The next morning, Chloe got a call that night from Joyce asking to work the night shift.

"Night shift?" Chloe asked. "You never ask me to work night shift."

"I know." Joyce sighed. She sounded exasperated, and about as tired as Chloe was. "Everyone else has cancelled on me last minute. I know, it sucks."

Chloe sighed. "No, I'll do it. Do you still need me to come in this morning?"

"Heavens no, I won't make you work 12 hours straight. You won't start until 10pm, and by then everyone else will be going home. You just gotta clean up the whole place, and if you could watch out for that old homeless woman who lives near the parking lot, that would be wonderful too."

"What would I need to do for her?"

"Just make sure she's not freezing to death. Forecast says cold tonight."

"Okay." Chloe nodded. "How long do I have to be there for?"

"However long it takes you to clean. No-one will be there, so you can take as many breaks as you want. Even though you'll be on overtime rate, I'm only clocking you for 4 hours, so even if you finish in 2 hours or 6, I don't care."

"Okay, thanks Jo-" Chloe coughed. "Thanks mom."

"No, thank you honey." Joyce sighed. "You've saved my fucking day." She chuckled.

"Language, mother!" Chloe laughed. She didn't often hear her mother swear, it was only when she was very stressed. The last time she heard her mother swear to that extent was when Rachel almost died, over three years prior.

"Bold words coming from your pottymouth." Joyce laughed. "I should let you get back to sleep. Gotta head to work soon, anyway."

"No rest for the working class, huh?"

"Except for you. Go back to sleep, honey. You're gonna need it tonight."

"Of course. I appreciate it. Thanks again mom."

"Alright. I better go. Love you."

"Love you too." Chloe said as she hung up. She sighed. The microwave beeped, indicating her eggs had finished. She walked over to the microwave. Just before she opened it, she stopped and looked at her reflection. "Huh. The blonde's growing back through." She parted the roots of her hair to get a better look. "I wonder if it's time for a change?" She pondered. She shook her head. She wasn't really hungry, but she wasn't gonna let the eggs go to waste. She sat down at the table and read the newspaper. She never really read it, but Max always wanted to know what was going on, so every morning she would grab the paper for her. Max had also got her into drinking tea, from rare sessions when Kate would come over during Chloe's off-days, which as far as she could remember, only happened about once. Still, she enjoyed tea, and rarely went mornings without it. Despite her current circumstances, she felt relaxed. That is, until she saw a familiar advertisement. "Christ." She mumbled. She didn't want to read it, but she simply couldn't look away.

'EVERYDAY HEROES CONTEST! Hosted by Mark Jefferson and available to all photography students. Submit your photograph by 10/09 and be in to win a free-trip to San Francisco!'

"Yikes." Chloe muttered. She still remembered when Max told her everything that had happened. On the phone on the evening of The Tempest, three years prior. Rachel was so stressed Chloe tried to convince her to not take part, but Rachel not only insisted, but also somehow managed to drag Chloe onstage for a rather passionate monologue. She wondered how the hell Max still had so much passion for photography after all she went through with her teacher. "I guess that passion comes from rage now instead of excitement. She no longer has that sense of… innocence." Chloe shook her head. She no longer had an appetite. She threw out the rest of her eggs and rinsed out her mug. She shuffled quietly into the bedroom and resumed her position in bed next to Max, carefully shoving her and Rachel aside to give herself room. Max moaned slightly but didn't stir. Rachel snored, which made Chloe giggle. She wrapped her arms around Max and carefully sank her head into Max's neck. "Oh Max, how the hell did you live through all this? You're so much stronger than I ever could be." She whispered, her lips lightly tickling Max's neck. She yawned, and then fell asleep.

When Chloe awoke after her evening nap, she saw Max and Rachel sitting together at the table, comparing notes. "Uh oh! Nerd alert!" Chloe cried as she walked over to them.

"Speak of the devil!" Rachel beamed. "We were just talking about how we'd go about sacrificing you to Satan."

"I've already given him my soul and everlasting worship, what else could he want?" Chloe smirked.

"His dick sucked." Max replied without looking up from her physics book.

