hand to his chest and gently pushed him down onto his mattress. He momentarily tightened his hold on her as she brought herself to her feet, but she gently shushed him with a kiss. "I'm just turning off the light," she explained to ease his worries. "I'm not leaving."

He gripped a small handful of her sleeve in response, shaking his head slightly. "On," he countered quietly, letting his arm fall back to his side. "Just leave them on, Nance."

The déjà vu feeling had never been stronger.

So with a nod, she crawled into bed with him and pulled his head into her lap, lightly running her fingers through the mess of his hair. She wasn't really sure how much time passed that she tried to get him to sleep, but every so often, he'd jerk or startle himself awake, his eyes tired and bloodshot whenever he reopened them.

She had no idea what came over her next, but after a while, she found herself humming the tune to one of the only Talking Heads songs she knew, mostly just because it was their only love song and not as weird as a lot of their other stuff. But she knew Jonathan would appreciate it, and eventually, she found herself putting words to the melody.

"Out of all those kinds of people

You got a face with a view

I'm just an animal looking for a home

Share the same space for a minute or two

And you love me till my heart stops

Love me till I'm dead

Eyes that light up, eyes look through you

Cover up the blank spots

Hit me on the head"

Her sleepy brain couldn't recall the rest of the lyrics, so she just continued singing the verse she knew until his body finally became heavy with deep sleep. Sighing with relief, she smiled down at his still face before pulling a pillow haphazardly behind her head so she could try to get some rest, as well.

But after a while, she heard his voice again. "Nancy…"

"Hmm?" she replied, but she received no answer. Sitting up so that she could see him, she realized that he'd spoken in his sleep. Perhaps it was just because he'd been so overly exhausted, she rationalized to herself, but nevertheless, she could practically feel her heart doing somersaults at his unconscious mention of her name. She smiled down at him elatedly and gently planted a kiss on his forehead before laying herself back down.

However, a couple minutes later, he continued. "Nancy, I—I… I love you, Nancy."

Her jaw dropped, and she had to clap her hand over her mouth to keep herself from letting out an audible yelp of surprise. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, her tears threatening to make another appearance as she looked at his face once again. He was smiling softly, looking so peaceful and content she could've almost believed that the events of the night had never actually transpired.

And in that tranquil moment, she realized that the sentiment was no less true for her as she whispered the words that felt almost too natural… as if she'd known the truth of them all along.

"I love you too, Jonathan."