Max could feel her heart stop in her chest.
No way... no fucking way. This can't be happening, not again!
Her thoughts were as muddled as the giant, chaotic tornado in front of her. She watched in paralyzed horror as the force of nature ripped up the very ground and left it spiraling through the air. It was just like Arcadia Bay's end all over again, maybe even more intense. Except now, the tragedy had followed her and Chloe to Colorado.
"Max!" An all too familiar voice called out to her.
"Chloe! Chloe, where are you?!" Max spun, looking everywhere for the girl. They needed to get out of here. They had survived Arcadia's destruction, and Max sure as hell wasn't going to let them die now.
"Max!"
Max closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Panicking wouldn't help her or Chloe right now. She tried to let her heart calm...
She opened her eyes to a welcome face.
"Max, wake up! You were having a nightmare, you okay?" Chloe asked. Max shot up into a sitting position, taking in her surroundings. She was back, in her's and Chloe's condo, with no signs of a storm anywhere. She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. Sometime during the nightmare, she must have begun to cry. Her face was coated with tears.
"It was the same nightmare again." Max sniffled. This wasn't the first time she had dreamt of the storm following them. It had only been two years since what had happened in Arcadia Bay, and Max dreamt regularly of a similar, terrifying storm taking this new life she had worked so hard for away.
Chloe wrapped her arms around Max. "I'm sorry. I know I say the same thing over and over again, but there's no way there could be another storm like that here. It was just a bad dream." Max leaned into her girlfriend's embrace. Her breathing had finally calmed a bit, but tears still streamed down her cheeks.
"How do you know that, Chloe? Is there any way we can really be sure?"
"Well... your powers haven't come back have they? There hasn't been any messing with time. There's no reason for another storm like that."
"It's not like I'm ever trying to rewind. Maybe I still have my power but it's just... dormant. I'm not... I can't use it after what happened."
"Then there's still no reason to worry. Come on, calm down, don't cry. You're here and we're safe. Together, like it should be. Time and time again has proved that, right?" Chloe rubbed Max's back in soothing circular motions.
In an effort to ease her pounding heart, Max looked at her girlfriend. Her hair was still the same vibrant ocean blue, along with her eyes. She was as fierce and protective as ever and it was prominent in her powerful stance. Even though they were both simply lounging in bed, Max felt safe. They both may have grown after the tragedy, but Chloe was still Chloe Price. Her three bullet necklace hung loosely around her neck. It lightly grazed over her revealed collarbone, and Max could see part of a newer tattoo her girlfriend had gotten over her heart. In fact, Max had it too. Matching blue butterflies, a way to remind them both of the hell they had pulled through, and a memento for all those lives lost in Arcadia Bay. Sometimes, Max swore she could see the butterflies' wings ripple on their skin. The movements always seemed to be in perfect sync. She never thought to bring it up to Chloe, but when her tattoo suddenly started to fly on her skin, Max began to doubt herself again.
Even then, she didn't have the energy to discuss more mysteries. She leaned into Chloe, letting the other girl embrace her and intwine her fingers in her hair. They stayed in the same position, supporting each other as they always had. Chloe's breathing was so familiar to Max. It wasn't long until both their hearts once again beat in unison. Laying back onto the bed together, Max listened her girlfriend's calm, soft breathing. It tickled her ear, tiny warm puffs of breath. She relished every moment of it. Every moment of peace after all the calamity was a blessing.
Morning faded into late afternoon, and both of the girls sat up. Chloe still had her arm wrapped around Max's shoulder and stroked her face sweetly with her other hand.
"I'm uh, gonna go wake n' bake. Do you want to join?" She asked, pentatively pulling away. Her hand slid down her girlfriend's arm until their palms touched. It was practically an instinct for their fingers to curl together.
"We hardly just woke up but yeah, I could use a nice medication session." Max giggled playfully. They both got to their feet, and Chloe grabbed their shared stash and pipe before walking out onto their balcony. Their hands never parted.
The sun gleamed beautifully over the horizon. The golden hour. Max silently grimaced and pushed back memories of her and Chloe in a different timeline, leading different lives...
"Man, were we ever lucky to score such a nice place together." Chloe chuckled as the duo settled into crooked lawn chairs. Max couldn't help but nod in agreement. They weren't able to go far from Arcadia due to financial issues, but living in a different state certainly helped calm them both. Plus, it was landlocked, something Max had insisted upon after everything they had been through.
Comfortable silence enveloped them both as they passed the pipe back and forth. Every time Max went to take a hit Chloe would lovingly stroke her arm. The brunette thought about how peaceful this moment in time was, and how calming it would be to freeze time to this soon to be memory...
