* Monday Morning, Just Before Breakfast, After the Storm *

The spare clothes donated to the relief effort ill fit the girls. Chloe wears a much too large hoodie and cargo pants. Max is decked out in a too small sweater and newish acid wash jeans only held up by a belt. Only Kate looks comfortable, sporting her flannel ensemble again.

Need bacon. No bacon. Pancakes, though. At least there's that.

Eating quickly, they head to the parking lot. No one says much. The revelations of yesterday still roll aroind all three heads. Kate joining the duo brings all the revealed turmoil back to a head.

To think, last night all I could think about was... sharing a bed. With Chloe. My girlfriend.

The silence fits the morning. Brittle. Clean. Arcadia Bay still has no cloud coverage.

Where has all the clouds gone

Chloe's truck breaks the silence, coughing to life and shattering the glass containers around them. Chloe follows up her machine.

'So, kids, where to?'

'Blackwell first, Che.'

'On it.'

The academy looks no worse for wear, if you ignore the car sticking out the front wall. How did it even get on the second floor?

None of them even try to enter the school. Instead Chloe heads straight for parking, to be greeted by half a dozen people. Three security officers and three fellow classmates. There seems to be some sort of argument occurring, one which, by the look of things, Victoria, Dana, and Juliet are losing.

'I really am sorry miss but, like I already said, you cannot enter until-'

'Until first thing in the morning. That was the promise from both my principal and FEMA. Well, it's morning. Now let us enter.'

'-Dale, a few more are coming over-'

Chloe seizes on the divided attention to insert herself. 'Dale Plumb! Did my stepdad leave you in charge?'

'Oh, hey Miss Price. We heard. How's, um, how's your mom?'

'Its Chloe, Dale, and Mom's getting better. David's with her, otherwise he'd be down here telling you to let us in.'

'But we need-'

'Dude, you have six young women in desperate need of clean clothes and proper showers. You need to let us in before there's a Lord of the Flies moment out here.'

Six pointed stares wilt the last of the guards resistance. 'Eh, fine. None of the lights work so be careful. Hot water heater gas, though. Showers should be good to go.'

As the three older men recede greetings and hugs are shared. Chloe refrains from the embraces, even if Juliet tries to sneak in a sidelong squeeze. Surprisingly it is Victoria whose hug is the longest and strongest, especially for Kate.

'So Katie, how are you and your bitches doing?'

'Vicky, language please...'

'Oh, sorry. Reflex.'

Victoria apologising? And the Katie and Vicky nicknames? Is this the parallel world?

'Yeah, Vicky, you should be more considerate of our virgin ears.'

'Laugh it up, Price. I didn't think there was anything about you still considered virgin.'

While the insults seemed quite mean from the outside it was actually refreshing and pleasant for Max to hear. Some normalcy returned to the world.

Walking in and up the stairs, Kate starts lagging behind until she comes to a complete stop at the floor door. Max backtracks to see her almost in tears.

'Kate? What's going on?'

'I- I can't. I'm so worried.'

'Oh, dont be. Well, yes, do worry. But the three of us are more than a match for the Storm.'

'No. Not just the future. It's... it's Alice...'

Gah! I completely forgot I was watching her! Some pet sitter you are.

'Oh! I, uh, I'll check on her first?'

'N-no. I can face this. But-' She clasps one of Max's hands in her own. 'I can use some help.'

'Of course.'

A yell from down the hall breaks the conversation. 'Max! Come quick!'

The pair breaks into a fast trot. Rounding the door frame, Chloe is kneeling by an overturned potted plant, stripped of leaves. A rabbit sits by her, being gently pet by the bluenette.

'Max, it's Lisa. Alice... Alice killed her.'

The blonde squeels as she picks up her clearly healthy bunny, gently nuzzling nose to nose. 'Did you miss me? Did you miss mommy? You had me so worried!' The initial elation slightly waining, she rounds on Max. 'I'm so sorry about your plant. Let me replace it... her, when things settle.'

'Don't worry Kate.' Max gives a scratch between Alice's ears. 'She gave herself to a worthy cause.' And I over-watered the heck out of her last week anyway.

'You know that's not going to stop me.' She turns to the door. 'Okay, let's go check how bad...'

'Wait, Katie. I need a picture.' Click, flash, buzz. Shaking photo. Doesn't speed it up but I enjoy the tactile nature of it. 'Okay Kate, this is yours but I'll need a copy.'

A standard pet and owner photo. Side by side faces, scrunched up and close. Alice is turned towards her owner, regarding her. A genuine smile and tightly closed eyes are offset by the tear just breaking free from Kate's expression.

This just says 'joy' so well.

'Gosh, Max! It's so good.' One armed hugs are awkward but still good. 'Okay, less dawdling, more scavenging. I need to get my room in order.' The closed door behind her departure does little to stop Kate's words. 'Vicky! Look, Alice is fine! And look at Max's picture!'

