"Why the hell were we not informed about the music thing before this?" Beth yelled up through the gate. "Seems like pretty damn important information to me!"

"Beth, shut your damn mouth for once and tell them to hurry up!" Steve screamed back, still trying to wake Nancy. Beth hurried down the hall to Eddie's room, where Erica was already relaying Steve's request for urgency.

"Yeah, no shit!" Dustin yelled back.

"We're trying, we can't find anything!" Max said.

Robin added, "Seriously, what is all this shit?"

"W-what are you even looking for?" Eddie asked, bringing another shoebox of cassettes over.

"Madonna? Blondie? Bowie? Beatles? Music! We need music!"

"This IS music!"

The scene was a shit show. "We don't just need music," Beth reminded Eddie, "we need something that Nancy-" She cut herself off, eyes suddenly falling on the guitar that hung on the mirror. Maybe they didn't need a cassette after all. "Hey…Do you think she likes the Go-Gos?"

Beth scrambled towards the mirror amid protests from Eddie. "Whoa-whoa-whoa, what are you doing?! Be careful-"

"Eddie, do you still remember it?" Beth asked, turning to him with the neck of the guitar in her grip. He stared at her wordlessly. "Hey, this is life or death, do you still remember that Go-Gos song?!"

"She might like the Go-Gos," Max guessed.

"Yeah, yeah, I think I saw a tape in her room!" Robin added. "Eddie, you know a Go-Gos song?"

"I—that was six years ago, Beth!"

"Eddie, you need to try—"

"Stop shaking my guitar!"

"Stop yelling at me!"

"Hey geniuses!" Erica popped back into the room. "She's awake. No thanks to you guys."

Getting Nancy back through the gate was a delicate process; she, of course, tried to insist she was strong enough to come back the way Robin and Eddie had. Steve was the one who insisted she take it slow and easy. In the end, more chairs were brought out and stood on to catch Nancy upon re-entry. She was shaky and terrified, but determined enough to try describing what she saw. Once again, Steve insisted she rest before revisiting Vecna's attack. The gang drifted over to Max's trailer to regroup for the night.

"Eddie told us not to tell you." Beth turned to see Steve, looking harrowed and apologetic. She finally clocked that he was wearing Eddie's denim vest over his wounds.

"What?"

"About the music. He told us you've been beating yourself up about Chrissy and he thought if you knew it was that simple—her favorite song-"

Beth nodded. She understood. "Eddie obviously can't go over to Max's—wanted man—so I'm just gonna…" Steve nodded and went to catch up with Nancy and the others.

After checking the trailer, Beth crept outside and around the back to find Eddie crouched down behind the trailer's water tank, smoking a cigarette. He started when he saw her. "…Robin isn't with you, is she?"

Beth blinked. "What the hell is up with you and Robin?"

Eddie made a face of confusion. "I tried lighting up in the boat and she took the cig out of my mouth and threw it in the lake. I don't want it to happen again. What's up with you and Robin?"

"Nothing." Beth crossed her arms. "It's—it's nothing." He raised his eyebrows at her, clearly not buying her evasion. She rolled her eyes. "It's stupid. It's just something Dustin said. About how you and Robin would be a good couple, and how she's funny and cool and was probably never mean to anybody a day in her life, so sure, why not. We were living in a bubble for most of the week and now we're out of the bubble and you've realized I'm still a bitch who shakes your guitar around and wants to send you to live with monsters, so yeah. It makes sense."

Beth finally looked at Eddie as her rambling winded down. His brown eyes were crinkled with amusement. "So…just so I'm clear. You think I'm going to start dating Robin, solely based on Henderson thinking it's a good idea?"

"Also based on her not being mean," Beth reminded him.

Eddie was laughing outright now. "I asked you to get along with Dustin Henderson, not join him in a delusion."

"It's not that delusional-"

"Queen Beth thinks some girl from the marching band can steal her guy?" His wicked little grin was back. "Sounds delusional to me."

