Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or IT. I only own my OC.
A/N: Okay guys as I have mentioned in my Tumblr page I took a mini break because I had been focusing on my school finales. I am now on winter break and I got my grades back. I passed all my classes with A's and B's. I am so proud with myself, so I decided upload the Stranger Things/IT crossover. I was originally going to upload the story after I have finished with my main IT story, but I figured uploading one chapter would be okay. This is just the prologue anyways. So here's the crossover!
*PLEASE READ!*
Just to clarify a few things, this story is separate from my main IT story. This story is for fun purposes only and it takes place after the Losers' Club fight IT (which still needs to happen in my other story! Therefore I guess you could say there is spoilers in here?). Anyways in this version Gwen suffers immensely after the first battle of IT. And it's because of this that she's sent to live with her maternal aunt and her family in Hawkins, Indiana - as you will know more about that in the next chapter. So Gwen will be related to Mike and Nancy by being their cousin. Honestly guys I am so excited to be writing this crossover because I am a huge Stranger Things fan and I feel like Gwen will fit right in with the show story-line. She definitely is going to have all sorts of friendships going on with the characters. I especially can't wait for her and Steve to meet and get along later on in the I know you guys are excited for that too!(: Anyways, enjoy this short prologue I was able to write.
Title: Dimensions Of The Heart
Summary: After the battle with IT the members of the Losers' Club slowly break apart, with each of them moving on from the summer events. Except for Gwen Tozier. Not being able to cope with the after effects IT has caused her, she is sent away to stay with her family in Hawkins, Indiana. However, the move to the small town does nothing to bring balance into her life. Eventual Steve/OC.
"After all, when a stone is dropped into a pond, the water continues quivering even after the stone has sunk to the bottom." ― Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha
Chapter 1: Prologue: The aftermath
Late September
The only sound that could be heard in the Tozier household was the ticking of the old clock coming from the living room. It wasn't until two forty-five in the morning that a more chilling (and now familiar) sound filled the air.
Gwen Tozier had awoken from yet another terrifying nightmare.
It was a nightmare that consisted of yellow eyes, sharp teeth, and misery.
Now just like she had been doing for the last few weeks the fifteen year old girl woke up screaming and thrashing in her bed. However no matter how loud and frightening her screaming was the action alone was expected to happen by the rest of the Tozier household.
It was a sad thing, but the Tozier family had gotten used to the middle of the night screaming sessions. Although with Richie being the only one left that who truly felt absolute concern (in the household) for Gwen. Since only he knew the real reason behind those nightmares of hers. He was the only one (besides the other Losers) that understood Gwen.
Now Maggie and Wentworth Tozier of course felt concern for their daughter. They, however, found the nightmares she was having to be more intrusive than worrisome. The reason being is because they've dealt with this kind of issue before (or so they thought) when she had been younger. So both parents hoped that these so called nightmares would come to a sudden end. Like when she used as a child. Except much to their displeasure the nightmares hadn't gone away.
They had tried talking things out with Gwen, but the young teen wouldn't admit any reasons for the cause of her nightmares. Nor would she tell them what her nightmares were even about. So both parents were clueless. Therefore with no other ideas on how to end her nightmares, Maggie and Wentworth figured Gwen's depression must have returned with a force...hence the stronger antidepressants medication they got her.
With the medication for a couple of days the nightmares faltered...but then they came back with a vengeance. Now it was late into September (almost nearing October) and the nightmares were still present.
And since her nightmares were still there, so was her crippling depression. Not that it ever really went away. As Gwen knows now (thanks to those long talks with her school counselor) depression can never truly go away. Once a person is diagnosed with depression the sickness was always going to be there. The best one could do with depression is get it under control. Which unfortunately after what Gwen and the other the Losers went through with IT, getting her depression under control again was proving to be more difficult than before.
It didn't help that every-time Gwen closed her eyes she would now immediately think about yellow eyes and sharp teeth.
Yellows eyes and sharp teeth that belonged to IT...or otherwise known as Pennywise.
And it certainly didn't help that Gwen now had a constant reminder of the horror IT put her through on her right shoulder.
A bite mark that would forever be there.
A bite mark that she got when IT had her pinned underneath in the sewers. A ugly bite mark that only Richie and the other Losers knew about. Not her parents, or her friend Francine, or any other Derry resident knew about the scarring bite mark. Only the Losers. Gwen's closest and truest friends.
However, since the blood oath they made in the grassy field, Gwen felt a drastic change in the air once they each departed. That change wasn't just because they had defeated IT (or so they thought). No, Gwen Tozier knew something else was changing...and that change was between each of the Losers.
Gwen could feel it...sensed it before any of the other Losers could. Their unique friendship that was formed during the summer was slowly withering away. The eight members that made up the Losers Club were slowly becoming distant with each other.
It started with Beverly.
To Gwen's sadness, her red haired friend (who she actually considered now to be her best friend) had moved to Portland to live with her aunt. Before she had left, Beverly had given Gwen her aunt's home number. Gwen had promised to keep in touch and that's what she tried to do. Beverly had answered the first few times Gwen had called. They spent hours on the phone talking to each other, and it was honestly one of the only times Gwen actually had a genuine smile on her face. However that short happiness came to an end. One day the phone calls just stopped. If one asked who stopped calling who, Gwen wouldn't be able to give an answer. She honestly couldn't remember...and that scared her.
