Hey guys, welcome back. As a heads up, this will be the last chapter. Sorry it's a little sudden. Considering this was just gonna be a one-shot, it hasn't done too badly to get to 8 chapters.


Chapter Eight: Destination Unknown

Victoria's POV

Taylor leads me out of the shower room, down the hallway to hers. As expected, Courtney is there waiting for us to return. She smiles knowingly at Taylor, making me feel a little uncomfortable. They are clearly planning something and it doesn't take long to find out what.

The very second I have sat down, the interrogation starts off with Courtney posing the first question. "So, what's been going on lately? You've been acting totally weird."

"It's… complicated," I reply, not even knowing where to start. How can I tell them something so embarrassing?

"Complicated my ass," Taylor scoffs, unconvinced by my weak attempts at deflecting the question.

"What Taylor means to say is that we're worried about you," Courtney corrects, narrowing her eyes in disapproval. She always was the more tactful one of the pair.

I am quick to reassure them, hoping that it'll get me off the hook. "It's nothing bad, promise."

"Then what is it?" Taylor insists, not willing to back down. She's not the only one. While Courtney's approach is less direct, I can tell she won't stop until I've given in and told them. So much for secrets...

"Max," I answer simply, swallowing my pride and preparing myself for a further, inevitable onslaught of questions.

"What as in Maxine Caulfield, number one enemy Max?" Taylor presses, seeming a bit confused by this revelation.

"Yes, that Max," I confirm, already regretting starting this conversation now. Too late for that...

"What has she done?" Courtney asked, concern lining her face. If it had been anyone other than her or Taylor asking me this, I might lash out at them. I can see that they really care and want to make sure I'm okay. Time to start being more honest with them… and myself.

I begin to painfully explain my circumstances, starting right at the beginning. Retelling it all is so surreal and embarrassing. How all this between Max and I started and progressed until this day. I leave out a lot of the intimate details, finding this embarrassing enough to talk about. Taylor and Courtney sit there, listening patiently for me to finish. Every so often they glance at one another, conveying some non-verbal message. That is enough to put me on edge.

When I finish, they exchange small smiles before Courtney turns to me. "We had a feeling something like this was happening."

That confuses me. "Wait… how?"

"You aren't as subtle as you think you are… and walls at Blackwell are pretty thin," I must look like I want to murder someone, because Taylor immediately begins to backtrack. "Kidding."

"Where is this all going between you two?" Courtney pressed gently, getting back to the heart of the topic once more.

That is a good question. "I… honestly don't know."

Noting my silence, Courtney doesn't press further. "Well, thanks for telling us. We were getting worried something really bad had happened."

"You aren't exactly forthcoming with your emotions," Taylor adds with a knowing smirk.

I opened my mouth to protest, realizing that she has a point half way through. "I guess…"

Taylor's smirk only widens. "I think that's the closest you've ever come to admitting I was right."

"Definitely," Courtney agrees cheekily.

"You guys are so dead!" I cry, grabbing a pillow and hitting them relentlessly. They cower, giggling at my outrage. I'm lucky to have friends like them. Still… the conversation has put a seed of doubt in my mind. Just where are things going with Max and I? Maybe I'm too scared to ask...


A Few Days Later - Max's POV - Chloe's House

Chloe and I are chilling out in her room, smoking as usual. Before Seattle, I would have never even tried, but time has a way of changing people. For better or worse. Probably worse in my case. The old me was more reserved and shy, nothing like how I am now. If I want something now, I take it. Simple as. Other people's opinions of me don't matter, at least from a stranger's perspective. I do care about what people like Kate and Chloe think of me… maybe Victoria a little too, more than I used to. Thanks to my appalling track record of 'relationships', I tend to keep them separate from deep emotional connections. Less people get hurt that way when things don't work out or someone fucks up big time. Like me…

It's not like I'm against forming a deeper connection per say, it's just that in my experience it never seems to work out for one reason or another. As soon as sex is involved, things get messy. Maybe one day I can get over that mindset. For now, I'll just have fun and try not to hurt anyone else with reckless behavior. Small steps...

"So, have you and the fiery temptress made up yet?" Chloe asks as she passes me the half smoked joint.

I take it from her and bring it to my lips. "We did, yes."

She turns her head to grin at me broadly. "I can only imagine how…"

"Whatever you're thinking… probably not too far wrong." Talking with Chloe always puts things in perspective and helps to take my mind off things. There's been a lot of drama recently and I need a break from it all.

"See, I know everything. Maybe I should get you pissed off more often." Chloe winks at me suggestively, only half-joking.

I blow out the smoke, letting it billow around me as I smirk. "Then you'll get a lot more bruises."

"That rough, huh?" she ask while playfully nudging my shoulder.

