* Tuesday, Evening, After the Storm *

Max can't run.

It's just one of those random skill sets that most are born with but a few just never learn. Whistling. Skipping. Snapping.

Sometimes a person has a blind-spot in their abilities. A trapeze artist who constantly trips upstairs and stubs toes. A big rig driver who can't parallel park. A surfer who has to hold her nose.

Everyone has a random quirk that they find embarrassing and constantly seems so much more devastating than it really is.

Max can't run.

So she tries to briskly walk through the thin crowd in front of the hospital.

Chloe meets her half way to her target.

'Max, wha-'

'She's here. The brunette from my vision.' Max fumbles with her bag, trying not to slow. A camera is thrust into Chloe's hands. 'She just got in the first car in line. Get a picture before she leaves.'

Chloe takes off.

A couple hundred feet and-

And the car starts to pull away.

Chloe puts on extra speed, but she still can't run through the crowd. Trying to balance the camera in front of her face while still watching her steps, she snaps a picture, a second, and a third.

And the car is gone.

A hand on Max's shoulder half turns her.

'Vicky, you just missed it.'

'What did I..?'

'The girl. From my vision. Right outside the hospital.' Finally we might have some progress.

'What?!' Victoria fully spins Max around, grabbing her and step right into her face.

Kate tsks from somewhere behind the closeup Max is getting. 'Calm down. We saw Chloe running after her with a camera. Maybe she got a picture.'

Oh my dog, I hope so.

And like that, the bluenette is back. 'Good news, bad news kiddos.'

Victoria holds out her hand, expectation written all over her face. 'Did you get the shot?'

Always take the shot.

Max holds her breath.

Where did that come from?

No one the wiser, Chloe continues. 'That's the bad news. The windows were super tinted. I got none.' Two pictures are held out in front of her. Both just show the back of a car, dark silver. "Good news. I got the licence plate.' Triumphant, waving the third picture.

Max throws her arms around her girlfriend, pulling her down for a kiss. Victoria fakes a gagging noise behind them.

Fuck off. She earned this one.

They stand together for a long minute.

Maybe we're overdoing it.

Finally breaking apart, both a bit out of breath. As usual, Chloe regains herself first. 'If I knew a few pictures would get me that, I would have started sending you naughty ones as soon as I could.'

The blue-haired girl is the only one not turned red.

'Uh, as nice as it is to finally have some sort of lead, how are we going to get anywhere with a licence plate?'

Max audibly snorts. 'Vicky, we can look up whose it is online.'

'Again I say "Uh, how?" Power isn't back on. Internet is out across town. And I barely have bars on my phone.'

Oh, yeah. Well-

'The library?'

'Closed already. If it's even open anymore.'

'The, um... The DMV?'

'Yeah, let's just walk in and ask them to run it through their database. Shouldn't take more than six weeks.'

Who else? 'The police?'

'I'm sure they would love to help out some high school students during an emergency. Because we obviously can explain why we need to know who owns this Mercedes.'

'You know the car?'

'Yeah. Mercedes-Benz CL 600.' She looks at the incredulous faces. 'It says so right on the car.'

So it does. That's cheating.

Continuing. 'That's an expensive car. Six figures, at least. Not many of those in the Bay.'

Chloe plucks the picture out of Victoria's hand. 'That's a start, at least.'

In spite of the less-than-ideal outcome, Max can't help but laugh.

The quietest questions. 'What's wrong, Max?'

'Nothing. I'm just... I'm giddy. We finally have something we can use. Kate, for once I didn't have the mess with fate. We finally have something we can use.'

Kate smiles, infected by Max's optimism. Chloe hugs her from behind, swaying slightly. Even Victoria's facade cracks with a half-real grin.

'Okay, girls. Let's get back the chateau-de-Price. It's getting dark and we have a lot to plan.'

'Sure, Chlo.' Kate practically skips towards the parking lot. Victoria follows, but slowly.

'You know, Max. It isn't going to be easy.'

Total buzz-kill.

