Beams of sunlight pierced through the openings in the treetops, creating sporadic, golden columns in the shade. When Max passed through them, she felt a stroke of warmth that lingered for the space of a breath before she was again wrapped in the cool morning air. The sun was barely awake and hadn't yet had the time to heat up the world or chase away the fog that rolled along the ground. Stepping along the dirt path under the swaying shadows of the trees summoned a deep sense of nostalgia within Max. She was reminded of her and Chloe as children, darting through the woods with laughter in place of worries. She realized she was smiling.
"What exactly are we looking for?" Chloe asked, pulling Max from her reverie. She was a little ways ahead, one hand placed on a tree as she peered further into the forest. Max caught up to her, followed her gaze, then shrugged.
Good question...
"I don't know," she said. "Anything...weird, I guess? We don't have anything else to do until visiting hours, so..." She let the sentence fade and held up her bandaged hand. She flexed it, loosening the soreness that came from several small lacerations. She'd been doing it all morning. Chloe watched her thoughtfully.
"Well," Chloe said with a little smile, "since you apparently declared war on Arcadia Bay last night..." She took Max's hand gently with both of hers, brushing a thumb along her knuckles. "Does it hurt?"
"Fuck," Max spat, clutching a bundle of paper towels tightly within her fist. Why wouldn't it stop bleeding? It'd been an hour and the cuts had refused to clot, still bleeding as if they'd just opened a moment ago. They were small, but it did feel like they'd gotten a good bit into the meat of her palm. They weren't severe by any stretch, but still, she was beginning to feel lightheaded. Though whether that was from loss of blood, the sight of it, or the reality of what had just occurred finally sinking in, she wasn't sure. Reluctantly, she woke Chloe up and sheepishly asked if she could help bandage it.
This, of course, required explanation, and describing the strange event with the animals forced Max to actually try and comprehend it herself. The anger that had been roaring inside of her did slow to something of a purr since she'd come back inside, but it was still evident in her movements as she told Chloe everything. Though she didn't vocalize it, she was unnerved by how much that anger managed to mask just how absurd the whole thing was. Then again, maybe she was simply growing used to such things.
She was confused to find that some parts of the story were foggy or harder to recollect even though it had just happened. She knew there was something incorrect about how the light played with the shadows, and she knew there was something odd about the way her voice sounded in the night, but they were just vague shapes of memories. And she also knew there was something else out there with her and the animals. Something strange and alien to her senses. Something close and far away all at once. But she couldn't find the words to explain the feeling it had given her. Every time she thought she might've caught them, they slipped right off her tongue.
Once she was patched up, Chloe insisted that they go back outside to check out the area. With anyone else, it would have seemed like a declaration of disbelief. That they had to see it for themselves to really believe it. But she knew Chloe believed her wholeheartedly, and was simply eager to catch a glimpse of the mystical zoo Max had threatened in her name.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the animals were nowhere to be found. The moon was back, draping its glow over the courtyard and the rest of the town. The fireflies were there, and the insects sang on as if nothing strange had occurred. But there were no wolves or ravens, no roaming shadows that bellowed exotic roars and shrieks. However, it did seem that a message was left in their absence.
At the Tobanga's spot, where Max had torn the flower from the dirt, two objects were cast in shadow. She knew what they were before she even went to investigate. The flower she'd destroyed was replaced by not one, but two more. She briefly considered removing them as well, but ultimately decided against it, lest she create an entire garden.
"Not when you're holding it," Max responded, the contact bringing out a shy smile. Chloe smirked and brought Max's hand to her lips, giving a single kiss to each finger. Her eyes lingered on Chloe, then she looked around them once again.
Excepting their trip to buy a Christmas tree, it had been years since she was this deep in the woods. Parts of it still seemed very familiar to her, and again she could picture the ghosts of two small pirates looping around trees and leaping from rocks. She thought, maybe, if she listened hard enough, she might even be able to hear them. She took a more secure grasp on Chloe's hand, not minding the pain that accompanied it.
It even smells the same... The leaves, the air...
"I'm...worried that figuring out one thing won't figure out the others," Chloe admitted rather abruptly. In the peace of morning, her voice carried further and seemed louder than it really was. "Even if we find out what's going on with Prescott, or Arcadia Bay, or whatever... What do we do if it doesn't fix the time shit?" Max made a thoughtful sound. She'd certainly had the same concern.
"It has to be connected," Max said in an attempt to reassure both Chloe and herself. "The other me said the animals had something to do with it. That it's their 'fault.' And they're definitely involved with the Prescotts. So, it has to be." She looked at Chloe with one eye closed, showing her uncertainty. "I mean, after last night? Right?"
"I know, but..." Chloe sighed and stepped away from the tree, then led Max deeper into the woods, "it feels like one of those fucking Russian nesting dolls. But instead of tiny babushka ladies, it's a middle finger." She glanced back at Max. "Each layer is a tinier middle finger."
"Yeah," she chuckled. It stalled out and turned into a frown as she followed behind Chloe. "Well, we just have to keep hope that Nathan can give us some answers. It's all we have at the moment."
How did it come to this?
With hours to go until they could see Nathan, they decided to use the time to explore. After the previous night's incident with the wildlife, Max was determined to learn more, even if it meant hunting those answers down herself. Whether it'd result in anything useful, she didn't know, but it was better than sitting around waiting. She wasn't bluffing when she claimed she was tired of being on the defensive.
"You know," Chloe said, switching her tone to something more upbeat, "we used to spend a lot of time out here." She ducked beneath a branch, then held it up for Max to pass under.
"I was just thinking about that," Max replied, the smile reappearing. "I don't even remember why we were allowed to play out here without any supervision. That seems kind of crazy." Being older, it was very easy to notice all of the sharp points or pitfalls that could harm a child. But back then, they were invisible. They simply didn't exist.
"Yeah, right?" Chloe laughed. "Maybe they were just happy to have us out of the house. Or maybe things just seemed less dangerous back then?" Max kicked at a passing pile of leaves as she thought it over.
"When did it get dangerous?" she asked. It was meant to be rhetorical. Or at least, she didn't think it actually had a real answer.
"When Dad died," Chloe answered quietly, not looking back. "That was the day the training wheels came off."
I remember that day so well... It really did change everything. Everything.
"Chloe..." Max's lips drew into a tight line. Chloe came to a stop and spun around, holding her arms out at her sides. She was smiling wide.
"Do you even fucking remember how intense our games of hide and seek were?" she asked. The question caught Max off-guard, and she was stuck with many memories all at once.
"Yes," she nodded, giving a toothy smile, "we were seriously expert ninjas." She snorted a bit of laughter. "I bet I could've hidden for years and not been found!" She jutted her jaw out proudly, but Chloe looked away, making a contemplative sound that was surely unintentional. It stung far worse than the cuts in her hand.
Great wording, genius...
"So, do we just...keep wandering?" Chloe asked, skipping over the comment. The inflection of her words perfectly conveyed that she was thinking the same thing Max was: this is silly. They were aimlessly wandering through the forest looking for...magic. Even with undeniable proof and more than a handful of face to face encounters, it still seemed childish. It felt like the kind of thing they'd be doing ten years ago. She wondered how ecstatic her younger self would be to meet mystical animals or find undiscovered, magical flowers. Unsure, Max simply nodded, and Chloe started walking again.
