The Stancy Files

Chapter 1: The Interrogation

      Nancy Wheeler was at a loss for words. As soon as she had screamed "No," a final time, she was back to the real world. No music needed. She opened her eyes to a hurting, broken reality, and her knees buckled.

"I'm right here, I'm right here," her ex-boyfriend, Steve Harrington, assured her. She looked at him in terror of what had just been revealed to her. "Nance! Nance, it's okay! I'm right here." Too many thoughts flooded her mind. Vecna, Jonathan and Will and El, her family, and all of her friends. She was heart-broken. "Nancy, are you ok? Nancy?" Steve's voice brought Nancy back to reality. She leaned forward, her hands around her knees, shaking. "Come on," Steve said, touching her arm gently. "It's safer up there." Nancy nodded slightly before he helped her to her feet.

Steve made sure Nancy got all the way up, and was safe with Robin and Dustin before heading through the gate himself. He couldn't take his eyes off of Nancy, and he hated himself for it. He knew that Nancy and Jonathan were dating, but Jonathan wasn't even there when Nancy needed him. Steve had to be there for her, he wanted to be there for her. He walked over to Robin, who was standing trying to get Nancy to talk. He pulled her aside for a moment. "Hey, don't pressure her, ok? I don't know what happened, but just give her time." Robin gave him a stern look. "Steve, we all know you care for her. You're sensitive when it comes to Nance. I get it. But if it was something big and important that happened with Vecna, she's going to have to tell us. And I mean in the next twenty four hours. Everything is already a mess. You know that more than anyone." Steve rolled his eyes at that comment. "Don't rush her into it, Robin. You have to give her some time. When she came out of Vecna's curse, she looked even more mortified than she did before."  Robin shrugged. "Tomorrow. No later, Steve. It's bad to wait. Especially if Vecna comes back for her." Steve winced at that thought. It was bad enough one of his friends was already in danger, but Nancy? Nance? He loved her more than anything. He wouldn't lose her. Robin walked over to Dustin, who was speaking to Max and Lucas. Erica was talking strongly to Eddie about being cowardly.

Steve walked back over to Nancy, putting a hand on one of her shoulders. "Hey, take it easy, okay? You don't have to talk about what happened now. It's late, and we should get back to your house." Nancy nodded, looking at a spot on the floor, but then looked back up at him. "No, yeah. You're right. I- I can talk about it tomorrow." Steve looked over to Robin, trying to get everyone's attention. "Was Vecna scary?" Erica asked abruptly. Nancy nodded. "He- he's terrifying." Her face paled. "Come on guys," Steve said, changing the subject. "We should get back to the Wheelers." Eddie raised his eyebrows. "To the Wheelers? Do you have any idea how much trouble that will cause, Harrington?"

"We can stay at my trailer," Max suggested. "It's small but my mom has a night shift tonight. She won't be back until like 10:00 or something tomorrow." Lucas looked at her concerned. "You sure?" He asked. She shrugged. "It'll keep Eddie away from the police. They're still at your house," she told Nancy. Nancy nodded. Steve breathed out a shaky breath. "Nance should go home though. I'll take her." Robin eyed him for a second. "You sure that you wanna-" Dustin elbowed her, quieting her down.  "That's probably a good idea," he intervened. He faced the others, and Max specifically. "Come on everyone, we're going to Max's."

Steve and Nancy walked out of Eddie's trailer before the larger group. They got into Steve's car, Nancy still as quiet as a mouse. "Thank you," she said after minutes of silence. "For being here. It means a lot," she said, searching Steve's eyes for a response. His lips curled into a small, sad smile. "Always." He pulled his car up a little less than a quarter of a mile from the Wheeler's. "Come on," Steve said, as he put the gear into park. "I'll walk you to the door. The cops are still here, and I know they're gonna have questions." He pulled open the door for Nancy and they walked side by side to the Wheeler's front door.

Before Nancy could even knock, the door swung open. Mrs. Wheeler had dark blue bags under her eyes. "Nancy? Where have you been? Oh my god!" Karen viscously pulled her daughter into a hug. She peered up from her daughter's shoulder to find a brown eyed boy she had seen before. "Steve?" She pulled away from her shared embrace with her daughter, giving her a confused, parenting look. "Nancy, where have you been? Why is Steve here?" Nancy breathed out, looking anywhere but her mother's face, praying to avoid eye contact.

"We are friends, mom. I was at Lovers Lake with Dustin, Lucas, and Max and headed home early. But I ran into Steve after something happened with my car. He gave me a ride home. That's all." Mrs. Wheeler looked even more concerned. "Chief Powell and Officer Callahan said they found your car pinned up by Skull Rock! Are you lying to me, Nancy?" Nancy shook her head, trying to support her cause. "Of course not, mom. It's been a really long night. I just want to go to bed." Her mother shook her head, glaring at her daughter and her ex-boyfriend. "No, Nancy. The Police have questions. Very important ones. You will answer them. You too, Steve Harrington. Your popularity will not get you out of this one, mister!" Steve almost rolled his eyes, but he didn't want to come off as disrespectful to Nancy's mom. "Sorry, Mrs. Wheeler. I will." Nancy looked down, almost sad. "I guess I will too then." 

Karen Wheeler stepped back as Steve and Nancy walked into the house. She pulled Nancy away by the arm into the kitchen.
"Nancy Carolyn Wheeler! You have a boyfriend! And it is not Steve Harrington! What are you doing, lying to me? Are you going to lie to the police again too?! You always get in so much trouble with this boy!"

Nancy had had enough of her mother slut shaming her for nothing. "Mom, stop it! Nothing happened between me and Steve! NOTHING! You don't know what you're talking about because you won't listen to me and you're being a jerk to him for no reason! Just stop it already!" She stomped away angrily from the kitchen just to find the Sinclair's' parents, her dad , and Dustin's mom bickering in the living room. Holly was in the corner spying on Chief Powell and Officer Callahan interrogating Steve.

Nancy tried to get away from all of the parents, and made it to her little sister. "Hey Holly, do you have any idea of what they're saying to Steve?" The blonde little girl looked up at her and gave a bright smile. "They're so funny! They keep asking strange things like if he was with you and were you making out. I dunno what that means." Nancy winced at the ridiculous questions her friend was being asked. She was glad it was Steve though. If it had been Jonathan, things would have gotten so much worse. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't even know if she wanted to be with him anymore. He had been lying to her about something and it was obvious. Maybe he was cheating.

Nancy was so stuck in her thoughts that she missed the entire interrogation of Steve. He had walked up to her, but she hadn't even realized. "Nancy. Nance. Earth to Nancy, anyone there???" She snapped out of it. "Steve? I'm sorry they were asking you those things... you don't deserve it. It's my fault." He put a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Nance, none of this is your fault. It never has been. I don't blame you. I never really have." She gave him a small smile. "That means a lot, Steve. Really." They stood in the corner, smiling at each other as if they has never dated. Never broken up.

Nancy Wheeler was falling in love with Steve Harrington.

She didn't want to break Jonathan's heart, but he was already hurting her.

She didn't have a choice, did she?