Munson didn't look well. Not at all. Dustin thought he might actually be grey. Was he sick? He'd heard some commotion from Rosie's room the other night (despite all efforts to not hear anything from her room when they were alone) - maybe they'd had a fight? He couldn't even focus on the campaign; Mike had to guide him.

"Are you ok?" Garret finally asked, peering over at him.

"Fine."

"You don't look fine."

"You sick or something?" Paulie genuinely raised his hand to feel Eddie's forehead. It was quickly swatted aside.

"I'm fine!"

"Rosie didn't break up with you or anything, did she?"

"No, Rosie…Rosie's great."

"Aw!" Warren gushed.

"Can we just play?"

"We're trying." Mike remarked. "You're the one taking ten minutes to make a move."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you wanted me to take your campaign seriously?"

"Yeah, not turn it into a zombie march."

They finished slightly early. Eddie called Dustin back, gesturing for Will and Mike to join them. Will immediately looked apprehensive.

"What is it?" He urged.

"I need your help, munchkins. Potentially all of your help." Munson began.

"Oh shit!" Mike groaned. "Is it a demogorgon?"

"No."

"Demodog?"

"No."

"Mind Flayer?"

"No."

"Vecna?"

"What?" Will gave in.

"I want to tell Rosie."

"Tell Rosie…?"

"About it. All of it."

Dustin held up his hands. "No! No! Terrible idea!"

"Also: why?" Mike added. "She doesn't need to know. It's over."

"I'm aware of that." Eddie dropped down into a chair. "Thing is…I've been having these dreams."

"Dreams?"

"Nightmares. About Vecna, that place and everything that came with it."

"I have nightmares, too." Said Will. They all nodded.

"Yeah. Trouble is that sometimes mine are loud."

"Loud?"

"Like youuuu… talk in your sleep?"

"Occasionally." He gave a wild laugh. "Occasionally might…um…stand next to the bed and scream at her."

Mike grimaced. "Well that's terrifying."

"I noticed. I almost gave my girlfriend a goddamn heart attack the other night."

"Oooh, so that's what happened?"

"Yeah."

"So you want her to understand what's going on?" Will asked.

"It doesn't have to be everything. Just enough that she doesn't think I've lost my marbles."

"Will could show her what he can do." Mike offered. "So can El."

Dustin nodded. "Jonathan has photos, right?"

"Hopper has tapes, too. Security footage from the Lab, and the Mall." Will put in.

"And we have our word. All of it." Eddie stood. "Just have to hope she has an open mind."

"Hey. Who's the new chick?"

Dustin turned, following his friend's gaze, then immediately glared. "That's my aunt, Steve."

Harrington paused while fixing his hair. "That's her?"

"Yeah."

"Your Aunt?"

"Aunt Rosie. I've been trying for months to get you to meet her."

"I know. I thought you were talking about someone like your mom. Not…not…"

"Still my aunt."

"Pleasure to meet you. Steve Harrington."

Rosie had wandered too close and was now shaking his hand. Steve combed his hair back.

"Rosie." She replied politely. "Dustin's told me a lot about you."

"Funny. Lil' scamp has told me almost nothing about you."

"He hasn't?"

Dustin stood on Steve's toe.

"Something about New York?"

"Boston."

"But you're from Illinois?"

"Oregon."

"You'll have to fill me in."

"Sure. Dust, where's Eddie?"

"Bathroom, I think."

He was wrong; Munson came down the stairs with Jonathan a minute later. Rosie trotted over to kiss him. Dustin side-eyed Steve, who looked ready to gag.

"Eddie? Really?"

"I could've caught you up at any time."

"Right noted." Steve winced. "With Eddie…"

Dustin had arranged the whole thing as best he could, so he stood while everyone sat. Not everyone, really; Mike, El, Will, Steve, Jonathan and Nancy. They crowded around the sofa in the Wheeler's basement, Rosie clearly having no clue that she was the guest of honor on the very edge. To Steve's dismay, Eddie sat on the floor in front of her, back to her legs, and she rubbed his chest affectionately.

"Ok. So. I guess we should get started. Rosie. This is everyone. Everyone - Rosie."

She gave a shy smile. Eddie patted her knee. Steve gagged.

"Rosie, Eddie actually asked for our help with this. We know he's been freaking you out with his nightmares."

"Nooo." She softly objected. "Babe."

"I woke you up twice this week."

"Truth is, Rosie. We all have them. Everyone here. Our friends. Some of our families." Dustin explained. "They're not the same, but they're connected."

The other muttered affirmations. Nancy patted Eddie on the shoulder.

"Because of what went on here?" Rosie attempted. "With the cult?"

"Not a cult." Nancy replied. "Something happened here. And the people in this room were at the centre of it."

They went on. One by one, they said their part. Rosie seemed like she was ready to hear the punchline of the joke at any minute, her face falling as it went on and on and on. Her hold on Eddie seemed to tighten with each new morsel of information. They were patient, letting her look at the photos as long as she wanted, not minding that she thought they were doctored. The tapes had the biggest impact - on all of them, really. By the time El and Will demonstrated their powers, she was convinced.

"And all of this happened here. Right here in Hawkins."

Eddie nodded. "All of it."

"You fought those things. You went into their Realm."

"Only once. Dustin and the others, they did most of it. Four times over."

"Dustin…" She swept a hand through her hair. "Four times?"

"Yeah. Brave little shit, that kid."

Rosie had to pull over, or she'd crash. Flashes came to her of the monsters in the photos. Glimpses of people being ripped apart by them. It was overcoming her again, the panic. Edges of her vision darkening. She tried to draw in air slowly, counting to ten. Eddie was there, tapping her face. Did he check her pulse?

Pressure on the back of her head helped, somehow. He rubbed up and down, grounding her. Cold sweat was starting to bead on her skin.

"Rosie…Rosie?" He was trying to stay calm. Doing a lot better than she was.

"Dustin could've died." She breathed.

"He didn't. He beat the shit out of anything that came near."

"You could've died."

"Yeah. But I had Dustin on my side." He chuckled. "Besides, you wouldn't have known if that happened."

That did not help. Rosie tilted forward, head between her legs. Eddie continued to rub her back. "Fuck."

"Rosie, just breathe, ok? Dustin's here. I'm here. It's over."

She struggled with the door. "I'm gonna throw up."

"What?"

Rosie got it, used the bonnet to hold herself up. Dry heaved at first. Eddie bolted around the vehicle to steady her. Kept her hair back when she finally puked. He wiped her mouth with his bandana and loaded her into the passenger seat. Kept her window down all the way back to his place, then escorted her into bed. He stayed next to her until she calmed and, in true Eddie fashion, did his best to make her laugh.