Gail was in a daze. She didn't know how to handle the emotions she was feeling. She heard Rachel call out to them that David was awake, but she stumbled after Chloe, lost in her own head. She wondered why this was all so familiar. Why Chloe felt so...right. They had just met. And Chloe had kissed her. Passionately, kissed her. She'd never even kissed a boy before, that she remembered anyway. Chloe led her by the hand back to the ICU recovery, Rachel in front of them. Gail sat down in a chair in the waiting area immediately, trying to make sense of the mess in her head. Rachel sat down with her and put a hand to her shoulder. Rachel had seen the kiss. She had...mixed...feelings of her own about it. She also wasn't sure what Chloe told her. But she knew she might have some explaining to do, very soon. Joyce, by the grace of God, had still not arrived.

A doctor stopped Chloe before she could proceed. The same doctor that stitched her arm up, in another life.

"Miss...I don't know how to tell you this exactly, but-"

"Oh no, no no no-", Chloe started, ready to break down again.

"Please, calm down. He's...alright. Came through the surgery fine. But…"

"BUT?"

"The trauma triggered...well, as i'm sure you know, he has severe PTSD."

"Yes?"

"Well, this triggered a severe...attack. A breakdown. I'm not sure he knows where he is...or who he is, at the moment."

"Oh my God...can I..see him?"

"I can't let you, right now. He was unconscious when we got him here and we had to go to work immediately before permanent physical damage was done. When he came to, he immediately tried to attack the nurse working on him...don't worry, we've seen things like this before, it's not his fault. He was yelling about...a warzone, though. And I don't think it's safe to approach him. We had to heavily sedate him."

"Fuck. FUCK. He's going to be alright, right? RIGHT?"

"Yes...we think so. This will pass, but right now…"

"Right now he's in a war."

"Basically, yes."

"Fuck."

"I understand this must be hard, Miss...Madsen?"

"Price. And you have no idea."

"I'm sorry, Miss Price. We're doing all we can."

"That's great, doc. You keep doing that", the doctor didn't quite understand the venom in her words towards him, but wrote it off as emotional strain.

"Do me a favor, tell my mom I was here, when she gets here, and I left...because, I can't deal with this right now. I really can't."

"I understand."

"Thanks."

Rachel overheard all of this and was already working on a plan...C, D, X? How many have we gone through now?

Chloe exchanged a few more words with the doctor, then turned back to Rachel and Gail.

"Welp. Change in plans."

"I heard", Rachel said.

"We need to get the hell out of here, before Joyce gets here and starts asking questions."

"That we do. Let's go."

Gail still hadn't said anything, seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

"Gail…", Chloe said gently.

"...yes?"

"We have to go, this just got hella more complicated."

"Is he going to be safe here, Chloe?"

"I think so. Jefferson isn't stupid enough to try anything in public. I hope."

"...alright...Chloe", Gail said in the same distant tone.

"Let's go", Rachel said.


They had piled in Chloe's truck and headed back through town. Chloe too angry at herself for having put David in this position to worry about caution at that moment. She went to the last safe haven she knew, the lighthouse. Even if she had dodged going there since she'd...been back. It was the only place that came to mind. They needed time to come up with a new plan. She had driven in complete silence, walked up the trail a few steps ahead in complete silence, and now sat on the ground in front of the bench on the cliff, in complete silence. Gail and Rachel sat on the bench, behind her.

"Gail...is there still a Vortex Club party tomorrow night?", Rachel asked.

"Still? But...uh...yeah, they're supposed to announce the winner of that stupid contest or something. I'm supposed to go though, because i'm in Jefferson's class, but..I didn't even enter. And i'm not going anywhere near Blackwell, now."

Not an 'end of the world' party, but still a party, guess they needed another reason in this one, 'Everyday Heroes' works, but those stupid motherfuckers will party over anything, so…, Chloe thought.

"Should have, you're great", Chloe said, passively.

"How would you know?", Gail asked.

"Uh...I mean, i'm sure you are."

"...if you say so."

"Anyway…", Rachel cut in, "...that's our window. I don't want to wait longer, but we can be sure he won't be at the Dark Room during that-"

"We can't wait, Rachel. We're just going to have to grab a few folders from the dark room, without David's, go to the police and hope it's enough, we can't wait."

"We don't know where he is, right now, Chloe."

"So if he's there, I blow his fucking head off."

