So, I wanted to do something with alt-Chloe, minus the whole imminent death thing and a lessened paralysis. Characters will be a mixture of the two universes, with Chloe a little toned down and Max a bit more daring. The time frame might jump around a bit, but I'll indicate when necessary.
A few things before we start. William's alive for one. The accident still happened, but it's not life threatening or anything. Chloe has been paralysed from it, only from the waist down. Max and her family didn't leave for Seattle. Chloe does go to Blackwell - because it not being wheelchair accessible is complete BS. Looking at you, Principal Wells. Rachel is around and she's still friends with Chloe. Same goes for Kate and Max. So, no Dark Room stuff. Also, Chloe will have blue hair, because why not? And the most important point of all… Pricefield.
Chapter One: A Slippery Slope to Love (and Blackmail)
Max strolled leisurely along the promenade, a word maybe too fancy for Arcadia Bay, running alongside the beach. Chloe matched her step for step, gently cruising in her wheelchair. Considering how much she had struggled with it at the start, soon enough she had become a pro. Sure, she had been pissed off at not being able to do it straight off the bat, sulking at her inability. Chloe Price didn't take failure well. With a bit of time and effort, though, she managed to get used to it.
The pair had spent the morning down by the beach and the surrounding area, taking pictures and chatting away as usual. A crisp, cool breeze washed over them, the afternoon sun beating down. Seagulls and other birds lazily swooped overhead, circling the area. The water glistened, gentle waves lapping at the shoreline. Crabs scuttled along the sand, pincers tapping together as they side-stepped. In the distance, the lighthouse was just about visible, stood atop the cliff. A constant in the sleepy town.
Stopping for a couple of minutes, Max sat down on a nearby bench, right at the end so she could sit close to Chloe. One hand was reserved for Chloe's, fingers intertwining. With the other, she traced the various engravings with her fingertips, from love stories to insightful quotes to, uh… words not quite as poetic. Typical Arcadia Bay defacement.
"You know, this sunshine and rainbows nature shit is nice and all, but…" Chloe began, catching her eye.
"What, not punk rock enough for you?" Max asked, shaking her head and grinning as she finished off the sentence.
"Not quite." Chloe immediately began searching around for something worthy of her attention. Soon enough, she found what she was looking for. A slope about a foot or so ahead, slightly off to the left leading into the car park. "Max, let's race down this hill. You can call shotgun." She motioned her head to the back of her wheelchair.
"Wait… you want me to get on the back of this death trap?" Max asked incredulously. Maybe she should have been expecting something like this. Sure, it wasn't the craziest or most dangerous thing she had done with Chloe, but it was up there. So many things could go wrong here, so many bones just waiting to be broken.
"Hell yes! Come on, it'll be fun. It's not even that steep," the bluenette reassured, waving away her concern. The accident sure as hell hadn't knocked the thrill seeker out of her. If anything, it only made her daredevil streak worse. "Or you can sit on my lap if you want. I don't mind."
"I don't think so. Don't know about you, but I quite like living," Max replied, the voice of reason balancing out Chloe's recklessness.
"What's the point of living if you don't actually live?Take chances and all crap." Noticing that she was fighting a losing battle, she turned to her secret weapon. One Max couldn't refuse. "Pretty please."
"Stop it," Max demanded, doing her best to ignore the persuasion attempts.
"Stop what?" Chloe asked innocently, knowing exactly what she meant but feigning ignorance.
"The puppy dog eyes," she clarified, crossing her arms.
Keeping up the charade, Chloe stifled the grin threatening to break. "I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, Ms. Caulfield."
Max gave her a skeptical stare, sizing her up. "Sure you don't… it's not like you know that's my greatest weakness or anything."
"That's news to me."
"Uh-huh… Ugh, fine," Max sighed deeply, unable to resist despite her best efforts. "You're lucky I like you so much that I'll entertain such a ridiculous idea." If she refused, she would only get guilt tripped into doing something more insane later. That much was certain. Better to pick and choose her battles.
Cautiously, she positioned herself on the back of the wheelchair, taking a deep breath before she kicked off and they went racing down the smooth incline. She clung on for dear life, hoping that she wasn't about to die. Despite her fear, the rush of adrenaline made her feel so alive. Chloe seemed to be enjoying herself, screaming with delight the whole way down. That alone made the threat of imminent death worthwhile.
When they rolled to a stop at the bottom of the curve, Chloe turned her head to look over her shoulder at Max, a huge grin on her face. "That. Was. AWESOME! Just like when we were kids, hitching rides on the back of shopping carts… without the conga line of parents and security, of course. Again?"
