C.

You can tell how much I didn't want you to read this letter since I've waited this long to leave it for you. I want to stay and talk about it but I worry that you'll convince me to never leave and I simply can't take that chance. I don't want you to hate me, though I know you will. Where to start?

There are things I need. Not as a way to make it in this life but as a person. You can't give me these things, even though I know you wish you could. I tried looking for it from other people and only one came close. I won't tell you, because I know you'll have a meltdown, but I swear I couldn't do any of this without them. They changed my life.

Before you ask, it's not about the pills. If I told you, you'd only shake your head and give me that stink eye for it. You wouldn't understand.

I'm leaving. Or, if I planned this right, I already left. Don't try looking for me, it'll only make this hurt worse. Maybe one day I can see you again and we can talk. But that time won't come soon. This was always my dream and I hope you can be happy for me.

There's nothing left there. I know you won't believe me, but it's not about you.

I'll always care for you.

-R

-Final Timeline, May 30th

Chloe awoke to a sharp pain in her neck and a clog of snot in her nose. She had stayed up far longer than she should have wondering and waiting for an answer from nowhere and only received a restless sleep for her trouble. She had removed the bandage before she left, and everything underneath rubbed uncomfortably against her clothing; a reminder to herself that things weren't okay.

One step at a time.

Steph was awake, from the sounds of movement coming from the kitchen behind her, and Chloe figured that she should join her. With a groan, she pulled herself up, took a moment to pop a few of her joints, and stood. A digital clock on a shelf told her it was just past noon.

"Good morning," Steph called when she saw Chloe. She wore an over-sized shirt and sweatpants and shook the box of cereal in her hands. "Want some?"

Chloe nodded her head and joined Steph to make some breakfast. They moved in silence for a while, neither of them entirely awake yet, before sitting down across from each other at the single small table in the apartment.

"So," Chloe began. "What's the plan?"

Steph spoke through bites of her cereal. "I figure tonight we start at the place I saw her, ask if anyone's seen her. It's Saturday, so I don't doubt she'll be somewhere."

Chloe nodded. It was a solid plan, though the odds of it working left a pit in her stomach. "I hope this is all okay with you. I know you've got like big college classes or whatever, but thanks again for doing all this. You didn't have to."

"It was a dick move what she did. If I were in your position, I'd want answers too. My classes aren't a problem, don't worry about that. I want to do what I can to help."

"Yeah, well. Thanks. Still."

Chloe spied Steph's large smile over her spoon as they continued eating.

"You almost ready, Chloe?"

It was late, and the sun had long since gone down on the day. They had spent most of it out in town, Steph showing Chloe some of her favorite sights and stores nearby. They stopped in a small Chinese restaurant for dinner before heading back. The bar Steph had seen Rachel in was close to downtown, and depending on how long they stayed out, they would have to contend with the hustle of one of the biggest cities in the world on a Saturday night.

"Yeah, just gimme a minute."

Chloe pressed the phone up against her ear one last time. She had tried to call Max several times during the day, hoping she had returned or at least looking for confirmation she hadn't. Unfortunately, she had yet to answer.

The phone rang, each briiing worrying Chloe more and more. On the eighth one, that automated voice answered, telling her that Max couldn't be reached. Chloe left a short reply on the voicemail.

"Hey, Max. Chloe again. Like, it's cool if you need some space or whatever. That's fine. I'm... just getting a little worried. Want to talk. Yeah. Call me when you get this. Bye."

Steph spoke up as Chloe put the phone away. "Still nothing?"

Chloe shook her head.

"I'm sure she's fine. She probably left her phone somewhere and forgot about it. You said she was forgetful, right?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Steph walked over to Chloe and put her hand on her shoulder. "Look, if you're having second thoughts or you want to go home, I understand. Be with your girlfriend. We can get you on a plane and you'll be back tomorrow."