Chloe clicks her teeth and chuckles. 'That girl is walking, talking sunshine. So, Maxwell of the Silver Hammers, what do we need?'

The younger girl is still standing near the door frame, taking it all in. A bit musty, like old rugs that were washed but not properly dried. Probably from the cracked window. My comforter looks trashed too.

'Well, I was hoping for the blanket and sheets to be good, but no go. Let's get the pillows, some clothes, and I'll check the drawers for useful stuff.' Opening the top of her desk, Max finds a pleasant surprise. 'Film! Thank Dog, I thought I was out.'

'Hang on, kid. Take a minute and realize something. You can A, clean your room, B, go take a real long shower and put on something from your own wardrobe, or C, kiss your girlfriend in absolute privacy.' Without waiting for a responce, Chloe spins her around. One hand on Max's chin, tilting it upward, the other encircling the brunette's waist, Chloe plants a few short, chaste pecks at the corners of her mouth.

No, you do not half-ass this.

Max's responce is one grip at the base of Chloe's neck, the other knocking aside her beanie to lighty hold hair. They lock eyes and dive into each other. Then closing them to better focus on the tactile pressure and taste she experiences. Max greedily demands from Chloe and, in turn, answers Chloe's own need.

Some time later they stand embraced, bothing breething deep to calm the panting, both still eyes closed to deny the rest of the world.

'Chlo, I can stay like this.'

'Yeah...'

'But I need to get out of these clothes.'

'Yeah...'

Max leans back to stare at her girlfriend, a smirk on both their lips. 'I meant because they stink and they make me stink.'

An aborted laugh. 'Yeah...'

A light shove in an insincere effort to break their closeness. 'You're impossible.'

'Nope, I'm improbable. Maybe even just highly unlikely.'

'Chloe, let me take a real shower with my real shampoo so this nest my hair is turning into doesn't start attracting birds.'

'Oh, but you'd look so cute with little sparrows on your head. Or a bluebird! We would match!'

'Maybe later.' As she turns, there's a tug and she stares at the offending hand. 'Chloe, I need you to let go of my pants.'

'Fine, spoilsport. How about this? I'll take off the sheets and see if I can cover up the hole in the window with something. You get all wet and soapy and come back here and try to find something hipster in your closet.'

Gathering her supplies, Max plants another kiss but leaves before it can grow into another distraction. As she walks the hall, Max notices only Juliet and Dana have their doors open, calling out to each other as they find a salvageable bit of treasure or lamenting over the loss of a trinket.

Almost like normal.

The bathroom was deserted with only half a dozen people left on the floor. Picking her favorite stall, Max set the temperatur to its hottest and undresses. A test and a drop in heat set it perfect.

Shampoo first. A deep kneed into her scalp, working out the tension that seems ever present. Rinse. Time to scrub. Even with the late shower last night, the grime of the last few days has set deep in her pores. The abrasion of the luffa goes far to finally lift this last layer, leaving her pink and refreshed. As she works in her conditioner, Max lets her mind wander.

Chloe and I never kissed like that before.

Hands against the wall, Max lets the shower hit her straight in the face and chest.

The French sure figured out the right way to kiss.

An idle scratching at her hip. Her hand loiters.

Chlo is just so-

The bathroom door opens. Hastily, as if guilty, Max rinses and shuts the water. Between the deep scrub and the heat of the shower no one should see her blush.

Drying and dressing, Max realizes a potential hiccup in her ensemble. How did I forget a bra? Chilling skin and her tight t-shirt is a no go. I'll just... wrap my towel. Finish in my room. Leaving the stall, Victoria is just finishing brushing her teeth.

'Hey, Victoria. How you doing?'

Spit. Rinse. Spit again. The taller girl locks eyes through the mirror. 'Shitty.'

Yeah, that's going around. 'Uh, you... you want to talk?'

Looking down. Looking up. This time, no eye contact. 'Courtney is still missing.'

Dammit. Can't believe I forgot. 'Wanna... talk about it?'

Standard operating bitch face activates. 'No Max. I'm fine. I...'

Max's toothbrush hovers just outside her mouth. The mild mint pricks her into motion. 'Victoria, we're not friends. Not now. But we went through some shit this past week and...' Word search commence. 'And all our hostility is petty bullshit so if I can help just by listening then lay it on me.' Max jams the toothbrush in a bit too forcefully, banging her gums, in an effort to shut herself up.

Bitch face relaxes, leaving something between suspicion and pain in its place. 'Fine. You want to hear it.' She turns squarely to Max. 'First, my best friend and the man I idoalized are both serial killers and sexual predators. Next, my other two friends, well, one's probably dead and the other blames me for her death. My parents still don't know if I'm alive or dead. The only people making an effort to talk to me are you, whose life I tried to make a living hell, and the girl whose life I did make a living hell, so much so she was going to kill herself.' Her every muscle screams anger except her lower lip, vibrating with all the other emotions she contained. 'And that's just the personal shit I'm going through! Because fuck the town, right? All I can do is stand here and think about the shit that's happened to me!'

