A/N: I fell in love pretty quickly with LiS so I decided to try writing some fics for it. I want to make this story as long as possible and see where it ends up taking me. Please keep in mind this story DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS for Episode 5 so if I you haven't played it yet or don't want the ending ruined, this is not the fic you're looking for. With that said, thank you for reading it and I hope you enjoy.

The tornado continued to rage on as Max and Chloe stood motionless in front of the lighthouse, neither speaking, both looking solemnly off into the distance as the storm edged closer and closer to Arcadia Bay. It was a swirling mass of chaos and corruption and all things wrong with Mother Nature combined into one giant torrent of destruction. Monday had seemed so long ago, only four days prior, but to Max, it had felt like a lifetime, a dream, an entirely different reality. Max Caulfield would never be the same, her sense of morality was forever clouded. She grabbed Chloe's hand as if making sure she was still there beside her. The decision had been instantaneous, she couldn't live without Chloe. Yet the more she thought of the torn photograph now swirling somewhere far off into the storm, she wondered if she'd ever be able to forgive herself for what she had done to the Bay and its people. She made the right decision, right?

Chloe gently squeezed her hand, her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief at the spectacle before her. Max could feel her tense as the storm made contact. What was she thinking about? Her mother no doubt, the diner, the impossible events that had all transpired just moments before. Max knew then and there that Chloe would be forever changed too, but she wondered deep down if she'd always hold a resentment for choosing her over the lives of countless people, her family included. Max looked in her direction, her heart dropping into her stomach. She thought of Joyce, her classmates, some of whom she'd grown to like, and even Frank for a brief moment. She thought of David hoping he was still hunkered underground. All the lives she encountered, the friendships she forged, the memories she shared in this town when she was younger were being torn apart before her eyes. And yet, she couldn't tear herself away.

Chloe always hated this town and always wanted to escape to somewhere where the sun always shined and the weather was always warm. Like California, ha. "If Rachel were still alive, is that where she'd be right now? Would I even be in her life?"

Chloe held her tight as the rain continued to pelt them in a downpour and the wind continued to howl angrily around them, her arms wrapped protectively around her while Max closed her eyes and breathed in Chloe's familiar scent. The storm seemed to last for hours, though only mere minutes had passed by. And then like a flame, it was extinguished; gone without a trace with only its wreckage left behind. Chloe looked out toward the Bay and saw nothing but ruin. Buildings that had once stood tall were now nothing more than piles of brick and mortar and splintered wood. She looked instinctively for her mother's diner and spotted the infamous sign thrown sideways against an overturned car. "Fuck." The ocean seemed surprisingly calm and she could see pieces of what used to be a dock floating amidst its shallow waves. Even the air itself seemed lighter, like a great cloak had been lifted from the world and only Chloe and Max were left behind. The sky that had once been a deep red, full of terror and rage, was now just a dull gray; here and there an occasional splotch of blue. It was doubtful anyone in the town had survived the onslaught, but Chloe still held hope.

Her clothes were caked in mud and her jeans were even more torn but she was alive. It took five days for the storm to arrive and moments for it to leave, hours felt like days and time seemed to completely stand still. Despite all they had been through, all the horrible memories they were forced to share, they still had each other. They were still here and they were still alive.

Chloe loosened her grip and shook her lightly pointing out over the horizon as Max lifted her head.

"Max, it's okay. It's over. It's finally over."

Max looked out past the lighthouse that had been their shelter, more than that, their only refuge and saw that what Chloe said was true. The storm was gone, the dark had lifted and there was light once again. With light came hope and with hope came renewal.

"Chloe…" Max began softly, unsure if she should proceed. Chloe reassured her thoughts and cast her eyes to Max, eyes full of sadness but also understanding.

"It's okay, Max."

"Chloe…I"

"I know. I would have done the same."

Max eyed her incredulously. "She would have done the same?"

"Max, after all the fucked up shit you went through just to save me, I have no room to judge you on anything" she continued, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I…fuck" she stammered, looking once more to the ground, embarrassed, her hands still gripping Max's arms.

Max gently took her face her in her hands, bringing their eyes to meet once more as she caressed Chloe's cheek with her thumbs.