Chloe thought it over. It was a tempting offer, but she had come all this way. It seemed like a waste to head back before even trying to find Rachel. Maybe Steph was right. It wouldn't be out of character for Max to lose her phone—or she's just ignoring you again—and if something did happen, her powers would make it difficult to stick.

"No," she said, deciding. "I can do this. We'll just find Rachel, get some answers, and that's it. I... won't try forever, though. If she doesn't want to be found, then there's nothing we can do about it. I won't chase her forever. I have Max to get back to."

"That's very forward-thinking of you, Chloe."

Chloe shrugged. "I have my moments. Let's hit the road."

Unfortunately, the first club they searched was a dud. As were the next four after that. They had gone through the places Steph had considered as 'most likely', for whatever measure that was, and had now moved on to those that Google recommended. Their plan had many problems, but with no way to contact or find out more information about Rachel, it was the best they had.

Chloe was still only nineteen, which restricted some of their options, but Steph told her not to worry. Rachel wasn't twenty-one yet either, and Steph had seen her in an eighteen-plus bar, and unless she had a fake, that's all she'd be able to go to as well. Chloe thought it likely that a small thing such as an ID wouldn't keep her out, but she held her tongue.

Now their search had taken them to a club deep in downtown, and the streets were busy. It was a short, wide building connected to a closed coffee shop, and the entrance was down a flight of stairs around back.

"The Welkin Way?" Chloe asked as she looked down toward the entrance. The muted sound of music roared through the walls downstairs, and fortunately, there was no line. Only a lone bouncer sat on a stool guarding the entrance.

"This place seemed pretty popular. It's worth a shot."

Chloe chewed her lip. "And if she isn't there? We've searched like five places already, and we have no idea if she's even out tonight. Or if she showed up late and we missed her. I don't see how we're going to find one person in this huge-ass city."

"Don't get discouraged. If we don't find her, then we'll try again tomorrow. And the next day. And we'll keep trying until we decide that it's a lost cause."

Chloe honestly didn't how long it would take her to give up, but if this didn't work, she might have to find out. "Okay. If you say so." Chloe left it at that.

They both headed down the stairs, Chloe silently wondering if it was worth it at all, and showed their ID's to the bouncer. 'Henry', his name tag said. He looked like a Henry.

With a nod from Henry, he allowed them to enter. The club was divided into two parts, with a dance floor taking up most of the room. Scattered tables filled the other part, and most were full of the people who weren't dancing at the moment, for any number of reasons. The DJ sat on a raised platform on the far side of the dance floor, playing some thumping song whose bass sent Chloe's stomach turning. It felt good, if she was being honest.

A hallway leading to the bar was nearby, and from what Chloe could see, it was fairly packed compared to the other room. Chloe didn't blame them. Alcohol always helped the party get going.

Steph turned to her, practically shouting to be heard over the music. "I'll go check the bar, you look in here. We'll meet up back here if we find anything, alright?"

To save her voice, Chloe shot Steph a thumbs-up. Steph nodded and made her way out, leaving Chloe alone. Not expecting to find anything, yet hoping she would, Chloe moved around, searching the crowd.

It was difficult to see through the flashing lights and moving bodies, but looking for Rachel was simple enough. Steph assured her that Rachel hadn't changed too much to be unrecognizable. No Botox or anything, she had joked. Chloe wasn't surprised; Rachel loved her own body too much to ruin it like that.

The tables were easy to go through. Almost everyone was sitting, and those that weren't, Chloe could see past. Only a bunch of tired college kids trying to get their kicks after a long week. No Rachel there.

From outside the crowded dance floor, Chloe couldn't get a decent look at anyone inside, so she maneuvered herself into the throng of moving bodies. Mostly, the dancers attempted to give her space, except for a few who seemed to pointedly ignore her. A quick shove made quick work of them, allowing her to get to the center.

The lights, sound, and overwhelming sensation of the dance floor tired her. This was the third busy crowd she had pressed through tonight, and it was easily the worst. In a small way, Chloe was glad Max wasn't here. There was no way she'd be able to survive this. Not without a small panic attack, at least.

