One of the bat like creatures that clung onto Steve stomach went flying across the place with a screech of pain.

"Hey there" Nancy Wheeler stood tall above Steve with an oar smacking the bats.

Margaret smiled, maybe she wouldn't die.

The bat on her arm being yanked away, lifting her gaze above her head to see Eddie, looking rather angry.

Throwing the bat as far away as he could he did the same with the one in her back.

Pulling her up from under her arms while Nancy and Robin tended to Steve. She stood on shaking legs, knowing she would've fell again had Eddie not held her tight.

Steve releasing himself after biting the bats tail.

Eddie looked up as more swarmed, taking another glance at Margaret who had now steadied herself, "I'm fine now, I'm okay" she gave a weak but reassuring smile as he let her go smacking every bat that came her way with another oar he'd dropped on the ground when he got to her.

That was until it snapped at the sheer force of his hits.

While Margaret balanced herself Steve stood in front of her, still shirtless and shoeless ripping a bat in half entirely and throwing its remains off the the side.

"Jesus H Christ!" Eddie yelled looking around the hellhole they'd found themselves in.

Eddie then stormed back over towards Margaret holding her face in his hands tilting her head so she'd look up at him. She had never seen Eddie look as annoyed as he had right about now.

"Uh- do you guys think these things have like rabies?" Robins question having Margaret's head snap her way, eyes widening.

Robin continued to blab on about getting the pair of them to a hospital while Margaret stared down at her arm in disbelief. She had been chewed on like a dog toy by some weird bad like creature.

The sound of screeching had Eddie grabbing Margaret and pulling her behind him before Nancy had called for the 5 of them to hide in the near by very creepy looking woods. The type of woods you'd find in a horror movie.

Margaret let out a whine at the thought while running hand in hand with Eddie.

The bats continued to soar above their heads while the found some form of shelter underneath a stone structure, Margaret felt she couldn't concentrate at the feeling of her wounds. Sliding back down to the wall near by Eddie who dropped down to face her as soon as she did.

Nancy and Robin had tended to Steve while Eddie made an attempt to help Margaret.

"I don't know what to do here" he held his hands out looking at her arm.

She let out a muffled sounding giggle.

"Rip my shirt, the bottom of it" Eddie gave her a look, "you can tie it round my arm and a second piece can go around me to cover my back" she become more breathless the more she spoke.

He nodded. Hands shaking slightly as he reached for the bottom of her top.

"You realise if I rip two pieces big enough your whole stomach will be on show" he held on to the bottom of the fabric that was still a little damp.

Margaret nodded, "I was a cheerleader Ed, I'm pretty used to it" the new nickname making him smile, "besides I trust you lot to be respectful" she bit her lip, mostly due to the pain, "for the most part" her suggesting words taking him by surprise.

He did exactly as he was told.

Ripping one strip from the bottom of her shirt, wide enough to cover the cut on her arm. Ripping a second strip and leaving the shirt ripped and only down to her belly bottom. Although that was the least of the girls worries.

He held her arm in his hand so gentle one would think she had been made of glass.

She gave him a nod as he looked up to ensure she wanted him to do this, "make sure it's tight" she didn't look as he wrapped the fabric around her arm, pulling it tightly while she winced in pain.

His eyes squeezing shut at the idea of hurting her.

Even if he had to open them soon after to tie a not and have it held in place.

For the second patch up job he had her sit forward by placing his hands above her hips and pulling her towards him, the fabric between his teeth as he did.

He grabbed it with one of the hands that was now behind her back, pulling it round her in the way a cross body bag would sit. So the fabric could be tied under the arm at the other side of her body.

The fabric now wrapped across her chest and back so it covered her injury.

He lay her back gently giving her a nod.

She only put a hand out hinting for him to help her up, which of course he did as carefully as he could. He held her tightly, as if she were about to break at any given moment.

Although, as soon as she stood up, and eased her weight off Eddie she watched as his expression changed from concern to anger.

"Thank y-"

"What the hell were you thinking?" She hadn't thought she'd ever heard him this annoyed.

In fact it took her a moment to realise just what he'd said, instead she stood staring up at his face, nostrils flaring and pupils constricted and in her peripheral she could see his chest rising and falling quickly.

"I-" she cleared her throat trying to focus, "I was trying to help Steve" she looked straight ahead as he ran a hand over his face.

His hair had still be wet, as had hers.

"You would've died if-" Eddie stopped talking then, or rather, stopped yelling. The pair had caught the attention of the other 3 opposite them.

Eddie shook his head, walking away from Margaret, heading toward a cliff looking rock.

"Eddie-" she tried to reach out for him but she couldn't walk as fast as he had done.

She only stared ahead watching as he climbed up to stand at the top. She knew he hadn't been angry that she tried to help Steve, more the danger she'd put herself in when doing so.