Turns out that even REAL magic isn't as great as you'd think it'd be when you're a kid.
With the exception of crunching leaves beneath their feet, it was unnaturally quiet. Over the past fifteen minutes, the temperature had increased and shook off the chill of night. Firs rose high into the air, coming to points that gave them the appearance of arrows aimed at the heavens. Between them, as if meticulously spaced, deciduous trees branched out. They occasionally reached the needles of the evergreens, connected everything in what looked like veins from below. If it weren't for the looming worry in her head, Max would be in love with it. Even with the worry, she still found it incredibly beautiful.
When this is over... I'm going to take so many photos. All of them.
"I know you didn't mean it," Chloe said suddenly. Her voice was sweet – the exact tone Max had come to realize was for her and her alone. She held a hand out behind her again and Max took it without thinking. It was never really something that needed consideration.
"I'm still really sorry," Max whispered. Chloe scoffed and turned around, tugging Max close to her.
"Why are you sorry?" she asked, her face close enough for Max to feel her breath. She could smell the cigarettes on it, and for the thousandth time she wondered what Pavlov would have to say about her finding it so comforting. "It was just an unfortunate choice of words."
"No," Max shook her head, "for not reaching out." It was strange. She wasn't sure how many times they'd had some variation of this same conversation. It still felt incomplete. "I have no excuse."
"Uh huh..." Chloe smirked, bringing her face even closer so that all Max could really see were her eyes, "no excuse at all. Not a single one. Not like you were a child or anything. If only you could make it up to me somehow..." Her eyes went wide, filling Max's vision with a beautiful blue. Then, Chloe took a long step backward. "Oh! I know! Here, I just came up with a very specific list of conditions for you to meet. Then, I'll finally forgive you."
"Really?" Max narrowed her eyes, trying to gauge the girl's sincerity. Truthfully, she'd do anything Chloe said if it would make it feel better.
"Yep!" Chloe stood tall and nodded, then cleared her throat theatrically. "Step one, save my fucking life!" She raised her hands, proclaiming it to the forest. "Step two, fall in love with me!" Despite her best efforts, Max was grinning, though her eyes said something more along the lines of 'you bitch.' "Step three, and this one is a real doozy..." Chloe came closer once more and took Max's hands, flashing a smile, "do literally everything you've done for the past seven months. Don't change a single thing." She held up Max's bandaged hand and kissed her palm. "And you can," she said quietly, drawing emphasis to her hand, "you have the power to do that. But don't. Not one moment, okay?"
Wh- I... Chloe, oh my god.
"Uh, y-yeah," Max stammered. Then her eyes fell half-lidded. "Buuuut what if I want to hear that cute little speech again?" Chloe laughed and shrugged.
"Make you a deal..." she held her hand out flat, "phone me." With a blush in her cheeks, Max took her phone out of her pocket and handed it over. Chloe's tongue peeked through her teeth as she typed in Max's password. Her brow furrowed. "Wait, what? Did you change it?"
Oh, right.
"Yeah, the other night," Max responded. "Try 0311." Chloe began typing it, then stopped and looked back up at Max.
"My birthday?" she asked. Max nodded and Chloe pressed a hand to her heart. "You're so gross," she chuckled, then held the phone close to her mouth. "Ahem, testing, testing. One, two... This is just a little memo to Max, AKA you, that I love you more than anything and I wouldn't change a single thing about us." She started to lower the phone, then quickly brought it back up. "Oh! And your freckles are super cute and I like your lips a lot and the look you're giving me right now makes me want to keep breathing. Okay, bye. Love you." She took a deep breath, then released several loud 'muah's!' Pleased with herself, she tossed the phone back to Max.
Chloe. Oh MY GOD.
"I'm so going to set that as my ringtone," Max mumbled, her cheeks sore from all the smiling. She put it away and looked back up at Chloe, suddenly overcome with the shy, awestruck feeling she felt back when they first got together. She found herself both happy and a little frustrated that after all this time, it was still happening. She was about to say more, but Chloe interrupted her.
"I think that's how we should look at it," she said softly, sliding her arms over Max's shoulders. "You're too good at hide and seek and you hid for five years." She touched their noses together. "But I always was better than you. I found ya eventually."
"You found me," Max agreed, bringing a hand to Chloe's cheek. She rocked onto her tiptoes, held steady by Chloe's grasp, and they kissed.
It was all very confusing, truth be told. Yesterday, Max was in ribbons. She cried more than she had in a long while. She feared losing all of her friends. She broke. She fell to pieces just as the other Max said she would. And she still felt the shards move inside of her when she breathed. She still felt a distance between herself and her mind, as if it were getting further and further away from her control. But somehow...somehow being with Chloe made it better. She realized that had always been the case. Even back in October. How they ever managed to flirt and fall for each other with everything else going on, she'd never know.
It was almost obnoxious, she thought. The world was ending and yet they were still falling deeper in love. Maybe they really did deserve all of the eye-rolling they'd received.
What would I do without you? My PIC.
"You know, once this is all over..." Max hesitated, then decided against changing her wording, "I really would like to come camping out here. With the gang, you know? That'd be fun, don't you think?" She searched Chloe's eyes, waiting to see if she'd point out the uncertainty of their future. However, she didn't.
"It would," she agreed, "there's still lots of stuff we need to do." She laughed. "Shit, I still owe you a trip to Portland so we can hit up that Powell's place." She spun away from Max and casually hopped onto a downed tree. Holding her arms out at her sides, she walked along it as if it were a tightrope.
Powell's...?
"You remember that?" Max asked with a snort, an eyebrow raised in amusement. Chloe twirled back around and smiled, though now she was the one blushing.
"Yeah. I mean," she glanced around, "when we broke into Wells' office, you said you wanted to go there." She scrunched her nose, suddenly looking very small and nervous. "I made a note in my phone almost immediately. It was...so important to me that I took you there..." With a huff, she flailed her hand. "Is that weird!? I can't tell! Even though the note went away when we came back through time, I still remember..."
I don't know how you ever hid all this romantic mushiness.
"It's not weird. It's so, so sweet," Max assured, watching as Chloe shifted from foot to foot on the tree. "Hey, can I come up?"
"Only if you know the password," Chloe mumbled, averting her eyes.
"I love you?" Max asked. Chloe thought for a moment, then nodded very slowly. "Nice!" She took hold of Chloe's hand, then stepped up onto the tree. It was spongy and eaten by the insects, giving a little under her weight. She shielded her eyes and looked around them. "It seems so peaceful, doesn't it?" She bounced pressure into her right foot. "I can't even imagine a tree falling down here. Or like, anything going wrong."
"Think it made a sound?" Chloe elbowed her playfully. She gestured beside her to where it had snapped. "I wonder what brought it down. I've never seen a tree get hit by lightning, it's probably hella cool."
"Or just termites," Max suggested, searching for the splintered trunk, "lightning termites." A few moments passed, and her brows knitted together. Where...was the trunk? How could it possibly be so difficult to find? Finally, she hopped off and slowly approached the nearest tree several feet away. "Chloe?"
Is this...?
"What is it?" Chloe asked, appearing beside her in an instant. Something in Max's voice must have convinced her it was of importance. Max ran her hand along the bark of the tree and felt a distinct difference in texture lower by the trunk. She took a step back and gazed upward. "What?" Chloe repeated.