Unsurprisingly, Rachel made no appearance. Even in the confusing shake of the dance floor, she was confident that she wasn't there. Rachel had a tendency to be big and loud, always needing the spotlight. If she were here, she'd make herself known over these kids whose idea of dancing went only as far as a limp-wristed twist.

Just to make sure, and only because Chloe knew she wouldn't be able to stand searching another club that night, she made a second round through the crowd. This time, some people gave her a strange look, but she barely stopped to notice. A quick look at their faces was all she needed.

Once again, no Rachel. If Chloe was being honest to herself, it wasn't a surprise. This trip seemed like a worse idea the longer it went on. How long would she wait, randomly searching clubs and bars for a girl who didn't want to be found? She had Max back in Arcadia Bay, so what did she even need Rachel for, anyway? Nothing, that's what.

Chloe made up her mind. This entire trip was a mistake, and she needed to get back. She left the dance floor and walked over to the exit, ready to tell Steph that she was done.

Steph was already there waiting, but she seemed nervous. Her arms were crossed and she tapped her foot rapidly, even faster than the music. The instant she spotted Chloe making her way back, she rushed over and grabbed her, hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, what the fu-"

"Chloe, you need to be calm." Steph stared directly into Chloe's eyes, her face a mask of seriousness. "Please don't do anything rash, okay?"

"What?" The suddenness of this stunned Chloe. "Did you find her? Is she in there?"

"Yes, she is. She's at the bar." Chloe immediately started to move but Steph tightened her grip. "Listen to me. I know you're probably really worked up about this, but please try not to make a scene. Talk to her, okay? Save the screaming and fighting for later."

"Yeah. Sure, whatever. Just let me go see her."

Chloe felt Steph release her, and she almost ran to the hallway. Her instinct told her to go as quickly as possible, but Steph's words slowed her down. Talk to her. Easy.

Inside, the barroom was almost as packed as the dance floor. People filled every seat and those that didn't hovered around the clustered tables. Everyone in here was noticeably older compared to the barely-legal dancers outside. It seemed like the preferred the party over the bar atmosphere.

Immediately, Chloe spotted her. Her hair was closer to a proper blonde, and she no longer wore the blue feather on her ear, but her face and body were unmistakable. After so many months, nothing more than a letter and the remnants of deleted social media, she was here.

She was talking to an older man, obviously flirting, though Chloe couldn't hear the words they spoke. Rachel let out a floating laugh, barely too much effort to be real, and she had a hand on his arm.

Chloe didn't know what to feel. She expected rage, or desperation, or even sadness. But the only emotion that flowed through her was excitement. Rachel was her angel, and she was back. The only question was, how would she react to seeing Chloe again? She had abandoned her with no warning once already, and what would Chloe do if she refused to talk.

There was only one way to find out. Almost in a daze, Chloe's legs moved her forward, over to the bar. Rachel was facing the other way and didn't see her approach. The older man's eyes flickered to her, but he didn't pay her any mind.

Just say it. Don't be scared.

"Uh... hi, Rachel." Chloe's voice cracked, and it was fortunate this room was quieter than the other. She wouldn't be able to bring herself to yell.

At the sound of her voice, Rachel turned. Her eyes were slightly out of focus; she was bordering on 'completely drunk', and it took her a moment to recognize Chloe. When she did, it was obvious. The color drained out of her face and her breathing stopped.

"Jim...?" She stared at Chloe, but she wasn't speaking to her. "Jim!"

The handsome bartender behind the counter, presumably Jim, came over at the call. "Something wrong, Jess? You know these two?"

Apparently, Steph had come over at some point, and Chloe hadn't noticed.

"Get them out of here." Rachel's voice was soft. "Angel. This is a serious Angel. Please, tell them to go."

"Whoa, Rach, come on," Chloe started.