"Chloe...think. Think about this. This is real life. You can't just shoot someone, even there. I guarantee you, if it came down to that, Sean Prescott would be here within an hour torching the place. He drags Jefferson's body out, drops evidence it was you, it's not like you and the police have the best relationship, Chloe. The sketchy punk who beat down Nathan Prescott dragged a teacher from a school she was kicked out of out there, then put a bullet in him? Sounds like a good headline...then the Prescotts get off free, you wind up in prison, or worse..."

"She's...right, Chloe", Gail said. She didn't want to think about anything bad happening to Chloe. Ever.

Chloe sighed.

"Well, I took care of the Nathan problem...I hope."

"You what?", Rachel asked.

"I had a talk with him."

"And that went...well?", Rachel was seething, she still hated him.

"Basically, I made him an offer he couldn't refuse."

"Which was?"

"He throws Jefferson and the police off my trail, I testify in his defense when this is over with, and against his father, along with Jefferson. Say Nathan was a pawn in it, play up his insanity, which shouldn't be too fucking hard", do I actually feel bad for him?

"And what exactly are you going to say about the fact that we were there, in the bathroom?"

"I overheard from David that he was mixed up in something with Jefferson, and we met him there to warn him, he freaked, we had to defend ourselves."

"...I don't like it, Chloe. At all. Way too many holes. And you're not exactly close with the Vortex kids."

"I know. You wouldn't. I don't either. But it's the only thing we can do. And you were."

Rachel sighed.

"But you're right, Rachel. However, there's another problem. A hella big one."

"Of course there is."

"Even if Nathan lies his ass off, Jefferson obviously still knows I know something. And if he's really…"

"...after me", Gail finished, timidly.

"...yeah. We've been seen together, so if Gail isn't at that party it's going to be a...tip off."

"No, i'm not going there, Chloe."

"You're not going alone. Rachel is going with you."

"What? He was after me too, you know that", Rachel snapped.

"And what are you...you can't go alone, Chloe."

"I have to. You two have to go there and make sure he stays there, if he leaves, you call me and I get the fuck out of there. You stay fucking put at the party. He can't do anything in front of everyone. I call you when I get back, and we haul ass out of there. He's not going to go after you, Chase or anyone there, directly, during it. If I move really fucking quickly, we can end this before the party is even over."

"Chloe...please. Don't leave me alone. I mean…"

"I know, Gail, but we have to do this. We are literally out of fucking options."

"I'll look out for you, Gail", Rachel added, putting a hand to Gail's shoulder, "Chloe is...actually right, this is the best way."

Gail sighed. "So...what do we do in the meantime?", she asked.

"We stop somewhere and get some fucking food, hungry like the wolf over here, and we spend the night at my place and refine this mess of a plan...what are we on now? Plan Z? If Nathan pulls through for me, we're safe there, if he doesn't, we're screwed anyway."

"I should go see Frank...Chloe...just in case-"

"No, we stick together now."

"Alright, Chloe", Rachel said, looking out over the bay, hoping it wouldn't be the last time.


Later on, Nathan had a second visitor. This time he was wide awake, going over what he'd discussed with Chloe, over, and over, and over again. She's right. He was startled by someone moving quietly into the room, then stepping heavily up to the bed.

"Nathan", Mark Jefferson said.

"...what?"

"Would you mind explaining to me how you managed to get yourself in this position?"

"I was jumped, Jefferson."

"Right. You were 'jumped', by the head of Blackwell security's step-daughter. The same head of security who is now here, because I had to take drastic measures to avoid him discovering...our little secret, Nathan. The same one you called me crying, whining that he was going to find us out, because you fucked up with his step-daughter, that she must have somehow figured it out and told him. And he was headed there."

"I was wrong. She came here and...apologized. She doesn't know anything. That was a weed deal gone wrong and I panicked. Madsen must have found out on his own. I don't think they are exactly fucking close, Jefferson."

"A drug deal, Nathan? Because you need the money, right? Okay. And how would he have done that? Because you fucked up with Kate, too?"

"Yeah, maybe I fucked up. But I was wrong about Price. Madsen is the problem, and from what I hear, he's not a problem anymore. Your inability to aim a fucking gun threw him into some PTSD fit and he probably doesn't even know his own name, at the moment, from what i'm hearing nurses say."

"Nathan…have I not been good to you? Have I not made your life better, freed you from your horrible father?"

"The father that is funding you?"

"You know as well as I do that is a necessary evil, Nathan."

"And what if I talk, Mark. What if I spill this whole thing? It's over anyway, if Madsen told Wells..."

"Wells is taking the same money I am, Nathan, you know that. And if you were to talk...", Jefferson pulled a handgun from inside his suit jacket, "...I would have to use this. And I don't want to have to use this, Nathan. Do you want to find out how bad my aim really is?"