I'm probably just imagining things... right?
"I just..." Max turned back around and stared at the downed tree they were just standing on. "Why can't we find the bottom?" Chloe tilted her head in confusion, then looked more closely at the tree. She mouthed 'what' to herself.
"Dude," she said, passing her hand over the spot where Max's had just been, "I'm not like, a fucking tree expert, but it looks pretty fucking different from this part up." She chopped at a spot on the tree. "Doesn't it?"
Maybe I'm not crazy.
About four feet up from the base of the tree, the bark changed color. It wasn't drastic, but it was lighter and lacked any of the marks that time would wear on it. It seemed altogether healthier. It seemed...newer.
"I...I know this is going to sound crazy, but..." Max squinted as she surveyed the branches above them, "I think it...regrew." She shook her head, wrestling with the conclusion. "Like a fucking lizard tail."
"Like your flowers," Chloe said quietly, nodding at Max's hand. Max turned to her with wide eyes.
"What in the fuck?" She ran her hand along the tree again, then dug the nail on her thumb into the softer bark. "This is completely insane."
Wait, what? What does this even mean!?
"I mean, is this rea-"
The frantic sound of beating wings darted between them, cutting off Chloe's thought. A vibrant, emerald dragonfly landed beside Max's hand, rotating itself in small increments. As it moved, the emerald slipped away into a bright orange, then a rich purple.
Oh uhhhh?
"Um, regular dragonfly or...?" Chloe asked, her eyes not leaving it.
"Do regular dragonflies change color?" Max slowly removed her hand, careful not to disturb it.
"Um...I think so? Aren't some of them like, oil slick colored? They change?" Chloe got quieter as she spoke and Max took a moment to acknowledge how cute her lack of certainty was. She still employed the grounding technique when she could, and had discovered Chloe's cuteness to be quite a sturdy anchor.
Before Max could answer her, the same buzzing sound erupted behind them, though it was much, much louder. They turned in time to see a horde of dragonflies speeding toward them in a barrage of glimmering bullets. They weaved around and between Max and Chloe, engulfing them in the swarm, then landed on the tree. When it was over, there were no less than fifty clinging to the tree, all changing colors just like the first. The forest around them fell achingly silent as the flutter of wings died.
So, not regular dragonflies. Mystery solved.
"You're joking," Chloe said, awestruck. Max gave her a halfhearted shrug, then turned back to the dragonflies. Out of sync with one another, they pulsed through different colors, creating a mesmerizing, psychedelic effect.
"Can we help you?" Max asked. She held up her wounded hand and looked it over. "Aren't you mad that I ripped up your pretty flower?" She couldn't help but feel silly acting tough, as though she were speaking to a human she could actually intimidate. Though, she supposed this was exactly what they were searching for. Next to her, Chloe burst into laughter, then clapped her hands to her mouth.
"Sorry," she giggled through the gaps in her fingers, her eyes crazed, "this is so fucking dumb. I'm terrified and this is so stupid. What kind of Wild Thornberrys shit are we on now?"
Well, I can't disagree. It is stupid.
"I know," Max sighed, resting a hand on Chloe's arm. She looked back at the dragonflies. "Well?"
As if answering her directly, one of the dragonflies took to the air. It zipped around Max's head for a moment, tracing a halo, then glided a few feet away and hovered there. From the brush next to it, the doe made its graceful appearance.
Not surprised.
"Oh, hey," Chloe said dryly, holding a hand up in greeting. "Uh, how you been?" She glanced at Max and shrugged. "I don't know how to react anymore."
"Look," Max said, nodded in the direction of the doe, "it's not all ghost-y." Despite its ethereal appearance being the only thing that really separated it from the average doe, she could still tell it was the same one. Chloe simply made a contemplative sound. It regarded them both for a moment, then pointed its head away from them. It looked back, then repeated the motion.
"Uh..." Chloe turned to the tree where the legion of dragonflies still dotted it up and down, "are we supposed to...?"
Huh. That's like the most deliberate thing its ever done.
"Guess so," Max said exasperatedly. She brushed the hair out of her face, then held her hand beside her. Chloe took it, her eyes still working over the tree with uneasiness.
"How in the fuck are you so calm about this?" she asked, sticking close to Max as they approached the doe. "I'm freaking the fuck out."
"I'm just kind of over it, honestly," Max responded. She chuckled flatly. "I feel like that's all the evidence we need that I've really gone crazy."
"Think we left the world of sanity a long time ago," Chloe mumbled, hooking her arm with Max's. There was still something novel about Max being the 'brave' one while Chloe was more timid. The realization actually brought forth a new flicker of courage in Max.
Once they were close enough, the doe turned away from them and started walking. Accomplishing its task, the dragonfly swooped back around Max and took its place on the tree among its family. The doe moved with purpose, keeping its nose pointed ahead. Max glanced over her shoulder, watching as the colorful tree of dragonflies shrank in the distance.
"Are we allowed to talk?" Chloe whispered, pointing at the doe.
"Or what happens?" Max snickered.
"I don't fucking know," Chloe hissed. "I don't know what the rules are here! It could be leading us into a trap!"
"We're already completely alone," Max said thoughtfully, "if we were going to be ambushed by wolves or something, I think it'd have happened by now."
"Wolves?" Chloe made a 'tch' sound. "Wolves. That's great. That's super fucking cool."
"Babe, I know I'm asking a lot, but please try and relax," Max said, issuing a slight tug to Chloe's arm. In response, Chloe exhaled forcefully through her nose.
"I am so relaxed," she responded, the sarcasm so brittle it was breaking apart in her mouth.
As they continued, Max was again submerged in the feeling that she was being watched. It was becoming all too familiar.
For someone who hates being the center of attention, this is really...not comfortable.
"What is that?" Chloe asked, her eyes shooting left to right and back again. Max turned to her and raised an eyebrow.
"You feel that?" she asked.
"Yes," Chloe replied. She was in the process of an animated show of discomfort, but had to cut it short to step over a tangle of roots on the ground. "Wolves," she added with a barely audible mutter, now reaching across her body to hold Max with both arms.
A few minutes later, they found themselves at the edge of the forest. The doe had stopped just a few feet ahead of them so that it was fully out of the woods, and was now facing them with the same placid expression as always. Before them was a very large clearing that was once clearly part of the forest. For its size, it was practically empty. But spread out through the clearing were three buildings, all of which Max would consider enormous. Only one of them seemed to be complete, with the other two missing siding or showing bits of exposed interior peeking from behind patches of tarp. There was a fourth lot, furthest in the back, that was merely the beginnings of a foundation.
The three buildings were covered in vines from top to bottom. Some had even snaked their way behind the tarps or through the hole where a window would have gone. It was as though the Earth itself had wrapped a hand around the buildings and was threatening to crush them. The fourth lot had no walls for vines to climb, but was instead full of lush wildflowers breaking free through the concrete, as if they hadn't even noticed it was there.
"Where...?" Max began, allowing the incomplete sentence to stress her confusion.
"I have a guess," Chloe said darkly. She tugged Max's elbow, perhaps harder than she meant to, and followed behind the once again mobile doe.