Beth rolled her eyes, even as her heart skipped a beat. Her guy. "Whatever. This isn't important. What the hell happened on that boat? Why did you all decide to go through the gate?"

"Harrington got dragged down into the gate by...something, man, I don't know. And all of a sudden, Wheeler dove in, and then Robin…" Eddie grimaced. "I didn't want to once again be the guy who ran away."

Beth sat down next to him. "So you decided to risk it all to save Steve Harrington?"

Eddie sighed. "Turns out…he's kind of a badass. Beat the shit out of those bats. Bit one, even."

"Bats, huh?" Steve's neck had sported bruises like a necklace, and his waist had been wrapped in a makeshift tourniquet. His arms had been scraped up pretty badly, too. "I didn't think bats could cause that much damage. Is that how he earned your vest?" she asked, tugging at Eddie's now-bare leather jacket.

He smirked. "Mostly I wanted him to cover up before he and Wheeler started going at it."

"Ew, really?"

"I think she's still in love with him," Eddie said. "She wasted no time diving in after Harrington when he went down."

"Or she just didn't want him to die," Beth said. "I'm telling you, your barometer for true love is out of whack. It's just human instinct to dive in after someone who's drowning, isn't it? I dove in after you when you fell out of the boat-"

"Oh really?" Eddie turned to smirk at her now. "I thought you fell out because I tipped the boat. Well, I think that settles my theory, then."

"I didn't know you could swim," Beth clarified. "I don't remember ever seeing you at the pool."

"Would you have noticed me if I was there?"

"I would have noticed the tattoos." They grinned at each other.

"So," Eddie observed, settling in on the ground next to her, "You finally found some pants." He traced a finger along her knee, sending shivers up her leg. Beth found she liked the slight tinge of disappointment in Eddie's voice.

"Yeah, well. It's a lot less embarrassing to face police questioning if you're not in short-shorts."

"Police?" Eddie's tone changed in an instant. "Wait, the cops got you?"

"It's fine. We're all fine. Though I guess I have to hand it to Steve for being right about putting you in the boat," Beth said.

Eddie still looked concerned. "They took you in while you were wearing…"

"Yes, much was made of the Hellfire shirt," Beth finished. "I had to claim membership. Got questioned by Erica Sinclair, Junior Detective." She sighed. "Two important things came out of it. I assume you want the bad news first?"

"Always."

"Bad news: the Hawkins PD allowed our favorite person, Jason, to rile up the entire town against you and everyone associated with you for alleged satanic rituals. We're talking torches and pitchforks. Powell actually tried to convince me you'd be safest in police custody," Beth said. "Which is why I even suggested the Upside Down, for your information. An alternate dimension seemed like a good place to hide, at the time."

Eddie dragged a hand across his face. "Shit. So you, Dustin, every single one of my friends, my uncle... All of their lives ruined, because of me."

"Because of Jason," Beth corrected sternly. "And Vecna. You haven't heard the good news yet."

"Is there good news?" Eddie asked.

"I think the Feds know something."

Eddie looked warily at her. Before he could say anything, Beth continued. "I know it sounds like the beginning of a tinfoil hat conspiracy theory, but listen. Nancy told me before that Hawkins Lab was aware of the Upside Down. The government-run Hawkins Lab. They shut everything down after that exposé, but there'd still be people in the government who'd know, right? And Powell knows Vecna's victims weren't killed in any normal way. I asked him if he called in backup, and he wouldn't say, but…" Beth bit her lip. "There was something in his eyes. That was when he told me you'd be safest out of the mob's reach, so he has to have a feeling there's something deeper going on, right? If he hasn't called the government for backup by now, he will, and if I'm right and they can tell this is Upside Down related shit…They could clear you."

"And if they don't?" Eddie said. "If there's a government conspiracy to keep the Upside Down secret, it seems like they'd jump at the chance to let some trailer park kid take the fall."