"Not a bad idea, Max! Too bad neither of you have one."

"God, Chloe." Rachel laughed, shaking her head. "Do you want some food? Left some in the microwave for you."

"I take back what I said. You're not Satan, you are an angel." Chloe walked over and kissed the top of Rachel's head.

"Hey, what about me?" Max protested.

Chloe shrugged. "Maybe next time, hippie."

"Right. The anarchist stoner with the dyed hair, the tattoos, the nipple piercing, and the ripped clothes is gonna call me a hippie."

"Eat me." Chloe retorted. She took the slightly-warm plate of curry out of the fridge and quickly scoffed it before leaving. "Love you both!" She yelled, a piece of rice spitting out.

"You are disgusting!" Rachel cried back. "But I love you anyway!"

"See ya Chloe. Don't have too much fun at work!" Max grinned.

"Fun? Me? Never!" Chloe laughed as she shut the door. She quickly descended down the stairs and outside towards the truck. The night was clear, but she could feel the chill air bite at her. She suddenly regretted wearing only a singlet. It was dark, but the parking lot was well-lit. Despite this, she got the horrifying feeling that she was being watched. She got into her truck and gripped the steering wheel. "I'm just nervous about the shift. It'll be fine." She thought, but her fears were still festering in the back of her mind. With her life under so much threat, it was hard for her to keep calm and stay focused. She sighed and rested her head on the steering wheel. She put the key in the ignition and the truck roared to life. "You are in desperate need of some more TLC, girl." Chloe muttered to the truck as she pulled out of the parking lot. She didn't feel like listening to music, but the silence was killing her. She put the radio on and listened as she drove.

"That was 'The Sense of Me' played by Mud Flow…" The radio host said as the last few seconds of music faded out. "...finishing off our segment on hits from the last ten years. Little update on the weather forecast for overnight, moderate to heavy rain is to be expected around midnight, so if you're out driving that late, stay safe and drive slowly."

It occurred to Chloe at that exact moment that her headlights weren't on, so she turned them on. Traffic wasn't heavy, but it wasn't completely empty either. The roads were mostly used by trucks coming from Canada delivering goods. Still, she drove carefully, parking in her usual spot in the parking lot next to the diner and stepped out of the truck. As soon as she stepped out, she felt the immediate chill and shivered again. The chill was quickly followed by fear that she was being watched again, and then by dread for her upcoming shift. She walked all the way around the front of the diner to the back entrance, briefly glancing at the homeless woman, who lay asleep on the ground covered in old newspapers.

"Hmm…" Chloe thought. She stepped inside and passed the storage cupboard into the diner. She immediately felt the warm interior and relaxed.

"Good. You're here." A middle-aged woman in uniform sighed. "Good luck tonight by the way, honey."

"I'll manage." Chloe smiled."

"You're Joyce's daughter. Of course you will." She smiled back. "Here's the keys. Make sure you lock up after you finish. There ain't much to do, we've already done a little bit for ya."

"Thanks. Hey, do you know if we have any spare blankets? Or anything to keep someone warm and/or dry?"

The woman raised an eyebrow. "You mean for that poor woman out the back? Your mother keeps them in the walk-in pantry next to the freezer with the cleaning supplies."

"Cool. Thank you!" Chloe took the keys excitedly from the woman and bounded over to the main kitchen. The woman rolled her eyes and left, slowly but firmly closing the door behind her. Chloe found the door the woman was referring to and went in. "Okay. Should do this first since it's gonna rain soon." She exhaled. "Phew. Gotta just grab these, get the cleaning stuff out, give the blankets and shit to that woman, then I'll have a smoke break." She slapped her face lazily. "God. This is gonna suck." She picked up the blankets and set them on a preparation bench in the centre of the kitchen. She then gathered a large bucket, a mop, several cloths, rubber gloves, and all of the chemicals and placed them next to the blankets. She picked up the blankets and walked outside, where the wind was starting to pick up. In the distance, she could hear a car screeching on the road. She mumbled several curses under her breath and approached the woman.

"Hey." She said, shaking the woman awake. "I thought you'd might want these."