It didn't go far before it stopped again next to something protruding from the ground. Beside it were two crumbling, wooden posts. Max took a moment to glance up at the sky, feeling the slightest bit relieved to finally have a clear view of it. Turning her attention back to the object, she could see that it was rectangular and large enough that she probably couldn't hold it up on her own. It used to be white, but was now anything but, given its time in the weather. As with the buildings, vines ran over it, ready to drag it even further into the dirt.
"It's gone," Chloe said, reclaiming Max's attention. At first, she wasn't sure what she meant, but soon noticed the doe was nowhere to be found. Before she could make comment on it, she was struck with realization.
"Oh," she said without sparing another glance at the rectangular object. She knew exactly where they were.
Of...of course.
"Yup." Chloe approached it and widened her stance. She bent over and gripped it by its edges, then worked her body side to side as she pulled. Seeing that she wasn't having much luck, Max stepped beside her to help. Finally, it came loose, dislodging from the ground. They stumbled backward and watched as the momentum slowly brought it upright, then back onto the ground with the other side facing up.
It was a sign, muddied and covered in various graffiti that saw a wide range of vulgarity. Even so, it was easy to see what was printed on it: Pan Estates. Beneath it, Prescott Development was written.
"Fucking shock of the century," Chloe said dryly. She pointed at it. "Great. What's that mean? What do we do with that?"
"I...I don't know," Max admitted.
Suddenly, something changed in the air. It was as though it'd become more dense. Out of instinct, Max pressed up against Chloe protectively. A cracking sound filled the clearing, reminiscent of when a tree is just about to topple over. There was a flash without light, and they were standing on concrete. Now, the clearing had at least a dozen buildings identical to the one that was completed. They each had a long driveway leading out to a newly paved road that stretched down to the main road. Cars occupied all of them, and there were signs on each home that hinted to them being lived in. Objectively, they were beautiful. But looking upon them only filled Max's stomach with an ugly, spiny sensation.
"Change back," Chloe mumbled desperately. It didn't seem like it was meant to be out loud.
Obeying her wish, the sky pulled itself inside out. It was a nearly impossible sight to understand, rioting against the way things could or should be perceived. Max became lightheaded, and judging by the bit of weight Chloe had put on her, she was experiencing the same feeling. Trees rocketed from the ground around them and Max watched as the Pan Estate buildings dissolved into dust. In another instant, the change was complete, placing them in a forest entirely untouched by construction.
"Fuck," Chloe sucked in a generous gulp of air as if she'd been unable to breathe. She wrapped both arms around Max, for both comfort and stability. Max shook her head, working her left eye back open after it had screwed shut.
God, I feel dizzy...
"From...before?" Max asked, though she knew the answer. This was what it looked like before Sean's influence.
With barely time for them to adjust, reality once again trembled and reached in, molding everything back to normal. Or, normal as Max and Chloe understood it. Three lonely homes infested with vines and beaten by the seasons spotted the clearing. Max felt Chloe relax.
"I liked the last one better," Max said quietly. Chloe stood up straight and took Max's hand, giving it a squeeze that burnt her cuts.
"Me too," she sighed. "Come on," she turned back to the forest, "we have to fucking find our way back to the truck now."
They sat in the bed of the truck, their backs pressed against the cab. Max rested her head on Chloe's shoulder, watching her feet as she swung them left and right like a pendulum. She felt something brush her lips and she opened her mouth, then chomped down on the french fry. Chloe pushed the rest of it into Max's mouth, then picked up her drink and took a long pull from the straw.
"So," Chloe said, offering Max the whole container of fries, "what's the plan?"
"Get a wrecking ball for Pan Estates," Max responded, "or a hunting license for the animals." She finally broke her focus away from her swinging feet when Chloe snickered and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Aside from that, just kill some more time until we can head over there."
"Maybe let's not kill any more time," Chloe suggested cheekily. Max chuckled and playfully bumped against her. It fell silent for a moment. "How you doing?" Chloe asked in a quiet, worried tone.
"Bad," Max replied honestly. "Everything feels so...alien. I barely feel like a human anymore." She took a deep breath. "I'm so beat up."
I feel like I have a mental black eye.
"Yeah," Chloe said, "I know." She kissed Max's head again, then slipped a hand under her jaw so she could kiss her lips. "I wish there was something I could do."
"Pfft, what?" Max snorted. "Chloe, what more could you possibly do? You're the only reason I can get to my feet right now." She slouched in demonstration. "I'm jello. I am a Max-shaped jello. Without you, I'd be..." she shook her head, "I'd have lost already."
"Well," Chloe thought for a moment, "I could still buy you flowers or chocolate or something." She leaned to the side and craned her neck, looking the fast food restaurant up and down. "Get you an ice cream?"
"Thanks, babe," Max laughed, hooking her arm with Chloe's, "maybe after?" Chloe sat back down and nodded, snuggling in closer. Max's lips scrunched to the side and she turned to her. "I'm not the only one dealing with this, you know. How are you?"
I really don't want to play the 'Chloe acts tough and hides her emotions' game.
"Ehhh..." she narrowed her eyes, "not great. I'm kinda like, not really aware of it most of the time." She looked back at Max. "It's like...I know what's going on. I know what we're doing. But," she turned her gaze to the sky, "it just sits in the background. And then every so often, I really think about it and it's..." She visibly paled and showed a brief flash of nausea. Clearly, she was currently experiencing one of those moments.
"I understand," Max said, taking Chloe's hand into her own. She hated those times where she couldn't think of anything to say. The moments when there simply wasn't anything to say. She pulled her knees to her chest and sighed.
Suddenly, she felt a buzz in her pocket, and a chirp came from Chloe's. They both took their phones out, and Max frowned.
Great.
Victoria: Hey guys. Just wanted to say again we're here if you need anything. :*
Kate: And me and Vic were going to watch some movies tonight if you wanted to join us! She picked them out so they're definitely good.
"Man," Max huffed, rolling her head so that it bumped against the back window of the truck, "those two are killing me."
"They're just being supportive," Chloe said gently, "I don't think you should be so worried about them."
"She said, though..." Max dragged a hand across her face. "She said it would happen."
"Who? Dark Max? Evil Max?" Chloe scoffed. "What does that bitch know?"
"She knows what to say to mess with me," Max murmured. "Whether it's true or not, it's the kind of thing that'll eat away at me."
"Honey," Chloe whispered, snaking her arm around Max and pulling her into her lap, "Kate, Vic, and Warren aren't going to just bail on you. Not now. There's too much...stuff between all of us. There's no way."
"I just want to save them," Max said so quietly there it was barely audible.
"We're going to," Chloe replied. "We'll save everyone. Somehow, we're going to." She began typing on her phone, and after a second, Max's vibrated in her hands.
Chloe: thx guys. will keep you updated.
She thought for a moment, then smirked.
Chloe: i have reservations about the movie quality thing but we'll c
"I feel sick," Max mumbled. She stared ahead at the gray building, her hand safely within Chloe's. She wasn't sure whose hand was getting clammy, but it could have just as easily been both.
Despite only being one floor, the building was rather large. It was overall unremarkable, as if someone had just dropped a giant square into a lot and called it a day. Max hadn't thought too much about what to expect of it, but there was a tinge of embarrassment when she found herself surprised that there weren't bars on the windows. Not that she thought such a place should have them, but it was still somewhat difficult to picture the lack of them when it came to Nathan.
