"Winter is coming, Max."

"Rio!" Max cried out, jolting up in bed. Her eyes were brimming with fresh tears and she could smell honeysuckle. Max recalled her vision of the bay freezing over and shivered, wrapping her blanket tightly around her. It took everything in Max not to freak out when she saw Rio yesterday. It didn't make sense. Max talked to Lex for hours ever since the living twin made it to Blackwell. Lex saw Rio die- it wasn't like she mysteriously disappeared like Rachel.

"The power had to go somewhere," Max muttered, thinking back on Rio's words. Did Rio mean someone had changed the timeline using Rio's powers? If the power always came from someone else, did that mean that Max's gift came from somewhere as well? If Max thought about the gift like energy, it made sense. Energy cannot be created or destroyed but it can be converted or transferred. "But who would bring Jefferson back?"

There was a sharp knock on Max's door and she got up, stretching her stiff muscles. Max opened the door and saw Kate standing there, clutching a book to her chest. Kate was dressed in a pressed, soft pink blouse and a knee length brown skirt with off white stockings.

"Hey Max," Kate greeted with a smile. Kate recently started wearing her hair down- she wanted it to represent her freedom.

"What's up?" Max asked, trying to focus on Kate even though her brain felt like spilled rice. Kate raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do you not remember the group project?" Kate inquired in disbelief. Max raised both of her brows and Kate let out a sigh. "That's okay, Max. I know it's been kind of crazy. I still can't believe what Nathan was doing to all of those girls- to me."

"They really think Nathan did all of that on his own?" Max speculated, trying to gain some understanding of what events transpired without her knowledge. "I mean, I know he was a bit off his rocker."

"Well, yea? His family paid for the bunker and all of his equipment- even the drug he used. It's not like he didn't have the resources," Kate replied. She was shifting from one foot to the other- obviously uncomfortable. Max decided to back off of the topic for now.

"So, what's the project about again?" Max asked.

"You, Rio, and I are supposed to be creating a collage using photos around the school to represent an idea like 'happiness' or 'God'," Kate informed Max as her usual small smile formed. Max's heart started pumping hard at the sound of Rio's name. "It was really weird for Rio to show up so late to class today. I guess she was running an errand for Mr. Jefferson though. He really seems to like her."

"Yea, he does," Max agreed, thinking back to the photo she'd taken of Jefferson and Rio standing together in the hallway.

"Anyway, we should go by Rio's room to grab her. She's really serious about her photography," Kate mentioned. Max nodded and followed after the dirty blonde. They rounded the corner and stopped just outside of Rio's room. Max remembered that night she and Rio kissed. Max had run to Rio's room seemingly ages after the dark haired girl disappeared.

If Max had known that Rio was in Jefferson's Dark Room that night, perhaps she could have saved her.

Who am I kidding? Max mentally grumbled. I'm not hero. All I do is fuck things up and Rio paid the price for that.

Kate knocked out the door and withing moments it opened to reveal Rio. She was wearing a low scoop black tank top that showed a bit of a crimson bra with black lace on the sides where it was ribbed along with a pair of wine red skinny jeans. Max's eyes flashed to Rio's exposed forearms and she noticed the fresh bandages that now covered most of the skin there.

"Hey, Rio. Have your arms healed any since your fall?" Kate asked politely. Rio's expression tightened in a way that was barely perceptible.

"Um, yea, thanks," Rio replied stiffly. "Let me grab my camera real quick."

The door slammed shut in Kate and Max's faces as Rio disappeared back into the bedroom. When she reopened the door, she had her camera hanging from her neck. Max felt slighted by the fact that Rio seemed to pointedly ignore her presence entirely.

"Let's get this show on the road. I have to be somewhere by six," Rio informed the two, moving past them and starting down the hall. Kate followed at Rio's heels with her usual smile in place.

At least Kate seems okay, Max acknowledged. Not everything was worst case scenario.

"So, Church Girl, what are you thinking of for the theme?" Rio questioned as the trio reached the top of the stairwell and began descending.

"I don't know, really," Kate admitted.

"Well, you like the Bible, right?" Rio asked, glancing over her shoulder at Kate for affirmation. Kate nodded in response. "Perhaps we could do something along the lines of 'creation'."

"Or Revelations," Max muttered, thinking back to the storm that nearly wiped Arcadia Bay off the map. Rio looked back at Max and Max thought she could see something akin to understanding in the silver eyes. It made Max wonder if perhaps Rio remembered more about their shared past than she was letting on. If she did, why was she pretending to barely even know Max?

"Interesting idea," Rio admitted. "For now, maybe we should just take some shots and see what we come up with."

"That sounds like a good plan," Kate agreed, unaware of Max's inner turmoil of Rio's frequent dismissal of Max. They walked out of the dormitory and Max noticed something bright and blue fluttering in the corner of her eye. It was a butterfly.

Most of the butterflies are gone this time of year, Max thought, eyeing the insect as it approached. It moved forward and perched on Rio's shoulder. The dark haired girl stopped walking and stared at it. Max quickly pulled her camera out of her bag and took a picture, waving it as it developed and then putting the photo into her bag. Rio reached up and brushed the butterfly off of her shoulder- a somber look in her grey eyes.