Quick as a flash, Rachel moved behind the bar. The bartender crossed his arms and set his face in a mask of practiced hardness. "I think you two should leave." His tone left no room for argument.

Regardless, Chloe wasn't backing down. "What? Rachel, you can't just kick us out like this." She turned to the bartender. "We're her friends, okay? All we want to do is talk."

"If you don't leave right now, I will call security."

"Please, Rachel," Chloe pleaded.

"Chloe, I think we should go." Steph pulled on her arm, trying to get her away. They were causing a scene. Most of the conversations nearby had stopped, and everyone was looking at them.

Chloe kept staring at Rachel, hoping that she would change her mind, but she still only held that shocked expression. She looked frightened of Chloe, more than anything.

Eventually, Chloe into Steph's pull. She kept her eyes on Rachel for as long as she could until they were back near the exit. The bartender stood blocking the way back in to make sure they left, but Chloe had no reason to stay. She let herself be pulled along behind Steph, outside and back up the stairs.

"Fuck!" The scream came out without warning. "All this way and she doesn't even listen. What the fuck was even the point?"

"Chloe." Steph had taken several steps back. "Please try to calm down."

"I should just go. This was a goddamn mistake."

"This wasn't a mistake. It just didn't go so well this time. We can find a way to talk to her, alright?"

"How?" Chloe was practically yelling. "If we go back in there, they'll probably call the cops. Then we'll have bigger problems."

"Look, she has to come out sometime. This is the only exit, so if we wait here, we can catch her when she leaves."

Steph had a good point, but there was no telling how long that would take. This place would be open for several more hours, and they couldn't risk leaving on the chance that Rachel would slip past them.

"There's a bench right over here we can sit at," Steph continued. "It might be a while, but it'll work."

Chloe walked over and saw that Steph was right. They would have the perfect vantage to the stairs up from the club, and they wouldn't miss anyone going in or out.

"Okay... we can try this."

It was a cold night out, and though they both wore jackets, eventually the chill would get to them. Chloe considered it worth it, given how far she had come. She would have to tell Steph thank you again for everything. Blindly searching, waiting for hours, supporting her through all of this. At least Chloe had one friend who hadn't betrayed her.

"Chloe, look!" Steph's voice startled her to attention. It seemed she had dozed off at some point. Now alert, Chloe followed her gaze and saw Rachel slowly climbing the final few steps of the stairs. Both her hands were grasping for life on the rail, and her movement was unsteady. It took her several seconds to find her footing on each step. From how out of it she looked, it was a miracle she had made it the entire way up. She must have had practice.

When she reached the top, she only stood there for several seconds, hands still glued to the rail. She took a cautious step away, but immediately lost her stance and tumbled to her hands and knees.

Chloe didn't wait any longer. She dashed over to Rachel and grabbed her arm, helping her up. Steph followed behind a moment later to keep her steady.

"Rachel...?" Chloe whispered.

It took Rachel some time to roll her head up to look at Chloe. Her eyes were half-shut and her pupils wouldn't stay steady. Some sounds that might have been words came out of her mouth, but Chloe couldn't understand what she was trying to say. One thing Chloe noticed: her makeup trailed from her eyes. She had been crying.

"Dammit, Rach." She was out of it, and in no position to talk. How much had she had to drink? "What do we do?"

"We don't know where she lives," Steph said, "and I don't know if she's got anyone waiting for her. We can take her back to my place and let her sleep it off. I'd rather not let her wander around like this."

"Agreed."

By this point, Rachel had almost completely stopped attempting to hold herself up, which meant that Steph and Chloe were practically carrying her. It was a decent walk to where Steph's car was parked, and Chloe was thankful no one stopped to question them. Two people carrying an incoherent girl to their car wouldn't be easy to explain.

Soon enough, they had her buckled into the back seat and were off back to Steph's apartment. Rachel had begun to lightly snore, but even so, Chloe couldn't keep her eyes off of her through the mirror.

"God," Chloe began. "I can't believe we found her."

"Yeah. How do you feel?"