"Say it Max, just say it. Fucking say it. You've waited this long, you know it's true. Arcadia is being destroyed, you screwed up time, this could be your last chance."

"Chloe…"

Chloe continued to stare at her silently, never taking her eyes off hers. She swallowed.

"Chloe, I"

"For fuck's sake, Caulfield."

"Chloe, I love you. I love you so much, that's why I did everything I did and I'd do it all again if it meant being with you."

Chloe's eyes widened, her mouth now slightly agape, her heart pounding out of her chest. But just as quickly, she regained her composure and rather than let Max see how nervous and overwhelmingly happy she was, she grabbed her by the waist, "Fucking took you long enough", she smirked and pulled her in for a kiss. Her lips tasted sweeter than the first time they had met in her room. Chloe had admitted to herself that that moment had been much more than just a silly dare. She had always loved Max despite the distance and the turmoil with her family and even when she had nearly lost herself in rebellion; Max was never from her mind. One day she would tell her that, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy her.

Max ran her fingers through Chloe's hair, the top still purple from their adventure in the Blackwell pool and her hands stroked the back of her neck as Chloe continued to kiss her deeper. She didn't want her to stop…she never wanted her to stop. Chloe nibbled on her lower lip, sucking it between her teeth causing Max to let out a breath. Max's fingers tensed and her nails scraped deeper into Chloe's neck. Chloe's hands found her back as she pulled Max in even closer. The gentle scent of sweat filtered through her nose along with a mixture of rain and smoke but it wasn't unpleasant. In fact, Chloe found it rather enthralling. Max kissed her one final time, her lips wrapping around Chloe's, then carefully pulled them away as she looked into Chloe's eyes.

"Wowser…" she breathed with a smile.

"Such a nerd" Chloe chuckled, shaking her head.

"That was…"

"'Wowser?'" she playfully mocked.

"Incredible" Max decided.

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours held in each other's arms. Max couldn't take her eyes off her, the smoothness of her skin, the gentle blueness of her eyes, the way her lip curled up at the corner when she gave that infamous yet beautiful smirk. Max loved everything about her, from her blue hair to her tattoos, to her rebellious attitude. She was perfect to her and she wanted nothing more than to snatch her up and stay with her forever in this moment.

Chloe's demeanor changed, her smiled faded into a frown and her eyes grew more solemn. "Did I screw this up? Was it too soon? Is she having second thoughts? Dammit, Max"

"Max, can I ask you something?" she asked quietly.

"Anything."

"Did you really see my dad again?" Chloe asked. Her smile dropped and she grew serious once more. There was an air of hopefulness about her, one that said she wanted information but was afraid to know the truth. Her face was gentle and she didn't appear tense, but Max knew that her stomach was in knots and she was just trying to remain calm.

Max took a deep breath and sighed, nodding.

Chloe swallowed and for a few seconds looked away before asking "Was he…was he okay?"

"He was more than okay. He was smiling and laughing and we were 12 again. It was surreal. I tried to save him, Chloe. I…I know how much he meant to you and I wanted so badly for you to be together again. I swear, I didn't know what would happen."

"Max, tell me."

"I don't know if I can. What happened, what I did…what I would have done to you, I'm so sorry Chloe", her voiced trembled.

Chloe grabbed her by the shoulders again, "Max, please. I need to know."

Max paused then wiped her eyes from the incoming tears. She didn't want to cause Chloe any more pain and she knew she wouldn't be able to protect her from the truth forever. At some point, she would want to know. It just so happened that moment was now. She took a deep breath and then began.

"I hid his keys. I hid them so he'd have to take the bus instead. I kept him from the accident but it took someone else in his place. It took you, Chloe. You were…paralyzed. Your room was practically a hospital and your parents were in debt from all the medical bills. You felt so guilty. We spent the day together and I fell asleep beside you, watching a movie. Then…you asked me to…to…"

Max slumped to the ground and Chloe slumped with her. Chloe saw tears in her eyes and she gently wiped them away. "I asked you to what?"

"To end your suffering. Doctors said you didn't have much time left but I couldn't do it, Chloe. You wanted me to so badly, but I just couldn't. It doesn't matter if it was in a different reality, you were still Chloe, and you were still you."

