October 22, 2013, nine days to Halloween
Don't give up on me.
That was the final request of Victoria Chase to her dearest friend Max Caulfield in another time and place, just before Max had focused on a picture and eradicated four years of friendship in order to save herself and her soulmate, Chloe Price from death.
The Victoria Chase in this time and place didn't make it exactly easy to honor that request.
"Caulfield, you really should do the merciful thing and drive that rust bucket straight to the junkyard!" Victoria said as she stepped out from her BMW. Courtney and Taylor, who stepped out from the passenger's side, chuckled.
Max smiled to her as she went on crutches to her truck, opened the door, threw the crutches on the passenger's side and sat down. "Don't worry, Vic. This old lady has plenty of miles ahead of her."
Victoria frowned upon the nickname. "Only my friends get to call me 'Vic', Maxine."
"'Max', not 'Maxine'. I make no exceptions," Max said, still smiling. "But if we're done talking about my truck's roadworthiness, I really need to be somewhere. Always a pleasure talking to you, Vic," she said as she closed the door and turned the ignition.
The small block V8 of the Ranchero responded promptly and the low growl of the engine covered whatever Victoria was still trying to say while shaking her finger at Max. Max accelerated away, leaving the three young women standing at the parking lot.
"Well, you really showed me, who's boss," a voice said from the passenger's seat.
Max turned her head to see a slightly older Victoria sitting next to her.
"Well, what was I supposed to do? Make some low brow remark about your Bimmer?" Max said. "I thought that it was me not giving a shit about what you said that got to you."
"Oh, a little taunt never hurts anybody," Victoria said casually.
"Oh yeah?" Max objected. "Had I not come to second thoughts and reversed the taking of the picture, when I made the bucket of paint drop on you, you would've trashed my room."
"But it was such a nice blouse. And had I known then it was you who made the bucket drop on me, I would've trashed your room anyway," Victoria said slightly piqued.
"Well, you were blocking the entrance and wouldn't move when I asked nicely," Max said equally piqued.
"I guess I had it coming," Victoria looked down and grinned. She shifted her position on the seat "You really should've thrown the crutches in the back. They're really pressing my thighs."
"How's that possible?" Max asked. "You're just a projection of my subconscious, based on the memories I have of you, when we were friends."
"Yes I am, and that brings us to the question why is your subconscious projecting me to have these discussions with you?" Victoria asked. "I think the time travel, time reversing and your traumatic experiences are starting to take a toll on your psyche. I really think you should seek professional help or at least talk to someone."
"I don't need anyone's help!" Max said sternly. "I can deal with this by myself."
"Yourself and a six-pack of Breezer, you mean?" Victoria asked disapprovingly. "I kept my piece about your drinking, when we lived together but apparently some things stay the same no matter how much you change the course of history."
Max's earlobes turned to red with that remark. "That's it! I don't have to listen to this!" Max blurted angrily and turned on the car stereo. 'Everything's Fine' by Kemopetrol started playing on the speakers.
"Oh, that's very mature, Maxine!" Victoria shouted over the music.
"'Max', never-!" Max yelled back but Victoria was already gone.
Chloe: Yo, Maximus! Where U at?
Max: Almost there. Got held up.
Chloe: Hurry up, dude! I'm starving.
Chloe put her mobile phone on the table and took another sip from her coffee.
"You want a refill, honey?" Joyce Madsen asked from her daughter, holding a coffee pot in her hand.
"Sure, mom," Chloe answered. "Max'll be here soon."
Joyce poured fresh coffee in Chloe's mug. "It's nice to see you and Max rekindling after so long time."
"Me too," the blue haired punk girl concurred. "I mean, it was a dramatic reunion but I'm glad Max is on the mend."
"I heard she's off the wheelchair?"
"Yup, she's now on crutches," Chloe confirmed. "If her rehab goes well, she should be on her feet by Christmas."
"It was nice of David and you to fix that truck for her," Joyce said. "Although I don't quite understand why you chose such a big truck for her."
"Trust me, that truck is pure Max," Chloe assured.
"Do I hear my name being said?" Max asked from the diner door.
"Yo Maxaroni! We were just talking about the Maxmobile," Chloe greeted the small brunette.
Max smirked at the name. In another time, where Chloe had been dead, Max had named the truck after her, but now when Chloe was alive that didn't feel appropriate. Therefore Chloe had come up with the new name, which still required some getting used to.
"Hello, Joyce." Max gave a hug to the older woman.
"Hello Max," Joyce answered and helped Max to the booth seat. "Good to see you again on your feet."
"Well, at least one of them," Max said and grinned.