Contrasting with the dull coloring of the building, a bright array of flowers circled around its base, which did add a surprising amount of character. She turned to look around her, taking note of how small the parking lot was. She guessed it must not require much real estate, implying there were never enough visitors for the lack of space to be a problem. Even now, there was only about a dozen cars and a majority of them were parked in spaces marked 'staff.'
There's something...wrong about this. Sean has his pretty, big estates and Nathan has this. It's just weird.
"I don't even know what I'll do when I see him..." Chloe said, her words tight as they eked through her teeth. She took a deep breath, fighting down the anger that would never truly go away. Max eyed her for a moment, then nodded.
It's too risky.
"Actually," Max said it with some hesitation, "I was thinking about that. Maybe it's best if you stay in the waiting room or...by the front desk or whatever. I think it'll be harder to get to him to focus with you in there." She nibbled her lip in anticipation of an argument.
"Thank god," Chloe said, her body slumping with relief. "I wasn't even being dramatic. I'm worried I'd tear his throat out." She turned to Max and put a hand on her shoulder. "But only if you feel okay with it. I'll do anything you need."
"I know you will," Max said, smiling at the grander truth of it, "let's just try it this way first. If I need backup, I'll...I dunno, make a bird call or something."
I don't know any bird calls.
They nodded to each other resolutely, then went inside.
There was an unmistakable feeling that they were some place they weren't supposed to be. Not that it was forbidden or condemned, but it felt like walking through a hospital when you didn't know any of the patients. It was quaint inside, painted and decorated the way Max, for some reason, associated with the way the average grandmother would decorate their home. Though, there was the underlying sense of there being a medical purpose to the place. As if you might unmask it Scooby-Doo style and find a typical hospital.
"Hi, can I help you?" the woman behind the desk asked. Her eyes flickered between Max and Chloe in a decidedly analytical way, as if trying to construct a full profile of them in a matter of seconds. Max guessed it might be something most people in such a line of work did, even if subconsciously.
I wonder if she can glean anything about us. There might be too much to take in.
"Yes," Max answered, pulling together a friendly smile, "we're actually here to visit one of your patients." The woman tilted her head, her eyes doing another quick scan like she might be updating her files now that she knew neither of them were there to be evaluated.
"Who are you here to see?" she asked, swinging herself around to face her computer. She took hold of the mouse and began scrolling. "Did you set up an appointment?"
...shit.
"Uh, no..." Max replied, "I wasn't sure if we had to..." She glanced at Chloe nervously. There was no way such a simple oversight was going to ruin their plans. "The patient is Nathan Prescott."
The woman froze, then slowly turned back to Max.
"Sorry?" she asked, sounding genuinely surprised, like she was positive she'd misheard.
That response does not inspire confidence...
"Yeah, um, Nathan Prescott?" Max anxiously grabbed her elbow, looking away when the woman's expression didn't change. Even with as straightforward as it had been, she couldn't shake the feeling that she found them suspicious. "Is...is that okay?"
"It's okay," the woman said, giving a reassuring smile. "He just doesn't get many visitors..." There was a note of sadness in her voice as she slid the clipboard across the desk. "Just sign in and we can get you all sorted out." Max jotted down her signature, scowling at how much shakier it looked than usual. Reading over it, she realized she might as well put 'shady ulterior motives' in parentheses next to it. Could she possibly be leaving behind a bigger piece of evidence? "And are you going in, too?" the woman asked Chloe as she nudged the clipboard to her.
"Nah, I'm just going to wait out here," she said casually, though Max could see just how tightly wound she truly was. Chloe scribbled her name, then dropped the pen on the desk. Max raised an eyebrow, seeing that she'd written 'Debra Borgen.'
What in the hell?
"Okay," the woman replied, giving the sign-in sheet a quick look over, "you're going to go down the hall there to waiting room." She pointed. "Shouldn't be but a moment!"
"Thank you so much," Max said, giving a slight bow for reasons she couldn't begin to explain. She took Chloe's hand and together they walked down the hall. They came to an empty room lined with chairs and plopped into adjacent seats. "You okay?" she asked Chloe. "Uh, Debra?"
"I got nervous," she admitted, "we...we did not think this through..." Max looked at her, half in agreement, half in confusion. "They probably know my name. They might even know yours. They probably know everything about what happened with him in that bathroom. This looks...bad." She gave Max an uneasy look. "Did Victoria say if she was alone in the room with him? Or was a doctor there? Staff?" Max released a dry gust of breath and buried her face in her hands.
After all this time, we still don't plan for this shit.
"She didn't, no," Max responded. "That'll definitely make it harder to talk with him about..." A door across from them opened, and another woman poked her head out.
"Max Caulfield?" she asked cheerily, though it seemed unnecessary given that there weren't exactly many people to choose from in the room. She was young, perhaps around Maddie's age, and radiated enthusiasm that the woman at the desk seemed to have lost. Max nodded, and the woman opened the door all the way. "You can come with me!"
Okay. Okay. You can do this, Max. You got this.
"Okay..." Max stood up, but Chloe caught her by the wrist before she could get too far away.
"I'm right outside if you need me," she said seriously. "I'm here, okay? I love you."
"Love you too," Max replied, giving Chloe a slight tug before breaking contact. She turned back to the woman and sighed, then followed her through the door. The sound of it closing behind her seemed much, much louder than she knew it really was. She was surprised to find that they stood in yet another hallway, though it was short and plain with only another door at the other end. It reminded her of the countless decontamination chambers she'd seen in the horror movies she watched with Chloe. Back before everything got so bad.
Back when things were okay. God, I'd kill to be lazy and watch movies all day without worrying about the sky falling.
"Mmkay, so," the woman said, clapping her hands, "you have a half hour, but can leave sooner if you need." She gestured over her shoulder. "The visitor's area is just through the door. You can stay in the common room if you want, but there are several of what we like to call 'conversation rooms' if you need to speak about more private matters." She held a hand up to reassure Max. "Don't worry, we don't eavesdrop, but there will be someone posted just outside the door."
"Right," Max said, absentmindedly wiping her sweaty hands on the fabric of her jeans.
"I do need to do a quick pat down, if that's okay?" she asked. Max did a mental rundown of her current possessions, then nodded. "Okie dokie!" She held her arms out at her sides in demonstration, and Max did the same. Gently, she patted her hands along Max's sides and pockets. "So, how do you know Nathan?"
"Uh...we were classmates," Max said. The woman made a conversational 'mhm' sound.
"Okay, all good," she said, standing back up straight. "Could you put your phone on silent if you haven't, though?" Max double checked to make sure it was, then she smiled. "I think he'll be excited to see you." The woman's mouth quirked sadly. "Not many people come for him. I think he's lonely."
Lonely? Really?
"He is?" Max asked. It was odd how she kept having moments of surprise when reminded that Nathan was in fact a human being. The woman recovered her frown into a smile.
"It'll be good for him! Come on," she said, then turned down the hallway. Max followed once again, unsure of what to expect. It certainly seemed like the staff regarded him with pity more than anything else.
I can't tell if they're really good at being empathetic or just crazy themselves.
The door opened, and they stepped into a surprisingly large room. There were several tables, two couches, a television, and a slew of other odds and ends. A big aquarium against the wall drew Max's attention, and even from the other side of the room she could see two or three fish weaving through the water.
This is...home-y.