Robin had been by her side, she hadn't even noticed the girl had walked toward her until she put an arm over her shoulders pulling her in for the briefest and most awkward hug she'd even had. Robin even went as far to pat her on the back afterwards.

"At least it's not rabies right?" Robin spoke up, quickly getting an unimpressed look from the girl beside her, "if we look at the positives- okay, I realise now was not the time to say that" she gave her an awkward pat on the head as if she were a cat.

Robin awkwardly walked back to Nancy and Steve while Margaret just stared at Eddie.

"So uh- this place is like Hawkins but with monsters and nasty shit" he turned back around to face the 3, not Margaret, trying to ignore her momentarily because if he hadn't he was worried he'd totally loose it with her.

"Pretty much" Nancy let out a held in breath while helping Steve stand, "and watch out for the vines, it's all a hive mind"

Margaret staggered backward, allowing them to argue between themselves, taking a glance over to where her and Steve had been pulled in from, bats had continued to guard it unyieldingly. She took a glance down at her arm which had now been wrapped up, still feeling the sting.

She had thought about what was happening back home, how her mother would have reacted to her fathers death.

She knew she'd blame her which was quite frankly the only good thing about being stuck here.

Her mother couldn't hunt her down.

Unless she planned on a spontaneous trip to visit Vecna, the being that more than likely killed her husband.

The mutters ceased as the sound of fabric smacking someone had her turn to face the group.

Steve now held Eddies denim vest, pulling it over his arms, while Eddie stepped towards her with his leather jacket being tugged off his own body. Holding it out to her.

"I don't need it" she tried to be petty, she hadn't really known why but if he could be, so could she.

"Take it" his words were demanding, "put it on or I'll put it on you myself" she wanted to push back, although she knew he was only trying to help.

Even if he was being an ass about it.

"Fine" she snatched the jacket from his hand, pulling it on.

The heat of it being an incredible feeling.

The feeling that didn't last long when the whole place began shaking and the sounds of cracking filled her ears, falling into Eddie who already had been reaching out to grab her.

He held her tight in front of him knowing he was falling backward and being the soft landing for her.

She ducked her head into his chest as the lay there intwined.

The screeching of God knows what having her look back up, "yea so guns seem like a pretty good idea to me" Eddie piped up as the shaking stopped.

"Guns?" Margaret looked toward him while he helped her up once more. 

"Ask Wheeler" she wanted to roll her eyes at that.

Though she refrained, trying not to irritate him further, looking towards Nancy, who finally walked toward Margaret.

Her hand delicately finding Margaret's back as they started their trek to the Wheeler household.

"Hey are you okay?" Nancy whispered to her counterpart as they walked ahead of Steve and Eddie, with Robin walking alone in between the two groups.

"Uh yea- the cuts aren't so deep, I'll be fine"

"That's not what I meant" Margaret looked toward Nancy at her words to find her giving her the look. She was talking about Eddie, "I saw you both, in the woods, and when we the three of us came up through that portal, he ran to you without a second thought, didn't care for all the bats flying toward him" Nancy gave Margaret a shoulder nudge, "although, I also saw how cold he was just then" she shook her head, "and men say we send mixed signals".

The two girls laughed, something both Steve and Eddie noticed.

"Right?" Margaret let out her remaining laughter before realising Nancy was still looking her way awaiting an answer, "I think he's annoyed, because I could've died" she shook her head this time letting out a hollow laugh, "but we could all die any day living in that hellhole" referring to the normal Hawkins, she looked around, "but I must say it isn't quite as bad as this"

Margaret looked down as she spoke making sure she didn't step on any of the vines.

"He cares about you" Nancy smiled her way, "I know that much".

Margaret turned back to find Steve staring ahead.

"Just as Steve cares for you" Margaret's words had Nancy now quickly looking back to find Steve still staring her way.

A smile finding Nancys lips as she looked ahead.

"If only life was that simple" Nancy muttered.

"We can dream right?" Margaret now returned the shoulder nudge, "I know you and Byers have your whole thing and I also know I've never really seen you two together so maybe I'm speaking out of turn here but" Margaret swallowed harshly hoping Nancy wouldn't take it in the wrong way, noticing Robins presence now by her side, "Steve, he really would do anything for you, I could tell when we both sat there waiting for those bat things to kill us" Nancy looked at Margaret as she spoke, as did Robin, "he was trying to call your name while I tried to rip that thing from his neck"

Margaret shivered at the thought of that moment.

"Well" Robin perked up, "I thought Eddie was a total run and don't look back, type of guy but I don't think I've ever seen someone move as fast as he did when you were pulled into that water"

That had Margaret wanting to run to him, tell him she was sorry, tell him how she felt this overwhelming love for him.

"Yea, he didn't even have to think about it" Nancy confirmed what Robin had just said.

Margaret turned around for one last look back at the boys, this time, looking Eddies way only to find him already looking ahead at her.