"What will you ladies have?" Joyce asked as she filled Max's cup.
"I'd like some of your delicious waffles, please," Max said.
"I'll have the usual," Chloe added.
"Will I put that on your tab as usual?" Joyce asked.
"Actually I thought I'd pay in cash." Chloe surprised her mother. "Turns out that I have extra cash at my disposal since I quit smoking," she said and looked at the nicotine patch on her arm.
"Well, in that I case I'll get started with your orders." Joyce walked behind the counter.
Chloe leaned over the table to give Max a kiss but Max withdrew instinctively. Chloe returned back on her side slightly disappointed.
"We talked about this," Max said quietly to her partner. "I'd really like to wait until we move to Seattle before we go public with our relationship."
"Yeah, we talked about it and I still don't get it," Chloe retorted. "I mean what's the big difference?"
"We've just both been through a lot," Max said to her. "You've just returned from the dead and I basically have to relive four years, - and to learn to walk again. I just wouldn't want to complicate things any further at this point."
Chloe didn't say anything. She took another sip of her coffee and moped.
"Oo, did I make my little Chloe sad?" Max babbled, grinning. "C'mon, I'd like nothing more than to be all over you right now but let's finish breakfast first and the go to somewhere more private."
"Promise?" Chloe lifted her eyebrow.
"If you'll be a good girl and eat your breakfast," Max said impishly.
Victoria was sitting at her desk in her room. She was trying to finish an essay for the afternoon class but her mind was drifting off. Different things went through her mind but most of the time she was thinking about Max Caulfield.
Victoria couldn't really understand why she was thinking about that nosy hipster girl. It was the change in how Max reacted to her. After Max had been shot she had taken a completely different attitude towards Victoria. The former reserved attitude had changed to a more forthright one.
Victoria knew that traumatic events could change people but this was something different. Max addressed her like she had known her for years. And not just like an acquaintance, but like they were close, almost intimate.
And the thing was that she didn't know how to deal with it. She had already started to warm up on Max after what had gone down and she had gone to visit her to the hospital with Kate. She practically had lowered her guard in front of Max but she was taken aback by Max's unexpected offer to be all ears, if she had something on her mind.
After that, Victoria had returned to her old manners towards Max, but the hipster girl didn't go back to being passive aggressive. Instead Max responded to Victoria's bitchiness with taunt, and she seemed to have developed a knack of knowing exactly how far she could go with her taunt, like good friends do. And Victoria felt overwhelmed by it all. Deep inside, she appreciated Max's talent as a photographer and really wanted to make friends with her but she didn't dare to lower her defenses because she was already feeling defenseless with Max.
Victoria shook the thought out of her mind and decided concentrate on more current matters. She walked to her closet and took out her Halloween costume. She had decided to go to the Vortex Club Halloween party as Bayonetta. She had just received the last items that were still missing from the costume, including the pistol heel boots and the eyeglasses. She'd win the best costume title hands down.
Victoria took the costume out of the closet and walked closer to the window to look at it in the daylight. It had cost a pretty penny but it looked fabulous. She looked out of the window. There were a few students on the front yard of the dorm building but in addition to that, there was a man standing by a tree. Victoria gasped as she took a closer look at him. It was the same man that she had seen at the Everyday Heroes exhibition. A reflection from someone's phone screen hit her eyes, making her blink. When she opened her eyes, the man had disappeared like on the previous time.
Oh my god! It's back! Victoria dropped the costume on the floor and sat down as the anxiety made her heart pound.
"Y'know, I'm a bit envious about your truck," Chloe said to Max.
"How so?" the brunette asked curiously.
"Mine doesn't have a full length sofa as seats," the punk girl remarked.
Max snickered. They were lying spooned on the seat of Max's truck. A blanket was covering their half-naked bodies while their extracted clothes were on the floor of the truck cabin. A layer of steam on the truck windows blurred the view to the outside world.
After having hastily finished the breakfast, Max and Chloe had taken Max's truck. Chloe had told Max to drive to the old junkyard. Max had asked if Chloe was sure about that, considering that Rachel Amber's body had been found there. Chloe had just told that it was time to get some good memories for a change.
Once there, the two women had swiftly removed their clothing and begun to explore the familiar but always so fascinating extents of their bodies.
Chloe was undoubtedly the more experienced one of the two and she let that show, making Max feel herself wanted and beautiful. The punk had brought the small brunette on the verge of climax several times, before letting her go off in a sequence of orgasms, making her spasm vigorously and then fall limp on top of her lover.