Chloe thought for a moment. "I don't know. I thought I would be furious with her, after everything..."

"But...?" Steph prodded.

"But honestly, right now I'm just happy she's okay. Before you showed up, I thought she might have gotten herself killed. Popped one too many pills, pissed off another drug dealer, something like that. She wasn't doing well, near the end."

"It sounds like things were rough."

"They were. But I loved her, and I thought she felt the same way." Chloe sighed. "It's almost like Max was, in a way. When she came back, I forgave her almost immediately. I know I should blame Rachel for this, at least a little."

"There's nothing you should do, Chloe. If you don't want to be mad, then don't. Let her explain herself, and it's up to no one but you to forgive her."

"Yeah..."

They drove the rest of the way back to Steph's in silence. They left the radio off to not wake Rachel, so all Chloe had was the hum of the street passing by.

Fortunately, with the late hour, traffic was easy, and they were back in almost no time. It took some effort to carry Rachel up, her limp body making the trip difficult, but they made it without dropping her. Steph set her in her bed, on her side in case she threw up, and shut the door, letting her rest.

"We'll have to check on her every so often to make sure she's okay. Her breathing is strong enough, though, which is good."

"Good," Chloe said. "Yeah, good."

"You should try to get some sleep. I can stay up to watch."

"I don't know if I can," Chloe said truthfully. "With everything... I'm worried, you know?"

"I know." Steph took a seat in one of her chairs and pulled out her phone. "But try anyway. It's been a long day. I'll be fine, I'm used to pulling all-nighters."

"Are you sure?"

"Go to sleep, Chloe. You'll need it."

Unsure if it was even possible, Chloe gathered the blanket and pillow she had used yesterday and turned off the light. Her mind never stopped thinking of horrible possibilities and terrible ways this could go, but she would at least give the effort of trying to get some rest. She bundled herself up and lay down so she had vision of the bedroom door.

The act of even making the motion of going to bed was powerful, it seemed. The longer Chloe lay there in the dark waiting, the more her body begged for sleep. She tried to keep herself alert, on the minuscule chance that Rachel would wake, but it was a lost cause. Sleep took her before she realized.

It's not as simple as you make it seem, you know.

William sat behind a bar, pouring drinks. There was no one else in the room.

Betrayal comes from the most unlikely places.

He poured out two sickly green concoctions and set one down in front of her.

Sometimes there's an explanation.

He put a finger to his mouth in a comical shush.

And sometimes there isn't.

Words came from him, though his mouth never moved.

These sorts of things are all on you.

She grabbed the glass and peered inside. Small bits of something unknown floated within.

You can choose to forgive.

The bits looked a little like flowers from one angle.

Or you can carry around that weight like an anchor.

But when she tilted her head, they seemed more like shards of glass.

It's not up to me to tell you what to do.

He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to drink.

And of course, you can choose nothing at all.

She raised the glass to her lips, but the liquid disappeared before she could drink it.

Though isn't that still a choice?

He raised his own drink in a toast, before swallowing it all in a single gulp.

Don't blame yourself. That's all I ask.

The green burned through his throat, escaping into tiny flames that enveloped his entire body.

Goodnight, sweetpea.

"Hey, wake up."

A familiar voice pierced through the blanket of sleep. Soon after, a slight shake properly awoke Chloe from her deep slumber. It took her several moments to sit up and orient herself. Light streamed through the curtains, and the clock said that it was past noon. She had managed to sleep for almost twelve hours.

Steph stood in front of her, a cup of hot coffee in her hand. A part of Chloe was quietly sad that the voice wasn't Rachel's, but it was better that it wasn't.

"Is she still in there?" Chloe asked.

"She just woke up, I think. I heard her moving around, so I woke you. Are you good to handle this?"

"Yeah. I can do this."

"All right." Steph nodded. "I'll go wait outside. Text or yell if you need me."