"You are impossible. That's not what I meant and you know it." I visible roll my eyes at her as I pass back the joint. To be honest, if it wasn't for Victoria I might actually take my teasing up a notch to test Chloe. But… I don't want to start something I can't finish and make things super complicated for everyone. I don't need another mistake to add to the long list...

"Hey, I'm not gonna judge all the kinky shit you're into… except I totally am." She grins cheekily at me. "Can't be any worse than Rachel, though."

Seeing a chance to change the subject, I take it. "I would say that was too much information, but now I'm curious. You've grilled me about my 'love life', so how about I return the favor?"

Chloe's grin only widens, the flicker of mischief in her eyes rapidly increasing. "If you think you can handle it. There is a reason I only see her once every couple months… recovery time."

"On second thoughts, I retract that line of inquiry," I interject. Knowing Chloe, she'll make it ten times more embarrassing than it really is just to get a reaction out of me. Best not to give her the chance.

She chuckles at my protests, placing the joint stub in her ashtray. "You are just too easy to tease sometimes. Not as much as before, but still enough."

Of course Chloe would focus on her ability to tease me still. "At least I can fight back now."

"Not so good for me," Chloe sighs melodramatically. "I already have Rachel if I want to get my ass handed to me… in more ways than one."

"Guess you'll just have to get used to it, huh?" I mention with a smirk. "All those years of childhood teasing have come to bite you in the ass. Karma."

Chloe shakes her head, sounding dejected. "You are so cruel to me, you know that?"

Capitalizing on my advantage, I continue my playful teasing. "I could be crueller."

"Yeah, I bet you could if you tried. I don't want to evoke the merciless devil in you, thanks." She turns to me with an almost sympathetic expression. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but… maybe I feel a little sorry for Victoria dealing with such a sadist like you."

"Says you." I shove her shoulder hard.

Chloe chuckles at my indignant behavior. "See, that's exactly what I'm talking about."

As always, I can never win in an argument against Chloe Price.


A Week Later - Victoria's POV

During photography class today, I swear I catch Max staring at me. Of course, I don't want to make it too obvious that I'm staring at her too, so I can't tell for sure. I can feel her eyes on me, though. It's very distracting to say the least. Doing my best to focus, I stare straight down at my notebook, Mr. Jefferson's lecture going right over my head. Thankfully, the bell soom rings and class ends. As I pack, I sneak a sideways glance in Max's directly, catching her eye. She gives a smug smirk, raising an eyebrow suggestively. It's pretty obvious what she wants and I'm not going to object.

There is a tense atmosphere hanging between us as we walk back to the dorm building, not exchanging a single word. With each step I get more worked up, eager to get back quickly. From the increased pace, Max does too. Checking that nobody is around, I follow her into her room and am immediately descended on. She pushes me against the door, pinning me. Her eyes flash with longing as she goes in for a kiss, the look giving me shivers. I pull her closer, needing more. It's never enough.

I feel her tongue against mine, hands beginning to wander and tug impatiently at clothing. Clumsily, we undress one another, hungry for the contact. Small flickers of doubt enter my head, echoing questions that have plagued me all week. Where are things going between us? I push past them, determined to just enjoy this and not make it too complicated. For a while, it works.

We fall back on the bed, touching and kissing everywhere we possibly can. Her fingers trace my skin, leaving faint red marks. The sensation overwhelms me, my body begging for more. She grants my wish slowly, refraining from giving me the release I need in favor of teasing me. That is something my body protests yet equally can't get enough off. It's a strange, intoxicating feeling. The moans, growing louder with each increase of pleasure, softly echo around the room and seem to spur Max on. She seems to know my sensitive spots now, memorized them from our previous encounters.

It doesn't take long for the doubt to come back, making it almost impossible to enjoy myself.

"What's wrong?" Max asks as she stops her passionate assault, obviously picking up on my internal debate.

Hesitating for a moment before deciding to stop torturing myself, I finally voice the question. "This is going to sound totally stupid, but… where is this, us, going?"

The question catches Max off guard, her expression soon turning contemplative. "Honestly, I don't know. Does it really matter? As long as we're both happy to keep going, then that's enough for now. We can worry about definitions later if you really want. You are still fine with this, right?"

"Yes…" I catch myself too late, realizing I answered much too quickly. "I mean, sure it's fine, I guess." Maybe I'm being a little hasty trying to label things. Insecurity wins yet again...

"Good. I'd be a little disappointed otherwise." Max's voice is low as she leans in and kisses me again, gently at first, then more passionately. Maybe this is her way of reassuring me. Action speak much louder than words. She definitely puts that concept into practice now, making me shiver when she touches me with just the right amount of pressure, my body feeling like it's on fire. Our eyes connect for just a second during the throes of passion, hiding nothing from one another. About as honest and vulnerable as we can get. More telling than words ever could be.

That is when I realize, maybe it doesn't matter about the destination or how long it lasts... so long as you enjoy the ride.


So yeah, thanks for reading and hope to see you in another fic.