"Then you'd be finished too."

"My dreams died a long time ago, Nathan. And I could always vanish, I have the money, thanks to you."

"It doesn't matter. You're still wrong about Price. And there's nothing you can do about Madsen here. You wouldn't do anything in public. You wouldn't risk your reputation, you have too much of an ego. Like me."

"Why are you lying to me, Nathan?"

"I'm not fucking lying."

Jefferson moved closer to Nathan and put the gun to his temple.

"Are you sure?"

"I'M NOT LYING."

"WHERE IS THE PUNK SLUT, NATHAN?"

"I DON'T KNOW."

Jefferson punched Nathan in the broken ribs. Nathan recoiled from the pain, but he knew Chloe was right.

"WHERE IS SHE?"

"FUCK YOU. IT'S OVER. MADSEN KNOWS. AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN FUCKING TAKE CARE OF THAT. WE'RE FINISHED. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SHOOT SOMEONE IN A FUCKING HOSPITAL. YOU WON'T LET YOURSELF BE CAUGHT LIKE THAT. WE'RE BOTH GOING DOWN."

"I wouldn't, Nathan?"

"No, you wouldn't. I know you."

"Are you sure, Nathan?"

Jefferson jammed the gun into Nathan's temple again.

"I…"

"Where is she?"

"Mark...this has gone too far. Way, way too far. My father isn't even going to be able to help us, if this goes any further. Wells is a money-grubbing drunk, but he cares too much about Blackwell, if he figures this out..."

Jefferson punched Nathan again.

"Then I take care of him, too."

"And what...you keep killing people until Arcadia Bay is empty? I didn't think murder was your forte, unless you fuck up. Which seems like it's happened a lot of times."

"What. Did. You. Tell. Her?"

"I didn't say shit, Mark."

"Alright Nathan, you know murder isn't my forte, so...unclean. Impure. Sure, there have been accidents, but those were accidents. But you aren't giving me much choice here. I guess Victoria will be next. And I will make it slow, Nathan. I will make it last for days", he didn't move the gun away.

"You wouldn't."

"You don't think I would? Imagine the shots I could get, Nathan."

"Leave her out of this, we had an agreement she was off-limits.."

"The game has changed, Nathan. Do you really want to test me?"

"Fuck you, Mark. You've buried us both."

"No, you buried us both. Nathan, I will skin Victoria alive. In front of you. And I will pin it on you. I will. And when it's all said and done, I will be back for you, if you somehow get out of that, I will find you. Or, I will just kill you right here. In fact, if I do that, I think i'll still do the former, just to spite you for what you've done to me."

"...Mark."

"Start. Talking. Nathan", he pushed the barrel of the gun even harder into the side of Nathan's head.

Nathan began to cry. He knew Chloe was right. Especially now. But...Victoria...and myself…

"Price...knows...everything. She said she'd kill me if I talked. She's...going to the Dark Room...she's got...Rachel Amber and Gail Roberts with her. I heard Gail in the hallway earlier. I know how much you wanted Amber, Mark...just don't...hurt Victoria…or...me."

"Roberts and Amber? Interesting, Nathan, very interesting. Well. Thank you for telling me. I don't think I need you anymore now, do I?"

"Mark...no...don't do this...don't-"

I sold them out I sold them out...fuck...i'm sorry...i'm so sorry

Jefferson pulled the trigger.

There was a dry click.

"You were right, Nathan. I wouldn't, not here. But i'll be back for you. Believe me."

He tucked the gun away and left the room. Nathan cried alone.


By nightfall, Chloe, Gail and Rachel sat in Chloe's room. They had stopped for food somewhere other than the diner. Joyce had called Chloe and thanked her for being there, when she couldn't get there right away. She also informed Chloe she was staying at the hospital until David pulled through, which meant they were alone. Less Questions. Good.

"So, how this is going to work is, you're going to drop me and Gail off at Blackwell, we keep an eye on Jefferson, you get a few folders from the Dark Room, get the fuck out, we meet outside Blackwell and then go right to the police, and assuming Nathan changed his story, they don't arrest us on sight and that's it, it's over with?", Rachel asked.

Rachel had ditched her flannel, she sat on the floor with her back against Chloe's bed, vacantly looking at various things on the floor. She had extremely mixed feelings about...all of this.

"Yeah, basically. Easy, right?", Chloe replied. She had removed her hat, jacket and boots, and lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, smoking a cigarette, since Joyce wasn't here to yell at her about it.