Mike was the second person Gwen felt was slowly backing away from their friend group. The thirteen year old claimed he needed to help out more with the deliveries for his grandfather, hence why he couldn't stay long to hang out. Despite his busy schedule, the Tozier girl still saw Mike around town every now and again. Whenever he didn't look too busy, she stopped to talk to him (at least try to anyways). Now when Mike did have time to hang out it was never with all the remaining Losers. Sometimes Gwen, Bill and Ben would be there, but there'd be no Eddie or Richie. Or there'd be Richie and Bill, but no other Losers. It was never a full group again.
It only got worse when school came back to session. Mike returned to his home school lessons, and Gwen and the others went to regular school. And that same complication sadly applied to the rest of them.
Since school started Gwen hardly saw the other Losers (except for Richie). Given that she was now a Sophomore in High-School and the others were starting Eighth grade in their last remaining year in middle school, their schedules definitely conflicted with each others. Sometimes much to her content, Bill would come over to her place and so would Eddie, but when that happen there'd be no Ben and Stan.
Ben had his own reasons (mainly he was always focused on something school related) and that was something Gwen understood. The Hanscom boy had always been the studious type.
As for Stan...well Gwen didn't blame Stan for not wanting to come over or be anywhere near her. Hell, she didn't blame him if he never wanted to speak to her again. Not after the emotional conversation they had after the blood oath. She could never forgive herself for what she did to him...breaking his heart after he finally confessed he loved her...even if there was a good reason for why she did that.
Yet to soften the heartache, Gwen would tell herself she didn't deserve Stan. Which in her eyes that was true. Gwen Tozier did not deserve someone as pure and kindhearted as Stanley Uris. She would have ruined him, just like she had ruined Chase. She had even ruined Victor Criss. Victor who she was just starting to like and even considered to be a friend.
And just like that the sleek white-blonde haired boy was now gone too.
The guilt of Chase's death, along with the other deaths and awful things IT did still got to Gwen. IT got to her badly. She figured that's what kept her up at night...the damn guilt mixed with her nightmares. Though knowing about the weird dangerous obsession that IT had on her still unnerved. Especially after what Maturin told her while she had been unconscious the first time IT attacked her in the sewers.
Gwen would always have some form memory of that earnest conversation between Maturin and her. What the benevolent entity said to her is the sole reason why she had rejected Stan and made the harrowing decision to never be romantically involved with anyone. Even now the forewarning words of Maturin rang in her head again.
You'll find love but not the kind of love you wish to have. For the love you want will never last.
After the tragedy that happened to Chase, Victor, and what almost happened to Stan, Gwen knew to take that warning seriously. Those dejected words however did little to lessen her wariness...even if IT was now supposedly gone.
If anything Gwen's nerves were now higher than ever...like right now.
Suddenly as she was laying awake and panting in bed a brief flash of haunting yellow eyes entered Gwen's head. That image had her releasing another bone chilling scream. This time she didn't stop screaming. As she screamed she could have sworn she felt the bite on her shoulder grow warm. Due to her drastic state though Gwen was more in tune with the eerie yellow eyes that flashed in her head.
The Tozier girl didn't stop screaming until her brother came into her bedroom. Despite her violet thrashing and screaming Richie miraculously got her calm down. Just like he had been doing for the last few weeks. Richie was the only one ever to get her to calm down. The youngest Tozier sat down on her bed and gently took a hold of one of Gwen's hands.
As soon as Gwen felt Richie's hand hold onto hers she stopped her thrashing and her screaming came to a halt. Taking a deep breath, Gwen steadied her gaze onto her brother's form. Even in the dark she was still able to see the tired concern filled expression Richie had on. This right away had her breaking down...just like she would do whenever Richie comforted her.
"It's okay Gwen. It was just a nightmare. I'm here now."
Gwen let his soothing words sink in and she didn't push her brother away when he brought her into a hug. No, instead Gwen leaned against Richie's neck and continued bawling her eyes out. As she did this Richie's hold on her hand tightened. They were each holding hands that had the cut on their palms. Cuts that would remind them of the blood oath they had made with the other Losers. It was an oath Gwen had no intention of ever breaking if the time ever came to defeat IT again.
After awhile Gwen was finally able to calm her crying down. Richie's hold on her though didn't lessen and the two siblings instead continued to emotionally depend on each other.
The last thing Gwen heard from Richie was him saying a quiet goodnight. With her brother being there with her, Gwen was able to go to sleep again. This time no nightmares invaded her and that was something she was grateful for.
Really, Gwen had no idea what she would do if Richie wasn't by her side.
Her younger brother was basically all she had left now.
A/N: I hoped you guys liked this short prologue. The next chapter will feature more Gwen/Richie brother sister moments, as well as the discussion of Gwen leaving to Hawkins. There's also probably going to be Stan appearance. If not the next chapter then he'll appear in chapter 3 when Gwen leaves. So get ready for water works. *The sounds of hearts breaking everywhere* Also, it will probably be in chapter 3 when Gwen finally arrives to Hawkins and officially meets Mike and Nancy, and the others. So, I hope you guys liked the first chapter! Until next time my lovely readers!