The room was occupied by several people, all of whom were scattered about to retain some level of privacy. There was a woman holding a small child, talking to a man around her age. She took a moment to kiss the child on the head and proclaim 'I miss you so much.' In another corner, a young girl sat slumped in a chair with glassy eyes as what was presumably her father held her hand, speaking to her softly. There were others as well, but Max didn't have time to take in their details before she found Nathan sitting in a chair, a quizzical look on his face.
Is that really him? It's been so long…
"Nathan?" the woman smiled wide as she approached him. "Your friend is here to visit!"
"Max...Caulfield?" he asked, his brow furrowing. The woman's smile faded, uncertainty taking its place. She must have been expecting a more exuberant response.
"Hey, Nathan," Max said gently, as if he were a wounded animal. Before any more suspicions could be raised, she turned to the woman. "Thank you," she said. The woman's smile returned, apparently reassured, and she made her way over to staff desk.
"What...are you doing here?" he asked, utterly bewildered. She imagined it must be more than strange to be visited several months after the fact by someone you never even spoke to.
"Vic told me she came to talk to you and I…" Max let her words fade out, unsure of how to finish the sentence. She looked at him closer and was surprised by how small and nonthreatening he seemed. He was a bit thinner than she remembered. His hair was longer, too, but not overly so. It reminded her of how a dog just begins to look shaggy before its next routine grooming. Despite looking sleepy, one of his feet tapped rapidly on the ground. "How are you doing?" she asked. She had so many questions for him, but she never would have expected that to be the first one.
There's no way this is the same person.
"Uh…" his eyes narrowed, as if he really had to consider his answer, "I'm doing okay. Not...great." He gestured around him, pointing out the obvious reason as to why. "But, yeah, I'm okay." He looked her up and down and tilted his head. It was as though he couldn't decide if her visit was some sort of prank or cruel joke. "I don't get why you came here…" he cleared his throat, "I-I don't mind, I mean. I don't get a lot of visitors. But I don't understand why you're here."
Yeah. It's a long story.
"I'm, um, good friends with Victoria now," Max said, "and Kate Marsh." Nathan winced at her name and looked away. "I'm also dating Chloe Price."
"Victoria did mention that," he responded, his voice weak as he continued to look anywhere but at her. "Are you here to…" his eyes shut tightly, then he blinked them, "are you going to yell at me?"
'Yell?' That's his concern? That seems so...childish.
"No," Max assured, "I'm not going to yell at you. I came because I just wanted to…" She stopped and searched around her, then focused on one of the rooms that lined another hallway. From the waist up, a pane of glass provided a clear view into it. "Would you be okay if we talk in one of those rooms?" She thought it over, then decided to double check what the woman had said earlier. "Do we need someone to come in with us?"
"Ah, no," he shook his head, "but it doesn't lock."
That provides...a bit of comfort.
"Okay," she said, and took an awkward step back as a suggestion for him to stand. Taking the cue, he got to his feet as well. "I guess that one is fine, right?" She pointed at the very first one, seeing that it was vacant. He nodded, sending an uncertain look her way, then headed toward it. Max looked over at the opening where the staff were chatting amongst themselves. She saw the woman who signed them in and assumed it must connect to the front desk as well. Knowing that there might be a direct line to Chloe added another sense of relief.
Max gestured to the woman from before, letting her know they'd be going into the room. In response, she mouthed 'okay' and gave a thumbs up. Then, she gave a large man a discreet tap on the chest with the back of her hand.
Nathan waited outside the door, like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to be the one to open it. Max stood next to him and thought about how absurd it was to be shoulder to shoulder with the person who almost killed her lover. She opened the door and he moseyed in before her, then she followed.
The room was small and minimally decorated. Much like how the rest of the facility seemed like a hospital dressing up as a home, this was a dead ringer for an interrogation room. Only, just a smidgen more comfy. When she turned to close the door, she was startled to find the man from the desk standing outside the window. He gave a friendly nod to Nathan, then turned and rested against the glass.
I guess that's my muscle if I need it. Will I need it? It's probably just protocol. ...right?
"In case...you know," Nathan mumbled, taking his seat at the table. It and the four chairs surrounding it made up all of the furniture in the room. "It's just a precaution. Not just because it's...me."
"I understand," Max said, sitting across from him. She thought for a moment. "It seems nice here. It's more...laid back than I expected."
They're just letting you walk around. That's...weird.
"They're really nice," he agreed. "They give us a lot of freedom as long as we behave. Sometimes they even let us outside…" He shrugged. "They actually care, you know?"
His mannerisms and overall behavior did a fair job telling the story all on their own. The staff simply weren't worried about him doing anything reckless or violent. And maybe, after all this time, they really were the most qualified to hold that belief.
He was awake, but clearly sedated. His eyes were bright, though, so it seemed he was fully aware. He didn't glance about wildly or twitch the way she'd remembered. The dangerous paranoia that plagued him so many months ago was totally absent. He had really received the help he needed. It was just a shame it had arrived far too late.
You should have turned out better. You really should have.
"Nathan, I-" Max began to say, but was interrupted.
"I'm...I'm sorry," he said. It sounded rehearsed, but not disingenuous. She could imagine him saying it into a mirror over and over. The words must have felt like knives. "I fucked up so bad. I...I know I belong here." He closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. "No, I don't belong here. I belong in prison. I'm just...I'm so sorry."
Max didn't say anything, but did lean forward a little bit.
"I was so lost. I had no idea what to do, and...and he used me," he said, his voice cracking as he looked down at the table. He sounded exactly as he did when he left her the voicemail in the other timeline. She never could forget how upset he sounded. "I thought he was helping me. I thought he cared about me. I didn't have anyone else…" He sniffled. "I hate him for what he did. For what he turned me into."
Max was caught off-guard by how little time he wasted cutting to the quick of it all. It didn't require any coercion. She had to wonder how badly he wanted to talk to someone about it. From the sounds of things, he didn't have many opportunities.
"How did you get set up with him?" Max asked. She realized she'd never heard the whole story.
"I was having a particularly shitty day," Nathan muttered. "He took me aside to ask why I had a black eye. He sounded so…" Nathan sighed. "Nobody else even asked. Not one goddamn person. And then he started talking about my photos and how skilled I was. He just kept complimenting me. I needed someone who cared…"
"Victoria cared about you," Max replied, somewhat accusingly. Nathan looked up at her, shame written on his face.
"She wasn't the one I wanted to care," he explained somberly. "I didn't know she thought what we had was...real. I thought it was just a game to her. Jefferson put most of that in my head. He said he was the only one I could trust. So, that's what I did. I didn't trust anyone but him…" His eyes dipped back down again and his face went blank. "Except for her."
Ah... Damn.
"Rachel." Max sat back and took a deep breath. "Why did you kill her?" His face contorted in disgust that was aimed only at himself, and he looked to the side. The memory of it clearly pained him in a deeply.
"She was in love with him," he said simply, "I thought...I thought if I was more like him, then maybe she'd…" A tear rolled down his cheek, but he didn't seem to notice. "I didn't mean to. I really didn't."
Max watched him pityingly, but it wasn't enough to really douse any of the resentment she felt. It wasn't enough to even touch it. She thought about the picture she'd found in his room of Chloe half-conscious and was briefly overcome with the desire to leap across the table. She calmed herself and decided against asking about that particular event. She really didn't want any answers.