"You guys really think this is going to work?", Gail asked, from the desk chair, she was keeping her distance from Chloe. She wanted to lay right there, beside her. But she was...scared. Of her feelings. She wasn't used to them. And she was scared of this situation they were in. Terrified, actually. She had no idea how she was holding it together at all.

Chloe…

"I have no idea. But we have to. We're the only ones who can", Chloe said, a little sadly.

Chloe thought that if Max were here and the situation was less dire, this scene would be perfect. Her, Max and Rachel just hanging out in her room. The way things should have been. The way she hoped they'd be when she did all this. She also wanted Gail next to her, but she felt an odd mixture of fear and guilt. She wasn't Max.

But...she said that thing about the storm...and I kissed her...and it was Max I was kissing...it was...who is she, really?, Chloe thought, looking at Gail.

"Chloe, what if this goes wrong,what if something...bad happens. I…", Gail asked uncertainly.

Cheer her up, Price...

"It won't, Gail. Everything will be fine. And then the three of us can get out of here and go on some hella crazy adventure like...I don't know, Rachel?"

"L.A.?"

"I'm kinda over that, honestly", Chloe said.

"Yeah...me too", Rachel said.

"Hmm...how about Big Sur? I never did get there, last time", Chloe said.

"I like it", said Rachel.

"You're coming, right Gail?", Chloe asked.

"I...yes...I mean, i'm pretty sure Blackwell is gonna be closed for a little while after this. And, you guys...even though I just met you, with all of this crazy shit...I feel like...we've been together forever already….like-"

"Destiny?", Chloe said.

"Something like that", Gail said happily.

Rachel smiled, in spite of her mixed up feelings. They were fading to a calm feeling. A feeling that somehow, this was right after all.

They had big problems. Chloe wanted to forget them, for the moment. She got up and walked over to the desk and picked up the Jack Daniels bottle, where Rachel had left it.

"Chloe, really?", Rachel asked.

"Well, the way I see it, the scenario couldn't possibly be worse, this could go horribly wrong tomorrow, and we're together now, so might as well have fun tonight."

"Chloe this isn't a good-", Rachel stopped. Chloe was already drinking from the bottle. She held it over out to Rachel.

"Dammit, Chloe...", but she took the bottle, and she took a drink. She handed it back to Chloe. Chloe held it out to Gail.

"I don't...no, I can't...Chloe", Gail said.

"Gail, we literally have nothing to lose", Chloe said, "...but, I understand. It's fine."

She took the bottle back and started to replace the top.

"Wait...okay. Just a sip though", Gail said.

Gail took the bottle and timidly took a small sip.

"Ugh...how do you...drink this."

"It gets easier after the first one", Chloe said, taking another swig.

"Does it?"

"Yes."

"...alright"

Gail knew this was a bad idea, possibly the worst one they could have right now, had no idea what she was doing, but took another sip anyway. And then another. The bottle got passed around a few times.

"Rachel...music...please."

Rachel turned on Chloe's stereo, some blaring punk came on.

"TURN IT UP RACHEL, WE'RE ALONE"

"Chloe...this is a really bad idea. We should be sleeping in shifts with the gun or something, not-"

"Nathan won't say shit. And David's got this house rigged full of security shit. We're fine. Let's be us. Just tonight. Please?"

Rachel sighed, but found herself agreeing. She needed a break. She turned the stereo up. Chloe handed the bottle back to her. And this is how the evening played out. They forgot everything, for a little while. Chloe singing along to the radio. Laughing at each other's horrible jokes, even Gail, not worrying, for once. She laughed hysterically at Chloe and Rachel's drunken attempt at slow dancing to the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"

"You forgot how to dance, Amber."

"Hey...I taught you to dance, Price."

"Well...well...I...I...shut up. Gail, dance with me, Rachel forgot how."

"Fuck off, Chloe", Rachel said, laughing.

"I...never...I can't.., Chloe."

"Lua" by Bright Eyes, came on.

"Come onnn, Gail, a slow one."

"Alright...I do love this song."

Chloe dramatically took her hand and led her into a slow routine, that mostly just consisted of them being pressed together.

And Gail found she loved it.

Later, and several drinks later, Rachel sitting on the floor again, her hair disheveled, was laughing at Chloe trying to teach Gail to mosh...just the two of them. It turned into a playful fight and they both collapsed on Chloe's bed.

"I'm...really glad...you found me...Chloe", Gail said, slurring every word.

"Ssso am I", Chloe said, slurring just as badly.