"That's very nice of you." The woman smiled. "You're Joyce's daughter, aren't you? All punk rock and hard on the outside, but deep down you're a very caring and selfless person."

"I'm not selfless." Chloe muttered. "But I know what it's like. To feel cast out. Rachel and I wanted so badly to run away, but we couldn't."

"You had a home, a family, friends who cared about you. Why leave?"

"I don't know. I thought I did, and to be honest I still want to run. At least now I feel I have something to stay here for."

"That's good." The old woman shivered as she shifted the newspapers off herself and wrapped herself up in the blanket. "Oooh that's nice." She sighed. "There's nothing left for me, dearie. But then there's nothing else for me anywhere."

"I think I realised that too, at least for my sake. I couldn't tell Rachel that. She was a dreamer, and unlike mine hers are realistic."

"What is your dream, Chloe?"

"Honestly, to be with the people I care about. Keep them safe."

"Is that why you're working so hard?"

Chloe shrugged. "I'm never gonna hang something up in a gallery, or get my photo taken for fashion designers, or find the cure for cancer. I'm happy just being where I am. Even if I just end up fixing cars or cleaning benches all my life."

"I tell ya, the first time I saw you, Rachel, and that other girl all together, I realised that was the first time in years since I'd seen you truly happy."

Chloe smiled. "They give me hope."

"And you give them hope." The woman nodded. "As with me. You crawled yourself back from a place no child should have to be in."

Chloe felt tired. "I should get back to work. Do you want some soup?"

The woman blinked. "That would be lovely. Thank you."

Chloe walked back inside. Suddenly being alone again immediately put her on edge. She found various ingredients for a simple soup recipe and let it boil. She walked out the front door and sat on the steps and had a smoke. The street was silent. She could hear the waves calmly against the shore. In the distance, she saw the bright glow of the lighthouse resting on the cliff, illuminating the water below. She shuddered. The street lights were dim and she couldn't see very far up and down the street. The lack of visibility unnerved her, so she went back inside, extinguishing her cigarette before it was half burnt, and thrust it into the pocket of her jeans for later.

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" A car sped past the diner, skidding on the road as the car slammed on its brakes. Chloe jumped, clutching her heart.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Chloe shouted through a rushed breath. She shook her head. "I'm so jumpy tonight." She grumbled. She sauntered back over to the bench where she had placed the cleaning supplies, and after handing a bowl of soup to the homeless woman outside, set to work cleaning the kitchen.

An hour later, Chloe was getting a feel for the cleaning. She had finished mopping the kitchen floor and wiping down all the bench and cooking surfaces. She just had to clean the kitchen sinks before moving into the front area and the bathrooms and storage areas. As the song she was listening to faded out, she could hear a bang on the main door. She scowled and paused her music.

"Shit." She mumbled. She was about to walk casually to the door, when she suddenly had a thought. "Fuck what if it's Merrick? Or some other armed robber like from last month?" She gulped. She looked around for a weapon. The banging was getting louder, and she swore she was hearing her own name being shouted. She felt her breath sharpen and her heart rate rise. She clutched the bench to steady herself. She exhaled. She grabbed a frying pan and slowly edged herself towards the front of the diner. Because the lights were controlled by one master switch, the front area was already lit up. She looked out the window by the stairs to see a pair of large, round-rimmed glasses stare back at her. "Mikey?" She breathed out loud. She rushed to the door and sure enough, the North brothers were standing outside looking tired and paranoid. She quickly swung open the door and they rushed in.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Chloe whispered harshly. "And at this time? How did you know I was here?"

"We didn't, to answer your last question." Drew sighed. "We texted Steph asking for your address, and when we got there your mom told us you were here. Wasn't happy to see two strangers at her door so late, but at least she was nice."

"God, if only we had your number." Mikey shook his head.

"Also, it's nice to see you too, Chloe." Drew added.

"Okay I'm glad to see you guys too - but you scared the shit out of me!"

"Thought we would." Mikey mumbled. "You know, considering the circumstances."

Chloe's jaw dropped. She was so focused on Rachel, Max, and herself that she had completely forgot that Drew was partially responsible for getting her involved in the first place. "Crap. You guys drove all the way here because of Merrick?"

