Chapter 51, Leap of Faith
(Ep. 9: The Piggyback)

"Okay, I wanna run through it one more time."

Currently, the group was inside the trailer that Steve had parked deep in the woods to prevent anyone from finding it.

"Phase one," Nancy turned around, standing in front of the RV while the others were in the back.

"We meet Erica at the playground," Gwen explained. "When we're ready, she'll signal Max and Lucas."

"Phase two."

"Max baits Vecna," Steve reluctantly said, not at all thrilled about her being used as a distraction and putting herself in danger. "He'll go after her, which will put him in his trance."

"Phase three?"

"Me, Eddie, and Natalia draw the bats away," Dustin pointed at the pair behind him, causing Eddie to place his hand on his head and shake it playfully.

"Four?"

"We head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair, and..." Robin raised the Molotov cocktail she and Steve had prepared, "... flambé."

"Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied," Nancy ordered. "Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?"

"Got it," the six answered in unison.

With that, everyone gathered their weapons and headed out the RV. They made their way back to Eddie's trailer with Steve leading the way, Gwen, Nancy, and Robin following behind, while the rest stayed at the very back. All of them were silent, not knowing what to say that would make this any better as they knew there were only two ways this could end.

A. Each phase goes accordingly and Vecna ends up getting defeated.

B. Something goes wrong, resulting in any of them getting hurt and not being able to kill Vecna.

It was safe to say which option they preferred, but of course, only time would tell.

Once arriving at the trailer, Steve turned on the light and removed his bag off his shoulder as he stared at the rope. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the maneuver he'd have to make.

"Be careful," Dustin told him.

"Thanks, buddy," Steve patted him gently on the shoulder and looked over at Gwen, who sent him a reassuring smile that made him feel much better. He stepped forward and wrapped his hands around the sheets to begin climbing, "Here goes nothing."

Within a quick second, Steve landed in a swift way on the other side. He had performed an impressive spin halfway in the air, leaving him standing all proudly at his success as he gazed up at them with a boastful smirk.

Gwen pressed her lips into a tight line, not wanting to smile at the very attractive sight, especially when seeing she was the only one that was impressed by his movements.

Robin nonchalantly shrugged and turned to Nancy, "What does he want us to do, applaud?"

"All right," Steve announced once he placed a mattress under the rope to soften the fall. "Let's go."

Gwen removed her backpack and curled her hands around the rope. She started climbing up, not daring to think how the last time she did this, she ended up stuck in her trance. She knew she was no longer cursed, but it didn't change that she was still afraid, but once she managed to find those brown sets of eyes, all of her fears started fading to the back of her mind knowing he'd be there to catch her.

She landed on the mattress in a soft thud with her eyes closed. Once she opened them, she was welcomed by the sight of Steve offering his hand to help her up.

"Don't worry, love. I got you," Steve pulled her toward him, landing their faces in close proximity.

Like magnets being drawn to the other, they were unable to prevent their eyes from looking into theirs. The world around them faded the more they stared into their eyes, resembling a golden daylight and the beauty of the ocean waves. Slowly, they traced down to their lips as they desperately sought to become one.

Her voice nearly resembled a whisper, "Thank you."

He stared at her for a little longer, as if staring into the face of the sun, "Anytime."

Minutes later, everyone and their weapons landed safely on the other side. With as much haste, they walked out of the trailer with Nancy leading the way. It was the time to go their separate ways and it was only then when everything was starting to set in.

While everyone walked away, Dustin, Eddie, and Natalia remained.

Gwen came to an abrupt halt.

Steve did the same.

"Hey, guys, listen. If things here start to go south, I mean at all, you abort," he told them, as if offering a reminder. "Draw the attention of the bats. Keep 'em busy for a minute or two. We'll take care of Vecna. Don't try to be cute or be a hero or something. Okay? You guys are just-"

"Decoys," Dustin finished his sentence. "Don't worry. You can be the hero, Steve."

"You know that's not what he meant," Gwen walked toward the pair, but it was then when she focused more on her brother and Eddie. "Be careful, alright? Don't do anything stupid."

"Understood, Gwen," Eddie said, gesturing to them both. "I mean, look at us. We are not heroes."

Natalia gently slapped his shoulder, more in a reprimanding way. "Stop speaking down on yourself. You're much braver than you think."

His eyes narrowed in disbelief as he considered if her words were actually said, "Thanks for that. I didn't think the princess had a heart underneath that cold exterior."

She playfully rolled her eyes, "You'd be surprised."

Gwen then approached her brother and held him in a tight embrace, "Please take care of yourself and don't do anything impulsive. I love you, so I better see you in one piece when I get back."

"I love you too," Dustin nuzzled deeper into her shoulder, holding onto her tightly as if he were obtaining one last touch of warmth. He glanced up at her, lowering his voice to a near whisper, "Promise me that you will come back safe and sound. If things get dangerous, you will run off as well, okay?"

She nodded, "I'll come back and find you, so you wait for me."

