Beyond the Battle: Action & Consequence (Steddie, Stranger Things)

Chapter 36: Good Talk

Steve knew that look on his mother's face. It was time for the long overdue conversation about everything that had been going on in Hawkins. The house was finally devoid of people except for Eddie and Wayne, even Robin having gone home, and Steve wasn't sure if Wayne and his mom had conspired, but he had spotted Wayne and Eddie sitting in the backyard looking like they were having a serious conversation.

"You want to talk," he said.

"If that's alright with you," his mom replied. "I would like to understand all this from your point of view before I even attempt to explain it to your father. I still cannot believe they would not let you tell us."

"National security I guess," he said. "Grab a chair, this might take a while."

His mother came over and sat down at the kitchen table next to him. He'd originally been looking for Eddie but had rerouted to having a coffee and a snack when he'd spotted his boyfriend was with his uncle.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, taking a sip of his drink to cover the nervousness that was fizzing through his stomach.

His mom frowned for a moment and then sighed quietly.

"Everything?" she asked. "How did you become involved in all this?"

Steve took a deep breath.

"Well, I found out what was going on when I went over to the Byers house to apologise," he replied, "but it really all began for me when I invited Nancy over for a small party with Tommy and Carol when you and Dad were out of town, and she brought her friend Barb."

"The girl killed by the chemical spill?" his mom asked.

He nodded.

"Only not a chemical spill, a Demogorgon, and she was taken from our pool," he replied. "It took her into the Upside Down and killed her." He paused, not sure he wanted to say what was in his head. "It's possible it was really here for me," he eventually admitted.

His mom put her hand to her mouth.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because of what I can do," he replied. "We have a theory that Will was taken because of his latent abilities, so he was useful to Vecna who was controlling the hive mind. It's possible he sent the monster for me too, but it found Barb instead."

"Oh, darling," his mom said, reaching out to place a hand over his on the table. "You do know it's not your fault though?"

He gave a small sad smile at that.

"So I have been told by both Robin and Eddie," he replied.

"Well, they are both right," his mom told him firmly.

He nodded, because it was easier than going into the guilt he still felt. No matter what logic said he was probably always going to feel it because, whichever way he looked at it, Barb had been there because of him.

"Jonathan and Nancy worked out what had happened," he went on, glossing over the how, "and they were trying to find Will. I went to the Byers and a Demogorgon invaded and I helped out with Jonathan's nail studded baseball bat. After that there was no going back."

He continued to explain everything he remembered and everything he had learned from the others as his mom put in the odd question, and he did start to feel strangely lighter for being able to tell everything from his point of view. His mom had held his hand hard when he explained about Billy Hargrove and the plate, but she didn't stop him as he kept talking. Then they got to the part about Starcourt.

"So, you ended up in a Russian base beneath the new mall?" his mom asked, tone rather higher than her usual speaking voice.

He nodded.