Drew nodded. "We're also gonna visit dad, but yeah."

"Shit you guys must be tired. Come over to the kitchen, there should be some soup left over."

"Soup?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah. I made some soup for the homeless woman outside. This place has plenty of food, and I'm not gonna let her starve or freeze to death."

"Thanks Chloe." Drew said. "How's Rachel?"

"Terrified. But she's safe."

Drew nodded. "And uh… Frank?"

"He's terrified too. But not for his own sake."

"Yeah that's something I don't get. Why didn't Carlos attack Frank directly?" Mikey asked. "Surely you'd want to go after the guy who actually killed your brother."

Chloe shook her head. "That's exactly why Merrick isn't going for Frank. He wants to hurt him, not kill him."

Drew sipped his soup. "He's been planning this for years."

Chloe nodded. "Oh yeah. I saw him run outta Frank's RV yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Drew asked. "Shit. We weren't far off."

"Still too late." Mikey mumbled. "It's a pity we didn't have a way of contacting you."

"I'm glad you guys are here now." Chloe said. "We're gonna need all the help we can get."

Drew nodded. "Carlos is gonna find Merrick's old crew as well. Those who aren't serving a sentence anyway." He chuckled.

Chloe laughed. She knew he was referring to the 'informant' she had snitched on. "That's what that asshole got for tossing that bottle at me."

"This is serious, guys!" Mikey cried.

"I know, little bro." Drew said soothingly, wrapping his arm around Mikey's back to grab his shoulder. "We're just joking around. A way to lighten the mood a bit."

Mikey nodded, gradually relaxing.

"We went back to Frank's RV after we saw Merrick rush out." Chloe winced. "Poor dog…"

"HE KILLED THE DOG!?" Mikey shouted, standing up suddenly.

"No, thank God. But he's in a bad way. He's at the emergency vet in a critical condition."

"Shit, so he's serious." Drew said.

"But empathetic." Chloe replied. "Frank pointed out that if Merrick really wanted to kill Pompidou, he would have. There was a strong part of him that couldn't."

Drew nodded. "That's actually a huge relief."

"I hope so." Chloe sighed. "Assuming that empathy isn't just restricted to dogs. Frank's hopeful, but I'm not."

"Why is Merrick going to so much trouble?" Mikey asked.

"He's trying to take everything Frank has away from him. Pompidou was easy - going after Rachel directly is too difficult, that's why he's going after Sera."

"Who?" Drew asked.

"Ah. You don't know. I'm afraid I can't tell you that story. But she's very important to Rachel, so if Merrick manages to kill her, or do what his brother did and get her hooked on heroin again, then it'll be easier to get Rachel."

"Like a hungry mouse to the mousetrap."

"Exactly. Once Rachel's on the warpath, nothing will stop her."

"Except a knife to the artery." Mikey muttered. Chloe shuddered. Drew elbowed him.

"Don't fucking remind her, dude!"

"Ow!" Mikey exclaimed.

"It's alright." Chloe sighed. "Now, I have to clean this place. I need the money, so if you wanna help, it'll have to be from the goodness of your heart."

Drew laughed. "Fat chance, hippie. Naw, we better dash. Get some sleep finally."

"You guys have a place?"

"Dad knows we're coming, he's just gonna have the beds set up for us. He knows we're late."

"Good. We need to catch up, while you're here. Get Steph in and we can have a round of tabletop."

"Looking forward to it." Drew chuckled. "And bring you girlfriends, too."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I'm sure that'll make Steph happy."

Mikey shrugged. "She'll get over it. If she hasn't already."

Chloe looked at Drew sternly as Mikey walked over to the door. "Look. Thank you. You being here gives me so much more hope. This is a tough time for all of us. I'm glad you guys could rip yourselves from your hella insane schedule to be here for me. Not many people do that."

"Chloe, you saved my life. Seriously." Drew said. "Anything I can do to help. Plus, I'm kinda responsible. This is my shit too."

Chloe said nothing.

"I'll see ya 'round. Take care."

"You too, dude." Chloe waved goodbye to Mikey as he and Drew exited the diner.