'Mia?' Robin urged, panic flooding through her. Mia Moreno wasn't one for dropping her words midsentence, nor was she one to stop at the top of the stairs with no warning. 'Guys!'

Footsteps bounded up the steps behind her. She was grateful for once that the Wheelers pretty much ignored them when they were round, she wasn't sure she could explain any of this to them.

'Shit,' Steve cursed, and Robin felt that he was behind her. He gently moved passed her, moved so that he was directly in front of Mia. His eyes were wide, terror behind them as he gripped his best friend's shoulders.

'What's her favourite song?' Nancy asked, her voice far calmer than Robin thought the situation warranted. She was grateful for that calm though, it grounded Robin to the moment.

'I – I don't know!' hissed Steve, fingers gripping her shoulders tightly, as if he could keep her rooted to the spot and by default stop anything awful happening.

'Something out of a musical?' suggested Dustin.

'No,' Robin said, far more conviction behind her voice than she really felt. Mia had been about to give her that nugget of information, about to share with her the thing that would save her in this very situation. But it had been too late. Too late for any of them to make a list of known favourite songs. Why hadn't that been the first thing they'd done?

'Anyone know any musical theatre?' Steve asked, attention skipping towards where they were all crowded on the stairs. 'Shit! What's that film she used to talk about?' His attention was on Robin in an instant, and she felt her insides squirming.

But now wasn't the time to worry about the truth of her crush coming out. Not when Mia's life hung in the balance. 'Little Shop of Horrors,' she said, but her mind was a blank for any of the songs Mia had tried to get sheet music for.

Steve opened his mouth, but Robin knew he was coming up just as blankly as she was. The musical should have been engraved in her memory. The September after Mia had seen it, all she'd done was hum the songs during lessons. Her whole face had lit up, and she'd tried to persuade her teachers that they needed to put it on as their school production.

'What if it doesn't have to be favourite?' Dustin suggested, moving so that he was standing on the step beside Robin. 'Maybe it's any song.'

'Ridin' high,' started Steve uncertainly, his voice tentative but full attention on Mia,'when I was king –'

'Played it hard and fast cause I had everything,' Robin joined in, catching his eye and nodding ever so slightly. It was a song she'd heard Mia humming when they were meant to be working on school projects. A song she knew Steve had had on tape in his car at one point. He'd mentioned it in passing, a song Mia's father listened to.

And so, they awkwardly sang together, Robin carefully moving to put a hand on Mia's back. Her heart thundered, Robin felt it racing beneath her hand and wondered exactly what Mia was seeing, what Vecna was using against her.

They'd just reached the chorus when Mia gasped. She collapsed against Steve, panting as he clawed at her jacket, pulling her in tighter. The tension in the air shattered, a collective sigh of relief from behind her.

'It's OK,' Steve said, his voice shaking ever so slightly. 'You're here. You're back.'

Mia sobbed softly, and that was the only incentive Robin needed to wrap her arms around the both of them in a hug of her own. Her heart thundered, and she wondered if Mia could feel it too.

She didn't know how long they stayed like that for, how long she was clutching at Steve's shirt for in the hopes that somehow the two of them might be able to protect Mia, but eventually Mia coughed and wriggled enough that they freed her from the hug.

Mia's eyes were red, tears glistened down her cheeks, but there was a conviction about the way she straightened that made Robin realise she was compartmentalising her emotions.

'We need a list of favourite songs,' Mia said, voice slightly ragged.

'Yes,' Nancy agreed, moving so she was in the hallway with them, 'but we'll do that in the cars. Getting to Creel house in daylight's probably the safest option.'

The others murmured their agreement and hurried passed.

Mia lingered for a moment, murmured something Robin was sure sounded like a thank you, before she hurried after them.

Steve let out a long breath, ran a weary hand down his face. 'That was too close.'

'She's still here,' Robin said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. 'Good memory.'

Steve scoffed softly. 'Ivan used to sing it sometimes,' he admitted, slowly following after the others. 'Awfully, might I add, while he made breakfast. Shit.' He tugged his hands through his hair. 'How did I forget that?'

'You didn't,' she assured him, earning his full attention. He seemed to be scrutinising her, and Robin fidgeted under the gaze.

'How did you know the song?'