Still, even Max's mood starts to sour on the way to Chloe's car.

She's right. We don't have any way to find out who owns that car.

'Max, you going to get in?'

Even if we figure out that, what if we can't figure out-

'Max!'

She takes a step forward, bumping into the side of the truck. She hadn't realized she already held the handle.

Cheeks burn. 'Sorry.'

A cough of the engine and they're headed home.

'Max, I got an idea.'

'Bout what?'

'The licence plate. Step-douche- I mean, David. He knows a few guys on the police force. Maybe I can call him and see if he knows someone?'

Don't really want to get anyone else involved. Not after what David did to...

That wasn't him. You did that.

I...

You didn't have to-

I know.

'Maybe... Actually, yeah. It's a good idea. I just... i don't want to get him involved like last time.'

A sharp intake, Chloe reaching out to grab the brunette's hand. 'Trust me, I want to keep him away from this one. The whole thing, in the Dark...'

'Yeah.'

The silence is deep between them.

'Do you wanna..?'

'No Chlo. But... we do need to talk to David.' Max lights up at the familiar house appearing before the headlights. 'But in the morning.'

As they gather their belongings, Kate and Victoria pull up, blocking the driveway. As one, they enter.

Victoria beats the rest to the stairs. 'I'm showering.'

'Kay. Kate, want to help make dinner?' Max peers through the grocery bag she holds. 'A sandwich banquet fit for a queen.'

'Sure!' She skips the ten feet to the kitchen, disappearing around the corner.

Chloe squeezes Max's arm before heading up. 'I'm going to get Mom's room ready for them. We got an extra bed, might as well make sure Kate has a comfortable night.'

'And Vicky.'

'Sure...'

A voice speaks up from further into the house. 'Check on Alice for me please!' Chloe has a bit of renewed vigor heading upstairs.

A half hour later, stomachs full, the four girls sit in almost identical positions from the night before. The only real difference is Alice has a seat at the table tonight. The dual affections of both Kate and Chloe has the rabbit turning back a forth between their voices.

She'll get whiplash if they keep this up.

'I'm board.'

'Sorry we are not entertaining, Miss Chase.'

'Shush, Che.'

'Well, what do you want? I'm out of bud, not that I really want a repeat of last night. We still got the board games.'

'How about that?'

Max traces her finger to just beside the bed.

'My guitar?'

'Yeah. I can kinda play. Not well, but I know how to keep tempo.'

Wonders never cease...

Getting up, Max pulls out her instrument, handing it over. 'Go for it. Might need some tuning.'

'Don't worry. I know about three songs, and they are all stupid easy.'

She strikes one chord, checking her hands. Without hesitation, she begins striking a steady staccato, minor oscillations. As the chorus comes around, four grins start singing in unison.

It just takes some time

Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride

Everything, everything will be just fine

Everything, everything will be all right

And without a pause, Kate takes over the second verse.

Hey

You know they're all the same

You know you're doing better on you're on so don't buy in

Live right now

Just be yourself

It doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else

Back into the chorus, no one else steps in. All eyes on her and her cheeks bright red, Kate still has a smile on that threatens to prevent her words. Victoria plays through (skipping the solo), and as the last chord is struck she giggles and starts applauding. The rest of Kate's audience joins in a moment later.

'Wow, Kate, that was awesome.'

'Thanks.' She covers her face, a vane attempt to hide her blush. 'I sang for years in my church.'

'But Jimmy Eat World? You never played something like that on your violin before.'

'What, you thought I was raised on classical and choirs only?' She laughs. 'I was in a after-school band on top of my violin practice growing up. My classmates used to trade music.' She lowers her voice into a conspiratorial tone. 'I used to sneak CDs into my house.'

Chloe has a devilish look in her eye. 'You little heck-raiser.'

More laughs. They quickly start trying to one-up each other, digging into their respective libraries of obscurity.

'I mean, Cage's second album wasn't as good as their first but it's-'

'Wait, who's Cage?'