Max, on the other hand, had embraced the fact that she was more inexperienced and concentrated in exploring her partner's body and discovering, what she liked. Chloe had rewarded Max's discoveries with approving sighs of pleasure. Before long, the exploration had culminated in the punk arching her back and trembling at the peak of her orgasm.
"Have I told you how much I love you?" Max asked her partner.
"Not today you have," Chloe answered with a smile on her face as she fondled the chestnut hair of her lover.
"I love you so much that I'd rewind all the way to the big bang to get to you." Max placed a kiss on Chloe's lips.
"In that case, I love you so much that I'd go through all the seven terraces of Purgatory to get to you," Chloe said, kissing Max back.
Chloe shifted to a more comfortable position on the truck seat. As spacious as it might be, the cabin of a Ford Ranchero was by no means a bedroom with a queen sized bed.
"Speaking of, how is it with your powers?" Chloe asked?
"Can't either rewind or focus," Max answered. "Whatever it was that caused the timeline to just continue after Nathan's shooting instead of fast forwarding me back four years into the future caused me also to lose my abilities. - And frankly, I'm glad."
"I bet," Chloe said. "Is there anything you miss from that time?"
"Well, I kinda hate the fact that I have to wait almost four years, before I get to see the conclusion of the second season of Legends of Tomorrow." Max grinned. "I also hate the idea of having to go through the spring semester here all over again. The only consolation is that I know all the exam questions beforehand."
Max turned and rested her head on Chloe's chest.
"It feels funny to be 18 years old again," Max said. "I mean, from the inside I still feel like that older me. Four years doesn't sound much, but I went through a lot during those years."
"You just have to use your experiences to your advantage," Chloe said, still stroking Max's hair. "Me, I'm just glad to be alive again. I mean, knowing that I was dead for four years puts a whole lotta things into new perspective..."
"...And it's not just that," Chloe continued after pausing for a moment. "I got my head full of memories from that week that never happened. And not just what we went through together. I know every single fucking outcome of every possible choice, like I had a fuckton of game saves in my head. I'm having a hard time keeping my head together with all this shit."
"I can relate to that even though I apparently don't know the half of it," Max said.
"I sure picked a hella time to quit smoking," Chloe snorted. "My jaw is aching from all the nicotine gum I've chewed."
Max thought about whether she should share her own issues with Chloe. Seeing the older Victoria was just the tip of the iceberg. Because of her rewinding Max had never had anyone to share her experiences with. She had almost died as a result of three very traumatizing events and trying to comprehend her now lost abilities didn't really help. Chloe would probably understand what Max was going through but she had her own issues to sort out so Max didn't want bother her with her own stuff.
"Whatcha thinking?" Chloe asked.
"Oh nothing special," Max said quickly and changed the subject. "So are you still going to dress up as a zombie for Halloween?"
"Hoooyeah! I've been watching the 'Thriller' video hella many times to get the costume and make up right," Chloe confirmed. "What about you? You've been awfully secretive about your costume."
"Because it will be a surprise," Max grinned.
"Can't you give a little hint?"
"Umm, no."
"Ooo, c'mon! Pretty please?" Chloe put on her best puppy eyes.
"No!" Max chuckled. "You have to wait until Halloween."
"Oh, I'm going to come to haunt you every night until you tell me," Chloe said with a creepy voice.
"Oh, you waived that right by not coming to haunt me once in four years," Max taunted. "Besides, you can't do it anymore."
"Screw you, hippie!" Chloe frowned.
"Oh, is that a promise?" Max asked impishly and twirled her finger around Chloe's nipple.
The punk's frown changed to a sly smile. "Well, it depends..." She rolled her eyes.
"I'm not telling you my Halloween costume," Max said.
"Well, can't blame a girl for trying," Chloe gave in.
"Anyhoo, I have to go to class, so we'd better get dressed," Max rose on a half sitting position.
"Boo, hiss!" Chloe tried to object.
"Don't you have some assignments to do for Arcadia High before the spring semester begins?" Max asked.
"Don't remind me!" Chloe snorted.
"Well, if we're both going to get our GEDs next spring, it means we have to bust our asses," Max said.
"All the crazy shit love makes you do." Chloe reached up to kiss Max.
"Let's get dressed and vent the car," Max said. "The cabin is a bit - steamy." She winced quietly from the pain of her wounded leg as she stepped out of the truck.
"How's the leg?" Chloe asked as she pulled her jeans on.
"A little better," Max answered. "I'm able to move it but it's still a long way from being able to put some weight on it."
"You'll get there," Chloe said. "Trust me; you'll be dancing with me on prom night."