Chloe looked lost, her mouth agape. It was hard to imagine herself as anything other than well…her. "Paralyzed? I was fucking paralyzed? I was…dying?"

"William was so supportive of you. He and Joyce both worked so hard so you could be comfortable. He was still his old self despite everything and he still loved you more than ever, they both did."

"Oh, Max. I'm so sorry. You know I'd never ask you to do something like that. I'm sorry I put you in that position. I promise you I never will again. You protected me, now it's my turn to do the same. I'll never let anything hurt you. You hear me?"

"Because I love you too, Max Caulfield."

Max fell into her arms, her head nestled against Chloe's rain soaked chest. She already felt safer and Chloe…well, Chloe didn't really know what to feel. Part of her wished she could have been the one to save her dad, but another part knew she and Max would never be where they are now if she had. Her father was meant to die that day and no amount of time travel could fix that without causing serious repercussions. It was time to let go. He was happy and full of life and he loved her. That was enough.

"People might still be alive, Chloe. They could have found shelter and ridden out the storm. Your mom is down there, we have to look for her."

"Yeah, we do. I'm just afraid of what I might find. But, I'm not leaving her. We have to find her, Max."

Max lightly touched her arm, "We will. I promise we will."

The trek down to town proved to be a little more than cumbersome. There were several times Max had to be helped up from tripping on a stray tree limb or getting tangled in the countless amount of debris that had fluttered up from the Bay. Max was always the clumsier of the two.

It took nearly 20 minutes to get from the top of the lighthouse to the bottom of the path. The highway that once lead into town was now cracked in several places; pieces of cement ripped from the ground to come lay a few feet away. The cars unfortunate enough to have been parked on said highway were all overturned, some crushed beneath fallen trees, and others tangled up in telephone wires. The glass from several of them littered the ground casting an iridescent sheen as the pieces caught what little sunlight was trying to peek through.

Chloe kicked at a stray rock and sighed. It bounced off the hubcap of a busted car and landed with a clang in front of the tire. Save for that, the town was completely silent. No birds chirped, no rats scurried about, no life made itself known save for a bright blue butterfly that landed gently on the upturned sign of the Two Whales Diner.

Chloe stared in disbelief. The sign was no longer lit, not that she expected it to be, but it was also completely intact despite everything that had been destroyed around it. The door to the diner was caved in, blocked off from falling brick from the surrounding buildings. Chloe noticed a hole in the top where the roof had sunken in and without hesitation or warning darted towards it. "Mom!" she cried.

Max quickly followed behind her, scrambling up to the roof from fallen cars.

"Chloe, be careful!"

"Fuck careful!"

Chloe jumped through, landing roughly on her side as her foot caught a stray wire on the way down. The inside of the diner was more intact than she would have believed, but not enough to ever be functional again.

"Mom!" she yelled again, wincing from pain as she stood up. Max fell in behind her, moving pieces of wood and debris out of the way as she struggled to maneuver through the mess. Joyce hadn't been the only one to hole up here. Max also left Warren, Frank and Pompidou behind. She could feel her stomach tying in knots at the silence that emanated from around them. It was hard to believe she had seen and talked to all of them only moments before and now…there was nothing left.

"Mom, answer me!" Chloe screamed, her voice beginning to crack.

Silence.

Suddenly Max heard a whimper from under an overturned table and worked her way towards the sound. Crouching down, she saw Pompidou. His hind leg was caught under a piece of wood but he otherwise looked alive and intact. Frank lay beside him, his eyes closed.

"Chloe, help me" Max called as she began to pry the wood from the dog's leg. He let out a cry of relief and wriggled free, limping out as Chloe grabbed Frank by the arms and dragged him out onto the floor.

"Is he…?"

Chloe pressed an ear to his chest. "He's just unconscious, lucky bastard" she answered, rolling her eyes.

"Frank?" Max called, trying in vain to shake him awake. "Frank!"

Chloe shooed her hands off of him and knelt down beside him. She reared back and slapped him hard across the face.

"Fucking hell" he snapped, rubbing the side of his face. "Chloe, Max?" he asked, once he came to.

"Where's my mom, Frank?"

