Author Notes: Several months back I wrote this up as my continuation of the Life is Strange storyline, like so many before me. I paused for now because Max's parents weren't really talking to me, and other stories have been telling me to write them... but I figured I'd share what I've got. I'll likely see if I can wrap this up in the future, though I'll not include the twist that would start up the next part if I do that - it's not fair to tease you all! Anyway, enjoy!

Aftermath

by R. A. Howard

We'd been driving up for hours.

Well, I say we. But I was the one behind the wheel. Max just... sat there staring out the window as the world passed us by. Just staring since we'd passed through the devastation of Arcadia Bay, until finally she'd drifted off to sleep. I only- I only stopped once, when we passed a body while driving through town. Someone had draped a blanket over the body. The blanket couldn't have been caused by the storm. It couldn't be. But there was nothing, no one else to be seen.

It hadn't been even an hour since the storm, that huge tornado, ripped through our hometown. In all the movies, there's a rainbow that appears after the storm passes but I didn't see one. Okay, I didn't exactly look very hard. I have to admit I was scared of what else I might see. More bodies... Mom. Hell, even step-douche. I might detest him but I don't want him dead. Especially not after he saved Max – or, at least he did in another timeline, one where... the road blurred before me and I scrubbed my eyes free of tears.

For all the devastation, my pickup was somehow untouched. The house... not so much. I didn't dare go in, not even to try and grab clothes or anything. What if using her powers to save me causes another storm? It's time to stop taking stupid risks. Time to grow up.

Well, okay. I'd also stopped for gas an hour ago as well, though Max never opened her eyes when I asked if she needed a pee break. I felt nervous leaving her alone but I really needed to go. I locked her in, more to keep her safe than anything else. But she hadn't stirred when I came back.

Was I selfish? Asking Max to go back in time, to let me die? How many people died? Is there anyone left? How can I live with this? How can Max? But... but she's been through hell. She told me I'm all that matters to her, that she wouldn't trade me for the lives of Arcadia Bay. I don't deserve it. I am selfish. I put Max through hell. I put Mom and step—my stepfather through hell. Yet Max chose me.

She loves me. She truly loves me. And me? I don't know. I'm so confused. It's so easy to say I love her. She means everything to me. I thought I loved Ra- Rachel. This doesn't feel the same. I just know I'll always be with Max. Forever.

So we're going home. To Seattle. I didn't ask Max. She's just slumped against the corner of the seat, her face turned toward the passenger side window, which barely reflected her face in the darkness. Yeah it would be great to just hare off, go to San Fransisco... or Portland even... but not yet. Our phones are useless lumps right now. I think they got soaked during the storm or something. I know Max's parents have to be freaking out, worried sick for their daughter. Word's got to have gotten out about Arcadia Bay. And Max... after this shit week I think she needs something ordinary.

I glanced over at Max. Her eyes were still closed, the full moon illuminating her pale face, as did the lights of southbound traffic. It would be so nice to just pull over at a truck stop and curl up with her. Just sleep. But it wouldn't be too much longer. I didn't want to wake her but... I'd memorized the route to her home once, going through Tillamook and then heading north until I picked up Route Five. I wanted to just go on the road, track her down. Ask her why she'd left, why she'd stopped talking to me. And then she came back on her own. She returned to my side. I'd be lost without her.

I reached over to her, taking her hand in mine, and she started, her hand clenching mine hard as she gasped. "Chloe?" Her voice cracked; my heart breaking at the fear and isolation echoing in her voice.

"I'm here, Max. We'll be home in another hour I think. I've never been to Seattle before," I said, keeping my voice steady. She'd been there for me. I had to be there for her now.

"Home? Wha-?" She sounded so sleepy and confused. Aww Max, shit. I had to resist pulling over and kissing that precious face... oh, fuck it. The truck tires vibrated as they hit grooving in the pavement and I came to a stop. She looked confused and then startled as I slid over and pressed my face to hers, smelling my body wash on her. She'd stayed with me after we told... after we'd turned in her art teacher, Mark Jefferson, the bastard responsible for so much shit including the death of Rachel Amber. We hid in my family's house to stay safe. I'd teased her and joked I was going to join her in the shower. And we'd even shared our second kiss while on my bed. That felt like it happened ages ago, not just yesterday.

My face burned as my lips brushed hers and I felt her arm around my neck, pulling me close, her lips pressed against mine, her teeth nipping at my upper lip for a moment before I pulled away, smiling at the light that'd returned to her eyes. We hadn't kissed back at the lighthouse when she'd torn up the photo, eliminating any chance of going back to let me die. It hadn't been the right moment to kiss her. Not after the storm.

I'd held her close, sheltered her from the storm, watching as it ripped my- our childhood home apart. I'm just so happy to be with her. When I'm with her my anxieties just... fade. I felt heat radiating from her and a barely-heard "wowser" had my lips quirking into a grin. I barely kept from laughing. Wowser. Oh girl, when I get you into bed I'm going to wowser you alright. No, Chloe. No. Take it slow.

I let out my breath, why had I been holding it? Oh yeah. Kissing. No, not now. "Yeah, home. Unless your phone's working again. Gotta tell the Caulfield Clan I'm making an honest woman outta you. And they're hella worried, I'm sure."

"Chloe!" I could hear the blush in her exclamation. Don't let her dwell on the past. Of course I could start kissing... no, down Chloe. I squeezed her hand and then forced myself back to behind the wheel. I put the pickup back into gear and pulled back onto the highway, glancing over to my partner with a smile.

"I'd always wanted to do this, you know," I said. I looked back at the road, my eyes sadder. Lights from northbound traffic left light sweeping over her face, reminiscent of the lighthouse. "I know I gave you grief over never writing. I could have as well. I just... after you stopped responding I didn't know if you still wanted to be friends. So I kinda came up with this plan. Track you down. Confront you in person. Ask- ask why..."

"Chloe, I'm sorry," my heart clenched in my chest at the pain in her voice and I glared over at Max.

"No. That's in the past. I'm sorry. I coulda written more too! Not given up when I did. Or something. It wasn't fair to blame you. But... I did want to visit so..." I trailed off as I squinted in the distance, a green-and-white sign coming into view along with the red signs warning of road construction. Yeah, right. When is it not road construction season?

"It's two exits," Max said, leaning forward and squinting to look at the upcoming sign.

"Thanks, partner. I don't know what I'd do without you," I said back, letting my right hand drift from the wheel. After a moment I felt Max take it into her own and I had to remember to breathe again. Why am I so happy all at once? And scared?

We stayed like that, a quiet word back and forth, holding hands, until finally the exit approached. I gave Max one last squeeze and then reluctantly pulled my hand away, our fingertips lingering for one last moment before I returned my hand to the coldness of the steering wheel. There was still traffic despite the late hour, the moon high in the sky; it had to be approaching midnight.

Max was leaning forward now, watching the road, and I could sense her growing trepidation as we left the main roads and started to travel through the suburbs. I made sure to travel under the speed limit to give her more time to catch landmarks, no matter that I just wanted to get us there. Finally I took my hand off the wheel again and grabbed her hand as I heard her start to hyperventilate. "It's okay, Max. Are we about there?"

"Yeah. Just... take this right..." I turned right and then following her cues took the next left and then three streets down a final right. I'd never have found it on my own when I was 16. I'd have been circling through Seattle's streets forever. 50 years later, old me would eventually run into old Max and we'd laugh our asses off over my getting hopelessly lost... "...it's just ahead."