He nodded back, "I'll wait for you."

Gwen hugged him for a little longer. She didn't want to part ways from him, but she trusted that he was in good hands. He was much safer in the trailer than at the Creel house, so she placed her faith in the belief that somehow the universe would keep him protected.

"I'll come back," she promised, and reluctantly leaned away.

Steve offered his hand, both of them now walking hand in hand into the forest.

"Hey, Steve?" Eddie suddenly called out. "Make him pay."

The two of them nodded in understanding before Steve looked away, leaving just Gwen and Eddie staring at each other. With just one look, the promise made earlier at the field was remembered.

Eddie's expression was gentle and apprehensive, one that indicated he'd do anything to keep Dustin safe, and that was enough for Gwen to finally walk away.

__________________

The walk from the trailer park to the Creel House felt much longer than expected. Everything looked the same and it sure didn't help having small flashlights as their only source of illumination.

Gwen looked around and was cautious over where she stepped. She felt an odd sense of familiarity to when she, Nancy, and Jonathan were searching for clues back in '83. It was the same lev of darkness, except the colors were much more vibrant and the air didn't feel as intoxicating. The Upside Down was colder and more dull. Even with its tinge of blue hues, there was a lifeless ambience surrounding the area, making it the place for nightmares and terrors to brew.

"Uh... I don't mean to freak anyone out, but I swear we've seen this tree before," Robin broke the silence as her voice shook nervously. She waved her flashlight around all frantically, inspecting each tree with much more detail just in case she was wrong.

"That's impossible," Nancy argued.

Robin nervously laughed, "That would suck, right? If Vecna destroyed the world because... 'cause we got lost in the woods?"

"We're not lost," Gwen tried reassuring her as she knew this was just Robin's nerves getting the better of her. "I'm certain we're going the right way."

Robin started walking away in an attempt to find the right path, causing Nancy to call out to her, "Robin, hey. Watch out for the vines! Hive mind. Remember?"

"Thank you!" Robin sarcastically said, continuing to run ahead in a much more careful way,

Gwen took a deep breath and continued looking around. She was certain they weren't lost. If they managed to walk all the way from Skull Rock to Nancy's home, then walking to the Creel House should be a piece of cake. Besides, the others couldn't move on to the next phase if they don't hear from them, so really, remaining calm was the only way to get through this.

Steve kept a close eye on Gwen as she walked in front of them. He waved his flashlight into the trees all while walking alongside Nancy, "Uh, don't worry about Robin. She's just stressed. You know, scared."

"Yeah. Yeah. I... I know," Nancy told him, "It's just..."

"She's a super klutz?"

Both of them laughed slightly before Nancy said, "She did tell me that it took her longer to walk than most babies, so..."

Steve softly chuckled, "I really shouldn't laugh. When I was a baby, I actually crawled backwards."

Nancy raised a brow at him, "Crawled backwards?"

"You know, I'd push my hands like this. Beep. Beep," he demonstrated by moving his arms forward and backwards. "Always in reverse, you know? Like come on, it makes sense. You push to move, right?"

"No, no it doesn't make sense," Nancy shook her head, chuckling at the image of a baby Steve crawling backwards.

"Well, it did to my tiny little Harrington brain," Steve tried defending himself and continued explaining. "That is until I reversed my baby butt down a flight of stairs and thumped my head real good."

Nancy stared ahead with a teasing smile on her face, "Wow. That explains so much."

"Yeah," Steve laughed. "I think it kinda does. I think, like, right out of the gate, like I'm super confident. But also, like, an idiot. Which is just... I mean, it's a brutal combination. But, I mean, the good news is, I get a big enough thump on my head, I can change, you know? I can learn. I can crawl forward." A momentary silence came between them until he stopped and turned to her, "I guess what I'm trying to say in a really stupid, roundabout way is, umm... is thank you."

She stared at him incredulously, "Thank me?"

"Yeah."

"For...?"

Steve softly smiled, "For giving my head the biggest thump of its life two years ago. I needed it. It's changed my life and now I'm crawling forward. Slowly." He started walking away, his gaze setting strictly on Gwen as his heart leapt uncontrollably upon seeing her.

"Nance!" Robin called out while running in their direction. "I think I have a lead, but I need your brain to make sure I'm not messing it up."

Nancy turned to him with an apologetic look, "Sorry, but I have to go check on her."

Steve nodded at her, both of them sharing an understanding look and a soft smile before she ran off in Robin's direction. He quickened his pace and reached Gwen, nerves suddenly overcoming him once their shoulders brushed against the other.

"Hey, love," he broke the silence, causing her to smile at the name he called her.

She turned to him and her heart performed a somersault when seeing his beautiful face, "Hey there, little Steve. Miss me, already?"

He didn't bother to deny it, "I'm always missing you."

Gwen found herself incredibly grateful for the low lighting. That way, he wouldn't be able to notice how red in the face she was getting. Just standing near him made her feel like millions of electricity volts were pumping through her veins. It was such a glorious feeling that in all of her years, he was the only person to evoke this sensation.