"I won't let them." Beth ignored his half-hearted laugh. "Even if they don't admit there's a whole alternate dimension with monsters, we don't need that. We just need them to clear you."

"So it's Beth Forrester against the United States of America," Eddie said softly, a wry smile on lips. "Do you ever have any doubts about what you're capable of?"

"Nancy Wheeler made that exposé happen. I'm just as capable as Nancy Wheeler."

"Nancy Wheeler wasn't siding with a freak," Eddie said sadly. "Beth, you can't drag yourself down fighting for something that has only the slightest chance of working out. They'll think you're just as evil as I am."

"They already do. Jason's been telling everyone you brainwashed me," Beth told him. "And I don't care. They're all wrong about you, so why should it matter what they think about me?"

"Right now, you could still walk away. You could still have a life, Beth. Go to college. Get the hell out of Hawkins. If you do this, go toe-to-toe with the Feds…it'll follow you. Wherever you go." Eddie flicked the butt of his cigarette towards the road. "At some point, you have to cut your losses."

"Every time you say something like that…" Beth shook her head. "I saw you dive in, you know. The kids ran, trying to lead the cops away from the lake. But I stayed, and I saw you dive into the water. I thought I was never going to see you again." She looked up into Eddie's eyes. "That's what scares me. Not people thinking I'm Patty Hearst or something. I'm scared of losing you."

"Why?"

"Because…"

Instead of finishing her sentence, Beth kissed him. It had only been a day and a half since they'd last kissed—right before she confronted Jason at the lake house—but she felt like it had been much longer. Beth hadn't even realized she'd been counting the hours. And after seeing him dive under the water—feeling the gut drop of not knowing if he'd ever come back—she needed this.

Eddie broke the kiss to whisper, "Someone might see us…"

"I don't care."

His left hand traveled up to the back of her neck, fingers weaving into her hair as their kisses became hungrier. Her hands traveled down to his bare chest, feeling his heart beat like a drum. Her lips found the pulse point at his throat and felt the vibration of his moan. Every inch of his skin, she wanted to feel its warmth—to remind herself that Eddie was alive and safe.

Eventually they made their way back into the trailer, both eyeing the gate cautiously as they walked quickly back to Eddie's room. Eddie gently picked his guitar up from where Beth had left it on the floor and rehung it on the mirror, kissing his fingertips and brushing the strings with a quiet sorry-about-before-sweetheart.

"So I get the same nickname as your guitar?" Beth asked from her seat on Eddie's bed box springs, kicking off her sneakers. He turned, looking braced for an argument, but she held her hand up. "No no. It's high praise. I can tell," she said, smiling. "I'm sorry I manhandled it earlier."

"I'm sorry I couldn't remember how to play the song," Eddie replied. "It was pretty quick thinking, on your part."

Beth shrugged. "I've been thinking about it on and off since you told me. I don't even know which one you learned. I guess I'm just sad I never got to hear it," she said, absentmindedly shuffling through the tapes still on Eddie's bed.

"They're pretty good. The Go-Gos," Eddie said. "Better than that Orchestra shit. The one from that movie you said you liked."

"Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark," Beth laughed.

"See? It's a bad band name. Couldn't even remember it."

Beth rolled her eyes, still exploring Eddie's tapes. "I don't even know any of these bands."

Eddie smirked. "Yeah, I'm not surprised that your knowledge of metal ends at knowing Gene Simmons is in KISS." He looked contemplative for a minute. "I could…play you a tape. If you want."

Beth considered it. "You're not going to get all…weird and disappointed if I end up not liking it, are you? Like, I'm not kidding, a guy once broke up with me because I didn't think John Cougar Mellencamp was the greatest singer of all time."

"Ugh. You dodged a bullet."

"Believe me, I know."

"I promise I won't be utterly devastated if you hate the music that gives my life meaning," Eddie said, hand over his heart.