"Prom night..." Max hadn't really thought the whole thing before. On one hand, nothing would've pleased her more than to have Chloe as her prom date. On the other hand, Max wasn't sure, if she would be ready to go public with her relationship with Chloe here in Arcadia Bay.
It wasn't about her feelings towards Chloe. She loved the blue haired punk and wanted to spend rest of her life with her. Deep inside, Max knew that it was about self image. On the outside she acted that she didn't give a damn what others thought of her. On the inside she hated being labeled. She just wanted to be who she was, regardless of her style or who she was in relationship with. Sure, she had become more confident because all that she had been through but on the other hand it had left her more vulnerable.
Max felt anguished. She knew that Chloe would've wanted to go public right away and she couldn't understand, why Max hesitated. Max feared that she might lose Chloe because of her hesitation.
Chloe looked at the small brunette, who was putting on her sweatshirt. She knew why Max had gone silent all of a sudden and deep inside it hurt a bit but she also understood why Max hesitated and she was ready to give her time. Chloe felt maybe more hurt about the fact that for some reason Max didn't want to confide in her, even though something clearly was bothering her. Chloe didn't want to push her though. Max would open up, when she would be ready for it.
"You ready?" Chloe finally asked.
"Yeah. - You?" Max asked back.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Chloe confirmed and moved over to the passenger's seat.
"Let's go then." Max limped to the driver's seat and started the engine.
Victoria was sitting in the classroom and waiting for the lesson to start. Mrs. Hoida had returned from her sick leave so she would be giving the lectures in the English literature again.
She had scribbled one word into her notebook that she was now decorating with curlicues. The word 'SPIRIT' read in capital letters on the empty page. In her childhood, Victoria had been able to see and interact with spirits of dead people. She had been bullied about this in school and she had undergone therapy sessions and mood medication to get rid of the "imaginary friends" as her parents and therapist described them.
All this had also made Victoria the tough and manipulative bitch, which mantel she now bore with pride. She had a thick shell which wasn't easily penetrated.
Victoria had not seen spirits since her therapy ended - until now. That man she had seen in San Francisco had followed her here. There was something familiar with him but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She had figured that the return of her ability was somehow related to events earlier this month, when Nathan Had shot Max. What had unraveled as a result of that had been an emotional ordeal for many, her included.
But those events alone wouldn't have caused her ability to re-emerge. It had also something to do with the fact that two persons had begun to penetrate the tough shell that she had built around her. The other sat down at the desk next to hers.
"Hello Victoria, how are you today?" Kate Marsh asked cheerfully.
"Hello Kate," Victoria answered shortly and let out a hint of a smile. She couldn't quite understand why Kate would want have anything to do with her at all after what she had done to her. Maybe it's all about 'love thy neighbor', she thought.
"Looks like Max is going to be late again," Kate remarked.
"Sometimes I feel that she doesn't quite understand the concept of time," Victoria said. "Um, can I ask you a question?" she asked after a moment of hesitation.
"Sure." Kate smiled.
"Does Christianity recognize the concept of spirits?"
Kate looked at Victoria puzzled. "Well, some denominations acknowledge the existence of spirits as beings that are tied to earth although they do not live on the material plane, while others believe that they are souls lingering in an interim state before continuing to heaven. Why'd you ask?"
"What's your opinion?" Victoria asked, ignoring Kate's question.
"I believe that when someone dies, the soul doesn't stay here but goes to Purgatory," Kate answered. "Why this sudden interest to afterlife?"
"Oh I'm just doing an essay about spiritism," Victoria answered.
"On that I really can't help you," the Christian girl said.
"Well, thanks anyway." The blonde smiled and turned to face the classroom door as it suddenly opened.
Max was at the door, she looked at the teacher's desk and to her relief found it to be empty. She quickly limped to a vacant desk. Just as she sat down, Mrs. Hoida stepped into the room and walked to her desk.
"That was pretty close call, Max," Kate whispered to the brunette.
"Tell me about it," Max whispered back. "With the crutches it takes forever to get here from the parking lot."
Victoria didn't say anything but she took a closer look at Max. The brunette was glowing in such a manner that it could mean just one thing. Caulfield, you little minx, you just got laid, didn't you? Victoria raised her eyebrow and smirked. A little lunchtime sex, but with whom?
Seattle was a big enough city that there was something going on at any night of the week. Yonders was a small club in the Capitol Hill district. It was a venue for small live bands to perform.
Janice Smith was standing by the stage. One of her favorite bands, Hazy Lane was playing there that night. Hazy Lane was a young band, which played old skool grunge. Janice was having a blast. She wished that her good friend, Max Caulfield could be here to share this moment with her but she had gone to Blackwell for her senior year.