It reminded her of a similar thought in a diner not long ago. Her head began to pound feverishly, and after handing the pipe back to Chloe she rubbed her temples with her fingers. Many things gave her a headache nowadays. She couldn't think of a day not plauged with nightmares and pain.
"Max, you okay?"
Max supposed she shouldn't have been surprised at the question. The more time they spent together, the more Chloe could read her like a book. It's not like she was making any effort to hide her distress either.
However, it still threw her off guard. She stayed silent for a moment before getting to her feet. Bad idea. What was just a headache before became a pulsing migraine. Max fell back onto the lawn chair unceremoniously.
"Max! Your nose, holy shit!" Chloe shot out of her chair to her girlfriend's side. The brunette felt blood dripping down her chin.
"Chloe..." was all she could murmur before blacking out for the first time in two years.
Everything was bright and colorful. Max heard the hum of the sea by her side. Birds cawed overhead. It took her a while to open her eyes. When she finally did, she wished she hadn't. Max was lying on a very familiar beach, though the last time she had seen it, it had been a wreck, with beached whales and debris everywhere.
How?! How can I be back here?! This doesn't make any sense. God, no, did I... did I go back in time?
"Oh Max honey, it's so good to see you," Someone spoke from behind her. Max shot into a sitting position, but was too dizzy to get to her feet. She knew that voice. She was terrified to turn around, but she did.
"Joyce...?"
That bun. The waitress dress. Everything was like the last time she had seen Chloe's mom. The men next to Joyce, Max knew them too. William and David. There were more people behind them and even though she didn't know all their names, Max recognized them as well. They were all from Arcadia Bay. They were all people that died in the storm. Faculty and students from Blackwell, along with other various residents were all lined up, waiting for Max.
"No, no way. This can't be real." The girl scooted away to the shoreline. She thought that this was some sick trick her mind was playing on her; a way to make her feel more guilty than she already felt. Nausea gripped her stomach like a vise.
"Max, we aren't here to make you feel bad. We're here to help you move on. It's time; you can't let this plague your life anymore." William murmured softly. Hums of agreement sounded throughout the crowd.
Max looked at all the familiar faces. All these people were dead now. There was no turning back. She had tried so hard to fix everything. When choosing between Chloe and Arcadia Bay, an ill feeling bloomed in her stomach. That same feeling took hold again.
Joyce, William, and David slowly walked up to the collapsed girl. Joyce and William leaned down and enveloped Max in a hug. David placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"You're forgiven, Maxine."
Max watched as the trio faded into nothingness. The cycle continued; the dead walked up to her, spoke the same phrase, and then disappeared. However, some goodbyes were not so easy. People she had known before the storm stayed a bit longer than the strangers.
Frank came over uncertainly, Pompidu by his side. The dog ran up to Max and playfully licked the tears off her cheeks. She gave the pup a few loving pats before looking at Frank.
"Hey kid. Thanks for telling me the truth. It's good to know you and Chloe got out of that mess alive." When Max went to apologize, Frank interrupted. "It's okay. I'll be seeing Rachel again soon. I'm happy now. Don't worry about it." With that, him and his dog drifted away.
Nathan came up next. He didn't look tired and angry. There was a certain ease in his footsteps and a genuine smile on his face. He looked good like that. He seemed happy.
"Max, I'm so sorry. Thank you for caring more than most people ever did. I don't have anything to worry about anymore. Can you forgive me?" His last words were hesitant, and he crouched to his knees to look her in the eyes.
Max sat silently in stunned silence for a moment. Shifting onto her knees as well, she said "Of course Nathan. I forgive you." The pair hugged, and judging from the ease of his muscles, that was something Nathan really needed. The boy gave her another warm smile before joining those before him.
Samuel walked up, and Max was delighted to see a cute little squirrel clinging to his shoulder. The man pet the creature softly before looking at Max.
"It's nice to finally meet you again Max. Don't worry about me. Samuel still has his squirrels. Can't you hear the whales in the distance? They're finally singing again." With that, Samuel was gone.
Ms. Grant and Prinicpal Wells were next.
"Max, thank you for being such a model student. Surely you are still taking photographs. You have a gift, don't let it go to waste." Max nodded to Wells, albeit a bit solemnly. She still loved photography, but taking pictures was much harder nowadays. It brought up bad memories. Chloe insisted that she still used William's camera when Max felt up to it. Her shots weren't quite as often, but were always "hella awesome", as Chloe said.
"Max, you are so special. I knew from the first moment I saw you. You will do great things. Powers or not, you hold a personal universe inside you. Let it light up your path through life." Ms. Grant had always been so wise. After they helped Max to her feet, they too, moved on.