One last look to make sure, and Steph left out the front door, leaving Chloe alone. It was quiet in the apartment, but Chloe knew it wouldn't be for long. Rachel was awake in the other room.

Chloe took a few deep breaths before walking over to the bedroom door. She put her ear to it and heard a quiet shuffling, nothing more. After a knock, she spoke, loud enough to carry through.

"Rach... Rachel? It's, uh, Chloe."

No response came for several moments. Just before she would open the door to make sure she hadn't somehow snuck out, Rachel's faint voice came floating through.

"Where am I?"

"You're at Steph's apartment. Steph Gingrich" No response. "We brought you back here. You were stumbling all over the place. It wasn't safe."

"I want to go home."

Chloe let out a strained sigh. "Can you please come out here, so we can talk?"

The door opened, revealing Rachel in the same prettied-up clothes she had worn last night.

"Hi, Chloe."

Her hair was a mess, and her makeup was ruined, but she still had that sort of shining glow that made her Rachel Amber. It was both different and her all at once. Now, in the light, there were some differences that Chloe could notice. Her skin was paler than Chloe remembered, and she had lost several pounds.

"Let's talk." Rachel had her arms crossed protectively, and she held her head down. It reminded Chloe of Max when she was in a crowd where she didn't know anyone. Fear. She's scared of you.

Chloe walked over and sat down in one of the chairs near the kitchen, and Rachel took the one across from her.

Before Chloe could think of what to say, Rachel spoke. "You shouldn't have come. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't good to see you."

"Then why did you make them kick us out?"

Rachel averted her gaze. "I was scared. I didn't know what you would do."

"Do?" Chloe's voice rose, and Rachel noticeably flinched. "I wasn't going to do anything. I only wanted to talk, that's all."

"Okay..." Rachel looked back at Chloe, though her head stayed low. "Ask away."

This was it. Rachel was in front of her, talking. Chloe had so many questions, so she picked one to begin with.

"Why did you leave? A letter that said nothing, and you go and disappear off the face of the earth? Just... why?"

"Things back in Arcadia got too much for me. It was always my dream to come out here, and so I did."

"It was our dream," Chloe stressed.

Rachel shook her head. "It was mine, and I was yours. You would've followed me anywhere, to the ends of the earth. I know how much you loved me."

Chloe couldn't deny it. It was true. But what was the point? "Did you love me back?"

"Oh, Chloe." Rachel finally raised her head to look at Chloe properly. "I love you so much. I know I didn't always show it so well, but I did."

"How's that? By cheating on me with Frank? 'They changed your life', isn't that what you said?"

Rachel lowered her head again, now staring at the table between them. "That wasn't about Frank," she whispered.

"Oh, there was someone else then?" Chloe was getting worked up. One man on the side was one thing, but two? "How the fuck can you say you loved me if you were slutting it up behind my back? Who was the other guy?"

"You're not going to like it."

"Who was it?" Chloe snarled. "Justin? Nathan?"

"...Mark Jefferson."

The revelation stunned Chloe. Not only a teacher but a convicted murderer. "You slept with that psychopath?"

"I knew he wasn't... safe, but he helped me in ways that no one could. It wasn't about the sex, or even the drugs he got me. He showed me how I could be free."

"What the fuck does that even mean? Did you know he kidnapped all those girls? Did you know he killed a student from Blackwell?"

"Stella Hill. I remember." Rachel's breathing quickened. Small spots of tears grew from the edges of her eyes, and she shook as she spoke. "I know he took her. I know she got too much of his sedative. I know she disappeared that Spring and almost no one cared."

"Rachel..." The way she was shaking scared Chloe.

"I know exactly what happened to her, because I was a part of it."

A/N:

They can't all be angels...

Fun fact: In the very earliest outlines of this story, one of the reveals was that Rachel was cheating on Chloe with Old Max. Wouldn't that have been a twist?

Thanks again for all the comments. I love hearing what you have to say.

We'll be back to Max again next week.

Thanks for reading.
Next chapter: 1-11