"That was so neat!" Kate remarked. "It just flew up and landed right on your shoulder, Rio!"

"I noticed," Rio replied, plastering on a smile. Her gaze was distant as if she were in a whole different world. The trio moved on, beginning to photograph the different things that caught their eyes. Max found herself too distracted to focus on her photography- staring at a squirrel eating the scraps of a granola bar for nearly ten minutes when Rio approached. "Are you just going to stare at it until it poses for you?"

Max jumped, still adjusting to the sound of Rio's voice. Rio raised an eyebrow, but did not comment on the reaction.

"I just don't see anything out here that calls to me," Max half-lied. Seeing Rio in the natural light that filtered through the thin layer of clouds above made her fingers itch to grab her camera. Rio looked like a vision and Max was still convinced to a small degree that she was. Her hair fell in soft waves to her waist- free from the braid she'd been wearing it in. Her skin was as smooth and pale as ivory and her eyes reminded Max of pools of liquid silver. Her lips were a natural rosy pink and looked as soft as flower petals. The crisp air had turned her cheeks slightly pink and little puffs of air curled up in front of her with every breath.

"If you want to take a picture of me, Max, just ask," Rio prompted, practically reading Max's mind. Max blanched at her words, stuttering as she fumbled for a viable excuse. "You have photographic eyes, Max. I can see you taking pictures of me with them."

"C-can I take a picture of you?" Max asked, reaching for her camera. Rio smiled softly at her and it actually seemed to reach her eyes this time.

"Sure. Where do you want me?" Rio offered. Max gestured towards a nearby tree. Rio walked over and leaned against it, kicking one leg up and reaching her arms up over her head to cross them loosely at the wrists. Her bottom lip dropped just enough that, combined with the tactical tilt of her head, she looked downright sultry. Max felt a blush break out across her cheeks and fumbled with her camera. Once she had Rio in her lens, the butterflies in her stomach went into a frenzy. Sunlight filtered through the leaves creating a beautifully patterned aesthetic across Rio's skin. Her hair was like a mane that framed her face and curled beneath her breasts.

Rio could easily be a model if she wanted to. She had her aesthetic flaws, sure, but- to Max- they just made Rio all the more beautiful. Seeing her there as Max took her picture, Max almost forgot about the damaged timeline and Rio's warning in her dream. Whatever was happening couldn't be too bad if it brought Rio back to her, could it?

"How do I look?" Rio asked, pushing off of the tree and coming up beside Max. Max could smell the fresh honeysuckle scent coming off of Rio and wondered idly if it was just her natural aroma. Rio plucked the photo out of the camera and offered it to Max. "You gotta shake it, right? I mean I know it doesn't make it develop faster, but you seem to enjoy doing it."

Max smiled, taking the photo and shaking it. Rio formed on the film and Max marveled at how picturesque it was.

"That's a great shot, Max," Kate commented, coming up on Max's other side. "You should show Jefferson. He'd be really proud."

Rio's smile disintegrated at Kate's words and Max could feel the other girl closing back up.

"Actually, Kate, I think I'll keep this one in my private collection," Max decided, stowing the photo into her bag with the other one. Rio looked at her almost gratefully and again Max found herself wondering what Rio had been through in this timeline.

"Look at this photo I caught over by the totem!" Kate changed the subject, showing off the image on the screen of her digital camera. Max complimented it, but her eyes didn't quite make it down to the screen. She was still observing Rio, wondering what the other girl was thinking. Kate shivered beside Max and pulled her military green cardigan tighter around her thin body. "Isn't it abnormally cold for this time of year?"

Winter is coming.

Max looked at Rio and noticed the other girl was staring up thoughtfully at the grey clouds above that seemed to be thickening. Max had a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach that another storm really was coming and that this one would make the last look like nothing in comparison.

Rio glanced down at her clock and cursed.

"Shit, I've got to go," Rio informed them. Before Max could inquire as to where Rio was running off to, the girl sprinted away.

"Hey, Kate, I think I left something back in the school. I'm going to see if David can let me in," Max lied, bidding farewell to Kate as she rushed after Rio. Kate waved her off and Max hoped that Kate wouldn't feel put out by her strange behavior.

Max needed to see where Rio was going.

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, behind the clouds. All of the grey clouds began to tinge shades of fuchsia and orange. Max caught sight of Rio running out to the road. Once she hit the sidewalk, her pace started to slow and she started looking out towards the road as if she were searching for something in particular. Max rushed forward and crouched below one of the stone walls, hearing the fountain babble behind her.

Rio continued down the sidewalk and Max pursued from afar, trying not to bring attention to herself as she stalked after the other girl. After about ten minutes of this tense game, a silver car slowed to a stop. Rio didn't hesitate before pulling on the handle and getting inside. Max realize whose car it was as it took off down the street and she began chasing after it in a panic.

"Rio!" Max cried out, rushing after the, Her foot caught on a break in the sidewalk and she tumbled to the ground, scraping her arms as she went.