Taylor came by afterwards with Courtney. They looked cheery, laughing and filled with vigor. Both of them wrapped Max up in a warm hug.
"Keep an eye on Victoria for us, okay? We appreciate that you write to her when you can." Courtney said.
"My mom's still going strong after her surgery. I know she's sad that she can't see me anymore, but she has a great support system. She'll get through this just fine." Taylor smiled. The duo faded away, dresses fluttering in the wind like wild flowers.
When Warren walked up to her, she let out a sob. Max was the one to initiate the hug.
"It's so good to see you again Max. You did it! Badass!" His laughter was great to hear again. Max never wanted to let go.
"I couldn't have done it without you Warren." She said, pulling away but keeping her hands gripped on his shoulders. 'We never got to "go ape".'
"Man, it's fine. It's not like you'll never see me again. You'll join all of us someday too. But hey now, no time soon! You still have so many things to do, you and Chloe." He wiped fresh tears off Max's face. "Kate, Victoria, Alyssa, Evan, Justin, they all got out of that storm alive. Others did too! Because you helped them Max."
"The storm was my fault in the first place, Warren. I... I did all of this."
"Max, haven't you been listening? Nobody blames you. There isn't a person alive who can control chaos. Humans make mistakes; they can be rash sometimes. You always had the best intentions, that's what matters." He took her hands in his. The gesture was small, but comforting. Even that comfort wasn't enough to dull the twist of pain in her gut as she watched Warren disappate into thin air.
There was no one else behind Warren. Max said all her goodbyes. She was alone, standing on a beach that no longer existed, or at least hardly intact. Though her sadness left her body shaking, no sounds came out of her throat. There was complete silence, sans the waves of the beach.
The sun was appearing over the horizon. The golden hour. Max watched as the shoreline receded gradually. Time was only an illusion here. There was no past, no future. Only the present.
Max jumped a little when a wet nose tapped her bare neck. She turned to find a brown doe sitting behind her. The creature looked even more gorgeous up close. For the first time in a long time, Max actually wished she had her camera.
Wrapping her arms around the doe's neck, she felt a certain tranquility in it's warmth. There was no panic as she felt the animal's form shift and change beneath her very fingers. In a way, she already knew this was going to happen. She had a feeling who this mysterious being who guided her was for a while now. When the transformation was complete, her hug was reciprocated by two pale arms. After a moment, Max stepped back to get a better look.
"Hi Rachel."
It was weird to see her up close. Although Max had seen many photos of Rachel, none of them really did her justice. She was even more beautiful in person, the kind of model you see on New York runways. Her smile was that of an angel, and upon seeing it, all of Max's negative feelings were gone.
Rachel looped her finger on the left edge of her shirt and pulled it down slightly. There, just below the collarbone, was an identical tattoo of a blue butterfly.
"We're officially a trio now." Max laughed. She was crying again, but these were good tears, happy ones. Ones powerful enough to wash all of the pain and heartache away.
Rachel had begun to fade before Max finished her sentence. Before she disappeared completely, Max saw her mouth form one word.
Always.
Someone appeared in Rachel's place. Someone Max had not expected, though it was definitely not their first time meeting. The other person was herself.
"I don't forgive you."
The words hung in the air above Max like a guillotine.
"That doesn't mean I never will. You will forgive yourself, in time. We will. This pain will not last forever." Her other self said. This time, the other being was not the one to disappear. Max watched as her alternate self pulled a camera out of her bag, focused it on her original self, and took a photo. The flash sent her world bursting away in a beam of light.
When Max awoke, she was back with Chloe in their bed. Her girlfriend had the brunette's head in her lap, looking down at her expectantly. At the sight of Max's eyes opening, she let out a cry of joy.
"Max! Goddamn don't scare me like that! I was two seconds away from rushing you to a hospital! Are you okay?"
Max giggled at Chloe's outburst. "Yes Chloe, I'm fine. Better than ever." She said, sitting up on the bed.
She didn't seem convinced. "Really?"
"Really." Max said, pulling Chloe into a kiss. It was tender and loving, a gorgeous moment Max would always remember. The peace after all that mayhem. The calm after the storm.
Nighttime slowly approached, and the girls decided to stay resting in bed for a while. Max laid on Chloe's chest, holding their hands out to their sides. As Max told her about her dream, Chloe listened quietly.
There was serenity in the air now. There was nothing to worry about, no pain or guilt to mull over. Max felt that everything was going to be fine. In fact, she was positive. When the butterfly tattoos started to move in sync again, Max listened to the gentle flutter of their wings. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.