"Can I ask…" he looked her in the eyes, "can I ask how Kate is doing? And Chloe?"
That's surprising. Gotta be honest with him.
"They're good," Max responded, "but they'll never forget what you did to them. You hurt them." She thought of Kate on the roof. "You could have killed both of them. That's...hard to come back from."
"I'm glad they're okay," he said, stumbling around the rest of what she'd said. "When I found out Chloe survived, I actually cried. I was so relieved. I didn't want to kill her. It's like, I just can't control myself and…" He took a deep, even breath. "I'm not trying to shift the blame. I know I did it. And that's all that matters."
Well, that does sound like a good segue…
"But your dad could have prevented it," she said, her tone darker than she intended. "If only he'd taken better care of you and actually took your mental health seriously."
A movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she turned to see the man outside checking on them. He flashed a smile, then turned back around.
"My dad…" Nathan chuckled spitefully. "I warned him, you know. For years and years. I told him something was wrong with me. He didn't care. He never did." He ran a hand through his hair and made a sound of revulsion. He was sitting up straighter, his eyes a little wider. "I have spent so many fucking sessions here talking about him. I hate that he's still controlling my life. Still at the center of it"
Max frowned and tilted her head to get a better look at his face.
That sounds a little more like the Nathan I remember.
"I still don't know what fucked me up more, his words or fists," he said. He slowly looked around him and a small, heartbreaking smile curved his lips. "He always said I was more trouble than I was worth. A problem for him to deal with. I guess he solved it, huh? I'm here, locked away where I can't cause him any more issues." He narrowed his eyes. "He's never set one foot in this building, you know? Never visited me even once."
God, he's so horrible. Out of sight, out of mind. Right, Sean?
"He's not a good person," Max said. She instinctively ran her hands over the surface of the table, letting the smoothness of it ground her to the present. "We've run into him a few times. He's...really hostile toward Chloe. It's scary."
"What?" Nathan bolted upright, his hands bundling into fists. "What did he do to her? What happened?"
"He just freaked her out. Saying she ruined his life and being...I don't know," she replied. "She actually felt like she was in danger. I'm scared to think what might have happened if Frank wasn't there to step between them."
"Frank? The dealer?" Nathan asked. "What does he have to do with anything?"
"He, uh," Max hesitated, then shrugged, "he beat the hell out of your father." Nathan stared at her for a moment, then chuckled.
"Oh man, that's great," he said, and the ghost of a genuine, happy smile came to his face. "He deserved it. I can't stand the thought of him fucking with her or Kate or...anyone."
Okay, Max. That's your cue.
"Listen, Nathan," Max said, "I need to ask you some questions about him. Is that okay?" The smile vanished and was replaced by something reminiscent of fear. He nodded. "Do you know of anything he may have done...wrong? Something that would get him in trouble legally or...with other people?"
"People."
"Why?" he asked. It wasn't defensive, but inquisitive. Before Max could come up with a reason, he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "He never told me anything, but I can guarantee he has. I mean, I know about the blackmail and how he'd manipulate people. Everyone does. But…" He tensed his jaw and shook his head. "Please, try and stay away from him. That can't be all there is. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, you know?" He gestured to himself bitterly.
"So, you do think there's more to it?" Max asked.
"It...seemed like he was always waiting to tell me something," he said. "If I had a nickel for every time I heard the phrase 'when you're ready' growing up…"
So...okay. Maybe he never told Nathan anything big, but… There has to be more.
"How about Pan Estates?" Max asked. She figured it was worth the mention after the morning's events. Nathan thought it over, looking down at his hands.
"Uh, I mean... It was just his newest baby," he said. "I know it was expensive as shit. All he did was bitch and moan about how much it was just to build that first house. Something about the land and excavating. It was enough to piss off all those conservationists. I don't know." He scoffed. "As if money has ever actually been an issue for us."
Alright, I'll keep that in my back pocket. So...okay. Maybe...
"Nathan, did he ever say anything to you about a storm?" she asked. For the first time since she'd been there, his eyes opened as far as they could. True terror ran through them.
"How do you know about that?" he asked nervously. "Victoria, right?" The second question almost sounded like he was begging.
He DOES know something!
"She mentioned it," Max admitted, "but there is...more to it. What did he say about it? The storm? Please, Nathan."
"The fucking storm," Nathan laughed bitterly, pressing his knuckles so hard into his eyes that it left red marks around them. "Him and his fucking storm. Ever since I was a kid, he'd go on and on about it. Warn me not to fuck up or I'd ruin everything. The big Prescott secret!" His nostril flared.
Yes, yes, yes!
"What's the secret?" Max asked eagerly.
"There isn't one!" Nathan growled. He shot a nervous glance at the man outside the window and tried to collect himself. "He's just fucking crazy. Like me! He poisoned me my whole life. Don't fuck up his precious name or else the storm will come. It was like a boogeyman. The storm will come. The storm will come…" He repeated it several more times, growing quieter each time. It was like he'd forgotten Max was in the room with him.
"Do you know why he says that?" Max pressed, trying to restrain her impatience. She was so, so close. She could feel it.
"Because he's fucking crazy," Nathan reiterated, looking back up at her. "My whole fucking family is. Jumping at their own shadows for generations because of some mumbo jumbo bullshit." His anger seeped through the rest of his sedation, drawing his face into a wrathful expression. "My grandfather was the same way. He was the one who wanted to build bunkers. Always went on and on about it."
'Mumbo jumbo bullshit?' That...sounds like it fits the bill.
"And the best part," Nathan continued, "is that I finally understand! I finally know what he meant." Max nodded enthusiastically for him to keep going. "It's me. I'm the fucking storm. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy." His anger faded and he slumped back in his chair. "He spent so much time fucking me up about it that I actually did end up ruining everything. Isn't that funny?" He snorted. "All he was doing the whole time was giving me enough rope to hang him with."
It was a...confusing mix of information. He had reaffirmed suspicions and provided some new answers, but it all seemed to be entirely accidental. Nathan really didn't know about the true nature of the storm. He'd simply taken it up as a mantle in a misguided form of penance.
No. Max was less than satisfied. Surely he knew more.
This is not okay. That can't be it…
"He never mentioned anything else about it?" Max had lifted herself from the seat, like maybe getting physically closer to him meant getting closer to information. "He never said anything that might point to it actually being real?"
"Of course not," Nathan said as if it were ludicrous. "It was all superstition. Paranoia. Fuck, maybe that's all the evidence you really need that they've done some horrible shit." He held his hand out, presenting his new realization. "How bad of people do you have to be to believe that fucking Mother Nature is going to get revenge on you?"
Nathan. You are so close. Please.
"Nathan," she said, her voice stern enough to force eye contact and keep it locked there, "you really don't know that the storm is real? You don't know about all of this time shit? About Arcadia Bay?"
"What...do you mean it's real?" he asked cautiously, his brow crinkling. "What time shit? What are you talking about, Max?"
"It...it's real!" Max said, her voice growing louder. "He built that bunker! He knows about the animals! The storm happened, Nathan!" He flinched at her tone, then again as she pushed herself fully to her feet.
"Max, please. I don't know if you're fucking with me, but it's really not funny," he said. "I've dealt with this enough. I'm just trying…I'm just trying to get better."