"How are you doing?" Steve asked, both of them walking alongside each other. "I know it must be hard to be back after everything."

"I'm doing okay. Better, now that you're here with me," she stared ahead, internally scolding herself from how wrong it sounded. "Obviously I'm not glad that you're here in the Upside Down. You know, 'cause it's extremely dangerous and I would much rather you be safe than here. I just meant that every time I'm around you, I'm much better than without you."

God, he loved her rambles. He loved how her nervousness made her speak quicker and much louder. He loved the way her brows came together, how her nose scrunched up, how she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and played with her hands skittishly. He loved everything about her and would forever be grateful for whatever holy divine exists that wrote her into his life. Now as he stared at her with such a longing gaze, he found himself unable to contain everything in much longer.

Steve gazed at her so softly, "Remember the dream I told you about? About the Winnebago? About seeing the country with my six lil' nuggets?"

She nodded.

"It's all true. Every last word, but I left one part out. It's the most important part," he spoke softly, his heart racing much faster now. "You're there. You've always been there."

Gwen faltered at his words.

The thought that he envisioned his life by her side was something she only considered fathomable in dreams. She had always been afraid of forming a life with someone, especially when seeing the pain it brought upon losing them. She had spent years running away from a love that consumed her... but then he came.

Like a ray of light amidst the clouds, Steve was her heavenly breath. He was the paradise she longed, the divinity she prayed for, and the hope she had lost. She always wanted to run, but not anymore. Not when it came to him.

For Steve, she would crawl from her grave back to him.

She loved him and wouldn't waste a second longer not telling him.

"I love you," Gwen blurted out, almost too impulsively. "I have been trying so hard to tell you, but I just never knew how, so now I'm saying it. I've loved you ever since we met in 7th grade. I've loved you when I was tutoring you for Spanish, which you were terrible at by the way..."

She smiled nervously, afraid her words wouldn't be able to be understood with how fast she was saying them.

"I've loved you even when I thought I hated you and no matter how much I tried to push my feelings aside, you kept coming right in," she breathed rapidly, now certain her rambling was getting out of hand. "You kept digging deeper and deeper until I just couldn't resist keeping you out."

Steve simply listened, afraid this was all a dream.

"I've loved you even when we were broken up and I tried so hard to convince myself that you didn't, because how could you love me? It sounds crazy!" Gwen continued. "I can't think about anything or anyone except for you. I can't breathe when you're not near and I've been meaning to tell you for a very long time. I just- I love you."

Steve refused to waste a second longer. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. He had waited so long for heaven that he didn't intend on letting another minute go by. His heart had and always would call her name. Now and for evermore.

"I love you, always," he confessed, like reciting a prayer. "I'm thinking that after this is over, I'm going to New York with you. It's you, it's me, it's us. Wherever you go, I go. I'm just going to follow you for the rest of my life, and besides, there's lots of Family Video Stores over there, right?"

Gwen nodded, unable to prevent her smile from becoming wider, "There's lots of them and there's one close to campus."

"Then it's settled," Steve came closer, their foreheads now resting against the other. "New York better watch out for us, 'cause here we come."

Gwen chuckled happily and ran her hands through his silky locks. Her body radiated with pure bliss and a profound love. She couldn't wait until this was over and could finally move in with Steve. He was her missing puzzle piece, the one she had been searching for all these years and finally found.

Steve closed the distance between them and captured her in a kiss, not daring to let go as right now despite everything, his life was starting to piece itself together. He always felt there was something missing, something that felt he needed in order to be at peace, and now that he found that piece, he wasn't about to let her go.

He loved her. He really loved her and would spend the rest of his life proving it.

"Yes! Finally!" Robin and Nancy cheered. "It's about time!"

The couple laughed in ecstasy, their arms holding on to each other as their cheeks pressed together.

Steve turned away from them and reached for his neck to show her the ring, "I never took it off. It's always been with me."

Gwen smiled and pulled the dainty necklace out from under her shirt, revealing the ring he gave her, "I never took it off either."

Both of them removed the necklace and started taking the ring out from the chain. He looked up at her and was relieved to find her doing the same. They placed their necklaces into their pockets, leaving their rings in their palms in clear display.

Steve reached for hers and placed it into her ring finger, "This is a promise to a new beginning. One that we will never break."

"Never break," she assured him and placed his ring on his finger. "But just know, you will still continue to annoy the hell out of me."

"Oh really?" Steve rested his hands on her back, unable to prevent his smile from returning. "Is that a promise then?"

"Yes. It's a promise," Gwen told him with a smile and wrapped her arms around him.

Both of them leaned in at the same time and crashed their lips unceremoniously, taking in every bit of each other one last time. Not knowing that in just a couple of moments, everything was bound to change.

Author's Note

Writing this chapter gave me the feels like yes, they're finally back together!

And yes, I did make Gwen confess her love to Steve just like Lexie did with Mark in season 8.

but...