"Well, that's definitely reassuring," Beth quipped. She sighed, swayed by the eagerness in Eddie's eyes and the way he nervously tugged at his hair. "Okay. Hit me with your best shot."

Eddie smiled wide in excitement. He immediately began surveying his options, waggling his fingers in the air before picking up and putting down various cassettes, glancing from them to Beth and back again. She was just starting to wonder if the sun would come up before he could settle on a proper metal introduction when Eddie seized a tape decisively and held it up like a holy grail. "This is it." He slid the cassette out of its case and loaded it into his stereo, located right at the head of his bed. He turned once more to rummage through his things until he produced a pair of headphones. "Because you can't listen to metal with the volume turned down low," he explained, plugging the cord into the stereo before clamping the headphones over Beth's ears and handing her the cassette case. "Though it'll kill me not to listen to it with you." The album was Dio's Sacred Heart; hands grasped a crystal ball with a dragon floating in it on the cover artwork.

"Just don't blow out my ear drums, please," she warned with a grin. "It's my first time. You have to be gentle." Eddie returned the grin, his tongue just visible between his teeth as he pressed play.

Beth was acutely aware of Eddie staring at her as she listened, and she purposely stared straight ahead of her, focusing on just the music. The song began with the sound of a crowd cheering, followed by notes plucked on an electric guitar and a voice howling, "He's the king of rock and roll!" The band immediately kicked in at a gallop, all relentless energy and drive. "Look out, he's evil but he's pretty," the singer crooned, and she cracked a smile, making a note to tell him she didn't realize Eddie had been memorialized in song. Her feet twitched in time. This…this is pretty good.

Beth was suddenly surprised by a flurry of activity out of the corner of her eye and Eddie grabbing her by the shoulders. Flustered, she pulled the headphones off her ears. "Jesus Chr-" Eddie's face was lit up with a kid-on-Christmas smile, leaned in so close she felt herself go cross-eyed. "What?!"

"You banged your head."

"I what?"

Eddie's voice was hushed in reverence. "You were banging your head."

Beth huffed an incredulous laugh. "…I may have nodded my head to the music…"

This was enough to send Eddie into fits of victorious glee. "Baby's first headbang!" he squealed, kissing Beth's forehead amid her bewildered protests. "So proud. Wish I had a camera."

"Oh my God, calm down," she laughed. "You're going to wake your neighbors and get hauled to jail because I liked one Dio song."

"It would be worth it," Eddie sighed, looking extremely pleased. Beth shook her head and put the headphones back on, eliciting another bout of celebration from Eddie, his lips forming the words going back for more. This time, Beth kept her eyes on him as she listened. She wanted to remember the unbridled, ridiculous joy on Eddie's face in this moment—the way his brown eyes were lit up golden, his teeth visible behind his smile. She poked the dimple in his cheek lazily, giggling at the face he pulled before poking her cheek back. Eddie surprised her with a soft kiss then, all sweet and innocent. It was perfect. This moment was perfect.

I could've had this for years.

The thought brought her up short. It was so stupid to think about-but the way Eddie looked now, it reminded her of that seventh grade talent show, when he was a twelve year old with a buzz cut, excited to play on stage for the first time. She remembered it in flashes-watching him from the wings. Watching him notice her. Feeling butterflies in her stomach for the first time.

Instead I ruined it. And I'm only realizing it now when everything's gone to shit.

Beth pulled the headphones off as she realized Eddie was waving his hand in front of her face. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, clearing her throat and looking away. "Hey, um, don't take this the wrong way, but maybe you should take advantage of the fact that you finally have a shower available to you. It's been like a week. You'll feel better after."

"Uh…okay." Eddie was still looking at her in confusion. "You sure you're good?" Beth nodded, working up a convincing smile as he managed to find a towel among his things. When he finally left the room, she slid the headphones back on and scooted down so she could curl up on the box springs, allowing the tears of regret to fall.