"I don't think I can handle another turn… kind of feel like I'm going to throw up…" Max replied, the world spinning and her stomach churning. Just how Chloe managed to talk her into stupid ideas was well beyond her. Maybe she shouldn't be so weak willed when it came to her girlfriend.
"Lightweight," Chloe muttered just loud enough for her to hear.
Max narrowed her eyes disapprovingly. "Excuse me?"
In response, the blue-haired punk flashed that familiar cheeky grin. "You heard me."
"Oh, you are in big trouble, Chloe Price," Max threatened playfully, affectionately nudging her shoulder.
The display of playful annoyance only made her smile widen, her voice carrying a hint of suggestive flirtation. "Depending on what kind of trouble… I'm game."
"Probably not the kind you're thinking of." Again, yet another thing the accident hadn't dampened… Chloe's insatiable flirtatious nature.
"We'll see about that. Come on. Mischief won't make itself," Chloe pressed impatiently, eager to wreak some havoc.
"Not without Chloe Price around," Max added fondly. That much was true. She was one of, if not the sole provider of trouble in Arcadia Bay. Along with Rachel Amber, naturally. Those two accounted for at least 70% on their own. Probably more.
"Exactly. So, let's roll." Chloe motioned to her wheelchair, one eyebrow raised. "Literally."
Max rolled her eyes at the attempt at humor. "Ha, cute."
"I know I am. You don't have to keep reminding me every five minutes," the bluenette smirked mischievously. "Anybody'd think you had a huge crush on me or something."
Seeing a chance to tease her back just as hard, Max grinned. "A crush? On you? Nah, fat chance."
"Ouch, you really know how to hurt a gal." Chloe injected as much hurt into her voice as possible, all an act of course. "I demand recompense for my suffering!"
"Oh, do you now?" Max asked amusedly, having a good idea what she was about to suggest. "The jury, aka me, is ready to hear your call for compensation."
Thinking it over for a moment or two, Chloe finally spoke again. "I'll give you three guesses…"
"Do I get a prize for a right answer?" Max asked, drawing it out by playing along.
"If you guess right, the prize comes by default." Certain she knew what Chloe wanted, Max knelt and leaned in, kissing her tenderly. Given the reaction, that was the right answer. After a couple of seconds, she pulled back to see the bluenette grinning from ear to ear. "We have a winner."
Unsatisfied with just a single brief kiss, Chloe reached out for Max, pulling her in for another much longer one. They didn't care if they were blocking the way down to the beach. Not like many people came down here anyway. In this moment, Arcadia Bay melted away, replaced by their own little world. One where only they mattered. When they broke apart, Max took hold of Chloe's hands, giving them a light squeeze as she stared into those familiar blue eyes. She didn't have to look hard to see the love and adoration permeating them. They were probably a mirror of hers right now.
As for Chloe, she still couldn't believe any of this was happening. Ever since they were in their early teens, she had like Max. As a friend and so much more. The accident had dealt a major blow to her confidence and, for a time, she had given up on a 'normal' life. Max had renewed her faith, stayed by her side throughout and been the light of her life. Despite the hardships, all the added complications, she refused to give up. Eventually, that spirit had rubbed off on Chloe and helped her snap out of that weird depressive rut she had found herself in.
Better still, the accident had brought Chloe one good thing. Freaked out by how close to death her friend had been, Max confessed how she felt. Saying something like, she didn't want to keep it a secret anymore because the bluenette needed to know someone cared about her as much as she did, even if it wasn't mutual. Chloe had actually laughed at that, much to Max's initial surprise. For years, the blue-haired punk had been not-so-subtly flirting with her, sending all the signs. Well, trying too. Clearly, it had all gone over her head, passed off as teasing. Admittedly, that had been part of it.
And here they were now. As happy as could be.
Max shuffled on her legs, pins and needles gradually make its way up them. "Not to interrupt or anything, but… my legs are kind of going numb."
"You sure know how to break the mood, huh?" the bluenette added cheekily, grinning at her girlfriend.
"Like you need much coaxing to get in the mood," Max pointed out smugly. Any opportunity Chloe could get a kiss, she'd take it. Not that she minded in the slightest.
"Lucky for you." Her voice was low and husky as she went in for another kiss. As they were kissing, Max snuck in a photo. Chloe didn't say anything, smiling to herself when she heard the familiar shutter sound. Something's never changed.
So, that's that. Might add things to this as and when I think of stuff. A bit like in 'Together Again'. Any ideas, lemme know. So long as they fit the background mentioned in the initial notes, I can probably include them. Will be keeping it as a teen rating, so have that in mind. Other characters will probably be making an appearance (like Rachel, Kate, parents etc.) Have a great day and see you next time.