"Joyce? She…was behind the counter when the roof caved in. I don't remember much of what happened, half of it fell on top of me…knocked me out." He groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he began to sit up.

Before he could continue, Chloe bolted behind the counter, tossing up pieces of wood and fallen shingles. She cut her hands on the shattered glassware as she continued to dig deeper. Max began working from the opposite side. Chloe grew more frantic.

"MOM!" she cried. Max crawled beside her, noticing tears beginning to form on Chloe's face as she dug deeper and deeper and finally found her mother's frail and lifeless body.

"Oh no…"

"Mom, please" she trembled, cradling her in her lap. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time, I'm sorry I was so hard to deal with, I'm sorry I put you through all my shit. You didn't deserve it. I was angry and I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, Mom. I'm so, so sorry. Please forgive me." she sobbed, the tears continuing to stream down her dirt stained face as she pressed her forehead to Joyce's.

Max held her close, wrapping her arms tightly around her and laid her cheek against Chloe's back. She wanted to cry along with her, but she had to be strong for the both of them. Joyce's face was battered and bruised and her eyes were peacefully shut. She would have looked like she had only been sleeping if it hadn't been for the marks on her body. She was slightly bleeding from the nose and her hands, now resting on her stomach were deeply scratched. Chloe was inconsolable. Max had never seen her so upset, not since the day her dad passed away.

"She deserved a better daughter than me" she cried, struggling to form the words.

"No, Chloe. You were just angry, she knew you loved her" Max soothed.

"It wasn't enough, Max. I should have told her. I should have…" she broke down, unable to speak. Max could only continue to hold her tight as she struggled to catch her breath. "I've lost my dad, I've lost Rachel, now I've lost my mom? So help me, Max, if I lose you too…"

"It should have been me, Max."

"Don't say that, you know that's not true. Joyce would be in your position now."

"I'm not blaming you, Max, I just-"

"Chloe…" a voice said groggily.

Chloe looked down and saw her mother staring up at her.

"Mom?" she breathed.

Joyce wiped the tears from her daughter's face. "Chloe, is that you?"

"I'm here, mom. I'm sorry…I'm sorry for everything."

She carefully sat up and pulled Chloe into her chest, cradling the back of her head.

"Oh, honey. It's alright."

"I love you, mom"

"I love you too, Chloe" she smiled, running her fingers through her hair.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Joyce" said Max, hugging her tenderly.

"So am I. When the roof fell in, it all went black. I was so worried about the both of you, I had hoped you were okay. Now I see that you were. Course, I should have known you'd take care of each other. You always have" she smiled. "Where exactly did you both go?"

"We stayed at the lighthouse" answered Max.

"You were out in the open?" she gasped.

"We were far away from the worst of it. We watched it hit the town, it was horrible" Max grimaced.

"You poor things."

Joyce looked around the diner, her face dropping when she saw it in shambles. Noticing he wasn't there, Joyce looked back to Max and Chloe and quietly asked, "Have you seen David?"

Chloe looked to Max and Max looked back. She was the last to have contact with him and she remembered everything so vividly. Jefferson tying her to the chair in the dark room attempting to inject her with that fatal dose, David bursting through the door and knocking him unconscious. Had it not been for David, Max would be dead and everyone else along with her. It was then and there that Max discovered David really did love his family, she could feel his heart breaking when she was forced to tell him the truth of Chloe's fate, she could see the anguish and guilt and more than anything, regret painted on his face as he looked at his stepdaughter's killer and shot him in the head. He stayed there, waiting for the police while Max made her escape. That was the last she saw of him and that was an entirely different reality, a different David, a different Max.

"I'm sure he's okay, Joyce" she hesitated, "He's tough, he knows how to look after himself."

Joyce nodded, unsure of what to say. Max hoped when they found each other, she'd give him a second chance. He wasn't such a bad guy, a little headstrong, but who wasn't when they were protecting the ones they loved?

"Can you stand, Mom?" Chloe asked, a worried look on her face. Max loved that look, it was the same one she had given her the first time Max experienced the vision of the storm. It was odd seeing her so concerned over her mother. She never questioned Chloe's love for her, but being so used to seeing the two of them argue and bicker with each other, it was a nice change. She tried so many times to get her to be amicable with Joyce, but Chloe was stubborn with a mind of her own. Now however, she was like the blonde haired twelve year old she so strongly remembered from their youth. She looked so…innocent.