"Chloe...you're drunk...heh...hehheh", Gail broke into laughter.

"No...you're drunk...i'm just…", Chloe she gestured to herself, "me."

"Sucha...dork…"

Max…

"But like...a hot dork...right?"

"Totally…", Gail giggled some more. Her inhibitions were gone. She put a hand to Chloe's face again, and held it there. Chloe closed her eyes and sighed happily.

"Hey...you two having a moment?", Rachel was standing unsteadily next to the bed, above them.

"We were", Chloe said, but she didn't move, didn't open her eyes.

Rachel half-purposely fell on top of her.

"I want in."

"Well...you're in", Chloe said, she still hadn't moved. Gail laughed.

Rachel rolled off of Chloe, behind her, not in between her and Gail. She was spooning Chloe.

"This is gay as hell", Rachel muttered into Chloe's hair.

Gail cracked up laughing. She put her hand back to Chloe's face, she felt like it belonged there, again, Chloe sighed happily. She didn't close her eyes though, she just stared into Gail's.

"So pretty. So...perfect", Gail whispered.

"Am I?", Chloe whispered, moving her face closer to Gail's. Gail could smell the whiskey on Chloe's breath...or maybe it was her own.

"Yes."

Do I kiss her? I want to kiss her...I-, Gail's alcohol-slowed train of thought was derailed.

Chloe kissed her. Deeply. She pulled Gail into her, one hand on the back of her head, woven through her hair, the other around her torso. Chloe wasn't letting up, and Gail didn't want her to. She found her hand wandering from Chloe's face, down, her fingertips brushing Chloe's neck. Chloe moaned quietly and kissed Gail even deeper.

But i've never even...it's like...I know exactly where to...touch her...like….i've done this before…

"Hey, are you two gonna like...fuck? I can leave…", Rachel muttered, Gail hadn't even noticed Rachel's arm was still around Chloe.

Chloe stopped, "Huh...oh, sorry, I got lost in the...moment..."

Gail felt her heart pounding. Herself flushing. She needed Chloe.

"Don't stop, Chloe", Gail almost pleaded.

"Gail…are you sure, I mean…"

"Yes. Please. You feel so...right."

Chloe continued. Like Rachel wasn't even there. Rachel went to get up, but Chloe grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go, holding her in her spooning position.

"Chloe...", Rachel muttered drunkenly...lovingly. She kissed the back of Chloe's neck, running her hand through Chloe's hair when she finally let go of her hand. Then her hand went...down.

Chloe stopped suddenly. Both of them looked at her.

"Shit", she said.

"...what?", Gail asked, in a daze.

"We really gotta lose these clothes."


Chloe had somehow remembered to set an alarm, a late one, but still an alarm. Gail woke up first. Her head was pounding. This made her mind process the position she was in more slowly than it normally would have. She opened her eyes, light filtered in through Chloe's flag. It was quiet. Chloe breathed softly, asleep beside her...and Rachel was asleep, kind of laying across them both. And, all three of them were wearing...nothing.

"What the hell", Gail muttered to herself.

Chloe and Rachel woke up much the same way Gail had. They all looked at each other, awkwardly.

"What the fuck did we do last night?", Gail asked.

"...something that never leaves this room", Rachel answered.

"Pfthahaha."

Chloe broke into laughter, they both looked at her.

"What?", Chloe asked, "…it's funny."

Gail shook her head and hid under a blanket, Rachel rolled her eyes.

"I'm so telling Frank."

"No, Chloe, you're not."

"I am", she said, laughing some more.

"Chloe this is fucked up...did you...plan this?"

"I never plan anything, Rachel. Just making it up as I go. Besides, I didn't hear you complaining."

"Good to know", Rachel said dryly.

Gail was the most embarrassed, covering herself immediately after they woke up and trying to avoid looking at them, like what happened last night hadn't happened.

Max…, Chloe thought again. It was no longer really a question in her mind, but a statement, somehow. She did feel guilty for this position she'd put herself in with Gail and Rachel...but...


They showered, separately, got dressed, Gail borrowing a t-shirt and jeans of Rachel's that she left in Chloe's closet, and tried to mentally prepare for what they were going to do later that day.

"Chloe, this is going to work, right? Everything is going to work out?", Gail asked as Chloe pulled her boots on.

"Yes, Gail. I promise you, this is going to be over tonight."

"Are you...sure?"

Chloe took the revolver from a drawer and tucked it into her waistband, letting her jacket fall over it.

"Hella sure."

"So...time to go to work", Rachel said, already heading for the door. Gail and Chloe followed.