Chloe makes a double-take. 'Victoria, how do you not know Cage the Elephant?'

'Um...' Kate's bashful interjection causes Chloe's head to whip around. 'I, uh, don't know them either.'

'Are you kidding? They're all over the place! Honestly they're basically mainstream!'

She's yelling. 'Chlo, take it down a notch.'

The bluenette backpedals, realizing how loud she's gotten. 'Sorry. But, Max, come on. You have to know them.'

'Of course. And Thank You Happy Birthday is so much better.'

Sharp eyes answer her. 'Traitor.'

'No, really. Right Before My Eyes? Shake Me Down? Around My Head? Come on, nothing on the self-titled comes even close.'

'You can't be-'

'Hang on.' Max raises her hand, cutting off Chloe.

Let me... Let's do this.

Max strikes a chord, tuning a bit. She starts keeping time, quietly stomping out the tempo. The first four measures ring out, light plucking along the scale.

Looking out my window

Wonder how it came to be

Feels just like a tempo

Lifted by a gentle breeze

Ugly as a suitcase

I can see it stretch for days

Hanging on a sunset

Softly trampled by the rain

She has the dead-pan delivery of Matt Shultz, but with a slight change to the emphasis. The chorus isn't as dejected. Instead Max reaches with it, pleading with the world.

Way too long

Hold on, hold on

Dead and gone

So long, hold on

Way too long

Hold on, hold on

Dead and gone

So long, hold on

So long, hold on

A few extra notes played here. Two measures, to be precise, to catch her breath.

Looking out my window

Trying to find a hiding place

Climb into the tree tops

Watch it all just drift away

Chloe comes in, softly, to complement her in the final chorus

Way too long

Hold on, hold on

Dead and gone

So long, hold on

Way too long

Hold on, hold on

Dead and gone

So long, hold on

So long, hold on

Max takes extra liberty with the outro. Instead of repeating the chorus she experiments, playing an expanded version of the riff. It's during the fourth measure she miss-strikes and, feeling the song getting away from her, Max quietly finishes and lets it end.

Arms grab her from behind the chair, lips peck at her temple. A bobbing blur of blue nuzzles her from behind.

'You convinced me, Max. Flow is definitely their best song.'

A giggle and quiet applause, and then a yawn that could crack a jaw. Kate gives her head a shake before frowning. 'Sorry. Gonna have to call it a night.'

Victoria reciprocates with a yawn of her own. 'Good call. Got to get up early and bother some cops anyway.'

Minutes later, changed into her nightwear, Max eyes the lone bed of the room with some trepidation.

Rather, she eyes the occupant.

'You know, Chlo, I could...'

A snort. 'This again? Just get over here dork.' Shuffled blankets and a spot opens under a waiting arm. 'Come on, before I get cold.'

Hesitant, Max still lies down. The arm encapsulates her, bringing a blanket with. Her back to the bluenette, Max feels the warm body snuggle closer, the arm snaking up to clasp her hands.

This is- '...still weird, Che.'

The laughter in the other girl bounces Max in place. 'Why? Afraid you're going to ravish me?'

'Chlo...'

'Don't worry, I can defend myself.' More shifting, as two bodies try to find their comfort spots. '...maybe not against you.'

Chloe!

Sensing the brunette's alarm. 'i told you max. you're not ready. neither am i. i just... need this. snuggles and kisses.' A hand shakes free of Max's pair, traveling down to rest on the younger girls stomach. 'closeness.'

That... that's what I need.

As sleep takes hold of Max, the warm breath on her neck soothes the wrinkles in her mind. Light humming accompanies that warms, a melody tickling the back of her mind. Slowly, with delicate intent yet abrupt in the stillness just before sleep, the hand on her stomach travels to lightly trace just under her lowest ribs. Finally a chorus emerges from that breath, just loud enough to scratch that itch.

I don't think it's very nice

To walk around my head all night

You got me tangled like a braid, tied-twisted

I don't think it's fair

Do yooou?