This chapter takes place during Season 4 episode 7 & 8 when Nancy is stuck in Vecna's Trance. I will always be mad at the writers for not giving us a Stancy hug. Enjoy!

Vecna's Trance

Nancy's eyes were rolled back into her head and Steve was panicking. He had his hands around Nancy's head shaking her to try to get her to wake up. He knew it wasn't going to work but he felt hopeless and useless and couldn't just stand there and do nothing while Vecna killed Nancy.

"Nancy, just stay with me! Stay with me okay!?" Steve shouted to Nancy but really it was mostly to himself since she was unresponsive.

Steve turned to the gate in the ceiling and shouted at the others.

"Whatever you guys are doing up there HURRY UP!"

"Steve says you need to hurry!" Erica relayed to the group.

Steve barely heard Dustin shout back at him. He was focused on Nancy's face. What if this was it? What if his last words to her were 'see you on the other side' what if these were his last moments with Nancy Wheeler?

As he stood there he brought his trembling hands down from her hair to her shoulders and he finally admitted to himself what everyone else already seemed to know. He still loved her, he never stopped.

Eddie told him she loved him back but that can't be true. He was never what she wanted. It doesn't really matter now but Steve wished more than anything he could have one more chance to talk to her. He would tell her how he really felt, he would ask her her favorite song, ask her about her dreams and he would tell her his own. He wanted to know everything about her but now it was too late. He would never get the chance.

Steve felt tears well up in his eyes. He had always pictured Nancy getting the hell out of this town and having a really great job where she wore those pencil skirt things with a blouse and a blazer. In his craziest fantasies she would come home from work to him and their kids and they'd never have to worry about the upside down again. She wasn't supposed to die like this. He wished more than anything he could trade places with her. Why did Vecna have to choose her?

But he knew why. Nancy kept everything bottled up and blamed herself whenever anything went wrong. She always felt like she had to be the strong one. It was all his fault really. It's just another reason she could never actually love him. Her guilt began because of him and if she died today he would never forgive himself.

The others ran back to the gate.

"Steve! There's nothing here that will work."

"There has to be something we could do." Steve didn't let go of Nancy. He was determined to do something before she started to rise into the air.

"What if I sing to her? You think that'll work?" Steve asked the group.

"It can't hurt right?" Robin added.

"What's her favorite song?" Erica asked.

No one knew the answer to that. Steve thought about it. He could remember her loving Blondie when they dated. She even had a poster in her room. He didn't know if she still loved The Tide is High but that's all he could come up with so he was going with it.

Steve opened his mouth to start singing but Nancy's eyes snapped open suddenly and with a gasp she began falling backwards.

Steve was surprised by her sudden gasp and tried to catch her and calm her at the same time.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."

Steve managed to stop her head from hitting the floor. He was crouched at an awkward angle and his bat bites were burning his sides but he didn't care. Nancy was alive and he had never been more grateful for anything in his life.

Nancy didn't say anything she was just breathing heavily and looked more frightened than Steve had ever seen her.

"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay." Steve chanted softly as he cradled her face with one hand and his other wrapped around the back of her shoulders keeping her upper body off the floor. "It's okay. I'm right here. I'm right here." He whispered softly to her.

Nancy looked up at him. Her eyes that were still full of fright began to fill with tears as well.

Steve pulled her to his chest in a tight hug. He would have been embarrassed to do something like this a few minutes ago but now he was too relieved to care. Nancy seemed to be okay with it anyway. She clung to his vest tightly and began to cry into his chest.

Steve turned his body so he was sitting and took Nancy with him never breaking their hug. She was practically in his lap now as he buried his head in her curls and sighed in relief.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked in a shaky voice and winced realizing what a dumb question that was.

Nancy nodded in his chest. Her answer was as dumb as his question. She obviously wasn't okay. She was trembling slightly and Steve could feel her tears soaking his shirt. He held her closer and began to rub his hands up and down her back trying to provide some comfort.

"I'm glad you're not dead." Steve said awkwardly.

Nancy would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire. "Me too." Nancy croaked out and moved her arms from the front of his vest around to his sides to give him a proper hug.

"How'd you get out of there?"

Nancy shook her head. "He, he let me go. He wants me to tell Eleven what I saw." Nancy said squeezing Steve tighter.

Steve flinched when Nancy's hands squeezed his bat bites. Nancy realized she was causing him pain so she jumped back and broke their hug.

"Sorry." She mumbled hoarsely.

"It's okay." Steve whispered. It really was. He couldn't care less about his bat bites. He only cared that she was okay. He wanted to tell her all the things he was thinking about before but this wasn't the time for that. He vowed to himself that he would tell her everything before their next near death experience. For now he was content with just being in the presence of a living, breathing Nancy Wheeler.

Steve didn't want to cause her more distress but curiosity got the best of him. "What did you see?" Steve asked hesitantly.

There was too much for Nancy to say while they're still in the upside down. All she wanted at the moment was to get out of this place. As if on queue a throat cleared from above them and Steve and Nancy looked up to see six pairs of eyes watching them.

"I think it's time you guys get the hell out of there, yeah?" Eddie suggested.

Steve and Nancy nodded in agreement. Steve helped her to her feet and she leaned heavily on him.

"I'll give you a boost." Steve suggested as he crouched and held his hands out for her to step into.

Nancy was grateful for the help. The thought of trying to climb out and getting caught by Vecna again scared the crap out of her. She gave Steve a nod and grabbed the rope.

Steve nodded back and Nancy stepped into his offered hands with one of her hands holding onto Steve's shoulder for balance and comfort not that she would admit the second part to anyone.

Steve hoisted her up as high as he could so she was more than halfway up the rope when she stepped out of his hands.

She pulled herself the rest of the way and when she fell through to the other side Steve's heart was in his throat. He held his breathe until she safely got off the mattress and was pulled into a group hug by all the kids.

Steve sagged in relief that Nancy had gotten through with no issues. He suddenly felt extremely tired and figured he could use a boost himself so he dragged an end table over and hopped on top of it before dragging himself up through the gate.

He let out a grunt as he fell onto the mattress holding his bites. Robin and Eddie each grabbed a hand to drag him up into a standing position.

"Welcome back to the right side up." Eddie said clapping him on the shoulder.

Steve turned looking for Nancy, not ready to let her out of his site yet. She was already looking at him as she addressed everyone in the room.

"We need to talk."