Janice was also studying photography like Max. Her entry had been chosen to represent her school for the Everyday Heroes contest. She had half expected to see also Max there but instead there had been an entry by another Blackwell student.
It had turned out that the student, Victoria Chase, was also originally from Seattle, so they'd hung out together during the weekend and promised to keep in touch.
Janice picked up her phone, took a picture of the playing band and opened the chat application. Max wasn't online but Victoria appeared to be so she sent the picture to her.
Janjan: Check this out! Wish U were here.
QnB: Ugh, grunge. Not my style. U having a good time?
Janjan: B)
QnB: Well, I have to finish this paper for tomorrow but have fun! :)
Janjan: I will. TTYL.
Janice put away her phone and took another sip of her drink. She was still 18 and therefore not legally allowed to consume alcohol but luckily she looked exactly like her older sister, whose ID she was flashing when she bought drinks.
She'd already had a few and was feeling a bit lightheaded. Her vision became blurry. This doesn't feel right, she thought. But I've only had a few. The whole room started swinging around her.
"Hey, Randy." Janice leaned over to the young man next to her. "I'm not feeling too good. I think I'm gonna call it a night."
"Want me to walk you home?" Randy asked.
"Naah, you just stay and enjoy the rest of the gig. I'll be fine," Janice said with a slight slur in her voice.
"Okay, see you tomorrow," Randy said.
"Sure." Janice turned around and headed for the exit. She had trouble staying up due to her condition and the crowd. She stepped outside of the club and took a few breaths of outside air.
Janice's apartment was just a few blocks away, so she started to totter along the sidewalk. Jeez, I'm totally wasted, I wonder... She almost tripped on the ground but someone grabbed her.
Janice tried to resist to no avail, as she was lead to a car waiting on the side of the street. She was laid on the backseat and then she lost her consciousness.
Max sat in her truck. She was parked at a gas station outside Arcadia Bay town limits. Waves of anxiety were washing through her. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see Julia Bennett pushing her gun against Max's abdomen and pull the trigger. She needed something to help her sleep, so she had snuck out of the dormitory and driven here.
Max looked at her ID. She had rigged her birth date to look like she was born in 1992 instead of 1995. On the few occasions, she had used it to buy alcohol, it had passed. Being 22 had its perks, she thought as she stepped out of the truck.
Max limped into the gas station shop using just one crutch to support her wounded leg. She hung a shopping basket on her free arm and went to the beer and wine section. She took a six-pack of Breezer and put it into the basket.
"One six-pack, Max?" Victoria's voice said next to her. "You sure that's enough?"
"Thank you for your concern, Vic," Max hissed to the Victoria projected by her subconscious. "Now would leave me alone?"
"Oh, I would, but I think your subconscious - or is it your conscience is trying to tell you something," Victoria said to her.
"Maybe I don't want to hear what my conscience is trying to tell me," Max hissed back and limped to the counter.
She put the six-pack on the counter and waited for the shopkeeper to come there.
"May I see some ID?" the shopkeeper asked.
Max showed her ID. The shopkeeper glanced at the ID and then Max for a while, then scanned the six-pack and put it into a paper bag.
"That'll be $7.95," the shopkeeper said.
Max paid her purchase, took the paper bag and limped to her truck. She set the paperback on the seat next to her and then glanced at Victoria who was now sitting on the passenger side and watching her disapprovingly.
"Oh, kiss my belfie!" Max retorted to the projection of her own mind. She started the truck and drove away without noticing a white, banged up truck that was parked in the shadow.
Chloe watched as Max drove away. She had a melancholy look on her face. Even though Chloe had returned from the dead, she still felt the same kind of responsibility over Max as she had as the small brunette's guardian angel. In a way Chloe could still sense Max's distress. That was why she had driven to the Blackwell dormitory and seen the brunette leave on her truck.
Chloe had followed Max to the Gas station. She didn't need to guess why the brunette had come here. She had parked in the shadow and waited for Max to do her business. She didn't follow her, though. She just sat in her truck and stared into the darkness. She took another nicotine gum from the packet and put it in her mouth. Sure picked a hella time to quit smoking.
To be continued...
A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews, favors and follows on my previous story, 'Obscura'! If you haven't read that, I strongly recommend doing so as it lays the ground on this story. When I wrote the epilogue to 'Obscura', I pretty much laid the work out for me on a sequel. 'Obscura' pretty much wrote itself but this story is probably going to require me some thought so updates may not be so frequent as in 'Obscura'. Hope you enjoy this story.
Happy Holidays!