"It happened, Nathan! In another timeline! I need to know why! I…" She stopped and stared at him. There was a flicker of irritation in his eyes, but mostly he just looked beaten down. Waiting and praying for the paranoid beliefs that ultimately led him here to finally stop. Max cleared her throat and stretched her fingers anxiously. She knew her next move would put her on thin ice, but she couldn't stop herself. Not now. "There was another timeline, Nathan. I stopped you before you could shoot Chloe and then the storm…" Before she could say any more, Nathan reeled forward and clutched his head, sucking in a sharp breath.
You have to know. Tell me!
"Agh, what the fuck!?" He twisted in pain for a few long seconds, then sat back up straight. "Sorry, I don't…" he shook his head roughly, "I don't know what just happened. My head was… Sorry, it must be a side-effect of…"
Max barely heard him. Only the groan of ice getting thinner under her feet.
"You don't know?" she asked desperately. "You don't remember anything? Fighting Warren Graham in the parking lot? Watching Kate on the roof about to kill herself? You don't remember Jefferso-"
He hissed, once again pressing his palms hard against his temples. His breathing spiked and he jerked back in his chair. It lasted longer this time. He was just beginning to whimper the way she'd heard him do several times in another universe when it finally faded again. He looked back up at her with a wounded expression. She could practically hear the word 'help.' Max, whether she liked it or not, had actually become a bright spot in Nathan's otherwise dreary life. And she was intentionally hurting him. He looked so pitiful…
She felt the ice crack and slowly, very slowly, retreated.
Don't, Max. Don't. Calm down.
"Sorry," he said again, wincing, "I really don't know what that is… I've never felt it before."
"It's okay," Max said quietly, addressing something else entirely. A sudden knock on the glass drew her attention, and the man outside help up two fingers. She nodded, and he turned back around. She supposed she should be grateful he hadn't noticed anything. She faced Nathan and a sour, sick feeling bloomed in her stomach. "Thanks for talking with me…"
That's all the time I get? But I didn't...
"Yeah…" he said, still seeming a bit dizzy. "Can I...ask why you wanted to know those things? I don't understand. What's going on?"
"Just...curious," she mumbled. Then she thought it over, realizing that was nowhere near a good enough reason. "I wanted to know the truth about everything. Why you did what you did." He nodded solemnly, finding that to be a suitable answer.
"Thank you for visiting," he whispered, and it actually hurt how much he meant it. How grateful he was for a girl he barely knew to come and grill him about the darkest parts of his being.
"No problem," she answered, looking him over again. There was no denying it to herself. She truly did feel bad for him.
"Tell...tell everyone I said sorry," he said. "I am sorry."
She couldn't forgive him. She couldn't even entertain the thought without feeling nauseous. And deep in his eyes, it was clear he knew that.
"I will," she said, unsure if she actually would. "Take care of yourself, Nathan."
With a heavy, defeated sigh, Max came back to the waiting room. Her eyes were closed, searching the inside of her head for anything that might prove useful. When she opened them, she saw Chloe staring at her nervously. She was wringing her hands tightly enough that her knuckles were white. The reason should have been obvious, but Max's first thought was that she must have simply been anxious about her discussion with Nathan. But then she realized… The entire room was different. She took a step forward and looked down the hall. It was a good bit longer and lined with all manner of new paintings. Then she noticed a window where none had been before. Slowly approaching it, she saw that they were on the second story of what she knew was a single story building. Mechanically, she turned back to Chloe.
Oh no.
"When did this happen?" she asked in a hushed voice.
"About five minutes ago," Chloe answered, lurching out of her chair so quickly that one might think she was afraid of it. "I was...I was so worried it might've changed in there, too. That you might have gone away." She wasn't crying, but only because she was trying her hardest not to.
"Not, it's me," Max assured, "but...wait…" She turned back around and gripped the doorknob of the door she'd just come through. Upon opening it, she was faced with an entirely different layout than before.
Oh, what the fuck.
"Um, excuse me, Miss Caulfield?" the man behind the desk called. "You can't go back in there."
"O-oh, right. Sorry," Max responded. Chloe took her hand and jostled it in a needy fashion.
"Please, can we leave? I want to leave," she pleaded. Max nodded, then hurried down the hall with Chloe in tow.
"Just need ya to sign out," the man said, pointing to the clipboard. It was all a little different, even down to the ink of the pen she'd signed her name with before. She assumed that the man behind the desk was in fact not there because of a simple shift change. As far as he knew, he'd probably been there all day. Quickly, she scribbled her signature again, then let Chloe do the same. Now, instead of 'Debra Borgen,' Chloe's signature read 'Kari Price.' She scowled, then reluctantly wrote her real last name.
Once she finished, she took hold of Max's hand again and nodded toward the door. They left, descending the stairs that weren't there before.
Neither spoke until they were back in the truck, which was thankfully as beat up and Chloe-ified as always. They both stared ahead at the building and its new shape. There was something which Max could only describe as an 'itch' in her mind; the unsteady process of trying to comprehend something that made no sense. It was getting much more frequent, and it certainly didn't help the already existing feeling of fleeting sanity. Much, much bigger things were changing now and that could only mean one thing - it was getting worse. Finally, Chloe decided to ask the obvious question.
"So, uh, how did it go?" Her voice was strained and she had yet to take her eyes off the building. Max snapped out of her daze, overcome with the same sick feeling as before.
"I...I don't know," she replied, falling forward to lean on the dashboard. "He didn't...he didn't know that the storm was real but he knew about it as a, I don't know, concept?" She let out a brief, crazed laugh. "He didn't know, Chloe. We didn't learn fucking anything. We didn't…" She turned to Chloe and smiled, but it was framed by hopeless tears. "Chloe, this was all we had."
That's it. We're fucked.
"No, no," Chloe reached for her and pulled her closer, "no. I'm sure there was something. There must have been."
"Nope!" Max cried. "Not a single fucking thing. And...and," she held up an index finger, "what if that wasn't even the right Nathan? What if another one knows about everything, but we got stuck with one that didn't?" She threw her arms in the direction of the building. "What if the one in there right now is the one I should have talked to?"
Jesus Christ, this is getting so hard to keep track of!
"Tell me what he said, Max," Chloe said softly. "Just tell me and we can figure it out."
So she did, relaying everything she and Nathan had discussed. Chloe's face shifted with each new bit of information, but there was always an underlying sense of anger. Max did even tell her that he said he was sorry. Chloe didn't accept it, but it did seem like it meant something somewhere in her heart. When Max was done, she was crying harder.
"That's it," she whined, shrinking against Chloe, "we got nothing. What do we do!?"
"No," Chloe said, taking a long, steadying breath, "I think we got a lot." Her eyes fluttered shut and she shook her head in an expression of reluctance. "Most important, we got confirmation on something I think we both knew in the back of our heads." Max sniffled and looked up at her, desperate to latch onto whatever glimmer of hope Chloe had found. Chloe met her eyes, and the blue inside of them might as well have been ice. "We learned that we're interrogating the wrong Prescott."
A/N: Hi!
Oh, Nathan, Nathan, Nathan... Sometimes I regret trapping you in a box at the start of the story. But I'm glad I could finally give him some screen time.
Well, things didn't go as well as we'd hoped, but now we know what must be done. Sean Prescott, come on down!
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and thank you so much for reading! Love you all very dearly.
See you again in about a week or so? c;