Without hesitation Max holds her tight, careful not to stab her with the toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. Victoria tenses, then melts, all her anger fleeing. She desperately holds to Max, sobs wracking her body as a week's worth of repressed tragedy expels at once. She tries talking, though blubbering is more accurate.

'Whu-why won't it s-stop?'

Max stands there and holds Victoria. Five minutes, fifteen, an hour. Doesn't matter, she waits until Victoria stops.

Finally, she does.

Max, able to clean out her mouth, speaks up first. 'You're coming with me today.'

'Whu?'

'No argument, no excuses.' Do it. I know she's a better person than most believe. 'I'm heading over to Chloe's place to see whay we can salvage. Kate too.'

'But Katie-'

'No excuses. Come on, you know Kate forgives you. It's Kate. And I do too.' Max piles her toiletries and rounds back on Victoria. 'You're stronger than this. But even the strongest people need someone to lean on from time to time. Grab a brush and put on a bit of makeup and knock when you're ready. Or we'll knock on your door.'

A small voice stops Max at the door. Without turning, she listens.

'max. i'm sorry. and thanks.'

'You're welcome, Vicky.'

'...bitch.'

But there's laughter beneath the word.

Max takes her time walking to her room. Hard to do, but manageable when pensive. That was pretty cool. Didn't rewind once, either. If only I could know what to say normally. Without all the super powers. She stares back down th empty hall. Even Juliet and Dana are quiet. So many missing.Taylor, elsewhere. Courtney, Alyssa, MIA. Brooke, and- and Warren. She closes the last six feet in two steps, dropping her items in the process. The sound of a nearly slammed door causes Chloe to jump, followed immediately by a string of epithets.

'Che, what's wrong?'

'Nothing. Just pinked my finger.'

'Oh! I'm so sorry! I can rewind and-'

'No!' Chloe starts at her own volume. 'Now I'm sorry. So, no. No time travel over the little stuff.' She sucks at her index before grabbing a tissue and continuing. 'We're already living in Groundhog Day. No need to move on to 12 Monkies territory.'

'Sorry. You're right.' Beat. 'Turn around.'

'Oooh, you got a surprise for me?'

'No. I just feel like getting dressed.' Firm stance and raised finger stall any argument. 'And do not peek.'

A frown and a 'fine' is all the answer she gets. Finding what she needs, Max eyes Chloe's turned back in the mirror. One day- but I'm so not ready. I really want to be, soon.

'Oh, Chlo...'

'Yeah?'

'Victoria is hanging out with us today.'

'What?!'

The bluenette turns just as Max finishes pulling down her shirt. Speechless.

Max goes for the most adorable puppy look she can muster. 'Please.'

'...Dammit Caulfield. I got to ask why though.'

'Because.' An intake of breath in case of argument. 'She's hurting, just like you and me and Kate. Everyone in her life has left her. She still hasn't gotten in touch with her parents yet.'

'...Dammit again. Fine. But I'm not going soft on her.'

'Wouldn't ask you to. Neither will she.'

'Good.' An inward look crosses her. 'So, I got together stuff. Pillows, pens, artsy supplies, plus your computer, hard drive, wires of all sorts, the photos in your drawer, your teddy, guitar, and...' Chloe runs low on fingers to check off. 'You just need to grab clothes.'

'My wall.' She stares at the art she created, already lamenting its pending destruction. 'I don't want to leave it here, just in case.'

'Okay, you get clothing, I'll start picking.' They commence in comfortable silence until Chloe breaks it. 'You know, you're too nice sometimes.'

Max, trying to decide which indie rock shirts to grab, is at a loss. 'Huh?'

'With Victoria, I mean. You've probably already forgiven her for the way she treated you.'

'Well, maybe.'

'See. Too nice. You gotta be a vicious bitch sometimes.' A red smear appears on the wall as one stubborn photo causes a fumble. 'Shit!'

'You okay?'

'Yeah. Just lemme pick this all up.'

Chloe thrusts the haphazard pile into Max's hands. And what would happen if I was still folding shirts? Wait, is-

The pictures, save for one, tumble to the floor. Max shakes, adrenaline and fear exploding in her body.

'Chloe, where did you get this?'

'Get what?'

'This photo! Where was it?'

'Max, calm down, you're scaring me.'

'No, I won't! Look!'

A smear of red tint detracts from an otherwise innocent double portrait of two young teens.

'This is- This is what I used to go back. When I made the alt world.' Max has wet eyes and shining cheeks but hasn't realized she's crying.

'I burned this picture five years ago.'

Author's Note:Hello and sorry for the hiatus. Had to get a new phone because, as I said, that's wherr I've been writing all this. Add in BtS coming out and work picking up and I've gotten distracted. Good news, though: new chapters will be coming out much more quickly.