Robin shrugged, eager to brush off the comment, but she took a deep breath. Steve knew. Steve had known almost since she'd admitted to him that she liked girls.

'Tell her, Robin,' he said softly, reaching to give her hand a gentle squeeze. 'Just tell her.'

'I will,' she vowed, though the words were somehow more terrifying than having seen Mia so still, seen the fear behind Steve's eyes when he realised they might just loose her. 'I will.'

'My cousin decided,' Belle told Eddie, and he could hear the smile in her voice as he continued to throw seeds into the paint pot, needing to do something with his hands, 'that downing the drink was a good idea.'

Eddie chuckled softly, his attention straying to her briefly. She was smirking, the memory seemed to brighten her eyes. It was the only time he'd heard her talking about time away from Hawkins, time spent with her family in Canada. So many times he'd worried something awful was happening, but had reassured himself that the rest of her family were still there. That Mathieu loved his sister and wouldn't have been able to stay as calm as he had if something too awful was happening.

'What happened?'

'She was sick the whole evening. Promised never to touch the stuff again. Two days later?'

'Drunk again?'

Belle chuckled softly, a sound that Eddie couldn't help grinning at. But the sound was cut short by the slamming of a car door.

Eddie ducked down, hurried over to the window. He felt Belle step up beside him as he peered over the windowsill. Whatever hope he'd allowed himself that it might have been the others was shattered as he spotted the 4x4. His attention strayed towards the woods, where Belle's bike was just about protected from view.

Jason Carver jumped down from the driver's seat. Luis Moreno was next, followed by Patrick and Andy. All of them had weapons held loosely in their hands, and black suits that made him realise today must have been Chrissy's funeral. His insides squirmed at the realisation.

'Shit. Shit,' hissed Eddie, moving to the other window for a better view. He glanced briefly at Belle, but she was slowly standing. 'What're you doing?'

'Going to talk to them.'

'Are you crazy?!' Eddie stood, placed his hands firmly on her shoulders; he wasn't entirely sure if he could keep her there in good conscience. 'I don't think they're here for a chat.'

'Well maybe I can talk some –'

'Sense into them?' Eddie scoffed, and he felt Belle tensing. 'Please.'

Defiance flashed behind her eyes. He wondered if she was going to push him away, but after a moment she took a breath.

'Maybe the others are on their way.'

'And maybe they're not,' she countered.

Eddie scrambled away, trying to keep himself between Belle and the door; he scooped the Walkie Talkie up from the side. He still remembered the day at the fair, the day he'd hoped would just be a nice time together. The day a man had been shot and rather than walking away, Belle had tried to save him. Had stayed until the last moment despite the anger hurled their way by the man's friend. Belle, at least, seemed to be remaining put.

The Walkie chirped to life as he peered out the window. The jocks were heading for the house. 'Hey, Dustin. You there? It's Eddie. You remember me, right? Hey, er, if anyone's there, I really think we might be in a bit of trouble here. OK? Wheeler?' He hit the Walkie, his attention skittering back to Belle. She still looked like she was determined to head outside and try talking to Jason and his cronies. 'Anybody?!'

The silence of the channel felt deafening.

'We can't just sit here.'

'Yes, we can,' Eddie snapped, turning to face her, his breathing ragged. He huffed out a breath, closed the distance between them. He could feel Belle's breathing against his chest.

'They're just kids.'

'Kids with weapons, Belle.'

She chewed on her tongue, he saw her jaw working, saw that she was trying to figure out what to say, what might make him see her way of thinking. But fear wasn't going to allow for that. While her fear seemed to urge her into action, his yelled at him to run. To hide. To keep away from the danger in the hopes of protecting himself.

Something softened behind her eyes. 'Hunt the freak?'

Eddie released a breath of relief. 'Yeah.'

'OK,' she said softly. 'We'll wait.'

Darkness had finally descended over the boathouse, and Belle was feeling jittery. She knew Eddie had a point, that nothing good could come from confronting the jocks, and yet part of her still wanted to go out there and prove to them that they were wrong. She wanted to claim the mess of the house was her, and yet her brain stalled for a reason as to why she'd be anywhere near Reefer Rick's place. Eddie moved to the window, peered out into the darkness once more. From her spot on the side of the boat, Belle could see the door, but the fear practically radiating from Eddie made making any movement towards the door a near impossible feat.