"I think so" said Joyce, an arm around Chloe's shoulder. She flinched as she and Max helped her up. "I think my ribs are broken" she winced.

"Let's sit her down in a booth" said Max. Chloe nodded.

They lowered her down as gently as they could. Frank sat across from her, Pompidou lying beside him with his head in his lap.

"You okay, Joyce?" he asked, his voice hiding some concern.

"I'm alive, that's well enough."

"Mom, we need to get you to a doctor."

Joyce smiled warmly at her daughter's worry. "All in due time."

"No, not in due time. Now. I'll get my truck and we can go."

"Chloe, Chloe, relax. Let me catch my breath for a bit."

"Wasn't there another kid in here?" asked Frank. "Lanky guy, shaggy hair?"

"Warren?" Max asked.

"Yeah, that was his name."

"Shit, I had completely forgotten about Warren."

"He was with me by the counter" said Joyce "I didn't see him when I went down."

Chloe looked nonchalantly toward the pile of debris and then at Max. She gave Max a look that said "Fine, go look if you must, but don't ask me to join you." She knew how Chloe felt about Warren, especially when Warren had grown interested in her. She didn't think Chloe would actually wish for him to die, she thought he was a decent person and appreciated the fact he had taken the hit from Nathan, but that didn't mean she liked him anymore than that. Chloe was the jealous type.

Max edged back toward the counter while Chloe tended to her mother. She peered over the side at the hole that Joyce had been buried in only moments before. It was scary, the sight of her body. She was so used to seeing Joyce so full of life and then to see her without it…it was awful. The other half of the diner was completely blocked off. The roof had practically covered the space from the bathrooms to the front door. There was no way anyone would have survived the impact and there was no way to move the rubble out of the way. It was packed in too tightly.

"Warren?" Max called. "Can you hear me?"

Nothing.

"Warren?"

Silence.

Though Max never had mutual feelings for Warren, she still considered him a friend. She still wanted him to be okay, to be alive.

"Please be alive."

"I'm gonna take a look outside" said Max to the others.

"Be careful, honey" answered Joyce, "No telling what's out there, and don't want you falling and getting hurt."

"Hang on Max and I'll come with you" said Chloe.

"No, it's okay. Be with your mom, Chloe. I've got this" she smiled.

Chloe nodded dejectedly.

It took a bit of effort but Max managed to pry open the back door. The sun was still trying to peek through, but the rain had stopped and the air didn't seem quite as eerie. Out of curiosity, Max made her way to the back of the diner to the small spot the old homeless woman used to stay. "I wish I had asked her name." Max thought when she found the old shelter empty. The fence that used to keep the garbage was no longer intact, the tornado had picked it up and slung it into the street as a child would a teddy bear. Max's shoes crunched as she walked over broken glass and plastic and here and there an occasional leaf or tree branch.

Suddenly Max heard rustling behind two fallen trees. The leaves on them shook as a figured emerged, haggard and dirty but otherwise unharmed save for a few scratches. It was the old woman.

"You" said Max, "Are you alright?"

"Ahh, I remember you. Max isn't it?" she asked, her eyes gleaming in that old familiar way.

"That's right."

"Guess you were right, there was definitely a storm. Worst one I've seen in nearly three decades. Thanks for the warning."

"Uh, no problem. How did you survive?" Max replied, running her fingers through the back of her hair.

"I have my ways" she winked, "I'm guessing you didn't come out here looking for me, was just coming out to see the damage. What can I do for you?"

"I was looking for a friend of mine."

"The young man?"

"Yes. His name is Warren. You haven't seen him have you?"

"Not since he ran out after you."

"He ran out after me? That's impossible, I-"she stopped short. How could she tell this woman that she was essentially a time traveler and used pictures as a passageway between alternate realities? That wasn't something you normally told to strangers. But the old woman simply cocked her head and smiled, wisdom hidden in those grey eyes as if she already knew.

"Who are you?" Max asked carefully.

"I've had many names in my lifetime. But, most know me as Jane Doe."