'We can't sit here forever,' she murmured. 'I could grab my bike, draw them –'

'No,' Eddie said, crouching as he crept towards her, the Walkie Talkie still clasped in his hand. 'Dustin? Please. Ar – are you there? Never mind.' He straightened, a look of determination behind his eyes. 'You're going to hide.'

'I'm going to what now?' she asked, tracking his movements as he went to one of the ropes supporting the boat. His attention was resolutely on his hands, not straying towards her.

'Hide.' He untied one and started getting to work on another. 'They're looking for me.'

'Yeah, exactly the reason you should stay here,' she countered. She jumped off the boat and moved towards him, trying to move into his eye line. 'I can draw them away from here.'

'And if they catch you? Hm?'

Belle huffed out a breath. They'd already done this, already run through this argument several times, and she wasn't really in the mood to go over it all over again. 'If I hide, what are you going to do?'

'I can get away on the boat.'

'And if they see you?'

'Then you can ride away and –'

'Leave you to the whims of jocks who seem high on bloodlust?' She scoffed bitterly.

'Go get the cavalry,' he said, finally unknotting the last rope and straightening. He looked towards her properly now, and she could see the fear behind his eyes. Never before had she known Eddie Munson to be scared of jocks. But then, never before had Belle known the jocks to act like animals rather than humans. At least to this extent. 'Please, Belle.'

'Fine,' she relented, the word tasting bitter in her mouth. 'Just don't get caught.'

'Wasn't planning on it,' he said, the ghost of a smile across his lips before he jumped into the boat. 'Stay hidden, Cinderella.'

She nodded, not trusting herself to give it voice. She couldn't promise that, and they both knew it. For a moment, they held each other's gaze, neither wanting to be the first to move just in case the other didn't follow through. But then Eddie pushed the boat out onto the water.

Belle watched as he quietly tried to get further out. She waited until she heard a door opening. Her attention snapped to the doorway. The jocks had finally figured out that Eddie wasn't hiding in the house. She cast one last glance at the lake, at Eddie, before ducking behind some crates.

She wondered if she should have blocked the door, tried to make the jocks think he was still in there. Distracted them for a moment to give him more time. But the idea had barely come to fruition before somebody kicked the door in. Belle placed her fingers tightly over her lips, preventing the shocked squeak from escaping her.

'Maybe he really isn't here,' Luis offered softly. 'Just another druggy looking for a free hit.'

'The tire tracks though,' murmured Patrick, and Belle's insides squirmed.

'Shit,' cursed Luis. Footsteps hurried away, getting quieter after a moment.

'Hey, freak!' Jason's voice sounded distant, far enough away that Belle scrambled from behind the crates, moving to the mouth of the boathouse. Eddie stopped paddling, turned in their direction. She wanted to yell at him to keep going, but determinedly bit the comment back. Who knew if they'd seen her bike. If they'd cut off her only means of escape because they thought it was Eddie's. 'Where do you think you're going?'

Eddie tried to pull on the motor, but it was no use. She heard splashing; footsteps rushed away from the scene, probably to get Andy.

Her heart thundered. Two people finally came into view, moving quickly through the water and towards Eddie who was still struggling with the motor.

'Come on, Eddie,' she whispered, hands still clasped close to her mouth.

He struggled for a second longer before he started paddling again; but the two figures were catching up to him too fast. And Eddie seemed to realise it. He stopped, stood, wielding the oar like a weapon.

Eddie swung the oar, trying to bat away Jason and Patrick.

And then he stopped. She wanted to yell at him to keep going, but what use was it? The swimmers were right there. Given his eagerness to get away, the sudden change in his reaction sent a shiver of dread down her back.

A figure shot up out of the water, rising into the air like a bullet. From their stature, she guessed it was Patrick. Something splashed, but Belle dare not take her eyes off the figure. On the way their limbs snapped, twisting into strange angles before they dropped back into the water.

Bile rose up her throat, and Belle hastily covered her mouth before she could retch. Even knowing that this was part of Vecna's curse, she still couldn't believe it was happening. She was helpless to do anything. Helpless to save them. Helpless to assist Eddie with dealing with it all. There might not have been blood, but Belle felt the urge to wash her hands clean of it nonetheless.